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12 Days of Christmas: Santa's Sleigh

Here we are Christmas Eve.  Have you made the cookies for Santa yet or is that on your list of things to do today?  No stress!  I have found that the Jolly man in red also likes, carmel popcorn, cheesecake bites and oreo cookies.  Look, he's not too picky a man's gotta eat and run.  I think he's just happy to know he's loved.  I hope you have the very Merriest Christmas.  From the Silhouette family to yours, Happy Holidays!

12 Days of Christmas: Trees

Have you ever driven through the forest right after the fall of snow?  Winter magic is everywhere.  I love the smell of a crisp pine tree and the sparkling snow.  It makes me think of cozy Christmas mornings and lots of laughter with my cousins.  It reminds me of rosey cheeked babies all bundled up in their snow suits and big hugs.  These are the things that my Christmas's are made of.   I have a favorite picture it is of my mother and I choosing a tree from the forest that Dad would cut down and myself with a hand full of snow trying for the first time the cold, white frost.  You cant beat the way you feel with pine trees all around and a forest full of white.  Ahhhh. 

12 Days of Christmas: Merry Christmas

One of my favorite treats is actually not a baked good at all.  I LOVE  a delicious Italian Soda.  Mmmm. My favorite is a mix of cherry and vanilla syrup in a smooth, creamy club soda/half and half mix.  Why not give that to your friends for Christmas.

Our family has a little tradition every Christmas Eve, we sit down to a candlelight dinner...either a nice sit down meal or a great burger from the grill.  Anyhow,  the tradition isn't the type of meal we eat, it is the clinking of our glasses when shout out the things we are thankful for.  My favorite was the year my little girl yelled "Cheers to being Girls"  as her daddy looked around and noticed he was the only boy.  *giggle*  Ah sweet memories!  Enjoy the shape!

12 Days of Christmas: Gingerbread Man

This project was created using fabric interfacing for this little guys body and heat transfer to frost off his outfit.    There are tons of different ways you can use these free Christmas shapes.  Try making a cute paper tag to attach to your gifts or make a fun sign using the premium vinyl.  Oooh the possibilities!

12 Days of Christmas: Falalalala

Eeeek!  Here we are its the week before Christmas, gracious this happened fast.  Are you struggling to pull together some last minute goodies?  Take a peek at this fun idea.  Use today's free shape and place it on any container and fill with gorgeous holiday yummies.  Wouldnt you just love to have a sweet little package like this?

Also, one extra special little note.  I have truly enjoyed my time here at Silhouette.  It has been so much fun getting to know you all and receiving such fun inspiration from your stories and projects.  I'm off to a new adventure sure to be exciting, may you all have a beautiful Holiday Season with everyone you love.  All my love.  -Traci

12 Days of Christmas: Tutorial

Ok so lets talk about welding.  It is one of my favorite functions.  You have the ability to alter your shapes and create new looks by using this little tool. Today's free shape is a darling little reindeer.  It was intended to have multiple layers, but I wanted to use it as a stencil to fabric ink a tea towel as a gift.  So let me show you how I did it!

First start with your shape.

Then make sure all shapes are organized on one another the way you would like them placed when they are welded together.

Then you select all shapes, click on the modify button and click weld.

 Once those pieces are welded together, I moved the Eyes and nose into position.

Because I want this to be a stencil I need to create a border around the nose.  You can do this by selecting the nose circle and clicking on your offset button.  Choose the amount of border you want to have and then select apply.

Your last step is to select the "nose" border and the reindeer shape and click weld again.  Now you have the perfect little reindeer stencil.  Super easy and a gorgeous end result!

12 Days of Christmas: Present

Well this is a new one huh?  A post on Sunday, but hey we have a gift to give you today!  Check out this adorable little gift shape.  I had big plans for this shape.  I really wanted it to have a sparkly glittered top and a gorgeous poofy bow. 

Attach this shape to your packages this year and sweeten up the deal.  Who doesn't love a gorgie embellishment?  Have a great weekend!

12 Days of Christmas: Stocking

Whats this?  A post on Saturday???  Are you ready for a free shape?  I love this little stocking.  I welded 2 of these stocking shapes together using a vertical flip to create this super simple card.  Embellish all of your free shapes to create new and innovative styles for your gifts this Holiday Season.

I hope you are having a really productive weekend.  It is the last one before the jolly guy in red drops by our homes.  No pressure ladies ;)  Loves!

12 Days of Christmas: Snowflake

I have always loved beautifully wrapped gifts.  My mom always wrapped each one so tight and perfect with just the right amount of tape, ready to bust open when it was time.  So I have naturally loved to create lovely packaging myself.    As I was in design school we always focused on presentation and how important it was to present something as beautifully as possible.  We even had a couple assignments to present unique gift wrappings.

Today I thought I would use that idea with the free shape.  I took some plain copy paper added my sketch pen in the blade holder and placed random positioned snowflakes all over the page.  It is the perfect sprinkling for my new wrapping paper.  You should give it a whirl...such a pretty accent for any gift!

12 Days of Christmas: Ornament

I used today's free shape as a tag for a gift.  I added the "To & From" using a font from my computer and sketched it out using the silver sketch pen.  There are so many ways to use each of these shapes.  Post what you have created using them over on the flickr page. Happy day everyone! Enjoy!

12 days of Christmas: Joy

Its a glorious thing when you arrive home and see a plate of holiday goodies sitting at your doorstep.  If you are like me you pick them up and rush in to assess if they have been out a while, if a neighborhood dog has done the scratch and sniff test or if you should simply take the risk and start devouring. 

Today's free shape I have used with a darling paper bag (giant cookie included) and added it as an embellishment.  This way you are sure to know that none of the neighborhood creatures have gotten into it ;)  Happy Hump Day every one!

12 Days of Christmas: 'Tis the season

This time of year it is all about giving.  Well, here at silhouette we thought it would be fun to give you a free shape everyday until Christmas.  Just a little way we want to say thanks.  You have been an amazing part of the process here.  You make what we do so important and so fun!    So, thanks!  Take a peek back everyday to see what new shape you can pick up...for FREE.
 

I suppose there is also one other matter that I have been wanting to tell you all.  One week from now, I will no longer be with Silhouette.  Our little family is moving to Mississippi...far away from my Silhouette family.   My hubs clinical rotations are upon us and its time to go.

I have truly enjoyed all of you.  I feel like I have gotten to know so many of you and I will miss the interaction with you all.  Please know when I say how dedicated the Silhouette  team is to providing you superior products, services and just all together cool new innovative ideas that will keep your hobbies and passions above the rest.  Through the next weeks I will still be posting about all the great projects as before, but soon you will have a new face to love and enjoy. 

I wish you all a beautiful holiday season and should we every cross paths again, may they be as sweet as we found each other before.  All my love...-Traci

*Ps.  Did you notice all Christmas shapes are $.75 ;) ...loves!

Tutorials: Designer Edition Sketch Feature

I just wanted to put a little plug out for the Designer Edition software today.  One of my favorite features from it is the ability to use sketch fills and sketch outlines on any regular cut shape.  Take a look and see how much fun you can have!

I of course start with the shapes I will be using to make my card.  I will specifically be sketching the reindeer, so we will focus on that.

Start by ungrouping the shape and moving the pieces of that shape off the artboard by clicking and dragging off onto the gray area.

Now that you have the shape you will sketch prepared.  Make duplicate copy of it.  I will be cutting out around the sketched shape, so I have found that it is easier to place the "non-sketched" shape on top when you are ready to cut.

Now lets get to the fun part.  Start by selecting the shape and then clicking on the sketch options in the Designer Edition Software.  Here I am selecting the continuous edge and the hatch fill.  Click around and try different combinations.

You also have the option to alter the look of your sketch options by selecting the advanced link.  Here you can slide the toggles back and forth to create different types of sketch lines.

Once you have decided on the sketch look you are ready to sketch.  Because we have 2 shapes we want to make sure we are only cutting the one we want.  To do this, click on the cut style option.  Here you can select what you are going to "cut" or in our case sketch.

As you can see I have selected no cut to the shape without the sketch fill. Send it to the Silhouette and sketch it out.

Now that it is all sketched out you are ready to cut it out.  We will now reverse that last step.  Make sure your sketch shape has no cut lines and make sure the other has cut lines.

From here I simple drag and drop the image on to the Sketched shape in my artboard.  This will tell the machine to cut out on top of my sketch.

Just as a little note:  Leave your sketched paper and mat in your silhouette during this last process.  This way the machine will have everything lined up and ready to cut out.

Now lets take a look at the end result.  It gives a unique and gorgeous handmade look to your shapes!

Shapes:
42-pocket_card_kit_C00758_20509
reindeer_prancing_C00151_30551

Fan Feature

I was browsing the Flickr group the other day and have seen so many great tags and goodies boxes and cards all ready for the holidays.  I thought I would share with you a super cute one from Marcy, I love the curled paper and the embellishment layering...so fun!!!.  Love it!  Thanks for sharing!  Take a look at her blog for more info. 

Magic of the season

Now that I am a mother I truly understand what it means to see the magic of the season.  Every time my children experience Christmas...new or old traditions their little eyes get as big as the moon.  To hear their little whispers on my face Christmas morning to wake me to see what Santa had brought each one of them brings the greatest joy.  I know what real magic is. 

I took photos of my Brother's family recently and I fell in love with mt sweet nieces bright blue eyes.  It absolutely took me right to Christmas morning where I would hear squeals of joy from my kiddos.  Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year.  *sigh* 

Shapes:
believe_in_the_magic_C00777_2581
beautiful_snowflake_C20091121172906_20509 
 

Trimming the Tree

A favorite holiday tradition of mine is trimming the tree.  I think my mom gave me this trait.  She would have the kids place the ornaments on the tree even the perfect ones made in school *hehe* and the then she would carefully add the garlands and bows and then, my incredibly tall dad would do us the honor of placing the tree topper to complete the tree.  It was the tree's crowning glory.  Then we would all sit back and say this is the best tree ever.  I remember each year defining it as such.  Was there ever a bad Christmas tree.  I don't think so *wink*

Here is our Christmas tree complete with topper! Perfect!

Shapes:
merry_christmas_C00746_19547 
accordion_lolli_C02660_1
2_vintage_christmas_ornaments_C01339_20509
2_vintage_christmas_ornaments_C01338_20509

FREE shape

Today's free shape is a rhinestone umbrella. Don't forget to visit the Silhouette Online Store and download it today!

Tutorials: Using scraps

One feature that is loved by so many is the ability to use your scraps!  All those little pieces of your favorite papers that you cant bring yourself to throw away now can be used.  I am creating a simple Garland for our Christmas tree, but I am able to use all the fun pieces of paper that aren't big enough for other projects.

Layout out your scraps on your cutting mat and then you can arrange your shapes on the art board.

 

Make sure you "reveal your cutting mat under your page settings.  Then you will be able to place the shapes exactly within your scraps.

 Then I sewed them all together and made a garland from them to trim our tree.  Soo cute!

Shapes:
6_banner_set_C01130_20509