Home Sweet Home Decor - Jillibean Soup

Hello blogging friends!

I am trying to catch up on some posts this weekend. I wanted to show you the latest Jillibean Soup Mix The Media houses that are available at your local JoAnn stores.

This house has that rustic farmhouse look that is so popular right now. I stenciled on the Home Sweet Home using a cut file available in the Silhouette Store. These wood houses come in a variety of sizes. I am using the smallest one here. You can get an idea of size if you compare it to the foam brush next to it.

So I want to share my secret for stenciling and not having your paint bleed underneath the stencil. Here I have applied my vinyl stencil I cut out using my Silhouette Cameo to the front of the house. To ensure a complete seal, apply a coat of decoupage or Mod Podge over the stencil openings. Don't worry about it showing, it dries clear and we are going to paint over the top of it.

Let the decoupage dry. Using a stencil brush apply some chalk paint by dabbing it over the stencil openings. Do not use side to side movements with the brush. This could cause paint bleed. You should be dabbing up and down. I like chalk paint when stenciling because it is a very thick paint and therefore less likely to bleed as well.

Here is house number 2, a metal house cut out of tin. A little more chic than a block of wood and looks amazing with a vinyl phrase added to it.

You can find this cut file from Jillibean Soup in the Silhouette Store.

Here is house number 3, a wooden house frame with a white insert. There are so many options for adding cut files to this house to make this uniquely yours. Being a cat lover here is what I went with...

Dog lovers, do not worry, Jillibean Soup has plenty of cut files for you too.

All of these houses are at your local JoAnn stores now! Grab a coupon and check it out. Shop online if you are sick or worried about getting sick.
~Marcia

Oh Summertime Travel Journal - Pebbles

Hello blogging friends!

I'm back today with a tutorial on how to create your own travel journal. This could be used to document your summer vacation adventures or to send with a child to summer camp. I decorated this one with the Oh Summertime collection.

Here is a peek at the inside pages... There is a side pocket that can be used to hold sticker sheets or ephemera pieces. You could even store postcards and stamps to send to friends and family when you are traveling.

There are 3 gusseted pocket pages that follow. You could store photos, postcards, or other memorabilia inside.

In the back I have added a notebook. I covered this one with pattern paper to pretty it up.

I have put together a YouTube tutorial complete with measurements. It is fairly easy to put together. I hope you have a look.

Supplies:
734097 Oh Summertime 12×12 Paper Pad
734094 Oh Summertime Ephemera
734086 Oh Summertime Cardstock Stickers
Sticky Thumb .25" Double Sided Adhesive

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have an awesome weekend!
~Marcia

DIY Holiday Shirt - JustNick Studios

Hello blogging friends!

Did you know JustNick Studios is giving away a FREE digital cut file every day for 14 days? They are FREE for one day only, so be sure to download the files every day.
I am here today for Day 10 of our 14 day FREE digital cut file giveaway! It's like Christmas (or Hanukkah, or maybe just Happy Holidays for you) everyday!

Today's FREE cut file is the Ho Ho Ho Strip and I thought it would be perfect to cut from heat transfer (iron-on) vinyl and create a festive holiday shirt for myself.

If you have never cut vinyl, you should definitely try it. The results are fabulous!! Don't worry, I will walk you through it.

Vinyl is cut with the right side facing down on the mat. (The back side is facing up.) That means, if you are cutting words, you need to flip them to their mirror image. Right click on the image and select Flip Horozontal. Resize your image to fit the shirt you want to apply it to. I sized mine so that it was 9" wide for a size L ladies t-shirt.

In the cutting window, select Cut and for material, select Vinyl (or Heat Transfer Material, or Reflective Heat Transfer). I used DecoSPARKLE Heat Transfer Holographic Vinyl. It is much thicker than regular iron on vinyl, so I increased my blade depth to 5. You want to cut through the vinyl but not the clear layer that is protecting the top of the vinyl. This is called a Kiss Cut. Play around with a small piece before cutting a large image. It helps to use a new blade and double cut.

Now we need to weed the unwanted parts away, leaving only the image cut on the protective plastic. Place the image on your shirt, centering it, and heat up your iron to the cotton setting. Different vinyl might recommend using a different setting. Be careful about your shirt selection! You do not want to use a shirt that will melt when you apply heat. When the iron is hot enough, apply even pressure on top of your image, moving the iron to make sure you are applying heat to the entire image. Let it cool for a minute, then try to peel the clear top layer away. If it is not peeling easily, replace the clear top layer, and iron some more.

Wash inside out and hang to dry to extend the life of your garment. I hope you give it a try.

Remember that Today's design - Ho Ho Ho Strip - is yours for FREE today only!
Just enter code: HOSTFREE  at checkout to get this design for free.

This code is only valid until midnight CST on December 10, 2017.  No purchase necessary, today only!  This design will be available in the JustNick store for purchase after the discount code expires.
Check back tomorrow for another FREE cut file!
Thanks so much for stopping by!