TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

1. I had a customer who asked me how I organize my quilling papers.  I didn’t really have an answer for her so I asked a customer as she is a quilling fan and very organized.  This is the info. I got from her.  Right now I just have them in their bags in a drawer.  I’ve been trying to come up with a different method too.  On the Creative Forum site there are some good ideas.  http://creativequilling.forumotion.com/forum.html  One idea is to put them in a binder.  Take a clear plastic sheet protector and add a piece of printer paper and then sew one or two straight lines down the sheet protector. That way you can use both sides to add in your strips.  I probably have far too many strips for just one binder.  I also thought of buying some hanging bags from Crystal Clear Bags of Canada and using my Clip it Up system…Heather Goodes

2. To remove tiny scraps of paper stuck to the Cricut mat after cutting, take a piece of packing tape about 4" long. Wrap it sticky-side out around your index and middle finger tips, then just swipe all the little bits on your mat, rotating the tape around when it gets full of bits. This is much easier than using a tool or fingernail, and helps the mat retain it's own stickiness."

3.  "Center Point is a great feature on the Cricut. I love it and use it a lot. If you have, say a picture of your child, and you want it in the middle of a shape or letter, use the Center Point function.   First, practice before you use the real thing. Make a copy of the picture you want to use, then place it on the cutting mat. It doesn't actually matter where you place it since you will be using your arrow keys, but if it makes you feel better, you can put it in the center of your mat.  Next, load your mat, press the center point button and then use your arrow keys to move the blade housing to the center of your picture. So, if it's a nose that's the center, that is where you will move the blade housing.   Select the appropriate size. This may take some playing around with (have a couple copies of your picture--just plain paper works to save you the photo paper costs). Press cut. Cricut knows this is the center and will not start the cut there; it will move to the appropriately sized proportions outside the center."

4.  Change the usual gold or silver borders on Peel Off Stickers into rainbow borders. With permanent marker pens, colour in sections all the way across the sheet of borders.

5.  I find cutting out unmounted stamps to put onto EZ-mount foam much quicker and easier on the hands if I do it with my craft knife rather than scissors. 

6.  To make sure that heavy cardstock holds when matting and layering, put a small amount of very strong double sided tape in the centre of the cardstock. You can then use which ever glue you have chosen (I like  Beacon 3 in 1 or Zip Dry) to stick the rest of the cardstock in place.  If you put a tiny blob of glue over the double sided tape, then you can wiggle it around to get it into position before pressing it down firmly.

7.  For using flat backed gems that don’t have adhesive, use one of the micro dots that come in the sheets, take the top paper off press the gems onto the tiny dots of adhesive then put the protective paper back over, that way you have a sheet of gems ready to go.

8.  Here is a great way to store your Spellbinderdies that we use in the store.  “Clip It UP” has some great storage wall mounts or desk mounts that are great for storing your Cuttlebug dies and folders as well.   We keep them on magnetic rubber sheets (you can get these at the $ store) and then clip them on these units.  Check out the following site for all the products they offer.  www.clipitup.com

Well, that’s all the news for now.  Have a great October and enjoy all those fall colours!!!