Silhouette Cameo FUN!

Friends, I am starting to get really excited about my Silhouette Cameo!  I keep finding so many things that I want to create for my classroom and home!  I think I could easily get carried away, and that's probably the direction I am headed.  :)  Truthfully, the whole Cameo learning curve was challenging for me at first.  So, let me be the one to tell you that if you don't love it right away, you will love it later.  It was a ME thing.  Not the machine.  Hahahaha!  I get a little frustrated when things don't come easily to me.  (Yes, I am THAT student.)  Sometimes common sense eludes me, so it took a while to learn how to successfully use the machine, but I just kept trying until I finally figured it out.  There are SO many tutorials on YouTube through crafters/bloggers and Silhouette's YouTube channel.  The  Cameo blog also offers support.  I highly recommend checking out the tutorials.  They were really helpful.  When I was learning how to print and cut, for example, I literally followed a video to the letter.  I didn't need an i-Pod cut-out for my classroom, but I was determined to learn how to print and cut, so I just followed along.  It turned out to be just what I needed to do to get over the hump, and now it's a SNAP.  :)  Just like recipes, everything turns out better if you follow the directions carefully!

Now, I haven't had a TON of time to create projects.  Like I said, it took me a while to familiarize myself with the machine. This week, it's been all about family time, so I haven't been working on much of anything for school, but I did sneak in a small project while the Olympics were on.  I have been wanting to create the little "Pick Me Pot" from A Cupcake for the Teacher all summer, but it just kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list.  (You can download the numbers through her blog.)  Anyway, with school around the corner and my recent trip to the craft store, I picked up a small terra cotta pot to get the ball rolling.  I did a print and cut with a few animal print hearts that were downloaded from the Silhouette website for 99 cents!  :)  I printed the design onto regular cardstock, cut it with the Cameo, and then Mod Podged it onto the pot.  I put a little onto the back of the cardstock and then slathered it all over the design.  Since terra cotta pots are porous, I also glazed the rest of the pot with the Mod Podge to give it an even look.  I actually like how polished it looks, and I am excited that this "Pick Me Pot" will complement my classroom jungle goodies too!

The following pictures show the three different designs on the pot.  :)

I am sure that this project could have easily been done with vinyl, but I haven't purchased any yet, so I got a little creative with what I already had at home.  :)  Lazy! That's ME! All in all, I am really happy with how the pot turned out, and I am excited to use this in my classroom this year!  As school gets closer I am hoping to become BFFs with my Cameo.  I can't wait to upgrade my Word Jar among other things.  :)  If you have a project that you've created with the Silhouette Cameo, please consider linking up on Blog Hoppin'.  My bloggy friends and I are hosting a BIG giveaway!  YOU COULD WIN YOUR VERY OWN CAMEO!!!!  :)  HOP ON OVER TO ENTER!  If you're interested, we also put together a Cameo board on Pinterest with creative ideas and fun tutorials!