Tuesday 16 February 2016

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - I {Heart} You}

Time for the new challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania, and the theme is 'I {Heart} You - have a heart on your creation'.

You do have to use a manual die cutting/embossing machine (it doesn't need to be a Cuttlebug but it must be manual, not electronic). And, you can't mix the two, it must be all manual please. Then make your entry, link into the challenge, link to the challenge in your own blog post and and make sure that you also say what products you used for any die cutting/embossing.

Details of our sponsor this fortnight are over on the challenge - with a nice prize to be won. 

It's  certainly a great theme and hopefully your 'love, hearts and mushy stuff' goodies are all still to hand. This is my DT card:
I used:

- 4" x 6" white card blank

- snippets of darker blue card to form a double 'frame' 

- a snippet of baby blue pearlescent card, embossed using the Xcut 'Hearts and Kisses' embossing folder, trimmed to size and then layered up with the two darker pieces of card mentioned above. LOVE this folder!

- after a lot of juggling around I measured and then cut a diagonal strip out of the layered card, placed it on the card front and lightly penciled along the diagonally cut lines as a guide to the stamping - then set the pieces to one side

- phew, perfect fit when I stamped the 'Love' sentiment using SU's 'Real Red ink. The sentiment is a pre-loved one made by SU, from a set of four called 'Wonderful Words', probably long discontinued

- rubbed out the light pencil lines and then added the embossed panels to the card front

- making the big heart was fun - not! The first attempt was a total failure and I had to think outside the box when I redid it. First of all I die cut a plain white heart from a snippet using the Memory Box 'Cupid Heart' die and put that to one side - so far so good

- after the failed first attempt I'd had a rethink about how to make the big heart made up of little hearts as I wanted it to sit on top of the card with a little border and not be inlaid

- covered a snippet of blue card with Stick-It adhesive sheet and then die cut the heart shaped cluster of hearts using the Memory Box die called 'Heart of Hearts' for the second time. It comes without a frame and that's where I had problems with the first attempt - it's almost impossible to line up the 'Cupid Heart' evenly in order to die cut a nice narrow border around the little die cuts. That's made me realise that the die is not actually meant to be used as a frame - unless you truly want a trip to the Funny Farm! Cluck, baa, moo!

- then came a light bulb moment! I took the solid die (which has a thin perspex inside the outer metal shape so you can see exactly where it's positioned), gently taped it in place over the little hearts and lightly pencilled round the outside before then hand cutting it to form a border - yay!

- peeled off the Stick-It backing and poked out what seemed like hundreds of little hearts then stuck it onto the white heart shape I'd die cut earlier

- from a little snippet of red card I die cut a handful of little hearts, again using the 'Heart of Hearts' die, and then added just a couple into the main heart shape before sticking it onto the card using thin sticky pads

By then I was exhausted and the place was littered with tiny little sticky backed hearts! A few lessons learned there! Luckily I'd already invested in the die a good while ago to use with another MB heart die (Serafina) so at least it's fine with that, plus it's good as a backing for the card I made today and also the butterflies heart shapes - just don't expect borders without needing a session on a couch under a bright light!

Why not join in with the challenge? Surely it can't be any harder than the angst I had with my card - the theme is fine, it was what I tried to do with it! We'd love to see you over at Cuttlebug Mania!

Di
x

18 comments:

  1. A lovely card and well worth all the hard working making it!
    Kath x

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  2. A really effective design DI and very striking colours.

    Hope you are enjoying your week of respite from all the hooligans. As I said on my blog I was worried about you after the shenanigans of last week and guess you too a real fit of the vapours. But fear not all is under control.

    B x

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  3. Gorgeous card Di, I love the embossing folder you've used (maybe another one to add to my ever growing collection!) and the heart die. The diagonal cut and sentiment really sets the card off.
    Janice x

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  4. Ooh what a wonderful card! Love the sentiment in the gap - awesome! If I had posted my Snippets card today instead of yesterday, I could have joined in this challenge too! Hey ho! Take care! xxx

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  5. This is a great card !
    I am joining too, I have to make one first !

    Ineke X

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  6. Hi Di . . . phew, I'm exhausted reading about how exhausted you were by this card! Still . . . it's a cracker after all that effort, so it was worth it.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  7. This is a great card Di. It's very "lovely"! I really like the way you've done the sentiment. I've got the Heart of Hearts die on my wish list but I'm going to have to study your instructions on this one. Barbxx

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  8. Phew what an ordeal, but at least you have a wonderful card to show for it. Great idea to use the leftover hearts for a shaker card. You need to get yourself up to the Treehouse now for a well deserved glass or two of whatever Brenda has stashed away xx

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  9. Loved that heart. Looks very pretty.

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  10. I love this die and the pretty hearts and kisses ef goes beautifully with it, and the diagonal with the sentiment is great design idea too Di. This was definitely worth all the effort! x

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  11. What a lovely card! I really like this design with the two highlighted hearts nestled together. It must be love.... awwww!!!

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  12. Great design with this stunning heart full of little hearts and the gap with the sentiment between the two pieces of the embossing background!

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  13. Love how you have put the two red hearts in the die, great design and love the heart EF too. I know just what you mean about getting all the little hearts out.
    Hope you are enjoying your respite!

    Kath x

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  14. Love the design! Such a creative way to do the sentiment,too. So pretty Di!

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  15. I'm loving that heart with all the fiddly white hearts, but the 2 red ones caught my eye instantly! Love the embossed background and sentiment style as well! Take care of that back now, ya hear?

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  16. It's a gorgeous card Di, but my goodness I know that would have ended up thrown in the naughty corner in my craft room. I have come across dies like that before - they don't cut out what you expect them too. Because of that I have a love/hate relationship with dies, lol, Karen x

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  17. Lots of hard work but a fabulous result. Looks wonderful!

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