Learning New Skills

So, okay, who'd ever have guessed that my crafting addiction would drag me kicking and screaming into the world of computer semi-literacy? It all started with Splitcoaststampers--learning to post my pix in the gallery and chat on message boards--then I had to have Cricut with Sure-Cuts-A-Lot, and now two talented ladies have forced me to go even further, into the world of Photoshop and Inkscape! Kay, whose amazing blog is Clever Someday (I love that title!) and Jin, who caught my eye with her gorgeous blog, Under A Cherry Tree, make beautiful projects using their computers and Cricuts, and are kind enough to share awesome video tutorials on just how to do it! I almost bought a Cricut Imagine, but with their tutorials, who needs it? LOL! Anyway, these are some things I've made using their ideas, tips and methods. And honestly, I'm just a little bit proud of myself for figuring it out! Both Kay and Jin use a lot of Lettering Delights Doodlebats and graphic sets. I had some LD stuff, but never used it because I don't really like to cut stuff out--but now all that's changed.

The first pic shows images from Around the World and Around the World Sites. I printed them on CS and used Kay's hinge method to cut them out. I'm not going to go into how I did it, as Kay and Jin do that so much better than I ever could. The second pic of the little alligator is from the Doodlebat Party Animals. Doodlebats are easier because you can use them right in SCAL without having to convert anything. Here I used Kay's method of drawing with a gel pen first using the cricut, then cutting with the cricut. So cute! This font will make so many cute kids' birthday cards!

Lastly, I found this cool doodlebat, Journaling Flourishes I think it's called. Again, I just opened it right in SCAL, but it was a little more complicated. I printed with brown on Kraft (Gina K), then I had to make a file for the cut, which involved getting rid of all the interior lines and just cutting the outline. But I did it! This was inspired by my friend Chris, who is a scrapbooker extraordinaire, and if she likes this sort of journaling tag, I will make some and send them to her. Just let me know Chris!

Depending on how things go tomorrow, I hope to have at least one card made using these images. I hope I've inspired you to try something new today. And Jin and Kay, if you ever happen to see this post, thanks a million!