My project

I told you I would post more about my project, I plan to journal my Cricut shapes. This is mainly for my own sense of it all. I was so new to Cricut system, still am, although I have two of them. I have to say I really love them. I have heard a lot of talk on the groups and boards about the Design Studio and the SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) and am sure that will be in my investment future. From everything I gather from the talk, it will be a lot like getting the converter box for my embroidery machine.

In the mean time, I want to share with you my little project. I started with the 8 x 8 inch squares of white card stock and then started using the Cricut. The most helpful place for how to information on the Cricut has to be YouTube. That place is incredible. At any rate, I took the advice and just played with it. On my camping trip I took the Cricut Personal Cutter, or the smaller one. It travelled really well and for what I was needing, the size limit was not an issue.

I used my newest cartridge, Stretch Your Imagination, which in my opinion is the best one for a beginner as it has so many shapes to choose from. First there is the four seasons, shapes to go with each season, a card feature, card frame feature, basic tags, and an awesome silhouette function. I know that each cartridge has different creative functions and that several have the silhouette function, but this cartridge, Stretch Your Imagination, has the best for this beginner. I figured that the 2 inch size would be a good middle of the road size to just see what it does. While it did save paper a bit, I have decided to do the rest in the 3 inch size. Like the details a better in the larger size. At any rate, here is examples of what I am doing.

This is Summer. I won't fill up the blog with all the photos, but this will give you some idea. These are done in 2 inch size. The ice cream cone is a great example though of the different creative function. First is the ice cream cone. Then is what is cut in the "layer" function, would be great for making scoops of different flavors (colors) on the same cone. Next is the great "silhouette" function, this just cuts just the outline of the object. Next is the "shadow" function which gives you just that, a shadow, for you to layer under the image. It is a bit larger and rounder than the image itself. Also, is the "blackout" function which only cuts the shape with no details or scoring of details.

See the palm trees, that is the "stretch" part, it is done by using the "shift" key. Kind of lame in some of the objects, but can see some whimsical possibilities in the others. For example, the ice cream cone stretches to make a cone with six scoops in a Dr. Seuss style version. However, the snowflake cut when stretched is a string of various snowflakes. I see holiday cards coming with that one.

The next little project I came up with was to catalog my punches. These are the very few borders I have. Just three, but I am ordering more, it just happens that these were the only one available to me, from 4 different stores. The first is a scallop that can emboss as well. There is a detailed embossing underneath the scallop, but it just doesn't show up in the photo, nor in person either. While it is a dainty look, I feel it is limited. Next is a great zigzag dot that was the only one on the shelf, and in the wrong spot. Cool thing is, a couple of tiny snips and the strip is off making the zigzag the outer edge. The third one is one I see lots of possibility with and know that I will use it often. It is for threading ribbon through.

Now, the next set of samples I made was for my set of smaller punches. Shapes, corners, and I also used some of the cut out portions to show that they can possibly be used for something along the way as well.

I guess you can probably tell by now that I am really tight with my supplies. It is something that I have always done, basically a pack rat, but it goes back to some psychological need to keep what is mine. I think the shrink my parents took me to decided it was my way of compensating for not knowing the real me. Who knows. At any rate, I drive people around me batty with keeping everything. Must get it from my mom as I think she still has every rubber band from every paper and ever twist tie from every loaf of bread we ever had. Some of those baggies have been washed out for at least 5 years. I marked one once and it is still there. I am too lazy to wash out the baggies or fold up the still clean aluminum foil, but will buy a box of baggies just to put one each scraps and squares of paper in, might need them. Imagine my joy when I heard that there are people that create and trade inches.

At any rate, this is a short version of my little journal projects. Oh my, wait until I pull out the new Sizzix sets I bought, along with the texture embossing set.

I had a really long day today, first day back after a couple of days off and it was a lot of catch up. I am beat so going to do a little more playing tonight and catch up on some emails. Check back to what is next.