Saturday, May 30, 2009

basic vinyl Tutorial

If you are not familiar with the application of vinyl, it can seem kind of tricky. I have put together a quick & simple tutorial of the basic vinyl sign we offer (with an overlay)!

Behind the Scenes
Once I have designed your order on my software, I then hook the machine up to the computer and let the cutting begin.

After which I detach your vinyl phrase and begin the WEEDING process (the fancier the font, the more complicated this step becomes). This is where I remove all excess vinyl from your cut out phrase.


I then place the saying onto APPLICATION TAPE (which is a fancy way of saying over sized masking tape), cut excess tape, and rub!


Passed off to You
This is most likely the way your vinyl looks when you receive your order. From here you would need to re-rub over all the letters (especially the dots of 'i's and any small punctuation). Then, starting from a corner and pulling in a diagonal, you would slowly remove the application tape. You WANT the vinyl letters to come up with the tape.


Next, you need to gently place your vinyl onto it's hard surface (if placing on a wall make sure to have points marked out before). *HINT* Only place down the corners of tape only (no letters behind it) while you figure out your centering. Once centered and straight, rub over the letters again (once again giving all dots an extra rub)!


Finally, pulling in a diagonal, slowly remove the application tape and you are FINISHED! YEAH!

~To do an 'over-lay': Repeat the above process; only this time centering it in accordance with first phrase placed.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Dear Bidders,
Thank you so very much for your support! This was lots of fun for Cottage Quotes & we are happy to announce our winner:
Niki Wells
She came in with a winning bid of $42! Wonderful! AgaiCheck Spellingn, we appreciate all of your support. For those of you who are still interested in luminarias to honor those who have fought the fight of cancer- please email me. cottagequotes@yahoo.com They are $10 per luminaria. We can send them to you to decorate, or we would be happy to do the decorating for you. Thanks again everyone!
ps. Niki- please email me at cottagequotes@yahoo.com to claim your PRIZES!!!!! thanks!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Save the Mama's in May

May's giveaway is going to be different.
better. inspiring. charitable.

This month Cottage Quotes needs your help. We're asking you to help us Save the Mama's (in honor of Mother's Day).
Did you know that 1 in 3 women in the United States will develop cancer in her lifetime? (the leading sites are breast, lung, colon, and rectum). Check HERE and HERE for more info & stats
I have joined a Relay for Life team. Read more about my involvement HERE. I believe in the cause & now I need your help! This month we are turning our 'giveaway' into an AUCTION! Cottage Quotes is helping you with your Mother's Day needs, while you help mamas fight cancer. We are auctioning off 2 (no larger than 18 x 18) vinyl orders! And to help get those creative juices flowing, I have designed a few ideas on the computer.
Any of the below could be placed on a large tile, glass plate, picture frame, old glass window, cooking sheet, or even directly on the wall:
Name Game
Describe your mother with attributes you love about her. By displaying them in vinyl, she will be reminded everyday just how special she is!



Family Food Favorites
Every mom has at least one famous dish! Give your mama the credit by displaying her recipe proudly with vinyl...also making it easier for it to be used more often...everybody wins ;)!



Mama Monograms
(not to be confused with mammograms)
Let your mom's initials say it all with an elegant font. Pick a touching quote to lay over top!


The ideas, colors, fonts are endless! Vinyl is a perfect way to personalize your Mother's Day gift. And let's not forget about Grandmas, Sisters, Aunts, Cousins, Girlfriends....we're all mamas! So please help us Save the Mamas! Here's how it works:

We'll start the bidding at $5! Leave a comment with your bidding amount. For those without google accounts- email me and I will leave the comment and post it! Remember 100% of proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. The winning amount will also get Luminarias in donations of ten dollars (for example, $20 bid gets 2 18x18 vinyl orders & 2 luminarias). What's a Luminaria? Read about it HERE! Please please Please spread the word! We will end the auction on Tuesday night! Highest bid WINS!

Let the bidding BEGIN!

do I hear $5?