Thursday, July 31, 2014

A Fifth Thursday in a July to Die For!

July is a month with a fifth Thursday.  What does that mean?  Well, in a July to Die For, it means that the entire Dreamweaver Team will get together today to show you one last die cut creation.  Here is mine:
Although it would be a really cute candle shelter, I am planning on using it for pencils.  It was really easy.  Let me tell you how I made it.

MATERIALS:
Dreamweaver Die DG745 Tree Line
Dreamweaver Color Solutions in Pine Bough, Aquarius and Iceberg
Dreamweaver Color Solution Thinner
Copper
Jar
Q Tips
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Glue (although you could use E 600)
May Arts Twine
Manual Die Cut Machine (I used a Cuttlebug)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1)  Run copper through the machine with Dreamweaver Die.  You will be using the thin die setting.  For the Cuttlebug, the sandwich was A Plate, die, metal, B Plate, C Plate and shim (a lightweight piece of chipboard).
2)  Glue the metal to a clean, dry jar.

4)  With the Q Tips, apply the Color Solutions to the glass.  Don't worry if you get some ink on the metal.
5)  With the Color Solutions on a Q Tip, clean off the metal.
6)  Add a bow around the threads.
I particularly like how the shape shows through the back of the glass.  It adds another dimension  to the piece. 
 
Now it is your turn.  Make a little "Something to Die For" and upload it to the link at the end of the post.  You can find additional inspiration at the links for the whole team below:
Pam Hornschu
and

 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

A July to Die For

Welcome to July...the month to DIE for! Yep. All of this month, the Dream Team are featuring our newest toys...our DIES! You'd be surprised at how many we have, and what fun things you can do with them...especially when used in conjunction with many of their stencil counterparts. They are such a simple way to create an effective card. Here's mine for this week:

It is really sort of different for me, I know.   I have been a little obsessed lately with the idea of using the dies to create a window.  I wanted something interesting to show through, but then the plain white top was boring.....so, I added a plaid look to it.  The die cuts that I used were DD001 Nesting Frames and DL 563 Pears.  The back was pasted with Glossy Green Embossing Paste and covered with opaque blue and green glitter while it was still wet.  The stencil I used was LX 7001 Damask.   The plaid was done with pigment inks, a stencil brush and stencil LX 7002 Plaid, which was turned at a 90 degree angle for the second pass.  The metal was the scrap edge of something that I had already embossed with the damask stencil.  I popped up the plaid section.
Now, you should check out the rest of the links for today--and don't forget to link your creation for a chance to win!

and
Don't forget to link!
 
 


Thursday, July 3, 2014

July--a month to die for!

Welcome to July...the month to DIE for! Yep. All of this month, the Dream Team are featuring our newest toys...our DIES! You'd be surprised at how many we have, and what fun things you can do with them...especially when used in conjunction with many of their stencil counterparts. They are such a simple way to create an effective card. Here's mine for this week:
 
 

I really tried to create something "gender neutral" here.  I used the die DL3029 Dog. The stencils I used were Dog Stencil 3029, Swirl Stencil LJ 863,  Snow Splatter Stencil LJ 878,  Houndstooth LJ 913, Herringbone LJ 914, and Dog Words LG 749.  I used the Rubber Embossing Mat with a manual die cut machine (specifically a Cuttlebug for me, but you can use whatever you want.)  I also used the Matte Black Embossing Paste, Palette Knife, Removable Tape, and Color Coated Aluminum in Brown, Black, Red and Medium Blue.  Finally, I needed sandpaper, white and black card stock, adhesive and scissors.
 The mechanics behind the project were very simple.  I ran the metal through the machine with the rubber embossing mat and stencils: swirls with brown, snow splatter with black, the words and herringbone with red, and the houndstooth with medium blue.  Each time, I sanded the metal before removing it from the stencil.  Then, I placed the metal I wanted to use for the dog on the die.  I had to do one color at a time.  Also, I removed the rubber embossing mat and set up the cover mats to cut thin dies.  I also used a little card stock "shim" to make the die cut properly through the metal. 
Next, I taped the dog stencil to the white card stock and pasted it with the Matte Black Embossing Paste.  You could use Glossy Black just as easily.  It might even work better.  While the paste was still dry, I placed the metal into it.  You can see by the close up below that the stencils are slightly larger than the metal.  They create a slight "outline" that way, which is a very pretty effect.
 

Also, my black paste bled a little under the stencil, but that worked out well, too.  It created a very cute "smile" on my dog!
After the paste dried, I used the scissors to cut around the dog.  I then assembled the card!  Simple as that!
I'm sure that our "A" team is just DIE-ing to show you their creations, as well as our Guest Designers for the month of July, so stop by and take a look....

and