I won't be available to post or maintain my blog for a while as I will be attending to my father who has been in a serious car accident.  Two things:
1. The Cutest Blog on the Block who has been providing the absolutely adorable background on the blog is withdrawing/changing things.  I'm not able to get onto their website as it appears to be down to try to figure it out.  So....this blog won't be quite so "cute" for a while.  Sorry.  I'll fancy it up when I'm able.
2. I have a feeling I'm going to turn the 20,000 hit mark while I'm gone.  Wow!  Who can imagine I would have had that much amazing support for a blog that is really just for fun for me!  I wanted to do something special when that happened.  Again, it will have to be delayed.
Love to you all!
Cindy

Cricut Border Creative Feature - Treat Bag Topper

In our Cricut Class this week we made treat bags.  

To make the topper for the bag, we embossed a 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" square with the Cuttlebug then folded it in half.  (Please note:  At this size, you will have a little bit of cardstock hanging over the edge of the Cuttlebug bug folder.  It's okay, it's not really noticeable when it's all put together.)  Staple near the bottom edge on each side.  Place an image of some sort over the staples to cover and you have an adorable treat bag!

We used the Border Creative Feature from Straight From the Nest along the bottom edge to cover the staples.  You don't have to use a border - any image will do. If you choose to use a border there are many cartridges that come with either a border or more often, a Border Creative Feature.  Here is a list of those I'm aware of:

Accent Essentials

Animal Kingdom

Cake Basics

Celebrations

Cindy Loo

Doodlecharms

Disney Princesses - Dreams Come True

Disney Princesses - Happily Ever After

Easter 2010

Give a Hoot

Holiday Cakes

Home Decor

Joys of the Season

Lovely Floral

Lyrical Letters

Meow

Mickey and Friends

Mother's Day 2010

October 31st

Paper Doll Dress Up

Paper Pups

Plantin Schoolbook

Potpourri Basket

Sports Mania

Stand and Salute

Storybook

Straight From the Nest

Walk My Garden

Wall Decor

ZooBalloo

So see - lot's of options and for almost every conceivable occasion too.

Hope this helps. And by the way; I'm not a cartridge guru by any means, I just looked it up on my Gypsy! ( ;

PS - forgot to mention a really important part - when cutting your border use "Fit to Length" and dial as wide as your topper measures.  In this case it was 4 3/4".

Sure Cuts A Lot - Deal

Hello friends.  I don't know yet if Sure Cuts a Lot is for me or not.  I've certainly been thinking about it though.  The idea of being able to download just the cuts I want is appealing.  Anyway, I've found a couple of deals. Here is one of note: http://www.PumpkinCartCrafts.com 
You can get the software AND a $100 gift card to SVGCuts.com for $124.95.  That's like getting the software for under $25.  Good deal.  And I do love the cuts found on SVG Cuts.  Take a look for yourself and see what you think.


Also, by posting these links I'm able to enter a contest to win free software - which you can do too.  Go to http://svgcuts.com/blog/2010/07/14/sure-cuts-a-lot-blowout/
for all the info to enter it yourself.  


We'll see...I've got more thinking to do, I'll let you all know if I decide to go this way!

Cupcake Blog

I've posted some new cupcakes on The Diva Cupcake that my daughter made.  No, not Cricut related but lots of fun!

You can check it out on TheDivaCupcake.blogspot.com  Thanks for looking!

Cricut Class - The Vinyl "Kiss Cut"

This week we made Dragonfly Candle Holders with vinyl.  

We used cuts from Easter 2010, Walk in My Garden, and Doodlecharms.  

Kiss Cut:  When cutting on vinyl you want to do what is called the "Kiss Cut".  With the Kiss Cut, you just cut through the vinyl layer but not through the backing.  When we started the class our machines were all set at:

Blade 4

Speed 3 (med)

Pressure 3 (med)

It worked great.  Only the vinyl was cut through and it made it super easy to pull off from the backing.  Right before the class ended though, I decided to cut a page for someone who wasn't there in case she didn't have the cartridges we used and wanted to make the exact same candle holder.  I had to re-set up a machine and in the process I didn't notice that I had leaned against the pressure dial and bumped it up one to 4 (med high).  What a difference that made!  In a bad way!  The cut went all the way through to the backing and it made it extremely difficult to peel the little shapes off.  I ended up just setting all of the little cut shapes, backing and all into the jar.  I was too impatient to deal with it!  I hope our class member has more patience than I do!  

Next week we will be making cupcake wrappers and treat bags focussing on "Fit to Page".  We will also be practicing using "Center Point" by cutting out a letter in the middle of a banner piece.  See you all next week!

Birthday Banner with Cricut Celebrations - Shadowing and Fit to Page Sizing

I made this birthday banner for my son using Celebrations Banner Feature.  The lettering was from Gypsy Font and was positioned using my Gypsy (of course).  You can also use the Center Cut Function which I will discuss on another post.

Shadowing/Fit to Page and Sizing:

When you want to use the SHADOW FEATURE for an object AND will be using FIT TO PAGE so that you can get the largest object possible, it is important to cut the shadow first with Fit to Page, note the size it calculated and cut - then use that same size to cut the top/main image.  If you cut your top or main image first  and use Fit to Page, the size it will calculate and cut for you is probably going to be too big for the page if you use the same size for the shadow.  [Remember, when the Cricut calculates and sizes an object, shadows and layers, it sizes PROPORTIONATELY so that all the pieces are the correct size in proportion to the main image.  For example, if you are cutting a purse with a shadow and flower on top and wanted to cut the purse at 6", you would cut the layer (the flower) and the shadow at 6 inches as well. Click to see previous post.]

For the banner pieces, I used an 8 1/2" x 11" inch piece of cardstock.

•I cut the bottom shadow piece first, using Fit to Page. With this particular cartridge, in order to get a shadow for the banner, you must use the FOUNDATION piece (bottom row, second from last) and shadow that.  The Expression calculated the size at 7 3/4".  You will know what size it calculated either by paying attention when it first begins cutting OR if you are like me and don't always remember to pay attention, you can press "OK" before you begin cutting and it will tell you the calculated size.

•I then cut the picture layer using the BANNER FEATURE, selecting the image I wanted and TURNING OFF FIT TO PAGE (or I would get a top layer that is the same size as the bottom shadow layer), setting the dial size at 7 3/4" to get the perfect size that will fit nicely on top of the shadow.

If I had cut the top (picture) layer first, using Fit To Page it would have calculated and cut larger than the 7 3/4" and then if I had tried to cut the shadow piece using the same sized paper and Fit to Page, it would be too small and wouldn't fit on the paper.

Just as a reminder, when using Fit to Page with a paper that is smaller than the default size (usually 12x12 for the expression), you MUST place your paper in the bottom left corner of the mat, move your blade to the top right corner of the paper and select Set Paper Size, otherwise it will calculate and cut everything based on the default size.

Layers, Shadows, and Proportional Sizing and Real Dial Size With Your Cricut

When you cut objects with your Cricut Cutting Machine that involve shadows and layers, your machine uses PROPORTIONAL sizing to cut the various pieces so that they are all the correct size and will fit together properly.

Using Purse2 from Forever Young with a shadow and flower layers we can see how that works.  I've cut the purse at 6":
•  When I cut the shadow I ALSO selected 6".  It cut the shadow piece slightly larger than the 6" BUT is was in proportion to the 6" purse I had previously cut.

• When I cut the flower layers I ALSO selected 6".  It cut the flowers significantly smaller than the 6" BUT they are in proportion to the 6" purse.

If you want to cut one of your layers to a specific size that is NOT in proportion to a shape, you need to press "REAL DIAL SIZE" and it will give you the piece that is calculated at that actual size - but as you can see, it is NOT in proportion to the shape and will not fit properly.  Again using the purse as an example, I wanted to cut the yellow flower layer but I wanted it to actually be 6".  It would not fit on the purse - but it certainly is the 6" size I wanted.   Keep this in mind anytime you are wanting to cut an object that happens to be part of a layer but that you aren't using for layering pieces.