A Tree Wall Decal

My daughter saw this at one of the discount stores and wanted it on the wall in her room:

Of course we couldn't just buy the one she saw, that would be way too easy.  She wanted some color to match her room, so this is what we ended up with:

The tree is about 4' tall and 3' wide.  A few more things on the walls and we will be good to go!  Now we just need to find the right shade of pink and make her another one for her room at her dad's house.  Practice makes perfect.  Thanks for looking!! 

If It Doesn't Move (and even if it does) It Needs Bling!!

With the long weekend I had a little bit of free time to complete a couple rhinestone projects.  Gotta love the bling.  First one is a shirt I made for myself with a file I purchased from The Rhinestone World.  I think I bought it as a Sunday night mega deal some time ago, or on a day where the daily deal was $5 off.  Anyway, I love how it turned out, pictures do not do it justice.    

The next items are in honor of back to school.  I made this shirt for my daughter.  It is a school spirit shirt.

This one is the same design, only put together a little differently and made as a car decal.  I love the rhinestone decal material that I use for the decals and the water bottle below.  The best deal I have been able to find is at craft vinyl without buying a whole roll(scroll almost to the bottom just under the Sticky Flock).  They sell 3 - 12 x 18" sheets for $24.95.  (plus about $8 shipping)  Anybody know of a better deal or maybe a great deal on a roll??  I love this stuff, so many possibilities!! 

Here is the water bottle I was talking about, it is a birthday gift for a brand new teenager!!

Last one, same decal material but on a tumbler.  I got the wine glass from The Rhinestone World.  I bought it with a $5 off coupon.  Great deal!!  The font is from Rhinestone Alphabets. She has a ton of different styles and sizes of fonts, mostly $12 and less.  I have a few fonts in differnet sizes cut out of sticky flock and ready to go when I need a quick project on the fly and no time to cut a template.   

As always, thanks for looking!!

Koozies

Nothing says summer like koozies.  I have made a few this summer and have had a great time doing them with both rhinestones and heat transfer vinyl.  I made a set of eight WE Fest koozies for a friend; four for men and four for women.   Here is what the men's style looked like:

front                                                  back

The front of the men's and the women's styles looked the same.  But the women needed a little bling on the back. These are hard to photograph because they are so sparkly!! 

The font for the names and 2012 on all of these is LD Shelly print.  You can get it from Lettering Delights for $3 or $12.95 for a commercial license here.  I really like this font.  I usually beef it up a little bit using my cutting software.

The template for the cowboy hat can be downloaded from Rhinestone Artwork for FREE here.  It is set up for 10ss stones.  It is one of the free files they have, they also have several for $1. 

I got my koozies from blank koozies.  There is no minimum order amount, they have a variety of colors and you can mix and match colors for a volume discount.  Craft vinyl is another option for koozies.  I like to have a couple of sources so I can shop shipping charges, and depending on how many I am ordering, one may be a better deal over the other.

Thanks for looking!!

I LOVE the Latest Sign I Made!!

 So here is my latest project. I cannot wait to make a bunch more of these. It was so fun and I am happy with the way it tuned out. I made this as a birthday gift for a good friend. It is her last name, the names of everyone in thier family and fun words describing them. 

I started with a board that looked like this, only bigger and a different style, but you get the idea. It  is an unpainted cabinet door.

  

I taped the inside part with (blue) painters tape as I wanted to keep that portion unpainted.  I then painted the border black and the inside white.  I used latex paint and primer all in one.  Primer is important.  If you do not have a paint plus primer make sure you do a layer of primer before you paint and let it dry thoroughly.  You will be much happier with your final project if you prime first.  It will also require less coats of paint to cover your board.  I did two coats on the border and two coats on the inside.   Your base color on the inside is the color you want your lettering to be when your project is complete. 

 I had laid out my design and cut it with my Cameo, weeded it and applied transfer tape.  Make sure you use a color of vinyl that contrasts with both colors of paint you will be using.  Use removable vinyl so it peels off easier.  You can use contact paper as well, it is less expensive.  I prefer the removable vinyl though as I think it removes easier later one.  It will make peeling it off when the time comes easier

Once my paint for my base coats had dried thoroughly I laid the transfer tape with my vinyl design on my board, rubbed it down well and peeled it off.

This is what the applied vinyl looks like.

Then I do another layer of my base color over the top.  I actually did two layers to be sure, but one should be just fine.  I am a bit of  a perfectionist.  This will seal around the edges of the vinyl letters and if any paint bleeds through onto your letters, it will be the same color and you won't be able to see it.  This will guarantee your final product has a crisp, clean look with no bleeds!!

 

You then apply your background color to the top of that.  I did two layers of black.  When I paint I do not lay it one thick.  Less is more!

Let it dry thoroughly, then peel off all of your vinyl letters. 

Now this looked way to crisp, clean and shiny to me. 

So when I finished removing all my vinyl and peeled off my painters tape I took my mouse sander to it and sanded the crap out of it.  Way better, I prefer the distressed look.

Make sure you distress your edges as well. 

I also put a layer of matte sealer on it.  I use this one. I do not like a glossy look.

TADA

VIOLA, final product.  I hope my friend Gretchen likes it!!

 

Now go make your own fun signs, the sky is the limit!!  Thanks for looking!

Rhinestone shirt to share

We have a group of friends that spend the weekends out on the water trying to discover as many lakes each summer as we can.  We call ourselves the lake gypsies, hence the shirt!!  This one is for me.

I used Inkscape to generate the single line text using the Hershey Extension.  This is a great tool to become familiar with if you are interested in rhinestones.  If you want to learn more about generating single line text using inkscape, here are some resources for you:

Inkscape Tutorial.
Youtube video.
Information on how to get and install both Inkscape and the Hershey extension.  

The single line fonts convert to stones so much easier, and they are tough to find.  A google search for single line fonts or engravers fonts will turn up a few.  I used SCAL (Sure Cuts Alot) (You can also use MTC (Make the Cut) or Silhouette Studio DE) to convert the single line text to stones. There are higher end types of software out there made specifically for rhinestones, I have just been too cheap (and broke) to get one of them.

If you are interested in the margarita rhinestone file, this one to be exact:

you can download it here in svg format or here in dxf format.The size of the file is in the file name.  Make sure if it doesn't import into your cutting program at that size, you re-size it so the holes are the right size.

Thanks for looking!!

Blinging It Up!!

I made this shirt for my daughter tonight using my flip flop rhinestone file from this post.  They are all size 10ss stones.  I bought the alphabet file from Rhinestone Alphabets.  It is the RA SingleLine Casual Small font.  It is $10 for upper and lower case letters and numbers.  Their alphabets come in font format (ttf files) but if you are anything like me you like them ready to cut.  If you request the cut file in SVG format and they have it in that format they will send that to you which saves you the time of formatting the font into the cut boxes to cut.  Most of their fonts are $10-12, heck of a deal!!  The font from this post (SPUDS) is also from them. I love to make my own files, but alphabets are time consuming.  For the small amount they charge for a whole alphabet I would rather buy the alphabet and focus my energy on creating the files.  Sorry for the crappy cell phone picture.

Thanks for looking!!

More Bling!!

I am loving the rhinestones, so much fun.  Here is a shirt I made for myself to wear to my daughter's sporting events.  (Our team name is the Spuds - funny huh?!)  I made a matching one for her.  Thanks for looking!!

Rhinestone Templates

So I ordered some of the green template material for rhinestones and was playing with it over the weekend, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.  So many possibilities!!  I made a rhinestone template to make school spirit t-shirts.  There were so easy, I made four of them.  I admit it it, I am hooked on bling!!

I am going to work up a tutorial as soon as I can on how I did mine.  There are so many awesome tutorials out there, I kind of took a little from each!!

Anyway, now that I am hooked on rhinestones I am getting hooked on designing rhinestone templates.  here is one I will share with you today, look for more in the days to come.  This is a chili pepper made for 10ss stones.  Regardless of the program you use, make sure you re-size the file to 2.504 wide by 3.411 high if it doesn't come in at that size.  The thing about the rhinestone templates is you can NOT re-size them.  They are made for a specific size stone and if you try to re-size them for a different size stone I understand it doesn't work so great.  Although, I am trying to figure out a method to do that.  I'll be sure to share if I figure it out. 

  If you like the free rhinestone template of the chili pepper you can download the SVG file here and for you Silhouette Studio users in DXF format here.  Do share if you make something with it and happy blinging!!

Rhinestones and Heat Transfer Vinyl

No files to share today, only a project.  Sorry for the crappy cell phone picture, my camera is misbehaving today!  I made this for a friend's little girl to wear when she cheers her older brother and sister on at their sporting events.  It is size 10ss rhinestones for the M and the word Moorhead for our high school sports teams is cut out of glittery heat transfer vinyl.  I wish I could remember what font I used for the word Moorhead.  I usually make note of it, but I didn't this time.  Anybody know??

To make it, I cut a rhinestone stencil out of freezer paper. I used the Sure Cuts Alot program to do this but there is also a rhinestone feature in Make the Cut and the Silhuette Studio software.  I think you need the designer edition of Silhouette Studio to do rhinestones.  When I design my rhinestone templates I use a stone size for my design that is 3-4 sizes larger than the actual stone size I am using.  For this one I designed it using the 13ss sized stones knowing I was using 10ss sized stones.

I think freezer paper cuts best shiny side up, so I flip my image as the shiny side will be placed facing down on your tshirt.  Then I iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, onto my shirt using a cotton setting on my iron and NO STEAM.  I then placed the rhinestones using my template and heat set them in place using my trusty iron.  Remember to place a towel or something in between the front and back of your shirt as sometimes the glue on the back of the rhinestones can bleed through causing stains, or worse, gluing the front and back of your shirt together.  Follow the directions that come with whatever rhinestones you use for application. 

Freezer paper stencils also work GREAT with fabric paint.  Just another project to add to your to-do list!!  As always, thanks for looking!!

Tumblers

Here are some of the tumblers I put together this past weekend.

This fish file can be downloaded in svg or dxf (silhouette) format at this post.

The horse file can be downloaded in svg or dxf (silhouette) format at this post.  The font on Pam is Pacifico, one of my new favorites!!

I will post the file I used to wrap this tumbler in a later post.  It requires a little bit of explaining.  The font on Cheryl is Dominique. UPDATE 1/22/12:  Download the zebra wrap from this post.

I downloaded the Angry Birds svg files for this tumbler here, there are a ton of Angry Bird files, I LOVE them.  The font on Jenny is BoyzRGross.

Font here is Pacifico.

This one is for a runner, doing her first full marathon this spring!!
EDIT 2/3/12:  Winged shoe file added.  Find it here in SVG format and here in DSX format.
Thanks for looking!!

My First Cake: Go Bison!!

I made my first cake using the Sugar Sheets from Wilton.  They cut GREAT and are 100% edible!!  They are a little spendy though, $3.99 for an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet.  Be sure to use a coupon or buy them on sale.  They carry them at Joann's, Michales and Hobby Lobby.  The also have them at Walmart a little cheaper($3.49 I think) but at Wally World they never go on sale and no coupons.  A much better deal with a 40 % off coupon or when the Wilton products go on sale!! 

If you are going to use these, make sure you apply them to "fresh" frosting that is still sticky.  They adhere well that way.  My frosting was set and it was tougher to get them to stick.  I used a little tiny bit of water brushed on the backside with a small paintbrush and that did the trick.  Don't use too much water though or the colors will run; just a drop.

My cake and filling were this Chocolate Mocha filled cake, so yummy!!  I have the pan with the heart shaped inside, which is why their's is square insided and mine is not.  Although, mine is not exactly heart shaped either, but if you look, real hard, you can see it!!

If I had to do it over I would have used a different filling.  I LOVED it, but it has instant coffee in it and I think the kids (and some of the adults too) would have preferred a straight chocolate filling.  Maybe use the same recipe but use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla and leave the instant coffee out. I used the white chocolate buttercream frosting linked in that recipe.  The frosting is sooo easy and too die for!! 

My daughter insisted on Mr. Giggles font, it is one of her favs. 

I am not a baker, but just wanted to make a "pretty cake."  The cake must have done the trick as the NDSU Bison won their first national title!!  Wahoo . . .

Wall Vinyl for the Bathroom

I cut this wall vinyl for a friend's downstairs bathroom.  We play poker together, hence the double reference to the word "flushes."  The font on "Be Royal" is Balmoral D, a free font you can download here. The rest of the text is Georgia and the flourishes are from My Vinyl Designer.
Thanks for looking!!

Other Teacher Gifts

Here are the rest of the teacher gifts we did this year.  Just a little vinyl on a bottle of soap, tie a bow around the top and it is so dang cute!! Thanks for looking!!

Music Teacher Gifts

My daughter wanted to make a holiday gift for her music teacher and her orchestra teacher.  She hopped online and found some quotes she liked.  These are what we put together.  I love this svg file, the best part is it is a free download here: http://blueyecicle.blogspot.com/2010/05/super-sunday-free-svgs-free-prize-free.html
Thanks for looking!!