In this video tutorial, I’ll show you how to add foil accents to Print & Cut designs by tracing in Silhouette Studio. I’m using the new We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill tool to add the foil. As a bonus, I’ve included four different ways to fill text so you’re not just drawing the outline. (These fill methods work with more than just text.)

It’s not a short video, but it’s packed with information so you can see the different processes I use, and also watch the Foil Quill in action. I’ve listed a breakdown below the video so you can skip to the part you need. You may want to watch the whole video first before re-visiting specific parts.

Add Foil Accents with Bonus: 4 Ways to Fill Text

• Start from the beginning
• How to Trace to create foil/sketch lines
• Fill Option 1: Line Effects Panel (available soon)
• Fill Option 2: Curio Emboss Panel
• Fill Option 3: Designer Edition Sketch Effects
• Fill Option 4: Internal Offset Workaround
• Cut by Line and tool setup

You should be able to adapt these instructions to other Print & Cut designs. Please let me know if you have any questions!

For more help with Tracing in Silhouette Studio, please watch this video.

Purchase tools I used in the video here:

• Silhouette CAMEO 3 (use code TIME2 through 5/12/19 for bundle deal)
• We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill all-in-one bundle (all 3 tips + foil + tape)
• We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill standard tip (most versatile if you’re only getting one)

Free 3D Printer .stl file:  Holder for 3 Foil Quill tips + Silhouette adapter + heat plate — DOWNLOAD HERE (my design)

Disclaimer: Using the Foil Quill in your Silhouette machine may void the warranty. I’m only using it in my machines that are out of their one-year warranty period. While I don’t expect the Foil Quill to cause issues, any non-Silhouette tools have the potential to cause problems with heavy use or over long periods of time. Do so at your own risk.

The post How to Add Foil Quill Accents to Print & Cut Designs appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

I’m so excited to share my series of full-length Silhouette video classes and eBooks I’ve created with Silhouette America! I’ve been writing and filming these for the past six months, and more are in progress. They have named this Silhouette 101, and it’s all available on their newly-redesigned blog. See my name there on the header that flashes across the front page?

How It Came To Be

As you may know, I quit my accounting job and started working with Silhouette on a contract basis a little over a year ago to create tutorials for their YouTube channel, which has now expanded into creating full-length classes and eBooks. This has been a dream job for me! I get paid to create the content that teaches a large worldwide audience how to use the various Silhouette machines and software, available for FREE!

Kudos to Silhouette for recognizing that need and putting their resources into it in order to benefit their users.

Silhouette 101 Classes and eBooks

Without further ado, here are the classes and eBooks I’ve created, available on the Silhouette 101 blog and the Silhouette Inc. YouTube channel:

Vinyl

Vinyl All The Things free video class — released 8/16/2018

Vinyl All The Things free eBook

Heat Transfer

Heat Transfer Essentials free video class — released 8/17/2018

Heat Transfer Essentials free eBook

Custom Apparel/Fabric

Creating Custom Apparel free video class — released 8/22/2018

Creating Custom Apparel free eBook

PixScan

PixScan Like a Pro free video class — released 9/17/2018

PixScan Like a Pro free eBook

3D Printing (Silhouette Alta)

3D Printing Basics free Silhouette Alta video class — released 12/21/2018

3D Printing Basics free eBook

Designing in Silhouette Studio

All Things Studio (a.k.a. Designing in Silhouette Studio) free video class — released 1/21/2019

Print & Cut

Print & Cut Perfection free video class — released 7/23/2019

Getting Started with Print & Cut free video — released 5/4/2020

Glass Etching

Guide to Glass Etching free video class — released 8/13/2009

Guide to Glass Etching free eBook

Mint Stamping

Making Custom Stamps with a Silhouette Mint free video class — released 12/6/2019

Stamping Made Fresh free eBook (for the Mint machine)

Sketch Pens

Silhouette Sketch Pens free video class — released 12/6/2019

What’s Next

I’ll still be contributing blog articles, screencast software tutorials, full-length classes, and eBooks for Silhouette. If you are subscribed to my blog, you’ll hear about it from me when new content is published.

Be sure to Pin this post, as I plan to keep it updated as Silhouette releases more of my classes and eBooks. You’ll be able to use it as a reference with links to the right spot on Silhouette’s blog or YouTube channel.

If you like my teaching style, you may also enjoy my Bluprint (formerly Craftsy) class called Get Started with Silhouette. It covers some similar material but is an all-encompassing class for new Silhouette users. You may need it for yourself, or you may wish to recommend it to friends and social media followers who need beginner Silhouette information. The Bluprint class includes file downloads for the projects demonstrated. Read more about it here.

I’ve also joined the ranks of Craftcast instructors, and you’ll find details and a link to my Silhouette Alta class here.

Thanks for being excited with me about these new free Silhouette 101 classes and eBooks! I’d love to hear what you think!

The post Silhouette 101 Learning Series appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

Are you ready to hear about the new products Silhouette is releasing this year? I recently attended Silhouette Summit in Hawaii and got the 4-1-1 on the latest and greatest. Make sure you read to the end to collect my freebie.

I got to help behind the scenes a little this year with make & take pineapple bookmarks in the demo room, so I had plenty of time to ask the right people all my questions about these new products. (I had two name tags to show my “dual citizenship”!)

I’m working with Silhouette on another exciting project, but I can’t spill the beans on that yet. However, here’s what I CAN tell you about…

New Vinyl:

Brushed Metallic Vinyl

(my photo)

(photo by Silhouette America)

Available in black and silver (12″ x 6′ rolls; $9.99 MSRP). I think this will be a great addition to the collection of existing textured and metallic vinyls.

Glitter Vinyl

(my photo)

(photo by Silhouette America)

Available in black, blue, gold, green, lavender, pink, red, silver, and white (12″ x 6′ rolls; $9.99 MSRP). I know there has been glitter vinyl out there from other manufacturers, but I’m really excited about this since I work almost exclusively with Silhouette vinyl and I love glitter!

Textured Translucent Vinyl

(my photo)

(photo by Silhouette America)

Available in black, green, lavender, light blue, pink, and white (12″ x 4′ rolls; $9.99 MSRP). This vinyl has a shimmery surface, not quite glitter but definitely a subtle sparkle. And it’s see-through, so it looks great on glass or will show texture and designs beneath it if you layer it. I can’t wait to try this!

Strong Tack Transfer Tape

The glitter and translucent vinyl require a stronger transfer tape than standard transfer tape, so this special strong tack transfer tape will be available to use with them (12″ x 6′ rolls; $9.99 MSRP).

Oracal 651 Vinyl

Silhouette has partnered with Oracal to bring you the well-loved 651 glossy permanent adhesive vinyl. Colors available include azure blue, black, gold, ice blue, lilac, lime green, mint, red, silver, soft pink, white, and yellow (12″ x 4′ rolls; MSRP $9.99).

Oracal 651 Vinyl Sampler Packs

• Basic: 6 sheets of 12″ x 12″ vinyl in azure blue, ice blue, lilac, lime green, red, and yellow ($12.99 MSRP)
• Essentials: 6 sheets of 12″ x 12″ vinyl in black, gold, mint, silver, soft pink, and white ($12.99 MSRP)

Oratape

Transfer tape to go with Oracal 651 vinyl (12″ x 4′; $9.99 MSRP).

New Starter Kits:

Doming Starter Kit

I didn’t get a chance to play with this (or get detail shots other than a picture of their display poster), but this is an epoxy you apply with a syringe (no mixing) to give a glossy domed effect to things like print & cut stickers. Certain sticker paper needs doming laminate material to prevent color changes, I believe. ($29.99 MSRP)

Epoxy Resin Set

Refill for Doming kit. (6 fl. oz. syringe + 3 tips; $19.99 MSRP)

Doming Laminate Sheets

Refill for Doming kit (8 pk of 8.5 x 11″ sheets)

Silkscreen Starter Kit

(photo by Silhouette America)

Ok, this one is pretty appealing. The Silkscreen starter kit includes the frame, a squeegee, black fabric ink, heat transfer sheets, silkscreen sheets, and 10 exclusive designs. It works with all Silhouette fabric ink, but instead of using stencil vinyl to create a single project, this kit works well for multiples of the same design. ($39.99 MSRP)

I got to try it out and thought it was quite fun!

(my photos)

Silkscreen Sheets

Refills for the Silkscreen kit (5 pk of 12″ x 14″ sheets; $9.99 MSRP)

Blades and Mats:

Kraft Blade

(photo by Silhouette America)

This new kraft blade is different than the standard AutoBlade or fabric blade because (drumroll…) it can cut felt! And all kinds of other thicker materials like denim and floral crepe paper. This will be a hot commodity, I’m sure! Everyone at Summit was asking when they could get their hands on one, myself included. (2 pk for $14.99 MSRP)

No fabric stabilizer necessary. To work effectively for thicker fabrics and other materials, however, it requires the use of a strong hold cutting mat.

Strong Hold Cutting Mat

For use with the kraft blade. (CAMEO 12 x 12″ $14.99; Portrait 8 x 12″ $12.99 MSRP)

Updated standard cutting mat

The standard mats are being updated, as well, for better visibility of the grid numbers and to indicate either end can be fed into the machine. The price will remain the same.

National Breast Cancer Promotional Products:

Silhouette is once again partnering with NCBF to bring us some lovely pink products that support a great cause.

• Pink tool kit ($19.99)
• Hot pink Portrait 2 dust cover ($6.99)
• CAMEO 3 hot pink light tote ($14.99)
• Pink vinyl sampler kit (12 x 12″ sheets of glitter pink, glossy dark pink, glossy pink, matte dark pink, matte pink, metallic silver for $9.99)

Machines:

CAMEO 3 Glitter Series

Available in light blue, white, light pink (NBCF promo machine), black, hot pink, and slate grey. These machines are a single color, inside and out, and have a shimmery-glitter sheen to them. I think the grey is my favorite! ($299.99 MSRP)

Silhouette Alta® 3D Printer

That’s right! Silhouette is producing its own 3D printer! It will come with its own software, Silhouette 3D, which is intended to give current Silhouette users a familiar interface and can even use existing Library designs from the Silhouette Design Store.

Mine should be arriving soon, and I already have the beta version of the software, so I can bring you tutorials for the Alta as I continue to produce content for Silhouette’s YouTube channel.

I realize this printer will not be for everyone (like those who already have high-end 3D printers), but for a crafter like me who likes to experiment with whatever Silhouette offers, this will be a fun new tool. Silhouette 3D will open .STL and .OBJ files, and it uses 1.75 mm non-proprietary PLA filament. ($299.99 MSRP)

(photos by Silhouette America)

Alta accessories:

• Alta Filament (1 roll 500 g in black, blue, green, pink, red, white, or yellow; $14.99 MSRP)
• Alta Platform Tape (50 sheets; $9.99 MSRP)

You can read more about the Silhouette Alta® here.

Silhouette Studio v4.2

Last, but not least, Silhouette Studio® version 4.2 is currently in beta testing and will be made available to the general public once we beta testers give it a real workout. We’ve been submitting issues so the software team can work out the kinks.

Among the exciting new features are:

• Flexishapes
• Puzzle generator
• Word art
• Color fonts
• Selection lasso
• Thumbnails for file previews in Windows Explorer (and Mac)
• Print bleed
• Commercial font indicator
• Material usage monitor
• Library overhaul
• Font creator

I won’t go into further detail now, and some of those features will not be available in every edition (Basic vs. Designer vs. Designer Plus vs. Business).

As a reward for reading all the way to the end (whew!), you can have the font I created while at Silhouette Summit with my own handwriting. Creating a font in v4.2 (Business Edition) is as simple as printing out the font-creator page, writing your letters out in the boxes, and scanning it in. You can even edit individual glyphs when creating your own font. Once your font is created, you can use it like any font in your other programs, too!

Click this link for my personal Kelly print.ttf font for you to download and install to use for free! (You may see an error message about the preview, but you can still download the .ttf file.)

Questions?

I know you may have some questions, and there’s no way I could pack in everything I learned into a single post, so please ask if you want to know more!

Disclaimer: Prices and final products subject to change. This was the best information I had available at the time, but not everything was 100% ready for release.

The post Silhouette 2018 New Products appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

How would you like to use your Silhouette machine and some loose change to make custom fidget spinners for summertime fun?

Is anyone else running out of ideas to keep the kids busy this summer? My husband has been trying to come up with golden ideas for my Silhouette machine to share on my blog for quite a while, and he’s thrilled I actually followed through on this fidget spinner idea! It’s a great summer project!

What you’ll need for each fidget spinner:

• Fidget Spinner Silhouette Studio file (download adhesive version HERE, 12 x 12” CAMEO version HERE, or SVG version HERE)
• Silhouette chipboard (1 sheet)
• Double-sided adhesive (1 sheet) OR glue
• One 608 bearing
• Six nickels
• Silhouette CAMEO, Portrait, or Curio (with large base)
• Optional materials for outer decorative layers:
  • Metallic vinyl
  • Printable vinyl
  • Sticker paper
  • Get creative with other materials!

How to cut:

I tried a couple of variations in assembling these fidget spinners, so here’s what I decided I like best.

1. Trim a piece of Silhouette chipboard down to 8.5” x 11”.

Tip: You can use a different chipboard or paper material, but it turns out that four layers of this particular chipboard is exactly perfect to house a nickel so it sits flush with the top layer. And it cuts nicely with my Silhouette CAMEO, which I have not found to be the case with some other chipboards.

2. Peel away an inch or two of one layer of backing from a piece of letter-size double sided adhesive. I peeled away the thicker white layer and left the adhesive attached to the thinner yellow layer in order to keep it as thin as possible.

Carefully press a crease into that fold so you have a strip of adhesive exposed at the top of the sheet. (See image below.)

3. Line the adhesive sheet up with the chipboard and press that exposed adhesive edge on to the top of the chipboard.

4. Once the top is attached, gently peel away the rest of the backing while smoothing the adhesive down against the chipboard. The goal is to have the full sheet of adhesive stick to the full sheet of chipboard, leaving the yellow backing in place on top.
5. Press the chipboard on to your cutting mat (use a sticky mat, not one that’s nearly worn out) leaving the yellow backing facing up.

6. Make sure the virtual cutting mat and page size matches your actual mat and 8.5 x 11” chipboard, adjust the blade if necessary, then send it to cut.

Note: I have noticed when I cut a lot of chipboard (like making 5+ fidget spinners or making a lot of photo props), my blade does dull faster than normal. I started cutting this chipboard with a sharp blade on 5, speed 1, thickness 33, single pass…but several chipboard sheets later I was up to blade 6, speed 1, thickness 33, double pass. It also cut better on the stickier areas of my mat. Just something to keep in mind.

Depending on how many spinners you make, you may need to adjust your blade settings higher as you go, or try to rearrange the design so you’re not cutting in the same spot on your mat each time. It’s important to use a slow speed (1-2) with thick materials like this.

7. You’ll end up with three “A” pieces and eight “B pieces” that have the adhesive ready to go. If you want windows to see the nickels, use two “C” pieces in lieu of two of the “A” pieces.

Assembly:

Because we already applied adhesive to the chipboard, assembly is pretty quick.

Note: the adhesive sheets in steps 2-4 above are optional. I also made a couple of fidget spinners with liquid glue in this fine-tip glue applicator and it worked fine. The final spinner is more stiff with glue compared to adhesive sheets, but gluing each layer takes a little longer than the peel-and-stick method below.

8. Start with piece “A” (only a center hole) and insert the bearing into the hole. It will be lightly snug and get tighter as we add more layers. (See image below.)

Tip: Keep this bearing in the center hole as you add layers. It will assist as a guide in placing the layers exactly on top of each other.

9. I suggest making two piles of four “B” pieces because four will go on one side of piece “A” around the bearing, and four will go on the other side of piece “A”.
10. Peel away the yellow backing to expose the adhesive and press down the next layer of chipboard, being careful to line up the edges before pressing the pieces together.

As I mentioned, you will have four “B” layers on top of the center “A” piece.

11. Once the four layers are on the one side of the center “A” piece, flip it over and apply one layer at a time of the four remaining “B” pieces to the back side. This time you’ll peel the backing off the loose piece before pressing it down onto the stack.

I love the precision and consistency with which these Silhouette machines cut! I was almost surprised at how easy it was to line up the pieces and keep the edges fairly uniform with a total of 11 layers. (But not completely surprised, because that’s definitely something I’ve always loved about my CAMEO and earlier models.)

12. With four “B” layers on the front and four “B” layers on the back, you’re ready to put a nickel in each hole and seal them in.

The image below shows an “A” piece to completely hide the nickels, but if you want to show off how clever you are by using nickels as your custom fidget spinner weights, then use a “C” piece as the outer layer on each side.

Note: Your chipboard pieces can face up or down; they are symmetrical enough for our use here. So don’t worry if you forget what direction you have been applying them or wonder about duplicating pieces in Silhouette Studio.

These only cost about $1.70 – $2.50 to make, depending on sale prices and whether you use the adhesive sheets or not:

$0.40 chipboard + $1 bearing + $0.87 adhesive sheet  + $0.30 nickels = $2.57

Apply Decorative Outer Layer:

Here’s where you get creative and put your own “spin” (get it?) on your custom fidget spinner! Part of the fun is spinning these little doo-dads, but part of the joy is the texture so you (or your kids/grandkids) enjoy holding and touching the spinner.

I tried a lot of different finishes, so here they are:

Print & Cut:

These four spinners I made into print & cut designs by filling an “A” piece with patterns from the Silhouette Design Store and/or from images I found online. I printed them on printable vinyl, but you could also use sticker paper or regular paper for printing.

I’ve included this printable spiral design with the Silhouette Studio cut files provided with the supplies at the top. It’s quite mesmerizing to watch this one spin.

I just borrowed the red spinner cap here from one of my kids’ plastic fidget spinners, and it really improves the spin. I ordered some more caps for my other spinners (no longer available), and they work great!

Texture:

Here are a couple of spinners that have a fun texture for a nice tactile experience.

The yellow is flocked heat transfer material (I used an iron to apply it to my “A” piece before adding it to the fidget spinner). The blue portion is a new color of metallic vinyl from Silhouette.

And this one below is a layer of Silhouette leatherette, because I like how it feels, too.

Visual interest:

I love the look of these, although they feel nice, too.

This one above has a thin decorative layer of gold carbon fiber vinyl, another newly-released product by Silhouette. Because it’s vinyl, the adhesive is already there and it’s really easy to cut in this delicate design. The lower silver layer is Silhouette metallic adhesive vinyl.

I’ve included the skinny border as part of your download.

This one may not look that exciting, but it’s actually glow-in-the-dark vinyl, so it looks super cool when you take it to a dark room and spin it. Watch!

This example uses a layer of blue metallic vinyl underneath, with decorative spots of silver metallic vinyl. I’ve included these shapes in the download, too.

And finally, my favorite is this window fidget spinner covered in a layer of black carbon fiber vinyl, where you can see the nickels through the windows. I cut the two outermost layers of chipboard and the decorative vinyl layers with piece “C” instead of “A”.

So what do you think? Do you want to try making your own fidget spinners? This can be a great way to use any of those adhesive-backed materials (and scraps) you may not know what else to do with!

My husband and I would love to see what you make with this design, so please tag me on Instagram (@kraftingkelly) or on my Facebook page (Finding Time To Create), or even send me an email! I would love to include pictures of these fidget spinners from my readers in a follow-up post!

Happy Crafting!

This post contains affiliate links. It won’t change your price, but it helps you by getting exactly the product I used, and it helps me by giving me a little income to help support this blog. Win-win.

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The post Make Sensational Fidget Spinners for Summertime Fun appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

I’m doing a little 10-minute presentation tomorrow at our LDS Stake Relief Society conference. The theme is “Delight On the Sabbath,” so I chose to share a kids’ church bag idea. I’ve created a free design with the LDS 2016 Primary theme that can be applied to a plain tote bag.

Below, you’ll find instructions for using my design to decorate a tote bag with heat transfer material or fabric ink. I’ve also included links to download this free cutting file and printable template.

Here are the supplies you’ll need to make the bag (contains some affiliate links):

• Plain cotton tote bag (I found mine at JoAnn’s, or find similar tote bags from Amazon). Mine is 13.5″ x 13.5″ x 2″, so something close to that is good.
• Something to decorate the bag, like acrylic paint and a vinyl stencil/mask, fabric ink, heat transfer material, etc.
• Tools for your chosen medium, like a hook tool for weeding and/or a foam paint applicator.

You can decorate the church bag several ways, depending on what you have available for your use. Here is the free design I’ve created for you:

Silhouette machine owners:  Silhouette Studio cutting file
Other digital cutting machine owners (if able to use SVG files):  SVG cutting file
To print then cut by hand:  Printable PDF

The digital cutting files come with one image as you see on the bag, and one image in reverse. The reverse image is to be used if you use heat transfer material. The regular image is to be used if you use vinyl or other stencil material as a mask for fabric ink or acrylic paint.

I used heat transfer for the text in my samples and fabric ink for the scriptures. You’re welcome to mix mediums like I did, or do it all heat transfer or all stenciled fabric ink.

Heat transfer:

1- Cut image in reverse with the glossy side down.

2- Weed the excess.

3- Iron on to the fabric tote with cotton settings and a thin cloth or paper between the iron and the heat transfer. (Note: this type of canvas shrinks a lot when washing! Either wash and iron the bag before using heat transfer, or do not plan to wash the bag after applying heat transfer.)

4- Once the heat transfer material is sticking securely to the bag, remove and discard the clear transfer piece. (If the heat transfer pulls up while removing the clear transfer backing, keep ironing until it sticks. I usually let it cool a little bit but pull it up while still warm.)

Iron-on heat transfer comes in lots of colors and textures (smooth, glitter, flocked). I think glitter is my favorite. Look at that sparkle!

Check out my Silhouette heat transfer and vinyl classes here.

Vinyl mask:

1- Cut the image out of vinyl (any kind–the uglier the better, because it will be thrown away when you’re done). The vinyl should have plenty of room around the edges of the design so your paint doesn’t go over the outside border. For this scripture design, your vinyl piece should be about 9-10″ wide by 6″ high.

2- Weed away the excess (including the book shape–you want to keep the outer edge and the skinny little lines and book ends as a mask).

3- Use transfer paper to pick up the vinyl so you don’t lose any of the inside pieces.

4- Place the vinyl on to your fabric and rub so the vinyl sticks well to the fabric.

5- Carefully remove the transfer paper.

6- Place a piece of cardboard inside the church bag so paint doesn’t leak through to the other side.

7- Use a foam applicator to apply fabric ink or acrylic paint to the unmasked part of the vinyl design. Use up-and-down motions so the paint doesn’t creep under the edges of the vinyl.

8- Once dry, remove the vinyl, and the scripture design will be there on the fabric. Don’t worry if it looks a little rough. The lines are really there just for a highlight, and this is a handmade piece, after all! If you want really crisp lines, use heat transfer material instead.

No cutting machine? Here’s the workaround (using vinyl):

1- Print the PDF (link above) on plain copy paper. (You may not want to cut all the letters by hand, but the scriptures portion can be cut with a craft knife.)

2- Tape it to the top of a piece of vinyl. (Note: Con-Tact paper is an adequate substitute, but it’s pretty easy to find good vinyl these days at craft stores and vinyl sign-supply shops.)

3- Use a craft knife to cut the thick lines of the scriptures as indicated on the template.

4- Discard the center piece (the scriptures), saving the book ends and tiny highlight lines.

5- Remove the backing from the remaining vinyl and place the vinyl on to the tote bag. You will have to place the loose book-end pieces by hand.

6- Once the vinyl is secure, follow steps 6-8 in the “vinyl mask” instructions above.

Tip for involving kids: You can use all sorts of shapes to cut out of vinyl and use it as a mask. Once the vinyl mask is on the fabric, it’s a great kids’ craft to have them apply the paint to their church bag themselves.

I hope you enjoy this free design! My husband’s 7-8 year old kids in his primary class will be getting these bags for their birthdays this year.

This post contains some affiliate links. The cost to you is the same, but I may get a small percentage if you use my links. Thanks for supporting me!

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Over on the Silhouette America blog I’ve got a fun little project to share with you. I used clear and white sticker paper to create little happy note cards in a jiffy! The tutorial covers print and cut, the Modify: Crop tool, and tips for using both types of sticker paper. Check it out here: Mix and Match Notes

If you want the Silhouette Studio print & cut sentiment stickers I made, you can download them here (print as-is, or fill the shapes with patterns or color):

Silhouette Studio (print & cut file): Mix & Match stickers

The post Mix & Match Notes appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

I love this scripture. I used a free font (Sophia) to design it, and you’re welcome to the cutting file for this scripture:

I can do all things (Silhouette Studio)
I can do all things (SVG)

The original post showed just the pioneer vinyl on the 5-gallon bucket, but my husband also added a custom-sewn seat cushion, and he tied on a handy lid opener because these lids are so hard to open. You can see the tether, too, so the lid and the opener wouldn’t be easily separated from the bucket. In the end, my son took off the lid opener and carried it with him in his satchel all the time because he was using it so often for himself and for others.

I’m happy to say my son survived Trek and really enjoyed it, even with lots of rain and stormy weather. I was a little surprised, but the vinyl on the bucket survived Trek, as well. Some of it is Silhouette matte vinyl, and some of it is Oracal 631 (which is basically the same thing).

I was also asked by the head Trek Ma to shrink this vinyl design a lot and add it to a few chalkboard labels on jars she had purchased. The vinyl design went from about 8″ x 16″ for the 5-gallon bucket, down to about 1.2″ x 2.4″ for the jars. I had to remove a lot of the detail so I could cut the tiny version, but I was able to do that without compromising the look of the original design. That’s the joy of vinyl (and Silhouette Studio)!

Here’s one last look at the three small jars with the tiny vinyl added in white. I’m sorry I don’t have permission to share the pioneer vinyl file with you, but I really wanted to show what I did with it. The artist was Kim Kincaid (now deceased).

Don’t forget to check out the original post for more details and photos.

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The post Pioneer Trek Vinyl – part 2 appeared first on Finding Time To Create.

Here’s another secret sister gift for my daughter to give to her friend at Girls Camp. This friend likes apple juice, so I designed a custom tote box to hold four Minute Maid juice boxes.

I’m sharing the cutting file as a freebie (see below), and have posted an assembly video tutorial for this tote box. I couldn’t find any boxes in the Silhouette design store that were perfectly suited for carrying this size and weight of drinks, and altering dimensions of existing 3D boxes is not an easy task. In the end, I designed my own tote box from scratch in Silhouette Studio because it was easier, and I must say it is perfect!

Click here to go to my juice tote tutorial.

 Sketched Tag

Each of these secret sister gifts has a tiny sketched tag. I like using sketch pens or the Silhouette pen holder for two reasons. First, you can use glitter or metallic pens for a shine that’s impossible to get with a standard inkjet printer. Second, you can use scraps of paper instead of using a full page that has to be accepted by a printer.

I used a Sakura Gelly Roll blue Stardust pen to get this shimmery writing on the tag. I used the Silhouette pen holder’s largest threaded collet to hold the gel pen while it sketched my sentiment on a small scrap of speckled white cardstock. The font I used on the tag is Stick Sketch Font.

Embellishments

Like the pop-top can, I added the recipient’s name in fuzzy vinyl and glued on a large butterfly. The font for her name is Sweet Pea, one of my current favorites.

I really think she’s going to like this gift, especially since I already know apple juice is her favorite drink. Pretty apple juice is better than plain apple juice. My daughter is so excited to give away these secret sister gifts!

Designs and Fonts Used:

Juice box tote (Silhouette Studio cut file) free download
Juice box tote (PDF to print) free download
4 tag set
Stick Sketch font
Butterfly
Sweet Pea font (for fuzzy vinyl name)

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It’s time for Girls Camp again this year, but this time I’m only making 3 gifts instead of 75-90 as in years past. I’m not currently serving in the Young Women’s program, but luckily my daughter is old enough to go to Girls Camp for the first time (so I still get to make cute gifts). The girls are each bringing three secret sister gifts for a single recipient: nail polish, a treat, and a drink.

Because the gifts will be the same for each girl (with variance for their personal favorites), that means much of the gift is in the presentation, right? Right. The first gift I’m sharing here is an altered pop-top can.

I Pinned this pop-top can idea ages ago from Split Coast Stampers. We found out my daughter’s secret-sister recipient loves Butterfinger candy bars, so that’s what we decided to put in this can. I found a pack of mandarin oranges at my local Costco that had flip-top lids. Fortunately we like mandarin oranges, but I probably would have bought them just for the cans.

How to Make a Custom-Filled Pop-Top Can:

• Remove the label off the can and measure it so you can cut decorative paper the same size (be sure to leave an extra ½” for the overlap area to be glued).
• Use a safety can opener to open the bottom of the can (turn the can upside down so the end with the flip-top lid remains intact). The safety opener just breaks the seal so the lid/base has no sharp edges and can be glued back in place after the can is refilled.
• Empty the contents, wash out the can, and let it dry.
• Fill the can with treats or another surprise. I fit eight fun-size Butterfingers in this 11 oz. can. You may want to put the treats in a bag or use some filler at the top (which will be the bottom when opened) so the glue doesn’t stick to any of the contents.

• You can cover the can before or after gluing on the lid/base. I glued the strip around the outside and the circle on the top before sealing it up, then added the other embellishments later.
• In this next photo you can see the can with its contents spilling out before I’ve glued on the base.

• For the circle on the pop-top lid, I simply measured the can’s top for my large circle, and placed a smaller circle to subtract about a ½” chunk out of the larger circle. I did this in Silhouette Studio (cut file included below), but you could do it with more archaic circle tools.
• Add glue to the notched circle piece and carefully slide it into place so the notch goes under the pull tab.

• Use a strong liquid glue to add a bead of glue around the lid/base edge, then press it back in place on the filled can. Use something heavy like a water bottle to put pressure on the lid while it dries. The glue I used is Glossy Accents by Ranger, but I’ve also heard of crafters using Diamond Glaze or Crystal Effects.

• Once the glue has set up so the bottom doesn’t fall out, embellish as you choose. I added paper butterflies, our recipient’s name in flocked vinyl, and a cute little sketched tag.

I hope you enjoyed this project. Stay tuned for more Girls Camp Secret Sister gifts coming soon!

Cut Files and Fonts:

Flip Top Can Wrap Silhouette Studio file (click name to download) by Kelly Wayment
4 Tag Set by Jamie Koay (ID #23304)
Stick Sketch Font (for sketched tag) by Dresden Robins (ID #73966)
Patterned Butterflies by Simple Stores (I used the outline only, not the printable fill) ID #63185
Sweet Pea (for fuzzy vinyl name)

Supplies:

Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust pen
Silhouette Pen Holder (used large collet for Gelly Roll pen)
Golden Star mandarin oranges (11 oz. can with pop-top lid)
Bluebell “Every Day” decorative paper by My Mind’s Eye “The Sweetest Thing” by Jen Allyson
Speckled white cardstock
Glossy Accents by Ranger
Scotch Advanced Tape Glider adhesive
Fuzzy vinyl – white
Baker’s twine

This post contains affiliate links. Your price is the same, but I may receive a small commission when you use my links. Thanks for your support!

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I’ve been working on some secret sister gifts this week, and after wasting a fair bit of time trying to modify existing 3D holders to fit these Minute Maid juice boxes, I decided it was easier to design a tote box myself from scratch. I designed this box in Silhouette Studio, and it turned out so well I want to share it with you!

Download the juice box tote file:

Juice Box Tote (Silhouette Studio) or

Juice Box Tote (printable PDF)

Juice box tote assembly tutorial:

Written juice box tote assembly instructions:

1.  Cut out two main box pieces from plain sturdy cardstock. I used kraft cardstock by The Paper Studio (from Hobby Lobby).

2.  Cut two triangular end pieces and two rectangle pieces from decorative sturdy pattern paper.

3.  Fold on the perforations so all the flaps bend up towards you.

4.  Glue the two main box backs together–back to back–so the handles, bottom edges, and side edges line up. Use the strongest glue you have.

5.  Add adhesive to all the small glue tabs.

6.  Press the sticky tabs to the inside of the box flaps to create the tote sides.

7.  Using your finger or a long tool like the end of a pen, rub the glued flaps with the box against a hard surface.

8.  Glue the decorative end pieces on to hide the seams and to provide more stability.

9.  Add the front and back decorative panels, along with any embellishments you wish.

(This fits four Minute Maid brand 6 oz. juice boxes.)

Wouldn’t this make a great teacher gift? You can’t tell from the pictures, but the apple is actually a magnet cut from Silhouette adhesive magnet paper, then decorated with layers of plain and adhesive cardstock. I attached it with painter’s tape so it can be easily removed from the box and used as a cute apple magnet.

I’ve shared another project with this tote as a secret sister gift, so go check it out! Don’t forget to Pin this post if you think you might like to make one of these juice box totes. Happy crafting!

Cut files used:

Juice box tote (my design)
3D sliding teacher thank you box (for the apple)

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