Valentine Heart Box

Love Me Do Source: SVGCuts.com

I made this cute Valentine Heart Box using a file from SVGCuts.  If you aren't familiar with SVGCuts they are a company that sells SVG files for use with electronic cutting machines.  You can read more about that on their website SVGCuts.com.

This box is from their kit Love Me Do.  I am learning more and more exactly how much of a perfectionist I can and cannot be.  You see, I have a very hard time slowing down and being precise when I glue the cut pieces together- the same goes for cutting with any device that requires my skills such as scissors, Xacto knives etc.  But...I cannot stand it when everything isn't perfectly aligned and finished off neatly.  It is a dichotomy that haunts me...frustrates me...drives me mad.  Thankfully, I pretty good and creativity hiding mistakes...it's all about proper embellishing.  

My standards are very high and it shows in my finished products. But I cannot get the edges to line up properly.  For every project I work on I seem to end up throwing out the first two attempts before I get to the "3rd times a charm" on the last one making it good enough to pass- but it still has issues.  Mary from SVGCuts makes it look so freakin' easy.  And "Yes' I get that she has been glueing paper edges together for years and I just started but still....I've been crafting for 153 years.

I have come to realize that some of the problems are related to the paper quality.  You get what you pay for.  I am still experimenting with papers but I have found that thinner (and cheaper) papers buckle with even small amounts of the wet glue that I use (I use what Mary uses 3M Quick Dry Paper Adhesive).  But who wants to start a project with expensive paper only to throw the project in the trash?

It is hard for me to find paper.  With NO local scrapbook stores I'm left shopping at "Cheap-Papers-R-Us" aka Michael's/Joann's/Hobby Lobby.  I have bought so much paper recently trying to find a good balance.  Thankfully I hit Michael's 70% Black Friday Sale and then a huge after Christmas sale but my favorite paper score secret is Tuesday Mornings.  I have bought several Carta Bella pads for $6 for 12x12 that I see on sale still for full price elsewhere.  Last week I got a ton of great papers from Graphic 45 sold in single design packs of 25 for 3.99.  Single designs are perfect for the projects that I have been doing.

Happy Valentine's Day.