Many Labels Pop-Up Layout Tutorial

Hi everyone! Today I have a step-by-step tutorial to share using Karen Burniston's new Sizzix Journey dies, focusing on some fun ways of using label dies. I made a layout, but the techniques will work just as well for cardmaking or art journaling.

One of my favourite things to do is to build up a background, using dies, stamps, ink, paint and different mediums, and I had lots of fun making a mixed media background for this layout. I had this idea of a background made up mainly with labels.

The flap opens up to reveal a pop-up. I love adding pop-ups to layouts, not only are they a fun interactive element, but they also give more space for photos and journaling. For more examples, see this, this and this layout.

Start by die cutting labels from Eclipse tape, using the Wavy Labels and Funky Labels Framelits sets. There are two different shapes of labels in the Wavy Labels set, which is a new favourite set of mine. We will use both the negative and the positive shapes (I only included some of the negative shapes on this photo). Leave an area around the negative shape, to make it easier to use it as a stencil. Eclipse tape works great for this technique, since it is a low-tack tape made for masking techniques, and can withstand a certain amount of water. If you don't have Eclipse tape, you could try using a thin sheet of transparency, and spray with a repositional adhesive on the one side, to make your own masks and stencils.

For more examples of how to use your dies to make stencils, check out this tutorial of mine. It is a fun way of getting even more out of your dies.

To do something different, I outlined the dies on my background, and this was also a way of planning where the different labels would go. Working on watercolour paper, I traced inside the dies with a pencil. I used the Outliner pencil in my Derwent Inktense set (which is non-soluble), but you could use another pencil too. I tried using a water-soluble pencil, but it darkened my colours a bit too much. Or try using a water-soluble pencil in just a shade darker than the colours you are planning to use. After taking this photo, I used an eraser to make the lines a little bit lighter.

When you place your stencil on top, you will see that the pencil line is inside the stencil, giving a nice border to the labels.

Working one label at a time, colour with Faber-Castell Gelatos, watercolours, or Distress Ink smeared on your craft sheet and misted with water. I used Gelatos for the labels, but any of the other methods will work just as well.

Leave to dry and then place the positive die-cuts, the masks, on top of the labels. You could die-cut one for each label, but I re-used them instead, working one area at a time.

You can use any of the water media I mentioned above. I switched over to watercolours for the background colour, mixing a light brown colour. Quickly paint the background, and don't go back over an area you have already painted, unless you let it dry first. If you want to, you can leave out masking the labels and glaze everything with a light colour, which would have given my layout a more muted and distressed look. I wanted the labels to remain bright, which is why I masked them.

Leave to dry and you have this label background. But we are not done yet!

Mix a watery dark brown paint or ink. I used watercolours, but Distress Inks or Gelatos will work just as well. Load a small paint brush and tap it with your finger to splatter paint. This step gives great texture.

Plan where you want photos and stamp images and sentiment stamps, placing some inside labels and others overlapping labels. I used Hero Arts Stamp your Story stamps. The black images were stamped with Archival Jet Black, the blue rings with Broken China (ink the stamp, mist with water, stamp), the hearts with Rusty Hinge, and the ledger lines with Gathered Twigs.

For a last detail on the background, smear light molding paste, or Wendy Vecchi's Embossing Paste, through stencils to create a dimensional texture.

To make the pop-up flap, I die cut a piece of cream cardstock in the new Pop 'n Cuts base die, Square Card w/Ornate Edge. It was stamped with a Hero Arts ledger stamp using Archival French Ultramarine ink, and some additional sentiment stamps, from Ali Edwards. The edges were inked and it was splattered with the same paint as I used on the background. I die cut a whole bunch of little hearts from watercolour paper, using the Flower & Heart die, and coloured them with the same Gelatos as used on the background.

Using a patterned paper, I die cut the Wavy 3-D Frame Pop-Up, placing it inside the Square Card w/Ornate Edge. It was inked around the edges, stamped with sentiment stamps and splattered with paint.

A photo was die cut with the coordinating Wavy Label Framelits, and placed on the pop-up, leaving a perfect border. I die cut a scroll from watercolour paper with the Square Card w/Ornate Edge and coloured it with Gelatos. The Birds on a Wire was also die cut from watercolour paper and coloured with Gelatos.

For a fun extra pop-up element, I die cut the smallest Funky Label, coloured it with Gelatos and stamped a sentiment on top. It was glued at the top of the Wavy Frame pop-up.

You might see the birds and the 'remember' stamp better here.

This photo was die cut with the smallest Wavy Label. I love the birds in Claudine Hellmuth's stencil, so sweet. The little border piece is Tim Holtz tissue tape.

The splatters add a nice extra touch and I like the pencil lines around the labels.

This photo was die cut with a Funky Label and placed within another funky label.

I added some Birds on a Wire here too, and die cut a photo with one of the ovals on the Wavy Labels set, placing it inside another Wavy Label.

This sweet sentiment is on the same Claudine Hellmuth stencil as the birds.

Thank you so much for looking!

Happy crafting!!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:
Surfaces: Daler & Rowney watercolour paper; Neenah cream cardstock; Studio Calico Classic 6 x 6 patterned paper
Dies: Sizzix: Square Card w/Ornate Edge, Wavy 3-D Frame Pop-Up, Wavy Labels, Funky Labels, Birds on a Wire, Flower & Heart,
Stamps: Hero Arts: Life Can Be S5773, Texture and Shape LP283, My Favorite AC030, Remember AC028, My Words CL695, Snippets Miss You So Much 331484, Printer's Type Lowercase alphabet;Technique Tuesday Ali Edwards: Favorite Memories
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, French Ultramarine; Distress Ink: Marigold, Rusty Hinge, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Gathered Twigs
Paint: Faber-Castell Gelatos: Cotton Candy, Boysenberry, Blueberry, Tangerine, Mango; Daler & Rowney watercolours
Pencil: Derwent Inktense Outliner
Medium: Golden Artist Paint: Light Molding Paste
Stencils: Ranger Claudine Hellmuth Love Birds; Hero Arts: Borders; The Crafter's Workshop: Mini Swiss Dot
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Elements Tissue Tape, Words Remant Rubs
Adhesive: Judikins Eclipse Art Masking Tape