CHA Squeals & Trends

As some of you know, I recently returned from CHA (the Craft & Hobby Association) trade show. I've described CHA to some of my non-crafty friends as the "Fashion Week" of the paper crafting world.  It's a place where manufacturers get to debut their fresh & fabulous releases for the upcoming season.  Store owners come prepared to place orders & others (like myself) attend as media... and then get to share our findings with the rest of the world.  I have an album full of photos from the show HERE if you're interested in taking a peek.


I have a post on Paper Crafts Magazine's Moxie Fab World blog today filled with some of my favorite product finds and trends.  But... there is SO much more to share than what can fit in a single blog post, so I'm sharing a little more here on my personal blog as well.


I love innovative products... and there were a few companies that just screamed brilliance!  One of my favorite finds came from a new company called Clever Handmade.  Heidi Grace Kress has been a fixture in the scrapbooking industry for years, working under labels such as Fiskars & Colorbok.  Heidi debuted her new company at this show, where she has sole ownership & creative freedom.

One of my favorite products from Clever Handmade are these rub-on transfer embroidery patterns.  They can be applied just like any other rub-on, but are intended to be used as a pattern to add hand stitching.  The transfers are a light gray/silver color & once you add stitching, the lines are completely covered up.


I love the look of hand embroidery, and these patterns made it so easy!

The transfers come in SO many fun doodled designs!  You can even embroider part of the design & leave the rest of the transfer in it's original state for a really cool design.


I applied one of Heidi's cupcake transfers to a shipping tag to create this project below:

The sentiment on this card came from Technique Tuesday's Fabulous set by Ali Edwards.  (I am the February guest designer for TT this month, so check back for more projects to come!) And... check out this patterned paper by GCD Studios that just so happens to perfectly coordinate!  It's from their new Country Charm collection.

I added a bit of Liquid Applique to the center of my cupcake & heat-set it to make it look like frosting.

Another one of my squeals is the new Heidi Swapp collection.  I could do an entire post on how innovative her products are!   I highlighted one of my favorite products on the Moxie Fab World blog today, but literally her entire booth was packed with amazing things!

This package just makes my heart go all pitter-patter!  Basically, you add a photo to a Polaroid-like folder and seal it shut.  Then you can add rub-on words or other "social-media" stickers to the bottom of the Polaroid.  They come in the colors above and neutral shades as well.  I wish I had a picture of the finished project.  They are just so much fun!

Heidi Swapp also has an innovative new way to scrapbook using a file-folder system.  She debuted LOTS of resist products, perfect for inking/misting... and had some really fun products in trendy neon shades.

I've been seeing lots of cute bows/bow-ties popping up here & there & I think it could be the start of a new trendy shape.

 Bow Ties by Heidi Swapp

Bow Paper Clips by Studio Calico

Anther HUGE trend this show was washi tape.  It seemed like almost every manufacturer released their own design.  Here's a peek at a few:

 HUGE assortment of awesome washi from Love My Tapes!

 Fun new designs from October Afternoon

AMAZING new designs from the Smash Collection!

 Neon washi from Heidi Swapp

 A great assortment from Bazzill Basics

 Vintage designs from 7 Gypsies

As you can see... I could go on & on!  I have so many more trends to share with you, but I'll have to save them for another day.  I hope you've enjoyed a little inside scoop on this season's new designs.  Make sure to check out the Moxie Fab World blog all week for more squeals and trend spotting from the other Go-to Gals!

Silhouette Review & Advent Calendar

As some of you may already know, I recently became the proud owner of a new Silhouette Cameo die cutting machine.  Now that I've had a little time to get acquainted with my new "toy", I thought I'd do a little review & show you a project I recently made.  

This is going to be a pretty lengthy post, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee and cozy up in a comfy chair for a few minutes.  ;)

After you read my post, you might want to head over to the Paper Crafts Connection blog where you can be entered to win your very own Silhouette Cameo!!!

First of all, I want to be upfront & tell you that before now, I've never used a Silhouette.  I've learned a lot over the past few weeks, but I am by no means an expert!  My first hands on experience with this machine was at CHA this past summer & I quickly became enthralled.  Here are some of the things that really drew me in:

1. There are no cartridges involved!

I've used machines in the past where I've had to purchase expensive cartridges just to get my hands on one or two images that I wanted to use.  I like to work on the fly & driving to a store or waiting for the post to deliver a cartridge was just not very feasible.  Plus... I get bored easily & like to use new products whenever possible.  After I used a few of the images on the cartridge, they began to collect dust.  I love that this die cutter works directly with my computer.

2.  The Silhouette library is very extensive and the images are fresh and trendy!

The online store is accessible by downloading the free Silhouette software.  Each Tuesday, a FREE shape of the week is available for download.  (You can download the software here or use the disc that comes with your new machine.)  Before my Silhouette had even arrived, I already had several images in my library because I took advantage of the free images that were available.

The Silhouette software includes several other free images that are included as part of your download.  There are images for most seasons & several basic images that I've already used many times.

New images are designed weekly, so there is always something new and fresh to check out.  Most images cost 99 cents to download, but you can also purchase a subscription and get your images at a much lower cost.

3.  The Silhouette Cameo cuts at a full 12".  

I debated on getting the original Silhouette, but decided that I would probably utilize the larger size.  I am SO glad I waited because I've found that the wide format is really handy when making 3D items & gifts.

4.  The Cameo does so much more than just regular die cuts.

I can't wait to try cutting my own vinyl wall decor!  The Silhouette can also help you make custom t-shirt designs.  (The fabric starter kit is on my Christmas list for sure!)  You can also print directly from your home computer & then load it into your Silhouette for perfectly cut designs.

  

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There a million and one things I could say about this machine, so I'm going to have to try to keep this somewhat concise & continue to post reviews and information in the future.  So... here are just a few of my thoughts now that I've had a chance to work with this machine:

The software is easy to learn and use.  I watched several YouTube videos to get the basic idea on how to use it, & that helped a lot.  (Nicole Magouirk has some excellent tutorials!)

I've heard others complain in the past about the original Silhouette being very noisy.  The new machine's noise level seems nice and low to me.  My son said it almost sounds like a video game because it makes almost a musical sound as it cuts.

There is only one blade in the new machine.  It is SO easy to use.  You just tell your Silhouette software what product you will be cutting (ie: thick cardstock, medium patterned paper, transparency sheets, vinyl, etc.) and it will automatically adjust itself to the right speed and pressure.  It will also tell you what depth your blade needs to be set.  To change your depth, you just remove the blade and twist using an attached tool.  It's very, VERY easy.  I've never had a problem with my cuts.  Even very fine & intricate designs have come out perfectly!

I also love using other downloaded files with my Silhouette.  Two Peas has several die cut digital kits that are really fun to use.  (I'm linking a few examples below. GSD & .studio files work well.)  You can just tell your Silhouette software to import your files & they are added to your Silhouette library.

InLinkz.com

OK... so for those of you who have been patient, I have a project to share with you using Silhouette's Limited Edition Advent Calendar.  I've always wanted to have something like this for part of our family's Christmas tradition!  

The advent calendar is $39.99 & comes with a 15" wooden shadowbox & download card.  Once you download the card onto your Silhouette software, you have access to 42 unique files to fill your calendar!  Each file is perfectly sized to fill your shadowbox with unique boxes and drawers - no adjustments are needed!

Here are some close-ups of some of the different boxes & drawers that I made.  (Click on pictures to enlarge.)  This is a great project for new Silhouette users!  The program makes it so easy to use.

I hope you've enjoyed learning a little more about the Silhouette Cameo!  I really love this new die cutting machine & can't wait to share more!

Advent Calendar Supplies: (click on pictures for links)

InLinkz.com