Awesome Cricut Card Ideas For Your Family

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Why spend another penny on a store bought greeting card now that you own a Cricut cutting machine. You paid a lot for that Cricut, so let's put it to work. Here are just a few Cricut Card Ideas that will get you started and allow you to use any of your cricut cartridges you choose.

The next holiday coming up on the calendar is Easter. When I think of what cricut card ideas I can come up with, I think of how your family and friends will react when they receive a handmade greeting card made by YOU. Now that you have your Cricut cutting machine and a variety of cricut cartridges, it is so easy to add your personal touch to a card.

If one of the cricut cartridges you have is the Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge, you can make a really cute handmade greeting card of the Easter Bunny or an Easter Basket filled with colored eggs. Or maybe another one of your cricut cartridges is the Cricut Wild Card cartridge so you can make a Filigree Easter Egg card. Another one of my Cricut Card ideas is if you have the Cricut Stretch your Imagination cartridge. You can make a card with a Bunny coloring Easter eggs or a bunny in a basket.

As far as all of the cricut card ideas I could come up with for Easter, not all of them need to have bunnies or eggs on them. Here is an example of using a different one of your cricut cartridges called A Walk in My Garden cartridge. With this cricut cartridge you can make beautiful daffodil, hyacinth, or tulip to be the theme of your card. You are the artist of this Easter card, show your creativity and have fun.

Then the next big card day is Mothers Day. Think of how your Mom will feel getting a handmade greeting card from her child. You will totally make her day. No matter what cricut cartridges you have you will be able to find some thing that will put a smile on her face, and of course you will do all of this with your magnificent cricut cutting machine. It could be as simple as a basic flower from the Plantin SchoolBook cartridge, that you cut into different sizes and layer on a card, and then add the words Happy Mothers Day, or to the Best Mommy in the World.

The great thing about your Cricut cutting machine and all the cricut cartridges that are available to you is that it gives you thousands of Cricut card ideas. You will see that your cards look so professional you will not be able to wait to send them out or start selling them. I'm going to get busy making my handmade greeting cards on my very own Cricut cutting machine, how about you?

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Different Styles of Russian Easter Eggs

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One of the loves of my life would have to be this lovely Russian Easter egg that my great grandmother left to my grandfather when she passed on. He didn't like it much of course - he wasn't the type who would, and I quote, "appreciate fancy frivolities". Naturally, its care was passed on to my grandmother, who simply adored it the moment it was placed into her hands. She immediately relocated the Russian Easter egg to a high place on her glass shelf - truly a place of honor, as far as my grandmother was concerned. And from there on its high perch, it would watch over us, like a promise.

I always admired that egg from afar. It looked nothing like the other Easter eggs that I used to see when I was a child; it was the most perfect shade of sky blue, with delicate brown-black lines painted on it to make it look like it was on the verge of hatching on top. It was held upright with this exquisite wooden stand that looked vaguely like the branches of a tree. My grandmother used to tell me that Russian Easter eggs were invented because the Russians used to run out of Easter eggs to give to each other - back then giving an Easter egg to a person meant that you are thankful for them, and you wish them a prosperous new life of possibilities. That being said, I was told that Russian Easter eggs are special because their promises are exquisite, and the will often last forever.

One day, that Russian Easter egg will be in my hand, and the symbol of prosperity of new beginnings and new life will stay with me for a very long time.

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Rolling Away Stones

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March did go out like a lamb, as it was supposed to. We know for sure that spring is here, according to the geese, gophers and crows. Guaranteed that the grass is going to turn green, trees will bud out, soil will be prepared for the 'new' growing season, the sun will be hotter, days get longer, bikes are out and people are shedding winter coats! So much is taken for granted as winters bleakness turns into the spring season of renewal and hope. It is no coincidence that Easter follows close behind. While spring is a time for nature renewal and indoor clean up, Easter is supposed to be a time for renewal of heart/soul/mind. But...is it? The weeks of Lent leading up to Easter are supposed to be a time of personal reflection. Is it? Or has this too been lost in our 'material world'?

It seems that human nature has become complacent with certain celebrations, as 'reasons for the seasons' have been lost along the way. We have all been raised with certain values, traditions and beliefs, which are normally passed to generations below. How often do we take time to stop, reflect and remember those reasons? I recently allowed myself some reflective time about Easter.

I feel double blessed because I got to celebrate Easter of both calendars. Being of Romanian decent and Greek Orthodox faith, we followed what is called the Julian calendar, so the date was different than the regular calendar. This year, for example, Easter falls on April 23, one week later than normal calendar. A lot of our celebrations focused around traditional food, both at church and at home. Certain ones stand out in my mind like, cozonac and colaci{fruit and braided breads}, plachinta{streudel} and coliva {wheat salad}.

Coliva is a wheat salad, where the wheat is cooked until it is swollen, sweetened with a honey type thickening like a tapioca. The wheat is very significant to resurrection and new life as the grain of wheat must die, fall to the ground and regrow. Everyone had a coloured egg to tap to their neighbours egg, while saying, 'Hristos a inviat'(Christ is risen). In response to that was, 'Adevarat a inviat'[indeed he is risen.] It was fun to see who would be left with an uncracked egg. This is simply one example of tradition in one culture. There is something phenomenal about the fact that no matter what our cultural background is, who we are, where we live and what our beliefs are, be that christian or not, Easter can be celebrated anywhere in the world.

The analytic part of me wanted answers as well; who, what, when, where and why's of this holiday, which is a season unto itself. One answer, in particular, that surprised me was that it was of pagan origin. A completely compressed version from the Encarta Encyclopedia says: "Easter, annual festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the principal feast of the Christian year." ... "it probably comes from Çastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts."

As Christianity grew and spread, it adopted certain things from the non-Christian world. To the religious, it marks a time of miracles and faith. To the more secular world, it is a time of winter's end, summer's solstice and bright colours of summer. Bunnies, colored eggs, baskets, lilies, candles, chocolate, hot cross buns and baked ham are 'symbols' of the Easter season but actually, there is no connection between them and the resurrection of Christ.

Maybe the origin of Easter and it's symbols are really irrelevant. What does matter is what is in our hearts and souls. Sometimes our hearts are heavy as we carry burdens that weigh us down like stones. Whether they are the size of a pebble or boulder, their weight places great resistance upon our growth. New hope can easily be found if we consider the stone rolled away from Jesus' tomb. It not only allowed Jesus to rise but the disciples to enter.Do you remember the last time you rolled over a rock and there were tiny threads of grass trying to work their way out from under to see the sun. Who are we each keeping out or what gifts are being hidden when we hang onto the weight of our stones? Have we offered to help a neighbour roll away their stone? How many special people have we missed the chance to know while we were buried in stress? I bet we would all be pleasantly surprised at the good uncovered as we start Rolling Away Stones.

"Have a Happy Easter, Celebrate with cheer; Receive the Savior's love, as His spirit draws near; Enjoy this special day, smile on your face, As hearts are rejoicing all over the place; The grave is now empty, the stones rolled away, Miracles are happening, This Happy Easter Day."

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Rechenka's Eggs (Paperstar)

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Easter Eggs, Bunnies and Costumes - Oh My!

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This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 12th. Easter Sunday activities include colorful Easter parades, Easter Sunday religious services and the always exciting Easter egg hunt! The anticipation in preparing for an Easter egg hunt can only be matched by the excitement many children experience leading up to and during the actual hunt itself.

Preparations for the Easter egg hunt include selecting a location, choosing decorative crafts and paints for the eggs, boiling the eggs, painting them and then hiding the eggs around the lawn or yard. Pastel colors work best for egg-dipping, as they are bright enough to see even through tall grass. On Easter Sunday, at least one parent will have to dress as the Easter Bunny during the hunt, requiring them to wear an oversized bunny costume.

As for the children, the fun usually begins at daybreak, when they awaken to find Easter baskets filled with Easter candies and chocolates. The madcap excitement continues as they get dressed in their favorite Easter Sunday costume.

Get a head start on the festivities. Pick an outfit for the kids from the following children's Easter costumes, such as:

1. Rabbit or bunny costume
2. Marshmallow Peep or other Easter candies like Jelly Beans
3. Religious or Biblical figure like Jesus, Joseph, or the Virgin Mary

And these ever-popular costumes that children always enjoy dressing in:
4. Fairy or Pixie such as Tinker Bell
5. Superhero
6. Fairytale Princess or Disney Princess like Aurora or Jasmine
7. Swashbuckling Pirate like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean
8. Angel

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How To Make Easy Easter Invitations

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If you are planning to throw an Easter party this year. Why not make some cute invitations and make an ever lasting impression. All you need is a little bit creativity.

Cute Choco Candy Invitations: Easter and chocolates go hand in hand. Why not take it the traditional way this year and send out Invitations attached to a sweet chocolate Easter bunny. You can even send out invitations attached to a delicious candy bar.


Hand Made Easter Egg Invitations: This is an easy and fun craft that is also good to do with children. Cut out invitations into an egg shape from construction paper or card stock. Decorate the front of the invitation in pretty colors and designs, using glitter, jewels or ribbon to give it a finishing touch. One the reverse side you can write the Easter party details. Each invitation will be unique and your guests will appreciate the effort you put into making the invitations yourself.


Plastic Egg Invitations: Another simple idea to send out Easter invitations is to send the information inside plastic eggs. You can buy large colorful plastic eggs and then put a folded note with the event details inside. You can also add sweet candies and jelly beans for the little invitees can enjoy. To give the eggs a finishing touch, you can decorate them or tie a ribbon around them. These invitations can then be hand delivered or mailed to the invitees.


Online Invitations: Not up for the time and effort needed to make homemade invitations? Another great option is to send online invites to all your guests. This works great especially if you are inviting a large group of people and need to keep track of RSVPs. These online invitation sites have some beautiful Easter themes, and you are sure to find one that suits your event!
Note: If you are planning to have activities like egg dyeing or an Easter egg hunt, then ask your guests to wear older clothes or to bring along an apron with them. This will ensure that their nice Easter clothes won't be ruined if they get stained with dye or grass.

Be creative and plan a great Easter party!

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Say Happy Easter With a Smile

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While Easter has significant religious connotation, it's a perfect time to host local events, an egg hunt in your yard or nearby park, food festivals and family parties to welcome the spring in a grand way. It's the time to express the joy of renewed life and there is no better way of doing so than organizing a fabulous Easter party. No matter how you are and where you are, make sure you do something special on this holiday and make it a day to remember.

Especially kids love to enjoy all the fun associated with this special holiday and you will easily find wonderful ideas to plan your Easter party on the internet. Creating family fun at Easter is not too difficult when you have innumerable online event management companies to guide you and eventually make your Easter party truly special. You can also think of a good party theme which will provide the perfect framework from which the rest of the planning process can flow. Once the theme for your party is chosen, decisions about the kind of invitations, activities, food, drinks, and decorations become much clearer.

Filled with homemade decorations, Easter crafts, special treats, mouthwatering recipes, party games and fun filled activities, your Easter party can even fetch you lots of money if you intend to promote your event and sell tickets. The guests and invitees of your Easter party can get busy with the Easter egg hunt, enjoy the Easter Bonnet Cake, dance to the lively music, or just indulge in the delectable food.

April 12th (Easter Sunday) is not too far away and you have very little time to arrange for all the things required to host a lovely Easter event. So hurry, plan your Easter party immediately, send out invitations, sell loads of tickets and make your event a grand success. Welcome the spring and Celebrate Easter 2009 in an egg-cellent way!

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