Wednesdays Trends: using negative die cuts

(Please scroll down for my All That Scraps DT post!)

Hi everyone, it's Mary J here with this week's Wednesday trends.  Today I want to show you ways to use the "negative" pieces from die cutting.  I've been using this technique more and more recently as I love my dies but wanted to get more out of them.  You may want to get a cup of tea and settle in as I have a few examples to show you! 

So, first up is this very simple form of this technique...

You know, I think this is one of my most favourite images EVER!  This cheeky monkey is from the Jungle Out There set by illustrator Melyssa Connolly.  As you can see, I simply lined up a couple of die clouds using low tack tape on a piece of white cardstock, put it through my die cutting machine and then popped it on foam pads over some blue patterned paper for extra depth.  I then layered a couple more cloud die cuts to create a bit more interest.  I am entering this card into the Simon Says anything goes challenge.

Now on my second card (using the same Jungle Out There set) I did a similar thing but I first die cut the label, used a wood grain stamp on it and then die cut the leaves.  The trick here is to keep the die as simple as possible otherwise intricate die cuts can get "lost" in the patterns. 

So I have one more example to show you.  This time I used the beautiful Blossom By Blossom set by illustrator Torico.  I die cut a large flower from a piece of white cardstock and then ran it through my machine with an embossing folder to create more interest...

Well I hope I have inspired you to try this technique to get more from your dies.  If you have any other way you use this technique, please leave me a comment here with a link to your project as I would love to see it!  See you tomorrow with my Bellarific Babe card - ttfn!

 

Fussy cutting hints and tips

Hi everyone and I hope you are looking forward to a new week!  Or at least not too depressed that it's four days to the weekend...  Anyhoo, I am here today with some hints and tips on fussy cutting for All That Scraps.  I've get a lot of questions about how I do it so I hope this will go some way to help.  First off, here is my card where I used this technique...

Isn't she beautiful?  This is Drozy's Darlings Letter For You and I also used a sentiment from the AmyR Stamps Sunny Sentiments set. As you can see, I have cut around her and also in between the gap of her leg and wing.  Here are the tools I use...

In order from left to right:

1. Serrated scissors (Tim Holtz)
2. Craft knife (Xcut)
3. rounded sanding tool
4. flat sanding tool (a nail file is just as good)

I don't think I need to tell you how to actually these tools!  But here are a few things I do to get a good result:

• First of all, I always cut around the image, say 2cm all round so that I don't have large pieces of card getting in my way as I cut round.
• Don't try to get a perfect cut out using your scissors the first time you go round.  You can always go back to trim more off but you can't put it back!
• Make sure your craft knife is sharp - you should be able to cut with quite light pressure.  If you find you are having to press down hard to get a cut, they are not sharp enough.
• Don't worry if the edges aren't completely smooth and rounded (especially around those tight corners) - this is where the sanding tools come in.  For the outer side of the cut out image, I use the flat sanding tool to smooth it out.  I use the rounded sanding tool in the inside cuts.

Here's a another look at my card...

That's it!  I hope that was useful.  I hope to do a video some time in the future so you can see the whole process.  If you have any questions, leave a comment to this post and I will get back to you.  I'm off now but I'll see you again for another Make It Monday in the future!

 

Tutorial on lining up solid metal dies in a neat row

(Please scroll down for my Birdie Brown make and 
Pixie Dust Studiosguest designer post!)

Hello, I am back again today!  I'm here with my Make It Monday project for All That Scraps and today I'm going to show you how I line up a neat row using solid metal dies.  First of all, here is the made up card using Sweet November Forest Pals and C.C. Designs Cutters Key & Lock Embossing die...

As you can see I've lined up the hearts in a neat little row and here is how I did it.  To start with, I created a little template using thin printer paper that is the same size as the patterned paper I wanted to use, i.e. 10cm x 4cm...

As you can see, I marked where I wanted the vertical centre of the hearts on the paper (1.8cm in from both ends and 5cm in the centre) and then I marked where I wanted the top of the hearts to line up (0.8cm from the top). 

I then cut out this template and used repositional glue to stick the template on top of the patterned paper...

Next I lined up the heart over the centre marker and up to the edge marker.  Using low tack tape to keep the heart in place, I then ran this through my die cutting machine.  I then repeated this for the other two hearts...

Lastly, I glued a piece of co-ordinating pattered paper behind and voila, it's done!  The great thing is that I can use the "spare" hearts and also  keep the template to use again!

Here's the card again from a different angle...

I hope that was useful - any questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.  TTFN!

Tutorial for creating a raised banner

Here is a quick tutorial that I had created for All That Scraps last week on how to make a raised banner like this...

What you need is the sentiment you want to use and a two ended fishtail banner.  I used a die, but if you don't have one then you can follow my tutorial here to create your own.

So after I stamped my sentiment onto the centre of my banner, I score two lines on one side of the sentiment.  I use my Score-Pal to do this and you can just about see the score lines in the picture below...

I then turn the sentiment upside down and score at the same place, obviously so that it's on the other side of the sentiment, as highlighted by the black arrow in the picture below...

I then crease at the folds to create the raised banner which you can see better in this photo here...

All that is left to do is to stick it on to your project!  Here is my finished card using with the raised banner and using Mashi's Muffins Farmer Fran and a AmyR Stamps Many Thanks sentiment...

I hope you found my tutorial useful - as usual, if you have any questions leave a comment to this post and I'll get back to you.

Colouring wavy hair tutorial

Hi all!  I'm here today with a quick tute on colouring wavy hair with Copic Markers using MilkCoffee Stamps  Lisbeth Walks In The Rain.

So, first I select my colours - here I am using E31, E33, E35 and E37.  First, using my lightest, E31, I cover the whole hair...

I then take the next darkest E33 and  colour where the darker parts of the waves in her hair will be...

I then use the next darkest E35 to colour the darkest part of the hair waves...

I go back and use my lightest colour E31 to blend the colours together...

Now I want to create even more depth.  I take my darkest colour E37 and put in the very darkest areas in her hair...

And finally using light strokes I lightly blend the darkest areas where I have used E37 with E35 into the E35 areas and E33 where I have used E35 into the E33 areas (if that makes sense!!).   Et voila, the finished hair...

Hope that was useful!  Leave any questions you have in the comments and I'll get back to you!

Blondes have all the fun

Happy Sunday everyone!

Instead of my usual DT card for Quixotic Inspirations, I thought I'd share something different today!  I have a lot of people asking me about the colours I use for blonde hair so I'm going to show you my colours.  To demonstrate I have used Adele by Make It Crafty that I got from yummy stash store Quixotic Paperie.  Adele is such a dream to colour in and I spent ages on her hair - it just draws you in!  Here she is...

First off, I should say that I use Make It Colour Blending Card - I have used all sorts of brands and Neenah used to be my fave, but no longer!  Okay, onto colouring!  So the base colours I use are E50, E51, E53 - usually starting with the lightest E50 all over as this gives me a feel of the movement of the hair.  I then use E53 where I want the shadows.  Only then do I use E51 to blend the two colours together.  

Now, take a closer look...

In the darkest areas it looks almost green - well, that's because it is!  I used YG93 and then blended with E51.  I'm trying to be braver with my Copics, using colours that aren't in the same colour groups together and I was pleased how my experimenting turned out on this!  For the moment though, I am going to share this over at Sassy Cheryl's Share Me Thursdays.

Okay, well I hope that was useful - any questions, leave me a comment and I'll get back to you!  Now to make something with this beauty....

Flower tute for Pixie Dust Studios!

Happy Sunday all!  Just here to remind you that there is still time to join in with the current Take the Pixie challenge with the theme of flowers.   Here is another DT make I did for it and I've done a quick rolled flower tute below too - I'll try to keep it short but you may want to grab a coffee!  I have used Graduation Dolly from the new School's out collection...

Isn't she a sweetie?!  I matched her up with Early bird Cosmo Cricket papers and a CC Designs sentiment.  So onto the rolled flower tute!  First of all, here are the tools you need, each of which I'll talk more in detail about using the tute...

Glue, a thin round tool, something to cut out a circle, scissors (not shown), cardstock/paper, beads

If you have a rolled flower die, then by all means use it!  Otherwise you can use a circle die or simply cut out your own circle and then draw a swirl from the edge into the centre of the circle and cut round...

So I've taken the hand cut version and using a thin round tool (I've used a Tim Holtz Distressing Tool as it gives some grip to stay in place), start at the edge (first photo below) and roll the card onto itself (click on the picture for a better view)...

As you can see from the second photo above, I use my thumb to push the card round the tool and use my index finger on my other hand to keep the edges lined up.  Once you are done rolling, you will get to the end with the circle, as you can see in the first photo below...

On this circle, add a blob of glue.  I use Glossy Accents as it dries clear (so forgiving with any drips!) and dries quickly.  As per the second photo above, push the rolled cardstock/paper down on the circle and hold down onto the circle base until it dries enough not to move (with GA, usually takes 5-10 seconds).  Et voila!  All you then need to do is add more glue into the base of the rolled flower and embellish as desired (I usually add beads for the centres)...

That's it from me now - enjoy the rest of your weekend!  In the UK we have a Bank Holiday tomorrow - woo hoo!!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

• Color Me Copic - celebrations (graduation)
• Karen's Doodles - something for the kids
• There She Goes - flowers
• Sassy Cheryl's - flowers
• Crafty Sentiments - spots and stripes
• Papertake Weekly - anything goes
• Little Darlings - flowers
• Crafting For All Seasons - handmade flowers
• Whimsy Stamps - spots and dots
• Crafty Emma's Store - no squares allowed

Tutorial for colouring hair with Prismacolor pencils

(Please scroll down for my All That Scraps review DT cpost!)

Hi everyone!  I'm back today with the next installment of my a tutorial for All That Scraps to show you how I coloured in Sweet Ima Butterfly hair on kraft cardstock using Prismacolor pencils. 

I use White as the base, again using using light strokes so that the kraft doesn't become "waxy" too soon...

I now use a different technique when colouring her hair so instead of using a circular motion, I use a 'feathering' technique instead.  I start with my lightest colours first, so next I use Burnt Ochre, feathering from the edges into the white space...

I then use Terracotta, again feathering from the edges into the white space...

You can see that I've left quite a lot of white in the middle so that the 'feathered ends' are more visible.  I now use Tuscan Red using less strokes but firmer to enhance the feathered look...

Last but not least I use Dark Brown in the very edges where the shadows are to create the depth that you can see in the picture below.  It also shows how I've used some scrap kraft cardstock to test the colours I've used for the image...

All's that left to do is to make something with this sweetie!  Okay, that's it from me - I hope that all made sense.  If you have any questions, leave me a comment on this post and I'll get back to you.  Thanks for visiting!

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