The eCraft arrives...with a slew of problems.

The eCraft electronic cutter that I won at the CHA Summer 2010 Super Show finally arrived at the very end of October just as I was leaving for my 24th anniversary weekend so I wasn't able to put it through its paces until after I returned.

The machine comes with a power cord, a USB cord for connecting to a computer, a proprietary SD card with a set of images, a paper tray and a roller assembly to accommodate rolls of paper for creating banners. For more information on the eCraft's features and capabilites, visit the Craftwell USA website.


To be honest, I think this machine has been putting me through my paces and trying my patience in the bargain. The downloadable software that allows the machine to communicate with my computer and cut my own .svg images is buggy...VERY buggy. To say that there are a few glitches is to be kind. Craftwell, the makers of the eCraft, are well aware of the issues and is scheduled to release an update to the software on November 19th. (The original release date was Nov. 12, pushed back at the 11th hour.) I was so annoyed and frustrated by the problems I was encountering that, after three days and untold sheets of cardstock, I disassembled it and put it back in the box, fully prepared to relegate it to the status of expensive paperweight. By way of the eCraft Facebook page as well as a user-created Yahoo group that I have joined, I have discovered that not only am I not alone in my frustration but I am not experiencing the worst of it. Many other users are experiencing worse problems with the machine and its software.Non-communication between computer and cutter, windows asking for drivers that have already been installed, ripping, tearing and shredding paper...all sorts of problems are being reported. Yet others are reporting perfect cuts and wonderful results. Apparently there are those who have been unduly blessed by the electronic crafting angels. I, however, am not among them.

After a couple of days, I took it back out of the box and began again from scratch, uninstalling and reinstalling the software and rebooting my computer a number of times before it and the eCraft were able to communicate. My euphoria at this progress was short-lived because of the glitches inherent in the software. It performs well enough when cutting directly from the images provided on the SD card but PC-to-eCraft communications remain somewhat sketchy. Still, I was able to successfully create and cut some of my own images, albeit extremely simple ones. Anything complex and eCraft has a hissy fit, cutting random circles, stuttering in one place and likewise exhibiting ill-tempered behavior.

In spite of it all, I was able to cut one perfect project and created my son's name for his wall. All the layers of this image were created in a drawing program, saved in .svg format, imported into the eCraft software and sent to cut. I stamped the topmost layer with Versamark watermark ink and dusted it with PearlEx pigments.

In the course of my travails with the machine, I think I may have stumbled across the reason for the stuttering while cutting imported image files. I have posted my theory on my Facebook fan page under the discussions tab (click here if you're interested) and am waiting to hear if anyone else tests my hypothesis. In the meantime I, like dozens of other eCraft owners, am a lady-in-waiting...waiting for the promised update that is supposed to address all software issues known to date. I've got projects in the pipeline waiting to be cut so this update better be all it's cracked up to be. I'll keep you posted.


Ballo ergo sum - Gitana, the Creative Diva Design team member for About Art Accents

Trying to Catch Up

Wedding card

Origami folded invitation

Shrink Plastic Charm Bracelet

Cardmaking at the Senior Center

Jewelry making

I've been so busy lately it feels as if I've been running like a madwoman just to stay in place. Just in the past month alone I worked on the projects pictured on this page.

I designed, printed and folded over 100 custom invitations for a repeat client. The invite, which had to tie into the theme of love and money, is that of an oversized one dollar bill folded origami-style into the shape of a heart. In the photo, I placed the invitation next to an actual folded dollar bill so you can get an idea of the scale.

No sooner was that project completed than I had to scramble to make a card for a wedding I was attending and, of course, I did it just hours before I left for the wedding. No pressure. On the heels of that, I had to create, photograph and write instructions for a charm bracelet made with shrink plastic charms that I rubberstamped and colored. Once that was put to bed, I had to design a card, create the prototype and make individual assembly kits for my crafting class at the senior citizen's center where I volunteer. I had been away from the center for five months due to other commitments and have just returned to find that nearly all the crafting materials had been rearranged. I predict hours of reorganization in my immediate future. On top of all this, I signed up with my sister to attend a weekly jewelry making class at the local community college. I'm having a lot of fun creating simple little bracelets, earrings and necklaces. I have already designed a project for my senior ladies to do. It's the bracelet and matching earrings in the center top of the photo.

As if I didn't have enough to do, I just received a new "toy". The E-Craft electronic cutter that I won in a contest at the CHA SuperShow this summer finally arrived after numerous delays. I've been too busy to do much more than open the box. It is two feet long and so much more intimidating on my table that it was at the trade show booth. I'm going to have to dive in soon and put it through its paces so I can really start creating.

My summer flew by, autumn is in full swing, the holiday season is bearing down on me and I'm still hoping to find a little time to relax. Nope, doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon. Maybe in my next life...



Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design team member for About Art Accents

Well, What a Surprise!

(Click on the photo to view a larger image.)

I have, on many occasions, mentioned the Dorchester Senior Citizen's Center, the place at which I volunteer. Due to many other conflicting commitments, I have been on hiatus from the center since the end of May 2010 and am due to return this month. In my absence, the center director, Ms. JoAnne Biswakarma, updated her center's blog and among her posts what should I find but a photo of myself standing before a display of the projects I did with the center's members. What a surprise!

Click here to go to the post featuring me. Click here to read about all the events that have taken place at Dorchester Senior Citizen's Center.


Ballo ergo sum

- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design team member for About Art Accents

Saved from the Recycling Bin

(Click on any photo to view a larger image.)

Candleholder - before

Candleholder - after

I've been having such a good time playing with my CHA goodies that I decided to try my hand at something that wasn't made of paper.

My philosophy is that if something is so bad that it can be thrown out, it can't be made any worse by an attempt to fix it and perhaps might actually turn out well. I have a very old candle holder that was so rusted and peeling that it should have been trashed but I like it so much I tried to rescue it with some paint and some of the templates I received from The Crafter's Workshop. (Thanks again to Jaime Echt. What a sweetheart.)

After cleaning and removing the rust, I sprayed it with flat black high temperature paint, the type used for barbecue grills. Then I tried my hand at painting it with some acrylics that are suitable for permanent outdoor use. 



In the process I discovered that some of the problems I was encountering had nothing to do with the stencil or the paint but with the application. Apparently what you apply the paint with and how you apply the paint is as important as the paint itself. After trying a variety of tools I found that a sponge, a dauber or a small stipple brush work well IF the paint is applied thinly and the applicator is nearly dry. Paint that was too wet or too thick tended to seep under the template. As you can see in the second photo, I had to cut the template to accommodate the odd surfaces of the candle holder. The final product is okay for a first attempt. It won't win any prizes but I like it enough to keep it.

Some of the materials used.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design team member for About Art Accents

Creating with My CHA goodies

(Click on a photo to view a larger image.)

Stencils by The Crafter's Workshop

Moon Gate to Mt. Fuji

In my previous post I showed you a small fraction of the enviable stash of goodies I brought home from the CHA Summer 2010 Supershow in Illinois. In this post you can see some of the things I've done with these materials.

Not to be confined to my favored pastime of creating cards, I decided to try my hand at decorating a pair of paper slippers. These slippers were from a diagnostic procedure my daughter underwent recently and she had kept them because she thought they were "cool". Since she is now away at college, I thought I would jazz them up and send them to her for a giggle. Her area of interest is Marine Biology and she loves all things fish-related so the choice of angelfish was a no brainer. Stencils for all the designs were provided by The Crafter's Workshop. Dye inks, fine point black marker and gel pens were used to color and doodle the design.

"Night Flight" Series -Dragonflies

"Night Flight" Series - Bird

Also from The Crafter's Workshop is the patterned paper used in the "Night Flight" series of cards. The paper is from their Enchanted Complements line and features a softly muted text pattern that appears over a barely discernible pattern of fern leaves done in various tones of one color. These cards were done with Moonlight Aqua and Moonlight Lime. The foliage and flying creatures on each card were stamped in Versafine fast drying black pigment ink, a gift to me by the Tsukineko booth at CHA. Versafine claims that it captures details like no other ink and I'm happy to say this superior ink has lived up to its claim. My images were crisp and dark with no muddiness around the edges. These cards were all created using pigment inks, a departure from the dye inks I have been using of late. I was reminded of the creamier texture and slower drying properties of pigment inks, allowing themselves to be moved around by the artist, creating smoother transitions between colors. I took full advantage of this characteristic when creating the ombre background. A fine tip black marker was used to darken the winged creature silhouettes for added emphasis and a white gel pen was used to add highlights.

The green base card for Moon Gate Path to Mt. Fuji was a gift from the folks at the DCWV (Die Cuts With a View) booth at CHA. This particular card comes from their new Street Lace Collection. The main image is from About Art Accents (plate A246) and was colored using a combination of coloring pencils and markers. The shimmering branch to the right of the main image is "Bonsai Sprig" by Stampendous, stamped in Versamark Ink, also a gift from Tsukineko, and dusted with PearlEx pigment powder, a gift from A.C. Moore as part of my sweepstakes prize.



Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design team member for About Art Accents

CHA Convention Swag

A fraction of my "swag" haul.

DCWV designer series cards

The Crafter's Workshop papers and stencils

Cutting tools from Fiskars.

Chalks and rub-on colors by Craf-T.

A bonanza from Tsukineko

Never having been to a crafts convention before, I had no idea what to expect in spite of the fact that I had done quite a bit of reading about CHA before I went. Although I had been warned by the staff at A.C. Moore that I should expect to receive some goodies, I had no idea I'd be coming home with so much stuff. Apparently seasoned convention attendees come prepared for "swag", the insider's term for the giveaways and free goodies that one receives at these conventions. I saw some people walking around with rolling luggage just for that purpose.

I received beautiful cardstock, inks, chalks, magazines, catalogs, stencils, cutting tools and more from companies like Fiskars, The Crafter's Workshop, Tsukineko, Dies Cuts With a View (DCWV) and others. Pictured here is just a small fraction of the treasures I brought home...so much that I was concerned about exceeding the weight limit on my luggage. (Side note: On the return trip home, I placed my carry-on bag on the luggage scale. It weighed 15 pounds and it only contained the magazines and catalogs I received. The rest of the goodies were in my sister's carry on and in our luggage.) Seriously, it took me four days just to put some of it away and I still have some things in my crafts room that are floating around waiting for a permanent storage place. All this does not take into account the goodies I received from A.C. Moore BEFORE attending CHA as part of my sweepstakes prize! Heaven knows what is going to happen when my big win...the E-Craft electronic cutter... arrives. I suppose I'll have to rent a storage room somewhere.

So what to do with all of this wonderful material and inspiration that I brought back from CHA Summer 2010? Start crafting, of course!! Look for my next post where I'll show pictures of some of the things I've been making.


Ballo ergo sum - Gitana, the Creative Diva Design team member for About Art Accents

News from CHA Summer 2010

Tim Holtz and I get close.

 Robin, Scott, me, Sue and Rachel.

It has been three weeks since I returned from my extraordinary trip to the CHA Supershow in Rosedale (Chicago) as the grand prize winner of the A.C. Moore/CHA Sweepstakes. So much happened immediately upon my return that it totally interrupted my posting any information from that wonderful trip. I will try to recapture some of the highlights of what I experienced, complete with photos, over the next couple of weeks. I will also post some work I have done with the wonderful new materials I got from the show.


No sooner do my sister Sue and I arrive at our hotel from O'Hare Airport than we were greeted by Scott Ridgley, Director of Customer Loyalty for A.C. Moore. We were to see a lot of him over the next few days. He welcomed us to Chicago, gave us our entry passes and escorted us to the convention center where the show was being held. There we met two other AC Moore representatives; Robin Beam, Director of Education and Rachel Ginter, Social Media Specialist. These three individuals, whom I shall refer to as the ACM Dream Team, treated us like visiting royalty every day we were there.

Dresses designed with the E-Craft cutter.

As you can imagine, the CHA show is BIG, really big, with vendors as far as the eye can see. Although I had never been to a crafts convention before, I felt as if I was at a family reunion, meeting the manufacturers of the supplies and tools I have been using for many, many years. McGill, Fiskars, Provo Craft, Die Cuts With A View, Janome, BabyLock, and many more. Many of these vendors offered give-aways, contests, raffles and  make-and-takes. It's like being in a big candy store filled with crafting goodies.

My sister and I pose with Suede.

I specifically wanted to check out the electronic cutters being offered by Craftwell USA (E-Craft) and Provo Craft (Cricut Imagine), both of which were raffling off machines at the show. The E-Craft, the machine I was most interested in because of its ability to cut user-created SVG graphic files, held the most appeal and as luck would have it, I WON in one of their raffles. Yes, that's right, I won a Craftwell E-Craft machine and am scheduled to receive it sometime in October, according to a recent email from Craftwell. At the Craftwell booth, my sister and I met Suede, a Project Runway Season 5 designer, who had been commissioned by Craftwell to create some dresses with the E-Craft. Two of the three dresses can be seen in the photo above.

That evening the AC Moore Dream Team treated us to dinner at Gibson's, a fabulous steak restaurant located in the lobby of our hotel. While we're waiting to be seated, Robin darts away for a moment and returns with none other than Tim Holtz, crown prince of scrapbooking and crafts supplies. After introductions, he graciously agrees to pose for a photo with me. Now not only was I living a dream, I was canoodling with celebrities.

It would seem that I was enjoying an incredible winning streak and this was only the beginning.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design team member for About Art Accents (www.aboutartaccents.com)

Stretching My Creative Wings

(Click on an image for a larger view.)


As a new design team member for About Art Accents, I am sent rubber stamps with which to create artwork that is then featured on the AAA website. Because I have no choice in what images are sent to me, I invariably receive stamps that I would not necessarily have chosen for myself. This actually turns out to be a good thing because it forces me to think outside my comfortable box and come up with fresh ideas. That was the case with these two stamps.

These cards were created with About Art Accents rubber stamp images. The upper image is AAA plate #246 - Gnarled Pine Tree. The lower image is AAA Plate #246 - Umbrella People. They were created using totally different techniques. "Gnarled Pine" was done using brayering, masking, sponging and reverse stamping techniques. "Stormy Day" uses chalking, masking, coloring and wet embossing. Although I have used those techniques before, I haven't used images like these before. They strike me as moody, evocative and strong, lending themselves well to being used as focal images.

It never ceases to amaze me that when I'm not totally comfortable or pleased with a piece of my work, it tends to turn out better than I expected. That was the case with these two cards and with "Stormy Day" in particular. I had never before attempted to make a "wet" card, that is to say one that simulated wetness, in this case, rain and puddles. Although I have created clouds before, I've never made storm clouds. In spite of stumbling about a bit on this first effort. I think I managed to accomplish it well enough that I am pleased with it. Several of my fellow members of the Oriental Stamp Art (OSA) Yahoo group I belong to seem to agree and have asked me to describe how I did it. To that end I have created a document outlining the steps I used to create the clouds, the shadowy reflections on the ground and the raindrops. If you are interested, just send me an email requesting the Stormy Day tutorial and I'll be happy to send it to you. My email address is gypsiwoman55@yahoo.com. Thanks for your interest.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
Design Team member for About Art Accents

Gitana, the Design Team Diva

(Click on an image for a larger view.)



You may recall that in an earlier post I mentioned that I had been invited to become a design team member for About Art Accents, a rubber stamp company and one of the sponsors for the Oriental Stamp Art (OSA) Yahoo group. AAA provides me with rubber stamps and I, in turn, use them to create art that is then featured in its online gallery. During my recent flurry of activity (see my previous posts), I had received the first delivery of stamps and was anxiously awaiting a free moment in which to "play" with them. Here you see my first attempts with some of the many stamps I received. In both cases I chose to use a dark navy blue base card for a dramatic backdrop.

The card with the flowering branch in a vase was made with AAA Plate #244B - Covered Teacup. The image was stamped with gold pigment ink onto navy blue card stock and embossed with gold ultrafine embossing powder. The flowers were punched from white glitter paper with a six petal flower punch. The tip of each petal was then carefully notched with a 1/16" hole punch to mimic the flowers in the background washi paper. The petals were lightly sponged with a light pink, being careful to leave the very center of the flower untouched. The petal points were sponged with a darker shade of pink for depth. A light fuschia marker was lightly traced over the edges of the petals to make the flowers pop from the background. A pink rhinestone in the center completes each flower. The branches are thin slivers of brown card stock that are glued together along 1/4 of the length. I just randomly placed it on the card front and bent the free ends to mimic the growth habit of a branch. It was glued into place with Zip Dry glue and the flowers were adhered with pop dots for height. The vase was adhered using two layers of foam tape for sufficient height to clear the branch stem. The background washi papers are from Hanko Designs, another one of OSA's wonderful sponsors.

The next card was created using AAA Plate 246 - Paired Koi Pond (Light), a wonderfully detailed stamp depicting two koi swimming playfully amid swirling waves. I used sketch layout (sk071710) from Paper Craft Planet's weekly sketch challenge. Since I haven't been able to participate in any challenges or swaps lately, I decided to take this time to make my card do double duty. I chose a monochromatic blue color scheme for the water and surrounding decorative elements. To avoid losing the fish among the highly ornate waves, I colored them in shades of orange to make them stand out. The dark blue waves are highlighted with blue microbeads to give them a little depth and add some textural interest.(See close up photo for bead detail.) Nestabilities Fleur de Lis pendant die set provided the ornate mat behind the fish panel as well as the individual die cuts used to create the decorative edge below. Sentiment by Heidi Grace "Beyond the Sea" acrylic stamp set.


PLEASE NOTE: About Art Accents recently acquired Art Neko Stamps. As of this writing, AAA was in the process of merging the two websites. The above link to AAA will take you to the Art Neko website (www.artneko.com). If you encounter problems connecting to that site, please try www.aboutartaccents.com.


Ballo ergo sum- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Project Update...

I delivered the completed project to my client and he was delighted with it. He liked it so much he ordered another one on the spot. This project is a monitoring vest to be used for an Alzheimer's research project. Because of the proprietary nature of research projects, I prefer not to show pictures of the vest so as not to incur any chance of infringing on the researcher's rights.

I had cleared off my work table in anticipation of working on other things but it looks like I'll have to bring out my sewing machine again. Busy, busy, busy. I like busy.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva