Custom keyboard stickers

(This is also posted on Expressions Vinyl's blog)

Hello fellow maker addicts!

I don't know about you, but I've been super jealous of seeing my mac computer friends have super cute keyboard decals.  I'm a PC user and haven't been able to find anyone who sells them since our keyboards aren't the same size consistently enough.  What's a girl do to?  Make it myself of course!

Today I'm showing you how I made custom stickers for my wireless keyboard using printable vinyl from the fabulous Expressions Vinyl and my handy dandy Silhouette cameo.

I'll give a brief overview of the steps I took to make them so you can create your own beautiful set!

You'll need:

• 8.5" x 11" inkjet printable vinyl
• Silhouette Cameo or Portrait
• color printer
• ruler
• graphic images of your choice.  
• patience! :)

I may have a slight addiction to purchasing bundles from thehungryjpeg.com and this graphic set is one of my favorites in my ever growing collection.  

Step 1:  Create your keyboard layout

Remember how I said patience above as a needed element?  This is the first part you'll need it in. You'll need to measure the size of the keys are on your keyboard and then draw them to the correct size using the "draw a rectangle" and "scale" tools in Silhouette Studio.  I also used the "replicate" tool to quickly multiply the same size.

Here is a screen shot of my keyboard layout and I have arrows pointing to the tools I used.  Don't forget to uncheck the lock aspect box when you're re-sizing your shapes.

Phew! That wasn't as bad as you thought it would be right?  The replicate tool really makes it a quicker process so if you don't know how to use it well, this is the time to learn! Since this isn't a software tutorial I'm not getting into all of the steps but I recommend using the custom settings to do a whole row of the same size in one click.

Step 2:  Add the background graphic

I went with the wood grain paper graphic and if you're using the same graphics set as me you'll see I played with the coloring a bit.  The "shader effects" tool is how you can play with the colors.

Here's the part that took me a bit of playing to figure out.  Make sure you have the graphic as the back most layer and the keyboard layout in front.  Then use your "modify" tool and select "crop" that should leave you with the keyboard layout only with the wood grain.  That also just removed your cut lines so make sure to go to the "trace" tool and get those cut lines back.

 Step 3: Add the text

Here is where the final patience element enters the scene, adding the text to each key is another tedious task.

I just wrote all of the letters as one text block, fixed it to be the size I wanted, then ungrouped it and moved it to the appropriate key.  I also filled the letters with the color, changed the line color, and most importantly...changed the line weight so it printed. Go ahead and have fun playing with your favorite font, I used carolinea.

Once you have it where you want it group the design again.  Also make sure the text is "in front"

Step 4:  Add any additional graphics

I wanted a fun floral element so I added the floral bunch on top of the keys and scaled it to cover them.  I tried playing to have it crop too but after hours of frustration I figured I'm cutting the keys out so it didn't matter if it printed too.  Just being honest here!  Technically you could do the same with the woodgrain but I wanted to see how it looked just as the keyboard layout.

Make sure the text is still in the front then group it again so you don't accidentally move things around.

Step 5:  Add the registration marks

Go to the registration marks tool and adjust the size so they aren't covering your design.  I had to slide the insets to the smallest size they go.  I also needed to rotate my one arrow key so it fit inside the red lines.  Anything outside the red lines won't cut properly.

Step 6: Print and Cut

I made sure I loved everything I designed on regular printer paper first.  Finally I loaded the vinyl into my printer and hit send!  Make sure you load the paper so it prints on the matte side, the shiny side is the backer paper.

Next load the printed vinyl on your cutting mat and hit "send" to your machine.

Tip: I loaded the vinyl upside down first and did several test cuts first to make sure I had the proper setting before wasting my vinyl.  I used: blade:3 speed:8, thickness: 12

Here's a sweet action shot!

The boring keyboard before:

and after with the awesome decals!

I think my desk looks much more adorable now and it makes me happy when I go in there to work.

Now go on..it's your turn to transform your work space into something that will make you smile.  :)

-Carrie
my blog link

Custom Mint stamp baby announcement

(This was originally posted on the Silhouette America Blog)

It's Carrie again bringing you more adorable baby photos to ooh and awe over!  If you've been keeping up with the blog lately (and I hope you have!) you'll know that I recently gave birth to my second son in March.  What do all parents want to do when they have a new little one?  Show them off of course!

 This brings me to today's tutorial on how to use your Mint machine to make an amazing, unique, and custom birth announcement to share with all of your friends and family.  

I will warn you that this is going to be a more advanced software tutorial showing you how to make the custom stamp, but I know you're all up for the challenge.  

Bonus feature:  This is a trick I learned to make ANY design store design into a mint stamp since some don't work well in Mint Studio™ without the edits first.  You're welcome!! :)

   

Ready to get started?  

You will need:

• Mint machine
• 90 x 45 stamp kit
• 60 x 30 stamp kit
• Mink ink: teal, green, gray, black
• white cardstock
• envelope
• Design ID #58867
• Design ID #66717

Step 1:  Editing the "hello world" design

I know this is a Mint tutorial but I'm going to have you work in Silhouette Studio® first.  This is my big trick because you have so many more editing features to work with.  Open your designs up in Silhouette Studio®  




Resize the "Hello World" design to fit the 60 x 30 stamp.  I cheated and used an online conversion calculator to figure out what that meant in inches.

  
 

Fill the design with the color black





Change the line color to black too.  This makes it a nice clean image to work with in Mint Studio™. Now "hello world" is ready for Mint.  

Note: This is the trick to make ANY design work with Mint Studio™.  For print and cut designs you will need to trace it first then make it black and white.

Step 2: Editing the "flags" design

Ok here is the tricky stamp to design, don't be scared to try this.  I'll break it down for you and please leave a comment if you have questions.   I wanted each "flag" to say his birth information.  I found a font that coordinated nicely with the "hello world" design in my vast library.  I may have a slight addiction to fonts.  

Tip: Here is an awesome website to use to help pick the perfect font www.wordmark.it

 

Just type a separate line for each statistic  


 

Resize the text to fit into each flag.  You will need to rotate it a bit to fit the angle correctly too.





Here's how it looked once that step was complete

 


This is the hardest part...stay with me!  Select the first flag with the words.  Next go to the modify tool and select "subtract".  What this does is subtract the words from the flag shape instead of the words sitting on top of the flag.  If you don't do this step you won't see the words when you go to print the stamp.  





Now group that shape together so it's all one object again.


 

Now you can fill it with the black color  





Make the line color black too  





Now repeat those same steps for the other 2 flags and fill the strings too so everything is black

  



Move the flags to sit on top of each of their strings and group the design together.  





Save the design to your hard drive because you're going to open that new file in Mint Studio™.
We're done working in Silhouette Studio® now.  


 

Step 3: Open the designs in Mint Studio™

 
 

Select the 90 x 45 stamp size in stamp settings and rotate the flag design 90 degrees  


 

An easy way to get the design to the correct size is to use the scale tool and select "fit to stamp" I usually make it a tiny bit smaller then so I have a little room around the design.  


 

Now find the filter you want to use, I used the standard one.  This is where you would discover any flaws with your design because it wouldn't show up correctly.  (Again, I know this because I learned the hard way.  Don't worry I'm here to make the mistakes and trouble shoot for you, I'm a team player like that!)  


 

Step 4:  Send designs to the Mint

You're ready to send it to the Mint!  The software automatically flips the design for you.  Follow the directions on the right hand side.

 

Here is a shot of the stamp printing, so fun to watch the magic!!  


 

Repeat the same steps for the "hello world" stamp.  I used the 60 x 30 size stamp.  




Here's how it will look when you go to send it to the Mint machine.

   

Note:  I also made a flag stamp without the words to use on the envelope.  Just follow the "hello world" fill method to make that stamp.  

Step 5: Ink the stamps

The fun part, adding those marvelous colors!  I went with some boy colors to coordinate with his onesie (that I made of course, would you expect anything else?) :)   The longer you let the ink absorb the better.  I applied mine and then made dinner so I didn't rush it.    


 

Here are how the stamps turned out, I'm kinda in love.


 

The custom stamp!  


 

Step 6:  Putting it all together!

  The challenge here was trying to line up the strings so it looked like Tyler was holding the flags in his little fist.  I'm thrilled with how this project turned out!

 



 Don't forget to stamp the envelope to complete the full package.