Congrats for the Techie!

My Dad got a new job! Hooray! So I made my first techie-congratulations card. I think it goes nicely with my pink cutting mat... haha, just kidding. I cut everything (except the text) from the "Brooklyn Iron-On" cartridge, which has global access on CCR right now. The photo doesn't show it well, but I used glossy accents on the front. The keys "MIKE" actually said "nerd", but I hid those cuts and inserted my own text over before cutting. I used a black pen to write on the green, and white to sign our names at the bottom. I'd be interested to see other's techie cards!

You are the...

Found this when I was out at Kirkland's and took a photo to reference all the cute sayings! Some future cards immediately jump to mind... so I thought I'd pass on this good find. :)

Wedding Wall Collage

I decided to combine some of our wedding photos into a wall collage...

• There are lots of great layout options online. As suggested by others, I found it easiest to lay out the design on the floor first. This helped me figure out spacing and the sizes I wanted to use. I labeled the sizes of photos I used for the blog.
• If you look closely, all my frames don't match! There are two styles of brown/gold. Just take some time and see what look you like.

Going Away Picture Frame

Made a going-away present for some sweet friends. The matte was from hobby lobby, and although it was not advertised as a "signature matte", if you have the right pen, any matte will work. This was a pre-cut 8x10 insert for an 11x14 frame. This project cost ~$30 total. I cut the family's name and year with the cricut, and simply glued to the matte. I was fortunate to find an artist's rendition of the appropriate housing, but a photograph would work too.

Zero Calorie Birthday Cupcakes!

A cute, zero-calorie cupcake for a girl's special day. :)

• The cupcake punch is from Martha Stewart's line of punches. I was so excited when I thought to use aluminum foil for the cupcake wrapper on the envelope and the backing. Happily, I discovered that liquid glue worked just fine on the foil.
• The white front and the white inside are the same size (measured to fit the interior saying).
• I made some varieties of this card by using the cupcakes from the background paper instead of stickers. Since these are less dimensional, they would be easier to drop in the mail.

Nursery Name Decor

What I love about this project is how many ways you can personalize it. Not only can you spell the baby's name, but Mom can choose coordinating scrapbook paper to fit their theme. 

Supplies:

• Wooden letters to spell the name
• Mod Podge, clear (aka Matte or Glossy, no color additions)
• Foam brush, sponge, or paintbrush for application
• Coordinating scrapbook papers, one for each letter
• SOLID Color for the bottom, to ensure length of letter is covered (see below)
• Ribbon for the seam between the color transitions
• Adhesive for your ribbon
• Embellishments (optional)
• Second ribbon for decorative purposes above the letter (optional)

See Complete Directions in the linked "D is for DOG"  post.
Use scrapbook paper instead of photos, and outline the scrapbook paper placement instead of photo placement.

TIPS:

• Choose thicker wooden letters. Thicker letters make it easier to both wrap paper and smooth-out. There are other cute options down the wood aisle (like curly or thin letters)... but the thicker you choose, the easier this project will be.
• Darker, thicker card-stock works best. There are a few wrinkles in the thinner scrapbook paper from the mod podge, but I was able to disguise the more noticeable ones with embellishments.
• Standard 12x12 scrapbook paper is TOO SMALL to fit this brand of letters. There ended up being 2inches left on the bottom, so I lined the bottom of the letters with a uniform blue. Using ribbon to transition the colors also helps forgive your seams if they're not completely straight (which, let's face it, is difficult by hand and with glue!)
• DON'T hang the letters by the top ribbon. The added ribbon is for decoration only. Definitely adhere the ribbon to the wall, but the weight of the letter is too much. I suggest command strips so there is no hardware needed.
• Get a friend to help you! Two of us took almost 4 hours for this project.

Simple Masculine Thank-You

Another masculine card! When you find the right print of inspiring card-stock, you can just imagine how the card will turn out. I added the stamp, distressed the edges, and embossed the ink on the envelope.

Elephant Baby Shower Invites

Baby shower invites are so fun! They're a great way to let guests know about the Mom-to-be, both through words and design choices. This Mom is doing a chevron print/elephant themed nursery. Be sure to include proper spelling of baby's name (if known), as well as any registry information.

• Prepare yourself for a time-consuming project. To make 20+ invites, it takes me around 8 hours (after store shopping has been completed). The cricut was not used in any part of this project.
• Be sure you have a backing for the invitation. Usually printed/designer papers are not card stock, just regular thickness. This makes the invite feel flimsy. I used the body of a blank card (cut in half), and the envelopes that coordinated in size (yes, I did run out of envelopes... so be sure you x2 the envelopes if you plan to do this).
• Print invitation text on your home computer. Just be sure you purchase 81/2x11 paper, otherwise you'll be cutting your 12x12 to fit your printer. My basic printer takes card stock just fine. Just allow time for the ink to dry before you touch it.
• "Glue dots" are my favorite 3-D adhesive for a punch this size (elephant from Martha Stewart).
• Keep the front of the envelopes simple since you will likely be mailing to some who are out-of-town. Mine say "special delivery", and the back has a row of chevron paper. Use a vellum envelope for a cool effect (they're just costly!).
• They don't have to be cookie-cutter! I was stressing about the chevron not all going the same way for utilization of paper space (some horizontal and some vertical). When I was mid-process, I realized that this is part of the beauty of hand-designing something. Some of mine had brads, some are double matted, some are tilted, some have foam tape... The colors are uniform, and the text is identical. Be creative and see what you come up with!

Need an idea for twins? See my previous invitation post Twice the Blessing, Twice the Joy