Craft adventures with Vinyl

Once upon a time I was a hard core scrapbooker.  I scrapbooked all the time, all of my extra money went to supplies, I even went on many weekend trips where we just rented places and scrapbooked around the clock.   I also did year books on each year of our family.  Then I discovered digital scrapbooking, which was easier with our busy schedules and kids.  But even then it's been hard to find time, and now I just do them for the grandparents for Christmas gifts.  I need to work on changing that, and get on the ball with doing them for us.

When I was pregnant with Laura I got a Cricuit for Christmas from my parents.  That was about 7 years ago, so it's an old Cricuit.  I used it a lot for printing out stuff on paper for scrapbooking, then about 5 years ago my mom got me a Silhouette.  This one is more complicated but works well with a computer.   Sadly I never really used much these last few years, and I always saw cool vinyl ideas but always shyed away from it.  I didn't know where to buy vinyl, and was just too scared to try it.  My blog friend Jenny sent me a cool G for my pumpkin that she made with her machine, and that got me inspired to try to figure this vinyl thing out.

 Oh. my. goodness.  I have been missing out!  Since Wednesday I have made, name decals for the girls doors, monogram for my work planner, two stickers for two of our cars, name buckets for my sisters,  and Trick or Treat buckets for trick or treating for my 3 kids.

I did the project both with my old Cricuit and Silhouette, and I am hooked!  I prefer the Silhouette as there is so much more freedom with designs.  My Silhouette is an original, but I am able to use the updated software that you can download for free online.  I am sure the newer one is cooler, but I can still do a lot!  What I don't like about the Silhouette is that the supplies for it are not around here.  We just have a Michaels and a AC Moore, and they just carry Cricuit supplies.   I had to order a new blade online already as I dulled it already.   Vinyl around here is also hard to find... Michael's is lacking in colors, so I plan on ordering that online as well as soon as I price it.

My husband already has a list of stickers he wants me to make for his truck, kayak, etc. My sister wants me to do a beverage tub for her, and I know what I will be giving now for all of those kid birthday parties that we will go to this year.  So stinking excited!!!