For this card I used Neehah Solar White Linen cardstock. I cut it at 5.5 x 4.25, leaving me two cards to work with. I usually save my extra card bases in a file for future use. I then used So So Sweet from the Paper Studio for the pattered paper. I pick up paper packs whenever I go to the city that I think I 'might' use in my cards. This was a 75 sheet pack of 4.5 x 6.5 papers. This tiny heart sheet had the glitter already on it. You can't see it in the picture but one heart in each row is glittered. I used my corner chomper to round the corners and then added the white ribbon and stuck it down on the back with tape. This was then adhered to the card base with a glue runner.
Next, I started working on the sentiment tag. First I worked up my sentiment on the computer using Photo Shop CS4. The font used for Valentine was Mr. Sheffield on its own layer. I then added another text layer to type the BE MY but I don't remember the font name. I didn't save this information and I probably didn't even pay attention to the font name. I just typed the BE MY above the V of the Valentine and scrolled through my fonts until I found one that looked good above the V. I remember finding one I liked and then I changed the leading (I believe this is the word) so that the letters were a little closer together. From here, I printed this out on plain paper and then I used removable tape to place my 4.5 x 6.5 piece of pink cardstock on top of the printed out sentiment. This pink cardstock came from the same pack of SO SO Sweet. Then I ran both sheets back through the printer to print the sentiment onto the pink stock. I've used this technique quite a few times when I wanted something printed on small pieces that wouldn't go through my printer by themselves. Kind of like printing a border design on the flap of a envelope where you tape the envelope to the paper or fold the flap over the top edge of the paper. I know this isn't making sense but I'm not good at tutorials...better at showing not telling...LOL
Now comes the tricky part. I used an oval from the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge but could have done this in SCAL too. I cut the white oval at 2.5 inches and set it aside. Then I loaded some plain paper back into the Cricut and cut an oval at 2.25. I left the paper on the mat and very carefully, lifted the paper off the mat (why holding down the top corner so my oval stencil would remain in the exact same spot on the mat) and slid my pink paper with the sentiment on it under the oval stencil. This is easier if you cut the sentiment down to say, a 3 x 3 square. It's just easier to get it slid under your 'stencil' and lined up under it. After I got my sentiment lined up under the paper paper and it was stuck down good to my mat, I removed the white paper and loaded my mat back into the Cricut and told it to cut the oval at 2.25. It then re-cut exactly where the original oval had been cut with the white paper and my sentiment was lined up perfectly. Well, perfect for me, that is...LOL
I then adhered the pink oval with sentiment onto my white oval that I had set aside with a glue runner and again used my white gel pen to 'stitch' around the pink oval. Then my sentiment tag was attached to the front of my card on top of the ribbon.
The hearts were cut out of some purple stock that I've had forever and probably just picked up at Wal-mart. I believe they were cut at 2 inches and I used the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge but again, this could have been done in SCAL. I then ran the hearts through my Xyron 500 using Acid-free Permanent adhesive (I think Brenda bought this machine for me for Christmas one year) with the adhesive going on the colored side of the cardstock. I did this so I could glitter them up. I used some fine white glitter and just covered the whole heart. I had to use tweezers to hang onto the hearts and if you look real close you can tell where I hung on as there is no glitter at the bottom tips. If I had a glue pen, I could have added some more glue and then added more glitter but it doesn't show that much. From here, I added some buttons from my button collection with glue dots. The middle heart is adhered to the front of the card with a glue runner and the top and bottom hearts are adhered with pop dots to add depth to the card front.
Last, I added three rhinestones that I received from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine that I subscribe to. I love this magazine because of its tutorials and you always get a free gift with each magazine. The only stamps I own have come from this magazine and these rhinestones were a gift as well. It is different with each magazine (it comes 6 times a year).
Also, I rounded the corners with the corner chomper at 1/4 inch.
Next, I started working on the sentiment tag. First I worked up my sentiment on the computer using Photo Shop CS4. The font used for Valentine was Mr. Sheffield on its own layer. I then added another text layer to type the BE MY but I don't remember the font name. I didn't save this information and I probably didn't even pay attention to the font name. I just typed the BE MY above the V of the Valentine and scrolled through my fonts until I found one that looked good above the V. I remember finding one I liked and then I changed the leading (I believe this is the word) so that the letters were a little closer together. From here, I printed this out on plain paper and then I used removable tape to place my 4.5 x 6.5 piece of pink cardstock on top of the printed out sentiment. This pink cardstock came from the same pack of SO SO Sweet. Then I ran both sheets back through the printer to print the sentiment onto the pink stock. I've used this technique quite a few times when I wanted something printed on small pieces that wouldn't go through my printer by themselves. Kind of like printing a border design on the flap of a envelope where you tape the envelope to the paper or fold the flap over the top edge of the paper. I know this isn't making sense but I'm not good at tutorials...better at showing not telling...LOL
Now comes the tricky part. I used an oval from the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge but could have done this in SCAL too. I cut the white oval at 2.5 inches and set it aside. Then I loaded some plain paper back into the Cricut and cut an oval at 2.25. I left the paper on the mat and very carefully, lifted the paper off the mat (why holding down the top corner so my oval stencil would remain in the exact same spot on the mat) and slid my pink paper with the sentiment on it under the oval stencil. This is easier if you cut the sentiment down to say, a 3 x 3 square. It's just easier to get it slid under your 'stencil' and lined up under it. After I got my sentiment lined up under the paper paper and it was stuck down good to my mat, I removed the white paper and loaded my mat back into the Cricut and told it to cut the oval at 2.25. It then re-cut exactly where the original oval had been cut with the white paper and my sentiment was lined up perfectly. Well, perfect for me, that is...LOL
I then adhered the pink oval with sentiment onto my white oval that I had set aside with a glue runner and again used my white gel pen to 'stitch' around the pink oval. Then my sentiment tag was attached to the front of my card on top of the ribbon.
The hearts were cut out of some purple stock that I've had forever and probably just picked up at Wal-mart. I believe they were cut at 2 inches and I used the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge but again, this could have been done in SCAL. I then ran the hearts through my Xyron 500 using Acid-free Permanent adhesive (I think Brenda bought this machine for me for Christmas one year) with the adhesive going on the colored side of the cardstock. I did this so I could glitter them up. I used some fine white glitter and just covered the whole heart. I had to use tweezers to hang onto the hearts and if you look real close you can tell where I hung on as there is no glitter at the bottom tips. If I had a glue pen, I could have added some more glue and then added more glitter but it doesn't show that much. From here, I added some buttons from my button collection with glue dots. The middle heart is adhered to the front of the card with a glue runner and the top and bottom hearts are adhered with pop dots to add depth to the card front.
Last, I added three rhinestones that I received from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine that I subscribe to. I love this magazine because of its tutorials and you always get a free gift with each magazine. The only stamps I own have come from this magazine and these rhinestones were a gift as well. It is different with each magazine (it comes 6 times a year).
Also, I rounded the corners with the corner chomper at 1/4 inch.
I have read it all but do I understand....No...
ReplyDeleteWill yes I do most of it anyway. Is SCAl another cutting machine?
I don't know if I will ever get into this or not it's a lot of supplies and the ideas for cards just don't come to me. When I'm working with digital files I can keep changing and reworking until I get it the way I want and nothing is wasted. I had fun doing the Valentine treats for the Grands but I need more supplies. I sort of used what I had with just a purchase of a couple sheets of paper and stickers.
Your card are gorgeous and thanks for the tuts.
SCAl....Sure Cuts a Lot is a program for drawing images to cut on cutting machines. I'm guessing its like the Design Studio for the Silhouette. I haven't taken the Silhouette out of the box yet, so don't know this for sure. Anyway, SCAL imports SVG files to cut on the Cricut so you do not have to buy the expensive cartridges. You just hook the Cricut up by USB to your computer and design your stuff in SCAL and then tell it to cut. My snowflake on my Christmas card was done in SCAL...just used a free snowflake SVG file I had downloaded.
ReplyDeleteYou can do all this in CS4 with our digital papers. Then just print the layers one at a time and you have the perfect cut of paper and then add your embellishments of choice. When I designed the Christmas card, I designed it first in CS4 to get my placement right. Then, I just used it as a guideline to make the card. I've used lots of my digital paper files and just print them off on the linen cardstock but I like to size them first in CS4 and then I can save ink by just printing it in the size I need. I would have printed off some paper for the Valentine cards if I had more time to search through my unorganized files. LOL
Printing off and cutting the sentiment would work the same on your Silhouette. Just use the oval shape that comes in your program to cut the template and then add the paper with the sentiment on it under the template. Remove the template and cut. I can do most all the stamp stuff with brushes on my computer. You just have to think about it a bit more to determine when to use the brush.
I can't wait to see what you made the grands...I'm sure its adorable!