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

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.

craftyalice's loot

I squashed all my purchases onto the chair and then took more close-up photos.

Tonic Studio scissors 

Copic Ciao pens

Clarity Joy to the World stamp

Clarity Owl stamp

Embossing folder: Church

Embossing folder: Christmas Tree

Taster for the new-look Genius Hands

Welcome to Ruth's Blog Post! (formerly known as Ruth's Report)

Hi Crafters

I suppose first of all I should be wishing you a Happy New Year as this is the first Blog Post of 2008. I was on holiday in January and I am now catching up.

We are so pleased with the way crafters from other countries have subscribed to the website videos and we welcome all your feedback on what is of interest to you. Please feel free to contact us with your comments. Alice has created this blog from scratch and has faithfully updated it, as well as crafting and various other commitments. She is not called WebMom for nothing. Nobody else in Craft & Chat (formerly Get Creative) can do this and the work spent on the website is very much appreciated. The comments we have had from subscribers have been so encouraging so please continue.

The Report aka Blog Post at the end of the month is now going to include what we have been crafting, letting you know of any changes with Craft & Chat and keeping you up to date with YouTube instructional videos.

We would like you to feel involved with our craft by letting us know if there is anything you would want to see demonstrated on video - you can comment on YouTube or e-mail us. Can I remind you at this point that we are not professionals -- "Dawn Bibby I am not" (see our first Video Outtake #1: CraftyWhippet I am not) so don't be too ambitious with your ideas or we will be having panic attacks.

The new Keepsake boards are on sale now and the demo by the Glitter Girls on Ideal World last week was good. There is also a new board reaching the shops in March (available on eBay) and then again in July. I am hoping to try the Illusion board for box-making and in particular the size that fits the Bookatrix. I use the EasiScore board at present but this new board looks very good. I have not forgotten that I said in the Bookatrix Videos that we would demonstrate making a box for the Bookatrix to go in. Hopefully I will be able to link with Alice to arrange a time when we will both be free. It is our intention that by the time this post goes on the blog we will have demonstrated Box-making and have it on YouTube for you to view. We might even change our tops from canary yellow to a colour we actually like!!

We also like the Cuttlebug folders and a new range is now available. I have been looking for a Thinking of you or a Sympathy Cuttlebug folder and so far as I know we do not have any here in Glasgow. Maybe our American crafters can let us know if they have them.

We have been busy making mini boxes and it might be the case of sixth time successful... I like to use a template and Alice (an ex-maths teacher) likes to calculate and use a ruler for all her measurements. I compromised and left her to calculate...and then give me a template!! I think that was a good deal.

I am busy making some little cards for the ladies in my church for [UK] Mother's Day, which has been fun. As you know, sometimes it takes longer to think out the idea than to actually make it!!

I hope this has been of interest to you so...until next time.

Bye for now

Ruth aka CraftyWhippet