All About the Cricut

Archive for the ‘Cricut Tips and Tricks’ Category

Are you frustrated with the Cricut DesignStudio software? It’s great software, and a great tool for the Cricut, but sometimes it can be confusing with all the options it offers. The manual is fine for the basics of installing and setup, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the “How Do I” questions we all have. Once we have it installed, we are anxious to put those ideas we have into reality, and then get bogged down in trying to figure out what to click, where to slide, who to rotate… I’m sure you know what I mean.

I know when I ‘think’ I have it figured out, insert my paper, and waste another sheet of good stock I get a little… well…. peeved to put it mildly. The process of getting what’s in my head onto the screen and finally into a finished cut can be costly if the ‘trial and error’ method is used.

Luckily, I came across a wonderful resource that is like ‘the missing Cricut DesignStudio Manual‘. It’s an ebook written by Brandi Gore, who currently works and teaches classes at a local scrapbook store, as well as teaching classes every year at the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooking Convention. She was getting a lot of questions about the Cricut, and the DesignStudio in  particular, so she decided she had better learn more about it to be able to answer all those questions.

It didn’t take her long to become frustrated with trying to figure out this, then that, and every time she got stuck she would have to put her scrapbooking on hold while she scoured the internet looking for an answer to the problem and a bit of trial and error to boot.

She finally acquired enough experience to feel confident enough about answering her customers questions, and teaching a class on it. The first couple classes sold out, and she had to add more to keep up with the demand.

She then wondered if putting together a video would be helpful, and the response from her classes was a resounding “YES”! So she put together some videos, wrote out everything she learned, and thus her ‘Learning the Cricut DesignStudio‘ package was born.

It not only includes a well written eBook that will show you not only how to save money by not ruining paper with “trial cuts”, but also how to use your time to actually create, not “figure out” how to make the cuttings you need. You will feel confident showcasing your precious moments by using her advanced techniques, and avoid hours of frustration and research by using the step by step video tutorials.

The package includes her newly released ebook, the Cricut Design Studio “manual” that includes step by step screenshots and directions to the techniques you must know to be a successful Design Studio user. If that isn’t enough- she gives you nearly a FULL HOUR of video tutorials where she shows you every step of the designing and cutting process.

I know when I went through it all I was amazed at the wealth of USEFUL information that was provided. Brandi has really over delivered in this product. I was able to put a number of the things she shows into my projects immediately and get great results, THE FIRST TIME!

If there was anything missing or lacking in this product, I would have to say it would be hard to find. It’s clear, easy to read, with screenshots, and the video just makes it all the better. As a bonus she even includes a a Quick Reference Guide to the Shortcuts and Tips You Need Close at Hand. You can print out this sheet and you will be able to quickly find the shortcuts you need to make creating with Design Studio a faster, more enjoyable process.

All in all a really nice product that I can fully endorse because I use it, and refer to it all the time. Since she offers a 60 day money back guarantee, there is NO WAY you can lose by trying it out yourself. Just click THIS LINK or the logo below to get more information, and find out how to order this fantastic video enhanced eBook now! You WILL NOT regret it! 

Paper Saving Tip

A lot of us want to know the dimensions of a shape before cutting it out. For instance, if you set the size dial at 3 inches, you can be sure that the shape will be 3 inches. However, does that mean that the shape will be 3 inches wide or does it mean the shape will be 3 inches long? To get around this issue, some have cut out each shape in each size and saved it in a book for future reference. This can be fun, but it is not necessary.

If you want to avoid wasting expensive paper, it is wise to know the orientation of the shape you desire to cut out and what its dimensions will be. To avoid an unexpected outcome, try cutting an “air shape” before you cut the actual shape on the paper of your choice. Here’s how to do this:

1. Set the blade depth to 1.
2. Set the pressure dial to 1.

NOTE: The Cricut blade will not cut anything if the blade depth is turned to 1 and the pressure dial is set to 1.

3. Load the cutting mat into the Cricut machine with the plastic cover, some regular computer paper, or the paper you are planning on using.
4. Select the shape you want to “air cut” and set the size dial to the size you desire.
5. Press the CUT button and watch the outline of the blade as it moves in the air above the mat. Make a mental note of the dimensions of the cut and how much area the blade moved over on the mat.
6. If the shape was not big enough or small enough, simply adjust the size dial only and cut another “air shape”. Watch the Cricut blade and make mental notes again.
7. Once you have found the desired size, set the blade depth higher to the appropriate depth for the paper you are using and set the pressure dial to a higher setting appropriate for the paper you are using.
8. Load your mat with the paper you desire to use and position the blade where you wish to commence cutting.
9. Select the shape you wish to cut and press the CUT button.