I want Candi!

Hello everybody! It's almost Christmas :-)!


I have a couple of new products in! The first item is one I've been wanting to get in for a long time but couldn't because it's from England; my distributor FINALLY put it in their catalog. They are called Candi. It's the brads without the legs and you use pop dots to adhere them on your project.

They are really great to use, especially when you have a project where you want the look but not the whole brad. And they're very cost efficient too! They are light weight and come in a variety of designs and colors. You can visit their website for ideas on how to use Candi. Of course I have several colors in! The price is $3.89 for a .35 ounce bag of Candi (about 100 pieces).





Also new in are the limited edition colors for Glimmer Mist and Glimmer Glaze! With this products coming in, I will be having a class on their proper use. Below are only some of the colors that are coming in:

Glimmer Mist:

Glimmer Glaze:

Finally, we have the Doodlebug Twine coming in. These colors are very vibrant - and match the colors of their buttons. Twine is a great way to dress up your project. Each roll of Doodle Twine is 20 yards and costs $2.99:







I will try to get all these items posted soon on the website and shopping cart so you can purchase them; as you can see there's quite a bit and much more than what's shown above.


I also have a few classes posted online via Meet Up. Below are the classes and their links so you can sign up if you want. I think you might have to follow Scrap-a-rama on Meet Up in order to RSVP and see the class location:

Melt Art - January 9 sign up here

Think Ink: Tattered Angels - January 16 (link coming soon)

That's it for now! Have a SAFE holiday season and stay warm!

Freda

Cuttlebug v. Vagabond

Hi everybody! Today I decided to play with my new Vagabond. Many of you noticed that Js recently had a sale on it. I too got in on that as the price was lower than the wholesale price I pay as an internet store; plus the weight of the machine makes it costly to ship so there's no way I can compete with big box stores on that item.

Anyway, I was very happy they had it for 50% off with free ship (had to pay the tax) and gleefully ordered mine last month. I had been wanting one since they came out; sometimes you just don't feel like cranking. The draw back for me, however, is that it's not very wide unlike the Grande Calibur, Big Shot, Big Kick, and if it ever comes out, the eBosser (Craftwell, $199.99, scheduled for a late January release). On the other hand, if I'm doing a lot of projects, like Christmas cards, and I have a lot of embossing to do, the Vagabond is an arm saver! Plus it's just so cute with those travel stickers on them!

I did not notice any difference in quality as far as pressure. You do have to be careful to remove the shim that comes with the plates for the Vagabond, otherwise it's a rather tight fit and you might crinkle up your paper. The left side is Vagabond, the right Cuttlebug:

So my final conclusion is, if you're in the market for something, it's a matter of preference, really. The Vagabond might stall and get stuck if what you have in there is too tight for the machine, or you're using it a lot (overheat). However, both Vagabond and Cuttlebug use the same size plates. And although you do have to hold down a button with the Vagabond, it will stop when it detects a difference in the tension between plates. Go with what you feel comfortable.

Freda

Look what came in the mail!

If you're not a Fisk-a-teer, why not? www.fiskateer.com. Submit the questionnaire and wait for approval. Now, I did this almost a year ago and just got my scissors with my Fisk-a-teer number engraved on the blade. But I will always treasure these scissors. They are light-weight and cut pretty decent :-):

My Christmas wreaths

I thought with the holiday season upon us I would share with you some of the wreaths I've made in the past. My inspiration - believe it or not - came from a Ms store in my area! I saw some of their wreaths and thought 'I can do that!' And it would cost me the price they charge for their finished wreaths. One of these days I'm going to make one with Hibiscus', lol! Some of these wreaths are for personal use; others are for sale - dirt cheap! (Yes, trying to get rid of them):

 I was going for the country Christmas look with the plaid ribbon and grapevine wreath above.

 I wish I made the poinsettia off center a bit and not directly below the bow.

The wreath below is one of my favorites. Close up on the berries:

embossing and UTEE trick

Let's start with the embossing powder. Doesn't matter which kind; Zing, Stampendous, etc. Pick your poison and color. You'll also need some card stock. I picked white and trimmed it to 4.25x5.5. My embossing powder color choice was red. You'll also need red tape (I used 1/8 inch). And a heat gun.

Do not use any other kind of tape, tape runner, or tape adhesive. It must be red tape. Lay down lines of red tape on your project and trim the sides of any excess tape.

Remove the red part exposing the tacky part. Sprinkle embossing powder on your project and tap off any excess. This method also gives you a straight line for your project and card making.

Heat

Now, let's try this with the UTEE. Again, place strips of red tape onto your card stock and remove backing. I chose black only because I thought it would show up best that way on camera. Sprinkle the UTEE on it and shake off excess.

Heat with your heat tool. When it bubbles, it's done! Isn't this a cool effect? And the best part is, the red tape doesn't melt off!

Thanks all!

Freda

New Martha Stewart Punch All Over the Page punch

Just a quickie note to show ya'll how easy it is to use the 2.0 version (my joke) of this punch! I am so glad that Martha and company decided to do what they did with the markings - similar to the border punches; it makes it so much easier to "punch all over the page".

First, I had to find my starting point. I wasn't sure where to start. The instructions on the back of the package weren't very specific. So I grabbed some old CHEAP paper I didn't care about and lined it up to the line that is just outside the punch shape.

The instructions will tell you to place the top over the bottom and it will snap into place. However, the truth is, there is a positive and negative on the magnets in the punch so make sure you're all lined up before you start punching. You'll feel the top move if you're not lined up properly. If that happens, remove the top, turn 45 degrees, and see how that fits.

Just like in the border punches, line up your image to the shape on the punch so you can cut the next one.

As you can see from the photo above, I punched across the paper only to have a little bit of excess. So I tried again on another piece of cardstock and started on a new location on the punch, this time going to the edge of the metal guide.

See the difference? It filled in an extra 1/2 inch but I still have excess paper. The punch did not fill up the paper. However, that's ok. I trimmed 1/2 on two sides when I was finished punching (further down the page). For now, we're punching all over the page.

You can line up your design top, bottom, left, right.

I mentioned above that I trimmed 1/2 inch on 2 sides. Now my paper is 11.5x11.5. I took a white piece of cardstock and a decorative corner photo punch (Fiskars Majestic); punch the corners and slide the MS punched page into the white into the corners. Yes, there is a little bit extra on the left and bottom ends; I will cover that up with a layout design and the next time I use this punch I know to position my cardstock about 1/4 inch over more - where the magnets are.

Enjoy!
Freda