Create a Digital Die Cut Card

Audience: Beginner
Category: Techniques
Operating System: Windows 7
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5

While surfing the Internet for inspiration, I found some amazing cards with die cut flowers and butterflies. The unusual part was the way the artist didn’t completely cut out the shape, but left it attached to pop out of the card.

Image sources: Butterfly 1, Butterflies 2 & 3, FlowerMy joints don’t allow me to cut much by hand, and I don’t have a fancy cutting machine, so I set about figuring out how to recreate this effect using my digital scrapbooking supplies. In the Scrap Girls Boutique, I ran across a couple of actions that made this possible. First, I found ScrapSimple Tools – Actions: Punched Out 6301. This action allows you to create the die cut effect. Second, I really liked Action Pack: Mega Lift PS, which creates the lifted effect of the shape still “attached” to the card.

With both of these actions, be sure to follow the directions for installing all of the components (the Punch Out Action comes with a style that you will need).

Here are the steps that I used to create the die cut card:

Step 1: Place on your layout the paper that you want to cut the shape out of and place the shapes that you want to cut out (which I will refer to as the Original Layout).

Step 2: Open a new file the same size as your Original Layout to run the action on (referred to as the Action Layout). In the Punch Out Action, there are several options. For this project, I ran the SNU_SSSActions_Punch-Out6301-EmbInner Action.

Step 3: Your first set of directions will be “Hit STOP and drag an embellishment, paper or whatever you what to punch the shape out of. Make sure that layer is selected and then hit PLAY.” I actually went to my Original Layout and duplicated the paper layer onto the Action Layout. Then hit Play on the Actions Palette.

Step 4: Your next set of directions will be “Now add a shape or embellishment to ‘cut out’ of the Punch Out Layer, move to desired location and make sure the ‘Cut Out’ layer is selected.” I went back to my Original Layout and duplicated both flower shapes onto the Action Layout. Then I merged the flower layers on the Action Layout so there was only one layer for the action to work on.

Step 5: When you click Play again, the action will complete and you should have your shapes cut from the background paper. Your Layers Palette should have a Group similar to the one below. Duplicate that Group onto the Original Layout and turn off (but do not delete!) the other layers on the Original Layout.

Step 6: Add a background paper to the Original Layout to show through the cut outs. Then move the original shapes to the top of the Layers Palette and turn them back on, clipping a copy of the paper you cut the shapes out of to each of them. Merge each paper and shape. Your Layers Palette should look like the one below.

Step 7: The Mega Lift Action Pack has three sets of actions. Since I’m using a circular flower shape, I chose the Mega Lift II Circular Biggie Action. To see the background through the cut outs, I used a different option on each of the shapes and then rotated each of them slightly.

Step 8: Embellish your layout and share your creation with us in the Scrap Girls Gallery.