Print then Cut cards using Background Papers from Creative Fabrica

 I have been doing lots of Print then Cut projects lately and making mostly Cards.  

I create Card Fronts using usually, my trusty and old & discontinued computer software of Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006.  It is available to buy on Ebay, it comes on CD installation disks.  That software is no longer supported or made by Microsoft, but I managed to get it installed onto my Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. I have an earlier post on my blog on the steps I followed to install it.  

It is a program that makes it easy to fill a shape or template with a background.  I then save those filled shapes as images and upload them to Cricut Design Space and use to create cards that my Cricut machine will cut out for me. 

I began a few days ago, searching for unique and different types of background digital papers on CreativeFabrica.com  and found some fun and pretty papers that I thought would be nice to work with for my card fronts.  Using the Print then Cut feature and using the pre-filled shapes or even using the Fill option in Design Space with any uploaded patterns I added to Design Space, makes it easy for me not to have certain physical papers on hand to make cards. 

I do sometimes use  blank cards that I have bought to apply the card fronts to and like using Cricut's own line of Insert Card sets, that come with the blank cards and envelopes and the insert pieces. I don't use the inserts, as I am just using the cards as a base for applying my fronts to.  If I want to make the inside of the card, I will create separate pieces or do a Print then Cut piece using Design Space and print & cut that and apply my card front to that printed compilation.  Also I create cards and intentionally leave blank inside for the recipient or me to hand write inside the card their own personal messages. 

I am sharing on my blog some examples of a few of the cards I have made, and links to some of the resources at Creative Fabrica that I have downloaded and have started using and having fun with . So many options available, and so little time.  

I still continue to use my vast Digital Clipart Collection for usage in my Print then Cut card making and other projects I do with my Cricut Maker machine. But these backgrounds usage have been a nice break from the Clipart PtC cards I usually do.   My cards are simple, just score and fold, no fancy cuts to fold or assemble.

I have printed onto Cricut's white textured cardstock (I cut down 12x12 sheets to 8.5 x 11 to use in my printer) and I've used Recollections Shimmer Cardstock, and Printable Glitter Cardstock. But I recently found an old pack of HP's Brochure Paper Glossy finish inkjet paper, and found that to be the best for printing out the card fronts.  I adhere the fronts with a tape runner to the cardstock I am using for the base.  For the backgrounds I am using - it really gives the colors a pop and I like the glossy look of the paper.  I don't think HP makes these particular sheets of inkjet printers anymore, but other brands sell glossy brochure sheets. 

Here are some examples of the cards I have made in past couple of weeks. 

These I used Cricut Cardstock or the Recollections Shimmer cardstock

For those cards - I used the digital patterns from this set on Creative Fabrica - note I am a Subscriber to Creative Fabrica for $48 a year, so I have access to an unlimited amount of downloads of images, fonts and digital bundles to use in my projects.  I am also an Affiliate of the website. 

Pearls Crystals French Damask Embroidery

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/pearls-crystals-french-damask-embroidery/ref/6395/

See other designs by this designer Visual Gypsy on Creative Fabrica

https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/visual-gypsy/ref/6395

Nice set to use with compilations that use the Pearls Crystals French Damask Embroidery backgrounds >> 

Ivory Lace and Pearls Graphics

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/ivory-lace-and-pearls-graphics/ref/6395  by Digital Curio https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/digital-curio/ref/6395/

Here are images of Cards that I used the Brochure paper on 

The digital papers come in square images, so using them as fill patterns on a rectangle shape of 5.5x4.25 or 4.24x5.5 or as a 5x7, doesn't always look good. So for some of these I left them as a square shape and then added my own filler portions, using my Microsoft software to add shapes or other digital elements to fill in the space.  But there are times when I just fiddled with the filling the entire rectangle with a background so that it was appealing to me . 

These are examples of using the pattern to fill the entire background rectangle

I find it easier using offline software to create my compilations and upload them to Design Space, but I also have many times used the Pattern Upload option on the Computer version of Design Space to upload the digital papers and use the Fill with a Pattern feature of Design Space.  The problem with Design Space though is that the preview of the uploaded patterns is very tiny thumbnails of the pattern. So it is difficult to view and select the pattern I want to use. And then I have to edit the pattern so that it looks good for the images I want it to look like.  So lately I've been doing more Offline than within Design Space.  I will add text to some images and or other clipart sometimes while in Design Space, but again, I also will create those things offline and upload the images to Design Space to have available. 

While the software of MS Digital Image Suite, that I use isn't readily available, it is available for sale by previous owners on Ebay. But there are a number of software programs that are used to create compilations that can be saved as images and uploaded to Design Space.   Adobe Photoshop Elements, and online apps, are good alternatives.  Its just that I've been using MS Digital Image for so long, that I am very comfortable with using it and its features.  It does only work with Windows systems, and does require some additional steps to install the program (it comes on CD installation disks) to a Windows 10 or 11 system.  

Here are a few links to resources for some beautiful digital patterns that have an embossed or embroidery type patterns in them.  I imagine that many of these were created using AI to make them dimensional. And if looking at some close up you can see some errors or funny / odd outcomes of the AI generated images.  A few I didn't notice until I printed them and then had to discard the print. But others are beautiful and different enough that I had to figure out a way to create with them for my card fronts. 

Wildflower Embroidery Digital Papers - ( 100+ patterns ) https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/wildflower-embroidery-digital-papers/ref/6395

3D Flowers Embroidery View Backgrounds a https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-flowers-embroidery-view-backgrounds-a/ref/6395/

Embroidery Sunflower Background https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/embroidery-sunflower-background/ref/6395/  by Designer, Rainbow Town - also has beautiful background papers and tumbler and mug wrap graphics https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/rainbowtown/ref/6395/

3D Wool Flowers Embroidery Backgrounds F https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-wool-flowers-embroidery-backgrounds-f/ref/6395/    by designer LaLuna shop

https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/lalunashop/ref/6395/

3D Flowers Embroidery View Backgrounds E

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-flowers-embroidery-view-backgrounds-e/ref/6395/   by designer  LaLuna shop

3D Flowers Embroidery View Backgrounds C  https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-flowers-embroidery-view-backgrounds-c/ref/6395/

3D Sea Beach Embroidery View Backgrounds https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-sea-beach-embroidery-view-backgrounds-2/ref/6395/

Knitting Yarn Fabric Textiles Backgrounds

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/knitting-yarn-fabric-textiles-background/ref/6395/

By Creative RIver https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/creative-river/ref/6395/

3D Embossed Spring Flowers Patterns https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-embossed-spring-flowers-patterns/ref/6395/  by Designer : Creative Store https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/creative-store-18/ 

Embosed Floral Pattern Digital Papers https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/embosed-floral-pattern-digital-papers/ref/6395/ 

3D Butterfly Flower Quilling Backgrounds https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-butterfly-flower-quilling-backgrounds/ref/6395/

3D Sea Ocean Quilling Paper Backgrounds https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-sea-ocean-quilling-paper-backgrounds/ref/6395/ 

3D Tooled Leather Western Background Set

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-tooled-leather-western-background-set/ref/6395/

See other digital designs by the Designer>  Laluna Shop

https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/lalunashop/ref/6395

3D Flower Quilling paper art backgrounds 2

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-flower-quilling-paper-art-backgrounds-2/ref/6395/ 

3D Flower Quilling Paper Art Backgrounds-3 https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-flower-quilling-paper-art-backgrounds-3/ref/6395 

3D Rose Flower Paper Art Backgrounds

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/3d-rose-flower-paper-art-backgrounds/ref/6395/

Digital Premium Embossed Leather Papershttps://www.creativefabrica.com/product/digital-premium-embossed-leather-papers/ref/6395/  by Designer Rock Orange Arts

https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/rockorange-arts/rref/6395/

Embossed Metallic Foil Texture

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/embossed-metallic-foil-texture/ref/6395/  by Designer : sugamiart

https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/sugamiart/ref/6395/

Seamless Chenille Pattern Papers

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/seamless-chenille-pattern-papers/ref/6395/ 

Grunge Crystal Lace Antique Butterflies

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/grunge-crystal-lace-antique-butterflies/ref/6395/

Embossed Leather Seamless Pattern

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/embossed-leather-seamless-pattern-2/ref/6395/

By Sublimation Avenue https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/sublimation-avenue/ref/6395/

Fancy Embossed Leather Seamless Textures  https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/fancy-embossed-leather-seamless-textures/ref/6395/   by Laura Beth Love https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/laura-beth-love/ref/6395/

Autumn Leaves Tooled Leather Texture by Laura Beth Love

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/autumn-leaves-tooled-leather-texture/ref/6395/

Mermaid Scales - Watercolor Textures

https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/mermaid-scales-watercolor-textures/ref/6395/

By Prawny Clipart Shop https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/prawny/ref/6395/ 

Have Fun, exploring the many available digital pattern papers on Creative Fabrica (and other sites that sell such items or have available for free) and using your creativity to create beautiful and unique cards for friends and family