Silhouette Online Store: Stretching your dollar (or .99)

So the Silhouette Online Store is actually a pretty good deal.  Most of the downloadable designs sell for .99 and there are a ton of them.  But here's a little trick - you can actually get more for your .99 if you shop around.  Here's a good example....

A few days ago I was looking for a coffee mug for a set of kitchen art paintings I was working on.  I wasn't real picky on the 'type' or shape of the coffee mug.   A search in the Silhouette Online Store for 'coffee mug' brings up 124 different mug designs.  Most of them are simply that - a mug.  A single solitary image for .99.  That's not a bad deal, but why not get more for your money?

I started scrolling down and I found this set of four mugs for .99. I immediately knew this was the design I would purchase.   On the right side of the image it notes that each design element can be used separately, as well.

That means you're not just getting a coffee mug - or four coffee mugs, even.  You're actually getting: a house, three different size hearts, a flower, a cupcake and two coffee mugs.  That's actually 8 designs for .99 which is an even better deal.   So while I know I'll be using the coffee mug immediately, I can also see myself using the cupcake to make a cute birthday garland or even a card. The flower is perfect for a greeting card and the house would be so cute for a housewarming gift card or craft.

Each of the elements can be used separately or they can be used together.  Since I only wanted the coffee mug for my kitchen art project, I ungrouped the design.   To ungroup a design, select it then right click (or Cntrl+click on a Mac) and select 'ungroup.'

Once the image is un-grouped you will be able to select individual elements by clicking on them.   Now you have the freedom to delete, move, and re-size everything individually. 

You can also select several elements - like the cup and the inner part of the handle - and regroup them so they stay together and proportional.  Do this the same way as you un-grouped, but select 'group' instead.  This is what I did so I could move the mug to the top of the cutting grid to enlarge it all at the same proportion.

Tomorrow, I am going to show you kitchen art that I made with this design - and how I personalized it to really make it stand out.

What tricks and tips do you have for stretching your money in the Silhouette Online Store? We'd love to hear from you - just share in the comment section below. 

Thanks for coming to class today at Silhouette School. If you like what you see, I'd love for you to pin it!