Hans' Birthday Card!

How has it been 5 days since I have posted!?! Where does the time go!?

Thank you for all of your sweet comments on the My Pink-alicious Blog Hop (the layout for my husband). I told him that if he needed some extra encouragement to go read all of the comments! :)

This was for my husband's birthday (March 1st). He recently came with me to pick up doggy food supplies and picked out this hedge hog squeaker toy for Spoon. We couldn't figure out if it was a porcupine or a hedge hog. The tag said hedge hog. So I made this card for him because she loved it so much she tried to tear it's nose off within hours! (Apparently this is a sign of true love for dogs). 

Anyway, Hans also has this thing with umbrella drinks. On our honeymoon in Fiji he just wanted a drink with an umbrella in it to take a picture of and the entire 10 days we were there, he NEVER got one! So the next Christmas my mom got him a whole package of umbrellas to put in his drinks. We've teased him about it ever since. So I wanted to give him an umbrella drink. :) 

This is what the inside/middle of the card looks like:

Recipe:

• Cartridge: Birthday Bash™
• Cuttlebug Folder: Tiny Bubble™
• Patterned Paper:
• Echo Park: Summer Days "Clouds"™
• Echo Park: Summer Days "Ice Cream"™
• Solid Paper:
• Core'dinations
• Bo Bunny Double Dot in Coffee™
• Chipboard: Echo Park Summer Days: Chipboard Accents (cloud and banner)
• Stickers: 
• Echo Park Summer Days: Element Stickers™ 
• Summer Days Alpha Stickers™
• Stickles: Turquoise™
• Foam Dimensionals
• Googly Eyes from my stash
• Pom-pom: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy "True Blue Trims"™

I spy with my little eye.... and a WINNER!

The Cricut Circle is having a monthly contest and the theme is "Road Trip" to make something that can be used on a road trip.

Well by now I am sure that you are becoming acquainted with my good friend June. She has 9 year old twin girls with Autism and I wanted to make something for them. They have been road tripping all over the East Coast for their summer vacation so I wanted to make something that was re-usable and something that held their attention for a little bit. So I thought I'd make an I Spy book! 

The recipe for this would be epic so I will put some of the highlights below.

I am certainly not done with it. It needs some fun embellishing, but for now I couldn't wait to show you all! :) 

Recipe:

• Cartridges: 
• Create a Critter™ (sun, clouds) 
• Birthday Bash™ (letters)
• Straight from the Nest™ (grass and flowers)
• Life is a Beach™ (cruise ship, lighthouse, birds)
• Kate's ABC's™(jar, letters for what was being spied (ex. red, small, tall))
• Wall Decor and More™ (elephant)
• Nifty Fifties™ (bowling ball)
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folders: 
• Forest Branches™
• D'vine Swirl™
• Paper Lace II Companion Folders™
• Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy™
• Album: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy™
• Sticker Stacker:  My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy™
• Turquoise Rhinestones: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy™
• Stickles in Orange Peel and Diamond ™
• Glossy Accents™
• i-rock™
• Hot Rocks in Glitter™

I hope you enjoyed it and it inspires you to make one for someone small in your life! 

I also have a WINNER from my My Pink Designer post!!!!

Gayle, I have emailed you your certificate number. If you have any questions or didn't get my email, you can email me at CourtsCraftsBlog@gmail.com! Congratulations!

I am a guest designer in July for a new challenge blog called Polkadot Door Designs and there will be a blog hop coming up on the 1st.... 

Also on the 1st I am going to announce that I am a guest designer for another manufacturer... can anyone guess who it might be? :) I am VERY excited about it!

Betty Bee's Buzz - Monday Motivational - Pinwheels!

Thank you so much for all the Birthday Wishes! :) They really touched my little heart! :) 

Today at Betty Bee's Buzz, I volunteered to do the Monday Motivational (tutorial) on Pinwheels! The subject that June and I picked for the challenge this week! 

Never having done one, I had to look it up myself - which I did HERE. 

This is my version. :) 

All You Need is Love

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. I cut three 2" squares from the shadow function on the Cake Basics Cartridge (most of you probably have Plantin Schoolbook for this, but it didn't come with my Expression). You can also just hand cut 2x2 squares.

2. Score down the diagonals of the squares in both directions - making triangular quadrants (is that an oxymoron? I'm such a geek, I know.) 

It should look like this:

3. Cut on the score lines only half way down. This is very important for the pinwheel to hold its shape. If you cut all the way down, you won't have room for the brad to hold it... Ask me how I know... ;) 

It should look like this now:

4. Curl edge inward. I chose the ride edge of each section. Either will work I suppose! :) 

It should now look like this:

5. Using Glue Arts Extreme Adhesive Squares, place one in the center of the pinwheel and curl the edges PAST the middle and adhere to the square. This will get you a much neater looking pinwheel than meeting in the center (believe it or not!). 

Close up of the Extreme Adhesive Square middle:

6. Punch a small hole in the middle of the pinwheel using your Crop-a-dile or other apparatus. 

It should now look like this:

7. Put a brad in the center and enjoy! :) 

Finished Product:

This was based on a sketch at the My Mind's Eye blog and I will be using it for their challenge. 

Almost ALL of this can be found at Pumpkin Spice - my Sponsor! Check them out!!!
Recipe:

• Cartridge: Cake Basics™
• Cardstock: Paper Trey Ink in Stamper's Select White™
• Patterned Paper: 
• My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy: True Blue "Pleasant" Paper™
• My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy: True Blue "Shining" Paper™
• Brads: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy: True Blue Decorative Brads™
• ric-rac: My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy: True Blue Trims™
• Sentiment: My Pink Stamper: Love-alicious™
• Ink: Momento in Dark Cocoa
• Glue Arts Extreme Adhesive Squares
• Foam dimensionals

Have a wonderful Monday and make sure to play along with us this week at Betty Bee's Buzz! Create a project using a pinwheel! Come back on Wednesday to link it up and see what the other honeybees created! 

PKS Guest Designer - Woodland Themed Party - Favors

Hello again out there in bloggy world! This is day 2 of 5 for my Peachy Keen Guest Design Week.

Part 2 of our Woodland Party Theme this week is FAVORS! Every party needs favors! I always try to think of something that's inexpensive and still personable. Read further to see what I made this out of!!!

This idea came from my good friend June (who doesn't remember saying this) but I was bouncing ideas off her and she said "log" and I thought "toilet paper roll"! Okay, so they don't seem like they should go together, but they do!!! I'll show you!!! 

OUT FOR PUBLICATION! :) 

That, my friends, is a toilet paper roll covered in paper and embellished. The ribbon tied around it will keep any candy inside of the log! How good would this look with gummy worms coming out! Okay, maybe that's just me, but I think it would!

I used the PK490 Everyday Character Face Assortment on my mushrooms.

Recipe:

Cartridge: Create a Critter™, Everyday Paper Dolls™

Paper: My Mind's Eye: Stella and Rose: Mabel "Joy" Woodgrain Paper™, My Mind's Eye: Fine and Dandy: True Blue "Splendid" Paper™
Cardstock: Paper Trey Ink (Pure Poppy and Stamper's Select White) and Cricut Earthtones (greens)
Ribbon: Paper Trey Ink: Pure Poppy Saddlestitch™
White Gel Pen
Glue Arts Glue Glider Pro™
i-bond by Imaginisce™ (cordless glue gun)
(for the cheeks) Design Memory Craft: Mix and Match Sampler™

Design Memory Craft contacted me and offered to send me product and offered two giveaways if I would review their product! Today I used their Gelato that was included in the Mix and Match Sampler for the cheeks of my mushrooms. I used the blender that comes in their essentials kit to blend out the cheeks. I really liked the result!

This is what the Mix and Match sampler looked like that they are going to give away to two of you!

This is what the Color Gelatos and Clear Stamp set looks like that they are also going to give away to two of you!

There is a LOT more to play with that they sent me, but this week, I will be using them on Peachy Keen Critters. Going forward, I can see a lot more uses for these and will share with you as I go along. If you would like to read more about their products and the company (which just launched at CHA in January) then go HERE.

Now, don't forget that I am giving away a set of Critter Faces in MEDIUM  this week but I won't tell you what post it is going to be on! :) I am also giving away TWO sets of the Design Memory Craft: Mix and Match Sampler as well as the Color Gelatos and Clear Stamp! I think you're getting the drill by now! Just leave me a comment on my blog all week and I will draw a random winner of this FABulous set!!!

Check the post I left earlier for another giveaway opportunity for Imaginisce goodies! Just leave a comment on every post this week between Monday and Friday and you will have amazing chances to win things!

Also, if you feel so inclined to put my blinkie on your blog, I would be thrilled! :)