Today we are playing with TCW959: Rainbow Branch Circle. This is another stencil that Maker & Super Learner Members may recall was the SVG of the month several months ago. It's such a great design and I'm so pleased to be able to offer it to a wider audience. In this short tutorial video I'm showing you the single easiest way to use spray inks with your stencils, get great results, and get two prints with just one application of spray ink! Sounds too good to be true, right? This is the card that I made in the video: And... Read more →

There's no need to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to create cut files from scratch or spend hours hunting down the perfect file. You can take existing files and customize them - for free - in CanvasWorkspace Online. In fact, you can even find the files to alter - for free - in CanvasWorkspace Online. There are dozens of pre-designed projects - all 100% free - with instructions and cut files for you to use. From cards to cake toppers to lamp shades to hair clips. There's an enormous variety of projects at your fingertips. In this technique tutorial... Read more →

Today we are exploring TCW956: Viney Flowers. Maker & Super Learner Members may recall that it was the SVG of the month many months ago. I couldn't stop using it, so I decided it had to be an official stencil. In this short tutorial video I'm sharing how to use ink pads on the gelatin plate with a stencil. This is the card that I made in the video: Stencil links if you wish to buy any of them: TCW956: Viney Flowers 12x12: https://shrsl.com/3clb8 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbe TCW957: Quartered Blocked 12x12: http://shrsl.com/3clbg 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbh TCW958: Splash Whoosh 12x12: http://shrsl.com/3clbj 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbm... Read more →

Today is my birthday! I'm just a little bit older than I was in this birthday photo. (And 5-6 years older than my Mom was in this photo!) And now I must confess an awful truth: I don't really like cake. I like the look of a cake and I love the look of a cupcake. But I'd much rather simply eat ice cream or a cookie and call it a day. Nevertheless, like I said, I do like the look of cupcakes and there's a certain two-year-old living in my house who can demolish a cupcake in no time... Read more →

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make a big difference. My washi tape storage method is one of those simple happy things. Watch this short video all about it: Like I said in the video, this is a system I've been using for years and it works really well. I hope you'll give it a try! If you're looking for some washi tape inspiration, check out these blog posts from the archives: Make Your Own Washi Tape - first shared in 2010 and re-blogged in 2015. And now again in 2022. (Probably time to write an updated tutorial,... Read more →

It is super easy to cut craft foam with your ScanNCut DX machine. You simply need to remember to properly prep your foam and your machine. So, let's talk about how to do it. The first generation of ScanNCut machines had two blades: a Standard Blade and a Deep Cut Blade. The Deep Cut Blade was the obvious choice for cutting things like craft foam. Deep material. Deep blade. The current generation of ScanNCut DX machines have four blades: a Standard Auto Blade, a Rotary Auto Blade, a Thin Fabric Auto Blade, and a Vinyl Auto Blade. So which one... Read more →

If you're like me, you love to make hand made cards, but you hate that people throw them away. Well, I figured out a solution that makes the card both a card and a gift: In essentials, all I did was cut some slits into the front of my card and slide the artwork in. It's quick and easy. When I posted this video on social media yesterday, I got a few questions about how to cut the slits, so I put together a quick tutorial: What do you think? Is this an idea that you'd try out? Thanks for... Read more →

One of my favorite things to do with my ScanNCut is to make custom t-shirts. It’s quick and easy and they make great gifts. As you may know, Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) is a breeze to cut with the ScanNCut (especially with the Vinyl Auto Blade). However there is one part of the process that I have messed up a few times, much to my chagrin. And the worst part of this mistake is that it really makes the whole project look bad. So here’s my true confession: I don’t always get the sizing and placement of my designs right.... Read more →

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Hopefully you're anticipating good company and delicious food on Thursday. I have always loved adding fancy DIY place cards to my holiday table. Here are a few of my favorites from the blog archives: 2013 - City Skyline Place Cards (tutorial is here) 2017 - Leaf Place Cards (original post) 2018 - Egg Place Cards (original post) 2013 - Stamped Place Cards (original post) 2014 - Pop Up Place Cards (0riginal post) 2015 - Playing Card Place Cards (video tutorial is here) 2010 - Butterfly Place Cards (tutorial is here) 2019 - Paper Flower... Read more →

I'm going to be giving a lecture on Surface Design in Quilting at the Watertown Public Library tonight. The event is free, but reservations are required. Here's the flyer for the event: If you're interested in learning more about Surface Design on fabric, here are four tutorial videos I've shared over the years, specifically about printing/painting on fabric: I'm going to tell you the most important things to remember about painting/stamping/drawing/printing/etc. on fabric. If you're not going to wash the fabric, then anything goes. Use any art supply in your stash and have fun! If you are going to wash... Read more →