Step-by-Step Thinking of You Card with Spellbinders Upright Italic Everyday Sentiments

Hello crafty friends! It’s Lisa Tilson here with you today to create a flower-filled “Thinking of You” card. I am doing a step-by-step photo tutorial using the Upright Italic Thinking Of You Press + Foil Plate, which is one of three new sentiments in the Paul Antonio Upright Italic Everyday Sentiments Collection.  These sentiments are sized perfectly for a variety of card sizes, and I am using it on an A2 card today. As this is a “Thinking of You” card, I have chosen to pair the sentiment with some flowers and have gone for a fairly muted, but I think still very pretty, colour palette.

Thinking Of You

For all of the die cutting, use the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine with the die cutting sandwich as follows (from bottom to top):

• Plate A – Platform Base
• Plate B – Platform Top
• Plate C – Cutting Plate
• Plate C – Cutting Plate

The cardstock/die will be inserted between the two cutting plates with the die sitting on top of the cardstock, cutting side down.

Creating The Pressed Background Panel and Die Cutting The Flowers

1. Take an A2 panel of Pebble BetterPress Cardstock and the Perfect Touch Rectangles and Tag Etched Dies.

2. Secure the largest rectangle die to the Pebble cardstock panel using small pieces of Best Ever Craft Tape and run it through the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.

TIP: The largest rectangle die just fits the A2 Pebble cardstock panel; however, if you find it easier, use an A7 panel of cardstock and die cut from that.

3. Place the Upright Italic Thinking Of You Press + Foil Plate onto the BetterPress Letterpress System Chase (magnetic platform).
4. Tape the die-cut panel to the underside of the Platen (clear top plate) using low-tack tape. The panel needs to be face up when you are taping it (so the detail from the die cutting is clearly visible).
5. Ink up the press plate using Thunder BetterPress Ink. Use a pouncing motion to apply the ink until it is evenly covered. Reink your ink pad if necessary – this really helps with good coverage.
6. Flip the Platen over and clip it back onto the Chase. You are now ready to press your plate.

Note: The additional pieces of low-tack tape that you see around the Chase in the photo are to help ensure it doesn’t shift. This is particularly useful when you are pressing the same press plate twice to get better coverage.

7. Remove all plates from the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine and run the BetterPress Letterpress System through the machine.

8. Take a look at the beautiful results!

9. Dab some Archival Cleaner onto the press plate and use a microfibre cloth to remove the ink.

10. Take the Vivid Blooms Etched Dies and place the dies onto your cardstock.

Note: the dies in the picture are facing upwards, so it is clearer for you to see which die is being cut from which cardstock. These will be turned over and taped in place for the die-cutting process.

11. Place the leaves onto some Fog ColorWheel Cardstock.
12. Place the largest flower onto some Dahlia ColorWheel Cardstock.
13. Place the small four-petal flowers and the group of flower centres die onto some Wild Berry ColorWheel Cardstock.
14. Place the small, rounded flowers that will go on the leaf sprig onto some Bellini ColorWheel Cardstock.
15. Place the solid and outline flower dies (as seen in the photo), and the five tiny flower centres die onto Bellini ColorWheel Cardstock.
16. Place the other solid and outline flower layers onto Chiffon ColorWheel Cardstock.
17. Run these through the die-cutting machine.

TIP: Use a Craft Stax Medium Tray to keep your die cuts in one place.

18. To finish the die cutting, place the five tiny flower centres die onto some Chiffon ColorWheel Cardstock.
19. Place the outline flower die onto Belllini ColorWheel Cardstock (as shown). You will only need the centre piece of this die cut.
20. Run these through the die-cutting machine to finish the die-cutting.

Assembling The Flowers and Leaves

1. Using the Tool ‘n One, pop out the little sections of the largest flower centre.

2. Add small dabs of Bearly Art Glue onto the back of it and adhere it onto the large flower.

3. Add Bearly Art Glue to the centres of the three Wild Berry flowers and adhere the Bellini flower centre in place on each.

4. Adhere the two large coral flowers. First of all, adhere the outline Bellini piece onto the solid Chiffon piece using liquid glue.
5. Next, adhere the Chiffon outline piece onto the solid Bellini die cut.
6. Add small dabs of Bearly Art Glue onto the back of the Bellini die cut, which will fill in the centre of the flower.

7. Adhere the tiny Wild Berry flower centre piece to complete that flower.

8. Adhere the four Fog detailed leaves onto the leaf sprig.

9. Adhere the five Bellini small rounded flowers onto the leaf sprig.

10. Adhere the five Chiffon flower centres onto the five flowers.

Assembling The Card

1. Add a double layer of the small white foam square onto the back of the largest flower.

2. Position it onto the pressed panel. This is the only flower that will be popped up with foam tape.

3. Add Bearly Art Glue to the stem of the five-flower/four-leaf sprig and tuck it behind the large flower to the right-hand side.

4. Add liquid glue to the stem of the seven-leaf sprig.

5. Adhere it behind the large flower to the left-hand side.

6. Add glue to the first of the two coral flowers and insert it behind the large flower.

7. Repeat with the other coral flower.

8. Adhere two grey leaves to either side of the large flower.

9. Adhere three Wild Berry flowers onto the panel as shown.

10. Add Bearly Art Glue to the back of the completed panel and adhere it onto a top-folding A2 heavyweight white note card. The note card measures 11” x 4.25”, scored and folded at 5.5”.

11. Finish by adding some Crystal Mix Color Essential Gems onto the centre of the large flower and around the rest of the flowers.

That brings me to the end of my card for today. I hope you find this tutorial helpful. If you would like to see more of my cards, I would love to have you join me over on my blog, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. In the meantime, thank you so much for joining me here on the Spellbinders blog today. I hope that you have a great day!

Other Supplies

Embellishment Wand, Neenah 110lb Classic Crest Solar White Cardstock