Good Evening!

I realize it has been awhile since I last posted. Don and I have been so busy... spending time with family and friends, visiting our dear grand-daughter, enjoying this gorgeous weather while Spring cleaning the yard and our rear deck. I believe every spare moment I'm doing one of the above or sleeping, I've been busy creating for the upcoming craft show. What a lot of work! I hope it pays out in the end, LOL!

One of my personal goals this year is to learn more and more about using my Cricut and the DS software. I was so stoked today when I was able to use what little knowledge I have to design the cuts for a 4"x6"x1.5" Hinged Lid Box. I discovered a little tutorial on how to rename layers in DS here: http://susanbluerobot.blogspot.com/2008/01/helping-with-changing-layer-name.html and used this conversion chart:

http://www.seoconsultants.com/charts/inches-decimal/

to convert inches into decimal since that is how the shape properties box is set up in the CDS.

I have one small correction to make to the chipboard structure and the file will be all set and ready for sharing! {Well, as soon as I figure that part out, LOL!}

TFL!

Surprise! Surprise!

Have you ever "googled" your name?

Well, while taking a break from all the madness of giving credit, where credit is due, yesterday, I googled my screen name. I discovered there's two "nchantin's" one with a capital "N"and one without with, but what really impressed me was when I saw a picture of the Decoritive Die-Cuts challenge Crown used in an article written by Nicole Snow for the Examiner.com website!

You can check out Nicole's amazing article here:

http://www.examiner.com/x-4259-Salt-Lake-City-Scrapbooking-Examiner~y2009m4d8-Luxury-amplified-Scrapbook-style-predictions-day-8

I, also, discovered that Nicole has been doing a series or articles on Scrapbook Style predictions that makes for some interesting reading. Please check it out! I love her "title"

Luxury Amplified!

Angel Policies

It has been another busy morning.

This one spent searching online for some of the Rubberstamp Companies Angel Policies; what a fiasco! Some you can locate easily, others are located lord only knows where, and some you need an attorney to understand once you do find them, sheesh! Who knew this would become so complicated, so fast.

Now, I am all for giving credit where credit is {although, I'm human, too. and I'm certain I've slipped a time or two myself...} and I have no problem sharing my resources for the supplies that I used to create something but some of these companies policies are a bit too much for me.

Can you believe I discovered this one online? Sorry, I'm not going to name names, but their angel policy is in place. It clearly defines what you can and cannot do, yet, you need to write for permission with all your personal info, items you are using to create ______ {your craft item is}, how many of said item you'll be using..... WTH? {{{{Hmmm, NONE, now!}}}} I don't think 3 weeks from the show is adequate enough time to prepare and then, hope and pray I receive permission? Hmmm, Thanks, but No Thanks!

but then again, sometimes you run across one like this one from 100 Proof Press:

We place no restrictions on HAND STAMPED usage, even if for profit. Buy our stamps and use them! I guess 100 Proof Press is what they call an "Angel Company." But we aren't angels. Not remotely. We don't look like them, and I never wear white.

Mechanical reproduction of a HAND STAMPED image is permitted for personal use only. This means if you stamp the image and enlarge or reduce it on the copy machine, that's okay for your personal art stuff.

We do occasionally approve mechanical reproduction for really neat, creative ideas. Please call for permission.

Images from the catalog or the website, however, may not be reproduced in any manner. Mind your manners.

and wonder "Why can't they all be this easy???? "

{I'm seriously thinking noting Company's Angel Policies will be greatly influencing where I'll be making future purchases from!}

Good Afternoon!

I have had the perfect morning here in Ohio.

It has been one of those lazy, raining days that you just simply find pleasure in whatever you discover yourself doing at the moment, pushing all those "I should be... " thoughts away.

I spent some time this a.m. on the cricut message boards, made and spent time talking and getting to know a new friend {who is also creating for a craft show! nice to have someone to bounce thoughts and ideas off of!} Then, I put a roast and all the fixin's in the crockpot for dinner tonight, saw hubby off to work, and began working on creating a prototype for my "Wish" banners.

I think it came out fairly well; a little different that what I was envisioning, but I still like it. I used the Cricut and the Storybook Cartridge again! {I swear I really love this cartridge!} Let's see, I used the Damask cuttlebug embossing folder for the top layer; it's simply adhered to the second, then the second layer is pop-dotted up off of the first layer. I added in some pen- markings for visual interest; set two eyelets in each letter and ran the decorative fiber and thinner ribbon through. The ribbon and fiber are then tied to wider pink ribbon as I worked. To add some additional "visual weight" to the piece, I decide to string my ribbon in and out of the letters.

Well, one prototype down, four more to create for the craft show!

{*I may create more IF time allows}

Sorry to be MIA...

but I've been a busy little bee... preparing for this upcoming craft show.

Here's Some of the most recent "Card Sets" I've created and have managed to fill into the nine magazine file folders I've currently created to date.

After creating that many magazine file folders, trust me it was time to move on to something else, so I worked on stamping and creating card sets for awhile. The photo above shows one of each of the different designs and colors.

Then, I moved on to this "Mother's Day Ornament Box" {well, that's what I'm calling it, LOL! I discovered this tutorial online: http://katiespaperhaven.blogspot.com/2008/11/box-tutorial.html}

Anyways, here's one of the finished boxes displayed with a magazine file holder. To date I have created 9 of these Ornament Boxes and have completed 3 of the inside ornaments. The ornaments themselves are a little time-consuming to create but I believe it will be worth all the effort in the end. At least, I hope so....

and after a whileI got burned out creating those, so I worked on some masculine style cards to add to the mix. {These are just a just a sampling of some of the designs I created; there's probably a total of 20-25 masculine cards in all.}



Then, I worked using the Cricut DS to create my templates to save for some of my word banners and chipboard cuts. Did some research on installing the Cricut Deep Cutting blade housing and assembly. Cut out a few things and began decorating them up for use on my signage, etc. and gave some more thoughts as to my table set-up. I have an idea that I hope works! I gotta get one of my 6' tables back from Amber to give it try. There's still a lot on the good ole' "To do" list but for now I'm just trying to get some my items created and to make some sort of sense out of it all, LOL!