Today we’re getting back into our Savvy Saturday mode, and what better to do that with than a card boasting our newest die templates!

This card features the S5-019 Labels Eight, S4-210 Lattice Pendant,  S4-110 Classic Oval Large,  S4-112 Classic Oval Small, and S4-234 Ribbons Tag Trio 2 die templates, I2-1002 Impressabilities™ Butterfly, as well as F-005 Gold Premium Craft Foil, 7gypsies patterned paper, Clearsnap ink and Hero Arts stamps.

I started by cutting/embossing black cardstock with the largest (#6) of the Labels Eight die templates.  Then I cut a piece of Gold Premium Craft Foil with  the S5-019 Labels Eight (#5) die template.  To get the finished border around the Labels Eight die cut, as well as the I2-002 Impressabilities™ Butterfly embossing, I used this sandwich:

• White Master Mat
• Impressabilitiesâ„¢ Butterfly
• Labels Eight die template, cut side facing up
• Die cut of Gold Premium Craft Foil, gold side down, fit into Label die template
• Tan Embossing Pad
• White Master Mat

By feeding it into my Wizard™, it resulted in an embossed die cut!  With a piece of fine sandpaper, I sanded the top of the die cut to reveal the silver color.  I adhered it onto the black die cut.

Next, I cut/embossed a black oval from S4-110 Classic Oval Large (#5).  Then I cut a Gold Foil Oval from the S4-112 Classic Ovals Small (#5).  Using the same sandwich as above, but I replaced the Impressabilities™ with the Center piece from the the 4-210 Lattice Pendant. I fed it into my Wizard™ and the shape of the Center embossed into my gold foil oval.  Again I sanded the detail for more definition.

I trimmed the 7gypsies patterned paper 6×4.5″ so that it made a nice  background for the Labels Eight die cuts, which are big, measuring at nearly 5.5″ long!

I also cut/embossed the Long Rectangle Tag from the S4-234 Ribbon Tag Trio 2 set.  I used the the back side of the 7gypsies pattern paper.  Then I stamped a sentiment on it from Hero Arts, distressed with Clearsnap Black pigment ink and set aside.

I arranged and adhered the Labels Eight and Classic Oval die cuts on top of the 7gypsies patterned paper as shown.  I mounted the patterned paper onto a piece of black cardstock.  Taking the stamped Ribbon Tag Trio 2 die cut, I strung a 1 3/8″ wide ribbon (the openings are 3/4″, allowing for thicker ribbon!) and wrapped it around the front of the card, and adhered it to the back side of the black cardstock.

Here are a few more examples from our fabulous Design Team:

Holly Simoni’s layout features her daughter and her love of horses.  Holly used S4-215 Renaissance Hearts Borderabilities®, S4-206 Renaissance Hearts Pendant and S5-018 Labels Eight.  Her supplies include 7gypsies pattern paper, Clearsnap ink, and Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Christy Farneth-Kerr’s card is Magically Delicious!  She cut an opening in the front with the S4-189 Labels Three,  and covered it with S4-207 Kaliedoscope Pendant.  She used the S4-216 Kaliedoscope Borderabilities® cut from Premium Craft Foil and from cardstock to make the other elements.  Christy folded a Pendant to make the iris flower element.  Other supplies include Chatterbox paper, The Paper Company paper, and Flower Soft adhesive.

Kimberly Crawford employed reverse stenciling to get the 2-toned effect on this S4-206 Renaissance Hearts Pendant card.  She added Clearsnap’s Smooch to the small heart accents.  Kimberly used My Mind’s Eye paper, Clearsnap ink, Hero Arts stamps, and Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L supplies.

So if these Pendant ideas get your mojo flowing, be sure to enter the Pendant Party, and you could win some fabulous prizes!

Happy Saturday!

Beth

I have discovered a way to use Spellbinders Die Templates to make personalized projects.  JustRite Stamps allow  personalization of projects with a variety of choices of borders, fonts and images.  The size is a perfect fit to Spellbinder’s Classic Circles and Classic Ovals.  JustRite also has horizontal and vertical blocks to allow you to make your own phrases. Let me show you how!

Here is a quick party favor, you could whip these up for bridal or baby showers, graduations or any occasion, really.  I found these tiny paper bags for candy or a small gift.  I chose the border and letter from the DIY Monogram Stamper Kit.  I inked it with Clearsnap Colorbox Charcoal Fluid Chalk ink pad.

I centered the S4-114 Standard Circles Large, #3, and taped it onto the Prism cardstock.  I cut/embossed in my Wizard. I cut/embossed the S4-194 Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles Large #3, and the S4-124 Classic Scalloped Circles Large, #3.

When stacked, they look like this.  I used Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares for dimension.

I thought the bag needed something more so I decided to cut and emboss the S5-016 Polka Dot Frame. I stenciled with Clearsnap Colorbox Lemon Grass pigment ink with the stylus tool and foam tip.  I trimmed the frame so that it fit across the bag as a topper.  I used a blade to cut slits in the bag and pulled a piece of Creative Impressions ribbon through, and tied a knot.

I love to see what our super talented Design Team Members have done with JustRite Stamps.  Holly Simoni’s layout of her daughter is divine.  She used several JustRite products, along with S4-124 Classic Scallop Circle Large, S5-006 Mega Curved Rectangles, S4-127 Classic Scalloped Squares Large.  The paper is from Chatterbox Artsylicious, the journaling is done with a Copic Multiliner pen, and the ink is Clearsnap Colorbox Surf Fluid Chalk.

This is Debbie Seyer’s Father’s Day card. Debbie was able to make her own sentiment that fit perfectly on the die cut.  She selected the fonts and lined them up on the JustRite Harmony Rectangle Stamper.

Spellbinders Die Templates on this card include S4-145 Long Scalloped Rectangles Small # 4, S4-144 Long  Rectangles Small #4, S4-189 Labels Three #3, S4-133 Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large #2, S4-132 Classic Rectangles Large #2, S4-014 Timeless Heritage. Other supplies include paper from Lil’ Man by Cosmo Cricket, Copper Brads by The Paper Studio, and Just Rite Stampers.

I hope your day is just rite!

Beth

Well, it took me two days to get these pics on my memory card…but here they are…Let’s see how to use the W-026 Grand Cut Mat Kit to cut/emboss one of our Grand Borderabilities®. I chose to work with the S7-001 Rose Border Grand. This is an accessory kit to the Wizardâ„¢ that can be purchased for use with the our 12″ Borderabilities® die templates. Here is a quick pic. of the kit with two master mats, the magnetic spacer plate and the embossing pad.

Use this set just like the regular mat set that comes with the Wizardâ„¢. Choose a die template and some paper for a project. Trim down the paper so it is not wider than the platform and let’s begin:

1. Layer the following elements: White master mat, magnetic spacer plate with the magnet facing up, Borderabilities® die template with ridge facing up, paper and the other white master mat.
2. Place the Wizard in front of you with the long “leg” facing away from you and the handle towards you.
3. Using your left hand, feed the stack into the rollers from the far side of the machine, so they advance towards you. With you right hand, give the rollers a little “skootch” by pushing down and forward on them. This will help the mats engage in the rollers and will assist with advancing them through.

   

4. Be sure to hold the mats loosely (see how the far end of the mats is opened a bit). It is another way to help the mats engage in the rollers.



5. After skootching the mats to engage them. Push the handle up and over to the front, all the way to the table. Continue pumping the handle to vertical and back to the table top to ratchet the mats through towards you. When nearing the end, move your left hand to grab the mats for the exit.



6. Open your sandwich, and see your cut Borderabilities® die template.



7. Remove the die/paper from the magnetic mat and place the die/paper back onto the white master mat. Add the embossing pad and the white master mat on top. Run the sandwich through again. Open the sandwich and check out the beautifully embossed image.



8. Now turn the die/paper over and use some inks, chalks, colored pencils, metallic rub-ons…or whatever suits your fancy to use the die template as a stencil.



9. Use your beautifully decorated border in a wonderful scrapbook page.

If you don’t have the Grand Mat Cut Kit, check out Beth’s tutorial on how to cut the Grand Borderabilities® using the White Master mats.

Have a fabulously creative day, Eli

In honor of Earth Day or Earth Week or for those of us that reduce, reuse and recycle every day, I thought I would share some ideas that apply to crafting.

Reduce.

• Turn off the lights and computer when you are done.
• Do your work under compact florescent lighting, and dispose of them safely when burned out.
• Carry reusable shopping bags whenever you shop.
• Buy what you need, and avoid excessive packaging.
• Carpool to the crop.

Reuse

• Spellbinders’ Die templates are tools that are used over and over, and won’t wear out.
• Save your scraps, and use them on cards and scrapbook pages.
• I use magnets (with outdated calendars on the front of them) to store my die templates.
• Spellbinders’ clam shell packaging is useful for storing not only die templates, but paper scraps, embellishments, or other small items.
• Spellbinders’ clam shell packaging could be used as part of a project.  Cut it in half to use as a window.
• When looking for texture, instead of buying new items, think of things you already own that can be embossed.  That mesh bag the onions came in?  It makes a great texture, as do lace, coins, and charms.
• Too many supplies?  Arrange a trade with friends or donate those supplies to a school, scout group, or charity.

Recycle

• When you buy an item,  recycle the packaging.
• Of the things you dispose of, what can you use in your crafting?
• Soda cans can be cut and embossed in the Wizard with Spellbinder’s Die Templates.
• Chipboard used in cereal boxes and packaging can be cut and embossed.

2008 Design Team Member Jeni Calkins did a great job of using pages from an old book to make the flowers on this layout.  She used S4-109 Flower Creations 3, Nest-02 Nestabilities Classic Squares, S4-144 Long Classic Rectangles Scalloped Large, S4-145 Long Classic Rectangles Small, S7-001 Rose Borderability Grand.

If we all do our part, the Mother Earth will be a wonderful place for our children, their children, and so on.

Happy Crafting and Happy Earth!

Beth

I’m with Beth!! I am tired of Old Man Winter, who, in Denver, stayed away most of the late winter and just arrived a couple of weeks ago with snow and cold.

I loved Beth’s idea for creating a fabulous, colorful card with some perky peonies (S4-193) on them. I decided to take the idea and use it for an altered project: pencils with peonies. A selection of green, blue and purple from my scraps bin filled the bill. I grabbed my Peony die template and got creating.

After some experimentation, I found the following instructions to work the best.

1. Cut the peony die templates #1, #2 and #4 (1 is the smallest with higher getting larger). I did not emboss. Distribute the colors and patterns for creating the flowers by placing them in stacks of graduated trios.



2. Place a stack of three die templates on your palm and press with a small dowel, flat end of a pencil or end of a paintbrush, giving the flowers dimension. Now they are ready to be stacked.



3. Using mini glue dots, attach the #2 to #4 and then #1 to #2. For me, layers kept their dimension better this way than going from smallest to largest.
4. Set aside in pairs.
5. Wrap 2 large Glue Dots around the end of the pencil just below the metal housing for the eraser.
6. Secure the pair of peonies to opposite sides of the pencil.



7. Sharpen pencils and give away to the delight of all.

This would be a fantastic favor for a bridal or a baby shower. Use colored pencils for even more fun. (and by the way…we don’t have many peonies here in Colorado…I’m jealous of those of you who do!)

Happy Spring! Eli

A good many of us, if we looked around our craft rooms would probably find some brass stencils. At one point, we might have used them to create cards or layout embellishments: get out the light box, choose a stencil, grab the stylus and use it to emboss the whole thing–taking a ton of time to do it. Then, maybe we got adventurous and wanted to dry emboss on dark paper, or even craft foil. Hmmm!?! What to do with that light box.

Well, with the Wizardâ„¢, you can emboss a brass stencil in a single bound (you and Superman should be friends), even on paper or foil that you can’t see through.

So do a little spring green dance, grab those brass stencils before they go to the bottomless pit of your supply drawer–or worse, the landfill–and use them again.

Sandwich:

• Master Mat
• Brass stencil
• Paper
• Embossing Mat
• Master Mat

Cathy Chlebana created this card featuring a gorgeous embossed brass stencil, several layers of cardstock and a bar on the top and bottom. After she ran the dark blue paper through the Wizardâ„¢, she sanded off the top layer of dark cardstock to show off the inner, lighter core. Elegant!!

For something a little extra, I created a painted card that featured a brass stencil.

To create this subtle effect, simply paint a contrasting, thin layer over cardstock. Allow it to dry to the touch but not all the way through (this will give you a deeper emboss). Run it through the Wizardâ„¢ with a brass stencil in an embossing sandwich. Let it dry completely and sand off the top layer of paint. Add embellishments and Viola!

So, dig out those brass stencils and have some fun!  Eli

So, you might have come looking for a Designer Spotlight today but we’ve moved it to make room for another technique day. Tuesday’s project will now be the “rebound” from Savvy Saturday. Learn a technique on Saturday and see another way to use it on Tuesday…cool.

Today, I want to share with you a layout called “Spring Blooms.”

If you missed the first Cut Loose post, be sure to check it out to see how to cut all the S4-191 Dahlia die templates at once.

Once you’re familiar with the technique you are ready to create. Feel free to stick around for instructions…

You’ll need the following Spellbindersâ„¢ Products:

• The Wizardâ„¢ Embossing and Die Cutting System (Remember, if you don’t have a Wizardâ„¢, our die templates are universal so you can use them in your die cutter. Check out these videos or our compitability FAQ’s for some help)
• S4-191 Dahlia
• S5-016 Polka Dot Frame
• S4-167 Victorian

Then get cardstock, two contrasting patterned papers, some adhesive, sandpaper, ribbons and other embellishments.

1. Using the same sandwiches as on Saturday, cut/emboss two sets of each of the patterned papers.
2. Cut/emboss the Polka Dot Frame. Lightly sand the embossed dots to bring out the white core.
3. Round the corners of the center rectangle and use it for a journaling block.
4. Using both patterned papers, cut/emboss the whole set of the Dahlia die template. I chose not to use the smallest flower to give me a larger center.
5. Construct flowers by adding glue to the tips of the petals and layering.
6. To create the top and bottom borders, cut a 1″ strip of patterned paper. Cut using the Flower Bud template. Cutting several times to finish the whole 12″. Repeat with another strip and add the matching pieces to the top and bottom.
7. Assemble the layout. Embellish with fibers, charms, etc.

And that is all there is to it. I hope you can see lots of potential for this die template. It is pure fun to play with!!!

Happy Crafting, Eli

Did you all see QVC?

Stacey, darling, you look fabulous!

And the exclusive QVC die template set with the Wizard, I love it!

Hey, that’s a great price for Nestabilities Die Templates!

Special thanks to Cathy Chlebana, Design Team Coordinator for the artwork displays and technique book in today’s broadcast.

Check out QVC for all of today’s product specials:

The Wizard with Special Die Set

Nestabilities Scalloped Die Set

We reintroduced Spellbinders’ Pierceabilities not too long ago, here.  Thanks Eli, for the 101! Lets take another look at some more examples.

I made this quick card to use as a lesson for Spellbinders’ Pierceabilities Die Templates.

1. Cut white cardstock 8.5″x5.5″, fold in half.

2. To make the decorative edge on the white cardstock, line up the cut edge of S4-173 Fancy Scallop Pierceabilities die template with one edge of the card.  Secure the die template with household tape.  Cut this edge, no need to emboss it.

3. With a piece of peach Worldwin Double Mates cardstock 5.5″x4.5″, align the cutting edge of the Pierceability with the edge of the cardstock.  Tape in place.  Cut and emboss in the Spellbinders Wizard.

4. Leaving the tape on, you can embellish through the die template like a stencil.  I used ink applied with a sponge applicator for a subtle look.

5. Place die and paper (still taped) onto a foam pad.  Use a piercing tool to poke through the small holes in the die, through the paper.

6. Remove the tape, adhere the pierced cardstock to the front of the card.  Be sure to line up the decorative edges.  Trim excess to fit card front.

In this example I cut and embossed both Long Rectangle die templates.  Then I cut and embossed the S4-165 Pinking Pierceabilities die template along one edge, as above.  I pierced the design while the die template was still taped in place. I traced the outline of the Pierceabilities die template design with a Copic Spica Atyou pen, then traced the Long Rectangle die templates.
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Each Spellbinders’ Pierceabilities Die Template comes with a clear guide. Don’t poke through it! This is used when you want to line up a Pierceabilities Die Template for precision piercing.

Simply decide where you want the pierced design to be, lay the clear guide over the selected spot, then slide the die template underneath the clear guide.

Pierce through the die template, embellish through the die if desired.

You don’t have to cut or emboss with the die template to use the piercing holes.

Wendy Weixler’s Journal of Thanks used the Pierceabilities Die Templates to make the background border on this altered notebook. Wendy used S4-165 Pinking Pierceabilites and S4-147 Labels Trio.

Heidi Blankenship airbrushed with Copic Markers through the die templates and over the flower Impressabilities.  She used S4-173 Fancy Scalloped Butterfly, S4-171 Nested Butterflies, L2-1004 Impressabilities Flowers.

Open your mind to apertures!  Technically speaking this would be a hole, an opening, or using the negative part of the die cut.  Its really pretty easy and makes fabulous results, as you’ll see.  Spellbinders’ Die Templates work wonderfully for this technique, their thin profile makes it easy to slide into a card and even emboss the edge around the opening.

So we’ll start with  piece of paper, I’m using a piece of double sided paper.  Fold the paper to make a card.  Place the die template on top of the card, cut side down, line it up to the exact spot you want the opening and tape it down with some low tack tape. (I use regular household tape, touch it to my jeans to make it less sticky.)

Now, with the die template in place, fold the card the opposite way so the inside of the card is on the outside and the die template is in  the middle of the card.  Slide the spacer plate into the card.  Place this between the Master Mats and feed it into the Wizard. Notice that the die is now facing cut side up!

Now you have an opening cut into the card.  Remove the Spacer Plate.  I usually put a piece of scrap cardstock between the die and the back of the card, the scrap piece will emboss slightly instead of the card back.  Leave the card folded as above, but this time place the tan embossing mat on top of the card.  Place in between the Master Mats and feed the sandwich into the Wizard again.

Carefully remove the die template from the card and fold the right way again.  You have an embossed opening!

You could embellish the opening by reverse stenciling, ink the die template before hand.  You can use the die template as a stencil and color through the holes in the die.  You can use the die cut to embellish the inside of the card.  You can use the opening to make a shaker box.

Check out these beautiful examples from our Design Team Members!

Linda Duke used chalk to stencil through the S5-005 Decorative Frames die template, and further embellished with glittered S3-146 Butterflies 2.

Holly Craft used stamps to further embellish her oval aperture.

Donya cut the frame opening and embossed the larger sized S5-006 Mega Curved Rectangle frame as well, to really accent the opening.

Jeni Calkins used the S5-005 Decorative Frames set to highlight this photo for a Fathers Day card.  See how using masculine colors can bring a whole new life to this flourishy and flowery die template?

This was a Make and Take from our CHA Winter 2008 show, isn’t it stunning! We used the S4-137 Classic Scalloped Hearts to cut the front of the card, and layered S4-136 Classic Heart die cuts on the inside.  The patterned paper is from Kaleidoscope Kreator Software.  Here is a tutorial on this Layered Heart Card!

Your cards and projects will take on a new dimension when you open your mind to apertures!

Have a wonderful day!
Beth