Izbzee

No Calorie Chocolate Bunnies

Sandy at Simply Crafty SVGs has created the cutest dimensional card - perfect for a fun no calorie Easter surprise! 

The elements in this fold flat for mailing card are quick to cut, details and easy to assemble and personalize! 

I used more of my AC Pastel Cardstock pack for the front panels, printed some paper using may favorite digital Spring collection -  Carta Bella's Spring Market  and Tombow Markers for a little more detail on the ribbon and Happy Easter sentiment. 

I did add a small label  not included in the cutting file, to add the names of the receivers on the front for a little more personalization, added a couple of mini brads from my stash and popped up with some foam dots near the bottom of the front panel (names are obscured for privacy).

I cut several cards using my Sizzix eclips and eCal2 software in good time and put them all together in less than an hour (including drying time). 

Here's one more....




Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be enjoying some creative time of your own this weekend! 

(No affiliate links are used in this post. All products used in this post were purchased for personal use.)

Spring in 3D

Hi everyone.  Thanks for stopping by today.  It's time to get caught up on a little crafting and I'm happy to say, it's been pretty productive. 

A while back, My Scrap Chick came out with their version of some 3 D letters.  They're small, portable and fold flat for storage!  You can buy the letters separately or bundled.  You know me, I had to have them all! 

I really wanted to get them cut and put together in one sitting, so I decided to just use a single color for each letter.  One 12x12 sheet will do it for each 4 inch tall letter and were cut on my Sizzix eclips and eCal2 software. 

I used paper from an AC Pastel cardstock pack.  To embellish the front panel and the inside back panel. 

I used a stamp from the Flower Swirls Stamp Set and some black ink.  It was a nice contrast on each of the panels and looks really nice.  I left the back panel plain, but it could certainly be decorated.

These are simple to put together - go quickly and I used Scor-Tape to adhere all the pieces. 

(No affiliate links were used in this post and no products were supplied by manufacturers for review)

 

 

Prim Spring Bouquet

It's official!  Spring has arrived -- at least on the calendar.  We've even heard a few lawn mowers in the neighborhood in the last week or so -- hoping to see a few more sprigs of green and color in a few more days

I've wanted to do a hanging mason jar project for a long time... but just didn't get the right vibes until the tulips came to mind.  So let's get started.

You'll need:
cream colored brushed flannel (2 fat quarters or a 1/4 yard)
Tulip fabric dyes (green, orange, yellor)
tea (berry and black)
sewing machine
fiber fill
bamboo skewers
hot glue
wire cutters
board
screw
mason jar/with lid
twine
mica powder (Mixed Media Supplies)
filler (optional)
scissors
pattern (I drew my own)
gloves

Plan on working on this project for a couple of days.... First steps for me were

1) draw my patterns.  Be sure to allow a 1/4" seam for the flowers. 

2) I chose to make 3 different colored flowers... 3 in each color.  Cut three pieces of fabric large enough to cut 6 flowers from.  Remember you'll also need a piece for the leaves.

3) Mix the dyes as directed by the manufacturer.  I poured about an inch of mixed dye into a pint sized mason jar and placed the fabric  - one for yellow and one for orange.  In a third mason jar, steep a couple of bags of the berry tea.  Add the fabric.  In a 4th jar, add some green dye and place the fabric you've set aside for the leaves in that jar.  Let the fabric soak for about 30 minutes.  Using gloves, lightly wring the fabric.  I did not rinse the extra dye out of the fabric before air drying.  After the fabric has dried, heat set using an iron.  Use a towel to absorb any additional ink that may be released with the iron.  Begin with the lightest color first, then gradually work to the darker colors.  Set aside.  But you're not ready to cut yet.  You can return the leftover dye to their storage containers to use at a later date.  Clean the jars.




4) Steep 2 large bags of black tea.  Divide between the 4 jars and place a piece of fabric in each of the jars.  Allow to soak for about 20 minutes or until the fabric is sufficiently grunged.  Again, using gloves, wring the fabric.  Let dry.  Heat set the fabric again as described previously.

5)  Trace the patterns on the fabric and cut. You'll need two cuts for each flower and one cut for each leaf - I forgot to take a picture of the leaves.  OOPS!  

6) Stitch each flower, wrong sides together using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving about 3/4 " area unstitched to allow for turning.  Clip curves and corners and turn.  Set aside.

7)  Lightly stuff each flower with some fiberfill. 

8) If desired, "paint" the skewers green. 

9) Using the glue gun, apply a small bit to the base of the flower and attach to the skewer.  Repeat until all the flowers are attached.  Spritz each flower with a bit of Mixed Media Supplies mica powder mixed with water and let dry. 

10)  Trim skewers if needed.  Glue a leaf to the skewer and repeat until all the flowers have been completed. 

11) With the crop-o-dile, punch a hole on the ring on either side.  Thread some twine through the holes and tie off leaving enough to hang the mason jar from the hook in the board.

12) Arrange the flowers in the jar as desired.  Add filler if desired.  Spritz with a little more mica powder dissolved in water.  And you're done! 


There's a little bit of shimmer on the flowers and leaves, but it's hard to catch.

I added a string of fairy lights to my bottle before adding the flowers.  They're easy to turn on and off and sure add a touch of whimsy to this prim bouquet. 

Hope you have some creative time scheduled soon! Thanks for stopping by! 

clay play 3

Did a little playing with some clay this morning after work was done.  I'm sort of liking these, but they still need a little tweaking. 

These two aren't quite finished -  and, I forgot to put a hanging hole  on both of these... so I'll have to create an alternative way of hanging them.  They're a little too big to be a pendant or a pin...

Sculpey Clay III, some seed beads, and a few "tools" from the kitchen are perfect for adding a few details.  All items were baked according to manufacturer's directions.  These are slightly thicker than 1/4"  so I baked for about 30 minutes and they were perfect.  Coloring was done using some watercolor pencils and a waterbrush.    Once the coloring has dried, I began applying a thin coat of Sculpey Glaze. The bunny on the left only has a coat of the blaze on his "belly" at the moment.  I'll apply another coat (full coverage) and let dry. 

There are a couple of additional details to add. I'm really hoping to get another 20 or so done for the tree in the foyer.  Fingers crossed I'll get them all done... and each having a bit of personality to boot.  Should have more photos come Tuesday!  6 down and another dozen or so to go!

I think I'll put on that second coat AND roll out a bit more clay for cutting!  My new Mantra for this week is START.  What's yours? 

Happy Crafting!  

have a hoppy day!

eCal2 came through again -- These fun little tags just slightly larger than a "twinchie" are going to be perfect for the Easter candy tubes we're gifting to the grands in a few days as part of our early Easter celebration. 

Basic shapes and commands found in the eCal2 software made the frame and bunny easy to create. 

Adding a few fine details with a pen and some chalk finishes them off.  AC cardstock for the background pieces and Neenah White stock for the focal cuts. 


Fill a tube with a bit of candy, add the tag and they're all set to go.  (Note:  a large bag of M&M's will fill 4 tubes.  Mine are 1 inch in diameter and about 6 inches tall). 


Hoping you've got some crafting and creative time on your calendar. 

Materials:
White cardstock
AC colored cardstock (Pastel Pack)
Sizzix eclips2/eCal2
Micron .01 black pen
pink chalk (Stampin' Up!)
cotton swab
Linco glue
crop-o-dile
Twine
(Bunny cut file is my own creation)

with a little bit of luck...

These little "gift" boxes are perfect for the grands for St Patrick's Day.
(No affiliate links are used in this post)

You'll need
Small Gift Boxes from Simply Crafty SVGs
Lucky Charm - etsy shop
Die Cutting machine (software)
Cardstock (stash)
Patterned paper (stash)
Scor-Tape
Tombow tape runner
Black Micron .01 pen - optional
Tombow Markers (Dual Brush) - optional
Sakura White Gel pen
foam pop up dots (stash)


Using your die-cutting software, set up the lucky leprechauns for print 2 cut.  On a separate mat, create your sentiment and size as desired.  Print and cut.

Cut the boxes - I down sized mine a bit.  Cut the boxes and the panels.  I chose not to cut the decorative front panel, but you could certainly do that.

Cut or punch a 1 1/2 inch circle.  "stitch" the edge with a white gel pen.  Add a doodle along each edge of the patterned paper panel. 

Put together as shown on the pdf of the Small Gift Boxes file.  All 12 were a quick project and easy to complete in less than a day from start to finish. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hoping your #CRE8TIME is going fabulously this week!  More fun stuff to come this month.... stay tuned!

happy "hello"

The wreath I posted earlier this week is too small to stand on it's on in a large space -- Right now, I don't have a grouping or small place it can stand out as a focal point.... so another shelving piece upcycle to the rescue. 

Super simple... a little bit of white acrylic paint, vinyl and sandpaper.  A hook for hanging (and it also will make it easier to switch out wreaths each season! 

I used the Gracias font and Gracias Stylized Font for the lettering. 

Open your software, and type in your lettering.  I stretched it to 18 inches.  Weld all the letters together.  When you add the glyph from the Stylized font, use the Union Command under the Path tab.  Be sure to check Preview to make sure that all the letters are connected and will cut as one.

Cut using the vinyl setting.  Weed the excess vinyl away and apply some transfer tape.  For best results, apply the vinyl first...  burnish as needed. 

Dry brush some white acrylic paint on the board.  While the paint is still not quite dry, lightly brush another light coat.  This will cause the paint to crackle a bit and add some additional texture.  Let dry. 

Using a piece of sandpaper, scrub some of the paint away.  Wipe away the dust.  Repeat that process as needed. 

My piece isn't going to be subjected to weather or extreme temps, so I chose not to seal it at this point.  Add a cup hook to the board and slide the wreath on the hook.  My board is setting on the mantel -- you could add hangers to the back of your board BEFORE you paint and hang if desired. 

Products used*:
Sizzix eclips2, eCal2
Expressions Vinyl - white 651
Apple Barrel White paint
foam brush
cup hook
sandpaper (120 grit)
wreath details can be found in this post. 

No affiliate links are used in this post.  Some of the materials used in the wreath were provided by MixedMediaSupplies.

memories....

Memories of a beautiful day in sunny San Diego with most of our team in 2017.  We had such an enjoyable week of work and a few hours of fun.  

This mixed media canvas was a joy to make and has lots of texture... there's lots of tissue paper images (stamped and printed).  Some details added with modeling paste and stencils.  A little bit of clay from a previous project and some hanging hearts and ribbon for this memory piece.

Loving the options of doing a bit of creative work now on a weekly basis again.  Hoping you're enjoying some #CRE8TIME this month as well. 

Spring Wreath

You'll need: 
Digital  Printable Journal papers from Mixed Media Supplies
dies*
die cutting machine*
Printer
copy paper
Micron Pen .01
Marker AirBrush*
3/4 " circle paper punch
markers*
Hot glue
Sapphire and Pearl Mica from Mixed Media Supplies
grapevine wreath
floral wire
green or brown floral tape

 

Download and print the journal page from Mixed Media Supplies using regular copy paper.  Using your favorite flower dies, cut an assortment of flowers and layers.  TIP:  Cut multiple layers at a time.  

Remove cuts from the dies, sort according to size.

If desired, add a doodled outline to the "petals" using the micron pen. 




Punch a circle in the yellow paper for the stamens of you flower.  Fold in half, cut a small vertical slit in the fold.  On the arched area of the circle, make small cuts to form a fringe.  Unfold, and slide onto the brad,    Make one for each of the flowers that will be open flowers (not buds).

My wreath is a 10 in wreath -- relatively small, so I chose to use the smaller of the dies and create a small arrangement for the wreath. 

Cut a few leaves.  I used white card stock -- they need a little more body.  Color using the marker airbrush and colors as desired.

Add a spritz or two of pearl and sapphire mica to the edges of the flower petals and buds.  If desired, add a little pearl or gold mica to the leaves.

Secure the flowers and leaves on the wreath using a little hot glue.  Add any additional embellishments and fillers as desired.




Add a ribbon if desired and hanger. 


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be setting aside some #CRE8Time this month and every month!  Explore new ideas and new techniques! 

No affiliate links are used in this post. 
*Specific products used:
Sizzix Big Shot (you could also use an electronic cutting machine and files specific to your machine)
Spellbinders Rose Creations by Donna Salazar
Craftwell eBrush and SN adapter
Spectrum Noir Markers

Gel Prints

i remember making a gelli plate way back in the day -- and creating my own transfers and prints using the purple transfer pencil.  Oh MY!  That was more than 30+ years ago.... fast forward to today!  I bit the dust and bought an 8.5 x 11 plate several months ago.  Did a few test sheets and used them for a project or two a while back and then set it aside.. 

After watching a few more videos recently, I decided to take the plunge and take a couple of classes.  I'm really liking the previews for one that begins on the 5th of March with Carolyn Dube (acolorfuljourney.com).  She has a great YouTube channel too. 

A couple of things I've learned so far.... either the air in my house is too dry or the paints I purchased for gel printing just don't have enough body to stay wet for more than one pull or a mixture of both OR I'm just too slow in applying the colors for a full page pull.  So, hoping to figure out a good way to get things "rolling" in the right direction while not having to spend a ton more money on paints.  I need to use what I have on hand..... 

Here's a few of the pages I've created so far.




Nothing fancy just pulling the color off the plate for right now. I plan on adding some stenciled work here in the next few days.... but not before I get these scanned and prepped for some other uses.  I've fallen in love with a couple of the pages and I definitely want them for some other uses in the future.  You know, mono prints are just that.  One time prints.  No two are exactly the same.  Here's to some more play time in the weeks to come! 

Happy National Crafting Month!  Learn something new this month!  And be sure to #CRE8TIME this week to play and nurture your soul.