APRIL MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Center of Attention Challenge!

APRIL MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Center of Attention Challenge!

Every good tablescape, whether it’s on a dining table, coffee table, side table, desk or elsewhere, can benefit from a beautiful centerpiece. Have you tried creating one with your Cricut machines? For the April Monthly Challenge that is exactly what we would like you to try! Create any type of centerpiece using your Cricut machines. We can’t wait to see what you make!

The WINNER of this challenge will receive a $150 Credit to Cricut.com!

The Challenge: Create a centerpiece using your Cricut machines.

Rules and Guidelines: Circle Blog Challenges are open to Cricut Circle Members only. Your project must be newly created for this challenge and include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts. You must submit a project to be entered into the Challenge Prize Drawing.

How to Enter: Submit your entry using the InLinkz tool found at the bottom of this post. Please post your full name along with your entry. Entries are due by 9:00 pm MST on Monday, April 30th, 2012.

Prize: This month the winner will receive $150.00 in credit to Cricut.com.

Winner: The winner will be selected randomly from qualifying entries using www.random.org and will be announced on the Cricut Circle Blog on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012.

Hi Friends and Fellow Crafters! Here is my entry for the Cricut Circle Monthly Challenge. It is a birdcage I created using my Gypsy that I plan on using as a centerpiece for our Mother's Day Breakfast.

I was blog hopping about a month ago and one of the stops was a blog where the crafter created a birdcage using a SVG file. I wish I could remember where I saw it, but I just skim over blogs where SVG files are used since I personally don't use them. I started thinking that I would like to try my hand at a 3D birdcage using my Gypsy, so when I had some time about 3 weeks ago, I started this. It went through about 4-5 transformations before I finally settled on the cage you see here. Before I go into all the details, here are the materials I used for this final birdcage.

                              

Materials:

Cricut Expression 2 and Gypsy

Carts:

Serenade - Birdcage

Elegant Edges - Birdcage Door

Art Nouveau - Birdcage Base

CTMH Art Philosophy - Butterflies and Dragonflies

Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art - Butterflies

Spring Cottage - Birds

Mother's Day Bouquet - Flowers

CTMH Art Philosophy - Flowers

Flower Shoppe - Flowers

Wall Decor and More - Vines

Papers :

Graphic45, K&Company

Recollections Glitter Cardstock

Other Good Stuff:

Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Tea Dye, Wild Honey and Frosted Bough

Ranger Alcohol Inks - Butterscotch

Martha Stewart Coarse Glitter

Ranger Glossy Accents

Prima Crystal Accents

Pearl Accents

Ribbon

Lollipop Stick

7 Gypsies Jump Rings

Hot Glue Gun

I had originally started this in the CCR, but moved it to my Gypsy when I stared using more and more carts on it. The birdcage is from Serenade and I welded 3 together on 2 mats to make my design. I am not sure why, but when I started it, I had 7 cages with 4 on one mat and 3 on the other. The result was a cage that buckled, as you can see here.

That was when I figured out that an even number of panels might be the way to go. LOL! Here is what it looks like on the Gypsy. The cage is almost 10 inches tall.

I thought at one point that the paper I was using wasn't sturdy enough for the design, so I used heavy Recollections Glitter cardstock to cut the cage in the picture. It is sturdy and is holding the embellishments nicely. The cardstock isn't double sided, so I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink to add some color on the back of the cardstock.  I used Ranger Glossy accents to adhere the birdcage together. It's a nice solid hold.

   I originally built a floor for the 1st birdcage

and it looked like this

I decided to go a little bit different on the new cage. I was still trying to avoid buckling, so I used a lid from a tin I had laying around and covered it with some paper from Graphic 45.

It's a perfect fit for the birdcage.

I made a swing for my cage using some jump rings I had from 7 Gypsies in my stash and a unused lollipop stick that I stained with Time Holtz Tea Dye Ink.

I hot glued a bird I cut from Spring Cottage to the swing. I wanted the other side of the bird to be finished, so I used a pop dot and added a shadow of the bird flipped over to the other side.

I attached the swing using the jump rings and my Big Bite to the top of the birdcage. To close up the top of the birdcage,  I trimmed off the swirls. Sorry the pictures are from my earlier attempt at the cage. By the time I had figured out how I wanted it, I wasn't taking the step by step pictures anymore.

To close the top of the birdcage, I folded the tops down over each other, then inserted the brad.

The bird is cut with Graphic 45 paper and is from Spring Cottage. I picked up this cart because of that bird!  I used a little crystal for his eye. He is hot glued to the top of the cage.

I searched my Gypsy and found a great vine on Wall Decor and More. I cut them with Graphic 45 paper and added some flowers to them.

I added a ton of embellishments on to the birdcage. I glued ribbon on it. I colored some little charms from my stash with Ranger Alcohol Ink in Butterscotch and added a design to the cage.

There are butterflies and dragonflies all around it. I cut them with Graphic 45 papers and used lots of Martha Stewart Coarse Glitter on them.

This is the  other side of the birdcage.

Below is the back of the birdcage.

This month I really tried to challenge myself to try something different. I'm really pleased with the finished birdcage. I have some more ideas for our table, but in the end, I think this will be the main attraction!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Happy Crafting!

Colleen