Gallery Idol 2014 Round 2: Die Cutting!

Hey there! Thanks for joining me for the next round for Paper Craft Gallery Idol 2014! It has been a cA-ra-Zy crafting weekend for me.

Round 2 is all about Die Cutting. So I pulled out the 'ol die cuts and went through just about EVERY one I own trying to find something different and unique to do with them. 

2014 Gallery Idol Competition

Here is my submission:

It dawned on me that even with all the die cuts I own, the most versatile are these simple shapes. They have no overt purpose, therefore they can be used for anything! I used them to create centric circles of card stock. I found some inspiration on Pinterest. I was originally looking at mosaic designs and there were a few using centric circles that were really inspiring. I wanted the circles to look like they were layered and woven together, so I opted not to inlay them, which I tried at first but it just didn't look how I wanted.

Let me show you what I did. So if you want to try it yourself, you have a few pointers to help you out!

First off, I used Spellbinders circle die cuts and laid them inside each other being sure to get them as close to centre as I could.

Tip #1 is to attach all the die cuts together with a strip of washi tape across the back. The tape keeps everything inline so all you have to do is cut, and pop out card stock before cutting again. Once you get it all in line, the cutting goes fast.

I actually cut my pattern in white first, because I was originally going to stamp on the circles, which I ended up not liking. But I am going to show you the pictures I used when I cut them out of white. Here is the first set cut. It's easy to pop these out without destroying your die cut stack.

While you may be thinking, "Oy! What a waste of white card stock!" (which I may or may not have said in my own head a few times ; ) it ended up turning out to be a good thing because it helped me with placing a layout that would work for my card front.

So tip #2: Take the time to plan your layout.

I die cut about 10 sets of circles and moved them around varying the sizes, until I found something I liked. You can see here how laying circles on top or underneath others makes a nice woven effect. I did do an inlay version and will show you that another day. You can decide which look you like best! It is so fascinating to see how inlaying your die cuts can change the entire look of your card.  I wanted them to feel like they were wrapping around each other. When you inlay the die cuts, it flattens out the image and makes it less, well 3D. 

Tip # 3: Make a Pattern. 

Once I liked where they were I took some tracing paper and outlined the circles so I knew where to lay them back down when it came time to make the card. This works well since one circle off changes the entire look of the design.

I chose 7 colours of card stock. Again I die cut the centric circles out of every colour and then a few extra just in case. ; )

I then started mixing colored rings around making sure not to have the same colour on the outside ring of any one circle group.

Once I liked the colour combos I glued them to some thin copy paper and cut out the circle group. I was then ready to place them back into the order by laying down the tracing paper and putting everything back into place where I wanted. Then I just lightly slipped the paper out from under the design. It made it SO much easier to put back together! Sometimes the steps that seem tedious end up saving you a lot of time and creative energy in the long run. I recommend it!

Once they were all where I wanted them, I held them down with one hand and just put little dabs of glue under each one to tack them into place. Then after they were tacked I could really secure them down without worrying about them shifting.

I then heat embossed a sentiment on one circle. This was the 5th try on sentiments! I was really starting to sweat that one out. Pure white was too stark a contrast and then the embossing powder was going renegade!  I need an embossing buddy. How I've lived this long without one is beyond me!

I taped the panel down to my card base and trimmed the edges.

This is my final final final card! (Don't ask how many concepts and prototypes I went through to get here, not to mention runners tape!) I stayed up most of the night trying to work this baby out. But now that I know how to do it and what I like, I could whip one out in no time flat! And you should try it to! It is such a striking look and so fun to create.

Now, I have one truth to tell, and it's this.... this card is on the big side. And I mean like, Big big.
Its 4.25 x 8.5!! And that's because I wanted to see lots of circles so I had to make it big. I just had to! This is a knock you off your feet--hand deliverable--group card, kind of a card. You know? And I like it... that's the most important thing, right? ; )

And a big shout out to my hubby Patrick. He stayed up with me all weekend long talking about concepts and design. He's a designer by trade so he is always showing me inspiration and cheering me on in what I do. This card only exists because of him. He is a perfectionist and a little bit of that rubbed off on me this weekend, and I'm so glad it did! He has taught me that to be good at design you need to take more time to prep concepts and pay more attention to details when crafting that concept. I tried to do that today. I hope you like it!

And if you do, I would love it if you cast your vote for me! You do have to register to vote, or if you already have a Paper Crafts account you can use your regular info. Once you are registered you can use it for every round of voting, which I know any of the contestants (including myself) would appreciate!

You can vote right HERE:
http://www.papercraftsandscrapbooking.com/contests/gallery-idol-2014

Or click on the link at the top side bar of this page. Voting ends Thursday at noon.
Be sure to check back friday to see who will be moving on!
Good luck to everyone! They are each such amazing designers and it's been great getting to know them this weekend.

Thanks for stopping in... (hope you made it this far.  Whew!  That's a big post!!)

love to you and yours
k



Other Supplies:
Papertrey Ink Carstock: Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Plum Pudding, Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Simply Chartreuse,
Stampin' Up Bahama Blue

*NEST-005 Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic & Standard CIRCLES Set

*Simon Says Clear Stamps WATTS UP sss101411

*Hero Arts Dye Ink Pad INDIA INK Black af248 2013

InLinkz.com