Create!

Okay,.. I know I am not visiting all of you as much as I should, but I have a really, really good reason!! I got completely and totally wrapped up in this project I have been working on!! It has been a project in the making the entire month!!! Are you ready for it?!!! Well here it is!!

The Cricut Circle Blog has a monthly challenge and this month the challenge was to make something (LO, card, project) that "Celebrates Creativity!" Well, I started thinking about what I was going to do and then one day, while cleaning out the remaining boxes in my garage, I came across an old frame that I was going to throw away. Then the idea hit me!! I wanted to make something for my new office!! And so... I went to work on it!! The requirements are that I had to use the Cricut with at least 2 cuts and use the shadow feature, I had to use patterned paper and use an embellishment!! Check, check, and check!!

I thought it would be cool to make the word "Create" really big and then include the definition!! Clever huh?!! The word was cut out using the Storybook cart. I distressed the cardboard I was using for the background and popdotted all the letters. I added some pearls to jazz them up a bit!!

As for the definition, I did a lot of distressing, inking and stamping... even though you can't tell in the photos!!

The rest of it was soooooo much fun to make!! I turned each of the little squares into my own little scrapbook canvases to work with!! I wanted to use a variety of colors while still making it something that would look good in the house. I had to control myself from adding too much bling... my favorite thing to add to LOs!!!! lol!! I just didn't think it would look too good in my office if it was glowing from all the bling!!

What?! You would like to see closeups?!! Of course!! Here you go....

The bird in the cage was cut using the French Manor cart. I pop dotted the layers to make it look more dimensional... then of course, added some stickles!! I heat embossed the background and added the paper/ribbon stripe across the middle!!

Is my bird not the cutest?!! I cut him from the Home Decor cart and pop dotted the layers again. But this time, I added some crackle glaze to the top layer to give it a cool, distressed kind of look!!  I found that lovely branch right in my landscaping!! How lucky is that?!! My husband was thrilled!! I hand cut some cute little leaves and added a few charms!!

My favorite part is the way I included quotes that had to do with creativity!! Talk about clever!! They say...

* All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. - Pablo Picasso

* Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted. - Martin Luther King Jr.

* The world is but a canvas to the imagination. - Henry David Thoreau

Aren't those the best?!! I also loved this square! The film strip is Tim Holtz that I had left over from one of my Lucky Girl Kits and the tickets came from the kit too. I just inked them with distress ink and then sprayed them with water!! Love how it gives it that instant worn look!!

Sorry this was so picture heavy... there was just so much to it, I wanted you to be able to see all the details!!

But before I leave, I have a few things to share with you!! My good friend and design buddy, Pat, has started this really cool new blog, Scrapping The Moments, that has a forum and will be a great resource of information!! I am so excited for her!! She is currently looking for some designers for this new blog. Please stop by and check it out!!  I'm sure she would like some blog love!!! You can get there by clicking HERE!!

AND.... one of my other design teams, Sketches in Thyme is also doing a design team call!! Click HERE to check it out!!

I will be back tomorrow with a new design for Sketches in Thyme and a much shorter post!! Have a great day!!

Barb  :)