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Engraving Accurately with Print and Cut

When engraving a predefined shape, it can be difficult to achieve consistent alignment. Print and Cut Registration Marks to the Rescue! To download the Sure Cuts a Lot and SVG files used in this demo, click here. Prerequisites Completed Print and Cut calibration with the blade in the left tool holder. Completed Dual Tool alignment calibration with the blade in the left tool holder and the engraving tool in the right tool holder. Note: I always calibrate in mm. The offsets for my embossing tool are x(-1.8),y( 1.6).  The offsets for my engraving tool are x(-1.8),y(1.5).  Your offsets may vary.  I …

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Font Licensing the Cheap and Easy Way

I have had so many conversations related to typography this week that I thought it might deserve a blog post.  Being an active participant in a lot of online groups, one of the most frequently asked questions I see is “What font is that?”  I’ve learned to visually recognize fonts I don’t even own or use because of the repetition, but things become popular for a reason, right? Typography is one of those things that experiences trends.  Handwritten, brush scripts, and intensely curly fonts are especially trendy and popular right now.  If you’re reading this, you probably already know that choosing the right font …

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Ian the Off Kilter Crafter Goes to London

Off Kilter Crafter Ian asked me to create a guest video for his YouTube channel while he’s away visiting London. Earlier this year during a trip to Texas, Ian came out to meet up with our group of crazy friends. He’s a great guy and I eagerly accepted his offer! Materials List Union Jack Stencil Distress Stain – Tarnished Brass Distress Ink Pad – Salty Ocean Distress Ink Pad – Barn Door Ranger Emboss-It Pen Clear Perfect Pearls – Forever Blue Perfect Pearls – Forever Red Spellbinders Horsehair Embossing Folder Project Info I created the stencil in Sure Cuts a …

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Etsy Trolls

As an Internet-oriented crafter, I’m exposed to a whole lot of wonderful things and ideas. Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook offer a plethora of inspiration. We’re inundated with visuals, words, and ideas that seep in to our subconscious and inform our crafting sensibilities. It’s a beautiful thing.  Sometimes, though, we end up recycling old ideas without realizing it. I’ve seen a number of people claim to have had their idea for lawn dice stolen from others.  Who made them first?  I’m not sure, but it appears Pressman sold their first commercial set back in 1994.  Yahtzee’s trademark dates back to 1956. …

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DIY Missing Puzzle Pieces

For Christmas, I bought my husband a 1000 piece puzzle thinking we could while away the remainder of winter putting it together. Long story short, there was a missing piece. One single, solid orange missing piece. We called the manufacturer and they asked us to identify the row and column of the missing piece. It all seemed so easy, so smooth. Filled with hope we waited for an envelope to arrive with our missing piece. Instead, we received a box with another complete puzzle. Great. After at least 6 separate attempts at sorting pieces, we came to the conclusion that …

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Cutting a Vinyl Record on the KNK Force

A few KNK customers have been curious about whether their machines could be used to cut a record, the other kind of vinyl, so I decided to try and wanted to share the results. Anytime I cut plastic, wood, or any other potentially messy material I like to use what I call a “trash mat” and it just so happens that Amazon has a 2 pack of Cricut mats on sale for $7.19!  I usually clean my mats weekly, but sometimes I have a particularly messy week so it’s always helpful to have some spare mats kicking around. How To Start …

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Embossing Folder Addiction

Hi, I’m Darrel and I’m addicted to embossing folders. Since obtaining a We R Memory Keepers Evolution Advanced, I’ve been nurturing my growing addition to embossing folders.  This all began at Crop To It, when Melissa Platt, my crafty soul sister, showed me how to use her Cuttlebug and then pulled out several binders of folders.  I was instantly hooked! Ken and George of Crafts By Two told me they have over 1,000 embossing folders and setup an AirTable database to manage them. After buying my first duplicate, I decided to do the same. Now, I can scan a bar code on …

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New Goodies from Ranger Finally On Shelves!

For us crafty folks, Valentine’s Day really happens in March when all the new products and collections we hear about at CHA finally make their way to store shelves. It’s a very exciting time of year and no coincidence that March also happens to be National Craft Month. During the recent CHA Mega Show, I was glued to Periscope to see all the awesomeness through the eyes of attendees.  The greatest part wasn’t just finding out about new products, but seeing them demonstrated by the designers themselves. Ranger Ink The Ranger booth was constantly mobbed and for good reason. They have …