A “Micey” Nice Day – Penny Black Stamps and Cricut Collaboration

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Sis Patterson

It’s a little birthday card with some of my favorite things: Cricut die cuts, patterned papers, an Action Wobble, and Penny Black stamps.

The mouse is from the Cricut Lite “Twinkle Toes” cartridge. I cut her at 3.25″ tall. I modified her party tutu by cutting the basic shift layer once in gray cardstock and a second time in the same patterned paper as her tutu. I trimmed down the patterned paper to make a bodice. With the small size of the die cut, I did not cut the collar. A few added rhinestone flowers, and she is ready to celebrate.

The cupcake is from Close to My Heart “Artiste” cartridge and is also cut at 3.25″ tall. I cut an extra layer of frosting and pop dotted both layers. The frosting layer is accented with Martha Stewart Coarse Glitter. The mouse is pop dotted on the cupcake. The cupcake is attached to first layer of patterned paper with an Action Wobble.

The first patterned paper measures 3.5″ square (mounted on a chipboard square that measures a little less than 3.5″). The chipboard layer gives the mouse and her cupcake a little more wobble room. The next layers measure 4″, 4.5″, 5″square. I used a variety of papers to add medium, dark, and light values. The overall card measures 5.25″ square and used Papertrey Ink cardstock as the base. When you layer on the papery goodness, you need to make sure you use a high quality cardstock.

The flag sentiment is from Penny Black stamps. After stamping in Ranger’s Archival Ink, I hand trimmed and attached the banner to the cupcake. To make the cupcake come to life and wobble, all you need to do is push the banner down. The Penny Black stamps continue in the inside of the card.

I thought the little mice feet were too cute not to include in the sentiment. The interior is combines more Penny Black stamps with a little Copic coloring. So there you have it, a birthday card collaboration of Cricut and Penny Black.

One Sheet Wonder Mini Album

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Sis Patterson

Here is a little folded album that uses one piece of paper as its foundation. I made this “one sheet wonder” in response to a National Scrapbook Day challenge from a friend.

This is the pin that inspired me to try it out and a big assist from Nadia at withglitteringeyes.blogspot.com who translated the metric measurements from the original site into standard measurements that are applicable to U.S. scoreboards.

Want to try one?

Here is how to do it.

Start with a 12” piece of cardstock and put it on your score board. If you click on the steps below, you can see a graphic that explains the directions.

One Sheet – Step 1

Score at 2 3/8” and 7 1/4”.

Now, rotate your cardstock clockwise so that the score lines are horizontal. The 2 3/8” score line should be towards the top of scoreboard.

Step 2

Score again at 3 7/8”, 4 1/8”, 8”, and 8 1/4”.

When you look at your scored piece of 12” cardstock, you will have 3 top flaps and six similarly sized rectangles.

Using your paper trimmer or Xacto knife, trim the the 1/4” scored area from the bottom row and top flap. Always stop trimming at the first horizontal score line.

Step 3

For the inner right hand pocket,

Trim the top flap so that it measures 1 3/4” from the score line. Using a corner rounder, trim the outside edge of the flap.
Trim the lower flap so that it measures 3 3/4” from the score line.
Cut a piece of patterned paper that measures 3 1/4” by 3 3/8”. Cut a mat that measures 3 3/8” by 3 5/8”. Adhere the mat and patterned paper to the outside of the lower flap.
Using a 1 1/2” circle punch, punch a semi circle in the lower flap edge.
Attach closure mechanism to the lower flap.
Using 1/4” ScorTape, tape the two side side edges and bottom edge of the lower flap and fold up to make a pocket.
Flip the lower flap up and using 1/4” ScorPal tape, adhere to center section to make a pocket.

Step 4

For the middle flap, trim a triangle from edge to make a pointed flap.

Flip the triangle, place on the left edge of the middle flap, and snip the same triangle again.
No need for measuring or aligning – your flap will be symmetrical.

Step 5

To decorate, cut various patterned papers at 3 1/4” by 4”. You will need a total of ten pieces of this size. I added a 3 1/2 ” x 4 1/4” solid mat under each patterned paper, you will need ten of those as well.

I also added an extra chipboard mat on the front and back cover so that the weight would help keep the book closed. Once it gets filled, the owner may wish to make a belly band of it – but I know her mom will help with that if necessary.

The butterfly on the front cover is from October Afternoon’s Farmhouse collection. I used champagne sparkle Versamark and Ultra Thick Embossing Power to add a little shine and sparkle.

The “m” is embossed in similar fashion. The “m” is from the Close to My Heart Artiste cartridge.

The inner tags are from the Close to My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge. I used the “m” again from Artiste and embossed again. The tag is attached with a jump ring to the ribbon.

The little books were cut from the Farmhouse paper. I also added a back of the same size and made a little folder.

This is for a special young friend who is packing up soon and heading out to new adventures and new friends. I thought she might like a little book to tuck away some of her memories of living in Rhode Island.

Here is the album opened fully:

A Pin Project for National Scrapbook Day

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Sis Patterson

I recently challenged myself recently to find a Pinterest pin and learn a new technique.

Here is my inspiration – a super fun mini album in a box.

I loved this mini-album in a box and here is how I interpreted it.

The completed box measures 6” by 8”. You will need chipboard, cardstock, some patterned paper, embellishments, ColorBox Chestnut Roan stamp pad, ribbon, a scoreboard, and a Cricut in order to create one for you or a friend.

1) To begin, cut the chipboard as follows:

Box back – 6” by 8”
Outside flaps – cut two 6” x 5” flaps

Next cut the “hinge” pieces. I used Papertrey Ink cardstock (my favorite strong cardstock). You will need to cut:

Top and bottom hinges – cut two at 6” x 2”, score a 1/4” and 1 3/4”
Side hinges – cut two at 8” by 2”, score at 1/4” and 1 3/4”

This photo is my prototype. You can see the hinges are all of the inside of the framework. You will cover all of the scored margins of the hinges with patterned paper.

If you are inking the edges of your project, you will want to ink the chipboard and the chipboard now.

2) Next, cut the patterned papers for the outside of the box and the inner flaps.

Box back – 6” x 8”
Outside flaps – cut two 6” x 5” flaps (I added some texture with the Cuttlebug Honeycomb embossing folder)
Inside flaps – cut two 6” x 5” flaps

If inking, do it now.

Begin box assembly.

Apply 1/4” ScorPal or other strong adhesive to the 1/4” scored edges of the top and box hinges and fold edges inward so the adhesive is on the outside. It will look like a “U”.
Attach one edge of the first hinge to the inside of the chipboard top flap.
Cover front of the top flap with patterned or embossed paper.
Attach hinge to bottom flap and cover front with patterned or embossed paper.

Attach top flap and bottom flap to box back. Determine how you will close the box (I used a ribbon loop over a large Graphic 45 metal button brad). Mark centers on flap. When closed, your box angles should be at 90 degrees and your bottom flap should extend beyond the top flap by 2”. Make sure you attach your brad in the appropriate location. If attaching brad, attach brad first before adhering patterned paper to the inside the flap. If you are using eyelets, you will want to adhere the patterned paper to the inside flaps before you break out the Crop-A-Dile.

Adhere inside top and bottom flap patterned paper. Check for pattern direction before adhering.
Attach side hinges to box back.

Cut two side doors in patterned paper at 3” x 8”. If you want your pattern to align perfectly, cut a 6” x 8” piece of patterned paper and then cut that in half lengthwise. Use a substantial cardstock like My Mind’s Eye or Authentique. If your patterned paper is lighter weight, you could cut the panels from chipboard and cover them.

Attach outside side doors to the hinge. Check and make sure you have the pattern aligned correctly (not upside down) before adhering. Open doors, and attach inside side doors to the back. Your patterned paper will cover the hinge.

You will also need to cut two side door panels 3” x 8” in patterned paper for the inside of the side doors.

Cut a 6” by 8” patterned paper for the outside of the box back and adhere.

Add patterned paper on the exposed 1.5” sides (the depth of the box). You will need to cut the paper at 1” wide.

Decorate top flap with embellishments. I used the bee from “Every Day Pop Up Cards” to accent the label. The labels are from Spellbinders, and the smaller one is layered on thin chipboard cut with the same die.

I repeated the same label to adhere make a closure for the side doors. This label set has a small and a large chipboard layer. One half of the label is adhered to the right side door and I used velcro on the left hand side to keep the side door closed. The flowers and leaves are from “Flower Shoppe”

I cut two pockets from patterned paper to create pockets and used Close to My Heart “Art Philosophy” to make 4” tall tags. I cut two layers – one from blue and one from black and adhered. I think the little envelope is from “Artiste.”

I will be back tomorrow to share some ideas on making the book inside the box. I hope you will come back to visit then. You can see the front cover in the final picture above.

In the meantime, please leave a comment for a drawing for a $25 gift card to Simon Says Stamps.

Several of us have joined together to share in the fun of National Scrapbook Day (Weekend). Please stop by their blogs to see more.

With Glittering Eyes - 8AM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “It’s All About Perspective” Tutorial and Blog Prize – $20 Hobby Lobby Gift Card!
Around the Block with Scrapalette – 11AM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “Tic Tac Toe Challenge and Blog Prize!
Col’s Creative Corner – 1PM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “Ease on Down the Road” Blog Prize- $15 Michael’s Crafts Gift Card!
Stamp, Cut, Create! blog – 4PM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013. “Tin Is In” theme and Blog Prize!
All Scrapped Out - 6PM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “What’s It Owl About” theme and Blog Prize!
The Non-Crafty Crafter – 8PM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “Let’s Split- CCR Tutorial” (Learn to create a split letter monogram) and Blog Prize!
Scrappin With The Bug blog – 10PM EDT Saturday, May 4, 2013 “The Crazy B’s Challenge” and Blog Prize!
Sara W. Andrews blog - 9AM EDT Sunday, May 5, 2013 “Go Big or Go Home” theme and Blog Prize – $20 Hobby Lobby Gift Card!
Scrappin With the Bug blog – 11AM EDT Sunday, May 5, 2013 “Tropical Sunset Color Challenge” and Blog Prize!
I Came, I Saw, I Created blog – 6:30PM EDT Sunday, May 5, 2013 “Did-I-MENSION???” Challenge and Blog Prize!

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe Card – Cricut and Silhouette Together Again

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Sis Patterson

I am back on the recipe card swap trail again – this year, instead of starting with recipe categories, we are doing holidays and celebrations and selecting the recipe to fit the holiday. First up for me, is New Year’s. Although it is not a traditional New Year’s meal, I always look forward to roast beef with a pop-over sized individual Yorkshire pudding during the winter celebrations.

So, using Graphic 45′s “Before Your Time” Kraft Reflections cardstock as the background patterned paper, I set out to create a Yorkshire Pudding recipe page. I found a darling Yorkie puppy at the Silhouette On-Line Store and replaced her reindeer antlers with a Happy New Year headband. The Yorkshire Pudding tag was made using the Print and Cut feature on the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition – this feature alone should be enough to propel you to buy this software (and die cutter) if you haven’t already.

My Cricut education lead me to making the Yorkshire Terrier a little more dimensional. The snapshot below shows what I did. I cut the golden fur pieces as designed. I copied the golden “facial ruff” and removed the “mouth” and “blaze” cuts to have a solid black ruff. I also copied the “nose” and “eyes” and removed the small highlight cuts to create a base. The terrier body, black eyes, and black nose are cut from American Crafts card stock in black. The black ruff piece is cut from lightweight black chipboard. I cut the base nose and eyes from white card stock. The gold ruff pieces are cut from a pale golden-peach color and I used Copics 11 and 13 to add furry texture and color. As the ears are specific to the right or left side, I found it easiest to leave the pieces on the mat, remove one, color, and adhere. Then do the second ear.

To start the assembly, I added the Yorkshire Pudding tag to the mouth of the golden ruff piece. I then added the golden ruff (with the tag) to the black chipboard. The other golden pieces were adhered directly to the black dog piece. The completed ruff piece is attached to the dog with a foam dot and another foam dot is under the tag. Unlike Cricut, there are no “guideline cuts” as to how the pieces align. So pick a few “alignment points” like the little swoop on the right hand cheek of the ruff and line that up before adhering. Then layer on the white “highlight” nose and eyes and layer the black pieces directly over them. Finally add some Glossy Accents to the eyes and nose.

The Happy New Year headband is cut from American Crafts white card stock. I colored it with Copics Y28 (Lionet Gold) and used spray glue to adhere some micro-fine glitter in the “warm” color way.

The fourth cut is the champagne glass from Cricut’s Something to Celebrate cartridge. I used Cricut Craft Room to hide the champagne bottle in all of the layers. I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch the bubbles. I filled the bubbles with a combination of gold Stickles and Glossy Accents. Finally, the polka dot label came from Spellbinder’s Nestabilities. The Yorkie is adhered with some foam tape.

And for those who are interested in the recipe, here is the link. Yum!

A Cup of Cricut Valentine Cheer

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Sis Patterson

Another paper flower bouquet in a mug – this one is for Valentine’s Day. The rolled flowers (about 22) are all from the Close to My Heart Artiste cartridge. I cut a variety of sizes from 4.5″ to 3.25″ in three colors: a bright red, a dark red, and a chocolate red. I love the mix of colors as it adds depth and some sparkle. The Snow Man is from Cricut Snow Friends and measures 5″ tall. The patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket’s Tea for Tea mini-deck and the solid colors are from American Crafts Valentine pack. I used a combination of corsage pins and floral wires for the rose stems. The Snow Man is holding a jewelry wire “banner” of beads and snowflake charms. The wire measured 11″ before twisting and shaping. The ends are attached behind his mittens.

I used Cricut Craft Room to hide the contours in the Snow Man and flipped him horizontally to create his backside. I also flipped all of his accessories. His scarf was hand-trimmed as the ends are only visible on the front. When assembling, do the front first, and then turn it over to act as a guide for placing the back accessory pieces to ensure alignment. I purchased the mug at JoAnn’s and inserted a styrofoam disc to build the flower base.

Cricut Valentine – And All that Jazz

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Sis Patterson

The exclusive Cricut Circle Animal Antics cartridge offers a whole lot of goodness. Including a saxophone playing alligator with a beret. Loved it – and love the fun and whimsical things one can do using one cut to inspire the remainder of a card.

And here it is:

I cut the gator at 3″ tall and the Eiffel Tower is from Every Day Pop Up at 3.75″ tall. I replaced the musical notes with hearts (with Glossy Accents) from the Cricut Craft Room Basics. The hearts measure .35″ tall. I trimmed the snowy base at .5″ wide and used scissors to add the wavy hills. The stamp “happy valentines day” is from Avocado Arts.

The black and white patterned paper used Spellbinders Labels Nine Nestabilities die. The Eiffel Tower and the gator are adhered to the label. The label is attached to the card via an Action Wobble spring. The background paper is from Basic Grey and it is cut at 5.25″ by 4″. The A2 card is from Memory Box (in Licorice).

The inside of the card is also a Spellbinders Label Nine and the sentiment uses Lettering Delight’s Sundae font. I used Silhouette’s Print and Cut feature to make the sentiment and added a heart from the Cricut Craft Room Basics. The Animal Antics file included a similar phrase but I preferred the sentiment to be printed rather than cut.

Teddy Bears in Oz Blog Hop

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Sis Patterson

Welcome to the last stop on the Teddy Bears in Oz Blog Hop. Along the way you have seen lions, witches, wizards, and now, munchkins – all created from the Cricut Lite Teddy Bear Parade.

No matter how you arrived here in Munchkin Land, we’re happy to see you and share some insights into making teddy bear munchkins.

On the right, from the Lollipop Guild, is a bear cut at 3″ tall and using the elf ensemble from Teddy Bears on Parade. I cut the base in white cardstock and colored in the stripes and sleeve color. I hand trimmed the shirt to resemble the munchkin in the movie and added a collar from the tourist bear. I created the lollipop in the Cricut Craft Room using a capital “I” and a circle. Welding the two together and sizing them to the munchkin bear was super easy. I used a small acetate bag to wrap the lollipop.

On the left is another munchkin with a mop cap from the “nightgown” on Teddy Bears on Parade. I used Cricut Craft Room to create a long stemmed flower (capital “I” and a flower on the cartridge) and welded that to the cap base layer. I cut it in white cardstock and added colors with Copics. I also cut a second flower on a stem and glued that directly over the welded layer for added dimension. There is also a dot of Liquid Pearls for the flower center. Her dress is from the “Belle” outfit and I added a hand-cut apron.

For both bears, I added “furry” texture using Copic markers.

Special thanks to Renee at I Came, I Saw, I Created for coming up with the terrific idea of a Teddy Bear in Oz Hop and the costume selections. There are some amazing techniques and ideas along this yellow brick road. If you arrived here on your own and wish to get on the path to see all of the fabulous creations, the full lineup follows. Before you run off though, leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Simon Says Stamps. I will be drawing one winner on Sunday 13 January at 7:00 Eastern Time.

And here is the whole line-up beginning with Renee. In addition to the Cricut Craft Room file for the Teddy Bears of Oz, she has a terrific prize available.

I Came, I Saw, I Created

Melody Lane Designs

Stamp, Cut, Create!

A Day in the Life of a Horse Bunny

Random Thoughts of a Scrapbooker

Sara W. Andrews

Around the Block with Scrapalette

The Cricut Lover’s Guide to Design Studio

and me (you are here) at Paper, Craft & Scissors.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting and don’t forget to leave a comment.

Cricut and Silhouette – Another Recipe Page

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Sis Patterson

This 6″ x 6″ recipe page uses a “toddler” from Cricut’s Sugar and Spice cartridge and paper lanterns and clouds from the Silhouette on-line store.

The young lady’s hanbok (dress) was hand cut using the “toddler” cut as a fitting guide. I trimmed her pig tails off and added the long hair over her shoulder from an “unseen” pony tail in the back.

The lanterns were cut on my Silhouette Cameo after welding the “KALBI” letters to each lantern. I used Silhouette Designer Edition software to add the solid lantern behind the white framework. I used Copics to add the color to the lanterns. I separately cut the “KALBI” letters and adhered them to the lanterns over the letter welded to each lantern. This helps keep small pieces aligned properly when gluing.

The grassy area was hand cut. I love this color of green as it reminds me of late September in Korea when the rice fields are drained and the rice is almost ready for harvest.

For those who may not have had kalbi before, it is grilled thin cross-cut beef ribs (called flanken) with a wonderful marinade. Here is the recipe link from Bon Appetit magazine. Make sure you also click the marinade link in the recipe. Yum!

A Tiny Tag for a Cookie Mix Jar

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Sis Patterson

This is one of the gifts for a stocking swap that is wrapping up with the grand reveal in a few hours. My partner enjoys baking so I thought she might enjoy something easy and fun like a cookie mix in a jar. I found the recipe for Cow Girl Cookies from the wonderful Bakerella. And while I originally intended to use pink M&Ms, at the end of the day, I needed to go with the Christmas red and green color scheme.

This project uses Cricut’s Yee Haw cartridge for the cow girl with her lasso. She is cut at 3″ tall. I used a mix of 6″ papers to create her Christmas outfit and Copics to color her boots, hair, and skin tone. I used a Micron pen to add her facial features. Because the cut is so small and the rope so fragile, I used Cricut Craft Room to add some stability to the title.

The basic cow girl cut includes the lasso with a center hole. If you use Copics or another medium to color the skin tone of your cow girl, using CCR, you can simply hide the inner contour in the lasso so that the lasso has a solid center and cut it white card stock. This will give you a white word bubble. If you are not coloring your cow girl, you can still use CCR to fill in the bubble on the lasso cut and cut it in white (or whatever color you wish) for the word bubble. Next, cut the lasso (with the hole in the center) in brown and adhere on top of the previous lasso cut.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to make the Lori Whitlock pocket card tag and printed the assembly and baking directions on a separate sheet of paper that I adhered to the back of the tag. The letters and the blue offset are from the Silhouette Cameo as well courtesy of the Studio Designer Edition software. The brown letters measure .25″ tall. I used Cricut Artiste to create the paper roses on the top of the jar and the McGill pine branch punch to add the texture.

If you are looking for a quick and easy gift this Christmas, you may wish to check out a cookie mix recipe and get your die cutter(s) working.

Baby Shower Bouquet – Cricut Roses and More!

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Sis Patterson

Here is a baby shower bouquet that I made for a work colleague.

I made the roses using the Close to My Heart Cricut Artiste cartridge and some small dowels (available at Joann’s or your local craft store in the wood craft area.) I stained them with a water-based wood stain and cut each dowel into 3 pieces. In addition to Tim Holtz cardstock, I also used some pale pink felt for the flower center, dimensional glue dots, and Helmar’s 450 glue (which dries quickly) for the flowers. I previously provided the steps on the Cricut Fanatics blog, but I am including them here as well for a one-stop reference on the bouquet.

For the Cricut cut, I cut the scalloped rose (Accent1-f) from the Artiste cartridge. I cut some at 4″ tall and some at 3″ tall. You may wish to ink the edges on your rose cuts; however, for this project I liked the lighter edge. Once the flowers are ready for assembly, follow the steps below:

Step 1 - Use a 1″ circle punch to punch the flower center. Use scissors to snip towards the center of the felt circle.

Step 2 – Adhere the dimensional glue dot to the felt circle.

Step 3 – Place stained dowel into dimensional glue dot and press firmly.

Step 4 – Press the felt around the dimensional glue dot to make a small ball at the end of the dowel.

Step 5 – Set dowel aside and using Crop-A-Dile, punch a hole in the base of the scalloped rose.

Step 6 – Beginning with the outside edge of the flower cut, wrap the flower snugly around the felt ball at the end of the dowel. Do not try to tuck in the tail at this point as this step is to form the rose shape before gluing. Once you have wrapped it, release the flower. It will maintain its overall shape.

Step 7 – Slide the formed flower up the dowel. The punched hole should fit over the dowel. Glue the base and adjust as necessary. You may want to use an awl or separate dowel to push in the felt in case some of the little edges are trying to escape.

And here is a finished flower.

To complete the bouquet, I added an owl from Cricut’s Create A Critter Cartridge cut at 2.5″ tall, and an egg from the Give a Hoot Cartridge. The egg measures 2.5″ tall. I added some shading with Copics and used pop dots to add dimension for both the owl and the egg. I hand “cracked” the egg using scissors. The small part is added to the owl’s head and the other is placed in the nest.

The nest, the mushroom, and the pink flowers and circular centers (stamped with a hedgehog) are from the Silhouette Online Store. I cut a few twigs for the nest in various colors and sizes.

I cut the letters for “Hatching Soon” at about 1″ tall using the Silhouette Designer Edition software and a font on my computer. I added an offset and welded it together to create the dark brown frame around the letters and provide a continuous support for the patterned paper layers. I cut two offset letter layers and adhered one behind the dowel in order to keep the lettering straight and adhered. I also cut an extra base nest layer and adhered it to the dowel in the pack. The hedgehog is stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink and colored with Copic markers.

And there you have it – a fun paper centerpiece for a baby shower.

paper, craft & scissors

Category Archives: Cricut