Have yourself a Merry little Christmas

Wow!  3 posts this month.  We are on a roll.  I made this cute sign based off of something I found on Pinterest.  It was pretty easy and now it is on the back of my Halloween sign.   I am loving my silhouette.  It is fun to play with and so easy to change things around.  This is actually wider then the 12 inches and so I had to cut each line separate and then paste them together.  I did a reverse painting technique, where you paint first white.  Then put the vinyl on, then paint again over the top with the red color.  Then take the vinyl off.  I only had a little trouble with the top part bleeding through.  So I just sanded it and now my white looks a little pink.  Although you can't tell and it looks like it was supposed to be that way.  Right?  Maybe with a little weather and sun it will look like it has been around for awhile.
Oh, and the green.  Before I added the vinyl I painted a section green.  It was fun to play with.

Here is the back.  I guess I have been to crazy busy with life to post it.

Sorry you can't see everything.  It says "Home of the Wicked Witch and all her Little Monsters."

Runner's Medal Board

YES, WE are still alive and we've been up to ALL sorts of crafting...unfortunately, we have been so busy making stuff that we haven't had time to blog about any of it. {maybe one day we will get it all updated on here}. For now, I have a project that I want to share:

I wanted to make a board to hold my running bibs and medals {even though I only have one right now, I am planning on getting more!}. I looked on Pinterest and got a few ideas, but I wanted it to be a little different so I made a few changes, of course....I can never leave well enough alone!!!

I started with a piece of pine that is 36" long and 5 1/2" tall. I took a chisel and roughed up the edges of my wood and then painted my board all black. After it dried, I painted it with two or three coats of turquoise. I love how the black shows through in the spots where I chiseled it. {I tried not to get the turquoise in those spots too much so I didn't have to sand them out}.

I also sanded the edges and then painted them with a little black paint on my finger. {Just to emphasize the black a little more}.

Then I had to do some math and figure out how it was all going to work....and I had to find knobs that would work for my medals {I didn't want just nails}, I wanted something different. I found these knobs at Wal-mart and they were PERFECT! {They were about $6 per package and I needed 3 of them}.

Amy helped me cut out the vinyl on the Silhouette, it says

"I RUN BECAUSE I CAN"

"The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start" 

I LOVE how it turned out!!

I just measured our bibs and left about 8" on each end for the clips and the bibs, I put the knobs 2 1/2" apart across the board and got 6 knobs on it. 

I had originally planned to hang it in our living room above the desk, but I didn't like it there so we decided to hang it up in our bedroom {good thing it's turquoise too}. We LOVE it, and can't wait to fill it up with bibs and medals!!

And No, Jason hasn't run any races yet, but we are registered for the Downers Grove Turkey Trot together on Thanksgiving morning!! Should be fun. 

 

What I have been up to lately

I will admit that this blog has not been my priority, but that doesn't mean I have not been crafting.  I have been doing things but not posting.  So I want to warn you that this post is going to be a bit of a photo dump.  I will try to link to the source of where I found the instructions or inspiration.

Liberty and I ran in a 5K called the Run or Dye.  I wanted to make a shirt from an inspiration that I had found on Pinterest.    I figured we could make one up.  I wanted one that said Walk instead of Run.  So I found a website that could make the words how ever you want.  It is Tagxedo , try it, I know you will like it.

These two shirts were a gift for Kirsten's teacher that was getting married during the summer.  I figured it was a pretty good gift for a teacher that wasn't something that would just be put in the next goodwill box.  I am not sure that I am good at putting the things on the shirts but this was a pretty fun experiment.

 Here is a tote bag that I started probably over a year ago.  It has been sitting in my "unfinished projects" bin while I am making many other things.  The other day there was a lull in my sewing and crafting projects and I pulled the bin out and finished this.  It turned out pretty good.   I used the tutorial at Crap I Made to get the pattern and the instructions how to make.  I added pockets on the inside and made the front two fabrics, to make it interesting.  Sorry about the bright sunshine in the picture.

 So when I got done with the above tote bag I had left over fabric and since I am making things to sell at Helping Hallie Halloween 5K and Bazaar Fundraiser in October.  I made these cute pumpkins.  They turned out pretty cute.  I used the tutorial at Handmade Homebody.  I made the leaf from a piece of fabric and Googled pumpkin leaves to get a general idea of the shape.  I think they are pretty cute.  I especially love the corduroy one.

For our trip in June I wanted a place to store my flat iron and curling iron.  My plan was to make two different containers but when I got this one finished it fit both.  It is made with the insulbrite to keep it from burning through the fabric.  It turned out pretty cute.  I got the tutorial from Home a la mode.

 This picture is not good, and I am having a hard time getting a good picture with the light and the sunshine, etc.  So sorry in advanced for the poor picture quality.  But I love this statement and wanted it to be on my wall.  So I figured out the spacing and used my favorite tool - the Silhouette Cameo - and made this for my wall.  I don't think that the paint vs. vinyl thing almost made me stop doing it.  But I got it done and every time I look at it, I LOVE IT!

I have made some 12x12 tiles with my Silhouette Cameo.  I saw this tutorial on you-tube and have figured out how to make these.   The two fonts are Regal font for the more open font and the darker filled in font is Fleur Corner Caps.  I really like the darker one better.  My daughter thinks the Regal font is better.  Oh well, we can disagree - right?

I found a pallet on the side of the road and Dave has been trying to get the boards off so I can make some signs.  I just wanted to show a project I am thinking of making for Helping Hallie Halloween 5K and Bazaar Fundraiser that I have coming up in October.

This is a sample of what I want to put on the above boards.  This is board is pretty small 4 inches by 13 inches.  But my laundry room is small and so it will fit just perfectly above my washer.  I totally love the part about not being responsible for lost socks.  I swear my kids socks never make it to the laundry in the first place.  There is always many missing socks.



Maybe I will get on the ball and start posting more again.  I like doing it, but I have been kind of busy with other things and just don't get things posted.  I have a new scripture tote that I made for Kirsten that I can't find a picture for.  I might just have to make a 2nd one to post pictures of it.  We will see what happens.  I am sure there will be some more signs being made for the Helping Hallie Halloween 5K and Bazaar that I am helping out with.  Maybe I will post them soon.

Pinewood Derby Award and a tutorial

I volunteer in our church Cub Scout Program.  For our Pinewood Derby I volunteered to make the prizes for the boys.  Our committee chair has seen this on Pinterest and we thought it would be great to make for our boys.  I looked for a tutorial after I made it and found one similar but I thought since I document things anyway that I would try and make a mini tutorial for how to make it.

 

Here is one side.

 

 

 

All twelve together with the  1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the front.

 

What you will need:

 

• 2x4
• Cars (I bought mine 3 for $1 at Dollar Tree.)
• Spray paint - Blue and Gold
• E6000 or a super strong glue
• Vinyl - I used white and gold

HOW TO:

Cut 2x4 at an angle.  My first idea was to just cut a piece about 3 1/2 inches and then cut it in 1/2 on the diagonal, of course when you let the engineer/woodworker do it, he has his own idea and thinks that that would be to small.  So he cut the diagonal the same, but added about 2 inches to the bottom.  So if you look at it on the side.  It is 5 1/2 inches to the top of the piece of wood and where the slope comes down it is 2 inches.  Does that make any sense?  Just wing it, it will look okay how ever you do it.

 

Next you need to paint the pieces.  We had a nice warm day and so I got to spraying the blocks.

 



 

I used this paint (leftover from my Race car Birthday Party.) It was shiny and perfect for the job.

 

 

Then I painted the cars with Gold Metallic spray paint.

 

It took a couple extra sprays to get all of the nooks and crannies of the cars, so the color wouldn't shine through.

 Here is the paint I used for this part.

Then the gluing began.  You could use any super strong glue.  I used something like E6000.  We had to adapt the cars a little bit by adding a very thin piece of wood underneath and between the wheels so the car would stick.  I didn't get a picture of that part.  We just painted the wood so you wouldn't be able to see it.

 

Next I got out my Silhouette and cut the vinyl for the sides.  I used the font Tan Patty, it looked a lot like the font used on the Official Site from the Boy Scouts of America for Pinewood Derby.

One side had the pack number on it.

 

The other side had Pinewood Derby and the year on it.

We decided to have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner and so I tried for the first time to layer fonts.  It isn't all that hard when you have something small like this.  But I am sure it would take a little bit more work to do something larger.  Here is a link to the video I used to help me figure out how to LAYER.

Turned out pretty good for my first try.  I am also adding a link to my Pinterest board for my Silhouette helps.  I find sometimes if I have only done something once I can't remember how to do it the next time and so I use Pinterest as my brain.  Hope you enjoy.

More Vinyl and wood

I know it seems like this is the only thing I am doing lately.  But I have another project that I have finished that I want to show you.  Just need to see if I can get a better picture of it.  Liberty wanted to make one of these "keep calm" signs and I like them but don't really love them.  One day I saw someone do one with Trust God and I was hooked.  So I made this one.  It isn't the best picture of it.  The background is a nice gray and the words are a light yellow color.  I really like it a whole lot.  It fits on my wall with my other signs that remind me of what is really important.

Craft group Cricut Tutorial Day

Today was our craft group all Cricut Tutorial Meeting.  We had a great time learning the basics of cutting with our Cricut Machine, mat care, favorite cartridges and how to use Cricut Craftroom.  I am going to consolidate our meeting and give you some basics that might help you if you were not able to come.  Meagan was a wonderful hostess and she let us make a really fun card that we used our Cricut machine to cut out the words.  Isn't this card so cute?  (Sorry it looks a little blurry - must be my wonderful photography skills.)

 cartridge used doodletype

Amy created a table of cutting helps that she collected from different sources off the Internet.  Of course you have to figure out what works best on your machine.  But here is a general guide for most things you might use.  It is extremely helpful if you use Cricut Craftroom since there is no guide to where to put your settings on.

Click HERE to download a word file or

HERE to download it in a PDF file

Amy and Meagan both have used the Cricut Craftroom and love it.  Amy doesn't even know how to use all the bells and whistles on her new Expressions 2 since she almost always uses the craftroom to make things.  Just as an example of things you can use the craftroom to make I am posting a couple of my latest projects using my Cricut and Craftroom.

For Valentine's Day

Edited to add: Here is a link to the inspiration - she also has a printable if you want. CLICK HERE.

 

For the 4th of July (on the back of the Valentine's on above ) 
Edited to add: Here is the link to my inspiration -- some of it is exactly as she did it but some is my own ideas.  CLICK HERE

And for my Daughter (and also for my son - not finished yet) a board to put in their rooms to remind them about who they are and how important they are.

And because my girls have hundreds of bows that needed a home - I created this cute one.  The ribbons will hold the many bows and ribbons that they have.  It needs a staple gun and you would think we have one - BUT no, not one that won't send the staples all the way through the wood board.  (I have to borrow one and then I can show you this on the wall in the Girl's room, with the bow extravaganza.)

Any way just a couple of notes from the class that I thought might be helpful. 
Meagan's Favorite cartridges -

• Joys of the Season
• Doodletype
• Plantin Schoolbook
• Everyday Paper dolls

Amy's Favorites-

• Lyrical Letters
• Doodlecharms
• George and Basic (for basic shapes)
• Storybook (for fun decorative designs)
• Once Upon a Princess (similar to paper dolls) - Really good for homes with girls.

Cricut Craftroom Helps

First go to Cricut Craftroom and download the appropriate version for your computer, you will also have to open an account.  Just remember what ever computer you are going to use with the Cricut is the one of the computers you want to download it to.  You will also need to update the Firmware on your cricut and that will require you to hook your computer to the Cricut machine.  (You will need a USB cord with an end that will fit into your Cricut - some come with them, others you might be able to buy a printer cable cord.  Check the back of your machine to see what slot it goes in. You might find more information on the website, it has been a couple months since I did this.)  They are really helpful if you need help, look on the website to find a phone number.

Meagan and I find that you need to have patience while you are trying to get all this done.  Although the Craftroom is really cool it is still a bit temperamental - so don't expect to do all of this quickly.  Especially if you are trying to get that project done before tomorrow.  Find a time when you can work with it and it will probably all go smoothly - despite what we say.

Second go to the Main Page - It is really helpful to go through each of the tutorials and figure out how to use craftroom.  It is really worth your time. 

Lastly - play around with it.  I go in there and design things like the 4th of July subway art I made, I just played with different fonts and different things to make it look how I did.  I guess what I am saying is play with it so you can feel comfortable with it and when you are in a crunch and trying to make that project for tomorrow - you will be able to do it without as many problems.

**I noticed today while researching the information that Cricut is now selling the cartridges in a digital form that loads right into your Craftroom account.  I think they are $39.99 each.   Much better then the original price of $90 that they retail for.  I guess that is better.  We will have to see if they come down in price.

Which reminds me that we talked about places to get cartridges from.

To Buy- check out Amazon, Custom crops, or Cricut Machine.com or Meagan suggested just putting in the name at google and finding what comes up.

For Vinyl - I like Expressions Vinyl or if you are in a pinch sometimes JoAnn's will let you use a 40% off coupon if they are not on sale.

Okay if you got this far down then you should win a prize.   I am going to order vinyl in the next couple of days and I will be giving a 12x24 piece of vinyl in either black or white away.  Just leave your name and a way to contact you - an email or if I know you from craftgroup then I probably have your email.  This is open to anyone.  Let me know if you want black or white.  This will close on Saturday February 18th.

Thanks,
Amy

A little vinyl, some paint and wood

I noticed I hadn't posted some things that were made a little while ago, but then I realized we hadn't had much sun lately and I hate taking pictures when I know they aren't getting natural light.  (I am not an expert photographer but I know some times I can make my pictures look better by using natural light.)

So I have been playing around with my vinyl and my new cricut machine.  Liberty and I got together a couple of weeks ago and made these cute signs.  There are reversible  - since that makes it easier for storage.  We made these two.

 And then these two:

( I love the flower and the bling on this spring one.)

Then after a sucessful craft group and making snowmen, I was left with a bunch of smaller sized blocks.  So I decided to use up some of my vinyl and the blocks and to make a couple of words to put up around the house.  I thought I would make it a family affair and the kids and I spent an afternoon making these.

Mine

Kirsten's

Peter's 

(I showed him conversation hearts online and this is what words he wanted.  I also let him decide what colors to make it.)

I think they turned out pretty cute.  Now I have a million ideas running through my head.  Hopefully I will be able to do a couple of them.  I have wood waiting in the garage that I need Dave to teach me how to use his table saw, so I can cut it and other things in the future.  I might even have him teach me how to use the router.  (I'm not afraid of power tools and I like to use them. Except the bandsaw - it isn't my favorite.)