Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I've Been Woo'ed

Quick, somebody insert image of cute woodland owl with big doe eyes on to my blog to go with my post title!

 
Ah...that's better.  Feeling suitably paper crafty now that I'm spot on the trend.

Moving on. You've all known I'm a pretty die hard Cricut/SCAL girl. I bought a Silhouette pre-SCAL and used it for awhile, but was not crazy for it. SCAL was released for Cricut and the Silhouette started gathering dust as I contemplated how I was going to unload it. It was definitely on the chopping block. Felt a little sad about that, but had already firmly declared myself in the Cricut camp and started recommending that machine as the end all and be all of die cutters. The caveat being, you must get the SCAL software to use it to it's fullest potential.

Then Mrs. Kerri Bradford started working me over. She's a regular little paper crafting seductress. Tempted me into giving it a try again. Since the first of the year, Quickutz has made some amazing strides in their online Silhouette Store. They hired Kerri  and a slew of other designers to design for them. The designs that they are routinely putting up on the site are knocking my socks off. Literally dozens of fabulous things a week. Affordable and there when I need them. Not a speck of dust on my machine since I started using it again.

Still going to use my Cricut. Bought two new cartridges just last week (review of those little houses on the Winter Woodland cartridge coming up soon) and if it broke tomorrow, I would still replace it. But I can say the same of my Silhouette now too. It has gone from zero to hero.  Just too darn convenient. Putting it up there with my Kindle and iPod as far as instant gratification and convenience goes.

One of the things I like a great deal about the Silhouette designs is you control how they are cut. Grrr. How do I explain? Say you have a layers button on  your Cricut and you have to cut out all the extras out of one color just to get one piece of the design to be yellow. And then you have to cut them all out again to get one piece red. And blue. And so on. You waste a lot of paper and have lots of little pieces you aren't going to use. With the Silhouette, you can break apart your images and only cut what you want at any given time. As par for my uptight personality, I'm digging the control.
Here's another example. Isn't this CD envelope cute and convenient? The new Colbie Caillat album in it for a friend. You can cut it on the Silhouette with score lines at the folds. Instead, I decided I could use my Scor-Pal to create the folds, eliminating the need for the score lines. So I just ungrouped the image on my software and deleted them. Perfect. Can't do that with the Cricut. See...the control is NIIIIIICE. The floral spray and label is QK as well. Stamps are Papertrey Ink.


In other news, I'm going to be checking out of life for a few days. Echo in the Bone was released. I have a week long date with Jamie and Roger. Chances are I'll surface for food, water, and chocolate along the way. Matt knows he's on his own for a bit. Take out menu is on the fridge.  If you don't see me for awhile, rest assured I'm in very capable and manly hands. Granted they are fictional...it makes very little difference to me. You know how everybody is ape crazy over Edward Cullen? Well, Jamie is my Edward Cullen with the added benefit of growing past puberty and able to walk around in daylight. I rest my case.

13 comments:

  1. A "seductress" am I, huh? ;) You're so funny! Hubby may beg to differ on the "seductress" comment. Actually, he just may "beg" in general (wink wink). I'm glad you've been woo'ed over. The Silhouette truly is an amazing tool!

    Welcome. Welcome to the dark side. Moooah ah ah ahhhh! :)

    Have fun with your "flings." Does Matt know about THIS one too? ;)

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  2. P.S. LOOOVE the CD holder you made!

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  3. Erin, I only REFOUND you this am and already you make me want a SILHOUETTE and to pick up a GOOD BOOK.

    Now all I need is for my money tree in the back yard to start unloading some cash leaves so I can go get a Silhouette. Do ya think hubby would mind since I own the little Bug and the E. Have DS and the older version of SCAL. Maybe the lottery would be faster.....

    Have fun reading.....don't stay away too long. I am loving having you back.

    Betty
    PS: How is little Hank going to react with mom out of action paying more attention to a book than to cute little him!!! heheheh

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  4. Erin, just wanted to pop in to say I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE BACK!!!!!! Today's post is a good example of why. Love your designs and ideas!

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  5. I'm so happy that Kerri linked you today!! I had been googling you regularly in hopes that you'd reappear! Consider yourself bookmarked and visited regularly!
    Yay!

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  6. Welcome back to blog world. I've really missed your projects and of course keeping tabs on what Hank is getting into. Can't wait to see more fun creations!!

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  7. I can't wait to get Echo in the Bone. I just love the Frasers as well!! I wonder if it is out here yet? Might have to visit the bookstore. And I am so glad I have found another place for cool Silhouette stuff. I had a cricut and SCAL but sold it a couple of weeks ago to buy a Silhouette after constantly seeing amazing things on Kerri and Nichol's blogs! It just arrived at my door this morning, so I can't wait to have a play with it tonight!!

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  8. Missed your wit, humor and inspiring projects, girl. So glad to get my Erin fix on again. I look forward to reading!

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  9. Okay...so since you sang the praises of the Silhouette today (and I read Kerri's blog...I KNOW it is fab!), would you mind filling us in on why SCAL is a must have? I have the Cricut with DS and LOVE DS! But what would SCAL do for me? I'm not super computer savvy and am a little wary of SCAL. You are still buying cartridges for the Cricut - I thought that was the point of SCAL, no more cartridges? After you've resurfaced...I'd love to be enlightened! :)

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  10. Erin - I can't believe I just "found" you again. I went looking on facebook because I can't help but think of you when I think of the Fraser's, too. And then you find my blog and it's all totally cool cosmicness. I'm maybe 1/5 the way into the book and I can hardly stand it. I'm torn between reading through the night and trying to make it go slow. Sheesh. Anywhoo - I've missed you lots and glad to have bookmarked your blog (again). Loves!

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  11. Oh thank you know who!!! YOU are BACK!!!! The last several months have not been the same without your daily dose of creativity...I can't wait to see what you've been working on lately. We've missed you!!

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  12. Yeah!! I'm so glad you are blogging again :) I love Jamie too--a man in a kilt beats a vampire any day :)

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  13. Erin I'm so glad you are back! Like another person commented here, I had been 'googling' you regularly to see when you would resurface with your own blog and I found it this week, I'm so happy :-D I have learned SO MUCH with your blog at the CK site (as well as becoming a PTI addict all because of you! he, he) I missed so much all of your insights and clever ideas. I love my SL but been having problems with cutting the vinyl, could you maybe do some step by step posts on those?

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