Scalloped Lace Square

This beautiful lace can be found on the Mother's Day mini cartridge.  The image on the cartridge has plain  edges.  A friend from the Cricut Message Board was have difficulty trying to add the scalloped edge. I put together a file and thought it would probably be helpful to others to show how to do this.  Remember, you can click on any of the images to see  a larger view.

The scalloped edge can be created quickly if you start with this element on the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.  Start with the size at 1 inch (the smallest that can be set on the slider bar).

The lower image shows the shape as it is entered from the cartridge.  You need to switch your mat size to 12 x 24 in the program to allow enough space to add three of these in one selection box.

 

Here are the three sections as they will appear on the larger mat.

  

Use the nudge arrows to move the second and third sections to the left and overlap the scallops.  Be sure to check weld while the border is selected.

Then resize the border using the handle in the lower right to keep it in proportion.  After you have created the border you can copy and paste it three times, rotating each side to create a scalloped frame.

Pay attention to the corners to be sure that they are evenly aligned.

Once you have formed the frame preview the file - it will look like this.  If you want to create a blackout version of the design you can add a square to the center of the frame.  Be sure to check weld on the square.

If you add the square after the frame is complete and preview you will see something like this.  The weld is not working correctly but you can quickly fix it by copying, deleting and pasting back one of the borders.

This is how the correctly welded shape will appear in preview.  If you place three sides, then the square and then the fourth side border you will not need to "burp" the frame.

This is the lovely lace image on the Mother's Day cartridge.  

The same principle applies to adding the lace square inside the frame.  If you add it when the frame is complete you will need to "burp" the frame again.

After "burping" your framed lace will look like this.

I made a test cut of the design using this paper from SEI.  The Michael's store near me had it on sale for $4.00.  The paper is called Madeline and has lovely soft colors and lots of shimmer.  There is also some solid cardstock in the stack.

After cutting the lace, the outer edge of your 12 x 12 sheet of paper will look like this.  Notice that the sides are slightly uneven - this is due to the small discrepancy in the accuracy of placing the mat into the rollers.  Even though your cut is perfectly centered on the computer screen it will usually be a bit off center.

If you trim a little sliver (about 1/8 of an inch) from the two fatter sides you can use the frame on a plain 12 x 12 for another layout.

The full frame on a dark gray page from the stack.

Here is a closer view of the corner.

 

The paper has a beautiful sheen but it is tricky to photograph.

 

The background color makes a big difference in the overall look.

You can even layer the cut on a tiny overall print - this one is also from the same stack.

You could use the frame and the lace to make a two page layout.

This photo shows the shine of the paper a bit more clearly.

If you have welds that don't work out the way you pictured them you should always stop and think whether you may need to rebuild the design or "burp" a frame.  The order in which the elements are added to a design can make a difference in the final results. 

Scalloped Lace Full Page

Mysteriously and miraculously my computer decided to recognize my Cricut again today so that was a big relief!  I restarted the computer several times yesterday with no luck, but today when I turned on the computer and plugged in the mouse all was well - go figure!  Thanks for all of the help suggestions.

Another Easy Background - Doodlecharms Hearts

I hope you enjoyed all of the Thursday Sweet Treats Team projects on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot- it is an honor to be on a team with such a talented group - and we are just getting started.  I told you that I did a lot of projects with Doodlecharms so I will share those over the next week or so.

Today I have a quick explanation about how I made this heart mesh background using my quick and easy method (I posted a winter snowflake version HERE a few weeks ago).

The Doodlecharms cartridge has a border feature which is very handy for projects like this.  Here you can see the key for the image set I chose highlighted. 

The element is the group of three hearts.  I made a row of four sets and adjusted the size and placement to about eleven inches set in one half inch from the mat edge. 

I copied and pasted  and repositioned rows of hearts to neatly fill up the center of the mat.  When you load the mat to cut the design your machine load may be a bit off (the "human factor") and the calibration tends to be off up to one sixteenth of an inch.  You can do a test cut to determine the small offset needed to perfectly center the group of designs - this will vary from one machine to another and is also affected by the amount of pressure you use when you load your mat).

Here you can see the full mat.  By copying and pasting and simply "sliding " the new images into position using the "vertical move" handle (top center) you can quickly make a perfectly spaced design.

There is an extra page with a 12 x 12 square for previewing the design and trying out various color combinations.

When you lift the mesh from the mat you will have dozens of hearts in three sizes.  It is best to lift the cut slowly and on an angle (peel it back from a corner across the mat).

These cute little hearts will certainly find a home on another project!  Here is the download link for the file.

Heart Pierced Background

One new cartridge was officially announced in the "Hello Thursday" email from Cricut.  It is called "Once Upon a Princess" and it is full of cute images and more 3D items - including a castle fit for a princess!  If you are not signed up to receive emails from Cricut you should definitely get on the list so you will receive these announcements and the weekly newsletter, "The Chirp."

Here is a LINK to the product information page with more information and images and HERE is a link to the PDF of the full booklet.  This is yet another "cute" cartridge - some people will be crazy about it but I suspect that a lot of others will be able to resist.

My blogging friends Joy, Tammy and Melanie are holding a blog hop showcasing this new cartridge.  Click HERE to go to Holidays with the Cricut and then visit each of their blogs for some fun and inspiration (and a chance to win some great prizes).

The Craft and Hobby Association show starts tomorrow - I can't wait to hear all about the new products!


(Our son arrived home from San Francisco safe and sound and the flight was actually early!  We have a lot to do tomorrow to get ready to drive back to college on Saturday - keep your fingers crossed for good weather!)

A Couple of Gypsy Meshes

 

 I created and cut some more mesh designs on the Gypsy today.  The border feature on the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge is very useful for making mesh pages since there are groups of shapes already welded together.For this one I used the butterflies and rotated the second and the fourth rows 180 degrees.

 

I filled in a few open areas with some single daisy flowers.  I used double sided cardstock so I had a choice of colors when the cut was finished.

I also tried a mesh of open hearts - this one was made by welding together a row of six hearts and then duplicating and repeating the rows to fill the page (adjusting the size for a good fit on the full page).

This inexpensive plastic putty knife from the hardware store is such a big help in lifting these designs from the mat.  If you are careful, you can lift the entire design and it will already be "weeded."

There is virtually no waste in the design since you will be able to use the 42 heart cuts from the interiors of the hearts for other projects.  The little "arrowhead" shapes from between the hearts can also be saved and reused.

I am still finding that it takes a very long time to preview and cut one of these full page designs and I think I may contact Customer Service next week to see if this is "normal" for the Gypsy.  I timed the cut of the butterfly mesh and, from the time I first tapped the blade icon to cut, it took nearly half an hour to complete the cut.  First the design turns from red to pale gray, one object at a time, then the cutting screen appears so I can load the mat, then there is a very long lag (over eight minutes) while the information is transferred to the Cricut and then the design cuts.

 

The final result was a nice even cut - it could be that I need to reset my Gypsy or that the slow processing will be addressed in a future update.

We went into Boston tonight to pick up our younger son and his girlfriend from the bus.  He is home for a very quick visit and then I will drive him back to New Jersey on Sunday - Columbus Day is not a holiday for his school.  I took the Gypsy with me and did some designing in the car.  At first I didn't think I needed the portability and "design on the go" capabilities of the Gypsy but I am finding that it is really nice to have it along to fill the time when you are waiting.

(and I really like the two preloaded cartridges!)

Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out the winner of the Ribbon Box or the ScrapMaBob - this lucky person will then be entered in the giveaway for the Workbox - with a one in ten chance of winning - good luck to all who entered!

Intricate design with Gelly Pens

Here is my latest project using the cricutGelly pens. The gelly pens are great for drawing intricate designs. The aluminum pen holder fits in the blade carriage perfectly and holds the pens at the correct height for drawing the lines of your design. To see more of my gelly pen projects you can click this LINK for prior posts and my original review of these pens.



The design was made using elements from the Ashlyn's Alphabet cartridge. There are a lot of nice icons and designs in addition to the fonts on this cartridge. The finished design reminds me of the fancy ironwork on the gates to a stately home in England.

Of course, you can also cut the design with the regular Cricut blade. Here is a "sneak peek" at the cut version of the design. If you would like to see more pictures and read about this design visit the Scrappy-Go-Lucky blog.


The .cut file is available to download from the Scrappy-Go-Lucky blog.

PLEASE NOTE - There is a temporary problem with the download link on the Scrappy-Go-Lucky blog. Please be patient, I know they will have it up and running again soon but it is now late at night in Australia, so check back tomorrow - Thanks!
(note added 11:30 a.m. EDT September 7th)

We had beautiful weather here in Massachusetts today but it is definitely getting chillier! Fall is quickly arriving and the leaves are just starting to turn colors. I hope you have a great Labor Day holiday tomorrow.

Baby Bug Fleur-de-lis Mesh (by request)

I posted a full page version of this fleur-de-lis mesh a few days ago. I sometimes do meshes in both full page size and a baby bug size but I created the full page and stopped with that on this design. There was a comment from a reader who has the baby bug and that made me realize that I hadn't done a smaller version - so here it is!



I decided to do my test cut using a busier patterned paper this time. The paper is two sided so it gives me a couple of options.



The cut worked out perfectly - here is the center on the mat after I removed the border.



Here is the border cut after I took it off the mat - the patterned paper makes it even more interesting.



This is the opposite side of the paper - a much more subtle gray design instead of the bold flowers.



Here is the full cut on the bold patterned side...



and on the more monochromatic side.



Once again there are some unusual "leftovers" on the mat.



Above and below are two more views of the mesh design on each side.



I was interested to see how a large patterned paper would work with the cut but I ended up really liking the softer more monochromatic side - particularly when I layered it on another background paper with a design in shades of gray.



I think this would make a lovely background for a page - I am just looking around for the right photos.

Fleur-de-lis Mesh (Baby Bug Size)