Cooking With Cricut

Winners Announced

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Cooking with Cricut

Today we would like to announce the winner of Challenge

#69- Winter Warmies. The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by Random Organizer.

The winner is...Sharon- In The Big Blue House

Congratulations Sharon:)

Sharon designed and created this fun winter layout using Gypsy Wanderings and the Jolly Holidays Cricut cartridge. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. As the winner Sharon will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Sharon, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.

Shelly- My Paper Love

Marcia- Marcia's Memories

Cindy- Cindy's Scraptastic Designs

Anything But a Card: For this week's challenge, we are asking you to create anything but a card and: use polka dots and the color yellow:) Once again you have until next Tuesday at midnight to post your projects. One winner chosen at random will receive his or her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Have a wonderful day!

~Madison - Prize Coordinator

Cartridge Showcase: Straight From the Nest

2012-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Cooking With Cricut's Cartridge Showcase. Chef Jill has taken over the blog today is sharing with you some beautiful projects she has made with Cricut's Straight From the Nest cartridge. You can create projects that celebrate the naturally beautiful things in life with this cartridge. It is filled with images of birds, butterflies, flowers, cupcakes, branches, swirls, and more. Straight From the Nest includes: Layer/Shadow, Corner, Slider, Border, Phrase, and Phrase Shadow creative features.

Hi everyone! This is Chef Jill and today, I'm going to try to do my favorite cartridge justice and showcase it! Straight From the Nest is a cartridge I won in a giveaway! This cartridge is my favorite because of the versatility of it. There are sayings, corners, images, borders, and layers! What a great cartridge!

Here are the projects I came up with:

This is a birthday card I made for my friend. The chickens are the border option on Straight From the Nest. You can check it out on my blog here.

Here is a topiary I made using the little flowers from Straight From the Nest.

This is a card I made for my husband, but the cool thing about this card is that instead of using paper as my card base, I used a transparency! The shape behind the eyeball is from Straight from the Nest.

The "Fall" is a corner feature in this cartridge but I enlarged it up and used it in this sign I made for my home. You can check it out on my blog here.

Here is a Christmas Card book I made. The green border is from Straight from the Nest. You can check it out on my blog here.

This is a gift I made for my friend. The owl is actually a corner option, but I cut off the sides so the owl would fit. You can check it out at my blog here.

Thanks so much for checking out my showcase! Like I said . . . this cartridge is amazing!

Smiles, Jill

Wow, Jill! So many incredible projects! Please make sure you stop over at Jill's blog and let her know how much you enjoyed her Cartridge Showcase!

~ CWC Design Team

Challenge #70: Anything BUT a Card with Yellow & Polka Dots

2012-01-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday and welcome to challenge day at Cooking With Cricut! Our hostesses with the mostess this week are Court, Holly and Nita.

Holly and Nita

Court

They decided to change it up a bit and challenged the Design Team to come up with a project using the color yellow and polka dots -- and it could be anything EXCEPT a card. And the DT outdid themselves!! Check out all these amazing projects and make sure you visit their blogs and leave 'em some love!

Kemma created this flutterby bookmark using the

Walk In My Garden cartridge. Check out the details on her blog.

Nita created these altered Tazo Tea tins to hold her Copic markers using the

Mickey & Friends cartridge. For more details, visit her blog.

Michelle used the Accent Essentials cartridge to create the accents and clasp

on her fantastic paper purse. Visit her blog for more details!

Holly made this sweet treats gift box using the Spring Holiday Cards

cartridge. Check out her blog for more detail.

Heather created this super cute 12" x 12" scrapbook layout of her nephew using

the George & Basic Shapes and Doodletype cartridges. Visit her blog for more details.

Madison created this cute sign for when she's in the "zone!" She used Formal Occasions

and Wall Decor & More cartridges. For more details, visit her blog.

Court's little recipe book is all about cupcakes! She used the

Something to Celebrate cartridge -- check out the details on her blog.

Larelyn used the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More and A Child's Year cartridges

to make this shaped treat container. Visit her blog for more details.

Jill created these "fishy" little treats for her son's preschool class using the

Life's A Beach cartridge. Check out all the details on her blog.

Celeste used the Animal Kingdom cartridge to create this adorable journal for

a child battling cancer. Visit her blog for more details.

Charlotte used the Sophie cartridge to create this neat little "basket."

Visit her blog for all the details.

Debbie created this mini-bottle gift holder using the Art Philosophy cartridge.

Check out the details on her blog.

Dalis used the Graphically Speaking cartridge to create this great bookmark.

Check out the details on her blog.

Yolie decorated her paint can using Cake Basics and Tags, Bags, Boxes & More

cartridges. For more details, visit her blog.

Jenny jazzed up her note pad using the Give A Hoot cartridge.

Check out all the cute details at her blog.

Fantastic projects, ladies!! Now its your turn . . . link up your "anything BUT a card - must use yellow & polka dots" project and you just might be this week's Top Chef. Here are the guidelines:

Must follow the challenge topic.
Must be a NEW project for this challenge, please no back dated posts.
Must have a link back to this post on your blog.
Must link your project through Inlinkz and not just your blog.
Must use your Cricut in some capacity.
Must have fun.
You may gladly combine challenges...we love to pile it on TOO!

Make sure you stop by tomorrow, Thursday, January 26th and check out Chef Jill's Cartridge Showcase! And as always, thank you so much for crafting with us!

~ CWC Design Team

Cartridge Showcase: Spring Holiday Cards

2012-01-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Cooking With Cricut's Cartridge Showcase. Chef Debbie has taken over the blog today is sharing with you some beautiful projects she has made with Cricut's Spring Holiday Cards cartridge.

Create cards, envelopes, and boxes with the Spring Holiday Cards cartridge. This festive cartridge contains images for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. Mix and match card fronts with backgrounds to create fun variations on your projects. Use this cartridge to create unique and engaging designs for every occasion. The versatility of this cartridge will surprise even the most imaginative crafters. Includes cuts for 30 spring themed cards as well as envelopes and boxes.

So without further ado, here's Debbie . . .

I purchased this cartridge last Spring on a whim when I just happened to see it at Michaels on sale. I have used it several times since then and it has only been Spring once, LOL.

My most recent project is using one of the treat boxes and a card that I altered in Cricut CraftRoom. I bought my friend an iRock and some gems as a thank you gift (she is loaning my son her son's lacrosse gear which is saving me at least $300). The iRock itself will not fit in the box but the pack of gems and a few pieces of dark chocolate candy (her favorite) will fit perfectly!

I cut the box (the very last box on the cartridge) at "fit to page." I then took the card and took out the words using hide contour and then cut the card at 4.1 x 3.1. I stamped "Thanks" using my Big Thoughts stamp set from Pink By Design with Versamark and embossed it. Then I cut a white piece of paper to fit behind the rainbow. I glued it on and then used my snow writer pen to make the clouds. I could not decide what to do with the rainbow so I just decided to color and go for a faded look, I did try to emboss the rainbow but it did not turn out that well using marker, I will have to experiment with that a little before trying that again. I added some white stitching with my gelly roll pen and some bling for the eyes. Lastly, I added a few blingy hearts along the top of the box (oh and I put the gems and candy inside).

Since my husband loves beer, and I got him a beer of the month club membership, I used the card on this cartridge that has a beer on it. I have used it on several occasions, usually altering it for the occasion. I did this one using a Pink By Design stamp for his birthday card. Here is a picture and here is where you can find the original post.

I also used this cartridge last Spring for an Easter egg hunt/party invitation. I made invitations for the neighborhood kids, the picture looks like they were green and red but they were a nice spring green and pink. I printed the invitation details on the green paper then attached the pink paper on the other side and stickled it up. The entire post can be found here.

I also used this cartridge for St. Patrick’s Day last year (although we are not Irish we love to celebrate it). I made a two-sided card for my hubby because I could not decide on which card to use :). Here is one side:

And here is the other side:

The post on these cards and other St. Patty’s Day goodies can be found here.

I actually ended up doing two St. Patty’s days posts last year, LOL. I used the cartridge to cut the cute Shamrock’s using my Imagine (so I could flood fill it green) and ironed them onto t-shirts for my girls. Here is one of the shirts and here is where you can find the post.

Lastly, I used this cartridge for Valentine’s Day last year (and plan to use it again this year!). I used it to cut the little cards that my boys gave out (simple and just attached a pencil), I also used it for the little containers I made for my kids. I also used it for the card I altered and gave to my husband. Here are some pics and here is where you can find the original post.

Great projects, Debbie! Please make sure you stop over at Debbie's blog and let her know how much you enjoyed her Cartridge Showcase!

Make sure you stop back in at CookingWithCricut.com on Wednesday for our weekly challenge and on Thursday for Chef Jill's cartridge showcase. Have a great week!

~ CWC Design Team

QQ & Spellbinders Sneak Peek #3

2012-01-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

Good morning crafty friends,

It's Melinda here and today I am sharing my two projects showcasing the new Quick Quotes One Fine Day paper and embellishment line. It will be debuting along with the other new lines we have showcased at CHA.

Along with the fabulous new Quick Quotes lines, we are also showcasing the Spellbinders Grand Calibur and dies.

Here is my first project. I created this box and love bug using several spellbinders dies. The bottom and top are from the square petal top box Spellbinders die set. I used paper from the French Quarter Quick Quotes paper line. I saw the original idea from one of the Spellbinders Design Team members.

I used another piece of paper from the Sumer Samba paper line from Quick Quotes. You cut the piece of paper to 8.5 inches and then scored it at 2.5 inches.

Here are the additional Spellbinders dies that I used to create the little love bug. I really wanted to create something “different” with my dies.

For the body, I trimmed one of the larger pink ovals and then trimmed the two ribbons down. I adhered them to the black body and then trimmed and inked them with some Maraschino Cherry Chalk Ink.

I assembled the rest of the love bug and used some additional chalks and white gel pen to add some finishing touches.

Here is a side view showing the paper panels from the One Fine Day Paper Line.

I used the following products

SPELLBINDERS PRODUCTS

Square Petal Top Box

Classic Oval LG

Classic Oval SM

Classic Scallop Heart

Ribbon Banners

Quick Quotes Products

French Quarter Paper for the base and top

Summer Samba Paper

Maraschino Cherry and Amaretto Chalk Ink.

Other Products

Dry Decorator chalk

White gel pen, black fine tip pen

Trimmer and scorer

Various adhesives.

Here is my second project. I created this layout using nothing but Spellbinders dies and more of the beautiful One Fine Day paper.

Here are the dies I used to create the little Giraffe. Once again I really wanted to think outside the box with the dies.

Here is the finished Giraffe. I just trimmed the brown ovals at varying widths and heights to create his "spots"

Here is the completed Lamb. Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo of the pieces separately. But I can tell you that I used my Scalloped Ovals, Scalloped Heart and Classic Ovals Dies to create this little cutie!!!

Here is a pretty medallion die I used and layered it with a die from the Sprocket set and one of the cute little medallions from the square petal top box die.

Here is a close up of the frame.

Close up of one of the borders and another medallion.

Close up of another one of the medallions.

Here is one last view of the entire layout.

Spellbinders Products

Sprockets

Lattice Borderabilities

Classic Scallop Heart

Ribbon Banners

Contemporary Hearts Pendants

Classic Frameabilities

Square Bracket Edge Box

Quick Quotes Products

One Fine Day Paper

Midnight Confessions, Amaretto, Mocha Mama, Maraschino Cherry Chalk Inks.

Other Products

Dry Decorator chalk

White gel pen, black fine tip pen

Trimmer and scorer

Various adhesives

I hope you enjoy these projects and are inspired to pull out your Spellbinders and your beautiful Quick Quotes products and start creating! As always, thank you for allowing me to share.

BLOG CANDY ALERT
If you head over to the Quick Quotes blog today and leave a comment on my post, Quick Quotes will be selecting one random entrant to receive the Summer Samba set...one of the new sets they are debuting at CHA!!! CLICK HERE to go and leave your comment!

2012-01-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Cooking with Cricut

Today we would like to announce the winner of Challenge

#68- Photo Inspiration. The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by Random Organizer.

The winner is...Lisa- A Mermaid's Crafts

Congratulations Lisa:)

Lisa designed and created this beautiful shape thank you card using the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. As the winner Lisa will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Lisa, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.

Amy- Redheaded Crafter

Tonya- Itty Bitty Ladybugs

Scrappy Happy Mommy (SHM)- SHM

Winter Warmth: For this week's challenge, we are asking you to think of all the ways to keep warm during these cold days. From mittens and scarves to hot cocoa and more, let's see what you can create this week:) Once again you have until next Tuesday at midnight to post your projects. One winner chosen at random will receive his or her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Have a wonderful day!

~Madison - Prize Coordinator

Cartridge Showcase: Princess Party

2012-01-19T09:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to CookingWithCricut.com and today's Cartridge Showcase!

This is Chef Jen and I am "hijacking" the blog today to share with you some projects that I created using the Cricut Events Princess Party cartridge. This cartridge will allow you to create a party fit for your little princess. From castles to crowns to frog princes, the Princess Party cartridge has designs perfect for invitations, decorations, and party favors.

One of our nieces just celebrated her first birthday and her parents decided they wanted a princess party and asked if I would help out -- knowing full well that I can't resist a good party or one of our sweet nieces. Melin was kind enough to loan me her brand-new cartridge -- Cricut Events Princess Party! And boy, have I given it a work out!

The first thing I created with this cartridge was the party invitation.

This cute gate-fold invitation has many layers, but is so worth the effort! The glitter adds a nice princess-y sparkle.

Up next was a birthday banner and this cartridge has a great pennant shape. I cut two different sizes and then added text from the George & Basic Shapes cartridge. The crowns are also from the Princess Party cartridge.

This cartridge also has a cupcake wrapper and a cute little crown that can be used as a topper.

All of the birthday girls and boys receive onesies or shirts from their Aunt Jen (the girls also receive tutus)! I used the tiara and the word "Princess" from this cart and made Kylie a sweet little onesie using the freezer paper technique.

Here is a picture of the birthday girl modeling her outfit. Isn't she a cutie-pie!

I also used the crown from this cartridge to decorate some clothespins for a photo "time line."

I made other decorations for the party using the Disney Dreams Come True and Happily Ever After cartridges. The princesses are about 11" tall. Kylie's parents are going to frame them after the party and use them to decorate her room.

The Cake Guru at our house made the cutest "Smash Cake!" It has the crown cut from the Princess Party cartridge using the Cricut Cake machine. The little placard at the bottom was cut out of paper using letters from Cake Basics, Cindy Loo and Calligraphy Collection cartridges.

The final piece of this perfectly pink princess party was the cake. We used several elements from the Cake Basics (turret and castle toppers) and Tags, Bags, Boxes & More (doors and windows from the rounded top tag cut!) cartridges. This is the second time we have used our Cricut Cake and I am still amazed at how easy it is to use. The key is getting your fondant rolled to the correct thickness and then letting it sit for awhile to dry out and stiffen. The little flags were cut using the Princess Party pennants -- I welded two together so I could fold them in half around my"flag pole."

Another very successful birthday party for one sweet little girl! And yes, we spoil our nieces and nephews . . . that's our job!! I hope you have enjoyed today's showcase! If you'd like more details, please stop by my blog (check out the party hat and "glass" slipper decorations made using this cartridge, too).

~ Chef Jen

P.S. Thanks again, Melin, for loaning me your cartridge!

Winter Warmies Challenge

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning craft friends,

Welcome to another Wonderful Wednesday challenge. Our challenge themes have been selected by our designers. This week’s hostesses are...

Heather and Linda

They decided our challenge this week should be all about the way we keep warm during these cold days. From mittens and scarves to Hot Cocoa and more! Let’s see what the designers came up with.

Adrian used the Cheerful Seasons and Elegant Edges cartridges. Visit Adrian for more details.

Charlotte used: Beyond Birthdays, Martha Stewart Seasonal Cake and Winter Woodlands. Visit Charlotte for more details.

Court used the Holiday Cakes cartridge. Visit Court for more details.

Dalis created two projects. For the first, she used the Sesame Street Seasons cartridge.

For her second one, she used the Everyday Paper Dolls and Calligraphy cartridges. Visit Dalis for all the details.

Elizabeth used her Art Philosophy cartridge. Visit Elizabeth for more details.

Jill used her Celebrations cartridge. Visit Jill for more details.

Madison used her Gypsy and Gypsy Wanderings. Visit Madison for more details.

Heather used her Don Juan cartridge. Visit Heather for more details.

Celeste used her Wall Décor and More and Ashlyn’s Alphabet cartridges. Visit Celeste for more details.

Mindy used her Imagine and Snow Angel cartridge. Visit Mindy for more details.

Yolie used her Cake Basics cartridge and a couple of files from PCW. Visit Yolie for more details.

Linda used her Winter Frolic cartridge. Visit Linda for more details.

Michelle used her Winter Frolic and cartridge. Visit Michelle for more details.

And now its your turn! Here are the guidelines . . .

Must follow the challenge topic.

Must be a NEW project for this challenge, please no back dated posts.

Must have a link back to this post on your blog.

Must link your project through Inlinkz and not just your blog.

Must use your Cricut in some capacity.

Must have fun.

You may gladly combine challenges...we love to pile it on TOO!

PCW Frame Challenge

2012-01-17T12:53:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon crafty friends,

Welcome to another Terrific Tuesday Digi & Die cut challenge.

Today’s challenge is being hosted by designer Bonnie of Scrapper’s Ranch.

Bonnie’s challenge for us is to “frame It!” That’s right alter a frame, create a frame for a card, layout or other project. Just use a “FRAME” in some way in your project.

Here is what the design team came up with....

Bonnie created this gorgeous altered frame with one of the QT Patootie Digi’s. Be sure to head over to Bonnie’s blog for complete details!

Christel created this darling work of H(art) using the Vintage Bear Digi Stamp from PCW. Head over to Christel’s blog for all the Fabulous details!

Evelyn created this super adorably “wonky and sweet” frame using the little bear kisses to you cutting file from PCW. Be sure to head over to Evelyn’s blog for all the delightful details!

Mindy created this simply precious frame using the Skunk in Flower Pot Digi Stamp from PCW. Be sure to head over to Mindy’s blog for all the delicious details!

Melin created this altered frame using the Hibiscus Flower cutting file from PCW.

Now it’s your turn to “frame it”!!!

Here are a couple of FREE files to help you join the fun!

Love Is... Digital Stamp Set

Available in: B & W Jpg. Just click the add to cart button. It will not cost you anything to download during this challenge.

Scalloped Card Cutting File Set

Available in: AI, DXF, EPS, GSD, KNK, SVG, MTC, WPC and PDF for hand cutting.

Just click the add to cart button. It will not cost you anything to download during this challenge.

To join the fun, just link up your “frame” project through the Inlinkz link below.

Here are just a few guidelines for this challenge:

* Must be a new project for this challenge.

* You may gladly combine challenges, we love to pile it on too!

* Must link your project to us through Inlinkz and not just your blog.

* Must use either one of the free files provided in some capacity.

* Must HAVE FUN!!!

Thank you so much for joining in the fun!

Cartridge Showcase: Love You A Latte

2012-01-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to CookingWithCricut.com and today's Cartridge Showcase! Chef Nita is taking over the reigns and sharing projects she has created using the Cricut Lite Love You A Latte cartridge. This cartridge will wake up your imagination! It is filled with coffee and tea-themed images, such as coffee beans, espresso machines, mugs, pots, breakfast foods, and more.

So without further ado . . . here's Nita!

Hi Everyone! It’s Nita from Nita Notes. I’m so excited to share one of my favorite cartridges with you today! Those of you who follow my blog know I’m a wee bit of a coffee fan. When Love You a Latte was first released, I was so excited I (literally) did a little happy dance. I HAD to have it. I called my husband over to the computer, pointed at the screen, and he said “You HAVE to have that. You should order it. Now.” He’s a keeper, I know. :)

As soon as it arrived, I eagerly tore open the packaging (like a kid at Christmas), and immediately created this thank-you card combining two of my favorite things: coffee and puns.

A punny birthday card followed:

This next card is one of my favorites. There is just something about the creamy texture of that ribbon, alongside the creamy coffee in those cups, which makes me smile. And crave a Starbucks.

This next project I’m going to share with you is a sneak-peek of a work-in-progress. When we travel as a family, I like to have copies of our favorite recipes with us. And, instead of just scribbling them down on plain old recipe cards (like normal people would), I decided to use all my crafty supplies to create a special recipe book (because I have SOOO much free time. HA!). Here a couple of pages I made using the Love You a Latte cartridge. The first is the cover page for the Drinks section of the book. I wanted just the silhouette of the “coffee shop couple”, so I used only the first layer of the cut.

The second is a page showcasing one of our favorite smoothie recipes (the instructions are on the back).

These pages will be laminated and placed on a binder ring with all the rest, and eventually I’ll have a durable little book of recipes that travels with me.

I hope you enjoyed a quick look at Love You a Latte. It really is a fun cartridge, and not just for crazy-coffee lovers like myself. Thanks so much for letting me share it with you! :)

Great projects, Nita . . . I think I've even got a bit of a caffeine buzz and I don't even drink coffee!! LOL!

Make sure you visit Nita's blog for more details on her wonderful projects -- don't forget to leave her a comment and let her know how much you liked her showcase. We'll see you back here Wednesday for our weekly challenge and Chef Debbie will be showcasing her favorite cartridge on Thursday.

~ CWC Design Team

Something....Blog Hop DAY 2

2012-01-15T08:05:00.002-05:00

Good morning crafty friends!

Happy Sunday! Welcome to day two of our first blog hop of 2012! We are super excited because this hop is over TWO DAYS....yesterday was day one and today is day two! Each day features different designers! Our theme was chosen by Yolie, one of our designers. She went with....

This means each designer was tasked with using: Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue. This was a FUN one to do.

Here is my project

Close up of the first squirrel.

Close up of the second squirrel

Photo attempting to show the glittered snowflakes on the background paper.

My Something Old:The patterned paper is AT LEAST 3years old!!!!

My Something new: My squirrel cutting file is a new one.

My Something borrowed: Pieces of my cutting file were "borrowed" from previous files.

My Something Blue: Well I think that is pretty easy to see :)

Okay how about a little blog candy to warm your heart on this extra chilly Sunday!

I have TWO Download codes to give.... One for Saturday AND one for Sunday!

Just be sure to leave a comment and be a follower. I will pick a winner from Saturday’s comments for one and a winner on Sunday’s comments for the other!

Lastly, how about a free download for all you lovely crafters for coming by today! A cute little cutting file. This one like yesterday's digi stamp, let’s all of you know how all of us here at PCW and CWC feel about you! Be sure to grab it while you can. It is available TODAY ONLY!

File available in: AI, DXF, EPS, GSD, KNK, MTC, SVG and WPC.

Click the add to cart button to download. It will not cost anything to download today only!

Now on to the next blog: The super creative COURT

Here is today's hop line up in case you get lost along the way :)

Melin – http://www.cookingwithcricut.com YOU’RE HERE
Court – http://www.courtscraftcorner.blogspot.com NEXT
Evelyn – http://www.mylittlecraftblog.wordpress.com
Michelle – http://www.michelles-crafty-creations.blogspot.com
Mindy – http://www.scrappyandpiggy.blogspot.com
Felicia – http://www.scrapperinthemaking.blogspot.com
Madison – http://www.funkycards.blogspot.com
Nita – http://www.niftynitanotes.blogspot.com
Angie – http://www.angie-scrappinmemories.blogspot.com
Jen – http://www.gator-4-life.blogspot.com

Lastly, just go to yesterday’s post HERE to hop through yesterday’s line up and check out all the super inspiring projects from yesterday!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win!

Something......Blog HOP

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning crafty friends!

Happy Saturday! Welcome to our first blog hop of 2012! We are super excited because this hop is over TWO DAYS....Today and Tomorrow AND Features TWO DIFFERENT SETS of DESIGNERS! So our theme was chosen by Yolie, one of our designers. She went with....

This means each designer was tasked with using: Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue. This was a FUN one to do. So here is what I am sharing today! It is this little Hot Cocoa-Coffee Mug I came up with....

My Something Old: The ribbon and flowers....The little flowers are from Prima and I don’t know if you all remember when the glass bottles of these little cuties were all the RAGE! I mean you wanted them in every style...LOL! Gosh, I am talking about a good 5+ years now.

My Something new: The mug cutting file I designed and the beautiful paper from Quick Quotes.

My Something borrowed: See the bow, My sweet friend came over one day and showed me this little contraption called the “bow-easy” she let me “borrow” it so that I could figure out how to work it. It is a cool little thing that allows you to make bows really quick and easy. I have to give it back to her now, so it is quite literally....something borrowed :)

My Something Blue: Well I think this one is pretty easy to tell!

Here is one more project I wanted to share.

For this one. The something old is the background paper. The something new was the snowman pattern, the something “borrowed” was the idea to glitter the whole snowman and the touches of “something blue” are pretty easy to see.

Okay how about a little blog candy to warm your heart on this chilly Saturday!

I have TWO Download codes to give.... One for Saturday AND one for Sunday!

Just be sure to leave a comment and be a follower. I will pick a winner from Saturday’s comments for one and a winner on Sunday’s comments for the other!

Lastly, how about a free download for all you lovely crafters for coming by today! A cute little digital stamp that let’s you all know how all of us here at PCW and CWC feel about you! It is in a pre-colored and black and white format and in jpg. Be sure to grab it while you can. It is available TODAY ONLY!

Click the add to cart button to download. It will not cost anything to download today only.

Now on to the next blog: The super duper talented HEATHER

Here is today’s line up in case you get lost!

Melin – http://www.cookingwithcricut.com YOU’RE HERE!

Heather – http://www.heather-p.blogspot.com NEXT

Yolie – http://www.justyolie.com

Celeste – http://www.touchedbyabutterfly.com

Debbie – http://www.workinscrappinmomof4.blogspot.com

Charlotte – http://www.alittlebitofdetail.blogspot.com

Linda – http://www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com

Jill -- http://www.jaihartjustlovelydesigns.blogspot.com

Larelyn–http://www.handmadefromtheheart-esignsbylarelyn.blogspot.com

Jen – http://www.gator-4-life.blogspot.com

Be sure to come back tomorrow for a new project and a new line up of 10 different designers!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

QQ -Sneak Peek Summer Samba & Spellbinders

2012-01-13T07:36:00.004-05:00

Good morning crafty friends,

Today’s post is another wonderful Sneak peek from the fabulous Quick Quotes company. This is another one of their new lines debuting at CHA this month. It is called Summer Samba! It is so festive, bright and summery! Here is the project I came up with. It is a mini album using the Spellbinders Curved Rectangles die. This die set is the perfect size for creating a quick and cute mini album!

This is the "cover" of my mini album. This new line is GORGEOUS!!! The papers are a fantastic double-sided cardstock weight paper. Let me tell you...there isn't an "ugly-filler" side in the bunch. You will want to have at least two sheets of every one!

Page two of my mini album. The quotes are one of the super cute colored vellum quotes that coordinates with this line.

Page three. This page includes another great colored vellum quote and some more terrific dies from Spellbinders!

Page four. This page finishes up my mini album and includes some cardstock quotes from the super cute quote sheet that comes with the Summer Samba paper line. The dies are also some spellbinders dies.

DESIGN NOTE: I love that you can leave your "cut shape" in the die-template and use it as a stencil to color the areas you want and then when you remove the die, you get a nice crisp outline. Perfect for those who can't seem to stay within the lines when coloring....like me....rofl!!!

Quick Quotes Products
Summer Samba Designer Papers
Here Comes The Sun Vellum Quote
You Are Oh So Vellum Quote
Summer Samba Cardstock Quotes
Maraschino Cherry, Mango Mai Tai and Blue Moon Chalk Inks.

Spellbinders Products
Curved Rectangles

Square Bracket Edge Box

Square Petal Top Box

Other Products
Yellow, Blue, Red, Orange and White Cardstock- All Bazzill Bling for some extra shimmer.
Orange and Red Stickles Glitter Glue
Various Adhesives
Crop-i-dile Hole Puncher
Miscellaneous Ribbon

Thanks so much for stopping by!

BE SURE TO COME BACK TOMORROW AND SUNDAY FOR OUR....

Have a wonderfully crafty day!

Winners Announced

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Cooking with Cricut

Today we would like to announce the winner of Challenge

#67- Something New. The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by Random Organizer.

The winner is...Cori- Created by Cori

Congratulations Cori:)

Cori designed and created this beautiful card using the Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. As the winner Cori will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Cori, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.

Bethie- BethieJ's Blog

Rae Ann- Joy In Art

Amy- Amy's Crafting Space

Photo Inspiration: For this week's challenge, we are asking you to create a project based on the photo below:

How does this photo inspire you? Show us by creating a card, layout, altered project or other project of your choice. Once again you have until next Tuesday at midnight to post your projects. One winner chosen at random will receive his or her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Have a wonderful day!

~Madison - Prize Coordinator

Cartridge Showcase: Kate's ABCs

2012-01-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to CookingWithCricut.com and today's Cartridge Showcase! Chef Court is taking over the reigns and sharing projects she has created using the Kate's ABCs cartridge. Sugar, spice and everything nice — that’s what you’ll find on this girl-themed cartridge. It is filled adorable scenes every girl will love. Plus two special fonts designed to add charm to your cards, scrapbook layouts, home décor, gifts, and other projects. This cartridge includes: Layer 1, Layer 2, Phrase, Baby Girl Font 1, Baby Girl Font 2, and Baby Girl Font 2 Shadow creative features.

So without further ado, here's Court . . .

I just got the Kate’s ABC cartridge for Christmas this year and I am in love with it! I have made so many cards with it all ready and have a lot more ideas floating around in my brain!

The first card is a quick and simple birthday card! I just love how it came out!

This next one is one of my favorites! There were so many little pieces to cut out and it took a while, but it was well worth it!

This card I made especially for my mom-mom who LOVES tea!

As soon as I saw this purse I knew I wanted to make a shaped card out of it. So I did! And I love it!

I hope you like what I made and that I showed you how awesome this cartridge really is!

Wonderful cards, Court! You have been a busy girl since Christmas!

Please make sure you visit Court's blog and let her know how much you enjoyed her showcase. And don't forget . . . our first blog hop of 2012 starts this Saturday, January 14 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. There will be two days of fun and two sets of designers creating projects to share on the theme "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue."

~ CWC Design Team

#68 Photo Inspiration

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday and welcome to another....

Wonderful Wednesday Cooking With Cricut Challenge!

Our Designers have teamed up and are choosing the challenges for the next two months. Today's "hostesses" are:

Felicia and Jill

They chose a photo for the team to draw inspiration from. Here is what Jill and Felicia said to the team: “So for the challenge this is our photo inspiration, use the colors or a tree, whatever this photo inspires you to make!”

This photo is entitled "Relax" and was taken in Charlotte, North Carolina’s Freedom Park by photographer Chris Summerville. When Jen contacted the photographer to obtain permission to use the photograph, she was informed that this photo was shot with an infrared lens -- so in actuality, those trees are green! Please take a moment to check out Chris Summerville’s other work. Truly breathtaking. Thank you Mr. Summerville for the permission to use such a striking piece of photography.

And here is what those crafty ladies on the Design Team came up with . . .

Jill created this beautiful etched glass using the Storybook cartridge.

Check out her blog for all the details.

Felicia used the Lacey Labels and Calligraphy Collection cartridges to create

these stylish monogrammed coasters. Visit her blog for more details.

Elizabeth used the Art Philosophy cartridge to create this lovely thank you card. Check out the details on her blog.

Holly created this fantastic ice skate-shaped card using the

Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons cartridge. Visit her blog for all the details.

Madison made this sweet card using the Create-A-Critter and Jubilee

cartridges. Check out her blog for more details.

Nita used the Birthday Bash cartridge to create this fun and playful

shaped card. Visit her blog for more details.

Jenny R. created this adorable 12” x 12” scrapbook layout using the 3 Birds on Parade

and Paper Doll Dress Up cartridges. Check out her blog for more details.

Larelyn used the Phrases cartridge for this gorgeous thank you

note. For more details, visit her blog.

Jenny J. created this super cute tag using the Winter Woodland cartridge.

For more details, check out her blog.

Charlotte used the Winter Lace cartridge to create this adorable card.

(Doesn’t it look like her snowman is juggling?) Visit her blog for more details.

Dalis used the Cricut Lite Sugar & Spice cartridge to create this

“egg-stra” special card. Check the details on her blog.

Now it’s your turn! Link up your project inspired by Chris Summerville’s.“Relax” photograph. You could be our latest "Top Chef!" Here are the guidelines . . .
· Must follow the challenge topic.
· Must be a NEW project for this challenge.
· No back dated posts please.
· Must have a link back to this post on your blog.
· Must link your project post through Inlinkz and not just your blog.
· Must use your Cricut in some capacity.
· Must HAVE FUN!
· You may gladly combine challenges . . . we love to pile it on TOO!

Don’t Forget to make CWC your daily craft inspiration stop! Here is what’s coming up!

Tomorrow: Another Fabulous Cartridge Showcase by designer Court.
Friday: Winners announced and another Quick Quotes Sneaky Peek!
Saturday And Sunday....

Our first Blog Hop of 2012 -- Saturday and Sunday, January 14 & 15. Two days of fun with two different sets of designers! We hope you’ll join us!

Thank you so much for sharing your crafty time with us!
~ The CWC Design Team

Challenge Reminder * FREE FILES & DISCOUNT *

2012-01-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon crafty friends,

Today’s post is to remind you of our new Stamp or Die Cut challenge. The PCW design team is hosting a bi-weekly challenge using either stamps (digital or regular) and or a die cut. The die cut can be from ANY source and does not have to be Cricut. It can be from your Spellbinders, Sizzix, Lifestyle (Quickutz) or from your Pazzles, Gazelle, Cameo or even from your punches! This is about showcasing the wonderful digital stamps and die cuts.

The ONLY requirement is you must use one of the free files in your project. Each challenge we will offer you a FREE Digital Stamp AND a Free Cutting File to use in your Electronic Die Cut Machine. The Die Cut pattern will also have a pdf file that you can print and hand cut if desired :)

So here are a couple of projects using the current FREE files and to go along with our Welcome Baby Theme. Designer Evelyn is hosting this challenge, so be sure to visit her blog and thank her for the wonderful inspiration.

FIRST: HERE is the Challenge Post where you can see what the designers showcased last week AND this is also where you can grab the FREE files AND enter.

CLICK HERE

Evelyn created this super adorable card using the FREE heaven sent digi AND the wings from the FREE Butterfly file. She also paired it with the Baby Duckies Cutting File from PCW. Be sure to visit Evelyn’s Direct Post HERE for the details on HOW she put these sweet card together.

Melinda created this adorable layout using the Baby Set 5 elephant and booties from PCW and the FREE Butterfly n’ Flourish Cutting file (see below).

Here is the complete layout. I created this layout using the NEW Quick Quotes Paper and embellishment line called: One Fine Day. It is GORGEOUS!!! The double sided cardstock weight paper patterns are DYNAMITE! They are so versatile. I used it for a baby layout, but wait until you see what else it is great for!!!

Close up of the layered butterfly and the baby booties.

Close up of the adorable little elephant from Set 5.

Check Out These Super Adorable, New Cutting File Sets From

PaperCraftingWorld.com

Baby Duckies

Baby Set 1

Baby Set 2

Baby Set 3

Baby Set 4

Baby Set 5

Baby Set 6

Now for a little extra incentive to join the fun!

Buy any two of these sets and receive a third set FREE!

Just choose any of these baby sets over at pcw

Just add all three sets into your cart and when checking out use code:

PCWBaby and your third set will be FREE!

*Must be a minimum $7.00 purchase (two least expensive sets total)

Lastly, CLICK HERE to go to the original post and get these two freebies!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow for our new
Wonderful Wednesday Cooking With Cricut Challenge!

Cartridge Showcase: French Manor

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to CookingWithCricut.com and our Monday Cartridge Showcase. Today Chef Charlotte is taking over and sharing projects that she has created using Cricut's French Manor cartridge. This cartridge allows you to accent your projects with a touch of old European elegance. It is filled with exquisitely rendered images such as fleur-de-lis, furniture, and other accents. You’ll also love the coordinating tags, cards, and borders included.

So without further ado, here's Charlotte!

Hi everyone!! How exciting it is to be showcasing one of my very favorite cartridges. This cartridge has some of the most beautiful and versatile cuts of all the Cricut cartridges.

First I want to share with you a note card I made just for this showcase.

This is an A2 card made with paper from DCWV’s Royal Garden. I just fell in love with these two stacks. The colors are vibrant and the patterned pages are gorgeous!! A couple of the pattern pages have peacock feathers on them. So when I decided to make the card using the peacock cut, I knew I had to use that peacock paper. Doesn’t it make the peacock look beautiful! The ribbon is some I found last year at Michael’s, and I wish I had gotten more rolls of it. It is perfect for this card.

This next card has a totally different look. It is made a border and frame from French Manor. I made this card for a friend I work with who is going through a very difficult time in her life.

Don’t you just love this border that I cut for the sides of the card. I especially love the way it has a slight curve to it. The pretty frame in the center is stamped with a sentiment stamp from K Andrew Designs. This stamp is from a set called Scripture Sayings. I hope this will be encouraging to my friend.

This next card was made for a challenge who's theme was “Time For A Change”. If you'd like more details about this card here is the link to the post on my blog.

The card is embossed with a pocket watch folder from Tim Holtz. And the clock is cut from the French Manor cartridge. The dress form is cut from Nifty Fifties cartridge. I am sure most people would never think that these two cartridges could be used on the same project. But, surprise, surprise, don’t these look great together! As I said, the French Manor cartridge is so versatile.

Next I have a card I made for a friend who was going to spend this past summer in France. It was to wish her and her family a great trip and to say thank you for the fabulous gift card they gave me at the end of last school year. A beautiful cut of the Eiffel Tower and a pretty sentiment cut.

This next card was done last year for a challenge. I just think it says "COUNTRY FRENCH" in bold letters! Take a look and tell me what you think.

How gorgeous is this dress form!! Isn’t this just beautiful done in that pretty French blue. I love it!!!

Doesn’t this just make you want to hop on a plane and head to Paris, the vineyards, or the French Riviera? Thank you for letting me share some of my favorite things with you.

Have a great day!!

-- Charlotte

Oh my goodness, Charlotte! One beautiful card after another -- and so many little details that make each one so special!!

Please make sure to give Charlotte a visit at her blog and let her know how much you enjoyed her showcase!

~ CWC Design Team

Quick Quotes Dreamscape Sneak Peek & Spellbinders

2012-01-08T01:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning crafty friends,

Today’s project is showcasing the wonderful new line from Quick Quotes.
It’s called Dreamscape and it is very pretty to say the least. It is filled with beautiful double-sided paper as well as coordinating vellum quotes and a great new product called Vellum Silhouettes. Here is my project.

Here is a close up shot to show the beautiful butterfly. I purposely didn’t do a thing to it. I wanted it to just be the subtlest of accents. It is layered on top of the pretty hearts that I cut from my Grand Calibur and the Classic Scalloped Hearts Dies from Spellbinders.

Here is a close up shot of the Ribbon Banners die I used. It is adhered to the ribbon and the ribbon is adhered to the edges of the matte. This way, when I put a photograph in, it will easily slide underneath. Also notice the tiny little hearts. Those are the “negative” pieces from the Contemporary Hearts Pendants spellbinders die set

Here is a shot of the vellum silhouette. I decided I wanted to “color” it with my Copic Markers. It worked like a charm. The copics didn’t bleed through and dried very quickly. Also, there was no feathering or bleeding. So it is wonderful with your copics!

Here is a close up of the vellum.

Here is the Die cut flower from PaperCraftingWorld.com that I cut on my Pazzles Inspiration. I inked it with the different inks and curled the petals for some dimension.

Here are the products I used to complete my project
Quick Quotes Products:
Dreamscape designer paper
xx75 Vellum Silhouette
Adhesive Backed Die Cuts (Photo Corners)
Frosted Butterflies
Purple Grosgrain Ribbon
Mocha Mama, Amaretto and Very Berry Chalk Inks
Jewels (Past Club Q Kit)

Spellbinders Products
Ribbon Banners
Classic Scalloped Hearts
Contemporary Hearts Pendants

Other Products
French Vanilla Bazzill Cardstock
Copic Markers: RV13, RV17, RV19, Y15, YR23, E23
Prima Flowers
Versamarker and Pen
Cream and Pink Cardstock (For Flower Die Cut & Matte)
Adhesive

I hope this will inspire you to “dreamscape” your next project :)

Thank you for stopping by.
Melin

Celeste’s Birthday Hop

2012-01-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning crafty friends,

Today we are celebrating the incomparable Celeste's birthday. She is one of the amazing designers here. You may remember her from the several AMAZING projects she showcased during our recent 25 days of Crafting Extravaganza!

I have been personally blessed getting to know this truly generous and kind hearted blogger! If you have come from Amy’s blog then you are in the right place. If you would like to start from the beginning, please head over to Celeste’s blog and enjoy!!!

So here is the project I created. This layout was created with Celeste in mind. She is a “butterfly” person and she loves her pinks and purples. So I created this new cutting file set called QT Patootie Celeste a sweet little “butterfly fairy”. She will be available soon on PCW. I created this layout from a brand new paper and embellishment line called “dreamscape” from Quick Quotes. It will be premiering at CHA.

This is a beautiful vellum quote from the Quick Quotes Dreamscape line.

Here is a close up of the QT Patootie Celeste Sitting Butterfly Fairy

Here is a close up of the standing QT Patootie Celeste Butterfly Fairy.

Here is a close up of the pretty spellbinder medallion and a butterfly cut.

Here is a close up of the mushrooms and the spellbinders border.

Celeste, thank you so much for being such a wonderful friend. I am grateful the Lord allowed our paths to cross. I pray that you have a wonderfully blessed birthday and that your coming year will be filled with health, happiness and hope in the Lord.

So now on to Paula’s blog to see what sweet treasure she has in store for you!

Here is the complete hop line up if you get lost along the way. Be sure to hit them all and leave a little love. Also, Celeste has lined up some great prizes too!

Celeste-- www.touchedbyabutterfly.com
Heather-- http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/
Amy-- http://aimitup.blogspot.com/
Melin-- http://www.cookingwithcricut.com/
Paula-- http://purplecows.net/blog/
Monique-- www.uniquemoniquecreating.com
Kerri-- http://kerripowell.blogspot.com/
Debi-- http://fabric-ecraft.blogspot.com/
Jani - http://papercompulsions.blogspot.com
Yolie-- http://www.justyolie.com/

Thank you so much for sharing your crafting time with us!

Be sure to come back tomorrow as I debut another project from the CHA Quick Quotes Sneak Peek!

Winners Announced:)

2012-01-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Cooking with Cricut

Today we would like to announce the winner of Challenges

#65- Holidays Florals and #66- Year in Review!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#65- The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by

Random Organizer.

The winner is...Judy- Judy's Handmade Creations

Congratulations Judy:)

Judy designed and created this beautiful Christmas tag using the Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. As the winner Judy will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Judy, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.

Shirley- Paper, Scissors, Ink.

Melissa- Created by Sunshine HoneyBee

Glenda- Glenda's Cards

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#66- The winner of the Top Chef prize was chosen by

Random Organizer.

The winner is...Melissa- Moe Creations

Congratulations Melissa:)

Melissa designed and created this amazing recessed window card using the French Manor Cricut cartridge. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog. As the winner Melissa will receive her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Melissa, please contact Madison at FunkyCards @Charter .net (no spaces) within two weeks to claim your prize.

The Top Three Chefs were chosen by the Cooking With Cricut Design Team. You can "pick up" your top chef button on the left column and proudly display it on your blog.

Marica- Marcia's Memories

Glenda- Glenda's Cards

Karen- Kaleidoscopic Sparkles

It's a new year and time to use your new things:) For this week's challenge, we are asking you to use something new that you haven't used yet on your project, i.e., a new cartridge, new paper, new bling...If you don't have anything new, it can be something you recently received as a gift or may have just purchased:) Remember to let us know what your new item is and please include one Cricut cut!! Once again you have until next Tuesday at midnight to post your projects. One winner chosen at random will receive his or her choice of digi stamp or cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com.

Have a wonderful day!

~Madison - Prize Coordinator

** Cooking With Cricut **

Winners Announced

Cartridge Showcase: Straight From the Nest

Challenge #70: Anything BUT a Card with Yellow & Polka Dots

Cartridge Showcase: Spring Holiday Cards

QQ & Spellbinders Sneak Peek #3

Cartridge Showcase: Princess Party

Winter Warmies Challenge

PCW Frame Challenge

Cartridge Showcase: Love You A Latte

Something....Blog Hop DAY 2

Something......Blog HOP

QQ -Sneak Peek Summer Samba & Spellbinders

Winners Announced

Cartridge Showcase: Kate's ABCs

#68 Photo Inspiration

Challenge Reminder * FREE FILES & DISCOUNT *

Cartridge Showcase: French Manor

Quick Quotes Dreamscape Sneak Peek & Spellbinders

Celeste’s Birthday Hop

Winners Announced:)

Cooking With Cricut