Something I just can't live without...

STICKLES! I love them, and I can't believe I only started using this about a month ago. It just makes my things so pretty! I wanted to share few cards I made, with the help of my stickles.


This border was from Storybook (I cut the backing to the frame by hiding the centre cut-out with Design Studio), stamped and heat embossed "celebrate", and I used Stickles that matched the colors of the stripes and dotted along the lines.


Here, the border was also from Storybook (I love this cart!), and champagne flutes were from Tie the Knot. Again, I went Stickle crazy and accentuated the ends of the frames (dotted them), and also used to create a 3-D effect to the glasses and the bubbles.

My recent fun purchase.

Recently I just purchased Pebbles Inc Chalk Sets from another one of my daily steals sites, scrapbooksteals.com. I never realized how versatile these things are - I can chalk the edges, just like you do with stamps. You can also go over your embossing to accentuate the patterns. You may color your stamp images as well.

I admit that I initially purchased this because it had such beautiful and modern packaging (and how many other things do I purchase because of this reason????), but this tool has proven to me how much it can add to my projects. It comes with 3 sizes of pom poms, and you use applicator to apply chalk to your crafts. They apply very well, and stays on better than regular chalks.


My two cards here - I have chalked the edges of all the words and I also chalked the border of the cards. Look how much difference it makes to a card!

(In case you wanted to know, "candles/presents/cake/party" was made from SCAL, "may all your wishes come true" came from Sweet Treats, and the border is from Storybook (I welded the edges together to make a card.)

My little princess.

On one of the many daily deal sites that I visit, Crop Chocolate (https://www.cropchocolate.com) was looking for chocolatiers (designers) to design with their products. Their idea was to attach a picture of a project along with the product that they are selling, so that the scrapbooker would get inspired and would want to purchase that item. I sent my name in and I was picked! So what they sent me were these items:



I had two weeks to design and create something. Looking at those paper patterns, two images came to my mind - spring and princess. I also had recently purchase Once Upon A Princess Cricut Cartridge and I have not had time to play with it, so I decided to do the princess theme. Another decision maker was our recent trip to Tokyo Disneyland (in Japan) and we purchased a Minnie princess headband for our girl.

I was sent:
Making Memories Scrapbook Page kit (brooke)
- strawberries & cream textured cardstock for background
- brooke floral paper for the vine
- peapod velvet letters
- brooke gem stickers
Making Memories (note)worthy pastel paper pink flowers
pink and white ribbon

My additions:
more rhinestones and little glitter star embellishment
Cricut to cut princess (Once Upon A Princess) and oval, tiara (Storybook)
pop-dots
gold ink pad
corner punch

1. Printed my picture, cut it into oval through Cricut
2. Cut vine throught Cricut to surround my picture
3. Cut tiara on cricut big enough to place 'princess' letters, decorated with gem stickers
4. Cut princess on cricut, decorated with rhinestones
5. Corner punched my background cardstock and inked the edges
6. Ink-edged other pieces
7. Adhered my picture to the center of the page
8. Pop-dots to place vine around it, and princess on it (used glitter star for the wand)
9. Put the ribbon across the page, and used pop-dots to place the "princess" tiara
10. Placed flowers on some vines, and placed rhinestones in the middle.

Here's my final picture of what it looked like:























Close up (I love the 3-D effect):



Then I decided to enter my layout to the Cricut Customer Project Spotlight - and I won!!!!
I was featured in their Cricut Chirp Newletter on April 27, 2010. http://www.cricut.com/newsletters/volume.aspx?ID=250

I won a Cricut cartridge and I chose Create a Critter. Let's see what I can make now.