Izbzee

Valentine Tiered Tray take 2

Last year, I created this one.

 

I wanted a few new things in 2023... so this was the result!

I even cut the fabric for the mini hearts using the Skycut and SCAL 5 pro!  That was a fun and very successful project, though my stitching small stuff like that wasn't as "perfect" as I would have liked.  But it was fun and very enjoyable seeing how the skycut managed the fabric.  I used Jacquard's cotton fabric.  It's already pre-treated and can be run through the rear tray of my inkjet printer with ease.  

You'll find all the details for creating the hearts and other items for this year's tray on The Artistry.  

 

Prim Stenciled Sunflowers

This latest project created for CreativeFabrica.com was lots of fun - and turned out just the way I'd hoped.

Fabric, felt, tulle, cheesecloth, dowels, paint, ink and lots of tea stain brought this project to life along with the reusable stencils created with files from Creative Fabrica and the IkonArt Stencil kit.  For all the details, you can check here. 

Even the #10 tin can got a do over with a quick rusting process using Hydrogen Peroxide, salt and vinegar.  It only took about an hour for the can to rust.  Sprayed with a seal coat will keep some of the flaking at bay.  

While I've cut back on the number of projects I've been working on, it's still a joy to complete the ones I have selected to move forward with.  This is one that I really have liked seeing come to life...  and it was worth it.  Hope you enjoy the process article on The Artistry.  

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.

 

 

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.  

Prim Spring Bouquet

It's official!  Spring has arrived -- at least on the calendar.  We've even heard a few lawn mowers in the neighborhood in the last week or so -- hoping to see a few more sprigs of green and color in a few more days

I've wanted to do a hanging mason jar project for a long time... but just didn't get the right vibes until the tulips came to mind.  So let's get started.

You'll need:
cream colored brushed flannel (2 fat quarters or a 1/4 yard)
Tulip fabric dyes (green, orange, yellor)
tea (berry and black)
sewing machine
fiber fill
bamboo skewers
hot glue
wire cutters
board
screw
mason jar/with lid
twine
mica powder (Mixed Media Supplies)
filler (optional)
scissors
pattern (I drew my own)
gloves

Plan on working on this project for a couple of days.... First steps for me were

1) draw my patterns.  Be sure to allow a 1/4" seam for the flowers. 

2) I chose to make 3 different colored flowers... 3 in each color.  Cut three pieces of fabric large enough to cut 6 flowers from.  Remember you'll also need a piece for the leaves.

3) Mix the dyes as directed by the manufacturer.  I poured about an inch of mixed dye into a pint sized mason jar and placed the fabric  - one for yellow and one for orange.  In a third mason jar, steep a couple of bags of the berry tea.  Add the fabric.  In a 4th jar, add some green dye and place the fabric you've set aside for the leaves in that jar.  Let the fabric soak for about 30 minutes.  Using gloves, lightly wring the fabric.  I did not rinse the extra dye out of the fabric before air drying.  After the fabric has dried, heat set using an iron.  Use a towel to absorb any additional ink that may be released with the iron.  Begin with the lightest color first, then gradually work to the darker colors.  Set aside.  But you're not ready to cut yet.  You can return the leftover dye to their storage containers to use at a later date.  Clean the jars.




4) Steep 2 large bags of black tea.  Divide between the 4 jars and place a piece of fabric in each of the jars.  Allow to soak for about 20 minutes or until the fabric is sufficiently grunged.  Again, using gloves, wring the fabric.  Let dry.  Heat set the fabric again as described previously.

5)  Trace the patterns on the fabric and cut. You'll need two cuts for each flower and one cut for each leaf - I forgot to take a picture of the leaves.  OOPS!  

6) Stitch each flower, wrong sides together using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving about 3/4 " area unstitched to allow for turning.  Clip curves and corners and turn.  Set aside.

7)  Lightly stuff each flower with some fiberfill. 

8) If desired, "paint" the skewers green. 

9) Using the glue gun, apply a small bit to the base of the flower and attach to the skewer.  Repeat until all the flowers are attached.  Spritz each flower with a bit of Mixed Media Supplies mica powder mixed with water and let dry. 

10)  Trim skewers if needed.  Glue a leaf to the skewer and repeat until all the flowers have been completed. 

11) With the crop-o-dile, punch a hole on the ring on either side.  Thread some twine through the holes and tie off leaving enough to hang the mason jar from the hook in the board.

12) Arrange the flowers in the jar as desired.  Add filler if desired.  Spritz with a little more mica powder dissolved in water.  And you're done! 


There's a little bit of shimmer on the flowers and leaves, but it's hard to catch.

I added a string of fairy lights to my bottle before adding the flowers.  They're easy to turn on and off and sure add a touch of whimsy to this prim bouquet. 

Hope you have some creative time scheduled soon! Thanks for stopping by! 

Paper Quilting with Sabor & Craftwell

This month's creative fun with SaborPapel and Craftwell is still underway!  Still using the Olé collection from Sabor, and a desire to do a little "quilting," here's the project I decided to do.

When I first paraded the blocks by my artist Mom, she was a little concerned about it being too busy.  But after adding the eBrushed binding, she gave it 2 thumbs up! 

I used the well known pattern New York quilt block for the design.  The pattern was easy to translate to a cut file for my electronic cutter and made easy work of cutting the sheets of paper into the components of the blocks.

Once all the pieces are cut, begin laying out your blocks.  No need for glue at this point, you can switch out pieces and colors for a pleasing palette.

A re-positionable glue stick is perfect for this project

My base squares are slightly larger to allow for some trimming once all the pieces are in place. 

Now, put the squares into a pleasing pattern.  This is not my final pattern as I did make a couple more adjustments.  Once that is done, get your sewing machine out, a complimentary color thread for both the spool and the bobbin.  I used a zig-zag stitch  - not a satin stitch, since that would perforate the paper. 

Stitch each square, trim threads and edges to size.  My squares were 6 1/4 inches each.  Stitch in rows,  I made 9 squares for a 3 x 3 quilt. 

I chose not to ebrush any of my squares nor any of the elements in the squares.  But the "binding" was another story!  Grab a stencil, the eBrush and some markers in complimentary colors.  The Bic-Mark its worked well with the colors in the "quilt.". 

Using a piece of foam core or posterboard, cut your posterboard 2 inches larger all around, which will leave a 1 inch border when you add your quilt. 

I started with the lightest color first and added color as I reused the stencil around the edge.  Lightly spray the darkest color as desired around the edge of the board.  It will fill in most of the white of the board.  Be careful not to muddy the colors too much.  Don't worry if you over spray a bit into the middle of the board.  It won't show. 

Carefully adhere the "quilt" to the binding and display as desired!  There are some papers in the Amor collection I've got my eye on..... quilting isn't just for fabric! 

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to create some time in your busy schedules to have a little fun!  And don't forget if you choose to join us creating some projects with the Sabor Collections, use #saborxcraftwell on your social media shares!  We'd love to see the creativity! 

Stop by the Craftwell blog to see all the other design team projects! 

Vintage Violets

I'm so excited to share this first project for a new term on Craftwell's eBrush Team! 

Childhood memories came flooding back when I found some violets growing in what I thought was our barren yard.  Surprise! 

Seeing the blossom was my inspiration for this month's eBrush project. 

 

for this project you'll need:
eBrush (marker adapter and siphon adapter)
tea
heart pattern
stencil (my own)
markers (permanent and water fast)

Fabric (scraps will do if you choose to do a scrappy heart - at least 4 inch squares for the heart top)
Fat quarter for heart base
Muslin (for inner bag)
embroidery floss
needle
sewing machine
thread similar in color to your fabric
natural cotton batting (thin)
lace and other embellishments as desired

Let's get started:
Brew your tea.  Set aside.
Choose your fabric for the stenciled element and spray as desired.  I sprayed the leaves first and then the blossoms.  It was easy peasy.  I added a little bit of yellow marker to the flower centers.  Make sure the fabric is completely dry before the next step. 

Set up your siphon.  I used a bottle, not the cup for this project.  Protect all your surfaces if you're spraying inside -- I did experience a bit of overspray.  I saturated each piece of fabric I wanted to have a vintage look with the regular tea.  For the blue/pink pieces, I used a pomegranate infused tea, which left a beautiful shade of light blue and a deeper pink when saturated a second time with the tea.  You can also spray the lace pieces if you'd like. 



I even used the tea on an old lace curtain panel -- It turned out yummy looking.

See how pink that tea is?  Depending on the fabric content, depends on how the fabric colors. 

Now that all of your pieces are eBrushed, it's time to put your "crazy quilt" together.  I wanted the violets to be the focal point on this piece, so I started with that.  I drew a heart on some copy paper.  Added a few more lines to crisscross on the back of the heart (you'll stitch from that side) and placed the focal piece where I wanted it face up.  Laying the second piece face down, Carefully flip the fabric and paper to the back side and pin.  Stitch with the sewing machine.  Trim that seam to 1/4 inch or slightly less.  Finger press the seam.  Add the next piece of fabric, face down and repeat as needed.  Once all of the pieces have been stitched, trim your new fabric to the heart shape and remove the paper from the back.  Cut a piece of batting just slightly smaller than the heart and place it under the stitched heart.  Add your embroidery stitches and lacey trims, seed beads and any other embellishments you want securing with thread through all layers.  Set aside.

Cut 2 hearts about 1/2 inch larger than your stitched heart from some coordinating fabric from the fat quarter.  Stitch a 1/4 inch seam around the outer edges, leaving about 2 inches open on one side to turn and stuff.

From the muslin, cut another pair of hearts.  Stitch as above, leaving an opening for stuffing.  Clip the curves on both of the hearts (not the quilted heart);  turn and press.  Carefully, insert the muslin heart into the fabric heart.  Stuff with fiber fill or poly pellets to desired firmness.  Stitch the muslin heart closed, then the fabric heart closed.  Lay the quilted heart on top of the now stuffed fabric heart, centering.  Pin in place.  Carefully stitch the quilted heart to the fabric heart using a blanket stitch or other decorative stitch.   If desired, grab the eBrush and the siphon and some tea and add a little more "color" to the edges of the hearts if desired for a more aged look.  Don't over saturate.  Let dry. 

If desired, stitch a length of ribbon at the top of the heart to hang.  This heart can be used as decor or as a pin cushion. 

 Thanks for dropping by.  Be sure to stop by Craftwell's blog again tomorrow and Friday for more fabulous projects by the designers for this term.

 

 

eBrushed Notepad Cover

It's a Kaboodle Bug Design week! 


Dress up a notepad or notebook using a cover.  For this sample, I choose to use a fabric cover.

You'll need:
pre-washed fabric (I used some medium weight muslin)
thin batting
Tulip® Fabric Markers
eBrush with Sharpie adapter and foam pencil cushion
Notepad (mine measures about  5.5 x 8.5 inches)
Stencil material
Electronic Cutting Machine and software
Therm-O-Web
Sewing Machine, thread, scissors
Iron
Plastic

You can freehand your design or use stencils as I have done.
Apple Bookworm file (from KaDoodleBugDesigns.com)



Measure your notepad. To measure your fabric pieces for cutting: double the width or your notepad and add 1.5 inches. For the height, measure the height and add 1.5 inches.  You'll need to cut 2 pieces of fabric and one of batting.  My fabric and batting for this particular cover, measured  12.5 inches w by 9.5 inches h. 

Set aside the batting and one piece of fabric.

You'll want to cover your surface with some plastic.  Remember, you're using fabric markers and if you're wanting to preserve your manicure, gloves might be helpful. 

Secure your fabric to the work surface if need be.  I'm using stencils and the stencil basically covered the area I was going to use the eBrush on, so I just use that to keep my fabric in place.  Using the markers and eBrush, spray as desired.  The Alpha file is one I've had for a while and I think it's an Ali Edwards file.

Since KaDoodleBugDesigns is a sponsor this month, I'm also using one of Melissa's files -- called Apple Bookworm and fabric piecing the "painted" pieces to the cover. 


I used a scrap of fabric about 5 x 7 inches to stencil the worm and the apple.  Once colored using the ebrush and markers, I added a little more dimension with the fine tip of the marker. 



The brush tip was used to spray all the pieces with the eBrush.  Use some Therm-O-Web to bond the fabric so you can "fuse" it to the cover.  Cut the pieces.  You could choose to use your electronic cutting machine to do the cutting before you color... I just cut mine by hand!  :)

Once all the pieces are colored and cut, fuse as desired to the fabric cover piece.  I used a stencil to draw on the eyeglasses and left the arms off for this sample.  The apple, stem and leaf are all one piece.  To set the colors, follow the manufacturer's directions for the markers you're using.

Now that you have all the coloring and set the dye  simply stack from the bottom up, batting, cover face up and the 2nd piece of fabric.  Pin.  Stitch using a 1/4 inch wide seam.  Be sure to leave about a 2 inch opening along one long edge.  I chose the top edge along what would be the back of the cover.  Trim the corners to remove some of the bulk.  Carefully turn the cover right side out.  You can finger press the seams or get your iron out and press. 

Place the notepad on the inside of the back cover.  I secured mine with a couple of hook and loop dots ( you can replace them as you switch out notebooks) Since this pad will stay on my desk, I'm not going to need to secure the cover with a closure, but you certainly could. 

Thanks for dropping by and don't miss out on all the rest of the fabulous projects being shared by the design team this week and next!  Hoping you've set some time aside in your craftroom this week! 

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After all the rain we had during the month of May, this little gal is definitely a ray of sunshine!  Thanks to Latina Crafter for fabulous resourses!

She's definitely one of a kind.  She's made of muslin that has been stenciled using the Puntos stencil by Latina Crafter and Craftwell's eBrush with the Siphon adapter using Tulip Fabric dyes.

Here are a few pictures of the process. Get all your equipment ready -- Let's SPRAY!

Click on the photos for a larger image:

I heat set all of the stenciled fabric pieces before cutting and stitching..  After rinsing out the glue on the yellow piece, let dry and press.  Complete as directed in the pattern that you choose.  The body for this doll sits in a Mason Jar.  I used a pattern from my doll making era!  Add the overskirt and tie in place.  Add the hair and any additional embellishment.

I made an origami parasol following the directions found in this youtube video.  I sprayed the paper squares using the eBrush and Sharpie markers using the same stencil as used for the doll. 

Embellish as desired!  Can you see that veneer peeking out?  It's a Sun hiding behind a cloud!  Love it and it was a perfect accent around the doll's waist.  At this point in time, I wasn't sure about adding some facial features or not... but if you scroll back to the top photo,  I did! 

Doll making is always fun!  Let your creativity flow.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you'll be spending some time crafting soon!

Thanks to our sponsor, Latina Crafter for the wood veneers and stencil used in this project! 

  PS:  June 11 - 12, Be sure to pop by Latina Crafter for their fabulous Blog Hop! 

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