March 26, 2024

Creating Custom Shaped Card Designs With Ease

Hey there! In today’s post, we're putting a spotlight on shaped cards. We’re taking the elegant arch design and crafting something special. If you're into die cutting and clean, beautiful lines, you’ll want to see what we’ve created with our latest dies. Let’s get into it!

For this creative session, I’ve chosen the ‘Brighter Days’ Gerbera Daisy, beautifully illustrated by Kelly Taylor, and coupled it with the versatile Basic Die Cutting Set 1. This set is a true crafting powerhouse, boasting arches, ovals, windows, and more to spark your imagination.

PFS Creative Toolkit

Other Essentials

Altenew Stampwheel
Tonic Tangerine Die Cutting Machine
Precision Glue Press
Papermill Direct 240gsm Black Card
WOW White Super Fine Embossing Powder Large
Copic Markers - Leaves: YG01, YG05, G09 Flower: BV02, BV04, BV08 Flower Centre: YR24, YR27, Y13
White Gel Pen

I Love Seeing You Blossom

The Project

1. Start by stamping the Gerbera Daisy on alcohol-friendly paper with alcohol friendly ink. Color in those petals withBV02, BV04, BV08, the center withYR24, YR27, Y13, and leaves in YG01, YG05, G09. For a touch of realism, add texture with a stippling effect with the darkest colors and some white gel pen dots, and then die cut.

2. Heat emboss your sentiment on black cardstock and die cut.

3. Die cut the largest arch frame in white cardstock twice and once more with one of the Clouds of Dreams glossy card fronts.

4. Use the largest and smallest arch to create a frame from one of the large pieces you just cut.

5. For the card base, trim it a smidge larger than A2 size. Use the largest arch to cut the base, allowing part of the die to hang off the side for that unique shape.The second photo shows how to leave the edge if you want to make the card base open at the side.

TOP TIP: The beauty of this technique isn’t just for arches - it’s a universal trick! Feel free to apply this step to any shaped die in your collection, be it ovals, squares, rectangles, circles, etc. It’s all about getting creative and making each project uniquely yours.

6. Cut the SL oval fence from white cardstock and give it a slight curve.

7. Layer the second white arch over your card base, follow with the cloud panel, and then the arch frame on foam pads.

8. Mount the daisy with foam pads, add the fence, and pop on the sentiments. Please note I changed the clouds of dreams background (there are three different ones in the set) but forgot to take a photo!

9. Finish off with a sprinkle of sequins for that sparkly touch.

And there you have it, a stunning shaped card that's as fun to make as it is to give. Shaped cards are a great way to mix things up and add that special touch to your cardmaking projects. Thanks for hanging out with me today!

Thanks for crafting with me today! And remember, sometimes all it takes for a standout card is a few simple die cuts.

Don't miss out on more creative fun - follow me:

Happy Crafting,

Jennifer

Creative Ways to Incorporate Large Word Dies

Hey there, lovely crafters! This is my first blog post of the year and I'm hoping to share many more! After a long period of illness and a stem cell transplant, I am recovering well and starting to craft again.

Today it's all about blending the old and the new in a way that'll make your heart sing! So, if you're eager to learn fresh ideas, you've landed in the perfect spot. Let's explore the magic of using large word dies with your existing stamps, shall we?

Design Elements

Hooray Word Die
Lemon Queen Sunflower Stamp
Lemon Queen Sunflower Dies
Sequin Mix Iridescent Moonshine
Extra Wide Foam Tape Rectangles
Paper Splatter White Snowflake
The Stamps Scrubber
Altenew Stampwheel
Tim Holtz Precision Trimmer
Copic Markers: In shades Y11. Y19, YR24, YR27, YR21, YR23, YR27, E17
T Ruler

The Projects

To start, use alcohol-friendly paper and ink for stamping the sunflower.

I do a light-to-dark approach using Copic Markers. For the petals, the following shades are used: Y11, Y19, YR24, and YR27. You can repeat the process as many times as necessary to achieve the desired level of vibrancy and shading.

Now we focus on coloring the center of our sunflower. Take Copic Markers in shades YR21, YR23, YR27, and E17. To achieve a textured effect, consider stippling these colors onto the center. This technique adds depth and dimension to the sunflower's heart. For an extra touch of richness in the yellow hues, you can introduce Y19 into the mix.

I colored two sunflowers because I wanted to explore different creative possibilities.

Begin by die-cutting hooraay directly into one of the sunflowers. Remember to keep all the pieces, as we'll be making two cards from this – one with the "hooray" word (the positive) and the other with the leftover pieces (the negative).

Happiness Looks Good On You

Once I'd removed the sentiment from the die, I decided to color in the white parts with B000, B04, B04 and then splatter. This is really effective and makes that image pop.

Stamp out and die cut. 'happiness looks good on you' sentiment from the Sunflower set and set aside.

Die cut 4 black hoorays and stack them as a shadow for your colored hooray die cut. Adhere to an A2 card base and attach the sentiment.

Hooray! Using the Negative Space

This card features the negative space from card one. Die-cut two additional "hooray" words, one in white and one in black. Place the negative portion onto an A2 card base, using the white "hooray" word to ensure precise positioning. Then, insert the white "hooray" word into the empty space, followed by the black "hooray" word just to the right of the white one. This creates a subtle shadow effect and adds visual interest to the card.

To complete this card, stamp and die-cut one of the sentiments from the Sunflower set and adhere it to the front. This card remains flat and is perfect for easy mailing to a friend or loved one.

So you now have two cards with one sunflower image! How cool is that?! I haven't made a card in quite awhile, but it was lovely to sit at my desk and go through my stash until something inspired me! I selected the sunflower because orange is my favourite colour and I love the red/orange/yellow transition. The cards turned out beautifully, and they are stunning in real life!

Hopefully, I've re-ignited my spark, and I'll be back to crafting up a storm soon!

See you soon!

Jen