Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Handmade Holiday Cards Part 1



I appreciate any chance I get to be creative. The holidays in December give me that opportunity. This will be the first of several posts on my blog to show the ways to vary the cards you make beginning with one Christmas tree stamp from Stampabilities #OR1059.

Instructions:
Stamp tree on watercolor paper, using jet black, Stazon solvent ink.
Use Tombow Watercolor Markers to color green areas, followed by red (you can use a waterbrush to blend the ribbon) on the ribbons and bows.
Color ornaments in assorted colors.
Use metallic Gelly Roll [en for the star and some embellishments of ornaments.
Cut out tree leaving a white edge (I didn’t use the gifts at the bottom of the stamped tree).
Glue tree to holiday print card base (I used Recollections 5.5 in. x 4.25 in. cards).
Add holiday stickers for interest both as ornaments and gifts.
Check my next blog for another card using this great stamp!

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Easy Step-up Cards with Sizzix


I have admired step cards and have been wanting to find an easy way to create them. I recently got the Sizzix Framelits Die Set of 23 piece by Stephanie Barnard. This wafer-thin chemical-etched die set is fairly easy and efficient to use.
At first I used the piece in my Cuttlebug without extended cutting pads. I needed to clean the pieces up with my scissor and make folds by. They weren't perfect, but I did love the creations and wanted to make more and want to make them right. I went to Michaels and bought the extended cutting pads (B plates) as well as the adapter (C plate)! It's much easier and neater with the extended pads to make the card base. I use light tact tape to hold the paper to the framelite and put the base through the machine twice...flipping the piece once between the pads to make neat cuts and better embossed impressions for the folds.

The kit come with a handy storage envelope, needed to keep the many pieces together and the set it compatible with several machines.

The stack or sandwich for the Cuttlebug from bottom to top is as follows:

A spacer
C adapter
Die blades facing up
Paper
B cutting pad

Yes, the new long pad gets cuts and is tough to turn at the beginning...slow and even pressure is needed to turn the Cuttlebug and placement beyond the border line is recommended.
Here is my take on the original picture as shown in the detailed description:
Of course I didn't just by the set to continue to make balloon birthday cards. I like to make little scenic cards using some rubber stamped pieces which I had previously colored. The first two of the following cards were made before I got the cutting pads and if you were to check them, the backs are not the same as the later cards, but they are so very cute anyway!


I used assorted Magnolia rubber stamps and Art Impression stamps as well as the Cricut Expression and the Sizzix dies and Cuttlebug machine to illustrate this blog post. I hope you enjoyed this story and try this new item yourself.
For additional information on the designer of these dies check this out: http://stephaniebarnard.blogspot.com/