Weddingbee boards

After reading Miss Duckling's "bee-rodcast" on the huge Cricut sale at Joann's last month, I high-tailed it to my local store and bought one.  I also purchased an extra cartridge (Doodlebug Charms), because it contained one very special shape: an oak leaf.

My initial plan was to use the Cricut to create leaf-shaped seating cards that I can hang from a manzanita tree.  Simple enough, right?  Apparently not for me.  You see, then I got to thinking about printing the guest names and table assignments directly onto the leaves using the lovely Burgues Script font that I purchased from Veer for our invitations.  (It's the closest I'll probably get to the beautiful Laura Hooper calligraphy that I secretly wish we could spring for.)

I figured the only way to do it would be to print the names and tables onto the cardstock prior to running it through the Cricut.  To help, I made a template by cutting a series of leaves out of heavy paper, which I then scanned into Illustrator, and on a separate layer began placing the text.  Even with all of my careful measurements, I just can't get it right when the leaves are cut.  The previously centered names end up being anything but, and it's driving me crazy.  I've learned lots through trial and error, but this is getting excessive.

Has anyone tried -- or even better, had success -- with cutting specific text out of paper on a Cricut?  Would you be willing to share are few tips, for the sake of my sanity?  Perhaps I am worrying too much about a small detail, that in the grand scheme, isn't worth the trouble?  My handwriting isn't that bad, after all.  If this is ultimately another one of my lost cause DIY projects, a reality check would be fine, too.

Get Cricut Design Studio software. It'll allow you to use any TrueType font on your computer in the Cricut without needing a cartridge (so you can use your Burques Script) and it also includes every image on every cartridge in the Cricut library. Because you're using the same software to cut both pieces out, rather than a template, I think it might be a little more accurate. You can use Cricut pens to trace the names, rather than cutting them out of the paper with the blade tool.

The project's not all lost; if worst comes to worst, you can always cut out the leaves, then cut out the names in Burques Script on another color paper and glue the names to the leaves.

Hope that helps!

Hmm... the markers might work, but I'd need the DS software to use the font, which really isn't in the budget right now. (But, heck, neither was the Cricut itself!  Ha!)

I now realize that I was a little unclear in the description of what I'm hoping to do.  I'd like to have a leaf-shaped card with "Miss Jane Doe" printed on one side and "Table X" printed either on the other side or on a separate leaf.

I was thinking about this project while trying to fall asleep last night and thought how awesome it would be if I could make my own rub-on transfers, like the ones that Martha Stewart offers at Michael's.  That way I can let the Cricut do its thing and then add the perfectly-centered, beautifully-scripted names after the fact. I doubt anything like that is on the market.  Hmph!