How To Alter A Die Cut

Have you ever wondered how to alter a die cut that you love but maybe doesn’t fit on the card you have planned? Today I am going to show you a couple of tips on how to do this and all of a sudden you will see your collection of dies with new eyes!  For this card I wanted to show off Rubbernecker’s newly released Slimline Clouds and Slimline Waves.  I paired the new dies with the Lighthouse, Palm Trees, Sun, Small Birds and Grass #2.

The Card Base

• Cut the 7.00″ x 8.50″ slimline card base using white cardstock.
• Score the card base down the center at 3.50″.
• Use a blender brush to apply light blue ink to create the sky background.

The Clouds, Waves and Sand Layers

• Cut the cloud layer using white cardstock and attach it to the card base with a strip of mounting tape.
• Use aqua cardstock to cut two wave layers and attach them to the card base using double stick tape.
• Cut the sand layer using one of the wave dies and Kraft cardstock.
• Use a blender brush to apply light brown ink to the sand and attach it to the card base using a strip of mounting tape. 
• Note:  Using the wave die for sand shows how we can think outside the box and increase the ways we can use our dies.

The Lighthouse

• Cut the lighthouse parts using red, white and blue cardstock.
• Mix and match the pieces to create a colorful lighthouse. and attach them together using glossy accents.
• Shorten the lighthouse to fit the height of the card base by altering the placement of the top light portion and cutting a small portion off the bottom. Note:  Altering the height of the lighthouse allows me to use it on several different sized cards.
• Apply pieces of mounting tape to the back of both lighthouse sections and attach them in behind the sand layer.

The Palm Trees

• Cut the palm tree fronds and trunk using Kraft and green cardstock.
• Apply brown ink to the trunks using a mini applicator.
• Gently bend the fronds with your fingers and attach them to the trunks using glossy accents.
• Apply strips of mounting tape to the back of the trunks, tuck them in behind the sand and attach them to the card base.

Sun, Grass and Bird

• Cut the grass sprigs using green cardstock, tuck them around the trees and lighthouse and attach using glossy accents.
• Cut the sun using bright yellow cardstock, cut the top portion off and tuck it under the cloud and attach using mounting tape. 
• Use white cardstock to cut the bird, apply a touch of gray ink to the wings and attach it to the card base using a small piece of mounting tape.

You can see how easy it was for me to alter a die cut to fit my card size and how to use a die meant for one thing and using it for another.  Take a look at your dies and let me know how you may extended the ways to use them. Check back tomorrow to see how I used these new slimline dies on an A2 sized card.

5328-03D Slimline Waves Die [ RBB ] 5328-01D Slimline Clouds Die [ RBB ] 5202-05D Light House Die Cut [ RBB ] 5212-06D Palm Trees Die Cut [ RBB ] Sun Moon Die 5147-07D [ RBB ] Small Birds Die 5147-06D [ RBB ] 5210-02D Grass #2 Die Cut [ RBB ] Color Fuse Set #9 [ RBB ] Color Fuse Set #12 [ RBB ] Color Fuse Set #3 [ RBB ]

Mini Applicators, 12 pk, PanPastel Sofft [ ELH ] Life Changing Blender Brush Set,… [ ELH ] Mini Glossy Accents, Ranger Accents [ ELH ] Scotch Foam Mounting Tape [ ELH ] Fiskars 01-005452 Recycled Bypass… [ AMZUS ] ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder, Essentials by Ellen [ ELH ] Scor-Pal Measuring & Scoring Board 12×12 [ ELH ] Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting… [ RBB ] 3mm (1/8″), Be Creative Tape [ ELH ] 5mm (1/4″), Be Creative Tape [ ELH ]