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

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

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.

Fantabulous Cricut Crawl- Come Check It Out!

Fantabulous Cricut "Deck The Halls" Crawl!

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, 

start HERE at FCCB

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.

Tracey Malnofski http://thestampingboutique.com

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

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.

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.