Creatively Cricut®

I've been working hard on the 3-D projects for my next Workshop - they're looking great! I only have one left to do. I will post them all next time - I promise! In the meantime, I just viewed this great video from Close To My Heart that I'd love to share with you. It's called "Creatively Cricut®". In it, Kristine Widtfeldt shares some very helpful tips and tricks on using the Cricut with our "Artiste" and "Art Philosophy" cartridges. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Cricut® Craft Room - How Fun!

Last week, I posted a video from Close To My Heart on using the Cricut® Craft Room software with your Cricut cartridges. I had not used the Craft Room software before, so I decided to download it and play a little. I know that there are many more fun and creative things you can use this software for, but here are just a few that I discovered while using CTMH's "Art Philosophy" and "Artiste" cartridges.

1) You can make borders longer without making them wider.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to be able to do this. If you are familiar with cutting borders on the Cricut, you know that if you want your border to be 1/2" wide, the corresponding length will usually be short. If you want a 1/2" border that covers the width of a 5 1/2" card, you're out of luck. Cutting the border to the length will increase the width as well, so your 5 1/2" border may be 1" wide or more. Enter Cricut Craft Room. Simply drag the shape you want onto your "mat", set the width size, copy & paste, then place the new shape next to the first one on the mat. (In order for the shapes to cut as one piece, make sure the ends are overlapping slightly.) The program will ask if you want to "weld" the pieces - and the answer is yes! You can see from the image above, the piece that I got when I set my size to cut at 1/2", then the piece I got when I copied and pasted a second one beside it - much better! Now it will span the width of my card and I'll still have the same cute, little scallops.

2) You can remove holes from tags to form a solid shape.

OK, this may not seem like a big deal, but there have been so many times when I have been looking for "just the right shape" to stamp an image or sentiment onto, and when I find it, it's a tag...with a hole cut in the top. But now you can simply remove the hole in Craft Room and cut your shape (read how below). Wonderful!

3) You can make a solid shape into a frame as well as the reverse.

The possibilities are endless with this one. See the perfect shape but you need it to be a frame? No problem! Just copy the shape, make it a little smaller than the original, place it on top of the original, and "weld". The second shape will cut out of the first shape, leaving a frame. The same holds true if you see just the shape you've been looking for, but it's in the form of a frame. Just click on the green "Hide Contour" button that's just below your shape on the mat. Click on the area you want to delete (its outline will turn red), and click "Exit". That area will not be gone and will not cut (use this same procedure for removing the holes from tags).

4) You can cut shapes, or windows, into cards or into other shapes.

Here's an ampersand that I placed onto a heart and welded. How cute will this be between two names or between "you" and "me"?!

This last one is a card that was cut on the Cricut with three additional heart cuts added to the front. I just placed one, then copied and pasted it twice, changing the size each time. The heart-shaped "windows" give a small peek at the pink interior of the card.

I'm sure I have only scratched the surface of this fun & versatile software. I encourage you to try it out yourself, then leave a comment on what fun things you were able to do! Happy playing!

More Cricut® Inspiration!

Close To My Heart has just posted this really cool video showing lots of fun ways to use the Cricut Artiste & Art Philosophy cartridges. Take a look!

Cricut® Craft Room

You know, in the far recesses of my mind, I knew this software (Cricut Craft Room) was out there, but it never really occurred to me download and use it. I can't believe what I've been missing! I just LOVE the fact that you can cut a shape out of the center of another shape - do you know how many times I've wished I could do that?!? And all this time all I had to do was download this FREE software and hook my Cricut up to my computer. Well, I am going to need some time to play with this, so I will do just that and post my creations next week. In the meantime, please enjoy this video from Close To My Heart on using the Cricut Craft Room software. Happy designing!

Hot Cocoa Kit

OK, I know this is unprecedented - three blog posts in as many days. But, I really wanted to share the instructions on how to make this adorable hot cocoa kit that I found online. I was able to duplicate this one almost perfectly with the supplies I already had from Close To My Heart. Here is hers (outside & inside), followed by mine:

It's a cool gift...sooooo...the first person to leave a comment under this post on my blog will WIN it! All yours - cocoa, mallow bits, and all! I hope after watching the instruction video (below!!), you will be inspired to make your own! Be sure to send me a picture of any variations you come up with!