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2022 Holiday Tag Reveal - Tag 2

Our Facebook group is having so much fun -- and if you haven't taken a look at the tags that were posted yesterday, you might want to stop by and take a peek.  You'll find the group here.  Today's Tag #2 has a couple of steps  1)Print and cut the tag filling a concave rectangle shape (rectangle and oval -- back minus front) with a little buffalo plaid from a collection I found at Creative Fabrica.  Make sure that shape is set to print only. Center the shape over the tag shape and line up with the bottom of the tag.    Foil the sentiment using a single line font or a font with a narrow line.  The standard foil quill point works well.  

Since the tag is printed on white cardstock, I inked the plaid edges with some Black Licorice ink, leaving the remainder of the tag without any inking.  

The snowflake has an added shadow which will be cut.  The snowflake is set to draw and foiled.  Once the foiling is complete, cut the shadow layer and pop up with a bit of foam tape.  Add a length of ribbon to finish off the tag.  The SCAL software and Skycut are perfect companions for creating holiday tags again this year...  

Thanks for stopping by!  Hoping your holiday crafting is going well.  

4 in one

It's so nice to find a file that can be adapted several ways.  I've shared a few of the ideas in this article now being shared on The Artistry.

3 of the four versions of this silhouette are made in paper.

The shaker versions were fun to create and while they require a little extra time, they are definitely worth it.  Shaker candy from Kat Scrappiness, Queen and Co and my stash.  

Paper versions are cut using the Skycut C24 and using SCAL 5 Pro. 

The fourth is from wood.  So much fun and we're looking forward to adding the laser cut wood version to our entryway tree. 

You'll find all the details for creating these fun holiday ornaments/tags here.  

 

B-days in November

Dropping in to update:  We have a few birthdays this month -- two cards are in the mail and should have arrived at their destination yesterday.  Fingers crossed!  

 

It was fun using papers from my stash.  One of the stacks is 15  years old!  Time to get it used up!  Ink for some texture, pop up dots for some layers and a surprise on the inside which can't be shared right now. 

Do you like to get b-day cards?  I certainly do.  Especially those that have been created with me specifically in mind.   

Cuts made using the Skycut C24 and SCAL 5 Pro.  

More cards to finish up in the next week or so and I'm looking forward to some creative time in the next few days.  How about you?  Have  you built in some creative time in the next few days?  If not, try.  It really is good for the soul.  

 

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.  

Halloween with Simply Crafty SVGs

It has been a joy creating this fun piece that will be displayed in our front hall next month. Three files from the many Halloween files available at Simply Crafty SVGs.  I took a little liberty with the boot and the cat -- and I'll share a little more about that in a bit.  

I started with the Hovering Witch Hat.  Resized to 50% of the original file and assembled according to the video Sandy created.  Sandy suggested the use of tweezers on the upper pieces of the hat.  They were an essential tool -- as the space was too small for my fingers to fit to hold while the glue set.  

Ink all the edges of the flower pieces.  Sandy's idea shown in her video are perfect.  I added a small glittery sequin for the center of the flower on the hat and used an old technique for the creating some suede like paper for the leaves and the fern.  

Resize all pieces to 50%.  I altered the Witch Boot Lantern file slightly by cutting the large panels for the top of the boot in half, punching small holes to thread the ribbon through. Before threading the ribbon in the holes, ink all the edges of the panels. Once you've completed the threading, the panels are then adhered to the boot using your favorite method.  Tie a bow in the ribbon.  

 

The cat is made of fabric and the face is from the Black Cat Treat box.  I layered the facial features together and grouped them.  Then resized to about 2 x 2.1 inches.  Using the IkonArt Stencil kit, a stencil was created and then stenciled using some acrylic heavy duty paint on some black fabric.  Heat set the image.  The fabric was stitched around the outside of the image with a small body added and then lightly stuffed.  The stuffed image is tea stained to add a little distressed look.  

The fact that this piece is stitched and has raw edges, it is meant to fray.  If you choose to try this, you'll want to choose a tightly woven fabric.  

Fill the boot with some sphagnum moss (brown/gray) Set the cat in the boot.  You can use a bamboo skewer glued to the inside of the heel of the boot to make sure the cat stays in place if you're worried about shifting.   Place the hat on the cat and tip as desired.  

 

Additional supplies: 
SCAL 5 Pro and Skycut C24 were used to cut all paper pieces.  
Liquitex Heavy Body White Acrylic Paint
Foam brush
AC cardstock (white, black)
Bazzil cardstock (purples)
embossing folder (optional)
Digital paper (Halloween Gnome Paper Packs from PolkaDoodle)
IkonArt Stencil Kit.  
Printer
Distress inks
White pigment ink
Black Fabric
Sewing machine
Polyester stuffing
Grunge mix for tea stain
Ribbon (1/8")
1/8" round paper punch
Sphagnum moss
glittered sequin (Hocus Pocus mix from Kat Scrappiness)
Bearly Art Precision Glue
ScorTape (1/8", 1/4")

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you have some creative time carved out this weekend.  Enjoy.

 

 

dimensional butterfly

We haven't seen too many butterflies this year... but the ones we have seen around have been beautiful. 

I had so much fun creating this dimensional project for The Artistry, using fabric, paper, stencils and paint, distress inks and some inkjet printed fabric and cardstock!  The butterfly pattern was an Etsy purchase, but the remaining files used were from Creative Fabrica.  I even upcycled a needlework frame I've had for ages!  You'll find the details here.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Hoping you have some creative time lined out this week.  Enjoy it!  Nurture your heart along the way too.  

 

 

Signboard Easel Card

These were so fun to make... I created a similar signboard easel design back in February -- for Mardis Gras.  With a few improvements, I decided that I could use it for some other options.  Resized to a standard card size (4.25 x 5.5 inches), decorative panels added and this is what I came up with.  

This project is now featured on The Artistry.  AND the signboard easel is a free SVG cutting pattern you can download and use.  You'll find the details for downloading this free file and how to create something similar here.  

Embossing, and inking add a little more texture and interest. And the signboard file is a free download at Creative Fabrica!  

There are lots of ideas flowing for using the signboard easel.... I'm sure we'll be seeing it in some future posts later this year and into next.  

Hoping you're looking forward to some creative time in the next few days.  Enjoy it!  I know I am looking forward to doing a little bit of cutting, gluing and assembling today and tomorrow.  

*Affiliate links are used in this post.  

 

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!  

 

Let's Eat Cake

Latest fun on The Artistry is now up and ready for viewing.  Let's Eat Cake originally started as a project to celebrate an upcoming 90th birthday and have every guest leave with a piece of the honoree's favorite pie.

This particular file is available on Creative Fabrica.  It's a fun file and is so adaptable.  3 versions are shared in the blog post found here.  For even more versatility, consider versions for holidays and seasons.  Using printed paper?  The options are endless.  

Just click here to view the blog post or check out some of the my other articles posted there by going to my author's page.  

Stay tuned, more crafting ahead!  Thanks for stopping by.  Hoping you've scheduled some time in your crafting space soon.  

Tropical colors Clock face

AC cardstock Tropical pack was the perfect collection of colors to create this interchangeable clock face for our Summer version.  

We used the same Layered Tree file. Added a slightly larger bottom layer to accommodate the longer clock hands we selected to use with this version.  The colors are vibrant and bright, though it's a bit hard to determine in this photo.  

All the details for creating this version of the Layered Tree clock face can be found here on The Artistry.  
The Winter and Spring Clock faces are also available on The Artistry, in this article.  

Have a wonderful creative weekend!  Enjoy!