Scroll Saw Village

Here is Lesson 3 of our continuing classroom series as we learn to use GIMP to create scroll saw portrait patterns. This time we take a tour of the user interface. We look at the main screen and its options. We’ll learn how to quickly navigate around an image. We also look at the tool box and learn to customize it to fit our own needs. Lastly, we look at dockable dialog boxes and how to customize those.

The ease of customizing GIMP is what makes this software so great. If you’d like more information, please visit our online classroom where you can have all of your questions answered as well as written instruction for everything you see in this video.

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This is lesson 2 from our free online pattern making class.  This time we talk about styles of scroll saw patterns, what makes good reference material, then we tackle the subject of copyrights.  Be sure to check out the forum for written instruction and discussions.  On with the show!

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Proceeds go to supporting SSG podcast and other tutorials. Thank you for your support.
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Sharpen up those #2 pencils because school is back in session.  I’m teaching an online class on using GIMP to create scroll saw portrait patterns.  This class is a bit more structured than the tutorials on Scroll Saw Goodies.  Each lesson builds upon the previous until the end when you’re a pattern making pro!  The class lasts for 4 weeks with 2 lessons per week.  Each lesson will include a video demonstration, a written out tutorial and additional material.  A dedicated forum is available for you to ask questions and get some feedback on your progress.  I’ll be posting the video portions on Scroll Saw Goodies, but additional source material and files are only available in the forums.  So be sure to sign up for this great class.  Did I mention it is free?  So is the software!  How can you go wrong?  See you in the forums!

If you enjoyed this pattern making series, please consider a small donation.
Proceeds go to supporting SSG podcast and other tutorials. Thank you for your support.
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We’re continuing the Pattern Workshop with a new series as we explore a new program, Inkscape.  Inkscape is a vector based graphics software, similar to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw.  The main difference is the price tag.  Inkscape is Free!!!  You can find your copy of Inkscape at Inkscape.org.  It is a very cool program and perfect for us scrollers!

In this short video tutorial, we explore what Inkscape is and how to download this wonderful free program. Then we import a downloaded pattern, resize it, and prepare it for printing.  It may seem a little silly to have a whole video on printing a pattern, but I do this each and every time I print a pattern.  I love the results and makes my scrolling that much easier.

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Proceeds go to supporting SSG podcast and other tutorials. Thank you for your support.
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I love my scroll saw, but there are other tools on my wish list too.  Like a lathe!  Wouldn’t that be fun?  It would be awesome if there was such a thing as a scroll saw/lathe combo.  Nah.  That’s just too good to be true.  Or is it? And if we make this wonder-tool ourselves, we can save the earth too!   Could it be possible?  Well, Roy Underhill can make it happen in his article Lathe from a Loft (Popular Woodworking, Oct 2000 issue). The Woodworking Magazine blog has made this article available in PDF format for easy printing and reading.  The article is a humourous approach to building this wonder-machine, but still includes detailed building instrucitons and photo illustrations.  Even if you don’t intend to build your own scroll saw/lathe combo, check it out.  Its a very entertaining read.

David Pruett from Folding Rule blog and podcast has a really neat project that’s perfect for scrollers; a saw blade organizer! He designed this organizer for a friend that does a lot of marquetry. David’s design will hold 6 blade tubes, a Archimedes drill, and drill bits. Beautifully made of cherry and finished with shellac and hand rubbed wax. He includes some great pictures with commentary, a video overview, links to sources, and a free project plan presented in PDF format. This is a really cool, check it out!

Thanks to Handi for the heads up on this really great project!

Last week, I wrote an article about Copyright Free Photos.  Well, I’ve got another great resource for you. Stock.xchg has a huge collection of free photographs available to publishers. With over 350,000 photographs from 30,000 photographers, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the right picture for your next pattern. If you create free account, you’ll be able to add photographs to your light box (a photo bookmarking tool) for future reference. You’ll also have access to blogs, tutorials, and a forum. This is an amazing resource, so be sure to bookmark it.

I’ll warn you, though. There is a trick to using this website. Stock.xchg is a website brought to you by StockXpert, a paid stock photography service. When you do a search in Stock.xchg, you’ll get some results at the top of the screen (usually one line of photos labeled as “Premium”). These are photos from StockXpert and require a fee to use. Below this section, you’ll see your results. These are the free images you can use. Stock.xchg and StockXpert uses the same design and layout, so keep an eye on the URL to make sure you’re in the right area. Also note that some photographers may have restrictions, usually to be notified where and when their photo is being used. Be sure to read the license before using any of the pictures. Have fun!

Often, as pattern designers, we’re always on the lookout for photographs to create patterns from.  Unfortunately, this can be a sticky situation when using someone else’s photographs.  Unless you were given explicit permission to use a photographer’s picture,  you may be in violation of copyright law.  But before you throw in your pattern-making hat, there is a solution.    There is an emergence of public domain and copyright free photo websites springing up. Copyright-Free-Photos.org.uk is one of them that has a nice collection of photographs available for public use. Their collection is organized into categories for easy browsing, and the picture quality is quite good. They have a number of subjects from wildlife to castles. So there’s certainly a little something for everybody!  Check it out!

Finding free clip art for our patterns can be tricky at best.  Most clipart sites require monthly memberships or expensive bundled downloads.  Even then, the clipart may not be royalty free.  Thanks to a reader’s suggestion, I became aware of WP Clipart, a website that specializes in public domain clipart.  Their entire collection is available for  free downloading.  At tht time of this writing, they have over 25,000 images in their achives.  Their images are catagorized with easy thumbnail viewing.  They offer lossless PNG format as well as JPG, so you can easily import it into your favorite graphics program.  Check it out!  I look forward to  your next scroll saw pattern!

The Cook Family

One of the first forms of word art was calligraphy.  The beautiful swooping lines are certainly an eye pleaser.  Its no wonder why calligraphy is so well received and certainly offers a great scrolling opportunity.

RealfEZ creates beautiful wordart in Arabic calligraphy on his website Arabic Calligraphy For You.  He’ll turn your name into a scroll saw pattern in a matter of a few days.  So if you’re looking for a unique gift, or your family name in Arabic calligraphy, check out his website and put in a request!  You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll have a great conversation piece for your home!  Check it out!