and the angels sang...

When I got home yesterday there was a big package on my porch....

MY SILHOUETTE HAS ARRIVED....

I could not wait to open it up and begin playing...it was super simple to load up the software - plug it into my computer and begin playing...

I only had a bit of time to play with it last night - but play I did

Up first a good friend of mine repurposes items...takes an old chair and paints it all up bright and colorful...turns an old wooden table and chair set into a wonderful activity table for little kids...she does great wall murals, etc... Well a new store has opened in our town that specializes in selling repurposed items and my friend will be selling some of her items in the store. She had a small book made of murals she has done along with items she has sold in the past and asked me if I could help her put something on the front...of course I can...

Fonts: Susie's Hand & Ravie

Forgive my horrible camera work - and the glare of the flash - the book measures about 6x4 - I used pink Oracle vinyl. Looking at it now I think I would have tried to space the "Creations" a little bit futher apart - but not bad for the first thing I did...

Next up was something for my work...I thought of this idea a few weeks ago and I am VERY HAPPY this worked...

Starting off - while Vinyl is an awesome material to work with - there are some drawbacks - first it can be expensive, depending on where and what you buy - It isn't as if Vinyl is available everywhere - the Cricut Vinyl you can buy in the store is about $10 for a roll...you can find it much cheaper on-line - but by the time you pay for S&H - well...

Furthermore - while you can use vinyl it is not renewable - meaning once you take it off you can't reuse it...fine if you are creating a piece of artwork or putting something on your walls where it will be for a period of time - but for short term...not a moneywise way to go...

BUT...BUT...contact paper...YES - CONTACT PAPER - but the good stuff - the "REAL" Contact paper and not the cheesy $1 store knockoff...I managed to score a nice big roll of white contact paper from Walmart for under $6...

I know you are asking but what can you use Contact paper for...well let me show you...

This is the window leading into my section at work -

I need to cut more snowflakes out tonight - but you see the basics of it

Fonts: Happy Days & WWFlakes

...isn't it Fabulous and in Jan (or Feb) when we take it down - it all gets thrown away...and my cost (other than my valuable time) is less than $1 worth of white contact paper...

This is a great use fo contact paper for holidays - the drawback to contact paper is the fact that you are severly limited in colors and it is for indoor use - on a flat, smooth surface only...

My plan for my house is to spell out Happy Holidays for the windows in my bedroom that look out to the street...easy enough to do on the Silhouette...just have to remember to flip the letters before cutting them so that when I adhere them to the inside of my windows people can actually read the letters...