Love

Just in time for Valentines Day, here is a card idea for you.

I started off with a deep purple paper that I used for the base, and then I added some beautiful paper from Jinger Adams Bella Vista collection.  I love the colors in this paper!  

Then I wanted to try out the stamping kit I have from Inkadinkado.  This is a nifty little tool that allows you to stamp an image around a circular gear shape.  In this example I alternated purple and white hearts.  I had the spacing on the gear I used set really large, so after I trimmed around the hearts I only used a portion of the full image I stamped.  It created a nice overlay for this card.

Then I added some sparkle with a heart cut from the rainbow rhinestone sticker sheets from The Buckle Boutique.  Then I cut the word love out of white to layer on top of the portion I had done with the gear stamp.

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Follow the Fun at CHA The Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show!

I cannot believe I just set my alarm . . . FOR 4:00 AM!!!!!!  Yes, that is what time I need to get up so I can get to the airport in time for my flight to California.

I am hoping that I will be able to take a lot of photos and maybe even some video and post them here for everyone to see.  This is the master plan, but if I am too tired or the wireless connection at the hotel is not working for me then posting will have to wait until I get home.  I am not going to stress about it . . . just enjoy the crafting, glitter and sparkles!

If you want to watch some of the fun of CHA you can watch the video feed from the Grand Plaza Cam.  This is where the Block Party will happen on Friday evening.  Here is the link

http://anaheimoc.org/GrandPlaza/web-cam-video.php

Okay . . . time for bed.

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Autumn Cards

Today I am going to show you how I used 6 pieces of solid color cardstock to make some beautiful Autumn cards.

For this project I used  two piece of  8 1/2" x 11" kraft cardstock, two pieces of a peachy orange and two pieces of white cardstock.  I started by cutting all of the kraft cardstock in half, so I could fold it over to be the base of the card.

After that, I cut the peachy orange at 5" x 3 3/4" so that it would layer nicely on top of the base and just leave a small border.

Then I cut the white at 4 3/4" x 3 1/2" . . . the photo shows you how the layers will stack on top of each other.

Now for the FUN part!  I grabbed 3 of my Spectrum Aqua water based pens, and water bottle and my Gina K stamps,  I will be using the Youve Got a Friend In Me set for this project.

I took the clear sheet of acetate that comes covers the stamps and scribbled all over it with three colors of pens.  I think that this color combination is perfect for Autumn.

Next, take your water bottle and spray the inked area.  Depending on how you spray will determine your outcome.  Spray far away and you will just get a light mist and it will not disturb the colors . . . spray closer in and you will get lots of water droplets and colors moving and blending.   This means that even if you use the same colors, no two cards will be exactly the same.

Smack that white cardstock down on the inky watery mess.  Once I set mine on top I smoothed over it to blend the colors a little and be sure that I got ink all the way out the the edges of the pieces.

Flip them over and pat yourself on the back for creating something so beautiful!

Here are how all four of my pieces turned out.

Now we have to let them dry.  This is your chance to go work on another project, do some laundry . . . or take a nap . . . might as well since we cannot do anything else with these until they are dry.

Once they were dry I wanted to fill in the areas on some of the pieces where the white was still showing through.  I grabbed my Galaxy Gold ink pad and just ran the whole pad across the pieces of paper.  This filled the white areas, but it also added a light gold shimmer the the entire piece.  The photos dont show the shimmer very well.

Now for the stamping.  I used the trees from the Gina K. stamp set called Youve Got a Friend In Me.  I used a burgundy Spectrum Aqua pend and colored all over the tree stamp, and then stamped it in the lower right corner of the cardstock.

The burgundy color is so deep, it almost looks brown.  And now the trees all have the colors of Autumn on them, just as if the leaves were changing colors.

Then stack the layers, attach to the base and you are done!  Four beautiful cards with the same theme, but each one is unique.  I took photos of each card so you can see how each one is different.  You can also see the gold shimmer ink a little better in the following photos.

This is a great way to make several cards quickly, but still have each one be a truly unique card.

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Cricut October Mystery Box

See Whats Inside Cricuts October Mystery Box!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.



Whats inside Cricuts October Mystery Box? Were not tellin. But we will give you a few hints ...

• Its valued at a whopping $208, but youll be able to purchase it for only $39.99!
• It includes 4 cartridges

And thats all were sharing because we dont want to spoil the other surprises contained in this October Mystery Box! Purchase it for yourself and solve the mystery of whats inside! With Cricut, we know you wont be disappointed.

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Cricut September Mystery Box

Did you know that you can still order the September Cricut Mystery Box!  Just click HERE!!!!!

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End Of The Year SALE

Take advantage of Craftsys end-of-year clearance sale to get amazing deals on fabric, yarn, baking supplies, paper arts supplies and more for a limited time. The popular stuff goes fast, so grab the deals now before they run out! Just click HERE.

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Disney Classics Geppettos Paint

I was doing a scrapbook layout of when we were painting my daughters room back when she was 9 years old, and she was helping out . . . she asked me not to share the photos, but I am going to share the embellishment I made to go on the scrapbook page.  I found that there was a cut on the Disney Classics Cricut cartridge that was 3 paint containers stacked on top of each other.  They go along with the Geppetto images . . . for his workshop.

When I first looked at the outlines of the different layers, it was not really clear what pieces when where, and that is why I thought I would show here how I figured out how to put this puzzle of a cut together.

First I started with a base cut in cream.  This has all three of the stacked paint containers and brushes on it.

Next I cut a layer with a paint can drip, and originally I though that the piece to the left was going to be paint on the bottom portion of a large brush . . . I was wrong, but you will see that later.

Next, I cut another layer out of red.  This has the paint that is dripping off the middle container in the stack, and the paint that is on the tip of one of the brushes.  I kept looking at this thinking why on EARTH would they include cuts for the handles of the brushes in this cut . . . who would want them the same color as the paint?!?!  So now I am going to have to cut this same image again in brown for the handles of the brushes.

Wait a minute . . . now that I cut them all in brown for the brush handles, I am looking at that largest piece of this cut on the bottom and it looks like it would fit onto the base just under my blue paint drip . . . 

And it did!  So now you can see what I have cut, and I have set the cuts that are not being used above my mat as I build the image.

Then I had a "light bulb moment" . . . that piece that I cut in blue, that I thought looked like it would be the paint on the bottom portion of a larger brush . . . well, that was NOT what it was for!  It was the paint container for the top of the stack!  LIGHT BULB MOMENT!  You have to cut all of the different layers TWICE!  Once in brown to get the cuts for the containers and brush handles and once in a color to get the paint drips!

Now that I knew I had to cut everything twice, I went to the last layer and cut it once in yellow . . .

and then cut it again in brown

So now you can see how all of the pieces fit together, and also all of the cuts that you end up just throwing away.

So, in total you end up making 7 cuts to create this image.

1 for the base

3 for the layers in the paint colors

3 for the layers in the brown/container and brush handles 

I really think that with a little bit better planning, they could have gotten more of the brown shapes into one cut and eliminated the need for cutting everything out of two colors . . . but it is what it is

I went around the edges of the cuts with a marker to give the cuts some more depth.  I even smudged the ink in some areas on the brush handles.  They are paint brushes and containers . . . they are supposed to be messy.

I think it looked really cute on this paint splatter background for the scrapbook layout.   I believe I cut this at about 5 1/2" high.  I hope that this helps you to put this piece together.  Once I figured out to cut everything twice, it was easy.

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Cricut Mystery Box

Its HERE! The Cricut Mystery Box!  Over $90 worth of product for just $39.99!  Click on the image below to get yours while they last!!!!!

 

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Gift Box with Sizzix Die

Today I want to share a cute little gift box that is just the right size to put a gift card or some other small gift.   I used the Sizzix ScoreBoard box with scallop flap die.

I really love how easily the Sizzix dies cut through even the thickest materials . . . even the rhinestone sticker sheets from The Buckle Boutique!  To start with I cut a piece of pink cardstock with the die.  Easy.  Just turn the crank on the Big Shot and you are done.

Next I cut a small piece of the rhinestone sticker sheets from The Buckle Boutique.  This pattern is from the Boudoir Quad Sheet.  The lips all over are so cute!  I cut a piece that was just a little bigger than the flap portion of this die.  The I set the rhinestone sticker sheet on the die with the backing touching the die . . . put the top plate on . . . crank . . . 

And this is what you get!  PERFECTLY cut scalloped edges that are cut right through the rhinestone "gems".  The reason it can cut through them is that they are not a hard rhinestone.  These "gems" are made from a soft material that you can cut with scissors, a craft knife and yes . . . a die cutting machine . . . but they sparkle and shine like real rhinestones.

Next, I peeled off the backing from the rhinestone sticker sheet and applied it to the flap portion of the box.  I used a little ribbon to help keep it closed after I put the gift card inside.

I gave my mother a gift card in this box for her birthday, and my niece now wants one of these little boxes for herself.  She is a girl that loves her bling.

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Tips and videos for cutting our rhinestone sticker sheets can be found HERE

Are you a retailer who would like to carry The Buckle Boutiques products in your store?

Please contact us for wholesale pricing information.

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Cricut Mystery Box August

Cricuts August Mystery Box is here!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.



Add some mystery to your life and take advantage of Cricuts August Mystery Box! Youll get 4 premium cartridges and other mysterious things any crafter will enjoy for only $39.99 (valued at $136.94)! The contents in the box may be a mystery, but the savings sure arent! Don’t wait, supplies are limited, so buy now at Cricut.com!

Plus, youll get free shipping when you use code AUGSHIP between 7/29 - 8/19.

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November Mystery Box from Cricut

There is still time to get your Mystery Box from Cricut for November.  Hurry . . . supplies are limited!  Just click on the link below.

Grab the November Mystery Box While Supplies Last!

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January Cricut Mystery Box

It is here . . . the first Cricut mystery box of 2016!

This box is filled with products valued at $139.99, but you can get it now for just $39.99!  This box includes 5 cartridges. Just click HERE to order yours now.  

Plus you can get free shipping on orders over $50 with code JANUARYSHIP

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Life

Just a random post about life today.  I am working on cleaning and organizing the home office, which is WAY over due!  We moved into this house a little over a year ago, and we painted this room a warm latte color That bright yellow the former owner had HAD to go!  It looked like Big Bird was in this room.  We went shopping and got new desks and my husband set up the computers . . . yes, we each have our own desks and our own computers.  I found some nice curtains for the room and I thought "we are going to have a nice office put together in no time!"

Well, that is where everything came to a screeching halt.

Some of it was due to the fact that I ended up having a hysterectomy in the spring of 2015 to remove the Essure birth control that I had implanted in 2008.  Some of that was because I had taken on more at my job, and I was trying to prove myself to leadership that I should be someone that moves up in the team.  I wanted to help find solutions, instead of just accepting that this is the way things were.

Then when time became available to work on things around the house, I was kind of "waiting" for the rest of my family to want to be a part of this process.  I mean really, who wants to organize a house by themselves?  And, if I am the only one that does it then no one else is invested in the project, and I will spend a TON of time and energy organizing everything just to have everyone else mess it up again.  (Wow . . . just realized THIS statement fits for work and another situation that has been bugging me too)  Seems like I get asked to organize/run things, but then later told I am being bossy . . . well, no one else even wanted to do the task I am doing!

Okay . . . back to why I started this whole post

So I am in the office organizing and I have the tunes cranked up on the computer and Shania Twain - Black Eyes comes on.  I love this song, so I turn it up even louder.  As I am rocking out to this song I am going through old paperwork from projects and business ideas that did not work out, old resumes were in this pile, and the words to the song started to take on another meaning to me . . . instead of an abusive relationship, think about that whole song in the form of anything in your life that might be called a failure . . . a job, project, presentation, anything really.  We are told to dream big and take changes, but then sometimes when you do it does not work out and it is much like a bad relationship that you just want to get out of.  Sometimes we beat ourselves up . . . sometimes we feel like we were others "threw punches" at us or knocked us down to our knees.  If we stay there and do nothing, we are allowing it to happen.  If we stand up to the obstacles and roadblocks we are saying "I wont live where things are so out of whack.  Id rather die standing than live on my knees."

So I took things to the "next level" in the office.  I took down the old computer that has been sitting on MY DESK for a year now.  This is the computer that my husband has been saying that he needed to get some stuff off of before we can get rid of it.  Okay, well TODAY it comes off of MY DESK!  I put paperwork of his or my daughters that has "landed" on my desk at their spots where we eat dinner.

This whole time the thoughts about how I knew my husband would come home and be pissed that there was stuff on his desk now, and the computer was in the storage area, but you know what . . . I HAVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS!  I AM TAKING CHARGE!

This all was going around in my head and I just HAD to write it down and get it out.

Well, guess what happened?  My husband came home, observed all of this and FINALLY took care of another task I have been asking to have done for a year now, which was actually something we talked about before I started in on the office, and was the next task on my "to do list".  It was going to be one of those "you have not done it, so I will, but I know you wont like the way I am doing it, so then you will come in and do it yourself . . . which is all I wanted in the first place"

So . . . sometimes you do have get a little "bossy" for people to know you really mean what you are saying.

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Cricut December Mystery Box

Look what is here!

This icy, cool Mystery Box is like a warm hug with 4 cartridges
and more for only $39.99! Order yours before they melt away.




Just click on the image above to purchase your Mystery Box.

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