Use these tips when working with your intricate dies!
Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by! Happy Satur-YAY! We're celebrating the weekend by getting our craft on. I hope you leave here inspired to create!
Today I'll be working with some new dies and stamps from Alexandra Renke. We found the beautiful Alexandra Renke products at this year's Creativation trade show and we're thrilled that they are now available in the Ellen Hutson store. The dies are so beautiful and oh so delicate. We fell in love with these beautiful designs.
Sometimes working with intricate dies like this can be a little bit of a challenge. They're very delicate and can be challenging to cut...if you don't know the tricks. So I'm here today to share several tips for getting great die cut results with intricate dies.
I'll walk you through all of these tips in the video tutorial, so be sure to check that out!
- Start with a lightweight card stock. If you're having trouble cutting through 110 lbs card stock with your intricate dies, you may want to use an 80 pound or 100 pound yardstick instead. If you don't have the color you're looking for in a lighter weight card stock, just die cut from white card stock and color with your favorite marker or ink pad! Today I'm using Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lbs card stock and the new Essentials By Ellen 100 lbs card stock.
- Add adhesive before die cutting. Adding adhesive to such intricate die cuts can be challenging. That's why I prefer to add a double sided adhesive, like Stick It, to the back of my card stock prior to cutting. This makes it quick and easy to adhere my die cuts when I'm ready.
- Check your plates. Extremely warped or overused plates may alter the amount of pressure that you get when you're running your dies through your machine. If you're having trouble getting a clean, thorough cut, you may want to replace you cutting plates to achieve more even and consistent pressure.
- Shimmy and shake. Shims are a great way to get better results when using intricate dies. I recommend metal shims for the best results. Metal doesn't compress like a card stock shim would, so you get even pressure cut after cut. Metal shims are available for both the Gemini Junior and the Big Shot, and I'll show you how to use both of them in today's video tutorial.
- The right angle. If you're using a shim and you've got good plates and you're still not getting a great cut, try running your die through your machine at an angle. This little trick works great when you're having a tough time getting a clean cut.
- The infamous pokey tool is a must. They're not really called pokey tools...but I think that's what a lot of us have come to know them as. A craft pick is a great way to eject your die cuts from the dies. Intricate dies tend to get stuck, and getting them out without ruining them is easier when you use the right tools. I find a craft pick is just the right tool for the job.
- Brush it out. A die brush is also an excellent tool when working with intricate dies. A die brush can be used to eject pieces that remain stuck in the die after die cutting. It can also be used to eject pieces from the die cut itself. Simply roll it over (I like to use a microfiber cloth beneath) to eject the hanging chads. They'll get caught in the cloth beneath and leave you with a nice die cut...without having to pick those pieces out one by one.
- Stack for dimension. For the love...do not try to put foam adhesive on something this delicate....unless you love to torture yourself. Instead, die cut the same shape several times and stack them on top of each other to achieve dimension...and keep your sanity.
- Tweezer time. I like to use tweezers to help me place my intricate die cuts on my card fronts. I just find it's easier to pick them up and place them without my fingers getting in my way.
So there you have it...my best tips for getting great results every time you use intricate dies. These are tips I use ALL the time and I've shown you all of them in today's video.
I've kept today's card rather simple, allowing the beautiful die cuts to be the star of the show. And I love the way this card turned out. When you have die cuts this beautiful, you really don't need much more.
I hope you're taking advantage of this Satur-YAY by getting your craft on! If you're craftin the day away, we'd love to see what you're making! Share it on social using #EllenHutsonSaturYAY so we can check it out.
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've enjoyed this project and a look at the Alexandra Renke line! We're excited to have the Alexandra Renke line as a part of our product line up in the Ellen Hutson store.
Happy Satur-YAY and until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
XOXO
Watch The Video
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