Getting to Know Sure Cuts A Lot 2: Using SVG Files

This is the final tutorial of how to use Sure Cuts A Lot 2. Yes, I know, there’s only 3. And they aren’t that fancy. Kinda crappy, actually (giggles). And I know there’s waaay better  ones on professional sites. So before I give my idea on how to use SVGCuts, lemme just give you a link to this baby right here, so you can actually have a real tutorial created by the persons who created the program.

Step 1: Go onto SVGCuts and find the file you want. Download it. I don't know what happens when you download it on a PC but when you do it on a MacBook it automatically downloads to where you want it.

Step 2: Go ahead and find the file you downloaded. In my case, I downloaded two, using Steve The Monkey and the balloon from the Graduation Cuddly Friends File.

Step 3: Now the files you downloaded should be on your virtual mat. Arrange the layers where you want and cut!

Happy crafting!

Essie!

I have made a very important decision. A decision that could affect a life. Or maybe my nail beds (snicker, snicker). Oh, I crack myself up way too much. I need a life. Possibly one that has to do with swimming (NOT). So I finished some summer reading I needed to complete for the school year. That’s a plus, right? Oh, the glory of feeling accomplished. It’s a beautiful thing.

Hey, speaking of glory, who else hates that Lady Gaga song as much as me. I don’t get it. (In other words, I don’t get Lady Gaga. Shh...)

But anyways, back to my BIG decision. And by BIG I mean mega-watt!

I’ve decided to go essie®. Yep, that’s what I’m calling it. Going essie. If you don’t know what essie is, it’s a beautiful, online boutique for... nail polish? Isn’t that rocking? I heart nail polish, and I wish I had more time to paint these ugly nails of mine (giggles) because they look so darn gorgeous when they’re blanketed by sand tropez. I love that color because it’s griege all the way, and if you haven’t seen the trend, it’s all about soft sandy beige-grays, screaming neutral. Don’t cha love it?

And I realized today, and someone was painting my demented left hand (which I can’t do anything with thanks to writing with my right hand) that a... er, special nail polish brand stinks compared to my uno bottle of essie. And I decided I upgrade my nails to their full potential and go essie.

Who else is going essie this summer?

P.S. And who else loves east hampton cottage, which was apparently spotted on a popular celebrity?

Getting to Know Sure Cuts A Lot 2: Cutting With Your Cricut™

Don’t you hate when you really want to do something but you just can’t? That’s how it works with me and baking. Last night, at 11-something pm, I had an absolute need to bake. Maybe it was from drooling at pictures on Erica Sweet Tooth (You do not know how much I heart this site) or all those new ingredients I have in the pantry just waiting to be used (real vanilla, flour, soft brown sugar) and those extra ingredients that would be perfect for a recipe on that site (graham crackers, Hershey’s, and marshmallows). But I had a need. I really needed to bake something fresh out of the oven. And guess what? I didn’t. Why not? It was 11-something pm.

So now that we got over my random sob story, let’s get started!

Tuesday I revealed some very healthy tips on where things are and what you use them for. Today, I’m going to show you how to get a picture from the Internet perfected on your virtual mat so you can cut it.

Step 1: Go into the Internet or your personal picture library and pull out the image you want. Save it.

Step 2: Click the Add Image button and find your pic. Once you have, open it.

Step 3: This window will pop up. Don’t freak, it’s supposed to look deformed at this moment.


*Sorry about this, but Blogger was being stupid and it kept on switching Step 4 and 5 around*

Step 5: Your image should now be on your virtual mat. Get ready to play with it’s height and width until it looks semi-normal.

Step 4: Tinker your picture with Settings and preview after each change until it looks how you want it to. Click OK.

Step 6: Get rid of your Shapes Table and Font Table. That way you have a more clear view of your virtual mat.

Step 7: On your Properties, check Keep Proportions

Step 8: On your Properties, control Position & Size by changing the width and height of your object.

Step 9: On your Properties, control Position & Size by changing where your object is located.

Step 10: Cut your object with your Cricut™ connected to your computer.

Happy crafting!

Getting to Know Sure Cuts A Lot 2: Where and What

Your relationship with your cutting machine is an interesting one. It’s the relationship that brings you all those “oohs” and “ahhs” from those adorable crafts you create. It’s an important relationship to establish.

However, the relationship between you and your key to cutting anything you desire is far more important. Like my relationship with Sure Cuts A Lot 2 is fairly good. But I think it would like if I used it more. Yeah. That’s what would make it better. What makes it a good relationship?

#1 I know how to use it-

Knowing how to use your Sure Cuts A Lot 2 is an important step in establishing a good relationship. That way you can use it more!

#2 I like to use it-

Don’t get Sure Cuts A Lot if you don’t have a Cricut™ and you never will. Make sure you know what it’s for before you get it.

#3 I have time to use it-

Okay, I waste a lot of time doing stupid stuff, but I do have a good amount of time to play with my Cricut™ and its accessories (Sure Cuts A Lot). I have more time than I think. Don’t plan on getting either expensive things if you don’t have the time for it.

#4 Now that we got that cleared up, let’s get started!

This is what the Sure Cuts A Lot 2 window looks like when everything is opened up.

You’ve got your Font Table, Shapes Library, Properties bar, Tools bar, and everything in between. A lot of stuff that you don’t know what it is for. Well, let’s start with...

Where and What

I’m going to go over the basics of where everything is and what it is for. Don’t get bored along the way!

Hope this will help you for the time being! Over the next few days I will be posting; each  post helping you get around Sure Cuts A Lot 2 and developing your relationship (snicker, snicker) with it.

Have a good day!

P.S. If I began to sound a little hyper over the next few days, don’t worry. It’s only a little sugar rush I have from pigging out on Ben & Jerry’s® Milk & Cookies and Mint Chocolate Cookie :)

Summer Lotion Bucket

Okay, I know, I know this name isn’t very creative. But I couldn’t think of anything else. But hey, cut me some slack. Boy, am I excited for Pretty Little Liars tonight. It’s going to be intense. Who agrees? Yes, I know, off topic.

And today, and wanted to show you this.

I know, it’s an ugly picture, but I made this in late June, one Friday night, and I didn’t really care if my computer took ugly snapshots. I made it for a friend for her performance. Why lotion? That's a question we'll save for another day.

So I got one of the new deliciously-smelling lotions from Bath & Body Works for her. And I got some clear cellophane from Hobby Lobby and a adorable green bucket for a really cheap price. I just love this basket because it is so summery. Then I arranged the lotion and hot pink tissue paper I found at home in the bucket, wrapped it will cellophane, and tied it with some extra hot pink ribbon I had at home. Don’t you love it? I also attached a small flower I made with the basic shapes cartridge on my Cricut™ and wrote a little “good luck” note inside.

Happy crafting!

Wet and Sticky is Very Icky, Sticky and Wet Makes Mommy Upset

Who knows what this quote is from? Come on, I know you know it. Alright, I guess you give up. It's from iCarly. That pre-teen show? Yeah. Why am I saying this quote, exactly? Who knows. See, that's kind of how people are. If we say something random and funny, everyone around us will burst out laughing, whether they know what we said or not, just because it was out-of-the-blue. And then a little while later they realize that it was not funny at all and they wonder why the heck they were laughing at it anyways.

Yeah, random, I know. That's how it works with me (giggles). Okay, so the reason I said that corny quote (tee-hee, isn't the word corny hilarious?) is because I have something sticky to share with you today.

Yes I created this picture with some Kevin and Amanda fonts, only because it's pretty cute, and I did not want to deal with copyright issues by stealing some other pic off the Internet

Mod Podge. Ever heard of it. Since I was an elementary student, I always thought it was pronounced like Modge Podge. I also thought it was spelled like that, but let's save my history of bad spelling and pronunciation for another day, shall we?

So anyways, Mod Podge. What is it? It looks like really thick glue that drys clear and shiny. And since I was determined to send a traveling journal (by the way thanks to my auntie for telling me about eighteen25. If you're reading this you know who you are!) to my sister while she is away—and I've been wanting to buy my own Mod Podge for a long time—I said what the hey and got a bottle plus a pack of 6 sponge brushes for only .99. Not including the sticky stuff, folks. Sorry. America's not that cheap.

And the story ends happily! I spread that Mod Podge over the cover of my already-made journal and smiled to myself. When I was done it was all glossy and shiny and the paper was sealed together. It turned out perfect.

I recommend you go out and get some Mod Podge if you haven't already. This stuff works like a charm and I've already got a few other projects in mind I'd like to use it for. I also suggest stopping by Hobby Lobby. This place may be a scrapaholic's dream. They've got rows and rows of everything you could ever need for crafting. And the prices are perfect. I shopped there one night to make my last-minute gift for my bestie's birthday party and I got a whole lot of crap for one small price.

I hope you enjoy! By the way, who’s as shocked as me about the Pretty Little Liars episode that premiered Tuesday?

Red, White, and Blue!

Wow. First and foremost, let me say it has been a long time. And by a long time, I mean about 2 months! Where have you guys been? I’ve been going to boats and water parks and swimming classes and baking in the sun. You know what’s weird? I’ve been frying in the sun. A lot. And I still haven’t got the perfect tan of a model, but... hey, I’m working on it. It’s impossible for me not to be stressed during these summer months. I mean I have to recover from all those hard days of studying in the school year. So, blog what??

But Happy 4th of July! And lucky you, you get a nail idea! My cousin perfected my toenails on Wednesday and even between swimming in chlorine and toppling over on my feet in yoga class, they still managed to look decent. And without the safety of a top coat!

I know, laugh all you want at my flip-flop tan line. 

Aren’t they *adorbs*? (*adorable, for those *normies* who don’t speak teen*) (*Lisi Harrison’s words, not mine. Sorry, I’m on a Monster High phase right now*) My nails, unfortunately, I cannot say the same about. That polish has been chipping off since Friday.

See, this is pretty simple stuff you see here. No fancy tools (we’re no artists), but some talent.

1. Begin painting all of your toenails white except the second-to-last one. Or the one right next to your pig-toe.
2. Paint the toe left blank navy blue.
3. Once you have done these steps with both feet, begin painting 2-4 stripes on each toe with white nail polish, ignoring the navy blue toe.
4. Wait till the big-toe has dried and paint a small square in the left corner of it with the same navy blue polish.
5. Use a silver or white nail pen and apply small dots to the navy blue toe and to the blue square on your big toe.
6. Make sure all of your toes are dry before you apply a top coat.
7. DO NOT FAN OUT YOUR TOES OR PUT THEM UNDER A FAN. THIS WILL DULL THE SHINE AND USE OF YOUR TOP COAT.
8. Enjoy the complements you will get on those nails!