And I've never regretted it!
This is Amy Sorensen, and this week at Write. Click. Scrapbook. we'll be focusing on the many different ways you can use the Silhouette—no matter which cutter you own—to make fun stuff for your layouts and cards.
Today we're starting with the two biggest obstacles I had with buying a digital cutter: I was afraid it would take up too much space on my desk and that the process of using it would take up too much time.
First, let's deal with the real estate issue!
All of us WCS members who use a Silhouette agree: the best way to use your cutter is to have it out and easily accessible. (If it's tucked away neatly in a spot on the shelf in your closet you probably won't use it as often.) Christine stores hers on the desk next to her computer, and she starts up her cutter at the same time she turns on her computer. That way, when she wants to cut something, the cutter is already out and ready to go.
Diane keeps her Cameo right on her craft desk, pushed back against the wall, and when she needs it, she simply pulls it out from its spot, plugs it into her laptop, and cuts.
I keep my Silhouette SD tucked underneath the table where I scrapbook. Since this table is also right next to my computer desk, I don't really have to get the machine "out" in order to use it. I just slide it from under the table, hook it up, and then let it start cutting—right there on the floor! I do put it on the plastic mat that my chair is on, but I haven't had any problems with the softer surface causing it to not cut very well. When the cutting is finished, I unplug the machine and put it right back under the table.
To keep the process of using the cutter as quick as possible, I try to:
- Always have spare parts. I stock up on cutting mats when I find them on sale, and I make sure to order a new blade as soon as I toss out a dull one.
- Organize my cutting files. This takes a few minutes to put in place, but is well worth the time. When you are in the screen with your cutting files, right click and then create a new folder with a name that reflects the contents, then move that type of file into the folder. Here's what mine looks like:
- Keep a list of fonts. I have a document in my word processor named "silhouette fonts" that's just a list of fonts I know cut out well. That way I don't have to scroll through all of my fonts, trying to find one I like. (Check back on Wednesday for a list of some of our favorite fonts to cut.)
- Cut on multiple papers simultaneously. Usually when I send the cutting mat through my Silhouette, it looks something like this:
That way, if I need, say, a word cut out in red, a white journaling spot with a dark blue background, and five light blue stars, I cut them all at once. I just arrange each color of cut file so they are all together, and then cut the patterned paper or cardstock to the corresponding height. Then I use the lines on the cutting mat to make sure each color is in the right place.
This is a great way to use up scraps. If the scrap you're using isn't as wide as the cutting mat, it might shift as the mat moves through the machine. Avoid that by taping the edges down with washi tape.
- Cut more than I need. Even if I just need a few letters cut, I always add extra tags or shapes in the blank spaces. I don't always know how I'll use the extras, but I think of them as another supply—I just keep them with other embellishments.
When I made my "All this Joy" layout for my Write Saturday post, I needed to cut out words, tags, and a few butterflies. In the empty spaces, I added some extra tags. They sat in my White drawer for a few days, and then I pulled them out and used them on this layout:
To make the stripes, I covered part of the large and medium tags with washi tape (on the medium one, I tore a wider piece in half). I spritzed the large one with green mist and swiped the medium one with orange stamping ink. For the small tag, I used the negative space I had saved after cutting a chevron border as a template to guide the swipes of blue stamping ink. Since I just had to grab the tags out of my White drawer, the layout came together a bit more quickly.
- Keep the negative shape for a different layout. The negative shape is the space that's left behind when you use the shape you cut. There are lots of things to use the negative for. Fill it will something: strips of washi tape or ribbon, your journaling or title, or embellishments. Or you can use it as a template. You can spray mist in a pattern, or trace around the shape, or journal inside of it. Or just back it with patterned paper, like this layout by Christa:
The blue title numbers are actually the negative of a number 10, backed with polka-dot cardstock and then stitched.
- Use the left overs. I love this layout by Valerie:
She used the negative chevron shapes as the main embellishment, backing the spaces with patterned paper, but added extra depth by layering on the positive white shapes.
- Position repeating shapes with purpose. The floral border on this layout
was the negative shape left over after I cut out some blue flowers (which I used on a card I made for a friend.). In the Silhouette software, I positioned the flowers so they were spaced in diagonal lines, thinking I could use the left over strip on a different layout later. (The frame around the title was a negative shape I kept just in case I might use it one day, so I only had to cut out the number 4.)
- Do the opposite—keep the positive shapes when you use the negative one on your layout. For example, I love using the negative shape when I cut a long title, because it's easier to stick down than all those individual letters. But I keep the letters I didn't use, in a little bowl near my other paper scraps. I use them for making eclectic titles. Or if the words work for a card, I'll make one right away with the left over letters and a few of the supplies I didn't use on my layout.
I'd love to hear your tips for making it easier and faster to use a Silhouette cutter. And make sure to come back tomorrow for some useful software tips.
