Where Creativity is Just Plain Fun

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I have decided to end the Paid Memberships Program and just go with the Points Program. If you are a paid member, you signed up for a lifetime membership and are no longer paying for memberships. I am not really making any money from new memberships so it does not make sense to keep that part of my business going. Instead, membership is going to be point based. I do not plan to change this again. My income will be from sales of Paper Bead Rollers, downloads for people who don't want to be a member, books I publish in the future on Amazon, templates and template bundles, ads on the site and YouTube revenue.

All downloads, that cost points, no matter what level you are at, will now cost 20,000 points each unless otherwise noted on the individual pages. 

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Using our SVG Files in Cricut Design Space

Back in 2015 I purchased the Pazzles electronic cutter and used their Pazzles InVue software to make cutting files to sell on Etsy. I was able to make svg files so anyone could use the files. However, not everyone was able to figure out how to make the svg files work in Design space. So now, after 7 years of using my Pazzles, I have decided to retire the machine and no longer use the software. Plus getting cutting mats and new blades for it in 2022, during the pandemic, proved to be almost impossible. Cricut on the other hand, seems to always have the cutting mats and tools needed available and it seems that most of the people who purchase my cutting files, are using a Cricut, that I know of. So it is logical I should be using a Cricut.

The svg files that I offer for use with Electronic paper cutting machines don't always play welll with Cricut Design space. The purpose of this page is to show you how you can "fix" the problems with my files so they will work in Design Space. I have also provided a video of how to fix the files.

I do plan to update the svg files I offer and make them available but it will take time. So for now, I decided to upload instructions on how to use my existing svg files in Cricut Design Space. FIY, I have a Cricut Explore 3 as of June 9, 2022.

Below are a series of screen shots of the steps on how to use the svg files with explanations of what I am showing.

First, the files will in zip file format. You will need to extract them before you can use them in Design Space.

Watch the Video!

Shows the Zipped Files
Go to the place on your computer where you saved the zip file.
Extract the Files
There will be several zip files inside a main zip file. You need to extract the folder of the size strips you want to work with completely before you can use it.
Extract to Folder
Extract the Files to either a new folder or in the same fold but with the same name as the zip folder.
Open the new Extracted Folder
Open the newly extracted folder to find the .svg file. If you cannot see the file name extensions, the icon associated with it may be that of your main internet browser such as Bing, Firefox or Chrome. More than likely, this will be your svg file. You can rename the file so it has svg in the file name. The other 2 files are for other machines such as Pazzles.
Opening Design space
Open Design Space
Click on New Project, in the upper right corner, to get to the work space.
Canvas area
Click on Upload in the bottom left corner to bring up the upload area.
Use the Oval Button
Click on the Upload Image oval shaped button to get to the actual upload area where you can browse your computer to get the file you just unzipped.
Opening the svg File
Click on the Browse button top open the file dialog box and click on the svg file, then click Open.
Popup Information
A popup will happen that will say "The uploaded SVG contained the following items that are not supported: Pattern Fills. -- Import anyway?"> Click on the green Continue button when you see this.
Resizing and removing Black Bar
Resize and remove the black bar.
What the image looks like
The next screen shows what the file looks like. It has a black bar. This is actually copyright information and it also says Paper Bead Crafts on it. I will show you how to get rid of it.
Upload to Design Space
Click on the Upload button in the lower right corner.
Add to Canvas
Click on the left most file image, the one you just uploaded into design space, then click on the Add to Canvas button in the lower right corner.
Resize Image
The things to fix size and remove black bar. You are going to need to resize this image first. Resize so it is 8" x 10.5" at first. Once it is this size, you can carefully resize it so that the wide end of one of the strips matches the size you want it to be according to the ruler at the top of the canvas area.
Removing the black Bar
Removing the Black Bar Click on the Ungroup button in the upper right corner. Indicated with a black arrow.
Click on the Black Box
Click on the black box, where it sticks out from the edge of the strips. Indicated by the black arrow.
Click the delete key to make the bar go away.
Click the delete key on your keyboard to make the bar go away.
Select all of the strips on the canvase.
Select all on your screen, on windows, you can do this by clicking on Ctrl-A. On a Mac, Press the Command and A keys simultaneously, and it will select all the strips.
Adjust the top and bottom lines.
Before grouping again, you can shorten the ends of the horizontal lines at the top and bottom of the strips if you want or need to to match the corners of where the strips begin and end. Just click on it and change the number values to shorten the lines to the desired length. You may have to move them right or left to line them up.
Click the group button.
Click on the Group button in the upper right corner as indicated in the photo to group the strips together again.
Click the Attach button.
Click on the Attach button at the bottom right corner of the screen to keep all of the strips together the way you want them be to be cut. This makes them stick together so Design space will not rearrange them according to how they think it would fit best on the mat.
Position the image on the canvas.
Align the image so it has 1/4" margins on the top and bottom. This is so it will match what you will see when it is shown on the mat when you go to cut your sheet.
change the color of your image.Change color of paper from Black to something else. That way, you can see the cutting lines clearly while you are in cutting mode.
Save Your File
Now Save your File! Give it what ever name you want, but make it so you know the size of the strip by adding it to the name of the file.
Cutting the File
Now Make it! Click on the Make it Button
Choose on Mat and pick the size of paper you are using. Then click on ContinueChoose your Material and continue as you normally would in Design Space to cut your strips!