CTD Wednesday & The Pinwheel Die Tutorial

Well, hello there! Fancy meeting you here! I have a pretty lengthy post for you today as I'm here to share my Color Throwdown card but to also share with you a photo tutorial on how to use your Pinwheel die from Lil' Inker Designs. First, let's have a look at this week's challenge colors. I'm your hostess this week and I chose this fun palette based on the new Stella and Rose papers from My Mind's Eye that I just can't seem to put down. These colors are from the Mabel collection. Have a peek......

And here's what I created.... I started out knowing I wanted to use my Pinwheel Die and Pinwheel Sentiments stamp set because I wanted to share the tutorial with you today, but I needed a layout and it didn't take me long to realize that I hadn't used an MFT sketch for a little bit so I decided to use MFTWSC13 because I knew I could incorporate my Sentiment Flags die and stamp set too. Everything just sort of fell into place! I love it when that happens! I was BEYOND THRILLED to see that the *Blowing You Kisses* sentiment from the Pinwheels Sentiment stamp set fit right onto my Sentiment Flag die cut! I had NO IDEA! I love a happy surprise! Keith and I went to the most wonderful dinner party at our friends' house Saturday night. My friend Holly made the most out of this world fillet Mignon in a Merlot sauce and it literally melted in my mouth. It was better than anything I've ever had even from the Capitol Grill! I knew I wanted to send her a thank you right away so I thought this would be a fun way to do so by blowing her kisses! I hope she likes it! I hope you do too!

Make sure to stop by the Color Throwdown Challenge blog and read up on how to participate in this week's challenge and of course don't forget to stop and say hello to our fabulous design team. Here are the links to their blogs: Tammy Hershberger Kristin Bueter Broni Holcombe Barbara Anders Danielle Kennedy Cathy Indelicato And please help me welcome the amazing Carole Burrage as this month's guestie! Yay!

Still with me? GREAT! Now, how 'bout that tutorial? As I've been promising, here is a photo tutorial of how to use the new Pinwheel Die from Lil' Inker Designs with ag designs which is super easy and FUN!

Tools you will need: Pinwheel Die, die cutting machine, one brad (the longer the *stem* the better) Optional: glue dots, lollipop stick, embellishments

Meet the Pinwheel Die. Somewhere along the lines I've mentioned in my posting that it looks more like a worm than a pinwheel. With some easy assembly it will be a beautiful, 3-D pinwheel. Six die cuts will form your final or full pinwheel, so this is what one looks like.

This is 6 pinwheel petals all cut and waiting for assembly. I knew I wanted this fun orange dot pattern to be my *inside* pattern or the prominent pattern on my pinwheel so I placed my paper facing up and my die on top of it cut side down. So, choose your *inside* pattern (which is what I've been referring to it as), then inside pattern side up and die on top of it cutting side down.

After all your petals are cut, stack them all on top of each other and insert your brad into the hole on the longer, straighter edge of the die cut so that the *head* is on the opposite side and the *stem* is poking up through the stack and facing you.

Then, in order one by one start bringing over the opposite sides of the petals and secure onto your brad. We are basically working backwards, so you will be seeing your pinwheel from the back at this point. When each petal has been folded over, secure your brad closed. You may see something that looks like this:

or this after you've fanned everything out Flip it over and you're done! Ta-daaaaa! Isn't it so pretty and cute? You can use your pinwheel exactly like this, but I like to add a *stem* and some embellishments. Also, sometimes I lightly press my finger over the folds of the pinwheel to flatten them ever so slightly, but it's really not necessary.

I like to add a stem 2 different ways. A strip of paper works great, but here I'll show you how a lollipop stick is really fun! These are just the Wilton's lillipop sticks that are 2.5 in long. I think I got them on sale for $1.39 for 150 of them! I also like to add buttons and twine. I find all of these embellishments are easily secured with craft size glue dots.

I added coordinating buttons in a stack and tied with some hemp twine and then plopped it (technical term, ha) right onto my roll or glue dots.

Then, pull off the button embellie and add it right to the center of your pinwheel!

I add the stick by rolling one end of it in a glue dot

and then sticking it to the back of the pinwheel. And just for a bit of added, extra hold you can now add a piece of small tape over the stick. This method will even still allow you to adjust your petals afterwards if you do it carefully.

That's all there is to it, my friends! Here is your completed and embellished pinwheel! From here you can add it to a card or gift packaging or even a home decor project! And paired with the coordinating Pinwheel Sentiments stamp set it's at its cutest! So, it's pretty simple don't you think? I think so! There's no fumbling around and I find working with the brad the way I've shown you is very easy as well.

Now, admittedly, I tend to over complicate things. I've done this all my life.There could be an obvious and more simple way to do something, but I always over think it! This is the way that the pinwheels die works for me. You might even find something simpler that works for you!

The Pinwheel Die and coordinating Pinwheels Sentiments stamp set can be purchased from my shop blog HERE. One die and one stamp set retails for $17.00 plus s & h! Or you can opt to purchase 2 dies and one stamp set for $20.00 plus s & h. These items are also available individually.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing how easily this comes together! I just know you are going to love having these goodies in your collection to create fun cards, home decor and more!

Ingredients: Stamps: Pinwheel Sentiments, Sentiment Flags(Lil' Inker Designs with ag designs) Paper: kraft, aqua mist(PTI), Mabel Collection from Stella and Rose(My Mind's Eye) Ink: aqua mist(PTI), dusty durango(SU!), Accessories: Pinwheel die, Sentiment Flags die(Lil' Inker Designs with ag designs), small scallop border die(MFT), felt, buttons(PTI), hemp twine, brad, notebook edge punch, slot punch(SU!), baker's twine(Paper Treats on Etsy), lollipop stick(Wilton's)