Birthday card with Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder

I love how this turned out, looks so much like chalk on chalkboard!!  This is the Sakura moonlight gelly roll gel pens in the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder.  The file is from the Studio store.  I used internal offset to fill in the pattern on this file.  I kept adjusting the internal offset until the whole thing was filled!  Worked great!  Because these pens are pretty juicy, I used a speed of 2 and a thickness of 6. 

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Valentine's Day cards with the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder

My daughter seriously cracks me up!  I showed her these Valentines I designed and she was over the moon!!!  She couldn't wait to get them started! 
If you would like the share to make these for your kiddies, here you go!  I mustache you to be my Valentine
I seriously made over 60 of these today with the Silhouette and the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder.  It does take a bit to draw, but it is so worth it!  I do love the look of gel pen on paper!  These gel pens are the Sakura Moonlight Gelly Roll. 
I used a speed of 3 and a thickness of 4 to draw these.  These pens are juicy and you don't want them to smear!

I gave the kids a glue stick and a white gel pen to write on the backs of their cards (I layered these with red cardstock) and put them to work!

I cut the mustaches out of black fuzzy vinyl!  Soooo fun! 

My daughter put together an assembly line and cranked these out in no time, all 31!  eeeek

Want to try any of the Chomas Creations tools I've used on my blog?  Use the coupon code feb14 to save 10% off your order in the Chomas Creations store!






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My amazingly, fantastic, super duper, saaaweet oily necklace with the Chomas Creations engraving tip

I have an amazingly, fantastic, super duper, saaaweet guest post coming to you from Michelle Glaeser.  Now because I know nothing about metal clay, this is all written in Michelle's words!  And if you are interested in an oily necklace all your own, look at the bottom of this post as she will work with you to make one for you!  And if you want to see what kinds of oils I'm putting in my new necklace you can visit my getting oily! blog.

Making Fine Silver Essential Oil Pendants with the Chomas Creations Engraving Tip

Amy is one of my best online friends these days!  We met over her lovely tools which make my main hobby (metal clay) more interesting.  About 1.5 years ago, I decided to follow along with some other metal clay artists on these Silhouette Cameo paper cutters for metal clay.  Well, I sure have enjoyed using this tool!  We had used it for cutting metal clay in the form of “paper.”  Wanaree Tanner has shared some great projects with this material and Amy’s cutters. 

Lately, Amy has gotten me interested in the use of essential oils, for well everything.  She asked if a pendant could be made of metal clay to allow the essential oils to be smelled all day around your neck.  For example, the blend oil called “Motivation” will help Amy stay motivated to get all our orders out right from her website!  (How could I not offer to help?)  How could I also not use her Engraving tip on the pendant?!

The idea behind this pendant is many cut outs to let the essential oil vent.   A piece of felt will be used to hold the oil.  I provided Amy several pieces of felt per pendant, so they could be interchanged and dedicated to particular oils.  The pendant is fine silver, and is reversible, so it’s like two pendants in one!  Who feels the same way each day?  So, besides swapping oil, Amy can swap designs with her mood!

So here’s what I did!  First Amy and I worked together to design a pendant for both herself and her son. I prefer to make pieces inspired by my clients, so we looked over some images and came up with the two images (top) below.  The black spaces are what I intended to remove to allow the essential oil to vent through the pendant and a grabbing notch for felt removal.  Then I rolled PMC 3, in lump form, rolled 2 playing cards thick the size of both the front and back of the piece.   I did not use glycerin to make it flexible and had no issues!  I made it dry flat.  In the image below right, it is on a piece of furniture foam; lets air all around the clay, helps it dry  flat. 

 

Then I add a piece of contact paper to the back, seen upper left in the image below.  It helps the clay on removal from the cutting mat and prevents silver from getting  stuck in your mat.  Because silver is pricy, and I don’t want to mis-cut on my Silhouette, I usually cut a window into a sheet on top of my cutting mat, so I know where to place the silver.  I slightly oversized my silver and matched the window.  After I cut the window with my blade, (I do not remove the cutting mat) I peel out the window, and place my silver in the window (upper right image below). Next, I install the Chomas Engraving Tip!

  Have you seen this cut?  Here she goes on fine silver metal clay!

I set up my engraving tip as a sketch pen; I set my thickness to 15.   I wasn’t looking to remove lots of material,  I was looking for a nice fine line. I ran my pass and ended up with the image seen above, lower right.  

There are other things I could have done here.  Because 2-cards thick is 0.5mm, a blade setting of 5 would cut through the windows I was looking to add.  Likely I’ll do this next time! ;-)  But I just used these lines as guides.  I used both an Exacto knife and a needle tool to trace the lines and remove the windows.  I used tiny needle files to clean up those edges.  Look how cute it turned out!!

So…I had to charge my camera…and didn’t get pictures of the box assembly.  I found 8-cards thick was sufficient to fit the felt inside the pendant.  I had two options, make wedges 8-cards thick (2 mm), or use a thinner sheet that is 2 mm tall.  This is what I did, to reduce distortion during firing.  I used Sherri Haab’s Paste Maker to make a thick paste to attach these walls to the faces of the box.  I filed the sides to create nice flat edges around the box (image below left, prior to firing).  I used a nail file to sand those edges flat and smooth.  The boxes stand on their own fairly well! 

 

Above, right, you can see the pieces after firing, polishing, and oxidizing.  I will let you know the boxes did fall (pinch inward) slightly during firing, next time I will add kiln paper in the center to help prevent this.  Another option is to set this on kiln paper, and fill with alumina hydrate.  I don’t prefer to use the alumina hydrate because it is caustic; however, because it is fine, it will be pushed out the holes as the box shrinks in the kiln.  I did use one of my flat needle files after firing to push the walls back flat (against the table) after firing.  You can see it all worked out just fine! Below we’ve got both pendants with felt ready to go!

If you’d like one of your own for your essential oil, I’ve got a listing in my etsy shop: mfglaeser.etsy.com!  For the Chomas Blog Readers, I have a $10 off coupon code: CHOMAS10!  Each of these will be made on demand with your help.  It’s not hard to get something you’ll like, just need some ideas about what you’re interested in!  The pendant itself is listed here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/176360753/design-your-own-essential-oil-necklace

If you try this one your own and need any tips feel free to contact me at mfglaeser@yahoo.com!  Hope you all had fun with this project and Amy’s engraving tip!

Amy here again!  I'm loving being in the Silhouette tools business and now the oily business!  I'm finding out so much about both, and there is so much more to find out!
And how lucky am I to be the first for the necklaces??   Want to see some of the oils I am using with my necklace?  Check them out on my new blog getting oily!

 

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change is good with the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder

For almost 7 years I've been on a journey, a journey to make me stronger, to help me feel better, and to get me in better shape.  It wasn't easy.  It was down right hard some days, but I've kept at it.  Almost 7 years I set a goal weight for myself.  I never seem to get there, until I went gluten free.  That was really hard, I won't lie.  I've also added essential oils in my life to help with maintaining my weight, getting clearer skin, and for pain relief.
So I decided to do something I rarely do.  A scrapbook page about me and my journey.  And with pictures of me, something else I rarely do.  You can read the journaling below if you like!  It is long, I kid you not!  So being able to write right on my 12x12 scrapbook page came in handy for this!  I used the Chomas Creations adjustable marker  holder with a Sharpie no bleed marker (acid free for you scrapbookers!) in the Silhouette to write this.  The font is Aunt Jana sketch from the Studio store.  Notice I didn't use a mat for this page, I put the 12x12 cardstock right in the Silhouette Cameo.  You do need to move the white rollers on the machine over to the next set of notches, and you need to use load media instead of load mat so that it will write in the right place.

The title was a download from the Studio store. 

Here is my finished page, with me on it! 

The journey isn't over!  There is always something to learn, something new to try.  I love the way I feel, having more energy, feeling accomplished!  I love sharing all I am learning about health and essential oils!  If you would like to read the journaling on my page, feel free!

If you would like to try journaling on your own pages use the coupon code winter13 to save 10% off your order in the Chomas Creations store!

 

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Linen gift tags with Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder

Sometimes I am just lolly gagging around the internet and I run across something that amazes me that someone did with the Chomas Creations tools!  I asked Lauri Springer from the latest from lauri if I could share these awesome Valentine's gift tags with you!  She said YES!  So here they are!  She made the tags from scratch (WOW!!!) and then drew on them with the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder and a no bleed Sharpie marker.  You can also find these tags (if there are any left they are so cute!) and some other amazing things Lauri has done in her etsy store my creative frenzy!  Stop by Lauri's blog the latest from lauri and leave her some love if you have time!

Don't forget to use the coupon code winter13 in the Chomas Creations store to save 10% off your order!


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Robot birthday card with Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder

Young boy birthday cards are a tough one for me!  Give me girly, flowery any day and I can make a quick card.  But a boy card?  Not so quick!
But what could be better for boy then robots and silver and black and dark blue?  Well nothing!
I found these Sharpie markers that are a fine point on one side and an ultra fine point on the other that fit in the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder.  Sharpies work awesome on glossy surfaces like this silver glossy cardstock that I found at Target, 2 pieces for under $1!

The sentiment and robot were both Studio store downloads.

Want to try out some of these fun ideas?  Use the coupon code december13 to save 10% off in the Chomas Creations store.

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Letters from Santa with Chomas Creations adjustable holders

I'm sad to say that my house is getting to the sad age where the kids are starting to doubt Santa.  That just makes me so sad =(  I'm kicking it up a notch with some letters addressed to my kids from Santa.  Of course I couldn't use my own handwriting, and I want them to be handwritten, so bring out the Cameo! 
I used the Chomas Creations adjustable holders with gel pens to draw these letters from Santa.  But look close, notice anything missing in this picture??

If you noticed my arrows, you may also notice that I'm using NO MAT!  That is because you can add a 12 inch piece of cardstock right in your Silhouette machine without a mat and draw on it!  How awesome is that?  You do have to move your white roller over a notch (your roller is usually where I'm showing the #1, you need to move it to #2) so the paper will fit under the rollers.  You also want to use load media instead of load mat so that your writing starts where you see it on the screen in Studio.

I used the Lettering Delights thin font called Casual to write the letters to my kids.  I also loaded the envelopes straight into the Silhouette with no mat to draw their names on the front!

Don't they look like they are hand written letters!?  You can't get that from a printer!  And these are in metallic gel pens!
Want to give it a try?  Use the coupon code december13 to save 10% off your purchase in the Chomas Creations store!

 

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Have yourself a merry little Chistmas with the Chomas Creations adjustable holders

I was too excited to share this with everyone!  Karla Moore is a part of a facebook group I am in and she gave me permission to share this, and even gave the names of the fonts she used!  Have is cupcake block sketch; yourself-Simon script; A - neoretro draw; have- Helena; merry-Archistico; Christmas- Quito and the snowflake - bergamot ornaments.
She used the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder with a Gelly Roll white gel pen on a large piece of black poster board that she trimmed down to fit in this frame.  Looks amazing Karla!  Thanks so much for letting me share it!

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Christmas tags with the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder

Time for Christmas tags!  I love to make my own, so much more personal, don't you think???  And being I have enough ribbon in my stash to wrap around the earth a few times, it is a great way to use some up!  If you would like to make your own tags, I have the share here... Christmas tags
I also have a tutorial as well as another Christmas tag file share here... tag tutorial
Here is just a start of this years tags!  I will be doing more in different colored cardstock and may switch the design around!  I used the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder with a Sakura Moonlight gel pen on kraft cardstock.

Ready to make some of your own?  Use the coupon code december13 to save 10% off your order in the Chomas Creations store! 


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Make your own labels with the Chomas Creations holders

Tis the season for needing gift tags to decorate your holiday goodies!  If you would like a gift tag share and tutorial, you can see that on my blog here... gift tags
I LOVE the look of kraft cardstock and wanted to label some of the jars I'm filling up.  As much as I would like to say these are gifts, these are for me me me, hehe.  I whipped up some coconut oil which makes it easier to rub into your skin and added some of my Young Living essential oils to make a pain relieving mix.
I used the Chomas Creations adjustable pen holder with a Sakura Moonlight gel pen (love the way these pens look on kraft cardstock!) to draw the design. Being these are very juicy pens I used a speed of 1 and a thickness of 1.  The font is Aunt Jana's sketch from the Studio store.  The dashed line was made using the cut settings in Studio.  The kraft cardstock is the self adhesive cardstock from the Silhouette store. 

Want to make your own tags and labels this holiday season?  Use the coupon code november13 at checkout in the Chomas Creations store to save 10% off your purchase!

Want to learn more about a more natural way of healing your mind and body?  For years now I have used peppermint oil to relieve my headaches before reaching for

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abc thanks card with Chomas Creations adjustable holders

I needed a quick thank you card for my daughter's teacher and love the look of "chalk" on "chalkboard" this is hot right now.  I created this card in Studio and you can get the share for it
here... abc thanks  The font I used is a Lettering Delights thin font called Sparkle.
I used the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder with a white Signo Uniball gel pen (adjust your speed to 1 and thickness to around 3) to draw the design.  I also used a stylus in the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder to score my card.  There is a tutorial for scoring cards here...  score card

Ready to give the Chomas Creations tools a try?  Use the code october13 at checkout to save 10% off your order in the Chomas Creations store.


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Square 1 vinyl and the Chomas Creations adjustable holders

Guess who was asked to be a designer for Square1 adhesive backed fabric???  THIS GIRL!  hehe  Square1 is the un-vinyl.
Being I have been looking for a vinyl I like for a long time, I was happy to say, YES!  But of course before I try to say you just have to have something, I decided to take a few things for a test run!
My first stop was permanent vinyl on my daughter's water bottle.  I had tried a different brand vinyl and when I washed the water bottle 2 of my 4 letters came off.  I added the white permanent vinyl to my daughter's water bottle and washed it a few times and let her take it to school.  A couple of weeks later and the vinyl is still going strong! 
Here is another fun thing I did with the permanent vinyl. We have a problem in our house with the toilet seat getting lifted by the boys.  So far the reminder worked!  Yes I'm surprised! hehe

The coolest vinyl that Square1 has to offer?  Has to be the GLOW IN THE DARK!  I thought it would be fun to put it on the ceiling over my son's bunk bed.  But when he wakes in the morning I wanted him to still be able to see something fun on his design, so I added "love you, mommy" with the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder and a fine point, original Sharpie marker. 
It is easy to add permanent marker to your vinyl.  Here is tutorial showing just how I did it!

Highlight your entire image (a), go to cut line settings (b), click no cut (c).



Highlight the image you want to draw (1), go to cut line settings (2) and click on cut.

Add your Sharpie to the Chomas Creations adjustable marker holder.  Draw your image.  With Sharpies you want a slower speed (4) and a very small thickness (1) so you don't crush the tip of your Sharpie, and so it doesn't smear.

 Again highlight your entire image (4), click cut (5).

Now highlight the image you don't want to cut (6) and click no cut (7).

Take out your marker holder and replace your blade. With the glow in the dark vinyl I used a blade depth of 3, a thickness of 10 and a speed of 8.
I weeded out the extra vinyl but kept the inside letters for "I love you".

I added it to  the ceiling above my son's bed.  He loves it!

 Here it is at night. Man is glow in the dark hard to get a picture of!

The extra "I love you" went next to my daughter's bed. Here it is during the day and at night.

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