I LOVE SIZZIX
Have you seen the ultimate giveaway that Sizzix is having?
Check it out here: https://gleam.io/crlHz/sizzix-2500-5-winner-ultimate-giveaway
There are multiple ways to get entries into the giveaway. Fingers crossed - it's an awesome bundle!
I love my Sizzix Big Shot. I earned mine as a 1/2 price item through Stampin' UP. I love that I can cut and emboss with this machine. My favorite project I made with it is a Halloween Banner. It was so fun to add die cut embellishments to the banner (a Haunted House, ghosts, trick-or-treat bag, spiderweb and more). It's quick and easy.
Why don't you check out the giveaway and throw your hat into the ring?
Feel free to comment on what you love about Sizzix and what your favorite Sizzix project is.
Happy Crafting!!!
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Craft Classes
I've started teaching paper crafting classes at my local Michael's store!!!
Some of the classes are ones that Michael's designs and some are "Instructor's Choice" classes that I create.
Here are the projects for the Handmade Holiday Cards.
The pop-up snowman card is really cute and fun! There is another snowman on the front! :)
The Christmas stocking is actually a gift card holder. The top part of the stocking (the part where there'd be fur) pulls out and that's the part that holds the gift card.
The wreath card is quick and easy! The kids can easily help you make a bunch of these....they can punch out the circles and spread the glitter glue on the circles once they are glued down. Of course, depending on their age and craftiness, they can do more!
I taught classes at a different craft store that has been closed for almost 2 years now. There are definitely differences in the way the classes are set up. One of the benefits of the Michael's classes is that the classes are set up so that most projects can be done "by hand," meaning, you don't have to have a huge supply of crafting tools/materials. They are great classes for both beginners and experienced crafters alike. The embellishments are stickers - which can be cost prohibitive IF you are making a lot of them. But the upside is that if you have some kind of die cut machine, you can replace the sticker images with ones that you can cut. You can easily make many of them.
This is a class created by Michael's. So even if you aren't local to me :), you can take the class at your local Michael's. ENJOY!!!
Some of the classes are ones that Michael's designs and some are "Instructor's Choice" classes that I create.
Here are the projects for the Handmade Holiday Cards.
The Christmas stocking is actually a gift card holder. The top part of the stocking (the part where there'd be fur) pulls out and that's the part that holds the gift card.
The wreath card is quick and easy! The kids can easily help you make a bunch of these....they can punch out the circles and spread the glitter glue on the circles once they are glued down. Of course, depending on their age and craftiness, they can do more!
I taught classes at a different craft store that has been closed for almost 2 years now. There are definitely differences in the way the classes are set up. One of the benefits of the Michael's classes is that the classes are set up so that most projects can be done "by hand," meaning, you don't have to have a huge supply of crafting tools/materials. They are great classes for both beginners and experienced crafters alike. The embellishments are stickers - which can be cost prohibitive IF you are making a lot of them. But the upside is that if you have some kind of die cut machine, you can replace the sticker images with ones that you can cut. You can easily make many of them.
This is a class created by Michael's. So even if you aren't local to me :), you can take the class at your local Michael's. ENJOY!!!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Monkeying Around!!!
I had a blast making these monkeys! They are going on top of diaper cake table centerpieces for a baby shower. :)
I didn't make the diaper cakes though, so I don't have a pic of the finished product. I'm hoping my client will send me some photos!
The monkey and tree cutting files came from My Scrap Chick.
My customer was so excited about the picks that she ordered more upside down monkeys for a banner she had made.
These monkeys were part of a two pick set I created. The standing up monkey was on one pick, by himself. He is double sided so that his face is seen from both sides. The tree is double sided and although each hanging monkey is only single sided, there is one facing in each direction so a monkey's face can be seen from both sides of the tree.
Have a great day! Do something crafty to make your heart smile today!
I had a blast making these monkeys! They are going on top of diaper cake table centerpieces for a baby shower. :)
I didn't make the diaper cakes though, so I don't have a pic of the finished product. I'm hoping my client will send me some photos!
The monkey and tree cutting files came from My Scrap Chick.
My customer was so excited about the picks that she ordered more upside down monkeys for a banner she had made.
These monkeys were part of a two pick set I created. The standing up monkey was on one pick, by himself. He is double sided so that his face is seen from both sides. The tree is double sided and although each hanging monkey is only single sided, there is one facing in each direction so a monkey's face can be seen from both sides of the tree.
Have a great day! Do something crafty to make your heart smile today!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Wow - time sure flies when life gets busy! Time to get back to the blog and share some crafty fun.
In an effort to get myself crafting and create a stash of cards, I started a Card Swap Club with some friends. Some are local and a couple are crafty friends who have moved away. There are directions for each month...sometimes the direction is just a theme with free reign from there. Other times the directions include specific materials that should be used. It's been a lot of fun. We are only a couple of months in but here is what I have come up with so far.
Month 1: Create a general "hello," "thinking of you," type card using Washi tape. Also, include an envelope with some type of coordinating item on the envelope to tie the card together. I need to get better about saving packaging so I can list brands of product used. But a lot of this is stuff from my stash that has been around awhile and the packaging is long gone. I do know that the "thinking of you" stamp is from one of the Stampin' UP! Paper Pumpkin kits. The card is simple but I really like it.
The teal cardstock is the same color on both sides so on the inside I added white card stock so there is a good place to write a message.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest crafty fun!!! Feel free to use these ideas when setting up a card swap with your friends!!! I haven't gotten permission yet from the other swap members so I am not yet showing their cards. If they all give me the thumbs up, I'll start including photos of the fun cards I'm receiving!
In an effort to get myself crafting and create a stash of cards, I started a Card Swap Club with some friends. Some are local and a couple are crafty friends who have moved away. There are directions for each month...sometimes the direction is just a theme with free reign from there. Other times the directions include specific materials that should be used. It's been a lot of fun. We are only a couple of months in but here is what I have come up with so far.
Month 1: Create a general "hello," "thinking of you," type card using Washi tape. Also, include an envelope with some type of coordinating item on the envelope to tie the card together. I need to get better about saving packaging so I can list brands of product used. But a lot of this is stuff from my stash that has been around awhile and the packaging is long gone. I do know that the "thinking of you" stamp is from one of the Stampin' UP! Paper Pumpkin kits. The card is simple but I really like it.
The teal cardstock is the same color on both sides so on the inside I added white card stock so there is a good place to write a message.
Month 2: The directions for the card were to make it 3x3 card (and include an envelope). The theme of the card is birthday and the size makes it easy to attach it to a gift bag.
The scalloped circle and "It's Your Day!" are from Cricut Design Space. The card is from a package of 3x3 cards (all the same color with matching envelopes). The color fades from one side of the card to the other. The gold dots (hard to tell it's gold) are on a wide washi tape. The ribbon on top is a peach color. The inside of the card is white. Again - a simple card. I love having simple cards available. I keep them in a fun photo box that I bought at Michael's. Since the box is decorated, I can leave it out (in sight) and it looks like it is part of the decor. But I know that my cards are easy for me to access when needed.
One more thought on simple cards....I know that many people do not save greeting cards they receive whether they are homemade or not. I understand and respect that some people are better about eliminating clutter than I (LOL). Simple cards allow me to send hand crafted cards to friends without another thought about whether it is being kept as a keepsake or not. I like sharing my crafts with friends and certainly don't want them to feel obligated to hold onto them nor do I want to feel hurt that my hard work was tossed aside. It's a win-win!!!
Simple doesn't mean non-creative or attractive - it just means I didn't spend hours on it and it didn't cost $15 worth of materials. :) But all the love is still there!
One more thought on simple cards....I know that many people do not save greeting cards they receive whether they are homemade or not. I understand and respect that some people are better about eliminating clutter than I (LOL). Simple cards allow me to send hand crafted cards to friends without another thought about whether it is being kept as a keepsake or not. I like sharing my crafts with friends and certainly don't want them to feel obligated to hold onto them nor do I want to feel hurt that my hard work was tossed aside. It's a win-win!!!
Simple doesn't mean non-creative or attractive - it just means I didn't spend hours on it and it didn't cost $15 worth of materials. :) But all the love is still there!
Month 3: The only direction for the third month (August) was to create a tic tac toe from this board and include those items on your card! This tic tac toe came from Michele Andrews @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/scrapbookchat/. She was kind enough to share several "game boards" with me. But they are easy enough for anyone to make who wants to use them for a card swap!
My cards came from the the diagonal tic tac toe that includes: Summer, die cut and sentiment.
the bicycle and "hello" are from Cricut design space. The cards are from a packaged set. (I didn't have enough of one color - so some are getting green and some are getting orange.)
the bicycle and "hello" are from Cricut design space. The cards are from a packaged set. (I didn't have enough of one color - so some are getting green and some are getting orange.)
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest crafty fun!!! Feel free to use these ideas when setting up a card swap with your friends!!! I haven't gotten permission yet from the other swap members so I am not yet showing their cards. If they all give me the thumbs up, I'll start including photos of the fun cards I'm receiving!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
FUN with vinyl
I'm back! I've been busy with several projects in the works but none of them complete yet...UNTIL NOW. This project uses Cricut Vinyl and was a lot of fun to make. This is a gift for my daughter who loves...Loves...LOVES music.
I purchased the wood at Michael's (who knew wood was so expensive...). The paint is Martha Stewart Paint. And the vinyl is Black Cricut vinyl. I set up the words in design space. Fortunately, I took a picture of it before I hit "go" to start cutting! I had grouped all the images together and thought they would stay that way on the cutting mat...NOPE! The Cricut rearranged them to fit as many as possible on the page. (I love the approach to conserve materials but maybe there needs to be a "LEAVE AS IT IS" button so that it cuts exactly the way it's set up when necessary.)
Anyway, since I had taken a picture of it I was able to quickly and easily rearrange the words on the design space mat in the order I wanted. Then I cut, weeded away what I didn't want to keep of the image, applied the transfer tape to pick up the image and then put it down on the wooden board. (It's 8x8.)
All-in-all, the process was pretty easy. The words are sticking just fine without additional adhesive. If I see any problems with letters peeling, I'll investigate a "finishing spray" of sorts to make sure it stays on.
Two of the very detailed words were a pain to put down and actually the original ones were not looking good when applied. I pulled those off and recut the ones that gave me trouble and applied them individually. This worked great for the really detailed/small pieces. But it was a little nerve racking getting it all lined up. My suggestion would be to have "anchor" words that are not intricately cut and put them down in the first pass. Then you have something on the wood to assist you when lining up the smaller more intricate words/images that you want to use.
I think part of the problem with the removal of the image from the transfer tape is that the tape is pretty sticky and the vinyl wanted to stick to it more than the wood. I've used the transfer tape and vinyl on a different project (a poster) and the vinyl came off very easily. So the difficulty appears to be related to the material being used. It wasn't impossible to do - it just took some time and patience.
I think the Cricut Explore is AWESOME!!!
Happy Crafting! Go make something fun! :)
I purchased the wood at Michael's (who knew wood was so expensive...). The paint is Martha Stewart Paint. And the vinyl is Black Cricut vinyl. I set up the words in design space. Fortunately, I took a picture of it before I hit "go" to start cutting! I had grouped all the images together and thought they would stay that way on the cutting mat...NOPE! The Cricut rearranged them to fit as many as possible on the page. (I love the approach to conserve materials but maybe there needs to be a "LEAVE AS IT IS" button so that it cuts exactly the way it's set up when necessary.)
Anyway, since I had taken a picture of it I was able to quickly and easily rearrange the words on the design space mat in the order I wanted. Then I cut, weeded away what I didn't want to keep of the image, applied the transfer tape to pick up the image and then put it down on the wooden board. (It's 8x8.)
All-in-all, the process was pretty easy. The words are sticking just fine without additional adhesive. If I see any problems with letters peeling, I'll investigate a "finishing spray" of sorts to make sure it stays on.
Two of the very detailed words were a pain to put down and actually the original ones were not looking good when applied. I pulled those off and recut the ones that gave me trouble and applied them individually. This worked great for the really detailed/small pieces. But it was a little nerve racking getting it all lined up. My suggestion would be to have "anchor" words that are not intricately cut and put them down in the first pass. Then you have something on the wood to assist you when lining up the smaller more intricate words/images that you want to use.
I think part of the problem with the removal of the image from the transfer tape is that the tape is pretty sticky and the vinyl wanted to stick to it more than the wood. I've used the transfer tape and vinyl on a different project (a poster) and the vinyl came off very easily. So the difficulty appears to be related to the material being used. It wasn't impossible to do - it just took some time and patience.
I think the Cricut Explore is AWESOME!!!
Happy Crafting! Go make something fun! :)
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Have you met The Paper Pumpkin?
I have been a fan of Stampin' Up! for years....YEARS! I love the quality of their products. Their cardstock is one of my favorites for use in the cricut! It cuts very smoothly and is a nice weight.
Probably about a year ago...ish...they started The Paper Pumpkin which is a kit that comes to your home every month! :) YES! Delivered right to your door in a cute little box! If fact, it has such appeal, the mail carrier asked me one day what came in that cute little box and why was she delivering so many of them on her route? :)
The kit comes with just about everything you need to complete a project. You only supply your own scissors, tape runner (although the kit often includes dimensional dots), and clear block for mounting the stamps.
But the stamps, the paper/cardstock, a color cube and any additional embellishments (mini clothespins, sequined rickrack, etc) are ALL PROVIDED! They are pretty quick and easy projects that are cute and fun!
Admittedly, after the first couple of months, I was ready to bail on the program. I didn't think that the materials always met my high expectations of Stampin' UP! products. My consultant encouraged me to try for another month or two because she said that corporate was really listening to the feedback they were getting. She felt that some changes were coming. Well, as if on cue, the quality of the kits improved so much!!! The variety in the kits improved as well as the selection of materials...it wasn't just all cards.
This is the September Paper Pumpkin!!!
THE KIT INCLUDES:
* Six burlap bags in total (3 stripe and 3 polka dots),
* Boo-tiful Bags Photopolymer Stamp Set
* Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin Spot ink
* 1 sheet of die-cut tags
* 2 sheets of patterned die-cut tags
* 1 sheet of black stickers (the little crow, bat, skull and tree are stickers but the same images ARE included in the stamp set!)
* Small bag of mini clothespins
* String of orange sequins(2 yds)
* Black Baker's Twine (7 yds)
* Stampin Dimensionals
I didn't complete them all for the photo because I don't have the treats to fill them yet. :) It was a quick and easy project that is really fun! Who wouldn't love to get one of these little bags full of treats?
The cost is $19.99 per month but there is a price break if you order 3 months at a time or a year at a time. For the monthly subscription, it bills on the 20th of the month and arrives within a week. (that seems to depend on the USPS...at first I was receiving it the same day that the email said it shipped...but now I receive it 3-5 days after the email.) Regardless, it comes in plenty of time for whatever holiday or event the theme matches.
HAPPY CRAFTING!
Probably about a year ago...ish...they started The Paper Pumpkin which is a kit that comes to your home every month! :) YES! Delivered right to your door in a cute little box! If fact, it has such appeal, the mail carrier asked me one day what came in that cute little box and why was she delivering so many of them on her route? :)
The kit comes with just about everything you need to complete a project. You only supply your own scissors, tape runner (although the kit often includes dimensional dots), and clear block for mounting the stamps.
But the stamps, the paper/cardstock, a color cube and any additional embellishments (mini clothespins, sequined rickrack, etc) are ALL PROVIDED! They are pretty quick and easy projects that are cute and fun!
Admittedly, after the first couple of months, I was ready to bail on the program. I didn't think that the materials always met my high expectations of Stampin' UP! products. My consultant encouraged me to try for another month or two because she said that corporate was really listening to the feedback they were getting. She felt that some changes were coming. Well, as if on cue, the quality of the kits improved so much!!! The variety in the kits improved as well as the selection of materials...it wasn't just all cards.
This is the September Paper Pumpkin!!!
THE KIT INCLUDES:
* Six burlap bags in total (3 stripe and 3 polka dots),
* Boo-tiful Bags Photopolymer Stamp Set
* Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin Spot ink
* 1 sheet of die-cut tags
* 2 sheets of patterned die-cut tags
* 1 sheet of black stickers (the little crow, bat, skull and tree are stickers but the same images ARE included in the stamp set!)
* Small bag of mini clothespins
* String of orange sequins(2 yds)
* Black Baker's Twine (7 yds)
* Stampin Dimensionals
I didn't complete them all for the photo because I don't have the treats to fill them yet. :) It was a quick and easy project that is really fun! Who wouldn't love to get one of these little bags full of treats?
The cost is $19.99 per month but there is a price break if you order 3 months at a time or a year at a time. For the monthly subscription, it bills on the 20th of the month and arrives within a week. (that seems to depend on the USPS...at first I was receiving it the same day that the email said it shipped...but now I receive it 3-5 days after the email.) Regardless, it comes in plenty of time for whatever holiday or event the theme matches.
HAPPY CRAFTING!
Monday, September 29, 2014
Cricut Sale at Menards Stores
BIG SALE at Menards. For those who don't know Menards, it's a hardware store with a little of everything else...as evidenced by the fact that they also carry cartridges on occasion and machines.
For those of you looking for a Cricut Expression Machine (not Expression 2), Menards has them for $129.99 - $30 rebate for a COST OF $99! Wow - that is certainly a deal.
The rebate is a mail in rebate. Double check before purchasing to see if it is a cash rebate or a store credit rebate. Not an issue if you live near a Menards but if you are not near one and order online, you want to know you going to be able to easily use your rebate.
The following cartridges were available (in pretty large quantities) at my Menards in Illinois.
The yes or no following the name indicates if that image set IS part of the Design Space subscription or if it IS NOT.
If you have the subscription, you may only be looking to add to your image collection with cartridges that are not part of the subscription.
PRICE - $9.99 EACH Cindy Loo - yes
Designer Calendar - yes
Independence Day - yes
Live Simply - yes
Phrases - yes
Sentimentals - yes
Snow Day - yes
Sweethearts - NO
Trim the Tree - yes
Winter Wonderland - yes
ZooBalloo - NO
For those of you looking for a Cricut Expression Machine (not Expression 2), Menards has them for $129.99 - $30 rebate for a COST OF $99! Wow - that is certainly a deal.
The rebate is a mail in rebate. Double check before purchasing to see if it is a cash rebate or a store credit rebate. Not an issue if you live near a Menards but if you are not near one and order online, you want to know you going to be able to easily use your rebate.
The following cartridges were available (in pretty large quantities) at my Menards in Illinois.
The yes or no following the name indicates if that image set IS part of the Design Space subscription or if it IS NOT.
If you have the subscription, you may only be looking to add to your image collection with cartridges that are not part of the subscription.
PRICE - $9.99 EACH Cindy Loo - yes
Designer Calendar - yes
Independence Day - yes
Live Simply - yes
Phrases - yes
Sentimentals - yes
Snow Day - yes
Sweethearts - NO
Trim the Tree - yes
Winter Wonderland - yes
ZooBalloo - NO
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