Altered frames to dry erase boards

More Disney inspired goodies for my craft room. I found these 3 super light weight 8.5 x 11 inch picture frames at Ikea. I decided they would be perfect for the dry erase boards that I have seen all over the internet, made from picture frames, some pretty scrapbook papers and maybe some embellishments. Since they were so light weight I knew they would be perfect for my favorite 3M tape tabs to hang them with.

Here is a close up of my darling scrapbook paper I chose. All three patterns are polka dots. And my embellishments are silk flowers from Dollartree all layered up and held together with brads. All in Disney colors of course.

See how easily the writing swipes away? Even from my frames, because as I discovered they are not glass but plastic. I removed the protective layer and tested on a corner, just to be sure the pens would work the same as if they were glass. For the most part they do. I did find that the large Expo brand pen scratches the plastic, leave a bit of a ghost image behind after you wipe with a paper towel or cloth. The Vis-A-Vis brand and a cheap brand that had a built in magnet and little felt erase in the lid (but no name on the pen anywhere) where soft enough tipped that they did not scratch the plastic or leave any trace behind.

A close up....its hard to see the minute scratches and the color completely wipes away. Pretty darned fun and inexpensive. I like the idea of the plastic instead of glass for maybe making magnetic ones for the fridge. Just in case it fell, it would not break.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

Magnet board

This is a magnet board, it started out as a metal place mat from Ikea. With some pretty Disney inspired papers and ribbons and buttons and brads it has been transformed into this useful cuteness that is now hanging in my craft room. I love it!

The place mat is 14 x 14 inches so that is why I had to patch the pieces together. Then at each of the edges of paper I decided to tape down the gingham ribbon. I used my atg gun and a glue stick for adhering the papers to the metal and I used Scor-tape to add the ribbon.

I used my Crop-a-dile to punch the holes for the ribbon to hang it from. Worked like a charm. Just FYI even though you can see it (I cropped the picture a little too tight) I hung this on the front of one of my cabinet doors using a 3M Command adhesive hook. I love that stuff. It holds like crazy and doesn't damage the finish when you are ready to remove it.

Here is a close up of the little ruffly, girly detail. I layered scallop edged papers and I bunched and ruffled the ribbon too. I added the little alpha beads on some skinny red wire and then hung the wire through the gingham ribbon.

The corduroy buttons and brad tops are from SU! some clearance goodies I picked up a while ago. I glued them to magnet disks using E-6000 glue. And that's all. I think I actually worked on this for about 4 hours, but a lot of that was laying things out and moving around before I got down to the actual adhering. I think these will make great gifts that can be personalized by favorite colors or patterns.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Mistletoe Christmas card

Here are more unique sized Christmas cards made for the card class I am helping to design for. These cards are 3.25 x 6 inches and fit inside the standard security envelopes. I get a box of 100 envelopes at the Dollartree store. The inspiration for the card comes from ideas I pinned on Pinterest here and here. I barely changed anything from the second design, except keeping the unique shape from the original card.

These are made using CTMH Mistletoe papers, they are double sided patterned paper so both cards are cut from the same sheets and just flipped over. I used CTMH Card Commentary stamp set stamped in Cranberry and New England Ivy inks, Cranberry grosgrain ribbon and Red Glitz to finish off the card.

Here you can see a closer view and also the lined envelope.

Here is the second option, all the same papers just flipped over for a different combination. Luckily with this pair of cards I can not pick a favorite. I think they both turned out great. I hope the class attendees feel the same.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Art Philosophy Christmas card

I know, I know its too early for Christmas cards. I am designing 2 cards for a Christmas card making open house, so I have to start early. I was inspired by the card I pinned on pinterest, here. This is my first card design, I just showed the option of flipping the double sided paper over.

This is the second option, not my favorite. I don't think the H's pop enough with this paper combination. In this photo you can also see the lined envelope. I lined the inexpensive security envelope because it has a very distinctive blue pattern, not pretty! The size of these cards is 3.5 by 6 inches.

This is my favorite combination. Both of these are made using CTMH Believe paper pack and holiday red and sweet leaf card stocks. I cut the pretty shaped pieces and the H's using the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

I include these last 2 shots just to show you other snowflake cuts and punches I tried out before settling on the large Martha Stewart punched snowflakes. I really wanted to cut snowflakes from the CTMH Cricut cartridge, there are 3 different ones that are really pretty, but cutting these small enough to not over power the card was not coming out consistently good enough to use.

I liked the idea of 3 different snowflake shapes, these are all from Martha Stewart punches, but these are too small and get lost on the card. So I had to forsake variety for more visual punch. But I am really happy with the final card. I embossed the green shape layer with an embossing folder that leaves a random all over dot pattern. I hoped it was kind of reminiscent of snowflakes.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

Accordian top gift box

I watched an awesome YouTube video that showed how to make this accordion top gift box from altered SU! mini milk carton Sizzix die cut pieces. The video is by Stamping Maria, and I have pinned it here. After watching I made the first one from my copy of the mini milk carton on my Cricut. After I put it together I decided to alter my cut file so I did not have to cut off one side of the mini milk carton. I also added the decorative strip and the three Halloween cut outs to the new file.

This is what the box looks like when the top is opened. The box is approximately 3.5 x 1.5 when closed, I cut the Halloween shapes just a touch taller so they show over the top of the closed box.
The Cricut .cut file was created using George and also Paper Doll Dress Up, so if you would like this file I would be glad to send it out to you. Leave me a comment with your email address and I will send it out to you.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Art Philosophy Halloween pillow box

Isn't this awesome?! I love it. I used the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut the pillow box, the double belly band and the ribbon slide label shape that perfectly matches the stamp from the stamp of the month from August. The ribbon is from one of my recent Really Reasonable Ribbon monthly club selection.

I made it big using my Cricut Design Studio so that the label would fit across the top. The finished size is 3 x 6 inches and about 1 inch deep. That would fit a good bit of candy. This was quick and easy to make but I think it packs an adorable punch.

I would be happy to share this cute cut file. Just leave me a comment and be sure to leave your email address and I will send out the file to you.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Art Philosophy card with cut out front

On the CTMH facebook page, during the month of September they are showcasing ideas using the Pair-a-Phrase promotion double stamp set. Today's idea really inspired me, so as soon as I got off work I came home and cut the card base and patterned paper liner with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and stamped it up very similar to their example, using stamps from the promotion set. I love how it turned out.

I designed the card base and liner using my Cricut design studio software. The card is 4.25 x 8.5, so it is a perfect square after folding in half. The liner was cut a bit smaller and the shape out of the middle is smaller so that I will show as a border behind the card base.

Super simple once again, but if you would like to save a bit of time I would be happy to send you my little card and layer .cut file. You know the drill, leave your email address in a comment on this post. I will email the .cut file to you pronto. Than you can start cutting away.

Be sure to check the CTMH facebook page to keep getting more fabulous ideas on how to use the new Pair-a-phrase stamp set.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

Tile coasters

I was inspired to create these tile coasters by this pinterest pin. I found the tiles at our local Home Depot, 10 natural tumbled stone tiles for right around $3.00. I used Stayzon Ink and CTMH alphabet stamps. Than I masked over the monogram with a circle punched from the sticky end of a post it note and stamped with a large background stamp. After the ink dried I sprayed....and sprayed....and sprayed with Krylon satin finish spray coating. I actually did 6 coats. Than I lined the bottom with Dollar tree fun foam using Gorilla glue, spreading it thin and even over the whole 4x4 piece of fun foam, with an old gift/credit type card.

Here are more. Done exactly the same way just using different colors of Stayzon ink and fun foam and very different background stamp. Super simple but pretty striking. I think they will make very nice gifts.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Art Philosophy BOO decor

I was inspired to make this hanging decoration by this pin on pinterest. I used CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge for all but the bats and ghost. Those are cut Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge. I used CTMH Mischief paper and Goldrush cardstock, and inked all the edges with Black ink.

Here is close up of the B, with bat and the ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon club. Lucky me, it matched perfectly.

Here is the O with the cutey patootey ghost.

And the final O and a different bat. The bats I accented with the new CTMH red glitz, on their eyes and fangs. I'm not sure if you can see it if you double click on the photo to make it larger or not. I cut all of the letters out of a cereal box also, with the Cricut set to repeat cut 4x's it worked perfectly. And made the letters stronger and more stable but still very light weight. I love to recycle into my crafts whenever possible.

This is a simple enough .cut file, but if you don't want to reinvent the wheel so to speak, I would be happy to send it out to you. Leave me a comment, be certain to include your email address, I have had a couple lately where it is not there and when I click on your profile I can't find it there either. Which means I feel bad because I can't mail the file to you as requested and you feel bad thinking I am a flake and don't follow through with my offer. I love to share my ideas and inspirations. I think that's what this internet is all about.


Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut reversible banner

I have been so inspired by all the banners and buntings all over the internet right now. They are everywhere, and they are adorable. I finally got to work and made one of my own. I used the new CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut out everything. The scalloped base, the white and cream layers and all of the letters and shwoopies too.

I wish I remembered where I originally saw this idea for a double sided Halloween and Thanksgiving banner. I would love to give that person credit for their ingenuity and creativity. Suffice it to say, it was not my idea. But it is an awesome idea. Especially if you start with CTMH's new Mischief paper. Because one side is black and grey damask design and the other side is brown, orange and wine stripes. Decidedly Halloween and Thanksgiving feels. So that is my base paper, the scalloped banner layer.

Here is a close up of a little of the detail on the Spooky side. I used CTMH ink in Pear and Gypsy. The paper for all of the letters is CTMH Goldrush. The accent along the edge is from CTMH A timber stamp set. I used Glitz Grape stickles to add some bling and a few flowers from my stash in coordinating colors.  

Viola! This is the Thanksgiving inspired side. Just a quick flip and you have the decoration for the next holiday.

Here is a detailed shot of the embellishments to this side of the banner. I used CTMH Chocolate and Sunset inks. The detail along the edge is stamped with CTMH A flitter stamp and I blinged it up with the new CTMH Bronze Glitz. I also added a few random flowers from my stash.

And in the spirit of keeping it real! See what I did wrong? Oy! I am so lucky that each of the banner pieces was just tied together with ribbon. So it was easy enough to fix. But boy oh boy did my husband and youngest son have fun at my expense over this boo boo. They were doubled over with laughter when they noticed it (before I had....*slaps forehead in shame*). I had tied it together with the SPOOKY side up, and had inadvertently flipped the O's. But as you can see in the above photo, I had it fixed in under 10 minutes. So no harm done, and they say laughter is the best medicine. (Although I think the ones who said that, where not the ones being laughed at.)

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!

Pazzles silhouette cut cards

Friday was a wonderful Pazzles play day for my mom and I. I added an extra vacation day to the already long weekend, and so I called my mom around 7:30am and asked if she wanted to come over and play. She arrived by 9am with her Pazzles and laptop packed and breakfast treats to boot. Yahoo!

She had learned the technique of cutting out the silhouettes in card topper paper from a wonderful online video class through a Pazzles instructor, Klo. She was eager to teach me what she had learned. Shortly after arriving, snacking, setting up our Pazzles side by side she began designing the awesome card you see above.  As she designed her spooky Halloween tree card topper, I designed my spooky Halloween ghost and bat card topper you see below. The technique was awesome. Then she also reinforced the pen tools fantastic abilities.

So the Pazzles .wpc files we both designed have the pen tool dash lines and the shapes cut out in them. They turned out awesome. I love them both. On my ghost and bat card can you see the red mini gems I put for eyes? Spooky! I love it.

As is my nature, I went very crazy designing more and more cut out shape card toppers with built in dashed lines for the pen tool also. I love the pink and black of the hearts card. Too sweet.

This is a pretty 5 petal flower shape cut out topper. I made all three of the flowers different sizes. With this card topper I learned a lesson. I was using Sakura gelly roll pens in my pen tool in the Pazzles machine. Just on this one card in one spot the ink had not dried fast enough and the little grey plastic roller rolled over the wet ink and  smeared it. Thankfully not very bad. My way to hopefully camouflage the boo boo was to make it look like a loose thread left over from the faux stitching. Not fabulous but not a wasted effort either, so I am ok with it.

This is my fourth and final card designed using this technique. Again 5 petal flowers but this time all three are the same size. This is my least favorite, it was getting late and I was running out of inspiration when it came to decorating this card. But the .wpc file is cute and has lots of potential.

Thanks mom for another awesome girls play day. I had too much fun.

If you have a Pazzles and would like to have any or all 5 of these card topper .wpc files. We are happy to share. Leave me a comment here, with your email address, and I will send you the Pazzles files.

Find inspiration everywhere! Go... Create something fun & fabulous. Enjoy!