Izbzee

teacher appreciation gift for March

We started doing Teacher Appreciation "thank you's" last August.  It's been fun to add this to our monthly creative calendar.  This month we opted for a less traditional St Patrick's day color scheme -- and made some sour cream sugar cookies for the treat.  

The digital paper was from Creative Fabrica and the cut file is from Lori Whitlock's shop.  I ordered the food safe cookie bags from Amazon.  I'd originally planned on using some Baker's Twine to tie everything together, but I didn't like the look and instead went with the gold twist ties included with the cookie bags.  We added a small print and cut tag to the front and a larger label to the back. 

Hubby said they were a "hit" and the sweet was a perfect ending to the day for his staff.  

 

AC Cardstock (White, smooth 12 x 12)  4 wraps to a sheet
24 small tags to one 12x12 sheet
8 larger scalloped tags to one 12x12 sheet
scor tape
Skycut C24
SCAL6 Pro

it's not been too quiet....

craft wise.  I'd say a little busy for the first week of January.  

This guy was finished up just before the first wave of snow started last evening (the 6th).  His first iteration began earlier in the week -- some tweaking and I kind of like the finished look.  


I combined 3 files from Simply Crafty SVGs to make him.  
Smiling Snowman (one of my favorite files -- especially for the hat shape)  I added panels to the hat to get the checkerboard effect I was looking for.  The hat band has some holographic embossed snowflakes -- they didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped, but there is some sparkle up there.  The panels on the head are embossed with the swiss dots folder from Provo Craft.  I didn't ink these.  The scarf has an extra tail -- and the paper pattern is from Creative Fabrica.  

I used the 3D Round Ornament Gift Box for the body.  The head is glued to the top of the box for easy access to the large area where you could put a scarf, mitten/gloves or some candy.  The bottom of the ornament is flat -- so you could finish there, however, I opted to add a base using the Dog Dish file.  I think next time I make this, I'll add some panels to the inside of the larger piece and again to the outside for a bit more strength since I didn't add the band at the bottom of the outside part of the dish.  The base of the ornament is glued to the dog dish for more stability.  

I created the arms and mittens and hand cut those.  Panels for the body and the arms and mittens are done using the Swiss dots folder.  I used a small button for the chest, two small beads for the eyes and a glittered brad for the nose (after cutting off the prongs).  Hot glue keeps those in place  

Hope you'll find some creative time soon if you don't already have some inked in this coming week.  Enjoy the time and nurture your heart along the way.  

Thanks again, for dropping by!  

Halloween... 2023

We've gotten a little early start as you can tell... having made this typewriter previously, it wasn't difficult to give it a different feel.  

One of our daughters is in her final semester of her undergraduate studies.  Since she's majoring in Creative Writing, she asked for a Halloween themed typewriter similar to one she saw online.  The Typewriter SVG file is from SVGCuts and is a box.  The skeleton hands are from Creative Fabrica and the vintage collage is also from a collection found on Creative Fabrica. 

I was originally worried about the colors, but after grunging things up a bit, it actually reminded her of an old typewriter we had a number of years ago... an old Royal manual that you had to push the keys so hard, to get the ribbon to print the image on the paper.  

Now to finish the rest of the display.  Hoping to have it cut, assembled and on display with the typewriter very soon.  

An early start to Christmas makes

I saw a sample of something similar to this explosion box project, but the boxes used on the inside walls of the explosion box were too shallow for what I wanted to accomplish.  So I tried my hand at creating my own version with a little help from a friend.  Finished size is 4.25 x 4.25 x 4.25 inches.  

All patterned paper is digital and I was able to isolate one of the reindeer from the larger paper image and create a "sticker" with it.  There's a reindeer on each side of the box.  SCAL 6 makes it very easy to fill each shape with the paper and size as desired.  All of the images used were backgrounds that were scalable and seamless.  

When you open the box, you'll find 6 mini- cubes on each side panel.  Each cube is numbered.  

Each cube holds a  small single bit candy bar or a couple of hershey kisses.  They will also hold a small charm.  It's makes a perfect Advent calendar for the holidays or could be adapted to celebrate a birthday month or upcoming anniversary.  

I used print 2 cut to create all the panels using a digital paper package call Happy Holidays I picked up from Creative Fabrica a while back.  It's a fun set of backgrounds.  I added a little bling to the red-nosed reindeer in the panels using some flat sequins.  

I think it turned about pretty good!  Day 25 will be an envelope holding a gift certificate or voucher for a family to use during or after the holidays.  

Looking forward to starting another Advent box very soon... we need several more for this coming holiday season!  

May - went fast!

I spent a majority of the month playing with some new ideas -- and grateful to have finished most of them.  

Most of the finished designs are based on finds at Pinterest.  

Late in the month finish... a cute little flip top box with a mini-album insert.  Scraps used for all.  The paper is from Echo Park's Let Freedom Ring collection.  I did create the star cut border using SCAL.  There's some foiling and stamping in this album as well.  

Mo's Digital Pencil is the creator of the above image.  It's so cute and can be adaptable to most anyone's birthday celebration!  

Another image from Mo's Digital Pencil.  It was the perfect image for an upcoming birthday!  

With Father's Day just around the corner, this fun print and cut and digital colored image from Polkadoodles helped create this fun card for the guys in the family!  I hope they like them.  

Two of the boys have birthdays near the first of the month.  This quick make was perfect for them and includes use of scraps, print and cut and cut using the Skycut and SCAL 5 Pro.  I'm really happy this came together quickly and I'm looking forward to using this file again soon with a different color scheme.  

I made a stack of 18 of these to send out in June.  The digital image was from Polkdoodles (Spring bundle).  I used some old spellbinder border dies and created the ENJOY using a font and a few small rectangles to connect "the dots" if you will.  The word is cut on the skycut and the sentiment on the inside was a print using SCAL as well.  

May was busy -- and June is already filling up with plans for creating.  I'm definitely looking forward to more creative time this coming month.  How about you?

 

 

3d Heart Treasure Box

When I first got a sneak peek at this box, I was so excited!  I had a couple of thoughts on how to make it. Below is my final version.

I love that the front and back walls of this piece are reinforced, making the box very sturdy and the box top is hinged in the back, keeping the top and bottom together. The box is made from a rusty colored cardstock that complimented the colors in the panel pieces and reminded me of the colors in the sand in the area where the image was originally taken.  

The front flap doesn't require a closure, but you could certainly add one if desired.   This file from Simply Crafty SVGs will be a go to in the future for several projects through the year.    

Using SCAL 6 Pro, I used the clip path command to place the image in the panel shapes.  This made it pretty easy for the print to cut process for the Skycut as well.  The slot canyon image was printed on glossy photo stock and the colors from the printer were incredibly vibrant!  

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Each visit is appreciated.  Hoping you have some creative time marked out this week - if not, find some time.  Your heart and spirit will benefit (among other things).  

a first for me...

in a very long time.... A little paper house.  

I used the Bird House file and the stand from Smiling Jack O' Lantern file from Simply Crafty SVGs with an added beveled box I created using Blender and Pepakura. This was lots of fun!

The panels on the outside of the house are embossed with a rock embossing folder and the inside walls of the house are also paneled for a little more sturdiness to compensate for the added weight of the moss on the roof and to cover the prongs used in the hinges.    

.... after opening the bird house file in SCAL, I made a few changes to the door and added a few additional details. 

The door is comprised of 4 layers of cardstock.  The top layer is embossed and inked and was washed with a bit of water.  the window element was created in SCAL combining some basic shapes.  The door is set off center on the front of the house.  A half arch was added to one side (not shown above) and is also made of 4 layers, embossed and inked.  

The door knocker is made with some jewelry findings (a bead and jump ring) glued to a metallic (aluminum can) heart die cut. In the final design, they are colored with a black sharpie.   The hinges were a find on Amazon.  I used some small brads to secure the hinges to the door and house frame.  The door knob (not shown) is a brad minus the prongs.  E6000 glue was used to secure the metallic pieces to the door.  Let dry overnight for best results!

Assemble the house following the basic assembly instructions provided at Simply Crafty SVGs.  The video instruction does not include the door used for this project.  

A sheet of hobby craft moss was cut to size to use on the roof.  I used some heavy duty double stick tape to secure it on the roof pieces.  

I really like the stand from the Smiling Jack O'Lantern file.  I've used it for several other projects and it's a favorite and so easy to assemble.  No need to alter the size or design. An additional beveled box was added to the stand to add more width and stability at the top to accommodate the house.   

 

Is it perfect?  NO, not at all!  But I've learned a lot in this construction, and hope to add a few additional houses in the months to come implementing some additional ideas.  Overall, it was an enjoyable project and got me out of my comfort zone in several areas and using materials I don't often use or combine with paper.

Supplies:
Paper:  American Cardstock (AC) and Bazill  80lb (textured)
Adhesives:  Bearly Art Glue, e6000, red line tape (heavy duty)
Software used:  SCAL 5, Blender, Pepakura
Skycut C24
embossing folders, small heart die
Big Shot
Findings:  small bead, jump ring, aluminum can, hinges, brads
Jewelry round nose pliers, wire cutters
Water brush
Distress Inks
Ink blending tool

Thanks for stopping by.  Hoping you've carved out some creative time this week.  I have and I'm looking forward to some fun time crafting and creating.  If you choose to make this or something similar... please be sure to let me know and tag #simplycraftysvgs too!  Sandy would love to see your make as well!  

More Halloween ....

The Frightful Flower from SimplyCrafty SVGs has joined this year's Halloween decor and I'm loving it!  It's definitely worth the time to cut, color, ink and assemble. Here's my version.

Isn't it fun?  The flower petals are hand painted -- well, I let the Watercolor ink from Poetique just run on some wet areas of the cardstock.  The edges are inked with distress ink for a little more definition.  Erase any pencil lines if you need to.  I used them to create a basic shape for the colored area of the petals.  

The face of our flower has just a little bit of inking and I did leave one of the pieces off (dripping blood).  

I added additional texture to the leaves using the backside of a craft knife... inked the entire leaf using Distress Inks and a blending tool.  

Three leaves were used for this version of the Frightful Flower.  The file does include 3 different leaf patterns for you to mix and match for your own special version of the file.  

For the easiest way of assembling this project, be sure to watch the video here.  Just scroll down the page for the video.  TIP: Be sure to pull your embossing folders, inks and a spritzer filled with diluted mica for another layer of interest before you begin to assemble.  

 

All papers from AC Cardstock and Stampin' Up!  
Skycut C24 and SCAL 5 Pro
Green wrapped wire
Hot glue gun, clear glue sticks
Poetique Watercolor Ink refill (Argyle Red)
Waterbrush, flat and fine
Distress Inks, blender tool
Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue
Silver Pearl Ex
Rubbing Alcohol
Mister spray bottle
Brown moss

 

more Halloween decor

The Topsy Turvy Cake file from Simply Crafty SVGs was the perfect base for this fun project.  It also pairs really well with the Shrunken Head Candlesticks found in this post.  

It was fun using a digital striped paper (from Creative Fabrica) to fill the pieces for that section.  The SCAL 5 software makes it so easy and the Skycut cuts a printed image perfectly!  We added a "stripe" of light gray marker along each side of the stripe.  This adds a little more depth to the striped pattern on the paper.  

Assemble the cake as demonstrated in the video found here.  We used Bearly Art Precision Craft glue to adhere most of the pieces in this project.  

The "eyes on you" border was created in SCAL 5 and is simply a series of duplicated circles evenly distributed on a long narrow rectangle.   The union command was used to make it all one connected piece.  Cut.  Ink the edges with some mid to dark gray ink.  Create additional circles in slightly smaller sizes for the remaining 2 pieces of the eyes.  Assemble.  Add some white gel pen details if desired.   and coat lightly with some glaze.  We used Mod Podge Collage Medium.  Let dry and then using some narrow double stick tape, adhere to the edge of each of the cake layers after assembling the cake.  We made 5 strips (23 circles) measuring 11.5 inches in length cut on the diagonal and used most of the strips to decorate the edge of the cake layers.  

The "It's Show Time" marquee is simply 3 pieces of paper cut to the width of the top layer.  2 white and 1 black slightly larger in size.  You can cut the text on both pieces of white -- however, we chose to use it only on one piece.  Sandwich the black between the two white pieces.  We added a toothpick to each end and slid the picks between the border and edge of the top cake layer.  

Since we plan to fill the cake box with some goodies for our upcoming family dinner, we decided to add some weight and strength to the cake base.  We cut an extra bottom for the base and filled a sandwich bag with about 1/2 cup of rice.  Seal the bag and carefully stuff into the base.  Add an additional circle under the doily piece.  This will add a bit more strength to the entire base and stiffen the edges a bit.  

The cake with the marquee in place is nearly the same height as the candlesticks... so together, they work quite well.  

Hoping you're enjoying some creative time in your space this weekend.  Enjoy and relax!  Crafting is a great way to destress.  

Thanks for stopping by!  There are a couple of additional ideas coming together here ... can't wait to share in the next week or so.  

Posy Pockets

These are so fun and easy to make....

I whipped a few out the last couple of days after designing the pocket in SCAL 5 Pro.  One piece for the main pocket and 2 bands to go around the top and the bottom of the pocket.  The skycut required about 1 1/2 minutes to do the cutting and scoring.  Once you have added the inking, texture and embellishment, assembly is accomplished with a seam in the back and gluing the bottom edge together.  Glue on the bands and add your hanger.

I used wire for the hanger, but ribbon, twine or other fibers would work well.  Fill the pocket with whatever your heart desires.  

Silk flowers were used in the 2 pockets above. 

For this pocket, we added Spanish Moss (green) and a paper air plant (file from Creative Fabrica).  The air plant was made using white sketch paper and colored using some spectrum noir markers and the Ebrush by CraftwellUSA.  

No watering needed.... EVER!  

Labels ( Label Creator Font found here) are printed with an inkjet printer on tissue paper.  Let dry for about 15 minutes before using Matte acrylic medium to apply to the pocket.  You can add some additional inking around the edges once the medium has dried to cover the edges of the label that was applied to the pocket.  

While some of the details can't be seen in the images, you can also use a scoreboard and score some lines from the back of the piece to make the pocket look like it has some ridges  like a can might have. Then use a ball stylus to emphasize the ridge a bit.   This is a great way to add some additional texture and interest to you piece.  You can also use an embossing folder to add interest. Lots of options to make each pocket unique and have your personal touch.  

Thanks for stopping by and hoping that you've set aside some creative time this week.  Enjoy it! 

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