Wednesday 6 February 2019

This has to be the coolest die I've seen recently!

I'm a sucker for new stamps and dies - sometimes I think I need help, BIG time! And now and then a stamp/set or a die comes along which just blows me away to the point of almost obsessively neeeeeding it, right NOW, this VERY minute!

It has to be MFT's 'Christmas Tree Window' for me right now. I found out about the die when Lynne posted her card in the Playground and also linked to where she'd seen more cards using the same die. I recently had Lynne's card as a fortnightly pick - if you missed it then go HERE to Lynne's blog and take a look! It's fabulous!

And, I then looked at the link Lynne had added to her post and found a very talented blogger called Dana Kirby. Now, I 'realised' that Dana had only been blogging since August last year (2018) and has just 23 followers. How could this be? Dana is soooo talented and I just knew you would love her work! So, I commented and encouraged Dana to come and play with us in the Playground, she very sweetly replied by email to thank me for the kind words and said she certainly would try to join in with us. Not a hint of anything more. Duh, later on though, the asses ears went up here! Whilst browsing I discovered that Dana began her blog after and in addition to using Instagram for ages - I guess mostly to be able to write more about her makes (I think IG sets a word/character limit?). Uh, huh - asses ears for sure. Dana has over 2,000 IG followers (including Gina K) - meep, I did feel a bit stupid when the penny pound coin dropped.

However - I had Dana's blessing on doing a very close CASE of her cards she made using the die that started all this off! And of course - I would love to CASE Lynne's design at some point as well, I need the 'teeny scallops' square die that Lynne used though - it's so pretty! Lynne - can you please enlighten us as to who makes it? Spellbinders perhaps?

Right, end of the mahoosive background story - they should have called me 'Mouth and Big Foot In It' - here's my card:
And in fact I made eight of them in total (whoop, whoop!) - two of each colour mix:
I used:

- A6 white card blank, cut down from a 5" x 7" card blank I confess as I find I rarely use them lately

- half a 5" x 7" card blank which I then die cut using a die from the Creative Dies 'Wonky Stitches - Nesting Rectangles' set. One reason I chopped up card blanks for the die cut layer was to make sure the white shades are exactly the same - we all know about how many shades of white there are out there - and also sometimes it's just as cheap in the end as using fresh sheets of white or other coloured card!

- then used a stamp from the Crafters Companion Gemini range of stamps called This bag is not a toy' - oops, should have looked closer - 'Festive Phrases' and a good old Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad. Plus the Misti of course, even more useful as I made eight at one time

- before embarking on making the card(s) I had already spent a really happy couple of hours sorting through my XCut self adhesive glitter sheets, finding snippets and cutting half inch wide strips from little saved pieces, which I then mixed around and stuck onto rectangular snippets (approx 2.5" wide and 3.5" high) of white card (any colour of card would do, just make sure you don't leave any gaps between the strips)

- next I used my current favourite die that I've been banging on about - it's by MFT called 'Christmas Tree Window - MFT-1429' - and then die cut the window in the edge stitched panel

- my method to fix the panels behind the apertures is as follows. I used red line tape around glitter sides of the bottom and both side edges of the rectangular glitter paper covered panels - NB. NOT the card front panel itself - too risky! My glittered panels were actually a bit close to the height of the tree once I'd jiggled the sparkly piece around so that the star is cut from one colour only (not essential but you know me!) - and so I added a small strip of red line tape on either side of the star on the reverse of the die cut white aperture piece of card to hold the top portion together on the card front

- that worked just fine and it was then a matter of holding the die cut panel over the sparkly striped rectangle of card with the red line tape protection removed ONLY from either side of the star and carefully lining it up so that the stripes were horizontal and also the star was only showing one colour - and then pressing it in place

- at that point the panel and glitter striped rectangle could be firmly pressed into place by slowly removing the red line tape backing with pointed tweezers on the sides and along the bottom and carefully pressing the panel into place

- then just added the panel to the card front using red line tape again - peeling off the top and one side only until it was lined up properly.  Sometimes glue will ooze through faux stitched edges, I found this out the hard way some time ago - a Woodware or SU adhesive removing rubber will clean it away but I just didn't want the hassle to be honest. I love using glue but this worked fine as an alternative - so long as you always bear in mind that once you press down that really is IT

- eight cards, finished for next Christmas - wahoo!

There is one thing I really still envy about Lynne's card - she was precise enough to have her star all of one colour and ALSO the tub is one colour. That takes some working out - well done! My advice is to do half inch strips all the way up the piece of card but make the top one just that little bit taller and so your star will sit higher on the glitter strips background and then your tub will also sit higher with some room to play. I do hope some of this makes sense - it will if you're actually making a card I promise!

Another thing you could do would be to get three tree shapes from one wide stripey piece of card by flipping the centre one upside down - but I so wasn't into trying that one! 

I do think this die is a stunner - for instance, Len doesn't like black Christmas cards (Victorian old values still come home to roost after generations). I'm fine with them and just bet that a plain black card with the tree die aperture cut and then backed with gold plain or glitter card and a sentiment in gold would look stunning!

And soooooo, the Playground Toy Box is already off to a start for Christmas 2019's prizes, needless to say! Ha, if you can wait that long of course.





30 comments:

  1. What a wonderful die and cards, and a great way to use up all those scraps of sparkly paper that are far too precious to throw away, so perfect for using snippets.
    I've just thought, one way to guarantee the star and trunk would be all one colour would be to back those parts separately on the die cut before adding the striped panel. Doing it that way you could still have a sparkly star even if you were using something else for the tree - for instance some pine-branch effect paper that I think I've just used my last scrap of. It's always annoying to get these ideas too late, isn't it?

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  2. Oh my goodness!! You are so funny!! Thank you so much for the "shout out" and mentioning my blog!! I truly appreciate it...I even read your post to my husband and told him how kind you were to reach out to me. Your kindness means a lot!! Take Care my friend and we will have to "chat" again soon.

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  3. That pick caught my eye, too, so I don't blame you for "having" to have the die! Your cards are gorgeous, Di!

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  4. Fabulous cards Di - I've got that die on my wish list having seen it used in the playground!
    Kath x

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  5. I love your christmascards! I don't even think about making them such a short time after the last christmas...(LOL!)
    Lia xx

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  6. Hi Di those cards are stunning. I love that die. No wonder you were drawn to it. You have made a great start on your Christmas cards. Take care. Hugs Jackie

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  7. Just as well there are still a few months between now and Christmas so I can save up for that die... love your cards Di - they look fabulous
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  8. Great stash of cards Di... and I agree about the die - I {might} need it! xx

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  9. You've chosen some beautiful colours for your cards Di, I love them all. I wish I had the wonky stitched dies, but they are out of stock at the moment. My mini scalloped ones are a Crealies set but MFT do some with stitches on too which are probably nicer. Have a good day x

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  10. P.S. I meant to say thank you for your lovely comments about my card too x

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  11. Oh Di, these glitzy festive tree cards are just PERFICK mate. LOVE them to pieces. Can quite see why you wanted that die! Congrats on getting another super batch made for the big day.

    I'm sure that Dana, like the MANY other new bloggers you've helped, is only too pleased to have her new blog promoted. Now she'll get some BLOG followers as well as her IG ones!

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  12. I can see why you fell in love with this die, it make beautiful cards with the glitter papers behind.

    Sue xx

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  13. Gorgeous cards, so effective. Its a fabulous tree die. Emmax

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  14. This is a wonderful die for batch making and I love what you have done with the glitter card Di, and the wonky stitched rectangle and large sentiment go beautifully too. x

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  15. Fabulous die, Di. I love the look of these cards. Very clean looking.

    I'd say we'll have an intervention for you but I'd unfortunately be in there with you because I have had that feeling of NEEDing that certain something right then. You know, maybe a same day ship and receive.

    I could make a lot of these and oh what fun it would be. [Bunny]

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  16. Wonderful card, love the glittered background and I can see why you had to get that fabulous die...... so tempting xx

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  17. Wow!!! Amazing Christmas tree window die and amazing designs with the glittered snippets! Awesome makes!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  18. I just love this card, Di, fabulous die and I love all the sparkle. I remember seeing the die used on Lynne's card when she was one of your picks. I had to sit on my hands then to stop me order it. But reading this post.........my hands just slipped out from under me! A short time later I'd found it online and my finger slipped onto the 'buy' button! Actually, another die just fell into my basket before I got to the checkout. Oops! xx

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  19. Oh Liz - you little tinker! :) x

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  20. What fantastic cards and I can see why you love that die. Great use of the glitter papers and a really fabulous CAS card. Well done on making eight.
    You do realise that I am going to have to search for this die as it will be perfect for my 120 cards for my x-work place, I have all year to get the glitter paper/card in place too.
    Love your different colour ways of the glitter too.

    Kath xx

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  21. Hi Di your cards are stunning. I am so pleased that you liked my little card. Thank you running this challenge. I am here just for fun this time. Take care. Hugs Jackie

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  22. Oh Di, your so cute! I'm sure Lynne was smiling at your help to build her blog even if she was a super star on Instagram. I have seen some long "writing" on Instagram, so not sure how that works. I love this die too and love how Lynne used it as well as Dana. You have did a great job of CASeing Lynne too! I love all the cards you made! So pretty! Yes, I agree in that a black card with this tree die and gold would be stunning. To bad Len doesn't like a black Christmas card. lol Hugs, Brenda

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  23. That IS a fabulous die, Di, and such stunning cards from you and Lynne! Thank you for enabling all of us yet again and thank you for the referral to Dana! What awesome cards she designs! I've no time for all the hours I would be on IG if I got started, so I don't know any of the stars of that social media. It is a super way to get a million likes on one card though, which is tempting! Off to see if that die is sold out now!! Hugs, Darnell

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  24. Fab die and even more fab creations with it -- cas but still stunning!

    Hugs,
    Eemeli

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