CATCHING THE LOVE BUG

Like it or not the white fluffy stuff is here to stay...at least for a little while...a month, or two, or three. Sniffles and stuffy noses are common during this season. Many are doing their best to avoid microscopic bugs that could cause them to join the crowds of red nosed, facial tissue bearing zombies.

One of the most cunning and contagious little critters of them all is...the love bug. His favorite time of the year is Valentine's Day. Why he even has a sidekick, a.k.a. Cupid. I have not noticed anyone doing his or her best to avoid the contagious epidemic this duo can create.

I've recently wondered what would happen if the love bug and the Cricut bug met. What a dynamic duo that would be! Just ponder the possibilities. Let's get them together! I would love to see what the love bug and your little 'ol Cricut bug can accomplish.

Peace, Love, and Happy Crafting,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEATURED PROJECTS

SWARM WINNER

We went up to Cran Hill Ranch in Big Rapids, Michigan. It can be difficult for us to get away from our very active families but we make a point to do it twice a year. It is a weekend full of crafting, scrapbooking, fellowship, food, and talking. We had the most beautiful weather that weekend. It was cold but sunny. The room we were in had a wall of windows overlooking the lake--talk about some great inspiration for our summer photos! We always have a great time when we get together.

Thanks,
Lori Potter

MESSAGE BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

This week's highlighted threads are:

• Valentine Love with Handmade Rose
• Love
• silhouette heart wreath
• The Magic of Winter
• Snow Snow Snow
• A Celebration of Teapots and Friendships

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Jennifer Wuthrich
About: I am a stay at home mom of 3 beautiful kids! I have an amazing husband that supports my Cricut addiction - after all how many cartridges are too many cartridges, right? I need them all, and I use them all!

Jennifer's Project: Valentine's Candy Holder

YOUR NOTABLE TIP

Today's tip comes from message board member ScrapnQuilt. Thanks for the clever tip!

"I use baby wipes to clean up rubber stamps. I also use lint rollers (the sticky kind) to clean off tiny paper scraps from my work area. Just a couple tips off the top of my head."

CARTRIDGE EXPLORATION

This week I will share some of my insights on Sentimentals and Forever Young. I could barely contain my excitement as I cut open the plastic off of the Forever Young cartridge (I just love this one). The creative features are: Layer, Emblem, Tag, Word, Purse, and Shadow. My favorite feature is Purse--with every image there is also a different purse cutout. I think these would make great name tags for a dinner party, invitations (place the invite inside the purse), thank you gifts, and a congratulation banner (use the blank purse, place letters on the outside of the purse, and string multiple purses together to make the banner). Images include: shoes, a variety of models, gloves, umbrella, glasses, fingernail polish, lipstick, hats, and flowers. This cartridge is perfect for little girl parties (or big girl parties), and girl scrapbook pages. I love how everything is feminine; I want to cut all the images out of vinyl and decorate a wall! Another great feature on this cartridge is Word. Some examples: "so last year", "posh", "all dressed up", and many more. Croppin_Cassie from the message board created a super cute card using one of the models (see photo or click here).

Now, if you were wondering which cartridge to use for your Valentine's Day cards, Sentimentals is one that you should consider. As I looked the handbook I thought of so many different cards to make, I went into creative overload. I didn't think that was possible but. The creative features are: Layer, Phrase, Tag, Card, Envelope, and Shadow. There is even a plain card and envelope so you can create your own design. Some phrases included are: "Best Wishes", "Mon Amour", "Sincerely", and "Key to My Heart". Some of my favorite images are the ornate keys, the Victorian lamp and chair, the owl (so cute), quill, and ink bottle. Pinklady50 from the message board created an adorable butterfly card (see photo or click here).

I hope all you crafty friends enjoy these cartridges as much as I have! For more ideas on what to do with these cartridges check out www.cricut.com on the message board. Happy Crafting!

Crafty Kimber

HELP FROM THE EXPERTS

Frequent calls and questions for this week are as follows:

Q. I'm having trouble updating my Gypsy/Cricut DesignStudio firmware.

A. These may seem obvious, but can easily be overlooked:

1) When updating firmware for Cricut DesignStudio, make sure you do not have a cartridge in your Cricut.
2) When updating Gypsy firmware, be sure you have a mat on the screen.

We want you all happy with your Provo Craft products. These little tips help us to help you.


Q. Can you tell me the best cartridges to use for cutting geometric shapes, e.g. triangles, squares, circles, and rectangles?

A. Did you know you can view all Cricut cartridge images under the Information tab/Cartridge Library (or click here). You can click on the first column "view" and a nice sample sheet page will come up with the images. If you're looking for something more detailed, try the second column. It has digital cartridge handbooks you can flip through.

Have a great week!

From your Customer Support Sweeps:
Mark, Brightly, Michelle, and Becky, "The Floor Sweeps"

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius."
~ Pietro Aretino