Mummy Halloween Card

I have been seeing cute Halloween cards floating around, and one of them being a mummy peeking out from behind his wrappings.  I really wanted to make this card so last night before I headed out to a family party I decided to make one.

Isn't he CUTE!!!??  I used white cardstock as the base and then tore up some white scraps I had laying around to use as the mummy's wrappings or bandages.  I inked the edges to give it an older more worn look.  I stamped the bottom with a sentiment from My Thoughts Exactly's Fright Night Phrases stamp set using Vintage Photo distress ink from Tim Holtz.  The eyes I cut out using some stencils I had.

Thankfully I didn't start out with a cutting machine when I started crafting because having the old school basic stuff helps out when you just don't want to mess with SVGs or setting up the machine and computer to cut.  Really, I just don't want to deal with the hassle sometimes.  In fact I have been eyeing punches lately but then I realize I'd end up spending a TON because I would need every shape in every size and I might as well just either use the stencils I have or use my Silhouette to cut them out rather than spend hundreds on punches.  Oh the dilemmas us crafty people deal with!  :)

Oh by the way, I read that Silhouette is coming out with a new machine?!  I can't remember the name of it but I was intrigued at first but then realized it's small like my SD so I have no use for it.  If I'm going to upgrade I will get the Cameo and get rid of my dust collecting Cricut Expression.  Poor thing has been sitting for at least a year collecting dust.  I have used it once since getting my Silhouette.  Probably time to sell the thing and use the money towards a Cameo!  

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my mummy!  I may make some more with different colored eyes such as purple or green.  Maybe have him or her peeking ou from behind some darkness......

Anniversary Card

I sat at my computer to print out my Starbucks voucher from Living Social ($5 for $10 worth of coffee) and instead I made a card!  I guess the craft monster took over and overthrew the coffee monster!

This week I received two awesome orders!  OK, there was more than just those two orders but I only used items from two of the orders I placed.  First let me show you pictures of a card I made using some of the new items I received.  Here ya go!

Sometimes simple is more!

First up are the stamps from My Thoughts Exactly.  I absolutely love this brand.  They stamp so crisply and they don't lose the stick which I noticed happened on some of the ones I purchased at big chain stores.  Well, my disappointment in clear stamps has completely turned around once I started using My Thoughts Exactly Stamps.  These are the only clear stamps I buy now!

Next up is the embossing folder.  Oh how I LOVE it!  I purchased a few sets but the one I used is a chevron design.  This folder is from QuicKutz.  Each pack has two embossing folders and I purchased them for pretty cheap off Scrapbooks Steals or one of those bargain sites.  I have to hunt down more of these awesome embossing folders now!  The only bad part is that they don't emboss a true A2 size but if you trim up the paper like I did then it's not so bad.  I truly LOVE this embossing folder and the others I purchased.

Oh, I must mention one of my other favorite tools!  Epiphany Crafts Shape Tool!  I have had the heart shaped one (along with many of their other tools) for awhile but I usually use it with the epoxy shapes as well.  This time I used it as a punch to punch out the three hearts on my card but didn't use the epoxy.  Nice right!?  It's like a two-in-one! 

So go on and check out the two products I featured.  I PROMISE you won't be disappointed!

~Kasi    

   

Bandaid Get Well Card

Hi all!  It's another day and another post.  Still going strong with making cards!!  Yay me!

Today I made a few get well cards.  My favorite get well card is one that I make with a fake bandaid on it.  I try to make it look authentic.  What do you think?  Works??

The stamps are a mix and match of My Thoughts Exactly sets.  Love those stamps for that reason and because they stamp so crisply!  

This card is available in my Etsy shop!

Etsy

I recently re-opened my Etsy shop.  It's been awhile since I was on there.  With my recent pregnancy I lost all interest in all hobbies I once loved which included crafting and reading.  Now that the little one is here I am ready to get back to everything my "normal" self loves. 

Here's a link to my Etsy shop:  19Eighty Expressions on Etsy

and

Here are some of my latest creations:

Oh how I missed crafting!!!

Cleaning Your Cutting Machine Mat

I have always struggled with trying to efficiently clean my cutting mats whether it's the Cricut mat or the Silhouette mat.  I NEVER was able to get all the goo off until now!

I re-stick my mats with a chisel Zig Pen and it works great but it is a pain in the butt to get the glue off when I need to clean it and re-stick.  My mats are a huge ugly mess of old glue and grossness.  I tried the soap approach to no avail.  Baby wipes didn't work.  I also tried the Goo Gone or whatever that pungent smelling stuff is.  All it did was give me a headache, stink up the house, and eat up the printed lines on my mat.  Big huge fails!  Today I discovered the answer to cleaning my mats...baby oil!  Seriously.  No joke!!  I just tried it and it took some scrubbing (probably from a years worth of glue stuck on the mat) but it worked!

I put some drops of baby oil on the mat and spread it out by rubbing it into the glue.  I let it sit for a few minutes then added soap and scrubbed with a scrub sponge.  The glue came off!!  I really wasn't expecting that to happen.  I am so happy to have finally found a solution that is cheap and super easy!

I would have taken pictures but my mats were so embarrassingly gross that I couldn't bring myself to post pictures of the before.  Anyway, if you try it let me know if it worked for you!

*UPDATE*

I noticed that the glue definitely came off but then stuck to my scrub sponge.  I had to keep peeling it off.  Also, because I have so many layers of glue on my mat it took some serious effort for me to scrub the glue off.  Not sure how much scrubbing is needed for just one layer.  It took most of the glue out but I'm tired of scrubbing so there's still some on my mat but it's much much cleaner than it was before.