Simply Organized Sunday

Welcome to Simply Organized Sunday…SOS for short. Every Sunday I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.

If you are looking for ways to upcycle your books, this is the post for you!

I love the plant holder idea! Click here to get more information!

How about using your old books to make a ribbon holder?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Labor Day Weekend and be sure to stop back Monday for a fun post!

Fab Five Friday

Welcome to Fab Five Friday. For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

Kay from My Joyful Moments created this beautiful card for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

Isn’t this polka dot card designed by Lisa from I’m in Haven precious? Be sure to check out Lisa’s blog for more inspiration.

If you are looking for a new challenge blog, check out the Cutting Edge. I was so impressed with this blog and all the wonderful ideas!

Be sure to check out Melania Deasy’s blog. It is fabulous!

Check out Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking to learn how to make your own enamel dots. I am so trying this!

Thanks for visiting and have a fun filled Fab Five Friday and wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Dalmatian Card

This card is made using the Create a Critter cartridge and the new Cricut Explore machine. I purchased a monthly subscription for $9.99 and I have access to over 25,000 Cricut Images and more than 200
fonts. This file is part of the subscription.

I cut two identical images sized at 5 x 5.5 and glued them together to form a quick and easy card! This cartridge is an oldie but I love it!! I really like how the Cricut images have so many fun layers!

 

If you are a Silhouette owner, you might want to check out this file to make an adorable Dalmatian card. This file is a print and cut file so making it into a card would be really easy to do !

Have a great day and be sure to stop back Friday for a Fun Fab Five Friday!

Desk Set

A few weeks ago, I posted this fun desk set on Lori Whitlock’s blog and I just had to share!

A couple of months ago, I made Lori’s 3 Drawers with Organizers (# 48177) that you can purchase from the Silhouette on-line store and loved it so much that I decided to add two more pieces to my desk set.

I used Lori’s 3D Drawer Desk File and followed her video tutorial. It was so simple to assemble thanks to Lori’s great video instructions.

You will be surprised at how durable this organizer is. And it is extremely versatile with drawers sized to hold 3 x 4 project life cards or anything you choose.

Lori’s Magazine Holder (# 39777) also comes with 4 shaped A2 cards that can be used like post cards. I am going to use it to store some of my A2 cards and envelopes.  Lori’s bookplate box (#30636) is the perfect size to fit on your desk. You could size the file a little larger and make two or three stacking boxes.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Simply Organized Sunday

Welcome to Simply Organized Sunday…SOS for short. Every Sunday I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.

Jennifer McGuire is my stamp storage guru! Several months ago she did a post and video on how she stores her clear and cling stamps that I thought was brilliant.



Recently Jennifer did another post on how to store her large and small stamps and it was so helpful to me.

I love her techniques!



Thanks Jennifer for the great video!

Be sure to stop back Monday for a fun new project!

Fab Five Friday

Welcome to Fab Five Friday. For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

Paper bows are so easy to make and add so much to your cards. Thanks to Paper Crafter’s Library you can see over 15 fun cards decorated with paper bows. I love the touch of glitter in the center!

This card is so precious. Be sure to click here to check out all the adorable bow projects.

My sister told me about this incredible blog, Stamping Mathilda and I am glad she did. I love this vibrant card that Godelieve made using scraps! In fact my sister sent me several of the links that I am posting today!

And I love her matching tags!

Speaking of gorgeous tags, can you believe this tag designed using vintage papers made is Sweden. Wow!



Do you love Prima? If so check out their 13” pinwheel stencil! Very clever.

If you are thinking about making your Christmas cards and want a head start, be sure to check out this post by Jenifer McGuire. I can’t wait to try her pearlized water technique.



Thanks Jennifer for providing another great video tutorial!

Thanks for visiting and have a fun filled Fab Five Friday!

Anna Griffin Get Well Card

I have a dear friend that is ill so I made this special card for her.

I made this card using paper and stickers from the Anna Griffin Garden Window kit. Click here if you would like to see a review of this kit.

I used an embossing folder from the Anna Griffin Lace Trimmings Cuttlebug Embossing Folders and Dies collection. See below for a review of this collection.



A few months ago I did a review of Anna Griffin "Emboss, Cut & Create" Idea Book. I am pleased to say that HSN now has this book in stock. Below is a review of her gorgeous book.



Have a great day and be sure to stop back for Fab Five Friday!

Cricut Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter Review

Two weeks ago I promised you a review of the Cricut Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter and I am pleased to report that I like it. To see my Cricut Explore review, please click here.

The Pros:

I did my happy dance when I loaded the Bluetooth adapter to my Windows 8.1 laptop and was able to get rid of the USB cord connecting my Explore to my laptop. Keep in mind when you link your cartridges to the Explore or do a firmware update, you need to use your Cricut USB cord to connect your Explore to your computer.

Thanks to the adapter, I was able to move my new Cricut Explore to our family room located 24 feet from my craft room. I have more space for creating and the Explore loves her new home.

Another plus, the speed and performance of my Explore did not change when I went wireless.

Next, I paired the adapter with my iPad and it worked perfectly. I can open the Make It Now projects on my iPad and send them directly to my Explore to cut.

The Cons:

The iPad application only works with the Make It Now projects and does not let you customize your Make It Now projects.

You can use this adapter with up to eight “host” devices at a time, but according to Cricut customer service, all of the devices need to use the same operating system. In other words, since I am using it on my Windows 8.1 laptop and my iPad, I cannot run them wirelessly at the same time. When I want to use my PC wirelessly, I need to un-pair my iPad. However, it is easy enough to un-pair, so I really don’t mind.

Summary:

I am happy that I purchased the adapter. It has uncluttered my craft room and allows me to use my laptop and cut wirelessly from 25 feet away. Since I bought the adapter during Cricut’s 40% off sale, I paid significantly less than the current retail price of $49.99. I would recommend that you shop around for the best price.

To learn how to pair your new device and to learn if your Mac or PC has Bluetooth please visit Cricut’s page and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Also be sure to check out the system requirements listed on Cricut’s shop page  to make sure your machine(s) are compatible. Be sure to click on the details tab.

To download the free iPad app click here. Please keep in mind that you need to purchase the Cricut
Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter to use the iPad app.

Also check out Ken’s how-to video if you have time! I love Ken Kreation’s channel.

Have a great day!

Simply Organized Sunday

Welcome to Simply Organized Sunday…SOS for short. Every Sunday I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.

I love Regina’s craft room and I can’t believe this is the first time I saw this post that originally came out last February. Wow!

Her craft room is one of the most organized ones that I have seen. Click here to see 12 more photos thanks to HGTV.

Now if you want the inside scoop from Regina with before and after photos, click here to visit her blog Hand to Paper. Be prepared to be astonished!

And don’t forget to visit her shop The Cutting Cafe.

Have a great week!

Fab Five Friday

Welcome to Fab Five Friday. For those of you that are new to this blog, every Friday I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

This is one of my favorite links ever! For 50 practical and fun ways to use Mason jars, click here. Thanks Country Living for sharing these. I love all the organizing tips, especially how to use them to organize your spice drawer. And for cooking and making salads to go!

I am in a DIY mood and when I found this post, I knew I had to share! My favorite is the perfect head scarf. Thanks Everything Etsy for this informative post!

As you all know, I have been having fun playing with my Cricut Explore. I recently discover a great Facebook group called Cricut Design Space and joined the group. For more information, click here. There are over 8,632 member with tons of knowledge regarding Design Space. I also found another amazing FaceBook group, Let’s Learn Cricut Explore with over 5,331 members. I joined and I am loving this group. Click here for more information.

Now for my other baby, the Silhouette Cameo. I just upgraded to their newest software version, so please stay tuned for new videos!  A great Silhouette resource is the Silhouette Plus Message Board. This group is the go-to group for all things Silhouette. I have learned so much from being a part of this group and strongly believe you will too! 

And don't forget to check out Silhouette's sale.  Simply click here  and use promo code: BOUTIQUE at checkout to receive your savings!

Be sure to stop back Monday for my review of the Cricut Explore Bluetooth adapter. Click here to see my Cricut Explore review.

Have a fun filled Fab Five Friday!

Silhouette Promotion!

This month’s Silhouette promo includes…

CAMEO Back to School Bundle

• 1 Silhouette CAMEO®
• 1 package of adhesive washi sheets
• 1 package of chipboard
• 1 package of printable cotton canvas
• 1 package of printable gold foil
• 1 package of printable silver foil
• 1 package of printable clear sticker paper
• 1 package of printable white sticker paper
• 1 sketch pen starter kit

Portrait Bundle

• 1 Silhouette Portrait®
• 1 package of adhesive washi sheets
• 1 package of chipboard
• 1 package of printable cotton canvas
• 1 package of printable gold foil
• 1 package of printable silver foil
• 1 package of printable clear sticker paper
• 1 package of printable white sticker paper
• 1 sketch pen starter kit

Simply click here  and use promo code: BOUTIQUE at checkout to receive your savings!

Now for more amazing news! I am so stocking up on mats, blades, vinyl etc.!

Get free shipping on your next Silhouette order of $25 or more

For the rest of the month of August, any order of $25 or more from silhouetteamerica.com ships free! Now is a great time to order one of those new PixScan™ mats you've been eying!

Speaking of PixScan mats, be sure to check out Silhouette’s new PixScan Technology. It is a new feature that allows you to cut around a printed design or to position cut lines in a specific location on your material using a scanner or camera. My PixScan mat is on the way so I have not had a chance to play with this new technology. Please see the video below for more information!



Remember to click here and use promo code: BOUTIQUE at checkout to receive your savings!

Lori Whitlock Creative Team August Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Lori Whitlock Creative Team August Blog Hop! You should be arriving from Lorrie's blog or you can start from the beginning of the hop at Lori Whitlock’s blog.

I made these adorable favor boxes using three of Lori’s cutting files and paper from my stash.

I used Lori’s Bird Favor Box file to make this cute and simple favor box. I love the way my Silhouette Cameo cut the glitter paper. I set the blade to 8 and did a double cut and it cut like butter!

I made this charming favor using Lori’s Frog Favor Box. Lunabelle, my good friend’s three year old has informed me that this is her box! Now I need to purchase some goodies to put in it!

These boxes are perfect for table decorations, gifts or party favors. The Owl Favor Box is my favorite.

In honor of today’s hop, Lori is giving everyone a free SVG download on her blog here.

Lori is also offering 30% off of all shapes and fonts in her shop through Monday, August 18th when you use the promo code “Autumn”. Be sure to visit her shop to see all the new goodies she has created!

There is  also a 30% off sale at Snap Click Supply today only!

Be sure to check out all the other inspiring projects at my fellow teammate’s blogs and leave them some love. Stacy is your next stop in the hop.

Have a great hop!