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Silhouette Print and Cut With Fabric Tutorial and Promotion!
May 24, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 3 Comments
We are thrilled to bring you this great tutorial from Lori Aragon using Silhouette’s Fabric Interfacing! Imagine all the cool and pretty things you can make using fabric! The possibilities are endless! Make sure to check out the promotion at the bottom of the post for some great deals on Silhouette Electronic Cutting tools and Fabric Interfacing bundles!
Oh my! Have I been having sew much fun with fabric lately!!! I am super excited to share my project with you today using Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbooking Supplies, Silhouette Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing and fabric
Yes, you read that right, I paired Jo Corne’s Sew Much More digital kit – papers, embellishments and word art with fabric. Have I got your interest piqued? Read on to find out how I did it!
Digital scrapbooking supplies used for this project:
Sew Much More digital kit
Additional supplies used for this project:
Silhouette Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing
White Muslin
Silhouette Cameo and Software
Photoshop Elements 10
Iron, Ironing Board and Clean Cloth
Paper Floss
Scissors
Best Glue Ever
Craft Smart Vanilla Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
Frame with clothesline purchased at Michael’s
Step 1: Design elements for main image in Photoshop (or other software). Save as png file. Here’s mine…
Step 2: Change image to Black Fill in Photoshop (or other software). Give this file a different name and Save. I usually just keep the file name and add BLACK FILL at the end. Be sure to save as PNG.
Drag and drop both images in Silhouette Software.
Step 3: Working with the Black Fill image, click on the “Trace” Button at the top right and click on “Select Trace Area.” Create a box around your image.
Step 4: Uncheck “High Pass Filter” and if necessary to fill the entire image with yellow, increase the “Threshold.” Click on “Trace.” If your image doesn’t have any inner pieces to cut, click on “Trace Outer Edge.”
Step 5: Move the Black Fill image to the side and voila! you have your new cut file!!!
Step Six: Grab your colored image and place over the new cut lines. You don’t have to be precise at this point. Select both the image and cut lines, open the “Align” window and click on “Center.” Next group together by clicking on “Object” and “Group” (or right click and group). Resize if desired.
Step 7: To be able to print, you’ll need to turn on the registration marks. Go to “Open the Registration Marks” in the upper right corner, and click on the “Show Reg Marks” box. Make sure your image(s) fit within the boundaries of the registration box. If necessary, you can make the registration marks smaller by lowering the number of the “Left” “Top” “Right” “Bottom” boxes.
DO NOT PRINT YET!!! DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES UNTIL PRINTED!!!
Step 8: Time to prepare the fabric! After I just said not to print yet… I did print lol. I used my mistake to size the fabric needed for my image. Yes… I did go above and beyond what I needed, but I figured for the first time, I better have more than not enough!
Step 9: After ironing the fabric, I cut a piece of Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing just a bit smaller and ironed it on for a couple seconds (interfacing adhesive – rough – side down on top of the fabric). Remove interfacing liner.
Step Ten: Because I already did an oops print and cut, I had a guide to help me place my image on the paper. I could see where the registration marks would print, and I wanted to avoid putting tape in those areas. I simply used Scotch tape to secure the fabric on the copy paper. MAKE SURE THAT YOU’VE ALREADY IRONED ON THE INTERFACING (oh, if you only knew my boo boo’s LOL).
Step 11: Insert into your printer (my printer requires I place the paper face down, but yours may be different). Next, click on “Print” in your Silhouette Software and follow instructions for your printer. Praying helps at this point LOL! I actually was very pleased and surprised at how effortlessly this step went. I was imagining paper getting caught and tape gumming up the printer, but nope, worked like a charm!
Step 12: Place printed fabric on your cutting mat the same way it shows in your Silhouette Software. Load the mat into your cutting machine. For BEST results, use a dedicated blade for fabric. Silhouette manufactures the “blue” fabric blade. It’s the same as the original, but for ease of knowing which to use for fabric and which to use for paper, I find it a very nice feature indeed
Step 13: Cut settings should be as follows: “Fabric Cotton Print” and Blade 3
Step 14: Cut! Unload mat from cutting machine and peel away fabric – clean cut!!!
Step 15: Using a clean cloth, place over your print and cut fabric (interfacing side down on top of your project) and press for about 8 seconds with a hot iron (no steam).
Step 16: To create my background, I used my Silhouette Software for easy designing. Opening the files I wanted, I used the drag and drop technique to place the papers on my virtual mat. From there, I measured my frame and sized the papers accordingly.
Step 17: Print and cut additional embellishments using fabric and/or papers. Decorate frame as desired.
Now it’s your turn! We’d love to see what you create using the Print and Cut feature and Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing. Please share with us at Scrap Girls Hybrid Gallery. Enjoy!!!
Tutorial written by Lori Aragon
Silhouette fabric project bundle
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- $25 download card to Silhouette Online Store
- Silhouette fabric blade
Regularly $53.97 $29.99 with promotion code
Silhouette Portrait® fabric project bundle
- Silhouette Portrait®
- Silhouette Portrait® electronic cutting tool
- Power cable/AC adapter
- USB cable
- Silhouette Studio® software
- $10 download card
- 8 in x 12 in cutting mat
- Silhouette blade
- Basic Instruction Guide
- Portrait instructional DVD
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- $25 download card to Silhouette Online Store
- Silhouette fabric blad
- Silhouette Portrait® fabric project bundle
Silhouette CAMEO® fabric project bundle
- Silhouette CAMEO®
- Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
- Power cable/AC adapter
- USB cable
- Silhouette Studio® software
- $10 download card
- 12 in x 12 in cutting mat
- Silhouette blade
- Basic Instruction Guide
- CAMEO instructional DVD
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Long cutting mat (12 in x 24 in)
- Silhouette fabric blade
Regularly $348.95 $269.99 with promotion code
Silhouette Portrait Giveaway and Fabric Bundle Promotion!
May 23, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 123 Comments
You read that right! We are thrilled to be giving away a Silhouette Portrait electronic cutting tool to one lucky Scrap Girls customer! Since becoming partners with Silhouette we have been bringing you some fabulous Silhouette-inspired tutorials here on our Blog, along with some great deals on Silhouette’s products!
We here at Scrap Girls love the Silhouette’s ability to cut out our digital scrapbooking products and create all kinds of great hybrid crafts, cards, and scrapbook pages!
To Enter please do the following:
1. Enter this contest by replying to this post and answering this question, “Describe your favorite memory.”
2. Check the box that says, “Notify me of new posts by email” in the comment form.
3. For an extra chance to win, visit our Google+ page and say “Hi!”
4. Leave your comment by midnight (ET), Monday, May 27th. The winner will be announced the morning of May 28.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on a Silhouette Cutting Machine check out the Silhouette fabric bundle promotion below going on now through May 31st! To purchase any of these bundles follow this link: Silhouette May Fabric Bundle Promotion. (make sure to use this link and the code below to receive the discounted price)
Check back tomorrow for a great tutorial using the Fabric interfacing!
Silhouette fabric project bundle
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- $25 download card to Silhouette Online Store
- Silhouette fabric blade
Regularly $53.97 $29.99 with promotion code
Silhouette Portrait® fabric project bundle
- Silhouette Portrait®
- Silhouette Portrait® electronic cutting tool
- Power cable/AC adapter
- USB cable
- Silhouette Studio® software
- $10 download card
- 8 in x 12 in cutting mat
- Silhouette blade
- Basic Instruction Guide
- Portrait instructional DVD
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- $25 download card to Silhouette Online Store
- Silhouette fabric blad
- Silhouette Portrait® fabric project bundle
Silhouette CAMEO® fabric project bundle
- Silhouette CAMEO®
- Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
- Power cable/AC adapter
- USB cable
- Silhouette Studio® software
- $10 download card
- 12 in x 12 in cutting mat
- Silhouette blade
- Basic Instruction Guide
- CAMEO instructional DVD
- Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Silhouette clean cut fabric interfacing (36 in x 17 in)
- Long cutting mat (12 in x 24 in)
- Silhouette fabric blade
Regularly $348.95 $269.99 with promotion code
Hybrid Tutorial: 5×7 Magnetic Photo Frames
May 22, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 5 Comments
Join Hybrid Team Member Lei Maier as she shows you how to create 5×7 magnetic photo frames!
Digital scrapbooking supplies used:
Cottage Rose digital kit
Spring Whimsy digital kit
Craft supplies used:
Sturdy file folders, cereal box cardboard, or chipboard
2 sheets of paper (I used HP Presentation Paper, 32lb 2-sided matte finish)
Clear plastic (acetate sheets)
Good tacky glue, ATG or double sided tape
Magnetic strip or dots
Ruler
Pencil
Craft knife
Embellishments to coordinate with your SG paper choice
Instructions:
Start by opening your photo editing program ( I use Photoshop) and create a 8.5 x 11 inch document 300 dpi (this is your base). Select your choice of digital background paper and slide it into your program and onto your newly created document. Scale paper down and trim to fit on your sheet. Print 2 copies on quality printer paper.
*NOTE – If you are using obvious directional patterned background paper you will need to open an additional 8.5 x 11 inch base and slide your directional pattern paper onto the base then rotate 90°, so pattern paper is landscaped rather than portrait. Size and trim to fit. Print one page of this directional print landscaped and one page portrait. (See example using Brandy Murry’s Cottage Rose Paper_Mix 2).
Cuttings:
- File folders (cardboard) cut three pieces @ 5 inches by 7 inches
- With left over cardboard cut one 3.5 by 3.5 inch square and one 3 by 3 inch square to be used as cutting templates.
- Paper cut landscape print 6.5 inches by 8.5 inches; cut portrait print 7 inches by 10.5 inches (if your pattern direction doesn’t matter, you still need one sheet @ 6.5×8.5 inches, and one @ 7×10.5 inches)
- Clear plastic acetate sheet cut one @ 4 inches by 4 inches square
Frame Front
On your first 5 x 7 inch piece of cardboard measure and mark .75 inches from right hand side, top and bottom. Position your 3.5 inch square template on these lines and pencil around this opening and using the ruler and your craft knife, cut on the lines so you will now have a 3.5 inch “window” cut into your cardboard. Place this piece on top of the second piece of cardboard, trace and cut the “window” on this second piece so that you now have two identical pieces. Glue together making them one piece.
Next, place the 6.5 x 8.5 inch paper print side face down on your work surface. Center the “window” frame cardboard on top. Holding the cardboard in place, run the bone folder around the outer edges of the cardboard lightly scoring the paper, then gently lift the edges so the fold is a little more pronounced. Remove the cardboard “window” frame, apply glue or double sided tape, then reposition on the paper, using the fold lines as guides, nestling it into position and smooth out so paper and cardboard adheres together. Leaving your work face down, take the 3 by 3 inch square template and center it in the “window” opening and trace around it. Use a ruler and craft knife, cut out the 3 inch square in the paper center. Cut a 45° angle from each corner toward the center creating flaps that you will fold toward you and glue/tape to the backside of the frame. *NOTE If you want to do a ribbon wrap do this before the next step!
Center the 4 by 4 inch plastic over the “window” opening and glue/tape down. On the paper overhang around the outer edge of your cardboard, you will want to cut 45 ° angles from each corner outward, again forming flaps. Using the fold creases you made, wrap these flaps toward you and secure with either glue or double sided-tape. Put this piece aside.
Frame Base
Score the 7 by 10.5 inch patterned paper at 5 inches and 10 inches. Place face down on your work surface. Using glue/tape, place your 5 by 7 inch cardboard in the center 5 inch segment aligning the sides and score lines with the edges of the cardboard. Fold the 5 inch top flap toward you and glue/tape down. Now bring the .5 inch bottom flap toward you and crease and glue/tape to back forming a nice smooth “wrap” around the cardboard. Place magnet on this back side.
Turn piece over, then apply glue or double-sided stick tape to the side and bottom edges only, leaving the top side open. Center your frame on the frame base and adhere sides and bottom. Now you are ready to embellish the left side of the frame. Have fun with this! You can use your digital scrapbooking embellishments along with a Silhouette machine to decorate your frames along with your traditional scrapbooking supplies – the possibilities are endless! Once decorated all that is needed is to slide a photo in and present it as a gift or hang it on your refrigerator as a gift to yourself!
If you give this project a try, please be sure to post it to Scrap Girls Hybrid Layout Gallery so we can see your creation!
And as always . . . Enjoy the Process!!
Tutorial written by Lei Maier
Sketch Tuesday!
May 21, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 2 Comments

It’s Sketch Tuesday time again! I LOVE seeing your digitial scrapbooking layouts on Facebook – keep them coming!
I LOVE seeing how different everyone’s layouts turn out. Check back every other Tuesday for new sketches!
This weeks sketch was taken from Angie Briggs’ Falling For You Embellishment Mini digital scrapbooking layout. Below is her original layout. I love how Angie clusters together the embellishments on the right.
Below is my new layout based on the sketch using one of my favorite kits by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin Sea Glass digital kit. Now we have two different looks with one sketch; one is colorful with a mix of patterns and pretty florals and the other soft with beachy tones! There are so many ways you could go with this sketch, try moving the pieces around or flip them in a different direction.
Other digital scrapbooking products used on this layout:
ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Torn and Stapled
We would LOVE to see your layouts using this sketch! Please post them on our Facebook page and you might just win a prize! In addition you can upload your layout to our Gallery here. But make sure you post it on our Facebook page first.
If you have a sketch idea please send it to me at syndee@scrapgirls.com and you may just find it showcased on the blog, and a free gift coming your way!
Behind the Scenes: Elisha Barnett’s May Club
May 20, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 2 Comments
Each month we get a glimpse behind the scenes of our Scrap Girls Club designers, and this month’s designer is Elisha Barnett!
1. How did you come up with the name of your club?
When I design, a name is one of the first things I start out with. I have an idea in mind, and I give it a name. I have to name it something in order to save my work, right? My first thought for the club was to design a collection around a set of my great-grandmother’s dishes, which I have inherited. The name of the pattern is “Wayside.” The name evoked thoughts of wandering wooded paths, out-of the way places, and finding the unexpected. However, as I was gathering pieces for my inspiration board, I was led in a different direction, and the name just wasn’t working for me, but I stuck with it just to keep it consistent. About halfway into the design process, I knew I needed to change it. I did a little freewriting exercise in my notebook, which ended with a string of word associations: spring, summer, vacation, theme park, carnival, fair. As soon as I wrote the word “fair,” I knew I had my new name, Mayfair.
Image sources:
Flower cone - http://www.marthastewart.com/266074/flower-cones
Murray bike ad – http://carlahoag.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/murray-bicycle-ad/
Sunny Day Windmill by Yover – http://painting.about.com/u/sty/submissiongallery/painting-photos-challenge2/Sunny-Day-Windmill-by-Yover.htm
May Day flowers – FTD.com
May Day illustration by Mary Blair – http://jennywrendesigns.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-day-of-may.html
Hummel Figurine – Replacements.com
Oil Painting THE AURA OF AUTUMN 3 By Leonid Afremov - http://afremov.com
2. What inspired the colors in your club?
Since this Club was coming out in May, I wanted to celebrate the month of May. I thought I’d start with May Day, and I did a Google image search with that term. I found the “Happy May Day” illustration done by renowned Disney artist Mary Blair, which instantly attracted me. I pulled my color palette from this image.
3. Where did you find the inspiration for this club?
The images in the inspiration board above, as well as other illustrations by Mary Blair, inspired the patterns and embellishments in the collection. I found inspiring images on peko-chan’s Flikr site and at Magic of Mary Blair. You can see in the images below how Mary Blair’s wonderful patterns influenced the patterns in my papers, and how the elements in my inspiration board translated into embellishments.
4. The club includes several products. Did you start and complete each one before moving on to the next?
The collection was pretty much completed first. The Mayfair Clusters Embellishment Mini came out of the frames and cluster work from layouts I made while working on the collection.
As I continued to make layouts, I created more embellishments, word art and papers. For example, when I made the layout below, it originally had in it the windmill embellishment. But I felt that it needed a castle, so I the pink one you see there, and a blue one to go with it! As I added more embellishments, paper and word art, the collection started bulging at the seams. I pulled some out and built the additional products around them.
5. What was your favorite thing to design?
It has to be the word art mini! The first pieces I designed were “bluebird on my shoulder” and “what a wonderful day,” and they were part of the collection. I liked them a whole lot, and knew that I could build an individual product from them. I enjoyed arranging the text and embellishments into little whimsical clusters.
6. If you could pick only one word to describe your club, what would that word be?
Here’s how I describe the collection on the product pages: The Mayfair collection of products is inspired by the freshest spring air, the sunniest summer days, and the happiest places on earth!
If I were to narrow it down to just one word, I’d have to choose HAPPY.
I hope you enjoy this club. I enjoyed creating it for you!
Collage 101 Tutorial: Painting With Paper
May 16, 2013 By Syndee Rogers-Nuckles 7 Comments
Our Journey begins with learning a basic collage technique called “painting with paper”…along with performing a little experiment! (turned out to be 2 little experiments!) We will be creating 2 collages using some of the same patterned papers, printed on 2 different types of paper! (That’s where one of the experiments comes in!) Both collages will be complete in their own right, but the differences will be amazing!
Collage #1, on the left, papers were printed on regular copy paper. Collage #2 on the right, papers we’re printed on Magic Matte.
Begin with selecting a bunch of different papers from your Scrap Girls stash. Since I have decided to create a tree, my color choices are browns, greens and blues (for the background). This photo shows you the browns and 1 blue that I used (1), but I also put together a green and blue sheet for the sky and leaves.
Since I am working in my Moleskine journal, I really don’t need large quantities of 1 paper, so was able to get all the tints & shades of 1 colorway on one page.
The 1st collage:
Print your papers on regular copy paper.
I am using Golden’s, Soft Gel Gloss as the adhesive.
I like to give the journal page one good coat of the soft gel gloss medium before I start to apply the paper. It’s not really necessary, I just feel better about the protection of the base journal page. Start ripping small pieces of paper from your printed sheets and apply them to your journal page by brushing the gel on the journal page, then placing the paper on it. Brush the gel over the applied paper, the repeat and repeat and repeat until you have a design that you are happy with!
Collage #2:
Print your papers on Magic Matte 27lb or 36lb weight available here:
http://www.dotcalmvillage.net/artpapers.html
In this collage, I chose to not be as “free form” as in the 1st collage.
First, I sized my sky background paper (BMU_View_Paper_Skyblue) to my journal page measurements. Not caring about the distortion.
Then I found a Scrap Girls paper template of a tree Design Pack: Family Branch and sized it to fit the page, again not caring about the distortion. There are 2 branches with leaves on them that I don’t want.
This is what I did to get eliminate them: Using the lasso tool, I drew around the top branch, double clicked to activate the marching ants, then holding down the shift key, I drew around the bottom branch, double clicked to activate the marching ants again. When I hit delete, the 2 branches were gone. Then I clicked on Select, then deselect….the marching ants vanished! I opened up and resized a brown paper that I had used in the last collage, brought it over to the tree file making sure I placed it on top of the tree layer.
Click on Create Clipping Mask in the layers palette and this is the result:
Open a new document, 8.5 x 11 inches. Bring your sky and the tree over then print it on Magic Matte.
Print the greens on Magic Matte also. Now it’s time to start assembling your design.
I cut out the sky background and used Golden’s Soft gel gloss to adhere it on to the page. NOW IF I HAD MY THINKING CAP ON…..
I would have placed some green pieces on next for leaves behind the tree, but I didn’t; so my design will be kinda-sorta one dimensional. (BUMMER!) I then cut out the tree and gelled it on the page. Now you can tear and piece to your hearts content for the leaf clusters. Looking at my finished piece, I wish I would have added more to mine!
If I didn’t “jazz” it up at the end, I could have added more.
The “jazz” part:
While the final coat of gel was still a little tacky, I decided to try another experiment. This could have been disastrous, but worth a shot at greatness! I got out my Versa Mark embossing marker, some embossing powder and my heat gun. I scribbled on top of the leaf clusters, sort of like snow. Then sprinkled the embossing powder over, and then tapped off the excess. I held my breath and turned on the heat gun, not knowing if the gel would bubble up and burn…..WOW! It worked!
WooHoo! Next, I wanted to add more, like snow falling. I was more than pleased with the result and can see a gazillion possibilities for the future!
My thoughts on the 1st experiment…the comparison of printing on regular copy paper versus Magic Matt:
The inks on the copy paper bled, softening the edges and somewhat colorizing the rest of the design. To me, it does seem a tad blurry. The inks on Magic Matt remained sharp and clear, no color bleed, and a truer color representation.
For Collage 102, we will learn my favorite background technique, then put what we learned today to fabulous use!
Have fun playing and don’t forget to post your results in the Scrap Girls Hybrid Gallery!
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
Jerrie
P.S. While surfing the net for Collage in Moleskine Art Journals, I came across a wonderful blog.
http://thelastdoordownthehall.blogspot.com/
The artist, Elizabeth Golden, graciously has given me permission to post this photo of her Moleskine art journal, filled to bursting with collages! Go for a visit that will be a feast for your eyes!
Also, make sure to check out this Painting on Paper blog; I am absolutely AMAZED at this artists’ work!
http://elizabethsthilairenelson.blogspot.com/
Tutorial written by Jerrie Hall
































































