Friday 10 August 2018

Santa's Hat

Very recently I spotted some adorable tags over on a lovely friend's blog, made using the Penny Black 'Santa's Hat' stamp AND a matching die!

That was news to me - my stamp, as is my friend's, is wood mounted and the date on mine is 2012 - and I'm sure there certainly was no matching die back when I bought it a few years ago. In fact, I've subsequently seen matching dies for Snowy (another PB favourite) - and he's been around for many years!

Before I tried to get hold of a die (can't find them in the UK right now), my friend offered to lend me her own die to check it out just in case the size had changed - Penny Black sometimes do that when (for example) they add a much loved image into a polymer set. I was so glad of the offer, but said just a die cut would be good enough for me to check. By return of post, six plain die cuts arrived! And sure enough, they're the right size. And, being me, I decided to go ahead and make six little die cut images of course - waste not want not. Not as easy as you might think!

Here's the card and below the usual 'I used' blurb I've added a bit more about stamping onto blank dies using a wood mounted stamp - when you can't use the Misti of course, so you really are working 'blind'

So, I ended up with six of these:
I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank - side opening

- the Penny Black 'Santa's Hat' die cut and my own 'Santa's Hat' stamp - and Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink

- details of how I got round the 'stamping blind' part are below, if you're interested as I already said

- once the little fella was stamped I then coloured him using Pro markers and put him to one side

- the embossed layer used a real favourite folder of mine by Quickutz called 'Holiday Words' - probably one of the first embossing folders I ever bought - and white card

- mounted the trimmed embossed layer onto a background of red card stock just to add that extra pop of colour and glued it to the card front

- added the hedgie to the card front, using thin sticky pads - and then just tickled the fur and pom pom on his hat with clear Wink of Stella

The fur and pom pom on his hat look a bit grey in the photo - that's the Wink of Stella for you - here's a closer look of the subtle shimmer. Coo, isn't a close-up unforgiving:

I had to really give some thought about stamping onto ready cut dies. It's not how I would normally work, even with clear polymer stamps I stamp first and then cut (although I know others might do it the other way around)  - and even then I die cut a template to make sure the die is placed perfectly evenly on the image.

However, it can be done with a whole lot bit of fiddling around - like this:


Out came my trusty Stampin' Up 'Stamp-a-ma-jig first of all and I stamped the hedgie as one would usually do, onto the acrylic sheet. I then took a die cut hedgie and adhered him to my glass work mat, using removable tape runner. That allowed me to maneuvre the image on the acrylic sheet in place over the plain die cut and butt the T-shape where I wanted to stamp. The photo above shows it all set up ready for me to remove the acrylic sheet and then do the actual stamping onto the die
This is the hedgie being stamped, the die cut is hidden underneath.
And out he pops, ready to be coloured - as good a stamping as I could get! I did discover one minor thing in this journey - apart from the fact that I really do need to see a shrink for attempting this one! When you use a Stamp-a-ma-jig in this way, it's impossible to line the stamp right into the side and top of the T part of the gadget. So, I moved the acrylic image which was placed over the die cut piece of card the tiniest fraction as I positioned it and the actual stamping compensated - if that make sense! Out of the six images, I had one that I'm really happy with in terms of equal borders, shown above - and of course that finished card I chose to take a photo of wasn't using the best placed image, but it's too late now anyhow 'cos it takes ages for me to take and then edit photos.

Would I do the same process again? I guess so but it was very fiddly and I truly believe that it's very hard to get the alignment absolutely spot-on, but a blind man on a galloping horse wouldn't notice - with luck! Meanwhile, the same lovely friend has sent me her die so I can now stamp a load of hedgies and then die cut them afterwards using a template to cope with my OCD - wahoo! The place will be awash with little prickly beasties :)

And, it's been far too long since I joined in with Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge (now on #397). So I'm remedying that right now - it's always anything goes but this week I also cover the optional extra of wet or dry embossing. Hazel is a real trouper for juggling so many balls with her challenges  - why not play along as well?

23 comments:

  1. Well, I can guess who your lovely friend is . .. she's a sweetie & v generous. Lovely card with the cute hedgie image & fab embossed b/g. It's a v good reason for keeping the old school stamp positioner despite having a MISTI. Well done for persevering. XXX

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  2. A lovely card and such a cute hedgie. You must go to the top of the class for having the patience to fiddle with stamping onto the die-cut image!
    Kath x

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  3. This is CUTE!! And ofcourse: it's a hedgehog, my favorites!
    Lia xx

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  4. Wow! That was a great result for blind stamping! Well done you!

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  5. Now would never have thought of doing it that way. Me I'd have turned the stamp face up inked it and plonked the die cut down on top and pressed down and hoped for the best! Now I Need to find me stampa ma jig. Can't for the life of me think where the bit of plastic is so its going to be a long day rootling through my drawers until
    I find it. Oh well got no emails to distract me . I could be done time!! Hugs Mrs A.
    P.s. Card looks fabby with the ef. Hedgie does look cute. Don't suppose they have a die cut for the duck do they? Answers on a post card. It's quicker than email!

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  6. Congratulations on persevering and getting a great result Di - and a fabulous card too. Yes the camera and close-ups are rather unforgiving i have discovered, to my embarrassment ;).
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  7. Such a fantastic image and card Di, worth all of the hard work to get it right.

    Sue xx

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  8. How lovely for yourfriend tosend six cutehedgies for you to play with DI bjt itdoes sound like it was a trifle fiddly but I love the fi isbed result beautifully coloured and shch a pretty embossed background too. The way I might have done it is to lay the stamp down rubber facing up and ink it, then line the die cut over tbe stamp and press firmly all over before lifting it away. I think I have seen Sheena Douglass do it like this and it seems to work OK. Sorry, I think I have just repeated what Mrs A has said above. x

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    1. I would NEVER have thought of that one - you and Mrs A are clever little sausages really! :) x

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  9. A lovely card! I like your hedgie and the really lovely embossed words in the background. I was just using my stamp a ma jig yesterday! I think I will be using it more often as I have a lot of wood and cling mounted rubber.

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  10. What an adorable card Di! I didn't even know you could get dies for wooden block stamps-I must be living under a rock. lol Glad your friend let you borrow her die and glad it worked out well for you. You did a great job using the stamp-a-ma-gig and stamping these little cuties on the die cut out! Hugs, Brenda

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  11. Such a sweet little hedgie and thanks so much for the detailed explanation. Another solution could be to ink the stamp, leaving it ink side up flat on the table and carefully lowering the die cut onto the stamp - a method I've sometimes used although not as simple as getting your mitts on the matching die. More enabling going on here I'd say.

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  12. PS - I've now read the other comments and see that great minds think alike regarding the stamping method.

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  13. So kind of your friend sending you six diecuts! For sure, tamping on a diecut with a wooden mounted isn't easy! Great work with your tool, so accurate!
    Super cute hedgie and lovely details on his hat! Well done with your six card!

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  14. This is such an adorable card Di l love the stamp too! x

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  15. A really super job Di, don't know what I would have done as I don't have a stamping thingamajig and I would not have thought about the other solution given either. Great embossing folder too.
    Love your use of 'a blind man on a galloping horse' one of my favourites from the old days.
    Hope you and David Attenborough have a lovely weekend.

    Kath x

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  16. Love that cute Santa, Di, thanks for joining in my CHNC challenge 397 - great to see you there xx

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  17. It's a cute stamp and I didn't realise he had a die now. Well done on attempting to using the SU tool with it. Your card is fab - love the EF too.

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  18. Awww what a cutie! Well done on stamping onto your diecuts!

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  19. Ooh he looks gorgeous on the fabulous embossed background! A good tutorial too - you have far more patience than I would have my friend! Sorry for such late commenting! hugs xxxxxxx

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