Trendy Tuesday – Circles
by Katherine Elliot
What”s an easy way to become a well-rounded paper crafter? Let”s take a short cut and simply use circles! Geometric shapes of all kinds seem to be on trend lately and circles are no different. A long lasting trend in the paper craft world, here are some projects using this easy to use shape and the tools you can easily find to help you recreate them.
Brightly colored embossing powder used on Laurie Schmidlin”s card below looks fantastic. She used a set that can double for great circle patterns as well as the fruit theme the set is designed for, Big Berries Cherry.
Card by Laurie Schmidlin featuring circle stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps Big Berries-Cherry set, image source Just Give Me Stamps
Pattern stamps of any kind combined with different size circle punches are a fun way to play with a circles on your card layout. Leanne Pugliese captures the sense of bouncing balls perfectly with her circle card…
Card by LeAnne Pugliese, image source Wee Inklings
Barbara Anders shows a clean and simple layout with just a few well placed patterned circles in her project.
Card by Barbara Anders, image source Paper Pursuits
Arranged in random patterns or placed in very specific arrangements, circle shapes can be easily applied to projects with many different themes and occasions. Check out these attractive designs featuring images, patterns and circle punches from Stampin” Up!
Fall themed circle card by Andrea Walford, image source Andrea Walford blog
Festive circle birthday card by Chris Smith, image source From My Ink Pad to Yours
Bright, cheery card by Erin Gonzales image source Hand Stamped Style
Here”s a simple reminder, to get the image or patterned paper perfectly aligned in your circle punch, punch it out while viewing it through the back of punch. You can do this with any lever-style punch, including the latest, sleeker body styled punches that are easy to store in your supplies.
Circle punch in action, image source Scrap n Crop
Circle punch, image source Stampin” Up!
Stamping and cutting circles are not the only ways to use circles in your projects. Try piercing circles with a simple piercing guide as demonstrated in Dawn Griffith”s creative and trendy project below…
Card with pierced circles by Dawn Griffith, image source Dawn”s Stamping Studio
Essentials Paper-Piercing guide from Stampin” Up!
Pierced circles are already prepared for your crafting pleasure in one of the latest Die-namics Stax from My Favorite Things.
Card by Michelle Boyer, image source My Favorite Things
Pierced Circle Stax dies, image source My Favorite Things
You can find some of the largest collections of different sized circles in the steel rule dies offered from Spellbinders. Spellbinders Nestabilities dies are designed in incrementally sized shapes to make layering easy for perfect placement on your projects.
Spellbinders dies, image source Create for Less
Card by Theresa Momber, featuring Spellbinders dies, image source Spellbinders Idea Gallery
Shaped cards are surprising and fun to receive and large circle dies make them easy to create. Simply keep the very top of your card fold outside the cutting part of the die to keep the card shape intact. Julie Fountain”s heroic Captain America shield card is a fantastic example of a circle shape card that is sure to impress.
Captain America circle card by Julie Fountain, image source Handmade by Julie
Combine scallop circles with regular circle shapes to add more style and glamour to your shaped card. Monika Davis shows off a beautifully designed shaped card in her project…
Card by Monika Davis, image source M.A.D. Stamper
Circle dies can help you easily make a window card, too. Combine circle stamps that match the dies for a well coordinated window project.
Card featuring Waltzingmouse Vintage Circles stamps, image source Waltzingmouse Stamps
Waltzingmouse Stamps Vintage Circles
Papertrey Ink”s Sketched Shapes stamp set includes trendy sketched circles and other shapes you can layer, as Tracy McNeely”s attractive project demonstrates…
Card by Tracey McNeely, featuring Sketched Shapes stamps from Papertrey Ink, image source In My Creative Opinion
After playing with this trend, punching or cutting out circles, don”t forget that the hole-ridden scraps left behind can be re-purposed as well. Using the negative space left behind from your circle cutting projects is a fashionable way to achieve a creative card layout. Check out these fantastically designed cards that feature patterns, shapes and images placed inside the cut circle holes…
Elegantly distressed card by Monika Davis, featuring negative cut circle design, image source Splitcoast Stampers
Modern negative circle cut card by Wanda Guess, image source A Blog Called Wanda
What”s your favorite way to use circles on your projects? I think I use this shape more than any others, and love all the circle themed layouts the talented artists featured today have created. We”ve come full circle on today”s post, so it”s time to close. Happy crafting, everyone!
Circles always seem to be a thing in any of the work that I do. I’ll have to check out some of these “circle options.” Thanks for the post!
Always nice to see cards using everyday shapes. I like all the colour combinations. thanks for sharing.
So many neat samples. Lovely creations. Thank you for featuring some of my cards. 🙂
I also love using circle elements of all kind, whether I cut patterned paper into large circles for scrapbook layouts, or smaller punched circles for card elements. LOVE these card designs, especially that super adorable one with the barking dog!! LOL!
Circles and spheres of any kind are indicative of “completion” to me. There’s no discernible beginning or end…everything just flows. These cards all demonstrate that. Such a simple shape that’s been made into such lovely inspiration pieces. Thanks for the great roundup of ideas.
These are fabulous! Love using circle elements!
Great collection of samples! Thanks for putting them altogether for us!
Love circles – they are always in style, Thanks for the inspiration!