I’m working on the 3D bridal card for my nephew and his fiance.  I watched a video that helped a lot with how to put the die pieces together.  I couldn’t follow the paper directions (what else is new?), but knew if there was a video, I would know how to proceed.   Here’s the die I’m using.  I also wasn’t originally aware that I needed to buy the bridal section separately, so keep that in mind if you are interested in making this card.  It’s called Spellbinders Shapeabilities Crand Cabinet.

Here’s the bridal component that you purchase separately.

The one thing the video taught me, was that I needed four additional layers of the top design that took over an hour to de-gut….my term for taking all unnecessary leftover pieces out of the die cut.  I almost gave up, but then decided that perhaps my whole problem with the die cutting, was the glitter paper I had first used, so went to my standard white cardstock, and every single piece popped out like magic, just using the page protector under the cardstock, so all of those little pieces would stick to the page protector.  I have to tell you, those ladies at Clarity Stamps really know how to easily shortcut a problem like that.  Since I’ve seen every other idea, and tried them (to both save your cutting plates and get small pieces to easily drop out), this has been such an easy shortcut for me.  And, if you’re thinking it’s more expensive than drier sheets or wax paper, I’ve been using the same page protector for over a month and it’s still going strong.  If you saw it, you’d think about how it’s saved my base plate from a hundred new gouges…So if you’ve ever been on the fence about how to save your plates and make sure all of those tiny pieces come out of your die cut, fold an inexpensive page protector like this from the Dollar Tree, to fit on top of your cutting plate in your die cutting machine. Simply add the cardstock next, then the die facing down, then the top clear plate.  I couldn’t believe the difference it’s made in my die cutting, with the exception, clearly, of inexpensive glitter card stock from Joanns line of small paper pads in their discount area.  I think the name of these products begin with “Mrs.” but I can’t confirm this on their site or by the pad, as I used the top of the pad for a shim, and then threw it away…I hate it when that happens.

I really hope you give this a try, because I don’t know about you, but I love a good shortcut….The Dollar Tree page protectors come in a pack of sixteen, so that’s at least a year and a half of peace of mind.

I’m back to work on my card…..Oh, one other thing I learned today, some women when working with foamiran don’t use irons, they use a flat iron for hair…I bought a tiny one that’s seriously dangerous, just to straighten ribbon, and I’m going to give it a try on foam -iran.  If it melts one, then I won’t be showing that on video, but will definitely give you the heads up about my issue…Stay tuned for whether it works or not…

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