Blind Cuts

Today I have a set of six A2 cards made from a 12 x 12 sheet from a Heartfelt Creations set called Woodsy Wonderland.  I used a fun technique demonstrated in a YouTube video by May May.  It involves cutting the sheet into six 4" x 5 1/4" pieces FROM THE BACK so you don't see where you're cutting (which is why I call this technique "Blind Cuts") and then using the pieces for your card fronts.  

It's so much fun to see how it works.  It's best when you have a scene that covers the bulk of the page - which I didn't have - but I got fun cards out of it anyway - from a 12 x 12 scene that I had been saving because I didn't know how to use it.  In addition to that page, and misc from my stash, I had a variety of cut outs from the same paper set along with stamp/die cut/colored pieces I had created with the coordinating stamps & dies.  Here are the six cards I made:

Card #1:

I chose to use the hardest piece first - the one that was a basic background with nothing that could serve as even part of a focal.  After looking through the coordinating pieces I found this focal of two cardinals.  I looked through my stash to find some coordinating brown card stock.  I didn't find a piece that matched as well as I wanted, so I added some ink to change the color a bit.  Then I started to assemble the card as follows.  

First, I inked the edges of the background with Peeled Paint Distress ink.  I die cut the sentiment from the inked brown card stock (Stacked Happy Birthday from Creative Expressions), cutting the two words apart.  I trimmed up the remaining brown card stock to form the lower border.  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough to span the full card, so I cut it and placed the gap behind the focal - which I added with foam tape.  Then I realized I really wanted something else on the border - so found the dark red trim.  Since I had already added the border & focal, I had to work really hard to get it added, carefully prying up adhered surfaces as needed & re-gluing.  It definitely would have been much easier if I had added the trim BEFORE gluing the border & focal in place!  After playing with different placements of the greeting, I decided I wanted something in the upper right corner and decided to use a stencil to ink the birdhouse, adding extra ink to the other upper edges as well (stencil was a 6 x 6 template from The Crafter's Workshop - called Mini Birdhouses).  Since the card was partially assembled by this time, I had to use several small post-it notes to cover the edges where I didn't want to accidentally add ink.  Finally, I added the sentiment and the card front was finished.

Inside:

Inside I simply added a stamped sentiment - Crafter's Companion Compendium (CCC) Birthday-Female.

Card #2:

This panel created a beautiful card front without much extra attention.  All I did was ink the edges with a brown ink and add a stamped sentiment (from Forever Fern - Stampin' Up).

Inside:

When cutting the six card fronts, there were 3 strips of the paper left over.  This one made a great border for the inside.  Once again I inked the edges - then added a stamped sentiment (CCC - Thinking of You).

Card #3:

This was a pretty piece, but again didn't really have a lot to focus on - just a pretty floral border at the bottom.  After inking the edges and gluing to the card base, I found these butterflies that I had stamped, die cut, and colored using Inktense pencils & water brush - stamps & dies from the coordinating stamp/die sets called Woodsy Wonderland.  That made me think of this sentiment with butterfly (from HOTP Butterflies stamp set).  After stamping the sentiment, I added the butterflies, then hand-drew the butterfly trails.

Inside:

A piece of paper from my stash looked to go really well with the paper, so I used it for a border which I glued in place after inking the edges.  I added a stamped sentiment (CCC - Thinking of You) and a couple more of those little butterflies - complete with more hand drawn butterfly trails.

Card #4:

This piece of the paper had a bunch of leaves with a few flowers in the upper right corner.  I felt it needed a bit more, so after inking the edges and gluing in place, I added a little bird and a squirrel (stamped, die cut, colored this time from the other two sets that coordinate with this paper - called Woodsy Landscape/Treescape, and Woodsy Critters).  Then I die cut the sentiment from white card stock & inked it before gluing in place. (Spellbinders Joyous Celebrations Sentiment)

Inside:

Another of the little scrap pieces - with inked edges - forms the base for the border.  There was a little sprig of leaves on it and I added a little squirrel near it.  Then I took a stamped/die cut/colored piece that showed log & foliage (again from the Woodsy Wonderland stamp and die sets) - cutting it apart so a piece is on the left side and a larger piece on the right.  Then I stamped the sentiment (from CCC - Heartfelt).

Card #5:

Next up was another piece with pretty floral border - this time along the bottom edge.  Once again I inked the edges before gluing in place.  My Mom was playing with me to try this technique, using a different piece of paper.  Her scrap wasn't of much use for her, but the back of it was this pretty purple that I thought went really well with my background piece.  I used it to create two nearly identical borders (I saved the second for the inside).  White ribbon and green vine ribbon glued near the top of the border dressed it up really nicely.  To each, I added a little flower from my stash (actually from my Mom's stash!).  After gluing the border in place, I added a stamped & die cut sentiment (stamps & die cuts are my Mom's).

Inside:

In addition to the border which I glued to the bottom, a stamped sentiment completes the inside (CCC - Thinking of You).

Card #6:

I thought this piece was so pretty (with the inked edges as for the rest).  It included the sentiment, but I felt it needed something in the lower right corner. I fixed that by stamping an image, coloring it with Inktense pencils & water brush, and then fussy cutting before gluing in place.  The stamp was one that came in a paper crafting magazine (set called Apple of my Eye).

Inside:

I only had a small square of the purple border left, so added it to the end of a too-short piece of green from my stash to create a full length border piece.  After inking the edges, I glued it in place & then stamped the sentiment (from a stamp set I picked up second hand from somewhere - I call the set Remember).