Scrapbooking Supplies

Cricut Design Studio by Provo Craft

If you have you already discovered a passion for the Provo Craft Cricut cutting machines, you are going to fall in love all over again when you try the newest addition to the Cricut family - Cricut Design Studio software.

The Cricut Design Studio adds a completely new dimension to your Cricut adventures, whether you own the original little Cricut or the larger Cricut Expression. Just by plugging your Cricut into a USB port on your computer and installing the Design Studio software, you'll enter an exciting new world of design possibilities. One of the best parts is this program is easy to use and understand. It's not necessary to be a computer wiz to figure it out and you can do a multitude of creative effects with the addition of this one piece of software.

How Will Design Studio Help You?

The Cricut Design Studio allows you to mix images from any of the cartridges you own and blend them into one design. You can plan your design before you even put in a cartridge. It's possible to weld letters together, shrink or expand images, put an image on a diagonal, and stretch, rotate, or flip images. You can even stop and save your design before it's complete, then come back later to finish it. When you have the design just the way you want it, just slip in the first cartridge needed and push a single button. When the Cricut reaches the point where it needs a different cartridge, it will alert you so you can exchange the cartridges. When you finish, you can save your design to your computer or flash drive and you'll be able to share it with your friends.

Another benefit of Design Studio is that you can examine every available design in the entire Cricut library, whether you own the cartridge or not. Simply type in keywords to search for a particular image or phrase and you can see exactly how it would look in your projects. This will help you decide if you want to purchase a particular cartridge or not. You can even preplan your design and save it until you get the necessary cartridge or borrow it from a friend.

Are There Disadvantages to the Cricut Design Studio?

One disappointment to some users is that the Cricut Design Studio is not Mac compatible. Currently, you can only use this software with Windows XP or Vista. The only other concern is that you are restricted to using Design Studio at a location where you have access to a computer. If you have a laptop, however, that is a non-issue.

Overall, the Cricut Design Studio is a wonderful addition to your Cricut collection. You are only limited by your imagination.

For more wonderful additions to your Cricut collection come and visit The Cricut Cartridges Guide for the whole line-up of ProvoCraft products including the new Cricut Create For other tips and tricks using your Cricut stop by! -Beverly Kingly

There are literally hundreds of thousands of embellishments to choose from for your scrapbook. Choosing the right ones for your album is just as important as choosing the paper or layout. In this post, we will talk about using embellishments to enhance your theme as well as the many different types of embellishments available and ideas for using them.

Using embellishments to enhance your Album's Theme

Embellishments can really add to your album's unique design. When purchasing embellishments, it's easy to get caught up in how cute they are, how fun they look and so on. But, when designing your scrapbook you will probably want a certain look, have specific colors in mind, as well as patterns and even a theme. Therefore, before you go spending loads of money on embellishments you may never use, here are some tips to help you choose embellishments that will enhance your album's theme.

• Take a background page that you're going to use in your specific album to your favorite scrapbooking supply store when shopping for embellishments.
• When shopping for scrapbook supplies online, like here at My Scrapbook Supplies, purchasing packaged themes will help keep you focused on a particular theme. My Scrapbooking Supplies features many different theme packages to choose from.
• Shop for one album at a time to help you stay organized and focused. Purchase layouts, backgrounds and embellishments at the same time to help keep your theme uniform and stylish.
• Pre organize photos by event, chronologically or year to help determine a theme for a specific album before shopping for embellishments.

Types of Embellishments and some ideas for using them

There are literally thousands of different types of embellishments you can use to enhance your album's theme. Below are some of the most popular along with an idea or two.

• Ribbon and Fibers: Use ribbon and other fibers to frame photos or to secure photos at the corners.
• Stickers: Stickers are a great way to quickly enhance your scrapbook and there are all kinds of stickers to choose from. Finding a package or set of stickers won't be hard for your theme.
• Stenciling: Using acid and lignin free markers and pens along with some stencils will add a unique touch to your album. Stencils come in letters, shapes and numbers. Use block letter stencils to title a page for instance.
• Die cuts: Die cuts add depth and texture to an album's page. You can find packages of die cuts at really reasonable prices.
• Rubber Stamps: Stamping is fun and an easy way to give your album that added touch. Be sure to purchase acid free ink.
• Buttons: Buttons are cute and great for baby albums or perhaps a sewing theme.
• Bows: Bows are great for baby girls, or even a female dog theme.
• Photo corners: Photo corners come in different sizes and shapes and really help your photos stand out. They also provide added texture to your pages.
• Photo frames: Try framing just one photo on a page of 3 or 4 to make it stand out from the rest.
• Lettering: Using words throughout your album give it life. Using precut lettering, stencil lettering or in your own handwriting helps tell the story.

Before purchasing any embellishments for your album, be certain they are acid and lignin free to preserve your album and keep the photos and other papers from yellowing over the years. All embellishments, papers, adhesives, stickers and fibers sold here at My Scrapbooking Supplies are acid and lignin free.

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