Destinations Décor

Recently, I added the Cricut 'Destinations' cartridge to my ever-growing library. Currently, this cartridge is an exclusive early release to HSN (available in a Gypsy bundle or as a separate purchase). It should be available in mass retail in December 2009.

I knew when I first heard about this release, it was going to be a 'must-have' for me. (But then again, aren't they all?) I've always loved the history and romance of old steamer trunks, valises, and portmanteaus covered with vintage labels/stickers from varied destinations and travels around the world. From the artwork, color combinations, landmarks, and world languages, they have always inspired and fascinated me. This cartridge takes that concept and gives it a modern twist. Covering locales and landmarks around the world--and cities in the United States--'Destinations' is a must for those with wanderlust and travel in their souls.

After glancing at some of the images, I was inspired to create a piece of home décor alteration. I've had a reproduction black steamer chest around my home for many years. It's served as an endtable, a book case, and numerous other functions in rooms around my house. I've decided to take it and decoupage it with 4" labels from landmarks around the world. While it will be a project in stages and over time, I thought I would show you two of the labels I created that will find their way onto the finished project as an introduction to 'Destinations'.



The first cut I made represents Rio de Janeiro ("River of January"), Brasil and features a depiction of its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. I chose to cut all the pieces out of white corduroy-textured Bazzill cardstock with my Cricut Gypsy and Expression, then color them with my Copic Sketch markers, and finally, adhere their layers with Zig 2-way Glue and Sakura Quickie pens.

Using the Brasilian flag as inspiration for my color combinations, this is what my finished label looked like:





The second locale I "visited" was Moscow, Russia and its magnificent St. Basil's Cathedral (The Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat). Here are the cuts for this project:



For this label, I had two inspirations for the color scheme. The first was Stravinsky's 'The Firebird' (reds and oranges of flames) and van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' (blues, whites, and blacks of the night sky).





So two down, only several dozen to go...lol. Hopefully, I'll keep you updated on this project as the steamer trunk gets a facelift. In the mean time, I strongly recommend you give 'Destinations' a "trip"...



Keep Crafting!

Cricut Exploration: Home Decor

I have a horrible confession to make. Over the weekend, I finally took my poor ignored Cricut Expression off the shelf and played with him. It's not my intent to be a neglectful father. However, my limited crafting space does not allow me to leave my Circut set up for easy use. I'll admit, it's a bit of laziness on my part; That, and a combination of being busy using other techniques and ideas.

This weekend, I decided to explore the Cricut Solutions Home Decor cartridge. After a few imperfect cuts and a blade change, I made a few elements for some card layouts. I really enjoy the modern and fashion-forward look of the cuts on this cartridge.





This first card features the bumblebee cut at 3". This card also features an embossed layer using the exclusive Stampin' Up! Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions folder by Sizzix. I used Stickles in Fruit Punch to highlight the center of each flower. The bottom is trimmed with the Stampin' Up! Scallop Edge punch. I enhanced the Cricut cutout with a pair of googly eyes and a bit of glitter pen. But my favorite element is the wings. I used a piece of clear acrylic plastic to back the wings showcasing a design of black swirls and flourishes. I really love the effect.






The next card uses the stylized cupcake image on Home Decor cut at 3". The base and mat cardstocks are both Bazzill Bling. The sentiment stamp is Stampin' Up! The real highlight of this card is the coloration of the cupcake. I was striving for an airbrushed (without actually airbrushing) look using my Copic Sketch markers. Using a lot of blending, I think I achieved a fairly decent interpretation of the coloration.





The final card features the chandelier cut from Home Decor. I absolutely ADORE this cut. I cut it at 3" in a yellow Bazzill cardstock. I then used Copic 110 to color in the chandelier leaving the original yellow "bulbs" uncovered. The chandelier is attached to a strip of DCWV Modern Loft cardstock that has been edged with the Stampin' Up! Eyelet Border punch. I used a Stampin' Up! clear rhinestone brad to attach the chandelier to the strip. The sentiment stamp is from Unity Stamp Company. The base cardstock is from the Die Cut With A View Downtown Loft Stack. This is my absolute favorite stack of the new JoAnn Exclusive releases.

Until next time, Keep Crafting!