Heidi Swapp Lightbox Project Ideas

by Richelle Naegle

Have you seen the fun, new Heidi Swapp Lightbox? It offers an easy way to create a marquee that matches the theme of the occasion at hand, like holidays, birthdays, or just for fun! There are background images, letters (in a variety of colors) so you can write whatever you want, phases and even fun icons. The white Lightbox comes with a cord, so you don’t have run it off batteries. You do have the option to use batteries if you prefer, though.

I made two different designs to demonstrate how simple and yet delightful this really is. I was nervous about not having enough of the right pink letter Lightbox inserts to spell out Happy Halloween. I only used one package and it did the trick. I also used the nifty Holiday-themed Lightbox Icons. By my count, there are at least two icons for each major holiday!

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Sizzix Village Manor Project Ideas

by Richelle Naegle

Do you love Tim Holtz Village dies? I sure do, and the more you look at these little buildings, the more you discover ways to add unique modifications. The Village manor die set, for example, could be just a regular Victorian-style home if you chose the right cardstock for the job, as opposed to making it a Halloween-themed haunted house. You could also use the Village surf shack die set and make it a love shack for Valentine’s Day. Now that I think of it, I will probably do a Christmas twist on that beach theme (stay tuned). You get the idea. You don’t have to use the dies as the designer intended.

Since it’s Halloween, I decided to take on the Village Manor and make it a fun Halloween house. We don’t do scary Halloween at my house (yet), The kids are still small and don’t want to freak them out. I came up with a less haunted version of a haunted house!

Getting Started with Village Manor

The first thing to know about this house is that you have to have the Village Dwelling die set for the foundation. You also have to have this die to make any of the other houses, with the exception of the Village Brownstone. So, if you want to make any of the houses, be sure to get the Village Dwelling dies.

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Sesame Street Celebrations Cricut Cartridge Ideas

by Richelle Naegle

Have you had a chance to check out the NEW Sesame Street Celebrations Cricut cartridge yet? This cartridge is a must if you love Sesame Street or know someone who does. It is filled with all your favorites like Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Abby Cadabby! So, today’s post is inspired by my favorite Sesame Street friends. Cookie Monster is my favorite, followed by Elmo and Oscar the Grouch. This is a simple 4″ x 6″ card, and I cut these guys out at 3.5″ tall. I also had the Cricut Explore Air draw the phrase Monster Love on the inside of the card! 

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Simple Stories Scrapbooking Projects

by Richelle Naegle Sometimes simple is better! Especially when you have a lot of scrapbook pages to make because you are a couple of years behind on your scrapbook albums like I am. The Simple Stories collection kits are perfect for making quick and fun scrapbook layouts. These kits include stickers, cardstock elements, and some of … Read more

Teddy Bear Parade Cricut Cartridge Ideas

by Richelle Naegle

layout made with the teddy bears parade cricut cartridge ideas

15 men on a dead teddy’s chest-
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the teddy had done for the rest-
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum

I am sure that’s how it goes in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

Update: Since publishing this post, Provo Craft has released a line of faux leather for Cricut machine projects.

I created these layouts using the Teddy Bear Parade Cricut cartridge, and while this cartridge has been around for a long time, it has just recently become available to us to sell. I love teddy bears, and I have fun pictures of my boys at a friend’s Birthday party where they are dressed up in pirate costumes. This adorable Imaginisce Par-r-ty Me Hearty collection includes the Par-r-try Me Hearty 12 x 12 stack I used in this layout project. It also comes in 6″ x 6″ paper, which is ideal for card-making. We carry fun stickers and charm shapes that coordinate with this paper stack.

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To You From Me Cricut Cartridge Ideas

by Richelle Naegle

Update: since publishing this post, Provo Craft has released its own line of Cricut faux leather sheets.

It’s been quite a while since Cricut has released a new cartridge. I am extremely excited about both of these latest releases. The first we will cover today is the To You From Me Cricut cartridge. Ideas started flowing as soon as I saw the designs, and I put my Cricut Explore machine to work.

I was just as excited about this cartridge as I was about the All Occasions Box Card cartridge when it was released.

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