Duckies and Digi Meets Silhouettes

After my Bunny Trouble, I decided I would give cutting a digital stamp with my Silhouette another try.  And I decided to keep it simple this time.  Here is the finished card.

I used a digital image by A Day for Daisies.  I just found this company last month and I really like their images.

I printed the digi stamp and used my Silhouette to cut a label shape around the image. I’ve included step by step instructions for doing this, with pictures.  I then cut a mat out of pattern paper to mount the image on.  Here’s what they looked like after being cut:

 

 I colored the image with Twinkle H2Os (the eggs) and colored pencils blended with baby oil (ducks).   I actually included the mat and image in my kit for the April Kit in an Envelope (KIAE) swap I participated in over at 2Peas.  I layered it on a piece of patterned paper.  Then I added Flower Soft to the flowers to give the card some texture.  And that’s it.

Here's a close-up of the Flower Soft:

 

Step by Step - Using Silhouette to Cut a Shape Around a Digi Stamp

Step 1

Open your silhouette studios software.  To hopefully assist in identifying which icons I’m talking about, across the top, there are 12 groups of icons on the toolbar.  Down the side, there are 7 groups.   And along the bottom, there are 5. I’ll use these numbers to help identify the different icons for the functions that you will need to use. For the toolbars along the top and bottom, I’ll count from left to right, unless otherwise indicated.

Now that you’ve got the software open, go either to file and then click open or click on the little open file folder icon. The open file icon is icon #2 in group #1 along the top.

 

Step 2

 

In the file open window, pick the folder where you have your digital stamps.  When you do this, the window will probably be empty.  Here's a picture of what happens when I go t open the digi:

 

The first time I did this, I freaked for a second before realizing that I needed to adjust the file type.  You need to go to the bottom of that window and change the file type setting.  When you first opened the window, it was set on silhouette studio (*studio).  If you change it to all file types, your digital images should show up. 

 

Then just pick the one you want to use.

 

Step 3

 

Once you have your digital image open, you may need to resize the image.  Since my ducks are just fine the way they are, I’ll show you another image that is a bit too large for a card without resizing.  This is A Day for Daisies digi stamp that measures almost 5x5 when first opened.

 

To resize, click on the icon to open the scale window.  It is icon #3 in group #10 (or the third group from the right).  If you haven’t clicked on the image, the values for the dimensions will be blank.

 

Once you click the image, you will see in the scale window the dimensions for your image.  Before you adjust the size, be sure to click the box to lock the aspect ratio.  If you don’t, you will distort your image.

 

Here's the resized image:

 

Step 4

Going back to my ducks, once your image is the size you want, you will want to click on the icon to open the registration mark window.  It is #3 in the last group along the top.  Once it is open, you will want to check the box for show reg marks.  When you print the image, the registration marks will print too.  Then your silhouette will read the registration marks when you go to cut.  This is supposed to ensure that your image gets cut out properly.   Here’s what that looks like.

 

At this point, you will want to move your image out of the grey area.  Since you will be putting a shape around it, for now it might be easiest to move the image to the very center. 

 

Step 5

Now we add the shape.  Go to your library.  It is icon #2 in group #6 down the left side and looks like an open book.  Once there, pick the shape you want to use.  I used a file that had several label shapes.  Once you click on the shape, it will open in the same document as your image.  If it is grouped with several shapes, like mine was, right click on the shapes and then pick ungroup.  Or you can click on icon #2 in group #1 at the bottom.

 

Once they are ungrouped, separate out the shape you want and delete the rest.

 

Place the shape over your image.

 

You will probably have to resize it.  You do that the same way as in Step 3.  It may take a couple of go rounds to get it just right.  And it will be easier if you zoom in (icon #1 in group #5 at the top – the magnifying glass with the plus sign in it).  Sometimes the zoom in gets carried away and brings you too close, just click on the zoom out (icon #2 in group #5 at the top – the magnifying glass with the minus sign in it).  I just eyeballed lining it up.

 

If you are going to move your image, to ensure that everything stays lined up the way you want, you will want to highlight both the shape and the image.  Then right click and choose group or click on icon #1 in group #1 at the bottom.  Now that they are grouped, the image and the shape will move as one.  You can also make copies if you want to do more than one or open a different image and start at the top.   You can put as many images and shapes on a page as you can fit.

 

Step 6

Now you are ready to send it to your printer. Either click on file and print or click the send to printer icon.  It is icon #1 in group #2 on the top.

 

Step 7

Once your image is printed, put the paper on your cutting mat and load it into your silhouette. Go to the cutting screen and select the applicable settings for the paper you used. (Icon #2 in the last group at the top).  Then you get to cut.

Step 8 - Optional

 

If you want to create a mat for your image, go back to your silhouette studio and ungroup your image and shape.  And you can just get rid of the image.  Then make a copy of your shape.  You will want to keep the original to figure out how big to resize the copy.  Resize the copy as described in step 3.  I just eyeballed it until it looked big enough for a mat.  To help with deciding on the size, I lined up the two shapes, so I could see how much bigger the mat was.  Once you get the mat the size you want, get rid of the original and then you can cut it out of the paper of your choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty in Pink

This project started with an ATC (artist trading card) I made for the Stamp and Dash ATC Swap on the Two Peas in a Bucket stamping message board.  If you’ve never checked out  2Peas, you really should pop over.  There is a great group of stampers there. 

The parameters of the swap was that you had to create 2 ATCS, one to keep and one to swap, and use the water stamping technique on them.  Check out the challenge blog for more details on how to do the water stamping technique.  I’ll give an abbreviated description of the technique here. 

Since this week’s Crazy4Challenges  requires a surprise element, like a pocket with an ATC, I decided to create a card with my kept ATC.  Here it is:

Let’s start with the ATC.  I started by inking watercolor paper with Distress Ink in Picked Raspberry using a dauber.  Then, per the technique directions, I inked a stamp with clear embossing ink (I used Versamark) and liberally sprayed the stamp with water.  Next, stamp on your colored paper, dab with paper towel and heat set with a heat gun.  I used a stamp by Stampendous for creating my background.  I found as I was doing this, the harder I pressed with the stamp, the better the result.  I then stamped the dress form using My Favorite Things/ Colorbox dye ink in Steel Grey.  I added glitter to the butterflies and to the edges. 

Here’s the ATC:

After posting it to my gallery at 2Peas, I made some additions to the ATC.  I stamped the flowers a second time and fussy cut them.  I used foam squares to add them to the dress form and colored over them with a Wink of Stella glitter brush pen to add some sparkle.

 

Then I started on the card base.  I repeated the water stamping technique for the base, adding some Distress Ink in Black Soot to the edges.   When I put the ATC against the background, it blended in too much. So I figured I would need to do something with the pocket so that the ATC would stand out better.  I pulled out some grey cardstock and cut it slightly larger than the ATC and a piece to make the pocket.  I then used a stencil by Memory Box and Distress Ink in Black Soot on the paper.  I added the larger piece to the center of the card and then stuck on the pocket.  I used my ATG gun to add the front of the pocket but there wasn’t enough room to easily slip the ATC in.  So I gently pulled it off, figuring that any damage to the bottom piece would get covered.  I then added foam adhesive strips.  But they were too wide and the ATC still wouldn’t fit.  I pulled the front of the pocket off again.  This time I had to redo that piece.  I cut the foam strips in half and viola, the ATC fit in the pocket.

Here's a close-up of the empty pocket:

 

Course I didn’t think this through all the way and waited until after I attached the pocket to the card to add the lace and ribbon.  I had previously taken a piece of white lace and dyed it with Distress Inks. To do this I inked my craft mat with Distress Ink in Picked Raspberry and Black Soot.  I sprayed some water down and rubbed the bottom on the lace in the pink and the top in the black.  I set is aside to dry.  When I attached it to the pocket, I used glue strip and pleated it as I went.  I added some glue dots to hold down the pleats.  Then to ensure that none of the stickiness of the glue came through the lace, I added a thin strip of black ribbon.

 

Next, I pulled out the sewing machine, which I had stamped for the April Kit in an Envelope (KIAE) Swap on the 2Peas message board.  I inked it with more of that Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, fussy cut it and added glitter with Wink of Stella glitter brush pen.  I added it to the front of the pocket.  And I thought I was done.  The sewing machine is by TPC Studio.

But it still needed something.  So when all else fails, add more glitter.  I pulled out my stickles and added black swirls in the opposing corners.  I wanted to get pictures in natural light, so the very first picture of the finished card, the stickles aren't dried yet.  Here's a picture with the stickle dry:

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come back again.    

Challenges entered:

Crazy4Challenges: Number 229- Fooled Ya
Pumpkin Spice: Challenge #65 - Elephants or Gray and Pink
Sugar Creek Hollow: #85 - Make Your Own Background