December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Mad About You

We are hopping around the blog again this month! You should be coming from Wanda's blog. If you are not, that's ok, just keep hopping around and you will make a complete circle.  Please try and leave a comment at as many blogs as you can - we love comments.

This month's stamp set is called MAD ABOUT YOU!

See those red lines around the stamp images?! That means our Cricut Cartridge can cut those shapes out.  I didn't use my baby this month.  I was stuck on that big swirling stamp in the bottom left corner.  I saw that and decided to stamp that in a light Gray called Gray Flannel- and from there I saw the card in black, white and grays - and a splash of RED for pop..

  I used foam tape to pop up the top two panels and the heart.

 The inside is also layered but no foam tape here.

ALSO Check out December's Special:

When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two valuable new products for just $15: the My Creations^® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix^® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). This Rock the Block promotion represents a retail savings of almost $30! You're going to love the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, fashionable fun!

Contact me for details!  I'll be posting art soon!

Thanks for looking.  Hop over to Judy's blog to see more great ideas for this stamp set!

Creating Music

At the weekend retreat I had many special requests for Cricut Artwork.  This is one of those pieces:

This is an image I took off the internet and brought into Make The Cut.  I deleted the background so that the lines turned into layers.  This took 3 colors of brown.  There is the lightest brown on top, there is the base which is the medium brown - the strings are the medium brown showing thru. (the light pieces are laying on top of medium.)  The darkest brown is the bottom edges of the violin for the shadow. You can try clicking on it to make it bigger and maybe you can see the 3 colors better.

Thanks for looking and thank you Pam for sending it to me - forgot to shoot it when I made it.

Look what's in my cart!!  Count them!!!

Shopping at Walmart tonight!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm very thankful for what God has given me.  I have a great hubby and sweet daughter.  I have a roof over my head and a job (or two, three).  Friends and family to share my life with.  I'm hoping you are blessed as well.

 A few favorite pictures that my friend Patti took of us this fall . . .

 And we can't forget our baby kitty Fluffy Jr. Eisen.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Wish List Item No. 3:

Next on your list should be software!

The Cricut Craft Room to be exact!  And it's Free!  You should download it and play with it even if you don't plan on attaching your computer to your machine.  (By the way, machines are on sale this week Friday - that Black Friday Sales are going to be HOT!  Menards has the Expressions for only $119!

Enough about Friday -

I've been playing with this software and it's a work in progress.  They have it in what's called beta mode which means ALL OF THE BUGS ARE NOT OUT OF IT YET.  I've gone in a few times over the last couple of months and every time they have changed something - mainly for the good.  To hook it to your computer all you need is the same cord that most printers have - the kind with the USB Port hookup.

Here is a few snap shots for you to see what I've been doing:

 The post prior to this one was for cards and 2 boxes that held the cards and candy.  

Here is what the boxes looked like on the screen. You can see all the tools are located at the top.  All the cartridges are at the bottom.  Extras are to the left.

 You are looking at a 12 x 24 inch mat the long way.  So where ever I set that box, is where it's going to cut that shape.  WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get). Since these are over 7 inches long and my paper is typically 12 x 12, I put them on their own pages - one above the 12 inch line and one below.

 Above is the envelopes and the Crystal Blue layer of the thank you cards. I put a 12 x 12 White sheet on one side (top) and the Crystal Blue on the other end so that I cut both at the same time.

Above shows the White fronts for the cards and the circles for the candy.

See on the left the different colors are for different layers. You can add different layers to each project.  Layers are like stacking mats on top of each other and saved on the same file.  When you go to print you tell the software which "layer" or mat to cut and it only does that layer.  It's a great way to keep everything in one file.  This software can do quantity - where you tell it to give you 10 of one item and it spaces them out evenly, from top left to right, until the mat is full.  

I did find a few bugs and Provo Craft sent me a survey and so I updated them with my opinion - for whatever that's worth!  Thanks for looking and I hope I didn't confuse you.  You can download this without even owning a machine.  You do need to have internet access to work on this software.  I'm trying to figure out a way to demonstrate this for a class in the future.

Forgotten photos

 Above is a picture of my goodie bags all packed up in a box!  I gave out mini ink pads, embellishments, a pack of Stickease and a water bottle with candy inside.

 This is the start of something sweet!

 First I made a bunch of 3 x 3 thank you cards by cutting them out with the Cricut and my new Art Philosophy cartridge!  I layered the lighter blue cardstock (Crystal Blue) under the Daisy White Cardstock.  I stamped the flowers and Thanks a Bunch! on the front.

 Here are the little matching envelopes that I stamped a boarder on the envelope flap. (These too were cut on the Cricut - I'm very versed on this cartridge already!)

 I tucked the cards into the top box - that box is on our Cricut Cartridge too!

 The bottom box is full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The upside down cups I glued circles that I stamped Thank You onto - I used a circle from the cartridge for these - since I was already cutting for the cards. :)

 You tuck one corner under and the boxes stay closed all by themselves.

 Put the little one on top and with our Striped Dark Chocolate Ribbon - it's closed! (Boy! that ribbon's name sounds like candy too! I must be hungry!)

I put another card under the ribbon that I actually wrote a message to the contact person for the Holiday Inn and this was her gift!

My Mama always said don't come to someone's house emptied handed - so I didn't.

I totally scraplifted this idea from Lisa Stenz!  Thanks Lisa!

Additional Supplies:

Wonderland Level 2 Kit

Thank You Stamp Set D1361

Thanks for looking - comments always welcomed!

Pictures are Up!

My Weekend Retreat photos are up!  Check out the fun we had and then check out my next event!

Click here to go to Eisen Retreat to see all the photos!

Leave a comment!

The Retreat has began!!!

Latest Vinyl Sign

Ok, I forgot to take a picture of the sign when it was finished, so here's a picture of my artwork that I created.  I'll post a picture of the actual sign soon as I get my friend to shoot one.

Thanks for looking!

Guess what this is . . .

The workshops, the goodie bags and more.

I'll post via cell phone and computer as often as I can during the retreat this weekend! 

And so it begins . . .

I have until Wednesday night to be finished, so I started tonight with packing for my weekend retreat that's this weekend!  To see how it's going click the link below:

 

Eisen Retreat: Eisen Retreat: Packing has Started!

Christmas Wish List Item No. 2:

 

As promised here is another great item to add to your lists on NEEDS:

2) STAMPS – Now that is a general item and you really need to check out all the different sets we have to offer but ordering $25 in stamps in November gets you a stamp set for $5!  What’s better than saving money???

How about that a lot of the images work with our Cricut Cartridge too!

The present on the left and the box below are 3D images that are on the Cartridge too!

Here is the stamps below, all red outlined images are able to be cut from the Cricut:

So let the kids, the hubby, even Mom & Dad know that you Need this!

Christmas is Coming! Wish List Item No. 1:

Are you really ready for Christmas?

(if you are anything like me you look forward to Black Friday to get all your shopping done!  

But that’s just for everyone else on your shopping list – what about YOU!

I thought I would help you by making out a Christmas Shopping List for you with some MUST HAVE ITEMS.  I’ll post a few between now and Thanksgiving so that you can get your loved ones prepped for what to get you this year – and you’ll know you’ll love it!

1 – The Cricut Cartridge Art Philosophy

There are over 700 images to choose from on this Cartridge! When you look thru our catalog, you will see red outlines around some of our stamps – those shapes are on this cartridge!  How cool is that – you can cut the shape and then stamp the image inside!  I did that with the card posted October 31st!  

Also, the cartridge comes with 3 stamp sets that also work with the cartridge, as well and 3 packs of white chipboard die cuts!  The die cuts pop right out and the stamps you get work on them too!

Sample Artwork:

There are 3D flowers, and tickets, tags, pillow boxes, French Fry boxes, Cards with windows, ornaments, fonts, birds, butterflies, leaves, trees, 3D bags, pendant banners, and so much more!

Right now if you order this you can get the stamp of the month for only $5!  Stamp of the Month is Cherish the Moment – see Blog Post dated October 31st for artwork and stamp photo!

The 3D Bag above is included as well as the Gift Box below – that snowflake below was cut out and then we stamped the image inside it!  Love that set (Snowflakes D1480)!