April 10, 2008

• Buggin' Out Some More

  If I haven't convinced you to buy a Cuttlebug yet, maybe this next tutorial will sway you. I've shown you how to emboss using Cuttlebug embossing folders and today I will show you how to use Cuttlebug dies. What is a die? A die is a metal form or stencil that is used to punch or cut out shapes. Below is a picture of the Cuttlebug die called Flowers:

  
  The front of the die has a picture of what the finished cuts will look like.

  
  The back of the die is padded with foam. If you press down on the foam, you can feel the metal stencil edge that cuts through the paper.

  
  For my project, I only needed to cut one flower so I trimmed a small piece of paper down and placed it over the shape that I wanted to use. To use the dies, you will need to use the sandwich technique that I showed you in my first tutorial. (A plate + B plate + die tool + cardstock + B plate). Once I finished assembling the Cuttlebug sandwich, I cranked it through the machine.

  
  I removed the top plate and here is what the die cut looked like.

  
  After removing all the surrounding paper scraps, I was left with a single perfectly cut flower.

  
  Note that the top B plate of the Cuttlebug sandwich will have permanent impressions engraved from the metal edges of the dies. The plate warps a bit when it is sandwiched with the dies and will eventually need to be replaced after heavy usage.

  
  I added the flower as an embellishment to another thank you card I made. The card is 5.5" x 4.25" and the center rectangle is 4.25" x 3". I layered the center piece with different patterned paper and ribbon. "Thank you" is stamped on a small piece white paper and layered onto a rectangle of celery-colored cardstock that I cut with a pair of scalloped scissors.

  
  Here's a close up picture. I added a little rhinestone to the middle of the flower to give the card some sparkle.

  Go out and buy your Cuttlebug today!

  • 4:04 pm
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