Thank You Cards

 
I was surprised with my gift of a personal die cutter, the Silhouette / Craft Robo. I love it as much as my iphone, which is pretty much top of the totem pole. Of course the first project had to be thank you cards.


Had some difficulty setting it up for a Mac even though I know Adobe Illustrator. The software had to be downloaded (only PC software found on CDs), and their numerous websites were not only confusing/inconsistent but also did not have the latest software. Some even stated it would not work for Macs. The one that finally worked correctly was found here: http://www.craftrobostore.com/craftrobodownloads.html
Each flower was drawn in Adobe Illustrator using bezier curves to define the petal and stamen. My poor adhesive mat was well used very quickly due to so many fine cuts. Instead of making new mats with spray adhesive, I delved into my roll of airbrushing frisket from high school, neglected for too many years. The frisket adhered to the not-so-sticky mat very well because it’s made of plastic. My paper stuck to the frisket almost better than the original matt because as I peeled it off, the flower strips didn’t curl. The only thing was if I cut too deeply or too many times, the frisket would stick in pieces to the backs of my quilling strips. The strips were rolled up using my usual slotted quilling tool.
I had a hard time finding the right paper in Vancouver. Craft and art supply stores carry heavier card stock for scrapbookers. Stationary supplies and even paper mills have limited color ranges. In the end I used alcohol-based felt markers to color in the petals or stamens to give it extra depth and yet stay coordinated. I enjoyed customizing each bouquet for each person. Of course, after I was finished, I found out venders on ebay sell the matching quilling paper in 8.5×11 sheets. My thanks to Ann Martin‘s post on Robert Sabuda‘s pop-up flower for Mother’s Day. It was the perfect floral surprise on the inside.