3rd Grade Welcome Poster

Today is the first day of school for me, so I thought I'd share the welcome poster I made for my class.  It's quite large (18" x 24"), and as you can see, it was not easy to get a good picture of it.  I promise it's really cute in person! I teach in California, where our doors open right up to the outdoors (no interior hallways).  So, since this is on the window facing outside, I needed something that would not fade.  I started with a white piece of poster board and covered it with blue fadeless paper.  For my borders, I welded together 1" x 12" strips from the Cricut Ribbons & Rosettes cartridge.  To make it really easy, that light blue plaid paper I used is adhesive backed.  I found a 12" x 24" pack of DCWV adhesive backed paper at Joann's last year, and it was perfect for this!

"Soar" is from the Straight From the Nest cartridge, and the rest of the letters are from Feeling Groovy. I welded them together on my Gypsy. I used that adhesive backed paper for the letters too, which made assembling them a snap!

For each student, I die cut an airplane out of my scraps with the My Creative Time Fly Away With Me dies and stamped the coordinating image from the Fly Away With Me stamp set.  I used a white gelly roll pen to make my "string" that connects the banner (cut with the die from Fly Away With Me Sentiments).  This was a pretty easy poster to make, and with the adorable airplanes, I think it's much cuter than the ones available to buy these days!

And I thought I'd share some other places where the Cricut made it into my classroom.  Yesterday morning I was putting up my math bulletin board, when I decided it needed a banner.  Good thing I had my Gypsy with me, and I have my old Expression in the classroom!  Isn't that fun?

This board has lots of Cricut.  Besides the regular cuts, those other motiviational cuts were made on my Imagine with the Word of Mouth cartridge.  I've got fun quotes all around my room!

Have you stopped by My Creative Time today?  We're starting something new!  Every Tuesday, three members of the design team will be part of a "Show me Your Technique Mini Hop"!  Check it out!  Here is today's line up:

Amy

Cassandra

Cathryn

Products used on the poster:

Cricut Ribbons and Rosettes Cricut Straight From the Nest Cricut Feeling Groovy DCWV Adhesive Backed Pattern Stack PTI Stamper's Select White Cardstock MCT Fly Away With Me Dies MCT Fly Away With Me MCT Fly Away With Me Sentiments PTI True Black Ink Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen

InLinkz.com

Wobble Owl Card

I spent a few days last week at my sister's, and while I was there we went shopping for my seven-year-old niece's new backpack.  She fell in love with one with an owl pattern, so I thought it would be fun to send her a card with the same look.  Click here to see the backpack from Pottery Barn Kids, where I got my inspiration.

This adorable owl is cut from the Cricut Hoot 'n' Holler cartridge, at 3 1/2".  I wanted a patterned turquoise for his wings, but I couldn't find just the right paper.  So, I stamped the My Creative Time Spring Chicken Background with Papertrey Ink's Hawaiian Shores ink onto Hawaiian Shores cardstock.  Perfect!  I also attached this owl with an Action Wobble, to give him some fun movement for my niece.

The fun purple shapes are cut from the Cricut Feeling Groovy cartridge, at 1 3/4" and 2".  The flowers are cut at 1 3/4" from the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge.  I topped them with buttons created with the Papertrey Ink Buttoned Up #2 Die.  Lastly, I added a little sentiment from the MCT Teeny Tag Greetings stamp set.

Products used for this card:

Cricut Hoot 'n' Holler Cricut Feeling Groovy Cricut 3 Birds on Parade PTI Lavender Moon Cardstock PTI Hawaiian Shores Cardstock PTI Dark Chocolate Cardstock Core'dinations Cardstock PTI 2008 Bitty Box Basics PTI Pretty Pastels Patterned Paper PTI Buttoned Up #2 Die MCT Spring Chicken Backgrounds MCT Teeny Tag Greetings Stamp & Die Set PTI Hawaiian Shores Ink Action Wobble Spring

InLinkz.com

Animal Print Bookmarks

Okay, here are the bookmarks that I made for my students for their first day of school.  I used my favorite animal print paper again.  These were pretty easy to make on my Gypsy.  For each one I took the bookmark shape from Plantin Schoolbook and sized it at 6.18" x 1.76".  I added the name inside it using the Feeling Groovy font at 1.5". I cut this in the patterned paper.  Then I also cut the bookmark shape without the name in white for the backing.  After adhering them together I added an eyelet and some ribbon.

I also used the letters that cut out of the bookmarks to make nameplates for my writing bulletin boards.  The shape that I glued the names on is from the Art Philosophy cartridge, and I stretched it in my Gypsy to fit the names.  I also ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Polka Dots Embossing Folder to give it some texture.

Here's a look at the 2nd grade writing board.  I used my Jubilee cartridge (thanks, Kim!) for the title.  Sorry the picture isn't the greatest.  I didn't realize it until I got home and loaded it onto my computer.

School Welcome Poster

Today is my first day of school!  I've been crazy busy for the last couple of weeks getting my classroom ready, but it finally all came together.  I thought I'd share with you some of the ways I use my Cricut in my classroom.  This is the welcome poster that faces out the window in the front of my classroom.  I found this awesome animal print paper (Safari Untamed by The Paper Studio) at Hobby Lobby this summer and just knew I had to use it.

My backpacks are from the Recess cartridge, and I used the Feeling Groovy font cartridge for my words, except for "Wild", which is from Straight From the Nest.

The Cricut is great for making titles for bulletin boards.  I especially love tall, narrow fonts that don't take up too much room.  This one is Cricut Classic Font, Tall Ball.  I love being able to weld the letters on my Gypsy so they are a snap to pin up.

For my reading bulletin board, I used lots of different cartridges that had cuts relating to our Friendship theme.

This is a little board next to my desk.  I made that job chart last year, and was happy to have it survive the year!  You can look at this post to see it in more detail.  I think the "2/3 Stars" is from Nate's ABCs, and the "Table Points" is from the Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons cartridge.  The paper flowers are cut from Flower Shoppe, but I can't take any credit for the cute felt flower pushpins.  Those were made by a former student of mine, who is very talented!

My students are arranged in table teams, and they work hard to earn points.  I record them on this chart, and when we reach the top of the popcorn, we have a popcorn party, and so on.  It really only ends up to being three parties in the year, but the kids LOVE it!

I'll be back tomorrow with a couple of more things to share!

More Altered Canvases

If you haven't entered to win My Pink Stamper's Winter Punnies, be sure to scroll down to the post below!

Here is my second altered canvas, for my niece Sarah. For hers, I used the Feeling Groovy font, cutting the letters at 3". The cat is from Create a Critter, cut at 3", with the pillow cut at 2".

Recipe:

DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies Patterned Paper

Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate Cardstock

Core'dinations Cardstock

ekSuccess Rick Rack Punch

Michael's Canvas and Ribbon

Mod Podge

My 15 year old son thought these were pretty cool, so I made one for him too! He's playing basketball for his high school, so I used his team colors. The basketball players are cut from Sports Mania at 5", and the font is Cricut Classic Font, cut at 1 3/4".

Recipe:

DCWV Patterned Paper

Core'dinations and Bazzill Cardstock

ekSuccess Rick Rack Punch

Michael's Canvas

Mod Podge

Your Story Photo Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Your Story Photo Blog Hop! If you don't have a Your Story yet, be sure to watch "YourStory Photo" on HSN, Dec. 13th, at 2 AM EST to learn more.

I ordered my Your Story Photo during the HSN launch last month, and it is so much fun and easy to use! It only take a couple of minutes to bind a book! I made my first project with it, a Holiday Planner, earlier this week. Today I'm sharing a fun journal that I put together for a fifth grader who has been helping me out in my classroom during recess. She is very girly, so I think this will be a perfect little Christmas gift for her.

I used one of the 5" x 7" covers that came in my Your Story Photo bundle. The black layer is 5" x 6 3/4", and the patterned paper is 4 3/4" x 6 1/2". I cut the name at 2" from Feeling Groovy, welding together the shadowed letters on my Gypsy. Using Create a Critter, I cut the cat at 2.5" and the pillow at 1.35".

For the inside of the journal, I cut about 20 sheets of 5" x 6 7/8" lavender cardstock, from a paper pack from Joann's. I was sure to score the paper at 1/4" before binding it, so the pages open more easily (I missed this small print in the Your Story directions when making my first book).

Recipe:

Bazzill Basics Black Cardstock

DCWV Pocket Full of Posies Stack

Core'dinations So Mod! Cardstock

Martha Stewart Ribbon Loop Punch

Cuttlebug Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Prima Flower

Recollections Brad

Studio 18 Rhinestone

Here's a giveaway for you: all of these fun goodies from the Imaginisce B-Day Bash Collection! You just need to be a follower (or become one now) and leave a comment here this weekend. I'll randomly pick the winner on Monday.

Also, be sure to visit all of the talented ladies in this hop and leave comments on their blogs too, for a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE of a Cuttlebug, sponsored by Provocraft!!! Here is the lineup:

www.madebymomo.blogspot.com

www.pinkcricut.com

www.sweetsassydiva-gspot.blogspot.com

www.morethanfavors.blogspot.com

www.twoscraptasticgals.blogspot.com

www.craftingwithkatie.com (you are here)

www.caramiller.com

www.heartinthedetails.blogspot.com

www.kathyand3kids.blogspot.com

www.cricutchick.blogspot.com

Classroom Welcome Poster

Class lists were posted this afternoon, so I was able to finish up my classroom welcome poster. I made the birds a couple of weeks ago (see this post) using 3 Birds on Parade. I used Papertrey Ink Cardstock to add my saying, using Straight From the Nest for "Soar" and Feeling Groovy for the rest of the letters. The little rick rack border was made using my ekSuccess punch and DCWV paper.

Student Bookmarks

The classroom projects continue! School starts next Tuesday, and I've been unable to get into my classroom because of construction issues. So instead, I'm spending a lot of time on projects that I really don't need to be doing right now. I decided to make a bookmark for each student to have on their desks the first day of school. I used my Gypsy and made these using the bookmark shape from Plantin Schoolbook with the Feeling Groovy font for the letters. I cut the letters out of patterned paper, and then I adhered the patterned paper to the same size bookmark shape in black. I hated to waste the cut-out letters, so I adhered them to black rectangles to create nametags to display on a bulletin board with student writing. I'll post a pic of the bulletin board when I can finally get it together!

Recipe:

True Black Papertrey Ink Cardstock

DCWV Patterned Paper

We R Memory Keepers Large Eyelets

Michael's Ribbon