My first Cricut project

I finished my first Cricut project!  Well, I guess it's actually my second, but I kinda don't count the trophy.  Because it was so easy?  And a joint project?  And it's not actually all the way done yet because Hubby has yet to put the date, the winner(<-- me)'s name, and points on it?

So, my first Cricut project.  Yay!

I asked Bubby months ago what my next wooden sign should be, and he told me we needed a Dinosaur Crossing sign for the chicken coop.  I, of course, agreed.

I forgot to take any pictures in the beginning because I was so excited to finally be getting started, so I'll just tell you what I did to get to this point.  First, I made the stencils on the Cricut using clear contact paper because that's what I had, and the internets told me it would work.

Then I cut the board (yes, I used safety glasses), sanded it, and stained it.  I used a walnut stain that is probably older than our marriage, but miraculously, it worked.  Then I painted using white craft paint--the kind you can get at craft stores for less than $1.  After it dried, I sanded again to take some of the paint off and give it a weathered look.

After wiping off the dust, I applied the contact paper stencil, and painted the chicken footprints in a dark green color.  After the paint was dry, I removed the stencil and moved on to the words.

So, here's the thing.  Yes, contact paper totally works as a stencil--it works really well, actually, but if you use clear, it's gonna be really difficult to see where you're actually applying your design.  Yeah.  So.  I did my best.  Below you can (not really) see the letter stencil applied over the chicken footprints.

Next, I painted the letters a dark gray.  Here's where I tell you that I should have used different colors, because there's not enough contrast between the green and the gray.  But honestly, I'm not sure what colors I should have used, because I love these colors for this sign.  Maybe a bright blue for the footprints?  Or brown footprints and green letters?  I don't know.

After the paint was dry, I removed the stencil, then I sprayed it with a clear sealer.  I really like how it came out, and I'm sure the girls will appreciate the new signage.

My final step will be figuring out where I want to put it.  Near a door seems appropriate, but I haven't decided which one yet.

Y'all.  I am pretty much obsessed.  Now I'm downloading fonts and making .svg files using Inkscape--two things I never imagined I would do--and dreaming of all the fun things I need to make.  This not actually having a Cricut machine is really cramping my style.

Here's my project-after-next.  I love this saying--and it's ~perfect~ for me.  And isn't that font the cutest (SuperVillain)?

When If I figure out how, I'll share the file with y'all so you can make one, too.  

My next project is the pretty complicated stencil project.  I ordered some stencil material, and the file is all ready to be cut when the stencil vinyl arrives.  I'm in the process of tearing apart pallets for another project, so I'm going to appropriate some of those for my stencil project (I seriously can't wait.  It's going to be amazing and perfect for the space).

Seriously, let me know if you need want me to make anything for you using the Cricut (and not just wooden signs--it can do t-shirts and water bottles and the lamp on my desk and your laptop and furniture and mugs and just about anything that has a smooth-ish surface). 'Cause I've only got so many places to put things, and I'm gonna run out eventually.