Circut Class # 1

Introduction to you your Cricut!

Denise (and company ) have asked me to get them acquainted with their Cricuts. So I thought that I would start off with a few helpful hints that I wish I knew when I started out....

1 Tools that are helpful.
~A Criucut spatula or Exacto knife for getting your cuts off your mat (you can clean this with GooGone every once in a while as it can get coated in adhesive from the mat.
~ A scraper (or even an old gift card) to scrape little paper bits off your mat after you are done cutting
~ A piercer is handy for poking out those pesky little bits still stuck in your letters/designs

2 What adhesives work for adhering my designs?
~ Xyron - I have the personal sticker maker and the Xyron 501. To me these are the most useful in adhering my cutouts, especially the more intricate kind.
~ Zig 2 Way Glue - I have 2 kind of this. A chisel tip for bigger pieces and a pen tip one that's great for Teeny, tiny pieces.

3 How do I keep my mat clean?
~ I like to use baby wipes on my mat when I am done for the day to clean any fuzzy's off my mat. Let it dry before putting the plastic protective sheet back on.

4. Is there a right way for the plastic protective sheet to go back on my mat?
~ The answer is YES! When you get your new mat, write something on the plastic first. This will help identify which way is the right way up. One side of the plastic protective sheet is slightly oily to allow it to release from the sticky mat easier




5. Is there some way to know what all the settings are for?
~ Yes, Here is a chart that i have printed off and put directly in the lids of my machine for a quick reference. See bottom for the link



Here is a link to a more detailed chart that you can download and print off for future reference

http://www.aboverubiesstudio.com/the-cricut-cutting-guide/

6 Can I make my mat sticky again so that I don't have to keep buying them?
~ Yes, although I have not done this yet. I do plan on doing it in the near future and will post the procedure and my results.

Stay Tuned for More!!!

Do You Have A Cricut?

This month we have Shannon as our Guest ST and are very lucky as she is our resident Circut specialist! She has agreed to give us a month long tips and tutorial on them. Many of us have one but haven't yet used it very much or to it's full potential. This is what Shannon is hoping to change.

I'll repost her tips and tutorials here so if any of you have one and need a few tips, you won't miss out!

So...you have a Cricut...NOW WHAT?

Do not panic!!!

The first thing that you need to do is to take your new treasure out of it's box.

There, now it wasn't that bad, was it? When I got my first Cricut as a Christmas present, I briefly played with it to show my DH what it was and then put it back in the box. The poor thing just sat there for months and months. I have to admit, I was a little scared to take it back out. What if I wreck a piece of paper trying to cut something out? GASP!

The best way to learn how to use your new toy (tool) is to play with it. I know that can be a hard concept to grasp because we don't want to waste any of our precious scrapbooking paper, but if you follow what I am going to "teach" you in the next few weeks, wastage will be at a minimum.

My first "class" will be this Thursday night and while we may not be doing any cutting in that class, there will be lots of information floating around. Here are my class themes for the next few weeks...

Feb 3rd ~ Introduction to your Cricut
Feb 10th ~ Using your Cricut to making a title
Feb 17th ~ How to use different mediums with your Cricut
Feb 24th ~ Using your Cricut with your computer/Gypsy. The focus will be on the Gypsy as that is what I have (but am still very new at .)

I will also be posting tips and tricks throughout the upcoming weeks.

If you have any areas that you want covered, please feel free to post them here or send me a personal message. I will try my hardest to cover what you ask.