A Study in: Quatrefoil (positive shapes)

I collect things. Lots of things. Always have. So my mind naturally works in sets. It's just occurring to me that it might make sense to take the same approach with cards too. So occasionally I'd like to post articles in a series format (like the recent boxes). This series focuses on several different ways to use the same die ... Papertrey's Quatrefoil Cover Plate die.

This particular post features cards that use the positive Quatrefoil shapes. Subsequent posts will feature cards using:

1. the negative shapes;
2. the entire die; and
3. 3D shapes.

 Cool? OK, let's hit the positive shapes ...

First up is a love card (not necessarily Valentine's, because I've amassed quite a few of those now). Two of the Quatrefoil shapes and their corresponding outlines were cut out/colored/stamped and used to make the flowers on this card. The inspiration photo you'll see below had a big and small flower. When you're stuck using the same sized shape, you need to think of another way to achieve this look and balance, so I stuck one of the flowers behind the pillow so it visually seems smaller. Horizontal lines are hard to see, but scored on this very white card.

The card is based on the sweet still life photo at Tuesday Trigger. As soon as I saw it I knew I had the perfect "x" to make the cross stitch. Martha Stewart has a letter set that's always annoyed me because the letters are so wide ... well in this case it was perfect! In fact, I discovered they are the perfect size to cross stitch in the lines of an American Crafts grid stamp I have. Good to know. I actually stamped the grid on the fabric here in pink. You can't really see it, but that's OK, it was a great guide for my "stitching." The woodgrain blue was a good match for the chair, and ended up looking pretty similar to the inspiration photo.

This card uses the shapes in between the Quatrefoils. The "b" side shapes. Put together in a grid they look totally different, and kinda quiltish. And ... check out the "x's" ... recognize them?! They are the negative shapes from this die. I would have loved to save this for the next post on negative shapes, but the positives won out on this card. 

This one is inspired by the colors at the The Play Date Cafe Challenge this week.

This card makes use of several differently colored Quatrefoils massed together to make a tree top. I loved how the tree trunk turned out. It's a new Cuttlebug woodgrain embossing folder that I hadn't used because it was so tiny and bold. But it's the perfect proportion to make a tree trunk! Just cut along the grain.

There are three layers here to build dimension for the tree. Since I needed several different colors of Quatrefoils, I just cut a thin strip of each paper and taped it to the die over one of the rows of shapes. Saved time because I didn't have to pass it through the die cutter as many times, and of course it saved paper too.

This one follows the sketch at CAS(E) this sketch this week. Still a vertical card, but I turned the sketch on its side, even including the heart on the tree trunk.

Previous post in this series: Die within a Die

Thanks for looking!
-Kelly 

PS, here are a few photos of our world-turned-white yesterday:

Open House at our neighbor's igloo

Off to pajama day at preschool (Curious George in hand)

Intentionally took the long way just so I could drive down this road. Worth it? Heck yeah!

Pulled over to take this photo. My friend passed by, and then backed up to see if I needed assistance. She looked at me strangely when I explained. Really?! But it's so beautiful!!!

 Incredible.