They are FINISHED!!!

With Mom and Dad visiting this past week, we were able to get the 2011 calendars FINISHED!!

They are better than the 2009 and 2010 calendars. I'll be posting them starting soon.

I used lots of the new cartridges released this past year!! Thank goodness Provo Craft had their designers create lots of great designs for the seasons and celebrations throughout the calendar year!!

Each page is full of designs and cuts from my Cricut Expression!!
Check back soon to see the new year's calendars!
It's become quite a consuming yearly project.


Your comments are always appreciated!

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It's HAPPENED!!!!! I now have 100 (+) followers!!! RAK

WHEW!

Today, December 8, 2009 after starting my blog in early July 2008, I finally hit 100 followers!

Why am I so excited??? Because I'm doing a RAK!

BUT

Only the people that are my first 100 followers are eligible to be entered for this RAK!

I'm doing this to show how much I appreciate your visits, your comments, and encouragement as I move through the stages of beginner, novice, intermediate and as far as I can tell... middle-intermediate paper crafting skills.

SO, in a few days (I have another craft show coming on Saturday) I'm going to post what the RAK will be, and I'm going to pick from among my first 100 followers!

I just want to let you all know how much I SO appreciate your visits and comments on my blog!

I'm planning on doing this for every big milestone number of followers when I get there.... just to show my appreciation!!

I'm thinking that I'll make a few things... and then I'll see what else to add to the RAK.

Again... THANK YOU!!!

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How to Re-stick Your Cricut Mat!

Something I Learned About Using My Cricut!
This is an article using the benefit of the experience of a new Cricut user.
**Reprinted from November, 2008

Topic this time: Re-sticking Your Mats!


How many mats do you have? THAT many?? I’ll admit that I have quite a few mats too, but I’m not planning on buying any new mats for a LONG time! …and Yes, I do use my Cricut Expression almost daily!

Here’s the scoop on re-sticking your mats. Zig Pens! Get yourself the wide tipped Zig pen. I’ve seen them up to $6 in the craft stores – use a coupon to save some $$ for carts and paper! Even if you don’t have a coupon, for $6 a glue-pen, you can re-stick a LOT of mats!

I’ve read that some people clean off their mats by washing them with soap and water. When I used this method, I just made sure I had all the little bits of paper off the mat.

Take your Zig pen and apply adhesive all the way across your mat. Be careful that you don’t get any adhesive on the outer green area – or it will mess up your rollers. Really, it’s easy! Apply the adhesive to the entire mat, and then let it sit out, uncovered, until the mat has ‘dried’. Be sure to let it air-dry before you place the cover sheet back on your mat.

This is just the easiest way to re-stick your mats! I’ve already done 5 of them, and they work just like new. I actually think this adhesive lasts much longer than the original adhesive that came with our mats!

Here’s a link with a video from Ms. Robyn, the Pink Stamper showing exactly how this process works. http://thepinkstamper.blogspot.com/2008/11/episode-69-how-to-make-your-cricut-mat.html
Good Luck, and let me know how this works for you.
**
Update to this article: (August 2009) I've been using this mat re-sticking method since a short time before I wrote this article for Gracie, and haven't bought any new mats since! I actually have a few still in the packaging. I just clean off the mat really well, and re-stick it with the Zig Pen!

There’s so MUCH to learn!
Until next time,
Susan Vilar
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Post 3 of New "Old" Things - State Posters!

This was a project I did WAY back over a year ago for my 4th Grade class at the time, and all the subsequent classes I'd teach this unit to over the coming years. I have a teacher book from a company called "The Mailbox"; it's a USA regions unit. For almost the past 10 years or so, I've taught this unit to my students right after our testing is finished.

When I made these posters, I used the original maps from the book to determine how many states would fit on the posters. This is a really great way for the students to learn all 50 states and their capital cities.

This year, I've had quite a few of the teachers borrow the posters for use in their classrooms too!

Just two things:
1. I did put in all the commas BEFORE I laminated the posters!! AND, on the side without the capitals, I drew in all the major bodies of water so they could see where the lakes and rivers were located.
2. I don't know where my pictures of the NE states has gone... Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island... I'll have to get a picture and add it to the set! I know I have it - it was posted in my classroom for the beginning of the unit!

Follow this link to the coloring chart I used to make sure none of the states that touched each other were the same color. It works every time!!

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Post 1 of New "Old" Things

June, 2008

I'd seen someone's post on the Cricut Messageboard using the Cricut Cartridge Speaking of School to make her name for her classroom... and since I had the cart, I made one as well. The letters are 4 inches each with all their layers - as well as lots of gel pen accents and even more stickles just to make them look amazing.

I also made a set of these for another teacher friend of mine. They still need to be delivered. :(

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New Series! - Some "New" Old Posts

I just spent some time today re-labeling my blog posts, and I realized that there are many projects I've done, posted in other places, and haven't posted here on my blog for you to see!

SO, I'm going to start back through some of my other projects either for school or the Design Team, or Cards for Soldiers and post them here.

I've got States posters, and some very cute cards... so keep checking for them! They'll be here soon.

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Housewarming Card

I made this card from the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge - We needed a housewarming card for some relatives that were only too happy to move back to the Chicagoland area.

I had to take a little break today and make this card. I hope you like it!

It's cut at 7 1/2 inches, and the envelope was cut at 7 3/4 inches.

I used smooth cardstock for everything along with some glitter and glaze gel pens.

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Birthday Card for Our Niece

These are the front and first inside folds of the card,

and here is the inside of the card

I think this card has taken me longer than any card I've made to date. I used lots of my Stampin' Up supplies, as well as many of my other craft tools. This was a 4 hour card, minus the time for making and having lunch in between.

I cut the cardstock to 7 x 11, and scored the folds at 3.5 and 7 inches. I used the label punch to make the window, and the thank you stamp inked to use only the border. Then the sentiment from one of the hostess sets was stamped inside the border. I used my Versamark ink and some clear cupcake stamps to stamp all over the front and first fold inside the card, heat embossing it with clear powder.

Then I used my cupcake Stampin' Around Wheel twice, once on pink cardstock, and once one white cardstock. I colored the cupcakes with Glaze gel pens, and popped them over the top of the pink cardstock. I then used some Star Dust stickles to make the confetti very sparkly, as confetti should be.

The Birthday Wishes background, Birthday stamped background, and flower border all come from the DCWV Glitter stack. Those are just the cutest papers!!! I used the Jasmine cart to cut the photo corners, and a white opaque pen for the doodly-do's. I used the Brilliance opalescent inks for all the inked edges so they're a little shiny... and I'll borrow a friend's slit punch until I get one of my own to keep the card closed.

Thanks so much for looking... this card took so MUCH time, but I really loved making it!!!

I hope the background pink doesn't show to garishly online, it's really a nice background pink for the entire card.


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Birthday Card for a Dear Friend

I am just enjoying these flower borders from Walk in My Garden!!!

This is a birthday card for my friend Barb... it's made with some cloud paper as a background, the Hyacinth borders - 3 of them with some Stickles and Ranger Liquid Pearls for accents. I also added some of those adorable little 3/4 inch ladybugs just 'cause they're so cute!

The scroll corners come from Storybook, and I inked and heat embossed the Birthday Wishes - it's a Stampin' Up stamp I received recently. Gotta love that quality in their products!!!

I used 2 of my other Birthday stamps on the inside.





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Baby Book Inchies!

So the Inchie thing has me so fascinated, I've been thinking up all kinds of ways to make and use them. I even found a website that has Inchie Stamps! Amazing.


These rubber duckies were cut from the New Arrival Cart at 1 inch, mounted on a light blue 1 1/4 inch square, and matted onto a 1 1/2 inch square of Debbie Mumm Baby Boy CS. I inked both squares, and used Black Diamond, Yellow, Orange Peel, and Waterfall stickles. I also used a Metallic Blue Gelly Roll pen for the four dots in the bottom left corner.


I made 15 of these in all, and I'm going to use 'em on the bath pages for the baby book... should be VERY cute!!!


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Tracy's Christmas Challenge - March!

Here are my cards - created for Tracy's Christmas Challenge.


This month, our rules were:
1. Create 5 cards (as always).
2. Cards must be black and white, with one color accent.
3. Buttons are allowed as the only embellishment.


These are my cards...





I used the background paper from one of my B/W paper stacks,
2 Martha Stewart punches... the icicle border, and the button punch.

I have to admit, I use that button punch more than I ever thought I would!!

The snowflakes are from the Cricut Cartridge "Christmas Solutions",
and the oval is a Scalloped Nestabilities die, with Merry Christmas
stamped in Stampin' Up Glorious Green Craft ink,
and heat embossed with clear Ranger embossing powder.





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Happy Birthday to my Aunt

This was another card I saw on the Cricut Messageboard. It was so gorgeous, I had to try my hand at it. It really is a cute card! Even my husband liked it, and he is my "most severe critic".

In these pictures, I'm not so happy with the glitter and will fix it before I sent it out.

Click HERE to see the original card.

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Cricut Anniversary

Tune: Happy Birthday

Happy Anniversary to Me!
Happy Anniversary to Me!
Happy Anniversary Anniversary, Anniversary to Me!

Today is ONE YEAR to the day that I bought my Cricut!

I remember so clearly making those first cuts and working out
how to put them together... I sure have learned a lot since then!!!

March 10, 2008 I went and got my Cricut E after work, and started
playing!


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Check Out the Difference Inking Makes!

I cut these two telephone cards from the Cricut Wild Card cartridge today, and once I worked out how to get them together - UGH! - they just seemed to 'need' something.


A friend (Thanks, Ali!)taught me how to use the Fluid Chalk Cat Eye inks to add that something to my cards, and I've been using this technique for awhile now. Check out my purple flower card...


Take a look at the difference the inking makes! The card on the left is plain, and the card on the right has been inked with a similar tone. What a difference!


The second card shows the inking on the white inside of the card for a little continuity, and the Stampin' Up sentiment (Brilliant Blue Craft Ink) and holographic embossing powder set with the heat gun.


I hope you enjoy. When I saw the two together, I just had to take a picture!

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SWARM!

I attended my 2nd SWARM yesterday, February 28th - and got SO much done!!!
We had the best time - and though there weren't too many people there, we were able to talk, laugh, and get so much done!

I will post pics as soon as I can of all the work I finished. I am currently working on my 100 Butterflies for our Butterfly Project through the Houston Holocaust Museum. I hope you too will join us!

Boy it sure is nice to feel BETTER! Not perfect, 100% yet, but I'm getting there.
YAY!

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Cricut Decal!!!

I've actually had the decal sitting on my lamp table now since NOVEMBER!

It's such a beautiful day today, I finally got it put on my (beloved) truck.

Thanks Okie!!

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Baby Boy Swap

Another first for me... this is my first swap over on the Cricut Messageboard - I've got a dear friend expecting a boy, and this was the perfect opportunity to make something cute, and exchange it for lots of other cute things to use for the baby album I have planned for her!

These are the things I included... I made 10 of each set... and will in turn receive an equal amount of items from the others in the swap.

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Nephew's Birthday Card

I had a great time with this card....

Nestabilities,

Heat Embossing,

Stampin' Around Baroque wheel with Ballet Blue ink,

Cuttlebug folders - Divine Swirls, Spots and Dots, and Swiss Dots

Stickles: Dark Blue, Starry Night, and Silver...

I hope he enjoys his card!!

Cricut Articles and Tips

I'm excited to see my Cricut tips article showing up on the Everything Cricut Blog.

Check out the link - I'm going to have a series of articles published on the site with ideas and things I've learned about using the Cricut. No, I don't profess to being an expert at the Cricut - but I've discovered a few things that might help you!

http://everythingcricut.blogspot.com/

The articles are posted on the very right-hand side of the blog. Check out Everything Cricut - it's got LOTS of great information. You can also find a link under my favorite blogs.