Tag: mixed media designs

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Creative Projects that Sparkle with Clikchic Designs

Time to Sparkle Header

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

It’s Time to Sparkle! And use your designs for more than just 1 project. Clikchic Designs is this blog posts featured artist and I’m sharing several projects created with one of their designs. I have collected a lot of Clikchic Designs files and love seeing her process of creation. Did you know she creates her designs by hand? That may be one of the things that first caught my eye and made her designs stand out to me. She creates by hand and then digitizes her work to share with us. I am so inspired by her creations! Check out the end of this post for even more inspiration by Clikchic Designs!

Preview of Time to Sparkle Design by Clikchic Designs.

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

The Crafting Creativity series is designed exactly for sharing inspiration, designs, and showing how to make your designs go farther or think outside the box. Find more Crafting Creativity inspiration HERE.

Crafting Creativity with Clikchic Designs: Time to Sparkle

Crafting Creativity video preview of the projects created with Time to Sparkle by Clikchic Designs. Additional photos, details, tips, tutorials, and supply lists can be found by scrolling under the video.

Project #1 – 3-D Mixed Media Canvas

I am a Creative Professional with NAMTA and every year they host Creativation which is a large gathering of craft industry businesses, retailers, and brands from around the world. This year the Creative Professionals had the chance to display art in the entrance hall of the event. We were given the parameters of a 12″ x 12″ canvas and a red, white, and blue theme and told to create to share our skills and talents. I love to be able to make unique creations and start with something flat and give it dimension.

Photo shows a 3-D Mixed Media Canvas project with a red, white, and blue theme. Projects features several 3-D papercraft designs.

This project was several weeks in the making. I believe we found out we were going to do this in January or February with the conference happening in May. Once a topic is given to me my brain just starts with throwing out ideas. I try to keep a running list, usually in my phone, but often times I find a physical list in my creative journal is what really gets ideas flowing and allows me to narrow things down.

This is one of those projects that is built as it goes along and I continued to add things to it over the entire process.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #2 – Sublimation Tumbler

Photos shows a shimmer sublimation tumbler with a colorful design and Time to Sparkle on the front along with the Craft Pro Tumbler Press from Heat Press Nation.

I started by measuring the tumbler then drew a rectangle in Silhouette Studio for the template size. Then the process of filling the design with patterns began. After testing many options I decided I loved this pattern with the ombre blues and having the design in white.

Photo is a screenshot of the Silhouette Studio software showing a rectangle template for the sublimation print with a background design and Time to Sparkle in the center.

I love how it turned out and now have another custom tumbler I can use.

Photo shows a custom sublimation tumbler with a bright background and Time to Sparkle on the tumbler. This design was created in Silhouette Studio and printed with an Epson F170 Sublimation Printer.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #3 – Sketch and Cut Out Card Design

This card design was created by first setting the Time to Sparkle up for sketching and then cutting out the stars and swooshes from the card front.

Photo shows a card created by cutting parts of the background out and sketching Time to Sparkle on the front of the card.

This design works perfectly for a going away card, new adventure, best wishes, congratulations, and more!

I set the text to sketch and used a crosshatch sketch fill of 0.015″. Then used the “cut” by Line Color on the Send tab to tell it what action I wanted each line color to do.

Photo shows a screenshot of the Silhouette Studio software with the Sketch set up on the Send tab to complete on the front of the card.

After the sketching and the cut out was complete on the front of the card, I added a layer of glitter cardstock behind to give it more sparkle.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #4 – Lighted Cake Topper

I added the Time to Sparkle design cut from glitter adhesive vinyl onto a clear transparency layer for this cake topper.

Photo shows a Lighted Cake Topper that was custom made in Silhouette Studio using the Time To Sparkle Design by Clikchic Designs

This design was created using the Draw Shapes tool in Silhouette Studio and creating several layers.

Photo shows a screenshot from the Silhouette Studio software showing the layers created for the lighted cake topper design featuring Time to Sparkle.

Supplies Used:

I love how one design can be used to create so many projects. The possibilities are endless!

Featured Designer – Clikchic Designs

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

Find more designs by Clikchic Designs

Follow along with Clikchic Designs on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Here are a few Instagram links to get you started – make sure when you visit to like and leave a comment too! Creators love to hear from real people who enjoy their work.

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

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One design can be used in so many different ways. 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.

Photo shows a collage of projects for the Crafting Creativity blog post featuring Clikchic Designs - Time to Sparkle Design. Projects shown include a 3D Mixed Media Canvas, Sublimation Tumbler, Custom Card, and Lighted Cake Topper.

Enjoy !

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Create More: Creative Projects with Wispy Willow Designs

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

Create more with your designs and your Silhouette! Do you ever get a file and then use it once and are done with it? Let’s change that way of thinking and get our designs to do more for us! That is exactly what the Crafting Creativity series is all about. Unlocking the ideas of creating with a design and seeing what can happen. For more inspiration and ideas, check out the Crafting Creativity series HERE.

In this blog post I’m sharing creative project ideas with one design file from Wispy Willow Designs. One design has so much potential and can be the key to unlocking the creative fire inside you! Check out how I used one design in 5 different projects ideas, including the ones that failed.

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

Create More: Crafting Creativity with Wispy Willow Designs

Project #1 – Print and Cut Stickers

For this project, I did some stickers and was testing it with some adhesive photo paper that says it’s waterproof. While the image itself was waterproof, the paper itself was not and the stickers did not last.

Photo contains a water bottle with a decal, a Silhouette machine in the background with a print and cut page on the table. Create More with Silhouette

While this project failed as a water bottle decal, I still found I love the adhesive photo paper for other projects. I have been using it for cards, home decor signs, and more!

Here is a look at my setup in Silhouette Studio for this print and cut page. I try to maximize the space when I do a print and cut project. However, I do use the default registration marks for the most accurate print and cut results.

Photo shows an screenshot of the Silhouette software print and cut page setup. Create More

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #2 – Home Decor Tiered Tray Sign

When I created the print and cut sheet design, I was thinking ahead to projects and included a size of the image that I could use on a wood round for a tiered tray sign.

Photo shows a printed page for print and cut loaded in the Silhouette machine.

Wood is a natural surface, so it can be tricky sometimes to get things to stick. I did add a coat of Mod Podge to the wood and let that dry before applying the adhesive photo paper to it.

Photo shows a finished project for a tiered tray using a print and cut design. Create more with Silhouette.

Supplies Used:

Project #3 – Round Ornament Design

This project was a failure! Big fat failure! The design itself turned out fabulous but the rest went into the trash.

Photo shows a close up of a print and cut sticker using the Happiness Comes in Waves design by Wispy Willow Designs. Create more with Silhouette.

I printed 2 copies of the beach design and then added them to a cardstock backer to make a double sided piece that was supposed to go inside a round clear ornament. I mentioned above that I like to maximize my print and cut space, so I included extra designs that I can use on cards in the future too!

Photo shows another print and cut page with multiple designs on it on a table with a Silhouette Cameo 5. Create more!

I wanted to add in sand and shells to the bottom of the ornament, but the glue didn’t look right when dry.

Photo shows a failed project with glue showing in an ornament with sea shells.

Back to the drawing board on this one. I tossed the ornament in the trash.

It was just not the look I was hoping for, but I do have a double sided design that is looking for a new project to be used in.

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – HTV on a Tote Bag

The previous project may have failed, but this one turned out FANTASTIC!

Photo shows a finished project with a fantastic HTV design using the Happiness Comes in Waves design by Wispy Willow Designs. Create more with Silhouette!

I cut each layer out of Siser Easyweed HTV and then pre-pressed the tote bag. Then each layer was placed and pressed for 3-5 seconds, just enough to get it secure and to be able to remove the carrier sheet. After the last layer give the entire design a press. I did 10 seconds at the end, but it really just depends on the layers and the material being used. This is a canvas tote bag with some texture, so I wanted to make sure it was well secured.

Supplies Used:

Tips For Working with HTV

Cutting Multiple Colors at Once

When cutting different colors of the same material, you can usually cut more than one color at a time. I do this with cardstock, adhesive vinyl, HTV, etc.

Here is a look at my setup for cutting this design, then I will cut my HTV colors down to the size I need and place them exactly where they are shown on the screen.

Photo shares a screenshot of Silhouette Studio software with multiple colors of the design on the design mat. Create more!

If using a Silhouette cutting mat and the mat is loaded properly, then the designs should cut in the exact location they show on the screen. If using a 3rd party cutting mat, they may not line up the same since the margins on the mat edges can vary from a true Silhouette cutting mat.

Cutting multiple colors at once, not only can save you time, but it can also make your mats last longer too because you are cutting the materials down to the size needed and not ripping a full piece of material off the entire mat each time.

Here is a look at the pieces after I cut and weeded each one.

Photo shows the cut design pieces from HTV on the table with a Silhouette machine.

Mirror the Design Yourself

Flip the design manually, by right clicking on the design and selecting Flip > Horizontal on the Design tab and then when you Send the design to cut, select “Send As Is” and the design will cut out exactly where you have it placed on the screen.

Photo shows a screenshot of Silhouette Studio showing how to choose Send As Is for an HTV design after it's been manually flipped. Create More!

If you let the Silhouette software mirror the design, then you may end up wasting materials and not having the material in the right location to cut. The software flips the entire mat, not just the design and does not show that on the screen. So you think it will cut on the left side, but it flips the entire mat and then cuts on the right.

Now, here is the humdinger on this one – the software flipping the entire mat can vary by software version. They added this “new feature” in and then it did not work the way a real user works, so many users wasted vinyl. After several years, they tried to “fix” it in the software so it would just flip the design and not the entire mat. Then in later versions, it was reverted back to flipping the entire mat again. It’s one of those things that I guess you’d say was implemented by an engineer and not someone who actually uses the Silhouette to cut HTV daily.

Pressing Multiple Layers and Colors

When pressing multiple colors, typically each color is pressed separately unless the pieces can be lined up WITHOUT any overlapping cover sheets. If the cover sheet of the HTV piece overlaps, it can interfere with the design being pressed.

Place one color of the design, then press for 3-5 seconds to “tack” it down, then remove the carrier sheet and repeat for all the layers.

Unless the carrier sheet of each layer covers the entire design, make sure to only press long enough to tack it down and then remove the carrier sheet for that piece. If you press it too long the carrier sheet can leave an indent in the other pieces of HTV that are already pressed.

For instance, if I left the carrier sheet for Beach on too long, it might leave a line impressed into the sunshine rays.

Photo shows several layers of HTV pressed onto a canvas tote bag.

Use a protective layer on top of the HTV when pressing each layer, unless the carrier sheet covers all of the HTV each time. This will protect the HTV and prevent it from sticking to the top platen of the heat press. I use a Teflon sheet or a piece of parchment paper depending on what’s handy and what material I’m using.

Oh and another one – parchment paper and wax paper are not the same. Wax paper in a heat press can leave a big mess.

Additional Resources:

Project #5 – Sketch & Mixed Media Design

This project was a test, well, actually several tests.

Testing pens to see if they were waterproof, sketching with the Silhouette Cameo Pro MK II with no mat, and mixing watercolor backgrounds with acrylic paint markers.

This idea just would not go away and for some reason, I really wanted to sketch out this month’s design. I can’t pinpoint why, but sometimes you just don’t know what will turn out until you give it a try. And sometimes you just have to let yourself play.

Photo shows a look at a sketched design that has been colored with watercolors and acrylic markers with multiple craft supplies on the table.

And it worked!
The pens were waterproof and did not bleed.
The Silhouette machine sketched the design as it should without a cutting mat.
The watercolor background turned out fantastic – LOVE IT!
The acrylic markers on top = worked!

It is unique! It also gave me a bunch more ideas too.

And I put together a video of this project below.

Supplies Used:

It is amazing how one design or creative idea can be the spark for so many more projects!

Featured Designer – Wispy Willow Designs

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

Find more designs by Wispy Willow Designs

Follow along with Wispy Willow Designs on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

A great big thank you to Hannah at Wispy Willow Designs for collaborating with us this month!

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

One design can be used in so many different ways. 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.

Photo is a Pinterest photo for pinning this project that states Crafting Creativity with Wispy Willow Designs. 1 Design = 5 projects. Create More with Silhouette!

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+

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**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.

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Creative Projects with Mixed Media Designs

Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae

When you hear “mixed media” do you instantly think of physical elements only? Or do you think of digital designs as well? In this issue of Crafting Creativity I’m sharing several projects created using Mixed Media Designs by Sarah Hurley. Whether you make the same projects or not, I hope it unlocks some inspiration and thoughts stirring around on what you can use designs for. The Crafting Creativity series is designed to spark interest and ideas on what you can create using one design file or a style of designs such as these mixed media designs.

Often times I think users get a cut file and think of only one possible project for it and then it might sit in our digital resources forever and not be used again. But, there is so much more that can be created with just one design. For more inspiration and ideas, check out the Crafting Creativity series HERE.

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

Crafting Creativity with Sarah Hurley Mixed Media Designs

Project #1 – Easy Shaker Cards with Mixed Media Designs

Shaker cards can be very simple to make and assemble. It’s all about layers and creating a “pocket” to hold the shaker bits in place.

A crafting workspace featuring greeting cards with decorative designs, a color palette card showing a cake with icing, a purple glitter pen, tape, and a bag of small heart embellishments.

I used some glitter cardstock hearts that I’ve kept in a little baggie from when I was testing the Silhouette Electrostatic Mat cutting glitter cardstock. They have just been waiting for the right project.

I wanted to see how the design would look in 2 ways – with the mixed media design on top and as the background.

Here is a closer look at the design with the mixed media layer on top of the shaker bits.

A decorative card featuring a cut-out design of buildings with a pink background, showcasing the word 'Be' in a stylish font surrounded by empowering words like 'Thoughtful,' 'Happy,' 'Strong,' and 'Fearless.' Glittery accents and heart shapes add detail, enhancing the overall inspirational theme.

And a close up look at the design with the mixed media layer as a background behind the shaker bits.

A greeting card featuring a pink and teal design with glittery hearts, a message circle that says 'You are' surrounded by positive adjectives, and crafting materials in the background.

Watch the video tutorial below on how I created these designs.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #2 – Laser Cut Sign Background

This was such a random idea that popped into my head and I decided to try it and see what happened. I love how it turned out!

Wooden plaque featuring a butterfly design with inspirational text about growth and embracing change.

In the Silhouette software, I released the compound path and deleted some of the bits in the middle to make it a little more successful in cutting and create a larger space for the design in the middle. Then selected the entire mixed media design and made a compound path again.

Here is a look at the design before I saved as a svg to send to my Glowforge.

An open design software window displaying a decorative butterfly design with text, set up for a wood sign project.

I still need to finish this out and I’m not sure if I’ll add stain or just a protective sealer to it.

I then scaled the design down a bit and made a business sign too.

A decorative wooden sign displaying the name 'EllyMae', the business 'Swift Creek Customs', and the phrase 'Silhouette Secrets + Creator, Instructor, Maker'. It features a QR code on one side.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #3 – Stencils with Mixed Media Designs

Use mixed media designs to create unique stencils that can be used for many different purposes.

Two craft stencils held by hands, one with an abstract speckled pattern and the other with a series of circular cutouts, displayed on a grid background.

This project uses the mixed media files in 3 different ways

  • as stencils
  • as physical elements cut
  • as digital backgrounds
A colorful canvas featuring motivational phrases such as 'Be You, Be Unique, Be Unstoppable' and 'You Are Amazing, Brave, Thoughtful, Kind, Smart, Fearless, Loved, Talented, Unique, Strong'. The background has abstract paint splashes and patterns.

This project came together layer by layer. A collage of different mediums and materials. I love how it has turned out so far. I am not sure it’s completely finished, but I’m sure it will tell me one of these days.

Here is a close up look at some of the layered details on this canvas collage showing 3 different methods of using the mixed media designs.

Close-up of a colorful mixed media artwork featuring an inspirational quote that reads "YOU ARE Amazing, Brave, Thoughtful, Kind, Smart, Fearless, Loved, Talented, Loyal, True, Strong" on a pink background with various artistic textures and patterns.

I also used the stencils in a mixed media journal to practice with before adding to my canvas. My first attempt on the canvas the paint was a bit watery and ran under the stencil, so I set that aside and practiced a bit in the journal.

An artist's workspace featuring an open sketchbook with colorful paint strokes and a stencil. Various paint bottles are arranged in the background alongside paintbrushes and tools, indicating an active creative process.

Use the mixed media designs and cut the design from cardstock or other materials to create a physical element. Layer and add this to the canvas for even more uniqueness and interest.

A close-up of crafting materials on a wooden table, featuring two black butterfly cutouts and several black patterned overlays, alongside a cutting machine and a blue cutting mat.

Add a digital pattern to the mixed media design, print it out, and cut out in a shape to add another layer to the canvas.

A close-up of printed motivational phrases on a sheet of paper, featuring the text 'You Are' followed by positive adjectives like 'Brave,' 'Kind,' and 'Talented,' with colorful watercolor backgrounds in orange and pink.

Mixed media designs have so much potential on what they can be used for and in this case I layered the different elements and just kept building the canvas project.

Supplies Used:

Project #4 – HTV Shirt Designs

I created a couple different shirt designs using the mixed media designs and then cut out of HTV. The first one is cut from Siser Tiger Lily Puff Metallic HTV and another one of my favorites. I made one similar to this last year and it still looks great!

A navy blue t-shirt featuring the word 'create' in a stylish pink font, positioned over a patterned background of pink circles.

Next, I swapped out the Metallic Puff HTV and used a pattern HTV that’s in my stash along with a Siser Glitter Puff HTV. Although the glitter puff didn’t really puff up that much, it still looks great on the shirt.

Navy blue t-shirt featuring the word 'create' in bright green, surrounded by colorful confetti.

And one more creation. I’m not sure how I feel about this color combination, but I think it’s growing on me. I used Siser Glitter Puff HTV in orange and it didn’t puff up much either, but still looks great on the shirt.

A blue t-shirt with a colorful watercolor design featuring the word 'create' in bold, stylish lettering.

All of these shirts were created using the same techniques of an offset of the text and subtracting the offset from the mixed media design.

Supplies Used:

Additional Resources:

Project #5 – ATC (Artist Trading Cards)

Each year for Creativation I’ve made ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) and pass these out to others at the show. I used 2 of the mixed media designs on the background of the ATCs. These techniques could be applied to many other projects such as cards, bookmarks, stickers, etc.

A crafting workspace displaying a stack of colorful business cards with the text 'LIVE YOUR DREAMS' and 'ST LOUIS', alongside a card indicating creator information and a logo for Silhouette Secrets.

Watch the step-by-step tutorial on creating these ATC (Artist Trading Cards) below.

And check out the blog post on the ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) HERE.

Supplies Used:

It is amazing how one design or creative idea can be the spark for so many more projects!

Featured Designer – Sarah Hurley

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

Find more designs by Sarah Hurley at the ​Silhouette Design Store​​

Follow along with Sarah Hurley on her ​website​, ​Facebook​, and ​Instagram​.

Sarah also launched Stella Nova this past year too and I’ve enjoyed following along on that journey as well. ​Check that out HERE​.

A great big thank you to Sarah Hurley for collaborating with us this month!

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

One design can be used in so many different ways. 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 collection of mixed media projects including a colorful notebook cover, personalized wooden sign, and various fabric designs featuring the word 'create' and positive affirmations.

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.