Welcome to Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog! Cricut enthusiasts come share your projects with us. Twice monthly we offer simple challenges for your chance to win! No matter which size Cricut machine you have, come join the fun.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Challenge Me Monday #123

Hello everyone and welcome back to another FCCB challenge!  It's August and this summer has been hot, hot, hot!  On hot summer days there is no place I would rather be than in the pool.  This week we want to see your water inspired projects.


Challenge #123 - Cool Off
Make a project with a water theme (pool, beach, waterpark, etc)



Fantabulous Cricut is thrilled to be sponsored by Canvas Corp this week!

Canvas Corp, based out of Springdale, Arkansas, is led by Randy and Christine Meier. Canvas Corp manufactures and distributes a line of craft, scrapbooking and home decor basics under the brand name Canvas Home Basics. Established in 2006, Canvas Corp made its entry into the market with a focus on products that offer great basic solutions for the craft and home decor markets. Joining the Canvas Corp umbrella of brands was BagWorks and 7gypsies in 2011 and the newest member of the brand team is Tattered Angels who joined in 2012.

Some of our  Design Team Members have made their projects using Canvas Corp's "Beach" or "Nautical" Collection.

~ Design Team Inspiration ~
Using Canvas Corp Paper Collections.
Canvas Corp "Beach Collection"
Accent Essentials, Indi Art, George and Basic Shapes cartridges 
Canvas Corp "Beach Collection"
Elegant Edges, Storybook cartridges
Beach Collection by Canvas Corp
Life is a Beach, Fabulous Finds cartridges 
Canvas Corp "Nautical Collection"
Just a Note & Life is a Beach cartridges

~ Design Team Inspiration ~
Wall Decor & More Cartridge
Creative Memories Traveler Cartridge
Pack Your Bags, Just Because Cards, Sports Mania cartridges
Paper Pups, Life's a Beach cartridges 
Christmas Cheer, Everyday Paper Dolls, Plantin SchoolBook, 
Create a Critter, Celebrate with Flourish, Just Because Cards cartridges
Kate's ABCs font, Nifty Fifties cartridges 
Life's a Beach and Pack Your Bags cartridges 
Recess and Simply Charmed cartridges

 ~This Week's Sponsor~


This week Fantabulous Cricut is delighted to be sponsored Canvas Corp!
 
Canvas Home Basics brand offers blank paper items, printed paper collections, as well as a wide range of canvas and burlap surfaces. The line of products was established to fill a need in the market for creative basics that inspire the creative process. The basic product offering is available on an ongoing basis with only the poor performers being removed from the line.
 Canvas Corp  has very generously dontated a Prize Package to be given to one lucky participant to be drawn at random from all eligible entries.

 To link your project for this week's "FCCB's Cool Off" challenge,
click on the blue "add your link" button below!
This challenge ends at Midnight, August 12th (Mountain Time).
As a courtesy to our design team, please consider turning off the word verification on your blog. With the new system, it has become quite difficult to leave comments for our FANTABULOUS followers.

When linking your project, please remember to list on your blog what Cricut cartridge you used.


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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Spotlight Sunday

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you are having a fabulous Sunday. This week here we have the spotlight on 3 of our Design Team Members. I hope you check each one of them out if you haven't already, I am sure you will be inspired. I have really enjoyed this part especially seeing what the top 5 cricut cartridges are for each design team member. I have been checking some of them out that I don't have and I now own a few more cartridges. Well lets get to the Design Team Members.

First up is Katie and her blog is Lets Get Scrappy Together.

Here is Katie's craft space:


Here are the answers to the questions we asked her:
1) What are your top 5 go to Cricut cartridges? 
    *  Id have to say right now my top 5 are 1-Art Nouveau, 2-George and Basic Shapes, 3-Graphically Speaking, 4-both Disney Classics and Happily Ever After, 5-Plantin SchoolBook

2) What are your favorite adhesives?
    *  I use both of my favorites together for just about everything I make...they're Zig 2 Way Glue and Elmers Permanent Adhesive squares.  I make sure I always have plenty of both in my craft area.

3) How do you organize your cartridges?
    *  I keep them in the original boxes on shelves in alphabetical order.

4) What is one of your favorite feature keys?
    *  I have a few favorite feature keys, but since you asked for one...Id have to say the flip feature.  I always seem to be flipping an image thinking that it looks better facing the other direction and to me it fits better.

Next up is Megan and her blog is Saxey Designs.

Here is Megan's craft space:


Here are the answers to the questions we asked her:

What are your top 5 go to Cricut Cartridges?
This is a tough one.  My absolute go to cartridge is Elegant Edges.  I create very few things where I do not use this cartridge. I love all of the borders and matting possibilities.  Next, I would have to say Create a Critter.  All of the animals are perfect for almost any occasion.  Birthday Bash is another favorite of mine.  The images have so many other possibilities other than birthday.  Simply Charmed would have to be next on my list.  The images are just too cute.  I love the wide variety and all of the holiday images as well.  Lastly, I would have to say Sweet Treats.  It is perfect for birthday cards or just about any other project.

What are your favorite adhesives?
I absolutely love my Scotch ATG gun.  I ended up buying two.  One I keep acid free tape in for scrapbooking and the other general purpose tape for everything else.  Pop dots are another go to that I use almost every project.  Here I don't have a particular brand.  I prefer the foam dots to the glue dots.  Glue dots tend to be too sticky for  my liking.  For smaller pieces, my go to adhesive is a two way memory pen by Zig.  I have found I just like it better than any other glue pen.

How do you organize your cartridges?
This is an area where I could use some work.  All of my cartridges are loaded in my Gypsy.  For the longest time I had boxes of cartridges lining my dining room because I wasn't sure what to do with them.  I do all of my designing on my Gypsy.  I can't tell you the last time I took a cartridge out and plugged it into my Cricut.  Right now, they are all stored in a close in plastic drawers.  At one point they were in alphabetical order but as I would buy more they just kind of got shoved into whatever drawer had room. :)

What is one of your favorite creative feature key?
My favorite creative feature key is the shadow feature.  I love the effect of offsetting images and adding some stitching to it.  It gives the image some added dimension.



Last for today is Sonya and her blog is Sonya's Paper Trail.

Here is Sonya's craft space:


Here are the answers to the questions we asked her:

What are your top 5 go to Cricut Cartridges?
-Elegant Edges
-Art Philosophy
-Create a Critter
-Simply Charmed
-3 Birds on Parade

What are your favorite adhesives?
-My ATG Gun, so economical and that stuff really sticks! 
-the ballpoint style Zig pen, perfect for those small Cricut cuts

How do you organize your cartridges?
-On a shelf above my Cricut Expression.  They are in no particular order and are still in the boxes.  The ones I use a lot tend to work their way to the front of the shelves, while my less used Cartridges end up closer to the back of the shelf.

What is one of your favorite creative feature key?
-Shadow.  I love shadows. 


Well, I hope you are getting to know the Design Team a little better. Like I said I hope you take the time to check out these fabulous blogs. You have a little bit more time for the challenge this past week. Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a New Challenge Me Monday here at the Fantabulous Cricut.

See you Tomorrow,

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Saturday, August 4, 2012

Scrappin' Saturday - S'more Anyone?

Happy Scrappin’ Saturday!!  With Summer coming to an end, have you taken a summer trip?  Gone to all those places you had planned for the summer?  Taking any canoe float trips?  Or camped out with your kiddos?  This week's challenge is going to be right up your alley then.... :)
 
#122 – S'more Anyone? - Make a project using a camping theme (tent, don fire, canoe, ect.).  There is still enough time to submit a project for the challenge if you would like to participate.  I wanted to share a couple of cute projects that have been submitted for the challenge that have used the cartridge Campin Critters, which I must get...the critters are so cute on it!! :)
 
 Natalie
over at Seahorse Creations made this adorable card!!  I love how she added the cute eyes on the deer and fish.  The colors that she used are great and pop together! :)

Mary
over at Krafting Mama made this cute card!  I love the diffrent sized eyes on the critter and his marshmallow.  The face on the fire is so adorable too!! :)


Have you made some camping themed projects you would like to share? 
We love your comments...please leave one with your blog address so we can stop by to see your great creations!  Hope you are able to find some time to do some Scrappin’ this Saturday!!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Melissa

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Friday, August 3, 2012

FCCB Fantabulous Friday-Smore' Anyone?

Hello everyone it is time for another Fantabulous Friday here at FCCB.  This week the challenge is #122 - Smore' Anyone?
Make a project camping theme (tent, bon fire, canoe etc.)
The best card ever if you love camping is Campin Critters.  
We don't even camp anymore and I love this cart.  Such cute little critters! 

This first adorable project is from the talented Nadia of With Glittering Eyes
Aren't these just the cutest treats?  


The next two amazing projects were created by Katie of  Crafting with Katie
 A cute, cute layout

and this adorable camping backpack Katie made for Valentines's Day. 

This oh so cute little beaver was a creation by Lorraine of Creations by Lorraine 
And  Diana of DL.Art  designed  a darn cute bunny with some amazing papers.


For an older camping cart check out Camping Out
And for newer carts there is the Imagine cart Enjoy the Seasons

and Nate's ABC has a cute backyard tent cut

I hope you have enjoyed Fantabulous Friday and will join us for the challenge this week.  Remember you have till Sunday to link your project up to FCCB.


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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Thursday Tuturial - Dimensional Flowers

It's Tut day here at the FCCB!

This is Cicily, your Thursday Tutorial Gal!

Cricut has several cartridges with dimensional flower cuts.
It takes a little finesse, some patience & practice but the results are amazing. There are several video's out showing different techniques, so I wanted to share a couple of these with you.

The first one up is mine!
I still do it the same way, but since this video I have tried the other flower cuts on the AP cartridge & I love all of them!

Here are a few projects I have made.





The last pic was my most recent Home Decor project. This flower bouquet is the top of a Headband Holder. You can see the details on my blog, The Pink Dalmation Scrapper. I used 3 different flower cuts from the AP cartridge & they might just be my new favs!

Here's another video tutorial from Melody Lane Designs.


She has a really neat trick that I'm definitely going to use! And no it's not the quilling tool, although I need one of those too.

What? You don't have a cartridge with the 3D flower cut? There are lots of ways to achieve the dimension with different flower cuts.

Here's a great link to a previous FCCB post creating beautiful flowers using the 50 states cartridge!

That's all for this Thursday.
Smile! It's almost Friday!



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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Wednesdays Winners #121 Wedding Bliss

Hello Fantabulous Friends!

Thank you so much for playing along with our "Wedding Bliss" challenge. We loved all your sweet "lovey-dovey" cards, want to see the winners?


~Design Team Top 5~

#13 Diana L.





#31 Jenny



#36 Jules







Remember to grab your "FCCB Top 5" blinky to display on your blog! You can find the blinky code on our right-hand sidebar. Congratulations to all our winners!!

We hope you'll join us for this week's challenge, which is our #122 S'More, Anyone? (camping) Challenge. Don't forget to use at least one Cricut cut on your project.

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