Project of the Week ~ Creating Frames With Dies

Hello stampers! Kathy, The Crafty Nurse here. It’s my week for The House that Stamps Built project of the week! Today I’d like to bring you some tips and techniques for ways to create frames using your dies.

For this project the supplies I used are:

Spellbinders Label Die #4 - you may use any die you wish
Die Cutting Machine, any
Pattern Paper
Scissors
Pencil
Repeat Impressions Stamps of your choice, I used: Happiness 5806-H

Spellbinders Label #4

Framing your project will help it pop. One of the easiest ways to create a frame with your dies is to emboss it. So many of us forget that a majority of our dies can be embossed to create a beautiful yet subtle frame around it.

To accomplish this, after you have cut out your die, turn it over so it’s upside down, place on the platform, then put a rubber mat over the top and run it through again. You normally have to change your platform because the rubber matt is thick, but that’s easy enough.

Another way to create a frame with your dies is with ink. After you cut out your image, keep it in the die. Using a distress tool, lightly apply ink in circles around the edges. My favorite color to use is Antique Linen Distress Ink but this happens to be Simon Says Stamp Fog ink.

Once you remove the die you have a perfect white edge around your image that gives great definition.

The next way to create a frame was born out of frustration at wanting a frame smaller than the next available sized die. To solve this, choose your pattern paper and turn it over onto the back side.

Then trace the image with pencil around the outside edge of the die.

Once you’ve traced the die on the backside of your paper, fussy cut it out. If you want the frame wider, then cut along the outside of the frame line. If you prefer it more narrow, fussy cut along the inside of your line.

Here is the example of cutting on the outside of the pencil line.

Another way to create a frame is by using two dies at once. This can be done with any of your dies to create a thin frame that is great to use for shaker cards, popped up, or just to highlight your image. For the first example, I used the die I cut my image with and the one larger. In this example I put the tape on the cutting blade side but it doesn’t really matter.

Here is the frame cut out.

Here is the frame nested on the image. To adhere this you can either pop it up or normally I turn it over and scotch tape it to the image.

The next way to use this same technique is by using the die you cut your image out with and the one smaller instead of the larger one. It’s too small for my image, but would be a nice look popped up if your image was a better fit.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my tips and techniques for creating a few different types of frames using your dies. We’d love it if you joined us in our weekly challenge here at The House That Stamps Built for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate.

I’ll leave you with my final project using Repeat Impressions “Happiness 5806-H” framed with both distress ink and fussy cut pattern paper frames. The die I used to cut out the background is Simon Says Stamp and the rectangle panel across the card is a My Favorite Things die.

I wish you a wonderful rest of the week!

The Crafty Nurse