Cricut Air vs Cameo 3

It's almost new years!  Yay!

Recently I have purchased two crafting machines.  I wanted to go over some of the things I learned from these.  I hope you find this helpful. :)

Cricut Background: My very first crafting machine was a Cricut.  It was the 6" Cricut and then I immediately upgraded to the Cricut Expression so I could cut 12x12 pieces of paper.  I loved my Cricut. It is a well built, sturdy machine that cut well every time. Then I was given a Cricut Gypsy for my birthday.  I watched endless tutorials and learned to be proficient with my Cricut Gypsy.  Unfortunately my Gypsy died and I had to have it replaced.  I didn't realize that meant routing up all my cartridges and reattaching them after waiting for the Gypsy to be mailed to me so it could have the same serial number.  Wow. I diligently reattached all my cartridges.  It had been a few years since I used my Cricut and my friend wanted to borrow a cartridge.  I figured I'd just let her borrow my Gypsy.  I charged it up and turned it on.  Everything worked.  I lent it out and she returned it saying it would not turn on. Sure enough, the Gypsy had died again. I tried downloading Cricut Design Space and didn't care for the software much.  It was hard to use on my laptop and at this point I was using a Silhouette Cameo. I tried Cricut Craftroom but when I went to link my cartridges I found out that I would have to link them using my Gypsy.  Unfortunately there was no work around. I ended up contacting Cricut and they requested I send them a picture of the front and back of all my cartridges with an Excel list of the Cartridges and serial numbers so they could link them.  I was really sad to hear they wouldn't fix my Gypsy and they discontinued it altogether.  R.I.P. Gyspy.  Reluctantly, I complied.  I have to say though, the Cricut support team is wonderful!  They return your emails in a timely manner and are very helpful!  I sent my list and photos and they said they would be attached within 15-20 days.  I'm okay with this since it is the holiday season.  I did end up having to call in and have them attach the cartridges because they hadn't attached all of them.  I also needed to log out and log back in for them to appear (thought I would share just in case anyone else was having issues.) I recently just purchased a Cricut Explore Air.  I was looking at many websites and found that my Cricut Expression is considered an old outdated model of machine.  It brought me many years of happy crafting so I am okay with retiring it or just using it with cartridges.

New Cricut Explore Air:
I literally unboxed this machine minutes ago and set it up.
Here's what I am loving with this new machine!

• Sturdy machine, well built
• Dual carriage
• Already set up for cutting right out of the box
• Pen is easily inserted in to preset up carridge
• Cup in the machine to hold tools
• Simple turn dial for choosing materials
• Simple buttons that light up prompting you on your next step
• VERY easy set up with Cricut Design Space
• Great new software with Cricut Design Space
• Open button opens up your machine in a slow dramatic way (kinda cool!)
• Slot to link cartridges
• Not too noisy
• Extra storage
• New mat is very pretty, not too sticky that it rips the paper
• Pen is easy to use
• Free subscription to Cricut Access
• Machine isn't too large, very compact and cuts through thick materials

I could go on but basically this is a wonderful machine.  I especially loved that part of the set up is a project so you are immediately successful! I love that the first project also uses multiple tools! This would be something I would be more hesitant to try.  I have always looked at the pens for both the Cricut and Silhouette but never invested in any.  It was very smart of them to include one with the machine because now that I have experience how easy it is to use them and seen the beautiful results you get with it, I will be investing in a set in the future.  I love the sounds of my older Expression machine and was a little sad they changed the cutting sounds but it was a good change.  The sounds the machine makes while cutting are not as loud and are smooth sounding.  I can't say it enough, I am loving this machine. I did watch a few youtube reviews as well and it looks like the Cricut Air is able to cut through thicker materials with cleaner cuts.  I'm glad I am back with the Cricut family! I'm looking forward to trying the print and cut feature!

There is a Cricut Explore Air 2 which is faster according to reviews I've read but I found the Air on sale for $178.89 and couldn't pass it up! :) The Air 2 was on sale as well somewhere around $250.  It was too big of a price gap for me to justify the faster machine. I also love the color of the Explore Air. :) 

Update: I have continued to use my Cricut Explore Air and still in love with this machine.  I can't say it enough, it's so easy to use!  They have even included some of the features that Silhouette has that I love like welding, being able to import images from outside sources, easy uploads, the software will create different layers for you automatically, and everything is laid out in a simple manner.  I am having to learn a few things on this new machine that I have already mastered on the Silhouette so unless the image is a Cricut image, I still would probably use the Silhouette to do some of the more complicated things on the machine just because I'm impatient with the learning curve.  I love that there are three different mats for different media, the dial has proven to be super easy as well as the custom settings!  The storage on the machine is super helpful and the machine seems to be well built like the last one I owned for years.  

Silhouette Background: 

I was hesitant to get a Silhouette Cameo machine but I have a tech savvy friend who talked me into it with her amazing projects and all the beautiful cuts her Silhouette made.  I was intimidated by the amount of technology that was involved with the Silhouette software and since I have never used Adobe Illustrator or any design software, the idea of learning all this new information was scary.  I did however love the idea of free cut files weekly and being able to use the Print and Cut feature as well as using images from the internet. I finally gave in and purchased my very first Silhouette Cameo machine.  It's the original with no touch screen.  The machine itself seemed to be not as sturdy as the Cricut Explore machine but it was quieter when I cut and had endless possibilities with the design studio software. The learning curve was much more steep with the Silhouette than the Cricut.  I had to learn about things like the trace feature, turning off the high pass filter, etc.  Once I got the hang of it though, I loved the Silhouette for the print and cut feature.  There were tons of youtube videos out there thankfully so I was able to learn to use my machine. Now I use it all the time! Then came the pixscan mat which doesn't always work for me on the first shot but when it does, it does a wonderful job! I also bought the Silhouette Curio.  I used it for etching and it did a wonderful job. I tried embossing with it but it wasn't as easy as I had hoped.  I think you have to score and emboss for the image to be easily visible.  I have had my Silhouette Cameo for years now and with the release of the Cameo 3 I decided it was time for a new machine.

Silhouette Cameo 3

• Bluetooth
• Dual carriage
• Auto adjust blade
• Extra storage
• Touch screen
• Silhouette Design Studio still works with it, no need to convert to new software
• Easy to register with Silhouette software
• Extra storage space
• Machine is larger than the original Silhouette Cameo
• Built in storage for blades

Again, I could go on and on with the great new features of the Cameo 3. I love the idea of the auto adjusting blade. What a nice concept to not have to pull the blade out every time you switch materials.  I also loved the extra storage. All of my tools and extras fit in the compartments.  Unfortunately I am not having much success with this machine. when it comes to cutting  I was not able to update the Firmware when I first got it which is a key point in making the machine work properly.  I tried different things I found online and eventually just contacted Silhouette.  Then the next thing I had issues with was cutting.  I didn't realize I had to select auto blade when I was cutting so my cuts weren't coming out correctly.  Also, my double cuts weren't cutting on the same spot. I contacted Silhouette which is how I learned about the auto blade setting and tried again. While a simple single cut works fine, I am still not getting a good cut with the double cut.  The cuts aren't lining up resulting in a unsalvageable image. I have again emailed Silhouette and am waiting to hear back. Thankfully their customer service is very responsive and have been super helpful.  I hope they will help me fix this issue.  

I am hoping to get this machine up and running successfully.  I am not technology savvy as some Silhouette users are so I am counting on the Silhouette Support people to help me.  I joined a few Facebook groups as well to get tips and tricks.  I would love to be able to move my machines off my workspace and cut primarily through the bluetooth.  I'm crossing my fingers!

Update: After numerous emails, two phone calls and a few videos, I was finally able to return the machine and they immediately sent out another machine.  The customer service department was very nice although  it seemed like they asked a lot of the customer to prove that the machine was faulty.  I'm not a youtube videographer so it was difficult for me to provide the video in good quality and then upload it and send it over. In the end I did it though! Yay!  I have the new machine but now I'm not sure I want to upgrade to the new machine.  I'm happy with the older machine right now.  The new machine is really big as well which is one thing I wasn't fond of.  It takes up a lot of space and I need all the counter space I can.  I don't feel at this time I can give a fair comparison of the machines since the one I had initially reviewed was faulty. 

I can say however that the software for Silhouette is still my go to program.  It is easy to use and since I have learned how to do most things in Silhouette Studio, it is still my favorite. I love my Silhouette Cameo and will continue to use it. :) 

I hope everyone has a happy near year!  Happy Crafting! 

Adorable Elephants

Hi and welcome back to my blog!  Hope you are having a wonderful day so far!

I wanted to share with you my newest stamp set.  It's called Adorable Elephants and it's by My Favorite Things Stamps.  I love this set! I think the images are adorable! This set includes four very cute elephants.  One is turned sideways, one is sitting down just looking as cute as can be, another is sitting down and either pointing or you can have it holding something, and the last one is standing and waving. This set also comes with two balloons, one is round and the other is a heart shape.  There is also a kite which is super cute! You can have the elephants holding these with their hand or trunk.  Very cute! There are three butterflies in this set and two little dash line paths to make it look like that's where the butterflies flew. There are two stamps with two flowers on them.  The sentiments are very cute and clever as always with MFT Stamp sets! They are "I will always be here for you," Thank you for making such a huge effort," You are unforgettable," "Wishing you tons of fun," "Happy Birthday," and "Dream Big."

Here's the shaker card I made using the Adorable Elephants set! :) 

The supplies I used: 

Adorable Elephants Stamp Set from My Favorite Things

EK success powder tool

Camera embellishment

Pink Sequins

Pink chunky glitter from the Recollections shaker 

Pink hearts from the Recollections shaker

Copic markers # C0, C2, R20, C8

Staz on Black Ink

Acetate

My Favorite Things Stitched Square Scallop Frames size 3.25"

3M foam tape

ATG tape runner

Score Tape

I had a lot of fun making this card! Hope you enjoy! 

Have wonderful week and thanks for stopping by! 

Sharpie Brush Markers

Hi!  Welcome back to my crafting blog!

I wanted to share with you that I have been taking some modern calligraphy classes and I am looking forward to getting better at my lettering.  With that in mind, I have been watching a lot of lettering videos on youtube and I ran across a bunch of videos where people are using Sharpie Brush markers. I found them on Amazon and they came in different size packs.  There was a 4 pack for $7.55 an 8 pack for $10.43 and the 12 pack for 12.76.  I felt it was a better deal for the 12 pack making each marker close to a dollar a piece.

The 12 pack comes with the following colors (the markers don't have color names on them):

• pink
• magenta
• red
• orange
• yellow
• light green
• dark green
• light blue
• dark blue
• purple
• brown 

According to the pictures on Amazon the 4 pack comes with pink, light green, light blue and purple; the eight pack comes with pink, red, orange, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple and black.  So again, for the price, i felt that getting all 12 markers and all 12 colors was worth it and a great deal! :)

There are a few difference between the Sharpie Brush marker and the typical sharpie marker.  I have compared below the Sharpie Brush marker to a Sharpie Fine tip marker

As you can see in the pictures above, the Sharpie brush marker is much shorter than the typical Sharpie marker.  It is also much fatter. The cap is different, it has a more fitted area for the brush to slide into. The tip on the fine point Sharpie marker does not bend but the brush marker tip does bend as you add pressure. 

I am really enjoying these markers and would recommend them if you want to have some fun with brush lettering.   I do feel as though these markers might run out of ink quickly.  I have been storing them horizontal so far. I think as I use more ink, I might see how storing them vertically would change the ink intensity.  

Here's some thing I did very quickly but you can see the thick and thin in the lines. :) 

I am having a lot of fun with these markers.  I hope that if you do buy them, you enjoy them as well.

Thanks for stopping by! :) Happy crafting!

Magical Dragons

Magical Dragons

Today I'm going to share with you a card I made using my My Favorite Things Magical Dragons clear stamp set, as promised.  I love this new stamp set.  There are so many things you can do with these big and little dragons.  I chose the stamp that had the flying dragon and his large puff of smoke. I think it would have been super cute with a birthday cake image for a birthday card but I stuck to making a shaker card so I wanted to leave plenty of room on the front so the sequins would show through.  I didn't want too many images taking away from the shimmer in the background. 

I stamped out quite a few images on my 110lb white cardstock.  You can see all the dragon images, a princess and prince image as well.  There is a cute baby dragon that they have and a few different  poses for the larger dragon which I intend to use at a later time.   The elephants are from a different stamp set and hopefully a card I will be making in the near future!  I find that it's a lot of fun just stamping out a bunch of images and coloring them in all at once.  

For the dragon I used in this card I used the following Copic markers: 

Greens - G14 G05& G02

Yellow - Y08 & Y00

For the pink I used R20 & R2

Cloud: C00

White Gel Pen - Sakura White Gel Roller

Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen

After coloring almost an entire sheet, I place my paper on my PixScan mat by Silhouette.  I uploaded my image and traced around each image I wanted to cut.  I then used the Offset option to create a white border around my image and then deleted the original trace image.  I'm no pro with the Silhouette so this probably took me longer than it would for some others. I do love the offset option though because it leaves the white border as if you cut it out with a die.  Using the mat I was able to cut all the images below in one single cut.  While the Silhouette Cameo worked it's magic cutting out all my colored images, I was able to cut and prep my background, papers and borders. 

I used the My Favorite things die set that has the Stitched Squares.  Although I didn't use the part with the adorable stitched squares, I did use the negative part.  I think it looks like a picture frame or a polaroid picture.  Side note, I love that this die set can be used in so many different ways.  I cut the largest square out and used the negative for the outside border of my card. Then I continued cutting one after another inside each other and I not only got the four stitched border frames, but I also got the negative frames which to me look like the edge of a postage stamp.  :) WOOHOO! 

So after cutting out my background piece I used my distress inks Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire and Weathered Wood to create a night sky look and then I flicked some water onto the distress ink using a paintbrush to get the water color effect. 

I adhered a piece of acetate onto the front panel with the border, and then used the X Press It mounting tape to create my shaker border.  I love how thick this tape is.  I don't feel I have to double it up or anything, it gives plenty of space for the shaker goodies.  I then filled my shaker area with a bunch of sequins.  I used some from Recollections and a few that I had bought at the Scrapbook Expo.  I adhered the background to the project and then used my tape runner to adhere the entire project to my folding card. 

I colored in the birthday greeting with Stamping Up' markers Brilliant Blue for the words "Here's A" and "Flyby" and I used Only Orange for the word Birthday so it stood out more. 

Last but not least, I attached my dragon and his puff of smoke to the outside of the card and I was done!  :) 

Incase you're wondering what is in this dragon stamp set here is a quick list of the images included with the set. There are four dragons.  One dragon is flying, one is sitting down with its arm outstretched, one is sitting with a confused look and then there is an adorable baby dragon as well.  There are three puffs of smoke or clouds, there is one little knight and one little princess.  The sayings are super clever and cute.  They are "Here's aBIRTHDAY flyby," "Get well soon," You're on FIR!E!," "I'd slay a dragon for you, ""You SLAY me," "You make my life MAGICAL," and last "I heard you were DRAGON."

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping by and check out the MFTStamps.com website!  :) 

My Favorite Things Haul

MFT Stamps Haul! 

I have been eyeing this Dragon stamp set along with some of the dies from the My Favorite Things website.  First of all I have to say that I love the option on their website that alerts you when an out of stock item is back in stock! Genius!   This feature draws you back to their site every once in a while and reminds you how cute their stuff is!  I get so lost on their site clicking on all the cute things, filling up my cart and browsing all the fun new products!  So when I received my notification that the Magical Dragon clear stamp set was back in stock I rushed over to the website to order mine.  Well conveniently, there is a free shipping option if you order $75 worth of items from the website and if that wasn't good enough, my birthday just passed and I recently was given some birthday money!  So, I tried different options to see what I wanted to order.  Luckily there were also a few items on clearance!  I ended up with a bunch of stuff and I just wanted to share what a wonderful experience it was ordering from My Favorite Things Stamps.

First of all the packaging was very nicely done.  The outside of the box has a cute saying on the lip "This box contains a whole lot of happy (Open quick and get crafty!)" This is so true!!! I was so happy when my box arrived and it was so cute!!! Bonus!

When you open it up, and I did this super carefully savoring every second of this awesome experience, there is a note thanking your for your order and a mint!  Not to mention to adorable pink tissue paper with the company name on it.  So cute!  They really get all the details right!  The packaging was perfect!

Then, as if wrapped by a professional present wrapper, I opened the perfectly creased tissue paper and...WOOHOO there were all my goodies!

This was the cute thank you note and mint! 

Here is my very first My favorite Things Stamps haul.  I bought the Multi Medium Matte adhesive, X Press It mounting tape (2.2 yards), the My Favorite Things Magical Dragons clear stamp set, the Adorable Elephants clear stamp set, Stitched Square Scallop Frames die, the Stitched Rainbow die, the Stitched Circle STAX die and I received a free die as well. 

Here's a little better view of the stamp sets, glue and mounting tape.

Here are the dies that I purchased.  The one in the clear bag without any labeling is the free die I received from My Favorite Things. 

And this was the lip of the box.  Sorry, my little Mochi dog wanted to be in the picture.  This was taken right after she decided she needed to inspect the box first, she approved! I love this saying, it is so true!!! 

So, I had a great time ordering, tracking, and opening up all my goodies.  It did take a couple of days for them to actually ship out my items but after seeing the beautiful packaging it was well worth the wait and I would happily do it again!  I love that I was able to track the package once it shipped as well.  

I will be posting my creations soon!  Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Shopping!  :) 

Aloha! It's Banner Time!

Aloha!  It's Banner Time! 

My friend is moving to another program.  I have worked with her for years and we have shared our crafting stories, we have run ideas by each other, and she has always been there to encourage me to get off the couch and craft.  She isn't moving far but I already miss her.  I created a banner for her farewell party.  Aloha means Hello and Goodbye.  I know this isn't goodbye yet! :) 

I was inspired by a post on Pinterest.  It was slightly different than mine with the shape of the banner, colors and decorations but the idea was a great one and it inspired me to create this banner.  I started with 12x12 pieces of silver cardstock.  This was actually cardstock I used for my wedding so it had a little bit of sentimental value to it.  I cut the banner shapes using an upside down tag.  I was able to cut two to a page on my Silhouette Cameo machine. 

Next, I created an inlay version of the flipped tag in aquamarine.  Both of these are very heavy cardstocks which I thought would make the banner nice and sturdy. I attached the two together with Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive.

Then I cut out the scales (or waves) on a 12x12 sheet of cardstock.  This was normal cardstock and I had a few problems with it as I cut.  It seemed the first paper I used was not thick and it ended up tearing when the machine was trying to make these precise cuts. I ended up using a thicker cardstock and slowing the speed down which increasing the pressure of the blade.  I used a semi new mat as well so the paper wouldn't move. I also attached this one using the Scotch glue.  

Next, I cut out the letters.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to back them on pink or gold and since my go to person was the person this banner was for, I called my other trusty craft friend and we decided gold suited my friend better than pink.  I'm glad too because I really have a thing for gold right now. The letters were cut using core'dinations Carmaker Series pearls.  The paper is made by Darice and is called Starlight Pearl.  It has a subtle pattern to it. 

You can see below how I was playing with the colors to see which to go with. :) 

I then cut out a few turtles in different sizes with my Silhouette Cameo machine. I loved how they looked but I still thought the banner needed a little bit more. 

So I added some sparkle!  Yup, I hand glued on the sequins for a little shine! 

I decided to cut a few star fish and sea shells as well to add to the banner.  Each piece of the banner has sequins on it as well as either a sea shell, star fish, turtle or flower.  I really hope she likes it!  (Sorry for the junk in the background, I had to work on the floor since the desk wasn't big enough!)

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Go out there and create beautiful things! :) Thanks for stopping by!

Post note....she hung it in her new office!  yay! 

Quick and Easy

Hello!  

Today I made two really quick cards.  It was my birthday a few days ago and my cousin bought me some awesome crafting supplies and I just had to try them out!  Among the awesome gifts were these Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens!  I love them! I know these pictures do the cards no justice.  Anyway, here is how I made two pegasus cards. 

I started by cutting out a cloud from white 110lb cardstock.  I did this using my Silhouette Cameo machine. Then I scored the cardstock to make a side folding card that measured 5.5" x 4.25. 

Next I cut a piece of background paper.  This is the cardstock I used to put behind my cloud.  I should have done this the other way but it was too late to turn back now! This paper is from a pad I have had for years.  It is nice thick heavy weight cardstock weight 250gsm.  It's called core'dinations Carmaker Series pearls.   All of the paper is pearlized which I loved because as you will see later, it will match the outside of my card. It does have a subtle sequin pattern in it.

Here are my two pegasus I'm using today.  One I colored my favorite pastel colors starting from pink and working my way through purple to a beautiful light blue.  The other I colored in different shades of red.  I used Copic Markers to color in my images. Then using my new Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens I shimmered them!  I colored the entire image with the shimmer because I couldn't stop!  

These images were both cut on my fiends Brother's Scan N'Cut machine.  I have to say, it did a very nice job!  I added the white gel pen to the eyes to make them a little cleaner after going over the black part with a fine tip sharpie marker. 

On the inside of the card, I adhered some transparency film to the the cardstock using my tape runner gun and on top of that I used 3M foam tape to create my shaker area.  I cut the foam tape into small pieces and laid them around the cloud shape.  Make sure if you are using this method to have all of the corners touch so none of the cute shaker goodies come flying out. :) I also added some foam tape as support around the edges.   

*Note: in hind sight, I would have decorated the front before doing any of this.  It would have made the water coloring much easier! :) 

I attached the pearl cardstock tot he foam squares to complete and seal my shaker goodies inside.  I used basic sequins and some Recollections sprinkles inside my shakers. 

For the background I used my Distress Inks and a water brush pen.   I watercolored the background using blues, pink and purple for the first one and just blues on the second one.  On the second card I used the cloud cut outs to leave a white cloud in the background. Using my Perfect Pearls water, I sprayed the entire card with my solution so that it shimmered. 

I then used the cut out cloud shapes for the greeting and stamped them in Versa Mark ink. Then I used my embossing powder and heat gun to set the words in blue. I did end up using different blues on each card because I didn't like the way the lighter blue turned out.  It was a little gritty, not smooth like I would have preferred. 

Last but not least, I added my pegasus with a few foam squares.  

I love how everything on this card sparkled.  I can't wait to use them! 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it inspires you to go out there and create cut things!  Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by! 

Unicorn Birthday Shaker Card

Hello fellow card makers and crafters!  Today I wanted to share with you this new shaker card I made.  I actually decided to make two at once.  I used two different color themes for these two cards. 

Here are the finished products (above).  I hope you enjoy theme and they make you smile today! 

To make this card I used 110lb white yardstick and using my Silhouette Cameo I cut out a square that measured 3.75" across and 5" down the side.  I pulled up a balloon image on my silhouette and made it about 2" tall. 

Next, I cut out a cloud using using transparent vellum. The cloud I made large enough to fit the sentiment from the stamp set "Hello Unicorn," which measured about 2.5" across and 1.5" tall. 

The unicorns were colored with Copic Markers, again on 110lb yardstick.  They images were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

For the pink and blue unicorn i used three colors on the hair: B02, B12 and B00.  Starting with the darkest color, working my way to the lightest and going over her entire mane with the lightest blue.  Her body I colored with R20.  her eyes i went over with a fine tip Sharpie marker and I used a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen to create the hearts on her hind quarters as well as the freckles on her cheeks.  For her rose cheeks I used R21.

For the green unicorn's hair I used the following Copic markers: G05, G02 G14.  I started with the darkest green and worked my way to the lightest.  I went over all of her hair afterwards with the lightest green to blend the different shades of green together.  For her body I used BG32.
I used the same colors for the cheeks, RV21 and went over her eyes with a fine tip Sharpie marker.  I used the white Sakura Gelly Roll pen for her freckles.

For both of the unicorns I used the clear Wink of Stella brush pen to make her horn sparkle!

Martha Stewart's Score Board makes creating the base card quick and simple.  My base card measures 4.25" wide by 5.5" tall.

I cut my background paper down to 4" across by 5.25 down.  I wanted each layer of my paper to show so I made this background piece just slightly larger than my front panel.  

Using Perfect Pearls combine with water in a mini spray bottle, I sprayed my entire background piece.  This gave it added shine.  The mist does not come out evenly so there are spots that have larger water spots.  I love the way it looks!  To create the Perfect Pearls water I filled my container 3/4 of the way with tap water.  Then I added a small amount of Perfect Pearls.  I would then shake the container.  Once the water had the consistence I liked, I replaced the sprayer top and started using it.  For my Perfect Pearl water, I like to shake it and see the shine swirl inside, that is how I know it's the right consistency for me. 

Next I stamped my sentiment on the vellum clouds using Versa Mark Ink and Silver embossing powder. 

I heat set the sentiment.  Be careful not to hold onto small cut outs when you are using the heat gun.  Use a tweezer or place it on a mat that does not burn so that you do not burn your fingers. :) 

Using my Salty Ocean Distress Ink and my blending tool, I added some blue ink to the cloud. 

After heating my Fuse tool by We R Memory Keepers for a few minutes, I took a page protector and the balloon shape I had cut out from my front panel to create my shaker pouch.  Remember not to completely close the pouch until you have put in all your shaker goodies! :) 

I ended up having to make a funnel out of some scrap paper to get all the sequins and shaker goodies in my little balloon pouches. 

These are the finished pouches.  They aren't pretty but it's okay, no one will see the lines! 

I'm using 3M foam tape to pop up my card front so that my shaker pouch has a little space.  I go around the edges of the shaker pouch making sure that half to the foam tape is on the plastic and half o it is on the paper.  This helps to keep the shaker pouch in place.  Be sure not to go further than the dotted line on your shaker pouch when putting down the foam tape, otherwise it will show through the front of your card. 

I did the same with my pink card only this time I tried putting the foam tape on the front panel only.  Liked this technique better ask think i was able to line the front panel up better when I attached it to the base card. 

My last steps were to add a my unicorn, draw the ballon string with a Sharpie marker and adhere the cloud to the front panel.  I didn't like that the background was super plain so I took a few of the iridescent glitter shapes from my Recollections shaker containers and placed them on the front.

In the end I couldn't resist and I added a rhinestone to the tip of her horn so that when you look from different angles it sparkled. 

I hope you enjoyed these cards and have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping by!