I have always had the opinion that cards are meant to be quick projects – 10 minutes that you can spend doing nothing else but hate doing nothing – those are the precious minutes you can spend being creative and making a card.

A die-cut a day…

So today I am sharing how easy card making really is with the Everyday Essentials range of die from Couture Creations. These are basic designs you can use on your cards and layout or mixed media projects without any thinking – they are versatile and quick to use.

And for those of you who are wondering what a die-cut is – this is the perfect time to get acquainted with the Cuttlebug and how you can cut beautiful shapes, words and designs out of paper and cardstock in a few seconds.

 

I made 2 quick cards using different dies from the range. Here’s how…

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• Step 1

  Open you Cuttlebug machine. Load the white A place and then the B plate on top of the A plate. Place the die you want to cut, in this case the word ‘thanks” with the ridge side facing up. TIP: The ridge is actually the cutting part of the die.



• Step 2

  Place the cardstock or paper face down onto the die-cut/word. I wanted mine to cut out of the blue/red dot paper so I placed that face down onto the word.



• Step 3

  Close the sandwich with the ‘C’ plate. TIP: The sandwich refers to the stacking order of the cutting plates into your Cuttlebug machine. TIP: I cut into my ‘C’ plate as this configuration does not buckle my B or C plates at all. It takes a lot of cutting before I need to replace my C plate. If you have your sandwich order as A C B then you are cutting into your thinner B plate, causing it to buckle more and will lead to replacing it very often.



• Step 4

  Send the die-cut sandwich through the machine by turning the handle on the side to feed through the plate stack. TIP: Make sure that your sandwich is flush with each other in the front of your machine – if one of the plates is out of line the stack will not want to go through your machine.



• Step 5

  Lidt out the stack from the back of the machine OR feed the sandwich back again by turning the handle the other way. The plate stack will now be in front again and you can remove the C plate to see your die cut. TIP: A second cut, by feeding the die back to the front is not always necessary, but can sometimes help to cut through thicker paper/cardstock or with a die that does not cut really well, or when your cutting plates are worn out. These dies cut perfectly first time around.



• Step 6

  You will need a paper piercer or needle to remove the small paper pieces stuck inside the metal die. It may also be used to help pop the die cut out of the die itself. TIP: Remember that you can also use Quick Release Paper to help pop your dies out of the metal really easily.
  (refer to article using quick release paper)



• Step 7

  Repeat the process and cut some ladybugs out of the back of glitter cardstock to have a slightly sparkly paper alternative.



• Step 8

  For my flowers I used the Mini Flowers die set. I cut the flowers out of Lady Pattern Paper papers.



• Step 9

  Cut out the centre of the large flower using a small pair of scissors.



• Step 10

  Use a quilling tool and curl up the flower. Use a small amount of Tombow adhesives to secure the inside and outside of the flower.



• Step 11

  Adhere the flower to the bigger layered flowers on your card.



• Step 12

  Finish off the flowers with a large pearl adhered with Tombow.

And there you have some quick die cut elements for your cards and projects. I love how easy it is to create with my Cuttlebug and Everyday Essentials dies. Remember to browse the website, view and order your favourite Everyday dies – you don’t want to miss out.

Happy cutting!

 

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Products Used

• ADCO 724117 Couture Creations Everyday Essentials – Ladybird Anthem
• ADCO 724125 Couture Creations Everyday Essentials – Script Thanks
• ADCO 724126 Couture Creations Everyday Essentials – Mini Flowers 1
• LPP0009 Lady Pattern Paper – Basic Essentials Gingham – Antique White
• AC NEUTRALS 71793 AC Cardstock 12×12 Smooth – White
• AC 71636 POW! Glitter Paper 12×12 – Rouge
• PC 2000293 Cuttlebug V2
• Other: patterned paper, bling, quote, pearls, sewing machine

Post by The Wholesaler’s Designer Jowilna Nolte.

We are very proud to introduce you to our first designer, Jowilna Nolte. Jowilna is a true creative and she will be sharing some of her passion and creativity with you.

Read more about Jowilna here.