Hello and welcome to our Saturday Showcase! It's Sara Emily with you today to shine a spotlight on the wonderful Sizzix Foliage Wrap die set Linda carries in The Funkie Junkie Boutique. As promised, I am providing a step by step tutorial for this card I made for our current challenge, 'It's a Wrap'. Traditionally, we think of wraps for wedding, save the date and other invitations, but I wanted to show you just how versatile these dies can be.
Since I didn't use all of the dies in the set, I pictured the entire Foliage Wrap set for you below. The set includes the wrap die and six detailed floral and foliage dies that coordinate with it. I love that I'll be able to use these little dies on other projects aside from just with the wrap. When I get a die set, I like to put them on magnetic sheets and tuck them in a sealed bag or their original plastic envelopes before filing them. These are actually vent covers I purchased from a local hardware store that I cut into sizes I need for my dies.
I'm sharing a few different ways you can use this set, so let's get started with the first all purpose card. I'll show a couple photos of the completed card (you can find more photos in my challenge post HERE), and then take you through my steps.
The wrap flaps tuck under the butterfly wings to keep the card closed. Un-tuck them and lift the top of the top fold card where you can write a personal message.
First, here's how I made the wrap portion of my butterfly card:
Cut 8.5 x 11 card to 5.25 x 11. Measure and mark at 2.25 and 6.25 inches from the left edge at the top and bottom of the card. Line up the straight edge of the die along the marks at 2.25 inches with design portion of die facing left edge, tape as shown and proceed with die cutting. With a die this intricate, it is helpful to use the Chrome Precision Base Plate for cutting and the die brush/pick from the Sizzix Mini Tool kit to quickly remove all those little bits.
Repeat taping the die in place at the second set of marks and die cutting as shown below. (The back side of the card is facing up.)
Although the die does have a scoring line, I find it helps to score it again before folding it 'closed' and burnishing with a bone folder.
To finish the inside of the wrap, I opened the flaps and blended the inside of the flaps with Distress ink and heat embossed just the edges with Embossing Glaze powder. This adds strength to the flaps so it can be handled without tearing the delicate flowers/foliage. You could emboss the entire inside of the flap if you choose, but avoid the score line or it will be difficult to keep the flaps closed.
While the paste was drying, I worked on the top fold card which will fit inside the wrap. Lightly spray a piece of watercolor paper with water and then with Distress Spray Stains, spraying again as needed to blend and then dry with a heat tool.
Ink a script stamp from the Faded Type set with Distress inks and spritz with water before making an impression on the prepared card. I use just my fingers to hold the stamp, so I can get just a partial impression. Repeat, making random impressions, drying between impressions. Splash with water, let it sit a couple seconds and dry again to get those wonderful vintage spots.
I cut this card to size and adhere to plain white paper to make a top folding tent card. This is glued into the central portion of the wrap.
Because the die is so detailed, I kept the background and the embellishments simple. I die cut a Tim Holtz Scribbly Butterfly from white card and blended it with Antique Linen ink. I traced around the die onto blue vellum and cut a second, solid butterfly. I layered these, gluing just the body down between the layers and onto the prepared card. I topped it with a resin rose.
The next card was so simple to make, yet makes for a very elegant Christmas greeting. I followed the same steps as with the card above to make the wrap; I just oriented the inserted top fold card horizontally instead of vertically.
I used the Distress Brush Embossing pen on some of the berries on the die cut and heat embossed with Princess Gold powder. You can see in the next photo how I used a piece of junk mail and the pen to draw a straight line to edge the card with the gold embossing, too. These pens are so handy!
After gluing in your top fold card, just fold the flaps and tie a pretty ribbon and you're done! This ribbon is from my stash, but I've put a link below to the great selection of ribbons Linda carries in her shop.
This die does not always have to be the star of the show, but can play a supporting role as on this Christmas card.
I'll share the steps I took to make this card.
I thought the Sizzix Elegant Poinsettia would show beautifully against the black lacy design. My favorite poinsettia is the Wintersun White, and I tried to make mine look like this variety. (They really are ALL my favorite.)
I die cut some bracts of differing sizes using the dies, and colored some of them with Bundled Sage ink and marker. All of the edges were blended with Antique Linen ink. I ended up cutting a few more to make the flower more full. I poked holes in the flowers because I was originally planning to use some store bought stamens as the center, but went in a different direction.
I colored a scrap with Crushed Olive ink to cut the flower center with the accompanying die. I used the quilling tool that comes in the old Tim Holtz Tattered Florals set to roll the die cut before gluing it in among the layers.
I cut a pair of green leaves using the leaf die that comes with the Elegant Poinsettia. One is cut from water color paper, blended with Bundled Sage ink and spritzed with water. I inked a Nature's Wonder stamp with the same ink and wiped the ink from the edges of the stamp, so just the veins would transfer. I sprayed the inked stamp with water and made a watery impression on the leaf, drying with a heat tool.
I sprayed a scrap of card with Distress Oxide Sprays, and cut a second leaf and some pine foliage using one of the little dies from the Wrapped Foliage set. I ended up misting the leaf stamp water and stamping the green leaf with it to remove some of the color. While very subtle, you might be able to see this detail on the close up of the completed flower below.
I wanted to show off that gorgeous detail of the die cut. Even though it's an intricate pattern, it works over a busy paper background in black. I just smeared collage medium on the back with my finger to adhere the die cut, but you could always use double sided adhesive sheets applied to your card before die cutting.
I stamped a Christmas sentiment from Tim Holtz Great Outdoors set in Black Soot Archival ink and then in Versamark using my stamp platform and heat embossed in clear. I edged with Antique Linen ink and mounted it on a scrap of chipboard before adhering to the card.
Finally, I had a play with some of those sweet little leaf die cuts to make this fall tag. I am definitely ready for summer to be over and switching over to fall and winter crafting!
I hope you've found some inspiration from my play with the Foliage Wrap die set and are encouraged to see your dies in a new light. Remember, there's still time to join us for our current challenge, 'It's a Wrap!'. I hope to see you there! Happy Crafting! Sara Emily
Here are links to the products I used, which can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique: