Digital Cutting Tips with Monique!

Hi everyone! It's time for yet another quick tutorial and I'm so happy for the chance to share mine!

For today's layout I decided to use the Silhouette PixScan Cutting Mat, which I bought about 2 years ago, but never used before!

Here's the layout I created with the March Main Kit and the globe digital cutting file, which is one of the MCS March digital cutting files:

Did you ever have the chance to play around with the PixScan cutting mat? I found it so easy to use! Wish I had know that before, I would have used it sooner! However, I found I had to upgrade to a later version of the Silhouette software than I had, so now I have 4.1, but I think V3 will do as well. 

Here's how I did it: 

1. As I wanted to cut out many of the butterflies from the Simple Stories "Choosing Happiness" paper and I'm not very good at hand cutting I decided to give the PixScan cutting mat a go. I adhered the paper on to the mat (it has to fit within the lines of your mat) and took a photo with my mobile phone from the entire mat:

2. As I took the photo with my iPhone, I just emailed it to myself and then saved it on my computer. Next I opened my Silhouette software and fed the PixScan cutting mat into my Silhouette:

3. As soon as my Silhouette programme opened I clicked on the PixScan button, in version 4.1 it's on the right side, and clicked on "import PixScan image from file". I selected the photo I just took on my phone (the one above, where you can still see a bit of the floor of my room) and clicked on it. As soon as it finished uploading my screen looked like this:

4. Next I clicked the “trace” button (in V4.1 also on the right hand side) and clicked on the "Select Trace Area". I selected the entire shape, but released the compound path to delete the butterflies I didn't want. When I had done that my screen looked like this:

5. And that was it! I sent it to my Silhouette and the butterflies from the "Choosing Happiness" paper were cut out perfectly!!

(I always place a book before and behind my Silhouette so the mat doesn't fold.)

Beautiful right?!

Because I was using my Silhouette anyway I decided to also cut one of the MCS digital cutting files, the globe:

I added a little bit of yellow distress stain to my white cardstock background:

And as soon as that had dried I got started on building my page: I used a photo of me with one of my best friends:

Most of the butterflies I cut out were adhered in one large cluster on the right side of the globe:

I gradually filled my page with more embellishments (chipboard stickers and other stickers):

These Hampton Arts butterfly stamps, also from the MCS March Main Kit, were also just perfect for my page!

The journaling and (machine)stitching came last.

I just love the result and will definitely use the PixScan Cutting Mat more often.

and a few close-ups of my page:

Thank you so much for stopping by our blog today. I hope I've been able to inspire you a little and you feel like scrapping with the MCS March Main Kit as well!

And last but not least the photo of the My Creative Scrapbook March Main Kit:

Hugs,
Monique

You can find more of my work here: Instagram / Blog