Creating Circular Frames

Add a special touch to the photos you apply to your cakes in just a few steps. Using Make the Cut and the Silhouette Studio program you can take any shape and convert it to a circular frame for your picture. The Silhouette Studio program comes with your Silhouette Cameo. You can purchase the Make the Cut program from our web site at www.deseretdesigns.com

The basic design will be created using Make the Cut and then transformed into a print and cut in the Silhouette program.

Open Make the Cut and select your design. This tutorial will use a heart shape from the Basic Shapes option. Double click on the design you want to use.

Click on EDIT and then DUPLICATE.

For this project you need to select 1 ROW. The number in the COLUMNS is the number of  designs you want. You may have to try several different  numbers to get the look you desire. I chose 15. The SPACING depends on the desired final look. I have no spacing, that is the space is blank. If I had wanted the designs to over lap, I would have chosen -.02 as my SPACING. When the final number of repeats and spacing look right click on APPLY.

Click on EDIT, and then click on Shape Magic. When the new window opens click on BEZIER WARP.

You will see that your row of shapes is now a circle. Notice that the circle does not close at the bottom. You need to make some adjustments to the setting in this window.

Under SIZE and POSITION, move the slider to change the left and right values to 0. This will close the circle. Click APPLY.

Your design is now ready to convert to a png or jpeg file to use in the Silhouette Studio program.

GO to VIEW and click on MAIN BAR.

Click on your mat color choices and click on CONTRAST.

Your image will become black. With the image selected (click on the image and a box appears around the design) right click on the image. In the first window select EXPORT and in the second window select  SEL. TO RASTER FILE.

In the EXPORT RASTER IMAGE window you have the option to save the design in a jpg or png format. I usually choose to save my designs as png files. After you have selected the format you want to save the design in click on SAVE TO FILE. Save your design in a designated folder.

Open your Silhouette Studio Program. I will be printing my design on the letter size icing sheet. The mat will be 12 x 12 and choose letter for the paper size. I will be showing the design as a print and cut so I will need to add the registration marks. You can make slight adjustments with the registration marks. I increased the width of my print and cut area by lowering the right and left margins.

Open your design and make it the size you will be needing. Position the design to fit between the registration marks.

You design is a g png image. It needs to be converted to an image that can be recognized in Silhouette Studio. Click on the TRACE window, select your image (be sure HIGH PASS FILTER is not selected), and click on TRACE.

Move the top image (the traced png image), to the side and delete it. The outlined image is the image you will be working with. Click on the FILL COLOR WINDOW to add any color to your design. Use the ADVANCED OPTIONS to customize your color.

You can also choose a design from the FILL PATTERN WINDOW. The main design must be selected before it can be changed. Click on any pattern. The chosen patter can be further modified in the ADVANCED OPTIONS.

Now, import the picture you want to use. You picture will open up as a picture file, jpg, png or other picture file. It is only meant to be printed and has no effect on the frame design.

Select the picture (click on the picture so the outline box is around it) and go to EDIT and click on COPY.

Open up the page with the frame on it. Go to EDIT and click on PASTE. Your picture is now on the same page as the frame.

Right click on the picture. Click on the option to SEND to BACK or SENDBACKWARD. You want to have the picture go behind the frame.

Drag you picture into the frame. Position it to fit where you want it to be. Use the sizing arrows on the picture to make it smaller or larger. Don't worry about the parts of the picture that go past the frame. Right now you want to have your image positioned exactly where you want it in the frame. Make sure you fill the entire frame with your picture.

Find the solid color or design that looks the best with your picture. When you are happy with your choice, send the image to the printer and print this on an icing sheet.

Click on the picture inside the frame. Drag it to the side, away from the area that the frame is in. Be very careful to not move the frame from the position it is in.

Open the TRACE window and trace the frame. Be sure HIGH PASS FILTER is not selected. Click on TRACE OUTER EDGE.

Click on the original frame and move it to the side. You can delete this image because it is no longer needed.

This is the outline that is sent to the Silhouette to be cut out.

Our final picture in a custom frame. You can add writing to your picture to personalize it for the occasion.

Creating an Amazing Wedding Cake

Using the Cameo and designer icing sheets from Icing Images, you can easily create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind wedding cake or special occasion cake. I will take you through the process, step by step.

First, what is the inspiration for your cake. When I meet with my brides I ask them to bring in pictures of cakes they like, design inspiration from their wedding announcement and colors they are using. For this tutorial I am using this cake as my design inspiration.

This is a basic 4 tier cake with 2 separators. I could make this cake with just 4 tiers.

I can add separators between the layers so this cake cake will look more like the inspiration cake. Adding separators between the tiers will give added height to the cake.

Styrofoam separators are great for adding extra height to a cake without adding extra weight.

Now that the shape of the cake has been determined it is time to start the design process. I am going to use Icing Image icing sheets and print them with designs from the iiprint collection.

Select the pattern style or color choice you would like to work with. For this I cake I choose a red and gold pallet. The base color of the cake is a light ivory.

There are hundreds of color and design choices in the iiprint collection. Select the design you want to work with and print them onto white icing sheets.

The bottom tier of the inspiration cake has a 3 layer, ruffled border.  I can easily make a ruffled border from gum paste or fondant, but not so easily from an icing sheet. The icing sheet will crack if you try to gather it, but I was able to get the illusion of a ruffled border with the icing sheets. A simple scalloped design will work and I will use the Cameo to cut out the designs.

I cut several gold and red scallop pieces. Cut a 1" slit along the top of the scallop.

Add shortening along the top edge where the slits have been cut. Use regular shortening like Crisco as your adhesive. A small, soft brush works well for applying the shortening to the backside of the icing sheet.

Apply the scallop to the side of the cake. Icing Image icing sheets are flexible, so they can bend. Overlap the slits that were cut to create a bit of a ruffle. Continue around the cake keeping the ruffles in a straight line.

Overlap the ruffle slightly where they meet.

Start a new row with a contrasting color. Place it slightly higher then the first row. Overlap the second ruffle where the first ruffles join. You will need to cut slits into the top edge of this row of scallops just like the first row. You can easily adjust the placement of the second row of ruffles by over lapping the cuts.

Continue around the cake.

When you begin a new row, off-set the bottom of the scallop. This helps with the illusion of gathers.

Continue adding the scallops around the cake.

The last scallop needs to be trimmed to fit evenly long the top edge of this tier. Cut about 1/2" from the top edge of the last scallop.

Add the last scallop to the top edge of the tier. Make sure the ruffles line up.

Now that the bottom tier is finished, it is time to work on the other designs for this cake. I chose several designs that I thought would work together. These designs are a bit different from the inspiration cake.  I included a basic border to this set of design ideas.

Cut out the designs for each tier from the printed icing sheets. Using the Silhouette Studio program you can easily size each design to be the exact size you need. The Cameo does an excellent job cutting the smallest, most intricate design. All the designs including the border pieces can be cut ahead of time.

First add the border pieces.

Now start adding the rest of the designs. Carefully remove the cut design from the backing page. Gently brush the back of the design with shortening. It will easily stick to the side of the cake and will be easy to move into place. When the design is in the correct place, use a soft, clean brush and gently brush over the design. Begin with the center front of the cake. Apply each design for each tier lining them up.

When all of the center designs are in the correct position, begin adding the other designs. Apply the design on the right side of the center design and then on the left side. Work from the center front around to the backside of the cake. When you get to the back you may need to adjust the spacing. Do this for each tier.

In a very short time you will have all the cut designs applied to the cake. A bead border is added to the curved separator. The inspiration cake had fondant drapes, swags and roses on the bottom tier. This seemed a bit much for this cake design. A fondant swag and fondant medallion are added to the bottom tier to finish the top edge.

A ribbon is added to the bottom of the cake board. Gum paste roses are added as a cake topper.

This beautiful wedding cake was quick and easy to decorate. Using the Silhouette Cameo, Icing Image icing sheets and the iiprint designs you can also decorate an amazing wedding cake.

Wedding Cake for Heather

I created this beautiful wedding cake for a dear friend. Heather was my daughters 5th grade teacher in the early 1990's. Jeff was deployed to the first Gulf War and Jessie was really missing her daddy. Heather was so kind to Jessie and helped her through this time. She is a great teacher and has been a positive influence on so many of our kids. Jessie became a teacher and I think it is because of the great teachers she had, like Heather.

Heather married Gilbert Warner in the Navoo Temple. 

Pre-Cut Wedding Cake Designs

This is my newest project, pre-cut designs for wedding cakes. I am working on several designs that are suitable for wedding cakes. The designs are cut from Icing Image designer icing sheets. Each design set is for a 4 tier cake, sized to fit a 16". 13" 10" and 7" cake. The designs can be used for smaller cakes or arranged any way you like. Along with the pictured designs, I am adding extra scroll filler pieces. You will be able to see each design on a cake. This is an example of what I will be offering.

Several colors will be available. The designs are easy to apply to a fondant covered cake and detailed instructions will be given. Ordering information will be available in the near future and include all color choices and prices.

You Can Use Make the Cut With the New Cameo!!!

There is a great tutorial here for using Make the Cut with the new Cameo.

http://underacherrytree.blogspot.com/2011/10/silhouette-cameo-review-4-how-to-cut-to.html

Thanks to Under a Cherry Tree for sharing this information.