A Cricut Surprise!

I am thrilled to announce that I did indeed get a Cricut for Christmas.  My dad and Verna came to visit us the week after Thanksgiving and surprised me with an early Christmas gift.  I had to keep it hush-hush, though, because they also bought one for each of my sisters-in-law, who didn't know until Christmas or a few days before. 

My Cricut Station

I am so grateful for this gift...it has already paid off in more ways than I ever imagined!  I made so many Christmas gifts, tags, and even boxes with it!  My biggest project was to make a personalized 2009 Calendar for 11 families.  I have never scrapbooked a day in my life - I got in over my head, but the project turned out better than expected.  Aside from the hours and hours I never anticipated, and the budget that spiraled North, this was an incredibly fun project and a worthwhile learning experience. Leave it to me to dive right in and burn myself out. Who knew you could go through so much glue?

In addition to the calendars, I tried my hand at glass etching -- about 15 baking pans. I started with glass pie pans, then tried a few 8X8 glass casserole pans, and even etched a giant glass bowl for the giver of the gift...it says "Grandma Booma's Banana Pudding".  She always makes this yummy banana pudding with Nilla Wafers, and I just had to personalize her treat! 

My sister, Kelly, is modeling this baking pan for me...so cute!

I will post detailed instructions for this project soon. (Esp. for you Britt!)

The gift tags were one of my favorite projects, and thanks to the AutoFill feature, the easiest, too.  The cartridge Tags, Bags and Boxes is worth every penny - go get it!  

My absolute favorite thing to create on the Cricut is vinyl lettering.  So far, I've only done two words on my own walls, but I personalized some chairs for my boys and cut the word "Family" and applied it to some really cute tin signs I found at the craft store for my mom and mother-in-law.  I have a BIG vinyl project coming up...I am really looking forward to it!  It is the baby's nursery.  I'm planning on doing a vinyl border around the whole room, vinyl embellishments on the door and closet doors, vinyl initials, some stenciling and my favorite little girl saying above the closet doors. I can hardly wait to paint and get going!

Our bathroom door

Personalized Video Rocker Chairs

This should eliminate some fighting!?!?

I also plan on doing a big vinyl project in our new basement bathroom.  You'll have to check back and see how it turns out! It should be interesting since our house is pretty modern and I never really thought I would be able to do the cute vinyl lettering like all my friends have.  It will be different, but fun. The exercise room will get a few words, too.  I will post detailed descriptions and instructions of most or all of these upcoming projects.  Especially the nursery!

I love my Cricut!  I had no idea I would get this much use out of it. It is worth every penny.

Hold on now...

I am sorry to say my blogging efforts have been thwarted and my Cricut plans are on hold.  I had to make a decision between travel money for Christmas and the Cricut.  I decided to visit my family in California and hold off on the Cricut.  Oh, come on, wouldn't you?  

I haven't been there in over a year, so this is a long time coming.  I am perfectly comfortable in my decision and not too disappointed yet.  I may get a little stressed when it comes to Christmas shopping for family now, though.  I had it all planned out!  

So for now, I am going to hang on to this blog and return when I am able to buy the Cricut Expression.  I better go return all that vinyl I just bought from Wal-Mart!  

Special Delivery!

No one can ever say that insomnia and infomercials aren't profitable.  I am an interior decorator, and naturally creative, but I haven't ever had much interest or any experience in scrapbooking.  And yet somehow, I just spent $400 on a Cricut Expression plus extras.  I have to admit, it's scrapbooking capabilities are the least attractive feature in my eyes. My hands are itching to cut me some vinyl lettering, dabble in a little engraving and embossing and try out some fabric stenciling.  I have a feeling there may be a little niche in the right side of my brain that's dying to get into the scrapbooking/card making possiblities, though. 

So, for now, I'm scouring crafty blogs, watching and re-watching the demos on the infomercial website, downloading fonts (I found a third-party software that doesn't require all the Cricut cartridges) and waiting for my precious package to arrive.  I'm a little worried that the delivery may take 4-6 weeks since my main purpose for purchasing this magical machine was to create and personalize this year's Christmas gifts.  Does shipping and handling really take that long for anything anymore? I can only hope not.

I am even going to start this blog and dedicate it entirely to my Cricut creations. If I have the time, which may only last 6 more months (I'm due with my 4th baby in the Spring), I will post my projects as they are created and include instructions and pictures. The most entertaining posts will surely be the first few, but I am promising myself I will post them, no matter how disastrous or embarrassing. I think I will try the glass etching first. I hope the cartridges that come with it have something fun!