Paper "stained glass" tutorial

Hi!  Thanks for stopping by today.  This Silhouette Sunday will be a tutorial for a "stained glass" technique using your SD or Cameo.  First, just let me say this is my very first tutorial so please bear with me and please be kind!  :-)  Let's get started.

First choose a file with a lot of cut-out pieces.  Frames work great and that is what I am using for this tutorial.   I used a frame for my Hungry Dog post on February 16th and from that frame I was inspired for this technique.

Once you have your file up on the the design board in Studio adjust it to your desired finished size.  Next decide how many colors you want to use and choose your papers accordingly.
The next step is to cut the exact same file as many times as the colors you have chosen for your design.  Six colors?  Cut six designs, all the same size.

Choose what color you want to be the main frame and weed.  Weed the other frames as well.  These weeded pieces will be used for the different elements inside the edges of your frame. Save them someplace safe where they will not get knocked around and lost.  I find it is easiest to place the weeded pieces inside a shallow pan  or in a box lid in a pattern loosely matching the design pattern.  I say loosely because it does not have to be exact.  The idea is to have them in enough order so that you can choose the right piece for the right cut out. Believe it nor not, even mirrored images can be a tiny bit off in size and if you get a piece meant for the right side in the left hole and vice versa it might not fit properly.  Back and front orientation is important, too.  You can save the extra frames for another project or use them to make additional "stained glass" because you will have enough pieces left to do that if you wish.

Glue the frame piece onto your card front or your scrapbook page or make a backing for the frame that has no cutouts (do a trace and offset in Studio if you choose this last option) and carefully glue your frame to it.


Once you have all the colors weeded and in approximate order the fun begins.  Now you get to pick and choose from among the different colors placing them in whatever color order you wish inside the frame.
Once you have your pieces in the colors you want in the places you want, remove each piece one by one adding glue to the back of each piece and placing back inside the frame.

You can even take this one step further.  Before you glue the pieces into the frame, run the tip of a black Copic, Letroset, or other marker around the cut edges of the main frame and then around each individual weeded element.  This gives a thin black line that mimics the leaded edge around each piece of real stained glass.

 Using black card stock for the frame gives you a  another option for the "leaded" frame.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are inspired to try it.  Have a wonderful week!
Hugs, Shawna