Izbzee

August updates

It's mid-month already!  Where did July and the first part of August go?  The days and nights have been filled with all sorts of things.... mostly caregiving, related, though.  Crafting has taken a backseat the last 3 month, but I'm really  hoping to get back into the swing of things here soon.  

Just to prove that I have done some crafting, here are a few of the things I have finished up since my last post in July.

Printed paper pinwheels were part of July's Tiered tray decor.  Discover more here.  

This fun interactive card (lights, spinner and shaker) wasn't has big a challenge as I thought it might be... but loved the Halo light set from Pear Blossom Press.  They were perfect to use on this card.  For all the details click here.  

Birthday cards, anniversary cards and more have filled envelopes and be sent along their way in the last few weeks.  Since there are a few that still haven't been seen or published, I'll post them soon... but not today.  

In the meantime, I hope that you'll be able to find some creative time in the days to come.  Enjoy it and nurture your soul... relieve stress and more!  It's felt so good to spend a little bit of time in the craft room and I'm really hoping that there will be more creative time coming my way in the days and weeks to come.  My want to do list has grown even longer!  

COMING SOON!  Anniversary Easel Stand up card!  

 

Buzzing by to say.... card

this was so fun to make after seeing something similar on the Chibitronics blog a while back.  The lights under the wings of the bees is a perfect addition to the digital clip art from Creative Fabrica.  You'll find the details to create this card here.  

SCAL 5 Pro and the skycut were perfect partners for the print + cut print option in the software.  The machine once again performed perfects cuts.  

Since I couldn't find a stamp for the sentiment in my stash and I didn't want to do the foil quill or pen since the background was already cut, I used a Micron pen to write the sentiment.  It's not perfect, but it does add a personal touch for this card and I do like it.  

The circuit was a bit challenging -- but it's not the fault of the Chibi product, just my own inability to follow the plan!  I did get the + and - mixed up on the first go round and nixed the slider switch.  The second time around was a lot quicker and successful!  

I did end up using foam squares since my white mounting tape has done a disappearing act.   :(  Once all the foam was added, we did another test of the lights and they worked.

Building the front image was a breeze since placement was marked earlier in the process.  Bearly Art glue was used to adhere the flowers to the card front.  Foam pop ups were used to attach the bees to the cards.  

It's fun to share these makes with a friend and neighbor.  She's always a little amazed at the "fun!"  This card was no exception and I have a feeling there will be a time in the future to make a few with her for her to gift to family and close friends.  

Thanks for stopping by -- hope you'll look at trying to "light up" one of your cards or makes in the near future.  

Enjoy your time in your creative space!  

 

 

Spinner Card ala Gnome

Making this card was a challenge for me.  The circuit involved more than just copper tape, a battery and a light.  This also involved some conductive thread which I hadn't used previously.  

I did watch a few videos to make sure that I understood the way the circuit would work .... and it did!  I was ecstatic when the slide switch turned the light on!  Use this link  to view the video as YouTube isn't playing nice and letting me embed the short today. 

The Gnome All Occasion Treat Box is a new release from Simply Crafty SVGs ... and the bonus included with the basic gnome pattern comes are the 12 different elements for decorations!  Of course, if you have your own ideas, you can add those to personalize the gnome even more.  It was very easy to resize the gnome and have it become the focal piece for this project.  

I used the Reindeer Spinner Card from Simply Crafty SVGs as the base for the card.  Digital papers used on the card front and inside of the card are from NitWit Collections (Farmhouse Collection) and pulled a few pieces or cardstock, vellum and dotted paper from my stash.  

The circuit was created following details in Eiko's post for a spinner card I found on the Chibitronics blog.  Following the directions in the video, cut three pieces of the image you plan to use for the spinner.  Cut two panels for the card and the card base.  One of the card panels will become the card front.  The other will be used for the circuit.  The card base will be adhered to the back of the circuit panel.  (Click on the image below for a full size view)

I will have a  more detailed step by step assembly post added in a week or so.  So please stay tuned.  

 

the first of May brings lots of cardmaking

I loved making multiples of this card, Congrats Graduation Card, designed by Sandy at Simply Crafty SVGs. 

I switched things up a bit... removing the diploma and adding another pop-up.  The stamp set is from Simon Says Stamp and the dies were also purchased.  The CELEBRATE was created in SCAL 5 Pro using a chunky font and a shadow layer.  

With Mother's Day just around the corner.... well, you know, I couldn't stop at just creating one card this go round.  I made two.  Both using stamps!  Coloring with markers and inks.  A little bit of fussy cutting and some layering.  

I love my stamp jig... makes for near perfect sentiment placement every time when stamping a stack!!  

The wildflower stamp set is Unknown.  The doodle flowers are from Fun Stampers Journey.  Sentiments are from Stampin' Up and Unknown source.  Cuttlebug (Dotted Swiss) embossing folder.  Colored Cardstock from Bazill.  

Now it's time to tackle all the birthday cards!  I think I counted 10 in the next 2 weeks!  Time to get a move on.  

Featured Blog post on IkonArt Stencils

I was pretty excited to hear that an article was accepted and is now published on the IkonArt Stencil blog.  You'll find it here:  https://ikonartstencil.com/blog/airbrush-handmade-cards-with-ikonart-stencils/

It features a second grouping of cards made using a stencil with images from Creative Fabrica and Craftwell's eBrush and the Poetique refillable Watercolor markers.  It's very similar to this article posted on The Artistry last fall... matter of fact, they picked up the process video.

On a side note, the finished cards were a big hit with Mom.  Her face lit up when I showed her the finished cards (both sets).  Today would have been her 90th birthday.  I miss sharing my projects with her and getting her feedback -- the good and bad.  

busy, busy, busy

but I can't share  most of it yet!  LOL  

That's really the most difficult part about writing and creating for others.  

What I can share are a couple of quick cards.  One of the big bonuses of using SCAL 5 Pro is being able to import files created in Make The Cut (MTC) and cutting them with the Skycut.  Easy, easy!  

I found a fun Concertina card on Pinterest and it was the inspiration for this card:

We had so much fun looking through the photos to find the perfect shots to celebrate her 14th.  Designer paper is from FSJ, vinyl from Expressions Vinyl in rose gold and used SCAL5 Pro to fill each of those photo squares perfectly and do the print + cut spot on!  

We made cooling scarves for the homeless and we'll be making a few more in the next week or so.  Some of those pieces of fabric in the stash are coming in handy and it felt really good to get the sewing machine out and stitch for a few hours.  

Learning lots of new things about pop ups, construction and mechanisms.  Hoping to play with those a little more in the days to come.  Excited about the prospects of fulfilling a dream and lifelong goal.  

It's been a productive week...

or at least a productive couple of days!  Birthdays for this month are creeping up and so it was a mad dash to get a few done. A mix of digital and hybrid.  Love all the fun that can be created using the SCAL 5 Pro software and a few fun files and dies from favorite vendors.  

Using the Gradient feature in SCAL 5 Pro, you can create a full rainbow of color and fill the text with lots of fun!  Moving the individual sliders you can play with the color movement as well until you're satisfied with the shift. 

Purely digital and so much fun.  

Let the Skycut plotter/cutter do the cutting of a chunky font and you create the background on the card base using distress inks and blending tools.  Embellish with a single cupcake (digi is from Creative Fabrica) colored with pencils are markers of your choice.  Add a little glaze to the cherry for some shine.  

Digi image from Creative Fabrica (watercolor collection).  Print 2 cut using SCAL5 Pro to set up.  Once the image is printed, use a Spellbinders' border die.  Round the corners of the back edge and add a bit of additional color to the edge with a strip of paper in a complimentary color.  

 

 Hoping you will be able to spend some time in your creative space this week.  Enjoy every moment of it.  Happy Crafting!  

Stencil Art

While preparing another article for The Artistry, I decided to try something I haven't done for a while.  I got out the eBrush and the Tombow markers to see how they would work with the silk screen stencils I was making.  

SUCCESS!  
The design for this stenciled card front is from Ikonartstencil.com and is one of the free files they have on their website under the resource tab. 

There are quite a few files available in pdf or svg format.  I used SCAL5 Pro to set up the files for printing.  The next step of creating the silkscreen stencils is a breeze.  I'll have a full tutorial on that coming up in a couple of weeks on the Artistry.  

I love the option of being able to reuse the stencil multiple times.  Using the eBrush allows for even more flexibility in colors and easy clean up especially when applying the color to paper.  Similar results can also be achieved using acrylic paint and a foam brush, but the clean up for the markers is much easier and quicker.  (wink - no brushes to clean!)

Thanks for dropping by and hoping you're enjoying some creative time or have some scheduled soon.  Keep nurturing your own creativity!  It really is good for the soul!

 

 

 

 

Father's Day 2021

While we weren't able to spend the day with T's dad, we were able to spend some time with all but our oldest son and his wife over the weekend.  We delighted in seeing each of our grandchildren... and oh how they have grown!  We had our first "official" family gathering since the pandemic just a couple of weeks previously - with all of the family at my Mom's funeral.  We enjoyed a family picnic with extended family at a nearby park after the services.  

Our gathering this past Sunday, however, was just our family.  We enjoyed a nice dinner, lots of talk and the kids enjoyed watching a movie and playing in the yard... I'm so glad that it finally cooled down a bit and we could enjoy sitting outside.  Oh, what a joy it was to resume what we hope will be our monthly family get-togethers again.  

 

Before we got together, I was able to spend a little time crafting and created this card (sparked by something I saw on Pinterest) using SCAL5Pro and my new Skycut C24 plotter/cutter.  Cutting all the speech bubble (CreativeFabrica.com) was a breeze and even creating the gradient and sentiment for the front of the card was a breeze using the print and cut option offered in the software.  The boys seemed to like their cards and the personalized messages in them.  

The tie-dye look on the star was achieved using some Poetique refillable watercolor brushes.  They're easy to use and blend very well.  

We're still getting used to our new norm of not having Mom with us any longer.  It's strange not to share the progress on current projects or listen to the DVDs she enjoyed so much. We know that she's happy and celebrating with the heavenly watercolors -- the sunsets of late have been absolutely gorgeous.  We feel so blessed to have been able to be her caregivers over the last 5 1/2 years.  

Bloom...

This Z-fold card is a favorite.  Reminds me of the English gardens Mom painted a few years back.  While the image used in this card isn't one that Mom painted, it is very similar to some that she does have images of.

For all the details, please visit the article posted on The Artistry.