Mixed Media - Advice From A Christmas Tree

I have often looked at Mixed Media projects and thought some of them were really cool looking and my LSS, Scraptopia, has classes quite often and my friend Linda H. asked if I wanted to go to the Advice From A Christmas Tree class and I told her I thought it sounded like fun. I was suppose to do another class one time with her but what I had pictured in my head was something totally different than what they did and when I saw what she made I was upset I didn't go.

Anyway, last night I made it to the class and not only did I have a great time and meet some new people but I also made a really cool Mixed Media project!

I am not sure where Trina came up with the idea for this project but I just love it! I always thought Mixed Media projects looked complicated but I guess it's all in the techniques that make it look complicated. 

I always wondered how they got the textured look on the canvas and was surprised it was just crinkled tissue paper, not to be confused with toilet tissue paper of course, and Modge Podge. 

We did stamping on the canvas as well with a variety of stamps and I was nervous about the stamp not being a full stamped image but Trina assured us that it wasn't suppose to be *okie remembers how she had to take a deep breath on that one and just go with the flow*. 

Now as we all know, or most everyone knows I am all about inking edges and to get the brown ink around the elements we used a brown Tombow, I believe it was, marker and then we either used our fingers or a Q-tip to smear the marker ink. I used my finger and it may never come off but who cares since I have a cute canvas now. 

In the picture you might notice some of the red dots on the tree look foggy, well that was because I took a picture before the glossy accents had fully dried. I still have to go over the whole thing with a coat of Modge Podge but since I have some of that gluey goodness at home I knew I could finish it up later instead of waiting at the scrapbook store and allowing it to dry and then applying the final coat.

I'm so glad my friend Linda H. asked me to go and I can't wait for the next class which is going to be Advice From A Snowman. We won't be doing that one until after Christmas but that's okay and I think I might have my daughter go with me to that one. 

Sometime ago I bought some packs of canvas, because I am sure I got them at a good price, and I can't wait to maybe do some with Santa Claus themes since that is what I love to decorate with at Christmas time. After all, I still have 9 days before Christmas!

For the Love of GLIMMER

Ya know there are times when we see something that just catches our eye and the other day when I was in Walmart I saw something that definitely fit that bill! I was actually back in the craft section getting some paddle wire to use with my Bowdabra, yes folks I am one of those people who actually owns one of those fabulous bow making contraptions. In fact, I own two! I have the regular Bowdabra and the Mini-Bowdabra but that is another story...back to what caught my eye!

I had grabbed my paddle wire and something hanging on the end cap caught my eye....glimmer!! I mean GORGEOUS GLIMMER too! It reminded me of little shiny diamonds on a roll that resembled contact paper. Why had I never seen this product before...oh wait, that would be because I rarely go in the craft department of Walmart anymore and now I'm thinking maybe I need to stop in every now and then because I could be missing out on some awesome stuff!

The price was $5.97 for a roll that measures 20" x 6' and I quickly half way did the math in my head and thought "well this is cheaper than glitter vinyl". The packaging says it is permanent but since I thought of using it on ornaments I didn't figure it not being like super permanent would be a problem. I wasn't sure if the Explore Air 2 would cut this stuff but since that machine seems to cut just about everything else I've tried I tossed the roll in my buggy and figured if it didn't cut then I could find some use for the lovely glimmer sticky stuff. 

I had to call Carmen and send her pictures of the stuff and her reply was "OOHHH SHINY DIAMONDS!" and we both cracked up laughing *okie wonders if she should explain why she and Carmen would both have the same thought but the figures she doesn't want to do all that typing*. I first tried cutting it on the "washi sheet" setting and that didn't work so well. I looked for what material was a notch or two more than that and I saw the printable vinyl setting and that my friends seemed to be just about right!

Now to see how sparkly this stuff really is you will probably need to click on the picture and make it bigger...go ahead...I'll wait *while waiting okie stretches her neck from side to side, takes a few relaxing breathes* SEE!! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?? It is one of those OOOHHH MMMYYY GGAAWWDDDD. Okay it might just be OMG in the picture but in person it is for sure OOHHHH MMMYYY GGAAWWDDDD!

I immediately regretted not getting the gold Deco Glimmer Laminate but I went by yesterday and picked up a roll to try on some red ornaments and while I don't think it sparkles quite as much I still love the look it gives. It's really hard to get a good picture to show the true mesmerizing sparkle of the glimmer laminate but if you click the picture look toward the outer edges of the design and I think you can see the sparkle a bit better. 

I had an extra little set of silver swirlies and my stainless steel tumbler was sitting in my handy dandy ScrapMaBob ***side note: if you don't have a ScrapMaBob and you are a heavy drinker like me I highly recommend this handy dandy gadget*** and I figured why not put those swirlies on the tumbler for experimentation reasons! So that is what I did. I took a picture with my flash off and then my flash on trying to convey how this stuff sparkles...again click the picture and make it bigger *okie picks at some glitter under her fingernail and wonders where it came from since she didn't remember using any glitter this morning* Yeah so what did I tell you?? OOHHH MMMYYY GGAAAWWDDD right??!!!!

Flash Off

Flash On

I suggest you RUN, don't walk...RUN LIKE HELL to your nearest Walmart and see if they have this stuff because I tell ya what it is worth every cent if you love bling!

Oh and.....You're welcome!!! *okie gives a smug grin because she knows some folks are gonna go TODAY and look for this stuff and fall in love with the blingy goodness*.

Ghiradelli Box with BONUS Candy Favors

It seems at Christmas time, and other holidays as well, we are rushing around trying to figure out cute little things to make to dress up simple things like candy to make it a little more special. One of my favorite things is a little box that holds those scrumptious delectable Ghiradelli Squares!

I have made these for Christmas and Valentine's day and they were always a hit. I try to watch after the holiday's for them to go on clearance so I can use them for the next holiday since they can be quite expensive. 

These little boxes are quick to cut and decorate and are great for coworkers, friends, stocking stuffers, etc. 

There are instructions out there for cutting these without a machine but why do that when we have perfectly great machines that can make the task so much faster and simpler, no measuring is always a good thing in my book!

In the Zip file I have also included the Lollipop Holder and Tic Tac Holder.

The lollipop holder is another fast and easy cut and they are just adorable! You can dress them up for any holiday by choosing different papers. They would also be great for birthday favors.

I have included 5 different decorative tops to choose from so the favor can be used for what ever occasion needed.

The Tic Tac holder does have a snowman cut but I also included a full cut blank cover so you can decorate anyway you wish. There are so many ways to decorate that I can't even list them all. 

I ran red line tape along the middle of the cover and applied ribbon to keep the cover closed and then also used the red line tape down the spine to keep the Tic Tac box in place. 

To purchase just click the "Buy Now" button and follow the directions that are listed below the buy now button.

4 files are included in this purchase and is downloaded as a Zip File.

• 1 PDF file - instructions for assembling the Ghiradelli Box
• 3 SVG files - Ghiradelli Box, Lollipop Holder, Tic Tac Holder

Price: $5.00

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

Transfer Tape...8 Years Later

I read so many complaints about people not being able to find a good transfer tape so I thought I would make a post about the transfer tape I use.

Back in the summer of 2008 I needed a good transfer tape that would hold up in the mail but also release well since I was selling Cricut Head Decals at the time. I looked around and decided on the R-Tape Clear Choice from Signwarehouse. At the time I thought the expense was quite great but I didn't want to get complaints about the tape not working, etc. Here it is 8 years later and I am still using the same roll! I have even shared part of this roll with my friend Carmen. She recently asked what the tape was because she thought it was the best she has used and I think she might have ordered her own roll. 

As you can see by the picture my tape has yellowed a little but it still works great and I am able to reuse pieces over and over. 

This particular roll is the 6.5" x 100 yards but they do have other options. I liked this size the best because it was wide enough for most things but if I needed it wider I just add how many more layers I need. 

I have used this on wall quotes but I actually prefer a paper tape that is less tacky so it's less of a struggle. For that I use the R-Tape Conform and it has worked really well. Since I use this tape mainly for wall quotes that I sell or give away I can't reuse most of it and I go through it quicker. And by quicker I mean I have about the same amount of tape on that roll as I do the Clear Choice and I think I bought the roll back in 2010 or 2011. The roll I have is the 6.5" x 100 yards as well. 

Here are the links to the tapes I use:

Clear tape - R-CLEAR CHOICE AT-60

Paper tape - R-TAPE CONFORM 4078RLA

Grinch Vinyl Quote

About 3 years ago my friend Karen wanted a vinyl quote with the Grinch. I can't remember now what she was going to use it for, or maybe she just wanted it for herself, and while she was here visiting I made the file and we cut it out.

I ended up using it myself and putting it in a frame and using it for a gift. It was one of those that took me awhile to get the font and placement right but I really liked the end results and I need to make one for myself! I have some Christmas pictures I do put up at Christmas, most of Santa but I think this one would be a nice addition to what I already have.

To purchase just click the "Buy Now" button and follow the directions that are listed below the buy now button. 

Price: $2.00

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

Outdoor Grade Vinyl $6.99 12" x 30' Roll

As a lot of you know I love Signwarehouse and I have been using them for my vinyl and Heat Transfer Vinyl purchasing since 2008. They have absolutely wonderful customer service and their prices are usually pretty competitive with other's that sell the same product. 

What you may not know is that Signwarehouse has their own signature brands of vinyl and HTV, it is Endura and the ending of the name depends on the type of vinyl you are purchasing. The regular vinyl is EnduraGLOSS and is comparable to Oracle 651, the stuff that is permanent. 

Here are the specs of the EnduraGLOSS:

• High gloss finish rated for up to six years outdoors. *
• Soft calendared face film with great weeding and release characteristics.
• Pressure sensitive adhesive makes dry applications easier.
• 32 color palette includes most hues needed for standard signage.
• Made in the USA: Consistent quality roll after roll.
• Outstanding price – performance value.

The price of EnduraGLOSS generally is always less than the Oracale 651 but today Signwarehouse is offering their 12" x 30' rolls for $6.99!! That my friends is an amazing value!

If you are needing some great vinyl and are wanting to save some money I highly recommend checking out Signwarehouse's house brand vinyl EnduraGLOSS! And yes, I do use this myself!

PayPal Dispute Resolved!

As ya'll know I had offered a file for purchase of some Snowmen Ornaments and one person that purchased rescinded her payment saying she never got the file.

In her correspondence on PayPal she said she tried to email me several times but I never replied and then stated she didn't know how to contact me any other way than PayPal. First off she used my email to send the money through PayPal and she never emailed me about not getting the file. Also I had sent the file the day after she paid. At that time I was still was emailing the file because I didn't have a buy button on my website for my files, which I do now in the posts that have files for purchase.

I sent her several messages through PayPal and she never responded so I decided to escalate the situation to PayPal for review. Thank goodness for the snipping tool in Windows because I was able to send them a screenshot of where I sent her another email, forwarding the original email with the file attached.

This is not something I wanted to do and I know it was only $5, but it was my $5! Actually only $4.55 after PayPal fees. 

After review PayPal decided in my favor! YAY! I really wasn't sure what would happen since there were no tangible goods but I guess since I had kept the email in my "sent" folder and was able to provide that information it helped. 

I just don't know why people want to try and cheat others!

Flourish Santa Layered - FREE FILE

I was browsing Facebook a few days ago and a lady was asking how she could get layers in the flourish Santa that has been around for a few years and since I wasn't doing anything I told her I would break it apart for her. 

Well it took longer than I thought because I couldn't figure out the best way to have it layered so it would be easy to use with HTV (heat transfer vinyl) and then I decided the "knock out" method would be best so if one wanted to use glitter HTV and regular HTV for the image it could be done.

Here is a picture of the Santa with all the layers in place. I colored the beard grey for the picture so you could see it is a different layer than the hat and ball, which are not joined either so if you wanted to cut those out of different colors you could do that as well.

Here is a picuture of the layers apart. If you're new to this HTV thing you would press down your black and then just fill in the colors in any order you want. This keeps the image from being too thick and like I said if you want to use glitter HTV it is a lot easier this way. If color layers were solid those would have to go down first and it would be difficult to get the layers lined up.

I said I was starting to charge for my files but this one is free since it is not my original design.

Free SVG download - FLOURISH SANTA LAYERED

Lighted Glass Block - Family Theme

I had a request for a lighted glass block and they were not very specific about what they wanted and just told me "oh do what ever you think will be good". I just love it when people give me such great ideas *okie looks out with deadpan look on her face* when they want something made.

I wanted to avoid personalizing it because I'm getting really tired of doing all the initials, split letters and names so I opted for a nice quote on the block. By the way, the block is not green but the background was green and it is giving it a green effect. 

I used vinyl to cut out the background design and did the process of putting the whole layer of vinyl on the block and then weeded out from around the design. The reason I went this route is because it is easier for me to get the design centered. 

This picture shows the background design a little better. I really like doing the blocks where most of it is frosted and there is a delicate design of plain glass, it just looks fancy to me. If you click on the picture it will make it bigger and you can see the detail better. 

I used a string of 35 miniature lights for the inside and then to add just a little pizzazz I tied some black and silver glittery wired ribbon around the block and then just made a bow at the top.

If you would like to purchase this file you may do so and once purchased it is yours to do with what you wish, as long as you are not re-selling or sharing the file with others. The file has 3 layers, a layer with a square and the base design in it, another layer that is just the base design and then the top layer of the quote. If you going to use this for making a glass block you will need to measure your area and adjust the design accordingly. There is 4 squares that are registration marks to help you get the quote centered and once the quote is applied you remove the squares.

Price: 2.00 

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

I "heart" Guns & Coffee Decal

One of my daughter's friends loves coffee and she loves guns. She had posted on her Facebook page about how she would love to have a decal out of a picture she posted and I told her "I can make that happen".

I went to work in Make The Cut and was able to design this decal. There is a white base layer and then the top green layer in the design. Once I posted it on Facebook I had some requests about the file and I had to inform a few people that I no longer give my files away.

BUT....

If you would like to purchase this file you may do so and once purchased it is yours to do with what you wish, as long as you are not re-selling the file I have no problem if you make them and sell the decals.

Price: 2.00 

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

It's The End of an Era

Several times over the years I have thought about not sharing files but I would continue for one reason or another but as of now I will no longer be sharing files and most all links, hundreds of them actually, have been taken down.

I started sharing files back in 2008 when Design Studio was still used and I made files out of nothing but squares, circles, triangles and the letter "j" from George was a life saver. Once I started using Make The Cut the whole making file process was so much easier and user friendly and I would be so excited to share a design I was able to make. I truly enjoyed sharing, but now...it's almost a regret.

I know this might seem rash to stop sharing and taking down the links but after reports of people posting my files in various groups on Facebook or using my files for their own projects to make money I have decided that it is time to end my generosity. Rarely do I get donations for the files I make and many times there are hours and hours of work that go into just one "simple" file. To all those who have been generous and made a donation over the years I truly appreciate you! It has been very frustrating many times when I have had a file downloaded hundreds of times and maybe, maybe 3 people would even say thank you. 

I will continue to share my projects here and make blog posts of nonsense that goes on in my head and my life. If I can think of a way to share files to where others are not sharing my work as their own or making money off my generosity I will start sharing again.

If anyone chooses not to come back due to this announcement I completely understand. 

Red Santa Bags - I'm In Love!!!

So my friend Carmen sent me a package last week and I was so excited when I saw it was some red Santa bags! I loved the velvety feel of them but I wasn't sure how well they would hold HTV since it isn't a smooth surface but since a lot of folks have gone crazy over adding HTV to some little cheap elves I figured I would give it a shot and oh boy how glad I did! These bags are HUGE...they measure 27" wide x 36" tall so they will hold a lot of gifts from the fat man himself!

On the first red bag I did I just used the same design that I had used on the canvas bags I did. I had to change some of the colors out since I thought the white would show better on the red than the black. I also had to change the red berries to white berries. Where I had a red stamped circle I changed it to green and the black stamped image was changed to white. I was really pleased on how well it turned out.

Carmen had found an image and emailed it to me and I tweaked it a bit for what I needed and came up with this design. It seemed to waste quite a bit of  HTV but I think I have worked with it enough now and broke it apart to where I can get the cuts using the least amount of HTV *okie so hates wasting HTV* and making it a little more cost effective. That is one thing I love about Make The Cut, the ability to tear apart a whole image and use what you need, add what you want and then put it all back together how you think it works best for you. 

The little star looking designs are some Spectrum holographic HTV that I got a couple of years ago and I think it added a nice little touch but I am going to do a little tweaking with it as well. It really shines in person, so much more than what shows in the picture. 

Hopefully I can get some of these sold or I am going to have a closet full of stuff I can't use for myself! 

Organizing HTV - HTV Chart file available

So y'all know my issue about organization right? Well if you don't ya must be new around here because sometimes it borders on obsessive. I am constantly thinking and trying new ways of organizing different things in my craftroom *okie wishes the rest of her house had the same issue*. I ordered some more HTV, heat transfer vinyl in case someone doesn't know what that is, and I knew it was time to get it in a better method than just a corner in my craft closet where it was hard to get to and go through.

I have my heat press on an old microwave cart, and when I say old I mean I have had this thing so long that I can't even remember when I got it, and have been meaning to see if I could put my HTV on the cart with the heat press since that just seemed to make sense! Luckily I have saved my cardboard tubes over the years *okie has no idea why she would even save the dang thangs* and they came in handy for putting on the cart and separating my HTV. Some of the HTV sticks out, which I don't like but it will do for now since it's so much easier to see what I have and to grab and use. I am planning on finding another place for the books and stuff that are in the area where the doors are so I can keep items or projects that I will be pressing. The little shelf above the HTV has some bags I will be pressing and also a template for tshirt sleeves. I also was able to put my sticky flock and some of my rhinestone template material on the cart. It's the flat sheets sitting on top of the tubes. Those items had been rolled up and I will have an easier time using them and not dealing with getting it to lay flat when I am ready to use them. 

During a moment of "why didn't I think of that sooner" I made up a chart of heat press settings for various HTV I have and after printing I laminated it. I keep it under my heat press and can grab it quickly instead of having to sit down at the computer and look up the settings each time I am ready to heat press something. I do have this, well not this particular one because I took off the EnduraTex holographic HTV items since those particular ones are no longer available, in a PDF file if you would like to download and print your own. I made it a PDF file since some people don't have access to MSWord. 

Just click the link to download the file : 

HTV Heat Press Settings

Snowman Ornaments with Hats and Gingerbread Bonus!

Last year after Christmas when I was in Houston I hit up a few Hobby Lobby's and bought a few packages of the 3.25" clear ornaments, there is 4 in a package, that everyone had been using to decorate so I could do some of the glitter ornaments that is all the rage. I really hadn't decided exactly what to do and I have done a few that are personalized. I had gotten some brown fine glitter a few weeks ago thinking I could do some Gingerbread ornaments and I also wanted to try my hand at some snowmen ornaments.  

I  made a file for a Gingerbread face about a week ago and loved it and after that I decided to make some for snowmen but that wasn't good enough and I thought "They need hats!". After two days of designing and tweaking *okie thinks she really needs to get a degree in engineering or something to make this whole process go faster* I was able to get the files done.

I have already posted some pictures in a group on Facebook and got an overwhelming response about how much people loved the ornaments. For once I was pleased with my results, so many times I don't like what I make but ya know they say we are our own worst critics.

Since the hangers are covered by the hats I included a hole in the top of the hats so ribbon can be tied to the hanger and then threaded through the top of the hat. After I got the faces on I thought they looked a little plain so I decided to try some alcohol ink to put a blush on the cheeks and it worked! Just don't be heavy handed with the alcohol ink and if you have some alcohol blending solution it makes it easier to correct any mistakes, or an alcohol blender pen will help with any touch ups a well. I used one of those little triangle make up sponges and just a dot or two of ink and then pounced on paper before pouncing on the cheek area.

 

Decorating the hats was a lot of fun because there are so many options. The file does include a cut for a paper ban but I used ribbon instead. I also included some holly leaves in the file but for mine I used the Martha Stewart holly leaf punch and tree branch punch. The red "berries" are some hot fix embellishments, I believe from Imaginisce. On the lady hat I also added some hot fix rhinestones. The little silver embellishments are ribbon slides. I added some Sobo glue at the bottom edge of the hat so they would stay in place on the ornaments. Guys I can't tell you enough about how awesome this glue is for things that are hard to adhere!

 

Now about the Gingerbread bonus! 

The brown glitter is some that I found at Hobby Lobby, not in the scrapbook department though. I am going to replace their mouths with some white vinyl so they show up better because with the brown glitter they are just too hard to see since they are so thin. 

The girl Gingerbread man *okie thinks that just doesn't even sound right* I added some eye lashes so she would look more womanly, or girly, whichever you prefer. The ribbon is attached with Sobo glue but I think some redline tape would work just as well. 

Putting on the squiggle outline can be a little tricky because of the spherical design of ornaments and I did have to trim a few areas because there are wrinkles after applying. While I feel like I am an adequate designer, I am not a genius in this area and wasn't able to make the file to avoid this. But hey, it's a free bonus!!

If you would like to purchase this file you may do so and once purchased it is yours to do with what you wish, as long as you are not re-selling or sharing the file.

Price: 5.00 

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the files from Google Drive. 

4 files are included in this purchase.

• 2 PDF files - 1 with basic instructions for the SVG files and the other that is a picture tutorial of how to assemble the hats.
• 2 SVG files - 1 file of Snowman faces, along with the Gingerbread faces bonus. The other file is for the hats.

It's No Fun To Browse The Internet!

It's really no fun anymore. It use to be fun back when you could browse the internet while seeing and reading cool things. But now...it's just a pain in the arse!

For instance, you go to look at some kitchen makeover stories on the Better Homes and Gardens website and you lose the whole picture of the kitchen makeover because of all the ads and pop ups. I'm not sure if I was looking at a kitchen here or if I was trying to buy a house, a truck, drink some whiskey, watch a video or decorate for Christmas. Do the folks who design this chit not know how this interrupts our sensory abilities to focus on the subject?

When I tried to read an article about some unusually marked dog the page was full of ads and then it wanted me to click "NEXT" to continue reading, which I did not since I have found that those kind of websites make you click through like 284 pages *okie knows she is exaggerating but it doesn't feel like much of an exaggeration* to read a 3 paragraph article. Not only that but there are all these annoying suggested reading's below the photo that most just lead to...YES! ADS!! And of course there is more ads in the side column that want me to book travel, cook a gourmet meal, hang my Christmas stockings or learn how to get beautiful. Why does the internet not think I am already beautiful! Are they spying on me, oddly enough I keep a little piece of Washi Tape over my camera eye on my laptop because while I am not a paranoid type I do know that people will hack into your computer for fun and see what you are doing by taking control of your webcam *okie won't mention that she would totally do that to others if she knew how* . It's all so distracting from what I am actually trying to see and read.

If you want to see 31 Hilarious Baby Photos you have to go through a slideshow, clicking 62 times *okie didn't go through and check to see if it was 62* because there is actually 2 photos for each photo and they are on separate pages. IT'S FREAKING ANNOYING! I JUST WANTED TO SEE CUTE BABIES!! Why can't they just put it all on one page and let you scroll through instead of wasting time clicking and clicking and clicking and clicking annnnndddd clicking!! Not to mention that other pages pop up and you have to find out how to get past it in order to get back to the dang cute babies!!


Didn't the internet use to be a lot more fun and simple? Now it's just a maze, or web if you will, of just making us see ads, accidentally click on them where we lose our original subject and then giving up all together. I've decided it's just no fun to browse the internet anymore!

Christmas Themed Acrylic Mini Album

I tried to get all fancy and edit the video I made but that just didn't work out too well. I hate that we are forced to change things that we know how to use and then can't find somthing similar, such as the Windows Movie Maker. Oh I could use it but it won't recognize the type of file my camera uses and well it was just one headache after another so I just uploaded the dang thing to Youtube "as is". Ya'll are gonna have to excuse my poor video skills...I know I really do suck at it.

The paper I used for the album is Basic Grey Wassail and was one of the first BG collections I purchased. Oh how I did use to love my Basic Grey! At least until they started getting some really funky patterns and by then I had started my love affair with Graphic 45.

Anyway here is video of the mini album and by golly someone better watch it because it a dang hour and a half to upload! I seriously went to Walmart and came back and the thing was still uploading so....

WATCH THE DANG VIDEO PLEASE!!!

Cricut Explore Air2 Review - Haunted Mansion Project

I was sent the Explore Air2 to review and I did a pretty complicated project for my first project with the machine and instead of writing a bunch of stuff and taking a ton of pictures I did a video instead. Actually my friend Carmen suggested a video as it would be easier for people to see the detail. I hate video's because I hate my voice and I am not very good at making the dang things but here it is!!

Here is a picture of the house in case you don't want to watch the video. The house is the Haunted Mansion from the Happy Hauntings cartridge and I did have to do some editing *okie thinks saying "some" is the understatement of the year* to the images to get the patterned paper to cut like I wanted so I could apply it to the house it's self.

I am really pleased with how well the Explore Air2 cut all the images and I had some pretty tough ones in there after I got done with my edits of the house. I really liked the ability to speed up the cuts on the regular cardstock. The machine settings won't let you speed up cuts for things that would likely tear up if it did, such as the chipboard setting. One thing I did find annoying was that the Air2 is quite a bit louder than the other Explore machines I reviewed but it is still more quiet than the other Cricuts, Pazzles or the Cameo's I have heard cutting. I think the quietness of the original Explore just has me spoiled 

The house is open at the bottom so you can add lighting if you wish. In the video I used battery operated tea lights and they work okay but for maximized lighting I think I would find something with a few more lumens so the windows really light up. 

I am super glad I chose this as my first project as Graphic45 was having contests all last week on their Facebook page and my little Haunted Mansion won the really nice prize package in the picture to the left!

This was just a win win situation for me!

My Daughter's Shadow Box - Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells

When you are using the same papers and embellishments it is hard to make things look differently but I was able to find a few things to help my daughter's shadow box look different than the one I did for myself.

Here is the full view of my daughter's shadowbox and when I finished and sent her the picture she said she loved it! Which she sure dang better as much time and effort as I put in the dang thang! BBWWAAHHHAHHAAA

This was what my daughter said was her favorite part of the shadowbox and I really think I love this lady as well. I used some Perfect Pearls on her feathers. I cut out one of the little flowers and layered it up to add on the hat and it covers a rose that was in that area. I didn't want to cut up a full sheet of paper so I could make the rose dimensional. The crow was on the handlebar and since I couldn't make the bird fit and it looked silly for him to be cut in half I layered him up and then made him go on the edge of the shadow box. 

She did actually look a little plain until the gears, moth, cat banner and little gold embellishment at her waist was added. Oh yes and Glossy Accents on her glasses of course!

The clock square was easy enough to do but there is a lot of fussy cutting on those images. As you can see I also used a lot of pop dots in the project. 

I think Dr. Dreadful shows up better in this picture than he did in the one I posted yesterday and Carmen said he was her favorite and she thought it was because of his glasses. 

This little Miss Ima Fraid is the lady that was in the memory slide on my shadow box but for my daughter's box I decided to layer her up and make her pop. Once again some Perfect Pearls on the feathers add some glitz and I even did her hair with them. 

See the little bats in the hot air balloon rectangle? Some of them are printed on the paper and others are fussy cut. Yes I said they were fussy cut and YES I needed my reading glasses and was trying to figure out how to tape a magnifying glass to them so it would be easier to see the little things. The banners were "waved" so they would fit in the rectangle, just like I did a sign on my shadow box. 

I loved this image and I knew I had to make a sign out of it somehow but I did have to take up two rectangles to make it work. The little bottles at the bottom have lime green flock and black diamond embossing powder in them to make them potion bottles. I filled in with "charms", okay actually buttons but we will call them charms so they tie in with the sign since it says potions and charms. The little banner is from some cardstock embellies that go with the collection. I used some chain to make the sign look like it was hanging and it would have not been possible without the use of some Sobo glue. I tell ya'll that stuff is like a miracle!

I did the skeleton on this one like I did for mine but I did do a different one with using the "Love Potion" image. My daughter said she loved this rectangle because of the little bottle with the "potion" in it. I just poured a little glimmer mist in the bottle. I added some Sobo glue to the cork and then pushed it in the bottle so I could make sure the cork wouldn't come out and the potion spill out on everything. 

There isn't really much to say about the last two squares since they are like the others but just different images. That and I'm tired of typing now and can't think of anything else to say!