Partial Die Cutting Tutorial - Hello

Partial die cutting is when you cut with a die, part of the design remains uncut.  You can see here how the bottom of the word is still attached to the cardstock it was cut from.

1. Use removable tape to hold the Hello die cutting edge down onto the cardstock. (I used Core-dinations for this example.)

2. Position the cardstock where you can easily see the die. I used the Spellbinders Grand Calibur  with the Junior Plates for this demonstration. (And yes, technically this should be on the Spellbinders Cutting plate, not the Base Plate!  I was more worried about the photos turning out than which plate was where!  No matter, the sandwich is the same!)

3. Cover the die with the other plate, leaving the bottom edge of the die uncovered, and holding the sandwich tightly, feed it into the machine.  (For those of you who can tell which die outlines are on the top of my cutting plate, there is a special place in Spellbinders heaven for you!  The bottom side of this plate is positively embarrassing and not for public consumption!)

4. Run this sandwich through the machine. You can see how the plates are offset.  One pass and it's done!

5. Sometimes the cut is not always perfect.  You can see here the right side of the H and the bottom of the e have been cut right through.  But the other parts aren't, so it will be fine.  Weed out the counterspaces. (They'll pretty much fall out.)

 

6. Use a soapstone pencil to draw a line across the baseline of the word at either end and inside the H and the little flourish. I've marked it in red here.  Use an xacto blade to cut along that line and gently remove the cardstock from around the top of the word.  Brush off the soapstone pencil line (although if you're clever and avoid extra work, you'll have cut the pencil mark off with the cardstock you're discarding!).

7. Place your partial die cut into position and create your masterpiece! You can see this completed card HERE.

Happy partial die cutting!
Suzanne

Drop Shadow Tutorial - Using the New Quietfire Dies

I used this technique in a recent card and I just wanted to expand on it a bit.  Here is the card:

A drop shadow is a visual effect that gives the impression of a shadow behind an object. Use the Hello die and cut two coordinating cardstocks. The one which will be a shadow should be a darker colour.  Decide which direction you want the light to be "shining" and attach the shadow by slightly offsetting it from the "raised" Hello die cut.  Make sure it's showing equally around all letters and attach them together.  Don't offset it too much or it becomes a distraction!  Use a colour that will coordinate with some other element in your creation, but don't use something too wild and crazy.  After all, this is a shadow, something that ties the overall design together and accents the main word, not a feature element!

 Thanks for drop shadowing by!
Suzanne