My Other Pages

To make it easier to read about our trip to Ireland, I have made a page that is just for that. There is a tab above for Ireland Trip 2014 or click on the Home tab to read my other posts. I have also created a new page for My Weight Loss Journey if you are interested in that, click on the tab above.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Christmas shaker

Welcome!
I have a Fuse Tool and haven't really used it.
I tried it a couple times, but didn't get good results.
Recently I talked to a couple people about how to
use it and thought I'd give it a try again.
Of course I wanted to use it to make a shaker card.
I used a scrapbook page protector to make a small
"envelope" with my Fuse, added several colors of sequins
and sealed up the end.  And there I had it, it worked
out great.  The secret is to be sure the Fuse is 
heated up enough and to run the Fuse fairly slowly
over the plastic.  This gives it time to melt, but be 
careful not to go too slow, or it will melt right
through.  It's a delicate balance and takes a little
practice.  Be sure you are using the little wheel
nib and not the pointy one.  The wheel is for fusing seams
the pointed one is for cutting.
For my card, I stamped a simple Christmas tree
and cut just inside the stamped image.
I then cut the tree from the snowflake paper 
just a bit larger than the stamped tree and adhered it directly to the 
card base.
I used ATG tape to adhere the sequin envelope behind the 
tree cut out, then taped a white card stock panel over the back
of it, inside the card.
On the inside, I stamped 
First Christmas card of the year done!

Thanks for popping in today.
Have you started your Christmas cards yet?
I know a few people who have.
I probably won't do another one for a few more
months.  Guess I work better under pressure.

Until next time, make something fun!

Note the links are only to give a reference so you can
see what the products are.
I didn't necessarily purchase from these sites,
and you may find better prices elsewhere.
I am in no way promoting any particular site.
However the Eureka Stamps image is 
exclusive to that company.


Saturday, August 27, 2016

My New Paper Trimmer and Why I Love It!

Hello crafty peeps!
Many years ago I bought a 12" paper trimmer
that I loved.  It was a Fiskars rotary trimmer and I used it
to death.  Unfortunately, Fiskars changed their cutters and that
one was no longer available and neither were the blades or the little
strip that the blade cuts into under the paper.
I looked everywhere and couldn't find the blades anywhere.
Finally, I e-mailed Fiskars and told them my problem and asked
if there was anywhere I could get the replacement parts.
After a few weeks I was starting to get annoyed that I hadn't heard
back from them, when I got an e-mail saying my 
replacement tool or parts were in the mail.
I was out of town at the time and when I returned home,
there was a brand new paper trimmer from Fiskars.
Totally free and unexpected!
Now that is some wonderful customer service.
Here is what I love about this trimmer.
I love that it has a stainless steel guide wire, it says that
it won't fray or break.  Now I'm sure that if it did, they would
stand by their product.
The guide wire shows you exactly where you'll be cutting.
I like that it is a nice size, there is plenty of room for the paper
to rest on the cutter and that the base has clear lines.
There are also darker lines and measurements showing 
popular sizes like 3x5 and 4x6 and 5x7
The measuring arm folds out and clicks into place,
it also is longer than 12"
It is actually a little longer than 15"
I love that it has this locking mechanism.  When the
cutter is not in use it can be locked so the "cutting arm" doesn't 
open and close when it's being carried or packed to take
to a crop.
I love that it has rubber feet.
The orange corner ones keep it from moving around
when I'm using it.
I also love that it has that support "structure" in the center
of the bottom.  The feet add a bit more stability and the 
triangle area gives more stability to the center of the 
cutter.  If you are putting any pressure on the center of the
cutter, it doesn't easily give and bend, it's nice and solid.
I used this cutter for the first time today and it cut beautifully.
I'm sure this cutter is going to last me a good long time,
I'm going to pick up a few extra blades to have on hand,
I know I'm going to be giving this baby quite a work out.
So there you have it, my opinion about the
Fiskars Sure Cut Paper Trimmer.
Fiskars did not ask me to give this review,
but I'm loving this cutter and wanted to share with
y'all why.  Just in case you are in need of a new cutter.
Now remember this is just my opinion,
you may have a different one,
but I do love it.

Thanks for stopping by today,
come again soon.
You never know what you'll find on 
Kristie Kreates!


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Hey Chickie!

Hello all!
I have a couple friends who work for the school district,
I have been wanting to get together with each of them
for lunch, before the school year starts,
and thought I'd make them little cards.
My one friend I often call "Chickie Babe"  I have
no idea where that comes from, but I thought
 this little chick and the sentiment would be perfect 
to send her.
Both stamps are from
I stamped onto watercolor paper and colored the
chick with watercolor crayons.
I used just a small amount of blue crayon 
mixed with quite a bit of water to color under
the chick so she didn't look like she was floating in space.
I used some tiny little alpha stamps for the inside.
I thought this card turned out adorable and
made another just like it for my other friend.

Sometimes, with all the texting and facebook etc.
I forget how nice it is to receive something unexpected in
your mail box.
Thanks for stopping by today,
hope your stop in again soon.
Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Note the links are only to give a reference so you can
see what the products are.
I didn't necessarily purchase from these sites,
and you may find better prices elsewhere.
I am in no way promoting any particular site.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Inklipse Blog Hop



Hello crafty people!
Welcome to my blog and to the 
Inklipse Blog Hop!
Simon, has set up a fun blog hop
to bring inspiration from crafters you may not
have known before.
There are some wonderful, generous sponsors
for this hop. Please consider visiting their
online stores and showing your love to them.
have generously provided prizes for this hop.
To be entered to win you will need to:
Subscribe to Simon's blog
Leave at least 3 comments throughout the blog hop
Now that all the particulars are out of the way,
on to my projects.
I have 2 projects to share with you.
The first is a gift card holder/birthday card.
Since I don't have the equipment for a video,
this post is very heavy on pictures.
But hopefully you'll find it worth your time.
Starting with a piece of red card stock  11" x 4 1/4"
score along the long side at 2", 7 1/4" and 7 3/8"
The insert piece is white card stock cut to 6 1/2" x 3 3/4"
score along the long side at 1 3/4" and 6"
Burnish all the score lines.
(If you click on the picture,you can see that there are
actually 2 folds very close together.)
punch a notch 1" from each side on the smaller flap.
Use Washi Tape along the bottom of the small flap,
close to the fold.
The tape should go all the way around the card.
This is not only decorative, but it holds the flap closed.
I used 2 pieces of Washi Tape on my card I think it
gives it a bit more security and also looks more finished.
Place strong adhesive along the small flap of the 
insert piece of card stock.
I used Score Tape, but use whatever works for you.
Line up the edge of the insert right along the 7 3/8" fold.
Use Glue Dots at the corners of the flap that makes
the pocket.  This will make a pocket for the gift card.
The insert can now be slid into the pocket,
the card front will stay closed when 
tucked behind the center flap of the pocket.
To decorate the front of my card,
I cut 4 Happy Birthday sentiments with my 
Silhouette Cameo out of white card stock.
I ran them through my Xyron sticker machine
and layered them on top of one another.
I then coated them with VersaMark ink ,
covered them with silver embossing powder
and heat set them.
The Happy Birthday was adhered directly to the front
of the card.  I also cut some stars and
embossed them, they were adhered with foam tape.
On the inside of the card, I stamped
"Celebrate" which is from a very old
Scrappy Cat  stamp set.
You can see, when you open the card,
the pocket with the gift card pulls out.
Here is a side shot showing how the 
gift card goes down into the pocket.
I think my son will like this card,
I made it for him, we'll be celebrating his
birthday on Sunday.

Now for my 2nd project.
Did you know that you could stamp and use
Distress Crayons on canvas.
This is my first time doing this and I know
I'll be doing more of this technique.
This canvas is very small, only 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
First it needs to be prepped with Gesso.
The Distress Crayons blend out much better
when it has the base of Gesso.
I used a sponge paint brush,
but you can use whatever is available to apply
the Gesso, or whatever base you might like best.
Since this canvas is mounted on a wood frame,
I had to fill in the back with pieces of cardboard.
This gives a firm surface to stamp onto.
I used my Mini MISTI
to stamp one of the birds from 
onto the canvas with VersaFine Onyx Black Ink
It did take a couple stampings since it was onto canvas.
(The set I have is not this same set, it is one that
I found that has 3 birds, 3 matching dies, a few 
word stamps and an embossing folder.
The set is called Bird Talk.)
I used the Distress Crayons and laid down a little
color around the sides of the bird.
Using my water brush I blended out the crayon.
This is what it blends out to with a little bit of water.
I then added another color and blended that out.
I dried the crayon between layers and continued to 
add color until I was satisfied with how the bird looked.
These are the colors I used for the project.
As you can see I colored some "dirt" under my bird
and "sky" on the rest of the canvas.
The sentiment are words from the 
Bird Talk set.
I did use the fine tip of a black Prismacolor Marker 
to go over the lines of the bird,
as the crayons did dull it a bit.
I'm very happy with how my little painting
turned out, especially for a first time effort.
I hope you have enjoyed my projects and are
inspired in some way.
Thanks for sticking with me through this long post.
Please leave a comment to be entered to win
one of the fabulous prizes on this hop.
Now it's time to hop on to
 blog and see what he has to show us.

Here is a list of all the blogs on the hop.
Kristie Kreates That's me!
Be sure to comment at all the blogs,
leave a little love for the
artists/crafters.
The more blogs you comment on the
more chances you have to win
one of the wonderful prizes from our
generous sponsors.

Thanks for stopping by,
I hope you'll come again soon.
You never know what you'll find on
Kristie Kreates!

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Washi Tape Card

Hello crafters!
The other day I was crafting and was having a tough time
figuring out what to make.  I picked up my notebook
that is full of pictures of cards and layouts that I like.
I never copy a card or layout as it is shown
in a picture, but I use it for inspiration.
I found this picture from
I loved the idea of using Washi tape like this
on a card.  So I used that for inspiration,
dug out the tape I had with me and got to work.
Here is what I came up with
It's the same concept, but a totally different look.
to stamp the heart in the center and
Distresss ink for the rest of the panel.
Sorry I don't have the stamp set here, 
so I can't tell you what company they are from.
I'm okay with how it turned out, 
but not crazy about it.
I know it would be much better if the colors of
the tape I had were lighter and brighter..
I will definitely be using this technique again.

Thanks for stopping by today,
I hope you've been inspired to give this
technique of using Washi tape like this a try.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Note the links are only to give a reference so you can
see what the products are.
I didn't necessarily purchase from these sites,
and you may find better prices elsewhere.
I am in no way promoting any particular site.


Friday, August 12, 2016

woven background

Hello all!
Today I'm showing you a card that I made for my Mom.
I was going out of town for a couple weeks and wanted
her to know that I was thinking of her while
I was away.  I made this card and sent it
while I was visiting a friend in Ohio.
For a tutorial on how to make the woven background
hop over to 
where you'll find a step by step tutorial.
.
I used "Flower Basket"(#24608) 
I colored it with water color crayons,
fussy cut it and adhered it right to the 
stamped background.
from Simon Says Stamp,
to make the banner and stamped
the sentiment with the coordinating
stamp set.
I used a little distress ink to give it a little color.
The inside was left blank and I wrote a note
to my Mom before sending the card.
I know she loved receiving this card
and I enjoyed making it.
Thanks for stopping by today
and be sure to pop over and check out
the tutorial on 
Until next time, have fun crafting!

The links on this post are not necessarily the brand
I used or the site
 I bought my supplies from.
They are just a reference for you.
You may find supplies at better prices 
than the ones in the links.
The stamps and dies, however are exclusive 
to the companies they are linked to.



Tuesday, August 9, 2016

I'm Here For You!

Hi all!
Today's card was made with a couple stamp sets
that I picked up at a good price when I was shopping at
"Tuesday Morning"
I don't know if you have this store in your area,
but I'll tell you I just love it.
You never know what you'll find there and the prices
are great.
The sentiment stamp was in a pack of 6 small sets
at the price of $.99 for them all.
I found 2 of these packs and only had 2 or 3 duplicates.
For that price, how could I go wrong?
These little sets are usually at least $1.00 a piece,
and I got 12 for $1.98!
The chevron was from a different set and I 
stamped it onto a piece of white
card stock with 
onto water color paper.
The texture of the water color paper resulted in
the distressed look of the chevrons.
I used my MISTI stamping tool and I know
I could have made them more "uniform"
but I loved the distressed look,
I think it goes well with the look of the sentiment
that I used.
I cut the chevron piece down to fit the card and 
adhered it directly to the card front.
The sentiment says
"needed you to know I'm here for you"
and was stamped with VersaFine Onyx Black Ink
The inside is left blank to write a personal note.
I really love how this card turned out.
A nice clean and simple card.
Thanks for stopping in today,
now go check out what they have at 
Tuesday Morning,
you never know what you'll find there,
just like you never know what you'll find at
Kristie Kreates,
so come visit again soon.


Saturday, August 6, 2016

Kitty Cards

Hello everyone!
Today I have 2 cards I made, a little different,
yet mostly the same.
Someone very close to me was diagnosed with breast cancer
recently and I wanted to send a card letting her know
I'm thinking of her.
I made this "big hugs" card for her and wrote a personal
note inside.
The cat image is stamped with VersaFine Onyx Black  ink,
I colored the cats, on both cards, with 
colored pencils and blended with Gamsol.
The background was painted by scribbling some
water color crayon onto an acrylic block and 
mixing it with water, then painting it on with a
  I also made the envelopes since the cards are
not a standard size.  I used my
to make the envelopes for both cards.
This second card I made for my Aunt Marilyn who
will be 93 at the end of September.
She loves cats and I know she will get a kick out of this
card. I can hear her now, exclaiming how cute the cat is.
The cat image is
The sentiments are both 
I have linked many of the supplies I used,
I did not necessarily purchase them from the linked
sites. I only use them for reference for you to
see the supplies.
You may very well find these supplies at 
many other sites and maybe at better prices,
just do a little research.

Thanks for stopping by today,
I hope you have enjoyed my cards as 
much as I enjoyed making them.
Come again soon.
Until then, Happy Crafting!

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Guest Room

Hi all you crafty people!
I recently visited friends who just moved to South Carolina.
They have a beautiful brand new home and Diane has done
an amazing job decorating it.
Today I want to show you the wall in the guest room.
She collected a whole slew of oval frames
and painted them all white then hung them on the wall.
Here color theme through out the home is blue and white
and this wall is perfect for the room.
She has one more thing she wants to add to this wall to finish
it off.  It will be one more little accent piece like those 
little vases inside 2 of the frames.
(click on the picture to see it larger.)
I love that there is a mirror in the center frame.
What a great eye she has, absolutely LOVE this wall!
What an easy and beautiful way to decorate a room.

Thanks for stopping by today.
I hope you've been inspired to do something a little 
different in your home.  
Think outside the box, use your imagination
and give it a try.
Come again soon.
You never know what you'll find on 
Kristie Kreates!