Crafts and Beer

I had big ideas for Christmas this year. I even got on it early and ordered the items to make my gifts back in August! And then everything turned very ugly very fast. So my plan was to get test tubes, make infused vodkas and glass etch the test tubes with a phrase and then an icon for the vodka inside. For this, I needed to get a vinyl cutter so that I could cut out the designs and then use the cut vinyl as a template for my glass etching. Sounds easy enough. I began researching my purchase months ago, trying to decide which vinyl cutter would be best suited for my Mac and designing with Adobe Illustrator cs4. Most of the ones that I found were well into the $600-$800 range. WAYYYYY to much for me to justify for only making Christmas presents. Then, I came across US Cutter, they had a wide variety of  small “scrapbooking” vinyl cutters which is exactly what I was looking for. I ended up calling the company, asking a lot of very specific questions to make sure that the Raindrop model would work for me and do everything I needed it to do. After being assured that it would, I placed my order and waited anxiously like I was sitting on lava. The day finally came and I received my vinyl cutter in the mail. I got home, got everything out, set up, read the directions and plugged it in. There is no way in hell to get this thing to work with a Mac. After trying numerous times to upload the image I made, the software would crash, it didn’t have a plugin for the vinyl cutter I purchased, the drivers it DID come with, were on a mini disk, which will not be read in any new mac. After emailing the company about my frustration, they asked me to call them, which I did the next day. I told them that I wanted to return my Raindrop vinyl cutter and exchange it for the Graphtec Craft Pro, which they also sell on their site and after much more research, I found that it has a plugin, for the mac, for Illustrator cs4. When I called the company and told the guy my plan, he argued with me that that cutter will not work with my computer and that the only software you can use with it is the software they supply. After telling him the link and telling him that it will work, he finally realized he was wrong. Then I told him that I would like to exchange the  cutter that I bought for the more expensive one that would work with my computer, but I did not want to pay the 20% restocking fee. He told me that he thought that would be possible, but he needed to talk to a manager. After holding for 20 minutes, he came back to me and said he would call me back in 10 minutes. No call. The next day was Thanksgiving and I wasn’t able to contact them again until yesterday. When one email and a phone call went unanswered, I tried again. Finally, this morning I received an email that of course I can return the cutter and purchase the other one, but I was still subject to the 20% restocking fee. Their return policy is 15 days from the day you receive the cutter, which would put that date at today. So pretty much they jerked me around until I am no longer able to return the cutter.

So that ordeal was frustrating, and when I say frustrating, I mean it in the most angry, irritated and disgusted way possible.

So before the ordeal with the cutter, I decided I would just try to do some glass etching on the test tubes just to see how it would go. I use Armor Etch, and have for years and love it. It is a wonderful product and gives high quality, beautiful results. But it doesn’t work with pyrex. I didn’t realize that the test tubes that I bought (250 of them) were pyrex. So after leaving the Armor Etch on the test tubes for 5 minutes, it just washed off like dry erase marker. Feeling sure that if I left it on longer it would work, I applied another layer and left this on for 45 minutes. Washed off and again, the glass was untouched. So now, I am defeated. I am vinyl cutter less, etched glass less and sad :(

So I think my back up plan is going to be to get small eye hooks and screw them into the top of the corks in the test tubes, and tie a string to a thin sheet of paper and just print the tags on the paper. It really doesn’t give the same effect, but I have lots and lots of flavored vodkas and test tubes and they need to go to good homes.

So, to sum up this rant, NEVER, I mean NEVER buy anything from US Cutter, and remember that you can’t glass etch pyrex. Lesson learned. I’ll keep you updated on the status.

UPDATE TO THIS POST 1/10/10

So I was able to return the cutter and get a refund, less the 20% restocking fee. I still haven’t found a new vinyl cutter, so if anyone has a place that they have used and had good luck, I would love to hear your experience. Also, thank you to everyone who has commented on their experience with either US Cutter or other suppliers. I am so happy that I can give you my experience and I hope it helps with your Vinyl Cutter Searches!

So here was a card that I made for a craft night card swap. We aimed at making a birthday card for the men in our lives (so not quite so many flowers and glitter). We all made 5 of each card so that we could swap with all the other girls and we each got 5 different cards. This card uses A LOT of techniques, all VERY simple. The first thing I did was cut the card to the size I needed for my envelopes. In this case, they are 3.5 x 5″. Then I just cut a line across the front so that my sentiment on the inside shows through from the front. On another variation of this, I used a scalloped border punch along this end, but like I said, these cards were for the guys, so no scalloped edge :( Then, on my computer, I printed off a punch of pieces that would be cut out and placed on the inside of the card with the sentiment of my choice (this one is happy birthday, the other one I did was Happy Spring). This piece was printed to be about 3 x 4.5″. Around the outside edge of this paper, I used the zig zag stitch on my sewing machine and just went around the entire outside edge. Then, with a stamp set I had, I stamped the birthday cake on the inside (the spring one is a bird and a tree). On the front of the card, I chose two coordinating papers, one patterned, one plain and adhered them together placing a length of ribbon across the seam. Then, I did the same zig zag stitch across the ribbon and paper as I did on the inside of the card. Before attaching this piece to the front of the card, I used a versa mark stamp pad to make a watermark sort of pattern on the front of the card with another stamp set. Then, attach the paper to the front of the card slightly above the cut on the cover. Also, attach the inside piece on the inside of the card. As you probably realized, this project required a good amount of beer. I believe I was drinking a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA while working on this particular project. It is an amazing beer, tons of piney tastes with a great crisp finish of grapefruit. It has a kind of cult following here in San Diego and is only released occasionally throughout the year. You can find it at some really good brew pubs in the are on the off chance you are there when they are tapping a barrel of it, but it goes quick. Enjoy!

Guys Birthday Card

Happy Spring Card

Here was a card that I made at a card making get together. It was a great setup for making a bunch of different types of cards. The host has 6-10 card layouts preset up for everyone, so all of the pieces for the card are precut and the stamps and inks for each project are sitting next to it at a station on the table. So you end up with 6-10 station set up around the house. When you come in, you grab the corresponding packet to the card that you want to make. Then go to your station, assemble the card according to the directions there for you, and in the end, you end up with a ton of new ideas for creative cards. Typically you pay about $1 to $1.50 to the hostess for supplies and set up. So back to where I started, this was a card that I made at such an event. I think it is great for this time of year when everyone is sick and a card to let them know that you’re thinking about them always perks them up a bit. For this card, its super simple. It’s just stacking different papers and stamping the front with the sentiment. I used a ticket punch to do the inverted corners around the front sentiment paper and the contrasting paper behind it. So yeah there you go, now you have a Get Well Soon card. The hostess that threw this party was not much of a drinker, so unfortunately, I don’t have a beer to report on for this craft session, but trust me, I’ll make up for it in a future posting. Enjoy!

get well card

This was a thank you card that I made for our craft night card swap. Everyone made 5 of the same thank you card, one to give to each person in the group, and then they end up with 5 different cards. For mine, I used ribbon to accent the cut out piece of paper and another textured piece of paper on top of that. I stamped some cute trees on the textured paper and my sentiment under that. I used a versamark ink pad to stamp a background pattern on the base of the card to give it a watermarked feel, then, I used a heat embosser to add some sparkle to the card and stamped a smaller flower on the bottom of the page with a kaleidoscope embossing powder. Honestly, I made the card a few months ago and I really can’t remember what I was drinking at the time of making it, BUT, I CAN tell you what I am drinking right now. Sierra Nevada pale ale. It is a wonderful, hoppy pale ale and is great way to finish off the last hour of work. Enjoy!

Thank you card used in card swap for craft night