Something to Crow About Again!

In my post from a few days ago I had mentioned how much I enjoyed the Cricut Imagine because of its ability to cut layers from printed images.  All of the cards I posted in 2010 were made with the Imagine.  I was so sad - even mad - when PC discontinued the machine and no more cartridges were made. Well, imagine my surprise today when I did the Hot Fix for the DS update earlier this week and now I am able to use all those cartridges again the way the were originally intended! Yes!! The Explore and DS will now print, layer and cut all of my favorite images from the Imagine cartridge library.  I am beyond thrilled and have now officially forgiven PC/Cricut for all of their previous offenses.

Original card made in 2010 with the Imagine

Screenshot of images to recreate the same card in 2015 with Design Space and the Explore

Why get excited over being able to use cartridges that are 5 years old?  I never did really explore my way through all of them so there is undiscovered territory. It's also like being reunited with  an old friend. The cartridges have been lined up on my shelf, unusable for years and now they have come to life again.  Oh happy day!

South Park Avatar Creator

The South Park Avatar creator has been around for quite some time but I am still fascinated by it.  The avatar below I actually use on Facebook.  I just cropped it so that it's a head shot only.  I have been told many times that it looks just like me.  Haha!

You can go and create your own image here:   South Park Avatar Creator

Bee Who You Are - Box Card

I made my first box card for youngest grand daughter Lexi, I mean Elise (read story about her name in post below).  I used the Explore and SVG files from Miss Kate's Cuttables.  I used the Print Then Cut feature on the Explore.  The box card base is a free file created by Narelle Darley at the FB group Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space.

I wish I hadn't cut the head off the bee on the top.  

Catching Up With the Grand kids

In October of 2010 I posted the digital pages below of my adorable granddaughter, Addison.

Approximately 6 months old

Two years old

 

 And here is miss Addy today at 6 1/2 years old and in first grade.  She thinks she looks older in this picture - like she's "around 10 or something". Her definition of older and mine are not the same <grin>.

And guess what?!  Addy has a younger sister now.  Introducing......drum roll please....ALEXIS!

Lexi 3 3/4 years old

Lexi's full name is Alexis Elise.  We have called her Lexi until recently. She decided she wants to be called by her middle name, Elise, because it sounds similar to Elsa's name in the Disney movie Frozen. Although as lovely as a princess, I just can't seem to stop calling her Lexi.  It's a work in progress.

Whining Part 2

Along with my angst over losing all my digital files, photos and cut files for my machines, I was angry with Provo Craft.  I have been a loyal customer and own over 240 Cricut cartridges.  I have purchased every machine that they ever came out with. 

When they discontinued the Imagine after only one year it left me feeling.....well, cheated.  I had paid around $500 for that machine and bought every cartridge that was released for it.  Now it was being abandoned.  I loved the way that machine did print then cut with layers.  Most of the cards that I shared previously on this blog were done with the Imagine.

I found the Cricut Expression 2 Anniversary model to be not so user friendly.  Every time I wanted to use that machine I had to get out the owner's manual.  Updates never went quickly or smoothly and the darn thing kept cutting lopsided, wonky circles.  Boo.

They discontinued the Gypsy.  That happened also too soon in my opinion.  Many people still love and use their Gypsys.

Disgruntled, I took a break from Cricut too.  I haven't bought a new cartridge in several years.

When the announcement came that there was going to be yet another new machine released, there was NO WAY I was going to be jumping onboard again only to have another disappointment.  I waited a year and then finally, inevitably, predictably, caved in and bought the new Cricut Explore.  All I can say is WOW!  What an improvement over the Expression 2.  Easy to use, cuts beautiful intricate designs and no more wonky circles. What makes it so innovative is it's ability to write and cut or score and cut without having to change out the blade housing.  Sweet!  It's the quietest cutting machine I own.  It will support SVG files, jpeg and more. The print then cut feature is a welcome addition.  While all of this is not necessarily new technology - competitors have been doing so for years - this was a giant leap for Cricut. CEO Ashish Arora and his amazing team are very customer service oriented.  I'm a fan again.

Enough whining about my crafting challenges the past few years.  All is well now and maybe eventually I'll even start messing around with Photoshop again in time.

This next project is something recently done.  Not my idea - and I am not always very good at remembering where I get my inspiration from.  This is something I need to work on so that I can give credit where credit is due.

The plastic candy container is the bottom of a water bottle. Love re-purposing and recycling stuff!  The tag was cut using a file from Cricut Design Space and the Cricut Explore. 

The text was done with the writing feature.

Thanks for looking and listening (reading).  I have quite a few Tim Holtz tags that I have been working on and need to take pics and get them uploaded.  Also coming soon.....vinyl projects with the Explore.  So many crafts, so little time. I'm back!

Whining Part 1

 It's been so long since I last posted anything on this poor neglected blog that I wasn't even sure it still existed. So happy it's still here!

My computer crashed hard a few years ago.  I was really into Photoshop Elements and digital scrap booking and arts at the time.  I lost about $3000 worth of digital files and loads of family photos that it had taken me a long time to scan into my computer. Yep, I had them backed up - on an external hard drive and wouldn't you know that it was fried too so I lost everything.  I called Data Doctors to get an estimate for them to attempt to retrieve my files but the cost was prohibitive.  The monetary loss was difficult but it was mostly the time - years of work that I lost.  It broke my spirit to the core and I took a very long break from being creative at all.

Soooo....here I am with a new computer and will be checking out different methods of saving my data more reliably (i.e. no more external hard drives).

The gift package below was created with the fabulous Cricut Explore.  Although it is wonderful, for therapeutic reasons, I am going to whine a little bit in my next post over my displeasure with ProvoCraft/Cricut the past couple years.  No worries - it has a happy ending.

My wonderful neighbor Laura is always doing nice things.  I wanted to say thank you so made this handmade gift package and left it by her front door.  The cutting board was from the dollar store and I personalized it with vinyl.  The kitchen utensils are an SVG file that was shared on a Facebook group I belong to.  The little handbag contains two EOS lip balms and of course there is a thank you card as well.