Today I am sharing with you this message from fellow demonstrator Robin Messenheimer, All Squared Away – It’s Not Just For Grids
Looking at the All Squared Away bundle in the Stampin’ Up! 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue, you’d think that the only way to use this bundle is to create a 2 x 2 grid. But I’m here to tell you today that a grid like that is far from the only way to use this bundle
First The Colours
One thing that I do like about the pictures in the Stampin’ Up! Catalogue (p. 117) is that all three of the samples shown have the same colour scheme. So I figured I’d try that approach also. I love that the catalogue projects featured the new In Colour, Fresh Freesia. I chose to go with an In-Color scheme, too, with the two new In-Colour greens – Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen. They go as nicely with Basic White accents as the Fresh Freesia.
Card 1: Use Just One Square As a Central Point
For this card, I chose to use one of the Soft Succulent sheets in the 2021-2023 Designer Series Paper Assortment as the featured paper. I die-cut a piece of the patterned paper using the largest rectangular die in the Scalloped Contours Die set. That was laid on top of a layer of Evening Evergreen cardstock. I carried that color into the die-cut square from the All Squared Away bundle, as well as the Evergreen 3/8” Open Weave Ribbon.
For the main square element, instead of using one of the stamped squares from the stamp set, I cut a square from the patterned paper. Yes, I did cut it from the area of the background layer that’s covered by the Basic White scalloped rectangle. No one can see that section of the paper!
I stamped a sentiment from the stamp set using Soft Succulent Ink, with the final touch being the single large Soft Succulent rhinestone from the 2021-2023 In Colour Jewels.
Card 2: A Diagonal Threesome
I have so much fun with diagonal card layouts! And this time I didn’t have to decide for myself what the size of the sections in the layout were going to be. The dies in the All Squared Away bundle decided that for me. These squares are all 4.7cm/1-7/8” square making them a perfect size to overlap a bit in a standard sized card.
This time I cut the scalloped rectangle out of Evening Evergreen cardstock. Then I set about creating my squares. As I hadn’t used the squares in the stamp set for the first card, off I went to stamp three of them using Soft Succulent ink on Basic White cardstock. Then I glued them to the back of three of the die-cut squares that I’d cut out of the Basic White.
To begin, I arranged two of the squares, so they were just a hair away from the straight edge of the scalloped rectangle layer and glue them down to the cardstock. Then I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the third square, with some Soft Succulent Open Weave Ribbon attached to the back of it. I added a 1.5cm/1/2″ strip of Basic White, with the sentiment stamped on it in Evergreen Ink, to the centre of the middle square.
The final touch was three of the Evergreen rhinestones from the In-Color Jewels embellishment set.
Card 3: The Slimline Card Was a Happy Accident
When I began this project, I cut two sets of the square dies, not really knowing where I was going with everything. To get the best use of my Basic White cardstock, I cut 2-1/2” x 8-1/2” strips and lined the four squares up to run it through my Cut & Emboss Machine. It was a happy accident that I didn’t do a bad job of lining the squares up. As soon as I saw the strip with the squares cut out, I thought, “Slimline Card”!
This slimline card is a bit longer than I usually make my slimline cards – 9-1/4”. But it still fits in a #10 envelope. I really wanted to use something that I already had out on my worktable for the background. But the 2021-2023 In Color paper assortment sheets are only 6” square. To make this work, I cut a sheet in half. I lined up the edges of the two 3” strips and trimmed one so that they met with almost perfectly in the middle. I arranged it behind the die-cut strip so that the place where the edges meet is behind the center vertical strip. If you blow this picture way up, you can see the edges at the top and bottom of the card. Otherwise, it doesn’t look like I joined two pieces together.
For the inside of each square, I simply placed the die-cut squares back into the spot where I’d cut them out. In keeping with the color scheme, I added a thin layer of Evergreen cardstock between the patterned paper and the 9-1/4” x 3-1/2” Thick Basic White card base. I also stamped the two-part sentiment at the bottom with Evergreen Ink. And the three Succulent rhinestones in the middle finish it off.
Metric Sizing for the Slimline card
Here in the UK, our slimline cards are usually made to fit a DL envelope, so it would be necessary to alter this card slightly. Start with a 19.8cm x 6.5cm piece of Basic White. You would need to line the dies up against each other to cut them out. The DSP would be 2 pieces 7cm x 10.1cm and the Evening Evergreen would be 20.5 x 8cm. The card base is 21cm x 20cm, scored at 10cm on the shorter side.
All Squared Away – It’s Not Just For Grids
None Of the Cards Is a 2 x 2 Grid!
By all means, take inspiration from the samples that the Stampin’ Up! artists create for their catalogues. But definitely let your own ideas inspire you, too! I’d love to see what you’ve done with the All Squared Away Bundle!
How Can I Help?
I think Robin’s 3 cards were beautiful and thy have certainly inspired me to play with the bundle. If you have been inspired too, you may be interested in my upcoming Stamp-a-Stack in the post class using these stamps and dies.
Meanwhile Stay Well and Stay Safe
Helen xx
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