Hi Peas! My 2012 : Captured class for July went live yesterday, and this month I'm talking about using paper scraps and 6x6 paper pads in your Project Life album. I love diecutting these little scraps - it's a great way to make accents for journaling cards. Today, I wanted to share a way to convert a layered digital card file into a Silhouette cut.
I'm working with the Erica Hernandez 4x6 layers digital kit - for this technique, you'll want to find a kit that comes with black .pngs or layered shapes that aren't too complex.
If you're working with a layered file, you'll need to start by opening it in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
Click the little "eyes" next to the layers to hide the ones you won't need - in this case, everything but the top shaped layer.
Click on the paint bucket and use it to fill your entire shapes in black.
Save your file as a .png - you'll need it to be in this format to open in Silhouette Studio.
Once you're in Silhouette Studio, change the file type to .png, and look for the file you just saved.
Open the "trace" menu and draw a box around your shape. Select the option to trace your shape.
Right click on your original shape and click "delete."
Once your shape is deleted, right click along the cut lines and select "Release Compound Path"
The trace function tends to leave extra lines - clean up the shape by pulling them away from the design and right clicking to delete them.
Position your shape on your background (since I'm using 6x6 paper, I made sure that I put the shape in the corner where the paper would be), then click "cut"
When I'm working with pieces of paper that won't reach under both of the Cameo's rollers, I like to washi tape it in place, just to be sure it doesn't slip.
Once I pulled the paper off the mat, I was excited to see how well it had cut! I always get a little nervous when I'm trying something new like this - you never know if it will work out how you want it to.
Here's the finished product! I layered my diecut card over another piece of paper, then added my photo and some washi tape.
I love diecuts in my Project Life album - they're a great way to embellish a card without adding a lot of bulk to the pockets. I'm excited to have a bunch more options for shapes as I dig through the digital kits that I have on hand. Why not start with one already in your library and see if it will work with this technique? - Lisa
Today at Two Peas:
* Our CHA Summer Online Social has begun! See all the fun we have going on right here.
* Memory Keeping Monday video + layout | Journey by Jen Gallacher
* Deal of the Day: 30-50% off select House of Three
How cute and clever! This is such a great idea for diecuts! I can't wait to try it out. Thanks for teaching me such a great idea!
Posted by: Scrapbook Bliss | 07/17/2012 at 12:25 PM
Thanks - will give this a try.
Posted by: Jackie A xxx | 07/18/2012 at 02:15 AM