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Does anyone know if there is a tool out there that will help me to keep my white dots straight? If you look at THIS you will see my line of white dots is well not straight by no means.
I did try using a ruler however I can't seem to hold the ruler straight. lol...If I do find a tool I will let you know. I am going to try your ideas tho. Thank you.
Thinking more about it, I'd just measure up from the bottom of the card however far you want the dots. Measure that distance - say 1/4" - on the left and the right of the card and make a mark at each spot. Place a rule across the two marks and put a pencil mark every where you want a dot. Cover those little pencil marks with your dots.
I did try using a ruler however I can't seem to hold the ruler straight. lol...If I do find a tool I will let you know. I am going to try your ideas tho. Thank you.
I wouldn't be able to hold the ruler straight either, though I sometimes have better luck with a t-square since it's against both edges.
But maybe try just holding the ruler long enough to mark every place you want your cute dots.
Using a rubber- or cork-backed ruler can help it not slide as much too, sometimes. Good luck!
Something like the Tim Holtz design ruler might help - you could make a pencil dot through the holes you want and then add your white dot where there's a pencil mark. That way you'd have the straight line provided by the ruler and the spacing provided by the holes. His demo is here if you've not seen it before and I think you'll find them in lots of online stores if you don't have anywhere local that carries them Welcome to Timholtz.com
On a different message board (horrors!) I just explained something in about three sentences. Someone else did the same in about three words. Keeps ya humble.
Ha! I have the Tim Holtz ruler and didn't even think about it. It's a great ruler! My only issue is that like with other smooth-backed rules, I occasionally tend to move/slide it; the klutz in me.
I've thought about adding flat cork bump-ons or something else to the back but don't want to raise it up too high. Thanks for reminding me.
Joann thank you. I just wish the holes were bigger but hey....it is way better than what I was doing (eyeing it) lol....bjeans...that happens to me a lot. Especially if I am trying to explain something I need help on. I just started a blog and oh I so do not know what I am doing. So...I have been asking for help only I end up with 2 paragraphs to simply ask..how do I post a link? lol...very humbling.
I would have to do what you said earlier bjeans and measure from the top and bottom and put a mark so that when the ruler slides....I will know where I need to be. kwim?
Well ladies, thank you for all of your help. It is time for me to go comfort my dog. His name is Elmr he is a 2 yr old german shepard/yellow lab mix and he is afraid of loud noises. There is someone shooting off a gun (I live in the country) and he is prit near on my lap. Poor guy. Last year he got spooked by fireworks and ran off. He was gone a week before we found him and ever since he has been so afraid of loud noises. And my little dog who is a teddy bear pup named Diva now barks at these noises. She never did that until Elmr ran off. Well, Thanks again for all of you help.
Oh, I'm so sorry about your dog, Dani. : ( I kind of hate 4th of July because of all the terrified dogs and cats that panic and get lost. We could lower the decibels just a bit like they have in some countries, and still enjoy them, right?
A friend's cat and a neighbor's dog were helped with storm anxiety with Thundershirts. I don't know if you've checked them out but they're sold on line and in some pet stores.
Our wonderful dog (passed away last Fall) was fine with all noises. But one of our three indoor cats had a rough time during storms for years, because before I rescused him he was outside all the time. But over time he's learned he's safe, and is doing much better. I hope your dog learns this too.
If you have any washi tape (maybe a pattern that you aren't fond of), you could temporarily put a strip of it down straight just below where you want your dots. That won't help with spacing but it should keep them straight.
when I want things spaced just so I use a centering ruler like this: and do the dots with pencil first ( usually I poke holes not draw dots but, same idea right?) Creative Imaginations - Centering Ruler
(ps I bought mine at a CK convention a long time ago but, this site came up with a photo of it)
On a different message board (horrors!) I just explained something in about three sentences. Someone else did the same in about three words. Keeps ya humble.
HA! Sounds like me.
Dani I'm sorry about your dogs - that stresses my kitties too. It stinks not to be able to convince them it will be ok.
Do y'all remember the tear off edges of paper that fed thru old computer paper? I had a strip that I used. It finally got lost, So I punched a strip of paper with my Office binding machine....Zutter or Cinch would work too.
What if you used Microsoft word document and created the template. Create dots. When it prints out - you can punch all the dots. You will have a template with the holes.
I would use my silhouette machine to create a cardstock template
__________________ Creativity is intelligence having fun. - Albert Einstein
Yes! LOL Brilliant. Now I'm going to be noticing anything with a straight line of holes in it. Or a curvey line for other projects. Colander, tennis shoe lace holes, serving spoon... ; )
Do y'all remember the tear off edges of paper that fed thru old computer paper? I had a strip that I used. It finally got lost, So I punched a strip of paper with my Office binding machine....Zutter or Cinch would work too.
I have an old SU little dot grid mat with different dimensions of dots that I use. It has been retired and I don't know if any one else makes one. I have a friend who uses an engineer's grid of her husband's, but she says it is prohibitive in cost for a casual tool. I was thinking that maybe someone has made a dot stencil that could be held in place with painter's or washi tape. Maybe something like this?
And you can always tape down your ruler along both ends and then just slide your card under it. (If you don't have too many layers.)
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I would use the piercing template that is just rows of dots. Mark them or very lightly pierce them and you have some very evenly spaced dots in straight lines.
Oh wow tons of wonderful ideas. Thank you ladies. And thank you for your concerns for Elmr. Poor thing; we had a thunderstorm last night and I thought he was going to end up sitting on top of my head. He just could not get close enough. Lydia, you are so right, we can't convince them it will be okay. Bjeans I am sorry to hear about your dog. That is so sad when it comes to that. I have a story to share however I need to get over to the gallery and start my shift. If I remember (my memory these days is terrible) I will come back and share it. Thanks again ladies for all the wonderful ideas. Hugs to all and hugs to all the 4 legged babies that get so scared.
Oh my gosh I remembered. So, this story is sad just so you know. My youngest daughter, Kayla had a little dushound (not sure of the spelling). Mister (that was his name) wanted to go out so she put him out on his tie out in the back yard. She came inside to tend to her son and all of a sudden she hears dogs growling and barking and making a huge fuss. Her husband screamed out for her and when she got to the door she got to see 2 pitbulls that came into her yard tore Mister in two and then to pieces. They knew who the pitbulls belonged to and I told her to press charges. However, she wouldn't because she said that the pitbulls would have to be put down and she felt it wasn't their fault it was their owners fault for teaching them to be like that. Even after saying to her "What if that was little man out there playing?" She still would not press charges. She did ask a lawyer if there was something that could be done to the owners without making the dogs suffer. However, he said no. The dogs would be put down. I don't know maybe I am a mean person, but if that were my Diva getting torn apart like that I would want those pitbulls put down. What if they do it again to someone else's dog? kwim? Anyways...that is my sad story.
They make grippers for rulers (for quilting); they are little dots or circles that you put on the bottom of your ruler so it doesn't move on the fabric. You could try some of these on your rulers.
Oh wow tons of wonderful ideas. Thank you ladies. And thank you for your concerns for Elmr. Poor thing; we had a thunderstorm last night and I thought he was going to end up sitting on top of my head. He just could not get close enough. Lydia, you are so right, we can't convince them it will be okay. Bjeans I am sorry to hear about your dog. That is so sad when it comes to that. I have a story to share however I need to get over to the gallery and start my shift. If I remember (my memory these days is terrible) I will come back and share it. Thanks again ladies for all the wonderful ideas. Hugs to all and hugs to all the 4 legged babies that get so scared.
PLEASE try a thunder shirt for you poor pooch! They work.
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
I always used the top of a stampin up order form. The holes are spaced just right. You could also ues a page from a spiral note book to get spaceing. Other wise use a piece of acetate and make a pattern with a small punch.
Wow, so many awesome ideas to try. About the Thunder shirt..my friend said she has a thunder coat that she is going to let me use just to see if it works for Elmr. If it does I will purchase one for him. I sure hope it works. For being such a big dog he sure does cower down because of loud noises. And shake oh man I have never seen a dog shake like that before. So yeah, I pray it does work. Thank you everyone for your awesome ideas on getting my dots straight. I tried the plastic canvas however it doesn't make the dots big enough. Altho, I suppose I could go back over them to make them bigger. I will try that. I also like the gripper idea and the notebook as well. I will just try them all and see which one works best for me. Thanks again.
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Even though Tim Holtz's ruler is beautifully designed, the holes are designed for a paper-piercer so it's doubtful a pen nib would fit to reach the paper. Making the holes the proper size for the paper-piercer, though, is required for accurate placement. If the plastic ruler is too thick and/or the holes too small for the pen nib or whatever is used to mark the dots, a mechanical pencil with the lead measured out deep enough will fit through the holes to mark the paper. Of course, then you have to mark them over again with your choice of paint, ink, or whatever but it should help in keeping them evenly spaced, if not evenly sized.
You need what is called a paper-piercing template. SU used to make one (like a rectangle with rounded corners). I have several different kinds, some of them are drafting templates I picked up at Office Depot. To make the dots like your card has, you would need a template in a ruler shape. The one I use the most (it is plastic and I adhered a piece of repositionable tape to the bottom so it wouldn't slip) is this one:
You can also find them online by googling, printing out and then piercing through the marked holes or using your hole punch, etc. Hope this helps! xoxo
Thank you so much. I just ordered one. I don't know if the holes will be big enough, but as someone said earlier I can always make the mark with a mechanical pencil and go back over them with the acrylic paint. I use acrylic paint and one of my tools I use when I do nails. Thank you again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 123scrap
You need what is called a paper-piercing template. SU used to make one (like a rectangle with rounded corners). I have several different kinds, some of them are drafting templates I picked up at Office Depot. To make the dots like your card has, you would need a template in a ruler shape. The one I use the most (it is plastic and I adhered a piece of repositionable tape to the bottom so it wouldn't slip) is this one:
You can also find them online by googling, printing out and then piercing through the marked holes or using your hole punch, etc. Hope this helps! xoxo
Is there such a tool?
