Sunday, February 28, 2016

Paper Crafting World's Chicky in Bunny Ears

Hi again! I'm here with an adorable chicky dressing up as a bunny. You can use this for spring or Easter card. I guarantee it will put a smile on everyone's face!

 
Let's make this one step by step!

Purchase your Chicky in bunny ears cut file and open it up in your favorite cutting program. I used Silhouette and my Cameo to cut it out. Choose the file associated with your cutting program. I used svg.


As you can see from the pic above, the file opened up very large. We will size it now. Select the whole image and drag it off the mat. I am right handed so I dragged it off to the right.



Next select each colored piece from the full image and place them on your mat according to color. The image below is how I set up my mat. As you can see the chick is very large.


We are about to change the size now. If you want an exact size of how the chick will be when assembled you can select the chick while he is all together and resize him or do it as I did in the next step. After I placed all the pieces in colored groups I "selected all" the pieces on the mat and then grabbed the bottom right arrow and moved the shapes to the desired size. I was looking at the eyes. I wanted the eyes to be approximately 1/2 inch.



I then rearranged them on the mat. Now, time to set up the real mat with my papers. This way you only have to cut ONCE.  If you are more comfortable cutting one color out at a time, then you can remove all pieces once again to the right of the mat and place one color group on at a time and cut. I like to do it all at once. I can also use up my scrap paper this way. Just make sure you follow your grid lines to know where to place your papers.  My mat is old so I have to tape my papers on so they don't move while the cutter is cutting. I use a low tack painters tape I bought at my local dollar store.


Load your mat into your cutting machine and cut out your file. Don't forget, if you are using the Cameo you have to have your machine set on "CUT" in order for the machine to find your cut lines. This is also where you set your material, blade depth, pressure and other cut settings.


Once your pieces are all cut out, arrange them on some scrap paper to get ready for coloring your edges. This step is optional but it does add depth and dimension to your project without adding bulk. The chick can be assembled without this step.


I used Dew Drops to ink my edges but you can use pastels, chalks, Distress inks, whatever you have on hand is fine.


After all the pieces are colored, time to assemble the little guy. I used glue. You can use tape but glue is more forgiving if you get a piece in the wrong place. With glue you can move the pieces after you place them together, with tape once you place it down, it's stuck.



Now that our chick is complete, we can assemble the card. I used Lawn Fawn Small stitched Rectangle Stackables , Large Stitched Rectangles Stackables and Stitched Hillside Borders.

My card is 4.25 x 5.5. This is a standard A2 card. I used an orange starred paper from MultiCraft that I purchased at my local dollar store. Any decorative papers will work. Just use what you have. If you want more of an Easter feel, use paper with Easter eggs! I cut this layer to the size of my card front of 5.5 x 4.25 using the stitched die. Next, I cut my striped paper from another pad I purchased from my dollar store called Glimpses by Signifypink. This measures 5 x 3.75 again using a stitched rectangle. My last white cardstock layer was cut using stitched rectangle 4.5 x 3.75. I ran this white piece through my Sizzix Big Kick using a cloud embossing folder by Darice.



The ground was cut using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders using a scrap piece of green printed paper approximately 3 x 1.25. Adhere the  hill to the bottom of your white paper. Attach all the papers according to size like the image above.  Add the chicky on the hillside. I used foam adhesive to pop him up a bit. Lastly, I added some faux enamel dots to the bottom right of my card for a splash of color!

Thanks for joining me! I hope you like my Spring card. Give it a try and let me know how yours comes out! Post some pictures in the reply box, I would love to see how you embellished your card!!!

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Friday, February 26, 2016

Guest Designer for Miss Kate Cuttables

This is Jenny Fruchey from Jen's Crafty Place. I am very honored to be the Miss Kate Cuttables Guest Designer for today!

I don't know about you but anything Rudolph brings back such wonderful childhood memories for me. Since Christmas is over, I have a great winter card for you! Snow Yeti is that wonderful Abominable Snowman from Rudolph. It is a great addition to scrapbook pages or cards but I decided to make HIM my actual CARD. If you don't know how, just follow along!

 
 
1. Open the file in your favorite cutting software. I used my Silhouette Cameo and Make The Cut.
 


2. Select the WHOLE file and pull the bottom right handle to size the yeti to 5.25 inches.


3. Select the solid yeti. In the pic above it is the green image. Move all items off the cutting mat and move the green yeti on the mat. Select "copy" and "paste in place" then "flip". Without moving it, use your "up arrow" on your key board to move the new copy of your yeti up until just the top is overlapping with your original yeti.


4. Select the two yetis and use the "weld" key to weld both snowmen together to form the base of your card.

 
5. Cut the card base out with white card stock and cut all other pieces out in their respective colors. (One light blue, one grey and one white.) The Yeti file is color coordinated but if you need some reference use the jpg included in your file purchase. (You do not need to cut out the Christmas trees or the snowflakes for this project.) I grouped each item by color so you can cut them out at the same time. Either arrange each color group on a mat and cut or arrange each group on a section of the mat and cut all together.
 
 
6. Add some black paper behind the light blue face. (The holes for the mouth and eyes.)
7. Glue all layers together. Start with the white base, add the light blue layer with the black added to the back, next the grey layer and last the white.
8. Add the eyes, nose, teeth and tongue and you are DONE!

 
This technique for making the base card can work for all kinds of files. Have fun playing with your images! Use them for more then just embellishments for cards; use them AS your cards! People enjoy getting special shaped cards. Give it a try!
 
 

 
 

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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Hello Butterfly Card

I made this simple card using a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. I just found this neat website and decided to make a card using their card sketch 223. I didn't get it finished in time to post to their website for judging but I love the unique sketches. Using a card sketch is a fast and fun way to put a card together without having to come up with a layout. The hard part is done for you! Playing along with their challenges is also fun!
 
 
Let's make this easy card!
 
I first took some watercolor oil pastels from Prima and scribbled it on some scrap paper. I used an old toothbrush dipped in water and ran my finger across the bristles. I did this with the pink and green pastels. I splashed it on a A2 size card panel. There is hardly any water so no need to use watercolor paper. I let it air dry. You could use a heat tool to speed up drying time but it only took a minute or two to dry. While it was drying I gathered up the rest of my supplies.
 
 
I used some washi tape I had in my stash and made the "X" called for in the sketch. Next, I cut out a stitched circle with my CottageCutz Stitched Circle die. I used one aprox. 2.5 inches. (The 6th one from the center) I did this from some white scrap paper I also had in my stash. Then with the Butterfly, Lisbeth die from CottageCutz, I cut out the bottom layer from some soft green apple cardstock scrap and I used a pink polka dot paper scrap for the detailed top layer.  I adhered it with liquid glue and added a soft green apple cardstock body for my butterfly. I bent the top layer of the butterfly around a pencil to achieve the dimensional curved shape. I glued my finished butterfly to my stitched circle. I added it to my card above the "X" with foam squares for dimension.
 
Lastly, I cut a sentiment out with the same pink polka dot paper and fun foam for the base. I adhered them together and added that to my card under the stitched embellished circle. I still thought it needed something so I cracked into my stash of sequins and added some pink, green and clear ones in random spots I thought needed some sparkle.
 
That's it! It's done! I hope you enjoyed making this card with me and please feel free to email me pictures of your creations you made from this tutorial. (jenny@romeotheatre.com)
 
Until next time! Happy card making!!

http://www.scrappingcottage.com/cottagecutzbutterflylisbeth.aspx

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Valentine Card with Bonus Bookmark

Hi crafty friends, I'm here to show you how to make this cute AND functional card. It is a card with a  MAGNETIC BOOKMARKER as part of the design! It can be made for Valentine's Day or for a book lover anytime of year!


Let's make the card!

Open the Card-Hearts-Banner in your favorite cutting program. I used Make The Cut and my Silhouette to cut the pieces out. You will need to resize the pieces to make an A2 card. The pieces are colorized to help you with placement according to original photo found here.



Arrange the pieces as above. (You will not have the bright green rectangle yet.) Place a rectangle shape on your mat and size it to 4.25 x 5.5. This is a standard A2 size card front. (That will be the bright green rectangle on my mat) Lock the image so it won't be affected by the next step. Do this by going to the right of the screen and clicking the "lock" image next to the green rectangle. This will keep that file from being affected by your next step. See below.

Select all the pieces left on your mat and drag the right corner to size the brown rectangle or card base to the same size as the green rectangle. Keeping all shapes selected will change the size ratio of every piece so they will all fit after the card is resized. If you didn't do this step, you would have to resize each piece individually. When the brown base card is the same size as the green rectangle you can then unlock the green rectangle and then delete that layer. That can be done by pressing the red "X" in the box under the lock you just unlocked.

Move all the pieces off your cutting mat. We are now going to make the bookmark. Select the white and pink pieces of the banner. Place them in the bottom left part of your mat. "Select" them. "Copy" them and "Paste in Place". Use the "Flip" feature and then use the "up arrow" on your key board to move the pieces up until they are overlapping just a slight bit. See Below.

 
After they are in place like the pic above use the "Weld" feature and weld the items to make long banners or bookmarks.


Now that you have all your pieces sized, it would be a good idea to save your file. Cut your images out on cardstock. Use any colors you would like. I used a textured paper for my pink layers. If you don't have texture papers, run your pieces through an embossing folder after you cut them out.

After you cut all your pieces, it is time to assemble the card. Place your base paper (mine was brown) on a card base. Add your liner paper, I used a white polkadotted brown paper. Layer your decorative paper in the middle of your card front. I used a red plaid paper I had in my scrap stash. Assemble your hearts but do not adhere them down yet. Set the heart pieces aside; we are going to assemble the bookmark now. (I inked the smallest heart with Memento Dew Drops Rose Bud.)

Take your large scalloped banner and score at 5 inches which should be the center. Ink the heart die cut banner if you like. I used pink embossed paper and inked the edges with Memento Dew Drops Rose Bud. Score your heart die cut banner at the center which should be 4.75 inches. This is where I added my magnetic pieces. I glued some magnets between the two banners so the magnets didn't show.

 
Place your bookmark over the left part of your card and put dimensional adhesive on the right side of the heart and position the heart on your card being careful not to adhere it to the bookmark. You want to be able to remove the bookmark easily. At this point your card is done unless you want to go the extra mile and add some bling. I added some Wink of Stella to my embossed hearts. You can also add some rhinestones or other goodies to make it your own creation!

I love to give cards that can be used in other ways. This bookmark is fun and can be enjoyed for many years. I love the magnetic bookmarks because they don't fall out of my books like the flat bookmarks do. If you aren't interested in making the card, you can make a few book marks using just the banner files. Enjoy!
 
 Until the next time. Happy crafting. 

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