More on the Beta Preview of Pattern Uploads for Design Space

Beta Preview * * * changes may be made before the updates are released

So what can you do with these patterns? Fill your images and text! 

You just add your image to the design canvas or type your word. Then click on the image/text like you normally would to change the color and you get the new screen to add a pattern! Change your image/text to Print and the Pattern options will open. choose your pattern and BAM! Your image or text is filled! 

Beta Preview of New Features for Design Space!

Beta Preview Information * * * Changes may be made before release

So many exciting upgrades are coming to Design Space! Although there is no release date set at this time, Cricut said I could share with you some of the changes you can expect. You'll see from this preview, Cricut has been listening to it's customers! 

There will be some changes to the way the design canvas looks when you open Design Space. You'll notice the Layers Box has changed. It's more than "a pretty new face" but I'll get to that in a minute! The big change is in the Upload Images button. It looks the same but when you click it. . . magic!

You now have a different upload screen. There is one button for Image uploads and one for patterns! Yippee! The Image upload takes the guess work out of uploading images. You no longer have to choose between basic upload or vector upload. You choose Image and Design Space "knows" what type of file you are uploading by the file extension. And Pattern upload is for patterns! All those digital papers and such you been getting for free and never really got to use in Design Space.

When you choose image upload, you still browse your computer to find your image. You "clean it up" with the wand and eraser. But when you get ready to save your image. . .you now get a preview of your image as a Print then Cut file or a Cutting file! No more unchecking that little box on the save screen!

With pattern uploads, you also search on your computer for your pattern and when you get ready to save, it is saved in the Layers Attributes for you to use with images and text.

I've got so much more to show you! But doesn't this look great so far?

If you're wanting to go ahead and start gathering digital patterns, check the Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space group. We'll have info on a trusted site that has 2 bundles of 100 patterns each . . . for FREE! How cool is that?

Land of the Free because of the Brave design

The Design Space file for this design is available in my Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space Facebook group. Come join us!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CricutLoversGuide/

I've seen a similar design all over the internet and have been unable to find the original designer. Since several people have asked for the file, I decided to use the original as inspiration and design my own file in Design Space. I use the Eyes Wide Open Font and an arrow and flower images from the Cricut Image Library and a heart from the free Insert Shapes option. I was able to use the Hide Contour feature in both image sets to use on the single arrow and the flower I wanted. I use the Slice feature to cut the arrow in pieces and the Weld feature to the words to make them cut as one image.

I've often seen members of my Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Space FB group asking for various designs they have seen. And I've wondered why they don't just jump into Design Space and make their own. I hope this will encourage and challenge people to try their hand at designing!

Even though it's too late to use this file for this 4th of July, I'm sharing the file. If you would like the file, become a follower of my blog {if you aren't already following me} and post a comment with your email address. Remember, you will need to have the cutting rights to the Cricut images, either by owning the cart and having it linked to your account or purchasing the individual images. File share ended.

Hope everyone has had a happy and safe 4th of July this year!

Cricut Releases an iPhone App for Design Space

It's ready and waiting for you iPhone users! A new Cricut Design Space app for your phone!

And, there is an update to the Design Space iPad app that adds 3 new features! Hide Contour, Insert Shapes and the camera to project your design onto your project!

Don't wory android users, Cricut is developing android apps as well. Here is a video from Ashish Arora  giving an update on what's happening with Cricut :

Cricut Update Video

Self Closing Treat Box

Once again, I have to say I love my Cricut Explore! A friend sent me a photo of the cutest little box {and you know I have a thing for boxes} and asked me if I could make it. She called it a Self Closing Box and said someone told her it was from Stampin Up but she couldn't find it. So off to Google I went and I found that indeed there were some videos on how to make the box by cutting and scoring by hand. I watched one of the videos made by Linda Parker and then went to work in Design Space. The little box is adorable but what makes it so clever is the way it opens!

You just grab it on each side and squeeze it! And it pops open and when you release it, it closes. All by itself!

The box in the video was huge. You could easily fit gift cards and such in it. But I thought it would be cuter as a smaller treat box. No problem. Once the design was complete and all the score lines and cut lines attached to the base image, I could easily re-size it! This box is just over 2 inches wide.

I used all free shapes in Design Space to make the box. The flower and leaves are from the Flower Shoppe cart. The rolled flower is so easy to make and I clipped the left image since there were five leaves and I only wanted a couple.

If you would like to have the Design Space file, just become a follower of my blog and
leave a comment with your email address and I'll send it out! And if you make any of these little boxes. . .or even big boxes because you can size it to fit your needs, I'd love to see photos!

Yet Another Dollar Tree Cake Carrier!

OK, this is the last one. . .for a while! I'm sure there will be more because I really love using the images from the Suburbia Cricut cart to decorate this Dollar Tree Cake Carriers! For this one, I only added the bow and the pearls to the image. A cute little saying and it was done!

Quick and Easy Floating Frame Wedding Gift

I love that my Cricut allows me to create such great gifts! The young waitress at a restaurant my hubby and I go to often {and by often, I mean almost every week!} for lunch recently got married. We chat with her every time we are there but she's still more of a causal acquaintance. Even so, I wanted to give her something to commemorate her big day.

A floating frame was the perfect gift! I've made lots of floating frames for weddings that we were invited to and lots of variations of the design based on the couple. Usually I use a big 10 x 17 frame. For this gift, I choose a smaller 8.5 x 11 frame. I used the letter "C" from the Regal font that Narelle had split {so easy to cut since she took the time to clean up all the little "bits"} and uploaded it to Design Space. I then added the names. I used the Milkshake font for both names and the wedding date and I used Times New Roman for the last name. {I did use a different font for the "&" as it looked like the "E" in the Milkshake font! }Then I selected all of the images/text and attached them. The Explore cut the vinyl like butter! Once I weeded away the excess pieces of vinyl, I used transfer tape to move the entire design to the glass. In less than one hour, I had the design completed, cut, weeded, applied,  {photographed} and wrapped!

I gave it to her when we went in for our usual Wednesday lunch and she was thrilled! She immediately went to show the others and then was taking pictures with her phone to send!

If you want to make nice projects like this, Narelle has split all the Regal font and has shared her files in our Facebook Group. . .come join us!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CricutLoversGuide/