So - with my Cricut Expressions 2 and several font cartridges my new project is trying to bring the white mixer out of the boring category. Here is what Susie's "Nekkid mixer" as she calls it looked like as she left it with me.
I gathered the materials that I would be using to decorate the "nekkid mixer" - my Cricut Expressions 2 and a few different font cartridges that I am going to try before choosing the ones I will use for the fonts. I have also purchased the Cricut vinyl in black and gray that are the colors Susie chose as the colors matching those in her kitchen. In order to be able to manipulate the letters with ease I used my computer and the Cricut Craft Room to lay out and cut the sample words to see how they would fit on the mixer before cutting the vinyl.
In discussing with Susie exactly how much of the surface of the mixer she wanted decorated she felt a good area came to 8.5" x 8.5" along the top. With that measurement I loaded the Cricut Craft Room and began looking at fonts. The fonts I finally chose were on the Cricut Cartridges Ashlyn's Alphabet, Don Juan and Plantin Schoolbook. The layout for the words chosen was not too difficult but deciding whether to weld the letters together or not was important because if they are not welded of course they are added letter by letter and even with the transfer tape can be a bit tricky. I also did not want to get the lettering too thin so it was important to have a balance. Once I got it laid out I grabbed some scrap paper and hit the cut button. I then taped the letters where I felt they worked best on the mixer.
To make sure that the placement was correct I let the mixer sit with the sample attached for a period of time so that I could look at it occasionally as I walked through the house - just something that I like to do when choosing if I like something. Just a personal preference that works for me. Once I was comfortable with that I made changes and began cutting the vinyl.
It was important to get a mat for the Cricut machine that was not new - it does not need to be too "tacky". I then chose which color vinyl I would use for each word and cut them using a separate mat for each color so I could leave the words on the mats. Some people chose to cut their words in one solid color and font and try to lay it in one panel. To be honest I do not know how they do that without getting major ripples in the vinyl but they do it well. I do much better doing it individually. I am also a fan of the transfer adhesive - it makes it much easier if you do not weld your letters.
If I was to add up all of the time I spent on the mixer without all of the breaks, family time, dinner, nights out...blah, blah, blah.....I would have to say it took me about 4 hours to do and that was probably on the heavy side. It was a fun project and much easier than I thought it would be.
I love the way the mixer looks finished! The most difficult part for me was the area around the front curve. That is a tough area and you just have to have patience and the right fonts to work with. You may have to change fonts or letters to get the right combination for that curve to work but in the end it will be perfect. The Redneck Miss Priss picks up her mixer tomorrow and I can't wait to see her face when she see's her "Nekkid mixer" now!!!
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