Day 11 - January 11, 2010

Water lily


Supplies used:

Strathmoore ® Canvas Paper
Pencils
Reeves ® Acrylic Paint Set
Inspiration*


Instructions:

As we start, you must create a horizon and a focal point of your painting. Lightly sketch the water lily and other elements on to the canvas paper. Using acrylic paint, paint your water elements. The water lily is white so we will leave it unpainted.

*Thank you to Aunt Lisa for providing inspiration, encouragement, and the artists supplies to make this project happen!

Day 10 - January 10, 2010

Yum!!

Supplies used:

Crispy Rice Cereal
Filling
Fruit bits
Double Boiler
Pan
Cooking Spray

Instructions:

This is how we created something yummy today! In a double boiler we melted 3 tablespoons of butter and added Marshmallow Treat Stuff. This was heated for five minutes, stirring constantly until everything was well blended. Using cooking spray we coated the inside of our 9” x 13” x 2” pan. We measured five cups of crisped rice cereal and poured it into a large mixing bowl. Once the butter and Treatstuff were combined we poured it over the crisped rice cereal. This was mixed until everything was combined and then we added the fruit bits. We then pressed our mixture into our pan and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled it was time to cut the treats.

Now that the hard work is done - it is time to enjoy!

YUMMM!!

Day 9 - January 9, 2010


"Birthday card for a friend"


Supplies used:

Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
George and Basic Shapes® Cartridge
Beyond Birthdays® Cartridge
Cardstock in green
Miss Elizabeth’s 6 Coordinating 70# Scrapbook Papers 12” x 12”- Birthday (Dollar Tree $1.00)
The Glitter Cardstock Stack – solid glittered cardstock 8” x 8”
Zots™ clear adhesive dots small
Cricut® Design Studio software

Instructions:

Open the Cricut® Design Studio software and select George and Basic Shapes. Use the shift setting and select the circle. Resize the circle to a size of 4” high and 4” wide. Copy and paste a second circle next to the first circle and weld the two together. Place green card stock onto 12” x 12” mat, load paper in to the Cricut® and cut the combined circle; this will create the card. Select the birthday cake paper from the “Birthday” collection of Miss Elizabeth’s 6 Coordinating 70# Scrapbook Papers. Use the “center point” feature to center the cutting blade over one of the birthday cakes and cut a circle 3 ½” in size.

From The Glitter Cardstock Stack remove one sheet of green and place it on your cutting mat. This paper is very heavy so it will have to be cut using the “multi cut” feature. Using the Beyond Birthday cartridge, cut a 1 ½” “Happy Birthday”.

Take the Zots and apply them to the birthday cake paper circle and attach this to the front of the card; apply the Zots to the “Happy Birthday” words and place the text on the inside of the card.

This card finishes our creative adventures for the day – earlier we decorated someone’s work space to surprise the person when she gets to work on Monday. This is her birthday card.

Easter Ever-So-Sweet Treat Bags

Day 8 – January 8, 2010

Easter Ever-So-Sweet Treat Bag

Supplies used:

Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
Platin Schoolbook® Cartridge
12” x 12” cutting mat
12” x 12” Cardstock in yellow, orange, pink, hot pink, green
Scotch® Quick-Dry Adhesive
Seed beads in shades of pink
Glitter Glue

Instructions:

Place a sheet of 12” x 12” card stock on the 12” x 12” Cricut® cutting mat and load into the Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter. Using Platin Schoolbook® Cartridge select the Tall Ball function and select – Bag -. We want to cut this in the largest size possible since it will be a treat bag. We next need to cut flowers in three different sizes using three different shades of pink paper/card stock and leaves in various colors.

Use glitter glue to write the name of the person who will receive the treat bag on the front of the “Bag” cut out. Use Scotch® Quick-Dry Adhesive to assemble the bag. Glue flowers in layers on the front of the treat bag and use seed beads as a center point accent gluing them in place.

Once you are done, let everything dry. Now you can fill your treat bags with grass and candy.

Day 7 – January 7, 2010

“Life is a Beach” etched glass picture frames

Supplies:
Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
Life is a Beach Cricut® Cartridge
Vinyl
Glass Etch Solution

The first frame is a table top 4x6” frame consisting of two panes of glass. The first piece of glass to be etched is the back section of the two panes. Using the Cricut and 4x6” vinyl in landscape orientation, font size of ½ inch, cut six rows of the following text: “Life is a Beach Life is a Beach Life is a Beach”. Line Return. On this line, indent two inches and cut the following text: “Life is a Beach” across the width of vinyl. Line Return. Again indent two inches and cut the following text: “Life is a Beach Enjoy”. For the forward facing pane of glass we are going to cut one 2” sailboat out of vinyl and then using the “flip” cut the same image. Apply the 4x6” vinyl to the front of the back pane. Apply one sailboat stencil to the lower left corner of the forward facing pane of glass, flip the glass over and apply the second stencil exact over the first stencil. Using glass etching solution apply as per label instructions over each prepared surface. Wait ten minutes and wash away the solution. Clean both panes of glass with glass cleaner. When you put the frame together, the front glass with the sailboat will float over the photo with the rear pane of glass containing the words that surround the photo.

The second frame is a stand alone one piece glass block frame. This frame does not come apart so it will be etched on the very back of the block frame. Because it is the back, the technique for preparing the vinyl will be different. Everything will be written using flip and to read from right to left – “MIRROR Writing”. Cut a 4x6” piece of vinyl, put on the Cricut mat and load it into the Cricut. Cut the following using the fonts from the Life is a Beach cartridge alternating the size of the font between ½” and ¾” in size:

dnaS nuS sllehseaS
spolF pilF sesrohaeS
selahW hsifratS evaW
nuF dna frus dnas REMMUS
sbarC timreH nuS
HCAEB A SI EFIL rebmemer

Place the vinyl on to the back of the frame and apply the glass etching solution. Wait ten minutes and wash away the solution. Clean the glass with glass cleaner.

Looking through the frame from the front the text should read:

Seashells Sun Sand
Seahorses Flip Flops
Wave Starfish Whales
SUMMER sand surf and fun
Sun Hermit Crabs
remember LIFE IS A BEACH

When a photo is inserted between the glass sections the text will be behind the photo.

Day 6 - January 6, 2010


* Fuse or Re-fuse *

Fused soap holders


Supplies used:

Paragon Quikfire ® Kiln
Glass jewels
Kiln shelf wash
Haik brush
Safety glasses


Instructions:

This project requires an adult. While kids and teens can assemble the project, an adult must operate the kiln as it can reach temperatures of 2000°F. The manufacturer’s instructions for the kiln are to be followed.

The project itself is simple – take a selection of glass jewels in any colour you would like. Wash and completely dry them. Take the kiln shelf, mix shelfwash, apply and let dry. Set up the kiln; this particular kiln has a removable lid. Take the kiln shelf and place it on the kiln base, take your glass jewels and lay them out in your desired design. Place the lid of the kiln on the base. From this point on refer to and follow the manufacturer’s directions for use of the kiln.

The kiln will melt and fuse the glass jewels together and create a lovely decorative soap holder.

Day 5 - January 5, 2010


“Flower Frame”


Supplies used:

Slice® Cordless Design Cutter

"Basics 1" SD Design Card

6 x 6 Slice Cutting Mat

2 sheets of red cardstock

Scotch® Quick-Dry Adhesive

1 photograph


Instructions:

Take one piece of red card stock and place it on the Slice® cutting mat. Turn on the Slice Cordless Design Cutter. From the menu select basic shapes 1. Using the arrow key, move the cursor to the icon that shows a star and a circle and press select. Press the >> to move to the second page, use the right > arrow to select the second flower. The next screen shows the flower and in the lower area of the display the size is shown. Use the right arrow to select the 4” size. Place the Slice on top of the cardstock and press the start key while holding the Slice in place.

Once the Slice is finished cutting the design it will display a message stating it has finished. Remove the Slice and remove the flower and the cardstock with the flower cut out from the cutting mat.

Take your other piece of red cardstock, glue your photograph in the center. Now take the piece of card stock from which the flower was cut and place it over the flower. Align this piece of card stock with the bottom piece and glue together. You now have a framed photo.

Day 4 - January 4, 2010


Today's creation is called "Bouquet of Flowers"


Supplies used:

Slice® Cordless Design Cutter
"Basics 1" SD Design Card
6 x 6 Slice Cutting Mat
Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
Platin Schoolbook® Cartridge
Cardstock in yellow, orange, pink, hot pink, green
Scotch® Quick-Dry Adhesive
Cricut® Design Studio software

Instructions:

Take one piece of card stock and place it on the Slice® cutting mat. Turn on the Slice Cordless Design Cutter. From the menu select basic shapes 1. Using the arrow key, move the cursor to the icon that shows a star and a circle and press select. Press the >> to move to the second page, use the right > arrow to select the second flower. The next screen shows the flower and in the lower area of the display the size is shown. Use the right arrow to select the 4” size. Place the Slice on top of the cardstock and press the start key while holding the Slice in place.

Once the Slice is finished cutting the design it will display a message stating it has finished. Remove the Slice and remove the flower and the cardstock with the flower cut out from the cutting mat. Repeat three times.

For the stems, open the Cricut® Design Studio software and select Platin Schoolbook. Select –leaf – and resize the image to your desired size. Copy and paste 8 times. Select –zigzag – resize the design to make it 12 inches long and at least ½ inch thick. Copy and paste this four times. Cut the leaves and stems out in green card stock. Remove from mat. Resize all images to make them slightly smaller and cut out using green pattern paper.

To assemble, glue a small square piece of paper to the back of each flower. Each flower has a center cut out, use this section from other flowers to give each flower a different color center. Glue this in place. Glue stems cut from pattern paper onto the green card stock stems. Repeat same with leaves. Attach the flowers to the stems and the leaves to the stems.

We now have a lovely bouquet to enjoy on a cold winter day.

Day 3 - January 3, 2010

Today’s adventure is a called “Down by the Sea”.

Supplies:
Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
Life is a Beach Cricut® Cartridge
Card stock in teal, blue, and black
EK Success® stickers
Crop-A-dile®
Sun ray brads

Lite instructions:

Take the Life is a Beach Cartridge and use the Title Words function to cut LightHse in teal. Glue onto black card stock. Cut Waves using blue cardstock. Once the waves are cut, glue them to the bottom of the black card stock. Using EK Success® stickers, place a seaweed sticker in the waves, and bubbles in various locations on the black card stock. Next use the Crop-A-dile to place sun ray brads at each corner. Outline the Down by the sea and lighthouse and the waves with a blue glitter gel pen.

Day 2 - January 2, 2010

Today’s adventure is a birthday card.

Supplies:
Cricut® Expression Personal Electronic Cutter
Hello Kitty Greetings Cricut® Cartridge
Card stock in yellow, glitter white, red, pink, brown, orange, light blue.

Lite instructions:

Using the Hello Kitty Cartridge, cut out HappyBDay, and using the Clothes Function cut out HappyBDay in another color. Glue the letters on the appropriate space on Happy Birthday. Next cut Cupcake, White&Fur Cupcake, Clothes Cupcake, and Silhouette Cupcake and assemble. Cut three Silhouette Balloon in different colors. Cut a large rectangle and fold in the middle to create your card. Glue the cupcake to the front of the card, the balloons to the inside page and the happy birthday to the page opposite the balloons. C’est Finis!

Midnight Laughter

Day 1 - January 1, 2010

Today's creation is called "
Midnight Laughter"

Supplies used:

Slice Cordless Design Cutter

"Basics 1" SD Design Card

6 x 6 Slice Cutting Mat

3 Sheets of card stock (Dark gray, navy blue, and purple)

Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive

Instructions:

The paper inspires the name; the name inspires the project!

Select three 5 x 5 sheets of card stock of card stock - our selection, dark gray, navy blue, and purple. Place the dark gray piece of card stock on the Slice cutting mat. Turn on the Slice Cordless Design Cutter. From the menu select basic shapes 1. Using the arrow key, move the cursor to "Fun enjoy" and press select. From the images listed, select "laugh". The next screen shows the word "laugh" and in the lower area of the display the size is shown. Use the right arrow to select the 3 1/2" size. Place the Slice on top of the card stock and press the start key while holding the Slice firmly in place.

Once the Slice is finished cutting the design, the display will show a message stating it has finished. Remove the Slice and remove "laugh" from the cutting mat.

Place the dark blue sheet of paper on the cutting mat. On the Slice go to menu, and select the "tag" icon. Select the last image icon, the "frame". You next select a size of 4" and place the Slice on the paper which is on the cutting mat. Cut out the frame. Once done, remove the Slice, and remove the frame from the cutting mat.

Take the "laugh" cutout and using adhesive place one drip on the back of the L and one drop on the back of the H. Place this across the bottom of the frame. Next - on the back of the frame - place adhesive on the two sides and the bottom of the frame. Do not put glue on the top because this is the opening to insert a photo. Glue the frame onto the third square of card stock. Using the square cut out from the cutting of the frame, cut a photo a little bit larger than this. Slide the photo into the top of the opening of the frame.

See photos to follow the step-by-step creative process.

The creative process step-by-step