I am back. I am so sorry for being gone so long.

     We have had some serious health issues the last few years but everything is fine now.  We also had a new house built and moved from Maryland to Virginia.  We are settled in and I have a wonderful craft area in the basement.
     I have been playing with my Silhouette Cameo and loving it.  My Cricut Expressions is not forgotten though.  One of my new passions is making mini albums.  I use both machines to help me out with these projects.  For those of you who do not know, the Silhouette Cameo does not use cartridges.  It also does not have to be hooked up to the Internet.  I first really heard about it thru http://www.capadiadesign.com/ newsletter.  I had thought it was an other machine like my Expression.  I took notice when Diane, from Capadia Designs, showed a flower her husband had grown in their yard but she had used the Cameo to print and cut it out.  WOW!  I liked that and learned all I could about this wonderful machine.  Now I also know that I can design my own things, also.  There are loads of YouTube videos showing you the basics and advanced projects or ways to do things with it.  I buy some designs from www.SilhouetteAmerica.com and others from various sites that sell .svg files.

This bear file was purchased from www.littlescrapsofheavendesigns.com  I made the frame to fit the bear using Silhouette software.

This card design was purchased from www.svgcuts.com.  The stamp is from CTMH.

After I made the camper card I decided to make a "shaped" card using the camper from www.svgcuts.com.  I first made the top of the camper flatter, duplicated the image, flipped it and welded it to the original.  I folded it in half and had a shaped card.  Then I just layered it.

I had seen something like this online.  I thought I can make it with my Silhouette software - and I did.  I made a couple other versions, too.

I purchased the basic card design with the cut out of the Christmas tree.  Then I just measured and cut out the decorative panels for the card.  

Sailboats and water coloring Cards.

I borrowed this stamp from a friend and water colored with with INKTENSE watercolor pencils.  I just bought them and love them for their bright colors.  It gave me an excuse to use of some of my scrap papers, too.

I have been stamping and cutting out a lot of images for my cards.  I use them either for STAIR STEP CARDS or PAPER PIECING.  I tried stamping on sticker paper just now and like the idea.  Once I cut out the image the backing is already sticky so I only have to stick it onto my card.  YEAH!

I just got some new stamps in from Art Impressions and of course I have to try them out.  I am taking a large sheet of Bristol Board paper (art section of AC Moore's) and stamping as many as I can get onto one sheet.  Then I can color them with my watercolor pencils while I am on the phone or "watching" tv.  I will use a damp #3 watercolor paint brush later.  Since I am not using very much water the Bristol Board paper doesn't warp or buckle.  The Bristol Board paper is very smooth unlike watercolor paper so it stamps nicely. 
The above image is one sheet of stamps.  Sorry  the scan didn't do them justice.  I will watercolor these before I cut them out.  Then I will use them on cards.  I have some stockings to hang on the fireplace for a Christmas card.  I stamped them on decorative paper and cut them out.  The stocking stamp (3 stockings) is also from Art Impressions.

This is a pop up card I just made for a friends birthday using new stamps from Art Impressions.  It starts out flat coming out of the envelope. You pull on the front and the owl pops up.  The greeting then shows where you pulled it out.  The images and sayings are all from Art Impressions.

I am giving sets of greeting cards to friends for Christmas and needed something to hold them. I think this will work out great. I plan on putting a few cards with matching envelopes on each side of this folder. Very easy to make, too.

Inside of Greeting Card holder

Outside of Greeting card holder before decorating the front.

Instructions for creating multiple Greeting card/envelope holder

Video techniques from down under.......

 Hello!  I belong to a Yahoo group that has been around for years.  It is called Midwest Stampers.  No, you don't have to live in the midwest to belong to it.  I live in southern Maryland and have belonged to it for years.  Thursdays they have Technique Thursday where each Thursday a different technique is explained.  Today the List Mom, Connie posted a link to a great site.  Click on it below.  This lady has lots of video techniques that I think are very different.  Perhaps it is because she lives in Australia and I live in the USA.  Anyway, I wanted to share it with everyone...
http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com/

Cricut Expression

My husband surprised me with the Cricut Expression 2 years ago for Christmas. What a wonderful gift for any one.  I use it almost daily.  My grand-daughter has used it for school projects.  I use it mostly for card making but also have used it for cutting vinyl for advertising on hubby's race car.