Most Wonderful New Craft Item Ever !

Well, maybe it isn't exactly the most wonderful new craft item ever...but it comes pretty close to me!

I went to an artist retreat a couple of weekends ago that had all the crafters up to our elbows in spray mist, paint, ink and all kinds of adhesives.  To say it was a "bit messy" is an under statement but what fun we had !

Well once we were done, we went to wash up and I discovered this wonderful item in the washroom.

With just a little liquid soap and some water, this Craft Scrubbie by Ranger got off all the mists, inks, paint, and even adhesive off my hands in a matter of minutes.  I was so excited !  Usually I walk around for a few days with some inks and adhesive on my hands until they wear off.  But no more.  If you haven't ever used one of these, I highly recommend you get one.  They were only $4.99 at Michael's craft store and I also saw them at Hobby Lobby too.  And with a coupon even cheaper. 

One of the ladies at the retreat said she often uses Windex and the Craft Scrubbie to get stubborn stains off her hands.  I might just try that next time if the liquid soap and Scrubbie don't work the first time. 

Look What I Found Tonight

Most of you know I am a Cricut fanatic !  Well tonight I think I found a few of their new items they are releasing at the Texas Stampede event and later on their own website.

I was checking out Creativexpress.com, which is an online store owned by Provo Craft, and saw this...

New Pink Cricut Tool Kit includes:  Scoop Tool, Knife Tool, Hook Tool, Spatula Tool, Bone Folder, Scissors and Clear Ruler all in a Tool Cup to sit on your desk.  The MSRP was $14.99. It has similiar tools to the Cricut Tool Binder but in a cup for your desk top.

Green & White Polka Dotted Cartridge Binder:  Holds 12 cartridges, overlays and handbooks

MSRP $19.99   These are so dang cute...Hmmm, I would have to order these in bulk though to hold all my cartridges :)   sorry the pic is fuzzy, when I enlarged the thumbnail it did this.

The Binder also seems to come in Black too...but alas, no polka dots which would have been great too!

Creativexpress sites says COMING SOON for all of these items.  I can't wait to see the binders and how they might help organize my carts. 

WOW...I'm the Guest Reporter on Craft Critique today !

I am so honored to be the Guest Reporter on Craft Critique today!  I submitted a report on Martha Stewarts Scoring Board a while back and was excited to learn it was selected to be posted today.

For those of you unfamiliar with Craft Critique it is a crafters blog with craft product reports made by real crafters. It has their opinions of the products along with pictures of them actually using the product. It is a great place to check out a product if you are thinking of purchasing something crafty.

Check out my article here Debbie's Craft Critique Article

Happy Crafting everyone !

New Product By PC...Yudu Cardshop

Have you heard about the new Provo Craft Product yet?

Bascially it's a mini Yudu with pre-made screens to make cards with Yudu ink or pigment ink. Kinda cool !

It says the retail value is $59.99. And includes the YuduCardShop base, 1 pre-printed Thank You screen,
1 bottle of ink, 1 dauber and 1 pigment ink pad and an adhesive mat.

Heads Up if you are interested.....there is going to be a special on HSN on January 20th for this Yudu CardShop but I haven't seen the bundle yet or pricing.

There are also other pre-printed screens available for purchase.  Here are few images I could find of these.

Cupcake

Fillagree

Check out demo if you want to learn more at http://www.cricut.com/yuducardshop/Home.aspx

What do you all think of this?  I am kind of liking it and interested in seeing one up close and personal.

Took Kit Review

I recently received the CGull Pink Tool Kit for use with my Cricut die cut machine projects.  I was so excited to get this since I only had the Cricut Spatula.  And of course, since it is PINK , I am doubly excited !!!

The Pink Tool Kit includes:
*Pink Leatherette Case with Magnetic strap
*Bone Folder
*Large Scrapper
*Small Scrapper
*Hook Tool
*Scoop Hook tool
*Small Scissors
*Stainless Steel Tweezers
*Wide Blade Spatula
*Narrow Blade Spatula
*Exacto Knife
*2 Exacto Knife replacement blades

It arrived sealed in one of those blister packs which I thought was nice.

The case is a nice true PINK color and is made of a Leatherette material.  It has a lighter pink nylon binding trim and is stitched in place.  The CGull logo is a soft plastic piece that is stitched on.  The case is held together with a magnetic closure and works great to keep the case closed as intended.

The inside of the case is a hard grey foam and holds all the tools in place. 

When I flipped the case over when opened everything stayed in just fine.

You can see in the picture above the layout of the tools included.  The quality is good and similar to the original Cricut tools.  I like the fact that it has two different size scrappers and spatulas.  

The little pair of scissors is sharp and will come in handy to snip those cuts that need a little help.

The quality of all the tools is very good and similar in weight and style to the original Cricut tool kit tools.

The green tool in the picture above is the original Cricut Spatula.  As you can see, the blade of the green spatula is a little larger and angeled to be flatter.  The pink spatula blade is slightly smaller is angled up a bit so it doesn't sit completely flat.  It works just fine when I tried it and is sturdy like the green spatula.

I am very pleased with my new  PINK Tool Kit.  I know I will be getting a lot of use out of these tools. 

More Spring Projects to Share

I promised in my last post to show you the other two projects I made using the Martha Stewart Crafts Scoring Board. 

The first is a Spring Paper Medallion...It was so easy to get even scores using the score board to then fold to create the total medallion shape.

Once I scored the 12X2 1/2 piece of patterned paper, I then accordian folded it.  I made two of these.

After I made the two accordian folded pieces, I then manipulated the paper until it formed a fan shape with each piece and then glued the two fans together to get the medallion shape.

After I made the lovely Spring Paper Medallion, I then used some circle punches for center pieces and a cute crocheted flower to the center. 

Tada.....now it is ready to hang or use as a gift package topper.  You could easily create very large medallions and then used them in banners to hang up in your house and decorate the fronts to your liking.  Don't be too shocked if you see me make my next banner using this technique !

     

The Martha Stewart Crafts Scoring Board not only includes instructions to make various size cards and envelops but also includes instructions to make your own Paper Gift Boxes.  That was sooo exciting, I decided to give it a try now that I had "made friends" with the scoring board.  Here is what I ended up making out of scrap paper I had laying around.....

It is a cute 4X4 Paper Gift Box with a lid that lifts off. You could put lots of small treasure in this box to give to someone special.  And it was super-uber-easy to make in just a few minutes.  Seriously !  How fun would it be to use up more of your patterned paper and create adorable Paper Gift Boxes for your family and friends.  There are directions for making both smaller and larger boxes too that are included in the instructions. 

Oh, and I added one of those paper roses that are all the rage now using a large circle shape, cutting in a spiral and then wrapping the curly strip until it forms the flower.  I also made a couple of paper leaves to complete the look.

Hope these projects INSPIRE you to get a MSC Scoring Board and make some awesome projects of your own.

A Crafty Review Just 4 You !

Even though I have been making scrapbooks for a number of years, I had never really gotten into making cards with my scrapbook supplies. While I have admired those who use beautiful patterned paper to make their own cards and envelops, I was frustrated at the complicated templates and scoring products I had tried. Repeatedly over the years, I had abandoned my dream to join the card maker ranks until recently.

Low and behold while on a recent trip to a local craft store, I found a scoring system that didn’t look so awkward and promised to be easy to use. It was the Martha Stewart Crafts Scoring Board. I have loved all my other Martha Stewart Craft purchases so I was intrigued they had a scoring tool. Retail was only $19.99 USD but with my craft store coupon it was even less expensive so I decided to give it a try.

I joyously share this great find with you.

After reading the easy instructions, I was ready to make my first card and matching envelop. I chose to make a standard A2 card and envelop. The Scoring Board comes with everything you need except paper and adhesive to make a card base and envelop. Plus it has handy built in storage for the scoring tool in the tray on top and envelop template fits on the back of the base.

Crisp, clean lines are achieved due to the great scoring tool included. As you can see in the picture, the scoring tool (on left) is thinner than a traditional bone folder (on right) and fits in the scoring tracks perfectly. I love that the folds created are also thinner and not as bulky as those made by a traditional bone folder.

The large scoring base easily holds both small and large paper up to 12 X12.

You place the envelop guide in the upper left corner of the base. The guide lines are easy to read and after locating the appropriate measurement, it was simple to place the scoring tool in the right place and run down the length of my paper in one simple motion.

Once the envelop was scored, it was easy to follow the directions and snip the sides of the folds as directed. The scored lines were easy to fold and made a nice sharp edge all around the envelop.

Tada…I had made my first envelop ever and a card to match !

This was such an easy and fun tool to use, I immediately jumped into creating a few other projects that would benefit from using the scoring board.  I will post those another day. 

Martha Stewart Crafts Scoring Board
Pros
• Extremely easy to use right out of packaging
• Clever built in storage for scoring tool and envelop template, which are included
• Easy to read markings for scoring
• Crisp, clean, thin lines made with scoring tool
• Large base surface fits up to 12X12 paper and light weight to transport
• Easy to follow instructions for various size cards, envelops and gift boxes included
• Instructions are in English, Spanish and French

Cons
• The grooves were a little hard to clean out when I accidently got adhesive in them

I couldn’t be happier with the Martha Stewart Scoring Board. In fact, I think it is one of the best purchases I have made to expand my crafty projects. Don’t walk, run to get one for yourself, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

What kind of projects do you make that could use a score board ?

Calling ALL paper crafters...A PERFECT Paper Trimmer, FINALLY!!!

As a dedicated paper crafter, one of the things that are a MUST HAVE is a really good paper trimmer.  Believe me, I have tried them all.  I have even contacted trimmer manufacturers and suggested ideas for improvement in their products.  YES, it is that important for a paper crafter to find a paper trimmer that does the following :

• Cuts straight and true...every time
• Has easy to read guides for measuring and don't rub off after using a zillion times
• Expands to hold larger than 8X11 size paper
• Cutter mechanism is sharp but easy to handle
• Is portable and doesn't take up a lot of room on craft table

As you can tell, the list seems relatively easy to find.  The issue is that finding ALL of these things in one trimmer is near to impossible! 

Guess what? I have some how stumbled upon the perfect portable trimmer.  Fiskars has finally managed to make the PERFECT paper trimmer.  I have been using this trimmer for the past month, 
and just let me say.....it really is PERFECT !! 

WHY DO I THINK THIS IS A PERFECT TRIMMER?

•Has an antiwear veneer, now printed from bottom side so the scale and grid will never wear off - PERFECT!

•Very easy to read printed scale in 1/16 inch increments, and grid in 1/4” x 1.0”, which makes measuring easy & accurate - PERFECT!

•High profile triple track cutting cartridge is ergonomic for better gripping when cutting - PERFECT!

•Swing out extension arm, extends measuring to a full 12 inches, plus the base is 6.5 inches wide so easy to do mats and other mid-size cutting - PERFECT!

•Cutting guide is clear so easy to see through to line up cutting line, cutting rail pivots open for easy project placement and it locks in place...no more flipping around when storing or toting the trimmer around - PERFECT!

I encouage everyone to find the trimmer that is PERFECT for them.  Make a list of the things you would like a trimmer to have and start shopping around until you find the one best for your needs.

I am so happy with my new Fiskars 12" Personal Trimmer....hope my story INSPIRES you to keep searching until you get your PERFECT tool to use in your papercrafting!

Note: PaperTrimmer picture is courtesy of the Fiskars website link listed above.

Cool New Tool - The i-top from Imaginisce

CHA Summer is coming up at the end of the month, and I just LOVE to see what new tools will be hitting the shelves soon. This time the clear winner of the tool premieres will be by one of my favorite companies, Imaginisce ! They have come up with the most wonderful tool called the
i-Top to allow you to make your own brads!

My head is already spinning with ideas to use this tool with .....fabric and paper and pictures oh my ! I am so wanting this tool to make a family tree brads with my families faces on it to put on a canvas background ....doesn't that sound cool !

I know some of you may be thinking, can't I just use the button cover maker I bought at the cloth store? Well, speaking from experience let me tell you it doesn't even compare to this great new tool.

1. The i-top tool easily uses not only fabric but photos and scrapbook paper...the button cover maker thing really only easily does fabric, the paper tears in it easily.

2. The i-top tool is easy to use and you get perfect results each time....the button cover maker thing requires the strength of hercules to push the material over the button cover and if you push too hard it tears your material and makes it useless.

3. The i-top tool makes BRADS that are great for not only embellishing but connecting elements together and doesn't require further attachment adhesives....the button cover maker only makes buttons which require some other form of adhesive.

So, in conclusion, scrap tool junkies like myself will find many useful things to do with the i-top to make our projects even more special. Thank you Imaginisce for pushing the limits of scrap tools !