Cricut Expression on Order!

I am so excited!! I ordered my Cricut Expression last night. It should be here in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! Please post links to your Cricut creations, projects, cards, scrapbooks, etc! I'd love to see them!!

I ordered my Cricut Expression from HSN.com. They have a wonderful deal going on where you get the Cricut Expression, inks, and 4 cartridges! The cartridges are:

1. Indie Art Solution Cartridge
2. Home Accents Solution Cartridge
3. Walk in My Garden Full Cartridge
4. Plantin Schoolbook Full Cartridge

I can't wait to use "Walk In My Garden"!! The next cartridge I'll probably buy is "Wild Card".

Please sign the guestbook below. Post a comment with your reviews of the Cricut and links to your projects!

Have a FUN Sunday!!

Pull A Plane

My husband, son, and 18 others from Ipswitch just beat 25 other teams for 1st place and Best Overall by pulling a 727 plane 12 feet in 12.022 seconds. Wooo-Whooo! The charity fundraiser benefited Ronald McDonald House.

Movie Thursday

We went to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian yesterday! Bonnie laughed when they showed the slapping monkeys. There weren't a lot of people in the theater since we went to the 11:30 a.m. showing. Probably less than 20 all together and we were 5 of those.

What movie have you seen at the theater recently? We are looking forward to seeing UP! and Star Trek next.

Leave a comment! Subscribe to my blog! Sign the Guestbook! (Boy, I'm demanding. :) ) Have a great afternoon!!

52Q Week 21

Here is my latest addition to the 52Q challenge. This week's question was:

If I had a free day with no restrictions, what would I choose to do?

My answer is:

Go to Ripley's Aquarium at Myrtle Beach, SC

On the outside of the covered envelope, I used paper from the Animal Crackers DCWV stack. The picnic picture is cut out from one of my favorite magazines, FIRST. I framed this picnic picture with red paper from the Animal Crackers DCWV stack also. I added corner triangles for accents.

On the tag insert, I cut out a short article about Ripley's Aquarium from the same magazine, FIRST. After I took the above picture, I used Mod Podge over the tag to make sure the thin magazine paper wouldn't be damaged from sliding the tag in and out of the envelope. Lastly, I added green ribbon to the top of the tag and punched holes in the tag and envelope with my Crop-a-Dile.

Are you participating in the 52Q? I'd love to see what you create! Leave a comment with a link to your blog or creations. And don't forget to sign the guest book at the bottom of the page!

Have a warm, sunny day and do something with flair!

Guest Book!

Please go to the bottom of this page and sign my Guest Book! I'd love to see a pic of you and where on the world map you are from! Have a fun day!

A Year of Questions

Are you participating in the "52Q"? It's on Ember's blog. Click Here for link to it. On the right of her blog you can click a link to 52Q. What is 52Q? Glad you asked!

52Q is an art challenge. Each week (52 times a year), she gives you a question or something to think about. Your challenge is to answer that question in any artsy way you'd like. She is doing a year of tags this year. Each tag is a different week's question. Last year she used a deck of 52 playing cards.

I'm doing mine with invitation size envelopes (4 3/8" x 5 3/4") for the question and then covering a flash card (purchased a pack from the Dollar Store) with the answer. I put a little ribbon at the top of the tag and slip that inside the envelope for that week's question.

The Crop-dial is so wonderful! I used that to punch 3 holes down the side of the envelopes and put binding rings through them so it looks like a mini book. I also used it to cut the top of the tag to place the ribbon through. Even cutting through all these layers, the crop-a-dile cuts it like butter! Amazing!

I encourage you to participate and please post a comment with a link to your blog or pictures of your own creation. Enjoy!

Where Do You Shop for Craft Supplies?

So, what's your favorite place to shop for craft supplies? Here are links to my favorite places:

• AC Moore: Click Here for Link. This link will show you the current sales, help you find a store near you, show you the weekly ad for that store, give you coupons to print for that store, or you can shop on line! This is by far my FAVORITE place to shop for craft supplies! It's always clean, very brightly lit, wide isles, and tons of in store specials. Plus they take other store's coupons!!

• Joann's: Click Here for Link. This is a much, much smaller store (or the one I visit is) than AC Moore. Their selection is limited, but they have GREAT deals on DCWV paper on a regular basis. They don't keep the weekly coupons in the store, so you have to either be on their mailing list or go to their website to print one to take with you.
  

• Hobby Lobby: Click Here for Link. This is a large store that has a variety of items, not just crafty things. They have furniture, home accents and accessories, and loads of craft items. I don't shop here as often. I don't find that the items I'm interested in are on sale often enough and they do not accept other store's coupons. But it's fun to browse around occasionally. And I love going down the frame and mirror isle. One day I'm going to get one of those gorgeous, ornately framed, huge mirrors for my home. Don't know where I'm going to put it, but one day......
  

• Michael's: Click Here for Link. This store also takes other store's coupons, which is very nice. It usually smells nice like flowers or potpourri. The store I go to is dimly lit and has tight isles, but they have EVERYTHING you'll need for whatever craft you are into. Michael's does have tons of stuff and coupons. You can't shop them on line or view their prices on line, which is also a bummer, but you can find almost every craft item in their store that you are looking for.

What Craft Paper Do You Use?

I'm just curious... what craft paper do you use on your crafts? I used to use Creative Memories paper in 1994 when I started scrapbooking. After that I went to Stampin' Up! paper which I used for years.

In the past couple of years, I have been using tons of DCWV (Die Cuts With A View) paper. It's so easy to come by and comes in so many different types and patterns.

Sitting on my desk right now I have these stacks waiting to be turned into something fun:

• DCWV: Animal Crackers Stack. This is a combination of patterend paper, glittered pages, and so so cute designs! These pages are cardstock thickness.

• DCWV: The Green Stack. Trees, Owls, Birds, Flowers... All patterened cardstock paper. I love trees!
  

• DCWV: The All Dressed Up Stack. A combination of patterend paper and glittered pages and so chic! Also cardstock thickness.

• Best Occasions: This is a Punch-Out Pack of 40 patterend papers and 437 alpha & accent punch-outs. All cardstock thickness. I got this stack at Wal-mart only because I was in desparate need of some new paper (yes, it's a terrible addiction). I honestly think it's okay, but not my favorite. And the punchouts are fun, except they make me want a CRICUT even more (if that's at all possible). The colors are kind of dull and muted, but in the right setting, they would be great.

• My Mind's Eye: Everyday Tango. 180 sheets of Designer Paper - not card stock. I must say, this is the first time I've bought patterened paper that was not cardstock. This paper is lovely. Flowers, dots, distressed, patterns, stripes, diamonds, oh so very pretty and feminine. I really like this paper! Since I'm not so used to using NON-cardstock paper, I will admit that I accidentally cut through it when trying to score it with my Provo Craft trimmer / scorer. I was used to putting a little bit more pressure on the scoring blade, but not at all necessary for this paper.

All of the above are 12 x 12 paper stacks. They are very different from each other, and I'm so anxious to use them up. I wonder if that feeling is the same as reading a good book? I can't wait to use them, but will be sad when their packs are empty? Hmmmmm......

All of my DCWV paper stacks I got at Joann's. The Mind's Eye Designer Paper Stack I got at AC Moore. Both of these stores are my most favorite craft places to shop.

More later... and maybe some fun crafty creations with more scraps....

Until then....

Eclipse

I just finished reading Eclipse. Isn't it funny how when you are reading a good book, you don't want to put it down until you get to the end? Then when you get to the end, you are so sad that it's over. That's what Eclipse was for me. I can't wait to read the next one. I must say, this 3rd book in the Twilight series was by far my favorite!

Bookmark

Here's the bookmark I made today! I love these bright, springy colors!

I used a flash card from a children's card pack I got at the Dollar Store.

I covered the card (4 5/8" x 3 1/8") with scrap paper.

I used a round paper punch for the butterfly, then glued it to a green scrap paper and just cut around it leaving a little for a shadow effect.

The bottom rectangles were scrap paper also, and I used a corner rounder on both pieces then glued them together.

The "J" I used was from K & Company Chipboard Alphabet.


All the ribbon I used were in my scrap ribbon drawer. I used the Crop-a-dial to punch the hole in the top for the ribbon (cuts like butter!)

This bookmark was very simple to do, and I was happy to use up some of my scrap paper!

Let's see what you create! Send me a link to your bookmark creation!

Happy Tuesday!

So what did you guys do over the long weekend? We enjoyed some BBQ chicken on the grill, and it was sooooo delicious!!

• We got some wiring done on our house, which was very nice.
• I finished New Moon and started Eclipse. I love these Twilight books!

I decided I needed to make myself a bookmark, so I'll be getting out my scrapbook paper, cardstock, and brainstorming in that area. I'll post a pic of what I come up with later.

Until next time,
Janis

The Beginning

Happy Memorial Day!

Here is a place where you can Pause. Put your feet up. Have a cup of coffee or tea and just unwind and relax. Dream a little. Be inspired. Journal your latest thoughts, hopes, events.

I'll be posting some fun craft ideas soon. Until then, comment with a poem you've written or a dream you've had. Or tell us your latest journal entry.