Glass Etching

     Do you ever wind up with a collection of other peoples baking ware and don't know who it belongs too? I have a solution. This year I went to several Tastefully Simple parties and bought a bunch of their famous Beer Bread. If you've never tried it , it is fabulous. You can also substitute any carbonated beverage in place of the beer!
     Now, I just love to add a personal touch to my gifts (who doesn't,lol) so I thought I'd pair the bread mix with a personalized bread pan. I picked up a bunch and was so pleased to find they were made in America. Believe me that is a rarity!

     I used the Cricut cart From My Kitchen to cut the "bread" oval @ 1.5". I used contact paper since it was cheaper by the roll and I knew it couldn't be used again so I didn't want to waste my ProvoCraft vinyl.

     Next step was to apply the etching cream. as you can see I put it on fairly thick. Oh before you do this be sure to tape off any edges so you don't accidentally spill over with the cream. I used painters tape so it would come off easily. Also be sure to protect your work area.I left it on a good 10 minutes.

     I really wanted to personalize these, so on the other side I included the family initial. The only problem is when you have a letter with cutouts, ie, A,B,D,O etc.No problem, I just used Provo Craft's transfer tape to hold the "middle" in place! once you adhere it to the glass with the vinyl you remove the transfer tape.

     Here's the finished product. I also added a holiday potholder and wrapped the bread mix. I can't show you how the letters came out, these are gifts after all. This makes a really special gift. What are you giving?

Ornament Boxes

Christmas Ornament Boxes

     Well have I ever been busy, lol. Along with trying to do Christmas shopping, filling ornament orders and doing Birthday shopping/baking, I haven't forgot I had promised to show you the packaging my ornaments come in.
     First I ordered some clears boxes from www.clearbags.com. These turned out to be the perfect size but, they needed something to hold the ornament in place. I hope you realize by now that there isn't anything you can't do with a Cricut! I used the Sweet Tooth Boxes cart and used a cupcake holder cut at 6.75. The patterned paper was done using Santas Village cart and I even made a matching tag. I just love how the Imagine can resize the images to the appropriate size object so everything is proportionate! One thing if you plan on making these is to use a sturdy cardstock for the base.
     We have 6 December birthday's (ughhh!) so I finally bought a Cricut Cake to kind of help me out yet I haven't had a chance to play yet. This week I have to dive in so I'll post pics on how I do, wish me luck!!!
     Also Tim Holtz is in full swing with his 12 tags of Christmas and can I just say WOW! I hope to complete a few and I'll definitely share these gems as soon as I finish. I think it's going to be a creative week!!!

Mr. And Mrs. Claus Ornaments

     I am totally in love with the new ProvoCraft cartridge Santa's Village. When I first saw this cart I was in awe of the fantastic images and rich colors in the graphics. I knew I wanted to make some ornaments and it has taken me a while to figure out how to transform what I have in my head onto the glass ornaments!
     I tried waterslide decals but I was not happy with the results. They looked like a sticker I put on glass. That is definitely not my style, lol. I tried doing the images on card stock but I was not happy with that attempt as well. Sometimes my ideas just pop in my head will I'm in the shower and that is what happened this time. Finally, success!!! Okay, okay here are the pics and details. Without further ado: Tada......

     Isn't he fabulous? Believe me the picture does not do him justice! I started with clear glass ornaments that have a flat front. I stocked up with them several years ago @ M's end of the year sale. I used beacon's Glitter It! glue and Martha Stewarts Glitter to finish the inside of the ball and to set the stage for my design.
     I finally realized the I could use the printable vinyl that came with my Imagine cricut machine to print my artwork. Brilliant idea! I cut it at 1.6" and found it was the perfect size for my ornament. I then just cut a plain circle out of the vinyl and layered the image in the middle. Once it was afixed to the glass ball I used Triple Thick Gloss Glaze by Americana on top of the image and let it dry overnight. I had tried other finishes but they had a tendency to pool or drip of the edges. Some of the finishes needed more than one coat or were not thick enough for what I wanted to accomplish. This finish was perfect.
     One note about this finish is that youhave to brush it on. I globbed it on and it does have a few air bubbles doing it this way. However it seems to give it some character with the air bubbles, almost like it is snowing. Wait a minute, why not make it snow? I pulled out some stickles and added some to create the illusion that it is snowing! Another great idea!!!! I used a gold cording to hang the ornament with and voila, it's done.

     Aren't these just adorable? You have Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Toy Shop and there are images to use for penguins, trains, rocking horses, reindeer etc. the possibilities are endless. I will be adding these to my etsy shop as soon as I figure out the shipping, lol. Hope you enjoy these and don't be afraid to leave a comment and tell me what you think!

http://cricutcouple.blogspot.com/2011/11/cricut-couple-500-follower-celebration.html
     The wonderful Cricut couple is giving away some awesome prizes in honor of their 500 followers. You heard that right 500 followers. If you are not a follower of theirs then you should be. They have wonderful projects and tips to share. So head on over, sign up to follow if you don't already and share some love!

Chalk Holder

     With the holidays coming I thought I'd make a few teacher gifts. A while back I bought these chalk painted flower pots and decided it was time I did something with them. They were a clearance item from Pottery Barn so I boght a few. I have one that holds my cricut markers but thought they would make a perfect holder for chalk to give to a teacher.
     I cut the images of both a girl and boy in vinyl from A Childs' Year cartridge. The shadow layer is in white whereas the top layer is in red. I also cut the image a third time out of card stock but cut the "apple" part off so I just had the leaves to work with.

     The bottom was sort of plain so I added a simple white picot ribbon and a few clear rhinestones. Add a box of chalk and you have a simple teachers gift! I do have a few for sale in my etsy shop. By the way, the snow is 5 days since our historic October snow storm. Maybe I'll get a lot of crafting done this winter.