Hello there!  It’s Mendi here today with a set of simple cards using Pebbles elegant Cottage Living collection.

Today’s cards are all about using die-cuts to create repetition and eye-catching patterns with very little effort.  Up first I have a sweet little card where I cut out the medium-sized heart using the coordinating Cottage Living dies from a variety of patterned papers.  I arranged them on the diagonal from darkest to lightest to create an ombre effect.  To add a little extra interest to my card I then stitched around the final row of hearts on my sewing machine & heat embossed my stamped sentiment with white embossing powder.

For my next card, I repeated the chevron arrow die-cuts in two different sizes, cut from a variety of patterns in the 6×6 pad, but keeping them all the same color.  This provides a cohesive look while still adding interest.  I then stamped my sentiment in black ink on both the gold tipped tag and again on the die-cut scalloped circle and then lined them up with a layer of foam tape between them.  To tie in the gold on my little tag, I added a strip of gold glitter tape along one edge and topped my tag with a little gold brad.

My next card was so easy to make, but it’s one of my favorites!  To create it I die-cut a number of arrows from several of the more subtle and colorful prints in the 6×6 pad and then lined them up on the diagonal (again), alternating the direction between rows.  To help keep my rows straight, I used a clear ruler and drew light pencil lines that would be easy to erase when I was done.  As a little finishing touch I decided to run straight stitching through each row.  I love how that simple step added so much texture and interest!

Before I move onto my next card, isn’t that sentiment amazing?!  I stamped it using another coordinating stamp from the collection.  I love how beautiful and versatile this little set is–It’s a must have for sure!  To have my sentiment stand out against my black background, I chose to stamp it with clear VersaMark ink and heat embossed it again with white embossing powder.

For my final card I wanted to repeat my die-cut sentiment and give them a glossy epoxy look that is so popular right now.  There are so many different ways to achieve this cool look with several products on the market, but I decided to try something a little different this time and turned to my heat gun.  Make sure to scroll down to see a mini tutorial on how I transformed my dies using supplies you may already have on hand.

First I grabbed a clear watermark stamp pad and I pushed my die-cut face down into the wet ink, making sure to cover it completely.

Next I coated my die with a clear embossing powder.  I chose to use Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) which has extra large crystals and quickly gives a thick glossy appearance.  You could also achieve a similar look using regular clear embossing powder if you sprinkle it repeatedly with more powder while it is still hot and repeat the steps a few more times.

Next I quickly heat  it until the crystals were completely melted.  For each of my words, I chose to repeat the steps twice for a more even glossy appearance.  I found it helpful to heat up my gun and have it nice and hot before bringing it near my die-cut so that it wouldn’t blow off the crystals before it was hot enough to melt them.  I also made sure to have a protective mat or piece of paper below to protect my surface from any flying crystals.

And here’s another peek at my finished card.  If you find that some of the crystals get out of hand and melt beyond your die-cuts, you can easily clip off any little blips & strays along the edge with a sharp pair of scissors.

I hope I’ve inspired you to look at your dies in a new way today!  🙂

Supplies:
Cottage Living 6×6 Paper Pad
Cottage Living Acrylic Stamps
Cottage Living Polaroid Dies
Cottage Living Jewel Stickers
Cottage Living Gold Tipped Tags
Homemade Banners Die Set
American Crafts Gold Glitter Paper Tape
Zing! White Opaque Embossing Powder