Find an assembly tutorial right below using this card as an example!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Scenic Flats Tutorial
This is a basic assembly tutorial for a scenic flats style card. Use these directions to assemble your own design, my measurements don't really matter since they can be changed to suit your ideas! Remember to use tacky glue for strength, and not a glue stick, paste, spray glue, or school glue. Speckled 100% recycled cardstock is used for this project.
Assemble your elements; for this card I've created 6 buildings, five that will be layered and have a 3/8" flap on the bottom. Double click on any pics to see what I'm talking about. The 6th doesn't need a flap, since it will be glued flat to the card.
arrange your elements on the lining of the card to determine positoning. Most times it will be the tallest in the back to shortest in the front.
On the back of the lining, very lightly draw guidelines to determine your spacing. For this card, I'm using 1/2" spacing. In this picture the first element is glued in: always start with the one closest to the crease of the lining, and work outward. A slit was cut on the guidline, and the flap/tab was pulled thru to the back and glued. This is called hidden tab construction, and makes for a neater view on the front. Tabs should also be glued towards the crease of the card.
Here all five elements have been attached....
...and this is what the front should look like so far.
Now you have to add more hidden tabs. Again start with the one closest to the card's fold. Since I am using 1/2" spacing, the tab will have to be 1/2" as well. Placing of this tab should take into consideration the size of the element, and whether it will be seen easily from the front. You'll want to hide it as much as possible. Make the slot for the tab from the back first, then glue it to the element second. Check placement for each element's tab immediately by opening and closing the card completely. If you don't do this you could wind up with a card that won't close right! Move on to the next element only after the glue is dry.
Correct placement will produce a vertical element that is parallel with the card.
If you did it right, all elements will be parallel with each other :)
A view from the top, and then you can finish the card as you would any other card. And here is the finished product:
Assemble your elements; for this card I've created 6 buildings, five that will be layered and have a 3/8" flap on the bottom. Double click on any pics to see what I'm talking about. The 6th doesn't need a flap, since it will be glued flat to the card.
arrange your elements on the lining of the card to determine positoning. Most times it will be the tallest in the back to shortest in the front.
On the back of the lining, very lightly draw guidelines to determine your spacing. For this card, I'm using 1/2" spacing. In this picture the first element is glued in: always start with the one closest to the crease of the lining, and work outward. A slit was cut on the guidline, and the flap/tab was pulled thru to the back and glued. This is called hidden tab construction, and makes for a neater view on the front. Tabs should also be glued towards the crease of the card.
Here all five elements have been attached....
...and this is what the front should look like so far.
Now you have to add more hidden tabs. Again start with the one closest to the card's fold. Since I am using 1/2" spacing, the tab will have to be 1/2" as well. Placing of this tab should take into consideration the size of the element, and whether it will be seen easily from the front. You'll want to hide it as much as possible. Make the slot for the tab from the back first, then glue it to the element second. Check placement for each element's tab immediately by opening and closing the card completely. If you don't do this you could wind up with a card that won't close right! Move on to the next element only after the glue is dry.
Correct placement will produce a vertical element that is parallel with the card.
If you did it right, all elements will be parallel with each other :)
A view from the top, and then you can finish the card as you would any other card. And here is the finished product:
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Product Review
I just tried "Embossing Magic", a static cling reducing product that is designed to help eliminate stray embossing powder. The ultimate test in my book is a complicated stamp on black paper, so that's what I did. The above picture is before the heat. I rubbed the pad onto the black paper and it left a very fine powdery white residue on my hands and on the paper - slightly messy. Most of it wiped off, I'm sure I could have wiped any trace away if I took more time.
The picture above shows how much embossing powder residue was left after I tapped the page clean. You can still see a few tiny bits, but definitely better than without the static cling product. It didn't eliminate the step of using a tiny paintbrush to get the rest removed.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Calorie Free Wedding Cake
A three-dimensional wedding cake adorns the front of this card. I'm sure I could have purchased a cake embellishment, but what's the fun in that?Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Pillow Mania
Over the past year I've been collecting discounted suede and faux suede remnants from the scrap section of JoAnn's. (If you buy pieces there that are under one yard, you get them for 50% off the already discounted price.) Included with my new remnants are pieces of my old pillows that I am reusing, such as the zippers.
These are the first four of six I'm making for my living room. Since they have zippers cleaning will be easy, but the pillow forms inside are very disappointing. I purchased 20" forms for 20" covers and they just don't fill out the pillows as much as I'd like. The search is on to find plumper pillow forms! These piecework pillows should be stretched smooth.The patterns all my own, sketched on graph paper before cutting. Two more to go...
My favorite so far is this brick one, inspired by my fireplace, although if I make one again, the bricks will be bigger and the grout lines thinner.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Don't Forget the Envelope!
When your paper supply starts building up, make envelopes! These are business-sized, but not boring business-white...Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Special Delivery
Although this card is perfectly fine the way it is, I plan on making some changes the next time. The flying stork is pretty big, but could be bigger, and the cover could be more dynamic. Of course there's no sentiment yet, so that could help balance everything. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking this one!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Spring Green
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20585133A handy little basket and lid, so nice and cheery on my sewing machine, so snowy outside my window.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Get in Gear
This concept is one I return to every once in a while, although each one turns out differently. This one and the pinecones below are both aceo-sized.