Quick Layout

I finished this quick layout last week. I used some fab October Afternoon paper, and elements from K and Co. Vintage Finding packets, along with some vintage clipart and We R Memory keepers strips from the Merry and Bright collection.

Know Scrap Review- Sizzix Texture Boutique (and some bad Julius Ceasar references and puns).

Beware the ads of March...

Earlier this spring, I had one of those 50% off coupons for Michael's, and the Texture Boutique was selling for $30. Oh- and I still didn't have an embosser, but I DID have a Cricut and a Sizzix Sidekick, so I really didn't need another die cutter, strictly speaking. I decided to pick up the Texture Boutique using the coupon- for $15, I figured I might be able to turn it for a profit on Ebay, and put the money on a "real" embosser. Why was I so down on the cute little embosser that looked like a purse?

I came to bury Texture Boutique, not to praise it...

Initially, I had nothing good to say about the Texture Boutique by Sizzix. I had tried it once at a product demonstration at the local Archiver's store, and I came away totally unimpressed. ( Pun intended!) Unlike the Cuttlebug, it has no suction on the base. It is very lightweight compared to the Big Shot or Big Kick. So predictably, as Shell and I attempted to roll our paper and clear acrylic through the machine while gripping the cute beaded handle, the whole machine slipped and shimmied. We cranked...and cranked... and cranked some more as we tried to hold the whole thing together. At that time, the Texture Boutique was selling in the $45 range. After that, I wrote the Texture Boutique off as a serious contender for an embossing machine. It wasn't significantly cheaper than the Cuttlebug when it was on sale at one of the major craft retailers, it had a smaller opening, it wasn't compatible with cutting dies, and my hands-on experience with it was underwhelming. So, it is a testament to my complete inabilty to pass up a good deal that I ever even thought about buying a TB.

Fast forward a couple of years to that fateful Michael's ad.

I got the little Texture Boutique home, and decided to watch the listings on Ebay. To my dismay, the TB wasn't really going for all that much more than I paid. So, I decided I would just use the thing, even though it wasn't much of an embosser.

Boy, am I glad I gave it a chance! The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box is that it IS really cute and compact- it doesn't take up much room on my counter. It is still pretty lightweight, but upon reading the directions (for the first time- there weren't any at Archiver's that day), I immediately noticed that you aren't supposed to hold it by the handle while embossing, but rather, you are supposed to put your hand on the top (just like the Cuttlebug). Well, that makes a world of difference! The Texture Boutique was all of the sudden as solid as a rock as I cranked the folders through. The handle is just there to carry the TB (and to look cute). It's obvious on the V1 Cuttlebug that you aren't supposed to use the handle while operating, because the handle pops up and down. With the TB, it took actually reading the manual to figure it out.

After that, I was on a roll! (More gratuitous punnage. Sorry.) Papers thick and thin glided through the TB with ease. I was naughty, and I tested it with my Sizzlit dies- no, it will not cut paper, but running the dies through did not seem to damage the rollers, either. I have not tried it with any other material, but based upon the similarity of its performance with Shell's V1 Cuttlebug, I would guess anything the CB embosses, the TB will, too.

Some sample embossing. The orange cardstock was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The other two are embossed with Sizzix folders.

I also experimented with one of the bigger Cuttlebug folders (that the TB is not technically rated to use), and it fits through just fine. I can't see any appreciable difference between the Cuttlebug and Sizzix folders, other than in my personal opinion, the Cuttlebug folders tend to be more utilitarian in design, while the Sizzix folders are a little "cuter". Of course, Cuttlebug does now make the larger 5x7 size, which is very useful. I also usesd one of the older "Simple Impressions" brass stencil folders by Sizzix that make single image embossings, and it produced a crisp image.

Et tu, Grand Calibur?

So, the Texture Boutique has redeemed itself in my eyes. It is a good-quality embosser that will emboss anything a Cuttlebug or Big Shot will emboss, with the exception of the large texture plates from Fiskars or possibly the texture plates from Sizzix (I am not sure if the CB accepts these, either). Bigger is better, at least in my opinion, and I would love to be able to emboss larger sheets of paper, but the TB's direct competitors can't really do this, either. One would have to step up to the new Grand Calibur by Spellbinders to be able to do that, and at $100-129 on pre-order, it is in a totally different class than my $15 Texture Boutique. If you really want a die cutter and an embosser that would do just about anything you want it to do, the Grand Calibur seems the best bet.

Forever, and forever, farewell, Cuttlebug!

If you don't want a die cutter, and you just want an embosser for card elements or small elements on scrapbook pages, run, don't walk to the nearest Michael's with a 50% off coupon or hunt the net or Ebay for a Texture Boutique under $25. They are out there. And check out the Sizzix embossing folders. There are a lot of cute ones, and with two in a package, you can find some hot deals on Ebay.

Kitty's May Cut Swap Creations

Forgive the low quality of the pic. I had to use my phone.

My cuts for May are finally finished. May is such a busy month for me, I am running quite behind. The little gumball machine is an experiment of sorts- I re-purposed the Doodlecharms snow globe cut. The fan is from my newest cartridge, Pagoda. A dear coworker bought it for me. As I am a certified Japanophile, the Asian-themed cuts really speak to me.

Birthday Blog Hop WINNNER...

And the winner is.....

Donna Davis (Diary of a Scrapbook Addict)

Thanks to everyone who left a comment!

Congrats Donna!

I will mail the giveaway to you on Friday!

Shell

Birthday Bash Blog Hop

Birthday Bash Blog Hop.

May 23 at 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING THIS UP SO LATE... I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR THIS HOP... I HAVE HAD SO MUCH GOING ON LATELY. HUBBY BOUGHT ME A GYPSY FOR MOTHERS DAY AND I HAVE ONLY HAD TIME TO PLAY AROUND WITH IT ONCE... HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO CUT ANYTHING FROM IT YET! I"M SO LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK WHEN I HAVE TIME TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND GET SOME SCRAPPIN' DONE!!

ANYWAY.....

Welcome to the very first Birthday Bash Blog Hop.
We are here to celebrate not only Lisa's birthday but her daughter Becky’s birthday as well, she turns 20 today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BOTH LISA AND BECKY AND ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE WHO IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY TODAY!! :)


We're so excited to being doing this hop, and we have a fabulous line up with some very talented folks. There will be lots of fun projects, along with some great blog candy, and an AMAZING grand prize for this hop.



This hop runs all day on May 23, so you have plenty of time to make it all the way through the hop. Check out each blog and see what BLOG CANDY you could possibly WIN!!



Here is the complete line up

Lisa - http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://honeybearzdesigns2011.blogspot.com/

Shawnee - http://quiverofangels.blogspot.com/

Shelly & Kitty- http://kccroppers.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE HERE!!!

Creativek Kuts - http://www.creativekuts.blogspot.com/

Deb - http://www.scrappingmamma.net/

Corrine - http://celebratingordinarymoments.blogspot.com/

Tristan - http://tristans-time-4-craftin.blogspot.com/

Mickie - http://littlescrapcorner.blogspot.com/

Rachelle – http://rachelle-rachellesplace.blogspot.com/

Sheri - http://highland-eyes.blogspot.com/

Melanie - http://melaniespapercraft.blogspot.com/

Christine - http://crabbycakescrafts.blogspot.com/

Bobbi – http://rockgirlcustomdesigns.blogspot.com/

Debbie - http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/

Leila - http://mypapergrowsontrees.blogspot.com/

Emily - http://www.createserendipity.net/

Jennifer - http://www.craftycardgallery.blogspot.com/

April - http://www.curlsngrins.blogspot.com/

Jennifer - http://scrapaholicjen.blogspot.com/

Ashley - http://scrappinpinkpiglet.blogspot.com/

Donna - http://comopark1886.blogspot.com/

Elsa - http://www.justafewdesigns.blogspot.com/

Shannon - http://www.purplelionpaper.com/blog

Ashley - http://www.theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/

Monica - http://scraps2treasure.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/

Scrapping With Lisa on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scrapping-with-Lisa/130882060268842


HERE IS A LAYOUT I CREATED FOR A FRIENDS UPCOMING BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR HER SON. I LOVE HELEN DARDIK'S LINE!! TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN OUR GIVEAWAY, YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF OUR BLOG AND LEAVE A COMMENT! THANK YOU!! AND AGAIN.... I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GETTING THIS UP SOONER TODAY!!!

TO CREATE THIS LAYOUT, I USED HELEN DARDIK'S HAPPY
BIRTHDAY COLLECTION FROM CREATIVE IMAGINATIONS.


HERE IS OUR GIVEAWAY.... ONE FULL 12 x 12 SHEET OF BIRTHDAY CARDSTOCK STICKERS... AND TWO 12 x 12 Sheets of matching Birthday Paper by Helen Dardik (CREATIVE IMAGINATIONS). ONE SHEET IS DOUBLE SIDED AND ANOTHER IS GLOSSED WITH GLITTER!! :) BE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT AND MUST BE A FOLLOWER!!

(12 x 12 CARDSTOCK STICKERS)

(GLITTERY AND GLOSSY PAPER)

There is also going to be an overall grand prize, which is being sponsored by Lisa from Scrapping with Lisa and she will be the first and last blog on the hop. In order to be eligible for the grand prize you must leave a comment on every blog in the hop, as well as become a fan of my blog and of Scrapping with Lisa on Facebook. If you don’t do facebook, this won’t count against you for the grand prize, just let me know that in your comment. You must do all this, it is mandatory in order to be eligible for the overall grand prize.


Your next blog is http://www.creativekuts.blogspot.com/


Have a GREAT day!!

~ SHELL ~

Great New Stuff

Sassafras Lass Foldies. What's a Foldie? I don't know, but if they are this cute, I'll take a dozen of 'em!



Spring is in the air, and you know what that means- Winter CHA releases hitting the shelves! (Don't ask, just go with it.) Of course, I have been watching (stalking) my Big Three fave paper companies for their newest offerings, so I decided to share a bit of the joy with you. New Fun Awesomeness #1- Cosmo Cricket's Odds n Ends line.

Some people might wonder if I will ever get tired of vintagey kid themed papers. The answer to that- yeah, right around the time I get tired of breathing! I love the little 20's looking children and I love the vintage rose pattern.

New Fun Awesomeness #2- Sassafras Lass' Sunshine Broadcast.

I have only one word to describe the dreamy washed-out pastels and heavenly retro-postcard looking cloud scenes- joygasm.

New Fun Awesomeness #3- October Afternoon's TWO new lines- 5 & Dime and Rocket Age.

OA calls this this their "Miscellany" embellishment assortment from 5 & Dime. I call it papercrafting crack for the vintage addicted.


Heck, I don't even LIKE boy-themed papers. Seriously. I really could care less for 99.9% of the so-called "boy" paper lines out there. But Rocket Age? Who wouldn't like this:

Rejoice, Grant! There is hope yet that all of your scrapbook pages won't be decked out in pink smiling cupcakes!

MPS National Scrapbook day Challenges

Challenge #1 Cupcake

Challenge #2 Kraft paper

Challenge #4 Mother's Day theme

Challenge #5- 3-D Objects
Challenge #6- Tags

For What its Worth- My Humble Opinion on the ProvoCraft/MTC Lawsuit

I'm a diecutter. A paper piecer. Call me what you will, but I'm a scrapper who loves using die cut images in her projects. It is with great sadness, then, that I received the news that crafting giant Provo Craft had taken Make The Cut to court, and that as a result, MTC would no longer be able to sell software for use with the Cricut.

Make The Cut (MTC) is a software program that allows Cricut owners to interface their computer with their Cricut and cut SVG files. I know of at least two other products currently on the market that do essentially the same thing- Fairy Cut, and Sure Cuts A Lot. All of these programs greatly expand the functionality of the Cricut cutter, and in my opinion, are great products.

I was not initially interested in buying a Cricut, Ever cheap, I simply could not justify the cost of the machine and the cartridges as a legitimate scrapbooking expense. What changed my mind was watching Shell cut from her Cricut using Sure Cuts A Lot software. In my mind, that made the Cricut a much more practical investment. Having a program like SCAL means you are free to cut virtually any font you can install on your computer, plus any SVG cut you can download. Add that to the library of images available on cartridge for the Cricut, and suddenly the Cricut becomes one of the most versatile tools a scrapper can have.

I can't imagine I am the only scrapper who purchased a Cricut because of the flexibility programs like MTC, SCAL, and Fairy Cut allow. For Provo Craft to challenge the right of these third party software manufacturers to link products to the Cricut was a terrible mistake, in my opinion.

In forums all over the web, I have seen loads and loads of angry responses to Provo Craft's legal strategy. What Provo Craft looses in the way of brand loyalty and satisfaction outstrips the benefit of having total control of the Cricut. The recent announcement that Cricut Craft Room- the new PC design program-might at some point allow some crafters to cut their own images (I'm assuming SVG's) on the Cricut only serves to muddy the waters, and instead of placating those upset over the lawsuits, brings up more questions about PC's motivation.

So, am I dumping my Cricut? Heck no. As far as I can tell SCAL (the program I use) is still in the clear, and even if they end up going the route of MTC, as long as I don't update, I should be fine. There are many other intersting diecutters on the market, but I have invested in the Cricut, and I honestly really like the option of using cartridge cuts as well. I have been very happy with the selection of content on cartridges, and they couldn't be much simpler to use. Some people complain about customer service, and while I agree that the website is not very user-friendly, my experience with PC has been positive.

However, when/if I am in the market for a new machine, I will certainly look into other cutters. Particularly if PC phases out old-Expression compatible cartridges, or hikes the price on cartridges (as some rumors circulating claim), the Cricut will become a much less palatable choice.

What I find particularly upsetting in all of this stems from the tone of the exchanges between Cricut supporters and MTC supporters. I hate to see the level of negativity this issue has stirred up in the scrapping community. Scrapbookers I have interacted with have generally been a convivial and considerate lot, and I hate to see something as trivial (in the long run) as the diecutter and cutting software someone prefers to use causing such a rift in the community.

Know Scrap Review- My Cute Stamps

This is a get well card I made for one of my coworkers. I used one of those great Konnichiwa stamps from My Cute Stamps.

When I first bought the My Cute Stamps sets Konnichiwa and Sweet Kawaii, I did so because they were cute, and the company was donating proceeds from the Konichiwa set to Japan disaster relief. My experience with stamps thus far has been underwhelming, so I wasn't really expecting too much, but what I got was a lot more than I bargained for.

The site advertises My Cute Stamps products as "...top quality photo polymer clear stamps." Honestly, all clear stamps look alike to me, and my past experience with stamps made me respond at first with, "Yeah, right." I am what I would call "stamping impaired". My images are usually only half there, or I smear them, or I press too hard and get the edges... in other words, I have never had a lot of luck with stamps. After playing around with my new MCS stamps, I realized that the images looked a lot better than my usual stamping attempts. I began to wonder if there wasn't something to this "top quality" claim, so I engineered a little test.

I did a side-by-side comparison with my other clear stamps, and hands down, the MCS stamps produced the best images. The second-best image quality was a tie and came from some Hero Arts clear stamps and Martha Stewart clear stamps. Surprisingly, my Imaginicse stamp was no better quality than the dollar stamps I get at Michael's and Joann. And the worst quality? That honor belongs to the clear stamps from the Target dollar spot. I had a bunch of these melt and become sticky after leaving them in the car, and their image quality isn't great (in addition to the yuck factor of sticky stamps).

So, I guess the old adage- you get what you pay for- is true. But really, I only paid $8 per set for my MCS stamp sets, so I consider that a great value. The other thing that makes these stamps a great value is their size. At first, I was a little disappointed when I got them and they seemed rather small. But that small-ness (is that even a word?) is actually a great feature- these are sized perfectly for card elements. Any larger, and they just wouldn't be that useful for cards (which is what I mostly use stamps for). Another great feature is the versatility of the images. The clean, cute style of the artwork really makes them a great fit for everything from kiddie-themed projects to more refined cards for adults. Check out the My Cute Stamps project gallery, and you'll see what I mean. (I found so many of the images inspiring, I posted a ton of them on my Pinterest board!) The collections also feature a great mix of elements, and a lot of them are really customizable. Tht equals more bang for your stamp buck- a big plus for a frugal scrapper like me who hates "unitask" tools.

So my final verdict? If you like stamped images, buy MCS stamps. They will reward you with crisp, versatile, perfectly-sized card elements.