Lisa's Tutorial

Hello SC friends!  It's Lisa here today, and I've got a fun technique to share with you. One of my resolutions for the new year is to get more use out of my tools. I not only want to use them more - but also to use them in new ways.
Supplies: Patterned paper - Elementary Show Your Work, Elementary Harper's Rule, Elementary Atmosphere, Elementary Penmanship, Elementary Library, Napa Valley Pelaton; Stickers - Elementary Label Stickers; Journaling Card - Elementary; Wood Veneer - Stars; Fabrips - Documentary Fabrips; Rub-ons - Woodgrain Tweet; Staples - Tiny Attacher

For this page, I've used my Making Memories Slice to cut my title from my background cardstock, leaving me with the negative space of the letters to embellish from behind. If you don't have a Slice, you can adapt these directions to get a similar effect using your Silhouette, Cricut, punches or even your trusty craft blade.

I don't always have the best feel for exactly where my Slice is going to cut, so I started by cutting my letters out of a scrap piece of paper.  I lined my Slice up with the corners of the paper each time - this way I knew I'd be able to use it as a guide to make my final cuts.  I then used the letters cut from my scrap paper when I created my template to mark out where I wanted my title to be on my page, and penciled in a few lines to help me keep things straight.

After a bit of experiementing, I found the best way to line up where the machine would cut was with the grid on my cutting mat.  I used my template to line up where the letter would be cut on the background cardstock, and then moved it away and placed the Slice in the right location using the grid.

Once my title was cut, it was time for the fun part! I cut small pieces of scrap cardstock that would fit behind each letter, and began collaging them with strips of patterned paper, bits of fabrips and label stickers. I tried to add something fun to each letter - the bottom of the "l" has a bit from the report card paper that says "taking care of books", the "o" has a book image, the "s" has a 9 - which is how old my son is in this photo, and the "t" has an "a" in it - his first initial. I also added stitching at this stage.

When I was happy with how it looked, I attached it to the back of my layout behind the cut out title. With it in place, I added some staples to the letters. Since I couldn't reach some of the letters from the outside, I snuck my tiny attacher in through the cut out letters.

From there, I added a subtitle underneath my embellished letters, and journaled around the photo.  I cut down a journaling card and ran it through my typewriter to add more journaling.. Some brads, a veneer star and a tweet rubon finished off my page.

This technique can go beyond titles - you could use the same idea using the negative space from your shape punches, or from any decorative shape made with an electronic cutting machine. I hope you'll share if you give it a try - I'd love to see what you do!

Comments

[Beth Ann]

Lisa this is wonderful! I can't wait to try it!

[waleska]

fabulous!!

[gillian]

You are always, always, ALWAYS inspiring me to do something different on my pages.

Always.

g

[joanne smith (spagirl)]

very cool! you're making me want to buy a slice now!!

[marcy]

ohhh, very cool. i can never line up my slice either!!

[Leslie]

Great page! You can sure rock that elementary!! Also, what did you use for your subtitle?

[Debbie]

may be the push i need to use my cricut more !~ thanks so much Lisa =)

[Jennifer L.S.]

Great job, Lisa! Thanks for sharing!

[Lexi Bridges]

fabulous !I have one in the work with stars..I do love me some stars ;D

[gabby]

love your process
and your giant creative brain!
xoxo.

[Linda]

Love it!!

[Michelle Hernandez]

Really love this! I had no idea the slice could do that! LOVE how you stitched the background paper together.

[justem]

um...what's a "tool"?? ;)

[Geralyn]

Absolutely gorgeous, Lisa!

[Alane]

This is a great idea. I own a slice, but have found limited ways to use it. This is a whole new way to look at it! Thanks! And...*sigh*...I want a typewriter.

[Belinda Chang Langner]

So cool! Lisa, I hope you'll share some more tips with the Slice! :) I'm gonna have to try this! Thanks for sharing!

[lisa truesdell]

Leslie - the smaller letters are Basic Grey - I think from the Wander line.

[MichelleGB]

This is a great tutorial! I have wanted to try something like this with my Slice. I love how you did used the collaged papers to fill the letter spaces!