Oh, Canada! Paper Garden Contest

I was lucky enough to receive a wonderful paper pack from Tiffany at the Paper Garden filled with red and white papers to celebrate Canada Day and to enter her Canada Day Card Challenge! There are prizes - including the all important maple syrup!!  (I'm entering but don't vote for me!)  The Sign-Up page is here.  You can see the submissions here.

I was really curious what papers would cut on the Silhouette Cameo, so I used her papers for this week's submissions to the Silhouette Design Store.  I'm delighted to say that all the papers cut very well, even the very heavy Curious Metallic Red Lacquer.

So here are this week's red and white Canada Day projects!

 The Canada Day Accordion card or Decoration Silhouette cutting file can be found here on the Silhouette Design store.

I used the Paper Garden's
Aura Scarlett Linen Cover Weight Cardstock (which has a wonderful linen texture)
Aura Solar White Cover Weight Cardstock





The  Maple Leaf / Canada Day card appears like the one on the left on the Silhouette site, but the file includes a white panel should you wish to use it.  Silhouette wants pure white backgrounds to their photos, so the card with the white panel would have disappeared!  I used the gorgeous Curious Metallic Red Lacquer for this card and used blade depth 7 and a double cut.  It cut beautifully.  If you click on the image for a closer look, you might see the metallic shine.

The last Canada Day project this week is the Canada Day BBQ Decorations.  It includes a bottle tag (yes!  go ahead, use it on a wine bottle - a wine bottle was too tall for my photo!), a flameless votive wrap and a wrapper for your utensils and napkins.  If you make the votive wrapper bigger it could be a crown(!) or table or cake decoration.  For these I used Basis Red and Aura Solar White.

For our American friends, I also design a 4th of July BBQ set. You might want to change the colours around.  Again, because of the white background requirement, I had to use blue for the main shapes!  I wanted to use white!  :-(







Thanks for  having a look today!  Don't forget to enter the Paper Garden's Canada Day Card Challenge.  As well as cardstock (LOVE those metallics!) they carry envelopes, favour boxes, ribbon and more!

Happy Canada Day! I guess I should send these to my sweet younger son.  He arrived 22 years ago inside Burnaby Hospital with fireworks at the same time as the fireworks outside on Canada Day!
Smiles, Suzanne

Butterfly Framed Happy Birthday Card

Here is a sweet card I assembled using the elegant butterfly frame card that is in the Silhouette online store. 

Elegant Butterfly frame card

 Even without the extra butterflies, it's a really nice frame and can be made in all sorts of colour combinations! The card, frame and butterflies are all part of the cutting design and was cut with the Silhouette Cameo.

 I combined Michaels Recollections cardstock and Graphic 45 patterned paper for this card.

I used Pop Dots under the frame mat and Mini Glue Dots to hold on the butterflies.

Happy Family Days stamp set

The stamp is from Happy Family Days and was stamped with VersaMagic Malted Mauve.

 Thanks for stopping in and having a look!
Suzanne

Quick Craft Room Organization with Silhouette!

If you have a Silhouette, we've made it super easy for you!  Just print and cut the labels and then you can colour coordinate with the backing colour of your choice!  Add some Glue Dots and voila!  Cute and functional!

This is the general set and can be found on the Silhouette site here.

 We have three sets - I tried to group them by theme, but it's hard!

This is the pen set and can be found on the Silhouette site here.

 All the lettering is done in a casual modern style.

This is the ribbons set and can be found on the Silhouette site here.

Team it up with our Washi Tape Organizer and it's too cute!!

Thanks for stopping in to have a look!
Happy creating, Suzanne

Oh, Canada! New Cutting Files on the Silhouette Online Store

Happy early Canada Day! 
To help you celebrate, here are some timely cutting files!  As with any cutting file, you can alter the size or only use part of the design.

 That maple leaf was perfectly placed so I didn't have to worry about whether you were a Canadien or a Canadian!  But if you're reading this, you're probably Canadienne!
Pick and choose your phrase!
I am Canadi*n
Je suis Canadi*n
Je suis Canadi*nne
You can find I am Canadian on the Silhouette Online Store here.

Here is another that you can split up should the need arise!

 You may find Canada, eh? on the Silhouette Online Store here.

Here is a cutting file that had no end of uses!
Instructions: Open file and ungroup once. Cut six large pennants from red, six medium pennants from white and two each of the smaller pennants from red. Cut one of each C, N, D and three As from white. Assemble as shown. Add additional layered maple leaves as desired. Fold back scored tabs on largest pennants and glue down, leaving room to thread a ribbon or cord across the back. Hang it on your mantle, in your window or make a big one for your game or party!
They don't all have to be red and you can mix and match the smaller pennants however you wish.  You may find the CANADA cutting file on the Silhouette Online Store here.

 

 Have a safe and happy holiday! 
Thanks for stopping in.
Suzanne

This week on Silhouette Online Store

Hi there!
Thought I'd share a bit more detail about the Quietfire cards that are on the Silhouette store this week.

Since this funky pointed pen lettering is all the rage, here is a Print & Cut card using just that style! This is call just for you card.

 

This is a layered card that has all the cutting shapes, including the cardbase.  There is an extra circle included that isn't shown on the photo which can additionally be matted with the background frame. The mats are only 1/16" larger, so there isn't a lot of room for misplacing the shape, but it gives is such a classy accent that it's hard to resist making small borders. The possibilities for colour combinations are endless, but for this card I used Distress cardstock as the base and Kaisercraft Sweet Nothings for the frame.  All pieces were cut with the Silhouette Cameo.

The next one is coffee or tea card:
The shape was inspired by a Walnut Hollow sign and a project I did for Father's Day which you can see here.

This card was made using those exquisite Kanban paper which you can find on the Quietfire site here.  This is quite thick cardstock.  I cut it at setting 7, but I think you could double-cut at setting 5. The letters are cut from Recollections cardstock at setting 3 and the steam and cup base is from good old Staples 65# white cardstock, also setting 3.  You can just use one word or the other on this card by enlarging it to fit the panel.  The white background for the cup may be slightly offset as a dropshadow.  I used a Pop Dot to raise the cup and steam to give the card some dimension.

And last, but not least and because you can never have enough butterflies, here is a calligraphic butterfly placecard.  The wings drop down into the body of the place card and there is a matted panel for lettering a name.  It's hard to see on the online store, but there is a small cut out butterfly in the top panel.

This card is cut from Recollection cardstock at setting 3 and the decorative paper is Bo Bunny Little Miss, also cut at setting 3. Be a bit careful when you pull this card off the cutting mat!  Sometimes it's hard to know which part is suppose to stay and which part is suppose to come off!
I hope you enjoy these new designs.
Thanks for stopping by!
Suzanne

Happy Father's Day, Barista! with the help of Walnut Hollow

When we first acquired an espresso machine, I made a mental note never to learn how to use it....  You know - in the theory that once you do it, it's your job....
 

So to celebrate x number of years of making Americanos for us, I made our barista (and Dad unit) this sign for Father's Day.  (He also got a blue bandana so he can be part of Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen, except he wore it every way *but* they way he was suppose to!  He always has been our Kitchen Chemist - and he has an apron to prove it!)

To make this, I chose a Walnut Hollow pine base.  I adore this shape! It's called the River Road Signboard and measures 12" x 9". I planned on painting it, but I love bare wood so much, I just left it.  I went with coffee coloured papers, but you could use any colours.  I tried a blue cup, but it just wasn't working for me, to I stuck with black.  Once my barista reads this, he'll probably demand a different colour....!

Instructions:

1. Before you start gluing things down, you might wish to add a hanger to the back of the board!  I was so excited about working on it, that I didn't even think of it until we went to put it up on the wall!
2. Cut one black rectangle measuring 11.25" x 5", one rectangle in dark patterned paper measuring 11-1/8" x 4-7/8", one rectangle of light coloured patterned paper measuring 10.5" x 4" and layer as shown.
3. Enlarge the Barista image to 10.75" wide and use the Silhouette Cameo (or other electronic cutting machine) to cut two Baristas, one from white and one from black cardstock.  Layer the black behind, slightly offset, using it as a drop shadow and adhere together.  Center and mount on layered cardstock panel.
4. Enlarge the cup and steam cutting file to 5" wide and use the Silhouette Cameo to cut the cup from black cardstock and the steam from white cardstock (Staples #65).  The drop shadows  images were cut from Core'dinations textured cardstock.  Assemble as shown.  (The cup and steam should be available on the Silhouette Online store tomorrow in a design called Coffee or Tea card)
5. Use Pop Dots to attached the cup and steam to the board as shown.

Thanks for dropping by! Hope you're enjoying Father's Day.  Now we just have to decide where to go for dinner!
Suzanne

Supplies:
Quietfire Barista lettering on Silhouette
Walnut Hollow River Road Sign
Graphic 45 Kraft Recollections

Give a Little Cup of Love

One of my newest designs on the Silhouette Online Store is the Gift Card Envelope with Coffee Cup Display.  My original thought was to make it as a Father's Day gift, but then I remembered being in a Starbucks while on holiday and we were behind a woman who was riffling though a stack of gift  cards before she chose one.  When we chuckled and teased her, we discovered she was a teacher who would frequently be gifted with coffee cards by her students! Sure beats an apple if you ask me!

So yes, when I had this design idea, I drove off to Starbucks to get a coffee and disassemble the cup and sleeve to use as templates (not as easy as you might think!) and then proceeded to tweak.  Keep in mind this is a display cup, there is no bottom so you can't fill it with liquid!  It's just a little cup, not a full size one.

When you open the file, ungroup and pull most of the elements off the cutting mat.  The envelope and backing will stay together and have to be ungouped again.

Cut each element one by one in the colour you wish to use.  I would have used a white cup, but that's really hard to photograph and Silhouette wants perfectly white backgrounds.  lol! Where's the cup?


Here is a side view.

When making the cup and sleeve, you just have to be a bit careful the cup doesn't "squish".  The slits for the card make it want to fold rather than roll, so give it a few practice-rolls.
And here is the inside of the gift card envelope.

Nice Starbucks card, you say?  It's the most beautiful one I've seen - and we got it in Hawaii and keep reloading it.  It raises eyebrows in non-Hawaii Starbucks outlets!

Hope you have fun with this design!  We'd love to see photos on our FaceBook Page!
Thanks for stopping by!
Suzanne

Welcome To My Table!

Expecting company over the next month or so?  Why not create some table decorations?
Here is a little "taste" of what you might do.

Tie a little tag and charm around the dessert fork!  The tag is stamped with our Quietfire Design Christmas Cuddlers stamps and die cut from Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags Two (sold out here - sorry!)

 

 

Add a little digital die cut "table confetti"!

I used Beckett Cambric Beet to cut the Welcome using my Silhouette Cameo - both available from Silhouette America.

 

Thanks for having a look. I've hope this has given you some ideas! Happy creating, Suzanne

Here are the thumbnail links to the products I used:

VersaFine Pigment Inks Christmas Cuddlers Neenah 80 lb Cardstock Grand Calibur Magic Removable Tape Gold Metallic Cord Deer Brass Charm Welcome Beckett Cambric Beet

InLinkz.com

Autumn Leaf Spray

Here is a card I created using the new Autumn digital die cut with the Leaf Spray die cut.  Both are available this week on Silhouette America Online Store here.

I used 140lb Arches Cold Press Watercolour paper and created a watercolour wash using autumn colours, then cut the paper so it fit behind the die cut leaves on the card.  The original leaves were all collected by me waaaay back when we lived in Surrey. The chestnut leaf is a particular favourite!  I had scanned them and used them for various workshops over the years, then recently came upon them again and the light bulb went on.  See, you should never get rid of anything!

There was enough watercolour paper to allow me to cut Autumn.  For the Silhouette users, I used a cutting setting of 9 (just to be safe!) for this 140lb watercolour paper.

The fun thing about making this card is that you end up with a lot of tiny leaves when you clean off your mat!

Thanks for taking a look!

Suzanne

Forever

This is another diecut available on the Silhouette Online Store this week.

I love how these cards turned out.  This first one is one of the first die cuts I made with the Silhouette Cameo.

 

 

Here is another, done more recently, that uses both the diecut and Real Love Stories rubber stamp.

 

 

 

I really love the little flowers in the Spellbinders Whimsy die set.  I popped a little pearl in the center.  Sometimes I colour these pearls with alcohol ink. Getting white ones makes them so versatile.

 Thanks for having a look!
Suzanne

Thumbnail links to the products in the second card are here: