Homemade Cards-A Special Touch

A Homemade Card, like ones I make with my Cricut Machine, gives recipients a special feeling, they know I planned ahead for their special occasion and took the time and care to create a greeting card just for them. I have sent out many of the cards featured in this blog and I get wonderful thank you's back, expressing how nice it was to receive a beautiful and homemade card.


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Summer Birthday Party Scrapbook Layout for Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Cricut Personal Cutting Machine continues to make my scrapbook layouts much richer and easier to create.  The hundreds of Cricut cartridges available make it possible for me to cut out multi-layered images of whatever item I would like.  I can choose from animals, people, household items, photo frames, theme based layouts, sentiments, and I can even cut out actual cards to create. It is important to cut out all the layers for an image as they add to the total look of the cutout.

SUMMER BIRTHDAY LAYOUT

 
For this layout the theme was a summer birthday party.  I chose the photos I wanted to use for the scrapbook layout.  Then I chose the background scrapbooking cardstock, which I purchased at the scrapbooking supplies store in my area.  The balloons gave the entire page a birthday or party feel. 

With a pool in the party, I wanted to have the cutouts and frames for the photos to have a watery feel.  I chose a watery blue scrapbook cardstock for the "wave" at the bottom, then I chose a patterned cardstock along with a solid colored coordinating cardstock for each of the photo frames.  There are actually 3 layers for each photo frame for the final look.

Specifics

  • Cartridge: Cricut Sentimentals
  • Cartridge: Cricut Simply Charmed
  • Blade Depth: #2
  • Pressure: Max
  • Speed: Medium
  • Scrapbook Cardstock: DCWV Stack 7.  This packet of scrapbooking cardstock ix 12x12 and contains 180 pages of very nice, colorful papers.  Some of the cardstock is heavier, some thinner.  It is easy to find just the right colors.  
  • Scrapbook Cardstock: DCWV MatStack Brights. A smaller 5x7 pad of solid bright colors to coordinate with the printed cardstock.

Helpful Hints

I chose a 12"x12" background scrapbook cardstock with balloons on it because of the birthday theme. I purchased the single sheet of cardstock from Jo-Ann's.
Trim photos to 4 1/2" wide x 4" high to be able to fit 4 nicely sized photos on the layout.
The two bottom photos, once mounted, will be placed under the "wave" .
The "wave" will be placed about 2" up from the bottom of the scrapbook layout.
The Cricut Essentials kit is one accessory you should have when using a Cricut to make scrapbook layouts or cards.  The extra paper and tools included make every project easier and nicer looking.










STEP BY STEP
Step 1-7 uses the Cricut Sentimentals Cartridge
Step 1
Cut one "wave" shape, size 2" x 12". This can be handcut or Creative Memories has plastic shapes available and one of them has the wavy edge which looks like a wave.
Step 2
Cut one <frame3>, pg 30, size 5 1/2" using Layer key and frame3 keyboard key. This will cut out the intricate frame top layer.
Step 3

Cut one <frame3>, pg 30, size 5 1/2" using Shadow key and frame3 keyboard key. This will cut out the bottom shadow layer.
Step 4
Cut one <frame3>, pg 30, size 5 1/2" using frame3 keyboard key only. This will cut out the middle layer, placed behind the photo.
Step 5
Adhere the photo to the middle layer (step 4) as shown.
Step 6 
Adhere the top frame layer (step 2) on top of the photo, aligning edges with the middle layer.
Step 7
Adhere the completed photo layers to the bottom shadow layer (step 3). Do these steps for each photo. The middle layer just behind the photo peeks thru behind the intricate cutout.
Step 8 - 11 uses the Cricut Simply Charmed cartridge.
Step 8
Cut one <BDay-Hat>, pg 74, size 2". This will cut out the background of "Happy Birthday".
Step 9
Cut one <BDayCake>, pg 74, size 2". This will cut out the intricate "Happy Birthday".
Step 10
Adhere the top intricate cutout to the background of the "Happy Birthday"
Step 11
Adhere the photo layers to the scrapbook background layout, about 2" from the bottom and adhere the "wave" on top. Then adhere the Happy Birthday layers across the wave and bottom of the scrapbook layout.
Step 12
Embellishments: I used some cute vellum stickers from stickopotamus.com, available at Jo-Ann's or any scrapbooking supplies store. They have a nice 3D look. Add your journaling identifying the date and people in your scrapbook layout, now you are done!



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