Hi there friends. I have used one of the fabulous June cut files on my layout. I have backed the title with cardstock which can be quite time consuming to draw and cut around. Instead of cutting it by hand, I have used the Silhouette to also cut out the backing.  It’s a simple technique and much quicker than some methods. So in this post, I’ll show you how I make a quick file in a few easy steps.

Let’s get started.  I have used the Silhouette software to make the cut file, but you will find similar tools in all cutting software programs. Open up the file that you wish to cut.  Resize it as required and cut out in your preferred cardstock as normal.

Now it’s time to make the backing file. We want to chop off the areas which will not be backed.  I only want to back the words, so I will remove the hearts from the backing file.  The quickest way to do this is to use a cookie-cutter effect.  Using the rectangle tool, I have created two rectangles around the areas I want to cut off quickly (shown as red rectangles above).

Click on the Modify tool (shown on the right) – the Modify panel opens up.  We are going to cut out the two areas I do not want.  Make sure you have selected the cut file and both rectangles as shown (short cut is CTRL-A or CMD-A on Mac), then click the Subtract button.

It has successfully chopped off the areas we don’t want.  We also need to remove the cut lines from inside the letters.  To do this, we will need to unlock the remaining cutting lines as they are still ‘locked together’.  Click on the Release button on the Modify panel.

Now you can click on lines you want to delete. We want to keep the letter outlines and the outlines in between the letters only.  You will see above that there are a few areas which could do with tidying up but it is quicker to tidy these up with scissors.

You’ll see it cuts out the backing cardstock perfectly. Although this may seem like a lot of work, you can quickly whip up a cut file for backing in minutes once you’ve had some practise!

To make the rest of the layout, I have used a simple stencil and sponged Distress inks down the right hand side of the background. I swapped between colours so that it created a rainbow effect.

I lined up tags down the page and sewn them into place.

I layered stickers, and die-cuts from the June kit. I particularly like the exclusive die-cuts.  I stamped on the bottom of the tag with the heart and fancy edge using the gorgeous stamp set from the Main kit.

To finish off, I loop through some matching twine through the tags and tucked in some more die-cuts here and there.

I hope that I have inspired you to use the subscriber cut files.  I find that this way of quickly creating a backing cut file really speeds up the process.  Thanks for stopping by.