On the twelfth day of Christmas…

Twas the Night before Christmas and all though the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  The stockings were hung by the chimney with care….

I hope that Santa brings you everything that is on your list.  Maybe a Cricut Expression machine, or a Cuttlebug.  How about a Cricut Imagine or Gypsy, a camera so that you can take alot of pictures and then scrapbook all of those memories.  Or how about a stocking filled with glue dots, tape runner adhesives, copic markers, rubber stamps, and some ink pads.

It doesn’t matter what the weather is like where you live, Santa will find his way through a blizzard or the clearest of skies.  Just last week I thought that I was going to have a white Christmas, but the New Mexico sun came out and melted it all away.  If I really want snow, all I have to do is drive 30 minutes to the east and I can see all the snow that I want on the Sandia Mountains.

Everyone celebrates Christmas differently. There are so many old traditions that are being followed down through generation and there are also new traditions being made.  Today I have been listening to Polish Christmas Carols and singing around my house as I get ready for some friends to come over.  My husband is not Polish he is Swiss/Italian, but after being with me and my family for 30 years  he even knows some of the words.

My family in New Jersey are going to the Christmas mass at 4 o’clock to worship and listen to my niece sing in the choir and my nephew/Godson is going to be an alter server at the same mass.   Then my husbands family is going  to mass together to worship and Celebrate Jesus birth.  I wish we were there to celebrate, but we are so there in spirit.  No amount of miles will keep us apart, we are always in each others heart and even more during the holidays.  Paul and I will be watching midnight mass of television tonight from the Vatican in Italy.  Since I just had my last chemo treatment in the beginning of the month, I still cant be around alot of people so we will be celebrating Christmas mass at home.

After church my family will go back to my sister house for dinner and then opening of presents.  Paul’s family is going to his sisters, to eat lots of Italian appetizers (fresh mozzarella cheese with soprasata) my mouth is watering just thinking of that platter. Oh can’t forget the black olives.  These are the traditions that memories are made from.

However you choose to enjoy this holiday season, just be kind to your fellow man.  Just a simple smile can really make someones day.

Wishing You and Your Family a Very Merry Christmas!

When my Sister-in-law came to visit this summer, we had such a fantastic time.   We laughed, cried, drank and ate.  That’s right we ate.  We love food and her saying was “Food is Love”.  So the perfect gift to make was that saying in a wooden picture frame.

One afternoon I sat down with my Gypsy and found the perfect font to use and designed this gift.  I used the Jasmine Cricut cartridge and the Italic function key for the letters and then I used the Love Struck Seasonal 2010 cartridge for the hearts.  Everything was cut by connecting my Gypsy to my Cricut Expression machine.

I cut my background paper (it is from a value pack that I got at Hobby Lobby) and glued everything to it with my Zig 2 way glue pen, put the backing on the frame and it’s done.  Well it needed something else,  so I finished it off with some raffia that I wrapped around the frame and made a bow.  Then I used my small heart punch by Fiskars and punched lavender hearts and added them with Scrapbooker’s Glue by Scotch to the ends of the raffia for that special touch.

I hope that Fran likes her gift because it was so much fun making this present.  It brought back all of the fun memories of our visit together this summer.

Make it a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

I wanted to share some big Gypsy news with you all ~ I received actually two emails from 2 “higher up” cricut gals telling me some fantastic news and I want to pass it along to my readers as well.

Buy and register a Gypsy by Cricut by October 31 and receive 6 (SIX!) free cartridges downloaded to you Gypsy – including the exclusive, all-new “Smile Cards” cartridge (and don’t forget about Gypsy Wanderings and Gypsy Font cartridges that come pre-loaded on the machine). It’s a $419 value!!

FREE CARTRIDGES INCLUDE:
~ Smiley Cards (new and exclusive to this promotion)b n
~ Tags, Bags, Boxes & More (not available in retail)
~ Christmas (not available in retail)
~ Blackletter (not available in retail)
~ Printing Press (not available in retail)
~ Indie Art (not available in retail)

All current Gypsy owners are INCLUDED!! Simply register your Gypsy by October 31, 2010 and get access to all downloads. Register at www.cricut.com/gypsy.

Downloads will be available through a special update to your Gypsy starting November 1st!!

New Gypsy cartridge downloads are easy! Just connect your Gypsy to your computer and you’ll automatically be prompted how to start. In just a few steps, you’ll be able to download all six cartridges containing thousands of images! And with the Gypsy, you’ll have all the cartridge artwork and keypad overlays on your Gypsy screen, so there’s no actual cartridge, handbook or packaging.

You only have a few weeks. Don’t miss out!

If you are in the “crafty world” you have seen this pear before.  But when you actually make it yourself it is sooo perfect, cute and also quick.

All I did was cut out two pears using the From My Kitchen Cricut Cartridge using the Cricut Expression machine. Then using my Gypsy and the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge I typed the words and also welded them together so that they would cut out in one piece instead of individual letters (makes it so much better when adhering to the card).

I then used some Memento Dye Ink color New Sprout and Stampin Up Dye Ink colors Glorious Green and Forest Foliage.  Using some  blenders to add some color to the edges of the pear for the soft real look.

For the background I choose paper from DCWV and also just a scrap piece of brown paper that I had left over from the shadow pieces that I used for the pear, for the bottom border of the card.

Look how great this card looks.  You will be able to send this to any perfect couple on your list for an Anniversary or just because they are a Perfect pear!

Make it a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

]]> http://joanscraftworld.com/two-cricut-cartridges-makes-for-one-perfect-pear-cricut-card-idea/feed/ 1 http://joanscraftworld.com/many-fun-cricut-card-ideas-using-the-animal-kingdom-cricut-cartridge/ http://joanscraftworld.com/many-fun-cricut-card-ideas-using-the-animal-kingdom-cricut-cartridge/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:23:36 +0000 joanscraftworld http://joanscraftworld.com/?p=1711 Today I am making a Cricut Card, a birthday card to be exact, for my Godson Tyler who is turning 11 years old this month.  I have so many great Cricut card ideas, but I want this birthday card to be really special and fun.

So, I got myself comfy on my sofa with my Gypsy for awhile and went through my cartridges and even some cartridges that I didn’t have, (you can view and also design with all the available cartridges with your Gypsy, you just can only cut with the cartridges that you own) to find something different, not just your ordinary birthday card look and I found it.  I have such a great Cricut Card Idea!

Using the Animal Kingdom Cricut Cartridge, I found a fish bowl with some really cute fish and plants to put inside.

I cut the fish bowl using my Cricut Expression cutting machine at 3 inches, the fish at 1½ inches and the plant at 2 inches.  I attached all the pieces to a 4×5½ white card with my glue glider pro and for the “bubbles” I used pop dots for dimension.  I then added some stickles, funky fibers and a real star fish for the finishing touch.  I wanted the Happy Birthday Tyler to look like bubbles coming out of the fishes’ mouth.

There are so many shapes in each cartridge, you just have to put your “creative hat” on and get crafting.  You never know how it’s going to turn out, just wish for the best and remember “You Made it Yourself” , this is a handmade greeting card, which makes it even more special for the person who is receiving it!

~ Happy Birthday to my Fantastic Godson Tyler ~

Wish I could be there with you to celebrate and to give you a Big Hug & Kiss!

Make it a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

Make it a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!