Medallions have been popular in the paper crafting world for a few years now, but when I recently went to the craft store, I found that now they are really BIG. Big as in size that is. What I couldn't believe is how expensive they are if you purchase them pre-made. So as ususal I said to myself, "I can do that". So when I got an invitation to a close friends' birthday party, I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create this fun jumbo medallion. I haven't decided exactly how I will use it, maybe on her gift bag. There are a lot of possibilities.
These also fit perfectly with the birthday theme over a Stamping Celebration this week, so I thought I would enter this into the challenge as well. Would you like to make one of these too? Well, it is really simple. You will need the following tools: Computer & Color Printer, My Digital Studio software, a Big Shot Machine, the Clear Circle die (#114533), the Scallop Circle die (#113468), hot glue gun, and a scoring tool.
First, you will need to select the image(s) for the medallion center. I used the Happy Birthday from the Engraved Greeting digital download and the Dotted Circle from Enjoy Every Moment. I resized the images to fit inside a 3.75" Circle with an little extra room for cutting. Print a set of two centers (my medallion is double-sided) on white card stock. This is the image I used on the back. It's from the Punch Bunch Digital CD that I recieved during Sell-a-bration. Now center the image inside the center of the Clear Circle die. (TIP: the image will shift slightly when you die cut, so center the image perfectly from left to right, but slightly higher toward the top of the die to allow for the drag of the die cut machine.)
I used blue painters to hold everything in position while I die cut the image. You will need to cut two scallop circles from Real Red card stock. You will use the scallop circles as a base for the medallion. Now there are directions everywhere for how to create the acutal medallion, so I won't spend a lot of time on this step. Basically, I used traditional designer series paper because it is easier to work with. (Digital DSP tends to crack when fan-folded). I used the Pacific Point striped pattern from the Brights DSP collection. I cut two strips 3"x12" and scored it every 1/2" and fan-folded each section. I attached the two strips together end-to-end to form a cirlce and then flattened the center. These jumbo medallions require a lot of extra holding power, so I used a hot glue gun to attach the scallop circle to the front. After the first side cooled, I turned the medallion and added a ribbon hanger and tails with hot glue. Then I added the second scallop circle with hot glue to cover the mess and add extra stability. At this point you can use regular adhesive to attach the Happy Birthday sentiment to the center of the scallop circle.
Now all that is left is to attach it to a gift bag or present. It would also look great hanging from the ceiling, a door knob, or even turned into a necklace or pin for the birthday girl/boy.
Remember, you can purchase your Stampin' Up! supplies on my web site 24/7.
