My 1st Card with Cricut

A couple of weeks ago I purchased the Cricut Express machine. I have been neglecting my scrap booking/card making hobby since I started running Cobweb Corner full time from home. I hoped that this addition to my scrapping arsenal would jump start me into spending sometime on my paper craft hobbies again. So far I've been right!


<- Click image to view book on Amazon.com
To learn how to use my Cricut and get used the different settings I purchased the book Card Making with Cricut by Tanya Fox and published by Annie's Attic. This is a 47-page paperback book with cards mad using the Cricut machines and cartridges. It uses a wide range of cartridges and since I only own a few (so far) I am limited on the cards I can make directly from the book.

I started with the 4 You star card found on page 33. This card uses the Plantin Schoolbook and Opposites Attract cartridges. You can see my results for yourself.

What I learned:

1.) I used the Shadow feature for the stars. I knew what this was for but liked seeing it used.
2.) I got a good idea of sizes to print. The book tells you exactly what settings to use for each cut - which I LOVE - no trial and error. Until I make a number of cards, sizing will be more of a guessing game for me.
3.) While I was aware of this from my practice cutting sessions, I was reminded that my pressure setting on my Cricut needs to be adjusted when I go from card stock to thinner standard scrapbook paper. I forgot this and ended up with a bent corner on my star.
4.) Following a pattern is a great way to learn. You will never have the exact items they use in the example - so you get to experiment with the items you have on hand. I didn't have any star brads, so I used star stickers, some buttons, and a round brad.

Thank you for letting me share my beginning introduction to my Cricut Express. If you enjoyed the article please 'Tweet' it by using the Tweet button at the top of this page. Comments are welcome!