The Martinacious Book - 1st YouTube Video

Okay, guys.  I finally uploaded my 1st YouTube video.  It's a book I've been working on for my nephew, Marty.  I'll have more information on the pages of the book in later blog posts. 

You may recall from earlier posts that I made surveys to send out to my nieces.  When I receive the surveys back I use the information to make unique Menus and Restaurant Kits for them (between the ages of 4-6).  Marty is the first nephew to return a survey, and instead of making a menu kit for the boys I decided I'd make an interactive book using most of the responses in his survey. 

Hope you guys like the video -- Remember, this is the first one I've made so I have some work to do yet.  But I'd love to have your feedback on what you liked, how I can improve, and also of videos you might like to see. 




Thanks for checking in.  Have a great day!  Lisa

Batty Door Cones

The glitter really picks up the light ...
you might even say it casts an eery glow...okay, maybe not.

While I'm not a huge fan of "halloween", I'm definitely an advocate for candy!  As a kid I would love to dress up and go "Trick or Treating" on what we used to call, "Beggar's Night".  It was all in good fun, especially when we skipped the really scary houses!  The best part was when we poured out all our candy onto newspaper and sorted out anything that was opened, which went immediately to the trash, and kept all the good stuff.  My favorites have varied over the years...but ya never can go wrong with anything chocolate.  =)

My son's too old to trick or treat, so I made these Batty Door Cones to hang on doors around the house -- strategically placed around my craft room -- and be filled with candy!  I would've taken pictures with the candy inside the cones...but somebody ate all the candy so far.  Not to worry -- I went out and bought some more today.  =)

I'm entering in the Cricut Circle's Monthly Challenge for October, where I needed to make a Home Decor project using two or more Cricut image cuts. Splitcoast Stampers has a tutorial for the cone treats, and there are a variety of others on the web.  But for my cones, I used my Cricut for all the cuts!  I used Plantin Schoolbook cart to cut a circle using the Fit-to-Page feature (one circle makes two cones).  Then I cut the circle in half.  For each half circle, I marked the center of the straight edge -- then starting at the center mark I cut a 1/4 of the half circle away.  I used score-tape to secure the cone shape, then secured two large eyelets to the sides to hold the ribbon hangers. 

You don't need to have the Cricut Cake machine to use the Cricut Cake
cartridges.  There are some FAB images to cut on those!
But I'd love to have a Cricut Cake machine -- just the same!  =)

For the images I used the Holiday Cakes cartridge for the open winged Bat (including the layers), and the Boo w/the attached bat, and also for the Moon & Bat silhouette which I placed on the inside back of each cone.  A little white inking on the "Boo", and glitter on the bats almost completes the cones.  All they need now is a good helping of candy!

Here's hoping you get to satisfy your sweet tooth soon too!  Lisa

Bosco & Tea -- Not For Me

Cricut Circle Recipe Challenge using:
A Title, 2+ Cricut Cuts, & 3 or more Buttons

A while back my hubby & I were at a specialty store with old fashioned candies when I saw a "Bosco" chocolate bar.  I was so excited because I remembered growing up with my parents telling me about drinking Bosco in their milk when they were kids.  I guess it was something like Ovaltine??  The memory I have wasn't of them telling me how it tasted, but of a silly/irreverent kid's rhyme they used to sing.  I guess there used to be an advertisement singing, "I love Bosco, Bosco is for me...", However,  the jingle my parents sang was very different -- kids making up songs, just as they do today -- but apparently it stayed with me all these years.  Ha Ha...left an impression on me.  We used to laugh about it -- still do.  ANYWAY...said all that, to say that I Finally got around to making it into a pull-up treat for my Mom.  And since I'm seeing her this weekend, I'll be taking it with me (gee, I hope the chocolate's still good).  =)

The jingle that inspired this strangely titled treat wrapper goes like this:  "I hate Bosco, Bosco ain't for me.  Mommy puts it in my milk to try and poison me!  Well, I fooled Mommy.  I put it in her tea.  Now there ain't no Mommy, to try and poison me!"   Hard to believe the kids were singing this in the 50's...ha ha!!  I guess it's like anything that's supposed to be good for you...when you're kids, you just think your parents are out to get you.  Anyway...moving right along...

I'm also using this for one of Cricut Circle's blogaversary challenges, the Recipe Challenge, where I needed to have A Title, 2+ Cricut cuts, and 3 or more buttons.  The Title word "your" and the silver Tea Set (cut from mirror paper) was cut from the Heritage cartridge, and the Tea Cup & the words "Drink, Tea" was cut From My Kitchen cartridge -- the word was actually "Drinks", but I cut off the 's'. 

My Mom and I both actually love our tea.  So this is just a joke I think she'll get a kick out of -- good memories & fun times!  I forgot to photograph the back where I put the irreverent jingle.  But it's there...and I'm sure she'll figure it out as soon as she pulls the ribbon.  Ha ha....

For more info on the treat wrapper & to see a previous version I made for my hubby, you can check it out HERE.

Thanks for letting me indulge my wacky side.  =)

Have a great day, and don't forget to "Drink Your Tea".  Lisa

Hay Is For Horses & Greetin Your Neighbor



Cricut Circle Exclusive Cartridge - Pop-Up Neighborhood

Happy Blogaversary to the Cricut Circle Blog!  I am happy to be part of the Cricut Circle membership as one of their charter members.  There are some great benefits to being a Circle member which you can check out HERE, and even find out about some sneak peaks into what is going on at the Circle blog.  If you're looking for some more Cricut inspiration you can check out more on the Cricut Blog while you're there.  I don't always use my Cricut exclusively for creating, I kinda go in spurts, but I do Love it's versatility!  And I also don't always use the image as it was intended on the cartridge -- which gives me a lot more creativity.  Check out the Masks of the Manor I made for halloween last year (using the French Manor cartridge) and you'll see what I mean.  =)

For this card, I used Cricut Circle Cartridge, "Pop-up Neighborhood" for the images, and Plantin Schoolbook for the letters.  Super easy really...my background paper was blue & green cardstock (CS) with a dark brown torn out for the dirt road.  I used the scarecrow for the driver and added varied cuts of hay to the back of the truck -- cutting slits in it to nestle snugly between the truck rails. I added a bit of Tea Dye ink to the truck to give it a touch of "off-road" dirt, and added a bit of inking here & there for added intensity.  A play on words made this card complete.

Hay Ya'll...be sure to stop by anytime...good neighbor!  Lisa

Monochromatic Card & A Quick Glue Fix

This just might be my first monochromatic card!

I've been working on several cards and projects this week for the Cricut Circle Challenges, for their blogaversary.  This particular card is for the Monochromatic Color Challenge -- basically light & dark shades of one color.  Typically black would've been added for darker shades, and white for the lighter varied shades.  The Cricut carts I used:  Thanksgiving cart for the "wheat", and "Thankful" from Teresa Collins Sophisticated cartridge.

If you saw my recent Anniversary Card with the TIP about Glimmer Mist Containment, you may have remember I pointed out that in gluing some of the letters for "Always & Forever" there was some glue seepage, which looked a little messy when it dried.  I usually like using a glue pen for those smaller pieces, but lately I've really liked using my Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, which is a wet glue.  The problem is that I get in a hurry and sometimes put too much on, and it seeps out from under the smaller pieces. 

So here's my TIP for today:  Before the wet glue dries...just add a bit of glitter, or flocking.  When the glue dries I simply brush off any remaining loose glitter.  It works great to camoflauge the glue, and adds a bit of texture to your project as well.  In this card I used Martha Stewart's tinsel glitter, I just thought it added to the wheat & harvest theme.  You can use this tip for dry ahesive as well, but stay tuned for another great adhesive tip next week -- another idea for removing stray dry adhesive (and one I use all the time).  =)

For more information about Cricut Circle membership, and finding out about getting some Sneak Peaks each month, click HERE.  If you're not a member of Cricut Circle, not to worry -- you can find lots of inspiration on the Cricut Blog, open to everyone.  On the Cricut Blog's right sidebar, you can view projects posted by a particular cartridge.  You can do the same thing in my sidebar under Search LoveLee Notes, by typing the name of the cartridge you're interested in.  If I have made a project with that cartridge, you'll be able to see all projects I've made with that cart.  And it's updated after each blog post so you don't miss a thing.  =)

I've got a few more projects to share, so I better scoot along for now. 
Thanks for stopping by!  Lisa

We'll Leave the Lights On for Ya

I love the catch-phrase that Motel 6 uses, "We'll leave the lights on for you."  And as Beggar's Night rapidly arrives for a night of Trick or Treating, I thought it apropos to use it for this card as well -- and to remind you to leave your porch light on if you're passing out candy to all the little beggars, and of course not to let the youngsters approach a home without one. 

That being said -- here are a few details about the card I made:

We'll leave the light on for ya!

I used the Haunted Halloween Cuttlebug embossing folder on black Coredinations cardstock (CS) and used a flat sanding block to bring out the white core.  With my Cricut I cut out the moon, bat, & pumpkins from the Holiday Cakes cartridge...all at 1".  I used my Cuttlebug again to emboss the lines in the pumpkins with the Candy Cane Stripe embossing folder, and used Copic Spica markers to color the stems & lines of the pumpkins.  Martha Stewart's vintage leaf glitter was used to mostly highlight the moon, leaving just a bit of the yellow showing through, and also for the leaf piles & vines for the pumpkins.  I finished with a rhinestone for the "light" and added gold pen light rays.

TIP:  To help bring the images together when the card looks incomplete, a great "filler" is to add a faux frame.  To frame the card, I used a score board to score lines 1/4" in from each edge of the black CS, then lightly sanded over the edges of the raised lines.  Finally adhere to card base to complete the card.

Don't forget to leave your lights on.  ~ Lisa 

Trifold for Bailey - A Fabulous Find

My niece, Bailey, is a sweetie.  Over the summer while I visited with my sister, Bailey offered to give my toes a much needed French Manicure.  As I had been outside in flip flops I told her my feet needed cleaned up first -- she said she would do it, IF...I would make her something with my Cricut.  So my 11 year old niece cleaned up my feet and painted my toe nails...and a lovely job she did too.  

So for my part of the bargain, I decided on a Trifold Mini-Album cut from the Fabulous Finds cartridge (pg 122, trialbm2 & the coordinating blackout).  The cardstock, by My Mind's Eye, has a lovely combination of colors .... like summer easing into fall. 

For the ribbons, I colored white seam binding to match:  working on a non-stick craft sheet I laid out my ribbon one at a time and swiped my ink pad over the ribbon--just one swipe is plenty, even if it's not totally covered.  Then mist the ribbon with water and scrunch it together for total coverage.  You can either let it air dry, or if you're impatient like me--dry it carefully with a heat gun.  I trimmed the bottom of the trifold with the same technique, except I dabbed on the three colors together sparingly before spritzing with water & drying.  Distress Inks: Fired Brick, Wild Honey, & Dried Marigold

NOTE:  Keep in mind that the colors are more intense while wet, after drying the colors will fade somewhat.



I stamped the front cover sentiment using black Archival ink, then stamped the flourishes (both stamps by Tim Holtz) using a combination of the two paint dabbers before adding two mats & adhering to the cover.  I used a red spiral clip to hold the trifold together.  Paint Dabbers: Red Pepper & Mountain Rose



For cover page 2 of the trifold I used CTMH stamps.  I stamped the sentiment in black Archival first, then stamped the heart with the Red Pepper paint -- outlining it with a fine-tip sharpie.  The 'b' was then stamped in Versamark before adding clear embossing powder, then heat set.  I hand-wrote the rest of Bailey's name w/the sane sharpie, then mounted on two mats before adhering to page.

I stamped the inside sentiment & butterflies w/CTMH stamps and adhered pictures behind each of the doors/windows. Flower fleurettes were added w/rhinestone centers, and additional rhinestone added to the center windows.

For the photo pages I added stickers w/ hand-written journaling, and vellum quotes adhered with vellum tape.  In the photo the camera shows the tape pretty well, but in person the tape is barely noticeable.  Finally, I used my Copic marker (Garnet R39) to enhance the notches for the photo doors, though you can't see it in the photos.

Bailey called the other day to thank me and let me know she really liked it.  And that's the best feeling -- to know something that you put time & effort into was appreciated. 

Here's a bit of trivia about LoveLee Notes for ya:  When my husband and I were dating he started calling me Lee -- I loved that he had a nickname for me because I'd never really had one based on my name.  When I started making cards I wanted to add a trademark name to the backs of each handmade card.  It came to me one day when I was signing a card to my hubby -- I wrote "Love, Lee".  I decided to call them LoveLee Notes and have done so ever since.  To everyone else I'm Lisa, but when my sister got married, her husband's sister was also named Lisa.  As their kids got older they began calling me Aunt Lee to differentiate the two of us.  Most of my nieces/nephews know me as Aunt Lisa, but to my sister's kids...my husband and I are Uncle C & Aunt Lee!  And I happen to think that's pretty cool!  =)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day.  Lisa

SNT Tuesday - Glimmer Mist Containment

Happy Anniversary Card w/Glimmer Mist

This 6" x 6" Anniversary card turned out larger than I originally anticipated but it kept the flower (Cricut cut from Flower Shoppe cart) from overpowering the card.  I also used Teresa Collins Sophisticated cartridge for both the words, and the diamond grid -- deciding to leave some of the solid diamond pieces in place.

The flower and words were both sprayed with "Candy Apple Red" Glimmer Mist, which can be pretty messy sometimes when it over-sprays and wanders away from the area you're working on.  But I found a great way to contain the mess with less stress!  Previously when I used any type of color misting on a project I would spray into a cardboard box.  This would work pretty well as the colored mist is then contained in the box.  However, the box would have to be set aside to dry before putting it away, not to mention being slightly bulky -- and when I'm busy working on a project I don't usually have a free spot on my desk for a bulky box.  So I started using my trash bin! 

Glimmer Mist Containment ...
and Lucky patiently waiting for some attention.

I keep a small trash/rubbish bin in my craft room lined with a plastic bag -- when I do any color misting on a project I lay the piece(s) into the trash bin, directly on top of what's in there usually at least 1/3 way down, and spray on my color.  This method usually works best if you have trash already in the bin--keep in mind, I use my 'craft room' trash bin so it's mostly filled with paper product.  For smaller pieces I set them on a piece of scrap cardstock before spraying, that way they don't get lost in the trash (I've done that before).  Most times I'll leave my pieces to dry while I continue working.  As you can imagine, clean-up is a breeze -- since it's already contained in the bin! 

NOTE:  If you don't have anything in your trash bin but the plastic bag liner, you can ball up a few more bags so your project pieces aren't lying at the bottom--it becomes more cumbersome to get them out & it's a bit messier that way.

I finished the inside of this card with a solid diamond grid cut (swiped over with CTMH White Daisy pigment ink), & the phrase, "Always & Forever".  I didn't glimmer mist the phrase completely, as I liked the look of the uneven coverage over the gray cardstock. 

After-thought:  I didn't realize, until after the glue dried, what a mess the dried glue made on the inside of the card.  I have a fix for this too...but I'll save that for another day.  =)

Until next time...Happy Misting!  Lisa