Posted on 2 Comments

News and Information

5 year Anniversary

Little did I know that when I started writing this post that I would get a notice from my website congratulating me on 5 years! I was only writing to share the Questionnaire found below with you.
But 5 years ago on October 5th, I switched my blog over to Silhouette Instruction and it has been a fantastic 5 years!
When I signed up for the Terri Johnson Creates Licensed Instructor program I really had no intention of teaching.

So first, I want to stop and thank all of YOU!

When I took the Instructor course, I was just an average Silhouette crafter. I knew enough to get my projects done and happily create.
Over the last 5 years, I have expanded that knowledge through your questions, your feedback, troubleshooting user issues, being a part of the Beta testing team, teaching classes at events & conferences, continued education, and continually stepping outside of my comfort zone and testing the “What happens when I do this?”.
Thank you for your input, questions, posting user issues, encouragement, support, and sharing your Silhouette projects!
It has all been a valuable part of this journey!

Each and every one of you has played some part in this, whether you realized it or not. This Silhouette journey has been so much more than a “job” or “business”. The “business” side of things can be the not so fun part.

Through this journey I have met some of the most amazing people!
Many whom I called friends and some even family now!
I have developed relationships with colleagues, mentors, industry leaders, retailers, programmers, support staff …. the list could go on.
I have traveled to teach at events, conferences, and gatherings where I have met people from all over the world!
The bare bones of it is that Silhouette is that common thing that has brought us together!
It’s about the people and the relationships!
This week I may help you solve a problem on your Silhouette and next week I may be wishing you congratulations on a new job, family addition, or your business!

I never even imagined where this “dream” would have taken me!
Not going to lie, it’s not always an easy road and it is work, but seeing that light in a user’s eyes when they “get it” or reading their excited comment – makes it worth it!

So THANK YOU!
Thank you for being part of that journey!
Thank you for your support & encouragement!

Follower Feedback

I have a list a mile long that continues to grow of future Silhouette blog posts, classes, tutorials, Facebook shares, etc. However, there are times that things get bumped up on that list when I see a reader or Facebook group member having an issue or asking about a technique.

At least once a year, I try to do a feedback inquiry about what YOU, my followers & readers want to learn so I can prioritize and plan for the upcoming information releases.

This year I have created a short questionnaire to gather that information.
You can access this questionnaire HERE or click on the photo below.

I do not collect the user information, just your feedback.
I will be collecting feedback through the month of October 2021.

I want to say a great big thank you for your feedback! YOUR feedback makes a difference and I want to release information that helps YOU with your Silhouette journey!

More Information

If you are on social media, then you most likely know or felt the impact of Facebook and other platforms being shut down this past week for many hours.
I know many users rely on those platforms as their sole source of information or help, but what happens when it’s not available?

Where can you find information?

Silhouette Secrets blog
Right here on this website.
On the right side on a computer is a search bar, type in the keyword you are needing help with and it should bring up any post I’ve done regarding that in the past 5 years.

If you are on a mobile device, then the search is located at the bottom of the website. You will need to scroll to the end to bring it up.

If you want to be notified by email when the next post gets published, make sure to Subscribe on the right side (bottom if on mobile).

My goal is to publish 1 new blog post a week.
This has been my goal for the past 3-4 years and I find it works well. Most blog posts take quite a bit of time to test, photograph, write, edit, record, and sometimes even start from scratch when a photo doesn’t turn out or user error happens.
I cannot mass produce blog posts and try not to flood your inbox with emails.
Once in awhile you may see 1-2 additional posts a week as this has been requested by followers so they are aware of Silhouette Design Store sales or upcoming events, but I try to make those short and sweet.

PDF Diagram of Silhouette Studio

What do all those icons and buttons do?

In January 2018, I started a series called “Let’s Explore v4” and it has grown far more than I thought when I first designed it. What started as a year series has continues as there is just so much to cover in the Silhouette software.
Through that “Let’s Explore v4” series, I was able to put together a PDF diagram of the Silhouette Studio Design tab in the software that outlines what each icon is and links back to the relevant tutorials on each.

Grab the free PDF document HERE or click the photo below

I’ve received feedback from users in 2 ways they use the above PDF diagram.
1 – Download the PDF to your computer.
Open the PDF document and then click on the blue names and it will open to the tutorials on the blog that refer to that tool/icon.
2 – Print this document and refer to it as a visual reference of what those icons are.

Find me on YouTube

Now that my kids are back in school (cross your fingers) and we are not in virtual school all day, I may be able to put out a few more video tutorials to support the written tutorials.

Check it out HERE

To subscribe open a video and click on the Subscribe button. And you “should” get a notification when a new video is posted. A follower let me know that it doesn’t always work like it should and also requested I make a blog post when I release a new one, so they don’t miss it and you’ll see those quick posts if it is outside my regular schedule.

Find me on Instagram

Now, of course if Facebook happens to be down, most likely Instagram will be too since they are from the same source.
But just in case find Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow me on Pinterest

I know Pinterest may have decreased in popularity but I use it all the time for new ideas and of course recipes. I use it for more than just Silhouette related, although that is a big part of what I am always on the hunt for.

Follow me on Pinterest HERE

There are many social media platforms and new ones popping up all the time.

I cannot be on all of them and still have the time to create tutorials, answer questions, and create classes. The ones listed above are the main ones I am on.
I hope you follow me on the one that works the best for you!

One last share for today

In a past post, I listing 5 Silhouette Resources and I want to share that again with you.
Click HERE to go to that post.

I hope you have a fabulous day!
And THANK YOU for being on this Silhouette journey with me!

I would love what you are creating with your Silhouette software and machines!
Feel free to post on the
Silhouette Secrets+ Facebook Group

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.

If you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

SS Logo snip it
**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 3 Comments

Let’s Explore – 5 Silhouette Resources

Today I want to provide a few resources that can help you on your Silhouette journey. I call it a journey because there is so much to learn with the Silhouette software and projects, there is really no end. We are all on this journey together and we have all started at the same place – The Beginning – at one time or another.

5 Silhouette Resources

Tutorial written in Silhouette Studio v4.3.372
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1 – Silhouette Studio User Manual in the software

Open the Silhouette software. Click on the Help menu in the top left corner.

A User Manual will open as a PDF document.

Use the Page numbers at the top to advance to a particular page or on the computer keyboard click Ctrl+F at the same time and a Find window will pop up and you can search by keywords.

2 – Shortcuts

Did you know that there are shortcuts in the Silhouette software? These are keystrokes that toggle tools and features on and off.

The shortcuts diagram can be found at the end of the User’s Manual in the software. Using the page numbers, type in 118, then hit enter and it will take you to the last page of the manual for the diagram. This can be printed out for reference.

My favorite shortcuts are Ctrl+Z for Undo and Ctrl+G for Group.

3 – Silhouette Handbook in the Silhouette Design Store

The Silhouette handbook is a free ebook in the Silhouette Design Store.
Grab it HERE.

This book has over 350 pages of Silhouette information packed into it.

Once you download the handbook it will show in the Silhouette library when it is synced and can be accessed under the Ebooks folder in the library tree.

Double click on it and it will open the PDF document. Ctrl+F will also bring up a Finder window that you can search by a keyword.

Or you can download it direct to your hard drive and open it from there. You can even print out pages from the book for hard copy reference.

4 – Silhouette 101 blog & tutorials

The Silhouette 101 website is packed full of information that can be helpful to new and seasoned users. It is not just for creative inspiration but you will find machine manuals, tutorials, free classes, and free e-books on there as well.

Click on the Getting Started section and see machine manuals.

Click on the Tutorials section and you will see free ebooks, software how tos, and projects as well.

Click on the Videos and you will see classes, software tutorials, and more.

So many great things can be found on the Silhouette 101 website in addition to the project blog posts.

5 – Silhouette Secrets+ website

The “Let’s Explore v4” series has been going strong for a couple of years now and is so much more than I imagined when I first started writing it.

The Silhouette software is so powerful that it is amazing how much I have learned in writing detailed posts on the different tools and features in the software.
There is always something new to learn.

Join me in this “Let’s Explore v4” journey as we learn all the details of the tools and features in the software.

Silhouette classes are another great way to dive into the software and really learn a particular task or project.

I’ve been teaching Silhouette classes for the past 4 years and this past year launched my online courses. I created these courses at the request of my students as they wanted to access them when they had time available and be able to re-watch them.

At the top of the blog is a Silhouette Instructions & Events tab.
Click on that and the first option is Online Video Classes.

From there click the link to my Teachable site to see all the courses available.

This will open up the Teachable site and you can see all the classes available.

The most popular class so far is the Beginner Setup & First Cuts with Silhouette.

The best way to learn the Silhouette is to play, play, play. It is just like learning anything else new, it will take time to learn and to perfect! The biggest thing I can encourage you to do is to be patient with yourself!
I hope this has helped to give you a few ideas of where to look for more information!

I would love to see your creations!
Feel free to post photos or questions on my Facebook group at 
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy!

SS Logo snip it
**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.