Digi Printing and How to Use a Cricket When You Don't Have a Scan'Cut and Cutting Freebies

A few months ago I met a lovely young woman who was knee-deep in-home crafting to fill her Etsy shop.  We came up with this great idea, swapping stuff.  We swapped all kinds of things and one of them was  my Scan'Cut for her Big Shot Pro. both the same in cash value and both sitting on shelves unused.  Well, that was when I was doing a lot of sewing and quilting (still am) and The BSP would make my life easier.  Fast forward to know and I am card making again and boy would that Scan'Cut come in handy.  I do not regret the trade for an instant I am very happy to have the BSP, that takes a curse off cutting for me.   Just before I quit card making for a year I discovered my Cricut Explore Air has a print to cut function. So the Scan'Cut was not as needed.  This week I learned how to use it!  I will show you the cards I made and then give you the link I learned from and walk you through the process.

5x6.5 on 110# Neenah Sundance Natural White Felt

This set of cards was actually pretty easier to make, I invested about 90 minutes in learning the process and then making the cards.  You will need to have some knowledge of digital image use.  For the video tutorial go to PattiAnnesPlace.  I am NOT an expert Cricut user, but I can usually figure things out, especially with Youtube.  The thing is you can't fear to learn how to do something!  I have a lot of crafty friends that have all kinds of great tools and they never use them because once they get it home it seems too complicated and they are afraid of failure.  I say, Just do it!

The butterfly print is from Graphics Fairy and the background papers are one sheet of a pad that I had in my stash

My Stamp is a Divinity Designs stamp (formerly Our Daily Bread Designs - when did they change their name?)

I stamped the stamp, took a photo of it  and imported it into my PC

I brought up my bracket, you can right-click this and save it for your card making 

I then merged the two in "Publisher"

I merged the image and pulled it into the Cricut software.  You will have the opportunity to save on "a print to cut"  and a "cut"  file.  I did both to create the background frame - no die-cutting needed!! and yes this takes a little bit of time to figure it out, but once you do, You have a saved set and do this many times with many verses/sentiment and no added expense of dies.

In this photo, I am working to get the frame to fit the size of the verse -for the cutting they are done on separate sheets/mats.

Following the video instructions, you send your images to your printer and print and load on mat.

And in about 45 seconds, you have your verses!  I used 90# card stock in my cheapo Canon Pixma MG3022

Next up doing the Cut only files

The best part of this, I now have my "Pattern" saved in the Cricut to use over and over again!

If you would like a few more frames for your card making, 

use a favorite stamp cut them by hand too.

Go Here to and older post.

I really hope if you are fortunate enough to have a circuit and haven't tried this that you will. Like I said, once you "get it" it is very easy and versatile!

This card is also entered in Word Art Wednesday Challenge

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Ginny M