Izbzee

Layers

I loved the images I found in this grouping of cute fairy houses at Creative Fabrica and wanted to do something fun with one of them and use it in a fun frame.  This is the result for this project now being shared on The Artistry at Creative Fabrica.  

Lots of fussy cutting on the focal image - and some added layering for more dimension.  The hexagon frame was easy to assemble, and would be perfect for a series of images on a wall.  The Skycut and SCAL 6 were my go to's for this project.  The SCAL software makes it very easy to do the print then cut and resizing of the frame was also an important process.  Scaling the background image to fit in the frame was a breeze to accomplish as well.  

Again, the step-by-step process for printing, cutting and assembling this project can be found here.  

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you've got some creative time carved out this week and through the month of March!  Hoping that there's a real change in the season soon and we'll be seeing things green up and blooming as we enter Spring here in the Northern Hemisphere!  We've had quite a winter!  Another fresh 5+ inches of white stuff on the ground this morning!    

Fall pumpkin

This was a fun project to work with and it's my own design!  I used an oval from the SCAL Library as a starting point and went from there.  Playing with nodes can be relaxing or just plain frustrating.  Yes, there were a few of those moments during the early part of the process.  

The leaf is a shadow of a png image and filled with a pattern. The veins were dry embossed from the back side of the printed leaf, then lightly sanded to distress and show a little lighter paper.  

The stem was also designed in SCAL using basic shapes.  

I love that this is dimensional and stands on it's own.  From a slight distance this looks like it is made from wood.  

You'll need:
Electronic die cutting machine and associated software
(3) 12 x 12 cardstock (orange) 
(1) scrap of dark green or brown for stem
(1) 6 x 6 cardstock or sketch paper
Printer
Digital paper
Embossing tool and mat (for leaf)
Embossing folder and Big Kick/Big Shot (for stem)
Glue (Bearly Art)
Hot glue gun
ink and blender tool (pumpkin toned)
Assorted items for embellishment 

Family Reunion

We were trying to explain to the 92 year old that he had quite a posterity.... but he couldn't wrap his head around the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren he had.  So what better way than to create a visual of that -- and who belonged to who!  

We've done family group shots in previous years -- But that isn't quite the same and doesn't make it any easier at times... so after looking around for the perfect SVG of a tree that could be used as a background for the project, I found one on Creative Fabrica that would work.  It needed to be big... the 8 x 8 original size of the file wasn't going to allow me to put a large enough image for each grouping... so resizing in SCAL 6 Pro was easy enough and the final size of the tree is 20 x 20 inches.  Hobby Lobby has sheets of watercolor paper in different weights in the 23 x 30 inch size and that was perfect for what we needed to cut the tree -- and having a mat in the right size made it possible to cut the tree as one piece.  

The tree is painted with watercolor paint.  We let it dry overnight before taking the next steps.  

The sentiment at the bottom of the tree is foil quilled using a Single Line Font -- I think Gma would have given a thumbs up on that choice.  

We gathered images from family FB pages and special email requests and could fill all but a very few of the spots -- we still have a couple of blank spots yet.  I'm hoping they'll help us "fill" the circles in over the course of the next few weeks.  The goal was to have the tree finished by the 20th in time for the reunion and share at our gathering.  I initially planned on using hearts to showcase the family photos, but found that difficult with many of the photo choices I had -- so we bagged that went to a circle with a shadow behind it.  We popped up pictures depending on the generation for a little more interest and dimension. 

The frame was one we found on Amazon -- we'd purchased it for another project, but the puzzle didn't fit into it -- so the frame has been sitting for over a year waiting for another opportunity to be used.  

It's a keeper!  Gpa loves it and points out many of the pictures he can identify individuals in.  

another door hanger

A little paint and piece of vinyl, fabric strip and some greenery from my stash.  I just happened to find a piece of fabric I could use for some "ribbon" too.  

Yeah, there are a few rough edges (loose threads - oops), but I do like how this one turned out.  No time to head to HL to look for ribbon -- and not sure I would find anything similar at this point in time... however, the fabric remnant worked for this project at any rate.

Mistakes happen when you're in a hurry... I forgot to union the letters in Hello -- but unless you're looking close, you don't  notice the extra cuts too much.... Accidents do happen and I'm  not immune to them that's for sure.  I am happy to have this hanging on the front door and looking forward to make a few more for later in the year in the next several weeks.  

DETAILS: 
I made a wash of the brown acrylic paint in the upper portion of the round.  Added some stripes of white and yellow using painters tape for a pretty clean edge between colors.  The vinyl is from HL -- it works, but it's not my favorite.  My good rolls of both white and black vinyl have gone MIA... what's up with that?  Time for a complete overhaul of my supplies, I guess, and get things back in order.  Fonts used for this project include Gracias (source unknown) and Impact (source unknown)

Hoping you have a creative day!  Nurture your heart and soul doing something you enjoy for a few minutes every day.  It's well worth it.  

 

 

Happy 4th!

June pretty much blew right by -- and July has popped up on the calendar!  We needed to refresh a few things around here and of course that meant a little holiday decor.  The mantel is filled with lots of Red, White and Blue stuff from years past and now, we have a new small banner.

The gnome Uncle Sam is from My Scrap Chick -- it's a freebie for a few more days...I'm really glad I grabbed it as soon as it was posted.  It's very adaptable from a treat box to a flat design.  And adding a little inking really adds some definition!

They are pretty easy to put together and aren't too heavy for hanging on the banner.

The stars are from the SCAL library (Basic Shapes).  I added an inset shadow and the lettering is cut in 2 layers.  White ink for the blue and red stars and a little pumice stone ink for the white star.  Bearly Art glue for the assembly of both the gnome and stars.  

I added sleeves to the back of each of the elements and then threaded with a ribbon for hanging.  

A new door hanging was also needed for this year's fabulous 4th.  I have a stash of some 12 inch rounds -- did a quick paint with some acrylic full body paint and added some vinyl cuts to the bottom half of the painted round.  The bow uses some leftover ribbon from a previous project and I added one of the patriotic gnomes to finish off the round.  


Hope you're finding some creative time in your creative space.  Enjoy and have an awesome week!  

Cut n Create Challenge piece

Insomnia has played a huge part in this project.... I got all the matting done after finding all the required files in my stash the other night after searching through lots of files to find just the right cutting files to create this framed wreath.  


The leafy wreath and square shadow box frame file are both from Creative Fabrica.  I used an old Stampin Up punch for a few extra "branches."

The rolled roses are from a file from Simply Crafty SVGS (Victorian Hat) and the small flowers are from a Dreaming Tree file (Hydrangea Tray).  The doily is a file from SVG Cuts Doily Collection.  

All files were matted in SCAL6 Pro.  I used print 2 cut print for the sentiment on the doily and then it was cut using the SkyCut.  I cut 3 of the leafy wreaths and inked them.  I wanted a little more depth and used foam tape between two of the layers.  The roses are inked on both sides and the top of the petals are slightly flared for a little more dimension.  They are glued directly to the wreath.  The smaller flowers have a small pearl in the center and are glued to the wreath as well.  Additional pearls are glued using E6000 and allowed to dry for a couple of hours to make sure everything is secure.   I added a loopy bow using 1/4" wide lavender ribbon and secured with a drop of hot glue.  

The 6" box frame is a single piece file.  Easy to put together.  The center area of the frame is about 5 inches.... it's a pretty snug fit.  

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!  

make and take #3 with the grands

Everything's cut and ready to go this month's make and take with the grands.... they will use some paint markers and blush and use their tying skills  to wrap the wood block for this fairly quick make. 

I wanted to cut the felt with the machine, but it didn't like the polyester in the felt... so that was a bust and the antlers and ears were cut by hand.  I found enough wood discs in my woodlet stash for the noses and pre-painted them red to avoid any large paint messes with the younger kids. 

Here's my version: 

I'm debating at the moment whether to let them apply the waterslide decals to their cocoa mugs at this point.  We'll see how today's test run goes!  LOL  They can "bake" them at home under Mom's supervision.  

Hoping you have a wonderful and creative week.  If you're not creating, I hope that all is going well and you're making some time for some self-care.  Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping 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.  

Make it now not later challenge

This was a fun Halloween decor piece to create.  I'm using two files from Simply Crafty SVGs (listed below) and a few other things to embellish.  

Oh, my!  I got to HL too early to find one of the items I needed and wanted to use for the tail in the Christmas section (now about 1/2 of the store!)  LOL... however, after a quick trip to Joann's I found a  pick with feathers for a fluffy cat tail that I think will work.  The giant curly chenille stems weren't at the store either in the color I wanted... so the pick will have to work.  

For the base:

I used the Halloween Witchy Luminary found here.  I created the base using the solid pieces (just copy and paste to get eight of them)  I reduced these pieces 25% so the finished size was 75% of the original design.  Repeat the process for the panels.  You need eight solid panels, also reduced.  The luminary base will be flipped and used for the topper.  I cut a circle for the bottom of the luminary closing off the bottom of the box.  

The cat is cut at 125% and is from the Vintage Halloween Bags.  The Orange piece is a solid background shadow of the gray piece of the stacked images.  Cut two of each shape.  I also created a folded tab to help the piece stand in the base.  Cut a slit about 1 inch wide in the bottom of the base (which will become the top)  Once you've completed assembly of the cat with the folded tabs glued between the two orange pieces, slide the edge in the slit and glue them to the underside of the base.  The cat should stand up without any additional supports. The head will be heavy and I did need to add an additional support.  I used a large paper clip and secured it in place.  

Make a rosette to go around the cat's neck and cover the shape on the base.  4 patterned paper strips were cut at 1 3/8" x 6".  Scored every 1/4" along the long edge.  Fold each strip accordian style.  I glued the four strips together to form a rosette.  Use a glue gun to secure the rosette (the hole is large enough to slip over the head of the cat... you then adjust the fan folds around the head as evenly as possible

Add any other embellishments desired.  Glue on the tail using hot glue to secure in place, under a panel in the back. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hoping you have some creative time on your calendar this week, if it's not inked in yet, I hope you'll make some time to nurture your creative spirit very soon. 

 

trying a few new "to me" things

When I purchased the Skycut C24 a couple of years ago, I also purchased the embossing and etching tools.  I don't use them often, but a current project required use of the etching tool.  I was a bit wary and also glad that the acrylic blanks were fairly inexpensive, so ruining a couple wouldn't cause lots of worry.  

Here's the "test" result using a the Premium Monogram Font I found at Creative Fabrica.  

The steps to achieve this are pretty easy to do using SCAL and the Skycut.  
I chose an old grungy mat.  Not a lot of tackiness but using some redline tape  provided the tack needed to keep the 3 inch blank in place during the etching process.  In SCAL, I placed the image on the mat and set the X and Y to the bottom right corner at 11.00 inches.  Set the image to draw.  Hide the blank shape (the circle).  

As with most images, you may need to use line fill to complete the etching and fill in the shapes using the line fill option in the effects dropdown menu.  

Prepare the mat:  I placed the tape vertically on the mat so the tape was straddling the 11 inch mark on the right side of the mat and then straddling the 8 inch mark.  The strips were just a little more than 3 inches in length.  These strips held quite well for several etched pieced.  

Insert the etching tool into the holder.  Make sure that you have the mat and the post-it note stack (10 count) to set the height of the tool.  If you don't do that, the tool will drag across the blank and leave a few extra scratches that you really don't want!  Remove the protective sheets from both sides of the blank and center the blank between the two strips of tape.  Making sure that the blank doesn't extend beyond either 11 inch line on the mat.  Press the blank to the tape and to the mat to make sure it won't slide during the etching process.

Load the mat, and make sure that you have the tool centered at the bottom right corner in portrait orientation.  My Draw settings for this particular project was force 20, speed 6.   Click on Cut, Click on Draw -- and let the magic begin.  This etching took about 25 minutes.  Remember, I slowed down the speed a bit.  

Once the process has completed, remove the mat and carefully, remove the blank.  Wipe away the "sand," and clean carefully. 

Again, this is a test image and not the final version, I'm really happy with the outcome and plan on using the etching option for several other projects!  

Have a great day... thanks for dropping by and I hope you've carved out some creative time in the very near future.