Papercraft Star Challenge # 27 New Year's Resolution Project

This is my first Papercraft Star Challenge for 2011. Here are the directions:
Make a card, layout, altered item, gift or home decor project using one of your New Year's Resolutions as your inspiration. Be sure to include the New Year's Resolution as part of your project description on your blog!

My resolution: To try new products and techniques that I am not familiar with in my crafting.

In some of the supplies my friend gave me the other day were some products that I have never used. So, I thought this would be a perfect time to try one of them. This is the card that I made:

and the inside:

Finished card: 4 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Materials:
Cardstock: White, Pink and Teal
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Tinkerbell
Lumin Arte Twinkling H2O's Moss Agate, Mediterranean Blue, Lemongrass and Deep Coral
Martha Stewart Glitter Aquamarine Crystal
Doodlebug Design Crushed Velvet Flock Yellow
Cri-Kits Metallic Teal
Cricut Cartridge Opposites Attract
Cricut Design Studio
Two (2) Pom Poms
ColorBox Petal Point Pigment Option Pad Mist Medium Teal

I have never used the Twinkling H2O's. They are shimmering watercolors. I like the effect that they have, although I think I need to practice with them a little more (but I don't think I did too bad for the first time).
I don't see myself using them all the time, but I can see using them for certain effects. What do you think?  Have you ever used the H2O's? Leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you. Thanks.

I tried to go outside my comfort zone...you should too...imagine what you could do......

Halloween Ghost Card

Halloween is just around the corner...can't believe it. While looking through some of my paper, I came across this ghost paper and was inspired.

And surprise...it's a tri-fold card. (opps...this is a Gate-fold card)

I started with a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of orange cardstock. I scored it at 2 1/8" and at 6 3/8'' (or just turn the card around and score at 2 1/8" again). This gives you the tri-fold. I cut the patterned ghost paper at 1 3/4" x 5 1/4" two (2) times and glued it to each half of the front of the card. I cut and glued another piece at 4" x 5 1/4" for the inside of the card. Using Cricut Cartridge Happy Hauntings and Design Studio, I cut the base ghost (pg 37) in purple cardstock and the shift ghost in white cardstock (dimensions width 3.124 and height 3.313). I took the white ghost and ran him through the Xyron machine face down. I peeled off the clear sheet and then glittered him. Next, glue him to the purple ghost, but offset it so it appears as a shadow. This will give a little depth. I cut the frame (pg 46) in white (dimensions width 3.695 height 3.805). Cut an orange square at 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" and glued that to the back of the frame. Next, only put glue on half of the back of frame, close the tri-fold  card and center the frame (making sure that the glue does not go on both halves of the card). I then used 3D-Dots and adhered the ghost to the front of the card over the frame.

For the inside, I used the sentiment "Happy Haunting"  (pg 46 also from the cartridge Happy Hauntings) with Design Studio (width 3.282 height 1.585) and the Cri-Kits Glitter purple pen and "cut" it out. I ran into a problem because my pen stopped working halfway through, so I tried it again. No better. I changed the pen to a metallic purple Cri-Kits and tried once more. Again, halfway through it stopped. Frustrated, I replaced the Cri-Kits with my cutting blade and cut it out. I'm hoping it's the paper, not the pens. I then inked the sentiment with purple ink and let dry. Next I glued the saying to a yellow piece of cardstock  (1 1/2" x 3 1/4") and bordered it with a piece of orange cardstock (1 3/4" x 3 1/2"). Finally, I glued it to the inside of the card at the top.

I am interested to know if anyone else has had this problem with the Cri-Kits pens. If so, were you able to get them to work again and how did you do it? This is upsetting me, thinking that the pens are now useless. I would appreciate any feedback.

Although we seem to get less and less kids Trick or Treating, I do love to decorate for Halloween. Last year  my son hosted a murder mystery around Halloween, that made it so much fun.

Now go do what I did, and re-familiarize yourself with your paper...maybe you'll get inspired too. Imagine what you could do.....

Happy Halloween

My first Halloween card this year. I was inspired by Capadia Designs (Aug 30 & 31) http://capadiadesigns.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html 

I put a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of orange cardstock in the corner of the Cricut mat. I used Cricut Cartridge Pumpkin Carvings. I choose the pumpkin face (9th button on the top row). Using Design Studio, I altered the face. The dimensions are: width 4.169 and height 3.633 and the axis are: X 4.502 and Y 0.297. I used the Hidden Selected Contour  for the box around the face. Bringing up a new page, I choose Happy Halloween  (7th button on the top row). Again using Design Studio, the dimensions are: width 2.48 and height 2.483 and axis: X 5.487 and Y 3.213. Again, use the Hidden Selected Contour for the box. Bring up the first page and hit cut, the pumpkin face should cut out. Hit Load Paper (not Unload) and change the blade to the Cri-Kits Black Glitter pen. Bring up the second page (with "Happy Halloween") an hit cut, and "Happy Halloween" should print. Unload paper. Take the paper off the mat and fold in half to make a card. Open again and cut 1/4" off the side edge next to the pumpkin face. I cut a black piece of cardstock  4 1/2" x 5 1/2" and glued it to the back of the cutout (1/4" of the black cardstock will show on the front). Next, I took a scrap piece of black cardstock and used the EK Success Border Punch Swiss Cheese. I then cut it to 3/4" x 5 1/2" and glued it to the front edge of the card. Using the Cri-Kits Black Glitter pen, I drew lines around the eyes and mouth. Finally, I added googly eyes.

Hope you like this Halloween card and get inspired like I was...imagine what you could do....