Slimline cards seem to have a new awakening in the crafting world, and companies are starting to make a few slimline dies that we can purchase. For those of us on a budget who might not have a slimline die yet, I wanted to share a way you could “stretch your supplies” and use a standard die instead.
I used those words deliberately. Today, I am showing you how to “stretch” a standard-size background die into a size that will allow you to create this Life is Beautiful Lemons card.
This card was originally created for the Craft Roulette challenge, but, unfortunately, I broke the rules again, so I was not able to submit it. After you watch the tutorial, you can read why I wasn’t able to participate in this week’s challenge.
As you saw in the video, I was able to take the standard 4¼” x 5½” Stitched Lattice Background Die and use it to create a background for my slimline. This is easy to do when you know how to place your die onto the cutting plates.
When you create your first cut, make sure to stop before you get to the bottom of the die. In the first photo, you can see how the bottom portion of the die hasn’t gone through, yet. I simply moved my plates back towards me before it cut through and removed the die.
To create the bottom half of the slimline background, place the die so that the top portion is above the plates. This prevents any pressure on the die and prevents it from cutting through your paper. You can also use this process to create a border for a scrapbook page using a standard die as I did on my Parade Layout.
After I finished assembling the base of the card, I added a denim hexagon and some floral images that I shaded with SpectrumNoir Metallic markers. I wanted to create a metallic wash on the images, so I watered down the marker pigment on a paint palette and used a watercolor brush to shade the flowers with Silver Ingot and Red Garnet.
As I was shading the remaining portions of the images with watercolor paints, I realized that I had broken the rules. The parameters for this week’s challenge were: Slimline Card, Tasty Treat, Polka Dots, and Yellow+2. I had added a fourth color.
At this point, I decided to continue with the project because I wanted to make sure I finished this tutorial. After all, my goal was to show you how to “stretch” those standard-size background dies and share how I shaded the images with watered down metallic markers.
I could have attempted to make another card to submit for the Craft Roulette challenge, but life took over, and it just didn’t happen. Oh, well. Maybe next time I will try to follow the rules.
I hope that this project inspired you to use your metallic markers in a new way and a “stretch” those background dies into a few slimline cards. If you have any questions about this project or the supplies listed below, feel free to leave a comment.
Hey friends! I wanted to let you in on the products I use in my videos. Just so you know, I’m not getting paid to promote any of them, but I do have some affiliate links available if you want to check them out. If you end up buying something through those links, it would mean a lot to me and my business. And don’t worry, you won’t be charged any extra. Thanks for your support! Learn more
Hey friends! I wanted to let you in on the products I use in my videos. Just so you know, I’m not getting paid to promote any of them, but I do have some affiliate links available if you want to check them out. If you end up buying something through those links, it would mean a lot to me and my business. And don’t worry, you won’t be charged any extra. Thanks for your support! Learn more