A WIN-WIN OPPORTUNITY

I love it when life brings win-win situations my way, don't you? We are pleased to launch a wonderful new program that will benefit both Cricut lovers and the wonderful educators and students in our schools! As you know, Cricut has so many educational applications from which our schools can benefit. Now we can upgrade to the Cricut Imagine Machine, and when we donate our old Cricut to a K-12 school, get two exclusive cartridges free! Click the banner below to learn more about this great new opportunity to be a part of a win-win situation!

This week, be sure to read Crafty Kimber's in depth cartridge exploration of Boys Will Be Boys cartridge, and the Kate's Kitchen, Blast Off, and Blossom Cricut Imagine cartridges. As always, I wish you well in your crafting adventures!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEATURED PROJECTS

SPECIAL GUEST EXPLORATION

Who could merely walk by the Cricut machine that lurks on the counter in the teacher's workroom at Eaglecrest Elementary? Or anywhere else for that matter? Certainly, not me! The sight of a Cricut machine almost stops my heart. I don't have a ghost of a chance; it calls to me: "Kerri, come play!" Seriously, I'd be a goner without the many thrilling cartridges to play with.

And I'm not the only one who's dying to use our school's Cricut machine. It's a real treat to use to create school projects. Here's a few ways we cut away the hours with our Cricut:

- Like bats in a belfry, our 6th Grade classes hang around the My Community and My World cartridges. They're a great framework for their world curriculum.

- The 5th Grade craves the 50 States cartridge for their state report. The cartridge includes the state name and capitol, state image, state flag, state bird, and state flower for all 50 states.

- Some of our 1st Grade classes have created "mini me's" with the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge. Each child wiped the cobwebs from their imagination, and designed their own person with a magnet on the back. They use their mini me's for assigning groups, taking polls, and graphing. The possibilities are haunting!

Holiday art projects are even more thrilling with the Cricut! No more standard 4" die cut pumpkin and 1.5" dot alphabet. And who doesn't get goose bumps just knowing that you can cut images 1/2" to 24" inches? At Eaglecrest Elementary, we don't shudder with fright when it comes to vinyl projects or inspirational quotes and thoughts for the walls!

Our PTA has chilling results with our Cricut! They make cards for the faculty, banners for activities, and Teacher Appreciation Week is no longer scary when we use our Cricut to decorate the faculty's doors.

And why not use the Cricut for backdrops for your plays? Cricut makes the most amazing sets! Simply cut your image, then put it on your projector and trace it to make it as big as you want. Notice the tree on the Pumpkins on Parade banner (see photo above). Obviously, I didn't use my machine to cut out this scary Happy Hauntings tree. I did just what I mentioned above. Or what about making Frankie from Happy Hauntings life size to greet your students for Halloween?

I?ve just scratched the surface. So, don't be a scardy cat! Why don't you prowl around the Cricut at your school? It will thrill you more than any goblin ever could!

Happy Crafting,
Kerri

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Kerri Sehestedt is a busy mom extraordinaire who rocks her local school's PTA. She loves her Cricut and owns pretty much every cartridge we've ever made. Thank you Kerri!

MESSAGE BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

This week's highlighted threads are:

• Spelling Helper Poster
• Over the door Decoration update with Halloween
• Something I'm working on..
• Ladybug bookmarks and pail for 1st Grade
• 4th Grade Classroom Door

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Mary Haenel
About: I am married, a mother of two, and I have one granddaughter who is the center of most of my layouts. I have been scrapbooking for eight years, and using the Cricut in my layouts for three years. I enjoy paper crafting, reading, and photography.

Mary's Project: "Catching Butterflies" Layout

YOUR NOTABLE TIP

Today's tip comes from message board members Khrista, Whimpysue, and MNmomoffour. Thanks for sharing your great classroom ideas guys!

Q. "Ok, I'm ready to change out my hall bulletin board already! Anyone have any fun ideas for an October theme? I was trying to think of something to do with making positive choices. My bulletin board is the first one kids see as they head to class each morning, as I'm straight on from where they come in. September I did the recipe one for having a great school year. 1 cup of kindness, 1/2 cup of cooperation etc." -Khrista.

A. "You could do a pumpkin theme ('Picking a Patch of Positve Choices') Make a pumpkin patch with ideas of positive choices: help a friend without being asked, be responsible by keeping our school/classroom clean, etc." -Whimpysue

A. "You could do a giant tree with leaves cut from the Cricut. Your theme could be "Fall Into Good Habits!" with the leaves each having a different good habit written on them." -MNmomoffour

CARTRIDGE EXPLORATION

I have discovered a new craft that I can add to my regimen: the Cricut Imagine. This machine is so much fun! The cartridges that I explored this week are: Blast Off, Kate's Kitchen, and Blossom. I also explored Boys will be Boys, of the regular Cricut cartridges.

Blast Off is a Cricut Imagine font cartridge. Now you can cut block letters and numbers; you can print and cut them as a project, or split out the layers and cut them all individually. One tip I discovered while playing with this cartridge is that, if you adjust the first letter in a word to the correct size, then as you select each of the letters they will automatically cut at the same size as the first letter. This way you don't have to fix each letter individually. There are a few images that come with this collection as well, for example: a crown, a castle, a cupcake, a dragonfly, a flower, an owl, a spaceship, and a ballet tutu. Remember, you can also change any of these numbers or letters to any pattern or solid color that comes with this cartridge. The colors for this cartridge are of a brighter variety. The bonus content includes: a door hanger, a vertical window card, a tall paper box, and a tall vertical envelope.

Blossom is a cartridge full of color pallets and patterns. These Colors and Patterns cartridges are great to add designs to any of the cartridges that come from the original Cricut library. This collection includes 20 fun patterns and 14 full colors to choose from.

Kate's Kitchen is wonderful cartridge full of old fashioned kitchen images. When I first clapped eyes on this artwork I fell in love. Some of the layered images on this cartridge are: boy chef tasting, girl chef holding a pie, mixing in a bowl, pears, oranges, apron, hot pads, cookie jar, recipes, oven, toaster, coffee and coffee pot, timer, gingerbread family, cherries, and salt & pepper. The bonus content is: two 12x12 scrapbook pages (all you have to do is print and add your photos). Icons include: apple, pear, toaster, teapot, and sign ("Made with Love"). You also receive 20 patterns and 19 solid colors that complement the color scheme for all of the images you receive on this cartridge.

Boy's Will Be Boys is a new cartridge that was created for all the boys. Some examples of the images on this new Cricut cartridge are: rocket ship, wagon, basketball, football, dragon, dump truck, baseball glove, tracker, skateboard, police car, snail, worm, kite, dog, lizard, tools, gold fish, car, soccer, robot, helicopter, fishing, raise car, air plane, monster truck, sailboat, and drums. The creative features of this cartridge are: Layer, Arrow Font, Block Font, Phrase, Phrase Layer, and Shadow. Yes, you get two font styles with this cartridge; I love it when the cartridge comes with a font style as well as images! A few examples of the phrases included are: "Hero", "Score", "Way to Go", "No Girls Allowed", "Little Man", "Trouble", "Dirty", and "That's My Boy". GeorgiaRosenhagen from the Cricut messageboard created this adorable card (see pic or click here). I just had to share it with you all!

Well that wraps up this Cricut exploration for this week, check back next week and see what I play with next. Happy Crafting!

Crafty Kimber

WEEKLY SURVEY

Don't forget to take this week's survey!

Click here.

HELP FROM THE EXPERTS

Q. I'm curious about the new Cricut Imagine. Where can I get more information?

A. Click here to find out more about the new Cricut Imagine Machine. There are also message boards already set up: Cricut Imagine discussion boards and Cricut Imagine Technical Support. Pop into those boards and post your comments!

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Need some help? Provo Craft Customer Support is here for you! Never hesitate to call in (1-888-922-4725 or 1-888-92ccircle for Circle questions); we have people ready to help you! We are currently open Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm Mountain Time. If these hours do not work with your schedule, please send an email to support@provocraft.com.


Have a great week!

From your Customer Support Sweeps:
Mark, Colby, Brittany, and Becky, "The Floor Sweeps"

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I am a teacher! What I do and say are being absorbed by young minds who will echo these images across the ages. My lessons will be immortal, affecting people yet unborn, people I will never see or know. The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with the potential for good or bad. The pliable minds of tomorrow's leaders will be molded either artistically or grotesquely by what I do."

~ Ivan Welton Fitzwater