How To Make Your Cricut Cutting Mat Sticky Again

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CRICUT BOARD STICKY AGAIN

During my darkest moments in some serious frustration with borrowing my church's cricut machine and trying to figure out how on Earth to use it, realizing the main problem was the board not being sticky enough, I realized, wait, there HAS to be a cheap solution for this...

I wanted to throw the thing. The paper kept slipping and the blade was cutting through all my precious tags for MaddiandAddiBowtique.etsy.com but you know, you can't break what ain't yours, and you shouldn't ruin your things either...

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CRICUT BOARD STICKY AGAIN

A basic swagbuck search popped up a lot of different options (Gotta earn those free Starbucks gift cards through swagbucks, link below). One I like best was using Spray Adhesive.




It's so simple, you don't even need pitcures. I even have safe Amazon links for you to click and buy. I'm that good.

Take your board (whatever brand you use, I hear there are a few), cover the frame: the non sticky part around the sticky part. It's important. The rollers go over this part and you don't want the rollers getting sticky stuff on them. I used scotch tape and regretted it, but it's all I had. You can use painting tape, or even cover it with paper.

Spray the adhesive spray around the board. Not too much in one spot (and remember, when it wears off you can always reapply more). If you spray too much in one spot, your paper will really stick. Learn from my experience. ;)  I sprayed the board I use right there on the floor. It isn't messy if you're careful. Easy Peasy.

LET IT DRY completely. It's not sticky until it dries.

Remove your tape and enjoy!






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Carson's Lego Birthday

Here I am posting a little late about Carson's Birthday.
It was pretty good. Super stressful, but worth it in the end.

Plates on the wall: Party City, taped together

Streamers: Party City

Cupcakes: Me

Lego Heads on Cupcakes: Melted Wilton yellow chocolate on mini pretzel sticks

Bunting: Walmart or you can convo MaddiandAddiBowtique.etsy.com and have me make you a fabric one that you can hang on your kid's wall after!

 

Part of the goody bags included these handmade lego notepads that Jeanine basically made for me. I also had the party hats as part because they are a lot to do, and are really special. Big Candy bars were also involved. I didn't have enough time to get legos and bag those up, too. BOO to that.

Kayt decorated the sugar cutout cookies. I ate them all.

 

Keep in mind that I am NOT a photographer and I have is a phone camera.

Birthday boy!

 

 

 

He's already 2!

How To Make Lego Invitations

 

My little boy is turning 2 on September 18! I'm pretty excited and boy does time fly. 

We are having a lego party for him because let's face it: *I* love legos. We were thinking about Thomas the Tank but we really just don't like the message the show sends to kids.

I used the cricut to make these. I bought the primary color card-stock paper at Walmart.
 Since he is 2, we are making the little "2" brick for invitations. 

I  don't have the shapes cartridge (actually everything is borrowed, cricut and a ton of cartridges), so I used the "Jasmine" cartridge for the rectangle, and I set it to 6". I was able to get 3 rectangles per sheet, if the sheet and machine cooperated together...

I flipped the paper and put in the "Accent Essentials" cartridge and pushed shift and one of the extravagant little circles, making it a plain old circle. I set those to 2 1/2" and got 8 out of the leftover paper. THEN, I was like "oh, these look like big legos" and was able to use the hole-y side for decorations! 

I hot-glued those circles down on the same color rectangle to give it a raised effect, and BOOM, a lego invitation. 

I still have to print off the details, but I'm just going to glue that to the back.

I looked for simple "lego" stickers, but was unable to find them. If I had, I was going to stick them to the tops of the circles to make them look legitimate.

jennibrenni.blogspot.com

jennibrenni.blogspot.com

jennibrenni.blogspot.com

AND there you have it! EASY DIY lego invitations!

Catch 22's, Sleep, and Sewing

Well, there has to be something said for "catch 22's"! Where did that phrase come from anyway?

The night before last I had a delicious iced coffee, which kept me awake until 4 a.m. You can imagine I was pretty tired yesterday.
Last night I decided to go to bed earlier than 4 a.m., I tried 11 p.m., and I've been wide awake since 6 a.m.

I actually got a few consecutive hours of sleep in. So now I'm awake. But, nap time will come soon enough.
Carson goes to preschool at 9, and Sehara gets on the bus just before 8. If Carson is awake when it's time for her to leave, I'll have him tag along and we'll walk her together. He'll love that. When he sees a school bus he points and jumps and yells "SKOOLBUS!!!". 

If I am feeling energetic when I drop him off, then I may go to the YMCA to get a workout in. I've been doing good at remembering to actually go and work out. I found it's nice to walk a few miles around the neighborhood. It's been too humid for that the past several days.

I may also write some letters I've been meaning to get to. I have a few college ones that need to go out, and some friends in other places. I bought a fabulous card for Dreama. I signed up at church to send birthday cards to the Potter's Home children, so that must get done as well.

As for crafty stuff, I got a half yard each of some material I want to try out for bows and bow-ties. I thought about sewing some bibs, (I would get more fabric first) and I may get to that in the next few days. A lady at church suggested I buy batting for the middle. I found a tutorial that has a pocket on it, and I don't like that so much, so I thought about leaving it out. She basically traced a bib, and gave some extra room for a seam, put the right sides together, sewed it, turned it out, and sewed around the edges. I maybe could handle that. It wouldn't include a straight line though... But then I saw a few cute bibs with ruffles on them. Oh dear!

Well, it looks like it's Carson's lucky day! That means I need to stop typing.