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I received this as an email forward (finally one worth reading) and I just HAD to share with you. It totally made me LOL. Enjoy!

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG’S DIARY 

Day Number 752
8:00 am – OH BOY! BREAKFAST! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am – OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am – OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am – WAGGED MY TAIL! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon – OH BOY! LUNCH! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm – YUM! MILKBONES! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm – OOH, BATH…BUMMER. 
5:00 PM – OH BOY! DINNER! MY FAVORITE!
6:30 PM – OH BOY! WATCHED TV WITH THE PEOPLE! MY FAVORITE!
10:00 PM – SLEEPING ON THE BED! MY FAVORITE!

Day Number 753
8:00 am – OH BOY! BREAKFAST! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am – OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am – OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am – WAGGED MY TAIL! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon – OH BOY! LUNCH! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm – YUM! MILKBONES! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm – OH BOY! NAPTIME! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM – OH BOY! DINNER! MY FAVORITE!
6:30 PM – OH BOY! WATCHED TV WITH THE PEOPLE! MY FAVORITE!
10:00 PM – SLEEPING ON THE BED! MY FAVORITE!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT’S DIARY

DAY 765 of my Captivity
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry nuggets. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture…Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 766 -  Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped it’s headless body at their feet in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of. I hoped this would strike fear in their hearts however they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am. Bastards.

DAY 767 - Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my captors by weaving around their feet as he walked. I must try this again tomorrow – at the top of the stairs.

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was subjected to water torture. This time it included a foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still LODGED between my teeth.

DAY 769 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant, he speaks with the guards regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now….

Aloha Mint Fans! It’s Bossy Joscie checking in with another hybrid project! I created this wall hanging the other day to remind me to be happy!

I started out by printing some patterned papers from Miss Mint’s Miso Funky Papers and Miss Mint’s Soopa Sunburst Papers – Baby Collection using plain white cardstock and the borderless print function on my printer.

I lightly misted my yellow sunburst paper with Tattered Angels Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist and set it aside to dry.

I opened up my Silhouette software and opened a new 8.5 x 11 document. I inserted the tall oak tree from Tay’s Tree vector shapes. I then selected find outline and pasted it into the document. I repeated this process with a short oak tree.

I selected the tall oak tree and clicked on the ungroup button and separated the outline from the jpg.

I selected the jpg and deleted it so I was left with only the cutline.

I repeated the process with the short oak tree.

I selected both cutlines for the tall oak tree and made them bigger.

I ungrouped the tall tree leaves from the trunk and moved the leaves to the top part of the page.

I selected both of the trunks and ctrl c to copy.

I created a new 8.5×11 blank document and ctrl v to paste.

Now I have one document to cut the leaves of both trees and one document to cut both of the trunks.

I cut the leaves out of the green houndstooth from the Miso Funky Paper Pack and the trunks out of the brown paper.

I also cut some pennant shapes (a Quickutz shape) out of various Miso Funky papers.

I added Glimmer mist to the leaves and to the trunks and Gold to the pennants and set them aside to dry.

I adhered the sunburst paper to a 12 x 12 piece of Kraft Cardstock.

I put together the pennants and a piece of Green Divine Twine and lay them on the layout. I tied them to the trunks and adhered the trunks to the back ground.

I lined up the leaves and adhered them to the background.

I added twine to several buttons and used glue dots to adhere them to the trees.

I added be happy with Robin’s Egg Lullaby Glitter Thickers .

I pierced the sunburst paper with my Tim Holtz ruler, paper piercer and black mat (you can use a mousepad). I hand stitched around the edge.

I adhered the project to a 12 x 12 piece of plain chipboard.

I punched holes in the top two corners with my Cropadile and added a ribbon to hang.

I punched holes along the bottom edge at 1” intervals and used a crochet hook and divine twine to crochet a scalloped border.

Voila! A happiness reminder! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Aloha,

Joscie, rhymes with bossy.

Vinyl Lettering Craft Tips & Tricks: Embellishing Vinyl Craft Projects
By: Tay Silver | Creative Cuttables & Commercial Vector Designer

Tay here to share more of my favorite tips for making those vinyl crafts really stand out!

How to Apply Acrylic Rhinestones to Vinyl Craft Projects

This ultra-easy trick is a great way to add dimension to vinyl crafts and even store-bought seasonal decorations. Here is what you’ll need:

1. Acrylic Rhinestones (7mm “standard” size or shapes 6 to 9mm)
2. Mini GlueDots

Simply unroll a section of glue dots, which come with one side stuck to a backing and one sticky side face-up, and place the flat back of the rhinestone centered over the glue dot. You should now have the rhinestone stuck to the glue dot which is still stuck to the backing paper as shown:

Gently peel the rhinestone and glue dot from the backing paper and place it on your project, pressing firmly to set it in place. Repeat with additional rhinestones, buttons, and small flower embellishments. (To see how I applied glitter to the vinyl, see our previous blog post.)

Glittered Polka Dots:

Place plain glue dots all over your completed project and press ultrafine glitter into the exposed sticky surface. Dust off excess glitter using a soft bristled brush.

Ribbon & Curled Wire Hangers:

When you need a charming way to hang your completed project, you can use any ribbon or 18 to 20 gauge metal craft wire. In these examples crafter CrystalCangel used several different hanging techniques.

Two holes drilled into the face of this project with ribbon knotted through it gave this piece a trendy shabby-chic finish:

Tip: Wire can be used in place of ribbon and twisted around a small wooden dowel rod to give it character. (Don’t have a dowel rod? Twist the wire around the wooden handle of your sponge brush to achieve the same effect.)

For this sign, ribbon was attached to the back of the board using a hot glue gun and then buttons were glued over the ribbon edge to give it an appealing appearance suitable for selling:

If your project can stand on it’s own but needs an extra something, consider a ribbon wrap similar to the one shown in this photo:

For more clever and creative ways to embellish your vinyl projects, CLICK HERE to see several more creative examples in the Peppermint Creative Gallery and be sure to add images of your own when you’re done!

Don’t miss other related articles:

• Introduction to Vinyl Cutting Machines: Tools & Supplies You’ll Need
• How to Cut Vinyl With Your Cricut, Silhouette or Wishblade Machine
• Custom Vinyl Cutting: Out of the Machine and onto the Wall
• New Uses for Vinyl: Home Décor & Craft Kits
• Creating Decor: Wood Blocks using BlockART
• Specialty Vinyl Technique: Using Multiple Color Vinyl
• Vinyl Lettering: Adding Glitter to Your Vinyl Projects
• Starting Your Vinyl Business: Where to Sell Online
• Starting Your Vinyl Lettering Business: Finding Local Customers
• Selling Vinyl Wall Art: 3 Easy Steps to Overnight Business Success

Vinyl Lettering Craft Tips & Tricks: Glittering Vinyl
By: Tay Silver | Creative Cuttables & Commercial Vector Designer

This is Tay and I’m back to share some of my favorite tricks when it comes to making adorable vinyl décor. With just a few simple craft supplies you can add glitter to any vinyl project, including glittering directly on top of the vinyl surface. Here is what you will need:

• 2 Way Glue Pen with a soft chisel tip (I used Zig brand with the large chisel tip)

• Ultrafine scrapbooking glitter in an opalescent or translucent shade (this allows the color of the vinyl to show through a bit) or a shade similar to that of your vinyl.

• Soft bristled paintbrush, makeup blush brush or similar glitter dusting tool

Glittering is the very last step when doing vinyl craft projects so to begin, you’ll need a completed project:

Tip: You should always paint your wood and complete any aging treatments, inking or edge sanding before applying vinyl lettering and glitter so you don’t damage the vinyl or your glitter.

1. Using your soft bristled brush, lightly dust the vinyl surface, removing any sanding dust or debris from off the face of the project.

2. Place your project on top of paper towels, parchment paper or some other protector that will catch excess glitter.

3. Working carefully, use the glue pen to trace over the entire surface of the vinyl you’d like to glitter. Precision is important and the glue begins to dry quickly so glitter each element one at a time.

4. While the glue is wet, sprinkle generously with glitter to cover the adhesive, all the way out to the edges. Tilt the project and use the soft bristled brush to gently dust glitter from the surrounding area, being careful not to touch the glitter that is drying. Repeat tracing with the glue pen and glittering. Neighboring areas will appear seamless when they’re all glittered. If using different colors of glitter, let the first area dry and dust away excess glitter well before glittering the second area in another color.

5. Once your project is glittered, let the piece dry and gently dust off any remaining loose glitter with the brush. If desired you can set the glitter with any clear craft finishing spray, just ensure the overcoat you are using will not discolor the vinyl or cause it to appear foggy. Glitter does not need to be set on decor items that will not be handled beyond packing away for seasonal storage.

This technique can be used to apply flocking, mica and other lightweight embellishments to the surface of your vinyl.

Tip: Do NOT use heat sources of any kind on your vinyl projects (ie: no heat-set embossing powders) because heat will cause the vinyl to pucker and peel up off the surface of the project.

Creative touches like this add depth and character to handmade décor and make extra special hostess gifts, too! Post pictures of your completed projects in the gallery and share your own unique vinyl tips & tricks!

Don’t miss other related articles:

• Introduction to Vinyl Cutting Machines: Tools & Supplies You’ll Need
• How to Cut Vinyl With Your Cricut, Silhouette or Wishblade Machine
• Custom Vinyl Cutting: Out of the Machine and onto the Wall
• New Uses for Vinyl: Home Décor & Craft Kits
• Creating Decor: Wood Blocks using BlockART
• Specialty Vinyl Technique: Using Multiple Color Vinyl
• Vinyl Lettering Craft Tips & Tricks: Embellishing Vinyl Craft Projects
• Starting Your Vinyl Business: Where to Sell Online
• Starting Your Vinyl Lettering Business: Finding Local Customers
• Selling Vinyl Wall Art: 3 Easy Steps to Overnight Business Success