Beyond scrapbooking with Pazzles

I can't believe there are so few people out there using their cutters for art and crafts? Would love to see what others are doing...here's an example of my candles...

How to Make Cookie Cutters

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are various kits you can buy to help you make your own cookie cutters. Here's an easy way that uses materials you probably have in your home already.

Steps

1. Draw straight lines onto the bottom of an aluminum lasagna pan going lengthwise, using a ruler and permanent marker to be sure the edges are straight. Make the lines at least 1" apart and fill up as much of the bottom of the pan as possible.
   
2. Using your heavy duty scissors, cut the sides off the aluminum pan and then cut out your strips that you drew onto the bottom of the pan. Be careful, cutting aluminum can give you cuts and nicks in your fingers. Wearing gloves is a good idea.
   
3. Set aside your 1" aluminum strips and start designing on your paper. Keep in mind that you only have as much length as your strips to work with. To help you gauge the size of your designs, draw out your design on paper and then use string to measure the outline. Hold the string up to the strip and see if the strip is long enough. Also, since you're working with metal, give 1"-2" allowance for curves and so you can properly close your cookie cutters when you're finished shaping them.
   
4. Take one of your 1" aluminum strips and start molding it around your design. To help make curves, use pens or cups. To make 90 degree edges, use table edges or your ruler. Use anything around the house, just be creative!
   
5. To close your cookie cutter, overlap the ends of the aluminum strips and staple together more than once (three times is a charm!).
   
6. Use a metal file to grind down any nicks and burrs on the edges that will hurt you. Wash and dry your cutter thoroughly before cutting out your cookie dough.
   

Tips

• For sturdier cookie cutters, go to a hardware store and buy some 1" copper or aluminum ribbon. These will last forever, but to seal the ends together, you will need 2-sided tape and some clamps to hold the ends together as it sets. Wash these metal strips in soap and water before taping together, as they may have oil on them that would interfere with the tape bonding.
  
• To help fold the ribbon into the design, first draw out the design on paper. Then, trace the pattern onto wood and cut out the piece of wood. Mold the ribbon around the wood. Alternatively, you can cut out the design on 3-5 pieces of cardboard and tape them together instead of using wood.
  
• Don't have too many long skinny parts or tight curves, as these won't translate well to a cookie. Remember you are making cookie cutters and details will be lost when you bake the cookie dough because it expands in the oven.
  
• If you want to reuse the cookie cutters or store them away, don't pile anything on top of them that could deform the shape.
  
• Washing your cutters by hand will help them last longer.
  

Warnings

• Cutting aluminum metal will give you small cuts or nicks on your fingers, even if you're careful.
  
• Not recommended for small children.
  
• The permanent marker will smudge a bit because it doesn't adhere to aluminum too well, but it will be easy to clean off once your cookie cutters are finished.
  
• Once finished, the cookie cutters will be a bit fragile. Be careful when cutting the cookies, as the cutter may deform somewhat.
  

Things You'll Need

• Large Disposable Aluminum Lasagna or Roasting Pan (Rectangular is best)
  
• Heavy Duty Scissors
  
• Permanent Marker
  
• Ruler
  
• Stapler
  
• Paper (to draw your designs on)
  
• String
  
• Newspaper or Cardboard to cover the work surface
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Bake Cookies
  
• How to Make Christmas Ornaments with Dough
  
• How to Make Gingerbread Men Cookies
  
• How to Make Rice Sandwiches
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Cookie Cutters. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Tile layout

I bought these terra cotta yiles from Mexico at a garage sale 3 years ago; don't ask me why(not exactly country) except when you have a 12 room fixerupper, you look for quality pieces at bargain prices. I had just enough to cover the hearth so I better not break any...

Notes are important!

You know how you are sure you can remember brilliant thoughts for later reference...HA! Yesterday I spent an hour playing with tiles designing the hearth. Because they are handmade, they needed to be placed in a certain order. It was absolutely beautiful. I admired the pattern, took them off my practice board and moved them upstairs to the base.
Needless to say, it took another hour for me to rearrange the forgotten pattern...

Imported post: Facebook Note: 2009-07-27T22:30:57

To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your title as "Getting to know each other!", tag 25 people including me (tagging is done in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish. 1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:45am 2. How do you like your steak? Medium rare 3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? Titanic 4. What is your favorite tv show? Big Bang Theory 5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I'm here 6. What did you have for breakfast? coffee 7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian and American 8. What foods do you dislike? most Kidney beans, liver 9. Favorite Place to Eat? Alabama Jacks 11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Nissan Titan 12. What are your favorite clothes? Hootchie mama tops with long skirts 13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Italy 14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? 1/2 full 15. Where would you want to retire?...I'm right where I want to be 16. Favorite time of day? afternoon 17. Where were you born? Albany NY 18. What is your favorite sport to watch? none 19. Who do you think will NOT tag you back? Don't know 20. Person you expect to tag you back first? my sister 21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Everyone 22. Bird watcher? yes 23. Are you a morning person or a night person? night 24. Do you have any pets? one buried in the back yard 28. Are you a cat or dog person? dog 29. Are you married? Yes 30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes 31. Been in a car accident? Yes 32. Any pet peeves? many 33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Sausage and mushroom 34. Favorite Flower? Peony 35. Favorite ice cream? Mint Chocolate Chip from Stewart's 36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Bell 37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? 1 38. From whom did you get your last email? Staples. 39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Best Buy 40. Do anything spontaneous lately? No... but I've been known to 41. Happy with your job? I work for myself so if I'm unhappy, I;ve got real problems 42. Broccoli? yes 43. What was your favorite vacation? Cruise (s) 44. Last person you went out to dinner with? my husaband 45. What are you listening to right now? Tv 46. What is your favorite color? Red 47. How many tattoos do you have? None 48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? I don't know yet 49. What time did you finish this quiz? 10:24pm 50. Coffee Drinker? Yes...Don't talk to me until I've poured my irst cup

Going green with my Pazzles

Today I took a much needed rest from the bedroom (remodeling, that is) and spent half the designing and creating these little boxes out of recycled cans and jar lids. The Pazzles made the cutting a breeze because all I had to do was input the diameter of the circles to size them perfectly.
Of course you can do it the old fashioned way with scissors too...

Just make sure the lids and cans are the same size...you can mix and match. The card stock insert holds the two together.

Recipe
2 lids or cans of the same diameter
2 inside circles of card stock glue inside after installing insert
2 outside circles any paper or material for top and bottom
for the card stock insert (I lined mine with matching paper)...Measure the circumference and add 1/2 inch overlap.. and height of the 2 cans together.glue to bottom can inside.
Embellish the top with whatever and hide a gift inside!

Dread

Tuesday we get an estimate for foundation repair...

Gestation of a faux fireplace

Want a fireplace with all the ambiance and none of the heat? We ordered an electric insert and grate for a custom built corner fireplace (hubby power) Here's a sneak peek. I guarantee it will look nothing like this when we are finished;O)
Mari

New floor in an afternoon

Well maybe 2 days, because hubby and I aren't quite as limber as we used to be.
Truthfully, the hardest thing about installing this floating laminate flooring by Trafficmaster, is carrying the boxes up the stairs. The finished product looks just like wood flooring without all the work (or cash)...we got ours for under $2 a sf. There is virtually no waste because only the end pieces get cut and if you have them in the right direction (ask me how I know) the job is a cinch. Knee pads are a must, as is a utility knife and a square. This is the second room we've done with this product and we love it. It goes right over existing floors or tile with no underlayment. Because our house is 150+, we have rooms where this would not be suitable because the floors are not level.

Focus

Recently I purchased a Pazzles Inspiration. I am not a scrapbooker, but an artist and I loved the possibilities the Pazzles offered. Digital cutters, along with all of today's electronic devices are true alien technology.

What inspiration?

Okay...so the bluebird was definitely a contender but other things may have influenced me just a tad...

Feeling Blue

Scroll down to my little bluebird and you'll get a sneak peak at the color scheme for my new master bedroom (formerly the upstairs kitchen). Here's the awesome bed Peter built for me! He's building a faux corner fireplace now and I have some really gorgeous mexican tiles in cobalt and white to put on the hearth.
The ceiling came out fantastic.

A visit from little boys

and you thought we were finished

Mom & Dad 1953 / Susie Hayes and Dottie circa 1967/ Ronnie Perry and siblings/my Uncle Willy

So you think 40 years makes a difference?

I'm in the process of decluttering my mother's house so she can put it on the market and of course I am finding all sorts of things mother's put away and forget about...Art, poems, pictures and such...tossed in a drawer to be discovered decades later.

"And I took the road less traveled and that has made all the difference"

 
 
 

paintings