The Gypsy is grouping my Design Studio files!

The update that was posted yesterday has made a lot of Gypsy users very happy! I spent some time this evening experimenting with the new possibilities and enjoying the results.  Here is a LINK to the message board post about the updates. You will need to download and install the Design Studio update and run the Gypsy Sync to update your gypsy.  Once you have the updated programs you will also need to update the firmware on your Cricut before you cut anything (you can do this from either your computer or the Gypsy).

I did have some difficulty with the Gypsy Sync giving me an error message "File string does not contain 4 parts" but, with some great help from Provo Craft, I was able to correct the problem.  I am using a Vista 64 bit computer.  If you are getting this message, you should look at the file names of your Gypsy files.  If there are any that have commas, do a "save as" and rename the file, eliminating the commas in the new name.  Then close the new file and delete the file that has commas.  Provo Craft is working on fixing the Sync software so soon this won't be necessary but it may help you until the fix is made.

I tried a few different things to test out the transferring and converting of files.  First, I went to a very old file that I made before it was possible to weld inside a frame (we had to "build" the frames from rectangles when Design Studio was first released).  This file was sized for the baby bug - at 5 1/2 inches square.

I saved the file as a ".gypsy" file in Design Studio (use the drop down menu at the bottom of the save screen to choose either ".cut" or ".gypsy").  Then I ran the Gypsy Sync and chose "upload files to Gypsy", browsed to the file and selected it and transferred it to my Gypsy.

When I first previewed the file on the Gypsy, the welds were not working correctly.  So I grouped the twelve elements of the design, working methodically around the design.  When the grouped design previewed correctly, I selected it, added a page to the file by tapping the plus sign at the top left of the screen (another new feature) and tapped the duplicate icon to add it to the new page.  Then I resized the frame to about 10 inches square, saved the file and went back to the Gypsy Sync.

In Gypsy Sync, I clicked on "Gypsy" and then "designs" in the left column - this brings up a list of all the files in the Gypsy in the right column.  I selected the file, clicked "Save Selected File(s) to PC," browsed to the folder where I wanted to save the file and saved.

The Gypsy multi page file does not currently remain a multi-page file when it moves to Design Studio so I had to copy and paste all of the elements of my newly enlarged frame to a new page in the Design Studio file.  The ability to group and resize on the Gypsy and then either cut from the Gypsy or move the file back to Design Studio is a great addition.

Next, I designed this pinwheel snowflake in Design Studio using the icon from A Child's Year.  The pinwheels are rotated at 60 degree intervals so I can not currently create this file with everything in one selection box and grouped in Design Studio.

I transferred the file to the Gypsy, grouped the elements of the design and then duplicated and resized the design.  I then could transfer the file back to Design Studio or cut directly from the Gypsy.

Here are my two pinwheel snowflakes on the mat after cutting.  It is so exciting to make the design once and then be able to duplicate and resize.  This is a very simple design but for some of the really complicated designs with many elements the Gypsy will be a great timesaver.

Just for fun, I layered the two cuts to see how they would look together.  This gave me an idea....but you will have to wait a day or two to see what I am going to try to do (!)

Be sure to read the release notes and check the Cricut Message Board for many helpful tips and hints from fellow Design Studio and Gypsy users.  There is a lot to explore and it just keeps getting better!

Dress ATCs (and a Gypsy Update)

 My second ATC swap group had the theme "Dress" for the month of October.  This group varies in size each month and there were six of us participating for this theme.

 I used paper from the DCWV "Crafty" stack.  This paper has a linen-like textured finish.  The designs have an old fashioned feel and many feature sewing motifs, including one with little scissors and one with sewing machines.  I bought this at Jo-Ann's a month or two ago and hadn't had a chance to use any of it until now.

I particularly liked the papers with buttons - there are a couple of colorways of the same design.  The lighter color background that I used for the base of the card was from a stripe on one of the 12 x 12 sheets.  The group of six ATCs was photographed on the button paper with a red background.

I added two layers of ribbon  layered on the button paper.  I then cut heavy watercolor paper to ATC size (2.5 x 3.5 inches) and sandwiched them together to hide the tails of the ribbons. I hand wrote the information on the backs.

The little "dresses" were made using the third from the smallest die from the large petite scalloped circles Nestabilities set.  I cut away wedges on each side, wrapped the "waist" with ribbon, and added Stickles across the "bodice."  The dresses are adhered with foam squares for a dimensional effect.

I have quite a collection of ATCs from the swaps I  have participated in - some are neatly organized in a binder in baseball card page protectors and some need a "home" beyond the box they are sitting in right now.  My friend Kay hosted this swap this month - she is a fabulously creative person and always makes incredible ATCs - and then puts us all to shame with her clever ways of saving and displaying the cards.  You should click this LINK to see the adorable book she made to hold this set.  Fair Warning - once you get started looking at Kay's blog you will have a hard time leaving - enjoy her work and leave her some comments!


On a completely different topic...I am not sure how many of the people who read my blog regularly also read the Cricut.com message board so I thought I would give you this update about the Gypsy that I posted to the message board last night.  If you don't read the message board - here is a LINK to the site. The Board is a great source of up to the minute information about all things Cricut and you can read without posting (lurk) if you are a shy person.

I hope that there will be at least a partial update to the Gypsy software available in the next few days but there are many factors that enter into the decision to release these updates.  I do believe that Provo Craft is moving ahead as quickly as they can to make the improvements needed and that they are keenly aware of the need to deliver the functionality that was expected to be available at the intitial release date.  Here is my post:

I wanted to let you all know that I had a lengthy conversation with several people from Provo Craft today, including Matt Strong who is the Director of Product Development.

We talked about many of the issues with the Gypsy and Design Studio, including the frustrations that many of us have been having with features that are not yet working.

Matt told me that all of the known welding issues have been fixed and they are still wrestling with the file transfer/compatibility between Gypsy and Design Studio.  Apparently it was working and then final testing revealed problems that they have been trying to resolve.  He said they have about 70% success with the transfer but want to have it working as perfectly as possible before releasing an update.

Fixing all of these problem is their #1 priority right now - he told me there were 12 people working on it and testing the fixes.

I strongly suggested that it would be a good idea to release an update with the welding fixes and other changes if the file transfer is not fully functional yet - this would show everyone that it is being worked on constantly.  I also stressed that communication is a key issue - if people know what is going on - even if a date certain for the release can't be given - it will go a long way to creating happier Gypsy users.

Matt said that the updates include other fixes including being able to move large groups of items more smoothly and to zoom while in preview - previews are also building much more quickly (one of the problems I have mentioned before).  There is also a completely new keyword database and better functionality in the search feature.

Some news that I am very excited about is that Matt confirmed that grouping will be added to Design Studio - the goal and intention is to have complete "design parity" between the two programs (so "hide selected contour" would be available on the Gypsy too)

I am going to be tied up teaching a class for the next couple of hours but I will come back to the board later this evening if you have more questions - I don't know if I can answer them all but I will collect them and communicate them to Matt and his team.

If I learn any more about the updates I will pass along the information.  Be sure to watch the message board for any official statements about the release of updates.  If you have problems or suggestions that you would like me to pass along, please leave a comment or send me an email at capadiadesigns@gmail.com and I will consolidate the requests and send them along to the Product Development team.

Easy Frames - Gypsy or Design Studio

 A quick and easy way to make a decorative frame for a scrapbook page or a card is to use a border from one of the many cartridges with prewelded border designs.  Some of the borders will work better than other so just experiment with some of your favorites.

 This screen shot shows the border I used for the daisy frame.  This border is one of the many lovely borders on the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge.  Below is a screen shot of the border as it appears directly from the cartridge proportionately sized to 11 inches wide.

The height is too tall for the frame effect I wanted so I adjusted the height to 2 inches, as shown below.

 

On the Gypsy you need to deselect the "chain" between the words height and width (yellow when "on" to preserve the proportions and black and white when "off"). This enables you to set the exact height and width you want.  In Design Studio, you use the "handle"  in the lower right corner of the selection box to proportionally size the border.  If you want to set specific width and height just enter the numbers in the Shape Properties box and press "enter" on your keyboard or click on the mat.

This screen shot shows the two together so you can easily see the difference.

Once you have the border adjusted to your preferred size, simply copy and paste (or duplicate) three times, rotate the three additional borders 90, 180 and 270 degrees (which will appear as -90 in both Design Studio and on the Gypsy) and fit them together into a nice frame.

 Here is another example, also using a border from Gypsy Wanderings.

For this frame I used the border design highlighted on the keypad above.

The design at eleven inches wide with no alteration is just over 5 inches tall - much too wide for a frame.

I adjusted the height to 1.5 inches, copied and  pasted (in Design Studio) or duplicated (on the Gypsy), rotated and welded and created a simple and fast frame for a 12 x 12 page.

Here is another view of the same frame - I cut it from double sided paper which gave me two different "looks" to choose between.

To make a similar frame for a card you would simply use sizes that would fit your intended card size.  A few other cartridges with border designs you might want to try are Storybook, Life is a Beach, Celebrations, Doodlecharms, Mickey and Friends, Paper Pups, Sports Mania, and Stand and Salute.

(The drive home went well but I am exhausted with a bit of a sore throat and stuffy nose so it will be early to bed for me...)

Sneak peek at another card

I'll be heading back to Massachusetts tomorrow - it was nice to have a few days with my Dad.  He will be 85 next month so I'll be back for the party!  We will have a reunion with all of my siblings (four of us from four states).

I designed and cut this card before I left - I thought I might have a chance to do a video explaining it while I was away but we had too many other things to do (including a lively backgammon session - Dad won hands down!).

The card was made with the Gypsy and the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge but you can apply the same idea to another card form and pumpkin/jack o'lantern combination.

Whether you use Design Studio or the Gypsy, you will be able to cut all of your card pieces and layers at once as you can see on this photo of the mat - before cutting (above) and after ""weeding" (below).

I added a couple of extra pumpkins and tags to fill the space and use up the paper - they will be used in other projects.

Here is a picture of the open card - I did not add any embellishing before I left (I wanted to think it over a bit...).

Once I get home tomorrow I will be staying in one place for a while - I am really looking forward to that!  My apologies if you have sent a question or comment and haven't had an answer yet - I do intend to catch up once I get back into a normal routine.

(Now I have to get some sleep before the long drive tomorrow)

Smile Card for Design Studio

At the beginning of this month, I posted my first card made using the Gypsy (here is a LINK to the post). I used the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge to create the card.  Several people asked if I could share the file or recreate it in Design Studio.

I could recreate the file in Design Studio but, unless you have a Gypsy, you would not be able to cut the file since the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge is an electronic cartridge and is exclusive to the Gypsy.  In fact, until the transferring of files between Design Studio and the Gypsy is sorted out, you wouldn't be able to cut the file at all.

I made a Design Studio file using Accent Essentials and Base Camp.  Above you can see the preview of the card.

The base of the card uses a frame and the blackout of the frame from Accent Essentials.  I made the word art using Base Camp and a flower from Accent Essentials - the look is similar but not identical to the Gypsy Wanderings word art.  The shadow version of the letters is welded into the frame.

I then created a matching top layer using the plain version of the font.  I altered the size and shape of most of the letters to suit the project.  There is an extra page in the file with the "Smile" top layer unwelded - this is just for preview purposes and should not be cut.

Since I am at my Dad's and don't have a Cricut here with me I am doing something I have never done before - I am sharing the file without cutting it to test it first(!)  I'd really appreciate hearing from you if you download the file and cut it.  It previews fine, but try it on your "not-so-favorite" paper if you want to be sure before you make your final version.

I will try cutting the file when I get home, but I didn't want the people who have been asking me for this to have to wait any longer.

Smile Card for Design Studio

One other note - Several people who subscribe to my blog have contacted me to say that the morning emails are appearing garbled with words on top of photos.  I have a "test subscription" to my Verizon account which I look at on a Mac (using Safari).  There has not been a problem there.  I don't know if the problem might be caused by the browser that people are using or different computer setups...interestingly enough, when the emails telling me that they are having trouble have arrived and the original message is quoted - it appears correctly (I use Firefox on my laptop).  
If you are having trouble, perhaps you could try viewing the email through a different browser.  You could also "follow" instead of subscribe, but that would not solve the email problem.  I wish I had an explanation with a definite solution - I will try to find out more once I am back home again and let you know if there is a way to make the email look "right" again.  I don't actually send the emails from my computer - they are sent by Feedburner automatically to anyone who subscribes and confirms their subscription.  Thanks.

Hope Card

Once again, I am on my way out the door for a quick trip.  Our son was home for a short visit and I am taking him back to New Jersey and then going on to visit my Dad.  I am not sure how long the trip will take so I wanted to get my blog post up before I go in case I get to Dad's very late.

I do not have the Pink Journey cartridge that comes with the Pink Expression at Michael's - I just couldn't justify buying yet another machine to get the exclusive cartridge.  I am hoping that this cartridge will be released for general sale at some time in the future.

Here is an idea for a card with a similar theme that I made with the Gypsy.  The Gypsy Wanderings cartridge has a word art feature with lots of beautiful combinations of words and shapes.  I used two corners from this cartridge to create the frame and then welded the word art with them for a simple card topper.  The cut was then adhered to an A2 card base (half of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock).

If you don't have the Gypsy, you could create something similar in Design Studio using cartridges you have to created your own word art and frame.  I will try to put together a file that I can share for a card like this.  I hope that soon we will have the ability to share Gypsy files - I have quite a few of them "trapped" in my Gypsy right now(!)

I hope you all are having a nice long weekend (if you have a Columbus Day holiday).  Here is one more photo of this card - of course there were Stickles involved!

My first Gypsy card (and the Spirelli files)

I made this card yesterday using the Gypsy - all of the elements I used are from the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge (one of the two exclusive cartridges that come pre-loaded on the Gypsy).

The software update that will enable transferring and sharing Gypsy files is not available yet so today I tried making a video to explain how to make the card. It is rather long (I went into a lot of detail!) so I couldn't put it on You Tube. Here is a LINK to my newly created Flip Channel where you can watch the video. Enter the email capadiadesigns@gmail.com and "gypsy" for the password.

Please let me know if this video is helpful - I will try to do some more for new Gypsy owners.



I did have several requests to share the files I used for the Spirelli designs that I posted yesterday. I have uploaded three files to 4shared - here are the links (all of the files are made with Accent Essentials and set up for a 12 x 12 mat)

32 petal flower spirelli shape

32 point circle spirelli shape

32 slot circle spirelli shape

On the way to Italy...

If you read my blog regularly, you probably remember that I was trying to decide what to do about my daily blog posts while we are on vacation in Italy. I made a resolution to post at least once every day in 2009 and the record is unbroken so far. I have set up something that I hope will be fun for you -with a little luck this will work (!)

So my clue from yesterday's post - AFADWIAA - means "A File A Day While I Am Away" (don't ask me how to pronounce it). All you need to play along is any Cricut machine, Design Studio and the "Wedding" Cricut Solutions cartridge.



This screen shot shows the single element we will be using - in a variety of combinations and using some Design Studio magic to get completely different looks.

Here is the element cut out in a size suitable for an A2 card.

I will be back on the 28th of September (and I will be trying to check in with a few posts from the road with my Gypsy) so there will be a total of 12 files. I will post the first one today just to get things going.

The posts are short and sweet with a photo and the file each day. I have used solid cardstock and no embellishments for the test cuts - consider these a base to begin your own creations. I'd love to see what you make - especially if you complete the whole series.

Don't forget to watch the Cricut Gypsy World Launch on HSN on September 24th.
It starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern (that will be 6:01 a.m. in Italy - maybe I will be able to see it online).

Here is variation #1 - just a few hidden contours.

A File A Day - Card 1

Some nice things that happened today...

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I am about to leave on a long anticipated vacation. My husband and I will be going to Italy to visit some friends and do some site seeing (and of course I'll be taking lots of photos). Visiting friends - both old and new - is one of my favorite things to do. Today I got to meet an internet friend who has also been a student in the Design Studio classes Jen and I teach through our Let me Show you How to Do that blog.

Pam and her husband are here in Concord on a visit from California - Pam's first time to this part of the country. They invited me to join them for breakfast and it was so much fun to meet the real person behind the computer connection! After breakfast and a quick tour of town to point out a few restaurants that would be good places for dinner, they dropped me back at my house and went off to check out all of the historic sites in our area. Of course we needed photographic evidence of the visit and Pam said it was fine to share these photos - just ignore my wild hair - it was not a "good hair" day!

When I got back to my house there was something waiting for me on my front porch - can you guess what it was? It's something that will be great to take with me on vacation....


Yes - it's a Gypsy - thanks so much to Provo Craft for sending this to me to preview, review and share with you. I've just started to work with it but I can already see that it will be a great way to pass the time on the transatlantic flight - and so light and easy to carry along.



This photo shows all of the contents of the box. The carrying sleeve is really bright and colorful. I think the color scheme of orange, yellow and pink that was chosen for the Gypsy is a perfect fit for a new and innovative product.

I know everyone is eager to know more about the "nitty gritty" details and I am in the process of writing up my initial review for the Cutting Above blog. Remember, you can enter to win one of the two free Gypsies that ProvoCraft has provided to celebrate the launch of the Cutting Above blog and the Cricut Gypsy World Launch on HSN on September 24th.

I will be posting a few times from my vacation (when I have internet availability). I will let you know how I am getting along with my new "G." I have the idea that I could be making scrapbook page titles as I visit places and then be a few steps ahead of the game when I get home and print my pictures. So watch for a few photos of me "crafting on the go" - you can guess "Where's Gypsy?" (look for landmarks).

I have one other surprise in store for you - can you guess what AFADWIAA stands for?

I'll tell you tomorrow...