Showing posts with label Cricut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cricut. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2020

Halloween: Gothic Batty Wreath. Dollar Tree Finds

 


I popped into Dollar Tree recently since I've been seeing some fun finds on different blogs. Just my luck, I didn't find what I went for but can you ever leave Dollar Tree empty handed? Not me! The end result is this Gothic Batty Wreath using a wire frame and ornaments I picked up on my visit. 


Supplies

  • Wire Wreath Form (Dollar Tree)
  • Black Mini Ornaments (Dollar Tree)
  • Black Ultra Suede Fabric (Stash)
  • Cream Paper Flowers (Stash)
  • Self Adhesive Rhinestones (Stash)


I also picked up these cool straw brooms that I thought I was going to use in this project but ended up saving for something else. 


The fabric scrap I had was about 36 inches long and 9 inches wide so I cut it in half to make two 4.5 x 36 strips and wrapped the wreath form adhering with hot glue. 


I cut out 8 pairs of bats (16 total) on my Cricut Explore 2 using black cardstock.


I scored each bat down the middle and then layered using foam tape to give each pair some depth and dimension. Then, hot glued as shown towards the inside of the wreath. Never one to leave well enough alone, because I debated...I kind of liked the simplicity of it but...I had those cool black ornaments to use! 


I removed the ornament caps and then glued groups of three ornaments around the wreath. They come in matte, shiny, and glitter. I ended up using about 1.5 packages and still have the same amount left over which means I guess I'll have to make something else!  I also remembered I had these paper flowers in my stash. Last September we were at Disneyland which was all decorated for Halloween. My favorite was The Haunted Mansion which each normal year ( so not 2020!) they turn into "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and this was shaping up to remind me of that. Creepy yet pretty. 


I added the flowers to the ornament clusters and then because "it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that bling" finished with some self adhesive rhinestones.


Yep. I got that stray glue string. 

Et voila! 










Monday, January 6, 2020

First Cards of 2020


I have several friends and relatives having birthdays in January so here are the first cards I've made in the New Year. 


Supplies : 
  • Cricut Explore 2
  • Copyright Free Image
  • Aqua Glitter Paper ( Michaels)
  • Foiled Vellum Paper (Michaels)
  • CraftSmart Classic Chic Paper Stack ( Michaels)
  • 110 lb Cardstock ( Michaels)
  • Rhinestones (Stash)
  • Foam Squares
For this card, I found the birthday cake image online and uploaded in Cricut Design Space. Cut two images and layered them using foam tape to give dimension.

Card is sized 5x7. Cut vellum paper panel 5x7 ; aqua glitter paper to 4.25x6.25 ; polka dot paper ( CraftSmart stack) to 4x6 and layer as shown. Finish by mounting the layered birthday cake. 

I tend to leave the inside of my cards blank more often than not but I haven't been doodling / lettering much so I used the negative from the cake image I cut and traced it on a panel of paper which I think doodled / hand lettered: 



For the next card, I used: 

  • Whisky Barrel "Hot Buy" Paper stack (Michaels)
  • 110 lb Cardstock ( Michaels)

I have a little bit of a paper addiction ( OK I have a HUGE paper addiction) and when Michaels has their "Hot Buy" stacks either 70% off / Buy 1 Get 2 Free, I'm there. That's where I found this Whisky Barrel stack which is great for "man cards". 


For this card, used only the stack, selecting two coordinating sheets of paper and one panel from a sentiments sheet in the stack. Same process and dimensions for the basic card, trimmed the sentiment with a black panel and layered all as shown. 


For the interior, I drew a double banner ( thank you You Tube!) and then lettered the sentiment inside. 


For the last card:




  • Silhouette Design Store Image
  • Silhouette Cameo 3
  • Antique Gold Glitter Paper ( Michaels)
  • Cardstock 110 lb (Michaels)
  • Music Themed Vellum ( Stash) 
  • Cricut Brushed Gold Adhesive Foil ( Michaels or JoAnn's one of the two!)


Card is also 5x7. Layered vellum panel, then alternated gold glitter and white cardstock cutting the image on my Cameo and layering on a white panel. I like the simplicity of this one. I used the "stencil" from the first card for the interior and forgot to take pictures but did it in gold gel pen instead of black ink. 





Monday, January 8, 2018

Cardmaking: Cupcake Birthday Cards, First Cards of 2018


I've been easing back into the creative world with the New Year, but January always starts off fast with several birthdays, including a big one for my son later this month. 

The first card  is for a couple whose birthdays are a day apart, so I made them a joint card with one birthday cupcake for each.  The other is for my brother in law and the colors and style worked for him so easy peasy. 

I stashbusted my paper supplies and used one sheet each of :
  • Flocked damask paper
  • Acetate sheet with gold script
  • Antique gold glitter paper
  • Gold and white foiled paper
  • Black cardstock, matte and metallic
Along with:
  • Foam dots 
  • Self adhesive acrylic rhinestones
  • Coordinating washi tape


I was a Girl Scout so "make new friends but keep the old" is a thing with me and that applies to tools too, so for this one I used my "old" Cricut Expression I've had for years (while I've acquired other machines) but it still works like a charm and I bought those cartridges for a reason! I used an image from the Damask Decor cartridge. Not going to lie , I dream about a black Cricut Explore Air 2 machine (hear that Cricut people...just sayin') . 

I cut the base layer cupcake in black matte and the top in the white and gold foil paper . I like layering images using foam dots, and offsetting them slightly for depth. 


While the images were cutting, I cut my panel layers, and layered as shown: 


Once my panel was finished I attached it to the card base which I'd cut from metallic black cardstock , and then attached the cupcakes, finishing with a self adhesive gold dot. 



The second card followed a similar process, I just changed up the paper combo a bit. 



Monday, August 14, 2017

Another Altered Cabinet Door: NEST Sign


I mentioned in an earlier post how I love using cabinet doors for projects. I usually find mine at a local architectural salvage place and got this one along with a previous one for a donation of $5 ( for both) to Habitat for Humanity. 

We have a lot of blank wall space which I don't actually mind, but it's also great for when an idea does hit because  I haven't had to take something else down. This will hang in our TV watching area where we end up spending a fair amount of our time .  This is where I find out all of the latest intrigue on "Game of Thrones", say goodbye to my Sestras on "Orphan Black", see who's up to what on "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder" and Netflix and chill.

We also read here when the TV's not on. We're homebodies so the them of "Nest" seemed appropriate.

Supplies: 
  • Salvaged Cabinet Door
  • Acrylic Paints
  • White School Glue
  • Printed Tissue Paper (Recollections)
  • Mod Podge
  • Adhesive Foil (I used Cricut Gold Metallic)
  • Scrabbook Paper (C'oredinations Cream and Black) 
  • Misc Embellishments
  • Die Cut and/or Electronic Cutting Machine (Silhouette and Cuttlebug)


The wooden wings will be part of another post but I took a pic of the unfinished cabinet door with them so more on that later in the week. 




I painted the "frame" of the door with black acrylic paint (I used Craftsmart). Taped off the edges and then painted the interior with cream acrylic paint. 


I didn't worry about complete coverage of the interior because I knew I'd be putting the tissue paper here.  Cut the tissue paper to size and then apply using Mod Podge. 

Measured out my tissue paper before I painted
Using my favorite white glue technique, I crackled the frame of the door. Basically paint a layer of glue ; let dry until tacky but not completely dry ; paint over w/ contrasting color. 

Tip: You want to use long even strokes and go in one direction, not up and down. Back to School is the perfect time to stock up on cheap, white, glue! 


While that was drying, I laid out my design on my Silhouette Cameo, then cut the images and lettering using Cricut Gold Foil. 

Enter frustration. When I applied the foil pieces, the transfer tape pulled up the Mod Podged tissue paper in some spots. The nice thing about working w/ the tissue paper was that it was easy to tear some "matching" pieces and just repair those spots with a little more Mod Podge. 


I don't think you can really tell where I had to patch. I used my Cuttlebug to cut the flowers ( Tim Holtz Tattered Florals) rolled the edges and added rolled roses in the center. I rummaged around in my mismatched embellishment stash and found some swirly things ( technical term) that I painted to match and put on the nest image and the corners of the door. 



Monday, October 20, 2014

Halloween: BEWARE Banner and Ghosts of Projects Past

Beware Banner

We have a 2nd  fireplace without a mantle that was sitting there all naked and bare and I decided it needed a Halloween banner.

For this project you will need:
  • Chipboard
  • Scrapbook paper ( I used a black and white pack from Oriental Trading Co)
  • Textured Cardstock ( Core’dinations)
  • Paper Straws ( Oriental Trading Co)
  • Glitter Tape
  • Self adhesive rhinestones
  • Jute twine
  • Adhesive
Bewarer Banner 1

For the banner, I cut the letters from a textured cardstock using my Cricut.  Cut the pennant shapes from chipboard (4.5 x 6.5) . I did these the old fashioned way using math and everything! Determine the center point of your rectangle ; draw lines to the bottom corners to make a triangle and cut. Same for the scrapbook paper layer reduced by 1/4”. Layer scrapbook paper pennant on chipboard , cut photo corners from glitter tape and apply, adhere letters and finish with rhinestones.

Beware Banner 2

I got the idea to use the paper straws both to embellish each piece of the pennant because that's how I roll.

Cut straws to width of pennant pieces and attach with hot glue.

Beware Banner 3

Using another piece from the scrapbook paper pack, I made rolled paper roses for each of the letters. To hang, thread jute through each straw and attach with washi tape.

Also sharing some of this year’s Halloween décor using past projects (active links go to tutorials):

Haunted Mantle

Haunted Mantle 2

Halloween Decor
  1. Paper and Vinyl Owl
  2. Pressboard and Paper Pumpkin (I didn't do a post on this but it's a leftover pressboard "page" from a shaped album, covered in scrapbook paper using Mod Podge)
  3. Gothic Coffin Boxes
  4. Halloween Snow Globe (Halloween take on Christmas snow globes; old jar, Halloween figure, glitter )
  5. Glitter Decoupage Pumpkin
  6. Tissue Paper Pumpkin


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