Cuttlebug Tutorial – Die Cut Configurations (Part 3 of 3)

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In the last two tutorials, I showed you some simple ways of combining die cuts created with Cuttlebug ® ’s Vintage die set. I hope you’ve done a little experimenting of your own with this versatile set. As promised, I am going to show you some of the combinations possible with the two die used to create the Filigree Medallion and the Mini Medallion.

(Please note that illustrations are not to scale.)

The dies in the Cuttlebug 2x2 Vintage set do not have individual names. For the purpose of this tutorial, I will assign the following names to make identification easier:
A - Scroll Corner
B - Stained Glass Square
C - Openwork Scallop Square
D - Tulip Corner
Only dies A and B will be used for the following configurations.

By way of review, this is the scroll corner with alignment holes indicated. All of the configurations that use this piece are aligned at the holes.



By combining two corners you can create this ornate square. It is shown here in two colors for clarity.




By combining four corners you create the base of the filigree medallion demonstrated in my first CB tutorial.




This is the “negative space” cutout from the scroll corner that I call double cane. This is a wonderfully versatile piece. Note: This is a rather small piece and creating some of the designs can be very tricky. I suggest using a bent nose tweezer for placement.

Here are some of the designs you can create with double cane:










Now add a stained glass square (die "B" above) and you can get combinations like this:









Okay, I think you can see where this is going. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Now let's see what you've got. Show me YOUR Cuttlebug die cut creations.

Click here to go to Part I of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part II.

I hope you liked my CB tutorials. Please leave a comment. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cuttlebug Tutorial –“Negative” Space Mini Medallion (Part 2 of 3)

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I hope you liked my tutorial on the Filigree Medallion created with Cuttlebug®’s Vintage die set. I also hope you took my suggestion to save the larger cutout pieces because, as promised, I am going to show you how you can put those normally discarded pieces to creative use. Using those scraps, you will be able to create a simple motif that can be used as the basis for many others. By the end of this tutorial, you will agree that negative spaces can be positively beautiful.

The scroll corner used in the filigree medallion has a cutout that looks like two canes attached head to head (“double cane”). For the purpose of identification, I will refer to the two parts of the double cane as swirl and tail. This simple piece can be combined in so many ways that you can spend hours just contemplating the possibilities. In this tutorial we will create a mini medallion (four of them pictured above) that can be used in a variety of papercraft projects.

Materials list:
• “Vintage” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set; (37-1201), scroll corner die;
• “Squares” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set (37-1216, largest square) or a piece of cardstock 1 ½ inches square;
• Cuttlebug® or any other die cutting/embossing machine that accepts CB dies;
• Pencil and a soft eraser;
• Spray adhesive.

1. Punch out four of the scroll corners. Remove and save the large “double cane” cutout from each corner and set the rest aside for later use. (If you saved your pieces from the last tutorial, skip to Step 2.)

2. Punch out one 1-½ inch square with the Squares die set. If you don’t have this set, simply cut out a 1-½ inch cardstock square in a contrasting color to the double cane pieces.

3. Very lightly mark the center of each side of the square.

4. Position one double cane piece diagonally on the square, placing the tip of one tail on the center mark on one side and the other tip on the adjacent center mark. Make sure the swirls are facing the center of the square. Repeat this positioning for the remaining sides. When correctly positioned, the four double canes form four heart shapes in the center of the square. Refer to the photo above.

5. When you are satisfied with the positioning, glue the pieces down using the spray adhesive. These pieces are so slender and delicate that most other adhesives are liable to leave telltale residue. If the pencil marks are still visible, lightly erase them out with the soft eraser.

Ta-da! You’re done! You have just created a “mini medallion” using the negative spaces from the Scroll Corner die. Now it’s time to show off your creativity. Send me a picture of what you have created using what you have learned in these last two tutorials. I will create a photo album of all the entries and let you all see them.

In the next tutorial, I will show you some die cut combinations using the Vintage die set that I guarantee will blow your socks off. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Click here to go to Part I of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part III.

Did you like this tutorial? Please leave a comment and send me some feedback. I’d love to hear from you.

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)
(The individual dies in the Vintage set were given names to facilitate identification. See the Filigree Medallion tutorial for more information.)

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Cuttlebug Tutorial - Filigree Medallion (Part 1 of 3)

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The "Vintage" Cuttlebug® die set is very versatile and lends itself to many intricate designs. In this tutorial, you will learn how create a pretty medallion by combining various pieces in different ways. Pictured above are two ways of using the medallion –on a card front or as the main design element on a cube ornament. Use your imagination to come up with other applications.

It is important to note that not only the die cut image is useful but some of the cutout pieces (the “negative” space) are also very useful. Save the larger cutouts when you have punched out the dies. As I will show you in the next tutorial, they can lend a lot of interest to your designs.

The Vintage die set comes with two corner dies and two openwork squares. For this project we will use only two dies - the scroll corner and the stained glass openwork square. (They should be easy to distinguish from the tulip corner and the scallop square.)

Materials list:
• “Vintage” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set;
• Cuttlebug® or any other die cutting/embossing machine that accepts CB dies;
• A 2½ inch square of cardstock for the background;
• A contrasting color of cardstock large enough to create the die cuts;
• Spray adhesive or tacky glue applied with an extra fine tip.

1. Punch out four of the scroll corners and one openwork square.

2. You will notice that the scroll corners have a small hole at each end of the design. Before gluing your corners to your background cardstock, place them just slightly inside the edges of the background (about 1/8”), visually aligning the hole from one scroll with the hole from the next. This alignment is important in order to fit inside the edges of the background.

3. When you are satisfied with the way it looks, glue the corners down. I like using spray adhesive for this step because it is fast, gives even coverage and doesn’t leave any telltale residue like other glues may. A fast-setting glue applied with an extra fine point or spread neatly with a pin head would also work.

4. Next, center and glue the stained glass square in place with its corners pointing to the aligned holes of the scroll corners. (Refer to the photos above.)

That’s it. You have created a beautiful filigree medallion that you can use in your crafting. I would love to see what you have created with this.

Click here to go to Part II of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part III.

If you are interested in knowing the details for the two items shown in the pictures above, feel free to send me an email at gypsiwoman55@yahoo.com.

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

The Joys of Card Swapping and RTU's

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When I was first introduced to the world of online craft groups, I was interested in the practice of swap challenges. This is when participants create an item according to certain guidelines such as specified color(s), theme, layout, technique, etc. It was an opportunity for us crafters to try something new, share it with others of our own ilk and get some feedback on our work. The group I was member of for nearly two years recently shut down and its moderator suggested we join Paper Craft Planet if we were interested in continuing to swap, a suggestion which I took. In the past two weeks I have participated in two challenges and the results are pictured here. These are all examples of challenges where you have to create a card based on a specified layout or "sketch". The first two cards were created for the same challenge. You can see how the placement of the elements in both cards is the same but the colors and themes are totally different. The third card is for a different sketch challenge that required that the central element be a heart in addition to using the specified layout.

This last card is an excellent example of how you can use little things you may have laying around in your craft stash to create a beautiful card. I like to experiment with different techniques and new materials in order to get a feel for them. Some of my efforts end up in the trash but some of them I like so much that I can't bear to toss them even though they were meant only for practice. I call those pieces RTU which means Ready-To-Use. That is the case with the inked and embossed chipboard heart on this card. It was a successful experiment that was lying around in my stash and perfectly fit in with the requirements of this particular sketch challenge. The polka dot ribbon came from last year's box of Valentine's chocolates and the velveteen stripes were created with redline tape and Fun Flock over striped wallpaper.

Are you a crafter? Do you have a stash of RTU's waiting to be "discovered", or perhaps you have already created works of beauty using little bits of this and that? If you have a photo gallery with pictures of your work, please share them with me through your commnents. I'd love to see them. Thanks.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

It's been a while...

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You wouldn't know it from the inactivity on this blog but I've been busy...very busy, both artistically and otherwise, which is why I haven't been able to catch up until now. In my last post I was creating invitations for my daughter's Sweet Sixteen birthday party which took place at the end of November. Well, no sooner was that party over than the holidays were upon us and I began a frenzy of creating Christmas cards. Of course ONE Christmas card wasn't enough. Oooh nooo! I had to make several different cards. Here are some of the cards I created this year.



As if cards didn't keep me busy enough, I decided to create some ornaments as well. Many years ago I started a tradition of creating ornaments as gifts. My sister liked them so much told me that the only gift she wanted from me every Christmas was an ornament. This year I decided to create some out of paper, something I had not done before. I was very satisfied with the results, as was my sister. See for yourself. I was so taken with one of the designs I created using Cuttlebug die cuts that I began to write a tutorial for publishing on this blog. As soon as I complete it, I will post it here.



I'm in the midst of pre-spring cleaning frenzy so my crafting is going to take a slight hiatus while I rid myself of a lot of garbage. As soon as I get out from underneath the rubble, I'll be back. See you soon.

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and all ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

An Aquatic Theme

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I have been busy creating invitations for my daughter's upcoming Sweet Sixteen birthday. My young miss has an interest in all things aquatic and decided upon mermaids as the theme for her party with a color palette reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea in blues, greens, turquoise and purple. I think I have purchased every mermaid rubber stamps ever created in an effort to craft 35 different cards. Some of them are pictured here. You can see these and others in my Photobucket album. Just follow the link at the top of the left hand column.

Next up: Party favors. The mind reels...

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and all ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Catching Up

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It has been seven months since I've posted to this blog, during which time I've been extremely busy on things crafty and non-crafty alike. In the interim I have probably created some of my most beautiful cards to date and I believe I have reached the point where I can take my show on the road, albeit very slowly. Some of the cards can be seen above, others can be viewed on my Photobucket Greetings Cards album. (Use the link in the upper left column.) I have discovered new techniques, am working in mixed media and am generally having a high old time crafting cards. I have recently completed a custom order for a repeat customer and am getting a better sense of what I will need to do to successfully market my cards. Now what I need to do is lay the foundation.

I have taken a step in that direction recently when I finally stopped procrastinating and completed the application for a registered trademark. I have been using my name, Gitana, on my work for the past 11 years and have developed it into a logo. Now I'm making it official. Next I plan to create client intake business forms and to create boxed sets of themed cards for sale. Baby steps for now. I'll be toddling in no time and soon I'll break into an all-out run.

I am currently working on my daughter's Sweet Sixteen invitations. My aspiring marine biologist wanted an aquatic theme so we're going with mermaids. Instead of creating a number of identical invitations, hers will all be variations on the theme of mermaids and sea life. No two invitations will be exactly the same. When she recently reviewed the cards completed to date, she commented that the cards were so pretty, they should be considered souvenirs of the event. I thought that was a great idea, something I'll keep in the back of my mind for a future client...souvenir invitations.

Now that the warm weather is slowly waning, I'll be spending more time indoors. Hopefully that means I'll be posting more of my work. That is, of course, if I don't spend all of that time having fun creating cards.

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and All Ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Artistic Gratification

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It's always a gratifying experience when one's work is appreciated and recognized by others. It is all the more gratifying when that acknowledgement comes from one's peers. In a posting this past December, I mentioned my renewed focus on creating digital art that centered around images of feminine power. Serif Inc., the company that developed the graphics software I use to create these images, sponsors a monthly contest for users of its products. I was just notified by the company that I was chosen the winner for February 2008. The winning piece, entitled "Radiant Energy" appears here. You can see a larger version on the Serif website here through the month of February 2008. It would seem I am finally tapping into my own feminine power. Onward and upwards.

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and all ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

A Change of Pace...

The holidays are over and I greet this new year with renewed artistic energy. It seems every time I turn around, there is something else to inspire my inner diva.

For the last year and a half, I have embarked on a journey in search of inner calm and enlightenment. As I become more finely attuned to my spiritual center, I am becoming more in touch with my feminine power. As a result, my most recent creative endeavors have focused on creating a series of original digital art inspired by feminine power and energy. The image shown in my last entry, entitled "Priestess", is the first of this series. The others completed to date can be seen in my Photobucket in the "Other Creative Endeavors" sub-album. As other works are created, they will be added to the album. Use the link at the top of the left-hand column to get to my Photobucket.

I will eventually use these images to create a line of note cards and other items. Someone has expressed interest in using one of my images as a logo for a future woman's event. For now, they are images that bring me joy and great satisfaction in their creation.

I would love for you to look at the images and give me your comments. Feedback is always welcomed.

Namaste.

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and All Ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Energetic Renewal

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We artists view the world through eyes that see beauty in the mundane. Anything can set off an intuitive spark that becomes a source of artistic inspiration. So it was with "Priestess", my latest work of digital art. The large circular motif and the lotus blossom were design elements in, of all things, some rubber stamped images I saw in an online catalog. They became the foundation of this piece.

"Priestess" is a composite of elements found in many ancient belief systems; the sun, the lotus, the circle. The deep blue field represents both sky (air) and water. The woman, kneeling in an impassioned pose, appears to be both drawing energy and radiating it. The large central motif, composed of discs of various sizes, can be interpreted in various ways; as the circle of life, the symbol of Mother Earth, the woman herself and the shrine at which she prays.

For me, she represents an energetic rebirth. As this year comes to a close, I take it as a sign of an exciting and energized new year ahead.

Ballo ergo sum,
Always and all ways,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva