Ashbee Design Silhouette Projects: January 2014

Note: I have started a new website at 3DCuts.com with my cutting files in .svg, dxf and .pdf formats for those of you without a Silhouette or other cutting machines. Ledge Village files are available here.

Project Description:

The Ledge Village is series of 3D buildings and accessories that can be combined in a mix and match fashion to build tiny villages on small ledges around your home. The buildings are thin, with all detail on the front so they fit on small trim ledges. This tutorial is for the Country Chapel. I decided the town needed another church because my original design can't be cut on the Silhouette Portrait. This one can. I also chose to use gothic influences to give more variety to Ledge Village. The file comes with a couple of sections of picket fence and an evergreen shrub.

Ledge Village continues to expand. Check out the other files available for this series. Also check out the sharing area of my blog to see photos others have sent me showing what they have done with the Ledge Village files. Also note I have a new menu item in my navigation bar above just for Ledge Village. All of the Ledge Village Tutorials are listed there in and easy to locate place.

Other files in the Ledge Village series include:

3D Ledge Village Ski Lodge Chalet • Tutorial
3D Winter Tree • Tutorial
3D Fullerton House • Tutorial
3D Tower House • Tutorial
3D Haunted Mansion • Tutorial
3D Library • Tutorial
3D Fire Station • Tutorial
3D Store 2 and Park Bench • Tutorial
3D Dormer House • Tutorial
3D Train Station • Tutorial
3D Backyard Necessities - Outhouse and Swing • Tutorial
3D Store and Gazebo File • Tutorial
3D Barn File • Tutorial
3D School House File • Tutorial
3D Church File • Tutorial
3D Cottage File • Tutorial
3D Two Story House File • Tutorial
3D Greek Revival House File • Tutorial

And there are more to come!

Country Chapel 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"- a few removable ones as well
Silhouette Cameo or Portrait
Card Stock

Steps for completing the Country Chapel:

1. Download the cutting file for your Silhouette Cutting machine from the Silhouette Online Store.

2. Prepare the files:

The downloaded Silhouette file for the Country Chapel looks like this.

It is laid out on a 12 x 12" mat and needs to be split into separate files for cutting. Each file will fit on an 8 x 10" piece of card stock so it will work on both a Cameo and Portrait cutting machine.
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).

Copy the main chapel and paste it into a new file.

Copy all of the other parts and paste those into a new file. You will need to rearrange them to get them to fit in an 8 x 10" area. I also duplicated the evergreen bush so I could have 2. You might consider resizing one pair so they are a perfect match.

3. Cut the files.

The settings will depend on the paper you use. I have been using white index card stock and cutting at a speed of 3, a depth of 33 and the blade set to 3. ( I just opened a new blade and my regular settings didn't work! I had to up the depth to 5 to get it to cut through. One always need to experiment with the blades and cut settings.)
Carefully remove the cut files from the backing mat.

4. Construct the base of the chapel.

Fold all the dotted lines back.

Tuck in the tabs along the bottom and use glue dots to connect them to the side walls.
Keep things square.

Next glue the tab at the roof peak together and then the tabs that connect the side walls to the roof.

• Put glue dots along all the wall and roof edges and glue the chapel back in place.

5. Construct the steeple

Fold along all fold lines. All fold lines go inward EXCEPT the two bottom tabs for roof attachments. Those are folded outward in the opposite direction.

Add a couple of glue dots to the tab to hold the sides of the square base together and press the tab in place behind the other wall.

Make sure all the tiny triangular tabs to connect the steeple to the square base are folded in.
Add a glue dot to each and attach the bottom edge of each steeple triangle to match each wall. The base line of the steeple triangle will line up with the fold line of the steeple base.
Wrap around the steeple doing the same on all four sides.

There will be 1 triangle left. That gets folded over and glued directly on top of the first triangle.

The steeple will get glued onto of the chapel with the notch in front but glue the back side first.

The back has no notch and it gets glued onto the back of the chapel.

Put glue dots under the two side tabs that were folded in the opposite direction and glue them down to the roof. Pay attention here so the steeple is standing straight and centered.

The roof gets glued on top. The notch goes around the steeple and the overhang is in the front.
Use glue dots to glue the roof on.

Fold all of the seams on the steeple cover. They all fold in the same direction.

Glue the fifth triangle over the first one to make a square base.

Put glue dots on the 4 inside edges and slide the cover over the steeple.

6. Assemble the evergreens.

Cut 2 tree patterns. Leave 1 flat and fold 1 along the 2 fold lines.
Place glue dots along the back center of the folded half.
Glue together.

7. Position the accessories.....

8. And add it to your village!

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

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 file is available here.

Project Description:
This shadow box is composed of 4 cut files assembled in layers to create a winter shadow box including two chickadees perched in a winterberry bush.

Winterberry 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 here.
Glue dots 3/16"
Silhouette Cameo
12" x 12" Card Stock - 2 Black, 3 Gray, 1 red, 1 white
7" square gradated paper for sky - blue works as well or clouds
Markers, Orange, Yellow, Black
Paper Glue

Steps for completing the 3-D Butterfly 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 and expanded. Below are some detailed instructions with photographs.

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 and enlarged.

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/ color group and copy it - EDIT menu to COPY.

Open a new file - FILE Menu to NEW and paste the frame into it. You can group any like parts together. I grouped Frame 1 with the hanger and the black bird parts.

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 small.

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

Note each cut file has dotted lines. These are fold lines.
Note the cut out 1. 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.

Box 1 is the easiest. It is now complete.

4. Assemble frame 2 and 3.

Frame 2 and 3 are both completed in the same way.
Before folding, glue red dots to the front of all the winterberry gray circles.
Just add a dot of glue and stick on a berry. Some will overlap.

Now turn frame 2 over and add 4-5 berries on the backside. You want to place them so parts are visible from the front.

This just adds another visual layer to the branches. It's a tiny detail but it is effective.

Fold frame 2 sides BACK from the front along all fold lines.
Glue the corners with Glue Dots being sure to keep them square.

Repeat the same steps with Frame 3.
Glue berries on the front (keep #3 in upper left), glue a few on the back, fold all fold lines to the BACK and glue the corners square.

5. Assemble Frame 4.

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

The four frames are together now.

6. Complete the details on the background.

Most of my shadow boxes to date have had open backgrounds. This one doesn't. There is a sky layer with another branch attached to it. This get inserted into frame 4.
Glue red berries onto the front of the single branch.

Add a few to the back, just like you did on frames 2 and 3.

Cut the background paper into a 7 inch square. I used a gradated paper from the collection (we all have paper collections, right?) for the background but there are many pretty papers that would be appropriate, use a solid light blue or do a watercolor wash.
This branch gets glued directly to the background square. Placement is 1" in from the right bottom corner. Match the angle of the bottom to the edge of the paper.

This background fits right into frame # 4.
Glue it in place inside the frame. Remember to keep the cut #4 in the upper left corner.

7. Assemble the first little bird.

The little bird faces to the right and will get glued perched on the background branch.
It is made up of these parts:

I rubbed some ink from a marker onto my finger and then onto the white belly of the chickadee.
I wanted a soft orange tint so just used a slight bit of ink. Pastels would work as well, or stamping ink. I added a little yellow to it also, keeping the color subtle. (This step is optional.)

Glue the black bird shape on next. Tops line up.

Then the gray shape.

And the white markings.

One foot gets glued to the front....

And the other to the back.

If any white shows around the head or back just use a black Sharpie Marker to color it in.
The little bird gets glued to the background on the left branch just to the left of the 2 berries.

8. Assemble Bird 2 (larger bird)

Bird 2 faces left.
Here are the parts for bird 2.

Color the belly slightly using the same technique.
Glue the black back on.

Add the gray layer.

Add the white layer.

Add one foot to the front and one to the back.

9. Assemble frames 1, 2, 3 and 4 together.

Make sure the corner with the cut number ( now hidden inside the frame) is always in the upper left.
Frame 2 goes over frame 3 from the front. Frame 2 is slightly larger and should cover it.
You are to glue these two frames together but their back edges should line up.

From the back side, the back edge of frame 2 should be in line with the back edge of frame 3. This will space the two layers apart and create depth.
Use glue dots to hold them in this position.

The combined group of frame 2 and 3 will slide into frame 4. Frame 4 was folded in the opposite direction and its sides come forward. Frames 2 and 3 slide all the way down inside frame 4. Frame 4 is taller than 2 and 3 so it forms a spacer ridge.
Use Glue Dots to hold these in place.