It's Craftini Time!

Late night crafting!

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 09:44:00 +0000

Just a quick post to show off this cute card I made for my friend's grandbaby. 😊

Bubbles and sentiment from Cricut Design Space. The Bubble Guppie - Molly is an svg file I found online. I'll link the website later. Sleep now 🙂

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 18:00:00 +0000

Happy Saturday all! It's Marla from It's Craftini Time and I have exciting news!! Today I am the Guest Designer here on the Jaded Blossom Blog! Yay!!

For my projects I chose to make a Christmas card and Christmas tag for this cute mini baking gift set I found at Joann's. I love baking around the holidays, so I thought this would be a nice hostess gift to bring to a holiday party.

The card is a A7 5x7 card and used the Treat Tag Die to make several different color tags and layered them. I used the Baked With Love Stamp Set for the sentiment. I used VersaMark - Dazzle watermark stamp pad and Stamp n Stuff embossing powder in Green Tinsel.

I just love all the shaker projects that have been popping up lately! So, I decided to give it a go. I used the Treat Tag Die and made cut multiple layers of the tag to build up enough space for the sequins, seed beads and some cute tiny cookie cutters to move around in.

It was so fun creating this gift set, many thanks to Candace and Michelle at Jaded Blossom for the opportunity to share my creations. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Greek Letter Cards - Made in Cricut Design Space

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 08:14:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

This is a late post, but it's been a busy week. Our friend just became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and was able to make this great card for him. Some days I really love my Cricut :) I really like the way the card came out. I made a card for my hubby when he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma and he really liked it, so he asked if I would make one for our friend. When the hubby asks you to break out the Cricut and make something...that is a wonderful feeling. It's nice when others appreciate of your work.

I made these cards from a digital Cricut cartridge in Cricut Design Space. I did have to purchase this cartridge, it does not come with the subscription. I used a shimmer cardstock from Michaels and some foam dots to give it some dimension.

Love and Sympathy Card

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 08:43:00 +0000

Hello all,

Unfortunately I had to make a sympathy card. My bestie lost her father and I wanted to make her something , rather than just buying a card. While I know her head is still spinning, I just wanted her to know that I was there for her when she needed me.

This card is the "make it now" section in Circuit Design Space. It was very easy to make, it took me less than a 1/2 hour, once I could finally decide on the colors. This is a sad post, but all of the crafters out there know, we will end up making some thing for sad occasions so our friends and family to know we love and care for them.

Fear the Spartans!! Glass block and vinyl project

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 02:00:00 +0000

I'm kinda late with this post... I made this glass block before the Michigan/Michigan State game a couple of weeks ago. What a great game!?!?! Mostly cause we won...#GoGreen !! Ok...back on topic. I recently starting cutting vinyl with my Cricut, I know I'm extra late on that front too. I only cut paper with my Cricut, I was always to scared to waste the vinyl, since I really wasn't sure what I was doing. But, when I starting using the Cricut Explorer and the cuts were so much cleaner, I figured it was time to take the plunge.

I started by purchasing a couple of phones cases and tumblers from the The Dollar Tree store.

I Googled the image of the Spartan and brought it into Design Space (DS) and it worked great. I made the monogram with the Monogram It App. It is an iPhone app that costs $0.99. You can create all types of monograms, email them to yourself and then bring it into DS. It worked GREAT! So worth the 99 cents.

I bought the block at Hobby Lobby it is 8x8. I created a square and sized it at 6.71. Next time I think I will make it a tad bit smaller, probably around 6.6 or 6.5. I found the font free online at Font Space.

I added some lights from Hobby Lobby. After having it on for awhile I thought it would look better frosted.

I used the Krylon Frosted Glass Finish I purchased at Ace Hardware HERE. It worked great and was easy to apply. There is also YouTube video I watched that was helpful HERE. I did frost it after I applied the vinyl. Based on all the tutorials out there, it was recommended to frost after the vinyl is applied.

I like it much better frosted. I am planning on making a Halloween bloc, so stay tuned. So, not a great pic.

Happy Pumpkin Spice Season!!

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 21:30:00 +0000

I am not a coffee drinker, but I love all the Pumpkin Spice decor out for Fall. :) I have a friend that loves the little pumpkin candies. Every year I say I'm going to send him a care package... well I finally did this year. I added a couple of fun items I made the help of my Cricut...

I found these orange mugs at the Dollar Tree and bought the instant Pumpkin Spice Latte packets at Starbucks. I used my Cricut Explorer to cut the vinyl. The first mug was cut in Design Space with the LittleLordFontleroy - Regular font. The second mug was from a file I downloaded from a Cricut Design Space Facebook group. If you are on Facebook, I would recommend joining a couple of these groups. They share lots of great projects.

I had to add a quick card. :) The front of the card is just an image I found on the Internet. Printed it out and added some "pumpkiney" twine I had laying around.

Halloween Card made with the Big Shot Plus

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 05:49:00 +0000

The plan for this weekend is Halloween crafts...yay! I did finally make a card, it has been way to long. Making cards is my favorite thing to do with my Cricut, but recently a friend of mine has turned me on to die cuts! I sold my old Big Shot years ago, so I had to purchase a new one...more yay! I bought the Sizzix Big Shot Plus.

Sizzix has improved the machine, since I had one. The Big Shot Plus is much easier to use, in my opinion. My old one was a pain to run stuff through, that is probably why I didn't really use it that much.

Here is my cute little ghost card...

I changed my mind like 6 times, on what I wanted it to look like, before I actually finished it. Hopefully, my crafting mojo is back! I used Lawn Fawn Booyah clear stamp and die set to make the ghost and Simon Says Stamp! Stitched Circles die for the white circle. I really liked the way it came out. I'll post better pics later.

Planner Clips for Eric Condren Planner, made with my Cricut

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 08:51:00 +0000

Happy Fall Y'all!

It's been a long time since my last post...you know how it is...you have all kinds of projects you want to make, but there is never enough time.

I have spent the summer trying to organize my craft room/office to be able to just come in and craft when I want and not spend 3 hours looking for something and then be too tired to actually do anything.

I am also trying to get my planner all setup. I broke down and bought an Eric Condren planner. I have a whole bunch of projects I want to complete. I finally broke down and make a few planner clips with my Cricut machine. It finally has the "print and cut" feature, it's great. I was able to google a few images and then I brought them into Cricut Design Space. I created a copy of the image and mirrored it, so the clip would look great from both sides. I ran them through my laminator and then used a hot glue gun to attach the paperclip. The paperclips were from the Dollar Tree.

Here they are:

#GoGreen #GoWhite #GoLions

Free Valentine's Day Crochet Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 05:46:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is coming very soon and I wanted to make some cute crochet gifts for friends and family. So I have been out on the net looking for some free patterns. There are a TON out there! I wanted to share a few I am thinking about making. I am going to try and make the Heart Shaped Coin Purse, it is so CUTE. But, I have never crocheted a zipper in a project….so we will see. :)

Puffy Heart Pattern

Heart shaped coasters

Valentine's Day Garland

Heart Coin Purse

Valentine Envelope

Cricut Craft Room (CCR) Tips and YouTube Tutorial Video

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:06:00 +0000

Happy Snowy Sunday to everyone. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I'm so done with FaceBook. All the drama, complaining, whining and posting of "twreking" videos is too much for me! lol But, just as I was about to deactivate my account, I have found a new use for FaceBook. There are some great craft groups on FB that I recently joined which are now filling up my newsfeed. :) There are some great groups for Cricuting, Crocheting, Sewing and Card Making.

So enough about ME complaining about FB….lol On to Cricut Craft Room (CCR), I have not used CCR much, but I know it does some great stuff. One of the ladies in the FB Cricut group posted some fabulous cards and a great tutorial on how to create one in CCR. It has inspired me to get on the CCR and start using it. I thought I would share some of the frustrations I have come across trying to get my Cricut's up and ready to use the CCR.

Just open CCR and plug in your Cricut and it works right?? nope! First thing I did was download CCR. I have a mac and PC, so I downloaded CCR for both. There are a lot of working parts to get CCR to work with each Cricut device you have. I wanted to link my cartridges to CCR so I could cut without having to go find them every time. I received an error every time I tried to link my cartridges. It turns out that I had linked them with my Gypsy like 8000 years ago…lol. Luckily, I still had my Gypsy, I was able to link the Gypsy to CCR and then get my cartridges to show up. Just an FYI…you can only link a cartridge ONE TIME…so if you have linked them to your Gypsy, make sure you link the Gypsy to the CCR or you will not be able to link them. After spending all day Saturday updating the firmware, software updates and finding my old Gypsy I am now seeing most of my cartridges in CCR. I will continue to link the rest of my cartridges and see how that goes.

Here is the link to the video on her card. It is so cute and I learned a lot. Hopefully, she will do a couple more videos. :) http://youtu.be/nOKBAGQ0zUo

Crochet Mood Blanket 2014 - Instagram Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 07:59:00 +0000

Happy New Year! I am soooo glad that 2013 is behind us! 2014 is going to be a great year...I am putting that out in the universe! I feel good changes are on the way and I can't wait to see what lies ahead. Ok…so now on to the fun stuff. :)

I heard about this great Instagram Challenge called #crochetmoodblanket2014 The challenge is to make one granny square either every day or every week. Each square would be a different color depending on the mood you were in. You pick the colors that will represent the color and mood, then create a "legend". This sounds like it will be a fun, easy and none stressful project to complete. By the end of the year, you will have 365 or 52 squares, depending on which option you choose. I'm going for the 365 day challenge. I have not picked my colors out, but hopefully by the end of the week I will have them all figured out. I am also going to make squares that may represent a special event…like today…Michigan State won the Rose Bowl (YAY!) So, I made the Day 1 square Green and White.

I created an Instagram account @craftini_time to post my daily squares. I have seen so many posts of different granny square patterns that were fabulous, that I might also change up the pattern as well as the color throughout the year.

I used this YouTube video to freshen up on the granny square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAyJCq3hQjw&feature=share&list=PLC752B864B24BF6BD&index=13

There are plenty more out there I would like to try. Here is a list of a few:

A semi solid square http://youtu.be/2L-AM5e3Ip4

Granny Square Crochet Solid 5 Rounds http://youtu.be/JLJRfHRMPgU

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunny-spread

http://millemakes.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/something-pretty-the-pattern/

Here is my square for today. It is not real fancy, but I wanted to finish it before midnight and start the challenge off on schedule. :)

New eBay store!

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:07:00 +0000

I have finally overloaded my Office/Craft room. It is time to start getting rid of stuff. I am going through my sewing patterns and craft items and I'm going to sell them on eBay. I created a store: http://stores.ebay.com/craftinisewingandcrafts

I just started today. I added a few sewing patterns, I have a feeling I will be adding a bunch more. If anyone is interested in buying multiple patterns, message me and I'm sure we can work out a deal. :)

Thanks!

Cricut Cartridge Organization Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 03:52:00 +0000

I am determined to get my office/craft room organized! I have moved on to the Cricut cartridges. Over the years I have tried several different ways to store/organize my Cricut cartridges. I have searched across the web and found a few blog posts that looked promising, but nothing that really made them easy to find and keep tidy. I even tried a couple of the ideas, but nothing seemed to be a good overall solution. I believe I have found a solution….yay!

I found these storage bins at Michaels awhile back, but the price deterred me from buying them. But, I finally broke down and bought a couple when they were 50% and there was an additional % off coupon. They came out to be around $10 a piece after all the coupons. When I got them home I found I did like them and how they stacked. With Black Friday sales coming up, Michaels might have them even cheaper. Here is an online link if you just want to check them out.

After I got all the cartridges in the bins, I created an Excel spreadsheet to keep an inventory of them. I also printed out a sheet for each bin that I will tape to the inside of the lid, so I can easily see which cartridges are in the bin. Here is a screenshot of the spreadsheet for the bin:

After I printed it out I added some card stock to back and taped it to the bin.

I added them all into a Master spreadsheet, screenshot below:

So far, this is the best solution for me. ;)

Sewing Pattern Organization - iPad Inventory App

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 08:32:00 +0000

I admit I have a problem when it comes to sewing patterns…every time JoAnn's has the $0.99 sale I end up buying at least 10 patterns. During the past year I have only finished a couple of sewing projects, so I thought I would look through my sewing patterns to find some inspiration. This is when I realized my patterns are stashed everywhere! I figured I would make an attempt to organize them…this turned out to be a much bigger project than I thought.

Over the years I have tried to come up with a good solution to keep an inventory of my patterns. I have visited many blogs for ideas, but since I do not have a dedicated sewing/craft room, most of the wonderful ideas will not work for me.

But, I had to start somewhere, so I began sorting the patterns and this is when I realized I have SEVERAL duplicates of many patterns. In the past I have tried to organize my patterns using an Excel spreadsheet, but I never kept it current.

While looking for cool, new iPad apps I discovered there is an app to inventory your sewing patterns. It is a little pricey ($8.99), but I decided to bite the bullet and buy it. It is called Sewing Kit HD. You can check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sewing-kit-hd/id503845806?mt=8

I have started entering some patterns and I found some nice features, but also the app has a few bugs. I am still working on entering all my patterns and I have found the directions/help is very minimal. When I am complete I will write a follow up post and maybe even a video on how to use some of the features.

Here is a screen shot for the developers website:

Minion Earflap Crochet Hat and Beanie Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 17:17:00 +0000

I have mainly been working on crochet projects, lately. Due to my work travel schedule the only down time I have had lately is waiting for flights that seems to always be delayed. Since carrying my sewing machine or Cricut machine in my carry on bag is a little bulky, I starting carrying yarn to work on some crochet projects. ;) I have come to the point that I tried of making infinity scarves :/, so I thought I would take a stab at the ever popular earflap hats. There are plenty of free patterns and tutorials out on the net, so I tried a few before I came a cross a good base pattern for earflap hats and beanies. I found my biggest challenge has been to find a pattern that uses a double crochet, which works up very quickly and that the size stated in the pattern is the true size it comes out to be. I tried a lot of patterns that said they were for adults, but ended up looking more like a child size. I know we all crochet differently, so I figured I would just work it up a few times with different hook sizes and see how it goes.

Since there is "Minion Fever" everywhere, there are tons of free patterns out there to try. I ended up liking this one the best. It only took me a couple of hours to complete the base hat. Maybe an hour more to finish the face and braids. I used Lion Brand in Radiant Yellow, it is the perfect Minion color and I was able to make both hats with one skein and had a some left over. I used Loops and Threads in Clear Blue for the bottom half of the hat. The other features were done in Black, White and left over glitter gray yarn. They did seem to fit my head, but the pattern said it was written for a child 3-5 years old for a 20 inch head circumference. Here is the link for the pattern: http://chucksforchancho.com/2013/08/03/tutorial-crochet-minion-hat/

Here are my first attempt at "Stuart"the Minion hat. ;)

I used this pattern and did not add the earflaps. http://allicrafts.blogspot.com/2011/12/free-pattern-earflap-hat-9-12-months.html She has a ton of cute hats for newborns up to toddlers. They work work up quickly and are very easy to read. She also has come cute flower patterns as well. This one was made with a 5.5 hook and it actually fit my head. It was a little snug, I think would work. I used Red and White Red Heart Super Saver yarn.

All my friends will probably be getting a hat and an infinity scarf for Christmas. :D

Mickey Mouse and Woodchuck Hard Cider Gift Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 17:31:00 +0000

I know most of you are not sure how Mickey Mouse and Beer would make for a nice gift basket, but I think it turned out very nice. It is my BFF's birthday and she love all things Mickey and Woodchuck Hard Cider (Beer). For the Mickey shapes I used the Mickey and Friends cartridge. For the letters and ears I used the Mickey Font cartridge. To complete the look, I used BBQ skewers, tape, ribbon, a dollar store pail, Woodchuck Cider and a "Party in a Bottle" flask to complete the basket. She loved it! She gets to drink the beer and later she can use the Mickey shapes for a centerpiece at another party. :)

Woodchuck Hard Cider

Finished Bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 00:42:00 +0000

I finally finished the bookmarks for my friend! It feels good to finish projects again. :) I am going to try and finish one my sewing projects before the weekend is over. Hope your having a good one!

Apron and Sunglasses cut from Suburbia Cricut Cartridge. The bookmarks are 6" x 2".

Drinks are cut from the Pack Your Bags Cricut Cartridge

Latte and Label are cut from the Love You a Latte Cricut Lite Cartridge

Card Making Mojo Returned...

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 04:53:00 +0000

I hope all is well with everyone out in the blogosphere! I finally felt like sitting down and making some cards. :) The post is a bit pic heavy, but I was really going "hard in the paint"...and since I'm not sure when this burst of card making mojo will come back, I figured I better post them all. lol

I made a few holiday cards for Valentine's Day and Halloween... and a random bookmark. A friend asked me to make her some bookmarks and I gave her some crappy ones....(bad friend I am...in my Yoda voice). I just couldn't get the Cricut juices going. I hope to make a few more for her before all my mojo is gone. ;) I used the Create a Critter 2 cartridge for all of them expect the bookmark. I used the Suburia Cartridge for the apron.

Here they go:

Valentine's Day

Pink Owl Card

Be Mine Bear

Boo

Halloween Tree

I used a lot of Stickles and I love how it came out.

Finally, my bookmark

Spring Apron Giveaway - Wendy By Design - Ends April 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Good morning all! I just wanted to do a quick post about a friend of my mine that has beautiful Spring Apron that she is giving away. All you have to do to enter is go HERE https://www.facebook.com/WendyByDesign and "LIKE" the Wendy By Design page and post a comment about what you would like for your "DREAM APRON". Entry closes April 24th.

Here is a pic of the apron - so cute!!

Good Luck

Jeans to Maxi Skirt Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter! I finished this project a couple of months ago and just got around to taking some pics. They are not the greatest, but I wanted to share the finished project. I
used Mimi G's DIY TUTORIAL: Reconstructed Jeans to Maxi to make this make this maxi jean skirt. I went to the Salvation Army Thrift store to find the 2 pair of jeans needed for the project. Since I didn't know how well it was going to turn out, I wasn't ready to commit to using my own jeans. ;) I found 3 pair of jeans that cost me a total of $6. They were nice jeans from Aeropostale and Levi's. This is a quick and easy project! It literally only took me about an hour from start to finish. I think it turned out cute and will be nice and comfy for the summer. I will post better pics when I get to wear it. Here are a few quick ones I took.

Front

Back

Crochet Along - Infinity Cowl Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 01:44:00 +0000

I have finished the CAL with One Dog Woof's pattern. I think it came out nice. It was quick to make, but there a couple of spots I got a little confused. At some point I stopped slip stitching to join the round. lol ;) I'm not sure what I did, but it still came out cute. Another problem I came across was working with two strands of yarn. They kept twisting and driving me crazy. I used 2 skeins of Lion Brand Vanna's Choice yarn. The color is Radiant Orange, I thought it would bring me some cheer while I wait patiently for Spring to get here. :) Here is the link to the Crochet Along.

Check out my new cowl!

Crochet Along - Infinity Cowl

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:00:00 +0000

I am just crafting along with everybody! ;) I came across this Crochet Along on One Dog Woof's blog. It looks like a cute and quick cowl that would be easy to make. Since I am still in the recovery stage of getting my crafting mojo back, I figured these "Along's" would keep me pressed to finish a project. Click Here is the link to the Crochet Along. She has the supply list and the pattern posted.

I did get my pattern cut out and my fabric came in the mail for Mimi G's Sew Along, I'll keep you up to date on the progress.

Here is the cowl we are going to make for the Crochet Along:

Free Sew-Along with Mimi G

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Happy Sunday everyone!

My sewing mojo left the building a long time ago, but I'm trying to get it back and work on some great additions to my spring and summer wardrobe. I am currently working on a dress that I cut out about 2 years ago and never finished. I love checking out all the sewing blog and dream of all the things I'm going to make one day. ;) I have been following Mimi's blog for some years now and she makes the greatest clothes! She has posted some great tutorials in the past year, and one day I am going to make all of them. ;) Right now she is offering a free 4 week, sewing 101 - Sew Along. It actually started this past Friday, but I'm going to join and hopefully come away with a completed project. I just thought would share if anyone else is trying to dust off their sewing machine and join along.

Click HERE for more info on Mimi's site. Also, check out the flyer below.

Wendy By Design Banner - Cricut

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 03:47:00 +0000

Awhile back a made a banner for my friend's booth for the Ladies of Harley charity event. She creates beautiful couture aprons. You can go HERE to check out some of her aprons. I used the Sophisticated cartridge for the letters, the Ribbons and Rosettes cartridge for the white rosettes and the Elegant Edges cartridge for the background. Instead of ribbon for the banner, I found this cute pearl string at JoAnn's. I used red, hot pink, black and white colored card stock. I used a hole punch, which was exactly the right size :), to create a hold for the string to hang through. I liked the way it came out. ;)

Here are some pics:

"HOG Honey" apron made for the event:

Crocheted Infinity Scarf - Link to video tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Marla) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:35:00 +0000

I am finally back to crocheting again. I found this great video on YouTube on how to make a quick and easy Infinity Scarf. I used Loops & Threads Impeccable Glitter yarn in Blue Diamond that I found on sale at Michaels. I think it was $3 a skein. I used 2 skeins for a 20 row scarf. I completed it in about 2 afternoons. It is a great pattern, no counting. ;) Special thanks to Wendy By Design for be my photographer. :D