Tags 4 You Pinwheel Tutorial

 

In follow up to my workshop at the end of September, I wanted to give each of my new customers a card and a thank you for their orders.  Since the workshop was a Winter/Christmas theme I decided to make each of them a Christmas card that they can actually use.

As these gals are all relatively new to stamping I wanted to keep the card simple and yet fun, so decided on using a pin wheel tag base layered on some of the Seasons of Style Designer Paper and feature the "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" sentiment from the Tags 4 You stamp set.  This is a very simple card and so a great design for a stamp a stack class or when you want to churn out a bunch of cards for your friends and relatives assembly line style.  Here's the "how to's"

Supply List:

Cardstock:  Cherry Cobbler for the card base, Gumball Green for the pinwheel base, Whisper White for the sentiment and inside of the card

Stamps:  Tags 4 You* from the Holiday catalogue, Small Snow flake stamps or some other Winter/Christmas themed stamp to decorate the inside of the card.

Designer Paper: Seasons of Style Designer Paper, Red Glimmer Paper

Ink:  Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler

Accessories:  Chevron Embossing Folder, Basic Rhinestones, Bracket Punch*, Apothecary Framelits, Trimmer, Sponge Daubers, Dimensionals, Adhesive strips. 

Note:  The Tags 4 You and the Bracket punch can be purchased individually or as a bundle.  You save 15% off total cost before shipping and handling when you buy the bundle.   

For the Card Front:

1. Cut Cherry Cobbler card stock to measure 8 1/2 x 5 1/2" for the base, score at the center and fold.
2. Dry emboss the front panel of the card with the Chevron Embossing Folder
3. Using your trimmer cut a strip of Season of Style DSP to measure 51/2 x 1 1/2" 
4. Cut two 5/12" x 1/4" strips of Red Glimmer Paper
5. Choose which side of the DSP you want facing up, I chose the stripes to contrast with the pinwheel.  On the reverse side lay down two strips of sticky strip - one on each long edge and attach the two 1/4" wide strips of Red Glimmer Paper.  TIP:  I line up the glimmer paper along a straight line on my grid paper, remove the sticky strip backing on one side of the DSP and position this piece over top of the glimmer paper adjusting to make sure the amount of glimmer paper showing is even and then adhere the strip.  I repeat this for the other side of the DSP.  
6. Adhere the DSP/Glimmer paper strip to the front of the card about 5/8" from the bottom.  TIP: Because this piece needs to bear the weight of the pinwheel I adhere it with a couple of sticky strips along each edge.
7. For the pinwheel, cut two 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 squares of Old Olive Card stock.  Lay one square over the other to achieve a Star of David pattern and adhere together.  TIP:  When I make the first pinwheel I always line up the points on grid paper so it's evenly spaced all around.  Once I've adhered the two pieces together, I draw an outline around it so I have a template.  The template acts as a guide for making more pinwheels.  This is really helpful when you're making a lot of these cards.
8. Once the base for the pin wheel is assembled cut eight 1" by 1" squares using your paper trimmer.  TIP: Cut 1" by 6" strips of DSP and then cut these strips down to 1" squares.  When you're assembling the pinwheel alternate the patterns of the DSP to achieve a patchwork effect.
9. See the pictures below for placement of these squares.  It's important that when you place the first square that you only glue down half of it.  When you place the last square on the pinwheel you'll need to lift up the first one and work the last square under it.  Once the last piece is glued down, then glue down the edge from the first square so it lays flat.  This step will make sense when you make your first pinwheel.
10. Stamp the sentiment in Gumball Green on Whisper White card stock and cut out with the bracket punch.  Glue to the center of the pinwheel with dimensionals and add two basic rhinestones for a little more bling.
11. Attach the pinwheel to the center of the strip with dimensionals.

For the inside of this card I cut out Whisper White card stock with the Apothecary Labels Framelits and then stamped some random snowflakes with Cherry Cobbler ink to add some interest.  You could paper pierce this piece to add more interest.

The inside of this card has a piece of Whisper White card stock but to 51/4 x 4" and again some random snowflakes stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink.

Here's a batch of the cards I completed.  Don't they look cheery and bright? This design can be used for any occasion just change up your paper and sentiments.

Making the Pinwheel:

Cut 2 squares measuring 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" from coordinating card stock.  For this example I am using Island Indigo.

Using grid paper, line up the two corners of your square so the points are resting on a line (top and bottom of square).  Adjust the sides of the square so they are in the middle of a grid line.  Draw a line around the square with a marker pen.

Once you've drawn the first square remove the square and this is what it should look like. 

Line up the second square so it intersects with the first one and again draw a line around it with a marker.

Save this drawing because this will become a template that you can use to line up your squares before gluing them together.

Cut strips of designer paper to measure 1" x 6".  Cut these strips into8 1" squares.  If you move the strip along between the inches, it is easier to cut them.  Don't use a 1" punch because you waste dsp. 

Lay out the squares so you have one of one pattern and then the next in the flip side of the DSP. This just makes it easier to grab the next square for gluing onto the grid.

Glue the first square to the top pointed piece of the pinwheel.  This is your starting piece.

Only put adhesive on the right hand side of the 1" square so you can lift it at the end. You'll see when we get to that picture why you do this.

Once you have the first square in place just continue around overlapping squares and reversing the patterns as you go.

Okay now you need to lift the left hand corner of the first square.

While the corner is lifted fit the last 1" square in place and glue down, then add adhesive to the left had corner of the first square and glue it down. 

When it's all finished your pinwheel will look like this.  Make sure all the squares are glued down so they don't catch and lift.  You're now ready to put whatever embellishment you choose in the center of the square so the construction part is covered. 

To construct the strip on the face of the card cut a piece of DSP from the same paper you chose for the pinwheel to 5 1/2" x 1 1/2".  Also cut two strips of card stock or glimmer paper 1/4" x 5 1/2".  These strips will be mounted on either side of the dsp strip before it's adhered to the card front.

Just put sticky strip on the back of the DSP piece long edges and then add the smaller card stock strips.  Make sure they measure the same when you look at the flip side - see next picture.

I added a snowflake to the front of this card so this picture just shows the Festive Flurry snowflake image cut out in Silver Glimmer paper being added to the front of the pinwheel. 

Here's the finished card with the embellishment added.  I used the Honeysuckle Embossing Folder to dress up the front of the card.  Kind of looks like ice crystals. 

This is the inside of the card.  Both stamp sets used are retired.

Here are some additional pinwheel samples.  You can make these ahead and just add them to your cards when you make them.  They're so much fun to make and so quick once your pieces are cut out.  This is a terrific way to use up scraps.  

 

The sentiment is from the Chalk Talk stamp set and is mounted on a Red Glimmer paper scallop circle.  Silver glimmer paper replaces 4 of the 1" squares to add some bling. 

This one features Red Glimmer Paper matched up with Cherry Cobbler card stock and Season of Style Designer Series of Paper.  The stamp is from the Tags 4 You stamp set.

Here's one for Thanks Giving that was made for the Pals Paper Challenge #175 this week.  I made the designer paper as part of a One Sheet Wonder using the Wonderfall Stamp set and Gorgeous Grunge.  The patterns are stamped in Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso inks.  I added Champagne Glimmer Paper for some bling.  The sentiment is punched out with the Bracket punch and then I punched out two more bracket labels, cut them in half and fitted them to the back of the sentiment.  Easy peasy!

Here's one I made last year using the Ornaments Stamp set and Framelits.  It was mounted on a quilt base that was achieved with strips of dsp on adhesive sheets. 

And that's it for this tutorial and post.  Hope you enjoyed it.  I'd love to have your comments and if you make one using this tutorial please link back to me.  Appreciated.