Tonic Magazine Issue 5 Ideas and Inspiration
Finally Tonic magazine issue 5 has made its way into my hands. I absolutely love my Cardmaking Collection kits which are always worth the wait but the Tonic set is the real highlight.
This Tonic issue 5 contains a rather unique 7-in-1 Tonic die cutting set called the Floral Cuff as well as a matching embossing folder, rubber stamp set and a beautiful selection of papers and toppers. Get lots of inspiration in this post with cards I've made using this set.
I recently purchased a new Sizzix Big Shot (I had the original red Sizzix from way back) and am now hooked on die cutting to make cards and other paper crafts.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for which I can be compensated.
Tonic dies magazine is available in selected retailers like WHSmith here in the UK. I get mine on subscription from moremags.com where it comes as part of the Craft Kit Essentials monthly kit.
Tonic is just one of the participating companies that supply the craft kits as part of Craft Kit Essentials. Each month you get a set from a well known brand. If you only want the Tonic magazine, you can also buy it individually from moremags.com.
1: Tonic Studios Floral Cuff 7-in-1 Die Set
2: Co-ordinating A6 Size Embossing Folder
3: A Set of 10 Image and Sentiment Stamps for Rubber Stamping
4: Beautiful Printed Papers and Toppers
5: A 68 Page Magazine for Crafting Inspiration
Above is the die cutting set that comes with issue 5 of Tonic's magazine. This is quite a unique die and not exactly what I was expecting from the picture.
There are 7 parts. The main "cuff" section, 5 flower dies which can be layered up and a fancy border die.
It's a beautiful die set, as you'd expect from Tonic, but there are some points you may like to know about it. The main point being that you can't really use the large die just as it is.
Here are the Tonic dies cut out. You can see I still need to trim around the edges because there is no straight border included with the set. It is very easy to trim round, however.
It is a interior die which is great if you like cutting straight into your card blanks with your die cutting machine. For those of us who don't do this, it means you still need to cut round it if you want to use it to layer up on a paper craft project like a card.
You do get the addition of the fancy border edge to cut that section out neatly but there is no outer frame for the straight sections. So note that it will take extra cutting time to cut this out for layering.
Also, to make the main floral die section look really good, you either have to cut the individual flowers out by placing those inside the die as you cut it which is a little fiddly. Or, alternatively, you can cut out the flowers separately and layer them up on top. So it requires a little bit of patience to get the best results.
When you get your die set, I highly recommend that you mark the dies with a Sharpie or permanent marker so you know which way up the individual flower dies go for storage.
Once you remove the individual flower dies from inside the floral cuff die, you will find that it can be a pain trying to put them back for storage because they will only go one way.
In the end, I marked mine with a Sharpie permanent marker so I can get these flower dies back in the packaging relatively quickly. Also it helps with placement if you want to cut these out from the cuff die as well.
This square card uses some of the free paper in the set and a "Have a Great Day" topper which I cut out and layered up using 3D foam squares.
I used the cuff section of the die on top cut out with a pale pink Bazzil cardstock and glued this with a liquid adhesive straight over the top of the card blank.
The flowers have all been cut individually from my Sizzix Big Shot in a darker pink paper and the largest flower was layered up and has a pink Swarovski flat backed gem in the middle.
To finish, I added some Swarovski gems and some Stickles glitter glue. I like Star Dust Stickles, Diamond or Icicle and use those the most on my card making projects.
Here's a fairly quick square pocket card that I made using the die as a pocket along the bottom of a square card blank. This card is flat enough for economy postage. I prefer to make layered cards but normally make flat ones when I know they need to be posted rather than hand delivered.
See my step by step tutorial here on making pocket cards using this Tonic die.
I cut the main die out and glued it onto black card. Using thin double sided tape around the sides and bottom edge allowed me to stick it onto the card blank and make a pocket area.
The top of the card is lined with the beautiful black paper that came inside the Tonic Cardmaking Collection kit and I used one of the circle toppers to make a tag that can sit inside the pocket.
My Sizzix circle Framelits dies came in very handy for cutting circles out on this design. Pocket cards are very useful for adding in photos, sentiments, gift cards and money. I do think this Tonic die works very well used as a pocket.
This is my favorite card that I have made so far from this collection. I made a custom gatefold card using the dies as side panels and added a heart topper from the set and silver key and lock dies.
I'm super happy with how this anniversary card turned out. As soon as I saw this die, I thought how well it would work on a gatefold style card.
I used a scoreboard to fold my own gatefold card from green Bazzil cardstock. You can't see the edges of the sides but I used the fancy edge border die from the set to cut those out and it really finishes the card off beautifully.
I cut out two panels of the Tonic die in a very pale green card and went to the extra effort of cutting all the flower sections out which I think looks best but requires a bit more in time and patience.
One of the large heart toppers in the set was glued to one side of the card and I added a silver key and lock which came from dies I purchased from TheWorks.co.uk earlier this year.
To get the best results from the Tonic die set takes a little time, using the co-ordinating embossing folder instead means you can make great looking cards really quickly. I liked this one I made in black which makes the topper pop out.
Using this die on cards does take a little work and time to make it look really good. I do think it is worth the time for special cards like the anniversary gatefold card I made above.
With the embossing folder though, you can make a good looking card really quickly. I ran the embossing folder through my Sizzix Big Shot on black card and cut along the fancy edge with scissors. Note that the edge die you get in the die set does not match up to cut out the border on the embossing folder.
I used a small amount of that gorgeous black paper from the set on the bottom of my card blank, stuck the embossed part at the top, cut out and used one of the toppers and added a ribbon bow and glitter glue to finish.
This design took me about 15 minutes to make so it was a very quick handmade card to make. I really love the style of that. You could use any of the toppers in the set or the stamps to make your own topper design.
Tonic magazine issue 5 is a great set. I'll be playing with this for a long time. The papers are gorgeous and there are some really nice toppers included that I shall use up in no time.
The die I will reserve for making special cards. I think it works extremely well for making pocket cards or panels for gatefold cards. The flower dies are very useful for layering up into individual flowers that can be used for any project.
I'll probably use that fancy edge die a lot on the bottom of cards just to give them a different look. Because I like to make quick cards a lot, I shall be making a lot of use of that pretty embossing folder and occasionally the stamps if I need a sentiment. I don't get enough time to play around with rubber stamping and I'd rather be die cutting.
Related Content You Should Also Love:
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This Tonic issue 5 contains a rather unique 7-in-1 Tonic die cutting set called the Floral Cuff as well as a matching embossing folder, rubber stamp set and a beautiful selection of papers and toppers. Get lots of inspiration in this post with cards I've made using this set.
I recently purchased a new Sizzix Big Shot (I had the original red Sizzix from way back) and am now hooked on die cutting to make cards and other paper crafts.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for which I can be compensated.
Tonic Magazine Issue 5 - Where to Buy Your Copy
Tonic dies magazine is available in selected retailers like WHSmith here in the UK. I get mine on subscription from moremags.com where it comes as part of the Craft Kit Essentials monthly kit.
Tonic is just one of the participating companies that supply the craft kits as part of Craft Kit Essentials. Each month you get a set from a well known brand. If you only want the Tonic magazine, you can also buy it individually from moremags.com.
What's in Issue 5 of the Tonic Dies Magazine
1: Tonic Studios Floral Cuff 7-in-1 Die Set
2: Co-ordinating A6 Size Embossing Folder
3: A Set of 10 Image and Sentiment Stamps for Rubber Stamping
4: Beautiful Printed Papers and Toppers
5: A 68 Page Magazine for Crafting Inspiration
The Tonic Floral Cuff 7-in-1 Die
Above is the die cutting set that comes with issue 5 of Tonic's magazine. This is quite a unique die and not exactly what I was expecting from the picture.
There are 7 parts. The main "cuff" section, 5 flower dies which can be layered up and a fancy border die.
It's a beautiful die set, as you'd expect from Tonic, but there are some points you may like to know about it. The main point being that you can't really use the large die just as it is.
Here are the Tonic dies cut out. You can see I still need to trim around the edges because there is no straight border included with the set. It is very easy to trim round, however.
It is a interior die which is great if you like cutting straight into your card blanks with your die cutting machine. For those of us who don't do this, it means you still need to cut round it if you want to use it to layer up on a paper craft project like a card.
You do get the addition of the fancy border edge to cut that section out neatly but there is no outer frame for the straight sections. So note that it will take extra cutting time to cut this out for layering.
Also, to make the main floral die section look really good, you either have to cut the individual flowers out by placing those inside the die as you cut it which is a little fiddly. Or, alternatively, you can cut out the flowers separately and layer them up on top. So it requires a little bit of patience to get the best results.
When you get your die set, I highly recommend that you mark the dies with a Sharpie or permanent marker so you know which way up the individual flower dies go for storage.
Once you remove the individual flower dies from inside the floral cuff die, you will find that it can be a pain trying to put them back for storage because they will only go one way.
In the end, I marked mine with a Sharpie permanent marker so I can get these flower dies back in the packaging relatively quickly. Also it helps with placement if you want to cut these out from the cuff die as well.
Tonic Dies Card Images Made from Issue 5
This square card uses some of the free paper in the set and a "Have a Great Day" topper which I cut out and layered up using 3D foam squares.
I used the cuff section of the die on top cut out with a pale pink Bazzil cardstock and glued this with a liquid adhesive straight over the top of the card blank.
The flowers have all been cut individually from my Sizzix Big Shot in a darker pink paper and the largest flower was layered up and has a pink Swarovski flat backed gem in the middle.
To finish, I added some Swarovski gems and some Stickles glitter glue. I like Star Dust Stickles, Diamond or Icicle and use those the most on my card making projects.
Here's a fairly quick square pocket card that I made using the die as a pocket along the bottom of a square card blank. This card is flat enough for economy postage. I prefer to make layered cards but normally make flat ones when I know they need to be posted rather than hand delivered.
See my step by step tutorial here on making pocket cards using this Tonic die.
I cut the main die out and glued it onto black card. Using thin double sided tape around the sides and bottom edge allowed me to stick it onto the card blank and make a pocket area.
The top of the card is lined with the beautiful black paper that came inside the Tonic Cardmaking Collection kit and I used one of the circle toppers to make a tag that can sit inside the pocket.
My Sizzix circle Framelits dies came in very handy for cutting circles out on this design. Pocket cards are very useful for adding in photos, sentiments, gift cards and money. I do think this Tonic die works very well used as a pocket.
This is my favorite card that I have made so far from this collection. I made a custom gatefold card using the dies as side panels and added a heart topper from the set and silver key and lock dies.
I'm super happy with how this anniversary card turned out. As soon as I saw this die, I thought how well it would work on a gatefold style card.
I used a scoreboard to fold my own gatefold card from green Bazzil cardstock. You can't see the edges of the sides but I used the fancy edge border die from the set to cut those out and it really finishes the card off beautifully.
I cut out two panels of the Tonic die in a very pale green card and went to the extra effort of cutting all the flower sections out which I think looks best but requires a bit more in time and patience.
One of the large heart toppers in the set was glued to one side of the card and I added a silver key and lock which came from dies I purchased from TheWorks.co.uk earlier this year.
Here's a Card Made Using the Embossing Folder
To get the best results from the Tonic die set takes a little time, using the co-ordinating embossing folder instead means you can make great looking cards really quickly. I liked this one I made in black which makes the topper pop out.
Using this die on cards does take a little work and time to make it look really good. I do think it is worth the time for special cards like the anniversary gatefold card I made above.
With the embossing folder though, you can make a good looking card really quickly. I ran the embossing folder through my Sizzix Big Shot on black card and cut along the fancy edge with scissors. Note that the edge die you get in the die set does not match up to cut out the border on the embossing folder.
I used a small amount of that gorgeous black paper from the set on the bottom of my card blank, stuck the embossed part at the top, cut out and used one of the toppers and added a ribbon bow and glitter glue to finish.
This design took me about 15 minutes to make so it was a very quick handmade card to make. I really love the style of that. You could use any of the toppers in the set or the stamps to make your own topper design.
Tonic Magazine Issue 5 - The Verdict
Tonic magazine issue 5 is a great set. I'll be playing with this for a long time. The papers are gorgeous and there are some really nice toppers included that I shall use up in no time.
The die I will reserve for making special cards. I think it works extremely well for making pocket cards or panels for gatefold cards. The flower dies are very useful for layering up into individual flowers that can be used for any project.
I'll probably use that fancy edge die a lot on the bottom of cards just to give them a different look. Because I like to make quick cards a lot, I shall be making a lot of use of that pretty embossing folder and occasionally the stamps if I need a sentiment. I don't get enough time to play around with rubber stamping and I'd rather be die cutting.
Related Content You Should Also Love:
Pocket Card Tutorial With this Die
Tonic Craft Kit Review: Is It REALLY Worth It?
More Die Cutting
More Paper Crafts to Enjoy
Tonic Craft Kit Review: Is It REALLY Worth It?
More Die Cutting
More Paper Crafts to Enjoy
Page Last Updated:
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CraftyMarie is a craft themed website by Marie Williams Johnstone. I love to craft in the winter and garden in the summer. I make handmade cards, papercrafts, crochet and seasonal crafts. I enjoy many of the more traditional crafts and hobbies including sewing, embroidery and working with felt and fabric. Thanks for leaving me a comment. Comments do not show up until I approve them. Marie