Whether it’s for a birthday or just for fun these unicorn cupcake holders are sure to bring a smile to the receiver’s face!

Supplies:

• ScanNCut Machine and Accessories
• ScanNCut Hook Tool
• 9oz Transparent Plastic Cup
• Disposable Coffee Cup lid
• 5” x 11” Pink Cardstock
• 5” x 5.5” Gold Cardstock
• 12” x 12” White Craft Vinyl
• 12” x 12” Grid Transfer Sheet
• Low Temp Glue Gun and Glue
• FREE Cut files (see links below)
• Cupcakes!!!
• Chalk board (I picked up mine from Hobby Lobby)
• Ribbon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Download the free cut files from the following links:
   
   • Unicorn Ears and Horn - http://www.erinbassett.com/Freebies/Cut_Files/Unicorn_Ears_Horn.fcm
   • “Life is Sweet” Vinyl Lettering - http://www.erinbassett.com/Freebies/Cut_Files/Life_is_sweet.fcm
   • Bonus Unicorn Shape - http://www.erinbassett.com/Freebies/Cut_Files/Unicorn.fcm
2. To create the cupcake holder, load the Unicorn Ears cut file onto your ScanNCut and duplicate the shapes for the number of cupcake holders you are making. Place the pink cardstock onto the mat and insert it into the machine and cut out the shapes. Remove the pieces from the mat and set them aside. Repeat the process to cut out the Unicorn horn on gold cardstock.
3. For each ear, gently overlap the two bottom edges and glue them into place.
4. Glue the ears and the horn to the inverted cup to create the cupcake cover.
5. If desired glue ribbon along the edge of the lid to embellish the cupcake holder.
6. Place a cupcake onto the holder and place the cover on it.

To create the sign:

1. Load the “Life is Sweet” cut file onto your ScanNCut. Place a piece of white craft vinyl onto the mat and insert it into the machine and then cut out the design. (Remember to do a test cut to determine the proper blade depth.)
2. Remove the vinyl from the mat and then gently peel off the vinyl off the negative areas of the design. It is helpful to use the hook tool to remove the insides of letters.
3. Remove the backing to the grid transfer sheet and smooth it onto the vinyl design. Burnish over the design so it sticks to the transfer sheet.
4. Slowly lift the transfer sheet up to peel up the vinyl design. Place the transfer sheet onto the center of the chalk board. Burnish over the design again so it sticks to the chalk board.
5. Slowly lift the transfer sheet off of the vinyl design and chalkboard.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: Erin is a paid consultant and has received  products from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely her own and based on her use of the products.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony). 

It's finally fall, and that means it's time to get back into baking!

Here's a yummy muffin recipe I make often in the cooler months.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (aka: raw sugar)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, spices, baking soda, and salt and stir well with a whisk.  Stir in raisins.
• In another bowl mix together brown sugar, pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, molasses, vanilla extract and eggs.
• Add the brown sugar mixture to the dry ingredients, stir just until moist.
• Batter will be thick, spoon it into muffin cups with paper liners.
• Sprinkle muffins with turbinado sugar.
• Bake at 400º for 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans immediately, cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 -18 muffins.

Notes:

• Muffin size - if you fill them completely it makes about 12 muffins.
• When I made them this time I did not add raisins since my crazy husband isn't a raisin guy, but they are really delicious with the raisins!!

I have to admit, I like decorating for holidays but sometimes the holiday sneaks up on me and I don't have the things I need to make a cute presentation.  That's when making my own placemat and cupcake toppers is perfect since I can use up patterned papers left over from my scrapbook pages and the photos from the holiday will coordinate perfectly when they are scrapped!

To make this tutorial extra easy for you I've created all the cut files you need and you can download them all HERE for free. Also, don't forget to watch this short video tutorial that will help guide you in making these as well.

Supplies Needed:

• ScanNCut machine and accessories
• USB flash drive (see the compatible ones HERE)
• Patterned scrapbook papers
• Adhesive
• White pen
• Toothpicks

Woven Paper Placemat

Step 1 - Load all of the cut files onto your USB flash drive and then insert it into your ScanNCut. Click on "patterns," "saved data," and then the USB icon. Select the "weave.fcm" file and cut it out on a 12" x 12" piece of patterned paper. This will be you paper loom for your placemat.

Step 2 - Cut out the border shape "BO-A006" from the border patterns that are preloaded into every ScanNCut machine. Keep the size at 1.57" x 11.42" and change the number to cut to 6.

Place two 6" x 12" patterned papers onto your mat, insert it into the machine, and then press the scan icon so you can make sure the papers and patterns are lined up correctly, you need 3 shapes per paper...6 total.

*Being able to scan my papers & see them on the screen in relation to my patterns is my FAVORITE feature on the ScanNCut!

Step 3 - Next weave the border strips into your paper loom going over the first band, under the second, and so on.

For your next border strip, start by going under, over, under, and so on. Continue alternating the two patterned papers and weaving until all the pieces have been used. Adjust the strips so they are evenly spaced and then glue down the end pieces on the back side of the placemat to keep them in place.

Step 4 - Lastly cut out and glue down the square border "weave_frame.fcm" (also a free cut file) so that it's centered on the placemat.

Add faux stitch lines on it with a white pen if desired.

When you're finished your placemat should look similar to this:

Cupcake Topper

Step 1 - Load the free cut files onto your USB flash drive and then insert it into your ScanNCut. Click on "patterns," "saved data," and then the USB icon. Select the "patriotic_pinwheel.fcm" file and place a patterned paper that is at least 12" x 2" at the top of the sticky mat, this is for the pinwheel. Beneath it place two papers that are at least 2.5" x 2.5" for the star and the circle.

Press the scan button so you're able to see your papers on the screen and then move your patterns onto the correct papers before cutting them out.

Step 2 - Apply adhesive to the circle shape so that it's ready to be glued on after the border piece is folded.

Next accordion fold the border shape using the scallop edge as a folding guide. You want a fold in each valley of the scallop.

Once it's completely folded, apply adhesive to one of the ends and attach it to the other end to form a circular shape. 

Press the center down on your table top to flatten it out and then mount it onto the circle that you already put adhesive on.

Step 3 - Lastly, glue the star to the top of the pinwheel and glue on a toothpick so it can be inserted into some yummy cupcakes.

-Enjoy those yummy cupcakes!!  I'll have the recipe on my blog later this week for the lemon filled ones I made for this blog post. They are SOOOoooo good!

Sponsor: Brother International

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant for Brother International Corporation and have received a ScanNCut from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely my own and based on my use of the product. 

Father's Day is coming and that means it's time to shower Dad with love. Here's a cute and practical gift idea for him...a personalized mug!

Supplies needed:

• ScanNCut machine and accessories
• font: Rosewood Std (or download the printable HERE and the .fcm cut file HERE)
• mug
• vinyl
• vinyl transfer tape
• etching cream
• spatula
• gloves

Step 1 -  Create your cut file. To do that you have a few different options:

• Create your artwork (or snag mine HERE), print it and then scan it into your ScanNCut machine.
• Create your artwork (or snag mine HERE), open up ScanNCutCanvas and use the "Image Tracing" option to upload your .jpg and create a cut file that you can save to your computer or memory stick then transfer it over to your ScanNCut.
• Or just download the cut file HERE.  -You're welcome!

Step 2 - Once you have your cut file loaded into your ScanNCut change your blade settings to 1 and the cut pressure to 0. Place your vinyl onto the mat and load it into the machine and then press "cut".

Step 3 - Remove the vinyl from the mat and weed out all of the pieces you don't need...in this case, all the black parts of the design.

Step 4 - Apply transfer tape to the front of your vinyl design, burnish it well with your thumb, bone folder, or whatever you have on hand and then carefully remove the backing paper from the vinyl/transfer tape. Place your vinyl design onto your glass.

Step 5 - Apply the etching cream as per the manufactures instructions and wait the proper amount of time for your design to be etched into the glass.

Step 6 - Scrape off the etching cream, rinse off the glass, remove the vinyl, and then give your mug a good cleaning.

And just like that you have a finished, and personalized, mug!  

Tie a cute little tag onto it like the one I made below and you're ready to give it to Dad!

Supplies needed for the tag:

• two shades of blue cardstock
• scrap of red patterned paper
• screw embellishment
• twine
• ScanNCut file AR-K032 (Bookplate)
• ScanNCut file FO_A002 (font)
• ScanNCut file BA_A067 (heart)

Sponsor: Brother International

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant for Brother International Corporation and have received a ScanNCut from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely my own and based on my use of the product. 

Remember when my girlfriends and I went to the TOMS Shoes event where our shoes got artsy?  Well I saw the photos on my phone a couple of weeks ago and printed them out with my Selphy ...it can do multiple photos on one 4" x 6" piece of photo paper, which I love!  It makes it really easy to just print and scrap without having to tweek the photos in Photoshop first.

So once I saw the Simple Scrapper sketch for this month I knew it would be a great photo to use for it.

I love our shoes.  :)

Supplies: Patterned Paper - Jenni Bowlin Studio, Sassafras; Chipboard diecuts & journaling block - Pink Paislee; American Craft; Ink - Quick Quotes Powder Puff; Pen - Zig; Sketch - Simple Scrapper

I also did this layout using another Simple Scrapper sketch and photos I took during Thanksgiving when my niece was out here visiting.  She was dying to bake Christmas cookies together...which of course I was totally up for doing!  We hadn't baked cookies together since she was about 2 yrs. old!!  It was fun!

Supplies: Patterned Paper - Echo Park; Sticker Letters - Echo Park, American Crafts, Doodlebug; Stickers - Echo Park; Silhouette Cameo diecut - "7 labels"; Ink - Quick Quotes Powder Puff; Pen - Zig, Uniball

I love taking a little bit of time to record great memories, and I'm sure that it will mean even more to me & my family years from now when we look back through our scrapbooks.

Sponsor: Simple Scrapper, Kuretake/Zig, Quick Quotes,