Forever Lovely Card: Stamp Positioning & Die-Cutting Magic
February 02, 2019
I cannot believe how long it's been since I have posted on my blog! I have been busy stamping and sharing other ways, such as my monthly clubs, but I have not made time to share ideas here. I'll try to be better about that (and for my CD Calendar Template fans, I will post the templates for 2020 soon for those of you who like to get an early start!)
This card using the Forever Lovely Bundle from the Stampin' Up! 2019 Occasions Catalog is a wonderful example of the power of our Stamparatus stamp positioning tool -- as the die-cut layer on this card can only line up when adhered to the card front if I can easily stamp the flowers in the exact location where I need them so that they show through. I hope my efforts to explain how I did this make sense. This process allows me to duplicate the card multiple time. See the end of the post for all the supplies used on the card.
The finished card uses a 4-1/4” by 11” Thick Vanilla card stock base — with a regular weight vanilla die cut layer that starts out as a 4-1/4” by 5-1/2” panel.
I started this card by determining where I wanted the die cut flower edge to wind up and die cutting the vanilla panel. Be sure to save the small piece that you die cut off the panel because you are going to use that again to make more cards — more on that later in this email.
Next it’s time to use that die cut panel to plan my stamping on the Stamparatus.
I scored the card base down the middle at the 5-1/2” mark and then put it into my Stamparatus, making a mark on the grid paper so I know where I want to line up the left edge each time I make a card. The front of the card is where I want to stamp, so the bottom of the front panel of the long card base is against the top rail of the Stamparatus. I then put my die cut panel in place over the card’s front panel in the exact location where I will adhere it later — so the bottom of it is flush with the bottom of my card base.
Now I lay the clean flower stamp right over the die cut area (it’s stained from use in the photo but it is clean), the stamping side of the stamp is against the die cut flowers. Once I have it lined up exactly, I close the plate on the right side of the Stamparatus, press the plate against the back of the flower stamp and pick up the stamp — that stamp is now positioned perfectly on the plate so that it will stamp in the same place on the card base every time.
You of course then remove the die cut panel, stamp your flowers and based on where those are, position the clean separate image with all the leaves and little stems around the stamped flowers and lower the TOP plate to pick up that leaf stamp. Now it will also stamp in the same place every time.
Important Stamping Note: Because the Forever Lovely stamp set has the Distinktive style stamps with a lot of variation and shading in the image, to get them to stamp right you do not want too much ink on them. Instead of inking them directly from the ink pad, I used a Sponge Dauber to pick up ink from the Berry Burst ink pad for the flowers and to sponge dauber on the Mint Macaron for the leaves. This is a great trick with any of the Distinktive line of stamps.
Here is how it looks stamped.
Now it’s time to make more cards quickly and easily by using that piece of the die cut panel that you cut off but did not throw away.
I have put another 4-1/4” by 5-1/2” vanilla panel on the base of my Big Shot and put that waste piece, which I labeled GUIDE, flush with the top — so I can use it to place my metal framelit in the same exact location where I cut it the first time to make the original panel that I used to line up my stamps on the Stamparatus.
I’ve put the framelit in place while the guide is still there — I am using my magnetic platform to hold the framelit where I place it. If you do not have one, you can use little pieces of a post it note or washi tape to hold it so it does not move. NOTE: I will remove the paper guide before I cut my panel.
The guide is gone and I am ready to die cut. I can save that paper guide in the envelope with my framelits and anytime I want to recreate this card, I can use it to cut another panel, use the panel to line up my stamps on the Stamparatus, and like magic, I am back in business mass producing this card!
I hope this concept is one you can put to use with other die cuts that have coordinating stamps that can show through the die cut. Once you do it and think it through, it’s really not that complicated. You will love learning one more idea that proves the value of owning the Stamparatus.
Card Finishing Tips: The new lace dynamic folder from the Occasions Catalog adds the texture to the die cut panel after it was die cut — and with the right positioning, three flowers provide the perfect spot for three pearl accents. (NOTE: To have the lace run horizontally on the card, I did need to run it through the Big Shot with the embossing folder’s folded end sideways on my platform so I was very careful that it was not hanging over the edge of the platform so it’s protected from getting damaged. Doing that allowed part of the panel to stick out of the folder that I did not want to emboss.) I die cut a few small Mint Macaron flowers as well to embellish the front. The greeting panel was die cut with the new Stitched Rectangle Framelits (but you could easily just stamp that on a rectangle).
If you have questions, leave a comment.
