Paper Crafts with the Cricut

After struggling with the logo for my community band, it was time to re-examine what the Cricut can do with paper. With my niece getting her Canadian citizenship, I figured a card was in order.

I was really disappointed to find out that the weekly free images on the Cricut Design Space, are only free for the week--you can't save them and use them later for free! What?! So disappointed! But if you're a bit techy, you can take a screenshot and import it as an image. However, often it's not very "clean" and there's lots of bits to erase and it gets tedious. If you're lucky, and have a child who is also learning graphic design programs, you can send it off to them and they can start fresh and make it all shiny clean for you! Shhhh. My secret! 

My skills have really come along as far as figuring out how to place it on the shape. I used a silver holographic paper behind it instead of plain white. I used all the little heart cut outs as confetti inside the card

I hadn't done anything more with the Draw function and pens, so I took the letters cut out from the envelope and used them inside the card, then we all wrote messages. 

I did know that in order to get the middle of the 'a' to stay, I had to slice a bit out of the letter (or, I learned later, use a font designed to look like stencilled letters). I was able to get the name placed exactly where I wanted it. I didn't line it, but used the back side of the card against this side of the envelope. 

I also needed to make her a birthday card. I wanted something more complex but I don't have a huge stock of cardstock yet (it's improving). I found this design and got going...and then was like...."How do I assemble it--all those little pieces--get them in the right spots?!" I had seen very detailed paper designs on https://www.3dsvg.com/ so I watched a couple videos there. Their designs have little spots cut into them so you can line pieces up. I was going to have to do this card freehand! OMG.

It turned out okay, I did lose one of the P centres so I had to leave both out, and I lost the A centre. When I finished, I wasn't any more enthusiastic about paper crafts. But then. Somehow I found this:

Mandalas and layered 3D designs are a hot item right now! I was surfing around YouTube and came across a video by PattyAnnesPlace. She was making these awesome layered letters, using Inkscape. I can't remember now which came first, me trying Inkscape, or if I started off with this letter. I knew I had to learn how to do things for myself instead of frantic emails to my child. 

It's not easy to see in this photo. I think though that these layered letters need their own post. They were like a gateway drug into more paper crafts LOL. So, this is a little teaser of what's to come!