Have you ever had an idea and KNOW that you have a particular item (like burlap) that you want for the focal point of your project, but then search for it only to realize that you must have loaned that item to someone and have not got it back? Well, that happened to me a couple days ago! I can’t remember who I loaned my burlap to, but I seem to remember doing that! So I improvised! For my Family Ties page below, I used some denim squares that I had originally cut for a quilt! It would have been nice to have burlap too! That is the beauty of creativity! You can change anything at any time!There are no restrictions!

I have grown to love the bright, cheerful look of sunflowers as I have gotten older! Even though I am so allergic to them that I don’t want them near my house, I love decorating with sunflowers! They make me feel happy! The Heartfelt Creations Aztec Gold Sunflowers 1 and Aztec Gold Sunflowers 2 cut out with Spellbinders Blossoms Two were a perfect combination to embellish my photo of my smiley nieces and nephew! I don’t own any Copic markers (maybe someday!), so I shaded them with Stampin’ Up Water Color Crayons, curled the leaves for dimension and sprinkled some black glitter for the centers! I made the leaves using Spellbinder’s Nested Leaves.

This was just for fun so I used some old paper that I bought who knows how long ago! I grew up in a rural area on the outskirts of  Salt Lake City, Utah, so if it looks country I am all over it! Gingham and polka dots fit the bill! I am a jeans kind of gal, so the denim squares with ric-rac trim worked for me! Of course, jeans ALWAYS work for me!  I took a Fiskars scallop punch to create the frame around my photo, then to hide my (shhh!) uneven corners I used QuicKutz RS-0136 Photo Corner.  The title is created from Boss Kut Hobby Horse Alphabet.

We have a surprise for tomorrow! Sneak Peak of our new product line!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

P.S. We are already out of the Grand Calibur Machines until our next shipment! Get in line if you want one next time!

I have to say that I was so excited when I first saw the new Spellbinders Creative Book Pages Grand Die by Donna Salazar! There are endless possibilities for mini books with this spectacular set!

As I have mentioned before, my youngest boy just entered Basic Training for the Army National Guard, and it is his birthday this month, so I wanted to do something for him that he could use and keep in his limited space foot locker! They can’t have a whole lot and he made me promise NOT to send treats during Basic! Hmmm…. what do I send? Well, I CAN send pictures, and we just had our family pictures done the weekend before he left, so I decided to do a mini album using the Creative Book Pages Die Set! I only used dies #2-5.  Of coarse I used my Spellbinder’s Grand Calibur to cut them. You will either need the Grand Calibur or a Big Shot Pro by Sizzix to be able to use this set.

I didn’t want to embarrass him by sending anything even close to frilly. Army style seemed fitting and manly! I used paper from Creative Imaginations Signature Collection-U.S. Army Scrapbook Kit. The stickers are by Karen Foster and Reminise. I also used the Boss Kut Black Jack Alphabet for the “My Family” title.

Well, that’s it! I think he will love it! His little niece will make him smile for sure!

This is really a fun project for any occasion! You can bind it any way you like!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

We are so excited to be stocking the new Graphic 45 Metal Staples! If you are into vintage, then you will want to make sure you take a look at these! There are Alphabet Sticker Staples, Chipboard Button Staples, Black Policy Envelope Staples, Envelope Tag Staples and much more!

I did a bit of playing last night with the Graphic 45 Curtain Call 12×12 Paper Pad, using the Chipboard Button Staples and one of the Metal Tag Staples. There are 3 of each size. I used one of the large pieces. I added a doily which brings back childhood memories of when my mom used to crochet doilies! The enhanced photo is of my mom and her little sister who both wanted to be actresses when they were little! I found the key in the old treadle sewing machine that we inherited from my husband’s grandmother! Cool! You never know what my be lurking around your house waiting to be included in a layout!

My title is cut from QuicKuz English Rose Alphabet on a mat cut from the Spellbinder’s CHA release Grand Large Labels #2 die (due in March!)

I really don’t like using a lot of adhesives on photos, especially older photos, so I like to attach them with photo corners! I used 3L Black Photo corners on this page to match the paper!

I hope you get a chance to browse the new Metal Staples! These make  some really fun embellishments for all kinds of projects!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love DCWV Paper Stacks? Well, I do! Of coarse, I don’t know if I have also mentioned that I am just a plain ol’ paper junkie! I love, love, love paper! Even as a kid I had an obsession for pretty stationery and note pads! I know from talking to many of you that there are those who share my obsession! Paper is a staple! You have to have it!

Over the weekend I got to play with DCWV Cotton Bloom Paper Stack! Oh, so cute!!! I had a blast! The hardest part was trying to figure out which pattern to use! It was hard to decide! The whole stack is great!

For my “Family” page I used two of the Grand Labels Eleven (Pre-order item due in March!) for my picture mats. My flowers were made with the Floral Doily Motifs (this has arrived and is in stock, and you can now use your coupon on this item!). I used 1″ Scor-Tape to apply my ribbon and flowers. (Have I told you how much I love Scor-Tape? I believe it was inspired just for those of us that like to use ribbon!)

For my Tiny Bubbles Layout I used a QuicKutz Circles Embossing Folder to make the bubble background for my title. For those of you who have never used these, QuicKutz Ebossing Folders are very similar and work the same as Provo Craft’s Cuttlebug embossing folders. My title is cut from QuicKutz Winter Wishes Holiday Gift Set with QuicKutz RS-0099 Bubbles 2×2 die.

As you can see, the paper in this stack is adorable! I hope you enjoy it too!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I’ve heard it said about crafters that 90% are copiers and 10% original designers. I wonder why the majority are copiers. Do we not feel comfortable with our own talents? Are we not adventurous with wanting to try new things?

I think that maybe a lot of it stems from time! With our very busy schedules, we are not able to spend the time it takes to really relax and experiment! At least that is the case with myself! It takes much less of my time to copy an idea, and just make a few changes to make it mine!

If you have ever watched a child playing, they are totally absorbed in what they are doing. The world around them fades away and they are in a world completely made up of their imagination! Everything is possible! They think big! Time does not exist for children at play!

At what point do we lose this ability to become totally immersed in play? We surely seem to immerse ourselves when it involves family and work!

I challenge all copiers, including myself, to take more time to play and try something new! Be original! Learn a new technique and try it a different way! Take back your creativity and make something completely your own! Let somebody want to copy you! Be a kid again (okay, so it will only be in spirit), but remember to think big!

Everything is possible when creating. Let mistakes be opportunities! Let your imagination run wild! You can do it!

I am anxious to begin this challenge! I hope my creative journey lasts a long time because I want to have fun! I hope you will join in!

Tomorrow I’ll be introducing one of the new product lines we are carrying! Stay tuned!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Hooray! The big day has FINALLY arrived! Today is the day that we are showing you ALL of the new releases from Heartfelt Creations, Lifestyle Crafts, Spellbinders, and Quickutz! You will be inspired beyond your wildest dreams with these amazing new products!

Heartfelt Creation’s Dutch Iris and New Life Collections are perfect to celebrate the coming of spring and Easter holiday!

The exclusive Spellbinders Decorative Dutch Iris die coordinates with the Heartfelt Creations Dutch Iris Collection of pre-cut rubber stamp sets: Distressed Leaves, Flora Grande 1, Flora Grande 2, Dutch Iris Medley, Dutch Iris Frame and Dutch Iris Oval.

The New Life stamp set coordinates with the exclusive Spellbinders Decorative Oval Window die-cut made just for Heartfelt Creations and the Heartfelt Creations pre-cut rubber stamp sets: Easter Lilies, Egg-citing Day, Vintage Life Background, Outside My Window, Decorative Vintage Cross, and Stained Glass Background.

Lifestyle Crafts has 5 new amazing Letterpress Printing Plates for the Letterpress Combo including the Nautical Printing Plate Set and Striped Printing Plate Set.

Quickutz’ delightful Fresh Start Collection includes an adorable 4 x 4 Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs that will definitely keep the smile on your face as you create your spring cards or layouts!

Spellbinders additional items bring their new release count to 45! Your head will spin as you make your wish list! They are absolutely incredible!

Most of the New Releases are expected to begin shipping the beginning of February! If you ask me, this is the best CHA Release ever! So many wonderful products to choose from! I want them all!!!! You can see these and much more under NEW PRODUCTS in our store!

Here are a couple layouts I did using just a few of the new Spellbinder Dies.  I used pieces from the S5-043 Fleur De Lis Motifs as well as S5-042 Fleur De Lis Accent and the S5-030 Fancy Tags Two for my first layout, along with the DCWV Black Currant Paper Stack.

For my second layout I used pieces from the S4-318 Fleur De Lis Squares, S5-051 Fanciful Flight and S5-030 Fancy Tags Two. The flowers are Glittered Layered Daisies from Petaloo.

I promise that you will LOVE this release as much as I do, so have fun shopping! You’ll be glad that you can just sit in your chair and push a button to put items in your cart and not have to push that heavy cart around!

Thanks for looking and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I hope you have seen the latest release from DCWV! I LOVE these new collections. The colors are so alive and vibrant, it makes me happy just looking at it. See for yourself!

The Black Currant comes in a 12×12 size and some of the papers are foils. You have to see the purple color to appreciate how gorgeous it is. This says prom or wedding all over it! Here are some ideas from the DCWV idea gallery:

Next is Colorful Life. It comes in two sizes, 12×12 and 4.5×6.5 and you can get it in a print or solid.

The infusion of colors and the patterns are an artists dream! What I love about this paper is depending on the project, you can dress it up or down. I love the versatility. And the colors just make me happy!

Celebrate your best friend, your love or those crazy young men in your life, this paper will capture all the flavors of life.

Street Lace is girlish charm meets gothic edge with colors of black, green, grey, turquoise and pink. It also comes in two sizes, 12×12 and 4.5×6.5, and in a print stack and solid stack.

With its gothic edge, you can do layouts for either a boy or a girl. This screams “teenager” to me! Here are some ideas:

This last collection is a must have. Everyone needs a really solid “go to” paper stack and this is it!

Textures & Finishes will surely be a scrapping staple for years to come. This 12×12 timeless collection gives you all kinds of colors in all different finishes.  Get started with ideas from these projects:

To find out more on the projects featured, please visit the DCWV Idea Gallery.

I have more paper to feature so stay tuned to my blog to see what else is new!

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

The Quickutz new release, entitled “Be Crafty”, is a celebration of our individualism and creativity! These dies consist of hobbies such as painting, photography, drawing and sewing. I am also thinking the painting dies would look great on a child’s school page or home improvement layout. I love the sewing dies because with the right paper (like the Graphic 45 Fashionista!) you could make a really gorgeous vintage layout.  I can see the camera on my travel page. Here is a sample of some of the new dies.

To view the entire new release, go to Quickutz New Products.

Have fun and Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

One of my favorite products from my friends at Petaloo is the Jeweled Candies! Jeweled Candies are acrylic flowers that are so easy to use! The acrylic makes them very bright and shiny, so they look great as an accent flower mixed in with softer flowers and also look great on their own. They adhere easily to paper or any surface with the Zip-Dry glue or use the Click and Stick foam squares from 3L Scrapbook Adhesives to make them pop out a bit. You can also use alcohol inks to change the color a bit, like adding yellow ink to a red Jeweled Candies for an orange flower – and just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving!

Can you spot the Jeweled Candies in this gorgeous design by Lori Gentile Designs? She used the teal candies in the lower left and the upper right corner and mixed them with other Petaloo fabric flowers.

Have fun and look for our newsletter coming out tomorrow!

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

The Cut@Home girls had a great time at the Scrapbook USA Expo in Sandy Utah on Friday.  For those of you who have never been, this event is really a lot of fun. The vendors are set up around the perimeter of the room and in the middle are tables where people bring all their scrapbook supplies and gather as friends and family to crop ’til you drop! There is food, music and prizes to keep you going all day and night!

We found some great deals on paper from DCWV and embellishments at Basic Grey! Imaginisce was there with their great little tools, the I-top and I-Roc and we saw the new Sizzix TIEF’s – sooo cute!

The highlight was visiting with our friends Emma Lou and Richard from Heartfelt Creations! As you know, Heartfelt Creations is our very first rubber stamp company here at Cut@Home. We chose to lead off with them because of their stunning designs, superb quality and the coordinating Spellbinders stamps and exclusive dies.  Emma Lou is always so gracious and fun to work with.

From left to right is Tauna, Emma Lou, Janeth and Shaylee (my granddaughter!) and Carrie. We are a happy bunch!

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

The new Halloween and Christmas dies and textured impressions embossing folders (TIEF) from Sizzix just arrived! We have bats, candy corn, fence and a very scary tree dies and a fall and other Halloween themed TIEF for Halloween cards and layouts. For Christmas, there are two different TIEF’s:  Christmas Set #4 and Christmas Set #5.  They also have a school TIEF for your” first day of school” scrapbook pages or a card for teacher.

I am very excited about this new MME paper release. We have our very own custom collections of the Lost & Found paper. This paper is so gorgeous, you have to see it! Images do NOT do it justice! The Alphabet Soup, Halloween and Christmas paper also arrived, so we have plenty to keep you busy now the kids are back in school!

Happy Scrappin’!

Marcie

Basic Grey has five new 6×6 paper pads available for pre-order!

First we have Curio:

A mixing of soft petal pink, cameo blue, and antique mahogany becomes a study of timeless treasures found. It reminds me what you would find at an estate sale. This will be available in mid October 2010.

Here is their new Christmas line, Jovial:

In a color palette of red, black, white and green, this paper is just how Christmas and the holidays should be! And it will be shipping in late August so you can get a jump on your Christmas cards.

Here is Marjolaine:

I love the color combination in this collection. You receive great shades of brown, green and blue with cream as your neutral shade. The cream color warms it up so nicely! This is shipping in mid October 2010.

Introducing, Pyrus:

Pronounced “PEAR-us”, this collection is named after the pear fruit. With nutmeg brown, apple red and pear green, this makes up one delicious layout or card! Perfect for fall, and shipping in late August.

Pack your bags and come Wander:

This is a travel themed collection with colors of red, yellow, green and white.  Now that school is starting, you can scrap your summer vacations! Also available late August.

Also available for pre-order is the 2011 custom Calendar Kit. Janeth bought these lat year for her sisters and gave them for gifts! They loved them so much, she is doing it again this year!

You receive everything you need to make a really cute calendar that is as individual as you are. Supplies are limited are on this item, so if you want one, make sure you pre-order.

If you would like to see the video I did at CHA introducing these new paper lines, you can view it at this blog post.

Thanks for tuning in!

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

Judy Hayes from the Spellbinders Design Team came up with a great idea on how to get more mileage from your borderabilities. If you are using your borderabilities as the base of you design, you can cut it and use another die cut on top of it! Here is what I mean using the S4214 Eyelet Borderabilities Petite and Judy’s project Rain or Shine as an example:

No one will ever know! It is a great idea to stretch those petite borderabitilites to fit an 8×8 or 12×12 layout. She also used the S5019 Labels Eight, which is one of my personal favorites.

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

April is fast coming to a close and that means you only have two more days to take advantage of your 40% off VIP coupon. On Saturday it will by May, and we will have a new coupon code for the month. It is hard to believe the year is almost half over. How are you doing on your New Years resolution to scrap more?

Have a good day!

Marcie

I am so excited to share my cute card ideas for my very first blog! I’ve been playing around with the Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Paisley Set. You wouldn’t believe all the fun ideas that you can do with Paisley! I would have never guessed it if I hadn’t sat down and thought: “Hmm… what else can I do with this die?”

So I started thinking about this and playing with the set while my husband made me sit and watch a movie with him ( I can’t just sit!), and here’s what I came up with!

My first card is Ahoy Matey.

I used the DCWV All About Boys Mat Stack , found the ship and thought that a whale would look cute with it! The whale and water spray is made from the three smallest dies in the Classic Paisley set. For the tail I just took a notch out of the paisley and that was all I did for a whale! For the title I used Quickutz Banana Split Alphabet. This card would be perfect for a baby boy birth announcement, birthday invitation or birthday card for a boy. You could even use it for a cheerful get well or just say HI card.  I may decide to ditch the card and put it on a scrapbook page!

My second is the Latte Flower Card:

For this card I used both the DCWV Latte Mat Stack and DCWV Latte Solid Cardstock Mat Stack. The scalloped window is the largest of the Spellbinders  Nestabilities Classic Ovals Small die Set. The flower and leaves are made up with the smallest of the Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Paisley Set. The center is made from the smallest of the Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Paisley Set. The stem was just hand cut with scissors. I thought this would be a fabulous all occasion card!

What do you think?

Carrie