Sure Cuts a Lot

I have just purchased the Sure Cuts a Lot software and it is brilliant. What I love most about it, is that you can position your images and this way, you have a lot less waste. My husband had the right USB cable for me and I could start cutting within seconds of my purchase. I only bought the downloadable version and was sent the license via e-mail, it took less than a minute! The best thing is, that I found a voucher on the internet by putting "craft edge voucher" into google, which saved me 10% of a product that is good value anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love my cricut cartridges and I have great fun using all the lovely images but on days like today, when all I needed was a tall, thin triangle that I could not find on any of my cartridges, this software comes in so handy. If you want to try it, they offer a free demo, which cuts horizontal lines through your images but gives you an idea on how it works go to craft edge it is worth a look.
I am probably the last one to have found this but just in case there is someone else who is looking for svg files, this page is brilliant and every image on there is for free. It takes you to the designers pages and there you can find oodles of images for not a lot of money. I love Treasure box Design, their images are so cute. Every Tuesday they are giving away a new freebie and isn't this bear just the cutest?

Vinyl

I made some vinyl stickers for my daughter's room. The machine cut through the vinyl like butter. I can see lots of other projects coming along.

Embossing on BigShot with Texture plates

Oh I have been so naughty and have already used my Christmas present, but I have a good reason for it, I am making Christmas cards and wanted to emboss them. I have been looking at the internet before I ordered my Big Shot and found this tutorial on youtube on how to get your plates to emboss deeper. I have tried it out today and I love it. The embossing seems deeper and crisper.

Some more jewellery

I managed to make some more necklaces for one of my mum's friends, let's hope she is going to like them.





I love the amber one, I might just keep it,if she doesn't like it.

New toy

I am so excited, I got a Cricut Expression for my birthday. I have only had it for two days but I can already see a new obsession coming. It is so much fun and you get brilliant results with every cut. (I will have to go to my local craft shop tomorrow and get some more bits and pieces and then I can post my first cards.)
Ok, here they are. I love this machine. I almost cried the other day when it didn't cut properly but I figured out that the knife got loose and that ripped my paper. This could definitely turn into a new obsession. I think that I will start on scrapbooks as my next big project. We have taken so many pictures of the girls but never managed to print them and put them in albums...so this will be my resolution for next year (because I will be busy making more cards before Christmas), make scrapbooks for the girls!
I forgot to mention that I used the Winter Woodland Cricut Cartridge and for the gingerbreadman I used the Paper Doll one.

Happy Halloween

One homemade costume for book week at school. It was really easy to do, just cut platic bags into the shapes you want and fuse them with your iron. You need to put baking paper over the plastic before you iron and don't put your iron on too hot. The tail goes off to the side to allow leg room. The picture was taken after a full day at school. The eye patch is a left over from my pirate outfit (I went in to school to read and had to dress up, too).
And here are our Halloween costumes, not home made but still great fun!

Something else I have tried

I came across the tutorial for rose barrettes from the purl bee and while M. was watching the British GP I started making some, I ended up with 5 pairs...got carried away again I suppose. They have been used for all sorts of games, so a few were missing before I could take a picture. I like the red and green ones best but guess what, surprise, surprise...K. loves the dark pink ones.