Reimagining Abstract Shapes: Ocean Porthole Upcycled Craft Vignette
Do you find abstract dies intimidating because you don't know what to do with them? There are no rules and no right or wrong with them so they provide the best opportunity to just play with shapes. Here's some tips to help you reimagine your abstract metal dies.
Hey, crafty friend! Abstract metal dies offer endless possibilities for creative play! If you've found them intimidating because you aren't sure what to do with them, I'm here to give you some ideas and tips for helping you reimagine these types of shapes.
You can shop all of the supplies used in this project below!
Seth Apter just released his first collection with Sizzix and it provides the perfect opportunity for you to play with abstract shapes. Below are the pieces from this collection that I used. And just looking at them, you might wonder, what can I do with these besides abstract art journaling?
Keeping an open mind can help you reimagine these abstract shapes. But if you still see just abstract shapes, sometimes pulling out your other metal die shapes and placing them next to your abstract ones can help you visualize other things.
For example, you can pair Waffles with flowers and leaves to create a trellis. Or you can use tracks to create a basket for an Easter card. The circles in Roundabouts and Twisters (not shown above) could become abstract flowers when paired with one of the long lines from Tracks and a leaf die.
When I saw these next to the Ocean Medley crab die, I immediately visualized Waffles as fish net, the long lines in tracks as abstract ocean waves, the Dot Matrix embossing folder as bubbles in water and the box cross shape in Roundabouts as an abstract anchor.
So just pull out some of your favorite metal dies. Is waffles 70s style breeze blocks that birds hang out in? Do you see some fun Xs and Os in Roundabouts paired with heart dies for a Valentines Day card? Visually setting these dies next to one another can give you that little nudge to just see the possibilities!
Now, let's get into how I created this little vignette! I'll bullet point it so it's easy to follow:
- Trim a piece of blue cardstock to fit inside the Dot Matrix embossing folder.
- Using the brayer on your Sizzix Effectz Multi Tool set, apply some matte acrylic paint to the raised dots on one side of your embossing folder. Using the Sizzix Multimedia at provides the perfect grippy surface to apply paint to your brayer!
- Mist your blue cardstock, place it in your embossing folder, and run it through your Sizzix machine.
- Remove your cardstock and set it aside to fully dry.
- Cut some ocean themed paper to fit the back and inside of a brie wheel box.
- Use the Sizzix Surfacez Multi Tool paper distressor to distress the edge of your front and back circles of paper.
- Cut some strips of the same paper to fit the inside sides of the brie box.
- Cut the embossed folder into strips to fit the outside sides of the brie box.
- Glue your papers to your brie box with Sizzix Express Glue.
- Die cut two of the long lines piece from Tracks using the same blue cardstock.
- Die cut the square cross shape from some Distress patina background.
- Die cut Waffles from two shades of brown cardstock and glue the darker layer to the lighter one like a drop shadow.
- Die cut the crab from Ocean Medley, gluing the layers together, plus some of the coral and the starfish from the Summer Surfacez cardstock pack.
- Using the brayer and some matte acrylic paint, cover a chipboard shape that look a bit like coral with paint.
- Glue the chipboard into the vignette with foam adhesive.
- Using your fingers, shape the two Tracks die to make them "wave."
- Glue the ends of each set of the Tracks die to the sides of the brie box so they create waves.
- Tuck the Roundabouts shape into the waves with foam adhesive.
- Tuck in the die cut coral pieces to the waves and sides of the box.
- Gently crumple up the Waffles die cut and use scissors to cut it to fit your box. Glue it to the sides of the box.
- Glue the crab and starfish to the Waffles net.
- Add some flowers with hot glue and gems if you want a little sparkle. Tuck in a sentiment chipboard sticker.
And that's it! I hope you feel inspired to try out some abstract dies and push your imagination to create a little scene. Until next time, happy crafting!
Adrienne
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Below are products that I used for this project.
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