Free Cutting files, Free Rubber Stamps and Blog Candy!

Now that I have your attention let me tell you about something very, very cool! The very popular (and easy to find) Inkadinkado is offering a free stamp to anyone who makes a card using their products and mails it to them! You can send up to 3 and get a free stamp per card! How cool is that !?! You can see the details in the March Inka Newsletter. It has inspired me to break out my new “inchie” stamps I got a few weeks ago and play. I made Cricut cutting files (see download links below) to make inchie mats, masks and the inchies themselves, in fact, hardly a scrap of the paper you use to make this goes to waste, love that! Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: Inkadinkado, Ribbon: Target, Cardstock: DCWV and Georgia Pacific

The above and below card were done by applying ink from a rainbow ink pad onto glossy cardstock with a brayer. I used dye-based Kalaidacolor ink pads.

The top panel in this card is white glossy cardstock (Stampin Up!) with brayered ink.I used inchies leftover from the mats to decorate it.

In the card below I used the mat as a mask and applied ink over it, remove the mask then stamped the inchies over my cubes of color.

Stamps: Inkadinkado, Ink: Inque Boutique, Paper: Georgia Pacific, Template: my design, see download link below.

Also notice the faux tearing, I tore a strip from a magazine and applied ink directly from an inkpad but a brayer would probably look smoother 😉

Sure Cuts a Lot users download the Inchine mats & Masks .scut file here.

Design Studio Users download the Inchie mats & masks .cut file here. I used the George cartridge to make this file.

I had so much fun making these, and I can use all of the little squares left over from the mats to make other inchies, what fun!

Speaking of fun I will have some blog candy on Monday, one lucky blog reader will score a fabulous prize…stay tuned…

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend and happy crafting!

My Scrapping Hiatus is Over!

Up until last week I hadn’t scrapped in months and I really missed it but the thought of editing and printing 5 months of photos was overwhelming. Then I thought “hey, who says It has to be perfect anyway?” so I opened the software that came with my Canon Camera and just printed my pics! I cropped some but that was it, I hit the “photo fix” button on my HP printer and just let um print! I have to say scrapping the page was easy because I wasn’t worried about massing up a photo I spent an hour editing! here is the result:

Layout by Lindsay Weirich, Stamps: Magenta, Inkadinkado, Autumn Leaves, Paper: Autumn Leaves, Die Cut Felt: Accucut, Sofware Sure cut a Lot with the Cricut

Yes the embossing is sloppy and the handwriting is worse and I didn’t bother to stitch on the buttons (I use my homemade glue dots) but I love the colors and the care free feeling of the page. The shaped paper with the words was the label freebie I gave out on valentines day (cut with SCAL and my cricut enlarged) and I shaped the other paper by hand before I got my expression and you can see how here.

I think some of my favorite pages are the quick, non fussy, imperfect ones that are 100 % fun to make and capture the memory. Isn’t that what scrapbooking is supposed to be about anyway?

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!

Make a clear Mini Album!

Well, it’s about time I scrapped my Christmas photos! I have been hoarding plastic packaging for months thinking that I would make my own clear album but just as I was about to this cute tabbed 6″x6″ mini album arrived from Creative Cuts and More! I couldn’t pass up using this to make my Christmas mini book…I guess all my plastic packaging will just have to wait!

Nothing says Christmas like a dog in antlers! The title is done in Rub-ons from Tinkering Ink then I painted red watercolor over them to make them pop. The waxy rub-on resists the paint!

The book is made with 10 sheets of thick acetate (20 pages) and is a dream to work with, one thing to remember though, you need to remove the film from BOTH sides of the pages before to start to embellish it! I used paper by K&Co, stamps by Making Memories and Inkadinkado and of course my homemade “dew drops” and my homemade glue dots to hold the thing together! I put a tutorial on the Die Cut Diva blog, please visit it to read my tutorial and see the completed album:

Here is tutorial part 1.

Here is tutorial part 2.

Here is part 3 and the completed album.

I hope you like to book and take a few minutes to check out my tutorail. Thanks for stopping by and until next time happy crafting!

Make a scoring board for free!

Everyone is raving about the Score-Pal and quite frankly I was feeling a bit left out (but there is no way I am dropping $40 on one, I’d rather spend my $$ on more paper and stamps!) so I decided to make one myself! Here are some cards I made with my faux Score Pal:

I scored the 3 lines on the bottom with my homemade scoring board. Stamps: Inkadinkado, Heidi Grace Designs

I scored the lines on the green panel and bottom of the Kraft card with my homemade scoring board. Stamps: Stampin Up!

And it is great for scoring boxes, no ruler required!

I scored this box on my homemade board too! Note: Homemade dew drops, cute huh?

Here is what you need: A ruler, a drafting triangle, a bone folder or butter knife, a paneling scrap and a permanent marker.

The paneling scrap I used was free, I simply asked my local hardware store if I could have their discontinued paneling samples. They come 12×16 inches in size and the back is completely smooth (A great painting surface with 3 coats of gesso!) but on the front there is at least on groove that works great for scoring. Better still would be to get a scrap of wainscoting since there are many grooves and they are narrower and would be good for dainty score lines!

Glue the ruler to the top of the panel at a 90 degree angle to the groove. That way you can square up the paper against the ruler. I tried wet glue but even with weighting it down the glue slipped so I ended up using hot glue (love that stuff) and it worked like a charm. Just be careful not to use so much it oozes out the front or you paper will not butt up against the ruler right. With the triangle make lines on the board at 2 1/8″, 4 1/4″ and 5″ to the right of the scoring groove. That will help you line up your paper for scoring cards. I printed out an accurate ruler from RedCastle.com and glued it to the ruler so the “0” mark was at the groove for easy reference.

The printed ruler helps placing your score lines.

Use this board for scoring cards or boxes. You don’t need a ruler! just lay the box over the groove and score with a bone folder or butter knife!

Scoring a box "Look Ma! No Ruler!"

Use the triangle against the ruler to emboss a diamond pattern. It’s not perfect but it was my first try!

Embossed pattern with my homemade scoring board

I really love that this takes up so little space. I still can’t believe how well it works, maybe someday I’ll get a Score-Pal but for now I’m lovin this little freebie!

I want to say thanks to my friend Tracy for taking the pic of me using the scoring board, and helping me test out my creation. We spent the morning stamping and gabbing and talking about producing some craft videos for our blogs (as if there wasn’t enough silly nonsense here already!) If you get a chance check out her crafting and photography blogs (this girl can work a camera!)

Thanks for stopping by and until next time happy crafting…and scoring too!

Craft this card for $1.07!

In these economic times we crafters need to tighten our belts right…it’s so hard with all the yummy new papers, stamps and embellishments on the market…and we can’t possibly create something beautiful without at lest spending $5 right? Wrong! This is my first project for Creative Cuts and More, I’m a guest Designer for the month of February, isn’t this die cut lovely:

Die cut: Creative Cuts and More, Stamps: Inkadinkado, Inque Boutique, Ribbon&Pin: Dollar Tree

I used the Square Scallop 5 1/4″ Dress Card cut from Diamond white Bazzill Bling cardstock. The card is $1 but if you are buying 10 or more it drops to $0.80.  How cut would this be as a bridal shower invite? Here is the cost for this card: (Not counting Pearl-Ex, stamps and ink: they were part of my stash already)

die cut: $1

Ribbon: 0.o5 *14″ off a 6′ roll from the Dollar Tree

Stick pin: 0.13 *one out of an 8 pack purchased at the Dollar Tree. The pin had the flower and white ribbon attached.

Pattern Paper: 0.20 *bought at a 5/$1 sale at Joanns years ago, although one sheet would make 5 cards!

Glue stick: 0.05 *to make the self adhesive pearls, I did not use the whole stick though!

Total: $1.43. If you were making 10 they would cost $1.07 because of the pattern paper being split between 10 cards and the die cut price dropping to 80 cents each! You probably have ribbon, paper scraps and hot glue in your stash already so use it up for crying out loud!

To make the card:

Cut strips of pattern paper 1″ wide and fold them the long way. Print out the pattern below and tape the dress card over it so you see the iris folding pattern through the window.

right-click on this pattern to save and print

Glue the strips of paper down in the order shown on the pattern. Trim a piece of pattern paper to cover the folds from behind. *note: I used a small heart punch to add detail to the scalloped sides. Stamp flourish. Stamp sentiment on a scrap of purple, cut out and adhere with foam tape. Wrap the fold edge with ribbon and tie a double knot then stick the pin through.

squeeze tiny drops of hot glue onto a silicone mat and let cool for about 30 seconds then use a small paintbrush dipped in Pearl-Ex to add shimmer. Adhere to card (I touched the hot glue gun to the back of the “pearls” to attach them.

Fun, cheap and easy…now that’s my type of craft! Thanks for stopping by and until next time happy crafting!

Some easy Christmas cards and some cute Christmas freebies I found!

Happy Sunday! I will soon be addressing my Christmas cards (right after this post actually) but first I thought I would share some quick and easy cards (10 minute or less!) I made this year.

Download the word search here

Easy Cards by Lindsay Weirch

Chipboard, Taggetr Tails: Around the Block, Paper: DCWV

The word searches are from an earlier post and the chipboard is by Around the Block (they came in the “Mystery Tote” and there were like a hundred of them!) I attached them with Tagger Tails so the chipboard ornaments would jiggle and have fun movement ans so they can be removed from the card to be used as ornaments or scrapbook accents by the recipient. All the paper is by Die Cuts with a view and the stamps are by Inkadinkado and Plaid.

Now the didi-scrappin designers areoun the globe have been outdoing eachother this holiday, man, I’m worried about filling up my hard drive LOL! here are a few if my faves this week:

Here is a cute kit at digital freebies:

Digital Freebies Friday Freebie

And this cute Tag Album:

Luggage Tag Album by Beth Long

And this “Merry” kit by Krista:

Merry kit from Designs by Krista

And last but not least this blog, Digital Imagery Plus, has been giving away great set of vintage images each day for over a month! Be sure to grab all of their past freebies, here is today’s:

Digital Imagery Plus daily freebies

Remember to leave a comment if you download, it’s the least you can do and it makes their day! Until next time Happy Crafting!

A gift in itself

I love boxes! It’s a sickness, I can not part with a box unless I know it will be loved. My favorite are cigar boxes with their seals and labels, they are perfect to alter because they have so much character to begin with. Here is one I made to wrap a holiday gift in…if I can part with it that is:-)

An altered cigar box by Lindsay Weirich

Supplies: Felt: Quuen & co, Chipboard: Colorbox, Paper MME, Buttons: Wal-Mart, Stick Pin: Jo-Anns, Other: Tiles, silk flower, homemade shimmer spray (from earlier post)

Try altering a box to wrap a gift in this year, it’s a great way to recycle and I can guarantee the box will get reused…especially if you send it to a fellow frugal crafter! Come back tomorrow for a craft to do with the kids! Until than happy crafting!

Go Make Something!

So yesterday I said I would reveal a great craft website I found…well here it is, its called Go Make Something and it’s purpose is to inspire. This weeks challenge was to make something inspired by a map. Here is what I made:

Travel Cigar Box by Lindsay Weirich (top view)

(Front View) Stamps: Inkadinkado, Hero Arts, Paper: Autumn Leaves

I didn’t make the following cards for the challenge but they match my box so here they are. The mica was a gift from my rock hound brother-in-law. I used Staz-On to stamp on it.

Card by Lindsay Weirich, Stamps: Inque boutique

Stamp on the mica with Staz-On, attach with eyelets. Fun!

I’m so glad I found this site. It is full of free printables and the challenges are awesome. I love the idea of a challenge blog but so many just focus on sketches and that’s not really my thing (Don’t get me wrong there is absolutely nothing wrong with sketches!) I think crafters of all mediums will find the Go Make Something website a gift.

I’ll be enjoying my tofurky tomorrow and I wish all of you a safe happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for stopping by and until next time happy crafting!

“Deer” Friend card and Cricut Deal Aleart!

I made this card for a dear friend’s birthday and I had such fun making it I thought I would share my templates.

Card by Lindsay Weirich, Stamps: Inkadinkado, PSX, Paper: Autumn Leaves

Of course I cut it in SCAL using my Cricut but it is easy enough you cut the base of the card by and too and you will find this bracket card very versatile. I’ve used it for many designs. Here are the templates:

Print and cut version

bracket card scut file

Bracket frame SVG file (you need to have this in order to use the scut file, this is also the bracket frame on the front of the card.)

The cute deer file is available at Denise’s blog.

The butterfly is from a dingbat font and the label is from the cricut cartridge “Home Accents”.

Here is a card I made with the scraps.

Card by Lindsay Weirich 2008. Stamps: Inkadinkado, Punch: Anna Griffin

Now for the deals:

Wal Mart will have the Cricut Expression for $199 on Black Friday.

Jo-Anns will have the Original Cricut for $99 Friday-Sunday and cartridges for $37. The flyer did not say “while supplies last” so if you want something you should be able to get a raincheck.

I am planning a day of crafting with my kids tomorrow (no school) and perhaps I’ll share some of our creations..that is if they are not going to be Christmas gifts (we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise!) And I found a great website that I want to share with you full of freebies and crafty goodness so stop back tomorrow. Until then happy crafting!

Lindsay