by Richelle Naegle

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.

I felt the need to add some dimension to this layout. I decided to use Silhouette Natural Faux Leather to cut out a treasure map and patterned cardstock for the background. To make it look more authentic, I wet the paper (it’s a big sheet, so I really had to soak it). Then I crumbled it up and laid it out to dry. That gave it the texture I was looking for. Then I added ink using Ranger Distress Ink Pads, adding it to the edges and even on some of the “hills of the paper”, to give it more dimension.

Closing Thoughts on Teddy Bear Parade

The bear was cut out at 5.5″ tall from the Teddy Bear Parade Cricut cartridge, and the Pirate Party phrase and treasure map are from the Life’s a Party Cricut cartridge. Then I just layered everything on top! When I finished, I really wanted to make a cute girl version, so I used the exact same idea with pink, and it worked perfectly.

Pro tip: your cuts will be more precise if you have fresh Cricut cutting mats.

I would love for you to share your Teddy Bear Parade Cricut cartridge ideas on our Google+ page, so I can see all the fun layouts and cards you have created using this cartridge. We have a huge selection of Cricut cartridges and if you haven’t seen the Cricut Explore Air 2, you must check it out! Save on all Cricut supplies at CraftDirect.

Happy creating!