Don't tell my husband, but he's getting a special Valentine this year. We were looking through some old papers a few weeks ago and came across coupon books that we had given each other on our fifth anniversary, when we had two little ones and money was tight. I decided to revisit the idea and give him one this coming Valentine's Day. Of course, in the early days, all these cool supplies and tools were not available to create with. Technology is a wonderful thing!
Sizzix products used:
- Big Shot Machine
- ScoreBoards XL Die – Notebook Pocket
- ScoreBoards XL Die – Box w/Scallop Flap & Flowers (coming soon!)
- Bigz Die – Hearts, Primitive
- Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Wedding Set #2
- Little Sizzles – 6" x 13" Mat Board, Cream
Other products used:
- Heart brads (Recollections)
- Wired ribbon
- Cream cardstock
- Mat board scraps
- Fleece scrap
- Spray adhesive
- Faux velvet
- Foam strips
- Strong double-sided tape
Box assembly:
- Run 6" x 13" cream mat board through the Big Shot using the Notebook Pocket ScoreBoards die.
- Center Textured Impressions folder at the bottom of the cut out box and run through Big Shot again. Repeat on back side.
- Using spray adhesive, adhere red faux velvet to a 5" x 5" scrap of mat board. Position Primitive Heart die on scrap and die cut with Big Shot..
- Cut a scrap of teal mat board to 2 1/4" x 3 3/4". Round corners if desired.
- Die-cut a small flower from fleece using the Box w/Scallop Flap & Flowers or other small flower die you happen to have. Punch a hole in heart where desired and poke a brad through the flower and secure to the heart.
- Use foam tape to raise heart and position on top of scrap teal rectangle.
- Mark and punch holes for three heart brads on side of box. Insert.
- Assemble the box and use double-sided tape or brads to hold together. Wrap ribbon around top of box and tie a bow. Adhere heart piece to box.
Coupon book:
- On the computer, lay out a 3" x 5" coupon book cover and pages, inserting desired coupon offers available. Print and trim to size. Round corners.
- Punch hole at top of booklet and insert brad or ribbon to keep book together. This also makes it easy to remove a page when a coupon is redeemed.
- Slip coupon book in Notebook Pocket box. Present to your lucky recipient and be ready to pay up!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
From my (snowed in) studio to yours,
Eileen
Red ... the color of passion and love!
In my last post, I showed one of my favorite dies hard at work for the winter holidays. Well, it's still winter here, and I thought I'd show it again, only this time for Valentine's Day. Actually, I demonstrated this project while at CHA and saved the final embellishment steps for this blog post. I LOVE layering, don't you? It's a great way to add dimension to any project. This is why I designed my Ornate Frame and its companion die, Ornate Frame Back to work in tandem or as separate design elements.
For the base pieces, I used a beautiful red mat board. I also used the following: torn strips of recycled men's shirts, buttons, bits of lace, metal wire, glitter, newspaper, Grafix brand metallic and prismatic papers, bits of scrap papers, rhinestones and a font called "Nasty" printed onto heavy cardstock with my Epson printer.
The first step is to die-cut Originals Ornate Frame and Ornate Frame Back. Next, gather up your different papers and recycled fabrics and start layering. I used a second frame back on the back of each piece to finish it off. The strips of fabric are used for the hanger and to create the tassel at the base.
Making the tassel is easy: cut the desired number of strips into the length you want them, then use a small strip to tie them up in the center. Glue those two end pieces down on the back side of the frame back. For the top hanging loop, use one strip folded in half and again glue to the back.
This is a great project for all ages because it's easy yet sophisticated and stylish. Who wouldn't appreciate getting a delightful hug and kiss message that can be enjoyed year-round?
Happy Valentine's Day, friends! I hope yours is filled with love and goodness ... oh, and chocolate too!
Brenda Pinnick
Join me on Facebook, too!
Hi! I'm Karen Burniston, a Sizzix Licensed Artist and the designer of the pop-up dies.
There may be snow on the ground here in Colorado, but it's still never too early to dream of spring! Here's a simple pop-up card to brighten someone's day featuring dies from the NEW Sizzix Spring collection.
The pop-up die I used on this card may surprise you; it's the Pop-Up Snowflake die! So many of the pop-up dies can be altered quite easily to be used for other themes. Think of the pop-up dies as 3-D "tools" that allow you to easily design upwards. If you have holiday pop-up dies and have stored them for the year ... dig them out! By using some of the fun dies from the other Sizzix collections, they are easily transformed into other themes. The Pop-Up Snowman, for example, makes a great Easter Bunny! (Stay tuned for a future blog post on that.)
Let's walk through the steps to transform snowflakes into flowers!
Your first step is to cut two Pop-Up Snowflakes and two base pieces from green patterned paper. For a flower pop-up, green is a great color choice because it will make the spokes of the snowflake look like leaves. Use coordinating mini-brads to attach the snowflakes to the base pieces and link them together as shown below. If you're new to the Snowflake die, there is a set of video tutorials to show you how to do this here: www.youtube.com/user/karenburniston1
Now let's use a Movers & Shapers die to cut a card with a window in it. I'd like to see my snowflake, which I will later cover with a flower, through the window, so I'll use my pop-up to determine where to place the window magnet on the die.
In the above photos, I've turned the Movers & Shapers die over and am holding the pop-up in the collapsed position right up next to the fold line of the card. I'll need to slide the pop-up vertically along that fold until it's in a position where no snowflake spokes are sticking out beyond the card edges. Now, while holding the snowflakes in that position, I'll slide my window magnet underneath until the center of the window is roughly centered under the snowflakes. I can remove my snowflakes now and cut the card using my Big Shot Machine.
I've chosen a pretty double-sided patterned paper to cut my card. Now it's time to use a strong adhesive to glue my Snowflake Pop-Up inside the card as shown. I used a strong liquid glue, which gave me time to make placement adjustments if the snowflake wasn't centered in the window when I closed the card.
Now comes the fun part – decorating! Die-cut the flowers and vines and layer them. For the center of my flowers, I used the Imaginisce "i Top" brad maker to make a coordinating brad that attaches the whole set to the snowflake. A button finishes off the decoration. Now repeat the process for the other snowflake (that brad is covered with fabric) and decorate the rest of the card. Remember to add a die-cut flower to the back of the left snowflake to be visible through the window when the card is closed.
To add the greeting, first cover chipboard letters with coordinating papers and then string them, with beads, onto a length of clear bead cord (or fishing line) Pierce a hole on each side of the pop-up so the cord can be knotted, taped down or crimp-beaded to the back of the sculpture. Use die-cuts for the rest of the decorations, including the butterfly, the window frames (use the Movers & Shapers with a square of paper over just the window part), additional flowers and vines. Use a decorative clip to hold the card closed.
Sizzix dies used:
656271 Bigz Die – Snowflake, 3-D Pop-Up by Karen Burniston
654780 Movers & Shapers Die – Card, Horizontal A2 & Four Window Panes (Kit #1)
656520 Bigz Die – Flourish, Floral w/Leaves
656522 Bigz Die – Flower Layers #5
656512 Sizzlits Die – Butterfly #12
Other products used:
Patterned Papers, iTop brad maker & brad parts - Imaginisce
Clip, Hanger - Making Memories
Chipboard Letters - American Crafts
Adhesive - 3 in 1 glue - Beacon
General craft items, source unknown - bead cord, beads, button, jewels, inks, charm, crimp beads, fabric
This is, of course, just one example of using the Pop-Up Snowflake die in another theme. How about hearts for Valentine's Day? Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day? Birthday, baby, wedding, thank-you ... the possibilities are endless!
For more ideas using the pop-up dies, visit my blog at http://karenburniston.typepad.com/i_am_not_lefthanded/.
For video tutorials on assembling the pop-up dies, visit my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/karenburniston1.
Hi to all of my Sizzix Friends,
My name is Kim Roberto, and I am the founder and co-product designer of Scrappy Cat. I have been so excited about sharing our products and ideas with all of you. My husband, Chris – our creative director and graphic designer – has been very busy creating new designs for you to enjoy through the Sizzix product line! Below is a project I created for you to use as a home décor item to celebrate Valentine's Day. I am hoping that through this blog you can get to know me better and I can get to know you, our Sizzix friends. To give you a little history, I have a professional business, marketing and communications background as well as television experience on QVC and Shop at Home. My passion is creating exciting products! My hope for you is that our Sizzix/Scrappy Cat products can bring a piece of happiness into your home. I would love to hear back from you.Feel free to send me an email to scrappycat3@aol.com. Let me know how you're using our Sizzix products, or just send me a note to say hi. Welcome to my section of the Sizzix Blog – I am so glad you are here!
Hugs,
Kim (aka, Scrappy Cat :-)
Created by Kim Roberto, founder, Scrappy Cat
Materials Needed:
Scrappy Cat Sizzix Dies
- Bigz Die – Frame, Lace Heart
- Bigz Die – Hearts, Sweet Treat
Scrappy Cat Clear Stamps
- Bloom SCR1017
- Designer Flourishes SCR503
- Pretty Blooms SCR522
Scrappy Cat Pigment Ink Pads
- Hot Pink Lipstick SCR5000
- Candy Shop Blue SCR5008
- Pineapple SCR5011
- Spearmint Green SCR5019
- Orange Fizz SCR5013
Scrappy Cat Patterned Paper
- Strawberry Flourish SCR630
- Kids Playroom SCR635
- Scrappy Cat Cardstock, 8x8 paper pad SCR3100
Other Materials
- Darice Brand Rhinestone Gems, Various Colors
- Darice Brand Pink Silk Ribbon 5/8"
- Darice Brand Brads, Various Colors
Instructions:
- Using the Bigz Lace Heart Frame by Scrappy Cat, cut out the hearts for the solid-colored cardstock. Put aside for stamping.
- Using the Bigz Sweet Treat Hearts by Scrappy Cat, cut out two hearts. For the first heart, use the Strawberry Flourish patterned paper. For the second heart, use the Kids Playroom patterned paper.
- Using the Scrappy Cat pigment ink pads, distress all of the heart shapes with coordinating colors.
- Using the example of the project, stamp the flowers and flourishes with the ink colors shown. Add rhinestones.
- Attach the silk pink ribbon on each heart so it can be hung.
- Using Darice brads, attach all of the hearts together in a chain.
I can hardly believe the show is over! My plan was to try and post a blog from the show, but the internet in my hotel room was not cooperating. My apologies ... What a fun time though—it was great to be able to connect with some of you. Thanks for stopping by the booth to say hi and taking a look at the new "Celebrations" line. I can't tell you how exciting it is to see these in real life! Do I look happy? :-)
Here's a closeup of a couple of the dies from the new collection. They will be available in June ... just in time for all of your special celebrations, like showers, weddings and graduations. There are four ScoreBoards dies, including scalloped and rectangular boxes, a teacup and cake. The other die is a bow for paper, and there are so many ways it may be used. You can see it below made into a Christmas tree! Beth Reames is one of the amazing Sizzix Designers who not only designs dies, but creates the cool samples that we can all enjoy and be inspired by. What a beautiful work- thanks Beth!
Next Monday I will get back to bringing you projects and techniques. It's almost Valentine's Day, for heaven's sake. Whatever happened to January? Thanks for stopping by, my friends!
From my (overflowing with new ideas) studio to yours,
Eileen
A personalized banner is perfect for celebrating special days. Whether you're honoring a person at a birthday party or at a bridal shower, you can customize a simple banner that can be a decoration and a keepsake at the same time. Add as many flags as you need to write your word or name of choice. The fabrics I used to create my banner are from my Sundrop and Snow Flower collections by Free Spirit Fabrics.
Gather:
- Assorted printed fabric
- Assorted velveteen or velvet fabric
- Tassel fringe
- Single tassels
- 3/4" wide ribbon
- Fabric glue (such as Fabri-Tac)
- Measuring tape
- Pinking shears
- Scissors
- Sizzix alphabet dies in the letters of your choice
- Sizzix flower dies
Create:
- Cut twice your desired number of triangular flags from the patterned fabric 13" along the top and 17" along each side. Cutting with pinking shears will keep the edges from fraying.
- Lay two triangles wrong sides together and sew a straight stitch 1/2" from all edges to join the front and back together. Continue with the rest of the flags.
- Rip two 1" x 25" strips of patterned fabric per flag. With a long basting stitch, sew 1/2" down the center of the strips, leaving long ends of thread. Pull on the ends to gather the strips to be 17".
- Sew two gathered strips to each flag onto the long edges. Repeat for all flags.
- Die-cut letters and flowers from the velvet fabrics. Glue velvet letters to the center of each flag. Layer small, medium and large Sizzix flowers with fabric glue and then glue them to the bottom of each flag.
- Add a single tassel to the very bottom of each flag with fabric glue.
- Lay each finished flag corner to corner and cut tassel fringe to this length. Pin and stitch flags in place on fringe.
- Fold 3 feet of ribbon in half and sew the folded edge onto the end of the fringe. Repeat for the other end. Use these ties to hold up your banner.
Raw-edged ruffles, store-bought fringe and tassels make this fun afternoon project. If sewing isn't your thing, simply substitute patterned scrapbook paper for the fabric. You can still glue the paper flags to ribbon and add fabric or paper embellishments.
I am all caught up in CHA mania and running in a million different directions, trying to finish everything up before I leave on Friday. I was stressing out about this blog post. Then I decided to give you all a sneak peek of something I have been working on for the show. Sound good? If you are going to the show, this project may be seen in the Global Gallery. 
This year the CHA theme is International Crafting. The challenge was put out to CHA Designer Members to design and create projects for each of 30 countries relating to their cultures and popular crafts. I picked the Netherlands and the theme I selected was tulips and Delft. Tulips are such happy flowers and I figured I could make a cool Delft style vase. Since I work a lot in foamboard, I decided to create everything using this medium.
For the vase, I started with a 16” x 10” piece of foamboard and scored it every 4” on each side with the height at 10 inches. I found an old stencil I had that was Delft-ish looking and adapted the design to look like tiles, a traditional craft and product the Netherlands is famous for. I sketched it in pencil to help with spacing and then started coloring in and blending with two shades of Copic markers. 
Is anyone else cold? I have been shivering for the last month or so! When I came down to my (frigid) studio tonight to make this project, I remembered I had picked up some pretty fleece remnants at Wal-Mart a while ago. One of my good friends, who happens to be a beautiful seamstress, has a birthday is coming up next month, so I decided to make a pincushion for her using fleece flowers.
The base of the pincushion was made using the Sizzix ScoreBoards Cupcake Holder, Ruffle, which I cut from pink mat board. Someone told me the other day that they used Nerf balls when they made pincushions, which I thought was a great idea. Of course, you can never find one one when you need it, so I used a 3" Styrofoam ball instead. Fleece was wrapped around half of the ball and secured in place with pins. The fabric tends to bunch, so you'll have to ease it in around the sides. An old zipper was cut apart and wound around the middle for texture and fun. I cut tiny flowers from the fleece on the Big Shot using the Flower, Build a Lilac die, but any small flower die you have on hand will work too. Arrange flowers randomly on the top of the pincushion, securing in place with pins. The ball was secured to the base with a glue gun.
The tag was made from a scrap piece of mat board cut into a small rectangle. The birthday candle (part of the cupcake ruffle die) was adhered to the tag, and the message "for you" was written in white. A tiny hole was punched in the corner of the tag and anchored to the pincushion using a decorative pin.
The soft pastels remind me that spring is around the corner. Until then, I will be crafting in several layers of fleece.
From my (chilly) studio to yours,
Eileen
Happy New Year! I'm Karen Burniston, a Sizzix Licensed Artist and the designer of the pop-up dies. Today's tutorial will illustrate how easy it is to incorporate the pop-up dies into your scrapbook layouts and still be able to operate them in your page protectors.
The pop-up dies will work marvelously on scrapbook layouts by simply adding a card to your layout. This gives the pop-up die a place to store flat and then, when the card is opened, ta da! It pops up! Adding cards to layouts is also a great way to create more space for photos and journaling.
Let's look at a layout using a pop-up die and then I'll show you, step-by-step, how to alter the page protector.
If you're like me, you took a bunch of Christmas photos recently. Now that we've survived the holidays, it's a great time to get started scrapbooking those photos, while the memories are still fresh and the Christmas scrapbooking products are still in the stores!
On this layout, I created a card using a sheet of decorative-edged patterned paper, added sequins to the decorative edges, and then glued the card near the top of my layout. A magnet keeps the card closed and another magnet, hidden under the right border, keeps the card open.
Once the card is opened, the Pop-Up Sleigh with coordinating Sizzlits Santa Set pop up, creating the perfect scene for a layout dedicated to Christmas Eve!
Sizzix Dies Used:
656270 Bigz Die - Sleigh, 3D
656266 Sizzlits 3-Die Set - Santa
656265 Sizzlits 3-Die Set - Christmas Ornaments & Phrase
656151 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders - Medallions, Frame & Damask
655448 Sizzlits Alphabet Set - Go Go Boots
655112 Sizzlits Decorative Strip Alphabet - Naturally Serif
654985 Originals Die - Circles #2
Other Products Used:
Patterned Papers - Little Yellow Bicycle, Bo Bunny
Chipboard Reindeer and Elements - Little Yellow Bicycle
Sequins - Doodlebug
Magnets - Basic Grey
Stickles - Ranger
General items - ribbon, brads, charm, cardstock, letter rub-ons, cording
Now let's look at how to alter a page protector so the layout can be operated in an album. First, slide the finished layout into your preferred brand of page protector (any brand, any style).
Next, you'll want to mark the edges of your card. I prefer using a paper piercer for this step, being careful to only pierce the page protector itself, not my layout. For a square or rectangular card, lightly pierce the four corners of the card. For a decorative-shaped card like this one, I'll need to do a little more work. I've marked the photo below with yellow dash lines to show how I'll go around the contours of the card, lightly piercing guide holes to show me the shape and location of the card. The fold, or hinge, side of the card (in my case, the right edge) does not need to be marked.
After marking the contours of the card, it's time to remove my layout from the page protector and slide a cutting mat inside the page protector. For straight cards (and the top edge of my card) you should use a ruler to cut a nice straight line. For curvy lines, it may be easier to switch to a pair of detail scissors and carefully cut along the pierce lines.
Remember, you don't want to cut all four sides of the card; leave the hinged side connected. You'll end up with the same shaped "card" cut into the top of your page protector as shown below.
Now it's time to put the layout back in the page protector. The card on the layout will line up perfectly with the card in the page protector, allowing it to open. To keep my page protector card from flapping around, I like to use a small stapler to attach it to the edge of the card in an inconspicuous location.
And there you have it! One custom page protector to fit my pop-up layout. This layout can go right into my album, completely protected, and still be opened easily!
For more ideas using the pop-up dies, visit my blog at http://karenburniston.typepad.com/i_am_not_lefthanded/.
For video tutorials on assembling the pop-up dies, visit my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/karenburniston1.
Hope you all had a great holiday season and are well rested. The beginning of January is a good time to review your activities in the past year and consider what you would like to change in 2010. I have noticed that increased time on the computer results in increased pants size! My goal is to spend 20 minutes MOVING, whether it's washing the floor, walking to the store or 20 trips up and down the stairs each day.
This gave me an idea for the Sizzix memo holder. Every Sunday night I will take a minute to jot down a 20-minute activity for each day of the following week on a sticky note and post it on our big calendar to keep me on track. A project like this requires an eye-catching color – what's better than red to get your attention? I found this cool embossed felt in Hobby Lobby – perfect material for the job!
You will need:
- Sizzix Big Shot Machine
- Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Memo Holder
- 6" x 13" mat board
- spray adhesive
- embossed or regular felt
- rubber stamp and ink
- ribbon for handle
- 5" piece of 1/4" elastic
- stapler (I used my new Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher – thanks Kim!)
1. Cover one side of mat board and wrong side of felt with spray adhesive. Place felt right side up on mat board and position on die with right side facing the blade. Roll through the Big Shot.
2. Stamp design on inside of memo holder in coordinating colors, matching design at folds, if necessary. Ink edges.
3. Open folder and mark where you would like elastic. Staple elastic to inside of folder.
4. Loop ribbon through handles and tie knot.
5. Add sticky notes (I usually use double-sided tape to make sure that the pad is secured to the back).
6. Embellish with scrap mat board and die-cut flower that comes with memo holder.
On Wednesday, January 6 at 11 AM, our seventh Sizzix ScoreBoards Blog Hop will go live. I invite you all to join me for more exciting and innovative ways to use the ScoreBoards dies. My designer friends have been hard at work creating their versions of the Memo Holder. Visit www.eileenhull.blogspot.com to see my project and a list of links to the super creative ScoreBoards Designers!
Happy crafting in 2010, my friends ...
From my studio to yours,
Eileen
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you enjoyed some relaxing time at home with those you love. I have all four of my children coming in this week, including my son just back from Iraq!
But now to the project at hand … I love buying gift wrap. There are so many patterns, colors and textures to choose from. Here's a quick project to use those last few inches of wrapping paper on the roll, or, if you are a careful unwrapper, previously used gift wrap.
You will need:
- Sizzix Big Shot Machine
- Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Box w/Lid
- 1 piece of 6" x 13" mat board
- 2 pieces of 6" x 13" gift wrap
- Spray adhesive
- Zip Dry paper glue
- 1/4" double-sided tape
- Ribbon
- Rubber bands
- Embellishments
1. Cut two strips of coordinating wrapping paper measuring 6" x 13". Using spray adhesive, adhere paper to each side of the mat board. Determine which side of the mat board you would like to be on the outside of the box, lay that side right side down on top of the ScoreBoards die and roll through the Big Shot.
2. Fold the box and lid up into box shape. Wrap a strong rubber band around each piece. Run Zip Dry glue down each corner of the bottom of the box. Repeat with top of box but leave two corners unglued. The section that is not glued will be the hinge at the back of the box. If you are using glossy paper, you may have to apply a second coat of glue.
3. On the back of the lid, center, mark and punch two brad holes. Position lid on top of the box bottom and trace holes. Punch holes out and apply a strip of double-sided tape where lid will hinge. Place lid on box and insert brads.
4. Apply double-sided tape to back of ribbon strip and place along outer rim of box lid. Trim as necessary.
Add embellishments to box. The box and lid fit snugly together, so no closure is necessary.
These would make great favor boxes for New Year's Eve parties or personalized gift boxes. Mine is going to my good friend Kim with a surprise inside.
Best wishes for a safe and healthy New Year!
From my studio to yours,
Eileen
Happy Holidays! I'm Karen Burniston, a Sizzix Licensed Artist and the designer of the pop-up dies. In honor of Christmas week, I thought I'd show off six of the pop-up dies in one holiday-themed album. I'll add photos to the album after Christmas, but in the meantime, let's take a look at the pop-up dies in action!
I started with a Bo Bunny chipboard "Believe" word album. The album is intended to be bound with rings, but pop-ups don't work well in "sloshy" bindings, so instead of using rings, I bound each page to the next one using folded paper cards. Each "card" has three close parallel folds, creating a thick card that gives the pop-ups some breathing room. Each page stays closed with hook/loop fasteners, and the finished album is over 2 inches thick and stands up beautifully for display.
As each letter is turned, a pop-up is revealed. The first couple of cards are small, so I had to do some modifications to the pop-ups to make them fit. In the first card, I used the Pop-Up Cake die but used only two tiers instead of three so it would be small enough to fit. The Bigz Circle, Scallop die works great as a cake plate. For the patterned paper side tiers, I first ran them through a crimper, which helps to disguise the side folds that are necessary for the cake to fold flat. Some candy cane confetti and a metal snowflake charm complete this sweet holiday treat!
The next letter reveals a pop-up ornament that is actually made using the bottom half of the Pop-Up Snowman die. Before assembling the ornament, I first embossed the pieces using the Dots Textured Impressions folder. A glittery silver top and wire/bead hanger complete the ornament, and for fun, I added a sprig of artificial evergreen. (I'm sure nobody will notice that bare spot on my staircase garland!)
I had a lot of fun creating the gingerbread house for the next card. I started with the Pop-Up House die and cut an extra set of roof panels to emboss with the Argyle Textured Impressions folder for that traditional roof design. Brenda Pinnick's Candy Sizzlits Decorative Strip was perfect for peppermints. I strung some gingerbread man confetti on wire and even dressed one as Santa and attached him to the chimney!
Sizzix steel-rule dies can cut so much more than paper. For the next pop-up I wanted to use a piece of green burlap for the tree. First I used spray adhesive to add the burlap to a piece of green cardstock, and then I die-cut the pieces for the Pop-Up Christmas Tree. Before assembling, I sewed candy cane confetti to the tree pieces, making sure to avoid the notches and slots that are necessary for putting the tree together. This one went together quickly and easily. If you're not keen on sewing, just use a strong liquid glue that dries clear.
If you've been wanting to get started making pop-ups but aren't sure which die to buy, consider the Pop-Up Spinning Platform die; it is the most generic and versatile of all the pop-up dies. The die creates the platform, which spins any embellishment up into place. It's a great way to present a gift card and can also be decorated with any embellishment in any theme. For this next card I used the Pop-Up Snowflake die as a flat snowflake glued to both sides of the platform. By using textured paper, glitter, fancy brads and confetti on jump rings, I was able to create a snow scene in minutes! The Decorative Accents #2 die adds elegance.
The final pop-up in the album is the Pop-Up Snowman die, this time with his head left on! Instead of using the pop-up carrot nose that is included on the die, I cut a triangle of orange felt and pointed it upward so it would appear that the snowman is watching the snow fall and trying to catch snowflakes. Tiny black pom-poms finish his face, and the Santa hat is visible when the album is closed.
Although there is room on every page to add small photos around the pop-ups, I also wanted a spot to add some larger photos, so the final spread in the album is left pop-up-free and ready for photos.
All of the ideas shown in this album can be used individually, for cards, albums and scrapbook pages, so if you're not ready to dive into an album using six pop-ups, how about an album using one? Just pick your favorite pop-up die and have fun with it! Season's Pop-up Greetings!
Chipboard album (Bo Bunny); Patterned Papers (Fancy Pants, Bo Bunny, Making Memories, Creative Imaginations); Snowball trim (Rusty Pickle)
Hello! My name is Dena, and I am a licensed artist for Sizzix. My company, Dena Designs, creates tween, baby, holiday and everyday dies for the Sizzix machine. I love to embellish my designs with little flea market finds, such as buttons, millinery flowers and vintage jewelry, making every creation personal and special.
I’m always on the lookout for really special fabric flowers that have a vintage feel. They can become a one-of-a-kind centerpiece and are always in season. I also love creating my own floral arrangements. My Sizzix die-cutting machine is now a staple in my crafts room, and it’s perfect for this project.
Gather:
- Sizzix machine
- Floral dies in various sizes
- Felt
- Buttons
- Chenille pipe cleaners
- Vase
- Fabric glue
- Needle
- Thread
- Scissors
Create:
1. Gather your felt in many coordinating colors. Follow the instructions on your Sizzix machine to quickly die-cut flowers of all different shapes and sizes in minutes. Or cut out felt flowers by hand with scissors.
2. Layer three to four sizes and colors of felt flowers with fabric glue.
3. Attach a large button with a small button on top with the needle and thread. I used combinations of cool vintage buttons.
4. While the thread is still attached to the buttons, sew through the layered flowers and secure all to the chenille pipe cleaner for a stem.
5. Make enough to fill a small vase and cut chenille pipe cleans stems to desired length.
This project is so versatile – by leaving out the pipe cleaner you’ve got a lovely flower that can become pins, hair clips, headbands, jewelry and more. I've also got a blog at denadesigns.com. I look forward to sharing all the wonderful things I've been making with my Sizzix machine!
xo,
Dena
Hello friends,
My name is Brenda Pinnick, and I'm a licensed artist with several collections of dies made by my good friends here at Sizzix! I'm excited to be a guest on the Sizzix blog and to have the opportunity to show you what I've been up to.
I just love glitz and glamour for the holidays, and finding a fast, fun and inexpensive way to add more to my holiday decorating makes me feel almost smug – like I've found a secret! Well, I'm sharing it with you here today. When I say, "fast, easy, fun" ... I mean it!
Let's start with the dies – beautiful shaped dies are a must have for your crafting studio. They offer opportunities way beyond mini-books. I love this classic cartouche shape, Frame, Ornate, paired with the Frame Back, Ornate die, both from my collection of dies available from Sizzix.com or from fine retailers. This is one of those shapes you could find a million (or at least thousands!) of uses for, it's so functional.
I paired these two dies with some fabulous metallic cardstock and sticky backed prismatic foils from the Grafix company – http://www.grafixarts.com/index.htm. I'm a huge fan of their products, and they sent me some to experiment with.
It's so very easy to make these ornaments, which could also be used as tags for gifts, on the front of a holiday card or as place cards for your holiday table setting. I stamped on each one, first using a gold-toned pigment ink and then white embossing powder. This gives the white a bit of a warm tone. These stamps are some of my own design (available soon), but you can use any elegant stamp to recreate this look. These ornaments would be a wonderful way to display memories from past holidays by placing a picture in the frame instead of stamping a design.
The one on the lower right is made just with just the base piece, not the frame. It's still beautiful, don't you think?
Ornaments, gift tags, card crafting, place cards are some ideas for this technique.
You'll notice I added a few crystals on top of the embossed design.
Here's a tip for placing the prismatic foil onto the base shape:
Start by peeling back 1/2" or so of the backing. Place the shape in its proper position and press down the exposed section. Then slowly and gently peel back the rest of the backing as you use your hand to press into place. No worries if you don't get exactly right the first time; it does lift off and can then be repositioned. None of mine are perfect ... it simply proves it's handmade!
I'll be back here in two weeks or so with another project idea for you to try.
I hope your holidays are filled with love, laughter and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the meaningful part of this special time.
Hugs to all,
Brenda Pinnick
Happy holidays and welcome to the Sizzix blog!
My name is Eileen Hull, and I'm a freelance designer and author. Mat board is my favorite medium to work in because it's sturdy, comes in a wide variety of colors, textures and finishes and accepts inks, paint and chalks beautifully. To me, it is the perfect paper! For years I had been tediously cutting, scoring and folding mat board into one-of-a-kind books, containers and other three-dimensional creations until the lightbulb clicked on. Perhaps a die could be made allowing projects to be cut quickly and accurately without all the measuring, marking and mistakes! Luckily, Sizzix agreed that idea could work.
So today, I am happy to introduce ScoreBoards dies. They are specially designed with a unique scoring blade to cut mat board and chipboard into boxes, folders and totes. The first collection includes eight designs, and the dies have just started shipping.
The Business Card Box seems to be my favorite lately. Our family is spread out all over the country, and we are giving lots of gift cards this year. Making a personalized box for the card makes your gift a little more personal and lots of fun to open. Plus, it's great to use up some of those supplies that we all have in our stashes! Here's a project I would like to share with you. Before you begin working with the ScoreBoards dies, please read the instructions included in the package.
First, you will need to assemble your supplies:
• Sizzix Big Shot Machine
• Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Box, Business Card
• Sizzix Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die - Phrase, Noel w/Holly & Frame
• 6" x 13" piece of mat board
• cardstock pieces: file 2" x 12" and handle 1 3/8" x 7 1/2" (BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses)
• 1/4" red line tape
• thin round elastic
• Crop-a-dile
• craft knife
• adhesive Velcro dots
• scoring board (very helpful but measuring the old fashioned way works too!)
• desired embellishments (stamps, inks, ribbon)
1. Run mat board through Big Shot. Remember the OUTSIDE of the box should be facing DOWN.
2. With a craft knife or scissors, cut off the two side flaps of the box so all sides are even.
3. Stamp the inside of the folder if desired.
4. Place paper strip on scoring board. Score every 1/2" for 4". Leave a plain strip measuring 3 1/2" and then score another 4" piece every 1/2". Trim off the last 1/2".
5. Fold one side of the strip accordian style. Pinch the bottom and place inside the folder. Turn folder over and mark where the bottom brad hole is on the paper inside. Punch through all layers with 1/8" punch or Crop-a-dile. Repeat for other side.
6. Cut a piece of elastic about 8" long. Make a double knot on one end. Place the paper so the large middle piece is in the front of the folder. Line up the holes and adhere each side to the back of the folder with red line tape.
7. Thread the elastic through the front to back and knot securely again in the front.
8. Stick two Velcro dots together. Remove backings of both. Place first dot on front flap where desired, then carefully close folder and press both pieces in place.
9. For the handle, score 1/2" down center of strip and fold sides into middle. Finger press creases. Run a line of double-sided tape one side, fold both sides in to the middle and adhere. On either end of the handle, fold under 1/2". Take the die-cut label and put a piece of double-sided tape on top. Thread the paper through the "handle" and press all layers together. Adhere the two ends to the inside flap of the box.
10. Embellish with Sizzlits Holly branch, rickrack, red Stickles and mat board flower.
11. From original piece of mat board, find where flower has been punched out and trace gift card (3 3/8" x 2 1/8") around it. Trim mat board with scissors or craft knife. Insert paper or photo behind flower opening.
12. Embellish as desired.
TIP: Mat board distresses really nicely. Use a sandpaper block to rub paper off edges. Don't be afraid to use a little muscle.
I hope you enjoyed this project. Please stop back every Monday for a new design, tips and techniques for working with your ScoreBoards dies!
From my studio to yours …
Eileen
