Wednesday, July 28, 2010

how to use silhouette's print and cut and where's our winner?


I'll fully admit that I am a slow crafter. But that doesn't mean I don't try to save time. In fact, I often spend hours and hours trying to figure out a quick or easy way to do something. It's a problem, I know. I did, however, find a quicker way to create my weekly handouts for my Sunday church class using the Silhouette. It's called" print and cut," and it has changed my life.

First I created the text for my handout in Photoshop (with four on a sheet). I saved it as a JPEG file and opened it in my Silhouette ROBO Master software. Next I selected my shape (a scalloped square) and sized it perfectly around my text. I copied and pasted it around each text box. Then I told the software to print it to my computer. It prints the text or picture, but not the shape it's going to cut. It also prints little registration marks on the corners so the Silhouette knows where to cut.


Then I fed it into my Silhouette and told it to cut.


And it did!


Perfect little scalloped squares with text perfectly centered. So cute! Of course, not quite perfect. Yet. I had to add a little patterned paper, ribbon, flowers, and buttons. Because I'm certifiably crazy like that.


Next item of business: Where the heck is our Silhouette giveaway winner?! Are you out there Bryana Banana? Who knows, maybe she's on vacation on a remote island with no WiFi. Either way, we're going to give her until Saturday to contact us, and if we haven't heard from her, guess what? You may still have a chance to be our lucky winner! We'll go back through our spreadsheet with the comments from our original giveaway post and pick a new winner. Stay tuned!

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44 Comments

44 Responses to “how to use silhouette's print and cut and where's our winner?”

Jennie C. said...

I've been reading your blog in google reader for a few weeks now and really enjoy it, but I'm saddened that you switched to a summary feed instead of a full feed. I hope you'll switch back. You have an inspiring little place here and I'd like to keep reading.

Love,
Jennie

Kate Smith said...

Love your handouts! This would be perfect for all sorts of things - menus, programs, invitations! What a cool machine. Unfortunately, I'm a slow crafter too, and my ideas stack up pretty high before I get to them! But, if I write them down, it helps me keep track!

Jess said...

I agree with Jennie - I read all of my blogs in Google Reader and it is really annoying to have to click out all the time. Bring back the full feed!

Apple said...

I agree with Jennie C. I love your site, but follow many blogs and generally discontinue reading them if they don't fully show up in Google Reader.

I love your ideas. Thanks so much for sharing them!

Random Rachel said...

I too miss the full feed in google reader...

Mosaic Magpie said...

That Silhouette is one great machine!
Debbie

Jessica said...

I love my Silhouette and have used the print and cut...on cakes :) I can't wait to "need" to use it on paper, too. Thanks for sharing.

Shirley said...

Those handouts are ADORABLE!! I love that machine and I need to start saving up to buy my own now. Unless of course Bryana doesn't respond and I become the runner up winner ;)

Patricia Fernando said...

I have to agrre with Jennie C, cause same happen to me. I use google reader and its better for me as i read more than 200 blogs that yours continus as a full feed.

Thank you.

ps: love your work and everything you do inspires me!

Love,

Patricia
from Brazil

Jennifer B said...

Here's another vote for full feed on google reader.

I find that with the blogs that send me summary content I don't bother to click over to read them most of the time.

Please consider switching back!

Tiffany said...

what a great tip!

Abbey said...

I just recently won a silhouette from Giverslog and love the new ideas for ways to use it. Thanks!

Kaleidoscope Eyes 8 said...

I agree with Jennie!

And I hope that Brynna person stays on vacation until Sunday, as long as I am the next winner! ;-)

Sassy said...

The winner will be kicking herself if she misses out on this one! I am sure there are any number of us that would step in and take it off your hands :) Sometimes, peeps can be so helpful.. lol

Stephanie said...

OH NO! That poor, poor giveaway winner that hasn't shown up yet... :( Bless her little heart.

{Was that sincere enough? I will continue pretending I'm not excited at the possibility that I might have another chance to win this!!}

Jaclyn said...

That function on your silhouette is genius! Would save a TON of time and they would be all aligned perfect. Hopefully Bryana comes around but if not...pick me pick me:)

Heather A said...

I, too, was alarmed and then dismayed when I saw that you are no longer providing a full feed to we feed readers. I've been following your blog from the beginning. I feel deserted! Perhaps you don't use a feed reader yourself and don't fully appreciate the implications.

Long ago I made it my policy to not follow blogs that don't provide full feeds because it's just too time consuming ... it's like reading a newspaper with only headlines and teasers and then having to hunt down the page with the rest of the article. Just too much trouble. Too much time.

I do hope you'll reconsider.

TheMoncurs said...

Amen. Boo to summary feed!

Unknown said...

yay i hope you pick a new winner!! this product is so awesome & i would love to have it :o)

Trista said...

I agree with Jennie C.

Anonymous said...

I love this feature. I wish I had a Silhouette. I bought a Circut a while back, not knowing about the Silhouette, or this awesome feature. I have spent countless hours of frustration trying to find a way to do this with the Circut, I haven't been successful. I think it's time to save for a Silhouette...

Diana said...

Ditto to what Jennie C. said! I've got so many blogs in my google reader that I usually stop subscribing to the ones that summary feed due to the inconvenience of clicking through. (I know that sounds silly, but I'm a speed-reader trying to make the most of my limited computer time.)

gail@My Repurposed Life said...

I have to agree with Jennie C on the snippet feed. :(
it saddens me.
gail

Katie said...

I agree...I miss the full feed too...I have found that I skip the feeds in my reader that aren't full just because if the first few lines don't capture my attention, I'm not interested. I was surprised to see you aren't a full feed anymore :(

Sew This N That said...

Oh I may end up being the lucky one after all :0)
Love what you have created hun, it sounds very easy to use and what a stunning outcome!
*hugs* Heather x

Michelle said...

I agree Jennie- I like reading the full feed in Google reader also!

Paige said...

L O V E that feature on the Silhouette. That's enough right there to get me to go buy one. I'm kinda hoping our winner doesn't show and you choose ME! (o:

Unknown said...

I am picking up a silhouette this week from someone on craigslist. I am not sure what I am needing to make this thing run. Can you advise on what to make sure I get with the machine when I get it. I am so excited and I am afraid I will miss something and not be able to use it.

~Makalani
www.MakazHome.com

sneksniltje said...

I'm surprised that you will chose an other winner already. It's still the time of travelling and not being at home so it's possible that the winner Bryana Banana just left a few days before the day you choose a winner. And not everyone wants / can have the possibility to surf on the web when you're not home.... Why is it not possible to wait till the end of August, when the vacation ends ? It would be very hard for her to read that she was a winner, but without the prize, because she didn't react immediatly ?

Marianne & Clayton said...

Oh! My heart just skipped a beat at the thought of having a second chance at this one, but I will try to regain my cool as poor Bryana will surely pop up in time. Keep the Silhouette crafts coming though, they are so fun!

Kim and Gen said...

Another vote for returning to the full feed. I just love this blog but with two littles in the house, I only get to read my blogs through google reader on the iphone. When craft time arises, I do use the full site, but if I can't read about it first, I'm unlikely to make a special trip. I don't want to miss a second of Little Birdie Secrets!

Just Lisa said...

Heck, yeah! I still have a chance! Fingers crossed!

Laura said...

I know many have said it but perhaps if enough repeat it you'll reconsider. I've been following for some time but there is so much creativity out there with not enough time to read it. I'll be unsubscribing from your blog, the summary view just doesn't work.

KatieJ said...

Wow I did not know about that feature! Now I REALLY NEED one! Maybe Santa will bring me one this year??

dduong41 said...

i stumbled upon this blog when i was a mission to find ways to make fabric/ribbon flowers. that was a couple weeks back, which happened to be when you just posted that giveaway. so sad when i found out i didnt win. =(

i am amazed with what you can do and jealous that you have a silhouette machine.

have a wonderful day.

p.s. is it bad that i am excited bryana banana have not responded to your email?

Little Birdie Secrets said...

Does two weeks really seem short to expect someone to claim a prize? I didn't really thing it was unreasonable. Everyone knew what day we were announcing the winner when they entered! The biggest problem is that the actual machine is sitting in my house, waiting to be shipped. I'm trying to list my house for sale and I've got to get it out of here! I feel really bad for her, too, but I did send her a message through her blog and this note here. So if you know here, send her a message!

Ethan Mashimo said...

Mandy --- PLease teach me how to use my silhouette! You have gone to full blown professional!! =) Miss seeing you at the store!

Tina

Sarah said...

I think it's perfectly reasonable because everyone did know when a winner would be announced. 2 weeks is plenty of time to me!

Marie said...

I am swooning over the silhouette. I love the projects you've done and would be willing to make space for it in my sewing room. :)

Unknown said...

Your feed came through into Outlook RSS feeder in full....

This silhouette cutter thingy is awesomeness itself... I want one, want it now...!!!!!! I entered a comp to win one but no luck :( .. one pound, two pounds, three pounds... keep saving sigh!

Unknown said...

No! the winner hasn't contacted you yet?!! :O I'm shocked ... I believe I checked a million times the day that you were going to announce the big winner so that I wouldn't miss it :) ... maybe she isn't really all that interested ... I mean if she visited your blog regularly she would see her name and contact you ...

just my opinion! lol :)

Lauren said...

I want this so bad now...after seeing all the magic it performs!!

and fingers crossed for that second chance!

Taylor said...

O wow, I was pure giddy just signing up for the giveaway. I checked so many times. I am not the perfect painter or stenciler. So this machine would make my craft dreams come true. I do hope all is well with the winner.

Melanie said...

I think you should just announce a new winner now! You snooze you lose! ;)

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