Spooky, Vintage "Trick or Treat" Mini Album

Jayne challenged us at BBTB2 to cut any Halloween cut for a Trick or Treat project.

I may be obsessed with Halloween mini albums, but when I came across My Mind's Eye Haunted paper pad (6x6), I knew that I had I had to try my hand at some spooky, vintage cuts on my cricut.

Supplies:

My Mind's Eye Haunted patterned paper

Happy Hauntings Cricut Cart
Recollections Chipboard 6x6 album
Black and Mystic Green stickles
Random embellies from my stash

Spooky, Cranky...Pumpkin Crazy

Caroline from BBTB2 asked us to create a card or project with a pumpkin for the "Happy Fall Y'all!" challenge. And with everything pumpkin, I went a little pumpkin crazy!

Spooky, Glowing Pumpkins

Love getting a chance to create a spooky two-pager. My favorite part is the Haunted House and the glowing pumpkins, especially that the patterned paper looks like it has some floating ethereal orbs:

Cranky 3-D Pumpkins

I cut my 3-d pumpkins using some unloved patterned paper stash: My Mind's Eye: Mischievous. These cranky pumpkins were cut from Happy Hauntings cart. It really was so easy to create. Here are my tips for cutting a 3-d image to fill 12x12 double-sided cardstock on the Expression:

1. Select a random cut size, write it down and press, FIT TO PAGE feature on your cricut machine.
2. Make the cut.
3. Assemble (so easy with Scotch quick dry glue)
4. Cut face layers. Remember your original cut size? Use that setting, feed paper, and cut.

Supplies:

• My Mind's Eye: Mischievous patterned paper
• Happy Hauntings cricut cart
• Spellbinders diecuts for photomats

Autism Awareness...It's Not What You Think

Brenda's BBTB2 challenge is to create a project that supports a health awareness, and I chose Autism Awareness. I simply altered (modge-podged) a basic composition book and used my puzzle ribbon for covering the binding. I cricut cut my puzzle pieces (cut out four puzzles on different colored cardstock paper) with the Locker Talk cartridge and added some leftover rub-on alphas. The paper looked a bit dull, so I sprayed some glimmer mists and then covered with Glue and Seal.

But awareness of autism is not enough. It's not what you think...Not what you've been told...Not what others assume...Not what a blonde bombshell pinup says it is. It's not about wanting that lollipop, because if THAT were the solution, that would be a clear cut option.

I get what Temple Grandin says when she said:

So here's my pictorial, lifted from those who care more about autism than copyrights on images.

This is what the drs say...The doctors who are neurologists, pediatric specialists, and others dedicated to the latest in current, autism-research and promote scientifically-proven interventions -- whom by the way have read a lot more than most of us combined on this subject. No hear-say...my friend told me...I saw a movie on...followed by stereotypical, narrow-minded, "he just wants a damn lollipop or needs a swift kick." 

Those of you who would like some facts that go beyond this cool graphic:

Please go to these sources for more facts:

US Department of Health and Human Services

Autism Society

American Academy of Pediatrics 

And here's the rest of my soap box:

Fall Leaves are Falling....

BBTB2's challenge this week is create something on your cricut with Autumn Leaves, Fall Leaves are Falling, love this time time of year! The best leaves that I found in my cricut collection are from the Scarecrow seasonal cartridge. I used gold and copper metallic paper and knew these leaves needed something more...so I took out the beloved Cuttlebug, found a great embossing folder that would give these leaves a crackled look...

And my Cuttlebug died in the middle of my project. DIED. I put my plates and embossing folder in and turned the arm and nothing rolled. I called Provocraft and they helped me troubleshoot the machine, and it looks like I have to get a replacement.

So my leaves are now slightly embossed. Making the most of what you have, right?

Purrfect Time to Cut Felt

When we began fostering Fluffy, he was such a sleepy head. All day long he napped and cuddled. We had no idea that he would come down with pneumonia, and the Animal Shelter took him back for about 6 weeks. He was on intravenous antibiotics, and I think he used up his first few lives. He's back now with us, and never stops running around, getting into to trouble...but that means he is healthy, we we are all happy.

BBTB2 hosted an animal themed challenge - Cats or Dogs -- Which is Your Favorite? and this was an opportunity to finally get some of his nap-time photos scrapped with the Meow Lite cart. Also, a perfect time to force myself into the unknown: cutting felt on my cricut. I goggled and utubed a few how-tos. Decided that I don't want to use fabric stiffener (because I don't want to leave the house and buy it), so I grabbed my pre-stiffened felt that I bought a year ago. Yes, I have been planning this since last year. I have a deep cut blade, but I was too eager to just cut -- so figured let's try multicut with a regular blade on it. And I saw NOTHING happen. Do you see a cut? Me neither. I do think that the deep cut blade is needed. Next time. I made the best of things with my scissors...

  

So while working on BBTB2's current weekly challenge, I found out that I made Design Team for them! Very excited to create with the women over there! So I needed to switch gears and work on the BBTB2 upcoming weekly challenge (using overlays), and decided to combine challs. The Elegant Edges cart has some really great overlays - I used one for a photo mat, and one for the top border. These are not easy cuts to make. I realized that my Basic Grey patterned paper needed to cut on a 3 blade depth to prevent tearing. The cart images also cut nicely on my American Crafts Cardstock, using a 5 depth on the blade.

I think that Mr Fluffy Jr approves, nosy little guy:

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

How do you like them apples? We have apples that grow in our yard -- not just plain old crab apples, but real apples...We let the deer eat the ones that fall, and this past weekend my son took a bite from a good one way up high, and said it was sweet.

So when BBTB2 gave a new challenge: anything fall, I was inspired by Sharon's Lay Out. I knew that I wanted to cut an oversized tree like she did, but finding the right tree -- with leaves -- was a challenge. Then while searching for tree images, I came across a Country Life apple tree -- and then frantically dug up one of my favorite apple pictures: two generations of men in our family. So this is a lay out that I made for my mother in law, featuring her sons and grandsons. Not sure if it is frame-worthy, or if it should be slipped into a scrapbook that I made for her a while back.

The other carts that I used were Freshly Picked ("apple" and the apple on the ground) and Speaking of Fall. Yes that cart is tough, that is why the title is large! I do wish that I used letter stickers instead of handwriting some of the title. I planned to do that -- use stickers -- and just forgot. I think I got too excited that project was nearly finished.

Making the Most of my Favorite View

Well, I tried Prima's September BAP for fun:

I was pretty intimidated by the sketch and unsure which photo to use...until I came across one of our vacation pictures -- a window-framed view of the Long Island sound...

And this is my minimalist, bare bones take on it...I used a paper hexagon overlay as a misting template. I practiced on a few sheets of white cardstock to try to get the feel of the sketch. I finally got to use my Heidi Swap "Make Pretty Stuff" spray arrow stencil...Was surprise to see the same arrow in the Prima sketch, I just don't like the way that my arrow bled (I did use a paintbrush so that was my mistake #1). I also cricut-cut the title from my practice stencil sprays, using the Stamped font cart.

I figured out how to do the light, incomplete journaling lines that reflected the Prima sketch, and I was pretty happy that my Tim Holtz distressed ink did the trick. I applied ink to only a part of my round full bleed stamp.

Even though I feel that I went a little crazy with the flowers (mostly Prima), I still didn't use enough to say that I used 90% of Prima on my LO (in order to submit for a Prima prize). There are some "mistakes" in it, and I am trying hard to overlook them. Scrapbooking isn't for perfectionists, right?