Plaid to the Bone

Daa da da da daaaa ... from the day I was born... daa da da da da... I've loved Plaid and since the time I went to first my Gasparilla Day Parade (I think I was 5 so we're talking wayyyyyyy back), I've loved Pirates.

It's a pretty simple card. Two types of plaid paper, white cardstock for the shadow, black paper for the mat, the Hello Kitty Font cart and the Indie Art solutions cart for the Skull and Crossbones.

Gypsy File Sharing Update and a Note for Design Studio Users

It came to my attention that some files I thought I had previously shared, were in fact, not shared. I think I have it all straightened out now.

Just for the record, to cut these files as is, you'll need to have a Gypsy and the Provo Craft Cricut cartridges that were used in each file. If you have the full version of Cricut Design Studio (also known in the Cricut World as DS), you can convert all gypsy files into .cut files. As long as you have the carts, you can make the cuts unless the Gypsy carts were used. But if Gypsy files were used, you should be able to swap out similar designs. These files are free for personal use.

The Gravity Set file as it looks on the Gypsy. The carts used are Indie Art, Doodletype and George and Basic Shapes. The lettering on the larger image is reversed because I used it to cut a vinyl stencil for etching the bottom of a glass plate. See Christmas present for a Teenager for the original post.

Gypsy Files Finally Used in Actual Layouts! lol

The completed January layout for my 2010 Calendar Scrapbook (except for journaling). The mats are for journaling stories and a couple of photographs. The numbers and days of the week are all welded onto a calendar grid. The mats are cut by hand. The mitten string is from Calligraphy Collection, and everything else is from Designer's Calendar. I've made 3 files available for January. The whole enchilada layout including somethings that are just there for reference, like the border strips at the top and bottom of the page and the photo and journal mats, it's very important to separate the layers before you cut using this file or it will be one hot mess. The decorative layers separated out from each other. The January 2010 Calendar Grid is the third.

I also finished the Cute as a Button Layout (I posted the original cut and gypsy file in 2009). I'm really happy with the Layout. I have a picture of DD when she was tiny and I'm cropping it in a circle to go in the Cute as a Button mat. The buttons with glitter in them are from a 3 Birds Embellishment set. The brads holding down the vellum journal mat are shaped like tiny buttons. The cute as a button gypsy file is available here.

Unmounted Stamps Solution

After wrestling with cushioned unmounted stamp foam backing with "cling" for several years I found Mount-It Glue at Club Scrap for a little more than the cost of a single sheet of that other technique. You just brush it on and let it dry.

Club Scrap has a video demonstrating how to make a glue box. It's so easy to make one and all you need is a bottle of the Mount-It Glue and a never-had-pizza-in-it pizza box. Most pizza places will sell one to you for a low cost; some will even give you one.

You spread a little glue over the top and bottom of the inside of the pizza box and wait for it to turn transparent. Put the cut pieces of the unmounted stamps face down in the box. This holds them in place while you spread the glue on the back of the stamps.

When the glue is transparent, I like to check the edges and rub off any glue that is on the sides of the stamp. Then they are good to go. Best of all, no cutting through foam sheets that coat my scissors, even my teflon scissors, with goo and no dangerous encounters with scissors afterwards trying to clean off the foam sheet glue goo lol. If this was a black and white TV commercial, this is where I'd hold up the glue and say, "Mount-It, the Safety Stamp Mounting System" with one of those teeth sparkling smiles lol.

Time Flies Like the Wind, Fruit Flies Like Bananas

I made this card with nothing but a pre-made card and 4 stamps (from the Club Scrap's Fossils unmounted stamp sheet). I am easily amused, so the sentiment makes me giggle every time.

Adding that little extra to a stamped image.

At the risk of re-inventing the wheel, I'm tickled pink to realize I can add a little dimension to a stamped image without a lot of work. First I used the primary color of the stamp, then before I stamped it, I added a little black all around the edge with one of those tiny ink pads. I'm guessing I could also use a black marker and then get inside the stamp as well.

The nautilus is from Club Scrap's unmounted Fossils stamp sheet.

This is a 100% Club Scrap card. I used the Club Scrap Rosette overlay stencil, and a Happy Birthday stamp from  the Henna kit. the blue paper has a lovely linen texture.

A Bright Tiny Light Went Out Today

A tiny bright light went out today. Zeus the hamster died, apparently in his sleep. In his approximately 2 years on this earth, he escaped more than a few times. During a few of his adventures he climbed stairs, spent one night in a pack with one of the cats, and hid in a tube of wrapping paper fortified with lots and lots of wool and was missing for a few days more than once. He had a bright inquistive nature. His stillness leaves the house feeling a lot emptier than his size would suggest. I am immensely saddened.

Diggin' the Gnomies

I found this wonderful faux bois stamp from All Night Media at Michael's (40% off coupon) a few months ago and hadn't used it yet. The gnomes are from an acrylic set of garden stamps made by Hanna Stamps. My only complaint, I need more than one gnome type lol. A variety of sizes would be nice too. So I stamped three of them, started singing, "One of these Gnomes is not like the other" a la Sesame Street and colored the gnomes in with a box of pencils I bought at Michael's the same night as the stamp that were in the $1 bin.

Stampin' Up some Thanks

I started with a ready-made blank card, stamped a nearly invisible-on-the-scanner Eiffel Tower (Destinations cart) and then used 2 of the Stamps from "Bon Moments". The flowers are colored in with the watercolor crayons. Another lovely features of the Cricut Stamp Material is that it's thin enough to put on a piece of packaging cut to size and slip in the envelope with a card. Great extra gift for a crafter.

This one is for my Stampin' Up Demonstrator who has really gone above and beyond in terms of support. I was so new to all this I didn't know which side of the glue dispensing snail was up. This is actually the second card, the first one was lost somewhere after the last class was cancelled due to inclement weather. The upside is that I thought to include a stamp for her.

You know I don't feel good when...

I get five new cartridges, the first new cartridges I've gotten in over a month, and I barely have the energy to look through the handbooks. It's just so pitiful lol. It was a really really really really good sale though! Oh yes, finally, I am ... Batman (surely there is a tissue compartment in the utility belt!).

Colds Blow lol

I've had a wicked bug the last couple of days and all I've been able to make is a few Christmas cards from a kit and a card for DD I made from bits of my first Club Scrap kit, Jubilee. As promised, I did photograph my second pedestal card.

Joy from Holidays with the Cricut made a terrific pedestal card video.

The only good thing about being sick is that I've had a chance to do some reading. What does a papercrafter read when sick? Murder mysteries solved by crafters lol. I finished Cut, Crop and Die, and now I'm onto Eggs in Purgatory. Gotta love the library : ). Both of them include snippets of information like scrapbooking, recipes. And there's just nothing good that I can think of to do with alllllll these tissues lol. You know you are crafty when...

One of My Favorite Ornaments from 2009

I made this last fall from a K&Co ornament paper pad I bought a couple of years ago. I added red rhinestones I've had about 20 years and some pink ribbon that is almost that old and some brand new green stickles from a Stickles Christmas package. I love it when I don't have to go to the store in the middle of  a project : ). The polka dots were pre-glittered by the manufacturer.

The only instruction they give you in the paper pad is a picture of the end result. So it can be a bit of a brain tease if you haven't made any of these before lol.

The ornament is about 3 1/2 inches from pointy tip to pointy tip. The angel is closer to the camera, it's only about 1/2 inch high, and yes Baby Sister, it glows in the dark lol.

First Pedestal Card

I made my very first Pedestal Card today to include in a RAK (random act of kindness), it was tiny (only 4" x 4") and I added a lot of dimension to the base so it wouldn't slip. I forgot to take a picture lol. I embellished it with a tiny Eiffel Tower stamp. I know, you're shocked I would use the Eiffel Tower lol.

I had a great time making it though and I see a lot of these in my future. Those I'll try to remember to take pictures of before I package them up and mail them out.