Martha Stewart Crafts Circle Edge Punch Starter Kit Review, with Coupon Code

Like any avid paper crafter would, I jumped at the chance to review the new Circle Edge Punch Starter Kit from Martha Stewart Crafts, which is currently only available on HSN.  I was really excited by the prospect of being able to make elaborately punched shapes but a little skeptical that it would be an easy thing to do. 

I thought lining things up just right to make a complete circle could potentially be time consuming, a crafty nightmare. I also doubted the magnets built into the circle edge punch base would really work.  I decided to document my very first time using this paper crafting tool to see if it's really something easy to use, because let's face it.  If it's not easy to use, it won't be!  I was amazed by how perfectly the Circle Edge Punch worked from the very start. 

Included in the Starter Kit is an Eyelet Doily Punch Cartridge with Metal Plate, it also comes with a plastic cover to protect the Punch Cartridge when not in use.  Note the four magnets in each of the four cornters of the Punch Cartridge, those will be important later.  This cartridge's design is very versatile, one I can imagine using for many purposes from scrapbook pages, cards, home decor, and more.

To use the Circle Edge Punch Base, you need to first load the Metal Base.  Pull the release tab back, as shown in middle picture above, place the metal base into the slot.  Make sure the smooth side of the metal base is face up.  Did you notice the four magnets around the corners of the the Metal Base?  That's where the Punch Cartridge will eventually be placed.  As I mentioned before, it also has magnets on it and both sets will work together to hold the paepr in place while you punch.

On the other side of the Circle Edge Punch Base is the rotating knob, this is what helps you make a perfect circle, but for now you need to twist and lift it off the base.

Place a piece of paper over the base, centering it over where the Rotating Knob is as best you can.  Replace the Rotating Knob, hover it over the paper very close to where you think the magnets on the base are and the sets of magnets will snap together.  Also place the Eyelet Doily Punch Cartridge over where the Metal Plate is, the two sets of magnets on the Cartridge and Sliding Tray will also be attracted to each other and snap together. 

This part is what really surprised me.  It was really, really easy to get the pieces into place.  Those sure are very strong magnets.  You don't really have to work to get them to lined up; the bond is quite strong.  You definitely know when they two sets have connected. 

To give you an idea of how things connect, here is how things should look if everything is snapped into place correctly, without the paper in place.  The circle I will be punching is 11 inches.  I've set the measurment switch along the curved front of the base to ten and the Sliding Tray is has also been positioned so that it lines up with the 11 mark along the top and bottom sides of the Base.  It's important for these to marked at the same measurement.

Now that we've got everything in place, it's time for the fun part.  Let's punch!  Depress the Doily Punch Cartridge down, making your first punch.  I found it easiest to do this while standing.  Then remove the Punch Cartridge and turn the Rotating Knob.  It will click into place.  Replace the Punch Cartridge and punch again.  Repeat punching and turning the knob until you've completed a circle. 

Did you notice that once you've finished punching you don't have to cut the circle out?  Nice time saver, having no little bits of connecting pieces you have to cut before your design is ready.   It really is easy to create a continuous, die-cut border in 7 different sizes, up to 12 inches in size.  Pretty cool! 

Doesn't it look fantastic?  I have to admit I was more than a bit surprised by how well the Martha Stewart Circle Edge Punch Starter Kit worked.  There was no need to line up holes in the punched design to continue punching.  It was much easier and faster than I anticipated.  By the time I'd done two or three punches, I'd gotten into a groove on how work the set.

It's nice to be able to use it right out of the box, without needing to practice with it a lot first, to add special touches to many different projects.  Here is one of the first projects I incorporated it into.  This card was simple to put together with pieces of an older Martha Stewart Crafts paper pad called School Days. 

Then I thought using the Circle Edge Punch would a nice way to add an elegant touch to your holiday table.  Here's a menu wrap I made for Thanksgiving, although it would be easy to adapt this concept for any time of the year.  I used paper that's also from the School Days pad to make them.

Just punch, fold, and tie a ribbon for this easy look that elevates your meal into something special.  No one has to know how easy was to do it!

Coupon Code:

Martha Stewart Crafts also makes many other well designed tools, supplies, and other craft products.  I'm excited to share with you a coupon code so you can try them out and save.  You won't be disappointed, I have several Martha Stewart Crafts products and would recommend them all.  Check them all out at  www.marthastewartcrafts.com.  Save 20% on your purchase with the code BLOG20.  There's lots of crafty goodness there, that I know the creative person in your life would love to find wrapped up underneath the tree this year. 

And don't forget about your chance to win a $100 MarthaStewartCrafts.com shopping spree, enter the “Crafty Mondays” Sweepstakes each day through 12/31/12. For sweepstakes details and to enter, visit http://on.fb.me/TETex3 (http://bit.ly/TsM4HM on mobile devices).



Disclosure: I received a complimentary Starter Kit for review.  The experiences and opinions related within are both personal and unbiased.

A Crafty Soiree #119 with a Crayola Review & Giveaway: Digital Light Designer & Marker Airbrush

Hi Crafty Friends!  We're so glad you joined us for the first Crafty Soiree of December.  Especially because we've got an awesome giveaway to jump start your child's creativity from Crayola, featuring two of their hottest holiday gifts.   The winner of this week's giveaway will receive a gift pack with both exciting new products.

First up is the Digital Light Designer, recommended for ages 6 & up.  Suggested retail value $49.99.  With this toy, children use the digital light stylus to create, animate, and play on the 360-degree doomed drawing surface.   In our neighborhood it is quite the hot toy, with several parents getting requests for it.

There are three stages of play.  The one my daughter likes the best is draw.  In the photo above she is accessing the menu with her stylus during the set up phase.  You use this tool to choose colors and draw on the surface, switching colors with a few clicks to bring up the menu and change between colors.  Once you figure out how to use the interface, it's relatively easy to use after a bit of practice.

ER has drawn a series of butterflies and with a few more clicks she can animate them, sort of.  When she uses this mode the picture splits in half, with the top portion going one way and bottom the other.  It's a neat effect.  We are still exploring the toy and learning how to get the most out of it, but every time we discover something new she is very excited.

For parents, the things of note I think are important to consider are the price,  the cost of the required batteries that might become expensive with a lot of play, and that it's kind of noisy.  Also, be prepared for a great deal of parental assistance during set up and to help your child figure out how to navigate the different modes. 

That being said, if your child loves art and is looking for something unique and different he or she will love the Digital Light Designer.   It would've been on my child's wish list had we not received it for review.  My daughter old thinks this toy is just wonderful.  She wants to play with it all the time and really likes the rainbow draw.   I think it's a little sophisticated for her, but she's 6 and at the start of the suggested ages.    I feel that this toy will be one that gets better and better as she gains more familiarity with it and is able to use all the different features.

Also included in the winner's gift pack will be a Crayola Marker Airbrush, also recommended for age 6 and up.  It has a suggested retail value of $24.99.  I have to say, I thought this was quite neat.  It's also a lot of fun and easy to use, right out of the box.

I especially liked how it does not require any batteries.  Your child simply pumps it to create the air pressure, very easy to do.  Another plus is that within the set is everything you need to get started.  Besides the Airbrush Sprayer, 8 washable markers, 4 fabric markers, 4 stencil sheets, and 20 pieces of blank paper are included.  If your child were to unwrap this say, at Grandma's house then they could use it to keep busy the rest of the day. 

We have used it a few times and are excited to try the included fabric markers to decorate a shirt.  We also plan to use some window markers (available for purchase separately) to make cool designs on our glass door wall.  I hope that Crayola will begin to offer different stencils, it would be nice to expand our collection.  There are a wide range of design themes included from space, ocean, general - with a sun, clouds, dragon, fire, thunder bolt, and the girly one ER used.  The last stencil is the one she is most interested in, the other ones will only get limited use.  So may have to look into getting more for her. 

This was ER's first attempt at using the Marker Airbrush, and as you can see figuring out the right amount of pressure and correct distance to maintain between the sprayer and paper takes some trial and error.  I suggest practicing on paper before you try using it on fabric.  The learning curve is pretty quick, and I think this is a great art set will appeal to many.

Learn more about both these and other great Crayola gift options on the Crayola Holiday Gift Guide, available at www.crayola.com/gifts.  You can also connect with Crayola on Facebook & Twitter.

Are you ready to win a Crayola Holiday Gifts Pack, worth approximately $75?  Please use Rafflecopter below to enter, good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that we've shared our exciting giveaway, let's get to some features from last week. It's time to bring on the Christmas projects!

Sparkle, Shimmer, & Twine Candle Wraps from Altered Artworks look like a fun way to customize your decor.

Scripture Ornaments from Family, Home, and Life are an elegant addition for your tree.

If you're looking for something a bit cuter, then the Recycled Snowman Ornaments from Inspired by Family Magazine are perfect.

Having trouble getting your graham crackers to stay in place will making houses?  Try the Chocolate Rice Krispy Treat Houses from Over the Big Moon for a sturdier base for your "Gingerbread" houses.

Use your fingerprints to make a one of a kind DIY Personalized Reindeer Plate with Semi Homemade Mom. 

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Party Guidelines

1.  Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).  

2.  Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL.

3.  Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.

4.  Please comment on the post linked up in front of you.  All partygoers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

5.  Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.

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Let's Party!

Disclosure: The Crayola product to try, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Crayola.

Holiday Tag Making Party

A gift tag making party is the perfect kind of gathering to invite friends over for an afternoon of girl talk, tasty nibbles, and some crafty fun.  It's especially good for your friends who say they "Aren't Crafty", as if there's such a thing!  Everyone is creative, they just might not have had enough opportunities to be so. 

Creating tags is a quick project, several can be made quickly and it's low stress for those who aren't used to doing creative play.  It's also a good theme for the hostess as it requires relatively few supplies and introduces her friends to a cherished hobby.  Anyone who's been a papercrafter for any amount of time probably has everything needed on hand already. 

I put together a tray with all sorts of crafty goodies to greet my guests with, as an attractively displayed supplies can be enough to get everyone excited to get started.  Here is what I suggest you include in addition to a couple of pairs of scissors and colored markers.

Provide a selection of blank tags for your guests in a variety of shapes, sizes, and papers.  I packaged the tags for each guest up in a holiday colored Chinese take out box.  I used my Cricut to cut the tags out, but blank tags in several different sizes and colors can be purchased by the package, as well as the boxes, at craft stores.

I raided my stash to put together a collection of embellishements for each guest that included buttons, stickers, red & white twine, paper flower, glittery words, and some layered die cuts I made with my Sizzix machine.  The contents of each bowl was identical for each guest.

Here is a better view of the kind of supplies I provided.  I also covered the glue sticks with festive paper, just for the cuteness factor.

Itty bitty alphabet stamps were put out for making sentiments.  Not shown, is the collection of seasonal stamps I put out nearby along with my embossing powders (seen in top photo in center of tray), inks, heat gun, and baby wipes for quick clean up.  It's a good idea to suggest any stamping on the back of the tag be done before working on the front, for example if they want to add the "To" and "From" there.

Because tags are so small, it's a good time to pull out any sizable scraps you have left over from other projects like scrapbook pages.  These are great for covering blank tags or adding layers.  I pre-trimmed any odd shaped scraps I had into squares and rectangles to make them easier to flip through and use.  I had some larger scraps clipped together that did not fit in the bowl as well.  You can get a glimpse of these in the photo below.

It's also a good time to pull out what I call my "One and Onlys".  These are left over bits and pieces from sticker sheets or embellishment packs.  Things that are too nice to throw away or pass onto my kiddo fo her crafts but not likely to be used again by me.  This provides a few extra tidbits for guests to play along with.

It's nice to provide some light refreshments.  Besides coffee and a selection of teas, I served a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball with Chocolate Graham Crackers for a bit of sweetness.  The dip is delish, tastes like cheesecake filling, yum-o!  To give a light lighter option, I also put out some sliced green & red apples and caramel dip.

After a couple of hours of chatting, snacking, and crafting my guests had created a plethora of very special gift tags.  Check out what my "Not Crafty" friends made.  Didn't they do a great job?

Hosting duties prevented me from getting the best pictures, but you can tell that with a little encouragement they went to town and had a blast.  I did not make any myself, opting to provide asstance and guidance for my guests and this worked out really well.   It helped keep things relaxing for everyone.