Make-the-Cut with the Silhouette and Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder

First, a bit of news!!!  Tomorrow, Saturday March 26th I will be part of the Disney Pixar Blog hop!!!  Hope you can hop on by and see what I have been up to, and oh yeah, maybe check out some blog candy!

Ok, so I do like my Silhouette, I really do!  And I also like all the SVG's from Lettering Delights, but I can't use SVG's in the Studio software for the Silhouette.  In comes Make-the-Cut, which can both use SVG's and cut to the Silhouette!  So I skip a lot of steps of converting files while using MTC with the Silhouette, and I like things that are quick and easy!  And of course there are a ton of MTC files out there that will be able to be used as well.  There is a link on the left of my blog where you can try MTC out before you buy, and a code for a discount on the program as well if you are interested.
It is pretty easy to get the Silhouette set up with MTC, there is a step by step tutorial here... Creative Designs Cakes tutorial  There is talk about making MTC even easier with the Silhouette in the near future.
This is a Lettering Delights download I bought, and I wanted to make a card with it.  I opened the SVG in MTC (1).  I also added a shadow layer to make my cut around it.
To start, I kept the layer on I wanted to draw (2), and turned the shadow layer off (3).

I then added my Chomas Creations Silhouette mini gel pen holder to the machine and sent the file to the Silhouette to draw. 

Then I turned off the draw layer (4) and turned back on the shadow layer (5).  Without removing the mat from the Silhouette, I removed the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder from the Silhouette and added the blade back in and cut the card.

This is what it looks like straight from the Silhouette.

I used Copic markers to color in the letters and then added the finished image to my card! See all you Silhouette users, the Copic markers can be used with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder!!! WOOWOO!

Don't forget to hop on by tomorrow!!!

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Baby Blues with Chomas Creations embossing kit

It is so fun to look through photos and find these treasures!  The days of baby fine hair and brand new teeth!  Now my little guy is a busy 4 year old, a lot has changed! 
For this page I used the Chomas Creations embossing kit on vellum to emboss the lines on the background.

The title was done with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder and Doodletype, then colored in with the Copic markers.

Of course the journaling circle was also done with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder!  The embellies are Making Memories.  I also made the frame around the photo with the Chomas Creationg mini gel pen holder and Copics as well.

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Puppy love with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder & something special drawn by ME!!!

Awhile back I got a Wacom tablet, and I did draw some things with it, and I'm having fun with it, but I could never think of designs that I could do.  Until now hehe!  These journaling doodle scallop circles are hand drawn by ME!!!  I think they turned out super cute!  And because I love you all, I'm sharing them for Make-the-Cut here... doodle scallop journal circles
The file has a draw layer and a shadow layer, so after you draw the circles with your Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder, you can then turn on the shadow layer & cut around them!

How cute are those??? 
Here is my journaling on my page using one of the journaling circles.

Next I had to work on a title!  The puppy love is from Lettering Delights!  They have SVG's you can now download for very reasonable prices.  And of course SVG's work great with Make-the-Cut!  So I drew the puppy love with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder.  I also added my doodle circle around it and then colored it all in with Copic markers.  I had a little whooopsie with the hearts, but no fear!  Whooopsies are easy to fix (sometimes hehe).  I simply cut a few more hearts, colored them with the Copics and layered them on top of my other hearts to hide the mistakes!
 

Of course no animal of mine would be complete without googly eyes!!! Being my dog has some big eyes for his little body, I thought some HUGE googly eyes would be perfect hehe!
The paper line I used for this page was Basic Grey's Olivia line.  I like to keep my pages easy to put together, so I love matching paper lines that make it easy to use different patterns of paper together.  Here are 2 of my kids with our new puppy!

We adopted Bugsy (he came with the name) from a local animal rescue group.  He is a 1 year old chihuahua and I just fell in love with him the minute I saw him!  Wasnt' planning on getting a dog that day, but hey, things happen hehe!
Here is a little extra something as well!  Each time I draw something cute like the puppy love my kids see it and want one!  So instead of just drawing 1, I copy and paste them and draw a few, so my little helpers can color to (not with my Copics though!!! Those I'm not sharing hehe!)

My 4 year old had fun with that one!
Also coming soon, I'll be sharing an oval doodle journaling shape with you!!!

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Little Miss Sunshine with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder for the Silhouette and Copics

When I saw the new files for the Little Miss and Little Mr. for the Silhouette, they reminded me of being a kid again, and I had to have them!  Only problem was there are some tiny cuts on there!  Bring on the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder for the Silhouette!!!  Instead of cutting Little Miss Sunshine, I added all of her layers together in Silhouette Studio, then I drew her with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder for the Silhouette and the black metallic mini gel pen. 

I then colored her in with the Copic markers!

Sometimes I type my journaling in Microsoft Word, then have to cut all the strips with my journaling, which can be quite time consuming, so I decided to try it with Silhouette Studio instead.  It was quick to type my journaling in Studio, which I then drew onto cardstock with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder for the Silhouette.

Then I added little rectangles around the journaling lines, and copied and pasted those onto another layer in Studio.  I then cut these.

My journaling boxes were done!!!  I added a little yellow Copic around the boxes before I added them to the page.

I also cut the sunshine and clouds out with Silhouette Studio.  This was actually a pretty quick page for me!  I added some Stickles around my clouds and sunshine!  Voila!

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Love Bug layout with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder & Copics!

Coloring with the Copic markers takes me back to my child hood!  Sometimes I could just sit and color for hours!  So this was a really fun one for me to do! Of course I wasn't exactly coloring for hours lol!
I started by designing this love bug file with Simply Charmed in Design Studio, you can download the file here... Love bug file
Then I used the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder with the black metallic mini gel pen to draw the bugs and title on my page.  I then replaced the mini gel pen holder with the blade carefully, and cut the hearts around them.  I do like to let my images dry just a bit before I start coloring.  I used the Copic markers to color in the bugs and hearts, no smearing!  Then I used an ink pad to age the edges of the hearts a bit.  Of course no buggy is complete without googly eyes!

I added one of my journaling circles to the page that I did with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder, you can get the file and instructions for that here... journaling circles

Here is my completed page with my love bug all decked out for Valentine's Day in loads of PINK!  hehe

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Crop out Diabetes Hop for a Cure

If you are here for the Make-the-Cut blog hop it is below, BUT this project also uses MTC and I'm asking you come back to read it as it if for a very worthy cause!
I'm going to start out this post with why I asked to be part of this hop for a cure blog hop.
I have a 16 year old daughter with Type 1 diabetes.  She was diagnosed nearly 8 years ago just a few short weeks after I got home from my honeymoon with my husband.  I noticed she was looking a little thin, and figured she had a growth spurt.  But then other symptoms came into play, she was tired all the time, she was getting up 2-3 times a night because she was thirsty and had to go to the bathroom.  So I took her in for a check up, thinking it had to be nothing, but then came the diagnosis.  Type 1 diabetes. I was crushed.  My daughter the wimp, thinking of her dealing with needles, how would she handle that?  Of course she proved to be way tougher then any of us could every imagine!  After a few long days at the hospital learning how to check her sugar, give her injections, and learning how to count carbs, we came home to try to do it on our own.  Talk about overwhelming!
Taylor checks her sugar anywhere from 4-10 times a day.  4 is a low number, because there always seems to be something going on that requires more testing.  So here are some numbers I figured out on how many pokes Taylor has had over the years...
Finger pokes to check sugar (using 4 as the minimum number, but we average closer to 6 a day)... 11,680-17,520
Imagine that?  That doesn't include insulin injections, which started out wtih at least 4 a day in the beginning, but now that she is on the pump it is putting in an insulin port every 2-3 days.
I thought having an 8 year old with diabetes was tough, but then came the teenage years.  UGH!  Hormones and diabetes don't mix very well.  It makes for lots of highs and lows.  I have to have a lot of different rules to protect her.  Our most recent scare is her driving.  We have to monitor her blood sugars before and during driving.  One low sugar and she could be in big trouble behind the wheel. 
Now for the hop for the cure details!
Hello and welcome to the 2011 Hop for a Cure blog hop. We are running this fun crop and hop to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
We want to thank you for joining us in the fight to find a cure!!!
Now...onto the fun stuff:
What: Hop for a Cure blog hop
When: Hop starts Friday, January 28th at 8:00AM and ends on Saturday,February 5th at midnight.
Where: The hop starts here at www.cropoutdiabetes.blogspot.com. Follow along the hop to visit the particpating blogs and join in on the challenges.
How it works:

1. Donate to JDRF using our donate button which can be found on all participating blogs. (A minimum donation of $5 is required to be eligible for prizes)  **Donate button is located on the right hand side of my blog, just scroll down
2. Start at Crop Out Diabetes and follow along the hop. If you get lost each blog will have a list of the participating blogs so that you can get right back in on all the fun!
3. Complete the challenges and take a photo of your completed project.
4. Link a photo of your completed project to the linking tool at the bottom of each corresponding blog hop post by February 5th at midnight.
5. Winners will be chosen randomly using random.org and be posted by February 12th, 2011.

**Feel free to leave a comment about this post as the winner for the blog candy will be chosen from the submissions for my challenge!

I decided my project for today would be a page on what Taylor's life is like according to her.  She is one tough cookie!  I'll post her journaling after I share how I did this page!
I started this page with my title, life as I know it.  I used the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder to draw the title using Make-the-Cut.  I then cut around the title with an oval.  I used the Copic markers to color in the gel pens, and look, no smearing!  Imagine all of the things you could draw and then color!

I used Basic Grey patterned papers, brads and chipboard accents to finish the page. 

This is the journaling in my daughter's words.  I'm hoping we can look back on it one day, when there is a cure for diabetes, and thing, wow are we glad that is over!

I am 16 and have had type 1 diabetes since I was 8 years old. My diagnosis was a big shock to everyone because there was no history of diabetes in my family, so that made me the first. In the beginning, I thought diabetes was really hard to deal with. I had to constantly keep track of my blood sugar by poking my finger with a needle anywhere from six to ten times a day. With diabetes I have to be careful when playing sports. When I go outside of my normal routine and go on a major bike ride with my family or friends I need to always make sure I look after myself. My blood sugars tend to go really low really fast when I play sports, swim, and do my favorite bike ride with my family. It always seemed like I was sitting on the bench when I played volleyball because my blood sugar decided to go out of whack and I had to take care of it before I could do anything else. And because my blood sugar tends to go low quite a bit, I have to eat snacks when I'm not really hungry, which just makes me feel worse because I tend to get bad stomach aches. Having my blood sugar go low isn't my only problem with diabetes, I tend to go high a lot too. My blood sugars are all over the place and it drives me nuts! Especially when whenever my blood sugar gets too high I always start feeling like crap. I get the chills, my heart beats super fast, I feel really nauseous and like I'm about to throw up. And now that I'm getting older and about to go away to college, I'm not even allowed to move out until I get my blood sugars under control. And believe me, that's going to be a challenge. I've had diabetes for almost 9 years now and still haven't gotten it under control. Plus now that I've got my license I have to check my blood sugar every time I'm about to leave the house. When my blood sugar's too low I can't drive and have to wait until I get my blood sugar gets back to normal before I can go anywhere. Although it's been hard, I've learned to live with diabetes and am happy with the way my life has turned out so far.

Taylor is one amazing young lady, she is way stronger then I ever thought she would be.  Taylor has diabetes, but diabetes does NOT have Taylor.
My challenge for you is to make a layout about someone in your life that inspires you!  Post it here for a chance to win a Chomas Creations micro Sharpie holder and 3 micro Sharpies in assorted colors.  Remember you must donate a minimum of $5 to the JDRF fund to sign up for this blog give away.  Feel free to comment on this post as the winner will be chosen from the submissions for my challenge!
Enter your submissions by February 5th midnight for a chance to win!

Here is a link to all of the blogs on the Hop for A Cure...
Crop Out Diabetes
Snug as a bug designs
Thinking with Ink
PS I love you scrapbooking
Sweet sassy diva
The cozy craft closet
Cricut Crafty Clare
Through my I's
Chomas Creations **YOU ARE HERE
Paper Pretties
Scrpality


















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All I want for Christmas with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder

My post for today is a scrapbook page (my fav thing to do!)  On this page I used the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder and the metallic mini gel pen from the 10 pack of assorted mini gel pens to draw the title, and the lines for journaling in the title!  I have this file available for Design Studio (you need George and Winter Frolic to use it) for free download here...  All I want for Christmas
The pages in the file are labeled cut page (for using your blade) and draw page (for using the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder to draw), and then cut page.  It is simple to use first you cut the cut page, then without removing your mat, and without moving the blade carriage, remove the blade and replace it with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder (put a scrap paper under the carriage so you don't mark up your paper).  Now draw the draw page!
After I drew the title with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder, I used the Copics to color it in!  After you let the mini gel pens set a bit to dry, the Copics won't smear the mini gel pens! 

Now wait till you see these pictures! I know generally when we get a picture that bad, we keep going for a better one, but OOOOH MY GOSH I couldn't stop cracking up on this one!  I think it tells quite the story, my poor kids, all tired out, waiting for mom to get the right picture!  So that is the focus on this page hehe!

I used Imaginesce papers and ribbon, and the little trees are from Making Memories.

Hope you enjoyed!  Happy Holidays!

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Reindeer crossing card with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder and Copics!

I may just have mentioned before that you can use the Copic markers with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder and gel pens?  hehe!  Sometimes I feel the need to color things in, and the Copics satisfy that craving for me!  I just love the way they blend together!  So today I played around in Cricut Design Studio to make this reindeer file with Winter Frolic and it is available for download free here... Design Studio reindeer file
I then drew the design with the Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder and the black metallic mini gel pen (from the assorted set), and colored it in with the Copics. And of course nothing is complete without a googly eye!  hehe
I cut the scallopped circle out of Echo Park's Christmas line and added it to another piece of patterned paper to complete the card! 

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Busy Boy Layout with Chomas Creations mini gel pen & Copics

Ok, I maybe, just maybe, getting addicted to the Copic markers... I used to love to color, and now I'm remembering why hehe! Now if I could just stay between the lines...
I love love love the Mini Monsters cart! While my now 4 year old is starting to be less of a monster every day, looking back at these old blog posts I used to do reminds me of a trying time I went through with him! Like at his 18 month check up when the pediatrician is asking me if ADD runs in the family because my baby is running around like, well a monster!
If you layer your pieces in Design Studio from the Mini Monsters cart, and draw it out with the mini gel pen holder, it makes for the perfect image to color in with the Copics! And no smearing with the mini gel pens either when you are coloring.
You may recognize the background, the graph paper on kraft cardstock, I liked the look I got so much I'm using it again already! That is the black metallic mini gel pen! I used chalk to dirty up the edges, cause no monster page should be a clean page, hehe!
The title was done using the Robotz cart, and again drawn with the mini gel pen holder, and colored with the Copics.
Look closely and you will see polka dots and lines in the title. I used the Copic blender marker to add texture to the title.

Happy Birthday Card with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder & Copics

Coloring with Copics... I wish I could say I'm getting better, but I should probably practice more hehe! If only there were more time in the day!
So did you know you could draw with the Chomas Creations mini gel pens and mini gel pen holder in your Cricut and then color with the Copics, and it won't smear? So I thought it would be fun to color a pink poodle! I think I mixed up my colors while coloring cause poor pinki's face is really pink! But I think it turned out cute! I love me some googly eyes, so much cuter then just cut or drawn eyes. The good thing about using Design Studio when drawing with the gel pens is you can layer everything to add the extra details.
The background of this card was designed in Design Studio with Doodletype. I added all of the "happy" words to one layer of my DS file, then on another layer drew the "birthday" word, that way I could use 2 different colors of the new GLITTER mini gel pens! See all that sparkle? You can click on the pics to see them larger!

Trick or Treat with Chomas Creations mini gel pen holder & Copics

Did you know that the 20 new colors of mini gel pens we offer include SILVER??? There is a silver metallic and also a silver glitter mini gel pen. And do you know how cool the silver looks on black cardstock? Well now let me show you hehe!!!

For this layout, all of those little circles that make up the background paper are silver circles drawn with the mini gel pen holder!
For this page I also used the sliver mini gel pen to draw the title, the spider web, and the little bats. I then colored them all in with the Copics, see, no smearing! Now if I could just get better with the Copic markers...