It's been a long time since I've posted anything here and I apologize to those who faithfully follow my blog looking for a little inspiration. Thank you to all those who have kept checking in and all those who have visited and purchased my templates.
I haven't blogged for the last several months mostly due to family priorities. My mom was diagnosed at the beginning of March 2011 with CHF (congestive heart failure). She suffered a major heart attack without even realizing it. She had a cold and thought the congestion and coughing were just a part of the cold. Nope! Apparently, one of her heavier coughing spells was actually a heart attack. Anyway, after a few hospital stays and 6 months of providing 24-hour care for my mom between my brother, a sister, my sister-in-law, and myself, my mom went peacefully to be with her Loving Savior and my Dad on September 6, 2011. I have no doubt she is heaven having a wonderful time!
Anyway, I think I am ready to start blogging more frequently than I have over the past year or so.
Besides posting all the cool things Stampin' Up! has to offer, I am hoping to be sharing some cut files with you. I've had a Cricut for many, many years and have used SCAL software to cut my own designs for a few years. I bought a Cricut Imagine with the hopes of using my SCAL to really go to town! Unfortunately, I was not aware at the time of the pending litigation between Provo Craft and the various third party software companies and now can't use the Imagine with the SCAL. I really don't have a use for many of the Cricut cartridges and prefer to draw and cut my own designs, so I am finding the Imagine pretty useless for me. There is a happy ending to this sad situation....My son, Jamie, gave me a [insert drum roll] Black Cat Cougar for Christmas! There is a learning curve to this machine, but it is capable of so much more than any of the other digital cutters out there. Google it!
One of my paper crafting passions is to make 3-D items, and digitally drawing and cutting is so precise it is perfect for this kind of application. With that being said, I've been working on making some Mardi Gras decorations for my school's auction and have drawn quite a few things to cut on my Cougar. Here is one of them for you to try. It's not 3-D, as it's just a simple cut out which is fun to decorate. It is in a svg file format, which most cutters will cut, however if you need a different file format, just e-mail me. Of course I recommend cutting it on Stampin' Up! card stock and vinyl available in my online store. And, just for fun, here is a barcode for my store if you have a smartphone that can read it. You can then save it to your phone and shop Stampin' Up! from anywhere!
Download Mardi Gras Mask & Title ssriverac2012
Let me know how this works for you. I hope you find some fun using it and please send me an e-mail with a picture of your project! Thanks for stopping by.

My Little Red Wagon is sized to hold A2 cards and envelopes, as well as serving as a nice home decor item. The tutorial is several pages with step-by-step instructions, pictures, and diagrams to help you successfully complete your own Little Red Wagon. Cost of tutorial is $5.00 US. Please allow me up to 24 hours to e-mail you the tutorial once I receive payment. Thank you!
My "Wooden" Wagon is sized to hold A2 cards and envelopes, as well as serving as a nice home decor item. The tutorial is several pages with step-by-step instructions, pictures, and diagrams to help you successfully complete your own “Wooden” Wagon. Cost of this tutorial $6.00 US. Please allow me up to 24 hours to e-mail you the tutorial once I receive payment. Thank you!

