Reading Flopsey

*New STICKY SALE coming on October 15th! Check out the FOUR NEW sticky products! TWO new ribbons will also be available on the 15th!

This is a new image available from MY FAVORITE THINGS called Reading Flopsey. I used a sentiment from What's the Story? (another Flopsey set).

To leave the ears popped up out of the rectangle, just use your paper cutter to cut to the left and right of the ears. Cut as close as you can without harming Flopsey. LOL Then, trim around the ears with scissors and snip the lines all the way to the stamped image. To add dimension, I cut out a couple of the books and adhered them at different levels. For one, I adhered it with glue dots and the other was adhered using dimensional boosters.

I made this card using Jen's SFYTT (sketch for you to try) found HERE.

I want to share a little hint with you. I have had a couple questions asking how I hide brads and stitching on the inside of my cards. Generally speaking I do NOT let stuff like that show inside. Occasionally I have to do it... and it kills me... but if at all possible I avoid it. It's a rule. Have I mentioned I have rules? They are not for everyone... they are for me. Well... I do blab about my rules when I teach classes, but the ladies like my rules. LOL A Jody rule is don't make the inside of the card ugly. What if you REALLY want to add a brad to the base of the card because it goes there? Well... I have a simple solution for you! Cut a piece of card stock that is the same color as your card base. For this card it is the PTI white. You will trim it to 5 3/8" X 4 1/8" (1/8 inch shorter on each side). Now, build your card on that layer. Stitch it, brad it... whatever. Now your FINAL step will be to adhere it to the card base (I almost ALWAYS make this my last step). I usually end up using 3 strips of red line tape to make sure it sticks. You can even attach it with some red line dimensional boosters if it strikes your fancy. The reason you do not cut it EXACTLY the same size as your card base is it looks a little strange if you do not line it up properly. Plus it's against a Jody Rule! It easier to nest it slightly inside the base of your card than to match it up exactly. Also, it adds just one more layer and we LOVE layers right? LOL

Now go be merry and make the insides of your cards pretty too! :)

OH WAIT... I saw a couple more Jody Rules in this card and would like to share them with you:

• If you are using 3 strips of patterned paper (as in the card shown here) and the pattern is a repeating pattern that needs symmetry, make sure you trim it deliberately. Here, I trimmed to the outside of each light stripe and made sure there were 6 light green stripes per piece. YES I am serious! Count them and be symmetrical.
• When using a repeating pattern Cuttlebug embossing folder, make every effort to center the embossing folder so that you keep the symmetry of your card. I could have slapped in the paper and just made sure that it was level, but I actually looked at the dots and made sure that the dots began and ended with the same portion of the dotty pattern.
• Both of these rules will prevent the eye from being diverted from the focal point to stare at an "off" portion of the card. STAY SYMMETRICAL (OR off symmetry intentionally... we'll get to that some other day! lol) Just stay aware of your patterns on patterned paper, background stamps and embossing folders and do your best to stay precise so everyone can focus on what you want them to. :) Right about now you are probably saying, "That woman probably lines up her canned goods with the labels facing forward" AND you would be RIGHT! *blushing*

Stamps: Reading Flopsey

Ink: Black Memento, palette burnt umber

Paper: PTI white, brown, SU patterned paper

Accessories: Janome sewing machine, copic markers, copper brads, dimensional boosters, word window punch, Cuttlebug embossing strip