Friday, June 24, 2011

Creating... out of the box!

Hi all and TGIF!  Today, I thought I'd take you on a creative tour to have you all 'thinking out of the box' when it comes to creating! You'll see what I mean, right about... now!

So many of us just cling to the standard 4-1/4" by 5-1/2" creations. But, thanks to the folks at Spellbinders, you don't have to get stuck in a rectangle rut! Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Dies and the Grand Calibur machine make it so easy! Want to see?

I started my creation with the Labels One Grand Nestabilities Die...



As you can see, I let my die bleed off the edge of my folded card ever so slightly!



And this, my friends is the finished card!



To create my card, I used the same die and some decorative paper. After embossing, I used the embossed line as my "guide" to cut off the extra 1/8". I used this as my mat to reveal some of the white on my shapely card. And, here's a peek at my finished creation!


You can see, that I did do some paper piercing around the edge of my circle. Here's how I did that....



While my Standard Circle Nestabilities die was still on my paper, I used my paper piercer and mat and just followed the line of the die.



And here's a close up of my colored image! I used Copic markers (of course) and reached for the Crocus and Fields collections grouped by Flourishes. The stamp set is one of Flourishes' newest -- Zinnias. Shhh! The sentiment is actually from a set that hasn't been released yet. I thought, however, that it was perfect for this card and decided to give you a peek! ;-) Some of the paper is from the BasicGrey Sweet Threads collection and the silk ribbon is Christmas Green.

As I was looking for inspiration, I actually didn't have to go far! The Flourishes Gallery is chocked full of fun creations and many of the designers "did" think out of the box. You can head on over to today's post over on the Flourishes Blog for more inspiration! Speaking of inspiration, you can hop on over to the Flourishes gals' blogs to see what they whipped up this Free for All Friday!
Happy creating and I'll see you back here soon!

18 comments:

Glenda said...

Absolutely, drop dead gorgeous! How creative to keep the card stock in the die to pierce!

Karen W said...

Just gorgeous!!! I love the shape of the card and your coloring is perfect!

Dawn B. said...

You out did yourself here. I get stuck in a rectangle rut. :). I love the way you pierced around the edges. This is beautiful Julie. Don't you just love these larger dies..great tutorial

CherylQuilts said...

Julie, this is absolutely beautiful! I can't wait to get this set, and I love how you colored this image. I really like this layout, and thanks for the tutorial. Gorgeous card!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely georgeous Julie! Do you know what happened to Deb Neerman? She kinda dropped out of sight!

Becky said...

This is stunning Julie.. Gorgeous colors.

Lisa Elton said...

This is just way too pretty!!! Love the way you utilized the die for your paper peircing!

The Rubber Maid said...

What a beauty..love the wonderful color of the zinnia and the bg paper really pops it all. Elegant!
Mom

dpkennedy said...

Lame this in NOT! This is just gorgeous! I love the colors you used and the white mat showing around the pp. Gorgeous coloring and shape!

Jan Marie said...

Wonderful card...love you shaped card and coloring...Great job.

Jan Marie
Flourishes

denise g. said...

Yes, Sweetie, you've got a friend - - ME! Bless You for the step by step pictures of how you made your die the card base. I'm being blinded by the light bulb now. What a pretty, pretty card and I do truly appreciate you taking the time to show your fans just how you accomplish the beauty. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that the kiddos aren't cramping your style too much these days!

Heather Rogers said...

This is just beautiful, Julie. I love the jar of Zinnias and the purples are stunning. :)
Hugs~

Leslie Miller said...

Oh, my WORD! This is so gorgeous, Julie! The colors and composition just speak to me. Yup, thinking the world needs more purple and green. This shade of orchid has always been a favorite. LOVE this!

ChristineCreations said...

Great job with this one Julie...from the tutorial, to that gorgeous purple...these are so beautifully colored lady!

Shannon White said...

Wowzers Miss Julie, this is just GORGEOUS!! 8-) Love how your colored up your zinnias! and Love your wonderful shaped card. And what a Gorgeous color combo you used too! Love the whole thing!

Hugs!
Shannon 8-)

Curt in Indy said...

Beautiful card Julie! Love the shape and what a great tip on using the die for a guide for perfect paper piercing. Hope you all are well! Best, Curt

Peachy Wessels said...

Oh, I love your card! These zinnias are so pretty and I love your little demo on how to do it! Shaped cards are so much fun - thanks for sharing!

Laurie said...

This is such a beautiful card. I've just gotten the zinnia set & can't wait to CASE it! Thank you, Julie, for sharing your talent. Have a great 4th.