Your Last First Day of School, 12x12 Layout (12x24) -- Batman, Learning Curve, Making the Grade

Click on the photo to enlarge!! :)

Well, it's the very first layout that I've ever posted complete with pictures...  Why did I post it with pictures?  Or why don't I usually post with pictures?  Well...  both answers are a little bit involved, but I think the first question is super-important for this particular layout...

I created this layout for the Paper Cutz Challenge #89 (anything goes) AND Challenge #33 -- Journaling over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges...  Recently, I noticed that LMLC was having a DT call...  I love creating layouts.  Of anything I make, the layouts are the most rewarding for me...  I love getting an idea and watching it come together...  This is very therapeutic for me because I am not able to do the whole 'idea-in-my-head-make-it-happen-in-real-life' thing with anything else!!  My mom can look at a room and redesign it into something amazing...  I look at the kitchen table (the catch-all for everyone's STUFF as they walk through) and decide I should just go back to bed, as I may never find the bottom of the pile, and I certainly don't have a clue where to put the stuff in the meantime!!  LOL...  But with layouts, I can see the finished product and I L-O-V-E working towards it...

The Journaling challenge at LMLC was actually the one I was most looking forward to doing...  There's something about journaling that really finishes off a page for me...  In some cases it completes the story and makes the memory much more vivid...  In a case like this layout, it allowed me to say things I want The-Girl-Child to know about how I felt that day...  This wasn't a challenge I could do up ahead of time without having the pictures for it yet, so I embraced the fact that I would be allowing you to see The-Girl-Child through my eyes...

As she stood on the porch and posed for the last pictures I would take of her on her first day of school, I saw her as that little kindergartener waiting for the bus with her big brother...  She's since ditched the 45-minute bus ride for a 6-minute drive on her own (she was even gracious enough to pause for a picture as she got into the car -- there's one as she's pulling out of the driveway and driving down the road too, but I saved those for another page!!)...  I also remember realizing that she really was a young lady now -- with a future full of opportunities and adventures!!

Sure, I still pack her lunch every day (exactly as she likes it with even numbers of everything, including the egg full of jelly beans that hopefully surprised her today!), even though she's capable of doing it herself the night before...  There's just something about sending a part of myself with her to school each day...

So as I worked on this layout to fulfill the four challenge requirements to apply for a DT position at LMLC, I decided this wasn't a layout that would speak without the pictures...  And journaling really is about speaking to everyone who sees your precious memories...  I personally prefer to handwrite all of my journaling -- There is nothing so precious to me as receiving a card or letter with a family member's or friend's familiar scrawl across the envelope...  Because of this, I try to use my own writing when I journal -- This way, I feel that every time a loved one looks through a scrapbook that I made, it will be like I'm right there with them...

On to the details of my layout...  I love creating great big die cuts for my pages!!  I found this apple on the Making the Grade Cricut Cartridge -- How perfect!!  There was a (red) leaf attached to it, but I cut that off and hand cut a green one instead...  I added a fold line down the center and some wrinkles to make it look 'real' and finished it off by adding some pop dots to give it some dimension on the page...

That fantastic lined paper is from the Creative Memories Cheerful School 12x12 Additions...  The fact that it's rainbow colored will not escape The-Girl-Child, for 'rainbow' is her favorite color!! :)  The "your LAST" is the font found on the Batman Cricut Cartridge (also great for POW!, BAM!, and Kazowie! should you need those phrases for a layout!!), and the "1st Day of School" is the base font on the Learning Curve Cricut Cartridge.

Page two of this layout features The-Girl-Child's silly personality, but no Cricut cuts...  The journal box was created using the coordinating photo mat paper from the Cheerful School Additions and was accented with some glitter brads from Stampin' Up!...

That awesome cardstock sticker can also be found in the School Additions (as well as a host of other photo mats, more paper, and a whole bunch of stickers and phrases!).

There is a pull out tag behind the top left picture...  I sometimes add these in case I think of something later that I really want to say on a finished layout...

I hope you have enjoyed this peek at The-Girl-Child through my eyes...  And I hope you've found some inspiration to do some journaling of your own...  The real reward for me comes when both of my kiddos will sit and read every word I've written over and over again...

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  If you have any questions about the layout, or if you'd like to share a thought, please leave a comment...  And if you have a blog, be sure to leave a link as I'd love to come and visit you too...  Until next time,

Easter Blessings 12x12 Layout -- Don Juan, Cindy Loo

This may be my last Easter layout/project for the year...  Since Easter was so late this year, I feel like I've worked on many layouts, cards, and projects (though admittedly, I did have a blast making the Easter Basket Explosion Box-- found HERE, if you haven't seen it yet)...  I may change my mind in a day or two when I'm inspired to create something with a rabbit, but for now....  :)

This layout was created for Challenge #34 - Easter Theme over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges...  I recently discovered that they were having a DT call there...  To apply for the DT, you had to complete all four challenges from this month (due today at noon)...  I suppose I would have benefited from learning about the DT call earlier in the month, but even one of my favorite bloggie buddies (Girlia) can tell ya that I thrive on doing things 'in a dash'!!  LOL!!  :)  I've only entered one or two of their challenges previously, but I would love the opportunity to work on more layouts on a regular basis -- And sometimes it seems like I need that commitment to get it done!! :)  I've really enjoyed seeing all of the layouts and inspiration posted over there...  Please pop on over there to check out the amazing DT creations and to see what everyone else created too!!  :)

For my layout, I used the BRAND NEW 'Fabulous' Power Palette from Creative Memories...  The 'lace' background (cut from a 12x12 piece of white cardstock) can be found on the Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge.  I used my Gypsy to cut it as large as possible (about 11.5").

The title was cut at 1.75" with the Don Juan Cricut Cartridge using the base font plus the shadow feature.  I topped the title with some wide ivory ribbon and added some punched flowers with pearl centers...

Easter certainly was a blessing this year...  Not just the day either, but the whole season of Easter...  It's so easy to get caught up in certain moments and forget what the rest of the moments are made up of...  I sometimes find myself complaining about the one bad thing that happened in the day when the rest of the day was absolutely fantastic...  This was my inspiration for my 'Easter Blessings' layout this morning...  The-Girl-Child and I spent Easter Sunday afternoon with The-Grandparents...  My parents generously offered to take us to see Mamma Mia (as part of the Broadway Across America tour) for Easter...  We love musicals.  I'd choose a day at the theater over a ham dinner any day, even on Easter!!  We had already had an amazing morning -- The-Boy-Child was home for the weekend (after thinking that he wouldn't be able to with his track schedule) so we had a HUGE breakfast with cinnamon waffles, eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and orange juice!!  We had no traffic and great parking when we arrived in Pittsburgh!!  My mom and I danced in the aisle during the musical!!  But ya know what didn't go just right???  I didn't take a single picture all day long.  Can ya believe that???

So when I learned that one of the four challenge requirements to apply for the DT at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges was to create an Easter layout, I went on a hunt for Easter pictures left over from ANY other year...  Nothing.  Apparently I really enjoy finishing the pages with colored eggs and Easter dresses right away!!  Despite the fact that (until today) I don't post layouts complete with pictures, I DO actually like to create my layouts with pictures in mind...  Since I use Creative Memories software to edit and crop my photos, I never worry about needing a certain size for a certain page -- I know that I can edit any picture to fit exactly where I need it...  This allows me to finish layouts before actually having the pictures in hand...  It also allows me to scrapbook what inspires me instead of feeling like everything has to be finished chronologically (um, sorry, I run out of mojo to plan another track, cross country, or fun run layout after about 5 or 6 or 1 in a row!!  I know they'll get done, but I'd like to work on some pretty pictures with bright dresses and flowers in between all the rainy, muddy track meets from this year!!)...

Anyhoo...  Although the layout didn't have to specifically be Easter pictures, I was inspired to create a true Easter layout because I wanted to remember the blessings of Easter...  Any 4x6 photo of my kiddos will do...  Or perhaps a photo that includes The-Grandparents too...  I mean, those four people are Easter blessing enough...  I could continue to count my blessings for you, but I'll go do that on my own now. :)

Until next time, may all your moments be a blessing...

Spring Means... Prom, of course!! :) - Opposites Attract, Walk In My Garden

How do you incorporate Spring into your layouts?  Do you use colors that seem more 'springy'?  Do you add flowers? Birds? Bees?  And do you find yourself drawn to any particular occasion to scrapbook about as Spring approaches? 

For me, Spring for the past four years has meant something pretty important to my kiddos...  PROM!!  And I'm always excited when I realize that I have some pictures with bright, colorful dresses to scrapbook!!  YAY!!  Of course, I realize that this year prom will mean something else to me too...  It's the only year I had to buy a dress for The-Girl-Child, and it's the last year we'll be involved in Prom activities...  I mean, I'm sure there will be other proms when a friend's son or daughter is going, but it's the last prom for either of my kiddos...

Now, The-Boy-Child was never that much of a fan of prom...  He attended a few years ago (I have the pictures to prove it!), but he spent prom night of his senior year doing something he enjoyed a whole lot more -- running (I have the pictures to prove that too!)!!  That was a fun driving night for me -- home for prom pictures with The-Girl-Child followed by a quick drive south of Pittsburgh for a big ole track invite with The-Boy-Child...  But I digress...

The-Girl-Child, on the other hand, has definitely enjoyed a prom or three...  And it's a great chance for me to see her really, really dressed up (she claims to really like uggs and sweat pants)...  For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting The-Girl-Child, let me tell you a little about her...  She's kind and generous and eager to help a friend in need...  She's dedicated and loyal...  She's determined and confident...  Sometimes I sit and wonder how she could possibly be my child -- I certainly cannot claim to be the one who taught her all of those things!!

When The-Girl-Child was a high-school freshman, and at the beginning of the season of semi-formal and formal dances, she told me that she had a plan to NOT buy a single dress for any event until her senior prom...  What???  What girl-child doesn't want a new gown or dress for a special occasion???  Even I, her unfashionable mother who really isn't too keen on shopping, like to treat myself to a dressy-dress every once in a while!!  I quickly realized, as each dance drew near, that MY girl-child was probably the only one who made this commitment...  However, the other girls were quick to offer their dresses from previous years!!  Their moms were ecstatic to see these dresses out of the closets and getting a little more use!!  The-Girl-Child had a selection of dresses for each dance that was actually BETTER than any clothing store could offer...  And she was almost guaranteed to not have the same dress on as anyone else!!  :)

But for this year's prom, she was to have a brand new dress...  And a beautiful new dress it is!!  And knowing that I would want to include a few pictures of the prom events in her graduation album, I created this layout for the occasion...

The pictures she takes with her friends are always important to her -- Several of her closest friends are the same friends she's had since kindergarten or earlier!!

I cut the 'Friends are a special hug from God' title from the Opposites Attract and Jasmine Cricut Cartridges.  The 'PROM 2011' was also cut with Opposites Attract.  The yellow flowers were cut at 1" using the Walk In My Garden Cricut Cartridge.  The yellow photo mats were embossed using the Cuttlebug 'Textile' embossing folder (one of my favorites).  The purple and teal flowers were punched with my Friendship Maker and Meadow Maker punches from Creative Memories.  I like to use pre-measured cardstock pieces as picture-place-holders when I'm creating a layout that I don't already have the pictures for...  This allows me to quickly crop my photos within my photo editing software and ensure I have the perfect size print for the page I'm working on.

I hope you have enjoyed my Spring-inspired layout today...  I am entering this layout for the 'Spring is in the air' challenge over at "Lasting Memories" Layout Challenges...  I hope you'll pop on over there and see what everyone else created too...  Your comments are also appreciated and enjoyed, so please leave me your thoughts (and your blog address if you have one -- I love visiting those who visit me!!)...

Until next time,

Celebrate The Occasion Challenge #11 -- Celebrating Mother's Day!!

12x12x2 layout :)  Background paper is CM's Delight Tone-on-Tone

Woot-woot!!  One of my favorite things to celebrate is my most spectacular mother!!  For those of you who know me personally or have followed me for a bit, you know that my mom is one of my most important people!!  I feel extremely blessed to have a very close and very wonderful relationship with my mom...  When I am having a bad day, I know that my mom is always there for me...  And when I am having a wonderful day, I know that my mom probably has something to do with it...  It's just who she is...

Fonts: 'like' from Calligraphy Collection, 'Mother' from Cindy Loo

So this week over at Celebrate The Occasion, the challenge is all about Mothers and that special day in May that's just for celebrating them!!  As I thought about what I wanted to make, it's no surprise that my inspiration came directly from my mom...  Sometimes when I'm in a creative rut, I talk to her about what I'm working on or need to finish...  Many times, she'll throw out an idea, and I'll grab it and run with it!!  :)

White 'lace' border cut from Cindy Loo

As I get older and my own children have grown and changed into 'little' adults, I've noticed how many things I have in common with my mom...  On a recent scrapbooking weekend, I found myself tapping my foot and singing along to Doo-Wop music right along side my mom...  On Easter Sunday, I found myself dancing in the aisles (literally) during Mamma Mia (the musical) right along side my mom...  And don't tell her, but earlier today, I thought I might actually look forward to the next sunny day when I could pull out the lawn mower and work out in the yard (which is exactly what she did in her neck of the sunny neighborhood today -- while we had nothin' but rain!)...  So you see, as this Mother's Day approaches, I realize that 'like Mother, like Daughter' really means so much to me...  I'd love to be the kind of mom my own mom is...  Dependable, courageous, and strong...  I might even learn to enjoy making mud pies and playing in the dirt...  But let's keep that our little secret for now, k?

Glossy Accents add dimension and shine...  Sheer blue ribbon creates the border for the 'lace' cut...

So whatever it means to you to celebrate Mother's Day, I hope you'll head over to Celebrate The Occasion and join in on the fun with a card, layout, or project...  You have until Sunday, May 1st at 11:59pm to link up your project...  If you're looking for even more fantastic inspiration, be sure to visit my very talented Design Team #1 sisters...  You'll find their projects over at CTO...  Or create your own blog hop and click on the links below to visit their blogs and leave them a little love (you'll be glad ya did!) ~~ Leave a comment HERE and on each of the DT#1 CTO projects, and I'll pick a lucky winner for some surprise Blog Candy (all entries due by Sunday, May 1st at 11:59pm)!! YIPPEE!!  (but I can promise you it won't be the 1152 jelly beans from my jelly bean jar cuz The-Boy-Child was home for Easter...)

Gigi 

Ivette 

Nicole 

Melissa 

Girlia 

Kimberly 

Linda 

Lisa 

Mary
Paper Panther

Flowers from CM's Delight Power Palette, leaves punched with SU!'s Build-a-blossom punch

What about that sketch I used???  Yup, my second sketch completed...

LMLC Challenge #35

I'm also entering this layout in the Lasting Memories Layout Challenges: Challenge #35...  I really enjoyed creating something with this sketch...  I might just have to try another!! :)  It's always fun to see what others come up with for the sketches...  I still keep mine pretty close to exactly what the sketch is...  But by changing the colors and papers used, I can see how versatile this sketch really can be!!  To try out the sketch challenge yourself, be sure to pop over to LMLC...

Have you visited Flaunt It Fridays yet?  This week's challenge (challenge #20) is an "Anything Goes" using the Cindy Loo Cartridge!!  I used the beautiful font found on Cindy Loo for my layout...  I also cut that wonderful lace border from Cindy Loo (I used my Gypsy to weld two of the borders together to make it 11.5" wide)...  This is my first time using Cindy Loo, and I'm so thankful that my bloggie friend Jennifer (Musings of a Crafty Mom) introduced me to this font with one of her AMAZING party decoration posts (Hello Kitty on March 12)...

Yippee, skippy (as my friend, Ann, used to say)... I'm so excited to enter my layout into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #57 "Mom's The Word"!!  They asked participants to create a special project for mom and include the word 'Mom' (or Mommy, Mother, Mum, etc.) on the finished item...

Over at the Cricut Circle Blog, the challenge is to create a scrapbook page about you and your mom (or you and one of your children) and must have at least 2 Cricut image cuts...

What???  One more challenge???  Yep, that's right!!  For challenge #88 at Paper Cutz Challenge, make a card, layout, or project using pink, green, blue, purple, and white ONLY (you can use a small touch of black too if desired)...

Now get crackin'...  It's time to let that creativity flow and join in on the FUN!! :)  Until next time, I hope you'll find many moments to Celebrate The Occasion-- whatever the occasion may be...

Scrappin' Chics Challenge Blog -- 100 Follower Giveaway!!

There's a brand new challenge blog on the block!!  Have you stopped over to visit yet?  Jen and Kimmarie have this to say about their brand new Challenge Blog:

"This Challenge Blog is a place where we will have challenges and prizes for the winners. Our challenges will run for approximately one month.  The first challenge winner will be chosen by Jen and Kimmarie and then the winner each month will get to choose the challenge theme for the next month.  This is going to be a fun place where we can all be inspired by other scrappers!!!  "Our first challenge will start May 1st!" 

Right now, Scrappin' Chics Challenge Blog is having a 100 Follower Giveaway!!  Be sure to pop on over there and sign up to WIN!!  For all the details, CLICK HERE!!

WINNERS!! WINNERS!! WINNERS!! :)

I would like to thank everyone who stopped by this weekend for BOTH of the Blog Hops I was participating in!!  I would also like to thank both Rhonda and Misty for the opportunity to take part in such FUN Blog Hop events!!  Now, on to the winners....

"All Creatures Great & Small" Blog Hop Winner:
Random.org selected #25...  Kathie  from Kathlee's Snippets & Cricuts will be receiving some fun 'Critter'-themed card-making candy!!

"It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Day #1 Winner:
 Random.org selected #20...  Paper Panther from Purple Peeps Techniques will be receiving some fun 'Easter'-themed card-making candy!!

"It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Day #2 Winner:
Random.org selected #15...  Judy Evors from Living Life and Loving It Every Day will be receiving 6 sheets of 12x24 vinyl!!  Looks like you're gonna get to try out a project with vinyl sooner than ya thought!!  :)

And, FINALLY, The-Girl-Child was SUPER excited to learn that someone was ONLY 21 Jelly Beans away from the actual number in the jar...  Before I tell ya who guessed so ridiculously close, lemme tell ya how the Jelly Bean guessing came about...

 (insert dramatic music here for effect)...
There we were (The-Girl-Child and I) wandering the Easter Candy aisles of Walmart...

For those of you that don't know her personally, T-G-C really LOVES rainbows and peace signs (yeah, when asked her favorite color...  she responds 'rainbow!')...  So there, just at her eye level (and above mine), is a whole box of peace-sign gummy lollipops in rainbow colors...

"Oh, mom!!  LOOK!!  A rainbow-peace-sign-lollipop!!  Oh, pleeeeeeeeeease, can I get this?" (keep in mind that we were nearing the END of our shopping trip, so she had already snuck PLENTY into the basket...)...  And then I saw the Jelly Beans...

And I said...  "You can get that lollipop (that you will probably never eat) if you count all the Jelly Beans that are going in that jar for the Blog Hop on Saturday."  ... I thought she'd ponder it for at least a moment...  I thought she'd think about how large the jar was and the fact that I was buying MANY bags of Jelly Beans...  I thought she'd think I was crazy for the request...  Nope.  Not even a millisecond of a pause...   "OK!!  Yessssss!!"

And I've got to say...  It was the best buck (yes, ONE single dollar!) that I've ever spent...  Cuz I sure didn't want to count all those Jelly Beans!!  :)

But anyway...  Had The-Girl-Child only eaten 21 of those Jelly Beans, KATE from Small Bits of Paper would have been right on with her guess of 1131 (cuz there really are 1152 Jelly Beans in that jar -- FOUR whole bags of Jelly Bean goodness!)!!  Congrats, Kate!!  T-G-C wants to send you a very special gift for having the closest guess (sorry, I told her she couldn't send you the whole jar of Jelly Beans...  it's, like, 40 bucks in postage to Canada, but she'll select something good, I'm sure!!)!!

Congrats to all the winners!!  Please remember -- You have SEVEN (7) days to claim your prize or the monkeys at the zoo, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy have a shot at your goodies!!  :)  Email your address to scrapbookingwithamy at gmail dot com...

Until next time, enjoy some Jelly Beans for me!!  :)

It's a Basket Case Blog Hop Day 2 -- Jellybean Jar!!

*** If you are here for the "All Creatures Great & Small" Blog Hop (hosted by Misty), please scroll down or CLICK HERE!! ***

*** If you would like to enter to win the Blog Candy for Day 1 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop, please scroll down or CLICK HERE!! ***

~~All entries for Blog Candy for these two hops are due by 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 17th~~

Welcome, welcome, welcome back to Day 2 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop presented by the very-talented Rhonda of Scrap Happens!!  I am so excited and honored to be a part of Rhonda's very first blog hop (thank you, Rhonda!)!!  If you are hopping along with us today, and you've arrived from Serenity Scrappers, then you are in the right place!!  If you've just happened upon my blog by chance, you'll definitely want to START HERE to hop along with us and see all of the amazingly creative projects my blogger buddies have designed for you both yesterday AND today (if you get lost along the way, you can find the whole Blog Hop list below)!!  Be sure to leave a comment if you like what you see, as I have some Blog Candy for you to win (details below)!!  Now onto my project...

This hop is all about baskets and sweet treats, so I decided to create a useful and fun item for today's hop...

It's a Jellybean Jar!!  Now isn't that incredibly useful???  There are at least enough jellybeans in that jar to last a week or so...  Two weeks if I hide it from The-Girl-Child!!  :)  Does anybody else go a little nuts on jellybeans and chocolate at this time of the year???  I gotta tell ya -- I'm pretty crazy about Reese's Peanut Butter EGGS...  I can live without the regular ole cups, but those eggs are irresistible (thus the reason I refuse to purchase them!)...  Yum.

This plain glass-look-alike jar (it's this awesome shatterproof acrylic!!) can be found at Walmart for about $7...  It doesn't photograph too well (I just couldn't seem to get the light right today, so I apologize if you have to squint to see the details), but it's wonderful for jellybeans!!  :)

I used light pink, light purple, light yellow, and hunter green vinyl for my decals...  If you haven't tried to cut vinyl on your Cricut yet, please know that it's extremely easy to work with!!  I recommend doing something that doesn't require much layering or that doesn't 'have' to be perfect the first few times, as it does take some adjustment time to work with how thin the vinyl is...  But give it a shot on a few projects (my first project consisted of about 30 yard signs, double sided, with five lines of text EACH!), and you'll be a pro in no time!!

At my Cricut classes, I give a very brief intro to vinyl...  Everyone is always surprised at how fun and easy it is to work with...  Everyone is also surprised to learn that my favorite 'transfer' material is actually 'Frog Tape' (it's painter's tape, it's green, it comes in its very own container, and you can find it in popular home improvement stores)...  You can spend plenty of money on the 'official' transfer tape, or you can pick up some Frog Tape...  Yeah, you can't see through it, but nothing beats the low-tack, no residue convenience of this stuff!!  :)  If you would like more info, please feel free to leave me a question with your email address, and I'll get back to you...

Anyway, back to my project...  I used the Cricut Easter 2010 Seasonal Cartridge for all of my cuts...  The eggs (both layers) and grass are all cut at 3"...  Once you have cut your vinyl images (on my machine I cut vinyl with a blade depth of 3 and a blade pressure of 2/low to get a 'kiss' cut -- the machine cuts the vinyl but leaves the baking intact), weed the excess (the parts of the cuts that you will not use on your project), and leave the main image on the backing paper...  Lay a strip of Frog Tape (or transfer tape, if you insist) over the top layer of the image...  Remove that layer from the backing (attached to the tape) and then carefully line it up over the base image...  Use your fingers, a credit card, or a bone folder to rub and seal the layers together...  Once I have layered at least two pieces of vinyl, I find it much easier to place my decal on the project without using transfer tape (it's more stable)...

This project was super quick and easy -- And when Easter is over, I can easily remove the vinyl and decorate my jellybean jar with something else (flowers for Mother's Day, butterflies for summer, fireworks for 4th of July...  You get the idea)...  If you have any trouble removing your vinyl, simply use a hair dryer to gently warm the vinyl before peeling it away (so ya know -- it is pretty difficult to reuse your vinyl images once removed...  Sure, I've seen it done, but I wouldn't -- If it's a single layer cut, you can count on simply throwing it away once removed)...

I hope you have enjoyed my project for the second (and final) day of Rhonda's Hop...  Now...  What's a Hop without some Blog Candy???  Well, I have some for ya!!  The winner of my Day 2 Blog Hop candy will receive SIX 12x24 sheets of vinyl (pink, purple, yellow, white, black, and green -- enough to complete this project at least THREE times PLUS extra!!)!!  You can enter to WIN my Blog Candy by leaving a comment below!!  You can earn a second chance to WIN if you leave a second comment with a GUESS at HOW MANY JELLYBEANS are in my jar!!  :)  You do not have to have a blog to win, but please leave a link if you DO have one, as I'd love to stop over and see you too!!  While I don't require you to be a follower to win my candy, I'd love for you to do so if you enjoy what you see here...

Did you see my project from Day 1?  If not, CLICK HERE!!

Remember to check out Day 1 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop if you haven't already...  You'll even get another chance to WIN some Easter-themed blog candy!!  :)  ***I had planned on posting the tutorial for this explosion box today, but I thought it might be too much with all the Hop pictures too...  So my plan is to have the tutorial posted on Monday...  I apologize for the delay...

Next, you're off to the talented LIZ at Tryin' to 2 Craft (and believe me, she's not just tryin'...  She's succeeding!!)...  So hop, hop, HOP, and HAVE FUN!!  Until next time, may your jellybeans be plenty!!  :)

As a BONUS, I am entering my Jellybean Jar in the challenge over at FCCB!!  Their 'Spring Fling' Challenge is to create something with at least one Cricut cut using the colors PINK, GREEN, and YELLOW!!  I think it's okay that there's some purple thrown in there too!!  :)

In case you get lost along the way, here's a list of Rhonda's talented participants:

• SCRAP HAPPENS
  
• you had me at scrap
  
• Jean's Crafty Corner
  
• My Fantabulous Life
  
• C.C.'s Cards and Crafts
  
• Carolee's Scrappin' Spot
  
• Tamminnie's Designs
  
• TouchedbyaButterfly
  
• Homemade Happiness
  
• Unique Monique
  
• Living Life and Loving It Every Day
  
• Small Bits Of Paper
  
• Cute and Some
  
• Michele's Scrapy Creations
• 4 Goofballs
  
• Serenity Scrappers
  
• Love To Crop!  ** YOU ARE HERE!! **
• Tryin' 2 Craft ** GO HERE NEXT!! **
• Minta's Creations
  
• Country Bumpkins Scrapper

** Yup, more small print -- To be eligible for my "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Candy (Day 2) you need to leave a comment on this post (if you don't know how to get to the comment box, CLICK HERE)...  For a second chance to win, please leave a second comment with a GUESS as to HOW MANY JELLYBEANS are in the jar in the photos above...  The winner will be selected and posted on April 18th (later in the day rather than sooner, cuz I usually forget plenty first thing in the morning!)...  Selected winner will have SEVEN (7) whole days to claim the prize or it will be re-gifted, possibly to the Tooth Fairy cuz the Easter Bunny has a shot at yesterday's, but probably to another comment participant...  This drawing is held in happy spirits with good intentions, so please enter with the same...  Here ends the fine print. :)

It's A Basket Case Blog Hop!! Day 1 -- More than just your ordinary Easter Basket... (and Blog Candy!)

*** If you are here for the "All Creatures Great & Small" Blog Hop (hosted by Misty), please scroll down or CLICK HERE!! ***

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Day 1 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop presented by the very-talented Rhonda of Scrap Happens!!  I am so excited and honored to be a part of Rhonda's very first blog hop (thank you, Rhonda!)!!  If you are hopping along with us today, and you've arrived from Serenity Scrappers, then you are in the right place!!  If you've just happened upon my blog by chance, you'll definitely want to START HERE to hop along with us and see all of the amazingly creative projects my blogger buddies have designed for you today (if you get lost along the way, you can find the whole Blog Hop list below)!!  Be sure to leave a comment if you like what you see, as I have some Blog Candy for you to win (details below)!!  Now onto my project...

I wanted to create an Easter Basket since it is, after all, a basket case blog hop...   But this one has a special SURPRISE!!

The basket top can be removed to reveal...

It's an Explosion Basket!!  :)

The weaving brought me back to my elementary school days and Art Class (which I loved)...  I weaved 1x4 strips of Clay cardstock into 4x4 squares and attached them to the four outside panels of the box...  Each strip of cardstock was inked with chocolate to give it a little extra dimension...

I made the lid for my explosion box and then added the 1.5" strips all the way around...  This created a little 'lip' to hold the grass and chocolate eggs (the top of the lid only comes to where that center strip is)...  I used brads to attach the handle -- this made it much easier to lift the basket top off and reveal the inside...  The-Girl-Child told me it really needed those punched flowers, so those were a late addition to my project -- She was right!!  Those little flowers added a cute touch!!  :)

When the box is fully open, there is plenty of room to add little pictures or mementos -- I had so much fun adding the ribbons and embellishments to each layer...  If you placed just one picture on each decorated square (excluding the 'woven' outsides), you would have room for THIRTY-THREE pictures!!  What a GREAT way to show off your Easter pictures!!  :)

Since there obviously needed to be a few more surprises (hee hee), I also added four tag pockets (complete with tags) to the outside layer...  That's room for EIGHT more pictures (one on each side of the four tags) or some journaling!!

There's even plenty of room to add a small gift or gift card to the center of the box (or maybe some more chocolate???)...

When you're all done showing off your pictures, it folds right back up into a basket...  And did I mention that while I did use several punches and some of my favorite embossing folders, there is not a single Cricut cut on this project???  When I realized that, I was kind of amazed...  So if you don't own a Cricut, YOU can make one of these (be sure to come back tomorrow for a special announcement about my Explosion Box tutorial!!)...

I hope you have enjoyed my project for the first day of Rhonda's Hop...  Now...  What's a Hop without some Blog Candy???  Well, I have some for ya!!  Unfortunately, I've reached my photo limit on blogger for the moment, so I'll be back to post a picture of the goodies in a bit...  But you can enter to WIN my Blog Candy by leaving a comment below!!  You do not have to have a blog to win, but please leave a link if you DO have one, as I'd love to stop over and see you too!!  While I don't require you to be a follower to win my candy, I'd love for you to do so if you enjoy what you see here...

Remember to stop back tomorrow to see what I've created for Day 2 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop and for another chance to WIN some Easter-themed blog candy!!  :)

Next, you're off to the talented LIZ at Tryin' to 2 Craft (trust me, she's succeeding!!)...  So hop, hop, HOP, and I'll see ya tomorrow!!  Until then, may your day be Hoppin' Grand!!  :)

In case you get lost along the way, here's a list of Rhonda's talented participants:

• SCRAP HAPPENS
  
• you had me at scrap
  
• Jean's Crafty Corner
  
• My Fantabulous Life
  
• C.C.'s Cards and Crafts
  
• Carolee's Scrappin' Spot
  
• Tamminnie's Designs
  
• TouchedbyaButterfly
  
• Homemade Happiness
  
• Unique Monique
  
• Living Life and Loving It Every Day
  
• Small Bits Of Paper
  
• Cute and Some
  
• Michele's Scrapy Creations
• 4 Goofballs
  
• Serenity Scrappers
  
• Love To Crop!  ** YOU ARE HERE!! **
• Tryin' 2 Craft ** GO HERE NEXT!! **
• Minta's Creations
  
• Country Bumpkins Scrapper

** Now for the small print (it's always here, isn't it???) -- To be eligible for my "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Candy you need to leave a comment on this post (if you don't know how to get to the comment box, CLICK HERE)...  For a second chance to win, please come back tomorrow and leave a comment on the post for Day 2 of the "It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop too...  The winner will be selected and posted on April 18th (later in the day rather than sooner, cuz I'm pretty useless before I've drowned myself with caffeine!)...  Selected winner will have SEVEN (7) whole days to claim the prize or it will be re-gifted, possibly to the Easter Bunny, even though it contains no actual food candy, though he probably has enough of that, but probably to another comment participant...  This drawing is held in happy spirits with good intentions, so please enter with the same...  Here ends the fine print. :)

All Creatures Great & Small Blog Hop!! Just Swinging By... To Say Hi!! :)

*** If you are here for the "It's a Basket Case Blog Hop" presented by Rhonda, PLEASE CLICK HERE!!***

Hello, hello, hello to YOU, and Happy Birthday to OWH's Ciara!!  Thanks so much for stopping by today during the "All Creatures Great & Small Blog Hop" presented by Misty at DeLiteful Gifts!!  I'm so pleased to be a part of this hop, and I'm super-excited that YOU are here!!  If you arrived here from Getting Cricky, you are in the RIGHT spot!!  If you've just happened along, be sure to hop back to Misty and begin at the beginning!! :)  When you're done here, you'll want to hop along to TANYA, who has a creative critter in store for you too -- But be sure to leave a comment here first to be eligible for the Blog Candy!!

Misty asked each participant of the hop to create a 'Kid-Friendly' card or project with a creature great or small...  In an effort to promote and support Operation Write Home, I designed this fun MONKEY card!!

The monkey was cut from my Creative Memories Stork's Delivery Cricut Cartridge (available HERE!)...  I love the easy layers on this cartridge, and it's NOT just for baby stuff (as demonstrated here, here, here, and HERE!!)...

I braided some twine and covered it with Glossy Accents for the vine...  I really love how this turned out...

The tan cardstock is embossed with Tim Holtz's 'Woodgrain' embossing folder (from Sizzix) and the phrase "Just Swinging By" was made with my old-school DYMO label maker!!  :)

I hope you've enjoyed my card -- This one, along with many others, will be sent to our heroes stationed overseas so that they can send a card to a loved one at home!!  :)  If you'd like to join in on that fun, please visit the OWH site for more info...

What's a hop without candy???  Be sure to leave a comment on this post to be entered to WIN some FUN Critter Candy from me (and also to be eligible for Misty's candy)!!  The winner of my Blog Candy will be announced on Monday, April 18th and will receive a selection of paper, die cuts, and other goodies to create some cards and projects!!  :)

Thanks so much for joining me on the HOP!!  I'm participating in another hop today (and tomorrow too), so I hope you'll stick around for a few moments to check that out too!!  :)

If you get lost along the way, here's a list of all the talented bloggers participating in today's hop:
1. Misty…http://deliteful-gifts.blogspot.com/
2. KAndrews...http://www.gettingcricky.com/
3. Amy...http://www.lovetocrop.com/ You are Here!
4. Tanya…http://scrappinkymomma.blogspot.com/  <- Next Stop!
5. Darlene…http://talesoftayandbay.blogspot.com/
6. Kathie…http://kathleessnippitsncricuts.blogspot.com/ 
7. Michelle D…http://upsydaisycreations.blogspot.com/ 
8. Sally… http://sallysbitz.blogspot.com/ 
9. Gill...http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/ 
10. Jen…http://www.memorieswithjen.blogspot.com/ 
11. Sher… http://www.patternsbysher.blogspot.com/ 
12. Rhonda…http://scraphappenswithrhonda.blogspot.com/
13.Tara..http://creativeprincess-homemadehappiness.blogspot.com/ 
14. Vicki…http://www.melovebonoandscrapbooking.blogspot.com/ 
15. Jen …http://www.jenscraftcorner.com/ 
16. Dawn…http://iowascrapper.blogspot.com/ 
17. Martha…http://pattisscrapingtime.blogspot.com/ 
18. Becky…http://beckscricards.blogspot.com/ 
19. Anita…http://anitaandbugs.blogspot.com/ 
20. Kara… http://karassweetcreations.blogspot.com/ 
21. CheriJ… http://cdjcape521.blogspot.com/ 
22. Carlene…http://misspinkcricut.blogspot.com/ 
23. Misty…http://deliteful-gifts.blogspot.com/ <-2nd chance post  

** What??? More small print???  :)  -- To be eligible for my "All Creatures Great & Small" Blog Hop Candy you need to leave a comment on this post (if you don't know how to get to the comment box, CLICK HERE)...  For a second chance to win, become a follower (if you are already a follower, that's okay too) and leave a SECOND comment that you are following...  The winner will be selected and posted on April 18th (later in the day rather than sooner, cuz I'm never organized enough to do it first thing in the morning!)...  Selected winner will have SEVEN (7) whole days to claim the prize (so be sure to CHECK BACK!!) or it will be re-gifted, possibly to the monkeys at the zoo, even though they will probably try to eat it or throw it at each other, but probably to another comment participant...  This drawing is held in happy spirits with good intentions, so please enter with the same...  Here ends the fine print. :)