Christmas Nails

I got this great poem from Vicki at Bountiful Blessings.  She has a great setup that she can print and attach the nail.  What an awesome idea!  I changed it up a bit to give to my family and friends and also to use at my last few craft shows of the season.  Wish I found it sooner!  Anyway, this was pretty simple for me.  I printed the poem, cut it to size.  Next, I cut a frame and a shadow frame to fit with my cricut on scal.  I used a frame from 09kutups.  The nail is a masonry nail, found at Lowes or HD, and actually not all that heavy.  I hope you enjoy!  The poem follows... thank you Vicki!


The Christmas Nail

Each year on my Christmas tree,
I hang a nail for all to see.

It’s for all the nails
In the manger where He lay,
And for the nails piercing
His body as His life drained away.

It’s a reminder of His love
Midst the green of the tree,
Of the gift that was given,
For you and for me.

Hanging there brightly
On it’s little red cord,
Telling of Jesus,
Our Savior, our Lord.

"Resticky" your Cricut mat.

I know there are ideas everywhere about how to recondition your Cricut mat.  There are a ton of ideas, but I want to share what has worked for me.  I use the Zig 2-way glue.  It comes in different sizes from a pen, to the one that I use that is almost an inch wide.  First you clean your mat with dish liquid, water and a sponge. I Dry it with a non-shedding cloth and lay it out to dry for about an hour.  (it can be shorter if you just can't wait)  Then I lay the glue on, completely covering the sticky part of the mat.  Be careful not to get it out on the non-sticky part.  It will gum up your rollers.  Let it sit overnight, uncovered.  In the morning you will be ready to go.  I love this stuff!  When you use it, it actually holds the paper better than the original adhesive and lasts longer, plus I think it releases easier.  I have torn many sheets of paper trying to get them off the mat, but with this glue, it sticks when you want it to, but it releases when you pull.

I have been using the same 2 mats for a year and I use my cricut every day for a few hours most days.  I finally have to retire one because it is warped from going through the machine so many times!  This stuff really works.  As always, do your research to decide if this is the method for you, understanding how it affects your warranty.  Hope this helps you get a lot more use out of your mats!