One of My Favorite Hobbies
It’s Beginning to Look like Christmas
The year before I retired from Watonwan County as the County Assessor, I wanted to get my hobbies organized within my home. The quilting was a given but when I saw the Cricut I was hooked. My horizons were expanded. It is an electronic cutting machine for paper, vinyl, card stock, fabric and foil. The web was a wealth of information before I actually purchased one. I have been working with my wonder machine during the past four years. I don’t use it everyday but when the light bulb of creation goes off it’s there to be enjoyed. There is no scrap of paper too small to have tucked away in a folder for future use as images can be cut from 1/4 inch to 24 inches.
This time of the year the paper, glue and embellishments take over the craft area in the basement and the quilting is put on hold. Hey, you’ve got to be a multi-dimensional person when it comes to crafting. Sometimes I find a card that I want to mirror but most times I am totally winging it.
Cutting fabric on the Cricut is perfect for applique designs used in quilting that would otherwise call for hand drawn artwork in multiple sets. The designs are specific on cartridges that are purchased separately. Several cartridges that I have acquired include over 700 images per cartridge.
My Niece Laura’s William and His Cricut Tile
We have had little ones added to the family and one of my favorite gifts for them is a tile that can be hung in their bedrooms. The designs for the tiles are cut with vinyl that has the adhesive on the back. The tiles are actually floor tiles that can be bought for less and $1.00 in any Menards or Home Depot. I have seen many items in the hobby stores with vinyl art sold in phrases for home decor. My daughter Carrie has used her Cricut and made original phrases for her home.
There was never a worry that I could not find my way through all the uses of the Cricut when I realized what You Tube had available. The world of the Cricut is huge and so enjoyable. At a time when everything can be bought and usually in a variety of price ranges, I still like to put my personal touch on gifts and cards. The entire process that happens in my basement sewing and craft area is totally awesome and I never ever run out of items to try. Oh yes, we go from fuzz and lint to paper scraps and sticky stuff. Priceless!