The Paper Boutique

Valentine’s Day Cards and My New Toy!!

2012-02-13T01:03:00.031-07:00

This is my second card using a cartridge from the Cricut Craft Room exclusive line. I purchased their Valentine’s Sentiments cartridge online and had it almost immediately! If you would like to watch my video on how to order from the Cricut Craft Room, click here.

The card and layers were cut at 4.6 inches from the Cricut Craft Room Valentine’s Sentiments using the Cricut Craft Room Studio. I cut two shadow layers and used the glue and fold method to attach them.

I added a twine bow and button and was done! Well almost done, I added the sentiment using Photoshop.

My next card was made with my new toy, the Cameo Silhouette. I love all my Cricuts including my Imagine and Gypsy and will continue to use them. I especially love the cartridges and all the layers! Cricut makes it so easy to cut a wide variety of materials!

I purchased the Cameo to be able to cut fonts for free that are already installed on my computer and to print colored images on my printer and cut them out with my Cameo. I am just learning the print and cut function and I will let you know how it goes. So far, I have been very impressed with its accuracy! I also want to cut SVG files since there are lots of free SVG files out there and tons of cute ones to purchase. In other words, I like having a variety.

This card is from the Silhouette Store and was cut at 7.24 x 10.42 inches. The card measures 5.25 inches tall. I added some glitter on the bow and was done. Super easy first card! Note the intricate cuts on the wing. Wow!

If you want to check out the Silhouette store, click here. You can also download their software for free to try it out, by clicking here. I tried out the software and shopped the store for weeks before deciding to buy. The software includes 50 free images that you can play with. You have to buy the Silhouette if you want to cut or print and cut using your home printer. I will keep you informed of my Cameo adventures.

In the meantime, have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2012-02-10T01:03:00.032-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

Rosa O. Clifford from Roc Paper Scissors, created these amazing cards. Rosa appeared on Martha Stewart last Tuesday and I was so impressed and couldn’t wait to show you her work. Rosa sells her beautiful cards on her website. And be sure to check out both her blog and her store while visiting.

My friend Kate, from Small Bits of Paper posted the cutest valentine projects and cards. My favorite is the cat valentine card from the Meow cartridge. Be sure to scroll down to see them all! Wow Kate!!

I recently discovered The Misadventures of a Mulit-Crafteer and I am so enjoying her blog. Click here to see the first of many detailed flower tutorials and be sure to scroll down for more. She uses a variety of Cricut cartridges including Flower Shoppe to achieve very realistic and gorgeous flowers. Ali is mega talented and you will want to spend some time checking out her blog.

The Twinery is one of my favorite places to shop and I want to share their free 2012 Monthly Printable Calendar with you. Click here for the download and here to go to their homepage. Their Twine is 100% cotton and comes in a wide range of colors! You can even buy sampler packs!

Lost Type is a trendy co-op blog for fonts that distributes fonts from designers all over the world. Users can pay whatever they like for a font and you can even type in $0 for a free download. Click here to browse some very trendy fonts! Lavanderia is my favorite.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday! Be sure to stop in on Monday to hear about my new toy.

Getting the Best Results with your Acrylic Stamps

2012-02-08T01:03:00.001-07:00

Today is all about getting the best impressions with your acrylic stamps. In my quest for the perfect stamped image using acrylic stamps, I tried using a stamp press, a stamp mat, a computer mouse pad and stamping directly on my desk. To see my results, please scroll down and watch the video. You are going to love the results.

A special thanks to Emma, from My Creative Time for providing the ink and mouse pad.

Please keep in mind that everything said on the video is purely my opinion based on my testing. Your results may vary! Have fun and I would love to hear your stamping tips and techniques!

Thanks for visiting!

My Original Cricut has a New Home!

2012-02-07T01:03:00.003-07:00

I just found an wonderful home for my original Cricut machine. My best friend’s daughter, Grace is having a birthday and I thought this would be a fun present. Grace is turning 13 and has been crafting with me since she was three. My original bug is like new since I use either my Expression or E2 when I craft.
Since this is a used birthday gift, I wanted the presentation to be special.

Grace’s favorite cartridge is Pagoda so I thought she would enjoy having a card made from the Pagoda cartridge, and of course, the cartridge too. I cut the shape and layers at 4 ½ inches and used the glue and fold method to make the base of the card. I used the Plantin cartridge for the heart and Word for the sentiment.

I wrapped several sheets of 6 x 6 papers so she could practice her cuts and included a cutting guide. I also had two new mats that needed a good home.

Happy Early Birthday Grace!!

And The Winner is….

2012-02-06T01:03:00.021-07:00

Thanks everyone for all the amazing shopping tips! Now for the drum roll….just imagine you hear it!

And the winner is…..

tndj said...
My favorite place to shop is Archivers. But it is 3 1/2 hours away. I do most of my shopping at Hobby Lobby. Hobby lobby is about 1/2 hr away. Shopping online would be Joann's.

Congrats tndj! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and let me know which cartridge you would like so I can send you your prize!

Remember you have two weeks to claim your prize.
Thanks again for all the great shopping tips and stop back tomorrow for a fun post.

Fab Five Friday! CHA Style!

2012-02-03T01:03:00.026-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. This week I am concentrating on new products revealed at CHA and there are lots of them to share. This week my fab five will feature videos this week. Next week I will return to our regular format.

Last year’s biggest trend was Smashbooks and E.K. Success has done it again! Paperclipping.com has the best video ever of their new releases, including a baby and wedding themed Smashbook. This year E.K. has also produced a larger Smashbook and more great accessories. I would like to thank Noell Hyman for filming the most professional videos ever! All the videos highlighted today except for one are from Noell. Be sure to visit her blog!

New from Heidi Swapp is the interactive Memory File line. You just have to watch the video from Scrapbook.com to see all her new products. Her openables will be the must buy of the season for scrapbscrapbookookers. Wow!!

My favorite paper line is DCVW and if you follow my blog, you know I am obsessed with this product. Click here to see the most amazing video of their booth at CHA. The peacock is my favorite. I love their new beads too. This display is a must see! A special thanks to Noell for this amazing video.

Now something special for the stampers…. E.K. Success has developed a new stamping system that creates intricate stamped patterns. It is amazing and interchangeable too. This will be perfect for stamping on cards and layouts. Click here to see another great video from Noell.

Vintaj has partnered with Ranger to develop 15 patinas to cover their metal pieces. You can also emboss their metal elements too. The products are hard to describe so you will not want to miss this video. This is my favorite new product…looks like I will be using my melting pot again. Yahoo! You could also make unique jewelry using this system.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday! Don’t forgot to enter the Shop Until You Drop Contest by clicking here. You might win a free Cricut cartridge!

How to Make Homemade Post-It notes and Page Markers Using Your Paper Scraps

2012-02-01T01:03:00.017-07:00

One day, I started thinking about all the Post-It notes I use and decided to try making my own using paper scraps and recycled computer paper. After some trial and error, I came up with the following technique and it worked! Please scroll down to see the video.

This gift tower has three different sizes (3 x3, 2 ½ x 2 ½, and 2 x 2 inches) of homemade post-it note pads. What a great gift idea!

I also made an extra 2 x2 inch post-it note pad to show you and a ½ x 2 inch page marker pad. These work the same as the post-it note flags that you can buy. Super easy and inexpensive too!

This was a fun project and the good news is that you can use your text weight card stock scraps. Yahoo! Kids will have fun making these too!

Please stay tuned for a fun Fab Five Friday…CHA style and don’t forgot to enter the Shop Until You Drop Contest by clicking here. You might win a free Cricut cartridge!

Shop Until You Drop Contest …. Craft Style

2012-01-30T01:01:00.001-07:00

Are you ready to play the shop until you drop contest? To play, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already).

Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite place to shop for crafts and why. It can be an on-line site or a brick and mortar store. Please, one comment per person and remember the contest closes Sunday night at midnight. Don’t worry if someone has picked your favorite shopping site, it will be fun to see what turns out to be everyone’s favorite spots, so please comment away.

The winner will be picked at random, using the random number generator and will be announced on Monday February 6th. The winner will receive either the Cricut Once Upon a Princess or the Just Because Cards cartridge. You get to choose. Be sure to check back on Monday to see if you won!

I can’t wait to read all your craft shopping tips and I know you will want to read everyone’s tips too! Here is mine. I love to shop at the Helena Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store because I enjoy the friendly staff, their products, and the 40% off coupons so help my budget. They also take Michael’s coupons. Yahoo!

Now it is your turn to play…. Ready, Set, Shop!!

Fab Five Friday!

2012-01-27T01:03:00.029-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

This amazing chocolate truffle box by Marlene Gomez was just featured in the Cricut Chirp and I just had to make sure that everyone saw it. Be sure to visit her blog, Scrappin Cookie for more details. Wow!

Yesterday, I pinned a photo of a beautiful bouquet made from pages of old books. In less than one hour I had over 100 repins on Pinterest. Click here to see the original post by 100 Layer Cake. I would love to have you follow me on Pinterest just click on the red Pinterest button on my side bar.

Do you love the little candy hearts with the cute messages on them? If you do, visit Delighted Momma for directions on how to make a candy heart bracelet out of polymer clay. What a great project for yourself and to share with your children.

Bonnie from Pink bon bons made a roller skating card that is too adorable. I love the purple and black color combination and think you will too.

I am so excited about CHA and wanted you all to know that CHA released their Hot 20 on Wednesday. According to the article by CraftyCoordinator, The “CHA Hot 20,” were selected from more than one hundred new products entered into the Innovations Product Showcase which is a small sample of the thousands of new products that will be launched from the Winter Show this week. The “CHA Hot 20” will be featured during an exclusive CHA Innovations Sneak Peek Media & Buyers’ Event at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, on Saturday, January 29. To read all about it, click here. Did I mention that I love the CHA blog?

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday! Stay tuned for a fun new contest…hint it involves shopping tips!

Cricut Craft Room….Buying Digital Cartridges and My Favorite Design Tip!

2012-01-25T01:03:00.004-07:00

I love ordering Cricut Craft Room digital cartridges and thought I would do a quick video on how easy it is to order! I also want to share my favorite design tip when using Cricut Craft Room. I learned this great technique from Joy at Obsessed with Scrapbooking. Thanks Joy!

Please scroll down for today’s video which also includes a new card made with the Valentine’s Sentiment Digital cartridge.

See you Friday for Fab Five Friday. Thanks for visiting!

Linda

Baby You Rock for my Hubby!

2012-01-23T01:03:00.016-07:00

This is my first card using a cartridge from the Cricut Craft Room exclusive line. I purchased the Valentine’s Sentiments cartridge online and had it almost immediately and loved not having to wait!

This was inspired by a card on the Cricut blog, but mine has a couple of added elements.

The outside of this card measures 5¼ x 6 inches. The Guitar and layers were cut at 4 inches from the Cricut Craft Room Exclusive, Valentine’s Sentiments using the Cricut Craft Room Studio. The baby letters were cut at 1 inch from the Plantin cartridge.

I thought this would be a perfect Valentine’s Day card for my husband. Shhh….this will be our secret!

Hugs and Kisses was cut at 3 ½ inches from the Sweethearts cartridge. The glitter paper is from the Christmas and Winter Glitter cardstock stack from DCVW. I wish I would have bought more of this paper since it cuts perfectly using the E2 machine. I added a few rhinestones and was done!

Recipe:

Cricut “Plantin and Sweethearts ” Cartridges

Assorted paper from my stash

Cricut Craft Room Exclusive, Valentine’s Sentiments

DCVW Christmas and Winter Glitter Cardstock Stack

Rhinestones from my stash

Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a fun new video on the Cricut Craft Room.

2012-01-20T01:03:00.021-07:00

Fab Five Friday!

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Grab a cup of cocoa or coffee and enjoy!

Kittie from Kittie Kraft made this amazing card using flowers made from paper punches. Check out her blog and be sure to watch her tutorials that are located on the left side of her blog. Her attention to detail makes her cards unique.

Speaking of flowers, Tammy from Paper Pastimes of a Scrapbooking Mimi made an adorable card using the Cricut Flower Shoppe Cartridge. Tammy’s birthday card will make you smile. Too cute!

You know how much I love Valentine’s Day and freebies. For free printables including, cupcake toppers, party favor tags, box templates and more, click here. Pizzazzerie is one of my favorite blogs!

CHA 2012 is almost here and I can’t wait! I love seeing all the new products and ideas and I know all of you do too! My favorite CHA blog is The Scrap Review which is currently featuring lots of sneak peeks. Just keep scrolling; it will take awhile to see all the new items. I love the new Bo Bunny lines and the new Prima flowers. Click here to see the new Fabrications Canvas by Theresa Collins! Wow! Canvas is going to be so hot this season!

Speaking of CHA, Tim Holtz has done it again. His new lines are a must see! Click here to see his latest CHA sneak peeks. Just remember to keep scrolling; he has lots of new goodies! His new stamps are my favorite!

On Wednesday I posted a tea bag holder video and have received a number of emails asking me to add a diagram to my post. Click here to see my revised post with the new diagram. Thanks for all your wonderful emails and comments!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday!

Easy Tea Bag Dispenser

2012-01-18T06:45:00.002-07:00

My homemade tea bag dispenser is made out of cardstock and is so simple to make. I am giving this one away for a Valentine’s Day gift, but you could make it for any occasion. Mine is filled with Stash brand Chai Tea bags. Please scroll down to see the video.

I love how the glitter paper shines.

UPDATE: Several people have requested a diagram like the one I used in the video. The diagram in the video was hard to read, so I created this one for you. Remember, it is not drawn to scale, so please don't try to print it out and use it as a template. Just follow the sizes on it and your tea box will be fine. -Linda

Chocolate Party Spoons for Coffee or Cocoa and More…..

2012-01-16T01:03:00.031-07:00

A few weeks ago, I posted a photo of the cutest candy spoons made by Mr P, aka Delicious Delicious Delicious and could not wait to make them.

For complete instructions, be sure to check out the Delicious, Delicious, Delicious Blog. Here are a few things that I discovered while making mine. I used Wilton Candy Melts and they turned out great. After pouring the chocolate, I waited until the edges just started to harden and then added the decorations. If you don’t wait, your decorations will sink and if you wait too long they will not stick. A delicate balance to be sure!

Another tip is to tap the spoon on the counter to remove any air bubbles and use a sterilized tweezers (dedicated to food use) to help pick up the tiny decorations.

I can’t wait to use these in my coffee and cocoa! I may also make some for Valentine’s gifts.

They are also adorable wrapped in cellophane and tied with a bow.

Next year we will be making these as part of our annual Christmas candy making party. Hmmm ….. maybe I will make some for Saint Patrick’s Day! Irish coffee anyone?

Since I had a lot of candy decorations left over I decided to try making sugar cookies. This was my first attempt at making flood filled sugar cookies. I need a lot more practice, but I was encouraged with my first attempt. Martha Stewart makes it look so easy.

Have fun and please stay tuned for my next video. I love how my new project turned out and I think you will too!

Fab Five Friday! Thanks Fantabulous Cricut!

2012-01-13T01:03:00.032-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Before we get started I want to thank Fantabulous Cricut for showcasing my video on three easy ways to make a shape card with or without a Gypsy. I am a huge fan of their blog and I am honored!

I love using twine and I know you do too! Amy Crockett from Scrapping Mommy made this card using twine from the Twinery. Click here to see more of Amy’s projects using twine. You will want to buy more twine, I know I do!

To see the latest adventures of Glitter Girl, be sure to visit Shimelle.com. Her blog is full of amazing layouts and cards. Her latest video on spray mists and spray products is mega informative! Go Glitter Girl!

Do you know what the 2012 color of the year is? Hint…think fruit! Click here for the answer and here to view Pantone’s blog. Get ready for some mega color inspiration.

You know how I like freebies and these are some of my favorite valentine printables ever! VixenMade was kind enough to link to them, so be sure and check out her blog. It is too much fun!

A couple of months ago, I did a 3-part video series on how to make a smash book for food lovers including accessories and I received lots of wonderful emails. Recently I discovered a video from Above Rubies Studio showing ideas on how to use your purchased smash book and thought you might like to see it. Click here for Rubies video and here for part one of my video series, part two and part three. Happy smash booking!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday!

Homemade Detachable and Reusable Decorations for Your Napkin Rings

2012-01-11T01:03:00.006-07:00

I love to use napkin rings and thought it would be fun to make detachable and reusable decorations for my napkin rings. You can also use the detachable decorations as refrigerator magnets or for party favors.

For complete instructions please watch the video. The technique is easy, nothing is glued to the actual napkin ring, not even a magnet so you can use your napkin rings with or without a decoration. Easy Peasy!

Thanks for visiting!

Trip to Yellowstone

2012-01-09T01:03:00.095-07:00

Hi, this is Bill, Linda's DH. Linda was nice enough to let me go on a three day dawn to dusk photo trip to Yellowstone Park and she asked me to share some of my photos.

The view north from Blacktail Plateau towards Electric Peak.

I have always hoped to find otters, but have not had much luck recently. This time, however, I hiked off the road towards the Lamar River and was lucky enough to be in the right place. The otters had traveled under the ice to this small patch of open water and were quite willing to let me watch their antics.

Wherever otters, go, there is always a slip-n-slide.

This bull elk #10. He is taking a rest after the rut in the Mammoth area of Yellowstone National Park.

I stopped to watch some bison and while I was shooting pictures, the park rangers darted one to get scientific data. They were stampeding up the hill when I took this shot.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. Linda will be back Wednesday with a brand new post so see you then!

Bill

Fab Five Friday!

2012-01-06T01:03:00.021-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. This is the first Fab Five post of 2012 and I am featuring a post by Angi to help with your New Year’s resolutions.

Angi from Angi and Cokie Designs created a vision tray instead of a vision board for 2012. Be sure to check out her blog for more close-up photos of her vision tray. I love this idea!!

If you have not checked out Sizziz’s blog, it is a must see. Their tag line is the Start of Something You and their blog is inspirational. I was impressed with all the project categories especially the fashion area. The jewelry is amazing…just click on a project for directions.

I am addicted to Glue Dots and was so excited when I discovered their website. I never realized all the uses for glue dots and can’t wait to try some of the ideas. Who knew you could use glue dots to hold an outdoor tablecloth in place, fix a crooked picture or use glue dots to retrieve items in hard to reach places? Click here to see more great ideas.

For immediate inspiration, check out I love Scrapbooking favorite cards for 2011. I love the robot and the adorable There’s No Place Like Home card. Her gallery is amazing too!

For tons and I mean tons of ideas for scrapbook layouts and adorable cards, check out Fancy Pant’s Gallery. I love their Winterland collection! If you want to drool, download their free catalogs.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday! Stay tuned for a fun post. Hint it involves my Hubbie!

Linda

Homemade Earrings and Valentine’s Card

2012-01-04T01:03:00.021-07:00

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays and I thought it would be fun to combine jewelry making and card making. This is my first attempt at making jewelry and fortunately for me, the earrings were so easy to make! Whew….

The exciting thing about this project is that it is a card and gift in one. Who wouldn’t want to receive three pairs of earrings for Valentine’s Day attached to a cute card? There are so many different beads and stones that would work for this project. It looks like I may have found a new hobby! If you did not want to make the earrings you could attach purchased earrings. Easy peasy! Scroll down to see the video.

I used Photoshop for the sentiment.

Recipe:

Cricut “American Alphabet” Cartridge

Assorted paper from stash

Swarovski Elements in clear 7 mm size

Premium Rhinestones in pink and red 7 mm size

Earring flat pad posts and backs 6 mm or you can use 7 mm size

E6000 adhesive

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are having a terrific week!

Valentine’s Gift Tower and Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T01:03:00.018-07:00

Can you believe it is really 2012? I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Day and that 2012 is your best year ever!

I love getting gift towers filled with cookies or candy and thought it would be fun to make a gift tower for a Valentine’s Day gift for a friend. My homemade tower will be filled with chocolate, cookies and cocoa packets.

To make the gift tower I used my new Sweet Tooth Boxes cartridge. Did I mention this is my new favorite cartridge? This cart contains lots of amazing boxes and inserts that you can size to meet any of your needs. The square box and lid are on page 60. I used the lid with the scalloped edges and circle window and lined the lid with acetate. Unfortunately the cut out circle doesn’t show up in my photos but it is super cute! The first tower and lid is cut at 11 inches, the second at 10, and the smallest at 9 inches. I used double sided paper so the inside looked as nice as the outside.

All that is left is to line the boxes with tissue paper, fill and wrap like a package. These are an easy yet elegant gift that can be custom sized. Next time, I am going to try making a smaller jewelry tower.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for a fun new video combining jewelry making with card making!

Fab Five Friday! Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T01:03:00.030-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. This is the last Fab Five of 2011. Can you believe there are only two days until 2012?

While searching for New Year craft ideas, I ran across this post from Martha Stewart. Both of these ideas would be perfect for last minute New Year’s Eve decorating. I love the circle New Year’s streamers and using the Cricut would make these so quick and easy. I also think it would be fun to make heart streamers for Valentine’s Day. These are oldies but goodies.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, Disney Family Blog is packed with lots of fun ideas for children of all ages. My favorite is the Valentine Butterfly made with a stick of gum. Also be sure to click here for free printables.

I fell in love with this adorable 2012 calendar from Cathy Fong, and think you will too. Cathy is a talented stamper and her blog, Fong Crafty Place will inspire you!

Be sure to check out Moxie Fab World for their latest countdowns. My favorite countdowns are the Top 10 trendiest projects and the Top 10 trendiest stamp sets of 2011. Wow!!

Thanks to the Moxie Fab blog, I discovered Dougnat Diaries. Natalie is a talented designer and currently designs for Unity stamps. I love her cards!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday and all the best in 2012!

Happy New Year!

Linda

An Oldie but a Goodie

2011-12-28T01:03:00.003-07:00

I will be back with an all new post on Friday, but in the meantime I thought you might enjoy one of my favorite videos. I love making rosettes and decided to make one out of duct tape!

I love how the duct tape looks like metallic paper and it is so easy to make. Hope you enjoy the video.

You might also enjoy my video on how to make paper rosettes.

Thanks for visiting and please stop back for an all new Fab Five Friday!
Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-26T01:03:00.001-07:00

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holiday season. My husband and I are in Missoula with family and friends and will be back on Wednesday. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy seeing my all-time favorite Valentine’s Day card.

I saw this cute card featured on The Martha Stewart Show and fell in love with it. In fact, I made this card for my husband last year. The sentiment was perfect!

It is called a heartstring card because you pull on the string to reveal a hidden message. It is similar to the cobweb type card, but a little different. Here is the link in case you want to make one.

I love the look of the card closed. It just looks like a simple valentine, but .....

...pull the string to open it...

…then a valentine’s message is revealed!

Happy Holidays!

Linda and Bill

Fab Five Friday!

2011-12-23T01:03:00.018-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. This is the last Fab Five before Christmas! Can you believe there are only two days until Christmas? Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!!

While searching for candy making ideas, I ran across this post from the Delicious, Delicious, Delicious blog. This post was from last year, but perfect for your upcoming New Year’s, Valentine’s or Easter parties. The spoons are adorable and so simple to make. Click here for detailed directions. Also be sure to check out Mr P’s fun blog for tons of amazing recipes and wonderful photos! I think I need to have a spoon decorating party!

If there was an award for the most creative use of the Cricut, it would go to Nadia from With Glittering Eyes. She created the most authentic looking medals for an Annie Oakley costume that she made for her daughter. When I saw this post, I thought she borrowed the costume from a museum. Wow!!

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of BasicGrey products and am so excited about their new digital line including the new euphoria collection. If you run out of paper, you can download and print in an instant or use in your digital layouts. Their digital kits are amazing and they have a section for web design too! Yahoo!

I saw Brett Bara on Martha Stewart last week and was so impressed with her sewing and crafting abilities that I had to check out her blog, Manhattan Craft Room. She has some super cute sewing projects and has just written a book, Sewing in a Straight Line. She also has a craft section that looks like fun. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

I love Martha Stewart tools and own a number of them, but I do not own her latest one. I received an email regarding the Martha Stewart Craft Station, her newest tool and thought it looked interesting. If you would like to see a video please click here. I love the blog, Craft Test Dummies and thought you might like to see their review of the Craft Station. If you own this tool, I would love to have you leave a comment on this post. I am still undecided as to whether or not I will buy this one and would so like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Fab Friday and a Happy Holiday Season!

Linda

Meowy Christmas!

2011-12-21T01:03:00.001-07:00

I saw a similar card in the latest issue of PaperCrafts Holiday Cards magazine and just had to make one. I needed a couple of last minute cards and this card was perfect. I thought it would be fun to use some non-traditional colors for a change of pace.

The outside of the card measures 5 x 7 inches. The photo measures 4 x 6 inches and was taken by my husband. We have two cats; Jackson is the star of this photo and weighs over 18 pounds. He is a big cat, but oh so loveable. Izzy is our other cat and weighs only 8 pounds. Izzy is convinced she is Jackson’s mother and rules our home, even though Jackson is over twice her size.

The sentiment is .75 x 3.25 inches and was printed using Word.

The bird is from the Imagine Best Friends cartridge, page 13 and cut at 1.8 inches. I love this cartridge and decided the bird would be perfect. Jackson is an indoor cat, so I am not sure what he would do if saw a bird up close, since he usually watches from our window.

Recipe:

Cricut Imagine “Best Friends” Cartridge

Assorted paper from my stash

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and be sure to stop back for a fun Fab Five Friday.

Linda

Christmas Candy Crafting Break

2011-12-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I took a break from crafting and had some friends over for our annual candy making session. We started early at 11 am and went non-stop until 3 pm. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun and I thought I'd share a few pictures with you.

Here are the tools of the trade. We take different colored chocolates and hand-paint the candy molds for a variety of effects.

Shelby and Grace produced this fine tray of candies. Most their candy was going to their teachers and classmates at school.

Everyone is working hard here. From left to right is Morgan, Betsy, Shelby, Grace and Maranna.

Nevaeh and her mother Morgan with a delicious looking tray of goodies.

This was the scene for about 4 hours with me (in red) directing traffic. The gentleman in the corner is Danny, who stopped by and decided to try his hand at making some chocolates.

Maranna and Nevaeh with lots of chocolates.

Maranna's fantastic work.

Close-up of the tray above.

Thanks for looking and hope your holiday preparations are going well for you too. Thanks to my husband, Bill, who helped out big time since I am still run down from the flu. He did all the prep for this party including washing and drying all the molds. Also I want to thank Sam for coming...she somehow managed to leave without having her photo taken. Next year Sam!!

Happy Holidays!

Fab Five Friday!

2011-12-16T01:03:00.008-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I am a huge fan of She’s a Sassy Lady and Gaby Creates and I am thrilled to share both of these great sites. Gaby created this adorable honeycomb ornament and detailed tutorial for Shelia’s blog. I can’t wait to make a honeycomb ornament! Be sure to check out Sheila’s amazing blog while you are there. I love Sheila’s work!!

Gaby is a mega talented crafter and I adore her amazing scrapbook pages and tutorials. To see the cutest Christmas pages, click here. Also be sure to check out her blog for lots of great inspiration!

I discovered the blog, The Letter 4 while watching Martha Stewart and I am so glad I did. Each of the four sisters cover a different topic including crafts. You won’t want to miss their post on how to make super quick and easy Christmas trees. You will fall in love with this trendy blog, I know I did!

This is fun week over at the Lawn Fawn blog. They have partnered with Glue Arts to bring you a fun week of projects. Check them out and also stop over and visit the Glue Arts blog.

I recently discovered Fantastic Ink and love this fun blog. Melyssa is a frequently published artist and has a blog that promises to inspire you. She has an area devoted to her Cricketart and one for tutorials. Grab a cup of coffee or cocoa and browse her blog.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday and a happy holiday season!

Linda

Using Photoshop to Add Sentiments to Your Cards

2011-12-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I made a video on how to add sentiments to Cricut Images using Word. Since then I have received numerous emails asking me to do a similar video on how to use Photoshop to add sentiments

I try to match the shape as closely as possible to one of the marquee tool shapes in Photoshop. If it is an unusual shape, I pick one that is approximately the same shape. Please watch the video for complete details!

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for a fun Fab Five Friday! And thanks again for all the get well wishes!

Linda

Welcome Angi!

2011-12-12T01:03:00.002-07:00

I am so excited to have Angi from Angi & Cokie Designs as my guest designer. Her project is adorable and I am so excited to share it with all of you! Thanks again Angi! -Linda

Hi everyone it's Angi from Angi & Cokie Designs. You can find me in blog-land at: http://cokiepopaper.blogspot.com/

I am so super excited to share my creations with you all here at The Paper Boutique. Christmas time is the perfect time to decorate your boxes and packages with yummy scrapbook paper and embellies. I love to add a little pizazz to my packages with non-traditional Christmas colors.

I started out with an Avon lip gloss box. I then dressed it up with My Mind's Eye Christmas paper, a small piece of kraft paper, a metal key, a Martha Stewart die cut circle, and some glitter ric rac.

I also altered some glassine gift bags to go with the box. I used coordinating MME paper along with ribbon and a small button.

These projects are quick and easy to make and are sooo fun & festive for gift giving.

Thank you Linda for letting me share my designs with you today. Be sure to drop by my blog at Angi & Cokie Designs to say hello.

Fab Five Friday!

2011-12-09T01:03:00.009-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Thanks again for all your get well wishes! I am finally starting to feel better!

Oh my, it looks like Winter CHA 2012 is going to be amazing! This cabinet is part of a sneak peek from Graphic 45 using their Island Jewel collection. It is truly stunning. Be sure to check out their site for more sneak peeks! This would make a perfect Christmas gift!

Tim Holtz is at it again. Every year since 2007, Tim has done the 12 tags of Christmas posts. I think this year is his best ever! Click here to see his latest tags. There are amazing and he has included detailed instructions! Ho Ho Ho!!

I love Martha Stewart and just had to share this post with all of you. Her glittered ornaments are so amazing. Be sure to watch the video to get lots of new ideas!

Now for a couple of non-crafting sites that I think you will enjoy! Last year I was in search of the perfect chocolate truffle recipe and found it on Cooking for Engineers. This is a fun site complete with excellent recipes and the best detailed instructions!

Martha Stewart is known for her beautifully decorated cookies and has an entire section on her blog dedicated to iced, decorated and shaped cookie recipes complete with photos. In fact she has over 34 different recipes. I love her gingerbread snowflakes and her amazing sugar cookies!

For the cutest Sweet Treats Bag, be sure to visit Kate’s blog, Small Bits of Paper. Her gift bag is mega adorable and perfect for that special Christmas gift! I think it would be great for jewelry!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday! Be sure to stop back on Monday for a special guest artist post! Her project is super adorable!
Linda

And the winner is….

2011-12-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks again for all the get well wishes and emails. Thanks to all the wonderful care from my husband, I am getting better! On Tuesday, I developed an allergic reaction to my medicine and had a relapse, but I am now on the mend! Next year, I am so getting a flu shot.

Thanks everyone for all the amazing Cricut and stamping tips! You are a talented and creative group!

And the winner is…..

MizMaryAnn said...
After my mat has lost it's stickiness I wash it with soap and water then I use my wide two way glue pen and go over the whole thing to re-sticky it. I leave it alone overnight and then I can reuse my mat over and over again. I've only used three mats in three years this way.

Congrats MizMaryAnn! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your cartridge in the mail. Remember you have two weeks to claim your prize.

I am taking it easy for the next couple of days and will be back Friday with a new Fab Five Friday! Also on Monday, I have another talented guest artist so please stay tuned!

Under the Weather

2011-12-05T01:03:00.017-07:00

Thanks everyone for all your get well wishes! They mean so much to me. I am getting better, but still not up to crafting. Wow this flu is not fun!!

In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this card I made last Christmas!

The base card measures 3 ¾ x 5 ½ inches. The inside liner was cut at 3 ½ x 5 ¼ inches. The girl is cut at 4 ¼ inches. For the top of the card, I cut the marquee # 1 from the Storybook cartridge at 4 ½ inches. I then trimmed the marquee and used a stamp for the sentiment. Lastly, I add glitter and attached a Wobble. You can never have too much bling or movement!

Please click here to enter the Cricut and Stamping tip contest.

Fab Five Friday

2011-12-02T01:03:00.002-07:00

Usually, you would be seeing Linda's favorite web sites for this week. Unfortunately, Linda is still recovering from the flu and and a very bad sinus infection. She'll be back next week with another Fab Five, but in the mean time, scroll down and enter the drawing for a Cricut cartridge below. Thanks for stopping by!

Bill Kaiser DH

Are You Ready to Play Your Favorite Cricut or Stamping Tip Contest?

2011-11-30T01:03:00.005-07:00

I thought it was time for another tip contest and cartridge giveaway! This time, we’re doing favorite Cricut or stamping tip. To play, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already).

Please leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite Cricut crafting tip or stamping tip is. This can include any of the Cricut Machines, the Cricut Craft room, Design Studio, or the Gypsy. Or feel free to share your favorite stamping tip. I am so looking forward to reading all your great tips.

Please, one comment per person and remember the contest closes Tuesday night at midnight. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator and will be announced on Wednesday December 7th. The winner will receive the Just Because Cards cartridge.

Here is one of my favorite Gypsy videos on how to use the hide contour feature.

Happy Birthday Accordion and Pull-tab Card

2011-11-28T01:03:00.004-07:00

I am taking an extra day off to celebrate the holiday and thought I would share a card that I originally created for Everyday Cricut. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

But before we begin I would like to announce the winner of the Snowman’s Prayer stamp set donated by Robin. And the winner is….
.
Cassandra said...
What a color card! So cute.

Congrats Cassandra! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your stamp set in the mail. Remember you have two weeks to claim your prize.

Now back to the project. I got this fun idea from Scrapbooks etc. which is one of my favorite magazines! The accordion card and pull-tab is so easy to make and looks like you spent all day making it. For detailed instructions on how to make this fun card, please watch the video below.

I love how this card looks with all the Cricut cuts!

The pull-tab is a fun element.

I love this cut!

Here is the video on how to make this fun and easy card!

Have a great Monday!!

Fab Five Friday!

2011-11-25T01:03:00.019-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I recently discovered Lea’s Cupcakes and Sunshine blog and fell in love with her ornament card. I was also thrilled to discover that Lea lives in Missoula, MT! My husband is from Missoula and we are there today celebrating Thanksgiving weekend with our family and friends. Be sure to check out her blog, Lea is a very talented designer and photographer!

Tim Holtz has done it again! I am in love with his tutorial on how to make gilded kraft glassine using alcohol ink! I am so going shopping for some kraft glassine paper! Wow!!

Are you looking for design ideas for your home and for crafting? Then check out Design Sponge. This trendy blog features DIY decorating and crafting ideas. I get inspired to try different card designs every time I visit! Be sure to scroll down to see Anna Emila’s work.

Gigi from the Cricut Bug made an adorable pocket recipe card that will make you smile. Be sure to check out her blog while you are visiting! Thanks Gigi for all your great directions!

Did you have a chance to see Nadia’s amazing project that was posted on my blog on Monday? If not click here or scroll down for a real treat. Not only is her blog With Glittering Eyes filled with her amazing designs, she also is a terrific resource. For a comprehensive list of RGB codes click here. She also has a section on Cricut settings, recipes, and favorite tools all located at the top of her blog. Amazing! Thanks again Nadia!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Thanksgiving weekend! Scroll down to to enter the giveaway! The winner will be announced on Monday November 28th.

Linda

Cathy’s Birthday Bash Blog hop…… Let’s Talk Turkey!

2011-11-23T22:01:00.014-07:00

Welcome to Cathy’s Birthday Bash blog hop and Happy Thanksgiving!

If you've come from visiting Cathy’s blog, Crafting with Mimi you're in the right place!

I am also excited to announce that I am giving away a Snowman’s Prayer Stamp set thanks to Robin at Robin’s Creative Cottage. To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced on Monday November 28th.

Here is the card I created for Cathy’s birthday! I wanted a fun birthday card combined with a Thanksgiving theme.

The outside of the card measures 4 ¾ x 6 3/8 inches. The turkey and layers are from the Create A Critter Cartridge and are cut at 3.66 inches using my Gypsy. I hand cut a band and square for the hat and added a sentiment using Word. I got the idea from the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog and modified the card to make it a fun birthday card! I used a punch for the border and added some white faux stitching.

For the inside of my card, I used Word for the sentiment.

Recipe:

Cricut “Create a Critter” Cartridge

DCWV " Celebration Stack "

Card stock from my stash

Word for the sentiment

Gelly Roll medium white pen for stitching

Your next stop is Creations by Shirl. When you're done, stop over and wish Cathy a happy birthday and join the linky party! Hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving!

Homemade Smash book for Food Lovers: Part Three - Making Smash Notes and More Accessories

2011-11-23T01:03:00.003-07:00

Thanks everyone for all your nice comments on my Smash Book series. In this final video we will be making an adorable bookmarker and smash notes.

Click here to see part one of this series and here for part two.

Thanks again and be sure to stop back tomorrow for a fun blog hop!

Freezin' Season

2011-11-22T01:04:00.016-07:00

Last week I made snowflake tags for a hostess gift so I decided to make a card to go with the gift. This card was so quick and easy to make! Be sure to visit Robin’s blog for Challenge Tuesday!

The outside of the card measures 4 ½ x 5 ¾ inches. The snowflake and layer is from the Very Merry Tags cartridge and cut at three inches using white pearl paper. I used Robin’s Creative Cottage Snowman’s Prayer Stamp Set to stamp the three small snowflakes and the sentiment.

I embossed the snowflakes with white detail embossing powder from my stash. The little snowflake stamps are so versatile! Lastly, I added rhinestones and was done! Be sure to check out Robin’s blog to see all the design teams’ creations.

Below is a photo of the tags I made last week. I love making cards to match my gifts.

Recipe:

Cricut “Very Merry Tags” Cartridge

Robin’s Creative Cottage “Snowman’s Prayer” Stamp Set

Assorted blue and white pearl paper from my stash

Rhinestones from my stash

Staz On Black Ink

VersaMark ink

White detail embossing powder from my stash

And now for the winner of Robin’s Snowman’s Prayer Stamp set……

Houses Built of Cards said...

What a CUTE project!!! LOVE that set of stamps - so pretty!

Congrats! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your stamp set in the mail. Remember you have two weeks to claim your prize.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for a fun new video and Thursday for Cathy’s Birthday Bash Blog Hop! Yahoo!

Welcome Nadia!

2011-11-21T01:05:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to have Nadia from With Glittering Eyes as my guest designer. Her project is stunning and I am so honored that she took the time to make this project and step by step directions exclusively for my blog. I am so thrilled to share this with all of you! Be prepared to be amazed! Thanks again Nadia! -Linda

Hi, everyone! This is Nadia from the blog, With Glittering Eyes! I am so excited to share a project with you today that I have made exclusively for The Paper Boutique. I love creating vignettes and altering Cricut cuts to get just the image I want. I also like to add some hand-cut elements to make projects that are one-of-a-kind. Today's project is a shadow box, decorated like a gift, featuring a light-up vignette!

I found a vintage Christmas card on Pinterest a few weeks ago with a lady on a ladder decorating her tree. That was the inspiration for this project. I didn't want a decorated tree; I wanted a tree that was just beginning to be decorated! When doing vignettes, I start with the element that has to be right for the project to work. Usually, that is a figure but this time, it was the tree. This was cut from the Christmas (solutions) cartridge at 11-1/2". (All die cuts for this project were made on the Expression unless otherwise noted.) The cut was enhanced by using a Martha Stewart branch punch in four different green hues.

Next, the figure:

I used the cut sizes I had figured out from a recent project to do this figure. (You can see that project by clicking here.) I hand-cut the lower body on that project too. I used the same pattern piece that I drew by hand for the lower body on this project.

I cut the upper body from Country Life (layer 2, page 32) at 7-1/2" on the Imagine, flood-filling with RGB code 250, 229, 210. I cut the figure's back arm at the shoulder and placed it just behind the body to look a bit more like her torso was turned (since she will be turned toward the tree) and I lowered her arm.

Above, you can see my inspiration picture, along with the original cut from the Country Life handbook, the pattern piece I used to make the lower body, and my altered cuts.

I hand-cut her lower body. I cut two legs, notched them at the knee so that the legs would bend, and then I simply pivoted them until I liked the way they looked. I cut a 6" square on the Imagine, also flood-filling with 250, 229, 210. I traced the legs onto this printed paper. Then I traced them onto black to create pants.

I cut a 6" square flood-filled with a print from Snow Angel (page 42) for a shirt. I traced the torso and arm onto the printed paper, taking advantage of the pattern to emphasize a turned body (by placing the center of the paper print at the center of the figure's chest). I kept the figure's torso and legs attached loosely so that she could still be pivoted on the ladder.

The ladder was cut from Handy Man at 8" in black card stock and rubbed with a silver ink pad.

I placed the figure, ladder, and tree together to figure out placement and adhered the tree and ladder on the 12x12 paper I chose for a background.

To finish the figure, I hand-cut slippers. The shapes were placed through a Xyron (topside down) and flocked to make them a bit fuzzy.

I added a piece of black card stock to the back of her head to fill in her eyes. I hand-cut a nose and mouth, using tweezers and a straight pin to place the tiny cuts.

The figure's hairstyle was created by cutting hair layers from Paper Doll Dress Up (page 75) at 1-1/2" and 2".

Once the figure was placed again on the ladder, I realized that I wanted both of her arms in front of her and that she would be placing garland on the tree! I snipped her arm...

... and flipped it upside down and glued it on at the elbow.

AH! In order to be at the "garland stage" of tree decorating, the lights already have to be put in place! I borrowed what I had learned from a light-up picture frame I made last Christmas (click here to see that project). With only the ladder and tree adhered to my paper, I mounted my paper to Crescent Artist Board to make it sturdy. I used a Crop-A-Dile Big Bite to punch in twenty small holes for the lights. I checked my placement by putting my board over my light box.

I found a package of battery-powered mini lights from my stash from last year's Christmas crafting.

I fitted the lights in place.

OK- here's the confession, in case you haven't figured it out: I never know what I am going to make before the project starts. It was at this point when I decided to make a shadow box! I needed something to hide the light cords and I wanted a space on front of the tree--- like a floor--- for the garland to puddle. (This project could have been slightly altered to fit in a 12x12 frame but I have been wanting to try something different and jumped at this opportunity!)
I cut a piece of foam-core 4" x 12-1/2". I cut in a ditch in the middle for my board to stand in.

With my project upright, I continued with the scene. The chair was cut from Sophisticated at 4-1/2" (page 44). I love inking die cuts to give them a little volume. I also drew in a little detail. I hand-cut a pillow using some leftover printed paper I had from All Wrapped Up. The chair was adhered in the scene with 1/2" pop dots.

I adhered my figure in place. The upper body was popped up with 1/8" pop dots; the lower body was adhered flush. I added the garland, gluing cut lengths at the top to create the illusion that it wrapped around the tree. Garland was also glued into the 3D box (that I cut by hand from kraft paper) and onto the floor in a 'puddle'.

I hand-cut and inked Christmas boxes, my little angel, and part of a nativity scene.

I created a wood floor: I cut a 2" x 12" piece of wood veneer into 1/2" strips. I ran the edges through black ink to emphasize them and re-arranged them so the pattern wouldn't match up. I glued it onto the foam-core ledge.

This was my project as this point. The battery pack is attached to the back of the project with Velcro.

I built the shadowbox by cutting lengths of 4" x 12" foam-core for the sides, and gluing in place. I cut a back and then a lid. The back has a window cut out to turn on and off the lights. I cut the window so that it can be pulled down in order to change batteries.

I cut photo corners from Art Philosophy (page 50) at 1-1/2". I hand-cut a paper bow (with 1" and 2" strips)and 2" wide "ribbon" for the top and sides of the shadowbox.

My 7-year-old supervisor informed me that animals were needed. From Four Legged Friends, I cut the bird hiding in the tree (3/4"), the seated cat (1-1/4", flipped), and the cat in the garland (1", flipped).

To finish, I added a tag cut from Art Philosophy (page 40 cut at 3") with text from my computer (Microsoft Alcohol Licks at 36 point) printed directly onto the tag.

I had so much fun creating this bit of holiday decor! Happily, when I 'deck my halls,' I will have less tree to deck (no ladder needed)!

I am so honored to share this project with you on The Paper Boutique! You are invited to see all of my paper crafts in My Project Gallery. Projects in my gallery are linked to my original posts, where I always give away all the 'secrets' of cut sizes, techniques, and tools needed. Hope to see you there!

Robin’s Creative Cottage Blog Hop!

2011-11-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Robin's first "Stamp Release Celebration" blog hop! Normally, you would see Fab Five Friday here, but this week, I'm participating in the blog hop.

Each Design Team member will be featuring an original project that includes one of the two new stamps sets available today for purchase on Robin's blog. If you've come from visiting Kimberly’s blog, Kimberly’s Crafty Spot you're in the right place! If you would like to play along with our "Stamp Release Celebration" from the beginning, start HERE.

I am also excited to announce that thanks to Robin, I am giving away the Snowman’s Prayer stamp set. To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced on Tuesday November 22.

For my project today, I used the Gingerbread Holiday Stamp set.

I cut two 5.5 layers and used the glue and fold method to make the base card. To see a video on three ways to make a shaped card, please click here. All layers were cut at 5.5 inches.

I hand cut a backing out of beige paper for the windows and added pearls. Super fun and easy card!

For the inside of my card, I used an adorable stamp from the Gingerbread Holiday Stamp set. You are going to love this set for making Christmas projects! The stamp worked perfect with my Spellbinder dies!

Recipe:

Cricut “Wrap it Up” Cartridge

Robin’s Creative Cottage “Gingerbread Holiday” Stamp Set

DCWV " Christmas and Winter 180 Stack "

Staz On Black Ink

Pearls from my stash

Remember to check out each DT member's blog for some awesome inspiration along with an amazing giveaway. Each blog will have one of Robin's stamp sets as a giveaway for one lucky winner.

Your next stop is Maquel’s blog, Paper Maine-iac. And when you're done, make sure to head back to Robin's Creative Cottage for the link up party.

Don’t forget to stop back Monday. I have a very special surprise for you….hint she is an amazing artist and has an unbelievable project and step by step directions to share with you!

Fab Five Friday will return next week.

Linda

Cup of Cheer and More New Stamps!

2011-11-16T01:03:00.010-07:00

I am back to share another fun card made with Robin’s new stamps. Did I mention that I am super excited to be on her design team and I have amazingly talented design team sisters! Be sure to stop over to Robin’s blog and check out their adorable projects. It is going to be a busy week!

The cup and layers are cut at 2.3 inches using the American Alphabet Cartridge. I welded the images using the glue and fold method. Click here to see a video on three different ways to make a shaped card.

The tag and layer are from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More Cartridge and cut at 2 inches. I stamped the tag with an adorable stamp from Robin’s Creative Cottage Gingerbread Holiday Stamp Set. I love this charming set!

Recipe:

Cricut “American Alphabet and Tags, Bags, Boxes and More” Cartridges

Robin’s Creative Cottage “Gingerbread Holiday” Stamp Set

DCWV "Christmas and Winter 180 Stack"

StazOn Black Ink

Be sure to stop back on Friday for the blog hop and to sign up for a stamp set giveaway! Next Wednesday I will resume posting videos. Have a great day!!

Stamp Release Day!! Christmas Tags

2011-11-14T01:03:00.006-07:00

I am so excited that I can share Robin’s new stamps with all of you! Be sure to check out Robin’s blog to see all the design teams’ creations. They are amazing and you will love her new stamps! She has a fun week planned so you will want to visit her blog everyday to see all the adorable projects and ideas.

I am going to make several of these cute bags filled with Christmas tags as hostess gifts and I could not wait to share them you. It was so hard keeping the stamps a secret from all of you!

The bag topper is cut at 3 x 4 ¾ inches. I used my Spellbinder’s dies, and stamped one with an adorable stamp from Robin’s Creative Cottage Snowman’s Prayer Stamp Set. Super quick and easy! The snowflake is from the Very Merry Tags cartridge and cut at 2.5 inches. I used glitter paper and rhinestones for added bling.

My tags are from the Very Merry Tags cartridge. I cut the snowflakes and shadow at 3.5 inches, the candy and shadow at 3 inches using assorted blue and white glitter paper. I just had to add more bling so I used some pearls and rhinestones.

I used several stamps from Robin’s Creative Cottage Snowman’s Prayer Stamp Set to stamp on the back. I love the cute sayings!

Recipe:

Cricut “Very Merry Tags” Cartridge

Robin’s Creative Cottage “Snowman’s Prayer” Stamp Set

Assorted blue and white glitter paper from my stash

Rhinestones and pearls from my stash

Staz On Black Ink

Cellophane bag from my stash

Fab Five Friday!

2011-11-11T01:11:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I fell in love with these amazing boxes made by Sharon from Designs by Sharon. To see more of these adorable boxes, including her Angry Birds collection, click here.

Are you looking for more mojo? If so, check out Mojo Monday for inspiration. Every Monday there is a new sketch posted and you can even play along. I love her sketches and know you will too!

Simply Stamped is a must visit blog. Maile Belles style is simple yet elegant! If you are looking for inspiration, stop in for a visit!

If you are looking for new ways to use your punches on scrapbook pages, be sure to click here to see 30 fun and unique ideas. I love new ways to use my punches. The froggy page is my favorite!

Mary from Cardz TV is a mega talented lady and has put together a new 12 Days of Christmas video series. Click here for the first day of the series. I love them all especially day three.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday. Be sure to stop back Monday for Robin’s stamp release celebration! I am so excited to be part of her new design team.

Homemade Smash book for Food Lovers - Part Two: Making Customized Accessories

2011-11-09T01:04:00.022-07:00

In today’s video, we will be making cute accessories for our homemade smash book for food lovers. Below are a few photos, but keep in mind there are more accessories on the video!

Click here to see part one of this series.

We will be making more accessories in part three of this video series so please stay tuned!

And the Winners Are……

2011-11-07T01:03:00.017-07:00

I want to thank everyone for participating in the Twilight inspired jewelry giveaway. It was so much fun and a special thanks to Sentimental Expressions for sponsoring the giveaway. Be sure to check out their Etsy site.
Here are our winners:

Cottage Necklace: Christy said...
Wow this jewelry is gorgeous!! Thanks for a chance to win! I can't wait to see the next installment in the Twilight movie series!!
Christy

Fairytales Necklace: Mimi said...
Wow, Linda, these ARE beautiful! I always pop on to your site several times a week and you have the nicest surprises!
mimi2trentdrew.blogspot.com

Bella’s Bracelet: Bonita said...
My daughter is such a Twilight fan. She would love any of these jewelry pieces. I just became a follower. Thanks.

Congrats to all! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your jewelry in the mail. Remember you have two weeks to claim your prize.

Speaking of winners here is an important announcement!

I am reposting this as I have not heard from Ryansmaama who won the Organizational tip contest. Ryansmaama you have one more week to claim your prize.

I want to thank everyone for participating in the favorite organizational tip contest! I have learned so much from all of your posts and I am thrilled that we had over 630 amazing responses. Wow! Click here to read all the wonderful organizational craft tips!

And now for the winner of the three Cricut cartridges:

Ryansmaama said……

Linda, I have been a follower for a while and enjoy seeing what you share with us. My organization tip is that I save the serving containers from KFC (the new ones they have that they advertise are reusable). When I open a new container of embossing powder, glitter, etc. I transfer it to one of these containers. The lid seals tight and they stack well. I label them with a fine tip sharpie on the side and top. Have enjoyed reading all of the tips and several I plan to incorporate into my little space.—Ryansmaama

Congrats to Ryansmaama! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your cartridges in the mail. Yahoo!

Stay tuned for part two of our smash book video series.

Linda

Fab Five Friday! November 4th

2011-11-04T01:04:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

This vintage card by Yuka Hino is so festive with an amazing use of color. I am so in love with Graphic 45’s Christmas line. Be sure to check out their new Tropical Travelogue line and Yuka Hino’s blog, it is gorgeous!!

For a unique coffee warmer, made out of a Christmas sock click here. Too cute and easy!

I just discovered Imaginisce’s blog. Can you believe that? I love their products and now I love their blog too! Get ready to be inspired and be sure to click here to see some amazing Fall projects.

I am a mega fan of Dawn’s videos and love to share them with you. Click here to watch a video on how to make a cute and easy mini book. Dawn always makes the most adorable projects! This project has a summer theme, but the concept would be perfect for Christmas! I can so see this album covered with snowflakes! Brr….

Speaking of inspired, Keely Yowler’s blog is amazing! She is a very talented scrapbooker and card maker and is currently on three design teams. Wow!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday. Don't forget to click here to enter the Twilight inspired jewerly giveaway! The jewerly is so fun and I am giving away three pieces.

Homemade Smash book for Food Lovers Part One -What is a Smash book and How to Make Your Own

2011-11-02T01:04:00.001-06:00

In today’s video, I discuss the new smash book trend, show you the original smash book plus accessories and demonstrate how to make your own quick and easy smash book for food lovers. In part two and three of this video series, we will make customized accessories for our food lovers smash book. We will be making the cute accessories in part two so please stay tuned.

Stayed tuned for a fun filled Fab Five Friday and don’t forget to click here to enter the Twilight inspired jewelry giveaway! The jewelry is so beautiful and I am giving away three pieces!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T01:03:00.003-06:00

I was so excited when I received these gorgeous Twilight inspired pieces designed by Sentimental Expressions in the mail, just in time for the Breaking Dawn movie premier and I get to give them away to three lucky people. How appropriate for Halloween! They were made by pouring resin over paper that has been attached to a jeweler’s bezel to give the pendants a domed appearance that looks like glass. They also have beautiful charms and unique beads. The photos so do not do them justice!

To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced on Monday November 7th

This cottage is inspired by Bella’s and Edward’s romantic retreat from “Breaking Dawn”

For those of you that are new to the Twilight movie saga, the designer told me that Bella’s bracelet represents both Edward and Jacob and was inspired by the Eclipse movie. Thanks for giving us a Twilight education along with your beautiful pieces of jewelry.

You can purchase her unique jewelry at her Etsy site by clicking here. This is her first collection and she plans to develop additional ones in future.

Happy Halloween and please stay tuned for a fun new video!

Great News!

2011-10-29T11:32:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I am part of an amazing design team for Robin’s Creative Cottage Stamps. If you click on the blinkie above you can see what’s it’s about! I got a sneak peek of her stamps and you are going to love them!! We will be having a release celebration during the week of November 14th so be sure to stay tuned for more info!

Hope you are having a fun weekend!

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-10-28T01:04:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

Jen Del Muro from I Heart 2 Stamp made the cutest card ever! You have to check out her blog, it is filled with wonderful projects and ideas. Be sure to scroll down and see her Put a Pin on It post.

To make her amazing pin, Jen used this Fringe Flower die from Lil’ Inker Designs. I think this is going to continue to be a hot trend! Click here to see another card made with this fun die and here for a tutorial on how to make the flowers.

I love the Creative Critterz Imaginations blog! You just have to check out Yvonne’s post on how to print on tissue paper using the Imagine. I can’t wait to try printing on tissue paper. Wow!!

Charity from Meaningful Menagerie designed these elegant and simple cards for the Cricut blog! She is an amazing designer and her blog is beautiful!

A couple of weeks ago, I made a two- part video series on glue guns. In part two, I made quick and easy embellishments using colored glue sticks. After finishing the video, I discovered a site that carries beautiful metallic and pearl glue sticks and other unique items including wax seal stamps. Check out Nostalgic Impressions and click here to see their glue sticks! Gorgeous!

I have another secret…shh. Click here for the news… I am soo excited and there is more to come!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Vegas Crop….Only in Vegas Baby!

2011-10-27T01:03:00.003-06:00

Last week, I went to lunch with my good friend Donna, or some of you may know her from the Cricut Circle and Cricut message boards as goCricutgo, and she surprised me with gifts! I was not able to go to the Vegas Crop sponsored by the Provo Craft Cricut Circle, so she gave me a sampling of some of the goodies she made for the crop. Wow!! She said she had an amazing time and met lots of new friends!

Donna made this adorable calling card for the Vegas Crop event. The Cricut charm, which is made with Shrinky Dink, is removable so everyone could add it to their bracelets. Her contact information is on the back! I love the charm with the cute dice and all the glitter paper!

Donna gave this away at the Vegas Crop, and I am so glad she gave one to me! Super quick and easy treat idea for any occasion!

I gasped when I saw this amazing pin made out of a paper sack and immediately asked if she would share the directions on my blog. And guess what, she said yes!! She got the idea from a YouTube video and made these for the Vegas Crop event. Here are her directions:

Cut 5-2.5" scallop circles either with your Cricut (I used Mother's Day Bouquet) or a punch, from a plain paper sack, I used the thin type that I get at my local scrapbook store.

Cut 1-2.5" circle from kraft cardstock. Spray the scallops with water and crunch into a tight ball with your hands. Gently open and dry, I used my trusty friend, the heat gun!

Gently rub across the top surface with brown ink, I used Tim Holtz Vintage Photo, just hitting the top of the creased paper.

Using craft acrylic paint, your color choice, rub a small amount in 2 or 3 different areas on each scallop, dry and spray with Pearl Mist.

When dry, glue one scallop flat to the circle. Add the next 4 scallops, one at a time, by placing a spot of glue (I used Scotch Quick Dry) to the bottom center scrunching up a bit in the center with your finger to make each layer a bit smaller than the one before. You may need to "fuss" to get the look you want.

Add a bit of bling to the center and add a "bar pin" to the back using Glossy Accents.

Lastly, I made the stick pin using a corsage pin and adding beads I had in my stash. I cut the end of the pin shorter to fit the flower and glued with Glossy Accents near the bottom layer.

Donna, thanks again for the amazing gifts and the wonderful directions! Viva Las Vegas!

Thanks for visiting and please stop back tomorrow for Fab Five Friday!

Three Easy Ways to Make a Shaped Card (With and w/o using the Gypsy)

2011-10-26T01:04:00.001-06:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a guest designer for Everyday Cricut. After I posted my first card, I received several emails and comments asking how to weld a card with and w/o using the Gypsy, so I decided to make a quick video. All three of these techniques are super easy!

In case you missed the post on Everyday Cricut, here is my latest shaped card.

Have a great day and please stop back tomorrow for some fun projects! Hint….one involves a paper sack!

Light it Up…It’s Your Birthday!

2011-10-25T01:03:00.004-06:00

I got the idea for this quick and easy card from the Cricut Cards magazine. I made a number of changes including the sentiment, but used the basic idea. Did I mention that I love the Cricut Card Magazine? So many great ideas for using your Cricut!

I needed a quick masculine birthday card and thought this would be great for the occasion. Lately, I have been neglecting my Imagine, so I decided to use it for this card, but you could use any paper from your stash!

The outside of this card measures 4 ¼ inches x 5 ½ inches. I used the Imagine More cartridge to print paper to cover the white card base. The brown and ivory layers are paper from my stash. I used MS Word for the sentiment and then cuttlebugged the ivory sheet.

The lamp and layers are from the Country Life cartridge and cut at 4.5 inches. I flood filled the layers using paper from the Imagine More cartridge. I so love the paper from this cart!

Once again, I used the Imagine More cartridge to print the paper and added a sentiment using word. I love how the Imagine makes it so easy to coordinate papers!

Recipe:

Cricut “Country Life” Cartridge

Cricut Imagine “Imagine More” Cartridge

Brown and ivory paper from my stash

Cuttlebug embossing folder

MS Word for the sentiment

Cricut Card magazine for the inspiration!

Thanks for visiting and please stop back tomorrow for a fun new video.

And the winner is…….

2011-10-24T01:56:00.002-06:00

I want to thank everyone for participating in the favorite organizational tip contest! I have learned so much from all of your posts and I am thrilled that we had over 630 amazing responses. Wow! Click here to read all the wonderful organizational craft tips! Also a special thanks to Melanie and Joy for asking me to be a guest designer on Everyday Cricut and a very special welcome to new viewers!

And now for the winner of the three Cricut cartridges:

Ryansmaama said……

Linda, I have been a follower for a while and enjoy seeing what you share with us. My organization tip is that I save the serving containers from KFC (the new ones they have that they advertise are reusable). When I open a new container of embossing powder, glitter, etc. I transfer it to one of these containers. The lid seals tight and they stack well. I label them with a fine tip sharpie on the side and top.
Have enjoyed reading all of the tips and several I plan to incorporate into my little space.—Ryansmaama

Congrats to Ryansmaama! Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your cartridges in the mail. Yahoo!

We just got home from two days in Yellowstone Park and I just had to share a few photos that my husband took.

Please stop in Tuesday for a cute new card!

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-10-21T01:03:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. But before we get started, I have a few announcements.

Click here to enter the organizational tip contest and the chance to win three Cricut Cartridges! There are over 570 great ideas that you just have to read! I am so thankful that you have taken the time to share your organizational ideas with all of us! You have until Sunday night at midnight to enter this contest and the winner will be announced on Monday!

Congrats to Scrappin Dhilly the winner of the All Around Christmas set. Please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your set in the mail. Emma thanks again for making this week so special!

Scrappin Dhilly said...
I have really enjoyed your projects this week, I am definitely going to be "stalking" your blog! Thanks for all of the inspiration!

Also, I would love to invite you to join my brand new facebook page, Paper Boutique with Linda Kaiser. To join, just click on the like button on the left hand side of my blog. Yahoo! I finally made a Facebook page for my blog!

Now back to Fab Five Friday

Laura from The Paper Trail is one of my favorite designers and I think her work is amazing! Be sure to check out her Gingerbread Castle post and while you are there take a look at her beautiful blog! She is truly a paper artist! Isn't this Gingerbread Castle wonderful?

I love the look of letter press and Shari Carroll did a beautiful job of using shadow ink with her embossing folders to create a faux letter press card. Click here to see her post. Gina K also created a very informative video with step by step details. Gina originally posted her video in 2009, she was so ahead of the curve. I can’t wait to try this!

If you are looking for some ideas for your Christmas cards, check out Holiday Card Boot Camp and Join Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner and 12 of their most talented friends as they walk you through how to create your own 2011 holiday card in Holiday Card Boot Camp. Whether you’re hoping to create a card that includes photos, a newsletter, a gift card or more – you’re sure to be inspired. This class includes easy to mass-produce cards, 16 videos, card sketches, stamping and cardmaking techniques. The above description is from their registration page. I am signing up today for the class. The fee is $29.00 and I can’t wait to start!

For a mega dose of cuteness, click here to see the cutest Hello Kitty Trick or Treat card ever! I love Susan’s work and her amazing blog, Busy with the Cricky! I also love seeing her work on Everyday Cricut!

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Fantabulous Cricut and love their challenges. If you are looking for last minute ideas for Halloween cards, check out their current challenge. My favorite is the door hanger from the Mini Monsters cartridge! Check out Carissa’s (Happily Ever Crafter) fun post!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday! Thanks again for making this the best week ever!!

More Celebration with Emma from My Creative Time!

2011-10-20T00:17:00.000-06:00

My friend Emma just donated another amazing stamp set, All Around Christmas to be given away as part of our celebration! To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced tomorrow.

Here is a photo of her amazing set! Be sure to check out her blog and all her wonderful stamps!

Also click here to enter my organizational tip contest and the chance to win three Cricut Cartridges! Wow, so many great ideas! You have until Sunday night to enter this contest!

Congrats to the winner of the Many Greetings set. Leslie G. please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com. Thanks!

Leslie G. said...
I have learned SO much from you, and I've only been subscribed to your blog for 2, yes, 2!!! days!!!!

Be sure to stop over to Everyday Cricut to see today’s project! Here is a sneak peak!

Thanks again for making this an amazing week! I want to thank all of you for your wonderful support!

Don’t forget to enter the organizational contest. You have until Sunday night at midnight to enter and the winner will be announced on Monday! Also please stop back tomorrow for a fun filled Fab Five Friday!

Linda

More Celebration with Emma from My Creative Time!

2011-10-19T01:03:00.006-06:00

My friend Emma just donated another amazing stamp set, Many Greetings to be given away as part of our celebration! To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced tomorrow.

Here is a photo of her amazing set! Be sure to check out her blog and all her wonderful stamps!

Also click here to enter the organizational tip contest and the chance to win three Cricut Cartridges! Wow, so many great ideas! You have until Sunday night to enter this contest!

Congrats to Karen the winner of All Around Halloween set. Karen please email your address to lkaisermt@gmail.com and I will get your set in the mail. Thanks!

Karen said...
Wonderful celebration congratulations you have a great informative blog!

Karen
www.littlescrappieces.blogspot.com

A special welcome to new viewers, I am honored that you have taken the time to visit my blog and thought I would share a few of my all-time favorite videos with you.

I so enjoyed making this video on quick and easy ways to tie ribbon.

I love using MS word to make sentiments for my Cricut cuts.

Here is my original post on how to make your colored pencils look like expensive markers. The card was inspired by Joy!!

Be sure to stop over to Everyday Cricut to see today’s project! It is a super fun accordion and pull-tab birthday card! Here is a sneak peak!

Linda

More Celebration with Emma from My Creative Time!

2011-10-18T01:03:00.004-06:00

My friend Emma just donated three of her amazing stamp sets to be given away as part of our celebration! I will be giving one set away today, tomorrow and on Thursday. To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Just leave a comment on this post and the winner will be announced tomorrow.

Here is a photo of her amazing set, All Around Halloween! Be sure to check out her blog and all her wonderful stamps!

Also click here to enter the organizational tip contest and the chance to win three Cricut Cartridges! The tips are amazing and be sure to check them out. Wow, so many great ideas! You have until Sunday night to enter this contest!

Be sure to stop over to Everyday Cricut to see today’s project! Here is a sneak peak!

Linda

250,000 Hits Celebration, Organizational Tip Contest and Guest Designer Announcement

2011-10-17T01:03:00.009-06:00

I am celebrating this week with a fun new contest. I recently reached 250,000 hits and I so want to thank all of you for your support! Also, I am super excited to be a guest designer on Everyday Cricut and want to say welcome to new viewers.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that the previous contests were favorite tip and favorite tool contests. The tips were outstanding and everyone had a great time sharing them. This time, we’re doing favorite organizational crafting tip.

Are you ready to play the organizational tip contest? To play, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already).

Please leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite organizational crafting tip is. We would love to hear your tip on how you organize your crafting supplies or your crafting area. Please, one comment per person and remember the contest closes Sunday night at midnight. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator and will be announced on Monday October 24th. The winner will receive the Just Because Cards cartridge, the Once Upon A Princess and the exclusive "My Cricut is My Therapist" Cricut Everyday cartridge. The winner gets all three! Yahoo!!

Here is my favorite organizing tip for storing my scrap papers. I can’t wait to read about your favorite organizing tip!

Above is a sneak peak of my post on Everyday Cricut. Please stop over to see the entire post! Wow! It is going to be a fun week!

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-10-14T03:04:00.019-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I am in love with this technique posted on the Prickley PearRubber Stamps blog. Be sure to check out their blog while you are there. Cheryl did a great job and I could not wait to share it with you. She stamped on tissue paper and then adhered the tissue paper to the candle. I have tried a similar technique, but not using plastic wrap. Great idea!

Last Tuesday I was watching the Today show and saw a great segment titled steals and deals. Every Tuesday morning they post a link to amazing bargains. Be sure to check out their site next Tuesday. In the meantime, click here to view Hip2Save website for some great bargains. These are not craft related, but fun!! Sometimes we need a crafting break!

Dollar Store Crafts is a unique site that features craft items made out of items purchased at dollar stores. Last week they featured a skeleton sock doll made for one dollar! I am addicted to this website!

Speaking of addicted, have you checked out the new My Craft Channel? Click on the show tab to see the latest segments. I love the Theresa Collins video class! The Art Redefined segment is a must see!

If you are looking for a unique Christmas card, check out this video by Vadeler. It is a three dimensional card using a paper punch. Her videos are amazing and you will want to watch all of them!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday! Stay tuned for a very exciting week! I have several surprises…. Shh…it's a secret!

Linda

Part Two Fun with Your Glue Gun

2011-10-12T07:10:00.000-06:00

In part one of this two part series, I discussed glue guns and the new glue gun helpers from Plaid. In today’s video we are going to be making some cute accents out of hot glue. Super quick and easy. You even get to use nail polish!

Just in case you missed it click here for part one.

Thanks for visiting!

Silhouette Baby Card using Florals Embellished Cartridge

2011-10-10T03:06:00.003-06:00

Did you know that the Floral Embellished Cart has the cutest silhouettes that would also make great black and white cards?

All cuts have a silhouette feature that would be perfect for a quick and easy card. Who knew?

This elegant baby card is made using the silhouette feature located on page 70 and cut at 5.25 inches. I cut two silhouette blackout pieces and welded them together to form the base card. I cut the silhouette layer, added some faux stitching, glitter, a few rhinestones and was done!

Here is a photo of the same cut in black. I think this would make a very striking black and white card and plan to make one soon!

Recipe:

Cricut “Florals Embellished" Cartridge

Light green and light yellow paper from my stash

Rhinestones

Ranger Diamond Stickles

Have a great day and stop back for a fun new video. Hint…this one involves tools!

Fab Five Friday!

2011-10-07T03:01:00.015-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I am in love with this technique by Shari Carroll. What a great idea to create fun holiday cards using non holiday stamps. You could also use this technique to decorate your Cricut cuts. Click here to see her video tutorial and be sure to check out her blog, Shari Carroll.

If you are looking for scrapbook inspiration, check out This Little Art of Mine. Jing-Jing Nickel is one talented artist and this is a must see site for scrapbookers and card makers!

Guess what? I discovered some great freebies on the Two Peas in a Bucket site. For 86 free, yes 86 free digital kits, click here. I am in love with their Christmas kits. Scroll down to check out the Jingle Jangle one!

Did I mention that I love Two Peas in a Bucket? I do and for some fun freebie classes, click here.

Have you heard about the Jaderbomb Blog? Jade has committed to making 100 Martha Stewart projects by December 10th. She appeared on the Martha Stewart show yesterday! Check out her blog and click here to see her progress!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday!

Linda

All About Glue Guns and the New Glue Gun Helpers Kit from Plaid

2011-10-05T03:01:00.013-06:00

I have been searching for the perfect glue gun and I finally found it so I decided to make a video about all the different glue guns I tried. Also, I just received the new glue gun helpers’ kit from Plaid and thought you might like to see the tools in action.

In part two of this two part series, we will be making some fun accents out of hot glue.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Bird-Day!

2011-10-04T03:01:00.003-06:00

I have been neglecting my Imagine and thought it was time to make a fun birthday card for my husband. I forgot how easy it is to make a card using the I. In fact, it was so easy that I actually made him two cards. I posted the football card last week. Click here if you missed it! By the way, he had a great birthday!

This card measures 4 ½ by 5 ½ inches and I used the layer from the card on page 22 and flood filled with paper located on page 37 of the Imagine More Cards Cartridge. I just got this cart and I love it!

These images are from page 9 and I pop dotted all the layers. I added the tweets from page 24. I thought it would be cute to add two hearts for my tweet heart!

Recipe:

Cricut “Imagine More Cards” Cartridge

Brown, white and light blue paper from my stash

Dimensional squares and mini heart stickers from my stash

Have a great day and stop back tomorrow for a fun new video. Hint…this one involves tools!

Favorite Tool Contest Winner!

2011-10-03T03:01:00.018-06:00

Thanks everyone for participating in the favorite tool contest. I loved learning about your favorite tools and I am thrilled that we had more than 154 responses! Click here to see all the terrific tool ideas. Wow!! Stay tuned as there is another fun contest and celebration coming up soon!

And without further delay, here is our winner:

iluvmybugs said...
My favorite, and most used tool, is my paper trimmer!!
~Terry~

Congrats Terry and please email me your address and let me know if you would like Preserves or Just Because Cards. . My email is lkaisermt@gmail.com

Thanks again everyone for playing. Stop back tomorrow for a fun new project!

Fab Five Friday!

2011-09-30T03:01:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Don’t forget to click here to enter the Favorite Tool Contest and win a free Cricut Cartridge.

Thanks to the Cricut Chirp newsletter, I discovered Andrea’s blog, Girl plus Paper. Her floral arrangement is amazing! Andrea is truly a paper artist and I know you will enjoy her creations. Wow!!

Melody from Melody Lane Designs has created a haunted castle and stand alone monsters to go with it. Click here to see her tutorial. Very impressive!

I am a huge fan of Jennifer McGuire and love her website. I love her simple button card and think you will too!

Another must see blog is Carol Heppner’s Queen of Creativity. This week she is featuring a delicate ribbon bracelet and much more.

In addition to her blog, Carol Heppner also has a website worth mentioning! Here is a link to a fun tutorial on how to use polyester fiberfill to apply ink. Click here to see her other tutorials. I fell in love with her work and know you will too!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday! Don’t forget to click here to play tool time!

Linda

Tool Time Contest!

2011-09-28T03:01:00.003-06:00

Are you ready to play tool time? To play, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already).

Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite crafting tool is (aside from your Cricut) and why you can’t live without it. Please one comment per person and remember the contest closes Sunday night at midnight. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator and will be announced on Monday October 3rd. The winner will receive either the Cricut Preserves or the Just Because Cards cartridge. You get to choose!

I can’t wait to find out your favorite tools and I know you will want to read everyone’s comments too! The last contest was so much fun. Click here if you want to read 96 amazing crafting tips.

My favorite tool not counting my Cricuts are my score boards. I can’t live without them and use them for almost every project. I use them to score my cards, to make projects, and quick envelopes and liners. Love my score boards!

Click here to see a post and video I made a few months ago comparing the newest Score- Pal to the Martha Stewart Score Board. In this post, I also include links to my videos on how to make and decorate envelopes.

Now it is your turn to play…. Ready, Set, Go!!!

Welcome Emma!!

2011-09-26T03:01:00.074-06:00

I am so excited to have Emma as my first guest artist! I am a mega fan of her website, her DVDs, stamps and dies and I look forward to her posts and new products. Her design team is also amazing. If you have not visited her site, be sure to stop over and say hi! Thanks again Emma for being my first guest artist!

Hello, "Emma" w/My Creative Time here! I am SO SUPER EXCITED to be Miss Linda's "Guest Designer" today! "THANK YOU" for this opportunity my friend, I am very honored!;)

For those of you who don't know me, my name is "Emma" and I am married to my high school sweetheart w/two BEAUTIFUL boys who are 9 and 12 yrs old! I also have 2 BEAUTIFUL fur babies who are my shadows, especially in my craftroom w/me!

I started my blog "My Creative Time" in 2009 and I have absolutely NO REGRETS at all! I have met some of the most amazing crafty friends and who we have ALL learned from. I am very grateful to be a part of an AWESOME "Blogging" community! I started my very own "stamp line" back in December of 2010 and then my "Exclusive Die Collection" this year in June! It has been such a GREAT feeling to have so many of you out there enjoy my products! I try to design w/the "Crafter" in mind, just trying to make crafting EASIER for ALL of us! This has been the GREATEST journey I have ever been on and it has been such a pleasure to have my biggest Dream come true! I get to do something that I LOVE!

Here is my project I created for you! I used my "Gift Card Holder Die" along w/my "Build a Banner Kit"! For the sentiment, I used my stamp set "Gift Card Sentiments" and for those ADORABLE images, they are from my "All Around Christmas" stamp set!

I hope you enjoyed my project! I want to have a HUGE "THANK YOU" to Miss Linda for having me here today! If you would like to visit my blog, please feel free to visit me and subscribe so you won't miss out of anything FUN I have coming up! You don't want to miss it!;)

Big Gypsy Hugs,

Emma;)

Fab Five Friday!

2011-09-23T03:01:00.015-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I am a huge Hero Art’s fan and love their informative videos. Joy Taylor created these amazing cards using a technique called wicking. Click here to see her video. You will also want to visit her blog, Less is More.

Last week I made a video on how to make a quick and easy pop-up card and discovered this video on how to make a very elaborate pop-up card. Peter Dahmen also provides the free file. It is truly amazing! Even if you don’t make this card you will want to click here to see his video that has over 121,000 hits.

Fireflies and Jellybeans is a blog that I recently discovered and think you will love as much as I do! Check out their post on 10 easy gift wrap ideas.

If you are looking for the latest fashion trends to incorporate into your crafting, check out Bobbie’s Buzz. Bobbie’s website is a must see for viewing the latest trends especially her piece on handbags. Hardware is going to be a hot trend and I bet we will see more of it in the craft industry. I am lovin the look!

To see a fun and creative Cricut banner with altered Cricut bugs , check out With Glittering Eyes. Nadia Herbst-McConnell is a mega talented paper artist!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday! Be sure to stop back next week, I have a fun surprise for all of you plus a new contest. I am super excited!

Linda

How to Make a Spray Box for Spraying Inks, Glimmer Mist, Paints, Etc.

2011-09-21T03:01:00.002-06:00

I recently bought a Color Catcher at Michaels and it works great! I use it to protect my work area when I use glimmer mist, spray inks or paint. However, I wanted my box to be just a little larger so I made my own spray box version. After a few experiments I was able to make one that is larger and collapsible for easy storage. I used a readily available box, the kind they ship 8 ½ x 11 inch copy paper in so the materials would be easy to find. This is a super easy and quick project that will help protect your work area. Happy crafting!

Thanks for visiting and please enjoy the video!

Happy Birthday Bill!

2011-09-19T03:01:00.002-06:00

Sunday was my husband’s birthday and I thought it would be fun to make him a football card and gift box. Bill is from Missoula, Montana and is a University of Montana Grizzly fan.

Joy from Everyday Cricut made a similar card and box last year and I finally had an occasion to make them both. Mine is a little different plus I added a sentiment to the front of the card.

This card is cut at four inches and is from the Wrap It Up Cartridge. I cut the card twice, once in black and once in brown. I trimmed the brown piece so it fit the base card and ran it through the Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder. I added the layers which were cut out of silver metallic paper. I used the Beyond Birthdays cartridge to cut the sentiment and the shadow at 3 ½ inches. And of course, I used the Grizzly’s team colors!

I printed the Grizzly logo on photographic paper and hand trimmed it.

The gift box is also from the Wrap It Up cartridge and is cut at 11 inches. I cut the layers out of metallic silver paper and cuttlebugged the football. The pennant is clip art.

Recipe:

Cricut “Wrap It Up” Cartridge

Cricut “Beyond Birthdays” Cartridge

Brown and metallic silver paper from my stash

Cuttlebug “Tiny Bubbles” embossing folder

Grizzly clip art

Have a great day and stay tuned for a unique and practical project video.

Fab Five Friday!

2011-09-16T03:01:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I will be showcasing five blogs, web sites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

Erica’s soap holders are super cute and easy to make. Be sure to visit Pink Buckaroo Designs to see a wonderful tutorial on how to make these. Dawn from Dawn’s Stamping thoughts also made a sanitizer holder that you will also love! Click here to see her video.

Did you know that Northridge publishing has a blog? Create Blog is a fun way to see project videos from their magazines. September’s project is a home décor piece that is perfect for a baby’s room. Super easy!

If you love duct tape like I do, you may want to enter their Halloween contest. Click here to read all about it and if you want to see the video I made on how to make rosettes using duct tape click here. I'm lovin' my duct tape!

If you are going batty looking for a fun Halloween project, be sure to check out this project on Martha Stewart’s web site.

Last Thursday, I held a favorite tip contest where the winner won a Cricut cartridge. There were 95 fantastic tips posted and I was overwhelmed! To read all 95 tips, click here. This contest was so popular that I am currently planning a similar but different contest, so please stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday!

Linda

Quick and Easy Pop-up Card

2011-09-14T04:18:00.001-06:00

This technique was demonstrated in the August issue of Scrapbooks Etc. and I just had to give it a try. There are lots of different ways to make a pop-up, but this one is super easy. You can easily modify the pop-up tab by making it larger or repositioning it on your card. I made a vertical card but it works just as well on a horizontal one. Please scroll down to see the video.

I so wish you could see him wobble. To view my video on how to make homemade wobble springs please click here. If you would like more information on how to use Microsoft Word for your sentiments, click here.

You could add a larger pop-up image or use a sentiment for added variety. You could even make an entire background scene.

Hope you are having a great day and stay tuned for Fab Five Friday.

Halloween Tag

2011-09-13T03:01:00.011-06:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I look forward to it more and more every year. We get tons of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood which makes the holiday even more fun!

I am putting together a Halloween basket and thought it would be fun to include a homemade tag.

This cute tag is cut at 5 inches and is from the Wrap it up cartridge. If you are looking for a great all-around cartridge this is it. I love all the features including a great assortment of tags.

This tag did not come with any layers so, of course, I just had to add some. I used the layers from page 39 and resized them to 2.92 inches using my Gypsy. I love using the Gypsy with my E2. This project would have been much harder had I not used my G. First I sized my tag and then sized the layers to fit. I just love using glitter paper and moveable eyes! The E2 cuts glitter paper like butter. Can you tell I love my E2?

I cut a rectangle piece of paper ¾ x 2 inches, rounded the corners, added faux stitching and used Word for the sentiment.

Recipe:
Cricut “Wrap it Up” Cartridge
DCWV “Ghosts &Goblins” Stack
DCWV “Ghosts &Goblins” Cardstock Stack
Recollections Polka Dot paper from their Halloween collection
Black Glitter Paper from my stash
Microsoft Word for the sentiment
Moveable eyes
Ribbon from my stash

Please stop in tomorrow for a fun new video!

Favorite Tip Contest Winner

2011-09-12T03:01:00.012-06:00

Thanks everyone for participating in the favorite tip contest. I was so impressed with all the amazing tips and how many of you that took time to share your great ideas with us!

Thanks to all of you for sharing over 95 extremely useful tips and techniques. Wow!! Click here to see all the terrific tips.

In fact, this contest was so much fun that I decided to do have more contests in the future. They will each have a different topic and will give you all a chance to share more of your great ideas with us. Stay tuned for more information!

And without further delay, here is our winner:

Carrie K said….

My favorite tip is to make my own pop dots. I use a piece of adhesive backed fun foam and run it through the xyron. (after I have cut it into strips of different widths) Then I have different width strips and just cut off what size I need. And, in different colors! This has saved me tons of money!!

Congrats Carrie! Please email me your address and let me know if you would like the Once Upon a Princess or the Just Because Cards cartridge. My email is lkaisermt@gmail.com.

Thanks again everyone for playing! Stop back tomorrow for a fun new project.

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-09-09T03:01:00.006-06:00

Be sure to visit Thoughts of a Cardmaking Scrapbooker blog to see a very informative tutorial on how to make this card and flower. Michele Novak is one talented artist! I just bought the Cricut Flower Shoppe cartridge and have not had a chance to use it so I really appreciate her amazing tutorial.

If you want more information on how to use Flower Shoppe, check out this video by Creations with Christina. Her video is one of the best! Margaret made two videos using this cartridge and the Gypsy. Click here for her first video and here for her second. After watching these videos, I am ready to give it a try!

I just discovered Ink Up and am so enjoying this blog. Check out Cheryl Lee’s tomato card which is perfect for this season!

I must confess that I am not known for my cooking ability; in fact, I have a couple of favorite sayings that I live by. One, my favorite thing to make is reservations, and two, if it has two or more ingredients it is home made. Cereal and milk qualify! But there is hope; I just discovered a wonderful cooking blog called Simply Recipes that is amazing. Check it out and let me know if you have any simple cooking tips for me!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday! Be sure to click here to enter the Favorite Tip contest and giveaway!

Linda

Favorite Tip Contest!

2011-09-08T03:01:00.043-06:00

Are you ready to play the favorite tip contest? To play, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already).

Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite Cricut or crafting tip. Please, one comment per person and remember the contest closes Sunday night at midnight. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator and will be announced on Monday September 12th. The winner will receive either the Cricut Once Upon a Princess or the Just Because Cards cartridge. You get to choose!

I can’t wait to read all your tips and I know you will want to read everyone’s tips too!

One of my favorite tips is to use a homemade Quick Stick to attach small Cricut layers. Here is a video I made a couple of months ago on how to make a Quick Stick.

Another one of my favorite Cricut tips is to use the fine tip Zig 2 way glue pen to attach small layers. I let the glue dry before using and it becomes repositionable. This is so handy if you need to adjust your layers.

One last Cricut tip... Stamp your cuts on the mat before you remove them. This really helps when you are adding faces to your cuts.

Now it is your turn to play…. Ready, Set, Go!!!

Card Making and Paper Crafting Inspirations …. Recharging Your Creativity!

2011-09-07T03:01:00.028-06:00

Frequently I am asked where to go for card and crafting ideas and how to recharge my creativity. I thought it would be fun to answer this question in a video. In today’s video I share my favorite things to do when I am looking for crafting motivation! I show several magazines and websites and have included the links below.

Magazine and Book Links:
Paper Crafts Magazine
Scrapbook Etc
Martha Stewart Living Magazine

I love all the Magazines published by Northridge publishing. I subscribe to Cards, Scrapbook Trends, Simply Handmade, Beads and their Create idea books on-line using the all-access pass. The Cricut magazine was extra and is not included in the all-access pass but you can add it and get all of these for $12.95 a month. That’s what I do. If you want to add the new Cricut Idea book series the total on-line price is $15.95. This is the new series that includes Cricut Birthdays, Cricut Cards (and the about to be released) Cricut Holidays. You can also mix and match your selections. If you only want one or two on-line subscriptions, just pick the ones you want. You can check out their on-line subscriptions here. Wow!!

Blog and Websites that I discuss in the video:

Cricut .com
Everyday Cricut
My Creative Time
Fantabulous Cricut

Thanks for visiting and be sure to stop back tomorrow for a new contest and giveaway! You won’t want to miss out on the fun!

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T03:01:00.013-06:00

We are spending this Labor Day getting our house and yard in shape for fall so I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite shaped cards with you. I hope you are having a wonderful Labor Day with family and friends and be sure to check back for a fun new contest and giveaway! Hint…the contest and giveaway starts Thursday!

Click here to see original post

Click here to see original post.

Fab Five Friday!

2011-09-02T03:04:00.014-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I just discovered Pink Bonbon’s blog and fell in love with Bonnie’s work. I was so thrilled that I had to share two photos. Be sure to check out her other great projects when you visit.

Chic n Scratch has done it again! She is currently filming a 12 week series on Halloween. Her videos are amazing and my favorite so far is week two. Click here to view a video on how to make a cute tag treat holder. Super cute!

For a great tutorial on how to make fabric flowers using the new Cricut Flower Shoppe Cart be sure to visit Craft Place. I have not tried cutting fabric, but Janice has inspired me to try!

Tim Holtz and Ranger have come out with another amazing product to use with alcohol inks.
Click here to see Tim’s amazing projects made with the new snow cap mixative. I love the effect of this mixative and I can’t wait to buy some!

Now for something really different. Have you ever wanted to go on an African safari? The next best thing is to click here and watch a free live safari video cam. They broadcast two live safaris every day. The a.m. African safari starts at 9:30 p.m. PST. Yesterday I watched six lions and elephants. Be sure to click on the live feed button and to enlarge the screen for better viewing. Keep in mind the connection is not perfect and the signal strength varies throughout the day, but considering it is live from Africa, I am willing to be patient. Also it helps to have a strong Internet connection. I like to watch while I am crafting.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fabulous Friday! Be sure and check back next week for a fun new contest and giveaway! More hints to come…..

Linda

Martha Stewart Ornament Template

2011-08-31T03:01:00.008-06:00

I recently purchased a set of Martha Stewart Ornament templates from HSN. I received four templates; two were for making 6 x 6 inch and 12 x 12 inch ornaments and two were for making lanterns. All four templates sold for $44.95 and they should still be available on HSN.

Yesterday I saw them at Jo-Anns and they were selling each template separately. The small lantern template sold for $17.99 and the small ornament template was $14.99. You should be able to use a coupon and save even more! I so love options!

Last week I filmed a video on how to make fun Halloween lanterns and in today’s video, I demonstrate how to use the small ornament template to make a single ornament and a large Christmas ornament by attaching six individual ornaments. These ornaments are super easy and would be great for or any holiday! In fact, on the video, I also make a Halloween ornament.

In case you missed it, click here for directions on how to make the lanterns.

Happy Wednesday!

Halloween Wobble Spring Magnets

2011-08-29T03:01:00.100-06:00

I am in a Halloween mood and decided to make Halloween magnets using homemade wobble springs and the Cricut Happy Hauntings cartridge.

This cute magnet is cut at 5 inches from the Happy Hauntings cartridge. I only used the first layer and backed it with an oval piece of Halloween paper. I wanted a larger witch so I cut the witch at 3.2 inches using the real size button. To give the frame added shine, I used Glossy Accents and attached a magnet to the back. I think the silhouette look is perfect for Halloween! Too bad you can’t see the witch wobble…she is so cute!

To view my video on how to make your own wobble springs, click here. I used ¾ inch circles for this project and it worked great! I like being able to make my own wobble springs to use with the smaller cuts.

This magnet is cut at 5.1 inches from the Happy Hauntings cartridge and the cat is sized at 2.5 inches using the real size dial. Once again I only used the outside layer. Instead of using Glossy Accents, this time I used glitter paper. I like both looks, but the one made with Glossy Accents is my favorite! Lastly, I added my homemade wobble spring and a magnet.

Recipe:

Cricut “Happy Hauntings” Cartridge

Homemade Wobble Springs

DCWV “Ghosts & Goblins” Stack

DCWV “Ghosts & Goblins” Cardstock Stack

Bazzill Cardstock

Inkssentials Glossy Accents

Adhesive backed magnets

Fab Five Friday! Or should I say…Free Fab Friday?

2011-08-26T03:04:00.021-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday during the summer, I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I love this campfire card by Samantha Casey. Her adorable card makes me want to go camping. Be sure to check out her blog when you visit.

I discovered several sites that were offering free templates, paper piecing patterns or projects and could not wait to share them with you. Here they are:

For adorable free paper piecing patterns, check out this site. I am in love with the cute Halloween patterns…. all 22 of them! The pumpkin on slide 4 is my favorite.

For free digital scrapbook supplies be sure to check out this link. The free birthday digital papers are mega cute and colorful. Did I mention free?

Now for the last freebie… check out this link and Craft it Forward. The free project directions are just the incentive I need to Craft it Forward. Scrapbooks etc website was loaded with free items. Whew!

I am such a BoBunny addict and am impressed by their new lines. Father Christmas is going to be a big hit! Check out their new papers and also be sure to check out their blog for some amazing layouts!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Linda

Martha Stewart Crafts Lantern and Ornament Template…..Happy Halloween!

2011-08-24T03:01:00.005-06:00

I recently purchased a set of Martha Stewart Ornament templates from HSN and just had to share with you. I received four templates; two were for making 6 x 6 inch and 12 x 12 inch lanterns. Instructions for the lanterns are on the video below.
Also as part of the kit were two templates for making large and small ornaments. I am currently working on a video on how to make the ornaments and hope to have it posted next week.

These are super cute and easy and would be great for any holiday celebration. I am making several more for Halloween. You could also decorate them using Cricut cuts, glow in the dark glitter or using punches. Now let’s turn off the lights and see how they look with flameless tea lights inside.

And here's a video on how to use the template tools. Enjoy!

Hope you are having a spooktacular day!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-22T03:01:00.003-06:00

I just bought the Create a Critters cartridge and love it! Can you believe I didn’t own this adorable cartridge?

For my first project I made a quick and easy card that is perfect for a little girl. I never seem to have enough children’s birthday cards on hand and I thought why not stock up.

For this card I used my Expression 2 and cut 2 zebra shadows at 5.6. I used a brad to join the card. You can also weld the cards together, but this time I decided to try something different.

I used all the zebra layers except the flower which is from the George Cartridge and cut at 1.2 inches. I made glitter paste and applied to the flower. Click here to watch my video on how to make glitter paste. I also used glossy accents on the hooves and tail for added shine.

The pattern paper is from Theresa Collins and perfect for adding a feminine touch. The nice thing about this cut is you could eliminate the flower and use masculine papers to make a cute card for a little boy!

I used a Fiskars stamp for the inside of this card. I love their stamps!

Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a fun new video.

Fab Five Friday!

2011-08-19T03:01:00.040-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday during the summer, I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

This is my favorite cake box ever using the new Cricut Sweet Tooth cartridge! Marlene Gomez from Scappin Cookie is one talented lady or should I say cookie! Be sure to check out her amazing blog. Her cake slice looks good enough to eat. In fact, the first time I saw this post, I thought it was a real slice of cake.

If you are looking for a fun project to do with your children, check out this post on how to make colorful monsters out of homemade play dough. Kim uses circle punches, eyelets, brads and more to make these cute monsters. Check out Kim’s blog, Think Fast for her recipe.

I can’t believe that I just discovered this amazing challenge blog! It may old news to you, but new to me. Mojo Monday is a great resource that has weekly card challenges along with amazing ideas. For instant inspiration, check out their sketch gallery. Amazing!!

One of my all-time favorite stores is Archivers. Unfortunately the closest one to us is in Boise, Idaho. If you do not have an Archivers close by be sure to check out their on-line store for the next best shopping experience. Also be sure to check out their card and page of the month ideas.

Last week I featured a video from Dawn of Dawn’s Stamping Thoughts and guess what she did? Another amazing video that I just had to share. Wow, two in a row! For a video on how to do a mother of pearl background, click here. Her YouTube channel is a must see!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Linda

Take Two Thursday…..Time for Halloween!

2011-08-18T03:01:00.018-06:00

I hope to be back Friday but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy an early Halloween project. I made several of these last year and they turned out so cute. Stay tuned as I have several new videos planned!

Have a great day
Linda

Take Two Tuesday….Making Glubers and Creating Fabric and Ribbon Flowers

2011-08-16T03:01:00.009-06:00

Thanks again for all the get well wishes! I am still feeling under the weather and decided that I need to take a couple of days off. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this take two post!

Fab Five Friday!

2011-08-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday during the summer, I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I love this card by Amy Sheffer . She is a mega talented crafter and be sure to check out her blog Pickled Paper Designs for some fun ideas!

On Wednesday, I posted a tutorial on how to make a Notabilities book and Cheryl from Ink Up took it to a new level. Check out her notebook complete with tabs. She is using her notebook to inventory her craft supplies. Wow!!

If you are looking for help with a home improvement project, you can find all sorts of great resources by visiting the Home Depot Website. They have everything from project sheets to videos on all types of projects. Who knew?

For a fun embedded embossing technique video, click here. Dawn from Dawn’s Stamping Thoughts is amazing. Her YouTube channel is one of my favorites!

For several unique projects using your color printers visit Epson’s project sites. My all time favorite is the cow calling card. I love them!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Linda

Notabilities Video

2011-08-10T06:09:00.001-06:00

Thanks everyone for your get well comments, emails and phone calls! The results from my latest tests just came back and I have ulcers so no surgery needed. Whew!

I am feeling better so I thought…why not a do a video on how to make a notebook out of index cards.

Now for a brief commercial message: MizMaryAnn you won the July 27th giveaway and unfortunately I have not heard from you. Please email me your address by Friday so I can get your package mailed. My email is lkaisermt@gmail.com. If I do not hear from you by Saturday, August 13th, I will need to select another winner. Hurry!

Now back to the video!

Linda

Notabilities

2011-08-08T03:01:00.004-06:00

I titled my post Notabilities, since I am going to use this easy to make book to take notes and capture ideas or possibilities. It all started when I wanted to buy a small refillable notebook to carry in my purse. I couldn’t find one so I decided to make my own refillable book out of chipboard, a notebook ring and index cards.

I have been under the weather for the past week, nothing major just undergoing tests for gallbladder and ulcers so I did not make a video for this post. My goal is to have a video ready by Wednesday that will give complete instructions on how to make these fun and refillable books.

Have a great week !

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-08-05T15:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday during the summer, I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I love Christmas in July, but due to our vacation, I so missed it this year. Fortunately for us, Suzanne Sergi made this adorable Christmas book. Be sure to check out her blog Scappin the Details so see all the adorable pages. Her book is huge!!

My friend Donna, told me about this new blog specializing in how to use the new Cricut Craft Room software. Be sure to check out this amazing blog by Scrapalette and Narelle. You may already know them from the Cricut.com message boards. Thanks ladies for all your help!!

For the cutest butterfly album, check out Butterfly Kisses Designs. Her mini album is a must see! I also love her adorable cards!

For a blog as unique as the title, be sure to visit Greenbean’s Crafterole. She is always coming up with something new and different!

I fell in love with Lady Grace Belarmino’s scrapbook layouts and I think you will too. One of her layouts is on the cover of the August Scrapbook Trends magazine. Love it!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Linda

Using Paper Scraps to Make Card Backgrounds

2011-08-03T15:44:00.001-06:00

Before we get started I would like to announce the winner of the August Cricut magazine.

Angi @ CokiePop said...
Adorable card Linda. Love the fun and vibrant colors. Fab giveaway. :)

Congrats Angi! Please send me your address and we will get your package in the mail!

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments and a special thanks to Madonna for her generosity.

I made this card entirely out of small scraps of leftover papers. In today’s video I will be demonstrating how to make this cute card and diagonal background.

If you are interested in how I made the rosette, please click here or here to watch my YouTube video on how to make rosettes using duct tape.

Have a great day!
Linda

Get Well Soon Card and Giveaway!

2011-08-01T03:01:00.033-06:00

I love coincidences don’t you? I just finished making this cute card that was inspired by a card in the August issue of Cricut magazine when I received an email from Madonna who said she had two copies of the August Cricut magazine and would I like to give one away on my blog. What a wonderful coincidence!

To enter you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog or a subscriber of my YouTube channel. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Also be sure to leave a comment on this post. The winner will be announced Wednesday August 3rd.

This card measures 4.5 x 5.75 inches and the umbrella is from the Celebrate with a Flourish cartridge and cut at 3.8 inches. I used the shadow and layer features.

I used Word to create the outside and inside sentiments. I just had to add a funny sentiment!

I used Kaiser rhinestones and the paper is from Echo Park’s Summer Days collection that I bought while we were on vacation. I am in love with this paper!

Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a fun new video and to find out if you won the giveaway!

Thanks again Madonna for your generosity!

Linda

Fab Five Friday!

2011-07-29T03:01:00.020-06:00

Welcome to Fab Five Friday! For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday during the summer, I will be showcasing five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I fell in love with this card by Gloria Stengel . If you love Graphic 45 paper, you will love her blog, Scraps of Life. She is mega talented and she is on both the Spellbinders and Graphic 45 design teams. Wow!

For the most unique postcards ever, check out this post from Martha Stewart. All the clip art is free and the projects look super simple. My favorite is the crab! Wish I would have had these while we were on vacation.

Scrapbooks Etc website has a ton of amazing resources to help scrapbookers. My favorite resources are their free layout sketches that you can download. Click here for your free sketches! Be sure to check out their blog while you are visiting.

One of my all-time favorite non-crafting sites is Hungry Girl. Her website is a must see! I have three of her cookbooks and could not live without them. Anytime you get to eat more food for fewer calories you can count me in. Season 2 of her TV show starts August 7th on the Food Network channel. You just have to check out her cupcake recipes and her TV show!

For more inspiring ideas check out the idea gallery from We R Memory Keepers. I love their ideas for using your Cinch tool. My favorite is the Travel book, complete with project instructions!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a fun filled Friday!

Linda

Making Flowers Using Air Dry Clay

2011-07-27T03:01:00.010-06:00

In April, I saw a video by Creations with Christina on how to make flowers out of polymer clay. It looked like fun, but I wanted to try making clay flowers inexpensively before purchasing a craft oven, tools etc. I found the perfect solution while I was on vacation. Hobby Lobby sells air dry clay and very inexpensive molds, so I just had to try them. I love the result and hope you do too.

And now for the winner of the thank you giveaway!

MizMaryAnn said

I've been a blog follower for a long time. I love your videos. They are always explained so well and you have great projects to try. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.

Congrats MizMaryAnn! Please send me your address and I will get your package in the mail!

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments. I am so honored to have your support and friendship. You are the best!

Linda

Thank You!

2011-07-27T01:01:00.000-06:00

(Sticky Post- starting Friday, scroll down for most current posts)

I have the best followers and subscribers on the planet and I am grateful every day for all your support! To thank you, I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway.

To enter, you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog or a subscriber of my YouTube channel. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog (if you are not there already). Also be sure to leave a comment on this post or any of the posts this week. Please only comment once per post, but for more chances to win, be sure to comment on every post! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 27th.

Please watch the video below to see what the winner will receive. The giveaway includes the Cricut Pop-Up Neighborhood cartridge!

Thanks again for all your encouragement, friendship and for being the best followers ever!!

Thank You Card

2011-07-25T03:01:00.008-06:00

I love the chandelier cut on the French Manor cartridge and just had to make this quick and easy Thank You card. There is also a chandelier cut on the Home Décor, Every Day Pop-up and the Summer in Paris cartridges. You could also use a chandelier stamp to make this fun card. Lots of options!

This card measures 5 ½ x 6 inches and the chandelier is cut at 3 ½ inches.
I used Kaiser pearls and most of the paper is from BasicGrey’s Out of Print paper pad that I bought while we were on vacation. I added a ribbon, bow and some pop dots. Super quick and easy!

For more chances to win my thank you giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. The giveaway closes Tuesday at midnight. Thanks again for all your support and I am sooo glad to be back!

Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a fun new video and to find out if you won the giveaway!

Linda