Here we are on the brink of Mothers Day and I get to share with you some projects made with Mom in mind,  by our fabulous 2009 Design Team.

To start us off, Karen Hunsaker made this candle and card with S4-163 Daisy Borderability Petite. We saw this the other day, but it’s worth a second look. I love that the envelope flap is embossed, and the edge of the card is cut and embossed, as well as the wrap for the candle.

Debbie Seyer’s card unfolds to 4 panels for Mom and she’s sure to cherish it. Debbie cut and embossed S4-111 Classic Scallop Ovals Large, S4-145 Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Small, S4-138 Petite Ovals Large, S4-169 Labels Small, S4-072 Flower Creations, S4-124 Classic Scalloped Circles Large, and S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circles Small to make this gorgeous tribute to her Mom.

Karen Taylor’s scrapbook layout was made for her daughter. I love how she combined S4-072 Flower Creations, S4-109 Flower Creations 3, and the S7-014 Grand 12″ Classic Lace Border.

Kimberly Crawford’s floral card celebrates Spring, surely that’s Mom’s favorite season.  Kimberly combined S3-147 Labels Trio, S4-114 Standard Circle Large, and S4-124 Classic Scalloped Circles Large.

Julie Overby will score seconds of dessert with this adorable card! S4-190 Labels Four is so versatile, and S4-072 Flower Creations work so well with S4-198 Flourish Accents.

Kazan Clark’s Mum will be thrilled to get this card, here is Kazan’s interpretation of S4- Labels Four.

Designer Linda Duke shares this keepsake box just for mom’s treasures. Linda’s works her magic with the S4-159 Nested Flowers, S4-157 Sunflower Set One (for the leaves), S4-125 Classic Scalloped Ovals Small.

Linda’s mini book is something Mom will treasure. When assembled, Mom has a beautiful tribute to her patience, love and dedication.   S4-072 Flower Creations, S3-004 Symbology, S3-033 Cameo and Brooch, S4-142 Long Classic Rectangles Large,  S4-131 Classic Scalloped Rectangle Small, S4-116 Standard Circles Small, S4-125 Classic Scalloped Circle Small.

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Everyone at Spellbinders’ Paper Arts wishes you, your Mom, and those that are like a Mother to you a Happy Mothers Day.  We love you, Mom!

Beth

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

Today’s Savvy Saturday features the recipe for my cake. A good mom lets you lick the beaters, a great mom turns off the mixer first. That one always cracks me up.  Anyway, on to the cake:

I started with a set of round boxes from Darice. I tossed aside the lids; I decided not to use them. I painted the set, sides and bottom, with white acrylic paint, then covered that with Pearl Ranger Paint Dabber, with a brush not the dabber tip.

Layered Flower Creations

To make the flowers, I used cardstock from WorldWin: Deep, Dark, Medium and Light Lovely Lilac ColorMates. I used the Flower Creations, Flower Creations 2 and Flower Creations 3 Die Templates. I cut and embossed each Die Template from the four colors of cardtsock.  For the Flower Creations 3 Die Template, I separated out each die and set them on the new Magnetic Spacer Plate.

When all the flowers were cut and embossed, I airbrushed them with a few Copic Marker colors (some smooth color, some splattered color).  I used newspaper to protect the table and repositionable adhesive to keep the flowers in place. I wiped on some white Glimmer Chalk from Craf-T Products to add sheen to the flower petals.  I added detail to the center of the smaller flowers with a Lavender Atyou Spica pen.

I assembled the flowers, each different, with a long brad. If you feel the flowers are looking a little flat against the cake, curl the petals up or down, to give them a little bulk, or add some dimensional adhesive dots between the flower layers. It’s all very subtle but it makes a difference once the cake is assembled.

Die Template sets used.

To make the frosting swags, I assembled 3 sets of ovals, mixing and matching from the
Clasic Ovals, plain and scalloped.  I needed 3 of each size, so I taped them to a piece of scrap paper. The tape keeps them in place and I won’t have to realign them once I get the inside die template centered. Then I can cut and emboss as many as I need, all the same.  I used the Medium Lovely Lilac paper.  The ovals were then cut in half, the long way.

Nested half circles

Each strip of paper for the ribbon on the bottoms of the cake layers was embossed in the Wizard using a Fiskars Texture Plate and the blue mat from the Charm Embossing Kit.

Add texture to the cake ribbons

On the ribbon and swags, I rubbed White Sparkle Luster Rub-ons from Craf-T Products.  It added some extra highlight to the embossed areas.

Give Beth three "tiers" for this amazing cake!

We’re working with the boxes turned upside down, so the bottom of the box becomes the top.  I glued the embossed ribbon to the bottom edge of each layer.  I secured the swag ends with a brad, using a Japanese hole punch to make a small hole through the paper and box.  I punched more small holes in each layer for the flowers on the sides and secured the brads from the inside.  The flowers on the top are attached to a small triangle of paper.

Cake topper brilliance

As suggested in the comments the other day, the cake can be made for any occasion, with any shaped box. What’s the best part?  No dirty dishes! I’d love to see your creations, give us a link in the comments!  And don’t forget to rate the blog entries by clicking on the stars below.

Thanks for cookin’ up some fun with me, Beth!!!

A cake with no callories

Hey, we got some help from our Techies and we think this will work…

Hey all my paper crafting friends! It’s a party!!!

Welcome to Spellbinders™ Blog. We are so excited to be with you starting today. It has been a long time in the making and we couldn’t be more thrilled…Oh, by the way, I’m Stacey Caron, President of Spellbinders™ Paper Arts and Co-creator of the Wizard™ Embossing and Die Cutting System.

We have so many great things in store for you that we can barely stay quiet about but I know we can’t give all our secrets away on the first day. But let me tell you about our blog: Our blogging babes are Eli Harlan, and Beth Pingry. They are great women with tons of knowledge about the Wizard and all our Die Templates. You’ll learn a lot from them.

One of the exciting features we’ll be having is Spellbinders’ Savvy Saturdays. Beth and Eli will be bringing you some fantastic techniques for the Wizard. I can’t wait to see all that they create. We’ll also have prizes, challenges, special guests and all kinds of things to offer. Like I said, I am thrilled.

To get things going we are going to offer some Blog Candy. [It’s a Template Mystery] All you need to do is offer a comment about your favorite Die Template in the comment box below and on Tuesday, we’ll be picking a winner. Make sure you leave your e-mail address so we can contact you when you win…   :-p

Come back “early and often”. Cheers and happy creating, Stacey.