Category Archives: Techniques

Yesterday I shared this christening card with personalised lettering. The technique for creating these glossy letters is quite simple and I’ve added a couple of tips for keeping any waste to a minimum.

Step 1 – Roughly cut pieces of On Board sheets (114320) to a little larger than the letter(s) you’re going to die cut. (Tip – some of the specialty DSP is backed with chipboard – at no extra cost!).

Step 2 – Cover the chipboard with the same size of Multipurpose Adhesive sheet (120805), first peeling off one side of backing to adhere it to the chipboard and then peeling off the other side to leave just a layer of adhesive sitting on top of the chipboard.

Step 3 – Apply the same size of your chosen paper to the adhesive (preferred side facing up/outward) and burnish to create a good bond.

Step 4 – Place the covered chipboard piece paper side down over the appropriate letter on the Typeset Alphabet die (127553) and run through the Big Shot. (Optional – daub the chipboard edges with a matching ink).

Step 5 – Place the letters onto a Silicone Craft Sheet (127853) and apply Crystal Effects (101055) over the top of the letters and allow to dry (the silicone sheet prevents the letters from accidentally sticking to your work surface).

Depending on how thickly you apply the Crystal Effects, it may take from 30min to several hours to dry and if applied very thickly then I’d recommend leaving overnight to dry to avoid putting fingerprints in the gloss.

Now your letters are ready to use.

As well as spelling names, try using just one glossed up letter at the beginning of a word or stamp part of a sentiment and letter the other part.

Have fun!

I love finding alternative ways to use SU! products beyond the obvious. This basket is created with the Scallop Envelope die.

It takes four die cut envelopes. Extra interest has been added by weaving strips of DSP through the basket sides.

Step 1 – Die cut four Scallop Envelopes. Place an Envelope on the Stampin’  Trimmer with the scallops at the top of the trimmer and the bottom of the envelope aligned with the grid. Starting 1cm from either side tab scoreline, cut vertically between the top and bottom score lines. Repeat every 1cm until approx. 1cm from the other side tab scoreline. Repeat with the other three envelopes.

Step 2 – Remove one of the side tabs from the envelope. Fold the scallops over so that the perforated design is clearest on the outside. Cut 1cm deep strips of DSP. Thread the strips of DSP through the vertical cuts, alternating the under/over pattern between one strip and the next. Trim off any excess DSP and adhere the ends of the strips to the envelope. Repeat for the other three envelopes, cutting off the same side tab on each and maintaining the same weave pattern on each.

Step 3 – Adhere each cut envelope side to the next side tab. Continue with all four box sides, adhering the last one back around to the first. Fold the envelope bases interlocking into one another. This leaves a tiny hole in the centre of the base which can be covered with a DSP insert if preferred. The perforated scallops can be left loose, adhered flat or popped up over the weave with a dimensional.  Optional – add a handle to basket to finish.

Whilst you can always use a needle and thread for gathering tulle ribbon to edge your creations, I’m not really one for unnecessary sewing tasks 

The method used for this Valentine’s Day card is quick and simple.

Step 1 – On the back of your card layer, apply two parallel pieces of Sticky Strip. Unless you want a huge amount of tulle to show, you can cut down the centre of the tulle ribbon, keeping the scallops. I cut the ribbon to around three times the length of the card to be covered to get really full gathers. You could try just two times the length for more shallow gathers.

Step 2 – Fold the end of the tulle under and adhere to the Sticky Strip.

Step 3 – Keep folding and pleating the ribbon as you press it down onto the Sticky Strip.

Step 4 – As you get near to the end of the card, fold under the other end of the tulle ribbon and adhere to the Sticky Strip. Continue pleating back to meet in the middle.

This amount of gathering creates some “height” to the card. It is best balanced by using dimensionals on the open areas on the back of the card and more Sticky Strip where the tulle will be.

Masking allows you add “layer” up your stamped design without adding any extra layers of card. It gives the illusion of having your images stacked one over another. All you need is some Post-it notes (or similar) and a pair of scissors.

Tip – once you’ve cut out and used your mask, stick it inside the stamp box so that it’s ready to use again in future.

Step 1 – Stamp your upper most image (ie. the one that you want to appear nearest to you) first. Then stamp the same image onto a Post-it note and cut out carefully allowing a tiny margin all round the image. This is your mask.

Step 2 – Position the mask exactly over the top of the original image. Tip – this flower isn’t symmetrical and so I looked for an unusual part of the design (here it’s one petal with two slivers of petals on either side) and marked it with a pen so I can use it to help me line the flowers up.

Step 3 – Stamp your next image, overlapping them either a little or a lot, as you prefer for your design.

Step 4 – Move the mask over to the next image, or create a second mask and repeat step 3. I used a second mask here as I wanted to stamp close to both of the original flowers.

Step 5 – Keep stamping, covering the image with a mask and stamping again as required to build up your image.

The new Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets are fantastic for applying glitter to punched and die cut shapes. They’re so much easier to use than applying a wet glue and there’s no need for a heat tool.

1. Cut a piece of the adhesive  sheet slightly bigger then the shape you want. Peel off one side of the adhesive sheet and apply it to your card stock.

2. Punch (or die cut) your shape.

3. Peel off the backing sheet.

4. Press the shape, adhesive side down, into the glitter.

5. Tap off the excess glitter.

Here’s how to fray an even weave ribbon. This works really well with the Striped Grosgrain ribbon, giving it a whole new look.

 1. Using a very sharp pair of scissors (our Paper Snips are ideal) trim just inside the edge of the ribbon.

2. Using the point of the scissors or a needle, tease out a few strands of the ribbon and pull them completely away down the length of the ribbon.

3. Repeat, pulling off just a few strands at a time until the fray is as deep as you want it. If you try to pull too many threads in one go then you risk snagging the ribbon. Repeat on the other side of the ribbon if desired.

4. Repeat the fraying at the end of the ribbon if desired.

Yesterday I shared this faux glass butterfly and I’m back today to share how I stamped it.

If you try stamping onto window sheet, acetate, glass or any similar surface with our regular dye-based ink then the image won’t dry, it will simply sit on the surface of the window sheet and brush/smear off the first time it is touched. Stazon is a fast-drying, permanent ink that will work on non-porous surfaces such as window sheet but as we currently only stock it in black and white, that can be a little limiting.

The answer? Combine Stazon ink with our reinkers!

1. First die cut your shapes from the thick window sheet. Top tip – keep the off-cuts to use as a stencil. The thick window sheet has a protective blue film on either side to protect the surface and you need to peel this away.

2. On a protected surface (eg. scrap acetate/laminate) pour 3-5 drops of White Stazon. Add 1 drop of your chosen reinker and mix with a cocktail stick or similar. If you require a darker colour then you can always add another drop of reinker but it goes further than you might think, so better to build gradually than add too much and use a lot of Stazon to dilute it again.

3. Use wadded up kitchen paper to apply the ink to the stamp. You can get a better, more even coverage by using a sponge dauber but the dauber won’t clean up well after use.

4. Stamp the image onto the window sheet. Reapply ink to the stamp, stamp it out and repeat. You will need to work reasonably quickly as the ink dries out quite fast. Stamps should be cleaned straight after use with Stazon cleaner for best results.