Time to Crank out some Christmas Stickers

I just love these, don't you?

You can find them HERE

And I am getting these too: 

Another exciting bundle from Hungry JPEG

I recently purchased two more of the offerings from Hungry JPEG.  I have written, in general, many times before,  here and here, and here about how wonderful their bundles are, in value and quality.   I am sometimes tempted to buy some of the individual offerings, and I do, but the "bundles" are the absolute best bargains ever.  Let me talk about the one I am working on now.  It is called The Hipster Graphic Pack and is packed with so many wonderful graphics.  This package is only $19 and if you have a twitter account and tweet, price drops to $17.10.  As explained in my previous posts, if you are from USA, best to pay with paypal directly from your checking account so you don't get caught up in VAT (Value Added Tax) which might get added if you use a credit card.  Also, the downloads are very large zip files that need to be extracted.  Sometimes, I use a batch processing utility which is a part of a free software program called IRFANVIEW, and I spoke about that in this video and also showed how I trace the images and use the Silhouette Studio software to work with these graphics.



Well, now onto the Hipster Graphic Pack.  

Here is a little video (well maybe longer than I intended)  looking at the wonderful graphics in this bundle  Remember, when you buy these bundles you get complete Commercial License to use in products you make and sell, and the files you purchase are downloadable from their site forever.





Here is the sticker on a card "work in progress" to give you an idea how they look on colored cardstock

I love my Cameo, sketch with pen and cut on full page labels

Sometimes I am not very happy with the results that I get from my printer when it's printing very fine detailed text, in black on white cardstock. Perhaps it is because I'm using the back feed on my printer, perhaps it's because there is an overspray from the ink in the cartridge.

 Rather than trying to figure out and test all of these I recently decided to just combine using a rollerball pen as a sketch function to get the text and frame drawn around the text.  What I was trying to do is get labels that I could stick on the backs of my handmade cards and other things I make.
I love using full page labels to make my stickers, See postings here, and here, and here.   I get mine from online labels and it's very inexpensive and rather than use the ink in my printer to do this I decided to let the cameo do the work with a rollerball pen.  I wrapped a little washi tape and then covered with a foam pen holder (cheapies from Dollar store) which I had cut to fit pen, then inserted into regular cameo blade holder and adjusted so when the mechanism came down, the pen would make its mark.  I thought it was amazing that such small text came out so well, better than my printer.  The font I used is one I got in one of my old Hungry JPEG bundles, called Azurra Script--

The following pictures show you the results and I am quite happy with them what I did was turn on and off the various elements that I wanted to either sketch with the rollerball pen and then turn those elements to "No Cut"  when it finished, IMPORTANT, do not unload the mat!   I had a slight offset around the frame that was made "uncut" in the sketching phase, and after that was completed, I set the text and frame to "NoCut" and set the offset line to Cut, and using the Silhouette Settings for white sticker paper, and adding the ratchet blade set at 8, I then "sent to silhouette" (remember, mat was never unloaded),   The pictures below show the results

Cutting Foam on Silhouette Cameo, whole process from design, setup, cut, taping and separating positive from negative

Several people have asked to see the whole process, I finally managed to get it together to show how I do this.  This is the video showing whole process except using stamp which I may do another time.

Pop up card using stickers

Thanks to Lindsay Weirich's cute stamped pop up card, I decided to try one using stickers, here is my version

Hungry JPEG September Bundle and making stickers from images

I was not going to get this bundle since I already have all the fonts, but there were some great watercolor images I could definitely use, "and" I know that once the bundle expires, you can't get the benefit from Commercial License & Lifetime Download Guarantee you get when you purchase the bundle.  I managed to save 10% by tweeting as is offered on the site, so the cost was only $26.10.  I pay with paypal an have payment come directly from checking account.  Note if you use a credit card you may have VAT added since this company is in the UK, check before payment to avoid that complication.  And did I mention, their "excellent" customer service/response, no matter when I write them an email, I get a quick and very nice response from them.

 As I have explained in the past, these images are huge and can be used for posters, etc, really high quality.  Here is how I get, process and use these images.  As most of you know, I am loving making stickers to use on cards and things, so my processes are geared to that.

1.   I download the parts of the bundle to my computer.  They come in separate zip files, then I open that zip file, and use the extract routine built into Windows, but I change the "extract to file" to a file I created called "September Bundle" on an external 200 gig SD card and when extracted to that file, I delete the zip file.  Remember, with their lifetime download service, you can always get the original package downloaded again any time you want/need.

2.  I find that it is easier for me to reduce the size of the images by 50% --does not cause as many crash issues when I use in Silhouette Studio if I do this, could be limitations of my laptop and not the software, but I find the reduced sizes work best for me.  I have a "free" downloaded program called IRFANVIEW that works very well for me, you may have other software that easily does this.  I create a file under each section of my bundle called 50% and that is where I store the reduced size files.
IRFANVIEW download is here.  for Windows 64 bit version, other versions are available  Here is a video of how I use the batch processor to easily and quickly accomplish this task.

3.  Using images in Silhouette Studio for print and cut/stickers

Now that I have the images reduced by 50%, I am ready to "play" with them.  Here is a video that shows how I bring them into the Silhouette Studio software using the "library" function and then how I can trace the image, remove the unwanted white background (even though it won't print), it impedes the ability to squeeze a lot of images on a label sheet for stickers.  And lastly, I show how to get more bang for buck when using the image modification tool to get several different looks for each image.

Well that's it for this posting, I might do another follow on one where I do the print and cut on my full label sticker sheets, then maybe some cards, etc that I make with the stickers.  There are so many great things in this September Bundle, something for everyone.  Wish I had a little one to make these cute dress up characters

Remember, all this and a whole lot more in the September Bundle here.

Adding tape/powder to die cut or Cameo cut foam as preliminary to stamping

Foam Cuts using Cameo, now I have even more uses for them as Stamps with MISTI

Cutting foam with my Cameo has been an obsession since I began experimenting with these foam cuts for use with clay/pottery.  Because now these very, inexpensive to produce, foam cuts have even more utility if the "positive" can be used easily as stamps, especially with the MISTI.  This wonderful tool enables restamping perfectly to get more vivid, bold stamped images (see previous Posting and video on how I do this).  I thought I would make it easy for you to crawl through almost 4 years of my experiments with cutting foam by providing direct links to those posts.  Before I do, I have this picture to show you how one cut from that Dollar Tree foam can provide two useful products.  You can actually use both sides (positive and negative) as stamps (or on gelli plate for those playing with that technique), but if any of you have friends dabbling with pottery/clay, you could give them the parts that create raised images, they will be very excited when they start using them.  I have actually sold some to many local potters here.

But as promised, here are all the links to almost 4 years of experiments on cutting and using foam cut with the Silhouette Cameo

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/05/experimenting-and-playing.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/04/now-for-square-one.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/04/back-to-pottery-and-foam-cuts.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/02/finally-putting-it-all-together.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/12/still-playing-like-mad-scientist.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/11/details-on-how-foam-was-cut-using-cameo.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/09/more-foam-cuts-and-impressions-in-clay.html

http://s2.photobucket.com/user/paulinepdm/slideshow/Cameo%20Silhouette%20Digital%20Cutting

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-photos-made-from-impressing-fun.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/using-my-cameo-digital-cutting-machine.html

http://paulinesstuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/using-my-cameo-digital-cutting-machine.html

DIY foam stamps can be easily used with MISTI, here's how

As you know, I love cutting foam with my Silhouette Cameo and have lots of postings on this blog on how I do this, and ways I use them, particularly in my clay work.  But I love papercrafting as well and after investing in the MISTI, have come up with ways to turn all those foam cuts (positives) into useable stamps.  I have stamped with them before but often you need a second printing of ink to get nice strong images and the MISTI is perfect for getting that look, so I have made a little video showing you how I do this:

I made a disastrous video earlier showing this but the camera app I was using turned everything sideways in the viewer and I was holding my tablet while filming so you could get very dizzy watching it which is why I made the one above.  However, I forgot to mention in the one above that I coat the sticky side around the foam stuck to packing tape with powder/cornstarch so it won't stick to paper while tryng to position it before inking, so if you don't mind watching a horribly produced video, you can watch this one too.

Ready to make more

Another full 12x18"label sheet with my favorite stickers, have some special requests for these.

More cards first one used stickers second one not

Another card

And my Cameo didn't even ask for a raise

Most I have gotten on a full page sticker label 12"x18", lots of flowers each cut.

 I love my Cameo, and my wide format printer.  After making this card (included in previous post) which I think is even prettier in person:

I decided I needed lots more of these bouquets and filled the sheet with smaller and medium sized flowers which are nice to include on envelopes and inside card, etc, so I created this huge print and cut and my Cameo just cut every bit out perfectly.

I

Oops another sticker sheet

When everything is going smoothly, I just want to get as many of these sticker sheets printed and cut ready to use.

Oops another sticker sheet

When everything is going smoothly, I just want to get as many of these sticker sheets printed and cut ready to use.

Another card and another sticker sheet

Can't stop myself this new sticker sheet will be great for fall and Christmas too and I fill in sheet with dragonflies and hummingbirds which I can always use.