Hi there, it's Therese, and I'm back with another edition of Take 2 with Therese! Today, I'm sharing two different ways to align these beautiful blooms, using the Flowering Hedge Press Plates!

Have you ever tried layering multiple colors using Press Plates, it can be a little daunting, but today I share a secret with you!  Altenew has made it easy, because included in this set, is an alignment guide.  

This Press Plate set has 3 layers of plates for each side of the image, so, to create the floral frame as intended that means that all three layers need to be stamped twice.  Why is this fantastic?  Because, now you can create these beautiful trailing flowers in any combination of colors that you choose.

Technique #1: Align Independently

The alignment guide has each of the Press Plates outlined on a clear acetate piece.  Each plate is color coded so it is easy to match the three layers. 

PRO TIP: But, if you need some extra guidance, you can also download the layering guide which is located with the product information.

For this first technique, I used some low tack tape to attach the guide directly to the chase of the BetterPress and lined up each of the layers separately, to create the Flowering Hedge.  Yes, that means lining it up 6 times, but the guide did make this very easy to do.

Using this technique meant that I could confidently use the co-ordinating die to create a frame and make it into an interactive shaker card.

Technique #2: Flipping It

This technique provides a quicker way to create the image!  It's perfect if you do not plan to die cut the finished ‘hedge', as I found the result was not as accurate because I was ‘flipping' the plates.

What do I mean? Instead of lining up each plate independently, I lined one at a time but stamped it twice by flipping the Platen (clear top plate) to stamp the image on the opposite side of the panel.  This saved me time as I only had to line up each plate once.

This time I added the alignment guide to the Chase, but used only two pieces of low tack tape at the bottom.  This created a ‘hinge' that allowed me to ensure that the plates did not move between adding colors.

TROUBLESHOOTING:  The hinge technique is also a great alternative if you are having trouble with the plates moving on the acetate whilst adding the ink to them.

Both of today's cards feature the beautiful sentiments that are also included in the set and having the coordinating dies made easy work for me to be able to pop them up for some added drama.

BONUS IDEA:   Did you know that Press Plates can be used with a Hot Foil machine?  Wouldn't these look amazing in ‘gold foil'?

Still not sure how it works?  Then you can watch the process in the video linked below where I share 2 ways that this guide can be used.

 

The Secret to Perfect ‘Press Plate' Placement!

Watch the video tutorial below to see how I made these cards. Click here to watch it in HD on YouTube.

I hope you are inspired to create using BetterPress plates using one of these techniques on your next project! If you do, don't forget to share them on social media with me, I'd love to see what you make!

Have fun crafting!

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