Izbzee

3d Heart Treasure Box

When I first got a sneak peek at this box, I was so excited!  I had a couple of thoughts on how to make it. Below is my final version.

I love that the front and back walls of this piece are reinforced, making the box very sturdy and the box top is hinged in the back, keeping the top and bottom together. The box is made from a rusty colored cardstock that complimented the colors in the panel pieces and reminded me of the colors in the sand in the area where the image was originally taken.  

The front flap doesn't require a closure, but you could certainly add one if desired.   This file from Simply Crafty SVGs will be a go to in the future for several projects through the year.    

Using SCAL 6 Pro, I used the clip path command to place the image in the panel shapes.  This made it pretty easy for the print to cut process for the Skycut as well.  The slot canyon image was printed on glossy photo stock and the colors from the printer were incredibly vibrant!  

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Each visit is appreciated.  Hoping you have some creative time marked out this week - if not, find some time.  Your heart and spirit will benefit (among other things).  

Valentine Tags

Have you ever made glassine paper?  I remember doing this years ago, but tried it again using a couple of different types of paper.  The plan was to use the paper in some Valentine tags - These tags are oversized a bit -- as I didn't want to lose any of the detail in the images.

The article with most of the details can be found on the Artistry here.

Rather than stamp images I decided to print on the papers....  I used tracing paper and tissue paper as my test mediums... The prints came out as expected.  The tissue paper image colors are a little diffused and the tracing paper image is much brighter.  I used SCAL 6 Pro as my editing program to size and print from while using the png images from Creative Fabrica. 

I didn't antique either paper before printing or afterwards.  Once the printing was completed, I finished the process by adding the wax and loving the change in the look of each of the papers.  

tissue paper

tracing paper

These were really fun to make and I have some ideas for some other versions I'd like to try in the next couple of months.  We'll see how that rolls out!  LOL 

The tags were created in SCAL 6 Pro using several steps... it's important to have your tag just the way your want it before going to the next step.  Once the tag was ready, I placed an image on the mat, placed the tag on top and used Clip Path > Set Clip Path and printed the tags and cut them using the Skycut C24.  

Details for assembling the tags is in the article -- found here.  

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you've carved out some creative time this week and month.  Nurture your creative spirit any way you feel you  must.  

Valentine Fresh Blooms

Everyone I know likes flowers... even paper ones especially at Valentine's Day.

How about this one created using files from Simply Crafty SVGs? I used the box base from the Santa Hat box and the flowers from the Bee Hive files.  I added Heart 6, a star and a leaf from the shapes library in SCAL.  

The florals, hearts, leaves and sepals were cut using some sketch pad paper.  The skycut had no problem cutting the images including the smallest of the centers of the flower.  They were all colored using alcohol markers, front and back.  I used a star for the sepal on each of the flowers.  The petals of the flowers were shaped with the petals going down.  All of these pieces are wired and hot glue was used to attach the wire to each flower.  You can add some additional details to the wire by wrapping around a skewer if desired.  

No changes to the box file were necessary other than copying an additional panel for the front panel since you won't be using the Santa face included with the file.  Using the Pattern command, fill the panel pieces with a fun digital paper.  The paper used in our sample is from Creative Fabrica.  The score lines were changed to DRAW and the scoring tool was used to draw those lines.  

Once the pieces are scored and cut, glue the printed panels to the box sides.  Glue the two sides of the box together as instructed in the video Sandy has created for putting the box together.  The panels were inked using some distress ink in a pink that nearly matched the pink in the flowers.  The ink adds another layer of color and interest to the overall box.  You can add the ink BEFORE adding to the box sides, or after.  

The metallic LOVE stamp is an old retired embossing and die set from Sizzix Cuttlebug.  It was cut from a piece of an aluminum soda can scrap. 

This project would be easy to replicate and could be finished within a hour or two once the florals are colored.

Thanks for stopping by!.  Hope you've marked out some creative time this week and enjoy the process of nurturing your creative spirit.

 

from dingbat to wreath!

Dingbat fonts are fun!  The wreath used in this card was created using a dingbat font I found on Creative Fabrica.  Check out all the details (including a process video) on The Artistry.  

I also created a couple of other versions - using the same dingbat font -- but finished them differently.  And remember those hearts I stenciled in the last post?  Well they were used on these cards.  The wreaths and hearts are created in SCAL5 Pro and cut with the Skycut C24.  

And the card below was colored using some NUVO drops.  

and here's a close up to show some of the details:  

 

The same process in creating the wreaths was used as in the post on The Artistry.. so be sure to check it out.  

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you've carved out some creative time this week.  

February Tiered Tray

I had a lot of fun making a few things for this year's trays.  Even discovered a few things from the last few years we'd used on the Valentine tree in the past.  No tree this year -- there's no room for it!  

You'll find all the details for these makes on The Artistry, here.  

Digital paper, watercolor and twine decorate this wood piece.

Covered wood again -- love doing these book covers using the foil quill!  

Framed a mini vinyl piece.  The frame is lightweight because it's made from paper!  

Check out all the details here.  

Have a great day in your creative space today! Nurture your soul with color and fun!

From box card to Tiered Tray element

The Love Truck from Simply Crafty SVGs provided the perfect SVG for this project.  

It was easy to transform with just a few extra cuts using a craft knife or the knife in the SCAL 5 software and let your cutting machine do the rest.

Ink the pieces if desired for a little more texture and dimension.  Add some dimensional glaze to the side mirrors and the taillights.  Some wink of stella was also added to several of the hearts and the tailgate and bumper.  

Create the layers as shown in the assembly video.  Use foam tape to layer and give a little dimension as shown in the photos below.  

Take a peek at more of the fabulous Valentine files available on SimplyCraftySVGs.  You'll find most of them here.  (And they're on sale for 20% off thru Feb.6, 2022)  Happy Shopping!  

 

Paper Piecing for <3 day

This file has been in my digital cutting file archives for a very long time.  I was happy to re-discover it and put it to good use.

The file is from Paper Piecing by Nikki (PPBN).  It was a fun image to put together and pretty straightforward.  And a breeze to cut using the eclips2 and eCal3 software. 

No real instructions necessary and it's a pretty good way to use up some of those scraps. 

Inking the edges adds dimension and a little more interest.  I added a little sparkle with a clear sparkle pen from Spectrum Noir, but you could use Wink of Stella or brush on some mica for that bit of shimmer on the tumbling hearts and wings.  I added a small swipe on the nose and in the eyes...but it doesn't show up much.   Add a piece of twine for the bucket handle and slip it under the arm to hold it in place. 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner

but at our house we'll be celebrating a little early. 

I'm so excited that the eclips2 and eCal3 software was able to do the "fussy cutting" for me!  There's no way I could have tackled that after last week's fall and hurting my wrist! 

All of my tags are now completed and ready to add to the goodies we're sharing with the grands.  I'll share that post at a later date when the "gifts" are all put together.  Here's one of the 10 I made.

 

• I used some images I've had in my digital stash for a very long time - images must be in png format for this to work
• Open eCal3 and under the FILE tab in the tool bar ribbon, use the IMPORT command. Select the image
• Size as needed, preview to make sure all of the images have the cut line around them properly. 
• Then use the print 2 cut feature - print then cut your images.
• The tags are also print 2 cut and I used the Funky Mother font for the lettering.  I added a heart to dot the 'i' by using the break apart command under OBJECT.  Remove the dot, open basic shapes and select the heart you want to use.  Resize and place over the 'i' as desired, making sure that all the lettering is set to print 2 cut print. 

Made this project so easy!  Using the import command will also work in eCal2 if you haven't upgraded yet.  

 

 

 

 

a little more clay play

I'm excited to share this week's Mixed Media Supplies design team project featuring some Mica from Mixed Media Supplies.  And I've been enjoying getting a little more clay play time in these past couple of weeks.  This heart has a little extra play and was fun to create.

You'll need:
Sculpey Clay III
craft knife
background stamp
bead reamer
heart template
stencil
markers (Tombow)
eBrush
Ranger Distress Ink
mica (Mixed Media Supplies)
wire
ribbon, fiber
Wire cutters, needle nose pliers

Condition the clay.  I used a pasta machine once the clay had been warmed in my hands.  Using the template, cut the heart shape using the craft knife.  Stamp using the background stamp.  If you're going to hang the heart, be sure to add a couple of holes for hanging. 


Bake as per manufacturer's instructions.  If the clay is thin, it will still be a little flexible.  Let cool completely before next steps.

Since I know that this heart will not be exposed to direct sun or outside elements, I chose some different ways to add color and a little more texture.

I chose to color using some Tombow markers and sprayed using the eBrush from Craftwell.  The two colors blended nicely.  As you can see, I also used a stencil for the "dots" and some Old Paper distress ink. 

After the inks have dried, I took a small brush and applied a bit of Pearl mica from Mixed Media Supplies to add a bit of sparkle. 

I also made a few smaller hearts to be used as embellishments.  They are also stamped and baked.  Colored with a tombow marker and a little mica added to the surface. 

Add a wire hanger, hang the smaller heart with a large ring and add a bit of fiber to the wire for a little more finished look.  If desired you could make your wire a little longer and add some curls and more fibers as desired. 

 

Hope you'll enjoy some crafting time today or in the very near future.  Keep nurturing your creative soul. 

Still creating

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It's been a sort of crazy week around here.... but one of the things I did get accomplished was to make some wobblers -- you know, those springy things that allow your cards to be a little interactive.  I made 30 of them, only to find out that I was a little heavy handed with the glue gun.  I've been able to fix a few of them, but not all.  Oh well... I have the mat set up to cut the discs and a spool of wire for the next batch and will remember to use a lighter hand on the glue using my go to machine, the Sizzix eclips2 and eCal2.

But that didn't stop me from making the fun card above that still has a little bit of action.  I used Stampendous' Spring Short Stack set that has been waiting to be inked up for much too long. 

Images colored with watercolor pencils and blended using a water brush.  Background sheet is blended using ink and a blender.  Hand lettered sentiment for a little more hand crafted look.  Glue Dots and tape runner used for adhesive on this card. 

And this project, the Heart Lock Box file from SimplyCraftySVGs was a very quick cut and put together project.  It will now be our Valentine "O" on the mantel.  Paper from an old stack with no cover or identifiers.  (Bummer).  But it was perfect for this project and I have enough paper left to make a couple more. 

And since I had a broken leg last year, I didn't get much crafting done or our Valentine porch sign made -- but I took care of that yesterday!  Nothing fancy, but fun to make using a recycled shelf and some vinyl from my stash!  A little bit of red jute finishes it off. The font is a little funky, but looks pretty good.  The heart cut outs were from the Sizzix eCal2 library of basic shapes.  Vinyl cut using the eclips2.  Transfer Tape for this project can be found here (and yes, I buy by the roll!) 

Now to finish the wreath and banner this coming week!  Hope you have some crafting time scheduled in this coming week!