An amazing blog with crafting ideas from the most talented designers at Sizzix.

An amazing blog with crafting ideas from the most talented designers at Sizzix.

Recycled Soda Tin Floral Barette Above is a cool view of a recycled project made from aluminum soda cans. The flowers were cut out using the Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (Powder Blue & Teal) by Ellison die cutting machine. The teal is the newest color in the series and works just as well as the pink and black one. Big Shot Machine Lately, it seems like every craft show I attend has someone demonstrating and/or using a Sizzix Big Shot Machine or the Sizzix BIGkick Machine Only (Vintaj Special Edition) by Ellison that is created specifically for metal at their booth. I have seen people use such a variety of materials with these machines that it never ceases to amaze me. Even beyond that, is the projects people make with their die cut pieces. This tool appears to be one of the "must haves" for an avid crafter and recycling junkie. At the "Unique LA" show I attended recently, I watched my friend Stefanie Girard (author of Sweater Surgery and reporter for Craft Gossip), demonstrate how to use the big shot to cut shapes out recycled felted wool sweaters and make fun jewelry. These were popular workshops that were sponsored by various groups and organizations, including Craftside Publishing. The folks in attendance just loved being able to use the "Big Shot" to cut up the sweaters to make cool jewelry pieces like the ring below. For more great recycled project ideas, just visit one of her many blogs (included the card album blog). Recycled Felted Wool Sweater Ring Seeing all these cool demonstrations, has made me want to own a die cutting machine of my own. I have a very limited crafting space so I had to do a little research to figure out which machine would do the most for the price, size, and cost. The "Big Shot" retails for $99.00 (plus shipping) on the Sizzix website. I did a google search and found the price on the Sizzix Big Shot Cutting-and-Embossing Roller-Style Machine varied depending on the retailers and some of the specials they were holding on machine. Amazon offers it at a great price. Also, I have seen it sold with accessories in kit form at various scrapbooking and craft shows (ex: beginners kit, advanced kit, etc.). So the price can vary. The Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only comes with: Big Shot Machine (14-1/4 by 12-3/8 by 6-5/8 ) Multi Purpose Platform Directions imprinted right on the platform so you wont lose them (unless you misplace the platform) Pair of standard Clear cutting pads Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit The Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit on Amazon comes with: Big Shot Machine Standard Cutting Pads One Extended Multipurpose Platform One Bigz Die Two Sizzles Dies One Textured Impressions Embossing folder (these work with thin metals too) One Framelits Seven die set Ten Cardstock Samples Instruction Booklet My first question upon opening the box, was "what is this multi purpose platform for?" It looked a bit odd so I did the smart thing and read the instructions. I love the fact that the machine is so easy to set up. The cool multi purpose platform itself has flaps called tabs. Each tab gives the directions for using various dies, embossing and texture sheets printed right on it. The multi purpose platform is important because it shows many of the Sizzix products and how they are compatible with this machine. If you shop at the Sizzix website it has a button that leads you to all of their products that are compatible with the big shot. Additionally, the platform allows you to use other company dies, embossing, and texture sheets with this machine. The base of the big shot is sturdy which is helpful when trying to use the extra long dies like the "Suitcase" die (#657124). Upon reading the directions, I realized that the Big Shot cuts and embosses a wide variety of materials. Since, I had a limited amount of dies to test out, I decided to take advantage of my local craft store sale on dies and pick up a few to help me test out the machine's capabilities. Once I was armed with enough dies, I had a field day running different materials through the machine and trying out the dies. I tested an wide assortment of materials including, acetate, card board, corrugated card board, card stock, aluminum and plastic from soda containers chipboard, papers (different weights and textures), plastic, place mats, fabric, thin leather, some hand made papers, tin, sticker paper, rubber, and more using the Sizzix Die's. Basically anything that was less the blue felt material above is 1/8" thickness than 1/8" went through the machine. I tried out some craft wood that was the thickness of wall paper and very soft. It went through without any problem. I have listed below some of the different materials and results I got from testing the Big Shot. Aluminum Cans I started with some rinsed soda and energy drink cans then using an old pair of scissors, I cut up the cans. I wore my leather gloves to protect me from the sharp edges that I was bound to encounter while cutting up the soda cans. This was a smart move, as I ended up with quite a few sharp edges. I flatten out the piece of a aluminum and then ran through the "Big Shot" using my butterfly die (#654996 ). The finished piece was very cool and since this die is a butterfly and I could fold up the wings to give it more dimension. Burlap I decided to test a nice orange burlap place mat that I had on hand. I put a small piece through the big shot and used my Flowers Layer (#654982) die cut. It did cut the burlap but the burlap started to unraveled fairly quickly. So I decided to try the old stand by "Modge Podge" on the burlap. I used the my favorite gloss-lustre because it gives everything a little bit of shine. I applied it to both sides of the burlap (allowing to dry between applications). Once the material had dried, I ran it through Big Shot machine. This time it cut the burlap without any unraveling problems. The dried Modge Podge also made it easier to shape the petals. I added a bit of glitter to the petals, then attached a pin back to make it into a flower pin. Cork Board I tried a round cork board drink coaster in the machine that was a little thicker than 1/8". I found that it was too thick to run through the machine. So I decided to try a thinner piece of cork board (less than 1/8") and then ran it through the "Big Shot" using my butterfly die (# 654996). It worked just fine. Aluminum Can and Cork Project: I combined the aluminum can pieces that I had cut earlier with the cork board pieces to make some fun butterflies. Then my girls mounted them onto some plant sticks for one of many teacher's aid gifts that we have been working on. My daughter added some sequins onto the butterflies to catch the light and make it fun. I love that my girls can join me in using the things we die cut from this machine, as well as its' applicability to kids crafts. Felt Craft Sheets - Self Adhesive I wanted to use one of my "Hello Kitty" dies that I had on hand, so I decided that one of those self adhesive felt craft sheets would be fun to test the "Big Shot" on. I tried a single thickness and it worked very well. Hello Kitty Die Cut in Felt I decided to try a double thickness and it did not cut as cleanly as the single thickness did…so I think I will stick to a single layer of the felt for future reference. Second Project - Hello Kitty Tote Since the felt is flexible, I decided it would be a great accent on a tote bag for one of my girls. Hello Kitty Tote Bag Foam Sheets I received a really cute suitcase die cut that I was curious to try out and see if it would work with the foam sheets you can find at the craft store. The suitcase die is very long and requires using longer clear extended platforms to run this particular die through the Big Shot. The felt sheets were a little less than 1/8" thickness. I cut the sheet to fit the die and ran it through the machine. Running the extended platform through the big shot takes only a bit more work than the shorter ones. You need to hold them together until the die is 1/4th of the way through, then it run slowly through to get a nice cut on your paper or material. Needless to say, it worked great and the thickness of the foam made the suitcase a little bit sturdier than if I had cut it out from card stock paper. The foam did not fold as easily as paper would have and it did need to be stitched with thread to stay in the suitcase shape. However the end result was worth that little bit of extra effort. Foam Suitcase Plastic 1 liter bottles I washed out the bottle, then using very sharp scissors I cut the top and bottom from the bottle. Then I cut down the center and laid it under some heavy books to flatten it out. Once it was flat enough, I cut the plastic to fit the die. I ran the die through the machine and it cut it out quite nicely. It was very sheer so I decided to paint the petals before I put them together to create the flower in layers. I used the Plaid Enamels to paint the plastic and they worked really well together. Once the paint dried, I shaped the petals by pinching the ends and then put the flower together. Since it was plastic, I realized it would be great to use to decorate a pin wheel for the garden. Plastic Bottle flower attached to pinwheel Plastic Place mat I had a plastic place mat made from a harder plastic than the 1 liter bottles. The animal print just screamed to be used in some type of fun flower. I cut the plastic to fit the Flowers Layer die cut (#654982) and put it through the "Big Shot" using the extra long clear plastic pads. I was glad to see that it worked well cutting out the petals without leaving any sharp edges. Third Project - Animal Print Flowers Using the plastic flowers I cut out from the animal print place mat, I took the pad from my pergamano set so I could use a stylus to give the petals some shape. I glued the pieces together, added a brad in the center, and then glue them to pin backs so they could be used as a pin. The animal print flowers were so cute that I decided to add them to a gift bag to decorate it and for the receiver of the gift to be able to use the wearable pin later on. I also made some cute barrettes from some of the many flowers we had cut from the placement (which was a very large place mat). Rubber Shelf liner I picked up some the non-slip rubber shelf liner and put it through the machine using my Flowers Layer (#654982) die cut. I was able to run 2 sheets at a time with out any problems. It probably would have done 4 but I only needed a few flowers for this test. It did cut the through the rubber without any problems. I tried putting the petals together to make a flower but it was too thin to hold it's shape well. So I decided to coat the rubber with the Modge Podge and glitter to see what would happen. I let it dry overnight and it stiffened it up the petals so I could attach them to some flip flops to make them a little more decorative. They came out cute! Self Adhesive Plastic Shelf Liner This is a little thicker than most shelf liners, however, it cut without any problems. The girls used the cut outs to decorate journal pages and an old tag I had from a trade show. decorate tag Competitor Dies According to the information on the tabs, you can use the wafer thin die and other competitors dies on this machine. So I decided to give it a try. I had a set of the "Spellbinder Nestabilities" frames in my craft box to try out. These are so versatile and it would be fabulous if I could use them with the Big Shot. I placed one of the clear pads on top of Tab Number 2 (which means both tabs are under the pad). Since the Spellbinder frame die is considered to be fairly thin, I decided to see what would happen if I feed it through without the proper backing (foam pad). It went through without any problems but did leave deep marks on the clear plastic cutting pads. You can see below how clean this machine cuts through the paper. Then, I followed the actual directions on the tabs for wafer thin dies. I placed the die face up on the pad. I put a piece of paper stock on top of the die followed by a piece of foam and the second clear pad. It cut clean without any problems. Using the impression part of the die, was a little trickier. I put Tab Number 2 through the machine first to hold the platform in place. Then, I placed the Spellbinder Nestibilities die face up directly on top of Tab Number 1. Then placed the paper. I covered the die with two pieces of foam, and the clear pad I ran it through slowly. When I removed the pads, the die had left an impression perfectly, however it did leave some cuts on the piece of foam. I checked the Sizzix website and found that this problem is easily fixed by using the sizzix silicone pad and by following the directions on that packaging. However, for now at least I know it works with what I have on hand. Next I tried the Sizzix die "Shells & Starfish" (1/8" thickness). This is a fun little die with a summer beach theme. The shells and starfish on this little die are so cute! I put it through the big shot and using card stock and it cut through cleanly. I decided to try to cut another piece of soda can tin and I was surprised to see that it cut through the tin cleanly. Texture and Embossing I also read that you can use texture sheets and embossing tools with the Big Shot. I do not own any embossing tools, so testing those were out. However, I did have some texture and embossing sheets from other companies to test out. I decided to try one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders (Provo Craft) out in the Big Shot. I used a piece of aluminum can that I had cut from an energy drink. Using the enclosed platform, I made sure that tab number 2 went through the machine first. I placed the cutting pad with the "Cuttlebug Emboss Sheet" (Victoria) sandwiched between the top and bottom pad. I laid them on top of Tab number 1. I ran it through the machine. I carefully removed the aluminum from the embossing sheet. The design embossed beautifully and looked great on both sides of the aluminum piece. I then tried the "Makin's Clay Plastic Texture Sheet" and the "Shade-Tex" rubbing plates (Scratch Art) which are significantly thinner. I put a piece of foam down onto the platform, then I placed the texture sheet on it. I put a piece of parchment paper on it and then a piece of foam followed by the top pad. I ran it through the machine. The texture sheets are not made of the same material as the Cuttlebug sheet and they did not work well on this machine. Both did leave a slight impression on the paper but it was not much of one. I think the texture sheets you use on this machine need to be made of sturdy materials to work well, instead of the lighter plastic or rubber. For the money, this machine is a great investment because of its versatility and portability. My friends and I enjoy having outdoor crafting parties and often there is no electricity easily available. The Big Shot offers a tremendous potential for both my crafting needs and my upcycling projects. The fact I can use it too cut so many different types of materials is a real plus. I often switch between fabric projects and paper projects, to be able to use the machine for both is a not only a spacesaver but a money saver too! Also, having seen some my favorite recycling gurus out there utilizing this machine to create some really cool art is inspiring as well. I would highly recommend this machine, for its many great qualities and affordable price. Update August 21, 2015: Many of you have contacted me to find out when I will post a review of the newest Sizzix 660340 Big Shot Plus Cutting/Embossing Machine, White/Gray, well the current price of that machine is $143.00 with free shipping (if you are a member of Amazon Prime) so it will have to wait for a bit. My friend Stefanie purchased the Big Shot Plus Cutting/Embossing Machine, so I spent the afternoon checking it out and here are some of my preliminary thoughts about it: The Big Shot Plus Machine measures: 15 3/4 inches by 11 3/4 Inches with a height of 7 1/2 Inches. These measurements are approximate. The biggest draw of the machine is that you can feed your 8 1/2" by 11 inches papers through the machine to cut out the die shapes. I use the 12 inch by 12 inch papers a lot more, so I would still end up having to cut my paper to feed it through the machine. So I am not sure if spending an additional $75 for the machine is worth it at this time, with out knowing more about it. I not sure if you can use your collection of dies in this machine, as I did not have my collection of dies with me that day (and she lives 75 miles away from me) to test out and she only had regular 8 1/2 by 11 paper to use. The color of this machine is a simple white with grey trim look. It doesn't have the fun colorful designs that the regular big shot does but it really does not need it either. It is a nice machine to have if you have the space to store it. Because of its' size, it is not as portable as the big shot. However, it does not need to run on electricity which is always a plus when crafting on the fly. Tips for using the regular size Big Shot: Always use the right platform or cutting pad board with the appropriate die. Carefully place die or texture plate facing the correct direction (according to manufacturers directions). If you are new to using these types of machine, just know that the clear plastic pads will get scratched and cut over time. The die cutting process does leave its mark behind on those, so try to remember to rotate and flip the clear pads to get even wear on them. Local craft stores do not have a large selection of these dies in stock, they are trending towards the electric die cut machines which I think is a mistake. There is a need for both types, especially if you want to take your die cutting machine with you somewhere where there is not electricity readily available. Anyway, you can find a great selection on die's online. Check the Sizzix website to get some more project ideas to make the most of your machine. The Big Shot comes wrapped in a huge plastic container. If you cut it carefully, you can use that same plastic and run it through your big shot to die cut it and use it for craft projects or mini books. The longer dies are harder to push through the machine, but have patience and it will go through. I found that if I put a rubber anti slip mat under the big shot while using those longer dies it does help keep the machine it from moving as much. Leave me a comment, I would love to hear about your experience with this machine and hear what types of materials you have cut with this machine. The bigkick is a good deal if you like using the extended multi purpose platform. And it is cheaper than the Big Shot above. Update: June 22, 2017: I went to a class at Sizzix University where we used leather to make some fun micro travelers notebooks. The leather was pre-cut for our use, so I did not personally see them feed it through the machine to cut it. I did, however, feed the leather through using one of the embossing plates to give my leather a really pretty texture. We spritz both side of the leather and then fed it through the Sizzix Big Shot Machine. It took one person to hold the machine down (because my arms are not that strong) and I fed through the machine. So it can be done. The results are worth it.

OH NO my sizzix broke !!! I went to use my sizzix today and the handle turns but then jams and gets stuck noooo..... I looked to...

Hello there and happy Sunday! I hope that you are well and that you are having a great weekend! I am back today to share another new make created for the new Distress color, Prize Ribbon…did …

こんにちは^ ^ 今日はVillage Collectionライブで作ったビーチハウスとバーをご紹介させてください前回のブログにもこの作品の事を載せていますの…

Sizzix Big Shot Bearing Replacement: This Sizzix Big Shot was not cutting out the paper properly on both sides. The right side, closest to the crank handle, was not applying enough pressure to the cutting die. This suggested to me that the rollers had become misaligned and most likely …

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Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a step-by-step Sizzix tutorial using Karen Burniston's new Journey collection. You can see all the dies here, each one is so much fun and they work wonderfully together and in combination with Karen's previous collections. This is the inside of the card, a really cute indoor scene, with the super fun 3-D Chair in the centre. I love to create little scenes and to add photos to my pop-ups (see this tutorial too), and knew that someone had to sit in that chair, so I created a cozy reading corner for my son. We'll be doing both dry and heat embossing to create the different textures on the card. Since you need a door to walk into a room, I used Karen's Opening Door die on the front of the card. Let's start with the tutorial: Place the Chair pop-up in the Pop 'n Cuts Base die and die cut from smooth cream cardstock. The Journey collection has a new square base die with an ornate edge, but I didn't use it here, since I wanted a bit more space to build my scene. There are two embossing folders that coordinate with the Chair pop-up and we'll be using both here. One great technique to use together with the folder that has a table, lamp and frame, is the kissing technique. Ink up a stamp with embossing ink and stamp it on the embossing folder, on the side where the pattern is recessed. Ink and stamp again to cover the whole folder. Place the top of your die cut chair cardstock on the other side of the embossing folder (so that it lines up with the floor of your pop-up) and carefully close the folder and emboss. Sprinkle white embossing powder on your paper and watch how the stamped impression has transferred to the paper from the embossing folder, but only to the parts that aren't embossed. I removed the embossing powder from the chair with a small paint brush, but you can leave it too. Sometimes it can be harder to adhere things on top of melted powder, which is the only reason why I removed it. If there is any stray powder on the table, lamp and frame, brush that off too. Melt the powder with a heat gun. I decided to continue playing with embossing powders. Carefully apply embossing ink with a pen to the embossed parts, one section at a time and sprinkle with embossing powder. Brush off any stray powder with a small paint brush. Melt the powder and continue to the next section. I used silver powder for the frame and the lamp post, Seafoam White for the lamp shade and Vintage Photo Distress powder for the table, to give it a different texture. I did the table in three sections. You can use other colours of embossing powder and get a different effect. If you want to, you can leave out this step, and just ink the scene instead. Ink with Antique Linen and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink, using an ink blending tool. Watch the magic as the embossing resists the ink. Die cut just the chair again from natural sticky-back canvas and emboss in the Bubble folder. Adhere natural sticky-back canvas to a piece of cardstock and emboss in the mat folder. Love this texture. Adhering the canvas to the cardstock first, gives the embossing a bit more punch. Cut the mat out and fray the edges a little. Ink both the chair and the mat with Bundled Sage and Gathered Twigs. Our room needed a floor, and I love a wooden floor. The Darkroom Door Woodgrain stamp was perfect for this and was stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia ink. Place a piece of scrap paper at the fold of the paper, to avoid stamping on the wall of the room. Don't worry about stamping on the chair since we are going to cover it up. One of my favourite dies from the Journey collection is the Flower & Heart, which die cuts five perfect little hearts. I had a left over piece of mat board which had been covered with old book paper and die cut hearts from that. To further embellish my little indoor scene, I printed two photos in two different sizes. We always have cars everywhere you look, so I stamped two small cars. The books were stamped, inked and cut out, to be placed on the table and the room needed a little clock on the wall. I also used my favourite Birds on a Wire die (but for the outside), the birds were inked with Bundled Sage and Gathered Twigs. I ended up only using one of them. I also found a little heart ribbon as a table cloth. Adhere the sticky-back canvas chair on top of the cardstock one and glue the photo to the chair. I cut a little pillow from cream felt. Looks cozy, doesn't it? I placed a tiny photo in the frame. The clock was coated with Glossy Accents and left to dry before gluing it to the wall. I used a Distress Marker to add some detail to the lamp shade. Glue a ribbon table cloth to the table and place small stamped items on top. You can see the texture of the embossing powder and Glossy Accents better on this photo. Adhere the mat to the floor at an angle and place a small stamped image on top. I also stamped the floor with two sentiment stamps, added another one stamped on a strip of paper and used three of the little hearts. I used Core'dinations Tim Holtz Distress Color-Core cardstock (Bundled Sage) for the base. The front was embossed with the Bricked folder, sanded and inked with Gathered Twigs. Die cut the door from cream cardstock, ink with Antique Linen and Gathered Twigs and stamp with the Woodgrain background stamp, as on the floor on the inside of the card. Mount the panels with foam dots and colour the handle with Brushed Pewter Distress Paint before gluing it to the door. Adhere the door to a piece of torn old book paper and tape to the background. On the inside of the door (which is inked with Antique Linen), I stamped another sentiment, adhered the larger of the two photos and a word with Tim Holtz Label Letters. Coat the bird with Glossy Accents and let it dry before gluing it to the top of the door. Here's another view of the pop-up from the top. I can think of so many different things to do with this chair die. It is so much fun and imagine the face of the recipient opening a card with this pop-up inside. Thank you for joining me in this tutorial! Happy crafting! Anna-Karin Supplies: Surfaces: Sizzix Little Sizzles white mat board 6 x 13; Core'dinations Tim Holtz Distress Color-Core cardstock; Claudine Hellmuth Natural Sticky-Back Canvas; Neenah Smooth Cream cardstock; felt, old book paper Dies: Sizzix: 3-D Chair pop-up, Flower & Heart, Opening Door & Wreath, Birds on a Wire, 3-D Card Horizontal A2 Embossing folders: Sizzix: Foyer Set, Bubble & Honeycomp set, Bricked & Woodgrain Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Tiny Things; Darkroom Door: Woodgrain Background; Hero Arts: Antique Flower Background S5264,I love Books ST506, Come Fly With Me 331481, Going CL478, Home Sweet Home ST513; Artistic Outpost: Favorite Book Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black; Distress Ink: Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, Gathered Twigs; Versafine Vintage Sepia; Tsukineko Versamark pad and pen Paint: Distress Paint: Brushed Pewter Embossing powder: Ranger Distress Embossing Powder: Vintage Photo, Ranger Seafoam White, Silver Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Label Letters; ribbon

Introducing the Heartfelt Sizzix Collection a new collection by Eileen Hull. Get a preview of my latest collection with inspiring project ideas.

An amazing blog with crafting ideas from the most talented designers at Sizzix.

Happy Thursday My Blogger Friends! Countdown to Grandkids Arriving - 22 days to go! Today I want to share with you the special cards we made last Saturday at our SaddleBrooke Stampers Fun Shop. My good friend and fellow FU Buddy Ann - put on this Fun Shop last Saturday and it was all about Spirelli and how to make these amazing and creative cards. Check out the cards that we made............. Ann did an amazing job of teaching us how to do Spirelli ..... and basically ..... all there is to it - You wrap thread around any size scallop image and cross over and overlap your thread around the scallop image until you have the look of this amazing project. Ann showed us how to wind our thread around the scallop and then by adding some punched out flowers to the center of our Spirelli we created a quick and fun image that comes together in a snap and has all the WOW FACTOR needed to create a unique and very eyecatching card. My next card share was the last card we created ....... The same wrapping concept - but just done a small small small scallop - but done just the same as the larger one above. We did two layers on this card - wrapping our thread around the littlest flower first and then working on the bigger flower and then layering the two pieces together to create a Spirelli flower that has multiple layers. GORGEOUS! And this was to give us the idea of not only wrapping our spirelli thread around the circle pieces ..... but also doing our thread around the actual card was a fun way to learn to add Spirelli directly to our card and that just added one extra layer of WOW to our cards. This Spirelli was done with some amazing a fun copper metallic thread that Ann provided us with. I seriously love this Spirelli turned out.......SERIOUSLY a work of art! MANY THANKS Ann for providing us a SUPER FUN AFTERNOON of learning the Spirelli technique - and for also showing us how much FUN the Saturday Fun Shops are to attend. THANK YOU! I'll be back tomorrow to share with you part one of the cards and projects we made at this months Stamp Camp ....... Hope you can come back and join me for that share. Keep Living Your Dream!

I posted this origami butterfly card last week and many of you asked if I could do a tutorial on it. So here it is! With Origami you really need to see each step clearly as it can be confusing the first time you make anything. There are 11 steps shown here! I suggest you use a piece of plain computer paper the first time you try to make this butterfly. Once you get it - you can whip them out in just a couple of minutes! It may take a few tries to figure out the folds so don't get discouraged. I hope my pictures help you visualize them. To make the small butterflies that end up to be about 1 3/4" x 2 " I used a piece of Origami paper 2" x 3". I purchased my paper at The Paper Source but there are many places to get it. I like the colors/patterns they have and you can see all of the pieces that you are buying - most packages you only see the first and last piece so you're not always sure what's in between! For this tutorial I'm using a piece of Origami paper 4 x 6 and it makes a butterfly about 3" x 4". I made this one bigger so you could hopefully see the steps better. The smaller 2" x 3" size is best for regular size cards if that's what you are making them for. You should use a piece of double sided Origami paper - ie. printed on each side - since both sides end up showing and it makes it more colorful. Note: Although you can use any kind of paper, it needs to be light weight so you can make good creases and folds. Origami paper is best. So - let's take a deep breath and get started on it! My husband, Kent, was the photographer for me since both of my hands were busy!! Step 1: Hold paper with the longer side at top and bottom, front side up. Step 2: Fold in half bringing top down to meet bottom and crease. Step 3: Open the paper back up, turn it over & rotate it so that the short side is at top and bottom (Note - I had already made a butterfly out of this piece so you can see many folds - yours will only show the center fold!) Step 4: Fold in half bringing the top down to the bottom and crease. Step 5: Lift right side up to the existing vertical center crease - open the edges on the right side and squash fold it (push the top fold down towards you where my right index finger is) so it makes a triangle. Crease the edges. Step 6: Flip it over - front to back It will now look like this. Step 7: Lift up the right side to the center and squash fold this side - pushing the top down to form a triangle. and crease it. Step 8: Rotate it so the triangle is at the bottom. Step 9: Fold down the top inner corners and crease. Step 10: Now unfold those creases you just made - open the layers at the top and push the edge inside on the same creases (push where my right index finger is) - this is called a reverse fold. Do this on both sides. It will now look like this. We're almost done! Step 11: Fold down the front wings from the top on each side. Done! Phew! Good Job! And here is a 5 x 5 card I made to show you a large and 2 small butterflies. I used this designer paper as background as I thought it looked sort of like the bark of a tree where butterflies might be hanging out! This Origami Butterfly design was created by Ralph Matthews from England. It is just one of the many Origami projects in the book called "Minigami" by Gay Merrill Gross published by Firefly books. I highly recommend this book. It has patterns for dresses, hats, purses, ducks, flowers and pots, fish, stars, penguins, santa and many others! I purchased mine at Borders Books and you can also find it on Amazon.com Please let me know what you think of my tutorial and if you make some butterflies please link back here so I can see what you created! Thought for the day from Poor Richard's Almanac: "The good or ill hap of a good or ill life, is the good or ill choice of a good or ill wife". Thanks for stopping by today! Stamps: Paptertrey Ink Ink: Pitch Black Adirondack Paper: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Basic Black, DP: K& Co., Origami papers Supplies: oval punches, Dimensionals

mixed media, card making, paper crafting, Tim Holtz, Juliana Michaels, 17turtles, cards, Sizzix, die cutting

It’s Inspiration Tuesday and the Inspiration Team has even more Fresh Sizzix Ideas to share with you! Prepare to be amazed as you will find tons of creative ways to use YOUR Sizzix dies new and old to create gifts, storage solutions, mixed-media projects and more! You won’t believe it’s not metal once you see […]

Hello, friends! How is your November shaping up? Mine is proving to be quite busy, in a good way! Some new creative goals have solidified for me, and I’m hoping that the next step involves …

Watch my HOW TO Video where I create this Journal from Sizzix Designer Eileen Hull start to finish. Watch how to create with layers ...

Ale się cieszę, że mam tę ramkę (Memory BoxTiffany Frame 98401). Upatrzyłam ją sobie jakiś czas temu, a właściwie to ona kusiła mnie w Waszych cudnych pracach. Wykrojnik zdecydowanie trafi do pudełka z moimi ulubionymi.

Eileen Hull's Book Club dies collection are in the house, ya-hoo! This is a wonderful set of dies that work together so well as you will see in the mini I made to show you some of the Book Club die cuts. In this photo is a mini album that fits into a cute little storage box, all made with Book Club Dies. Scroll on down for a tutorial on the mini, and pop by later for a closer look at the storage box and another mini that fits in the storage box. You can find these dies in many local craft shops and online and I've also linked them to the Sizzix store. I used the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding to make the pictured mini album and the ScoreBoards XL Die - Card Box, Planner Storage & Organizer to make the storage box. I used Stamperia's Altelier paper collection for these two pieces. It is such a lovely feminine and vintage collection. On the cover I used the bookplate framelit die from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label to diecut the white cardboard core label underneath the fussy cut butterfly. I love how that focuses the eye on the center of the page. Then, don't you love that Moments title? That's cut with the Framelits Die Set 4 pk, Floral Arch & Words . Get ready for it, lots of photos to follow! I've photoed all the pages and then I've a tutorial at the bottom to show you how to use the Movers and Shapers Magnetic Die Book Binding die. The inside cover features a photo mat and belly band. On the right side page I've used a hinge from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label underneath the button to make it stand out. I made these two tags to go in the pocket on the left side, again using the bookplate die from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label. I also used one of the hinges to embellish near the top. On the right side I used one of the larger labels from this same set. I really love the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set, I've used it again on these two pages! There's the larger label on the left and a smaller one on the right. The Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket has the cutest little tag as part o the set and I've used it on the left page at the top. That die set also includes 3 little flower dies and I used those to make the flowers on the left and right pages. On the right side, I've used a scalloped circle embellishment from the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set. These sets are so versatile and full of fun dies. The right page has a flower made from the Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set. The leftt side is design paper and on the right, down in the corner is that cute little pocket and tag from the Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set. At the top is the scalloped circle embellishment from the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set. On the left page I again used the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label to cut some hinges that I folded in half and used to cover the holes in the tags that are part of the paper collection. On the right side I used the flower dies from the Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set to make the flower embellishment. Each of the pages in this mini is a pocket and each pocket holds one of these tags that I cut from a really old original Sizzix scalloped tag die. Supplies - Sizzix Dies by Eileen Hull used: Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label Framelits Die Set 4 pk, Floral Arch & Words Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket Other Supplies: MAMBI The Happy Planner Mini Discs - gold Stamperia Atelier Paper Collection Bazzill French Vanilla Cardstock - 3 sheets Really Reasonable Ribbon Tutorial for making the Mini Album using the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding dies Step 1 - Cut the Cover I used the Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Album, Mini to cut the cover, but you certainly don't have to use a die. Just cut two chipboard pieces 5" x 5" and cover both sides with design paper. If you chose to use the Scoreboard die, cut a cover as pictured below. The cut away the spine portion of the mini leaving two 5" x 5" panels. Cover both sides of each panel with design paper. Tip: Glue the paper to the mat or chip board before die cutting. That way you will get a well adhered perfectly position cover. Adhesive sheets such as these from Sizzix are great to use, there are many different options available on the market. Step 2 - Using the binding system You will need the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding die and a Movers and Shapers Accesory Base Tray. Measure 1/2" in from the top and bottom of your cover and then tape the Book Binding die to the cover lining up on the left edge of the front cover, so that it doesn't move on you. Now the directions for the base tray will tell you to place the die down and then place the paper over top but I was having a hard time with that so I put the paper down with the die over top. Guess I never was too good at following directions! 😅 Run the covers through your die cut machine. If you cut the covers separately, make sure you have them lined up perfectly so that the binding holes match up. Also pay attention the your design so that up and down designs are right side up and that you have cut the holes such that the inside cover is in fact inside. Arrows are pointing to the holes. Now you can bind the mini together using rings or ribbon. If you choose to use the MAMBI Happy Planner discs that I have used, you will need to cut away about 3/8" from the side so that you can insert the binder discs. Step 3 - making the inner pocket pages Cut 6 sheets of cardstock to 9 1/2" x 4 3/4" and score vertically at 4 3/4". Fold on the score lines making 6 pages. Step 4 - place 1/4" score tape on the bottom or use glue to seal the bottom seam on each of the 6 pages. This will form a pocket. Step 5 - Use the Book Binding die to cut the holes on the left side of each page. You can cut several pages at one time. So that my pages were perfectly aligned, I left one cut page imbedded on the die and lined up the uncut pages with the cut page. Then I taped the pages together so that they could not move, and ran it through my diecut machine. Step 6 - Again, if you are using the Mambi discs to bind, you will need to cut away about 3/8" from the binding hole side as in the photo. Step 7 - Insert the discs into the binding holes or use rings to put the mini together. Now you are ready to embellish all your pages. Tip: It is easier to embellish and complete each page before binding the mini together.

Today I have a really fun project on the Sizzix blog. It's a little Valentine book/card created with Karen Burniston's 3D Accordion Die and embellished with lots of dies from Tim Holtz. You can find the full tutorial HERE. Many of the supplies can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Remember to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10%! Sizzix Mini Rosette Die Sizzix Mini Flourish Sizzix Block Talk Die Stampers Anonymous Classics #9 Stickles Dry Glitter - Platinum Inkssentials Glue N' Seal Jet Black Archival Ink Ranger Collage Glue Stick Plus Corp Glue Tape InLinkz.com Thanks so much for stopping by - have a great day!

An amazing blog with crafting ideas from the most talented designers at Sizzix.

This month Eileen Hull's Art with Heart Challenge is all about inspiring you with Mixed-Media Sizzix projects featuring DecoArt Media products and techniques! It has been non-stop Mixed-Media May-hem at the blog, be sure to head on over and check out all the fabulous projects the team has been sharing throughout the month. You have a few days left to link up your own project and have a chance to win a new die! I used Eileen's new Vintage Travel die Passport Book to create an ATC display album. Isn't that crackle on the covers fabulous? I was perusing the Deco Art Media how-to videos done by Andy Skinner and saw his Mega Crackle technique – I knew I had to try it! (Check out his great instructional video for all the details.) The base layer underneath the crackle was created with DecoArt mists (see list below). Wow are they intense! Here's an ATC card base I made at the same time I was spraying the cover boards (forgot to photograph those, oops!): love those colors!! I almost hated to cover all that goodness up! But I wanted that crackle so I continued on. ;-) The butterfly is colored using watered down fluid acrylics. The color intensity of all these products is really amazing. Just a little bit goes a long way. The inner pages are stamped to form an area to set off the ATCs. I was trying to come up with fancy ways of fastening in the ATCs (non permanently) and ultimately kept it simple. I just have loops of washi tape holding them in! That way I can swap them out for new ones easily. Thanks for stopping by and I hope I've inspired you to go get creative. Many of the supplies I used for this project can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE at Inspiration Emporium to save 10% if you go shopping there. I will also point out that US shipping is always $5 and international shipping is just $10 at IE. ;-) Also, DecoArt just launched a new Facebook page just for their Media line. You can check it out HERE. Amazing eye candy abounds! Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Book, Passport Sizzix - Sizzlits Decorative Strip Dies - Spring Greenery Butterfly Duo by Tim Holtz Sizzix Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die Set 2PK - Mini Labels Set Tim Holtz Collection - Curiosities Tim Holtz Collection - Wallpaper and Wood Tim Holtz Collection Stencils - THS026 - Gothic Tim Holtz - Core'dinations Kraft-Core - Paper Stack Tim Holtz - Distress Watercolor Cardstock, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" Sizzix Little Sizzles - 6" x 13" Mat Board Pack Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Dandelion Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Tree Branch Archival #0 Pad - Jet Black Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Minis - Kit 1 Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Minis - Kit 3 Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Accoutrements - Buttons Deco Art Media Gesso, 4-Ounce, White Deco Art Media Crackle Paint, 4-Ounce, White Deco Art Media Varnish, 4-Ounce, Ultra Matte Deco Art Media Acrylic Mister, 2-Ounce, Purple Deco Art Media Acrylic Mister, 2-Ounce, Primary Magenta Deco Art Media Acrylic Shimmer Mister, 2-Ounce, Violet Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Diarylide Yellow Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Payne's Grey Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Cobalt Teal Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Quinacridone Magenta Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Quinacridone Violet InLinkz.com

I'm sharing ANOTHER Wrapped Journal with you today! This one is made of wool felt and that is one of the things I love most about Eileen Hull's XL Scoreboard Dies. They can be used with so many different materials like fabric, paper, leather, felt, cardboard, thin metal, the possibilities are practically endless! To make that fun button closure, I just attached a button on the spine and a button on the wrap cover and added a piece of ribbon to loop around, easy peasy! This journal is so pretty with the blue felt and paper accents! And if the paper looks vaguely familiar, its an old Bo Bunny collection of scraps that I had left over. To make that fun button closure, I just attached a button on the spine and a button on the wrap cover and added a piece of ribbon to loop around, easy peasy! I also used dies from the Journaling Cards, Flowers & Leaves set to make the flower on the front cover. Those dies are also part of the Book Club 2 release and are perfectly sized for this cover, don't you think? You'll notice that the right wrap cover is scalloped and that's because I used the Scallop Border to die-cut that edge. There are two Movers & Shapers borders designed to work with the Book Club dies, this one and a Floral Cutout. Another great thing, if you have the Passport Book, is that the pages from the Passport Book work perfectly for making the signatures for this Wrapped Journal! How great is that???? The Wrapped Journal is designed to hold 4 signatures so you can really load this book up with notes, photos, whatever you like to keep in your journals. Supplies: Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Wrapped Journal Sizzix Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Scallop Border Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 4PK - Journaling Cards, Flowers & Leaves Sizzix Scoreboard XL Die - Passport Book Wool Felt The Wrapped Journal is part of the Book Club 2 collection and it should be in your favorite store anytime now and also available on the Sizzix website. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

a blog showing almost daily paper craft and mixed media projects with a vintage style

Eileen Hull's Book Club dies collection are in the house, ya-hoo! This is a wonderful set of dies that work together so well as you will see in the mini I made to show you some of the Book Club die cuts. In this photo is a mini album that fits into a cute little storage box, all made with Book Club Dies. Scroll on down for a tutorial on the mini, and pop by later for a closer look at the storage box and another mini that fits in the storage box. You can find these dies in many local craft shops and online and I've also linked them to the Sizzix store. I used the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding to make the pictured mini album and the ScoreBoards XL Die - Card Box, Planner Storage & Organizer to make the storage box. I used Stamperia's Altelier paper collection for these two pieces. It is such a lovely feminine and vintage collection. On the cover I used the bookplate framelit die from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label to diecut the white cardboard core label underneath the fussy cut butterfly. I love how that focuses the eye on the center of the page. Then, don't you love that Moments title? That's cut with the Framelits Die Set 4 pk, Floral Arch & Words . Get ready for it, lots of photos to follow! I've photoed all the pages and then I've a tutorial at the bottom to show you how to use the Movers and Shapers Magnetic Die Book Binding die. The inside cover features a photo mat and belly band. On the right side page I've used a hinge from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label underneath the button to make it stand out. I made these two tags to go in the pocket on the left side, again using the bookplate die from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label. I also used one of the hinges to embellish near the top. On the right side I used one of the larger labels from this same set. I really love the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set, I've used it again on these two pages! There's the larger label on the left and a smaller one on the right. The Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket has the cutest little tag as part o the set and I've used it on the left page at the top. That die set also includes 3 little flower dies and I used those to make the flowers on the left and right pages. On the right side, I've used a scalloped circle embellishment from the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set. These sets are so versatile and full of fun dies. The right page has a flower made from the Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set. The leftt side is design paper and on the right, down in the corner is that cute little pocket and tag from the Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set. At the top is the scalloped circle embellishment from the Bookplate, Hinges & Label set. On the left page I again used the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label to cut some hinges that I folded in half and used to cover the holes in the tags that are part of the paper collection. On the right side I used the flower dies from the Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket set to make the flower embellishment. Each of the pages in this mini is a pocket and each pocket holds one of these tags that I cut from a really old original Sizzix scalloped tag die. Supplies - Sizzix Dies by Eileen Hull used: Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding Framelits Die Set 8PK - Bookplate, Hinges & Label Framelits Die Set 4 pk, Floral Arch & Words Framelits Die Set 8 PK - Bookmark, Tag and Pocket Other Supplies: MAMBI The Happy Planner Mini Discs - gold Stamperia Atelier Paper Collection Bazzill French Vanilla Cardstock - 3 sheets Really Reasonable Ribbon Tutorial for making the Mini Album using the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding dies Step 1 - Cut the Cover I used the Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Album, Mini to cut the cover, but you certainly don't have to use a die. Just cut two chipboard pieces 5" x 5" and cover both sides with design paper. If you chose to use the Scoreboard die, cut a cover as pictured below. The cut away the spine portion of the mini leaving two 5" x 5" panels. Cover both sides of each panel with design paper. Tip: Glue the paper to the mat or chip board before die cutting. That way you will get a well adhered perfectly position cover. Adhesive sheets such as these from Sizzix are great to use, there are many different options available on the market. Step 2 - Using the binding system You will need the Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die - Book Binding die and a Movers and Shapers Accesory Base Tray. Measure 1/2" in from the top and bottom of your cover and then tape the Book Binding die to the cover lining up on the left edge of the front cover, so that it doesn't move on you. Now the directions for the base tray will tell you to place the die down and then place the paper over top but I was having a hard time with that so I put the paper down with the die over top. Guess I never was too good at following directions! 😅 Run the covers through your die cut machine. If you cut the covers separately, make sure you have them lined up perfectly so that the binding holes match up. Also pay attention the your design so that up and down designs are right side up and that you have cut the holes such that the inside cover is in fact inside. Arrows are pointing to the holes. Now you can bind the mini together using rings or ribbon. If you choose to use the MAMBI Happy Planner discs that I have used, you will need to cut away about 3/8" from the side so that you can insert the binder discs. Step 3 - making the inner pocket pages Cut 6 sheets of cardstock to 9 1/2" x 4 3/4" and score vertically at 4 3/4". Fold on the score lines making 6 pages. Step 4 - place 1/4" score tape on the bottom or use glue to seal the bottom seam on each of the 6 pages. This will form a pocket. Step 5 - Use the Book Binding die to cut the holes on the left side of each page. You can cut several pages at one time. So that my pages were perfectly aligned, I left one cut page imbedded on the die and lined up the uncut pages with the cut page. Then I taped the pages together so that they could not move, and ran it through my diecut machine. Step 6 - Again, if you are using the Mambi discs to bind, you will need to cut away about 3/8" from the binding hole side as in the photo. Step 7 - Insert the discs into the binding holes or use rings to put the mini together. Now you are ready to embellish all your pages. Tip: It is easier to embellish and complete each page before binding the mini together.

Hello again! We are back again with even MORE Mixed-Media Mayhem with Sizzix and DecoArt Media. The Inspiration is bringing the WOW! once again. Let’s jump into the artful fray and see what kinds of Mixed-Media Mayhem the IT is creating this week… Anna-Karin has an absolutely stunning Passport Book Crackle Album to share with […]

Hello! I have finally created a journal using Eileen Hull's Sissix Journal die - actually I have now done two - will share the other one another time. This was my first and was a Skype Collaboration with Brenda Brown. I have been struggling to find my crafting mojo recently and Brenda came up with the idea of us crafting over Skype. So last week that is what we did - a 5 hour video / crafting session interrupted only by the odd cup of coffee and knock on the door. Here we are starting off..... Bad photo - lots of light through Brenda's window! Now Brenda is far better at recording what we did - so if there are any discrepancies in our posts - it is probably mine that is wrong! The plan was to each chose a stage that we each had to follow.... We started by giving our die cut journals a coat of paint and then a layer of weathered wood - so we could create some crackle later. We worked mostly with Deco Art paints and mediums. We then worked on front panels: 1. Brenda - brayer 2 colours - I used Blue Green light and Cerulean 2. Nikki - Dip, Drip and Dry - I went with Phthalo Turquoise - eeek ended up with a big splodge I didnt like and needed to fix immediately but I couldn't! 3. Brenda - Any stamping - I went with a script stamp and Seth Apters Turnarounds 4. Nikki - Stencil using Paint - hurrah my chance to cover my splodge! It was white chalk paint through Tim Holtz latticework stencil for me 5. Brenda - Wash or glaze a single colour all over - eeeek I didn't want this - but had to! Diarylide Yellow watered down (now my blues have all turned green - grrrr) (NB anyone wish Deco Art colours were easier to spell?) 6. Nikki - Use a stencil (again) in anyway - still trying to rescue by spodge and now overly green panel! I added ultramarine through a That's Crafty Dinky circle stencil and Quinacridone Magenta through punchinella. 7. Brenda - Edge it / Frame it - I added Black archival around the edges. Some of the stages..... We then moved back to our journal itself and both started looking for die cuts and embellishments. We decided the front needed something circular and some words but each did our own thing - still chatting away. I often facetime a friend on Cyprus and hate video chatting but while we were crafting it was good fun! Frappuccino? Having added the magenta to my panels I needed to balance my colours a little so added Reminisce Chalk paint over the weathered wood on the journal and then used some on my die cuts. (Seth Apter's Steering Wheel die to the rescue - had three on my desk which I adhered together.) Here's the back.... can you see the splodge - I can, but I think I rescued it! and my spine.... the insides... one signature made... need to add more and decorate inside a bit! It was time for the big reveal! We finally showed each other what we had done.... very different! Here is Brenda with her's - but do head over to Bumblebees and Butterflies for the real thing! Thanks Brenda - it was great fun and really helped motivate me again! We plan to do it again soon... watch this space. Nikki xxx

Hi everyone! This week we are having a 'thank you' theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show. I hope you will join us, and don't miss the wonderful DT projects. I decided to do a little red and well-worn suitcase filled with thank you cards. I recently read a book where a red vintage suitcase played a major role and it made me want to make a similar suitcase. I used the Sizzix Suitcase ScoreBoards die, which fits into the Big Shot, it is not a Pro die. All you need are the extended cutting pads, since it is an XL die. I did a tutorial using the suitcase die here, and also used it on this project. It makes such a cute suitcase, which can be filled with lots of different things. I embellished the front with a sweet girl, a ticket, mini paper clip and a piece of vintage lace which was coloured with the new Brushed Pewter Distress Stain. All the stamping was done on manila cardstock. I used school-related stamps so this project would work great as a teacher's gift, but it could be given to other people too, and you can use other stamps to fit the recipient. Cover mat board (or chipboard) with red kraft core cardstock. I used multi medium, since I wanted it to stick down well everywhere. When the glue is dry, die cut the pieces of the suitcase. Die cut the handle from plain cream mat board. Sand the covers to reveal the kraft core and give the bag a worn appearance. Then stamp it with some school related stamps using Archival Ink Jet Black. I stamped the inside of the bag, using a variety of school and learning stamps and inked it with Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap. Archival Ink Jet Black, Coffee and Vermillion (which is a great deep red) was used for the stamping. It is very easy to assemble the suitcase, since the die both cuts and scores. Use brads in the assigned places, I used a small pair of pliers to press the brads together, so that they hold the suitcase together more firmly. This is the back of the suitcase. I placed another piece of lace there, a stamped vintage typewriter and another ticket. I also cut a little tag and tied around the handles. After assembly,Frayed Burlap Distress Marker was applied to the scored edges, to hide the cream mat board. More stamping on the side. And a great vintage globe. Here you can see the inside of the suitcase with all the thank you cards. I made 15 cards, you could easily fit more into the suitcase, or also add small envelopes. This is the inside without the cards. To make the cards, I used my favourite technique for quickly colouring lots of papers: distress stains. I used the same technique on this mini-book, for example. It is so easy and gives great results. Smear Distress Stains on your craft sheet. I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone and Brushed Pewter. The Brushed Pewter is metallic, but reacts with water like the other stains, it gives a great effect to the cards (hard to photograph though). Mist the paper with water, on both sides, and dip/drag/smear into the ink. Turn the paper around and do the same on the other side. This gives you one side where the ink colours are stronger and more defined, and one where they are more blended and lighter. When the cards were dry, I stamped each of them with a school image using either Jet Black or Coffee ink, using the TJ Designs Vintage School Days set and Graphic 45 ABC Primer 3 set. Then I stamped them again with the great ledger stamp from the Stamper's Anonymous School Desk set, with Pumice Stone ink. I held the cling stamp in my hand, so that the impression wouldn't be perfect. Finally, I stamped thank you sentiments with Vermillion ink. These are the remaining cards. On the back of the cards, I stamped different images with Archival Coffee ink, using larger stamps that covered the whole background. I stamped two of each (and three of one since I made 15 cards). Show us your 'thank you' project this week, a very meaningful and also wide theme, and you can be the lucky one to win a $50 gift voucher from our generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp. Thank you for the visit! Have a great week! Happy stamping! Anna-Karin Supplies: Dies: Sizzix: Suitcase Bag ScoreBoards die, Tiny Tabs & Tags, Vintage Lace Sizzlits, Ticket Strip Stamps: TJ Designs Vintage School Days; Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: School Desk, Odds & Ends; Graphic 45: ABC Primer 3; Artistic Outpost: Home, Bluebird, Ephemera Backgrounds, Secretary Pool; Hero Arts: All Occasion Messages CL272, Find Joy CL497, Anytime Messages CL129, Sending Smiles CL490, Sweet Threads Labels CL510 Ink: Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo; Archival Ink: Jet Black, Coffee, Vermillion Stain: Distress Stain: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone, Brushed Pewter Marker: Distress Marker Frayed Burlap Surfaces: Ranger manila cardstock; Core'dinations Tim Holtz kraft core cardstock; cream mat board Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Paper Clips Adhesive: Claudine Hellmuth matte multi-medium, Ranger Glossy Accents

it’s day 2 of CHA sneak peeks and time to share my latest release with stampers anonymous. this new collection features an…

Stiftemäppchen aus Papier für das Notizbuch. Am besten gleich noch imprägniert so hält es besser. ich zeig euch wie es geht.

Happy Saturday and welcome to the Cafe! I'm thrilled you stopped in today to see what's brewin'... Doing some fun shopping while enjoying a yummy caffeinated beverage would be such a nice way to spend a birthday - at least it would be for me :) For my card, I used the following goodies: Concord & 9th Market Weekend Tim Holtz Brickwork 3D Texture Fades Embossing Folder

This is a photo heavy post, so get comfy if you have the time. Although I cannot tell you all the details on how I made this worn journal cover, I can show and tell the extra bits which I did to add to my project that are not in Tim's book on Page 35! Go to Linda's blog to see more ideas by the Curiosity Crew for inspiration. I started with a brand new Cover. Covered it with Gel medium Then adhered a sheet of gift wrap tissue paper which I had scrunched up. When the front was dry, I glued the inside and wrapped the paper round the cover. Now I had a textured cover, inside and out! I started on the front cover with distress paint and water which takes an age to dry, but I prefer it to air dry than help it with a heat gun as it seems to dry more interesting when left to its own devices! You can see how much paler it dries below! Once this was dry, I had run out of patience so I did the inside with a thin layer of paint and blended it with a baby wipe. This showed up the wrinkles nicely. Once this was dry (which was quick!) I lightly smeared some bronze paint dabber onto the raised areas of tissue paper around the edge of the cover, inside and out. Then I set about making the decorations for the cover and shopped my stash for trinkets. I added distress embossing powder to the clock die to make it look rusted. Here you can see how I plotted my layout before adding my stencils. I discovered a great thing about this stencil, if you stencil it straight first, you can angle it the second time and get a full second clock at the top! as per below! This is the finished base for the front of my cover. The inside looked like this before I added the cut off piece of clock die. I used a brad though my ribbon, the buckle and the clock die to anchor it all in place. This is how it looks from the top The clock face from the remnant rub fitted perfectly inside this Spellbinders cog die. For extra texture I added some flat backed pearls. The safety pin on the spine acts as an anchor for the excess ribbon once it is buckled up. The Antique bronze distress paint that I added to the metal cogs and word strip look almost gold in these photos, but they are quite copper in real life! I added the off cut from the front clock to the inside cover of the back page. This is the buckle closed, as if the cover was full inside. I am still working on the contents! Tim's buckle is such a clever piece of idea-ology. Functional and good looking! So this is my cover, inside and out. If you want to join in this challenge, get yourself a copy of the Compendium of Curiosities 3 and go to page 35. This is an odd numbered challenge, so the sponsor for the lucky draw prize is Inspiration Emporium who are giving a generous $50 voucher! Tim and Mario sponsor an awesome selection of goodies as the prize for the person's project chosen by the Curiosity Crew. To be eligible for this prize, you have to comment on every Curiosity Crews members inspirational piece and stick to the few rules Linda stipulates....

Hello! This tutorial has been a long time in the works and I've finally gotten it done! When Eileen's new dies were released and we shared the projects we had made for Creativation, many were very curious about how I put a zipper onto one of the notebooks from the sewing kit. So read on to find out! I used vintage patterns for the covers of the books. The zippered book holds a needle book and other notions. The Notebook Die makes books that fit perfectly into the Treasure Box! Check out this post from last month to see how to put the box together. Here is the whole kit and caboodle together with my mom's little Singer sewing machine from when she was a girl. (A gift from her grandmother who was a dressmaker.) Now for THE TUTORIAL! Putting the zipper in is challenging in parts and requires patience. Just a heads up. ;-) Step 1 – I prepared the covers first of course. On the outsides I used vintage pattern packet graphics. One had a horizontal format and fit perfectly right off the bat. For the other I scanned additional patterns and sized them to fit on the cover. On the cover insides, I collaged torn pieces of the sewing pattern tissues (not the vintages ones ;-) ). Step 2 – I used a die pick and the Tim Holtz ruler that has holes along the edge to punch stitching holes through the edges of the cover. (An old foam mouse pad makes a handy punching surface.) Step 3 – I glued sections of an old measuring tape to the spines of both notebooks and punched holes for the binding. Step 4 – Did you know you can use your dies to make foam stamps? Buy adhesive backed fun foam (or make your own), die cut your shape, and apply it to a piece of scrap plastic packaging. Here I used Eileen's retired Doily Bigz die to make one and stamped the insides of the notebooks with acrylic paint. Step 5 – The stitching begins! I held the zipper in place as I stitched along the edge with heavy duty thread (buttonhole thread). Having a piece of rubber balloon or a fat rubber band handy is helpful in gripping the needle and pulling it through if it is being a bit stubborn. Step 6 – Getting around the corner is a bit tricky but I just eased the zipper tape in. Step 7 – The zipper I had was too long so I had to shorten it. I stitched multiple times with the thread before the point where I wanted to cut it and also added a dab of glossy accents to hold the thread in place. NOTE: by ending the zipper right where the cover meets the spine, how far you can open the book is a bit hampered. (As in, you can't open it very wide.) In hindsight, I think I should have stitched it off another 1/2 - 3/4 inch or so beyond this point and tucked the extra zipper length into the book to lay alongside the spine. Step 8 – See the trimmed zipper (and see note above in Step 7). I wanted to make sure the stitching was very secure so I stitched back to the beginning to make it stronger. Step 9 – First half of the zipper is done! This part isn't too hard. It gets trickier sewing the second half because I couldn't open the book up very far. (See Step 7.) Step 10 – I had to stitch loosely so I had room to maneuver the needle in and out. Once I got a few inches out I tightened the thread. I stitched all the way around and back again to double up the stitches. At the very end I had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to get the needle in and out. Step 11 – I made a little needle book to fit inside of the notebook. I used the Passport Journal Die to cut the pages. (They fit perfectly in the Notebook die!) One page of felt and a cardstock cover. Step 12 – I decorated the inside of the cover with stamping and a cut from Eileen's Credit Card Sleeve Die to hold a tag of buttons and needle threader. Thanks for stopping by! Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-) Dies: Eileen Hull Sizzix Notebook ( Sizzix / SB ) Treasure Box ( Sizzix / SB ) Journaling Cards - Flowers & Leaves ( Sizzix / SB ) Credit Card Sleeve & Tags ( Sizzix / SB ) Passport Book ( Sizzix / SB ) Doily - retired Other: Sizzix mat board Tim Holtz ruler Piercing tool adhesive backed fun foam elastic vintage zipper - I shortened a 15 in one Kunin felt button hole thread Sizzix and Scrapbook.com links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) Sewing Box Notebooks by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel Scrapbook.com

i hope 2015 is off to a great start for you! the new year is an exciting time for so many reasons, but especially in the craft…