Cards With my Silhouette SD and I Try ATCs...

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!  I hope you are all enjoying your day off (if you have one) and remembering the people who fight for us!  If you still need some red white and blue decor, for today or July 4th, check out my How-To on easy pin wheels here. I think I am going to put my pin wheels in the ground next to a war memorial statue before the day is out...

Today I just wanted to share some cards and ATCs I have been working on.  With the cards, I have been testing out my Silhouette SD cutter, and using Make The Cut software and Lettering Delights SVG files...

A congratulations card for a friend who will be moving away for nursing school, the inside reads "Oh, the places you'll go..." this would also make a great graduation card.  The cute balloon is from Lettering Delights Balloon Craze set.

A just because card I made for my husband. The phrase is "You Octopi My Thoughts" with an adorable octopus cut out. Both the phrase and octopus are from Lettering Delights Something Fishy Set..  I added blue stickles to the lettering, and diamond stickles to the little spots on his head. I corner chopped the bottom and added the uneven blue circles to look like bubbles popping out of the card.


Now I have tried to make my first ever ATC, I still have a lot to learn about these but I am having fun creating on such a small area. It is actually more of a challenge, since every little space has to be useful, there is no room for "fluff stuff!!"

With both ATCs I used stamps and colored pencils. I am putting the first one in the daily scrapbook I am putting together for my mom (you can read more about that here)

Enjoy the holidays and be safe


<3 RWK

How-To Tuesday: Make Festive Pinwheels

Is it really Tuesday already?! I made today's How-To for the first time and it is the easiest project. These adorable pinwheels would be perfect for your upcoming Memorial Day BBQ or to freshen up the house for summer. Pinwheels are such an iconic summer-time image! And I have to thank Martha for the fun idea.

Let's make Pinwheels!...


The Material 411:
Two pieces of patterned paper, cut to 5 inch square
Spray adhesive (or other glue)
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Hot Glue Gun
Thumb tack
Bamboo skewer (or anything similar)


Step 1:  Cut two pieces of patterned paper to a 5"x5" square.  Then use your spray adhesive (love it or leave it) to glue the patterned paper back to back, and let dry...

Step 1, cut and glue paper

Step 2:  Use your ruler and pencil to draw a diagonal line from corner to corner...

Step 2, draw line from corners

So it looks like this!

Step 3:  Measure 3" up from each corner and mark it.  Then you will cut from each corner to that mark...

Step 3, measure and cut 3" up each corner

Step 4:  Now fold every other corner into the center.  Use hot glue (or any other strong, fast drying glue) to secure each corner...

Step 4, glue every other corner to center

And now you should have the base of your pinwheels...

Step 5:  With the thumb tack, make a hole in the center of the pinwheel.  Then use the tack again to push through the bamboo skewer.

Step 5, drill baby drill...into the bamboo

Step 6:  Now just put the thumb tack through the pinwheel, then put that through the skewer.... All finished!

Step 6: FINISHED

Now just decide where you want to put them for decorations! Make your patterned paper colors coordinate with whatever theme you're using them for.  Aren't the red and blue ones perfect for Memorial Day? I placed mine in some little flower jars I had made for spring time...

These could be finished in 15-20 minutes, including glue drying time. So simple! And they definitely make the room look ready for summer.

Have fun crafting!

<3 RWK

Stamping with Colored Pencils and Hero Arts

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! We got one day off from the non-stop rain so we spent the day relaxing in the park, so it was pretty perfect :)

I just found out about this contest/challenge for Hero Arts so I jumped on the card making immediately. The rules are to use either a flower in your card, make an ATC, or use colored pencils, and of course incorporate a Hero Arts stamp. I don't have many large HA flower stamps, so I focused on working with colored pencils for pretty much the first time ever.

Enjoy browsing my latest projects!

Very simple card. Peacock and phrase both Hero Arts stamps. I shaded the birdie with pencils, this was my first one, woohoo!

A happy Hello giraffe! All stamps from Hero Arts, and giraffe and butterfly shaded using colored pencils. I punched out flower embossed yellow paper to match the giraffe spots (Thanks Kari for the emboss folder!) and also embossed the side.

Smile with the Shroomies! Hero Arts stamps used, all mushrooms, 'smiles', and border flowers. Colored in with pencils, and some red stickles added to the middle of the stamped flowers. I used my EK Success flower border punch on the edges.

Smile Crocodile! I think this ended up being my favorite! Crocodile stamp, phrase, and butterfly stamp from Hero Arts. I colored the animals with colored pencils. The scallop was shaded with a matching light green ink. Corners are punched with a Fiskars 3in1 corner punch, with little bling bits added to the middle.

There is no one like you special ducky card. Line the ducks in a row with Hero Arts stamps and colored with pencils. The yellow ducky also has orange Stickles on his beak and wing. I embossed a light blue paper strip with bubbles (for water!) and then shaded the top part of the water with different colored blue inks, and a white chalk on top.

Just had fun with this one, a "Hi" glittery peacock card. Texture embossed with this gorgeous big flower folder and glittered up pieces of the flower with stickles and Martha Stewart glitter and glue. Colored in the peacock with pencils. I really like how the colored pencils look on the Kraft paper!


Thanks for browsing! Enjoy your Sunday :)

<3 RWK

My First (ok, second) Cut with my Silhouette SD!

So I got my Silhouette SD in the mail on Thursday. I was so intimidated by it by I didn't even open the Amazon box until Saturday morning. I spent a solid 30+ hours trying to figure out how to use the software, and I think I was trying to learn too much too soon. I decided I finally needed to just make a damn cut already and see what it can do! My first cut was a simple birdhouse, just so I could see what it could do, and it turned out perfectly by the way! So I purchased a great background on the Silhouette SD shop, and it made my newest birthday card look AMAZING!

The pink circle lattice was cut flawlessly!

I missed a best friend's birthday (my mind has been all over the place!) and this will be her belated birthday card. I was amazed at how perfect the circle frame was cut. It didn't even tear when I pulled it off the mat. I was so excited I had to celebrate with a glass of wine (duh)!

Stamp overkill, fun with the inside

So yeah. I'm in love with my Silhouette SD. I'll still need to spend time figuring out the software (I was never a big photoshop buff) but the machine itself is great. Thanks for the super early anniversary gift, Matty! :)

The Material 411:
Silhouette SD circle frame
Cuttlebug bubble emboss (yellow border)
EK Success border punch
Fiskars bubble corner punch
We R Memory Keepers stamp (cupcake)
TPC Studios stamp (Happy Birthday)
And I ALWAYS use DCWV papers!

<3 RWK

Embossed 3 Ways Card and my Silhouette SD!

A while ago I commented on Kari's blog about how much I loved the emboss folder she used and what is it called and where can I find it etc etc etc! Well she ended up emailing me and telling me that she has double of the same one... and that she would send me the extra just because!!! How amazing is that?! I was so excited that somebody would do that for me, so please head over to Kari's blog KWCardDesign and look at all of her gorgeous crafts!

I received my brand new embossing folder (thanks Kari!) and I made her a thank you card. I wanted to use the same emboss pattern as many times on one card as possible. So it ended up being embossed three ways. 1) the front of the main card stock was embossed 2) the starburst paper on the edge was de-embossed (I actually really love this look)  3) the white scallop was embossed and stamped over the pattern.

It was actually more of a challenge than I thought to use one folder multiple times, but I had a lot of fun with it and I want to try it again but make sure to reeeeally go for the gold and emboss everything!

"How tweet of you!"

Embossed 3 Ways

So Kari you will be getting this and some thank you goodies in the mail soon! Thank you Thank you!


And Yesterday, the day I've been waiting for, my Silhouette SD arrived in the mail!!! Getting packages is great and getting big fancy electronic packages is Fantastic!!!  I haven't installed it yet (I will do that in about 5 minutes) and I'm sure there will be a future post about this. I hope I can figure it out, I can't wait to use it...

Glorious

And this is the look my dog gives me when I tell him "no" and "stay" because he kept walking in front of my pictures (see the little fur sticking out on the bottom left corner in the SD picture, that's him)....

Ya, he doesn't get told "no" very often, he looks crushed!

Remember to head over to Kari's Blog and show some love! And for anyone that follows, blogger deleted my Travel the World Wednesday: Newport post so I apologize if you missed it ..ugh

<3 RWK

How-To Tuesday: Make Cocktail Umbrellas and Tag Charms

Happy How-To Tuesday everyone! Today we'll make little drink umbrellas and drink tags! I was back in Phoenix all last week and had a great time, but it is good to be back in Connecticut. My mom is improving so much with her speech and comprehension, it was very encouraging to see.

Today I'm decorating drink glasses that would be perfect for any spring BBQ's, picnics, or parties! So let's make those cute little umbrellas and charms....

Materials:
Colored or Patterned Paper
Scissors
Double Sided Tape
Bamboo Skewers or Toothpicks
Circle Punch (one inch)
Stamps and Ink
String

Step 1:  Pick out whatever fun paper you want to match your party theme, then trace a circle to cut. I used a veggie can and it was a perfect circle size.

Step 1: Trace your circles

Step 2: Cut the circle! You can also use patterned scissors to get different edges on your umbrellas. Then cut out a little pizza slice like in the picture...

Step 2: Cut circles and cut a pizza slice

Step 3: Wrap your circle to make a little cone. I used a thin piece of double sided tape to adhere the cone.

Step 4: Poke your bamboo skewer through the center of the cone, that's it! Easy right?  My umbrellas stayed in place on the skewer, but if yours do not then just add a drop of glue inside.  Then just cut the skewers to the perfect length for your party glasses.

Step 4: Poke the cone in the skewer!

Finished!! How simple is that?!

Need a little extra flair?? Let's make easy little charms for the glass stems! These would be a fun way for everyone to know which drink belonged to who, and you can match it to your party theme as well.

Step 1:  Use a 1" circle punch with white card stock, punch out how many you need

Step 2:  Stamp the circles with little stamps, use ink to match your umbrellas and get different colors. My little seaside stamps are from Inkadinkadoo.

Step 3:  Poke a little hole in the circle just large enough for a string to fit through. Then just tie them around the glassware! Isn't this so easy?!

Drink charms!

All finished! These only take a few minutes to put together and will definitely add a personal touch to your next party! I hope you got inspired to spice up those cocktail glasses!

<3 RWK