Some Paper Punching Tips Revisited

I have had a few people sending me questions about using punches lately - so I thought I'd share a few links back to earlier posts that may be helpful.  I do have a bit of a punch "addiction" and there are a few tips and tricks to help you make your images turn out well aligned and even.

 

When working with the wide border punches, you can get lots of different border strips by varying the width of the cardstock you start with and varying the position of the punch - click HERE to see these variations and how to make them

The Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page sets are fun to work with - as long as you remember a few basic measurement rules.  There is a very detailed explanation HERE (sorry but the giveaway in that post is long over...).

If you pay attention to the little notches on the edge of the punches, you can get a neatly centered border.  Click HERE to see the full explanation.

The trick to punching a perfect frame with two graduated sizes of the same shape can be found HERE - along with some really cute Peachy Keen faces! (the giveaway in this post is also long over)

Here is one more LINK to a post showing variations done with just the border punch from a Punch Around the Page set.

If you want to see more information about the red and white card at the top of this post click HERE.

Today I'll be with my Dad.  I am trying to catch up on emails and may get a chance to do a few while he is napping.  I hope you are staying cool in this incredible heat!

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Getting Organized - Punches

January and September are the months when many people think about fresh starts and getting organized.  I am determined to make my crafting space less chaotic.  I thought I'd share the projects I am doing to create a more orderly work space.  Maybe you will be able to use some of the storage and organization ideas that I share for your supplies.

Today I'll show you how I store my Martha Stewart punches.  If you have read my blog for a while you know that I can't resist these punches even though I have several die cutting machines.  Punches are quick and easy and will cut very tiny shapes in a blink of an eye.  I have been buying these for years - mostly with coupons for 50% off.  At the end of each holiday season you can often find them marked down even further - I have some that were 90% off.  These punches eventually make their way to stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx and I have found some great deals there.  Of course, I have also fallen under the hypnotic spell of HSN and bought a few sets at regular prices (next time I think of doing that I need to just go look at the shelf - how could I possibly need more?!).

I had organized these punches a while ago, but I outgrew the space allotted for them.  These are "Billy" bookcases from Ikea.  They are great basic bookcases and we first bought some when we lived in Germany many years ago.  We have used them for kid's bedrooms and general storage and I have adopted some for my craft space.  The bookcase on the left is a size that is no longer available.  Here you can see the shelves on the left cleared and ready for reorganizing.

I use a system of "risers" to store many punches on one shelf.  My very handy husband cut me some lengths of 2 x 4 to fit exactly within the space.  He painted them with white primer so they "disappear" on the white shelves.  One 2 x 4 is placed on the narrow edge and one is flat.

Here you can see them in place at the back of the shelf.  The lighting is a little odd and my good camera is still in need of repair so these photos are not quite as well lit as I'd like but you can get the idea.

I have labeled all of the punches with my Dymo label maker.  You could also hand write the labels on stickers but this label maker makes me feel more organized (a little Martha influence though I think she uses the P-touch labeler).  Many of the names are similar and this makes it easier for me to give the right name if I post a project that uses a punch.  If I don't post the name, I usually get a lot of emails asking which punch I used so I try to give as many details as I can.

I grouped the punches more or less by theme.  The top shelf here has Halloween and Valentine's Day and the bottom shelf is for Winter and Christmas sets.

The wider shelves have the more general use punches and sets.  I have just a few of the green punches (I think those were made for Walmart but I have found them in other places). They stand out a little but I have managed to ignore the difference!  (In an ideal world they would all be the same color but if that is my biggest problem....).

Here is another view, taken with a flash and from a higher angle.  You can see how the punches fit nicely on their "stadium seating."  I can see at least part of the design and quickly locate the punch I want to use.

I particularly like some of the deep edge punches and have most of these on the top row of the lower shelf.  To save space, I keep the Punch Around the Page sets together and open one of the wings of the border punch to "hug" the corner punch which sits just a bit in front of the wing.  You'd be surprised how this will make more fit in a row.  The older border punches that don't fold up are a little trickier to fit in a row so I alternate them with folding ones to keep at least a part of the design visible.

I admit, I do have a "punch problem" - and these are just the Martha Stewart punches!  I'll show you how I store some of the other punches another day. 

I hope you have a great day - now go organize something!

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Imagine a Merry Christmas...

Well, I did it - I finally got the space in my craftroom ready for the Imagine and it is out of the box and I have started to use it.

I knew that I would quickly get bored with just the Imagine More cartridge that comes with the machine, so last week during the Cricut.com sale I bought the Snow Angel cartridge.  The Imagine cartridges have a variety of artwork styles and some of them do not appeal to me but I think this cartridge is charming.  (I have to confess that I bought several more cartridges as well but I will let you guess which ones they are for now!)

I'll write more about my first experiences with the machine in a later post - today I just want to share the first card I have finished using an image I printed and cut with the Imagine.

 

This sweet medallion is one of the icons on the Snow Angel cartridge.  Icons are extra images that can't be separated into layers and there are ten on each Imagine Art cartridge.  I printed and cut it on some textured white cardstock.  I have calibrated the machine five times and it still is not quite perfect but on a medallion like this there is some room for error around the edges.  You have to look very carefully to see that the borders are slightly uneven.

For this card I cut mat layers in red and white at 3 3/4 x 5 inches.  I had a little trouble finding a red that went nicely with the shades of red in the image but I found that some Martha Stewart cardstock in a value pack I bought a while ago was a great match!  I punched the corners of the white mat with the corner punch from my snowflake Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page set.

I order to make the mat have a more finished appearance, I trimmed away the straight area between the corners.  To do this, you need the type of trimmer that lets you start and stop precisely.

In this photo you can see the difference between the original and the trimmed edges.  The shape is not the correct proportion to use the punch set for all of the sides and have the design work out evenly.  Since I wanted a standard A2 card mat, I tried this variation.

Once all of the edges were trimmed, I ran the white mat through the Cuttlebug using the snowflake folder.  Then I adhered the two mats to the card front.  The card base is a dark green textured Bazzill cardstock but not quite as dark as it appears in the photo.

I used foam squares to pop up the icon image. I don't care for these particular squares as they are difficult to use but I am trying to finish them up (waste not, want not!).

I added four tiny gradient gem stickers from Creative Charms at the points in the image.  Every set of stickers ends with clear gems so I usually have some of these on hand.  I thought I was done so I took my camera upstairs to edit the photos and then I realized that the card was still a little bit dull...

A few more medium gem stickers in the centers of the snowflake cut outs was all that was needed to make the card look finished.

This is the most basic way to use the Imagine - just find a pretty image, print and cut it and make a card.  You could make this card with any image or medallion if you don't have the Imagine.

I have started doing some more interesting things with the machine today and it is fun to experiment with the possibilities.  I'll be sure to let you know what I think are benefits of using the Imagine and where I see room for improvement with this new machine.  I am sure there will continue to be upgrades and changes and I really can "Imagine the Possibilities" as some advanced capabilities are added to the machine.  I am particularly looking forward to software that will allow you to do a lot more with the images and layering.  All in good time...

I hope you are having a good weekend and that your Thanksgiving plans are coming together.  This will be an odd Thanksgiving for us as both of our sons are off on a trip to Japan together.  They should arrive in Japan early Sunday morning and we are eagerly waiting to hear about their safe arrival.  We will see a lot of the rest of the family so it won't be too lonely!

I really do appreciate all of the support you have been giving me in the Creative Memories contest to win a Cricut Cruise.  There is no tally or ranking so I really have know idea how I am doing but I am so thankful that many of you liked my work enough to vote for it and to keep voting all week.  The contest continues until the 23rd and you can click on the image of my layout at the top right of the blog to go directly to the voting page.  You need to wait a full 24 hours between votes, so if you can't vote because it already says "I voted" please try back a little later in the day. 

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A Sneak Peek at something that arrived today...

Today I have a sneak peek for you of a new type of punch that will be available very soon from Martha Stewart Crafts.  We have seen single punches, double punches, embossing punches, pop up punches, stamp and punch sets, deep edge punches, double edge punches, border punches, corner punches, punch around the page sets and now...

Punch All Over the Page Punches!  This is a totally new concept for punching and I have had just a little time today to experiment with the "studded heart" punch that was sent to me to try out.

The punch is quite large and this particular punch has a large heart surrounded by tiny dots.   The heart would be simple to do with the Cricut but all of those tiny circles would take forever to cut and probably would not cut evenly since they are so tiny.

There are two parts to the punch, the base and the top punching part.  Four strong magnets connect the two pieces and you can place a sheet of paper or cardstock between them.  One corner of both the base and the top is flattened and you align these corners to set up the punch.  The magnets will only work properly when these are aligned, in other positions there will be some magnets that connect and some that don't.  One of the problems with standard punches is that their "reach" is only so far and you can't always get the punch in the place where you'd like to create the cut out.  This new type of punch solves that problem.

As luck would have it, while I was at my Dad's I went back to the store (well, I had another 50% off coupon...) and purchased this looped heart punch around the page set.  When I opened the package with the studded heart punch all over the page punch, I immediately thought about combining the two punches for a card.

I started with a 3 1/4 inch square of Core'dinations gemstone cardstock in pink and first punched all four corners.

I completed the punching with the border punch.  There are a lot of tiny leftover hearts which can be used for other projects if you have the patience to pick them up and save them.

 I took the punched square and placed it on the base of the Punch All Over the Page punch.  It is just a bit bigger than the base.

 I placed the top piece on the base - see how the left corner is the cut off corner on both the base and the top.  The magnets snap together with a very satisfying click.

 I pressed down quite firmly on the top.  It is best to use both hands to get even pressure for the punch.  Here you can see the large punched heart and tiny dots that are produced with this punch.

This is the end result of the punching - a nicely centered heart surrounded by dots and bordered with the loopy hearts.

I decided to add a red square (cut at two inches) to back the heart cutout.

 Since I had those tiny hearts leftover I added three dots of adhesive and added a row of hearts down the middle.  It is easier to put the adhesive on the large heart and place the small hearts on the adhesive dots than to get the adhesive on the tiny hearts and place them accurately.

I put together a quick card using the heart medallion.  This photo shows how I fussy cut the patterned paper so the design would be perfectly centered.  Paying attention to details like this will make your cards look much better when there is a strong pattern in the paper. 

 I attached the medallion to the cards using foam circles.  I recently bought these dots by American Crafts called "this to that" and I have been very happy with how easily the backing comes off.

Here is the simple card with the medallion added.  I really like the effect of the three tiny hearts in the center of the large heart.  I am not sure if the color choices are quite right  (I just grabbed some handy items on my craft island).

On the right you can see another possibility but the solid looks a bit too plain.  Perhaps some embossing or a patterned paper with a small repeat would be an improvement.

Keep an eye out for these new punches. There are ten styles that should be available soon.  I think they will be very popular.

A few other notes...

If you have been wondering about the contents of the cartridges for the new Cricut Imagine, the sample sheets and cartridge handbooks have been posted on the Cricut.com site.  Here is a LINK to the cartridge library section on the information page where you can download the sample sheets and handbooks.

There are also some "Green Wednesday" specials on the Nifty Fifties and Birthday Bash cartridges, some Imagine cartridges and the Cuttlebug Companion sets that coordinate with some of the recent cartridges.  Here is a LINK to the page on the site.

If you are interested in the exclusive Creative Memories cartridges, Reminisce Accents and Cheerful Seasons, there are just a few days left to order them this month.  You can click on the name of each cartridge to see projects and posts I have made for each cartridge. 

If you don't have a local Creative Memories consultant, I would be very happy to help you.  I think I have actually met the goal for selling enough to be included in the layout contest for the Cricut Cruise but a few "insurance" cartridge sales wouldn't hurt!  Here is a LINK to my Creative Memories personal website where you can order anytime 24 hours a day/7 days a week from anywhere in the US.  Thanks again to everyone who helped me reach this goal - I will be sending out the .cut files I promised as soon as I can finish testing them.

I tried a few other experiments with this new punch that I will show you another day.  I have been fighting a cold and it seemed to get the better of me today - probably because I am finally home and can have a rest.  I have nearly caught up with the emails and comments - if you are waiting to hear from me, I should have finished everything by tomorrow.

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Returning from Italy, but not home yet...

I have been away - many of you may have figured this out because my posts of the Martha Stewart Laurel Punch Around the Page Cards were scheduled for the last week and I haven't been on the message boards.  We had a quick trip to Italy for a reunion with some of our friends from the time we spent overseas.  We try to get together every two years.  It was a wonderful trip and I have lots of photos and inspiration to share in the coming weeks. 

Unfortunately, due to an airline delay, we did not make it home as scheduled.  I am stuck in an airport hotel (with wifi) and waiting for a flight home.  Because of the delay, I am extending the deadline to comment to be eligible for the chance to win one of ten Martha Stewart Laurel Punch Around the Page Sets to be given away until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Wednesday, October 20th.

Your comment must be left on the original review and giveaway post - here is a LINK.  Be sure to follow the instructions in the post.

If you are an email subscriber please scroll down to see the last card in the series that I made with this punch set - there will be two blog posts in one email message on Wednesday morning.

Fingers crossed we make it back home sometime Wednesday!


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Laurel Punch Around the Page Card #6

This is the last of the six cards I made right after I received the Laurel Punch Around the Page set.  It is another square card sized at 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.

The pink cardstock for the card base is Martha Stewart Pink Carnation from the Kitchen Garden cardstock pack.  The green is also from a large value pack of Martha Stewart cardstock - I am not sure the of the color name.  The patterned paper is from the Playful Pink and Green 12 x 12 pad and is a two sided paper.

I tried a version with rounded corners on the large patterned paper layer but I didn't care for the effect.

I also tried a version using the polka dot reverse side of the paper  for both layers but I didn't like that either!

The patterned paper on the five inch square punched  base  is 3 3/4 inches square and the paper on the top layer is 2 inches square.

I wanted to add a large epoxy brad with a cute baby bear image to the top layer so I used my clear layout ruler to help me find the center of the 2 inch square and poked a hole.  The brad is from the It's a Girl Felt Sticker and Brad Set from Creative Charms.

I added tiny epoxy circle stickers to the four corners of the top layer.  These are from the It's A Girl Epoxy Sticker Set from Creative Charms.

The center medallion is raised up with foam squares.  I inked the patterned paper edges with white ink but you can hardly tell in this photo.

The Laurel punch set works with so many types of cards- it will become a "go to" set for me and will give some of my other Punch Around the Page sets some competition!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing these cards over the past week.  I have lots more ideas about ways to use them that I hope to get to try soon.

If you would like to win a Martha Stewart Laurel Punch Around the Page set for your crafting please go to THIS POST and read all of the details on how you can win this set.  Comments must be left on the original post for the giveaway but please leave comments about this card here.

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