Lotus Card Workshop Project

This is going to be a long post because I am posting the tutorial for one of the projects that was done in the workshop at Joan's Gardens this weekend.  This is the finished card with the lotus flower attached.

Finished card without the Lotus flower.  You could add ribbon to close the card.

This is the inside.  In the workshop they were taught how to use the dies to create these different cuts.

These are the pieces you will need to complete this card and the products used:  Marianne Design dies LR0212, LR0213, LR0214, and LR0200; Spellbinders “Antique Frame and Accents; Memory Box “Willow Dragonfly” (98319).  The Lotus Flower was competed in a different project and attached to this card.  There will be more about how they created the lotus flower later. 

Using a 5. 3/8” x 5 7/8” piece of card stock, tape two “Anji”  corners across the 5.5” end.  The two corners should touch in the center.  Tape down the Marianne LR0213 die centered below the Anji corners as close as you can get it as shown in picture.  Run through your die cutting machine using the CuttleHUG if you have one.  If you use the Cuttlehug, it will most likely cut all the way through with just one run through the machine.  I use the Cuttlehug for both cutting and when I emboss.

This is how I lay the dies down when I am going to emboss.  The cutting side is down on the rubber mat and the CuttleHUG is on top, then the top plate from the die cutting machine.

Check to be sure that all areas of the dies are cut and that embossing shows up before taking dies off.  You can run it through the machine to cut or emboss again if you think it needs it, without hurting it as long as you leave the dies taped on until you are happy with it.  If the embossing doesn't show up as well as you want, you can lightly mist it, let it sit for a minute or two, then run it back through on the 

rubber mat.  You can dry it using the heat gun before removing it from the die.

Pull the tape off the dies and lift them off from the bottom.  

This picture  shows what your piece looks like after removing the dies. 

This picture shows it after the outside corners have been snipped off around the "Anji" corners. When cutting these pieces off, follow the embossed lines, creating a point in the very center at the top and an angle on the lower edge.

To create the gate opening card for the outside, start with a 6” x 11” piece of card stock.  Place the Marianne Design (LR0214) corner along the 6” side.  You need to center this die to make the gate opening even when the two sides are closed.  Using the pointed side of the die, place it on the halfway mark, which is 3”.  Mark the edge of the round center on the opposite side with a pencil mark.  This is approximately where you will place the pointed center.

 This picture shows the die place in the correct position when you die cut it.  You need to make sure the die is centered plus make sure the ends are the same distance from the ruler, because you are going to cut this piece from the edge to the end of each point, to create the front flap and you want the two centers to be even.

 Here you can see that I have cut and embossed each end of the card with the Marianne corner.  You need to score  at 2 3/4”  from each end, to create the gate fold.  Score before you cut off the excess card stock.

 I used my paper cutter and aligned the edges of the end of the points up with the cutting line and cut off the outside edge around this die cut.

 This is what it will look like when you cut off the excess.

 You will attach the Marianne (LR0201) border to the inside piece and then attach the finished die cut panel  inside the card.

 This is what it will look like when closed.

Now you need to add the borders to the outside edge of the front. Attach them next to the score line that creates the front fold.  You will need to cut off two of the points of the die cut Spellbinders border because it is too long.

I think everyone learned a lot of new techniques at the workshop. There were two other projects they completed too.  I was not able to attend, but did peek in via Skype.