Gypsy Fun

My sweet Gypsy girl just sort of lays around waiting for me to pay attention to her.  I decided to make a little colorful tote for the Gypsy.  I made 8 in different fabrics.  They are just the perfect size for the Gypsy, the tote is lined with the same outside fabric and there is soft batting between the layers for a little extra safeguard.  The flap hooks on the front with Velcro and I've added a cute little felt flower with a button that I made. Most of the totes have the word "Gypsy"embroidered in black thread. Although it doesn't show fully,the bright orange and green tote is embroidered with 

"Hanging with my Gypsy" and there is a ribbon on the back so that I can hang it up between use.  The other totes do not have the ribbon..I am selling some of these on eBay to see if there are interested parties.  If you are interested in one, just email me. I will discuss the details with you. 

BBTB2/Patriotic USA

Good Morning...Happy Monday to each of you visiting me today to see what's up at Bitten By The Bug2 for the Monday challenge. Our lovely and talented design team sister, Susan, asked us to design with something patriotic.  I went to my INDEPENDENCE cart and used the cuts for on my red white and blue patriotic card. 

I did my usual heavy embossing, added a red and white checkered ribbon ...and the stars are actually from one of my remaining Sizzix die cuts.  I seem to have issues cutting stars on my Cricut because  the little points never quite come out without a snag.  I love my little Sizzix star die cut.

I know you've found loads of inspiration from the design team cards... I also hope that you will join in our challenge for the patriotic theme.  Remember....your card or project has to have a Cricut cartridge cut, and we hope you've followed our rules posted on the top of our BBTB2 blog.   Please remember too to disable that baaaaaad word verification so we can leave a comment easily when we visit your blog to say hello and thanks.

Sweet Memories

Sweet Memories, indeed.  It was a year ago today that my sweet Heidi left my side to travel to the RainbowBridge .....I miss her so very much. 

 Tomorrow will mark one year that my precious Riley cat came into my house to be my companion.  A sad sad day followed by a happy happy day.

BTW, Riley has a wee bit of a tummy on him but he isn't as fat as he appears in this photo. He appears to have some Maine Coon Cat in his breed and his fur is extra long and silky... ..

BBTB2 - Birthday and Pearls

 Happy Monday.... June 18th and I am shaking my head in disbelief that June is nearly over.  The older I get, the faster time whirls around me and flees off into the world like a little whirlwind.

Welcome to BBTB2. Our hostess this week is Stephanie.  Stephanie is one of our newest design team members and I know she was excited to do her very first hostess assignment for our DT.  I remember back....maybe 2007 when I was a new team member for Regina on Bitten By The Bug, and it was my turn to hostess.  I was so giddy, I embarrassed myself.  I simply could not believe I was part of Regina's team.  She was my card-makin' hero and still is to this day.

Stephanie asked us to design with a birthday day theme and to include some pearls in the mix.  I knew that one of my favorite cartridges, STAMPING, would have the birthday sentiment and a really neat cake.  The background paper was laying around, and I think it might be an Amy Butler paper.  I added a doily edge punch from my EK Success punch line (love 'em)..at the top there are 3 layers of scallops, and in the center I added a pretty little ribbon.  I love this Happy Birthday cut from Stamping, and the little cake is sweet upon a Nestie mount.  A lot of embossing goin' on, which doesn't surprise my regular visitors.

Here's a close up of the little cake, adorned with flowers and pearls.  I love the colors on the papers used to design this card. 

Thanks for visiting me.  Please take a peek at the wonderful cards and projects our team has offered for this challenge.  We would love it if you join in our birthday/pearl challenge.  Follow the rules listed at the top of our blog.  Remember...we are a Cricut based design team so all entries have to have a cut from a Cricut cartridge....  Link your specific card back to your blog, and mention on your blog that you have joined in with our challenge.

BBTB2/Rose Thou Art A Rose

BLOG CANDY WINNER:...Congrats to Yoshira of Amo mi Cricut who won the draw on the Rose/Lace Tote.  Thanks to all for playing along.... Yoshira, please email me and I will mail the tote to you.  Happy Monday....Welcome to BBTB2.  June is National Rose Month and our design team sister Glenda asked us to honor that celebration by creating with a rose.  I instantly went to Indie Art for my rose.  I bought this cartridge long ago mostly for the wonderful butterfly, I love the ice cream cone and there are a few other cuts I've used now and then.... and now I've discovered ...the rose cut. I cut 3 so I had a nice sturdy 3 layer rose.  I used my Nestie die cut for the opening of this A2 sized card, and I centered the rose in that space.  I've added some red jewels, a red ribbon and one little green jewel for the leaf.  I used the word "love" from another standby trusted  cartridge, Beyond Birthdays..  The base card in black has been embossed, and I used one of my fave rubber stamps for the inside sentiment that says "I just love you".  Such a simple but says-it-all sentiment.

Please join us by submitting your new creation of a rose themed card or project....just be sure to follow our rules for entering the challenge.  We love it when you participate in the BBTB2 challenges.... there is such talent around us in this wonderful bloggy world of Cricut. 

Now for a little blog candy offer.  I sew...a LOT...I am almost frantic in the endeavor to use up the tubs and stacks of fabric, along with tubs of laces, buttons, glorious embellishments... so I make a lot of totes.  I just donated a big tub of laces, bias tapes, ribbons and some fabrics to a friend who has jointed the groups all over that make "pillowcase dresses" for some children in Africa.  I was so happy they could use these items that were just laying around.  I kept out some of the lace for my creations... These little totes  are a wonderful handy little fabric creation to tote just about anything...books, iPads, cell phones.  Here is a little offering for you ...just join in with your comment and I will put your name in the draw on June 15th by with a random.org drawing.  Check back after 2PM that day to see who is the winner of the blog candy.  This tote has been sewn with fuschia rose design, it is lined with the same fabrics, the handles were made with a cream solid fabric, the lace is cream, and I have created a multiple layered rose with a sweet silver heart in the center. The little tote is 11-1/2 inches wide and 9 inches deep.  

Thanks for visiting and leaving a sweet comment.  I appreciate all of you. Have a wonderful week.

Water Water Cool Cool Water

Welcome to BBTB2 Monday inspiration from the talented design team sisters.  Our hostess this week is the talented Miss Sandi Kelly who asked us to design with a water theme.  I have a lot of friends who always take a lovely cruise and I decided I would make a card for any trip coming up  AND have my challenge completed for the team.  

I used Life Is A Beach for the ship...that is on Page 77 of the manual, and on Page 45 of the same LAB cart you will find the wave cut.  I embossed the base card in blue, applied an embossed Nestie mount, and placed the design thereupon...along with the sentiment from LAB.  I added some Stampendous Vinyl Stickers for the side of the ship, and Martha's beautiful turquoise jewels adorn parts of the waves. Now when a friend tells me they have a cruise coming up, I will have a card to send to them. 

We hope you will join our challenge.  Please follow the challenge rules as always.  Happy June.  

BBTB2/GARDEN

Here we are...Monday...and we present to you our Bitten By The Bug2 challenge by Julia.  We are to design with a Garden theme.  This theme sent me into wild ideas on what to use, what to create, which cartridge to use.  I had 14 different ideas, and I made several cards but in the end, I didn't like what I  had done.  Here is one that didn't make muster.  I know that I grew watermelons years back in my own garden, and I liked the gate fold design (one of my faves) but I didn't like the colors.  They were brash.

The card that DID end up being acceptable to me is this  cute little garden scene with carrots and a sweet happy sappy-smiling  rabbit in his "garden delight".  I used JUST BECAUSE for the carrots and title, but the sappy Rabbit came from CREATE A CRITTER.  I added a little red punch heart just to show how happy little rabbit is to be in his garden of carrots.

Thanks for stopping by.  Remember, we would love it if you joined up with our Garden challenge.  Just make a new card, upload to Mr. Linky, link back to your blog for that card, mention BBTB2, and please make sure you do not have word verification enabled or I cannot leave a sweet comment and thank you.  I just flat cannot read those annoying words.

Approval Rating From Riley

I ordered a new Pink Expression.  I have one baby bug  which will be shared with a friend next week and my current Expression was purchased from Hallmark Scrapbooking when they first came out.  So it's been around a while and it has been used to the hilt....It is still working but now and then does something that could be a warning.  The Pink E was delivered last week and immediately Riley leapt upon the box to give his approval.  Ah that Riley Cat... 

BBTB2/Kitchen

Julia Moss, our BBTB2 talented design team sister, has the helm again this week in her second challenge to use a kitchen theme on our projects. I used two cartridges for my card.  JUST BECAUSE gave me the coffee pot while A CHILD'S YEAR provided the coffee cup.  I have done my usual embossing,  the coffee pot and coffee cup are mounted on some Nestie designs, the title is cut from the fonts of Divine Wedding.  You can see some  cute little "Card Candy"  on the top of the lid, and I added  some Stampendous Vinyl dots ...those are scattered on the coffee cup.  At the annual Card Camp, my friend Pat gave us a plastic bin full of the Card Candy  and when I saw her using the Stampendous Vinyl dots, I just had to get some too.  I like these because they take away that little problem that could arise when mailing a card with bling.  This bling is flat and I like that.  Here is my card.

Please join in on our kitchen challenge...as always we ask that you follow our simple rules.  Thanks for your visit.

BBTB2/Bakery

Welcome to our BBTB2 Monday show....Our hostess is Julia Moss.... This talented  lady stepped up and had a grand idea.  She took 3 weeks in a row and challenged us with some wonderful themes.  This first week she asked us to design with a bakery theme.   For about 12 or more years I have attended a wonderful Creative Memories Workshop group at a dear friend Judi's house.  We scrapbook, visit, have a wonderful meal and Judi brings out all of the new items from Creative Memories.  I just happened to purchase DIVINE WEDDING, a lovely wedding themed Cricut cartridge that is carried exclusively by Creative Memories.

Here is my card.  I cut a shape card for the cake...something I rarely do.  I couldn't get my Gypsy to wander over to the weld section and wander back so I had to be a bit clever in this shaped design. I cut 2 of the main cake in blue, and one in ivory cardstock which was glued inside after I added a black fold tab. I put the one blue cut onto the black shadow cut, and then I cut the cake in 3 sections and began the popdotting process.  That lowest layer actually has double popdots.  Once I added the pretty scrolled decor on the cake, I also added sweet white pearls, and a blue ribbon.  Before I glued the blue cake layers to the top shadow, I inserted the black fold tab, and this allows me to open and close the card in one piece. The inside of the cake has a EK Success Border and a Happy Wedding Day sentiment on a square punch.  The card is about 5 inches tall and 3 inches wide and fits nicely in an A2 size envelope.

We hope you will join up with our Bakery challenge.  You can use any cartridge that has a bakery/baked item.  Make this a new project, upload to our BBTB2 blog, link back to your blog and be sure to give BBTB2 a shout out that you have joined in on our challenge.  And please make sure that word verification has been disabled.   Thanks for stopping by.

BBTB2/Frame

Before I begin with our challenge, I want to welcome our 7 new design team members.  You can see their names on the BBTB2.  We are so happy to have them designing for BBTB2. Our talented hostess this week is Melissa who asked us to design with a frame.  We can do a layout or a card and I selected not only a card but I did a sweet box with an open acetate covered lid.  I teach scrapbooking and have for about 12 years, I attend a monthly Creative Memories Scrapbooking group and have for about 12 years.  I have done at least 42 scrapbooks for my own photograph collections and I've been commissioned to do about 18 scrapbooks for others. I have had about 4 scrapbook layouts published in Ready Set Create magazine, and I always have a hard time getting a decent photograph of the layout page.  So.... It was an easy sway for me to go from a layout to the card and box creation. 

The box lid and bottom are cut at 6x6 and scored at 2-1/2 inches and 2-1/2 and 1/8 for the sides.  I cut my frame from Elegant Edges.  Oh my, I love this cartridge.  I was told about this wonderful cartridge by my sweet friend Pat who says it is easily one of her most favorite cartridges and my oh my you should see the wonderful cards this lady creates.  I embossed the frame, I added two MS butterflies in layers, added some pink pearls.  The sides of the lid are small panels cut with an EK Success edge punch, and I added some more Elegant Edges cuts in white. 

The card has a pink base, a white embossed mount that has been edge punched with the doily punch, I've added an embossed Nestie in pink, and a smaller Elegant Edges die cut.  I set a pretty white layered butterfly in the center. More pink pearls are scattered about.

I hope you will join our challenge.  Remember to follow our simple rules and once again, please disable word verification.  I am still encountering entries that do not have it disabled and I leave without telling how pleased I am they joined our challenge.  Be sure to use a Cricut die for a frame from any cartridge. list the cartridge, link your card up to Mr. Linky with a link back to your specific card on your blog and be sure to shout out that you have joined us on BBTB2.

BBTB2/Ice Cream Cone

Our hostess this week is talented Penny who asked us to design with an ice cream cone.  We can use any cartridge that has this cut.  Here is my take on the challenge.  I can always use a birthday card and what better way to celebrate one's birthday than to have a yummy pink polk dotted ice cream cone?

I cut my ice cream cone from my CHARMED cartridge... the background is a Cutting Cafe printable, and  that is set upon some EK Success punched edging.  I added some pink and white polka dotted ribbon and a sweet little pink rose.   The inside says "Have a sweet birthday"....

We'd love for you to join us in our ice cream cone challenge.  Just make a new card using the selected die cut from any Cricut cartridge, link your card up to our Mr. Linky with a link back to the card on your blog.  Be sure to mention you've joined our challenge and don't forget, make sure you have disabled that word verification so we can leave a sweet comment.  I can't read those difficult words so I can't leave a comment, and our very own BBTB2 blog asks you to please disable the WV.  Remember, as a blog admin of your own blog, you cannot see that WV is enabled but we can if we visit.  If you need help to disable it, and would like to enable Moderator comments, that will allow you to have control over all published comments, please contact Donna or I and we will be glad to tell you how.

Nifty Fifties, Class of 1955

I am the Class of 1955 from West Phoenix High School, Phoenix, AZ.  The school name is gone, it has become a Tech school teaching wonderful careers to young people.  They have an awesome dining room with students learning the trade and we often have class reunions in the dining room.  Last Friday our class of 1955 celebrated our 57th class reunion. It was a big blast of a birthday party where most of the class will turn 75 in 2012.  We thought it was a sweet little twist to see 57th year of graduation, and flipped that becomes ....75...

Here is a giant poster I made using the Cricut cartridge "Nifty Fifties".  We were very blessed to be teenies in the fifties, doncha think?...

BBTB2/LadyBug

Happy Monday, dear visitors.  This week our talented hostess is our darling Krista who asked the design team to create using a ladybug or a bee...your choice, and you can use any cartridge that has those die cuts available.  My ladybug is cut from Doodlecharms. My card is a gate fold.  The base of each side of the fold has a pretty red pattern paper, then I mounted an embossed Nestie shape.  On the left side is the sweet little ladybug with googly eyes and some sparkly dots .  The sentiment is a Cutting Cafe sentiment.  On the right side of the card, I have added two flowers that were cut from George & Basic Shapes in several layers.  The inside of the card says "Happy Birthday Ladybug".  

We would love to have you join our challenge.  Just make a new card using a Cricut cartridge with a ladybug or a bee, upload the card and direct the link back to your blog with the selected card, give us a shout out that you have joined our challenge, and please please disable that awful word verification.  Our challenge rules have added the request to disable the WV.  I simply cannot read the difficult words and the end result is I visit the blog, attempt to leave a thank you comment, and then I leave disappointed because I've encountered the word verification.  I will email anyone with WV to let them know I've attempted to leave a sweet comment and I ask them to disable the WV.  Once I know that has been done, I happily bounce back to their blog to say hello and thank them for joining in.  If you need help in getting that disabled, Donna and I will be glad to guide you to the right spot on blogger to do rid your blog of the word verification. 

BBTB2/Balloons

Happy Monday....Happy April. Here in AZ it is the month we wait for. A month to bring forth a short springtime that seems to scurry away before we can enjoy it. The flowers are blooming, the birds are alive with their happy songs....and it is a time when I can open up all of my doors and bring in fresh air and see the world about me. My darling cat Riley loves it too because he can rush from front door to back door, keeping guard and making sure those two porch cats, Sweetie Pie and Meow Meow, have not gained entrance to his inside kingdom. And when he tires of all that rushing back and forth, he simply lays in the center of the room so he can keep watch over both areas. I love this cat....!

It is also Birthday Month for our talented sister, Jeri, who asked us to design with balloons for our weekly challenge. All four of her daughters were born in April so she has reason for such a wonderful celebration. I used the balloons on my Celebrations cartridge but if you wish to join up with our challenge, you can pick a balloon from any cartridge. The rules are: make a new card that must use the selected cut from a Cricut cartridge, upload it to our Mr. Linky, mention on your blog that you have joined in our challenge, state which cartridge you used and a link back to BBTB2. And to be really kind, I hope you have disabled that awful word verification.

My card is a gate fold design, the bejeweled "wish" and word "birthday" overlap to the right side. Inside it just simply says "My wish for you is to have the best birthday". The jeweled sentiment was from the dollar bin at Michaels, and the printed sentiment is from Cutting Cafe printables "Happy Birthday 40 Ways" set and you can view that wonderful series right here:

Hope you join us on our challenge. Thanks for visiting me, and if you leave a sweet comment, I will so appreciate it.

BBTB2 Design Team Call

Hello everyone.... we are taking a bit of a break this week on our challenges but we will be back on April 16th with a neat challenge. Meantime, please take a peek at the BBTB2 blog because we have announced a design team call. As you know BBTB2 is a Cricut based design team and we are looking for a few more design team members to add to the inspiration of a creating cards with Cricut cuts. Please see what we are asking of you as a design team sister and follow the instructions if you wish to apply for our team. We cannot wait to see what you create.

Family and Friends

In March I hosted a Celebration of Life luncheon with family and friends to remember my Uncle Jack who died December 6th. He was much loved, and his passing has left a void in so many lives. Here is our wonderful group... We had a lovely meal, I shared some fun memories and I introduced each family to the group even though most of us were connected through my Uncle. He was cherished. I miss him. That me in blue ..in front row, far left , and my darling daughter in law sits to my right. My son is in the back row, third one from the right.

BBTB2/Princess (the Word)

Happy Monday... I am so glad you are visiting me to see the Monday card challenge for the BITTEN BY THE BUG2 design team. Mona, our sweet DT sister, is the hostess and she asked us to design with the word "princess". You may use this word from any cartridge. I do not have a cartridge that had the welded word so I opted to use Blackletter and to cut each letter individually.

Let me admit. I almost opted out of this challenge. I have not had as difficult a time in creating a card in a long time and this one did me in. Four times!.... I made 4 other cards and they were so NOT, I tossed them. This card is the 5th attempt and I have to admit, I don't like it. But I never ever want to miss a challenge so here I am with what could be called a birthday card for a little girl. And as is so typical when things aren't going smoothly, after I photographed the card for upload, after I transferred the photos to my computer and I reviewed them, I discovered two of the little pearls had fallen off. Back to the studio, add the pearls, back to the patio to photograph again... sigh.... Last year in Michaels I was wandering around their dollar bins and I found the jewel butterflies and I bought several packages. I was cleaning the little bins and cups of whatnots yesterday and I found them. I decided to further annoy this card and I would add two. There are mini pearls as well...on the crown and on the lifted sentiment. Everything is embossed as it my usual style.

Please join in... create a new card using the word Princess from any Cricut cartridge, upload that card to Mr. Linky on our BBTB2 design team blog, be sure to mention on your blog you have participated and name the cartridge you used...and please make sure you have disabled that horrid word verification. I cannot read the letters and if I visit your blog to say thank you and comment on your card entry, and the WV pops up, I can leave no comment. I know you've visited BBTB2 to enjoy all of the wonderful creations from my design team sisters.

BBTB2/Flourish

Welcome to my presentation of our BBTB2 weekly challenge. Our hostess, Julie H from across the pond, has asked us to design with flourishes from Cindy Loo. If you don't have Cindy Loo, that's okay, ...just design a card using any Cricut cartridge flourish. Join us by uploading your new card with Mr. Linky, link it to your blog with the card for this challenge, give BBTB2 a shout out that you have joined in the fun, and tell us the cartridge you used. If you haven't done so, please turn the word verification off so we can leave comments easily.

I used my newest Cuttlebug embossing folder on my blue base card... Oh my, I love this beautiful embossing. The flourish is from Cindy Loo. I cut the shadow in white while the flourish is in a beautiful rich brown cardstock. I added a few little blue ribbons and those pretty pink flowers are the Spellbinder's Flower. I added a pretty gold jewel for the center, and the flower layers have been embossed as well.

Thanks for visiting me... I hope that you have come my way from BBTB2 and I know you enjoyed seeing the wonderful cards and projects from our design team. Have a wonderful week, my friends.

BBTB2 - Welcome

Happy Monday.... the BBTB2 design team is presenting their projects for Theresa's hostess choice to use the word WELCOME.... from any cartridge. I used the wonderful My Cricut Search.com to find the cartridges that had the word Welcome. And believe me, there are a LOT of choices. I selected Simply Charmed and New Arrival for my project. Welcome Little One is Simply Charmed while the cute little girl baby die cuts are from New Arrival. I embossed everything, added a lot of scalloped edge punching and embossing. This little hanging sign would be cute on a wall, a crib, a doorknob.

Join up with BBTB2 with your take on our challenge. Upload your card through Mr. Linky, link back to your blog for the specific card, mention the Cricut cartridge you have used to make the selected cut (Welcome) and be sure to mention that you are joining our challenge. Hopefully all of our wonderful BBTB2 friends and visitors have removed that hard to read word verification so we can leave you a sweet comment and thank you for joining us.

BBTB2/Easter Stuff

Happy Monday.... this week's challenge at BBTB2 is from hostess Julia Moss who has asked us to design using a chick or a bunny to celebrate Easter. We can use any cartridge, any chickie, any bunny. I picked up my wonderful EASTER 2010 cartridge. I actually had a folded pattern card base and I just sort of plopped a few scalloped edges in the center, added a MS weave punch and then added those cute cute chicks and bunnies. Of course they were embossed.... The sentiment is one of my favorite rubber stamps. Mama Bunny has a sweet blue ribbon around her neck.

Please join us on our bunny or chick challenge this week. Load up your card from your blog to Mr. Linky, be sure to give us a shout out that you have joined the challenge, and please please please do us a favor and disable that awful word verification that has slammed so many blogs. I can't read those wavy blurred words and that prevents me from leaving a sweet comment to the participants. One thing I might mention: as a blog administrator (you and me) we are not able to see that the word verif is enabled. You have to enter your "settings" and find the option there. If you would like to have control over postings, enable the Moderator Comments which allows for you to preview all comments before you allow publishing....Have a wonderful week.

BBTB2 - Shamrock

Welcome to my take on the weekly challenge at Bitten By The Bug2. Our hostess is Lori and she asked us to design with a Shamrock. My Shamrock was cut from Give A Hoot cartridge (love this cart)... and I admit... I had a hard time getting something completed that I liked.

I think I made about 4 cards before I just decided to go with a door hanger. The shamrock has been embossed and has some pretty green jewels to add a wee bit of blarney bling. The title is actually a pretty turquoise cardstock and no matter how many photos I took of the project, the title came out blue. I added some pretty little MS flowers with a yellow center jewel.

Be sure to join us for the Shamrock challenge. Link up your card or project through Mr. Linky, link back to your blog for the specific card, and be certain to mention you are participating in the BBTB2 challenge. Thanks for visiting...

Card Camp Adventures

Oh what a wonderful morning.

Oh what a wonderful day.

We had a lovely weekend

With all that came to stay.

Kris Lancaster, Deb Emrick and Pat Korver joined me on the weekend of February 24 to do our annual 2-1/2 day Card Camp. This was Pat's first time joining in, and she was here early, so excited to be included in this creative gathering. I told her "when those girls pull in, you stand back because it will be an assembly line of taking supplies from the car to the living room and before you can sneeze, it will be all set up and ready to create. This is our 4th year so the process if pretty well under control.

Pat is standing, Kris is the blondie and Deb is the brunette...and these gals are oh so talented. Pat makes absolutely the most wonderful cards with details down to the tiniest degree, Kris is the most talented Prisma pencil gal I've seen and Deb plans her cards out with wonderful auditions that bring forth a perfectly planned card design. During our Card Camp, I usually mention that I've slammed together about 75-90 cards because I spent a week or so getting the cardstocks folded, pattern papers selected and cut, and embellishments and sentiments all ready to apply. However this year I had a special project of making some Memory Albums to hand out to my family and friends who will attend a Celebration of Life luncheon I am hosting to remember my Uncle Jack who passed away. The girls saw me go into a pretty good stressful Friday but on Saturday I calmed myself and managed to complete the albums. I had planned a certain format for the albums and then changed my mind. I had everything all together so I could sit down and pull all of the elements together. But there I sat, midstream on one plan, my mind formulating a different design and I just sat and stressed because I couldn't find my starting point. That doesn't usually happen to me, but these albums are oh so important and I wanted every detail to be the best it could.

The little fold over 24 page slip in pockets of the album was just perfect for adding photographs of my Uncle as well as a photo of each and every person who will be at the luncheon. I added some personal memory statements. When I finished adding the contents, the flap would not lay flat. It has a magnetized flap but because of the contents, it could not connect. Another stress arose... and then I had a most wonderful epiphany. I remembered a tub of wide ribbons that my Uncle had given me years back to use... they were from the 50s, in browns and grays and blacks. A perfect perfect ribbon to tie the little albums together. The front of each album has his initials and I've added a little tag with the name of each recipient. I know that my Uncle Jack would be very happy with my efforts to remember him with family and friends.

Thanks for visiting me...

BBTB2 Monogram

Our leader and ultra talented Donna is the hostess this week...and she asked the design team to create with monograms. Any cartridge, any lettering.... Anytime the subject arises for a letter, I head right to my Cindy Loo cartridge. I think the letterings on that cartridge are simply the best and I love the selections.

The coral card set was made for a sweet gal named Tia at my bank who took a few hours to correct some important paperwork ... I embossed the card base, used an MS weave punch, embossed the white mount and added her initial. The second card with the initial J is a birthday card.

Please visit our blog at BBTB2, enjoy the wonderful talented design team cards and projects and be sure to join in on our monogram challenge by uplinking your blog and specific card thru Mr. Linky and be sure to mention BBTB2 in your blog post. Remember...it's important that you have that awful word verification disabled so your visitors can leave a sweet comment. You can read the request in the challenge rules on the blog here.

Riley Cat

I hosted the Card Camp this weekend and Riley had great fun moving from spot to spot, leaping upon work spaces to snoop and he became used to "NOOOO Riley, NOOOO". Last night he hopped into MY recliner and this is the look on his face as if to say "MOVE AGAIN????"

BBTB2/Nate'sABC's/Garden Boots

SPRING BLING

Spring is almost here and I know we are anxiously awaiting green grasses, the blooms on flowers, bees buzzing around the sweet scents of spring, birds chirping....and weather that is pleasing.

I am the hostess this week for the BBTB2 challenge. I asked the design team to use Nate's ABC's and to design a card or project with the garden boot cut. There are boots on other cartridges ..Create a Critter, Everyday Paper Dolls, Freshly Picked. There are other boots that can be decorated with a garden theme. Please join in on our challenge. Upload your project to Mr. Linky, link back to your challenge card on your blog and give us a shout out. Make your project a new project to meet our challenge selection.

I want to comment on a problem I am encountering. As a design team member of BBTB2 I love to leave comments to those visitors who upload their card to our weekly challenges. Recently I am finding a topsy turvy very blurred word verification that must be entered in order to have my comment published. I have tried many times on several blogs but I simply cannot read that blurred lettering and I end up leaving the blog without a comment. That makes me sad because I want our BBTB2 visitors to know that I appreciate their participation.Blogger announced later last year that word verifs are not necessary and to quote a friend "be a friend to your visitors...delete your word verifs". I just want to explain why I am not leaving comments on some of the blogs.

I had some pattern papers laying around that I used because of the garden colors. The green of the grasses, pinks of the flowers. First, I embossed the boot cuts, then I added some pink jewels ... hence the title of Garden Bling. I am not much of a gardener anymore because of aged joints, but at one time I had a splendid garden full of vegetables and flowers. The little flowers added are a MS punch. The title of Garden Bling is cut from my favorite lettering cartridge....Cindy Loo.

Thanks for visiting, my friends. I always love your comments... be sure to visit BBTB2 and delight in the design team projects.

BBTB2/Love Struck/Couples Heart

Happy Monday everyone.... Our BBTB2 hostess this week is the lovely Susan who asked us to design from Lovestruck cartridge and to use the couple's hearts. I do not have that cartridge, so I went to my first cartridge ever owned and created my design. George and Basic Shapes has the wonderful heart shape I need for this design. This is a hanging tag. The base of the tag is the letter O five inches in diameter... I cut 6 hearts 2 inches in size, and each was embossed with a different embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I glued the hearts side by side and then I punched two holes on the side of each heart, strung a ribbon through and tied a bow. I added a small fuchia punch heart, and a red jewel. The word "love" is cut from Beyond Birthdays cartridge. I had a dimensional flower laying around and I just decided this little flower would take away that blast of red hearts.

Here is a little bigger view of the tag which measures, in total, 5-1/2x5-1/2.
Please do enter our weekly challenge using a heart design. You do not have to have the selected cartridge, just make sure you follow the entry rules posted at the top of the BBTB2 blog. Make a new project, link your card and blog to Mr. Linky, and be certain to give BBTB2 a shout out.

Have a wonderful spiffy week.

Valentine Gifties

Each year at Valentine's Day I take some gifties to my friends at my former office. They are my forever cherished ones. I saw the most awesome candy wrapper by my dear friend Sandi Kelly and try as I might, I could not duplicate the beautiful flower she created for her candy wrapper. I made 3 wrappers and just took on a simple Valentine design for each. I created the paper by typing sentiments in different fonts and I found that one sheet of 8-1/2x11 would create a cover for two candy bars. I added some MS punch edges, a few hearts, a ribbon and a jewel to each. I love the design and they will have to deal with all those lovely calories beneath the papers. The initials are from Cindy Loo.... this is one of my fave letterings.

This shows some of the candy bars, a small gift card folder that will accept a Starbucks gift card for my friend Gay. Each of my friends will get a ribbon string of hearts. I've tossed in 3 little bookmarks too.
This is Gay's birthday card. The hat (from Doodlecharms) and it sits above the card edge. I will have to get one of the larger envelopes to put the card in.
I can't wait until Tuesday to take my gifties into my friends.

Just Ducky

I have been passing the time away playing in paper piles and I put together this little D is for Duck card. All designs are from Nate's ABC's. I added a lot of embossing and a little heart for fun.

BBTB2/SweetHeart/Tag

Shelly is our hostess this week at BBTB2 and she has asked us to design from Sweethearts cartridge and to use the heart tag. If you wish to join in our challenge, you can use any tag from any cartridge. Just follow our challenge instructions posted at the top of our BBTB2 blog.

I almost want to name this project my "junky tag" because it just sort of was slammed together ... I cut a bunch of hearts with a shadow in black, I had the word "love" in a box lid (spare parts, ya know) The tag, the hearts and the key all came from Sweetheart cartridge. I did lay a gold ink pad over the key cut, sprinkled gold embossing powder on it, then gave it a good heat up with my embossing gun. I added a red ribbon and some gold thread, everything is embossed. I had this little box of black and white and red buttons so I decided "why not" and glued some on the tag. See?....junky.

I hope that you enjoy visiting BBTB2, because we truly enjoy creating projects to inspire. Please do join in our challenge. We want to see what you did with a tag.

BBTB2/Baby Buggy

I am pleased to announce the winner of my blog candy draw (the little green tote). Congrats to Maureen. Please email me and I will get the necessary information to mail the tote. Thanks to everyone who visited and left a sweet comment.

Happy month end and happy blog hop to one and all. I cannot believe we have skipped right on through the month of January and now head for February 2012. Awesome time travel!!! I am pleased to tell you I am the hostess for the blog hop for BBTB2. I asked the gals to design with a baby carriage. I selected New Arrival but there are several baby buggies/carriages/prams on other cartridges. So if you would like to join up with our challenge, please do so. We are a Cricut Based design team so we ask that your design has at the selected cut from a Cricut cartridge and we ask that the project be a new design. Be sure to mention on your blog that you have joined in with the BBTB2 challenge. We love that shout out.

I hope that you have started your blog hop at the beginning with Heather right here.... from Donna's delights here you have been guided to my blog. Here is my card:

This is a side view so I can show the dimension for the carriage. Gotta love those popdots.

I cut several of the carriages from New Arrival in two different sizes. The base mount has been embossed with the BABY embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I used the smaller carriages for the background, the two different pattern papers were exchanged between the two smaller carriages that show, the larger carriage cut at 5-1/2 sits atop the base. I added a white ribbon for bling. The word "baby" was in a stash box so I am afraid I cannot tell you which cartridge it came from, but I do like the style of the word. Little punch hearts decorate the wheels, and the main carriage has been embossed.
If you leave a comment on my blog when you visit, you will be put into the draw for my blog candy. I make totes, by the dozens, to use up the drawers and tubs of stashed fabrics. This is just a smaller tote adorned with eyelet lace and some checkered ribbon. It is lined but has no inner pocket. I will do the draw on February 3 so check back after 2PM that day. If I do not hear from the named winner by February 5, I will redraw.
Now onto Krista's darling blog...where you will be delighted. Be sure to visit BBTB2 and follow along with the blog hop. Visit each designer on their blog because you will be in for a treat. Thanks for visiting.

BBTB2/Bloom

FLOWER POWER

Our talented and sweet hostess this week at BBTB2 is Jeri. She always has such great choices for us to design with and this week she asked us to design from the BLOOM cartridge and to use a 6 petal flower. As an additional bit of challenge, Jeri says we have to show a wee bit of dimension on the flower. . If you do not have that cartridge (I don't) you can use any 6 petal flower from any other cartridge. . I went to my Walk In My Garden cartridge. One of my faves. I think every Cricut cartridge is one of my faves. Please join in on our 6 petal flower challenge. Mention on your blog that you have entered the BBTB2 flower challenge, and make sure the upload is a new project. Here is my card:

This is a side view so you can see the layering of the flowers. I cut two for each flower, the base flower is flat on the card base but the second layer has been popdotted as well as the flower center. I added a bit of bling with the jewel centers. The ribbon came from a gift box and I just had to add it to the fray.

The leaves are a Martha punch. Everything has been embossed which seems to occur on every single card I make. The sentiment is from Cutting Cafe in the "You're In My Thoughts Greetings, Inside and Out". You can see that set right here.

Thanks so much for visiting and if you leave a sweet comment, you know I will appreciate it so much. Please consider entering our flower challenge. We'd love to see your creation.

BBTB2/Numbers

It's BBTB2 Monday Time.....Our talented leader Donna is the hostess for this week's challenge. She asked us to design with numbers...from any cartridge.

I had instant ideas on this challenge and I landed on the number 75. I am close friends with so many of my high school friends, we have reunion luncheons twice a year. Next year we all turn 75 so I made a birthday card for a dear friend although the card will sit for at least a year since the birthday is in December.

I used the numbers from Cindy Loo.... this cartridge has some mighty fine cuts but I absolutely love the alphabet and number cuts. The little turquoise design in the center above the numbers is from Cindy Loo as well. I cut three and made a flower. The base of the card was made from Wordle. I used to design a lot of cards using Wordle and then I sort of forgot about it. I had to email my friend DeeDee Campbell so she could jog my memory and she knew right off what I was looking for. If you haven't used Wordle, give it a try at www.wordle.net. You can have a lot of fun with this program which is free. I use the Word Clouds part of the program. The corners of the turquoise matting was corner punched with one of my fave punches. I've embossed most of the design and in the lower left corner I placed a Shrink Art birthday message. I have a box of these little trinkets that I made up a few years back. It is so much fun using a rubber stamp on the shrink plastic, then I cut it down, punch a hole and when I place the shrink plastic in the toaster oven, it is absolutely like magic to watch the little square curl up, uncurl, shrink down, leaving a very crisp sentiment.

Thanks for visiting. We'd love it if you join in on our numbers challenge. Just be sure to give BBTB2 a shout out on your blog, and we ask that your card be new.

Caterpillar/WIMG

Happy Monday, dear ones. Today I host Bitten By The Bug2 weekly challenge. I selected the darling little caterpillar from Walk In My Garden cartridge. I hope that you will join in on our challenge and if you don't have WIMG, there are many cute little caterpillars on other cartridges. Just remember to mention that you have joined in the challenge at BBTB2 (so your visitors will know where to look) and make sure you have created something new for the challenge.

My card style is a Gate Fold Card, one of my favorites. I've mounted each panel with a black cardstock and then a green pattern paper which has been embossed. On the right side I present the smiley little caterpillar who hovers over the left panel. His leg slips in under one of the flower petals and that allows the card to be closed. The flowers are hearts connected by a yellow flower center and all have been embossed. I added a yellow button on the flower center, and Caterpillar has a sweet red jewel for her nose. The sentiment outside and inside are from Cutting Cafe. I am on hiatus from The Cafe but I love Regina's printables so much, they always make their way into most cards I create. The outside sentiment is from The Cafe's printable here: The inside sentiment that says "I hope you feel better soon" is from The Cafe's printable here.

TFL, hope you visited me from BBTB2 because the designers always have something delightful to share with you to leave you with some inspiration.

BBTB2/Ice Skates

Ballerina On Ice

Hello my dear followers. Happy New Year. I hope that each of you have a most wonderful 2012, a happy and healthy, safe and delightful 2012.

Heather has decided to step down as leader of Bitten By The Bug2. As you may know, Heather is a new proud grandmother and she will be taking care of her sweet new grandson, Blake. She has entrusted Donna Mundinger and I to take a sharing leadership of the blog. Donna and I are very excited. We believe that BBTB2 is a respected design team and we hope that we can inspire you to check in with our blog each week to see the wonderful cards from the design team members. Stay tuned because we are going to be doing a design team call in January.

Krista is our sweet hostess this week. She asked us to design with some ice skates. There are skates on many of the cartridges like Joys Of The Season, Christmas (Solutions), Celebrate With Flourish, Nifty Fifties....and quite a few others. For my skate cut, I selected Christmas (Solutions) and I just had to add the silhouette of the dancing skater from Winter Woodland (page 50). I added an embossed scalloped circle to mount the pair of skates upon, and I gave each skate a pretty blue ribbon that matches the ribbon on the skater. The snowflakes are MS punches. The dancer appears to be skating in front of a pretty window frame which is cut from Christmas (Solutions). And of course everything got a dose of embossing.

Thanks for looking... If you have come here from BBTB2 you will no doubt be inspired to make your own skate card.

Cutting Cafe Blog Hop

Hooray I have drawn the wining name: Margie of Bellabug Creations. I will have Regina get you the printable set immediately. Congrats...and thanks to all that participated in The Cafe's Blog Hop. Regina, that sweet sharing Regina, is offering up a free set of printables. We designers were allowed to select the set we wished to design with AND offer that set to any visitor who leaves a comment on each of our blogs. This is a blog hop so be sure to hop along to each designer and leave your comments. Here's the Cutting Cafe blog for your inspiration.

I chose "You're In My Thoughts Inside and Out" printable. There are mega choices on this set. Here is my card. I cut a Nestie opening on the front of my embossed blue card stock and I set the Nestie cut inside that has the sentiment. I surrounded the opening with sweet flowers and a butterfly, and a few pearls to enhance. The sentiment has been embossed as well.

Regina will post our designs on Wednesday, and I will do a drawing my comment section on Friday. So check back after 2PM on Friday and see if you are the winner. Thanks for looking.

Merry Christmas

To all of my design team sisters, for all of my wonderful bloggy friends and to each follower who visits here...I wish you each a Merry Christmas and I pray that your new year will be healthy, happy and prosperous for each of you.

My son and daughter in law share my Thanksgiving, and they spend Christmas with her family in Connecticut. For 21 years I have always fixed a family recipe of my mother's called "Stacked Tacos" and this meal is shared with my Uncle Jack. For the first time in 21 years the tradition has been halted due to his passing on December 6. Tomorrow I will sew, and my day will be filled with memories to soothe my sad sad heart.

My Lorelie Lap Quilt is finally finished. I started this early last year but last week I finally picked up the blocks and created this small lap throw. It's a bright and cheery fabric with darling Lorelie designs that I toned down with black and white fabrics of all patterns. I love this little quilt....

Merry Christmas one and all...