Izbzee

Getting a start on some Halloween projects

This idea has been formulating for a couple of months.  Lots of different iterations, but I do like how the "idea" ultimately came together.

 

I asked Sandy Stark at Simply Crafty SVGs for the design of the egg shape***. She graciously accepted and created the SVG file for me.  Sandy's design skills were spot on and the design worked perfectly. 

The teeth were made using basic shapes from the eCal library (triangle and horizontal rectangle, Union)

All of the leaves were cut from heavy white crepe paper using a template created in the eCal3 software and cut with the eclips2 using a heart shape from the library and the knife to cut the shapes in half and the close path command. 

Since the eclips doesn't cut crepe well, I invited a friend over to cut the crepe since my tendonitis is still in flare mode. Wires were glued to the crepe paper pieces before coloring using a technique from a Lia Griffeth you tube video. The leaves were colored using the eBrush and Bic Mark-it markers.  

The tongue was a hand cut shape.  A  highly texture paper would work, or you could use some paper twist or heavy floral crepe paper and have it work. 

The Feed Me sign was made using a font from Creative Fabrica - Halloween.  (affiliate link)

An 18" dowel was attached at the back of the head and the wired leaves added using floral tape and hot glue.  Secure in the pot (10") and add any finishing touches. 

As you know, I love to add lights and music to a lot of my pieces, and this one was no exception.  An InviteByVoice sound module with push button was added with a little  bit of an instrumental version of "Feed Me" from Little Shop of Horrors recorded on the module.  A string of fairy lights under the lip of the pot and through the center were added as well. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this bit of whimsy and fun!  Thanks for stopping by.  Have some fun in your creative world this month! 

***NOW AVAILABLE IN THE SIMPLYCRAFTYSVGS SHOP!*** 
https://www.simplycraftysvgs.com/shop/holidays/halloween/venus-flytrap/

more catching up to do....

Birthdays have been plentiful this month as well as anniversaries -

Here are a couple of projects I made for a couple of grandsons using the eclips and eCal3 and the Xyron Creative Station:

This birthday card is best viewed in a video.... evidently one of my LEDs wasn't quite lined up as it should have been or the battery was having a difficult time lighting up all three LEDs. 

Images for this print to cut card are from @CreativeFabrica!  The background Galaxy paper* can be found here.

The rocket and planet here. 

 

Affiliate links are used in this post. 

 

Hoping you'll enjoy some creative time over the course of the week.  Keep nurturing your creative soul. 

 

 

It's in the book.

SVGCuts' Attic Treasures Kit has one of my favorite go-to files. The book.  It's so versatile and can be made for any occasion.  Today's project is for a birthday and could also be used to celebrate meeting a reading goal.

You'll need:

Attic Treasures SVG Kit (SVGCuts.com)*
12 x 12 cardstock (Bazzill, Neenah)
EZ Sound Module (Light Activated) from InviteByVoice.com

Audio file (about 2 minutes long)
Adhesive, Lineco Glue, Scor-Tape, Foam Mounting tape
ink
blending tool
Scoreboard, bone folder
Electronic Die Cutting Machine (Sizzix eclips2 and eCal3)
Optional - printables

Cut all pieces needed for the book as well as an embellishment pieces.  I added an image to the spine of the book and used the print 2 cut feature in the eCal software before cutting. Ink the edges of all the book pieces for an old book look if desired.  My sister says this book looks "ancient!" 

Cut another piece at 4 3/8" x 5 1/4" to cover the sound module.  Use a 1/2 inch punch to create an opening for the sound module sensor. 

Lightly score the "pages" on the sides of the box in 1/8" increments and add a little ink with the blending tool to highlight the lines. 

Assemble the book and "pages" as shared in the assembly video here. Decorate the book cover as desired.  I chose not to use the panels in the file for this project or other decorative elements provided in the folder.

Following the directions included with the sound module, record your audio.  Remove the backing from the module and place in the box. 

Decorate the 4 3/8" x 5 1/4" piece of cardstock as desired. Apply some foam mounting tape to the back.  Do not remove the release paper.  If desired add a 2nd layer of tape. Set this layer in place and remove the sensor.  Close the book. 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hoping your creative time is filled with a little magic!  Enjoy. 

*An affiliate link are used in this link.

The globe

I've been keeping my eye out for some old globes I could upcycle, however, when this cut file became available, it hopped right into my shopping cart!  There are two versions in the kit -- a full globe and then one that separates into halves and can be filled with goodies.  Both will turn on the (straw) axis in the stand. Needless to say, this file found at Creatieve Papier Uitspattingen has so much potential -- I didn't have to wait any longer to find a globe!   Corina even has a printable "world" face you can add if you want something a little more realistic.

There is a link to an assembly video on her website, and I would suggest you watch it for some assembly tips.  I believe that Corina weighted her base, however, I didn't find the need to do that with my version but the weight of your globe and the paper used could make a difference and require weighting.   

The finished globe is approximately 7 inches high and a perfect fit with my 3D letters from SVGCuts and I love having it on my mantel. 

I created my sentiment using fonts on my computer and had to do just a little manipulating to get them to stick to the curved surface of the panels. 

TIPS:
If using vinyl on the panels -- cover a sheet of corresponding color cardstock with the vinyl and then cut with your cutting machine. 

Burnish the edges of the vinyl to the cardstock. This helped on a few pieces that need a little more shaping to the curves. 

If you decide to hand write your sentiments on the vinyl, be sure to use chalkboard vinyl.  You can wipe away the dust and reapply with chalk as desired. 

Thanks for stopping by today... No affiliate links have been used in this post.

Schedule in some creative time over the next few days and let the joy that comes from creating fill your soul. 

 

 

ATC and a little mixed media

The eclips/eCal Facebook page is having another ATC challenge - CELEBRATIONS!   and all of the elements used to create the ATC must be designed and cut using the eclips and eCal. 

Here's my finished card.  It was inspired by a find on Pinterest --

I started with a plain piece of cardstock that had a light layer of Gesso.  I masked off a section of the gelli plate slightly larger than the ATC dimensions, brayered on some paint and pulled a print.  I added a few additional pulls of color  to the print using some stencils (cut with the eclips) and additional pink and white and yellow paints until I got the desired results. 

Using the eCal software, size a vertical rectangle to 2.5 x 3.5, set the line to Print 2 Cut Cut.  Create text on an arch.  I used Funky Mother for the fun text.  Fill the text with color (I chose black) and set the stroke to none.  Change from cut to Print 2 Cut Print.  Print, make sure you select registration marks.  Since the cardstock has some tooth from the Gesso and gelli print, you can opt to use some embossing powder and a heat gun to add a little more texture to the card.  I used some Ranger Black embossing powder. 

Now for the cutting.  Place the gessoed paper on the mat and following the print 2 cut directions, cut the ATC. 

I found a fun cupcake graphic at Creative Fabrica and decided to use the base of the cupcake as the stencil.  Size it to approximately 2 inches high with keep proportions checked. Cut using stencil material or regular cardstock.

 

Position the cupcake stencil on the ATC base as desired and using some watercolors and a water brush, add some additional colors.  Let dry. 

Add some sprinkles to your frosting.  I used the sprinkles in the original design, grouped them together and created a small stencil for those and added a little more color. 

 

Add additional details using a Micron pen.  For a little extra shine, use a sparkle brush and let dry.

 

Thanks for dropping by!  Hoping you have built in some creative time this week! 

 

 

 

 

Revisiting Sunny Sunflowers

I love sunflowers!  And this post always brings a smile to my face.  I got a little "inky" from all the eBrushing, but it was truly worth it.  Originall published April 2015, I'd like to share this one again. 

 

I'm so excited to share that I'm on the Craftwell eBrush team for another term.  I wanted to start off this term with some sunshine!  And sunflowers  seem to fit the bill!  They have always been a favorite of mine and it's been a pleasure to watch them turn their heads towards the sun in our gardens in years past.  My friend, Diann, is fabulous photographer and it was her photo that has inspired this project.

This project, cards and box to store them in,  is based around a stencil created using a file from SVGCuts.com  (my box files can be found here and here)  Once I got started ebrushing the flowers, I couldn't stop at just one!  So I made up a set of cards and a box to store them in.  Cards are standard A2 (4.25 x 5.50) size.  8 cards and envelopes will fit into the box easily. 

Plan on using both the negative and the positive elements from the flower petals cut.  I added a square (basic shapes) around each of the 2 layers of petals available in the eCal shapes library.  Cut with your cutting machine (I use the eclips2)I also added a circle similar in size to the center of the flower petal shape and cut that as a separate element to be used during the stenciling process.   You'll want to resize as needed, just be sure to resize all the pieces you'll be using to make sure everything fits. 

Since the negative area of the stencil has lots of little pieces that are not connected to each other, you may want to use a little bit of repositionable glue on both of those layers as well as the circle.  You'll find you'll get a crisper edge. Set aside until needed. 

Choose your colors (I used Spectrum Noir's LY3 and OR1, EB5, EB8 and GB3).  I also used GB3 and EB3 along the outside edges for additional contrast on my finished card fronts and to add details on the flowers.

Using the eBrush and the LY3 marker in the SN adapter - with the top layer of your stencil secured on your cardstock, make sure your marker is in the sweet spot and spray lightly.  You may choose to deepen the color with a second layer... it's purely up to you.  Watch the video below to see how I used the other pieces of the stencils to work on my sunflower. 

Here are a few more pictures of this project.

Both layers of the stencil have been used and the center has been sprayed and some of the detail work completed.  You can use a white paint pen (mine was a Sharpie) to add a few highlights.

The sunflower cardstock is cut to 5.00 x 3.75.  Additional layers are cut slightly larger.  To a few of the other bases, I added a dark brown before applying the standard card base.  Most of my top layers began at 5.25 x 4.00 and trimmed if needed. 

These will make a beautiful gift for a special friend of mine. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Stay tuned, more to come! 

playing with eCal3

There are lots of commands I haven't used previously, but it sure was fun to do a little playing to create this sun.... and the best part is that I can size as needed  -

 

Supplies:
Cardstock, white 110lb Neenah; Bazzill texture, yellow; unknown smooth, blue
Tombow markers
Craftwell's eBrush with TB adapter
WRMK's Foil Quill, fine tip pen with D adapter for the eclips
Spellbinder's Black Foil
Sizzix eclips2 and eCal3
Scor-Tape, 1/4 in wide

I also used some black foil and the foil quill to add the "You Are So" to the vellum cloud piece. 
Tombow markers and the eBrush added the fun coloring to the word "amazing" and some highlights to the sun.

Object to path is a great tool to use for things other than text.  Adding a series of shapes (narrow triangles in this case) to another shape (the circle) is so simple and made quick work of the sun. 

 

The cloud piece was made using a horizontal rectangle and half circles and the Union command. 

More playing time coming in the next few days! 

 

celebrating Dad!

Only two weeks until Father's Day is celebrated here in the US.  This project was inspired after a stroll through some images on Pinterest.

All cuts were made using the eclips2.  The eCal3 software and library provided a few of the basic shapes (triangle, tie, tag) used.  Lots of digital paper and themed cards were used  (Carte Postale, Carta Bella - Our Family, Lori Whitlock Life Cards, MSC Moustaches, and a free download for the library card digital) and the Print 2 Cut feature in eCal made it so easy to fill the shapes, print and cut. 

Close ups of a few of the pieces below:

Lots of fun and a relatively quick project to mat and put together. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hoping you've scheduled some creative time this weekend.  Enjoy and nurture your creative spirit this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

brushing off the dust and cobwebs

It's been a busy sort of spring with all sorts of fun projects .... however, I haven't published a post in nearly a month!  And here's the reason why:  I have an agreement with Invite By Voice not to publish anything I create for them until they have published it on their social media.  It's hard to sit on so many fun ideas for this long, but I hope you'll agree that it will be well worth the wait once they publish....

AND:  Mom care has sort of taken over our lives too.  Things are changing a bit here and we have had to "up our game" to stay on top of things regarding her care. 

Now back to crafting again so let's see:  a recent ATC Challenge brought this little goodie forth.  I'm still hoping to add a few little details, like a book and some reading glasses, but for now, this project was a fun create using the eclips2 and eCal3. 

The adirondack chair is a free file from SVGCuts.com and the umbrella is from the Summer folder in the Basic Library on eCal.  I purchased the vintage label shape from the eShape Store and the sentiment is from Creative Fabrica.  The blanket is a rectangle and just folded and crunched a bit.  The background image is a photo I purchased for commercial use and modification -- I used photoshop to add the watercolor filter.  and removed a couple of people from the photo.  Then placed the image on the mat in eCal and created a clipping path using a rectangle the size of the ATC card and used the print 2 cut option in eCal3.  So much fun! 

I really enjoy playing with the ATC size cards -- and here's the link to a grouping  of ATC's I made last year. 

Father's Day is just around the corner - a couple of weeks away.  Haven't sent out this year's cards yet, but they are made and I'll create a separate post for those in a couple of days.  In the meantime, how about checking out the cards we sent out a couple of years ago....  the post is here. 

And lastly, as we gear up for summer holidays, last year's fun included a fun 4th of July marquee --all the details are here. 

Thanks so stopping by and I hope you'll enjoy revisiting some of my past posts and will be looking forward to what's coming in the next couple of weeks.  It just might turn into project OVERLOAD! 

Keep on creating and nurturing your soul. 

 

 

 

 

All a Flutter

The foiling quill is one of my favorite tools and it was a perfect choice for this 4 x 4 card.  The blue foil from Spellbinders worked perfectly and is paired with a brilliant blue watercolor pencil from InkTense.  Add a shaker filled with some sequins for a little more bling. 

The butterfly svg is in a file by WRMK's Paige Evans in the Butterfly and Bees folder.  Add a bit of crosshatching to the body and a few other spots that need a little more filling before foiling.  eCal3 makes it so easy! Add a shadow.  I resized the shadow t0 .010 and the machine cut nearly spot on after foiling

For the sentiment, using the font of your choice, write it in your cutting software.  Export as an svg.  Open the svg in your software program, resize and using the Effects Tab > Line Fill > Cross Hatch and adjust the angle and other options as needed - select Auto Preview -- when satisfied, click okay.  Resize the sentiment as needed to fit behind the shaker.  Foil.  I used a punch to cut, but you can cut using your electronic die cutter just as you did the butterfly.