Happy 2018

Hello Krafters!

I know I have been MIA for most of the year, but I had to come on and wish each of you a very Happy New Year! I hope the new year brings you so much joy!

I don't do resolutions, but I will be posting more often here and on YouTube. I can't wait to share some projects with you! Until then, be safe! Krafthead~

Cricut Maker

Hello Krafters!!

I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I have been creating! As many of you know, Provocraft has released their newest Cricut called the Maker (they also released the Easy Press and the Bright Pad). What sets this machine apart from the Explore and other machines is the ability to cut fabrics without backing AND using a rotary blade! How cool is that? To add, it will also be able to cut 2.4mm of wood using the knife blade once available. This blade is to be released later this year (originally in Oct but has been pushed back to a later date-sigh). I personally cannot wait until it does…oh the projects I have in mind!

Ok, back to the rotary blade and being able to cut fabric without backing. A few years ago, I made an ornament out of felt that turned out adorable. I remember having to use Stiffey to get the felt stabilized to cut in my machine. With the Maker, you bypass Stiffey and fusing! It cuts felt out beautifully! One thing I noticed is the force to cut is a tad high and it will leave grooves and fabric pieces on you mat. It has been said, for regular fabric, leave the threads on and DO NOT scrape the pink fabric mat. However, with felt, it leaves a lot of fibers. I used a lint roller and it cleaned the mat perfectly. I read others used transfer tape and that was successful as well.

A couple of issues I have with the Maker is replacement rotary blades are not available yet. According to Cricut, the blade will last a long time if we only cut fabric. The second is the knife blade. It was not available at release…which was a little disappointing but not a reason for me not to want it. As I stated earlier, the blade was set to release in Oct. I read the release date has been pushed back due to modifications to the blade. My hope is that it will be available in plenty of time to do Christmas gifts.

Even with those two issues, the Maker is an awesome machine! HSN will have the Maker and a few “goodies” to go along with it on October 3^rd. If you like Anna Griffin (I’m sure she will have exclusive content and fabrics), make sure to tune in.

Below is the first cut:

Placed all of my pieces on the mat according to the color they would be cut. Elmo was cut at approx. 2". Look at how well the eyes cut (FYI, Cricut does not recommend cutting smaller than 3/4" when using the rotary blade) Once all of the pieces were cut, I used fabric glue..which exploded on my project LOL. I was really impressed with the cutting and can see a lot of fun projects in my future..so stay tuned! Krafthead~

Altered Dress and Laser Tool

Hi Krafters!

Last week, my second daughter was in a tap dancing competition! I had the task of altering her team’s dresses…NOT sure how that came to be especially considering I am not a seamstress LOL. Basically I needed to add another layer to the bottom of the dress to make it a little longer. Here is a before picture:

As you can see, it had three layers. When I finished, it had four! Here is the finished product:

I was pleasantly surprised it was seamless and no one could tell it was altered!

To help me achieve the look, I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased the same Polyester Lining fabric.  Here is my product plug. I recently purchased the Laser Square Tool by WRMK! What I love about the tool is it does not have to be used for paper craft only! I took one side off and used as a guide to help keep my cuts straight. This allowed all of the layers to be uniformed for each dress! I can see myself using the Laser Tool A LOT! I recommend it! 

Photo of the Laser Tool on fabric:

Anywho, I used fabric glue first to set the layer instead of pinning it to reinforce, and then stitched the seam.

All eight dresses were done in no time…and of course I was asked to do this task at the last minute!!

That is it! I just wanted to check in and give the tool by WRMK a plug and to let you all know I am creating! Krafthead~

Happy New Year...Where I Been....and A Project!

Hello Krafters!!

It has been FOREVER since I posted! I am so grateful to those who continued to follow me through my hiatus! First I want to wish each and every one of you a prosperous, healthy, safe, blessed New Year! I hope that 2017 is much better than 2016!

So back to my hiatus...so much has happened in 2016! Some good and some bad. Since my last post, I think I made just ONE project! Honestly, it was not worth sharing. It was literally a five minute thank you card. As I mentioned prior to being away, I was creating out of obligation and no longer fun. I tell you, I will never make a business out of something I love again unless I hear the voice of God Himself. It was very taxing and it took the air out of me. With a husband, five children, pets and two jobs, it was too much. I lost all desire to create.

However, all was not lost. During my time away, I moved into a new craft room! It is a long story that I promise to share soon. After being in full chaos for about 5 months, I finally have it functional enough to create. It is not where I want it to be, but I am so happy!! Which brings me to my project!!

Back in March, my aunt had her wedding. I did the photography, catering and planning...which I think also played a part in my hiatus. I had the task to edit and print photos. I am embarrassed to say it took me this long to complete the photo package and the photo album for her and her husband! While it is simple and looks like something I did before (there is nothing wrong with lifting yourself LOL) I am so very proud of this wedding album because it is DONE and I was back in the lab creating!

So here it is:

I used an old stack from DCWV called Lemon Flower (I think-I actually gave the pack away to someone and kept the pieces I used). The skeleton leaves are from I Am Roses as is the Gardenia. The yellow roses are Prima (discontinued) and the metal charm is from Making Memories (discontinued)

That's it! I hope you enjoyed today's project! I promise not to be gone this long again! Have a marvelous day and week!! Krafthead~