Heartfelt Creations Shadow Box Tutorial

 

Below is a detailed tutorial on how to create this Shadow Box.  This is the Shadow Box Joan loved and asked me do prepare a tutorial for.   This is one of the cards I designed for the new Heartfelt Creations Decorative Basket Collection.    

 

To create this shadow box, start with two pieces of card stock cut 6" square.  Score two opposite sides at 1/2".  This will create the "box".

Using one of the pieces just scored (which will be the top), place the largest Spellbinder "Lacy Square" die on the top portion of the center of the card.  I used a Cuttlebug border embossing folder to create an embossed design under the opening.  You cannot run both the Nestie and the embossing folder through the machine at the same time but you need to lay both pieces on there to know that they will fit.  

 

Once you have cut the "Lacy Square" out with the Nestie, you need to cut the center out  of that piece leaving just the scalloped border, so you can add that border inside the opening now in the shadow box.  I used my  Fiskars Sure Cut Paper Trimmer to cut that center out.  This paper trimmer has a wire that runs along the cutting line so you can see exactly where you are going to cut.  The little orange handle that houses the cutting blade has a line on it to use as a guide so you know where you will start cutting.  You line up that line at the point where you want to start and stop cutting.  I lined the blade up so it would leave about a quarter inch border around the scallops.  

 

This is what the die cut looks like once you cut out the center of the Lacy Square.

 

Next I embossed the smaller border under the bottom of the opening for the shadow box.  In this picture I have placed the scalloped border back in the cut opening.  That scalloped border needs something to attach to, so I used clear card stock on the back

 

 It is really hard to see, but I cut a piece of clear card stock to fit on the inside of that top piece - it covers most of the inside.  When I laid the front down on my desk, I also inserted the scalloped piece.  At this point it is just laying in there.

An opening needs to be cut in the middle of the clear card stock to create the opening.  I taped the white square, I had cut out, on top of the clear card stock over the opening - use removable tape .  This was done to hold it in place so I could cut around it, and get a perfect opening in the clear card stock.

 

The clear card stock was place on the paper cutter and the opening was cut out of it.  Cut all around the outside edge of that square - all the way around.

 

To attach the clear card stock to the inside of the top of the shadow box, I used 1/8" ScorTape around the edges and place it over the opening, making sure the cut edge of the clear card stock is centered over the front opening, on the top of the card.  If you find that is it off a little, you can use your small scissors to trim it up, but it should match up.

Next you need to attach the scalloped piece on the front of the card onto the clear card stock.  Use 1/8" ScoreTape around that narrow border.  When you place it back in the opening, the tape will stick to the border you have created with the clear card stock.  Isn't that a cool way to get those pretty scallops on the opening of your shadow box!

To attach the top and bottom pieces together to create the shadow box,  I used 1/4" ScorTape down both sides along the score line on the outside of the back piece.

You can attach one of the sides as shown above.  Before you attach the other side, you need to complete the inside of the shadow box.  I used the Heartfelt Creations "Basket Weave Background" (HFC 3413) for the background.  It was white embossed on green card stock.

To create the pink flowers, I used the Heartfelt Creations "Botanical Florals 1" and "Botanical Florals 2"  stamp sets.  The flowers were white embossed on pink vellum. They were cut out using the matching Spellbinder "Rose Creations" dies. The leaves are from the Heartfelt Creations "Leaf Medley PreCut Set" (HCPC 3405).  They were white embossed on white vellum paper and cut out with the matching Spellbinders "Foliage Shapeabilities" dies.

In order to shape the flowers, I spritzed both the flowers and the leaves with water.  This causes the vellum to curl up.  You need to pat them dry with a paper towel.  You can see the different in the flowers in the two pictures.  The flowers may completely curl up, but you can pull them out and shape them.

The center of the flowers were shaped with the tip of the white tool in the Flower Tool Kit.  You just push around that small opening causing the petals to curl up.

To attach each layer, a small amount of glue was added around the hole in the center of the flower, then using the "top" of the stylus in the Flower Tool Kit, push it down into the black mat.

Here is a picture of the top of that stylus.  On the other end, you can add different sizes of stylus points for shaping your flowers, and this end is used to press the layers together.  If you get glue on it, just wipe it off with a damp towel.  All the tools in the Flower Tool Kit are so useful for creating all types of flowers.

To create the stamens for these flowers, I used the "Sparkle" punch.  Every point was cut in half to cause it to "frill" out.

Three "Sparkles" were used for each stamen.  They were glued together and pushed down in the black mat before adding them to the center of the flowers.

Once the flower is all put together, this is how it will look.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. As you know, all the products I use can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.

Be sure to check back tomorrow.  Joan and I have some exciting news to share with you.

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