Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Gift for Our Mailman: Etched Glass / Un Regalo Para Nuestro Cartero: "Etched Glass"


After many hours of thinking about what to give our mailman for Christmas, I came up with a great idea. It happened when I was looking around at my local Walmart and saw this very pretty yet inexpensive glass mug. I immediately pictured the mug in my mind, decorated in  "mail motifs" with glass etching. So, I present to you, my very first try at this beautiful craft. :)
****Despues de pensar muchisimo, sobre que podia regalarle a nuestro cartero para las Navidades, se me ocurrio algo buenisimo. Mientras estaba en Walmart, vi una taza grande de cristal. Decidi que la decoraria toda con motivos de "cartero" y que lo haria con la tecnica conocida como "glass etching". Esta es la primera vez que hago esta artesania.

What you will need:
***Necesitaras:
  • Cricut cartridges (cartuchos):
  • Armour Etching Cream
  • Vinyl
  • brush
  • Transfer tape
Etched mailbox:


Packages/letters:


Mail truck:


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Five Christmas cards / Cinco Tarjetas de Navidad


Hi !!! OMG, I have been so busy, that I have made projects and haven't had the time to post. I have ALL MY CHILDREN together again this Christmas. I thought that one of them, being in ARMY Basic Training, would not be able to make it home, but HE DID !!! YAAAYYY I am enjoying every minute of it !!! I think it will be a long time before I have them all together again.
I had made these (and other cards that I gave away) about two weeks ago.
**** Hola!!! He estado tan ocupada estos dias, que no he podido publicar los proyectos que he hecho. Tengo juntos a todos mis hijos, cosa que pense que no sucederia al estar uno de mis hijos en entrenamiento en el ARMY. Pero le dieron 2 semanas de vacaciones y aqui esta !!!! Me estoy disfrutando cada segundo!!!
Estas tarjetas las hice hace como dos semanas.

Cartridges used:
Cartuchos usados:



                  






Saturday, December 11, 2010

It'S A SmaLl WorLd Holiday Blog Hop: Three Wise Men in Puerto Rico


Merry Christmas, everyone!!! You must be arriving here from Nicole's blog at http://canadiannickelscrapn.blogspot.com/. I want to thank Jess at http://www.kinderstampo.com/ for giving me the opportunity to talk a little about Christmas in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico's Christmas season is the longest ever, starting shortly before Thanksgiving day and  lasting until Three Kings Day on January 6. Yet, this can extend until "Las Octavitas", eight days after Epiphany. LOL Homes are decorated with lights, Christmas trees and scenes of the Nativity. The season is famous for it's delicious typical dishes like roast pork, rice with pigeon peas, cooked green bananas and "pasteles", made of mashed plantains or yucca, filled with meat and wrapped in the leaves of the banana tree where they are cooked. Desserts are rice pudding made with coconut milk) and my favorite: "tembleque" which is a cream made with cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk. It is served cold. The puerto rican eggnog is the "coquito", which is the same recipe as eggnog but with the addition of coconut milk.
 
On December 25th, Puerto Ricans celebrate the birth of Jesus. Since the 1940's it has become part of Puerto Rico's Holiday traditions that Santa Claus brings gifts to the children.

On January 5th, the feast of Epiphany's Eve, children place water and grass under their beds for the Three Kings (Three Wise Men). The Three Kings leave the presents under the bed, after the camels "eat the grass". On the morning of January 6 ("Dia de Reyes") children wake up to see what Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar left them. Epiphany commemorates the day in which the three wise men arrived bearing gifts for Baby Jesus,  twelve days after he was born.

Aren't Puerto Rico's children the luckiest: Santa and "The 3 Kings" !!! My daughter Diana is even luckier; her birthday is December 23rd !!!!!!!! LOL

My project is about the THREE WISE MEN (or 3 KINGS). I made 3 candles with one King on each: Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar.

Lets do it:
  • Cut 3 strips of cardstock.
  • Adhere a golden ribbon to the top and bottom of the cardstock strip.
  • Add gems
  • Cut the shapes of the 3 Wise Men from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  I print and cut the images on my Imagine and colored the shapes with the Snow Angel cartridge (which makes it so much faster).

    • Decorate with Stickles and rhinestones. I also used heat embossing to create the metallic colors.
  • Adhere the Three Wise Men to the candles.
                   
  • Put candles on a candle holder with raffia.

It's time now to hop on to Liz at http://www.lizspaperloft.blogspot.com/ to see how what she has created for us. If you get lost along the way. Here is a list of all participating blogs. Remember to leave a comment on eacho ne of the blogs, so that you can win the Grand Prize: A Holiday Scrap Box with thiese products: Unity Stamp Co, Peachy Keen Stamps, Lindy Stamp Gang, Preserve Your Memories II, Imaginisce, Helmar...

Jess - http://www.kinderstampo.com/


Christine Wilson-Dunbar -   - http://chrisscreations.blogspot.com/


 

Shelley - http://heartstring-designs.blogspot.com//

Vickie - http://twochicksonalimb.blogspot.com//

Sigrid - http://lovescrapreflect.blogspot.com//

Meighen - http://scrappin3rdeeschik.blogspot.com//

Mariam - http://mariamsatchell.blogspot.com//

Linda- http://www.krazyqulling.com/

Madison- http://www.funkycards.blogspot.com//

Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com//

Christine Hatchell - http://www.scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.com/

Jessica-Creative Stamper - http://www.thecreativestamperspot.blogspot.com/

DDscrafts- http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com//

Gaby - http://www.gabycreates.com//

Lisa - http://bitbythecricutbug.blogspot.com//

Nicole - http://canadiannickelscrapn.blogspot.com//

Martha - http://dreamofcrafting.blogspot.com/ - YOU ARE HERE

Liz - http://www.lizspaperloft.blogspot.com//

Jessica Baker - http://www.thatzuneek.blogspot.com//

Cheryl - http://cheryl-gibson.blogspot.com//

Jess - http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kinderstampo.com%2Fp%2Fits-small-world-blog-hop.html&h=991f6










Saturday, November 20, 2010

Decorations for your Thanksgiving table using your Cricut Imagine / Decoraciones para Accion de Gracias con la Cricut Imagine


Hello everyone !!! I am Martha and can't be happier to be a Weekend Warrior on Tammy's Design Team.And yes, it will be Thanksgiving in just a few days!!! And among the many things that I have to be thankful for, I am that I have my Cricut Imagine that helps me speed up my Holiday decorations. You can go to my blog and check out other creations /i have made with this wonderful machine. For this project, I made some things for the Thanksgiving table: a table runner, placemats, menu cards and place cards. I used burlap on all of the items.
****Para este proyecto prepare un "runner", mantelitos, tarjeta de menu y tarjeta de asiento, todas con tela de saco.
Preparing burlap:
Gently handwash, let dry and iron the burlap that will be decorated with fabric transfer - Decide how big you want your pieces to be and do the following: pull out a thread of the burlab - Cut through the space the thread was - Pull out more threads on each side to make a fringe.
****Lave a mano, seque y planche la tela de saco que lleva adornos con "iron-on transfers". Luego, preapare la tela siguiendo estos pasos.

 






Menu cards:
You want the burlap to be stiff. For this you can use a fabric stiffener or hard drying glue. I used glue this way: add all around the edges, brushing towards the center. Add a little more glue to the center and spread. Let dry.
****Si desea endurecer la tela, use un endurezador o use pega que seque duro. Aplique en toda la orilla y con una brocha, hake la pega hacia el centro. A~nada mas pega si es necesario y deje secar.

This menu card is 5 x 7. I cut a piece of cardstock 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 and layered it on top of the burlap. Then, using my Imagine, I cut maple leaves out of green cardstock from The Create a Critter cartridge. to place them on the top layer of the menu card where the actual menu is written. Make a bow to decorate the place card holder.
****Prepare en su computadora la tarjeta con el menu y decore con hojas cortads con su maquina.



Place cards:
Fold a piece of 6 x 3 inch of cardstock by half - Glue a piece of fringed burlap to the front - With the Imagine More and Create a Critter cartridges installed to your Cricut Imagine, cut a maple leaf 3 inches high and flood with color - Glue the leaf to the burlap - Make a name tag and add to the place card.
****Doble por la mitad un pedazo de cartulina de 6 x 3 pulg. Adorne con tela. Coloque una hoja previamente cortada y coloreada en la Cricut Imagine, con los cartuchos mencionados. Ponche una etiqueta con el nombre.


Runner and place mats:
With the Imagine More and Create a Critter cartridges installed into your Cricut Imagine, select maple leaves, acorns and pumpkin shapes and flood with the pattern of your choice. Place Print'n Press Iron-On transfers on your cutting mat. Set your machine at pressure 5 and multicut 2. Print and cut and iron on to your runner and place mats (previously finged and ironed).
****Ponga en su "mat" un papel Print'n Press para hacer transferencias. En su maquina, ponga la navaja en presion 5 y "multicut" 2. Corte las figuras y planchelas a la tela, previamente deshilada y planchada.


Place burlap on a flat, long surface. Add a thin strip of Liquid Stitch glue to the the thread where the fringe starts. Gently lay down the trimming over the glue, gently tapping (do not press down). Go all around the runner or place mat.
****Sobre su tela ya  preparada, pegue el adorno sobre una hilera de pega Liquid Stitch. No presione el adorno, dejelo caer suavemente sobre la pega.


You will be surprised at your results !!! Isn't this lovely ???



HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!
FELIZ DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS !!!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

A ThAnKInG WE WiLL Go blog hop: "Lets be Thankful" ("Demos Gracias")


So the day is finally here and I really hope you are enjoying this blog hop as much as I am. You must be coming from Madison's blog at http://www.funkycards.blogspot.com/.  Thank you Jess for being such a wonderful hostess and BTW, if any of you need to go back to the beginning of the hop, click here.

There are so many things I have to be grateful for but,  the thing that I am most grateful for are my children. They have been a true blessing since the day I found out I was pregnant for the first time. Now they are young adults and guess what ??? ... LOL... they keep me young, happy and soooooooo active!!! .... more than I wish to. My children are the heart of my house, in which there is always laughter and activity 24/7. The best thing is that children are God's gift that keeps on giving; now I not only have 5 children but, I also have my precious grandson. It is for this reason, that a picture of my children, grandson and, my four legged son is the focal point of my special Thanksgiving project.

Lets do it:

  • Cut a house shape from chipboard. Cut a window in the front part of the house that is a little bit smaller than the size of the picture.





  • Remove the red cover of the tape to expose the sticky part. Place a piece of acetate over the picture.Cut around picture, removing excess acetate.


  • On the back part of the "window" glue a piece of ribbon or trimming to form a "curtain". Go around the window frame (back part of the "house" with Terrifically Tacky Tape and remove the red plastic.
    •  Place window over picture, making sure picture is centered. Cover chipboard with cardstock.
    • **Glue front of house to the back of the house.
















Make scarecrows out of chipboard and cover with cardstock. Glue raffia to dolls head, arms and  legs. Dress up.






















Make window frame, scallop border and fence out of cardstock covered chipboard.




  • Cut pumpkins and leaves. Color and ink.




  • Add fence, scarecrows, leaves and pumpkins using dimensional dots and tap
 


















Make the circles for the banner and glue to the twine with glue dots. Glue the ends of the banner twine to the house. Glue the scallop border to the house, catching in the ends of the banner.
    • The banner is written in Spanish. In English it means: "LET'S BE THANKFUL".




It's now time to hop over to Meighen's blog at http://scrappin3rdeeschik.blogspot.com and see what wonderful project she has made to express how she is thankful.
May God bless you all and have a beautiful Thanksgiving Day.
If you do happen to get lost on this hop, here is a list of all the participating blogs. :)
Jessica - http://www.kinderstampo.com/

Cheryl - http://cheryl-gibson.blogspot.com/
Debbie - http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/ 
Iva - http://ivarai.com/
Jessica Baker - http://thatzuneek.blogspot.com/
Kimberlee - http://kimme-thelifeofaprincess.blogspot.com/
Linda - http://www.krazyquilling.com/
Liz - http://lizspaperloft.blogspot.com/
Madison - http://www.funkycards.blogspot.com/
Martha - http://dreamofcrafting.blogspot.com/ Hey, that's ME !!!
Meighen - http://scrappin3rdeeschik.blogspot.com/
Nicki - http://canadiannickelscrapn.blogspot.com/
Shelley - http://heartstring-designs.blogspot.com/
Sigrid - http://lovescrapreflect.blogspot.com/
Vickie - http://twochicksonalimb.blogspot.com/
Jess - http://www.kinderstampo.com/p/thanking-we-will-go-blog-hop_12.html

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Thanksgiving Pilgrim card / Tarjeta Dia De Accion De Gracias


Hi !!! This is a cute Pilgrim Thanksgiving card I made a few weeks ago. The sentiment is in Spanish and it means Happy Thanksgiving. :) I made my own pattern paper using kraft colored cardstock that I stamped with sunflowers.
**** Hola !!!! Esta es una graciosa tarjeta de Accion De Gracias con una linda peregrina. Hice mi propio papel de dise~nador, estampando unos girasoles de distintos colores en papel "kraft".

RECIPE:

Monday, November 8, 2010

30 DaYS Of GiFT MaKInG: DAY 8 - Three Snowmen Wall Hanging


Welcome to DAY 8 of 30 DaYS Of GiFT MaKInG !!! Yesterday, Candace made a beautiful treat box that you can see here ! To see all of the projects, start at our wonderful hostess Jill by clicking here.

OMG!!! This wall hanging came out so cute, it will be a gift to MYSELF !!! Even though I live in sunny, warm Puerto Rico most all of my Christmas Decorations are snowmen. I just love those cute guys !!! LOL My front yard looks like a Winter Wonderland at Christmas !!! Inside the house, well... I have more snowmen all around !!! Without further ado, here is my project:


  • Paint three 5.1 x 7.25 corner plaques by Plaid
  • From the Snow Friends cartridge, cut your favorite snowmen shapes. I used adhesive backed felt (Craft Felts) that I got at Walmart. I put the felt in my Cricut Expression and set the blade depth at six and multicut 4, but the blade could not cut through all the thickness. The blade left a very good impression on the felt and I cut over it with the scissors. 
    • Dress and bling up your snowmen.

  • Glue trimming around each plaque. I used a glue gun to do this.


  • Join the three plaques together. I did this by gluing down red ribbon at the back of the plaques with my glue gun, as shown in the picture below.

  • Hang your creation on the wall and enjoy your new piece of Christmas/winter Home Decor.

I am inviting you all to check in tomorrow with Kelly at http://kellyjoskreations.com/ to see what she has made to share with us !!! HaPPy CraFtiNg !!!