Love Corner Flourish

Here is the little design you saw sitting on the scalloped square page in my post a couple of days ago (here is a LINK to that post).



I made this a long time ago and discovered it as I was trying to "clean up" my folders of .cut files. I have a habit of doing a "save as" at various stages as I design something complicated in case the file suddenly corrupts (so I don't lose all my work) and, once the files are completed, I should be deleting these backup files. However, I usually get interested in the next project or idea and end up just leave them all sitting around - so every so often I spend some time reorganizing the "projects" folder and find little things that have been overlooked!



I designed this as a corner ornament for a scrapbook page - I did a few test cuts in both red and pink which you can see in the photos above and below. It is interesting to see how various color combinations can give a very different "feel" to the design.



I haven't used my Cricut markers for ages so I decided to get them out and use the red to outline this cut on pink. I usually do the cut first and then, without removing the mat from the machine, take out the blade housing, put in the marker and repeat the cut. If you use the marker first, be sure to let the ink dry a bit before you cut so the paper does not tear.

Below you can see the design on the mat after cutting and drawing with the marker.



You can actually use the markers to simply draw on your paper and skip the cutting - this creates interesting custom papers for your layouts or cards. I this case, I positioned the design in the upper portion of the mat so it could be cut with the baby bug and I would need to move it lower on the page to use it as a corner drawing.



Above you can see the cut after it was removed from the mat - it will fit on a 5 x 7 card if you tilt it into a "V" shape. The markers add a nice outline around the entire design, giving it better definition and a bit of dimension. Below you can see the comparison between a plain cut and a cut with the markers used as a second step.



Designs like this can be difficult to shadow in Design Studio if each element does not have a shadow option on the cartridge. One way to get around this is with a "faux" shadow. Cut the design twice in two different colors and then layer the two cuts, offsetting them a bit. The shadow this produces is not an outline shadow but more like the shadow from a light source and can be quite effective as you can see in the photo below.



I haven't actually finished the cards or layout but have simply taken photos so you can see the relative size of the cuts. I'd love to see a finished project you make using this design.

Love Corner Flourish

Sticking Down Delicate Cuts

First I want to say that the "love in a heart" design above was created by "Carrie" and I got the file from the Cricut Softcuts Blog (be sure to check this out - see the link in the right column). I don't know her last name but want to be sure to give her credit for it! I loved the design and wanted to use it for a Valentine's Day project but I needed a shadow for it. The open heart is from Accent Essentials and does not have a blackout type shadow so I designed one by skewing and tweaking a George heart. Carrie's original design and the blackout background file are available here.

Love in a Heart - Shadowed

I did four shadows on page two and the original design is on page one - since we can't group and copy the elements of the designs with the current version of the software, I just cut one at a time and then rotated and restuck my paper to the mat to have an uncut area in the correct position for the next cut.

But back to the reason I started this post...

I don't like to see a delicate cut that looks messy because the design is not completely stuck down or the adhesive oozes out to the front of the design. I have found that the best solution for sticking down small cuts is the Creative Memories Precision Point Adhesive pen. I like the control you have with a pen style applicator. I believe there are other similar pens on the market but I have not tested them (as a CM consultant I got one of these when they first came out, loved it and didn't need to research any other types!)

When using this type of adhesive I have found that it is important to apply a small amount on every line of the design. When the adhesive goes on it is a milky white color. It is very important to let the cut "rest" with the adhesive on it until the adhesive turns shiny and clear. Then, and only then, you can turn it over and apply to your page or card with no risk of goopy adhesive appearing on your work.

Here is how it looks when you first apply the adhesive


Here is how it looks when it is ready to stick to your project



I know this was a bit of a digression from posting my files but I thought it might be helpful - especially for anyone using a cut like my cakestand borders!