Simply Crafty SVGs Design Team

Hello, I'm happy to announce that I will be part of the Simply Crafty SVGs Design Team for a further term.  Simply Crafty SVGs designs and sells fabulous 3D digital cutting files for cardmaking and papercrafting.

I'm thrilled to have some lovely new teamies. You can read their bios over at the Simply Crafty SVG Blog. 

Here are some of my favourite projects from the past 6 months.

Handy Storage Drawers

Orchid Box Card

Chalkboard Bird House

Haunted Halloween Castle

Santa Express Box Card

Terrier Pin Cushion

All the project posts contain information on how to recreate these projects, just click on the link below each picture to read more.

I'm SO looking forward to the new term, and can't wait to see the new files that will be released over the coming months.

A Mouse Ice cream Cart and Hints on Using Scraps

Hiya, Over to the Silhouette UK Blog today I have a post all about using scraps, making your media go further, and using substitutes if you don't seem to have just what you need. To illustrate these tips I made this cute little Mouse Ice Cream Cart by Samantha Walker.





Here are some close-up pics of my favourite tweaks.



Cork ice-cream cones

A tiny silver tray in the cool box (great for a secret message).

A birthday message on the custom chalkboard

I hope like this fun little project and that the post gives you some ideas for using up your bits and pieces.

If you have tips of your own I'd love to hear about them in the comments. Do share!

Chalkboard Labels for Homemade Preserves

Hiya,

I don't have a big garden, but I love growing things to eat. Rhubarb grows a little too successfully, and its big leaves shade the lawn, causing it to die off if we don't pick it regularly. To use up an extra large harvest, I recently made a hot and spicy chutney with our rhubarb and shop-bought fresh root ginger.  I wanted to 'prettyfy' the jars to give some as gifts. and made custom chalkboard labels.
 

 
Over on the  Silhouette UK Blog today I show how I made the labels with my Silhouette® CAMEO 3, Chalkboard Cardstock and a favourite gel pen in the Silhouette Pen Holder. I used a few of these lovely circular frames designed by Lori Whitlock and a Sketch font called Sisters, designed by Riva Wilkins. I used a white gel pen to draw the frames and write the labels, a draw and cut technique.
 

I also added some tiny mini labels just for fun and some black and white baker's twine to finish.

Do you make preserves?  If not, these labels would look equally pretty on store-bought preserves. Why not pop over to the blog and see how it's done?

Lion head Card and Stand

Hiya, Today I have a post over on the Silhouette UK blog showing how to make a stand to add to a card to transform it into an item of home décor. I've included a file of the stand shape and it's free to download too. Just pop over to the Silhouette UK blog to download it in DXF format.

I just love, love , LOVE the Lion Head file that I used to demonstrate the stand, designed by one of my favourite designers in the Silhouette Design Store - Nik Squirrell -  AND she's from the UK too (Kent)! So, as well as the lion silhouette (no pun intended) I couldn't resist making a card too.

I made the background by blending pigment inks using the yellow and orange colours from a Clearsnap ColorBox Pigment Inkpad (Primaries).  They blend so much more easily than dye inks - I must remember to use them more often.

The lion head silhouette was cut from Canvas Corps Chalkstock card.  I'm not sure if it is available in the UK, but its worth seeking out as its really smooth and cuts beautifully with the Silhouette Cameo.

I mounted the Lion head onto an easel card and added a sentiment in gold vinyl. The name 'Lisa' is a cut-out with more blended card showing through from below. If you're wondering why the scissors, it was a card for my hairdresser, lion, mane, get it?

New Chalkboard Cardstock - Family Menu Chalkboard - with FREE Design Elements

Hiya,

You might have realised by now that I LOVE having the to opportunity to try out new products and this week I got to try a NEW Silhouette product in the UK - Silhouette Chalkboard Cardstock

This cardstock has a surface similar to that of the Silhouette Chalkboard Vinyl, but slightly smoother surface. Obviously, it is thicker (like medium-weight cardstock) and more rigid but similar in that it has a peel-off backing sheet covering a sticky adhesive surface. It was fun to play with - it is always good to try out a few different techniques before committing to a project. I really liked the effect of writing with gel pens, so used my Silhouette Pen Holder and Uni ball white gel pen to make a Family Menu Chalkboard. I made the permanent decorations with matte white vinyl so I wouldn't erase the days by mistake when I was being over-enthusiastic with erasing the meal listings.

So, if you'd like to make something similar with you Silhouette® CAMEO, Portrait or Curio, head on over to the Silhouette UK Blog for a tutorial and the low-down on this new product.

These are the items you'll need: 
Black Picture Frame (**)
Silhouette Chalkboard Cardstock
White Matte Adhesive Vinyl
Clear Transfer Material
White Marker Pen (Uni ball)
Silhouette Pen Holder
Downloaded Typewriter Key Font like LW Type Print
Downloaded Sketch Font like Rivka Wilkins' Madilyn Font
Downloaded Plain Font like LW Perfect Type Font


The Silhouette UK Blog links to a FREE file to make a modified header for your chalkboard.

The piece in the download just needs to be welded on to a rectangle matching the size of the top of your frame, all achieved very easily in the Silhouette Design software. As a bonus, the file format is GSD so may be used in other software too.


NOW, for readers of THIS blog I have a special gift for you! You can download an exclusive file of the additional Design Elements as shown in the wee picture below. They are also in GSD format, and are downloadable HERE.

(**) Note on the frame: I re-cycled an old certificate frame, originally with a bevelled edge. The rather unpleasant red-brown stain was covered with matte black acrylic paint and also turned around, to have the flat rear frame surface facing front.

I love chalkboard items and using this chalkboard cardstock is an easy way to obtain a very neat and effective look. I hope you'll try it.