Surving the Empty Nest- I Am More than a Mom

Thursday, August 29, 2013

When You Just Want to Say Hi!



I am having so much fun designing and creating handcrafted greeting cards from these adorable digi stamps from Paper Crafting World.  You will see in just a minute that I really altered the digi stamp this time.  I dragged it into Photoshop to erase the fall aspect all together so that I could create more of a just saying "Hi" type of card.

I made this card for a special young lady.  She was one of my former students!  I can't wait for her to see it. 
 
Click on photo to enlarge
This cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com is paired with the adorable puppy and the thought bubble which were both cut from the Create a Critter Cricut cartridge, still one of my all time favorites.  A bit of kitchen twine and a flower were added to  finish off the card. 

I can't wait to deliver this card!!  Isn't that half the fun?  Time to run, as you know, I'm more than a mother!!
 
Cindy

Saturday, August 17, 2013

cricut saturday Welcome to I am More Than a Mother and Cricutlicious Saturday.  Today's blog post is being sponsored by our friends at MyPaperCrafting.com!

As some of you may know, my son Dalton is proudly serving in the U.S. Navy.  One of the many sacrifices he makes is being away from his family.  This is difficult for me, especially during the holidays.  It has been comforting to know that for the past several years there have been many different individuals and families that have taken him in and have made sure that he was not alone during these times.

As our way of paying it forward, my family decided that we would like to be a host family to young men who find themselves in a similar situation, that being away from home and in need of a place to stay.  For the past two summers we have been a host family to either one or two graduating seniors who are leaving home for the first time to play summer baseball prior to starting their college baseball careers.

This experience has been a true blessing for our family.  I know as I give my time and love for the young men who stay with us, there is someone nearly 3,000 miles away who has done the same thing for our son.  

The canvas that I created today holds a picture of this years North County Indians.  This is the Semi Pro baseball team that I not only had the pleasure of working for this summer, but the team that our two host sons, Alec and Nick, played for.

 Click on photo to enlarge
The canvas came to life with NAVY blue paint to cover the bland white background.  Using the Sports Mania Cricut cartridge, the baseball glove was made to hold the team photo.  It was inked to give the glove that worn in look.  Playball was also cut from the Sports Mania Cricut cartridge, as was the batter.  You can see that inking the edges of the batter really helps define the image.  The black ink sets off the shoes and the batting helmet, while the red defines the belt.

While there are any number of font cartridges made by Cricut, on this canvas the Robotz Cricut cartridge was used to cut the "2013".     

As you can see, it is easy to keep your memories alive on a canvas by using your Cricut and your imagination.  The possibilities are endless.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email at cindy womack @ charter . net (no spaces)

Best of luck Alec as you head back to school and begin your college career.  We can't wait to watch you play ball in the spring.

I have a busy day today.  As you know by now...
I am More Than a Mother.

Until next time.
 
Cindy

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Creating for a Cause! Pleases join us:)


I am having so much fun designing and creating handcrafted greeting cards.  For those of you who are new to blogging and crafting, the Paper Crafting World Design Team creates handcrafted greeting cards, scrapbook pages, altered items, ect. using cutting files and digi stamps from the Paper Crafting World collection.  We are here to show you a variety of different ways that these products can be used and just how easy it is to make simple, yet beautiful, handcrafted items.

This week I made a card for a special cause, the I Feel the Love Project.  As some of you may know, the I Feel the Love Project collects and sends handcrafted cards to individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a difficult time in their life/lives.  For the month of August, unsigned birthday cards are being created and collected so that they can be sent to SAFEHOME, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence.  The women and children in the shelter will thus have birthday cards on hand to give to one another when they need.  How great is that??

This birthday bear digi stamp was created  by Ms. Melin at Papercraftingworld.com and is available for just 99 cents.  I decided to change it up a bit by using Photoshop.  Luckily for me, I had a wonderful teacher to help me through this process.  My daughter, Madison, showed me how to erase the strings so that I could use my own string.  She also showed me how to color the arm back in once the string was erased.  The balloons and birthday hat got a new paint job as well.  Here is what I came up with after  my changes.


As you will notice in the card, once the image made it to the Cameo, it was flipped before cutting.

Since I wanted to make a card that a boy could use, I chose to stay away from the pinks and purples.  A pom pom was added to the top of the party hat for fun!! 

Time to head out the door to work.  Thursdays are a busy day for me.  As you know by now...
I am More Than a Mother.

Until next time.
 
Cindy

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Happy Birthday to My Fabulous Husband!!


Happy Birthday to you Wo!  We all love you!

 
Looking forward to having a fun family day. I only wish that Dalton and Sami could be here with us to celebrate your special day.

Have a fabulous Sunday everyone.

Cindy
 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

A heartfelt thank you


I am having so much fun designing and creating handcrafted greeting cards.  For those of you who are new to blogging and crafting, the Paper Crafting World Design Team creates handcrafted greeting cards, scrapbook pages, altered items, ect. using cutting files and digi stamps from the Paper Crafting World collection.  We are here to show you a variety of different ways that these products can be used and just how easy it is to make simple, yet beautiful, handcrafted items.

I love crafting for a cause and this week's inspiration comes from a recent experience I had.  Without going into too much detail, I just want to say that I was genuinely moved by a generous gift I just received and I wanted to express my sincerest thanks.
Click on photo to enlarge
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7
 
This cutting file from Papercraftingworld.com is very easy to cut and use.  As you can see, it was utilized for a thank you card on this occasion.  
 
Until next time.
 
Cindy