Little Penguin

A friend of mine had this little, cute penguin. She was having problems cutting it out on her Cricut machine. So, she asked me for help.

There are so many factors that play into why something doesn’t cut out exactly right or well on your machine. So, I thought it would be a good chance to talk about some of them.

First, the way the file is created, downloaded or brought in to the software. Do you remember when I talked about the Zig Zag Village? The file didn’t come into my Cricut completely correct and I had to mess with it a little to get it to do what we wanted.

Next would be the blade, the mat or your paper. The blade could be old, nicked or just have something stuck to it. You can clean it off with an alcohol wipe, but be careful not to cut yourself. You can visually check to see if it has a nick in it. The too dull or old part is the hardest to determine. Usually, I cut something simple a couple of times and see how it does. Some materials are harder on your blade than others.  Cutting glitter really wears your blade out fast and so some people just have a blade for that and change it when they are doing other materials.

The mat could have some very small thing still stuck to it. Most of the time you can’t see it. You might be able to feel it. Also, when I am resticking my mats and I am in a hurry; I get a little ridge in some places. The fix for all of these is to wash your mat and let it air dry, then restick if necessary.

As for paper, this is not really a fixable problem. Even the “best”, “most expensive” paper I have has “bumps” or thicker fibers in places. That is just the way paper is made and the cutting machines react to even the smallest change.

Lastly, I look at the settings I’m using – what my material setting is and if I need to customize. I do have one particular cardstock that I made a special setting for because it just wouldn’t cut well for me. But that is a whole other lesson!

So, back to our penguin. When I cut it I had issues with a completely different piece than my friend. This probably meant that it was a paper or mat issue.  Here is a picture. It is funky colors because I was just trying to figure out if it would cut, so I use whatever scrap I had handy!!!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog!!!!!

 

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Pots of Gold

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner I decided to make up a couple of pots of gold! They were pretty simple to make and the most expensive thing was the chocolate!!!

Finding the bottles might be a challenge, but they are from a chili sauce I like to cook with!!  So for me, no problem!!!

 

Have the rest of a good crafting week!

Thanks for stopping to read my blog!

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More Valentines

This week I am just finishing up some Valentine’s things. It has been a fun season! And I want to thank everyone that has supported us!!  Thank you!

I decided to add the little stuffed animal to the candy jars. I think it just adds that little finishing touch.  That raised the price a little but I think they are still  a great value!

$14.00

This cute jar is filled with all the fun candy of the season! Chocolate kisses, crunchy chocolate, red hots, and cherry jelly hearts! What a great way to say “I love you”.  And at $5.50 it’s just the right price! (Decorative paper may vary.)

I also did a couple of cards for my kids.  I just thought I’d put pictures up to show you that you don’t always need to stay with just the traditional colors.  The black ink is kind of a strong color but I liked the way they turned out.

Thanks for taking time to read my post!!!!

Lu

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Valentine Cards

Do you need a card to go with that fun treat? Well we have those also!

Each card is handmade and comes with an envelope for just $3.00! Theses are more traditional than the ones from the class a few weeks ago. I love the little girls and their innocent faces! I have lots more card supplies and ideas so if you don’t see what you are looking for, just give me a shout out! I’m sure we can make you one that you will love!!!

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Remember there are 4 from the card class available as well!!!

 

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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Valentine’s Gifts

Need a gift for that special someone? Want it to be unique? I have just the thing!! Each of these fun, candy filled gifts will put a smile on anyone’s face!

This cute, white tin is filled with milk chocolate kisses and milk chocolate crunch hearts! After the candy is gone, the tin can be used for a plant, make up brushes or pens on your desk!  $11.00

This silver tin is filled with milk chocolate kisses and milk chocolate and white creme hugs! I love the the pink and silver together! $15.00

This coral tin is filled with milk chocolate kisses! It is just the color this year! It’s not the traditional Valentine colors but I love the blue and coral together! $11.00

This darling mason jar is perfect for that teenage girl! The paper on top has words that just go with that stage in life: mall, love it, bling, best friends, and much more! The jar is plastic so it is light weight and won’t break.  $5.50

These cups are perfect for that younger child! They are filled with sweetarts hearts, chewy mini sweetarts, laffy taffy, nerds and cherry suckers! The little stuffed animal just finishes off these adorable treats!  $5.50

This fun, filled, skinny, glass is just the right treat to express your love! Filled with just the right amount of cherry jelly hearts, cinnamon balls, jolly rancher jelly hearts and tiny hearts. It’s sure to bring joy to whomever receives it!  $7.50

This large, glass, love jar is filled with cherry jelly hearts, cinnamon balls, jolly rancher jelly hearts, tiny hearts and milk chocolate crunch hearts. It is the perfect way to express your love!!! $12.00

 

I’ll keep making and posting through the holiday so expect to get more notifications this week! Hope you enjoy them!!!

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