I loved making this frame!

You know sometimes you sit down to craft and you never know what you are going to make, or where your creativity will lead you.

The other day I had one of those days. Allowed to play with some of the wonderful products from Crafters Companion to do as I wished. The only instruction was that they had to be super duper to be used at trade shows and tv work!

Well we are all so critical of our own work I always feel mine don't quite make the mark, but with the project below it turned into a labour of love, one that I did not want to send away. In fact I ended up making a duplicate exactly the Sam so I could keep. As it has a picture of my two wonderful daughters - whom I love with all my heart.

The whole project was thought up in my head, but for once I remembered to take step by step photos, so below will follow a tutorial, for those that wish to make something similar. You are free to make to sell and share, but if you are blogging please give credit and maybe link to me, as I would love to come visit and see what you have made.

Just Tracy's Crafts Customers I will be doing a class on this, with the cost covering materials if you want to make it in a nice social atmosphere. Call the shop on 01752 340317 to find out the dates etc. will be in April 2013.

I would love to read your comments on what you think of it! Or if you have a go at making one, post a link so I can come see - ooh please do.

 

Materials for the main base

4 sheets of 12 x 12 Kraft card (just Tracy's crafts have it here)

1 sheet 12 x 12 coredinations cardstock (colour of your choice, I used cream of wheat)

1/2 metre lace

Die sire 8 x 8 regency frame embossing folder

* Ebosser or other die cutting machine that will take 8 x 8 folder

Ruler, pencil, embossing tool, bone folder, craft knife, masking tape and strong adhesive , distress ink tattered straw and vintage photo if desired.

* if you don't have a die cutting machine you can still make the frame, just omit the embossing stage.

 

Method

1) cut all 4 pieces of the Kraft card down to 8 x 8 squares.

2) take one piece and measure and mark along the top and bottom edges at the 5" mark. Then draw a line.

3) On the line you have just drawn measure down 2 1/2" and mark, now from the bottom left hand corner measure along the bottom 1" and mark. Draw another line connecting these two pencil marks.

 
4) on this diagonal line measure up from the bottom 1" and cut across to the bottom of the straight line.
 

5) With your craft knife cut this diagonal line. And with your embossing tool / scorer, score down the kraft from where the diagonal line meets the straight line. Mountain fold this score line and make a nice crisp edge with your bone folder.

6) place glue as shown, and then stick another piece of 8 x 8 Kraft card on top of this piece. This is the back of the frame complete.

Leave this to dry, and now we will move onto the front of the frame.

8) the 3rd and 4th pieces of Kraft card need to be cut exactly the same. Take a piece and measure along the top and bottom in from each edge 1 1/2" and mark, and join the marks with a pencil line.

 

 

9) turn and repeat on the other side to create a square in the middle.

10) Cut out the square very carefully with a craft knife and ruler and, repeat steps 8 - 10 with your final piece of Kraft card. Stick these pieces 3 and 4 together.

 

Time to decorate the front of the frame to make it tidy!

11) take your piece of coredinations card stock, cut it to 7 3/4" x 7 3/4" square, pop it right side up in your chosen embossing folder and emboss through your machine. Ink up the edges if so desired with distress inks, sand down gently. On the left hand side front put your lace and adhere to the back of the coredinations. Stick this onto the front of your piece formed in steps 8-10 above. ( I apologise , I forgot photos of this step, doh!). But you can get an idea from this photo.

 

We need to turn it over now.

 

12) draw and cut the lines from corner to corner. And then cut away a smaller square in the centre and add tape to frame edge as shown.

 

13) score along the aperture edges and fold the card onto the tape.

 

14) now as I want smoothness inside for my photo to be able to slide in and out I have used masking tape to cover my rough edges and the overspill of sticky tape.

 

15) now see all those lovely red squiggly arrow lines in the photo above, this is where you need to place the glue to stick the fron of the frame to the base,

The top of the frame and aperture are left clear to enable the photos to be charged if you want too.

Stick the top to the base, also ensuring they are both the right way up.

Turn over and decorate as desired.

For those wanting to know I used die'sire dies leaf 1, die'sire die classical frame, round spellbinder die.

Various flowers and stamens, the 3 large flowers were white and I colour matched with my spectrum noir pens, and the photo is sepia and again I tinted the lips of my daughters with spectrum Noirs which really made the picture pop!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I tired to be as clear as possible, any questions please ask.

Hugs

Tracy xxxx

 

Comments

Beautiful project Tracy can understand why you had to make two one to send and one to keep. Your daughters are the image of you. Love Alison xx
Debbie x said…
Oh WOW WEE Tracy, fab tutorial!!! Thanks so much for getting it blogged so quickly!
Will defo be giving it a go!
Debbie x
Unknown said…
Stunning! Such a beautiful project. I love Kraft Card and it looks amazing here x
Cazann49 said…
Hi Tracy, thanks for such a fab tutorial. I will definitely be making these frames..I dont have any 8x8 embossing frames but I will get round that by using a different emb. folder at each end...:) thanks again..xxx