Cricut Card - Gypsy Wanderings

This is the 3rd card I submitted to Cricut Cards Magazine.

I used Gypsy Wanderings for the butterfly and Elegant Cakes for the scalloped edges. Sorry but I cannot remember right now which cartridge I used for the layered background shapes.



Here's a little secret...the scalloped edges are actually the negative of this border cut.



Don't just trash your scraps, especially when using beautiful glitter paper. They come in super handy when punching small shapes or if you need just a tidbit of paper for your cricut cuts.

Quick Card

This one was made using my new set from Close To My Heart. I love cutting out stars. The straight angles make it so quick!

Cricut Card - New Arrival

Second card submitted to the Cricut Cards Magazine.



So how long do you keep cards that you've submitted for publication? I sure would like to give this one to a sweet friend.

I'm guessing if I haven't heard from them by now, the card is free to move around the country.

A Cricut Card - Cindy Loo

I created (4) cards and submitted them for entry into the new Cricut Cards magazine.

While I haven't heard whether or not they will use any of my work, it is unlikely that they would use this particular card since it is very similar to one made by another artist and published in last month's Cricut Magazine. Mind you, a total coincedence. I'm chalking it up to great minds thinking alike.

Please to enjoy:

Colors Of Life Challenge

I was cruising around etsy and stumbled upon this fab photo (courtesy of DotStitch's etsy shop):



More than being an awesome ring, I saw a delicious color combo that would translate extremely well on a card.



I'm going to start challenging myself to create cards inspired by color combos found while living life. There is so much inspiration to draw on. I guess this is how a new card challenge begins. Want to join me?

Post a comment with a link to your project. As soon as I figure out how to have the links all display at the bottom of this post, I'll do it.

How To Make A Diaper Cake

If you've never seen a diaper cake before, you are not alone. This is the second one I've done for a baby shower and about half the guests had never even heard of such a thing.

So today at the shower I got lots of questions regarding the construction of a diaper cake. I thought I'd write a tutorial. Bear in mind, I did not invent this...I saw one about 10 years ago and if you search Google images you'll find many many examples.

I'm sharing with you the easiest way I've seen so far:

What You'll Need

Diapers - Um, duh. I bought a 120 count box of Size 1's and a 84 count box of Size N's Huggies.

Center Pieces - this is what you will put in the very middle of the cake and won't actually be seen but acts as an anchor to hold all the layers together and is a nice surprise for the recipient. I used two packs of baby wipes and a set of receiving blankets. You could also use a large bottle of lotion, tub of diaper cream or any other tall slender item.

Small Toys - These will decorate the outside of the cake. I used a rattle and some teething rings. You could also get a small book, a picture frame for a wallet sized photo, some rolled up bibs or any other small fun object.

Topper - Just like in a real wedding cake, you need something to decorate the top of your diaper cake. I used 3 plushie rattles tied together with ribbon. You could also use one medium sized stuffed animal, or a big puffy bow made of ribbon.

String - This will hold the diapers together forming each 'layer'. You can also use ribbon or yarn or twine.

Ribbon - This will be wrapped around the cake to help decorate each layer and cover any string that was used for support. You could also use tulle or fabric or any other prettiness that you can wrap around each layer. I used a 10 yard roll of 2" fabric ribbon and had about 18 inches left.

Cardboard Cake Plate - I got mine for $4 at a bakery. There are no pictures but I slid it under my cake and this made it so easy to transport. You could cut your own from a cardboard box or use a real cake stand that is 18" wide.

Now let's put this thing together! My tutorial might seem long but you could finish one in 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

1. Step One - Assemble the center for the first layer. I stood a pack of wipes up on one end and wrapped a set of receiving blankets around it, then tied with ribbon. See below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Step Two - Fan a good amount of diapers all around the center with the folded side facing out. I used 60 size 1 diapers in my first layer. The diapers should be standing up on their side and will most likely NOT stand up on their own (I don't have a pic of my first layer.) An extra pair of hands might be really helpful at this point.
   
   If you don't have an assistant, do your best to wrangle the diapers enough to wrap string around the outside of the diaper circle. Pull the string super tight and tie a knot. This is where the layer really takes shape. The diapers may look all jumbled and sloppy but you can easily adjust them to make them evenly spaced.
   
   
   
   
3. Step Three - Fan more diapers around the center for layer #2. I used 39 size 1 diapers for this layer.
   
   
   
   Cinch this layer together with more string pulled tightly.
   
   
   
   
4. Step Four - Stack another pack of wipes upright in the center.
   
   
   
   Fan more diapers around the center for layer #3. I used 42 size N diapers in this layer. Repeat for the final top layer. I used 21 size 1 diapers.
   
   
   
   
5. Step Five - Use ribbon to tie small toys to each layer in random spots.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Step Six - Put your topper on the cake. When my layers were assembled, I had a small space inside the top layer that was the perfect place to put my plushie rattles.
   
   
   
   Here is what mine looked like thus far.
   
   
   
   
7. Step Seven - Tie ribbon around each cake layer into a pretty bow in front. If you aren't great at tying bows, feel free to wrap ribbon around without the bow.
   
   
   
   
8. Step Eight - Stand back and marvel at your creation! Celebrate the awesome job you just did with a well deserved glass of wine.