First "solo" project (with help)

I made my first item: laser cut ornaments out of 1/4" wood. I spent roughly 4 hours at Generator Wed night using Adobe Illustrator to create the ornaments. Even though I only used simple shapes & text, I had to learn how to:

• navigate in the program (e.g. zooming in & out, moving items on & off the workspace)
• make symmetrical shapes (circles & squares)
• change text into a path, so it becomes an object
• subtract and add shapes from one another
• create a .001 hairline for vector cutting

I confess I did a little air fistpump at one point when I figured out how to merge text into the ornament shape so it became just positive & negative spaces for cutting.

Yesterday evening I arranged with a kind member to use a small window of his scheduled 5 hour laser cutter time (thank you!) to print my ornaments. Luckily, Annika was at the desk and helped me with the questions (& jitters) I had to start printing...and she shared her ideal 1/4" wood settings (4-94-20)! I was so pleased it all worked out yesterday...big smile!