holiday ornaments

A few weeks ago I couldn't resist a clearance item that I'd found at Target--a bucket of thirty 2" diameter tins, the kind that are used for bridal or baby showers, for only $4.99. I didn't have a specific idea in mind at the time, but I knew that I could somehow fashion some ornaments out of these.

Here's what I came up with....


These are two of those tins. I'd embossed some sparkly cardstock using some holiday Cuttlebug folders, Winter House and Lace Tree. I cut 2" circles with my Martha Stewart circle cutter and then accented the snowy parts with Stickles in the ornament on the left and Liquid Pearls in the one on the right. The foreground image was made with the Martha Stewart train punch, and I added the smoke with a thin layer of Liquid Pearls.


This is a close up view. The sentiment is by Verve Stamps using Memento dye ink.


This is a close up of the second ornament. I attached the hanger by punching a couple of holes at the top with my Crop-a-dile. The embellishments are Primas and Brides flowers. The winter houses layer was popped out from the background using pop dots to give more of a 3D effect. Again, the train was made using Martha Stewart's train edge punch.

fun with some new stuff

Just because I haven't had time to craft or post as often lately doesn't mean that I don't manage to squeeze in time to shop a bit while I'm out and about. Amazing how that works. ;-)

Here's a card that I made using some new items. I went ahead and left it a bit dark because the glittery background showed up a bit better. In real life this is a much brighter card.

The glittery cardstock is by Die Cuts with a View, so you have an idea of the weight of that layer. The decorative border was made using a Martha Stewart border edge punch, Embossed Snowflake. I had no trouble punching the design. The embossing isn't all that crisp, but it's definitely there. I cut the circles using the Martha Stewart circle cutter that I talked a bit about a few posts ago. The stamped images are by JustRite and were stamped using Memento dye ink.

I also found more of the latest border punch releases by Martha Stewart. Stay tuned. I'll be using them and posting cards as time permits. Got a busy weekend ahead though, so we'll see. :-)

I'm back!

First of all, sorry to have gone missing. Life got busy. My muse deserted me. I've also found myself getting caught up in the soap opera that is the American political season. But I'm back now. I'm hoping that my muse will stick around for a bit, and I wanted to post this card in thanks to those of you who manage to remain readers and followers of this blog, even when I take some unscheduled time-outs. :-)

By the way, that card was made using a Cuttlebug embossing folder, my Scor-It, Memento dye inks, an Autumn Leaves Stampology clear stamp, DCWV cardstock, and the Martha Stewart circle cutter.

I wanted to talk a bit about the Martha Stewart circle cutter. Until I bought this at Michael's a few weeks ago, using that handy dandy 50% off coupon, I'd been using punches or dies to cut out circles. I have a Fiskars circle cutter, and it's okay, but I wasn't thrilled with it. So, for a less than $10 investment, I figured that I'd give this one a go. I'd heard positive things about it, so this wasn't a completely impulsive buy, though I've been known to make some of those. LOL!


This is what you get when you buy the circle cutter--the clear plastic plate with the holes held by that white plastic ring and the tool that holds the swiveling blade. If you've ever played with a Spirograph, this is what this tool reminds me of. You place the blade in the hole of your choice, stabilize that outer ring atop your paper or cardstock, then move the blade in a circle. The clear plastic part moves freely inside the ring as you move the cutter. Once you've arrived back at your starting point, you have your circle cut out.


This is a peek at the underside of the circle cutter. There are four foam pads like the one I have pointed out in the above photo--they're positioned at different points around the ring. They do a nice job of holding the ring in place, as well as holding the paper in place. I've also shown how the tool opens up and provides a place to store the two spare blades that come with the cutter. The other plastic piece that you see is the cover that protects the blade.


This is a close up view of the blade and the plastic plate with all of the measurements. You can cut circles anywhere from 1" to 5 1/2" in diameter. The holes go up in increments of 1/16", so it's easy to cut a circle that will suit your needs. Unlike a Spirograph, the holes in the plastic have slots cut into them. I think you can make that out in the photo. That slot accommodates the blade which is like a flat arrow point and keeps it in place as you move the tool. You simply move the tool in a circle. The swiveling action of the blade keeps it facing the right direction to cut properly.

Now I've found that there is a little play of the clear plate inside the ring. It has to be able to move inside that ring, but sometimes the blade would not end up where it should have when I finished making my circuit. The simple solution was to make sure that the clear plate was nice and snug against the ring at the point where I placed the blade to start cutting. Since you apply some pressure against the ring as you move the tool, that assures that the blade will end up at the same point where it was when you started.

So, that's a quickie review of the Martha Stewart circle cutter. I like it and would recommend it, especially if you can get a good price when it's on sale or buy it with a coupon.

Ahhh, it's good to be back! :-)