Ashbee Design Silhouette Projects

5.15.2014

Blog Migrating

Changes are happening here at Ashbee Design. I have been selling my cutting files through the Silhouette Online Store for almost a year now and I will continue to do so. But I am also offering those designs through my new website 3DCuts.com. People that use other cutting machines have been asking for my files for a long time and I need a different mechanism for reaching them.

Moving to http://www.3dcuts.com

What this means to this site:
Here I have the tutorials for all my Silhouette files before April, 2014. This site will stay open because those files all have links in the Silhouette Store to these tutorials. And many of you have pinned these as well.

But from April 1, 2014 on all my new tutorials will be on the 3Dcuts.com site here. And the links in the Silhouette Store for those projects will take you directly there. Those files will start with the Alphabet Shape Shadow Boxes.

The Silhouette Store has a very restrictive pricing policy. My new website has much more flexibility and I can offer groups of products for reduced rates. Visit and check it out! Understand that I do not sell .studio files from my new website. I sell .svg, .pdf, and .dxf files there. But your Silhouette Designer Edition Software can use the .svg files.

We can continue to craft together, just from a new place!

3.09.2014

3-D Floppy Eared Bunny Silhouette Tutorial

Note: The Silhouette cutting file is available here.

Project Description:
Here is a great beginner project. It is a simple and easy pattern to create adorable 3-D bunnies with floppy ears. Use print paper with a white backing to give a contrast to the design. The cutting file includes the grass accent file as well as the bunny in three sizes.

Each will fit on the 8 x 10 size mat. You can cut all three at once on a 12 x 12" mat.

Here is a whole family of little bunnies teamed up with tulips for a fun Easter centerpiece.

3D Bunny Tutorial:

Tutorial assembled using Silhouette Software Release 2.7.18. This tutorial assumes you already know how to use the Silhouette and Silhouette software. It can be cut on both Cameo and Portrait Silhouette machines.

Supplies Needed:

Template from Silhouette On-Line Store here.
Paper Glue
Silhouette Cameo or Portrait
Heavy Paper

Steps for completing the 3D bunny project project:

1. Download the cutting file for your Silhouette Cutting machine from the Silhouette Online Store. This is what the file looks like.

2. Prepare and cut the file.

Cut the grass from the file and paste into a new file. You will cut that from green paper.
The parts may be grouped together. Click on it once to select it, then go up to the OBJECT Menu in the Silhouette software and select UNGROUP. This will split it into the separate pieces which you can copy and paste into new Silhouette files (FILE Menu to NEW).
Cut the bunnies from heavy weight paper that can be curled. I purchased one of those big books of 12 x 12 papers for scrap booking on sale last year. It had a perfect array of spring pastels in many prints and I went wild in the pink and purple section. From each sheet I could cut a family of bunnies.

Once cut, I peeled them off the mat.

I then pulled each ear over the sharp edge of my craft table to curl the ears.

You pull each ear over the edge with the print side of the paper down.
Fold the bunny along its base on each side. The dotted lines are fold lines. This forms the spacer and support for the standing bunny.
I then applied a glue dot in the center of the head right below the ears.

And pressed the two halves together.

And another bunny joins the bunch!

And hops off to join the others.

The grass requires a sharp blade and a good mat. But because the nature of grass, it really doesn't matter if a blade tears. Cut some grass to use with the bunnies.

Use your creativity to create a fun and colorful arrangement on your table of mantle.

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Sharing this post at some of these link parties. They are worth checking out for other ideas.

2.11.2014

3D Crocus in Snow Shadow Box

Note: I have just started a new website at 3DCuts.com with my cutting files in .svg and .pdf formats for those of you without a Silhouette. This one isn't up yet but an entire alphabet shadow box series is! Stop by and see in this set of cutting files with endless craft possibilities. There is also a freebie here.

Project Description:

This shadow box is composed of 4 cut files assembled in layers to create an early spring shadow box showing those first crocus' bravely jutting out of the snow. This file does have pieces requiring a Cameo cutting mat however the entire file can be reduced to fit on a Portrait cutting mat. The Cameo size is about 7.25" square. The Portrait version would be about 6" square.

Crocus' in the Snow Shadow Box Tutorial

Tutorial assembled using Silhouette Software Release 2.7.18. This tutorial assumes you already know how to use the Silhouette and Silhouette software.

Supplies Needed:

Template from Silhouette On-Line Store here.
Glue dots 3/16"
Silhouette Cameo
12" x 12" Card Stock - 1 Black, 3 White,
8.5 x 11" card stock - 1 green, 1 purple
7" square gradated paper for sky - blue works as well as clouds
Paper Glue

Steps for completing the 3-D Crocus Shadow Box project:

1. Download the cutting file for your Silhouette Cutting machine from the Silhouette Online Store. All of the patterns for this project are in Silhouette download. They need to be separated. Below are some detailed instructions.

2. Prepare the files:

The downloaded Silhouette file looks like this. Each of the 4 frame parts has to be copied and pasted into a new Silhouette file.

The file probably arrives all grouped together. Click on it so it is selected and go up to the OBJECT Menu and down to UNGROUP.

Click on each frame/ grouping and copy it - EDIT menu to COPY. Make sure you get all the pieces and that none are left behind.

Open a new file - FILE Menu to NEW and paste the frame into it. You can group any like parts together. I grouped Frame 3 with the back snow hill.

Copy the other parts to new files and cut like colored objects together. All are marked on the file. Note: the gray letters do not cut.

This file is designed to work on the Cameo Cutting machine because several of the parts are wider than 8". You can group the entire file and shrink it together and try it on a Portrait but the final project will be smaller - about 6" across when complete.

3. Prepare and fold frames. Start with frame 1.

Note each cut file has dotted lines. These are fold lines.
Note the cut out number. This should be in the upper left corner. All frames are numbered to help in the instructions and construction. Always make sure the corner with the number cutout is in the upper left corner.

Fold frame 1 sides BACK away from the front along all fold lines. Not all frames get folded in the same direction so pay attention!
I like to use Glue Dots on the corners although other glue types are appropriate.

It is important to make square corners.
Add the hanger. This is optional.
It gets folded and glued to the inside top of frame 1.
Make sure to center it.

4. Assemble frame 2 and 3.

Frame 2 and 3 are both completed in the same way. With the cut-out number identifying the frame in the upper right corner, fold BACK on the dotted fold lines. ( Note the numbered corner will be in the upper right when looking at the backside.) Glue all corners in place. Here is frame 2 from the back.

And frame 3 from the front..

5. Assemble Frame 4.

Fold frame 4 sides FORWARD toward the front.
Glue all corners together with glue dots keeping them square.

Layer 4 has a background sky added. I used a paper with a gradation cut to 7 x7 ", but there are many other alternatives that can be used. Glue it into the frame on all sides.

The most distant snow mound is glued directly onto the inside of the back frame as well.

6. Slide the frames together to get a placement understanding for the 4 crocus groups.

The crocus groups can be arranged in any way you like. I will guide you in the way I did it but there are other variations that will be just as effective.
Start by determining where each will be placed and which side will be to the front.
First slide the frames together WITHOUT gluing them. Number 4 goes on the back facing front, 3 gets slide inside # 2 from the back, and the the combine unit of 2 and 3 slides inside #4. Finally #1 (black) slides around all of them from the front. The schematic below shows how the frames nest together. Frame 1 is black, 2 is blue, 3 is green and 4 is red in this drawing.

Place (without gluing) the various leaves groupings. Determine where you would like them and which side of each should be the front. Keep track of the front side.

7. Assemble the crocus flowers.

Each grouping has 1 crocus bud. the thee larger crocus buds are each made up of 3 purple petals - small, medium and large. the tiniest has only 2.

The large one is the back piece. To that glue the small one on one side with its point hanging out to the side a little bit.

Glue the medium sized petal on the other edge, with its point clearly showing as well. It should over-lap the other petal.

This bud gets glued onto the BACK of the green leaves grouping behind the stem with the thick top.

Repeat for all crocus groupings.

7. Attach the crocus groupings to the frame bases.

You can certainly use artistic license here and arrange the crocus groupings in any arrangement that suits you. I recommend using removable glue dots so you can reposition them a few times, and then a permanent glue dot once you have decided. Here is what I did:
The smallest grouping was put in the right corner of base # 3 tucked right up against the edge.

A middle sized grouping was inserted into the pre-cut slit also on frame #3 and glued from behind.

The third medium grouping was place on the back side of frame # 2 placed so it was between the previous 2.

The largest grouping was placed in the lower left corner of frame #1 so the leaves extended outside the frame.

Here is a detail of my arrangement.

8. Assemble the frames.

Once you are satisfied with the crocus placement, assemble the frames one last time, this time with glue dots to hold them in place.
Start by gluing frame 3 inside of frame 2 but line their back edges up. I used 3 glue dots on each side and avoided adding them to the corners. The corners already have a double paper layer so added glue dots gets a little thick there.