Tips and Tricks for Achieving the Perfect Rosette

Yesterday I shared the bag topper I designed for my monthly club – complete with a rosette and banners (you can see the project here).  I had never worked with the Designer Rosette Bigz XL die before, so I watched videos and read several tutorials – I knew I’d be able to crank out these rosettes in no time.  I confidently headed to the Fungeon to knock out a few when I realized it wasn’t that easy.  While the entire project is quick to reproduce, I spent quite a bit of time trying to make my Designer Rosette Bigz XL die yield the results I expected.  Here’s my first attempt:

I think you’ll agree that is not pretty.  After lots of trial and error and wonderful input from my Pals, I figured it out.  I’m going to share the tips that worked for me so that you can bypass the heartache and head right for the joyous result.   While you can score strips of paper with the Simply Scored Scoring Tool or with a paper trimmer, my instructions involve the Designer Rosette Bigz XL die.  After lots of investigation, here are my findings:

FINDING #1 – The paper you choose is important.  Like a siren calls a ship at sea with her beautiful song, you are going to want to make your rosettes with beautiful Designer Series Papers.  The colors and patterns make for a gorgeous rosette, (there’s a but here) but if you have never made a rosette before, start with 12″ x 12″ card stock.  The thicker paper is easier to work with.  As a newbie to rosette making, DSP will only frustrate you and make you feel like a failure.  Once you get the hang of the cardstock, then I will allow you to move to thinner papers.

FINDING #2 – The sandwich is crucial.  All Big Shots have slightly different tension points, so you will have to figure out the “sandwich order” that works best in your machine.  Here’s the order that works best in mine (starting with the bottom):  Rosette Die (facing up), card stock, Extended Premium Crease Pad, shim (came with crease pad), Extended Cutting Pad.  I saw other variations, but this worked best for me because the cutting plate on top holds the paper securely while it all runs through the Big Shot.

FINDING #3 –  Rosette Size.  This die allows you to make rosettes of all sizes – unless you want a ginormous rosette, you don’t need to use the entire die.  My rosette is 3″ in diameter – perfect for a bag topper or card adornment (although you won’t fit that bad boy in a standard envelope.  I found that two 2″ strips of card stock would work well to make this rosette size.  I didn’t have success with lining up the strips on the die (trying to get them close to the edge of the die cuts).  Instead, I lined up the strips along the side of the die (you’ll see that in a moment – first, I’ll show you the process I used for getting everything lined up.

FINDING #4 – Line it all up.  I needed to be able to line everything up in the sandwich before running it all through the Big Shot.  I placed the die along the edge of the entryway and used the “wall” of the Big Shot to line everything up.  Woo hoo!  I then added the pieces from there until I had my sandwich complete:

After I added the paper, I completed the sandwich, gripped it tightly and ran it through.

FINDING #5 – Save that scrap.  Because I lined it up along the edge of the die, I am left with a scrap piece.  You might be cringing because I’ve “wasted” the little bit of paper.  To the contrary, my friend.  What you’ve done is created a beautiful zig-zag shape you can use on another card.  You’re not wasting – you’re upcycling, my friend.

FINDING #6 – Valley, Mountain, Valley, Mountain.  Folding the scored die cut is easy – you just have to fold back and forth like an accordion.  I suggest, though, folding one piece and then Sticky Stripping it to the first section of the second piece before folding the second piece.  That way, you can determine which way you need to fold next on the second piece – you don’t end up with two mountains or two valleys at the intersection of the two pieces.  There’s nothing worse than two mountains in a row – nothing.

FINDING #7 – Sticky Strip doesn’t have to be a sticky mess.  You will need to use Sticky Strip to combine the two strips and to connect them on their ends (creating a circle of folded paper).  A lot of people take issue with Sticky Strip, finding it difficult to peel off the red covering once the Sticky Strip is applied.  I find that if I slide the tip of one blade of my Paper Snips under the Sticky Strip, I can get my blade between the tape and the covering.  Peel back enough, and I can just pull away the covering with my fingers.  I still don’t have an answer for then getting the static-charged covering off my fingers, but I’ve heard that the Embossing Buddy can help with that.

FINDING #8 – Form your Rosette on top of the Silicone Craft Mat.  To begin forming the rosette, simply press down on the tightly folded paper, working the flat side to the center.  There will be a moment in time when the rosette will simply snap into place (like pictured below).  Angels will sing, and a smile will cross your face.  Fold over the Silicone Craft Mat (once you’ve got it flat, it’s nearly impossible to move it ).  With the rosette flat on the mat, add a large glob of hot glue to the center of the silicone mat.  You want enough to fill the center (and a little bit over) when the rosette is pushed together.  Oh, this is getting exciting!  Once the rosette is pressed together, add a little more glue.

FINDING #9 – Press the rosette together – and HOLD IT.    Once you rosette has been pushed together in the hot glue, hold it there.  The glue will take a while to dry.  Converse with your friend, make a mental grocery list or sing a song.  Whatever you do, wait.  You do not want to let go before it’s set.  

FINDING #10 – Make it flat!  You want both sides of the rosette to be flat so that you can properly adhere it without a big mound of glue on one side, right?  When the glue flows over the middle, press a small piece of cardstock into the center on the top.  The bottom part is going to be flat because it’s pressed against the silicone mat.  You want to get the piece down quickly after the glue is globbed into the middle and before it sets. 

FINDING #11 – Craft with a friend.  I was so happy that my good friend, Sheila Coffey, was able to hang out with me in the Fungeon this past weekend.  While I had sorted through the “how to make the rosette” part of this challenge, Sheila helped me figure out how to use the hot glue gun to complete it.  She also helped me to put the final touches on this project.  Not only did my friend help to calm my nerves when I was stressing about this project, but she helped me to focus.  I also put her to work – she snapped some of the pictures you see above.  🙂

My monthly club group met last night to make this project, which gave me a great opportunity to put these findings to work.  Each person made their rosettes without problems, so the steps are tested and proven.  🙂  Here’s EveLyn and Tiffany, holding EveLyn’s rosette.  They are happy to make sure the glue dries fully before pulling up the rosette (they know the importance of Finding #9.

I hope these tips and tricks were helpful for you to be able to make these rosettes on your own.  If you have the die and haven’t used it, pull it out now, and make something beautiful.  If you don’t have the die, feel free to order it here.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

CLICK HERE to order Stampin’ Up! products 24/7.

Sale-a-Bration.  Sale-a-Bration is just around the corner.  Woo hoo!  During this amazing event, you have opportunities to earn lots of free products AND to join my Stampin’ Up! group with a great new offer – get more in your Starter Kit.  If you have thought about joining Stampin’ Up! and would like to join my team, please email me at [email protected].   Thanks!