BBTB - Nut Cup Challenge

Our challenge this week over at Bitten By The Bug was to use the nut cup on the Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More cartridge. Be sure to check out all of the design team creations!


I was inspired by a lyric in the Let It Snow! song. One of the lines is, "And I've bought some corn for popping". So, I decided to fill my nut cup with popcorn! I guess that makes it a popcorn cup! Anyway, I used DCWV patterned cardstock. The foam snowflake is attached with a red rhinestone Making Memories brad. I printed the lyrics for the song on cardstock, and I attached them to the popcorn bag with holiday ribbon. Click on the image to see it larger! This is my last BBTB project. I am leaving the team. I originally joined the team so that I would use my Cricut more. However, most of the challenges used cartridges that I do not own, so I was getting a lot of my cuts from DeeDee. I wanted to use MY Cricut, not give DeeDee's Cricut a workout! So, I decided to leave the team. I want to thank Regina! I really enjoyed working with the BBTB team! I'll miss you all!

So, it was a BUSY weekend, and it's going to be a busy week! The girls have a lot of school and band activities, and we still have some Halloween preparation to take care of this week. I hope you all had a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Accent Essentials Challenge

We were challenged to use an Accent Essentials cut this week at Bitten By The Bug. Be sure to check out what the other designers created. Lots of clever, amazing projects! There is also a contest at the BBTB site. Have a look!


This is my card. The cut we used is the black divider piece on my card front. Isn't that a cool cut? I added some Karen Foster Halloween stickers, and that's it. Quick and easy card.

My girls are off from school today, and I have tons of cleaning and organizing to do. Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Dreams Come True - Dress Challenge

This week's challenge over at Bitten By The Bug was to use the Belle's dress from the Dreams Come True cartridge. Thanks again to DeeDee for sending me the cut. Be sure to check out the amazing ways that all of the designers used the dress! You will be amazed at all of the creations!


I asked DeeDee to send me the dress in red, because it is my favorite color! I added red Stickles to the top layers of the dress. I added stardust pen to the edges of the black shadow. The card front is Cuttlebug embossed. The Bill Blass quote, "When in doubt wear red." was printed on my computer. I added a heart rhinestone and red sheer ribbon to finish the card off. You can click on the card to see it larger.

I took an unscheduled blogging break, and it was great NOT blogging for a while! However, I missed you all, and I hope to catch up with all of you soon. I hope you had a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Christmas Cheer - House Challenge

Over at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the house cut on the Christmas Cheer cartridge. It seems to be a gingerbread house, but I designed it as a haunted house instead! Be sure to see what the other designers created! You will be amazed at how creative everyone was using this cut!


I cut the house using some fantastic Rusty Pickle patterned paper. I Cuttlebug embossed the roof and added some black Stickles. The spider web in the corner is a Making Memories foam stamp that I stamped in white paint. The spider is also a MM foam stamp that I detail cut. The "Happy Haunting!" stamp is from a Stampin' Up set. I distressed the edges of all the cardstock, and I used chalk ink on it.

I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Flower Frame Challenge

This week at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the flower frame on the Pooh & Friends cartridge. Once again I don't have this cartridge, and once again DeeDee came to my rescue and sent me the cut. Thanks DeeDee! Be sure to check out all of the FANTASTIC creations by the other BBTB designers. I say this every week, but they are all AMAZING!


I used the cut to frame a Stampin' Up image from a set called Pocket Fun. I think this is such a cute image! I used colored pencils and gamsol to color in the stamped image. After I framed it with the flower frame, I added rhinestones to all of the flower centers. The "you make me happy!" sentiment is also a Stampin' Up stamp. The card front is DCWV, I wrapped sheer white ribbon around the card front, and then I added a trio of Making Memories flower brads over the ribbon. You can click on the card to see it larger. I think this turned out really cute!

Well, we had TONS of rain over the weekend. We had 8"-10". Just crazy! Luckily, we didn't have any problems with electricity, so the sump pump kept on working all weekend long. Tons of flooding in the Chicagoland area.

I just also have to mention Carlos Zambrano. He pitched a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs, and it's the first no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years! WOW! He's just amazing! Way to go!

I hope you all have a fantastic day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Doodlecharms - Basket Challenge

This week at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the basket cut on the Doodlecharms cartridge. Here is my card for this challenge. Be sure to stop by the site to see all of the wonderful basket creations that the designers made. They're amazing!!


I cut the basket as well as a bunch of leaves using the Doodlecharms cartridge. I chalked the basket and the leaves, added brads to the basket, and then simply mounted everything on my card front. My leaves are defying gravity a little bit! I really love all of the fall color on this card! I couldn't resist photographing this card in my backyard with some real leaves!

I hope you had a great weekend. Have a great Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Clown Challenge & Sketches! Recipe Challenge

I have two design team projects to show you today! First off, at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the clown on the Paper Dolls cartridge. I don't have that cartridge, so thank you AGAIN to the wonderful DeeDee for sending me the cut so that I could participate. Be sure to check out what the other BBTB designers created for this Paper Dolls clown challenge! They amaze me every single week!


This is my card. DeeDee cut his outfit on the cutest double-sided papers. I chalked some edges, pieced him together, added some personality to the face with chalk and googly eyes, and I finally added some orange Stickles. The "celebrate!" is a Stampin' Up stamp, and I mounted it on pop dots so that it looks like the clown is holding the sign. I added some ribbon, a trio of brads, and some doodling around the green card front. I'm not really into clowns, but I have to admit that this turned out pretty cute!

Next, this is my first week as a part of Tamara's Recipe Challenge Design Team at Sketches! {by Tamara}. We were challenged to use 3+ patterned papers, chipboard, and circles. I love it, and this is the page that I came up with!


I used some Karen Foster dog papers, plus a Basic grey patterned paper. I even stamped on yet another patterned paper. I used my Coluzzle to cut the circles on my page, and the "DOG" letters are Chip Chatter chipboard. I did some detail cutting for some accents and added lots of chalk ink distressing. I love the way this page turned out! Be sure to check out the cards AND layouts that were created for the scrapping Recipe Challenge 13! Awesome work!

Well, we survived the parade yesterday, and it was so HOT! I'll post a couple of photos tomorrow. It's going to be another hot and humid day today, so it's a good day for me to stay in and clean the house! I have lots to do plus plenty of laundry to take care of! I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Cake Box Challenge & Big News & Goodies!

This is going to be a long post today! First off, our challenge this week at Bitten By The Bug was to use the Cake Box on the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge. You really need to go see what everyone else made, because the creations are amazing! Also, there is a contest going on at BBTB, so be sure to check it out! The prizes are FANTASTIC!

Here is my cake box. This is one time where the photograph really doesn't do this project justice, because this turned out so pretty, but I had the hardest time photographing it! The paper is Basic Grey, and I added a white Bazzill threading water punch scallop around the top of the box. I then added some dark pink ric rac, and then I wrapped the box with tulle. I inked a Prima, added a gorgeous crocheted flower (which my daughter Emily makes for me -- they're BEAUTIFUL!), sewed it all together with a button, and then added a decorative pin. The cake boxes can hold a small gift or some yummy candy. Very pretty, and I love the way it turned out! You can click on the photograph to see it larger!

NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!! I wanted to let you know that my Card Design Team time at Sketches! {by Tamara} is unfortunately coming to an end. I will post my last sketch card on Thursday. Luckily though, Tamara is going to revive her Recipe Challenges, and I am going to be on her Recipe Layout Team! Yippee! The Recipe Challenges will list three items that must be used on a layout or a card. There is a layout and card team, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the layout team! Check out the Sketches! site for the full announcement!


Goodies Time! I mentioned a while back that a blogging friend gave away some blog candy to the person who had left the most comments on her blog. It turns out that person was ME! Liz then sent me a $20 Hobby Lobby gift card! I've been waiting for Hobby Lobby to put their paper on sale, and yesterday I finally got a chance to spend my gift card! This is a photo of EVERYTHING that I got, and it was all HALF OFF!

Unfortunately, the area with Hobby Lobby's single sheets was completely empty! It was really kinda strange that they had a big sale, and they didn't have any loose paper to sell! Luckily, their packaged papers were also on sale. I wanted to get some new Basic Grey or Cosmo Cricket packs, but they didn't have new paper. However, they DID have these awesome Creative Imagination packs! The papers are all die cut, and they're just gorgeous! I'm loving these!


Then, stickers were half off! I got a package of vinyl thickers, two awesome Cosmo Cricket cardstock sticker sheets, and two adorable Halloween stamps! EVERYTHING I purchased was half off! If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, you might want to shop this week! Thank you so much Liz! I had a lot of fun spending my gift card!! Thank you if you've read this far! Sorry for the LONG post! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Indie Art - Strawberry Challenge

Our challenge this week at Bitten By The Bug was so use the strawberry on the Indie Art cartridge. Once again, I don't have that cartridge, and once again, DeeDee came to my rescue, and she sent me the cut. Thanks DeeDee! Be sure to check out what the other designers created! They're all fantastic!


I really struggled with this challenge, because I couldn't think of a project to use a strawberry on! I thought of "berry sweet" and "thank you berry much", but that just didn't work for me. In the end, I pulled out my So Very Stampin' Up set, and created a "sweet" card. I used my swiss dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on the black card front. I created a threading water punch red border for the bottom of my card front. The "Announcing" journaling card is by 7 Gypsies. I tied it on with beautiful red sheer ribbon. The "you are" alphabet stickers are by Making Memories. I added a chalk inked red flower, a tag that I cut with my QuicKutz stamped with the word "sweet", and I sewed on a button. I then mounted the inked strawberry and added 3 red rhinestones as a finishing touch. I love the way this card turned out, but I still think the strawberry looks like an afterthought. This color combination is so appealing to me!

We have a busy Monday. The girls have marching band camp, marching band uniform fittings, and then they both have an eye doctor appointment. We'll be running around quite a bit. I hope you had a great weekend! Have a good Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Christmas Cheer - Stocking Challenge

Our challenge at the Bitten by the Bug site this week was to use this stocking on the Christmas Cheer cartridge, but we were not to use red for the stocking. I decided to create a baby boy stocking, and I love the way it turned out. Be sure to see the other designers creations, because they are FANTASTIC!


Here is the stocking I created for this challenge. I made it for my husband's cousin's first baby. He will be celebrating his first Christmas this year!


I used Tres Jolie papers by My Mind's Eye. I love these papers! I created the sentiment on my computer, and then I used my Nestabilities to cut it. The border sticker on the stocking cuff is also Tres Jolie. I did a lot of chalk inking around all of the pieces. Easy as can be, but so cute! Now that I have my Expression, it's so much fun making larger pieces! I made this stocking 9" long!

I'm off for an early morning walk! I'm trying to get back on a diet. Wish me luck, because I really need it! I hope you had a great weekend! Have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Tear Drop - Butterfly Challenge

Our challenge this week at the Bitten By The Bug site was to use the butterfly on the Tear Drop cartridge. I don't have that cartridge, so I want to thank fellow designer Carole for sending me the cut. Not only did she sent me a few butterflies to choose from, she also sent me the paper that I used for my card front! Thanks Carole! Be sure to check out the other butterfly creations! They're amazing!


So, like I mentioned, I got the butterflies and the patterned paper from Carole, so I just had to assemble this card!! I added gorgeous American Crafts ribbon, a Prima, and a wood button. I also chalked the butterflies, and I adhered just the center of the butterflies so that the wings could come off the card front. I love the soft colors of this card.

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - George - # Challenge

This week's challenge over at Bitten By The Bug is to use the # sign on the George cartridge. Please be sure to check out what the design team created this week. You will be amazed at the creativity of this group! Regina also announced the four new designers to join the team. Congratulations ladies! So, here is my card for the George # challenge.


I made this card for my husband, because he is my #1 always! The papers, tag, and alphabet stickers are all Basic Grey. I love the masculine feel of these papers! The gorgeous ribbon is American Crafts. Easy card, but I really love it!

It's not as hot today, but it's super humid and it's raining. It's a good day to stay inside and craft! The girls have summer band, and then I have a couple of errands to run. I hope you all had a great weekend, have a fantastic Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Paper Dolls - Cowgirl Hat Challenge

At Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the cowgirl hat on the Paper Dolls cartridge. I do not have that cartridge, but once again DeeDee sent me the cut! Thanks DeeDee! She sent me a bunch of western cuts from the cartridge, and I ended up using the hat, the cow skull, and spurs on this card alone! Yeehaw!

I also want to let you know that BBTB has a new contest going on. Be sure to check it out!


I used some chalk on the cuts, and I added five brads to the hat's band. I had the blue bandanna paper in my scraps folder. The Lil' Buckaroo sticker is from Creative Imaginations. I added some twine around the card front. I love this card! These western cuts are awesome!

I hope you have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - George - Star Challenge

The challenge this week at the Bitten By The Bug site is to use the star cut that is available on the George cartridge. It's such a simple cut, but it has so many possibilities. You will be amazed at what the design team created, so be sure to check it out! Also, the very talented Regina is looking to add a couple more design team members to the team. Be sure to check that out too! It's so much FUN! Why not give it a try? Here's my card for this week's challenge.


I decided to use the stars on a graduation card for my nephew. I cut two stars and two shadows. I ran the stars through my Cuttlebug using the swiss dots embossing folder. The "you did it!" is also from a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The "Happy Graduation!" and "Reach For The Stars" are both stickers that I had in my stash. The photo corners are Heidi Swapp. My nephews high school colors are burgundy and gold, so I decided to add some burgundy to the card. The dotted ribbon is from Michael's.

I have lots to do today. I have a craft class at the library tomorrow, and I'm not completely prepared for it yet. I need to finish some cutting and get a lot of glue sticks! I'm so behind on blog hopping again, and I'm so sorry about that! I hope to catch up with everyone soon! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - Accents Essentials - Circle Challenge

This week our Bitten By The Bug challenge was to use one of the circle cuts from the Accents Essentials cartridge. I don't have that cartridge, so DeeDee sent me the cuts. I love the colors she sent to me, and I had no problem letting them inspire me to make this card!


The stamps are from Stampin' Up. I just love these stamps! I used the circles as frames. I popped up all three of the stamped images. The card front is Cuttlebug embossed, and I sanded the paper to let the white core show. The gorgeous ribbon is from Maya Road, and I received it as a RAK from Jen over at ScrapCity. The flower is a Prima. I just love the colors of this card!

It's going to be a busy week, and I can't wait until the 4th of July. I love celebrating the 4th of July with my family! I hope you all have a great week, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Celebrations - Banner Challenge

This week at the Bitten By The Bug site, we were challenged to use the banner on the Celebrations cartridge. At first I struggled with what I wanted to create, but when I finally decided to make a small banner instead of a large one, it all fell into place for me.


I used Basic Grey Romani papers for this birthday card for my daughter Jessica's birthday which is in July. I cut and shadowed the banner cut, and then I added Basic Grey Romani letter stickers to each pennant. I used four rhinestone brads to adhere the pennants together, and then on the ends, I added some fun ribbon. I then just adhered the whole thing to the top of my card. I took another strip of the patterned paper, and I used my threading water punch on it and I distressed it with chalk ink. I then added some Prima ric rac, a Prima flower, and a Prime rhinestone flower center. My daughter just LOVES lime green and orange, so she will be thrilled with this birthday card!

I have some AWESOME goodies to show you tomorrow. I stopped at a scrapbooking store that was going out of business, and everything was 75% off! It's very sad to see a store go out of business, however, I am thrilled with the bargains that I got. I'm not supposed to be spending on crafting items, but at 75% off, how can you refuse? My husband even agreed with me, and he waited patiently while I shopped! He's awesome! I didn't go hog wild in the store, but I just bought lots of fun stuff that appealed to me. I'll show you tomorrow!

Have an awesome day, and thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - ZooBalloo - Elephant Challenge

Our challenge this week over at the Bitten By The Bug site was to use the adorable elephant on the ZooBalloo cartridge. Be sure to check out what the other design team members made . . . every week I'm amazed at the creativity on that site!! Don't forget there is also a contest going on over at the BBTB site. Check it out, and get creating!!


I'm not sure why, but the minute I looked at this elephant, I thought about making a baby boy card. I used Provo Craft and DCWV patterned and solid papers. I stamped a circular baby sentiment from a Stampin' Up set, and I cut it out with my Coluzzle. I added white sheer ribbon and some "Oh Baby!" ribbon, plus I added a safety pin at the bottom. Once again, I just had to add some googly eyes. I think this turned out pretty cute.

I hope you're all having a wonderful day. The weather today is sunny and in the 70's. I could go for weather like this all year round . . . it's just gorgeous outside. Thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Doodlecharms - Popsicle Challenge

Be sure to check out the Bitten By the Bug site this week, because there is a new contest going on! Our latest challenge over at BBTB was to use the popsicle on the Doodlecharms cartridge. How fun!


Here's my card for the challenge. I cut the popsicle at 5", and on the "flavor" layer (cherry!), I added a couple of layers of UTEE. It didn't photograph well, but it's super slick and shiny, and it looks wet! The penguin stamp is just perfect, don't you think? He's a cool dude, and so I created an appropriate sentiment on the computer! I added some raffia and a red button. The background paper I've had for a long time, and I think it's NRN Designs. I used colored pencils and gamsol on the penguin image. I have so much fun making this card, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out! What do you think?

Off to take my youngest to basketball intramurals, and then my oldest and I are going to run a couple of errands. My youngest and I are getting haircuts this afternoon, and then we'll be home to figure out the rest of the day. I had to take my van in yesterday because the "service engine soon" light would not go off, and the van was hesitant/chugging a little. It needed new spark plugs and a tune up, and it is now back at home. It's so strange NOT having a vehicle for one day. We didn't really NEED to go anywhere, but it's so strange knowing that you CAN'T go anywhere! I'm totally behind on blog hopping (again), but I will catch up with you all soon! Thanks for your continued wonderful comments, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Stretch Your Imagination - Grasshopper Challenge

Our Bitten By The Bug challenge this week was to use the grasshopper on the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I do not have that cartridge, but thanks to Carole for sending me this cut, I was still able to take part. Be sure to check out what the other design team members created for this grasshopper challenge!


I struggled with using the grasshopper! I didn't know WHAT to create, but I am "hoppy" with the end result! I used SEI Gertie's Garden papers. I designed the sentiment on my computer, and I cut out the sentiment and a scallop circle with my Nestabilities. I distressed a little with chalk ink, and I also added some dotted ribbon. Once again, I just had to add googly eyes!

Today is our first official day of summer vacation, and it's going to be very warm today. The girls and I are actually doing some work in the house (going through closets, straightening up, etc.), but I'm sure we'll find some time for FUN! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB Lucky & an update from my wonderful weekend!

This is going to be a LONG post today. If you make it to the end, I will be impressed! First off, I want to show you my Bitten By The Bug Lucky challenge. We were challenged to use the "Lucky" cut on the Alphalicious cartridge. Please be sure to check out what the other design team members created. You will be impressed! This is a scrapbook page that I created for the challenge.


I really love this photo of my husband and I, and I had it displayed in my scrapping area. I knew I wanted to do something with it, but I wasn't sure what. When we got the "Lucky" challenge, it all fell into place for me. I do feel like I am incredibly Lucky to be married to a man that I'm crazy about, and I do feel like I am very Lucky when it comes to love, so I scrapped this photo, and I will probably end up framing this page and hanging it in my scrapping area. This page is all Basic Grey Urban Couture. I cut the flower centers for my Primas with my Coluzzle from one of the patterned sheets. The brown felt piece in the lower left corner came from my wonderful blogging friend Kristy. I'm just thrilled with the way this page turned out!


I took my girls to the rubber stamp flea market on Saturday. I met my girlfriend Kathy there, and we had so much fun shopping! It was a gorgeous day! Here are my wonderful purchases. I got all of this for around $50. Clockwise from the upper left: Bitty Boos Too (I love Halloween!), Very Punny (she mounted the sentiments on the side of the stamps -- I love that!!), So Many Sayings (what a cool set!), Party Animals (CUTE!), Border Buddies, Noteworthy (unmounted!), and four loose stamps (checkered flag and race car will be used when I scrap any tailgating photos that my husband takes when he goes to see Nascar or Indy races). I just had to get the "Dave" stamp since it's my husband's name (it was just $1, and the lady selling it? It's her ex-husband!), and the skeleton stamp was found by my youngest and myself at the same time. She grabbed it, purchased it, but later sold it to me. Smart girl! She got her $1 back, and she knows she can use it at anytime! So, I got GREAT stuff, and I cannot wait to ink these stamps up!


Here are my daughters' purchases. My youngest got the stamps at the top. The SU set is called Burst Into Bloom. She loves Tweety, so she had to get that stamp AND Sylvester! The heart stamp was 10 cents! My oldest's only purchase was the heart with the sheet music inside. The "from my pad to yours" SU stamp was free when I made a purchase. FUN stuff!

So, I had an amazing weekend! On Friday, we rented movies, and I really enjoyed them all! We watched 27 Dresses and P.S. I Love You. On Saturday, I watched Gone, Baby Gone (VERY thought provoking!!) and Juno. My PICK would have to be 27 Dresses! I LOVED it! The "Bennie & The Jets" singing scene had me laughing out loud! I just might have to purchase this DVD for my home collection! CUTE!!

On Saturday, after the flea market, my girlfriend Kathy, my girls, and I all went out to lunch. We ate on a patio, and Kathy and I got sunburned on our arms! It was gorgeous outside, and I just didn't give thought to the sun. It was such a great day! When I got home, I was able to finish up my "Lucky" page, watch a couple of movies, and just hang out. My husband got out on his motorcycle for part of the day, and then in the evening went with a friend of his to see Tim McGraw (he thought the concert was just OK). It was a GREAT day!

On Sunday, we spent the entire day together as a family. We grocery shopped, came home, listened to music while we prepared lunch / dinner, we grilled, we talked, we laughed, we watched Spiderman 3, we baked cookies, we had cookies & ice cream, etc. It was just one of the BEST family days we've had in a long time!

On Monday, my oldest marched in our village's Memorial Day parade. I walked with the band as a chaperone. My husband, youngest, and Princess came to watch the parade. It was a very nice parade, and it was great to take the time to think about the meaning of Memorial Day. Later on Monday, my husband and girls rode their bikes to the main park, while I brought the van with Princess, lots of water, and all our tennis gear. We had a blast playing tennis. We're not very good, but we had fun anyway!

If you made it through this entire post, and read the entire thing, I applaud you! Whew! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'll catch up with you all later today. I'm off to cut the grass, and we all know how much I love doing that! Thanks for stopping by!