My silhouette portrait should be delivered tomorrow. I can't wait!
And thanks to everyone on here that shared all this great info!

It's here!
 

My cameo came today! I don't get to play for days due to stupid time constraints... Like work!!! Sigh!
Tracyg

got my cameo out of the box finally!
 

last night, got it pulled out, and set up (thanks Gina K!) the video was awesome, i'm very visual lol! made my first cut and discovered i am grid/mat challenged. the cut was fine but i didn't get it positioned on the mat properly so cut into the top of my mat...boooo.....but i was pretty pleased with the results! i've been doing a search to see what i can see, what projects there are out there, but it seems like vinyl and cards seem to make up the majority....wondering if anyone has done anything else with theirs? would love to see some photos!
tracyg

For your mat issues there is a handy feature called a "Test Cut" . It is on the same place where the "Cut " is located. It cuts a tiny square with a triangle in it. You can see if your blade and speed are correct for your paper. I use it all the time to be sure I have things set properly.

It cuts the test in the upper left part of the paper so I keep a separate "Test" sheet of CS exactly like what I will be using and just trim the top part off where the test cut was made so I can use it again the next time I use that paper.

After I am sure I have the settings correct I put the full sheet of paper on the mat to cut my project.

thanks for the tip!
 

[
QUOTE=Barbara Jay;20067742]For your mat issues there is a handy feature called a "Test Cut" . It is on the same place where the "Cut " is located. It cuts a tiny square with a triangle in it. You can see if your blade and speed are correct for your paper. I use it all the time to be sure I have things set properly.

It cuts the test in the upper left part of the paper so I keep a separate "Test" sheet of CS exactly like what I will be using and just trim the top part off where the test cut was made so I can use it again the next time I use that paper.

After I am sure I have the settings correct I put the full sheet of paper on the mat to cut my project.[/QUOTE] I'll have to give that a try!

I know I have read you can wash the mats to get the paper residue off, I'm not sure if just plain water will work or not. Does soaking the mat work better? I have several that are getting to where they won't hold the paper.

Once clean, will I need to reapply adhesive? If so, what adhesive do you use?

Thanks

Denise

For quick fixes, I usually just use a baby wipe to clean up my mat until I have more time to give it a thorough clean. When I have the time, I usually wash mine with dish soap and warm water and let it air dry. It will depend on the adhesive on there whether you will need to reapply any, but usually a good wash will revive it enough to be usable again. When it gets to the point that washing doesn't help anymore, I use acetone or nail polish remover on a cotton pad and go over the mat. That usually really cleans it up and makes it really sticky again. When all else fails, I strip the mat (aggresively cleaning it with either acetone or goo gone) and then re-applying adhesive. I usually use the xyron repositionable adhesive cartridges. I break them open and just use the roll of adhesive. Works great. I just bought a can of repositionable spray glue, but haven't had a chance to use it so I don't know how it works. I didn't like using the fat tip zig pen just because it was soooo messy. I haven't tried the elmer repositionable glue stick yet either, but I really like that one for making my own sticky notes...

Hope that helps...

Thanks so much!

Ok Ladies I need help, I am going to be getting the Silhouette on Monday from HSN, I am tech challenged. Does anyone know of any classes that are available in the far northern Illinois area. TIA

DH bought me a Silhouette a couple months ago and I've yet to take it out of the box. After skimming through this thread I'm almost afraid to. LOL It felt like I was reading Swahili! I am not at all tech savvy. With my luck I'll somehow manage to blow the thing up when I plug it in. I'm marking this thread so I have it handy once I open the box. Thanks for all the wonderful tips and links I've seen so far. :-)

Letter transfer
 

For those of you wanting to cut out letters and place on cards, scrapbooks etc and don't want to weld the letters together - video by Kay using drywall tape that makes the transfer much easier. This was my first attempt using it.

Hi, I got my Cameo for Christmas & have cut hundreds of things. I use soapy (Dawn liquid) water to clean the mat. Let it dry at least 12 hours before trying to reuse mat. Baby wipes if found took off the adhesive. I heard you can use Circut mats in the Silhouette. It is good to have spare mats. I did just use Krylon Easy Tack to get my mats sticky again. Be sure to use painter's tape on edges before spraying.

I myself am not aware of any online classes but there are ton and tons of utube videos out there ..

I just googled "online class for silhouette cameo" and there are many returns for this topic. Take a look & read about what is available. It is always good to read the comments on the website.

I took a class at onlinecardclasses.com and it helped me a lot.

Class Info | A Cut Above

It's actually a two part class with the first half on die cutting with Vagabond/Big Shot, etc. but the second part was on the Silhouette. You can sign up for part two only. :)

Clever Someday has the most AMAZING video series on Silhouette Studio called Tracing without Tears. It covers everything; not only does she tell you what to do, but she explains why the program is doing what it does and how you can use the controls to your advantage for just about every tracing situation. She is a wonderful teacher, and her videos are so empowering! And it's free!

Here is the playlist of all her tracing videos:
Tracing Without Tears - YouTube

I feel so blessed that she started this series right after I purchased my Cameo, she has saved me hours of frustration!

Let me know what you think!
:-)

Thank you very much for that link. Those were excellent videos!

can i use my leftover cricut vinyl in the cameo?
 

nervous to try it, has anyone else done it?
tracyg

was where you are lol, totally recommend the gina k
 

tutorial, it is totally step by step video, really!
tracyg

I have not but the woman in the videos above sells the vinyl & says not to buy from Silhouette because it is expensive so it sounds like most vinyl works.

Absolutely. You can pretty much cut anything (that isn't really thick) with the Silhouette. I've used Cricut vinyl.

I just received an email the other day from Silhouette that they dropped their prices on the vinyl. I've bought a few rolls of their vinyl from Hobby Lobby. Even got some on clearance last week.

My Portrait is coming tomorrow, and I've been trying to find tutorials to view while waiting. Is the interface the exact same as the Cameo? Can I view all of the Cameo tuts in this thread and be able to carry the info to my Portrait? I mean, I know I can't put in 12x12 paper or save to an sd card, lol, but otherwise?

I too bought a Silhouette, but a Cameo. Arriving Tuesday!! So excited and getting my craft room ready for it. I have a new Cricut, Slice and soon the Cameo... Can't wait to get started, but feel a little intimated and not sure where to start cutting wise. I do have all the software set up, subscription and some svg files ready.

for those of you in Canada, I found Sign Supply Canada, powered by Digital Graphic Inc. , Best Prices for all your sign and T-shirt supplies

in my hunt for a silhouette, I am going to be taking a trip on my birthday :D as they are local to me.

I tried to cut the Moroccan BKG using SU paper. Well needless to say the design ripped to pieces trying to getr it off the mat. It is brand new....could it be too sticky for that delicate pattern?

Could be, were you using paper or cardstock? If using paper - I cut out on my ugly paper first. I use Cricut tools to take off delicate designs also helps when weeding out stuck pieces. Did you image cut through completely? Is your mat sticky or tacky. For me tacky works better. Hope this helps. I love my cameo!!!

Using a Silhouette mat or a Cricut mat? Heard everyone likes the cricut ones better. I haven't tried silhouette mat yet. Just got my cameo today!

Didn't have good luck with my cricut, as its cutting off the grid area :(

Hope cameo goes smoother

It was SU cardstock on a brand new silhouette mat

This is not my first electronic cutter and I have to say i am definately underwhelmed so far. Loving my eclips more

Before using my Portrait for the first time, I did what GinaK suggested in her video. I took the mat & stuck it to a fuzzy throw pillow more than a few times to remove some of the stickiness. I have been experimenting with a few intricate cuts & have had very few problems removing any of the cuts. Here is the video -
http://stamptv.ning.com/video/silhou...ment%3A1658335

Grrr...how did I miss the fact that the basic software needs to be upgraded in order to import and cut SVG files? I watched several videos, and then when I tried to follow the instructions, it turned out that SVG formats are not supported. (sigh)

Note to self: Once I think I've investigated enough, repeat the process! LOL, fortunately it's an easy fix, but it kind of took the shine off my pleasure of "the amazing deal" I got on the original purchase.

I kind of fell into that same trap, too. I was pretty sure I had read somewhere that the Cameo could cut SVG files but did not realize that, yes, it could, IF you upgraded. So you're definitely not alone on this.

For wonderful tips, tutorials, videos [U]answers free cutting files!/U] try Silhouette Plus Forum - there is a link on#80. The ladies there are terrific with sharing their talent and expertise with this machine. They just updated their tips & tutorial section by subject i.e. blade, cutting mat, software, etc.

but you can use free software like Inkscape to convert to gsd file which the basic software does recognize. Some people use Inkscape or Make the cuts or Surecuts (I think those are the names) with their Cameo. I just watched for a deal and bought the Designer edition then

Which is what I did as well.

I got my Cameo today....not setup yet but its in my craft room!

I'm ready to purchase my silhouette cameo. Does anyone know of a good place to get it from (quick/good deal)?

I bought mine at Overstock.com when I had a 10 percent off and free shipping deal. Something happened and it didn't get shipped and they had to reship it, so it took a couple of weeks. That was a bummer.

Scrapmommy, at Michaels in Canada this week April 19 2013 they have the Cameo $30 less at 269.99, and accessories 30% off. Check the USA to see if it is on sale there too.

She's on her way!!! yep my cameo will be delivered tomorrow. I'm so excited, I have watched so many how-to videos and done all kinds of research. I'm so excited I just wanted to share the news!!!