Using the CR for my journalling

[hesjane]

Hi Everyone,

I'm sure all you seasoned craft robo users have already done this, but I was just so pleased with myself tonight that I had to tell someone, ie - you lot!

I hate my handwriting for journalling, but also hate the printed look I get even if I print using a handwriting font. My brother said why didn't I use the CR to write my journalling for me. He adapted my metallic gel type pens to fit the pen holder and I have just written the most beautiful journal detailing my nephew's birth in silver writing on dark blue card. It is really superb. I used Bradly Hand ITC for the font, wrote it into a text box on the robomaster and used the outline option so that the CR thought it would be cutting and that was it. It really does look handwritten.

From now on, everyone who looks at my scrapbooks will think I have perfect handwriting.

As I said, I'm sure long time users of CR know about this, but I thought I'd share this with all the new users (like me)

[SunDrop]

What a fab idea! I'll have to have a play with it and see if I can get it to work for me too! And I imagine it writes in straight lines too :D

I might ask to have my handwriting turned into a font as a christmas present now :)

[Tosca]

What a fantastic idea. I also, hate my handwriting. Thanks for sharing.

[hesjane]

Having had to have my brother 'adapt' my own gel pens....I've been to the stationers shop this afternoon and a perfect fit with no adaptions are the Staedtler triplus fineliner pens. They come in loads of colours, but most importantly they come in the metallic colours which my printer cannot print.

I put my layout (called a new arrival) on the gallery today if anyone wants to see what the effect of CR writing looks like.

Hesjane

[Lucille]

You have lost me?? I can't see any text box.

How do you make it draw a letter without doing both lines of the outline?
How do you make it wrap the text?

[linguist]

What a fantastic idea! My CR is now better value than ever! Will definitely give it a go sometime. Thanks for sharing and Hesjane, it looks great on your LO.

[hesjane]

You have lost me?? I can't see any text box.

How do you make it draw a letter without doing both lines of the outline?
How do you make it wrap the text?

i just did everything as if I was going to just produce a cutout (ie, no print) and the only thing I changed was the cutting head and chose PEN from the drop down option. Apart from that everything is as if you are cutting.

I think it did draw both lines of the outline, but the gel pen I used was quite thick and as the text was not huge it has filled inbetween the lines. I have tried again with other fonts and other gel pens and it does just draw the outline, but as this only happened on the large title sized ones, then I just filled in the letters by hand with the same gel pen - still looks great.

Wrapping text is a bit harder - but not hard if you can manage to bring in cursive text dxf files already. I just typed my journal entry out in MS Publisher and saved the text box I typed it in as a jpeg. Then following the instructions in the tutorial section of this site I took it into Wintopo and detected the edges and then saved as a dxf. Then opened the dxf in Robo Master and my text was as I wanted it to look (although I had to resize it). As I said above, the text was not too large that it mattered that it was drawing outlines as it doesn't notice.

Hope all this makes some sense - I didn't mean to confuse anyone.

Hesjane

[Lucille]

Phew!! thank goodness for that I thought I had missed something :) Have you got a picture of this in the gallery? It would be nice to see it.

[hesjane]

Phew!! thank goodness for that I thought I had missed something :) Have you got a picture of this in the gallery? It would be nice to see it.

Yes, picture in the layout gallery (called A New Arrival). I've only been scrapping since September so I'm sure there's room for lots of improvement - but at the moment I'm pleased with the results.

Hesjane

[Lucille]

That font certainly lends itself to journalling, I am going to start a new collection of fonts that will draw well, so anyone else reading this please share the name of the font.

My DH is going to love you, I will be on here for weeks testing jounaling fonts now :lol: and I haven't finished testing all the dingats I've downloaded yet :lol:

Can you give us more detail of how you adapted your gel pens, mine are all too fat to fit in the holder, I know I could spend hours trying to figure it out myself, I am just being lazy :lol: hope you don't mind.

[hesjane]

Hi Lucille

As i said in my first post above, my brother adapted the gel pen for me and I knew it was going to be too awkward for me to do on a regular basis, so a visitor to the stationery shop yesterday - armed with the CR pen holder - I tried loads of different make/size gel pens. The result was that for a perfect fit with no adaptions use the Staedtler triplus fineliner and gel-liner pens - these come in loads of colours as well as the all important metallic silver/gold/bronze.

They just push straight into the pen holder and then that pushes straight into the CR with no fiddly adjustments (like those my brother had to make with my original gel pen). Needless to say I just had to buy the whole range of colours.

I must say, I had a very patient shopkeeper who allowed me to try every gel pen in the shop.

Hope this helps.

Hesjane

[Lucille]

Thank you for sharing, I will have to get some. I have told the girls on the WBG so they can all come over and have a look and get practising.

[Carrie]

Brilliant Idea! Shall have to go and stock up on the gel pens. Thanks for that.

[chicjo]

Hesjane, beautiful LO. Congrats on the new arrival. Now I'm off to see if my gel pens will fit. thanks so much for this great tip
Joanne

[Renniwano]

Hi guys..

I use the tri pens too.. took me ages to finally find pens to fit..

I love the tri pens because they are so neat and don't blob like the biro's can do sometimes...

I shall have to look out for the metallic ones though as haven't seen them yet.. although I will say I was suprised at how cheap they were..

A definate addition to any CR owners craft room.

[linguist]

Oh fab, I just happen to have a couple of packs of the tripens lying around here. Can't wait to give it a go.

[Chick]

Does anybody know of any online suppliers where I could get the staedtler metallic gel liner pens from? Have done a search but can't find any.

Thanks,
Trish

[Lucille]

Have you checked out the Staples site. I have not had time to Google yet, if you find somewhere would you please let us know? Would WH Smiths have them??

[Chick]

Have looked at the Staples site Lucille, they don't have the gel liners, but they do have the fine liners, also checked my local branch of Staples today who also only had the fine liners. Good idea about WH Smiths, will give that a try!
Will let you all know if I find the metallic pens anywhere!
Trish

[hesjane]

Hi everyone

I haven't seen (well haven't looked) online, but just to let you know that I got a box set of six triplus gel-liner pens which contain the following colours

White, Gold, Silver, Red, Blue and Green (Metallic finish)

I also bought extra gold and silver pens separately as I thought I would use those rather a lot.

Although you can't see it in the photo of my layout, they dry to a high gloss finish which looks fantastic. The red and green are going to be excellent for my xmas layouts. The white looks fantastic on dark coloured backgrounds. All in all an excellent set of pens.

I will start looking online for you all and let you know how I get on. Good luck with the search.

Hesjane

[hesjane]

Hi again

First place of search was the dreaded Ebay. But there is a shop on there who has the packs of metallic gel pens that I purchased for less than I paid as well. The shop id is called martin-julie and at the moment they have 5 packs in stock for £3.99 plus £1.12 delivery. I am not in anyway connected with the Ebayer - but thought this might help a few of you.

I'll keep looking elsewhere for you all though.

Hesjane

[Nadine]

Here's another location selling them

http://www.greatart.co.uk/gerstaecker_3666.html

[Chick]

Nadine - thanks, I did find that one but they wanted £5 just for delivery, so the whole thing worked out at nearly £12 for a pack of pens!
Hesjane - never thought of ebay (**blushes**) have just been and bought some from the seller you found, total price of £5.11 including p&p.

By the way Hesjane, can I just say thanks for introducing me to this fab technique? Have spent the last 2 days adapting every gel pen I own to fit in the CR, and have come up with some great bits of journalling for my pages. Can't wait to get the proper pens, there will be no stopping me!

[hesjane]

By the way Hesjane, can I just say thanks for introducing me to this fab technique? Have spent the last 2 days adapting every gel pen I own to fit in the CR, and have come up with some great bits of journalling for my pages. Can't wait to get the proper pens, there will be no stopping me!

You are very welcome. Wait until your pack of metallic gel pens arrive that fit without any bother - you just can't stop playing.

i also found the other supplier online, but was put off by the postage. I'll keep looking, because I think £5 - £6 is about the right price to pay including delivery.

Hesjane

[Lucille]

Thank you I am just of to get my order in before bed time.

[Lorraine]

the thought of NOT having to write out all those xmas cards is becoming VERY appealing

[Chick]

Lorraine, you're a genius! I never thought of that!

Trish

[Lucille]

HELP I have been to ebay and can't find them or a shop called martin-julie. I found plain colours but not metalics, are the ones you ordered staedtler? or can you give me more info please.

[hesjane]

HELP I have been to ebay and can't find them or a shop called martin-julie. I found plain colours but not metalics, are the ones you ordered staedtler? or can you give me more info please.


Lucille

do a search on item number

7507365929

Good luck

Hesjane

[Lucille]

Hesjane

Phew I have placed my order thank you. Hopefully I can sleep tonight unless I start thinking about scrapbooking, CR etc etc :lol: :lol:

[Renniwano]

No metallic ones left by the looks of it.. but my local wilko's sells these pens.. so off to have a peek when I get some time..

[Tosca]

I emailed martin-julie, and they are getting some more in tomorrow. Grab 'em quick girls but leave a set for me. lol.

[sharon]

Hi Girls just looked on ebay for these pens, have you seen someone has got a box of 20 of the fineliners dont know how to do a link but the no. is 7568585725.

[cornish lady]

I got me some fineliners from Wilko's today, 10 assorted for £3.99 :D
but no Gel liners though. :(

[Craftyman]

Partners have the gold and silver gel pens - BOGOF for £1.29, haven't tried them yet, can't wait!