PixScan Tutorial - Cutting out Stamped Images {Hello Friend Cards}

Hey there everyone-

I'm back with another PixScan tutorial to show you how easy it is to cut out stamped images.  If you are just getting started with your PixScan mat, I have a PixScan calibration tutorial that may help you.  And I recently created a layout showing how you can digitally fussycut images out of patterned paper.  Today's tutorial is similar but can be applied to stamped images so that you can quickly and easily cut multiple images...which is very handy if you are mass-producing cards.  For today, I wanted to create a set of fun cards to send to friends.  

Note:  I use a Silhouette Cameo in my tutorials.  Materials listed at the end, but if you like the paper, I also used it in this layout.  It's such a pretty collection, and it pops when combined with black and gold!

The first thing I did was stamp my words out on white cardstock, and placed the cardstock onto the PixScan mat.  Take a photo of the mat - make sure you are as straight as possible and that you get the full mat in the photo so you capture the registration marks.  Save the photo to your computer and import the photo into the Silhouette software.

Here's what mine looked like:

The next thing to do is to trace the outer edges of the image(s).

Next, copy the traced images onto a new file so that you can work with them.

To create an edge around your image, do an offset.  I used an offset of 0.05".  

The next step is to clean up the offset points.  Sometimes you have outliers or need to smooth out curves.

The next step is to remove the inside traces off the cutting area, leaving the offset images in the cutting area.

Select the offset image and copy it, pasting it back onto the original file with the PixScan image.  Zoom in on the image to make sure you have the stamped parts in the center of the offsets.

The final step is to send the file to be cut on your machine.  Make sure you have not moved the paper on the PixScan mat between the time you took your photo and the time you will be cutting because the cuts depend on exact placement on the PixScan mat.

This technique will be great for Christmas cards!

For the "friend" and "birthday" banner pieces, I stamped using Black Stazon ink on watercolor paper that I brushed with coordinating colors to the collection.

Card 1 with close-up:

  

Card 2:

Card 3:

Tip: to get more out of your specialty papers, use paper punches to punch out areas that will be hidden.  The vellum circle in the card above was punched from the piece that my photos are matted on in this layout.  The photos hide the cut-out circle!

 Card 4:

Card 5:

If you use your PixScan mat for cutting out stamped images, I'd love for you to share them with me.  Thanks for stopping by!  

Majken

Materials:

• Paper, vellum, and puffy stickers:  Dear Lizzy Documentary collection
• Stamps:  Close To My Heart "Hello, Life" stamp sets (September 2015 special)
• Die cuts:  Lawn Fawn "Stitched Party Banners" (cards 1,2, & 5); Technique Tuesday "Pocket of Love" (card 5); Sizzix Lori Whitlock "Hello Life" (card 4)
• Inks:  Stazon (Black); Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Spun Sugar, Mustard Seed)
• Other:  gold thread; American Crafts Peony Ribbon

Good Times | My Scraps & More sketch 116 reveal

Welcome back, my scrappy friends!  Today is reveal day for My Scraps & More sketch 116. It's a sketch with a great angled pattern, and I wanted to capture a lunch I got to enjoy with my mom recently as she returned from her 50th high school reunion.  Yes, 50 years! She had so much fun, which made me happy.  Because the drive is so long, she stopped to stay with us for a a couple of nights before heading the rest of the way home, and we got to go out for a girls' lunch!

I used the Dear Lizzy Documentary collection from the My Scraps & More store.  I wanted the colors to really pop, so I started with a base of American Crafts black textured cardstock.  Then I chose a few papers to cut angled strips in varying widths.  After adhering them to my base, I sewed gold thread alongside most of the strips.  I am loving the gold sewing (here's some on another layout and some cards.  I think I'll leave the gold thread in my machine for awhile longer!)

Once I had the strips down, I matted my photos and then adhered them to a piece of the gold foil star vellum - it's sooo pretty!  I love how the #beauty circle is above my pretty mom.  :)

I used some Amy Tan Rise & Shine gold phrase Thickers to create my "good times" title.  (I have also used the same title on this layout and the Thickers on this layout!)

Then instead of journaling on the right bottom side, I opted to put mine in the lighter circle on the bottom left.

Some gold mist splatters and a few puffy stickers from the collection and the layout came together!  Here is Jessy Christopher's fun sketch below...and go check out her layout as well as the other designers' takes on it!  Then go grab some chocolate and do a little shopping from My Scraps & More store and link up for your chance at the Oct. prize! 

  
Have a super weekend!

Majken

Pick a Pumpkin

Happy day out there in scrappy land!  Please, grab some chocolate and stay for a few minutes.  Today I've dipped my toes into fall - the weather has already started to cool just a bit here in Texas.  Yay!

Today I have a 2-page layout for you.  I haven't done one of these in awhile and I felt I had some good photos to spread out for this one.  I used the third one down from Scrapbook & Cards Magazine fall sketches for this one, stretching it into two pages, and I kept it simple.

I started with kraft cardstock and a Jillibean Soup placemat cut file which I cut using my Cameo and CTMH Cashmere cardstock.  I added a border to the left and right side of each page with some sewn strips.

I sewed around some of the circles on the placemat and also layered a green striped Bella Blvd paper behind one (with a punched star over it in a yellow stripe paper).

Over the right side of the placemat, I put black corrugate paper from Fancy Pants Designs.  It adds great texture!  I also cut a green stripe tab to tuck behind the photo of my sweet son, and added a few black enamel stars from Bella Blvd.  I also created an embellishment circle with sewing and a chipboard element from Bella Blvd.  I love my little pumpkins!  :)

For my title, I cut "PICK A" from black textured cardstock, and I cut "pumpkin" in a different font using the orange stripe paper.

I added another green stripe tab with a black enamel heart.  Another stitched circle and chipboard combo with another enamel element:

Then I added a strip of printed journaling to the side of the photo area, with a punched star on each side.

I need to go back and add the date, but this was fall 2014.

Well, that's all for me today!  I supposed we are getting close to adding hot chocolate to our evenings.  For me, that's the best part of cold weather.  :)

Have a fabulous week!

Majken

Having Fun Together - My Scraps & More Sketch #115 Reveal

Hi everyone!  So glad you are visiting today.  I'm just amazed that it's already October.  It made me think fondly of a long weekend we spent in Fredericksburg, Texas for the Oktoberfest celebration, so that's what I decided to scrap for the My Scraps & More sketch 115!

I used the Simple Stories "We Are Family" collection for this layout.  Check out my layout, but don't miss the other designers' layouts as well!   

So when I saw the sketch and was going through the We Are Family papers I had, the one with the hearts in the bottom right jumped out at me.  I love the papers that have built-in embellishments, but I often get stumped with how to use them.  What I decided is that I could use the So Very Loved paper as my background and tuck the photo section behind the circles!  I flicked a few drops of Heidi Swapp gold Color Shine and let it dry before doing anything else.

The first thing I did after choosing my background paper of So Very Loved was trim and mat my photos with different papers from the collection until I liked how they fit.  I distressed one and inked the edges of a few others.  When I knew where I wanted them to fit, I used my X-Acto knife to cut around the two circles where I wanted the papers to tuck behind.

I really wanted the base paper to do the heavy lifting for the layout!  I love the hearts within the circles!  Once I had that down, I trimmed the bottom and right sides of the paper to layer on top of the B-side of another piece of the So Very Loved paper to create the heart corner on the top and left.  I then used gold thread to stitch a three areas of two lines of stitching.  I'm starting to really love this gold thread - can you tell by this layout and these cards? :)

Next, I opted for the top left embellishment area.  I kept it simple with a banner chipboard sticker.

Once I had that in place, I worked on the title using Simple Stories alpha stickers and the "together" from the chipboard stickers.  

I also created a small journal spot.

I few more sticker elements as well as some enamel dots and gold sequins and the layout was complete!  Here's the fun sketch for you to play along with and link up to try for your chance at some fabulous goodies!!

Play along with us, won't you?  And check out the MSAM store for more new goodies as well.

Have a super weekend!

Majken