Questions about Die Cutting and Giveaway

This month my questions are about die cutting and there is also another Giveaway.

Here are a few questions to start you off:

  - Do you use a manual, electronic or computerised die cutting machine?
  - What to you like (or not like) about the machine you use?
  - As well as card and paper - do you cut anything else?
  - Do you have a favourite manufacturer of dies?  If so, what do you like about them?
  - Do you like coordinating stamp and die sets?  (If so, you may like this month's prize!)
  - Do you have any favourite techniques with dies?
  - And, of course, any other information you would like to share about die cutting.

All comments will be entered for the giveaway, unless you specifically say that you don't want to be included.  This month I'm giving away a Clearly Besotted 'Rockin' Robin' stamp set and coordinating dies.

Please leave all comments by 08:00 BST on Tuesday 22 October - I'll announce the winner the following day.

Kath x

I'm Starting to Sell on Folksy

My final post today is a quick message to say that from 1 October I'm going to be selling cards and gifts on Folksy.  I've previously sold items to family and friends but feel that this is the next move for me.  I'm sure it's going to be a steep learning curve and it will take time to get everything right but I have to start somewhere!

If anyone who sells online or at fairs would like to share any tips or advice, please either leave a comment below or email me on kmbuckell@btinternet.com

Kath x

Enjoy the Peace and Quiet

This card was made with my last topper from a LOTV Art Pad - perfect to send to a cat loving friend.

To make this quick notecard I attached a snippet of Antebellum paper to the front of the card.  I die cut the precoloured topper and attached it to the centre - simple!

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white tent fold card blank    
     Lili of the Valley 'Garden Delights' Art Pad
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Oval STAX Die-namics' die
     Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Die Cut Divas - Free Fun Time (as life is so busy at the moment, we enjoy going away in our campervan and enjoying the peace and quiet)
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - September Challenge

Kath x

Another Year Flies By

I made this card for my nephew's birthday using more card and paper from my snippets box - which doesn't seem to get any emptier no matter how many snippets I use!

To make the card I trimmed a square of white card slightly smaller than my card blank before die cutting and embossing a circle from the middle.  I attached the cloud paper to the rear of the circle and used my MISTI  to stamp the sentiment.  As I didn't have the right colour ink to match my hot air balloon I stamped it with both Vintage Sepia and Deep Lagoon ink - stamping lightly with each colour to blend.  The panel was then attached to the centre of the card.  I glued two snippets of paper together before die cutting and embossing the hot air balloon.  The balloon was attached to the card with foam pads.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Memory Box 'Beautiful Balloon' and Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Standard Circles Large'
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Versafine Deep Lagoon and Vintage Sepia inks
     Sniippets of Quick Cards magazine 'Let's Fly Away!' and Docrafts Papermania 'Wood' papers, white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Alphabet Challenge - M for Masculine
     Dies R Us - Planes, Trains & Autobobiles (I had wondered if a hot air balloon would be okay for the challenge and then saw that one of the DT
     members had used one)
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - September Challenge

Kath x

September Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another of my Christmas tree cards - I can't believe how quickly this year is going!  I've used crystal candy bonbons and a Wink of Stella to add some sparkle to this month's Christmas tree.

I placed the card blank into my MISTI and lined up the tree and sentiment stamps.  As I was using a hammer card blank I had to stamp the stamps several times to get a good depth of colour (thank goodness for my MISTI!).  I then attached the sparkly bonbons to the card and highlighted the tree and sentiment with a Wink of Stella.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Woodware 'Bubble Bloom - Festive Tree' stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Purple and turquoise Crystal Stickers Candy Bonbons 
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - S for Sparkle     
     Allsorts -Trees and Leaves
     Fab 'n' Funky - Christmas
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day Challenge - September 
 
Kath x

Wishing you Happiness

I made this card to send to Robyn for the September Card Chain Challenge using the Colour and Friendship Options.

I stamped the outline of the largest leaf onto a snippet of card using dark brown ink and then overstamped the solid leaf in the light brown before die cutting it with the coordinating die.  I stamped and die cut another brown leaf and also one with a black outline and dark red centre.  I placed the card blank in my MISTI and laid the leaves across the card before positioning my sentiment.  I removed the leaves and stamped the sentiment with black ink before attaching the leaves with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" off white hammer tent fold card
     Clearly Besotted 'Fall Flowers' stamp and coordinating die & Clearly Besotted 'Dandelion Dreams' stamps
     Versafine Crimson Red, Onyx Black & Vintage Sepia ink
     Snippets of off white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Trees and Leaves
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - September Challenge

This is the lovely card I received from Dawn:

Kath x

Answers about Inks and Winner of Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who commented on my Questions about Ink post earlier this month.  There were only seven comments this month, but they did include some very helpful advice.

The other important thing is to announce the winner of the Clearly Besotted 'Bye Bye Butterfly' and 'Elegant Butterfly' stamp sets.  And the winner is:

KT Fit Kitty

Congratulations!  Please email me at kmbuckell@btinternet.com with your full name and postal address and I'll get the stamps to you as soon as possible.

There were be more questions and another giveaway on the first Wednesday in October.

I have several other ideas for 'Questions' as I'm interested to know about products that other crafters use.  If you have any suggestions for a future 'Questions' post, please add a comment below or email me with details.

Kath x

Clearly Besotted Penguins

I recently received an order for some stamps and dies from Clearly Besotted.  Not only did the parcel arrive quickly but it was beautifully wrapped and there was a 'thank you' card with my order too.  The penguins on the card were far too cute to go into the recycling bin so I made a notecard with them.  I found a suitable snippet of paper which was trimmed and attached to the card.  I trimmed the front of the upcycled penguin card to remove the sentiment and then attached it to the centre of the card with a layer of thin foam.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Upcycled thank you card
     Snippet of yellow/gold paper

I'm not entering any challenges, I just wanted to share these cute penguins!

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

Happy Birthday

I made this CAS birthday card for a few challenges - the idea seemed quite simple but it actually took a lot longer than I had anticipated to die cut the strip and get the stitching all around the edge of the strip.  On a more positive note, it did use up a lot of snippets from my box!

To start I die cut the sentiment from white hammer card and set it aside.  I attached a snippet of very dark green floral paper to thin white card and using a rectangle die I die cut a strip placing the dies so I had stitching on the short edges as well as the stitching along the long edges.  I did this by running the strip through my Cuttlebug four times - the first pass cut the short edge and half way down one long edge, the second cut the rest of the long edge and the other short edge, then lined it up again twice to die cut the other long edge - as I said, it took longer than I had anticipated!  I then die cut the sentiment from the right side and attached the strip along the lower edge of the card before inlaying the sentiment.  I punched a large and small daisy from white hammer card and attached them to the left of the sentiment and added an upcycled yellow gem for the flower centre..

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     My Favourite Things  'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Mini Happy Birthday' dies
     Woodware 'Large Daisy' and 'Regular Daisy' punches
     Small hole punch
     Snippets of white hammer card, thin white matt card and Lili of the Valley 'Enchantment' paper
     Small yellow sparkly gem (upcycled from a birthday card)

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Up to One Third + Inlaid Die
     Perfectly CAS - Flowers
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 361
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

Christmas Wishes

I love this stylish reindeer stamp and always think it looks better stamped in black than any other colour.  It's also not too fussy so is great for male cards too.

Using my MISTI I placed the die on top of the card and then laid the reindeer and sentiment into the square.  I removed the die and stamped the image and sentiment several times to ensure a good dense black colour.  I then die cut and embossed the square.  This panel was layered onto a slightly larger square of black card before being attached to the centre of the card blank.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     Hot off the Press 'Reindeer' stamps (these had been a cover gift with a magazine ages ago)
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Matt black card and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Black & White
     Alphabet Challenge - M for Masculine          
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x 

Snowman Snowy

I love this cute snowman stamp and as there's not much colouring needed he's great for making quick cards.  I've fallen behind with my Christmas card tally this year, so I've made a selection of these cards with different colour scarves to send to the younger members of our families.

I resized the digi and added the computer generated sentiment before printing onto white card.  I die cut the image and coloured the snowman with Promarkers.  This panel was layered onto a slightly larger piece of purple card and attached to the card front.  To finish I added a Wink of Stella.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt tent fold card blank
     Kinda Cute 'Snowman Snowy' digi stamp
     My Favourite Things 'Inside and Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die'namics' die
     Promarkers
     Purple pearlescent and white matt card
     Computer generated sentiment 'AR Christy' font
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes     
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Tales from the Craft Room - For the Kids

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

Just a Note

My final post today is a set of three notecards.  To make the leaves I stamped the outer image with the dark brown ink and then stamped the rest of the leaf with the lighter ink.  I used the coordinating dies to die cut them.  I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment in the lower corner and then attached the larger leaf with double sided tape.  The smaller leaf was attached with Pinflair glue to give some dimension.

To make these notecards I used:
     5" x 5" off white hammer card blanks
     Clearly Besotted 'Fall Flowers' stamps and coordinating dies and Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia and Toffee inks

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Autumn     
     Dies R Us - Nature
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - September challenge

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x