By Judi Kauffman
September 11. A day that the world will never forget. The sky was a perfect clear blue over Manhattan, the Pentagon, a field in Pennsylvania. Within minutes it all changed.
Each year I spend time reflecting on what was lost: The flight attendant who lived a few blocks from us, the colleagues of a friend who worked in one of the towers, and all of those I never knew but mourned with a heavy heart. On this day I spend time celebrating the heroism of first responders and ordinary citizens who did what they could to save lives.
And then, I go back to my normal routine, grateful that the sky is still blue, most of the time. That people are wonderful, most of the time. And that there is still creative work to be done. All of the time.
I chose three words for today’s projects: Faith, Love, and Thanks, to symbolize the gratitude, joy, and hope that, together, always manage to bubble up and keep us going.
The boxes and cards use only two dies. The words, cut from adhesive-backed Shimmer Sheetz, are from Suzanne Cannon’s A Way With Words collection. The rose is from Susan Tierney-Cockburn’s Susan Garden collection.
These projects are so simple that I’ll let the photos do the talking – no step-by-step instructions. If you want to duplicate the cards as shown, the supply list spells out precisely what you’ll need. But my goal is to encourage you to use the idea of a 2-die card or box as the stepping-off point, the spark for other cards, gifts, or party favors.
Design Strategies
I chose clear boxes, but you could substitute organza, cellophane, or burlap bags, use opaque boxes, or simply create a tissue paper wrap for a candy bar and decorate the top.
A single rose felt right to me, but your projects can include several; a trio is always lovely. Or go for a mix of flowers and use several Susan’s Garden dies.
For larger boxes, instead of accenting the die cut word, surround it with a wreath of flowers and leaves!
If you want to use only one die, replace the flower with any low-relief embellishment.
Switch to different sentiment dies and change the color palette: Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Get Well Soon, With Sympathy. Go for Seasons’ Greetings, Merry Christmas, Noel, and others geared to the holidays. Or if you’re making favors for a wedding, use Forever or Mr. & Mrs.
Branch out beyond boxes and cards. Create some tags, decorate gift card envelopes.
Don’t forget to review Els van de Burgt’s YouTube Tutorial if you’re new to die cutting Shimmer Sheetz. It requires a metal adaptor plate in your machine’s standard cutting plate ‘sandwich’ (or the Sizzix Big Shot with Precision Base Plate).
SUPPLIES
Elizabeth Craft Designs –
Shimmer Sheetz in Amethyst Gemstone
Clear Double Sided Adhesive Sheet and Tape
Through the Lens – Metal Series 6 x 6 Cardstock (Used only on ‘Faith’ card)
Soft Finish Cardstock in White for Roses
Soft Finish Cardstock in Lavender and Dark Fuchsia for all projects
Soft Finish Cardstock in Perfect Purple for the ‘Faith’ card
Other –
Chameleon Pens – Warm Tones to color the roses
Clear boxes or other containers to decorate
Candy or other treats to fill the boxes
Metal Adaptor Plate
Beautiful set especially faith8
So very pretty!!! Love each of them!
Wow! The roses were cut with a steel die and then formed? They look so REAL!
Kimberly – Yes, the rose die set has several different petals and leaves. After they’re cut they’re colored (in this case with Chameleon Pens from the Warm Tones set) and then shaped with shaping tools and mats. The Elizabeth Craft Designs YouTube channel has a video tutorial for every one of Susan’s flowers so you will be able to see how easy it is.
I love the clear box and the sentiment with Shimmer Sheets!
I love these cards. That rose if perfection! I think creating something beautiful today is the best way to remember and show that we were not defeated!
Beautiful. Sometimes, for a day such as 9-11, simple is best. Classy materials!
Perfect remembrance!!! I love the clear box…..
Beautiful projects. Beautiful words.
Thank you, Candy. Suzanne Cannon’s A Way With Words dies and Susan Tierney-Cockburns flower dies are truly magical (the best sort of evidence of human hands at work – Suzanne’s hand lettering and Susan’s hand-drawn flowers).