How to Create a Valentine Card with the Spellbinders Classic Mouse Love Collection

Hello there, Michelle Short here to share a step-by-step tutorial with you using the new Classic Mouse Love collection that pairs perfectly with the already released Steamboat Willie Duo Etched Dies from the Say Cheese Classic Mouse Collection. The Classic Mouse Love Etched Dies makes it so that you can accessorize the mice with flowers, chocolates, and balloons, plus lots more! I love that you can customize them to suit your needs! The set is perfect for Valentine’s Day, but also for general love, hugs, and anniversary projects too!

STEP 1 – DIE-CUTTING THE MOUSE

Die cut the male mouse from Steamboat Willie Duo Etched Dies, and the envelope, flower, and balloon from Classic Mouse Love Etched Dies:

1. Cut pieces of ColorWheel Cardstock to be slightly larger than the size of the dies.
2. Place the mouse’s body, head, tail, and arms dies face down onto Raven ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
3. Place the mouthpiece, balloon, and hearts dies onto Poppy ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
4. Place the pants, on yellow cardstock.
5. Place face of mouse die onto Alabaster ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
6. Place buttons of pants and envelope dies onto Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
7. Place shoes die onto teal cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
8. Place flower stem die onto Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
9. Place balloon strings die onto Fog ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.

TIP: Holding dies down with tape prevents them from shifting when going through the die-cutting machine. Use a low-tack tape like Best Ever Craft Tape so that it removes easily from the cardstock.

9. Create your die cutting plate sandwich – (bottom to top) A Platform Base, B Platform Top, C Cutting Plate, cardstock pieces with dies on top facing down, C Cutting Plate.
10. Run through Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.
11. Remove dies from cardstock and pop out die cuts.
12. Repeat process to cut flower head from Cranberry ColorWheel Cardstock.

STEP 2 – ASSEMBLE MOUSE

1. Add Bearly Art Glue onto the back of the face and adhere to head.

2. To add colour to the tongue, flip the head over and add glue around the mouth opening, adhere the mouthpiece that you cut from red cardstock on top. Set head headpiece aside.
3. Repeat the same process for the white piece behind the pants buttons, so that white shows through the front.

4. Adhere pants to body, followed by shoes.

5. Apply a small amount of the glue to the top of the body and adhere head on top.
6. Flip over and add a piece of Best Ever Craft Tape on the back to secure in place.
7. Adhere arms to the back of the body, making sure the hand on the left-hand side (when looking from the front) is in front of the pants.

TIP: Adding Best Ever Craft Tape on the back of die cuts helps to hold the pieces in place while the glue dries and also adds stability to the mouse.

8. Add a small amount of glue to the top of the tail and adhere to the back of the body, reinforcing with Best Ever Craft Tape on the back.

9. Adhere flower head to stem.
10. Adhere underneath mouse’s left hand.

11. Adhere heart to envelope.
12. Adhere balloon string to balloon.
13. Adhere balloon string to mouse’s right hand.

14. Lift up mouse’s thumb and adhere the envelope underneath.

STEP 3 – CREATING THE CARD BASE

1. Die cut two of the second largest die in the Essential Arches Etched Dies set twice from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock.
2. Cut a small strip of Poppy ColorWheel Cardstock and place bottom of the arch die on top. Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape and run through die cutting machine to create strip for mouse to stand on.

3. Score line towards the top of one of the arches cut from white cardstock using a scoring board and bone folder. This creates a hinge.
4. Add adhesive to the hinge (above the scoring line).

5. Add another arch on top to create an arch-shaped card base.

TIP: The hinge method is an easy way to create shaped cards; however, you can die cut directly on top of a side-folded card base. Make sure to have the edge of the die extend the edge of the card so that it does not cut the fold of the card. This works well too, but it is sometimes difficult to cut all the way through two layers of cardstock, depending on the shape of the die.

6. Adhere red cardstock strip at the bottom of the card base.

STEP 4 – HOT FOIL SENTIMENT

1. Turn Glimmer Hot Foil System
2. Cut Opaque Black Foil to size (just slightly bigger than sentiment plate).
3. Place foil onto a piece of Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock, shiny side up.
4. Place the plate from Classic Mouse Love Sentiments Press + Foil Plate & Die Set on top, design side down.
5. Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.

TIP: Holding down plates and foil prevents the foil or plate from slipping whilst running through Platinum Six.

6. When the platform is ready light shines green. Flip the sandwich over and place it on top of the platform.
7. Press the timer button. This will flash green on and off.

8. When the timer button stays green, remove the platform from the base and place shims on top.
9. Run through Platinum Six.

TIP: There are different methods for hot foiling. The shims can be placed on top of the platform when the plate is heating up or can be placed on just before running through die cutting machine. Find a method that works best for you and your machines.

10. Peel Best Ever Craft Tape off gently at the top.
11. Use the tape as a handle to lift plate off cardstock (be careful, as the plate will be hot).

12. Place the coordinating die over foiled sentiments. Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
13. Run through Platinum Six.
14. Pop out sentiments.

STEP 5 – ASSEMBLE THE CARD

1. Add foam squares onto the back of the mouse, cutting them smaller with scissors as required.

2. Remove backings from foam squares and adhere to card.

3. Cut foam squares into smaller pieces and add to the back of the sentiment on either end.
4. Remove backing from foam tape.
5. Adhere sentiment to the card on top of the balloon.

6. To finish, embellish with Silver Mix Color Essentials Gems.

Isn’t he just adorable? I thought that the arch-shaped card worked well with the shape of the mouse, but for an easier design, this would work well on a standard rectangular card base too; just add a strip of cardstock at the bottom for him to stand on. Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Other Supplies

Scoring board, Bone folder