Vinyl from craftvinyl.com- First Impression

Hello scrappers and friends! I just ordered some Iron-on vinyl for the first time from craftvinyl.com and so far I'm impressed. I ordered on the 20th and got it on the 25th. Some say it could take a week or two, so if you need to do something right away don't order from there. I received mine sooner than I thought I would so I'm happy about that.

Ordering was pretty easy and they have so many colors to choose from! I ordered 3 black, 1 white, 1 green, 1 neon green and 1 neon raspberry, all 12x24. The way they packed the vinyl when shipping it was genius! They rolled the vinyl up and taped it so it wouldn't come undone. Then they placed the rolled vinyl into a thick cardboard tube so that if the package was crushed during shipping it would protect it. They placed all that in a priority box with some packaging paper, which I can probably recycle and use for something else. One thing scrappers and crafters know is how to recycle things you would normally throw away.

I have not cut on the vinyl yet but so far I think I'll order from craftvinyl.com again! So many other ladies on Facebook has recommended this place too. They have other kinds of vinyl as well. Plus they are suppose to be the cheapest around! Check it out! Have a splendid crafty time!

Birthday Card For A Movie Fanatic

Hello Scrappers and Friends! Now I just purchased a Cricut Explore plus just started using Design Space and my hubby has been seeing what I can do, so the other day he asked me if I could make his friend a birthday card. His friend is a BIG movie fanatic. So my husband asked if there was anything Zombie related in the images on Design Space. I looked and found a zombie hand that my husband liked and he wanted me to put a DVD in the hand if possible. During the day I kept thinking of the different things I could do to make the card awesome and came up with the idea of making the card look like an actual blu-ray.



The "Blu-ray" logo I hand wrote with my embossing pen then used silver embossing powder and heated it up to create this raised image. I plan on posting a video showing all those that have no clue on what embossing is or how its done once I get my camera set up to be able to do so.

The font I used on Design Space was Frightful Affair. I put the letters through my small sticker maker from Xyron and then placed them on the card in the desired location. Now sometimes there is excess adhesive around the letters and I use this rubber eraser, which is an Xyron Adhesive Eraser. You can purchase these at craft stores or on Amazon for pretty cheap. It just helps the images or letters from sticking to the other side when you close the card.

Before I cut the card out from Design Space my machine had me put in the scoring pen so it could score the middle for the fold. It scored the paper and then it cut out the card at the same time. That's whats nice about this new machine, you can do two things at once. You can write and cut, score and cut, etc. I love it!

Have a splendid crafty time!! 

HSN All Day Craft Event

Hello Scrappers and Friends! HSN, Home Shopping Network, sometimes does an all day Craft Event. Which is where they sell and demonstrate crafting items for hours! I never watched HSN before, I always thought it was for older folks that just order jewelry all the time. What got me to watch it was some ladies on Facebook posted about it to let crafters know and give them a heads up. So I turned it on when I got home from work since it started at midnight. I got a notepad ready, phone dialed in so it automatically called HSN and got my credit card ready. I heard that some items might sell out fast so I was ready! I bet I was a funny site.

What is also neat on HSN is that they actually demonstrate on how you could use the products and it shows how the products work. That way you know what your buying and all your getting.

It didn't take long at all for it to get to me. They are having another all day craft event here this week, got to suck up to the hubby and maybe I can order something! Yup, I'm addicted! Have a splendid crafty time!

Experimenting With An Embossing Pen

Hello Scrappers and friends! I just purchased my first embossing pen and my first Tim Holtz blending tool. I've been watching YouTube videos on these two items and I loved seeing all the different things you can do! Now these are not perfect by any means but still pretty cool seeing how these items work together to create something awesome!

I LOVE Tim Holtz products! Now for those not familiar with Tim Holtz, he has a lot of embellishments, inks, paints, stencils, etc that crafters use. Most of his items make the projects look distressed and have an antique look, which I love! You can purchase these items at craft stores and online. I have seen that Hobby Lobby occasionally puts the Tim Holtz's products on sale so be on the look out!

One thing I noticed in the videos I watched was to start from the outside and start rubbing the tool with the ink on it in a circular motion  towards the center. This creates darker edges. Also make sure you have a mat or scrap piece of paper before doing this so you don't get ink on your craft table.

Then I used clear embossing ink and inked the Cake stamp (from Stampin Up) then stamped the paper in the pink area with it. Then I sprinkled the embossing powder you see pictured onto the image I just stamped and then heated it my heat gun. The heat gun I purchased at Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off, its the Paper Studio's brand. Once the powder heats up it melts and goes clear (since this is clear glow in the dark kind). Then I rubbed a darker ink over that and got this result.

What happens is the clear powder protects the ink that you first used underneath the stamp and it prevents the darker ink from penetrating it. So you can see the cake is the "Picked Raspberry" color and then I used "Seedless Preserves" to darken the background to help the cake stand out.
Here are a few more samples I did to show you the new technique I picked up. With practice I hope to improve but not to bad my first time trying it.

Tim Holtz has come out with a smaller blending tool that's rounded. Tim and others have said that the smaller tool blends a lot better than this big square one. The square one is great for large areas but the smaller one is great especially if you don't want the lines from the edge of the tool.

The pads on these tools can be replaced or they are suppose to be reusable just by washing them with soap and water. Some ladies have one for every color. 

Hope you enjoy these few samples that I did and it gets your creative juices flowing! Have a splendid crafty time!

Messing Around With Copics

Hello Scrappers! The other night I messed around with the few Copic Markers that I have and really like how most of the stamped images turned out. I posted them on Facebook and got some helpful tips as well which I will share.


 Copic markers, for those that do not know much about them, are markers that most Graphic Novelist use. They have two different tips on them, a brush tip and a Chisel style tip. You can also replace these tips and refill the markers so you never have to buy the same marker twice. Now the markers are quite expensive, almost $8 a marker or for 12 of the Sketch kind it goes for $53 on Amazon.  FYI to help with the cost Michael's and Hobby Lobby have 40-50% off coupons that you should be able to use. These markers are pretty picky when it comes to the type of ink and paper you use. The ink that is recommended to use with these markers when using stamped images is the Memento brand. I read that the StazOn and Stampin' Up brands do NOT work well with the Copic markers. There is special paper sold specifically for Copic markers too. This paper helps prevent the bleeding. These markers blend very well which makes them great for coloring and going from light to dark. There are hundreds of colors out there to choose from with a wide range of different shades of colors.

Alright now to the fun stuff and tips! When I have used these markers I have had trouble with the ink just running out of the marker and ruining the whole picture (the blue spot above the bird). It frustrated me so much that I don't really use them. I asked around and ladies were saying it could be the paper but it would only be that one marker, the others worked fine. So finally one lady said that it could actually be the marker itself. She said they could have filled it too full when they made it and that's why I'm having trouble. Now here's the tip: Another lady commented and said to take the caps off both ends at the same time to equalize the pressure in the marker. She said normally if you fly with them you have that same issue. So ladies if you have this issue or travel by flying with your supplies, take off the caps of both ends before you use them and then try again. I did that and didn't have anymore issues that night. I usually hold my breath when using them hoping it doesn't leak all over. Usually when it leaks its when I have the picture almost done and then it ruins it! But I'm going to keep using them because I love the look of the image when it's all done!

The colors are so vibrant and I'm just starting out so these are not the best out there but I'm excited to learn more so I can improve the look of the stamped images I use. I was just playing around with these markers the other night and here are the results. I can't wait to get more colors! Hope this helps with any of you having trouble or ones that are thinking of getting Copics! Have a splendid crafty time!!

Why do We Scrapbook?

Hello Scrappers! There are many reasons on why we scrapbook, everyone's reason is different. Why do you scrapbook? How did you get started? There is no right or wrong reason.

I scrapbook for many reasons. One of them is because I love it and its a fun hobby to get into. You can do so many things with all the different products out there its unlimited! When people enjoy your creations it makes you feel awesome! Scrapbooks show people how great life was/is and sometimes it makes them relive memories that they may have forgotten. Scrapbooks bring smiles to peoples faces and they tell stories. I love watching people while they look through my scrapbooks and seeing their reactions. One of my Best Friends came over one day and while we looked through my scrapbooks it created a conversation so scrapbooks could be a conversation starter as well. She wanted me to mention her in my Blog so this is for you Maria! Here she is looking through my scrapbook.

Another reason I scrapbook is to preserve memories so that later on when we have kids or have family and friends over years down the road they look through them and see how crazy or young we were. I get amazed when looking through them thinking to myself "wow that doesn't seem like it was that long ago!" Time passes so quickly why not capture it and create something beautiful that will last years to come!

Its a wonderful feeling to have a hobby that makes you so happy and brightens your day! Do something that makes you happy and it will make life so much more enjoyable! Have a splendid crafty time Scrappers!

Packing for My First Crop

Hello Scrappers! Do you go to Crops or Retreats? Do you know what those are? I posted earlier on one that I went to but for those that missed that a Crop or Retreat is where ladies get together and scrapbook ALL day or even days at a time. I know! Sounds amazing right?! My friend Sara invited me to one in Michigan and I loved every minute of it! Some might have vendors there, provide meals and do games or drawings for you to win prizes. Its lots of fun!

Packing for a crop is one of those things where people don't really have the right answer. Some pack their whole room it seems and others may only pack a few items. Ladies suggest when going to these to try and pre-plan layouts ahead of time so you will get more done. I did a few of those and loved doing so! I still ended up packing my whole room though. Never know if you would need something.

Where I got my totes and bags:
*Large Zebra rolling tote I got at Christmas time from my parents and they got it at Hobby Lobby.
*Cricut bag I got at Walmart
*The medium rolling Zebra tote my mom got online on a local Facebook garage sale site. It's a rolling bookbag.
*The 2 pink totes are from Michaels. I got them when they were 50% off.
*The Plastic tote with all the picture containers is from Michaels as well.
*I have 2 Iris containers above the 2 pink ones and those are from Michaels.
*The small Cricut tote my hubby got me for Valentines day off Amazon and it holds all my Cartridges.
*The plastic tote above that I hold all my paper scraps in and its an Art Bin. Not sure on where I got it exactly but I'm sure you could find one at any craft store.
*The little bag on top is from Bath and Body Works. Got it for free and I used it to hold my clear stamps and a few little containers.

Here is a video showing how I packed and where I put everything.

I thought I took quite a bit and I did, but there were plenty of other ladies that took so much more!  Im sure next time I go I'll pack differently and bring more stuff. Hoping to buy some 31 totes soon to store items in my room and make it easier to travel with supplies.

The best part of these Crops and Retreats is you can talk all about scrapbooking and everyone there has a passion for it so you don't have to worry about boring someone. Also you can get great ideas on layouts or learn new techniques and machines! Just have fun and have a splendid crafty time!!

Doing Layouts For the First Time Using the Explore!

Hello Scrappers! I just purchased my Explore a week ago and I'm still so much in love with it! I only tend to scrapbook during the weekends since I work during the week so not much time for scrapping, but I do dream about it all the time during the week! I never worked with Design Space either so I'm all new to this. Here are a few layouts I did last night on my Cricut.

Also I must add that in the process of adding glitter to my layout my dog got all sparkly! He was laying under the table when the glitter went everywhere! He didn't mind! Hope you can see it in the picture. 

The Dinner Party Layout, this was my first time welding the letter together. Welding all it does is it takes the letters that are normally all separated and hooks them all together however you want. I am looking forward to doing all sorts of combinations!

The Smitten Kitten layout took forever! That bottom corner portion with the "catnip FELINE TABBY etc" words was cut out individually. So I placed each individual letter into my sticker maker and then copied the placement from the screen on the computer to give it the same look. 

When I complete some new layouts I will be sure to share them on here with some more step by step pictures so you can see what all goes into getting it designed, cut and placed onto my layout. Thanks for looking and have a Splendid crafty time!

Ribbon Holder

Hello Scrappers! I know several of you have seen my ribbon holder that my dad and hubby made for me and would like one for yourselves. Well this post is about how the idea got started. I had recently put my cabinets in my area and wanted a way of storing my ribbon. So I drew up a picture of the idea I had in my head. Here it is in this picture (top right corner).

My dad is pretty smart when it comes to wood working or anything really. So he and my hubby put their heads together and built me my awesome ribbon holder. Then I brought it home and painted it. Now every time I post pictures with it in it ladies always ask where I bought it.

Now how I load and unload the ribbon is my dad drilled holes in the bottom of the rods so that he can put screws in them to hold them in place. So I just unscrew the rod that I want and slide the dowel through the other side.

 In my old area I could put it up off the counter top and have it mounted on some mounts my dad and hubby made or I could lift it off and have it sit on the counter top. It spun either way I had it which is really handy when looking for the kind of ribbon I want to use.

They put this thicker dowel rod in the middle with PVC pipe over it for extra support. I painted it pink then did a Zebra print over it. The little pieces that you see in the middle of the dowels with the pink and Zebra pattern are just there for extra support and as decorative pieces.

When they first started making this ribbon holder I never put what size dowels I wanted so they drilled holes big enough for the larger dowels, well those were going to be too big so they had to start over, or so they thought. Dad just made smaller holes in the areas they didn't already drill, Dad saved the day! My hubby thought for sure they were going to have to start ALL over again. Took them a few days but they got it done.

Then I decided to paint it and one thing I like to do is paint drawers shut, or paint things to where they no longer fit in the spots they were needed since I get lazy and don't think about what I'm doing until I already painted it. So hubby and my dad told me to take the holder apart THEN paint it, don't try to paint it while its together. So I did that and apparently I was not suppose to paint the ends of the dowels because when hubby tried putting it back together the dowels would not fit in the holes they drilled. So we took some sand paper and sanded the ends down so they fit in the holes. Now I have a pretty ribbon holder that goes with my color scheme and is different! I love it!

Hope this helps you ribbon lovers and helps you make your own any size and color you want! Have a Splendid crafty time!!

Shopping for Scrapbook Supplies, My Favorite!!

Hello Scrappers! Do you like shopping for new craft supplies? Do you take a list or just go in hoping for the best? Do you take your Spouse or is it best to leave them at home? I LOVE shopping for new supplies! Usually my husband goes with me and is a good sport. Yesterday hubby was shopping for clothes and he said I could go to a scrapbook store too (I banned myself for 5 months of no craft stores and so far it hasn't panned out). So I checked the local deals on my phone since I have an App for just about every craft store around me Joann's, Hobby Lobby and Michael's. Joann's was having a 50% off sale on ALL of their paper crafting supplies! Well of course I am checking that out! So we get to Joann's go in and for the first 5-10 minutes I hadn't really bought anything and hubby was shocked. He goes "with everything being 50% off, I figured you would be buying everything". I told him I was trying to behave.

Which I was, until I hit the Washi Tape section, then I got crazy! Heck when I went yesterday he helped pick out paper and kept asking me if I needed this or that.  Isn't he a keeper?!

 I went into the store with a few things in mind, Tim Holtz blending tool, page protectors and an embossing pen. Well I walked out with a bag of scrapbook stuff and only grabbed the page protectors since the store didn't have the other two. I still got some great deals and even got my first Project Life kit. Project Life, for those that
don't know, is a brand name and its just a bunch of little cards that you can put on your page layouts or in special page protectors that help make scrapbooking easier. Don't you love getting good deals on your supplies? I sure do and it makes shopping so much fun! Hope you have a Splendid crafty time! Shop Shop Shop! Shop til you drop!

How We All Start Out Before Going Crazy!

Hello Scrappers! Remember when we didn't have TONS of supplies? When paper, scissors, tape, stickers and pictures would do? Who knew what a Cricut was back then? Who knew you could take simple card stock and emboss it in your Cuttlebug and make it so much more? These items were so foreign to me and it would take me five minutes to do a page when things were simpler. Now it takes me forever to complete a page because there are so many little details and different techniques.




It's crazy to think that just 2 years ago these were all of the scrapbook supplies that I owned. I definitely have a problem! WOW! This craft is addicting so WARNING to any newbies out there! This may be you someday! But hey they say the first step to overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem right? So I'm on the road to recovery....just kidding I'm on the road to the craft store! < love that! This Cricut in the picture I had never used, never knew how amazing it was. I thought the Cricut would be hard to learn and just a pain, boy if I only knew.

I knew I had these pictures somewhere and when I found them again today I just laughed and laughed. I need to slow down because if I keep this pace up in 10 years I might be looking for a two story house with a basement just to keep my supplies in! Maybe the neighbor will sell me their house!

So ladies we all start somewhere and not everyone has the same supplies or the same style that you do and that is what makes this hobby so enjoyable! There is always more to learn and new ways to do things it never ends. If you don't have a million supplies that is okay, as long as you like what you do and love what you have then who cares!? You're still creating and that is what this hobby is all about.

Have a splendid crafty time Scrappers!

First Day Using the Cricut Explore

Hello Scrappers! OH MY GOSH! I LOVE the Cricut Explore and the Design Space! I only did a few things today with it but I am amazed and inspired to do so much more. It comes with so much! This bundle came with the machine of course, a carrying case, Cricut mat, USB cord, Tools and more tools, Pen, Duck Tape sheets, Vinyl, white Iron On material, and a few pieces of card stock. Most of the sheets that you get are small but I think its just to start you out and let you experiment.

 I used the Vinyl that comes with the Cricut and put my name on the machine. Then when setting up my machine it asks if you would like to do a project to get an idea on how to use the machine so I clicked yes and made a 'Thank You' card. I just joined a Cricut Design Space group on Facebook and a lady did a sweatshirt using Iron On material. So I took the Iron On material they give you with the machine and decided to give it a try. I LOVED IT! So Thank you Debbi for posting the idea! I can't wait to make more shirts with

scrapbook sayings on them for me to wear or friends even. I already have plans to make some Garage Sale shirts for my mom, grandma and I. We go quite a bit during the summer to local garage sales and I think it would be cool to wear shirts that match. Then a girl at work asked if I could possible make her a shirt she could wear at her little girl's Pageants.

The Cricut Design Space is pretty simple to use and if I have any issues figuring out on how to do anything I just look up YouTube videos to help me along. Really simple to link your Cartridges to the machine and Design Space. The plus to doing that is that you wont need your cartridge again, its saved and your can access it when you log into your account. You can make any design your own just by changing the letters around, welding them together or stretching the images. When you want to create an image with multiple colors it gives you step by step instructions on when to load what paper when.

The cuts the Cricut Explore makes are so nicely done and so far I have not had any trouble at all with it tearing or not cutting through. I have only tried three
of the settings so far but look forward to trying all sorts of materials on this machine and seeing the difference. This machine will also do two things at once, write and cut, cut and score, etc since it has two different housing pieces. Great machine and I recommend it to anyone that is wanting to upgrade or someone that is just simply looking to buy a Cricut.

Video showing how the card was made.

I only have a few downfalls I see with the Cricut Explore which I am sure a lot of ladies will agree on and those are 1. You have to be on the Internet in order to use it 2. You cannot use linked Cartridges on this machine (correct me if I'm wrong). So unlike the other Cricut machines this one runs with your computer (laptop or Ipad even) only, you cannot run this on its own. The other Cricut machines you just plug in your cartridges and voila you decide what you want to cut.  But I see more positives with this machine than negatives.

It even has little compartments for your tools, blades and housing! How cute is that!?

Looking forward to using this machine and showing you ladies my creations and ideas! Have a splendid crafty time Scrappers!