Wow! Santa was so good to me :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with friends and family!!  I was very happy with what Santa delivered.  I have owned my baby bug since 2006, then branched out and purchased an expression-next I earned a Cricut Create for free!  And now recently-I have become the happy owner of the Imagine.  Not once have I thought about purchasing the Cricut Design Software-but I think Santa wanted me to have it and I am glad he did!  I have been playing around with it and downloading all of the updates.  I think I am going to really love it!! 

 I also got some cartridges:

Jolly Holidays-thank you Carol!! :)

Yummy for the Imagine

Better Together for the Imagine

Snow Angel for the Imagine

Ancestry for the Imagine

Country Carnival for the Imagine

Blossom for the Imagine

Imagine More Cards  for the Imagine

Sesame Street Seasons

Ornamental Iron

I also got some new Cuttlebug Embossing Folders:

Winter Frolic

Give a Hoot

Simply Charmed

Happy Hauntings

Paisley

Love's in the Air

Nifty Fifties

Rock Princess

Create a Critter

Coolio

Winter Wonderland

I am looking forward to creating and designing so many new things in the upcoming year.  I am thankful to have met so many people who share the same love and passion for this craft!!  I wish you all a wonderful Happy New Year-here's to good health, making new relationships, and creating wonderful new things!!!!!!!!!!

Goodie Treat bags for students!!!

Materials used:

Joys of the Season cartridge (hat cut at 2 1/2 inches)

My Pink Stamper stamp set (Dear Santa...)

2 way glue pen

stapler

treat bag (found at Michaels)

large bag of candy

I still have about 20 more of these to make for both my own students and my son's classmates....I'll be burning the candle wick down to the bottom!!!  I think next year I will start putting my ideas down on paper around July?? August???...no later than September LOL

Here comes Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ho Ho Ho!!!  I just love how this card turned out.  I can't take credit for part of the design-check out http://www.creationswithchristina.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-16T07%3A06%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=5 for a video tutorial on how to make this sweet holiday card.  This is my version-I used the new embossing folder from Basic Grey (Merry Christmas) and added some ribbon.  I still have 20 more to go!!!

Christmas gift bags

Turn those ordinary brown paper bags into something special!  I ran out of time and didn't have a chance to head out to the store to purchase gift bags today.  I needed them so I could wrap some gifts for my sons teachers.  I ran down into my craft dungeon and found some brown paper bags that I purchased from Michaels a few weeks ago and started playing around with my Imagine.  I think they turned out really cute!

Materials used:

Cricut Imagine machine

Winter Frolic cartridge

Very Merry Tags cartridge

Mr. Frosty Imagine cartridge

white cardstock

Martha Stewart glue and glitter

various holiday ribbon

zip dry glue

Stampin' Up stamps (roll on stamps I purchased years ago)

various holiday rubber stamps ($1.00 stamps purchased from AC Moore)

YUMMY ROLO TURTLES!!!

I just finished putting the pecan halves on to the warm treats!

Right before they went into the 200 degree oven!

You can never have too many!! LOL

I love making these gooey goodies every holiday season for my parent volunteers, co-workers, family, friends, and also my sons teachers.  This year I am going to stuff those Crystal Light containers full of these candies.  They are super simple to make-not my recipe (I got this from a very close friend of mine a few years back)

 Here is the recipe:

Rolo Turtles

1 package of rolos

1 large bag of pretzel snaps

pecan halves

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees
• Place pretzel snaps on a cookie pan (I like to use a stone)
• Bake for 4 to 5 minutes (no longer)
• Quickly place a pecan half on each rolo
• Let the candies cool for a few hours at room temperature

*You can put them in the fridge but sometimes they harden too much to the pan and it can break the pretzel when trying to remove them.  I hope you have a chance to make these super quick and easy yummy treats!! 

Well I ventured out today and went to Michaels....WOW!!!  They were having such a wonderful sale.  Our local Michaels marked down the jumbo Stickles (3 per pack) down to $4.49 per pack!!!  I also picked up some Martha Stewart glitter and packs of paper that were marked down.  You gotta love these last minute sales!!!  Also...I just checked out Custom Crops (http://www.customcrops.com/) and they are having a blow out sale on Cricut Cartridges.  Lots to do, lots to do!!!!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.  Now it's off to the crafting dungeon to finish those Christmas cards I waited to create at the last minute....oh well!!!  I think I craft better under pressure LOL!!!!

A very, very sad time for our family

Our family pet, Ringo passed away on Tuesday (December 7th) .  Ringo passed away very unexpectedly.  It has been such a shock.  I cannot express in words just how painful this loss is.  The physical and emotional pain that I personally feel right at this moment is the most horrible feeling in the world.  He was such a sweet, smart, and loving pet and we were so very fortunate to have had this precious, beautiful creature in our lives for the past six years.  He provided love, comfort, and was quite the therapy for our youngest son who has Autism.

Last weekend I had my friends over with their daughters to have a scrapbook and crafting night.  Ringo laid across my feet (as he usually did when I scrapbooked in the basement) while I was painting a bird house with my son.  The girls spoiled him and he loved the attention he got that evening!  I started a scrapbook when he was a puppy-this has been the only thing that seems to get me through this tough time.  Being able to see his face helps the pain of the loss.  So I guess my advice to anyone out there who has a loving pet that is more than just an animal -but who is actually a part of the family.....remember to take photos and scrapbook them.  These precious creatures enter our lives and fulfill them with unconditional love. I never want to forget him so I will be honoring him by completing my scrapbook and making sure that everyone who knew him understood just how special he was to our family and also how much of a companion he was to me personally.  I love and miss you Ringo!!!

Save those Crystal Light Containers!!!!!!!

Wow!  It feels like it has been forever since I have posted on my blog.  Between work, shopping, wrapping, and decorating I feel like I haven't had much time creating in the dungeon.  I have a new project that I am excited to share with you.   A new video will be posted soon (I was having technical difficulties) so I decided to post the photos.  I hope you enjoy this cute, simple and great crafty project! I used Crystal Light drink mix containers.

Materials used:

Trim the Tree Cricut Cartridge (Tree cut at 2 1/2 inches)

DCWV The Christmas Stack pack of paper

A Crystal Light container

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Ribbon from Michaels

Icicle Stickles

Gold star brad

Zip Dry glue

Pop Dots

Materials used:

Winter Lace Cricut Cartridge-(Snowflake cut at 2 1/4 inches)

A Crystal Light container

Martha Stewart punch

DVWV The Christmas Stack

Ribbon from Michaels

Zip Dry glue

Pop Dots

Silver snowflake brad

 

Materials used:

Gingerbread Cricut Cartridge (stocking cut at 2 1/2 inches)

A Crystal Light container

Martha Stewart punch

DCWV The Christmas Stack

Ribbon from Michaels

Icicle Stickles for the top of the stocking

  I am making several of them for my parent volunteers and co-workers.  I think next year I will make one for each of my students.  I think students would like to find a bookmark, a few pencils, and some candy inside of them!!  They are also the perfect size to fit any gift card.  I think I am going to fill mine with fudge, and candy!!  More to come later...Have a wonderful week :)