Guest Designer: Jennifer Gallacher

Here we are again with the fabulous Jen Gallacher.  I swear she can turn the funnest shapes into some gorgeous little card sentiments.  I would love to receive one of these darling little cards from her.  Can you imagine being her bestie???  So fun!  Thanks again for sharing your talent Jen!!!

Rule of life #526

Always create gorgeous apparel...

...because some day you just might end up wearing it!

My love of this sweet little pig is from watching my little girls eyes light up when her cartoon would come on to the tv or when we read a book about her.  The ginormous belly laughs that would come out of their little bodies was always so fun to hear.  

Today I created these shirts for adults...we are all young at heart right.  I used the printable dark heat transfer ( I know the shirts are white but I wanted the thicker quality of the dark heat transfer in this project) along with the great print and cut Olivia shapes we have recently added to the store.  Of course I also embellished them with rhinestones and fabric.  Anyone sporting Olivia around can not be plain!  Embellish, you must!  I hope you have a fun time with these shapes, just as I have...love that pig!

Shapes:

olivia_in_opera_costume_C00004_49411
olivia_in_fairy_cost

FREE download of the week

sun_and_rain_cloud_C02838_1

The weather has been so strange here.  It has snowed, it has rained, it has warmed up and been a beautiful sunny day and the very next a freezing snow mess.  I am about ready to have the glorious spring rays grace our little home.  This shape is super versitile and mostly fun! 

While I cant make the sun shine, I am having the most wonderful warmth come to my home this weekend.  One of my very favorite people in the whole wide world  will be with me.  My sweet bestie Amy & her hubby will be spending the weekend here with us!!!  A little ray of Arizona sunshine!  Its good enough for me!  Actually quite perfect!

Click on the button above and download your free shape!  Happy tuesday!

Tutorials: Rhinestone tips and tricks.

Every time I am approached by someone who is interested in the Silhouette they are always curious about the rhinestone shapes.  First they want to know how the you use the machine to create the designs.  I tell them about the rhinestone template paper and how the Silhouette cuts out the circles to create the template for the rhinestones.  That all makes sense...its just the placing of the rhinestones in the template that is the most overwhelming...that is until I show them.  Take a peek!

So here we have taken our shape and already cut it out of the template material and placed it on the backerboard so we can start with the rhinestone placement.  The shape used is actually a reindeer but i will not be filling in the antlers I just wan t a little deer.

This next step is technical *wink*.  Pour rhinestones on  to rhinestone template.

Using the brush you received from the rhinestone starter kit, press down slightly and with a firm back and forth motion spread out your rhinestones on to the template.

Once you have the majority of it filled in you can then use the brush to remove what excess you can off your template.

This is where the handy dandy, "Pickmeup"  tool comes in.  It has a sticky end that will grab stray rhinestones right off the board.  You can also use it to place the rhinestones if you have a few empty spots.
What you will do now is simply place the tape/rhinestones on to your project!

(ps.I added a black rhinestone for the eye and a cute pink rhinestone for the nose!)

Peel the rhinestone tape away from its liner and place on to the design.  Be brave..you can do it!  And then peel it away!

Amazing huh?

Now place it on to your project!


The final step is to place a pressing cloth on top of the tape that is holding the rhinestone design and press for 45-60 seconds.  Allow to cool and peel tape off.

Now your little project is complete!  I hope this encourages you to take the plunge and bling up everything in sight!

Shapes:
reindeer_C02751_1

Fan Feature

As I was going through facebook the other day I found this darling wall art that has been posted from one of our facebook followers Char.  I seriously would love to have a little girl again so I can decorate using the cutesy vintage funk style that she has going on in this room.  (yes I made that term up, but seriously that's what I think it should be called...*wink*). 

Char said: "Digging the clean cut interfacing!"  I couldn't agree more woman! Isn't it so great to be able to use your own fonts and fabric to create a one of a kind item!  So cute!

Guy's can get their craft on too!

Sillhouette Europe's very own Chris Mickelsen designed this little onesie.  I just had to show you.  He sent me an email the other day to show me all the goodies he made for the show he would be going to.  It just made me crack up! First, because the saying is hilarious and second because Chris made a project!  Ahahaha.  It is so cute! He and his wife will be having their first little one in the next few months and I thought it was so very Chris's personality.  Congrats to you both I am so excited for you to have your perfect little bundle and I will gladly pay $.25 to snuggle your little one!  *See, guys can get there craft on too...right Chris *wink*. Hehe!

I have been super excited to announce this new line. OLIVIA!!!  Yes my friends it is Olivia the fun loving pig who travels just about everywhere, has a million different outfits and is just so logical for her young age.  Any time I have read one of her books or watched her her tv shows I crack up.  

Ever since we have known we would be putting these shapes in the store I have been walking around singing the Olivia theme song and have now gotten several of the guys to shout out the ending..."OLIVIA".  Its quite contageous!  Have a great day and add this little cutie to your collection.

 

*These shapes are only offered to the residents of the US and Canada.

FREE download of the week

 this_moment_camera_C02826_1 

If you have not tried out our etching cream you have go to get some,  I love seeing the transformation in the projects I create using it.  I thought this weeks free shape would be a fun one to use on picture frame glass.  Its soft presence peeking through a photo.    I used not only the etching cream on the inside of the frame but I then used the frosted vinyl on the outside to pop the word "this".  Take a look-see!

Tutorials: Adhesive-Backed Cardstock

Ok I just wanted to show you how quick and simple the adhesive-backed cardstock is.  It is as easy as choosing your shape and loading the paper.  Yes only the paper, you don't need the carrier sheet!  Oh, PS. everyone has asked what size the cardstock is and the answer is...8.5"x11".

I have chosen the shape:  3_cupcakes_C00366_20509to cut today.  I downloaded it and imported it into my artboard.  I am also choosing a few elements to work with from this shape.

Ok now that I have the pieces I will be cutting I will drag the shapes I will not be cutting first off the artboard.

No I am ready to cut.  I have my settings at a speed of 4 and a thickness of 28.  Now you are ready to load your cardstock...and as you can see I do not have a mat.  Amazing right?

The backing stays in place and you simply peel the shape off and place it on your project.

Embellish as desired...super easy right?  I love it and the adhesive is great too!  It makes my completion time on projects incredibly fast.  Trust me you will want this in your craft arsenal!

Shapes:
3_cupcakes_C00366_20509

New: Adhesive-Backed Cardstock & Contest Winners!!!

 One of the new products we released at CHA was our new adhesive backed cardstock. I love this stuff it is so easy to use and it makes whipping out a project incredibly fast and easy.  Simply put in your paper cut it out, peel it away from the backing and...BAM!  Your project is finished.  We have 5 packages for you to
choose from

Take a look at this layout, everything used excluding the back12x12 paper and the journaling spot is adhesive backed cardstock.  I added glitter to the "Adore" title and then placed it on the page. 

Here are the winners of the Lucky You contest!!!

 Congrats to you all!  Random.org chose you lucky ladies right on out of this big group!  Congrats and thanks so much for being such great Silhouette Blog Followers! Send me an email letting me know if you would like your $20 Gift Card for Products or Downloads! 

Sasha:

OMG!!! Traci, that hat looks wonderful!!

I'm lucky to own a Silhouette because I have found myself being really creative with all kinds of things. I've made so many cards, gifts, boxes, templates, and now moving on to soft furnishings. I even made a fun floral spray decal from vinyl to cover a little rust spot on my friends car, and another one for our garbage can. I've even recycled tired garden planters by covering those with floral decals. So no wonder I feel lucky, my Silhouette has saved me lots of money, and more than paid for itself. AND...It's still going strong after more than three years of hard work!!

MerriLynn:
This would be SO COOL! I just entered to win one through eighteen25. I hope I win!!! (Woman, I hope you win...but you could sooo put your 20 dollars towards a machine if not!...yesssssss!)

Linda:

I love my Silhouette and I am very luck to own it because every other system that I know of has to buy a full cartridge for their designs, I can choose one at a time and only the ones that I want and will use. I also love the fact that I can hook it up to my computer and printer to do the print and cut feature. Again, that feature isn't available with most of the other systems except for one. With that system you have to buy the whole system again. You upgrade for free and give us all of the latest and greatest new features with each update! Thank you, I just can't say how much I love my machine enough!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

So here is the low down I adore special events, because I can have an excuse to create a ton of fun things.  Like St Patrick's Day...I grew up eating green pancakes and finding creative ways to wear green, but as a momma its the magic that I get to help re-create for my children that excites me.  To help them feel unique and special and one of a kind brings me great joy!

Which brings me to my point...if you have not already stocked up on the tattoo paper, you MUST!  I'm telling you it is the quickest go to for morphing your kids into everything from leprechaun loving little ones to pirates and princesses.  If you have a last minute thought it is a great way to become what our very own Sales Guy Andy professes to be the MVP parent. Yes, friends that means you too can be the very coolest parent.

I hope you have found your pot of gold today! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If you would like to enter the giveaway click here to comment on the post.

Shapes:
shamrocks_C00110_23067
fairy_flourish_green_C02701_1

Super Lucky!

My little man has been a great joy in my life, he is into everything and so curious!  He has a ton of personality packed into his tiny body and he just has the sweetest heart.  While he is all boy and a little mischievous *giggle* he really knows how to melt my heart!

Old Navy had the cutest shirts and one of them said Moms Lucky Charm.  I knew I had to make it for him, he really is my lucky charm.  There isn't a day that goes by without feeling how much he cherishes me.

I created this shirt using a few fonts along with the black smooth heat transfer and the green flocked heat transfer.  While using the edit points option I was able to create the "L" in lucky to extend the length I wanted!  Speaking of lucky... aren't we so lucky to own such a cool machine! Enjoy!

Shape:
shamrock_1053

Fonts:
Oklahoma
Scriptina

If you would like to enter the gift card giveaway please enter your comment at the bottom of the Tuesday post. I will run this giveaway until 3/17/2011 at midnight MST.  Click here.

FREE download of the week

lucky_flourish_C02812_1

I was walking around Hobby Lobby the other day when I was thinking of St Patrick's Day projects and ran across this super cute hat in kids and adult sizes.  OH MY GOODNESS!  I was so excited to rush back to work and get started on today's free shape.

Didn't this little hat turn out so cute!!!

 I also wanted to throw out a giveaway too.  Leave me a comment telling me why you are lucky to own a silhouette and for those of you who don't own one tell me why would love to own one.  I will be giving away 3 $20 dollar gift cards to your choice of either the product store or the online downloads.  Leave me a comment and I will choose 3 random winners.  Good luck my favorite bloggies!

Font -n- Fabric Tutorial

I hope your weekend was happy and full of amazing outdoor-springy experiences...it was gorgeous here!  We had the windows open and the birds were chirping...it was just lovely!

Ok so todays tutorial is super simple and fun and requires only your fonts, fabric interfacing and fabric to create.  Its just about time to proclaim our inner "Irish" to the world. So here is a fast little idea for you and your peeps to get your green on.

I started by choosing a font that I wanted to cut out and typed the word LUCKY.  Just like that you are ready to cut it out!  Make sure you have prepped your fabric by ironing on the sewable Silhouette fabric interfacing.  Then place it on your mat, with settings at a speed of 3 and a thickness of 33 and cut that bad boy out!

Check out my well loved mat!  Isn't it purdy!

Once that is done, I have a little trick I like to use when I am placing a font onto a project.  I want it to be straight and the same spacing as when I cut it out.  So I use the "negative" from my font and place it on to my project. I then place the font back into place. Once they are placed I pull the negative away, leaving my gorgeously spaced font!

Press for a temporary hold.  Now you are ready to sew!

I bought this shirt a Walmart for $4.00 and now have the cutest little shirt for one of my little chicas! (Dont you just love vintage flower vibe!  Ooh cute, I'm positive I wore this same shirt when I was little).

Font:
Cheri