Friday, December 31, 2010

A Great Year in 2010

Looking back on 2010
It has been awesome to see God blessing my business. I make cards and other paper crafts and sell them locally. I made a point of giving my "Simple Creations" business to God & believing it would succeed (Proverbs 16). He blew me away. I sold so much the past couple months. I even sold out of all my Christmas cards. Every moment I had from October thru last week I was making cards, gifts, or orders. Now I want to get a jump start on this next year. I have so many projects I want to make. I look forward to what God has in 2011.

Now I can make even more with the great gifts I got for Christmas. 
I am super excited...I got:
Copic markers (72 WOW!)
Your Story Photo
My dad gave my his Yudu that he doesn't use

So you will see different projects coming up. Using copic markers and exploring digital stamps. 
I already made a recipe book with the your story photo. I think it is awesome that I can put pictures or index cards in a cover and make my own book. 
Then I will also be experimenting the Yudu. The first time I used it I made a shirt with my business logo on it. I really didn't think it was very user friendly, so I will have to give it a chance again.

Such an amazing Christmas gift!


These were some of my first colorings with my Copic Markers. I quickly learned that I had to have special paper. I even bought paper for markers but it still bled. Let me know if you have any tips with the Copic Markers. I have been watching alot of Youtube videos to learn more. These Digi Stamps are from Freshly Brewed.
 

 I made this book with recipe cards in it for a gift.



Other 2010 Highlights
  • I started this blog in April & already have 117 people to share my projects with.
  • Went to my first CHA and got to help Robyn "My Pink Stamper" with her workshop. That was defiantly a highlight this year. It was amazing to help and meet so many people with the same passions as me.

    • Then in November I was chosen to be a part of the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog Design Team. After trying to many times to be on design teams...I was finally chosen. Now I get to share my projects with so many more of you.
    Sorry this post is so long. This has been a great year.

    Here are a few Christmas gifts I never had time to post that I wanted to share with you.

    This was a tag book I designed on my gypsy. It was a date night package with gift cards.

     I made these ornaments for family, of our girls. I put their pictures on transparency, put it in the ornament and added snow. The transparency was cut on the gypsy with a circle slightly smaller than the ornament and a rectangle welded to the top to fit in the neck of the ornament.

     This was an ornament/money holder I made for my husband. All he wanted this year was money to by a bow. So I even made a bow for the front of the ornament and then hung it on our Christmas tree when we were opening gifts.

    Thanks for joining my Simple Creations in 2010 and 
    I look forward to many more projects in 2011.
    Happy New Year!
    Angela
    Simple Creations


      Sunday, December 19, 2010

      Fantabulous Cricut Crawl, "Deck the Halls" WINNER


      WINNER
      I am happy to announce that I have a winner for the  
      Fantabulous Cricut Crawl, "Deck the Halls".
      I used Random.org and Madison from http://funkycards.blogspot.com
      won 3 digital stamps from The Stamp Boutique. I want to thank Tracey the Owner and designer for sponsoring Simple Creations for this Cricut Crawl. Check out her beautiful images at her Boutique.

      This was my first blog hop or Cricut Crawl and I had so much fun. Thank you all for your wonderful comments. If you haven't tried vinyl yet. Try it. It is alot of fun! If you have questions about how to do it, feel free to email me. 
      I also want to welcome many new followers to my blog. I love sharing my Simple Creations with you. I hope you enjoy them and continue to follow.

      Angela
      Simple Creations

      Thursday, December 16, 2010

      Ornament

      If you are looking for the Fantabulous Cricut Crawl, "Deck the Halls", click HERE.  I want to thank all of my new followers. I have gotten so many wonderful comments. THANK YOU! I love comments. So many of you have wanted to try vinyl but haven't yet....try it! It is so much fun to work with. I have another project for you that I used vinyl and even altered it. All the vinyl was cut with the following settings. Blade 3, Speed 3, and Pressure 3.

      I made this ornament for an ornament exchange tomorrow. It was alot of fun to create. 
      Then I made a box to wrap it in.


      I glittered a 2 5/8" ornament with Martha Stewart turquoise glitter. Then cut the snowman from Doodlecharms using the blackout feature at 1 1/2". Then Stamped it with Peachy Keen Snow Cutie stamp & Stazon Ink. I tied embroidery floss & a bell around its neck before I pushed it onto the ornament. I also cut snowflakes from the shift layer of the #23 button on Jolly Holidays. Those were cut at 3" & 2 3/4".

       The box is from Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More. It is cut using the window feature at 8 3/4". I used some scrap acetate that I have left from the cover of a stamp set. I used tacky tape to adhere it. Then tied it off with ribbon and some more bells. I think all of the ribbon I purchased from Michaels. 
      I had so much fun with this project I just had to post it and share it with you.




      Monday, December 13, 2010

      Fantabulous Cricut Crawl- Come Check It Out!


      Welcome to Simple Creations and the third Fantabulous Cricut Crawl...
      Fantabulous Cricut's version of a blog hop! 

      In honor of the approaching Christmas holiday, we're having a "Deck The Halls" Crawl...each Design Team member will be featuring an original Christmas/Holiday-themed project that could be used to decorate and spruce up their homes for the Holiday Season!

      If you've come from visiting Andrea at http://divinedomestic.blogspot.com, you're in the right place! If you've just happened across my blog and would like to play along with our Fantabulous Cricut Crawl, 

      Make sure to check out each DT member's blog for some awesome inspiration! There will be PRIZES along the way at our DT members' blogs, AND there will be a Grand Prize up for grabs at FCCB for one participant that submits a "Deck The Halls" project at FCCB!

      For my project...I chose to do vinyl on the wall in our living room, above our couch. 
      It was hard to get a good picture straight on without getting a glare.
      All of the vinyl I used was Oracal 631. I have tried other vinyls but nothing compares to the quality of this vinyl. I purchased all of it from Expressions Vinyl. They have amazing prices, great colors & products. They also have how too videos, if you aren't sure how to cut with the vinyl. 
      I cut the Merry Christmas from Lyrical Letters at 14" on the 12x24" mat. Make sure you change the mat size on the machine when using the 12x24" mat. The settings I use to cut vinyl is: Blade-3, Speed-3, Pressure-3. That is called a "Kiss Cut" because it cuts the vinyl but not the backing of the vinyl, which makes it easier to remove the negative vinyl and transfer with transfer tape. The Tree was cut from Jolly Holidays at 11". It is layer with green, brown, burgundy, and white vinyl.



      I originally had the last Tree, above the Merry Christmas but I didn't like the style. So I put it on a wall in my kitchen now & used the more whimsical tree from Jolly Holidays. The original tree, with red background was cut from Lyrical Letters at 12" using the Portrait mode and a 12x24" mat.

      Decorating with Vinyl is so much fun and it can really add alot to a room.
      It is fairly easy and inexpensive to use.

      I am so excited to have The Stamping Boutique sponsor my blog today. 
       One person will win 3 digital images of their choice. For a chance to win...I would love for you to follow my blog, leave a comment with your favorite thing about Christmas, and a way to contact you. 
      Here is a special message from the Owner of The Stamping Boutique.

      I'm Tracey Malnofski, the artist and owner of The Stamping Boutique. My team and I are very happy to sponsor Simple Creations. My store has been open since September 2009. I am currently a stamp artist for UnityStampCo. and I've worked for InStyleStamps, Squigglefly, and TheDigiShack in the past. I'm a professional artist and an active member of the Artist' Guild in my community. I have quite a busy household with a husband, 3 teenagers, 5 mini-dachshunds and an Appaloosa mare. It's noisy, but I love them all. I'm truly blessed.
      "The Stamping Boutique" is dedicated to quality products and original artwork. We not only provide wonderful digital images in our store, but also several lines of red rubber images. Our designers are chosen for their character and personality,as well as, their beautiful designs. We work hard to give you our very best. Thank you so much for having us as your sponsor this week.


      Now it's your turn! Let's see your Christmas/Holiday-Themed Decor projects!  
      Make sure to include a Cricut cut somewhere on your project!
      When you're done, make sure to link up your project to FCCB's Fantabulous Cricut Crawl 
      post to be entered into the contest!

      Next stop...Angji's blog, http://sweetpineapplescrapping.blogspot.com. Go see what she has in store for you today... And remember, when you're done, make sure to link up your project to FCCB's Fantabulous Cricut Crawl post to be entered into the contest!
      Thank you for joining us today & Happy Crawling!
      Angela
      Simple Creations

      Friday, December 10, 2010

      I am so excited for our Fantabulous Cricut Crawl this Monday. 
      I have a vinyl wall art to share with you.
      There are 27 blogs in this Cricut Crawl.  I am also excited to announce that I have a sponsor that will be giving away something awesome. So come back on Monday, Dec. 13th to check out all the fun & beautiful projects.

      Wednesday, December 1, 2010

      Nativity - Inspired Heart

      Nativity - Inspired Heart
      I found an amazing blog hop today, "Jesus is the Reason", click to start it.
      It is all about remembering what this season is really Celebrating. I had so much fun viewing all the great projects and reading about their faith in God. At the end they even have a place to add your own projects. That is what I made this card for.

      Card Base - 5x5
      Ribbon - Paper Trey Ink Dark Chocolate
      Stars stamped with Versa Mark Ink & Glittered with Martha Stewart Glitter
      Nativity cut at 4" from Inspired Heart Cricut Lite Cart.
      Green layer embossed with Sizzix Embossing Folder
      Merry Christmas stamped & heat embossed with gold

      I was going to make an A2 size card but 4" was too big, so that is why I made it a 5" square card. Then I didn't know what to do with the empty space. So I added more gold with the stars. Hope you enjoy and remember why we really celebrate this season. Because Jesus Christ was born and came to this world to save us.

      Monday, November 29, 2010

      Thinking of You - Live Simply


      Thinking of You Card
      Made with Live Simply Circut Lite Cartridge cut at 3 1/2"
      Thinking of You - 2000 Stampin' Up
      Sanded & Inked with Chestnut Roan Color Box Chalk Cats Eye
      Not sure what size the scallop circle is because it was a scrap I had.

      My Daughter's Card - Jolly Holidays
       This is a card my 3yr old daughter made & I wanted to share it with you. It was cut from Jolly Holidays Cricut Lite Cartridge at 4". The pink background was embossed with a Sizzix folder. Then, stamped with a stamp I got from Hobby Lobby. She asked to make a card for a friend. So she picked out what she wanted to cut. Cut it on my Cricut and glued everything. She also embossed and stamped. My daughter is passionate about what I do and with mommy's supervision she also creates great cards.

      Ornament Box - FCCB Challenge #38

       Ornament Box

      #38 Ribbon Challenge- to create something with ribbon. Join us over at FCCB for this week's challenge & to see all the other design teams great ribbon projects.



      I created this box for a 2 5/8" ornament that I made. It fits very snug in this box cut from Tags, Bags, Boxes & More Cricut Cartridge. It was cut at 8 3/4" which is "fit to page" on a 12x12 page.
      The box is button #38 using the window function key.


      The ribbon is Paper Trey Ink - 
      Dark Chocolate 5/8"
      It looked beautiful on this box. It holds it shape well & stayed in place.

      The paper is Core'dinations, which is my new favorite paper.

      I used a piece of  acetate that came with some clear stamps, to cover the window. But transparency works fine, also. I like to use what I have. I used tacky tape to adhere it & for a strong hold.


      I added white paper crinkle for extra padding & decoration in the box.

      Saturday, November 27, 2010

      Stylish Blogger Award



      I would like to thank two wonderful ladies for choosing my Simple Creations to receive the Stylish Blog Award.
      First, is Norma at http://pinkblingcrafter.blogspot.com
      and second is Paula at http://raspberryandlimedesigns.blogspot.com


      To accept this award, I must do the following:
      1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded me this award
      2. Share 8 things about yourself
      3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered
      4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

      Get to know me better:
      1. I have been married for 6 years
      2. I have 2 little princess'
      3. I am having gypsy withdrawals and don't know how to create without it. (It glitched & I am waiting for the replacement)
      4. I love creating cards & scrapbooks with my gypsy & cricut.
      5. I am on the design team for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog
      6. I am a Pastors Wife
      7. My dream is to someday own my own scrapbooking store & cafe
      8. I lead a scrapbooking group that meets once a month

      I'm passing this award to these stylish blogs that I have recently discovered:
      Raechel's Cards
      Cooking With Cricut
      Stamp With Mercedes
      Cards by Jovan
      Karen's Crafty Creations
      A Path of Paper
      Lauren's Creative
      Whipper Berry

      Cricut Lite Tip


      Black Friday Purchase
      I went to Walmart at midnight to get these great Cricut Lite Cartridges for only $20 each. I love Jolly Holidays. It is the perfect cartridge to make quick, cute Holiday cards. Live Simply is such a cute Cartridge with alot of great cuts. Insipired Heart I really wasn't sure if I wanted to buy. I don't really like the images & won't use very many of them, but.....it has phrases on it that I will use. However, I couldn't see those until I bought it. So I am happy with my great deals. I have already made alot of cute cards with these cartridges.



      I like the layout of the booklet however 2 of them were out of paper so I laminated them & loved the result. I normally number my booklets and wasn't sure how to do it for these cartridges. So here is what I came up with. I used a BIC Mark-it pen, which is great for using on glossy paper, to number the images.



      These are what some of the phrases look like on the Inspired Heart Cartridge.

      Monday, November 22, 2010

      Thankful For...FCCB Challenge #37

      Thankful For.....

      This weeks Fantabulous Cricut Challenge was to create something that we are thankful for.
      I am SO Thankful for the Family God has blessed me with. My Family is Forever!
      I have a hard working & loving husband. He always provides for us & is so talented in all he does.
      We have 2 beautiful princess' that are 3 1/2 & almost 2 yrs old. They keep me busy but it is a joy to see them passionate about crafting. My oldest knows how to use my Cricut, paper cutter, and adhesive. So she helps me with alot of projects. So when I sit down and think of the top 3 things I am thankful for my answer would be:
      1. God
      2. Family
      3. Church Family
      If you haven't already thought about it this season...what are you thankful for? I love comments. Feel free to share your answers with me.

      Then join us over at the FCCB for this weeks challenge. Create something that you are thankful for.

      Now for the instructions for my very simple card. I cut everything out with 
      "Just Because" Cards Cricut Cartridge pg 57 button #34
      Word cut at 5"
      Tree with layers cut at 7"

      This was such a quick and simple card but I love how it turned out. I didn't even have to put a mat paper behind the words. That is because I was using great paper from Core'dinations. I love how well Core'dination cardstock cuts on the Cricut. It doesn't get all fuzzy & snag when it cuts. So I rarely have to re-cut something. I also love the colors in this paper pack. I got it from Hobby Lobby. The original price was $29.99 but I had a 40% off coupon which made it a great buy. I hope you enjoyed my project today. Remember to take a moment & think about what/who you are most thankful for, and let them know.


      Wednesday, November 17, 2010

      Gypsy Withdrawls

      I have been so busy working on alot of projects to sell at our Holiday Market last weekend. Unfortunately I didn't sell as much as I was hoping but got alot of orders. So God has defiantly been blessing my Simple Creations.

      However, in the mean time my Gypsy was glitching and getting error messages. I trouble shot with the Cricut Message board and had to finally call Provo Craft. They had me do a Data Recovery & that froze, so then I tried to Reformat & that froze. So now they are waiting for Product Development to tell me what to do with it. So now I am having Gypsy withdrawals. I have so many projects to work on and I don't know how to create without my Gypsy. It just made my life much easier. So I am hoping that can get restored soon.

      Monday, November 15, 2010

      FCCB Challenge #36 - Achoo!

      FCCB Challenge #36 - Achoo!

      Get Better


      This weeks Fantabulous Cricut Challenge was to Create a project
      having something to do with being sick (i.e. get well card, band-aid, "flu-bug", etc.)
      Join us this week and create something for this challenge that could cheer up someone who is feeling sick.

      Instructions:
      Wild Card Cartridge pg 65 button 34
      Bandaid card blackout - 5.75"
      Top of bandaid - Liner -5.75"
      Inside of card- bandaid card blackout - cut in half - 5.25"
      Envelope - 5.75"
      Envelope liner - 5.75"
      Since I used pattern paper for the liner I cut another piece of brown to cover the holes on the envelope flap. Dr. Bag - Frame - 5.71"
      I drew Rx on it because my husband thought it looked like a purse instead of a Dr. Bag.

       
                                       Inside of card & envelope.

      Detail on Card.   

                                                                       Detail on the Envelope.
                                         
      I hope you enjoyed my card & head on over to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.
      Create a card for this challenge and post it at FCCB.

      Saturday, November 6, 2010

      Merry Christmas - Sheep Card

      Merry Christmas - Sheep Card
      Winter Frolic Cricut Cartridge


      Merry Chirstmas- Rub on - Fresh Paint Sentiment Transfers by Marcella by K&Company
      Sheep- Border Function from Winter Frolic, cut at 2"
      Brown Scallop - Border Function from Winter Frolic, button#20, cut at 1"
      Star - Shift Border Function from Winter Frolic, button#44, cut at 2.18"
      I only used the first star in that cut. I hid the other 2 on my gypsy but you can cut all three and just use the first one.
      Star Dust Stickles on the star.
      I used a hole punch to punch out eyes on the sheep's heads.

      This is a simple card that went together quickly.

      Thursday, November 4, 2010

      Gift Boxes

      2" Gift Boxes

      I made these 2" boxes I made for the Salon "Dream Boutique" where I sell my Simple Creations.  I bought 100 2" boxes from Uline.com and then I decorate them. I will also stuff them with the white crinkly paper for gift wrapping. I will try to share most of the details of how I made them. If you have a question about any of them please contact me & I will be happy to answer them. As, always I love all your comments.

      The base paper I wrapped each box in is 1 3/4" x 8 1/2" the mat paper on top of that is 1 1/2"x8 1/2". I used my ATG gun to adhere most of the paper but that wasn't even strong enough on some of it so I also used the Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive (Liquid).


      Christmas Boxes made with Cuttlebug Dies and Embossing Folders.
      I used a Christmas Embossing folder that had Christmas Sayings on it & cut each set of words to make these several different boxes.






       Joy was a stamp I had. Even the red stamp cut out on top was a Cuttlebug Die.







      Believe was a metal word from Making Memories. The tree was a Cuttlebug die.







      The trees were a Cuttlebug die. The snowflakes were part of that Holiday Embossing Folder that I cut sections out of. Then I filled in the snowflakes with a white gel pen. I punched a snow flake on each of the sides.




      Cherish was a rub on I got in the mail.
      Absolutely Fabulous was a MPS stamp that she had made just for her class at CHA but she has many more amazing stamps. Check them out here.

      Thanks for Being You was a stamp I had.
      Believe is a MPS stamp from the Friends and Family set.

      I love you is a Making Memories Metal word.
      The hearts were from Accent Essentials Cricut Cartridge. Both were
      1 1/4" and welded together on my Gypsy.

      Giggle is a Making Memories Metal word.
      The Butterfly is from Create A Critter Cricut Cartridge and cut at
      1 1/2".

      Baby is from MPS Family & Friends stamp set.
      Duck was cut from a Cuttlebug die.
      The baby face was a stamp from Peachy Keen Stamps, Paper Doll Faces. Since I don't own any Copic Markers yet, I used watercolor pencils and a watercolor brush to color the pacifier. For the cheeks I used Pebbles Chalks.
       

      Here is a close-up of the baby face.