Tonic Tutorials - Heart Layering Dies

Working in another job means that my time for crafting is sometimes quite limited to evenings... When I get started with using the Tonic products though, I don't want to stop! After having a few of my own shows on Create and Craft, it has given me the opportunity to create cards and explore ideas with the wonderful Tonic products. I am still learning how to 'be an expert' but I am thoroughly enjoying the whole process! For those of you that don't watch Create and Craft, it is a platform to showcase the products and to demonstrate innovative ideas for how to use them. There is an inspiring team of designers and hard workers from the office, that make working with Tonic such a great experience.

I have had the time and opportunity to experiment with some of the products and wanted to share with you my finished projects. You may have seen me demonstrating the Simply Screens Christmas dies, however, I wanted to share a project today using the layering dies, which are perfect, essential shapes for your craft collections. Here is one I created this week using the heart dies. Using a really nice combination of colours means that you can use the essential die across a number of occasions and ages.

I began with a white card blank that measured approx. 11.5 x 21cm. I then cut about 2cm in from the edge of the front layer of the card. 

To create the simple heart composition, I used the 1459e - Traditional Heart Layering Basics Die Set, and chose a combination of sizes that would fit the size of the card. This was mainly using the smallest - mid size hearts in the die pack. I then cut these using the Tangerine machine from white card stock. I began to assemble these into position, being quite free but ensuring the edge of the hearts did not reach past the edge of the card underneath.

 

Before sticking down, I began introducing colour by cutting the hearts again from patterned card stock, and using the size below whatever the white had been cut from. I continued this until all the hearts were covered with patterned and co-ordinating coloured paper, with a theme emerging and I decided which ones would overlap but keeping a straight edge all the time. I then stuck these into position using the funky glue pen from Tonic. 

At this point, I finished off with some Nuvo Crystal and Glitter Drops from Tonic in colours 'Bubblegum Blush' and 'Midnight Sky'. I also used the Nuvo double-ended pen - number 449 - to hand-draw a cute ribbon giving the card and extra bit of detail and dimension.