Pink ATG Gun from Scotch (my new best friend)

I know this item has been around for a while but I just finally got one for Christmas and I have to say it has revolutionized the way I do my paper crafting. I have yet to find something that it won’t work with and it has pretty much replaced all my other adhesives. On rare occasion I find I need a liquid glue but this ATG gun is so smooth and easy to use that I reach for it every time. Jo-Ann and Michaels now carry these and you can use a coupon to purchase it making it well worth the price. If you do not have a store nearby Amazon.com also carries them. The refills are also reasonably priced (about $10 for 2 rolls of acid-free adhesive) and last a very long time. Not only am I not reaching for a refill frequently like with other things I have used but it also doesn’t make that tail with the paper after you have used it. The paper from the tape neatly rolls right back onto the other side of the gun roller.  It is also very sticky – similar to the tacky tape- so I have used it on boxes and envelopes, too.  There are several YouTube videos showing how to use the pink Scotch ATG gun if you would like to see it in action.  If you are not already using one of these I recommend you go out and get one today.

Fantastic FREE Christmas Blog Hop at Jessica Sprague today!

As usual Jessica Sprague and her designers are offering a fantastic free digital blog hop for the holidays. You can get tons of free digi goodness to play with by starting here www.sweetsunshinephotography.blogspot.com. Last year marked the beginning of my interest in digital scrapbooking and the free stuff offered through www.jessicasprague.com was certainly enough to dabble and learn my way around. She also offers great classes if you want to learn a little more about what you can do. I cannot express my thanks for her One Dollar Wednesdays and Friday deals that have allowed me to start a great collection for very little money. She is also offering a free class at the end of the month. Check out her website or just do the blog hop today and see how you like it for FREE!

Fabulous Cards on Flikr

I first saw this card on the Hero Arts blog and then went to her Flikr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinsue/) . She has some amazing work on there and I would recommend going when you have some time to browse. The card that first caught my eye was this one with the turkey. There is so much talent out there and seeing this just makes me wonder how much more is out there that I am missing. Thanks for the inspiration, “card”rageous!

 

Jessica Sprague One Dollar Wednesdays

One dollar really won’t buy much of anything these days but every Wednesday your dollar becomes a little something more. Jessica Sprague ( www.jessicasprague.com) has specials every Wednesday so that you can try all sorts of new designers or just get your feet wet in the world of digital scrapbooking.  She usually has a few things dealing with whatever holiday or season is just around the corner, too.  New designers are showing up all the time. Echo Park and Cosmo Cricket are two new additions that I just love.  The website also offers tons of classes on digital scrapbooking and photography. You can even take a class for free to see what it is all about. If you sign up you will get an email every Wednesday showing you what you can get for just a dollar.  On Friday they have started Photoshop Fridays which give you a great deal on Photoshop projects so you can learn a little at a time for almost nothing. Check her out this Wednesday and get a little more bang for your buck!

 

New Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders for the Holidays

 

Tim Holtz and Sizzix have introduced some new Texture Fades for the holiday season. I have just purchased the cattail and pumpkin one and plan to do some Thanksgiving card making with those as soon as they arrive. I really like using these as backgrounds for stamped images or shapes I cut out with my Cricut or Quickutz Silhouette but they also work well on their own as a card front for a subtle but impressive image. I find that I do have to use a sturdier cardstock or the image embosses so deeply that it actually cuts the paper if I use a lightweight sheet. These work very well in my Cuttlebug and leave a deep, beautiful impression. I got mine from eBay but they are also available in several online stores.

White Pumpkin Beauty

Just loved the adaptation of these white pumpkins on the Quickutz Silhouette blog this week. They took this idea and transformed it into a beautiful wall hanging that could be used all the way through Thanksgiving.

Beautiful work and if you don’t already own a Silhouette you should look into getting one as it will allow you to make all sorts of things your Cricut could never even imagine (starting with being able to use all the fonts you already own).

Finally Have an Interview!

I have been waiting for several months for our local Joann store to start hiring again. I waited patiently through the early part of the year with no hiring and then was hopeful again when school started and kids went back to class and then again now that the holiday season is starting to get rolling and FINALLY I saw the sign go up. I completed my application and turned it in as soon as possible. I tried to put as much information into that tiny block about what you have to offer that makes you special but then I was afraid I had written so tiny that no one would be able to read it . I received a call a few days later and have an interview set up for early this week. I keep thinking about how well it should all go. I mean I have been shopping regularly in Joann stores for years and certainly know where almost every item in the store is located but I am still nervous about the interview. I love to research new products in the craft industry and have lots of little tidbits of information about all sorts of new things and how to use new tools. I love crafts of all kinds and really enjoy showing new items or passing along a trick or two I may have learned along the way. I really hope this works out and I get hired – not only for the money but also for the opportunity to hang out amongst all those crafting products!  October will soon be here bringing with it the opportunity to start making all sorts of holiday goodies. I already have my head full of ideas for Halloween. I just got the new October 31 Cricut cartridge and have some stamps I bought last year that I never got the chance to use before Halloween had come and gone. Happy crafting to all and wish me luck!

Jessica Sprague Blog Hop with 33 FREE digital kits!

If you have ever wanted to try a digital kit or give digital scrapbooking a chance, today is your lucky day. Jessica Sprague is a great place to start. Her website (www.jessicasprague.com) offers all sorts of classes on how to get started. She is having a free one at the end of the month on how to use your digital stuff for card making but she also has free classes in her archives.

Today she is hosting a 33 designer blog hop with TONS of free product in honor of their 3rd birthday. There is something great at every blog and you have until 10 EST Sunday night to finish the hop. Start here to give it a try and let me know how you liked it. http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/blog/2010/6/18/birthday-blog-hop-spot-1.html

Free Digital Stamps

As I was perusing stuff on the internet I came across some digital stamp sets. I am intrigued by these and am trying to learn how I can make my own since I never find anything that I am looking for but I did find these. Not only are they cute but there are several free things on this site so you can try them out to see if you like the digital stamp arena.
Go to http://www.mygrafico.com to see what there is to offer. There is a freebies category with tons of stuff in it. These are from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff. Please make sure you read and respect the terms of use or Angel Policy for these designers. Have fun!

Flip Flops and Pool Bag

Why is it that life seems to be all or nothing? I either am trying to find something interesting with which to fill my time or I am so overwhelmed with things to do that I can hardly keep up!! Right now I am trying to get everybody where they need to be with all the things they need to take and then I wait until we are home again and start with all the cleaning up! Whoever cam up with the phrase”lazy days of summer” must not have had any kids!  Since I think lots of us are pressed for time right now, this is a quick and very easy project that you can do alone or with kids. All you need is a pair of flip flops, some fun foam and a bag of some kind.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off so this is also very inexpensive.  You could buy pre-made fun foam die cuts if you like but I had sheets of fun foam already so I used my Sizzix and Cuttlebug dies to cut out different shapes and then just glued them on with E6000.  There is no end to the different designs you could come up with for both boys and girls. I did some that were wrapped in ribbon like the ones above and then others I just glued on some embellishments and made the bag to match.  Go see what combinations you can come up with. This would also be a great idea for a summer birthday party project or just throw on the shoes, put some snacks, sunscreen  and a good book in the bag and head for the pool. Have fun and enjoy your “lazy” summer days while they are here.