hot air balloon thank you card

 

I made this card with my newest baby - a Brother Scan n Cut! I've had it a couple of months now, and while I seem to have mastered cutting out stamped images pretty well, the more advanced design functions are still way beyond me.

For this card I used the Scan n Cut to cut out the centre of the postage stamp. It also cut the stamped balloon image out too. I re-sized the label, which is a standard image which comes with the software, to fit the size of the postage stamp and cut that too. I also cut out the card blank too. Well, why not?

It really does cut out stamped images very crisply and cleanly, and as I have a bit of arthritis in my hands it's great for that alone. That said, I'm rather less impressed with some of the other features. I can't get it to create an even and centred faux stitched image no matter how hard I try. I've followed Mel Heaton's very clear Youtube video to the letter and also re-calibrated the machine multiple times, but I still get a wider margin on one side than another. I'm also getting an uneven cut, with theleft hand side of anything I cut pretty much always needing two cuts to go through the card, no matter what the blade depth or how thick the card. I'm told that this is a known issue among other users, but so far there's no fix for it, which is a bit annoying.

Hopefully I'll post more in due course.

 

Punched Santa Hat

If like me you're making a start on your Christmas cards, the Foxy Friends stamp set (141549) is perfect for making fun, cartoonish cards & here's a way to make a santa hat using the co-ordinating Fox Builder Punch (141470).

As you can see, one of the elements the Fox Builder Punch punches out is his bushy tail. 

Slide a strip of red card into the punch where the tail appears & punch (cutting your card to size & positioning it carefully will mean you don't waste card by punching out elements you don't need). Trim about 1/3 off the narrower end of the tail. 

Then punch out a small  scalloped circle in white card (I used the retired 3/4" scalloped circle punch by Stampin' Up! - if you don't have one you can use a plain circle punch or just cut it freehand). Take the white punched piece and punch into it again to create a scalloped crescent shape. Trim the edges to fit the red "hat".  

I used a small round circle from the Owl Builder Punch to punch out a bobble in white card - look around your punches & dies to see what you've got that will make a small circle, or just cut it freehand.

Assemble the pieces & glue in place et voila - one festive fox!

If you like the Foxy Friends stamp set and coordinating Fox Builder Punch, you can buy them as a bundle (142326) and  save 10%.