Treat Pails - Embellished with Silhouette Vinyl

These little buckets have been in my craft closet and I die cut these images from the Silhouette America store. The media is the fuzzy vinyl. I made these for our United Way Craft Drive.

United Way Benefit - Crafter's Fair

I took part in my first quasi craft fair. My employer hosts a United Way Fund Drive each year. They invite employees to participate in selling their work at a craft fair and you agree to donate a portion of sales to the fund drive. Here is my table of goods. It was lots of work and very rewarding too. I used my Silhouette as well as rubber stamps and lots of my supplies. The onsies are embellished with flocked t-shirt transfers cut on the Silhouette. I made gift bags and embellished Halloween treat buckets!

Gift cards were pretty popular.



This file, from the Silhouette store does not fit gift cards well. Arg! Note to self, try the file before you cut a bunch.

Elzybells Swap Card - Belated Birthday

I took part in my first swap this month. I received 6 great handmade Elzybells cards. This is the card I submitted. I used Elzybells stamps, Copics, and Shrinky Dinks.

Elzybells - Closing Store Order

Hello everyone,

It has been quite some time since my last post. I managed to scratch my eye a week or so ago so I have been healing and putting antibiotic drops in my eyes so I haven't been doing much recreational computer work. Better now, and thought I would share a haul video.

The Elzybell shop is closing at the end of August, so act quickly! As I mention, I am sad that Elizabeth is closing her business but grateful that I had the chance to get these pieces of her art. The graphics are so cute and inspirational.

Here is a vido of my rather large order, and I still didn't get all the pup art ones I would have liked to. I am happy to have the stamps and look foward to using them and posting some work soon.

Best to all of you,
Terrie

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. It was a nice day at home. Oscar got me a lovely card and we had all three meals together. Birthday coconut cream pie! Yum! Thanks for the well wishes from Facebook friends.

Design by Mia - New Release

Hi everyone,

Well I have a few days off for my birthday, I look forward to doing a fair amount of crafting, and will be posting some cards from Design by Mia and the Cutting Cafe.

The first one features a Design by Mia digital stamp. You can pick them up at her store on Etsy.

The image is a new release as of August 5, 2010. I printed it on white Neenah cardstock. I have been using my HP Photo Printer. I have had no issues with Copics and the inks. Yipee!

I used Copic markers and a fine sharpie to do the colouring. Gem blings from Michaels. The pattern paper is from Cosmo Cricket. The ribbon is a double faced satin.

Thrifty tip -- Check the internet or yellow pages and see if you have a floral supply store in your area, find out when they are open and then check it out. The rolls of ribbon are very reasonably priced if you are shopping per yard price, and there are lots of double faced ribbons so no fancy twists if new to tying bows. The ribbon generally comes in rolls of 20 to 50 yards. Enough to share...

Stop by Mia's site, she is branching out from the AiFactory site for a little while and would love some more visitors.

Have a great day!

AIFactory Blog Hop! It's Glittery

Welcome to my blog and to the AiFactory Blog Hop!

This delightful little squirrel is an image available from the AiFactory Store.

I printed him out of Photoshop and coloured using Copic markers. For the tree trunk I used VersaMark ink and Heat and Bond Powder, I sprinkled on Martha Stewart Glitter. The tree trunk rubber stamp is a red rubber woodmount stamp from Inkadinkado. I broke out the oval Coluzzle and the deckle edge Nestabilities in two sizes. Dark Brown satin ribbon tied around the pretty blue Martha Stewart cardstock.

Thanks for visiting all of us on the hop. If you got here from Georgia's blog you are on the right path! If you landed here first, please click on the first links below -- that's Fink.

There are chances to win prizes at the AiFactory store for those of you that enter this weeks design challenge.

Please leave a comment on each blog you visit for a chance to win prizes. We will randomly pick one commenter from one of the Design Team Members to win a $20 Gift Certificate. Make sure you leave a comment on all the DT blogs since it's a secret as to the blog our winner will be drawn from. There is also a 3 Months Kit Club Membership for one lucky winner!

Visit the challenge blog and leave a sample of your work, I know that I will get to see all your great creations!

AIF GRAPHICs BLOG
Challenge Blog

Here are links to the rest of the team!
Fink
Monica
Penny
Margie
Lawren
Laralee
Tammy
Brandy
Audrey E
Michelle
Melissa
Georgia
Terrie (that's me)
AIF GRAPHICs BLOG
Challenge Blog

Special prize just from me to you -- I will use the randon generator tool and someone who leaves a comment on my blog -- I will send you a package of Prima Leaves -- check out my Crafter's Coop to see them. Great to colour with shimmery sprays, chalks or Copics!

AiFactory Creative Team Open Call

Be a new Creative Team member!

Well, three months have past and my friends at AiFactory are on the look out for creative team members. The images we have used are delightful, the team is great and very supporting, and this is an outstanding way to begin working with digital files and making traditional as well as hybrid projects.

Here is the scoop of what you do to apply for a position:

1. Follow our blog and become a member of the AiF community
2. Make a post on your blog about the AiF DT call
3. Take part in at least one of our challenges at the AiF challenge blog using at least one AiF Stamp or clip art (there are lots of freebies to use, check here). Leave a link on the challenge blog
4. Complete the application that you can find here

Creative Team member responsibilities:

* You must be willing to take part in all the activities going on at the AiF community. As a team member you are willing to reply, post,discuss and take part in the AiF community.
* You must be able to create cards, hybrid, embroidery, stationary or any kind of project using AiF stamps provided. You must also make a post at the blog and take part in challenges at AiF .
* You must be willing to post all AiFactory Challenge Blog cards/projects to the Splitcoast Stampers gallery and any other galleries that you are a member of. (example: SNR, PCP,etc.)
* Promote AiFACTORY Stamps/graphics through your blog,and wherever you see an opportunity to help promote the team.
* You must be able to join our Group at Paper Craft Planet and promote our group there also!

Creative Team will be rewarded in form of :

>You are eligible for 15% off all the purchases that you make through AIF store
>You will be provided digital stamps before they are released every week, (or sometimes stamps already available for purchase). Expect to receive around 10-15 digital stamps to work with during your 3 month period .
>Team members who bring in more users to the site are awarded further with incentives and free downloads of their choice every month.
>Your profile and bio will be posted on all AiF sites (challenge blog, AiF Blog, AiF community and AiF store).

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY is 28th July 2010

Please do not apply for the DT position here on my personal blog.
Follow all the links above to get to the right place!

We are having a blog hop on Thursday July 22nd so make sure you check it out for chances to win some great prizes!

Christmas in July Greeting Card - Designs by Mia

Here is a silly new card. These images are totally fun. They come from a digital set available on AiFactory - The set of robots has a number of other fun kid like images. I colourized it red in Photoshop and as I looked for coordinating paper I saw green trees I was just inspired. So I added the text with a funky font that said space man to me. I printed the file on my HP Inkjet printer and added some stickles and bow. Visit the AiFactory Site to see the images.

The Cutting Cafe - Hybrid Birthday Card

Hello everyone,

I have been a bit behind in blogging lately and have not been crafting as much as I would like... I spent the Independence Day weekend cleaning my crafting space, moving around furniture and beginning the supply sort. The Supply Purge is about to begin in earnest stay tuned for great deals and give-aways! I have a major challenge that when I craft one seemingly simple card my craft space is a disastor afterwards... My goal was to use supplies and put them away as I go... I have to constantly remind myself to do this or the pile of supplies, paper scraps, gluedots, glitter and markers is crazy. I am open to any tips on working smarter so you don't have to work so hard picking everything up after a craft making session.

I feel like the space is finally working better for me now and I thought I would use a really cute digital set called the "Birthday Fun Set" from Regina at The Cutting Cafe.

As I mentioned the images and sentiment are from the Cutting Cafe. The card layout uses the Mojo Monday design for this week.

This is technically a Hybrid Card because I used Adobe Illustrator to digitally colour the images and re-size them to be mini postage stamp size. They are super easy to colour with Copics too but I wanted to play with the images in Illustrator.

Supplies: PDF images from the Cutting Cafe, Adobe Illustrator, white card base from Neenah, decorative scissors from Provo Craft, Martha Stewart red and white tissue paper, brown cardstock from Recollections, red cardstock from American Craft. Scallop cut with Silhouette and oval cut with the Colluzle, and brown satin ribbon from the stash.

Mojo Monday Design

Sample of the Cutting Cafe images.

AiFactory Challenge - Green with Envy No. 43

In Challenge #43 our design team has been challenged to create a card or project using a recycled or upcycled item such as packaging or the like.

The aqua blue part of the card with the "wave" patterns is the inside flap from an Always box. Take a look at the rest of the design teams great projects. Submit your own project at the AiFactory challenge and enter to win a gift certificate to the AiFactory store!

The details: Images: Digital Stamps by Design by Mia available from AiFactory. Ink: Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink in Deep Lagoon. Sentiment: Everything Happy Set from Stampedous Perfectly Clear line. Copic markers to colour image. Glossy Accents by Ranger to give the life preserver some dimension. Martha Stewart Seam Binding ribbon.





Visit the team members to see what fab creations they have made.

Audrey R
Tammy
Lawren
Georgia
Margie
Fink
Audrey E
Monica
Terrie (that's me)
Michele
Penny
Angie
Brandy
Laralee

AiFactory Card - Metal Embellishment Challenge

AiFactory is sponsoring the Charizma Design Challenge this time. Visit their blog starting on July 1, 2010 and check out the great prizes!

The digital art stamp is lovely -- it is from AiFactory and part of the Monthly Kit Club. The dress is from the "after midnight" series. Click here to find the link. I am really big into "line." The lines of fonts, the curve of a shape, the silhouette if you will. I have had my eye on this digital stamp for quite some time. You could paper piece or use any sort of colouring tool. I decided to keep it simple. I really like the contrast of the font with the curves of the dress form and the background paper. I hope you enjoy!

The pattern paper is from American Craft, the sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts and the rose is a metal embellishment from Making Memories vintage findings. I also used a red Spica pen on the finials and a Copic marker to do a bit of shading on the inkjet print out. Tag punch from Fiskars and red/gold ribbon from my stash.

Shape it Up – Challenge 41

This week’s challenge was to create a card in a non-traditional square or rectangle shape. We are playing with a new set called “Daddy’s Rock Star Digital Collection.”



I got out the Silhouette and attempted to make a cut out card using the rocker girl image. I had some file cutting challenges with the mirror of the outline. I cut the rocker girl out just fine and colored her with Copics and my new favourite Spica Glitter Markers. I used some ultra glittery paper from Target as the background and cut the card out by hand using my Tim Holtz Tonic scissors. I have read that glitter paper will seriously dull your digital cutting blades and didn’t want to risk it.



My card for the challenge – the star shape is from the Silhouette Store. I did the print and cut and colored again with the Copics. The inside image is also a print and cut from the same set. I used the red bling to glitz out the star. The paper is Red Chrysanthemum from the from Martha Stewart’s Winter Garden paper collection.

Be sure and stop by the AiFactory site and sign up. They have recently moved to a self-hosted site. You will find new content added daily.

Now for the challenge! You too can create a non-traditional shaped card. (Try a circle, star, triangle or any other shape.) Submit the card at the AiFactory Challenge Blog and enter to win a gift certificate to the AiFactory digital image store. There are freebies available to try out and I encourage you all to rock this challenge! Posting at another Papercraft Planet then tag your card with AIF041.

Visit the other Design Team Members – They have Rockin’ Great Cards!

Laralee
Melissa
Michele
Monica
Tammy

PS: I bought a three-month AIF Club Kit Subscription at AiFactory for $10. I am really happy with what has been offered and terrific digital images are great. Plus the price is right, quite a bargain for your downloads vs. buying them individually.

Distress It - AiFactory Design Team Challenge No. 40

Hi everyone,

I decided to give the distress it design team challenge a try. This is the weekly challenge for AiFactory and while not assigned to my team "b" group I got to play with the art too.

I tried my hand at distress inks, alcohol inks, transparencies, core-dinations paper, embossing and sanding. I also tried my hand at a card and have posted it here too. I am a bit on the fence about the results; however, the best part of participating in a challenge is being hands on with techniques you have only seen demonstrated... and of course you have the supplies but need to just open them!


Here is my tag -- it is attached to a bottle of porter made by my friend Tina and her husband.

The porter style brew is labeled Double Dachshund and the challenge art is great for father's day. As we have no human kids and just doxie fur babies I used the paw print texture plate and tried to make the colouring a bit brighter than traditional distressed colours. The ink I used to stamp on the transparency I Ruff You is Staz On.

Here are my double doxies.

This is my card attempt -- I used some more of my new goodies... I am on the fence with this one too... Tim Holtz clear stamps and Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Check out the new site at AiFactory and sign up. The digital clip art is available at the store.

Thanks for stopping by! See you next week for a new challenge.

Just Bee-Cause Card and Video - The Cutting Cafe

Here is a new video for the Cutting Cafe I am using a really cute set called "Bug Sentiments" that includes a number of cute sayings set up to use your circle cutters. I discovered I already owned a number of stamps that fit this set perfectly! I made Mr. Bee's body and antennae fuzzy!



I am using a set of stamps from Sizzix.com, Copic Markers, Spica Glitter Pens, white gel pen and yellow Bic Pens. The highlight is the Fun Flock with the Quickie Glue Pen. I resized the images in Adobe Illustrator. They come as PDF files and you can print them bigger or smaller out of Acrobat but I wanted a bit more control to fit my punches and the area that the stamped image would be placed.

Enjoy and stop by the cutting cafe. -- No bug themed stamps in your stash you say, don't let that stop you -- there is a coordinating set of printable images called "Cute Critters" and I have included the link.

Click the image below to enlarge the graphic.

AiFactory Challenge 39 - Lets Get Moving

Here is my AiFactory Challenge No. 39 Card
The Theme - Lets Get Moving

(Sorry if you got notice of this post numerous times...

I had some image linking and html issues that tested my patience.

All is well now.)

We each got to select from the clipart and the theme was to make a card with some sort of moving parts. Like a pop up or shaker card.

I tried my hand at the suspension card. There are great YouTube video tutorials.

I used a white gel pen for the sentiment on the front. Hero Arts I Love You stamp on the inside. I used my Quickutz Cookie Cutter circle dies to make the "port holes" and printed the tug boat using Adobe Illustrator. I used the "reflect" command on the AiFactory Clip Art image so that it would be facing right and left. (You can do similar command to get the same results in Photoshop too.) That way, when I hand trimmed it they fit together. Overall it came together pretty quickly. Enjoy!

Sample of the image reflected so you can make the graphic point right or left.

Here is the full image of the original art - you can pick it up from AiFactory store for only $4.99.
Think of all those very special Father's Day Cards...

Don't forget to visit the AiFactory challenge blog to enter your Lets Get Moving project and see what you can win! Your image doesn't have to be this AiFactory image, check out the new freebies and pick whatever you would like. (Check out this link to some great AiFactory freebies.)

Upload your project to the challenge blog - labeled number 39 so that we can all admire what you’ve created. You have until Wednesday June 16, 2010 @ 10:30 pm EST to be entered to win the digital of the week.

Thanks for visiting! Remember Lets Get Moving!

Looking for some creative inspiration?
Check out the other team members creations! Please visit their blogs.

Tammy
Monica
Laralee
Michele

PS: There is a new program starting at AiFactory -- a monthly subscription.
Very reasonably priced and terrific digital images... check out the link and subscribe now.

AiFactory Pop Up Freebie

Contest has concluded* Thanks to all who played.

We all love freebies.
AiFactory has a new freebie
I have the password -- for 24 hours...

Congratulations! you just popped up on my blog! Yeah this is a surprise freebie for the visitors who are popping up on my blog!. Although There are MORE freebies back at the store but this one is special for those of you who just pop up here for the Day! Tell more people about it as this will just gonna POP OUT! in next 24 hours!

This is a free Kit Club Membership and it just happened to POP up FREE FOR YOU so follow us to be aware of our next POP UP maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or next week! Get your free Kit Club Membership before the code expires.

How do you make your claim?

1. Contact me MIA through this link to the Aifactory COMMUNITY .
2. Join the Group POPUP FREEBIES.
3. Message Mia your secret passcode* (Pass the word that you found it here, (valid till next 24 hours) AND
4. Mia will award you a free KIT CLUB MEMBERSHIP for June!

Blog Candy Call - Such a wonderful blog - Big News Too

A blog you just have to follow -- www.makeitcrafty.com.au

Like many of you who watch YouTube videos for tips and inspiration I have found a person who makes stunning cards and provided a great tutorial on how to merge digital stamps with traditional stamps. I visited her site and discovered she is offering a great blog candy give-a-away.

I think that her pop up card is just fantastic.

Take a look at the detail and excellent Copic work.
I think that cards like this are so sweet to give
because people love displaying them at their desk or in their homes.

She also has a super sweet rocking horse card that moves... very inspiring.

Check out the yummy blog candy

Here is the list of all the great goodies of what is in the candy!

24 Ciao Copic Markers in a Copic fold up fabric case
Zoe hand picked the colours which she suggested would be a great beginner set for anyone starting out with Copics.
W-1, E00, E02, E11, E31, E33, E37, R20, R27, R29, YR04, YR07,
Y11, Y15, G21, G28, BG15, BG49, B00, B95, B97, BV00, V17 and Blender 0

10 A4 sheets of X-Press It blending paper
Papermania Rose clear stamp set
Clear flourish stamp (great for backgrounds)
Wags ‘n Whiskers unmounted stamp – Angel Whispers
7 colours of hand made paper. 5 sheets each.
3 ply wood stars
5 Silver skeleton leaves
1 sheet of gold edged flower and leaf stickers
I sheet of silver hearts, flower and star stickers
1 sheet 3 dimensional square stickers
Basic Kaisercraft Love/dream circle rub ons
140 x 305mm rub on sheet – doilies
140 x 305mm rub on sheet – grunge floral
4 mini spring boards
5 lengths of my favourite lace
Length of Rhinestone chain
Papermania Mini Gem Brads
Rhinestone buckle
3 min pearl ribbon sliders
6 Prima bling flower centres
1 pack of Prima Pearls
Small bunch of flowers
2 packs of heavy silk flowers
Small selection of Prima Ornement de Floraz flowers
1 pack of Prima glitter Roses

Follow the rules and enter the blog candy give away but do it quick. The candy give away is ending soon, and entries must be in by midnight 31st May (Australian EST)
She will draw the winner within a couple of days after that deadline.

On a personal note as a small business person, good luck with starting your business Zoe. The rewards are wonderful and the hard work will be worth it. Stick to it and keep on creating. Your work is really lovely.

AiFactory - Hip to Be Square Challenge No. 37 - Home Sweet Home

This weeks challenge at AiFactory was to create a project
using a delightful new digital image called "Home Sweet Home"
The challenge - it's Hip to Be Square, so no round elements like buttons or flowers.

I was out of town last week and returned with the plan that I was going to make an easy card. After attempting to colour the entire image, I decided to simply crop part of the Home Sweet Home digital stamp and colourize it with Photoshop CS3. (I erased away the window in Photoshop)

Here is the full image of the original art - you can pick it up from AiFactory store.





There are some great YouTube videos teaching you how to use a photo editing program and colourizing your digital stamps.

I sized the image to fit a 4x6" print. You can get prints made rather inexpensively at Costco or other on-line photo vendors. So I printed one and trimmed and added a bit of Stickles to the flag pole.

For the other card I used my same festive Independence Day themed print and mounted it on a red cardstock base. Using a long held, but not often used, corner punch and some white scrap to mat. I opted to keep this one a little simple but you could add bling or ribbon or make it a flat card. Re-work the wording and simply wish someone a Happy 4th of July!

Don't forget to visit the AiFactory challenge blog to enter your Hip to Be Square project and see what you can win! Your image doesn't have to be an AiFactory image, pick whatever you would like. (Check out this link to some great AiFactory freebies.)
Thanks for visiting! Remember it is Hip To Be Square!

Looking for some creative inspiration?
Want to see some of the other team members creations?
Visit their blogs.

Angie
Monica
Laralee
Michele
Brandy

AiFactory - Celebrations and Sparkle Challenge No. 35 - Tea Party Set!

This is an adorable set with classy images and lovely sentiments from AiFactory. I decided to make a gift card holder. This is one of my favorite projects to make. Honestly what sets one gift card apart from another? The card holder of course! I love to make gift card holders that the recipient says wow! You can also make this one with another little card inside for the message so the gift card holder can be re-gifted and another person can share the creative goodness.

Visit the AiFactory Challenge and Enter to Win Great Downloads

You do not have to use an AiFactory image to enter...

but in case you want to give them a try
they have some super cute free downloads
so check them out!

Here is a close up of the digital file and the spica glitter pen and the flock.

How I made the gift card holder -- I am a Silhouette digital cutting junkie. I visit the Silhouette site regularly because I have an unlimited download subscription. I pay a flat rate monthly so I download all sorts of cut files. This file is a scallop gate fold card. I added a box and welded to make the card holder flap. The test of my patience was printing on the Relections brand brown craft cardstock. Printing wasn't the hard part -- having the Silhouette find the registration marks to cut out exactly where I wanted on the dark paper nearly stumped me. I set the project aside and the next day I thought -- make the corners white -- mailing labels in the corners! Voila it worked. Now the sparkle part of the challenge.

Colouring: I used the atyou Spica Twinkling like Stars pen in Chocolate. (Tip: Store your Spica glitter pens flat.) The background image on the white scallops is an A Muse Artstamps red rubber stamp called Flowers and Vines.

Too bad the Internet doesn't offer the chance to use all our senses. The gelly embossing powder is coffee scented! It is called extra foam latte and the "foam" is white flock from the Doodle Bug Crushed Velvet flock sampler pack. The quickie glue pen is wonderful for putting glue exactly where you want it (see the flock around the steam.) The butterscotch candy striped wired ribbon was a find at Tuesday Morning. Adhesives for assembly - Velcro, dimensional foam adhesive and two-side scor-tape. VersaMark Dazzle ink in Champagne.

Here is a pix of the digital set you can purchase
$3.50 and no shipping because you download the files

The supplies I used for the card.
The glitter pen I won at my Copic Class!

The Silhouette layout with the "labeled corners" for the registration marks.


Thank you for all the lovely comments from last weeks blog hop.
I will be doing projects frequently as a member of the design team.
I hope that you check out the challenge site and post a project of your own.

AiFactory Design Team Blog Hop - Blog Candy

Join the Blog Hop!
You Say Goodbye I Say Hello


If you arrived from Audrey E’s blog then you are on the right track.

If not, return to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and start at the beginning
to have the best chance at the great blog candy prizes!

Here is my first card for AiFactory
as a new member of the Design Team.

My first ever pop up card!

I used the Caterpillar-Butterfly digital images by Doodle Pantry at the AiFactory Store. The floral print paper is from DCWV, base cardstock is Neenah Classic Crest, Copic Markers to colour the cheery Caterpillar-Butterfly, the ribbon and the die cut. Diecut is from Silhouette Store.

I used the print and cut feature from Silhouette Robocraft Software to import the jpeg and cut him out. Another tip - used the small Making Memories grommets - which I have soooo many and crop-a-dile to set them to reinforce the holes for threading the ribbon.

~Three Ways to Win Blog Candy~

Prize 1
Just leave a comment on each of the blogs you visit. One blog hopper comment from a single Design Team Members’ Blog will be selected randomly to win a $20 AiFactory Gift Certificate. It is a SECRET which blogger will get picked ... so make sure you comment on them all! (Plus the projects are too wonderful to miss!)

Prize 2
Scrambled Word Prize...Each Design Team Member has been assigned a letter... and to win you hoppers collect all the letters, scramble them together, and send correct phrase in an email to Angie (one of our fearless team leaders) angievcortes@gmail.com and she will draw a winner from all the correct entries for a $10 Gift Certificate.

I hope you win! hint hint hint ;) -- ok my letter is I

Prize 3
Random freebies scattered throughout the hop... so check out the team’s blogs for digital freebies!

Visit Margie Next!

I wanted to post a few more pix of the card and my Silhouette Print and Cut Layout

The caterpillar-butterfly is only $2.50 right now and a digital download so no shipping.

This art also works for the "something new challenge" at the Bee Crafty blog.