Motivational Artist Trading Cube

Happy Tuesday, friends! It’s Day 2 of the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop and I’ve popped in this morning to share a fun cat-themed project I finished yesterday afternoon! Affiliate links are used in this post at no cost to you – I really appreciate your support! This is the 7th year that Janis has organized this amazing Hop and it’s going on until the 30th, so if you’re a fellow cat lover, come join us! There’s fun and games to join in every day, and Janis has lined up some pretty awesome prizes to give away at the end!

If you know me, you know that I’m a certified ATC geek and I just had to create another Artist Trading Cube to add to my growing ATC collection of cards, coins and cubes! This one features stamped cat images from a Laurel Burch mini stamp set I’ve had in my stash for a while which I colored with Karin Brush Markers. The ten stamps in this set are 3″ x 3″ which are the perfect size for a 2-1/2″ cube. Four of the ten stamps are cat images and since there are six sides to the cube, I duplicated two of the images but colored them differently. The computer-generated sentiments were left over from another project so I scooped them up to use on this cube – worked out beautifully! ;)

I cut the cube base from CutCardStock Curious Metallic Night cardstock and set it aside. My template is HERE. I stamped the cat images on Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock, colored them quickly with Karin Brush Markers (no blending or anything fancy) and cut them with the My Favorite Things Stitched Pinking Edge Square STAX Die-namics. I cut six frames from Neenah Classic Crest 110# Solar White cardstock using the My Favorite Things Stitched Pinking Edge Square STAX Die-namics and My Favorite Things Stitched Square STAX Die-namics which I adhered to the colored images. I adhered the images to the cube and added the computer-generated motivational sentiments, and then assembled the cube. The images adhere much better if you can press down on them while the cube base is flat versus already assembled.

So happy with how this turned out! ATCs of any sort are so much fun to create! Unfortunately, I don’t trade mine as the name suggests… I fall in love with every one I create and I want to keep them for my collection, lol! ;)

Products used:
Cardstock/Paper: CutCardStock Curious Metallic Night cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest 110# Solar White cardstock
Stamps: Laurel Burch Mini Clear Stamp Set
Ink: Catherine Pooler Midnight ink, Karin Brush Markers
Dies/Punches: My Favorite Things Stitched Square STAX Die-namics, My Favorite Things Stitched Pinking Edge Square STAX Die-namics
Accessories: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Artist Trading Cube and you’ll consider joining us! Pop over to the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop to get all the details! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,
lesliesig

Motivational Artist Trading Cube

11/1/20 Top 3 at Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge Blog!

Hi everyone! Happy Hump Day! I’m stoked to be back on the CutCardStock blog today with an awesome DT inspiration project featuring more of the Royal Sundance cardstock that was included in our Designer’s Pack – which happens to be on sale this month so be sure to get some! Affiliate links are used in this post at no cost to you. I really appreciate your support! I created a motivational ATC (artist trading CUBE) with a different word on each of the six sides! This will be an awesome addition to my desk showing a different ‘motivational’ side each day! ;)

This is the second artist trading cube I’ve made and they are so much fun! I’m sharing my template with you today so you can make your own! A 2-1/2″ cube fits perfectly on an 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheet of cardstock: On long side score at 1/2″, 3″, 5-1/2″, 8″, and 10-1/2″. Rotate cardstock to short side and score at 1/2″, 2-1/2″ (down to fourth horizontal score line), 3″, 5-1/2″, 6″ (down to fourth horizontal score line) and 8″. Using the photo below as a reference, remove the outer-most sections from cube base. Miter the corners of all tabs. The pencil lines in the photo represent the score lines and the thick black lines represent the cut lines.

I cut my cube base from Royal Sundance Felt Natural cardstock which is nice and sturdy, and an excellent choice of cardstock for an artist trading cube. Each side has three layers, so I die cut six stitched squares from Pop-Tone Razzleberry cardstock, six squares from Curious Metallic Chestnut cardstock, and six stitched floral squares (extra wide Washi Tape on Classic Crest Baronial Ivory cardstock used here) and layered them together so I had one for each side. I typed the motivational words on the computer on Baronial Ivory, trimmed them, and applied one to each layered square.

Let me share a tip – you want to decorate the sides BEFORE assembling the cube with glue. When adhering the layered squares to the six sides of the cube base, be sure to place them in proper orientation (up, down or sideways) so viewing is seamless. It’s easiest to ‘dry assemble’ the cube (without adhering) and mark the orientation prior to adhering each square. I put a small pencil number in the center which was covered up later when adhering the layered squares. When you have everything the way you want it, assemble the cube, tucking in the tabs and adhering one tab at a time. Here are shots of each of the sides:

And one more peek… so loving how this turned out! As with the rest of my ATCs (cards, coins and cube), I won’t trade, lol!

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: #10-2020 – Anything Goes
2. Classic Design Challenge: #10 – Anything Goes
3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: #144 – Anything Goes
4. Pammie’s Inky Pinkies Challenge: #2042 – Anything Goes
5. The Creative Crafters: #33 – Anything Goes
6. The Paper Funday Challenges: #22 – Anything Goes w/ optional Halloween

CutCardStock products used:
Classic Crest Baronial Ivory 80# cardstock
Curious Metallic Chestnut 111# cardstock
Pop-Tone Razzleberry 65# cardstock
Royal Sundance Felt Natural 110# cardstock

Other products used:
Dies/Punches: My Favorite Things Die-namics Stitched Square STAX dies, Spellbinders Classic Squares Large die
Accessories: Eyelet Outlet Extra Wide Butterfly & Flowers Washi Tape, Bearly Art precision craft glue

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s project and you’re inspired to get crafty! Be sure to check out all the awesome cardstock and other goodies at CutCardStock (adhesives, labels, stickers, pens, watercolors and ribbon to name a few). And head on over to the CutCardStock Facebook Page for more inspiration! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time!

Scrappy hugs,
lesliesig