Summer and watermelons are closely associated for me. I remember learning the "proper way" to spit watermelon seeds as a youth while sitting on the wooden steps of my grandpa's guest house. My cousin was an expert tutor. He had such technique and was very generous in sharing his expertise! I had many delicious opportunities to hone and refine my skills that summer. What fun...what a swell cousin.

I've always wanted to steal watermelons from a water melon patch but have never done so because my moral compass won't allow it. Since when do watermelons fit into a guilty conscience? People say that a "hot" water melon taste "so much better than a purchased one." But alas, I'm sure I would get a bellyache caused by guilt. Sooo...this good citizen has come up with a semi-sensible solution to said dilemma. I'm growing my own watermelons! That's right! I have my very own melon patch in my backyard. Though not an expert, most of my neighbors are veteran gardeners so I'll try to glean from their knowledge and experience. I look at it as a gradual project to craft about and chronicle as the summer progresses onward. I can hardly wait to taste the first ripe melon from my garden.

My melon eating skills are much more sophisticated now and I shan't be caught spitting seeds...in public.

Happy Cricuting :-)

This weeks tip comes to you from message board member PattyR . Thank you for sharing your clever observations.

Do you have Doodlecharms?

As I was planning a couple of spring craft projects I pulled out Doodlecharms to see how I could use it. Although I've played with this cartridge many times, I'd forgotten just how fun it is! IMHO, it's one of the must-haves for everyone that has a Cricut.

While each shape is perfect at face value, if you look at them, flip them over or turn them around, you'll soon see other uses for them. Here are some alternatives I've found for the shapes in this set:

-Use the one of the snowflakes (cut in multiples) and circles as a bouncy ball and jacks game

-Turn the water globe upside-down, flat cut the rounded bottom and you have a shapely vase or pot

-Cut multiples of either heart and layer in a circle for a 3-D flower

-Trim the bunny ears to a point and your bunny looks like a cat (not to be confused with the cat on page 113)

-Trim the handle off the Easter basket for a pot o' gold or flower pot

-Cut 4 bugs (page 92) and line them up in a row, all facing the same direction.

-Cut off the antennae of three bugs and glue the heads of those three underneath the bottom of the bug in front of it. You should end up with a centipede-like creature. If you use brads instead of glue, you'll have a bug with a movable body.

-Turn the scoop of ice cream upside-down, add ribbon handles, and you have a darling cinch sack for your
layout.

Cynthea Sandoval, the designer behind Doodlecharms, has given us a fantastic collection of shapes that is versatile and inspires creativity. Do you have your Doodlecharms yet?

Large print of items on cart...

http://www.cricut.com/res/samplesheets/DoodlecharmsSampleforWeb.pdf

Since my last writing I've been doing some thinking about summer goals and reading a good book, under the tree, in your backyard. I am sure that with school our everywhere your children are wondering why they have free time on their hands. I love to read and reading helps to keep your brain stimulated--I think! Reading has always been something I've enjoyed; it helps me relax as well as advance my learning.

With this exploration I decided to create some bookmarks using Home Accents, and George and Basic Shapes. I used the rectangle from George and Basic Shapes then add some different designs images from Home Accents. After I welded the images together, and pressed cut the design became its own creation. I've included my cut file because I was so excited to share my creations, I just couldn't help myself. I used a lamenting machine to make my bookmark look professional and protected my creation. Added some ribbon after punching the hole at the top of the bookmark and bam! You're done!

Other ideas that you could use with the backgrounds I created are: some pressed flowers or leaves, a picture of yourself or your girlfriends, maybe a special drawing from your child. This is so quick and fast that you could make some together as a family or for your kids to encourage them to read a book. I think I will make some for my nephews because it won't do me any good to make some for my dogs! Yeah, they can't read--hehehe! Bookmarks can be so much fun to make and now with the Cricut they are even easier to create. When you add the DesignStudio to the mix then you can have twice as much fun making bookmarks or scrapbook pages. Another idea for the backgrounds I created would be to use them as a topper for a scrapbook page.

Check back next week as I continue to create projects with the Cricut and DesignStudio. Have fun Cricuting and if you haven't taken the time to read a good book--I would suggest you give it a try.

Crafty Kimber

A: Many Image Sets have partial graphics shown in the gray upper level of the Character button. These shapes are perfectly designed to layer over the top of their base image. They are available by using the Shift or Shift Lock buttons prior to selecting.