Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Frightful House Halloween Candy Holder

Here is one more Halloween project...a quick one. I made this for a sample at the drop of a hat for a store owner to display showing Eileen Hull's new Sizzix House Ornament and a few of Tim Holtz's new Halloween dies. I think it took me all of 30 minutes, and would be great to load up with candy for those special trick-or-treaters. I went so fast putting this together so there are no step outs, sorry.
 

To make these, I covered black cardstock with book pages, and die cut the House Ornament pieces, and then adhered them together, and inked over the edges. I die cut the Halloween pieces and adhered them on, as well as added a hand cut door. I drew on the window trim, and added a face to the cat, and finally added the ribbon and mini tag. Super simple!

Supplies:
(craft sheet, paper trimmer, scissors, die cut machine, two sided tape, foam tape)
-Bazzill Cardstock: Black, Orange, Green, White, Brown
-Vintage Book Pages
-Ranger Tim Holtz Collage Medium: Matte
-Ranger Tim Holtz Collage Brush
-Sizzix Eileen Hull Scoreboards L: House Ornament
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs
-Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits: Frightful Things, Ghost Town, Bat Crazy
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz XL: Handmade Alphabet
-White Gel Pen
-Faber-Castell Pitt Pens: Black, Lime
-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Halloween Trimmings

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Friday, October 11, 2019

Collaged Sparkly Geo Halloween Cards

Happy Friday! I've got a quad of extra sparkly Halloween Cards today, made with Tim's new Geo Halloween Sizzix Thinlits and a ton of new Idea-ology. These were so fun to make, and once laid out (that took me awhile), went together quickly. Sorry for the photos...I'm having a horrible time taking and editing photos, and then there is the compressing. Nothing is worse in blog land than making a project you like but having bad photos to show it.
I forgot to take pics of the first steps, but basically after I laid everything out I used Collage Medium to adhere Design Tape, Stickers, and Ephemera in the new Halloween motif from Tim onto the older but much loved by me Halloween Kraft Stock. Then I added the ribbon, and matted these to cream colored cardstock. I also added some Remnant Rubs to the flash cards.
I die cut the four Geo pieces with black cardstock, and adhered them to colored cardstock bases. Then I filled in the tiles with a slew of Stickles from Ranger.
I die cut tiny Masquerade masks to fit the Paper Dolls, colored parts of them in, and added a few hats cut from the Kraft Stock.
I decided to add wings to a few of the peeps, and then came more Stickles...and then more Stickles. I couldn't stop!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Supplies:
(craft sheet, paper trimmer, scissors, die cut machine, paper distress tool, two sided tape, foam tape)
-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Halloween Kraft Stock, Halloween Design Tape, Halloween Ephemera, Curiosities Sticker Book, Halloween Remnant Rubs, Halloween Paper Dolls
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs, Antique Linen
-Ranger Ink Blending Tool
-Ranger Tim Holtz Collage Medium: Matte
-Ranger Tim Holtz Collage Brush
-Halloween Ribbon
-Bazzill Cardstock: Black, Orange, Cream
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits: Geo Halloween, Masquerade
-Faber-Castell Pitt Pens
-Ranger Stickles: Paprika, Orange Slice, Orange Peel, Rose Gold, Sunburst, Cinnamon, Gold Dust, Sandstone, Glisten, Frosted Lace, Steel, Gunmetal, Black Diamond

I've got another Halloween post coming soon. Until then...I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

Wendy Vecchi Cupcake In Hand Birthday Card

Can you believe I'm back again this month?!! Today, I have a birthday card for a friend made with tons of new and old Wendy Vecchi  goodies.
I decided to use a bunch of the Mat Minis from Wendy and Stamper's Anonymous, and I laid everything out the way I wanted for the card first. I love that she created the Heart and Hands...a fav!
I used Wendy's new Stay-tion (a must have) to ink in the first of the double stencils from her new Roses Background stamp with Pale Ochre Archival from Ranger.  The stamp comes with two stencils to make the coloration on it a cinch, and the combinations are endless. This is now my new favorite stamp and stencil set! LOVE! The magnets on the Stay-tion held the stencil in place perfectly, and I am a heavy handed inker, so I was so so impressed with this new tool!
I inked in the second of the stencils to complete the background coloration of the design using Tea Rose Archival.
Then I stamped the Roses Background stamp with Jet Black over the inked parts...Brilliant combination of stencils and stamp I tell you. I LOVE the way this turned out!
I inked over the heart frame with Pale Ochre, and misted with rubbing alcohol for a mottled look, and then stamped the Wire with a Twist Background stamp over it.
I inked over the Rectangle Frame with Garden Patina and stamped the Frost Background over it. I also inked over parts of the cupcake and candle.
More Tea Rose ink on the balloon, heart, and lace for the sleeve. Then I inked over the hand with Pale Ochre.
I stamped the Off the Grid Background over the balloon and heart.
I adhered the Mat Minis to a Perfect Cardstock Base Panel with Perfect Card Adhesive, and embellished parts with Enamel Accents and Liquid Pearls.
I thought I was finished, but then I decided to add a little sparkle with Stickles.
 
 
Supplies:
(Wendy Vecchi Make Art Stay-tion, Tim Holtz Stamp Platform, Scissors, Stylus)
-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Perfect Cardstock: White Panel
-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Background Stamp: Roses, Wire With a Twist, Frost, Off the Grid 
-Ranger Archival Ink: Pale Ochre, Jet Black
-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink: Tea Rose, Garden Patina
-Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool
-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Mat Minis: Heart Frames, Rectangle Frames, Hearts and Hands, Celebrations
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer with 91% Rubbing Alcohol
-Skor Tape
-Ranger Foam Tape: Clear
-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Perfect Card Adhesive
-Gelly Roll Pen: White
-Ranger Liquid Pearls: White Opal
-Ranger Enamel Accents: Black Tie
-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Enamel Accents: Garden Patina
-Ranger Stickles: Orange Slice, Sea Spray
-Ranger Glossy Accents

Shockingly, I will be back again this month! Until then...
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Travel Organizer Folio Pocket Notebook

Happy October everyone! This year is flying by! Today is the official launch of Eileen Hull's new Chapter 4 Sizzix Die, The Pocket Notebook Score Board XL, and she decided to have a Release Party Blog Hop, and I'm happy to be a part of it!  You will definitely want to grab some sustenance if you plan on participating...there is a lot to see and read. On the die, you get all of the pieces you need to make an entire book- the cover, pages, latch and pen loop, and the completed notebook measures 6 3/4” x 4 1/2” with a spine that can adjust from 3/8 of an inch to almost 2 inches. String it with elastic, hemp, ribbon or twine. There are so many options for this die.


I only had time to make one project with this fabulous new die, but make sure you visit the other designer's as well, as you will have your socks knocked off with all the makes (see blog hop links below), and many of them made a slew of them...talk about inspiration! For me, it was all about business function and organization, so I made (more like stitched up) a Travel Organizer Folio to hold all that I need on the go for business, and it even holds my phone, with the help of some other dies.
I wanted a raw feel to this which is good because my sewing machine did not like the leather so much! I embrace imperfection.
I added a lined notebook to the first insert, and folder of sticky notes to the second insert. I love and use sticky notes a ton, so I included lots.
Lots and lots of pockets and slots for business cards, hotel keys, credit cards, receipts, whatever.

In case you want to know how I put this together, I have included my steps, although might be a little confusing, but now you can make one yourself.
I die cut the pieces with mat board and adhered them together with Multi Matte Medium so that  four of the stitching holes are shown...even though I am only using two...so that the folio is nice and wide.
I found this faux leather animal print material at the craft store, and thought it would be perfect for this. I wanted to wrap the notebook front and back with the material and then stitch the top and bottom, so I measured and cut the material to fit exactly, but it is just one long piece that wraps around the sides of the notebook. I also marked where the hole would need to go on the spine of the notebook for a closure, and I punched that hole. I stitched the edges of each side that will be next to the inside spine piece so that it will look nicely finished.
I cut the material to fit the center spine portion on the inside and punched the holes for the pages. I also cut the leather binding strap and inserted the elastic for the closure, and then set this all aside for later. Note...I ended up adding a black piece of leather to the back of the red and stitched these together as I thought it looked better on the front of the folio.
I die cut black leather from Eileen's Gift Card Folder and Label #2 L Die, as I thought this would be a perfect pouch for the phone. I cut a long strip of the red leather for the strap, and found large snaps for the closure on the phone pouch. I also die cut the pen holder from the Pocket Notebook Die.  I stitched around the three folding edges of the Gift Card Folder just for a nice look. I set these aside for a bit.
I die cut only the front portion of  the Notebook Pocket from black leather, and cut off the folding edges so it would fit in the notebook. I also cut red leather to fit inside of the pocket, and cut slits for the cards. I stitched a piece of the animal print behind the red leather so the cards would stay in place as it will also serve as a pocket behind the cards. Then I stitched the this to the black leather pocket.
I used the mat board notebook as a guide and marked where everything needed to go, so the mat board notebook was constantly added and removed and things measured...no pattern here for sure.  I stitched the pen holder in place above where the pouch would go so I had plenty of room for it.  I stitched the back portion of the Gift Card Folder onto the animal print onto the left inside,  leaving the pouch folding sides loose. I gathered the sides together and stitched the snap in the center of the pieces to hold them together and of course for the closure. I stitched the other snap to the back of the red leather strap, and then stitched the strap above the pouch measuring how long it needed to be using my phone.
Before I did the opposite (right) side of the pouch, I decided the front needed something, so I die cut my initials using the animal print from Tim Holtz's Storybook Alphabet Bigz Die. I stitched them onto the red leather, and then stitched that onto black leather, and finally onto the front of the book. It was difficult maneuvering the front part with the back part already having the pouch sewn on, so I should have done the front first. Live and learn.
I stitched the pocket and slotted pocket onto the left side of the notebook. The mat board notebook was placed for the last time in the center of the animal print, and I threaded the closure strap through the hole on the front spine and through the hole in the mat board spine and tied a knot, making sure that the closure strap would fit tightly but not too tight, and then I added tape over the knot to hold it in place so that it would not show. This proved a little challenge as the sides are not adhered to the mat board yet, so it felt clumsy to have the closure hanging but there was no other way to do that.  I added skor tape to the inside spine on the mat board, and adhered the animal print spine over this. I threaded the stretchy cord through the two holes for my inserts, and tie the knot behind the mat board spine between the animal print fabric so it would not be seen. Finally I adhered the sides onto the mat board pulling them nice and tight using a little skor tape. Then I stitched the top and bottom edges, and cut the overhang of animal print fabric.
...and Voila!!!
 Now it's time to visit all the others! Please follow the Blog Hop to see all of the fabulous projects, techniques and videos!  AND...There are also two GIVEAWAYS- the Pocket Notebook die and a gift certificate for Eileen’s Etsy store. To enter to win, leave a comment on each of the posts. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, on Eileen’s Facebook Live show. 











Anita Houston (You are here.)










Thanks so much for stopping by everyone, and good luck on the prizes! I'll be back soon!
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!