I thought that I would take today’s blog to spotlight one of my favorite little machines! Provo Craft Cuttlebug Machine V2!  This machine is very similar to the older version which it replaced. It has the same sleek design and works the same as the older model, however, Provo Craft says it is more durable with its stronger outer casing and metal handle. It has an easy carrying handle making it very portable.

This little guy is a worker! It is the smallest machine I have, but definitely the most used! It is very user friendly and is great to take to crops, as the design enables it to fold up and take up very little space. With buying the extended 13″ plates, there are not many things that I can’t do with it! Use it for all your card making and scrapbooking die cutting or embossing projects!

With it’s 6 inch opening, it is compatible with QuicKutz, Boss Kut, Spellbinders, and Sizzix dies and embossing folders. It is NOT compatible with Spellbinders Grand dies or Sizzix Bigz Pro dies.

Tip: Keep one B Cutting Pad dedicated as your top plate for cutting and embossing. This will help the Adaptor C and other B Cutting Pad last much longer so you are not replacing them as often! The top pad will get really warped and ugly, but don’t worry! Just keep flipping it over and over and it will become your most loved (but ugly) plate! you won’t want to be without it! It should last quite a long time, but once it breaks, you will need to replace it, so I suggest having spares on hand. You can bet that it will break late at night, right in the middle of an important project, so it is important to have one handy!

If handled properly, the A Spacer Plate should last as long as your machine, however, we do carry replacements of all the standard and extended plates JUST IN CASE!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I love when I receive goodies in the mail, don’t you? So you understand when I tell you that I was delighted to receive card samples from some of the talented designers at Sparkle N Sprinkle without knowing they were coming! I mean, one handmade card is fun, but 7 at once is way more than I get for my birthday! Wow!

All of the Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp sets that we carry have a sticky cushioned backing. All you have to do is place them on an acrylic block (sold separately) and stamp away! Sparkle N Sprinkle have partnered with Spellbinders dies and have been producing stamp sets to coordinate with many of the Spellbinders Nestabilities dies. They will continue to release new products in this vein.

I want to share them with you since I just can’t keep them for myself! I would like to thank Sparkle N Sprinkle designers Elenor Jenkins, Julie B. Warner, Donna Maligno, Shona Erlenborn and Judy Rozema for the beautiful cards! We appreciate all the work that you put into creating them!

Designer for both festive cards- Shona Erlenborn using Nesties Xmas Trees and Nesties Ornaments with coordinating Spellbinders dies 2010 Holiday Trees.

Designers Julie B. Warner and Elenor Jenkins created these beautiful cards using Thanks a Bunch, Happy Birthday and Blossoms stamp sets. Coordinating Spellibinders Dies for the Blossoms stamp set are Blossom Three and Nested Leaves.

Designers Judy Rozema and Donna Maligno used Ocean Treasures and By the Seashore. Spellbinders dies used by Judy are  Classic Ovals Large and Classic Scalloped Ovals Large.

Now you can see why I was so thrilled to open the mail that day! These are wonderful! Thank you Sparkle N Sprinkle!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I am so thrilled to introduce the Decorative Lace Border Die! It is a custom Heartfelt Creations Die manufactured by Spellbinders. This die coordinates with the Wedding Collection stamps. This die has more intricate details, so if you have a “loose” machine, you will have to cut a couple times. You will need to run it through your machine and cut once and then turn it 90 degrees and cut again.

I actually ran it 3-4 times through my Cuttlebug Machine then turned it before running it through 3-4 more times just to make sure! It is well worth the extra time it takes to cut it out! You will want to have either a QuickStik from QuicKutz, Pick Me Up from Silhouette, or pair of skinny craft tweezers to more easily poke through the holes! I love this die!

Since this is the season for weddings, I created an A2 wedding card using the Decorative Lace Border and Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose Scroll stamp set. I scored my card stock using my Scor-Pal for an accurate fold. I used 1/8″ Scor-Tape along the main lines of the die cut and ribbon to place on my card. A little chalk to add color to the roses then I used foam adhesive squares just on the top of the scroll to give the some dimension.

I don’t consider myself a designer, but I definitely have fun trying! I love playing with all of the fantastic products we carry and showing off the finished project! My family gets pretty tired of me showing them. They tell me it’s fine without even looking at it! Can you relate? I thought so! Of course I’m the mom, so I rant an rave over their stuff! I guess that is just how it goes.

I hope that you all have a great weekend! Better get lots of sleep, because we will have lots to show you next week after CHA! You may have to stay up nights just to see all the new stuff!!!!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

It has been a while since we blogged about the Provo Craft-Cuttlebug Embossing Plus Folders, however, several of you have been wondering about how to use them in your Cuttlebug Machines, so I am going to review for you! They do take a bit to get used to!

The most important thing to remember before beginning is to remove the cardboard backing by removing the two green tabs at the top! DO NOT TRY RUNNING THE FOLDER THROUGH YOUR MACHINE BEFORE DOING THIS! You could break your plates or your machine!

Once these are removed,  you can take the folder off of the backing and follow the instructions on the backing. It will tell you the sandwich formula to use for these folders. Please check your plates to make sure that you are using the proper plates!

We also have a How To Video which we hope will be helpful in using these folders! Once you get the hang of them, you are sure to have a lot of fun with them!

We will be closed Monday, July 4th for our Independence Day! Have a safe and happy 4th! We will be back on Tuesday!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I appreciate when customers email with questions concerning products that I can use on our Blog! One of our customers asked today for ideas using Spellbinders Borderabilities Dies. She also asked if she could use the 12″ Borderabilities Grand in her Cuttlebug Machine even though she did not have the Extended Cutting Mats.

Yes!  You can use the 12″  Grand Dies with standard plates if you are just needing a portion for a card or something short! Just make sure that you don’t bend the die where it is hanging over the edge!

If you do have the extended plates, you can cut the die cut to the length you need for layouts, cards, banners or other projects!

The Borderabilities  Petite generally come with 2 dies. One of the dies usually comes with only one cutting edge for a nice card border,  called an Accent Die. The Accent cuts the bottom edge and embosses the upper edge.while the other Border Die cuts and embosses on all sides for an actual border that you can place anywhere you choose!

You can also use these dies in the Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Big Shot Pro Machine, Vagabond by Tim Holtz,  QuicKutz Epic Six Tool, and of course, the Spellbinders Grand Calibur!

You can use these dies any way you want, the idea is to PLAY! That is the whole idea in creativity! See how many ways you can use them! Let the kids use the dies to decorate soup can pencil holders for their teachers, or for their homework binders to dress them up for school! That will keep them busy during the hot summer afternoons when they “are bored” because it is to hot to go outside!

Okay ladies and gents, I finally had a chance to play with the new Heartfelt Creations Wedding Collection Stamp Sets! I just can’t get over the incredible detail that their artists put into them! They are so beautiful! These cling stamps are so easy to use with any acrylic block!

I am a bit behind in scrapbooking my daughter’s wedding, so I took the opportunity to use these gorgeous stamps to create a layout of her wedding day! I used Bella Rose Wedding, Wedding Sentiments and Bella Rose Heart. I cut the scalloped piece from the DCWV Linen Closet Paper Stack using my Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine and the Bigz Pro Die Square Scallop.  The background piece is from DCWV Shimmer Paper Stack. To complete the ensemble, I used K & Company stickers, Want2Scrap Silver Baby Bling, heart rhinestones, paper doilies and a heart corner punch.

Now I can’t wait to use the other sets in the Wedding Collection! These really make fabulous embellishments for layouts as well as amazing bridal or wedding cards! Now is the perfect time to get yours, as summertime is the busiest time for weddings!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Our newest little 6 x 6 Paper Pads from Basic Grey have arrived! We would like to introduce Oxford and Out of Print to our store! We are so excited to show them to you! I know that you card makers will oogle over them! You will want to include them in your Paper Pad family!

Oxford is one you all you smarty-pants can dive into and elevate your I.Q. This collection contains eighteen double sided papers, 36 total, in a 6×6 paper pad on 65# paper. The papers included are: Ivy League, Spring Formal, Frat House, Rowing, Sorority, Midterm, Fencing, Honor Roll, Lettermans Jacket, Alma Mater, Lacrosse, Deans List, Magna Cum Laude, Finishing School, Study Hall, University, Preppy Plaid and Debate Team.

Out of Print will surely stop the presses! Your favorite line is “write” this way. This collection contains eighteen doublesided papers, 36 total, in a 6×6 paper pad on 65# paper. The papers included are: reprint, etchings, second edition, gliclee, newsflash, storyteller, Bits n Pieces, Headline, Mish Mash, Publication, Tribune, Classofied, Odds n Ends, Daily News, Impasto, Special Feature, Lithograph and Batik.

We also want to wish all the Dad’s out there a Happy Father’s Day this Sunday!

Have a great weekend!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Sometimes I feel guilty that I have so much stuff that I don’t use! Yet I keep purchasing more! Its just that the manufacturers keep coming up with such great products! Yesterday I told you about the new Cuttlebug Embossing Folders from Provo Craft, so I took the Rebecca home with me last night to play with! Love it! I also used stamps from the new Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose Collection!

By the time I got home from work, my frantic weekend traveling to and from San Francisco (almost 24 total hours in the truck in less than 48 hours)  had caught up with me! I had zero energy and just as much brain power, but I was determined to get something done to show you today! Here is the result of my exhausted efforts!

I stamped the Bella Rose Vintage Background on tan card stock, colored the flowers and leaves with colored pencil (I really need to invest in some Copic Markers!), then ran a piece of vellum in the Rebecca Embossing Folder through my Cuttlebug Machine for the cover of the card. I then stamped the rose on the vellum, using brown ink, with one of the Bold Bella Rose stamps (so beautiful!). I used vellum tape to adhere the vellum to the card so you can’t see any tape lines. I added a ribbon bow and went to bed! LOL!

I had to look at it again this morning to actually make the decision on whether it turned out good enough to show you! I couldn’t tell last night, but I am actually happy with the results! I really like using embossing folders with vellum because it naturally highlights the embossed lines to give it more depth.

Hopefully, I will be awake for my next project! It is amazing what a good night’s  sleep can do for you!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

The Heartfelt Creations Wedding Collection features 7 new PreCut Sets and a new exclusive Heartfelt Creations die, manufactured by Spellbinders. With this collection, you will achieve lovely cards for all the weddings you will be attending this summer.

You are not  limited to just wedding, you can create sweetheart, friend, and all occasion cards, especially with the new Vintage Lace die and stamp in this collection, the sky’s the limit! Can you just imagine wedding or prom layouts using these stamps? Incredible!

We are delighted that some of the images in this collection coordinate with the recently released Bella Rose Die, adding even more value to a die you might own already. Be sure to read the More Details on each set for information on coordinating Spellbinder dies!

Just in case you are wondering why you can’t find the above mentioned Vintage Lace die, (even though it is an exclusive for Heartfelt) it is not shown at this time because it is part of Spellbinders back orders!  As soon as it becomes available to us, we will put it on the website! That is a promise!

You will not be disappointed with these intricate, elegant stamp sets! They will be available to ship next week!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Just arrived! Six brand new Cuttlebug Embossing Folders from Provo Craft! Whoo Hoo! They are gorgeous! Three come in A2 size and three are 5 x7! I am so excited to put these to work embossing cards! We have these in stock ready to ship to you!

Musical FlourishA2 Embossing Folder is just perfect for the music lover!

Rebecca A2 Embossing Folder is beautiful with scrolls in all four corners! Great for any occasion!

Tiffany A2 Embossing Folder is totally upper class for wedding cards or invitations!

Keyboard 5 x 7 Embossing Folder is absolutely stylin’ for a teenage musician! Great for recital invitations!

Mary Ann 5 x 7 Embossing Folder reminds me of a Parisian window screen. The scroll work is fabulous!

Madison 5 x 7 Embossing Folder gives a stained glass effect! Lovely for wedding or bridal invitations!

Provo Craft has fabulous designers for their embossing folders! They are always bringing us wonderful new designs to make our creativity easier with their intricate patterns! Add a few embellishments and you have an incredible card that looks like it took hours to make, when it really took a few minutes! I love that!

I am always getting comments like “This is awesome! How did you do this?” They just can’t believe that it is so easy! Of course, many don’t have any idea what an embossing folder is, but I tell them to come over and I would be happy to let them try it for themselves!

I also love that you can use them in the Provo Craft Cuttlebug V2, Sizzix Big Shot, Big Shot Pro, Quickutz Epic Six Tool, Spellbinders Grand Calibur and Tim Holtz Vagabond Machines!

You will want to be the first to get yours!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Okay, so some days I feel like I am surrounded by women having babies! There always seems to be someone having a baby, which is a wonderful thing, but I just can’t get caught up with baby gifts and cards! So, I decided over the weekend that I was going to mass produce so I could breath easy for a minute! Thank goodness for My Minds Eye Lime Twist Paper Pads! I was able to mass produce with slightly different looks!

For the It’s a Girl A2 cards I used MME Happy Go Lucky Paper Pad and Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio Three. This paper pad is perfect for girls young or old! 24 sheets of 6×6 doublesided cardstock paper in 12 different spring time designs in purple, red, pink, grey, turquoise and lime green. With circles, stripes, flowers and speech bubbles its youthful appearance just makes me happy!

It’s a Boy A2 cards are from MME Fly a Kite Paper Pad with Spellbinders Ribbon Banners. You get 24 sheets of 6×6 doublesided cardstock paper in 12 different spring time designs in brown, red, aqua, orange, turquoise and lime green. Circles, stripes, stars, kites and clouds most definitely portray all boy!

At least I am caught up for a few baby showers as far as cards go! Hey, the new mom’s will never know that their card has been duplicated! (Not unless they read my Blog!)

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

If you are a scrapbooker you already know that borders are a wonderfully quick and easy way to embellish your pages! Well, we have a  border die from Quickutz on sale for those Easter and layouts that you are planning to do!

Quickutz Easter Egg Border is a 12″ border dies that is perfect for layouts! It can be cut down to shorter lengths for smaller layouts or cards (think ahead)! On sale for the amazingly low price of $8.99 from the Retail Price of $24.99! This is a steal of a deal!

It can be used in the Quickutz , Epic Six Tool, Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Provocraft Cuttlebug Machine V2 using extended 13″ plates! They can also be used in the Big Shot Pro Machine as well as Spellbinders Grand Calibur!

For some added dimention and springtime embellishment, why not add some Petaloo flowers! At 40% off you’ll want to gather them up as fast as you can! These are offered at this incredible sale price while supplies last!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

As summer fast approaches, the designers at My Mind’s Eye had the right idea when they named this line of 6″ x6″ paper pads! What better way to beat the heat than an ice cold drink with a Lime Twist?

There are 4 new paper pads with all new designs that are so delightful for spring and summer cards or mini albums! Each paper pad includes 24 sheets of 6×6 doublesided cardstock paper in 12 different spring time designs!

Fly A Kite entices us with spring time designs in brown, red, aqua, orange, turquoise and lime green. With circles, stripes, stars, kites and clouds, this unique paper collection will look great on any card or layout! Specifically designed for a little boy.

Happy Go Lucky shows off designs in purple, red, pink, grey, turquoise and lime green. With circles, stripes, flowers and speech bubbles specifically designed for girls!

Life of the Party stirs up fun with designs in pink, brown, aqua and lime green. With circles, stripes, flowers and cupcakes you’ll have everything you need for fun summer projects designed for girls!

Out of the Blue lets your imagination soar with designs in tan, grey, red, aqua and lime green. You’ll love the circles, stripes, trains, stars and hot air balloons that bring back memories of childhood play! Designed with boys in mind!

I chose two of these delightful paper pads to play with! The hardest part was choosing which patterns to design with! They are all so fun!

My butterfly card is made using the Happy Go Lucky Paper Pad, Spellibinders Labels Nineteen and Fanciful Flight dies.

My nephew is graduating from Kindergarten this month, so I decided to make a mini page with his graduation picture! I chose patterns from the Fly A Kite Paper Pad. QuicKutz Banana Split Skinnimini Alphabet for the title, Grad Cap, Diploma and Gold Seal completed the project of his shining star face!

Isn’t he cute? Only 12 more years until High School Graduation! The stars and the grade school alphabet pattern were a perfect combination for this mini page! Love it!

Well, I am taking a break for a few days! Off to South Carolina for my youngest son’s Basic Training graduation! I’ll be back on Monday! Have fun with your projects while I’m gone!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

It is crunch time to get you gifts done for Mother’s Day if you haven’t already! Here’s an idea for a card box if your mom likes cards, but needs a place to store them, or you can fill the box with pre-made cards for her to use when needed! Of course I used roses, because that is what mom’s like! Right?

The paper I used for my tin box  is the Rustic Paper Stack from DCWV ( It is an exclusive to JoAnn Stores), and the Shimmer Stack for the roses. To cut the roses I used QuicKutz Roses die. Easy! I cut it out with my Cuttlebug Machine then rolled them up and glued them in place with some Zip Dry Paper Glue!

I used Spellbinders Lacey Ovals to cut a copper frame from the Precious Metals Premium Craft Foils, then topped with Classic Ovals Small stamped with a saying from Just Rite Stampers The Greatest Joy Borders & Centers Set! I finished it off with flowers from Petaloo Canterbury Collection Rose & Berries Branch and some ribbon!

This was a lot of fun! It took me a minute to practice making the roses with some regular paper, but found that the thicker card stock made it easier! Just roll it up with your fingers and let go for it to take shape, then glue it where you want it!

Have fun making your Mother’s Day projects!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Wow! Mother’s Day is right on our doorstep! Can you believe it? I can’t! I feel like we just barely had Easter…oh wait, we did! I don’t know about you, but I had better get crackin’ on a gift for Mom!

My mom is a scrapbooker, so she would like just about anything that has to do with scrapbooking! Why don’t you come shopping with me to see what I can find that would make great gifts for her special day!

She has tons of pictures to still put in albums as she has 10 children (I am the oldest) and 34 grandchildren, so I think I will start with the basics. Paper! She has 7 sons and lots of grandsons, so the All About Boys Paper Stack from DCWV or Alphabet Soup Boy from My Minds Eye are a great start for the boys! A Proper Gentleman 8×8 by Graphic 45 works well for all of her masculine photos.

For the feminine side, we will start with DCWV All About Girls Paper Stack,  Blossoms and Butterflies Paper Stack, Garden Party Paper Stack, or Pocket Full of Posies Paper Stack to name just a few!

She has a Cuttlebug, and loves die cutting! Let’s move over to the dies to see what we can find! Spellbinders dies are always a perfect gift! She and I have very similar taste, so I think I will go with a couple of my favorites! Labels Twenty, Lacey Circles, Lacey Squares, Lacey Ovals (okay, so I like lacey!), Floral Doily Accents and Floral Doily Motifs as well as the Parisian Accents and Parisian Motifs! Well, that is more than a couple, but maybe we can keep some of these in mind for her birthday or Christmas! I could shop forever in Spellbinders!

She would love Quickutz Anime Monkey to scrap some of her younger grandchildren! Or the Mixing Bowl and Spoon for those moments making cookies with the grandkids!

Heartfelt Creations, Just Rite Stampers and Sparkle N Sprinkle all have stamps that are fabulous to give her or buy for myself to make her card with! They all have stamps that coordinate with Spellbinders dies! Want2Scrap has Nestabling to go with!

Whew! This shopping trip could last a long time if we got into the nitty-gritty of adhesives, embossing folders, foils, flowers, etc.! I think I will let you shop for yourselves now! I have a pretty good idea of what I will end up with! Have fun!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie