Stampin' Up! © Give It a Whirl Mermaid

 

This post comes with a Warning!  Once you start using the Give It A Whirl Dies you are going to be hooked!  You will want to keep using it over and over and over...

The Give It A Whirl Dies can be found in the Annual Catalog on page163.  There is no coordinating stamp set, per se, at least not "officially."  But this die can be used with so many stamps!  The only limiting factor is your imagination.  For an example of how it is used on a card in the Catalog, see p.57 where you'll see the Stellar Birthday card.   For all the supplies that I used on the mermaid card, there will be a link at the end of this blog.

Here is the set of dies:

The main component is the large wheel with spokes (like a "peace" sign), the rectangular card front, and the pieces that cut the window.  Then there are decorative pieces (clouds, stars) and a banner/label. The window shapes come in several choices:  a wedge/fan shape, heart, small rectangle and circle.

Rectangular card front die, cut with wedge window.  Also the other window die choices.

The card front die also cuts a notch on side for accessing the spin-wheel.

Each window piece has a little circle that fits/notches into the center little circle on the rectangular piece, and then you run it through the die cutting machine all in one go-though on your machine.  But you could also run them through separately, one at a time, as long as you line up the little circles.

Line up circles to die cut window shape into the card front.

Here is how I used the dies and the stamp sets Pirates & Mermaids and Whale Done to create my card.

Card base:  Pacific Point card stock, 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", fold at 4 1/4".  Set aside.

Using the dies and Basic White CS:

• cut the card front with the wedge-shaped window
• cut the large wheel
• cut, also, as a separate piece, the little circle window.  I'll explain where this small circle is used to help the spin mechanism.

Pieces needed to create my card.

Card front:

This is created using the Plenty of Patterns Decorative Masks and ink pads, from top to bottom - Pool Party, Bermuda Bay and Pacific point.  Start at the top with lightest to darkest using a Blender Brush.

Hold mask & card front steady as you apply ink with Blender Brush.

Blend Pool Party from top down about 1/3 of card front; next Bermuda Bay; then Pacific Point.  When you are all done blending, lift off the mask.  

Stamp the images:

• Stamp the mermaid using Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a piece of white CS
• Stamp the sentiment from Pirates & Mermaids, and the fish & seahorse images from Whale Done set onto the large Wheel. 
•  The wheel has wedge-shaped areas that you will see after you cut it out - they are embossed by the spokes of the die.  These wedged areas are what will show through the window.  This is where you will stamp the images that will show through the window as it is spun around.  Keep your images within these areas (you may need to mask off the other areas as you stamp, so as not to overlap images; if needed, I mask with a post-it note or post-it tape).
• The sentiment "You are Mermazing" from Pirates & Mermaids stamps is in Pacific Point; the stars are in crushed curry.
• Fish from Whale Done stamp set, stamped in Calypso Coral; bubbles in Pool Party.
• Seahorse stamped in Soft Suede; sea grass stamped in Granny Apple Green.

Color the Mermaid using Stampin' Blends.  I used Light & Dark Pool Party (her tail), light & Dark Pumpkin Pie shaded with Light Crumb Cake (her hair); Light Calypso for flower; Granny Apple Green for leaves; Ivory for skin.  Then use scissors to cut her out.

Die cut the element that goes behind the mermaid using Painted Labels Dies and Rainbow Glimmer Paper.

Assemble the wheel:

There are different ways to attach the wheel to the card front.  You can put a brad directly through the hole in the card front and then through the wheel.  But I didn't want to brad to show on the front of the card.  So I did it as follows.  (but both ways work similarly and either are fine to do.)  The key is not to tighten the brad too tight, but keep it looser, to allow the wheel to spin.

• Take the small circle cut earlier & poke a hole in the center.

Wheel, small circle with hole punched, little brad.

• Use a small brad and put it through the Wheel then through the small circle so that the little circle is behind the large wheel. Fasten the brad LOOSLEY.   You don't want it so tight that the large Wheel won't spin.
• Put a couple Stampin' Dimensionals on the small circle, to either side of the brad.

Back of wheel showing loose brad and dimensionals on small circle.

• Take card front and hold the wheel in place behind it, positioning the wheel so that the image shows through the label.

Placement of Wheel behind card front, not yet adhered, showing image visible through window.

•   Hold it in place, carefully turn it over without moving the circles, and add dimensionals to the 4 corners of the card front. 

Without moving the wheel, place Dimensionals on the 4 corners on back of the card front.

•  Remove the backings of all the dimensionals, carefully flip it all over, again holding wheel in position, and adhere it all down to the Pacific Point card base.  (It sounds harder than it is to actually do; just keep the wheel placed so that images will be seen through the window.)

Card front and wheel now adhered to Pacific Point card base with dimensionals.

I have it slightly off to the left, but it can also be centered; 

the wheel will still spin perfectly fine either way.

Finish the front decorations:

• Adhere the mermaid to the glimmer die-cut piece with dimensionals.
• Glue the mermaid element to card front (you can cover up the hole beneath the window by slightly overlapping this piece).

Now you can turn the wheel, and the images are seen through the window, one after the other.

Done!

What do you think?

I can't wait to try this with other stamp sets.  One way to see what might work, and to find those images that would be visible through any of the window shapes, just cut a template of the windows and browse through the Catalog, placing your template over various stamp sets to see which images will fit each window.  I'll bet you can find many that work.  

Want the supplies to create this Mermaid card?  Click HERE.

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I hope you like the card, and are inspired to try this fun die set.  Go ahead, Give It A Whirl!!  You are going to love it!

If you have any questions, I'd love to help in any way I can with this project, or others you may have.

Thanks so much for taking a look today.  I will have more fun projects coming up, so stop by again soon.  I appreciate your interest.  If you are looking for a Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours.

Till next time, take good care!

JULIE ❤