August 2015

August 7, 2015

Hi everyone,

It’s Els here today!

And what an exciting day it is, as we welcome Suzanne Cannon, Quietfire Design to Elizabeth Craft Designs as our third licensed designer. To welcome Suzanne, we are holding a fantastic competition over on our Facebook page. If you would like to win all twelve of the new Quietfire Design dies, you should check out our Facebook page for details of how to enter (and hopefully win!) If you can’t wait to be the proud new owner of all twelve of these new dies, don’t worry because you can get them for a steal on our website.

In this post, I will be sharing a collection of cards using the new Quietfire Design dies, named ‘A Way With Words’. Suzanne’s beautiful dies are so elegant, very versatile and can be used for both simple projects or more complicated (more decorated) projects. For the background of all my cards I used Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Silk Microfine Glitter and Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape, both of which are available on our website. For the first card, I used a masking technique and I’ll show you how I created the card in the step by step instructions below.

1. I used our Clear Double Sided Adhesive 101 mm tape role. First apply a piece of the tape to white cardstock 4″ x 5 1/4″. Remove the release sheet and safe this to die cut a variety of snowflakes using the Elizabeth Craft Design Snowflakes die.

2. Apply the die cut snowflakes to the adhesive, Elizabeth Craft Design logo facing up. Make sure not to touch the adhesive as this will leave marks in your glitter. Use a piece of release sheet to press down the snowflakes on the adhesive.

3. Cover the adhesive with Bluebell Silk Microfine Glitter and brush off the excess.

4. Polish glitter with your index finger, this will make the glitter shine.

5. Carefully remove each snowflake using the Elizabeth Craft Design Fine Pointed Tweezers.

6. After removing all the snowflakes, cover exposed adhesive with White Silk Microfine Glitter and brush off the excess (don’t polish the white glitter).

7. Adhere glitter piece to the front of a white top fold card.

8. Die cut one Merry Christmas from black cardstock backed with Elizabeth Craft Design Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape and one from Elizabeth Craft Design Silver Metallic Shimmer Sheetz backed with Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape as well. Make sure to use the Metal Adaptor Plate when die cutting. Adhere both greetings to card front (use black Merry Christmas as a shadow for the Silver Metallic Shimmer Sheetz).

9. Add Silver Lines Peel-Offs around snowflakes piece.

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and will try this technique yourself. The elegant words and greetings dies from the ‘A Way with Words’ collection are a beautiful combination with Elizabeth Craft Design’s Silk Microfine Glitter or Shimmer Sheetz.

SUPPLIES (for Merry Christmas Snowflakes card):

Elizabeth Craft Designs –

757 Snowflakes

1056 Quietfire “Merry Christmas”

624 Bluebell Silk Microfine Glitter

604 White Will Microfine Glitter

SS0211 Silver Metallic Shimmer Sheetz

1016 Lines Peel-Offs in Silver

801 Fine Pointed Tweezers

803 Metal Adaptor Plate

510 Elizabeth Craft Design 101mm Double Sided Adhesive Tape
Other –

Die cutting machine

White cardstock

Black cardstock

Brush

185 Comments

A Way With Words

Congratulations

August 6, 2015

Hi everyone,

It’s Frances Byrne here. Today I am sharing a baby card that I created using one of the new Quietfire A Way with Words dies and Peel-Off Stickers.

Here’s how I created my card:

1. Creating the base card –

Cut a piece of designer paper 5 inches square. Cut a coordinating piece of designer paper 5 inches x 1 3/4 inches. Adhere the small rectangle piece of designer paper at the top of the square piece.
Cut a piece of white card 1 3/8 inches x 6 1/2 inches. Layer onto a piece of blue card that is 1 9/16 inches x 6 1/2 inches. Attach diagonally to the top portion of the card as per photo above, allowing for room underneath to attach pram image.
Trim overhanging edges from sides of card.
Layer designer paper to blue card that measures 5 1/4 inches square.
Layer to top folded green card that measures 5 1/2 inches square (5 1/2 inches x 11 inches before folding)

2. Creating the Peel-Off Sticker images:

a. Before reading the instructions below, you can see a video Els created using this technique here.

b. Place a sheet of Transparent Double-Sided Adhesive onto cardstock that is big enough for your peel-offs and remove the release sheet.

c. Be careful not to touch the adhesive or it will leave fingerprints in the glitter.

d. From the Baby Peel-Offs, place the pram and safety pins onto the release sheet (sticky side up).

e. Place the cardstock that has Transparent Double-Sided Adhesive, sticky side down, on top of the peel-offs (In other words, place sticky onto sticky.)

f. Use release sheet in handling the cardstock until you cover the adhesive with glitter so you don’t leave fingerprints.

g. Cover the adhesive with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter, polish glitter with your finger and brush excess off.

h. Color your images as desired using alcohol-based markers on the glitter.

i. Cut around all peel-off pieces and attach to the card.

* Coloring Tips for alcohol-based markers and glitter: Remember that when using alcohol-based markers, such as Copics, work quickly and don’t let the tip of the marker linger on the glittered surface. Too much alcohol ink can dissolve the adhesive and remove the glitter. It takes very little ink to color the surface of the glittered image so work with a light touch. To get the faded look, lay a line of color down along one edge of the section you want to color and then use your blender pen to pull the color across the rest of the image. You may have to lay more color down to get deeper shading after you blend it out.

3. Adhere a piece of Transparent Double-Sided Adhesive Tape to the front of white card. Use the “Congratulations” sentiment from the new Way with Words Collection and die cut sentiment so that the adhesive is on the top of the word.

Remove protective backing from the adhesive and cover the sentiment with Spring Peridot Silk Microfine Glitter. Polish glitter with your finger and brush excess off.
Adhere the sentiment to the white diagonal panel on the front of the card.

4. The inside of the card:

Cut a piece of white card 5 inches square.
Layer the white card onto a piece of blue card that is 5 1/4 inches square
Layer to inside of card.

5. Remove the building blocks outline from the Baby Peel-Off Stickers, place this safely on a scrap piece of the protective backing sheet of adhesive sheet used previously in steps above, so you can use this another time.

Roughly trim around the negative building blocks which remains. Peel off any excess black peel-off sticker that may be around your image until you just have the image as per photo above.
Cut a piece of Transfer Sheet large enough to fit over the building blocks. Remove the protective backing and place the tacky side of the Transfer Sheet onto the negative shapes. Burnish with a bone folder or your fingers and carefully lift the Transfer Sheet checking to ensure that all of the pieces lift at once. You can see Els’ video using this technique HERE.
Now move the Transfer Sheet with negative shapes attached to it over to the card. When it is in the right spot, place it down onto the card and rub the front of the Transfer Sheet to release the pieces onto the card. Carefully lift the Transfer Sheet to check and make sure all of the negative image pieces are now on the card. (Don’t remove the Transfer sheet until all pieces are in place).

6. Die cut the words “It’s a” from the It’s a Boy/Girl die from green card that has Transparent Double Sided Adhesive Tape adhered to the back of the card.

7. Die cut the letters “B O Y” using the Alphabet 1 – Caps die set from green card that has Transparent Double Sided Adhesive Tape adhered to the back of the card.

Adhere the sentiment “It’s a Boy” to the lower right hand side of the card as per photo above.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial.

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs:

1051 Quietfire “Congratulations

969 It’s a Boy/Girl

967 Alphabet 1 – Caps

2593 Baby Peel-Off Stickers Black

600 Transfer Sheet

635 Spring Peridot Silk Microfine Glitter

639 Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter

509 Transparent Double Sided Tape 152mm

508 Transparent Double Sided Tape 64mm

Other:

Cardstock: white, blue, green

Designer Paper: Kaisercraft Little One 6 1/2″ Paper Pad; Kaisercraft Cooper 12″ x 12″ Designer Paper

Foam Tape

Copics

12 Comments

Pop it Ups

Baaaa Humbug…

August 5, 2015

Hello everyone, it’s Donna Wright here today. I am very pleased to be here again, this time showing you some lovely new dies from Karen’s Farm 2 and merry & bright collections. As there are only 142 sleeps to Christmas I thought I would get you into the Christmas spirit with this adorably grumpy goat.

I used the goat rather than the reindeer you can also get from the Merry & Bright collection as it fitted so nicely with the words Baaa Humbug in the speech bubble from Karen’s accordion rectangle die set.

After applying plain cardstock to a double sided adhesive sheet I cut the goats horns, nose and the blade of the sleigh then sprinkled the pieces with pewter microfine glitter. I used brown patterned paper to cut out the goat overlay and black cardstock for the goats body.

I used a half inch strip of acetate to make it look like the white cardstock speech bubble was suspended in place above the goats head. I hand wrote the Baaaa Humbug with the calligraphy pen I received as a Christmas present. I need to practice cursive writing more!

From the Katie label accordion die set I cut two labels in red card stock, one with double sided adhesive applied to it and one plain. I stuck them together slightly offset and sprinkled red microfine glitter on the lower one. I secured the label in place with one of my coloured mini clothes pegs.

I then cut one piece of patterned Christmas card 12×6 cardstock fold it in half, placed it unfolded on the cutting plate with the gift card holder pop up die in the centre position assembled my cutting sandwich and ran it through the machine. (Watch a video tutorial for the Sleigh Gift Card Holder.)

Using red cardstock I cut one sleigh from the sleigh die set.

After applying red cardstock to double sided adhesive I cut one sleigh overlay die and sprinkled red microfine glitter on it.

I hope you enjoy my tutorial for this quick and easy card…

Donna

Elizabeth Craft Designs Supplies:

Sleigh Gift Card Holder die set #1042

William the Goat #1048

Katie Label accordion die set (stitched label) #903

Rectangle Accordion die set (speech bubble) #972

Silk Microfine Glitter 602 & 614

Double sided adhesive tape 507

Double sided adhesive sheet 502

3 Comments

A Way With Words

Die Cut & Doodle

August 2, 2015

By Judi Kauffman

Thank you for inviting me to be today’s guest designer. My projects illustrate a super simple approach to cardmaking: Die Cut & Doodle! There are only three steps:

Die cut any of Suzanne Cannon’s A Way with Words Collection words or greetings from solid color cardstock that you’ve backed with double-sided adhesive sheet.

Position the word or words on a contrasting color top-fold card base. The card base can be a solid color (Happy Birthday), a cardstock rectangle on top of a patterned card base (Believe), or a card base topped with a die cut oval (Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas).

Doodle around the words with a white opaque pen as shown or in any light opaque color(s) you prefer. Doodle on the lettering, too, as shown on the Season’s Greetings card shown below.

Don’t worry if your doodling isn’t perfect. The point of making marks is to have a good time, to create something that is clearly hand-done, that is evidence of a human brain at work. (Practice on scraps of cardstock if you don’t want to doodle on the card until you feel confident.

Don’t stop at the four dies shown – there are eight other options in the collection from which to choose.

TIPS:

*Do all of the die cutting at one time so you can make a big batch of cards and spend a long afternoon or evening (or weekend…) doodling patterns and designs.

*Create your own patterns and designs or search for them in books or online.

*Develop your own pattern “vocabulary” using your favorite marks and shapes. I love using lots of dots and small circles, as well as scallops or sharp zig zags, leaves and flowers, and abstract shapes. The more you doodle the more patterns you’ll develop and the easier and faster it will become. Though speed is not a goal, it’s nice to develop a rhythm.

*Position words at an angle or parallel to the top and bottom of the card base. Words can be arranged on one or more lines. Some of the dies have words that are connected (Happy Birthday, Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas) but the other nine consist of one or more words that can be arranged as you choose, and they can be mixed among the sets. For example: Best Friends; With Best Wishes.

*Use more than one color for the doodling.

*Add gems, peel-offs, or other small dimensional embellishments. (Keep the embellishments small so they enhance but don’t overwhelm the doodling.)

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs –

1054 Happy Birthday
1049 Believe
1057 Season’s Greetings
1056 Merry Christmas
772 Accordion Oval Card (for white ovals)
503 Transparent Double Sided Tape Sheets

Other –

Gelly Roll Medium opaque ink pen in White (Sakura of America)
Popcorn pattern carcstock (Anna Griffin)
Solid color cardstock in White, Chocolate Brown, Red, Cordovan, and Chamois

16 Comments

Pop it Ups

I feel Baaaad….

August 1, 2015

Hi Crafters it’s Caz here today and I am bringing you a fun and comical Rectangle Accordion featuring the adorable Snowball the sheep. Looks like Snowball is looking a bit sheepish as he has forgotten someone’s birthday. Look, he even has blushing cheeks

Instead of assembling this as a usual 3 panel Rectangle Accordion I have stopped connecting the third centre panel and made that into a stationary part of the card that will not swivel. This could also make a nice surface for you to write on or a sentiment or verse.

1. Start by cutting 2 Yellow Accordion Rectangles and one Green one. As you can see I have run the die/paper through with the embossing sandwich to make the built it stitched lines around the edges. Rub a dauber into a brown ink pad and lightly swipe the ink around on the stitch marks to make them more prominent.

2. Attach the first two panels as normal by attaching the right hand side of the first panel to the left side of the second panel, then again the second panel attached to the third panel. I used the Elizabeth Craft Designs Double Sided Tape.

NOTE : You will need to decorate BEFORE attaching the central panels of the Rectangle Accordion.

3. Using the snowball dies I have cut a selection of “Snowballs” in different colours. Three white and one black. Please refer to picture for the different ways I have styled him. It is amazing how little tweaks and differences in colour can really transform this die to look so differently.

4. Cut a rectangle from Rectangle Accordion onto some notepad printed paper and stamp the Farm Greeting Stamps using black ink. Stick this onto the front panel. I have also decorated this front panel with some cut out grass, a cloud and the slightly hiding Snowball.

5. For the second panel I have cut a sheep from black card, a fence from brown card, a bright pink bow and another fluffy cloud.

6. The last panel has been attached to the others with the long side strip BUT I did not attach the inside swiveling panel to the others. I cut the connectors off from the right hand side both the large one all along the side and the small one in the middle. I cut a piece of green card to bit the back of the last panel from behind which makes it a solid card.

7. Decorate the last panel with another Snowball, this one styled slightly different to the others by using just white and using the solid layer as my bottom layer and using the detail layer I have cut the head off and mounted it slightly higher. I have also used the Elizabeth Craft Designs Balloons and another fluffy cloud.

Here are links to what I used from Elizabeth Craft Designs :

Farm Greetings Clears Stamps

Pop it ups Snowball the Sheep

Pop it ups Fence

Balloons

Clouds – from Tree for all Seasons

Glasses & Bow from Props 1

Party Hat from Props 2

Accordion Rectangle

Other Items Used :

Glitter Washi Tape

Frayed Burlap Ink Pad