It is almost here...

Do you miss it? You know it is coming. Can you just taste it? It is almost the holiday season. This is my favorite time of the year. Why, you may ask. It is not just the presents. Those are material things. It is not just the food and the parties. You can get fat during this time of the year, although it tastes so good. It is also just for the gathering of family and friends. You can see them any time of the year, why make it a special occasion to do so. It is a time of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and He is the reason for the season. So the preparation is underway. I made my first Christmas card for the year. Well actually two, the first one was for a swap back in July. It does count, but it is not part of the cards I will be making personally or for sale. Even though I made yesterday’s card for a swap as well, I will make more for both personal and for sale. It is so simple, want to know how I did it? Of course you do.

My first Christmas project card is called….An Ornament card. Please keep in mind that you can use this card for any season, any occasion. Also take note, If you do not have a cricut, please use whatever you use for a die-cut machine, or you can go to your local Scrapbook Store (LSS) to cut the pieces out, but I used the cricut for this first card.

For the ingredients, you will need:



• The Wild card Cartridge*. For the card blank, I use the one on page 77. Press the blackout feature, and the Hanukkah card (no shift please). You will not see the candle cutout on the card blank. Cut at 5 ½”.

• Also on the Wild Card Cartridge, I cut out the liner on page 74. Press the liner button, and I cut the ornament out on Bazzill bling paper at 3”. It fits the 5 1/2” card blank fine.

• Patterned Paper cut to 3 5/8” x 5 1/4”. I used Imaginisce’s Candy Cane Lane/Ice Capades paper. I am not sure if it is discontinued or not. I just know I got it at Archiver’s last year. The best place to check is usually on the paper company’s website if you want to see if a paper is discontinued or not. Just because a store has it in clearance does not always mean it is discontinued.

Cut out everything first. I use the assembly method for putting together more than one card. I do it this way, so if I have to stop, I know what piece of the card I am currently on, and I can continue later on. Use whatever method works for you. I feel more organized that way. So for example, on this card, I would adhere al the mats first (the patterned paper), then the ornament. One note: If you use the card blank on page 77 of Wild Cards, the corner is missing, so duplicate that on the mat as well for a more clean, and even look to it. Just cut the corner off of the bottom two.

*Please note, if you do not have this cart, you can probably do the card blank with Plantin Schoolbook, Just Cards, or the new seasonal one, Christmas cards cart. You can just as easily just cut a 8 ½” x 11” cardstock in half, and score it. If you choose to make this card blank on your own or buy card blanks already made for you, you can cut out an ornament on a die cutting you already own or go to a LSS to cut out the ornaments. Also keep in mind if you choose the later, some LSS stores may want you to buy the paper in the store rather than bring in your own. I know that Archivers does charge for the use of their paper, and not to bring in your own. Check with them first. Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, AC Moore’s, and Joanne’s does not have that option to cut out die-cuts.



I have not forgotten about the other occasion cards…

Such as birthdays. I am working a set of female birthday cards for my aunt, and I am working on thank you/Encouragement cards for my mom.

The one problem I am facing is my Etsy page. As I explained in past post, I had an account with Etsy since 2008, but decided to post some cards this past January 2010. I have gotten some views, but no sales. I am starting to understand that Etsy is becoming very saturated because of media exposure, and I have not much in the way of promotions and adding new product, but I am trying. It is no fun renewing. So if you are in need of cards, or a scrapbook or two, take a look at my Etsy page. The address is www.etsy.com/shop/plogan. The shop name is MDN Creates (like the blog). If you have any questions, or you would like to talk to me about customizing a card to a different color, let me know through the Conversation area, or Alchemy. I should have my journals posted on there soon.

In the meantime, take care.

My first journal made

Hello-

I finally did it, I made my first journal.   Before I get into details, the video link on how I made it is on You Tube, and you can see it here.   One with the show:

The covers are from Theresa Collins.   the paper is from a company that Longaberger used to recreate their fabric.  It is simple, trace the pattern on the paper, then glue it on the cover.    Once I did that, then I cut out the heart in bazzill basic paper using the Cricut expression.   The heart is 5 1/2 and the pattern is from the Storybook Cartridge.

This is in back of the front cover.  Same thing, only this time, I attached a cardstock sticker from Melissa Frances, and circled the date the winner received the journal.

The page was made with SEI paper, and what I did was cut the 12x12 paper in half, folded the paper.  Next I put glue in between the two halves.  I did that twice.  I put the two together, and I put glue on all sides except one.   this forms a pocket.   The tag is made from Basic Grey, which is part of a Christmas paper, but since is has pink in it, why not use it in the journal.  Tip:  You do not have to use holiday paper during the holidays, unless it has things like snow flakes, santas, pumpkins, easter eggs.  You get the idea.   I cut out a double tag on Tags, bags, boxes, and more.  It is actually called mirror image, and it turns any single tag into two.   I mentioned this two posts back, as a way to make a mini folder, only this time, I glued the whole thing, instead of leaving one side unglued.   I put a medal flower on the tag where the hole is, put a brad on to hold it, and on the back side placed a pearl gem to hide the brad.   The pages have the same type of stickers from Melissa Frances.   Both o these pages allows the person to jounal.

This is a Tag page, which is just a bigger tag (at 8 1/2) made the same way.   The SEI paper that was used in the making of the packet page was same paper only on the back side.   the hearts are metal and made by Making memories, and the sentiment made to look like a ticket is from Melissa Frances.  the tabs through the book is made with the From my Kitchen cartridge.

This next page is the smallest, and I had to figure out how to bind it, without problems.  This is a packet page.   I cut the circles from one paper, placed it onto Bazzill Cardstock to make a totally new paper, and you can do that.   it gives it sort of a 3-D effect, without it being popped up. in order for the tags to fit in the front and back of the page, I had to glue the circles directly on the page.  the tags we made with the mirror image again.  in fact to stiffen up the pages, many of the elements had to be placed back to back either through gluing tags and tabs together or the pages themselves.

 These next four pages were very simple.  I traced the one of the covers again, then made photomats out of Bazzill Basics paper with the Storybook Catridge.   the front and back pages have pearls on the points, while the last two front and back pages have MF tickets on them, and embellishments from Making Memories findings on them.   With these four pages, sometimes you have to do simplicity in order to get a point across.   in case you did not know, I wanted this to be a journal of encouragement for the person who won it, no matter what the crisis they have been through. But at the time, I want them to feel joy.

 The last pages were made almost the same way that the small pocket page was made, but this time, I once again enlisted the help from the "From My Kitchen Cartridge.   I cut the recipe card at 6 1/2 cut it down just a little (it was a little too big), and then folded the bottom to make a pocket.   I did not cut tags out for this last page, I used ready made tags from a project that did not need that many tags.  I glued photo mats on them, and placed copic colored flowers on in the corners.  I placed fiber where the holes are.   the other side was left blank on purpose.   The back inside cover has a thought phrase on it.

I enjoyed making this journal, and it was very relaxing, even though I will never do something like that in two days.  I had planned on having it done by today, and then delivering it tomorrow evening.  My hope is that the winner will enjoy this journal, and put many memories in it.   Oh the binding.   I bonded it with a cinch.   It is the next step up from a Bind it all.  I had problems learning how to bind with the Bind it All.   It was not simply at all.  If you are just learning how to bind this tool is for you.   You just have to do a little bit a measuring to make sure all your holes are lined up.   Get the wire cutter two, if you already do not have one.  I did not have one, and I could have gone over to my parent's house and borrow my dad's, but Sunday when I to look for my materials, I brought my mom with me.  We stood there for 5 mins contemplating over me getting the wire cutter, and she said it would be better for me to have my own pair.  she was right, because I cut the wire for preparation at 6am.  My parents would have been upset if I came over to get wire cutters at that time of morning.   Anyway, once you punch the holes, there is an area where you can place the wire, and put the pages on that way.   Take the book and wire off the wire holder, and cinch (close) the wire in the back.  Make sure you first set the wire size.   You book is done after this process.

The Box:

This is the box it is going into:

The box came from one of the ladies from my church over the summer, and she told my mom that I might have some use for it.  Well I did .   I fleux destress the box with Blush ink from Close to My Heart.  I am not sure if this ink was discontinued or not, but I had the ink for a long time.I destress both the top and bottom, and I took christmas holiday ribbon, which had wire in it, and made it look like a present.  

So that is it.  Again you can hear me talk about it on You Tube.   Have a good day, and God Bless you.  

Etsy part 3

Lately, I have been posting about Cricuts, telling you about my newest family member, and just Tricia. One of the things I have said when starting this blog is to have the creations I make on display. Well I have not been doing that. I explained that in past blog posts. To be honest, I had a creative slump. So without further ado, my latest stuff.




Tags…

My first tag is very simple, but the paper is very complicated. The first thing I did was doubled the paper. The first paper is from The Paper Company, and it is called, “Gold Foil Leaf on Ivory”. The second piece of paper is just a plain sheet of ivory. I created an adhesive “sandwich” with my Tombow adhesive runner, and matched the corners and sides. I cut out the cards with Tags, Bags, Boxes and more. Since there was two sheet of paper, the settings I used on my expression were 6 on the blade housing setting. For beginners, you get this setting this way: where the housing for the blade is (just above where the mat would feed in), the blade housing has 6 settings, and each setting determines how far the blade goes in the paper in order to cut it. A 1 setting is perfect for vellum, because the thinnest and delicate nature of the paper. A 6 setting is for thick paper. By me adhering the two together, made the whole thing very think. To make a clean cut, I hit the multicut button. Multicut cuts 2, or 3 times, depending on the settings that the operator sets in the settings area (more on that in another post.). The tag is on page 90 in the handbook. I choose Blackout (hit shift to get the one with the one with the hole in it). The size is 4”.

Oh, one thing I forgot to point out, the settings above is for the Expression, Create, and Cake machines. If you have the Original or the new Imagine machines, follow the instructions for the Imagine machine, and the original machine does not have the buttons I am speaking about. The instructions also are for the machine only, and does not cover anyone who has Sure Cuts a Lot, Make The Cut, Design Studio or the Gypsy to help them cut with their cricut machine.

Once the tags were cut, I used a sepia tone color to age the tags, and I noticed that when I touched the tags, they felt as though they were worn, and have been made for years, which is what you want, if you want to achieve the look of an distressed, aged tag.

Just a note:

I have also made note cards. The first one was cut using the DreamKutz machine. You can get the same cut using a paper trimmer. Cut a sheet of 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper horizontally and fold in half. I rounded the corners with a corner punch, and then cut a piece of Heidi Grace paper to match the front of the card, only 1” smaller. I did not purposely put an image or ribbon on the card to let the beauty of the paper. I printed off “Just a note”, and rounded the bottom right and the top left corners. I took forest green ink and put it around the edges.

The second “Just a note” cards are a little bit simpler. Again with the DreamKutz machine, I cut 12 x12 paper and cut it six pieces, each equally, folded them in half to form 3x3 cards. This is the Bazzill Bling paper, and cut a double-sided sheet of paper to size to match the front. The words, “Just a Note”, is printed on a piece of burgundy paper. Envelopes will be with both sets of cards.



Well that is it for now. I hope you have a wonderful week. God bless you.



Tricia