TIP: Make stencils!

[sboz]

There is a product called "Crafters workshop doodling templates" http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/
that you can very easily immitate using SCAL:

1. Locate a flourish dingbat from any one of many sources.
2. Bring it into SCAL and make it LARGE! Angle it! Whatever!
3. Cut it out on chipboard (.22 thicknes max) set your bug on multicut (Cutter-Multicut 2 to 4 times)
4. Place your newly cut 'stencil' over your cs or pp and use pens, markers, thinned acrylic paint, shimmer mist, etc.

If your 'stencil' get dirty after use, just make another one!

Shari

[AnointedHands]

Thanks for the tip. Converted some of the stencils to .svg files and they look good in SCAL. Will try to make the stencil when I get home but I am going to try using regular cardstock cuz some of the lines are rather thin and cardstock will cut better in that case.

[Adina.Toponak]

I know at most craft stores you can buy "blank" stencils. Its just a sheet, 6x12, of plastic stencil so that you can cut your own. I know with multi cut, you can cut the stencil stuff with your cricut. Then it would be reuseable and washable!!

[kelsie94]

are there 'stencil' dingbats that I can download, or do I have to bring them over from inkspace?

[susibi]

Try downloading Fleurons dingbat or something along that line- http://www.dafont.com is a good source for dingbats.
Remember that you can also emboss using stencils :
cut two identical stencils, flip one and sandwich your card or topper in the middle
put through your die cutting machine to emboss ( I use a Cuttlebug or Wizard )or emboss by hand using an embossing tool - a bit like a homemade version of the more commercial embossing system.
The results are surprisingly good.
Susibi

[sboz]

Susibi,

I have a mini-tut on how to do 'negative' embossing here: http://www.pbase.com/bugsafe/image/86750124

To view images, just click on 'next' in the upper right.

It is a similar process to do 'positive' embossing.

Shari

[susibi]

Great idea Shari. I did something similar for the site I work with last year using the Craft Robo and the Wizard and Big Shot as we'd not got many members using the Cuttlebug then - they were all busy with foam mats and shams and we got some really good embossing out of it!
I like your idea of the plastic folders too.
Susibi

[sboz]

Susibi,

Ha! Before I got my Cuttlebug I used my pasta maker to run the embossing folders through! Worked good too, I might add!

Shari

[scraperfect]

Please bear with me..I had questions, figured them out and continued this process until I can't figure the last question out! Thanks!!!!

Since SCAl needs .svg BUT I find jpg images, I know I need to import/export to convert.

So, lets say I go to http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/ and find a templet--say "Pretty Paisleys".

1. I saved it to my desktop.(it's a jpg)

2. I opened it in photoshop elements and saved it as PNG.

3. I opened or import it into Inkscape .I saved it as a svg.

Then I open it in SCAl and I see an empty rectangle.

Somewhere I went wrong...any help?

okay, I found this--but see new question, below...
If it was a file you made, then you left out some steps on the conversion process. Using INK, you will have to open the file, select the image, Path>Trace Bitmap, delete the original (if you look at the status bar under the color bar at the bottom of the page, select the image and the status bar shows image, delete it...if it says Path, move it and select the other image). Now you can save the file as an .svg and import in SCAL.

If I have a whole bunch of images in the Inkscape window but only want one. (say paisleys in the above example. the template has like 10-15 paisleys and flowers. Say I only want the one with lace around it...how do I select only that one and delete the others?

---> Okay, I think I answered this too but I'll post it in case someone else has the same question... BUT I have an extension question, below

Select Edit Paths By Node TOOL (2nd from top on left)
Either click or hold mouse and make a box around all the ones you don't want. Then hit delete key (on MAC)--. You may want to use magnifier tool (3rd from top on left) to be able to get the nodes you want.

I think it would be easier to select the ones I want VS deleting all the ones I don't...I can select them with the node tool "box", but how do I copy and paste those? (Copy past doesn't seem to work...)