November Special Guest Designer - Kristen Swain

Please give a big welcome to our November Special Guest Designer - Kristen Swain. 

Kristen was a former Circle Blog DT member and also currently designs for Northridge Publishings Cricut Magazine.  We are so pleased to have her on Cricut FANatics Blog today.

Hello you all! Kristen Swain here from Blankety Blank Blank. I just have to tell you, I miss our Cricut Circle Blog so much! I was always so inspired by the other team members,we felt like a real family,  and let me tell you, working with the new cartridges was so much fun! But life is full of change and I am loving working for Northridge Media on the Cricut Magazine.

I was wondering, what can I share? I have so many ideas and thoughts about using the carts. But I have been reflecting lately on using my supplies better, getting more use from papers and wasting less. Let's face it. Crafting is costly. I'll be honest. I get too overwhelmed with looking at online stores to actually buy anything. I know, I'm a shopping reject, but I start out loving everything, then I ponder, do I really need this, by then, I've spent 2 hours looking and I end up not buying anything. I'm hopeless! (or a cheapskate) I also really love certain colors of paper, and patterned paper. So when I have something I really love, I try not to hoard it, but use every last little scrap, since I'm so limited in my online buying. So that's when I decided that I would share a couple of cards made entirely of scraps.

I looked through and found two half sheets of cardstock- 6x12, and folded them in half for my card base. Then I sorted through my patterned paper and cardstock and pulled out some nice bright colors.

                                              
One thing I think that helps me the most in using my scraps, is that I use Cricut Craft Room exclusively now. I love that I can see the images so much better on my laptop or computer screen. I can place cuts anywhere on the mat, and I can see exactly what size paper I will need to create a cut. So, I can add a 2x2 piece of paper and get a cut from it, using up more smaller scraps and wasting less. See what I'm saying?

Now, I know, my cards aren't seasonal. But they could be. Change the colors out to be orange, rust, brown, sage, sunflower, tans and you could change the greetings. Happy Fall, Autumn you glad I wrote, Give Thanks. They could also make great birthday cards. Change the How's life to .. Happy Birthday Chick. Change the Celebrate Life, to just Celebrate. It's all about the basic idea. Don't like apples? Use Preserves to cut a Pear, a Banana, or a Plum. Don't want to use the Chick, change it up with Create a Critter and make a snake, squirrel, or a  bunny.

 

Thanks for having me today! I hope you enjoy my cards!  Kris

 

Cricut Info & Supplies Used:

Designed By:  Kristen Swain

Cricut Machines Used: Cricut Craft Room, Circut Expression2.

Cricut Cartridges Used: Preserves, Create A Critter

Other Supplies Used: Papers from various manufacturers like- My Mind's Eye, Echo Park, SEI, American Crafts and Imaginice. Buttons/twine are craft supplies.Foam tape, black pen, Fiskars Cloud deco scissors. Greeting stickers by SRM Press, punch ( 1.5 circle) marvy.

 

Cut Details:
Preserves- cut <Apple3> at 2.75 inches. <Apple3-s> at 1.98 inches and <Apple4-s> at 1 inch (2x)
Create a Critter.- <Chick> at 2.5inches, <Chick>Layer1, Layer2, Layer3 at 2.5 inches