Izbzee

2020 - 12 Tags of Christmas Tag 4

I've been having fun making these tags... though several of the "planned" ones haven't turned out as I'd expected, so they haven't made the cut... but the next few did.
This tag was done using basic shapes and a few other commands found in the software.  I love the look and the layers.

The photo doesn't do it justice -- but the studio lighting hasn't been cooperating the last few days... so my apologies.  

I love adding a stitching line using the contour cut feature, inset shadow and then changing the line to a dashed line.  The white stock for the front cover was watercolored using an antique colorway.  All of the trees are washed in a little bit of light gray and some Wink of stella.  I used some stacked foam tape strips along the edge after the insert was created and placed on the back piece.  I wrapped a length of gold cording around the edge to cover the foam.  

 

Halloween Haunts

We've turned another page on the calendar.... yep, we still have a paper calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen.  I know, it's old fashioned with all the electronic calendars AND planners out there... but it works for us.  

Last year, we made Venus Flytraps for our big Halloween projects. Remember these?

You can find the blog post here.  And that project set another in motion at Simply Crafty SVGs -- Sandy did an amazing job creating a 3D paper project in a smaller version!  

Sandy's file is available here.  

While on the hunt for something fun to make this year.....  Les Pensees en Papier Etsy shop had the perfect solution. 

A Haunted House explosion box!  
And there are interactive elements -- such as the 2 waterfall slides (pumpkins and skulls) on 2 panels of the second box!
The "attic" holds a couple of surprises too!  

 

The SVG files cut neatly with the eclips and eCal3.  Directions were clear and easy to complete (link to a youtube tutorial is included with your download).  I used AC Smooth Cardstock in black and white.  Colored paper is Bazzill.  Some is textured and some pieces are smooth.  The roof is all one piece and is easy to attach and I love the texture!

My finishing touch was to add the Light Activated Sound Module from InviteByVoice.  Music is "Haunted House on the Hill" from MelodyLoops.com.  And when the light filters through to the sensor, well, let's just say, we've been surprised a couple of times with music playing without lifting the roof off!  

Thanks for stopping by... Nurtured your heart and soul doing a little creating.  Have fun and we'll be checking back in soon.  

 

 

 

Sandy's file is available here.  

While on the hunt for something fun to make this year.....  Les Pensees en Papier Etsy shop had the perfect solution. 

A Haunted House explosion box!  
And there are interactive elements -- such as the 2 waterfall slides (pumpkins and skulls) on 2 panels of the second box!
The "attic" holds a couple of surprises too!  

 

The SVG files cut neatly with the eclips and eCal3.  Directions were clear and easy to complete (link to a youtube tutorial is included with your download).  I used AC Smooth Cardstock in black and white.  Colored paper is Bazzill.  Some is textured and some pieces are smooth.  The roof is all one piece and is easy to attach and I love the texture!

My finishing touch was to add the Light Activated Sound Module from InviteByVoice.  Music is "Haunted House on the Hill" from MelodyLoops.com.  And when the light filters through to the sensor, well, let's just say, we've been surprised a couple of times with music playing without lifting the roof off!  

Thanks for stopping by... Nurtured your heart and soul doing a little creating.  Have fun and we'll be checking back in soon.  

paper and more paper....

I've always enjoyed infinity cards, but the ones I've made in the past have all been on the "girly" design side.  I decided to create my own svg file to cut pieces ahead of time and assemble additional cards when needed.  I took a look at what I could find on Pinterest and there were quite a few to pique my interest.  Loved seeing the Rubix cube version and created one similar to one I found there in a larger size.  

Making cards has always been a favorite pastime.. 30 plus years of stamping and paper play.  The advent of home die cutting machines has changed the face of cardmaking for lots of makers.  I for one, enjoy using SVGs to create one of kind cards or making a large number of cards in one sitting.  

This particular never ending card offers lots of opportunity to use up scraps -- just cut the 10 squares of each color with a paper trimmer. I used my Xyron Creative Station to apply edge to edge adhesive to each of the squares.  No glue mess! 

Finished size of this card was 5 x 5, but could be enlarged or downsized if desired.  

Directions and templates are available on the internet and there's an assembly tutorial over on YouTube. This was the perfect birthday card for one of our grandsons.  I hope he enjoyed it.  

 

 

Tag 5 - Spring Tag Challenge 2020

Well, it's Friday and it's been a fun week. Thanks for dropping by and sharing a bit of your day  or evening checking things out. As you can see I decided to make another shaker card - a perfect way to round out the week.  

The background is an image I purchased on Dreamstime.com - I've used it for a couple of cards and have plans to use it for another couple of projects in the days to come.  I loved the colors and thought they would serve well as the background for this tag.  

Printed on photo paper (4x6 -borderless setting).  

The sentiment is written in the Walking Wind font and is from CreativeFabrica.com  I used the foil quill and some pink glimmer mist foil from Spellbinders.  I think it turned out quite lovely.   

Stack 5 ovals cut using the eclips and ecal and adhere them to form your shaker box, centering the stack around the sentiment.  

Add the sequin mix.  Adhere an oval cut piece of transparency and the top card stock oval.  If desired add a few more sequins to the oval and the tag base.  Add some ribbon or fibers to hang your tag.  

Thanks for joining me this week.  It's been a fun week.  Don't let COVID-19 get you down .... I hope you'll be able to find a few minutes, hours or more to craft as you can.  Be safe, stay well.  

Tag 4 - Spring Tag Challenge 2020

 

Covid-19 is still disrupting lives across the world and now in our community.  I'm grateful for our online communities and the flexibility we have of working from home.  I'm still grateful for a crafting stash and no need to leave the house.  I'm pretty sure my hubby was wondering about the boxes that arrived earlier this year filled with glue, paper, and more.

This tag features another fun image from Buddly Crafts -- While this is printed on white stock, it would look wonderful on some antiqued paper for a more vintage look.  

Size, print and color the image as desired.  Using the print 2 cut feature in eCal, cut the tag.  Add a shadow layer or more as shown in the tag featured in yesterday's post.  

Embellish as desired for gifting.  Create multiples for a fun Spring banner.  

Be safe, stay well and craft on! 

Tag 3 - Spring Tag Challenge 2020

Hard to believe that we're already mid-week in the challenge.  Have you checked out all the tags showing up on the page?  If note or you need the link, you'll find the images here.  

Digital stamps to the rescue -- and I really like this one from Buddly Crafts.  Their digital stamps are nicely detailed and don't lose anything in the resizing using eCal3.  Perfect for using the print 2 cut and print 2 cut print features offered in eCal.  If you'd like, you can also print your sentiment at the same time using a fun font*.  

Print and color your stamped image.  Coloring has always been a good way for me to destress after a busy day at work or providing care for Mom.  I used Rembrandt professional colored pencils for this image.  

After the coloring is done, cut the images as desired.  I used a cloud shape from the shape library -- You can add a couple of shadow layers and cut those in colors that will coordinate with your image. 

* Or add a sentiment if desired using a stamp of choice.  This is a really quick tag - pretty easy and reminds me of one of the vintage images in my old scrapbook.  

 

Tag 2 - Spring Tag Challenge

 

Tag 2 -- A bit oversized, however, this shaker tag will make a nice statement on a gift basket.  

Isolation/social distancing isn't too bad when you have a stash of craft supplies and who knew that they would come in handy this spring when our local craft stores are closed or doing limited business - order online and they'll deliver curbside... great for some things, but if you're a shopper who likes to see and touch things to make sure these embellishments are the right size -- well... I'm sure you get the drift.  

The Mandala egg SVG was from Creative Fabrica.  You'll find it here. I used front minus back to incorporate the egg into the tag shape.  There will be a few detail pieces you will want to glue to the front of the transparency - so don't scrape all those bits and pieces off the mat just yet.

Using some scor-tape, adhere the transparency to the back of the tag front.  Add those detail pieces from the cut to the front of the transparency with a dab of glue.  Let dry.  Add foam tape to form a box on the back of the tag front to keep the sequin mix in place once the tag back is added.  I love the window effect in this piece.

The white paper was a bit too stark and needed a little something.  So I drew some swirls using a Versa-mark pen.  It was perfect!  Very subtle but when the light hits things just right you can see those swirls.  Next time, maybe stamp a doily or mandala using versa-mark.  Let dry a bit to avoid smearing.  You can heat set if desired.  

 

Add a bit of ribbon and fiber to the tag and you're set to add to that gift bag or basket for a special delivery.  
Hoping you are able to find some creative time  -- keep nurturing your soul.  Stay safe and be well.  

Spring Tag 2020 Challenge

It's that time of year again - with all the chaos that Covid-19 has been causing, this challenge has offered a bit of respite during this period of self-isolation and social distancing.  The first cases of the virus wreaked havoc in the stores as people hoarded certain items and made it nearly impossible for the general public to have access.  One of the items was toilet paper -- and in true crafter fashion Whimsey stamps offered this digital freebie!  

eCal3's Print 2 cut feature was perfect for this tag using the digital image from Whimsey Stamps.
Creative Fabrica's font library provided the font, name of font.  Font was "filled" with the line fill command and printed (I had originally planned on using the foil quill, but my quill broke and I didn't want to wait for the delivery (yeah, some days it's just like that.) You just have to keep crafting.  

Rembrandt colored pencils were used to color Dudley and the print 2 cut feature was used to cut both the tag and Dudley.  

Run the lower 1/3 to 1/2 through an embossing folder and the Big Shot for a little extra texture.  I decided to add a little more dimension using the eBrush and a light gray marker.  Just a little color added enough dimension.  

Using some strategically placed pop-dots place Dudley as desired on the tag and embellish as desired.Add a for a hanger.

 

Hop on over to the eclips/ecal FB page to see what others are making this year.  It's time to get some more crafting on!  Hoping you're finding some time to do the same.  Enjoy!

the music box

It's been a while -- and this project has been in the making for several months.  Just kept hitting some snags with the build. I do need to thank Sandy Stark from SimplyCraftySVGs.com for the hexagon box and base.  They're perfect!

 

 

You'll need
Hexagon box and base file (currently not available for retail sale)
African Violets (Dreaming Tree - Alluring Floral Bundle)
Cyclamen Leaves (Lia Griffith)
Wood Texture Background (digital file)
cardstock
printer
electronic die cutting machine and software (eclips2 and eCal3)
WRMK's Foil Quill
Gold Foil
4 x 2 round styrofoam
box knife
Music box with turntable (the forks for the music box in this instance have been disabled) NationalArtCraft.com
EZSound Box - Front Play from InvitebyVoice.com
Audio file (MP3 - MelodyLoops - Spring Flowers)  or track of your choice (make sure you have the appropriate license for use)
Lineco Bookbinder Glue

Print, foil, cut and assemble the box and base, leaving the top of the box off. Do not glue the box and the base together yet.  You'll have two pieces. 

Add music to the EZSound Box according to manufacturer's directions from the instruction card in the packaging or from the video on the website.  It's really easy!   

Position the music box without the turntable attached on the top of the foam, with the turntable spindle as near the center of the foam as possible.  The spindle should be facing up.  Trace around the box with a pen. 

 

Place the EZSound Box on the top farthest from the music box and trace.  Using a craft knife or box knife, trim out that area.  Trim out the area for the turntable as well.  The foam and boxes should fit snugly in the foam. 

Secure the foam and boxes in the hexagon box.  Glue the hexagon box to the base.  Using a little dye or pigment ink pad, apply a little ink to the top of the spindle of the turntable box.  Carefully lay the top of the box centered and press lightly.  This will mark the placement of the hole in the top.  Using a punch, place that hold and glue the top to the tabs of the hexagon box.  Secure the turntable to the music box spindle.  you will need to turn the turntable to wind it up so it will spin.  I have about 1/4" of space between the top of the box and the turntable.  




Add your choice of decor to the turn table.  

Spring always reminds me of my Grandmother's yard and the violets that grew wild in the grass.  I'm using a file from Dreaming Tree from the Alluring Florals Bundle - African Violets (file pieces were reduced by 50%).  The leaves were from a file from Lia Griffin's site (paid membership).  

 

Hope this inspires you to do a little Spring crafting.  Nurture your heart and soul with creativity this week.  

2019 holiday season

It seems like the holidays have descended in one fell swoop... late Thanksgiving and before you know it... well Christmas is just 10 days out now.

We've been busy "elves" the last several months!  I can now share a couple of things I've created now that InviteByVoice has shared the projects on their site.  

The turkey is a design we used several years ago and I decided it was time to bring it back.  I couldn't find the original cutting file and created my own using ecal3 and cut the shapes with the eclips2.  A little inking, pen and a wobble added a little dimension to the turkey.  The background was embossed and inked.  The sentiment was a file from CreativeFabrica and was printed in reverse on transparency... TIP:  Print and let dry for 24 hours before using.  I also added an EZ Sound module to this card -- the sentiment on the inside says and compliments the Gobble til you Wobble ringtone.  

A also created a trio of 15 minute cards using the same basic design, just altering the embellishments.  These cards were featured on the InviteByVoice blog - you'll find that post and a step by step tutorial  here.  

There are several other projects on the crafting table... will be sharing those very soon.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hoping you'll make some time this holiday season to do a little creating.  Happy Holidays!