A quick Design Studio lesson for the frustrated....

I am leaving Saturday morning to take our son back to college.  I wish I could have made the trip to California for CHA but I am trying to be patient and wait for all of the new product information to start appearing on message boards and blogs.  I think there are a lot of great new things in store for us.

Provo Craft has posted a picture of the new Cricut Cake machine - here is a LINK to the page where you can sign up to receive more information when the machine is ready.  This machine is designed to cut designs in frosting for cake decorating.  You will be able to use it with any Cricut cartridge.  There is also a new Cake Basics cartridge that looks great but the link to the PDF of the handbook is not working right now.

Today's post is a little different.  I use the Design Studio software virtually every day and I have become very familiar with the "things that don't work the way you expect them to" and the "ways to get around the problem."  Lately, there have been a lot of people asking questions about how to do some of the slightly trickier things.

I made a file for a wagon wheel (actually a wheel for a pram) for a reader. I realized from a few other emails that even though I have done a video about "welding in a frame" and the need to "burp" the design, some people have trouble watching videos due to internet connection problems or they prefer something that can be printed out and referred to in hard copy.  With that in mind, I did a "words and pictures" explanation of all the steps it took to make the wheel.

Start with a silhouetted circle.  The George cartridge has many silhouetted shapes and I like it because the line is thinner than some of the others.  In this case, the request was for a 2 1/2 inch wheel so I set the slider bar at 2 1/2.  It is important to determine the finished size needed because you won't be able to "group" the components by keeping them in the same selection box since some of the pieces need to be resized and rotated.

Next, add a solid rectangle.  I chose the thinnest one available on the keypad.  You can see that it is much too thick to make a spoke in the wheel.

Move the rectangle over to the circle using the horizontal move handle at the center left.  Line up the left side with the inside of the circle.

Use the handle on the center right to narrow the rectangle to the same width as the line of the silhouetted circle.  You could make it even thinner if that is the look you want - I thought it looked best when the lines were even.

To be sure that the rectangle will stay within the outer edge of the circle, change the height to 2.3 inches in the Shape Properties box.  Click on the mat or press enter to make the change effective.

Next, move the rectangle to the center of the circle.  You can use the pale gray plus signs in the middle of the shapes as a guide to be sure that the circle and rectangle are perfectly centered.  If you have trouble seeing the plus signs, try using the 200 view.

Check the weld box for both the circle and the rectangle (click on the shape to make it active - the handles will show - and then check weld).

Add a new page to the file and then click the preview eyeball.  By previewing on a "clean page" you can see clearly the dark lines where the finished design will cut.

Here is the preview with the thin rectangle and the circle - the weld works perfectly.  Now you need to add the other spokes of the wheel.

Select the rectangle and click copy and then paste.

 

 Whenever you copy and past, the pasted image is placed in the exact position of the original image.  You can tell that there are two images by the slightly darker line.

 

While the pasted rectangle is still active (with the handles showing), click the 90 degree box in the Shape Properties box - this will quickly rotate the item selected exactly 90 degrees and is a very handy shortcut.

Click paste again to add another rectangle and then type 45 in the rotate box in the Shape Properties box.  This box allows you to set precise values for the rotation.

Finally, click paste one last time and then enter "-45" in the rotate box - this will turn the rectangle 45 degrees in the opposite direction so you will have the full wheel.

 

When you click preview and check the weld, you will discover that there is a problem - but there is an easy way to fix this.

The problem is created by the order in which the items were added to the design.  The program seems to read the shapes in the order they were added to the mat.  If you have only two items (a closed frame shape and one item inside)  there is no problem with the weld. When you add a third item inside the frame you need to work from the inside out to be sure that the welds will work properly.  It is generally easier to put your outer item on the mat to work with it and be sure that things line up properly.  Then you can do the simple "burping" fix to make the welds read correctly.

Select the outer circle and click copy, then delete and then paste.  The pasted object goes back to the mat in exactly the same position but it now has been added to the design after all of the other items.  Think of it as letting out the air that was trapped within the design.

Now your preview will look like this and you can cut your wheel.

Here is the final cut.  These are fairly quick to make, so if you need a set you can just create them over and over until you have enough.  It will be a great day for Design Studio users when the program is updated and allows you to "group" a set of shapes that contain individual shapes that have been rotated or otherwise changed.  This would allow you to then copy and paste the entire group as a unit!

I hope this was helpful to the new Design Studio users - for those of you who have already learned how to do this, maybe it was a good review.  If you are a person who actually prefers videos here is a LINK to the post with the "welding in a frame" video.  The example is different but the same principle applies to any items place inside a closed, outlined shape.

I'll be driving most of the day tomorrow so I won't be able to check comments or messages until late in the day.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me and I will reply as soon as I can.

Floral Bed Deep Edge Punch (more Martha)

This week there is what I think of as "the perfect storm" in the quest for Martha Stewart punches at a more reasonable price.  ACMoore has a 50% off coupon, Michael's will honor competitor's coupons and the everyday Martha Stewart punches are not on sale at Michael's.  For extra bonus points, the ACMoore coupon is good all week (sometimes it is only for Tuesday).  If you don't have an ACMoore in your area I am sorry to tease you with this information!

I really liked the floral vine deep edge punch I got a couple of weeks ago (here is a LINK to the post about that punch).  I stopped at Michael's today on the way to a family dinner (at the home of the triplets) and chose another punch that is similar in style but different enough to be useful (and may work in combination with the first one).

Here is a picture of the punch - one drawback is the size of these punches - they are gigantic!  I just bought a couple of extra shelves for my "Billy" bookcase at IKEA, so I will be reorganizing the punch storage to accommodate a few more of these.

It is often important to center the punch on a strip of paper to get the most attractive results.  I thought I'd show you one way to help do that.  One of my most used tools is the layout and centering ruler at the top of this photo.  I use the clear grid to help align items on a page or card and to get nice even spacing on my projects.  They are inexpensive and can be found at most art supply stores.

There are measurements in standard sequence along the ruler but there is also a "0" at the center with measurements working out from the center to the ends.  If you get the "0" aligned with the center of the punch and then place your paper in the punch so that the ends are equally distant you can start punching in the right spot and work your way from the center to the edges.

The punch has the pattern printed on the base and to get a perfectly even border you simply check to be sure that the silver design shows through the newly punched holes as you work your way punching along the edges.

Here are a few examples that I did quickly when we got back tonight.  For the first one, the original strip of cardstock was 3 inches and I matched the location of the punch on each side of the strip.

This example is from a strip that started at 2 1/2 inches - if you start with a narrower strip the holes will run into each other in the center.  This on is just a touch off center but I thought it looked fine.

This strip started at 2 1/4 inches and is my favorite from these quick experiments.  I offset the design on opposite sides to get a zig zag wave effect.

One more shopping tip - I found this set of scissors at Costco for less than $10.  The scissors are comfortable to hold and very sharp.  The package includes a combination sharpener and letter opener.

The smallest pair of scissors is great for paper work - the blades cut cleanly right to the tip.  I have a pair of scherenschnitte scissors that I use a lot for fine details but I think these will also do a great job on some of the delicate "clean up" I sometimes need to do on a project.


Just a note about the Design Studio classes - Jen was away on a trip and now has had some changes in her son's schedule which we are trying to work around.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner we know many people are busy with family plans so we are on a short "hiatus" while trying to put together a new schedule.  In the meanwhile, if you are interested in one-to-one private classes you can contact either of us to work out the details.

The Gypsy is grouping my Design Studio files!

The update that was posted yesterday has made a lot of Gypsy users very happy! I spent some time this evening experimenting with the new possibilities and enjoying the results.  Here is a LINK to the message board post about the updates. You will need to download and install the Design Studio update and run the Gypsy Sync to update your gypsy.  Once you have the updated programs you will also need to update the firmware on your Cricut before you cut anything (you can do this from either your computer or the Gypsy).

I did have some difficulty with the Gypsy Sync giving me an error message "File string does not contain 4 parts" but, with some great help from Provo Craft, I was able to correct the problem.  I am using a Vista 64 bit computer.  If you are getting this message, you should look at the file names of your Gypsy files.  If there are any that have commas, do a "save as" and rename the file, eliminating the commas in the new name.  Then close the new file and delete the file that has commas.  Provo Craft is working on fixing the Sync software so soon this won't be necessary but it may help you until the fix is made.

I tried a few different things to test out the transferring and converting of files.  First, I went to a very old file that I made before it was possible to weld inside a frame (we had to "build" the frames from rectangles when Design Studio was first released).  This file was sized for the baby bug - at 5 1/2 inches square.

I saved the file as a ".gypsy" file in Design Studio (use the drop down menu at the bottom of the save screen to choose either ".cut" or ".gypsy").  Then I ran the Gypsy Sync and chose "upload files to Gypsy", browsed to the file and selected it and transferred it to my Gypsy.

When I first previewed the file on the Gypsy, the welds were not working correctly.  So I grouped the twelve elements of the design, working methodically around the design.  When the grouped design previewed correctly, I selected it, added a page to the file by tapping the plus sign at the top left of the screen (another new feature) and tapped the duplicate icon to add it to the new page.  Then I resized the frame to about 10 inches square, saved the file and went back to the Gypsy Sync.

In Gypsy Sync, I clicked on "Gypsy" and then "designs" in the left column - this brings up a list of all the files in the Gypsy in the right column.  I selected the file, clicked "Save Selected File(s) to PC," browsed to the folder where I wanted to save the file and saved.

The Gypsy multi page file does not currently remain a multi-page file when it moves to Design Studio so I had to copy and paste all of the elements of my newly enlarged frame to a new page in the Design Studio file.  The ability to group and resize on the Gypsy and then either cut from the Gypsy or move the file back to Design Studio is a great addition.

Next, I designed this pinwheel snowflake in Design Studio using the icon from A Child's Year.  The pinwheels are rotated at 60 degree intervals so I can not currently create this file with everything in one selection box and grouped in Design Studio.

I transferred the file to the Gypsy, grouped the elements of the design and then duplicated and resized the design.  I then could transfer the file back to Design Studio or cut directly from the Gypsy.

Here are my two pinwheel snowflakes on the mat after cutting.  It is so exciting to make the design once and then be able to duplicate and resize.  This is a very simple design but for some of the really complicated designs with many elements the Gypsy will be a great timesaver.

Just for fun, I layered the two cuts to see how they would look together.  This gave me an idea....but you will have to wait a day or two to see what I am going to try to do (!)

Be sure to read the release notes and check the Cricut Message Board for many helpful tips and hints from fellow Design Studio and Gypsy users.  There is a lot to explore and it just keeps getting better!

Grouping with the Gypsy

I spent some "quality time" with the Gypsy today and had a lot of fun figuring out how to make some new designs that take advantage of the "grouping" feature offered by the Gypsy.  This will be a huge timesaver in designing but there is a catch - right now the previewing and cutting of the complex designs is extremely slow.  I wonder if some people have been assuming that the machine is frozen and have given up because of the length of time needed to preview the welds and cut these designs.  Remember, patience is a virtue!

Most Design Studio users have been wishing for a true "grouping" feature ever since the Design Studio software came out.  I have been able to make many designs that are "adjustable" by using the nudge arrows to move items into position while keeping them all in the same selection box, but this is a slow and tedious process.  It is also impossible to change the angle, stretch or skew and individual element within the selection box.

I made a sort of snowflake design using an element from the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge (one of the two exclusive cartridges preloaded on the Gypsy).

This screen shot shows the keypad position of the element that I used - I think it is a clock hand or pointer of some sort.  I took a screen shot of the actual element since the keypad icon is so small!

I made a pair of hands by overlapping two images and aligning the holes.

 

Once I did this, I grouped the two together by selecting first one hand, touching the "group" icon (it turns yellow) and then selecting the second hand and touching the "group" icon again.  Once the items were joined into a group there was a light grey box surrounding them.

I then used the "duplicate" button on the Advanced tab to create additional grouped sets of hands.  The "duplicate" button is to the right of the preview eyeball and looks like two overlapping squares.

 

I made eight pairs of hands and arranged them by turning them at a rotation of 22.5 degrees and aligning the center hole.  I wanted a solid center so I added a circle that I sized to fit on top of the hole.

When I had the elements arranged, I grouped all of the items and touched the weld button.  Since they were grouped, I only had to touch the button once.

When I previewed the design, I was not happy to see that, except for the center cutouts in the tips of the hands, the lines were pale gray which means they would not cut.  Obviously, this was not working so I thought about how I might be able to "fix" it.  In Design Studio, the order in which items are added to the design is sometimes significant, so I decided to have another try.

I selected the entire image and clicked the "ungroup" button.  Then I started with the center circle, touched it to turn it blue and then touched the "group" button and methodically added the hands by tapping each of them in order around the circle.  When they were all selected (turned blue) I touched the "group" button once more.  When the entire group was selected the items were blue - when I tapped off the design, they were red, indicating that weld had been selected for all of the items.

I tapped the eyeball to preview and watched the little hour glass for a very long time.....probably 8 - 10 minutes.  Finally, the preview was built and there was a red cutting outline indicating that everything was welded together properly - Eureka!

I took the Gypsy to my Cricut and pressed the "cut" icon (blade) on the Basic tab. One by one the pieces of the design turned pale gray - I believe this indicates that they are being read for cutting. This took a long time again but finally the screen moved to the "cut screen" so I loaded the mat and tapped the blade to start the cut.  The Gypsy sat and "thought" for a long time again and then - cut the design!

But now for the really exciting part!  I could have easily made this design or a similar one in Design Studio up to this point.  The magic of the Gypsy is that I was now able to select the grouped design, duplicate it by tapping the duplicate button and then resize the design all at once!  I did a "save as" of the file and made a new file with five inch snowflakes - quick and simple. 

When you remove the cut from the mat, a wide plastic putty knife is a great help.  I was able to lift the design , leaving the small center bits from the tips on the mat.

I saved the teardrop cutouts and interspersed them with the tips to make this design - if you want to do this be sure to take care in lifting the pieces.

The outer offcut is also attractive and could be used in a project - I always like the positive/negative effect!

I hope the explanation I gave about how I did this is helpful to new Gypsy owners.  If you like this design and don't have a Gypsy you can do something similar but it won't be resizable due to the angles of rotation required.  This LINK will take you to an old post where I made snowflakes using elements from Fabulous Finds. 

I will still try to get a video made but I am not happy with the screen resolution with the Flip and when I use my larger video camera I get a nice recording but I have trouble with the video format for editing and uploading to YouTube - I'll keep trying!