Layer your dies for less!

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week, I'm trying to create some faux die layering...

...for a whole lot less cash than layering dies cost!

Using Mama Elephant and Lawn Fawn loveliness.

I'm sure we've all seen the very beautiful layering dies featured in a certain Queen of papercraft, Jennifer Maguire's 'Favourite's of 2016' a while back.  Yes they looked stunning, if not a little limited, but holy macaroni...HOW MUCH??!!!  I did love the layered look they created however, so had an idea to try and make something similar with my own supplies.

I started by cutting three separate panels of card in the colours I wanted to use all to the same size.  I then created a stencil from a piece of extra sturdy card, cut to the same size, by drawing a grid onto it and cutting the largest heart from Lawn Fawns 'Heart Dies', symmetrically across it in the design I desired.  I then used this stencil over the piece of each panel, to know where the next size down heart should be placed to be cut, (does that make sense?  I really should have took progress photos :/ ).

Once all my hearts were cut onto each layer, in descending order, I adhered my panels together so that they 'layered' over each other, creating this design.  I really love how it worked out, it may not be perfect, but it also didn't cost 4 million gazillion pounds like the ones I referred to do!

My card is intended to be for those single friends who can sometimes feel a little left out at Valentine's day so  I cut Mama Elephant's 'Friend' die from black card backed with black foam, and completed my sentiment using Mama Elephant's Friend Indeed set which I stamped onto vellum in black pigment ink, and clear heat embossed.

I added a scattering of gold sequins and mounted my piece onto a pool card base as I thought it made the colours really 'pop' brightly.  Go bright or go home, right?  And that was that.

I'm really happy with how this turned out, and can't wait to see what other sets I have in my stash that will layer nicely...without breaking the bank!

Everything I used is linked below so be sure to have a peek.

see you next week..

Jillx

Otterly in love.

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week I am going 'otterly nuts'...

...for the brand spanking new Otterly Adorable from Mama Elephant.

I love otters, they are one of my particular favourite animals, the way they swim on their backs holding hands...gaaaah!  They are just such beautiful, gorgeous creatures.  So seeing them take centre stage in this new set...oh be still my beating heart!

I started by colouring a few different sheets of vellum using Distress Inks, (I only learnt yesterday this would work.  HOW did I not know?!).  In any case, I coloured my vellum in various blue/greens, and also covered a sheet in white pigment ink.  I then cut them, at varying heights, into waves using the cloud border from Mama Elephant's Landscape Trio Dies, by simply turning the die upside down.

I then cut a frame from a piece of card using Lawn Fawn's Cross Stitched Rectangles and layered up my vellum waves behind.

I stamped out and coloured my favourite image in the set, which is obviously the little guys on their backs, and the little heart also included, then fussy cut everything.

I cut Mama Elephant's Friend word die from a piece of black card adhered to some black foam using Stick it, and began to build my scene. adding the little heart to my sweet swimming otters.

I finished off my sentiment by stamping straight onto the vellum along the bottom of my scene, and clear heat embossing.

I cut the smallest rectangle that makes up my frame, from my card blank to allow the light to shine through, and mounted my panel onto it using foam tape.

I embellished with a scattering of clear sequins and there you have it.

I really hope you like it, and hope you love the new Mama Elephant release as much as I do!

As always, everything I have used is linked below so be sure to check it out.

See you next week.

Jillx

Mini Mice Shakers...

*To avoid any confusion...this is one of my posts for the amazing, Make The Day Special Blog...I just like to share here too*

Hi everybody,

Hope you're well.

I've got some bright and bold watercoloured shakers to share with you today...

Which I brought, slightly, back down to earth with the help of some vellum.

And, just for a change, (she jokes), I used all Mama Elephant goodies...I can't help it, I just look at them and I need to play with them!

I started by die cutting three circles from my panel.  I then took the uber cute little mice from the 'Tandem Rides' set, and stamped them out on my leftover circles.  I coloured them using the Zig Clean Colour Pens with water - such vibrant colours!  

I then used the 'Zenith Borders' set;  repeatedly stamping out one of the borders and clear heat embossing, to create my background, ready for some smooshing and washing across with various Distress Inks, (Mermaid Lagoon, Mustard Seed, and Picked Raspberry).  Now I love me some bright and bold colour - but my background ended up resembling a ker-azy tie-dye t-shirt..a bit much, even for me, so I muted it slightly by covering in vellum.

I adhered some acetate behind my windows, surrounded in shaker tape, added all the delicious sequins and glitters I wanted to use, and covered the back with a piece of acetate - it's such an easier way of sealing everything in so you can then line your background up without needing an extra 3 hands!  I cut the 'Friends' die a few times and covered the front in Black Sparkle embossing powder.  I then stamped out the 'Happy Birthday' from the 'Woodland Gifts' set, (love, love, love this font!), and, again, heat embossed in Black Sparkle.  I added the little speech bubble from the 'Tandem Extras' set for a bit of extra fun and lined up my little critters along the back, adhering them to a piece of card, and then putting the whole thing together.  There was quite a lot going on already (understatement of the year!), so I skipped on embellishments!

Oh, I also added a little trim of die cut grass behind each little window - but it kind of got swallowed up by all the mayhem haha. 

As always, everything is linked below, so go check out the cuteness.

See you next week where, I promise, I'll 'step away from the Mama Elpehant'...maybe ;)

Jillx