As American as Apple Pie!

Hi all my wonderful crafty friends!  Brenda here and this week at Sweet Sassy Diva our theme is apples!

 
I knew just the pics I wanted to scrap with an apple theme so I got out my trusty Gypsy and layout out my plan on how to do my layout.  I used this sketch:

I did change it up some by the time I was finished. lol But still I followed the sketch pretty well.  I don't know where I got this sketch from as I just save them to my computer.  I need to start marking where they come from.

Here is what it looks like on my Gypsy:

I then started with a white base and started building my papers.  For my pattern papers I used Hobby Lobby's brand Paper Studio Vintage Nation paper.  This is my first time using my Scrap' in Easel and can I just say I am already loving this thing!!  It is so nice to have the layout sitting up right, much better on your neck and shoulders!

Next I cut out my apple shadow border using Making the Grade Cricut cart.  I welded my apple shadows together at different heights and cut out of black cardstock.  Then I hide the inside of the apple in my Gypsy and cut out enough apples for the shadows.  I also hide the outside of the apple to cut out the white flesh of the apple using off white or vanilla cardstock.  I think they look pretty good after getting it all together.  I placed it on the pattern papers with a magnet.  Nothing is glued down as of yet.

Next came my title and journeling box with apple.  The word "American" came from 3 Birds on Parade, I hide the "all" and the "stars" with my Gypsy as I just wanted the word "American".  Both words "as" came from Billionaire that I welded together, "Apple Pie" came from Blackletter and my journaling box came from Elegant Edges, my apple on my journeling box came from Preserves cart. I also did some distressing with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo ink.  I was going to mat my pics on white cardstock but then changed my mind. lol


                                     

Here what it looks like after the pics have been added and it's all glued down.  I'm a pretty happy with the way this turned out!  I hope that you have been inspired by the SSD design team and get crafty too using apples as your theme.  Please post your creation using the theme "apples" on Facebook by Click here!

Until next time Happy Crafting my friends!

Creative Teacher Gift!

Lori here from ScrappinMyStressAway with my project for the challenge ~ 3 or more cartridges.

I wanted to make something special for Tanner's kindergarten teacher.  Mrs. Stock is an awesome teacher! I wanted to personalize something for her and kept coming back to a tile.

I started with gold vinyl, but the gold seemed thin and I had some issues with it bubbling and tearing.  I was ready to scrap the whole project and started removing the gold words and decided to leave the apple.  I kept thinking that a golden apple is kind of like an academy award for teachers.....so I kept going.

Here is my screen shot.  I used several words and icons from 15 cartridges:  Cheerful Seasons, Cindy Loo, George, Graphically Speaking, Gypsy Wandering, Hannah Montana, Home Accents, Home Decor, Locker Talk, Lovely Floral, Lyrical Letters, Makin' the Grade, Elegant Cake Art, Nursery Rhyme and Plantin' Schoolbook.

I opened a 12x24 mat and put all of the words and icons on my mat.  I started with Mrs. Stock (used a heart instead of a period) in the center.  I like subway art and wanted to make this look like some.  The words I chose are: discover, create, patience, inspire, transform, direction, explore, #1 Teacher, guide, adventure, learn details energy and 2011-2012.

It took some time to move words around and size them to get my final piece.

I erased the apple from my screen and cut out the rest in black vinyl.  

When you cut vinyl, set your Cricut to 3-3-3 (speed, pressure and blade depth) for a kiss cut.  I use my Cricut pokey tool (dental tool) to weed out the extra vinyl pieces.

I usually use clear contact paper with vinyl, but I was having trouble with the amount of stick and my pieces were tearing and not clinging to the tile.  I was getting frustrated not knowing if it was the gold vinyl or the contact paper or a combination of both.  I bought the ProvoCraft transfer tape and had much better luck!

I use my scraper to burnish the vinyl to the transfer tape.

I used my E2 and set it to cut on Vinyl.  You can see here that the blade did cut through the paper backing in a couple of places.  I honestly have better luck with my E cutting vinyl, but it is a pain to dig it out for one project!!

I bought my 12x12 tile at Home Depot.

  Here is my tile with the gold apple still on it.  I set the transfer tape right over it, burnished the vinyl into the tile and peeled the tape off.

Here is my tile all finished up!  I just need to get an easel so she can display it in her room.

Thanks for having me over today Bobbi Jo!!

Look out!

Welcome to Back To School Week at SweetSassyDiva!  This is Lori from ScrappinMyStressAway with my project.  My son Tanner starts kindergarten next month and I sure hope they are ready for him!!!

I have a hard time creating a layout before I have the photos!!  I tried to keep it simple so the pictures can shine.

I laid out my two page idea on a 12 x 24 mat on my Gypsy screen. 

I put this apple from Makin' the Grade on my mat at 6.03 w x 6.97h.  I copied the apple and flipped it.  Then I copied both apples onto another layer.  I went back to the first layer and hid the outer cut so just the inside of the apple cut out.  These will be cut out in cream paper.

On the next Layer, I hid the inner cut.  These will be cut out in red cardstock.

I copied the red apples to the next Layer and moved them so they hung off the mat.  I only needed the leaf and this way did not waste much paper.

Here are my apples!

I used the back side of this K&Co. 4th of July paper for the inside cut of my apple.

I moved the apple pieces to the center of my mat so I would not get the background images from the top and bottom of the paper.

I used Birthday Bash for the font.  Kindergarten is sized at 1.07 inches, Tanner is sized at 1.46 inches, the rest of the words are sized at .69 inches.  I usually use the enlarge and shrink buttons to determine how big my letters are in relation to the 12x12 page.

The banner pieces are also from Birthday Bash sized at 2.08 inches.

I cut out my title and banner from Christmas papers (Old Fashoined Christmas pad from Recollections) to match my color palate of maroon, hunter green and cream.

I am using the negative piece to line up my title.  I ran the letters through my Xyron sticker maker.

I stick the letters in their place and gently pull away the negative piece.

I overlapped the apple with two 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 photo mats. I used a little twine and some buttons to embellish the page.

I inked the inner apple piece with red ink.  I also used this border strip from K&Co.  It is actually a yard stick, but it was close enough to a ruler for me!!

On this page, I used a 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 mat for a photo, lots of journaling space on the apple and a cute banner with buttons on it.

I think I am going to add 1st D A Y to the banner flags.....

I used twine here as well.

And here is my layout all together.  I know I am ready for the first day of kindergarten, I hope the teacher is!!