By Maria
Grace Abuzman
Spring is just
around the corner and I can’t wait. I love this time of year
and you can see my feelings reflected in the projects I do.
This time around, I’ve been using a lot of die cuts and in
this article we’ll be creating designs using the
Fiskars
Butterfly 2 Shape Template.
The beauty about shape
templates is that you can create a die cut from within
anywhere on your layout. So for a 12x12 scrapper like me,
this is a huge plus because I can reach in to the very
center of my page. In my
“Such a Girl”
layout, you’ll see that I’ve cut out butterfly shapes from
close to the center of the layout. Brilliant. I used the
“negative” die cut shape – the remaining paper from which
the cut was made. You’ll see that this negative space acts
as a perfect peek-a-boo for anything placed behind it, in
this case a paper doilie.
Shape templates
are great resources to crafters because they are so
versatile. Their primary function is to create die cuts for
designs, but how about using them to create masks for
inking?
With
“Fly”
you’ll see how I’ve used a die cut as a mask. Using
repositionable adhesive, I laid the butterfly die cut on the
paper and spritzed dye ink over it. Once the ink dried and
the mask was removed, the remaining image was a perfect
compliment to the die cut itself and served as a journaling
spot.
Shape templates
are also such fun because you can find many complementary
shapes in one template. With the Fiskars Butterfly 2 Shape
Template, you’ll find different size butterflies and their
varying parts: antennae, body, and wings. The different
combination of a final design piece is unlimited because of
the opportunity to layer all the die cut pieces together are
virtually infinite.
You’ll see a
perfect example of this in the “Fly” layout. Over the masked
off image, you’ll see that I’ve placed on another butterfly
die cut, but of a smaller piece. Doing so adds dimension to
the overall design and, in this case, perfectly showcases a
butterfly in flight.
And die cuts aren’t just for
layouts. Use them on cards and home décor; create from them
magnets or bookmarkers. String up a few together and create
a hanging mobile. For myself, I had a need to add a touch of
fun to my office workspace, so I’ve created
paperclips from my butterfly
die cuts . Easy
and fun and –again, because there are so many
different-sized pieces in one template- having a collection
of unique butterfly-clips was easily done.
If you’ve never
used shape templates before, why not resolve to try it
today? Trust me when I say you’ll have so much fun creating
your designs. Shape templates are definitely trusted tools
in my stash.
