Using your own watercolour paintings to make digital backgrounds and fills

Hiya, Over on the Silhouette UK Blog I have a tutorial on how to paint an ombré watercolour shape, import it into the Silhouette Studio software, and how to combine it with other digital files.

The post includes instructions on how to add the watercolour pattern as a fill pattern in the Silhouette Studio software, and how to manipulate the pattern and use it to fill other designs to make cards and digital prints.

The designs I used were all by Nic Squirrell from the Silhouette Design Store.

Agapanthus Flower Border by Nic Squirrell

Houseplant Papercut Border by Nic Squirrell

Spotted Succulent by Nic Squirrell

Do pop over to the Silhouette UK Blog and find out how to do this - the possibilities are endless!

Halloween Gruesome Brew Luminary from Simply Crafty SVGs 3D Beer Glass File

Hello, Janet here with a Halloween project using another amazing cutting file from Simply Crafty SVGs. There are many fantastic Halloween designs in the shop, but I decided that I'd transform the 3D Beer Glass into a gruesome brew luminary, complete with eyeballs, green foam, and led lights.  I've included details on how you can make this 'brew' for yourself. I used a Silhouette Cameo® 3, but the SVG files used for the glass can be utilised with other desktop die cutting machines (details here).

MATERIALS:
White Cardstock
Green Paper
Vellum
Glow-in-the-dark Sticker Paper
Scraps of Coloured Paper and Card
Beacon 3-in-1 Glue
Distress Ink in Walnut Stain
Distress Oxide Ink in Distressed Pistachio
Bubbles Embossing Folder
Manual Embossing/Die-cutting Machine
Silhouette Cameo
Multi-coloured LED Light String
Drinking Straw with Firework Frill


The Faux Glass Base

Cut the base pieces from white cardstock and the panels from green paper. Make an offset of the base pieces and cut them from vellum.

Before assembling, darken the bottom edge of the green panels to represent sediment in the glass.

Curl the base pieces before attaching the green panels.  Align the vellum pieces and bend over the right edge and adhere it on the underside of the panel with clear craft glue on the right edge only.

Before securing the vellum on the other edges add eyeballs and vellum circles. For the circles I used vellum left over from another project which had been 'smooshed' with Distress Oxide Inks.

Make eye balls with circles cut from glow-in-the-dark sticker paper, with smaller circles adhered on top (white card could be substituted). Draw on red veins to the eyeballs if desired.

Continue to assemble the base as directed in the designer's instructions.


The Green Foam

Since the completed base is thicker because of the extra vellum layer, enlarge the lid pieces slightly to compensate (base pieces and panels).

To allow light to shine though the top, add a large circular hole to the top of the lid on both lid pieces with sufficient width to cover the tabs. Cut from white cardstock.

Cut the panels from vellum. Duplicate the 10-sided shape adding a smaller hole to allow the straw to pass through. Cut that from vellum.

Emboss all the vellum pieces with a bubble embossing folder.

Tint the pieces with Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide Ink.  Adhere them to the main lid piece and assemble the lid.


Additional Decorations

Add a dangling spider to the side of the glass.

Attach small black bats and glow-in-the-dark bubbles to the ends of the firework frill on the straw. 



To Finish
Add a battery-operated white or coloured LED light string. (My lights were bundled with blue and green lights at one end and red and orange lights at the other, I left them bundled as they were).

Turn on the lights, put the lid on, and insert the straw.

Display

I displayed the brew with a 'Drink me if you dare' sign in a black bracket-shaped frame, a layered green paper and vellum background, and words in black sign vinyl.

I think this will make a great addition to my Halloween display this year.


Bye for now,
Janet, DT Member Simply Crafty SVGS

Blog: https://CraftingQuine.blogspot.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftingquine

Simply Crafty SVG Files:
Beer Glass

Files for Accompanying Stand:
3D Bracket Shaped Frame by Lori Whitlock  
Drink Me Phrase by Rhonna Farrer

Big Birthday Card for Important Birthdays

Hiya,  Over on the Silhouette UK Blog today I'm sharing a HUGE Birthday card for an important birthday. I've used a very versatile accordion card design from the Silhouette Design Store; the Expanding Birthday Candle Card by Marji Roy.

It is a fantastic design for important birthdays, as it can include a candle for every year of the birthday person's age. This is done by adding whole 'pages' of eleven candles, and then trimming away the flames of the surplus candles.

It was the perfect card to take along to a combined birthday party I've been to recently - a 130th Birthday. Perfect, that is, except for the number of candles required. It was the ideal opportunity to use adhesive-backed cardstock, a real time-saver!  In my post I've shared loads of additional tips including how to further personalise the card design.

For the special sentiment I used the Sweet Pea Sketch font and a green/blue glitter pen from the Silhouette Sketch Pen Starter Set.

The finished card was pretty BIG, but a fun card to give for a BIG birthday!

Glow in the Dark Mug with the FREE "Boo!" file from the Silhouette Design Store

Hiya! Today I'm bringing you a quick project using the FREE design of the week from the Silhouette Design Store.

I used the BOO! file by Silhouette.  It is free until a new free file is posted on Tuesday 11th October 2017. The SVG version is free too, so it can be used with other software and cutting machines.

This file is a regular cut file, and the parts can be ungrouped and cut separately.

I decided to decorate a mug using the word "BOO!", cut from glow in the dark vinyl. This is usually used for wall and door decals, but it works fine as a temporary decoration on this Halloween-themed mug.

Supplies Used

Silhouette Glow in the Dark Vinyl
Silhouette Transfer Tape
Black Mug (mine was from Tesco)

I reduced the size of the parts to about 7cm to fit easily on one side of the mug, and deleted the cobwebs and dots.

The glow in the dark vinyl cuts like regular sign vinyl, and I used the suggested settings with the AutoBlade in my Silhouette Cameo 3, then removed the unwanted vinyl and transferred the remainder to the surface of the mug with transfer tape, just like regular vinyl.

In bright light the vinyl shows as white with a slight greenish hue. When the lights are turned out the vinyl glows.  The better the quality and intensity of light, the brighter and longer lasting the glowing effect lasts.

This is a fun, seasonal item to make for Halloween events, and the vinyl can later be removed so that the mug can re-decorated for another occasion.

Have you made anything that glows in the dark this year?

Make Wine Glass Charms with Silhouette Shrink Plastic

Hiya, I have a tutorial on how to design and make wine glass charms from Silhouette Shrink Plastic on the Silhouette UK Blog today.

I describe how to design the charms in the Silhouette Studio software and how to cut them with a Silhouette Cameo 3.  The post includes instructions on how to shrink and assemble them.

The charms were designed using the Leaf Sprig Garland Border by Nic Squirrell and the Sweet Pea font by Rivka Wilkins.

It includes lots of additional hints and tips such as how to edit names and titles whilst retaining the chosen formatting, and ideas on how to individualise each charm.

For the tutorial I made wedding wine charms but they could be made for any occasion: parties, family gatherings, and other celebrations.

They turned out great, and I hope you'll try them too.