ProvoCraft Celebrates their 100th Cartridge Release

Hello.  Just a quick note to say Congratulations to ProvoCraft for their 100th Cricut Cartridge Release. Winter Woodland is their 100th cartridge! They are celebrating by giving away 100 cartridges over the next few weeks.  How exciting!  The good news for me (and PC) is that I have almost all of those 100 and am eagerly awaiting the next 100!  LOL  Of course, having purchased the original baby bug right after it was first released I have had over 3 1/2 years to amass my collection!!  LOL

To see all 100 of the cartridges presently available you can go to the Cricut Product page here:
http://www.cricut.com/shopping/productList.aspx?sc=2

What is your favorite?  I don't have one favorite - I love them all!!!

Halloween is "Brewing" - SCAL file

Here is an image of a witch brewing her potions in her caldrun.  You will need SCAL to IMPORT the .svg file  for cutting with your cricut or you can OPEN the .scut file directly with SCAL.  I used SCAL 1 to create the .scut file.

You can download the .svg file of the witch and caldrun here.  You can download the .scut file of the witch and caldrun here.

Note:  .svg and .scut files will not work with DS.  You must have SCAL 1 or 2 to work with these files.  Any size bug can be used to cut it out.

"Pencil Box" created with Design Studio, Plantin Schoolbook and Expression Machine

Okay, I admit it. I like to create "boxes". This "Pencil Box" was created after unloading some pencils from a box bottom. There was only the bottom, not a top. I thought, ooh - that would make a cute box and would be so easy to do! So, here it is. Due to its size, you will need the Expression Machine which is why I used the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge to create it. Even with the 12x12 mat, I had to alter the design from the orginal box a little. They had "extra" end flaps on the ends that folded back over for extra support. I have not marked or "ticked' the score lines, I think that is obvious. If you have problems with it, let me know.

It would make a great "pencil box", treat box, or simply a little rectangular gift box. You decide what to use it for. If you download the file and use it, please send me a picture(s) of what you did with it. I'll even post your pics to show off your work! I like seeing my work put into "action" by others! Of course, I think many of you are more like me, a "collector" of other people's .cut, .scut and .svg files for that "just in case" moment in the future. LOL - its okay to admit it - I have!! LOL

You can download the Pencil Box .cut file here.

Note that the file contains two pages for the "top" of the box. One Top page is a solid top, simply cut and assemble. The second Top page has an oval cut out so you can "see" into the box. Just choose which Box Top you want to use and cut 1. If you use the Oval cut out, the 3rd page has the oval enlarged to cut from transparency (or contrasting or coordinating paper) so that you can adhere it inside the box top easily. You could always find a different shape and replace the oval with one you like - the sky's the limit - or maybe that should be your designs on your cartridges are your only limits! LOL

Note: this file is a .cut file created with DS.  It will not work with SCAL.  It requires Plantin Schoolbook and the Expression. Thanks for stopping by!

Some Simple and Quick Birthday Cards

My DD and I made a lot of simple cards that we gave to my mother-in-law at Christmas for her to use to send out to friends and family. She recently mentioned that she needed "more" birthday ones as she had sent out the last one! LOL So, I went to work making some quick and simple cards. I used card bases that I had previously purchased. Some were plain white, others had a design already on the front that I "added" to. Here are a few samples of some of those cards.

The first card used a plain white base, cut a piece of "dotted paper" to fit and applied to the front of the card. Then added a cupcake cut from A Child's Year to it and used stickles on the cupcake and around the edge of the dotted paper. Inside it says "Happy Birthday Cupcake."

The second card also used a plain white base, cut a piece of paper with different types of ice cream (including a popcicle on it, used a marker to "outline" the edges (Be careful when you do this - I used one that "bled" through to the inside top of the card and so I then used an inside liner paper to cover that up!). The popcicle cut was cut from the Doodlecharms cartridge (I think!). I added some marker around its edges and some stickles to it. The small blue oval was cut out for the "saying" I wanted on the front which is "how old would you be if you didn't know how old you were." I lked that as most of us remember having popcicles as children. Inside it simply says Happy Birthday.

The third card had "birthday" grettings all over the front of the card already. So, I simply added the silhouette cut of 3 children playing together from A Child's Year cartridge to the front of the card and inside again used the stamp that said "how old would you be if you didn't know how old you were."

3 simple but quick birthday cards. Hope someone likes them! I do these "simple" because I figure they are "looked at" and then tossed so I don't put a lot of work into them!

Halloween Cards

Here are a couple of Halloween cards. Both of them used the A Child's Year cartridge to cut out the base and the "topper" (the orange piece with the border edge). On one, I used the Frankenstein head I created as an .svg file from a scroll saw pattern and the "Happy Halloween" is one of the $1 stamps. I added "wiggly" eyes. See Frankenstein post below for the .svg or .scut file for Frankenstein's head. Remember, you must have SCAL to use .svg files and you must IMPORT them into SCAL not OPEN. DS (Design Studio) cannot use .svg files or .scut files.

The First card says "Have a Mice Halloween" and has 3 House Mouse. The saying and all 3 Mice in Costume came from a set of clear stamps I found on clearance at HL! I used my Copic Markers to color them in. I wish I had "popped" them off the card with pop dots to add some dimension. These were just some simple cards that I did "playing" around with my new cartridge A Child's Year, the Frankenstein Head .svg file I created, some House Mouse stamps and my Copic Markers.

Remember, you can click on the photos to see a larger image!

Halloween - Frankenstein Head .svg file to share

Here is an .svg file of a Frankenstein head. This is one of the images that I found in the scroll saw magazine that I thought would make a cute cricut die cut! I again scanned the image into my computer from the "pattern" provided in the magazine and saved it in an appropriate format like .jpeg, .tiff, or gif. I then imported it into Inkscape and converted it into an .svg file and "broke apart" the different parts for cutting in different colors with the cricut.



Here on this sample I have added in the "whites" of the eyes with a white pen and drawn in the stitch line on his forehead and his mouth. You can Download the Frankenstein .svg file here. You can Download the Frankenstein .scut file for SCAL 1 here. You can Download the Frankenstein .scut file for SCAL 2 here.



Remember, you IMPORT an .svg file into SCAL. You simply open a .scut file in either SCAL 1 or SCAL 2 as created in. You cannot use an .svg file or .scut file with Design Studio (DS). I apologize to all my DS using friends but it is just so much easier to recreate an image in SCAL then in DS at this time! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Halloween - Witchy Footwear Card for SCAL 2 OR NOW File for DS too!

Hello. We have 2 month until Halloween. "Witch" means its time to be making those Halloween cards!! I had purchased the Sept/Oct 2009 copy of PaperCrafting Magazine. It has several cute card ideas in it. One is a "Witchy Footwear Card" designed by Kim Hughes.

I liked the card but of course wanted to be able to cut out multiple of the cards with my Cricut. So, with the help of my scanner, computer, Inkscape and SCAL 2, I downloaded the pattern for the Witches Boot, created an .svg file with Inkscape and imported it into SCAL 2. Since the "card" requires a "front and back" to it and the pattern only had 1 side of 1 boot, I had to copy it and then flip it and then attempt to weld it. Well for some reason, I couldn't get SCAL or SCAL 2 to weld the two boots together!! Grrrrrr!!! I do know how to weld - it wasn't working!! Still haven't figured out why!!


Well - not to be thrawted by a computer and software, I simple cut 2 of the shapes out, taped them together in the correct position and rescanned it into my computer as 1 object! Then again, coverted it into an .svg file and IMPORTED it into SCAL 2! Success!!! There is more then one way to skin a cat you know!! LOL I used a $1 stamp from Studio G that says "Best Witches" inside the card.


I used SCAL 2 because I wanted 2 pages. The first page has the card base and the second page a "liner" for inside the card since I was cutting the base in black cardstock! I did try to open this .scut file in the first version of SCAL just to see what would happen - nothing happens - you just get a blank page. So, you will need to have SCAL 2 to open and cut this file. It also appears that there is nothing to distinguish the file names of files created in SCAL 1 and/or SCAL 2. Both types of files end in .scut alone. If I am wrong on this can someone let me know? Thanks! This may cause problems for some since SCAL 1 wouldn't open my SCAL 2 file. As a result, I will always try to remember to tell you which version of SCAL I have used. I may come back and add a SCAL 1 version but you really don't need me to, simply take the .svg file and IMPORT (not open) it into SCAL 1. Remember to IMPORT the Shoe CARD if you want the card base!


I thought about adding the "hole punches" for the ribbon "shoe lace" but didn't because I was also using a liner inside the card. That would be a nightmare to try and line up before you cut and put the card base and liner together. So, I didn't add those to the file. However, you could add them to the front base IF you were not going to use the liner inside the card.



You can download the single Witches Shoe .svg file here. You can download the Witches Shoe CARD .svg file here. Or you can download the Witches Shoe CARD .scut file for SCAL 2 here.

UPDATE: 9/11/09 - GJ from the Cricut MB contacted me and asked if I would mind if she attempted to create this card in DS for those Cricut users with DS but not SCAL.  I told her I'd be happy for her to do that.  I also told her she was a better woman then me to do so because I had taken the "easy way out" by doing this with SCAL to start with.  I love DS but I don't have the patience to do complicated things with it, especially without a "group all" feature and some other basic graphic features that it is missing.  Anyway . . .

GJ has created a DS .cut file of a similiar witch's shoe card for all our DS friends!  Thank you GJ for doing so and sharing it.  Since GJ does not yet have a blog she said she was willing for me to post it here on mine to share with all of you.  Here is a picture of her card she made: 

You can Download GJ's Witch's Shoe Card .cut file here.

Thanks GJ.  To see more of GJ's work you can go to the Cricut MB and check out her gallery there. 

Sports Decals for Car with Wallpops and Sports Mania

Here are two "Sports Decals" I did for my car. My DD plays volleyball and my DS plays football for their middle school. The football team orders decals and magnets for the parents' cars but we don't for volleyball. So, I wanted something for each of my children. I created these using the Sports Mania Cartridge for the volleyball, the volleyball player and the football. I used Basecamp for the font for the name of the school and their names and his number. I used white wallpops. These were cut at around 3 inches I believe. I originally did 5 inches and they were way too big!!!

I am not including a .cut file as they should be fairly simple to recreate. However, do not hesitate to ask for one or for help should you have problems with it. Simply layout the design on your DS screen and "cut". Then "weed out" the excess pieces of your vinyl that you don't need. For example, remove the pieces "inside" the volleyball, the "lines," the player, and the actual letters (be sure to leave the "insides" of any letters like the "B" and the "a"). Then remove the extra pieces around the outside of the cut.

Once you have your "design" as it should appear on your window, transfer it to the transfer tape per the tape's instructions. This should put the "outside" of your design down on the transfer tape with the sticky part of the vinyl up. No go place it on your car window and "rub" the design down. Note - this method is done on the OUTSIDE of the car window. Mine has been on the car for almost a month now with LOTS of rain and is still sticking no problems. No fading since I used the white wall pops to start with.

Be creative and do this for most any sport or activity your child participates in! Have fun.