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Most visitors to this site will know who Marilyn is.  She is what I call a "Grand Master" at flaking and has pioneered many flaking styles and "trends".  She and I have often enjoyed playing flake "tag" where either one of us will discover a new technique, style, or trick and the other has to see if they can duplicate the move, (not because we want to, but because we HAVE to, lol!).  We BOTH have each other to thank for many of the fancy-schmancy moves and cuts you'll see on our flakes.

Naturally, this game will inevitably lead to some "how did you do that" questions, and thanX to this I have gotten to know Marilyn quite well.  Her opinions and flaking advice have always meant the world to me and she has been kind enough to allow the placement of some of them here.   : ) ...thanX Marilyn! :D :D :D

-×-    Marilyn, this space (as always) remains open to you!    -×-
 

VARIOUS TIPS:

GETTING A SNOWFLAKE TO FLASH - THE BASICS
(From a file Marilyn uploaded to Snowflake Maker's Group )
I'll try to explain how to make the snowflakes sparkle.  It's a matter of choosing a small part of the flake and cutting it out.  Then retrace exactly where you cut and circle half way back.  It fools the computer.  It's a matter of logic.  The computer sees the second time around as cutting a negative thus creating a positive image in its place.  Then cut the same part out again.  Then retrace again, etc.  As long as the computer will let you before they take away your scissors!

AVOIDING THOSE LITTLE WHITE LINES THROUGH YOUR FLAKE
(From a file Marilyn uploaded to Snowflake Maker's Group )
Some times it seems impossible to get rid of them...especially if the SP are limiting your strokes.  I find that prevention is worth a pound of cure though.  Try to make your lines cross with as little overlap as possible in the first place.  If you're on the negative side and want to go back to positive, draw a line way down away from the flake...there are little black corner markers...go even under them...it will have the same effect.  Now you're on the positive side...circle around and cross over the bottom line with a minuscule little overlap...the smallest possible.  Now to go back to negative, make a line way down under the corner markers again.  If there are persistent little lines they are usually on the negative side...go from the bottom up over and down without going all the way to the corners of the flake to make them disappear before going back to positive.

CREATING A PROPER NEGATIVE FIELD
(From a file Marilyn uploaded to Snowflake Maker's Group )
I've been watching this conversation regarding negative space.  I sometimes have trouble getting anything white to show up in the negative space too.  I don't know why that happens but when it does I just reset and start over.  Also, when you create the negative field it should have a tiny speck of white left in one of the corners.  I use it as a reference point, but I also noticed that without that speck the other white strokes sometimes don't show up.  Reread "X"s instructions about how to CREATE the negative field. You must have a proper negative field before you can do anything else.

FILLING IN A SUPERNOVA
(From a file Marilyn uploaded to Snowflake Maker's Group )
The first time you cut across the negative field counts as one cut.  It makes a star (or whatever shape you choose.)  The next cut stroke makes a new, larger star and counts as cut #2.  Keep doing that until you reach the outer limit.  (Sounds eerie doesn't it?)  Now, going back into the negative field left in the middle... if you are working one step in from the outer edge circle around your new desired area one complete circle, overlapping the stroke at the end.  If you are working at the level of the cut that you made second last you need to circle around two full circles and overlap the stroke at the end.  If you are working at the level of the third cut in you need to circle around three full circles and overlap at the end, etc.  This works not only on the left and right edges but in the center as well.

CAPTURING A SCREEN SHOT OF YOUR FLAKE
(From a file Marilyn uploaded to Snowflake Maker's Group )
I know that some of you would like to have a saved copy of your flakes and that you don't quite understand how to capture the flake to save It.  When your flake drifts down zoom in on it and hit your printscrn button (top row on keyboard...next to F12).  That saves a picture of your whole screen at that moment in a temporary file.  Now, having already opened an imaging program, open a new file (File...New)...make it big to start...I use 1000x1000 pixels to start.  That will give you a blank white canvas.  Now go to Edit and Paste.  This will paste your temp file onto the new canvas.  But it still needs resizing.  The image is surrounded by dotted lines.  Use your cursor to move those lines to enlarge the flake onto the canvas.  This also cuts away the rest of the screen shot that you don't want anyway.  After you have your flake sized the way you like it - File, Save As the number of your flake.  I keep a folder on my desktop for them.  Once you've got them saved you can colorize them and do various texturing effects on them.  It's fun!  Great for t-shirt or pillow transfers, etc.  Then when the flake is finished I resize it and save it as a jpeg