DIY Planner Pages: Cricut Explore Slice Feature and Gecko Galz Ephemera

Well we are finally coming to the end of this particular project. I hope you are feeling confident in your ability to use the upload and print then cut features of your Cricut Explore.

Today we will take those lessons and combine it with the Slice Feature. I have to tell you this is one of the most useful functions on the Cricut Explore. Having the ability to cut shapes inside other shapes makes it so easy to mass produce elements for classes and clubs.

Lets go back to our Cricut Design Space and insert one of the images from Gecko Galz that we have previously uploaded.

 Next you will want to select the shape that you are going to use for the planner page. I am using a cut from my Artbooking cartridge but many cartridges has page shapes you could use.

Click insert image, cartridges and the filter to your cartridges.

Select the shape that you think works best with your image. Choose insert.

Cricut Explore Air™ Machine + Ultimate Machine Set

DIY Planner Dividers: Print then Cut Feature with Gecko Galz Ephemera

So yesterday we walked through how to upload silhouettes to your Cricut Design Space. That is the option that I find that I use most often. Sometimes however you will want to use a particular image as the background for your project. You could always trace the pattern onto the image and fussy cut it. A more efficient way to do it is to upload the image directly into your Cricut software.

In this example I will be using images that I received from Gecko Galz. These incredible images make a wonderful backdrop for my cuts.

Begin by logging into your Cricut Design Space software. Then click on upload image just like we did in the tutorial yesterday. This time we are going to browse to the folder where we saved the images from Gecko Galz. You can see in the picture I already have a few in use.

Once you select your uploaded image from the library you can click the cut button. This will take you to the Print then Cut dialog. The first time you use this feature it will need to run an alignment (much like a new printer). The image must be printed on white paper in order for the Cricut to read the registration marks. Once prompted print the image on your printer and then adhere it to the cutting mat. The Cricut will make all kinds of beeps and bumps as it reads the registration marks on the paper. Once it has figured out where on the mat your image is it will quickly do all the fussy cutting for you.

Tomorrow we will explore (no pun intended) using Print then Cut images along with the Slice feature to create the lovely planner pages I showed you on Monday.

DIY Planner Dividers: Uploading images to Cricut Explore

I have been a proud Cricut owner since the original baby bug came out way back when. There have been times when my loyalty waivered and I considered buying another type of electronic die cutting machine, but I am glad that I stayed the course. The Cricut Explore has added so many new features that have helped explode my creativity. I am constantly coming up with new things to make with my Explore.

Even having owned 3 prior Cricut machines, my Explore sat on the corner of my desk still in the box for three whole months. Every time I went in the studio I would see it sitting there, waiting to be discovered but I would just look away and get our my beloved Expression. Finally I mustered the courage to tackle whatever learning curve lay ahead and brought my shiny new wonder out into the light. I have not touched my Expression since.

Many people have asked me if they should upgrade to the Cricut Explore and I have answered in this way, "where will you be using it?" If it is going to sit on your worktable connected to your wifi then by all means you will love it. If you are planning to take it to crops with you there will be added task of ensuring that you will have stable internet access.

So for those of you that have made the plunge let's discuss uploading images to Cricut Explore.

There are two types of images that you will upload directly to Design Space (the Cricut Explore online design software) first of all images that you want to cut as a silhouette (which tends to be most projects) and images you want to use the Print then Cut feature for.

Lets look at a basic image upload first.

I usually begin by doing a quick Google search for images in the topic I am working on.  Often Google pulls up copywritten images so it is important to check the use policy on an image before your borrow it. If you are leary about breaking copyright another great resource is Karen Watson's The Graphic Fairy. She collects and restores vintage pictures that she distributes free of charge.

Using my original example you should end up with a screen like this:

See those images with lines through them or watermarks, stay clear of those. Choose the image you like and click view image. Right click and save the file somewhere you won't forget.

Open a new browser and log in to your Design Space account. Start a new project. Once your fresh page has loaded click on the tab to the left of your screen that says upload image. Then go ahead and click the blue button to begin the uploading process.

Browse to find the image that you saved then choose simple image and continue.

First thing zoom in so you can see what you are working on. Using the magic wand click on any white spaces to remove them. Pay close attention to small spaces like curls, fingers and ribbons. Sometimes there will be a grey outline in the image, I like to remove that as well in order to add more detail to the cut.

Once you have carefully removed the unwanted areas click continue. This will bring up the screen where you can rename, add tags and decide how you are going to use the image. In this case we will click save as cut image and then save.

After the image saves it will appear in your uploaded image library. You find this library by clicking the upload image tab. Once you scroll down, your image should be the first one in the line up. Click on it to load it and Voila, you can cut your image out as normal.

DIY Planner Dividers Using Gecko Gals Ephemera

Are you a planner addict? I used to be. When I worked in an office and had meetings to attend and important tasks to complete. After I began working from home I fell away from using a planner and graduated to the big calendar on the fridge and post it notes on my computer. Very professional.

The truth is I missed having my planner. I still have countless meetings and tasks that in hindsight are far more important than the ones I was responsible for in my twenties.

Last year I printed many of the lovely printables I found on pinterest. I found that it was costing me as much in ink as it would to just break down and buy a planner.

This year I decided to go with the "Color Crush" planner from Webster Pages. It is beautiful. I love the monthly and weekly calendars, there is plenty of space to write in. The downfall, I wish there were more pages for capturing ideas. So it looks like I will need to go back to Pinterest to find a few more add ons.

The one thing that I did love about my printed planner from last year was the dividers that I had made. Having my favourite images right in my planner is very inspiring to me.

Last year I used my Cricut Explore to cut out the pages and then just adhered to images I liked. This year I decided to get a bit more savvy and I uploaded the beautiful images from Gecko Gals directly into the Cricut Design space and used the print then cut and slice features to create beautiful layered dividers.

This week I will begin a mini series to walk you through uploading digital images to Cricut Design Space, Using the Slice feature and Print then Cut to create these beautiful planner inserts. Tell all your friends that got a Cricut Explore for Christmas to join us as I show you how to used each of these really fun features.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter as I will be sending out freebies this year and you wont want to miss out.

Happy New Year!