My first post for DtsArt Creative Team

Hi and welcome to my first post for DtsArt’s Creative Team!

Dardi and I have worked together for awhile on the Stamping Boutique team and have gotten to be good friends.

She offers a ‘Tuesday Takeout” on her blog every week.

The “Tuesday Takeout” is a FREE SVG Cut file!

I have been a follower and fan of her blog for several months!

This is the first project I ever made using one of her great FREE files.

After working with Red Bird, I was hooked for good!

When Dardi announced the Grand Opening of the Diecut Designers Forum and was seeking a few members for her Creative Team, I jumped on the chance to work with her files!

Our first set of files as the New Creative Team is a pair of adorable Bunnies

Here is the project I made with these little cuties:

The files cut and assembled so easily and were a lot of fun to work with!

Yes, despite all the drama circulating the web, I am still using my Cricut E and I plan to do so until the wheels fall off. I use SCAL 2, which does not have any compatibility issues with my Cricut, and I love the flexibility and creativity that is allowed by using SCAL! It’s unfortunate that ProvoCraft did not choose to work WITH the third party software providers rather than raise lawsuits and negativity. I think we would have all been better off had they chosen to do so… but I won’t go into all that here or now…

Since Easter has passed, I decided to find a way to use Bunnies that had nothing to do with eggs, chocolate and baskets! My niece and nephew are in Rochester, NY and I think their Mommy will let them hang these on their doors!

The Creative Team has made some some great projects… you’ll have to pop in to see them all the the DtsArt Blog! And while you’re there, make sure you grab this week’s FREE file! The leftovers are thrown out Thursday, so don’t dilly-dally… hop right over and grab your bunnies!

Two New SVG files

For this week's Fresh Brewed Designs post, please click HERE!

I've been working on a few files in Inkscape for some projects I'm planning for later this week.

It's been a long time since I've added anything to my Box.net account, so I decided to share two files I made this week.

The first is a simple corner flourish:

Here is the link on my box.net account 

When you download my files, they are zipped.

In the zip file, there is:

an SVG

a .jpeg image

an SCUT2 file for Sure Cuts a Lot and

an MTC file for Make the Cut

The second file I'm sharing took me a LONG time to figure out!!

Sorry for the messy mat... it's my work area...

In order to cut the Compass Rose in two tones without making the pieces overly complex and difficult to put back together!

I ended up with 4 main pieces for the two layers of the compass rose.

Then I added layered circles for the background.

You'll need these layers to put it together to make it a little more "sturdy"... I had to use my "pokey thing" to move the pieces exactly where I wanted them, then glued it onto the circle and put a brad thru AFTER it was mounted on the circle.

If you try to put in the brad before mounting it, you'll rip apart the top layer!

(trust me, I'm speaking from experience) (-:

In the SCAL and MTC files, I use the "Pages" tabs,

so when you open the files, there are different "Pages" for different elements or versions of the file. For example, the main compass rose is on the first page. It will cut on one 12 x 12 paper. (I used all white paper, then inked the blue parts...) The needle and letters are on a separate page. And on the third page, I made a simple, two-piece version that doesn't have the "two-tone" look.

Here is the link for the compass files 

If you have any questions or problems with any of my files, please let me know!

And I'd LOVE to see anything you have made using them!!

The Stamping Boutique: Christmas Popcorn

It's official, I have converted from "Sure Cuts a Lot" to "Make the Cut"!

The biggest motivator? The Beta 3.0 release of MTC that includes the ability to PRINT and CUT!

Yep, you read that right!!! I can print an image, texture or pattern on cardstock, 

and the MTC software will show me EXACTLY where to place my print out

on my Cricut Expression mat so that it cuts perfectly!

Does this sound like a familiar machine 

(that costs $600 PLUS the cost of cartridges) ???

Make the Cut is on sale for a limited time and costs less than $60!!

I've had this cute image, called Christmas Popcorn from the Stamping Boutique colored for weeks and have just been trying to figure out how to put it inside the window and make it "work"...

Thanks to Cely at Creating in Carolina, I had the perfect file to cut for my window. 

I made a few minor adjustments to her file to suit my card...

The sentiment was written with Cri-Kits pens.

The flourish is from SVGCuts.com, Breezy Backyard Lever Cards Collection.

The holly and berries are in the MTC Gallery! 

The Gallery is one reason I prefer MTC over SCAL!! 

All I did was click "Import from Gallery". 

It brought up a search box. I typed in "Holly". 

It brought up 3 pages of possibilities! 

I chose the one I liked, clicked "Download" 

and it was popped right in on my Virtual Cricut Mat!

There are actually several features to MTC that make it appealing,

 but one of my favorites so far, besides the PRINT AND CUT (!!!) 

is the "Bezier Warp"... type in any text, hit that button 

and it puts it on a path that you can bend or stretch nine ways to Sunday! 

Oh, and it can import JPEG's, PDF's, SVG's, and SCUT files!!

I plan to spend a little more time this weekend getting to know my new friend MTC!

Don't forget about the FUN!! FUN!! 

challenges at the Latte Lounge!!

Right now, there are three running:

1. Digi Papers- get a FREE digi paper to download and play along

2. Thanksgiving- Rhonda's challenge, just started and there are some great entries already!

3. Wacky Wednesday- Use real wood! 

Sounds strange, but you should SEE some of the creative projects that have been submitted!! 

WOW!! WOW!!! WOW!!!

Whimsical Flowers

Something about this image is just so pleasing to the eye, don't you think?

This is the newest FREEBIE from Designed to Delight.
I am really having a lot of fun with their progressive challenge.
It started with one image and then, every week, just for playing, Faith sends another free image!
I've collected quite a few D2D images now, and each challenge has been great fun to play in!

AND!! The best part is, the Double Delight Challenges!!
After the D2D image is posted, each Saturday, they add a "twist" that works with the new image!
So! The freebie this week is the whimsical flowers and the "twist' is to use Green and Blue.

I saw this spotlight technique "somewhere" and it's been in the back of my mind just waiting for the perfect time to use it! I think these flowers worked out well! And the Cuttlebug "Swirls" folder seemed to match the swirls in the flower stems perfectly! YAY! I love it when it all comes together!

I used the Nesties Lookalike Font from LA's Cricut and SVG files to cut out the popped, colored part of the image and for the "deckled-looking" rectangle for the main image. If you haven't tried SCAL yet, there's a GREAT bundle package available that includes the entire Sure Cuts a Lot software package (with an entire LIBRARY of pre-set images and shapes) along with a FULL SET of Cri-Kits pens and a BONUS pack of 2 swirl Cri-Kits!!

If you're like me (a Font Junkie), you probably have a few hundred fonts installed in your computer! Wouldn't it be GREAT to use them with your Cricut to create labels, tags, sentiments, and anything you want? Well, that's EXACTLY what Sure Cuts a Lot can do!! You don't have to be stuck with the phrases and fonts with no shadows that are on your Cricut Cartridges! With SCAL, you can cut virtually ANY font, at ANY size. You can weld, flip, rotate, resize, shadow and outline to your heart's content!

LOVE IT!!!

Check it out and let me know if you have any questions!!! I'm happy to help!!

Bundle Package Deal: Sure Cuts A Lot 2 software [Learn more...]

1 Cri-Kits Pen Kit (10 pens + pen carrier/holder) [Learn more...]

Choose from 4 sets of pens (Reg/Neon, Metallic, Glitter, or Pastel) 1 FREE 2 pack of swirl pens [Learn more...]

Bundle with Sure Cuts A Lot

$107.28 $79.95 (Special Bundle Price)