card design

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PARTIAL DIE CUT VALENTINE CARD

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ANNOUNCEMENT

My Blog RSS feed delivery via MailChimp will be ending soon. If you’d like to remain in the know, please sign up for my email list using the form located at the bottom right of my HOME PAGE (the form will not show up in RSS Feed Emails) , and then you can unsubscribe yourself from the Blog RSS Feed emails without missin’ a beat! Thank you!

I’m always looking for alternative ways to use my tools and supplies and this idea has been rolling around in my head for quite some time:

Less is More . . .

This is one of those “looks-more-complex-than-it-actually-is” kind of cards—the partial die cutting on the card front gives the appearance of more layers because of the colorful, stamped pattern . . . Always a winner in my book!

Full video tutorial below:

HOW TO:

  1. Score a 4.25 x 11” piece of card stock at 5.5” from the short end to make a horizontal side-folding card.

  2. Fold the card and place into the MISTI (the original sized MISTI works best for this because you get more platform area and can move the paper for repeat stamping.

  3. Stamp the longest paint stroke image in a series of stripes, some overlapping, some 2nd generation impressions and some reinked and stamped again to intensify the color.

  4. Use the partial die-cutting method to cut the cityscape through the card front only; trim away the negative piece with scissors or a craft knife (if you’re unsure, just watch the video above).

  5. Gold emboss images from Love Notes onto watercolor paper and watercolor using Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers and a waterbrush. Die cut when dry.

  6. Mount images to card as shown, taking care to position so that the card still swings open freely.

  7. Gold emboss sentiment onto scrap of red card stock; 3D mount to card front.

If you haven’t yet, this is a simple but fun die cutting method to try! Thanks for stopping by!

FREE ONLINE CARD MAKING EVENT

Last week I let you know about the Card Maker Success Summit, which kicks off next week. You’re going to hear from me on Day 1, Feb 17 2:00pm Pacific about Beginner-friendly digital die cutting for card-making.

You’ll also hear from some of my friends, including:

  • Daniel West

  • Therese Calvird

  • Laurie Willison

  • And a whole lot more!

These presentations are totally free to you for the first 24-hours, as long as you’re registered.

You can also get your hands on the VIP All-Access Pass for a reduced price right now. With it you’ll get:

  • VIP All-Access Pass to all 25+ presentations - no waiting!

  • Lifetime access to all 25+ presentations ($1,200 value)

  • 275+ page Card Project Digital Workbook with a card project planning calculator ($59 value)

  • 1 Live Virtual Crop over Zoom with fellow VIP attendees ($59 value)

  • Premium bonus content from our speakers and sponsors, including a Craft room Organization Guide Workbook, SVG Bundles, Free Card and Technique classes, exclusive discounts to your favorite craft stores, and much more! ($600+ value)

 Check out more details HERE! 

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VALENTINE CARD HACK + AN ANNOUNCEMENT

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ANNOUNCEMENT

In case you have missed previous announcements here on my blog, I’m currently transitioning to Flodesk and going to be ending my Blog RSS feed delivery via MailChimp.

If you’d still like to be notified when I have any kind of news to share or post anything on the blog, please sign up for my email list using the form located at the bottom right of my HOME PAGE (the form will not show up in RSS Feed Emails) , and then you can unsubscribe yourself from the Blog RSS Feed emails without missin’ a beat!

THANK YOU!!!

On with today’s post:

Created this card (and video) on the Ellen Hutson Blog the other day, linked HERE.

I call it a hack because I have pretty much zero Valentines specific stamps and dies. LOL! Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?! I was feeling quite smug over how this turned out—cuter than what I had in my head. That’s always a win, right?!

HOW TO:

  1. On a panel white card stock (a quarter sheet), make pencil marks 1” apart along the top long edge (starting from the right to the left) and and then along the left short edge starting from the top and working your way down.

  2. Using a score board, align the first pencil mark (remember, you started from the right!) and the lower right corner of the panel along the same groove and deboss (score) a line from the pencil mark to that corner.

  3. That corner will be your “pivot” point as you shift the panel to align the next pencil mark and score another line; repeat until you have all your “sunrays” completed! If that doesn’t make sense, just watch the video I did for Ellen’s YouTube channel.

  4. Trim 1/4” off the top long edge and the left short edge; mount this to the front of a standard A-2 (4.25 x 5.5” when folded) card base made from white card stock. Set aside.

  5. Die cut All The Feels twice from pink card stock and once from red. Glue the die cuts together and onto the card front, creating a “drop-shadow” effect, as shown.

  6. Stamp the hand/heart image from Love Notes using red ink onto pink card stock and die cut; pop up onto card as shown.


BOOM❣️

I love making projects like this—it’s a fabulous way to stretch your supplies and tools!

Hope you get some creative time this week and thanks for stopping by!

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EASY SWING VALENTINE CARD (INTERACTIVE)

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Swing (a.k.a. flip) cards have been around for a long, loooong time—nowadays, you can, of course, purchase dies that make the cuts and score lines for you, which is always nice! However, if you’ve never made one and want to give it a try, they’re quite simple/easy to do; just make sure that the shape you’re using is symmetrical (equal on both sides opposite each other, i.e. a circle, a butterfly, a square, a rectangle, an oval, a star and, in the case above, a heart) for best effect. Anything asymmetrical will be problematic.

BASIC SWING/FLIP CARD INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Start with a card base measuring 5.5 x 8.5”.

  • At 2 1/8” from the left short side, draw a faint pencil line.

  • Center a symmetrical shaped die along the pencil line and use washi tape to anchor in place.

  • Position the top cutting pad over the die and paper, aligning the edge with the pencil line; this insures that there will only be pressure applied up to that point.

  • After completing the die cut, remove die and tape and erase pencil line.

  • Score card base at 2 1/8” from the left short side (in the same position as your original pencil line), taking care not to score through the shape itself (start from the top of the card base and score right up to the top of the shape, skip over the shape, and then continue to score from the bottom of the shape down to the bottom of the card).

  • Score another line at 4.25” from the left short side (this will be the gutter/main fold) of the card.

  • Fold the card in half along the gutter, creasing well, then fold the smaller section back on itself, creating a “z-fold”.

  • As you open and close the card, the shape will swing or flip back and forth; embellish each side as desired.

  • Finished card is A-2 (4.25 x 5.5”) size when folded.

TIP:

If you plan to create a similar “Conversation Hearts” with a knock-out text effect, it helps to use alphabet dies that have extra letters, OR use phrases that don’t require multiples of the same letter. Here are some “Valentine” phrases that don’t require multiples of any given letter:

  • HUGS

  • HEY GIRL

  • WINK

  • U R HOT

  • CUTIE

  • U R LOVED

  • SWAK

  • U ROCK

  • HUG ME

  • ILYSM (Acronym for “I love you so much”)

  • SOUL MATE

  • LOVE BUG

  • XO

You’re welcome!

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ECLIPSE DIE CUTTING EFFECT

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I have seen a number of questions regarding how I achieved the effect on the “Oh What Fun!” card; at the time, I was literally outta’ steam and just couldn’t pull off a video prior to sharing it for the Holiday Release.

Eclipse cards are among my most favorite to make—the technique is simple, not messy, and the end result is one that always seems to fascinate folks. While that’s the focus of my video, I also threw in 2 other techniques that I just happened to combine on these cards, so you’re actually getting a trifecta, LOL! Oooh, go me!

The other two are Ombré Inking, and Faux Embossing Folder (I have no idea if it’s actually called that; it’s what I call it because that’s what it reminds me of), neither of which have to be used in conjunction with the Eclipse Die Cutting, but at the time, that’s the direction the mojo went so I rolled with it. I ended up loving the end result so much I think it was worth the extra time and effort. I wouldn’t necessarily mass produce this type of card, but if I wanted to make an extra special card for someone’s birthday, it is an absolute stunner!

So, would you make a one-off card like this for special occasion? I think something like this would be suitable for a birthday, anniversary, wedding or new baby. If I were making a stack of these, I’d most likely skip the ombré inking and the faux embossing folder effect and just go for the Eclipse.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Also, I wanted to give you a heads’ up that I am going to be transitioning to a new email platform; currently my blog’s RSS feed goes out via MailChimp to those of you that signed up. But, how those emails look has always bugged me (like really, really bugged me!), so I’m moving over to FloDesk.

If you’d like to continue receiving updates/news, other yadda yadda via my email list, please sign up! There’s a new form along the bottom right of my site’s home page you can fill out.

If you’re not interested, no worries; I just didn’t want those who are accustomed to receiving that RSS feed via email to miss out when I finish the transition.

Thanks muchly!

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REPOST: FIT TO BE PIED

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Because it’s apropos for today, which is Thanksgiving, I’m reposting one of my favorite Bear card designs!

And, if you’re shopping online while waiting for the big bird to finish roasting, heads’ up on the sale going on over at ellenhutson.com right now:

 
 
 
 

I hope your Turkey Day is indeed “fit to be pied”! (big grin)

HAH!!! Mama Bear and Li’l Bear have been busy making pumpkin pie. WOOT!!!

I usually refrain from coloring Bear; I just like him in white. But I do like to outline him with a soft color and often reach for Copic Milky White. All of these were stamped with Gina K Amalgam Jet Black Ink, which is alcohol marker friendly. You could also use colored pencils, water-based markers, etc. Normally, I reach for Versafine Clair Nocturne when stamping my images in black, but it does not play nice with alcohol markers unless you clear emboss it.

I also have a quick tip for using stamps that have coordinating SOLID dies. I used the Bear from All Inside for the demo, but this works for any solid die. You can watch right here or over on my YouTube Channel.

If you look closely, you may be able to see how some of the smallish images were outlined outside the lines with a pale blue—this can actually make white images appear even whiter (like the plate and the whip cream atop the slice of pie).

I used Orange Stickles on the pumpkin, but you can substitute Diamond Stickles in a pinch.

Have a fab day and thanks for stopping by!