Dara E Designs

Thank You Card – Making Cards with Patterned Paper

Dara Gloden — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 21:51:18 +0000

The cards I will be sharing over the next few day/weeks are all about ways of making cards with patterned paper. We spend so much time and money collecting beautiful papers…. But how often do we actually break it out and USE it?

I think all crafters are guilty of this. It’s just so hard to cut into those pretty patterns. What if I mess up? What if I use it, and then find another project it would have been perfect for?

Have you been there too? It’s tough, but friends we need to move past that fear and just start using the patterned paper. There will always be more colorful paper to choose from later. Trust me, there will be. (The evidence is clear in my overflowing patterned paper stash. LOL!)

Now I’ll step down of my soapbox, and give you the details for this project. I know that’s why you’re really here. Right?

I started making this card by selecting four different patterns and cutting them into 3/4″ and 1 1/4″ strips. (I generally like the look of using a large print, a small print, a solid or subtle pattern, and an additional print that ties everything together.)

Then I cut a piece of white cardstock and added sticky sheet to it so that it would be quick to just lay each strip down without adding glue or adhesive to each strip. Before removing the backing of the sticky sheet, make sure to lay your patterned paper strips out to figure out the order you want to place them in on the card. Remove the backing and adhere all the strips to the white cardstock.

Next comes the diecutting! I chose to use the handwritten thanks die from The Stamp Market. I cut it three times from black cardstock and adhered them together. Then cut the card base from black cardstock and scored down the middle. Fold the card with a bone folder, and add the patterned piece to the center of the card base. Place the sentiment “thank you” to the card. Then embellish the card with a few clear drip drops.

I hope this has inspired you to break out your paper stash and start making cards with patterned paper. Check back later this week for more patterned paper inspiration, and tag me on Instagram if you make your own cards with patterned paper. I want to see what you come up with!

Simple Rainbow Baby Card – Welcome Sweet Baby

Dara Gloden — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:17:00 +0000

Today is all about this fun rainbow die from Erin Lee Creative. Here is a simple rainbow baby card you can make in no time at all!

To create this card, I started by selecting the colors for each arch of the rainbow. (You will actually end up with many left over arches. Giving you the chance to make many cards with mix and matched color schemes.) Check out the other cards I created by visiting my Instagram account.

The colors used here are all from The Stamp Market (Plus a little holographic cardstock from Erin Lee Creative): Raspberry, Cotton Candy, Cobalt, Sea Glass

Once you have selected the colors for the rainbow, cut each color with the rainbow die three times. Adhere each color rainbow arch to the other arches of the same color and size. (You want each arch to be 3 layers of cardstock thick to give the card dimension.

Next, cut your clouds out of white card stock (You only need one layer for this, as it will lay on top of the rainbow. (Use dimensionals or pop dots to give it a little dimension.) Stamp your greeting in Cotton Candy ink.

Use a piercing die on Kraft cardstock to add texture to the background of the card. Then assemble the layers, and finish your simple rainbow baby card off with a few rhinestones to give it some bling!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Raspberry, Cotton Candy, Cobalt, and Sea Glass from The Stamp Market; Toffee from Taylored Expressions; Neenah Classic Crest 110 LB Smooth Solar White; Holographic Cardstock from Erin Lee Creative

Ink: Cotton Candy from The Stamp Market

Dies: Detail Bohemian Plate from Simon Says Stamp; Jumbo Skinny Rainbow from Erin Lee Creative; Stitched Rolling Clouds Edges from My Favorite Things

Embellishments: Iridescent Rhinestones from Taylored Expressions

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Free Pumpkin Monogram SVG File

Dara Gloden — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 23:00:01 +0000

This week I have a free pumpkin monogram SVG file to share with you. It’s back to school time, and fall will be here before you know it! Get ready for everything pumpkin with this new download!

Download this SVG file and use it with your Cricut or Silhouette cutting machine.

I love how versatile monogram style designs can be! It just adds a special personlized touch to handmade gifts. It can be used to personalize home decor, a baby one piece, totes, and more.

Here is a quick peek of how this free pumpkin monogram SVG file would look on a canvas tote bag.

This free download is a zip file, so don’t forget to unzip (or uncompress) the file if you’re using a Windows computer. Also, if you plan to download the file to your phone or tablet, you will need to have an app to unzip it. The app I use to unzip files on my tablet is called iZip. (Click here to see the steps I take to download a file onto my iPad, unzip it, and then how I upload it into Cricut Design Space.)

Scroll down to access your free Pumpkin Monogram SVG file. These files are for personal and small business commercial use. You may use the designs ONLY on finished physical products. By downloading this design, you agree to these terms.

You MAY NOT use or upload any of my designs on print-on-demand websites or commercial sites. You MAY NOT share, resell, or redistribute these files as is or modified, in digital form. Instead we ask that you share the link to this page with your friends, if they would like to access these free downloads for themselves.

Please add one of these images to your Pinterest board. It helps to spread the word on these freebies, and it also help you keep track of the SVG files you have downloaded.

Here is the zip file to download:

Pumpkin Monogram SVG File Dara E Designs

Check out our other fall SVG files here!

If you have any questions leave me a comment below, and for more crafting tips be sure to follow Dara E Designs on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Free Camping Squad SVG File

Dara Gloden — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:23:32 +0000

This week I have a free camping squad SVG file to share with you. With summer coming to a close soon, I’m sure many of you campers will be planning at least one more camping trip.

Download this SVG file and use it with your favorite cutting machine (I’m partial to my Cricut Maker.) *Wink*

How cute will this design be added to a backpack, tote bag, or even added to a t-shirt! The possibilities are practically endless. Just upload this file to your Design Program. Adjust the design to the size you want to use. *Don’t forget to mirror if using HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl). Then cut the vinyl with your machine. Weed the excess vinyl from the design, and apply to your desired project.

Here is a little preview of how this SVG File looks when it’s added to a t-shirt.

This free download is a zip file, so make sure to unzip (or uncompress) the file if you’re using a Windows computer. If you plan to download the file to your phone or tablet, you will need to have an app to unzip it. The app I use to unzip files on my tablet is called iZip.

Scroll down to access your free Camping Squad SVG file. As with the files available in our shop, these files are for personal and small business commercial use. You may use the designs ONLY on finished physical products. By downloading this design, you agree to these terms.

You MAY NOT use or upload any of my designs on print-on-demand websites or commercial sites. You MAY NOT share, resell, or redistribute these files as is or modified, in digital form. You are more than welcome to recommend our site to your friends and give them this link to access the free downloads for themselves.

Please add one of these images to your Pinterest board. It helps to spread the word on these freebies, and it also help you keep track of the SVG files you have downloaded.

Here is the zip file to download:

Free Camping Squad SVG File

If you have any questions leave me a comment below, and for more crafting tips be sure to follow Dara E Designs on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Weld vs Attach

Dara Gloden — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 21:43:40 +0000

Have you been hearing that you need to “Weld” this or you should “Attach” that from your crafty friends when discussing Cricut projects? Maybe you’ve been trying trying to create designs with script fonts, but get frustrated by the Cricut machine cutting between each letter of the word? Or perhaps you’ve wanted to cut different layers of a project from the same material, but you don’t know how to get it to cut in the arrangement it’s shown on the screen. Well friends, I’m here to help! Today we are talking all about Weld vs Attach. These two tools in Cricut Design Space are so important! Once you start using them, you’ll never look back!

First, let me start by giving a quick tip for remembering how each tool functions. If you look in the bottom of your layers panel you will see the slice, weld, attach, flatten, and contour tools (Today we are just focusing on Weld and Attach).

Just above the word Weld you will see an image of a square and a circle that have been joined together. An easy way to remember what weld actually does is to look at this image. Essentially when you weld layers together you are taking multiple shapes and joining them to create one new shape.

Now look at the image shown above the word Attach. You will see that it is a paperclip. Attach is used to keep multiple layers together, but they are still separate shapes.

Now let’s talk about a few ways each of these tools are helpful when creating projects in Design Space. This will help give you an idea of when to use weld vs attach.

When to Weld:

When using script fonts (cursive lettering), weld will join the letters so the word cuts as one piece.
When you want to create a more detailed shape, use weld to join simple shapes to make a new shape.

Here are a few examples to show how this works:

Welding Script Fonts:

When you type in a script font in Cricut Design Space you will notice right away that the letters aren’t connected. So the first step to creating a cursive word is to reduce the letter spacing (Shown below).

If you look closely at the word above you will see lines where the letters overlap. If we cut the word as it is shown right now, we will end up with individual letters instead of a joined word. This is where the weld tool comes to the rescue! Simply click on the word, and then click weld. Now check out the image below. The lines between the letters have disappeared, which means they are now joined. They will cut as one word (with the exception of the “s”, of course).

Welding Shapes Together:

Let’s make a quick flower using the Weld tool and the heart from the Shapes tool. As you can see below, I have duplicated the heart shape 4 times.

Next I overlapped the hearts, and as you can see it’s beginning to look more like a flower.

Once the shapes are placed in a position I’m happy with, I selected all of the layers and hit “Weld”. Drumroll……….We have a fun little flower!

When to Attach:

When you want your images to cut as they’re shown on your Canvas.
When you are using the draw or score tools, to keep them in the right area.

Attaching Layers to Cut As They Appear on Canvas:

For this example I uploaded the Crafting is My Love Language SVG file. I designed this file so the individual letters that make up the words “crafting” & “love” are their own layers (This give crafters a little more freedom to change not only the color of the word, but also the individual letters.)

Since this design has so many layers, it’s a great example to show you how the Cricut cuts the design as it is versus how the Cricut cuts the design when layers are attached to each other.

The following two images show how the Cricut will cut the design if you click Make It without using the Attach tool.

As you can see, it puts the letters in a random order. This option is great for saving supplies, but sometimes we want to cut designs with the words and shapes in a certain placement.

Now we’ll go back to the canvas, select the layers we want to attach together (For this example I will attach the individual letters that make up the word Crafting), and then click attach.

Let’s take a look what happens when we click Make It now.

As you can see, the word crafting will cut as one word, instead of a jumble of letters.

Attaching Layers for Scoring or Drawing:

This is basically the same principle we used with attaching letters in the previous example, but it’s extremely important to use when scoring or drawing.

For this example I’m going to make a simple square card with a score down the middle.

I selected a square from the shapes menu. Then unlocked the size to create a rectangle. Then I selected the score line from the shapes menu. Adjusted the size to be as tall as the rectangle.

If I don’t attach the layers this is what will happen:

The machine will score on one sheet, and then it will want you to remove the mat and load another sheet to cut the card out.

Now here is what we need to do on the canvas to get the score down the middle of what will be our card. Select both the rectangle and the score line layers, and click attach. Click Make It. Here is what we get:

Our card will now cut and the score will be on the correct area!

…And that my friends is Weld vs Attach all summed up! If you have any questions leave me a comment below, and for more crafting tips be sure to follow Dara E Designs on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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How to Use SVG Cut Files

Dara Gloden — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:39:31 +0000

Are you just getting started with your new Cricut? Are you feeling overwhelmed, and just not sure where to start? Don’t worry! I’m here to walk you through the basics. After reading this post, you’ll be downloading SVG files and cutting everything in sight!

Step 1:

Download the SVG file you want to use.

This first step is pretty simple. Just download the SVG file like you would for any other normal file. It doesn’t really matter where you download it, but I find it best to keep all my SVG files in one folder on my desktop to make it easier to find.

Step 2:

Unzip the file.

Most SVG files will be compressed as a zip file so it’s important to make sure to unzip (or extract) the file before trying to open it or upload it into Cricut Design Space. This step will vary a bit depending on the type of computer and operating system you have. Here are the basic steps to unzip a file:

Unzip the file on a Mac

To unzip a file on a Mac, simply double click the zipped file. It will automatically extract the file, in the same location you saved the original zipped file.

Unzip the file on a Windows

To unzip a file on a Windows computer, you will need to right-click on the zipped folder. Then select Extract All. Now you should find the unzipped file in the same location as you saved the original zipped file.

Step 3:

Upload the file to Cricut Design Space

Now comes the best part! Adding it to Cricut Design Space so we can start those fun craft projects! Log in to Cricut Design Space, or create your new username if you haven’t done so already. Then click New Project. On the left side of the screen you will see a list of differect options. Select the one at the bottom labeled Upload.

Next click Upload Image, and then hit Browse.

Select your SVG file from the location you saved it. You will then be able see the design on the screen.

To the right you can edit the name of the file if you want. You are also given the option to add tags to the file. I recommend adding a few tags because it will make it easier to search for images if you choose to for other projects. Once you’ve added tags just click Save. Now you should see something similar to the screen shot below. Congrats! You’ve uploaded an SVG file! Continue reading for a basic overview of how to prepare for cutting the design.

Step 4:

Setting up the SVG file to make cuts

Once the file has been uploaded into Cricut Design Space, we can start making changes and adjustments to prepare the design to be cut.

Click the image you uploaded and then select Insert Images.

You have now added the file to a blank canvas. You can resize the entire design to the perfect measurements of your craft project. If you only want to resize certain sections of the design, just click the ungroup tool. As you can see on the panel to the right there are three layers in this file. We can change the color of each layer by clicking on the black circle and then selecting colors you plan to use when you cut. Like this:

There are all kinds of changes you can make with the tools in Design Space. Just play around with it until you’re happy with your design. Once you’re satisfied, it’s time to click Make It. Your design will now show up on cutting mats, and they appear just how they will when it’s cut with the Cricut.

In this view you can change the material size if you want. As I mentioned earlier this view shows exactly where the images will cut. This is helpful if you want to adjust the images around the mat to put more or less space between the them. (If you are using Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) don’t forget to use the mirror image option). Once everything is set how you want it, click Continue.

Make sure your Cricut machine is turned on. Select the material you will be cutting on the dial of the machine. Add the material to the mat. Your bluetooth should pair your computer with your machine. When it has paired the double arrow button on the Cricut machine will light up. Load you mat into the machine and click the arrow button. It will continure to load the mat into the machine. Now follow the prompts on the screen. When the C button on the Cricut lights up, it means your machine is ready to start cutting.

That’s all there is to getting started! If you are interested in the file shown throughout the screen shots you can purchase it from my shop here. If you have any questions leave me a comment below, and for more crafting tips be sure to follow Dara E Designs on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Hello and Welcome

Dara Gloden — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 19:10:07 +0000

Welcome to Dara E Designs. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by! I’m Dara, the creative mind behind this blog. I’m an insurance agent by day, and an avid reader, crafter, and designer by night. I’ve been into crafting, in one form or another, most of my life. I truly caught the crafting bug as a teenager when I was introduced to the first Cricut machine (I know it’s been a while. Lol!) and rubber stamping.

At Dara E Designs you will find fun crafting inspiration and project ideas, as well as Cricut tutorials, and craft product reviews. Downloadable SVG files will be posted in the SVG Shop on a regular basis. You’ll be able to download files I’ve used in projects featured on the blog, and then you can recreate them for yourself! You can check out the shop here.

Topics you will likely see in my blog posts include:

• Card Making
• Vinyl projects
• Stamping
• Scrapbooking
• DIY Tutorials
• Craft Tool Finds

So please come back soon to see what I’ve been making. Be sure to like my Facebook page and follow me on Pinterest.

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