Friday Focus - Sizzix Dies

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Hi there~  Rebecca here with this week’s friday focus at the Frilly & Funkie challenge.  I go through phases when parts of my craft supply inventory just leaves my brain!  Fortunately, I get to rediscover drawers, boxes and stashes of wonderfully creative materials.  This past week, I ‘rediscovered’ some Sizzix dies that I had moved to a different location in my craft room.  Out of sight, out of mind (for craft items, that is), so it might as well have been shipped off to Mongolia…  The good news is I get to enjoy them all over again or for the first time!

This project was made with the Sizzix Alterations ‘Vintage Vallise’ die…

 Begin by die cutting two sets of corners, handles, straps and tabs from grunge paper.  Cut two of the valise ‘body’ pieces, from medium brown card stock.  The front and back of the valise have an added panel of distressed cream pattern paper cut 5-1/4 x 3-5/8″. These cream panels are strictly optional.  I wanted the look of spectator shoes!   The corners of the paper are tucked under the die cut valise corners…

 A 1/2″ split jump ring holds a tiny stamped tag that dangles from two smaller, standard  jump rings, a brass heart charm and a teensy key charm…

 Just for the fun of it, this valise which only carries a message inside, is embellished with hand dyed seam binding, dyed with diluted ‘antique paper’ distress ink, some tiny paper flowers, fabric leaves and a beautifully spotted feather that I found on the ground.  It has been waiting for a place for quite some time…

 It closes with a magnetic closure that you can see above and below.  The patterned gold paper on the inside of this card was cut to  7-3/4 x 5-3/8″.  This panel was scored in the middle, across it’s width and adhered to both the front and back pieces of the valise which holds them together. Wonder tape will save you some disappointment as it adheres well to grunge board while keeping the papers smooth.  There is also a fold-out sentiment panel, cut to 7 x 4-5/8″.  I’ll show you how I made this panel further on…

 Any sentiment will look wonderful inside this basic design…

Now for a few tips to save you time and perhaps some materials…

 These are the two sets of valise straps, corners, tabs and handles.  Grunge board goes through the die cutter very easily.  It has a smooth side and a textured side.  After experimenting, I found the textured side produced a very convincing ‘leather’ look with distress inks.  Grunge board is naturally grey and quite dull…

 Using an ‘ink blending tool’ and Frayed Burlap distress ink, I gave the surface of each piece a good coating.  Since both sides of each handle will show, you want to remember to treat each side.  This undercoat made a big difference in achieving a convincing look…

 To get a really rich leather color, I then topped the frayed burlap with another heavy application of  walnut stain distress ink.  The ink blending tool allows you get the ink ‘into’ the grunge board’s textured side and not to have it sitting on the surface.  This made a noticeable  difference…

After cutting the inside base rectangle (gold panel described earlier), cut the sentiment panel (4-5/8 x 7″).  Stamp your desired sentiment (I used archival ink in ‘coffee’) and then score this panel across the width, in the middle.  Then, make a dot along the edge, two inches away from the center score line, both above and below the middle. Do this on each long side.  For the purpose of clarity, I’m showing it on an unstamped panel…

 You can see above, that I lined up diagonal dots and scored in between them…

 Then you’re going to turn your paper so that you can score a third time, connecting diagonal dots.  This is the clearest picture I could get…the lines are lightly visible…

 Next, fold the center score to create a tent…

 Then fold one diagonal and then the other…

 Reverse the first (center) fold to create a ‘mountain’ fold and the diagonal scores will create ‘valleys’ with just a little coaxing.  If desired, now would be the time to punch the top and bottom edges.

I hope you have fun with some older dies and find some new ones at terrific sale prices at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Be sure to check out our Friday Focus category to see all the dies at up to 40% off MSRP!

((Hugs))

Rebecca

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Grungeboard Basics Plain	Ranger Inkssentials Wonder Tape - 1/4"	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Walnut Stain	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap	Ranger Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet
Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool-With 2 Blending Foams	*Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Vintage Valise Movers and Shapers L Die	VINTAJ 4.75mm Jump Rings (Set of 24)	Ranger Archival Ink - Coffee	Rayon Seam Binding