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