Flowers are in bloom

       Just some nice pics my husband took the other day in front and backyard.  No cuts this morning...perhaps later today!

Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit svg

       Svgcuts.com offered a free svg called Sour Lemon.  I made a lemon, lime and orange card.  I will to a grapefruit card today. Using a public domain glass, I took it into Inkscape, added and cleaned up nodes and added some elements.  Download HERE for glass with straw and HERE for ice cube. (It is hard to see the glass micro beads used for the inside of lemon and lime.  I used Martha Stewart glitter on inside of orange and  copic markers on the small glasses. I cut them out in SCAL since I was doing about 6 of each...time saver.  It was hard to make paper look like glass per my little experience and same goes for an ice cube, but I gave it the old college try. (I incorporated a Penny Duncan leaf svg svg and the citrus stamp is from Stampin Up.)

Cleaning the Goldfish Pond

       Yup, it's that time of year....cleaning the goldfish pond.  Let's see....hummm...only 4 koi.  We did have 6.  Something had a little snack during the cold season.  Only thing left is to fight those golden oak noodles that drop and clog up the filter.  I had an old fish sponge stamp and jazzed it up a little in Inkscape.  This is dedicated to the remaining goldfish. Download HERE for goldfish.  

Charleston Summer Feelin'

        What is South Carolina's claim to fame?  I'll hit upon 2 today. The infamous "Palmetto Bugs".  They grow to the size of toasters.  (It's a glorified name for the biggest cockroach on the face of this earth since dinosaurs!) They aren't scared of the human species and they have WINGS. Turn your light on in the middle of the night and you will find one sitting on your night table staring at you. Not to worry, the house lizards usually keep the population under control.  Two: The Palmetto Tree and the hundred year old Live Oak trees with their cascades of beautiful Spanish Moss.  Ahh...spanish moss...beautiful....a beautiful fungus and covered in red bugs, chiggers that will bury themselves under your skin and drive you crazy.  So the next time you're driving through our fine state and you see some free spanish moss...keep on driving, straight to your nearest Michaels, AC Moore's or Hobby Lobby and BUY it! Download HERE for Palmetto bug and HERE for Live Oak with moss. The Palmetto Tree was my very first blog day and you can find it to the right in my svg file.

Shrimp and Luggage...What do they have in common?

       Don't know why I'm into question and answer games these past 2 days.  Back to question:  What do shrimp and luggage have in common?  The temperature tipped 90 today and I want to take a trip to the beach for some fresh shrimp.  There's nothing better than to be chillin' on the dock with a cooler of ice waiting for the Magwood trawlers puttering in with their first catch of the season. Ahhhhh yes, the smell of the marsh and the squawk of the pelicans and seagulls reminds me that I'm in my happy place. Was leaving today, but my back is out of whack and I can't handle the 3 hour trip....it will have to wait a few days.  In actuality, the "Blessing of the Fleet" is not until April 25, 2010 in Mt. Pleasant.  See ya there! 

       Download HERE for the shrimp and HERE for the luggage. (PS - this is what my luggage USE to look like until US Airways decided to redesign the front and KEEP my handles for themselves. Mercy me...what DID those people want with my handles?)

Dora Alligator Kayak...what do they have in common!

       They all are svgs that I made from public domain images and are free to download.  I scaled down Dora a lot so she wouldn't have so many pieces.  I tested her in SCAL2. Download HERE for "Dora the Explorer".   I did the alligator and kayak for forum friends on svgcuts forum. It's an awesome forum...you MUST check it out. Download HERE for the alligator and HERE for the kayak.

       I always make a card with my svgs as a visual aide, but these were done to help friends and at this time, I have no need to made a card.  I thought someone checking out my blog could use one so that's why I'm posting them.  Help yourself and I hope you enjoyed looking.

Moms Wear Many Hats

         The card was made for a Mother's Day card swap at Svgcuts.com.  My theme: "The many hats that moms wear".   I attempted to give it a foyer appearance.  I made all the svgs in Inkscape except for the purse (Paula's Boutique) and the flower (My Happy Garden Hideaway) collections purchased from Svgcuts.com and the wonderful table is by Paulo at Scale-Files. (You can't see the gold handles in the picture.) Download HERE (hat rack), the nurse's cap HERE, and the chef's hat  HERE.  There is some embossing and glitter on the purse and hat, but it's hard to see in the picture.  I hope you enjoyed looking.

Eggs...Eggs...Eggs

I don't have a free svg to offer this evening, but these beautiful eggs were made from the  Easter Egg Collection from Svgcuts.com.   It's hard to see some of the embellishments, but I used dragonflies, pearls, jewels and swarovski crystals.

Sing...like no one is listenng

       When I was young, I took guitar lessons.  After months of practice, very little improvement was seen.  I started singing to compensate for my poor guitar skills.  However, my singing skills were even worse than my guitar playing.  Since neither one could compensate for the other, I was begged by family and friends to give up the venture of singing and to please put down the guitar.  I'm now a devout "shower" singer ...taking it to the highway at times if I'm driving by myself.  This card is dedicated to the poor souls like me who can't carry a tune in a tin bucket!

The canary is from Svgcuts.com Robin's Return Set.  DOWNLOAD HERE for the birdcages svg file.  The frame, words "sing", and hanger are in a .scut file.  DOWNLOAD HERE for the .scut file.

Bird Nest - Spring Time

       Worked with the bird nest in Inkscape.   DOWNLOAD HERE  for the bird nest svg file.  The bird is from www.svgcuts.com  "Robin's Return Set ". I used a cuttlebug embossing folder and my scallop circles nestabilities also.

       My goal is to post 2 svg files a week along with a card using the element.  Hope you enjoy!

Vintage Card Swap

I'm participating in my first card swap with The Crafty Table forum.  It's my first.  I am to do a "vintage theme".  Both public domain pictures were found at Karenswhimsy.com.  I took the girl with hat  into Inkscape  and created  a silhouette svg file.  You can get it by clicking on "vintage hat" in the right column under Svg Files.  I entered 2 strings so there are 2 cards.  The 2nd card says inside "...you can never have too many!"( I also attached a pink shoe paperclip.)

I had fun doing it.
Inspiration:  Amy's farm theme layout  at Aimitup

FARM Theme (Card Swap)

      I participated in my first card swap at svgcuts.com.  I was so excited that I joined 2 strings, so I had to create 2 different cards.  We had to use a "farm" theme.  I used elements from the cute Grandpa's Organic Farm Collection  and Crafty Mice Set . I designed my own farmer's hat for the male mouse in Inkscape, as well as the straw and basket for the watermelons. (Download HERE) for the hat and straw svgs for mouse and barn.  (Download HERE) for the basket, straw and hat .scut file that is used with SCAL2.  The second card is a slider card. I must say, I had a fun time! Come and join in on the fun!

Stamps for watermelon and "saying" are from "Fresh from the Farm".  Charlie Horse and "saying" were from the Charlie Horse Collection.  Both can be purchased at  cleardollarstamps .

Having Some Woof Days?

      I don't always play on words on my cards, but I've done it a lot lately.  I've had a lot of friends and family that could use a little laugh. Except for the Marvy flower punch, I designed all the svg cuts in Inkscape. (dog, window, flower bracket, and flower basket).   I didn't show the inside, but has a pic of dog's drooling tongue. It says "There's nothing better than to end a bad day covered in dog slobber !"  And, that's the truth if you are a dog lover.  (The stamp is by American Art Stamp) All my svgs can be downloaded by clicking the svg listed in the right column under Svg Files.

Inspiration: my dogs

Materials:  Inkscape - my svgs               

               Cricut

               SCAL2
               Marvy flower and fern punches              
               Inks and paper
               Scoring Pal

               Brads, string liquid pearls               

3D Challenge at Svgcut.com

ALL PAPER FLOWERS

  The challenge:  Use any 3D flowers from any of the 3D flower sets from Svgcuts.com on any card, project, scrapbook page, etc; the sky's the limit.  My first challenge ever!   Check out Facebook ,  3D Challenge, and/ or Forum - 3D Challenge.

  I chose to mix mediums.  I incorporated stained glass into my project.   I mixed the 3d flowers with stained glass leaves and pot. I attempted to keep it as natural as possible...another reason why I didn't add a whole lot of flowers from different seasons.  I hang pots on my patio when the weather is warm and I wanted this to look just like my real ones.  Mary's "dragonfly" (a freebie svg) is in top left. I used  3D Flowers I Kit with pansies, marigolds and impatiens and leaves from the 3D Winter Flowers Collection.  And, being from SC, I added spanish moss and twigs. 

I hope you enjoy. I appreciate all the support from friends and forum buddies who constantly encouraged me.  I lost 2 dear dear people in my life in the last 2 months and I felt this was good therapy.

First Sign of Spring

We all have it...we all want it....the itch and strong desire for Spring. Yup, Mother Nature does tease us many times.  Here is my first daffodil for this year.  It looks a little worse for wear, but this little daffodil was determined to be the first one to bloom...I guess it had something to prove.

Here is a card I made for my super sister-in-law, Dawn!  I was thinking a little Spring at the time.  Open the windows and get that wonderful fresh air.  And, upon looking out the window, I see a fairy sunning!  How cool is that!  The cuts came from several places.  The fairy (Flitting Fairies) and potted plant ( My Happy Garden Hideaway) came from SVGCUTS.com  and the window came from  Images by Heather M.  And, inspiration by ScrappingButtterflyMom

I'M Back and Ready to go!

       My computer died a sudden death or at least it had to go to the Apple Hospital for 3 weeks.  Family needed me in Colorado for most of December and January.  Family friends needed me the month of February.  I'm back to one of my 2 happy places.  One: making svgs, cards and buying wonderful collections from SVGCUTS.com and Two: the beach!

       It snowed last Tuesday, and it was 70 on Sunday.  Mother Nature loves to tease us all..haha

I can't take full credit for this design.  I saw something similar at CustomCrops.com and a Cricut Design Studio card.  WELL, they don't make this program for the Mac so I had to be industrious and make my own in Inkscape.  You are welcome to it, but please remember the source if someone asks...that's always the courteous thing to do.  Thanks and hope you enjoy the peek !

(I also added trim around the top and bottom of the corset while in SCAL2.  If you want the trim like I added, you will need to email me so I can send you the .scut file.)

UPDATE:  You can find a great, free file of a " corset " at SVGCUTS.com. When I made mine on Inkscape, I had no idea that there was a corset for free at Svgcuts.com.  I wouldn't had attempted one by myself and put in the hour making one if I had known there was one there.  

Please remember to give credit where credit is due.  I do my upmost to follow my own golden rule and try to even give credit for inspiration.