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

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.

WOW! I just took a peek at the Inspiration Alley Gallery where all the Pendant entries are posted from our Pendant Project Contest. Crafters, you all have outdone yourselves! Congratulations and thank you for all the inspiration!

Setting aside all those images of beauty, I would like to take these Pendants to a different level. Rather than accenting with our Pendants, how about making them a functional piece in our projects?

Let me show you what I mean with a gatefold card. First, we will be using these die templates: S4-210 Lattice Pendant (& center), S4-161 Labels One #5 (#1 being the smallest die), S4-114 Standard Circle Large #2 and S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circles Small #1

Using Core’dinations cardstock in various colors, I cut/embossed all the die templates. Note: I stamped an image from JustRite Stampers before cutting/embossing the S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circle Small #1 and then I adhered the S4-114 Standard Circle Large #2 to frame it. With the S4-210 Lattice Pendant and its center, I sanded them to enhance the embossing.

On a 9″x5″ piece of Fancy Pants pattern paper, I scored 2 1/4″ on each side to form a gatefold card and edged with Clearsnap Queue ink. Using wet adhesive, I adhered the left half of the S4-210 Lattice Pendant onto the left card flap. Let dry. With its center piece, I closed the card and adhered the right half of the piece on the right flap - place it in the middle of the Pendant so that it is in the correct position.

After adding Hero Arts Gems onto the S4-210 Lattice Pendant, I adhered the stamped image with Scrapbook Adhesives’ foam tape on top of the pendant center piece. Inside the card, I edged with Clearsnap Queue ink and adhered the S4-161 Labels One #5. I finished off the inside by adding a small flower with a gem on the corner and done!

Now what function is the S4-210 Lattice Pendant serving? It is a latch for the gatefold card! There are a lot of other functions that a Pendant can be…a journal spot, a frame, a basket, an ornament and I’m sure there’s more! But the most clever idea comes from our Design Team Member Jennifer Davis. If you were here for the Pendant Blog Frenzy then you know what I’m talking about. This is Jennifer’s clever creation…

The function? A pop-up card! For more information on this project, please visit her blog. There is a video for us visual types. I hope you try it and let us know how it turned out! Many thanks to Jennifer for letting me share this clever idea!

Have a great Saturday!
MargieH

Design Team Member Kazan Clark created some amazing cards with the S4-234 Ribbon Tag Trio 2 set and did you notice the S4-208 In Spades Pendant die too - WOW! Can’t get enough of this new reveal? Karen Hunsaker’s blog has another sample of what you can do

A continued reminder for those who are entering our Frenzy contest - you have until July 13th (11:59PM EST) to send in your email. The link is in Kazan’s blog!

Today on Day Five, we will be peeking into Design Team Member Linda Duke’s blog to see what she created with S4-219 Nested Poinsettia and I2-1006 Impressabilities® Floral and Stone.

As long as Linda can remember, she has always been interested in art. Her father was a very talented artist and would spend hours watching him draw. She always had paper and pencil in hand, and tried to emulate his drawings. In high school, Linda took every art classes she could and continued to take art courses in college. Thanks to those classes, she is able to learn to work with all kinds of medium. Linda’s “go to” Spellbindersâ„¢ dies are the Nestabilities® as they are perfect for card making and stamping.

Here we are sharing one of Linda’s beautiful art pieces…looks so real!

What a great home decor idea that Karen Hunsaker did by using S4-229 Labels Five set - thank you! A reminder for those who are entering our Frenzy contest, you have until July 12th (11:59PM EST) to send your email…the link is in Karen’s blog.

As we approach Day Four, we will be visiting Design Team Member Kazan Clark who will be revealing S4-234 Ribbon Tag Trio 2 set.

Get to know Kazan as we posed a few questions her way!

Do you have a scrap room or a scrap area?
I am lucky to have a scrap room that is part of our walkout basement. I do share it with our girls who have a craft table there but 99.9% of the area is mine! To top it off, we have a big screen TV and large sliding doors that lead out into the garden. The shelves on the walls keep my goodies organized and within easy reach. During the summer, I can watch the girls play outside and in the winter, the snow is equally inspiring.

Are you a messy crafter or an organized crafter?
Both! When I create, my desk is filled with everything from papers to embellishments plus the tools I need to work with. After each project, I clean my desk by packing away everything in the right containers and then start from scratch. All my products are organized into baskets and containers so I know where to find something when I need it.

Are you an altered arts, scrapbook or card kinda gal?
Cards come first, then scrapbooking and finally, altered arts. I do enjoy working on all three immensely especially if I am inspired with a project. So the order of that list can change depending on what I am working on.

Who is your favorite promotional partner?
Hmmm..I especially love My Mind’s Eye and Cosmo Cricket for their pattern papers. Everyone loves Core’dinations cardstock - it is amazing to work with. Clearsnap’s ink is so smooth and delicious…then there are those amazing JustRite Stampers too! And lately, I’ve been into vintage so Crafty Secrets products have been top on my list! Oh, boy! Did I just name almost all of them?!

Favorite music or TV programs while creating?
I have so little time to watch TV so I usually put on a news channel like CNN and have that playing in the background. I am a bit of a news/political junky so I get the best of both worlds: News & Crafting! If the girls are crafting with me, it is Angelina Ballerina or a Princess Barbie DVD.

Here are some of Kazan’s works of art!

I made this card in anticipation of Fathers Day, which is, by the way June 21 - no panic, its not tomorrow!  My dad is a hands on, fix it even if its not broken kind of guy. I think he’ll appreciate this one.

I have a little collection of odds and ends which includes, but is not limited to punchinella ribbon, textured ribbon, window screen and wire mesh.  While all of these items will emboss into paper, I want to show you how wonderfully these emboss into Spellbinders Premium Craft Foil.

First I grabbed a few things, including my Wizard, S4-130 Classic Rectangle Small #s 2 & 3, and S4-162 Labels Two #s 2 & 3, Premium Craft Foil in blue, Core’dinations Color Core Cardstock, Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink and my treasures for embossing.  I also used a font cut from of chipboard.  You can use any font or sticker you might have.

I cut/embossed 4 rectangles of the black Core’dinations cardstock with the S4-130 Classic Rectangle Small #3 die template.  I sanded the embossed edges to show the gray core.  Then I cut 4 the S4-130 Classic Rectangle Small #2 from Spellbinders Premium Craft Foil.  I cut 2 with the silver side up, and 2 with the blue side up.  I embossed each foil square with a different treasure, I mean texture.

I placed a sheet of scratch paper on my Master Mat, to act as a clean flat surface (so existing cut lines didn’t emboss into the foil), placed the texture next, then the die template with cut side up, and then the foil die cut right back into the die template, with the “front” side facing the texture.  Cover with the Tan Embossing Pad and pass through the Wizard.  Sand the blue foil for more contrast.

For the center piece, I cut/embossed the S4-162 Labels Two #3 with the same Core’dinations cardstock.  I cut the smaller label with Spellbinders Premium Craft Foil.  To emboss the word “Dad” into the die cut, I arranged my letters in reverse on the mat as shown below.  I carefully aligned the metal die cut back into the die template and passed the sandwich through my Wizard.

I assembled the rectangles and labels onto a white cardstock card and ran a Charcoal colored Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Pad along the edges.

Just remember, if you borrow some of dad’s treasures, put them back!
Beth

I’d like to cover an oldie but goody - paper piecing. It’s like punch art but only bigger and we get to create with Spellbindersâ„¢’ die templates!

Today, Design Team Member Christy Farneth-Kerr shares her layout showing her beautiful girls in their cute outfits. Notice the poodle on their shirts?! This was Christy’s inspiration for her poodle paper piecing - isn’t it just darling!

She used S4-113 Classic Scalloped Ovals, Small (I see six of them on this poodle!) and to finish off the layout, she added S7-012 Flower Whimsy Borderabilities® Grand, S4-081 Tags 5 and S4-072 Flower Creations. Sparkled embellishments on her borders are Robin’s Nest Dew Drops, along with some touches of Clearsnap Colorbox black pigment ink.

Another great idea for using our die templates is how Design Team Member Kimberly Crawford did when making her strawberry motif for her card and box duo! So cute and who wouldn’t want to have this thoughtful gift!

She used three different dies for her strawberries! Kimberly started with two different sizes of the S4-140 Petite Ovals, Small and top it off with S4-072 Flower Creations die template. To pull off the rest of the project, she included My Mind’s Eye Penny Lane Collection, Taylored Expressions “A Year of Sweetly Stamped Sentiments”, Hero Arts “Four Leaf Grid”, Clearsnap Inks & Chalks, some buttons, twine and cardstock.

Will you be putting some pieces together of your own?
Share with us…we would love to see them!

MargieH

Octagon! STOP!!

Sometimes I have a hard time getting the image of a stop sign out of my head when I look at my Octagon die templates: plain or scalloped shapes. Well, I discovered a fun embossing technique that moves beyond this 8-sided icon and I wanted to share it with you.

First, snag your Wizard and gather up some Core’dinations cardstock (or other white or colored core paper). Add to that a set of Large Octagons, Blossom and Pinking Pierceability die templates and some embellishments. Make sure you have the Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat because this card is built on the idea that embossing can be a feature of a project.

Start by laying down your White master mat, adding the Tan Embossing Mat and paper (I used pink for the flower.) Arrange the Octagons die templates (I did not use the largest in the series) with the cut edges facing the paper, with the points slightly askew as shown below.

Add the other white master mat and run through the Wizard to emboss. If you don’t have a Wizard, remember you can check out these vids on our main site. They’ll show you how to emboss in other machines.

Next, give the paper a nice sanding and see the core color pop. Use a Blossom die template to cut the outer shape of the die.

Cut a piece of green cardstock using the Pinking Pierceabilities die template.

To emboss some “mod” shapes into the grass strip, set up the sandwich to emboss only as before: White Mat, Tan Embossing Mat, cardstock, Octagon die templates cut edges facing paper, White Mat. Arrange the octagons for a funky pattern. Run through and sand.

Now, just assemble. I adhered the grass strip with dimensional adhesive and put one dimensional piece at the center of the flower as it has a natural curve.

Add rub-ons, some inking and a ribbon stem and Tadaaa–a funky use for Octagons…that never make you think Stop Sign.

Taking some inspiration from Beth’s darling Baby Boy card from Savvy Saturday, I thought I would create something for another thing happening a lot right now: Graduations! So get out your Inverted Scalloped Square and your straight edge Classic Square die templates.

Supplies:

The Wizard
Square Nestabilitiesâ„¢ (S4-128 #7, counting #1 as the center)
Inverted Scalloped Square Nestabilitiesâ„¢ (S4-196, #4)
Black, red and yellow cardstocks (Core’dinations)
Glue Dots
Red ball chain and fine gauge wire
Large brad and star clips (Creative Impressions)
Rub-on Sentiment
Quick drying liquid glue

Instructions

1. Cut the card base from black cardstock 12×5″ and fold in half for a 6×5″ card.
2. Open the card base and place the magnetic spacer plate inside with the black side facing up.
3. Place the Square Nestabilitiesâ„¢ die template onto the magnetic surface with the cut ridges up.
4. Lay the cardstock/spacer plate onto the white mater mat and add the other master mat on top.
5. Run through the Wizard
6. Open the sandwich and keep the inner square.
7. Using yellow cardstock (I used a piece from a mat stacks at 4½x6½” from Core’dinations) cut the Inverted Scalloped Square Nestabilitiesâ„¢ die template. Do not emboss.
8. Trim around the outside of the inverted square, giving about a 1″ border around the scalloped edge. Adhere it to the underside of the square window you cut in the card base.
9. Cut a piece of black cardstock 1¼x4½”. Score at ½”, 1¼”, 2′, 2¾”
10. Fold all scores inward, making a square C shape.
11. With Glue Dots on the ends (that are facing in) adhere the black strip to the black square on the diagonal.
12. Create a tassle from red ball chain by cutting four pieces approximately 1″ long. Hold the four together using a fine gauge red wire.
13. Twist the wire ends together and create a loop in the end. Slide it onto a star clip.
14. Add a large brad to the square and add quick drying liquid glue on top of the brad. Add the star clip/tassel to the top.
15. Trim the red cardstock mat to 4½x5¾” and add to the inside of the card base.
16. Open the card and adhere the graduation cap  where it will show in the card window.
17. Gently push the card to the right so that it lies flat. The tassel should still show through the inverted scalloped window.
18. Add a sentiment and send it off.

Here’s one more look at the card, but this time, let’s show you how it actually pops up.

Have a great week! Eli

For the past month, Spellbindersâ„¢ has been hosting a creative party for a bunch of very enthusiastic crafters at Splitcoaststampers.com. Designers were asked to use Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates and submit projects in three categories: cards, layouts and altered items.

What a fabulous response we had. All toll, over 170 projects were submitted. Today we are here to announce the winning entries (via random.org) from each category. Designers were added to the list, one time for each category they entered.

So, without further ado:

Card Category Winner is Pammyjo who submitted this card.

Layout Category Winner is buzsy who submitted this layout

Altered Item Category Winner is vdutchr who submitted this altered item

Each of the above crafters will receive $50 in Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates. If you are Pammyjo, Buzsy or Vdutchr, please send an e-mail to spellbinderseditor@yahoo.com.

Thanks to all who participated and filled the Splitcoaststampers gallery with some amazing projects featuring Spellbinders’ projects.

Until next time, Ciao! Eli