Izbzee

Revisiting Sunny Sunflowers

I love sunflowers!  And this post always brings a smile to my face.  I got a little "inky" from all the eBrushing, but it was truly worth it.  Originall published April 2015, I'd like to share this one again. 

 

I'm so excited to share that I'm on the Craftwell eBrush team for another term.  I wanted to start off this term with some sunshine!  And sunflowers  seem to fit the bill!  They have always been a favorite of mine and it's been a pleasure to watch them turn their heads towards the sun in our gardens in years past.  My friend, Diann, is fabulous photographer and it was her photo that has inspired this project.

This project, cards and box to store them in,  is based around a stencil created using a file from SVGCuts.com  (my box files can be found here and here)  Once I got started ebrushing the flowers, I couldn't stop at just one!  So I made up a set of cards and a box to store them in.  Cards are standard A2 (4.25 x 5.50) size.  8 cards and envelopes will fit into the box easily. 

Plan on using both the negative and the positive elements from the flower petals cut.  I added a square (basic shapes) around each of the 2 layers of petals available in the eCal shapes library.  Cut with your cutting machine (I use the eclips2)I also added a circle similar in size to the center of the flower petal shape and cut that as a separate element to be used during the stenciling process.   You'll want to resize as needed, just be sure to resize all the pieces you'll be using to make sure everything fits. 

Since the negative area of the stencil has lots of little pieces that are not connected to each other, you may want to use a little bit of repositionable glue on both of those layers as well as the circle.  You'll find you'll get a crisper edge. Set aside until needed. 

Choose your colors (I used Spectrum Noir's LY3 and OR1, EB5, EB8 and GB3).  I also used GB3 and EB3 along the outside edges for additional contrast on my finished card fronts and to add details on the flowers.

Using the eBrush and the LY3 marker in the SN adapter - with the top layer of your stencil secured on your cardstock, make sure your marker is in the sweet spot and spray lightly.  You may choose to deepen the color with a second layer... it's purely up to you.  Watch the video below to see how I used the other pieces of the stencils to work on my sunflower. 

Here are a few more pictures of this project.

Both layers of the stencil have been used and the center has been sprayed and some of the detail work completed.  You can use a white paint pen (mine was a Sharpie) to add a few highlights.

The sunflower cardstock is cut to 5.00 x 3.75.  Additional layers are cut slightly larger.  To a few of the other bases, I added a dark brown before applying the standard card base.  Most of my top layers began at 5.25 x 4.00 and trimmed if needed. 

These will make a beautiful gift for a special friend of mine. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Stay tuned, more to come! 

Revisiting some Summer fun!

It's nearly the 4th of July and Watermelon time is here! I thought I would re-share this post from 2014!  This was my first project using the eBrush as a design team member! 

The end of the holiday season offers a bounty of paper coasters for a minimal cost at the neighborhood dollar stores in our area.  Most of the designs don't catch my eye, but the $.25 a pack makes them worth the purchase.  And here's my latest upcycle of one of the packs in the stash!

Materials needed:
1 pkg - paper coasters (my package had 6 coasters in it)
White cardstock
Craftwell eBrush
Markers, permanent -- for this piece I used Spectrum Noir (two shades of red, green) - if you use a water based marker, you may experience some bleeding when you apply the sealer to the surface...just saying!  :)
Adhesive - permanent bond (waterproof if using a liquid glue) - I used Xyron's permanent adhesive.
Electronic Die Cutting machine to cut your stencils/masks (I used my Sizzix eclips and eCal software)
Zig Marker - black
Waterproof Sealer (for this project, I used Collage Pauge from Aleene's/Duncan Enterprises)
foam brush
emory board or 220 grit sandpaper

Gather all the materials you need.  Open your software; using basic shapes, resize your first circle to 4 inches in diameter.  Create another circle slightly smaller (about 3.350 inches making sure that keep proportions is checked. )  Center inside the 4 inch circle. When you cut these circles, you'll have your "mask" for the outer green and white of your watermelon, while you fill in the watermelon center using your eBrush.  Make another circle at 3.495 inches (keeping proportions checked).  This will be your mask for the center of the melon and the white portion.  Cut your masks.  You'll also need enough 4 inch circles to cover each coaster.

Grab some fine grit sandpaper or an emory board and roughen up the printed side of the coaster -- not a lot, but you do want a little bit of tooth to hold the adhesive when you apply the 4 inch cardstock circle to the top. Wipe any dust off of the surface.   I used my xyron 510 to adhere the cardstock.  Trim edges if necessary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you used a liquid glue, be sure your surface is smooth and there are no bubbles. Let dry thoroughly.

Center the 3.495 inch circle on your coaster.  Using the eBrush, and a green marker fill in the outer edge.  Use a smooth side to side movement starting off the edge of the coaster and moving towards the center (which is now covered up with your mask).  When you have completed that process and are satisfied with the color and depth, carefully remove the circle and place the other mask on the coaster.  It should be even with the outer edge of the coaster and cover slightly more than the green area you just applied.  Using a lighter red marker, lightly spray the center of the coaster.  I found that setting the nib so it was slight off -- so I got some splotching, I sprayed the entire center.  You can use the side to side method or as I did, used a circular motion to imitate the interior of a natural melon.  I changed markers once I was satisfied and completed using circular motions. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add a few seeds to your slice.  Embellish with a white gel pen if desired.  Once the paper has thoroughly dried, apply at least 2 coats of sealer to the top and sides of the coaster.  Let dry thoroughly between coats and if you can, wait at least 24 hours before stacking or using.  (The humidity is horrible here right now, so I'm giving mine an extra 24 hours before using. 

I have a feeling there will be some oranges, limes and lemons coming soon!  How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join the new CraftwellUSA  Facebook page!  They've got goodies to share as long as supplies last! 

new ideas from old ones.

For the last 10 years or so, I've been making Greatness Gems. 

 

Sadly, I'm no longer able to get the "gems" from any of my previous sources and not have to raise prices.  But in an effort to bring something else to the table, I did find another source for glass and in  heart shapes.  So now, we're in the process of testing a new product -- hoping that it will work and fill the need with my customer list. 

New order of glass has just arrived and we've been coloring up a storm in preparation for the release in a couple of weeks.

Tags and insert were made using eCal3 and the print 2 cut command and of course cut using the eclips2.  There's also a hidden gem in the bag with a print heart and branding for this particular event.   The bags were purchased in bulk from Amazon and are 3 x 2.5 inches.  Another feature is that the inserts can be customized for the client. 

playing with eCal3

There are lots of commands I haven't used previously, but it sure was fun to do a little playing to create this sun.... and the best part is that I can size as needed  -

 

Supplies:
Cardstock, white 110lb Neenah; Bazzill texture, yellow; unknown smooth, blue
Tombow markers
Craftwell's eBrush with TB adapter
WRMK's Foil Quill, fine tip pen with D adapter for the eclips
Spellbinder's Black Foil
Sizzix eclips2 and eCal3
Scor-Tape, 1/4 in wide

I also used some black foil and the foil quill to add the "You Are So" to the vellum cloud piece. 
Tombow markers and the eBrush added the fun coloring to the word "amazing" and some highlights to the sun.

Object to path is a great tool to use for things other than text.  Adding a series of shapes (narrow triangles in this case) to another shape (the circle) is so simple and made quick work of the sun. 

 

The cloud piece was made using a horizontal rectangle and half circles and the Union command. 

More playing time coming in the next few days! 

 

celebrating Dad!

Only two weeks until Father's Day is celebrated here in the US.  This project was inspired after a stroll through some images on Pinterest.

All cuts were made using the eclips2.  The eCal3 software and library provided a few of the basic shapes (triangle, tie, tag) used.  Lots of digital paper and themed cards were used  (Carte Postale, Carta Bella - Our Family, Lori Whitlock Life Cards, MSC Moustaches, and a free download for the library card digital) and the Print 2 Cut feature in eCal made it so easy to fill the shapes, print and cut. 

Close ups of a few of the pieces below:

Lots of fun and a relatively quick project to mat and put together. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hoping you've scheduled some creative time this weekend.  Enjoy and nurture your creative spirit this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

brushing off the dust and cobwebs

It's been a busy sort of spring with all sorts of fun projects .... however, I haven't published a post in nearly a month!  And here's the reason why:  I have an agreement with Invite By Voice not to publish anything I create for them until they have published it on their social media.  It's hard to sit on so many fun ideas for this long, but I hope you'll agree that it will be well worth the wait once they publish....

AND:  Mom care has sort of taken over our lives too.  Things are changing a bit here and we have had to "up our game" to stay on top of things regarding her care. 

Now back to crafting again so let's see:  a recent ATC Challenge brought this little goodie forth.  I'm still hoping to add a few little details, like a book and some reading glasses, but for now, this project was a fun create using the eclips2 and eCal3. 

The adirondack chair is a free file from SVGCuts.com and the umbrella is from the Summer folder in the Basic Library on eCal.  I purchased the vintage label shape from the eShape Store and the sentiment is from Creative Fabrica.  The blanket is a rectangle and just folded and crunched a bit.  The background image is a photo I purchased for commercial use and modification -- I used photoshop to add the watercolor filter.  and removed a couple of people from the photo.  Then placed the image on the mat in eCal and created a clipping path using a rectangle the size of the ATC card and used the print 2 cut option in eCal3.  So much fun! 

I really enjoy playing with the ATC size cards -- and here's the link to a grouping  of ATC's I made last year. 

Father's Day is just around the corner - a couple of weeks away.  Haven't sent out this year's cards yet, but they are made and I'll create a separate post for those in a couple of days.  In the meantime, how about checking out the cards we sent out a couple of years ago....  the post is here. 

And lastly, as we gear up for summer holidays, last year's fun included a fun 4th of July marquee --all the details are here. 

Thanks so stopping by and I hope you'll enjoy revisiting some of my past posts and will be looking forward to what's coming in the next couple of weeks.  It just might turn into project OVERLOAD! 

Keep on creating and nurturing your soul.