Wednesday, March 5, 2014

My First Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD) Design Team Post!



I was recently accepted to the Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD) Design Team. Today is my first official post on their blog as a designer!

Making the Card 

Part of this can be rather messy. I recommend using a non-stick craft sheet. Refer to the Supplies section for items listed in the article.

Starting with My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found 3 “Oliver” Ledger Stripe card stock, cut a 5″ x 10″ card base using a decorative edged card die OR with a trimmer and the Agatha Edges for the decorative edge. Also cut the same size/shape card out of the Bazzill Pink Pearl Card Stock  (I believe it is In the Pink from the Bling line); trim it down so that the stripes show once it is stuck to the base. Fold both down the middle using a burnishing bone (bone folder) for a clean edge.

Place the main Lucy Label Pop Up die along the inside fold of the main card base (i.e. the MME “Oliver” Ledger Stripe card stock) and work the folds as per the instructions (Karen Burniston demonstrates this in her YouTube video). Adhere the pink pearl card stock to the card base so it covers the pop up cut out area (I stick one side down, lining it up with the center fold, then fold the card to stick the other half). Cut two of the ornate edges out of the pink pearl card stock and adhere them to the front and back bottom edges as shown on the front (the back is the same).

Cut two small flowers, one from the pink velvet adhesive sheet and the other from black card stock, using the small flower from the Butterflies Accessories Dies set. Cut another flower, from the “Oliver” Ledger Stripe card stock, using the Butterfly Pivot Card small solid flower die. Add a light layer of glue to the solid flower (I used Glossy Accents) and sprinkle with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter. Cut a rectangle from the “Oliver” Ledger Stripe card stock and rip two sides. Run it through a corrugator/crimper. To accentuate the ridges, use a light gray Copic Marker, such as N2 to line the “valleys.” Add some random Distress Crackle Paint to the top ridges (I used Worn Lipstick and a mix of Picket Fence and Antique Linen). Cut a rectangle of black tule; fold like a fan and staple one side flat to keep it from unraveling.

Wrap a piece of Chalk White seam binding around the card as shown, using adhesive tape to keep it in place (see the photos further below for inside placement – it should be just above the top pop up platform; the ends will be covered by the bow). Tie a piece of twine through a black button and adhere it with a Glue Dot or other strong adhesive as shown. Also adhere the small flowers, tule, and corrugated card stock as shown.

Below is the inside of the card. I wanted it to feel very spring-like and lively (all this winter is getting me down!).


To make the butterfly on the front of the card, start with a cream or white card stock. This is a multi-media base with a Peel-Off Sticker from Big Butterflies adhered over the top. Start by separating out the butterfly by cutting around it, but leave it on its backing paper. Cut a piece of cream card stock just larger than the butterfly you just cut out. Cut or tear sections of the Tissue Wrap and adhere them to the card stock in a couple places. Paint over them with clear gesso – this gives them some “tooth” to take other dies/paints (you may or may not need the gesso; I use it whenever I do multi-media projects). Stamp the Flowers & Butterflies Background (or other detailed stamp) with waterproof ink (I used VersaFine Onyx Black); dry with a heat gun (or let it air dry). Add some slightly watered down Worn Lipstick and Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint (or matching acrylic paint) in random areas. You want it semi-transparent. You may also add some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to vary the color. Dry. Spray with Perfect Pearls Mists: Interference Red (I added about 3 coats, drying with my heat tool in between each coat). This gives it a beautiful shimmer.


Apply a small amount of Carmine Red Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint through a dot stencil with a palette knife or heavy piece of card stock. Note: be sure to tape the stencil down securely; I usually use some version of Post-It Tape or painters tape. Remove the stencil quickly, carefully lifting straight up, and immediately wash it in water. The paint dries quickly and once dry it will be impossible to get it off the stencil. After the stamp paint has dried, peel off the sticker and apply it to the decorated card stock. Hint, it is easier to lay the sticker down flat on the non-stick craft sheet, with the sticky side up, then place the decorated card stock face down on top of the sticker. The only drawback is that you cannot see where exactly it will go. This is why I work on a piece of card stock cut just larger than the sticker, i.e. so I can get it pretty close to where I want it. Cut around the butterfly using a sharp pair of craft scissors. You may have to use a craft knife to cut around the antennae (be sure to use a cutting mat under it though; do not cut on your non-stick craft sheet!). Outline the entire butterfly, from the backside, using a black marker. I used N9 Copic Marker. I usually use a shade or two lighter than the color I’m matching whenever I outline. This last step hides any cream card stock edges, giving it a more professional look.

For the inside of the card, I made flowers and butterflies flowing in a zig-zag pattern from top to bottom. The flowers were cut with the Bunch of Flowers dies mentioned in the supply list. I love these dies. You can mix, match, and layer them in all sorts of configurations. Cut the two flowers on the bottom of the card from the pink pearl card stock (I used the backside for the bottom layer on one flower). Curl the petals using your thumb over the handle of a small paint brush or other smooth round tool. Glue the layers together on the double layered flower such that the top petals are offset from the bottom petals. Add Black Diamond Stickles to the centers of the flowers. Set them aside to dry.

Cut the flower over the sentiment from the pink velvet sticker paper. Use Copic Markers: RV21, RV23, RV25, R46, R32, R35, R37 with the Colorless Blender to lightly add shading to the petals (see close up photo for streaking effect). I found that one set of reds was too blue and the other too yellow to match, so I ended up blending them a bit to get a shade closer to what I wanted. Curl the petals as described above.* After sticking the layers (offset) together, add some glue to the flower center and sprinkle with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter.

*Hint: to get the petals to stick up, I added a 3D Glue Dot, cut down to size, under the section I wanted popped up; you may also try dimensional tape. A dusting of flour or other fine powder will remove any stickiness behind the parts of the flower that will stick up over the pop up part of the card.


The two small butterflies as well as the base of the butterfly on the pop up sentiment were cut from Transparent Double Sided Adhesive, stuck to cream card stock (cut a piece of adhesive; peel off backing sheet; stick to card stock; die cut). Once cut, peel off the top paper to uncover the other side of the adhesive then dip into Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter. Using your finger, rub the glitter to get it to really adhere. Color and blend on the small butterflies using the red Copic Markers listed. Cut the top layer of the butterfly from the pink pearl card stock and the body from black card stock. I cut the body down a bit more by hand and ended up cutting off the antennae, replacing them with black wire (bend into a V shape then curl the ends; adhere with a Glue Dot). Layer as shown.

Die cut the two label layers from the Lucy Label set out of the pink pearl and “Oliver” card stock (see photo); layer them as shown. Die cut the “Hello” sentiment from the pink pearl and black card stocks. Layer the sentiments so that it looks like the pink “Hello” has a shadow. Glue them to the center of the labels. Adhere the bundle to the pop up front.


To create the fancy butterflies, cut around them on the sticker sheet (do not remove them yet). Holding each butterfly you just cut out to the cream card stock, roughly cut around them (leave a big gutter). Use the card stock as a template to cut out matching transparent double sided adhesive. You should have two sets of card stock and matching adhesives – one set for each butterfly. Remove the backing paper from the two adhesives and stick them to their matching card stock pieces, keeping the backing paper. Peel the butterflies off the sticker sheet placing each on their matching backing paper, sticky side up. Peel the top sheet from the adhesive and carefully line it up with its matching butterfly. Once stuck down, rub well. Peel off the top sheet from the adhesive and sprinkle with glitter (I do this over scrap paper then pour the extra glitter back in its original container by bending the paper slightly in the middle and letting it run down the bend). With your finger, rub over the glittered surface to burnish it. Color and blend using the red Copic Markers listed. (See Els’ video, Silk Microfine Glitter – Coloring with Alcohol Markers).

To finish off the card, adhere the butterflies and flowers as shown. Tie a bow out of the seam binding and adhere it over the section where the seam binding ribbon ends meet inside. Cut a length of pink pearl card stock the width of the card. Use your Washi tape (I used musical notes here) to determine how wide the strip should be. Wrap the Washi tape around the piece and behind it (you may have to add adhesive to keep the Washi tape from peeling away – the pearl surface is a bit slick). Adhere it to the card base as shown. Use Glue Dots to stick down the buttons (I tied twine through one before sticking it down).

I hope you like the card! I had a lot of fun making it!

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs
  • 779 Lucy Label Pop Up
  • 787 Hello Die
  • 773 Butterfly Accessories Dies (small flower and butterfly layers)
  • 728 Bunch of Flowers 1
  • 729 Bunch of Flowers 2
  • 767 Butterfly Pivot Card (small solid flower and small butterfly)
  • 0412 Big Butterflies Peel-Off Stickers
  • 2342 Butterfly Small Peel-Off Stickers
  • 639 Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter
  • 502 8.5”x11” Transparent Double Sided Adhesive
  • Pink Velvet Adhesive Sheet
Other Supplies
  • Bazzill Pink Pearl Card Stock
  • My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found 3 “Oliver” Ledger Stripe Card Stock
  • Idea-ology/Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap Melange
  • Distress Ink: Worn Lipstick
  • Perfect Pearls Mists: Interference Red
  • Distress Crackle: Worn Lipstick, Picket Fence, Antique Linen
  • Copic Markers: N9, N2, RV21, RV23, RV25, R46, R32, R35, R37, 0 Colorless Blender
  • Clear Gesso
  • Mini Glue Dots
  • Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint Carmine Red
  • Black Diamond Stickles
  • Seam Binding, Chalk White, from Zipper Stop
  • Inkadinkado Flowers & Butterflies Background Stamp
  • Buttons, Tule (Black), Twine, Corrugator/Crimper, Cream (or White) Card Stock, Stencil (Dots), Washi Tape (Music Pattern), Wire (Black), Non-Stick Craft Sheet
  • Decorative Edged Card Die OR Agatha Edges Pop it Ups Die
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