Sharks

Where I live there is a competitive cheerleading group collectively called the "Sharks".  Many of my friends' children and my children's friends have or still do compete with various Shark squads.  A while back, I had a request from a friend to take a general "Sharks" logo and convert it into a cuttable file.  As always, I was happy to help a friend out.  I have actually created a couple of different files that I am sharing here.  One is the Logo using 2 Layers and the other is the Logo using 3 Layers. The difference in the 2 versus 3 layer is that the 3 layer has a dark blue SOLID base to the Shark, then the white "shadow" layer" to the lighter blue letters.  The two layer one is just the OUTLINE of the dark blue base.  There is no "white" layer - it is "cut out" of the dark blue outline base with the lighter blue "inlaid" in the middle, and as a result, it would need to be layed on white background paper to get the full logo effect.  I created both as I wasn't sure which my friend desired. The picture shown above shows the 3 layered file cut out and put together.

Rather then giving them to my friend and then leave them languishing on my computer, I figured I would share them here in hopes that someone else could find them useful.  If you do find a use for them I would love to see what you do with them.  They could be used to create a page about sharks, a shark exhibit, a trip to an aquarium, the beach ummm . . . not sure I want to see any at the beach myself however!  LOL

Download the Make the Cut Sharks Logo with 2 Layers here.

Download the Make the Cut  Sharks Logo with 3 Layers here.

OR, you can download the .svg files if you don't have MTC.  I also have this file type available because this is what my friend needed.  I created the orginal files using the Make The Cut software and then did a simple export of the files to save them as .svg files to share with my friend. 

Download the .svg Sharks Logo with 2 Layers here

Download the .svg Sharks Logo with 3 Layers here.


As always, thanks for stopping by.  If you ever need help creating a file, leave me a comment and I would be happy to try and help out if and when I can. It may be a few days before I respond however as I don't always get a chance to check my blog for comments on a daily basis.  Thanks for understanding.

Flowers Anyone? - Flowerpot Pocket or Slider Card

Yea, it is Finally Friday.  I have been under the weather all week and didn't make it into my craft room at all.  Didn't get much of anything done beyond the absolute have to's!!

As a result, I haven't gotten anything on the blog in a while either.  I had high hopes to do a better blogging job in the new year!  Not yet it would seem though!  LOL  I don't know if I will ever be an everyday blogger.  At least not while I still have children to drive from here to there!  LOL

I created these two files several weeks ago.  I got the pictures made and the files ready to share, just hadn't set down to get them actually posted on the blog.  These are my own personal files I have created from scratch using the Make the Cut software.  However, the IDEA is not mine.  I have seen diferent versions of these types of cards in a variety of places before.  BUT, what I had not seen was one where the card its self could actually stand up so that it could be displayed to look like what it is, a pot of flowers.  So, first I created the base card and then I modified the bottom of the base so that it could be "folded"  so that it would "stand" up.  I like it.  I hope you do too.  You can use it for a variety of sentiments, Get Well, Sympathy, Happy Birthday, etc. - anything where you might want to send someone some flowers!!

Both files will fit in a 5x7 envelope if you place your flowers properly!!  Use as many flowers as you want.  I have 3 on one card and 4 on the other it looks like. I added dimension to the circles with the swiss dots cuttlebug folder and inked the raised dots by swiping the ink pad across them gently.

You can put a piece of ribbon and a tag around your "pot" if you want, ink it,  or decorate the pot its self- use your imagination.

To create the regular "flat" fowerpot card - fold the base or "pot" in the center of the pot so that it is equal on both sides. Then fold the tops down and score at 1" on each side to create the lip or the rim of the pot. You can adhere the lip or rim of the pot to the pot or not to hold it down more flat (use glue dot, double stick tape, etc).

To create the Standing Flower pot card so that the receiver can stand it up like an actual pot of flowers, create a mountain fold in the center of the base pot so that it is equal on both sides, THEN score at the 1/2 inch on EACH side of the center fold and make these scores valley folds.

PLEASE NOTE:  the smaller STANDING file has had more "depth" added to the pot to allow for these extra folds to allow it to stand up.  You will not get the correct dimensions if you try this with the larger file.

I hope all of this makes sense. This is one of the reasons I hadn't yet posted the file.  I wanted to do detailed directions.  I'm not sure these are great, but hopefully everyone will understand them!!  LOL  If not, leave me a note and I will try to do a better job.

I am only sharing this in the Make the Cut (.mtc) file format as that is how I created my files to begin with.  The files have a couple of pages to them.  One page has a variety of different "flowers" I created using basic shapes.  Then I layered them to create my flowers. Since It's been a couple of weeks since I created the files, I don't recall what all is in them to tell you the truth!  LOL

I have had a couple of requests from people who do not have MTC but could use the file if it was in .svg format.  I'm sorry, but right now I have not created this as an .svg file.  There are a variety of reasons for this.  One being that even though I own both MTC and SCAL2 - I pretty much only use my MTC software anymore for a variety of reasons. The second being time.  It takes times to convert the file and test the cuts and make sure everything works like it should before sharing the file.  I NEVER share a file unless I have test cut it myself to make sure that it works as it is intended.  As a result, I haven't had time to convert the file to an .svg file.  I'm not saying that I won't - but right now I don't have time, sorry! As you can see from my blog - I don't have lots of time on my hands right now with 2 soon to be HS aged students and their sports!  LOL  Which is why I don't get to share a lot on my blog and it took weeks to get just the MTC file posted here!  Thanks for asking though and I do promise that it is on my to do list so check back by sometime and see if I ever get a chance to convert the file and test it to share. 

I would love to see any that you make and hear what you did with them.  Thanks for stopping by.

Download the Larger Flat Flowerpot Card here.

Download the Smaller but Standing Flowerpot Card here.

Gift Card Holders (With MTC files shared)

One of the challenges on the MTC forum Christmas Challenges was to create some gift card holders.  Well, I have quite a few different gift card holders already here on my blog.  However, when I started looking, it didn't look like I had any or very few using MTC so I decided to take on that Challenge.

The Challenge was to make 3 different gift card holders.  I did the traditonal standby Christmas Stocking, a "gift bag" that I turned into a "santa bag" and a simple tri-fold gift card holder.  The "bag" or "Santa belly bag" can be used as a simple shopping bag.  It is also big enough to hold the bigger Itunes gift cards - especially if you use something like the fur that I used at the top of the bag. I shared the files I created on the MTC forums before Christmas so, if you are a member there, you may have already downloaded my files.  If you aren't a member, I am putting them here for your use.

They are .mtc files only as I haven't converted them into any other format.  So little time and so much to do!!  LOL  Hopefully, someone can find a use for some of them.  As always, I would love to see what you do with them should you choose to use them for a gift!  Thanks for stopping by!!

You can download the Stocking Gift card holder here.

You can download the Santa Belly Bag gift card holder here.

You can download the tri-fold gift card holder here.

Rudolph Treat Box

This is another one of the Challenges from the MTC forums before the holidays.  a file was shared for a piece of cake or pie box.  The challenge was then to make it into an ornament or something else.  I made them to be filled with treats that could also be hung on the Christmas Tree.  My favorite one I made was Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  This is not my original idea.  I have seen it done several times before.  I just think he is cute!!  Google eyes and a red pom pom nose. The antlers are pipe cleaners and can be used to hang it on the tree.  Filled with small treats, it would make any child happy!!

Two Types of Slider Cards to Share

Just wanted to share these photos of a couple of "Slider Cards" I made for one of the Challenges at the MTC forum just before the holidays.  I don't have any files to share.  I think the cut files for each were shared on the MTC forum and you could find them there to use if you have the MTC software. I think the Santa was from the MTC gallery of files people have shared there. The stocking was one I still had in my stash that I had previously cut from a Cricut cartridge. Either type of card could also be used as a gift card holder. HO HO HO and the Merry Christmas were both $1 stamps. I spritzed the card for the first time and I added texture to Santa's beard using the swirl embossing folder.

If you don't have MTC, you can find directions for these types of cards in a variety of spots on the Web.  Simply google slider cards.  Thanks to those who shared the files and for the Challenges at MTC.  I enjoyed participating.  There were a lot more challenges to do then I got done.  I sitll have the list and hope to get some more of them done.

Easel Christmas Card - Print and Cut with Make the Cut and your Cricut

Andy, the awesome developer of the Make the Cut  (MTC) software released the official 3.2 version of MTC just before Christmas.  As I have said before, if you haven't checked out MTC you need to!!  With this latest release, you can do so much more like rhinestones, lattice work, words in a circle (or any other shape you desire!)  PLUS, you can now use your cricut to do Print and Cuts (or any other machine MTC now works with including the Cougar machine). MTC's print and cut will allow me to pull in ANY image that I want WITH Colors and TEXTURE, print it, or even break it into layers if I want and print those layers, change the colors and textures and so much more!!!  I simply need a cutter like my Cricut or my workhorse Cougar machine, a regular printer and the MTC software.  I already had all 3 sitting in my craft room so no new machine purchases needed for me and I'm limited only by my own imagination - not someone elses!!!  What more could a girl ask for!!  LOL

Here is a simple easel card using print and cut that I did for a Christmas Challenge.  I love the Mouse so I found this image pulled it into Make The Cut, printed it to my printer, then lined it up on my mat and then cut it out.  I changed some of the colors used even.  Notice the colors of his shoes - they should be yellow BUT here they are red!!  I haven't had time to really play around yet with this feature but hope to soon!!

 If you want to find out more about the Make The Cut software I would suggest that you go to the MTC forums to learn more.  There are also great tutorials and information out there from a variety of people.  Julie runs a MTC Tuts Yahoo group that you can sign up for and Rob from ScrappyDew has some great basics beginners videos.  You can download a trial of MTC at No Cost so you can give it a try before you buy and see if it is something for you.  I'm not selling - just a happy customer who thinks you will love all you can do with it to!

Happy Belated New Year!

Just wanted to say a Happy Belated New Year to everyone.  Hope everyone is on their way to recovery from the holidays and off to a Great New Year.  Sorry I haven't posted in a little while.  Sometimes I just don't have time to do all that I need to do much less that I want to do!!  LOL   I get very few comments that I sometimes wonder why bother and don't always come to my blog regularly.  But then, I see the over 100 followers even though I have never specifically asked any where  for any or given away "blog candy" to recruit followers so I figure somewhere some people do like what I share!  LOL Then, I see that some of my files have been downloaded hundreds of times so even more like my files!  LOL  So thanks to everyone who has "followed" me or felt one of my files was worth downloading.  I will try to do a better job.  I think I get so few comments because I don't "show" the comments in the blog its self as I figure most people don't want to plod through the comments.  However, I do appreciate those who take the time to leave them.

I do have some pictures of Christmas Projects I made from files shared by others on the Make The Cut Forum Christmas Challenges. I got most of them posted on that forum, but not here on my blog before the holidays.  I will only be sharing the pictures for most of those as they were from files I didn't make but were made by others and shared for the Challenges on MTC's forum.  I do have some however that are files that I made that I will be sharing.  Some were for Challenges at MTC and some are some I have worked on outside of that.   Thanks to everyone on the MTC forums for all you share everyday.  If you haven't checked out Make the Cut software yet I encourage you to do so soon.  You can do so much with it.  Thanks Andy for all the updates you have done on this program in it's first year!  It's simply the best!!

I will be posting the pictures and projects over the next several days as time permits.  We are having an unusually snowy winter so far for East TN.  My children are on their 2nd day out of school this week so far!  Not helping with me getting done those things I WANT to do LOL!!