I'm a TOP WINNER @ FCCB

 

I'm so excited!!!  I had this idea in my head for over a year and now it is a reality, plus I was chosen a TOP  5 WINNER @ FCCB for my

 

This was such a fun family project for my oldest daughter and I.  I look forward to next Thanksgiving and reading all that our family was thankful for throughout the coming year!

Give Thanks Basket

A new Thanksgiving traditional was started this year.  I wanted to do this last year but never got around to doing it but with the help of my 9 year old daughter Kaitlyn we finally did it!  I read somewhere about this project years ago and this is our "Give Thanks Basket."  Basically the basket is where you keep strips of whatever color paper you'd like (I choose red, green and white) and throughout the year you write on a strip of paper something you are thankful for.  Then next Thanksgiving you bring out the basket and read what your family has written on them throughout the year.  Lastly, you make a chain-link garland out of the written on strips of paper and use for your Christmas decorations on your tree or wherever you'd like.

I used these items to create my Give Thanks Basket (ALL of these items I had in my stash):

• basket (just one I had at my house)
• leaves (from a Fall garland that had fallen off) - hot glued to the outside of the basket
• wooden dowels -  for the sign
• jute packaging twine - for the sign
• Create-a-Critter Cricut cartridge - for the turkey
• Sesame Street Seasons Cricut cartridge - for the leaves
• Storybook Cricut cartridge - for the font
• Studio G glitter glue

I am entering this project in the following challenges:

• Craft Your Passion Challenge #85 - Sponsored by Doodle Pantry - challenge this week is a photo inspiration, whether it be the colors, pumpkins, leaves, etc.
• Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #87 - Create a card or project with the words “Thank you” (or “Thanks”) on it 
• Getting Cricky - Simply Sunday Challenge Give Thanks - create a project reflecting something you are thankful for: family, friends, pets, crafting... It is open to your interpretation of something you are thankful for! 
• Paper Cutz Challenge #117 - make a card, LO or craft project for Thanksgiving, using a stamped, digital stamp or Cricut cut image of a turkey!
• Crop Stop Challenge #47 - Be Thankful - create a thank you card, thankful LO, or a thankful project
• Use It Tuesday Challenge #20 Giving Thanks - make a project that has to do with Giving Thanks
• The Cuttlebug Spot - Gobble Gobble Turkey Challenge - Your entry must have a Turkey

Here is our Give Thanks Basket during our Thanksgiving dinner:

Thanks for stopping by and viewing my Give Thanks Basket.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now let's bring on Christmas!!!

Kaitlyn's Elmo Birthday card for Jaidyn

Kaitlyn is my 9 year old daughter and this is her card she made for her sister Jaidyn's 2nd birthday.  She designed it based on the crayon box in the Elmo's Party Cricut cartridge.

Kaitlyn is entering this card in Craft Your Passion Kids Crafts Challenge #2 - seeing red - create a project with red on it.

Here's a close up of the bottom:

Here's the inside:

I know Jaidyn won't understand it until she's much older, but there was alot of time and love put into this card and we are so proud of Kaitlyn for doing it!!!

Thanksgiving Napkin Holder and Place Card

I finally did it...a Thanksgiving project and in less than a day.  I made 6 of these napkin holders and place cards for our Thanksgiving table.

I used these items to create these:

• Design Studio
• Create a Critter Cricut cartridge -for the turkey
• Songbird Cricut cartridge - for the names
• Misc. Thanksgiving stamps
• BugBites - All Year Round stamps (Give Thanks and Happy Turkey Day)
• Orange and Brown stamp pads
• Studio G glitter glue (around the turkey's hat)

Here's a close up of the napkin holder and place card:

I am entering this project in these challenges:

• Cooking with Cricut Challenge #60 - Lets Talk Turkey
• More Than Favors - Wacky Wednesday #59 - Thanksgiving Theme
• Exploring Cricut Challenge #4 - make a card, layout, or papercraft using a turkey from any Cricut cartridge in any theme or colors
• Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #87 - Create a card or project with the words “Thank you” (or “Thanks”) on it
• Paper Cutz Challenge #117 -  "Let's Talk Turkey!" Make a card, LO, or craft project for Thanksgiving, using a stamped, digital stamp or Cricut cut inage of a turkey!

I am so happy with the way these turned out.  My original idea was to have the napkin holder and place card connected but they look great seperate.

Thanks for checking out my napkin holder and place card...have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Elmo's Party Game

I made this game for my daughter Jaidyn's 2nd birthday party.   I'm unsure of it's measurements but the base is half of a piece of foam board, then I cut everything out using the Design Studio and the Elmo's Party Cricut cartridge.  This was super fun to make and is nice to have something a little different than the usual "Pin the tail on the Donkey."  I wrote the players names on the game pieces (crayons).  The object of the game is to give Elmo his crayon and the prize for getting the closest was a box of brand new crayons!

I am entering this project in the Decorate To Celebrate Challenge #12 - create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for a SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY!!  Let's celebrate EVERYTHING WONDERFUL ABOUT GETTING OLDER (tee hee) with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more!!  

Elmo Birthday (easel) card for Jaidyn

Today is my daughter Jaidyn's 2nd birthday party and this is the card I made for her.  My original design had Elmo holding the balloons in the other hand and the balloons were above the top of the card.  But using stickles on them made them too heavy and they just would fall over so I had to re-design my idea.  I think this way looks cute too!  I decided to do an easel card because so far that is my favorite style of card to make but I still have lots more to discover!

Here's a close up of just Elmo:

And here is a close up of the Happy Birthday:

I used these items to create my Elmo easel card:

• Design Studio
• Elmo's Party Cricut cartridge - for Elmo and crayons
• Birthday Cakes Cricut cartridge - for the Happy Birthday
• Recollections pattern paper from my stash
• Cardstock from my stash 
• Martha Stewart flocking powder
• Red and Yellow stickles
• foam squares
• black pen

I am entering this card in this challenge:

• Cardz TV - Challenge #1 - "Just My Style"

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my Elmo Birthday (easel) card for my NOW 2 year old daughter!!!  I will be posting pics of the party later tonight, if all goes well!

Kaitlyn's School Turkey Project

November 2008 Kaitlyn, being in 1st grade at the time, had a project that the entire family had to help her make.  She came home from school with just the base of the turkey and she was instructed to be creative and this is what we came up with. 

We took apart a pine cone and glued all of the pieces to the base and spray painted it gold.  While we waited for it to dry, my husband shaped pipe cleaners, some into the back tail feathers and the others into feet for the turkey.  I cut out the hat and the blurb on my Cricut.  I stamped the blurb with a Happy Thanksgiving stamp and attached some shiny leaves to the blurb.  I also used a gold pen to doodle on the hat and color in the band around the hat.  Once the body was dry we attached the tail and legs, hat, google eye, eye lash (left over from Halloween), fancy fur yarn, and Kaitlyn drew the details on the face of the Turkey.  Done!  I think it turned out so cute. 

Here's a close up of the face and blurb:

This is Kaitlyn with her turkey at school:

Today I finally put this treasure in a shadow box to be a perminant decoration for Thanksgiving.  I love the way it looks in the frame and with the other Fall decorations:

I hope you enjoyed viewing our little family Thanksgiving project and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!