Cricuting.....

I have been busy working on cards for OWH and for personal ones as well. I have made myself start using my Cricut Expression. I only have 51 cartridges and two more are on the way from the rewards I submitted. So being that there is a major investment sitting here in my craft room, I figured I better get busy before hubby gets upset. LOL!!! Anyway, I mainly used the following carts for the cards, Sophisticated, Ornamental Iron 2, Straight From The Nest, Home Accents and Fancy Frames. I found if I designed the layout on the Gypsy on how I wanted the card to look, then cut out all the pieces, and then assembled them, it seemed to go faster instead of doing each one by one which would take much longer then having an assembly line going. I really like the new carts they have been coming out with. All the fancy flourishes and frames gives the sentiment a whole different look. Plus I am a girly girl, so the more elegant designs and the curliques they have the happier I am! LOL!!!! It has been an experience though as I have had to learn to set the speed and pressure correctly as not to waste the expensive cardstock. I di find that if I did mutliple cuts on the heavier cardstock, it punched out much easier without tearing the intricate parts of the design of the framing. I have been taking my Gypsy to work so I can play around with designs on my breaks and lunch hour which then saves me time when I get home so I can go right to the Cricut Expression and begin cutting it all out. needless to say I have 4 more baskets full of different designs to be assembled. I am really enjoying using my "E" and hope that the military men and women will like them as well. Next is Christmas Cards as the deadline to OWH is October.