Some beach.....

......some where!!!

I had fun creating this card. 

BBTB2's challenge was to make something 'beach' inspired.

I think this one works well!!!!

Card deets:

Basic folded card stock base of a light blue.

Kraft card stock torn to mimic sand.

Used Suburbia cartridge to cut the woman silhouette image; once with black card stock and once with a patterned yellow DSP. 

I cut away most of the image to leave just a swimsuit to layer on top. 

I then cut out the chair and umbrella from Life's a Beach cart. and made them large enough to layer the woman onto them. It was very easy using my Gypsy. 

I had this clear stamp set that is for different types of flower petal, but to me they looked like surfboards.  After stamping them with black staz-on I colored them using my Bic markers.

Then sentiment is from another stamp set. 

Used a few dimensionals for some texture.

All in all....

I think it turned out quite brilliantly!!!!

Love it!!!

Until later, beach dwellers......Gotta split.....TFL!!!!!

How sweet it is.........

....fresh strawberries in the summer time.

My hubs planted some strawberry plants this year and we have picked a few already.

I saved enough to make him some homemade strawberry ice cream....

it is sweeeti-licious!!!!

I created this card for two different challenges.

One is @ Cardz TV blog....its called "Love in a Jar"

the second one is @ BBTB2...its called "Summer Foods"

I think this card works for both of them really well.

I used Kate's ABC's for the jar cut and then adhered it to some acetate for the illusion of real glass and I then fussy cut around the edges. 

I used a heart punch for the strawberries and Boho blossom punch for the green hulls and a MS leaf punch to fill some empty space. 

The "SWEET" sentiment is from Michael's dollar spot. 

The background is embossed with a folder from my Oriental Weave set of folders.

I thought it looked a little like a basket weave. 

Until later, sweetsies.......Gotta split......TFL!!!!!

Again!!!!! Yep.....again!!!

I just can't leave well enough alone.  

The backs of the ladder back chairs in the dining room looked like 

they needed something.

So.....they got SOMETHING!!!

I made some monogrammed banners to hang on each chair.

Each person has their initial of their first name on their chair.

This is Jeff's

Mine....{Crystal} 

Harlee's

and finally...a "G" for a guest that might happen to eat with us.

I started with a cardboard box that I received some crafting supplies in from Cricut.com....woop woop!!!!  

Love my Cricut....just sayin'

Ok, back to the deets of this project. As I was saying,  I started with a cardboard box. 

I ripped it open and cut 4 triangles for the banners.

I distressed the triangles by ripping some of the smooth paper off to reveal the corrugated paper underneath. 

 I then used white gesso and scrumbled some on hap-hazardly. Let it dry and meanwhile I used my Expression and the Old West cartridge and cut out the letters.

Black shadow and patterened DSP was cut at 4-1/4"

Used some dimensionals and placed them on the center of the triangles.

I torn a piece of a patterned velum and adhered it with clear glue. Glued down a white button and also a small white clothes pin.  

Then using a border punch and white card stock I made the scallop edges. 

Then using a hot glue gun I adhered some pearl strings around the edges and left long tails at the bottom.

Then I ripped some fabric strips and used some white and black seam binding and tied it around the tails of the pearls to make a faux tassel. 

Added some more torn fabric to the top corners for hanging.

Tied them to the chairs and stepped back and clapped for joy. 

I absolutely love them!!!!

Until later, sit a spellers.......Gotta sit split.....TFL!!!!!

HEAL!!!!!

HEAL!!!!! 

 {putting my hands on my lovelies that aren't up to par right now}

I have a great nephew and a niece that are both under the weather right now.  Both pretty serious.  I won't get into the details, but they are on the mend...Thank goodness!!!

I love ALL my family dearly and it hurts me to the core to see any of them not their normal selves.

With that said.....I made a get well card for the both of them. 

I forgot to take a picture of the first one I sent out to my g-nephew, but below is the one I just finished for my niece.

I love making cute, funny cards that will {hopefully} 

bring a smile to their faces.

Deets:

Regular A2 card base.

A couple of scraps, one with a border punch on the top and bottom...see the hearts <3 font="">

Then a rectangular peachy color was rounded on the corners and swiss dots embossed using the Sizzix Texture Boutique.  

{I love love love my Sizzix Texture Boutique!!!!!}

Then a square of the same color.  Inked around both pieces 

with Cameo coral ink from SU!

Used a dimensional on the smaller square to give it

 a little sumpin' sumpin'

Then I punch out a heart with a punch from CM and used only the center piece and glittered it up. 

Also added a dimensional to the back of it. 

Stamped the sentiment using Thoughts and Prayers stamp set from SU!.

I think my niece will like it!!!!

Until later, nurse maids.........Gotta split.......TFL!!!!

Take a load off......

 I recently moved our kitchen table out into the front room. It was originally my hubs office. But I moved our offices together. 

This is part of the redecorating process.

I made a bench from our daughters old twin bed frame and it needed a seat cushion.

I went to Hobby Lobby and used a 40% off coupon and purchased the roll of 1" foam (pictured below).  I will make chair pads for the dining room chairs with the remaining foam. The fabric was purchased at a local drapery warehouse that has some incredible deals. 

I created an envelope style fold-over flap for the bottom of the cushion.  That way I don't have to sew in a zipper and removing the cover to wash is super simple. 

This is the finished bench after distressing and making pillow covers in the same manner as I made the seat cushion (with the flap part in the back). 

More decor pieces.  I wanted a pop of color as you can tell its the coral color.  An old boot that I no longer wear, I painted and added some sheer fabric and flowers inside.

The picture frame I painted (yes the bird and the leaves were painted by me) and made a paper flower and hot glued to the front. 

I painted this little end table like piece and distressed it to match the bench.

The lamp was from a local thrift store and I purchased the shade at HL and covered it using some fabric.  I found those books at the thrift store as well just for the colors.  Love the coral one. 

Hope you like the small tour of my creating madness......

I love creating things from nothing (or something) and making it my own. 

Until later, admirers.........Gotta split........TFL!!!!!

Model figure.....

When I see a cage type dress form it reminds me of a skeleton. 

So I created my own.

Haunted Design House has a challenge called Skeletal Remains.

Just as the title suggests....

you are to use something to do with skeletal remains, bones, etc....

Deets:

I stamped the dress form with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I sprinkled some red embossing powder on the piece after embossing the white and heated it from the bottom as to not blow it around.  Kinda looks like blood splatters.

Using my Cricut I cut the skull and arms using October 31st cartridge.  

Punched out the flowers for her hair head.  

Inked the edges of the skeletal remains.  

Layered onto a card base and added a white border punch along the edge.

Hand cut a flag and wrote the word "DIVA".

This is probably what most models would look like if they ate one less meal....

Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Until later, designers.......Gotta split......TFL!!!!

Oh, Baby!!!

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things with my creating.  

I'm starting to feel my mojo coming back....well,  at least I think it is.

BBTB2 blog has a challenge to create something baby themed. 

I always seem to make something for a baby girl. 

 Not that we have a lot of babies born lately in our family.

  But when we do its mostly girls. 

I decided to create something blue.  

I love how this one turned out, if I do say so myself. 

Deets:

The chair is cut from Folk Art Festival.

The sentiment, onsie, clothes hanger and the hanging hearts are from New Arrival.  The tiny hearts on the onsie are the negatives from a border punch.

I cut the layers to resemble a nursery.  The blue and brown were embossed to give it more dimension.

Distressed around the edges of some of the images. Used some dimensionals to give it more ooomph.  Added some twine to the hanging hearts.  After looking at it...I think I should have added some floor moulding.  Oh well, everything is adhered and if I make another one I'll make that small change. 

Until later,  mommies........Gotta split.......TFL!!!!

Dream a little dream of me........

We recently purchased a new bedroom suite (sleigh bed).  I love it.  But I had the hardest time trying to find decor that I wanted to hang over the headboard. 

Our room is painted a light teal green because the Comforter set is chocolate brown with a paisley print with that color. 

Here is the finished room. You can see the finished prints hanging....love them!!!

Ok, back to the making of the prints...

I looked at several stores, Ross, Tj Maxx, Belks, etc........

couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

So off to Goodwill I go.....

Found these two framed pics......not really liking the prints, but loved the frames.

 and what a steal at $12.92 each

Then off to Hobby Lobby which is 2 stores down from Goodwill.

I found a poster that was the exact colors in our bedroom....

even better the posters were 50% off .

This one was 17.99, so I only paid $8.99.

I took the prints out of the frames and laid them side by side onto the poster.

They fit perfectly width wise, but I would lose a little off the top and bottom. 

This is how I cut it.  I would use the 2 middle sections. 

This is how they look after painting the frames a dark chocolate brown to match the furniture and the prints put in.

Never, ever, ever....settle.  Things can be taken apart, cut, painted, to suit your taste.

Experiment a little.....this whole project cost me a little under $35 for both framed pics. 

As you can see from the first picture that they are pretty large and one would have cost me at least 3 times that amount. 

Until later, DIY-ers........Gotta split......TFL!!!!!

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs......

Glad to get you in the singing mood this a.m.

Home decor has been in the fore front for me in the last few weeks.

Not sure if its spring coming or just tired of the old. 

Anywhoooo......  I've been super busy around here, adding and taking away items all over our house.  

The latest project is one that I finished just today.

I recently moved our dining room table from the kitchen into an existing front room that used to be my hubs office. Now that we are using our his and hers office it was bare.

So,  my einstein moment was to create a dining room....and I did!!!!

Woop woop!!!

We have had these copies of pics of when our little town of Roopville was starting up. 

 I framed them and hung them vertically but they needed something.  A pop of color

So I decided to create an old weathered sign of our town name to go along with the "old" pics.  

I went to my wood shop and found a piece of plywood that measured 6" x 21" ...perfect.

I sanded off the rough edges and painted it a base coat of my "pop" color....a coral color.

After it dried I sanded it to give it that weathered look. 

I used my Cricut Expression to create a stencil for the lettering with vinyl.  Folk Art Festival was the one I used.  Using the negative of the vinyl I placed it on the wood and stenciled it with black paint and a sponge. I used a corner punch and again using the negative,  I painted the corner medallions. Let it dry and sanded it again.  Then using a liner brush and watered down white paint.  I added some dimension to the lettering.  Added a hanger to the back and call it done. 

I think its beautiful and I got the pop of color that the room needed. 

Until later,  vintage friends.....Gotta split........TFL!!!!!!

Winner winner chicken dinnn.....ummm nah!!!

Not a chicken dinner, but you can label a chicken dinner if you'd like with any or all of these tags that you just won!!!

The big winner is: 

Drum roll please.......

The award goes to :  MIRANDA!!!!!

I will be emailing you shortly to get your snail mail and I will put these

 25 tags pictured here in the mail to you.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments ladies!!!

Until later, pla-yahs........Gotta split.....TFL!!!!!!

Welcome to Erica's Craft Room

100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop Day ONE

If  you haven't started at http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com/ if not please start at the beginning

Welcome to My Cricut Craft Room's March 100 cartridge Blog hop!

 Now we bring it to you the first full weekend of every month.

Collectively the design team uses over 100 different Cricut Cartridges in their projects during this hop.
This month we have a ton of guest designers....

If you came from Julie @  http://www.thecricutchirp.com
then you are well on your way.

You are currently visiting me.....CRYSTAL...... ENJOY!!!
First up on the list of projects is this sign I made for mine and my hubs his and hers office.  I recently completed a complete makeover of the room and this bare spot was staring at me from between the curtain panels.

I found a metal sign in my stash and painted it black and then using my Gypsy and Art Deco and Reminisce Accents carts. and some bronze vinyl cut out the lettering and adhered it.  The "Workaholics Anonymous" lettering is pretty straight forward, but the banner at the bottom was altered and I added our surname into it.
My hubs is such a workaholic that this was soooo appropriate for him.
Then I hot glued some ribbon for hanging and call it done.

Next up is a cute 5" x 5" card I made using Art Nouveau cart.  I loved this Koi fish. 

I made a card base and then layered it w/ black card stock. I found a chinese written book at a thrift store and I torn a page from it to layer.  The sea green piece was embossed with a Plum blossom folder.  Used several yellow-ish colors of card stock to cut the fish. I adhered an eyelet for the eye. The sentiment was made to look like a fortune out of a fortune cookie.

Next up is my hubs.  Well,  not my real hubs, but a close facsimile.  

I found this cute statute in a thrift store and painted it.  Yes, it looks like Dr. Phil, but so does my hubs......LOL  The only difference is my hubs has beautiful eyes....not brown.

I used Suburbia cart. to cut some more bronze vinyl.  My hubs works as a Health and Safety Officer and some of the guys call him "Safety Dude"  I just had to add that wording to his statue.

The last project may need a little warning ahead of time.  If you don't like zombies, scroll quickly past.  But who doesn't like a zombie....really????

I'm a huge huge fan of The Walking Dead.  It's filmed only approx. 45 mins. from our house.  I've currently worked as an extra on other movies being filmed here in GA.

  So, I'm doing everything I can to get to be a zombie.....

I WILL be a zombie one day....believe me!!!

Anyway, here's my project.....its a scrapbook page I created.  

I took pics of me,  my hubs, and our daughter and made us into zombies.

I used the Wrap It Up cart. to create the sentiment.  Its a sentiment that already exist on the cartridge, so all I did was cut it to the size I wanted and adhered it using my Xyron.

Hope you enjoyed my part of this Cricut hop.  I've enjoyed making all of these projects to share with you.
Now,  go visit everyone else and don't forget to leave some love.

***From here your next stop will be Miranda***

If you get lost along the way here is the entire line up: 

1. Start http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com
2. Julie- http://www.thecricutchirp.com
3. Crystal - http://www.rusticdaisy.blogspot.com
4. Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/
5. Suzanne - http://www.zannieberry.blogspot.com
6. Cicily http://pinkdalmationscrapper.blogspot.com/
7. Dorothy http://scraphappyinohio.blogspot.com
8. Erica's Projects http://EricasProjects.blogspot.com 
Sarah - http://itswhatkeepsmesane.blogspot.com
Viviana - http://vivijdesigns.blogspot.com
9. Owl About Kids http://OwlAboutKids.blogspot.com
10. Deborah  http://skygirlcardsandmore.blogspot.com
11. Blog Candy http://EricasBlogCandy.blogspot.com 

Before you go,  I have a little giveaway for someone.  I'll take all the comments that I (me, myself and I) receive on this post and put them in a hat and draw out a winner.  The prize you ask....   You see that manilla colored tag on my scrapbook page?  I have a bunch of blank ones of various sizes and the winner will get some. Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.  

The winner will be drawn on Tuesday the 12th.  Wish everyone good luck!!!!

Until later, cricut-ers......Gotta split......TFL!!!!

Hop to it.....tomorrow!!!

This is what's happenin' tomorrow, folk!!!!

Until later, hoppers.......Gotta split!!!!

4 leaves.....

Its that time of year.  Things are starting to sprout and get green again.

Love this time of year when you see things just popping up and looking happy.

Me too,  I'm a very happy person (well, most of the time)....Bwahahahahahahah!!!

Not so happy that I'm getting older and can't see as well as I used to....

so I have a hard time seeing 4-leaf clovers.  But the next best thing is, I can make as many as I want with my Cricut and/or paper punches.   YAY, me!!!!!

BBTB2 has a challenge going on right now.  

So Lucky Shamrock Challenge

Here's the deets on my card. 

I used A Child's Year Cricut cartridge and found this uber cute image.  I can just imagine this being my hubs silhouette as a youngin'. 

Layered it on some green DSP and then on top of a 

black gingham top note cut.  

The clovers around the four corners are from a MS punch, 

added some ribbon and I call it good. 

Red rover red rover send crafters right over!!!!

Until later, lucky ones........Gotta split......TFL!!!!!

Frankly speaking.....

My hubby says that my mouth sometimes gets me into trouble.

ME?!?!?!?!

Bwahahahahahahaha!!  

Well my philosophy is.....if I don't tell the someone how I feel them how are they going to know.....right???

Now on to the real reason you are here......

It's been a while since I created anything for this blog.....

Haunted Design House.

But I was sitting at my computer and a saying just popped in my head that I thought would make a great sentiment.....

So here goes......

{sentiment on inside of card}

What do you think???  

Ahhhh, come on you can tell me!!!! 

I think its Drop Dead Gorgeous!!!!

I found the black and white image of Franky on the web and I printed him (and the sentiment) on card stock and colored him using color pencils and blended w/ OMS and a paper stump.

Adhered all the layers together and cut the sentiment apart and adhered them all wonky on the inside of the card. 

Until later, speakers of the house.....Gotta split!!!!!!

It's not sunny in Roopville

I've been MIA for a while.... not gonna make any excuses.  Everyone experiences life and it gets in the way of stuff every now and again.  But I'm here for now.

Just wanted to try this new technique I saw and thought 

it was too awesome 

not to give it a go.  

Not really sure what its called, but it gives a shadow effect to a solid image.  See the stem of leaves.....cool, huh????

First you need to stamp the solid image of your choice in a light gray, brown, any shadowy color you wish.  I used  Basic Gray from SU!.  I inked up the stamp and then stamped off a scrap before applying it to my card stock.  I wanted the image to be lighter.  Then I used Versamark and a stamp-a-ma-jig to align the image slightly askew from the gray one.  Applied white embossing powder and heat set it and look how gor-jussssss!!!! 

Then I stamp a flower and embossed it with white and then color blended some cameo coral ink onto it.  Fussy cut it out and used a dimensional on it.  Embossed some white cardstock, added a border of coral cardstock.  Embossed the saying in white and adhered it all together.  Added a ribbon bow and I think it look beautimous!!!!!!

Its not at all orange IRL.....

We are under some thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches.  So its pretty gloomy outside.  

Hope you are glad to see me back and I will try to come back more often.

Until later, Blossoms.........Gotta split.......TFL!!!!