A SOUND USE OF EXPRESSION

The staff and faculty of Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley have discovered the joy and ease of using the Cricut Expression.

Sound Beginnings is located on the Utah State University Campus in Logan, Utah. It is an early education program which provides home and center-based services to children with hearing loss whose families want their children to learn to listen and talk. They are an organization which partners with families, professionals, and communities to help children with hearing loss reach their full potential today and tomorrow.

Jenny Plewe, a teacher’s aide at Sound Beginnings Preschool writes, “We use it just about every day at school, and love how easy and versatile it is. It practically does all of the work for you!” Here is what some of the teacher's aides have to say about the Cricut:
"This machine makes our jobs so much easier!" --Carly
"Everything is so much cuter now that we have the Cricut!" --Lindee
"Almost anything you can think of, the Cricut can do it! The creative possibilities are endless." --Jenny

Jenny also mentioned that their favorite cartridges are the Every Day Paper Dolls, My Community, and Plantin School Book cartridges. She adds, “We have used Cricut to make dolls for every student and staff member in our program! We put them up on the kids' cubbies and on the teacher's/faculty's doors. Everyone thinks they're so cute, and the kids love them because the dolls help them identify which cubby is theirs.” Here are some pictures of the staff and their Cricut handiwork:

Bravo and some Cricut kudos to the folks at Sound Beginnings!

Be sure to check out Crafty Kimber's cartridge exploration of the Happy Graduation and Recess Lite Cartridges. Read about some helpful fabric crafting tips and glean great crafting ideas from Cricut message board members in this week’s newsletter.

As always, I wish you success in your crafting adventures!

Lonna Joy Smoot- Editor, Cricut CHIRP!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Calling all teachers! We’d love to hear from you – please take this short survey, so we can learn how you’re using your Cricut in the classroom.

MESSAGE BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

This week's highlighted threads are:

• School Calendar
• Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton
• Readers Theater Project for 1st Grade
• Monkey Business
• Oregon Trail Bulletin Board
• File Folder Game

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Marlene Gomez

About Me: Hi, my name is Marlene and I love all things crafty! Everything from card making to altered art, with an emphasis on 3D items. I do have a clean and simple style. I love my Cricut Expression and DesignStudio. I use them for almost EVERY project. I love how they give you the freedom and flexibility to combine Cricut cartridges. Together, they have expanded my creativity level.

Instructions:

1. From the Doodlecharms Cartridge, weld together two hearts 5-1/2” .
2. Using Design Studio or Gypsy, cut base/layers also at 5-1/2”.
3. From the Simply Charmed Cartridge,weld together three scoops at 3-3/8”, overlapping each to form a Three Scoop Cone. Cut one Base and Layer 3 at 3-3/8”. Cut Layer1 & Layer 2 at 3-3/8”.
4. From the Mickey Font Cartridge, cut , “ice cream” at 1-1/8”.
5. From Plantin Schoolbook, cut at 1-1/4”.
6. Assemble and Embellish as desired.

Cartridges Used: Doodlecharms, Mickey Font, Plantin Schoolbook, and Simply Charmed

CARTRIDGE EXPLORATION

Where has the summer gone? I can’t believe its August and almost time the kids to go back to school. Everywhere I look, stores are having their back to school supplies or clothes on sale, and I guess everyone is gearing up for school time again. Some of my favorite memories of going back to school were getting new clothes, pencils, and colored pens, I have always loved reading and you could always find me with a fiction book that I had checked out of the School library. This week’s exploration I discovered the cartridges “Happy Graduation” and “Recess”. As I played with both of these cartridges, I thought about what I would use these images with besides your scrapbook pages or cards. I came up with a cute idea that I think you all will love-see below.

“Happy Graduation” is the perfect cartridge for the graduation moments from Kindergarten, elementary school, all the way up to graduation from collage. This cartridge is part of the seasonal collection and comes with twenty-six images that fit this theme. A few examples of the images are Owls, Owl perch, Congratulations! Banner, gradation cap, diploma, confetti, and a 3-D “Go Grad GO” box lantern. You can also cut two different style cupcake wrappers. This cartridge also includes some phrases “Good Luck Graduate”, “Happy Graduate”, “Lets Party!”, and “Congrats Grad”. I decided to create a card using this cartridge and most of the phrases included in this cartridge. My card turned out so cute and it’s not your typical card, check out the photo. The “Congratulations!” banner has each letter on a banner shape so you can cut a big sign to put up on your house for that special graduate.

“Recess” is the other cartridge that I explored this week. What an adorable cartridge, the art is so cute. This cartridge is also part of the seasonal collection and comes with fifty images and phrases. A few examples of the images on this cartridge are schoolhouse, bus, apple, owl, graduation cap & diploma, glue, world, math book, sports balls, scissors, child painting, child on a slid, child in a time out chair, backpack, light bulb, pencil, and you also can cut four different tags. Some phrases are also included: “Back to School”, “Learn”, “Favorite Teacher”, “lunch”, “Play”, and “School”. Each of the images and phrases also come with a layer feature so you can cut out different colors to make your project pop. You no longer have to cut multiples of one image then cut out the different sections, the layer feature makes it easy for you. What to give the kids a treat at school, cut one of the tags and tie it to a favorite candy bar or healthy snack put it in their lunch pail or sack. This is a great way to surprise your child when he or she is eating lunch.

Since the theme, this week was “Back to School” as you know I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood and I came up with an idea that I will share with all my Cricut fans. When it’s time to go back to school, purchase your school supplies and then a few days before school starts create a treasure hunt using the school supplies you’ve just bought around your house. Cut a variety of images from the “Recess” cartridge for each of the supplies and then hid them in the house for the kids to find. Don’t forget your camera because I’m sure this game will create some fun photo memories. I’ve made a few examples of what I would do if I had kids, see photos. For the younger kids that are not quite in school you could buy them some similar supplies and let them be a part of the game, they will be just as happy sitting at home at the kitchen table coloring and practicing their writing. To point out the normal all of these images would be adorable on a scrapbook page, a card, frame or a wood project. Really, the possibilities are endless. Make sure to pick up your own copy this is a must have for the Cricut cartridge collection.

This wraps up my exploration, I hope you have all enjoyed it-check back next week as I continue exploring and discovering new projects with new Cricut cartridges. Happy Cricuting!!!

Crafty Kimber

TIPS TREASURE CHEST

Today’s tip comes from message board member, scrapalette. Thanks for sharing the helpful information!

Q: I just got my Cricut and am so excited! Although I do a few paper crafts, I mainly got it to cut fabric for applique shapes to quilt & sew. But how on earth do you cut fabric with this thing?!? I tried ironing on a fusible backing onto the fabric and changing the blade depth and pressure - but my fabric always bunches up. Any tips would be great. Thank you so much!!!

A: Here is some info from You Had Me at Craft:

1. Always use a mat for just fabric...take the time and use a marker and print on the top of the mat cover (FABRIC).
2. Use a quality interfacing or bonding product. A quality product takes a little more time to use but the results are the best. It can be found at JoAnn's fabric store and it has to be cut so you buy it by the yard.
3. Start cutting your fabric to the size of the mat you will be using. Then cut your bonding product to that size also. Follow with ironing your fabric to get wrinkles out. Then apply the interface bonding to the back of fabric. Turn both the fabric and interface bonding product over and iron the fabric top. DO NOT iron the bonding side you will have a mess on your iron trust me on that one.
4. Applying your fabric to the mat: Make sure it’s on smoothly. You will see some wrinkles, don’t get upset they won’t show on the fabric after it's cut.
5. Setting your Cricut up for the cut: PRESSURE is MAX. Speed is MAX. Select Multi Cut and then set the blade at 5. Now you're ready to CUT.
6. Remove your fabric and slowly peel away from mat using your spatula. Be careful as you go. You now have to remove the paper backing.
7. Now you have a choice to either sew the cut fabric onto your project or just iron it on.

HELP FROM THE EXPERTS

Need some help? Provo Craft Customer Support is here for you! Never hesitate to call in (1-888-922-4725 or 1-888-92ccircle for Circle questions); we have people ready to help you! We are currently open Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm Mountain Time. If these hours do not work with your schedule, please send an email to support@provocraft.com.

Have a great week!
From your Customer Support Sweeps:
Mark, Colby, Brittany, and Becky, "The Floor Sweeps"

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."
- John Dewey

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."
- Sydney J. Harris