Good Sunday morning, everyone! I can't tell you what an overwhelming response I've had to my Guide for Using the Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches. It really has been amazing! Thank you all for the many kind comments and e-mails. More than once, you've made my day with the things you've shared with me and I truly appreciate you all. And since I put that guide out, I've had people, many people, asking if I was going to do a similar guide for the new Pinking Hearts Border and Corner Punches. Well, actually, people have been asking, begging, pleading and even groveling (maybe not quite groveling). So, here you go! In a moment of weakness, I surrender!
First, though, let me show you the project I made to illustrate how to use these punches. This is actually another example card for this week's Inspiration in Action Weekend Sketch
Challenge. It's not too late to play along ... you can leave your information with Mister Linky HERE on the original post until noon on Wednesday, January 27th. I used the Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper along with Real Red, Regal Rose and Very Vanilla Cardstocks. The stamp sets are I {Heart} Hearts and Well Scripted. The ribbon is 5/8" Satin in
Pretty in Pink. And of course I used the Pinking Hearts Border and Corner Punches, Full Heart Punch and the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslet Die with the Big Shot. Don't forget to do a little something special inside the card. Here I attached some ribbon, used the border punch on the bottom edge and stamped a heart.
Okay, now on to the guide! If you haven't yet done so, please read the original guide for the Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches. It gives some basic information about using the punches that I'm not going to repeat here. One other note, other demonstrators have different ways and techniques for using these punches. No one way is wrong or right -- we all have different ways of learning and all respond different to ways of teaching. So, if my method doesn't work for you, please try it someone else's way. All I'm doing here is sharing with you the way that works best for me.
A couple of notes about using these punches:
- I found it easier to always use the punches upside down so that I can see what I'm doing.
- Line up the points of the Pinking edge, not the hearts.
- Accurate measuring is very important. The little pinking points are so small and there is so much detail in this punch that you need to be very accurate and consistent with your measurements.
So, hold the punch upside down so that you can see what you're doing. Cut the corners first and then line up the pinking points to cut the sides, again using the punch upside down so you can see from the bottom how the paper and metal line up. I've given you six different sized squares here that worked for me, each one 3/8" of an inch different from the next lower or smaller. If you wish to make rectangles, as I did in my example above, simply combine two of the measurements.
Here's the sizes that I came up with:
- 2 7'8"
- 3 1/4"
- 3 5/8"
- 4"
- 4 3/8"
- 4 3/4"
As I said above, each size square increases or decreases by 3/8" so you can easily make your squares and rectangles as small or large as you wish!
Here's another little tip for you! For both the Pinking Hearts and Scallop Trim punches, I've kept my templates of each size and put them in a little 6x6 page protector, separated by a piece of cardstock so that the Pinking Hearts are on one side and the Scallop Trims are on the other. This way, as I'm creating and visualizing what size I will need, I can easily grab my templates and place them on my project to come up with just the right size that I need. It works for me ... and maybe it will work for you as well. I hope so!
As always, thanks for stopping by today. I hope you've found this guide helpful and I invite you to play along with my sketch challenge. I love hearing from you ... and I love seeing your creations!
