I {heart} the USA T-shirt

Happy Wednesday!  I am the featured Paper Crafting World (PCW) Designer at MyPaperCrafting.com today and I'm sharing a patriotic t-shirt I made for my 9 year old daughter.  The cutting file is called "I Heart the USA" and it is currently on sale at PaperCraftingWorld.com for 75 cents!  I love Melin's files -- they are so easy to work with and they always cut so cleanly.

This shirt was so quick and easy -- you could make one today and be wearing it tomorrow.  I used the "freezer paper" technique to create this shirt (instructions below):

The short version of how to make these shirts is:

1. Go to the grocery, buy a roll of freezer paper. (Contact paper works well, too.)
2. Cut said freezer paper to fit your cutting mat.
3. Place freezer paper matte side down on your mat. (The shiny side really doesn't stick well, so if you're doing text you need to reverse it to have it cut properly.)
4. Choose your design and cut it out using a low to medium pressure.
5. Iron the freezer paper, shiny-side down, onto your t-shirt.
6. Iron a second solid piece of freezer paper to the inside of your shirt. (This keeps the paint from bleeding through to the back side of your shirt.)
7. Paint design with fabric paints.
8. LET IT DRY! (Don't be tempted to peel it up before it has completely dried. It peels up the edges of your design.)
9. Carefully peel off the freezer paper from the inner and outer surfaces of the shirt.
10. Viola! You have a work of art that looks like it was screen-printed!

The shirts created with this method honestly look like they were screen-printed. The only drawback that we have discovered thus far is this . . . they do not like the dryer. You must wash them inside out and hang them to dry or the painted image will begin to crack.  Here's another tip:   Do not use softener or dryer sheets when you pre-wash your shirt.  The paint has a tendency to peel.

I use Tulip brand "Soft" paints and an inexpensive foam brush for large areas and artist's paint brushes for smaller areas and detailing.  The sleeves were folded over twice and tacked in place with thread.  I heat sealed the ends of some striped ribbon and tacked it down with a shiny blue star button.  My daughter loves her new t-shirt!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  We're changing things up this summer -- so make sure you stop by each and every day to see new projects and check in on Fridays for a freebie!  It's going to be a sizzlin' summer at MyPaperCrafting.com!

~ Jen

P.S.  I'm linking up my t-shirt at the following blog challenges:

• Cupcake Craft Challenges #249 - Anything but square.
• The Pink Elephant #TPE206 - Inspirational Photo
• Craft Your Passion #169 - Red, White & Blue
• Shopping Our Stash #108 - Red, White & Blue
• Scrappy Moms Stamps - Terrific Tuesday Challenge - Red, White & Blue

CWC Challenge #139: Card Outreach

Happy Wednesday!  Today is our weekly "Crafts With Cutters" Design Team challenge over at MyPaperCrafting.com and we are creating cards for teammate Madison's "I Feel the Love" Project.  This month's IFTL recipients are the parents of a 6 month old baby boy named Mason, who was killed in an automobile accident caused by a drunken driver.  Here is what I created for Yvette and Santiago Villega, Jr.

This card was created using the Cricut Pink Journey cartridge.  The wings are cut at 5" wide and 2 3/4" wide.  I dusted the edges with some chalk and pop-dotted the smaller wings.  The blue heart is cut at 2 3/4" wide and is matted and pop-dotted.  A rubber stamped sentiment and a white ribbon complete the card.

The blue card stock is by Bazzill and is called "Splash."  Both of the patterned papers are by K & Co. from a discontinued line called "Chateau" -- Blue Stripe and Toile.

Here is what the inside of the card says:

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you'll head over to MyPaperCrafting.com and see what the other Design Team members created for the Villega Family.

~ Jen

S'more Fun!

Whoo-Hoo!  This makes three days in a row that I've posted a new project.  I know, I know . . . nothing for months on end and then . . .WHAM!  Momma got her mojo back (it also helps that I have finally unpacked all of the necessary craft supplies)!

Anyway, back to business.  Today I am thrilled to be posting with the SVG Design Team at MyPaperCrafting.com!  Melinda Beltran is the creative wizard behind the curtain at MPC and PaperCraftingWorld.com and she creates the most awesome cut files.  I love working with her files -- they always cut so cleanly!  Check out this cutie . . .

I created this 12 x 12 layout using the Smore Fun cutting file at PaperCraftingWorld.com.  We are a Girl Scout family -- my Mom was a Girl Scout in the 50's; I went from Brownies (1st grade) through Seniors (12th grade) and have been a Girl Scout leader for about 12 years.  My youngest daughter just flew up to Juniors and I will be her Junior Leader this Fall.  

Girl Scouts LOVE s'mores.  And I knew that this cute cut file would be making an appearance in Demi's Girl Scout scrapbook!

The orange background paper is from DCWV Nana's Nursery paper pack.  All of the other papers are from my scrap stash.  The photo frame is a 6" x 4".  The marshmallow title measures 11" wide.  The bear on the stack of s'mores is 7 1/2" tall and the other bear is 4" tall.  I used several different brown ink pads and chalks to decorate my bears.  The green title was cut using SCAL and the AR Christy font.

Thanks so much for stopping by and please head over to MyPaperCrafting.com and see what the other Designers created!

~ Jen