More Halloween Decor & Fabric!

A couple CHA's ago I made some fabric birds that I cut out with the Silhouette and then sewed and stuffed them.  I loved them and thought they were just so cute!  So, I took that same concept and created some Halloween decor.  I cut out a few crows and little pumpkins using the sewable fabric interfacing.  Then, again with the same technique I sewed and stuffed them added these ribbons and poof a super fun s"Spooky" tree.  Enjoy your weekend, I hope you have lots of creative moments!

Shapes:
black_crow_C00419_24282
4_fall_icons_C01129_20509

Happy Owl-O-Ween!

I could not help but post this gorgeous project created by Jenni.  She has some fabulous pieces that she has created using the Silhouette and I am absolutely blown away by this one!  The care and detail taken on this owl is amazing.  I am also so impressed with her use of color and texture  it is GORGEOUS!  Thank you for sharing this amazing work of art with us!

Here is what she had to say!

"Halloween decor made using Silhouette - 1 Piece Leaf Cluster, Scalloped Circle Border Set, and Flower files by Samantha Walker. Also 3D Loopy Flower file by Alaa' K."

Seasonal Vinyl Decor

One thing I love about vinyl is its ability to be removed.  Today's project was a redo of an old board we had already had vinyl on.  Well, it was tired and needed an update.  So I peeled off the old vinyl, repainted it a metallic black and added some orange edge distressing.  All it needed now was some gorgeous vinyl.  The flourishes were done in the frosted vinyl so it has a little bit of a translucent shimmer to it and the the orange vinyl is one of our new premium vinyl colors.  This was a super quick update and makes quite a bold statement.  What are you going to bring new life too?

Shapes:
fabulous_flourish_C01177_23067
1_piece_bat_moon_circle_frame_C01021_19210

Fonts:
Old London (happy halloween)
Modern Number 20 (31) 

FREE shape of the week!

rhinestone_candy_corn_C02995_1

Hey hey!  I'm loving the free shape this week!  Maybe its because one of my favorite treats this time of year is a candy corn/peanut combo. Mmmm!  I made these shirts for my girls.  I just couldn't resist how big and fun the rhinestone shapes were.  I'm super happy with the end result.  Can't wait for my girls to get there Halloween on with these little numbers!

Font:
Plain Germanica

Tutorial: Fabric Ink Starter Kit

Curious about the Fabric Ink starter kit???  Take a look at how amazing it is!  Your kit comes with the stencil vinyl and transfer tape rolled in one.  You also get a hook tool, ink tray, 1 bottle of black fabric ink, distressing sponge, sponge brush, instructional DVD, idea book and a download card with the 10 free shapes.

To download click on my account, if you haven't set one up yet you can do so by clicking on free account in the online store.  Under my account select the button that says "Redeem Promotional Download Card" link.  Then click "Apply Card".  It will take you directly to the place where you will be able to download the shapes.

From here it will be downloaded to your library.  If for some reason you do not see them in your library you may need to recover the order.

Now that they are downloaded I have chosen the pirate to work with.  So I will click on it and import it into my artboard.

The next step is to cut it out.  Choose the vinyl settings load your stencil vinyl into the silhouette and hit cut!

Once that is done weed away the shape leaving the negative space to act as the stencil.  You can use the hook tool that came with your starter kit to help you with this process.

Once that is done you will place the transfer tape on top of the vinyl stencil.  Using the scrapper tool you will want to make sure a good bond will secure the two together.

I am going to prep my fabric ink next.  Squeeze a small amount onto the ink tray.  I will be painting the pirate a little grungy on this onesie, so I like to use the distressing sponge.  It is quite large so I will be cutting it into pieces I can use.  I do this by cutting the sponge in half and then into quarters.  This allows me to work with it a little easier.

Then peel away the transfer tape/vinyl stencil from the vinyl backing.  You then place it where you want on your project and using the scrapper again you will make sure a good bond exists between the project and the stencil vinyl.

Then you can peel away the transfer tape.

Dab your sponge into the fabric ink.  I will pat the excess off just so I can have a little more control of the grunge feel.

Once you have acheived the look you want, let your fabric ink sit for 20 minutes.  Then you can peel away your stencil vinyl to reveal the shape.  Once your Project is completely dry you will iron the ink to set it.

This little onesie will be perfect for that little Halloween monster!  Happy Monday!

Fall!

I was sitting on my front porch watching my kids ride back and forth on the their scooters, thinking how wonderful the temperature felt.  I looked up and saw my neighbors tree and realized its leaves were starting to change from that deep leafy green into the golden yellow that would let everyone know fall was upon us.  A super good friend of mine tells me every year that fall is her favorite.  I always thought she was funny for not choosing summer or spring...but there is something special about fall.  Comfort and warmth...ok really maybe I'm just stuck on comfort foods like pumpkin everything and spiced apple confections, but I think nostalgia really hits me about this time of year.  So here it is the beginning of fall!

I am super excited for fall to be here and can't wait for all the festivities that follow up this time of year.  Happy Fall everyone!!!  I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Shape:
pumpkin_globe_C02994_1

Fan Feature

Im sure you have all seen this beauty on facebook, but I adore this little pillow and had to share it with you.  Pamela posted this on facebook last week and snatched it up to swoon over it.  I love the colors the typewriter font the vintage bike....oooh everything about it.  It is so fun and sooo lovely.

Here is what she said:

Bike image is from Silhouette store (I LOVE my subscription plan!) and I used the heat transfer. Original plan was to make a freezer paper stencil, but this was so much easier! I ordered a lot more heat transfer! :)

Thank you so much for sharing this with us!  So cute!

Any shapes that are originally $0.99 are just $0.75 now through next wednesday.  Stock up while you can!!!

Fabric Interfacing: darling playmat

Our very own, ever so talented sewing phenom Dresden put together this super cute playmat for her cousins new little one.  I first love her choice of colors and the print and the ric rac border, but I love the font she chose to cut out with the silhouette.  It makes customizing your projects so fast and easy.  I was so excited that she would share this with us!  Thanks a bunch girl!

Font:
lw_happy

FREE shape of the week

jar_C02993_1

Fall always makes me think of things i love from my childhood and  all the beautiful things I hope my children remember from theirs.  I wish I could bottle it all up for them and send it with them as they grow.  I remember helping my mom and grandma can jar after jar fresh fruits and veggies from their gardens.  I remember the way our house smelled during autumn and the toasty warmth that filled our home.  This shape will surely get you in the mood to start fall of right! ;)

The way I created this project was by using the outline of the jar I welded 2 together at the middle and folded it like a card.  Then I sketched the jar shape onto a white piece of cardstock and matted that on the front of the card.  For the depth of the "blue", I filled the jar shape and printed it onto a transparency (you can purchase this at your local office supply store).  Then I used tiny glue dots to adhere it to the white sketched shape.  For the leaves I also filled their shapes and printed them on transparency so you could see the colored layers.  I also used glue dots to hold them in place. 

Shapes:
8_fall_leaves_C00753_20509
5_piece_gift_tag_set_C00311_41853

Tutorial: Heat Transfer Kit

Here is round 2 of the starter kit tutorials.  Today we will be taking a look at the Heat Transfer Kit.

This is what you will get when you open your box!  If you are wondering how you obtain your shapes, click on my account, if you haven't set one up yet you can do so by clicking on free account in the online store.  Ok lets get back to downloading the shapes.  Under my account select the button that says"Redeem Promotional Download Card" link.  Then click "Apply Card".  It will take you directly to the place where you will be able to download the shapes.

Now that the shapes are downloaded into your library you simply select the one you want to use.  For this project I am using the golf shape. I imported it and resized it for the project.

Because this is Heat Transfer we will need to select it and then "mirror" it or flip it horizontally so when it is cut out it will be able to iron on facing the correct direction.

Next, load your heat transfer; plastic transfer sheet side down into the machine and cut out your image.

Once this is cut out you can trim the excess heat transfer to save for another project and then peel away the negative space around the shape.

You will find a hook tool in your kit, this is a great way to pick out any little pieces.

You will now place your shape with the plastic transfer sheet face up.  Place a thin cotton cloth on top and iron your heat transfer.  You will need to apply pressure for 45 second in each spot. Pick up the iron and move it to the next spot and repeat that step.  Make sure you let the transfer sheet cool before you remove and reveal your image.

Bieber Day: Never Say Never

Ok so every now and then I like to give you a little taste of the funnies that happen in the office.  At the beginning of September it was dubbed that the 15th would be slated as Justin Bieber day.  We all anxiously awaited the day we would pull out the flat bill caps and purple hoodies and get our Bieber on.

Here is a little taste of the good times that we had.  Jake (aka Justin) & Conrad played us a little acoustic "Baby", some sweet rap lyrics were layed out by big bad C-rad and Andog.  Everyone busted out their strongest Bieber stance and some very tight skinny jeans were worn by not only girls this time...thank you Jake for taking one for the team!  Bieb's music played all day and we just had a great Thursday. Haha.  This is how we roll around here...you gotta stay current and creative so why not add a little Bieber to keep it goin'!

Your Silhouette Peeps

 Traci . Andy . Jake

Conrad . TJ

Have a great weekend!

Fan Feature

I loved this card when i saw it last fall, so I kept it in my records so I could post it this fall.  I love the colors. The pop of turquoise against the golden orange is so fun!.  It is a very clean and nicely finished card, so I gravitated to it a bit.  Thank you so much to Sarah M. for sharing it!  I hope your week has been going great!  Enjoy the view and I'll see you tomorrow!

Shape:
maple_leaf_C00473_2306

Harry Potter

For all you die hard Harry Potter fans, I thought I would post this great project Dresden made for us!  I think it is spectacular.  I love the use of the fabric ink and and heat transfer and rhinestones.  You can mix it up a bit with the products.  You don't have to use them alone. 

There are lots of fun ways to use the new licensed shapes...this is just a way to wear your pride! *wink*

shapes:
harry_potter_C00002_60925
flourish_corner_C00007_23851

FREE shape of the week!

leaf_woodgrain_heart_C02991_1

Well as much as I hate to say it...Fall is here.  Wow where did my summer go?  It really flew by!  The air is getting chilly in the mornings and chilly in the evenings.  I do love putting my sweaters on and enjoying the outdoors so that I am sooooo outrageously excited for, but oooh I morn the lose of summer. ;)

Here is a fun shape to get you started.  I am in love with the wood grain patterns right now so I thought this would be a great way to add it!  Happy Tuesday!

Tutorial: Vinyl Starter Kit

As I was thinking about what I should teach as a tutorial this week I thought about all the fun kits we have.  I know you have heard about them a ton, but I wanted to show you how easy they were to use and how useful they are.

Today I am going to teach you about the Vinyl Starter Kit.  It literally comes with everything you need to get stared on some really great projects!

I wanted to snap a shot of all the contents of the box and how they come packaged.  It may look like you only receive a roll of pink vinyl, but...

Look closer and you will see that all 4 colors are rolled up together.  You may also be wondering where your shapes are.  Well those are accessed using the download card included in the kit.

To download click on my account, if you haven't set one up yet you can do so by clicking on free account in the online store.  Ok lets get back to downloading the shapes.  Under my account select the button that says"Redeem Promotional Download Card" link.  Then click "Apply Card".  It will take you directly to the place where you will be able to download the shapes.

Once those are downloaded into your library, look for the "toy train" and select it to import it into your artboard in Silhouette Studio.

You can see here I already set my artboard size to a length of 21"  My project is 21"  long so I want to stay within that measurement.

I also am going to add an extra car length  to my train.  To do this ungroup your train and copy and paste an extra flat car.

Here you can see that I moved the engine and coal car to the right to accommodate this addition.

Now I am going to add text to this project so i simply click the text to and place it where I want it to start typing.  You can adjust the size to your project requirements.

Now you are ready to cut out your vinyl.  Load it into the machine and get it cutting out.

Now that it is all cut out remove the negative space and weed the vinyl shape.  You can use the hook tool that came with your kit to pick out any small pieces.

Next step is to apply the transfer paper to the vinyl shape so it can be placed on you project.  I use the scraper tool to make sure there is a good bond between the paper and vinyl.

All you need to do now is place it and smooth it down with your scraper tool.  Once you have firmly attached your vinyl to your project you are ready to remove the transfer paper and reveal your project.

Take a look!