Freebie Cut File - Week #5

Hi all! It is still officially Saturday...albeit late Saturday...but it's still Saturday! I almost didn't think I was gonna make it this week! I got back from vacation and I've been feeling not so good, and neither has my one year old. Needless to say, it's been a hard couple days with my very little ones. Blah...does it ever get better? Wait, don't answer that.

So this little card is for the military wives and daughters out there (and for anyone that ever needs to say thank you to a man!). Here is the actual scut file I used to cut out the card, svg, and star shapes. I'm also including the svg for the Iwo Jima silhouette (hope you could tell that's what it was!) in case you want to be able to manipulate it more!

All cuts for the star card - scut

Iwo Jima - svg

Blog Award

Well, I have to say I was extremely surprised to get any kind of blogging award!  I only started this blog less than four weeks ago. (It pays to leave comments!!!) But a fellow cricuteer blessed me with this just the other day. Her name is Kasey.  She also makes cut files and offers them for free on her website.

Well, I'm supposed to nominate five other people. I guess I should state what the award is for...

The first one is for people who follow and leave comments on your blog.  The second one doesn't really have requirements, but it's called the "Gift of Love" and I'm going to give them at the same time!

The people I am nominating are as follows:

Jill Robison...cuz she's always so supportive and kind and I LOVE her!!!

Susan at Busy with the Cricky...cuz as talented and amazing as she is, she takes the time to look at and leave comments on my stuff!

The Frugal Crafter...another amazing crafter that I cannot believe even looked at my blog, let alone liked something enough to comment!

Scrappin Margie...I've looked on her blog and noticed that she has quite a few of the same themed cut files I have (and hers are really cute), but she still takes the time to tell me that she likes mine too!

Celeste Lombas...She's so kind to leave nice comments and even took the time to give me a link to see what she did with a cut file (which turned out great!!!).  Thanks Celeste!

Thanks to all of you who support my blog and take the time to comment (although unfortunately this feeds my addiction!).  I love my blogging friends!

(PS - Margie and Celeste...I can't find an email address for you...hope you get this!)

Freebie Cut File - Week #4

Welcome to week #4! This little baby was designed for those who have a Father/Husband who is a shop kind of guy. I thought it would be fun to put a gift card from Home Depot inside the toolbox, surrounded by some of his favorite little candies! I'm including a file for the tool box, the saw card, and the circle I did in vinyl for the card. I think the card is self explanatory, so I won't give instructions for that!
For the tool box. You're going to first cut the file in the bottom color you're going to use, so that the handles match the bottom. You are also going to use the square buckle file I included on a previous post for the closure. I didn't include it in this cut file, because i figured people would need to size it to fit the ribbon they use! I made it longer than wide and sized it so that the holes for the ribbon would be just shorter than the ribbon (to make sure it wouldn't come undone if the candy inside was heavy!).

I folded it at 1.25 inches from every side and then again at 2.5 inches. You have two options...for the back fold, you can either tacky tape it so that is looks like the bottom of a box (and you will have to hinge the top and bottom together), or you can NOT tap it and use the flap to attach to the upper portion of the box and that will be your hinge. You can see pics to get a feel for what I mean.

You will cut the upper portion of the file after you delete the handles. Then just follow the same instructions! The handles will be adhered together on the half circle part. Then you tape the little parts to the top of the toolbox. Attach the buckle with brads, attach some ribbon, and you're done!


Here's a female version of the box. I used the hinges on this one, as was my original plan. But I don't always have hinges, so I thought I'd make the manly toolbox without to see if it would work out, which it did!


Hope you enjoy the new cut file!!

Toolbox - SCUT

Saw Card - SCUT

Saw Blade - SVG

Circle Sayings - SCUT

Bella and Edward Cut File

On the scal forum, lil5firecracker5 submitted a picture of bella and edward together and offered a svg file that was basically a bitmap of the picture that really needed to be cleaned up and asked for some help (because they had already worked on three others that turned out great!).  So, I decided to take up the challenge!!!  Here is the outcome!

If you want the link to where they posted the files and pictures, here it is

http://forums.surecutsalot.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5293

Here is the link to the svg I manipulated from their svg

Bella and Edward - svg

BTW, would you be so kind as to leave comments if you download?  They are much appreciated and it allows me to get a better feel for if this is the type of file that is liked!  Thanks!!!

Family Home Evening Jar

This is a jar that I got for Christmas.  It was filled with pieces of paper that gave topics, songs, and scriptures to go with a theme for each week of the year for Family Home Evening (a night where the family gets together and has a gospel lesson and activity).  I loved it!  But I kept getting asked what it was (it was on my console table in my front room), so I busted out my vinyl, some ribbon, and a tag to get the questions to stop!  Nobody has to ask anymore, and it's a cute way to decorate a table!

I had to put some white tissue paper inside because the papers are green and didn't match the look I was going for.  :)  For those of you who do this type of FHE activity...you might think of this as an inexpensive gift idea for Christmas or another special day!

Cut File Freebie - Week #3

Well, week # 3 is here already!!!  I thought that since Father's Day is just around the bend, I would dedicate these next few weeks to man cards and boxes!  I almost had a box ready for you today...but I have to work out one bug first!!!  So you'll see the box cut I have next week!!!  

This little card was done almost all in vinyl.  I was going to add more to it, but my husband saw it and said, "Oh, that's a cool card!" (which he never does), so I thought maybe it was good as it was for a guy!  You could probably make this a Father's Day card too for the man that loves old cars and redoes them or something.  You might say something like, "For a classic kind of Dad" or "For my Dad" on the front, and on the inside it could say "the man who gets more valuable every year!"  Any other ideas for sayings?!  Hope you enjoy!!

Antique Car - svg

Sayings - scut

The sayings file is just a bunch that I put on there to use on my scrap vinyl.  I use them on various different posts I put on here...just thought you might want to take the guess work out of the fonts and sizes I've been using!

Oh and I almost forgot...the shape cut I put the car on is from DB Geo Deco Solid from scrapnfonts.com again.  I LOVE that font.  For three dollars, you get a whole bunch of different cute shapes!  Actually, a whole alphabet full!!!

Swirl Wedding Cake

Again, another cake I helped Mindy with. The actual frosting of the cake was way easy! Pushing the frosting back and forth with different pressure as you go is really the easiest way to go for a wedding cake. Another pretty outcome, Mindy!

Red Ribbon Cake

I don't think I did much, if anything, on these cakes (it's hard to remember, it was a while ago)...but I wanted to post Mindy's cake here anyway because I think it turned out beautiful!

Fruit Wedding Cake

Our English friend, Sarah, asked Mindy to make her wedding cake, and I helped with this one as well. The cake is frosted in whipped icing and the decoration on it is buttercream. Then there's strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and mint leaves to decorate it. Oh, and the cakes were two different flavors: lemon and white. I loved this cake platter! So beautiful!!!

Sugar Paste Flowers Cake

My sister just sent me pictures of cakes that I helped her with (some friends and family of hers asked her to make their wedding cakes and I helped her with various aspects of it - since they're such a huge job!). Mindy (my sister) is an amazing decorator, and everything she does turns out so professional and delicious! I love working with her on them!!!

This one was a very simple design, but I think it turned out very elegant. This is the first time I'm seeing it completely put together since I didn't attend this wedding! There were tons of sugar paste buds and open roses. The roses are put into the cake with toothpicks.

Pretty Bird

Just a little something I threw together today...  Once again, I used a doodlebat from Scrapnfonts.com.  It's called DB Ladybird.  It's got an alphabet full of birds, cages, clocks, and sayings.  The saying here is not from the font, I just made it myself, along with a lot of other fun sayings that I cut out on my scrap vinyl!  Be on the lookout; you'll see more of it this weekend!  The birdcage is also cut out of vinyl.  For the little things, I just think it's a TON easier to slap the vinyl on than it is to try to glue little pieces of paper to a card (horrible, yes?).

File Folder Box

This is a really cute cut file I got from My Sherry Amour's website! It's so cute...even without a lot of embellishments! And I can think of many uses for it too! I recently gave one to my mom with my favorite recipes and the spices she needed to prepare them (she's been on a mission so she came back to no food of any kind and not having cooked for a year and a half!). Made a really cute little gift! Sherry has a few other cut files that she's allowing everyone to download as well...head on over!

Cut File Freebie - Week #2

Woohoo! I finished my cut file for you! And I'm in love with this idea! This little stationary set was inspired by Inking Idaho. She offered a free tutorial on her website (which I have the link to on the side). I just made the cuts in scal to make it easier on me and to allow me to make more without having to cut by hand or having the punches she did. I'm including the cut file I made, but you'll have to check out her site for the instructions! Make this cute little number for a friend or family member who has a special event coming up and will need cards or just because! They'll love it!!! Here's the cut file...

Stationary Set Page 1 - scut

Stationary Set Page 2 - scut

Stationary Set Embellishments - scut

Teapot Card

K, so I know it's not Saturday...but I wanted to get this cut file out there too in case anyone wants it for Mother's Day.  Here are the files:

Fat Teapot SVG

Teapot Card SCUT

Scalloped Oval SVG

Enjoy!!! (And please leave a comment if you download!! Thanks!)

Slice of Cake Card

I love this cut!!!  I got it from Paper Scissors Ink (link on right side of my page).  She has this svg or george cut file for free!  Go visit her site and get a great new download if you haven't already...I have a feeling I'll use this a lot.  I especially love it with an elegant look.  I'm going to be putting this in as part of a gift package with my new cut file I've been working on.  I'll have it available this Saturday.  Keep in touch!!!  I'm really excited for this next one!

Pink Birthday Flower

This is just a stamp that I embossed and cut out.  I like trying out new things, and this card was practice for embossing.  I'm no pro at it...but I'd like to get better so I can try out that faux-alligator technique!

Vinyl Sign

I actually made this a while ago for my bedroom.  I'm in the process of changing the colors from dark brown and maroon red to black, white, and olive.  I made this so that we would have something that matched the new decor.  I'm not sure that this is my favorite...but it'll do for now (until I start itching to redo it!).  The font is Scriptina.

Chimichangas

Yummy!  I thought this would be a good choice for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow!  The filling is super delicious.  And what's great about this recipe is that it's baked, not fried...but it tastes like it's fried!!!  Word to the wise...use ALL the butter it calls for.  This time around I used hardly any (thinking that I'd save a few calories from going to my hips), and the end result was too much like chips on the bottom and ends instead of fried goodness like what it tasted like last time I made this.  It still tasted good, but it didn't have the wonderful texture of the previous batch!  !Tienes una buena dia manana!

Ingredients:

2/3 c picante sauce or your favorite salsa

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 c cooked chicken, shredded or chopped

1 c shredded cheddar cheese (can also mix some monterey in there)

2 green onions, chopped with some tops (about 1/4 c)

6 8" four tortillas

2 Tbsp margarine, melted

Extra green onion and picante sauce, for serving

Directions:

Mix chicken, picante sauce or salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions.  Place about 14 c mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Fold opposite sides over filling.  Roll up from bottom and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Brush with melted margarine.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.  Garnish with additional cheese and green onion and serve salsa on the side.

Pretty easy right?  I also like to freeze my extra chopped up green onions.  This saves me time and money later (and typically an extra trip to the grocery store...b/c who has these on hand all the time?).  Another extra time saver:  Whenever the chicken that is fresh from the meat dept goes on sale, I like to buy lots and cook it all that night in a crock pot with chicken broth.  I just put it on low, and in the morning, very moist and easy to shred chicken is done.  Then I freeze it in the little snack ziploc baggies for whenever I need already cooked and shredded chicken!

Mexican Rice

I got this recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  This is a very fluffy rice, not like most American-Mexican rice recipes.  So, if you don't like real Mexican food...don't try this!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces tomatoes, very ripe and cored
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 medium jalapenos
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 lime

Directions

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.

Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.

Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY.

Heat oil in heavy bottomed ovensafe 12 inch straight sided sautee pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over medium high heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this but I used a 10 inch dutch oven and it worked out fine.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

*If you can't get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don't use those awful hard and underipe tomatoes that are at most supermarket chains. Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.

*Do not skip any of the steps. It may seem stupid- but rinsing the rice to remove the starch is very important if you want fluffy rice. It will only take two minutes of your time but it makes the difference.

*Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through. 

Baby Bunny Card

Another simple card for baby. For this card I used Stretch Your Imagination. Then I used more Provo Craft acrylic stamps for the saying and flowers.

Cut File Freebie - Week #1

I made these for Mother's Day for some friends and people I visit monthly. It's nice cuz you can get three of these little treat bags out of one piece of paper. I scored lines at 4 inches from each end. The girl is an svg I made from clip art (of course I had to alter it quite a bit), so I'm giving you that svg that you can cut at 4" high. Remember to keep the dimensions proportional!! For the fonts, I used blazed and ck curly on the front. The tag is just stamped. When I had it all on there, I just stapled the little baggie with the front and back all together. I put cinnamon bears inside, but I think Hot Tamales would probably look even better - but then you might run into the problem of them being too hot for your ladies!

Lady Silhouette (.svg)

Treat Bag (.scut)

So I guess I've officially started the free file share! I looked and saw that I had 249 (Holy Moly) downloads for the cookie tower...so I guess that means that even if people didn't comment, they still would probably want it!! Every Saturday, I'll post another cut file...svg, scut, cut, and who knows what else! (But probably almost always scal!)

Cut Files Anyone? - Please Respond

Hey all!  So I'm surprised (and happy) at the number of people who have visited my site from the Cricut messageboard.  Which brings me to this post.  I LOVE the websites that offer free cut files occasionally because you sometimes find just exactly what you're looking for or something you never knew you needed. :)   

And then I thought, why don't I start doing the file share thing every week?  I've got too many ideas and I'm always wanting to make more.  But if I'm going to use my time and responsibleness (I'm pretty sure that's not a word!), I would like to know just how many people would even want this.  So, if this is something you'd want, would you be kind enough to leave me a comment here to let me know that?  I'd be much more inclined to do this if I knew that others wanted it!!!

Thanks, and happy crafting!