{Caught You Being Good}

HERE

{My Altered Circut!!!}

Sorry there is no 'before' picture here.....but I'm sure everyone knows what the cricut's original color is.  lol  :-) 

This took much longer to get posted that I thought it would.  Not only have I not had much craft time lately which has put a damper on things....but I really really wanted to put a cherry rhinestone on her.....

Here she is in all her RED lovely glorly!!!  :-D

I was able to put a red rhinestone on the 'I' of the cricut....I wanted to see what the red rhinestones looked like against the red paint.  I like it.  :-D
I wasn't able to get a very good picture of it though, so I don't think you can see it very well....sorry :-(
I really, really, really LOVE how this turned out!!!

LOL  Everytime I walk by my craft room I'm like...."I have a RED cricut!!!"  lol  and I'm still loving my cuttle bug too!  :-D 
My cricut sits out on my desk and is just so fun to see as I walk by.  :-D


I wasn't able to find a cherry rhinestone that I liked ready made to put on her, so I was going to make my own.  I have a bunch of rhinestones that I picked up at Michael's on clearance after Christmas...and I have cherries on From My Kitchen cart that Hubby got me for Christmas...hehe... :-D  I still plan on doing this.....sometime.....when I get the time to get it all pulled together.....lol.....SOOO since that is my plan.....and who KNOWS when it will ALL be put together.....I thought I would share this lovely red lady with ya'll!!!  :-D

{Advent Family Activity Calendar Tree}

One of the blogs that I go to daily is Christmas With The Cricut .....they have amazing ideas over there....every day. 
One of them that I took and made my own is this advent calendar tree by Tammy...The tutorial on how to make the sour cream containers is here.  I can't remember if she goes more into detail on there or on her personal blog.  :-)

Here's my take on it!

I have one of those stacks of paper that has just Christmas papers in it.....it came in really handy this year when I finally decided to do a bunch of Christmas projects lol  I took an assortment of blues because that is what my house is done in.....any colors that you like would work well.

I decided to use dark blue and white for that tags....once again because I like blues and whites....also because I like snowflakes and I knew already that I wanted to use my snowflakes cuttlebug folder.  :-)  Tammy had used her Gypsy to make tags that had double numbers on them, but I don't have a Gypsy and I didn't have Design Studio at the time either (I'm going to try and make some for next year like that hehe) I also didn't have the same cart that she used for the letters......but if you look, most of the carts have letters, and I'm sure you can find something that would work.  :-)

First we decided that we were going to do family activites instead of candies.....for a couple reasons really.....(1) it's really hard to get four peices of candy into these cute sour cream containers lol  and (2) it would be pretty expensive to put four peices of candy into every one of these sour cream containers.  :-)  Besides, we really like the idea of teaching the boys that Christmas isn't just about candy and getting things.....it's about giving and doing things for family and doing things together as a family.  :-)

So yah!  I made a list of all the things that we wanted to do in the month of December....of course some were doubled, and some were really simple because we can't do something amazing and time consuming VERY SINGLE day.....I'm just not up for that lol  We did things like bake cookies, listen to Christmas music, watch Christmas movies, go on a walk around the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights....whatever works for your family.....and if you like the candy idea...by all means.....put candy in them!  :-D  That's always fun too!  :-D  Then I printed up a calendar for December of Calendar Creator (LOVE that program) and filled in all the dates since I was going to have to cordinate the numbers and the dates.....which also if you don't want to have to pay attention to this I would suggest the candy too.  I did candy for my Dad and sisters in Spokane and it was much faster because I didn't have to pay attention to this. lol 

For the tags I took the Base Camp cart becase I liked the stamp feature that it had and that I could cut the numbers out in the retangle feature also......and I figured out how many blue and how many white 'stamps' I needed and began cutting away.  Then I wrote down all the numbers and figured out how many of each white and blue I needed....and paid really close attention to the double numbers here......and cute away with those.  Then I got out my CuttleBug and my Snowflakes and Textile embossing folders.....I embossed the white withe the Snowflakes and the blue with the Textile.  I wish I had thought to take pictures of these....I'll get better at this I promise.....they were so pretty.  :-)  And then I glued them all together and punched a hole in the corner with my crop-a-dile from stampin up and tied a light blue ribbon through it to tie to the tree.  I got the tree at Dollar Tree for like $2....it was perfect for what I was using it for.....someday I'll get a nicer version for it, but it works for now.  :-) 

*I forgot to take pics of the other two that I did.  I made one if bright greens and cherry reds for my sisters and Dad that live in Spokane...it was mainly for Kara, but I hope they enjoyed it too.  :-)
And I also made one for my niece and nephew in California in dark red and cream colors because that's what my sister likes.  :-)

{My Altered CuttleBug!!!}

*Edit to post:  This rhinestone girl skull that I got was for a tshirt, so I didn't really pick the size of her I just saw her and wanted to use her....it was the kind that you iron on. 
I forgot to mention this part of it....they were a HUGE pain to get on here....anyway on the part of the cuttlebug that opens up there is a curve and I didn't even think of it while picking the placement of the girl skull.....WELL now I have a BUNCH of rhinestones on the INSIDE of my cuttlebug and not a full girl skull on the outside because when you open it it knocked them off!  UGH!  Not too sure what I'm going to do to fix this....but working on it of course!  Thought I'd let ya know incase someone else didn't think of it like me.....sometimes I just get too carried away and don't see those little curves!  LOL


Please don't forget that I got my inspirations in my previous post I did here about altered cricuts....

Okay....well....I decided to go with the color red......which if you know me and my ideas for my craft room really is no suprize.....So I finally found the PERFECT color of red!  :-D 

It took me quite a while to take her up....lol...

and not quite as long to annoy my hubby with my 'tape, tape, tape it up' song that I was singing LOL.....yupp I really am that much of a dork lol.....but anyway onto my pics for ya'll......

Here she is in all her loverly glory...........

Yupp it's official....I'm in lurve!!!  lol  :-D

On a side note....I'm still working on my cricut....she will be making her debut soon though!  :-D

{Altered Cricuts}

Okay, so just so you know this is NO WHERE NEAR MY IDEA!  I have seen ideas to personalize your cricut all over blog land and the internet.  Some are very amazing!!!  What really got my gears turning is this post here:
http://robinscreativecottage.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-newly-decorated-cricut-expression.html

She lead me to all sorts of ideas!  It was great!  :-D  I love the vinyl ideas....but you know me....that was just too simple for me lol  So I asked about one of the ladies had painted hers.....yes I said that right.....she painted hers!!!  And she was kind enough to send me this link to a youtube video!  And that was it!  My cricut's fate was sealed!!!  LOL 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA76Wh1yyMs

At the end of this video she said that she had been inspired by this gal....so I went and checked out her work too.....it was pretty cute too!  :-D
http://scrappingmelissa.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-altered-cricut.html

So I know it'll take me a while to get everything just the way that I want it, but I'll get it....and I'll get pics too!  :-D

Luvs!

{Christmas for Teachers}

This is actually the first year that I have gotten something done for the boys' teachers.  Yeah Yeah I know I know.  :-Pththth

It is what it is.  It's not that I haven't WANTED to do something.  It's that I haven't done it.....crud!.....I barely got something done THIS year!  I completely forgot that TODAY was their LAST day of school!!!  UGH!  Yesterday was The Mr's birthday and so I was SO everywhere doing all sorts of things this past week for that that my brain was NOT on teachers or that the kids were going to be out of school soon.

SOOOOOOOO..........Last night before I went to bed I wrapped my head around a couple ideas......I was already playing with some ideas so it thankfully wasn't too hard to come up with this.

I took some of my Christmas pattern paper and made these popcorn containers with the cricut machine and the tags, bags, boxes & more cartridge....this was cut with the real dial size on at 4 1/2 inches

Then I cut these out to use as tags from the Christmas Cheer cartridge at 2 inches...I also cut the tops out with the shift.  I used white cardstock and left them on the mat and used a silver sharpie and colored them and let them dry before I took them off. (I very much try to use things that I already have on hand)

Then I wrote 'Merry Christmas' on all the little lights and took matching ribbon and tied all of them to the containers.  I took a rectangle of tissue paper (I have no idea what size, I just guessed and then cut them out) and put them in the containers and put in three EggNog Truffles per container.

They all looked so pretty!  :-D 

I took them up to the school and had the boys called down to the office.  I really loved being about to do this for the boys, and the really loved being able to hand them out to their teachers, and other adults that they interact with on a pretty much daily-ness.  Especially Mr A.....he....lets say he has interactions with LOTS of people.....and they really are amazing with our heart filled little boy, and I am greatful that I was able to help him show that we are thankful of them.  :-D

{Christmas Present for Tante}

Just to be on the safe side......Tante is you are for some reason reading this.....DON'T!!!

I don't really think that my Tante reads this blog......so I'm pretty sure that she won't see this before I

 give it to her for Christmas......but if for some reason you are reading this.........please don't scroll down and see your gift before I'm able to give it to you!  :-P

For all of yous others that would like to see what I have been up to.....I finally finished one of my Christmas projects and got a Christmas present done!  Yay Me!  :-D

Man!  It has been stressful for me!  I'm hoping that I have been able to clear my head enough and with enough time to get enough done before Christmas!!!  :-D

Well here it is!  I hope ya'll like it!  I know that it's not the greatest picture....a lot of times it's a hit or miss with me and my pictures!  lol  This one was taken with my phone again!  lol

Wish me LUCK!

I also have the church Christmas Program that I am playing a flute part in that I need to be practing for!!!  AAHHH!!!

*Edit to post:  I ended up finding an idea that I will post about for my Tante that I liked better and I gave this to My Seeter for Christmas!  And she LOVED IT!  :-D

{I WON A GIVEAWAY!!!}

On the 25th I found out that I won a giveaway on http://www.cricutchristmas.blogspot.com/ I go there everyday to see amazing ideas and inspiration and to enter the givaways!  :-D  This giveaway was sponsered by http://www.hallmarkscrapbook.com/ and I won my choice of TWO cricut cartidges!!!!  :-D  I picked the Hannah Montana Font and the Seasame Street Font

And today I got them in the mail!!!!  :-D

Here they are!  :-D

he he he

{Card For Mr A's Teacher}

One morning I got up and Mr A was already awake.  And he says "It's my teacher's birthday today can we make her a card?"  How could I possible say no to that?  lol  He is such a sweet boy.....at times lol  He really does have a big heart.  :-D  I wasn't about to say no.  And since I've been organizing my craft room I knew where my things were, and I was able to quickly put together a pretty cute card.  I had him give me input so that he felt he was helping me.  I was able to use my new toy that my Sister gave me for my birthday!!  I was really excited about that!  :-D  I used the cuttlebug with the swirl folder one the pink paper and the stamp cut out and then the cupcake embossed design too.  I also stamped Happy Birthday on the bottom with white ink, but you can't really see it in the pictures.  lol  I think it turned out pretty darn cute!  :-D

The picture really isn't good cuz I took it with my phone.....I was able to turn on my camera for a few mins though and get a couple pics....so as soon as I get them on the computer I'll post a better picture.  lol  I just wanted to get this posted.  :-)

{White Pumkpins}

Mr T & I were at Jo-Ann's looking at their scrapbook papers that they had one sale.  I didn't end up getting any.....sad....I know......but Mr T saw these......and I don't know if it's cuz I"ve been talking about wanting some white pumkpins or what really.....but they were 50% off so I got two of them.  And this is what I end up doing with them.  :-)  I know, I know it's hard to see really.....but this is the best pic I could get with my phone.....and they are in front of the tv lol  I took a sundae dish actually lol and turned it upside down and it was the perfect fit for the pumpkin and then I turned my huricanes upside down too and covered them!  They look so cute!  It kinda looks like the pumpkins are floating there!  lol  AND amazingly the kids don't really touch them!  Yay me!  :-D

{Geiger's}

This was our first family picture.  It was taken while we lived in Spokane.  We were living with Tommy's parents at the time at we had them taken at a WalMart photo center.  I remember Elisha threw up on my dress right before we had our pictures taken!  lol  I used things from a few differenet kits that I had gotten from monthly kit clubs that I used to belong to and made a layout of my own from ideas that I had seen.

{TV Cabinet}

When we PCSed back to WA the old table that we've used to put our tv on got a little 'man handled'. I was pretty disapointed since it was something that has been passed down through my family.....I'm pretty sure it was made by someone in my family. Very sad. I'm still able to
use it.....It's in my craft room now......but just not strong enough to hold a large tv anymore. So.....off on my mission I went to find something for us to put our tv on.....and I'll tell you I looked for a LONG time for something used to be able to use.....I was even willing to alter something....but at the same time I wasn't willing to spend $300 on something only to alter it. I had VERY specific things I wanted out of this piece of furniture........I actually ended up buying a new piece of furniture.....I know right!......that does not sound like me! Well it had glass doors on it.....and this IS what I thought would work for us.....but the PS3 that Hubby got for Christmas was a LOT hotter than I had thought it would be.....so we had to keep the doors open anytime it was on.....and because the doors had to be open so often they got loose and worn and the two on that side ended up coming off......SO after all that I had been thinking that I would take the glass off the doors and put pretty fabric in it's place! I've always got to talk Hubby into projects that I do like this. I have such a hard time describing the pictures that I see in my mind to him. lol
So this isn't the best picture....especially since Hubby needs to help me put the doors back on lol but it'll do for now. :-) And I'll see what I can do about digging up a 'before' pic.....I was just too excited to take a before pic lol I do tend to do that. Whenever I get in the mood to actually DO a project and the kids are letting me do it......I tend to just jump in there and DO it. lol

It's SOOOO pretty!!! :-D This is actually my FAVORITE fabric. :-D It's from the Shabby Chic line from Target. It was a table cloth that I had gotten years ago, but I hardly ever use it.....I hardly ever get to use table clothes......they just get dirty too quickly lol.....so I put it to good use where I get to see it every day. :-D

{Kara's Card}

This is the Birthday card I made for our sister Kara's 19th Birthday......I used the cricut to cut out the 'K' and the crown and put some blingy glitter on it.  It goes with her gifts, so I'm hoping she likes it.  :-D

{Kara's Birthday Presents}

Here is a horrible picture of one of the birthday gifts that I made for Kara's 19th Birthday.  She really likes to draw, and also write plays.  So I took a clip board and I spray painted (this is prolly my bff now that I've met her lol) it purple on the front and back.  And then I took and put her name and a crown on the back of it and blinged it out for her since she is girly like me like that.  :-D  I wanted to leave the front of the clip board smooth so that when she is writting on it she has that smooth surface.  I also put some laminating material over it to help protect it.
I don't know if I didn't get any pictures of it......or if I just can't find them on my computer.....but I also got her a spiral notebook.....and I altered the cover of it for her.  It's in the same theme of her clip board and birthday card.  Pink, Purple, K, Crown..... :-D  I also put a BUNCH of ribbons on the spiral part of it.  I really liked the way it ended up turning out.  I also ended up putting the same laminating material over the cover of that too to help protect it.
I think this is a great gift idea for someone and I really enjoyed making it for her.  :-D

{Always}

I kinda cheated with this L\O here.....mainly with calling it a L\O....lol....This was a spiral notebook cover that I altered for a journal.  I loved it so much though that I wanted to put it in my scrapbook!  lol  So I put it in with my recent layouts for a while.  lol  My friend Korie took this picture of us during a family photo shoot of us right before The Mr joined the Army.  :-D