There's an awkward space between the stairs and the wall in my art studio. After some thought, I decided to turn it into a cozy little nook for my son. I've filled the space with pillows and hanging baskets with toys, books, snacks, and more. It's a place that he can call his own when he comes up to the attic. IMHO, decorating a special kid-dedicated space is about nurturing -- providing him with a sense of ownership, independence, and confidence. He knows that Mommy has rules about her space and art supplies, but this is a little nook where... Read more →

I stumbled across some images of "interleave quilts" and I couldn't stop obsessing. The vivid, dynamic designs, the meticulous craftsmanship and intricate detailing, the glorious colors – all these combined to draw me in and make me want to learn more. source In its simplest form, interleave quilts are composed of two pieces of fabric that are sewn together in a pattern of continuous strips. Sometimes, the quilts will include a discernible shape or shapes. This optical illusion can be used to make the quilt look even more intricate. source And being me -- a curious explorer of all things... Read more →

Have you ever thought about etching glass? It's super easy to do and takes almost no time. Here's what you need: Etching Cream Tape Adhesive-Backed Flexible Stencil -- I made my own from adhesive-backed vinyl, but you can buy pre-made stencils too. Rubber Gloves Access to Running Water Glass Object Timer Good Ventilation Optional: Apron The process is simple: Place the adhesive-backed flexible stencil on your glass object. Tape off any areas not covered by the stencil and which you do not wish to be etched. Put on your gloves. Make sure you're in a well-ventilated area and near running... Read more →

Have you ever used reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)? I tried it out for the first time and I had my doubts. I mean, other than reflective stripes on bikes or running clothes, I just wasn't sure what I'd do with it. However, after some experimenting, I'm a fan now. The reflective nature of the HTV is like a fun bonus that makes your handmade objects that much more special. This weekend, I made this super fun bag... ....which totally transforms with the addition of light in a dark room... The reflective HTV changes color when the light flashes across... Read more →

The ScanNCut is a mega scrap busting machine! Because of the built-in scanner, I'm able to save and use all of my little scraps of paper, fabric, vinyl, and other materials. One of the techniques that I go back to time after time is "the baseball field method." What's that you ask? Well, I'd be delighted to tell you! The baseball field method is a simple technique that allows you to maximize your time and effort. In essentials, I take different colors/patterns of the same material and place them onto my cutting mat spread apart -- like bases on a... Read more →

Do you know what sublimation printing is? In essentials, it's using heat to permanently transfer ink from a piece of paper onto another surface. If you look around your house you probably have sublimation printed items and don't even know it. Mugs, t-shirts, socks, tote bags, mouse pads...the list is pretty long. If you look online, you'll find hundreds of videos with hacks and instructions for doing sublimation printing at home. So, of course, I wanted to try it! I bought two different brands (and styles) of sublimation markers – one with a very thin pen tip and one with... 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 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 →

I have been a busy bee these past few months and have not always been great about sharing everything I make. How about a little bit of show-and-tell today? Here are a few recent projects from ScanNCut Club: a vase that holds water, made from either paper or cork fabric 3 different styles of package toppers embossed Valentine (that's paper, not metal btw) Domed Paper Luminary Infusible Ink (i.e. sublimation) how to One of my favorite things that has happened because of ScanNCut Club is that I have been forced out of my comfort zone. I usually make tutorials of... 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 →