The “Butterfly Award”

My blog was recently honored by Renee (a.k.a., RockinRenee) at “I came, I saw, I created,” with the Butterfly Award.  To say that I was stunned to receive such an award would be a gross understatement.  I never imagined that anyone other than family and maybe a few friends would ever even look at my blog.  Not once did it ever cross my mind that other people would find my work interesting or noteworthy. 

Thank you, Renee, for honoring me with such an award of distinction! 

In order to accept the award, I have to answer the following questions and then pass on the award to 10 others with interesting crafting sites:

1. 1. Name my favorite color – Purple!  Why?  Are there other colors?
2. Name my favorite song – Just one?  Why not ask me my favorite group?  That I can answer (“Queen” of course!).   My boys always tease me because I’ll hear a song and say, “Oh, that’s my favorite!”  They then feel compelled to remind me I say that to all the songs.  Guess it’s my version of a Lay’s potato chip: I can’t pick just one.
3. Name my favorite dessert – Ice Cream
4. What 'wizzes' me off at the moment?  People who cannot follow directions.
5. My favorite pet – All of my dogs:  Jewel, Spirit, Dusty and Lefty.
6. Black or white?  Depends on the circumstance, as I’m fond of both.
7. Biggest fear – Being caught in a fire.
8. Best feature – Why, my winning personality, of course!  Actually, I’ve always thought my smile was my best physical feature.
9. Everyday attitude – It is what it is, so deal with it.
10. What is perfection? A sleeping baby.
11. Guilty pleasure – I’d say my Cricut, but I don’t feel any guilt over the pleasure I get from it.
12. When I am upset I... RANT!

I would like to pass on the Butterfly Award to the following:

1. Carolyn at My Pretty Poodle – projects with loads of details.
2. Tami at Tami’s Treasures – lots of cards and scrapbook layouts.
3. Gabriele at Gaby Creates – beautiful designs, fantastic ideas, gorgeous projects and some tutorials. 
4. Jen at Confessions of a Scrapaholic – lots of fun card and scrapbook layouts with kids’ themes.
5. Jan at The Crafty Mermaid – numerous traveling and camping projects/ideas.
6. Mel at Doxie Mel Designs – love the detail of her designs. 
7. Kemma at Kemma’s Cards – a new blog with some great stuff.
8. Ruthie at September Ninth – this is one crafty lady with some super fun projects and tutorials.
9. Melitta at Canadian Paper Shaper – some nice tutorials and tips for using the Cricut, plus detailed cutting instructions for many of her designs (I love the helmets).
10. Melanie and Dora at Creativity Moment by Moment – another new blog, but these are two talented ladies!

Congratulations ladies and continue creating!

- Shari

SEPTEMBER MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Window Dressing Challenge!

September’s Cricut Circle Monthly Challenge was to create a project that included some type of window element.  Additionally, it had to include at least 2 Cricut Image Cuts.

Being the fall, I was trying to create something that would fit the season.  For some reason, my mind wandered to the old Charlie Brown special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”  I always loved Linus’s determination that the Great Pumpkin was coming, despite everyone else’s negativity. The image of Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive stuck in my head, and I began to see a scene of puppies looking out the window at something.

Whenever I create something involved, I always start by printing everything in white to be sure it will all work as I saw it in my head.  When I showed it to one of my sons, he said, “Aw, look, that one is telling his mom that one of the other puppies stole the witch’s hat and broom and is out flying around, obviously having a good time.”  I hadn’t even thought of that!

The dogs are chalked to look like our little“Lefty,” who is likely the dog on the broom.  Lefty is the ultimate carefree, all about the fun, dog.  It would definitely be something he’d do. 

So, in honor of my son, Ryan, I call this “Joyride.”  I hope you enjoy it, too!

Weekly Challenge #40: Glittery Card Sketch Challenge!

Being a bit of a novice, I haven’t actually participated in many of the Cricut Circle challenges until recently.  This time, it is the Weekly Challenge that inspired me. 

Weekly Challenge #40: Glittery Card Sketch Challenge!

The Challenge: This week we want to see your interpretation of the following card sketch. Please include some kind of glitter or bling on your card.

I love the fall, which is actually quite comical considering I live in Texas and we don’t actually have any seasons other than summer.  What I love about the fall is the colors, the way nature’s palette washes everything to bright beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, golds and even browns.  It makes me think I feel cooler weather, even if today was a record-breaking 102!  So, it was no stretch to immediately see fall leaves in this sketch.

Now, here’s my interpretation of this sketch:

Now, I think I’ll turn down the air conditioner and pretend it’s almost fall in Texas.

August Magazine Challenge 2011

 

This month’s Cricut Circle Magazine Challenge was to use products from Cosmo Cricket. 

Contest Rules: Use any Cosmo Cricket product, at least three Cricut cuts, and any Cuttlebug folder. Contest will open on August 20th. Please upload a working link or picture of your project to the blog under the Magazine Challenge tab.

With fall just around the corner, I decided to create a Halloween decoration using the Cosmo Cricket Matilda and Joy Ride paper sets.

I started with a $0.99 Store photo frame:

The plain whitewash frame was painted using Glamour Dust in Tiger Orange.

Next, I added a little Cricut magic!  Here is the final product:

Now, all I need is some trick-or-treaters.