Raise your hand if this has seemed like the longest winter ever?  Spring has to be right around the corner, doesn’t it?

I decided that if perhaps I started a little spring cleaning and decorating, it might entice spring to actually show up.  Sound like a good idea?

First stop was a trip to my local Dollarama for a little inspiration and supplies for my DIY.   I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to make, but I knew that I wanted to make a sign of sorts and use my Cricut Maker for the lettering.

When I found a wooden slat like square, I knew right away it would make a great base for my sign.

Supplies needed:

1.  * Wooden slat square
2.  * Acrylic paint – various shades
3.  * Paint brushes
4.  * Artificial Flowers
5.  * Cricut Maker
6.  * Cricut Vinyl
7.  * Transfer Paper
8.  * Hot glue gun
9.  * Glue Sticks
11. 

Step 1 – Paint the base

I decided to use 3 different spring colors and alternate painting each slat a different color.   I found the acrylic paint  only needed 1 coat to get the color I was looking for and dried within just a few minutes.

Step 2 – Attach the flowers

Depending on the size of the stems you may need to cut them to fit the length of your base.

Using your glue gun, add a few drops of glue to the stem and fuller area of the flowers to attach them to the base.  Be careful not to burn yourself.

Step 3 – Lettering

Using the Design Space app for my Cricut, I found a font that I liked and printed out the phrase “Spring has sprung”.  I had to view it a few times on screen to make sure the size of the font would fit properly on each of the slats.

Once I had the font size confirmed, I printed it on to my vinyl.

After printed and weeding off the excessive vinyl, I attached the lettering to transfer paper to help me apply it to the base.

I then cut each word out separately and applied it to the base.  Once I had each word in the proper place and firmly attached, I removed the transfer paper.

Step 4 – Ready for display

Now my picture is ready for display.  I decided to stand it on my mantle but all you would need to do is add and hanging fixture to the back and it would make a great alternative to a wreath for your door.

Spring was the theme of this month’s Inspire My Creativity link-up party and I can’t wait to see what the other hosts have come up with.

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=31b56e13cf9f3dece6c1

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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If I look back into my heritage, I know there is s little bit of Irish in there somewhere. So, of course that means I should always partake in St.Patrick’s Day festivities. Right?

And in doing so, I need to make sure my wardrobe has a few shamrocks and green in it for the day. Time for some DIY St. Patrick’s Day style by using my Cricut Maker.

That is one of things I love best about the Cricut Maker, is it’s ability to use so many more different types of materials than the older Cricut models could. Aside from cardstock and vinyl, it can also cut fabric, leather and even chipboard.

I decided why not start by using some Cricut faux leather to make some St. Patrick’s Day inspired earrings.

I’ve never been a jewellery maker but I decided to take a leap into something new. This project was pretty easy and didn’t take a lot of supplies to complete.

Supplies needed:

1. 1. Cricut Maker
2. 2. Cricut fine knife blade
3. 3. Cricut faux leather in green and silver
4. 4. Fish hook earring wires
5. 5. 10 mm jump rings
6. 6. Needle nose pliers.
7. 

 

Step 1

Using Cricut Design Space, I found a shamrock design that would work perfect for my earrings. I sized it to about 1 inch x 1 inch.

I then took a circle and placed it at both the top and bottom of the shamrock. This will cut the holes to use to connect them.

After placing the holes and ensuring everything was in place, I selected the entire area and group and attach so they will cut together as one object.

I then duplicated the object so it will cut 2 each time.

Step 2

Using a standard grip mat and Cricut Faux leather in green and cut out the 2 shamrock shapes.

Be sure to use a roller to ensure the material sticks to the mat.

Repeat the above step using the faux leather in silver.

Step 3

Using the jump rings through the tiny holes that were cut into the leather, attach them to the fish hook earring wires.  You can use the needle nose pliers to open and then close the rings.  Then use another ring and attach the green and silver shamrocks together.

Repeat for your second earring.

And there you have it, earrings ready for your St. Patrick’s day event.

I also made myself a St. Patrick’s Day inspired shirt complete with shamrocks using the tutorial available here on Cricut Design Space using  my Cricut Maker and Cricut EasyPress™ 2.    That is one thing I love about Design Space are all the great ideas for crafts and all the instructions you need to complete them.  It’s great for your own craft inspiration.  So head on over for your own Cricut inspired DIY St. Patrick’s Day decor.

So now I am ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish.  All I need now is my green beer.  

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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When I got my Cricut Explore Air a few years back, I was ready to start crafting.  One of the things that I wanted to use it for was to make my own customized shirts and sweaters for myself and my son.  This year, I was lucky enough to upgrade to the Cricut Maker and now I am really ready to up my crafting game.

However, one of the things that always a bit difficult for me was using just my regular clothing iron to apply iron-on decals to my creations.  I was never sure if I was pressing hard enough or had the heat the right temperature.  I felt like getting an actual heat press was a bit overkill for the projects I was doing but then I was introduced to the Cricut EasyPress™ 2.  Now I can really feel much more confident about my projects and even try things that I never thought I would be able to do.

So what is this Cricut EasyPress™ 2 all about, you ask?   Here are the answers to a few questions  I had prior to getting my EasyPress™ 2.

1. 1. 1.  What is the difference between the EasyPress 2 and standard irons or heat presses?

   2. There are a few factors that you need to consider when choosing to have an EasyPress 2 or a heat press.  The below chart can help you decide which format is best for you and your projects.

   3. 	Cricut EasyPress™ 2	Heat Press	Standard Iron
      Heat up to at least 400-degrees Fahrenheit	x	x	x
      Edge to edge heating across heat plates	x	x	x
      Steam Free	x	x
      Exact temperature controls and times	x	x
      Lightweight and easy to store	x		x
      Protected safety base while cooling	x
      Safe-touch exterior	x
      Auto shutoff	x
      Suitable for more than 10+ projects at a time		x
      Pressure Control	Manual	Adjustable	Manual
      Exceillent Customer Support	x	varies	varies

   4. 2.  Which size of EasyPress™ 2 is right for me?

   5.  If you’re asking yourself “Which EasyPress should I get?”, the biggest thing you need to think about is what size of projects you will be using it for the majority of the time.  Too big and you’ll have to worry about uneven heat distribution if you are having the press going over seams, and too small, you’ll need to make multiple presses to cover the entire area.  Always be sure to use the corresponding sized pressing mat when using your EasyPress 2.  Always use one that is equal or larger in size than the machine you are using.
   6. Some project examples that are best suited for each of the EasyPress 2 sizes are:

   7. EasyPress™ 2 6″x7″	EasyPress™ 2 9″x9″	EasyPress™ 2 12″x10″
      Baby clothes	Small T-Shirts	Smaller T-shirts
      Hats	Bags	Bags
      Mittens/Gloves	Sweatshirts	Sleeves
      Napkins	Pillows	Pants
      Scarves	Aprons	Banners
      Shoes	Towels	Blankets
      Small make-up accessories	Table runners	Curtains
      Small sewing projects	Costumes	Adult clothing
      Socks
      Storage containers

1. 

2. 3.  Which Cricut machines can cut iron-on?

3. Both the Cricut Maker and the Cricut Explore line of machines can cut the full line of Cricut iron-on materials.  There is a wide range of cricut materials for iron-on.  There is everything from Everyday Iron-On, Glitter Iron-On, Holographic Sparkle Iron-On, and even pre-printed iron-on designs.

5. 4.  Is there an iron-on material for sportswear?

6. Everyday Iron on will work on sportswear but the SportFlex Iron-On is thin and lightweight and made to stretch and flex on the active wear.  It is recommended for polyester and nylon fabrics and comes in 8 different colors for all your active wear projects.

7. 5.  How long does iron-on last?

8. Cricut iron-on materials have a Strong-Bond Guarantee – “StrongBond Guarantee means that when a specific iron-on material is used as directed, you’ll be completely satisfied with the results. If not, we’ll replace it for free. Look for the StrongBond Guarantee on select iron-on materials. ”    The best part is the Cricut website has an interactive quick-reference guide to help you easily find the correct time and temperature settings and peel recommendations based on the type of iron-on material and base material you are using for your project.  After your project is finished, it is recommended to wait at least 24 hours before washing.  Wash the item inside out, tumble dry and do not use bleach.
10. For me, the Cricut EasyPress™ 2 is definitely the tool that is best suited to my crafting needs and I can’t wait to share my upcoming projects with you!

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