My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

BD and AD - {Dies R Us} {Out of the Box technique} {Spotlight technique}

Hello, sweet crafting friends! 
Thanks for dropping by for a little
Dies R Us Inspiration!


Today's project is all about BD and AD!

that is...

BEFORE die cuts and AFTER die cuts!

It also features the Spotlight technique with dies - 
using the same colors
and
the same stamp image
to see how differently the same spotlighted images can look 
by simply changing the die cuts.


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My cards use the following DRU Products:

                                                       each card has the following for the two "spotlight" elements.
Sue Wilson - Canadian Collection - Montreal (for dainty oval)

Card One (butterfly in corner):

Card Two (brown tones):
Spellbinders - Card Creator 5x7 Elegant Labels Four
Sue Wilson - Canadian Collection - Montreal (for dainty oval)

Card Three (dark background):
Spellbinders - Card Creator 5x7 Detailed Scallops
Spellbinders - Mega Nestabilities Curved Rectangles (to create smooth turq panel for stamp)

Card Four:
A2 Card is the BD (before dies):
none!


The Out-of-the-Box die cut technique was developed for images that might be larger than dies.
"Spotlighting" is an old, old stamping technique.  

Here are links for the Out of the Box Video and step-by-step pictorial tutorial.
For another of my unusual out of the box cards, please click here

For some gorgeous Spotlighting ideas, please visit this Pinterest Board.
Psst! If you are new to Pinterest, please know you don't have to sign up or have a Pinterest account in order to enjoy all the lovely Pin-spiration you'll find there.

An "olden days" style Spotlight card without dies to fancy it up:

To accomplish the Spotlight technique using dies, it is easiest to deliberately choose crooked shapes, or shapes like circles that can be easily rotated on the image. Because the Out-of-the-Box technique on this card uses level dies (as opposed to round), I needed to be sure that the pop up portion would not be crooked when adhered. I'm not always good at "eye-balling", so this is how I solved that issue:


CARD ONE:


How to create the first card's shaped base and frame:



CARD TWO:


Putting the frame and card together:


Using the "negative left overs" on the interior:

CARD THREE:
Changing it up by using a dark background and white embossing powder, but all the same colors:


To create the frame:


Interior using the left over pieces:


Our BEFORE and AFTERS:


Other Products:

  • Image: Joy! Crafts Clear Stamp "Floral Flourishes"
  • SU White cardstock, Recollections glitter paper
  • Tombow Markers
  • StazOn Azure Blue, Mermaid Lagoon and Stormy Sky Distress dye inks
  • Craft Essentials EFOB0010 Basket Weave embossing folder (Card 3)
  • SNS - Detail White EP, Meadow Spark Ultrafine Glitter,
  • Inks: Moonlight White Brilliance (distress 3rd card), VersaMark, Mermaid Lagoon, Old Paper, Tea Dye,
  • Prima Flowers,
  • Paper: SU, Recollections Glitter, Vellum
Challenges I'd like to play in please:

  1. Craft Your Passion #307 - Anything Goes 4/19
  2. Crafting from the Heart #107 - Anything Goes 4/19
  3. Crafty Gals Corner #67 Use Die Cuts or Punches 4/19
  4. Dream Valley #129 Anything Goes 4/25
  5. Inspiration Destination Challenges "#81 Anything Goes" 4/19
  6. Tuesday Throwdown #289 - Use Your Die Cuts 4/19


Stamping Hugs Always,

51 comments:

Linda said...

Really beautiful, Donna! I also love your header, it is so bright and cheerful!

maria's knutselplezier said...

What an amazing creation , I really love this blue roze, great colours and I love all the beautiful details of the card!! Great ART!!

Have fun , greetings
Maria

Desire Fourie said...

Stunning Donna and an amazing how too on the spotlight technique. Thank you for sharing. Love the vintage feel of your creations.
Hugs Desíre {Doing Life}

brenda said...

A stunning creation Donna, the vivid blues are so lovely set against the sepia tones and so pretty on the inside as well, what a delight for someone to receive.

B x

Sue said...

Hi Donna, That card is beautiful.

Hope you have a lovely day. Sue

Maryvonne Coussé said...

Stunning cards Donna , Thanks fot the Great tuto!!

Silvis Kreativstube said...

Hallo liebe Donna,

wow, das ist ja eine wunderschöne Gestaltung und ich danke dir herzlich für die ausführliche Beschreibung wie die Karten entstehen. Ich finde das total faszinierend. Ich muss mal schauen ob ich ähnliche Schablonen habe um es einmal ausprobieren zu können. Das gefällt mir sehr gut. Wie immer bin ich begeistert von deiner Arbeit. Ich wünsche dir einen wunderschönen, kreativen Tag. Ganz liebe Grüße Hugs Silvi

Shona Erlenborn said...

Amazing! These are stunning Donna - every one of them. Love how you incorporated the spotlighting technique. Thanks for the how-to's too! Such inspiration!

CherylQuilts said...

Oh, Donna, you are just knocking my socks off with the amazing ways you use dies! I LOVE decorative dies, but you've taken it to a WHOLE new level! Wow, I love each one of these cards, and the rich blue rose is stunning! I have some homework to do, I think! Hehe! Love it! Hugs!

KarinsArtScrap said...

wow Donna you have made 3 gorgeous cards with this gorgeous flower stamp.
Gr Karin

Shirley said...

Hi Donna, long time no see. Sorry for not being around but loads been happening.

All are amazing makes with so many fabulous techniques. Your use of dies is second to none Donna and also your colour combinations. Bravo sweets.

Warm crafty hugs from Shirl x x x
ShirlsCards.

craftieodmae said...

Fantastic tutorial and Gorgeous card!!!

*Vicki* said...

Absolutely stunning!! I just love it in the blue colors and the added sparkle is a beautiful detail as well as the gorgeous rose! :) HUGS

Lori Kobular said...

Wow Donna! You have been a busy bee! These are all so gorgeous! I love the dies you used, I sure wish I had all of them! The color is so rich! Love the sparkles too!

Lisa said...

Oh wow, Donna, your cards are absolutely stunning!! I love, love the colors and the spotlight technique you used!! The layers and dies are just fabulous!! And I love your tutorials, too!! Thank you for taking the time to share them with us my friend!! Gorgeous makes!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts

NanaConnie said...

Stunning cards, DOnna! I had to put that Ornate Pierced Rectangles set on my Wish List, but I'm not sure of the name of the set you used for the frame on the second card. I want that one, also. :-D Love the step by step you gave us - wonderfully instructive, my friend, especially the part about making a frame out of a die cut by using a craft knife. Fabulous sparkle on the first frame. I think you've ruined my crafting budget for the rest of the month. :-D

Unknown said...

Yowza! :) Love the cards, olden days one as well as the out of the box die cut one. Simply beautiful! Great step by step instructions, very good tricks and tips! Thanks so much for sharing! xo~

sarascloset said...

Beautiful cards and a great tutorial! Thank you for all your hard work and for taking the time to share with us! Hugs!

Diane said...

Well Donna, you have knocked our socks off again with your gorgeous creation..LOL!! It is stunning and of course I do LOVE the pretty glitter...I just want to come and see your craft room and all your dies and glitter...what fun that would be!! Your tutorials are fabulous and I know how much time it takes to put those together!! And of course I do LOVE Roses too and yours is beautiful!! I am having fun too, seeing what dies you have used, and SW has a new release out of about 37 new dies...yikes and I am still trying to get lots of the others yet!! Have a wonderful evening, it is kind of nice here right now and to be in the 70's Sat-Mon..so I will be in my flower gardens!!

pam said...

Stunning cards Donna, must have taken a long time to photo all this technique and card designs, love the beautiful colours and flower you have used.
Thank you for sharing.
Hugs Pam x

Leslie Miller said...

Oh, my word, look at your gorgeous, gorgeous cards! You go with the DRU stuff, Donna! Dani must be doing handsprings (hope he's looking)! Fantastic coloring and techniques and SO much time and care taken in sharing the processes. I'm simply bowled over!

MaryH said...

Truly stunning on each look. Thanks for doing all the pictorial tutorials, as I'd never have figured out these placements. Both techniques yielded a fantastic look on each of the cards, each of the color schemes. Well done!!! I know the pictures and explanations took a lot more time to write up, than just making the cards! TFS & Hugs

coldwaters2 said...

WOW Donna this is totally one awesome post, your tutorials are brilliant so are the finished cards they are all so beautifully designed, I love the image also the dies you have used to create these wonderful creations, I think you deserve a gold star, enjoy the weekend
hugs
lorraine x

Petra Swart said...

Amazing, Donna!!! Thank you so much for all the time you've put into doing this post!!!! Your cards are simply stunning (I love the BD one, too!!!) and that blue rose is wonderful!!!! I think I need to go shopping for frame dies!!!
Have a great day, my friend!!!!!
Hugz

Pamellia said...

Wow Donna, you really gave that card quite the makeover!! I love the technique you used to cut out the rose with the bits hanging over the edge, very genius of you!! The glittery paper sure is an eye-catcher! What a way you have with die cuts, this is stunning! hugs :)

Beebeebabs said...

Absolutely beautiful thanks for sharing!!!!

Nancy Hill said...

Just gorgeous and congratulations for being on Dies R Us design team.

Karen said...

Absolutely beautiful post, Donna! You create such magic... it is inspiring to see what your heart dreams up for each project. The results are always stunning, filled with love and light. Exquisite work, my dear friend. Have a wonderful weekend. :o)

Hugs and blessings,
Karen

Lena Keultjes said...

Dear Donna, your blog is full of beautiful creations and invaluable tips! Thank you for all the inspiration!

cotnob said...

These are gorgeous Donna, such a beautiful image and fabulous designs.
Thank you for the step by step.
Pauline
x

Doris Klein said...

Wow, that's a amazing creation. i love the sparkle frame and the layout of your card. Wonderful image and blue is my favourite.

Many thanks for your nice comment on my blog. Hugs
Doris
DT Crafty Time
DT Die Sketchtanten
Kleido’s BastelStüble

Jan said...

Hi Donna, Just realized your blog header matches my bow!!
I love your fabulous projects, thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving me the much appreciated comment xx Jan

KraftyKoolKat said...

So beautiful sweetie.
Hugs
Cathy
Xxx

8kidsandstillfindtimetocraft said...

Love your before and after designs xx

8kidsandstillfindtimetocraft said...

Love your before and after designs xx

Engelchen said...

very nice. Love the digi to.
Thank you for joining us at inspirationdestination
Greetings Geesje DT

Amy Cohen said...

Wow- thank you for these amazing tips! Your cards are gorgeous! I am your newest follower now. Thanks for joining us at Crafty Gals Corner.
Amy-DT

crafty-stamper said...

Fabulous cards and love the before and after dies ideas and great tip about making the frame I tend to think of dies -as is-so to speak love the image too
Carol x

TRACEY MO said...

Stunning card, i have forgotten abt this technique. Brill step by step guide to. And i love the blue!


Thanks for joining us at dream valley

Tracey dt

brenda said...

You know me Donna, if I don't come and reply to questions right away I invariably forget !!

So cardstock, min 300gsm preferably, my favourite is Fabriano cold press watercolur card, but it's not cheap. My next fav is linen card but you do need more pressure to get a good image, the only thing to avoid is card with a shiny surface as the wet inks will just puddle with nowhere to go.

Hope that helps, have a good day.

B x

Kelly O said...

Oh I just love this! This is wonderful, the use of colours and dies! Thanks again for stopping by my blog and leaving me sweet comments. Kellyscards.ca

Patty Sue 2 said...

Thank you for the kind words on my blog. I am so glad you invited me to check out your blog. I am your latest follower. Love the tutorials! Have a great week!

Pia S said...

I read this post very carefully and I studied all the photos, because this is one of the most inspirational posts and with great tips and techniques demonstrated. And I so love these rose designs, gorgeous all of them. I've changed favorites a couple of times already (there's something I love about all of them) but I think card #3 looks extra ordinary. But honestly, they all do:)

Patricia St Martin said...

Hi Sweetie, Sorry I'm so late but never forgotten. I love your posts and you always do a fantastic job of sharing all this wonderful info and I pin all of it and save you blog posts under your name so if I want an idea I know where to go and I thank you for that. All of the cards are stunning.
Have to tell you it has been a beautiful day here in Wisconsin so far this year 78 degrees and I have had the patio doors open and my computer is not far from the door and I have been hearing the Robins singing outside all afternoon and they sound fantastic. What a joy. You have a wonderful week!
Hugs Pat

Unknown said...

Awesome. Thank you for joining us over at Craft Your Passion challenge. Hope to see you again.

Lots of Hugs
Tammi, DT

Pam Tiedtke, or Pammie Lou said...

So many lovely details on your wonderful card! Thanks for playing along with us at Tuesday Throwdown challenge!

hugs,
Pam
TT DT

Chrissy said...

Beautiful cards Donna and lots of tips and tricks you shared..the frames are just gorgeous and the blur rose is beautiful.I am following you now so I wont miss out on anything..

Luv CHRISSYxx

SewPaperPaint said...

Oh my goodness, so funny to see the comparison! But I'm not knocking pretty layering. I like all of the cards a lot, brown background is my favorite. Thanks so much for doing all of this photography so we can learn these cool techniques! I appreciate that so much. Hugs, Autumn

Sue said...

That is a whole lot of card making. So very pretty, and nice to visually see how different the card can look with minor changes. Love the dark blue and blue flower, my favorite. Beautiful dies too. Always a pleasure to visit and see what you are up to.

Hugs
Sue

Unknown said...

Wow stunning creations. ..so creative and so many detail. Love the style xxx

Karenladd said...

I am familiar with the spot light technique but have never seen it used with die cutting. What a beautiful effect, and one that I'll need to try. Your coloring is just exquisite, and these cards are gorgeous. I am still learning how to use frame, and ornate dies so your tutorial is full of useful tips for me. Thanks for sharing the step-by-step and showing the two different versions. I've been in a crafting rut lately so seeing new techniques always shakes off the cobwebs!