Mirror Die Cutting Technique

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I had the opportunity to attend an AECP Level 3 Workshop last Saturday. It is my first time to attend one since most of the time the AECP workshops are held on weekends while I am asleep from a night shift and working a night shift again. 

The workshop focuses on the mirror die cutting technique in which you use the reverse side of the die cut. Ishani @quill_ish, the instructor, used the Altenew Bird of the Mountain die set for the workshop. I registered late for the workshop so I was not able to purchase this die beforehand. 

I used the Altenew Sweet Blossoms layering die set instead. Using the mirror die cutting technique allowed me to expand the bouquet of flowers for the card that I created. When I do mirror die cutting, I use my least used cutting plate so as not to transfer the cut impressions of the plate to the back side of the die cut which will be used as the mirror die cut image. Ishani shared a tip of sandwiching the die cut in a folded printer paper, then run it through again the die cutting machine. Such a clever idea!

Before adhering the flower layers, I added piercing to the floral base layer using the Altenew Dotted Swirls Debossing die just to add a bit of interest to the die cut. I adhered the flower and leaf layers.

I die cut a heart on acetate to use as a base for my floral wreath. I used glue dots to adhere the flowers to the acetate. Once I am happy with the arrangement, I reinforced the glue dots with liquid glue. I set this aside to dry with something heavy on top of it. 

I die cut another heart larger than the acetate heart on pink vellum. I attached the floral heart wreath on this. I used a pink gel pen to highlight the dots created by the debossing die. I added shimmer to the stamen of the flowers using Wink of Stella.

For the card panel, I embossed a white cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" using the Altenew Wicker Texture 3D embossing folder. As taught in the workshop, I added ink to the embossed panel using a brayer. I used the Altenew Morning Frost Fresh dye ink. I added spritz of gray mica spray and drops of pink and teal mica solution. Once this has dried, I adhered the heart wreath on the panel.

For the sentiment, I doubled the pink vellum by adding double adhesive on one vellum piece, then adhered the other piece to it. This just makes the color brighter as you can see when compared to the vellum heart die cut. It also makes the vellum thicker. I die cut the sentiment from the Altenew Trebel Love die set (retired). I adhered this to the panel. 

I hope you give mirror die cutting a try. Thanks, Ishani, for a well thought workshop. Congratulations on a new milestone in your crafting journey!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Inspired By Challenge Blog

Scrapbook & Cards Today FB Challenge

Book Inspired Valentine Treat Box

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Valentine is around the corner. Today's project features a treat box in which you can put a treat or a simple message inside. I got my inspiration from a Paper Source Cute Mini Books Valentine Card Set. I challenged myself to recreate this mini book using supplies I have on hand.

My box is larger and slimmer than the Paper Source mini book. The cover of my book treat box is from a cut apart patterned paper. For the cover of the book, I cut a pink cardstock at 8 1/2" x 4". I chose pink cardstock to match the cut apart paper. I scored this piece at 3" and 3 1/2" creating the spine of the book. 

For the inside portion of the book which will be the treat well, I cut a white cardstock at 3 3/4" x 5 3/4". I scored the long end at 1/2" and 3 1/4". I scored the short end at 1/2", 1", 2 3/4" and 3 1/4". I reinforced the folds. I cut off the corners and cut the tabs vertically as shown in the photos below.

I folded the tabs on the long side inward. These tabs will be secured by the flap of the short side as seen in the photo below. Adding adhesive to the tabs can be an option but the fold holds the tabs securely keeping the treat well intact.

I adhered this treat well to the back inside cover of the pink book cover cut-out.

I trimmed another white cardstock at 3 1/2" x 3 3/4". I scored the long end at 1/2". I trimmed a sliver off this tab. I cut the ends diagonally then reinforced the fold. I adhered this to the front inside cover of the book cut out. This piece keeps the book closed shut.

I adhered the cut apart paper to the front of the book. 

I could have added more details to this treat box but this was my demo piece. I usually create a demo piece to help me figure out issues with the creation of the project and come up with solutions so I can create the project.

If I am going to re-create this: 

1. I will add a message on the book spine. 
2. I will stamp the 'handmade by' on the back of the book cover before adding the treat well. 
3. I will add lines to the sides of the treat well to mimic the pages of a book. 
4. I can make the book broader to accommodate a bigger treat. 
5. I will stamp a sentiment to the inside of the treat well before adhering the sides. 

Lots of possibilities with this treat box. You can also use the 3x3 cut apart sheet for a smaller book. 

My youngest son is grown up now, not really wanting to give Valentines to his friends. I sure miss those days when creating Valentine giveaways kept me busy. 

Below is a short video featuring this treat box. I hope you like it. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Love Is In The Air #17

Weeks #685-686~Anything Goes

 

3D Floral Birdcage

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project was inspired by Pinkfresh Studio Blog's January Challenge in which you are given the opportunity to create a project based on any of the challenges held last year. My project is a mash up of the May, August and November challenges. May's challenge theme is Flower Power. August's challenge theme is Washi Tape. And, November's challenge is Thank you. 

I created a 3D Birdcage by die cutting 4 pieces of the cage from the PS Best Thing die set. I die cut this on a white cardstock. To connect the cage die cuts, I scored the base part of the cage that is sticking out. I folded this, squirted a small dot of glue on this portion and adhered another cage die cut making sure that these parts are aligned with each other. 

I trimmed a white cardstock at 1/2" x 2 3/4" to create the tabs that will hold the flowers. I scored this at 1/4" and 2 1/2". I adhered the folded piece to the bottom part of the cage. The tabs provided support to the intricate 3D cage.

I adhered the PS Garden Bouquet washi tape to a white cardstock. Using the coordinating die, I die cut the flowers. I adhered the ends of the flowers to the tab. I only used the small flowers on this project. 

I squirted a small dot of glue on the top edge of the cage die cut where the two cage die cuts meet to close the 3D cage. Surprisingly, the glue worked! I threaded a cream twine through the holes on the top of the birdcage to close it up. I knotted the twine, then threaded a pearl gold heart before tying the twine into a bow.

For the sentiment, I heat embossed a sentiment stamp from the PS Humbled & Grateful stamp set on vellum. I used Wow! Pearl Gold embossing powder. I die cut the sentiment using the matching die. I die cut another piece of vellum with this die and adhered this to the back of the stamped vellum die cut. I adhered the sentiment to the front of the 3D cage.

I adhered a couple of mini heart sequins to the rails of the bird cage. 

I hope you like today's project. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Pinkfresh Studio January 2025 Challenge

Negative Space Coloring

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project features the Negative Space Coloring technique. A negative space is the area surrounding the image, in my project's case, the sunflowers are my images and the surrounding open space around each flower is the negative space. We often give more attention to the image, adding colors and details to the image/s. This is not the case with negative space coloring technique. We do the opposite in negative space coloring technique, in which we add color to the background instead of the image.

I used the Blank Page Muse Small Sunflower Blossom rubber stamp on my project. I stamped the sunflower on a yellow cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig tool to help me stamp the flower repeatedly on the panel. The Stamp-a-ma-jig is an old tool but there are other stamp positioning tools that can be used for this purpose. I used Memento Tuxedo black ink for stamping.

After I stamped the sunflowers in rows to fill up the whole panel, I colored the negative space with a black Copic marker.

I die cut the sentiment on a pearl gold shimmer cardstock. The die I used is from Lawn Fawn. I die several pieces of this sentiment and adhered this to the panel. 

I ran the black marker on the edges of the panel to hide the color of the yellow cardstock. I adhered this to a top folding A2 note card.

I hope you like today's project. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

Scrapbook & Cards Today FB Challenge

Challenge 2, Wk 4~Anything Goes #108

Reindeer Scene Card

 

Hello. Welcome back to my blog. Have you started on your Valentine's cards? For today's card, I created a scene using dies from Kat Scrappiness that can pass as a Valentine's card. 

Have you used your dies to create a mirror image of the die cut image? This is what I did on the reindeer with the antlers. I placed the die on the wrong side of the patterned paper. I used a clean cutting plate for this purpose to prevent impressing the marks of an old cutting plate to the die cut. I die cut two more pieces on white cardstock to adhere to the back of the patterned paper die cut for some dimension. The die I used is the KS Reindeer Duo Craft dies.

I also did some die cut surgery to create a female reindeer. After die cutting the reindeer on the patterned paper, I trimmed the antlers off. I die cut two more pieces and adhered this to the back of the deer without the antlers. I trimmed off the antlers using the patterned paper deer as a guide. 

I die cut a patterned paper using a die from the KS Never Ending Square Craft dies. To add details to this square paper, I die cut this with the KS A2 Stitched Strips Craft dies to create diagonal strips. I pieced this back together on a scrap piece of cardstock. I trimmed a sliver off the edges.

For the tree, I dice cut a green patterned paper from the same paper pad. The tree die is from the KS The Night Before Christmas Window Scene craft dies. I die cut additional pieces to adhere to the back of the patterned paper die cut for some dimension. I adhered this to the square piece trimming off any excess.

For the background panel, I die cut another patterned paper using the largest die from the KS Stitched Rectangle craft dies. I adhered the square piece to this panel. I adhered the reindeers next.

I die cut small hearts using a die from the KS Perfect Pie Maker Add-ons Craft dies. I adhered this to the panel to create a speech bubble of hearts between the two deer. This is the most tedious part of this card. A good pick-up tool like the KS White Crystal Dual Ended Embellishment Pick Up & Die Poker tool, and a small tip liquid glue make the task easy. 

I did not add any sentiment since I think the scene is is pretty as is. I love the muted colors of the patterned paper included in this pack. That's what is good in using a paper pad or pack in a project. Most of the time, the paper complements each other lessening the guess work in mixing and matching papers. 

I hope you like today's project. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I added below links to the Kat Scrappiness product I used on this project. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products. Enjoy!

I am sharing this project at

Scrapbook & Cards Today FB Challenge

Challenge 2, Week 2~Anything Goes #50

Challenge #213~Winter Solace #13

Stitching on Photo

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Have you stitched on photo? This is my first time to do it. I was hesitant at first because I am not familiar with this art, and I am afraid to ruin a photo. That's why I would like to thank @ladylaurenstitching for the inspiration, the support, and the freebie pattern for me to be able to try this art. She held an IG live to show her process in photo stitching. She was very patient in answering my questions and the rest of the viewers' questions. 

We just had a nurse who retired after 45-years of service. This momentous occasion deserves a one of a kind gift. How about a stitched photo? I took photos of her using my Sony-Alpha ZV-E10 during her last days of work. I had the photo printed as 5x7 with a glossy finish as recommended by Lady Lauren. I had my photo printed at Walgreens. I used the freebie pattern in Lauren's bio. I printed the pattern on both typing paper and vellum. I placed the vellum on top of the photo and lightly traced the outline of the subject of the photo. I started poking holes using the vellum pattern as guide. I made sure that I don't poke beyond the outline I created.

After all the holes are poked, I removed the vellum and started stitching. I used a DMC Damiant Gold/Black metallic thread for stitching. 

The pattern on the typing paper was very useful as I checked off my stitching to make sure I have stitched everything. 

I gave this photo to my colleague as a part of her mini scrapbook. 

Thank you, Lady Lauren for sharing your art with us. I got drawn to your art because I love to stitch.

Thank you, Linda, my nurse colleague for your service and dedication to your patients and the profession. I hope to at least get close to this milestone you achieved. Thank you also for allowing me to share your beautiful photo here in my blog and my social media platforms. 

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you like today's project. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Color Combo Inspired Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I was inspired by the latest Color Hues Challenge's color combo of Red and Kraft. This is not the first time I used this color combo. I think these two colors go well together. 

I started off by die cutting a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2 kraft cardstock with the Catherine Pooler Lights on Broadway cover plate die. This die creates holes on the panel. You can leave it as is but I found the holes as an opportunity to add stitching to the already beautiful die cut panel. I  did a simple running stitch on most of the panel using DMC embroidery floss. Since the holes created by the die are large, I used 6 plies of the embroidery floss. 

To add details, to the panel, I used red DMC embroidery floss to create an asterisk stitch. I only used 4 plies of the embroidery floss to create variation on the stitching.

To fill in the empty spaces, I stamped an asterisk using a kraft dye ink.

For the sentiment, I die cut the word on red glitter paper and twice on kraft cardstock. The word die I used is the Birch Press Big Hello Sugar Script die. I stacked the kraft sentiment die cuts. I adhered the glitter sentiment die cut over the kraft sentiment die cut slightly off setting it to create a shadow. I adhered this to the panel. I adhered this to a top folding note card.

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this project at

The Color Hues Challenge Blog

Challenge 1~Anything Goes

Scrapbook & Cards Today FB Challenge