BBTB2: Cricut - Shirley's Craft Cottage Wooden Sign

My daughter's aunt by marriage sends the grandkids lots of homemade items and crafts.  She is a really special great aunt.   She even has an Etsy shop where she sells jewelry called ShirleyHawkCreations.  I have a few pieces and get lots of compliments.  I created a few signs in the last few weeks and wanted to share this one too.  I used a free SVG from a blog I saw on Pinterest (where else?) called "A Girl and a Glue Gun.com".  The SVG originally said "crafting is life", but I was able to reword it and put in "Shirley's Craft Cottage" using Cricut's Brush Script.   I want to use this file again and make myself a t-shirt.

The SVG was one color, and that just would not do.  Here is what I did.   I cut a piece of redwood to about 7.5" x 9.5" (fence board is 7.5" wide, that was my limit).  I lightly sanded the rough parts,  painted it turquoise, and let it dry.  Then I cut the SVG on my Cricut in vinyl (not mirrored).  I applied the vinyl using transfer tape.  I then painted the board white.  After it was almost dry, I peeled off the vinyl.  Little bits of the turquoise came off, but that added to the charm.   I then sanded the edges and lightly in the middle to give an aged effect.  I watered down acrylic paints and filled in with color.  After that dried, I then gave the entire piece a coating of washed light brown.  I really like how it turned out and I think this crafty friend will also.  .

I'm using this project as my design team entry for Bitten By the Bug2 this week.  Our challenge is to be creative with our die cuts - use them in unique ways, use embellishments on them, color them up, etc., almost anything goes.   Link up your project HERE at BBTB2.  Our talented hostess for the week is Laura from Handmade Papercrafts By Laura.

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BBTB2: Cricut Fairy Painted Sign

Join our Bitten by the Bug2 challenge this week by creating a card, layout or project with our theme of 'Fairies", be it tooth fairies, Tinkerbell, or imaginary ones!  Our hostess this week is Susan from Busy with the Cricky blog and she and the rest of our designers have some fairy magic on the blog to show you.

Today I am sharing a project a little out of the box for me - a painted sign using Cricut cuts as the stencil.  I have done several signs, but nothing like this one.  A friend of mine is celebrating a milestone birthday this month and having a big party at her river summer home.  I made a sign that looks a little bit vintage and incorporates her love for fairies and the name of the home, Moon River.

I used a piece of redwood, acrylics, and stencils made from Cricut Explore cuts.  My painting was way too bright, so I sanded it and put on a coat of thinned out light brown.  It measures about 12"x 7.5".  It's ready to get wrapped along with a gift card to her favorite store.

Welcome:  Rustic Wedding
Water:  Disney Princess Dreams Come True
Font:  Candice

BBTB2: Cricut - Shake It Off Layout

The other Grandma took a few pictures of our granddaughter right before going to Dance Class.  It's really hard to believe she is only 5 years old - the close up picture looks right from a model's photo shoot.  I knew I had to make a layout using a couple of the pictures.  

Our Bitten By the Bug2 challenge this week is "Red and White for any Occasion", so I went that route with my pictures.  I fell in love with the 'tree of hearts' from Miss Kates Cutables, so I played around with the svg in different sizes on the page.  (remember the days when we didn't have any software and had to guess on a size to cut our die cut on the Expression?)   I added the 'Dance' cut from Wall Decor and More, and I went with a title of Shake It Off using the Friday Cricut Font, which was the saying on my granddaughter's shirt.  An easy layout this week with lots of personality - just like my granddaughter!

Link up your 'Red and White' project or card at our Bitten By the Bug2 blog and also take a visit to see all the great projects that our team is sharing this week.   Happy Valentines Day everyone!

BBTB2: Cricut - Intricate Nativity Candle - Away in a Manger

Happy Holidays to All my Followers!

The year has just zipped by for me.   From enjoying my 2 grandchildren, to taking a few long vacations, getting some improvements done on the house, and celebrating 35 years of marriage, it's been a great year.  I've enjoyed sharing my papercrafting and Cricut projects during the year - it keeps my creative juices flowing to know I have a deadline to submit a card/project almost each week.

This week our Bitten By the Bug2 challenge is to use a nativity scene or a menorah.  I found this SVG on a FB group I follow.  I do not know the artist, but I would love to say thank you to him/her.  I tried a new technique I saw a few weeks ago and it was so easy.   I printed the scene on tissue paper (taped tissue paper to a plain sheet of copy paper and then put in printer) and cut it out.  The tissue paper goes against the candle and then top it with waxed paper.  Holding it all together tightly, I ran the heat gun quickly over the project.  The wax melts a bit into the tissue and it appears to melt into the candle itself.

Join our end of the year challenge at BBTB2 and link up your 'Nativity' / 'menorah' card or project created with your Cricut!  Susan from Busy with the Cricky is hosting this great challenge, come see her and the other designers creations.  Merry Christmas!!

BBTB2: Cricut Easter's On It's Way Card

Hippity Hop, Easter's On It's Way!

We are all looking forward to Easter - ham, Easter egg hunts, chocolate eggs and jelly beans galore.  I am hosting the challenge at Bitten By the Bug2 this week, and just had to  go with the theme of "Spring Fling and Easter Things".  That's pretty wide open, so I am expecting lots of entries.  Link up your Spring or Easter Cricut cards, projects, or layouts to BBTB2.

My tri-fold card took a few hours to create, and was fun to put together.  Folded up it is only 4" x 3.25", it's small.  Some of the little eyes just were too small to cut, so I drew them in.  I think there were 21 mats to cut.  My cut file is from My Scrap Chick.  It is HERE.  I got it during one of their many sales.  They have some great SVG files.

Join my design sisters and link up your Spring and Easter creations at BBTB2.  Happy Easter!

BBTB2: My St. Patrick's Day Lucky Charms

My grandparents and mother were Irish.  I always decorate with my leprechauns and shamrocks for a few weeks before St. Patrick's Day.  A few weeks ago I brought my granddaughter an Irish Princess shirt to wear, but didn't find anything for the little guy.   This layout will be perfect for a few pictures I'll take on Thursday.

Lynn from My Cards N Stuff is our hostess at Bitten By the Bug2 this week, and of course, she selected St. Patrick's Day or anything green as the challenge theme.   Link up your project or card to our blog.

Cricut cuts:  St. Patrick's Day for the title and rainbow, Teddy Bear Parade for the Leprechaun, and the Hello Kitty is a SVG file from Kraftynook.blogspot.com that was posted on one of the FB pages I follow.  I used some pearls and gemstones for decoration along with a white jelly roll pen and Stickles.  I can't wait to put on the pictures of the grandkids onto this layout.  Luck of the Irish to you all, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Maureen

BBTB2: Your Wings Were Ready - 3D frame

My husband's godfather passed away last December after an illness and a weak heart.  Since he was special to us, I wanted to do something beyond flowers and came up with this project.  I had seen lots of these sentiments on Facebook, so I found the file and saved it.  I took a picture of Joe off of Facebook and had it printed at Costco.  I fit it in the shadow box frame as the background.  I cut the svg file using black vinyl and then adhered it to the front of the glass.  I did move one of the birds to a different spot as to not block the face.  It was an easy project , yet a sad time.

Please excuse the bad photography, but I took it right before it was wrapped and taken to the widow.  I received thank yous from a few members of the family, I had hoped they liked it. 

We are making 3D projects this week at Bitten By the Bug2.  Laurie from Crafty Sisters Creations is our hostess and she invites you to join our challenge and link up your projects to the blog.  Have a nice week.

BBTB2 Cricut: Mr. Grinch Cricut Ornament

 This week I am hosting at Bitten By the Bug2.  I have selected the same challenge as I did last year, which is to "Use a Cricut cut on an ornament, or to Use a Cricut cut to make an ornament."   I hope you have been creating great Cricut projects and will link up your Cricut inspired ornaments onto our BBTB2 blog.

At our Crafty Girls Retreat a few weeks back, we had a fun challenge to decorate a clear ornament.  We then put them in a brown bag and played the "steal it" game.  I ended up with the blue bow ornament shown below.

Mine is the Grinch.  I found the svg online.  I made it about 2 inches big - it's really hard to put flat vinyl on a round ornament.  My first version with a full Grinch face didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, so I used this simple version.  It was a hit - I'm going to make more as part of my family white elephant exchange.

Celebrate - Breast Cancer Awareness

Our BBTB2 Cricut designers blog is celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month by making projects and cards featuring PINK and WOMEN.   I found this svg file that someone shared and changed it up a bit.  I love the simplicity and think it's perfect to send out to some friends in memory of how strong they have been in fighting this disease.   I'll make a few more and get them out ASAP.   They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this one qualifies.

We invite you to link up your PINK / WOMEN project or card to our blog and enjoy our creations at BBTB2.  

Remember to get your mammogram, I have my appointment at the end of the month!

Linked to D. L. Art Linky party = Breast Cancer Awareness

BBTB2 - Summertime means Pool Time

We recently put in a gazebo in the backyard next to the pool.  There is a seating area with tan cushions.  I am decorating a little bit with turquoise accents.   When I saw this tray at Walmart. it was calling my name and it wanted to be decorated.   I love the split initial projects that are popular right now and used a file created by Narelle  on Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space to create my project for BBTB2 this week.  Let me tell you, I had to cut this more than once from white vinyl.  When weeding the negative space, the waste stuck to the good parts and it was impossible to 'unstick' the two.  Since the lines are so thin I had a hard time separating the keeper from the waste.  However, the end result is positive!

Our theme, hosted by Sharon, is to create a card or project that has anything to do with water or swimming.   I'll use my tray to carry out dinner to the gazebo on those nights when it's too hot to eat indoors.  I love this tray and plan on making one for my sister and sister-in-law.  Link up your summer pool Cricut projects to our BBTB2 blog this week. Yes the gladiolas are from my yard.  Stay cool!