How It All Started

I often get asked how I got started in scrapbooking and laser engraving. Well, I thought today's post would be a good opportunity to share that with you :)

It all began with 4-H. Each month my club would make a different project that we could take to fair. One month we made handmade greeting cards with stamps. I was instantly addicted to paper crafting and stamping. The same company that sold stamps began selling scrapbook supplies and the rest is history! I've been hooked ever since!

The laser came after many years of cutting my Custom Name Albums by hand with an xacto knife. I love making my albums, but it was starting to put a real strain on my body. Cutting through that thick chipboard took a lot of effort! So I looked for a machine that would cut them for me. I first looked into a mat cutter (like for picture framing). It would do what I wanted, but the machine was HUGE! I like it, but was completely sold. I asked a wood working friend if he know of any machines that cut wood that would also cut my chipboard. He gave me the Epilog Site and again...the rest is history! After I saw what that machine was capable of...I had to have it! I purchased my first laser engraver a few months later :)

I owe a lot to the 4-H club and my wonderful aunt that was our club leader :) I give back at any chance! A couple years ago I judged the historian books at the fair. And I also taught another club of girls how to make greeting cards :) My latest 4-H involvement was for a local club wanting awards for their members. I engraved 10 plaques with a space for a photo.

These awards are so cool and I hope other clubs will see them and want some! I think they're a great way for the kids to be honored. Their names and awards are forever engraved on these plaques and they can display them proudly :) Ribbons are nice, but they typically get put in a box never to be seen again. They can leave these out all year long :)

How did you get started in your craft/art/hobby?

Treasury Thank You

I love opening my Activity Feed on Etsy to find I've been put in a treasury! It doesn't happen very often, so it makes each one even more special :) I would like to give a special thanks to three Etsians who have featured me this week:

Please stop by and give these treasuries some lovin'! And stop by the curators' shops as well :)

Friday Features - Feathers in her hair

I'm not usually one to fall for trends. In fact, I've probably owned most of my wardrobe for at least 5 years. But who can resist all these awesome feather accessories! Feathers are everywhere right now and I'm lovin' 'em! Etsy has so many cool designs to choose from it was hard to narrow my finds to just four! Here are my faves...

Tokyo Nights - Feather Hair Extensions- Set of 3

by BlueRidgeNotions

2 pair of feather earrings

by bibilo87

Pink Feather Hair Clip

by feathers2gether

Polka dot feather earrings

by TheLittlestFeather

I wish I didn't have to wear my hair in a ponytail all the time at work or I'd get me some hair pieces! I guess I'll have to go for earrings :)

Wanna See My New Toy :)

I've been talking about my laser and my rotary attachment for quite some time now and I shared some new creations on Tuesday. Today I thought I'd show you what this thing actually looks like in action. I found a nice short video on YouTube that shows the rotary attachment. Mine is made by a different company, but it works in the same manner.

This thing is SO much fun! I've lasered a few more things with the rotary and I have more playing to come. Once I get a good amount of pieces I want to put in my shop, a good friend of mine is going to take photos for me! The perks of having a photographer friend :) I found that photographing glass is very hard!

What have you been playing with this week?

Wordless Wednesday - Fun With Macro

Expanding My Business Again!

Back in February I purchased a laser engraver and I've been having so much fun with it ever since! By far the best investment I've made for my business. Since purchasing the laser, I've been wanting to get a rotary attachment for it as well. The rotary is an add-on for the laser that allows me to engrave round objects like wine glasses, champagne flutes, candle votives and vases!

Well...IT'S HERE!!!!

I got my rotary last week and finally got to play with it yesterday! All I can say is WOW!!!

It was so easy to set up (once I figured out how to get the crumb tray out...blonde moment)! I was lasering in no time!

I tried a pint glass first and it came out awesome! But I quickly found out how hard it is to photo glass! So I apologize for the terrible photos. I promise they're awesome in person :)

Next I did a candle votive and again...awesome! I love that I can etch all the way around things!

The blue champagne flute is by far my favorite! I have to get my hands on some more of these glasses! The peacock just belongs on this flute!

Next I tried a large wine glass and goblet...not so awesome :( These are heavier on one end and aren't as level as the other items I tried. Sometimes the wheels wouldn't turn, other times they would turn too fast. I will have to look for better glasses and do some more practicing.

This rotary is going to be so awesome! Everyone I tell about it wants custom glasses! And I think I already have about 10 orders for Christmas presents :) I better hurry up and get this thing figured out...LOL!

You can be sure this won't be my last rotary update! And hopefully next time I'll have better photos!!!

Adoption Album

Another fun album! This one is for a couple who are in the process of finding a birth mother for their adoption journey :) They want an album to document their process and to have when their baby arrives. I think this is a great idea and a very special album!

I looked high and low for adoption embellishments and only found a couple of options. I ended up making a lot of the embellishments for this album myself. This could be a huge opportunity for a scrapbook company!

What do you think of the ones I made?

The colors of the album will match their home decor so they can leave the album out on their coffee table :)