Layered Camelia - Vintage Frame Card

 Layered Camelia

Vintage Frame Card

The papers I've used to make this card are left over papers from the Merry Little Christmas set and the dies used are a mixture of old and new.   

The flower is from the new Vintage Flowers collection - the Layered Camelia.

The frame is the Nesting Chandelier Frames - from an older collection.  

I've foiled this onto a wood effect paper from the Merry Little Christmas set.  When using the cut, foil and emboss dies with papers rather than card I add an extra shim of card on top of the paper to push the paper into all the detail foiled areas.  The extra shim doesn't go to waste as after foiling I glue the 2 layers together to give the extra stiffness - so that I can mount the frame on foam pads without it sagging.  I've used Chocolate Copper foil for the frame.

  

I foiled my sentiment in the Persimmon Orange foil, and then cut/foiled using the inner part of the frame set.  I trim the middle out of the foil using a craft knife so I can see where to position the die and foil over the sentiment.

The Layered Camelia flower is foiled onto black card, which makes the Persimmon Orange foil really pop.

The die set has 2 parts for the flower petals, but I've added an extra layer.

I've added shape to the petals using a ball tool so my flower has lots of depth.

I've used Red Copper foil in the leaves so they are a lighter shade than the flower.

Couture Creations Products Used

CO727945 - 12 x 12 Paper Pack - Merry Little Christmas - 12 Sheets

CO727728  - Cut and Create die set - Vintage Flowers - Layered Camelia

CO725691 - Foil - Chocolate Copper (Mirror Finish)

CO726068 - Foil - Persimmon Orange (Mirror Finish)

CO725696 - Foil - Red Copper (Mirror Finish)

CO727630 - Cut and Create Die - My Secret Love - Reaching Fern

CO726464 - Cut, Foil and Emboss Die - Modern Essentials - Nesting Chandelier Frames (3pc)

 Floral Frame Layered Card

For this card I'm working with some Cut and Create dies from Couture Creations.  I've used the Floral Frame and Standing Daisies Cut and Create Layering die sets.  Both sets are from Couture Creations Vintage Flowers Layering Cut and Create dies collection.  The flowers in the Standing Daisy set are the same size as those on the frame, so they can be layered together.   

Couture Creations Cut and Create dies can be used to cut and emboss, cut and stamp or, in conjunction with the GoPress & Foil, they can be used to create foiled elements in a design.

For my card I've used my GoPress & Foil to add contrasting colour using a variety of Couture Creations hotfoils.  For the frame I've used Sea Breese (turquoise), for the daisies and the sentiment I've used Phantom Purple and for the butterfly and the centres of the daisies I've used a silver iridescent foil.

The Floral Frame Cut and Create die set includes the Frame, Sentiment and Butterfly

I show you how I created my card in my video.

Couture Creations Products Used:

CO725387 - Foil - Heat Activated Silver Iridescent Pattern

CO725704 - Foil - Heat Activated Phantom Purple (Mirror Finish)

CO725692 - Foil - Heat Activated - Sea Breese (Mirror Finish)

CO727727 - Cut and Create Die Set - Vintage Flowers - Standing Daisies (3pc)

CO727726 - Cut and Create Die Set - Vintage Flowers - Floral Frame (3pc)

 Vintage Flowers - Golden Framed Zinnias

The beautiful flowers used on this card are from the Couture Creations Vintage Flowers Collection - Layered Zinnias.  I thought they were peonies, but I'm no gardener - the important thing is that they are a beautiful embellishment to use in craft projects.  I've used them with foil (and my GoPress & Foil machine) in this project but they can also be used like normal thin dies and just cut out, or inked and cut.  

The Layered Zinnia set has 2 dies - one for the main flower and a 2nd one to create the centre - this allows you to create a layered, dimensional look.

The Sentiment on this card is from another of the Vintage Flower die sets - the Floral Frame, which is a set of 3 - a frame, a butterfly and the Best Wishes sentiment.  To make raising this on foam pads easier, I've cut the die again from the craft card used as a shim when foiling it and stuck the 2 layers together.

To build up the layers of this card, I first cut my card blank from a cream A5 card blank.  I used the waste piece from this to foil the sentiment.

I cut a piece of black card to 14.4cm square and then Cut & Foiled the largest die from the Nesting Circular Flourished Frames Cut, Foil and Emboss die set.

I cut my backing paper to 14cm square, then cut & foiled the centre piece of the topper using a die from the Nesting Floral Frames Cut, Foil and Emboss die set. When using these sets with paper I add a card shim when foiling.  This protects the paper from being torn during the foiling process and I used the extra layer of card with the paper to make it stiff enough to raise with foam pads.

I show how to foil the Zinnia flowers in my video (link at the bottom of the page).  I've added a small black foam pad under the top of the flower centre to make it stand out.

In my video I show you how to foil the Zinnia flowers and put the card together, and also show you other dies in the Vintage Flowers collection.

Couture Creations Products Used:

CO727726 - Cut and Create die set - Vintage Flowers - Floral Frame (3 piece set)

CO727725 - Cut and Create dies - Vintage Flowers - Layered Zinnia (2 piece set)

CO726461 - Cut, Foil and Emboss dies - Modern Essentials - Nesting Floral Frames (7 piece set)

CO726463 - Cut, Foil and Emboss dies - Modern Essentials - Nesting Flourished Frames (3 piece set)

CO725937 - Die - Le Petit Jardin  - EVENING BRANCH MINI DIE (1PC)

CO725356 - Foil - Gold (Iridescent Speckled Pattern) - Heat activated

CO725685 - Foil - Gold (Warm, Mirror Finish) - Heat activated

In my video I showed some other dies from the Vintage Flowers Collection

CO727728 - Cut and Create dies - Vintage Flowers - Layered Camelia (3 piece set)

CO727727 - Cut and Create dies - Vintage Flowers - Standing Daisies (3 piece set)

My Secret Love - Notebook and Pen Holder

My Secret Love
Notebook and Pen Holder

I love the warm pinks and muted greens in these papers from Couture Creations "My Secret Love" collection.  I've used them to decorate a notebook holder, but this could be adapted to make an album or memory book - you might want to make the spine a little wider to accommodate the page attachments if you are making an album or memory book.  The one I've made is 5" x 7" with 1" depth at the spine.

Along with the beautiful papers I've use 300gsm white card (2 A4 sheets), some beige pearl card (3 A4 sheets) and some rainbow mirror card (2 A4 Sheets). 

The notebook I've used is A6  - 10.6cm x 15cm (European size), but there is room for a slightly larger notebook.

You'll need to use 2 sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper, including covering you notebook to match the holder.  You may also want to snip out additional coordinating elements from your papers to add more decoration.

I've use the Couture Creations Mini Guillotine, the Couture Creations Scoring Board, the Couture Creations Mini Score Board and a small corner rounding punch. I've used pva glue applied sparing with a fine tip nozzle to stick my layers together, except when sticking the papers down onto the mirror card, where I have used double sided tape.

Please take a look at my video (link at bottom of page) to see which tools I've used and how I've used them.

Cut one of the A4 sheets of white card down to 11" x 7"  and score 5" in from each of the ends.  Burnish the folds to create the base of the notebook holder.  See my video for tips on doing this using a small scoring board.

Next cut enforcing pieces from the other sheet of white card.  The measurements for these are shown in the picture and they are slightly narrower than the spaces they will be stuck down in so that the fold lines are not covered.  You will need  2 pieces 4 15/16" x 7" and a strip for the spine 7/8" wide, but slightly longer than 7" - it is easier to cut this piece to length after it is stuck in place

If you want to have rounded corners on your holder or album, use the corner rounding punch on the 4 corners of the base piece and on the matching 2 corners on each of the reinforcement pieces before gluing them together.

Glue the reinforcement pieces down on the inside face of the cover, being careful not to cover the crease lines - as shown below.   Trim the piece reinforcing the spine to length after you have stuck in down.

The next thing to do is to decorate the front cover  - matting and layering with the patterned paper. It's easier to do this now, while you can open up the holder/album and work with it laying flat.

Next, add the base mat layers inside the holder. I've used the beige card for this.

Then cut to size the pieces needed to mat and layer the patterned paper with the mirror card and stick those together using double sided tape - but DO NOT stick them down inside the holder yet, as a strip needs to be added to hold the notebook in place.

Once the paper and mirror card are stuck together use them to score a 2" wide strip of card that will wrap around them.   Cut the strip to be 8" or 21cm (for A4 card)  long as you'll need approximately 1/2" at either end of the strip to fold behind this layer and stick it in place

Wrap the strip around the layer length ways about 1/2" from the left hand edge and stick in place with double sided tape - I've used high tack tape.

Then stick this layer down on the base layer inside the holder, on the right hand side.

For the left hand side, where there is a pen holder, you also need to prepare the layers of patterned paper and mirror card, but DO NOT stick them together.  Cut them to size and check that they would layer together - but the paper is going to be cut so that the bottom portion will cover the pen holder, and the top portion will be stuck down onto the mirror card.

For the pen holder, cut a strip of card 4 1/2" wide and 2" wider than your patterned paper - this will be approximately 6 1/2" wide - but do check how wide your patterned paper is.  I've used some of the beige card for this.

Score at 1/2" and 1" at one end of the card and then use the patterned paper to mark out the width of the pen holder and make a score line.  Then make 2 further score lines 1/2" apart.  Trim the card off at the furthest score line.

You also need to make score lines on one of the long edges at 1/2" and 1" from the edge - or in from the other edge.

Burnish all of the scored lines, and then cut away the card at the corners as shown.  I've cut a small "v" down the sides of the small flap that folds in to hold the sides in place.

Now cut the patterned paper into 2 pieces - make sure the bottom section is just the right size for the pen holder.   Instead of measuring you might want to stick the whole piece in place, glued to the front of the pen holder and then trim off along the top edge.

Stick the top half of the paper down on the mirror card.  If you want to add some elastic across the top half to help hold pens in place do this now, before sticking the mirror card down onto the inside of the front cover.

Add some double sided tape to the two flaps and fold the sides and bottom in and secure in place

Score a length of card at 1/2" spacing and fold and stick as shown - I've left a long section for a ruler or highlighter pen.  These partitions are strong enough to stop pens falling over, but can still be flexible enough to accommodate pens that are a little larger than 1/2".

Now you can fold in the bottom and side flaps and add double sided tape.

Now the pen holder can be stuck in place, inside the front cover.

I've also decorated my notebook to match with some more mirror card and patterned paper.

Here's my video showing how I've used some of the tools and giving you a look at my finished notebook holder.

Couture Creations Products Used
CO726343 - Mini Guillotine Trimmer
CO726342 - Scoring Board - 12 x 12 (inc bone folder and guide)
CO726752 - Mini Score Board - 8in x 6in
CO727587 - Collection Pack 12 x 12 - My Secret Love

Peaceful Peonies - Floral Frame Card

Peaceful Peonies - Floral Frame Card

The small paper pad in this collection is 6 1/2" square.  I've simply matted and layered this sheet with some plain pink and silver card onto a 7" square card blank..  I've used the same pink card as a mat for the sentiment, which is hot foiled on white pearl card.

The Peaceful Peonies collection has some beautiful cut, foil and emboss dies.  These are great as you can achieve a very detailed look without lots of fiddly bits to glue down.  I've used foil on this card, but the cut, foil, emboss dies can be inked and die cut instead, or just die cut and coloured using the contours as a guide.

For the foiling I've used my GoPress & Foil, along with the Couture Creations Conversion Plate for the cut, foil and emboss dies. (see my video)

I've used a peach coloured semi-transparent foil for the Peony Bouquet, on some white pearl card.

For the leaves (Leafy Branch), I've foiled in silver on both some more of the white pearl card, and also on some green pearl card.

To fit the leaves around the right hand side of the sentiment I cut into one of the pieces and separated it into two parts.  Some of the leaves are stuck down underneath the sentiment panel.

My video shows you how I used the cut, foil and emboss dies to make the elements on this card, including how to use them without foil.

Couture Creations Products Used:

CO727351 - Paper Pad - 6 1/2 x 6 1/2in - Peaceful Peonies - (24 sheets)

CO727416 - Cut, Foil & Emboss Die - Peaceful Peonies - Leafy Branch (1pc)

CO727417 - Cut, Foil & Emboss Die- Peaceful Peonies - Peony Bouquet

CO726567 - Hotfoil Stamp - Butterfly Garden - Live, Laugh, Love

CO726043 - Foil - Peach (Matte Finish) - Heat activated

CO725350 - Heat Activated Foil - Silver (Mirror Finish)

Christmas Foiled Paper Napkins / Serviettes

Christmas Foiled Paper Napkins / Serviettes

Today I tried out foiling onto paper napkins / serviettes, using my GoPress and Foil, and I love how they turned out.  I've used plain, white serviettes and transformed them with a variety of foils.  You could use the same technique to foil onto any colour serviettes.

I've used my GoPress & Foil, and Couture Creations heat activated foils, along with a selection of Couture Creations hot foil stamps from their Naughty Or Nice release.

I found that there was a greater tendency for over foiling than when foiling on card, because the surface of the serviettes is soft -  but any over foiling easily brushed away using a soft, clean brush. 

This is what one of the snowflakes looked like when I peeled off the foil.  The gaps in the snowflake are filled in - but the extra foil just brushed away.

This is what the snow flake looked like after I had brushed away the over-foiling.



In my video I show you how easy it is to create these gorgeous paper napkins / serviettes.

Couture Creations Products Used:

CO726924 - Naughty Or Nice - Ornate Christmas Tree Hotfoil Stamp
CO726920 - Naughty Or Nice - Merry Christmas Snowflakes Hotfoil Stamp
CO726923 - Naughty Or Nice - Christmas Borders Hotfoil Stamps (set of 3)
CO725685 - Foil - Gold (Warm Mirror Finish)
CO726065 - Foil - Silver Foil (Iridescent Speckle Pattern)
CO725358 - Foil - Blue Foil (Mirror Finish)
CO725390 - Foil - Deep Red Foil (Mirror Finish)