Aloha, all!
This week's challenge from the SU! Only Challenges group just about had me stumped. The theme is "Just for Kids" and, at the moment, I am out of kid-themed stamps! My go-to stamp set for kids cards was Sock Monkey, and that just retired from the Stampin' Up! catalog. Yes, Beary Best Friends is still around and it's still in my collection. But I was having trouble coming up with a new idea of what to do with those cute little critters.
Then one of my Stampin' Up! team members came over last week to use some of my tools to help prepare for a workshop she was planning. As we rummaged through some Big Shot accessories, out popped the Decorative Strip Die "Naturally Serif." An alphabet! I could have some fun playing with that AND have something new and different (at least in Robin's Craft Room)!
Kids LOVE having things that they can touch as well as read, at just about any age. I must still be a kid since I keep running my finger across the front of this card to feel the letters that are glued onto it! And this is a card I can keep around for just about any occasion that calls for a card from me to one of my young grandchildren. The stamp sets featured in this card are "C is for Cat" and "D is for Dog." The little paw stamp is from the Cat set. The dog paw was just a bit too large for this little card!
Now a few tips about using that Decorative Strip die. First of all, you don't have to cut the whole alphabet just to get a few letters, as for this card. I figured out what I wanted then just placed scraps of card stock over the letters that I needed; I didn't cut a whole strip of card stock to have the entire alphabet punched. I tried that when I first got this die figuring I'd keep a stash of ready-made letters for occasions when I needed them quickly. Well, when I needed them, they weren't cut in the colors I wanted. So that little idea went by the wayside. Another tip is not to try to use more than once piece of card stock. This is really a "rule" rather than a "tip." These Sizzlit style dies are not meant for more than one piece of anything, and you could end up breaking something if you tried. The something could be anything in the "sandwich" that you run through the Big Shot, or even the Big Shot itself!
Still on the tip discussion, keep a straight pin around when you're cutting and adhering such small little pieces. I used mine twice. First, I used the tip of the pin to gently pry out some of the smaller cut pieces – in this case, the teensie pieces in both of the "A" cuts. Then, when I was ready to glue the letters on, I used the pin tip to help spread the Crystal Effects that I used for the adhesive for these little pieces. Using your fingers or a brush makes a mess, not only on the letters but on the card itself. Once the adhesive was spread around the back of the letter I quickly wiped the pin tip on a piece of scrap paper and used it to help me position each letter in place. Stampin' Up! should sell these!
You may be wondering about that paper in the background. No, it's not loose leaf school paper – it's one of the designs in the new Designer Series Paper set, "Just Add Cake." I'm sure that the double red vertical line is printed in the paper set's red color, Poppy Parade. But who's to know for such a small little bit. So I think it looks just fine with the Real Red cat and alphabet. The dog and the other letters are made with Night of Navy. The base card is made with Daffodil Delight, and I added a strip of Daffodil Delight Brads for a bit of embellishment.
No sketch today – just make that Designer Series Paper layer 1/4" smaller vertically and horizontally and it will fit nicely in the center of the card! I had so much fun with this, though I'm sure I must have looked a bit serious as I was placing these letters on the card with that little straight pin! I hope you have something that you can have fun making this week!
