Woof! Woof! or Remember When the Little Dog Came Home

After so many years of being a Labrador-loving family making room for big dogs, 2011 was the year we had Olivia pick out a puppy that would grow up to be her size. Something small enough that she could take walk it, wash it and groom it herself. Her choice was a little white Teddy Bear she named Cooper.

Olivia was so excited to have a dog of her very own, she couldn't wait to introduce him to her friends. They were just an enamored with little Cooper as we all had been. He was so cuddly and easy-going. The title for this page came from using the negative space cut using the Sure Cuts a Lot software. 

 We took Cooper for his first visit to the cabin a few weeks later. We realized quickly that this little guy was terrified of the water. He did not like being on the dock, near the lake, or even close to the hose. Olivia tried to comfort him on the dock in the morning, but he never warmed up to the idea.

 In the end, Cooper needed a bath and it was not a fun experience. He did get a chance to run wild and crazy the way dogs do after a bath in the open yard. This page was one of my favorites because of the mix of the patterned paper, the fun 'grassy' fringe and the VersaMark flowers on the homemade tag.

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SVG Files or How My Cricut Needs a Friend

[Stars and Stripes-the title was a great free SVG file that perfectly with this page]

I remember standing in line at the scrapbook expo in the convention center after digging through the bins of die cuts. At the expo the die cut paper piecings were fifty cents to a dollar. They came in various sizes and fit every occasion and holiday. I left with a bag filled with pumpkins, ghosts, bubbles, leaves, fireworks, and strawberries. It was the only way to get those multi-layered of embellishments. Some even came with their own sequins.
[Lemon Slices-the two layered lemon slices seem simple, but this SVG file adds just the right element of monochrome texture]

With the Cricut came the chance to make all of our own letters, and when the cartridges with the various paper piecings came out, I had the same reaction as I did with the fonts - why do I want to spend $40-$80 for a single theme? I usually only wanted one or two of the images. That is why one of my favorite discoveries in the marriage of Cricut and Sure Cuts a Lot is the little extras I can create with the SVG files. [Giant Strawberry-this multi-layered strawberry was a little putzy, but a nice homemade change to the purchased die cuts I have used in the past. It also allowed me to select the shades of red that best fit the page rarher than being stuck with someone else's interpretation of "strawberry red."]

There are so many great SVG files available both free and for purchase online. These pages show some of the free files that I found at SVGCuts.com. They have great packages to purchase and always a few freebies to tryout. They also have helpful video tutorials for those of us using the SCAL with the the layered designs for the first time. The designs are clean and simple.
[Happy Birthday- with so may fall birthdays, I was happy to find a few different titles to choose from.]

Other sites for free SVG files:

1. SVGCuts (my first find and still my favorite) http://svgcuts.com/blog/
2. Tu J's and a Taco http://tujs.wordpress.com/
3. SVG Shop http://svgshop.com/blog/

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My Knight in Shining Armor or It's Sure Cuts A Lot to the Rescue

[Girls of Summer, 2008]

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love my Cricut. I just can't afford to feed it anymore. Those cartridges are brutal at $90 a pop. Even on sale, that's a chunk of change to set down on the counter for a single font.

I don't want a single font.

I don't want a lot of fonts.

I want ALL of the fonts.

Riding to my rescue on a white cyber-horse is my hero - Sure Cuts A Lot software. This software costs less than one cartridge and is designed to enhance the capabilities of the already awesome Cricut.


[Hey, 2008]

First it has the ability to cut ANY TrueType font. Yes--this knight in digital armor cuts any font. ALL the fonts. I just need to download and install a font on my computer and it's ready to go. This gives me an endless supply of fonts and dingbats. It makes it easy to select a unique font for a page without having to make a commitment. I never have to use that font again if I don't want to.


[A-Mazed 2008]

Sure Cuts A Lot also has a welding feature that easily hooks up the individual letters to create a single cut object that makes a great title.


[Monkeys 2008]

Because the software uses TrueType fonts, Sure Cuts a Lot can also cut solid dingbat characters. Now I have a great collection of free dingbats of animals, fish, states, flowers, and holiday icons.


[Halloween Party-right side]

Finally, the onscreen workspace makes setting up the cutting design (and mixing multiple fonts in one design) so easy and helps me get the most out of my Cricut. I think my Cricut is a lot happier, too. It's good to have a hero.


[Winter Slide, 2008]
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