Apples of My Eye - Layout for Scrapbook Pal Design Team

Have you set any crafting/scrapping resolutions/goals for the new year?  I set 2 crafting/scrapping goals.  Goal #1 is to start working on my Ancestry album.  Goal 2 is to start working on my family albums.  I've gotten started on both goals and this week's post helps me with Goal #2.  Something about the Country Life Cricut Cartridge just makes me think of apples so my 2nd layout using this cart has an apple theme and this one focuses around my kids who are The Apples of My Eye.  They would probably argue that the dog should have been on this page and they would have been right!

I hope you enjoy this layout!

This is how I made this 2-page layout, feel free to change it up to suit your needs and style.


Ingredients:
Country Life Cricut Cartridge
2-3 Sheets 12x12 Brown Cardstock (3rd sheet can be 8.5 x 11)
2 Sheets 12x12 Red Plaid Cardstock
1 Sheet Red Cardstock
1 Sheet ivory/tan Cardstock
1 Sheet green cardstock
1 Sheet navy blue Cardstock
Sakura Glaze Pen - White
Rhinestones
ATG or Other Roll Adhesive
Tim Holtz Ionic Craft Pick/Paper Piercer 
Thin twine or string
Pop Up Glue Dots

Instructions:
On your Cricut, using the Country Life Cartridge, cut 3 apples (p. 53) at 5" including the layers.  The base layer is brown which is the stem of the apple and the seeds on the right side apple.  This is kind of hard to see in the handbook if your eyes are bad like mine.

Press Shift Font, then spell out the letters to make the words "the apples of my eye" at 2" and cut on navy blue card stock.  Press Shift Banner and the next to last button on the bottom row and cut 8 on red and 8 on green cardstock.  This banner shape (scalloped triangle) actually appears several times on the cartridge so feel free to use a different button.  Alternate the letters "The Apples of My Eye" on to the red and green scalloped triangles and adhere.  Using the Ionic Paper Piercer, punch very small holes in the upper corners of the banner pieces.  Cut 2 pieces of string approximately 15" long.  Run strings through holes to form assembled banner (you will actually have 2 banners, one with The Apples and the other with Of My Eye).  Apply pop up glue dots to the back of each triangle.

Cut  3 - 3.5 x 1.25" rectangles out of brown cardstock.  Cut 3 - 3.25 x 1 rectangles out of navy blue cardstock.  Adhere navy blue rectangle on top of brown rectangle, centered for even margins.  Write names of children and birthdates on each using a white Sakura Glaze Pen.

Trim the red plaid cardstock to 11x11.  Adhere to brown cardstock, centering on paper for even margins.
Add the banner to the top of each page.  Place apples as desired, be sure to leave room for the brown/blue rectangles, and adhere both.  For a little pop, I added a rhinestone swirl on the left page.  I also used the white Sakura Glaze Pen to add some doodle dots to the apples and leaves.


To make the pictures fit on the apples, I cut the red apple layer just slightly smaller and then used it to trace out the shape onto my pictures and then I handcut them and adhered to the apple on the left.