Fields Of Heather

My Cricut Projects in 2017

In the last part of August 2017, I bought this magic machine. I still don't completely understand all that it does - but here are a few of the things I have made with it in 2017!

The markers in cricut will do more than just write, with many fonts, they can actually draw! The pen will still follow the path of the blade, and that will leave you with an outline on many things, such as the cow - but on many of the decorative fonts, the outer lines will all collapse and leave you with just a decorative font great for posters! Surprisingly, these fonts seem to draw much faster than the writing fonts that I use for writing simple text.

I rarely use Cricut Brand Markers. They are almost always the most expensive option, unless there's a really good sale - and the off brands are just as good, if not better. In addition to off brands made to look and write exactly like the Cricut Brand, a variety of other pens can be used in the machine, no adaptor needed. For instance, a bic round stic pen works great. As does the set of jot markers that are 20 for $1.25 at the Dollar Tree. Here's a look at some of the various pens I've used over the years, in my machine:

Quick Tips Before We Get To The Long Details:

Always attach your text (everything in your design that is the same color) to keep it together - and not jumbled - when you click make it.
Cursive text needs to be welded. If you do not weld it, it will cut each individual letter separately, you want cursive writing to cut each word as one image - weld will make each word one image.
https://wordmark.it/ Word mark it is a website that shows you your text in every font installed on your device. This makes it much faster to choose a font for your project.
How to find, download, unzip, install and back up your fonts: http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/12/all-about-fonts-text-in-cricut-design.html
Where To Find LOADS of Free Fonts - https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2020/05/where-to-find-loads-of-free-fonts.html

You can use any font in design space! Unlike svgs, you do not upload fonts to DS, rather, you install them on your device, then find them under the "System" tab when choosing a font in Design Space.

Etched Cookie Plates for Our Neighbors

The Cliff Note Version:

I use Armor Etch Etching Cream, for about 15 minutes. (I buy it at Michaels with my 40% off coupon)
631 vinyl - worked best for my stencils
Plates were $2 each at Big Lots (The Dollar Tree had them this year!!)
Free Split Monogram SVG
Free Wreath/Laurel SVG
Don't forget to mirror!!

This is one of those projects that I started at 7am, thought I'd be done by 10am, and actually completed around 7pm. But once I got the process down, it really went fast.

First I tried to use contact paper from the Dollar Tree as my stencil. But it was too thin, and too clear to weed. Then I tried 651, but I got part of it stuck onto a plate before I was ready and it was super hard to remove (even though it takes days to fully cure and be permanent). Then I tried cardstock - but that's a pain, because the centers of my letters do not adhere, they move around.... and I tried the acetate that I bought for the acetate christmas ornaments (I had bought a pack that was NOT for the inkjet printer) but that was a combination of a pain to weed (clear ) and same as the cardstock, the centers would not stay put. Finally I went to cricut 631 vinyl, and that worked. I think a solid colored shelf liner would work for this too.

I could have used the 651. The trick is to place the stencil sticky side up, then place the plate down onto the stencil, rather than trying to place the stencil upside down on the plate. Once you set the plate down, flip it over and smooth to make sure there are no air bubbles, then remove the transfer paper and add the etching cream.

For the stencil, create a box and slice your monogram out of it. I added the last names in the split monograms, welded the name with the monogram, then sliced it from either a square, or for the wreath, a circle.

Don't forget to mirror it!

I used the split monogram files from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/split-monogram-free-svg.html
and the wreath split monograms from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/wreath-monogram-free-svg.html
I have more options for monograms here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/free-monograms-split-monograms-for.html

Cover with etching cream. Let sit for 15 minutes. Scrape off the excess cream, put it back into the bottle. Then wash off the rest of the cream, and remove the stencil.

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https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheathercrafts/

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Where To Find Free Monograms

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/free-monograms-split-monograms-for.html

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Find More Cricut Project Tutorials Here:

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/04/cricut-step-by-step-project-tutorials.html

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Stocking Stuffer - EOS cards

EOS Stocking Stuffer Christmas Cards

Cliff Notes:

For the EOS containers, you want a 1.460 inch circle
SVG Can be found here (More svg options at the bottom of the page)
To attach the EOS, you need to open it, put the back through the back, and then put the lid on the top front.
See the Easter versions of these here.

I started with the basic reindeer silhouette svg found here.

Upload it into design space, unlocked it, and resized it to 5.034x4.804 - making it slightly thinner than the original, to better frame the round EOS nose.

For the EOS containers, you want a 1.460 inch circle

At the top of the tool bar, under the lock, you can change the size by typing in numbers.

Then I created a 5.5 x 6.9 White rectangle, and sent it to the back. I added the text "Merry Christmas". Looking at my list of 6 fonts that write in cricut, (That list now has over 100 fonts to choose from) I chose Simply Glamorous. Don't forget to switch it to write, over on the far right menu.

Next select the red nose, and the white background, and choose slice. This will cut the hole in the white card stock, for the red EOS container to stick through. You can delete the red and white circles the slice created, I left the red one in the photo above, but you will not want that to cut.

Then last, select the writing, and the white rectangle, and attach. If you do this sooner, you will not be able to slice. If you forget to do this, it will not write where you want it on the card.

Here's another example. I started with this file from Love SVG:

Santa, Snowman & Reindeer Singing
https://lovesvg.com/2017/11/santa-reindeer-snowman-singing-4871/

Ungroup. Delete the musical notes. Create 3 1.460 circles. Resize the images until it looks like the circles will work as the "noses". Then on each image, ungroup, and ungroup, and ungroup until you can delete the noses and rotate and remove the rest of the facial features. I rotated the snowman's hat too.

That left me with something like this:

The next step takes a bit of time. It's not hard, but you have to ungroup, ungroup, ungroup... so that you can slice. You can only choose slice with two images selected at one time. So if two images are grouped, and you chose the circle as the 3rd image, it will not slice. Ungroup, ungroup, ungroup. At this stage, I decide I did not need the pink face for santa, and I removed that completely. Once the first slice is done for each face, I regrouped each face, so I can move them around without messing up the design.

Then I repeated the process of creating the rectangles, adding the text, and slicing the "noses" out of the white rectangles as well - leaving me with what you see above.