A Useful Sketch for Exploring Cricut and More

Welcome.  A couple of years ago I saw a YouTube clip about making a composition notebook into a craft inventory book.  I adapted it and included sketches and samples of cards I liked (my own portable pinterest).  As I looked through it I decided to use one of the sketches to create an easy backdrop for all kinds of cards.  Here's the Get Well card I made.

 



For this sketch you need 3 compatible papers - here it's the one with circles, the one with varied stripes and the solid across the bottom.  Any kind of 'divider' can be used between the top and bottom - a ribbon, an edged strip, even a straight strip.  A scalloped circle, which I cut from Cricut's Forever Young cartridge, looks good in an accent color.  The inner circle and the strip seem to look good when they are the same color.

At this point, any focus design and any sentiment can turn your card into the theme of your choice.  I cut a spray of flowers from the Cricut Cindy Loo cartridge in white and used markers to color the flowers and greens.  Since this greeting was so centered I added the bling to fill in the space.

This is a great recipe for lovely cards.

I hope you like this idea.  Please continue to visit Exploring Cricut and More each day for ideas from our design team and, don't forget, there will be another challenge next Monday.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Here Comes Summer Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

Welocme to a fun challenge.  Create a card, layout, or paper project that celebrates summer.  Include the colors red and blue.

My first thought was something related to swimming but then I looked through my newly purchased Cricut Summer Celebrations cartridge.  I live quite near an amusement park that gets jammed filled in the summer so this was perfect.

The riders were cut at 3 1/2 inches and came out around 4 inches when I added the shadow.  The background coaster was cut at 2 1/2 inches and still came out great even though it is so intricate.  Since I wanted it to be background I didn't include the shadow and other little pieces for that cut.  The phrase 'Happy Summer' came from another scene in that cartridge.  Sorry, I don't remember which cartridge I used for the clouds. ( It might have been in the same one.)

Overall, I am very happy with this card.

Please, add your creation to our challenge at Exploring Cricut and More.  We love to see other ideas for the same theme.
And, please stop by each day for samples from our design team.

As always, Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

A Bon Voyage Card at Exploring Cricut and More

Hello, again.  My doctor takes the most interesting vacations.  This year he's going to China so I made him this card with the message 'Bon Voyage' stamped inside.

Both cuts came from Cricut's cartridge, Pagoda.  I cut the pagoda at 4 inches and trimmed the edge of the roofs with gold glitter.  I love this Panda.  He was cut at 3 inches.  I ran off one of the branch sprays in the cartridge in white, selected a piece and colored it eith markers to make the flower.  A tiny rhinestone is in its center.

The doctor loved it.

Thanks for stopping by.  Visit Exploring Cricut and More every day to see all the design team ideas.  And, join us there next Monday for another fun challenge.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Mother's Day Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

Welcome!  This week's challenge is to create a card, layout, or paper project with a Mother's Day theme.  Include at least one ribbon.

For this card I used Cricut''s Suburbia cartridge for the silhouette and the Cindy Loo Cartridge for the curly decorations.  I had cut out an oval for another project using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge and this piece was left, so I used it.  Some glitter gle accents the oval and fills the holes in the edging.  My ribbon is the little bow.
The stamp is part of a set called 'Greeings Galore" which I purchased from Impression Obsession.
I don't recall the brand of edger this is; I cut it too wide so the left-over pink strip broke it up and added just the right visual balance.

Please join our challenge with your Mother's Day creations at Exploring Cricut and More.  We love to see your ideas.  And, drop by everyday for samples from our design team.

Thanks fo atopping by.  Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Teen Cards for Exploring Cricut and More

Welcome back.  Today I have two cards I made from the Cricut Paper Doll Teen Scene cartridge; each figure was cut at 4 inches..

To put this handsome guy in context I used an idea from the All Sports cartridge to place the green 'field' on the card.  Then, I found the accessories I wanted in the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge.  In the Teen Scene cartridge the player is wearing his helmut.  I decided to have him holding it so his face could be seen.  A birthday sentiment is inside.

The pretty miss this is intended for is into fashion so I thought I'd just put a couple of things to represent that.  I used the Forever Young cartridge to create the tiny purse.  The sunglasses in that cartridge came out way too large so I went to Everyday Paper Dolls and found eyeglasses for one of the outfits and that worked out just fine.
Because I hadn't used a background paper the card was looking very dull - somethng missing - so I added the dashed lines around the edge and then around the squares as well.  It made a big difference.

I haven't used the Teen cartridge much but it worked out very well for these cards.  Thanks for stopping by to see them.  Take a peak at Exploring Cricut and More each day for ideas and inspiration and join us next Monday for another challenge.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

It's A Spring Thing Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

I hope everyone enjoyed this weekend.  Today we are celebrating the arrival of spring with an "It's a Spring Thing" Challenge.  Make a card, layout, or paper project that celebrates spring and contains at  least one flower.
I used the Cricut and the Freshly Picked  cartridge to design this step card.

The fencing was a leftover cut that I hadn't used from the Pagoda cartridge.  The words were modified from the Simply Charmed cartridge.  I cut out the phrases, "welcome little one" and "happy thanksgiving".  I used the welcome but contructed the word "spring" from the other phrase.

The tulip row was cut from the flower box in the Freshly Picked cartridge.  I cut it at 2 inches and sliced off most of the box.  The back row is cut from the parsley and sage designs.  They were each in pots, which were sliced off.  I used 3 sage cuts and 1 parsley cut for added greens.

I like how it turned out.  It really makes me think spring.

Please, share your spring project with us at Exploring Cricut and More' we love to see your creativity.

Take care.  Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Another Easter Card for Exploring Cricut and More

Hello!  I saw a cute Easter card on the internet that used Thumper as the bunny in an Easter card and I loved it.  He is so cute.  I decided to come up with my own version.
I am still a cricut user;  Thumper came from the Disney Classics cartridge and the flowers, grass, hills, and even the egg, were accessories I found in the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge.

In this pose he looks like he's pushing the egg or holding it up.  I think it came out really cute.

I think I cut Thumper at 3 inches and the egg at 2 1/2 inches, real size.  The egg was an accessory to the animal costumes. The flowers were with the hula girl.  Since 1 inch real size would've been too large I imagined that I was cutting a girl at 4 inches and the flower accessory came out like this.  The patterned paper I found in my stash made a great egg.  I couldn't resist adding some sparkle to jazz things up.
Thanks for stopping by and please continue to check out Exploring Cricut and More every day for design team samples and on every other Monday for a fun challenge.

May all of you be blessed this spring and re-vitalized in this time of New Life.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann