Silhouette Welding Tutorial

Hello everyone!  I hope that everyone is having a great day.  It's one day closer to Friday and that makes me happy.

I made this card for my Godchild to congratulate him on a job well done in school.  My husband said "You made it, but you probably won't get it to him until school starts again."  He knows me well.  My intentions are good.  Anyway, I proved him wrong!  I made it and mailed it along with my niece's card the next day!!  Wooohooo.....there is a first for everything and that was definitely a first.

Some of my silhouette/facebook group friends ask me how I made the card.  I'm pretty new to writing tutorials, so I hope I didn't miss anything.  I've written a few for Peppermint Creative (you can see them here and here).  The more you write, the better you get....so here it goes!!

 

You Rock!!!

 

 

First I opened a star that I bought at the Silhouette online store.  I'm sure there are plenty of free, but I needed this one pretty quick.  I used it to make this project for my friend, It was her Dad's 70th birthday.  It was also my first project. 

 

Next thing you will do is open this image on a new page. You can probably do it all on the same page and move images that you aren't currently using off to the side.  However, I like to open a new page. 

 

This is what it looks like (above) when you open it.

This was a free image I got here. 

 

 

 

Next step is to pick Select Trace area (top red arrow).  You will drag the square to cover the entire image until it is all highlighted.  Once that is done, you will UN check (sure there is better terminology)  the High Pass Filter (second red arrow).  After un checking the high pass filter, go to the threshold and slide it all the way to the right or until the entire image highlighted yellow.

 

 After highlighting it all you will select the trace outer edge option.  You can see the red lines around the image.  It should look like the image above. 

 

 

After selecting the trace outer edge option, you will drag them apart. At this time you can move the original image off to the side if you like the looks of it (the texture) or delete it.  I deleted the image because I wanted the solid look.

You should end up with an image that looks like this.  Next step is to fill in the color.

 

Next, make sure that your image is selected.  I have tried doing new steps without making sure the image is select and nothing happens.....of course....then it clicks....I forgot to select it...UGH!  Okay so now it's time to select the paint bucket at the top of your screen.  Once you hit the bucket tool, color options will appear on the right.  Pick black, it will fill your image with the color selected. 

 

 

 

Now you do a copy and paste of the image.  You will have two images on your screen.

 

 

 

The next step is to make sure one image is outlined and one is not.  To do this you will select the scissor tool at the top of the page.  This will pop up the cut menu.  It will show that both images have cut lines, you will want to turn the cut lines to one of them off.  Highlight one of them and then select the NO CUT button.  This should remove the red lines. 



 

 Following so far? 

I know it's a lot of info and some of it very basic, but I trying to think about the ladies that  have never done these steps before. (and/or need step by step instructions like I do!) 

Okay, so let's continue...this was the confusing part for me. 



 

Okay, here is where it gets tricky.....

We need to bring both images to the same page.  So just copy and cut the image of your star and paste it to the page where the "hand" images are.

 

1. Move the "no cut" image off to the side.  You will be using at the end so you can just leave it off to the side for now. 

2. You will now highlight the whole hand/guitar image. 

3. Once it's highlighted you need to RELEASE compound path under the modify menu

 

 



 

Now you are going to slide the bottom image up to the star and place it where it looks nice to you.

Highlight the whole image.

 

 

  

 

Next you need to click on Modify button at the top menu bar.  It will pop up options on the side.  Now hit the subtract button under the modify window.   After clicking on the subtract button, it will look like the picture above.   The pictures are joined and the red are where it is going to cut. 

 

 

Now select the whole image (star) and group it together.  The group button is all the way on the bottom left.  This makes it all one piece instead individual pieces and you are able to move it around.

 

 

 Next take the image that was over on the side of your page and line it up with the top image (star) Remember to make sure the cut lines are off on the image you are dragging back up the where they were welded together.

 

 

 

Now that you have it all lined up.  You will select the whole image together and Group them together.  

 

 

 

This would be a good time to check your cut lines to make sure it is done right.  It should look like this image.

 

 

Now after you have accomplished ALL of these steps, you are ready to make the rest of the card.  I used a card base from the Silhouette Store.  The digital paper is from Peppermint Creative. It's listed below.  It's one of my favorite paper packs.  Actually, I have several favorites.

 

 

Now you have everything you need to make this card.  I hope that the steps are all there and that you can understand my instructions.  Please feel free to ask me any questions.  I know there may be an easier way to do this.  I discovered a few while making this tutorial. 

 

 

Have a great Day!!!

Tanya