The buzz abounds for the crafting industry's latest personal electronic cutting machine by New York based company Craftwell. The eCraft is a sleek, low-profile and portable machine that cuts without the use of a cutting mat (woohoo! no mats to replace or sticky glue to apply). This little machine can cut images up to 10" high by. . . wait for it. . . ANY length. There's even a roller attachment accessory that will house a paper roll to create banners. Imagine a darling personalized Welcome Home Baby sign or a Go Team banner for the kiddos' sporting events. The machine also boasts a paper feed tray so that multiple quantities can be cut without having to key each one. This is a fantastic feature for those mass produced cards (picture holiday cards). Simply choose the image from the large LCD screen and key the quantity, load the paper tray and walk away to maybe cook dinner or some other mundane task that gets in the way of crafting time. Come back and, voila! a stack of neatly cut images ready to pop out and apply to your cards.
The eCraft can cut through regular weight paper, card stock, specialty papers (flocked, glitter, textured), magnet, vinyl, and even grunge paper. And it cuts all this using a sensor so you don't have to make any adjustments to the blade. There's also talk about a longer blade option that could handle chipboard. I'm wondering if it could even cut fabric that's been stabilized with a spray adhesive on cardstock (or maybe an iron on stabilizer, hmmm?).
If you thought all of that was enough to make you run out and buy one, there's more. It also draws. So if your design has a bit of detail (ie. petals on a rose), the eCraft will draw the detail first and then cut out the image, and you don't have to swap the pen for the blade. As for the artwork, Craftwell has designed images in a variety of themes, including fonts. These will be sold on SD cards (called Fun Cards). Because the machine uses SD cards, you can run it independently of your computer, but as an added feature you can use Craftwell's software component to create your own designs in Adobe (and the like) or use any True Type font.
There are a few price points ranging from $259-$399 for B&W vs color screen, and even a heavy duty commercial grade cutter for the professional (or very serious) crafter. The eCraft is anticipated to arrive in time for the holidays. I know a few people who will have it at the top of their wish list, myself included.
Check out this video from YouTube showing the eCraft in action:
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Hats
So here's what you get when you only complete half of a challenge:
I have been scouring so many blogs lately, and have found so many wonderful challenge blogs that I am having trouble keeping track of who is what. I made a mental note of a sketch when I found it, and a few days later made a layout of my son and the hat fetish he used to have (kinda still does have it now that I think of it). Anyway, when I rechecked the post, I forgot that there was a second part to the challenge that I did not complete. Oh well, it's still a fun page and another story documented from our lives.
The title letters are stamped, cut with an Xacto, and colored with watercolored pencils. I tacked them lightly leaving some spots unadhered. A little tip I picked up from my friend Sasha Farina
I have been scouring so many blogs lately, and have found so many wonderful challenge blogs that I am having trouble keeping track of who is what. I made a mental note of a sketch when I found it, and a few days later made a layout of my son and the hat fetish he used to have (kinda still does have it now that I think of it). Anyway, when I rechecked the post, I forgot that there was a second part to the challenge that I did not complete. Oh well, it's still a fun page and another story documented from our lives. 
The title letters are stamped, cut with an Xacto, and colored with watercolored pencils. I tacked them lightly leaving some spots unadhered. A little tip I picked up from my friend Sasha Farina
Summer Looks Like Reading
It's week # 2 at Dixie Pieces and this week's challenge involved a blue, green, white color scheme and handcutting (aka fussy cutting).
I used a digital template to create my photo collage, but had to print them on 4x6 paper because I have yet to order more toner for the wide format printer. It actually worked out quite well, and the individual photos allowed me to pop dot a couple off the page for added dimension. I also improvised when it came to printing the journaling and part of the title (summer looks like). I cut the green BG at a place where the seam would be covered by the turquoise paper and ran it through the manual feed of a regular 8 1/2 x 11 printer. Worked like a charm!
Here's how I created the handcut title. Type text (reading) in word with a block style font. Flip it horizontally to create a mirror image. Change font color to a light color. Print onto cardstock. Type a bunch of text (I used some quotes about books and reading that I found online). Run a test print to be sure it will cover all areas of your word from first step. Run cardstock back through the printer to add text to the back side of your word (this will actually become the front). Use an Xacto knife to cut out the letters. Voila! Custom made letters for very little cost!
Now, to be perfectly honest here, I did let my layout get a little out of hand. There are secret items associated with each week of this contest. Items that no one knows about, but if you include them on your page you get extra points. So in the back of my head I kept thinking that each thing I add to my layout could be a secret item (ie. chipboard, the paint on the roof, the glittery accents, ribbon, metal staples, jumbo eyelet). I got a bit carried away in the embellishment department, ending up with a layout that's a bit busier than I am used to . I like a bit of a breather when I look at a layout--a little spot to rest your eye and take a break. This page doesn't have that, but it sure was fun to glob it on thick!
I used a digital template to create my photo collage, but had to print them on 4x6 paper because I have yet to order more toner for the wide format printer. It actually worked out quite well, and the individual photos allowed me to pop dot a couple off the page for added dimension. I also improvised when it came to printing the journaling and part of the title (summer looks like). I cut the green BG at a place where the seam would be covered by the turquoise paper and ran it through the manual feed of a regular 8 1/2 x 11 printer. Worked like a charm!Here's how I created the handcut title. Type text (reading) in word with a block style font. Flip it horizontally to create a mirror image. Change font color to a light color. Print onto cardstock. Type a bunch of text (I used some quotes about books and reading that I found online). Run a test print to be sure it will cover all areas of your word from first step. Run cardstock back through the printer to add text to the back side of your word (this will actually become the front). Use an Xacto knife to cut out the letters. Voila! Custom made letters for very little cost!
Now, to be perfectly honest here, I did let my layout get a little out of hand. There are secret items associated with each week of this contest. Items that no one knows about, but if you include them on your page you get extra points. So in the back of my head I kept thinking that each thing I add to my layout could be a secret item (ie. chipboard, the paint on the roof, the glittery accents, ribbon, metal staples, jumbo eyelet). I got a bit carried away in the embellishment department, ending up with a layout that's a bit busier than I am used to . I like a bit of a breather when I look at a layout--a little spot to rest your eye and take a break. This page doesn't have that, but it sure was fun to glob it on thick!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Blue Jean Baby
Used the Pencil Lines sketch for this layout; simply turned it a quarter to the left. 
The sketch, coordinating papers from MME, a few passes through the sewing machine, and some premade denim letters pull this page together in a snap. Oh, yeah, I also used the scallop punch and Top Note Sizzix die.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
SENSE-ational Summer Week #1
It's been so much fun over at Dixie Pieces this weekend. If you haven't already checked it out, please do. Here is my layout for the first week's challenge: The Scent of Summer. I feel like a bit of a scrapbooking over-achiever completing the one-week asssignment on the first day, but I was feeling inspired by the summer colors of the challenge (and hubby was around to take over on the kid-front). You've got to grab the mojo when you can get it!
This page incorporates some things that I've wanted to try for a while. I used a trading card page protector (stolen from my son's Pokemon card book--ssshh, don't tell!) to hold the elements of the page. Each of the patterned papers has a stitched border (part of the challenge). And I stitched the protector to the cardstock base. I didn't, but could have, included nine other elements on the flip side of the protector--fun, fun! Next time. I also handwrote the journaling and accented key words with Stampin' Up! Pastels.
The only thing missing from this page is some scratch-and-sniff! You still have 5 more days to complete week one's challenge. In the words of Ferris Bueller: "You're still here? It's over. Go!" Get over there and check it out!
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