There'll be Bluebirds Over...

Ruth's set of Marianne Creatables

Plans can go awry. The craft group had in mind to decorate the second mask, but as one member was ill, we postponed that, and an on-the-wing card was churned out for us by Jeanette on her Grand Calibur using dies.

Beautiful glitzy paper was tried but proved very fibrous to cut. However, perseverance paid off and we got a result, though foil card was easier to work with.

Using Marianne Creatables dies, the birdcage and bird on branch were put through the machine and, with slender pieces of foam pad, laid on embossed backgrounds. The door on the cage actually opens, which is a nice touch. Looks like the bird flew free!

Bluebird

Yes, that did take all evening! We did an inordinate amount of talking compared with crafting, but hey, it was fun, and Ruth and I are known as Craft & Chat!

What is Pergamano?

Following my recent Post, Rita, of SoulComfort blog, had to Google the answer, so I've done the same. The answer is:
Pergamano is a trade name for Parchment Craft supplies.  However the term Pergamano ('Perga', Spanish for parchment and 'Mano', Spanish for hands) is now used world wide to describe this fascinating craft.
The heavy parchment paper is a translucent grey colour, but when you pressure-emboss it (pressing on it with a small round-ended tool) on a soft surface, it becomes a satiny, opaque white.  In addition to pressure embossing, there are various painting and perforating techniques that can be applied to make a very elegant looking piece of art work.  Using perforating tools such as the flower tool, the four hole piercer and the diamond tool and grid make the parchment lace-like.  With these techniques, you can make cards, bookmarks, boxes, lamp shades and even three-dimensional flowers.

In process

So, now that my white pen has arrived, before the craft group meets tonight, I've finally finished mine, remembering to use tissue to keep my sweaty paws from marking the front.

Traced, Embossed and partly Perforated

When I tore the pin-pricked edge I realised that I had forgotten to go through both front and back together. Pity. However, not too bad for a first effort.

The Finished Card

All I have to do now is to make an insert for the words, which also strengthens the card to stand. I think I'll send it to Jean!

Instead of all-white colouring and embossing, the back of the flowers can be painted. Jean had lots of samples she had made and they are beautiful.

Have a try yourself. Mind you, one wee tip I know is that vellum in a folder run through the Cuttlebug or Big Shot or whatever, gives a very Pergamano-like effect! Shhh...

Packaging Tatty Teddy

When we got products like our Tatty Teddy card kits, I used the packaging pictures for other cards by running them through the Big Shot or Cuttlebug with the likes of a Spellbinders die circle, oval, square or rectangle, depending on the shape. To release the die easily you can use greaseproof paper between the die and the card. But Ruth has another little Tip which you can see on our one minute video on YouTube.

Tatty Teddy With Love A5 Decoupage Card Kit

Tatty Teddy packaging shapes

Christmas Begins

I know some of you have been making Christmas cards all year, but the craft group has only started. We used square cards covered with a square of Designer paper, then a Spellbinder square with an image from Lili of the Valley on top, ribbon along the base and a simple card was made!

Actually it took us an hour to get started, because we were poring over purchases from the Craft Fair that some of the group had bought.

Next day the rest of us went, with instructions to purchase missed items. Ruth and I were equipped with wheeled trolleys. But guess what I forgot to take? - My camera. I took exactly one photo on my mobile (cell phone) because it slipped my memory!

We got new plates for our Big Shots, Spellbinders dies, card, Inkylicious and Chloe rubber stamps, Splodge mats, Tatty Teddy and LOTV toppers, Bazoo papers, a large bauble punch, jewellery cords and magnetic clasps and bling to name a few.

Alice's Loot

I weakened and got another bag like my main craft bag, only it holds A4 items, though unfortunately no lid against the rain.

Alice's Bag and more Loot

Ruth's Loot

Ruth, too, weakened and bought a new wheeled trolley at a bargain price, which opens out and has velcro-attached containers. You can never have too many storage items!

Ruth's Bag opened and more Loot

Ruth's Wheeled Tote

3 Die-Cutting Machines

Ooh, it's here! It was delivered today - how fast was that from Card Craft UK
Now to check where not to cut! - and get my tree die back from Jane to try.

Big Shot

As you know, the tree die was left to Jane's tender ministrations.
She emailed me and said,

Alice. Your tree die cut like a dream on the big shot.

I used one shim about 200grm and ran it through twice, turning the die on the 2nd run through. Then tried the die again just putting it through the machine once with the shim and it cut out no problem. Just needed a wee bit more wiggling to get the bits out.

I just might be investing in this die now.

So guess what? Yup, I've ordered a Big Shot machine, because I would like to buy more of these lovely Memory Box dies.

Getting Shirty at the Craft Group

I have had had more help from Dave of Memory Box and he sent this useful link to his video.  This gave me more ideas about how to get the tree to cut out all over, not just in the centre, by using a metal plate - but this didn't work either.

Adding the centre patch just took away the pressure from the outer leaves, so that's been removed. At the craft group Jane tried it on Ann's Cuttlebug with no success.  She's taken the die home to try in the Big Shot. So... back to the craft night. I had bought a set of three rubber stamps for male cards. Ann suggested I size down this shirt and tie to fit the 2" square punch used for the Waterfall card and do it for my project.  I sized and centred it in MS Publisher and printed out lots of little squares for the girls.

These were coloured with alcohol pens and distress-inked at the edges, then attached to the mechanism. A background was made by using a Versamark ink pad then chalking over that, or brushing with mica powders, or heat embossing.

I coloured four more shirts for future use but the finished product of my sample is blue of course!

Dave's video:

Cutting Edge Comments

Well, thank you Annie, MaryNSC, Rita, Little-ladys Crafts, Debbie for all your commenting suggestions in response to my request for help with using Memory Box dies.

I also received a reply from the manufacturer.

Hi Alice – I do have a little trick with this die that you might try. The center of the tree is pretty detailed, so it sometimes needs a spot shim, depending on how tight your machine is. Rather than using an entire piece of paper to shim, add several layers of tape (masking tape, scotch tape, etc.) to the back of the die, right in the middle. This will increase the pressure in just the right spot, allowing the middle to cut out better. You can leave the tape on the back of the die for future use.

Does this help?

let me know!
dave

Memory Box, Inc.

I have tried all these suggestions, rejigged my sandwich according to the googled video and still have not got the leaves cut out, though the tree is improved.

Now what?

A cut above the rest?

My die-cutting machine is a first generation Spellbinders Wizard, which works better now that I have the new plates. I later bought a first generation Cuttlebug because it is so simple for the embossing folders.

I have a fair collection of Spellbinder, Sizzix, X-Cut and Go Kreate dies too

At the last Craft Fair I bought a Memory Box die of a lovely tree, but, oh dear, I am having little success with it despite using thinner and ever thinner card with shims and hurting my wrist into the bargain!

I store my stencils and some dies in this A6 photo album

The Craft Group has been set a Challenge to make a tone-on-tone card, using only one colour throughout. I have used the tree and the frame dies in various tones of green, so we will see it how it eventually turns out.

The previous Challenge was to make a digital-program-only card, and you saw the stepper card I made on a previous post.  I have added more ruby tweaks to transform it into an anniversary card for hubby.