Mar 31, 2018

Fun day using the Cricut Easy Press



Playing with the Cricut Easy Press & having fun with Daughter and Grand Daughter

Laura and Mariah spent the afternoon and early evening Friday March 30, visiting and we played with my Cricut Easy Press, I also have the Easy Press Mat which was very helpful vs using a towel. But a folded towel certainly would have worked. The mat is just a nice addition to my crafting supplies.

Mariah and I each made shirts using the iron on rhinestone patterns by Anna Griffin that I ordered from HSN. And she made a shirt that she combined 2 designs she found on Cricut Design Space  - the Mountains are Calling and I Must Go with a cat face image that she wanted to be like the Moon in the background. For that she used coffee/brown color Cricut *Foil* Iron On to cut the design from .

Next she had 2 tiny onesies that she wanted to add a small design to the front for 2 co-workers who are expecting little girls this summer. So for that we used the new Cricut Pattern Iron On vinyl. She cut the heart with the names sliced out of the heart (we found that the between the fonts we chose and the design on the vinyl against the white shirt, didn't really show up well, so she is going to re-do them again when she gets more onesies.) The names are Sophia and Trixie (nickname)  she will still give the ones she made to the moms, the babies will wear for such a short time anyway.

And we used the new Cricut Iron On Designs that I bought from Cricut, there is also a selection at Joann's etc.  We put them on Canvas for wall hangings.  

I did the one for my daughter in Indianapolis, Life is a Zoo, and Laura did the one saying This Home is Built on Love and Shenanigans for their house.  Laura didn't bring any shirts - so she'll be back to when she gets a shirt she does want to decorate.

Products featured in the photos

Anna Griffin® Hot Fix Rhinestone Iron On Designs
HSN item 607-499

Cricut® In Bloom Pink Patterned Iron-On Sampler


Cricut® Foil Iron-On  Cutting, Application, and Care Instructions

Cricut® Iron-On Designs, This Home is Built  - bought on Cricut site, you can find all current iron on designs on this page of Cricut https://cricut.com/en_us/cutting-materials/iron-on-vinyl/designs.html


Cricut® Iron-On Designs, Life Is A Zoo - bought on Cricut spring 2018, you can find currentl iron on designs on this page of Cricut https://cricut.com/en_us/cutting-materials/iron-on-vinyl/designs.html


Some Joann's also carry the ready to iron on designs, but this is a link to the current selections available on the Cricut website store

Cricut Easy Press, available on Cricut and other retailers, like HSN,  Michaels and Joann's -  usually the Easy Press is considered a "machine" and sometimes discounts or coupons might not allowed for such items.






Cricut Easy Press Mat

Purchase


**Update July 2018, Cricut has 3 new Easy Press Models, and 3 mat sizes
The Cricut Easy Press 2

Youtube video by Melody Lane, re: the Easy Press 2


See too this April 2017 video by Lorrie Nunemaker (she is showing the original Easy Press)


Cricut Easy Press vs Industrial Heat Press - The RESULTS ARE IN!



The table that I work on for using the Easy Press is an Origami product that I got on HSN, it has a heavy solid wood top and a nice size work area.  When not in use, I fold it up and put away in a closet
Origami Foldable Multipurpose Desk / item 486-447


Photo of me with my Rhinestone iron on design on shirt ready to start pressing
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The design
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The Press
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The Peel (**we did cool/cold peel, and Laura being our impatient crafter had us use a frozen box of mashed potatoes from my freezer, pressed on the design to cool it down faster)
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Now Mariah's turn - she chose the Rhinestone iron on design "Creative"
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Laura's This house... (we filled in the cavity on the back of the canvas with a towel to make it a level surface for pressing)
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You really don't need to apply
much pressure, just hold down firmly
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The one I did with the Life is a Zoo - completed
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Mariah doing the weeding of her, The Mountains are Calling foil vinyl piece, she said she really likes doing the weeding, and she found the Foil Iron On, cut nicely and was easy to weed.
Notes:  Foil iron on vinyl is placed on the mat, shiny side down, and we used the Foil Iron On setting under custom,  be sure to MIRROR the Design.  The vinyl is weeded from reverse side and the carrier sheet is what you use to place on the shirt or material with the vinyl design on it. So no need for transfer tape. Iron on materials come with their own carrier sheets and that is why you Mirror the designs when cutting them, and place the heat transfer vinyl, with the side you want with the design cut correctly on the material, facing "down" on the mat and not facing you.
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Getting the placement just right before pressing
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peeling away
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See how shiny the Foil is, she loves it
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I surprised Laura with her Easter gift (I also got her the usual Chocolate basket that she will get on Sunday) but this is a board with felt and slots that you take plastic letters with tabs on the back and slide the plastic letters and words etc into the slots to make signs, so I made this sign when she told me they were coming over, and then gave her the board and the rest of the stuff that came in the Kit (all ordered from HSN)  She was thrilled, she had been eyeing it in either Michaels or Joann's for awhile and was glad she hadn't bought it ;)  I knew she would like it.
this is the letter board kit I got for Laura
Urban House Design Vertical Letterboard

Their family nickname for me is *The Nana*.  
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Mariah's projects 
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Doing the Onesies,  we folded over the shoulders/top seams area over the Easy Press Pad to make a flat surface for the easy press, to avoid the raised seam areas
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This is Trixie shirt, as you can see, the font chosen was not good for this design
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Chose a different font for Sophia and it showed up a bit better, we think there is too much white in the pattern of vinyl we chose . Mariah said the vinyl cut well and was easy to weed. But she is going to make new ones with a better color or print HTV vinyl and fonts and give those shirts to the *Moms to Be* as well 
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**Oh, and here is our (frozen) Potato Peel method to cool down the shirts faster
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All done, now time for Ice Cream and Cookies

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Lorrie Nunemaker has a Facebook Group just for Easy Press owners
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CricutEasyPress/
and here is a video by Lorrie  link
Easy Press for Beginners, published Oct 29, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0_2NRwHI1o

Lorrie Nunemaker YouTube Channel >> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3d8MjmqeSBt8j9oRwSYcIw

My granddaughter and I will to be wearing our Rhinestone shirts to the Scrapbook Expo at end of April that will be held in Orlando - all 3 of us had a wonderful time at it last year and we also attended in 2015. Makes for a nice Girls weekend outing.  

For information about Scrapbook Expo see their show list to find a show perhaps near you :  https://scrapbookexpo.com/2018-expo-show-list/ 

P/S  I am not affiliate for any of the companies that I linked to. I am only providing the links for informational purposes. Please do your own research on products before purchasing, and always look for Sales or Deals (even though sometimes you can buy something, only to find it at a lower price the next week )  Read and Follow all instructions for using any of the products you might purchase. 

UPDATE Summer 2018 - The Easy Press 2 has been released  - with the option of 3 sizes.  

See info on Cricut ---->  https://home.cricut.com/easypress 

Getting Started - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2

Prepping Iron-on Surfaces and Materials - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2

Types of Iron-on and Base Materials - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2

Interactive Guide - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2

Tips for Centering an Iron-on Project - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2


How to transfer Iron-on to a shirt - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2


Cold Peel or Warm Peel? - Working with Cricut EasyPress 2




Cricut Easy Press 2 - choosing the right size for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYyV3JIXNDw

Cricut Easy Press 2 - Unboxing, Review and Features
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UenfwfOhEaE

2019 videos

Make Print Then Cut T-Shirts with Your Cricut the RIGHT Way!
Video by Jennifer Maker
Published on Feb 18, 2019



copied and pasted from Video description
Get the free Ms. Maker brush lettering file at jennifermaker.com/print-cut-cricut-transfer-tshirts/

How To Use Printable Iron On - The Best Printable HTV
excerpt quoted
Everyone wants to know how to use Printable Iron-On. It's a fun product to craft with and in this video, you will see four Printable HTV brands go head to head. 
Published on Apr 28, 2019

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePz5NSNbKwo 




Happy Crafting 









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