Balzer Designs

ScanNCut DX: Technique Videos

I will be on Home Shopping Network (HSN) tomorrow (Wednesday). Tune in on your TV or stream it live online.  I have the entire 4am hour (sewing and ScanNCut) and most of the 5pm hour (sewing and ScanNCut).  I hope you'll tune in and maybe even call in to talk to me on air!

Today I'm sharing a few ScanNCut DX technique videos with you!  If you have any technique videos you'd like to see, let me know!  All three of these videos are in response to questions I received.

First up: setting up the wireless! 

The good news is that your machine is already wirelessly activated when you take it out of the box.  All you need to do is set up the wireless and connect it to your CanvasWorkspace account.  Set up is quick and easy and I'm going to walk you through it, step-by-step.  I encourage you to do these steps along with the video -- pausing and rewinding where necessary.  Ready?  Let's go!

Easy, right?!

Once the wireless is all set up, then you're ready to update your software (if necessary).  Watch the video on how to do it:

There are three methods for updating: wireless, USB thumb drive, and USB cord via CanvasWorkspace for PC. Choose the method that works for you.   If you want to be notified when there are software updates, be sure to register your machine on the Brother website.

How does the Auto Blade do cutting fabric?  The short answer is, it works like a dream!  Check out this video for the skinny on how it all works:

There are just three things to remember when cutting fabric with the ScanNCut DX:

1. Use a High Tack Fabric Support Sheet
2. The Thin Fabric Auto Blade is for cutting thin fabric and thin fabric ONLY.
3. The Auto Blade can cut fabric with fusible, upholstery fabric, leather, etc.

Fabric with fusible or starch won't ravel when you pull it off the mat:

You can easily cut fabric without anything in it, but it will ravel when you pull it off the adhesive mat:

The raveling doesn't matter when you're using a seam allowance (as for quilt piecing), but for applique, you may prefer to use fabric with either starch or fusible.

Some of my personal preferences:

• When I cut fabric with fusible, I do it with the paper off and the fabric side down -- aka fusible up.
• I have a second Auto Blade & Auto Blade holder, which I've dedicated to cutting fabric because paper dulls blades more quickly than fabric.

If you want to see more fabric cutting, check out this replay of a Facebook Live I did in September.  In the livestream I answer questions, cut fabric, cut out stamped images (Direct Cut), cut a silicone stamp, show Background Scanning, explain how the new and old blades are different, and so much more!

Finally, leather -- both real and faux.  In the video, you can hear my excitement when the Auto Blade does a totally perfect job cutting leather.

Here are the cuts from the video (this is one of the built-in applique designs from the DX225):

As with cutting fabric, you want to make sure to use a High Tack Fabric Support Sheet when you cut leather.  (Although, I probably could have gotten away with a regular Standard Mat when cutting the faux leather -- it was pretty paper-like.)

Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know if you have ScanNCut DX questions!

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P.S. I am a paid spokesperson for the Brother ScanNCut.  It is a machine that I love and use.  All projects and opinions are my own.

Product Registration: https://www.brother-usa.com/registermybrother/
Brother Customer Support: https://www.brother-usa.com/support/

Kraftex Bowl

I recently participated in Cloth Paper Scissors "Road Test" section, where they ask artists to make something with a particular product.  They sent me a roll of red Kraft-Tex. 

I had experimented with Kraft-Tex a few times before.  It's a fascinating product.  It's paper, but you can wash it and sew it like fabric.  It has some similarities to leather in appearance.  It doesn't tear and it takes paint easily.  A lot of people use it for bags and journal covers. 

If you know me, you know that I always want to do something different.  I wanted to make something that took advantage of all of Kraft-Tex's unusual qualities.  After sitting and thinking for a while, I decided to make a decorative bowl -- creating the bowl shape by stitching.

I used my Dramatic Floral stencil to create a pattern inside the bowl, but I left the outside plain.

I love the way it turned out!  You can find step-by-step instructions as well as other artist's experiments with Kraft-Tex in the current (and final) issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Two ScanNCut Classes at Sewing Machines Plus in California

As promised, here is some more info on those ScanNCut classes in California December 14-16.

• Thursday, December 13 is a one-day class for ScanNCut users who want to bring their machines to class.
• Friday & Saturday -- December 14 & 15 -- is a two-day class and the class fee INCLUDES the purchase of a brand new ScanNCut DX 225.

In the two-day class we are making six projects.

In the one-day class we will be making the first three projects:

A paper lamp:

A card with drawing and an envelope:

A notebook with layered vinyl:

A tote bag featuring scanned handwriting:

A no-sew fabric pillow cover with a design created by you:

And a stamped gift box:

Not only will you walk away with an amazing collection of finished projects, but each project is designed to teach you ScanNCut skills -- from blade depth to scanning to on screen editing, I will cover it all.

I hope you'll join me in California!

FIVE years with the ScanNCut!

2018 marks my FIVE-YEAR anniversary with the ScanNCut.  Over time, people have asked me how I got started with the ScanNCut?

Through a series of happy accidents, back in 2013, I ended up at a focus group for a yet-to-be-released product called the ScanNCut. The folks at Brother pretty much pointed us at the machines and let us play. I was blown away. It was so easy to create cut files from my drawings!  I could create custom stencils with just a scan and some cutting!  I was also unhappy with some things and I stood up and said them. A lot of them. And then the most shocking thing happened, they called me and wanted to know more.  It's one of the things that I really appreciate about Brother -- as a company.  They are always interested in feedback and making their products better and more user friendly with every iteration.

Over the years, I've made cards...

Home Decor:

Creative Patchwork:

Silicone Stamps:

3-D Objects:

Stickers:

Stencils:

Decorations:

Cookie Stenciling:

Easter Eggs:

Candle "Holders":

Baby Gifts:

Scrapbook Pages:

T-Shirts:

Pencil Cases:

Foam Stamps:

Flowers (that's felt):

And even an umbrella:

Believe it or not, these are just a few of the hundreds of projects I've made with my ScanNCut over the years.  I hope that you've enjoyed learning about your ScanNCut as I've learned and explored with my own!  While it's true that I get paid to create videos and share posts about the ScanNCut, it is a machine that I love and use. I can hardly imagine my crafty life without my ScanNCut!  One of the reasons that I've been able to spend five years talking about my love for the ScanNCut is because that love is genuine and true.  I look forward to sharing more ScanNCut projects and ideas and techniques in the coming years too!

I will be on HSN tomorrow (11/6/18) with the ScanNCut DX and the PTouch Embellish at 7am and 6pm EST!

Thanks for stopping by!

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P.S. I am a paid spokesperson for the Brother ScanNCut.  It is a machine that I love and use.  All projects and opinions are my own.

Product Registration: https://www.brother-usa.com/registermybrother/
Brother Customer Support: https://www.brother-usa.com/support/

ScanNCut for Artists

I had the great pleasure of teaching a two-day ScanNCut class focused on using the ScanNCut as a tool for making art tools.

It was a great group of people from all over the country -- Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Hampshire, Vermont, California, and Texas.

And we had so much fun making stamps, screens, stencils, masks, and more!

I even made screenprinted cookies for the students, using a screen I cut with my ScanNCut!

Don't worry, a tutorial for the screenprinted cookies is coming!

AND, I'm so pleased to share that I will be teaching two different in-person ScanNCut classes for Sewing Machines Plus in California in December.  I'll share a bit more of an in-depth look at those classes next week, but here are the links if you're curious: 

• One-Day Class
• Two-Day Class

Thanks for stopping by!

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P.S. I noticed that mats and blades for the DX are now up on Amazon.

• Scanning Mat
• Standard Mat
• Auto Blade -- blade only
• Thin Fabric Auto Blade Holder -- holder only