Hey everyone! It’s EK, and lately I’ve been trying to see how far you can push pretty die cuts. Today, I have pulled the Once Upon A Time die and airbrushed it with my copics, seeing if they technique can still keep the dreamy fairy tale look.
Step One: Die cut the Once Upon A Time die out of 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock. Using temporary tack tape, place the the die cut onto a trimmed 4.25×5.5 inch piece of 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock.
Step Two: Using the copic air brush system, spray different shades of violet and lavender over the die cut sentiment.
Continue spraying the cardstock until the entire piece is covered.
Step Three: Carefully pull up the die cut piece and rub the temporary tack away. Save the die cut, because you could make an additional project with it.
Step Four: To add additional flair to the card, pull out the Flourished Frame stencil and arrange it on the cardstock, using tape to block where you do not want the ink to go. Spray a dark grey ink into the stencil.
Step Five: Add a final bit of flair, add a few Transparent Crystal Craft Drops.
I love the almost graffiti look of this card, and truly feel it still it has that dreamy story book feel to it. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
It is an awfully strange times at the moment. And I am sure someday soon (hopefully sooner rather later) we are all going to say “Once Upon a Time there was this virus…” and all of us crafters spent a lot of time playing with our collection of crafting supplies. It seemed only fitting to pull out Suzanne’s A way with Words Once Upon a Time die and start the story.
Step One: Trim a piece of colored Soft Finish Cardstock to 6×12 inches and score and fold to make a 6×6 card frame. I used Spring Green Soft Finish Cardstock. Die cut the A Way With Words Once Upon a Time die into the card frame.
Step Two: Trim a piece of contrasting Soft Finish Cardstock to slightly smaller than 6×6 inches. I used Brick Red Soft Finish Cardstock.
Step Three: Adhere the contrasting cardstock inside the card frame using some 10mm Clear Double Sided Adhesive.
Step Four: Blend some ink around the edges of the card frame. I used Crushed Olive Distress Oxide. I also splashed some shimmer spray onto the card to add some more visual interest.
Step Five: Blend the same ink onto the die cut sentiment.
Step Six: Using some Kids Choice Glue adhere the sentiment back into the card frame.
Step Seven: Die cut three candles from the A Way With Words Flourished Candle die set out of some 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock. I full die cut our one of the candle dies, but only cut out the top portion for the other two.
Step Eight: Blend some ink onto the die cut candle bases. I used Rusty Hinge Distress Oxide.
Step Nine: Using Kids Choice Glue, adhere the top die cut piece to the candle bases.
Step Ten: Adhere the fully die cut image to the card frame using some Kids Choice Glue.
Step Eleven: Add some Peel-off silver border stickers to the edges of the card. I used the Corners and Borders Straight stickers.
Step Twelve: Adhere the other two die cut candles onto the card frame. I adhered them on an angle and trimmed off the bits that hung off the card frame. I added some color the flame using some water activated sparkle ink.
Step Thirteen: Blend some ink onto a scrap of 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock. Die cut some butterflies from the A Way With Words Butterflies and Stars Spray.
Step Fourteen: Adhere the butterflies onto the card frame.
Before we know, this card will be a perfect way to tell the story of how you sheltered during this world wide shut down. What are you doing during these strange times and what craft supplies are you playing with? Let us know in the comments below. Until then, Happy crafting.
Hello Friends! It’s EK Gorman, and today I am crafting a card to celebrate a new year without actually saying ‘happy new year’. I am not gonna lie, I am more than ready to ring out 2019 and embark on the fresh start that 2020 will bring. I love the idea of the fresh start and fantastical possibilities a new year can create, so it only seemed fitting to pull out A Way With Words Once Upon a Time die to create this card.
Step One: Trim a piece of 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock to 4.25×11 inches. Score and fold the cardstock to create a A2 card frame.
Step Two: Using some masking tape, seal the folded part of the card to protect it from ink. Using a blending water based ink, create an ombre effect. I used Distress Oxides in Black Soot, Hickory Smoke and Weather Wood.
Step Three: Add a halo of light using a yellow toned water based ink. I used Scattered Straw Distress Oxide.
Step Three: Die cut both the A Way With Words Once Upon A Time die and the star from the new A Way With Words Flourished Christmas die set out of 90lb Soft Finish Cardstock. Spray the die cuts with a glitter spray. I used Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray in Frost. Let dry.
Step Four: Adhere the die cuts onto the card frame using Kids Choice Glue. Leave the stars dangling off the edges.
Step Five: Fold the star over the edges and adhere, so that one star wraps onto the back of the card, and the other wrap onto the inside of the card.
Step Six: Stamp a sentiment inside the card using the A Way With Words Soar Collection stamp set. I stamped the sentiment in a dark gray ink and the flutters in a pale gray.
Step Seven: Using a white pigment ink, stamp the flutters onto the front of the card.
Step Eight: Add a couple dollops of glitter drops. I used the new Transparent Crystal Craft Drops from ECD.
Step Nine: Add a touch of color to the die cuts using an alcohol marker. I used Y000 and Y02 Copic markers. Splatter the card from with glitter spray and let dry.
I am really happy with how this card came out. I think it is perfect for the new year without being too obvious.
And I really think the sentiment inside is perfect message of hope for the New Year. What are you crafting to celebrate the new year? Let us know in the comments below. Until then, happy crafting!
When the office supply store had composition books for only fifty cents as a back-to-school doorbuster deal, I bought thirty to give to a friend who teaches in a school that serves children from low-income families. As part of her curriculum, she has the students make up stories I thought that the words ‘Once Upon A Time’ (Suzanne Cannon’s A Way With Words die) would be the perfect fit!
GETTING STARTED –
If working with a group or class, decorate a couple of books to give students an idea of how to start, but then encourage them to customize their book as they choose. They will each need a rectangle to cover the printing on the front cover. Older children can cut their own. It’s a good idea to have the die cut words ready ahead of time with a few extras in case someone tears theirs. (I am donating die cuts, patterned papers, stickers, gems, glue, embossed and lightly sanded pieces of Shimmer Sheetz, and washi tape, along with the composition books.)
ANOTHER OPTION –
Turn it into a family affair. Make books so you and the kids can “interview” aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, siblings and each other, and can pretend that pets can talk. Write down their stories. Paste in photos and drawings! Write questions on the top line of each page and be sure to add the date of the interview and the name of the person giving the answers, along with the name of the person asking them… For example, “What were your favorite games as a child?” “When did you know you wanted to be a ______________?” (teacher, fireman, dancer, farmer, doctor…) “What were your favorite movies, who were your favorite singers, when you were my age?” Instead of taking notes, videotape the interview and write in the books later!
Suzanne’s words and greetings begin with her own unique pen and ink hand-lettering, not computer fonts. Dies are large enough to star on card fronts and they are perfect for journal pages, mixed media, and more. One of our favorite things about Suzanne’s charming and graceful dies is that they mesh seamlessly with other products from the Elizabeth Craft Designs collections.
We are adding 21 new die sets and 3 new Clear Stamp sets to the A Way With Words Collection.
Let’s take a look at what our Design Team created using them!
