Look what I made! First SCAL project

[hopemax]

So, I'm not one to start with something easy and then move up to the harder stuff. I got SCAL and Inkscape up and running, and for my first project I made this little Mexico IASW boy.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/IMG_4034.jpg

I had a little trouble getting the spacing right, so his left arm is a little weird. And I ended up with 2 extra triangles for the hat. The triangles on the serape were spaced far apart, but I guess I needed to squish the hat ones closer.

The only thing I wish I would have done was squish the pieces with the same color closer together in inkscape, so when they cut they don't take up so much paper. My yellow pieces are so spread out, I am going to use a lot of paper cutting out the other 5 for the DL swap.

[SusieStone]

You have so much talent.

[PrincessNancy96]

Very nice.

[Iris]

That is just awesome! Is that from the coloring page with the globe behind it? I am working on doing the entire piece from that page and that does look like the mexico boy.

You did an excellent job! Don't you just love SCAL?

[Iris]

.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/IMG_4034.jpg



The only thing I wish I would have done was squish the pieces with the same color closer together in inkscape, so when they cut they don't take up so much paper. My yellow pieces are so spread out, I am going to use a lot of paper cutting out the other 5 for the DL swap.

You know you can still go back and move your pieces around by color. If you break them apart, move them together and then combine them again, you can place all the pieces of the same color together. It will save you some paper if you are doing a SWAP. Sometimes I will even copy and paste the pieces by color into a second inkscape page to save so I am only cutting certain colors out at a time.

[hopemax]

It's cropped down from the Small World piece in the coloring book with the cover that has the 4 Parks One World image on it. Not sure I would call it a globe, but I could kind of see it.

I am going back and condensing the colors, but it was a pain to resize everything in SCAL yesterday so that is the part I am not looking forward to. Practice, I guess.

[Iris]

Yup, that is the one I am working on but the entire thing. You did great.

[kswm30b]

So cute!!

[123SA]

Hope that is awesome!!!!

I really want to learn inkscape -- did you use a tutorial? Do you have a link?

I don't have a WDW coloring book to scan in images so I have been looking for images on-line and it is driving me crazy.

[hopemax]

These are the tutorials I used. Only the 3 of them. I watched them about 4 times each though!

These two for using Inkscape to go from coloring page to svg files.

http://cleversomeday.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/new-technique-for-making-piecing-patterns-in-inkscape/

http://cleversomeday.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/more-on-using-the-paint-bucket-in-inkscape/

There is another method of tracing the images, but I found that with so many small pieces that the paint bucket way worked better. By coloring everything in, I knew what colors I needed and I didn't miss any areas.

This one for taking multiple SVG files and getting everything in the proper proportion in SCAL:

http://www.scrappydew.com/tutorials/files/Sizing_Correctly_in_SCAL.html

I saved many files in inkscape. One for each color, and then one of all the pieces together. This is what I use in SCAL to make sure I can get the individual cuts in the proper proportion. It's the first method described in the Scrappydew video.

I ended up with 2 SCAL files. The 12x6 mat just isn't big enough for all of them, without crazy overlapping. If you have an Expression, the 12x12 would be big enough. I have the full image which is only for sizing purposes in both files. Then one file has the base layer, properly sized. The other has all the small images properly sized. Then when I cut, I delete everything I don't need (be careful not to accidentally save) and then I Undo to get the other pieces back, so I can cut the next color.

[Iris]

Hope that is awesome!!!!

I really want to learn inkscape -- did you use a tutorial? Do you have a link?

I don't have a WDW coloring book to scan in images so I have been looking for images on-line and it is driving me crazy.


http://disney-stationary.com/coloring-book/Disneyland-DisneyWorld2.php

This link will have some of them and also check out the second disneyworld link for more images.

[123SA]

Thank you both so much!

I really want to master this.

DD has a string of 2 hour swim practices coming up. I hope I'll make some headway.

[PaulaSue]

Cool!

[Michellepooh]

Hope, that is amazing!!!!! :faint: :lovestruc

[hopemax]

Hope, that is amazing!!!!! :faint: :lovestruc

I've got a whole Cruise coloring book. I can't wait to play when the swap comes up. I haven't attempted some of the other characters because too many small pieces to cut out, but if the Cricut can do the cutting...

[disneymom1980]

I just had to tell you that it looks AWESOME!!!!!

[Michellepooh]

I've got a whole Cruise coloring book. I can't wait to play when the swap comes up. I haven't attempted some of the other characters because too many small pieces to cut out, but if the Cricut can do the cutting...


Hope, I can't even imagine the cruise pieces you could make!!!!

[New England Eeyore]

Oh my gosh, that is amazing!! See, I just knew you would do amazing things, and right out of the gate, too! You are really talented.

Thanks for the tutorial links - I will definitely have to check those out. I do have a coloring book that's been collecting dust for years that I'd love to get some use out of.

[kkbeaton2]

I've got a whole Cruise coloring book. I can't wait to play when the swap comes up. I haven't attempted some of the other characters because too many small pieces to cut out, but if the Cricut can do the cutting...

Great job on your little guy (and lucky me... I get one!). Where did you get the cruise coloring book? I would love one to do some paper piecing for my cruise albums.

[AlexWyattMommy]

Your first project was way better than my first project - I'm tellin' Mom!!
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

I love what you did. I'll be watching the links later on today. Thanks for showing us that it CAN be done if we are just willing to give it all our effort. It looks professional and yet still has the handmade with love feel to it. :cloud9:

[Kim1964]

Wow! I want to be hopemax when I grow up:).

[morgansmom2000]

Wow, that's amazing! I think I'll download inkscape today and play while Morgan is at dance!

[Tigger1221]

Thats really cute and I am in the DL swap an get one!:cool1: I am trying to convincing DH I need Sure Cuts Alot and he seems interested in it.

[hopemax]

Great job on your little guy (and lucky me... I get one!). Where did you get the cruise coloring book? I would love one to do some paper piecing for my cruise albums.

I got it when we were on the Trans-Atlantic cruise in May 2007. I don't know if they still carry one. If you start the book from one side it's all cruise, if you flip the book (so the back cover is now the front cover) it's Pirates.

Thanks for all the kind words. It turned out to be much easier than I expected. Especially, with the paint bucket method. I did have to restart my file about 8 times, before I "got it." It probably would have been better to start with something easier. Having experience with other image editing programs (Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, etc) probably helps.

And when I cut it with the Cricut, it went so easy. I think SCAL's pathing algorithm is better than ProvoCraft's. I was using old mats and an old blade. Cutting from carts was causing all sorts of tearing, but nothing tore at all, for all 6 sets.

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

Thats so awesome!

I too had trouble "getting it" the first time i did an image. Then i had that ah ha! moment. :idea: That is so much better than my buzz-mobile.

[New England Eeyore]

I've spent some time this afternoon watching those tutorials and they were really helpful. I think I understand that method, but what I need help on is cleaning up the images themselves to get to that point. The ones in the tutorials had no distracting background stuff, but if you're pulling out from a coloring page, how do you clean it up so you are just working with the Mexican boy, for example. I know it involves terms like nodes and bitmaps and that's where my brain always got mushy when I tried to learn it before. I think a video would be great - I need to go search and see if I can find one.

[hopemax]

I didn't use nodes, or anything like that. I scanned my image. In my Paint Shop Pro, I erased the lines I didn't need. Just a simple, click on the eraser tool, and erase. Inkscape, apparently doesn't have an eraser tool. You could do this in paint easily.

Then in Inkscape, I said, I want this part to be red, so I clicked on the paint bucket, clicked on red, clicked in the image where I wanted the red. There is a field for Threshold. If it doesn't all fill in with the color you want, you can increase this number until it does. There is another field called grow by, and if you increase this a little, it will get closer to the black line, so the pieces will fit together closer (I think I should have done this on my Mexico boy, but live and learn).

For my next project, I am going to be scanning from a book that has manilla pages instead of white, so I am going to see how much of a difference it makes. In Paint Shop Pro, cleaning up a manilla page is a lot of work.

[New England Eeyore]

Well, that's certainly simple enough - I can do that! That is very helpful - thank you!

[hopemax]

I got it when we were on the Trans-Atlantic cruise in May 2007. I don't know if they still carry one. If you start the book from one side it's all cruise, if you flip the book (so the back cover is now the front cover) it's Pirates.


It appears I am confusing my coloring books. The Cruise one is a stand alone book. The Pirates one shares with Pirates of the Caribbean movie stuff, with the Fab 5 dressed up as pirates.

The SKU on the back of the Disney Cruise Line Coloring Book is 400152003032. I don't know if it is still for sale. You used to be able to order Cruise stuff through WDW merchandise. I don't know if you still can.

[kkbeaton2]

It appears I am confusing my coloring books. The Cruise one is a stand alone book. The Pirates one shares with Pirates of the Caribbean movie stuff, with the Fab 5 dressed up as pirates.

The SKU on the back of the Disney Cruise Line Coloring Book is 400152003032. I don't know if it is still for sale. You used to be able to order Cruise stuff through WDW merchandise. I don't know if you still can.

Thanks. I have a friend going on a cruise soon, so I will ask her to pick me up one. I didn't even look for coloring books when I have been on our cruises. I guess that's because I had never done paper piecing like that before!

[123SA]

So I tried last night and I gave up. I am unfamiliar with all of these programs (paint shop etc) so I think that is a problem. I understand what she is doing with the separating layers, but I can't follow what tools she is selecting along the sides and top. THe whole change to outline mode, pink line, switching from one color to the next...The second tutorial where she has a black rectangle -- I don't know how to make a black rectangle. I also don't know if I need one. I was working with a Mickey coloring page and I definitely want a base. I need a tutorial that assumes I know nothing, which is true, and clearly states each and every step.

When I didn't have 3 kids, I loved the challenge of learning. Now, I just don't have the time to suffer through all of the trial and error. I need a book with clear directions that I can read and follow.

[Iris]

I don't have paint shop pro so I cannot clean up the image before going into inkscape, I must do the work directly in inkscape although I can use the color bucket but the images are not as smooth as I would like.

Here are some excellent tuturials for inkscape with many different methods:

http://forums.surecutsalot.com/viewforum.php?f=17


There are several specific tutorials regarding breaking items apart, cleaning up an image, etc.

[ZeroToHero]

I'm considering getting this, but I had a question first. Do you (1) make your image you want to cut, and then print it out all in seperate colored layers, and the Cricut cuts it, or (2) make the image with different layers, put the right colored paper in the cricut, and it cuts it?

I have the tiny Cricut, so does SCAL even work with it? Or do you need the Cricut Expression, with its inks and everything?

(Sorry to hijack your thread, hopemax... :flower3:)

[hopemax]

I only have the baby bug, and as you can see, it worked fine. :goodvibes The cuts are just like the Disney cricut carts, and you assemble it just like you would assemble a Disney piece. So option 2.

[ZeroToHero]

I only have the baby bug, and as you can see, it worked fine. :goodvibes The cuts are just like the Disney cricut carts, and you assemble it just like you would assemble a Disney piece. So option 2.

Thank you very much! I can see SCAL in my future...... (I'll give it to my mom as a present, and then just... share. :lmao:)

[TinkerBean]

ZtoH - Don't forget YOM...
(your other mother):goodvibesThat's me

[AlexWyattMommy]

ZtoH - Don't forget YOM...
(your other mother):goodvibesThat's me

:rotfl2:

SCAL is pretty cool. I like being able to glue down one whole piece to a shadow instead of all the letters individually.

[ZeroToHero]

ZtoH - Don't forget YOM...
(your other mother):goodvibesThat's me

You ruined my Other Mother's Day present for you! :eek:

Hopefully we'll all get a present of going on the scrap :boat: for my birthday.

[New England Eeyore]

I was on the computer for like 5 or 6 hours yesterday trying to figure this out, and it was only at about 10:30 that I had a Eureka moment and got the hang of it - then it was too late to cut anything. I'm hoping to find some time tomorrow to try it.

I was not able to get the colors to fill properly until I jacked the threshold way up (like to 30 or something.) Then - eureka!

Iris - I don't have a fancy program either, but like Hope said, Paint, which I believe comes on all PCs is a really simple program but it will do the job. That's what I did.

123SA- I don't know how to make a black box either. Well, I could make the black box, but I didn't know how to get the image to be on top of it without disappearing. What I did was draw a box using the line tool to be able to get my shadow feature, but then I couldn't erase the lines, so my shadow also has a box around it. For now, I can live with that. And you don't have to have a pink line - that was just so she could show us more clearly.

Another thing I figured - in the tutorial, she linked everything together of one color (shift-clicking), which led to a lot of empty space (which would be wasted paper) between elements in my piece. I figured out it was better not to link them. I could then just drag all the colors to one place as close together as I wanted.

I also did the resizing tip from the scrappy dew tutorial and put a little star next to every color. I have the big bug, so I should be able to make everything fit on one mat which will be nice. Although now that I'm thinking about it - I saved one file for all the pieces, and seperate files for the pieces grouped by color. If I just cut my paper to fit on exactly the right spaces on the mat, I can probably just work with the master file - I don't have to open all the colors and resize them. Or am I missing something? I'll have to try that.

[hopemax]

123SA- I don't know how to make a black box either. Well, I could make the black box, but I didn't know how to get the image to be on top of it without disappearing. What I did was draw a box using the line tool to be able to get my shadow feature, but then I couldn't erase the lines, so my shadow also has a box around it. For now, I can live with that. And you don't have to have a pink line - that was just so she could show us more clearly.



If you make the rectangle, before you import your file it will on top. I couldn't figure out how to make the rectangle be below it after importing either. I haven't looked to see if there is a way or not. NEE - Did you try breaking apart the image (Ctrl +K) and then deleting the box?

Susan, if you move your mouse over the images on the left, it will pop up and tell you what function it is. The ones I have used are the arrow (for selecting, moving and resizing), the square (to make the box), the paint can (this is what you use to fill the colors. After you select the paint can, you select your color by clicking on the color. If you right click, it will ask if you want to change the fill color or the stroke color. If you change the stroke it will make the different colored line). From the top menus, the only two you need are the View, which you can find the Zoom and below it is where you can change to Outline view and back to normal view. And Path, which is where you find the Break Apart.


Another thing I figured - in the tutorial, she linked everything together of one color (shift-clicking), which led to a lot of empty space (which would be wasted paper) between elements in my piece. I figured out it was better not to link them. I could then just drag all the colors to one place as close together as I wanted.


Me too. After you get your small parts in the place you want them, you can select them all, using shift, and then go to the Path menu and select Combine. Then you can move them around as one group


I also did the resizing tip from the scrappy dew tutorial and put a little star next to every color. I have the big bug, so I should be able to make everything fit on one mat which will be nice. Although now that I'm thinking about it - I saved one file for all the pieces, and seperate files for the pieces grouped by color. If I just cut my paper to fit on exactly the right spaces on the mat, I can probably just work with the master file - I don't have to open all the colors and resize them. Or am I missing something? I'll have to try that.

If you have room, you should be able to use just the master file. But those of us with little mats, not so much. Well, I could use the master file, if I only had to make 1, but I would rather cut each color when I am making 6 of them. I think I will handle less pieces of colored paper that way. Less cutting the paper into pieces to make everything fit on the mat.

[Iris]

I hadn't thought about using paint. I tried it last night and it was easier to pull out a specific image first. I pulled out the oriental girl from the Small World Coloring Page from paint, then put it into inkscape. I still ended up using the nodes to create the missing parts of the girl that were covered from the original design - I am not really good at freehand drawing and I find the nodes easier to work with when I need to add or edit the image.

I made a quick cut last night with random colors. Definitely a bit of a time saver.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq152/IrisM_photo/april2009010.jpg

[123SA]

This discussion is really helping. The kids are back to school and once I get the house back in order, I'll give this a try again.

I'm going to beg for a favor here - -I need an image to work with. I'd feel much better knowing that the image I have will work -- then maybe I'll get the idea of which images are good to work with.

Can you post a link to image? At this point, I don't care what it is. THanks for your help.

[123SA]

I hadn't thought about using paint. I tried it last night and it was easier to pull out a specific image first. I pulled out the oriental girl from the Small World Coloring Page from paint, then put it into inkscape. I still ended up using the nodes to create the missing parts of the girl that were covered from the original design - I am not really good at freehand drawing and I find the nodes easier to work with when I need to add or edit the image.

I made a quick cut last night with random colors. Definitely a bit of a time saver.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq152/IrisM_photo/april2009010.jpg

This looks great!

[morgansmom2000]

I can't wait to try this! No time this past weekend, here's hoping I can stay awake one night this week to give it a try!

[Iris]

This discussion is really helping. The kids are back to school and once I get the house back in order, I'll give this a try again.

I'm going to beg for a favor here - -I need an image to work with. I'd feel much better knowing that the image I have will work -- then maybe I'll get the idea of which images are good to work with.

Can you post a link to image? At this point, I don't care what it is. THanks for your help.

This one works: It is fairly simple - not too many small pieces. It is Mickey and Goofy on splash Mountain:

http://disney-stationary.com/coloring-book/Disneyland-DisneyWorld/magic-kingdom/logflume.php

[ZeroToHero]

Iris - is that Bazzill paper for the hair? It looks amazing with the texture!

[123SA]

:cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:


Yippeee!!!!!

I made something!!!! I downloaded the Nerf logo from hasbro site. Separaetd out the letters with the paintbucket tool. SAVed it a bunch of different ways. Used the re-sizing tutorial. I got a little stuck on the swoosh part and had to hand cut it out. When I get it altogether I'llpost it and then maybe someone can tell me what I should have done to get the swoosh!

I am sooo very excited about this!

[Iris]

Iris - is that Bazzill paper for the hair? It looks amazing with the texture!

Gosh, I don't even know what I used. I just grabbed a bunch of colors so I could try the cut. I think it might be from one of my DCWV stacks.

[Iris]

:cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:


Yippeee!!!!!

I made something!!!! I downloaded the Nerf logo from hasbro site. Separaetd out the letters with the paintbucket tool. SAVed it a bunch of different ways. Used the re-sizing tutorial. I got a little stuck on the swoosh part and had to hand cut it out. When I get it altogether I'llpost it and then maybe someone can tell me what I should have done to get the swoosh!

I am sooo very excited about this!


Can't wait to see it!:)

[123SA]

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg72/susanbillings/009-1.jpg

Here it is!

My issue was the red piece. THe black letters are a silhouette and the yellow letters are inside the silhouette. I sized them to fit and then later realized I could have just cut the black piece out in yellow and used the negatives for the letters:rotfl2:. The red is on top of the black -- that part is solid. I couldn't figure out how to separate it while still leaving behind the sihouette part to finish the letter F. I ended up cutting the whole thing in red and just cutting it apart, but you can see it is not perfect inside the F.

[Iris]

Wow, that is really great!

[hopemax]

Here is project number 2. I put the boy in so I can use it in the DL swap slideshow, and not have to take another photo of the 2 together.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/DL%20and%20DCA%20Swap/IMG_4035.jpg

But the very cool thing is this is the image I started from in Inkscape!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/hyena.jpg

I got the image from an old Disneyland coloring book from 1983, that I had found at a garage sale. Most of the pages are like that, scribbles all over the image. This would have taken forever for me to cleanup in Paint Shop Pro, but in Inkscape, I played around with the threshold a bit, but a few clicks and it was a nice clean image.

[New England Eeyore]

Oh my gosh - more amazing pieces! Great job, Iris, Susan and Hope!!!

Thanks for the reminder about breaking apart my base and my box, Hope. I just didn't think of that - that was all I needed to do.

My idea of putting everything on one mat didn't work out so well. It was too many things to be able to resize it as big as I wanted and not have it go off the page, so I'll have to try it with the separate files. As soon as I finish my "chores" I plan to reward myself with a little Cricut time.

[Iris]

Here is project number 2. I put the boy in so I can use it in the DL swap slideshow, and not have to take another photo of the 2 together.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/DL%20and%20DCA%20Swap/IMG_4035.jpg

But the very cool thing is this is the image I started from in Inkscape!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/hopemax/hyena.jpg

I got the image from an old Disneyland coloring book from 1983, that I had found at a garage sale. Most of the pages are like that, scribbles all over the image. This would have taken forever for me to cleanup in Paint Shop Pro, but in Inkscape, I played around with the threshold a bit, but a few clicks and it was a nice clean image.

That is way too cute!! It is good to know that you are still able to create images from coloring pages that are scribbled on. We have two Disney Cruise Line coloring books (one for each girl) that we got back in 2000 and most of the pages have some coloring on them. I hadn't thought to clean it up in inkscape.

[123SA]

Which button is to clean up?

[hopemax]

No special button, just the same ol' paint bucket. I just increased the threshold until it filled in the whole space. A low threshold, and it would fill in like swiss cheese.

[New England Eeyore]

Okay, don't laugh, but I'm actually pretty proud of this for my first try:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o248/NewEnglandEeyore/IMG_8869.jpg

His bottom half is completely messed up - I don't know what is going on with his shoes and that big black gap near his pants isn't supposed to be there. I also have several small pieces left over that I just gave up on trying to fit in, but aside from the missing umbrella handle and part of his collar, I am totally happy with his top half!! It was really hard to figure out where the pieces went - I'm used to having the Cricut markings to guide me. I'm just so so happy that I got to this point. I think with a little more practice I'll have this thing down!!

[hopemax]

Great job NEE! My first one of my projects had weird spacing issues too. On the future ones, I would put them not as close to the edge, so a bigger shadow effect. Also with those small pieces, that's where I started increasing the grow box, or whatever it's called, the one next to the threshold box. It makes it just a little bit bigger, and so they fit together better. But still, some piece were just entirely too small, so I ditched them too.

[New England Eeyore]

Thanks for the tips!

Also, I wanted to ask if you were all aware of the site http://www.vector-cartoons.com/ ? It has tons of Disney images (along with a lot of non-Disney cartoons), and if you download them in the WMF format, then OPEN them in Inkscape (NOT Import them) they are already broken apart for you. You just have to pull them apart and group them by color. You have to register, and you are allowed 3 free downloads per week. I have not cut anything with it yet, but I have downloaded a few things and pulled them apart - super easy.

[123SA]

Jiminy is great! It looks like you are definitely on your way. Thanks for the link. I'll check that out.

[AlexWyattMommy]

I really like what I have seen so far. I need to go get inkscape so I have some idea of what you all are talking about.

[estherhead]

I really like what I have seen so far. I need to go get inkscape so I have some idea of what you all are talking about.

If you're like me, you still won't have a clue! I've been watching tutorials and creating but boy is it all really hard!

Here's my first project:
http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/43846/2371807120092107464S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2371807120092107464ETwobH)

The BBQ I just typed into SCAL, welded and cut. The grill was a file someone already had done. I just had to get the proportions all right in SCAL. I did this my layering them all on top of each other & once I was happy with that, I seperated them again and put my papers in the right spots & cut it all out together.

Here's my second:
http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/41791/2881833120092107464S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2881833120092107464AQMteC)

I found the tree & traced bitmap in Inkscape and then added the tire & rope. It should have taken all of 2 seconds but I simply could not get the combine thing to work. It seems like if I click on combine apart it doesn't work. If I keep clicking on it then like the 10th time it works. What am I doing wrong?

[morgansmom2000]

Wow, those are awesome! I hope I can figure Inkscape out!

[party of 3]

WOW! you girls are all making some awesome pieces!!! i love them all. i'm so jealous. i know i can't do it so i won't even try. not yet anyway. it took me forever to get up the nerve to take my cricut out of the box!!!!

[New England Eeyore]

Great job, esterhead!!

[Iris]

Okay, don't laugh, but I'm actually pretty proud of this for my first try:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o248/NewEnglandEeyore/IMG_8869.jpg

His bottom half is completely messed up - I don't know what is going on with his shoes and that big black gap near his pants isn't supposed to be there. I also have several small pieces left over that I just gave up on trying to fit in, but aside from the missing umbrella handle and part of his collar, I am totally happy with his top half!! It was really hard to figure out where the pieces went - I'm used to having the Cricut markings to guide me. I'm just so so happy that I got to this point. I think with a little more practice I'll have this thing down!!


I think you did great! I also use the Growth/Shrink by: function when I see to much of a gap between pieces. I just have to play around with it. I think he turned out really cute.

[Iris]

If you're like me, you still won't have a clue! I've been watching tutorials and creating but boy is it all really hard!

Here's my first project:
http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/43846/2371807120092107464S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2371807120092107464ETwobH)

The BBQ I just typed into SCAL, welded and cut. The grill was a file someone already had done. I just had to get the proportions all right in SCAL. I did this my layering them all on top of each other & once I was happy with that, I seperated them again and put my papers in the right spots & cut it all out together.

Here's my second:
http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/41791/2881833120092107464S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2881833120092107464AQMteC)

I found the tree & traced bitmap in Inkscape and then added the tire & rope. It should have taken all of 2 seconds but I simply could not get the combine thing to work. It seems like if I click on combine apart it doesn't work. If I keep clicking on it then like the 10th time it works. What am I doing wrong?

First, the projects are awesome. I love both of them, they are really cute.

Once in blue moon I have some issues using the Combine Function and from what I read from the Inkscape website it is a known bug. Also, just to be aware, there is another known issue where the copy/paste feature to bring in an clipart into Inkscape is causing the program to shut down on some people. I had this issue last weekend all of the sudden but then after about two days it went away. The most recent bug reported is a random shutdown of Inkscape where an "internal error"was reported and causes the program to shut down. I now save my work about every few minutes. It hasn't happened lately but it is a known issue.

[Iris]

Thanks for the tips!

Also, I wanted to ask if you were all aware of the site http://www.vector-cartoons.com/ ? It has tons of Disney images (along with a lot of non-Disney cartoons), and if you download them in the WMF format, then OPEN them in Inkscape (NOT Import them) they are already broken apart for you. You just have to pull them apart and group them by color. You have to register, and you are allowed 3 free downloads per week. I have not cut anything with it yet, but I have downloaded a few things and pulled them apart - super easy.

Wow, thanks for that tip. I am registered but never saved them as WMF. Just tried it and it works like a charm.

[123SA]

That is a cool site! I downloaded Pumba and separated him apart, saved multiple files by color (Yipeee I did it!) I am trying to size up the layers in SCAL. I know how to do it but when I move the layer on top of the base piece to check the size, SCAL keeps shutting down and I have to start over -- is this a known bug too? Am I doing this somehow?

[Iris]

That is a cool site! I downloaded Pumba and separated him apart, saved multiple files by color (Yipeee I did it!) I am trying to size up the layers in SCAL. I know how to do it but when I move the layer on top of the base piece to check the size, SCAL keeps shutting down and I have to start over -- is this a known bug too? Am I doing this somehow?

I only had that issue one time. I ended up shutting everything down(computer) and then starting up again. It seemed to fix whatever problem was occuring. Not sure if it will help.

I downloaded the Hula Stitch in WMF as NEE suggested and it was so easy to have all the pieces already grouped.

[morgansmom2000]

Oh my goodness, it's really hard! I'm usually good at computer stuff, this is not making me happy! I can't get items to choose together!

[Iris]

Oh my goodness, it's really hard! I'm usually good at computer stuff, this is not making me happy! I can't get items to choose together!

Are you using the fill bucket? If so, don't forget to hold your shift key down as you fill.

If you are just combining items, again remember to hold the shift key down, then "combine" your items on the path function.

[morgansmom2000]

Are you using the fill bucket? If so, don't forget to hold your shift key down as you fill.

If you are just combining items, again remember to hold the shift key down, then "combine" your items on the path function.

Ah, okay, the combine makes sense now. I watched one of those tutorials. I don't get how to tell it I want just things of a "certain" color with the eye dropper.