Cut 4 – 5×7 Mats out of 1 – 12×12 paper or cardstock and have a bonus journal square left over.

1. Using a cutter like Fiskar’s Personal Trimmer, open the swing arm and line up your 12×12 paper on the 7″ mark (fig. A).

2. Proceed to cut taking the blade down to the 7″ mark along the blade guide (fig. A).

3. Next turn the 12×12 paper 90º Clockwise, and repeat steps 1. and 2. (fig. B)

4. Turn the 12×12 paper another 90º Clockwise, and repeat steps 1. and 2. (fig. C)

5. Once again, turn the 12×12 paper 90º clockwise and repeat steps 1. and 2 (fig. D)

6. That’s it! You should have 4 perfect 5×7 mats and 1 journal square (fig. E)

Matting your 4×6 pictures couldn’t be any easier! Amazing!!

Blackout SVG files!

What are they?

A blackout file is an SVG file which contains the outline of an assembled paper piecing pattern.

Genius!!!

This makes it extra easy to assemble the patterns! Plus, makes the whole thing much sturdier!

Here’s a sample of one my latest paper piecing buddies and its blackout file:

So,

Send the pieces including the blackout file to cut and assemble the pattern by laying each piece over the blackout using the outlines as a guide!

Genius!

Happy Scrapping!

Haven’t heard about SCAL, click here to learn more!

SCAL reads SVG files. For those familiar with PhotoShop and Illustrator it is very easy to save a file in SVG format. For those who don’t have access to these programs I’d like to offer my services!

First I’d like for you to know that all my paper piecing patterns are available in various formats including SVG. You can find patterns at The Shop.

Second, if you have patterns you’d like to use with your Cricut and don’t know how or don’t have time to make them into SVG files you can send them to me via email and I’ll convert them for you. Go to The Shop or click here on SVG FILE CONVERSION and check out the options available.

Please email me BEFORE choosing an option and include your patterns so I can better tell you what can be done.

Send your files to: orders@cocscrapbooking.com or cristy@cocscrapbooking.com

Up until YESTERDAY I liked my Craft Robo. Today, I love it!

See, I thought that by being a Mac user I was limited to a very narrow area of cutting because registration marks had to be printed on whatever I wanted to cut. Narrow, because the marks had to be about 2 inches in from the edges of the paper/cardstock so the digital eye of the cutter could recognize the marks. Then, I always have had to try positioning the paper/cardstock in slightly different ways until the cutter finally recognizes the marks. And then, if I used a dark colored paper/cardstock or one with a busy pattern, the cutter cannot see the marks at all. I did realize that by oulining the marks with my trusty white Galaxy Marker it helped the cutter see the marks…..but come on…… a bit frustrating to get something cut.

BUT……..the revelation!

I stumbled upon a Wishblade video and noticed that what was being cut didn’t require registration marks. I thought that would be nice if I could bypass the whole centering all the pieces close together of whatever I wanted to cut so that the registration marks are placed just right for the cutter. I thought I would just have to try it.

Well…….it’s wonderful!

I tried it out (yesterday) on my giraffe paper piecing pattern which I had tried before using the “registration marks” method and had gotten it to cut but after much frustration. But now, using any colored paper/cardstock with or without busy patterns, any size from like 2 inches to almost 8.5 x 11 inches, the Craft Robo cuts it like butt-ah!!! I was so excited, I started cutting all my paper piecing patterns just to make sure and yep, it’s great!!

So……what I learned.

The “registration marks” method although I have to fidget with it, is really great when I want to silhoutte a photo or when I design something with specific colors that I’ll print on white or light colored paper/cardstock first and then run it through my Craft Robo.

For everything else, just create and send to cut! Awesome!