Making Fussy Cut Stickers

I know you've seen them around in the graphic pages. They are graphic stickers with a border around them and they're calling them 'fussy cuts'. Actually I always thought the term 'fussy cut' was a technique, not a look. If you don't like them you could always just cut out close to the edges and ignore them but I think they look neat. You could do the equivalent in any good graphics program you have since all the buttons are basically the same. It's good to have options so here's how to make them in GIMP.

I opened a new flower in GIMP first. Then I removed the background dragging the 'fuzzy select' tool on it and then hitting the delete key. You may have to add a transparency layer first.

Then I duplicate the layer and make sure to select the bottom layer. We will create the outlines on this layer. You can turn off the top layer by clicking on the eye.

So just like PhotoShop, GIMP has a lot of features that you may never discover unless you push all the buttons or have a need to learn how to do something that you want to do. We will now select the cutout by dragging the 'fuzzy select' tool across it until it is all solid. Make sure you check the mask box to turn that on.

When you release the drag, you now have marching ants around your graphic showing you that it is selected. Go up to the top menu and select 'Select | Grow' and this box will pop up. I've set the number at 26 because I'm working on a 300 dpi high resolution canvas and that will put a good border around my image. But you can play with it until you get what you like. (Ctrl + Z is your friend to undo) Click OK to apply it.

Now you've created a border around the image. Make sure you are still on the bottom layer of the graphic and select the paint bucket with white in the foreground color box. Just click anywhere on the image.

And that will fill it with white. Now you can turn on your top layer.

And this is what we get. A border around our graphic on a transparent background. That will be helpful if you are cutting it out with a machine. So save it as a PNG with a transparent background.

But if you just want a page to print on cardstock, we need to put a 'fussy cut' line around it. So while the bottom layer is still selected and the ants are marching, go to  'Edit | Stroke selection' ...

... and make sure your foreground is colored black. You will stroke a 1 pixel line around the border so it will show up on a white background. 

Now just save your graphic as a JPG and it will look like this:

Now you can print it out and cut out on the lines. Don't these look just like stickers with the cool little lines around them? I know I'm showing off but with a little practice you can easily make them by the dozens on a full page sheet of paper just like these.

A little hint at what I've been working on lately:

How to Cut and Paste Graphics

So I used to wonder if I could make graphics whole. How to replace missing parts to make a whole model and dress out of the parts I'm given. I wanted a big full size fashion model out of one of the background ones in this World of Fashion plate from the 1800's, but she is half missing. We need to fix her. These prints come dark and bleak so first we lighten and brighten them until we get them looking good. I'm using the GIMP.

We will be cutting out a background fashion model and fixing her missing arm and clothes to make a whole fashion lady we can use. Of course we'll start with one from the public domain archive and then we'll clean it up and cut her out. 

Select the crop tool and cut out the background model leaving enough room for us to build her dress back on. We need to also make the graphic transparent 'Layer | Transparency | Add Alpha Channel'.

Looks like this now so we can remove everything in the background and also the dress in front of our model like this with our eraser tool and fuzzy select tools.

Now we need to cut out parts of our model and flip them horizontally and rotate the arm for the other side. We will need an arm, a shoulder plus sleeve and half the dress on three separate layers so we can make her whole. We will do that by duplicating the main graphic for each cut. I used the square selection tool on the top main graphic layer and then 'Layer | Crop to Selection' to do it. Then on the main graphic layer I removed the black part of the middle dress under the ruffle and erased some of the yoke lace and sleeve areas to make them a little narrower. Then I moved her over to the center of the canvas area because I'm going to add some ruffles to the outside edges of the dress where they look chopped off.

Duplicate the main image and cut a piece of the ruffle out. Duplicate that and flip it for the other side of the skirt. Cut another piece out for the middle ruffle that's missing and drag it to the bottom layer. Now we just position the sleeve and line up the shoulder. Keep the left sleeve piece above the layer of the main graphic so it will look right. 

Then we make the right arm visible, position it under the sleeve layer and rotate it into place. You could try different placements to see what you like best. Remember you can use the resize feature with or without the lock to squeeze the sleeve into the right perspective. Erase overlapping pieces you don't need. When you get it the way you like, merge all the layers 'Image | Merge Visible layers'. 

And it seems we're done making a complete head to toe fashion model. Save your graphic in an editable format and as a .png. Now if we want to take it a step further, we can cut away her bottom part to make a vignette of just her top half. We start by duplicating the image. Turn off the top layer and cut the bottom half completely off of the under layer at the hip line. Then turn that layer off and work on the top layer to cut out near the cut line erasing everything under the cut line except the hands.

Don't forget to check your transparent areas on a colored background. I usually use black and then white to make sure all the stray pixels and debris have been removed. Turn off the background layer and save your .png with a unique name so you don't overwrite the full size one we just made. It goes from this to this in just a few hours of work. It's magic!

 

If you've gotten this far then you now have some real skills you can use to manipulate graphics and make just about whatever you want. Remember you can do this with all public domain graphics to make them uniquely your own. You could mix and match arms, skirts, tops, hats and even faces with these. Have fun!

I'm really getting the urge to play with Easter bonnets after looking at all these fashion plates! Hmmm....

Cut Out Graphics the Easy Way

So you can make your own cutouts and stickers from vintage postcards and color plates. Many universities and libraries have public domain pictures you can get for free. I've always struggled to cut them out easily until I learned a little trick that saves me hours. We'll be cutting out the background from this picture.

In every program there is a 'fuzzy select' tool. In the GIMP (which is my favorite open source code graphics program) the fuzzy select tool really is magic. It's created to work with AI and it will work magic for you. To get the most out of it you will want to add a mask and make sure the settings are about the same as the ones below. Make sure to check the 'draw mask' box.

All you do is make sure your picture is transparent so add an alpha channel to it if needed. This picture is a .jpg so it is not transparent. 

Then select the fuzzy select tool and start with the corner of the picture, click and drag the parts you want to remove toward the center. Stop or back up if you select too much. You don't want to take any pixels out of your cutout and you want a nice clean edge. Keep clicking all the background areas you want to remove. Everything under the pink mask will be removed when we hit the 'delete' key. You can hit the delete key more than once and it will feather the edge a little more OR you can increase the radius on the 'feather edges' setting to about a 6 or 7. Play around with the settings until you get rid of all the white line around the cutout.

 

Single colored backgrounds are the easiest to convert to .pngs. With practice there is no reason why you can't make your own cutouts and stickers from any public domain image you want. 

I always check my cutouts on a white and then a black background layer to make sure all the artifacts and stray pixels have been removed. It's a good habit to get into if you work with graphics. If you skip this b/w check on your graphics you will be sorry because you may have to re-do them and it's a pain in the wazoo if you already have them uploaded in one or more places. You'll have to fix them all and replace them. (it's a hard lesson).

If it looks clean then I just brighten up the image a little and save it as a .png. And that is all there is to it. It's so easy to make your own cutouts and then let Cricut do the hard work for you!

Let's Do Butterflies in Cricut

So I haven't worked with my Cricut machine in about five years. Nothing's changed much. This is the new interface for my Explore Air 2. I uploaded my 6" x 9" .png files but you can also upload other graphic formats and then just remove the background in Cricut. 

The problem comes when you try to cut out larger files over 6 x 9. Cricut has a size limit and you will get the warning if you try to go much over that. If you print a larger file like an 8-1/2 x 11, you will have to downsize it so much that the graphics will be tiny So if you use files designed in 6 x 9 and print then cut in 6 x 9 your files should be the right size. I print out a label with mine but you can just erase it when you upload if it's not needed.

What I noticed first was that if I want my stuff to print the same size I designed it, I need to make the print area a little smaller to allow for the transparent border on the originals. 

You can store all your layers in the same file and just turn them on or off for print then cut. And you can resize them up a little bigger but they will lose print quality when you do.

Honestly, it hadn't changed that much. It accepts more file formats than it used to and you can still remove the backgrounds for free and it's still pretty familiar and easy to use. Look at all those butterflies! I never need to buy another one ever with all of these. Butterflies truly are free!

And the cuts are clean if you calibrate your printer by following the calibration instructions. That feature is better. I always select to print with a bleed around the edge and I use my own printer settings to get the best quality. The Cricut default on any printer is not good enough for a high quality sharp print. The highest quality setting is always the best. I use Epson. Epson ink tank printer and Epson card stock presentation matte paper. 

I can only find the paper on Amazon. They don't carry it in the stores any more... maybe an office supply store? The print on this paper looks like velvet! Use the highest setting on your printer. If you want professional quality you have to use the quality settings, ink and paper to get it. If you already have Cricut and a printer, you are already saving money making your own pretty things. 

An ink tank printer makes it the most affordable way to get your own collection of graphics and cutouts. I only have to buy new ink about every 18 to 24 months and I print a lot of graphics on mine. A lot. The ink cost about the same for four bottles as just one tri-color plus black cartridges were for my old printer. Of course if you have a laser printer then you will get better results than with an ink jet. But it is possible to get professional results with an ink jet.

So the upgraded application is better, the cuts are better, my machine does what it's suppose to do and cut them out well and so far I'm getting professional quality cutouts for pennies and I don't have any hand cramps from scissors cuttings. I couldn't be happier!

Teacup Flower Pop-Up 3D Card

ANOTHER BLAST FROM THE PAST

This is a re-post from my original post from July 2019 on my old site because I think they go pretty well with my new teapot templates. I no longer update that site. I've merged it with my other crafts on this site. The card folds flat into approximately 5" x 7" depending on how many flowers you put on it. 

The teacup can be made for 6, 8 or 10 sided (optional) to hold your cutout flowers. Just score on the heavy lines to make a six sided cup. It is so simple to make, the instructions below show you how. Just click on the printed instructions & pattern page below to enlarge it, then right click on the full sized page that pops up and 'save as' or 'save image as' to your desktop. Then just print it out and make templates out of cardboard pieces to cut them out by hand. Attach the flowers on the cross pieces for a 3D look when the card is opened.

I have also put a file on Cricut if you want to cut the file out that way. Search for the SVG file in design space called 'Theresa's Tea Cup'. There is also a permanent copy of the instructions in the 'FREE Templates'  tab above.

    

SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS

for assembling the teacup:

Cut out and score the cup.

Fold the floating insert into a V and attach as shown.

Attach a piece of foam tape to the bottom edge and apply
glue to the rest of the tab. It is the bottom of your cup.
Center it on the doily and stick it down as shown.

This is how your cup looks from the top when open.
Attach flowers to the insert pieces for a 3D look.

Bend the back of the cup bottom edge toward the foam edge so it will catch and stay open. And just squeeze the cup to uncatch it to fold flat. That's all there is to it. Just decorate the card with your prettiest flowers and send! Enjoy! Here are a few of the teacups I've made with my pattern for a little inspiration.