Distressed Flowers

I had a great time trying to make my own paper flowers using cuts from my Cricut.  I used a six petal flower from the Preserves cartridge.  I inked the edges using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  Then to make the flowers really pop off the page, I used my piercing tool and curled the petals.  Then I layered several flowers together and used a button for a center.  The Happy Birthday is cut from the Cricut Lite Celebrate with Flourish cartridge.  I really love this cartridge!  It has so much to offer!  I am on a quest to use up papers from my large and abundant stash!  So these papers are a selection from Stampin Up Pattern Papers.  They are retired, and I do not remember the name of the package.  The very back cardstock is Creative Memories Brick.  I find I go to this color over and over when I need a true deep burgandy shade.  The other cardstocks are from my Stamping Up cardstock stash.  I am not sure about the colors as much of my paper stash is discontinued.  The green ribbon is just a generic ribbon from my sewing room and the burgandy ribbon is Stampin up.  When I cut out the Happy Birthday, I lost the dot to the letter i.... so I just used a brad!  I hope you enjoy this page as much as I enjoyed making it! 

Where Oh Where has my Crafting Time Gone???

Where Oh Where can it be?!

It is hard to believe it has been almost a month since I've done any crafting...As you can tell from my non-existing blog postings! Where does the time go? One weekend was spent away visiting family, and I spent one entire weekend creating my entry in the September Cricut Circle French Manor contest. (And yes, I'm about to share that with you! And no, I didn't win) I spent another weekend catching up on some organizing around the house and spending time with my family. ( I had to make it up to them for locking myself in the craft room for an entire weekend the week before.)

This project is the most difficult project I have tried to date using my Cricut! But it was so much fun to create. Now one of the reasons, it took me an entire weekend, is because I'm still learning how to use my Gypsy and Expression together.... and I'm very detailed oriented. I can get lost trying to perfect the smallest little thing... like those little circles instead of numbers on the clock. I used papers from Creative Memories Black and White Power Palette, Die Cuts With a View Glitter Stack. I used the French Manor Cricut Cartridge, which is the first exclusive cartridge for Cricut Circle members. But this could easily be made using items from Summer in Paris. I used a blank clock from BE Creative Imaginations (purchased at Hobby Lobby a while back). Of course, all the usual supplies of adhesives, pop dots, gel pens. For the intricate cuts, I used vinyl on the circles . I found that vinyl really cut small detailed designs very clean and precise.

Now you may be wondering about the concept in creating this... well that goes to the Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffet song... Its 5 O'clock Somewhere! Hope you enjoy!

Tanya