SCAL

As you will see from my blog I spend a lot of time using SCAL, in fact it would probably be a challenge for me to make a scrapbooking layout, card or OTP item without SCAL these days. If you are interested in purchasing SCAL email me. I can give you tutoring in setting up your SCAL and also get you downloading fonts and images in no time. I use Inkscape extensively and therefore assistance is altering and designing images comes as part of the SCAL package when you purchase from me. SCAL is so popular at the moment with copies flying out the door each week. It is the best decision you will make if you want to use your Cricut machine to its fullest potential.

Party svg

I must have parties on the mind at the moment. I woke up at about 3 this morning thinking of making a party hat svg. I guess we do have 2 birthdays this week and a few of my friends have kid's birthdays this week too. In a spirit of birthdays and giving I am giving the svg away for free. If you want the SCUT or don't know how to seperate this svg in Inkscape just drop me an email. If you don't know about SCAL and Inkscape and how they make your Cricut so much better, have a read through the blog and if you still are unsure just email me and I will happily give you the low down.

Click here for the free file

Kaisercraft K-Bots

I had the chance to play with a sample from the Kaisercraft K-Bots range on the weekend. I haven't any robot related photos to do a scrapbooking layout so I used it to make a card. I wish I had robot pics as this paper is delicious. The robot images look fabulous cut out and mounted with foam mount on boy cards. the colours are a mix of muted blues and some more vibrant yellows and oranges. I can't wait to see the fantastic layouts that are sure to appear in galleries all over the net in the next month.

I also used my Sure Cuts A Lot program to cut an aperture thank you card. The aperture was designed in Inkscape and cut on the Cricut using SCAL. Lucy is one this month and she has received a fair few presents (Fisher Price has been doing a roaring trade!)so I made up a set of thank you cards. While they all have this aperture cut from blue Bazzill each one is slightly different.



If you'd like the aperture cut I have loaded into my Media Fire account and will be available for download for the next week.

If you are in Australia and are interested in buying SCAL drop me an email as I am a distributor. I provide hints and tips to get you started, can walk you through the set up process and am available if you have any questions.

Where does time go?

Since returning to teaching this year the days seem to simply fly by. I promised some medical images and I did work on these and I even cut them but haven't had two minutes to myself to do any creating and as such I haven't made any cards yet. I have put them on Media fire so you can cut them yourself and maybe one of you will show me what you make with them! Have fun creating. I had foot surgery today and so I could do with a card myself! I will be off my feet for the next couple of days but don't know that I will get much achieved as my two youngsters will be home with me and no doubt demanding of my time.

If you have SCAL and a Cricut you are set to make some fabulous get well cards or sickness/hospital visit scrapbooking layouts with these files

Click on the links here if you'd like a stethoscope, bandage/bandaid and get well soon title

I have a house word book that I have been working on lately that I hope to be able to share soon, all I need is the time to make my sample

Ric Rac svg

I have been making a few design elements for scrapbook layouts lately. I started with ric rac thinking it would be easy but it really wasn't. I am thrilled with how it turned out though. I had to create a grid over my design in Inkscape in order to have each 'wave' the same height and length. I am sure there is a way to adjust the grid already present on Inkscape but I don't know how, if you do please let me know. I have used the ric rac on a layout that I will be teaching next week.



I imported this into SCAL at 1 inch. It looks like real ric rac!

Not a Valentine

I managed to get a bit of creating done today. With tomorrow being Feb 14 it would be easy to claim this as a Valentine's card but we don't really do Valentine's Day and it really is just coincidence that I have been playing around with a heart. I plan to have this as one of my make and take projects at February and March Scrapping Away events.



The hearts were all cut using the Cricut and SCAL The paper is My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus "darling" polka dot/brown

Mascot

It is my school swimming carnival today, I don't work Thursdays though and taking my two girls to the pool with nearly a thousand teens just wasn't appealing. I did however make a mascot on my Cricut for Clark House. Our mascot is a Cougar and I searched the net for one and then spend about an hour altering it in Inkscape. I am really happy with how it turned out.



If you'd like the file you can get it here

Simple Birdie

The simple bird shape is quite popular these days. It appears in home decor, on manchester and also kids outfits so it is no surprise that it is also very popular with scrappers and card makers. First it was the owl haunting scrapper's pages and now the simple birdie. Cricut has one on their Wild Card cart which is pretty cute and I have used it myself on a couple of layouts. Someone requested a simple bird on a SCAL forum I am on and for a bit of relaxation I played around with some ding fonts to come up with these examples. Today was the first day back at work so I thought some Inkscape therapy was called for.



The fonts I used are 2Peas Urban Birdies and 2 Peas DW Girlie Girl

If you'd like the SVG file click HERE

Happy Australia Day

January 26th is Australia Day and in celebration I have some free Aussie svg images for you. For all the Aussie users of SCAL and for anyone who has ever been to Australia, fed a koala or patted a kangaroo here are some images for you. I haven't had a chance to make anything with them yet as I getting ready to go back to work. Yes, the new school year begins right after the Australia Day holiday and it spells the end of my maternity leave.

If you would like the Australian svg files you will find them HERE

Free Book plate SVG

Today I have some free bookplate SVG files for you. I had some cards to make and I thought I may as well make some new svg files at the same time. If you have SCAL you can cut these with your Cricut.





If you would like the files go here

Hope they are useful, leave a comment to let me know.

Ballerina SVG

I have been doing some layouts of my daughter's first ballet concert and playing around making some svg files. I haven't yet used any on the layout; I make, cut and then change my mind! Here is one of ballerinas in a row. I initially made it to replicate a line of ribbon on a sketch I had made, then I thought it would make a good page topper and it would, the only problem is these papers aren't really traditional ballet style and so the ballerinas looked out of place. If you would like the file you can find it here. ANd below is a screen shot of what it would look like on your Cricut mat.

How exciting!

In the mail yesterday I received my new Storybook cartridge. Now I am a SCAL owner I really do advocate designing your own images, using true type fonts and converting jpgs to svgs and not needing to buy cartridges but every now and then Provo Craft comes out with something I just can't resist. This was the case with Wild Card and now with Storybook. True I could make many of these images but the time it would take me would outweigh the ease of buying the cart. I was so excited to see the cart but also felt a little thwarted as I have a retreat on at Scrapping Away this weekend and so I immediately took the cart over there for them to use. My play time will come after the retreat finishes. keep a look out for the latest projects using the new cart!


I am still deciding whether to buy Graphically Speaking too as it looks very cool and again something that would take me a fair bit of time to create using Inkscape and SCAL.

I have also been playing with flock this week and have a fun layout to upload. The lighting isn't that great for taking pics atm though so I'll have to work on that tomorrow.

Ahoy there

My daughter absolutely loves this local park which has some official boring name, after an ex mayor or some such. The first time we went there she christened it the 'Pirate Park'. Whenever we drive anywere in the vicinity of this park she asks if we can go to the 'Pirate Park' so this layout is for her.



The skull is from My Crafty Files and the font for the title is Windlass. I have only recently learnt about opening a true type font and using it in SCAL without actually installing it. Installing too many fonts really slows down your computer. Both the title and skull were cut on the Cricut using SCAL.The cardstock is Bazzill.

At times I spend hours on the detail in layouts but often I find simple is good. I have way too many photos to spend hours on every layout. This will mean project 9 is done!

Dec 1 and the countdown has begun

I have only managed 5 projects so far so I really must get busy. I do have a few half finished though so stay tuned.

I had a few dinosaur chipboard accents left over after making the Boy word book and I decided to make them into cards. These cute cards are very simple but they look so effective and I am sure any young boy would be thrilled to receive them as birthday cards.



I also decided to make a card for a teen male, a much harder audience. I went for something a bit grunge inspired.



My list so far then
1. Wreath
2. Kaisercraft Days Til Christmas Tree
3. Christmas Morning layout
4. Joy Layout
5. Happy Holidays Layout
6. Dinosaur cards
7. Grunge card

Dino card embellishments are Basic Grey Archaic, Guitar Embellishment is cut on the Cricut using a guitar svg I got from Denise's blog

Inspiration hit today

While playing around in Inkscape I created a journaling block or label. I think it is quite cute so I decided to make it available through my blog. I am only an amateur so I was really quite thrilled with this, hope you can use it.
Journaling block
It cut nicely on my Cricut so I am off to make a card or a layout. Actually these would look nice on some clean skin wines to make a great personalised gift.

28 Days and another 2 projects done

I am on a roll! I still haven't got back to making the goodies to go with the Kaisercraft Days Til Christmas tree that I posted the other day, but I will.

Today I have the next 2 pages made with the Scrapaholics December kit. That's 3 pages made so far with the kit and there is easily enough paper left to make another page or a few Christmas cards. The cardstock is Bazzill Chiffon and Coredinations Burgundy. The patterned paper and diecuts are Sandylion. The journaling block was cut using SCAL and my Cricut. You can get a copy of one at the Frugal Crafter

Christmas layouts

I wish Christmas brought the best out in my photography skills but unfortunately it doesn't. I am usually busy with other things and thoroughly preoccupied so at the end of the day I have next to no photos and those I do have are average. There is also so much clutter around on Christmas Day, wrapping paper, presents, and other people that I find it hard to achieve great shots. As this is the case I have found it difficult to scrap Christmas photos. Tell you the truth I have actually avoided scrapping Christmas photos. Now I have 2 children I can no longer neglect preserving these memories. Plus, the Scrapaholics kit for December has a distinct Christmas theme! It took me along time to create these pages and although the colours aren't everyone's idea of Christmas I love the way they are not the traditional red and greens. The cardstock is Bazzill Chiffon and the trees and die cut are from the Sandy Lion Christmas Range.



As promised I have an svg file for the title I used on the Christmas morning layout. You can find it here It is in Inkscape and ready to cut with SCAL and your Cricut.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I have eventually got my act together and made a start on Christmas cards. I know it is already November and so I really am going to need to get a move on and produce a lot of cards. I have been cheating a little and using SCAL and my Cricut to cut cards. It is certainly much quicker this way. I have used KJtagsXmas font to cut both gift tags and cards. I didn’t come up with this idea myself, check out Denise’s Blog for this and other great ideas. Denise has a heap of SVG files she shares so if you have a cutter and SCAL take a look.

Also went to the Albury Botanic Gardens yesterday for the Fairy and Dinosaur Stomp. I took the camera along, of course, and took some cute pics of the girls and couldn’t resist sharing a couple.



I also made have the SCUT file to share for the scallop I used on the November Scrapaholics layout. I usually make things in Inkscape but for some reason I did this in SCAL so sorry no SVG this time. You can go to the following link to download it http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=b38accfabc050c8bd2db6fb9a8902bda