Jen’s Birthday Hop Day 1

Good morning crafty friends,

Welcome to the cookingwithcricut.com and  the papercraftingworld.com  Designers June Blog Hop. Get ready for two days of great projects with each day showcasing different designers and projects.

This month our hop theme is all about Birthdays and one special one in mind. Our wonderful DT Coordinator Jen Hudson’s birthday just happened to fall on Saturday so we decided to make birthday inspired projects with a “Jen” theme in mind. Our go to gal is a die-hard Florida Gator Fan. So we decided to use elements on our projects that reflected Our GATOR FOR LIFE Gal’s FANCY;  Florida, The Florida Gators and anything that would make you think of the Sunshine State. Jen is the last on our blog line up so be sure to hop through and leave her some extra special love at the end!

Here is today’s Hop Line Up. Be sure to come back here if you get lost along the way :)

Melin-You’re Here

Madison-Next

Michelle

Jill

Larelyn

Suzanne

Jennie

Natt
Jessica

Candice

Marji

Mindy

Jen

So here is the project I came up with based on our theme. I used SVG’s from the Flamingo Celebrates set from PCW.

What would a blog hop be without some blog candy. So here is what we have.

Every crafter can use these. Some great Prima flowers, some Doodlebug Gems, Some Eyelets, Stickles and some Twine from the Twinery.

This set also has some wonderful Primas, more Gems, Eyelets, Stickles and Twine.

If that isn’t enough, we also have a gift certificate from PCW for 20 dollars worth of downloads.

In order to qualify for the blog candy that needs to be shipped, you need to live within the United States. For the downloads, anyone can enter.

You MUST be a follower of our blog and leave a comment on this day and or Sunday.

Finally, Here are a couple of freebies in honor of our special girls birthday hop.

This is a little digi I created especially for this weekend. It is free this weekend only! Yes, I realize Toucans are NOT indigenous to Florida, but you know, sometimes you just gotta go with it...lol

Toucan Happy Bird Day To You DIGI

Click the Add To Cart Button and check out. It will not cost anything to check out during this free period.

Birthday Fun Title Cutting File

Available Formats: AI, DXF, EPS, GSD, KNK, MTC, SVG, SCAL2, STUDIO and WPC.

Click the Add To Cart Button and check out. It will not cost anything to check out during this free period.

Now on to the see what our wonderful Madison of Funky Cards has in store for you. Don't Forget to leave a comment and be a follower for a chance to win our blog candy!

Thank you so much for stopping by and making us a part of your crafty time!

CTMH Stampaganza Project-Promos

Good afternoon crafty friends,

Some of you may know that I am now a Close To My Heart Consultant...YEAH! I am pretty excited about that.  Well this month CTMH is having a Stampaganza celebration.

IT’S STAMPAGANZA TIME!

Buy two My Acrylix^® stamp sets, get one FREE in June.

Fabulous stamp images for your cards, scrapbook pages, banners, and more can be yours FREE in June. For every two My Acrylix^® stamp sets* (sizes A, B, C, D, or E) you purchase at full retail price, you'll receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE* (of equal or lesser value)—a savings of up to $29.95 per set! Check out the My Acrylix^® stamp sets.

* Stamp sets that count toward the qualifying purchase and available for FREE include full-priced A, B, C, D, and E sets only. Customizable (K-size) stamps, Workshops on the Go™, Cricut^® collections, and Stamp of the Month sets do not count as qualifying purchases and are not available as free sets. Offer valid June 1–30, 2012. Tax and shipping/handling may apply. The lowest priced set(s) in the entire order will be the free set(s).

CLICK HERE TO SHOP AND SAVE NOW!

ALSO....I don’t want you to forget about the Stamp of The Month Promotion TOO! For those not familiar.... Purchase $50 of product and you can get the stamp set below for only $5!!!

CLICK HERE for more details!

So here is one of my first “ALL” Close To My Heart Project.

This is a view of the entire layout.

Here is a close up of the flowers and butterflies.

Here is a close up of the photo matte. It is very subtle, but I stamped the background to make my own patterned paper as my photo will not be large enough to cover it all.

Here is what I used to create this layout.

Background Paper: Bamboo Cardstock.

I cut a 9x9 square out of the center. I used the 9x9 piece as the frame around the Vanilla Cream paper. This saves on paper and cuts down on the bulk of the layout.

Patterned Paper: Dotty For You Patterned Paper (No Longer Available)

Cream Paper: Vanilla Cream Paper

This started out as plain paper, I used the following to make my paper patterned:

C1442-Tailor Made

Z2108-Brown Bag Stamp Pad

I randomly stamped the images from the set onto the paper. I then took the stamp pad and inked around the edges to give it a vintagey-distressed look.

Next I used:

C1459-Stitched Together and some more Z2108-Brown Bag

I stamped borders around the different layers to give them some extra visual interest. I must admit, I am a real NOVICE stamper and I was really pleased with how easy it was to line up the “stitching”. I was reluctant at first to purchase this set as I really wondered how much use I would get out of it. BUT after this experience, LOOK OUT! The idea of not having to yank my sewing machine out and dust it off AND remember HOW to thread it will be a thing of the past...LOL!

I also used the stitched circle, star, heart and flower to randomly stamp on the red cardstock. I love that you can create your own “patterned paper” by doing this.

I realize this technique is so nothing new, but it is new to me and that is exciting :)

This shot shows the 3 “stitched” borders I stamped.

Then I used the C1452-Delight Stamp Set to stamp the Butterflies, Flowers and Leaves.

I used the Following Inks:

Z2196-Smoothie Stamp Pad

This was for the Butterflies as well as for the measuring tape and dress form.

z2162-Honey Stamp Pad

This was for the flowers. I did also use some Cinnamon stickles for the centers of the flowers.

z2155-Topiary Stamp Pad

This was for the leaves.

I used a sponge to brush some more Brown Bag Ink around the butterflies and the leaves.

After all this, I cut some rectangles from Daisy White Cardstock and used the Urban Alphabet Stamp Set and my Brown Bag Stamp Pad to stamp the letters for the “MADE” part of the title.

I created the rest of the scripture sentiment as I am still working on my stamp collection...lol. Here is the image. Just click on it to make it larger and save as a jpg.

Lastly, Because I believe in doing things as easily as possible, I created outlines for my stamped images from my Pazzles. As I mentioned before, I am a real novice when it comes to stamping. So having plenty of pre-cut images to practice stamping with is super helpful.

So, here’s the deal, if you make any type of purchase through my Close To My Heart Link, I will gladly share these with you. I have them in the following formats:

AI, DXF, EPS, GSD, KNK, MTC, SCAL2, STUDIO, SVG and WPC.

Here is my direct CTMH Shop NOW Link

While it is only an outline I do not feel it is in good faith to give this away or sell it. But sharing it with a CTMH customer would be a-okay :)

Like I mentioned before, I am new to the CTMH family and really need to build a customer base, so if  you can help a girl out....that would be wonderful! With the Stampaganza and Stamp of the Month promotions, now is the perfect time to buy!

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my first of hopefully many CTMH creations.

BE SURE TO COME BACK TOMORROW AND SATURDAY for OUR MONTHLY DESIGN TEAM BLOG HOP.

2 DAYS

2 SETS OF DESIGNERS AND TONS OF GREAT PROJECTS!

Plus some great blog candy too!

Have a wonderfully crafty day!

-Melin

Winners Announced

Welcome to Cooking with Cricut

Today we would like to announce the winner of Challenge #90- Father's Day Gift Ideas. The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by Random Organizer.

The winner is... Lisa  Scrappy Distractions

Congratulations Lisa:)

Lisa created this cool layout of her husband, who shaved his head into a Mohawk on a dare, using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.  As the winner Lisa will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com. 

Lisa, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. 

Holly- Ribbons and Glue

Sabrina- Monkeygirlsmomma

Georgia- Paper Possibilities

Summer. This week we are celebrating the beginning of summer.  Create a project showing us how you celebrate summer- BBQ, picnic... Please include a Cricut cut.  Once again you have until next Tuesday at midnight to post your projects. One winner chosen at random will receive his or her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Have a wonderful day!

~Madison - Prize Coordinator

Cartridge Showcase: New Arrival

Hello Everyone!  


I hope you all having a wonderful week and enjoying the nice summer weather! We got over hupday and the weekend is just around the corner! Jill From Jaihart is going to share some awesome projects all using the New Arrival cartridge!  So without further ado...... here is Jill!


Hello, everyone! I'm Jill from Jaihart and today I have the honor of showcasing the super cute Cricut cartridge New Arrival. It is perfect for baby gifts or for decorating for a baby shower which is what I used the cartridge for!

 I made 2 banners for a baby girl shower I had recently:

I also made a onesie for my friend when she had her baby. This was the first onesie I ever made and the first time I cut with fabric using my cricut! At the time I did not know that the heat n bond permanent did not actually mean permanent. If I was to make this onesie again, I would stitch around the edges.

The cartridge also has tags, which are super helpful and I've used them many times! I hope you enjoyed the showcase and I hope you stop by and visit me at Jaihart!

Have a super fun day!

Wow, Jill! What amazing projects! I think I may need to make a banner! Your's turned out so good! You really have an awesome creative style! You are a wonderful addition to this team and we are so lucky to have you! 

Be sure to come back tomorrow as Chef Madison announces the winners from our last challenge. 

Don't forget about our two current challenges: Our Die Cut and or Stamp Challenge and our Cricut Challenge! Just click the links at the top to join the fun!

Thank you for making us a part of your crafty time! We appreciate you all so much!

~Court and the rest of the CWC Design Team

CWC #91: 1st Day of Summer

Happy Wednesday and welcome to Cooking With Cricut! Today we are saluting the official first day of Summer, which also happens to be the longest day of the year.  We asked the Design Team to come up with a project that saluted summer and two of every one's favorite summer activities - Barbecuing and Picnics!

So grab a cold beverage, turn on the fan and check out what the ladies have made!  Don't forget, you can click on the Designer's name to travel over to their blog for more details on their project and to leave them a comment and let them know how much you enjoyed their works of heart!

Charlotte

Cricut cartridges used:  Block Party,

Doodlecharms & My World

Olivia

Cricut cartridge used:  Summer Celebrations

Suzanne

Cricut cartridge used:  Simply Charmed

Jennie B.

Cricut cartridge used:  Fabulous Finds

Natt

Cricut cartridge used:  From My Kitchen

Jessica

Cricut Imagine cartridge used:  Enjoy the Seasons

Jamie L.

Cricut cartridge used:  3 Birds on Parade

Kemma

Cricut cartridge used:  Every Day Paper Dolls

Hattie

Cricut cartridge used:  From My Kitchen

Cricut Imagine cartridge used:  Enjoy the Seasons

Xochitl

Cricut cartridge used:  3 Birds on Parade

Jen

Cricut cartridges used:  Every Day Paper Dolls &

Paper Doll Dress Up

Now it's your turn!  Link up your BBQ or Picnic-themed project for your chance to be our newest Top Chef!  Here are some guidelines . . .

• Must follow the challenge topic.
• Must be a NEW project for this challenge, please no back dated posts.
• Must have a link back to this post on your blog. 
• Must link your project through Inlinkz and not just your blog. 
• Must use your Cricut in some capacity.
• Must have fun!
• You may gladly combine challenges . . . we love to pile it on TOO!

Thank you once again for stopping by and making us a part of your crafty time! We appreciate each of you so much!  Don't forget to stop by tomorrow and check out what Chef  Linsey has whipped up using the Cricut Preserves cartridge in our Thursday Showcase!  And we hope you will join us this weekend for our two-day Blog Hop -- two sets of Designers and tons of birthday-themed cards and projects!  We start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 23 and  Sunday, June 24th . . . come hop with us!

~ CWC Design Team

PCW Masculine Challenge

Good afternoon crafty friends,

Thank you for stopping by and making us a part of your day! Today we have another challenge for you! Today’s challenge is hosted by Designer Janet of My Cards For You. Janet is another one of our Faithful Design contributors! Her cards are simply gorgeous! Her detail work on each work of h(art) is truly inspiring! Be sure to visit Janet and see all the wonderful things on her blog. 

Here’s our girl Janet with one very well known “scraplebrity” Tim Holtz.

Today Janet challenged us to an anything masculine-boy or man challenge. So pull out all the stops and lets see those projects created for all the “men” in your life....Yes, we use the term men loosely as often times, they are just older boys...lol. But what would we do without them!!!! Let’s see what super things the designers came up with!

Janet

Created this adorable card using the King of the Grill Digi from PCW. Head over to her blog for all the details.
DIRECT LINK

Evelyn

Created this super cute card using the Jack from the Jules and Jack Cutting File Set from PCW. Be sure to head over to her blog for all the details. DIRECT LINK

Evelyn also treated us to this FANTASTIC layout! Look at all the details! She used the Football Bears cutting file set from PCW for her great title! Once again, be sure to head over to her blog for all the details!

Melin 

I created this simple layout featuring a “lighthouse” theme for a “Father” layout.  I used a soon to be released Lighthouse cutting file set from PCW.

For this layout I sprayed the brown cardstock with water to dampen the fibers and then balled up the paper in a tight wad. I un”wadded” it and then did it again. I did that process about 3 times and then let it dry. Once it was dry I just hit it with my Dark Brown ink. This gave it that wonderful “rock Like” texture. I did the same with the father letters. You just have to be careful not to rip the paper when doing this technique on small pieces like the letters.  I then tore a piece of cardstock in half. I purposely tore it and left the “rough” edges. I used acrylic white paint to cover the tops creating the “white caps” I used a make up sponge to apply the paint but it was a “dry brush” technique in which there was hardly any paint on the sponge. I used a “pulling down” stroke so that the color of the cardstock would randomly show underneath. Once the paint dried I added a light touch of stickles to the top to give the illusion of the sun sparkling off them.

Here is a close up. Unfortunately, you still can’t see the glint of stickles, but it is very pretty. You can see that the “tearing” technique helps to give the white caps some dimension.

Next Up, I created this Grill master Layout featuring another soon to be released cutting file set from PCW.

This layout was previously a kit from Page-Kits.com but now you can get the Bubblicious Fun Boy Bear Cutting File set to recreate this at PCW.

Here is another layout that was previously a kit. The Darlin’ Dino’s on this layout will soon be available as a cutting file set from PCW.

Lastly, here is one more project. I created this card with a new digi from PCW. King of Cool. This was for my beloved hubby.

Be sure to check out PaperCraftingWorld.com on Friday when all these wonderful new cutting file sets and more digi’s will be released! Then create your own masculine masterpiece and JOIN US!

Here are the guidelines for our Die Cut and Or Stamp Challenge.

* Project must be new and for this challenge. Please no back dated posts.

* Project must follow the theme – challenge as described above.

* You may use one of the free files in your project. Or one you may already have from PaperCraftingWorld.com. This isn’t mandatory, but we'd love to see what you do with them!

* Your project must include either a stamp: rubber, clear OR digital and OR a digital craft cutting file or a die cut from a hand machine die cutter (Spellbinders, Big Shot, Sizzix, Lifestyle Crafts, etc.) Pretty much anything besides a Cricut. Punches would be fine too!

* OUR CHALLENGES ARE NOW WEEKLY! More challenges, more fun!

* Add the link to your project post below. Please link your direct post and not just your blog.      

* HAVE FUN!!!! 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for our new Cricut Challenge and more!