Izbzee

2018 - going, going, gone

2018 has been a full year.  Lots of good things have happened overall and even the not to great stuff wasn't all that bad when you think about it.

I've really enjoyed my creative time so much more this year.  A few artsy and fun classes from penwork to gelli plate/art and general play with paper, clay and fabric.  Grateful for it all. 

I've decided that for me, it would be fun to recap the year with a few pictures of some of my favorite projects....  you can check the archives by the year and month for the whole year's worth of fun.   

January the Valentine Ornament box.  File from Lori Whitlock - Halloween house adapted for the holiday. 

February a little clay play.  Love using Sculpey, stamps, mica and more.  This was among my favorites for some mixed media play and design team work for Mixed Media Supplies. 

March Lots of pastel colors and a touch of non-caloric chocolate for this fun dimensional card from Simply Crafty SVGs  was a favorite for the month. 

April  A sweet shadowbox card using G45's Secret Garden.  File from SVGCuts.com

May  ATC sized gelli prints -- and digital stamps.  So much play fun! 

June  quick and easy card using a digital stamp from RGStudio360. 

July -  July porch decor using a recycled shelving side panel...

August - we got an early start with October crafting with this paper quilt. So much fun kicking up a few heels! 

September  The Geodesic Pumpkin from SVGCuts was a perfect addition to the mantel for September and October! 

October  brought more than a change in the weather.... it's also anniversary time for our youngest son. We went a little overboard on this year's card, but it was so worth it! 

 

November I couldn't pick just one project for this month, so I'm sharing two!  The first was a fun 12 Tags of Christmas challenge.  All of the details for this one including a video can be found here. 

Dreaming Tree also put out a bevy of great files to work with in 2018... among my favorites was this cutie! 

December   Our Gnomie tree - I love my laser etcher and I've loving having found a new way to showcase some digital artwork using wood pieces from my stash!  

I hope you've enjoyed this review of my year. Crafting is my respite -- my discovery for the year.  I've loved taking the online classes and exploring more ways to develop my talents and play.  I'm grateful to my family for their generosity in time, space and respite. 

We look forward to a fabulous 2019 -- carving in creative time each week. Hoping you're doing the same! 
My word for 2019 - Inspire

have a hoppy day!

eCal2 came through again -- These fun little tags just slightly larger than a "twinchie" are going to be perfect for the Easter candy tubes we're gifting to the grands in a few days as part of our early Easter celebration. 

Basic shapes and commands found in the eCal2 software made the frame and bunny easy to create. 

Adding a few fine details with a pen and some chalk finishes them off.  AC cardstock for the background pieces and Neenah White stock for the focal cuts. 


Fill a tube with a bit of candy, add the tag and they're all set to go.  (Note:  a large bag of M&M's will fill 4 tubes.  Mine are 1 inch in diameter and about 6 inches tall). 


Hoping you've got some crafting and creative time on your calendar. 

Materials:
White cardstock
AC colored cardstock (Pastel Pack)
Sizzix eclips2/eCal2
Micron .01 black pen
pink chalk (Stampin' Up!)
cotton swab
Linco glue
crop-o-dile
Twine
(Bunny cut file is my own creation)

Bring Spring Already!

Our last winter storm left a lot of us wishing for Spring weather and hoping it would come sooner rather than later.  I think we might just be getting our wish!



This little cutie is from the deep recesses of my SVG files folder... the download date was 2012 and is from Scrappy Dew.  My first thought was to make it small enough to fit on a twinchie. (see this post).. but as things go, it was just a thought.  It didn't make it to a twinchie but the size was reduced to just a little larger than 2" tall.  This little guy was colored in using Spectrum Noir markers.  I'm loving them and enjoy the full coverage they provide.  All the pieces were cut on my Sizzix eclips 2 using eCal2 from white card stock and colored. Since there are quite a few little pieces, applying adhesive using the Xyron X made it a breeze! 

The card base was printed using PrintShop.  You can do the same in Word or PhotoShop.  PrintShop just happens to be my go to card making software at the moment.  Choose a font you like and use the Word Art option (in PrintShop, it's Headline)

The letters, S, P, R, N, G were cut 2x on the eclips as well.  In the eCal software I used an installed font and sized it to approximately 1.70 inches high.  After lining up all the letters and securing to a strip of painter's light tack tape, I masked the area that would remain white.  Using my eBrush and 3 markers (LG2, PP3, LY3) I colored in the lettering with the green on the bottom of the letters and working my way up the letters to the masked area.  After removing the mask, and put all the letters through the Xyron X, I put adhesive on the back of all the lettering and and then applied them to the card.

I left a space between the R and the N for the penguin (using pop dots) to rest.  Once he's in place, the front of your card is nearly done! 

If you'd like to add a little more pop to this card, add a bit of glitter along the "snow line." 



And yes, the time of day when you photograph, does make a BIG difference! 

This file and quite a few others that have been "lost" in the recesses of my SVG files will seeing the light of day over the course of the next couple of months.  So stop by often!   

Thanks for dropping by!  Wishing you a crafty and creative day! 

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I have to admit, these small pieces scared me a bit.... but they sure are fun and what's even more fun is to see how well your cutting machine handles some of the smaller cuts on different weights of paper.

Here are a trio of samples I created this past weekend.


This twinchie  (2 x 2 inch) has an ebrushed background on white cardstock.  I also used a white crayon for a bit of resist on the white cardstock, but this photo doesn't show it.  I used a flourish stamp from an old set (Rhonda Farrar) to finish off the background.  Simple shapes cut from patterned paper form the house.  The edges of the larger rectangle were distressed using the ebrush and a Spectrum Noir marker.  The roof is the same paper and is also colored using the eBrush and Spectrum Noir.  All of the house elements were adhered using the Xyron X to apply full coverage of the adhesive.  Using a Micron Pen, I hand-lettered  "Home is where the {Heart} is."  I used pop-dots of add a little more dimension.  The crystal hearts are also colored with the eBrush and an extra glue dot was added for security. 


This twinchie is all about layers!  Using some papers from an old Stampin' Up pad (retired) for the base and "framed" layer.  Both of these layers are edged using the eBrush and some Spectrum Noir markers.  I used a file I've had for a while for the bunny (I'm sorry I can't remember who created it).  I reduced the size to about 1.5 inches tall, cut with the Sizzix eclips2 using the eCal2 software.  I used the eBrush to "paint" in the pink on the ears and the dark gray middle layer of the bunny.  EZ!  I use the Xyron X again for secure the 3 layers of the bunny together.  I used some pop-up dots for dimension for the bunny and the hand-drawn letters which are edged in the same green as the base layers for a more cohesive look. 

This last image is a little out of the box for me.  Steampunk has intrigued me for a while, but it wasn't something I felt really comfortable with.... While this really isn't totally Steampunked, it is a dabbling into the art form for me... I think I like getting my feet wet for the moment.  For this 2 x 2 inch piece, I remembered that SVGCuts had a file that had some gears in it.  Maison de Madeline!  I grabbed those file pieces from my collection of files and then reduced the size to about 1 inch tall.  And cut them using my eclips2 again.  I had no doubt that they would cut well.  I cut a 2 x 2 inch piece of patterned paper, using the Xyron 5 inch Creative Station, and put all of the pieces through to apply the adhesive.  So easy!  I applied the patterned paper to the base also cut at 2 x 2.  I have a stash of Magic Mesh that I've had forever, so I cut off a piece and put it on the patterned paper and ran a thin layer of texture paste over the top in a couple of places and removed the mesh and let it dry.    While the texture paste was drying, I wanted to make sure that there was a little dimensional effect on the gear rings and cogs.  I used the eBrush to color with a medium gray (Spectrum Noir) and then over-sprayed each with a Bronze Metallic pen by Sharpie.  I had one brushed bronze brad left in my stash and it worked perfectly to anchor the spoked wheel.  To complete and add a little more dimension, I used a small chipboard banner from a Teresa Collins button collection, Life Emporium.  I think that "Journey" was a perfect sentiment for this project!

And since we're having to much fun playing... and it is MARCH and #nationalcraftingmonth  Two Facebook groups are playing along... maybe you'd like to join us!  You have until March 15th to get your twinchies entered.  Join us on the Sizzix eClips and eCal board  or the eBrush by Craftwell board.  Each board has a separate set of rules -- There will be prizes for the twinchies selected by our impartial judges!  You will have to be logged into Facebook to access the Facebook links. 

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