Samantha Walker's Imaginary World

Summer Fun: Quick and Easy 3x4 Journaling Cards with Claudia

2013-05-26T01:15:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! Claudia here. I'm excited to share this super quick and easy project I created to help document our summer vacation. My boys have one week left of school, and I can't wait to have them home.

For my project I used Samantha's Cool Summer collection to create 3x4 journaling cards.

I made sure to leave plenty of space for my boys to journal themselves; and there are some that are ready to add a 2x2 photo (Instagram, of course). Samantha's Cool Summer kit had just about everything I needed to put these together. I have plenty of supplies leftover to make more as the summer goes on. I plan to put these in an 8.5x11 album with those fun baseball card size plastic inserts. The great thing is I can keep some in my purse for on the go journaling; especially for the younger boys (as they tend to forget the details sometimes, heehee).

Here is a close up of the cards.

I apologize I don't have any "in process" photos; I got so wrapped up in creating the journaling cards, that I completely forgot to take pics along the way. As you can see, anything goes! I just cut and pieced them together; keeping to my personal clean and simple style.

How about you? Do you like journaling? Do you make your own 3x4 journaling cards? I definitely recommend picking up Samantha's Cool Summer collection. The colors are so vibrant and just perfect for summer!

I'd also like to take a moment to thank our military and their families on this Memorial Day weekend. Without their sacrifice, we would not be able to enjoy everything we love about this beautiful country we live in. We remember those lost and are forever grateful.

Until next time.

Lots of happy hugs,

Supplies used:

Cool Summer 12x12 Kit

Cool Summer 6x6 Paper Pad

Corner Punch

Adhesive

Silhouette (for cutting out speech bubbles)

Don't forget to enter our giveaways...
Just click on the photos below!

Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!

2013-05-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Good morning and happy Thursday!
Today we are back with another fabulous giveaway sponsored by Silhouette!

All you need to do is enter below. You can earn multiple entries by following us on Facebook, commenting below, tweeting about the giveaway, and signing up for email updates. This giveaway is open to US customers only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silhouette is also having a special promotion with their fabric interfacing!

You are going to love all that you can do with your

Silhouette and these fabric interfacings!

Jamie is sharing an adorable onesie she created using the Dog Puppy Silhouette cut, the Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing, and the Serenata fabric collection!

Tutorial:

1. Cut a piece of the Clean Cut Fabric Interface a little smaller than your fabric. Place the textured side down on the back of your fabric.

2. Use a hot iron to adhere the interfacing to the fabric.

3. The back of your fabric should look like this now.

4. Remove the backing from the interfacing.

5. Place the fabric on your Silhouette mat.

6. Insert your Fabric Blade into your machine and load your fabric.

7. Move your design to match where your fabric is on your mat and then press the "send to silhouette" button. Change your cut setting to "fabric cotton print" and make sure your blade is adjusted properly. Press "cut".

8. Your Silhouette will cut your design.

9. Unload your mat once the cut is complete and remove the fabric.

10. Your cut should look similar to this. Remove the design from the mat.

11. Place the design on your onesie and place it where you want it.

12. Iron the design on.

13. I used the Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing for my project and then hand-stitched the edges. If you want to use a machine to sew on your design make sure you use the Sewable Fabric Interfacing.

If you already have a Silhouette, be sure to take advantage of the promotion! You can get both the Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing and the Sewable Fabric Interfacing plus the Fabric Blade and a $25 download card for just $29.99!

Just click HERE and use promo code SAMANTHA!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday
at Jessicasprague.com!

Today only,
you can get the following digital die cut kit
50% off:
Digital Cuts or Masks Birthday Set

And,
you can get the following digital scrapbooking kit

Big Top Birthday Mega Kit for just $1.00!

Digital Cuts or Masks Birthday Set:

This kit contains digital die cut lines for the the two images and the card shown. It will come in three formats: AIv8, PNG, and SVG which will work with most die cut machines. Some machines require third party software such as SCAL to cut SVG files. These files are detailed and are not recommended for hand cutting. (If you own a Silhouette or Silhouette Cameo, please go to the Silhouette store where you will find these files in the proper Studio format.)

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit 50% off!

Big Top Birthday Mega Kit:
In this pack you will receive the entire Big Top Birthday digital collection! This mega kit is perfect for your little tots birthday celebrations, with a circus theme! There are 15 patterned papers, 6 solid textured papers and 4 die cut "big top" papers as well as 25 illustrated embellishments, and 72 Birthday Themed Big Top embellishments, in two versions: regular, and embossed!

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit for just $1.00!

Project by Susie Moore

Project by Chrissy Guido

As always, these deals vanish Wednesday at
midnight Pacific time so hurry to get yours!

*******

Be sure to enter for your chance to win a

$1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!

Click on the image below to see all the details...

Flower Heart Basket and Cool Summer Paper Collection

2013-05-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi I’m Linda from Paper Boutique with Linda. Today I will demonstrate how to make this adorable Flower Heart Basket using paper from Samantha Walker’s Cool Summer collection!

The Flower Heart Basket is available at the Silhouette on-line store and is so quick and easy to make! You can purchase her Cool Summer Collection by clicking here.

One of my favorite things about this project is that you can use this adorable flower on tons of different projects. This basket would also make an ideal teacher’s gift.

In the video, I show you how to assemble this basket and close-up views of Samantha’s Cool Summer collection. I am in love with this collection and know you will be too! Hope you enjoy the video!

Thanks for visiting!

Sweet by Susie Moore

2013-05-19T00:01:00.000-06:00

Susie here and I can hardly wait to share today's tutorial with you. I am using papers and elements from Samantha's new collection called Cool Summer. I am in L-O-V-E with the brads that come with this collection. And I knew immediately what I wanted to make with the larger ones. Take a look:

The larger size is just perfect for hiding the stitching that gathers up this sweet little gauzy flower. Here are the steps to making this flower and also a peek into how I made my card base.

I used three sizes of circle Spellbinders dies to make my flower. You could hand cut your circles because they do not have to be perfect. I grabbed a few layers of some satin fabrics and added in some sparkly tulle too.

When cutting fabric with dies, I find it best to place a piece of card stock under the layers. It may or may not cut into the card stock, but it does help cut the fabric. I ended up with lots of circles!

These are the pieces I used on my flowers. I had leftovers to use on another flower later. I stacked the layers and then offset them just a little because I was not going for perfection.

On the top of my layers, I ran a few basting stitches through all the flower layers. I used blue thread here so you could see. I made a circle of stitches and then poked the needle through the back and pulled the thread tightly to gather the layers. Then I just knotted the thread. I poked a hole through the center and inserted a large brad which covered my crazy stitching. It was perfect! Before I spread the prongs out, I added a circle of card stock to the back. This is not necessary, but I found it easier to glue paper to paper instead of paper to metal when finishing my card.

Now that the flower is done, let me show you what my card base looked like before trimming:

I cut strips of Cool Summer papers and adhered them diagonally across the bottom of the card. Then I took part of the ice cream border from the elements pack and placed it at the top. A few quick trims with my craft knife later, I had the card base that you see in my original photo.

I just added my flower and the "Sweet" sticker to complete my card.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial. And I hope you will make some flowers of your own soon.

And here is a little look at the Cool Summer Collection:

Susie

*******

Be sure to enter for your chance to win a
$1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!
Click on the image below to see all the details...

Layered Layouts Without The Bulk by Diana Fisher

2013-05-18T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi! Diana Fisher here with you today. I'm going to give you some tips and tricks on making a layered looking page without all of the bulk. I know many of us love this look, but are disappointed once we try to jam them into our albums. Here are a few tricks I use on my pages.

First, I love 6x6 paper pads. Samantha Walker has a Cool Summer 6x6 paper pad offered through Carta Bella. The designs are perfect for those summer pages you are about to make.

6x6 paper pads offer smaller prints and patterns as well as the perfect size for doubling up the papers. These papers also tend to be a lighter paper weight and less bulky.

To get started, select a few of papers and put them on your page. I chose a center focal point and single picture for my layout. I picked two coordinating papers from the pad and layered them in the middle.

Take a look at some of the other papers you have and choose a couple more. Use only about half of that sheet at 6x3. Pick some accents, too, and start to move them around on the page.

When you feel good about your few layers, go ahead and glue them down, leaving the edges without adhesive. Now, you can take small squares of other patterns and tuck them near your edges.

2x2 or 3x3 inch squares work pretty well and you can start to glue them in-between your 2-3 main layers. It will add the layered look without the bulk of full sheets.

If you have coordinating embellishments like Cool Summer has, go ahead and begin to layer those in as well. Even with all of the different patterns and papers I used on this page, nothing is higher than a piece of chipboard. It should go nice and neat into an album when I'm all done.

Thanks for stopping by here today to learn a little bit about layered layouts without the bulk. If you don't have one already, grab a 6x6 paper pad and start to play around with the different layering affects you can get with them.
-Diana

*******

Be sure to enter for your chance to win a
$1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!
Click on the image below to see all the details...

Win A $1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!

2013-05-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

Good morning! Today we have something a little bit different for you!

We have teamed up with some great folks to offer you the opportunity to

win a $1,000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!

Yes, a $1,000 Shopping Spree!

The winner will be able to pick out anything they like from DSLR cameras, camera bags, accessories, or lighting! The winner can even opt for $1000 USD transferred to them via PayPal! You could shop to your heart's content.

Here are just a few of the bloggers and vendors who came together to make this amazing giveaway possible including Spaceships and Laser Beams, Yumtastics, Go Against the Grain, Life Revolves Around Them, Mimi's Dollhouse, Not Just A Mommy, Angelina´s Dream Parties, Twinkled Spice Boutique, Hello My Sweet, Party Snobs, Inkberry Cards + Design, UR invited, Petite Bebe, Party Printables, Unlimited Party Themes, Party On! Designs, Vanessa Hankins Photography, My Garden Party, Dorothy Kurzydlowski Photography, Sugar Sugar Cakes, DimplePrints, Creative Juice Cafe, Miss Party Mom, PaperCandee, Creative Designs by Toni, Paige Simple Studio, Calamity Kate's Kitchen, Simply Creative Printables,The Way The Cookie Crumbles, Michelle's Party Plan-It, Paper and Style Co., And Everything Nice, Samantha Walker Designs, Simply Sweet Parties, Events by Kate, Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams, One Inspired Party, Kima's Konfections,This Nest is Best, Triple M Good Parties and Myour Stories Designs.

And that's not even everyone!!!

More than 60 people are contributing to this contest. To see the complete list, take a look at the Rafflecopter form. As small businesses and blogs, we would never be able to offer such a cool prize, so it's a lot of fun to be able to combine forces and giveaway something so special!

Prize Details: The winner can select up to $1000 in camera equipment or supplies (including all sales taxes and shipping) to be delivered to the single destination of their choosing. The winner has the option of receiving $1000 USD in PayPal funds in lieu of receiving their prize.

The winner will be selected randomly via Rafflecopter. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of people entering. Should the winning entrant(s) not respond within 48 hours of being emailed, another winner(s) will be selected. Please ensure spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com is on your safe email list. We would hate to have to redraw another winner!

Rules: This contest is open worldwide from May 17, 2013 at 12:01am EST to June 6, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. All entrants must be the age of the majority in their own country. Should unforeseen circumstances occur, this contest could be cancelled at any time. Void where prohibited by law.

Enter Using Our Rafflecopter Form
Good Luck!

Click HERE to enter!

Disclosure: This blog did not receive any money to participate or promote this contest. This giveaway is in not way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, PayPal or any camera-related company. As one of many participants, we are not responsible for logistics or prize delivery. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie at Spaceships and Laser Beams by emailing spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com.

Introducing Guest Designer Laura Drahozal!

2013-05-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

Today we would like to introduce you to Guest Designer, Laura Drahozal

Hello, I am Laura Drahozal and I am thrilled to be the Samantha Walker guest designer for this month. My project is a scrapbook page.

It was from a recent trip to Walt Disney World. I was truly inspired by Samantha's doily designs.

Here is how I made it:

MATERIALS:

Samantha Walker Doily Making Set #42322

Samantha Walker Border Eyelet Lace with Ribbon Weave #34270

Samantha Walker Multi Label Set #35384

Samantha Walker Cha Cha Swirl Letters Y (28097), T (28092), F (2800), E (27999), L (28084), I (28003), C (27997), A (27995), R (28090) and P (28088)

Silhouette Machine with Blade and Mat

San Serif Font

White Card Stock

Red "Velvet" Paper from Creative Imaginations

Gray Paper from DCWV Timeless Treasure Stack

Manual Die Cut Machine and Mats

Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat

Mercart Red Coated Aluminum

Mercart Teflon Tipped Metal Tool

An Old File Folder

Memories Mist in Sparkling Silver

Xyron in 9", 5" and 1.5"

A Big Bite

Red Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1) Open your Silhouette program and create a 12" x 12" page file to size project on.

2) Open Samantha Walker files.

3) Ungroup the Doily file and select the portion you would like to use.

4) Resize the doilies to fit the space.

5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the Eyelet Lace and Multi Label Sets.

6) Ungroup letters and line up next to each other. You need to select the letters that you would like to use for each part and place so that they are touching to create the word.

7) Weld the letters.

8) Use the Offset Function to create the drop shadow. I used it at .065 with rounded edges.

9) Cut all the parts out of your selected card stock. I used the red velvet for the title.

10) Run the letters through the 5" Xyron.

11) When applying the letters to the drop shadow, lay the first part of the letters down carefully.

12) As you add letters, flip the backing paper over and bend. It will be easier to remove.

13) When you have the letters down, crumple up the top (sticky) layer of paper and tap it over the title to remove any excess adhesive.

14) For any portions that you would like in metal, cut them four times each out of the file folder.

15) Put the folder pieces through an Xyron.

16) Stack all of the pieces on top of each other, leaving the final one attached to the backing.

17) Run through your manual die cut machine with metal and the rubber embossing mat. The Cuttlebug sandwich is A Plate, stacked folders, aluminum red side up, rubber embossing mat and two B Plates.

18) Refine any edges if desired using the Mercart Teflon Tool.

19) Sand.

20) Use regular scissors to trim around the edges.

21) Cut a large doily to use as a mask on the background.

22) Place doily on the background paper and spray.

23) Move and spray until you like the shimmer. A great side effect is the fact that I now have a sparkling silver doily for use in another project.

24) Assemble the page. When you add the metal elements, you can just remove the backing and place on the page. For the element with the ribbon through it, use the Big Bite to make the holes before you attach it.

I wanted to show you this picture so that you can imagine what the shimmer looks like on the back of the page, it didn't show up too well in the previous shot.

My name is Laura Drahozal. I am a former art teacher who loves paper crafting because I can use a variety of artistic techniques on my work. I push myself to try new things each time I create. Because of this, my projects tend to go a little overboard. I design for Dreamweaver Stencils, Art Glitter, Connie Crystal and Globecraft Memories. I also taught Silhouette classes and enjoy all the creative possibilities of Samantha Walker's beautiful files. Most of my posts (or links to them) can be found on my blog at www.rememberinglifesmoments.blogspot.com. Stop by and see it sometime--or better yet, become a follower!

A big "Thank You" to Laura for sharing her projects with us today!

Be sure to stop by Laura's blog to see more of her fabulous creations!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 15, 2013

2013-05-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday
at Jessicasprague.com!

Today only,
you can get the following digital die cut kit
50% off:
Digital Cuts Hat Box

And,
you can get the following digital die cut kit

Mega Masks Layering Kit for just $1.00!

Digital Cuts Hat Box:

This kit contains digital die cut lines for Hat Box shown. It will come in three formats: AIv8, PNG, and SVG which will work with most die cut machines. Some machines require third party software such as SCAL to cut SVG files. If you would like to hand cut these dies, simply print out the PNG file and cut with a craft knife or scissors. (If you own a Silhouette or Silhouette Cameo, please go to the Silhouette store where you will find these files in the proper Studio format.)

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit 50% off!

Mega Masks Layering Kit:
This is a fantastic kit of elegant calligraphic frames, labels and tag masks that are meant for layering. You will receive 22 layering masks. Masks are grouped in files with their coordinating counterparts for ease of use. A separate file contains finished labels and frames after they have been layered. These files can be used as is, or they can be used as inspiration on how to layer the masks. All files come in high res PNG format on transparent backgrounds.

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit for just $1.00!

Project by Nancy Cruse

As always, these deals vanish Wednesday at
midnight Pacific time so hurry to get yours!

...and the winner is

2013-05-13T08:42:00.000-06:00

Alysa Dominguez!

Congratulations Alysa! You have won the Silhouette Portrait Die Cutting Machine!

We have sent you an email this morning!

*****

Remember there is still time to take advantage of the current promotions with Silhouette. Just click HERE and use the code SAMANTHA!

Thanks to everyone for participating in our hop!

We hope to see you again in June!

May Creative Team Blog Hop & Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!

2013-05-08T00:01:00.000-06:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER ALYSA!

*****
Welcome to the May Creative Team Blog Hop and Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!
This month our Blog Hop theme is all about Teacher Gifts and the Creative Team has been busy coming up with wonderful ideas to share!
Plus...if you read through this post, you will find out how you can enter to win a Silhouette Portrait digital cutting machine.

Be sure to read below to learn how you can get this

FREE SVG and Silhouette Studio file!

This will only go out to those who sign up for the newsletter by Sunday night (May 12, 2013) After that, you can find the design in the Silhouette store.

Today is also
One Buck Wednesday at Jessicasprague.com!

Today only,

you can get the following digital kit

for $1.00,

Nautical Mega Kit!

In this pack you will receive the entire Nautical collection...that's 6 digital kits! In this Mega Kit you will receive 38 digital papers and 60+ digital stickers that come in .png/.jpeg format, each coordinating together!

and you can get the following

for 50% off!

Digital Cuts Gate Fold Artisan Card 50% off

This kit contains digital die cut lines for the Gate Fold Artisan Card shown. It will come in three formats: AIv8, PNG, and SVG which will work with most die cut machines. Some machines require third party software such as SCAL to cut SVG files. If you would like to hand cut these dies, simply print out the PNG file and cut with a craft knife or scissors. (If you own a Silhouette or Silhouette Cameo, please go to the Silhouette store where you will find these files in the proper Studio format.)

As always, these deals vanish Wednesday at midnight Pacific time so hurry to get yours!

We also have an amazing giveaway this month
sponsored by Silhouette!

This month one lucky winner will receive a Silhouette Portrait Die Cutting Machine!

All you need to do is enter below. You can earn multiple entries by following us on Facebook, commenting below, tweeting about the giveaway, and signing up for the email updates. This giveaway is open to US customers only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's a special prize that I will give to everyone...

Sign up for our newsletter before midnight on 5/12/13 using the Rafflecopter widget above and you will automatically receive the free SVG &/or Silhouette Studio cutting file that you can download and use on your personal electronic cutter. The files will be e-mailed early next week!

Now for more wonderful news!

Silhouette is introducing chipboard and they have a fabulous sale with three different options!

All you have to do to take advantage of this savings is click HERE and use the code SAMANTHA at checkout!

Now on to the blog hop!

Just click on the icon below to get started...

Here's the list of participants:

Maya Oren-Dahan
Claudia Harvey

Samantha Walker Facebook Page

Sandal Straps Tutorial by Maya

2013-05-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi, Samantha Walker fans!

It is Maya here today, sharing a tutorial for making cute sandal straps.

The spring finally arrived to Midwest and it's time to give my winter boots a break and dig out the sandals. The warm weather put me in a mood for a pair of new flowery straps for my Sseko sandals. I picked out cute fabric from Samantha Walker Serenata collection with sweet orange flowers. An hour later I had them wrapped around my feet. Let me show how I did them.

You can use the same technique to make a belt or a hair ribbon and many other useful accessories. Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy the spring weather!

-Maya

Friends Card by Daniela Dobson

2013-05-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hello, Daniela here with a friends card.

Samantha Walker products used:

Cool Summer paper collection

Cool Summer chipboard accents

Cool Summer brads

Cool Summer 6x6 paper pad

Buntings and Button Dies

1. Make card from Summer Words patterned paper. Cut a piece of pink patterned paper from 6x6 paper pad and adhere to the card base.

2. Die cut a banner from watercolor paper.

3. Add color to banner using watercolor pencils.

4. Sprinkle with color shine.

5. Add stickers and chipboard. Adhere banner to the top of the card at an angle. Add brads and twine.

Thank you for stopping by today and let me know if you have any questions.

Daniela Dobson

New This Week at JessicaSprague.com! 05-03-13

2013-05-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday!

Today is the new release day for Samantha's JessicaSprague.com digital kits and digital cutting files and they will be on sale all weekend for 25% off!

This week you will find the new

Honey Honey Papers 2
In this kit you will receive twelve fabulous digital papers in various patterns that come in high res jpeg format, each coordinating together! Look for other coordinating sets in the Honey Honey collection!

The 25% off sale is only good for the
release weekend, so hurry to get yours!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 01, 2013

2013-05-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday
at Jessicasprague.com!

Today only,
you can get the following digital die cut kit
50% off:
Digital Cuts 3D Decorative Flowers

And,
you can get the following digital masking kit

Stamped Edge Shapes Mask
Collection for just $1.00!

Digital Cuts 3D Decorative Flowers :

This kit contains digital die cut lines for the three 3D Decorative Flowers shown. It will come in three formats: AIv8, PNG, and SVG which will work with most die cut machines. Some machines require third party software such as SCAL to cut SVG files. These files are detailed and are not recommended for hand cutting. (If you own a Silhouette or Silhouette Cameo, please go to the Silhouette store where you will find these files in the proper Studio format.)

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit 50% off!

Stamped Edge Shapes Mask Collection:

There are 142 Stamp Edge Shape masks in this kit!
You will receive 16 sets of masks that nest neatly together!

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit for just $1.00!

As always, these deals vanish Wednesday at
midnight Pacific time so hurry to get yours!

Introducing Giddy Up!

2013-04-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today we are introducing two new lines with

Carta Bella that will be shipping in May!

These two lines are just in time for summer parades and BBQ's...and for your cowboys and rodeo princesses! Enjoy a line that screams Giddy Up! There is both a Boy version and Girl version available.

To see more from these lines just click on the links below:

Giddy Up - Boy Collection

Giddy Up - Girl Collection

New This Week! April 29, 2013!

2013-04-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

New this week at Samantha Walker's Silhouette die cut store...

This next box is a little tricky to assemble so we have

included some photos to help out!

Start by building your center box.

Next assemble the base area and fold on all the score lines.

Sit your box inside the base area in the center as shown.

Fold the side area flaps around the center box and adhere to the inside box panel to hold in place. The two larger sides will fold up to close the box then you place the band around to secure the shape!

Please note, designs may not be up in the store at the beginning of the week, but they have been uploaded to the queue. Watch for them as the queue rolls out the new designs!

Remember you can find all of these cuts and lots

more on sale for 50% off through May 2nd!

Creating a Hybrid Card by Susie

2013-04-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Good Morning! Susie with you today sharing a tutorial for making this

A5 Half Round Lace Card (available at the Silhouette Store) using

digital papers and elements from the A-Z School Days Kit

(available at Jessica Sprague).

After a little bit of experimentation, I learned some tricks to crafting the perfect detailed greeting card. Let me share them first and then I'll give you some step by step instructions on making this card.

My first tip for using a detailed cut design like this is to use a heavy cardstock. I suggest Neenah Classic White 120 pound. It is the perfect weight. Set your Silhouette to "Coverstock" and your blade to 7. It will cut perfectly.

My second tip is to delete the scoring lines in the cut file. When the blade is set to 7, the depth can make the scoring lines almost perforation lines. Just use a bone folder after your card is cut to make the scoring line. You will have a nice flat fold.

My final tip is to make the outside cut line of the card a little bit bigger that it already is. Don't stretch out the whole card. Just ungroup the file and make the outside of the card larger. After you cut and fold your card, trim it to the correct size then. You will always have a perfectly even card this way.

Now onto today's card...

I opened the digital paper I wanted for my card in Photoshop and sized it down to a 8.5 x 11 sheet and printed it on my printer. This gave me a heavy card base with a beautiful pattern printed on it.

A-Z School Days Floral Green 8.5 x 11

I made the adjustments I referenced earlier on my Silhouette Cut File and then waited patiently for my Cameo to get to work cutting the file. Even though this is a fairly intricate card, it cut perfectly and quickly.

A5 Half Round Lace Card

I scored and folded my card. Then I rounded just the top right edge. I could have stopped here, because the card was already beautiful, but I wanted to add a few more elements. Back in Photoshop again, I selected the blue frame. I added text onto a circle and grouped the file together. Then I grouped six of the frames together and formed a long rectangle. I added a solid rectangle to the inside and printed my text for the inside of the card. I used my trimmer to cut each element.

A-Z School Days Interchangeable Frames and Accents

I mounted the square to a small piece of chipboard and added it to the font of the card. It looked a little lost, so I added a matted piece of the same green paper as a strip across the bottom of the card. The strip anchored my sentiment perfectly. I then added a small acrylic flower to finish the front of the card.

Because the card has so many open areas in it, I wanted to place a sentiment so that it would not show through all those little cuts. Here is what the inside of my card looks like:

I gave you a little close up on the right too.

I added that small strip of green paper so the strip from the front didn't show through. I like the way it worked out.

I hope you will give this a try. Making my own heavy cardstock using Samantha's digital papers is a trick I will be using pretty often. I hope you will too!

Here is a peak at the whole A-Z School Days Kit. Remember...just because it says it is a school kit, don't limit your thinking to just school themes. You can find many other uses for these files.

I hope you've enjoyed today's little tutorial. Take care and happy scrapbooking!

New This Week at JessicaSprague.com! 04-26-13

2013-04-26T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday!

Today is the new release day for Samantha's JessicaSprague.com digital kits and digital cutting files and they will be on sale all weekend for 25% off!

This week you will find the new

Honey Honey Papers 1
In this kit you will receive thirteen fabulous digital papers in various patterns that come in high res jpeg format, each coordinating together! Look for other coordinating sets in the Honey Honey collection!

Project by Claudia Harvey

The 25% off sale is only good for the
release weekend, so hurry to get yours!

Also today is the last day to take advantage of the

Silhouette promotions (ends Friday, April 26th)!

SAMANTHA

Do you already own a Silhouette machine? You can order the premium vinyl 25% off!

This is the 9" by 10' rolls and is for indoor and outdoor use! An AMAZING deal! Silhouette use to charge $14.99 for this vinyl and recently discounted their price to $9.99...and now they are giving us 25% off of their new price! Yes, we are excited! All you have to do to take advantage of these savings is click HERE and use the code SAMANTHA at checkout!

Introducing Guest Designer Arin Flynn!

2013-04-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

Today we would like to introduce you to Guest Designer, Arin Flynn!

Hello and a happy Thursday to you! My name is Arin from A Piece of Life's Pie and I am thrilled and honored that I have been invited to be a guest designer for Samantha Walker! Ever since I have been working with my Silhouette Cameo, I unknowingly gravitate towards Samantha Walker cuts and paper, so having the honor to actually be here today makes me want to break out in my happy dance! What I am going to share with you is two 3D projects that I just had to sink my creative teeth in when I saw them. The first project is a fun and whimsy vintage inspired bird house home decor. This project was so fun and easy to make and it sure adds a touch of spring to any room or outside patio it is displayed in Supplies:

Samantha Walker Silhouette File: 3 Story Bird House
Samantha Walker Silhouette File: 2 Story Bird House
Samantha Walker Silhouette File: Box Love Bird Mailbox
Crate Paper - Little Bo Peep
Hemptique - Hemp Cord
Small wooden Branch (18-24 inches)
Craft paint - Buttermilk
Drill
Paper punch
Glue
Bone Folder
Tapastry Needle
Fabric

Step 1: Prep Branch Drill holes at each end of branch and paint. Once dried, sand to distress. Step 2: Cut and assemble bird houses - There are three different bird houses used in this project. Keep all bird houses at "stock size". The steps below apply to all three bird houses, therefore only the three story bird house will be shown.

Leave size as is and "ungroup". Move perch and roof off page. Group house and cut house on a 12x12 sheet of designer paper.

Move house off page and move roof and perch back on mat and cut.

( Please note, when cutting the Love Bird Mailbox, be sure to delete mail slot before regrouping image)

When making the perch, be sure you first add a little glue to the paper before you roll it. Also be sure to be aware of the hole size it needs to fit in.

Step 3: Prep Fabric: Using a variety of fabric, cut 8 strips at 1 inch wide and 10 inches long.

Step 4: Assemble bird houses to branch: First attach 24 inches of hemp cord to the branch by threading the needle through the hole and then warping the cord around one end of the branch. Do this on both ends. Bring together at the top, make sure level and tie off. Trim any excess.

Attach the bird houses to the branch evenly spaced by wrapping and securing them to the branch.

Attach the fabric to the branch using a slip knot, looping around the branch.

For the next project, I had so much fun making these 3D bottles that I had to make a video to show you all how to construct the them! The Samantha Walker flower cuts really finish the project! These bottles are such a great idea for adding some "Ooh lala" effect to a little gift or treat. Supplies List:

Samantha Walker Silhouette File: 3D Curved Bottle Box
Samantha Walker Silhouette File 3D Bottle Box
Samantha Walker Silhouette File: (Video cut) 3D Short Bottle Box
Samantha Walker Silhouette File: Flower (Cut twice, once at stock image and once at 2.5 inches)
Samantha Walker Silhouette File: Flower Spiral Peony Bud (Cut twice, once at stock image and once at 2.5 inches)
Samantha Walker "Paris Girl" - Carta Bella Designer Paper
Bone Folder
Quick Dry Adhesive
Hot Glue
Beads
Fishing Line
Twine
Close To My Heart Ribbon

A quick run down of final assembly of bottles: The flower cuts are rolled and set with hot glue. Once the bottles are assembled, tie decorative ribbon around the neck to cover the twine that is securing the bottle neck. Sting decorative beads of choice onto fishing line or like material and attach to the decorative ribbon and attach the flowers using hot glue.

It has been a pleasure to be able to share these two projects and you can find another fun Samantha Walker project over at my blog today! I hope that they inspire you and snag yourself some Samantha Walker 3D cuts and see what you can come up with!

A big "Thank You" to Arin for sharing her projects with us today!

Be sure to stop by Arin's blog to see more of her fabulous creations!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! April 24, 2013

2013-04-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday
at Jessicasprague.com!

Today only,
you can get the following digital die cut kit
50% off:
Leafy Card Wrap Digital Cutting Kit

And,
you can get the following digital die cut kit

Orchard Harvest Mega Kit for just $1.00!

Leafy Card Wrap Digital Cutting Kit:

This kit contains two cutting files in 3 different file formats for use with many digital cutting machines and plotters. Silhouette users can find the studio version of these files in my Silhouette digital download store. You will receive the card wrap design with the leaves and the file to make the matching insert. This is not an envelope, but rather, a fancy occasion card wrap that you can slip inside a square envelope. It makes a lovely presentation for wedding invitations. Imagine the photo peeking through the leaves, set on top of the formal invite held within the card wrap. This set is perfect for those special occasions.

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit 50% off!

Orchard Harvest Mega Kit:
This Mega Kit contains the entire Orchard Harvest digital collection PLUS the addition of a coordinating solid paper pack. There are 3 digital paper kits and 3 digital embellishment kits in this collection. Papers come as a digital download in high res jpeg format. Embellishments come as a digital download in high res PNG format on transparent backgrounds.

TODAY ONLY, you are able to grab this kit for just $1.00!

Project by Jamie Cripps

As always, these deals vanish Wednesday at
midnight Pacific time so hurry to get yours!

Join us for a 5-day long series to get you started digital scrapbooking

Visit JessicaSprague.com/Beginner to learn more

Tags, Frames, and Labels by Guiseppa

2013-04-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Did you know Samantha has so many fun tags, frames and labels in her store? Hi...Guiseppa here to share with you a fun way to use those, tags, frames and labels.

I like to think of different ways to use die cuts, so this time...they became the main focus of my layout. First off, you will want to decided which die cuts you are going to use. I used Samantha's Artisan Tags Ultimate Set, Frame Shape Sets and Label Sheet. Let's start!

Pick your tags, frames or labels. You are going to want choose your first one and make it larger than it is. So, highlight the whole group, right click and select ungroup. Delete all of them except the one you are going to use.

Now, you are going to want to make it larger. I did this by simply dragging one of the corners out until it was the size I desired. Mine is 10.400 inches wide and 10.400 inches high. Once you get it to the size you would like..start cutting. I am using Samantha's Traditions Paper and it is thick, so I set my blade on 6 and selected double cut.

This is what it ended up looking like.

I love dimension and I thought if I was going to do some layering, that I wanted to see all the layers. So, I added foam adhesive to every new die cut.

Next, I selected my next die cut. I did the same thing with this die cut as I did with the first. I made it larger to work with the first die cut. I cut this one at 6.615 inches wide and 6.615 inches high.

I did take the circle out of the middle of this one because I wanted it to be one solid piece. Next...cut it out.

This is what it ended up looking like. I used more foam adhesive to make it higher than the first die cut and centered it on top.

Next, pick your final die cut. Now, you don't have to stop at three layers...you can do more. I just did three. For this one, I did the same thing as I did on the first two die cuts.

I made my die cut larger, took out the center oval and cut it out. I cut this one out at 6.130 inches wide and 4.865 high.

Here is what it ended up looking like. Once again, I added more foam adhesive to add to my layered look.

Time for embellishing...my favorite part! I used Samantha's Traditions Collection to make my layout. Those cute leaves...another die cut of Samantha's called 1 Piece Leaf Cluster.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope this inspires you to think out of the box when using Samantha's Die Cuts. Check out Samantha's Silhouette Portfolio to see all of her fabulous die cuts!

...and the winner is

2013-04-21T08:13:00.001-06:00

Before we announce the winner, we wanted to remind you that the

Silhouette promotion will run through Friday, April 26th!

SAMANTHA

Do you already own a Silhouette machine? You can order the premium vinyl 25% off!

And now for the Silhouette Portrait winner...

Glenna Anderson said...

Already a follower on your blog. I love all the projects you make with the Silhouette. Thanks for the chance to win.

Congratulation Glenna! Please email your postal address and contact information to social.samanthawalker@gmail.com so we can send you this amazing machine!

Quick and Easy Canvas Decor by Claudia Harvey

2013-04-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Claudia here. I am so excited to share this project with you. I created it using Samantha's Family Traditions collection. The colors in this kit are so beautiful!

I used my Silhouette to cut the letters; then I added element stickers included in the kit. I just love how the peacock looks sitting on the "L".

Here is a close up of the letters. I used tacky glue to adhere them to the canvas. I am so please with the result; they did not curl up at all.

And that's it! I finished this project in less than 30 minutes.

This is just one (of many) handmade gifts I am making for my little sister and her future husband. I can't wait to give it to them; they are getting married in July.

I have always been afraid of creating with canvases; mainly because I feel like I should use paint on them or something. And now... I can't wait to make more of these! Hope you'll give it a try.

Thanks for letting me share this with you today.

Until next time.

Lots of happy hugs,

Be sure to check back later today to see if you

were the winner of the Silhouette Portrait!

Using Digital Masks by Chrissy Guido

2013-04-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hello! Happy weekend to you! Just a short and sweet tip on using some of the fabulous Cuts/Masks that Samantha has available. I love to use the svg cuts to create fun projects with my Silhouette but I also loving using them as masks in my digital projects. With out too much fuss...you can take these masks and create really beautiful things! So first we start out by opening the svg/mask that we want to work with as well as some papers for our project.

Next, I separated the two border masks and selected the background mask. As simple as dragging and dropping, I selected a paper to mask with and dragged it from the project bin to the top of the background mask. I then click ctrl-G to clip the two together.

To merge the two together, go to Layer, then merge visible. If you just flatten the layers you will end up with the white background. Using the merge visible option keeps the background transparent.

Next, I select the butterfly mask and drag a patterned paper on top of it. Same step as above.

This time we are not going to merge visible. Once they are clipped together, you are going to select the eraser tool and erase the patterned paper off of all of the butterflies except one.

Follow this step, masking each of the butterflies with a different patterned paper and then erasing until all butterflies are covered with a different patterned paper. Make sure you have the correct layer selected before erasing. You can enlarge the images so you can see better to erase cleanly.

After you have erased all extra bits of paper, and are happy with your butterflies-go to Layers and merge visible.

Once you have merged visible, you can drag your butterfly mask down to the top of the background mask that we started with.

Lastly, merge these two layers together (Layers-Merge Visible) and use this cool image for your project.

So...see these cut/mask files have so many possibilities! Thanks for stopping by and let's see your projects!

Product Credits- Samantha Walker's Butterfly Mask Collection, Oh La La Collection(which is on sale at JessicaSprague.com this weekend) and Word Art by Bethany.

Chrissy Guido

*****

Today is the last day to enter to win the Silhouette Portrait!

Just click HERE to see all the details!

Winner will be announced 4/21 here on the blog!

Samantha Walker's Imaginary World

Summer Fun: Quick and Easy 3x4 Journaling Cards with Claudia

Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 22, 2013

Flower Heart Basket and Cool Summer Paper Collection

Sweet by Susie Moore

Layered Layouts Without The Bulk by Diana Fisher

Win A $1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree!

Enter Using Our Rafflecopter Form Good Luck!

Introducing Guest Designer Laura Drahozal!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 15, 2013

...and the winner is

May Creative Team Blog Hop & Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!

Sandal Straps Tutorial by Maya

Friends Card by Daniela Dobson

New This Week at JessicaSprague.com! 05-03-13

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! May 01, 2013

Introducing Giddy Up!

New This Week! April 29, 2013!

Creating a Hybrid Card by Susie

New This Week at JessicaSprague.com! 04-26-13

Introducing Guest Designer Arin Flynn!

One Buck Wednesday and Wonderful Wednesday! April 24, 2013

Tags, Frames, and Labels by Guiseppa

...and the winner is

Quick and Easy Canvas Decor by Claudia Harvey

Using Digital Masks by Chrissy Guido

Enter Using Our Rafflecopter Form
Good Luck!