About those buttons...

It's good to be home after so many travels - unfortunately, I often seem to catch a cold  when I am trying to get back into my normal routine.  My crafting time was somewhat abridged yesterday when I started sneezing and realized that I needed to fight off an impending cold.

I do want to tell you how I made the chipboard buttons and show you some other variations that I was able to make before the sniffles descended upon me.

I cut the button shapes from chipboard using the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  The button shapes are found on page 46 of the booklet (on the letter Y page).  I like the way this cartridge is organized - it is much easier to find the right key since the main images are the alphabet letters.  I used a regular blade with the pressure at high, the blade set at 6 and multi-cut of 2.

There is a coordinating stamp set called Buttons, Bits And Bobs that is not part of the Artiste bundle but can be purchased separately (B1408, $9.95).  When a stamp set coordinates with one of the exclusive cartridges, the stamps are labeled with the cartridge name and the page where the coordinating cuts can be found.  The size to cut each shape is also printed right on the stamp storage sheet which makes it easy to pull everything together.

I decided to try some variations of the buttons.  This time I cut them from very heavy watercolor paper.  I tried both Distress ink and Archival ink in various colors.

It is a little tricky to line up the stamp perfectly on the 1 1/4 inch cuts.  There should be an even outline but it takes practice and a steady hand to make it perfect.  I decided to use the 1 1/4 inch stamp on some one inch cuts.  This eliminates the issue of uneven borders but it is a different look (I like it).  These chevrons are cute and trendy.  You could also get a two tone effect by stamping on heavy colored cardstock or gluing two cuts together if you want a thicker button.  On one of these samples, I stamped the little floral design in the center using a slightly darker color.

I definitely prefer the look of the overall edge to edge stamp on the smaller size with this pattern.  The slightly smaller size also seems more useful for a card.

I like all of the possibilities with these two stamps.  I tried several sizes using both the circles and the rounded squares.  The holes on the smaller stamp don't quite line up perfectly but they are very close and twine or ribbon threaded through the buttons will hide the area nicely. 

I hope to be feeling better today (I am drinking lots of Airborne to try to nip this cold in the bud!).  I want to try a few more variations with the cuts and stamps and finish putting together some of my partly finished projects.  I have some appointments today so I'll just have to see how everything goes...

If you are interested in the Artiste or Art Philosophy cartridge bundles, they are available only through a Close to My Heart representative.  My friend Melanie Brown would be happy to help you if you don't have a local consultant.  Her website is HERE.  She is offering a special this month - everyone who places an order on her website in October will be eligible for a chance to win a brand new Expression 2 machine - see the details on her blog HERE.

one more note...

The image I shared at the top of yesterday's post was a digital page that I made using my StoryBook Creator 4.0 software.  I used the Reminisce Autumn Digital Additions for the papers and the turkey embellishment.  The "Give Thanks" word art is from the Recipe Book Digital Kit  (also available in Universal format HERE).  I haven't tried to cut the word art - it has some very thin pieces and I hadn't really thought of trying until several of you asked if it was something that I had cut on the Cameo.  I may try an experiment and I'll let you know if it works!

Have a wonderful day and stay healthy - colds are not fun!

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