Notes from the Scrapbooklady

Another food post - homemade granola bars!

2012-01-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

Today I decided to attempt to make homemade granola bars - in an effort to make something that does not contain sugar alcohols and various chemicals.

I've seen many recipes on-line for granola bars but the one that most interested me was one for chewy granola bars - (like the Quaker brand ones). Here's the link to the blog where I found the recipe: http://backtothecuttingboard.com/dessert/no-bake-chewy-granola-bars/

I'm obviously not a food blogger but thought I would share pics of the bars I made - they look almost like bars you would buy! I made 3 batches but only photographed two of them. The first batch I made used some purchased Raspberry Vanilla flavored granola. I simply used 2 cups of that, 1 cup of rice krispies, and the brown sugar, butter, honey syrup. They turned out great so I was encouraged to go one step further - I made my own granola for the next two batches. I used the recipe from the link above. Once the granola was finished, I made a batch of s'more bars - following the directions exactly.

The last batch I made was a peanut butter bar with peanut butter and chocolate chips. To create this bar, I wanted to add peanut butter to the peanut butter/chocolate recipe on the blog listed above. I made the following modifications and it seemed to work out perfect: increase the brown sugar to 3/8 cup and once the syrup has cooked for the 2 minutes, stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter.

All 3 flavors are YUMMY and a hit with the family. Going to check out the granola selection at Earth Fare next time I go in - see what other flavors I can create!

Let me know if you try this recipe - I was so excited at how they turned out.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T10:10:00.000-06:00

First, an apology for being a bad blogger. It's been a typical holiday season for me - custom framing gets a bit crazy during the holiday season and entails lots of long hours and abnormal shifts. Once that kicks in, I have a hard time just getting through the days and doing the things that have to be done - so the blog suffers yet again.

On a totally unrelated note, I took the tree down this morning. And, spent a couple of hours photographing and inventorying all of the ornaments. I typed the inventory sheets into spreadsheets on google docs and will be uploading my photos to an online storage site. After the 2011 tornados that barely missed us, I have thought quite a bit about the fact that we have no detailed list of our belongings. And, a list won't do you much good if it is blown away by a tornado, burnt by a fire, etc - so online storage of the list and photo documentation seems a good way to go.

Of course, a couple of boxes of Christmas stuff is only a tiny drop in the bucket, but there's a reason I started there. This year, when we went to put up the tree, Harvey went to the attic and brought down a tree and ornaments - but not the ones I wanted. See, we have two trees and two completely different sets of ornaments. One tree is huge and the ornaments that go on it are ones we have collected in our 30+ years of married life together - we call it the MEMORY tree. The other tree is one of the slim trees and the ornaments that decorate it are color themed to coordinate with our home. To make a long story short - Harvey spent an hour going through every storage container in the attic TWICE to find the box I was looking for. I vowed then and there that I would get the stuff up there sorted and inventoried, labeled with numbers that correspond to inventory spreadsheets. Next year I can just tell him which box numbers to bring down.

So, 2 boxes of ornaments and one tree down - the rest is going to wait until we have a nice day and Harvey can bring it all down to the garage.

My questions today are - how many of you have a COMPLETE household inventory? What format have you used - written lists, computer software, online storage, photos? And, how thorough have you been - do you itemize book and movie titles, etc? Or just count 30 paperbacks, 20 dvds, etc?

And, last but not least, have you inventoried your craft room? (I don't want to know how much money sits in this room, LOL)

Off Topic - Cooking is another of favorite activities

2011-11-12T13:22:00.001-06:00

Due to our varied schedules, I've been doing a lot of cook-ahead things for the freezer. One of our favorites so far is a recipe I found at Taste of Home for Bacon Cheeseburger Buns:

Today, I used the yeast dough portion of this recipe and made them into pizza style rolls - I just combined a can of pizza sauce, one pound of mozzarella cheese, diced ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers for the filling. After baking, I brushed the rolls with butter and sprinkled with some parmesan cheese. YUM!

Since I was doing the whole waiting on the dough to rise thing, I decided I would also try out a recipe that Melissa found for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls - these are outstanding!

I've made a lot of soups and meals for the freezer - if anyone is interested, check out the blog: Once A Month Mom. There are some awesome recipes and they all include instructions for make ahead cooking. As we try some of them, I'll share results if anyone is interested.

That's it for today - closing tonight so have to head to work now.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

My favorite crafty things!

2011-11-12T07:33:00.000-06:00

I am working on cleaning my disaster of a scrapbook area this morning and as I was putting things back in their proper places - I noticed that I keep my FAVORITE crafty items right next to me. I'm sure you can guess what they are:

Black Cat Lynx! (if you are wondering about the tape on the Lynx - that is the mark to align my Cricut mat against for perfect positioning.)
SVGCUTS Binder containing .pdf printouts of all the kits and collections I own - for easy reference!
Scotch Spray Mount .- the absolute best solution I've found for keeping my mats sticky!
Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive - the best glue I've ever used for paper crafting!

Here's a picture of the inside of my svgcuts binder - I printed all of the .pdf sheets 2 to a page and then used the half size sheet protectors. The binder is my old stamp binder that I outgrew. I now store my stamps in a file box.

These 4 items are ones that I use every single time I sit down at my scrapping desk. What about you - what are your favorite crafty items?

Thanks for stopping by!

Epilepsy Awareness Blog Hop

2011-11-10T23:44:00.003-06:00

Thank you for joining for our Epilepsy Awareness Blog Hop. You will see great projects and read about some of our personal experiences. There will also be blog candy along the way, so be sure to visit all the stops.

Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces different types of seizures. It affects 50 million people worldwide. If you would like to read more information about Epilepsy you can go to the Epilepsy foundation online at : http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/

Neither I or any of my immediate family members suffer from epilepsy. When my oldest daughter was younger she was evaluated for some seizures she experienced but they did not turn out to be epilepsy. My husband's step-mother has a nephew who has epilepsy and as a result, I've tried to become more active in promoting awareness. I have spent quite a bit of time reading on-line about the disease and I made that the focus of my layout for this blog hop - sites to visit and tidbits of info about events to raise awareness.

I apologize in advance for the quality of this layout - my paper trimmer desperately needs a new blade and I could not get a straight cut no matter how I tried. (On a side note - anyone have a recommendation for a new trimmer? Can't find blades for mine anymore - it's an OLD model.) If you want to read the captions and such - you should be able to click and enlarge the image.

Please begin this hop at Holley's blog: http://www.holleybarnhartsblog.com/

Holley- http://holleybarnhartsblog.blogspot.com/(start hop here)

Ashley - http://www.especiallymade.blogspot.com/

Jessica- http://www.canyoupixelthis.com/

Lora - http://scrpbooklady.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE HERE

Michelle- http://www.craftychelle.blogspot.com/

Rexann- http://ibecircled.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/

Zenita- http://www.scrappinwithz.blogspot.com/

Sher- http://www.patternsbysher.blogspot.com/ (end of hop)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Costume . . . Check

2011-10-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

I was motivated to make myself a costume this year in order to participate in the dress-up activities at work. If you aren't aware, I work at Michaels Arts & Crafts......so here is my costume:

I may feel silly wearing it - but I think it turned out kinda cool!

Can anyone help?????

2011-10-28T07:37:00.000-05:00

Okay my crafty friends - I'm wondering if someone might be able to help me out? To complete my costume, I need some information off of a bottle of BURGUNDY Craft Smart acrylic from Michaels. We are out at work so I can't get the info I need.

What I am looking for is the paint names at the top - it's in English/French/Spanish. I tried a translator but it didn't work for the orange that I have on hand so don't want to trust it for Burgundy. If anyone has this color of craft smart, could you post the french and spanish names for me?

Thanks!!!!!

Halloween Treats were a Hit!

2011-10-27T23:05:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share this picture with everyone - this is Natalie dressed for her preschool Halloween party, showing off the treats Grandma made for her class. Jennifer said she had a lot of fun passing them out!

A couple of Halloween Cards

2011-10-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Getting ready to ship the grandkids their Halloween box so I finished up their cards this morning - these are from the Haunted Hemlock Cards set at svgcuts.com!

For Daniel, the Moody Maple Avenue Card - I used glitter glue from the Michaels dollar bin on the moon, inked edges and used a ball point pen on the reverse side of the tree to give it a little texture. Tree and ghost are mounted with foam dots. Paper for the envelope is from K&Co.

Natalie's card is the Elegant Witches Hat - I used some glitter cardstock for the hat band, embossed the brim and flowers with the cuttlebug, added a couple of buttons and some rhinestone stars. Patterned paper for the envelope is K&Co.

Time to get ready for work. Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a great weekend!

Preschool Halloween Goodies

2011-10-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

Living so far from my grandkids is especially hard when it comes to certain times of the year - Easter, Halloween, Christmas, their birthdays, etc. This year, I was sad to miss Natalie's first day of school - so to be part of it, I made her a "first day of school" card and sent it to her.

Her first school party is coming up - Halloween! I asked if it was okay for Grandma to send something for the party and they told Jennifer that anything was welcome. I played around with some different ideas, but I decided that since they had to be shipped that some of the cuter, shaped type of containers wouldn't ship as well as the basic "cracker" style tube.

Remembering that I had the free svg from svgcuts (12.01.09), I cut a bunch of them with various Halloween papers form K&Co., filled them and tied them with some ribbons. I cut a few different shapes to embellish the tubes - embossed, inked and embellished them .....and voila.....20 treats ready to mail.

Been waiting all summer to take this pic!

2011-10-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

This ramshackle barn sits a couple of miles down the road from where I live. Ever since I've lived here in the middle of cotton country, I've envisioned a photo of this barn surrounded by the white fields of cotton. This is the first year since we've lived here that they actually planted cotton near the barn so I have been waiting all year for the perfect moment.

This morning, on my way to work, I noticed the fields were perfect - but I didn't have my DSLR. I snapped this photo sitting in my car right smack in the middle of the road - I promise, I was watching both ways for traffic but on Sunday morning, it was pretty deserted.

I took the photo in color, cropped it and converted it to black and white - and only then did I notice the hawk on the peak of the barn!

Check out this Breast Cancer Awareness activity!

2011-10-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

My daughter lives in Fort Wayne, IN and she shared this on facebook - since I've been involved in the LUFP blog hop I thought it would be a neat thing to share here:

Bras Across the Bridge

Here's the link to the website with the story: WMEE

Epilepsy Awareness Blog Hop

2011-10-08T22:42:00.001-05:00

Sherry Brown, from Patterns by Sher, is hosting an Epilepsy Awareness Blog Hop on November 11 and I am excited to be able to participate.

I've posted before about the Think Purple Store run by nieces of my step-mom-in-law - a shop they've set up to sell hand made purple items with proceeds going to cureepilepsy.org.

This blog hop is another chance for me to help champion epilepsy awareness - and maybe even send a few more customers to ThinkPurplE Becky and Sammy even have a "stories" page where you can share your epilepsy story - diagnosis, treatment, etc.

I've got a couple of projects in mind for this hop - of course, you'll have to stop back November 11 to see what I come up with! See you then!!!

Lora

Race for the Cure .... another LUFP entry

2011-10-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

Many areas sponsor a Race for the Cure as part of October's Breast Cancer Awareness activities. I decided to adapt one of my earlier runner's cards into a "race for the cure" card. This would be a great card for someone who is participating in one of these events.

Background and border cut are some shimmery specialty papers I bought at HL a few years ago. The runner is one of my own files cut from a scrap of pink cardstock. The ribbon, race, and cure are files traced from the official race for the cure logo. I mounted those items on a piece of clear vinyl packaging, added a couple of rhinestones for accent and mounted the whole piece using scrap pieces from my foam dots. This card didn't photograph very well - I think due to the shimmer of the paper and the monochromatic color scheme - it's really much prettier in person.

I'm off to go look at some of the other great projects from LUFP - thanks for stopping by to see my entry!

Link Up For Pink Entry

2011-10-04T22:40:00.001-05:00

Well, it's taken me a few days - had to wait for a day off - but I've finally completed my LUFP project.

I created a paper lantern using the following:

SVGCUTS.com - Crisp Days of Fall - I used the extra lantern that did not have the leaf pattern.
SVGCUTS.com - Supporter Ribbon - free file from 4/5/2010

and the digital papers - the pink diamond pattern and the pink butterfly (sorry you can only see a corner of this paper in the closeup) are freebies from Yolie's blog - Just Yolie.

I cut the lantern and supporter ribbons in pink cardstock, cut the vellum panes from a rose patterned vellum I've had in my stash for close to 10 years and then just added some ric-rac trim, a couple of large pink rhinestones, a sheer bow and a purchased butterfly accent.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look at my LUFP project - be sure to check out some of the fabulous entries linked on Yolie, Gaby and Celeste's blogs - you will be inspired!

2011-09-30T10:31:00.000-05:00

A little late - but going to try to put together a project for the Link Up For Pink event sponsored by Celeste, Yolie & Gaby.

This is a great cause - check out the details and the great giveaways at Touched By A Butterfly.

Then, check back in a day or two to see what I come up with!

We Will Never Forget

2011-09-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

In announcing my challenge a couple of weeks ago, I planned to share a few of the entries here this morning - but I did not receive a single completed project to share.

I did receive one email from Jeanette - she shared the following:

A couple of years ago we took our granddaughter to NYC to visit relatives. While there we took the subway down to the ground zero sight. Olivia was just a very little girl on 9/11/01 but we were able to tell her the story and show her the site as a teenager. It was a very moving prayerful experience.
I found an image on a woodworking yard art site and created an scut file to use on the scrapbook page of our visit, unfortunately I still don't have the page done. But I have retired now so I hope it will be soon.

The file that Jeanette shared with me was created from this picture that she found on a woodworking craft site:

The only other completed project that I can share with you this morning, is the t-shirt that my daughter made by creating an iron-on transfer of the file that I created. She made and wore this shirt for the 5K Defender's Dash that she ran yesterday (she set a personal record and came in first in her age category - you can see more on her blog, Running For My Life).

My personal thoughts on this day of remembrance:

I will always remember exactly when I first heard of the attack - before anyone realized that it was an attack. I was sitting in my doctor's waiting room when the receptionist stood up and announced that a small plane had just flown into the side of the World Trade Center. By the time I came out of the doctor's appointment, the second plane had struck and our world had changed. I still had not seen any images but as I drove towards work, I was listening to the news on the radio. I stopped at home to turn on the television and like most Americans, sat there staring at the horrific destruction. I called my oldest daughter and woke her to announce that "America is under attack". Then, because of the uncertainty of the day, I called my youngest daughter who was away at college in Michigan. She was at class so I just told her room-mate to tell Jenn that we were safe. I watched as the attack on the Pentagon was reported and then as reports of the crash of Flight 93 came in. I watched in disbelief as the first tower fell.

I went to work after the first tower fell - I worked as an admin at a large call center where we provided customer service for AT&T. The management team had brought out the large screen television and set it up in our command center so that everyone could remain aware of what was going on. Many of the reps were fielding calls from family members frantic to reach their loved ones in NY.

America UNITED and there were great displays of patriotism throughout our country following the events of 9/11/01 - not unexpected but absolutely amazing to witness.

The American Flag pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center - proudly carried and displayed at the opening ceremony.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.

While I was searching for pictures of the American flag, I came across a blog post that sums up exactly how i feel today:

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn’t take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

This blog post was a call to action for the 8th anniversary of 9/11 - trying to get all Americans to fly the flag on that day. You can read the full blog post here: Life is Like a Box of Chocolates.

If you read through this entire post (sorry I rambled and got wordy) - thank you for stopping by today.

Lora

First Experience with Heat Transfer Vinyl

2011-09-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

I admit it, I'm a little behind on trying heat transfer vinyl. I've been meaning to buy some for a while now to make shirts for work but I kept putting it off.

If you follow my blog, you know my youngest daughter, Jennifer has been on a weight loss journey and as a part of her exercise routine, she took up running. On September 24, she will run her first half-marathon and the family will be there to show our support. She always makes herself some sort of motivational shirt for her races so I decided to design a "Team Jennifer" shirt for all of us to wear that day.

I designed and printed the round badge type logo onto a dark t-shirt transfer and ironed it on. Then cut the letters using Siser Easy Weed Stretch vinyl. We chose that type because it is recommended for use on athletic apparel so Jenn can also use it to make her shirts. It cuts beautifully and is truly "easy weed".

What do you think?

Do you need to make Grandparents Day Cards?

2011-09-03T07:58:00.001-05:00

Grandparents day falls on 9/11/11 so it's not too late to make a card or two. If you are making cards, perhaps this greeting will be helpful.

Simply click on the image to download this FREE .svg file.

Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog. Comments are greatly appreciated - and remember, if you use my files, I'd love pictures of your projects to share on my blog!

Lora

Don't Miss Out on this Deal!

2011-08-31T16:57:00.000-05:00

It's no secret - I'm a HUGE fan of SVGCUTS.com! I just have to share with all of you - their last 25% off sale for this year started today. That's right - you can buy as many files as you want, and save 25% off. You can even shop multiple times and reuse the coupon code. The coupon code is good until Monday, Sept. 5, 2011.

I have to grab my notebook and go through the store to see what I want to get this time around.

If you want to join me in saving 25% off of your purchase, just click on the coupon image below and it will take you to the store!

Announcing: Notes from the Scrapbooklady Challenge #1

2011-08-27T11:50:00.001-05:00

Earlier this morning, I posted my 9/11 memorial file that I created to make a window cling for my car. 9/11 is a date that I am sure is forever in all our hearts and minds. This year will mark 10 years since that horrific day. What are you, your family or your community doing to mark this date?

My challenge is this: share some type of paper craft memory or tribute to 9/11 - a card, scrapbook page, window decoration, etc. (and, NO, you do not have to use the memorial file). It does not even have to be a new project - if you created something 10 years ago, feel free to enter that as well. Please - ONLY ONE project per person. 1-3 projects will be selected to prominently feature on my blog as a memorial tribute on 9/11/11.

To enter your project, please email the following:

photo of your memorial paper craft project
a short personal reflection on 9/11 (will be published below your project if selected for the 9/11 post)
source credit for any digital or .svg files used
your name and blog address (if applicable)

EMAIL

In order to be considered for my 9/11 blog tribute, entries must be received NLT midnight CDT 09/09/11.

I will upload all entries to a Photobucket album as they are received and you will be able to see them in the slideshow that I have set up below:

I look forward to seeing all of your touching tributes.

New SVGs

2011-08-27T06:34:00.001-05:00

Here are the latest svgs that I have created - all have been uploaded to my mediafire account and are available for free download - you can click on the picture to download a particular file or go to the SVG tab of my blog to access all available files.. Comments are greatly appreciated - and remember, if you use any of the svgs that I have shared, I'd love to see your work and feature it on my blog!

The silhouettes and Happy Birthday files below are the add-ons I used to make the birthday train card for my grandson - I used these in conjunction with the Santa Train from svgcuts.com.

And the files below are to create the runner cards that I am doing for my daughter - I don't know how many of you might have a use for these - but sharing just in case. (ETA: the "are better off in" and "st. louis 10.23.11" are text and will not cut - these are meant to be printed onto the cardstock. I normally print it onto a piece of white paper and then position the cut piece over top using temporary adhesive and run it through the printer again. I haven't gotten brave enough to try calibrating my Lynx for PNC yet.)

Supporting Epilepsy Research

2011-08-26T07:57:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I was contacted by my husband's step-mom to help her nieces. They were working to launch a store that they will stock with handmade "think purple" items with all proceeds going to benefit Epilepsy Research. Becky's son Eli has epilepsy and they want to do what they can to help raise money for research. The girls had a design idea and asked me to execute it in the form of a svg file that they could use to create products and also as a digital image for their store logo.

They have launched their website and are beginning to stock their store - currently they have handmade soaps but I know that there are many other products in the works and they will be added soon.

If you would like to check it out and support this very worthwhile cause, please visit them at: ThinkPurplE

Are you Ready for some Football?

2011-08-26T06:59:00.000-05:00

Mary over at svgcuts.com has created the cutest football/cheerleader collection - if only I had something to use these for. My girls are grown and the grandkids aren't old enough yet. We are big football fans though so may have to buy this one just to have on hand.

Remember, it's a free gift this week if you purchase $9.98 or more in other kits (and I never have a problem finding collections to purchase at svgcuts.com). Click the picture below to purchase:

I am off work today and plan to try to do some crafting - let's see if I can get anything done!

Pondering the future of this blog......

2011-08-25T20:22:00.001-05:00

Not sure what to do with my blog at this point - as much as I enjoy creating new files, etc.....the internet is full of such sites, many much more established than mine. Notes from the Scrapbooklady is just a little fish in a great big ocean. I don't have any corporate connections or sponsors so I can't offer great giveaways like some other blogs are able to do.

So, with these thoughts in my head, I am wondering what, if anything, I should add or change. I am turning to the people who matter most in this matter - you, the reader. Please leave me comments if you have any thoughts on the matter - positive and/or constructive comments are most appreciated.

Thanks,

Lora

I got my free gift!

2011-08-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

I stayed up late last night and was still awake when Leo posted this sneak preview of the new kit at svgcuts.com:

I absolutely LOVE this and bought it as soon as I got up this morning - I have so many ideas on ways to use the elements in this kit. I wish I didn't have to work today so I could get started - but better go work so I can afford to buy some more paper - I'm burning through a lot of paper since I got my new Black Cat Lynx!

If you watched the video and would like to own this wonderful kit - click on the picture below! The kit is a bargain at $6.99 - but if you spend $9.98 on other kits you can get this kit free!

Have a wonderful day!

A special project.....

2011-08-18T22:02:00.001-05:00

.....I'm working on creating several different cards that are suitable for ...... runners. As I've mentioned, my daughter has taken up running and I believe is seriously addicted. She was mentioning that she would like to get some cards to give to her runner friends before races - a good luck, support type of thing.

The crafter in me decided I could probably come up with something. I did some browsing on sites with runner's gear just to get ideas for slogans and such and today I started playing. I've made a couple of different designs so far and have ideas for several more.

I wish the glitter cardstock photographed better because I really LOVE how the card on the right turned out. The rust colored one is not bad - but I realized I should have made the printed text a little larger/bolder.

The next two are the same except for the distance plaque in the middle - I did one for half-marathons and one for marathons.

It's almost Friday - hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

ETA: One more for the night - had some ink on my fingers that transferred to the cardstock around the word "running" but other than that, I really like this one too! The ink is platinum dew drops even though it looks almost white in this picture.

Birthday Train

2011-08-16T12:12:00.002-05:00

I mentioned a week or so ago about making my grandson a birthday train for his party - well, I made it last Thursday night after work so that my husband could deliver it on Friday when he went north to visit his family. I didn't take any pictures as it was after midnight when I finished it.

I decided I also wanted to make him a train themed card. I played around with a few different files and ended up going back to the Santa's Train svg kit from svgcuts.com. I made some modifications to the file to create a tri-fold card. I also changed the wheels so that they were just circular instead of the peppermint candy shapes. I did profile cuts of kids for the window inserts - I even included a profile of my granddaughter with her pigtails. And, of course, Daniel is the engineer in his cap! As this card is for a 2 year old, I used only one 3D embellishment - a button. I also created the Happy Birthday cut to fit on the engine. The one thing you can't see very well in this picture is how dimensional it is - all of the wheels are raised, some of the trim pieces, and all of the train components themselves are raised from the background - lots of Zots and foam strips used on this.

Not sure yet if I will do any type of greeting or just sign the back and call it good.

What do you think?

This card is just another example of how versatile the kits from svgcuts are. You can click on the Santa's Train image below to get your own kit from svgcuts.com:

Before I go, just want to let everyone know that there is a family medical situation that could result in my absence for a while - I will try to post and let everyone know but if you don't see or hear from me, please keep my family in your prayers.

First Day of School Card

2011-08-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter starts preschool in a couple of weeks and I thought this card would be perfect for her:

I made this using the School Days Kit from svgcuts.com - click on the picture below to buy yours!

Revised File

2011-08-14T07:50:00.001-05:00

I've been playing around with the 9-11 cut file that I created yesterday and I finally was able to get the bottom text right side up - no time to cut it right now as I have to get ready for work - but here is the image from Inkscape:

Looks better, don't you think?

We Will Never Forget

2011-08-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

We have a window decal at work for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I liked the basic idea of it, but I did not like that they made all of this merchandise as 9.11.11 - seems to me that it should still read 9.11.01 - that is the date we need to remember. So, I took the idea and changed it up to make a file I can cut as a window cling. I don't have any white vinyl so I did a test cut on paper and it cut beautifully.

What do you think? Would you be interested in this file?

Have a great weekend everyone!

FUN?????

2011-08-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

As you may know, my daughter, Jennifer, has been on an incredible weight loss journey. She started running after Christmas last year and is now training to run her first half-marathon next month. Today she did something a little different - "just for fun" - the Warrior Dash. Here's her before and after pics:

The Warrior Dash is a 5K trail run complete with several military style obstacles. I'm not sure this would be my idea of fun but when she called she sounded like she really had fun with it!

Congratulations Jennifer - you are an inspiration to us all!

Bakers Twine......

2011-08-12T11:52:00.003-05:00

I know baker's twine is currently all the rage among paper crafters - but I'm kinda cheap when it comes to things like that. So, I did some google searches trying to find some for a good price. How does "free" sound? You can use things you probably have in your craft stash to make a reasonable substitute. Just think - you don't have to buy a bunch of yardage of any one color and you can make colors to match your projects.

To make your own "baker's twine" you will need crochet cotton, permanent markers, and something to wrap the string around. Here's the video slide show I found on youtube with instructions.

I made a couple of yards of six different colors and it only took a few minutes. I love saving $$$ this way! Here's a picture of four of the colors I made:

I'm off work today and the hubby is gone to visit his family in northern Michigan - so I am playing in my craft room. I am getting ready to start on a project using Mary's newest kit from svgcuts.com - the School Days SVG Kit! Click the photo below to buy yours! This is the free gift this week with a purchase of $9.98 or more.

Please share what type of crafty fun you have planned for today or this weekend!

Any Alabama Fans out there?

2011-08-12T09:28:00.002-05:00

I may live in Alabama, but I was not born and raised here. I consider myself a native Michigander (even though I was actually born in WA) but I've lived the nomadic lifestyle of a military family member. I support Michigan football - but after living in AL for 5 years, I think I've caught the spirit of the Crimson Tide!

I've been wanting to cut houndstooth for awhile but didn't have the patience to even try with my E - it just wasn't precise enough. This morning, me and the Lynx had a chance to play and I've been able to successfully cut this:

I cut the houndstooth at 4.75" and it cut beautifully - you just have to be VERY careful when removing it from the mat so that you don't break any of the connections. (WooHoo-found some black cardstock so I cut the file and posted the resulting cut instead of the .png file from Inkscape.)

I've also been working on a collection of hardware type components off and on for a couple of months - I finally took the time to finish and compile everything so that I can share these files:

If you are interested in any of these files, you can download them from my mediafire account - see the SVGs tab of my blog. (Edited: I apologize, I uploaded the files to the wrong folder on mediafire and they were not showing as available-OOPS! I've fixed it now!)

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you all a safe and crafty weekend!

Next batch of svgs added

2011-08-11T02:15:00.001-05:00

Most of these are files I made when I was creating a wedding album - and the music notes and guitar are from my Garth Brooks concert layout.

SVGs added

2011-08-10T21:55:00.001-05:00

The following six files have been added to my mediafire account and are available for free download. As I upload files, I will post a notice here on the main page.

SVG Page Updated

2011-08-10T08:47:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone is having a good morning/day so far! I have been up and busy since 5:30 - trying to get a few things done before I have to get ready for work. I had grand plans yesterday to get everything done but I got sucked in by the television - I turned it on to watch the news and then just kept watching. Obviously I didn't get the train finished last night - have the engine done but still have to do the passenger car and caboose.

However, I did manage to set up a new avenue for sharing svg files. I tried repeatedly to get the embed folder option to work with 4shared and no matter what I did with the security settings, unless I personally logged into my account, nothing was visible. I established a new account at MediaFire and the security settings are much simpler. Unfortunately, unless I upgrade to a pro account, I am unable to embed the folder into my blog. Instead, I added the link on the SVG tab of my blog - if you click on the link it will take you to my public folder on MediaFire and you will be able to download any files that I share there. No password needed.

Obviously, it is going to take me sometime to review and edit all of my svg files but I will try to add a few more each day. If anyone needs something specific, let me know and if I have it, I will make it a priority to get it reviewed and uploaded.

Going to get off of here now and see if I can at least get the pieces of the train cut out before I have to get ready for work.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day!

Stormy Weather

2011-08-09T11:01:00.002-05:00

(picture from whnt.com)

The last couple of days/nights have been stormy here in northern Alabama. While we definitely needed rain, it does make getting out and doing things rather unpleasant - and sleep is hard to come by.

Seems to be a lull in the storms for the moment so I will be headed out soon to do my errands. Off work today so when I get home, I need to do some picking up around the house, start some laundry - and then I am going to hang out here in my crafty space. I am working on making a train for my grandson's 2nd birthday at the end of the month - putting my new Lynx to the test! It's definitely more complicated than using my old "E" but once you get the settings mastered - it is an awesome machine!

I've been working on my blog and have added page tabs at the top. I've got slideshows of my scrapbook and card projects and my svgs. Once I am finished, you will be able to visit the SVG tab and follow a link to my 4shared account for downloading any of my free files. Obviously, it's a work in progress but I hope the end result will be user-friendly for those wishing to browse for ideas and/or download files.

OK - it's really time to stop procrastinating - need to get the body in motion and go run the errands. I'll post pics of the train project when I have it finished - hopefully later this evening.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day!

Create your own Pumpkin Patch

2011-08-06T10:08:00.003-05:00

Had to take a crafting break and look at this cute little pumpkin I made this morning:

I used American Craft Cardstock, patterned paper from GCD Studios Autumn Afternoon Collection, and a few scraps. I embossed with my Cuttlebug (divine swirls and argyle), used a little ink and added some black micro beads to the center of the flower (all I had was white core brown cardstock and it didn't look very nice for the flower centers). And, of course I used the AWESOME Pick a Pumpkin SVG set from svgcuts.com. In addition to the little pumpkin, there is a larger pumpkin, a pumpkin shaped box, and 3 cards with corresponding envelopes. Mary makes these kits so everything assembles so easily and there is even a step by step assembly video to help you out!

Clicking on the picture below will take you to svgcuts.com to purchase this set!

Important Announcement

2011-08-03T23:49:00.000-05:00

Notes from the Scrapbooklady is "Undergoing Renovation" and all 4shared download links are currently not working.

I apologize for the inconvenience - please bear with me while I make some changes.

SVGs from the Scrapbooklady

2011-07-28T20:18:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to share my newest card files - I mentioned these in a post yesterday and worked on them most of the day!

Here are some pictures - and please forgive me, I am not a card artist and will never do the amazing work that some of you do - but I wanted to at least attempt to show them in use! Celeste from Touched by a Butterfly is doing a couple of the files for me and I will add her cards as soon as she finishes them - I sent her the butterfly (LOL), the heart and the scalloped circle to work with.

The pictures below are samples made by Celeste:

Pay It Forward

2011-07-28T20:04:00.002-05:00

I just saw this at Celeste's blog, Touched By A Butterfly, and thought it was a really neat thing to do. So, here's the details copied from her blog:

"Pay It Forward" is the idea of blessing someone with a random act of kindness without expecting anything in return. It’s passing on a kindness, hoping that your recipients will do the same, and forming a never-ending chain of goodwill. But it isn’t only kindness, it is also a means to connect and share instead of just keeping it to ourselves.

"I promise to send an original creation to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must, in turn, post this on their blog, and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status."

Here's what you need to do:
1. Leave a comment on this post. I will send a handmade gift to the first 5 people who comment.
2. Create a post on your blog offering the same.
3. Send a handmade item to your first 5 people who comment.
4. It must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.

Please do not sign up unless you are fully committed to making your 5 items!

Make sure you leave your e-mail address so that I can e-mail you for your address.

Ribbon Winner Announced

2011-07-27T19:37:00.002-05:00

According to random.org, the winner of the ribbon bundle is.......

#10

Angela said...: I would just love to win your ribbon. These are perfect and such a wide variety! TFS!
Hugs, Angela
lauermaa at gmail dot com; July 23, 2011 9:51 AM

Congratulations! If you will send me your mailing address, I'll get it right out to you!

2011-07-27T07:32:00.003-05:00

Good Morning everyone!

A couple of things this morning:

1) I will be drawing a winner for the ribbon sometime after 6 this evening - so if you still want to get in on the drawing, please leave a comment on the original post here.

and

2) I'm working on some new cut files (I know it's been forever since I did anything) and will be sharing pics of the results later today. These cut files are for cards and are a result of a post I saw yesterday on the svgcuts.com forum - someone had posted a video of the new Sizzix flip-its dies. ( If you haven't seen the cards, here is a link: Flip-Its ) I haven't had a sizzix in YEARS but I absolutely loved the cut for these cards and thought it would be a great way to make a bunch of cards up rather quickly.

So, I've been playing around with it and have made 3 different shapes so far - have plans to make a few more later today. I'll upload pictures to this post later - have to take the dog to the groomers in a few minutes.

So, if you've watched the video, who would like the cut files to make these type cards?

Almost done.....

2011-07-23T07:10:00.003-05:00

I took a quick picture of the give-away ribbons with my cell phone. I'll try to take a better pic tonight once I finish taking care of the last 50 or so pieces - there will be a few more additions to this lot I'm sure. Some of these ribbon pieces are only 12 -18" but some are close to a yard (or maybe even more).

If you would like a chance to win this bundle of ribbon - please comment here. (I've set this post to no comments to avoid confusion.)

More on Ribbon.....

2011-07-22T10:08:00.005-05:00

This whole ribbon organization thing is really making me realize that I have a PROBLEM! I have got to get out of collection mode and start USING this stuff! Seriously!

I know that there are a lot of crafters who have WAAAAAAAAAAY more than I do - but I've hit a point where I have got to stop. I have NO MORE room to put things and my craft mess is starting to migrate to the guest room.

As of today, and until further notice, the only craft items I am allowing myself to purchase are:

Adhesive and other consumable essentials - this might include specific cardstock colors as I run out but NO PATTERNED PAPERS
Accessories or consumables for my Lynx
An item needed to complete an IN-PROGRESS project
Files from svgcuts.com (afterall, they don't take up any physical space in my room LOL)

I'm posting this here to help hold myself accountable!

Anyone else need to join in?

Cleaning my Craft Room ..... and a give-away!

2011-07-21T10:52:00.004-05:00

Good Morning All!

I am cleaning my craft room - YET AGAIN! Why is it that no matter how hard we try, it is impossible to keep these rooms organized? Wait, that's kind of a no-brainer - we have TOO MUCH stuff! And, I don't know about you, but my stash is constantly evolving so what worked last month, may not work now.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was working on learning how to cut with my new Black Cat Lynx...... want to get my room cleaned so that I can really enjoy crafting and such again. I cut a bunch of ribbon cards yesterday - I'm changing all of my ribbon from ribbon cards in drawers to hanging along the bottom of my peg board. Hoping if it's visible I will actually USE SOME OF IT! The added bonus for me, all I have to do is swivel in my chair, thumb through the strands and snip off what I want - no more having to pull several samples from a drawer, take them to my desk and then figure out what I want. This should help with my clutter problem - I always have a pile of ribbon cards and spools falling off from my desk because I hate to get up and put them back.

In reorganizing and hanging my ribbon, I am going to have a nice collection of leftover ribbon - I am keeping no more than 2 yards of any ribbon. I was going to toss the leftovers until I decided that maybe some of my readers would be interested in them.

So - here's the deal: I am going to continue to straighten my ribbons and when I am finished I am going to do a GIVE-AWAY or two (depending on how much there ends up being).

What do you have to do to enter? Nothing too hard! Simply leave a comment on this post expressing your interest and share one way that you use ribbon in your crafts!

Once I am finished I will close this thread for comments (it might be a day or two or even a week - there's a lot of ribbon stashed in this room). Using random.org, I will select the winner(s).

Hope some of you might be interested! Can't wait to read some of your ideas!

Where does time go?

2011-07-20T16:01:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe it's been over 2 months since I have done any blogging! My computer has been acting up majorly and have had some life events that have kept me busy.

Other than a little sewing, I haven't even done any crafts in the past 2 months. Part of that is that I had been waiting for my new cutter to arrive - which it did last week. Today is the first day I've really had a chance to play with it and it is going to take some time to figure it all out. I envy the people who can just start out with a new machine and instinctively get it right. That has not been the case for me.

That being said, my new Lynx is an amazing machine. When I get it right, it cuts beautifully. When I was debating the purchase, the biggest problem anyone ever mentioned was "operator error" and that is proving to be the absolute truth!

I know that I shared before about my daughter's weight loss journey and her entry into the world of running. She has continued - she is at approximately 116 lbs lost now and has run several 5K events and one 10K so far. She has several more 5K runs on her schedule as well as the Warrior Dash, a half marathon in Ft Wayne and a destination run - the St. Louis Rock N Roll Half Marathon. If anyone would like to follow her journey, Jennifer has recently started blogging. She started out just blogging about her running, but has had several requests for information on how she has made the transition so she is going to start adding some of her tips and some of her favorite low-cal recipes.

Here's her before and after pics:

If you'd like to read her story, her blog is Running for My Life. I know she'd love some new readers!

Well, let me get back to my battle with my Lynx and see if I can win the next round!

Communication from Craft Edge

2011-05-17T22:17:00.001-05:00

I received this email this morning addressed to all affiliates explaining what has transpired (I used to have the SCAL2 sales link on my blog):

Dear Craft Edge Affiliate,

This is to provide notice that, as of May 13, 2011, Craft Edge Inc.
has agreed to stop selling, offering to sell or distributing its
software product, Sure Cuts A Lot™ major versions 1.0 and 2.0, in
accordance with the terms of a confidential settlement agreement
entered into with Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. The litigation between
Provo Craft and Craft Edge will be terminated with all claims
dismissed. To ensure compliance with this settlement, Craft Edge
requests that all our distributors, partners and affiliates completely
stop selling, offering for sale or distributing these versions by no
later than May 27, 2011

Craft Edge greatly appreciates and values its relationship with you
and desires to work together now to close one chapter of that
relationship and open a new one. We will continue to provide quality
software for our shared customers in Sure Cuts A Lot™ version 3.0
and beyond.

Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and
you will not receive a response. If you have any questions, please
email us at affiliates@craftedge.biz

Sincerely,

Craft Edge Inc.

Just an FYI.....SCAL2......

2011-05-14T09:44:00.001-05:00

......is no longer available from craftedge.com. The only download available is for SCAL3 which DOES NOT SUPPORT the Cricut.

If you or anyone you know has not purchased SCAL2 and still would like to do so, I've heard that there are a limited number of copies still available at Pumpkin Cart Crafts

In Lieu of a Blog Hop.....

2011-05-13T17:45:00.008-05:00

Yes, today was supposed to be the Squash the Bug blog hop. I'm not sure exactly what happened - Ronnie, the person who was organizing the hop, seems to be MIA. Several hop participants have tried to reach her without success. I hope that she is well and we will hear from her soon.

The plan for that blog hop was for us to use files donated by various designer's who sell their svg files online. Since that didn't come about, I thought I would share a few details of the wedding album that I finished a while back - the pages include a mix of my own designs and those of my all time favorite designer, Mary Rudakas of svgcuts.com. (I've included links to all of Mary's files that are still available.)

For the wedding gifts, I used the gift border from the Birthday Elements SVG Collection:

The flutes, bells, and wedding cake are all from the My Big DayCollection:

The cake knife and server are my own design - cut from metallic cardstock, embossed the handles with my CB and added ribbons and pink rhinestone trim.

The title is my design using MTC and the Adine-Kirnberg script font. The beautiful bride silhouette is a retired free design from svgcuts.com.

The shoes are a free file from svgcuts.com:

The tux front, mens shoes and bow tie are files I created in MTC.

The makeup elements are files I created a couple of years ago in Inkscape. All the girls title is from the FREE My Mom's Attic collection at svgcuts.com:

So, if are reading this and haven't checked out the awesome files at svgcuts.com - what are you waiting for? The files are well designed, cut beautifully - and are very reasonably priced.

Have a great week-end everyone!

Another NSD challenge Card

2011-05-10T07:56:00.003-05:00

I actually made this on Saturday but forgot to post - it's the first card I've ever made like this and it didn't turn out too bad I suppose. I haven't added a greeting or sentiment yet - will wait until I have a use for the card to decide since this could work for many occasions.

Outside View of Card

View of inside insert

I used the Cherry Blossom Mini Collection from svgcuts.com to embellish this card (except for the cherries which I created in MTC). Click on the photo below to purchase the Cherry Blossom Collection:

Free SVG File – Sure Cuts A Lot – 05.09.11 – Cheryl's Sweet Treats Mini SVG Collection

2011-05-09T21:23:00.001-05:00

Free SVG File – Sure Cuts A Lot – 05.09.11 – Cheryl's Sweet Treats Mini SVG Collection

Over $500 In Prizes - SVGCuts' Facebook Fan Giveaway Week - No Purchase Necessary!

2011-05-09T18:29:00.001-05:00

Over $500 In Prizes - SVGCuts' Facebook Fan Giveaway Week - No Purchase Necessary!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2011-05-08T08:50:00.003-05:00

Tent card made for NSD challenge on the MTC forum - Card front and lacey edge are my original designs made in MTC. The Hummingbird and Daffodil swirly files are free files from SVGCUTS.com Click the images below to go to the download pages:

Candleligt Vigil Cut File

2011-05-07T17:33:00.008-05:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

Test cut the files today and other than the fact that my E just doesn't like a couple brands of paper, they cut quite well. I've set both of these up as MTC files - I ran into problems trying to cut with SCAL today and since I'm still kind of under the weather, I didn't feel like messing around trying to troubleshoot. And, also, I'm rather quickly coming to prefer MTC because of the speed at which it cuts!!!!

Candlelight Vigil

Tornado & Alabama stuff

Here's a few random pics I took of damage that occurred in our area:

And, don't feel too bad for us being without power for 5 days - we still ate pretty good as you can see from this pic of breakfast on the grill:

My Home is in Alabama.......

2011-05-06T21:10:00.004-05:00

.....and our community has been forever changed by the tornado outbreak that swept the south last Wednesday, April 27. I'm not in Tuscaloosa or Birmingham, but rather on the outskirts of Huntsville near Harvest Alabama and the Anderson Hills area. Almost a million people in the Tennessee Valley were without power for 4 or more days - there are still a few people without power tonight.

Every where you drive you see the storm's destruction and while I feel blessed to have survived with only some minor fence and car damage, I've experienced some really strange feelings - I couldn't put it in words until I read an article today in the local paper and someone described it as "survivor's guilt." I was planning to go out Sunday to volunteer but I developed a pretty bad upper respiratory infection and figured that I wouldn't be doing anyone a service to get out there like that and spread my germs around. I have just felt kind of helpless. Today, our local TV station held a telethon to raise money for the American Red Cross for the victims - they had media personalities at various community locations accepting donations so I was able to give a monetary donation. The telethon was simulcast on 14 sister stations around the country tonight so you may even have seen it on one of your local channels. This evening, they were holding televised candlelight vigils at several locations.

I've been thinking all week that I would like to create some type of cut file to use when documenting the storms and honoring the victims of this tragedy. I played around with Alabama themed things, made a decent looking tornado file but nothing was exactly what I wanted to do. When I read about the candlelight vigils, I realized that would make a cut file that could be used on tribute pages for all different types of circumstances.

I've completed the file but will have to wait until morning to do a test cut before I will make the svg available. Here's an image to give you an idea of what I hope it will look like:

And, if anyone might be interested, I will also be testing and making available the Alabama things I've been playing around with, as well as the tornado ... here's a preview of those:

That's about it for this evening - it's time to take my cold meds and hit the bed.

Another Blog Hop

2011-04-23T20:14:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure of the status of this blog hop at this time (5/10/11) - if I get confirmation one way or another, I will update this post, however, I do not expect that it will be happening.

I am excited to participate in a blog hop in support of the Provo Craft Boycott. You can read more about the blog hop at Squash the Bug.

The idea of this blog hop is to showcase the various cutters and software available as well the various designers of svg files that can be used with these machines.

I want to invite all of you to check it out! Looking at names of some of the crafters who have signed up, I know that there are going to be some amazing projects!

What's Up?

2011-04-06T20:34:00.003-05:00

Hope life is treating all of you well! I know I've been kind of MIA for a bit - the last couple of weeks have been kind of rough. I've never really said much, but I have anxiety attacks, normally followed by bouts of depression. I've taken meds at times, but I've found what works for me when it hits is to just step back from things, try to refocus and restructure my environment. It's not a huge deal, just something I deal with - I'm only sharing this info so that if you do follow my blog, you will understand if I kind of suddenly disappear for a little bit.

So, what have I been working on during my absence - the gift album that I have to have done by next Thursday night! I've gotten quite a few pages done and have most of the others planned in my head. I'm hoping to to crank out a couple yet tonight and some more before I go to work tomorrow. I'm compiling all of the files that I'm using and will probably end up putting together a .zip file of all of the cuts to share here - look for that closer to Easter (once I get back from the wedding and have a chance to put it together).

I've also been reading any and all news related to the PC lawsuits against MTC/SCAL and staying abreast of what is going on with the Boycott Provo Craft facebook group. No surprise, I've never received a response to my letter that I sent to the owner of MME.

Before, I go, I'd like to tell all of my readers about my youngest daughter and her latest adventure - running a charity 10K marathon. It's a fundraising event and if any of you could see your way to donating a couple of dollars towards helping her meet her goal, she would be most appreciative! Here's her story, copied from her fundraising page:

Running for a Good Cause

Taken as I completed my third 5k!

Jennifer Harning

Goal: $200.00
Achieved: $75.00
Make a gift!

I am participating in the 8th Annual A Kid Again 10k Run at Kings Island on Sunday, May 22 at 7:00 a.m. Any size donation is appreciated, every dollar adds up! Continue reading to learn more about why I am participating in this event.

My story starts out about 6 months ago, I decided that I needed to make a change for myself or I wasn't going to be able to be the mother to my children that I wanted to be. You see, I have been blessed with two healthy and wonderful children. I was so overweight that I was unable to enjoy doing things with my kids. I decided then I was going to push myself to become more healthy. Fast forward to today, I am down almost 90 pounds from my highest weight. I am very close to my first "big goal" and have decided that I want to try to lose another 30 pounds when I get to that goal. If I can succeed I will have lost a total of 130 pounds!

I started out swimming and watching my diet. After a few months, I was looking for a way to accelerate my weight loss but didn't see running as an option since I had never run in my life. After talking to a friend who runs marathons, I decided I had nothing to lose by trying it. I started running at the end of December 2010. Since then I have completed three 5k races - February , March, and most recently April 2. Each time I have improved my time - I may never be the fastest, but I am running the full race and finishing with a halfway competitive time. So, I felt like completing a 10k was the next logical step. A family member sent me a link to this 10k and right away, I knew I wanted to be a part of it! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to have a child who is sick with a life-threatening illness. Sometimes its easy to forget how blessed you are. To me, completing this race and raising money for sick children is a way to give back and remind myself to never take a thing for granted!

I have accepted the challenge of raising money for children with life threatening illnesses and their families. I am determined to achieve my goal and provide these brave children a sense of normalcy and enrichment through adventures. I NEED YOUR HELP! Please consider sponsoring me (I appreciate every dollar donated!) and positively impacting the lives of over 560 local children.

RE: Provo Craft Boycott

2011-03-29T12:34:00.001-05:00

The following is the text of a letter that I sent to the President of MME after receiving an invitation to join their newsletter this morning that included a chance to win a Cricut Expression – I am not looking for a response but if I receive one, I will be sure to share it.

29 March 2011

Dear Ms. Cornell,

I am writing to you today to make you aware of a situation that is ongoing within the paper crafting community – something that based upon your association with Provo Craft, you should already be aware of.

Provo Craft recently settled a lawsuit with Make the Cut, makers of an independent software application that worked with the Provo Craft Cricut machines. I am not going to get into the details of the lawsuit – the case was settled and as such no legal ruling was made by the courts.

Andy, the software engineer responsible for Make the Cut, had revolutionized the way paper crafters were able to use their Cricut machines – they were able to download free files created by others from the internet, cut true type fonts from their personal collections and even design custom cuts to suit their needs.

Provo Craft has also filed suit against Craft Edge, the makers of Sure Cuts A Lot, another software application that offers much of the same functionality. That case is still pending. There is one other software, Fairy Cut, that is being marketed by a Canadian company. At this time, there has not been any word of a lawsuit against Fairy Cut.

When word of the Provo Craft/MTC settlement reached the news, supporters of Andy and Make the Cut rallied to show Provo Craft that they will not settle for a cartridge-only machine that limits their creativity. Within days, several things happened:

People started actively getting rid of their Provo Craft Cricut Machines, selling them at a fraction of their cost on ebay and craigslist.
Sales of competing machines – many several hundred dollars more expensive than the Provo Craft machines – have soared! Bosskut offered a weeklong special on their Gazelle machine and sold out several days before the promotion was schedule to end. That's Scrap, the sole US distributer of Black Cat cutting machines, ordered 30 of their lower priced model ($499) and before they even left the factory, they were sold out.
A formal boycott of Provo Craft branded merchandise has been organized on Facebook and after just over 2 weeks, has nearly 1600 members.
A youtube video entitled "I Want my MTC" has well over 4000 views in just a few days.

Like myself, many people purchased their Cricut machines only after the release of SCAL and/or MTC. We purchased the Cricut for various reasons – lower cost, wider retail availability, local access to the necessary consumables (i.e. mats & blades), and/or we weren't aware of all of the other options available.

This situation with Provo Craft is actually the final straw for many Cricut owners. Provo craft's own message board is awash with tales from people regarding poor customer service, unfulfilled promises, and complaints about the products – at least until Provo Craft decides to delete those threads. Provo Craft has also allegedly shut down many entrepreneurial endeavors by private parties – and later used those same ideas to launch similar products and services.

So now you probably ask, why am I writing to you about all of this. This morning I received an email from your company asking me to sign up for your newsletter and as a result I would have a chance to win a Cricut Expression. I have to tell you as a big fan of MME, I did sign up for your newsletter. However, after reading your March newsletter online, I unsubscribed. I cannot in good conscience sign up for the newsletter of a company that has any business association with a company that I have chosen to boycott.

I love My Mind's Eye papers but I am very disappointed by your association with Provo Craft and will no longer be purchasing your paper packs – there are many other wonderful brands to choose from. It is a matter of choice – just as I feel what I cut with my cutting machine should be.

One final thought for your consideration: there is a whole market of crafters out there who are looking for alternatives. They will voice their approval by spending their hard earned dollars in support of companies who respect their creativity. I bet they would jump at the chance to win a machine that would work with MTC/SCAL– if you were to offer one of those machines, you'd get my attention and I would spread the word to everyone I could possibly reach. As it is, I will be posting a copy of this letter on the Boycott Provo Craft Facebook page. If you care to respond and address our concerns, I'll be more than happy to share that as well.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

A former MME customer,

My first MTC file share!

2011-03-26T19:18:00.005-05:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

Back to working on the wedding album - less than 3 weeks so I don't have much time to get it done. I've been slowly learning about MTC and this file is the first one that I have designed and cut in MTC and I was very impressed with the results.

My machine seems to cut smoother and faster with MTC than with SCAL - has anyone else with both software programs noticed this? I also love how it shows you what exactly it is cutting!

I finished "the Groom" page and thought I'd share a quick picture of it - sorry I cut off a corner! I hope you can see the groom in the picture - it is black on black but IRL he is pop-dotted so he stands out very well.

I'm keeping these pages quite simple so that the bride will be able to add pics and a little journaling. I am doing about 20 pages for her and then I will be including all the cardstock and B&W patterned papers, flowers, gems, and even a few extra "die-cuts" for her to create additional pages that she may want or need. (She does a little bit of scrapbooking herself but not much.)

First Dance SVG - Trying out Google Docs for file sharing

2011-03-26T12:56:00.004-05:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

I previously shared pictures of some wedding layouts I've been working on. The First Dance layout features svg files that I created - the bride & groom and the title cut. Here's the layout:

I CHOOSE to boycott Provo Craft

2011-03-25T20:48:00.008-05:00

More than two weeks have passed since the settlement of the MTC/Provo Craft lawsuit. Andy and the MTC team have removed the Cut to Cricut option from the MTC software. While I was fortunate to be able to buy and download the latest version of the software prior to this change and can continue to cut with my Cricut, I am not able to do any software updates now. I'm sure there will be many more wonderful features added to this software in the days, weeks, months to come.

Check out this video made by a very talented MTC forum member and one of her friends.

It bothers me that PC believes it has the right to tell me how I can use my machine after I purchased it. Many have made this point over the last couple of weeks -how is it any different from using an HP printer on a Dell computer, apps on a phone, 3rd party inks in a printer, etc.

What if no one ever experimented to see what we could do - would we even have the technology that we have today?

I have never been a "cutesy" scrapper - just not my style - so cartridges never worked for me. Most of my pages pre-Cricut featured detailed paper piecings that I made and cut from coloring pages, etc. The same thing I do now but instead of drawing on paper and cutting by hand, I draw in Inkscape and cut with my machine. Honestly, I didn't even consider buying a Cricut until the introduction of SCAL. I was about to purchase a craftROBO and was doing some on-line research when I found SCAL - bought my Cricut and SCAL the very next day. (For those of you who do not know - SCAL has also been sued by Provo Craft but that case is still pending.)

There are many other concerns with PC besides the 3rd party software issue: poor customer service, false and misleading product representation, poor quality coupled with poor tech support/warranty service, "borrowing" ideas for new products, unethical business dealings (ask some small LSS owners), ....... need I say more?

All of this has lead me to my decision to actively boycott Provo Craft and all its brands - Cricut, Cuttlebug, Yudu, Your Story, etc. What do I mean when I say I am boycotting? For me, it means I will not purchase any new items that are in anyway associated with Provo Craft - no new mats (Aleene's Tack It Over and Over works great!), no new PC blades (roland blades are available on ebay for a much more reasonable price and right now you can buy 5 blades for $15 & free shipping direct from Seikitech here), not even a new CB embossing folder (going to try Sizzix). I am working on compiling the most complete list I can of PC products and will be posting it on my blog soon.

Am I selling my machine and cartridges - NO. I am choosing to continue to use my Cricut for the time being. I am in the process of purchasing a new cutter but still do not plan to sell my Cricut. Selling my Cricut means that most likely the person buying it would then want to buy cartridges - which would mean that I was helping to put money in PCs pockets. I'll just keep it around for a back-up. As for the few cartridges I have purchased- I think 4 total-I've given them to my daughter to use with her machine (she hates cartridges too but a couple were Disney ones so she'll probably use those). I'll just not update the firmware and I'll keep the last MTC and SCAL software on my laptop so I can use it.

So, what am I buying? I've read reviews, compared cuts from all of the machines, watched tons of you tube videos and seriously evaluated my cutting needs. Based on everything I've read and what I want/need from a machine, both now and in the years to come, I've decided that the 12" Black Cat Lynx is the best investment for me. It'll probably be a few months before I have it but I know that it will be worth the wait.

Do I expect everyone to agree with me? Absolutely not! That's what's so great - we are all entitled to our own opinions and even though we may not agree, I RESPECT your opinion and your right to express it. I just ask that if you disagree and choose to voice that here, that you do so in a respectful way. I've changed my comments to require approval for now - I will approve comments that voice another view as long as I don't feel they are rude, hateful, or disrespectful.

I did it!

2011-03-17T10:42:00.004-05:00

I joined the MTC family before they pulled the Cricut capability. I bet they had a boom in sales the last few days - I never planned to purchase MTC but with all the hype about the settlement, I decided to check the program out for myself and am SO GLAD that I did. MTC is amazing and I am so excited to get started using it.

Yes, I know I can no longer update my Cricut firmware - but since I don't use cartridges at all there is really no need. I updated to v. 2.34 in order to be compatible with the latest release of MTC and will be content with that for the duration of my Cricut's useful life - it's over 3 years old so I don't really expect it to last much longer.

Been out comparison shopping new cutters so I'll be ready to make a purchase as soon as I can save up the funds. I've got my heart set on a Black Cat Lynx (and Black Cat supports MTC development - I read that they actually sent Andy a machine so that he could write the necessary drivers for it).

Still waiting to hear what the outcome will be for SCAL (since PC has also sued them for the same reasons).

That's it for today - have to get ready for work - but I do have some new files that I'll be sharing soon!

Greek Alphabet

2011-03-15T11:06:00.005-05:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

Someone posted on the svgcuts forum that they would like a greek alphabet to cut things for sororities, etc.

I wasn't sure if everyone realizes that the Greek alphabet symbols are available in many of the Windows fonts that we all have on our computers. To use them you have to utilize the Character Map and copy and paste them into your application. This can be time consuming so I thought I'd put together one file containing all of the upper and lower Greek alphabet symbols converted to svg format.

I used the Book Antiqua font but there are many other styles that you can use - just like there are different font styles for our alphabet.

The download is one file that contains the upper and lower symbol for each letter - I've included the name of each in red text - the red text is not a path and will not cut. Here is a screenshot of what the file looks like when you open it.

Download Greek Alphabet

Hope someone can use this!

SCAL or MTC - your opinions please?

2011-03-15T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have been pondering all of my options in light of everything that has happened with MTC and Provo Craft. I'm really kind of in limbo right now waiting for an official statement from Andy at MTC. I am seriously considering the purchase of a Black Cat cutter but I want to be assured of the future of MTC before I take that step.

I have to state that I was never a cartridge user - think I bought 4 or 5 and I have personally used only ONE of them. I gave all the others to my daughter because she had access to a cricut at some crop nights she was attending. I'm left with Plantin Schoolbook that came with my machine - and when I just need some quick text without welding, etc - I like the font and will use it.

I love the combo of SCAL & Inkscape and have become quite competent at creating the files that I want/need for my pages. Even before the advent of the cutting machines - I made my own intricate paper-piecings rather than purchase stickers and die cuts - I'm just not a "cutesy" scrapbooker. Don't get me wrong - there is adorable stuff and I love a lot of it - it just doesn't fit with my scrapbooking style.

While I wait for an official statement on the future of MTC, I decided to download the trial version of the software and see if I can figure it out. I keep reading how it is more user friendly than SCAL. I don't see it yet - but maybe it's just because I've used SCAL from the beginning.
I will say that the trace feature seems to work very well - I haven't tried breaking any images yet to clean them up and separate them ( I haven't figured out how to do this yet).

I'd love to hear from any of you who own and have used both software applications - which is your favorite and why?

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

2011-03-13T23:36:00.002-05:00

Before I announce the winner of the TWO PART BLOG CANDY - I want to take a moment to thank EVERYONE who stopped by to visit us during the hop and give a special thank you to all the ladies who shared their incredible talents with us! Also thank you to all of you who have elected to become followers of Notes from the Scrapbooklady - I feel so honored that you have chosen to join me!

I won't keep anyone in suspense any longer - the winner of the prize package is comment number 80:

Pat N. said...: The mini book is beautiful. The butterflies are so dainty and pretty. Great job. And thanks for a chance at your great giveaway.-- Pat N. http://patsscraps.blogspot.com/; March 12, 2011 10:55 PM

Pat, please send your mailing information to Celeste and Lora as soon as possible.

PC Lawsuits - my thoughts

2011-03-12T19:11:00.005-06:00

Just stumbled across this link to the actual complaint filed against Craft Edge (on Cricut forum of all places so I'm sure it won't be there long).

So, I'm sure by now that most of you have heard that Provo Craft and Make the Cut have reached a settlement. Until there is an official announcement from either company or the court documents are released, we can't know for sure what the terms are. The word that is circulating on the web doesn't sound good for Cricut owners - apparently any future sale of MTC cannot include support for Cricut machines. You can read more of the details at scrapbookupdate.com. Since Provo Craft filed suit against Craft Edge in January, will SCAL users soon be faced with the same dilemma?

I've done a lot of reading today and it really got me thinking. How many of us purchased a Cricut only after SCAL and/or MTC became available? I know there are a lot of us. I used to demo the baby bug when it was first released - hated it something awful. I said I would NEVER buy a machine that tied me to cartridges and that was so difficult to get the result I wanted. After the Expression came out, I started really thinking about getting one but then my sights turned to something like a Wishblade since it had the ability to cut true-type fonts. About the time I had the money to purchase that machine I stumbled upon the newly released SCAL - within 48 hours I had my Cricut and SCAL and never looked back.

I read several comments today that people would not have purchased MTC or SCAL if Provo Craft had offered a software with similar functionality. Let's be honest - those software platforms probably would have never been developed if Design Studio had been the program that it could have been. Rather than supporting the end-users who buy the machines, PC opted to try to keep them dependent upon pricey cartridges. ETA: According to the filing linked above - PC alleges that Craft Edge violated the EULA of CDS by reverse engineering CDS to create SCAL. I don't know anything about software development - is this the only way this software could have been created?

I know that those of us who spend our hard-earned dollars on the products can't change the outcome of these lawsuits. However, I can send a message through my spending of those $$$. My E is over 3 years old and has started making some protesting noises off and on. I WAS planning to purchase another E while the original model was still available because I was fearful that the version 2 machine would be like the Imagine and not compatible with SCAL. Not now - I am seriously exploring my other options because my next cutter WILL NOT bear the Cricut logo.

I've posted a few poll questions about this topic in the right sidebar - just curious to see how many people are like me - purchased Cricut BECAUSE of the availability of 3rd party software, rarely use a cartridge and will be looking for a new cutter soon ETA: the poll questions have been moved to the Boycott Provo Craft FB page - you can click the link below the logo in the sidebar to take the poll.

Spring Forward - Day 2

2011-03-12T11:46:00.006-06:00

I didn't plan to post a new entry for day 2 of the blog hop but I've had an idea for an easter card in my head and I finally found a coloring page that helped me bring it all together- what I was missing was the egg shaped card! So, this morning I created my files and made this card - there are some things I would do differently next time - more contrast for the lettering color so it shows up better, maybe add a foam dot under the center flower and on the bunny, some type of dimensional centers on the flower would be nice and of course, I forgot to dot the eye on the bunny before I took my pics - but all in all, I like the layout of the card and will probably make a few more to send out this year.

You can download the .scut2 file for this below the picture - the password is listed at the top of my blog. And, like the butterfly mini-book available 2 posts below, this file will only be available for the duration of the blog hop!

Easter Card Files no longer available for download - Offered only for duration of Blog Hop.

There are a few other ladies who have posted a day 2 project, so, if you haven't yet completed the blog hop or if you just want to check and see who has posted a new project, here is the complete list:

YOU ARE HERE
1. Lora at http://scrpbooklady.blogspot.com/

YOUR NEXT STOP SHOULD BE:
2. Celeste L. at http://touchedbyabutterfly.blogspot.com/

3. Brandi at http://joyfullycreative.blogspot.com/
4. Carrie at http://doubleclickconnections.blogspot.com/
5. Celeste B. at http://ccscards.blogspot.com/
6. Karel at http://karelj.blogspot.com/
7. Kacee at www.youhadmeatscrap.blogspot.com
8. Melanie at www.arkmom-scrappilyeverafter.blogspot.com
9. Michelle at http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com
10. Patti at http://lilbitcreations.blogspot.com
11. Sue at http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
12. Amy Jo at http://lv2scrapandfibrofacts.blogspot.com/
13. Yolie at http://www.justyolie.com/

#100?

2011-03-11T20:34:00.000-06:00

Whos' going to be my 100th follower? Send me a screen shot when you join showing you as #100 and I'll send a little something your way!

Spring Forward Blog Hop

2011-03-10T22:42:00.026-06:00

Welcome to the Spring Forward Blog Hop, jointly hosted by Celeste at Touched by a Butterfly and myself here at Notes from the Scrapbooklady. Thanks for stopping in to see the great spring themed projects offered by the talented ladies at each of the blog stops.

This blog hop will offer one lucky blog hopper a TWO PART blog candy. Celeste and I have both put together prize packages and we will each mail our prize package to the ONE LUCKY WINNER! The rules are pretty simple - visit each participating blog and leave a comment - a winner will be chosen from among all comments left at Notes from the Scrapbooklady blog and then we will verify that the winner has visited and commented on each blog. The winner will be posted at both Notes from the Scrapbooklady and Touched by a Butterfly and will have one week to contact Lora or Celeste with a mailing address for their prize packages.

Some of the participants may also be offering their own individual blog candy - please note their terms and conditions which may vary from the main blog hop rules.

So, for my project, I decided to create a mini butterfly book/card. The scut2 file for using in SCAL2 is available for download at the link below the project pictures - this file will only be available for the duration of the blog hop. The file includes both front and back versions of each page as well as the detail cut butterflies to add for embellishments. I chose to make my project as a mini card to honor my good friend and co-hostess of this blog hop - Celeste at Touched by a Butterfly. Celeste this card will be on it's way to you this weekend! Without further ado, here are the pics of my project - The papers are from the SEI Poppy Paper Pad:

Mini Book Files no longer available for download - Offered only for duration of Blog Hop.

Here's a picture of my Blog Candy package that will be awarded jointly with a prize package from Celeste to ONE participant who visits and comments on every blog. See details on prize give away above.

Now it's time to get hopping! Here's the complete list for you in case you need to refer back to it.

YOU ARE HERE
1. Lora at http://scrpbooklady.blogspot.com/

YOUR NEXT STOP SHOULD BE:
2. Celeste L. at http://touchedbyabutterfly.blogspot.com/

3. Brandi at http://joyfullycreative.blogspot.com/
4. Carrie at http://doubleclickconnections.blogspot.com/
5. Celeste B. at http://ccscards.blogspot.com/
6. Karel at http://karelj.blogspot.com/
7. Kacee at www.youhadmeatscrap.blogspot.com
8. Melanie at www.arkmom-scrappilyeverafter.blogspot.com
9. Michelle at http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com
10. Patti at http://lilbitcreations.blogspot.com
11. Sue at http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
12. Amy Jo at http://lv2scrapandfibrofacts.blogspot.com/
13. Yolie at http://www.justyolie.com/

Thanks so much for hopping with us this weekend - we hope that you find lots to inspire you for spring projects.

And, a very special thanks to all of the talented ladies who are sharing their work with us!

ETA: Closed comments at the end of the Blog Hop - winner will be announced 3/14/11 both here and at Touched by a Butterfly!

Pages for a Wedding Album

2011-03-07T08:28:00.004-06:00

On my way to work so just some pics this morning:

Chocolate Chip Cookie svg

2011-03-06T18:40:00.004-06:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

This file is a special request for Jennifer - hope this will help you finish up that Happiness is Homemade layout!

Chocolate Chip Cookie

And while I was at it, how about a cookie sheet?

Cookie Sheet

FYI - Print & Cut with SCAL2

2011-02-25T14:26:00.003-06:00

Been reading a lot about the new print and cut capability of SCAL2 so I decided to play around with it some today.

A couple of days ago, I upgraded to SCAL2 v2.041 which includes a calibration feature. Before trying the print and cut, I went through the calibration steps and after several test cuts, finally found that I got the best results with offsets of 6 and 18 - but this will vary with each machine. You will find the calibration feature under the cutter menu in SCAL2. I've included a screenshot of my settings below:

And, here is a scan of the little label with text that I was playing around with. It's not 100% perfect but I think it looks fine. (compared to the cost of buying an Imagine and for the little that I would probably use this feature, I can live with it!)

Sorry it's been a while.....

2011-02-19T21:19:00.005-06:00

Been working a lot more hours and trying to get some things done around the house too.

I don't know about all of you - but I know I don't have the room or $$ it would take to own one of the big commercial size steel die cutting systems - think the type used in schools, etc. However, there are some nice cuts in some of the larger dies. Based on a request on the SCAL forum, I created files to cut some of the mix and match style album pages so I thought I would share them here in case anyone can get some use out of them.

Download Album pages

My latest card

2011-02-09T15:21:00.004-06:00

.....I love how this turned out. It's quite simple by the standards of many a card maker - but I love that it's not too fussy.

Here's the cut I created using a cute coloring graphic from scrapcoloring.com (with permission from the owner to show my results here .)

The card front:

And the inside:

It's off to the store I go - snow headed our way AGAIN and need to get a couple of things. Hope everyone is staying warm in this latest cold snap.

Guest Designer

2011-02-07T06:44:00.011-06:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

This morning I am excited to feature the work of a guest designer - my lovely daughter, Jennifer.

Jennifer has just recently started paper-crafting and got a new Cricut for Christmas. She still hasn't started creating her own files but she comes up with some really cute ideas and then asks me to help her create the files.

First up is a scrapbook layout - she had some pictures of my grand daughter working a floor puzzle that featured dinosuars. She asked me if I could make the green dinosaur from the puzzle - so I gave it my best shot and this is what I came up with:

And, here is her layout:

Next up, Jenn wanted to created some v-day cards that weren't the typical lovey-dovey type - things she could send to her friends, whether male or female. She came up with a couple of cute quotes, showed me what she wanted in graphics and I created her a cutesy bug and a cupid with attitude! Here are here cards:

And - here are the insides so you can see the quotes she used:

I think she is doing a great job for just getting started! I'm sure she'd love to have some feedback from my readers!

Free SVGs

2011-02-07T06:40:00.002-06:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

I've created a few svgs by request on the Craft Edge forum and figured I would go ahead and share them here. Please note, I HAVE NOT cut any of these files so if you download them and encounter any difficulties, please let me know.

If you download and cut any of these and would like to share a picture of the cut for me to post here, that would be wonderful! You can send pictures of your projects to my email

Paper Deals

2011-02-06T12:39:00.004-06:00

Over the past week, my daughter and I have found some AWESOME deals on paper pads/packs at Michael's. Some of these were marked at my store and not at hers and vice versa - but since pricing is done at corporate level, even the ones not marked are scanning for the clearance prices. The pictures above are of what we've been able to get - check your stores because even though her Michael's told her on the phone that they didn't have them - she bought 27 stacks this morning! Prices range from 3.99 to 5.99 per pack!

I'm trying to get a list of the names so I can publish it here for reference - here's the ones I know for sure:

American Crafts - Play, Travel, Metropolitan, ala Carte, Celebration
Christine Adolph - South Seas
Basic Grey - Sultry, Mellow, Urban Couture, Periphery, Infuse, Boxer
SEI - Dill Blossom, Poppy
GCD - Cosette, Chianti, Spring All Over
DCWV - Embossed White
K&Co - Amy Butler Lotus Tea Box
MME - 180 sheet Chester Value Pack in a box

There were others but ones that we didn't choose.

Hope someone else is able to get some of these great deals!

.

Here's the story......

2011-02-04T08:05:00.004-06:00

of a naughty little puppy dog!

When he was just a 5 week old puppy, Mokie used to lay on my desk and rest his little head on my laptop as I was browsing the web. And, he developed a love of PAPER. Throughout his life, he has continued his love affair with paper - get him a new toy and you better leave the tag on - it's his favorite part of the toy! Don't let a toilet paper or paper towel tube get into his paws - they are better than a new toy to him. And, in the scrapbook room - he's a big fan of paper-tearing! Any time a scrap ends up on the floor - I can kiss it goodbye 'cuz Mokie will be tearing it up for me.

But, it's now out of control - The other night I was sitting in here in the dark browsing the net and he came in and was laying beside me on the floor. Pretty quick he took off on the run and I could tell he had something but figured it was just one of the many scraps that had hit the floor. The next morning - I discoved the card in shreds and realized what he had done. I thought maybe I had dropped it off my desk or something - I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. However......just 20 minutes ago, I was sitting here reading email and he again took off on the run ...... with another card. I HAD 2 totes under my desk - one with card blanks and one with completed cards - why did he only take the completed cards - and notice I said HAD - they have now been moved!

So, his name started out as Smokey.....we changed it to Mokie when he lost all of his gray coloring......but I think Smokey might be more appropriate ......as in Smokey, the Bandit!

And the winner of the little prize is:

I just had to post the random.org screen shot - can you believe DAWN won again? It must be your lucky week!

Can't tell you what your little prize will be....I am on my way to the grand opening of our new Joann's this morning and I'll pick up something there! I'll add it to your Vera package!

You have to see this!

2011-02-03T15:54:00.006-06:00

Remember my heart & flowers card from a few days ago? This is what is left of it:

So, there's a story here but before I tell it, I want to see what you all come up with! Give it your best shot - I'll use random.org and choose a winner to receive a little prize. This is only open until tomorrow morning, I'll pick a winner at 8am central time. And, to my girls - your guess doesn't count!

wk5 jingle belles card challenge

2011-02-02T14:37:00.002-06:00

Here is the prompt for this week's challenge:
And, here is my card:

Very simple card - I cut a piece of the background paper, inked the edges and sewed it onto a 5x5 card. Using my mircro-tip scissors, I cut the birdcage from another sheet of patterned paper and added it to the front with foam dots. I cut the mistletoe and bow using Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree from SVGCUTS.com.

I embellished the center of the bow with a rhinestone and added some pearl "berries." The finishing touch was one of the tiny birds cut from the background paper and mounted at the cage opening with a foam dot.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

A little sewing project

2011-02-02T11:46:00.003-06:00

I have been meaning to work on this for a couple of weeks - found this blog with directions for making a kindle cover while I was waiting for my Kindle to be delivered but I just kept putting off getting to it. (I didn't want a bulky leather cover - I just wanted something to protect it when I put it in my purse to take to work. I had actually thought of just making a pouch, but I liked the easel feature of this cover.)

I'm happy to say that it works out quite well - "sliding" the fabric onto the chipboard is much easier said than done because if you are precise with your measurements, it will be a VERY tight fit. I solved the problem by taping the edges of the chipboard with scotch tape so that the fabric would slide easier. If I make another, I will make a modification and add either an elastic band or a narrow strip of fabric with velcro on one side to hold the top edge of the kindle in place. It works well as is but I would feel better if the kindle were secured a little bit more.

And, would you believe, I set the files up in SCAL so this can be precision cut with the E! Visit the blog link above to get the directions to make yours! It's easy enough to cut by hand, but if anyone would like the cut file, just let me know.

Have a great day!

Vera Bradley Winners

2011-02-01T07:57:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to the winners - names posted beside each picture label! Ladies, please email me your mailing address.

Sherry Handbag in Caffe Lattte - Congratulations DAWN!!

Purse Cosmetic in Kensington - Congratulations AmyJRockstar

Purse Cosmetic in Yellow Bird - Congratulations bcriminger

NSBR - a little give-away

2011-01-31T07:20:00.004-06:00

1/31/11 IS LAST DAY TO ENTER

Been doing a little housecleaning today and discovered some small Vera Bradley items that I have left from an outlet sale I attended. They are duplicates of things I already own so I thought I would do a little give away!

The pieces that I am offering are all brand new, with tags and are RETIRED patterns. Here's what I'm giving away:

Sherry Handbag in Caffe Lattte

Purse Cosmetic in Kensington

Purse Cosmetic in Yellow Bird

If you would like to play along, just leave a comment with the item that you would like. On February 1, I will conduct 3 random drawings - one for each item - and post the winners here. Winners will have one week to send me mailing information.

Embellished Heart Card

2011-01-30T09:22:00.001-06:00

Thought you might like to see what I made of the card I created yesterday - kept it very simple with a second layer of flowers behind the opening, a few pearls, some penwork and a simple bow. I kinda like it!

Valentine Card & Some Instructions

2011-01-29T09:55:00.004-06:00

Happy Saturday everyone!

I saw a post on both the svgcuts and craft edge forums this morning - requesting help creating (in SCAL) a card with a cut out heart filled with flowers. Now, I normally design in Inkscape so I had to go play around in SCAL and see if this could be done. I just upgraded from v2.013 to v.2.038 and hadn't played around with the new features too much.

I have to tell you- I think I will be doing a lot more designing in SCAL now - there are still some things you can't do but there is so much you can. Before I go over the steps, let me show you the card (I haven't embellished it or anything at this point):

And, here are the steps I followed to make this:

Place your rectangle on mat
Position heart in desired location
Select both objects and then go to PATH and select EXCLUDE. You should now only see one object on your mat - the card base with a heart shaped opening.
At this point, I locked this layer so that it would be easier to position and move things around.
Position your flowers where you want them - be sure they overlap each other and also onto the card base itself.
Select all of your flowers and WELD
Unlock the base layer and SELECT ALL and then WELD
That's it! Check the preview and it should be ready to cut!

I could upload the cut file to 4shared but maybe you want to try it yourself? If you want the file, let me know and I'll get it loaded and provide a link.

And then, I have been doing a lot of blog hopping and even though I've seen it before, I never think to do this myself - I actually broke out the sewing machine for a card last night! I sewed the solid cardstock piece to the patterned background and then I pleated and sewed the ribbon to the card as well. It's still a simple card but I think it is pretty.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I'd love it if you'd leave a note to let me know you were here!

Some Random Cards

2011-01-28T16:44:00.003-06:00

Been playing around trying to use up stuff out of my scrap bin - you wouldn't believe how much is there and how many cards I can make!

These are just random cards to have on hand:

The wedding card is the only one that uses a cut file - I downloaded this pretty cut from HeatherM's blog.

Ok, I was wrong - this has a cut file too - the scalloped medallion. It's from svgcuts.com but I can't remember which collection it was in.

Nothing too exciting but thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

By Request.....My Knitting Collection

2011-01-28T16:02:00.009-06:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

I had a request from the Craft Edge forum for a repost of my knitting collection of a couple of years ago. So, with my new practice of only posting what I have cut, I did some test cuts, tweaked some files, recut them and then added a couple new ones. The pictures below show the results:

Note in the picture below the needles have been taken out of the "packaging" and inserted into the ball of yarn.

In the next picture, you will see the needles separate from both the packaging and the yarn. And, assembled with a brad, the scissors will open and close. (Oops - didn't notice until now that one of the needles is turned upside down - sorry!)

Heart "Cobweb" Valentine

2011-01-24T07:27:00.004-06:00

NOTICE: Please go to the SVG tab at the top of my blog for important information regarding SVG downloads.

Someone on the svgcuts forum was looking for a file to cut this project from the Martha Stewart website (clicking on the link will take you to the website for instructions on finishing the project):

There is a template for printing and handcutting on the website but it's much simpler and quicker to just cut it using SCAL and your Cricut!

Here's the one that I cut this morning - no embellishments or anything - just the heart cut included in the file download.

Wk4 jingle belles card challenge

2011-01-21T06:55:00.006-06:00

The challenge at Jingle Belles this week is Pretty in Pink....and green.

Here's my attempt at this one:

I have to say, that I actually like this one! The colors look better IRL - someday I'll figure out the lighting in this room so I can better pictures.

Here's the details of what I did: I started with a 5x5 card made from Core'dinations cardstock. I inked the edges with the same color green ink. I topped the card base with a 4.5 square of a scrap of pink patterned cardstock - I think it is Basic Grey - edges inked with pink ink. Then I had fun! I cut the Holly Jolly from the Rockin Around the Christmas Tree collection at SVGCUTS.com. (I omitted the arrow layer). In Inkscape, I broke apart an svgcuts.com freebie to create the large holly leaves and berries. I added a slit to the center of the leaf to nestle the word Christmas (stamped on a scrap of the same pink patterned cardstock with green ink) into. I embossed the leaves with a cuttlebug embossing folder. Inked them with green ink, sprinkled with clear EP and heat embossed them. I used versamark ink and clear EP on the holly berries (the shine causes them to look almost red in the picture but they are the same dark pink cardstock used to make the Holly Jolly embellishment). The finishing touch was adding the light green Basic Grey opaline pearls to the corners.

Thanks for stopping by to visit! Have a great weekend!

WOOHOO! A first for me!

2011-01-20T19:34:00.003-06:00

I actually made a card that fulfills TWO different challenges!!!! I've never tried that before and just had to share my excitement. I know some of you can meet 5, 6, or even more challenges with one card/project but, still, this is a FIRST for me!

So, for the details: My card is a 5x5 square with a 4.5" opening cut into it. Behind the opening, I layered a section of a black flourish die cut cardstock over white cardstock. I added a curvy edge section of silver glitter cardstock, a strip of white cardstock punched with my MS lace border punch, and then a strip of DCWV stripe cardstock. I trimmed the edge of this section with baby ric-rac colored with silver ink. Then I stamped a birthday cupcake stamp onto a piece of white cardstock using my black staz-on ink. I rounded the corners, stamped a section of a flourish onto a corner and inked the edges with silver ink. I added a gem and pearl flower embellishment and couple of rhinestones. The sentiment was stamped with staz-on ink and given the same silver ink treatment as the cupcake. Oh, and I almost forgot - the flame of the cupcake and the sprinkles on the icing are diamond stickles.

The challenges I met:

Pixie Dust Paperie has the following sketch challenge:

And, Crafting with Christina has a color challenge - Black, white and gray (may substitute silver).

Thanks for taking a look!

Just a Note about Vera Bradley

2011-01-19T20:50:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to say that I am thrilled that you are all so excited about the VB give-away. I figure if I have had them stashed for 2 years - it's time to get rid of them. I didn't know what type of response I would get since they are just small pieces and retired items at that.

How do I happen to have "extra" Vera? The only reason that I have so much VB is that my daughter lives in Fort Wayne, IN and hits the annual outlet sales. We get pieces for about 20-25% of msrp that way. You don't get a lot of pattern or style choice but as long as you are not set on getting a specific item, it can be a lot of fun. I've managed to get "sets" of almost all of my patterns - a purse, wallet and cosmetic. And, I have one pattern that I probably have 15 pieces of - it's my travel set so I have all sorts of different pieces to vary depending on the situation.

In case you think you might ever want to go to the outlet sale, here's a little more info:

The year I went to the sale, the doors opened at 8 and we sat outside in 30 degree weather from about 2:30 until 7 when they finally let us into the lobby. It is insane but the building has a capacity and once they hit that number, no one else can go in until some leave. And, obviously, the first people in get the best selection of merchandise.

It works best to go as a group so you can divide and conquer. I went with both of my girls so we each took a third of the sales floor. When you go in, you get a large plastic bag (think garbage bag) - you walk up and down the aisles and grab ANYTHING you even remotely think you might want. Then you go to sorting areas and look through your stuff and toss what you don't want into large boxes. The staff restocks those items to the tables. Compare notes with the other people in your group and then one person holds everything and you run around again looking for anything you might have missed. They bring out more stuff as tables empty so its always good to hang around for a little bit. I bought about 15 extra pieces that were exceptional bargains - used a bunch of them for birthday gifts and such for co-workers and friends. (the ones I'm giving away are the last of that bunch)

It made for a good girls day out for the 3 of us - with the girls grown and Jenn living in Indiana, we don't get many of those. Maybe we'll do it again in a year or two if they are still having the sales by then.

I have a free VB svg file available here.

I'll leave you with this layout I did of my daughter's first VB sale from 2008.

And I thought my Craft Room was a Mess......

2011-01-19T11:34:00.001-06:00

......it was nothing compared to my Computer!!!! I have spent the last 3 hours working on cleaning up and reorganizing my files.....and I haven't even begun to touch the thousands of digital pictures I have. I've basically dumped all of those into one folder and will work on them another time.

What prompted this? Well, when the PC starts slowing down, you know its time to take action. MY PC isn't the latest, fastest edition but it is just over a year old and has LOTS of memory so it shouldn't be bogging down the way it is. In perusing my hard drive, I noticed that I had 2 & 3 copies of some files --- PLUS .zip files for the same items. No wonder I'm having problems.

As soon as the last of my photo files are copied into the one folder, I will be doing a backup of my hard drive onto my Passport portable HD followed by a defrag of the PC hard drive. Hopefully these steps will speed things back up!

I could use any tips/hints any of you have for keeping your computer files organized - I obviously need some help in this department!

Natalie's Valentine Card

2011-01-18T11:02:00.004-06:00

SVGCUTS released the cutest valentine freebie yesterday (you can click on the picture to go to their blog to download it):

I was going to use this just to make my grandson a valentine card and make Natalie a princess themed card. Well, my daughter said Natalie would love the dino too - so I attempted to combine the dino and princess themes with this card:

The card is a gate fold style and when you open it up, there is a lacy heart cut that says ".....to our DINO-MITE princess!" and I have another little crown under the word princess.

What do you think? I know it's busy and has lots of sparkle but is it too much? Does it work?

Thanks for taking a look! Off to work on Daniel's card now.

Wk3 jingle belles card challenge

2011-01-16T21:18:00.003-06:00

Don't know about you, but I haven't done much today - followed a couple of blog hops and did the pink stamper challenge that I posted earlier. And, figured I should work on the jingle belles card challenge - doubt I'll manage to keep up with all of them for the year but I really want to try!

The challenge this week was to use acrylic paint in some way. I have a drawer full of acrylic paint - bought it all when I was really into the making memories foam stamps (still have those by the way). Never really thought about other ways to use it so I just started playing around this afternoon to see what I could do. The card I made uses nothing but paper, paint, glitter and one flat back pearl from basic grey.

I created the lettering by using a CHALK TEMPLATE (an oldie from Fairytale Creations that I have had for YEARS) with a metallic acrylic paint called "dark patina". While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled it with the glitter. I tore my patterned paper and used just a quick swash of paint along the top edge. The snowy corner with the pine trees is a cut from the Santa's Workshop collection at SVGCUTS.com. I used my patina colored acrylic on the trees and added some glitter. Then I took some white acrylic and dabbed it on the snowy area and again sprinkled it with the glitter. The snowflake is from the same SVGCUTS collection and is painted with white acrylic, sprinkled with glitter and then I adhered the pearl in the middle. The snowflake is mounted on a foam dot.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

My Pink Stamper Blog Hop Challenge

2011-01-16T07:22:00.004-06:00

How is it possible that I have never visited My Pink Stamper's blog? WOW - some amazing stuff there and her new design team rocks! I just followed their first ever blog hop and was truly in awe of some of the beautiful creations the ladies shared.

Part of the blog hop was to collect a word at each blog to form a challenge sentence and then post your entry on My Pink Stamper's Blog.

Well, those of you who follow along here know 1) I'm not a card maker and 2) I'm not much of a stamper. But, I managed to put together a card - using only things in my scrap bin, a freebie SVGCUTS file, my MS Lace Border punch, foam dots, ribbon, chalk, ink, and a marker. Since I had never visited my pink stamper before, obviously I didn't have any of her stamps, but I did manage to meet the color challenge by using a lot of pink on my card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inside of Little Birdie card......

2011-01-13T22:25:00.003-06:00

.....here's the inside of the little birdie card I posted a couple of days ago. I designed the word happy to the right side thinking of adding a cupcake or something in that space. Decided it was a good place for the little birdie instead. Also - the little birdie on the top right is not white like it looks here - it's actually light blue.

Spring Forward Blog Hop

2011-01-12T07:45:00.001-06:00

BLOG HOP is Full! A great group has been assembled - be sure to mark your calendars for March 11 - the HOP starts Here!

Hi everyone – exciting news today! Celeste from Touched by a Butterfly and I have decided to team up to host a Blog Hop. The theme of our blog hop will be Spring/Easter and is open to paper crafters of all types – cards, scrapbook layouts, 3D paper projects – paper and the theme are the only criteria. You do not have to offer patterns or cut files but if you want to, that would be awesome. We are looking for 8 to 10 other crafters/paper artists to join us on this little adventure. Participating in a blog hop is a great way to increase the number of viewers/followers to your blog.

If you haven’t participated in a blog hop before – this is the perfect opportunity to jump in as we’ve never hosted before either – we can all learn together. How does it work? Basically, once you decide to participate you should make an announcement on your blog to help generate interest in the event. Then, design your project, take pictures of it, and write up instructions on how to duplicate it. If you want to offer blog candy, have that selected, photographed and your criteria set. Then, at the appointed time, you publish a blog post that includes your project information, blog candy info (if you are offering any), as well as the main blog candy info and blog hop itinerary. I would also ask that as a participant, you visit the other blogs and leave comments. Not too hard, right?

There will be a prize/blog candy offered for those who visit and comment at every stop along the way – the prize has not been determined yet as this is something we’ve just decided on today. If you would like you can also offer a small blog candy for those who visit your blog – you determine your own criteria and run your own give-away.

The blog hop will run March 11 – 13 (the weekend clocks “spring forward”).

We’d love to have you participate! If you are interested, please email Celeste or me as soon as possible as the number of slots will be limited to 12 (Celeste, me, and 10 others).

Greetings from my Grandkids!

2011-01-12T07:33:00.002-06:00

I know it's sideways - but had to share my birthday greetings from the grandkids that Jennifer posted this morning on facebook.