Home is the heart of life/ Sketching with digital files

Hi Y'all!

Robyn here today with one of my favorite techniques,

using pens to sketch digital designs.

It's just as easy as cutting when you know a few tricks.

Home is the Heart of life.

On the mat

The work mat

• Draw a rounded rectangle ATC size 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 and resize the quote file to fit.
• Do an internal offset to fill in as much space as possible. the pen will only sketch on the cut lines.
• Insert pen into pen holder.This is a .01 micron. you want it to fit snug. this will vary depending on your pen holder. (see tips)

• To set the depth, put a popsicle stick underneath the holder and it should sketch on the stick when you move the stick around. This is what mine looks like.

• Set the rectangle to no cut and the quote to cut, speed 5 pressure 10 ( this will vary- see tips)
• DO NOT MOVE THE MAT AFTER SKETCHING
• Set the rectangle to cut and the quote to no cut

Pen in place in the Cameo

• Remove the pen holder and replace with the cutting blade.
• Cut the rectangle. Settings will vary depending on your cardstock.

Here is how it looks on the mat after sketching and cutting.

Make the card your own by filling in with a fine line pen or brush. 

Embellish the lettering with gold.

It looks like my hand lettering only better!

Suzanne is a wonder! with a broad edge pen.

The hearts are inked and embossed using the 

Hearts and Paw Prints stencil

and that's a technique for another day!
(a bit more on my blog and WOYWW!)

***Sketching Tips***

• Practice Cut, practice cut, practice cut-this will save you loads of time, paper and ink!

• The machine doesn't know if you are cutting or sketching. For some reason some sketch better when set to blade.
• This technique does require experimentation. There are lots of holders and DIY holders out there. Find what works for you and have fun!
• Sketch with the pen before you set it in the holder to make sure ink is flowing. Some pens work better than others, and sometimes they run out of ink in the middle of a design! If this happens you can pause and insert another pen. Just be sure to not move the mat.
• Wrapping some tape around the pen, even if it fits snug gives some tooth for the holder to grab onto and helps to keep the pen in place during sketching.
• When sketching I find setting to the fastest speed and lightest pressure gives the best results.
• Smooth paper- I use Neenah Classic Crest, 80 and 110, gives the most finished results. Any texture in the paper will cause skipping in the sketch.

I'd love to see your creations!

Comments and Questions Welcomed!

DIY Canada Day BBQ Decorations!

On July 1 2017 Canada turns 150 years old! It's a perfect excuse for a BBQ and/or neighbourhood celebration.
Deck your table out with lots of maple leaves! All it takes is some red and white cardstock (and maybe a little white vinyl) and your Silhouette Cameo or other digital cutting machine.

Instructions:
Although it might be tempting to open all the files and cut all the red elements together and then all the white elements, it might give you a headache keeping track of each bit!  I think it's better to cut each project separately.  Depending on the crowd, most of these decorations can be kept for another year.  All these projects are very simple, with no fancy assembly.  Simply refer to the project photos - email me if you have a problem!  Curious what's in the basket?  Maple fudge*, of course!

Supplies:
You can get these all on the Silhouette site or I've bundled them together at a special price in svg format on the Quietfire Site.

Here are the individual links to the Silhouette Design Store (the designs are spread out as they've been created over time)
Canada Day BBQ Decorations - Design ID #83487
Canada Day Heart Box - Design ID #200525
Canada Day Maple Leaf Basket - Design ID #201626 
Canada Pennants -Design ID #62058

Other supplies
Red Cardstock
White Cardstock
Silhouette White vinyl

 You can cut out some smaller maple leaves out of vinyl and stick them to the rim of your plates (or wherever you might need a maple leaf - windows, railings....!). If you're worried someone might eat them, maybe cut them from cardstock!!

 

All the Canada Day Designs can be found on my profile on Silhouette, just search for "Canada" to separate them out!  I think a string of the lanterns would be really fun.  They fold to flat for storage.

 

 

Happy Canada Day!

Bonne Fete Canada!

Suzanne

 

*Maple fudge has a high vapour pressure in our home. I guess we'll have to get some more before Canada Day!

Periodic Table Genius Scrapbook Layout

Hello, Connie Nichol here with a bright and colourful scrapbook layout featuring Suzanne Cannon's Genius digital cutting file and a Quietfire Design stamp.  And yes, those are actual pea seeds.

I seem to be a on a roll with only using cardstock while eschewing patterned paper, but cardstock is so easy and it comes in such beautiful colours.  I always take design and colour inspiration from my photographs and this layout is no exception.  I adore periodic table stuff (some of you might know I'm kind of a chemistry geek), so when I saw this photo of my youngest son with one of his school projects, it was a natural fit with the genius cut file.  Even though he might not be a genius. ;-)   The cut file is available in the Silhouette store here, and of course you can cut it in any size or colour that you want.  That's the beauty of digital cutting files.

That's germanium, nickel, uranium and sulphur for you non-chemistry geeks that might be interested.  I cut wedges of different colours of cardstock to mimic Marty's school project and embellished them with arrows and leftover pea seeds.  In the center of the circle, I stamped using the Flourish and Grow Quietfire Design stamp - a perfect sentiment for a growing boy learning about growing seeds.

I wanted to add a single dimensional star, so I masked off the little stars on the Quietfire Design Star Spray stencil with washi tape and applied a little texuture paste that had been tinted with ink.  Stencils are so versatile.

Have fun with the geniuses in your life and happy scrapbooking!

Supplies:  Close to my Heart cardstock, Sizzix arrow die, Quietfire Designs stencil, stamp, digital cutting file, Silhouette Cameo, Beacon Adhesive, Clearsnap ink.

4th of July Basket- 15 Minute Wonder!

Hi Y'all, Robyn here

 with a quick and fun holiday project perfect for getting your crafting on with kids this summer!

Sometimes you have to set goals.

 I'm recovering from computer failure, and today's goal was to get this post done by deadline! and have some fun with my little helpers.

4th of July Basket

On the mat

Ungroup and move the elements around to fit your paper.

The small stars were cut out of glittered paper.

Cut a full set of images in red white and blue, then mix and match!

One can be made, start to finish (not counting design time- that is done for you!) in 15 minutes!

***TIPS***

Fold the diagonal score lines carefully. Paper doesn't like to fold against the grain.

A teeny touch of water-with an 0 paint brush will make it easier.

Cut extra glittered stars- you can never have too much glitter!

Suzanne loves designing with Stars and Stripes and has a son who was born in Boston! You can find these designs by going to her profile and searching for “Independence”.

If you have more time than me! don't stop here.

Create with out limits!

Comments and Questions Welcomed!

Treble Clef card - The Music In My Heart

Yogi here today using one of Suzanne's newest Silhouette files. Suzanne came out with several new stamps as well and a couple of them were music related. Love them, so naturally gravitated to this card. BIG GRIN

I'm using a stencil from Elizabeth Craft Designs "Butterfly Kaleidoscope" also available on Quietfire Design HERE

I'm also using a quote stamp from Quietfire Design ("The Music In My Heart...")

And I'm using the Treble Clef card available on the Silhouette OnLine store. Click on image to purchase.

Opened and moved the small squares out of the way and then cut the main card. Note: everything was cut from white cardstock. Folded on the score line. Dry embossed the front using Spellbinders Musical embossing folder, but any musical embossing folder will work. I inked the negative side using Distress "Faded Jeans" then hit here and there with "Blueprint Sketch" and "Wilted Violet. Misted with water, lay down my card on the uninked side (so as not to ruin it if it moved before I closed the folder...)  and ran through my machine.

Moved the card to one edge of my mat so that only the treble clef would be cut. I then surgically cut it away from the window. Inked with Versafine Imperial Purple and embossed using Emerald Creek "Frosted Plum" embossing powder. Adhered to the treble clef on the card.

Cut the squares and inked the edges of the larger one with "Dusty Concord".

Stamped the music quote using the Imperial Purple, and clear embossed. Sponged the edges with the Faded Jeans and the Dusty Concord.

Stenciled the butterflies using a sponge and the Imperial Purple, clear embossed.

Adhered a piece of white pearlized vellum to the inside of the front behind the treble clef.

Adhered the purple ribbon and the beaded ribbon, then adhered the flower. See below for instructions.


Die cut, punch or use your electronic cutter to cut a circle. Mine is 1.5" dia.

Use a decorative edged scissor around the edge of the circle. I used "The Creative Memories Collection".

Cut the circle into pie shapes. I score with my x-acto blade to keep the circle still in one piece until later.
   

Using a fine tipped balled stylus, score two vein lines in each pie piece. Use "Spun Sugar" direct to paper lightly to give a hint of color.

Cut trough the pie pieces and sponge the edges with "Picked Raspberry.

Tool the backside of each petal with a large balled stylus, then pinch the point to create a little foot.

Punch a 1/2" circle. Apply a good glob of glue all over the small circle and then start pressing the feet into the glue. Allow to dry. You can leave it as a one layer flower or like I did and repeat making another layer of petals and adhering between each petal. When dry. Add another glob of glue and sprinkle with Prills, or mini holeless beads etc.