A Valentine Card using Eileen Hull's Sizzix Dies

For the month of January Technique Posts - Eileen Hull's Sizzix Creative Team will be showing you how to use dies on your cards -  dies don't JUST have to be for a 3D item.  You can check out other cards by the team over on Eileen's blog all month long.

This is my 2nd post this month for Eileen - and with February on the near horizon - I made a Valentine card.  (see my first post here if you missed it!)

 I used several of Eileen's Sizzix dies for this card -  I made the rose using her Pansy Flower die. (Yes, I know - I made a rose out of a pansey!?!)  I die cut the 3 flower layers 2  times out of red card stock.  I sprayed each piece with water and crunched each piece into a ball - letting them sit over night to dry.

The next day, I opened up each piece and layered them all together - the 2 large ones on the bottom, then the 2 middle size ones and then just one of the smallest pieces in the middle.  I connected them with a black and white brad spreading the bigger petals out just a little but leaving the smallest one more closed up sort of like the bud in the center.  I made a stem using floral wire and Eileen's Twist N Style Tool.  I die cut two leaves using Spring Leaves die, creasing them down the middle and attaching them to the stem.  

I die cut Eileen's 3D Vase out of Cream Little Sizzles Matboard. To make it more of a 2D piece that I could layer onto a card -  I trimmed off the end panels leaving 5, two of which I folded to the back and curved the 3 in the middle.  I covered the 3 front pieces with Golden Crackle Paste Gel Medium and let it dry overnight.  I sponged over all of it with Ranger Distress Antique Linen Ink then used Distress Ground Espresso Ink along all the edges.  I covered the whole thing with Distress Collage Medium Crazing to help seal it and add more crackle.  After leaving the vase to dry overnight,  I adhered the stem to the back of the flower and to the inside of the vase piece.  I glued the folded over edges of the vase to the card and put thick foam dots under the back of the flower and one of the leaves.

And someone really has to stop me using Eileen's Mailable Frame Die for my card bases.  I really LOVE this die - it transforms a card into a gift!  I cut it out of the cream matboard.

Granted, given the size of the flower this card is not mailable unless you put it in a bigger padded envelope -  but it's perfect to hand deliver!

I added a die cut sentiment strip embossed in white and 3 rhinestone hearts to finish off my Valentine!

Please look for more 'using DIE cuts on cards' ideas during the  month of January over at Eileen Hull's blog.

Paper:  True Black, Pure Poppy, Textstyle Black and White Basics - PTI, Paper Stash Seasonal - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Cream Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix.

Ink:  Ranger Distress Antique Linen and Ground Espresso, Versamark.

Accessories:  Dies - Mailable Frame, 3D Vase, Pansey Flower, Spring Leaves - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Sentiment Strips - MFT,  brad, thick foam dots, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, rhinestone hearts - Michaels, white embossing powder, Ranger Distress Collage Medium Crazing, Golden Gel Medium Crackle Paste, florist wire, Twist N Style Tool - Eileen Hull/Sizzix.