Izbzee

this is a test, it is only a test.....

or maybe just more playing....depends on how you look at it.  Got some chipboard out today and some SVG files and made some embossing "folders" for Halloween since that was what I had planned to work on today.  I found so many great ideas this past week, I could help but be inspired!  A few weeks ago, I happened across a couple of great kits at http://SVGCuts.com and today, I decided to see how well a couple of the cuts might just work as folders.  The web works really well.  And I had lots of fun playing with it.  The first cut, really was the test - cut it out on too light of chipboard - so it warped when I doubled it up and ran it through the Big Shot -- oops!  LOL  now it has a shadow....  cool, but not what I want.  So grabbed a thicker piece of chip stock and cut again.  Here's the final version.

This one still shows a few edges that need to be cleaned up. But it works great and makes a really great image.  Using the Cuttlebug you do need to use a slightly different sandwich however since the chip isn't quite as thick as an embossing folder - A plate, B plate, tan mat (spellbinders), chipboard (equal to your your embossing chipboard), cardstock, chipboard embossing plate, B plate, B plate.  It's kind of tight, but works really well and you get crisp details - I would imagine that with some tweaking and trial and error you could figure out the sandwich on the Big Shot/Sizzix as well.  I just didn't have the time since I needed to finish one more folder before the morning was done.

This is the second folder -- ghosts from the same kit from http://svgcuts.com  Another cut still at the original size 4 inches square.  Because 3 of the ghosts are "free" I mounted this in a folder.  I didn't get as crisp an image as I would have liked - so I think I'm going to play with the sandwich a little more to see if I can get a little crisper image next go around. 

The owl 2 step punch is still a hit in the craft room...

I love this little gremlin!  Don't you?   He's nearly a CASE from Kay over at http://creationsonpaper.blogspot.com.  She's got a lot of cute ideas on her website and I've barely touched the surface of her archives there.

I used the web stamp from a really old retired SU set (circa 1990), heat embossed.  The edging on the black paper is done using the designer label punch.  I used a stamp from my Halloween House Mouse set for the sentiment.  The "ears" are made using the circle punch from the mini punch set and the 1 1/4" circle punch. 

The Companion card to this is:
Another SVGCuts file here for the background - 1 3/4" circle for the moon in daffodil yellow with a little bit of crushed curry along the edges to add some depth and some whisper white wisps across the face  here and there too.  It just made it kind of fun.  If you click on the pic, for a little close look, I think you can see the webbing on the circle behind the gremlin -- also from Kay at http://creationsonpaper.blogspot.com

Well, the wedding is only 6 days away - and I fly out in just a couple more!  It's exciting!  I've still got a couple of things to get finished up between now and Tuesday morning, or they won't be in the suitcase and going with me.

Have a great rest of the weekend....

Still punchy- and loving it!

and having so much fun.  My SU! 2 step owl punch arrived late last week and sadly it had to sit for a couple of days while I worked on a couple of other things - but once it came out of it's wrapping on Friday night, it got a bit of a workout.  There are so many great ideas out there on the internet - so many creative people and it's been so much fun to play! 

I've only gotten 3 of the many ideas put together so far -
Lynn Pratt's (http://stampndesign.blogspot.com/) sherriff and farmer are so cute -- and I've got a couple of other ideas forming now.
Since I don't have the decorative label punch, but do have a set of "nesties" for my cricut, (which were free from http://pennyduncancreations.blogspot.com/) we improvised and that worked well for the saloon. I haven't made the gun yet, but definitely have a couple of cute ideas for my own design for that and will make for some really fun cards for the future.  Matter of fact, don't be surprised if there aren't a few in some upcoming packets, dear friends!

I'm not quite sure where I saw this one, but we used the cricut to cut the bracket for the mustache, used a sizzix texture plate for "feathers" and a white gel pen for highlights.  Soft suede marker for buttons on the vest.  All papers are SU!  He certainly reminds me a a former teacher of mine from long ago.  Flip that bracket upside down, add a cape and a hat, I see well, any number of characters.  Let you imagination fly!

Kim Score shared this on her blog, www.paperpunchaddiction.com not too long ago.  We had lots of fun making a whole flock of them on Saturday.  That punch sure got a work-out! I've run out of google eyes - and need to restock, before I get started on my next wave of October ideas.  There's a bunch of them stacking up here on the craft table.

Ellen Kemper is becoming another favorite punch artist of mine -- She has a whole series of fun ideas on her blog and she shared a really cute skateboarder done with punches and a friend needed one for her grandson's birthday card.  So here's our CASE

We thought it might be fun to use the retro patterned paper for the pants and the skull on the shirt was a whole lot easier to reproduce than I imagined.  Ellen, thanks so much for the easy to follow instructions and wonderful idea!  Using the punched oval ring for the arms is a fabulous idea too...one we'll use often in the future!

There's more, of course, but it's time for this evening's Nurturing Creativity group to begin -- so I'd better gather a few punches, get my trimmer ready and grab some adhesive and get ready for and evening of fun!    

   

 

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