I am so excited about the new and exclusive Close To My Heart Cricut® Art Philosophy cartridge. Simply plug the cartridge into a Cricut Expression, Cricut Bug, Cricut Imagine, and or the E2 (sold at retail stores) and you’re ready to cut any of the 700 shapes with the touch of a button! The exclusive images are incredibly versatile, and many are designed to be used with specific Close to My Heart, My Acrylix® stamps for real eye-popping power!

When you purchase the Cricut® Art Philosophy cartridge, you’ll also receive three exclusive D-size stamp sets designed to perfectly coordinate with images on the cartridge. Plus, we’re including three sets of Dimensional Elements that work in tandem with the cartridge as well. You can mix and match to your heart’s content! Stamp on your Cricut® shape; cover your Dimensional Element with a Cricut® shape; or cut, stamp, and then cover! You’ll be all set to create uniquely beautiful artwork with incredible ease.


Collection includes:
1 – Cartridge (700 images: font, shapes, and 3-D items)
3 – My Acrylix® D-size stamp sets
3 – 9" × 12" Dimensional Elements (3 sheets of different shapes)

To Learn more and or buy this collection for only $99, click here!

Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection

The Launch of My Craft Channel

Crafters, I think my dream came true. I just learned about the My Craft Channel launch. Okay, I love Youtube, as a matter of fact I am always on Youtube. There is nothing like seeing someone make and explain a craft project. Well, I hear that MCC is going to be more than a Youtube type of video...it is actual professional broacasting. It will feature 20 or more new shows per week by 20 celebrity crafters. They will launch on the Fall. The exact day is unknown to me but you could learn more by visiting the following link: My Craft Channel Blog. Can it get better than this? Well, it actually can...here are some of the hosts that have been announced so far:  Kristine McKay, founder of  My Craft Channel and has been involved in the craft industry for ten years, working in marketing, product development, design, etc...Kim & Kris from The DIY Dish Show, Stacy Julian, a recognized leader in the scrapbooking industry and the visionary founder of Big Picture Classes (BPC), Christy Tomlinson, an amazing mixed media artist, Teresa Collins, the owner and designer of Teresa Collins Designs, Jennifer Hadfield, Beckie Farrant, and Heather Mann three very popular craft bloggers, Brittany Egbert of One Charming Party, Heidi Swapp, well known for her trend setting style and amazing handwriting. Although, there are more hosts to come My Craft Channel is launching with a bang! They are giving away 20 Cricut E2 (one each time a host is announced for a total of 20. To enter the drawing visit My Craft Channel Blog and learn more. I am looking forward to this fall!!! Yay!

CRICUT CARTRIDGE GIVEAWAY

I am so excited! I am sponsoring a giveaway of one of my favorite Cricut cartridge, "Just Because" Cards. If you have a Cricut and love to make cool and unique cards this is the cartridge for you. Making amazing cards will always be a breeze with this cartridge! The "Just Because" Cards is filled with unique images and phrases that could be used for all occasions. It contains 40 cards styles with layers and 10 envelope styles as well as phrases, stickers and stencils! 

This is how the giveaway works: Once we reach 100 followers all of your names will automatically enter the drawing. you get one entry just for being a follower of Polka Dots Crafts and another entry if you leave a comment on this post telling me why you would like this cartridge. Also, for each of your friend who starts to follow this blog and mentions your name you get additional entries increasing your odds of winning! Good luck ;.)

CRAFT FOR CHARITY$500!

I wanted to let you know about a really cool charity movement that Scrapbooks etc. magazine has just launched! It's called Craft It Forward and it's a great way to use your passion for crafting to make a difference in YOUR community. A handmade card can bring smiles to kids in crisis, a fun banner can brighten the day of adults in residential facilities and a bookmark can encourage someone learning to read. 

Here's how it works: throughout 2011, visit the Craft It Forward website each month for a new downloadable pattern and suggested recipients. Make the project and donate it to a charity that is near and dear to your heart. Then, add your story to the Craft It Forward gallery for a chance to win $500 in cash and a $500 donation to a charity! They'll be looking for stories to feature in the magazine and on the website, too. So join me and Craft It Forward throughout 2011. I will be posting my project and chosen charity here soon. 

For more information, visit the Craft it Forward website: www.scrapbooksetc.com/craftforward.

FREE SUGAR SHOP SWEETS T-SHIRT DRAWING

My good friend Cathy recently launched the Sugar Shop Sweets Facebook page and I want to celebrate with her by sponsoring a FREE T-SHIRT drawing of your choice. If you are interested in entering the drawing all you have to do is follow her page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Shop-Sweets/134551753280565 and then let me know that you are a fan of Sugar Shop Sweets by writing a comment here.It is that simple. You could also enter if you are one of my Facebook friends (Danay Carusi) by clicking on a link provided on my Facebook page, either way your name will be entered and on April 15th I will announce the winner on both my Facebook page and here. All the SSS t-shirts are made in the USA with 100% organic cotton. In my humble opinion, they are the softest t-shirts ever. I hope you win. Don't forget to leave a comment once you become a fan of SSS. Here is also a link to the website so you could see the 2011 Spring-Summer Collection: http://www.sugarshopsweets.com/ . Now meet Lala Ladybug. Isn't she the cutest? Meet all the sweets by visiting the website.

JOIN THE GOOD DEED REVOLUTION TODAY!!!

Recently, on March 7th to be exact, my good friend Cathy launched her 2011 Spring-Summer Collection. I just love the sweet plushies featured in this collection. I have known Cathy for approximately 27 years and her business philosophy truly mirrors the giving person she is. I am amazed by how she was able to bring to life her imaginary childhood friends and through them she plans to spread the comforting and all is possible feelings these little plushies gave to her during her toughest childhood moments. She is spreading good will through her Good Deed Revolution Campaign and has created a Good Deed Revolution Kit that she is giving away for free (while supplies last) to those of us who want to become Good Deed ambassadors. Please, visit the sweetest website ever to learn more here is the link:  www.sugarshopsweets.com 


Meet all the Sweets today! Here is one of my favorite ones. I just love her!!! Isn't she adorable?

Early Valentine Gifts

I am always looking for ways to simplify my life when it comes to card making, scrapbooking, tag making, etc...I recently purchased Zutter's Bind it All and the Dreamkuts. I have purchased various paper cutters ranging in prices and was never ever to get an exact cut when having to do multiples of something. After seeing a tutorial on the Dreamkuts I thought I will give it a try and hopefully I will like these tools. I have not receive them yet, but they will be here no later than Wednesday. The Dreamkuts and The BInd it All go so well together and did I mention they are both pink (you could find them in baby blue as well)? The Bind it All is a great tool to make albums, notebooks, journals, etc...It wont take too much space and it is portable and seems easy to use. I will let you know once I start using it. Initially, I was going to get We R Memory Keeper's, The Cinch but I noticed a lot of people were having issues binding with the Cinch. The Cinch has some great features but what good is that if the bind is not going to be nice and smooth. I never personally tried the Cinch but I did see most, if not all, video tutorials about this machine in Youtube. I noticed that a lot of people were having the same type of issues with the binding so I opted out. If you have used The Cinch and have master the binding let us know.

THE CRICUT EXPRESSION 2ND GENERATION

CHA is taking place in Los Angeles as I type this short post and finally Cricut has revealed their  newest secret, The Cricut Expression 2. The difference between the Cricut Expression and its newest counterpart is that the Expression 2 takes both the Imagine cartridge and regular cartridges (as well as both mats). However, the Expression 2 does not print like the Imagine...it just cuts images. It also has a colorful LCD screen which will allow you to view all the possible layers of your cartridges without the use of an overlay. Luckily, Provo Craft does not plan to get rid of overlays at least for the next 3-4 years. The new Cricut Expression 2 comes with WIFI and it is compartible with the Gypsy. As of now I have not seen a great video where it shows the actual layers on the LCD screen but I am sure these will soon be availble. I am looking forward to learning more ;.)

CRICUT'S GYPSY AND 7 CARTRIDGES ON SALE FOR $125!!!

Hello everybody! I have two gypsys  for sale (brand new, never opened) on sale for $125. The Gypsy always comes with two cartridges (not sold individually). However, now if you purchase the Gypsy and register it with Cricut BEFORE Feb 28th you get 5 additional cartridges (downloadable). So, if you want a Gypsy send me a message and or post a comment.

GREAT DEALS ON THE CRICUT'S GYPSYS, $125!

So you find yourself waiting at your doctor's office, kids games, in the beauty salon, bored during your  lunch break and suddenly you get bitten by a creative bug or a Cricut...well now you could create wherever and whenever when you have a gypsy. Get your designs ready and then when you get home connect your Gypsy  to your Cricut and cut away. The gypsy could store up to 7000 cartridges and up to 10,000 of your projects. It is your very own personal and protable design studio. You no longer have to carry around all of your cartridges they are safe within your gypsy. So if you are interested in getting yours today for only $125 plus $5 shipping and handling to continental USA write me a comment and or send me an email to polkadotscrafts@gmail.com. The best part is that if you register your Gypsy with Cricut before Feb 28, 2011 you could download 5 cartridges for free and your gypsy comes loaded with two additional cartridges...that is a total of 7 cartridges. One of them is the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More which is retired and if you go shopping for this amazing cartridge chances are you won't find it and if you do you will pay in the $80s (I did ;.( Other cartridges are Christmas (not available for purchase, Blackletters also not available for purchas, Indie Art and Printing Press plus the two exclusive Gypsy cartridges Wanderings and Gypsy Font Cartridges. Hurry before they are gone and you want to receive your Gypsy before Feb 28th or you lose the opportunity of getting the 5 free cartridges. So if you always wanted a Gypsy this is a HOT deal!

I am loving the 10 newly released Cricut cartridges by Provo Craft. They include 7 Cricut cartridges and 3 Imagine cartridges. They are: All Sports, Baby Steps, Campin' Critters, Florals Embellished, Formal Occasion, Kate's ABCs and Martha Stewart Birthday Cakes and the 3 Imagine cartridges are Bubblegum Stripes (colors and pattern), Buccaneer (art) and All Wrapped Up (Art). Following you will find detailed pictures.

ALL SPORTS

BABY STEPS

CAMPIN' CRITTERS





FLORALS EMBELLISHED

FORMAL OCCASION

KATE'S ABCs

MARTHA STEART BIRTHDAY CAKES

 

BUBBLEGUM STRIPES

BUCCANEER

ALL WRAPPED UP

So, if you are a Cricut fan, what do you think? My two favorites are Buccaneer and Kate's ABCs!!!

CARDS FOR CHARLIE

I am so proud to be a crafter and to have met so many interesting people with a love for creating but more importantly a love for people. Today, while visiting My Pink Stamper's blog, I saw a message regarding a little boy name Charlie who suffers from a skin condition which causes his skin to blister. My Pink Stamper added a link to Cricut Crafts by Angela' s blog. There I got more information about this little boy and Angela asks for us to send Charlie a card to cheer him up and to pray for him. I am planning to send him a card and a special toy. I ask all of you to pass this message along to your friends and followers of your blog. They, too, might want to make a difference in Charlie's life. To learn more about Charlie click on this caring bridge link http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charletonknuth/journal/12.

Also visit http://www.cricutcraftsbyangela.blogspot.com/

Charlie is fighting a rare skin condition which causes painful blisters. The medical name of this disease is epidermolysis bullosa commonly known as EB.

To send cards please send it to:

Ronald McDonald House
Attn:  Knuth Family
621 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN  55414

Please, keep him in all of your prayers.

Thanks to Cricut Crafts by Angela and My Pink Stamper for bringing this story to us.

I just wanted to share with you these four necklaces which I recently posted to www.senseofashion.com/dalialabasi. These style necklace are some of my hot sellers at home parties and craft fairs. Brides and mother-of-the-bride and grooms love them. They are made to order and are filled, yes filled, with semiprecious gems. Click on pictures to get more detailed viewing and info.

GET THE CRICUT TAGS, BAGS, BOXES AND MORE CARTRIDGE BEFORE IS TOO LATE

I was disappointed to learn that Provo Craft is retiring the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge. Hurry and try to get it before it is too late. I am not sure about this but I have heard that now similar features found in this cartridge would be sprinkled on different cartridges as opposed to all be found in one place as it is in this cartridge. You could make the cutest party favor bags using this cartridge. I immediately wanted to get an extra one for a gift and I had a hard time finding it. The only place, after a couple of hours search, I found was a seller is in Amazon. You could probably find it in Ebay but you would have to make a bid and risk that someone else outbids you. I just got mine in Amazon, just now, and they only had 4 left and definitely not on sale (okay $1 off, lol). Expect to pay full price for this cartridge ($89.99) but it is worth it. Another place where you could find a bundle, the Cricut Jukebox and 6 cartridges (one of them being the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge, is in HSN. HSN also has 4 month flex payments for the bundle (interest free), all you need is a debit or credit card and that is it. If you want it, hurry since I have not heard that Provo Craft is making a similar cartridge but even if they did I am pretty sure it would be different. Good luck ;>)

Multi Chain Necklace

I love this necklace I made it using three different types of chains attached together with a couple jump rings and a locket. I also added a couple of glass beads to one side of the necklace to create an asymmetrical look. I got most of the supplies at Michaels. It measures 18 inches in length and the best part is that it took not more than 45 minutes to make.