Creative Charms "Deal of the Month" Projects

Today was my first day to post projects as part of the Design Team for Creative Charms.  Here are some projects that I made using just a few of the many items in the Creative Charms "Deal of the Month" for June.

The embellishments from Creative Charms make great accents for Cricut projects.  To see the inspirational creations all of the members of the Design Team have been making you should visit the Creative Charms blog - here is a LINK.

I wanted to post the specific sizes and some hints about how I made these projects.  I'll start with the polka dot card.

I cut this flower from the Sweet Treats cartridge.  I wanted to use the large polka dot brad for the flower center.

I measured the brad and then used Design Studio to determine the proper size to cut the flower.  There is a layer for the flower center and I was able to find the center that was close to one inch in diameter which is the layer for the 2 1/2 inch flower.

The lower layer of the flower has webbing cuts to help you place the next layers.  I wanted to keep the layers separate and I decided to fold up the petals along these lines for more dimension.

I also bent the petals of the top layer along the lines of the center.  I punched holes with a standard hole punch in the center of each layer.  You could also place a small circle in the center of the design and have it cut with the Cricut if you use Design Studio or the Gypsy.

The red gingham paper is some old Creative Memories paper and the white layer is cut from some embossed cardstock by Making Memories.  You could emboss the layers using Cuttlebug folders for lots of different effects.

I used foam squares to raise the flower for even more dimension.  The blue polka dot paper is from Martha Stewart.

The sentiment is from the Stamping cartridge and is cut at 1 3/4 inches.  Using Design Studio to look through the possibilities and determine the right size to cut saves a lot of paper.  I used red Core'dinations paper for the shadow and the embossed white paper again for the top layer.

Two of the second darkest shade of red gradient gem stickers accent the dots on the "i"s

I used the Sweet Treats cartridge again for the cake card.  The cake is one from the selection of cakes in the sweet tooth felt sticker and epoxy brad set.

The sentiment is cut at 2 3/4 inches cutting the base, the blackout layer and the accent words for the top.  The striped paper is by Luxe Designs and the pink and brown for the words are by American Crafts (the reverse sides of some patterned papers).

The accent layers for "that" and "cake" are cut from pink DCWV glitter cardstock.  This particular mat stack had an extra thick coating on the glitter.  I can usually cut the glitter cardstock with a 2 times multi cut on blade depth 6 but I had to cut it a second time (for four total cuts).  I always press "load paper" after a cut so I can check to see if the cut is clean before removing the mat from the machine.  If you unload the mat and find that the cut is not complete it is nearly impossible to get the mat reloaded at exactly the same place.

I used a punch for the scalloped circle but you could cut it from one of the many cartridges that have a scalloped circle.

I cut the word "sweet" for the visor from the Paisley cartridge at 1 1/4 inches.  This cartridge has an entire keypad full of "girly" words and phrases.

I used vinyl for the cut and it adhered to the foam visor easily but the bond may not be strong enough if a child is actually using the visor(!)  You might want to add additional adhesive (or just cut lots of different words and change them when one no longer stays on the visor.  The embellishments have glue dots that hold them on the display card - if you are careful when you remove them you can use these and perhaps add a few more for extra hold.

I have many more projects in mind for the "deal of the month" items.  You can visit Creative Charms HERE to see the list of all of the items included for only $6.99 (regular price $23.00!).



I hope you are busy collecting letters in the Scrappy Go Lucky blog hop - remember, if you collect all of the letters and solve the anagram you can email your answer for a chance to win a fabulous prize package of four new Cricut cartridges.  All of the details can be found at THIS POST.


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Cupcakes for Sweet Treat Thursday

For today's Cuttlebug Challenge Sweet Treat Thursday the Design Team was asked to create a cupcake holder and to share a cupcake recipe.  Cupcakes continue to be a huge trend and fancy holders or wrappers are very popular.  Be sure to visit the Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot to see what the team came up with and then check the links to the individual designer's blogs for more information.

 The decorative part of my cupcake holder is an intricate fence cut on the Heritage cartridge.  You can see the location of this cut on the keypad screenshot above.  There was not a convenient plain square or rectangle available on that cartridge so I used one from George.  If you do not have George, you could use a square from one of your other cartridges and substitute it for all of the George shapes. 

Here is the holder on the mat after cutting.  It is centered on the mat for ease in designing.  You need a piece of paper about nine inches square (placed in the center of the 12 x 12 mat) to cut the holder.

After carefully lifting the cut from the mat you will have this single piece to score and fold for the holder.  While the cut is delicate it is well connected and not particularly difficult to remove from the mat.  Just be sure to poke out any extra bits that stay stuck in the ironwork.

Each side and tab should be scored to enable you to create crisp and accurate folds.  I used my Scor-Pal and worked with any line by placing the gates on opposite sides on the same line and scoring across.  Do this four all four sides and tabs.

Here you can see the holder after scoring and folding.  I used 1/2 inch Scor-Tape on each tab to make assembly quick and easy.

To assemble the holder, just work your way around the square, sticking each tab to the adjacent side and making sure that the corners are square.

Here is an empty standard cupcake tin liner in the holder.  I made the square base 3 1/4 inches to allow plenty of room for fancy frosting.  If your cupcakes are larger or smaller you could adjust the sizing to suit.

The holder also looks cute with some Easter grass to hold jelly beans, candy and maybe a small chocolate bunny.

I added a strip of decorative paper around the base and a cute butterfly from Creative Charms to "dress up" the holder. 

For the matching card, I used the cupcake from the Sweet Treats cartridge that I had adapted for a swap.  You can read about the changes I made to get this look at THIS POST.  For the white card I cut a dark pink layer at 4 x  5 1/4 inches and a checked layer from paper similar to the "frosting" paper at 3 3/4 x 5 inches.

We were also asked to share a recipe.  My favorite recipe is the one I shared in the cupcake swap I just mentioned.  However, the cupcakes from that recipe are not particularly "photogenic" so I made a trip to Starbucks to purchase a couple of "model cupcakes" to test out the holder (they were delicious!).  Here is a LINK to the post with the recipe for "Black Bottom Cupcakes" - they are very tasty and a bit different with cream cheese and chocolate chip filling.

If you would like to cut some cupcake holders (or Easter candy holders) like mine you can download my file from the link below.

Heritage Cupcake Holder Design Studio

Heritage Cupcake Holder Gypsy

Cupcake Holder with Heart Cutouts

I had an inquiry about this cupcake holder that I made as a variation of the "standard" holder on the Sweet Treats cartridge.  I originally posted an explanation of how to alter the holder December 1st.  Here is a LINK to that post with the explanation of how I made the holder.

In checking back for the post, I realized that I never added the file.  You may be able to use this with Valentine's Day around the corner.  Please go back to the original post to read all of the details.  I am just adding a link to download the file today.  The size will fit a small standard cupcake - not the jumbo fancy type! You could also add other treats in a cellophane bag to nestle in the holder.  You can use this size or perhaps adapt the idea for your needs.  It is not an adjustable design because various items had to be placed at angles, so it is not possible to keep all elements in one selection box.

Cupcake Holder with Heart Cutouts

I am still away from home - driving back on Tuesday.  There was a huge rainstorm but I made it from PA to NJ safely.  I am sorry that I haven't been able to get to all of the comments and emails.  I have only had short bits of time here and there to respond.  I am looking forward to being home and on a more regular schedule again!

Paper Cupcakes

Here is the other part of the Cupcake Swap I told you about yesterday.  The paper cupcakes are not exactly "tasty" but they sure are cute!

I used one of the cupcakes from the Sweet Treats cartridge.  By using Design Studio, I was able to set up my cutting mats very efficiently.  I made 18 cupcakes (a few more than I needed for the swap).  I wanted to use some of my older Creative Memories paper which is 12 x 10 inches so I set up my mats with this in mind.

The shadows for the cupcakes are larger than most Cricut shadows.  I was able to fit only six of them on the 12 x 10 cardstock.  I cut this page three times.

For the blackout layer of the cupcake I was able fit in two extras per page so I cut this page twice.

On another page of the file, I cut the two missing cupcake blackout layers from a 4 x 10 inch strip of cardstock.

I used glitter cardstock for the hearts and kept them on their own mat so I could cut them using multi cut two.

Eighteen frosting layers were a perfect fit on another mat with 12 x 10 patterned paper.

I had an issue with the cupcake paper layers.  I may have misinterpreted the designer's intention for this cut but it just didn't work with the frosting for me.

These are the three pieces (blackout cupcake and frosting and cupcake paper layers) and they are cut at four inches.

They each fit individually on the blackout base, but I couldn't see how to use them both and have a cupcake that worked.

With the frosting on top, the scalloped edge of the cupcake paper is hidden...

If you put the wrapper on top of the frosting, the cupcake looks very odd.

I ended up changing the shape in Design Studio by shortening the cupcake paper so the scallops at the top and the frosting edge would both show on my finished cupcake.

Once I worked out how to fit the pieces together in a way I liked, the rest was simply cutting and assembling.

When the cupcakes were put together, they needed a bit of spark so I added white pen stitching and some dots on the cupcake paper.

Over and over again I pen stitched...

 

---until they were all done!

I use a Uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 white gel pen to do my pen stitching - it is the best white pen I have ever tried.  I get mine from Jet-Pens.com .  I order a box of 10 for $21.50 and add another pen or two to get over $25 and then the shipping is free.  Here is a LINK to the page on the site for the box of ten (I have no connection with the site - just a happy customer and I think you would like these pens).  These also make great little gifts for your crafting friends.

I got an exciting package in the mail today.  In the box were the new Spring Mini cartridges and some other new things to try!  I'll be posting some projects with these here and on Scrappy-Go-Lucky over the next few weeks.

I just had to share my first trial cut.  This intricate heart from the "Love Struck 2010" cartridge was cut at four inches on heavy cardstock and it cut very nicely.  I have been trying various designs with these images - I think this will be one of my favorites!

Not just for cupcakes....

When I first got Sweet Treats at Michael's and brought it home to explore, I was a bit disappointed in the contents.  I was particularly bothered by the repetition of some of the shapes which make this "full" cartridge much less full than many others (such as A Child's Year which is packed with content!).  Here is a LINK to my review of the cartridge with photos of the complete handbook.

I have been working with the cartridge a bit more - first I started making alterations to the basic cupcake holder in Design Studio, as in this example (here is  a LINK to that post).  I have a few more ideas up my sleeve but I haven't had time to try them out just yet.

Tonight I had my book group meeting and I wanted to take a glitter ornament to everyone as a token holiday gift.  I made the ornaments last week but I needed to contain them somehow.  After driving all day to get home from New Jersey, I didn't have much time to get ready.  The heart cutout cupcake holder was sitting on my table and I discovered it was a good size to hold a small glass ornament.  So I cut some holders using one of the glossy papers from the DCWV Taj Mahal stack.  The design coordinated nicely with the flocked brocade ribbon I used on the ornaments.  I cut the holders at 5 1/2 inches - and I didn't even use Design Studio to do it!

I added some tissue paper to nestle the ornaments into the holders and they fit very nicely.  These were the small size ornaments (55 mm).  My book group friends could hardly believe it when I told them how the ornaments were made (if you missed it - here is a LINK to that post).

I didn't have time to do the video about the snowflakes - sorry to postpone that again but I will get to it soon.  I have a few more photos to share of the decorations I have been putting up - these went up before I left for New Jersey.  This little tree is in my kitchen.  For seven years I decorated Christmas trees for an annual event at our local museum.  Volunteers decorate Christmas trees inspired by children's books.  Some day I will share photos of all the trees I did over the years.

This little tree has some of the decorations from a large tree I did with a friend for a book about Fanny Farmer.  The eggs are real (emptied) and there are baking tools and a garland of candy molds and netting.  If you look behind the tree you can see the opening between our kitchen and family room,  My husband took down the wall and built these half walls and columns.  It really makes a difference when we have a lot of family and friends over.

When we lived in England, I used to go to an auction at Ascot - actually in one of the buildings at the famous racetrack.  They often had crystal pieces at very good estimated prices.  I was lucky enough to get one of these compotes and then a few months later there was another one up for auction so I have a pair.  (I think they were overstock from a crystal shop).  Now, every year I fill them with red and green glass balls - they sit on the two half walls between the side wall and the columns and add a lot of sparkle to the room!

I still have lots to do to finish decorating - but I enjoy the process of transforming each room.  I just need to stay home more to get it done!  I hope your holiday preparations are going well.

Don't miss the chance to enter the giveaway for the EZ View Desktop - the deadline is 11:59 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).  Here is a LINK to the post with all the details - you must leave your comments and contact information on that post to be included in the giveaway.  Please let your friends know about this and encourage them to visit The Original Scrapbox site to help generate enough visits to have an EZ View Desk donated to charity - Thanks and Good Luck!