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Silhouette Cameo - Oh! My!! Goodness!!!

Products

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 08:04

Oh! My!! Goodness!!!

(Drumroll, please. We interrupt this blog post to bring you a special Silhouette Cameo update)

by Becky Francione

My Silhouette SD was my favorite crafting tool. Then in late July, the announcement was made that Silhouette was coming out with a new cutter – The Cameo! I could hardly wait! But it wasn’t coming until October! That was a LONG three months! My hope was that it would cut just a little better, just a little deeper than the SD. And the 12 inch width would be nice too…

The Cameo has arrived at Simple Pleasures and I have been putting it to the test. Here is my new machine:

It may look a little different than the pictures you’ve seen. That would be because I have personalized it. I used the Silhouette vinyl to put a flourish on it and it comes with a design pattern to cut an overlay for the keyboard! When I tire of it I will use different paper and vinyl and make new designs. I may even have my laptop match!

The Cameo seems to be quieter than the SD. And I got my wish – it cuts better and deeper. The new ratchet style cutting blade is adjustable for all kinds of different materials.

The machine is advertised as being able to cut “paper, cardstock, vinyl, fabric and more”. But would it cut chipboard? Or acetate? I put it to the test! And the answer is YES! I had to set it on “10” for the acetate and chipboard (cereal box thickness) and for the heavy glitter paper leaf it was set on “10” and double cut, but it is capable of cutting materials we only dreamed about previously!

Silh Chpbd

Silh Leaf

But I don’t know what this does to your blade. It could be that it dulls it much quicker than if you cut only paper and cardstock. But it CAN do it!

All of this while doing an even better job of cutting out your designs on regular paper and cardstock.

Even the mat seems much improved to me. It is a far better material than my SD mat and the adhesive was not too sticky, but held firm and yet released the cut design easily. I have heard of a couple of people that thought the mat was too sticky, but lightly rubbing it across a piece of cotton fabric should take care of the problem.

The machine isn’t perfect. When desiring to cut 9 inch vinyl for instance you need to move the rollers on the machine; at this point, a nearly impossible task. Hopefully they will loosen up with time!If you are not able to order a Cameo at the present time, I highly recommend buying the new adjustable blade holder for your original or SD model machine. In fact, Silhouette has discontinued the blade refills for the original and SD models, so eventually you will need to replace the blade housing on your machine. But this is a GOOD thing! While it will still not cut as well as the Cameo, the new blade holder does a much better job cutting various types of material than the old holder. You will probably have to turn it to a higher number setting than you would on the Cameo, but you will get better results with it than with the old blade. And they are reasonably priced!

The Cameo was so worth the wait!!!! If you didn’t get one from Simple Pleasures in the first round of deliveries, get your down payment in for the second round coming in November at the Pre-Order Savings of $30 off the machine! It will probably be your favorite Christmas gift!!! Even if you give it to yourself!

Moonlight Madness Sale

Events
Written by Cathy Smith
Wednesday, 26 October 2011 22:28
Friday, October 28 5pm - 9pm Don't miss this spooktacular sale! Come costumed to be entered in our drawing. Drawing wil be held at 9pm. (Must be present to win)

Memory Box Mayhem!

Memory Box
Written by Cathy Smith
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 21:14
Lots of new Memory Box dies and stamps have arrived, in all, 32 NEW Memory Box dies and 16 NEW Memory Box stamps .... many of the stamps and dies coordinate with each other, too. The card shown here, from Memory Box designer Debbie Fitch, showcases the new Lisette Buckle die, Fredward Bear die, Fredward Bear stamp, and the Birch Background stamp. Love the color tones used in this card! Have you used the Memory Box dies yet? If you have not, boy, are you in for a real treat! They are thin, steel craft dies (MADE IN THE USA) and are quite reasonably priced, YIPPEE! They work in the Big Shot, Big Kick, Vagabond, Cuttlebug and Grand Caliber. We have a class coming up featuring Memory Box stamps and dies. Here is one of the cards we'll be making. The class is Thursday, Nov 3, at 5:30pm. Give us a call if you'd like to get in on this Holiday Card Class .... it will be a fun time!

What's That Sound ......?

General
Written by Cathy Smith
Saturday, 22 October 2011 19:58
Oohs, aahs, wows and such a Buzzzzz .... What is all this clamour about?!? So much excitement is in the air at Simple Pleasures. More than "just" the excitement about the beautiful colors of the fall leaves and the change of seasons in the air. It's the excitement about the wonderful new arrivals in the store. The new Silhouette Cameo (our second shipment will be coming soon - so get yours pre-ordered now to get in on our $269.99 preorder pricing)! Want to see the new Silhouette Cameo in action?! Marianne will be using the cameo in her upcoming Silhouette Advent Box workshop on Sat, Nov 12 at 10am. We have a few spots left in the class, so give us a call for a bird's eye opportunity with this machine! Or, how about Becky's Silhouette Advent Gingerbread House class on Sat, Nov 5, at 10am? More wows for the new Memory Box release, 32 dies and 16 stamps in all. How did you guess? Yes, we HAD to get them all! We're featuring Memory Box stamps in dies in our upcoming class on Thursday, Nov 3, at 5:30pm. So check your calendar and give us a call to register. Yes, indeed, these ARE the Fall Seasonal Distress Inks from Tim Holtz - we have a few left, so don't miss the boat on this one! They are limited. Coming soon, the new Tim Holtz Winter Seasonal Distress Ink 3 pack bundle. If you want to get in the queue for these, give us a call and get a set reserved. They, too, are a limited release so will be here and gone before you know it. And then, there's the Graphic 45 "Christmas Emporium" collection .... So, don't be alarmed by the hummmm, buzzzz, chatterrrrr and clamour - stop in and be inspired by it!! We'd love to see you!

Gifts Galore and More!

General
Written by Angela Crandall
Sunday, 16 October 2011 00:00
It’s not too late to make Handmade Gifts! Fall is here! Gorgeous leaves, cooler temperatures and my favorite: planning out holiday food and gifts! Looking for a special, personalized gift for someone on your list this year? Boy, do we have some great ideas for you! These gift ideas are easy and fun to make. You probably already have some of what you need, and what you don’t have…you know you’ll find it at Simple Pleasures! Check out these Sports Frames that Lisa crafted! I always seem to have a harder time crafting a gift for the boys in the family – not this year! These sports motifs are printed on canvas. These were colored with Copic Markers and Distress Inks. Color them in their favorite team colors, add a few embellishments and even some personal items, such as team numbers, tickets…etc. If you’ve been by Simple Pleasures, lately, I’m sure we’ve shown you the Kaisercraft Family Tree that’s on display. But just in case you haven’t see it: It’s fabulous, right?! I love how Lyn used different papers for each generation. It’s those little details that make these gifts so special. Distress Stains, Gold Acrylic Paint, Vintage Groove charms – all these and more ensure this gift will become a family heirloom. The ovals and their hooks are not attached, so you can easily personalize it. Don’t want to make this a family tree? How about using it to display your favorite quotes, scriptures, even hang pictures of your favorite travels! In addition to the Family Tree, we also have Kaisercraft Frames and drawers. Isn’t the frame adorable? Deb used a base coat of acrylic paint in cream and then inked it pink with the Spun Sugar Distress Stain. Even the flowers edges were kissed with Spun Sugar. Reminds me of the nursery rhyme “…sugar and spice and everything nice…” So, pick a theme, papers, embellishments, even dies, such as the Memory Box Butterfly Chain and you can have a gift finished and ready to go in an afternoon! Don’t forget – there are always mini books. These are easy and quick. They can be made from a base of simple cardstock, chipboard or even acrylic! Did you get a few of the Memory Box Dies? These are wonderful! Easy to use and the die cuts add wonderful dimension and interest to your projects. Here are couple of mini books that are on display at Simple Pleasures: Need more dimension that one layer of cardstock? Cut the same design, such as the Bianca Snowflake, out several times. Stack and glue them together to create a designer chipboard-like embellishment. Easy Peasy, but oh what a difference a little height can make! Some other ideas for mini books: 10 Top Favorite ____________ (you fill in the blank.) Travels Pets All About You Holiday Recipes Cars (any hobby!) Wish Lists The ABCs of US If you need ideas or supplies, stop by the store to see the samples and even talk to the Staff – we would love to help you find what you need. Happy Holiday crafting!