Tutorial for using Heartfelt Creations Stamps and Dies

Joan Fricker (Joan's Gardens) and I love working with Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies and I want to share some information about them with you.   Heartfelt Creations stamps are produced in the USA and are made with high quality red rubber to ensure great stamped impressions every time. Their PreCut stamp sets are mounted on a cling foam, ready to be used on acrylic blocks.  The exciting part I love,  is that  the stamp sets also have matching dies that enable you to  create a 3-D stamped dimension without using scissors. These quality dies are manufactured by Spellbinders. I know you will enjoy being able to quickly create dimensional embellishments for all your stamping projects.  Below is a tutorial to show you how easy it is to create dimension to this  pretty  Heartfelt Creations flower branch.  This card was created to demonstrate a technique and does not contain a lot of embellishment.

 When I receive my Heartfelt Creations dies, I like to start out by cutting templates for each one.  You tape the die down to a small piece of card stock.  If you have a larger die than what I am using in this picture, you want to press the portion of the tape that will be on the inside of your die to your clothes a couple of times to remove some of the sticky off it. That will help it release from your stamped image easily.

Create your templates by running them through your die cutting machine.  You can actually cut several different size templates at once.  Space them around on the cutting plate so they don't overlap.

 

 This picture shows how you lift the die (with the tape still attached, and remove the cut out portion from the die.  You will be using this template to cut out all the stamped images this size.

 This is a picture of the Heartfelt Creations Posie Patch PreCut set and the matching dies.  You can see there are seven different posie stamps and a matching die for each.

Once I have all my templates cut, I leave the die attached to the template and store them in a CD case.  Here you can see the two dies I will be using, taken out of the storage case, and the images stamped that I will be using.  The stamp set I used is "Hydrangea/Posy Branch Precut Set, and is also pictured.

 In this photo, I have colored my stamped images.  In order to cut out the individual flowers in this sample,  I cut apart the main image from the individual flowers so it will fit through my die cutting machine. 

 This picture shows why it important to have the template.  You can move the template around until you have it placed perfectly over your stamped image.  You then press the die down into the template.  The tape helps to hold it in place.  A quick and perfect cut out image every time. 


 Run this through your Cuttlebug.

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 This is a picture of the branch I want to create dimension on and the individual flowers I have cut out with the dies.

 I purchased  this great little flower tool kit from Joan's Gardens to help  shape die cut or punched flowers.  These tools make it quick and easy to really give each flower a pretty dimensional shape.

 The stamped branch was cut out with the largest Nestabilities Label Four die.  Before taking it out of the die, I used a sponge dauber to add color around the edge of the frame.

A dot of glue was added to the back of each die cut flower and added to my main image.  I used a stylus to press down in the center to make sure the image is securely attached.  Using the stylus helps maintain the dimension/shape you have created with each flower because you can easily press down just above the dot of glue.  A decorative center was added to each flower.  The pretty white embossed flourish is from the Heartfelt Creations "Flourish Backgrounds" PreCut set.

I have had a lot of comments about how time consuming the Lilac card I posted a few days ago must have been.  Can you see now how quick and easy it was to create that beautiful flower!  I believe the lilac card is one of my favorite cards because of all the dimension I was able to create using the matching dies. 

Now you know how I make all those dimensional cards.  I hope this tutorial inspires you to start creating beautiful 3-D stamped projects. There are many beautiful Heartfelt Creations stamp sets and dies to help you make fabulous dimensional Christmas cards too.  Here is the link at Joan's Gardens for these fabulous stamps and dies.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

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