I've created a video tutorial (broken into eight chunks for viewing ease) for combining the Pop-Up Christmas Tree die with the *NEW* Tim Holtz Caged Bird die to create this pop-up bird cage card:

Sizzix Products Used:
Bigz XL Die – Pop-Up 3-D Christmas Tree by Karen Burniston
Bigz Die – Caged Bird by Tim Holtz
Bigz Die – Elegant Flourishes by Tim Holtz
Bigz Die – Tattered Florals by Tim Holtz
Movers & Shapers Die – Styled Labels by Tim Holtz
Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die – Vintage Market Alphabet by Tim Holtz
Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Medallions, Frame & Damask
Little Sizzles – Mat Board, 6" x 13", Black

Other Products Used:
Patterned Papers – "Mama-razzi" by Bo Bunny
Clear Plastic Sheets – Grafix
Tim Holtz "idea-ology" products by Advantus – Tiny Attacher, Grunge Paper, Foliage, Mini Fasteners and Swivel Clasp
Rubber Stamps – Tim Holtz "Ultimate Grunge" by Stampers Anonymous
Wire – Artistic Wire
Adhesives – Beacon Zip Dry & 3 in 1, Ranger Glossy Accents, Tacky Tape, Mini Glue Dots
General Craft – rhinestone, black ink pad

The video tutorial can be viewed on my blog here: Karen Burniston Blog - Pop-up Bird Cage Card

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.

I'm Karen Burniston, a Sizzix Licensed Artist and the designer of the pop-up dies. Let me just say that there's a fever going around ... it's called "Tim Holtz Fever," and I caught it just like everyone else! The Tim Holtz collection of dies and embossing folders are in stores this month, so be sure to check your local store. If they don't already have them, ask them to order the entire line. (Believe me, you'll want every single one!)

Today's post is my homage to Tim Holtz and his amazing new die collection, but there's one thing you have to know about me up front: "Flat" isn't in my crafting vocabulary! My thoughts always run toward pop-ups and interactive techniques. If you've ever seen the movie "Along Came Polly," you'll understand when I say: "I'm like the hippo!"

The first die that caught my eye was the Bigz Gadget Gears, and my first thought was "Oooh! Will those gears fit on the Pop-Up Snowman die?" Answer – absolutely! My husband commented that this first card has a "Tim style" which I considered a lovely compliment, since John isn't a scrapbooker, so any reference he makes to crafting icons is a true testament to the attentive way he listens to me gush on about them. Then he said "Tim Burton, right?" and it was back to reality!

Let's start with the front of the card. The Gadget Gears make a fabulous industrial element. The steel-rule die gives plenty of options for cutting thicker materials, but for my card, they are cut from plain cardstock. Then, in true Tim Holtz style, it was time to get messy! My friend Sam taught me a cool embossing folder technique a few months ago, and I knew it would work well for the gears. I started by brayering Versamark ink onto the female side of the Dots Textured Impressions embossing folder. I filled the folder with gears and ran it through my Big Shot Machine. When they came out, the raised dots had no ink on them, but all the non-textured areas were covered with clear ink. I dumped embossing powder on each gear, tapped off the excess and heat set it. This changed the color of the gear (except the raised dots). Add some additional ink to grunge and age them, and you've got gears that look like they were ripped from an old machine! For the closure, a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp hooks over a decorative brad.

When the card is opened, a gear-angel pops up. I die-cut the body pieces for a Pop-Up Snowman from Grafix clear plastic sheets. I wanted the shape and mechanism of the Pop-Up Snowman, but I didn't want to see it. This would create the illusion that the gears are linked together and creating their own structure. Before assembling the pop-up, I attached a gear to each Snowman piece using Beacon's 3-in-1 glue. I turned each piece over to easily see the spots where the gears were covering notches and slots. Using a craft knife, I cut away those gear parts, restoring the functionality of the pop-up pieces. Assemble the Snowman in the usual manner and glue it inside the card. The wings are from Tim's Heart Wings die, textured, inked and rubbed with metallic lusters. The Elegant Flourish die, similarly "grunged," created the perfect finishing touch to the card.

Sizzix products used:
656460 Bigz XL Die – Snowman, 3-D Pop-Up by Karen Burniston
656120 Clear Stamps – Birthday Phrases by Dena Designs
655838 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Dots & Flowers Set
656151 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Medallions, Frame & Damask
656490 Little Sizzles – 6" x 13" Mat Board, Black
656636 Bigz Die – Gadget Gears by Tim Holtz
656639 Bigz Die – Elegant Flourish by Tim Holtz
656638 Bigz Die – Heart Wings by Tim Holtz

Other products used:
Swivel Clasp, Trinket Pin - Tim Holtz for Advantus
Distress Inks & Embossing Powders - Tim Holtz for Ranger
0.020 Clear Plastic Sheets - Grafix
Adhesive - 3 in 1 Glue - Beacon
Versamark Ink - Tsukineko
General craft items, source unknown - charm, brad, patterned papers

I have two more Tim Holtz-esque projects to share, but while we're on the subject of altering the Pop-Up Snowman die, let me throw in a card from last Halloween that shows my actual Tim Burton side!

Returning to the original programming, let's take the alteration of an existing Pop-Up Die to a whole other level by converting the Pop-Up Christmas Tree into a pop-up Bird Cage!

Once again I've die-cut the pop-up pieces, this time the Christmas Tree, out of clear plastic to make it disappear. I glued bird cages to the pop-up pieces just like with the first card, although the bird cage required a little more work and alteration. I used a total of 6 bird cages, leaving the center ones whole and cutting the outer ones down to just the bars. Because the tree is cut from a clear material, the "trunk" is transparent, creating the illusion that the bird cage is hanging. To further defy gravity, I wove some stiff wire through a length of chain to create the hanger at the top. The Bigz Heart Wings die provided the front decoration, and a second heart is attached to the side of the bird cage. For even more pop-up fun, I used the Elegant Flourish die to create a spiral pop-up inside the card.

Sizzix products used:
656276 Bigz XL Die – Christmas Tree, 3-D Pop-Up by Karen Burniston
656151 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Medallions, Frame & Damask
656490 Little Sizzles – 6" x 13" Mat Board, Black
656634 Bigz Die – Caged Bird by Tim Holtz
656639 Bigz Die – Elegant Flourish by Tim Holtz
656638 Bigz Die – Heart Wings by Tim Holtz

Other products used:
Swivel Clasp (just the chain), Mini Paper Clip - Tim Holtz for Advantus
Distress Inks & Embossing Powders - Tim Holtz for Ranger
0.020 Clear Plastic Sheets - Grafix
Patterned Papers (older, from my stash)- Creative Imaginations, EK Success
Maroon Leatherflex Paper - Xpedx
Adhesive - 3 in 1 Glue - Beacon
General craft items, source unknown - rhinestone "eye," wire, metal corners

Do you have room for one more? The first two cards made use of the Pop-Up Dies as mechanisms only. In other words, the dies' intended shape and purpose disappears and is replaced by other shapes and purposes. For this last project, I wanted to show how the Tim Holtz dies can be used in conjunction with the Pop-Up Dies as well.

For this project, I created a purse-shaped card using two 8" chipboard circles with the bottom lopped off. I cut the front piece at an angle to reveal the Tim Holtz Hanging Sign that is inside the card. You may think the sign is attached to the inside flap, but think again! Open the card and ...

Surprise! The Hanging Sign is actually attached to a trimmed craft-stick post that is attached to the Pop-Up Cake die! I couldn't resist using the new "Sweet" word die on the sign, since it applies to both my daughter and the cake! (Actually, it's more descriptive of the cake; Emma made me pay her to pose for the pictures! However, the word "Entrepreneurial" wouldn't fit on the sign!)

Here's a front and close-up view of the Cake/Sign pop-up:

The Cake is one of the original pop-up dies, so it's been around for almost a year, yet it took me this long to try Tim Holtz Grunge Paper for the side tiers. Boy, was I missing out! For the cake's side tiers (they aren't cut by the die itself) I'm always looking for materials that have a hard time holding a crease but aren't too heavy to be supported. Grunge Paper is perfect! For my cake, I textured the strips with Textured Impressions embossing folders, then inked and distressed them and finally finished them with a decorative nailhead. Even after folding, the tiers will unbend nicely, maintaining a nearly round appearance when the card is opened fully. I also used Grunge Paper, which die-cuts beautifully, for the purse handle.

Another way to keep a nearly round appearance to the Pop-Up Cake is to create thicker cards that allow those side tiers to stay rounded even when the card is closed. Here's a visual of the purse from the side when closed and a close-up of the closure, created from a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp over a metal flower brad.

Sizzix products used:
656025 Bigz XL Die – Cake, Three Tier 3-D Pop-Up by Karen Burniston
656573 Originals Die – Phrase, Sweet
655836 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Spring Flowers & Paisley Set
655837 Textured Impressions Embossing Folders – Argyle and Lines & Circles Set
655764 Bigz Clear Die – Circle, Scallop
656631 Bigz Die – Hanging Sign by Tim Holtz
656639 Bigz Die – Elegant Flourish by Tim Holtz
656623 Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die – Vintage Market Alphabet by Tim Holtz

Other products used:
Swivel Clasp, Grunge Paper - Tim Holtz for Advantus
Distress Inks - Tim Holtz for Ranger
Circle Chipboard - Rusty Pickle
Patterned Paper - Basic Grey
Decorative Flower Brad - Creative Imaginations
Adhesive - 3 in 1 Glue - Beacon
General craft items, source unknown - popsicle stick, nailheads, cardstock, jump rings

Well, I think I've made it clear that "Tim Holtz fever" is raging through my studio! I encourage you to think of the Pop-Up Dies as your 3D tools for making pop-up projects in any theme or style!

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.

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.

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)