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.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

Scrapbook Layout number 5 million..Seems like it as the journey continues...

A Cricut scrapbook layout is easy to make, once you've mastered some of the simple skills for using a personal die-cutting machine like the Cricut Create. They say that it takes hours and hours to hone your skills, which is true, but making a pleasing scrapbook layout is also alot of fun to make.
This scrapbook layout is depicting some events during the fall season. A tree with fallen leaves is the center focal Cricut cutout and the birds flying overhead depicts the birds leaving the area in preparation for winter.
I have been working on my daughter's life in a scrapbook for quite awhile. At first I used simple plastic forms to cut around for the photo backgrounds. But since I've gotten my Cricut, it is so much fun to add little cutouts having to do with the subject or the season.
With the Cricut I can cut my photos to be part of the Cricut design cutout and I can cut mirror image of cutouts using the great little Flip button.
Specifics
Cricut Cartridge: Solutions Serenade
Pressure: Max
Speed: Medium
Blade Depth: #2
I would suggest a heavier weight scrapbooking cardstock material for this layout because the birds and the tree have thinner cutout areas and a heavier weight cuts better and cleaner.
But if you only have thinner cardstock to work with, use the Flip button on your Cricut machine and place the paper on the sticky mat upside down. The Cricut Machine will cutout your shape backwards so that when you remove it from the sticky mat, the front will be cut in the shape you need.

Cricut Machine Center Point Button
The photos were cut in a leaf pattern using my Cricut Machine. The Center Point button works very well once you've practiced a couple of cuts on plain cardstock.
  • Determine size of the finished cutout
  • Press the Center Point button
  • Press your photo onto the Cricut sticky mat
  • Press the Load Paper button, then manually move the blade to where you want the center of the cutout to be. Mentally imagine the shape that will be cut and how it will affect your photo cutout.
The final result is a fun, Cricut cutout featuring your own photograph.
Step by Step
Tree- Cut all at a size 5 1/4"
Cut one <Tree4>, using the Tree4 keyboard key. This will cutout the main Tree with Leaves cutout. I used a multi-brown cardstock.
Cut one <Tree4-S>, using the Shift and Tree4 keyboard keys. This will cutout the tree trunk and spindly branches. I used a brown cardstock.
Cut one <Tree4>, using the Layer and Tree4 keyboard keys. This will cutout the leaves. I used different, fall leaf, colors. They are intended to be adhered to the leaf areas on the tree itself, but I wanted to show a pile of fallen leaves at the base of the tree.
Cut one <Tree4>, using the Shadow and Tree4 keyboard keys. This will cutout the bottom, shadow layer of the tree.
Adhere the tree together with the shadow cutout on bottom, tree & leaves cutout next, then the tree trunk/branches cutout on top.
Adhere the tree to the middle of the base cardstock, then scatter the leaves around the base. I squeezed the glue all around the base then placed the leaves that way.
Birds- Cut all at a 1 1/2" size
Cut one <Bird4> using the Shadow and Bird4 keyboard key. This will cutout the Shadow larger cutout. I used a cream cardstock.
Cut one <Bird4> using the Layer and Bird4 keyboard key. This will cutout the "squiggle" top layer of the bird. I used a cream cardstock.
Cut one <Bird4-S> using the Shift and Bird4 keyboard key. This will cutout the middle layer of the bird seen behind the "squiggley" top layer. I used red cardstock.
Cut one <Bird4>, using just the Bird4 keyboard key. This will cutout the body of the bird. I used a tan cardstock.
Adhere each bird together using the shadow layer first, the tan bird body, the red accent, then the squiggly top layer.
Adhere the bird in a random pattern across the top of the base cardstock.
Photos- Cut using the Centerpoint key.
Cut each photo to be a finished size of 3 1/2"
Cut one <Tree1>, size 4" using the Tree1 keyboard key. Snip off the tree trunk and this becomes the 4" oval layer.
Cut one <Tree1>, size 3 3/4" using the Tree1 keyboard key. Snip off the tree trunk and this becomes the 3 3/4" oval layer.
Adhere the photo to the 3 3/4" layer, then adhere those to the 4" oval layer.
Adhere the photos to your base cardstock.
Cut two small square for your journaling area

If you choose, use a white gel pen to accent the trunk/branches cutout of the tree.

 
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