A Recycled Christmas.

This year I am determined not to leave my Christmas cards until the last minute (like how many other years?) so I am doing Christmas Challenges through the year to keep me motivated.

The first challenge I am entering is an Up-cycled/Recycled/Free Christmas Card Challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge.

The second challenge at Laineys Crafty Space - Christmas Fun is Anything Goes!  As long as it is a Christmas Card.

The third challenge at Challenges 4 everyone is Anything Goes as well.

The fourth challenge at Card Makin' Mamas is also Anything Goes!

Ok so on with the card... the challenge to recycle/up-cycle... the boys had rescued some Christmas cards a few years ago that someone was throwing out!  (Yes perfectly good cards - not even written in!)

• So I cut out Santa... completely on one (very fiddly!), then on the second one I cut the sack, hand, cuff, coat bottom ruffle and Santa's head!  Mounted them all on foam to give the image some depth.  Next B handed me the Christmas Tree card (even more fiddly lol) and so I cut that. 
• I then scored some white card to make a box shape on the front of the card (Thank you Ultimate Crafters Companions score board.. soooo easy!).  
• My lovely Silhouette Cameo next was employed to cut the window out of black card.  
• I scored in some detail and mounted with both foam and tape to give dimension.  
• I then manually cut the "window"out of the front panel of the "box".  
• I hand measured and cut a front panel then embossed it in my Cuttlebug using a Sizzix - Tim Holtz embossing folder to give a brick effect.  
• The window got a backing of recycled embossing folder packaging as the window. (Which made taking photos a nightmare as I have a white iphone lol)
• So on the front of the "box" I put the brick panel then the window on using double sided tape.
• I mounted some nice "wall paper" from my stash, added a stamped Chandelier and heat embossed with gold.
• Santa and the tree then made themselves at home in the room with some handy-dandy double sided and foam.
• I sealed the box then made and mounted a card and double sided it on the back.
• The finishing touch some glue and Flower Soft "Polar Soft" - and if you are going to use this... TURN OFF THE FAN *chuckle*  Snow in Western Australia.. who would have thought?!?

 

Happy Crafting *Hugs* Sarah

How to emboss a strip using a Cuttlebug

It has been busy here but I finally finished the next set of cards... more wedding cards!  While I was in the craft room I have been taking lots of photos as quite a few people have asked questions about how to make the "gap" in the embossing... so pictures I think are a little less confusing... I hope this helps :-)

 The six wedding cards I finally finished today with the help of my Cuttlebug and Silhouette Cameo... for details please visit my previous post "Wedding Card".

This post will hopefully clear up the method of the "gap"... so here we go...

 Start with the front panel that you would like embossed.  Be sure your card is good quality as if it is too thin you will break through while embossing.  I know I am stating the obvious but the whole idea of this blog is to pass on knowledge I have learned from some very crafty people on and off line ;-)

Pop your card in the embossing folder lining it up with the top/side of your folder as you want it to be embossed.  The sandwich here is A plate, B plate, embossing folder and card, B plate.  NOTE the position of the B plate, I sit it behind the edge of the embossing folder or you get a line where the edge of your embossing folder is on your cardstock.

This gives you the larger section embossed... then to get the strip of embossing I use a strip of self healing mat.  I use double sided tape to stick it to the folder so that it does not move while embossing.  You can use a strip or any other shape but it will not show detailed shapes well so keep it simple :-)  You can even make diagonal lines if that is what you need!
If you like you can do a whole folder with strips and gaps all the way down...

 

Cuttlebug Sandwich is A plate, B plate embossing folder with cardstock lined up as needed, self healing mat.
NOTE there is NO second B plate!  As always you do this at your own risk, it works in my machine, I have heard it works in other peoples machines but if you do this YOU choose to do this. ;-)

 

This gives an embossed strip which you might be happy with but I like to finish it with embossed lines.

Turn the cardstock over so that you are on the debossed side.  Line up the edges of the embossing with a line on an embossing board and use the embossing tool to make the lines needed.

Turn the cardstock back over and see if there is any embossing "over the line", if there is just use your embossing tool to gently push it back into place...

There you have it!

I hope this clears up how to get the embossed strips... happy crafting...
Sarah *hugs*

Morocco anyone?

G’day again,

Firstly excuse my absence… a migraine came to visit… hopefully it will go away soon!

Secondly… I am soooo excited… my Birthday Present arrived early… my dear Husband and boys got me a Silhouette Cameo J  Which incidentally has meant a complete re-arrange of my desk again!

Now I have managed a whole ONE card in the last few days; it’s an entry into the challenge from Our Creative Corner with a photo inspiration (below) and it must have a metal embellishment.

I have to say I love the whole Morocco vibe and the aged patina colouring!

So this was the photo inspiration....              This is my card…

 

Patterned Cardstock from DCWV “The Endless Summer Matstack.

Texture added with Cuttlebug Moroccan Screen embossing folder.

Metal dragonflies inked with Adirondack Tim Holtz alcohol ink “rust”.

Everything else was dug out of the stash ;-)

Happy Crafting,

Sarah x

How to make a diffuser for my Cuttlebug.

Diffusers for Cuttlebug.

Ok a little while back someone mentioned making void spaces in the embossing using diffusers made of self healing cutting mats… so since I had an old self healing mat that had definitely seen better days… I decided to upcycle it… and besides the shops don't carry the pre-made ones here!

The How to is basic… I took my old self healing mat.

I cut a shape out of the old self healing mat that I DO want embossing… so in this case the size of my average embossing folder… NOTE I have a second self-healing mat underneath to protect my desk.... definitely a good idea!

I found scoring the same line over and over with my craft knife then bending the self healing mat back away from the line on either side opened up the centre material leaving me with only the other side to cut.  My steel ruler and spare knife blades were definitely needed!

I then cut out the shape that I did NOT want embossing from the piece…  I used my spellbinders to make the shapes for me to cut out to give me a guideline.  Circles were a lot harder!  The frames I made should make some gorgeous cards too J  

NOTE the sandwich for using the spellbinders with the cutting mat... 

A Plate, Cutting Mat, spellbinder C plate... there is NO B plate! ;-)

I have now used these to make some cards using my A plate, B plate, embossing folder with cardstock and then the diffuser… I did NOT need a second B plate with this, the frame I made becomes the B plate.

Do NOT force anything through your Cuttlebug/die-cutting machine… Your machine can break... so can your plates... see my dear old C plate below... (read this as I take no responsibility if YOU break YOUR machine!)... 

this works on my machine so thought I would share what I did… 

Happy Crafting… Sarah x

You might also like... How to stop the edges showing when using the narrow embossing folders.

5 Minute Make

5 Minute Make…

Yes really… 5 minutes… which makes it perfect for the in a hurry Oh My Gosh I need a card already moments… Admit it we have all had one of those moments!

Use a Diffuser on your Swiss dots folder through your Cuttlebug (or other embossing machine).  If you don’t have a diffuser click here and make one.  With the Diffuser I made It is the same depth as the B plate for my Cuttlebug so my Sandwich was A, B, Swiss dots folder with cardstock, Diffuser.  (Don’t force anything through your Cuttlebug… they CAN break!)

Ignore the “Embossing only” as it is there so I don’t cut using my newer B plates!

Trim the cardstock you just embossed as this will be your card front.  Use an embossing board/ scoreboard/ embossing tool/ ruler and craft foam (gently) to score a square frame around the un-embossed area.

Use a Spellbinders square and your cuttlebug to cut and emboss a square to fit within the frame you just embossed and then emboss or stamp with a sentiment. 

I used the “Thank You” from the Best Friends Cuttlebug folders.  Then mount with foam squares in the frame and then mount your embossed panel onto your card using double sided and you are DONE.

 

Happy Crafting…

Sarah x

PS No responsibility taken if you break your Cuttlebug or plates doing this ;-)