A Cass Thank You

I have been missing but not lost, just working away here in COLD Northern CA.  The other day I heard a small knock at my door and when I opened it, there was standing a neighbor with a wonderful cat bed.  She explained that she had bought it for her inside cat but cat did not like it and she thought maybe Cass would.  Cass is our outside cat, he showed up at the front porch one day, jumped in my arms put his paws around my neck and purrrred until I pulled him off, he has been here ever since.  He is a mature cat and even has a little gray coming through, so we feed him but he has to stay outside as he is very territorial and does not approve of our indoor cats at all.  He has made his mark on the neighborhood too, he is definitely a character, he will prance to the side walk to greet a jogger, he has claimed every drive way within a 10 house range, meandering back and forth across the street for the warmest concrete, he will lounge belly up or belly down depending on his mood or he will sit for hours grooming, I think he a vain cat.  He loves to pose for the camera but most of all he loves to sit in my lap and tuck his head under my arm while I stroke him.  He also has a magical hearing because he can hear a wet can of cat food being opened and will sit at the front door and wail like a banshee until he is given some, what a cat!  A few facts on the card and by the way I think sometimes I spend more time trying to get a card photographed than I do actually putting it together, which is the case with this one and it is still a little blurrry, I apologize (I did finally manage to get a better pic and replaced the blurry one, you can even see his wiskers now).  It is a 6"X6" card, the background paper "purrrfect meow" was computer generated.  The cat and bed (actually a food dish) were cut with the Gypsy, Imagine and "Four Legged Friends" cart.  The butterflies are MS. The polka dot boarder is tissue tape. I used Sizzix and QK photo corners.  All coloring was done with Copic markers. Hope everyone is well and looking forward to Santa.  Happy Tuesday. Hugs

Celebrate

Hope everyone has had a great weekend.  I usually post earlier but just getting my energy back, I over did myself, lol and I wanted to do a card with my new "Lori's Garden" Imagine cart.  The leaves were cut using the Gypsy and the Imagine, after cutting I then used my airbrush and Copic markers for coloring, they have also been embossed with my Cuttlebug leaf folder.  The plaque for "celebrate" was cut with the Imagine from Lori's Garden and also airbrushed and embossed. The background paper is from "Lori's Garden" also and was printed onto craft paper.  Photo corners are by EKSuccess.  Hugs

Once Upon A Shelf-Happy Anniversary-1 Year

Today I wish my friend Traci a Happy One Year Anniversary, she has been in business 1 entire year today, wow, it has been a swift year.  We spent yesterday installing vinyl to her back windows.  As we stepped down from the ladder after installing the last panel, the rain began from the huge storm we are expecting to make us very wet this weekend and to powder the Sierras to our East with 3-4 feet of snow.

What is really exciting is that I did the vinyl on the Expression, the letters are 11" high, I cut with Cricut cart "Plantin SchoolBook", and all I can say is WOW.  The first couple of sets I cut per instructions and then began questioning myself on how I was going to be able to install.  I changed my cut pressure to 5 so that it would cut completely around the welded letters.  Then I took the word with back still attached and mounted it to a sticky (new mat) face down.  At this time I removed the protective backing to reveal the adhesive and I then adhered them to the outside using the mat as my installer, pressed the mat to the window and vigorously rubbed the back with a large bone folder, then very slowly pulled the mat from the window leaving the word.
It took 3 of us to install, one inside to insure the placement was correct, one to hold the back of the ladder and then myself.

This is one of the words on the mat as I am removing the excess areas and before I flipped it face down for installation. Hope you have a great weekend. Happy Saturday, Hugs

A Tailored Happy Birthday

I did a birthday card for a friends birthday which is fast approaching.  She is a no-nonsense - beautiful woman, I wanted something very tailored yet with a fem fingerprint.  This is a 6"X6" card, 3 layers, the ribbon from "Sweethearts" is one of my favorite ribbons, I printed it first on the patterned paper then cut it three times using the Imagine and layered it on the card, added a few highlights and shadows and used some pop dots to mount it to the paper.  Printing the ribbon first on the pp gives it a very subtle addition of dimension.  The tag was colored with Copics and then run through the computer.  We are getting ready for a huge Winter storm to roll through - dumping feet of snow into the Sierras and leaving us wet wet wet here in the valley through the entire weekend, brrrrrr, where is that rain coat, lol.  Have a great Friday, Hugs

Reindeer

I spent most of yesterday watching and experimenting with Linda K's tutorial at "The Paper Boutique", if you have the Imagine it is well worth taking the time to watch, it allows you to position any of the "I" images exactly where you want them, WOW!  This is an A-2 card.  The poinsettia's are from the Imagine "Snow Angels" cart and were printed directly to my paper,  the deer is cut from "Joys of the Season".  A little tip, if you come up with a formula you really like I suggest you write down the numbers (because you cannot save it, yet) down, it will save you hours of trying to replicate it later.  Happy Thursday, Sandi

Oh Alice-A Tea Party Challenge

It is time for a Tea Party over at the "Oh Alice Challenge", I took time to play, just cause it makes me happy!
This is a 6"X6" card, Bazzill card stock and bits and pieces from Graphic45.  The tea party invitation was printed and cut with the Imagination.  The tree is from "October31st" Cricut cart.  The watch was cut with a Nesties.  The black block and heart on the Mad Hatter's Hat covers up 10/31.  The sentiments are a StampinUp punch and then Is it time yet? and curiouser & curiouser were computer generated. The moon is a 2" circle.  And every thing is a little lopsided because that is how it is in Wonderland.  Happy Tuesday, Hugs

BBTB2 Challenge-Thanksgiving Cart

Good Morning our BBTB2 Challenge today was to use the word "Thank" from the Thanksgiving cart, I chose to use the "Thankful Heart". Our Challenge is hosted by the marvelous Donna M today.  This is a 6"x6" card.  So much of my work lately has been experimental as I acclimate myself to the "Imagine", it adds an edge of excitement because to be perfectly honest sometimes I have no idea what will come of a project.  When I printed and cut the focal piece (the "Meow" girl) from "Best Friends" Imagine cart the only thing I was sure of was that I did not like the lighter highlighting around her and I did not want "Meow" on her T-shirt.  I was hoping with fingers crossed that the Copic markers would take care of those two issues and they DID.  Here are the colors I used:  B18;B97;E07;E53;R20 and 110.  I gave her wonderful puffy cheeks a bit of blush and highlighted with some white and added a gem to her hair bow. She has been cut twice and used a pop up to give some dimension.  The background papers were printed from "Best Friends" and "Imagine More".  EKSuccess for the photo corners, the leaves were punched from a Martha Stewart punch and then distressed, some were embossed and all were stamped with a leaf stamp to give veining. The small heart on her T-shirt is a QK die.
Lastly I would like to share some of the things I am Thankful for this year, I am thankful for friends near and far, I am thankful for my health and health of my loved ones.  I am thankful to be an American, God Bless our Home.  I am so thankful for my blog and the opportunity to share and to be inspired by so many talented men and women.  Bless each of you and thanks for visiting here, leaving comments and being you. Hugs and Happy Monday, Sandi

Joy

I created this card specifically to show the "joy" cut with the "Joys of the Season" cart my Expression and the Imagine housing, it is amazing to me for some reason.  First I printed from the Imagine a block onto the cardstock at 5", I then print and  from "Snow Angel" and the internal icon onto card stock.  I added a snowflake from "snow angel" and photocorners are EKSuccess.

this is the joy I cut with the Expression and the metal cut housing that came with the Expression and the reason before this I have not cut small 1 1/8th inch and/or cursive fonts with my Expression, so I am going to see if I can find an Imagine housing for my Expression.  Just thought I would share. Hugs

A Christmas Village

I saw an advertisement from "Avery" last week in the new Martha Stewart Living and it captured my attention,  so I decided to see what I could do with the Cricut markers and Cricut carts "Winter Wonderland" and "Joys of the Season".  I placed the church and 2 houses on my mat and the tree without welding, then cut with my "red" Cricut marker.  The stamped "Season's Greetings" is a StampinUp stamp.  Misc. ribbon and a little snow on the bottom.  The primitive feeling appeals to me.

Here is the card from the "Avery" ad.  Have a happy Sunday, Hugs

Banner Birthday

Happy Saturday everyone. I hope you all are loving "Ornamental Iron" as much as I am, what a fab cart.  I can see this as being a staple in my collection.  This card is 5"X7", I printed out the banner from Imagine "Imagine More" cart onto a linen block and then fringed it.  I then used my Spellbinder's font for HAPPY and then cut "Happy Birthday" from Cricut cart "Birthday Celebrations".  The side swirls are from "Ornamental Iron".  EK Success photo corners and misc. polka dots and squares finish it off.  This would be more of a masculine birthday card, always need more of those in my stash.  Hope you have a great weekend. Hugs