Posted on July 23, 2019August 3, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 4 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Pixscan project

Pixscan Project

I get an email from my husband asking if I can make him a phone cover out of some skull vinyl he has found online.

Well, of course, challenge accepted!

I order the vinyl and sat down to cross this off my to list. I wanted to get it done because sometimes the projects that are closest to us always seem to get pushed down the list. This time I wanted it to be first on my list.
Take some time, create something for yourself, a loved one, or a friend.
Enjoy what you can create!

Now on to the project!

I grabbed my Pixscan mat for the Cameo and took a photo using my old Iphone 6.

Next, I emailed myself the photo and when it asked what size I wanted to email, I chose “Actual Size”. If the photo is compressed when it’s sent, then it may not be read by the Silhouette Software.

After I download and save the file, I then clicked on the Pixscan Panel in the top right corner of the Silhouette Software.

Choose Load Pixscan Image from File and find the location the file was saved when downloaded.

Once the photo pops up, I get a notice about no Calibration Profile.

I just click on “Continue without calibration” and the photo will load onto the Silhouette Studio design mat. Now you should see the Pixscan mat on the screen.

Now that the Pixscan mat is in the software, there may be several ways to get the cut lines needed.

Trace

With a basic Trace, I can trace the outer edge of the phone case.

I increased the Threshold until the edges turned solid yellow and then chose “Trace Outer Edge”.

Now, in this photo I have increased the line thickness so you can see the cut line better. You will notice that the right side of the cut line is not perfectly aligned with the bottom edge of the phone. That is due to the shadow and it traced around the shadow. This can easily be moved to the edge of the phone.

If you double click on the cut line, the Edit Points will pop up and you can see that there are more than are really necessary. Anytime you have a trace you will find that it adds edit points. These can be simplified in the Edit Points Panel by either clicking on “Simplify” or deleting unnecessary ones.

For more information on Edit Points, check out this post HERE.

I mentioned above, that there may be several ways to get the cut lines needed. What works best is going to depend on what image you are working with. The Trace did a good job getting the outer edge of the shape I needed for the outer cut line of the case. However, I need to cut the 2 circles out of this for the back of the phone and the Drawing Tools will do the job here.

Drawing

On the left side are the Drawing Tools. I will need the Draw Ellipse Tool and will hold down the Shift key to draw a perfect circle for the 2 objects I need it for.

And I now have the cut lines for cutting vinyl to apply to my husband’s phone.

Since I am only needing the shape cut out and not cutting onto a specific media or stamped image, I can copy this shape and paste it onto a new design mat to cut it.

I do not need to cut directly on the Pixscan mat in this case. However, you could if you have an image such as a design on a scrapbook paper that you want to cut out or a stamped image and want to cut it directly on the mat, like in this post explaining the Pixscan Panel.

I use the Reveal option on the Page Setup Panel to measure where the design will fit on my cutting mat and then cut my materials down to size with a paper trimmer. Then I am only applying the material to that section of the cutting mat and I save the adhesive on the other areas that it is not applied. This is one way that I can get a Silhouette cutting mat to last a long time.
For other tips on Getting the Most out of the Silhouette cutting mat check out this post HERE.

It’s ready to cut! Click on the Send tab, choose my Vinyl Glossy Material and click on Send at the bottom.

And remember the old saying “Measure twice cut once” or you end up with a piece of vinyl that wasn’t quite long enough. But it’s just a little vinyl and I put a 2nd piece on the cutting mat and cut again. It happens to us all at one point or another.

Now it’s ready to apply the Oracal transfer tape and put it on the back of the phone.

Here is a quick video on how I apply the Oracal transfer tape. I have used this for years both personally and in my classes and my students have no issues with it.

And now by using the Pixscan mat, my husband has the custom phone cover he requested. He has a clear phone protective case on it, so that will protect the adhesive vinyl even more.

Keep in mind that each object or design that you are working with may be different in what is needed to accomplish the goal. I used the Trace Panel and drawing tools to get the shapes I needed for my cut lines. A different object may need another tool or a combination of tools too!

The best way to learn is to play, play, play!

Feel like this is something you might use?
Grab one at Swing Design or Silhouette America to play (I mean test).

Have you used the Pixscan? I would love to hear how!

Feel free to share your projects, questions, or comments below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**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 July 9, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 4 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – 3-D tank project

I love creating 3-D paper projects and my kids love to shop over my shoulder when I’m looking in the Silhouette Design Store. My son who loves army, tanks, and soldiers saw this Combat Tank 3D Box design in the store a few weeks back and has been asking me to build it ever since.

I think his idea of building it was a bit different than mine. He was glued to my side while cutting all the pieces. He even helped unload the mat and remove some of the pieces off the cutting mat. Then he ran off, like little boys do.

When I’m working with a file that has many pieces to it, the first thing I do is open it up and take a look. I have to tell you when I first purchased this file, I opened it and then closed it. I wasn’t going to cut it that night.

That is a lot of pieces, but it is a 3-D project after all and I love seeing it all come together.

The first thing I like to do when working with a 3-D file is to screen grab a photo of the design.

I am a PC gal, so I use the Snipping Tool. If you have a Windows computer, type Snipping Tool in the bottom left search bar and it will pop up.
I use this tool so often that I have it pinned to my bottom task bar for quick access.

When it pops up, it looks like this.

Click on New and then draw a box around the object you want to “snip” on the page. Then choose to save that “snip” to the computer or copy and paste it into the Silhouette Design mat.

(On a MAC – Hold down the Command button, Shift & 4 – then drag the cursor around the object)

This gives me a reference to look at when I’m working with the file.

Since I have the ability to cut 12″ wide, I scaled this file up to cut it as large as I could. I moved the largest piece that would be cut on top of the Silhouette virtual mat and used the bounding box in the corner to increase the size of the entire design.

Make sure if you resize a design, that you are resizing the entire design at the same time to keep it all at the same scale, or the pieces will not fit together.

Next, I ungroup the entire design if needed and then fill all the pieces with the color it will be cut out of. Then I move the same colors together to all be cut at the same time.

Now, you will see on the left side that those are not filled in. I did not have any Camouflage paper, so I went back to the Silhouette Design Store and found this Camouflaged Print Pattern by Nilmara Quintela.

By that time, my son had run back into the room and was excited to see how I was going to take this image on my screen and print it onto paper to cut out.

Now just like so many other things in the Silhouette software, there are a couple ways you can do this. Let’s Explore the difference between using the Modify Panel vs Pattern Fill.

Modify Panel

Step 1 – Open a new design mat.

Step 2 – From the Silhouette library, choose the Camouflaged Print Paper file.

Step 3 – Next, I scaled the paper down to fit on my 12 x 12 virtual design mat.

Step 4 – Copy the pieces from the 3-D design mat and paste them onto the new design file.

*note – line thickness has been increased on the tank pieces for visual reference

Step 5 – Select all of the objects on the virtual design mat.

Step 6 – Open the Modify Panel and choose Crop.

And I can still hear the gasp from my 7 year old son when he saw it change on the screen. That had to be the best part! I even had to do it over again and again for him to watch it.

Pattern Fill

Step 1 – Open a new Design mat.

Step 2 – Copy the 3-D file pieces and paste onto the new design mat.

Step 3 – Select all the pieces.

Step 4 – Open the Fill Color Panel and choose the 3rd tab = Fill Pattern.

Step 5 – Find the pattern in the fill pattern options and select it.

This method looks a bit different and you have more options to Scale & Pan the Pattern. It is really a matter of personal preference on how you want the objects to be filled.

For this tank & camouflage pattern, I used the Modify Panel.

Next, I set this up as a Print and Cut file.

I follow the same steps every single time to setting up a print and cut and it works great. Check out this Print & Cut – Part I blog post for step by step setup and troubleshooting tips too!

Then, I printed it on my Canon 9521C large format printer. I have to say, I was hesitant to add this to my craft studio because it was more than I wanted to spend on a printer, but I am so glad I did. I purchased it after the November 2018 All Things Silhouette Conference and I have not regretted it since. I have printed so many high quality images for blog posts, classes, gifts, and more.

Always double check that all the registration marks printed correctly and are not missing. For more tips on troubleshooting Print & Cut projects – click HERE.

Once all the pieces for the tank are cut, comes the assembly time.

The first thing I did was go look in the Silhouette Design Store and see if the designer had linked instructions in the description. This is a lot of pieces and having a tutorial is helpful in assembly.

The link did not take me directly there, but a quick search of the blog and it popped right up.

Why does this happen? It can be for many reasons. Sometimes a link just doesn’t code correctly, a page was moved or renamed, etc. This was an easy one to find and often I find a quick search is all that is needed. But, when I find these things, I do let Silhouette know so they are aware.

And I have to say, this was a was great tutorial to put this tank together.

Find the full tutorial for this Combat Tank 3-D Box by Snapdragon Snippets – HERE.

Now, some assembly photos.

I used a combination of Scrapbook Adhesives E-Z Runner and Liquid Glass by Close to My Heart to assemble these parts.

For the smaller pieces, I used my Xyron Sticker maker which makes this so much easier.

Once it was all assembled it was time for photos.

And of course he wanted to do some staging.

It was a bit big for my photo box, but he didn’t care.

And we had to take it for a test drive.

And the Army guys definitely blend in. How many can you spot?

He even set up a little battle, although I think one side was a bit overpowered.

He was more than tickled to go put on his “Tank top” from last summer, his Camo pants and pose for this photo. I think this was a success!

Have you tried a 3-D project? Check out the 3-D section in the Silhouette Design Store for lots of fun projects.

I would love to see what projects you create! Feel free to post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**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 June 26, 2019February 28, 2021 by silhouettesecretsplus — 18 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Flexi Shapes

Flexishapes

*This post may contain affiliate links.

New with the Silhouette Studio v4.2 software is a feature called FlexiShapes.
What are they?

FlexiShapes are another Tool in the Silhouette Software to help you create or add to a design.

Let’s take a look at the Silhouette Studio v4 layout. There are 2 side menus in the Silhouette software. The left side menu is where the Tools in the software can be found. Drawing tools, edit points, lasso tool, line drawing tools, shape drawing tools, text tool, notes, eraser, knife, and transfer properties eye dropper tool.
The right side menu is composed of Panels which control the properties of an object. Using the Panels on the right side, an object can be customized and the properties of it altered. This includes things such as fill color, line color, rotation, scale, font style, cropping, rhinestones, sketch, warp, etc.

Check out the “Let’s Explore v4” series HERE or in the menu at the top of the blog to see a breakdown of the Panels on the right side.

FlexiShapes are available in the Silhouette Software v4.2 software version with the Designer Edition Plus or Business Edition upgrade.
The FlexiShapes can be found under the left side of the Silhouette software where all the Tools are found.

Look at all those new shapes that are now available with a few clicks of the mouse to start your own creations in the Silhouette software.

Each of the FlexiShapes will have different properties and ways that you can alter each one. Let’s take a look at a few FlexiShapes and how they can be adjusted.

On the left side I chose the flower FlexiShape, left clicked and moved my mouse out.
This creates the initial shape.

Next, you will notice that each FlexiShape will vary in the edit nodes that it may have.

White nodes adjust the size of the shape or rotate the shape from the point of the white node.

Red nodes adjust the definition of the shape. In this flower shape, moving the red node will adjust the petal definition of the flower.

The slider bar in the center of the design will adjust the edges of the shape. In this flower example, it will decrease or increase the number of petals on the flower.

*Note – I have increased the line thickness in the photos to make it easier to see.

Each FlexiShape that you choose will have different options that can be adjusted to change the outcome. Some shapes may have more nodes or less.

Want a star? Start with the star shape and it can quickly become something else.

Want a tear drop shape?

Create shapes and add them to your designs like these teardrops in the corners of this design created for the Curio Boot Camp for the June 2019 All Things Silhouette Conference.

Both the teardrops and the scalloped rectangle frame are created using the FlexiShapes.

With the FlexiShapes there are so many options that you can create in the software.

Create a frame by adjusting the FlexiShape nodes and then make an Internal Offset, next select both the original shape & the offset and Make a Compound Path. This will take the 2 shapes and compress them into 1, creating the frame.
Fill the shape with color using the Color Fill Panel to see how it will look.

Create arrows of all shapes and sizes or create a picket fence from adjusting the nodes and replicating the shape. This are all created from the same starting arrow shape.

And once you start playing, it’s hard to stop.

I am in no way a designer, but you never know what you might create by combining a few shapes or playing around with some FlexiShape nodes today.

What can you think to create using the new FlexiShapes available in the Silhouette Studio v4.2 software?
I would love to see it!
Feel free to post photos on my Facebook group – Silhouette Secrets+ by EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy!

Check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

**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 June 18, 2019October 21, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 4 Comments

Print and Cut with Heat Transfer Paper

Print and Cut with Heat Transfer Paper

*This post may contain Affiliate links.

For the June 2019 All Things Silhouette Conference, I taught a class called “Let’s Explore Print & Cut with Printable Heat Transfer”. I had so much fun creating this class and want to share that with all of you. While I cannot pass around all the demos I made like I did in class, I hope a photo blog post will do.

First, I set up the Print & Cut design using the Summer Flowers bundle by Echo Park – Design #186925 from the Silhouette Design Store.

When setting up a Print & Cut project, I follow the same steps each time. In this post – Print & Cut – Part 3 – Images, I go through every step I take to set up the file for the best success.
This is what I would also recommend for a beginner who is doing this for the first time or for anyone who is having issues with the Print and Cut not registering or not cutting accurately.
While you can adjust several things on a Print & Cut file, I find most users get the best results and have less headache if they first start with a baseline
For more troubleshooting tips, see this post – Print & Cut – Part 1.

This is exactly what I walked through in class step by step.

Now to the fun part, Show & Tell!

This class was sponsored by Specialty Materials and I used a product called Colorjet III Light and Dark Heat Transfer Paper. ColorJet III comes in packages of either 8-1/2″ x 11″ or 11″ x 17″ sheets. I loved the 11″ x 17″ sheets with my Canon TS9521C large format printer, then I could fit several print and cut projects on one page and do larger designs as well.
You can request a free sample on the website HERE.

First, I started with a few shirts.

As soon as this shirt came off the press, it was my 6 year old daughter’s favorite shirt.
I had to go searching for it in order to take it to the ATS Conference with me.
I used Colorject III Dark on this shirt with a design that is part of a print & cut sticker file called ML Unicorn Cute Stickers by MiniLou – Design #285420 from the Silhouette Design Store.

Now, if you read the directions on the Colorjet III it says “Care – Hand wash and air dry. Do not dry clean. No bleach or aggressive detergents” (Specialty Materials) but, I have 3 kids and “hand wash” does not really happen in my house. But, I am happy to report that it has been through the washer & dryer at least 3 times since I made it and it still looks great. And I brought it with me to Conference to show everyone how it held up.
What do I recommend? You have to test it yourself! The manufacturer gives you care instructions and for best results, I’d recommend those to get the most life out of it.
Me….. well, you guessed it. I throw everything in the washer & dryer with the thought that I can always remake it if I need to. That is probably not the best advice for everyone.

I used the Colorjet III Dark on this blue shirt with a design called Justice League by DC Justice League – Design #201137.
*This is an older design that is no longer in the Silhouette Design Store.

For this shirt, I used the Colorject III Light with designs Painted Purple Bouquet by Loni Harris – Design #139067 and the words are cut with Siser Easyweed HTV using the Live Life in Full Bloom by Silhouette – Design #129071.

And then I moved on to other objects and things I could find that wouldn’t necessarily need to be washed often.

This one is using the Colorjet III Light pressed onto a Canvas panel & framed. Created with Enjoy Today Painted Floral by Loni Harris – Design #134285 from the Silhouette Design Store.

Here is another one created with Colorjet III Light then pressed onto a Canvas panel & framed. Created with Floral Monogram K by Angie Makes – Design #173599 from the Silhouette Design Store.

This time, I used a framed canvas and the Colorject III Light. In order to get a good pressure on the framed canvas, I had a wood board cut to fit in the back side of the frame and placed it inside when I pressed the design. I’ve been eyeing these watercolor designs and love that I’ve found a way to use them. This was created with Multicolored Prism Heart by Rhonna Farrer – Design #248413 from the Silhouette Design Store.

This is using Colorjet III Light on a zippered cotton canvas bag from Craft Chameleon. It was created with Watercolor Heart by Rhonna Farrer – Design #248434 from the Silhouette Design Store.

I used Colorjet III Dark on this garden flag from Craft Chameleon for the American Flag of United States by Echo Park – Design #269732 (Silhouette Design Store). The words are cut with HTV and I used a design by BasicGrey called Home of the Free Because of the Brave – Design #204727.

And now some of my favorites – photos!

This one should be hung on my wall for many years to come, memorializing that I managed to get all 3 of them smiling together without some crazy face.

I used the Colorjet III Light printed through the Silhouette software on a canvas panel, which I then put in a 8″ x 10″ frame. While these are not UV treated like others you get at a professional photo shop, you can change the photo out each year or several times a year if you like for a lot less expense. I love having options!

Another photo on a canvas panel using Colorjet III Dark.

And what about a one of a kind gift?

I used Colorjet III Light to add my favorite photo to a canvas tote bag from Craft Chameleon.

Now, did all of my test projects turn out? No, they did not. And that is what comes when developing a class for an event. There will be things that work and things that don’t. But, even the things that don’t turn out are all learning experiences.

Here are a couple of projects that didn’t turn out quite as I expected them to. I always recommend reading the instructions for any brand of product you are using. In those instructions for the Colorjet III it states “Be advised that dye migration has occurred with low energy dyes in polyester and poly-blend fabrics.” What does this mean?
This means to test it and that not all fabrics may work as you want them to. Not because of the product but because you cannot always predict how the dye in a material is going to react. For instance, if you have white HTV and press it on a red shirt, the white HTV may look pink. This is dye migration.

In the case of the apron and the sleeping mask above, the color of the fabric came through the Colorjet III Dark, even though I used the correct material. I tried, it didn’t work. I moved on to another project.

The zippered canvas bag on the right side, is an example of using the Colorjet III Light on a dark fabric. Complete user error on this one as I just wasn’t thinking when I grabbed my blank to press it on to. My daughter still loves it and now it’s her “money bag” she says.

I hope this post has given you some new ideas to use in your creations with Heat Transfer paper. It’s not just for shirts anymore!

A big thank you to Specialty Materials for sponsoring my class at the June 2019 All Things Silhouette Conference! For more information on future check out Terri Johnson Creates blog and click on the Events tab.

I would love to see what you create – feel free to post on my Facebook group at
Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 3 Comments

Silhouette Inspiration

Today I am headed out to the June 2019 All Things Silhouette conference and I have to tell you while it may be a lot of work to prep and set up for the conference, I always come back knowing more than I did before & feeling inspired by all that I see at this conference.

So today, I’m going to share a few projects I’ve been working on and hope I can pass on some of this inspiration that I feel when I attend the conference.

First, here are a few acrylic etching projects that I’ve completed with my Silhouette Curio in preparation for the classes I’m teaching at the All Things Silhouette Conference & for display during classes.

This is an acrylic coaster from Craft Chameleon and I created a design and added text to it to be etched on the backside of the coaster. These come in a set of 4 coasters and it is the perfect gift to customize.

I love that Craft Chameleon has Curio templates that have been created to work specifically with their acrylic shapes. While the Curio is amazing in the fact that it can return to the exact spot & continue working even after the platform is unloaded (if the platform is loaded correctly), these templates are so helpful in being able to make sure the designs are in the same place the material is placed.

An Acrylic phone stand etched with the Silhouette Curio.

These are another great gift idea as pretty much everyone has a phone. And if any of you are like me, I will set my phone down on my desk and it is soon under some notebook or stack of papers. It even has a slot for the charging cord to keep your phone charging as it’s on the stand. And both pieces of the acrylic stand can be etched as the Curio template has a space to fit both pieces.

I love that there are so many possibilities and the ability to create custom items with the Silhouette machines.

This is a 5″ acrylic disc that is etched with a Beach Blessing by Deborah Stine – Design #62386 from the Silhouette Design Store.

Something to keep in mind when you are etching acrylic or any raised surface, is to keep the Silhouette tool away from the edges or any holes in the material. This 5″ disc has a hole in the top for adding a means to hang or attach it to an item. If the Silhouette tool comes near the hole or edge, it can hang up on it and cause the blade housing to move out of alignment, which can alter where the design etches. The more you design & work with the Curio, you will get a feel for what that safety zone is and how the tool housing moves.

Since I could not etch close to the edges and hole of the acrylic disc, I cut a Rope Frame from adhesive vinyl to add to the front of the disc. Once the vinyl was added, I took a little round file and poked out the hole so the disc could still be hung.

This is just another way you can mix and match different materials.

The Curio can accommodate thicker materials with it’s unique platform system. This means that not only can it etch on acrylic & metal but it can still cut paper, vinyl & HTV. The difference is in how you stack the platforms. For thin materials under 1 mm, all of the platforms must be stacked in order for the machine to cut properly. That means that a 2+2+1+cutting mat are all required to get a clean cut.

For more tips on getting started with the Silhouette Curio, check out this post HERE.

Here are a couple more items I created this week before packing my Curio up for the trip. It never fails that I want to get “just one more” project done before I have to pack.

These are 15/16” clear discs that work well as bracelet charms or wine charms, they are also from Craft Chameleon.

This is a Honu Turtle design by Suzanne Cannon from the Design Store.
The Honu turtle is a symbol of wisdom and good luck. Who doesn’t need more of that?

I found this design while trying to decide what to put on my beach tote bag for my recent trip to the Silhouette Summit. I love that you can use the designs in many ways and for more than 1 project.
Check out all the neat things I experienced at the 2019 Silhouette Summit HERE.

Here is another charm I created for my new bracelet. This one is a design that LeighBee Designs created specifically for my class attendees at the All Things Silhouette Conference.

Make sure to grab the Curio template for these discs too! It makes it so easy to line up the project.

There are so many fun things you can create. For anyone with a Silhouette Curio machine, I would suggest just getting it out and playing with it. It is the best way to learn.

Now while so far, most of the photos shown have all been created with the Curio, I love all my Silhouette machines equally (shhhhhh don’t tell them).

Another one of my favorite things to do is print and cut projects. I have had so much fun creating with Colorjet III printable Heat Transfer material by Specialty Materials in preparation for my class at the ATS conference.

This tote bag was created by using Colorjet III Heat Transfer paper for light materials and the Silhouette Cameo 3. I used the Summer Flower Bundle by Echo Park from the Silhouette Design Store and set the project up as a Print and Cut project. Check out these tips HERE on this Print and Cut Part 3 – Images post to see exactly how I set it up.

I’ll be sharing more projects I created with this Colorjet III Heat Transfer next week after my class at the June 2019 All Things Silhouette Conference.

I hope that this post has inspired you in some way and you get time to create with your Silhouette machines soon!

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**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 May 28, 2019May 23, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 15 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Recovered Documents

Recovered Documents

Did you know that the Silhouette software has an Auto-save feature?
When you open the Silhouette Studio program, is there a Recovered Documents Panel that pops up?

This Panel can also be found under the File menu in the top left corner, then Open Recovered.

The Auto save feature will save a copy of the files you have open if for some reason the software closes unexpectedly or perhaps the computer decides to do an update and shuts everything down.
Windows updates have been getting me lately when I leave my computer on and I come back and notice that my Silhouette software is no longer open.

While this is a great feature, I would not rely on it to keep your files safe. It is a nice feature to have as a back up, but it may not save it exactly where you would want it to and some work may be lost. So it is recommended to save your work often.

But, this is something I see often when I’m in a lesson or teaching at an event. A student opens the software and has a lot of files in the Recovered Documents Panel.

This takes up precious computer power!

Every time that the software is opened, those files in the Recovered Documents Panel have to load. The software is remembering those files and that can eat up computer power and make the software run slower because it has all those files open.

Each of the files can be clicked on and opened. This way you can check to make sure that all the changes you’ve made have been saved before the software last closed.

Discard Recovered Documents

Discard those Recovered Documents and the software should run a lot smoother because it is not having to load those files each time.

I always recommend this to my students in our lessons and they are amazed at how much they notice a difference in how the Silhouette software reacts.

Just like making a library back up, this is a good habit to get into and help keep the software running smoothly.
A few clicks and you will be ready to create your next Silhouette project with the software all ready to go.

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**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 May 14, 2019July 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 14 Comments

Silhouette Summit 2019 Show & Tell

By now, you’ve probably seen somewhere online that there are new Silhouette machines and products being released in Fall 2019 and into 2020.
You can see a few photos & some details I posted (with permission) on my Silhouette Secrets+ Facebook page – HERE.
All the new things coming are amazing!

Not only was it exciting to see views of the new products that are being released, but the projects in the demo room that the Silhouette team had created were jaw dropping.
I have so many new ideas & things to try.

I started using my Silhouette as a paper crafter, so these amazing 3-D animals made me stop & admire them.

Find these designs here:
Balloon Dog by Mesh & Craft – Design #287225
Chameleon by Mesh&Craft – Design #287227

While there are many new specialty materials being released, there was also projects that caught my eye with existing products as well.

This faux agate was in a shadow box & stopped me in my tracks. Maybe I’m partial to pretty rocks from growing up in Montana (and from my rock loving mom), but this one I had to seek out a Silhouette employee & ask how it was created. I was lucky enough to grab the right person & it turned out she made it, so I was able to get the information from the artist. Hint: It is created with Silhouette Shrink Plastic.
I am looking forward to seeing this in more detail on the Silhouette 101 blog soon.

And, these fabulous earrings were made with Silhouette Shrink Plastic too!
I am just amazed at all the possibilities & ideas. Check out the Silhouette 101 blog HERE to see how these are created.
I mean WOW!

The Silhouette Alta 3D printer is not a machine I currently have in my collection. But after seeing so many projects created with it & the new features being released on the 3-D software, I am pretty sure the Silhouette 3-D software will find it’s way to my computer in the near future
(maybe after I’m done teaching at the All Things Silhouette Conference in June).

Did I say amazing projects? Take a look at these flowers!!!

Fabulous projects of all medias & categories!

Now while the release of new products is exciting news, the best part of Silhouette Summit for me is….
the people!
Connecting with those I have met along the way, meeting many face to face that I’ve only conversed with online, and making new connections too!
This is priceless to me and I cherish it more than words can describe.

My traveling companions, friends and colleagues
Libby Ashcraft, Julie Huggins & Lycia Evanoff.

I turn around and ask some random strangers in my excursion group to include me in their sunscreen spray and they happen to see my tote bag I made for the trip. It takes a lot for me to decide on a design for items for myself and then you have a moment like this where you meet the 2 designers that you used to create it. Sophie Gallo is the designer of the Hibiscus Monogram – Design #135110 and Rivka Wilkins is the designer of the Monogram Script font.
I mean how cool is that! It was a highlight of my day!

Excursion day at Sea Life Park with friends – Libby Ashcraft, Jared Barbosa – Heat Press Nation & Julie Huggins

Photo with: Lycia Evanoff, Lori Whitlock, Julie Huggins, Libby Ashcraft

Photo with Lia Griffith who has amazing paper flowers – find her on Instagram HERE

Photo with Lori Whitlock & Mr. Yasutaka Arakawa, President & CEO of Silhouette America

I met so many more fabulous people than just pictured above & if you have ever gathered together with other Silhouette users, it is a energizing experience.

It was an amazing opportunity to grow my Silhouette Ohana!

And what gorgeous views!

And I can’t forget these friends I made at the Sea Life Park.

When I attended the TJC Licensing in Sept 2016, I did not know where it would take me… I have met so many great people & made life long friends through it all.

Photo with: Lycia Evanoff, Mandy Graham – Sparkleberry Ink, Terri Johnson – Terri Johnson Creates, Libby Ashcraft & Julie Huggins

It was my dream to attend Silhouette Summit & I am grateful for that opportunity!
Thank you Silhouette America!
What an amazing memory!

I can’t wait to share all the new Silhouette products with everyone & continue to share my love of Silhouette & all the amazing things it can do.

Now, while not everyone could be on the shores of Waikiki, the All Things Silhouette conference is coming up quickly & it is an unforgettable experience.
Less than 3 weeks now, so after that little break in Hawaii, it’s back to work I go.
The All Things Silhouette Conference has classes taught by Silhouette industry leaders – many of whom attended Silhouette Summit, chances to meet Silhouette staff, vendor shopping, make & takes, and a first glimpse at some of the new products being released in the Fall of 2019.
I hope to see you there!

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**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 May 7, 2019April 26, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — 1 Comment

Aloha Tuesday!

As this post is being published, I will be somewhere over the United States making my way from the East Coast to the islands of Hawaii to attend the Silhouette Summit!

I am so excited & honored to be attending the Silhouette Summit 2019 and it is a dream come true for me.

This will be my first time in Hawaii and I had to make a new tote to carry stuff to the beach in.

Honu Turtle by Suzanne Cannon Design #291495
Hibiscus Monogram by Sophie Gallo Design #135110
Monogram Script Arrow by Rivka Wilkins Design #82335

What is the Silhouette Summit?

It is Silhouette America’s annual partner event that is held in Honolulu, Hawaii. This year Silhouette, Inc. is celebrating it’s 10th year as a company and has exciting announcements planned.

I am so excited to meet many others in the Silhouette Industry and I love networking with others who share my same love for the Silhouette products.

As an attendee we will attend presentations and meetings about what is coming up this next year for Silhouette, Inc.
I can’t wait to share with you all that is coming!
And as soon as we have been given permission, I will share with all of you!

I will be traveling with several of my friends/colleagues and I know we are all so very excited for this opportunity.
While I’m away I encourage you to check out their sites as well.

Libby Ashcraft with Libby’s Loft

Lycia Evanoff with Caught By Design

Julie Huggins with Sew Craft N’Spired

and alphabetically last but not least is my good friend and mentor
Terri Johnson with Terri Johnson Creates

And don’t forget to pop into the “Let’s Explore v4” series section at the top of this blog to get some tips on the Silhouette Studio v4.
My main focus in teaching Silhouette is the software. I believe learning the ins and outs of the software is key. It opens up endless possibilities.

What I have learned being in this Silhouette industry is that no one person can do it all. We each come from different backgrounds, which means that each one brings a new perspective to the wide, open world of what the Silhouette can do.

We can all learn from each other and I can’t wait to see what I can learn at this year’s Silhouette Summit.

While not everyone can be in Hawaii, there are still a few seats remaining at the All Things Silhouette Conference coming up in June. But hurry, it is almost sold out again. Only 3 weeks after returning from Summit, I’ll be headed for the ATS Conference!
I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on for classes!

This is an amazing conference with many Silhouette Industry leaders teaching lecture and hands on classes. Plus, attendees will be one of the first to see some of the new Silhouette products being released!! What a bonus!

The All Things Silhouette Conference is a gathering of Silhouette enthusiasts with lecture classes, hands on classes, vendor shopping, a Silhouette Showcase, T-shirt contest, make and takes, prizes, and so much more! I would highly recommend it to everyone!

Lots of information is this post! I hope you have time to check it out this week!

Hawaii Explosion Box by Daniela Moscone – Design #253510

Aloha for now!

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on April 30, 2019July 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 3 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Selection Preferences

Did you know that you can change your Selection Preferences in the Silhouette software?

To open the Preference Panel, click on the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the Design tab or click on the Edit menu in the top right corner and choose Preferences.

Selecting an Object

There are several ways to select objects on the Silhouette design mat.

1. Click on the object to select it.
To select multiple objects at the same time, hold down the Shift key and click on each object you want selected.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag a selection box around all the objects you want selected.

3. Use the Lasso tool (Designer Edition & v4.2 feature).
Click the Lasso Tool on the left side and lasso the objects you want to select.

Selection box

One way to know the object is selected is a selection box appears around the object.

Measurements – on the left & bottom side of the object are the height & width of the object or selected designs as a whole.

Control Points – these points can be grabbed and adjust the scale of the design. Grabbing the corners of the design will scale it proportionally versus grabbing the middle control point which will only change one direction of the design.

Rotate – the green circle at the top of the design can be grabbed and the design can be rotated manually.

Preferences Panel Selections

Here are the different options under the Selection Tools in the Preferences Panel.

Selection Tools: When Drag Selecting

When the left mouse button is held down and a drag box is drawn across the objects on the screen, you can choose to have them selected by the drag box only touching the object or being fully enclosed by the drag box.

Touching the object:

Enclosed:

Notice that the glove is not selected because the drag box has not fully enclosed it.

Selection Tools: When Many Shapes Selected

Single Bounding Box

Notice that there is one large selection box and the measurements are of all the objects selected as one.

Multiple Selection Boxes
If I want to size the glove and know exactly what size it is while still having all the objects selected, then choose Multiple Selection boxes as the option.

Now, each object has the individual selection boxes around it and each has the measurements of that object. So I could grab one of the control points and enlarge the design while knowing exactly how big the glove is. This way I could make a glove 8″ and still have all the other pieces sized at the same time to keep the proportions correct.

Selection Tools: When Right-clicking Subsequent Shapes

New Shape becomes selected – the object that you right click on will be the selected object and the right click menu appears.

Original Shape Remains Selected – right clicking anywhere on the design mat, the original shape is still selected and the right click menu appears. So if the glove is the selected object, even if I right click on the stitches, the glove is still the selected object and the right click menu appears.

Notice how the menu appears on top of the stitches that I right clicked on, but the glove is still the selected object. This means that the features in the right click menu that are chosen will apply to the selected object – in this case, the glove.

Selection Tools: Selection Lasso style

The Lasso Tool is a new v4.2 feature that is available with the Designer Edition upgrade or higher. It is found on the left tool bar in the Silhouette v4.2 software.

The options for the Lasso tool include: touches or enclosed. To use this tool, click on the Lasso tool on the left side and then hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse on the design mat. A dotted line will appear that shows where the Lasso is.

Touches – the lasso tool selects any object that it touches.

Enclosed – the lasso tool will only select the objects that are completely enclosed by the lasso dotted line.

The Lasso tool can be very helpful if you have a lot of pieces of a design on the screen and only want to select certain ones in an area.

For instance, on this Paw Print Mandala design, if I want to select only the pieces that make up the inner half circle of this shape, I would set the Lasso Tool to Touches and then draw the lasso around the inner circle.

Instead of holding down the Shift key and then clicking on each piece, I can use the Lasso tool to select all those in the center very easily.

It is all a matter of personal preference and how you use the software.

What are my Selection preferences set at:

This is how I keep mine. I know I can change them at anytime by opening up the Preferences menu, choosing a new option, clicking Apply, and then OK.

I used it this week in sizing and cutting the glove for my Spring door decorations, as I wanted the glove to be close to real size.

I changed the Selection option of the When Many Shapes are Selected to Multiple Bounding Boxes & was able to see the size of the glove, instead of the size of all the objects selected together.

Spring flowers brings Solicitors and Softball in our neck of the woods.

Did you know the Preferences Panel existed? It is full of great choices and we will be exploring more of it in the future.

Designs used in this post are from the Silhouette Design Store:
Baseball Set by Studio Illustrado – Design #60502
Watering Can by Silhouette – Design #291326
No Soliciting by Jillibean Soup – Design #276179
Lori Whitlock Background Shapes – Design #42924
Baseball Hat by Snapdragon Snippets – Design #39347
Positionable Skeleton by Samantha Walker – Design #4828

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on March 19, 2019July 14, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Image Effects

Image Effects Panel in Silhouette Studio v4

Did you know there are a lot of options to change the Image Effects
in Silhouette Studio v4?

Under the Image Effects Panel on the right side, there are many options that include:
– Grey Shade
– Colorize
– Contrast, Brightness & Saturation
– Gamma
– Invert
– Sepia
– Tint
– Shadow

Let’s take a look at what each of those options means.

Grey Shade

Select the design by clicking on it and then move the slider to the right or increase the numbers to adjust the grey in the photo.

Here is the original graphic at 0% grey shade

As the number is increased, the colors are muted and turn grey.
Here is at 50% grey shade

And here is 100% grey shade, which turns the entire image black and white.

Colorize

Increase the slider to change the colors in the design. There are so many options with this and you can alter the image to your liking.

Look at the difference in this image with only changing the Hue to 50%.
Wow – I kind of like that!

How about Hue at 70%

So many ideas! You could change your craft room colors anytime you want and have the same graphic for decor, just by changing the Image Effects.

Contrast, Brightness, & Saturation

Adjust each one of these from zero for many different effects.

If you don’t like what the result is, click on cancel and it will revert back to the original design. If you love the look, click on apply to keep the changes.

Gamma

This slider starts at 50.

Decrease the gamma to get bolder colors.

Increase the gamma to get lighter colors. This reminds me of a watercolor effect.

Like what you see? Click the apply button to keep the changes or cancel if you want to revert back to the original colors.

Invert

This effect flips the colors. So if the design was a white background, increase the invert will change it to black.

That is pretty neat!
Click the apply button if you like it or cancel if you want to start again.

Sepia

Adjust the strength to change add a brown look to the colors.

This reminds me of an antiqued look.

Tint

Change the red, green or blue colors to achieve different results.

Shadow

Add a shadow to the design. Below I added a shadow to the text in the middle.
The shadow feature is available in the Designer Edition upgrade or higher.

There are so many option such as adding a shadow, changing the color of the shadow, pan the shadow, releasing the shadow, or choosing to cut around the shadow.

Adding a shadow is a great feature for Print and Cut projects!

If you release the shadow, it then becomes a stand alone design and can be cut.

Wow! This software is amazing! I learn new things every time I play with it!

So here is the original image.

And here is the final image. I changed several things in the Image Effects panel until I had the look I liked.

And then I printed on my new Canon TS9521C printer that I am in love with.

My original plan was to print it on cardstock and put it in a frame. But, then I saw the Silhouette Printable Cotton Canvas and thought I’d give it a go.
I love it!