Silhouette Designer Edition Promotion Sale!

Hey, hey, friends!  I have some exciting news for you today!!  Have you been wanting a "Cammie" or "Portia" of your own?  You know what I mean, a fabulous Silhouette cutting machine that you can use to cut vinyl, chipboard, cardstock, paper, heat-transfer vinyl, fabric...well, just about anything {and sketch too}?

You're in luck!  Starting today, they're on sale with significant discounts you won't want to miss!  Check it out...

Beach Ball Pillow and a Silhouette Promotion!

Little Crafter and I share a few important mutual loves, namely Starbucks, art projects, and the beach!!  Now that the weather is warm and summer is headed our way, we're both getting impatient for our Myrtle Beach vacation.  To help us think beach-y thoughts while we're still here at home, I thought it would be fun to surprise him with a beach ball throw pillow.  {It worked!}  Here's how I made it, with the help of "Cammie" and some sewable fabric interfacing I received from Silhouette.

BEACH BALL APPLIQUÉ PILLOW COVER

Cammie Creates: What You Can Do With a Cutting Machine

Hey, friends!  Believe it or not, from time to time, I get emails, comments, and messages from readers who own a cutting machine but haven't ever taken it out of the box.  I cry a little inside.  They are intimidated by it or unsure what they can even use it to do.  So, today, I thought I'd put together a little roundup of some of the projects "Cammie" {my beloved Silhouette Cameo} and I have made together since I got her this past Christmas.  It's by no means an exhaustive list, but it showcases some of my favorites.  If you click on the name of any project, it will take you to a tutorial that should talk you through how you could do something similar.

Oh, and if you don't have a cutting machine of your own and this makes you want one, don't forget that Silhouette is offering some pretty sweet promotional bundles right now!  Portraits are $50 off and Cameos are $30 off, plus you get a cover, a pack of chipboard, and a $25 download card FREE with your purchase!  Just go to the special promo page and enter ARTSY at checkout to get the deal, which runs through May 15!  Now...on to the project fun!

Photo Props

Silhouette Sketch Pens and Promo Codes!

Friends, I have some incredibly exciting news to share with you!  Today through March 31, Silhouette is running a special promotion!  Which means, if you weren't the lucky winner of the Silhouette giveaway {Audrey Dawkins}, you might want to pay special attention!

Did you know that not only can you cut with your Silhouette machine, you can draw too!  This particular promotion features the sketch pen starter kit, which gives you 24 colors of pens to play with.  If you purchase a "Cammie" of your own during the promo period, you save $30, plus you get the sketch pen starter kit too!  Or you can get a Silhouette Portrait for $60 off the regular price, plus the sketch pen starter kit.  If you already have your cutting machine, you can order just the pens for $12.99 {a $7 savings}.

To order, just go to the special promotion page and use this code when you check out!

PROMO CODE: ARTSY

I have a confession to make...even though I've had my beloved Cameo {"Cammie"} since Christmas, I had never played with the sketch pen option before, so I thought if I'm going to be promoting it, I better try it out to show you what these pens can do!  I decided for my first attempt to something festive and spring-y since Easter is right around the corner.  I'm also currently obsessed with the chalkboard effect {who isn't, right?}, so I decided to make and Easter gift tag using the white sketch pen...check it out!

Easy Easter Gift Tags

Materials:

- black cardstock

- white Sketch pen

- glue/Mod Podge

- white glitter

- washi tape

- white pom-pom

- ribbon

- Silhouette Cameo

- Silhouette Studio software

STEP 1: Remove the cap from your Sketch Pen and place it where your blade normally goes.  Lock it into place, just like you usually do.  Then, feed your cardstock into the machine.

STEP 2: Create your design in Silhouette Studio.  I chose to write "happy easter" in a chalkboard font and I used the cute bunny that came as part of last week's free shape of the week in the Silhouette online store.  

STEP 3: Time to draw!  Send the design to your Silhouette as usual, but first make sure you change your cut settings to show you're using the Sketch Pen rather than the blade. 

Here's how my happy little bunny looked when Cammie finished sketching.  *cute!!*

STEP 4: Create and cut your tag.  I grabbed a tag shape from my library, and first I put it around my created image to make sure it was the right size and page position for what I drew.  Then, I moved the bunny and the words off of the page {otherwise Cammie would cut them out} and I switched back to Blade mode before cutting.

STEP 5: Add washi tape and glitter!  I spread Mod Podge using a small paintbrush inside the bunny outline, then covered it with glitter.  

STEP 6: Finish it up using ribbon and a pom-pom tail!

Now it's all ready to decorate your packages!

The Sketch Pens are so easy to use, and I'm excited about all the possibilities now that I have 24 colors to play with and can choose whether Cammie draws, cuts, or both!  Be sure to stay tuned for more Sketch Pen projects, because I'm sure I'll have more for you soon!

In the meantime, if you'd like some Sketch Pens of your own and maybe even a Cameo or a Portrait to go with them, be sure to head on over to the promotion page and claim the deal before March 31!  This deal won't be visible on the regular website, and can only be claimed with a special code, so be sure to enter ARTSY when you get to the designated page.  Enjoy the discounts!!

Hugs & Glitter,

P.S. In the spirit of full disclosure, I received a free set of Sketch Pens for this promotion.  However, as you know, my opinions about these Silhouette products are entirely my own.  It's long been a goal of mine to one day be a Silhouette affiliate, and I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to share this deal and these products with you, as you know I love them!!