Gift Card Envelopes

I have a new MyMemories freebie for you today.  Create one of these gift card envelopes for each of the graduates on your list.  They are quick and simple to make and completely customizable.  I used papers from the free Outdoor Fun paper pack for the gift card holder on the left and embellishments from the Bumble Flowers quick page for the one on the right.

You can download the templates for free until June 3.  Each set includes a blank template, two patterned backgrounds and a finished project.  Click an image below to download the corresponding template.

   

You do not need MyMemories Suite 4 to use the papers and templates, but it does make it easier.

If you’d like to purchase MyMemories Suite 4, be sure to use coupon code STMMMS97442 to receive $10 off the purchase price plus a $10 gift certificate to use in the My Memories online store.

Friends Forever

Here’s a card I made for the challenge I’m hosting over at Just cards.  The challenge is to make a card out of black and white paper with just a splash of one color.  I chose this challenge because I recently bought a pack of black and white papers and needed an excuse to use them.

I have also accumulated quite the collection of .svg files to use with my eCraft, so of course, I used some of those too.  The flower, lace and the label inside the card were all cut with my eCraft.  The sentiment is from the Heart to Heart stamp set from Hot Off the Press.

Here’s what the inside looks like.

Items used:

• White card stock
• Pink card stock
• Recollections black and white paper pad
• Heart to Heart stamp set (Hot Off the Press)
• Anna Griffin Poppy embossing folder
• 15 Lovely Labels template (Hot Off the Press)
• Butterflies and Blossoms .svg set (Lettering Delights)
• Scalloped Borders .svg set (Lettering Delights)
• Dimensional Flowers Cut it set (Lettering Delights)
• Double-sided foam tape

Deco Dragon Egg Freebie

I just love this week’s freebies and I think you will too. They are called Deco Dragon Eggs.  They are fun to design and easy to put together.  I cheated on the first two by converting one of the templates to a .svg file so I could cut the shapes with my eCraft.  I cut the first one from purple and lavendar card stock and then made a smaller one from patterned card stock. It takes 12 pieces to make each ball and there is no gluing or taping involved.

After I discovered how easy they were to put together, I decided to design one with photos of my granddaughters.  This time I had to do the cutting by hand, but it was pretty easy.

I printed the pieces on HP Everyday Photo paper.  I was afraid it would be too flimsy, but It holds its shape very well.  I think these would make really cute Mother’s day gifts.  You can also use them as boxes as they are about 4.5 inches in diameter if you print them full size on 8.5” x 11” paper.

If you would like to make some of your own dragon eggs, you can get the templates as well as several digital papers for free at the links below.  They will only be free for a limited time, so be sure to grab them before May 20, 2013. 

• Deco Dragon Egg 1
• Deco Dragon Egg 2
• Deco Dragon Egg 3
• Assembly Instructions

You do not need MyMemories Suite 4 to use the papers and templates, but it does make it easier.

If you’d like to purchase MyMemories Suite 4, be sure to use coupon code STMMMS97442 to receive $10 off the purchase price plus a $10 gift certificate to use in the My Memories online store.

Another Page Done!

I was late joining in on the fun, but I did manage to win a $10 gift certificate for any of the packages by Jusme Digital, so of course, I had to spend it today while things were on sale.  I made this page with the Whenever You Remember kit.

The page layout is from another Speed Scrap challenge on the My Memories forum.

Cute as a Button

As a beginning digital scrapper, I find things like the speed scrap challenges very helpful.  I’m far from speedy, but having a recipe for a page is very useful.  Since yesterday was National Scrapbooking day, there were plenty of challenges to choose from.  I chose this one from the MyMemories forum, and here’s what I came up with.

The papers and embellishments all came stock with MyMemories Suite. The font for the page title is Accent Dot Writer.

My eCraft Electronic Cutting Machine

I’ve been eyeing electronic cutting machines for quite a while and finally settled on the Craftwell eCraft.  I chose it because I wanted a reasonably priced machine that I could cut my own designs on. I did a little research before buying it, so I was aware that there would be a bit of a learning curve and I was also aware that some people outright hated it.  However, it made #2 on Top 10 Reviews for electronic cutters, so I figured it couldn’t be all that bad.  I was right.  It does have its quirks, but overall I am very happy with it.

Here’s a card I made with it last weekend.

Everything on the front of the card was cut with the eCraft.  The design behind the flower is one of my cut and fold patterns.  I drew it in Open Office Draw and saved it as a .svg so I could import it into the eCraftShop Pro software that comes with the eCraft.  The flower is from the Cut Flower Easter Cut-it set from Lettering Delights.  The frame is from the Delilah Tags set and the font is Taiga.  I cut all the white pieces from linen textured vellum and the turquois pieces are cut from card stock.

The eCraftShop Pro software that comes with the eCraft is extremely limited.  If you want to separate the layers of a layered .svg, and you most likely will, then you will definitely need some third party software to do that. I asked the folks at eCraft if the ability to separate layers of .svg files was going to be built into the software in the future and was informed in no uncertain terms that there were NO plans to make ANY modifications eCraftShop Pro.

After fighting with the software for about a week, I went in search of an alternative and found Make the Cut (MTC). MTC has a plug-in  for the eCraft so that you can send files directly from it to the machine, but be warned, it is extremely slow!  If I’m going to be cutting a lot of shapes, I typically manipulate the shape in MTC, save each layer as a separate .svg and then import it into eCraftShop Pro to send it to the eCraft from there.

One of the features of the eCraft that is slightly misleading is that it does not require a cutting mat.  While that is technically true, you DO need to use a carrier sheet with most papers.  When I say carrier sheet, I mean you will need to place a piece of cardstock under the paper you are cutting.  If  you set the blade depth properly, you will be able to use the same carrier sheet multiple times before you have to replace it.  To keep it from slipping, I use a repositionable glue stick to adhere the paper I’m cutting to the carrier sheet.  Be warned though, you do NOT want to put that adhesive anywhere where it will get on the rollers!  They are a pain to clean.  Also, you don’t need to use very much adhesive at all.  The instructions on the glue stick I have say to use two coats.  You don’t need that much.  One very light coat is plenty.

So, after all that, am I happy with my eCraft? Yes. 

If I could turn back time, would I buy it again?  Most likely, given the same budget.  If I could double my budget, I think I’d probably go with a Zing instead.