Just some cards... ;)

Hey there!! 
It's been a little while since I've made an actual crafty post.  Things have just been CRAZY for me lately, maybe more on that later, or in another post. What I really want to get to is posting some of the cards I've made lately, and I'm going to get right to it. I am going to TRY to do this is chronological order, but "try" is the operative word here. Ok, diving right in! 

Wow, ok, I just looked back at the last cards I posted on here, and it's been A WHILE!!! I guess this post will be chock full of pictures !! Hope you guys enjoy!! 

Lattice Card, made on 04.06.14

This is when I started really using the intricate cuts that my new baby, The Cricut Explore, is really capable of doing!! I really love playing with the Lattice, Lace, Doily, Etc cuts, because I was never able to get to get this intricate of cuts with my old Cricut, the ORIGINAL! So this has really been a lot of fun for me!! 

Doily Card, made on 04.07.14

Here is another example (just one of many to come) of me enjoying the intricacy the Explore is capable of. I stamp the sentiment, used embossing powder, heat set it, then came in on top with a slightly different shade ink, using the same stamp, and made the shadow, I then use just a DAB of stamp cleaner on the corner of a little make-up sponge and cleaned the ink of the embossed part only, achieving the shadow effect!! I really like how that turned out! 

Machine Written Sentiment, "Happy Easter" w/Lattice overlay background. Front of Card. 

 I used the wonderful new feature on the Explore called Write and Cut to write the sentiment "Happy Easter" and cut out the beautiful Fleur De Lis pattern out, and added a layer with Lattice work on top of a plain rectangle background with sparkly pink ribbon that I used my tape runner to glue down. I then embellished it with Pearl embellishments. I had intended on sending this to my grandmother, but I completely forgot about it, until just now actually. BUMMER !! :( Maybe I will still send it to her. 

"Hoppy Easter" Bunny Sentiment Stamp, heat embossed with purple embossing powder. Inside of card.

The inside of the card is really boring, and if I am going to send it to my grandma, I definitely have to do some more work on it. Maybe I will add some Washi Tape or some ribbon, we will see. If I do add more to it, I will make sure to post it, promise !! I really don't have much to say about the inside of the card, I'm kind of disappointed with myself for leaving it like that !!

Flower Lace Overlay w/Patterned Background - Front of Card - 04.08.14

 Another intricate cut, this time it is a Flower Lace Overlay, with colorful patterned paper in the background. I just LOVED this overlay, so I decided for it to be the entire focus of the front of my card, I didn't mess around with any embellishments or sentiments on the front, just a simple, yet intricate Front.

"Hoppy Easter" Bunny Sentiment, with Pearl and Fabric Flower Embellishments. 04.08.14

On the inside of the card, I again used my "Hoppy Easter" bunny stamp with Blue ink and clear embossing powder. I embellished the inside just a little bit. I'm not really very happy with the inside of the card, I don't like the embellishments, and I think there needed to be an insert paper glued down and the sentiment stamped on top of that. Oh well, you do, you try, you learn. 

Machine written sentiment, "Just Because", with lovely curly border and heart embossed background. Front of Card. 04.11.14

This was the first card I made after I got my Cuttlebug!! I'm STILL trying to get the hang of when to emboss, when not to; what to emboss, what not to; which folders to use on what shapes, etc. But I used the D'Vine Swirls embossing folder on the purple card bade, and Love Language Hearts folder on the darker pink background. I love the green curly border around the sentiment, and of course, I LOVE my jeweled brads !! 

Inside Of Card- Machine written sentiment to complete the front sentiment. Embossed border around it. 04.11.14

For the inside of the card, I again used the machine to write the sentiment I wanted to complete the front sentiment, "Just Because I Love you". I welded a vine branch to the layer with the sentiment so that it was cut out in the corner, giving you a little peek at the embossed purple card base. I then cut out a heart border and of course, embossed it using my Love Language Heart Cuttlebug folder. I think that is about all there is to say about this card. Moving on!!

Front of Card- "Because" Machine Written sentiment, button border, embossed background w/slight distressing. 04.12.14

For the front of my card, I really had a lot of fun! I just LOVE all the COLOR on this card !! I didn't really even plan it to be so bright and colorful, it just kind of happened! Happy accidents are gladly accepted! I embossed every layer, and distressed the bottom layer using a nail file, as I didn't have any sort of sanding paper or tools except for the nail file. I think it did the job just fine. The folders I used to emboss the layers are as follows: Purple Bottom Layer: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Folder, Blue Middle Layer: D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug Folder,  Pink Top Layer: Love Language (Hearts) Cuttlebug Folder. Then I added a cut out button frame, and embellished it with some of my favorite colored buttons that matched the colors I used on the card. I just hot-glued them on to the Green button border. And of course, the Machine Written Sentiment of "BECAUSE..." 

Flourish Border "I love you" Cutout with black background. Inside Card, 04.12.14

This is the inside of my "Because..." card, the complete sentiment being, "Because... I love you". I just loved how it looked, from the border to the cursive writing, it was perfect! I had so much color and embellishing on the front of the card, I tried to keep it pretty simple on the inside of the card, and just glued the black square to the back of the pink "I love you" cutout, and then embossed it with my Cuttlebug using, once again, the Cuttlebug Love Language (Hearts) Folder. (Sorry, I only have 5 folders and 1 die, I haven't really used the die yet except to test it out.) I really love how this whole card turned out overall !! What do you think??

So that is all for now. It's about 01:40 AM and I still have a card I really want to cutout and put together! I'll post again very soon with the last couple of cards, and a very interesting story about something that happened to me last Monday, 04.14.14. 

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Corinne