Stitching on paper - my newest crafting technique.

Did I tell you that I just got a sewing machine?  I wanted one for the longest time - and having chance to use my mom's over the summer for my scrapbooking projects made me want it more.  I love the stitched look, and I love the fact that even though you don't have to do it perfectly.  It still makes your projects look good, and somehow, it adds warmth and the feel of "handmade" to them.

Anyway, I never realized how hard it is to use a sewing machine.  I never had that much trouble learning the Cricut or any of the software to go with it, I can operate my Big shot fine, I can seem to use my binding tools...  but, I can't seem to grasp the sewing machine too well.  For days, I had problems with stitches, being uneven, or too much/less tension...  and got my mom to take a look at it, and I had threaded it wrong!  Duh!  I got her to do the bobbin thing too for me, so don't ask me to change the color of the thread until this one is done.  Hahaha..

Nevertheless, I did get the stitching thing going, and made two Christmas "quilted" cards.  The stamps are from Technique Tuesday, and all I did was I adhered the small square pieces onto the card and sewed it on.  A card made in 5 minutes, and I love the look!

Hope that you had a great Thanksgiving, and Black Friday shopping! 
I splurged on the Craftysteals Black Friday sale and got the Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Starter pack.  Sooo excited!  Not to mention 6 packs of paper, ATG gun (finally) and 2 Cricut carts (sorry, SVGCuts - it was too good of a deal and was calling out my name)! 
Now it's your turn - tell me what you bought!

Super busy season has hit our household!

There's a little over a month left till Christmas and life has become all of a sudden extremely busy.  Christmas shopping, christmas card making, inviting company over, baking yummy cookies (okay, haven't done this yet, but hope to very soon :))  and I am going to apologize to you in advance, but you will probably be seeing less of me for the next few weeks :(  and that is sad, cause I really care about all my friends I've met through this, and love catching up with you.  However, I realize from time to time that I'm actually a wife, and a mom, and there's laundry to be done, meals to be made, putting down kids to sleep, cleaning the house to get ready for inviting guests over...  don't get me wrong - I love staying home and being the person that I am - but I'm sure that you can all relate - crafting is soo much more fun.  My husband makes fun of me for talking about Michaels sales, my friend's blog posts, new SVGCuts collections, stuff I've made today...he tells me that this crafting business is taking over my life and I need to stop before it gets out of control :)

Anyway, a really quick card I made today with cool holly garland that I found at some random craft shop.
I embossed the red cardstock with candy cane stripe embossing folder and used Technique Tuesday stamp for the sentiment.

We've also been busy helping my son's project for school - make an instrument from items you find in the house.   We waffled on making a guitar, or a xylophone, or even something simple like maracas - we decided in the end to make a set of steel drums.  This may sound easy, but it was tough finding different sized containers to make sounds from "do" to "do".  After banging on these containers for hours (I had about 30 containers sitting around me), we've finally managed to find ones that seemed to work.  I taught him how to play "twinkle, twinkle, little star" and we also decorated the drum set.  We used the stick figure people from SVGCuts collections (Stick Figure Families SVG collection and Stick Figure Sports and Activities SVG Collection) to embellish the drums.  In the end, we were very proud of ourselves.

  

SVGCuts - 3 NEW Collections today!!!

There was quite the excitement over at SVGCuts today.  There were 3 (that's right - you heard three!) NEW collections that got released - all at the same time.  You've got to take a look at them!

The first is the Shaped Christmas Cards SVG Collection, and I had the opportunity to create some cards with them before they were released! Aren't they cute!  It was super easy, everything is there - all you need to do is to cut it, and embellish as you like.  I've taken the ribbons, mistletoe leaves, wreath leaves and curled it with my fingers to add dimension, and used embossing folders where I could.  Hope that you like it!

The second is Rockin Around the Christmas Tree SVG Collection - and it's just full of super cute vintage Christmas cut files.  A must have!

The third one is the cutest SVG kit that I have ever seen - Santa's Train SVG Kit -  you've got to check it out! My son would love these!  I've gotta get busy!

This is also a FREE GIFT of the week, so spend $9.98 or more before next Tuesday, and this adorable train is all yours!!!

Welcome little girl!

One of our good friends just gave birth to girl #2, and I put together a card (without Cricut!).  It's almost so impossible now to create a card without using a cutout of any sort, but I've got way too much embellishments and felt like I need to make something out of these before my husband looks at it and tells me that I just buy but haven't seen me use this stuff. 

I used the triangle chipboard from American Crafts to make a banner, and used stamp for "girl" and the sentiments.  I used prima flowers, ribbons and cotton lace.  I don't think I've even put a dent in my collection, but I can say that I HAVE USED IT with confidence!

Here's the card:

   

I just taught myself how to create an edge effect!

This probably is something so basic to some of you, but hearing Adobe used to make me scared.  It seems so complicated.  However, I've realized that creating some effect to the photo can actually make the project look even better, and who wouldn't want that?

I installed Adobe Photoshop and all the other Adobe stuff to go with it (took me over an hour to install everything!) and my first thing I wanted to learn was to create this blurred brush effect.  I found a tutorial site, and think I've got this technique down!

I'm so proud, and don't you think that this photo looks better than a plain photograph?

My final entry for the World Card Making Day Card contest - and my 100th blog post!

Here is my third and final submission for the card contest - it's a "grateful" thank you card.

I used the Cupcake Icing paper pack from Lettering Delights, and printed them onto the vellum paper.  These cupcakes match exactly to the files in the Sweet Treats Cricut Cartridge, so I cut out a cupcake as the focus of this card.  The base of this card was from SVGCuts scalloped corner free file, which I took two and flipped and welded to make a card.  I used eyelets, ribbons and twine, buttons, Martha Stewart doily punch, and I-rock (mirror glam rocks) to embellish the card.

I was quite happy with how my 3 cards turned out - and I wonder who will be receiving my cards (all cards are donated to Operation Write Home) and I hope that they like them.  As for me, I can't wait to see all the winning cards (published in March/April issue of Papercrafts Magazine) and I'll for sure be giving another shot at this contest next year :)

I just noticed that today marks my 100th blog post!  I started mid-May, so that's not too shabby!   I hope that I can keep this up, but come Christmas time - I'll be busy making my Christmas cards (I make about 100 of them - if any of you are interested, I have posted up my past 5 years of our card making in the Christmas in July blog posts (see July)) - so I'll try my best, but may not get in as many posts at this joyful season :)

SVGCuts project - A Miniature Christmas Tree.

I know that I'm a little early, but I just love this season.  I love everything about it - spending time with family, sharing the spirit, eating yummy food, sending out handmade cards (yes, I actually do like doing this - although it IS very STRESSFUL!), giving gifts, seeing all the lights and decorations in the stores, listening to Christmas songs...  So, I decided that I may as well enjoy it by starting it early for me :)

Here is my next project for SVGCuts.  It is my miniature Christmas tree, inspired by our tree at home.  These are the same color schemes for our tree this year, and can't wait to put up the real thing.  For the time being, this is sitting by my desk, so at least, in my mind, Christmas time has begun :) 

I took 6 same trees, scored a vertical line through it, folded it, and glued the sides together to make a 3D tree.  I used their SVGs to decorate the tree and make cute little presents.

To make the tree, here's are the collections used:

1. Comet's Candy Land SVG Collection
2. Clara's Christmas Strips SVG Collection
3. Christmas in the Village SVG Collection
4. Dawn's Doilies SVG Collection
5. Betty's Bags and Boxes II SVG Kit

... and if you are looking to get an info on the file sizes and instructions, feel free to message me!

Thanks for looking!

My second entry for the World Card Making Day Card Contest.

It's just amazing how fast a couple of days passes.  It's my intention to post something every second days, but lately I'm lucky if I post something twice a week.  Sorry :(  I sometimes do wonder if I was ever crazy to start blogging with three kids running around, but at the same time, blogging has helped me stay sane.  (As I type this, my little girl is pushing the control button, moving the curser around...) 

Anyway, here's my second card that I submitted in for the World Card Making Day Card Contest.  (In case you are wondering, the winner announcement date has passed and I am not the lucky winner, so I'm posting this)  Here - on this Thinking of you card, I took the branches cut from the Storybook cartridge (I cut two of the same ones, cut the leaves off of one, inked it with white stamp and adhered with foam dots on the other branch).  I also used distressed strips embossing folder, sprayed it with tattered leather Tattered Angels glimmer mist, and sewed around the edges.  I accented it with a ribbon, buttons and twine.

Okay, all right - I face it - I'm not the winner...

So - today was the announcement day for the winners of World Card Making Day contest winners.  Yes, it could've been the life changing experience for me, as I'm sure it was probably one of the most exciting things that could've ever happened to 20 people today.  There were 5 categories, and 4 winners were chosen for each category.  The prize package was a crafter's dream - worth $600 dollars!  Anyway, I didn't get any E- mail from them, so I guess that I wasn't chosen...so, if one of you that is reading my blog and is the winner - congrats to you! and I look forward to seeing wonderful creations in the March/April issue of Paper Crafts magazine, and for me, there's always next year.  This was for a good cause - all the entries not chosen for this contest (there were over 1600 entries!), they were shipped out to the troops via Operation Write Home. 

I submitted 3 cards, and I'll share one with you today - it's a Peek-a-Boo Snowman card for the "christmas" category.  I used the two SVGCuts card collections together again - Breezy Backyard Lever card collection and Premium Pop-Up cards collection.  I used glitter paper, and silver dot stickers to add pizazz to the card.  Hope you like it!

I also hope that you all had a great Hallowe'en.  I thought that I'd share pics of my kids - they had such a blast and for Calgary (we are known to have cold weather), it was a very balmy evening.  Couldn't ask for more!