Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Did you know that you can use the Silhouette software without EVER using the Silhouette library?
If you are reading this when it’s first published, we’ve been encountering an issue where we are currently 23 days into an outage of the Silhouette websites where there are issues syncing files to the Silhouette library and anything that “talks” to the Silhouette servers. It has worked a bit in the last 23 days, but for the most part users are dead in the water if they only use the Silhouette library and rely on it only.
But, you DO NOT have to rely on the Silhouette library at all! And, to be honest, you should NOT! You should not rely on 1 source as an absolute. You purchase files and you should have those files available to you whenever you need them.
First Thing First
Before I even begin to show you how you can use Silhouette without the library, the first thing I want to advise you is….
1 – Save your personal files to an outside location!!!
It’s really easy to do. File > Save As > Save to Hard Drive. Or if you are saving a file type besides .studio file I would recommend selecting your entire design and then using File > Save As > Save Selection and then choose the file type.
2 – Back up your files. Even if you save your files to an outside source. Back them up to another source! There is NOTHING that is 100% safe! Except multiple back ups.
More tips on backing up files, including what I’m currently using as my primary storage and back up sources – click HERE
I hate to say it but in general, we have all gotten complacent. We used to save Word documents every 5 minutes and that was the standard. It doesn’t really matter that technology has improved, it can still fail! Nothing is 100% fool proof except multiple saving a backup to multiple locations.
3 Ways to Use Silhouette Without the Library
1 – Design your own files using tools in Silhouette Studio
Every single user can create their own files! You do not have to have a degree to do this. Use the tools in Silhouette Studio software to create your own designs.
2 – Open a design in Silhouette Studio and use to cut. Silhouette Studio can open many file types from outside sources.
This method depends on what Silhouette Studio upgrade you have. The basic (free) software is limited on what file types it can open. Silhouette Studio upgrades will allows you to open more file types such as the common SVG file type that is a cut file.
3 – If you can access your Silhouette library, you can open from there. But what if you cannot access it for some reason – like the software update mess or another issue?
You can download the files direct to your computer and use them!
Check out this video on how you can download your files directly from the Silhouette Design Store and save to your external source on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.
You have the resources at your finger tips! Use them! Learn how to make Silhouette Studio software work for YOU!
Want to learn more on how you can make Silhouette Studio work for you? Check out the A to Z resource on the blog HERE.
Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.
I hope these tips help you on your journey, especially as we navigate the Silhouette Studio website issues we are currently experiencing as I type this.
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!
**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.
If you have not seen the many thousands of posts on social media, then this may be news to you. Silhouette has been updating their websites. Both the Silhouette America website and the Silhouette Design Store website have been undergoing a major update where all the data has to be transferred from one system to another. Silhouette has run into issues with the site updates.
Updated 7/9/24 10:30 am CDT – Website & Library issues
User’s are starting to receive this email from Silhouette about a “fix” for the library (photo below). It is a slow roll out as described in the email dated 6/25/24.
Silhouette version 4.5.807 that is referenced, was released on Friday, July 5, 2024 as the “fix” under Open Beta version on the Silhouette website. This is all new territory for all of us and we have no idea what will happen or what will come in the future. So far we’ve seen mixed results.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Do nothing until you get an email from Silhouette that your account is enabled. If you do try to sync before getting the email, then most likely your account is not enabled yet and it won’t work anyhow.
if you decide to test v4.5.807 – turn off and unplug all of your Silhouette machines and DO NOT connect to them until you decide if you are going to keep this version. v4.5.971+ have firmware updates required for newer model machines and is another reason we were not recommending that update. Neither v4.5.791 or v4.5.807 have much testing by users and we reported several bugs in .791. If you decide to keep v4.5.807 – you will need to process those firmware updates if it notifies you. There is no way around that unless you use older software – which means the library and new files may not successfully sync.
or wait and see what happens going forward
I honestly don’t like the fact that a software update is released and users are forced to update if they want their library to sync, but it’s not my call.
If you received the email and after following Silhouette’s instructions still have issues with the library syncing, files not downloading, download failed, logging into the websites, credit balances, subscriptions, or shopping in the Silhouette Design Store you will need to email Silhouette at support@silhouetteamerica.com as the email instructs.
For the best results you can expect from Support, be as detailed in the email and explain the steps that you have taken and provide any photos that help explain your issue as well as what you currently see. This will hopefully help them understand what your particular issue is.
I wish this were different, but please understand we are all experiencing the issues together.
Even if your library is still not syncing, I do have resources that can help for you to still be able to use your Silhouette software and machines….
How to Direct Download from the Design Store video HERE
Library Extractor for Windows and MAC Please read all the notes. This will extract library files that were synced to the computer prior to the website issues. It will not contain any files that have not successfully synced to the library. However, it does extract user created files too! I have tested this and it worked for me.
Please continue reading below for additional information that has been shared during this entire process. It has been a long 50 days as I type this of the mess, but we are all experiencing the issues together.
*****
Silhouette users who are signed up for email notifications were sent an email on May 21, 2024 notifying them of this update. Here is a copy of the email notice I received.
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Update: email sent to users on 6/24/24 5 pm CDT
Update: email sent to users on 6/14/24
Update: email sent to users on 5/30/24 “We are aware of the issues being encountered with the new websites. We apologize for any inconvenience and frustration this may have caused. Rest assured we are working diligently to resolve these problems and will have everything up and running smoothly soon. Our intent with this upgrade is to improve your experience and the offerings we provide. We thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The emails are only be sent out to those subscribed to receive their emails. Many users also found that the email ended up in their spam or junk folder, or the email provider marked it as spam and it was not received.
Silhouette also put up a notice on the websites that they were under maintenance starting at midnight on 5/22/24 and hoped it would be complete at 7 am MST on 5/22/24.
Unfortunately, technology did not follow their schedule and we are now (7) 9 days out and it is still not functioning properly.
So here we are…
I am going to provide some information below and will continue to update this post as things progress, so it may be a good one to bookmark for future reference.
Now “hold onto your butts” because this is a lot of information to share below…. (side note: we saw a car decorated as a Jurassic Park tour car last weekend and that saying was on the back window. The entire vehicle was decked out including a dinosaur riding on the dash – so it’s fresh in my mind)
Silhouette Website Updates
Updates 6/14/24 from Silhouette Secrets+ – Recommendations
Do NOT try to sync the library! Syncing has been turned off the past week or so, so it will not work while they continue to work on it.
Turn the library to “Working Offline”. Click the Library tab. Click your name in the top left. Make sure there is a red checkmark next to Working Offline. No red checkmark = not set to work offline.
Do not click the Sync button. I know that is a repeat but we’ve been repeating ourselves thousands of times.
Download any files directly from the Silhouette Design Store – video on how to do that HERE
If you are getting an error accessing the Design Store – type “Silhouette Design Store” into a Google search and use that link that comes up. Do not use auto suggested links as some are not working since the change over.
You can continue to use your Silhouette software and machines!!! Find out how HERE
Start thinking about storage options for the future!!! Once this is over and we see how things will be in real time, I will put out information on “What to Do Now”. But, I cannot begin to do that until I know how the changes will affect the Design Store and what the functionality will be. I use an external hard drive, well actually, I use 2. One is my everyday working hard drive and the other is my backup of that hard drive and I try to backup weekly. It will depend on how many files you save and how much you save on the size of storage you need or how often you back up your files, but I’d recommend at least once a month. Find out more on backups HERE *this is good information to save for the future!!!
UPDATE 6:00 PM CDT 6/9/24 Please read entirely.
Updates are still in process and they do not expect them to be fixed until sometime later this week….. that’s an estimate at this point.
DO NOT try to sync your libraries – it will not work as it’s been turned off while they are trying to fix it. If your library happens to sync, it’s a fluke and they might be testing things and have turned it back on for a short time. We have recommended this entire time to keep the library at Working Offline. That means you should see a red check mark next to Working Offline in the Library menu when you click on your name. If there is no red checkmark, it is NOT set to Working Offline completely.
Sales tax – sales tax charged “should” be fixed. Sales tax will be charged in all states that require that sales tax be charged in. It’s the law!!! It should only apply to purchases made with a credit card or Paypal. Anything covered by your subscription credit completely, should not be charged sales tax. If you go over your credit balance, you will be charged tax on that because it’s over the credit balance. There may still be issues here and there because they are NOT done fixing it.
Design Store sale – is 50% off but you may need to click on the actual item and the Quick Add to cart in order to see the sale price accurately. I did report that. Check out how to direct download your files from the Silhouette Design Store while these updates are being fixed HERE.
Free files – do NOT use the link in the email that Silhouette sent. It is not showing properly. I reported that too. Go directly to silhouettedesignstore.com and log in, then it should show properly.
Silhouette Design Store Access – we’d recommend that you DO NOT use the button in the Silhouette software to access the Design Store. Use a web browser and log in for best results. There are issues with accessing it through the button in the software.
Logging in to the Design Store – you WILL need to log in each and every time you visit the Design Store. Yes, we all know it’s a pain in the butt…. but it’s better than it was before during this mess, so I count that as a win right now. We need the little wins!!! Type in your email and password each time. DO NOT use the computer’s autofill for best results as we’ve seen issues with that too.
Cannot log in – you can try a password reset but there are no guarantees. If you cannot log in, then you will most likely have to wait until the mess is fixed.
Please continue reading below for additional information and specifics on the issues users are encountering during these updates.
Update 6/24 10:00 am CDT updates ongoing….. New video on how to direct download Silhouette Design Store files on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.
Update 6/5/24 8:30 am CDT Updates are still ongoing. Issues reports are listed below.
Update 6/4/24 5:30 am CDT Updates are still ongoing. Many different issues reported and being experienced by users and myself. – new designs not downloading properly – Silhouette library will not sync – maximum number of devices reached error – passwords not working (make sure you are accessing the Silhouette Design Store from a web browser, not the button in the software. And do not use an autofill on the computer for the password for best results) – credits and subscriptions not showing properly (they will address this as soon as the updates are functioning properly and they can get into the system to start fixes)
I do feel that a lot of the issues will resolve themselves once the websites are fully functional and stable. Right now, it’s having a major issue syncing the massive amounts of user data to each user’s Silhouette software.
Currently, I have 2 computers that the library is all messed up. I try to sync each day and it gives me a new error. I have tried every trick in my tool box to see if it will work and some have just made it worse. If your Silhouette library is showing up, I’d recommend turning it to Working Offline (instructions below) and do not try to sync it until this is all over. If your Silhouette library is not showing properly, I do not have a solution for a “fix” at this time. I’ve tried it all and it has just made my 2 computer libraries worse.
I will continue to update when I start seeing things change.
Update 6/2/24 4:20 pm CDT The updates are still in process and I am still seeing as well as experiencing issues. Lots of issues reported by users and they are not all the same. I hope for more progress this week.
I was able to shop in the Silhouette Design store last night and it was faster, however, I had mixed results on syncing to my library on 2 computers. My test computer, is a mess. It did say it was synced but only shows the new files I purchased as Download failed and 200 free with machine designs. The 2nd computer I tried to sync, which before had my full library synced on, has not deleted everything but the free with machine and the new files I bought last night. However, those files all show as fully synced and do not show as Download failed. My 3rd working computer is set to work offline and I am not risking it at this moment.
I am recommending that users do not try to sync their libraries or it can have a mixed result.
Update 6/1/24 11:00 am CDT As I type this to try to provide more information, the Design Store is not loading for me at all – I get a 504 error…. but if you can get it to load, the following information may be relevant.
Seeing all kinds of odd behaviors as listed below. Nothing is consistent and users should expect to see odd things if they are trying to sync, buy designs, or download designs. There is nothing we can do but wait to see what happens.
NEW!!! Direct Download option of Silhouette Designs. Click on heart or person icon in the top right of site. On the left side, select Downloads. Click on the thumbnail of design and it should open the downloads window. However, it is not easy to search through your designs for a specific file and you may spend more time scrolling and waiting on pages to load. Might work in a pinch, but will take time to process.
However, note that the site is super slow and the more users try to access it will affect the results. This is a catch 22 – it’s not functioning properly yet, but they also need traffic in order to see how that function is working and to be made aware that it is not going to hold up to the “normal” flow of user traffic. Please be aware of this and understand that at this moment, all I can guarantee is that it is NOT working properly and is super SLOW, if you can get the site to even load.
At this point, the only thing we can count on is…. it is going to take time for it to all be “normal” again.
Update 5/31/24 6:00 pm CDT We are starting to see some changes occurring. Some users have been able to log in and see their designs. However, we are also seeing a lot of strange and misfit information too! I do not think it’s over, but at least a step in the right direction. Some of the things we are currently seeing are: – file names not matching thumbnails – only free files showing – some not able to log in – download failed on files when library syncs – new files are not showing download failed – Silhouette Design Store is slow – syncing is super slow – website in and out at time I don’t think it’s over, but a few more good reports than there were earlier today!!!
——–
What we do know:
the websites are currently undergoing updates
anything that “talks” to the Silhouette servers can be affected
Silhouette is aware and is continuously working on it
Silhouette Support has been bombarded with complaints & user issues
Silhouette Support cannot “fix” anything at the moment until the website updates are finished
No one can do anything to “fix” it at the moment until the website updates are completed and stable
I have been reassured that the data is still there and Silhouette can see it, but we as a user may not be able to “see” it during this update because of the issues they are working through
I do believe that most of the issues we are seeing will be resolved when the Silhouette websites are 100% fully functional and stable. Most of the issues “should” work themselves out on their own once the systems are stable.
What is affected?
It might be easier to list what is not affected. Currently anything that has to “talk” to the Silhouette server to receive data may be affected. This includes the Silhouette library, Silhouette Design Store, and everything in between.
The Silhouette Design Tab and the cutting machine capabilities are all offline, so they should be able to still be used. However, we’ve already had reports starting today that the software is crashing when the library is trying to log back in or sync.
What can you do?
First, don’t panic. It won’t help anything and it will not “fix” it.
I am going to list some things that you can do to hopefully continue working in your Silhouette software below and I will update this as it progresses.
1 – If it’s possible, turn off the WIFI/internet from your computer for the next step. This will ensure that it will not try to “talk” to the servers before you complete the next step.
2 – With WIFI/internet disabled on the computer, open the Silhouette software, click on the Library tab in the top right corner and then click on your name in the top left corner of the library. Check the box next to Work Offline.
Now you “should” be able to use the Silhouette software without it trying to connect to the servers. You should be able to turn on the WIFI/Internet on your computer again.
Continue using your Silhouette Studio software and machines to cut projects as needed. You will be able to open any .studio files that you have saved from an external source such as your hard drive. If you have the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition upgrade or higher, you will be able to also open other file types such as a SVG file, which is a cut file as well.
If your Silhouette library is still showing, you will be able to use any files currently in the library (if it’s not showing at all, please continue reading below)
Save any files you are designing to an external source by using File > Save As > Save to Hard Drive and select a location.
3 – Click on your name in the top left corner and select Library Export. Save that file to your computer or an external source with the current date.
4 – Click on your name in the top left corner and select Export User Created Files. Save that file to your computer or external source with the current date.
Both steps 3 & 4 can be performed if your library is still showing and I am only recommending as a precaution. As a note, these are 2 steps that we recommend users are doing on a regular basis anyhow.
5 – Do NOT log out of the Silhouette library.
6 – Do NOT try to sync the Silhouette library.
7 – At this time, I do NOT recommend shopping in the Silhouette Design Store. The more users who are trying to access the Design Store website or trying to sync their accounts is bogging down the system. Having multiple web pages open on your computer trying to access designs “faster” in the Silhouette Design Store is not helping anyone.
8 – At this point and time, Silhouette Support cannot do anything to “fix” the issue. They are in the same boat as we are while we wait for the company in charge of the migration to figure their stuff out. Silhouette Support has received thousands of emails, many of which are complaints about how users don’t like the colors, the headers, the look in general, etc. All of those emails will take time to answer, but currently there are no answers until the websites are functioning properly again.
Silhouette Support is responding to the thousands of emails and here is an example that does confirm they are aware of the issues and continuing to work on it.
“Thank you for your email. We are sorry to hear of the issue encountered. Thank you for your continued patience. we have worked diligently over the weekend to get the website back to normal operation. Some things may still be non-functioning as the data that is being transferred from our old website to the new one is massive. Rest assured , none of your libraries have disappeared and will soon be functional once all of the data is transferred. You can expect some functions to be back to normal while others are not. The website will be very slow while all of the data is still transferring as well as the web traffic we are experiencing from customers trying to log in, change passwords and sync their libraries. We apologize for the delay in getting the website back to 100%. We are continuing working on this behind the scenes and we have a dedicated team that has worked through the weekend, the holiday and nights in order to move this process along. Again, we appreciate your patience and hope to have all sites back up and functioning as normal soon. We hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions.” Silhouette Support Team
9 – Do NOT uninstall and reinstall the Silhouette software. At this point, if you do, you may not be able to get it reinstalled and set up again. It will not “fix” this issue.
At this time there is nothing anyone can do to speed this up. The company in charge of the migration is working on it and we just have to wait. It is 15+ years of data that is being moved and stabilized onto a new system.
No one wants to be in this situation, especially Silhouette. But, at the moment we are in it and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
What to do if your Silhouette library has disappeared?
Updated Information 5/31/24 We have received reports that some users have been able to get their libraries to sync. However, reports go back and forth on it will sync and then kick them out again, and then they get error notifications. Users are still having issues and behavior is unknown.
If your library does sync, we would highly recommend that once that is complete, change the Silhouette library to “Working Offline” as explained above. We would recommend not trying to sync again until the websites are completely functioning and stable or you risk losing the library again.
—–
5/29/24 – original publication Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done right now.
The Silhouette library “talks” to the Silhouette servers and if it cannot communicate with the server, it cannot pull the data it needs to show you the library.
I have been told that Silhouette can see the user information and all the information is still out there, but users just cannot “see” it in the library currently due to the upgrades.
I know it won’t help at all and will just make some users angry, but try not to panic. Panicking will not help the situation and it will only add to your stress. Silhouette is aware and they are trying to fix it.
I do believe that once the Silhouette website updates are complete that a lot of these issues will “fix” themselves and we can get back to our projects.
At this time, I am NOT recommending that users import a backup of the library into the Silhouette software simply because I have no idea how that might be treated once the Silhouette websites begin functioning again. It is possible it could duplicate the entire library, throw an error because it “thinks” the cloud storage is full, or freak it out altogether and do something different. It may cause more issues and take longer to resolve than if we just wait it out.
What to do if your Silhouette upgrade disappeared?
Unfortunately, the answers don’t get any happier. At the moment, there isn’t much you can do. In order to activate the upgrade, the software has to “talk” to the Silhouette server to get that data.
Your choices are:
try to activate the upgrade again under Help > Apply Upgrade – enter only your email and password
wait until the Silhouette websites are functioning again
If you do try to log in and activate the software upgrade again, please be aware that it may or may not work. If it cannot connect to the Silhouette servers to get that information, then it won’t work and you do risk the Silhouette library trying to sync and disappearing.
But, if you are trying to activate the upgrade to open SVG files, it may be worth the risk to still continue to work with the Silhouette software. Only you can make that decision.
What to do if you received an email that there was an error with your payment
With the systems down and not functioning properly, I know many have received emails that there was an error with their payment. This is probably not something to do with your actual payment method, but caused by the updates. At this point, we don’t know
Here is how I suggest you proceed:
1 – I would check with your payment source and see if the payment did actually go through. If it did grab a screen shot or photo of that. Gather the information you can from your payment source.
2 – Contact Silhouette Support with the information & provide a detailed description of what has happened. However, understand that Silhouette Support is backlogged with user emails and they currently cannot do anything to “fix” the issue until the system is back completely. At this time, all they can really do is respond with a message like I showed above.
So my recommendation is to add this to your to-do list to contact Silhouette Support when the websites are back online, functioning, and stable if you do not see that the issue has been resolved under your Account on the website.
Please understand that it will take time for all the issues to work out once the Silhouette websites are updated, functioning, and stable. The more information you can provide in your email to Support the faster the issue can be addressed.
What to do if you had credits expire during this down time?
At this point and time, there is nothing that anyone can do to fix that during this migration time frame. Silhouette is waiting on the company who is migrating all the data to get it stabilized and they cannot make any changes during that time.
Once the Silhouette websites are functioning properly and stable, they will begin addressing these issues and the expired credits is on their list. I have submitted the issue to several at Silhouette and they are aware. They want to fix it, but have to wait just like we do.
As mentioned, Silhouette Support is bogged down with complaints about everything from hating the new colors to actual real issues. I’d recommend making an note of what credits expired and once this is all said and done, compose a nice email to Silhouette providing the information you have.
Two things to remember here: 1. Silhouette Support agents have no control over this either, but they are taking the brunt of all the nasty emails and people yelling at them 2 – “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” – a please and thank you can go a long way. I’ve seen some of the emails that are being sent as users share online, they are not nice at all. Your email may make all the difference in that person’s day! I understand we are all frustrated, but it’s not their fault, they are just doing their job to respond to as many support requests as they can in their work day, including all the ones complaining about the colors of the website.
When will the updates be done?
At this point, we are on day (7) 9 and they had hoped it would be done overnight on 5/22. That did not happen, so the best answer I have for that is something I say to my kids when they ask when dinner will be ready….
It will be done when it’s done.
It is not what any of us want to hear, believe me – I know!
I am just as frustrated, if not MORE than you are! We have fielded thousands and thousands of comments, posts on social media, emails, and messages in regards to this. We CANNOT fix it either and all we can do is provide the information that we are seeing and experiencing.
I have been a Silhouette user for 11+ years now and this is the first time this has ever happened. They are changing system completely and things happen. It is not the norm and rarely are we ever down this long.
Now, a bit of humor because if I don’t laugh at something I might scream….
A few designs from my Silhouette library that you may want to grab once everything is back to “normal”.
This pretty much describes the last week as we have tried to navigate these issues and respond to thousands of user posts, comments, emails, and messages.
As a note, I grabbed that design before the typo could be fixed in the Silhouette Design Store a long time ago and have kept for my own use. I had planned to make a sign for my studio with it at some point. It fits in with the Swift Creek Customs logos I designed.
And after this is all over and done with, we might all need badges.
Note: I have NOT linked these designs as I am staying off the Silhouette Design Store website until the issues are resolved as I advised above.
We are all in the same boat… up a creek without a paddle…. we will get through it! Hopefully the information provided above can help most users.
I have also compiled a long list of issues we have seen or experienced and have sent that off to several of my contacts at Silhouette. They are aware of the issues and will continue to work through them as they can. The most important factor right now is getting the Silhouette websites functioning and stable, then other issues can be addressed. Hopefully, many of those issues will be resolved simply by the website functioning properly again.
Note: this blog post will be updated as information changes
I don’t even know how to sign off on this post…. to all my fellow Sh*t Creek members – hopefully we will have a resolution soon!
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!
**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.
Want to create unique DIY items? This month I created this fun, bright colored DIY necktie that is definitely unique and a one-of-a-kind using the Artesprix sublimation paints, stamp ink, and a fun Tim Holtz – Crazy Birds stamp set. The best part is… you can do this too!
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I went to ask my husband to tie this as I was trying to take the final photos and he had a friend over. The reaction I got was worth it all! They both loved it! A unique DIY necktie that is one-of-a-kind. I mentioned that it would take a special, fun event to wear this and his remark was, “Absolutely not.” I think he was ready to take it and prove me wrong. It was the perfect reaction to confirm I was on the right path with my unique creation.
Watch how you can make your own DIY creation with the Artesprix Sublimation products in the new tutorial HERE on the Artesprix YouTube channel.
I just love these fun spirited birds. They bring a smile to my face each time I see them.
Supplies used for DIY Necktie:
Here is a list of the supplies I mentioned and demonstrated in the new YouTube video:
So much fun to create! And I have more to share too! Find more projects I’ve created using the Artesprix sublimation products HERE. And stay tuned for other fun projects because I just couldn’t stop creating with the ribbon and inks!
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!
**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.
This months video for the Artesprix YouTube channel took a turn when I had too much ink leftover and I loved the end result of my “accident” better than my original idea. I used the Artesprix Sublimation Stamp Ink Refills, mixed media paper, and Artesprix Satin Ribbon to create some fun and awesome creations. For my original idea, I used a paint brush and painted brushstrokes for my design, but then when I went to clean up my excess ink, I found that I loved the pattern it created so much better!
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Do you ever have that happen? Think you have a plan and then it all changes and turns out even better than your original idea?
Watch how I made these custom ribbons with the Artesprix Sublimation products and added it to make custom ribbon in the new tutorial HERE on the Artesprix YouTube channel.
Artesprix Sublimation Supplies
Here is a list of the supplies I mentioned and demonstrated in the new YouTube video:
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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!
**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.
I’m playing with paint this month on the Artesprix YouTube channel. Specifically, the new colors of the Artesprix Sublimation Paints. I made a fun potholder for my craft room.
Yes, you read that right! Since I’m often playing with sublimation blanks, they get HOT! This will come in handy in my craft room and brighten up the place a bit. But, you can also create these to brighten up your kitchen. Function and fun all in one!
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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!
**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.
In this Let’s Explore v4 tutorial, we will cover the Silhouette Cut by Fill option. The Silhouette Studio software, has 4 options on the Send Tab on how to send the design to be cut – in the top right corner of the Send tab you will find the options Simple, Line, Fill, and Layers.
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The Silhouette Cut by Fill option allows you to cut a project by fill color. The Silhouette software generates the list shown under the Fill option based on the colors that you (or the designer) has filled the design with.
In this example using the Mardi Gras Mask file by Cut Files Makers, the file is already filled with color. If a design is not, you would need to select the pieces you want to fill and then select the color you want designated for that piece from the Fill Color Panel on the right or the Fill Color icon in the QAT in the top left of the Silhouette Studio software.
In this Send – Fill option, you have each fill color separated out in it’s own line and you can adjust the settings accordingly.
If you see an option that has a crosshatched pattern in it, that means there is no fill color for that cut line. This can happen when shapes haven’t been filled with a color or there is an image such as a png or jpeg on the file.
Details of the Silhouette Cut by Fill Color
Let’s take a look at what the actions are at the top of the Send tab in Silhouette for Cut by Fill Color.
Tool No. Choose whether you will be using Tool 1 or Tool 2, also called Carriage 1 and Carriage 2
On/Off Checked = Cut lines On Unchecked = Cut lines Off
Bold color lines will be around the design that the cut lines are turned ON for. Notice the purple and yellow lines are not bold since they are turned OFF. Some colors are more difficult to see the bold edge, such as white.
Weld The outer edge of overlapping objects of the color selected will be cut. Welding typically combines objects, but in this instance, the objects remain separate and the Cut Edge is activated.
Fill Color The same colors of the fill that were set up on the Design Tab, should all show in the list under Fill Color. Different shades of a color will show up as different options.
Material Choose the Material type you are using for each color. Each fill color will need to be changed separately if you did not select the material on the Simple tab before clicking on the Cut by Fill Color option.
Action Choose what action you will want to perform.
Tool/Carriage Choose what tool you will be using to perform the action.
If you were to keep all of the colors checked and have the cut lines ON, the order in which they appear in the list is the order in which the action will be done. For instance in my photo that would mean, the green would cut first, then the yellow, and then the purple.
You can rearrange the order by clicking and grabbing a color and move it up or down in the list as shown in the video below demonstrating with the line color option.
Moving down the right side of the Send tab – Fill Option, you will see that the cut settings are expanded further down to show what the settings are for each option you have chosen.
The color that is highlighted (selected) at the top of the panel will be the settings that you see at the bottom. In my photo, the green color is highlighted, so it shows the settings for the green lines in the bottom.
Here is where you can adjust the settings as needed. The key here is to make sure that the color you want to change is the one highlighted at the top AND the color shows on the bottom. We are seeing many users changing the settings for the wrong color.
You can also add a Pause in between the difference color actions if you would like to do that versus unchecking the box to turn the cut lines off. Each user is going to vary in what they prefer to do. I prefer to check and uncheck the boxes as needed, just in case I have to step away from my machine. But you can test out which way works best for you. See a quick demo of Adding a Pause HERE.
Now, the rest of this panel is the same as when using the Simple tab. Check out the in-depth tutorial on the Send Tab – Simple Option HERE for all those details.
Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.
Enjoy !
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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!
**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.
Buttons are back!!! I am seeing buttons and pins as a big souvenir item when I’m traveling and I’ve even invested in a pin board for my collection. This month I am sharing my button creations with the Artesprix Sublimation markers and inks.
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I cut a few simple shapes with the Silhouette Cameo 5 using the new Electrostatic bed and some cardstock scraps for the button design creation.
You could use all kinds of objects to trace and create with. Start looking for things around the house or when you are out shopping and see what you might add to your craft stash.
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!
**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.
I love being able to take a blank and come up with new ideas for it. This month on the Artesprix YouTube channel I’m sharing how you can take a glitter zipper bag, mix Artesprix Sublimation Paints and create a custom gift bag. Fill it with goodies to give as a gift for a friend or holidays like Valentine’s Day!
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Or fill it with your favorite Artesprix products to gift to a crafty friend.
For this project, I mixed colors with the Artesprix sublimation paints and the paint mixing color chart. Once the paint was dry on the copy paper, I stamped onto the paper for a subtle touch with a couple stamps I picked up at Michaels. Keep your eyes peeled when you are out shopping for little things you can add on to each project.
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!
**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.
I’m in love with these Layered Snowflake Arabesque Tile acrylic shapes from Craft Chameleon. They come in a wide variety of colors and I’ve been using them for testing. I want to share 3 methods I tested, my results with each, and which one is my favorite at the end – you might be surprised.
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I am calling these ornaments, but they can be so much more. Gift tags, ornaments, stand alone decor item, and more!
3 Ways to Customize Acrylic Shapes with Silhouette
Etching Acrylic with the Silhouette Curio 2 Power Engraver – Let It Snow Design
Etching Acrylic with the Silhouette Curio 2 Punch Tool – top left Snowflake saying (the Curio 1 and Silhouette etching tool can do this too – more info below)
Adhesive Vinyl Decal – any cutting machine can do this with good quality vinyl!
1 – Etching Acrylic with the Silhouette Curio 2 Power Engraver
I have had great results with the Silhouette Power Engraver. However, it is not a fine detail engraving tip. When you are working with it, you want to keep that in mind and may need to adjust the design to work with it.
I have a full step-by-step class the Silhouette Secrets+ Teachable site on setting up for etching/engraving on acrylic with the Silhouette Curio 2 including how to get exact placement on shapes. I share all the things that worked and those that did not in the class too! Find all the details and see more examples of my etching tests HERE.
The etch is pretty subtle on the colored acrylic. Acrylic blanks are also one of the most difficult things to photograph too! Right up there with glass objects.
I love the sparkle of the top layer of this acrylic shape.
For more details on etching with the Silhouette Cameo 5 and Punch Tool check out this post HERE. Note: etching on the Silhouette Cameo 5 is designed for Silhouette metal etching sheets and not for acrylics – more details in my blog post
The Silhouette Punch Tool is supposed to be the etching tool for finer details with the Silhouette Curio 2 and Cameo 5. While it does etch, it definitely is no where near the same quality of etch as the Silhouette Curio 1 was with the Silhouette etching tool.
If you have a Silhouette Curio 1, I would recommend hanging on to it and get that baby out to etch on acrylic. It does a fantastic job.
However, the Silhouette Curio 2 is here to stay. It is the new machine model and the Silhouette Curio 1 is no longer manufactured. Honestly, the Curio 1 had a really, really long lifespan for a machine model. I am surprised that it was manufactured for so long.
The Silhouette Curio 2 and the Silhouette Cameo 5 has a specialized Carriage 2 housing that allows not only for specialty tools, but also a higher force. While the Carriage 1 housing on Silhouette models is an up and down motor, the Carriage 2 housing on Silhouette model machines is a round and round motor. This means that it is different than the Silhouette Curio 1 machine that was designed over 10 years ago. Different machine, different results. I’ll have more details on the blog later about all of that.
I selected the Vinyl Glossy setting and increase the blade depth to a 2. Actual cut settings that will work for you will depend on your material, machine, and blade life. Test cuts are the only way you will know what works for you. Find more information on Perfect Cut Settings HERE.
One of the big key factors is you want high quality adhesive vinyl and good quality transfer tape for detail works. Low quality vinyl can just be a mess and more of a headache than the money it tricked you into saving. If you have ever cut low quality vinyl or old vinyl, you are nodding right now and know exactly what I mean!
Now, yes, I lost the dots to my i’s. But holy smokes! This is tiny details! At this size, I could care less about those little dots on the i’s. I can either cut more and add them or add in a different embellishment to the project.
One of the things that can help when cutting this small is adding Weeding Lines to the design and it definitely helped in this small detail cut. For more details on adding Weeding Lines click HERE. For designs like this, I prefer to draw my own weeding lines. It takes just a little more time in the setup and cutting process, but it can be 100% worth it to save you headache when weeding.
I have more tips on cutting small fonts & designs HERE too!
Out of all 3 methods, this one has to be my favorite because it really stands out. And the best part is, anyone with a cutting machine could do this method!
I hope that gives you some ideas how you can create and customize with acrylic shapes. You are not limited to Snowflake Arabesque Acrylics either! Craft Chameleon has a wide selection of acrylic blanks. The 3″ clear acrylic rounds are my favorite and I make sure to stock up each time I order.
Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.
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!
**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.
In this tutorial, I’m going to share how I created what’s called an “Off the Edge” die cut card with my Silhouette machine. This can add an interesting element to any card design and is fun to create.
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I recently attended the Card Maker Success Challenge hosted by Brandi Mahon of Stamp Me Some Love and was so inspired by her card ideas. I took the card ideas she was sharing and modified them to be used with my Silhouette software and machine. If you are looking for card making inspiration, I recommend you check out her monthly Card Maker’s Success Subscription.
I have a Canon TS9521C that is a borderless printer, but you can do the same even without a borderless printer.
Then, I will use a paper trimmer to cut the page down to the size I need for my cards front. But, I won’t know the size until I have the other pieces cut out, so I just set this aside.
Designing in Silhouette Studio
Drawing the Card Pieces
Next, in the Silhouette software, using the Drawing Tools on the left side, draw out a rectangle and then scale it to 4.25″ x 5.5″ or whatever card size you are wanting. Unlock the lock to be able to change the height and width of the rectangle individually. Type the number and press Enter to set the dimension. Find more on the Scale Tools HERE.
Select the rectangle and then choose Align Left in the Alignment tools. With only 1 object selected it will align it to the left side of the page. This will help us in just a minute with our design.
Choosing a Sentiment
Next, open the sentiment design you want to use or with the Text Tool and type out the sentiment you want. If you type out the text, make sure to weld any overlapping pieces.
I used Hello by Diva Watts Designs found HERE for this card design.
Scale the hello down to fit within the card base and use the green dot at the top to rotate it to the desired angle. Or you can use the Rotate Panel and rotate to 45 degrees and adjust from there.
This is going to allow us to adjust the rectangle and maintain straight lines.
Double click on the red line of the rectangle to bring up the Edit Points. Drag the top left edit point (gray dot) down.
Grab the top right edit point and drag it down, so the top of the rectangle is angled as desired to run through the middle of the sentiment.
With the Snap to Grid tool activated, it snaps the edit points to specific locations and easily allows the design to be manipulated and maintain the straight lines of the card edges.
Once the edges are how we want, Show Grid and Snap to Grid can be toggled off on the Page Setup Panel – Tab 2 again. I find the grid lines distracting when designing, but they can easily be turned back on if needed.
Create a Copy for Future Templates
Make a copy of the card base and you can use it for future cards as a starting point.
Select both the card base and the sentiment and Align the Center in Silhouette. Depending on the design, center aligned may not look centered to the eye. Use the arrow keys to adjust if needed in small increments any direction.
Adding an Offset
Next, click on the sentiment to select it and open the Offset Panel on the right side. Click Offset and adjust the distance of the Offset as desired, then click Apply or press Enter. The distance of the offset will all depend on the sentiment and the size you are using. There is no magic number.
The offset should overlap the angled rectangle securely and not have too many tiny bits to be cut out.
Welding the Offset to the Card Front
After clicking on Apply, the offset will be selected. Hold the Shift key down and click on the angled rectangle so that both are selected, then right click and choose Weld.
This now combines the angled rectangle and the offset into 1 cut and creates the off-the-edge design. If there are any tiny bits like what the red arrow points to above, those are not needed in the design. Move the sentiment off of the design.
Then right click on the design and choose Release Compound path. Click off of it to deselect and click back on the little bit, press delete. When all the pieces you want are deleted, select the entire design again, right click and choose Make Compound Path.
Use the drag select method to select all the pieces at the same time. Left click the mouse and hold it down in the top left corner above the design and drag it all the way through the design to the bottom right corner. Anything that the selection box touches, should be selected.
Cutting the Card Pieces & Assembly
Now you have your pieces for the Off-the-Edge card design designed and ready to cut in Silhouette.
I cut the sentiments from Oracal 651 Black vinyl and applied it to the off-the-edge piece that I cut from white cardstock. I reused a piece of transfer tape to apply it and was careful that it didn’t stick to the cardstock too much. You could also cut from cardstock and glue to the front, but adhesive vinyl makes it a bit quicker to assemble and the glossy sentiment made it pop with the photo paper background too!
Then I took the printed sheet of the alcohol background paper and cut it to 4.25″ x approximately 3.5″ with my paper trimmer. This size depends on how far the left side of the off-the-edge cut comes down. I used a Scrapbook tape runner to adhered the alcohol background to the front of a card base at the top.
You can either buy ready made card bases or make your own. In this card tutorial HERE at 32:30, I show how I cut my own card bases from a letter size sheet of paper.
Then used foam tape to add the off-the-edge cut piece to the front of the card at the bottom.
Off-the-Edge Die Cut Cards with Silhouette
Once you have the basics of the card creation down, you can modify it for different sentiments. Save the angled rectangle as a template for future card cuts.
The first card will take the longest to design, but then you will have all the steps and if you save the files, you can easily open in the future and get to cutting.
You will also notice that a couple of mine got a bit close to the edge and really did go off-the-edge. For these I can just snip that part off before placing in the envelope, but in the future I’ll adjust the design a bit smaller so the offset doesn’t go outside the bounds. Something like that is easily corrected in the software when it happens to you.
Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.
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!
**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.
THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click the link to buy a coffee. Every little bit helps in the cost of running the site.
