We are extremely excited the release of the new Cricut Maker ultimate smart cutting machine. You will be able to buy Cricut Maker supplies on Sunday, August 20th. This innovative technology offers crafters potential that they’ve never seen in a personal cutting machine. It allows you to take on heavier duty projects with its ability to quickly and precisely cut hundreds of material types, including leather, felt, fabric, cardboard, kraft board, and so much more.
by Richelle Naegle
With October 31st still a few months away, Tim Holtz has been working hard on new designs. The new Tim Holtz Halloween release has inspired me to craft, the only problem is his new line isn’t quite in stock yet. I had to get creative and use some of my favorite dies that I already have. The Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs and Crazy Cats are among the funniest designs in his entire portfolio, and when you combine them with the Crazy Things, you can really dress the dogs and cats up to match the occasion at hand.
The overall size of this card is 3″ x 3″. I used the Mini Crazy Cats & Dogs dies & stamps bundle to make the dog, and then I used the Crazy Things die and stamps bundle for the witch’s hat and broom. The stamps work very well with these dies because they make it so easy to have all the fun details of the dog without having to draw them on.
We are excited to announce a huge summer release of American Crafts supplies! We’ve added well over 100 products to our site, and all of them are getting in today, so we are ready to ship! For the most part, we’ve brought in new paper collections but there is also a very exciting and new product line…
You may know her as Megan Faulkner Brown from HSN’s Cupcake Wars, The Sweet Tooth Fairy offers crafters all kinds of solutions for decorating and displaying baked goods and other treats. There are layered, collapsible cupcake stands, various sprinkle shapes that are all white, but you can color them with coloring dust. There are also fun accessories and tools that will make your projects easier.
by Richelle Naegle
It’s time to get out your red, white, and blue paper! If you don’t have any, never fear; there are so many great patriotic paper collections to buy. Many of them go well together. Regarding new releases this year, we have the All American Collection Kit, a solution from Simple Stories that is ideal for making 4th of July scrapbook layouts. Also, check out the Sweet Freedom 12″ x 12″ pack from the clever designers at Pink Paislee. Both of these are great options for a variety of projects.
by Richelle Naegle
Note: even before introducing Stitch Happy on our blog, we pre-sold hundreds of the machines. These things are flying off the shelves, so get one ASAP, while they are still available.
Have you had a chance to check out the new Stitch Happy sewing system? It’s the latest innovation from We R Memory Keepers. This fun new invention is a multi media machine, which means that it’s made to sew a variety of materials such as paper, chipboard, mixed media, and more.
If you would like to sew paper projects, then this is the machine for you. The problem with cardstock is that it dulls regular needles, which is why you don’t want to use a regular sewing machine with paper. Stitch Happy uses needles intended for this very purpose. It even offers a large needle for heavier threads like baker’s twine.
Another great thing about Stitch Happy is that you can use it with tough materials, like leather.
by Richelle Naegle
Today, I am playing with some of the new Heidi Swapp scrapbooking products and I have to say that I’m having a blast. As you’d expect, her designs are both easy to use and they are pleasing to the eye once you complete your projects.
The first projects I tackled were from the Heidi Swapp Letterboard collection. Oh boy, is this addicting! It’s so easy to update that you could change the board every day and keep up with it. You could even do it a couple times a day, easily. I couldn’t decide on what theme to make for this blog post, so I made several of them!
Heidi Swapp Letterboard is a great way to leave an inspiring message for your family, or to leave notes, jokes, and whatever else your creative mind is inspired to make! There is no paper, ink. machines, etc. required to complete these projects. They are clean and easy!
by Richelle Naegle
At CHA 2017 I overheard others asking, what is a Sizzix Fold-a-Long card? If you haven’t ever seen one, then you are in for a treat. Jen Long is the world-famous Sizzix designer who is the brains behind these fabulous cards.
Let’s take the Cactus Fold-a-Long Card Sizzix Thinlits to die set, for example. It makes a 3-panel card and, when closed, has the appearance of a delightful shape. In this case, it looks like a saguaro cactus. When the card is opened, the insides of the 3 panels are revealed. You can get creative with what you hide within the card, but each set of dies includes Thinlits for embellishing the card. Those die-cut shapes and phrases will match the overall theme of the design.
by Richelle Naegle
I was instantly excited when I first saw the David Tutera Wedding dies. There are a few different, beautiful flower-project options. A crafter can never have too many flower designs at her/his disposal. So check out this new set of Large 3-D Flower Sizzix Thinlits dies. It almost makes me want to decorate for a wedding…but not quite! This die is one of my favorites, and honestly, it made constructing this flower simple and easy! Sizzix dies and Big Shot machines make the best combination.
The most important thing to remember when making flowers is that no two flowers are the same, yet they are all perfect. So, when you are cutting out the petals for your flower, don’t try to make it a certain way every time. It’s probably too much work to make them look exactly alike, and it’s fun to have variety, anyway.
I used the pink leather Sizzix paper for this particular flower and cut out each petal twice. It might take a little bit longer to cut, but I really like the unique look of my flowers when I use the leather material. Not only does it look cool, it gives the flower a little extra strength as well. One fun technique I have found to make my flowers stand out is to spray them with water and then crumple them up. Once they are dry, you will find it gives your material a more natural look.
The center is super easy on this one. All you need to do is take your pre-cut piece of paper and start rolling from the wider side until the thinner side is on the outside. That’s it!
by Richelle Naegle Today I’m going to cover a few fun cards you can make for your special Mom. Some are super easy and some are more involved. Hopefully, you have as much fun with your Mother’s Day 2017 craft project ideas as I did. Let’s start with the intricate project first. This is a … Read more
by Richelle Naegle
This year at CHA, when I first got to see the NEW Tim Holtz Hipster Dies & Stamps, I was totally in love! I was a huge fan of the Crazy Dogs & Cats, but I like these ones even more. I would highly recommend buying one of our bundle deals on these. We have a few choices, but my favorite is the Mini Cutter & Hipster Dies w/ Stamps Bundle because you have everything you need (except the paper and ink) to complete these projects. I’ll discuss the other bundle options later in the post.
Long story short, I made a few cards so I’m sharing my Sizzix Hipster project ideas:
