Last weekend, I went shopping for scrapbook supplies. I found something that I really wanted to use for today’s post…Tattered Angels‘ Glimmer Screens - Garden Ironworks. One particular screen caught my eye - the iron gate! I had the Raven Glimmer Mist at home that would be a perfect match so I “had to have it.” LOL!

Using the screen and Glimmer Mist, I would put them into the Wizard™ to letterpress into an orange cardstock that was in my scrap pile. Beware of dripping Glimmer Mist after spraying the screen (MUHAHAHAHA!!!), my first try was a mess! Let the excess mist drip off the screen first and then place into the sandwich.

Quickly letterpress the cardstock by using the following sandwich (from the bottom):
White Master Mat
Copy paper (for protection)
Screen (Glimmer Misted side UP)
Cardstock
Tan Embossing Pad
White Master Mat

Next, I misted a big white flower. I suggest misting two coats (dry between coats). The front of the flower was dark but didn’t have the glimmer I was looking for. So I flipped the flower to see what happened there - it had all this glimmer, so pretty! I will be using the back of the flower instead. Note to self: mist the back of the flower next time! LOL!! For the center of the flower, I cut/embossed four of S4-227 Pumpkin Nestabilities® die template #2 (#1 being the smallest size). Fold each pumpkin in half and with wet adhesive, adhere each side of pumpkin to the next. For more details, please refer HERE. 

After I stamped “Happy Owl-Oween” from Hero Arts Owl-Oween set, I cut/embossed one of the S4-234 Ribbon Tags Trio Two over the sentiment. I love how this set can accommodate wider ribbons. The black organza ribbon I had in my stash is about 5/8″ wide and the slot still had room! Using the same stamp set, I stamped an owl image onto Core’dinations ColorCore cardstock, cut out the image and glittered its eyes.

Adding more embellishments, I cut out a Halloween image from Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cuts. For texture, I cut S4-228 Nested Maple Leaf #1 with fabric paper and orange felt (note: an extra shim like a piece of cardstock may be needed for the cut to go through or cut twice if it’s thick). For a journal “box,” I cut/embossed the largest maple leaf (die #3) with Core’dinations cardstock and sanded the edges. I inked the edges of my mat and page with Clearsnap Queue Ink. Adhering all the elements as shown onto Fancy Pants Treat or Treat Collection made this layout one of my favorite Halloween pages!

 

Don’t forget all this month, we are showcasing our designers who used their talent to come up with beautiful projects using Spellbindersâ„¢ and Tattered Angels‘ products. Please take a look at what Holly Simoni has inspired you with today! Come back and visit us so that you know who else will dazzle you!

Have a great day!
MargieH

Don’t forget Spellbindersâ„¢ is partnering with Tattered Angels on a Designer Blog Hop so come join us as we feature Karen Hunsaker today! See what project she created using Spellbindersâ„¢ and Tattered Angels products!

I really enjoy this Spellbindersâ„¢ S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities® set! So many different ideas come to mind like what if I added the S7-017 On The Vine Border Grand. What a great pumpkin patch that would be! Well, that’s exactly what I did…a layout of my boys visiting our local pumpkin farm where they had such a blast! It pays to carry around a small camera in my purse to “capture that moment!”

Rather than just a one dimensional pumpkin, I cut two S4-227 Pumpkins Nestabilities® #3 die (the smallest being #1) to create a “puffed” pumpkin. One of the pumpkin shape serves as a base and the other, I cut into sections length-wise as shown (note: I cut the stem off the cut pumpkin). Make sure you have them in the right order so that you can put them back together again.

First I curled each section of the cut pumpkin. Then inked all the edges of the base pumpkin and the cut pumpkin with Clearsnap Queue Ink. I also inked the pumpkin stem with Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Dark Moss. Then with wet adhesive that dries clear, I glued each section onto the base. Set aside to dry.

 

To give my pumpkin some glimmer, I sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Vintage Pink (I also used the Glimmer Mist Gold for the other pumpkins). It’s one way to make a pumpkin “pretty!” After it dried, I reapplied the ink around the edges of the pumpkin and ink the stem to give it a stronger coloring. Repeat the same process with two more pumpkins, I made a total of three (3) “puffed” pumpkins.

Using the S4-226 Harvest Border Petites die #2 (the accent die template - the one with the cut line all around the die template), I cut/embossed a piece from Core’dination ColorCore and stenciled it with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Gold. I added the small leaf pieces which I sanded to accent each side of the border. Adhered all to the mat that I cut for the two pictures. Set aside.

Using My Mind’s Eye Fall In Love Collection, I cut/embossed two (2) S7-017 On The Vine Border Grand with the Grand Cut Mat Kit. I then stenciled using Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Dark Moss.

I had a pumpkin patch pattern paper in my stash that went well with the theme and adhered both border die cuts onto the page in an “L” shape. I then placed my “puffed” pumpkins onto the border along with a pumpkin die cut used as a journal box. Add the matted pictures along with the title of the farm’s name and a beautiful Fall memory is recorded!

Have a great Saturday!!
MargieH

World Card Making Day is Saturday (tomorrow), October 3rd!! We’re having a little fun over on Facebook:

Post a card using Spellbinders Die Templates on Spellbindersâ„¢ Facebook page on World Card Making Day and be entered to win a Spellbinders Die Template. We will randomly draw a name from all the participants!

Hey there scrapbooking fans! Here’s one for you today. I just had to share these pics of my family enjoying a Fall day in the park. I love the feeling of movement in them. Design-wise, I tried to include a variety of shapes to keep things interesting: ovals, lines, circles…These ideas can be applied to any card or layout.

I started by printing my photos at home and cutting them using the Oval Nestabilities®. The first attempt yielded an oval that was too big. As you can see below, the top and bottom edges of the photos’ white frame show… now, we can’t have that!!!

Not to worry…

The brilliant thing about Nestabilities® is that you can increase or decrease the size by just an eighth of an inch increment, providing a great deal of flexibility when designing.

So (now stick with me here), I began with S4-138 Petite Ovals, Large #6. (When counting die numbers, start with the smallest die template and count out to the largest.) This happens to be the largest in the set. If I went to #5 in the set, I would have a 1/4″ decrease. I thought that would crop too much of the photo. So I chose the largest in the coordinating set, S4-140 Petite Ovals, Small #5 which was 1/8″ smaller. It gave me the  perfect size.

And guess what? Since I wanted a 1/8″ mat around the photo, I used the first die template I used, S4-138 Petite Ovals Small, #6, to cut pink cardstock. Boy, these Nestabilities® sure are handy!!

If you want to try your hand at this layout or use it for inspiration for another project, you’ll need the following supplies: W-001 Wizardâ„¢, S4-138 Petite Ovals Large, S4-140 Petite Ovals Small, S7-017 On the Vine Borderabilities® Grand, S4-235 Fancy Tags from Spellbindersâ„¢

along with Chatterbox Fabulous bird rub-on, green patterned ribbon, epoxy sticker; The Paper Company Chocolate Brown, Sable papers; Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday patterned paper; Core’dinations pink cardstock; Creative Impression pink ribbon; SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVE by 3L, 3-D squares, Photo Tape; brown ruched paper, white opaque pen, sewing machine and thread

Now go out and PLAY!! Eli

For most, we are in full swing of “Back to School” mode - the early mornings, the bag lunches and the routine. Here in an empty (and quiet!) house, I was cleaning my closet and found a box of pictures of my boys in their younger years…they were so cute! What happened? They grew up…a little! LOL!

As the theme is ”back to school” today, I am learning something new. I thought I’d try my hand at Karen Taylor’s technique of using the Impressabilities to make a “Back to School” layout of my oldest when he hit first grade. Then add into the mix, my favorite technique of letterpressing.

First I gathered what I needed from my Spellbinders’ stash: I2-1010 Impressabilitiesâ„¢ Pebbles, S4-230 Labels Six die #5 & #6 (#1 being the smallest size) and a retired tag die template.

I had some foam shapes and letters in my sticker binder for awhile so it was a great excuse to use them! After reading how Eli and Beth heated the Impressabilities™ to emboss, I thought what about heating the foam instead?

Before I started my experiment, I had everything for my Wizard™ all set up so I can make that mad dash to the sandwich of (from bottom):

White Master Mat
Favorite Impressability
Foam Shape or Letters
Tan Embossing Mat
White Master Mat

Using my tweezer, I heated the black foam arrow with its white backing intact (I cut the shape from its sticker sheet) and the surface turned into a shiny coat. Quickly I put the heated foam face down, placed the Tan Embossing Mat and White Master Mat on top. Passed the sandwich through the Wizardâ„¢. Repeat the process for the foam letters that spelled out “Back To School.”

After heating all that foam, I used the letterpress technique that I had posted last month by using Clearsnap Queue ink (notice the frame behind the journaling box?). The journaling was written on S4-230 Labels Six die #5 and the letterpressed frame, I used S4-230 Labels Six die #6. For more details on how to letterpress, please refer HERE.

With Cosmo Cricket “Boyfriend” collection (papers, ribbon and rub-ons) and chalking the edges with Clearsnap Fluid Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan, I was able to complete a real fun layout for my first grader of long ago! LOL!

Its back to school time, and this month we’re learning the many uses of Spellbinders’â„¢ Impressabilitiesâ„¢!  Margie kicked us off with her Savvy Saturday.  We hope you decide to go back to school with us,  we have so many things to show you!  Are you subscribed?  Just enter your email in the box where it says “Keep up with this Blog” and you’ll get each post emailed to you.

OK, back to Impressabilities™ School!  While Margie did a straight emboss of a piece of paper on her Savvy Saturday, I wanted to die cut the paper and emboss the I2-1001 Impressabilities™ Paisley, but I wanted to preserve the embossed edge of square die template too. 

First I cut the S4-128 Classic Square, Small #6 die template, using Core’dinations Color Core Cardstock.  Then I placed the I2-1001 Impressabiitiesâ„¢ Paisley on the bottom Master Mat.  Next I placed the die template with the die cut paper still in it on top of the Impressabilitiesâ„¢.  I made sure the die template has the cut side facing up, because I didn’t want to damage the Impressabilitiesâ„¢.  I put the Embossing Pad on top of the die template, then the other Master Mat and fed the sandwich into my Wizardâ„¢.

See the beautiful result!  I embossed the clean lines of the die template as well as the pattern of the Impressabilities™ Paisley.  A little sanding and the paper is georgeous!

For my layout I repeated this 4 times.  I also cut and embossed 5 red squares with S4-126 Classic Squares, Large #6.  I cut/embossed my photos using S4-126 Classic Square, Small #6. Additionally, 2 sets of S4-161 Labels One # 2 & 5 were cut to make frames, then sliced diagonally to make 4 corners.  The book in the center is made from S4-231 Labels Seven # 4 for the pages and # 5 for the cover.

 

I arranged them rather simply on a piece of school themed pattern paper.  And the charming little faces, those are my boys, on the first day of first and second grade, oh so long ago, or at least it seems that way!

Supplies used: Spellbinders™ S4-128 Classic Square, Small # 6; S4-126 Classic Square, Large #6; S4-161 Labels One # 2, 5; S4-231 Labels Seven #3, 4; I2-1001 Impressabilities® Paisley, Coredinations Color Core Cardstock, Black, Blue, Red; Copic, Atyou Spica, Pitch Black; The Paper Company, Homeroom Book Cover paper; Notebook paper; Sandpaper.

Your homework for this lesson is to go to When Creativity Knocks, register (and do the math!), go to the Creativity Forum.  Select Categories, scroll down to the Great Crafter’s Tool Hunt section, select Spellbindersâ„¢ Impressabilitiesâ„¢, and leave a brief message in the forum.  You could win all the tools! And we could win some feature time on their site.  Now go on, do your homework, I’ll be right here if you have any questions!

Beth

Today, I thought I’d bring together what we covered so far (extending Borderabilities® and functional Pendants) and add Letterpress into the mix with a one page layout.

The die templates that I used for the layout are: S5-019 Labels Eight #6 & #5 (#1 being the smallest size), S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circles Small #1, S4-124 Classic Scalloped Circles Large #2, S4-116 Standard Circles Small #3 and S4-218 Lattice Borderabilities® border die.

For those who haven’t read up on these ideas, I have linked the Borderabilities® and the Pendant posts so please click on the highlighted words. What I would like to show is how to letterpress with your Impressabilities.

I am using the I2-1001 Impressabilities™ Paisley. But first with the S5-019 Labels Eight #6, I have cut/embossed a piece of Core’dinations cardstock and for ink, I reached for my Clearsnap Queue ink.

Start with inking the entire Impressabilitiesâ„¢, I put a piece of printer paper underneath so that I don’t ink up my White Master Mat. Then the S5-019 Labels Eight die cut is placed on top. Again to avoid any mess, I place another piece of printer paper. Then the Tan Embossing Pad goes on top and the White Master Mat to finish the sandwich.

This is what you come up with! Easy peasy as a good friend of mine would put it. This piece will serve as a frame for a picture of my niece, Jessica.

To recap, the Letterpress Sandwich (from bottom) is:
White Master Mat
(printer paper)
I2-1001 Impressabilitiesâ„¢ Paisley (ink side up)
S5-019 Labels Eight die cut
(printer paper)
Tan Embossing Pad
White Master Mat

Using Fancy Pants paper, I placed Jessica’s framed picture on top of the S4-218 Lattice Borderabilities® which anchors both framed pictures. I used the functional Pendant (in this case, the S4-205 Eyelets Pendant) idea as a frame. Then I had to use the JustRite Stampers 1 3/16″ round “Tiny Words Set” stamps, they make such great accent pieces. I used the S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circles Small #1 which cuts perfectly and added some embellishments in my scrap stash.

It is easy to do and you really don’t need anything extra - no new equipment, no special tools…just your favorite Impressabilitiesâ„¢ and you’re good to go! I hope you will enjoy this technique as much as I have. I think this is my new favorite technique…well, at least for now!

As Beth extended her borders onto her wonderful notebook project, I am extending it onto my one page layout today.

I am using one of my favorite Borderabilities®, the S4-218 Lattice Borderabilities® #1 die (the border die - the one that cuts/embosses one edge and can be used to make continuous cuts). On this page, I also used several other die templates: S4-190 Labels Four #2, S4-195 Small Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles #4 and S4-160 Nested Birds #1…notice the W-027 Die Carry Case? I am so happy that these will be available SOON! I definitely need many of them!!

Using a 12″ x 1 1/2″ strip of Core’dinations cardstock, take a piece of household tape (took off some of the adhesive by tapping it on my jeans - very technical! LOL!) and tape the border die cut side down onto the strip. The tape should be on the non-cut/embossing edge of the die (please refer to the picture).

We start by cutting the border first. The cut sandwich (from bottom):
White Master Mat
Magnetic Spacer Plate
S4-218 Lattice Borderabilities® Border (cut side UP)
Cardstock
White Master Mat

After cutting, we will emboss using the following sandwich (from bottom):
White Master Mat
Embossing Mat
Cardstock
S4-218 Lattice Borderabilities® Border (cut side DOWN)
White Master Mat

Carefully remove the tape and set aside…we will be using it again. Take the die and poke out all the paper bits that are left in the die by using a toothpick or paper piercer. To continue to cut the border, shift the die over to the next section of the strip to be cut.

Line up the die like the first run and repeat the cut/emboss process again. Note: when embossing, make sure not to overlap the Tan Embossing Pad onto the embossed area from your first cut or it will flatten out. Trim any excess. Since I was going to bulk up with embellishments at the end of the border, I did not cut an entire 12″ border and left an inch of empty space underneath the embellishments.

Using Cosmo Cricket, I made a page about the boys’ first experience with Shabu Shabu. It is a traditional Japanese dish where each person swishes a slice to thinly slice meat into a boiling pot of dashi soup (the name, Shabu Shabu, came from this swishing action) - takes seconds to cook. YUMMY! OK…back to what I was doing!

I inked the edges of the papers, accents and border with Clearsnap ink. Adhered all the papers and pictures onto the layout. Placed pearls on the border and adhered the border to the bottom of the layout. I cut all the Spellbinders die templates: S4-190 Labels Four #2 (journal spot), S4-195 Small Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles #4 (frame for the flower accent) and S4-160 Nested Birds #1 (cut with felt as an embellishment). Then added some embellishments from my huge pile in my scrapbook area and..Tada! Another page of good (eating) memories done!

MargieH

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

When I read Beth’s Savvy Saturday post on embossing…well, you know I had to play with foil and not just any foil! I love the colors that Spellbindersâ„¢ offers in their Premium Craft Foil products. So time to play with the Wizardâ„¢ and emboss some foil!

Today, I am using F-003 Blue Premium Craft Foil and some metal words - I know some of you have these metal word embellishments around. You can use them over and over again when you emboss them. It’s a great way to accent your layouts, cards or mixed media projects. The best part, it saves you money!

Since this is graduation season, we had two in our household! I created a layout celebrating my youngest’s sixth grade ceremony. The words I had fit the occasion so I embossed them with the Blue Premium Craft Foil (blue is their school color) and then sanded them to show more detail. I cut/embossed fonts in foil because I love the look! Then I added the S7-013 Heirloom Scroll Borderabilities® Grand Die Template to accent the bottom and give weight to the layout. Using pattern paper from My Mind’s Eye 29th Market Collection and cardstock from Core’dinations ColorCore Line, I edged the papers with Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Chestnut Roan. Everything seemed to come together to make a memorable layout for graduation!

Happy embossing and for those of you who are graduating this year…Happy Graduation and Congratulations!!

MargieH

Wow, great ideas, Margie!  That was just the help I needed to finish this layout of my son’s first 5K race this past weekend.

I gathered my supplies and got busy.  Included are my Spellbinders’ Die Templates: S5-015 Large Deckled Mega Rectangle #5, S3-149 Double Ended Tags #3, and S7-013 Heirloom Scroll Borderabilities Grand,  as well as JustRite Stampers’ Harmony Rectangle Stamper Set and Times New Roman 50pt Font, Core’dinations Core Color and Whitewash Cardstock, My Mind’s Eye’s Free Bird “My Friend” Bonded paper,  Creative Impressions brads, Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink, some plastic netting, sandpaper, and a variety of fonts and sticker numbers.  Yes, I used Spellbinder’s fonts that are no longer available, but I justify it this way: you probably have some kind of font dies, or letter stickers or chipboard that will do exactly the same thing.  Let me show you!

First I cut/embossed the Core’dinations Whitewash cardstock with the S5-015 Large Deckled Mega Rectangle.  Then I cut the numbers and letters I needed from the fonts.  I stuck the fonts and stickers on a piece of scrap paper, then embossed that sheet into the Large Deckled Mega Rectangle die cut.  See, it doesn’t matter what color they are, and the more variety the better!

I sanded the raised areas to reveal the colored core of the paper.

Next I embossed the plastic netting just like Margie did here. The results differ depending on which side of the Core’dinations paper you choose to sand. The Whitewash shows a subtle diamond pattern, and the Core Color appears as dots. That’s 2 textures from 1 item!

I cut/embossed the S7-013 Heirloom Scroll Borderabilities Grand and the largest of the S3-149 Double Ended Tags set and sanded the embossed areas.  I spelled out and stamped the words with JustRite Stampers Harmony Rectangle Stamper Set and Times New Roman 50pt Font and Clearsnap Colorbox Charcoal Fluid Chalk ink.

I assembled the layout on the My Mind’s Eye Free Bird “My Friend” Bonded Paper.   I sanded and crumpled the edges a little bit.

Keep on embossing!
Beth