Happy Blogaversary to me!

I can't believe it has been one year since I launched this blog! I am just blown away by my blessings in this last year - among which are 119 of you deciding to follow me and two of my projects are published in the November issue of Cricut magazine! It wasn't real until I bought the magazine at the store! They accepted two of my heat transfer vinyl baby projects (because I don't like heat transfer vinyl or anything) so if you happen to have a copy check them out!

I have a final Halloween project to share with you - this is the "Pin the Bat on the Haunted House" game I created for my daughter's class to play at their party.

The details: 

I cut out the house from October 31st at 19 inches - and how I did that was use two layers of the 12x24 mat on the Gypsy and cut it out in two pieces and then pieced the parts together on yellow poster board. I used DCWV glitter adhesive backed paper. This picture can give you some idea of the final size. 

 For the bats I used this cut in Paper Doll Dress Up at 2 inches real dial size. I drew them with my Cricut markers, then cut them out, laminated them with my YourStory (which I love love LOVE and think everyone should have one), and then added googly eyes with glue dots. 

This particular cut does not have a shadow or blackout layer so I used my Gypsy and the layers so that the markers lines weren't all cut again with the blade. The first layer was set up the cut as is and then I drew with the markers. 

Then on the next layer I used the same image with all the lines hidden except for the outside one. By keeping the layers visible you can line them up exactly. 

So after "cutting" the first time with the markers I selected return to design instead of unload mat, switched the marker for the blade, chose this layer, changed the pressure (don't forget!) and then cut  - which gave me nicely drawn bats which were only cut out around the shape.

I hope the kids have a good time playing the game - I only wish my YourStory laminated larger sizes than 12x12. And now - what better way to celebrate my blogaversary than to give away some blog candy?? I am going to give away the Teresa Collins Chic & Scary cartridge! Halloween is my favorite holiday and I just adore the images - who can't use more Halloween cuts?? it even has cupcake wrappers!

So all you have to do to enter is  leave a comment  and you must be a follower of this blog (anyone who wants to listen to me ramble deserves some kind of reward). I will leave it open until 12 midnight EST on November 7th. Thank you so much for all of your support this last year and I hope you have a spooktacular Halloween!

First Blog Post - and Happy Halloween!

Wow! this is exciting.....now what have I gotten myself into?

I am guessing all those enablers at the Cricut Cricle finally got to me, and I have decided to jump on the Blog Bandwagon! I can't make any promises that I will become a daily or even weekly blogger, but I will certain try my best to keep up among all the other crazy things I have going on.

First, some much deserved thanks go to Caroline at Caroline's Craftography for getting me started and set up (she would be the number one blog enabler). So if you see something that looks great here, she can take the credit. If it looks messed up, it is because I have NO idea how to use this blogger dashboard yet!

Next, in case you were wondering the reason for my blog name (and even if you don't care)...goody bags are not only my favorite thing to put together and create, they are my retirement plan (hey it's only 30 years away - I believe in long term plans). In my next career I definitely want to be a party planner. I will warn you, I tend to go a teensy bit overboard (just a smidge) but I can't help myself. I would do goody bags for Columbus Day if I didn't think people would day I've finally gone over the edge.

Oh wait! did you come here to see crafts?? Who would've thunk? well then I guess I had better get on to it.

For my first post, I want to showcase some goody bags (what a surprise huh?) that I was super excited about. Why, you ask? Well not only were they made with my most favorite material, which would be heat transfer vinyl, but it was GLOW IN THE DARK heat transfer vinyl! And it really works!

Let's view the evidence, shall we? I did twenty canvas bags for my daughter's kindergarten class (black for boys and orange for the girls) that I was lucky enough to find at the local dollar store for six for a dollar! (totally my kind of deal). These are what they look like in the light:



and then when the light go out (insert bwahahahaha here):


Isn't that so neat?? I just love it! I filled the bags with all sort of goodies: bubbles, pencils, stickers, playdoh, tattoos, fangs...and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember (this is one of those things where I may have gone the teensiest bit overboard).

Now for the crafty details:

I cut the Halloween Images from the Pumpkin Carvings Cricut Cartridge at 2 1/2 inches, while the "trick or treat" used the Mickey Font Cricut Cartridge at 3/4 inches. I designed all of them using my Gypsy, because I had to get 20 images and phrases out of 3 sheets of vinyl. It was a close call, but I made it!

I purchased my vinyl from Nick Stafford at Craft Vinyl. I purchase all my heat transfer vinyl from him, and I can guarantee you will not find better customer service from an online vinyl guy! When it says you can call or email him anytime, he means it! (I sometimes wonder when he sleeps.)

Oh and I couldn't forget my daughter's teacher (the horror!) and I had picked up this Halloween paint can at Michael's on clearance so I decorated it with regular sign vinyl, using October 31st for the Happy Halloween phrase, Mini Monsters for the "trick or treat" on the lid, and Pumpkin Carvings (again) for the pumpkin - the face was layered on the pumpkins shape by hiding the contour of the square outline.