No one I know has enough time or money so today, I want to share with you some techniques that I have learned to work efficiently AND get the most out of my supplies. I’m trying to actually get my Christmas cards out before Easter this year so I’m working on them early. First, I came up with a basic design that is simple yet elegant:

Check out the following tips for efficiency and frugality (is that a word?) when designing a big batch of cards.

1. Make them different?
My first big revelation about creating multiples is that they don’t have to be exactly the same. In general, no one will ever know. And, I decided, if they do find out…I’m ok with that. This practice keeps my supplies in check and I find it a little more interesting to change up my design as I progress.

2. Cut multiple dies at one time:
Beth gave us a fabulous example of this in her post Fall Thank You cards.
I layered 2 strips of paper on my favorite labels die templates: S4-169 Small Labels (#4, counting from the center), S5-006 Curved Rectangles (#2), S5-019 Labels Eight (#3) on the W-026 Grand Cut Mat Kit and cut/embossed in the Wizardâ„¢. In no time I had plenty of labels.

3. Use an assembly line approach: “component passes from station to station…and something is done or added to it. By the last station, the product is fully assembled and is identical to each one before and after it. This system ensures that a large quantity of uniform-quality goods are produced at a relatively low cost.”~ (science.jrank.org)  So, actually,  I cut and folded my card bases. Then I cut all my labels and stamped them.

4. Use your scraps:
I decided on a couple of papers that I really liked. The tan one had an interesting pattern that I wanted to keep intact. I cut strips in two sizes. Then I cut the red striped paper 1″ larger. You can also see two different label dies and two different stamps from the same set.

When I ran out of the tan patterned paper, I decided to try something a little different and add Magic Mesh in place of it. I added a ribbon for just a little something extra.

Finally, I had small pieces of the red striped paper left over so I created an almost totally different card as seen here:

So, my last card looked a lot different than my first card but I was able to use my supplies in the most efficient manner. I love that!

I hope you found some tips you can take into your craft room for the approaching holidays.

Supplies: S4-169 Small Labels, S5-006 Curved Rectangles, S5-019 Labels Eight, W-026 Grand Cut Mat Kit, W-001 Wizardâ„¢, Hero Arts Good Cheer Messages stamps, Magic Mesh green thin weave, Glue Dots International Craft Glue Dots, white cardstock

Cheers, Eli

Let it snow?  You might think I’ve lost my mind.  You might be right!  I’m not ready for snow in Chicago yet. But I couldn’t resist playing with my Spellbinders™ Limited Edition die templates.  That’s right, the S4-222 Create A Flake One and S4-223 Create A Flake Two, as well as the S4-224 Snowflake Border Petite and S5-017 Snowflake Frameabilities® will not be manufactured after November 30, 2009.  Get them from your favorite Spellbindersâ„¢ retailer while you can!

Put away your mittens and coats and grab your craft supplies.  My card base is 5.5×11″ white cardstock, folded in half.  The snowflakes are assembled from Core’dinations cardstock, I used 4 graduated tones of blue and both the S4-222Create A Flake One and S4-223 Create A Flake Two die template sets.

I cut two colors from each Create A Flake set, which gave me lots of snowflake shapes, sizes and colors to build from.  Individual die cuts were sanded to reveal the colored core of the Core’dinations cardstock. Each flake is assembled using SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES by 3L 3D Foam Squares for extra dimension, and brads.

I cut/embossed the S4-224 Snowflake Border Petite on the front of the card, then inked through the die template like a stencil.  This cut the detailed edge and snowflakes and embossed the pinking edge and detail. 

I used a scrap of the blue cardstock to cut/emboss additional snowflakes, this time from the S4-224 Snowflake Border Petite, so that I could add them to the openings on the front.  Brads hold them in place inside of the card.  Doesn’t it look like they are attached to the front of the card?

I couldn’t let those snowflakes get lonely inside the card.  I cut/embossed and sanded the inside frame from S5-017 Snowflake Frameabilities®.  JustRite Stampers allowed me to customize the greeting with their fonts and rectangluar stamper.  Clearsnap Colorbox Smoke Blue Pigment ink is the color I used for both stenciling with an Ink Applicator on the front and stamping on the inside.

I have snowflake die cut pieces left, I’ll save them for another project.  Remember, get your Spellbindersâ„¢ Seasonal Limited Edition die templates soon! See the complete list here.  And lets hope Mother Nature doesn’t take this card seriously!

Beth

Today’s Tattered Angels Blog Hop Hostess with the Mostess is Heidi Blankenship. Her personal blog, Embellished Dreams is chock full of Tattered Angels artwork, take some time to look around! This post is especially cool, enjoy!

I”m still having with foam!  Remember this Fall Wreath I made with embossed foam?  I had a few extra S4-228 Nested Maple Leaves left over from that project.  When I saw Eli’s Savvy Saturday and Margie’s Cushy project, I remembered my embossed foam leaf was still waiting to play.  Hmm, that would make a nice stamp!  Remember how nicely these embossed with the I2-1009 Flourish when I heated the Impressabilitiesâ„¢ with my iron?

I attached it to a clear block with a bit of adhesive. Then I inked the leaf with Clearsnap Colorbox Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink.

 Actually I used the same ink, but from 2 different ink pads, and I think it looks pretty cool!

I also added the S4-226 Harvest Border Petite , with a green ribbon under it to add some color.  It’s wrapped around the My Minds Eye Penny Lane Chasse cardstock.  I inked through the Borderabilitiesâ„¢ die template like a stencil, to color the embossed areas.  That piece is mounted on brown cardstock.

Enjoy Fall!
Beth

Have you heard?  We’re doing a blog hop with Tattered Angels, makers of Glimmer Mist and much more. Today, Design Team Member Julie Overby  has blogged a project, go check it out! You can also check out the Tattered Angels Blog for even more ideas.

Did you love Margie’s Savvy Saturday, where she cut apart the S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities®?  That got me thinking about the S4-220 Nested Pine Trees.  I wanted to give them some dimension. 

I pulled together some supplies: Spellbindersâ„¢ S4-220 Nested Pine Trees, S4-142 Long Classic Rectangles LG #4 and 5; Spellbindersâ„¢ Impressabilitiesâ„¢ I2-1006 Floral and Stone, I2-1009 Flourish, I2-1002 Paisley.  I also included 7gypsies, Gypsy Market Paper; SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES by 3L, 3D Foam Squares; Tattered Angels, Pearl Glimmer Mist; Clearsnap, Colorbox Chestnut Roam and Dark Moss Fluid Chalk Ink; Stampers Anonymous, Mini Ornates Stamps; Core’dinations Color Core Cardstock; tan and brown cardstock; sanding block.

I cut S4-220 Nested Pine Trees #3 with Core’dinations Cardstock, then embossed with one of the Impressabilitiesâ„¢ templates.  I repeated this step 2 more times, with a different tone of green, so that I had 3 large Nested Pine Treea die cuts, each embossed with a different Impressabilitiesâ„¢ template.  I trimmed the lightest green tone for the top section of the tree, then the medium tone for the center, and left the darkest tone full size. I cut a trunk from dark brown cardstock.  I inked the edges of the tree with Dark Moss ink.

I sanded the embossed areas that would show, then spritzed with Pearl Glimmer Mist.  I cut/embossed 2 tones of tan cardstock with S4-142 Long Classic Rectangles LG # 4 and 5, then inked the edges with Chestnut Roan ink.  I stamped a Mini Ornates sentiment with Chestnut Roan onto the smaller rectangle.

To give the tree depth, I lined the lower curved edges with 3D Foam Squares, but used normal flat adhesive at the top of the tree.

I assembled the card as shown below. The “lift” and inked edges give dimension and shadow.

Enjoy the day!

Beth

®The weather has turned a bit chilly around here, and the leaves will begin to turn colors soon.  To celebrate the season I have this card to share.

I gathered these supplies: Spellbindersâ„¢ S4-226 Harvest Borderabilities® Petite; S4-233 Labels Nine; S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities®; My Mind’s Eye, Patterned Cardstock, Free Bird Collection “Beauty”, “Love” and Maggie May “Katie Lou”; Clearsnap, ColorBox Roan Brown Fluid Chalk Ink; SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES by 3L, 3D Foam Squares; Creative Impressions, Leaf Ribbon; Brown Cardstock.

.

.

.

I cut/emboss the S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities® #4 in orange “Love”,  the S4-233 Labels Nine #5 in blue “Katie Lou”, and #6 in the striped cardstock, which is the back side of the green “Beauty” cardstock.  I lightly inked the edges with the brown ink to camoflage the white core of the paper.

.

.

.

Next I cut the green paper to 5.5×5″, and cut/embossed the S4-226 Harvest Borderabilities® Petite, Pumpkin Border on each side of the green paper.  Since one edge cuts and the other embosses, I aligned them so the cut edge was along the outer edge of the paper.  I used tape to secure the border so it didn’t move around.   After embossing, I inked the paper through the die template like a stencil, so the embossed areas were accented.  I also let the ink rub a little over the edge of the die template to enhance the embossing along the border’s edge.

I simply layered the pieces onto a 5.5×6″ piece of brown cardstock.  I used 3D Foam Squares on the S4-233 Labels Nine and S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities® die cuts, to give them some dimension.

And here is the finished card:
 

 Celebrate Fall!

Beth

While today’s post is not a new technique, it may give you some new ideas.  I have this thing for textured paper.  I love it like I love cookies. 

I gathered these supplies and set out to make a quick card:

S4-190 Labels Four #5 & 6; I2-1007 Impressabilities™ Diamonds and Stars; Clearsnap, Colorbox Antique Pewter Pigment Ink and Charcoal Fluid Chalk Ink; My Minds Eye, patterned paper; 7gypsies, patterned paper; Stampers Anonymous, Birds & Baubles stamp set; cardstock, sueded paper.

The key to this is the sueded paper, which  has a soft texture that accepts embossing beautifully.  I embossed the sueded paper with the I2-1007 Impressabilities™ Diamonds and Stars with the same sandwich I used for regular paper, which is

White Master Mat
Impressabilitiesâ„¢ Diamonds and Stars
Sueded paper, soft side down
Embossing Mat
White Master Mat

Feed the sandwich into the Wizardâ„¢. The result is simply gorgeous, along with being easy!!

I trimmed the sides and mounted it on black cardstock, and adhered it onto a piece of 7gypsies patterned paper. I stamped a Stampers Anonymous floral image with Clearsnap Colorbox Antique Pewter ink, then stamped the quote with Charcoal Fluid Chalk ink. I then cut/embossed that using S4-190 Labels Four #5. I used S4-190 Labels Four #6 to cut a black mat for the quote piece.

The finished card looks like this:

Have a great day!

Beth

Borderabilities Grand, what a wonderful product from Spellbinders, especially for scrapbookers. Where else can you get 12-inch border die templates with incredible detailing featuring three functions: cutting, embossing and stenciling? (If that weren’t rhetorical, I’d say, “Nowhere!”)

Today, I’m going to share a layout with you. But first, you might want to watch our very own Stacey Caron demonstrate the Borderabilities Grand in the Wizard. Check out this video below. She cuts/embosses the Grand Borderabilities with the accessory Grand Cut Mat Kit for efficient cut/emboss functions, and she shows the Extended White Master Mats that are included with a Wizard.

(more…)

Back to school is the perfect time of year to send a note thanking teachers for how they impact the world. Your son or daughter’s teachers will know how you support them and that all their hard work is appreciated when this card comes their way.

Today, I want to share a quick and easy technique using Spellbindersâ„¢’ Impressabilitiesâ„¢…this time let’s emboss craft foil and then sand it for more impact. You can see the effect in the card below.
If you are not familiar with craft foil, it is basically a light weight metal sheet that can be used in all kinds of crafting projects.The Wizardâ„¢ especially loves to cut and emboss these shiny sheets. Spellbinders’ offers several colors in rolls, 12″x36″ and a 12-piece assortment pack with 5″x5″ sheets.

Because of its strength and pliability, craft foil, aka tooling foil, takes embossing perfectly and holds its shape beautifully. So let’s get started making this card to honor a teacher in your life.

Besides your Wizardâ„¢ and mats, gather the following supplies: I2-1002 Impressabilitiesâ„¢ Butterfly, Premium Craft Foil, Spellbinders S5-014 Small Deckled Mega Rectangles, Whimsical patterned paper by Fancy Pants, Gold cardstock by Core’dinations, Glue Dots adhesives, Checked ribbon by Creative Impressions, 25 pt Brayton font by JustRite Stampers, Sandpaper and Corner rounder punch

Begin by cutting three pieces of craft foil to 1-1/4″ by 4″. I used two colors but three coordinating ones could also be fun.

Build your sandwich for embossing:

• White master mat
• Impressabilities template
• Craft foil pieces, side by side
• Embossing pad
• White master mat

Lay the three craft foil sheets carefully on the template with the silver facing up.

Feed the sandwich through the Wizardâ„¢ to emboss. Check the photo below to see how crisp the embossing is. Take patience when removing the foil as it tends to grab the metal pieces of the template.

Flip the strips over to the colored side. Add a little wow by sanding each strip to remove the color and really show off the details in the silver. I like to vary the direction that I sand to get an overall effect but you can sand in one direction to get another cool look.

Stamp the beginning of your sentiment with JustRite stamps. I used the quote, “A Teacher affects eternity…she never knows where her influence stops” with the second half of the quote on the inside of the card.

Cut/emboss the stamped portion of the sentiment with S5-014 Small Deckled Mega Rectangles (#2).

Construct the card:
Cut the Fancy Pants paper to 6″x9″ and fold in half. Round the corners. Cut a cardstock square to 4-1/2″x4-1/2″. Add the three metal strips and then the small bow. Attach the card front sentiment with dimensional. Write out the rest of the sentiment and add it to the inside.

Now: sign it, put it in an envelope, address it, drop it in the mail and make a teacher very happy.

Don’t forget to go over to “When Creativity Knocks!” - and vote for Impressabilities in the Great Crafter’s Tool Hunt…you could win something cool and we would win ultimate fame and glory (maybe even a trophy? who knows). Follow this link for more info: HERE

Eli, who is really glad to be back with the team after taking the summer off for some family time.

Although its still August according to the calendar, its feeling a bit like October if you look at the thermometer! A hot cup of coffee would be so nice!

I gathered my supplies, which included S5-019 Labels Eight #5 and #6; S4-213 Fleur de Lis Borderabilities®; S4-114 Standard Circle, Large #4; and S4-116 Stand Circle, Small #4; JustRite Stampers A Little Caffeine Set; Clearsnap Colorbox, Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink; Cord’dinations Color Core Cardstock, and Fancy Pants, The Daily Grind papers.

I cut the base for the card from S5-019 Labels Eight #6 and brown Core’dinations cardstock, then the the rest of the die cuts from the Fancy Pants paper.  I love buying these pads, it makes coordinating papers and patterns a breeze!  I stamped the coffee cup and border words with the JustRite set and Clearsnap ink.  I centered the S4-116 Standard Circle, Small # 4, cut/embossed, then made a mat with the S4-114 Standard Circle, Large #4.

Since the Borderabilities® are so detailed, its sometimes not so easy to get the paper out of the die template.  Here’s a little trick: I used a piece of wax paper from the kitchen!  I made my normal cutting sandwich and added a single layer of wax paper between the die template and the paper, and feed my sandwich through my Wizardâ„¢ as usual.  The wax paper is thin and won’t change the way the die template cuts, but will allow you to remove the intricate die cuts without having to pull or tear.

Remember to remove the wax paper before inking through the die template!

I used the Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink with a Clearsnap Ink Applicator to color through the die template and to ink along the edges of the other die cut papers.

Hey, who ate all the doughnuts?
Beth

Who loved Margie’s Savvy Saturday Card?  Me!!  Here’s a quick one I put together using the same set of S4-205 Eyelets Pendant and S4-214 Eyelets Borderabilities®.  I used the Border, which is the die template that has one cut line, to cut/emboss the detailed edge of the paper.

I started with patterned paper from My Mind’s Eye’s Penny Lane collection, Clearsnap Colorbox Lemon Grass pigment ink and a Colorbox ink applicator tool.

The green “Beauty” background is 6 x 6″.  The cream “My Friend” mat is 5.5 x 5.5″.  To cut the detailed border, I placed the S4-215 Eyelets Borderabilities® die template along the edge of the paper and taped it in place with low tack tape.  The tape keeps the border from moving.  I cut/embossed in the Wizardâ„¢.  I removed the tape and applied Lemon Grass ink to the back side die template and just slightly along the embossed edge.

I cut/embossed the S4-205 Eyelets Pendant from the blue “Peace” paper, and the Center die from the “Beauty” paper.  I actually cut/embossed both pieces at the same time!  I inked the Pendant and Center pieces in the same way as above.

I assembled the card and added a button from my stash.  Yes, I actually sewed that button on!

Do you love the look of the Borderabilities®?  My next Savvy Saturday will be how to use the 5.5″ Borderabilities® on paper longer than 5.5″!  And don’t forget about the Pendant Project Contest, entries will be accepted through August 10!