Jennifer Marker Star Lantern Alternative

Yep, you read it right, I altered the star lantern from Jennifer Maker.  My youngest has his own little tree in his room with his favorite ornaments and last year refused any attempt at a tree skirt or topper.  This year I offered to make him a Mickey topper or a star.  He asked for a star and as soon as I saw Jennifer's, I knew with a little tweak, it would be perfect.  Her team was wonderful about answering my question about how big the finished star was so I had an idea of how much I needed to downsize.
The original star lands around 14 inches and each arm is around 7 inches, way too big for a little 4 foot tree.  My wonderful engineer hubby said that a six inch star would keep the proportion just fine, so I needed each arm to be around 3 inches once folded.  Now, when you are adjusting the size, it's hard to tell on screen, but I cheated by using the score line image and stretched it over the point to the inside.  That gave me a realistic idea of the actual size, then I deleted the score line.  I also deleted the piece with the notch for the pendant light and duplicated an extra of the regular points.  I cut the image on glitter cardstock.  Be ready for a long wait as it took nearly 45 minutes to cut.  The glitter paper setting on the Cricut will cut it twice.  I found it did not need the second pass as it only made more of a mess so I stopped it half way through the second cut.
Be sure to follow Jennifer's suggestion to only assemble 4 of the points before gluing them together.  The last point is much easier to add when you can glue one tab at a time and save the long point for last.
How did I attach it to the tree?  I used scissors and cut a small notch in the base of the star and slid a chopstick with hot glue in it up to the top.  The stick hides well in his tree so I did not feel like I needed to paint.  I do recommend a twist tie to keep it in place.  Thanks for looking!  April

Maleficent coffee cup

I saw this great svg on Pinterest and couldn't resist since we are all Disney fans in this house.  I found the cup in the $1.99 bin at Michael's and used permanent vinyl.  I had a little issue with the super skinny lines behind Maleficent, but it seems okay without them.  I will be sure to show off my reindeer one next.  Thanks for looking!  April

HLMS Cricut challenge Day 1

I will be honest coming out of the gate, it will most likely be next year before I do any of the other challenges Cori at Hey Let's Make Stuff has up.  It is not because of difficulty!  She does an amazing job of choosing differing levels of projects so even the most basic crafter can feel like a rock star.  She give very detailed directions and has always been quick to answer if you email a question.  I just have a billion of items sitting in my craft room as a wish list.

This card was so cute and easy...ish.  I can be honest and say that paper is 95% the trouble.  Fine cuts are hard, especially on black paper.  I shredded over a dozen cuts of the cable before tossing my hand in the air and just hand drawing it on.  The bulbs are a genius use of scraps.  The svg comes set as a 5x7 but I resized the card to an A2 4x5.5.  That said, I could get 2 cards from a 12x12 instead of one but again, fine cuts can be tricky.  I made the mistake of using heavy white cardstock, so next time, I need the thinner cardstock for a cleaner cut.  

TIP: Stampin Up cardstock will often shred or flake into layers if the cuts are ultra fine.  Same for cheaper bulk papers like the Recollections black stack from Michaels.  

I strongly suggest a new blade or sharpen your blade with some aluminum foil.  The foil helps keep gummy stuff and small shreds of paper off the blade.

In the end, it still turned out super cute.  I may end up making a stack of these for next year.  Thanks for looking!  April

Double sided chalkboard signs

I saw this adorable sign on Pinterest.  While there was no svg file, the directions stated the fonts used and where the wreath image was found.  I tweaked the design a bit then ran to Michaels to track down the cute chalkboard.  What was not said was that these were small table signs from the wedding section and were on clearance for $7.97 for 6!  Yep, 6.  The are much smaller than the picture shows, only 4.5x6" without the wood base.  So, I made all 6 to give as gifts this year.  I used permanent vinyl and found crayola chalk at the Dollar Tree.  I included 2 sticks tied with jute twine.  The photo shows both sides of the board.  Thanks for looking!  April

Frosty's Hat treat holder

I had a ton of black cardstock scraps from making the penguin gift card envelopes and saw this idea on Pinterest.  The top of the hat used all my scraps.  The top is a piece of 3x8 inch paper, scored at 1/2" down the long side.  Snip the paper up to the half inch mark to give you tabs to glue to the hat base.  Use a bone folder to help curl the paper, then use some tear tape to join the two ends, push down the tabs and use a 2 1/2" circle to hold the shape.  I used the largest circle in the Nestabilities set for the brim.  The hat is finished with a 1/2"x8" scrap of Real Red cardstock, but you can use ribbon as well.  I found the felt leaves at Tuesday Morning in a package with poinsettias for $1.99 for 30 pieces.  The berries are extra large pearls, colored with a copic marker.  Be sure to leave some dry time or use a heat gun to set it.  I also dropped another 2 1/2" circle into the hat to hide the tabs and make it look more finished.  Last, I stuffed a bag in the tube and filled with Hershey's kisses and tied with an organza ribbon.  Thanks for looking!  April

Gift Card Bag

I found this cute gift card bag on Pinterest and thought it would be a cute craft fair idea.  Be sure to use double sided paper because you have to fold down a small part for the top of the bag.  I also used the scrap to make the bow using the Stampin Up bow builder punch.  I recommend using lighter weight paper, as cardstock is more likely to crack at the seams and becomes bulky with the folded down top.  I used the retired word window punch to make the handle.  Inside is a small baggie with Starlight mint disks and tied with a red satin ribbon.  It will serve to keep the gift card in place.  Thanks for looking!  April

Cider Mugs

After the cocoa mugs sold so well at last year's craft fair, I decided to add some apple cider mugs as well.  These were made with a template I found online and imported into Design Space.  The paper is from DCWV paper stack I found at JoAnn.  I used a stamp from a past My Paper Pumpkin kit from a few years ago, stamped in Chocolate Chip ink.  I added a small heart and a bow made from linen thread.  Thanks for looking!  April

Baymax First Aid Kit

Our youngest received this cute first aid box from a local children's hospital and it was pretty boring with a sticker on the front.  I promised I would make his own special kit.  I found a cute Baymax image and imported it into Cricut Design Space, using contour to fill in the image.  I also made the title, cutting it all in vinyl.  I found the pain scale and used the print and cut feature after adding Baymax's quote.  I laminated the pain scale before gluing it inside the lid.  Thanks for looking!  April

Inside kit

Ugly Christmas Sweater Tags

 Sometimes, the best plans just fail big.  These were supposed to be gift card holders and the tab at the top was the way to pull it out.  Unfortunately, the sweaters are just a bit too small once glued together and making them bigger means only getting one out of a 12x12 sheet.  I can't justify the waste of paper.  Rather then toss them out, I turned them into tags.  They can go on a package or hang on a stocking or tree.  I also debated about making a garland of ugly sweaters.  As my teen says, "They are horrible and I love them!" 
These were based on a paper pattern I found and imported into Cricut Design Space.  I have several different papers but only took a picture of two as a sample.  I plan to play with the design to see of I can revise these but they won't go to waste for now.  Thanks for looking!  April

Mitten lip balm holders

I fell in love with My Favorite Things lip balm set.  They are very reasonable in price.  The stamps are $9, lip balm window die is $10.99, the rip strip die for $9.99, and the pouches are 10 for $3.99.  Many people were using the bookmark die to make the pouches, but I wanted something different.  I went hunting for a pattern to import into Cricut Design Space and found a pattern for a mitten.  I duplicated and flipped the image to make a front and back, then sized to fit four mitts on a page.
Once I had all the pieces cut, I glued the cuffs on, then decided where I wanted the lip balm window.  I opted not to use the little border piece this time.  Once the window was in place, I used it as a guide to place the rip strip die on the back mitten.  Just be sure when you glue the two halves together to avoid putting adhesive where the rip strip is.  Now, the recipient doesn't have to tear apart the mitten to get to the lip balm.  I found 3-packs of Chap-Stick in holiday flavors on special for $2.

Once it was glued together, I used a crop-a-dile to punch a hole in the corner and added a circle tag stamped with one of the sentiments and a small punched heart.  I left the string long enough to be tied to a gift, hung on the tree or added to a stocking.  Thanks for looking!  April

Santa & Penguin gift card envelopes

I am getting ready for a local craft fair.  This is the second year I am participating and am trying different things.  These Santa gift card holders sold really well last year, so I am adding the penguin ones to see how they do.  I got a lot of positive responses from them and sold out.
I used the envelope punch board to make the smallest envelope, then added a white liner where a greeting can be added.  I made the Santa belly band with Basic Black and punched the belt with champagne glimmer paper using a scalloped square punch.
The penguin's belly is a large oval punch on white glimmer paper, then trimmed even with the bottom of the envelope.  The eyes are punched from small circles and I used a gel pen to give a little sparkle.  A small heart punched from Pumpkin Pie cardstock is the beak.  I used a mini velcro dot for the closure.  (They are a bit pricey, but I found some on clearance and have used a 50 or 60% off coupon at Joann.)  Thanks for looking!  April

Epic Birthday

This card is for one of my son's friends.  I used Lemon Lime Twist, with layers of Basic Black and watercolor paper.  I used Lemon Lime Twist, Tempting Turquoise, and Green Galore inks to watercolor the background.  I stamped images from SU Epic Celebration in Momento Tuxedo Black.  The skaters are silhouettes cut from my Cricut machine.  Thanks for looking!  April

Warm Wishes cocoa mugs

These adorable paper mugs are based on a mug card I found on Pinterest.  I took the template and instead of printing it on cardstock and cutting it out, I transferred the image to Cricut Design Space and adjusted it for cutting.  I use double sided 12x12 and get 2 per sheet.  Once they are removed from the cutting mat, simply fold and glue along the two sides.  I embellished these with a print and cut design I created in Design Space, as well as cutting tags that are tied on the handle.  All I have to do is slip a hot cocoa packet into them.  These will be sold at the craft fair in November and these were big sellers last year.  They make great co-worker gifts or stocking stuffers and there is plenty of room to slip a gift card inside.  Thanks for looking!  April

Donald Duck shaker card

My MIL loves all things Donald Duck so for her birthday, I couldn't resist recreating this card from Queen and Co.  It was a snap using the dies and papers from the company and I love them so much I can't wait to order another set.  I used seed beads I got from JoAnn to fill the shaker.  Thanks for looking!  April

Sweet birthday

I am still using the retired Picture Perfect DSP set.  I made a quick stack of 8 cards in about an hour with cutting.  I stamped the background with a Inkabilities polka dot background stamp in Bermuda Bay.  Layers are Berry Burst and the sentiment is Peekaboo Peach and Lemon Lime Twist in Momento Tuxedo Black ink.  The sentiment comes from the coordinating Picture Perfect Birthday.  A great card for any age and so quick to make.  Thanks for looking!  April

Making Christmas bright

So I totally spaced on posting last year and have been scrambling to catch up.  Here is last year's Christmas card, just in time for me to start working on this year's card! 
I used Stampin Up's Making Christmas Bright set.  The card is based on this one from Pinterest.  I used sponge daubers to make the glow.  TIP: sponge off a bit and tap lightly.  As you can see the red ones are really dark.  Because I was mass producing this card for our annual mailing, I loved using the stamparatus from SU.  Each string of lights were stamped 3 times, and on 4 dozen cards.  I swapped the sentiment and used a banner punch to notch the ends.  Cardstock colors are Whisper White and Basic Black.  Bulb colors include: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lime Twist, Pacific Point, and Gorgeous Grape. 
Thanks for looking!  April

Dollar Tree fall door hanger

After seeing the article from Angie at Burton Avenue, I couldn't wait to try this adorable fall pumpkin door hanger.  I found several hangers to choose from, but chose the same as featured in the article.  I also found the ribbon and leaves at Dollar Tree.  I have enough ribbon the make several more of these, so it really inexpensive.  Bonus, the Oracal 12x12 vinyls sheets are on sale at Michaels this week for .99 each!  I will say, after following the tutorial, I think I would not cut the vinyl and try to line it up to the pumpkin, but cut out a rectangle, stick the vinyl in place, then cut away the excess with a craft knife.  The rest comes together quickly and uses a bit of hot glue to place the leaves and bow.  I ran out of jute twine so I used linen thread as a substitute.  Thanks for looking!  April

Jolly Elf gift card holder

I am selling at our local high school craft fair in November.  Last year, these Hershey Kisses gift card holders were a huge hit, along with a couple other style of holders.  You will find the link to my last year design here and the video tutorial here.

This year, I have three colors - Old Olive, Real Red, and Shaded Spruce.  I am using retired 6x6 Stampin Up DSP, a sentiment using a Cricut print and cut on white cardstock, and punch art elves.  The elf is made using Petal Pink cardstock for the face and ears.  The face is punched with a retired ornament punch from SU, and a fiskars flower petal punch for the ears.  The nose is a 3/8 inch circle punch and is attached with a foam dot.  They eyes are punched from a 3/8 in circle in white and a 1/4 in circle in black.  You can also use the owl builder punch from SU.  The hat is punched in Real Red from a heart punch, then removing the bumps of the heart with an oval punch.  I also made the green brim of the hat from the oval punch.  I glued mini white pom poms on the tip of the hat and a hand drawn smile.  Thanks for looking!  April

Donald Duck card

This is a card from Queen and Company's Magical Characters shaker die kit.  I chose not to make a shaker and just use the iconic Donald Duck sailor hat.  This card was fast and easy to put together.  I do recommend using an adhesive sheet on the back of the cardstock before cutting to make it easier to piece together.  I used the retired Stampin Up bow builder punch for Donald's bow.  Add a couple of buttons and some white gel pen details and there you have it.  Thanks for looking!  April

Mickey subway art

This second subway art canvas was made for my youngest.  He is a huge Mickey fan and I wanted something to put over his desk.  It uses images found on the internet, as well as the Mickey font Cricut cartridge.  Again, I used the Jennifer Maker tutorial to create the canvas.  Thanks for looking!  April

Newsies Subway Canvas

I recently watched a great tutorial at JenniferMaker where she made subway art with vinyl on canvas.  I was inspired to make a canvas for my son.  He recently played Darcy and an extra newsie in his high school production of Newsies.  I found images online and mixed various fonts to create this.  He was thrilled with it and mentioned having one made for each of the school plays he participates in. 
I will be honest, even using the permanent vinyl, it was hard to get it to stick.  I used Cricut and Oracal 651.  The Cricut brand was much easier to weed and remove the backing.  The Oracal brand has a stiffer backing and it would flake apart, leaving a very thin plastic-like layer behind that was a pain to remove. 
I have read about prepping the canvas with mod podge, gesso, or acrylic paint.  I think these would help and will be trying this in the future.  I will let you know how it works out.  Thanks for looking!  April

Personalized Starbucks cup

Once again, another school year is coming to an end and it is time for teacher gifts.  My son's special ed teacher has been nothing short of amazing.  He is a huge fan of Milwaukee Brewers baseball and keeps a keurig machine right on his desk, so I thought it would be fun to combine the two. 
I purchased the cup on Amazon and found a pre-made file that I tweaked for the custom part.  I used Oracal 651 in Brewers Blue and cut it on the Cricut Explore.
Inside the cup, is a little filler, two k-cups, a gift card and a handful of Hershey's kisses.  For a 16 oz cup, it holds a lot!
I like to save money, so I use clear contact paper from Dollar Tree as my transfer tape.  I will be honest, it was a pain to get the backing off the tiny inside parts of the letters and hope it will not effect their long term adhesion to the cup.  I often have better luck with Cricut brand vinyls and will probably stick to that in the future.  Thanks for looking!  April

Hats Off

This is a birthday card I made for my nephew using the Queen & Company Magic shaker die set.  The base is Whisper White with layers of navy, turquoise, gray polka dot, and prints from Disney comics and Recollections gears.  Sentiments are from the coordinating Q & Co stamps and SU Number of Years.  I used the second to largest spellbinders circle die for the hat base.  The number 2 is a Tim Holtz die.  The circle is popped up with foam tape.  Inspiration for the card was found here.  Thanks for looking!  April

All About Me album

Ginger, at My Sisters Scrapper, made an adorable Disney mini envelope album.  I followed her tutorial and made one of my own.  I liked the format so well, I used it as an excuse to cull some of my paper hoarding.  

This album is made using papers from Stampin Up's retired Class Act papers from their old Simply Scrappin line...yep, that paper is probably more than 5 years old and moved to three different states!

Colors include: Basic Black, Basic Grey, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Bashful Blue, and Real Red.  

All the rounded flaps are cards that come out of the album and every page features a flip of pocket with extra storage inside.  I made cards for many of the pockets where school pics or memories can be stored.  

Thanks for looking!  April

Birthday Brew

Wow, it has been way too long since my last post.  It is not for lack of crafting, more time shortages.  I have one kiddo away at college, middle child is busy with the high school robotics team and the spring musical, the youngest has medical appointments.  By the time I get everyone settled, I may get a few quick projects going and then off to bed!

This is for my hubby's best friend.  He is a fan of home-brewed beer, so I used Stampin' Up's Bubble Over set.  The base is Lemon-Lime Twist with layers of Whisper White and retired DSP.  I stamped the bottles using Versamark, then heat embossed with extra thick chunky clear emboss to get the drippy glossy finish.  I stamped again in Real Red and Pacific Point for the label wraps.  The tags are in Tempting Turquoise and Lemon Lime Twist.  All the die cuts are from the bottles coordinating dies.  I also used the dies to cut some of the designer paper bottles (retired).  I popped the labels up on dimensionals and cut the bottle tops from gold foil.  

TIP: I keep the foil scraps from other projects and cut a ton of the bottle tops at once.  I store them in a mini zip baggie for beads, storing it in the stamp case.  I also use magnetic tape in the case to hold the dies inside the coordinating stamp case.

The inside is stamped with coordinating sentiment and 

bubbles in Calypso Coral, Lemon-Lime Twist, and Tempting Turquoise.  Thanks for looking!  April