Make Your Own Valentine's Day Card with Cricut

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Valentine's Day is just around the bend. I am sure a lot of people will be giving flowers and chocolates or would reserve a table at a fine dining restaurant to celebrate Love's Day. However, if you plan of showing everyone who is special to you like your mum, dad, siblings, relatives, friends, and that special person, then you can create a Valentine's Day card for everybody. Not only does it save you money, it is practical, it shows your creative side, and makes every single card you make a very special one.

Cricut has plenty of shapes perfect for the upcoming Love Day. You can create many designs using your Cricut cutting machine.  You can get Card images starting at $1 at Cricut too!


Below are samples of cards you can make using the Cricut machine.

            


If you do not have a Cricut yet, you can check out this Cricut Explore Air 2. It is 2x faster in cutting and writing.

Cricut Explore Air Clearance and you can get Free shipping at Cricut with code LOVESHIP

Showing how much you care for someone does not need a high price tag attached to it. It's always the "thought that counts!"

Christmas in July in Cricut

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

It's only July and it's still 5 months away until Christmas. Usually, crafters like myself start preparing holiday crafts by October or November so there's enough time to make handmade cards, holiday decors and handmade and personalised gifts. However, starting your very own holiday craft as early July will be ideal and achievable. Do you know why? Well, Cricut is having a blast of Christmas stuff in July!

It's never to early to start with your holiday crafts and you can do that now in July with Cricut. Cricut is offering plenty of resources you can use for you holiday projects, be it holiday box-making, embellishments for your cards and crafts and even Christmas ornaments.

Where do you begin with your holiday projects? Well, you can get inspiration from Cricut's Christmas category. From there, you can choose which one appeals you and make plenty so you don't run out of holiday stuff to go around.

You can download cutting shapes and kits from Cricut too for your projects. And these are just few of the many things you can do as early as now. So, take advantage of this fabulous offer and Celebrate Christmas in July with great deals at Cricut!

Paper Clip Bookmarks in My Etsy Shop

Hello! Hello! Hello!!!

I have been busy making some paper clip bookmarks for my Etsy shop. So far, I have managed to make 3 sets:

Inside Out
Doggies
Princesses

While the Inside Out characters will be sold as a set, the rest can be bought individually.

I also have this discount code to offer to all of you: PLAN15. You can use them without minimum purchase so feel free to use them upon check out.

Inside Out clips will be out this week and the others soon!

Please support handmade stuff and artisans.
GO HANDMADE!!!

Visit my Etsy shop for more planner sticker stuff.

Easy To Make Christmas Card Kits Project

I have been very busy with a project for a friend lately so some of the usual stuff I do has to be pushed aside. Not only that, I was under the weather too for few days so my movement is a bit restrained and I need full rest to recover.

A commitment is a commitment for me so despite of the fever and achy joints, I managed to complete the 30 pieces Christmas Card kids for the young ones. This project is commissioned by a friend from work who is into arts and crafts as well. I do appreciate the fact that she contacted me to prepare easy to make cards that can be assembled by the youngsters attending her Christmas Party this December.

I am honored that she chose me to make these cards. So, I made 2 samples and they are very simple to follow. I prepared the kit which consists of the following:

1 patterned paper matting
1 Christmas image/graphic
1 small ribbon embellishment
1 paper lace cutout
1 Christmas sentiment
1 A5 cardstock

The items (except for the base card) have all been pre-cut and I already applied double adhesive tapes for easy sticking. So, there's no need for those sharp scissors and glue sticks. Everything will be assembled in a jiffy!

Free Shipping Worldwide Of Handmade With Love Cards

Update as of 28 Oct. 2014 - I have stopped making handmade cards. I thank all those who supported and went out of their way to purchase my cards. Thank you all.

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It's the season of giving so scrap the 25% off on shipping fee. I am giving FREE SHIPPING for any purchase worth $25 and above from my Handmade with Love cards starting from today until supply lasts.

So, support handmade and micro-business and share the good news! Take your pick and order now from Handmade with Love.

Thanks!

My Nephew's Disney Cars' Themed Birthday Invitation Cards

This is what I have been busy doing during the Eid Holidays. I was asked by my sister-in-law to make few Disney Cars' themed birthday invitation cards for her son's 4th birthday party. Of course, I happily obliged and this is what I have come up with.

My nephew, Jacob, loves the characters of Disney's Cars too so an idea came up. I made a library-kind pouch as envelope and took some pictures from the internet of the Disney's Cars characters (Disney characters and other graphics credit: yahoo images, owned by Disney) and some other clip arts like the black and white checkered border and the race flags. I used my own cutting images for the name, number 4 and the envelope template.

So, here is the finished invitation and I'm very pleased. It's so cute!

Why I love Shopping From Etsy

Do you buy your arts and craft stuff online or you drive to the nearest Michael's Art or other craft supplies? Well, I do most of my craft buying online because Dubai has limited craft suppliers. There are quite a handful here but they're expensive and almost double the price of the ones I buy in the US.

I got hooked ever since I bought my first arts and craft supplies from a seller on Etsy. There are plenty of reasons why I love buying at Etsy. Here are some reasons why:

• I like the fact that I can message the seller directly through their shop in Etsy and the response time is rather quick. I contacted another craft supplier's website but it took more than 2 days before I got a response. In Etsy, I think the sellers are almost (always) online which is good.

• I made some comparison and most of the sellers' prices are similar to the ones I have seen in the website but the shipping costs of most Etsy sellers are very competitive; oftentimes, much lower than the websites I have visited.

• I have encountered several Etsy sellers and they are very accommodating and nice. They are willing to give a customized quote for all your purchases so you don't have to pay additional shipping for each item and get clubbed together resulting to a higher shipping rate.

• They offer fabulous discounts and coupon codes for repeat customers. 

• Some of the sellers even have "bloggers" incentives and they will give you several items for free in exchange of a review. Isn't that nice? I managed to get $30 worth of free flat back gems and pearls because of this. 

• Most of the items sold in Etsy (not just the arts and crafts category) are HANDMADE! I am a staunch supporter of "buying handmade" stuff because I am a handmade card maker. I know the love and passion that goes in every stuff they make and the time they spent to create it.

• Most Etsy sellers are micro-businesses which I love to support because some of them are stay-at-home-moms who try to sell their creations and supplies to augment their household income. If I have my way, I will also sell my handmade cards via Etsy but not just now.

Etsy is a community of 15 million sellers and business coming together to provide distinct items to sell and showcase to the world. I love Etsy and I encourage you to support handmade, thriving small/micro business and budding artists.

Handmade Wedding-Congratulations Card

I love customizing cards because it makes it more special since I am making it based on the recipient's preference and interests. This is one of my favorite commissioned cards that I have made. It is for my husband's colleague. He is engaged to be married soon so I made this card for everyone in their office to sign up and write their well-wishes.

It took me more than 2 hours to complete this easel card. I had to sketch it first, figure out where the embellishments would go, how I would arrange them and what shapes to cut for the project. Let's just say, I am very satisfied with the outcome and so are the colleagues of my hubby. As for the soon-to-be-wed, they loved it. And this is why I love making handmade cards. It warms my heart to know people appreciate the time, effort, thought and love I put into making a single card.

copyright www.riablahgs.com 

Running Out Of Craft Supplies

Update: I no longer make handmade cards and my Facebook page is already unpublished. Thanks to those who believed in my ability to create beautiful and special cards. :) 25 July 2014

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When you are a crafter and your juice is just flowing ever smoothly, the last thing you want to happen is to run out of stocks. Yes, it happened to me just when my momentum is soaring. I found out that I only have few patterned papers left, no available embossing powder with Christmas themed colors, few metres of adhesive tape left and very limited supply of paper flowers that I need for my shabby chic and Victorian themed cards.

I have made my list so I can visit the scrapbook supplies this weekend and I am pulling the weekend already to come fast. I am yearning to create my Christmas projects and finish them soon so I can post them in my Facebook page. I am still waiting for that breakthrough that someone will actually place the first order and the rest will be glorious history for my cardmaking biz.

Anyway, do visit my Facebook page and check out my handmade cards. Please feel free to purchase anything you fancy. :)

Also note that I have created an album for my Christmas cards and other stuff. So come back again soon!

More Handmade Cards Created

Update (25Jul2014) - I no longer make handmade cards. Thank you to all those who believed in my ability to create beautiful and special cards.

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I voiced my passion to create a mini-biz selling my handmade cards, tags and plushies before. And I have actually put the plan in motion. I have been making my projects every weekend. I built a decent stock to feature in my Facebook fan page so everyone can take a look, admire and even purchase. Of course, the purchase part will be my favorite because engaging in handmade card making is a very expensive hobby. I want to be able to at least enjoy the fruits of my labor of love.

I would like to invite everyone to check out my handmade cards in my Handmade with Love Facebook page and I hope that someone out there will be my lucky first buyer who will open the doors for more repeat and new business. Contact details are in the FB page, same as the shipping costs and prices.

And here are some of my cards for sale. 

I hope you'll consider purchasing some of my work. They are all Handmade with love.

Vintage Tag Slider

I have been very busy lately on building my stock for the handmade cards, tags and what-have-yous I can sell to everyone. The stock is building up not as quickly as I want it because I am still missing some bits and pieces of embellishments that will complete the whole project. However, I am still working on meeting my goal of making maximum of 2-3 cards per week and some tags if I have the time and materials.

So, let me give you a peek of what I have done today so you know what to expect when I start peddling my handmade with love cards.

I printed some vintage images from the public domain, used Bo Bunny patterned paper, added crackle paint on the flowers, birds and the sentiment to add that aged and shabby look, also used embossing technique on the front tag, use Graphic 45 patterned paper for the pull out, some tulle for the ribbon, affixed a cabochon rose in peach color and lastly, hang 2 cute metal charms (key and made with love).

I'm really getting the hang of making vintage and shabby looking cards and tags. I am leaning towards plenty of rich texture and dimension, use of paper flowers, plenty of laces and ribbons and pearls. That's why I still have few more arts supplies to receive in the coming days to complete the stash. My last purchases will be more of inks, distress stains from Tim Holtz, rubber and cling ons, patterned paper and mulberry flowers. Then I can go full swing on creating lovely cards and tags for your special someone.

More Arts & Craft Supplies Arrived From The Mail

I am on a roll! I love my craft supplies from Etsy! I just got two parcels over the weekend from the 2 shops in Etsy and they are adorable.

I bought some cute and tiny charms to use for my cards from Mondopuro. The rose cabochons, cameos and organza flowers are from jqloveh. These two sellers in Etsy are really prompt and their shipping charges are fairly reasonable too. Aside from that, they gave me discount vouchers for my next purchase and that's really so nice of them. So, if you're into crafts, I do recommend that you pay them a visit at Etsy and you'll find throve of trinkets and cabochons you can use.

Also, I got my 6th batch of supplies from my daughter who bought all the nice french laces, antique looking buttons, ribbons, tulle and Victorian-esque colors of satin fabric. I know what to do with them so I'm just waiting for my daughter to come back so she can help me sew small flowers out of the satin fabric.

I also have my ephemera and other Victorian era images taken from the public domain which I can incorporate in some of my shabby chic/Victorian inspired cards. In fact, I was too excited that I already made one card the other night.

Lastly, my very supportive hubby ordered a customized rubber stamp of my very own "logo" with my new email for my handmade cards and party supplies mini-business which I hope to launch before the holiday season. I'm just running the logistics and other legalities as I need to respect the commercial license of some of the images, shapes and stamps I wish to use in my designs. I hope I get everything sorted out including the shipping rates so I can finally open  my small business.

Please support handmade.

More Art Stash! More Creative Projects!

Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on the art supplies I got today! I wish the weekend is longer as I have plenty of stuff in my head and the creative juice seems to be flowing freely lately. Thank you Lord for that. I thought I'll never be able to create stuff anymore after that long sabbatical.

I made a grunge/Victorian/Shabby inspired tag last night. I'm starting to get the hang of making shabby chic projects. I have yet to learn the tips and tricks of masking, embossing, distressing and mixing inks to have that old look and feel. I'll get to that. Meanwhile, I need to sort my arts supplies and better find a bigger table to accommodate my expanding tools.

I bought a heating tool for embossing, some dye/pigment based inks for stamping, some patterned papers and card stocks and finally got my much awaited cutting tool - Silhouette Cameo! And all these were purchased from the fruits of my blogging earning. I'm so happy and blessed to be able to follow my dreams and actually live it.

I hope it's always weekend! I have so many projects to do and so little time!

Art Stash For July 2013

My day today is very tiring but fruitful. I was everywhere from 3:30 p.m. yesterday up to 3:00 a.m. today! I barely had a decent sleep but all sense of weariness was gone as soon as I stepped inside the craft store where I bought my supplies for July.

I went loca but still stuck to my budget. I bought plenty of paper flowers, ribbons, some bling-bling and a roll of organza and some envelopes for the handmade cards. Next stop, I'll buy a colored printer and some patterned papers to work on. I'm also eyeing to get some of those Copic markers so I can start incorporating rubber stamps on my projects. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on those stash!

Happy Father's Day 2013

It's not every day that I get to tell my hubby how much I appreciate everything that he has done for us. And it's not every day that I show him how I value those little things he has done for our family, even to my own family.

It's just fitting to give him this recognition for being the best dad, hubby and best bud a girl like me can ever have.

Happy Father's Day to you honey! Thank you for everything you have done and is still doing to give us the kind of life we deserve, the security, the comfort and most importantly, for the love.

And to all the great fathers out there who selflessly sacrifice their comfort over their family, their lives for the life of their own and for giving so much and getting so little in return, we all salute you for being the Fathers we all deserve.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Why Buy Handmade Cards? Part 2

This is the continuation of my post on Why Buy Handmade Cards?  Part 1.


How long does it take you to finish one card?

It depends on the project. I can complete cards with easy layout in 15 minutes while the harder ones with plenty of details and intricate designs tend to be done between an hour or two. Yes, that long. Like I mentioned in Part 1, I don't rush with my card-making process. I want each card to be made with precision, clean and well-thought of.


Do you get attached to some of your work?

Yes. Sometimes, I even keep them for myself until my daughter sees them stashed in my treasure box. She would reprimand me and tell me to sell them because that was the reason why I made them in the first place - to sell them so that someone else will receive the kind of love I have put in that card. So, it's like a piece of my heart goes to every card I make.


Does your hands hurt after making the cards?

Yes, plenty of times and really painful. I used to have a die cut machine but I sold it last year because of my hiatus. It wasn't really used much so I still did my cutting by hand. I once commissioned a friend's Birthday thank you souvenir cards and I had to cut them manually - all 50 of them. I told myself, I would buy a die cutter. And I did but after that, my creative juice went dry. I'm just recovering now, in trickles.

Have you studied card-making?

No. I kind of knew I had it in me when I was young. I would always make stuff out of scratch, sew my dolls' clothes by hand and send greetings cards I made from art papers. It just developed as the years go by because I learned few tricks from my artsy blogger friends. I also watch tutorials and practice at home until I get it done the way I envisioned my project.


Are there other projects, aside from cards, that you are engaged in right now?

My daughter and I are learning how to make a plushie pattern. We can make 2-D plushies but it would be nice to have it in 3-D. And I plan to make a lot of felt plushies too which I can sell eventually. I just hope I can make all these soon so I can open up my small handmade business.


Are you going to post tutorials?

I would love to but each time I make a project, I always forget to take pictures of the materials and step by step process. I don't know much about videos as well. I'll work on that and let's see.


Are you going to open a shop in Etsy or other e-commerce site?

I don't think I'll go to Etsy for now mainly because I am not sure if I can break  the international scene that soon. I want to build my fan base and just let the word spread. That is my goal but I want to be realistic as well. I may open a fan page in FB or post my artwork in my blogs. I'm not sure yet but I'm working on it.  I also hope that before Christmas, all my cards are out!


So there you have it. The reasons why handmade cards are ultra special. They are already a gift in itself. Don't shy away from buying handmade cards because when you do, you are supporting micro business like ours to flourish. I am nothing compared to the giant commercial card makers out there but one thing I know why my handmade card will stand out is because I know my cards are all made with love.

Why Buy Handmade Cards? Part 1

I am a staunch supporter of anything "handmade." I believe in making things special and out of love. I have nothing against commercially made greeting cards but what I don't like about it is that, it is mass produced so that particular feeling of uniqueness and crafted out of passion and love is gone.

Before my hiatus from card making, I used to sell my creations during holidays like New Year, Valentine's Day and Christmas. I make customized cards too for friends who have specific preference and much as I wanted to cater to their budget, I just couldn't "underestimate" the value of my labour of love.

People ask me these questions over and over each time I approach them to check out my creations and buy few ones for their special someone. Trust me, selling my work was never easy even if I knew they should sell well. People just don't support the idea of handmade because of many reasons and lack of proper information about the craft.  Here are the common questions I encounter with my handmade card passion:


Why is it expensive?

Here's my question back, do you put a price tag on someone that you love? It's just like that.

• A single handmade card, before it is even crafted by the maker, is well thought of. I have a sketch pad of my ideas, the color scheme I would use, the patterned papers I would cut and in what shape and border, the ribbons I would add and even the kinds of embellishment I would put.

Few pages out of my sketch or doodle pad for layouts and ideas

• Aside from that, I don't make handmade cards when I don't feel like making one. I don't want it to look like it's rushed or forced to be done. It has to come from the heart so you can tell that each card that I made and will be making is made out of love. Hence, Handmade with Love is my card brand.

• I scout for materials and they are not cheap. I buy my stuff in the U.S. whenever I am on vacation and I don't spend less than a $100 dollars for my craft. I spend more than that just to be sure that each card I will make last long, the glue will hold the pieces together, the papers and ribbons won't fade and the papers are acid free for archival purpose.

• Right now, I am trying so hard to make embellishments on my own so my next batch of cards will be slightly cheaper than the first ones while maintaining the value of my craft.

• No two cards will ever be the same. I guarantee you that. Even if I try to copy my previous work, it will never come out exactly the same way as the original. So the recipient of my handmade cards are assured that they are the only ones who have that kind of design.

• Lastly, I buy commercial licence from designers too. Handmade card makers know these (well at least the ones in my circle do). We have to respect the copyright of these designers. If we use a stamp in our designs, we have to make sure we abide in the "angel policy" of that designer. Same goes with die cut shapes and sentiments used in cards. Everything has to be noted and well credited. We don't want to end up in an ugly law suit just because we used someone's design without permission.

You see, all that goes into a single card that we make. So, the next time you see a handmade card in your local craft store or bookshop or when I approach you to sell my craft, remember what you have read here. Don't say, "That's too expensive" because when you do, it's like insulting us and degrading the love we have for our craft.

A lot of love, time and effort has been put in that single card to make someone very special happy. And that is priceless!



Do you earn a lot in card-making?

Honestly, no. It is not even break even, well I am speaking based on my experience. There are well established handmade card makers in the US, UK, Australia and Canada who are really earning a lot. I'm not yet there, not even close. Like I said, I love to make cards. I have tons of ideas in my head which can't be translated into words. I have to let them out and card-making is my medium.

I am hoping that my future venture into this card-making business will be received warmly by people. I am in the process of building up my stocks, looking for great deals with shipping companies here and checking out tutorials so I can make my own embellishments. That will reduce the price of my cards without sacrificing the quality. And I do hope and pray that you will support me in my journey to become an entrepreneur someday.


More questions in Part 2. Please visit again.

Busy Making Cards

I didn't feel the long weekend at all. It's already Saturday and I'm back to work tomorrow when I still have plenty of things to do in my craft zone. I have been busy making cards.

I started making cards but not in full swing as I don't have that much materials. I have to buy more flowers, ribbons, laces and other patterned papers with shabby and vintage designs. I'm getting my hands on making shabby inspired and vintage looking handmade cards with lots of paper distressing to give it that old feel. I'm still learning the process and I have made 3 cards this week. It took me approximately 1 - 2 hours for each project only because I didn't want to force my brain to think hard. I didn't want my project to turn out "forced." I am happy I took my time developing the design in my head and executing it longer than usual. Hey, my creative mojo has been gone for more than a year so it's hard cranking up this rusty engine.

I am starting from square one again. I kept my old notebook of inspirations and started with a fresh one for 2013.  I have also been learning some tips and techniques to better my craft as I really intend to sell them. I want someone to have the cards I made with love. Isn't that a great thing to give to someone special?

Anyway, I wish the days are longer when I am at home so I can achieve so much. I am looking into sewing as well. I am keen to do this small online business on handmade stuff and promote everything handmade. It's like being organic - in a material way.

So, I hope next week, I'll be able to make few cards again and build up my stock until my Silhouette Cameo arrives. I want to make at least 50 cards before I decide to open my small handmade cards business. I also need to buy commercial license from other designers because I plan to incorporate their designs in my limited number of handmade cards.

 This is me, following my dream. I know one cannot make mega millions just by making handmade cards but the feeling of seeing something I created out of love is I think and feel, worth more than a million.

A Comeback to Making Handmade Cards

My creative tank went dry for more than a year. The last project I did was a special gift to a friend who turned 50 last year. I made her a scrapbook page and placed it in a nice frame. After that, I noticed I couldn't think of anything creative to do for my cards and scrapbook projects. So I gave myself a break from making cards. Months followed and there is still not a drop of creative juice flowing in my brain.

I did everything I could to crank the think-tank only to end up cutting papers but never piecing them together. So I stared a a blank canvas for so long that I almost gave up.

Recently, I made a card for my god daughter for her Confirmation. I was struggling so hard to come up with a decent design. I even sketched my layout and had to practice on news papers just to save my patterned papers. And alas! I finally made one and I am really happy that even if I took a while to complete the card (1 week because I was pausing a lot when nothing was coming out of my creative brain).

Then weeks passed again. I didn't attempt to make any cards anyway until today. I was browsing through beautiful photos of vintage-inspired and shabby-chic styled handmade cards and told myself that I could make one too. Perhaps not as pretty as the ones I have seen but presentable enough to get me started. So, I gathered some pieces of left over materials to put together and I did it in half an hour's time only.

I think my creative juice is trickling back. I hope it continues as I just recently purchased a Silhouette Cameo and I am so excited about it. I haven't received the package yet and when I do. I am sure that it will become an integral part of my way back to creating handmade cards with LOVE.

MyMemories Suite Project - Chapstick Purse For Valentine's Day

I like this free paper project from MyMemories.com. It's so cute and charming; great for those young ones who wants to give special and "affordable" memento to their crushes or favorite someone.

Thanks to MyMemories.com for sharing another wonderful paper project template to all of you! The free templates and project from the makers of MyMemorySuite Digital Software will be available until 28 January 2013 so grab your free templates now from the Freebies of my side bar.



You can get the software from http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software and use my 10% discount code for your purchase: STMMMS30652

Below are pictures of some finished products using the free template and patterned papers from MyMemories Suite. All pictures are courtesy of MyMemories.com.