A favorite file converted for Gypsy users.

A couple of years ago I designed some cards that I called "stair step" cards.  There is another completely different style of card called a "stair step" card that I was not familiar with at the time (I might have chosen a different name if I knew it could cause confusion!).  I have recently had several requests for these files in the .gypsy format so I converted the file for the card above and test cut it tonight.  This card uses the Alphalicious font and either George or Plantin Schoolbook (there are two separate files for the base card).

Here is a LINK to the post where I first shared this card.  These cards are fun to make and there are so many variations that are possible starting from the basic card.  With a little imagination you can make this style of card for any occasion.

This was one of the first stairstep cards I did and you can read more about it at THIS POST.  A blog reader and message board friend sent me an image of a card she wanted to try to make and I figured out a way to cut something similar with the Cricut.  Once I got started it was fun to try all sorts of different ideas and I developed the double stairstep card idea and used fonts with a stencil version to cut words into the "steps."

This is another variation of the card - here is a LINK to the original post.

I have converted the two files and tested the base card cut for the "happy happy" card.  Please let me know if you need one of the other variations and I will try to convert and test cut those for posting as well.  I am happy to share my files for personal use.  Please respect my terms in the left side column and do not convert my files and post or distribute them on a blog, group, post on a messageboard, etc.  They are also not to be used for contests or claimed as your original work for publication submissions.

We are still busy with holiday events and I get a lot of email everyday.  Today was the last day our older son was here with us - he flies to Mexico tomorrow.  If you send me a message and don't hear back right away it is entirely possible that your message was not seen so please try again if you are looking for some help or an answer to a question.  I do my best to answer all messages but it can be difficult to keep up, especially at busy times of the year.

If you want to be included in the random draw for the set of ProMarkers from Letraset please be sure to leave your comment on the original post at THIS LINK.  These are the only comments that will be included  - one comment per person please.

Double Stairstep Happy Happy (George)
Double Stairstep Happy Happy (Plantin Schoolbook)


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Time for Cupcakes

This is the other tag I created for the second round of the Tags Plus Inchies (TPIs) swap hosted by Kopperhead. The theme for this one was "Time." My first inclination was to do something with clocks and dark "antique" colors but I just couldn't get motivated to make 20 tags that were "serious." I have been seeing lots of cupcake images everywhere - cupcakes are "in" these days - and I knew I could do something bright and pretty with cupcakes, so I changed my plans...




I wanted to cut phrase "time for cupcakes" into the top layer of the tag, so I chose the Alphalicious font which has a lighthearted feel and a stencil style letter format in the tag option. Above you can see an example of the letters I used. In order to use just the letters, you need to hide all of the other contours in the image. (To hide contours, left click on the line you want to hide and it will turn red - then right click and choose "hide selected contour" at the bottom of the drop down menu - the line will turn a very pale blue to show that it is hidden and will not cut).



This screen shot shows the letters in place on the tag with all of the unwanted contours hidden.



Since there were so many contours to hide, I did just two tags for the file. They are set up on a 6 x 12 mat and you can cut two tags, then unload the mat and reinsert it from the opposite direction to cut two more.



There are three inchies on each tag. The cupcakes were punched from a sheet of cardstock in the DCWV "Sweet Stack" with a grid of tiny cupcakes. I punched the center cupcake with a special Creative Memories decorative square punch. The two side inchies have cupcakes punched with a 3/4 inch circle punch. To add definition to the edges I decided that I needed a slightly larger circle.



I don't have a 7/8 inch circle punch, so I used my Cricut to cut lots of .875 inch circles. I did this using the Graphically Speaking cartridge using the method I shared in my post about "Lots of small circles in a hurry" - here is a LINK to that post.



Here is one more close view of the inchies - it was tricky to get them punched with the cupcake centered properly but I did my best....



Here are the 60 completed inchies before I assembled the tags.



I cut a slightly large version of the tag in dark pink to back the light pink tag and make the words "pop" and create a thin border around the tag. As an alternative, I also created a slightly smaller tag which could be used to back the tag to make the letters show without an outer border on the tag. Both options are in the file. I have noted on the file that you will need to rehide the holes at the tops of the tags for the backing tags (when you hide only one contour in a shape it will not stay hidden when the file is closed - if there are only two contours in the design it is not possible to use the workaround I figured out in the post linked HERE).

I chose to leave the tag hole unpunched with just the hole in the top light pink tag backed in bright pink, but you could punch through both layers and add a ribbon if you wanted a usable tag.



Here are the 20 TPIs just before I packed them up for mailing - lots of assembly on this group!



Both of the tags I created for this round were bright and cheery! If you'd like to see the other TPIs created for this theme, you can click HERE to see them posted on Kopperhead's blog.

I am sharing the file I used to make these in case you want a closer look at some of the techiniques I used to create it.

Time for Cupcakes Tags

Happy, Happy (adding letters to the stairs)

This is another variation of my double stairstep card. Instead of inserting a name in the circles that form the "bridge" between the panels, I made a more generic "Happy Happy" card to share. I used the Alphalicious font for the letters because someone who tried it said they had a problem, so I wanted to test it out. (If you'd like to see the original card or download the basic files to work from, here is a LINK to the post from last month).



Here is the cut directly after taking it off the mat before folding it at the edges of the circles. A few people have commented that they had trouble with the folds. As I mentioned before, I just hold the card in the air and gently fold by "pinching" at the join but you may want to try scoring along the lines of the panel sections to make it a bit easier to fold.



The folds are made as shown above, folding back from the front panels and folding the letters in toward the center panel.



I used the cake on a cakestand from the Celebrations cartridge for the center of the card. The file contains a page set up to cut all of the extra pieces for the card at once - it is marked "CUTTING PAGE" (there is also a page to show the preview of the actual card placement of the pieces needed). The photo above shows the mat ready to cut all of the extras.



Above you can see that mat has been labeled with the sizes of the pieces of paper needed for each cut - this makes it faster to repeat this card at another time. Be sure to check that you are loading the pieces on the mat in the proper locations (remember to check the arrow on the left).



Above you can see the mat with all of the "extras" after removing the excess paper. I cut the cake stand from glitter cardstock and usually I recommend doing a multi cut 2 times to cut this cardstock cleanly. This is the first element that cuts on this page so you can cut the entire mat and then click cut again, watch the cutting and stop it when the cakestand has cut for a second time. Stop the cutting through the computer to avoid having to shut down your cricut and the program to get things working again.



Here are all of the bits removed from the mat and ready to assemble.



Sometimes the glitter cardstock separates a bit from the paper backing when pulling the cut from the mat. I actually peeled away the paper layer from the entire piece to make the layer on top of the cake cut a little smoother.



Above is the card fully assembled flat on the table.



Here is the finished card standing up so you can see the bridging. If you don't have Alphalicious you can substitute another font with a stencil feature. Simply delete the Alphalicious letters and substitute some from a font you do have, centering the letters in the circles and hiding all unwanted contours.

Here are some fonts that have the stencil feature - Hello Kitty Font, Learning Curve, Don Juan, Alphalicious, Cursive 101, Doodletype, Making the Grade, Opposites Attract, Pooh Font, Printing 101, Printing Press, Zooballoo. There are a few more (such as Base Camp, Jasmine, Mini Monograms, Stamped & Tear Drop) which have some letters that will work but others that will not. Remember to hide the contours that you do not want to cut - in each case there is at least an outline of the shape and there may be more.



Above you can see an example from this file of the hidden contours from the "crown tag" feature. (I moved the letter toward the center to help you see the blue lines that indicate that the lines have been hidden and will not cut). If you have questions about hidden contours, here is a LINK to several posts about this option.

Happy Happy Stair Step Card - George

Happy Happy Stair Step Card - Plantin Schoolbook

Changing the Candy Holder....

I had a request to change the candy holder that I shared last month to suit a special occasion - a "royal" luncheon. In case you missed that post, here is a LINK to the original candy holder post and below is a photo.



If you want a different shape cut from the front (and back) of the candy holder it is very easy to change. The heart I used in the original file is 1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches and that size seems to fit nicely but you can vary this as you like.

Select the shape you want to cut out (in this example I am using the crown from Alphalicious) and place it on the mat.



Try setting the size at 1 1/2 inches - remember that this will be the height of the image and if the image is too wide at that height you will need to adjust it. Then use the "turn" box to rotate it 90 degrees (click directly on the "90" for one turn to the left).



Move the new image into position by aligning the centers - when they are aligned the "+" signs in the center will look a little darker. When you have the new shape in place, select the original shape (the heart) and delete it.



To place the shape on the opposite side, add another crown and click "turn" three times and slide it into position on top of the original heart. Be sure to delete the original heart. If you are using the file with three cuts to the page remember to change them all!

I have a fun project to share - I spent a good part of the yesterday and this afternoon working on the file and preparing the example. I had planned to post it today, but tonight I accidentally burned my hand on a hot dish and I am typing with one hand while I keep ice on the burn (ouch!). I can't type anymore now.....

So here is a sneak preview - I hope to be able to post it tomorrow....

Love Letters

Here is another quick design to share. I was looking over the Going Places cartridge and I noticed the envelope shape. With the latest update to the Design Studio software (and our new ability to weld within existing shapes) I knew I just had to add some words to this shape!

The phrase that came to mind was "Love Letters" and I used one of my favorite fonts - Alphalicious. I also did a few additional versions, adding a heart on the left or right or both sides! All of these versions can be resized as a group to fit the particular project you have in mind.

Below are a few closer views of the designs cut to fit an A2 card





This design could be used for cards, layouts or, perhaps, to alter a box to be used to store some love letters! If you do not have the Alphalicious font you can substitute one that you do own - just follow the procedure I explained in the tutorial on "grouping" (a link to this tutorial is pinned to the top right of this page).

Love Letters (A)

Wall Words on the Window

I helped a friend do a bit of decorating for the traditional senior class Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon at our high school. I used Wall Pops and the Alphalicious font at six inches for most of the words. I welded the "Class of" at a four inch size and also welded the "from the" at a 2 inch size. The apostrophe for the "'08" is actually the top part of the exclamation point sized to look proportional.

I had the electric blue wall pops that had been on special at Lowes on hand and by using the Design Studio software I was able to fit the letters together and use only 8 feet of the 6 1/2 inch roll so this was a very economical project. I wasn't sure about the color since the theme was a sort of western picnic but we found that it was almost and exact match for the blinds in that room - a bit of serendipity!

No file here - just another example to show you of vinyl lettering - it was very easy to apply to glass and will come off without leaving a residue (though a quick cleaning will probably be needed for fingerprints!)

More words on the walls

This was a project for a library - the homeowners wanted something related to books but not too long or serious - we ended up with "So many books, so little time!" I used Alphalicious at 6 inches to design this - I like the whimsical nature of this font. I discovered that there is no comma on Alphalicious so I used the one from Plantin Schoolbook.

Here is the view as you enter the library from the most frequently used door.



The number of letters is nearly the same in each phrase but the first part has wider letters (the "m, n and o" are all much wider than the "l, i and t" so it is difficult to get the spacing to work and look balanced. We ended up choosing to keep the spacing from the sculpture in the center consistent which made the first phrase extend a greater distance to the left than the second one extends to the right. Since the room is usually entered from this door, the eye is fooled and it looks like the length is about the same due to the angle at which it is viewed.


Here is a close up of each side of the saying



The capital "S" in Alphalicious is rather short and looks a bit funny (like it might be upside down) so we tried it both ways (flipping the "s" top to bottom) but ended up keeping it as the font is designed.

Painter's tape is very helpful for keeping your lines straight - of course you do have to get the painter's tape on straight to begin with! I used 12 inch rulers propped on the top of the window trim to place the tape. Next time I will try a laser level - that also reduces the risk of a faulty spot in the wall paint lifting when the painter's tape is removed.



I used Design Studio for this project but it is not necessary to have it to do wall words. Using Design Studio just helps you to conserve the amount of material you use since you can lay out the letters to fit tightly together before cutting. I was able to get the entire saying to fit in five feet of 6 1/2 inch "wall pops" material. I also used my 24 inch mat for the first time and this helped to get the letters fit together tightly since I had more room on the mat to "play" with the positioning.

When adding letters randomly like this is is easiest if you write out your phrase and cross off the letters as you add them - this insures that you cut all the letters you need since they are out of order and it is hard to keep track otherwise! Below you can see the "leftovers" - there is some room here to cut out a few more small things so they are in my "save" pile for now!



If you didn't see my earlier post about cutting wall pops in the Expression (February 5, 2008) I will repeat the cutting information here. I have been very happy using blade depth 4, medium pressure and medium speed - the wall pops material is cut cleanly and the backing remains intact which makes it easy to remove from the mat and to transport to the place you will be posting the words. It is important to smooth down the material and get all the air bubbles out before cutting.

No cut file posted this time since everyone will have different ideas about what they want on their walls - I just wanted to show you another idea. (If you want to copy this exact phrase you can email me to send the file to you - contact info is in the right column at the top).

Have fun changing your walls to fit your mood!

Florida Vacation Title

Here is another title for a scrapbook page from our family vacation in Florida - maybe you could use it for your Florida vacation or change it by inserting the name of the place you visited instead of Florida. Be careful - the dots on the "i"s are small and you have to be sure to save them to stick to your page!

Fun in Florida

Words on the Walls

One of the first things I wanted to do after I got my Cricut was to cut adhesive vinyl and put words and decorations on the walls in my house. I was inspired by a post on the Cricut message board that I saw shortly after I started using my machine. The post was of a very colorful craft room done by Alene, known as "lovemypoodle" on the message board and words can't explain how cute it is - you just have to go to this post to check it out! L@@K my craft room with CRICUT cuts!!

I started off on a much smaller scale and just wanted to put a Christmas phrase on the beam between our kitchen and family room for the holidays. I used Plantin Schoolbook at 3 inches and cut the letters out of dark red "Wall Pops". "Wall Pops" is a brand of adhesive back vinyl that come in about a dozen colors in either 13 inch squares, 13 inch circles or rolls that are 6 1/2 inches by 16 feet. They are sold at wallpaper stores, college bookstores and many, but not all, Lowes stores. At Lowes the regular price is $9.99 for a pack of five squares or five circles or a roll. You can find out more about them and the colors available and sales locations at the Wall Pops website

Here is a photo of the beam with the words



I cut sections of the vinyl that were 12 inches long and stuck it to the left side of the mat and then navigated to the corner using the arrows around the cut button and pushed "set paper size." I had my blade depth at 4, the pressure and speed dials at medium. It cut beautifully - cleanly cutting the vinyl but leaving the backing pretty much intact so I could just peel the letters off and place them one by one. The holly at the end was something I had already cut from paper using the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge and since I didn't have a "Christmas" shade of Wall Pops green I used tape to stick those up at the end.

I have not tried other brands of vinyl yet, including the new Cricut vinyl, but there are many other brands and nearly any color you want is available somewhere. You do want to be careful to make sure that the vinyl has repositionable adhesive that won't damage your walls.

After the holidays, I carefully took the letters down and stored them on some old office page protectors so that I can use them next year. They seem to stay very sticky so I hope they'll be usable for several years before I'll need to cut more.



I didn't have Design Studio yet so I just used the regular Cricut system and had it on "paper saver" - I have read that others have been able to squeeze lots of letters in for their words by using Design Studio to lay them out - just keep track of the letters as you place them so you have enough of everything! Below is the "waste piece" from my new saying for the beam...



It is important to smooth the material down to the mat very well and to make sure that all the air bubbles are out so that you will get good cuts with no shifting - some people have actually used sandpaper to rough up the backing sheet and make it stick down better.

For the next saying I used the Alphalicious cartridge - also at 3 inches. It was a bit more challenging to get such a long saying up in a way that I liked but you can keep repositioning things until you approve of the result! Here are a few photos of my beam right now - it will change when I feel the need for something new (or maybe for another holiday).

close ups



and the whole thing...



Check out the Cricut message board to see lots of other examples of funny and nice things that people are putting on their walls.