Not only is it National Craft Month, but today is International Women's Day, so it only makes sense to take some time to art today! I played around and used my ScanNCutDX to create a new piece of artwork for my studio. This a fun project to create, and you can customize it to your space. It’s also a great way to use up scraps of paper and fabric you have in your stash and would be fun to do in an art journal.

Supplies:

ScanNCutDX Machine and Accessories

12” x 12” Canvas

Gesso (optional)

Gel Medium

Glue Stick

12” x 12” Black Cardstock

8.5” x 11” Printer Paper

Paper Trimmer

Paper/Fabric Scraps, Book Pages

Foam Brush

Phrase Stickers

Instructions:

NOTE - I used my ScanNCutDX for this project, but other versions of ScanNCut will work too!

1. Apply Gesso to the canvas if desired. 

2. Adhere black cardstock to the standard cutting mat.

3. Load the mat into your ScanNCutDX. Select “Patterns,” then select the lacy icon and then select the lacy lady pattern (AR-O130).

4. Resize the pattern to 10.50” wide. Select “set” and then “ok.”

5. Select “cut” and “start” to begin cutting.

6. Unload the mat from the machine and carefully remove the cut pattern and remaining paper.

7. Select a variety of paper or fabric scraps to use on your project and tear them into small pieces.

8. On the back side of the lady diecut, use a glue stick to adhere scraps of paper, fabric, or magazines to the open sections of the pattern and allow to dry.

9. Cover a piece of printer paper with scraps of paper, fabric or magazines and allow to dry.

10. Cut five ½” x 11” strips of the collated paper.

Use gel medium to adhere the strips along the edge of the canvas about ¼” from the edge.

11. On the lady diecut, trim off any scrap papers that extend beyond the edge of the shape and then use gel medium to adhesive it to the center of the canvas. Allow to dry.

12. Add word sticker phrases to finish off the project.

But wait, there’s more…..

Bonus Project!

You still have some collaged papered left, so let’s turn that into a card.

Supplies:

ScanNCutDX Machine and Accessories

Collaged printer paper

Sentiment Stamp

Instructions:

1. Trim collaged paper to 8.5” x 4.25”

2. Fold your collaged paper in half like a card, noting where the center of the front of the card is. Select “ok.”  Choose a shape that will fit your stamp sentiment. For the example I choose the heart.

3. Adhere the collaged paper to the cutting mat and insert it into the machine. 

4. Press the “scan” icon to scan in the collage paper.

5. Move your shape onto the center of the front of the card. Select “cut” and “start” to begin cutting.

6. Remove the card and stamp the sentiment onto the inside of the card so it shows through the shape you cut out.

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😉.)

Did you know March is National Craft Month?  Well in honor of that Brother is generously allowing me to giveaway one DesignNCut DC200 machine ($299 value!!!) to one of my awesome blog readers. 

Brother recently sent me my own DesignNCut and here's a video of my unboxing of it and then making my first project...a card!

Official Rules: To enter to win, just comment below on this blog post by midnight PST on March 17, 2018. By commenting on this blog post between the dates of March 11, 2018 and March 17, 2018, you are agreeing to the official rules and you agree to provide your name and mailing address to Erin Bassett and Brother International for prize distribution. Prize fulfillment will be done by Brother International.

Eligibility requirements: Open to USA residents 18 and older only. 

A random winner will be chosen via random.org on March 18, 2018 and contacted that day. If potential prize winner does not claim the prize in 48 hours or forfeits the prize, the prize will be re-awarded. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Void where prohibited by law.

A winner has beeen chosen and emailed! 

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). 

Old school traditional planners are all the rage these day, are you using one?  While I’m a digi-calendar girl for my appointments I do like to keep track of other things on paper and having is neatly organized in a pretty planner has been a great way to do it.

As I’ve been working in my planner I’ve wanted to incorporate my own stickers so I whipped up some so I can print them and then use my ScanNCut to cut them out.  I love how I can have my ScanNCut cut .04” away from the edge of the designs so that it really looks like a sticker!

You can download the sticker design I made here.

Supplies:

• ScanNCut Machine and Accessories (a low or middle tack mat is recommended)
• Computer and Printer
• 1 (or more) sheets of 8.5” x 11” White Sticker Project Paper (compatible with your printer)...use clear sticker paper if you want transparency.

Instructions:

Watch video instructions HERE: 

1. Print out the sticker design onto the white sticker paper and allow the ink to dry. Be sure to use a sticker paper that is compatible with your printer.
2. Place the printed-on sticker paper onto a low tack or middle tack ScanNCut mat and load it into the machine.
3. Choose “Scan,” then press “Direct Cut,” and then select which device you want the scanned image to be converted on…I used my ScanNCut.
4. Choose the color recognition mode and press the “start” button.
5. Once the scan is complete use the handles to frame the design and press “ok.”
6. After it processes the design choose how much of a boarder you want around each sticker by making changes under the “Seam Allowance/Outline” button. I choose a boarder of 0.04.”  When finished press “ok.”
7. Make sure your cutting blade is set so that it only cuts through the sticker paper and not through the sticker paper’s backing. I used a blade depth of 3.5, but yours may be different depending on the difference in our blades use.

When ready, press “cut” and then press the “start” button to begin cutting.

8. When cutting is complete unload the cutting mat and remove the sticker paper from it. Your stickers are now ready to use!

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 so exciting to see my book making it's way to your homes. Thank you everyone that has posted, texted, and called me about it, I appreciate your support! My prayer is that this book will draw you closer to the Lord and break down any of those "I'm just not creative" ideas rolling around in a lot of our heads. (If you haven't got a copy yet you can pick one up here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tNDDp0, Barnes and Nobel and other retailers.)

We've had such a busy week with Vacation Bible School and visiting with family that I was completely surprised by receiving an advanced copy of the book I wrote during November and December last year.

I was super excited to show my Grandma it when it arrived since I had dedicated the book to her.  She was the person in my young life that was crafty and creative and she took the time to share that with me.  -Thank you Grandma!

I'm so excited to share more about the book as the launch date draws closer, but in the meanwhile you can see more about it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tNDDp0