I just had commented on some technical stuff related to cutting intricate lines and designing for it in Illustrator, the key being to add in anchor points to guide the machine when you need the lines to be “just so” and realized I should probably share some of the examples I shared on that group over here. So here are a few things I’ve been playing with recently. Cake toppers for friends’ children on their birthdays. Each design gets more insane. How much smaller can I cut. Some cuts are like a sliver of a fingernail to give you an example. 
Anyway, sharing now that I’ve had the glowforge for several years, and have had more time to play with it. Designed in Illustrator mainly and cut on 1/8" acrylic.
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Quite lovely.
Would love to see some in process or assembly photos
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Thanks. I’ll share a few more of my final photos, and dig through to see what I have of photos of my process. I should probably start documenting that more systematically. Though I’m still figuring things out. Lots of snafus along the way as I go along.
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Here’s a Harry Potter with some “interim” photos too.
// Edited reply to add in a more finished version. I don’t have final photos as I had to rush this to the birthday boy.
I bought the Happy birthday sign from Etsy as I was really running out of time.
And for a little girl who loves hip hop.
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These are stunning
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Those are all acrylic inlays? Impressive. How did you glue the pieces together without a substrate?
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Magnifying glasses. Canopy glue. Toothpicks to roll along the inside edge. Then after it has dried, toothpicks again, to scrape off any of the glue that might have seeped over the edge. And a lot of time.
I don’t have to actually glue most parts in, as the kerf is exact enough that they just snap in (I think they call it friction hold?) but because these go on top of cakes and often have minute pieces, I do glue all the pieces in, so nothing accidentally falls off and gets swallowed. I wash them in warm water and dishsoap.
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Thank you. I’m recently retired and this is what I have a lot of fun doing.
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Turns out I don’t have a lot of “snafu” in the process photos. But I’ll start to do that for my next design. I’m already part way through the current one which is a mash up of Spiderman and Link (from Zelda) So not much documented there. I’m actually at the “just do the whole thing over” stage. 
Some of the kerf just was off, and it’s easier to start over.
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Wow! Great looking pieces. The details are amazing!
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I am truly amazed at your artistry and technical procedures to create these!
Thank you so much for sharing them!
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Delightful work! I had to look up canopy glue. Think I’ll pick some up.
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Me too! I’m presuming the “canopy” refers to model planes based on the description
I like the flood fill of the liquid acrylic cement, but it can definitely get away from you!
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Thank you. I have loads of fun doing these. It’s very time consuming as I design each one from scratch for cutting in illustrator. Obviously some of the designs are not unique as they are characters like Disney. Some I do from photographs of people. I’m starting to try to do people likenesses more now. I get a few requests for the same design (Spiderman) and so I’ve redesigned him to be modular. So I don’t have to redo the age and name on each design.) I just print spiderman and his face. Then the age numbers and name separately. But typically I don’t repeat a design.
Three or 36 years old - they all love Spiderman.
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You know what. I had to google what Canopy glue was! I just tried it (and liked it) as my husband uses it for his modeling. And I knew that he called it canopy glue.
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Thank you so much. I have so much fun doing these. Especially the thinking about what the design should be part.
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I should add, because this is water-based glue, I work on a silicone pet food bowl tray (the larger ones with edges, so fingernail clipping sized inlay doesn’t accidentally roll or fall off) and it’s really easy to just wipe it clean afterwards with a wet paper towel.
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Very nice! You do amazing work!
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I am amazed at how your pieces fit together. I have tried that with acrylic and found it to be extremely difficult to make everything fit. Your designs are complex which is even harder. Beautiful work and thanks for posting.
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These are really impressive levels of inlay! I admire your patience. They all look great!
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