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.


Helpful Hints

Hopefully some of these hints will help you in your quest to create beautiful cards and scrapbook layouts.

Solid Core
If possible choose cardstock with a solid core.  This type of cardstock has a colored core to match the back and front of the cardstock.  When you cut out a shape with your Cricut machine, you will see the color on the edges as well as the front and back. 

Experiment
Rather than waste a more expensive cardstock on practice cuts - Get yourself a big pad of white cardstock paper, 12"x12".  Use this paper to experiment with your various cuts.  This way you don't waste the more expensive scrapbooking paper you own.

But if you do prefer colored cardstock, experiment with a cardstock in a  colored paper 50 pack.

Embellish with Bows
Embellishments such as small or large bows, some that look as though they are tied around the front of the card add so much to a card.  Some of the best bows I've seen are at Courtney Lane Designs and Obsessed with Scrapbooking, both blogs everyone making Cricut cards should follow.

To use Stickers or Not
One thing to point out; while scrapbooking stickers may be common scrapbooking embellishments, I don't find they add anything to a card.  

My Instructional Hubs
In my effort to instruct the beginning Cricut Machine user, I want to make sure the reader knows that each cutout desired has a specific keyboard key, the large pictures on the left in the booklet are what you will see on the key.  It can get confusing as the cutout will change depending on the combination of keys used.  The keyboard key is often used alone as well as in combination with other key such as shadow or layer. In my step by step instructions, I will refer to it as the Picture's name Key. When I use "......Key" I mean for you to use the cutout's keyboard key only.

When combinations of keys are used, although not specifically mentioned, the Picture Key is always used.

When the Sticky Mat isn't performing and you haven't had a chance to clean it
You have that one last shape to cutout and your sticky mat isn't up to it's normal stickiness...Smooth down the cardstock then as the Cricut machine begins to cut, gently hold the cardstock in place as the machine does its work.

Sticky Mats work better Clean
When I first got my Cricut I dropped one of the three sticky mats that came with the Cricut Essentials Package.  It became dirty and pretty much unusable as of course it dropped face down onto the floor.  I was unsure of how to clean it, could I clean it or would I have to throw it away.  I've researched the Cricut forums and help pages and the advice I saw most was to clean your mats with soap and water then hang to dry.  IT WORKED!  I took that mat, washed it, let it dry, and it is like brand new. 

Quote of the Day

more Quotes