The Dies Have It

Among my favorite tools in my crafting collection are my growing stash of dies. I find myself using them on almost every project.  Today I'm going to share a few different ways to get even more use out of some of my favorite dies from Clear and Simple Stamps. 

The Mini Tri-fold 2 die is one of my favorites.  It's the perfect size for lunchbox notes and for holding gift cards, too.  I made a simple adjustment to a Mini Tri-fold 2 die cut to make a pocket for a gift card that will fit inside a standard sized card.  The pocket holds the gift card in place for a nice presentation.

Here's how I did it.  I started by die cutting a Mini Tri-fold 2 from cream cardstock.  I trimmed the die cut piece as shown, leaving just the pocket portion intact.

I folded the tabs along the sides and bottom of the pocket, then put CSS's Simple Adhesive on the tabs.

I removed the backing from the adhesive and adhered the pocket in place inside of the card.  I stamped the sentiment above the pocket and tucked a gift card inside. 

And here's another idea for using a different CSS die in a new way.  The Favor Flags dies are often used for stamping sentiments to attach to a card or project.  Here, I used the widest die from the set  to make a bookmark with a coffee theme to match my card.

I die cut the Favor Flag from kraft cardstock, then die cut it again from an adhesive backed magnetic sheet.  You can find these in craft or office supply stores.

I cut the die cut magnetic piece in half, trimming away a little bit from the top of each half, then adhered the magnetic pieces to the kraft die cut piece.

I dressed up the bookmark by stamping one of the coffee pot images from the A Little Java stamp set on a cream circle and adhering it to the front of the Favor Flags die cut.  Since this will be inside of a book when it's in use, I kept it pretty flat and simple.  When you're ready to use the bookmark, simply fold it over the page you're on, just like I did here. The magnets inside will keep it securely in place.

In case you're wondering, the book in the photo is Cemetery Girl by David Bell.  I haven't read it yet, but it's in my stack of books by my bed, waiting for me to get to it.  I did finish two books last week while I was on my rainy beach vacation--Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight and The Astronaut Wives Club:  A True Story by Lily Koppel--and I'd recommend both.

Materials Used:
Coffee Pot, Morning Brew: Coffee, and A Little Java stamp sets, Dish All the Dirt Brown ink, Espresso Your Style, Kraft Like a Rockstar, and On the Catwalk Cream cardstock, Mini-trifold 2, Shapes: Circles, and Favor Flags dies, Dish All the Dirt Brown button, Simple Adhesive (Clear and Simple Stamps); hemp twine (Hemptique); magnetic sheet