The Weeds Have Taken Over!

I don't know about where you are, but here in NC, it's H-O-T!!
We've been on or near the 100 degree mark all week and this week, it's not expected to let up at all!
As of 9:00 this morning, it's already 90!
My poor garden!
I tried to get out early to pull weeks and prune the roses but standing in that sun is just unbearable!
The weeds have started to take over and what normally looks like a pretty place has turned into a wild, out of control jungle!


ENTER Gardening Granny!


JUST RELEASED TODAY AT THE FRESH BREWED DESIGNS SHOP!


Looks like she's been very busy harvesting her veggies! My garden sure could use her help!


Heather sent this image to me early last week and as soon as I saw it, I printed and colored and got to work!
I emailed her a copy and she moved up the release date so I could share her with all of you!!
She is colored with Prismacolor pencils, the background is from SVGCuts.com September Scenes Stand-up Cards and the grass in front is from SVGCuts.com Easter Morning Egg Hunt.


For all those out there still using a Cricut with SCAL or MTC, I have installed the new MTC update and ran a test cut. The first time thru, I had an issue that I posted at the MTC Forum and within minutes, the solution was posted! Make sure when you click "Cut", when the "Go" dropdown box pops up, you choose the option that says something about "USB"... the COM3 modem connection won't work and won't recognize your Cricut! Once I made that small change, it worked perfectly!!


The new updates Andy has added are pretty cool... my favorite being the ability to log in to my Lettering Delights account and view all my purchased collections and import them instantaneously!


I can't wait til Tuesday, when I can post pictures of my newest Cricut creation!! it is quite possibly to cutest thing evah!


A few important, last minute reminders:

• The Fresh Brewed month long prize challenge here and at the Latte Lounge are ending soon!!! 
• Our WILD challenge can be found HERE.
• Don't miss the sale! 40% off all  Coffee Digital Stamps until midnight July 26
• The Kids Challenge at the Latte Lounge includes FREEBIES for all participants and is sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you're off to a great week!
I would like to enter Granny into the Craft Your Days Away Summertime Challenge. 

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!!

Stamping Dragon Penny with Presents for I Did It Creations Challenge

I've had time to PLAY today and made this card for the Freebie Challenge at the I Did It Forum!

The image is called Penny with Presents and was a FREE download from Stamping Dragon Designs.

One of my teammates at the Latte Lounge posted a card with this style last week and I totally fell in love with it. So, Rhonda, this is my version of YOUR card!

The snowflake paper is from Martha Stewart. The middle panel is actually a FREE digi paper from Free Christmas Scrapbooking Goodies. I used Make The Cut, created the shape for that panel, hit the "Change Texture" button, imported the digi paper and applied it as texture, printed it on my printer on plain white, cheap cardstock, put it on my Cricut mat and cut it! Turned out PERFECT!!! I'm so totally LOVING MTC!!!

My little Penny was colored MUCH darker than I intended, but she's still pretty cute, I think!
My little Joey helped me with this one! He wanted to punch snowflakes, so that is his contribution! He punched them out of purple cardstock then very carefully glittered each flake! And although the gems on the left look blue, they're really purple and match Miss Penny perfectly!

This was a fun card to make and I'll definitely play again at the I Did It Forum Challenge!

Off to see what else I can texture, print and cut!! OH BOY!!!

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!!!