Skip to main content

Easy Die Cutting Techniques || AECP

I am so excited to have been accepted to the Altenew Educator Certification Program!

There are ten courses in Level 1, and they can be completed in any order. Me? I was instantly drawn to Easy Die Cutting Techniques because it's taught by one of my favorite crafters -- Yana Smakula. I could listen to that girl all day long!

This course has six lessons, and each lesson focuses on a different way to use dies. The name -- EASY die cutting -- is exactly what you'd expect, easy. Nothing novel, nothing groundbreaking. And yet each technique packs a big punch! I made six cards for this class, but here, I'm sharing my favorite two. 

Technique: Stenciling with Dies

This card was inspired by the fun graphic style of the Altenew Mega Hello die. I love the bold statement it makes, front and center on a card. 


I used the die to cut a "stencil" from leftover Wall Pops vinyl -- the ones my daughter used on her bedroom walls almost 15 years ago! (Orange. Red. And Hot Pink. What were we thinking!) I centered the (negative die cut) stencil on an A2 panel and inked it up lightly with Sea Glass ink. 

Tip: Use the positive die cut to help you get correct placement of the letters' centers -- those are, apparently, called counters in the typography world! 


To create a shadow effect, I removed the stencil and repositioned it, slightly lower and to the right of its original position. (This was much more time consuming than I expected it to be!) I inked it again, using a heavier application of Sea Glass ink.

I peeled back the vinyl stencil, and the big reveal was gorgeous! I risked it, though, and stamped the Altenew Dainty Swiss Dot over the background, again, using Sea Glass ink. And whew! The risk paid off! 


I trimmed down the panel to 4 x 5.25", adhered it to an A2 card base, and finished off the card with a sentiment from the Altenew Simple Flowers stamp set.

Technique: Negative Die Cutting

I am especially excited about this card because I just found out I have a granddaughter on the way! The cute bunny and squirrel from the (retired?) Altenew Spring Fling stamp and die set are perfect for baby cards!


To create this shaker card, I cut a white panel and a piece of craft foam to 3.5 x 4.75". I stamped the bunny with Innocent Pink ink near the top center of the white panel, and then die cut it. The sentiment -- from the Altenew Leaf Canopy set -- is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink. 

The negative panel served as a template to die cut the bunny in the same spot on the craft foam. A piece of recycled packaging provided the window for the shaker card. 

Tip: Use double sided tape to adhere the acetate behind the die cut window. Liquid glue works, too, but don't go crazy with it or you'll have an oozy mess! (Ask me how I know.)


I adhered the craft foam to an A2 card base, and then added the pink bunny into the die cut opening.  I sprinkled a pinch of (seriously ancient) gold metallic Beadies Mini Marbles into the bunny hole, and then adhered the negative die cut panel (with attached acetate) onto the craft foam. 

Tip: When the shaker opening is tiny, use smaller shaker bits, so you still get a good jiggle out of the bits. 

This super simple card takes full advantage of the power of white space -- a tip I need to be reminded of often! 

I hope this inspires you to look at your dies in creative ways! You'd be surprised the magic they're capable of!

Thanks for stopping by!
Tammy





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back to School 2023

Hey, long time, no see!  It was bound to happen. It seems, no matter how many years I teach, back to school always kicks my butt. It was probably a bit more brutal this year because, for whatever reason, I holed up in my craft room this summer and refused to leave until the first required work day. Why? Because I just want to make cards. The woes of the employed.  But here I am, and ready for a big, big share!  For the past few years, I have recognized the teachers and staff in my building with cards and tiny gifts whenever possible -- first day of school, holidays, birthdays, teacher appreciation week, and other seasonal celebrations. This year was no exception! I made cards and cookies, gift tags, and card sets aplenty!  Just wait til I show you!  DIY Stencils: I am pretty excited about these cards because I actually used  my brand new Silhouette Cameo 4! I was inspired by these oversized fruit cards Jennifer McGuire and her sidekick Lila made. Oh man, I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Polychromatic || AECP

Hello, I'm back today, sharing a few cards I made as homework for Nina-Marie Trapani's Altenew Academy class called Polychromatic.  To be honest, I didn't quite know what to expect from this class. First of all, I've never heard the word   polychromatic . I understand the roots:   poly,  meaning   many ;   chrom , meaning color ; and the suffix   -ic , which creates an adjective. But doesn't that pretty much mean   rainbow , as in  use all the colors?  Well, yes, but... The purpose behind this class is to help you use all the colors with confidence. In some cases, I met the target, but in others, I fell short. Stay tuned for those failures... Lesson 1: White with Pops of Color I was pretty excited about this lesson because the title alone suggests cards that will be unpretentiously clean and simple, and that's just my style.  For this card, I chose the Altenew Beach Towel Stripes stencil , which is one of my favorite stencils. ...
2 comments
Read more

In the Mood for Color || AECP

Let's address the elephant in the room, shall we? I abandoned my post. Literally. At least it looked that way. Today marks exactly ten months since my last blog post. Even though blogging had become somewhat of a habit, I simply could not keep it up and do real life.  So,  where have I been , you ask? One word: school . I blame all things on school and the fact that I must have a job. A job I love. But a job nonetheless.  Oh, the woes of the employed. Let's get into the cards.  A Return to AECP Now that summer is here again, I have resolved to continue with Level 2 in my Altenew Educator program. Today's cards are my homework from Stephanie Klauck's class, In the Mood for Color.  To be honest, I thought the concept for this class was a bit bogus. Choosing a color to communicate a feeling? Right. We all know rainbows are happy and black is for mourning. But all the colors in between can't really  make you feel a certain thing. Can they? I am here to say ye...
2 comments
Read more