Designing with Cricut DS

 I often pull up my Cricut Design Space for laying out and designing a scrap book page before I start.  Or I create a page in DS, I have started without the Cricut, just to see how big a title I might need.  Here is a page design and finished page.  Above is my finished page, and below is the DS pre-planned page.  

Want to make your own?  Here is the Cricut DS file.

Circle in a Square with Amazing Paper Grace

 

I am circle obsessed, so when I saw this Amazing Paper Grace die I knew I wanted to try it on a scrapbook page as a circle!  And I am using those Dimensional doily dies in a new way here to make a bow in the corner of my circle.

Supplies
Anna Griffin Toile paper

Amazing Paper Grace Timeless Grace Die

Enchantment Tall Flip and Gatefold Card 

Anna Griffin card kit boarder strips

Anna Griffin gold swirls

Basic Grey letters

K and Company Journaling die cut

Sizzix Embossing Folders (letter r and a)

buttons

paper flowers

glue dots

Blue cardstock

Ivory cardstock

Blue ink

Stained Glass Window Card with Amazing Paper Grace

A few years ago, I had a chance to visit La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.  I will forever remember the emotional and spiritual experience the colors of the windows had on me!  So, today I am sharing a card inspired with those windows using Amazing Paper Graces Heart Melange Dies, Anna Griffin Chameleon Markers and a Cricut File to help separate the colors.  The sentiments are also Anna Griffin!  

When I colored this window, I used the lightest shades at the outside of the window, and the more intense colors inside.  I use the Amazing Paper Grace Softly Spoken Die for the portion under the window.  It was a bit too small for my card, so I sliced it in half and just allowed a bit of space between the two halves.  You will notice the Cricut File has two circles for coloring.  I like to have one for practice when I try a new window with so many colors.

Miniature Wedding Dress with Amazing paper Grace

Perhaps it's my fashion design background, but I have always had a fondness for 3 D paper dresses in miniature.  I have attempted a few, but I think this one is my best and I owe it all to Becca at Amazing Paper Grace for making these dies.  Once I received them I saw that the Heart Melange die looked very much like a bodice piece for a princess line dress!  Since all the dies in this collection make a circle when joined, I knew I could also use them for the skirt. For the skirt I chose the Timeless Grace Die.

Want to make your own Amazing Paper Grace lace dress?  Here is how:

Supplies:
Plastic Dress form (Amazon)
Amazing Paper Grace Heart Melange Die
Amazing Paper Grace Timeless Grace Die

Anna Griffin Scoring Wheel Tricks Cricut  Cartridge (optional)

White Card Stock

Quick Drying glue

Glue gun (I like low temp)

Glue Gun stick

White ribbon 1/4"

Instructions:
Construct the Bodice:

Cut the skirt lace with the APG Timeless Grace die.  I cut two layers of card stock at a time, to make this a quick process.  Check out Becca's video on folding and gluing, you will be combining the motifs in the same manner as Becca did, just using the numbers you want for the fullness of you skirt. 

1. Cut one APG Heart Melange Die for the front bodice in white card stock.  Create the solid bodice lining for the front by placing the APG Heart Melange Die on white paper and tracing the outside of the die.  Trim traced image with hand scissors. Add small pieces to cover the die splices (usually used for combining as directed for a floral motif) as show above.
2. Cut one APG Timeless Grace Die for the Back Bodice in white card stock.Create the solid bodice lining for the back by placing the Timeless Grace cut die on back of the dress form and cutting off the bottom point so that the bodice stops at dress form waist. 
3. 
   
   
   Glue the back Bodice lining on the Dress form using a low temp glue gun.

   
4. Glue the Front bodice onto the dress form, overlapping the back bodice, and glue with liquid glue.  I chose to leave a cut out in the side of my bodice as I know this is a current fashion trend.
   
5.  Cut the skirt using Anna's Scoring Wheel Trick's Drapery Fold #M64DFDF8 Cricut Image at 11 1/2" Scale.  Do NOT use the Scoring wheel lines, I detached them and then cut the image.  Wrap around the dress form and decide how full you want skirt.  Trim the circle as needed.  My skirt looked like this after trimming.  If you use the same dress form and scale I did, you will NOT trim anything away from the center circle as this fits the dress form well.  If you don't have this cartridge, just cut your own circle 11 1/2" or 12", cut a straight line to the center and cut a small circle with a 1 1/4" in the middle.  Wrap around the dress form and decide how full you want your skirt.
   
   
   
6. Cut 7 motifs for the first layer if your skirt is like mine.  You could stop here, and still have a beautiful dress with just a peplum and bodice of lace.
   
7. Glue the first layer, and then Cover the waist with some 1/4" white ribbon gluing the raw edge underneath using the glue gun.  This will hide any gaps at the waist.  Gluing the waistband at this time will prevent the lace from being crushed in the second and third layers.
8. I cut three layers, for the second layer use 13 die motifs and 26 motifs in the third layer.  The use of more motifs, gives the skirt the flared and ruffled effect.  I love this because it looks as if the dress form is twirling and dancing!  Below you can see the dress with just one layer of the dies.  It also looks beautiful this way too!

Doodling to Get a Finished Look

I have had Anna Griffin's Nifty Nested Layers in the stash for some time, and this week I was inspired to get them out by a challenge on the Friends Who Love Anna Griffin Facebook group.  At first, I struggled with how to use this blue and cream with my stash of blue and cream.   So, I got on Pinterest and searched the color combo.  I found an oriental rug with the light blue, and cream and pops of dark navy.  So, I had my color inspiration, but I needed to tie everything together.  

I got out a Copic marker and a Cricut fine tip marker and began to doodle with them to finish the page.  I made straight lines around the edge of the doily to get the look of embroidery.  I then used the Copic marker around the edge of a cream flower.  I added some pearl embellishments, Anna Griffin butterflies and a bird, and a title cut with the Cricut.

Some other tips I used to make this page more polished:  I cut the inside of the back ground paper out and carefully centered the motif inside the Nifty Nested layer doily.  I also matted the photo in blue and gold to draw the eye to it.  To keep the title from getting lost, I use metallic blue and cream.

Border Die Does Double Duty for Lace with Anna Griffin

If you are like me, you love when you find more than one way to use a die!  Today, I am sharing a lace doily I made with an Anna Griffin border die and some fussy cutting.  Here's how to get the look:

1. Cut a piece of white or cream card stock 5" x 12 and fold it in half length wise.
2. Carefully tape the border die to the card stock, making sure the straight line of the die falls just outside the lengthwise fold.  This will create a mirrored image when the die is cut.
   
3. Carefully remove the paper and the paper chads, and unfold the border strip.
4. Carefully cut the die where indicated by the photo to create a row of hearts (see the pencil shading below).  I love that not only can I make a new motif, but it has hearts!
   
5. Cut 3 heart strips following steps 1-4 above.
6. Using glue dots, overlap the heart strips matching the leaf motifs.  Then back with contrasting paper and fussy cut.
   

Take Your Rosettes Up a Notch

I am addicted to easel cards and LOVE anything Anna Griffin!  This week I pulled out an Anna kit and made a card.  I wanted a bit of red on this beautiful yellow Anna Griffin Card and added the dramatic metallic oval center. It is Anna Griffin metallic paper embossed with an Anna Griffin folder.  It felt a bit heavy alone, so I pulled out a rosette I made a while ago and added it.  I am a bit of a rosette addict, so I share how I made this fun look!

Using a clear ruler, white card stock and a red marker.  Draw red lines equal distance part along the length of the card stock.  Tape the paper to the die cut and run it through the die machine.  Glue the rosette and allow it to dry or cool.  I hold mine rosette in place while gluing using a Creative Memories circle cutter.  Then cut the rosette in half to place it behind the motif.  Below you can see a blue one I made too!  

Play with your markers to see which ones you like best.  This blue one was made with a Cricut medium tip marker.  The smaller striped  red one (left) below was also made with a Cricut Marker and the larger red stripe was made with a Copic marker (right).  This style of rosette is also fabulous for a Fourth of July project!