Tutorial: How to Design with the Silhouette Cameo Software

One of the truly wonderful things about the Silhouette CAMEO is the ability to design right in the software. It really helps eliminate having to cut things more then once because the size was wrong, and you have a chance to see how all the pieces work together. Here is a new scrapbook layout I finished and I want to share with you how I used the Silhouette Cameo and the Silhouette Studio Software to get it done with ease!!

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Before we get started, I'll let you in on a little designing secret. I love sketches, they are fun, motivating, but most of all it convenient. I don't have to create a page totally from scratch and I can concentrate on the patterns, layers, texture etc. I was browsing through my blog reading list and I can across the new sketch from Page Maps. To be honest I have never entered a challenge there but the sketch just spoke to me.

The Silhouette software is perfect for designing and cutting out the pieces I needed for my design. This is where the Silhouette shines, the library is huge! I mean over 20,000 designs huge! So when I need to find a certain shape for a design it's easy-peasy and the best part is it cost pennies. It cost pennies because I have a subscription to the store and I don't have to buy a whole cartridge, man I love that!

1. I start by looking at the major component of the sketch and searching the library for similar shapes. After I purchase what I need, I arrange them on my mat, just like I would arrange them on my page following the sketch.

2. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I like to color all the different shapes to help me see what I'm doing. I get confused looking at a bunch of red outlines on a mat. I am going to cut all these pieces out from different patterned paper. The paper I used is new from My Minds Eye called Miss Caroline.

Here's how my mat looked after coloring the shapes I chose from the Library.

I can't imagine creating all these different shapes without a Cameo, it's like the two were meant to go together. Don't pay much attention to all the crazy patterns and colors I use it just to help me distinguish the different pieces. After I get the background done I'm going to decide which paper to use where.

3. For this page I started with the background paper which was a dark gray wood pattern called "Love". Next I used a Martha Stewart "wild flower" punch to add a lace design to a piece of white cardstock this could also be done with the cameo but I really like this punch.

4.Now that the background is complete I can choose what paper I what for which shape. This part is entirely up to you, this is where you can be creative. Try paper combinations by laying them on top of each other and see how they look together. This is where a large paper collection comes in handy because this design has so many little shapes. I really like the look of lots of patterns mixed together. I think that comes from my interior design background. 

5. Now I've chosen the paper for my file folder shape and my Polaroid photo shape, so I push everything else off to the side and cut those 3 elements. 

6. I continue to chose paper and cut the shapes moving them on and off my mat as a work. I try and cut as many pieces as I can, filling the mat each time.

7. Next it's just a matter of adding pictures and gluing everything down. I always add dimension using pop dots. The rest is filling in with stamps, buttons, twine and whatever else you want to add. But having the Silhouette make completing a page more creative and affordable then ever. I used to spend a fortune on embellishments, now I make my own!

I hope this helps make your designing more fun! 

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to leave me a comment I love hearing from you!