Watch for it Wednesdays!! #47

Today I would like to give you a tip I discovered last week while working on my Gingerbread House shape. Since my "so-called" scrappy friends have gotten me hooked into these Copic markers (like I need another scrapping addition!!) I have started using them more and more in my die-cutting. Before when I wanted to add more layers and colors to my die cuts, I cut the shapes out over and over in different shades of paper. Now, I just cut out the shape once in white, and then color in the smaller detailed pieces in whatever colors I need.

Since I have started using this alternative technique some, I have found I only need to tend to cut out my shapes in one or two colors of cardstock. For the Gingerbread House, for example, I ran all three die plates through my cutter using both brown and then white cardstock. In the past, I have always laid one 4x4 die onto my plate at a time and then placed one piece of 4x4 cardstock on top and rolled it through. Well this time, I laid all three die plates from the Gingerbread House shape onto my cutting plate at once and then I placed a 12x4 piece of cardstock on top and rolled the whole thing through at once. By doing this, I only had to make two cuts - one for each color of cardstock I was using. But, the coolest thing I discovered, was how much easier it was to locate and keep up with all my shape pieces because I only had to pieces of paper to handle instead of 12 little 4x4 pieces of paper

I encourage you the next time you are working with one of your Cottage Cutz Shapes that come as 2 or even 3 plates, try this method and see if you like it as much as I do!

Come back tomorrow for our fabulous Guest Designer, Karen's Thursday post!