Buttons, Buttons....I Love Buttons!

Hey Guys!

I've been using buttons on just about everything I create lately, so I thought I would share my latest project.

Pretty simple....something anyone could put together.
It would make a nice project for the kids during the summer to keep them busy for an afternoon!

I started with an inexpensive wooden letter and painted it white. . . .



Then I got out my white buttons and a bottle of Sparkle Mod Podge and got to work.



and this is what is going to be hanging on my wall soon with the rest of my Letter *S* collection...


Have a wonderful weekend!

A Family Tree

Hello Everyone!

Today we thought we'd share an idea for a Family Tree Project.

This would be precious in a new baby's nursery . . .

Once again, this project is a great way to use up your stash of scraps & create a totally personal and unique piece of artwork.

We used Cricut's Paper Dolls cartridge for our tree base, but you could also free-hand one to fit the size of your frame. These leaves are from an Emagination Punch . . . you can make yours any shape, size, or color combo that you like!

We gave each leaf some inking, a slight crease up the center & added a popdot under one side to give it some dimension.

Then just add your names & any other info that you'd like.

We put birthdays with ours & added a rhinestone to co-ordinate with that month.

The frame we used is an in-expensive one from Walmart that we sanded & painted white. When it dried, we gave it another light sanding for an antiqued, worn look. We also left the glass out of the frame.

Wouldn't this look great in an over-sized frame ~ like 3x5 feet ~ just filled with leaves!?! You'd be able to add photos on the tags to one that size! How cool would THAT be?!?

We got a couple New Cricut Cartridges in at The Shoppe for you guys to try out. We rent them out (just like Blockbuster) so you can try them before you buy them -or- maybe you need a certain image only one time. It doesn't make any sense to purchase a cartridge if you'll never use it again.

So, newly added to our Cricut Library are StoryBook(my new favorite!), Graphically Speaking, & Sports Mania.
Shelley has already hosted a class make-n-take using the StoryBook . . .She did a Prince & Princess page set.

This is an idea I saw on the Cricut newsletter . . .Here is my version using StoryBook for the Lettering & the Cock-a-too and Home Accents for the swirls. This was made for my mother-in-law for a Christmas gift this year . . .You know ~ those hard-to-buy-for people!

It might be hard to see, but I stamped & heat embossed the letters with clear powder to give them a shiny, stand-out detail:
And to finish it off, I added some red rhinestones . . . you can never have enough bling!

Haven't had a chance to play with Graphically Speaking yet, BUT it's got some of the coolest word & number phrases!

And, well, what can I tell you about Sports Mania?! The name says it all . . . and boy, it sure does have it all!
Soccer, Wrestling, Hockey,Volleyball,Running,Tennis,Basketball,Martial Arts, Baseball,Football,Softball,Swimming, Golf,Coaches, Awards . . .Did I miss anything?
We'll be hosting our 1st Cricut Crop of the new year on Saturday, January 3rd. We know that many of you will be getting ( or just got) a Cricut Machine for Christmas & won't know where to begin. So plan on joining us that day to get started. Click on The Shoppe's Calendar (above & to the left) to get the details. We've already begun to plan for January!