My Cricut Craft Room- 100 Cartridge Blog Hop

Welcome to Funky Cards and

My Cricut Craft Room

 100 Cartridge Blog Hop

If you arrived here from Patricia's blog you are in the right place, if not, head back to the beginning of the hop by clicking on the ICON above so you don't miss any of the wonderful projects created by the talented Design Team.

I claimed 3 Cricut cartridges today for my project and used all 3 cartridges in one project!  See if you can figure out which 3 cartridges I used to design this birthday card:)

 Ms. Owl is all ready to go out on the town and celebrate her birthday with her adorable hat and purse:)  If you guessed that these cuts were made using the Create a Critter Cricut cartridge (owl) and the Kate's ABC's Cricut cartridge (hat and purse) you would be correct!!  The Pooh Font Set Cricut cartridge was the third cartridge that was used.  All the letters were cut with this cartridge.

For added interest Ms. Owl was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and switched with a gel pen.

Now it is time to hop over to Alishia's blog.  I wonder what she has designed for us today?  Thank you for stopping by. 

Here is the blog hop line up in case you lose your way:)

Erica  

Suzy Crafts 

Courtney Larson
Patricia Holloway
Madison Womack (me)
Alishia Gaff
Heather Flaherty
Yvette Lopez
Jen Roseman
Tracy Godfrey
Tammy Schmitt

 Tina Keller 

Audrey Dickinson 

Samantha Sickles 

Holly

Melissa

Blog Candy

~Madison

Farewell Ms. Pentoney

Welcome to Funky Cards

It is with a very heavy heart that I must announce that Ms. Pentoney, the very first recipient of our "I Feel the Love Project" cards has lost her battle with Cancer.  Ms. Pentoney was 50 years old and one of my Junior High School teachers.  She will be missed by many.  Thank you Ms. Pentoney for all the love you shared with your students every year.  You were the best!

I will miss you!

~Madison

Welcome to Funky Cards

Welcome to Funky Cards

Making money with crafting ~ Affiliate Programs

Affiliate Advertising - When you visit a website or blog, have you ever noticed the banner ads on the side or at the bottom of the page.  Most likely, these are due to Affiliate Advertising Programs. There are websites, such as Share A Sale, which allows you to search for businesses that have affiliate programs and sign up for them.  Once you are approved, you can choose from approved banners and advertisements to place on your website, blog or newsletter and when someone makes a purchase through the link connected with your affiliate account you receive a small commission.  

The great thing is that MANY companies offer affiliate programs which allow you to make a commission off of sales you generate.  Why would they pay YOU to promote and sell their products?  Because advertising costs a LOT of money.  If a company were to purchase ad spaces on hundreds of blogs and websites, it would hit their budget hard.  But if they offer a percentage of the sales to people then EVERY wants to put their button and ads up on their site . . . and then all of a sudden they have ads EVERYWHERE.

I have tried some affiliate programs, and some are better than others.  Personally I feel like you need to find ones that offer a good commission and have a product that you actually use or enjoy.  It makes it easier to promote if it is something that you feel good about.

One that I am really excited about right now was just launched THIS MONTH!  That is right . . . you could still be among the first to be a part of this great new program.  It is for Above Rubies Studio.

Megan at Above Rubies Studio has a great line of DVD's that many people have used to learn how to use their Cricut Machines.  More recently she came out with a new line of paper, called Paper Layerz.  If you have not checked out the store at Above Rubies Studio you should head over and see all of her products. 


So . . . what would you say if I told you that YOU could make a 15% commission on sales that you generate for Above Rubies Studio?  Would you want to do it? 

This is a great way to make a little extra money from your website or blog, and it is so easy to do! All you need is a PayPal account and then you go to  http://www.aboverubiesstudio.com/ap/144.html to sign up. Once you have the account created you can pick from some different banners and ads that they pre-made for you.  Just copy and paste the code into an email or on to your blog and you can start to generate commissions off of products like the Cricut A-Z DVD or Paper Layerz. You will earn 15% commission on each sale you refer.


You also get an additional 5% on sales from anyone else that joins off of YOUR referral link, so once you join up make sure to send an email to all of YOUR crafty friends!


Free to sign up Just need a PayPal account . . . that is where your commissions are deposited. The sign up page does ask for your Social Security Number, and I know that some people were worried about that.  They need this because they are paying you money, just like an employer would.  The sign up page is a secure site, so that means you do not have to worry about anyone getting your information. How do I know this?  Well, the person who referred this site to me operates a scam and fraud prevention site, and has some experience teaching people about only using secure sites.  

When you look at the URL for any website, if you see an S after the http then you know it is a secure site.

Here is a screen shot I took of the Above Rubies Studio Affiliate Sign Up Page.  The padlock icon and the s, which I underlined in red to make it stand out, are what tells you that this is a secure site.  If you want, you can do a Google search on how to find out if a website is secure.


Okay . . . so now you know that it is free, safe.  I plan on doing posts on a regular basis about this program so that I can show all of you first hand how easy it is . . . but you have to take the first step and sign up.  When up sign up you and want to use me as a referral, I am signed in under my mom's name, Cindy Womack.  I used her name since I am a minor.

Thanks for listening.  Have a crafty weekend.  Be sure to come back and check out the My Cricut Craft Room 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop tomorrow!!!

~Madison

October "I Feel the Love Project" coming Sunday!

Welcome to Funky Cards

Today is the last day of the "I Feel the Love Project" for September.  I am truly grateful for all the love and support you have given to this project this month.  The kids at Pediatric Specialty Care are going to have a fantastic Halloween with beautiful banners and amazing cards.  The response to our blog hop and call for Halloween cards was overwhelming and I just can't thank you all enough.  If you have been following my blog you will already know that cards poured in from as far away as Australia!!  

It is such a great feeling to know that there are compassionate people who will do for others each month knowing that all they will receive in return is the satisfaction of knowing they made someone else feel good.  It is called being self-less and that describes those of you who continue to support this project. God Bless you all! You are the ones who make this project work.  I couldn't do it without you and I appreciate you so much.  Thank you.

I will be announcing the recipient of our October cards on Sunday, October 2, 2011.  I will be participating in a blog hop for My Cricut Craft Room on October 1, 2011.  Stop by and check out the project I made using 3 cricut cartridges:)

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting to you all!

~Madison

Blog Hop Winners Announced

Welcome to Funky Cards

First I would like to thank everyone who took the time to stop by my blog this weekend to look at the projects I made and to leave me such nice comments.  I read them all and I really appreciate all of your kind words.

 

The winner of the Disney Blog Hop will receive two digi stamps from my wonderful sponsor- Papercrafitngworld.com 

and the winner is... Jessica!

Jessica said, "Madison, you are so talented. I have seen fashion design, home decor, stitching, and more! Is there anything you CAN'T do???LOL. Lovely pillow hun! My favorite Disney character is Thumper. So cute and so innocent! :O) Jessica."

The winner of the Pocket Full of Memories Blog Hop will receive a $10 gift voucher from my wonderful sponsor- Papercrafitngworld.com 

and the winner is... Patti Ross!

Patti said, "What a great album - a super idea! I'd say any favorite memory had to do with spending time with my grandparents...they always made life wonderful!"

Congratulations Jessica and Patti! Enjoy your prizes:)  I will be in contact with you soon.  Have a wonderful day everyone.

~Madison

My Cricut Craft Room- Card Creating Tuesdays

Welcome to Funky Cards and

My Cricut Craft Room

 Card Creating Tuesdays

Good morning and welcome back to My Cricut Craft Room Card Creating Tuesdays.  I hope to inspire you with my work today and to encourage you to try something new! As you know, each week I will be sharing with you new cards that I have designed and adding a few tips that I have learned along the way. 

Balance is important when designing projects.  For this card, I used the three flowers to balance the card.  I purposely placed one flower at the top and two flowers at the bottom so your eyes would look from the top to the bottom of the card.    

 Recipe:

Simply Sweet Cartridge- Butterfly
Paper Flowers
Punches
Gel Pens

Ribbon

Brads 

***Tip of the Day***

  If you missed my previous tips, you can click: 

HERE,  HERE , HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE

***When you make greeting cards are you tempted to make them all situation specific?  For example, I knew that I  would be using this card as a birthday card.  Does that mean I have to put "Happy Birthday" on the card?  What happens if something else unexpectedly comes up and I need a card ASAP and I don't have time to make one?  By leaving it blank on the outside I have left myself options in case I change my mind or need to use it for something else.

I can always stamp "Happy Birthday" on the inside to personalize it just before sending it out.  Of course that doesn't mean that I do this for all cards.  I make plenty of personalized "Happy Birthday" cards.  I just like to have blank cards too that I can have on hand and personalize when I need them!  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me anytime at funkycards @ charter dot net (no spaces). 

Thank you for stopping by!  Be sure to stop by My Cricut Craft Room to see what the other Design Team members have in store for you today at Card Creating Tuesdays:)

~Madison

I'm a guest designer today:)

Welcome to Funky Cards

 I am so excited to be the guest designer 

today at You Had Me at Craft!!  

Every Monday is Made It Myself Monday at You Had Me At Craft and I have been busy "re-doing" the rooms in our house one by one and I will be sharing my latest project with you today:)

My brother Aaron just left for college and I wanted to turn his room into a guest room (with his blessing).  It was Dodger Blue to start with and in need of a new paint job anyway.

Here is a before shot after the room was cleared of everything but the bed, desk, and TV.  You can see there was a chair rail separating the Dodger Blue and white paint.

The room appeared very dark with this color paint.  I really wanted to lighten up the room with a different color choice.

I chose a warm, tan color and painted the walls floor to ceiling.  It does look much lighter in person.  The shelves were also repainted but it is hard to tell in the photos. 

I made the curtains out of a sheet that I bought for $10 at Big Lots.  To get the panel effect at the top, fold the top edge over approximately 18" but sew together only at the top edge to make a casing for the curtain rod (at about 1", depending on the size of your curtain rod).

The frame over the TV was  purchased at Michael's with my 50% off coupon.  The piece is a collection of artwork made by my brothers and I when we were in elementary school.  My mom has folders of our artwork for each of us that I could pull from.  It is a great way to store children's artwork.  This took me just moments to create and it was really fun to do.  My mom loves it!!

These paintings are hanging over the bed.  I painted them with canvases I purchased at Michael's when they were on sale.  I found a painting online that looked just like this and I loved it.  I wanted to use it in the room.  I decided that for my painting, however, that I would paint it on three canvases instead.  I started this part of the project before Aaron left, but hid it in the closet!!

My dad and Aaron left on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.  When my dad returned on Saturday night the room was finished.  He had no idea I was going to start it while he was gone!!  He didn't know the colors or anything that was happening in the room:)  He LOVED it!!  I love that my parents trust me to re-do the rooms in the house.  It is so much fun!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  

~Madison

Disney Pixar Blog Hop #3

***If you are looking for the KinderStampO Pocket full of Memories Blog Hop: Click HERE or scroll down to previous post.***

Welcome to Funky Cards and

Disney Pixar Blog Hop #3

September 24th and September 25th
If you arrived here from Ellen's blog, you are in the right place, if you happened here by chance, please head back to the beginning by clicking on the DISNEY button above so you don't miss any of the adorable Disney projects today:) 

After sharing 2 exciting Disney Pixar Blog Hops with you, we are excited to bring you hop #3.  The same group of talented crafters have designed and created a variety of adorable and clever projects that I am sure will inspire you.

 I have decided to do something a bit different this time.  For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I have been doing a lot of home decorating lately.  I really wanted to experiment with a homemade pillow for my craft room and when I heard that we were having another Disney blog hop, I had an idea!!

I wanted to cross stitch a pillow with a Disney character.  To start this project, a sketch was made using a light box, which allowed the image to be transfered onto the material.

Using a colored image of Woody from Toy Story as a template, the outline was filled in by cross stitching the appropriate color.  Once the cross stitching was complete, the pillow could be finished and stuffed.  I just love how it turned out.  What do you think?   

***Blog Candy***

I have an amazing sponsor today!  Papercrafitngworld.com 

To be eligible to win these two adorable digi stamps from Papercraftingworld.com:

Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me who your favorite Disney or Pixar Character is.  It is that easy:)  Remember to leave me a way to contact you!  

On Monday September 26th, the day after the official hop, we are going to have a Disney Pixar Hop Link Up Party!  We want to see your Disney Pixar inspired scrapbook layouts, cards and other creations . . . The other category can include banners, cake/cupcake, decorations, centerpieces, wall décor, party favors . . . anything at all. 

To include your projects in the Disney Pixar Hop Link Up Party:

Click HERE to post a link to scrapbook layouts

Click HERE to post your cards

Click HERE to post any other creation

This will be a great way for us to showcase the work by our followers!  It will allow people to preview your project and then go to your blog to learn more about you and the project you created.  I can't wait to see what you all design and create!

Now it is time to hop over to the very creative and super talented Kristal's blog to see what she has made for you today.  I can't wait to see myself!!!


Here is the list of participants in case you get lost:)

Shawn

Melissa 

Tami   

Ellen  

Madison (ME) 

Kristal 

Christina 

Jenny 
Lori

Diane 

Amy  

Kathy  
Thanks for stopping by!

~Madison

KinderStampO- A Pocket Full Of Memories Blog Hop

Welcome to Funky Cards

KinderStampO
A Pocket Full of Memories
Blog Hop

September 24rd-September 25th

Today's blog hop is being hosted by Jess at KinderStampO.
Our wonderful sponsors include:
 PSA Essentials- $85 prize
Helmar- Zap Dot Gift Set
Lindy's Stamp Gang- Gift Set
 PYMII- Can of Preserve Your Memories II 


To be eligible to win any of the prizes being offered by our
sponsors today, you must leave a comment on each of the
blog stops!! If you arrived here from Corri's blog you are in 
the right place, if not head back over to Jess' blog so that you don't miss any of the wonderful projects today. As you know by now, the theme for today is mini albums and pockets! 

I designed and created a mini album for my mom with

pictures and memories all about ME! She asked

me to do this for her. She really wanted a mini album of

photos of me when I was just a little girl.

Here is how the project started.

I pre-cut the pages before I design 
them so I know how much space I will have.

All the pages follow a similar color scheme- pink, black and white.  I prefer this with an album of this length.

The embellishments change on each page.

The background of the paper was stamped before it was
embossed.

Each page has at least one picture, black ribbon, and an embellishment.

 

On each birthday page, there is a flower to represent the number of years I am celebrating.  So this page has one flower.

Using twine with buttons gives a project added dimension.

Turning two, so this page has two flowers:)

Try putting the ribbon over the photo for a different look.

Three flowers for a three year old.

The background paper is embossed with many different folders.

All the  letters for this project were cut from the 

Kate's ABC's Cricut cartridge.

Finally four, so four flowers for me:)

The "Pocket full of memories" for my mom holds a tag that I made her that says "I Love my mom."  It also holds wallet size school pictures.  This was a really fun album to make.  

I love how it turned out and so does my mom!!!  I hope I have inspired you to make one:)  Maybe you can work together with your mom!!

***BLOG CANDY***

I would like to thank my wonderful and amazing sponsor, Melin, from Papercraftingworld.com.  I am offering a $10.00 gift voucher to one lucky winner!!!

To be eligible for this prize, become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment letting me know one of your favorite childhood memories:)  I will use Random Organizer to choose a winner.  Please leave me a way to contact you. 

Now it is time to hop over to the incredibly talented Pam's blog to see what memories she is sharing today.  You won't want to miss what she has created:)  Thank you for stopping by.

~Madison