Challenge projects

I participated in a recent online Cricut Circle message board challenge last weekend.  I should've been doing other stuff, but we won't talk about that.  I really needed a creative break.  I've never participated before, there was so many amazingly talented entries.  I enjoyed the kickstart to get busy, use my supplies, make something new, use cartridges I hadn't used yet & use some scraps up too.  I didn't create them in sequence but I will show them in sequence of challenges issued.

Thursday's challenge was  to create a scrapbook layout or card based on the templates provided.  This is my entry.  I used "Wrap it up" cartridge for the headphones image & used silver ConTac shelf liner for the background scallop circle.  I traced the silver with a grey jelly pen to define it from the white background a bit better.  The silver still fades against white, oh well.  The fancy looking black detailed stuff is preprinted packing tape, I have no idea what brand.

 I used the same silver ConTac shelf liner paper but scribbled with sharpie marker to define it better before sticking it on.  I think it would be a great teenager card.

This is my entry for the Friday challenge, to use minimum 3 of 4 colours.  The colours looked like fushia, lime green, bright yellow, & plum purple.  Neutrals (black, white, cream, Kraft)  were also allowed.  I used the "B is for Boys" cartridge for the keys.  The polka dots are more of that nifty pre-printed clear tape.

Saturday was a tutorial to make a sweet note card gift set.  I goofed up some measurements & just went with it.  For some reason the overlay papers on the front of the holder (dark green border with a pink polka dot sheet on top) are smaller than the ones on the back, hmmmm.  Oh well, not gonna waste the effort.  I had seen somewhere else people used eyelets as pivots so I thought that was a nice way to make these note cards do double duty, writing surface on the front & inside too.

Sunday's challenge was to use something "wet" like paint, ink, shimmer ink sprays...  I had these lil birds sitting around, test cuts really.  I like to do test cuts with new cartridges to check the cartridge is working properly.  The bigger bird is from "B is for Boy" the little chubby bird is from "Lovely Floral" cartridges.  Again with the preprinted clear tape for the top & bottom strips. I really like how easy & effective that works out.  The pink paper is a scrap of the notecards pink polkadot paper reverse side.  After using the paint around the white edge of each bird, I doodled with it, "Smooch" paint in the colour "molasses" & kinda want to add some silver or pearl detail dots, maybe later.  That paint is like liquid eyeliner & a little  unpredictable as to when it will be more or less juicy on the brush, but its nice to play with.

Monday's challenge was to use a frame.  I've seen tea-light holders all over the internet & for some reason really wanted to try making one.  I used my Gypsy & "Accent Essentials" cartridge to pick out a square with a circle of circles & welded 2 together.  These are about 3.5" tall.

 These are the sides of the tea-light holder.  I rubbed a pink Zig marker around the edges to soften the glaring white core of the paper.  The best thing about double sided paper is I did this project twice  to maximize paper usage & they will be different from each other.  Yay!

Here they are scored & folded.  I have a Martha Stewart scoring board & it makes easy work of scoring paper.  Plus I like it as a background for pictures.

 I've learned to use the macro setting on the camera, step back & zoom in for better lighting on indoor project pictures but this didn't cooperate & shines yellowed.  Mysteries abound.  I needed bubbles in a row so I welded a border that was 4 humps on a flat line (Accent Essentials cartridge) back to back.  This is the silver ConTac paper again, easy cutting & its pre-glued.  I like the waste paper, it looks lacy somehow so I will save it for awhile.  You can pay big bucks for stuff like this but a little pre-planning & there it is, part of "the stash."  I  <3 my stash!  Or maybe its the crow in me that likes shiney glittery things, hmmm...

 I folded the bubbles in half before applying.  I rub my thumb over the edge from the shiny side to the back & it separates easily from the backing.  ConTac shelf liner needs to be burnished well to stick to paper, especially for this type of use.

I had seen on other tutorials online to do build 3 sides, then put the base on & then do the final side.  Makes sense & it is good advice.  You can see where the paper tore away a little & the white core shows thru, oh well, nothing to be done about that.

 Voila, tea-light holder out of paper for a battery tea-light.  I have trust issues, I would not trust this to any real candle because of fire risk.  I didn't want to silver trim the top edges, I think it would make it too industrial looking.  Hmm, a scalloped top edge would be pretty I bet.  Wouldn't it be showy filled with jelly beans or sparkly raffia with chocolate eggs?  

This is the front & back of my calling card.  A calling card is a 3X3" card, sort of like a business card really. They are used to trade contact information & to enter contests.  This is my avatar picture of Boomer, our siamese-Lynx point kitty.  He's just licked his tongue after gobbling nummy treats.  My home printer isn't being too cooperative so I will have to fish out the picture & go get wallet size pictures done.  I did doodle around boomer's face for detail.  The pink circle is from "cricut everyday" cartridge but I hid the inner circle so it would be solid.  I need to make about at least 45 more of these by April 1.  

So, I've shown you my "goofing off."  Make sure to go reward yourself with goofing off between jobs too!  When's National No Housework day again?  I can't wait, hee hee hee!