Tag: Crafting Creativity

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Brilliant Living Digital Kit by Nitwit Collections – Crafting Creativity

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Brilliant Living is a gorgeous digital kit by Nitwit Collections and I was thrilled to collaborate with them for the March 2026 Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter. Newsletter subscribers had the chance to grab the Brilliant Living Knick Knack kit for free exclusive to them in March. Throughout the month I created several different projects using the kit to show it’s versatility from layered cards to tags and even sublimation projects too! Find all the details below.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A digital design preview featuring a card cluster with floral elements, butterflies, and a colorful plaid pattern, promoting 'Brilliant Living' by Nitwit Collections.

Crafting Creativity with Nitwit Collections – Brilliant Living Digital Kit

What a bold, beautiful kit! Check out the full Brilliant Living collection on the Nitwit Collections shop HERE.

Project #1 – Layered Card Designs

This card has 4 layers of the elements stacked on top of each other with foam tape to give it dimension.

A handcrafted greeting card featuring colorful floral designs, a purple butterfly, and the text 'brightest wishes for you' from the Brilliant Living digital kit. The card is placed on a wooden surface in front of a cutting machine.

Here is a look at the print and cut page printed out ready to cut around each of the layers.

Crafting project featuring a colorful card design with floral elements, a butterfly, and text that reads 'brightest wishes'. The card design is on a mint green cutting mat placed on a wooden surface.

There are so many options with a digital kit and you can mix and match, add more layers, decrease the layers, or only print one layer for a project as well.

If you are mailing the card, you may need to keep the thickness of the layers in mind when creating it.

So for the next cards, I stacked elements together and then was able to print 2 card fronts on one sheet of paper. Each of these designs have different elements that can be layered together.

A printed design featuring two cards with the message 'brightest wishes,' surrounded by colorful flowers, butterflies, and ladybugs, set against a white background.

Here is a look at the final results from this printed page.

Two greeting cards featuring colorful butterflies and flowers from the Brilliant Living Digital Kit, with the text 'brightest wishes for you' prominently displayed.

The card on the left side only has the “for you” and the “ladybug layered”, while the card on the right has the “wishes, for you, and the ladybug layered”.

Two colorful ladybug cutouts with red bodies and black spots, placed on a grid background.

There were a couple intricate areas that may not cut well for all users. I was able to get these ladybugs with their antennae’s to cut, but had to be extremely careful removing them off the cutting mat.
However the butterfly antennae’s were just too delicate, which is another reason you may want to add that layer directly to the card background instead of trying to add it as a 3-D layer.
But you never know until you try. The Silhouette machine might amaze you in the cut it can get.

Three greeting cards featuring colorful floral designs, butterflies, and the text 'brightest wishes for you' on a wooden surface. Created with the Brilliant Living Digital Kit

Watch how I created these layered card designs with Silhouette in this video on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel – Layered Card Design with Brilliant Living Digital Kit – Step-by-step Silhouette tutorial

A flat lay image of two layered greeting cards featuring floral designs and butterflies. The cards read 'brightest wishes for you' and are accompanied by crafting tools, including scissors and a tape runner, on a wooden surface.
Layered Card Design video HERE

Video tutorial HERE

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #2 – Layered Tag Designs with Brilliant Living Digital Kit

Being able to create your own designs means that you can make them any size you want and create as many as you need in the moment. I started with the idea to create only 2 tags, but it ended up being 4 complete designs.

A crafting workspace featuring a cutting machine, several colorful tags with floral designs and text, a roll of tape, scissors, and decorative embellishments on a wooden surface. Tags created with the Brilliant Living Digital Kit

I used 2 sheets of paper to print and created 1 layered tag and one simple print and cut tag on each sheet.

A colorful greeting card design featuring floral elements and the text 'wishes' displayed on a crafting machine workspace.

Here is a look at one of the layered tags using the foam tape to pop up the dimension.

The great part about creating your own tags is there are no rules. Flower hangs off the edge, no problem! Want the design to be flush on the edges – no problem! Or mix and match. And using a digital kit allows you to mock it up first in the Silhouette software before you even cut the elements out.

Watch the video tutorial for these designs on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.

Four decorative tags with floral designs and the word 'wishes' displayed on a wooden surface, alongside a cutting machine, promoting a step-by-step tutorial in Silhouette Studio.

Video tutorial HERE

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Quick Print and Cut Cards with Brilliant Living Digital Kit

I used the same techniques I shared in the step-by-step video tutorial – Layered Card Design on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel and created a little bit different layout for two 5″ x 7″ cards.

Two greeting cards displayed on a wooden surface, featuring floral designs, butterflies, and the word 'wishes'. The left card has a striped border while the right card showcases a different layout with a colorful pattern. Created with the Brilliant Living Digital Kit

Here is a look at the card designs in Silhouette Studio.

A digital design featuring two greeting card layouts with floral patterns, featuring butterflies, ladybugs, and the word 'wishes'. The left card has a white background with pink and red flowers, while the right card displays a blue background with a plaid pattern.

And then I simply chose letter size paper and rotated the designs 90 degrees so I could print 2 on a page.

A screenshot of Silhouette Studio software displaying the design for a card featuring floral motifs, butterflies, and the word 'wishes'. The design area shows two card layouts and various setup options on the right.

A few slices with my paper trimmer and my card front were ready to attach to a base.

Quick and easy cards in minutes with the Brilliant Living Knick Knack kit by Nitwit Collections.

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Sublimation Projects with Brilliant Living Digital Kit

Digital designs worked perfectly for sublimation projects! I created 4 sublimation project designs on 1 sheet of sublimation paper.

A collection of crafting materials including a decorative metal panel, multiple colorful greeting cards featuring flowers and butterflies, and bookmarks, arranged on a wooden table next to a cutting machine. Created with the Brilliant Living Digital Kit

I made a decorative panel, cover for a compact mirror case, a bookmark, and a coaster.

The colors are so bright and brilliant with these projects, except the center of the coaster turned out a bit washed out. This can happen with hardboard at times and moisture affecting the outcome.

A colorful decorative panel featuring floral patterns, a purple butterfly, and bold text that reads 'brightest wishes' alongside an arrow and additional decorative elements. Created with the Brilliant Living Digital Kit

Watch how I created these sublimation projects with Silhouette and sublimation blanks on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.

An image showcasing a decorative card with floral and butterfly designs, featuring the text 'brightest wishes' and other colorful embellishments, alongside crafting materials on a wooden table.

Video tutorial HERE

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Featured Designer – Nitwit Collections

A great big THANK YOU to Nitwit Collections for collaborating for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter!

Make sure to follow Nitwit Collections for more amazing designs:

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE so you don’t miss out on future collaborations.

Silhouette Secrets+ Newsletter

Never miss out on the news, tips, “secrets”, deals, classes, and more that I share on Silhouette Secrets+. Sign up for the newsletter and get information delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Unsubscribe at anytime.

subscribe here

Did this spark some new creative ideas for you? It’s always inspiring to see how a single flower and greenery design can bloom into so many completely different projects! I had so much fun reimagining this one design across five unique creations and showing just how versatile a single file can be. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, tips, and creative project ideas, be sure to browse the Crafting Creativity section on the Silhouette Secrets+ website — click HERE to explore!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A flat lay of various sublimation projects including a decorative coaster, a compact mirror, tags, and a greeting card featuring colorful floral designs and the text 'brightest wishes'.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Crafting Creativity: 1 Bunny File, 5 Creative Projects with Studio Ilustrado

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

What can you do with one cut file? A lot. Each month I work with a featured designer in the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter who provides a file for subscribers, and I share new projects each week during the month with that file. I typically start with the original file, add my own touches to it and then I create additional projects to show the versatility that one file can have. The Carrot Balloon Bunny Card by Studio Ilustrado is a perfect example. In this blog post I’m sharing 5 different design ideas that can be made with a Carrot Balloon Bunny Card design.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A cute paper craft scene featuring a gray bunny in a hot air balloon shaped like a carrot, surrounded by colorful flowers and pastel eggs on a checkered tablecloth.

Crafting Creativity with Studio Ilustrado

One file, endless possibilities.

Collage of spring-themed crafts featuring bunny and carrot designs, including greeting cards, decorative items, and crafting tools.

Project #1 – Bunny Carrot Balloon Card

I started out creating the design as originally intended by making the card and adding my own special touches with inking, paper shaping, and foam tape.

A colorful paper craft depicting a bunny in a hot air balloon shaped like a carrot, with a basket and flowers in a grassy landscape.

I had the Silhouette Curio 2 out from testing with the Silhouette Leather Carving Knife, so it was the machine I used to cut this card. Almost all the pieces were cut out using scraps from my stash. I love being able to use my scraps!

Look at these tiny details!

A hand holding a gray paper cutout of a smiling bunny with long ears.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would cut well with the electrostatic mat on the Curio 2, but it did! Especially using a scrap piece of cardstock with the Silhouette Electrostatic Mat.

Sometimes we all just need a little bit of help and taping down the cardstock scraps on the Electrostatic Mat can be that help. It just added a little bit more security to hold my scraps in place and get a successful cut with the Electrostatic Mat. I love this new technology that Silhouette has. While it does not work with all materials, it has saved me hours of time cutting cardstock.

Close-up of a cutting machine with two tool holders, one equipped with a blade and the other empty, and a piece of gray material on the cutting mat.

While I used the Silhouette Curio 2 to cut the projects, any Silhouette machine could be used to create these projects.

Watch a bit of the behind-the-scenes on creating this project in this video – Creative Projects with Studio Ilustrado Designs – Bunny Carrot Balloon Card HERE

A colorful, three-dimensional craft display featuring a bunny in a basket, surrounded by green grass and flowers, with a large carrot above.

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – Peek-a-boo Bunny Box

A yellow gift box shaped like a carton with a bunny illustration on the front, placed on a crafting table alongside a roll of adhesive tape, a tape dispenser, and a crafting tool.

The bunny made the perfect peeking addition to this gable box card. Don’t let the name of a design fool you either. The title of the box is called Christmas Gable Box by Studio Ilustrado, but it can be used for so much more!

Now here is one of my “secrets” – while the Silhouette machines can cut acetate for the window of this box card, I can cut it faster and with less headache.

Digital design software interface showing a cut template with instructions to cut a shape from cardstock.

I cut the window shape from a piece of cardstock using the Silhouette machine and then used it as a template to make a few quick snips with scissors and I was on my way to assembly. It doesn’t have to be perfect since it will be hidden inside the box. And I saved myself time, headache, and didn’t dull my blade.

Crafting workspace with a yellow paper cutout featuring bunny designs, scissors, and various crafting supplies including glue and other tools.

However, if cutting multiples or a different design than a rectangle, it may be beneficial to set up the machine to cut acetate when needed. It’s great to have options.

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Spring Round Wood Sign

I used my laser to cut this out of wood, but you could also use other materials such as cardstock too! Even though I have a laser machine, I started with a 12 inch wood round blank, which you could use as your backing board too.

A decorative wall hanging featuring a cartoon bunny in a hot air balloon shaped like a carrot, with the words 'Hoppy Spring' at the bottom, set against a blue background.

I used the SVG file, opened it in Silhouette and made a few modifications to the file to be able to create the layers for cutting on wood. Since the wood has more thickness to it than a material such as cardstock, I had to add a layer behind the bunny and cut multiples to make it sit flush with the sign and balloon basket. The knife tool in Silhouette helped me to cut the bunny’s little feet off so it would sit flush on the balloon for this design. That sounds so bad when I type it out, but if you have designed in Silhouette, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

A workspace with various craft supplies including a blue sign that says 'SPRING', a cute wooden bunny cutout, and several Uni Posca markers in different colors.

I used a combination of Posca Paint Markers and Deco Arts Paint for finishing out the sign.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Seasonal Door Corner Design

As I was designing and cutting the first sign, another idea popped into my head too! Have you seen the door corner designs?

A decorative wall hanger featuring a cute gray bunny with pink ears peeking over a white picture frame. The word 'SPRING' is spelled out in yellow letters beside the frame.

I drew out a skinny rectangle, made a copy and rotated it 90 degrees. Aligned the right edges and welded it together to make the corner. Then sized the bunny and welded the bunny background to the rectangles to sit on top. Next, I added letters down the right side. Before welding the letters, I made a copy so I could cut them out and layer on top for color and dimension.

Before you go to cut the design, make sure it’s all flush. I forgot to cut the bunny’s feet with the knife tool, but I didn’t realize it until after he was all cut out, so he sits a little bit higher on the top of the door. In this case, it wasn’t worth recutting the design simply because you can’t really tell on our door frame.

I love these little door corner designs, even if we only have a few door frames that I can add them to in our house because the previous owner used the wrong trim to frame out the doors or the frame is too close to the wall. It is a fun way to add a bit of decoration without putting another hole in the wall.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #5 – Creative Cards

I used the knife tool again, but not to cut off any bunny feet. Instead I cut the carrot off the design and used it to create a couple corny cards.

Four handmade cards featuring carrot designs and playful phrases, displayed on a crafting mat with various crafting tools in the background.

I used a Silhouette Black Glitter sketch pen and a font called BFC Rustic Cherry Farmhouse to sketch out the sentiment. I love the look of this glitter black pen, but it’s very difficult to photograph and show how it really looks.

A craft workspace featuring a Silhouette cutting machine, with a blank page laid out displaying fun carrot-themed quotes and phrases, alongside two markers.

I used the Silhouette Curio 2 to sketch this design using the electrostatic mat because that was the machine on my desk this week, but sketching can be done with any Silhouette machine model.

Two handmade cards on a crafting desk. The left card features a carrot with the text 'I CARROT FOR YOU'. The right card depicts a potted plant with the text 'BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED'.

The clay pot was drawn in Silhouette Studio using basic shapes and adjusting the bottom edit points on a rectangle too!

Unlock your creativity by learning more about Silhouette. You never know where it will take you! Even making cards with carrots.

Four greeting cards featuring playful carrot designs and puns. The cards read: 'YOU'RE ONE IN A BUNCH', 'BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED', 'THANKS A BUNCH!', and 'I CARROT FOR YOU', showcasing colorful carrot illustrations.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Featured Designer – Studio Ilustrado

Find designs by Studio Ilustrado at:

Follow along with Studio Ilustrado on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.

A great big thank you to Studio Ilustrado for contributing the free file for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter for the month of February! If you missed grabbing the free design in February, grab it HERE and start creating!

This year I started offering a free file each month for Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter subscribers. I love designing in the Silhouette Studio software and have shared some of my creations as well as look forward to collaborating with more artists in the future too!

Silhouette Secrets+ Newsletter

Never miss out on the news, tips, “secrets”, deals, classes, and more that I share on Silhouette Secrets+. Sign up for the newsletter and get information delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Unsubscribe at anytime.

subscribe here

Sign up for the weekly newsletter HERE to have information delivered direct to your inbox and grab each month’s new freebie.

Did this spark some new creative ideas for you? It’s always inspiring to see how a single design can be used in completely different projects! I had so much fun reimagining this one design across five unique creations and showing just how versatile a single file can be. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, tips, and creative project ideas, be sure to browse the Crafting Creativity section on the Silhouette Secrets+ website — click HERE to explore!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Collage of five craft projects featuring bunnies, plants, and colorful decorations, with a central text overlay reading '5 projects 5 1 file'.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Crafting Creativity: 1 Design, 5 Stunning Projects with Flavir Design

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Creativity truly blooms when you learn how to stretch a single design into multiple handmade projects. In this Crafting Creativity blog post, I’m sharing how one flower design by Flavir Design can be transformed into five stunning Silhouette flower projects using a cutting machine and paper crafting techniques. From a layered paper flower bouquet and custom greeting cards to a paper flower box topper, custom bookmarks with patterned backgrounds, and even miniature flowers, this project series is all about getting more value, versatility, and inspiration from one cut file. If you love Silhouette crafting, paper flowers, and creative ways to maximize your digital designs, this post will spark new ideas for your next crafting session.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A decorative floral crown made of paper flowers in warm colors and green leaves, arranged on a simple gold circular base.

Crafting Creativity Flowers & Greenery by Flavir Design

Daniela Moscone is the creative artist behind Flavir Designs and can be found in the Silhouette Design Store or on their website HERE. Make sure to check out their YouTube channel HERE for assembly videos too!

Project #1 – Flower Bouquet

I typically start out each month creating the file in the way it is shown. I decided at the last minute to take the pieces and add them to wire to create a bouquet to add to a vase. The best part about this is, if I change my mind, I can easily clip off the wires and add it to a wreath as the original image.

A flat lay image featuring two large, colorful paper flowers - one yellow and one orange - with green leaves on a crafting mat. Surrounding the flowers are a hot glue gun, a sponge, a pen, and small squares of paper. Silhouette flower projects

I love all the layers of these flowers and you can change it up however you want. And, with flowers, there is no wrong way because flowers are not perfect in nature, so if one petal has a chunk out of it, perfect! A bug took a bite. When was the last time you saw a flower in nature that didn’t have an imperfection?

I grabbed some Bazzill smooth cardstock to cut these bright colored flowers. Now, typically I’ve shied away from thicker cardstock like Bazzill and in some cases, Bazzill can be difficult to cut. I knew my blade and my cutting mat were on the older side, so I increase my settings just a bit and then used 3 passes and I had perfect, crisp cuts.

Screenshot of Silhouette Studio software showing a design featuring leaf shapes outlined in orange, with settings for cutting cardstock on the right side of the screen.

Since my mat is older and starting to lose it’s stick, I did secure it down really well with a squeegee. Or you can use a brayer. I was lazy and didn’t go grab it in the other room. Now, if the paper had started to shift, I would have gotten up and gotten the brayer or grabbed a new cutting mat.

I sponged on color to the flowers and the leaves and then shaped them before assembling all together. It can make a big difference in the final results of the project with just a few simple touches.

A close-up view of two artificial flowers, one yellow and the other orange, adorned with green leaves, placed on a wooden background. Silhouette flower projects

Supplies Used:

Watch the video sharing the process called Behind the Scenes: Creating Shaped & Layered Paper Flowers with a Silhouette Cameo on the Silhouette Secrets+ channel HERE.

A close-up of vibrant paper flowers in shades of yellow and orange, accompanied by green leaves, with the text 'Behind the Blooms' prominently displayed.

Project #2 – Custom Card Creation

This project started out totally different than a card design. I love it and it’s a good thing I can create more otherwise it might never leave my studio.

A handmade birthday card featuring a large pink flower, green leaves, and a glittery gold accent band. The card has a watercolor-like pink background and includes the text 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' on a white banner. Silhouette flower projects

I was playing around with a Two-Tone Metallic Spray – Fuchsia & Gold by Hero Arts and now I feel like using it on all my projects. Everything needs to be bright pink with gold flecks right! Well, maybe not everything. Hero Arts has other colors too!

A handmade birthday card featuring a large pink flower, a gold glitter strip, and the text 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' on a white banner. The background is a vibrant pink splatter design with green leaves. A crafting workspace with various tools and supplies is visible in the background. Silhouette flower projects

The idea started out with spraying the flower layers to add coloring to the solid pink cardstock. I sprayed it on top of my Glassboard mat and then used a sheet of mixed media paper and picked up excess ink to create a background paper that I cut up for the bottom half of the card. The Glassboard mat is so easy to clean up that I find myself working with more mixed media and messy things.

The flowers and greenery were scaled down to fit this 4.25″ x 5.5″ card design. I added a few splatters of the Two-Tone Metallic Spray – Fuchsia & Gold to the card base. Instead of spraying it on, I took the cap off and splattered it to give it a different look.

A vibrant pink paper flower with intricate petals sits on a textured card background, accompanied by green leaves and a glittery gold strip. The card features a banner reading 'HAPPY'. Silhouette flower projects

I used a paper curling tool to give the flower layers dimension and next reached for my shaping kit to hand embossed the greenery to add more texture to it too. After that I curled the leaves a bit with a curling tool too. Then grabbed an extra Happy Birthday sentiment from a previous project and popped that up with some foam tape. For this card, I also used 2 other adhesives – an adhesive tape runner for the large piece adhered to the bottom of the card base and the Precision Glue Press with the glue it came with to adhere the flower layers together, the greenery to the card, and the flower on top.

I added some gold shimmer trim that is adhesive backed in the middle of the card base. Unfortunately, this is a Close to My Heart product that is no longer made, but I’m using my stash.

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Box Topper Flowers

Add flowers on top of a box to create a unique gift box or decoration. I used both flower shapes in the flower design to create these box toppers.

Two decorative paper flowers in teal and pink placed on geometric boxes, with a background featuring pink spray and floral shapes. Silhouette flower projects

This box is originally designed with a cherry flower top, but why stop there! Swap out the flowers and watch it change the look of this Silhouette flower project.

A pink cherry flower box design displayed alongside details of its purchase options and features.

This box is a unique design and easy to put together too! But if needed, there is an assembly video too – find that HERE.

I used several patterns and printed my own pattern paper for the boxes.

Screenshot of Silhouette Studio software displaying a digital pattern design for a box with a grid background.

For this one, I didn’t even use the registration marks to print it. I added an offset of the box only and then filled the offset design with the pattern. Using a Silhouette mat and loading the mat next to the load line, I sent it to cut. With the manual print bleed, even if it was off by just a little bit, you won’t be able to notice.

A hand holding a sheet of paper with a grid pattern and an abstract shape on it, placed on a cutting mat in front of a cutting machine.

I don’t recommend this method if you are needing completely accurate cuts, but it can work for some designs and projects such as this one.

Close-up of a hand holding a piece of paper with a grid pattern, showcasing a cut-out shape on the paper.

By adding the print bleed around the entire design, I gave myself a better chance that it wouldn’t matter if the cut was off by a little bit.

And of course, I had to make the cherry flower box design too!

Five decorative paper boxes with colorful paper flowers on top, displayed on a wooden surface. Silhouette flower projects

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Bookmarks with Background Patterns

3-D Flower file as a background pattern – say what! Yes! I took the flower and a leaf design and added a pattern fill to both, then used it as a background to create bookmarks.

A digital design workspace displayed on a computer screen, featuring various bookmark designs with floral elements and motivational text phrases like 'Just one more page' and 'Your only limit is your mind.' The design software's page setup and customization options are visible on the right side of the screen.

Here is a look at the file in Silhouette. I set up the bottom 2 bookmarks to use foil on, even though it looks the same in the software as the print and cut, the bottom 2 have a sketch fill added to them, so when I go to print, it is not going to print that design.

Print preview of bookmark designs featuring motivational quotes and leaf patterns.

I will say, it is much faster to just simply print and cut a design. Foiling does add setup and completion time, but sometimes it can be so worth it!

However, any time you add another factor into a project, you also increase the chances of something going wrong. I should have known better and either test foiled or not trusted Silhouette settings. In this version of Silhouette Studio 5 that I am using, it does not have a material preset for foiling on cardstock, so I had to add that in. And then the preset for force is 15 set by Silhouette. We have told them many, many times that it is too much and I should have decreased it even more. I changed it down to a 10 and that was still too much.

Close-up of a crafting machine applying gold foil to a textured surface with a red light indicator and patterned tape.

I just let it finish – it was ruined anyhow. If this happens to you – you are perfectly normal. Well, at least we are in the same boat together – I’m not sure I’d say I’m “normal”. LOL!

A close-up of foil packaging with an irregular cutout, revealing a textured silver surface underneath. The surrounding area features pastel colors and decorative elements.

Let’s just say – HOT MESS!

Close-up of a textured background with blue floral designs and the phrase 'Just One More Page' in gold lettering.

But, don’t give up! I adjusted the force down to a 2, which is still probably too high and I sent the second design to foil.

A close-up of a decorative fabric featuring blue leaf patterns and the inspirational phrase 'Live Your Dream' in gold lettering.

Once the foiling was done, I added a holographic overlay sheet on top of the bookmarks and sent that to cut.

A collection of five decorative bookmarks with motivational quotes on a wooden surface, accompanied by a craft machine and a pink scraping tool. Silhouette flower projects

In the end, I have 5 new bookmarks created with the flower design from this month’s collaboration. And one design that’s got some blank foiled areas and extra glitter on it where it shouldn’t. But it could still be used as a bookmark.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #5 – Miniature Flower Embellishments

These little pink flowers started out much bigger. I cut the flower shape from ​Silhouette Shrink plastic​ and then watched it transform under a heat gun. Instead of letting the shrink plastic flatten out, like you would with charms, I shaped them instead. Once they curled up, I stopped applying heat and pushed the end of the Silhouette spatula into the center to form the middle of the flower. Then I glued in a yellow bead. And the finishing touch was painting on ​Mod Podge Sparkle​ to give it a bit more fairy touch.

A close-up view of a textured surface covered in green moss and adorned with pink fabric flowers, featuring a wooden structure in the backdrop. Silhouette flower projects

I wanted to maximize the space I could on using the Silhouette Shrink Plastic. Since I was cutting a flower shape out of the material and did not need accurate placement, I added a fill pattern to a 8.5″ x 11″ rectangle and centered that on the letter size media page. I used a ​Pastel Pink Bokeh Background pattern​ by Sarah Hurley – ​Design #469254​ in my final print.

Screenshot of Silhouette Studio software showing two floral background designs, one with a pink and yellow gradient and the other with a pink bokeh effect.

I then printed out the entire page. I checked the “Show Print Border” so that I knew where the edges of the print out would be on my printed page and I could then place the designs within that gray border.

Then I simply filled the page with different sizes of the flowers and cut out the shapes from the printed page. No registration marks needed.

A digital design workspace showing a pink and yellow flower background with yellow flowers and red heart shapes in the design software Silhouette Studio.

I didn’t need the entire page of flowers, so I added in some hearts with another project in mind. Here is a look before adding heat to shrink them down.

A crafting workspace featuring a cutting machine, pink paper flowers, and heart shapes on a wooden table. Scissors and a crafting tool are also visible.

I would recommend cutting extras of whatever you are working with and playing with the shrink plastic. It can be a bit unpredictable when you add that heat and take a few practice runs to get it to mold how you want.

A collection of small pink flower-shaped embellishments scattered on a black surface, with scissors and other crafting materials in the background. Silhouette flower projects

This was actually the second sheet of flowers I had cut because I wasn’t quite thrilled with the first color pattern I’d chosen. I didn’t feel it was a bright enough pink for the project and the vision in my head.

A few tips for working with shrink plastic:

  • colors can change & darken as it shrinks – keep this in mind when choosing a pattern or color palette. The color gets condensed when it shrinks down. If you have dark colors, it can look black after shrinking.
  • any type of plastic can dull the blade quicker than other materials. The settings may need to be adjusted or a new blade needed the more you cut. It’s always a good idea to have an extra blade on hand.
  • carefully remove the shrink plastic from the backing layer after it’s cut. It can tear or break off during this process if handled too rough or if the design is too intricate.

Printing an entire page with a background can be an option for some projects. If you do need exact placement around a printed design, then I would recommend using registration marks so the machine knows where the design is.

Supplies Used:

Featured Designer – Daniela Moscone – Flavir Design

Find designs by Daniela Moscone – Flavir Design at:

Follow along with Daniela Moscone – Flavir Design on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.

A great big thank you to Daniela at Flavir Design for contributing the free file for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter for the month of January! If you missed grabbing the free design in January, grab it HERE and start creating!

This year I started offering a free file each month for Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter subscribers. I love designing in the Silhouette Studio software and have shared some of my creations as well as look forward to collaborating with more artists in the future too!

Silhouette Secrets+ Newsletter

Never miss out on the news, tips, “secrets”, deals, classes, and more that I share on Silhouette Secrets+. Sign up for the newsletter and get information delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Unsubscribe at anytime.

subscribe here

Sign up for the weekly newsletter HERE to have information delivered direct to your inbox and grab each month’s new freebie.

Did this spark some new creative ideas for you? It’s always inspiring to see how a single flower and greenery design can bloom into so many completely different projects! I had so much fun reimagining this one design across five unique creations and showing just how versatile a single file can be. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, tips, and creative project ideas, be sure to browse the Crafting Creativity section on the Silhouette Secrets+ website — click HERE to explore!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A vibrant handmade birthday card featuring a large pink flower and the text 'Happy Birthday', surrounded by colorful paper crafts.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

One Tag Design, 4 Creative Craft Projects

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Creativity doesn’t have to start from scratch—sometimes it begins with one simple design. In this Crafting Creativity feature, I’m sharing how one tag design by Rabea Bilz can be taken far beyond its original purpose. With a single file as the foundation, we’ll explore four creative tag craft projects that spark ideas and show just how versatile a good design can be. From paper crafting to dimensional and decorative projects, this is all about inspiration, creative possibilities, and seeing your designs in a whole new way.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Four pink tag designs with dotted outlines, featuring different shapes including rectangular, oval, and triangular tags, presented in a creative layout.

Crafting Creativity with a Layered Tag Design

Don’t feel limited to using a design for just one project. When you start thinking outside the box, a single file can open the door to countless creative possibilities. Try mixing materials, changing sizes, or adapting the design for completely different purposes—you may be surprised by what you can create. I hope this inspires you to stretch your creativity and even expand your supplies in new ways as you discover just how versatile your designs can be.

Project #1 – Layered Tag Design with Print and Cut

A collection of various holiday-themed gift tags featuring illustrations of trees, reindeer, and decorative elements, displayed on a crafting table with tools and materials.

After I had the tags assembled I decided to grab a couple Gelly Roll pens and add a few special touches to the print and cut design.

A workspace scene featuring various gift tags designed with holiday themes, including reindeer and Christmas trees. Nearby, Gelly Roll pens in red, pink, and yellow are placed next to the tags. A cutting machine is visible in the background.

Just a little bit of additional color or shine can really make things stand out on custom projects.

A close-up of a festive gift tag featuring a reindeer design with a decorative border, held by a hand. Several more tags and colorful gel pens are visible in the background.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #2 – Monogrammed Faux Leather Bag Tags

I created these as a custom monogrammed bag tag, but they could also be keychains or even a gift tag that’s reusable, multi-purpose, or part of the gift itself. 

Two layered tag designs featuring the letters 'E' and 'V' adorned with floral illustrations, displayed on a craft mat next to a crafting machine.

These are double sides bag tags. Make sure to mirror the design when creating a double-sided design so that it will match up exactly. For these particular shapes, they are symmetrical, so it’s not a necessity, but it is a good habit to get into, especially if you did not create the design yourself. This way the front and back will line up exactly with each other.

Two metal tags featuring detailed designs: one with flowers and crystals, and the other with a cute calf illustration, both attached to keychains.

I used Siser Easyweed Adhesive HTV in the middle to glue the layers together. Faux leather or leatherette can also be glued with fabric glues, but I’m really loving the ease of use with the Siser Easyweed Adhesive HTV. Cut the HTV the same shape as the tag and then press on the backside of one, remove the carrier sheet and line up the layers and press again. Done!

A workspace featuring a Silhouette cutting machine, various crafting supplies, and tags ready for decorating. The image shows colored materials, a cutting mat, and decorative elements indicating a crafting project.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #3 – Shaker Tags

Have you ever created a shaker card? What about a shaker tag? Or any other “shaker” project. Basically, to create a shaker, you are making a “pocket” where some material such as glitter, sequins, or fake snow can be contained.

I saw these new Gingerbread Cookie designs by Rabea Bilz and knew I had to use them!

Three shaker tags featuring a gingerbread man, a reindeer, and a Christmas tree design on a crafting workspace with various supplies and a cutting machine in the background.

This design is 4 layers. The background is a solid piece of cardstock, then a layer of Kraft cardstock with the Gingerbread design, a layer of clear transparency to hold the snow in, and then a final layer of the Kraft cardstock. Here is a look at my file in the Silhouette Studio software.

Screenshot of Silhouette Studio software displaying shaker tag design pieces, including a Christmas tree, a reindeer, and a gingerbread character.

Rather than use my machine to cut the transparency, I simply used a scrap piece of cardstock to cut a template for the size I needed and then used scissors to cut the transparency down to size. This saved time finding the right cut settings and saved a blade since cutting plastic can dull it quicker.

Crafting workspace featuring layered tag designs made of cardstock, scissors, adhesive tape, and a cutting machine.

Once the pieces are all cut, it’s time to assemble. I used the Precision Glue Press to adhere the Gingerbread layer to the backing and then set that part aside to dry. Next I used an adhesive tape runner to secure the transparency to the backside of the top layer. Then added double sided foam tape to the edges. Since it’s a shaker project, it has to be completely taped off so the shaker bits are contained.
Then I added in the fake snow. You will have to test how much to add. Too much and it won’t move around easily.
Then carefully remove the backing off the foam tape and secure the back layer over top of the foam tape.

And then the fun part – give it a shake!

A hand holding a layered tag design featuring a gingerbread decoration with fake snow inside, showcasing a DIY crafting project.

I don’t know which one is my favorite.

A hand holding a gingerbread man shaker tag with a transparent layer, set against a crafting workspace featuring scissors and a silhouette machine.

The Moose, Gingerbread Boy, or the Tree?

A hand holding a layered shaker tag featuring a Christmas tree and gingerbread man design, with snow-like material inside.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #4 – Ornaments

For this one, I used the tag design to create ornament designs that could be sent to my Glowforge to cut, but you could also create ornaments with other materials that could be cut with the Silhouette machine such as cardstock, acetate, adhesive vinyl, sketch pens, and more!

Three decorative Christmas tags featuring 'Merry Christmas' text, the year '2025', and a snowflake design on a wooden background.

Check out the video on making the interactive ornament HERE.

An interactive ornament DIY project featuring layered wooden designs, showcasing the year 2025 and decorated snowflakes, with a finger pointing to the ornament.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

A great big thank you to Rabea Bilz for contributing the free file for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter! If you missed grabbing the free design during the month, grab it HERE and start creating!

Find designs by Rabea Bilz at:

Follow along with Rabea Bilz on Instagram HERE

Each month I offer a free file for Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter subscribers. I love designing in the Silhouette Studio software and have shared some of my creations as well as look forward to collaborating with more artists in the future too!

Silhouette Secrets+ Newsletter

Never miss out on the news, tips, “secrets”, deals, classes, and more that I share on Silhouette Secrets+. Sign up for the newsletter and get information delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Unsubscribe at anytime.

subscribe here

Sign up for the weekly newsletter HERE to have information delivered direct to your inbox and grab each month’s new freebie.

I hope this inspired you to look at your designs a little differently! It’s amazing how a single file can turn into so many unique projects when you let creativity lead the way. I loved exploring new themes and possibilities while showcasing just how versatile this design can be. If you’re craving even more inspiration, helpful tips, and creative project ideas, be sure to visit the Crafting Creativity section on the Silhouette Secrets+ website — click HERE to explore what’s waiting for you!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A collection of crafted tags showcased around a cutting machine, featuring festive designs including a tree, an 'E' monogram, and holiday messages, all highlighting creative project possibilities.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

5 Card Design Ideas from One Template with Quietfire Designs

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Have you ever found a card template so versatile that it instantly becomes a go-to favorite? That’s exactly what happened when I started creating with the Accordion Filled Gatefold – Card Blank by Quietfire Designs. This beautiful, interactive card base is the perfect foundation for endless creativity—and in today’s Crafting Creativity feature, I’m sharing five completely different card designs, all made from this one stunning template.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A colorful accordion-filled gatefold card template showcasing floral designs, featuring a mix of light blue and purple colors.

From a spooky Halloween card, to a warm and cheerful hello friends, to a vibrant bouquet of flowers, a playful Open If You Dare theme, and even a classic happy birthday design, this single cut file transformed effortlessly to fit every style. Each project highlights just how easy it is to take one card template and customize it for any season, celebration, or creative idea.

If you love stretching your Silhouette files and want inspiration for making more with what you already have, you’re going to love exploring the versatility of this Quietfire Designs favorite. Suzanne at Quietfire Designs has amazing designs and this is just one. I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can expand your supplies!

Each month in the Crafting Creativity series, I take one design file and explore just how many unique projects it can inspire. I love showing how a single cut file—like this month’s Accordion Filled Gatefold card template—can be transformed into cards for any theme or occasion. These posts are all about stretching your Silhouette skills, sparking fresh ideas, and proving that one thoughtfully designed file can open the door to endless creative possibilities. Whether you’re a longtime Silhouette user or brand new to cardmaking, Crafting Creativity is here to help you imagine, explore, and create with confidence!

Crafting Creativity with Accordion Filled Gatefold Card Blank

Suzanne at Quietfire Designs has amazing designs and this is just one of the card templates available in the Silhouette Design Store or check out the bundle of card templates HERE. Suzanne also has assembly videos on the Quietfire Designs YouTube channel too! It makes it so easy to assemble the card designs – find those HERE.

I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can expand your supplies!

Project #1 – Halloween Card

I grabbed some Halloween themed paper in my stash and created this themed card.

A purple accordion fold card featuring Halloween-themed paper with a ghost embellishment, positioned next to a crafting machine.

I added a ghost onto the belly band from a file called Ghost Farm – Card in a Box design found HERE.

A Halloween-themed card with a ghost design on a purple belly band, set in front of a cutting machine.

And once I got started, it was hard to stop and I had to create the entire Ghost Farm – Card in a Box too!

A Halloween-themed card box featuring white cut-out ghosts and a bat decoration, with a 'U-Pick Ghost Farm' label, displayed next to a cutting machine.

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – Hello Friends Card

This one I had a lot of fun collecting “friends” to share from different files by Quietfire Designs.

A close-up of two creatively designed cards on a wooden surface. One card features a snowflake design with the text 'hello friend,' while the other card includes playful winter characters, including a penguin, gingerbread cookies, and snowmen, along with the phrase 'MISS YOU.' A cutting machine is visible in the background.

Once I gathered all of the designs I wanted to use, I turned the cut files into a print and cut so I could do it all on one sheet.

Here’s a look at my print and cut design file. I always like to fill up my page when doing print and cut, so I ended up making two card designs using different patterned papers.

A digital design workspace displaying various festive characters including penguins, snowmen, gingerbread figures, and snowflakes, alongside holiday-themed text elements such as 'MISS YOU' and 'hello, friend.'

I did modify the designs a bit in order to use these pieces from the individual designs. Since each one was different, I used different steps including the knife tool, edit points, grouping and ungrouping, releasing the compound path, and text to path.

Once I had all the designs I wanted for the card sized to fit, I turned them all into a print and cut page. Since these were designed to cut each individual piece, I simply selected them all and on the Send tab chose “Cut Edge”.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Bouquet of Flowers Card

A colorful accordion-style card featuring a bouquet of flowers, displayed beside a pink belly band adorned with small flowers. The backdrop shows a cutting machine in a crafting workspace.

I used the flowers and greenery design from the Flower Posy Gift Card Box – Design #346522 and cut 9 to layer inside the card. When needed, I would snip off sections of the greenery that didn’t fit well and then glue them in underneath the flowers in other spots to fill it in and make it unique.

The front section has 3 of the flowers and greenery placed together and I enlarged the bow on the design to “wrap” around all 3.

I ended up with an extra set of flowers and added that to the front belly band for the card closure.

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Open If You Dare Card

This card is another combination of designs by Quitefire Designs.

A Halloween-themed gatefold card featuring the text 'OPEN IF YOU DARE,' with a skull and skeleton graphics, placed on a crafting surface with a cutting machine in the background.

And if you are daring enough to open the card, here is a look at the inside.

A pop-up Halloween card featuring a spooky graveyard theme with bats, gravestones, and skeleton cutouts, alongside an 'Open If You Dare' message.

I started with an idea in my head and then simply cut out the pieces I knew I wanted to use from each of the design files. Then started moving them around and seeing where they would best fit.

Supplies Used:

Project #5 – Happy Birthday Card

A bright, fun card filled with balloons! And… it was all created with scraps. This was another card that was “built” as I went along. It may be a little over the top with balloons, but that’s the best part – you can customize it however you like!

A Silhouette cutting machine on a worktable with a colorful birthday card featuring balloons in the foreground.

I drew the balloon using the Flexishapes tool in Silhouette and then just cut a bunch from different colors. The Happy Birthday is a sentiment from the Dinosaur Birthday Card in a Box by Quietfire Designs. I sized and arranged the words together, then made an Offset around it.

A colorful birthday card with various balloon shapes and colors, featuring the text 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' prominently displayed. The card is positioned in front of a crafting machine and surrounded by crafting supplies.

This was the perfect sentiment for the card as both Happy and Birthday are both welded together, so it was easy to glue using my new Precision Glue Press.

A person holding a black 'HAPPY' cutout while preparing to glue it next to a white 'BIRTHDAY' cutout, with crafting tools visible in the background.

Supplies Used:

Find designs by Quietfire Designs at:

Follow along with Quietfire Designs on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.

A great big thank you to Suzanne at Quietfire Designs for contributing the free file for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter for the month of October! If you missed grabbing the free design in October, grab it HERE and start creating!

This year I started offering a free file each month for Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter subscribers. I love designing in the Silhouette Studio software and have shared some of my creations as well as look forward to collaborating with more artists in the future too!

Silhouette Secrets+ Newsletter

Never miss out on the news, tips, “secrets”, deals, classes, and more that I share on Silhouette Secrets+. Sign up for the newsletter and get information delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Unsubscribe at anytime.

subscribe here

Sign up for the weekly newsletter HERE to have information delivered direct to your inbox and grab each month’s new freebie.

Did this spark some creative ideas for you? It’s always exciting to see how one card template can lead to so many completely different designs! I had such a great time dreaming up each of these themed creations and showing just how versatile the Accordion Filled Gatefold file can be. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, tips, and creative project ideas, be sure to browse the Crafting Creativity section on the Silhouette Secrets+ website — click HERE to explore!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A collage of five card designs made using a single accordion filled gatefold template, featuring themes like Halloween, friendship, flowers, and birthday celebrations.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Crafting with Abstract Florals: 5+ Creative Project Ideas Using Clikchic Designs

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Welcome to this edition of Crafting Creativity, featuring the bold and beautiful abstract floral designs by Clikchic Designs! These eye-catching patterns are the centerpiece of a wide range of creative projects that highlight the versatility of digital designs. From a custom shaker card and sketch-style greeting cards to shrink plastic tool charms, bracelet charms, earrings, wine charms, and a personalized chalkboard sign—these florals bring a fresh and modern flair to every creation. You’ll also see them used in card backgrounds and oversized tags, offering endless possibilities for crafters of all kinds. Get ready to be inspired by how one design collection can do so much!

Collage of vibrant floral designs featured in various handmade projects including greeting cards, tags, charms, and bookmarks, showcasing the versatility of digital designs.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A great big THANK YOU to Clikchic Designs for being the May contributing artist for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter. These gorgeous abstract floral designs can be found in Clikchic Designs artist store on the Silhouette Design Store site.

A collection of abstract floral designs in various colors, featuring purple, pink, and green blooms, as well as leaves, showcasing the artistry of Clikchic Designs.

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE for future free files & project inspiration.

Crafting Creativity with Clikchic Abstract Florals

Project #1 – Custom Shaker Card

A hand holding a Mother's Day card embellished with colorful floral designs, positioned in front of a crafting machine and various crafting tools.

I set this up to print on a 12″ x 12″ sheet of cardstock. The only thing that did not fit on one sheet was the frame. It could easily be cut using letter size cardstock too.

Digital design interface displaying a shaker card layout featuring floral elements and a 'Happy Mother's Day' greeting.

I added a bit of sparkle on top of the flowers with a shimmer pen and love it. The hardest part is getting that to show up well on photos.

Close-up of a hand-decorated card featuring colorful abstract floral designs in shades of pink, red, and blue, adorned with green leaves and sparkly embellishments.

My mom loved it!

Don’t forget to add your shaker bits before you adhere the acetate & frame down. I got excited and forgot, so I had to peel up a corner and add them in. Nothing like making a project harder than it needs to be.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – Sketched Card Backgrounds

Two birthday cards featuring abstract floral designs, one with a pink flower and the other with a blue flower, placed on a wooden table beside a container holding more floral stickers. A black pen and a white gel pen are also visible.

I drew out 2 rectangles and applied different Sketch Effects to them to create the sketched squares, then added a sketch sentiment around the outer edge of the border using a font called Flannel Shirt Sketch.

I then added some foam tape on the back of the Abstract Floral designs and added those to the center of the sketched frame to give it some dimension.

Next, I sketched a couple more with a premade frame called Dot Frame Sketched.

Two handmade greeting cards featuring colorful floral motifs with the text 'just for you' at the top. The cards are displayed on a wooden surface alongside a Gelly Roll marker and a black pen, with additional floral stickers in the background.

I think this one is my favorite of them all, but I think I’m drawn to this pink flower for some reason.

A birthday card featuring a colorful floral design on a white background, surrounded by the text 'happy birthday' repeated around the frame. In the background, a cutting machine is partially visible.

They are all gorgeous when paired with the Abstract Floral designs by Clikchic Designs.

A birthday card featuring a watercolor-style pink flower with dark outlines, positioned centrally within a black frame. The words 'happy birthday' are printed around the frame in a playful font.

I added the random dots around the edge of the square frames by hand after the card was sketched. I could have set it up in the software and had the machine do it perfectly, but it might have also smooshed the tip of my pen. This gives each card a randomness to it as well and makes it unique.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Shrink Plastic Projects

Have you ever used shrink plastic before?

There are so many things you can create with shrink plastic. From wine charms, bracelet charms, earrings, tumbler charms, tool charms, and more!

A variety of shrink plastic charms and earrings featuring abstract floral designs, displayed on a silver tray. The collection includes two flower-themed earrings, decorative tags, and a bracelet adorned with floral motifs.

Here is a look at my printed page using Silhouette Shrink Plastic Sheets.

A hand holding a printed sheet featuring various colorful abstract floral designs, showcasing purple, pink, and blue flowers alongside the word 'INSPIRE'. The sheet is being prepared for use with a cutting machine in a crafting workspace.

I used the default settings in the Silhouette Studio software to start with. Here is a look at the Send tab when I sent this page to cut.

A digital design workspace in Silhouette Studio, showcasing colorful abstract floral elements with the text 'INSPIRE'. Various floral shapes are arranged for cutting on shrink plastic.

Larger shrink plastic designs can be interesting when they shrink and you just have to keep going to get them to flatten out. Sometimes, they will also not be a uniform shape at the end. I think that adds to their uniqueness and can be fun to see what happens.

Custom tool charms are a great way to mark your scissors either for a specific purpose or to identify them when you go craft with friends. They are also handy to help you locate them on your craft table if they like to hide in a “safe” place often.

A pair of beige scissors with a protective cover sits on a grey surface, alongside a handmade keychain featuring a bookmark that reads 'INSPIRE' decorated with pink flowers and colorful beads.

I love watching it shrink when heat is applied! Check out this quick video on the Silhouette Secrets+ Facebook Page, on Instagram, or on my YouTube channel.

Any type of plastic will dull the blade quicker than other materials, so it is not uncommon to have to increase the settings the more you cut.

There are several brands of shrink plastic out there and they can all be a bit different. I cut both Silhouette Shrink Plastic and Grafix Shrink Plastic during this process. I was using an older blade and I think it’s about done for now. It was having a hard time cutting through the Grafix Shrink Plastic in clear.

Test cuts are really the only way to know what is going to work with your blade and materials.

Two “secrets” of mine are:

  1. I’ll take a blade that isn’t cutting other materials such as cardstock or HTV well and move it to my shrink plastic blade. I get a bit more life out of my blades this way.
  2. Do not unload the cutting mat after the cut and check it first. If it did not cut through, you can increase the settings and send it again until it does cut.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Custom Sign or Chalkboard Sign

I started by measuring out the size of this chalkboard sign and then drew a rectangle the same size in Silhouette Studio. Then I just started adding the abstract floral designs and moving them around to create a floral frame.

A decorative black sign featuring a colorful floral border and the text "Create THE THINGS YOU WISH EXISTED" in white and pastel hues.

Did you know that vinyl goes bad? Yep! I started this project using Silhouette Printable Vinyl, which I love for the print quality. However, it must have been an old package because it would not weed properly and was separating. I ended up using Orajet 1917 that I’ve had in my craft stash for many, many years and it cut beautifully.

There is a shelf life for vinyl and other craft products such as pens, paint, string, inks, tape, etc.

What is the lifespan of vinyl? Well, there really isn’t an exact date or time as you never really know how long it’s sat on a retailers shelf or the manufacturer’s shelf, etc. And other factors play into it as well, such as temperature, humidity, etc. You will see many mention 2 years when stored properly. But, you never really know how it was treated before you bought it. I have some vinyl that I still try to cut even though I know it’s like 7 years old. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

How can you tell if it’s gone bad?

The 2 most obvious signs I have found is that it can separate when you try to weed it and it’s a bugger to work with no matter your troubleshooting or cut settings. These 2 things can present themselves by the adhesive can visibly be separating from the actual vinyl or the vinyl will not easily come off the backing paper.

Usually I try to push through and I always end up kicking myself for working so hard to try to salvage it.

However, the final way I know the vinyl has gone bad is when I get a new good piece and it weeds so smoothly. And that’s when I end up kicking myself.

For this project, I lost a few letters of the text in the middle, so I just ended up cutting the text from a scrap of Oracal 651 in white and adding that on to the project. A great use of scraps!

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #5 – Cards with Unique Backgrounds

When I do a print and cut page, I will fill the page with extra designs and this month I had a good bunch of the florals left over to create with. So I set about brainstorming what I could do with the left overs.

A collection of colorful floral stickers featuring various flower designs in shades of blue, pink, and red, arranged on a light blue background.

I was browsing Pinterest and found an idea where they created custom backgrounds with a stencil and inks. Why not do that with a stencil design & digital patterns?

Here is a look at the first ones I created.

Four handmade birthday cards featuring abstract floral designs in various colors, each with the text 'Happy Birthday' displayed prominently. The designs include a mix of pink, blue, and purple hues, set against a white background.

The next set, I started playing around with the orientation and mixed it up a bit.

I had so much fun playing around and creating backgrounds with different pattern papers.

Here is a close up look at one of the cards.

A birthday card featuring a pink flower with green leaves, against a background of blue and purple leaf patterns, with the text 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' prominently displayed.

You can do this too! Check out the video How to Make Stunning Card Backgrounds with Stencils & Digital Patterns in Silhouette on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel.

A digital tutorial for creating cards with stencils and patterned designs, featuring a split-screen image of the design process on a computer and finished card samples showcasing floral elements.

I am sharing my process of design creation, mistakes, and explanations of how and why I did things too!

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #6 – Custom Tag Designs

Whether you need a design 2″ or 6″, you can do it with your cutting machine. You can create things whatever size you want.

These tags are 3.5″ wide and 6.125″ tall. I used the Project Wizard in Silhouette Studio to create the basic tag design and cut from 110 lb Neenah cardstock.

Two colorful birthday tags featuring floral designs, one with a blue flower and another with a red flower, both embellished with 'Happy Birthday' labels.

I used up the last 2 flowers and bits of greenery I had printed on cardstock and combined that with a patterned paper I designed and printed when I shared the tutorial on Creating Custom Background Patterns in Silhouette.

A person holding a printed page with an abstract blue and purple design, showcasing swirling patterns. In the background, there is a white printer and part of a calendar visible.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

A great big THANK YOU to Clikchic Designs for collaborating for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter!

Find more designs by Clikchic Designs at:

Follow Clikchic Designs for more inspiration on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. I love watching the videos of how the designs are created. I love how she takes something that she has physically painted and turns it into a digital file so we can all enjoy and create with her amazing artwork!

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE so you don’t miss out on future collaborations.

From handmade cards to custom jewelry and home décor, the possibilities with these abstract floral designs by Clikchic Designs are truly endless. Each project in this Crafting Creativity edition showcases how one digital collection can be transformed into a wide variety of unique creations. Whether you’re crafting with paper, shrink plastic, or chalkboard materials, these versatile florals add a bold, artistic touch to every piece. We hope you’re inspired to explore new techniques and think outside the box with your next project.

Check out the Crafting Creativity series HERE.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A collage of various handcrafted projects featuring abstract floral designs, including greeting cards, jewelry, and a chalkboard sign, all showcasing the versatility of Clikchic Designs.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

How to Craft Stunning Mixed Media Projects with Sarah Hurley’s Digital Files

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Welcome to this edition of Crafting Creativity! In this edition, I am sharing the vibrant world of mixed media digital design with the talented Sarah Hurley! In this post, we’re spotlighting sharing inspiring ways to incorporate Sarah’s digital elements into your own creative projects. Whether you’re crafting cards, journals, or home décor, you’ll find plenty of ideas to spark your next masterpiece. Let’s explore how digital and traditional techniques can come together to make something truly magical!

Last month was the 2025 Creativation by NAMTA event in Seattle and I was able to connect with Sarah Hurley in person. I’ve known Sarah for a couple years now and always enjoy getting together with her to connect and collaborate.

Three women standing in front of a sign for the Sarah Hurley Academy Pavilion at a creative event.

The Sarah Hurley Academy Pavilion was on the trade show floor and I loved hearing her Trend Report during the event. I was madly typing my notes in my phone during her presentation.

It was the perfect month to collaborate again with Sarah’s designs for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you missed these files in the April newsletter, you can find these mixed media files in the Mixed Media Dingbat Font – Volume 2 HERE.

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE for future free files & project inspiration.

Let’s Get Creative with Digital Mixed Media

Project #1 – Artist Trading Cards – Mixed Media Background Elements

One of the projects the Creative Professionals did at the 2025 Creativation was create “found art” and place them all over the trade show floor for people to find and keep. I designed it all in Silhouette Studio using a collection of different elements, including the mixed media designs by Sarah Hurley.

Artist Trading Card with Mixed Media Files by Sarah Hurley

I am not sure which one I like the most, but I love that I can create in the software and test things out before I print my projects. I wanted each one to be a bit different and I was able to achieve that easily.

Artist Trading Cards for Creativation with Digital Mixed Media by Sarah Hurley

I also designed these double sided so I could include my information on the backside.

NAMTA Creative Professional Backside of Found Art

The biggest thing about doing a double sided print and cut is your printer. Every printer is different and you have to figure out how the printer prints and how to insert the page back in the printer so everything lines up.

I printed these and then used my paper trimmer to cut to the size I needed. Since it was a simple rectangle I felt it was more efficient for this project. I cut between 60-70 cards to “hide” during the event.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – T-shirt with Siser Metallic Puff HTV & Mixed Media Designs

This may be my new favorite shirt! Not only is the Siser Tiger Lily Metallic Puff HTV gorgeous, but the mixed media background really made this design unique!

A black t-shirt featuring a pink design with the word 'create' in a stylish font, surrounded by a dotted pattern.

I duplicated the mixed media design, scaled it up, and then subtracted an offset of the text from the background.

Here is a closer look at the design.

Close-up of a dark t-shirt featuring the word 'create' in a shiny pink metallic finish, surrounded by a pattern of smaller pink dots.

I just love how the mixed media design puffed up. I’ll definitely be using more mixed media designs for backgrounds!

Specialty materials with shine are always so difficult to photograph and really capture how beautiful it is. I have had great luck with the Siser Metallic Puff HTV living up to it’s puff. Regular puff HTV and I have had a few issues, but the Metallic Putt HTV is so easy to use.

I share how I created this design on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.

A black t-shirt featuring a textured 'create' design in pink puff HTV, surrounded by dotted embellishments, with a colorful gradient background for the text.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Digital & Physical Backgrounds – Cards

I added the mixed media files on top of a patterned background and set it up as a print and cut for a 4.25″ x 5.5″ card background.

Two artist trading cards designed with mixed media elements featuring vibrant backgrounds and the text 'Enjoy Every Moment'. The left card showcases a grid overlay with colorful bubbles, while the right card has a marbled background with a dotted pattern.

On the left side I used a pattern called Purple and Rainbow Bubble Background by Sarah Hurley, then placed the mixed media design on top on the left side. I used the eyedropper tool in the Fill Color panel to pull a color from the pattern and then adjusted it just a bit to make it pop.

On the right side, I used the background pattern created using the Gradient Fills in Silhouette from last month’s YouTube videos. I then added a different mixed media design on top and again pulled color from the pattern and adjusted to make it pop.

Check out more on how I created this background pattern in these videos:

I wanted the sentiment to stand out a bit so added that as a separate piece to the print and cut file so I could pop it up with foam tape.

Here is a look at the print and cut file I created in Silhouette.

A look at the Silhouette Studio software print and cut page with the mixed media card designs.

I used the Enjoy Every Moment by Sarah Hurley sentiment and added an offset around the design. For this design, I first made a larger offset to enclose everything and then made an internal offset to bring it back closer to the design. Once I had the offset as I wanted, I deleted the larger offset as it was not needed.

But I couldn’t stop there! These designs can be used for more than just digital projects too!

I cut these same designs from cardstock using the Silhouette Autoblade with the Cameo 5. Look at those cuts!

Close-up of a cutting machine with a mat displaying mixed media designs cut from cardstock.

Then I added the designs on top of a dark blue card base to make them stand out.

Two handcrafted greeting cards displayed on a wooden surface. One card features a purple polka dot design with the words 'You are' in a circular frame. The other card has a grid pattern in the same purple color with the words 'Best Wishes' arranged around a central circle.

Add a sentiment and you have a quick easy card design.

I did not just want to print and cut 2 designs, so I filled the page and had several options to choose from.

Screenshot of Silhouette Studio software showing a card design layout with circular sentiment designs.

I drew a circle and centered the design inside, then with both the circle and design selected, chose Cut Edge on the Send tab. Once it was cut, I added foam tape to the back of the sentiments to give the card a bit of dimension.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Stencils

Stencils can be from many different types of materials. I grabbed some scrap cardstock and also cut some plastic stencil material as well.

A Silhouette cutting machine positioned on a wooden surface, next to materials cut for stencils with a mixed media design.

Scrap cardstock is a very economical way to test out a stencil design and it can hold up and work for many projects too. I know I have a lot of scrap cardstock in my stash, so it’s perfect to test with.

I also see many who want to cut plastic stencil materials and I have both 6 mil and 7 mil stencil material on hand. Something to keep in mind with plastic stencil material is that plastics dull a blade differently and often quicker than other materials. All stencil material will vary in the cut settings that will work well with it.

A workspace featuring a white canvas with blue paint splatters, three bottles of DecoArt acrylic paint, a painter's brush, a color palette, and various art tools on a wooden surface.

The one above is 6 mil stencil plastic and I used the Stencil Material setting in the software with a used blade, but increased the passes to 3. I still had to pop the bits out of place, but it actually cut better than some of the smaller areas did on my fibrous cardstock.

And then just have fun! I grabbed some of the ​DecoArt Paints​ and a Dynasty EvoArt paint brush and just started stenciling a background. I don’t know how this will turn out yet, but I’m going to keep adding to it and see what speaks to me.

If you are cutting lots of stencil material, I’d recommend having extra blades on hand and also know that you will need to increase the cut settings as the blade dulls.

I am always looking for sales or bundles to stock up on blades or mats. Check out ​Crafter Cuts for a blade bundle HERE​ and use coupon code SECRETS to save 10% on supplies too!

A painted canvas displays splatter designs in teal, with stencils of mixed media designs.

I love this background pattern so much and still don’t know what I want to do with it. I asked for suggestions from my community and one of them was to scan it and save it as a digital background. YES! I love this idea.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

A great big THANK YOU to Sarah Hurley for collaborating for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter!

Make sure to follow Sarah Hurley and watch for new designs:

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE so you don’t miss out on future collaborations.

Bringing mixed media designs by Sarah Hurley into your creative projects is a fantastic way to add personality, depth, and a unique flair to your crafts. Whether you’re layering textures, combining materials, or experimenting with color, these designs offer endless possibilities to explore your creativity. If you’ve enjoyed this project, be sure to check out the full Crafting Creativity series for even more inspiration, step-by-step ideas, and creative ways to make your projects truly stand out. Let your imagination lead the way—there’s always something new to discover! Check out the Crafting Creativity series HERE.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A collage showcasing various crafting projects featuring Sarah Hurley designs, including a black T-shirt with 'create' in pink, two colorful card designs, sheets with mixed media elements, and crafting supplies like paints and paper.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Crafting Creativity with Nitwit Collections & Silhouette

Nitwit Collections Digital Kit
Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Welcome to this edition of Crafting Creativity! This time, we’re diving into the wonderful world of digital kits with an inspiring collection from Nitwit Collections. Their beautifully designed elements and papers make it easy to create stunning projects with Silhouette. From layered cards to custom decor and everything in between, we’ll explore creative ways to bring these digital designs to life. Get ready for a fun and crafty adventure as we showcase projects that highlight the versatility and charm of Nitwit Collections!

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nitwit Collections Logo

If you missed these files in the March newsletter, you can find the Warm Embrace Knick Knack kit HERE. There are so many amazing kits available, make sure to check out the full shop HERE.

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE for future free files & project inspiration.

I have also released a new print and cut class: Master Print and Cut with Silhouette: Step-by Step Class that is available on my Teachable site HERE. The kit is provided in the class so you can use the same files I do and create amazing projects too!

Silhouette Print and Cut Class - Step-by-Step

If you are looking for step-by-step classes to learn more, check out all of the classes that are currently available on my Teachable site HERE.

Crafting Creativity with Nitwit Collections

Project #1 – Creative Card Designs: Make Every Greeting Uniquely Yours

Layered Card Design with Nitwit Collections Warm Embrace Kit

I just started playing around in the software to see what new card idea I could create after I finished the Print and Cut class. I like to make a mock-up in the software of a lot of projects before I actually cut. That means I will add all of the design pieces and play around with placement, elements, colors, and more right in Silhouette Studio.

Here is a look at my design file for this card in Silhouette Studio.

Silhouette Studio Design File of Framed Card

Once I have an idea of the card design layout, I can start cutting and in this case, printing, then cutting all the pieces.

Here is a close up look at the finished card with the 3-D layers.

Layered Card Design with Nitwit Collection Warm Embrace Knick Knack Digital Kit

But, I didn’t stop there! The creative ideas were still flowing and I decided to share how I created this card design in Silhouette with a LIVE tutorial on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel.

Designing in Silhouette Studio with Nitwit Collections Digital Kits

This session covers essential skills and techniques, including drawing tools, scaling tools, pattern fills, the Quick Access toolbar, Flexishapes, Draw Note, and more! Plus, with real-time viewer participation, questions were answered and demonstrated live to help you master these features. Check out the replay HERE on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe if you want to be notified when new videos are released or Live tutorials are scheduled.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – Seagull Card Design: A card to WOW!

I’ve been watching the Nitwit Collections Facebook group and saw that a member, Lisa Shaw, was doing a Live demo and I joined in. I was mesmerized by her demo of a flying seagull card! The moment I saw it, I knew everything else had to wait. I just had to dive in and create this card style as a 5″ x 7″ card!

Seagull Card design with Warm Embrace Knick Knack kit by Nitwit Collections

Immediately following the LIVE demo, I started working out the math to make a prototype of this card. It reminded me how much I love to design and create fun fold and 3-D cards. Now, I can’t say that I got it right the first few times, so there was a few sheets of cardstock that are now in my scraps pile, but I did get there eventually.

Seagull Card Creation Behind the Scenes look

After I made the prototype, I could then bring it all together in the Silhouette Studio software to create a cut file.

Seagull Card Creation Design File Process

And then I printed all the pieces and started assembly to see where the elements should go. Here is another behind the scenes look at creating this card.

Seagull Card Design with Nitwit Collections

Here is a collage of how this card looks finished out from a few different angles.

Seagull Card design with Nitwit Collections Photo Collage

The top photo shows how the card look when completely unfolded. The bottom left shows the card completely closed and then on the right is a top look showing the Seagull Design.

I shared some of the tools I used to create this card file in Silhouette in the LIVE tutorial – Silhouette Studio Secrets: Design Smarter with These Powerful Tools

Silhouette Secrets Tutorial - Design Smarter with These Powerful Tools

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – No Peeking Gift Bag Topper

These are so easy to create and can add a unique look to any gift bag. Plus it hides the contents until you are ready for the recipient to see it.

No Peeking Gift Bag Topper created with Nitwit Collections digital kit

Here is a close up look at these layered designs on the gift bag toppers.

Close Up of Custom Gift Bag Topper Layered Design with Nitwit Collections

Such an easy thing to add to make a gift bag stand out.

Custom Gift Bag Topper with Nitwit Collections Digital Kit

I shared how I created this design in Silhouette Studio in this video – DIY No Peeking Gift Bag Topper in Silhouette Studio on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.

No Peeking Gift Bag Topper YouTube video tutorial

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – Custom Sticky Note & Pen Holder

I love using this Sticky Note & Pen Holder file from Lori Whitlock and the Nitwit Collections kits work perfect for creating a custom cover. These make great gifts and work awesome for swaps at events too!

Custom Notepad & Pen holder with Nitwit Collections

Here is a close up look at the design layered on the front of the sticky note holder.

Close Up of Sticky Note & Pen Holder design by Lori Whitlock with Nitwit Collections

Supplies Used:

A great big THANK YOU to Nitwit Collections for collaborating for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter!

Make sure to follow Nitwit Collections for more amazing designs:

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE so you don’t miss out on future collaborations.

Unlock endless creative possibilities with a digital kit! In this edition of Crafting Creativity, we showcased a fabulous digital kit from Nitwit Collections and explored how a variety of unique projects. The Crafting Creativity blog series is your ultimate source for fresh ideas, practical tips, and expert techniques to take your crafting to the next level. Whether you’re transforming a go-to design, trying out new materials, or refining your skills, these posts are designed to ignite your creativity and help you bring your ideas to life. Check out the Crafting Creativity series HERE and discover where your imagination can take you!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Crafting Creativity with Nitwit Collections Digital Kits

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

One Design, Endless Creativity: 5 Craft Projects with Quietfire Design

Crafting Creativity with Quietfire Designs
Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

In this edition of Crafting Creativity I’ll be sharing the projects I created through the month with a 3-D Hawaiian Turtle Tote and Tag file and the Tropical Fish pattern. A great big thank you to Suzanne from Quietfire Designs for providing the free file for the Silhouette Secrets+ February newsletter!

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Files from Suzanne Cannon of Quietfire Design

If you missed these files in the February newsletter, you can find the Hawaiian Turtle Tote file HERE and the Tropical Fish pattern HERE in the Silhouette Design Store. And then make sure to check out the assembly tutorial HERE on the Quietfire Design website.

Make sure to sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE for future free files & project inspiration.

Crafting Creativity with One Design by Quietfire Design

Project #1 – Hawaiian Turtle Tote and Tag

I always like to start with creating the design file at the original size it was created at. But I also couldn’t resist to create a mini turtle tote too!

Hawaiian Turtle Tote created with Silhouette - Design by Suzanne Cannon with Quietfire Design

Look at that mini tote! I just love it! I love sharing all the possibilities you can create with 1 file!

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – Valentine’s Treat Tote or Table Decoration

I scaled the design up as much as I could to still be able to cut it the main piece from a 12″ x 12″ sheet of cardstock. Then cut the main tote part from pink cardstock and used a heart flourish pattern to create this Valentine’s treat tote.

Valentine's Treat Tote created with Silhouette using a file by Suzanne Cannon with Quietfire Design

Or you could use it for a table decoration or centerpiece.

Table Centerpiece with Silhouette using a file by Suzanne Cannon with Quietfire Design

Use this design for many different holidays, seasonal decorations, or just every day use.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Bespoke Handmade Cards

Custom Made Card with Silhouette using design by Quietfire Designs

I used the Silhouette Studio software to design this card and create a mock-up of the project before I even started cutting.

Designing a card in Silhouette Studio

Then used the Tropical Fishes pattern background and print and cut the elements for the waves and the turtle. Foam tape added to the back of the elements such as the waves, matted sentiment, and the turtle gave the card some dimension.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – DIY Jewelry Pendant

DIY Jewelry Pendant with Artesprix

I love that I was able to combine Silhouette, Artesprix, and my new beading hobby!

Designing in Silhouette

I measured the size of the Artesprix jewelry pendant and then drew a circle in Silhouette Studio to use as my template to size the turtle in.
Tip: hold the Shift key down while you draw to create a perfect circle or rectangle shape.

Silhouette Cameo 5 cutting Artesprix Heat Resist Mask

Once I had the size right, I made a couple copies and then cut the Artesprix Heat Resist Mask with the Silhouette. I love using the heat resist mask to create unique projects.

Jewelry Pendant with Silhouette and Artesprix

Check out all the details on this project HERE.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #5 & 6 – Custom wood button & earrings

There are so many projects that you can create with one design or even just one element of a design.

For this one, I opened the SVG file for the Hawaiian Turtle Tote & Tag design in Silhouette Studio, then ungrouped the file to use only the turtle design.

Next, I released the compound path so I could remove the inside pieces and add in 2 circles in the center. Once I had the circles in place, I selected everything, right clicked and chose Make Compound Path. Then I exported as a SVG file and opened in the Glowforge app to cut a custom button from wood with the laser.

Turtle design by Quietfire Designs

I set it up on the Glowforge to engrave the turtle design and then cut the button shape. Once I had my new button, I was able to string it up on some leather cording and make the rest of this beaded bracelet.

But now, I needed some earrings to wear with it. I started again with the SVG file and used the turtle shape, added a small hole at the top and exported as a SVG file to cut custom earrings with the Glowforge. I just couldn’t decide what color wood to use, so I cut multiples.

Custom wood buttons & earrings with Quietfire Designs

If you don’t have a laser machine, don’t let that stop you from creating fabulous projects! Think about what you do have available. There are many materials you could use such as faux leather and more!

If you are creating files to export as SVGs for use with other cutting machines, laser machines, printers, etc. I do have a class sharing showing how to create and export SVGs and what you need to consider when designing in Silhouette Studio for use in other programs.

Find the Creating SVG files in Silhouette Studio for use with Cricut, Siser, Glowforge, and more! class HERE.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

A great big THANK YOU to Suzanne at Quietfire Design for collaborating for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter!

Make sure to follow Quietfire Designs for more amazing designs:

Sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE so you don’t miss out on future collaborations.

One design, endless possibilities! The Crafting Creativity blog series is your go-to hub for fresh inspiration, packed with clever ideas, hands-on tips, and expert techniques to elevate your crafting. Whether you’re reinventing a favorite design, experimenting with new materials, or honing your skills, these posts are here to spark your creativity and turn imagination into reality. Dive into the Crafting Creativity series HERE and see where your creativity takes you!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Crafting Creativity with Quietfire Designs Pinterest

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

1 Design, 5 Projects: Unlocking Creativity with a Single Silhouette File

5 Projects with 1 Design
Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Each month in the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletters, there is a free file offer. I then use that file to create multiple projects, showcasing the endless possibilities you can achieve with just one design. In this blog post I am sharing a variety of creative projects made using snowflakes designs that I created in the Silhouette Studio software. There are so many possibilities when working with just one design and I hope it sparks your creativity to look at your designs differently and think about the possibilities for multiple projects with one file.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The January newsletter files were several snowflake designs that I created in the Silhouette Studio software. This is a great way to learn more about using the tools in the Silhouette Studio software and every single user could create these themselves. Check out the tutorial on the tools I used HERE.

Snowflake Designs by EllyMae Created in Silhouette Studio using the Drawing Tools

Make sure to sign up for the Silhouette Secrets+ newsletter HERE for future free files & project inspiration.

Crafting Creativity with One Design

Project #1 – Acrylic Ornament

Acrylic Ornament with Oracal 651 decal - Silhouette

I drew a 3″ circle in the Silhouette Studio software as my template to create within for placement and getting an idea of what the design would look like. Using one of the snowflake designs, I added an offset and then used the Knife tool in Silhouette to cut the snowflake design in half. Next, I opened a snowflake saying, adjusted it at bit, and added that to the design. Then cut everything from Oracal 651 and applied it to the front of a 3″ acrylic circle.

Oracal 651 adhesive vinyl cut for a decal with Silhouette

I used the Silhouette Autoblade for these cuts and it did beautifully.

Adding weeding lines in Silhouette to a design for easier weeding

Using the Line Drawing Tools to add weeding lines can help so much when you have intricate designs to weed. This allows you to weed smaller sections of the design and not have the material stick back to itself.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #2 – 3-D Snowflakes

Creating 3-D Paper Snowflakes with Silhouette

Using one of the snowflake designs, I added a score line down the center and cut 3 for each 3-D snowflake out of cardstock. Then assembled them together to make the 3-D ornaments. The score line helped to fold each of the snowflake sides directly in half for assembly.

I shared how I did this in a new video on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel found HERE.

How to Make a Stunning 3-D Snowflake in Silhouette Studio - step-by-step tutorial

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Keychains/Bag Tags and Earrings with Heat Foil on Silhouette Leatherette

Key chains/bag tags and earrings created with the Silhouette Heat Foil Pen and Silhouette Leatherette

This silver foil looks amazing on the Silhouette black leatherette. I highly recommend the Silhouette leatherette for anyone who wants to get started with cutting faux leathers. Create many different projects with the Silhouette heat pen and Silhouette leatherette.

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

For older model machines without the powered tool housing

Additional Heat Foils that I’ve tested

Project #4 – Cut Out Card

Snowflake Cut Out Card with Silhouette

I cut the snowflake design out of a blue sheet of cardstock and then had to walk away for a bit because I wasn’t sure how to finish this out.

Snowflake Cut Out Card in Process

I ended up pulling out supplies and stamps just to see what might be good to add on to finish this card out. I stamped some embellishments from a birthday stamp set as snowflakes in white ink and then stamping the sentiment in a light blue and adding it to the card with foam tape for dimension.

Card Making Process using Stamps and Inks

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

Project #5 – Printable Magnets

Printable Magnets with Silhouette Printable Magnet Sheets

Print and cut is so awesome and there are many different material types you can use, such as printable magnet sheets. I filled the snowflake designs with color, added an offset and then a few more shapes to fill the page. These could be used to decorate any magnetic surface.

I used them to give additional ideas for a recent class I taught on creating a custom chalkboard for home decor. This chalkboard is magnetic and has so many options you can play around with.

Custom Chalkboard Design for Home Decor Created with Silhouette

Additional Resources:

Supplies Used:

I love discovering how a single design can spark endless creative possibilities! The Crafting Creativity blog series is your ultimate source of inspiration, filled with innovative ideas, practical tips, and expert techniques to take your crafting to the next level. Whether you’re transforming a favorite design, exploring new materials, or refining your skills, these posts are here to fuel your creativity and bring your ideas to life. Check out more in the Crafting Creativity series HERE and see where your imagination leads you! ✨

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

5 Projects from 1 Design with Silhouette Pinterest

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes
Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae
**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.