Tea Party Invitations using Print then Cut feature & Cricut Explore

 

January 2020 UPDATE to this 2018 post:    the images I used in this Print then Cut project are from a set I obtained on the DaisieCompany website. Sadly the company closed in July 2019, so these images by Gina Jane and all of her kits are NO Longer available for purchase.  But you can easily find other sources for similar images of digital clipart for tea party invitations.    I have a blog post that has links to current sites I still obtain digital clipart sets from :
http://chocolateonthekeyboard.blogspot.com/2017/10/where-i-get-my-clipart-fromcurrent.html

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Original post :

I was experimenting with making a Tea Party invitation prototype card for friend of mine who has an annual Tea Party .  She has admired the things that I do with the Print then Cut feature with my Cricut Explore machine - so I am sending her these prototypes of an invitation and will ask her if she would like me to make them for next years' gathering.   

Note: I own a Cricut Explore machine that I got in October 2014, I hope someday to afford and justify owning the newest Cricut machine - The Cricut Maker.  

But until then, my Cricut Explore does all I need it to do, and is an excellent cutting machine, and work horse cutting all of my Print then Cut projects. 

I have a large and wonderful collection of Clipart and Graphics, on my computers that I have been buying or obtaining for free from a variety of online sites for the past 18 yrs. 

The Print then Cut feature has allowed me to create things with the images, that would have been difficult with hand cutting with scissors. 

I have a blog post listing where I currently obtain my ever growing collections of clipart / graphics. http://chocolateonthekeyboard.blogspot.com/2017/10/where-i-get-my-clipart-fromcurrent.html

If my friend does like these prototype invitations, I would re-do and add the date, time, address info etc. to the invites. and of course make any changes.  I'd only need to make  15 to 20 invites, so not a big job. But one I would enjoy doing for her. 

OR

 If I ever decide to have a Tea Party in my own home, I will be ready with invites.

I do love Tea, & have lots of wonderful Tea Pots, cups and saucers etc.  

I'm just not into "entertaining" - LOL - but do love going to Afternoon Teas.

Thought I would share with you guys screen shots and photos - which I usually take of most of my  projects I do with my former Cricut Explore. As of 2019 I use a Cricut Maker. 

I like to have photos of things I have done, and screen shots with notes of what exactly I did in the process.  It's all for my own reference or for sharing on FB when trying to explain with a picture ;)  

 (you know, worth a 1000 words and all  - although for many of my FB posts & comments, I do add the 1000 words )   

I keep an online album on Flickr of my Print then Cut projects and just Cut projects. 

Print then Cut is probably the feature I use most with my Explore since I got it in Oct 2014.

I print out my images using my HP Envy 7640 inkjet printer.

I am also subscribed to the HP Instant Ink program, so never worry about running out of ink while in the middle of a project, and the program does save me money on ink cartridges.

If you own a Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machine, and have not used the Print then Cut feature, this video by Lorrie Nunemaker will show you the basics : 

Cricut Print then Cut, Design Space 

 https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009387274-How-do-I-Print-Then-Cut-in-Design-Space

Note:  With the Explore models, it is best to use white 8.5x11 Printable materials that your own printer can handle printing on with out jamming in the machine.  For those who own the Cricut Maker, you can print on light color 8.5x11 cardstock.  Update 2023 : Cricut now allows for using larger Printable materials. Up to 11x17 inches.  You still need to fit your image(s) within a Printable Area limitation for any size of printable material that Cricut allows for use.  And you can't print edge to edge, there will always be some wasted area of your printable materials.  If you want to Print onto the larger sizes of printable materials you may need to consider purchasing a Wide Format printer.  I have a Canon Pixma TS9500 wide format to use for such projects. But I do usually stick with printing onto 8.5x11 printable materials and using my HP Envy 7640 printer that I obtained in 2015. 

What I used in this project:

For Inspiration on how to make shaped cards : (I have made a few others, after watching this video first published Dec 2017) 

I used this Melody Lane Youtube Video, showing how to make Shaped cards

Cricut Design Space Class - Shaped Card >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znPRMJpXKZ0

Check out all of Melody's Free Cricut Design Space Classes youtube videos

Neenah brand 110lb   8.5x11  white cardstock

Avery *Clear* 8.5x11  full sheet sticker sheets (didn't really want to use this, I usually use just the white Avery white full Label 8.5x 11 sticker sheets, or LD Inkjet Photo Glossy finish sticker sheets, but I think I am out of those sticker sheets** (the glossy sticker sheets are my favorite to use on most print then cut projects) **time to order more.

Cricut Printable Vinyl sheets - these are very thin sheets and the back is sticky like a sticker

I embellished one invite with tiny pearl embellishments (didn't want to add too much as this is just a prototype)   

and I used Gelly Roll Stardust clear glittering gel ink pen on the card front of one of the cards. The other I left plain. 

Yulisa Script Font used in Tea Party invitation

Yulisa Script Font is available on Creative Fabrica

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/yulisa/ref/6395/

I got it for free when it was offered on one of the 

300 days of Freebies of Creative Fabrica

it is NO longer free

Be sure you are checking out the daily freebies,

https://www.creativefabrica.com/daily-gifts/ref/6395

See the other Freebies too

https://www.creativefabrica.com/freebies/ref/6395/

and also the inexpensive Bundle Deals, often include a wonderful variety of fonts and graphics sets and cutting files

https://www.creativefabrica.com/bundles/ref/6395/  

 and there are $1 deals under the Fonts listing

I prefer to create any text that I use in Print then Cut projects when using my own installed fonts, especially Cursive/Script fonts using offline programs. 

One of the easy ones for me to use is the Free program of  Paint.net 

Paint.net >>    http://getpaint.net 

I created the text, and then saved it in transparent PNG format and uploaded to Cricut Design Space, and saved as a Print then Cut image. I size and Flatten the text image to another shape or an image.  Then I print it out using my Printer, and my Explore cuts only the shape or image with the printed text image on it.  

The Text image needs to be FLATTENED to a SHAPE or IMAGE, not Attached. 

another free program that you can create text images in is Fontlab Pad

Kay Hall has a good video on using the program > 

Easy Beautiful Text for Cricut Design Space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csCjP63IuSs .  

 If you want to use in Print then Cut projects, save the text in PNG format. 

If you want to use the text in CUT only projects save in SVG format.

Fonts with Special Characters in Cricut Design Space Using Fontlab Pad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYJPM9FQbR8&t=8s

Graphics/Clipart used in this invitation are all from the Cottage Roses Tea digital clipart collection

that at one time were available at daisiecompany - but sadly the website closed in July 2019 .  So you can substitute any similar teapot and /or teacup images you may find in digital clipart sets online.   Here is a cute set by Kate Hadfield  https://katehadfielddesigns.com/shop/tea-party     or how about this Winter Tea Party digital scrapbook elements kit  https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Winter-tea-party-Full-collection-4-in-1.html     Creative Market - tea party search results  https://creativemarket.com/search?q=tea+party    and Creative Fabrica search results  https://www.creativefabrica.com/search/?query=tea+party      The Hungry Jpeg search results  https://thehungryjpeg.com/search/tea_party?category=all&page=1  
Or you can  search google "teaparty" or "tea party" digital clipart sets.

Click on each image  to enlarge for viewing. 

 I uploaded to Cricut Design Space all of the images one at a time that

 I wanted to use from 

the Daisie Comany

Clipart set of Cottage Roses Tea Collection - 
note as of July 2019, this particular image set is no longer available.

and brought what I wanted to use on the
Cricut Design Space canvas area.

I arranged the Teapot and Teacup and sized the pair to

fit within a 5x7 area, so that they would fit in a 5x7 envelope

I then duplicated the 2 image compilation. I changed the

teapot image on the duplicate to a Cut image, which makes it a solid shape.

I then changed the layer to Print, and then changed the color of it to pink.

I had uploaded the Text image, I had created in Paint.net

 and brought it into Design Space canvas as well

and then arranged & sized it on the pink portion.  

Finally I selected ALL & FLATTENED the entire compilation

of the pink teapot shape, the clipart cup image and the text image.

Then I added a scoreline near the top of this compilation, 

following the idea that I saw in the Melody Lane video on shaped cards

and I attached the scoreline to the Flat card compilation

For the Card Front, I just selected all - the teapot and teacup and Flattened

I then saved this as a Project for my Cricut Design Space files

I decided to make stickers with some of the clipart images

from the Cottage Roses Tea clipart set I had uploaded

to Cricut Design Space.

I brought into the Design Space canvas

 the images I wanted to use

I sized and arranged them on a rectangle

 I had sized to the max printable area

of 6.75 x 9.25 inches.  

Once arranged, I delete the rectangle and 

Select ALL and ATTACH,  

to keep the configuration

I made up 2 different sheets of stickers, at different sized images 

These will be applied to the card backs and inside the card

I place the Printed image on my Cutting Mat

and the Explore scans the black outline around the

image (black outline is placed there by the software program

of Design Space, so that is the way the image prints out on

my printer)

and I have the dial set to Cardstock and the Cricut Explore

cuts out the images perfectly

 I have the Cricut Scoring Stylus in the A holder

of the Cricut Explore Machine,

this provides a light score line in the

area I placed it in my card design on 

Cricut Design Space

I fold back on the score line,

and apply glue to just that

folded area 

 I used a ZIG glue pen to apply 

glue to the folded area of the card top

I then lined up the card top of the front

to the folded glued area

  

This is how the card folds out after attaching 

the two pieces

 Opening the card

  

Printing this set of stickers out

on my HP Envy 7640 Inkjet Printer

onto Cricut Printable Vinyl

**Note: the only Printable material that I am

NOT able to print successfully on

with this printer is the 

Cricut Brand of Sticker Sheet Paper

I have found other brands of Sticker Sheets

I like better and that work well with

my printer.

 For this set of stickers I chose

Avery full sheet 8.5x11

 CLEAR  Shipping Label sticker sheets

I usually choose the Custom Cut Setting

of Sticky Note for my stickers

This gives a nice kiss cut to the sticker sheets

and I remove from the paper backing

using the Cricut Pick/Weeding tool 

See how nicely the images cut from 

the sticker sheets. And they are

easy to remove from paper backing

using the Cricut pick/weeding tool 

  

I placed a couple of the stickers to the

back of the card and one on the inside

 I added some pearl embellishments to this card

and applied some glitter using the glitter gel pen

 

How I create Text for my Print then Cut projects

I use the FREE program of Paint.net

I open a new document, size it to what I want

and using the Magic Wand tool in the program

 I click on the white area and I delete the white and make the

area transparent. 

Then I use the Text tool and choose my Font

for this example I chose the Yulisa Script font

which I liked for some of its pretty special characters of some

letters that it had in its Private Use Area. 

And at the same time I also have open my free version of the

 Main Type font manager

so that I can easily access the PUA (Private Use Area) 

of a particular font if the font

has one, which has the fancy letters, swishes, etc. 

that some fonts have.

I type out the text in Paint.net 

and then when I want to insert a specific fancy letter

or Glyph I copy and paste it from the Main Type font manager.

Then when satisfied with the text,

 I name and save it in PNG transparent format 

to my computer to a location

 I will remember and associate with such images

 and upload the text image to Cricut Design Space

 to use in Print then Cut projects.  

Here are separate screen shots of Paint.net and 

the MainType font manager

and a compilation of both programs side by side

 


Other Shaped Cards I have done using the method I used above for the Invitations 

 Bear image is found in Cricut Design Space 

(it is NOT part of the Access Subscription)

 it is part of a Designer Cartridge by Kori Clark

Hipster Bear

#M142F103

Kori Clark - Hipster Animals

The Text inside the card, was created offline and saved in image format 

and uploaded to Design Space to use in a Print then Cut project.

It was FLATTENED to the shape.

The ornament image for this card is from the Nitwit Collections

kit of Christmas Linen. The poinsettia image is from the same collection.

The wordart Merry Christmas is from Cricut Design Space.

the Image and the wordart are FLATTENED to the Shape

 Video watched for inspiration on how to do the Shaped Cards

Cricut Design Space Class - Shaped Card

published Dec 2017 by Melody Lane 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znPRMJpXKZ0 

Be sure to subscribe to Melody's Youtube Channel, 

she posts new Design Space Classes every Saturday morning 11 am eastern time 

on her

Melody Lane YouTube Channel

Update January 2020
Graphics/Clipart used in the Tea Party invitation are all from the Cottage Roses Tea digital clipart collection

that at one time were available at daisiecompany - but sadly the website closed in July 2019 .  So you can substitute any similar teapot and /or teacup images you may find in digital clipart sets online.   Here is a cute set by Kate Hadfield  https://katehadfielddesigns.com/shop/tea-party     or how about this Winter Tea Party digital scrapbook elements kit  https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Winter-tea-party-Full-collection-4-in-1.html     Creative Market - tea party search results  https://creativemarket.com/search?q=tea+party    and Creative Fabrica search results  https://www.creativefabrica.com/search/?query=tea+party      The Hungry Jpeg search results  https://thehungryjpeg.com/search/tea_party?category=all&page=1  
Or you can  search google "tea party clipart" or "tea party" digital clipart sets.