Layered Landscapes Design Revealed

I've finally found the time to create this tutorial on how to make your own Layered Landscape in the Pazzles Inspiration software.  The previous post tells you how to assemble the pieces once you have them cut.

Start with a template of 3 panels like this:

 

 

My dimensions for the outside cutting lines are 5.25" wide x 4.25" high so that the finished card is 5-1/2 x 4-1/4.  The inside box is 4.25" wide x 3.75" high.  The kiss cut lines are .25" from each side.

 

Select your elements next.  I chose some animal silhouettes, a Christmas tree and a house.  Fit them inside the black box in the first panel in the template.  I usually move it off to the side so I don't mess up the other lines.  I keep in mind when I'm laying out the elements that there will be 3 layers and try to plan accordingly.

 

You now need to copy this box will all the elements twice.

Decide which box is which layer and remove all the elements except the ones you want for this panel, like this:

Above, the top panel is my back, the bottom left is middle and bottom right is the front panel.  You next need to connect these to the box.  To keep it simple, all 3 panels will be connected to the bottom of the box.  In the front panel, I added a piece at the bottom that overlaps all 3 elements as well as the bottom of the box and part of the sides.

Select all your elements and fill with black and change all lines to black.  Fill the box with white and send it to the back.  Then create another box that will encompass all the elements including the box.  Fill it with black and send it to the back.  It should look like the image below:

You're now ready to use WYSIWYG, which stands for What You See Is What You Get.  Select all the elements and both boxes.  Click on Shape, then WYSiWYG Cutting Transformation.  You can use the low setting. 

 

When the process is done, this is what you'll see.  They look identical, don't they?  Here's how they look in Wire Frame:

The image on the left is what you started with and the image on the right is the transformation.  You can delete the left image now.  Select everything in the right image and make the pen color black and remove the fill.  If you remove the fill first, you will not be able to see it.

 

Delete the outside box.  You can now move the remaining cutting lines back into the template panel.  You want the upper line to leave a 1/4" margin at the top and you want it centered in the panel.  Also watch for any small bits, like the space between the rabbit's foot and body.  This is so small it will probably not cut, so you can delete it.  This panel is done and we can move on to the second one.

 

We'll repeat the same steps as used for the first panel.

 

Create a base for the tree and fawn making sure that it overlaps both elements and the bottom of the box.  In this case, I also wanted part of the sides as well to make it more stable.  Change all pen lines to black, fill the box with white and send it to the back.  Create a box to surround all the elements, fill it with black and send it to the back.  Select all parts, then click on Shape, then WYSiWYG Cutting Transformation.

 

Delete the left image, select the right image, change the pen lines to black and take out the fill.

Select all the pieces (3 in this case) and move it inside the next template panel, centering as needed.  Look closely for any small parts that won't cut well or sharp angles that may need smoothing.

The third panel needs a base.  Change all the lines to black. 

 Select all the parts for WYSiWYG, delete the left image, select the right image, change the lines to black and remove the fill.

Move all the elements into the last empty template panel.  This panel is done!

 

Here's all 3 panels:

At this point, if you can't visualize how the card will look, group each panel separately, then overlay them.  Change the line color to make it easier to see, if needed.  Then undo until you reverted back to the 3 separate panels.

 

I hope you'll give this technique a try.  It's very versatile and limited only by your imagination.  You can add layers, change the size or use colored cardstock to vary the look.  The Pazzles WYSIWYG tool makes the whole design process SO easy!

 

And here's how the card turned out!

 

 

Layered Landscapes Tutorial

There still seems to be interest in how to assemble my Layered Landscape cards, so here's the tutorial.  I'm using the Colt Landscape card as the example.  Several of my Landscapes are available in the Cutting Files to members of the Pazzles Craftroom, including the sailboat, mountain lion, owl, deer, creek, bear, wolf and duck. 

These cards all have several things in common.  There are 4 pieces, not including the envelope.  The colored card base is 11 inches wide by 5-1/2 inches tall.  And the base are 3 kiss cut lines at 4.75 inches, 5.5 inches and 10.25 inches, measuring from the left side. 

The other 3 pieces are the layers, called panels - front, middle and back.  In this example, the rearing colt is the front panel, the fence is the middle panel and the cowboy riding the bucking bronco and the barn are in the back panel.  Each panel is 5.25 inches wide by 4.25 inches tall.  There is a kiss cut line on both sides of the panel 1/4 inch from the edge.

 

 

The back panel is attached first. 





 

The 1/4 inch edge on the right side of the panel is glued to the card base so that the farthest right edge is aligned on the second kiss cut line of the card base.  Note that the picture shows the reverse of the back panel.

Fold the back panel along the kiss cut line and lay it flat to the card base.  Glue the middle panel so the farthest right edge abuts the back panel.



Fold the middle panel along the kiss cut line and lay it flat to the back panel and card base.  Glue the front panel to the edge remaining, aligning the kiss cut line to the outer right edge of the card base. 

Now it's time to secure the left side of each panel to the card base.  Pick up all the panels and fold the card base at the kiss cut line on the farthest right side.  This will align the left side of the panels for gluing.  Fold the kiss cut line on the left side of the back panel to form a right angle.  It's easier to do this next part upside down.  Glue the back panel to the card base aligning the far left side of panel to the kiss cut line on the card base. 

Repeat gluing the left edges of the middle and front panel to the card base, aligning the edges right next to the previous layer's kiss cut line.  The panels should look like the above picture when done.  To get the 3D effect, pull on the right piece of the card base.

Here's the view from above.  You can see that each panel is 1/4 inch apart.  And yet, when closed, the card is flat and fits in a standard envelope, perfect for mailing.  I hope you'll give it a try!  Next I'll show how to create the panels in the Pazzles Inspiration software.



 

 

 

One of the next projects I set up on my Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter was a whole gamut of "Layered Landscapes".  I found out later that most everyone else calls them dioramas. 

 

I've made a ton of these with lots of different scenes.  The Pazzles software made it so easy to draw and the Library in the Pazzles Craft Room has thousands of images to choose - I really took advantage of that!