Envelope Bag Tutorial

Hello again for another tutorial.

Today I will guide you through making this gift bag using an envelope.

You can use any size envelope, all you have to do is adjust the width of the score lines to get a depth suitable for your size envelope.
The envelope I used for this tutorial is about 21x15cm.

Step 1: Seal your envelope making sure that it is fully sealed around the edges. Then cut a sliver off the side you want to use as your bag top, I used one of the narrower sides.

Step 2: On the three remaining sides score 2.5cm in from the edge or less if you're using a smaller envelope. Fold along the score lines.

 

Step 3: Cut some pretty paper to fit the front and back as shown and adhere.

Step 4: Fold the corners into triangles as shown and adhere them to the base of your bag.

Step 5: Score a line wider than the width of your ribbon from the top edge of your bag. (the ribbon I used is about 1.5cm wide and the line is scored at 2.5cm) Attach some sticky double sided tape to one side at the top of your bag and centrally adhere some ribbon to it.

 

Step 6: Fill your bag, fold along the score line with the ribbon staying on the outside and tie your ribbon at the front of your bag.

 

Step 7: Decorate your bag as you like. I used the Chalk Talk Stamp Set and Sizzix framelits from Stampin'Up! for my simple message.

 

Enjoy and Happy Crafting!!!

Fairy Christmas Diamond Shaped Card

Hello Everybody,
Time again for another tutorial. This card is one I prepared for yesterday's class:

 

 

Here is what you need:

A4 (or 12"x12") white centura pearl card stock cut to 29.7cm x 14cm (or 30 cm x 14 cm), I used A4

die cut oval from smooth white card stock

white smooth card cut to 14 cm x 10 cm

die cut deckle oval from dark blue card stock, I used Concord Crush by Stampin'Up!

2 pretty borders die cut from white glitter card, I used the Frosty Border Memory Box die

yellow, pink, turquoise and dark blue inks, I used So Saffron, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise and Concord Crush by Stampin'Up!

Onyx Black Versafine ink

Fairy Christmas Tree and Small Star stamps by Lavinia Stamps

Christmas Sentiment Stamp, I used one by Stampi'Up!

Blending tool of your choice, I tend to use a dried baby wipe

Post it notes or masking tape

Hougie Board or any other scoring board in cm

 

If you don't have one in cm, here is a little tip: the length of your card needs to be easily dividable by 6 to determine your score/fold lines.

 

Step1: On the pearlised side of your centura pearl card, blend some yellow and pink in the centre and some turquoise around the outside edge. You can also blend in some dark blue along the very edges of your card at this point or do it later after stamping the star border.

 

 

Step 2: Repeat stamp the small star around the edge first in turquoise and then in dark blue a bit closer to the edges as shown in the picture.

 

Step 3: Align your card with the long edge along the top centrally between the 0 and the 30cm mark with the top of your Hougie Board. As you can see in the pictures my card doesn't fully butt up against the left hand edge nor does it fully align with the 30 cm mark. This is important if you like me are using A4 card, which will only be 29.7 cm, to get your diamond as centrally as possible.

(If you are using card cut to 30cm, simply butt it up against the left hand edge.)

Put score lines in at the 5cm, 10 cm, 20 cm and 25 cm marks. You will have a 10cm gap in the middle between your scored lines. Mark the middle of this by putting a mark in at the top and bottom of your 15 cm mark, Alternatively you can use a pencil to mark the top and bottom middle of your card.

Step 4: We now need to score the diagonal lines as shown in the picture. As you can see the lines cross over on the lines you scored at 10cm and 20 cm. You now need to score a line between the top middle mark and the bottom of the line you scored at 5cm and another line between the top of the line you cored at 5 cm and the bottom middle mark. Repeat on the other side (You now need to score a line between the top middle mark and the bottom of the line you scored at 25cm and another line between the top of the line you cored at 25 cm and the bottom middle mark.).

 

Step 5: On your stamped side mark off the centre diamond, blend in some turquoise and dark blue and stamp the stars as shown. remove your masks.

 

Step 6: Fold along your scored lines.

 

Step 7: Blend some yellow and pink ink in the centre of your die cut oval shaped card and the edges with turquoise and dark blue. Ink up the fairy Christmas Tree with black Versafine ink and stamp into the centre and adhere to your dark blue deckle cut oval before attaching with 3-d foam pads to your card. Attach the two glittery borders as shown.

 

 

 

Step 8: On your 10x14cm piece of white card mark the centre points of the edges and score lines as shown. Cut and decorate your card as shown before placing it inside the back of your card's diamond.

Tip: It is important to cut slightly inside of your scored lines to make the diamond shape slightly smaller than the one of your card.

 

Step 9: Your card folds flat and can be interlocked as shown. Take care when doing so as the card can be a bit stiff. Alternatively fold one side of your card first before folding the other side.

 

Finished card

This is box I made for my card, which will be next week's tutorial

Enjoy and Happy Crafting!!! :-)

Monika

Shadow Box Card Tutorial

Hello Everybody,
time for another tutorial, a simple shadow box card inspired by a tutorial I saw in 'Quick Cards Made Easy'. The image I used is a digi stamp from the Louis Wain Adorable Kittens collection by Nicecrane Designs. Before printing I set the image width to 8.5 cm.



You need 2 pieces of card/thick pretty paper 14 x 14.5cm (the 14 cms will be across the top), a die cut frame (I used two nesties dies to create mine), word window punch (Stampin'Up!), metal embellishments, Hougie Board or any other scoring board (in cm) and tool.

 

Step1:        Place your card with a 14cm edge at the top on your score board and score lines at 2cm, 2 cm, 12 cm and 13 cm. Repeat on the second piece.

 

Step2:        Cut your image to size

 

Step3:    Mark on the reverse side of one piece of card where you need your frame to go, which I marked with a central line, ...

  and where your sentiment needs to go. I marked the approximate bottom edge for the sentiment with a line. This will help me to align my word window punch alternatively you could mark a window to be cut using a craft knife.

 

 

Step 4:      Align your cutting die with your mark and put through your die cutting machine.

 

 

Step 5:     Your window needs to be a little wider than the actual punched shape. to do this align the word window punch with your mark towards one end and punch. align it towards the other end and punch again.

This is how it will fit together:

 

Step 6:    Fold along your score lines, your two pieces need to fit together like this

 

Step 7:    If you wish to round your image corners. Adhere your image to the back panel as shown.

 

Step 8:     Apply glue up to your first fold as shown and adhere to the corresponding tab of your card front, repeat on the other side. I tend to use glue for precise positioning, feel free to use tape, if you prefer.

 

The two pieces of your card should fit together like this:

 

Step 9:     Add your circular frame to the front and embellish with flat metal studs.

Enjoy!!!

 

Please let me know how you're getting on. I would love to see your projects.

Back soon.

Happy Crafting!!!

Thank You Stars

Hello and Welcome

to my new 'Step by Step Tutorials' blog.
The first project, I would like to share with you, is one I made when on holiday at the caravan recently. It was one for the Out of a Hat Creations challenge blog, where the theme was 'Stars and Stripes'.

I managed to grab a bag full of bits before leaving. Naturally I didn't even use half of it, especially as the weather was so nice that I had little time for crafting...LOL
Stars and Stripes normally means something with an American Theme. There was nothing in my bag to do that, so I had to think a bit out of the box. There were stars I could emboss using my Ultimate Pro, and I could do stripes by blending inks. All I needed was something to mask off a straight line or two.
From my bits, this is what I used:

Ultimate Pro by Crafter's Companion and embossing tool
Sentiment Stamps by Wild Rose Studio
Black fine liner pen
acrylic block and stamping mat
sanding block ('fine' is best)
three matching colour inks I used More Mustard, Not Quite Navy and Ruby Red by Stampin'Up!
white large square card blank
baby wipes, one dry one for blending colours
something you can use as a mask for straight lines, I used an old TV magazine

Using a page from the TVmag I covered a bit more than half of my card front, picked up some red ink with my dried baby wipe and blended the red ink over the edge of the magazine page onto my base card making sure I was not going all the way along. Then I turned my card front around, covered again a bit more than half and blended some blue over the edge. that way I ended up with a white strip in the middle.
If you are using some wide masking tape, you need to position your tape where you want your white strip to be.
NOTE! If you haven't done this type of blending before, your crisp/straight edge will appear where your mask meets your card. It will be visible once you remove your mask. I also find it easier to use a dried baby wipe and pick up a little ink at the time for subtle blending. I would then dab my wipe slightly on the mask and using circular movements work the ink from my mask onto the card.

 

For the next step align the edges of your mask with the straight blue line covering the 'blue side' of your card and blend some mustard ink into your white strip taking care not to blend into the red area. Repeat on the red side.

 

 

For the next step open up your Ultimate Pro and place the front of your card coloured side down over the star making sure that it is centred. Using your embossing tool find your embossing line and emboss both the larger and the smaller star before rotating your card by 180 degrees (top to bottom) and embossing both stars again. This time make sure you only emboss the tips until you meet the outer of your already embossed stars.

Tip! You can find your line by lightly moving your embossing tool over the card. That way you can feel the gap of the embossing line underneath your card.

 

Next use your sanding block and lightly move it over the embossed stars. this roughens the outline and makes the stars more visible.

Stamp your chosen sentiment into the centre using mustard ink and finish off with some dashed lines or faux stitching, as shown in the card, using your fine liner pen.

 

 

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Tip! If you don't have the Ultimate Pro, try using some smaller embossing stencils placed randomly over your card front.

See you soon ... until then...
Happy Crafting!!!

Monika