A Different Way to Use the Hero Arts Drop the Needle Die Set (Besides a Record Card)

I did not set out to make a summer card with this die set. I set out to rework a Christmas card and it turned out swimmingly.

I made a card using the Drop the Needle die set which was released last year, and honestly, I think this die got a little overlooked. When companies release a lot of dies at once, some of them just do not get the love they deserve, even when they are genuinely great. So when Hero Arts released the new Solid Gold Stamp & Cut and Vintage Vinyl Stamp & Cut, two sets that coordinate perfectly with this die, right as Christmas card making season rolled around for card makers, I knew it was time to bring this die set back out and give it a second chance.

My plan was simple: take a Christmas card layout from last year's Handmade Holiday Workshop, change the colors, and turn it into a birthday card using these new coordinating sets.

This card actually started during a Facebook Live, but I did not finish it during the stream, so what you are watching here is a full remake of the process from start to finish. If you want to catch ideas like this happening live and see where they go before they are finished, join us for our Facebook Lives, you never know what a project is going to turn into.  Tools and supplies list download is before the FAQ's section below.

I stenciled the background with the Hero Arts Twinkle Toes Layering Stencils in teals (little white splatter), and started building the record onto it. Once I added pink to the faux record and laid it over that teal background, something clicked that had nothing to do with Christmas or birthdays at all. That pink circle over the teal suddenly looked like a pool floatie sitting on water.

I got stuck trying to pick a center color for the vinyl record, and while I was staring at it, I could suddenly see a little critter sitting right in the middle of that pink floatie instead. My brain went straight to the Spellbinders Summer Camp die set. I was building this live on stream at the time, so I asked everyone watching what they thought, and the consensus was clear: skip the vinyl record altogether and go with the critter.

I already had the hedgehog in mind, and the second I thought of it, I could see the whole card coming together in my head. Before committing, I cut just the base of the hedgehog to check that the scale would actually work against the rest of the piece. It did, and that little guy in his sun hat, swim trunks, and ice cream cone became Hot Days, Cool Vibes.

Same die set. A Christmas card, reworked into a record player birthday card, that turned into a poolside summer card, all in one sitting.

Additional inspiration

Pro tip: If you have a die set sitting in your stash that you feel got overlooked, do not overthink it. I rarely start with a full plan. I usually just start making a card with whatever loose idea is in the back of my mind, and it is only after that first card comes together that my brain really starts seeing a different direction I could take it. A lot of it happens by mixing and matching dies while you are still mid-project, not by planning it out in advance.

Look back at a card you already made with a die that felt underused, and ask yourself what else that shape could become. You might be one color swap away from a completely different card.

This die went from overlooked to one of my favorite multi-use pieces this year, and I would love to see what you create if a forgotten die from your own stash gets its second chance too. Tag me or share it in Card Maker's Corner.

Make the card - grab the tools and supplies list here.

FAQ

Q: Can the Drop the Needle die set be used for a theme other than music?
Yes. This same die became both a record player birthday card and a summer pool card, just by changing the colors and swapping in a different coordinating die.

Q: What made you decide to rework an old Christmas card design?
The original die felt overlooked in its release, and with new coordinating stamp and die sets recently out, it felt like the right time to give it a second look.

Q: Do you always plan your card designs before you start cutting?
Not usually. Most of my best ideas come after I have already started building the first version of a card, not before.  Read this for additional insight.

Q: How do you decide when to change direction mid-project?
Sometimes a color combination sparks an idea I was not expecting, like pink and teal looking like a pool floatie instead of a record. When that happens, I follow it.

Q: Where can I get this die along with the coordinating stencil used in the record card?
The Hero Arts Handmade Holiday Workshop kit includes the record die and the Twinkle stencil set featured in this post. Shop the kit here.