introducing the new Silhouette CAMEO! {review, discount, & tutorial}

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for…..the Silhouette CAMEO cutting tool is {finally} here!!! Let’s get the Cameo crafting party started, shall we?! I am so excited to show off the new features and options the Cameo offers compared to previous Silhouette digital cutting tools. BUT before I dig right in, I know there are many of you that have been waiting {very patiently} to get your crafty little hands on one of these sweet tools. so I am giving you the discount code up front so that you can use it to snag a Cameo before they’re gone. there is a limited number available right now and they will sell out quickly!! you can use promo code: CRAFT {easy to remember!} at checkout to get the starter kit of your choice with your Cameo for only $299. So if you want to head over to Silhouette and get your Cameo now and then come back and read more about the coolest crafting tool ever, go right ahead!

Silhouette CAMEO Review

Ok, I have a lot to share with you today and I know you are going to have a lot of questions. I will try my best to answer as many questions that I can think of, butIi am more than happy to answer other questions that you have. So feel free to shoot me an email!
Now no Silhouette Cameo Review would be complete without a list of top features. So here are the features that made my crafty heart sing….

My Top 5 Features

#1. the pause button. umm, I could have used that about a bajillion times with the old Silhouette SD! I’d realize that  I was cutting it wrong or the paper had slipped and the only way to stop the cutting with the old models, was to unplug it. And then yank the paper, or whatever I was cutting, out of the Silhouette SD’s death grip……and having the SD grind and make sounds similar to a cow dying . Yes, I realize that was probably horrible for the little SD, but there was no other way to stop the cutting.  But NOW with the Cameo’s PAUSE BUTTON, simply press pause and ta-da! cutting is stopped painlessly. Brilliant!

#2 the Cameo cuts up to 12″ wide. {the SD cuts 8.5″ wide} This is cool for several reasons:

A. SO much easier to cut 12″x12″ scrapbook paper!! No more cutting down your scrapbook paper. That right there is a huge time saver for those who cut a lot of paper. I do my fair share of cutting paper, so this convenience is very much appreciated.

B. This opens up a all new projects and possibilities! You can cut BIGGER vinyl for bigger projects. Like 12″x12″ tiles that are so wildly popular. {not to mention, this would have been SO handy for my headboard makeover}

C. Bigger is always better, right!

#3 no more plungers! No, i’m not talking about those nasty things you find in the restroom. ahem. I’m talking about the 4 color coded little cutting blade tips that Silhouette so lovingly called “Plungers” that we had to switch out all the time with the Silhouette SD…….and managed to get lost all the time!! {those brightly colored little things were rather difficult to keep track of. and not cheap to replace lost ones……}

The Cameo now has all those “plungers” built into 1 nifty “blade”. YAY!!! {and now I don’t have to feel like an idiot talking about plungers all the time. ha!}

To change the cutting depth for different materials, you simply rotate the numbers on the cutting blade using a little device called a ratchet that is ATTACHED to the Cameo to the corresponding number needed to cut your media. {it also comes with a ratchet that is not attached to the machine}

#4. the Cameo is Quieter. Even Davis made a comment about how quiet the Cameo is compared to the SD! {this is coming from a guy who didn’t even notice the earthquake we had here in VA recently. seriously.} The SD grinded and groaned so loudly, it seriously could compete with the sound of an airplane taking off. And with little kids who still take naps, a quiet machine is appreciated so that I can take full advantage of the sacred nap time crafting hour.

#5 The Cameo is easier to load. I felt like the Cameo was a ton easier to load than the SD. The SD could be rather difficult to get the material or media loaded straight. Granted I had to try it a couple times with the Cameo, but I felt it was faster and easier to get the media loaded in correctly and straight. AND the wheels that hold the media in place seemed to hold much better.

The Cameo comes with Lots of Instructions and helpful material

Maybe its been too long since I got my first Silhouette SD, but I felt like the Cameo came with several very helpful items. the Instructions Manual was so much more user friendly and filled with lots of great pictures.

Plus it came with an Instructional Video. sooooo helpful! I know I was intimidated when I opened up the Cameo…..and I’ve used a Silhouette SD for over 2 years. So I shouldn’t have been. But a new machine can be scary at first. The Cameo came with more literature and helpful documents to get you started with this fabulous new tool!

SO i’ve already used my Cameo to complete 2 projects in the 3 days I’ve had it. {can you tell i was a LITTLE excited to play with it! or you could just call me a Craftaholic ;} My first craft was using the Fabric Ink Starter Kit that came with my Cameo.

***Dino Shirt using Silhouette’s Fabric Ink Start Kit TUTORIAL***

I added that adorable little dino to G-man’s new shirt. Its so perfect for him!

How To Use Silhouette’s Fabric Ink Starter Kit

1. take apart the stencil vinyl and the clear transfer tape.

2. Load your stencil vinyl into your Cameo. *You do not need to use the cutting mat to cut vinyl, I just forgot  and used it anyway :)

3. Cut your design out using Silhouette Studio software. When you cut around the design, be sure to leave several inches around the design. Remove the inside of the design. This makes the design you cut a stencil.

4. Place clear transfer tape over your stencil design and peel off the vinyl paper backing.

5. Place your design onto the shirt wherever you’d like it. Then remove the transfer tape to reveal the vinyl stencil. *Tip: this is the beauty of using a vinyl stencil vs. a freezer paper stencil. A freezer paper stencil is limited to a place/material that you can iron. With a vinyl stencil, you can place it on almost anything. No heat needed and it peels right off when you’re done.

6. Apply your fabric ink with a brush or sponge. Tip: whichever you choose to use, brush or sponge, I recommend dabbing it on. I brushed it on with the foam brush pictured above and it pulled the fabric and distorted the stencil slightly. So, definitely dab it on.

7. After the fabric ink has finished drying, remove the vinyl stencil. Then set the design with a hot iron for 10 seconds.

you’re done!

What I liked LOVED about the fabric ink, is it did not bleed through the first layer of fabric. Yes, I forgot to put something in the middle of the shirt before I applied the ink. And when I realized this, I frantically turned the shirt inside out to find what you see above. That the fabric ink stays on only 1 side of the fabric. PHEW!!

Chalk that up to ANOTHER reason why I loved this method of stenciling fabric with vinyl and fabric ink instead of using freezer paper and fabric paint. {fabric paint bleeds through everything. this ink does not!}

isn’t he such a cutie pie? he’s turning 3 soon. yikes!!

>DISCOUNT INFO<

Get a brand-new Silhouette CAMEO and your choice of a starter kit (Fabric Ink, Vinyl, Heat Transfer, Rhinestone) for $299!

use promotion code: CRAFT {easy to remember!}

valid: October 25, 2011- October 31, 2011

disclosure: i received free product to try out. all opinions are 100% mine. i was in no way obligated to give a good review. please see the disclosure link on my sidebar for my full disclosure statement.

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Linda

Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥

@craftaholicanon

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Linda

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