The Bugbytes

Hello Everyone! My name is Michelle, aka GARDENGYPSY, on the Cricut message board. I am excited to share my first ever guest designer project here on Tuesday Treats.

Originally, I was asked to design a purse project from the Forever Young Cricut cartridge (page 36, button 13). About 2 weeks into the start of my project, decisions were made to change the cartridge of the month for June to Heritage from Forever Young. After contemplation, I made the decision to continue my project as originally planned and in the end feel that I found a creative way to include cuts from both Heritage and the Forever Young Cricut cartridges.

About my project...my art canvas showcases a few of my favorite hobbies: gardening, paper crafts, and the enoyment of a good cup of coffee. My finished canvas is 18X24 and is 2 dimensional. The Paris storefront scene is mounted on an 18X24 primed artist canvas and was framed using 2 sets of prepackaged frame moldings.

For this project, I utilized several different Cricut cartridges in addition to the assigned Forever Young and Heritage Cricut cartridges. I would also like to note that as I began to compose a step by step tutorial, I quickly realized that would be nearly impossible without writing a lengthy book. Instead, I decided to provide a detailed list of products, cuts, and explanations of how I utilized available features on the Gypsy. The tutorial is still lengthy; however, I placed the pictures of the finished canvas to post before the tutorial.

I hope you enjoy my finished canvas art and feel free to leave mw a comment. Lastly, I would like to thank the Tuesday Treat blog hosts for providing me the opportunity to share a piece of my original artwork on their blog.

PS. I am in the process of completing the design of my upcoming website www.scrapngrow.com. My website will be comprised of 2 blogs, Garden Scraps and The Potting Shed. Garden Scraps will showcase various art mediums including paper crafts while The Potting Shed will be a resource for gardeners. I do hope to be live in the next few weeks and will post additional information regarding today's featured art canvas there.

Thank you,

Michelle

Project Details:

Cafe

Building- My Community Cricut cartridge

**Used Gypsy to flip image so that the writing appeared backwards.

Storefront lettering- Ashlyn's Alphabet Cricut cartridge

**Used Gypsy to weld letters together.

Coffee cup with steam- Beyond Birthday's Cricut cartridge

Flowers in window boxes and on bistro table top- Walk In My Garden Cricut cartridge

Flower pots on bistro table tops- Walk In My Garden Cricut cartridge

**Used Gypsy to alter the height and width ratio.
Bistro table and chairs- Cottage Kutz die cut (www.scrappingcottage.com)
Flourish above door- Gypsy Wanderings
**Used Gypsy to rotate image 45 degrees and to alter the height and width

ratio.

Window boxes- made by hand

Additional information:
Used patterned paper to mimic iron window grates on upper level.
Used Scor-Pal to score building.
Cut freehand display window and entry door out and replaced with transparency sheet. Entry door does open and close.
Used a photo to mimic interior decor.
Used Divine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder for building awning.
Used Tim Holtz hitch fastener for entry doorknob.
Used Tim Holtz Distress Stickles to embellish flower centers.

Le Scrap

Building- My Community Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Storefront lettering- Gypsy Font
**Used Gypsy to weld letters together.
Flowers in window boxes- Walk In My Garden Cricut cartridge
Window boxes- made by hand

Additional information:

Cut freehand display window and replaced with transparency sheet.
Used various photos to mimic interior decor.

Cut doors apart to make 2 separate working entry doors.

Used Tim Holtz hitch fasteners for entry doorknobs.
Used Tartan Cuttlebug embossing folder for entry doors.
Used Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder for building awning.
Used Viva Decor pearl pen to embellish flower centers.

Fleurs Shop

Building- My Community Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.

Storefront Lettering- Gypsy Font

**Used Gypsy to weld letters together.

Flowers in window boxes- Walk In My Garden Cricut cartridge

Window boxes- made by hand
Flourish above entry door- my apologies, I do not recall.
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.

Additional information:

Used patterned paper to mimic lace window panels on upper story

windows.

Used Score-Pal to score building.
Cut freehand display window and entry door out and replaced with transparency sheet. Entry door does open and close.
Used Tim Holtz hitch fastener for entry doorknob.
Used a photo to mimic interior decor.
Used Daisies embossing folder for building awning.
Used Tim Holtz Distress Stickles to embellish flower centers.

Ladies:

Lady with green dress

Lady- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Hat with Band- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Purse- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Hand- Forever Young Cricut Cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.

Additional information:

Cut posed arm off and reattached to simulate curved arm to enable lady to carry purse.
Cut out glove in skintone paper and used to construct a hand, adhered to

arm.

Applied Stampin Up Chalk to skin for additional skin tone coloration.
Used Oriental Weave Cuttlebug embossing folder for purse and embellished with ribbon tied into a bow.

Lady with pink dress

Lady- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Hat with Band- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Purse- Forever Young Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Hand- Forever Young Cricut Cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.

Additional information:

Cut posed arm off and reattached to simulate curved arm to enable lady to carry purse.
Cut out glove in skintone paper and used to construct a hand, adhered to arm.
Applied Stampin Up Chalk to skin for additional skin tone coloration.
Used Divine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder for purse.
Embellished purse with Stampin Up bitty button colored with Worn Lipstick
Distress Ink reinker and topped with a rhinestone in center of button.

Greenery

Background trees- Heritage Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.
Front shrub border- Heritage Cricut cartridge
**Used Gypsy to alter height and width ratio.

Additional information:

Background interior trees are the 2 wide tree cuts and their canopies were welded together.
Background outer edge trees are the narrow tree cut on the cartridge.
Front shrub border is actually a combination of the wide and narrow tree cut canopies welded together and the height and width ratio altered to mimic a shrub border.
Shrub border embossed with Damask Tim Holtz (Sizzix) embossing folder and highlighted with Peeled Paint Tim Holtz Distress Ink.

Backdrop

Used patterned paper to mimic sky and to simulate brick/cobblestone walkway.
Entire design adhered to an 18 X 24 Artist Canvas with 3M Super 77 Multipurpose adhesive.

Used pop dots for added dimension for ladies, tables, table top flowerpots, and shrub border.