I am working on some Fall baskets to decorate tables with at our church  at Lee Center,IL.

Gourds and corn donated by Janice White. She suggested that I clear coat them to have them last longer...sure brought out the pretty colors. These were grown by Selmi's Mkt in Sterling IL. ..nice selection! I made the table mats to place the baskets on as well.. Thanks Janice!

 

 

I was at our newly opened JoAnne's Store in Sterling today and look what I found!...Printed Paris post burlap to make a Christmas stocking door hanging with! I love it! also JoAnne's giving away some nice larger sized  shopping bags  with purchase ( be sure to ask)  Today I am still working on some Mason jar  wraps for Christmas gifts...turning out really cute and will show them later,  when done...TBC'd

http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/2012/09/french-side-table-makeover.html

 

reverse decoupage transfers..will use this picture to transfer.

 

 

 

Betty's yo yo tablecloth and information

	10842.70 in reply to 10842.69
	You are so welcome! Here are some I found I had written down on a paper for reference : I think I got it someplace on the Internet several years ago . . (Each Yo-Yo has a 1/4 " hem that you run the stitch in .) Circle Template Sizes : 1 1/4 " makes a 3/8'' sized Yo-Yo 4 " makes a 1 3/4" yo-Yo 1 1/2" makes a 1/2'' sized Yo-Yo 4 1/2 " makes a 2" Yo-Yo 1/3/4" makes a 5/8" sized Yo-Yo 5" makes a 2/14" Yo-Yo 2" makes a 3/4" size Yo Yo 5 1/2 " makes a 2 1/2" Yo-Yo 2 1/4 " makes a 7/8" size Yo-Yo 6 " makes a 2 3/4" Yo-Yo 2 1/2 makes a 1" size Yo-Yo 6 1/2" makes a 3" Yo-Yo 3" makes a 1 1/4" Yo-Yo 7 " makes a 3 1/4" Yo-Yo 3 1/2" makes a 1 1/2" Yo-Yo 8 " makes a 3 3/4" Yo-Yo Hope this gives you an idea of the different size Yo-Yo's . I had to guess at the sizes of the ones I made .Then I counted the Yo-Yo's and wrote it down . The size I made for the runner had 264 (2 inch ) Yo-Yo's in it . It measures 67" X 16" And I had 33 Yo-Yo's long X 8 Yo-Yo's wide in rows. The Table Cover one took 676 (2 inch ) Yo-Yo's and it measured 4 ft. X 4ft. ...And I had 26 Yo-Yo's long X 26 Yo-Yo's wide in rows to make it a Square.   You have circles cut ( like a 4 1/2 inch circle of fabric which will end up a 2 inch Yo-Yo when you finish ) , then using your needle threaded with a knot in the end (I use Quilting thread for my running stitches as it is extra strong and I use it doubled and knotted .) Fold over about a scant quarter of an inch on the outside edges , and as you go along , stitch a running stitch thru it all till you get to the place where you started it with your (KNOTTED end ) LOL . The you have to pull up the slack in it with the running stitch so it all gathers ...( I try to pull each thread so it pulls up tight and you will see a " little circle" in the middle ) and I always tie off the knotted end with the needle end of the thread down tight to the Yo-Yo , 2 Times to make it secure . Then cut your thread close but---(being careful Not to cut the knotted part,. LOL ) and you have a Yo- Yo ! Then do it again and again with more circles you have cut . I use all kinds and colors of circles and when you put them together to make what you are making , you can place them where you want them and match up different colors and then stitch a tacking kind of stitch onto the side of each one to keep them together good . You could then make several strips of the Yo -Yo's sewed together and then connect the strips in whatever thing you are making ( Long table Runner or square table cover OR topper for bed or a quilt top ). I made a circle out of a piece of cardboard that measures the 4 1/2 inch diameter for my pattern so I can use it to cut out all the circles . . My Runner for my Fireplace top (or a dresser or long table etc. ) took 264 Yo-Yos' (33 Yo-Yo's LONG and 8 Yo-Yo's WIDE) 33 X 8 = 264 MY Table Cover took 676 Yo-Yo's to make and it measures 4ft. by 4 ft. square (26 Yo-Yo's Long and 26 Yo-Yo's wide and making it measure 4 ft. by 4 ft. square using All of the 676 Yo-Yo's . (Hope I have not confused you! ) 26 X 26 = 676 The following is a quilt made from a forum quilt swap a few years ago . also a crazy quilt made by Betty.

Ox swap Plus...burrito pillowcases

The Oz Swap

10109.1

Recently a few crafty friends decided to have an Oz swap and each choose a character to make, using the medium of our choice. As you can see, we had some wonderful ornaments made. Thanks to all who participated and also , special thanks to Jan Young for joining us with an extra special surprise...the the tin man! The first is made by Judy who chose a pattern designed by The Cheswick Company . the Cowardly Lion is made from felt and though a real scardy cat, he is as cute as can be! Judy sells her lovely hand made needlework and crafts at her daughter's primitive shop , Seasons of the Heart, in East Liverpool Ohio... The Tin Man was made and designed by Jan Young. Jan always never fails to come up with such original work and designs . You can see more of her creations at Raggedy Jan and Primitive Ewe. You will see many fine things for sale in her Esty shop at Raggedy Jan. Her paintings are awesome! Dorothy and Todo Dorothy was made and designed by the long time doll artisan, Jean StAubin. She has added a lot of detail, including Todo in her basket! Jean has retired from the craft business, but like many of us, keeps her interests and skills and shares them on a private forum we all belong. Jean used wood, cloth and mixed medium in making this lovely doll.Notice her red shiny shoes! Glenda Good witch was made and designed by Pammi counts. I love the netted dress and the magic she illuminates with her wand! I can see why all little girls..and big ones too, love Glenda! Pammi used wood, netting, mixed medium and even a star shaped brilliant jewel on her wand. Pammi Keeps active doing projects for church and teaching SS . She is sewing up pillow cases for www.conkercancer.org and painting memory boxes . Our adorable Scare Crow was made by Deb Vance .He is made of cloth, burlap and imagine some straw tucked in there as well! Deb was born and lives in WV,wife of a minister there, and Director of their Food Pantry . She has been a long time Oz collector and has many crafting talents. On their way to see the Oz at Emerald city! The awesome wicked witch was made by Kathy Kirian. Kathy is a full time employee and yet finds time to craft and join our swaps. This bad girl is made of fabric, clay, and mixed medium. I love the green face with the wart! Nice job ! She has these mischievous flying monkeys as well! Made by Cindy Boyenga of The Gathering Room, using clay, and trims and mixed medium. The wings are paper that was painted and modge podge used to give them a leather feel. We hope you enjoyed seeing the ornaments of our latest swap! Thanks to all for all who participated in this swap! As a special bonus, I added Dorthy's slipper to the swap. Easy to make, using a child's size 1-2 shoe( from Goodwill shop, ) it is painted painted, glittered in red,and embellished with netted bow, musical paper liner, and an emnerald stone. By Cindy Boyenga and...if your are not into making ornaments...you can always do like Helen Eyers and her family did one year for their parade in Alton ,Illinois... Helen made all these outfits..aren't they awesome!!

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Pillow cases

Here are the measurements that I use for making the burrito pillowcases. I've made them out of all kinds of novelty fabrics having to do with a person's interests, a holiday, birthday, etc. You can even use lace in place of the accent strip. DH and I each have a travel size one in our vehicles. Gail




Standard pillow

body: 3/4 yard

sashing: 11"

accent: 2"



Travel pillow

body: 16-1/4" x 27"

sashing: 7" x 27"

accent: 2" x 27

silicone bulb dipping...by Crafty Avenue

Supplies:




*Clear or opaque 100% silicone caulking in a tube (make sure its marked 100% silicone or outdoor silicone, NOT the silicone rubber caulking)

OR use Crafty Avenue's new Silicone Dip in a jar



*Night light bulbs, small 5 watt bulbs, or small Christmas lights (you can usually find night light bulbs at the Dollar Tree store)



*Gloves (uncured silicone can irritate your skin)



*A container such as a margarine tub, or yogurt cup if your silicone is in a tube



*Wire or ornament hooks



*Something to hang your bulbs on to cure



*A well ventilated room or do your project outside







Optional:



*Artist oil paint or oil based model paint



*Scented oil, candle fragrance, or vanilla



*Coffee grounds or cinnamon



.



Directions:



Be sure you are in a well ventilated area. The silicone puts off fumes that you may not always be able to smell. First, test out each bulb to make sure it works. You don’t want the aggravation of a gorgeously dipped bulb that doesn’t light up. Next, wrap a length of wire around the metal end of your bulbs, then bend the end into a hook so you can hang them after dipping to cure. Prepare an area to hang your bulbs after they are dipped that won't be disturbed. You can use empty hangers, an indoor clothesline, or a towel rack. I've also seen crafters create a wall specifically for hanging their bulbs... simply bang nails into a board, or directly in your wall to hang the bulbs from. Make sure you have everything set up before you open your silicone, as it will harden quickly.



When dipping, you want to make sure you have enough silicone in your container to completely submerge your bulb; so use your bulb as a measuring guide and mark a fill line on your container. Empty the tube of silicone into your container up to the fill line (you can cut off the end of the tube). To avoid bubbles, squeeze a little of the silicone into your container, then tap the container on a surface to let the bubbles rise to the top; then squeeze some more in, and tap again.



Heat the silicone in your microwave for 60 seconds. Put your gloves on, then stir the silicone slowly until smooth. Be carefull not to stir too quickly or you may get air bubbles. If you'd like to add color, scent, or coffee grounds for a grubby look, add these now (one at a time). When adding color, you only need a pea sized dab of the oil paint, or two drops of the model paint. Add a little at a time. The silicone will look much darker than the finished bulb will be. Use three drops to a 1/2 dropper full of scented oil. The silicone may appear slimmy when you mix in the oil. Continue to mix it into the silicone, until the silicone gets back to normal after about a minute of mixing. Add the coffee grounds or cinnamon last for a grubby looking bulb.



Grip a lightbulb by its wire-covered base, not the wire hook, and push it slowly into the silicone. For a smooth finish, pull the bulb straight up slowly at first, then quicker when you get near the tip to create a long tip. If you twist while dipping, it will give you neat ripples on the bulb. If you get a bump or other flaw you don't like, you can rub it with an ice cube to smooth (but make sure you don’t touch the bulb with your fingers).



If your bulb doesn't look right at all and you want to start over, wipe off as much of the silicone as you can with a paper towel. (Be sure you're wearing gloves!) Then wipe the bulb with a paper towel moistened with isopropyl alcohol to remove any residue. Let the alcohol dry before trying to dip the bulb again.



Hang the bulb up to dry by the wire you attached. Let it cure for about 24 hours without touching it. Use the new country bulb in your candle lamps, and more!



If you've added scented oil or coffee grounds to your silicone, your bulbs may "smoke" at first when plugged in and they are starting to warm. They are just steaming off their scent and coffee, and is not a fire hazard. The smoking will subside over a short time.



Depending on the wattage of your bulb, these can last for years. The tip is to leave them turned on at all times; switching them on and off is what burns the filament. Of course, this is only practical for a night light or perhaps a bulb of 15W or lower.

other hints.....
You can use model paint or oil based paint but I found model paint worked best.To scent them use scented oils or vanilla,I also do the grubby ones with coffee grinds,and yes you can use mineral spirits to thin it but when you use the scented oils that will help but mix it very well,stir,stir, stir and that help heat it up for better dipping.

If you are needing to thin your silicone, you got the wrong stuff. Mine was in a caulking tube, got it at walmart. its clear and its indoor/outdoor. I squezed all the silicone into a plastic dish with a lid, hold the tip close to the bottom that way as the dish fills up its kind of pushing out any air and its more solid in the dish (not looking like a snake all coiled up) I found that swirling it very slowly as you pull out the bulb works best for me. I let mine dry a little while maybe about an hour , then I carefully dipped it in Cinnamon and blew off the excess. They turned out awesome.




read that to color the bulbs you use oil based model car paint. To scent your silicone add essential oils(your choice) or you can roll them in cinimmon after about an hour then blow off excess.Do not stir the paint in, "fold" it in.

I tried this but i mixed cinnamon on the silicone and stirred it up. You can also do the same with acrylic paint and scent and it will come out as a grubby bulb. I haven't got a good clear tip out of it but like how they turned out. I read that you can use mineral spirits to thin it out and I will be trying that out soon.

Thankful printables

Linen spray by Carole H

 
LINEN SPRAY



4 oz. clean spray bottle with a fine mist setting (do not use a bottle that previously contained cleaning products or hair products)

1.5 ounces distilled water

1.5 ounces vanilla extract



up to 10 drops of your favorite scented oils


Fill the bottle with 1.5 ounces of the vanilla and distilled water. Even though a 4 ounce bottle is suggested, leave about 1 ounce unfilled so you can shake the bottle well between uses. Then add up to 10 drops of your scented oils. Shake the bottle prior to each use and be sure to let it sit for a day before making a conclusion that the aroma is weak. The aroma can change after the spray has had time to sit. Mist your finished primitive lightly and dry. If you need more scent, just mist again.

OLD FASHIONED SOAP BALLS/BARS by Carole H

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED SOAP BALLS/BARS








1 cup of instant Quaker oatmeal

1 bar of ivory or dove soap

1/4 cup of water



Grind up the oatmeal in a food processor until finely milled but do not grind to flour. You want it chopped up enough to break up the oatmeal flakes but still be visible.



Grate the bar of soap into small slivers. Place the soap and water into a large microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Stir the mixture once or twice making sure it does not bubble over.



When the soap is dissolved remove from the microwave and add the ground oatmeal slowly, stirring constantly.



Let cool enough to touch, then form into balls or bars and place on wax paper to set and dry. It will take about 2 hours for them to set.

sweet potato garland by Carole H

Sweet Potato Garland








You will need at least 2 nice size sweet potatoes to make a garland.

Do not peel the potatoes.

Half each potato, then cut each half into thirds and then cut that four or five more times into nice size chunks (remember it will shrink almost in half). Put the chunks into a large bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg and toss it all together.

You can use a dehydrator or if you don’t then put your oven on the lowest temp (150 degrees). Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper, put the chunks on it. Then into the oven for about 2-3 hours, or until they are starting to get soft…Now you string the potato chunks. It is much easier doing them this way instead of when they are raw. Make a loop in one end of your twine and start stringing your potato chunks. Wait till the potatoes are dry before making the loop on the other end. You will need to push the chunks together as they dry, so make sure you use a twine that is strong, so it doesn’t break. You can skip the stringing and use the dried Sweet Potatoes for bowl fillers. Put a few whole cloves, bay leaves & broken cinnamon sticks in your bowl with the dried Sweet Potatoes...Yummy this smells so good.

snowmansickles )

Snowmansicle Ornaments.


Snowmansicles:

Supplies: plastic icicles (I found them at Dollar Tree), homespun fabric, red fleece fabric or red flannel, chenille (for the trim around the hat), hot glue, glamour dust, ( by Deco Art, you can find it at Michaels) rusty bells, rusty wire, small round tags, 38mm stryofoam balls, spray adhesive (non-yellowing), cardstock snowflakes ( I cut them out with a snowflake punch), joint compound mix ( you can find a small container of this at Walmart in the paint section), ultra fine Sharpie, Kiwi brown shoe paste.

Americana paints: Buttermilk, Cadmium Red, Lamp Black, Burnt orange.

Prepping the icicle: I have done this two different ways. 1st option: take the cap off the icicle. Spray some adhesive into the icicle, add the glamour dust ( you can also use glitter) and shake to coat it. 2nd option: take the cap off the icicle and pour about 1 Tbsp of Buttermilk paint into the icicle. The paint is a little thick so add a drop or two of water to it. Shake the paint around the icicle until it is coated. I don’t worry about coating all of it, I’ll tell you why in a second. Turn the icicle upside down and allow the paint to drain out. Give it a couple of hours to dry. Ok, the reason I don’t mind if the icicle is not completely coated is I spray the adhesive into the icicle and add the glamour dust. It adds a sparkle to the areas that were uncoated and gives it an icy look.
Center the Styrofoam ball over the icicle and push it down on to the top. Remove it and add hot glue to the indented area, push it onto the icicle and hold it until it is glued firmly in place. With a spatula add the joint compound to the Styrofoam ball. Don’t make it too thick or it will take forever to dry but don’t make it so thin you can see the stryofoam. Allow to dry about an hour and then smooth it out by dipping your finger in a cup of water and tapping the mud with your wet finger. Tap and then smooth, tap and smooth. Keep your finger wet so the compound doesn’t stick to your finger Don’t worry if it isn’t completely smooth, mine never are. Now allow the compound to dry for a few hours.

Once it is dry, paint the head with Buttermilk. Give it a couple of coats. Once that is dry, add the eyes. I use a large stylus or you can use the end of a paint brush. Dry brush the cheeks with Cadmium Red. To do this use a small stencil brush or a scuffy brush. Pick up a dab of Cadmium Red (don’t add water),dab, dab, dab it onto you palette ( I use a Styrofoam plate). Now wipe most of it out onto a paper towel. It’s similar to stenciling. Lightly begin to brush the color onto the cheeks. Go lightly because it is hard to get the paint off that compound if you are too heavy with it. You can always add a little more but uuggh it’s a pain to take it off. Now paint in the nose with Burnt Orange. I don’t sketch the nose in but if you need to …sketch it in. Make sure the top of the nose is in between the eyes. That’s the reason I add the eyes first. I don’t like to see a nose that isn’t centered between the eyes…just looks weird (now you are going to be inspecting noses). Add the mouth using dots of Black with a stylus or the end of a paint brush. Dot a high light of white on each cheek. Awww, isn’t he cute?









For the hat: You will need to make a pattern. Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you how. On a piece of paper or cardstock, draw a vertical line that is 6 ½ inches long. At the bottom of that vertical line, draw a horizontal line 1 ¼ inches on each side for a total of 2 ½ inches for the horizontal line. At each end of the horizontal line (at the bottom) using a ruler, draw a line up to meet the top of the vertical line. Do the same for the other end of the horizontal line. This will give you a cone shape. Cut that shape out as your pattern for the hat. Cut two pieces from the red flannel or red fleece. With a ¼ seam allowance, sew down each side. Leave the bottom open. Turn right sides out. Click on the photo for a closer look





Rip a piece of homespun for the scarf. Cut a small piece of Chenille to fit around the hat for the trim. Stain and stiffen the hat and scarf. I don’t stain or stiffen the hat trim. I stain and stiffen using a mixture of coffee, water and Elmer’s glue. You can find my recipe on this posted in a previous “how to” dated Oct 6th, How to stiffen prim fabric ties. Time to get the tags ready. Add the words with the ultra fine Sharpie. Antique the tag with Kiwi brown shoe paste or your favorite antiquing medium.







Pulling it all together. Hot glue the hat onto the head. Hot glue the Chenille trim around the hat. Fold the hat over and hot glue it down. Tie the rusty bell on the end of the hat with a piece of homespun. Tie the scarf around his neck and hot glue in place. Add the tag with a piece of rusty wire. Since the fabric is stiff, I use a large needle and pull it through first so the wire will go through easily. If you don’t have rusty wire, a small safety pin will work. Hot glue the snowflakes on. Attach a rusty wire hanger (or regular wire ornament hanger) to the top of the hat. Pull the large needle through the hat fabric first so it’s easier to get the rusty wire through Spray the piece with adhesive spray or matte acrylic sealer (gonna need some ventilation for this step), dust the snowman liberally with glamour dust. The top hats used for the Jack-o-lantern pokes will also fit these guys. You can find this how to in my blog archives dated October 11th.



OK, you are done. Isn’t he cute??? This is a copy righted pattern so please do not copy it to sell as your own pattern and please give credit where credit is due. Make as many of these as you want for yourself, for friends; sell them in your shop or online. I firmly believe that when we give something, something comes back in return. We can enjoy blessings when we freely give something so someone else can enjoy it. So enjoy making these guys, enjoy giving them as gifts and if you put them in your shop, I hope they do so well you won’t be able to keep up with the orders.







I found some plastic tree light ornaments at the Dollar tree and basically followed these same steps using them instead of the icicles.

Cinnamon Potpourri...from Carole

CINNAMON POTPOURRI




3 cinnamon sticks

3 bay leaves

½ cup lemon juice or 1 lemon cut into pieces

1/4 cup whole cloves

1 orange peel

1 qt. water

Place in pot, slow cooker or saucepan. Heat on low heat. You can refrigerate and reuse any leftovers!

Corn Husk Wreath with Pine Cones

Corn Husk Wreath with Pine Cones love this idea!

Bird Seed wreaths Bells ect...and more...( by Kim)

How to rust safety pins and bells  ...http://www.thepatterncupboard.com/shop/free-patterns/free-rusty-safety-pins-and-bells-recipe-erecipe-epattern/prod_4388.html






Last year I made BIRDSEED WREATHS..easy peasy!..I used a smaller star mold I had..My mold took about 4 cups of mix..measure your mold using birdseed first and adjust the recipe, I had to cut my recipe in half.. I added cranberrys and tied with a raffia bow..NICE! cheap!!!maybe $1.50 each wreath..they sell for $20 or better....I made one a day for 5 days a week or so before Christmas..took less than 15 minutes each day..




1.5 cups of water

4 1/4 ounce packages Knox unflavored Gelatin

8 cups birdseed

Here's a link to a recipe..

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/tweet-treats-671034/



Here's a recipe for BIRD SEED BELLS I just found..



Materials

small terracotta clay pots

microwave-safe plastic wrap or plastic oven bag

length of firm wire (coat-hanger type is fine)

birdseed of your choice (measure it dry in your chosen pots to gauge amount needed)

two egg whites per cup of birdseed (or thereabouts)

Method

Beat egg whites until white and fluffy, but still liquid - you're not making a meringue.

Prepare pots by lining them with microwave-safe wrap or oven bag. Bend the end of the wire that goes into the seed bell into a closed loop (so that birds, or leg rings can't get caught on it when most of the bell has been eaten).

Mix beaten egg whites and bird seed in a bowl until all seed is coated, then spoon the mix into the prepared pots, patting it down firmly. Push the uncoiled end of the wire through center of mix in pot then out of the drainage hole until looped end rests flat on top of the mixture, then push loop slightly into mixture. Place on an oven shelf set high enough to allow wire to hang free. Cook for approximately 60 to 90 minutes in a very cool oven or longer if pots are larger size. The important thing is not to burn the mixture and slow cooking is needed to set it firmly.

Cooked bells will slip easily from pots, peel away the plastic wrap while they're still warm but don't handle the wire until it has cooled. Using a pair of pliers, twist exposed wire end to form a hook for hanging in the aviary.

Sometimes if you use large seeds in your mixture, the widest part of the bell which is exposed during cooking will become slightly crumbly. This only happens for a half-inch or two, but if they are to be given away, and you want a less "rustic" appearance, just spoon the mixture into the pot as usual but mix another beaten egg white with seeds of last few inches and cook as instructed above. This extra "adhesive" keeps the top layer very firm.



NOT QUICK>>>but..

It is also time to start making your ORANGE CLOVE POMANDERS..I did 3 dozen of them last year, boy was THAT time consuming..They came out lovely though!!!..I am glad I made them..I kept about a dozen and gave the rest as party favors and gifts for Christmas Eve at MIL's....cloves can be expensive. Because I was making lots I purchased off the internet.. they were not first quality and there was some waste. I believe I bought 2 pounds and it did all those with some left. I first went to an herb farm, but their price was about $6.95 for 2 ounces..I think I paid around $42.00 for the cloves, and I happened upon oranges, buy one bag, get one free..You might be looking at $2.00 per pomander, more if your cloves are expensive and your oranges aren't on sale!!!



http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-161

Jeans cricut instructions ( revised Nov 26.2010)

MY DIRECTIONS WILL BE IN THIS BOLD TYPE. THE OTHER



SMALLER TYPE IS JUST SUGGESTIONS OR HINTS.



FIRST OF ALL TURN ON YOUR MACHINE. IT IS THE MEDIUM CIRCLE ON THE TOP RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR MACHINE.OUT...THEY SELL EVERY COLOR YOU COULD WANT AT MICHAELS ETC. IF YOU WOULD USE TYPING PAPER ETC.



IT WOULD PROBABLY WRINKLE WHEN CUTTING.



IF YOU HAVE AN EXPRESSIION MACHINE YOU CAN USE BOTH 12 X 12" PAPER

AND 24 X 24" PAPER. YOU MUST HAVE A 24 X 24" BACKER SHEET FOR THE LONGER PAPER.



NOW YOU CAN PUT YOUR PAPER OF CHOICE ON YOUR BACKING SHEET. RUB IT ALL OVER TO BE SURE IT IS STICKING PROPERLY. AT FIRST IT WILL STILL GREAT BUT As YOU USE IT I WILL HAVE ANOTHER SUGGESTION.



BUTT YOUR LOADED PAPER UP TO THE SILVER ROLLER AND

PUSH THE LOAD PAPER BUTTON WHICH IS ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE KEYBOARD. IT IS A DARK GRAY BUTTON. YOU ARE NOW READY TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO CUT OUT.



OK NOW GO TO YOUR CARTRIDGE BOOKLET AND FIND THE ITEM YOU WANT TO CUT OUT. THIS IS THE PART THAT GETS TO BE EXCITING. LETS LOOK AT YOUR BOOK FOR IDEAS THEN GO TO YOUR BLACK RUBBERY PIECE THAT YOU HAVE PLACED ON THE TOP OF THE MACHINE. THE BOOK WILL MATCH THESE PICTURES. OKAY. RIGHT NOW JUST PAY ATTENTION TO THE WHITE BUTTONS IN THE CENTER OF THIS PIECE OF RUBBER. PICK SOMETHING FROM THE BOTTOM OF ANY SQUARE. PUSH THAT BUTTON. NOW OVER TO THE RIGHT YOU WILL SEE A SCREEN AND THAT SCREEN WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU HAVE PICKED. (THAT SCREEN WILL TILT UP FOR YOU TO SEE IT EASIER) IF YOU LIKE THAT ITEM



JUST MOVE ON TO THIS NEXT PART. WE NEED TO PICK A SIZE YOU WANT. THAT IS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MACHINE RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE CARTRIDGE IS PLACED. IT IS A WHEEL LIKE THING. ROLL IT UPWARDS FOR A LARGER SIZE AND DOWNWARD FOR A SMALLER SIZE.I SUGGEST YOU USE A SMALLER SIZE (NO SMALLER THEN 2" TO PRACTICE ON OR YOU WILL BE WASTING A LOT OF PAPER.



OK? NOW YOU GO TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MACHINE AND YOU WILL SEE TWO MORE WHEELS. THE TOP WHEEL IS FOR SPEED OF HOW FAST IT WILL CUT AND THE BOTTOM ONE IS FOR THE PRESSURE YOU WANT IT TO CUT. IN OTHER WORDS

THE PRESSURE WOULD DEPEND ON HOW THICK THE PAPER IS. I USE MAX MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE IT WORKS. IF YOU GO LOW OR MINIMUM 9 CHANCES OUT OF 10 IT WILL NOT CUT THROUGH AND THERE AGAIN YOU HAVE WASTED PAPER. ON THE SPEED BUTTON IS HOW FAST YOU WANT IT TO CUT. I WOULD SUGGEST AS YOU ARE JUST LEARNING TO USE THE LOW OR MEDIUM SPEED. OK...NOW THAT YOU HAVE 1. YOUR ITEM PICKED OUT 2. YOUR SIZE PICKED OUT AND YOUR PRESSURE PICKED OUT YOU ARE READY TO CUT. HOLD YOUR BREATH AND PUSH CUT WHICH IS THE LARGE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT BY THE ON BUTTON. IF FOR ANYYYY REASON YOUR PAPER WRINKLES ETC. JUST PUSH STOP WHICH IS ALSO BY THE ON BUTTON.



OK. NOW YOUR ITEM IS CUT. GO TO THE UNLOAD BUTTON WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE LOAD PAPER BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE OF THE DARK GRAY BUTTONS. PLEASE USE YOUR LIFTER TOOL (SHOULD HAVE COME WITH YOUR MACHINE) TO LIFT YOUR ITEM FROM THE SHEET. YOU CAN USE YOUR FINGER NAIL BUT IT MAY TEAR. BE CAREFUL. OK NOW YOU HAVE YOUR 1ST. ITEM CUT OUT. DO THE SAME THING TO DO THE NEXT ITEM AND ON AND ON AND ON.



NOW FOR THE DARK GRAY BUTTONS



1. EACH CARTRIDGE MAY OFFER DIFFERENT ITEMS ON THE TOP FOUR.



2. IF IT SAYS LAYER (I LOVE THIS ONE) YOUR CHOICES ARE TO PUSH THE ITEM BUTTON THEN PUSH THE LAYER BUTTON AND YOU WILL SEE AN ADDITIONAL ITEM YOU CAN CHOOSE



3. SOMETIMES YOU CAN ALSO PUSH SHIFT AND THEN THE BUTTON YOU WANT TO CUT AND IT WILL SHOW THE ITEM THAT IS ABOVE THE DARK BLACK ITEM ON YOUR RUBBER SHEET. JUST CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I HAVE SAID HERE AND IT WILL WORK. THENNNN THE LAYER BUTTON HAS OTHER HIDDEN THINGS. YOU CAN ALSO (ON SOME OF THEM)PUSH THE LAYER BUTTON (IF IT IS OFFERED) AND THEN THE ITEM BUTTON AND VOILA YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER GOODIE.



AS A FOR INSTANCE ON THE WINTER WOODLAND CARTRIDGE YOU COULD PUSH LAYER THEN THE 6TH. BUTTON ON THE TOP ROW AND YOU WOULD GET ONE PIC. THEN CLEAR THAT AND GO AND PUSH SHIFT THEN THE 6TH. BUTTON ON THE TOP ROW AND YOU WILL GET ANOTHER ITEM THEN YOU WOULD CLEAR THAT AND JUST CLICK ON THE 6TH. ITEM AND GET JUST THE TREE. IT IS TOTALLY FASCINATING. THESE PIECES ALL GO TOGETHER WITH GLUE...IT IS SO MUCH FUN.



NOW...THEY DON'T ALL DO THIS YOU WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE RUBBER SHEET. GOSH I HOPE THIS IS NOT ALL GREEK TO YOU. JUST GO SLOW.

TWO BUTTONS THAT ARE VERYYYYY IMPORTANT...FIRST THE CLEAR DISPLAY BUTTON WHICH YOU HAVE TO PUSH EVERY TIME YOU ARE FINISHED USING A BUTTON. FOR INSTANCE IF YOU KEEP LOOKING AT DIFFERENT BUTTONS AND DO NOT ERASE THEM EACH TIME YOU WILL BE CUTTING ALL OF THE ITEMS YOU LISTED. JUST BE SURE TO PUSH THE CLEAR DISPLAY BUTTON EACH TIME YOU USE IT. THE SECOND BUTTON IS RESET ALL...THAT BUTTON IS THE ONE YOU WOULD PUSH IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON YOUR SCREEN THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE FORGOTTON TO USE THIS BUTTON.



YOU ONLY WANT ONE ITEM AT A TIME ON YOUR SCREEN. IF YOU SHOULD EVER FORGET TO CANCEL IT JUST DO IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT CUTTING. WON'T HURT ANYTHING BUT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF PAPER.



NOW...IF YOU WANT TO CUT AN ITEM MORE THEN ONCE THEN YOU JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT MANY TIMES. AND YOU WILL JUST KEEP CUTTING UNTIL THEY ARE ALL CUT.



NOW ON THE BUTTONS ONCE AGAIN. ON THE LEFT SIDE I NEVER USE THE PAPER SAVER BUTTON..THE SHIFT LOCK.. THE WORD..FRAME..CHARM..REAL DIAL SIZE..FONT OR ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE I NEVER USE THE SPACE..BACK SPACE..SOUND ON/OFF..SET PAPER SIZE...I HAVE NEVER NEEDED THEM FOR ANYTHING...THE ONE I WILL USE WHEN I NEED TO IS THE SHADOW BUTTON. I GUESS THAT PUTS A DARK SHADOW BEHIND THE ORIGINAL CUT. YOU WILL HAVE



TO PLAY AROUND WITH THEM IF YOU NEED THEM. MY MOST FAVORITE BUTTONS ARE ON AND CUT...LOL...YOU WILL HAVE A BALL.



ONE MORE THING I WANT TO LET YOU IN ON IS SOMETIMES THE PAPER WILL ACT UP IF YOU ARE CUTTING TO FAST OR THE PAPER JUST ACTS UP. DON'T USE WRINKLED PAPER AT ALL. IF THIS HAPPENS JUST PUSH STOP RIGHT AWAY. AT FIRST KEEP YOUR FINGER CLOSE TO THAT BUTTON. THE SMALLER YOU CUT THE MORE THINGS CAN HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO VERY INTRICATE THINGS. MAYBE AS WE GO ALONG WE CAN SWAP SOME CUTS FROM DIFFERENT CARTRIDGES. ENJOY THIS MACHINE..IT IS FANTASTIC.



I THINK THIS WILL GET YOU STARTED. DON'T BE AFRAID. JUST EMAIL ME IF YOU NEED SOMETHING CLARIFIED. I WILL HELP THE BEST I CAN. IF YOU TAKE IT SLOW YOU WILL GET IT ALL. I WAS SO FRUSTRATED AND SCARED. NOW I HAVE CUT HUNDREDS OF ITEMS AND LOVE IT EVERY MINUTE DOING IT. I LOVE CUTTING OUT THE TREES.





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From: JEANNIE (JeaninOhio) Nov-25 9:31 pm

To: Cindy B. (cindyjb45) (3 of 4)



4835.3 in reply to 4835.1



CINDY. PLEASE DELETE THE FIRST TIME I SENT THIS TO YOU AS I REDID IT.

I TRIED TO MAKE THE FONT SMALLER BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK ON A MESSAGE. MAYBE YOU HAVE A WAY TO DO IT. THANKS AGAIN. I HAVEN'T HAD ANYONE SAY THIS HELPED SO IF YOU PREFER YOU CAN JUST DELETE IT. IT TRULY IS A WONDERFUL MACHINE AND I MORE OF THE GIRLS GET ONE. I THINK THE PREVIOUS ONE IS JUST A COUPLE OF EMAILS UP. THANKS AGAIN HUGS JEAN




Cookie's added notes
was saving to buy a Cricut so I could also use the SCAL program I found this on their forums




Sure Cuts A Lot version 3 has the same great features of Version 2 but includes support for a variety of electronic cutting machines. While version 3 does not support the Cricut™, it does support the following:



* Works with Craftwell eCraft™

* Works with Black Cat Cougar/Lynx™

* Works with BossKut Gazelle™

* Works with Pazzles Inspiration™

* Works with Silhouette SD™

* Works with USCutter™ (MH/LaserPoint series)

* Works with Craft ROBO/Graphtec™ machines including Wishblade™ (Windows Only)





** Version 1, 2 and 3 of SCAL all install in separate folders by default and do not interfere with each other



Oh * I found this later on another thread







Provo Craft (PC) decided to sue every maker that caused them to lose money by people bypassing their cartridges. Most settled with the company by just removing Cricut support or usage.



Rumors were created by PC that if you use anything other than their items, it will break their products and void their warranty. So if your Cricut catches fire because of the cheap chinese parts in the machine but you use SCAL, well it was the software that caused it, that's what they are going to say.



SCAL 3.0 does not support the Cricut machines. So if you have 2.## or 1.## you can still use it and there will be support till December, but you can no longer purchase those versions.

easy grubby jars

spray paint them black with flat black spray paint. Next  print an old label  on grubbied paper, trim it and attached to  black bottle. Next  mix tacky glue and cinnamon and go over it lightly with this mixture to protect the paint. Add some grubby cheesecloth to the top and they are wonderful!