Tutorial: Bendy card, watercolour salt background, box with Gift Bag Punch Board

No Mix It Up Monday this week I’m afraid – just not had time to create one, what with one thing and another. But it gives me a chance to treat you to a festive tutorial, featuring a very fun technique!

This project was the topic of a class I held at the beginning of the month and it’s based on one I did on a retreat with Yorkshire demonstrator Monica Gale. I CASEd the card completely, but created my own box to hold it. 

Here are the instructions I gave the ladies in the class. I have to confess that things didn’t run smoothly and I ended up standing over people in pairs while they created the box using the Gift Bag Punch Board and I shouted at them! To be fair, it was their first time using the board. But I still think this is my favourite punch board of the three currently available. 

Bendy card

(Tutorial by Monica Gale)

1. Ink the large acrylic block half with Island Indigo and half with Night of Navy ink. 
2. Spritz well with water then lay your watercolour paper on top. 
3. Sprinkle the wet paper with salt and set aside to dry. 

Create the bendy scene

(NB: It’s important to carry out these steps in order)

You will need three strips of white card measuring:

1. 14.5cm x 5.5cm
2. 13.5cm x 5.5cm 
3. 12.5cm x 5.5cm

1. Make score lines at 1cm from each end in on all three pieces.
2. Lay all three pieces on the Big Shot plate and cut the scenes out using the Sleigh Ride Framelits. 
3. Cut a layer of Whisper White card measuring 9.5cm x 14cm. 
4. When the watercolour paper is dry, gently brush away the salt to reveal your unique background.
5. Cut down to 8.5cm x 13cm and attach to the white piece. 
6. Splash some watered-down Tombow adhesive across the background and sprinkle with glitter.
7. Take your die-cut strips and “draw” a line of adhesive along the edges of each landscape, then sprinkle with glitter. 
8. Attach the strips - the narrowest one goes at the back, with the widest one at the front - adding glue on the small score lines you made and attach to the white and starry sky layer. 
9. Once you have added all three, attach to the card base, ensuring you have an even border all around.
10. Finish with Snowflake Elements, with a rhinestone on the top one, and some silver cording on the bottom one. 

Make the basic box

(Tutorial by Helen Read)

1. Choose between Island Indigo or Night of Navy for your box; you will need 1.5 sheets of your chosen colour. 
2. Cut the A5 piece down to 13.5cm x 18.5cm and set aside for now.
3. Cut the full sheet down to 23.2cm x 18.5cm. Take this larger piece and push the long edge up beyond the Horizontal Line of the board. 
4. Position the left edge at the Start Line and punch.
5. Without moving the cardstock, score along the Horizontal Line (you won’t be able to score far). Also score vertically at Side 2.
6. Move this Side 2 score line to the Start Line and punch. Score along the Horizontal Line, too. 
7. Position the right edge of the cardstock at S and punch. 
8. Without moving the cardstock, score along the Horizontal Line. Also score vertically at Side 2.
9. Move this Side 2 score line to the Start Line and punch. Score along the Horizontal Line, too. 
10. You have one remaining line to score - this will line up with the punch mark. Position this punch mar at Side 2 and score. 
11. Trim triangles from the narrowest “flap” edge.
12. Take the second, smaller, piece of cardstock and push the short edge up beyond the Horizontal Line of the board. 
13. Position the left edge at the Start Line and punch.
14. Without moving the cardstock, score along the Horizontal Line. Do not score anything else in this position. 
15. Position the right edge of the cardstock at L. Score along the Horizontal Line. 
16. Without moving the cardstock, score a vertical line at position S.
17. Move this S score line to the Start Line and punch. 
18. Trim triangles from the narrowest “flap” edge.
19. Do not assemble until you have cut the oval aperture in the smallest piece!

Make the lid

1. Take your remaining piece of Night of Navy/Island Indigo cardstock and cut down to 10.3cm x 16cm. 
2. Score at 2.4cm on all four sides and make your box lid. 

Decorate the box

NB: It’s important to do this in the order shown

1. Take the smaller box piece and, using the oval die with the red washi on it, cut an aperture in it. Position it towards the bottom (the end with the flaps) so that the lid won’t obscure it. 
2. Using the same oval die and the one slightly larger, cut a frame from Glimmer Paper. You can do this in one go.
3. Using the Softly Falling embossing folder, emboss the box front, leaving the bottom flap outside the embossing folder. 
4. Cut a piece of Window Sheet to fit behind the aperture and attach - it won’t be seen, so don’t worry too much about seeing the adhesive. 
5. Fix the Glimmer Paper frame on the front. 
6. Assemble the box and decorate.

Gift Bag Punch Board [135862] £18.00	Jingle All The Way Clear-Mount Bundle [140862] £26.25	To You & Yours Too Photopolymer Stamp Set [139819] £14.00	Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [139672] £7.75
Island Indigo A4 Card Stock [124390] £6.50	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock [106577] £6.50	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £7.25	Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper [135315] £4.50
Watercolor Paper [122959] £4.50	Window Sheets Base Material [114323] £4.50	Snowflake Elements [139638] £5.50	Silver Cording Trim [139620] £4.50
Gold Cording Trim [139618] £4.50	Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246] £4.50	Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter [133751] £4.50	Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad [126986] £6.00
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [126970] £6.00	Stampin' Spritzer [126185] £2.75	Clear Block F [118483] £15.50

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