JUST CUT IT OUT

Now that I've had a chance to play with my Silhouette Portrait electronic cutting device over the summer, I thought I'd share a few of the designs and projects I created.  I'm still a novice and like any other skill that is learned, mistakes will be made and I've discovered a few 'work around" tips that I've added to the end of this blog article.  Now let's have some FUN!

This is a SUPER EASY project that's perfect for beginners.  Need a decorative candle for the bath, knick knack shelf or for the dining table?  Dress up any jar, battery candle or glassware with a pretty flower and voila!  You can adjust the size to fit any item.  You can also use this idea to decorate fancy soaps and lotion bottles...just package them up in a decorative box along with a lidded candle jar and you'll have a delightful hostess gift on hand when you need it! Here a FREE printable for you...just right click and save to your computer.

I found a pair of these tables at a summer clearance sale for $5 so I grabbed them up to use on the patio or as indoor snack trays.  Just measure the border area you want to create and then print as many motifs as you need!  This super easy design is perfect for any beginner to work with.

This is a project I created out of necessity after a recent party.  Tape does not stick to plastic bins and printed paper ink bleeds when wet so vinyl labels seemed a logical solution.  I wanted the labels large enough for people to read yet small enough to be unobtrusive.  Since they'll be kept outdoors, I'm anxious to see how well they hold up through a Michigan winter.   I'll let you know next spring! Here's the pattern I created for the labels...

If you love your morning coffee as much as I do, you can use vinyl cutouts for both plastic (bean grinder) and glassware items.  I was unsure as to how well these would hold up on hot glass surfaces, but they are performing beautifully! Both glassware items have been put through my dishwasher cycles at least a dozen times and there are no signs of wear and tear.  Amazing!

I got this little red wagon for my Birthday last year from my granddaughter and have always wanted to paint something on the side rails. Vinyl cutouts were the perfect solution as they are very durable and easily adhere to wood surfaces with little effort.

This is the perfect way to tour the neighborhood in style. Maybe next time I'll take the grandkids with me!

I fell in love with this set of cardboard suitcases I found in a local boutique shop. One suitcase will be left at my granddaughter's house for her own treasures, one box will travel back and forth to my house and the largest box will be kept at "Grandma's" house to hold lots and lots of creative supplies and surprises for her when she visits. All labels were created with printable vinyl and were personalized to make each one special.  It was also a project I could use as a visual "Fix It" tutorial so keep reading if you've ever experienced similar "Silhouette Quirks" of your own!

FIXING REGISTRATION MARKS

This has been a consistent problem with my Silhouette...Incomplete Registration Marks when the file prints.  Since the cutter software needs to know where to make the necessary cuts, it is absolutely essential that the complete registration marks be printed plainly and cleanly on your printouts so they can be read by the cutter.  Otherwise, your project will be stopped dead in it's tracks until you get it right.  If you are using cardstock, it's an easy fix.  I just use an old plastic gift card as my ruler and then carefully complete the line myself with a black pen.

However, I found that vinyl can be a bit more problematic because it often smears or the pen won't write cleanly on it's surface.  My solution is to make a test print on cardstock and once again, complete the bottom registration mark with a pen.  Snip off the cardstock registration marks.  Use a glue stick to apply a bit of adhesive to one of the corners and then attach it in place to the vinyl printout.  I save the remaining corner for the next vinyl printable project because as I stated above, this is a consistent problem with the Silhouette.

CLEANING UP BLACK BORDER EDGES
As a designer, I've always created motifs with a black border edge outline if they are intended to be used for papercrafts.  This allows a little "wiggle room" for those who are cutting images by hand.  Although cutouts made with my Silhouette are VERY close to accurate, I often get a few that are just slightly off a bit, leaving just a slight hint of white around my black border edges.  The fix is often quite simple...just use a black marker to make necessary corrections BEFORE removing the cutout print from the cutting mat.

I hope you enjoyed these projects and I'm really looking forward to future postings as the Holiday Crafting Season approaches!

Did you miss other related BLOG posts?
Making the Cut and Any Way You Cut It