ALMOST HAPPY 4TH of JULY

I have to say, this may be almost too late but I had to share.  I made this for a church Bazaar at the end of April but it is the technique I wanted to share.  This pattern is called Land of Liberty by Debbie Mumm.  It can be downloaded for free from her website.  Look under free projects.  You might want to browse a bit there also!

Anyway, what I did for the wavy part of the flag is I just used red and white striped fabric and fan folded it a bit off kilter into a piece that would be large enough to accommodate that part of the pattern. I ironed it very well to hold the creases and then I used a bit of Unique Stitch glue here and there to hold in place.  I didn’t want it totally stuck together because I wanted it to look like it was waving in the breeze and give a little texture to the wall hanging.  Once it was cut out according to the pattern directions I just sewed it in as if it were one solid piece.  I loved the way it turned out and the lady that bought it, really looked it over trying to figure out how I did it.  It sold for $45 and I was thrilled to be able to contribute. 

I also made two quick table runners that were so simple using the same red and white stripes.  I had a couple Friendship Star blocks left over from a project and put them on the ends of a piece of that striped fabric, put a little sashing around it to make it bigger  and then quilted it and binded it. Sewed on 4 star buttons in the corners and WALA…instant table runner.  The other one is just scrap pieces sewed together and quilted.  These also sold for $45 each.  WooHoo 

This is on the display board along with many wonderful things for the bazaar.

Here is the quilt I made also for the Bazaar.  I made it queen size and included the Pillow Shams and also the pillow for them.  They sold raffle tickets on it.  I have no idea how many tickets they sold but they were happy.  I am always excited to help some organization make money.

This is actually being displayed on my dining room table before we took it to the bazaar.

AND for my electronic cutting machine friends...here is a simple little SVG for the 4th of July.  This will come in 4 pieces on your mat when you upload the SVG.  The red part has the star holes cut into it so whatever color  you use as a background is what will show through the stars.  Don't forget to keep those little stars that are cut out!  

CLICK HERE to download SVG

Have a very safe and wonderful holiday!

LET'S GO CAMPING!

I guess this is the time of year to go camping.  To tell you the truth, no matter how cute a camper is...I do not like camping.  Give me a nice motel and have someone cook and do the dishes for me and I will be just fine.  That is my idea of a relaxing vacation or weekend.  Otherwise...I will do my own cooking and dish washing from the comforts of my own kitchen.   I cannot in my wildest imagination think why I would want to get food and supplies, pack up the camper with all sorts of things, pack some more, then finally drive and drive to get to the campsite. unpack everything, cook all the meals...bitching complaining about the mosquitoes and how hot it is and then pack it all back up again and drive and drive just to get home and unpack everything...and it all stinks like mildew!    Oh, boy...what fun we had. 


I know you can hear the sarcasm but really we can have fun right in our own back yard and we do!  We have a fire pit surrounded by flowers which do attract bees but DH sprays for all those nasty things.  We grill right outside the front door on the deck.  I can eat at the table by the AC if I want to or out on the deck.  I can sleep in my own bed, sit in my own chair and if I really truly want to scare the coyotes...I can sing around the campfire.  The coffee is always hot and the beer is always cold.


Our girls love to come home and actually stay home when they are here.  They love "camping" at home.  Hmmmmm...maybe they haven't caught on to us yet.  

Now this wasn't always easy to pull off.  Nope...not when you have young children.  You have to expose them to all the fun things in life.  You have to allow them to experience life.  This is how we went camping "MOMMA STYLE" around 25 years ago.



OK, girls....aren't we having fun at the lake!  You just eat those Popsicles and make sure to wash off when you're done.







Well, girls that was quite a day at the lake, you settle down in those tomato ketchup sleeping bags and Dad will take care of those nasty snakes and mosquitoes.  You never know how many there are in the dining room!

As the girls got older we even let them fill their own lake!  Can it get any more fun camping?

 

Oops, girls, you will have to take turns in that lake!  Play nice.
Learn to share.  Not everyone can go for a dip in the lake at once.



That's better.  Big sister let little sister in first.  What a life...cooling off AND camping in North Dakota...MOMMA STYLE

 Well, after telling you and showing you how we camp, (I camp?) I thought I would share this little camper design for those that have electronic cutting machines.   I did this one for a lady on one of my boards. 

CLICK HERE to download SVG.

THE SUITCASE

Someone was looking for a suitcase to use as a cover for a book.  This was the best I could come up with.  All the pieces are separate.


CLICK HERE for to download SVG.



THE TREE

I made this tree for someone on my boards asking for a vintage Weeping Willow.  I have no idea what a vintage Weeping Willow would look like but I have seen something similar to this somewhere.  I hope someone can use it.

CLICK HERE to download SVG

FLYING DUCKS

All right…I am alive. My Goodness I have not blogged since February. That was the last time just after I had been stranded in a snow bank and was rescued by DH. A lot has happened since then and maybe I will let you in on all that someday when I am seeking pity.


OK…and why do I have so much time on my hands tonight? I am sitting here trying to keep dry. I am glad that DH took me for a little ride down our roads to see if they were even open. Well, they all had water rushing over them and we could not tell if there was a road under them or not. We had just gotten our only other way out of our farm fixed 1 week ago. We were thrilled to know we had another way out again if the east road finally gave out. Hmmm…what were we thinking to be so optimistic? I for one will NOT drive through rushing water late at night just to get to work. Not that I don’t want to be there…I just happen to enjoy my life a little better than I like my job.


The local sheriff said on the news tonight that all rural roads were supposed to be closed. That would definitely be me.


I don’t have it as bad as western ND. There are 12,000 people being evacuated from their homes and they are not sure when they will be back. Thank Goodness our National Guard will be watching the place for them. If we only had a way of channeling all that water down to AZ, most of our problems would be solved. Well, at least a good portion of them.


What finally prompted me to finally blog was 1. I had the night off and 2. Someone on one of my boards asked for a cutting design of a duck flying out of the water. Well, how appropriate because I see ducks flying out of water trying to find dry land right now.

Here is the SVG of the Flying Ducks. Both of these ducks are in one SVG. Just split them and delete the one you don’t want...or use both. Please email me if this doesn't work. I am trying Windows Live to share my files. 

CLICK HERE to download SVG

GLASSES SVG

I thought being I was putting out a tutorial on making something for potatoes I would make a SVG to go with it. Glasses? Well, yes, of course, you know how many eyes a potato has!

CLICK HERE to download SVG
for your Cricut

I think it would be fun to add to a picture in a scrapbook or maybe a card.

For instance:

I just can't see my life without you in it

We might not see eye to eye but....

Seeing is not believing

The eyes are the windows of the soul

I only have eyes for you.......

I can see clearly now

I hope you can see it my way

Oh, I see where you are coming from....

MIXING BOWL

Everyone can use a mixing bowl.  Here is my rendition of an old fashioned one.  You can add your own shadow or fill it with something!

CLICK HERE to download SVG for your cutting machine.



KITCHEN MIXER

I thought being I put out a recipe today I would also put out a kitchen type of SVG design.  I think a person could use this on a scrapbook page of maybe kids making cookies, maybe on a recipe card, maybe on one of those gift jars with a cookie mix in it.  You could always add more to it but at least this is the basic design.  Have fun with it!

Click Here to download SVG

SALT AND PEPPERS SHAKER SVGs

OK...Some of you may want to take my stories with a grain of salt.  So be it...but you might also want to take them with a little pepper too!



Click here to download SVG



Who doesn't need a little spice in their life?

You could add little sparkles or glitter to simulate salt coming out of a tipped shaker and maybe small beads for pepper?

HEART STAMP

Click here to download SVG

This is in two pieces, the shadow is already made for it as it shows in the picture.

Heart Borders

Click here to download SVG

I made these to fit a 5.5 card edge but you can resize them to any size you want.  There are 3 pieces that will be on your mat.  Just break them apart and you can choose which back ground you would like to use.

HEART CARD FRONT

Click here to download SVG

This comes in two pieces on the mat.  You can break it apart if you wish to make changes.  I made it to fit the front of a 4.25 x 5.5 card but of course you can resize it to suit you!

HEART KISS STAMP



Click here to download SVG



This is just a little stamp to add to an envelope or card. 

I'm raising my prices if Hubby
forgets February 14th...maybe 10 cents a kiss!

HEART SWANS

Click here to download SVG

This was a request that was made last week.  I didn't get a chance to get it online but I did send it on to the person that requested it.  This week I thought I would finally get it on here and share with the rest of you.  It comes with a shadow background and the beaks and eyes are separate on the mat.  When you import this just split it and you will be able to move it around to where you want it.  Be sure to size it before you split it or the beak and eyes won't match up.  You don't even need the beak and eyes.  I just added them this week.

Canning Jar SVG

I see there was a request for a Mason Jar on my Yahoo boards. I don't have a "Mason Jar" but I did make a canning jar. This was a lot of fun once I decided that not only do I have a SVG of a jar I now have a SVG that will come in really handy to add texture to.

Here is the jar with and without a lid. I know, pretty simple but THERE IS MORE!!

Click Here to download SVG



This SVG will have the jar, oval shape and lid all separate on the mat.  It will come into your mat as one.  Just select and click "Control B".  This will make them into separate designs and then you can do with what you wish. 


Those of you that have not had the fun of adding texture to your SVGs now is the time to learn. I am giving these instructions using Make the Cut Software. I do have SCAL but I haven't used it for so long that I don't even know if they have this feature!

Step 1. Click on the object you want to add a background to. This is what they call "texture".

Step 2. Right click on the object and Select "Change Color/Texture" and then "Select Texture"

Step 3. The next box will open and that is where you can decide what you want for a background.

It is also in this box that you can decide if you want it at an angle, how big of a design and if you want to tile it across the design or just a single picture. For some reason mine will occasionally open right up in the file that I keep my backgrounds. Maybe it just reads my mind. Just play with it for awhile.  If you don't like the texture you have chosen, go back and do it all over again.


OK…now for a couple of ideas.

First of all you can put anything in these jars that you might want on a card or a scrapbook page.
This one I changed the texture to include Jelly Beans and a screw type lid made by angling some line art.

This also is very nice to use the Print and Cut feature in the Make the Cut software.  No need to buy that expensive Cricut Imagine.  My printer and my Cricut Expression work very well together and yours should too.  Save that money for more paper and glue!


This next one is for all the grandparents that wish the grandkids would stay little forever. Well, they can! All you have to do is "Preserve" them in a canning jar!
 
 
 
 
 

I have no idea who this child is.  It is just a stock photo. 
Believe me, if I had grandkids they would be plastered all over this blog!

 

How about these ideas?

Old Photos
Pet Photos
Photos Stretch to look like they are tightly squeezed in a jar.
Butterflies
Frogs
Insect Jar
Gross Science Project
Picture of your home/farm
Make it a label on a real jar
Tags
Cards
Double it and make into a holder for candy bars or snacks
Jar full of words
Jar of poetry
Jar full of numbers

Have Fun!

DOG BONE SLIDER

I made this in tribute to a fellow Yahoo board member who has recently lost her crafting buddy and best friend, MAX.


I have wanted to make something like this for some time for myself and this was the push to complete it. I know there are other things that you could use it for.


How about a card background with Dalmatian Spots or paw tracks and one of these sayings for the dog lovers in your life:

“Doggone it”….:, I forgot your birthday”

“Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”…….Congratulations on your new job!

 "I have a bone to pick with you”………..

“Make no bones about it”…..You are a year older!

OK…I know there are better ones than that but thought I would stir the creative juices!



This comes with a shadow background and the pieces are separate on the mat.  There are slots in the shadow also for slipping a ribbon through.

Click here to download SVG



FOUR LEAF CLOVER

Of course this will bring a windfall of good fortune! If not...look around, I bet you are luckier than you think.  If you think it could be worse...guess what?...you are lucky it isn't!

Hey…Life is what you make it!



This comes in two pieces on the mat so you can put the stem any where you wish.

Click here to download SVG



Heart Oval

Someone was looking for an oval with hearts around it.  I am not sure what they wanted but here is something I came up with.  It is layered so you could stamp in it or add a picture of some sort.




Click here to download SVG



HIP AND KNEE JOINTS



Click here to download SVG

 There was a request for a knee or hip and I decided to make something that might be movable.  I made a stable one and one that you can add a joint.  I would love to see what someone comes up with on this one!

MARCH...IN LIKE A LION...OUT LIKE A LAMB SVGs

I know, I am early on this one but I decided to be optimistic that spring will arrive.   I am hoping it will come in like a lion and go out like lamb.  Up here we do have a tendency to have it come roaring in like a locomotive and leave the same way...it's North Dakota...things happen........

Well, here is a lion and a lamb in case you might be able to use it.



Click here to download SVG



Click here to download SVG