Fourth Annual Canadian Cricut Circle Swarm Challenge #3

Challenge #3  by BarbPoll

"My challenge is to use your Cricut machine to create 6 treat boxes of some sort to give to elderly people in your neighborhood this Halloween."

I have no idea how to watermark pictures, so I've been busy doing it the old fashioned way, right with the picture.  This was fun to make.  I used #B1453 Frightfully Fun stamp set, black memento ink, Recollections brand paper, Mayarts.com thread-web-lace, or that's what I'm calling it.  The bags are cut at 4" from Artiste CTMH Cricut cartridge, page 79, button 49 Feature key "3D Objects."  The "repeat last" button is really useful for this type of project.

I arranged the clear acrylic CTMH stamps on the paper how I wanted, then stuck the stamp block to the whole works.

I curved "Happy Hauntings"to complement the scalloped edge on one side of the block, and "trick or treat" on the other side of the block to stamp the bottom flap. This makes it an easy assembly line.

 Aren't they pretty? I was watching the time, and from start to finish, this project was done in 1.5 hours.  I raced the machine, scoring one as the cricut expression machine cut another, and I couldn't win.  But I was close!  Scoring with a ruler and bone folder or stylus makes the folding so much simpler.  These only needed two strips of Sookwang adhesive tape to assemble them.  That tape is neat, no scissors required, just tear what is needed.

They are loaded with candy, ready for my pharmacist friend to give away to customers needing pretty happiness.  I will be taking the whole works to them tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to it.

I challenge you to try these challenges yourself.  Or create anything you like, just give the end result away.  We are so fortunate to be able to create the things we do, sharing it makes the world a better place.  Happy belated Thanksgiving!  

AND, Happy Halloween!!!

Fourth Annual Canadian Cricut Circle Swarm Challenge #2

Challenge #2  by Hrvatica

"Very simple challenge here. Make a fall themed tag or incorporate a tag in a fall themed card, scrapbook layout or other project. Fall themed can include Halloween, Thanksgiving or even just the use a fall colour palette."

My entries are kind of funny because of the size difference.  I had an idea, rushed through it and they're still nice, simple tags.  Using Artiste CTMH Cricut cartridge, page 32, button 2 I cut 2 tags from Recollections paper; the yellow at 7", the red at 6.75".  I originally thought to layer them but changed my mind half way.  I chose this size to fit the not available stamp of the month #S1309 "Poster Tidings".  They were seriously lacking at that point.  So I used another not available SOTM #S1209 "Fall Favorites."  I think I used Cocoa Ink.   I used some MayArts.com thread-web-lace, and some bakers twine to pretty them up a bit.  I look at these pictures and I could've coloured them, but I doubt I will get back to do any more to them now.

Using Recollections brand paper and the Artiste CTMH Cricut cartridge, page 79, button 49 at 4" I cut 6 tags. These are made using the not available SOTM #S1209 "Fall Favorites" stamp set, stamped in Memento Tuxedo black ink, and coloured with CTMH Watercolour pencils, and smoothed the colour with a Blending pen.  They are topped with Bakers Twine from "The Twinery" from my stash.

 Again I am giving these to my local pharmacist to give away to people who would love something pretty.  They've got a good bag of goodies coming!

Fourth Annual Canadian Cricut Circle Swarm Challenge #1

On the Canadian Chat in the Cricut Circle messageboard we do an online "swarm" where people that offer prizes can issue challenges to win their prizes.  Its a lot of fun to see what everyone creates.  Unfortunately this is probably the least active year since its begun.  Fortunately, I've found some time and done all 3 challenges!  As always, click on any picture to enlarge details if you like.

Challenge #1: 
My challenge has 3 parts. As everyone knows from previous swarms, we are soooooooooo (not) very strict about our rules, LOL! Just play along, have fun, cross enter your entries in other things if it suits you. Just show us what you make to count as an entry.

I challenge you to fulfill your entry with all 3 components.
A. Create 6 cards: all the same or all different, any size, any theme, but they must be functional cards, not tags or postcards.

B Stamp an image on each card and Colour it however you desire: colour all or part, colour with chalk, colour with ink, colour with markers, colour with pencil-crayons, colour with water-colour... You get the idea. You could even go crazy, colour the embellishments, colour the paper, have fun! BUT, at least one of the 6 cards must be Halloween themed, interpret as you like with colour, season, image, etc...

C. Post a picture of your creations, and then give them away, with envelopes to fit. Give them to a nursing home, an elderly neighbor, a charity group, a shelter program, it's your choice where, just give them away and let us know how that worked out for you. This is a way of celebrating being thankful for our creativity, and the Thanksgiving portion of this season's challenge.

 This is the Blooming heart Stamp #M1045 stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink, coloured with ShinHan twin touch alcohol markers, cut on white daisy cardstock to make 3 inch note cards.  With black pen I hand doodled a rustic outline.  The image is matted on retired CTMH paper.  I've seen these done on youtube and a few blogs and had to try it.  It's a great way to play around with the new markers.

The next 6 cards are made using the "Better with a Friend" #D1608 page 9 Hostess rewards, of the 2014-15 CTMH Idea book.  It (and 2 other stamp sets) came with my new ShinHan markers as a consultant perk.  Images are stamped using Memento Tuxedo black ink, and coloured with those fancy new markers.  The sentiments are stamped from the "Artfully Sent" cartridge.  Yes, I scraped together some cash and got my hands on it, more on that later!  Some of these cards are edged in CTMH Washi Tape.  That's fancy Japanese trend speak for patterned paper tape that is all the rage right now.  Really great value with CTMH, the rolls are not stingy!  A few of the cards are grounded using Bakers Twine, both CTMH metalic, or from "the Twinery" company which I won a few years ago.

 Honestly, I don't know why these are sideways.  If anyone out there in cyberspace can help me figure it out simply and easily, I'd appreciate it.  The silly thing is that I took all the pictures in the same orientation, baffles me why blogger turned some but not all.

 The one above uses remnants from my "Pathfinding Cardmaking Kit."  I doubled it and made 30 cards, and still have scraps to make more cards! 

 The green blocks pattern paper is from my stash, unknown manufacturer.  I love how it complements her skin tone, LOL!

Here is all 6 cards, thankfully not cockeyed!  I will be giving these cards to my pharmacist and his wife to give away to their customers.  Together they run a locally owned business called Tabour Pharmacy.  They are really kind, caring, generous people.  They will know just who will need a little something pretty to share happiness with.