99.9% Lurker…but I was just so excited and have been excited since I got my glowforge the day after Thanksgiving, talk about things to be thankful for, at everything I’ve been making. My experience with a laser cutter hasn’t gone further than watching the videos of others playing with this magic bringer of joy so I have to admit; I WAS TERRIFIED of the thing. Like the nervous shivering chihuahua who pees every time Aunt Carol comes over.
Aside from not-as-loud-as-I-think-it-is noise (I’ve tried several decibel meters), multitudes of warnings during the getting started, manuals, and your first prints documents; I look forward to coming home from work! ( I love work too so it’s not really out of the norm)
We of course start with the obligatory ruler!
From there I diverted from the course (I am a rebel like that) to start trying some of my own graphics. Now being the Photoshop aficionado that I am I was thoroughly excited. Not to worry - that died quickly as I soon learned you can’t manipulate much with raster graphics and Photoshop doesn’t support svgs.
Alas - as I further RTFM’d myself around the community (lurker, you peoples are awesome btw) Inkscape landed in my programs folder. Bit of a learning curve as I diverted from my projects into; What can I cut? That looks neat. So I made an attempt on a leaf at the lowest/fastest setting and my own living hinge (both disasters, if you ask a virgo).
The hinges broke on both but I’m one to make use of my mistakes; so I hand stitched my own book together.
So once again, I abandoned that idea and resorted to borrowing someone else’s until I figure out how to make one on my own. Thus continued the learning curve with Inkscape. I could engrave things, cut things, but never rotate them in addition to save each cut/engrave separate. Of course me being the newb as I was, I figured, I haven’t seen this question on the board so it’s probably just the way it is. So, I go about my business and discover vectors in inkscape. (I know all you intermediate and experts are like “DUH” but you have to remember from the perspective this-is-new-I-hate-it-I-don’t-understand starters.
This, this discovery was the best thing ever. If there is one thing I love more than Photoshop, it’s vector drawing. It was my all time hobby before I lost track of my FreeHand program. Then I discovered something magical when creating this:
It’s always something silly we do that ends up making us discover things. I find the best discoveries were done from silly mistakes. You could layer everything together - color them differently - make sure they are all vectors - and it’s like magic. Well, magic to me.
Being the holiday season and the efficiency hunter that I am; I expanded on my gift-tags by making them modular. I figure I love making things, why not bring some joy to other’s holiday too! Thus became: Homecrafted Custom Gift Tag/Ornament Keepsakes
- Pick your shape
- Pick your saying
- Pick your inscription for the back.
After a few test runs, I am delighted with the results.
In the spirit of holiday tradition (and for sticking it out for this whole lurkers read) help yourself to spreading some holiday joy!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p1fY7yaIQR3Vd-RA7jHkzcnDrvkxwt6D
Oh, I also ended up going back to my original project and with Acrylic! (it really smells, but I haven’t tried leather yet…) I am very happy with the results.
Thank you for reading.
(this is a high five)
Thanks for the chuckle. You’ve done some great things for a scaredy cat in the first week!