July ECD Challenge: Stand Up Helpers

This month's Elizabeth Craft Designs challenge is to use Stand Up Helpers in two ways - in a stand up card and in another use. The first card is a Christmas card using the Merry Christmas Stand Up Helper to stand up the card front when opened.

Christmas Card: Making the Card

1) Cut red card stock to 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches. Fold in half.  Score about 2 3/4 inches down the card front and fold to the inside. This creates the stand up card base.

2) Measure 2 5/8 inches down the inside of the card and lightly draw a line in pencil. Line up the bottom of the Merry Christmas Stand Up Helper with this line and cut. Erase line. Fold forward. Die cut two Holly Flourish designs from the green paper; carefully ink the edges.

3) Using the largest accessory oval die from the Accordion Oval Card set, cut one from the patterned paper (I used the tree background on green), and one from the red card stock (for support). Adhere the patterned paper oval to the red card stock oval. Ink the edges using the ink blending tool and Pine Needles Distress Ink. Cut a strip of matching green paper about 7/8 inch by 4 1/4; ink the edges. Adhere the strip to the bottom front of the card as shown.

4) Add vellum to one side of the double sided adhesive. Die cut three parts of the 5 Part Pine from the vellum adhesive paper (I used the smallest then skipped the next size and cut the next two sizes). For the two bottom pieces, carefully peel the backing paper away from just the bottom where the "snow" will go. Dip into white glitter and polish with your finger. Brush off excess. Peel the rest of the paper away and dip into regal green glitter (hint: I use a small spoon, such as the plastic ones you get for sampling ice cream at a shop, to put the glitter where I want it). Polish with your finger. For the top (smallest) tree piece, do the same to the bottom but also add white at the tip of the tree before adding the regal green.

5) Assemble the tree on the patterned paper oval as shown, using dimensional tape behind the bottom points of each layer. Adhere oval as shown to the bottom half of the card front (do not put adhesive behind the top part, from the fold up).

6) Adhere one of the Holly Flourishes behind the tree oval at the top as shown. Add red/gold glitter dots peel offs as shown.

7) Adhere the other Holly Flourish inside the card as shown. Add red/gold dots peel offs as shown. Cut a 1 inch by 4 1/4 inches strip of green paper to adhere behind the stand up helper from the back of the card. Be careful not to put adhesive in the openings.

My second card uses the Thinking of You Stand Up Helper as a title across the front of the card.

Thinking of You Card: Making the Card

1) Cut white card stock to 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches. Fold in half. Die cut card front bottom edge with Agatha Edge as shown.

2) Cut a piece of patterned paper 2 inches by 4 1/4 inches; adhere to top of card.

3) Cut a thin strip of turquoise card stock 1/8 inch by 4 1/4 inches. Cut a strip of turquoise card stock 1 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches. Die cut edge of the latter piece with same Agatha Edge die. Adhere to bottom inside of card.

4) From white card stock, die cut Thinking of You. Cut along the fold line to free it. Line up and adhere to bottom of the patterned paper as shown. Cover seam with turquoise strip.

5) Adhere glitter dot peel offs as shown.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs

Christmas Card

• 939 Merry Christmas Stand Up Helper
• 772 Accordion Oval Card
• 921 Holly Flourish
• Double Sided Adhesive
• 755 - 5 Part Pine
• 7018 Glitter Dots Peel Offs, Red/Gold
• 630 Regal Green Silk Microfine Glitter
• 604 White Silk Microfine Glitter

Thinking of You Card

• 942 Thinking of You Stand Up Helper
• 782 Agatha Edges
• 7018 Glitter Dots Peel Offs, Transparent/Silver, Turquoise/Silver, Pink/Silver

Other Supplies

Christmas Card

• Red Card Stock, Vellum
• Patterned Paper and Matching Green Paper (I used Authentique 6x6 Two Christmases in One)
• Pine Needles Distress Ink, Ink Blending Tool
• Dimensional Tape

Thinking of You Card

• Turquoise, White Card Stock
• Patterned Paper (I used the hexagon sheet from American Crafts 6x6 #Summer)

Raised Die Cut Crystal Flower Card

Last time I used an inlay die cut technique; this time I'm doing the opposite to create a beautiful raised background that almost looks embossed.

Created for Elizabeth Craft Designs.

Making the Card

1. Cut pink card stock to 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches; fold in half to form card base. Cut several copies of the small crystal flower overlays (sets 1 and 2) out of the same pink card stock. Lay them out on the card front. Let the ones at the edges hang off as you arrange. Once you are satisfied, adhere them to the card. From the back side, cut off the parts that are hanging off by lining up your scissors with the edges of the card.

2. Die cut the large crystal flower overlay set 2 from the light pink card stock. Die cut the small crystal flower from Red Iris Shimmer Sheets. Die cut the small crystal flower overlay set 1 from pink card stock (I actually used vellum colored pink, but in hind site, I would go with pink card stock). Adhere this overlay (set 1) to the Red Iris crystal flower.

3. Adhere white card stock to double sided adhesive. Die cut small crystal flower overlay set 2. Peel off backing paper and sprinkle with Warm Diamonds Silk Microfine Glitter; polish with your finger. Die cut the round center from Pink Velvet Adhesive Sheet (optional), or use pink card stock. Adhere the layers together as shown - be sure to offset the layers from each other.

4. Die cut "Hello" from pink card stock. Cut along the fold line to free it.

5. Cut a strip about 3/4 inch by 4 1/4 inches (width of card) from the white card stock with double sided adhesive. Peel off and cover with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter; polish with your finger.

6. Adhere white glittered strip to card as shown. Adhere "Hello" die cut as shown. Cut a thin strip about 1/8 inch by 4 1/4 inches from Red Iris Shimmer Sheetz. Adhere strip then flower as shown.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs Supplies

• 938 Hello Stand Up Helper
• 922 Crystal Flower Overlay Set 1
• 923 Crystal Flower Overlay Set 2
• 924 Crystal Flower Set 1
• SS 0226 Red Iris Shimmer Sheetz
• Double Sided Adhesive
• 640 Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter
• 409 Pink Velvet Adhesive Sheet (Optional)

Other Supplies

• Pink Card Stock, Light Pink Card Stock, White Card Stock
• Liquid Adhesive

Christmas Inlay Card - Sneak Peek at New ECD Dies

Here's a peek at a couple new releases from Elizabeth Craft Designs. This is a fun inlay technique for dies. The only trick is to be sure to keep all the small pieces of background (kraft) card stock when you die cut the words.

Created for Elizabeth Craft Designs

Making the Card

1. Cut kraft card stock to 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches; fold in half to form card base. Cut another piece of kraft card stock to 3 3/4 inches by 5 inches. Cut a piece of black card stock to 4 inches by 5 1/4 inches.

2. Lightly measure and draw lines lengthwise across the 3 3/4 x 5 piece of kraft card stock, starting from the top, every 3/4ths of an inch. Use these to line up your word dies. Die cut words with spacing as shown. Be careful to keep all the small pieces from the words. Use the leaf and berries from the Snowman Die Set to fill in as shown.

3. Die cut the words in red, green and yellow card stock.

4. Apply adhesive around the back edges of the die cut kraft card stock. Apply adhesive all over the black card stock leaving about a quarter inch around the edges. You want enough to cover all places where the die cuts will go but none on the edges that will show.

5. Center and adhere the die cut kraft card stock onto the black paper. You should see the adhesive through the holes (if not, use a small amount of liquid adhesive in those areas). Puzzle piece the colored die cut words, leaves, and berries where they fit. Once the words have been adhered, add the small background pieces (e.g. the inside of the "o"). Erase pencil lines drawn earlier.

6. Apply adhesive to back of black card stock. Tie a length of twine around the bottom; be sure to leave enough to tie an offset bow on the front. Center and adhere to card base. Hint: if the bow loops do not cooperate, use a small amount of liquid adhesive under the loops.

Note: if you don't like the slight black lines around some of the inlay die cuts, you could add a piece of kraft card stock as a backing to the die cut kraft card stock (same size or slightly smaller). This will be sandwiched between the die cut kraft card stock and the black card stock. It will add a little thickness to the card front though. Alternatively, you could use a sheet of white paper with matching colors scribbled under where the words will go.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs Supplies

• 944 Merry Christmas Die
• 945 Season's Greetings Die
• 929 Snowman Die Set

Other Supplies

• Kraft, Black, Red, Green, Yellow Card Stock
• Black/Kraft Twine
• Adhesive, both tape runner type and liquid