Catching Up + Cool Stuff
Man, I have a lot of catching up to do!As I mentioned in my Color Inspiration Challenge post this week, I've been feeling a bit under the weather, but with some extra sleep, I think I'm shaking whatever it was off. Of course, here I am staying up late to post this, but... whatever. ;)
Anyway, Monday was the 15th so that means there was a new Garden up at TwoPeas. The seasonal theme for this month was Christmas and this is the 8x8 digital page I created for it. More Christmas photos. Love! :)
Click here to see the page over at TwoPeas with all the supplies used.
I've recently sort of switched to all digital scrapbooking. Strange for me because I was so against it even just 6 months ago. I think all I needed to see was some really cool examples of digital scrapbooking. Speaking of, I absolutely love this month's Guest Garden Girl elizzylee. She has a very calm style that I really respond to. Great use of negative space. Ahhh....
:)
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In other random things I've forgotten to share, here are some calendars that my awesome roommate Jen made. She made them a while ago, but I'm a bum and forgot to show you all their awesome-ness. :)
Yes, I share a craft room/office with her. And yes, it is amazing. :)
I know that a bunch of you were wondering if I was going to post calendars like I did last year, but I've just been too busy. But Jen made these last year for our co-workers and worked them up again for 2009, so I figured I'd point ya'll in the direction of her blog. Perfect idea for last minute gifts since you can print them out at home.
EDITED TO ADD: Just noticed that she'll be posting blank ones (great for customizing with stamping or whatnot) tomorrow, so watch for those! :)
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And yet another truly random thing... I'm currently obsessed with my new digital cutter, the Quickutz Silhouette. Oh. My. Word. I love this little thing.
The Merry Christmas block in the photo above was one of the first things I created in Illustrator and had it cut. (Their software doesn't work on Macs, but there's a plug-in to use with Adobe Illustrator--my favorite program ever so it was right up my alley.) Sweet, huh?! I was so excited!
Will this replace my Making Memories Slice? Probably. It just cuts so much better. Gets sharper corners and it's just overall amazing. I just might sell my Slice sometime soon. I'll let ya'll know if I do. It's still a good little cutter, but I just love being able to create things in Illustrator and cut it out on my Silhouette.
For those with Macs, and who also have Silhouettes, here's a little video I made showing how to merge letters and send it to the Silhouette. I was chatting with the TwoPeas Garden Girls and some of them were wondering how I made the Merry Christmas block. So here ya go...
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posted on December 17, 2008 11:17 PM by Kristina |
30 Comments posted in General, Scrapbooking technique(s) used: digital, quickutz silhouette |
I ordered the silhouette (will get it soon, I hope) and I can't wait to try it! It's amazing knowing that I can cut anything with this!
Thanks for the video - I hope it's as easy as it looks...
Yes !!!!!!!
I've got a craft robo, a Mac and Illustrator, but it's so hard...
and now you came with this Tutorial....
I Love you ;-) !!!!
thanks so much .... I'll try this morning
Thanks so so so much
Ive had a silhouette for about a year now, and i love it! couldent live without it i think. :P
Passes, does that mean you cut the same thing 3 times?
Hugs!
Hi Kristina, I just got the QK Sil about 3 weeks ago and I love it as well. Hope to see more tutorials with it - everything you do is absolutely amazing! Have a merry and safe Christmas! Take care:)
ahh man, is it too late to ask Santa for a silhouette? Great tutorial, thanks for the short cuts too.
i have a silhouette as well, and honestly i've put it back in its box because i couldn't figure out how to get illustrator to work with it...i have a PC, do i still need a plug in to work with illustrator AND the silhouette together? do you know? LOL
You are SO HELPFUL! I saw the comments in your Twitter and wondered what it was. Then, when I googled it - I was bummed that it is out-of-the-box PC-only.
Thanks for sharing!
Great cut! I have the Klik-n-Kut. Same concept but with more power (500 gr). I love it when I use it. But with my work space the way it it, I have to dig it out each time and so I get lazy. But I do love using it and have made a few of my own things in Illustrator or grabbed a jpg online or from one of my many digital kits and convert them over to be KnK friendly.
Seems like the Silhouette is easier to use with Illustrator. With KnK I have to import it into KnK. It doesn't work right off Illustrator.
I loved the video. I am a bit of a techno-phob. But this looks doable, but what is "Illustrator", is it just on Mac's? Does any software come with the Silhouette?
What is the illustrator? I was thinking about getting rid of my silhouette... hoping for the slice for Christmas... but I love how you did this!!! Please explain the illustrator... thanks! Awesome job! Beth
I love what you did with the new cutter but I think it is way too techie for me. I have the Slice on my Christmas list but when my hubby went to the craft store they were sold out. A.C.Moore had them on sale for $99. So I have been watching for one for under $99 on Ebay. Let's talk bout yours?
Oh, noooo, Mr. Bill!!! I've talked myself out of an electronic die cutter for pretty much ever, and now you go and show this. ARGH!!! STOP IT!!! Double ARGH!!!!
Kristina - thanks for the awesome layout at the top of the post. I loved it so much I cased it right away!! No worries though, I'll be sure to give credit where credit is due on my blog when it goes up.
I've had my Silhouette for 6 months and it rocks my world. One of my favorite things to do with it is make my own sticker alphabet sheets. I run my paper or cardstock through my large Xyron to create a sticker backing. Then, I have saved a few files with an entire upper or lower case alpha to cut on one sheet (depending on the size I want). Very convenient and great if I'm going to a crop and don't want to bring my die cutting tools.
I have a mac. I've been eyeing the Silhouette at my LSS. It's on sale now for $149.00. But I don't have Illustrator. Is Illustrator in Photoshop Create Suite? Or is a Mac program on the Apple site? I can't find it.
Cool Video! I was wondering how you record the footage on your screen? Thanks
I have the Silhouette and PC, but now I think I need Illustrator,too. Very cool! Just wondering, what font was that?
Stacey
thank you. thank you. thank you.
i did not know i could run the Silhouette on my may w/illustrator & a plug in, i thought i would have to partition and run windows (which i did NOT want to do). merry christmas!
Thanks so much for all the fun and inspirational stuff that's always on your blog and a special thanks for the link to Jen's calendars! I ended up using one of them and my Bind It All to whip up a desktop calendar last night for my son's teacher! Love how it turned out and think I'll be making more! Thanks again!
http://randomponderingincanada.blogspot.com/2008/12/bind-it-all-desktop-calendar.html
Thanks so much Kristina! This was soooo helpful. I have a Mac and a Silhouette, but I've installed parallels and Windows as my solution. I'm so excited now to try my own designs with illustrator!
Thanks Kristina! This is awesome. And even better that you have a mac as well! I always get discouraged when all the scrapbooking software is for PC's. Gonna have to look into the silhouette now!
Hi Kristina! Thanks a ton for the information on Silhouette! I've had mine for a year and I use it a lot. I'm ready to get a little more crafty with it and your post/video was very helpful! :) Kathy
Just curious whether you've tried to use Inkscape with the Silhouette? I don't have a Silhouette -- I have a Cricut and SCAL software, but considering Inkscape is a cheap (free) alternative to Illustrator (and multi-platform) and will open AI files, I wondered if it would be an alternative for Silhouette users as well?
And by the way, if you start designing and selling your AI cutting files, I would be first in line for that! :-)
I just happened to come across your Blog by accident while glancing through the Crafty Blog Rankings!
Brilliant Tutorial on the Silhouette! I didn't think I needed one until seeing your Info lol! I have illustrator and a great many Fonts & Designs so the possibilities are now endless................I just have to get one now..............I don't know whether to thank you or curse you lol!
Love the Colour Combination Options as well!
Many thanks
Suze x
I have a shillouette, illustrator CS3 and a mac and am having the hardest time finding the plug in to get to to work. where do i find this plug in to download and not turn up jibbirush when i down load it.
and your tutorail makes it look so easy thanks
I have been creating in Photoshop since '97. My card (and occasional scrapbooking) style is known as HYBRID because I print individual layers, then handcut and layer with dimensionals. I dont have Illustrator.
My question to you (and anyone who can answer) is this:
Can I turn each layer into a .JPG file and have the silhouette cut it (instead of me with my trusty Xacto)?.
I posted some cards I made at Flickr--and this might give you a better idea for what I want the my die-cutting machine to do (see link below).
Would the Silhouette be the one to do this? The price is right at my LSS this week ... so any help you can give me is much appreciated.
Many thanks - and Happy New Year!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40437577@N00/sets/72157600595805924/
Vianna (in Florida)
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4 + MAC + CRAFTROBO
I have a Mac Intel. Got the CraftRobo 2, then Adobe Illustrator CS4, but cannot get it to work! The "Cut/Plot" option does not appear in the "File" drop down menu in Illustrator. Tried reinstalling "Cutting Master 2 CraftRobo 1.30", and got message that it had installed correctly. Is there a file that needs to be placed in Illustrator's plug-in folder? In Illustrator's "Preferences", should I direct it to "additional plug-in folder"; possibly the "Cutting Master 2 CraftRobo 1.30" folder or a folder within it? Is CS4 too new and incompatible? I'd appreciate some help! Thanks!
Samaki
I have Illustrator CS3 and I am having the same problem as Samaki. The Cut/Plot option does not appear. I've been searching the web for answers because QK can't help and neither can Apple. Do you have suggestions? I would think with a newer version of Illustrator, I'd be safe, but it's looking rather bleak.
I watched your video again and realized you have CS3. How did you get the Craft/Robo to show up in your File Menu? Thank you so much for posting that helpful video. I can't wait to get mine all hooked up!
I fell in love with my silhouette before it ever arrived, now I'm so disappointed. I am having the same issue as Samaki and Lisa.
There is updated software 5.01(file named "Silhouette5.01_1.exe") at the quickutz website. I downloaded it and ran the software after uninstalling the old versions, even cleaned out the registry manually. I extracted all the files and did not see any folder named Cutting Master anywhere. If you run the MultiSetup.exe file located in Silhouette5.01_1\Graphtec Install Files, you will be presented with the option to "setup cutting master 2", however clicking this does nothing. Opening the file "GraphtecE.INI" shows that this link should run the "Setup.exe" file located in the \Cutting Master 2\install\ directory. There is no such directory within the self-extracting executable file "Silhouette5.01_1.exe"
I have called quickutz tech support asking for the plugin link and was sent an email directing me to "http://www.graphtecamerica.com/craftrobo/CuttingMasterROBO/CM2CraftROBOv130.ZIP"
My anti-virus says there is a few viruses in this zipped folder, but desperate for my Silhouette to work with Illustrator I installed it anyway.
I will be calling Quickutz again in the morning.
I rather doubt I will be able to reach anyone in Tech Support who can explain to me WHY the cutting master 2 folder is totally MIA from the latest Silhouette software download.
However, should I locate a solution I will post again.
I certainly hope I can find the strength to pull myself away from my scrapbooking long enough to post, should I get it working with Illustrator.