Ribbon Flowers

Ok-disclaimer....these pictures are terrible! My camera is having issues. Thank goodness I bought the extended warranty. But for today....just try to imagine!!

The other day, I was wandering through a local craft store looking for a fun idea for an embellishment. There were the cutest ribbon flowers there and I decided it was a great idea to use up some ribbon scraps. My camera has been having issues, so these are terrible photos-but these flowers are pretty cute!

You will need:

4 pieces of ribbon (approx. 4 1/2 inches long-depending on size of flowers desired-I used 2 different coordinating ribbons)
1 7 mm brad (or button, etc. for center of flower)
small hole punch
adhesive-either the 714 or some glue dots

1. On the wrong side of each piece of the ribbon, put a length of glue or glue dot

2. Fold each ribbon into a circle, overlapping slightly and adhere (right sides out)

3. Using more adhesive, and making sure seams are hidden, make an X with 2 ribbon circles.

4. Repeat with other 2 pieces of ribbon.
5. WIth one more bit of adhesive, put 2 ribbon X's together, forming a flower.
6. With small hole punch, punch through all layers of ribbon and secure with 7 mm brad (making the center of the flower).

New Pink Glider

Look at these fun little critters!! I am so excited. Now THIS is a scrapbooking tool. What a fun color. For each tape glider that 3M sells, they are donating $1.20 to the "Susan G. Komen Search for the Cure Foundation" for breast cancer research. This glider is essentially the same as the ATG 714 (the red one) and uses the same 1/4 " tape. 2 free rolls of acid free ATG 908 gold are included in every box. Great price too at $29.95. Get yours today!!

Studio 5 Card Group

I have posted several times about my monthly card group meetings...but this one was a little bit unusual. We did all the same things we normally do-eat, talk, laugh, exchange cards-the only difference was, this time we did it on camera! It will air in July (the 13 or 15 I think). Our group member and in-house paper crafting guru and celebrity (Sue Neal-third from the right on the top row) has a monthly segment she does on Studio Five about paper crafting, and "they" decided it would be a fun idea to talk about (and show) some of what our group does. It will be interesting to see what they end up actually putting on tv. This group has been meeting every month for 12 years! Isn't that crazy?? I think there are only 6 or 7 of the original members of the group (from 12 years ago), but it is incredible that it has been going that long, don't you think? No end in sight, either! It is a great creative outlet and social event all rolled into one.

Card Group Buddies For Life!

This is an amazing group of ladies (3 are missing) that I have the privilege of rubbing shoulders with each month. We meet for lunch and swap homemade cards and great conversation. Our good friend, Dana...3rd from the left...will be leaving soon on a 3 year mission assignment, so this was sort of a "farewell" luncheon. We will sure miss you Dana, but we'll pick up right where we left off when you return! Best of luck on your "excellent adventures".

ATG 50 and tape

We recently came across some message boards where they were posting about this cheaper version of the ATG 714. Just for the record, it is not made by 3M. I'm still not sure who makes it. It is called the ATG 50. There were people who were really excited about it, because the cost is less and the tape was also. So, we thought...we'd better get one and try it out. We purchased one, plus some of the tape. Next we enlisted 2 "experts" to use it and write a review for us. Here is what they have to say.

The first review is from Sue Neal, a PC Pro:

Thanks for sending me the ‘other’ ATG to try out. I have to say my first impression was good. It seemed a little smaller and less wieldy than the Scotch ATG. I was also surprised by the quality of the housing, it’s strong and smooth and actually feels pretty good in my hand. The handle and trigger were fine for me and didn’t seem any harder than the Scotch ATG. I’m afraid that’s where the good ends for me.

As I started to use it I was having a hard time tracking it’s placement position as I adhered. I compared it to my Scotch and realized the tape was riding about mid-way on the roller. That is why I couldn’t track it very well. My Scotch rides right at the LH edge and I can see easily where I’m placing tape down. I opened the casing to see if I could adjust that. It seemed like I could lift the tape, but there really wasn’t really anyway to keep it there, so it kept slipping down.

In the process of trying to lift the tape up, the tape broke. It was at this point I noticed the tape was also riding back on itself. In other words, instead of feeling onto the ‘spent’ reel, it was coming back around the tape roll. Either way, I had to re-insert it. There were no visual instructions on just how to do this (the Scotch does have those instructions embossed right into the gun and it’s amazing to me, after all these years of using it, I still double check myself…showing my age!). I assumed it was filled the same way, but wow, the whole thing ‘exploded’ on me! Literally! Parts just starting popping off! Good opportunity to check out the mechanics of it though…there is a spring that is screwed down, but I’m not entirely sure why it’s there.

Lastly, I’m not really thrilled with the quality of the actual adhesive. It seemed thinner than the scotch and definitely didn’t rub-off like the scotch. I absolutely LOVE that about Scotch. It’s just a lifesaver for me. I also noticed the tape didn’t ‘cut’ off as sharply as the Scotch. There were left-over pieces I had to kind-of fold over the end. I didn’t love that.

It’s hard to give this gun an overall rating, as I’m not sure, again, if it was loaded properly. But if I took that out of the equation I would give it a B-, as it’s definitely better than the little adhesive rollers and I suppose you could adjust to where the tape rides and the poor cut-off. I would give the Scotch an A. I’ve used this gun for years now (and you know how much I use it) and have never (isn’t that amazing!) had one problem with it.

This second review is from a friend of mine, Terri Bateman who is a mechanical engineer:

So, after using the tape gun last week, I would say that I like it, especially for the price. (The ATG 50 is around $25). It does have a couple of issues, but I feel that they are minor.

The main issue with it is that the tape seems to move around back and forth a lot on the roller, making it hard to predict exactly where the tape will be on my paper. But, because the roller is only about 3/4" wide, I know the tape will go onto my paper somewhere within that 3/4" range. Therefore, for me, the tape placement issue is not really a big one, because most of the time I'm not taping anything really narrow and so I don't have to be all that accurate. If I do tape something narrow, I usually use the Tombow tape gun, because I can put the tape EXACTLY where I want it. (plus, I don't have a narrow 3m gun anyway :-) (She has the ATG 700.)

My second issue is not with the gun, but the tape itself. I do not love this tape, so it would be interesting to use this gun with 3m's tape. This tape seems to stretch out and not break where I want it to. After I roll the tape onto my paper and then let go of the trigger, sometimes the tape stretches way out and doesn't break until it is hanging way off the edge of the paper. This is annoying, but not a deal breaker. I could live with this tape, I just like 3M's better. 3M's tape also stretches out and does not always break where I want it to, it just doesn't seem to be nearly as bad.

Some People Have ALL the Talent!

Just look at this darling job chart! I found it while blog-stalking!! It's called Crafty Chicks and she even gives a link to download a template. She uses real pictures of her kids stuff on the chart. Clever, right? Now if I can just figure out how to scrapbook digitally enough to figure out how to use her template!!! Go check out her blog. Great ideas.

Cutest Valentines Treat Ever!

I just happened across this darling idea from Family Fun. All you need is a box of conversation hearts, 2 reeses pb cups and this printout! Talk about cute. Don't tell...I'm making them for my kids for Valentines Day!

Another Cuttlebug Valentine Card (pocket card)

I missed card group last month, so this is my make-up card. I used the cuttlebug again with the paisley embossing folder that Matt and Kelli gave me with it. The pull-out says "Just for You".

January Card Group

Here are the cute cards from our card group on Thursday night. Looks like the main theme for the night was valentines day!

By the way, if you have never had this fruit dip, you should really try it...delicious!

Fruit Dip

1-6 oz carton fruit flavored yogurt (I used 2-4 oz. strawberry)
1/2-1 container of coolwhip topping (8 oz.)
4 oz. softened cream cheese (optional)

Fold together and serve with cut up fruit: berries, oranges, pears, apples, etc.

Valentines Card Make and Take

This was my make and take for our card group on Thursday night. I got a cuttlebug for Christmas from my son and his cute wife, Kelli (thanks, guys!!), so I had to use it for cards. It came with 4 dies that are like "stamps". I used the new scalloped edge punch from SU to scallop the front of the card and a pop up glue dot for the 3D effect. Brads are from bright flowers set (5 mm) on our website http://www.cropandstick.com/ .

We Now Carry Cricut Cartridges!

Crop and Stick now carries Provo Craft Cricut Cartridges and other supplies! Check it out here. Isn't this Hello Kitty set adorable? It should be here any day now!! I got one of the Cricut machines for Mother's Day last year....so much fun! My daughter in law, Kelli has even cut her own vinyl lettering on it! How cool is that?

Just Can't Thank You Enough

Card group time again. This time we went to the new Olive Garden in town...yum! I had the Ravioli de Portabella which was FANTASTIC. Can you tell, I'm all about the food? Oh, yeah. The cards were FANTASTIC too! Such talent and creativity. It's so fun to see how someone else puts something together. My card uses the new scallop square punch from Stampin' Up and the stamp set that is made to go with it, can't remember what it's called. I picked a ribbon and based my card off of those colors....voila!

Halloween Card and Other Card Group

Ok, crazy I know! But I am in two card groups that meet monthly. They even happen to fall on the same week. But it is so much fun, I can't help myself. I mean, really, look at all the cute cards I am collecting!! This is from the evening "make and take" card group.

This is a Halloween card I made for the group. I used the technique of masking for the jack-o-lanterns. This is where you stamp an image. Then you stamp the same image on a sticky note, cut it out, and use it to "mask" the first image when you stamp the second (different) image to make it look like it is behind your main image. Worked for the faces as well. The inside of the card says "you make me smile"! Stamp set is from Stampin' Up.

Card Group

Here are the pictures I said I would post from our latest card group at Harley's!


What a cute group of ladies, don't you think!! They are most definitely some of my FAVORITE people (and what a collection of talent)!

World Card Making Day

Did you know that on Saturday, October 4, 2008 it is World Card Making Day! It is a time to celebrate handmade greeting cards, creativity and the bonds that paper crafting brings to those of us who do it! We are a unique group, you know! We have our own language (CASE, TFS, crop, acid free, mount, embellishments, etc.), we love to teach others what we know (especially what we have learned recently that is so COOL!), we are perfectionistic to a degree (keep on tweeking that scrapbook page or card until it is just right/has the right amount of embellishments or BLING)! So take the day off, get together with a few of your favorite crafty people and make cards to your hearts content!

This card made using Autumn Leaves "Winter Wonders" by Amy Grendell.

Card Group and Harley Davidson-what a combo!

It is my favorite time of the month again!! Card group time-12 of us meet at a local restaurant for lunch and a card swap. The cards are actually just an excuse to get together-it is a nice BONUS! We have such a great time. Today we ate at a new place called Marley's Gourmet Sliders in Lindon, Utah at the new Harley Davidson shop/restaurant. The food was so good. You choose your meat: beef burger, chicken, turkey or coney dog. Then you choose your toppings like cheese, grilled onions, avacado, bacon, cranberries, mushrooms, etc. I had 2 sliders (they are small burgers/sandwiches). One was beef with cheese, onions and spicy buffalo sauce. The other was turkey with avacado, cranberry sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and red onion. It came with a drink and fries for about $10. Everything was yummy! It is definitely a repeat! Will definitely have to take my DH as he is a burger fanatic. Will post pics of cards later!

Fun with words

Check out this site wordle.net that I just found. It allows you to enter a bunch of random or related words and make a fun word "cloud". You can then choose to print. I am going to have to play with this! I'll let you see if I come up with anything exciting. I'm thinking of printing it on a page that has a background print and using it for making cards....or as background paper for a scrapbook layout, or cover of a mini album (like the one I made with bind it all) in August (see August 6 blog). The designs are NOT copyrighted and you can go ahead and use them to make up T-shirts, scrapbooking transparencies, etc.

ATG

We have been selling ATG products since April 2008 on our website. I know that prices on everything from toilet paper to applesauce are going up (I work at Costco and have seen huge increases on food products) I guess mostly because of the cost of gasoline. But since we began selling ATG Adhesive Applicators and ATG tape refills, 3M has raised their prices TWICE! The first time, we just ate the cost because we were brand new and trying to compete with some of the big boys out there. The second time, we just couldn't, we had to raise our prices too. Luckily, so did our competitors...but, ouch! Twice in 4 months seems a little much, doesn't it? Good thing it is such a good product or we would have to kiss it good-bye! Gotta have that ATG 714! Just had to gripe a little. It doesn't change anything, but it makes me feel better to complain about it! :p

Ikea is a haven for scrapbooking organization!

Ok, so over the long weekend (Labor Day) I decided that it was way beyond time to clean out and organize my office. Scrapbooking room is next. I did some googling because I remembered seeing the coolest bookcase that someone had used from IKEA to organize their scrapbooking supplies in. Well, I found it along with a lot of other very useful items. Here is the picture of the Expedit bookcase that I was looking for. The cubes are 13x13x15. Perfect for 12x12 storage, big totes, magazine file folders, and a multitude of other things. It comes in black-brown, white and birch. I love it! So, off I set with my list in hand to IKEA. I spent a good couple of hours there...by myself. It was grand! On my way out of the store, however, I found another bookcase in the center aisle that was the same design, only slightly smaller...only 3 cubes x 3 cubes instead of 4 x 4. I asked one of the employees about it and he told me it was a special purchase only available in birch, and that when they were gone....they were gone. I got two! They were $49 instead of the $159 that I was going to pay for the Expedit one. I saved so much money, I had to buy lots more stuff! Here are some things you may want to check out for your organizational needs. Lekman boxes fit expedit cube perfectly.

Burken jars for embellishments.

Motorp boxes (meant for dvd's) to keep stamp sets in.

Samla (1 gallon size) to keep envelopes nice and dust-free.

Antonius Unit with a work top is just the right size for a paper cutter. They have several desk top organizers to use for every day items like stamp cleaner, ruler, punches, scissors, etc.

Stripa shelving-for almost anything you could think of. Bygel rail system for hanging punches on (this is a favorite of mine!!!).

This is called a benno cd tower which can be used for stamp set storage.

Create Mini Albums With Bind-it-all

I have been on vacation for the past 10 glorious days!! So I have been a little lax in my blogging...
This is a wedding album we (Gina, Ginay, Stacy, Michelle and I) made for my Canadian brother-in-law Danny and his new wife Laura who were married on December 31, 2007. We just got back from a vacation to Alberta, Canada via Kalispell, Montana where we spent a few days with them at the mother-in-laws place! We used the Zutter BIND-IT-ALL 8x8 chipboard covers and pages and bound it together with the nifty Bind it all tool itself. I must admit it was way too fun! The front was a double sided sheet of patterned paper that we antiqued using distress inks by Tim Holtz Old Paper ink pad. The name plate is a cricut program (I'm thinking we need to add these to our inventory!).


And look how cute (and creative) some of the pages turned out. The red corners were white photo corners that we inked to match. See Gina's tutorial on Fun with Photo Corners . The corner stamp is from Heidi Swapp and is called Love Corners.This page was created using a stamp from an Autumn Leaves Set called Romance of Spring. We added a little glitter to the center of the flower dot above the "i" in beautiful. The three diamonds are really square brads. I love how the partial binding looks (just 10 holes centered on the pages and covers instead of all the way from top to bottom).The album was finished at approximately 2:00 a.m. the morning my family and I left for the great white North! I think it was worth staying up late to finish it though! Thanks to everyone who helped! This is us at Bertha Falls in Waterton, Alberta. You can't see us very well, but what beautiful scenery!!