Bee-ing tidy

I'm very excited today to be blogging my first design team make using the brilliant new Visible Image bee dies. These coordinate with the awesome existing Bee happy stamp set. Now I am a very keen fussy cutter but these bee dies are just the best and cut out so perfectly and easily that even I might think again about fussy cutting my bees!

These are the dies available here

and this is the stamp set they work with

The bee dies and 3 other coordinating die sets were released last week and available now on the VI website.

I love making art tins by upcycling empty tomato tins and I have shared several on my blog over the years. I decided I would make a new bee pair, one for Visible Image and one for me. I have shared the actual process of measuring and sticking the label to the tin in the past, so if you would like those specific details please check out this previous posts here using the See Everything set.

So this is how I made my bee labels for my new art tins. 

I sprayed the label with squeezed lemonade and twisted citron distress stain sprays. I added extra water and allowed the inks to mix and run down.

Using the honeycomb hex stencil I added some wild honey distress ink randomly around the label.

I also added some extra honeycomb stamping using Versafine clair summertime ink.

I stamped the words bee kind in the centre of one label and bee happy on the 2nd.

 I then stamped the bees, coloured them with distress pencils, die cut them out using the awesome new dies 

and adhered them to the labels.

In the Visible Image Friends Facebook group I was asked to show how to line up the dies on the stamps, so here is the description I gave there too. This is the same process for any of the co ordinating dies but this is smallest bee description. 

I colour the images first as personally I find it is easier to colour on a larger piece of card but it is personal preference, you can colour afterwards too. 

Place the card on your die cutting plate and line up the inside edge of the die with the image. Check the edges of the wings, bottom and antennae are lined up. You should be able to see the full image through the top of the die as shown below.

Add a piece of washi or low tac tape to keep everything in place.

Run through you machine using the correct "sandwich". You only need 1 pass.

This is how it looks after running through the machine and the tape removed. Yes you can see my die cutting plates are very well loved!

The bee pops out of the die very easily

and here is is perfectly cut out. 

They are such fun to make

So here are my finished tins,

1 of which is ready to add to my existing collection.

Here are 4 of my most recent art tins;

A couple of close ups

and some final shots;

All the Visible Image links are listed below;

The Visible Image Group page is over on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you join us.  You will be warmly welcomed and see lots of inspiration from the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity. 

 I also organize a monthly artist trading card swap in the group.  We are currently celebrating 2 years of swapping. Whether you are a new stamper or a seasoned one you are most welcome to join us. Over 140 members, worldwide, have taken part since it started. It's been such fun and it's so lovely to receive a unique piece of art from your partner in the post. The details and sign up for each swap are posted in the group on the 23rd of the month. So the next sign up, for July, opens on 23rd June,  if you would like to join us.  There is no "monthly" commitment, just join in when you have the time and if you live in the UK can you choose to post to the UK only if that suits you best.

The main Visible Image Facebook business page is here

Visible Image also has its own You Tube channel here where you can see videos and Lives to give you lots of inspiration and ideas. 

Their Instagram page can be found here 

Pinterest here

and their website is here. 

 You will also find me on Instagram here; @jane.tyrrell where I share many more samples than I have the time to blog.

A little heads up before I go, as I do love to "enable", that if you use the code DIES20 over on the website there is 20% off the 4 new co ordinating die sets.The offer last for the whole of June or until the first stock runs out. I have lots more new release samples to share over the coming weeks so do check me out on Instagram.  My next blogged DT make for Visible Image will be posted here in 2 weeks when I will be sharing the fun I had with the set.

Bye for now,

Jane x