BBTB2 - Birthday Challenge

Hi all!

Birthdays birthdays birthdays!  I am hosting the challenge this week over on the Bitten By the Bug 2 Challenge and I chose birthdays as the theme.  I am always in need of birthday cards/tags/gift card holders plus bday party pictures that I need to scrap.  I ALSO threw Pezza's birthday party this past weekend - yes 6 months late.  We couldn't make it happen in November so we promised a "half-birthday" party.  She wanted a spa theme so that's what we did.  I will put some pics at the end of this post.

For this challenge I chose to make a couple gift card holders to add to my stash.  I usually try to make 2 at a time when I do this - 1 boy and 1 girl:

Making gift card holders is SO EASY with your Cricut!  The cartridge Bags, Tags, Boxes and More has quite a selection of cuts that fold to form little pockets.

You can size them to fit a gift card and then decorate the fronts like a tag or card.  A birthday Cricut cut, embossing, a few glittered skittles, and some pretty ribbons tied off with embroidery floss makes for a sweet little gift card holder.

 Turn it over and you can see the gift card peeking out of the pocket.  This cut is called Card Holder Tag - #M33F69 if you want to look for it and I cut it at 3.5" wide.  I put them together with Scor-Tape so I know they will hold up to handling and not come apart.

This is a cut I have used many many times for gift card holder.  This is a cut from the Fabulous Finds cartridge called Uniqueness - #M37D21 and I cut it at 5.75" wide.  The pull out piece is on the same cartridge and is called Note Card - #M3708A and is cut at 3.08" wide.  The little green tab pulls out and you can attach a gift card to it and slide it back in.

Sizing whatever pocket cut you choose is easy in Design Space - gift cards measure 3.5" x 2.25" so determine what portion of the design has to be slightly larger than the gift card and drag until your cut is large enough.

I hope y'all join our challenge over at BBTB2 - head on over there and check out the other DT designs for some inspiration and then link up your project!

I was inspired by the following other challenges:

• Color Throwdown - blue, green, yellow & white
• Freshly Made Sketches

Now a few pics from Pezza's Spa Party:

BBTB2 Challenge: Ornament or Holiday Symbol

Hi all!

Is everyone buried in holiday shenanigans like me???  We have 8 birthdays and our anniversary in our immediate families all within a month (or much closer) to Christmas so it is extra insanity around here!  My oldest grandson will be 2 next week so I am making his some Thomas the Tank Engine cookies on top of the usual slew of Christmas cookies - if I make it to New Years it will be a miracle!  Hahaha!

This week's challenge on Bitten By the Bug 2 is to use a Christmas or other winter holiday symbol on a project.

I hand out Starbucks gift cards at my daughter's school so I make little gift card holders using a cut called Card Holder with insert from Fabulous Finds.  If you want to make one the width of the Holder is 5.75" and the insert is 3.1"  She really liked this little happy face ornament from Simply Charmed.  I have 6 more to make.  Glad I can cut them out so quickly thanks to my Cricut!

Head over to BBTB2 and see the other amazing projects from the design team and then make something to enter in our challenge!

BBTB - Thank you/graduation

Hi all!

We got to enjoy our first run at the local swimming pool yesterday.  Other than that we have been cleaning cleaning around here.  The clutter and toys get completely out of hand!  Once she is back at school tomorrow the house will be clear so I can get some cleaning done!

We are also winding down the school year here and our challenge at Bitten By The Bug this week is graduation or thank you so I have taken the opportunity to get my thank you gift card holders made.  I always give Starbucks cards out and Hollyn has quite a team due to both 3rd grade changing classes with all 3 teachers plus her gifted program.  So far I have 2 done:

I use this file ALL the time for gift cards.  I just change up the front - I might use a card sketch for my design and then I change up the focal cut depending on the occasion.  For these Hollyn picked a set of files from Little Scraps of Heaven called Bookworm in Training - there are 4 different bookworm pics.  There were so many tiny pieces I went against my steadfast rule of inking all my edges but I think it's still ok!

I use a cut from Fabulous Finds called card holder and the coordinating insert.  The striped layer is Stamped Border from Ribbons and Rosettes.  Then I use glue dots to attach the gift card to the insert, have Hollyn write on the back and then slide it into the holder.  Easy peasy!

Here's a screen shot of the file I use over and over again with a past design - this way it's always sized correctly and I just have to work on the focal part.  I also keep some various gift cards on hand for birthday parties in case I forget to get my butt out and get a gift for a party.  Now to get the other 3 done!

Swing by Bitten By the Bug and check out what the other team members have made for the challenge and then join in on it yourself!

Eat Cake

Hi all!

Ahhh more snow days!  The Washington DC Metro area just can't handle the slightest bit of snowfall.  So we have had a couple days off.  Pezza has enjoyed some extra lazing around the house with her extended Winter break.

While she was off at a playdate I enjoyed some studio time.  I made myself a King Cake Latte, turned on some Downton Abbey and set to work!

I am always getting caught unprepared when Pezza gets invited to birthdya parties so I got several gift cards to keep on hand and wanted to make some gift card holders.  You may remember the ones I made for Christmas.  It is one of my all time favorite Cricut cuts - you can find it on the Fabulous Finds cartridge.  I chose to leave the gift card attached to its little sleeve and made the holder larger than usual which gave me more space to work with so I cut it at 6".

The sketch AND the color scheme are both challenges on SCS (Splitcoast Stampers) this week.  Eyelets were also on SCS (see my layout yesterday) and since they were still on my desk and turned out so nicely I decided to use them again!

My stamped image is from an old set exclusive to the store I used to have - Chocolate Treats 1 by Polkadot Pie.  I am pretty sure I still have a set or two left if you would like to get one!  Just let me know.  I colored it with Lyra Polycolor colored pencils.  Sentiment is Studio G as always!

I also couldn't wait to try out my newest toy - I have bought very little in the last few years but I really wanted one of the cool Spellbinders borders I came across so of course I contacted my buddy Terri at Stampsalive and she hooked me up!  She has really good prices!

This is what it looks like when you pull out the gift card insert - cool right?

I am including this project in the following challenges:

• Bitten By the Bug 2 - Favorite Cricut Cut
• Stampin' Royalty - Birthdays
• ABC Challenge - Anything Goes