No picture from your trip, no problem mon!

 

Hi Everyone,

I’m excited Valentine is finally here, well sorta in a couple of days. I am beyond excited to let you on a bit of news! I’ve join the amazing staff at Scrap n Art Magazine… Starting next month. As all of you know I worked on the debut magazine for Provo Craft when they were launching the Cricut Circle setting it up etc…

A bit about Scrap n Art!

Scrap n’ Art is a traditional and digital scrapbooking, card making and paper crafting magazine. Our online media format provides eco-friendly access to inspiration for scrapbookers and paper crafters of all skill levels and interests. We are an education based publication that strives to bring our readers information, education and inspiration.

I want to share you with a layout I created today using postcards, since I lost all the pictures during the Hurricanes.

I’m lucky my sister had the postcard I had sent her from Florence still in great condition. When you are preserving your memories there’s nothing that states they must be from a photograph you took, you can easily use postcards, since they must reflect the area well. Another idea if you don’t have any ephemera from the actual city or country.

Use items that reminds you of the country. This layout I use a label from my fav Evoo that reminds me so much of the country side I had seen in Sienna,  added an Italian flag by making sure I had the stripe reflected correctly. I use aluminum foil from Reynolds to create my heart accent.

 

Supplies:

• Dictionary page, Fancy pants stamp, Graphic 45 Alice in wonderland, Martha Stewart punch and travel stamp. Prima chipboard letters
• Straw, Coredination black magic, Recollection bling, Memento ink.
• Reynolds aluminum foil, Ranger alcohol ink. Cricut Machine, Cricut Gypsy, Cuttlebug machine, Victoria embossing folder.

 

 

 

 

How to:

• Cut the heart from your cricut using any font, I use Storybook cartridge.
• Glue the aluminum foil to the heart, emboss with Victoria folder. Add Ranger alcohol ink and add a drop of mixative to lighten the intensity of the colour and blend.
• To create the flag, I use a straw to adhere the Coredination cardstock.

 

Dreamer Layout I stamped the pattern paper with a subtle ink then mist the stamp with Glimmer mist to make it sparkle.

 

Thank you much for stopping by and for stinging up to be a follower.

Don’t forget the Cricut Magazine giveaway here ends next Wedn.

 

Have a great Valentine !

Don’t forget to invite your friends to the party at PassionatelyArtistic and link your projects.

Maggie

No picture from your trip, no problem mon!

Happy New Year and Amazing January!

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for sticking with me,visiting and the best wishes. As some of you know I am currently fighting Cyanic nerve damage on my lower back. I gotta tell you this pain is worse than giving birth.

A huge thank you to Kristi for keeping the site going with amazing projects from Jewelry to cards.

Thank you to Chris Wooten and Jennifer for checking on me. This is what this amazing hobby is about the friendship you make from all over the world.

Speaking of friendship I receive this email from Chris on an awesome giveaway she is doing on her blog turnedGypsy, so please take a moment to visit her.

Today I want to go over an awesome way you can create your layouts by visiting older Cricut Cartridges, you know what they say about those oldies they get better with age right.

Last October we visited one of my favorite city in Georgia Savannah! Every October we go to Maggie Valley and Gatlinburg, but due to back pain I couldn’t sit long enough for that. Anywhoo here’s my fav 5 top things to do.

1.Forsyth Park  you gotta visit it in the am and pm to capture this gorgeous landmark of the city.

2.Paula Dean store not the restaurant cause the few times we ate there the food is always awful and bland. Not what I expected at all from her amazing show.

3.Tours, I’m not a fan of those drive thru tours, so I suggest a walking tour they are very informative.

4.Savannah Candy company and salt water taffy, omg the peanut brittle is too die for literally.

5.Bay street, bring comfortable shoes with you the street is uneven cobblestone.

Here’s my lo! we are going old school using our stash and tools.

Who knew Plantin School book had such a treasure of a city Landscape to fit perfectly for my lo :)

Instructions:

• Cut 3 circles from Storybook cartridge sizes 5”, 4.5”,3”. Cut high 5  and in circle graphically speaking at 5”, ink the edges and use a zig pen to outline the shape. Cut the skyline from Plantin Schoolbook cartridge,ink the edges. Weld 2 borders from Martha Stewart cart,  ink the edges.

Assemble

• Cut a strip of stripe paper 2.25”x12”, ink the edges, apply to the top. Add another border strip ink the edges, add the cut out border.
• Adhere the cut circles in ascending order, adhere the high 5to the circle, adhere the In to the right of the circles.
• Adhere the city landscape to the bottom of the circles. Create notches using Basic Grey notch tool. Add rhinestones to the notches.
• Create a mat by cutting a half circle on the bottom to make the mat look like a bridge.  Adhere pics to the mat, then add Cosmo Cricket  Tiny Alpha onto the circle.
• Stamp #5  using Staz on ink and Inkadinkado stamps, add another strip to the bottom.

Supplies

• Gypsy, Cricut Machine
• Graphically speaking  cricut cartridge, Storybook cartridge , Plantin School book from Provo Craft.
• Basic Grey notch tool
• Staz on ink and Inkadinkado stamps

voila done!

Thank you so much for stopping by. I plan to resume our regular posting next week with meal plans.

Maggie

Here’s some more pics for you!

Happy New Year and Amazing January!

Escaping the Mundane!

Hi Everyone!
Happy Friday! I've been working on some projects and after spending time with them I realized they are not my best work..

My question for you is what do you do with work that you are not happy with? Do you chuck it, give it to someone else, or bury it in the album and move on?

I am sharing the layout with you and the steps I took to create it.

Here is the Recipe:

Provo Craft Cricut Expression, Cricut  Gypsy, Pattern Paper, Home Decor Cricut, Storybook, Plantin Schoolbook, Graphically Speaking, Sentimentals  Cartridges, Gypsy Font, Cuttlebug Machine, holly ribbon folder, fast finish liquid laminate, 3in 1 beacon adhesive, Foofala buttons,Stickles,Basic Grey Button, K&Company pattern paper, Pink Paislee Stamps. Martha Stewart stamps, Staz on ink, Coredination Cardstock.

Let's Cut:

Cut 2 Chandeliers from Home Accent at 4.5 and 3.75 inches with 1 shadow, ink the edge with Copic Marker, add Stickles let dry and adhere to shadow.

Cut border Plantin Schoolbook at 5.5 inches, ink the edges, cut the title Escape.

Cut 2 labels from Storybook at 2.75, and 3 at 2.25 inches, ink the edges.

Cut 1 swirl from Graphically Speaking
Cut 1 Butterfly from Sentimentals at 3 inches, ink the edges
Cut Scallop from Gypsy Font at 2.75 inches, ink the edges

Let's assembled:

Adhere the pattern paper 6x12 on Coredination Cardstock, then add the border at 7 inches to the right, then add the other pattern paper cut at 6x6.
Adhere the Chandeliers with the shadow to the left of the top grid, then add the other Chandelier to the left, add Scallop Oval then pop  the brad onto  the center of the butterfly, add onto the scallop, using the tip below.

Tip Instead of using pop dot, use the white strip that most scrapbook papers come with by folding it onto a square and glue to achieve the height.
adhere the buttons, stamp flower in between.

Add title under the butterfly and Voila Done!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Have a great one,
Maggie

PS remember I told you I was reading the Girl with the dragon tattoo, I had to put it down, it was too thrilling and I was reading it so fast, I needed to slow down, instead I'm currently reading this new book..

Days of Gold by Jude Deveraux, yep every now and then I find a regency  intrigue romance that is kewl..
Let me know what you are reading :)

Escaping the Mundane!

A huge wild Thank you Card!

Hi Everyone,
A huge thank you for the luvly comments you have left for the drawing of the From My kitchen Cartridge donated by Provo Craft.
The Drawing will take place on the 6th so the more comments you leave, on this week post  the more chances you have :) kewl eh?
Ok The gifts have been opened, ooh ahh over them, the kids are over the moon…..now is the time to create your Thank You cards, I know it seems such a shore, but it doesn’t have to be, why…
The fabulous Wild card cartridge make it so easy to create simple cards..
Here’s a simple Thank You card!

The Journey:

Cut the envelope first so it fits the card, Ink the edges of the envelope, set aside.
Cut the card and ink the edges, add Mambi rhinestones to each section of the scallop.
Cut 4 scallop from Storybook cartridges in ascending sizes ink the edges and spray with glimmer mist, crumple while wet.
Add a button, floss and adhere to the center of the card,
Voila done in less than 15 mtes you have a beautiful simple card.. What could be easier eh?


The Cast:
 Mambi Rhinestone, Uhu Glue, Making Memories papers, Glimmer Mist, Foofala button, floss, Colorbok fluid chalk, Storybook and wild card cartridge from Provo Craft.
Have a fabulous day,
PS don’t forget to leave comments to be in the drawing for the From my kitchen cart :)
Maggie

A huge wild Thank you Card!

Love Today, Love Today!

Hi Everyone:
After reading all the notes for the Pink Journey Cartridge, I wanted to celebrate you, your strength and courage!
Your stories have touched all of us and wants to thank you for sharing them with us.

My boss gave me pics of her twins to scrap and have been procrastinating for a while, yeah :(.  After reading your stories I was inspired to scrap them, and honor all of you by using pink.

As I turned on music to get a little mood going. This song by Mika Love Today, Love Today had me so inspired. I have to warn you it's a catchy tune now it stuck in my head LOL..
I used the song  for my title. "TODAY"
I left plenty of space for her to journal....

Supply list:
Cosmo Cricket, Provo Craft Storybook, Cuttlebug Machine, Victoria Embossing folder, Sizzix die, K& Co gems, Color bok chalk

What catchy tune has inspired your lay outs or title?

Here's the video on you tube here

The month of October we are giving away the Pink Journey, leave a comment on each event for a chance to win.
Here's the first even here,  don't forget to sign up as a follower :)

Have a fantastic week,

Love Today, Love Today!

Cricut Cartridge:Storybook ,Creating Keepsake Magazine & Winners!

After going through the magazine yesterday and earmark a few ideas, I was inspired to scrap our New Orleans pics we took for Spring Break this year that was in storage:)
A couple of ideas I found on page 38 of the Creating Keepsake Magazine Super Fast pages with 4x6 photos by Kelly Purkey was to use circles in varying sizes. Kelly Purkey incorporated her title on the circles.
One thing I haven't told you guy's I am an avid stamper, I luv luv to incorporate stamps and the Cuttlebug machine in my work :)
My creative wheels started turning,that Provo Craft Storybook Cartridge has a scallop circle shadow under the letter I. That would work perfectly with my idea of incorporating stamping.

Tips
To get the perfect size, stamp on cardstock all the images, then use center point   to cut the stamp circles into a scallop, works perfect every time.

After cutting ink the edges of the scallop and place onto your layout.

Left page using Staz on white ink to stamp the image using Hero Arts stamp

Right page with the Journaling using the scallop from Storybook Cartridge. I luv luv how the scallop journaling mirror the river walk circle.

Detail of the Journaling using the storybook cartridge.

This lay out I created the flourish using Home accent and Rangers Stickles.
The story behind this pic, I was fascinated by the gold statues that line the Trocadero palace, then I started wondering how many people rush by them without seeing their beauty en route to see the Eiffel tower.
I wanted a different type of shot of the Tower. I waited an hour for the tourist to disperse when I finally got this shot crouching on the ledge, till today this picture has remain my favorite.

Details of the flourish with stickles.

 

Supply used: Provo Craft Storybook, Home Accents. Ranger Stickle, K & Company, Hero Art stamp, Uhu Glue, Colorbok fluid chalk, Prima flowers, Making Memories, Staz on ink.

Winner of the Storybook Cartridge...

OMG thank God for Random .org :)

Drumroll please.............................

Amy come on down......................................

You have just won the Storybook cartridge from Provo Craft.

Please send us an email at cuttingaboveblog@gmail. including your email address, and addy.

Thank you so much for following the blog and for leaving a comment :)

Have a fantastic time,

Maggie

Don’t forget to participate in the GYPSY GIVEAWAY!!  We are giving away two!!  Deadline is October 3rd.  More details HERE!
 
GOOD LUCK and have a great day!

Cricut Cartridge:Storybook ,Creating Keepsake Magazine & Winners!

Provo Craft Cricut Cartridge Storybook & Cupcake Party &Giveaway?

Hi Everyone,

By now I'm sure you think I've had too much sugar and you would be sooo right!!! :) Well with all the excitement of the Gypsy starting at midnight, I couldn't wait to have a cupcake party while watching the show. Then I started thinking. . . why not involve Cricut in helping me make the cutest looking cupcakes in the neighborhood!

I know , I know you are confused right? Ok I’m going to share a secret with you. I don't really care for frosting much.  That’s right, I know that sounds weird. I never have liked icing.  But my DH adores frosting so I always make 2 batches, one for him one for me..(giggles)

Anywho I'm sure you are wondering who is this crazy person.....who doesn't like frosting? Ok by know you know more about me than you wanted to know right??????

Ok let's move on I want to show you a quick fun recipe..

READY????

BTW we are making hot fudge chocolate cupcakes with a center of white chocolate and off course the Cricut yum...

Here's your list of ingredients. (Oh of course you need cupcake pans)

• Pillsbury chocolate cake mix
• Butter
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Cinnamon Sugar
• Jello (Fudge, Cheesecake)

Let's begin:

1. Mix the eggs and the 2 tbs butter until smooth then add 1 tsp vanilla and mix.
2. Ad 1 1/2 cups milk.
3. Add the jello fudge chocolate sugar free and the cheesecake sugar free until smooth.  Add the cake mixture
4. Melt chocolate in microwave for 1 mte then stir
5. Preheat over to 350 degrees
6. Spoon the cake mixture onto the cupcake liner.  Add the melted chocolate in the middle.  Spoon another mixture on top, see below.
   
   
   

Bake in the oven!

In the meantime , prepare the Cricut to cut the stencil for the decoration for the cupcake. I chose the Storybook cartridge, accent frame  option#5.

Tip:

For the stencil, I used the clam shell the storybook came in.  Great way to recycle packaging.  I used the multi cut, low speed and high pressure setting with blade #6.

Now, I can use the stencil to help me decorate the cupcake with  powder sugar.
Isn’t that kewl???  I can use the Cricut machine from Provo Craft to decorate my cupcakes?

Here's the stencil at work... I'm so excited.  It's a great thing. . .  90% of this cupcake used Splenda.  If I had used sugar, I would be jumping up and down.....(giggles)



Here's the final cupcake.  Isn't it cute????

Now what do you think? Fun eh. Yes, I did use frosting for my DH and DD. They are in happy cupcake frosting land now:)
On to the best part!  We are going to give away a Provo Craft Cricut Storybook Cartridge to one lucky reader!!  All you have to do is

a) leave a comment telling us what you think about the cupcake and

b) become a follower if you haven’t already done so.  It’s that simple!  You can leave as many comments as you want.  Each comment will be counted as one entry.  GOOD LUCK!  

Drawing will end September 29, 2009 at midnight EST and the winner will be drawn/announced on September 30th. 

PS we are still giving 2 Gypsy away more info here

Provo Craft Cricut Cartridge Storybook & Cupcake Party &Giveaway?