Going to CHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from a little vacation to Stone Mountain, and Helen Georgia. Now I will be at the CHA supershow this weekend!!!! I am sooooo excited. I really do not need anything, but it will be nice to get away. At least for a little bit. I know I will miss my crazy boys, but I think we have seen enough of each other this past week!!! LOL!!!
I am going to bring my laptop, in the hopes that the hotel will have free wireless!! I will keep my blog updated with all the goodies I see, and of course buy!!!
I may also get to meet up with some cricut mb members!! Well, I am off to finish packing my clothes, and making my list of important stuff I already have, so I don't buy doubles...
Can't wait for CHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)

Valentine Card with House Mouse

Another card I made for the card swap. I used my cuttlebug and a SU tab stamp set.. Another house mouse stamp as well, This is another of my first attempts at gamsol.

Happy Birthday House Mouse Card

This is a card I made for a card swap. It was one of my first attempts using the gamsol technique. I used the cuttlebug Happy Birthday folder, and one of my house mouse stamps..

I just love these stamps!! They are soo cute!!!

Hodge Podge of Projects

I cannot get this one slideshow to do right, so I am just adding the link... Thanks for looking...

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/marylizka/miscellanous/?action=view&current=b4130322.pbw


This is a mix of projects I have made the past couple of years.. Mainly for swaps on the cricut messageboard. I really had alot of fun making them, I just haven't had much time to participate lately..
Some of these aren't the best, but I am still learning as I go...
Thanks for looking.
:)

Americana Centerpiece

I made this for my dining room table, because I really like to have something there all the time, and since my house is decorated in Americana I thought I would raid my stash, and make one.. I also am going to use this as my entry for the Today's Momma, and cricut contest. You can check out the rules here: http://www.todaysmomma.com/ click on giveaways.. and http://www.cricut.com/ it is listed under cricut chat.

Here are all the directions for putting this together. Thanks for looking!!!! :)

1.) Using the Walk In My Garden Cartridge I cut out the aster flower at 3 inches, and then at 2 3/4 inches, and again at 3 1/2 and 3 1/4 then the last size of 3 inches. I cut these out several times using the americana patterned paper.
2.) Using the Graphically Speaking Cart, I cut out the flag on the Icon Blackout at 5 1/2 inches. I did this twice.
Then I cut out the flag using the Icon key at 5 1/2 inches. I did this twice as well.
Then I cut out the star using the Icon Shift Key at 5 1/2 inches. I then attached all the pieces together, inked the edges of the flag using Tim Holtz distress ink in Brushed Corduroy. I inked the star after embossing it with the swiss dots cuttlebug folder in Tim Holtz distress ink in fired brick.
3.) I cut out the freedom cut at 4 3/4 inches. I inked this with the brushed corduroy ink as well.
4.) Using Accent Essentials I cut out accent 18 at 6 inches, and then cut out accent 24 at 4 1/2 inches. I also inked these with the corduroy ink.
5.) Using Walk In My Garden again, I cut out the Blossom at 2 1/2 inches using Stampin Up Cardstock, in the latest In Colors. Cut out the aster at 3 inches in the cardstock as well.
I ran these through the cuttlebug as well, using the swiss dots folder, and inked them with the corduroy ink.
6.) I used flower foam and hot glued it to the bottom of the tin.
7.) I inked all the skewers using Tim Holtz distress ink in Fired Brick, and Weathered Wood. Some of the skewers I had to cut down, it just depends on preference... and where it is placed in the tin.
8.) I was able to tape the larger pieces to skewers, however on the smaller pieces, I had to use a hot glue gun. I glued one of the flowers to one side, and then glued the opposite flower to the other side, in a pinwheel like pattern.
9.) On the bigger flowers, with a hole in the middle, I hot glued a crystal to the middle to add a little sparkle.
10.) I arranged all the pieces in the tin, and played with it until it looked okay.
11.) I then took red tissue paper and folded it in triangles and cut it to fit, and covered the foam all around the tin, and fussed with it until it looked right.

I hope I covered everything I did, and all the materials I used, I really had alot of fun making this, and plan on doing some holiday ones for fall, and christmas... I just don't like my table to be bare... lol.. Thanks for looking!!!!! :)

Daddy's Boys Layout

This is one of my favorites, because it is simple, and the pictures are really good. I covered the one picture because Freddy did not want to be online... lol!! Connor was a good sleeper for a baby, and he would sleep by himself which was very unusual for us.. Freddy kinda ruined it as he got older, but once he goes to sleep, he usually does not wake up unless he is not feeling well.

This was just SU cardstock, and marker for journaling, prima flowers, and dewdrops. Teardrop Cartridge for the Title. The scroll stamps are a clear stamp set I bought from Joann's. Will check the manufacturer on that too.

Silly Pics Layout

Just a simple layout I did, to use up some pics, that really had no theme to them... So I just used them all together on this layout.. I used SU cardstock, and some of those thickers by american crafts for the title. Connor was sooo tiny in these pictures!! I love the ones with Nicholas and him, because now all they do is pick on each other... Every now and again you can see the love they had... lol....

Bath Time Layout

One of my most recent layots for Connor's baby book. I used New Arrival for the ducks, bubbles, and bathtime, and I used all SU cardstock as well. I also used SU inks to ink the ducks and mats. I also used Stickles to add some sparkle to his bubbles. I also used a white gel pen to add journaling.

12x12 Baby Boy Album

I made this for my mom, one of her friends at work was pregnant, and my mom said she wasn't really a crafty type, but wanted her to have an album for her first baby... I used New Arrival, All Mixed Up cricut cartridges. I also used the DCWV Nana's Kids Baby Boy Stack. As well as the DCWV Glitter Matstack. I used Primas, and Dewdrops (also called skittles). I used Stickles and Aleene's Paper Glaze as well. The cardstock was SU. I also used my new nestabilities... I only have one set, but man are they nice!!!! My mom said her friend just looked at the book, and cried and cried... She said she couldn't believe how nice it was... My mom bought me two new cartridges for doing the album. I think the baby is three weeks old now.. And my mom says he is a chunk... lol!! Oh, I also used SU stamps, and the SU scalloped circle punch, and I think the square one too.. I also inked everything with SU ink, or dewdrop chalk inks.

Wedding Purse

This is more of the paper line I found at the LSS. I used two different kinds, and used Mini-Monograms to cut out the scallops and shadows. The jeweled brads are from the creating keepsakes line, Joann's had. I also inked all the edges on this.

David and Angela's Mini Wedding Album

I made this last year, for our good friends David and Angela. They had a gorgeous wedding in Miami, and Freddy and Nicholas were apart of the wedding. I loved the colors she picked, and found a great line that included them at my LSS. I will have to go see if I have any left to list what paper line it was. I will get that added soon. I also used Bazzill Bling, and Walk In My Garden Cartridge. The pearls were from oriental trader, and the stickers were from the same line as the paper. The label holder is from SU, their hodge podge hardware kit. I also used SU ink to ink the pages.. They ended up using this album as their guest book. I think they were really happy with it. It was alot fun making this.

Card to Match Mini- Album

The matching card. I think I used Tear Drop as the font on this one. I used SU patterned paper, and primas, and brads. The fibers are either some I bought from Big Lots, or they were from a package. I love inking and use it quite a bit on almost everything I make. I just like how it adds that little something.

Mini Baby Album

I made this as another gift for friends of ours. This was for their daughter Raechal. She just turned two. I used SU patterned paper on this, as well as Primas. I am pretty sure the chipboard letter was either from SU or from another kit. This was one of my favorite designer series lines from SU, I wish they still had it!!!

1st Page in All About Me Album

This was all our stats, what year we were born, etc... I used Prima flowers on this, and jeweled brads from creating keepsakes... Alot of inking as well. I think this font on here is Base Camp, I don't think I could OA to get small enough for the title on this page.

2nd Page in All About Me Album

On this one we had to tell about our name, where it came from, what it means etc... I used SU patterned paper again, and the Opposites Attract cartridge... More cuttlebug embossing as well. I pretty much kept all the embellishments the same, because I wanted to make it easy, and knowing it might be awhile before I worked on it, I needed to be sure it was to figure out what I used... This is really my favorite color combo, blue and brown. It is sooo pretty!!!!!

All About Me Album Cover

The cover to my All About Me album I started in 2007 I think. I followed ideas from Beccy, she used to post quite regularly on cricut.com, and she has a blog I think, but I never saved it... She was really inspiring, and very supportive of everyone. I really enjoyed her posts on the cricut website. I have a couple more pages I did, of this album, just haven't taken pictures.. I used Stampin Up patterned paper, cardstock, ink, and I think the chipboard letters are BasicGrey, I used Opposites Attract for the title. The flower is from Prima. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder for the embossing, and for the photo corners as well. I think the brads are from the creating keepsakes line at Joanne's.

I really liked how this album started turning out, I just really need to finish it!!!

School Layout

This was an example I made for my friend who teaches pre-k. I made like 20 or 30 for her to give out at their graduation, she decided not to do their names as it would be too time consuming, and she added a picture to them.. It was quite time consuming to do, because the apples are layered.. These are not great pictures, but I did not have good lighting at our old house. I used Doodlecharms and Base Camp for this.

Exploding Box Album

I made this for them as well, and I guess I didn't take a picture of the top, because I can't find it. I used Mini-Mongrams to cut out the scalloped mats, I cannot remember the sizes, I made these projects I think in late 2006... I used Stampin Up patterned paper for this. I made it real simple, with just a few embellishments because I wanted the pictures and journaling to shine.. I found the instructions for the box, online somewhere, I wish I could remember the site so I could give credit, but I just can't remember... These boxes are sooo much fun to make, and they just look sooo nice on display.

Baby Coaster Album

This was another part of the gift I gave to them, it is a coaster album, I made it really simple, just patterned paper, and a few embellishments, there was enough room for about a 3x3 picture, I thought it would be a good thing to house all those wallet pictures you get from having your pictures done. The lettering was done with All Mixed Up.

Baby Bouquet

I made this about two years ago, it was for our youth pastor and his wife, and their first child, The onesie is attached to an envelope which we used to place a gift card inside... This was my first ever gift to someone using my cricut. I used New Arrival for everything.

Update

I am slowly coming to grips with losing the baby, and am trying to move on so to speak.... It is really hard, but I am not the first woman to go through this, and unfortunately I won't be the last... My heart goes out to any woman who has faced this, it is absolutely horrendous... I don't care if they say there is no life early on, we all know there is, otherwise I don't think I would feel sooo empty.... I do believe I will see my child in heaven, and I know he or she is in Jesus' arms, I just wish it could be my arms..... I am going to get some of my old projects on here, and this new project my sister wants me to enter in the Today's Momma Contest, so I am going to get around to doing all that.... I am sure it will help me to keep my mind off of things, especially all the what if's.... And if I don't enter that contest my sister will probably hurt me..... lol!!
Okay so hopefully you all won't mind all the pictures I am about to post, the next couple of days!!
Alright, off to find them in all my files and get them organized....
:)

Sad News...

Well, I thought I would come on here, with all the stuff I did while on vacation, and talk about that and the fun I had on Fourth of July. I know I still can, but I am not in a happy way right now... I lost the baby I was carrying last Thursday... It was absolutely horrific, I wouldn't stop bleeding, and I lost sooo much blood, my blood pressure went really low, and I passed out... I am totally devastated in every way possible... I know God gives us what we can handle but I am not sure about all this... I am really broken... I am going to try and be ok, and do what I need to, to move on, but it is really hard, really hard to still be in sooo much pain physically, and know the life you were carrying is gone.... It is a devastating cruel thing to have to go through...
I hope to have some happy posts soon, I just need a little time...