Provocraft Alphabet - Personalized Cards

One of the most used die sets that I have is my alphabet!   I have never made a card that has been personalized with the recipient's name that has not been  admired or treasured.  Added to this, when struggling for that something different....this could be the answer....

Tommy's birthday card - some lovely decorative paper, a border from the same pack, a ribbon, a peeloff  ...

 and his name.

This alphebet is Harmony - I only have the one set and have found this adequate for greetings, names or just initials.  If you look at my Love and Marriage Label on the sidebar you will find lots of examples of how I've  used these dies.  I like this particular set because they can be spaced evenly or unevenly, or even interlocked, and with using  double side tape - adhering them is easy. 

 Cut a small square, place DST on the back.

Sandwich:  A / B / die cut face up / Card with DST face up over the letter to be cut / B

Using this method you only cut where you need and the DST does not stick to the die.

Always remember that with the Provocraft dies you do NOT use the C Plate - if you do - something will break!  I know this - I have done this!

Buying dies is expensive!  How many dies do you have that you use?  How many sit in the cupboard?

As crafters we all have the tendancy to want ALL...but with the vast amount of dies on the market, sometimes choices have to be made!    I realise that  I'm always alerting you of new dies and embossing folders, even machines (more about that on Thursday)!   I share my experiences and information with you because knowledge if a powerful thing, with it you can make your choices wisely and your dies and folders will pay you dividends, if you don't! 

Have a good day,

Cuttlebug embossing - Spring

It's beginning to feel like spring!  This must have influenced my mood this week, because on this card I've gone for a bright, cheerful, fresh green DP and a stamped image by Darkroom Door.  On crisp white Linen cardstock embossed with the Daisy folder from Crafts-2-you , I think you will agree this is a defo card for Spring day!

The image is stamped on glossy photographic card using an Airondack ink pad. I have found that I get super results combining this type of card with these inks, because the image dries almost instantly - this means no smudging!

Well back to my desk....I'm scheming for tomorrow.....!?!?!?....Hope you have a great day.

Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 1

How can you go wrong with a cute Penny Black image, Basic Grey Papers and of course your Nesties! Here I have cut the die out of a square of BG paper to make a frame, then matted this on to another square using 3D pads.   The image is coloured with Prisma pencils, embosed round the edge and sits on the back square  giving a framed effect.

Hope you 're having a "mice" day!

Cuttlebug Folder, Nestabilitie Oval Scallop, and stamping

Need a quick card?  BUT, also an interesting one - How's about this ....

Materials Used:
6 x 6 Cream Hammer card
CB - Swiss Dots Folder
2 Oval scallop dies
Vintage corner die
Harmony Alphabet
Decorative paper
Border punch
Stamp, ribbon and gems

 

I first embossed the front edge of the card, then covered the with DP with a shaped edge.  Any border punch would be fine, but this was actually cut with a Fiskar stencil template.

Cut and add the corners - to make these easier to fasten to the card, I always put DST (see glossary) on the back of the card before I cut. You can see this in more detail under the label : Alphabets on my sidebar.  On this card I also needed numbers, which were cut in actually the same way.

Cut 2 oval dies - one in cream card, the other in the same patterned paper.

Add your stamped image - not sure what this stamp is called or the manufacturer - there were some smaller flowers on the image, but I cut them off!  The mottled effect was achieved by using different colours of chalk and then covering with glossy accents.

This is not just a Cuttled card - it combines embossing,  papercrafting and stamping, but it's still an quick and easy to achieve card with texture, colour and interest.  Hope you like it!

Cuttlebug - Partial Embossing

It seems to be snow, snow and more snow these days - I don't like it, my troubled PC doesn't like it and now it seems that my camera doesn't like it either!  In other words sorry about the late posting, the poor pictures, but I think you can see (just about) what I've done.

This is a landscape 4" x 6" card which I have partial embossed with the CB Swiss Dots folder, and then with a scoreboard, scored 4 lines.  If you are interested in see how to get the embossing fully across the card, check out this link.

This close-up gives you a better view of the pattern on the base card.

I have decided this year to try my hand at waterpainting and I've also purchased a few Promakers.  Looking at the illustrations in my new Watercolour Flower book, I can see that I'll have to do some practising, but thought I'd post this attempt so I can look back and see if I'm improving!  At the moment it's a lot of trial and error! 

Tomorrow, snow permitting, my clever man is coming to set up my new laptop, upgrade my old PC and make me wireless.  Hope it's not as painful as it sounds!  Snow, snow go away - I want to be up and running with speed! 

Cuttlebug - Happy Birthday Embossing Folder

This Happy Birthday embossing folder is really useful for that card you need in a hurry! Quick to emboss -  no sentiment needed, but I did round the corners. 

For an embellishment I used a tag - inked the edges -  then used a new silhoutte stamp from Personal Impressions which has sat in my box for an age waiting for me to know what to do with it. Then I decided to add a sentiment after all.  

With  a few beads and wire added to the butterfly.

As I said, a quick card.  I was pleased with this card because all the bits and pieces  used have been hanging about for a long time - I need to use more of my stash!   I do occasionally go through my storage boxes to see what I have forgotten about - I'm sure I'm not the only one who hordes  - it seems to be  a Crafter's disease!!

Cuttlebug - 2009 Top Tips - No 4

As we near the end of 2009 which has been a busy year for me, I thought I would look back at some of the postings in the Cupboard. I have done so many tutorials and postings that I was amazed and surprised at what I found hidden away and had forgotten about! This led me to think of what I considered to be my best tips of the year and for the next four days I will show you what I consider to be my top 4 Tips for using your Cuttlebug and dies. You may have seen these, but just in case not, I don't want you to miss them!

Today my Top No.4 tip has to be using my small dies to make charms for cards. These have proved to be really useful for displaying birthday ages and wedding anniversaries.  You will find more ideas for using these charms under the label: Love and Marriage.

From:  5th July 2009

The last week has been hectic for me but I still managed to make a couple of cards using my Cuttlebug.

At the risk of becoming boring, I have used my Butterfly Shapeabilities to make a completely different card to last week's, because I thought you might like to see just what you can do with the smallest die.


Using a mottled beige cardstock cut to make a 5.1/2" square card, stamp a large swirl in gold ink and embossed with a clear embossing powder. 2 Fancy Corner die cuts finished the base card. Don't throw away the pieces left over - these can be used to decorate inside corners.


For the embellishment I used a thick handmade patterned paper to
cut a large butterfly and embossed this with the Paisley Cuttlebug folder.


To increase the boldness of the butterfly, use a glue stick to add a thick layer of glue to the edges. Cover with gold embossing powder and melt the power and glue with a heat gun.


This is the effect you get.



To complete the butterfly's body use : 2 eyelets and some twisted gold thread. Gold wire and beads for the antennae.
Cut 4 small gold mirror card butterflies.











Attach back to back over the gold thread to make 2 charms on which I have added numbers for this special birthday card.










Still using the Butterfly theme, cut and emboss the larger die - ink the edges and stamp in some way and you have your inside card completed.

The finished card.




I'm sure you will like the charms that you can make
with these small dies. Here I have used the heart dies on this Diamond Anniversary card.
Simple but very effective embellishment!










Hope you'll have time to drop by tomorrow for Top Tip No3.

It's not a surprise!

On Monday last I posted a picture of a box, with a promise of showing you just what I had in there.

Well today is the lady's birthday so the secrets out!

"Happy Birthday, Ann". I hope you like your card.

The lady's husband organised a surprise party last Saturday at the Bowling Club, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I too got a surprise when on Monday I was presented with an envelope containing £50 for my Breast Care Appeal. How thoughtful and caring of him to raise this money from his guests! And, how generous his guests!! Many, many thanks to you all.


PS: This card shows just how much equipment you need to make a card, something that our customers tend to forget! I used: Trimmer, guillotine, scoreboard, card, papers, Nestie Labels 1, CB Alphabet Harmony, 2 punches, 3 stamps, wire, flowers and gems, ribbon, feathers, ink, glue, DST,
foam pads and last of all a PC programme to change a photo into an embossed image.

Not a Christmas Card - it's a surprise

Hi, I'm really late today, I've been finishing off a late commission and with that and the firewall playing up - it's been a long day with no time for Chrissie cards...but I have made this box

 Unforuntately, I can't show you wants in the box until Saturday.....

I just hope it's not too much of a surprise for the recipient.

Spellbinders Borderabilties - Make a card

My bowling mate was 15 last week. When I make a special card, I first look at the criteria - teenage, must be pink, must be funky, bright, and personal! On last week's TT, I illustrated using Borderabilites so I've included a border to show you how effective these can look on a project.

I used:
Square Card
2 Basic Grey papers - Euphoria
Borderabilities - Spade
Nesties - Rectangles
CB - Alphabet - Harmony
CB - Birthday Wishes
PB Stamp, Gems and Flowers

Cut your border

Using the wax paper it easily comes out of the die
Cut the sentiment and initials. I use DST on the underside of the paper, and place on the back of the die. You could use a glue, but these cuts are so fiddly that I end up with glue everywhere.

This seems very elimentary - but I know from experience when cutting initials - it is sooooo easy to cut them backward!!!!! So I thought it was worth mentioning for new owners of DC machines.
Now all I needed was a Penny Black stamps and a few gems, glitter and flowers
A personal, funky card for a teenage. "Happy Birthday, Emma" Hope you had a great B'Day.

Back on Thursday with .......?!?!??!.....you'll have to come back to find out, because at the moment it's a mystery to me as well!

Spellbinders Nestabilitie Labels

There are times when you have such a pretty paper or strong coloured cardstock that all you need is a fancy tag or label to complete your card. That is how this project came about.

For the tag:
Two pieces of coloured card
Two different sizes of plain oval dies
Two different sizes of scalloped oval dies
Acetate
Stamp


Using the smallest plain oval, cut, emboss and stamp sentiment.






Using the largest scalloped oval, cut and emboss









Using the largest plain oval, with the smallest scallop oval, cut a frame








With the same plain oval cut a piece of acetate








Assembled and with a bit of ribbon, you get this effect. Posh Tag!







Now I need a card for the tag:
Largest Curved Rectangle Nestabilitie Die
CB folder Swiss Dots
Flowers, ribbon, gems
Stamp

Placing the die just over the centre fold line, cut the card. If you use a heavy quality cardstock you may have probs cutting. If so, run through the bug twice, and you could also try turning the partially cut die slightly to cut on a different angle. (hope this makes sense!)





Add two different ribbons to the edge and knot on the inside.










My finished card and tag.



My next post will be on Thursday, lst October.
Thanks for dropping by, hope you have a good week.