Sunday Scraps!

Ahh! Sunday! A day to relax, refresh and get ready for the new week. There is a lot in my scrap basket, but I can give any details just yet! I think you’re going to be just as excited as I am.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a scrap as “a fragment of something.” A new part of my blog is Sunday Scraps, dedicated to making a part, one piece of something that can be used in many ways. This Sunday we are making printed paper. I wanted a fall themed lettering, but my local craft store had nothing. But, I had my computer, printer and cardstock and decided to create my own Today’s Sunday Scrap: printed paper from computer images.

The paper is fall leaves and will decorate something with that theme. How cool is that!?!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own paper, in addition to your Cricut!

a printer, computer, matte photo paper or white cardstock (8.5 x 11”)

What you are going to do:

At your computer:

1. Do an image search in either Google or Bing for Fall leaves, fall colors, you choose!  (I happen to love leaves.)

2. When you find the perfect picture, left click on it. This will most probably take you to a website. Check the resolution of the photo. The higher the number, the clearer the image will remain when it is sized. I’ve had the best success with images over 500 . Anything becomes grainy when sized. Click on the wording “full size.”

Be sure to check for any copyright that my exist on the photo.

3. A separate window will open with the photo. Right click on the picture and select “save as.” Don’t forget where you saved your picture!

 

4. For the next step you can use any appropriate program. For the simplicity, I used Microsoft Word.

Open a new file.

Set up your file with the smallest margins possible for your printer.

Insert the photo.

Crop to to take advantage of the best part of the picture. Notice the trunk of the tree on the lower edge of the photo; let’s get rid of that, making use of the leaves.

  Now, size the photo to fit your page. I set my margins at 0.25; my picture sized at 8 x 10.5.

I then sent the photo to my printer. You can print on white cardstock, matte photo paper or glossy paper depending on your project. Let dry for 5 minutes.

5. At the Cricut:

Create your word string. In the sample, I used the font from “Cindi Loo”. It’s chunky seemed to use the paper to it’s advantage. I, chose my letters for “falling for you,” arranged them and welded them on my Rosie Gypsy. She makes this so much fun. Because of the margins, do not place your lettering too close to the mat edge on the G. It should look something like this:

Considerations when placing cutting images: unprinted margins and paper size!

6. Position your printed page on your mat as you would any paper.

7. Load to the Cricut and cut. Use settings appropriate for your particular paper.

Ahh hah! Your very own custom paper perfect to complete any project! If you would like the *.pdf file of this paper, click here. You will need Adobe Reader to see this page. To download the free program, click here.

Until next time, use all your scraps to generate your personal gems!