Cricut Expression / Sure Cuts a Lot

Brenda was selling her second Cricut Expression recently, and I was lucky enough to get in there first to buy it from her.

As it came with no cartridges or mats (she's smart and is keeping these tow use herself), I also treated myself to the Home Decor cartridge and a pack of two 12"x12" mats.

Now folks, I have a dilemma... I don't want to keep shelling out for new cartridges and I can already use Inkscape which I do use for my Craft Robo files. So...do I invest in a copy of Sure Cuts a Lot or not? Does anyone out there use it? Can you recommend it? I don't want to go down the route of Design Studio as then I can only cut using the cartridge that I've got and in order to cut more shapes, I have to buy cartridges... costly!!!!

Can someone please help me?

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 50

It's Sunday so it must be Rosie-Dee's Sneaky Peek day.

Our theme this week is Neopolitan Ice Cream, or in other words Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry

Hmmm... it's got toes in my ice cream it seems! Or maybe I just used the colours as a theme. HAHA!

Emotional or what?!

I found this today on YouTube while looking for something else.

I can't say much more except I'm humbled!!!



Some may find the video offensive, and I'm sorry if you do, but I find it humbling!

We lose our soldiers daily it seems fighting for their country. Wars cost lives. The lives of loved ones. Lives are valuable; they are not a disposal commodity.

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 49

This week's theme over on Rosie-Dee's Challenge blog continued along the lines of 'holidays' focusing on the subject of 'SEA'. I set myself the challenge this month to make a 6"x12" page for each theme and have again managed to fulfill this. I'm loving this size of LO as it's quick and simple to do. Not too much 'white space' to think about.


I wanted to keep this fairly clean and simple as I love the photograph that Will took a few years back on Sandown Beach on the Isle of Wight. The sky was such a vivid blue and the sun shone off those cliffs to make them glow. We had a wonderful day out; even the dog got her paws wet!

Materials:
White Bazzill cardstock.
Blue 'wave' cardstock cut from DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack.
Wave, tag and 'sea' alphas cut with Sizzix dies.
Ribbons: Ribbon Mad & Au Naturale.
Hessian and String: Opitec.
Small alpha stickers: Adornit.
Brads: Stash.
Titling: Wordle (great little tool this is!)
Staples: EK Success Fastenator.
White pen: Sakura.

Indigo Mill - August Kit

I love this scalloped Bella! Sarah Jane paper from Indigo Mill's The Beautiful Life kit. The edging is just lovely. It's already distressed so I didn't even need to get the inkpad out! The 7Gypsies paper goes so well with it too (apart from them spelling the word 'beautiful' incorrectly! GRRRRR! It only has one 'L'

Steph has put together a lovely set of embellishments to compliment the kit. The only thing I 've added is the two bling brads attaching the lace to the top of the page and a journalling pen! Now there's value for money!


Materials
The Beautiful Life kit from Indigo Mill
Journalling pen: Letraset.
Brads: stash.

Indigo Mill - August Kit

Indigo Mill's latest kit 'The Beautiful Life' really is a beautiful kit. I've been having a play with it over the last couple of days (housework can wait!!!) and I decided to dig out a lovely Maya Road Chipboard book that I've had lurking for quite some time now to make into a book of me and mine.







The mini book was painted with GESSO to provide a base coat onto which I dry brushed green/crimson/turquoise to tone with the papers. I then rubbed the edge of each of the pages with some metallic paste to burnish and add that added dimension.

The pictures were taken at different times (hence all the different colours/styles of my hair! LOL.

Inspirational Card Sketches #30

This week's Inspirational Card Sketches was sponsored by Paper Popsicles. There are some lovely kits for sale there, but I think their digital stamp images are just fab!!!


I hope you managed to nip on over this week and leave the DT some comments. It's always nice to hear from you all.

Looking forward to seeing you all again for Dawn's new sketch which goes live tomorrow.

Materials:
White pearlescent 6"x6" card blank.
Image: Paper Popsicles.
Spotty cardstock: DCWV.
Ribbon: Ribbon Mad.
Pens: Letraset Promarkers.
Greeting created on the computer.
x

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 49

This week we're continuing our 'holiday' theme over on Rosie-Dee's Challenge Blog.

Swim on over to the blog to see the creations of our fantastic Design Team.

x

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 48

Rememer the sneaky peek I gave you? I hope you found the time to visit the Rosie-Dee's Challenge Blog this week and to take part in the theme of HOLIDAYS. This week we chose 'SUN' to be our feature theme.

We walked through the gardens of Torre Abbey and found some fantastic sculptures there. This one was of a white disc set onto a brightly polished arc of steel. I loved the reflections that I managed to get by cropping in closely to the join of the two materials. The sky was the brightest blue that day with wonderful white, fluffy clouds. The trees are a vibrant green in the sunshine too.

I chose this picture to match the SUN theme this week as without the bright sunlight, then this image wouldn't have been so vibrant.


Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill (white); Papermania (blue).
Rubon lettering: K&Company.
Bloom: Prima.
Chipboard accents: We R Memory Keepers.
Rub on leaves: Hambly Screen Prints.
Journalling spot: American Crafts.
Journalling pen: American Crafts Slick Writer.

Inspirational Card Sketches #30

We have a FAB sponsor on Inspirational Card Sketches this week:

Paper Popsicles

They sell some fab kits and some really cute digital stamp images which are fantasically priced too! Pop on over their shop and treat yourself to and image or several!

Don't forget to pop over to the ICS Blog to see the Design Team's fantastic creations using this sketch from the lovely Dawn...


Here's the sneaky of what I came up with... isn't she cute?

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 48

Hello all! Glad you could drop by and join me here.

We're still on our HOLIDAY theme over on Rosie-Dee's Challenge


I love the item that I found to photograph recently in Torre Abbey, Taunton. The blue sky; the clouds, the trees...... but what is it? The reveal is on the blog!

x

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 47

BEACH!!!!! That was the theme this week over on Rosie-Dee's Challenge Blog. I trawled back through holiday photos to find this one of Jacob & Freya on the Isle of Wight a few years back - sorry kids! HAHA! I wanted to keep my colours simple... sand & sea so I altered the photograph to a sepia tone as Freya's wearing the brightest pink cozzie you've ever seen!


Materials:
Ivory pearlescent 6"x12" cardstock.
Mulberry paper: Stash.
Ribbon: QVC Outlet (Thanks Elaine!)
Lettering, arrow & swirl: Grungeboard.
Ink: Pretty Colours.
Glitter: Stickles.
Gems: Hero Arts & Patti's Pretties.
Paper: DCWV.

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 46

The month of August sees the theme of HOLIDAYS. I've already had mine; a wonderful time spent with hubby and our fabulous children and the dog came too! (Wet dog on many occasions as well as soggy humans but we don't smell as bad HAHA!!)

Dee came up with this month's sketch for us. I've set myself a challenge to run along side that I will create a 6"x12" scrapbook page for every theme this month. I've been neglecting the old scrapping for a bit; tending to concentrate on making my cards more recently.



I used the sketch on the top of my page which you can see a closer up of here:


We're members of English Heritage and had a lovely day out at Dartmouth Castle. Will and Maisy went for a long walk along the coastal path as dogs aren't allowed in. The views are fantastic; the history is amazing! Well worth a visit if you're ever down that way.

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill Swiss Dots.
Paper: My Minds Eye - Wild Asparagus.
Flower: Prima.
Tape: I can't remember the manufacturer, sorry!
Ribbons: Ribbon Mad.
Leather heart: Shoe tag!
Button: Stash.
Envelope: Dinner money envelope - poundshop.
Dartmouth Castle information: English Heritage website.

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 44

I'm still catching up with the old blogging since the holiday. I took so many photos that I've yet to upload and sort out let alone edit, print, scrap and blog!

Our challenge over on Rosie-Dee's on Sunday 19th July was 'BABY'. Our neighbours have recently been graced with the birth of a son. A little brother and a wonderful son!



Obviously the more astute out there will realise his name is Liam HAHA!

Materials:
White 5"x7" card.
Peachy smooth velvet paper.
Cuttlebug embossing folder.
Gingham paper - Papermania.
Stamp: Basic Grey.
Letters: Li'l Davis Designs.
Ribbon: Ribbon Mad.
Ink pad: Stazon.
Pins: Ebay.

Inspirational Card Sketches

Catching up showing you my entries on the DT for Inspirational Card Sketches from the last two weeks as we've enjoyed a wonderful (though very wet and windy) holiday in Devon. We barely and rarely had a mobile phone signal even though Will and I are on two different networks let alone thinking I'd ever get an internet connection where we were!

ICS #27 28th July 2009
This weeks sponsor was Digiments. It's a wonderful idea... digital stamps! Great for using in Digi projects or for printing out as I've done and attaching to cards and layouts. They have some wonderful greetings available too.

ICS #28 4th August 2009
Dream Designs was our fabulously generous sponsor this week and we were given a sketch with the theme of Christmas to follow. It's only round the corner you know folks. Better get a wriggle on if I want to be ready and prepared this year!

Dawn always manages to secure some fantastic sponsors

Materials:
White pearlescent 15cm card blanks
#27 - Offcuts of black, pink, purple and white cardstocks from stash; Fiskars 'clouds' scissors; Digiments sentiment; Ribbon; Prima flowers; brads.
#28 - Papers - Basic Grey 'Figgy Pudding'; stamps - both un-named.

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Week 47

We're continuing our Holiday theme over on Rosie-Dee's Challenge blog this week.

As always the Design Team have worked their magic and produced some STUNNING work. Thanks ladies! xx

We'd love you to hop on over to the blog and join us this week. Please leave comments to the ladies too for all their hard work.