I’m a pile maker.  I pile stuff here, pile it there.  I have piles of paperwork and lists, and I know exactly what things are in which piles.  In my ongoing effort to reduce clutter in my home I decided to start using a system to keep my lists, time logs and other major and minor notes that control my existence.  I need a notebook.  A pretty one, that I can take with me or leave out on the counter, one that my kids won’t mistake as their homework.  While doing some back to school shopping (Yippee!) I grabbed a notebook for my own use.

I can’t let it sit there all yellow and boring!  I promised to show you how to use the Borderabilities® on projects longer than 5.5″.  Lets get to work!

I started with these dies, the S4-207 Kaleidoscope Pendant, S4-216 Kaleidoscope Borderabilities®, S4-185 Large Octagons, and S4-235 Fancy Tags. I used patterned paper, a brad and a chipboard letter courtesy of 7gypsies, black pigment ink from Clearsnap Colorbox, and clear decoupage finish adhesive.

To cut the Borderabilities® I started with a strip of patterned paper 12×2″.  Using regular household tape (that I stuck to my t-shirt to make it less tacky) I taped the S4-216 Kaleidoscope Borderabilities® with the cut edge facing the patterned side of the paper.  I made sure to line up the die template straight at the end and the long edge.

I placed the die template on the Magnetic Spacer Plate with the cut edge up, and cut/embossed in my Wizardâ„¢ Die Cutting and Embossing System.

The first half of the paper strip is done.  With an ink applicator, I applied Clearsnap Colorbox Black Pigment ink through the holes in the die template.

I carefully removed the tape.

I poked the paper bits out of the die before attaching it to the paper strip for the second round.

I lined up the die to the long edge of the paper as before, and made sure it was right on the spot where it stopped cutting on the first run.  The repeating design of the Borderabilites® allows you to continue the cutting pattern over and over.

I cut/embossed again in my Wizardâ„¢. When embossing, I only covered the paper that was in the die. If I placed the Tan Embossing Pad on the previously embossed areas, I could have flattened them out.

Then I inked through the die on this section. (Note to self: Do not look away at teenagers asking for money or rides to friends houses while inking.)  While directing concentration away from my project, I accidentally inked over the end of the die and onto the paper. In order to “cover” my mistake, I added additional ink over the top of the whole strip.

I cut/embossed the S4-185 Large Octagon, S4-207 Kaleidoscope Pendant and Center, and one of the S4-235 Fancy Tags.

I used a paintbrush to apply decoupage finish to the top of the notebook and the back and front of the paper. I carefully worked out air bubbles, and allowed it to dry. I added a brad to the Kaleidoscope Pendant and Octagon and adhered the set to the notebook, as well as the Fancy Tag with the matching chipboard letter. Allow more time to dry. To finish the edges I sanded the paper to fit and added one more layer of decoupage finish.

Oops, you can see where the glue isn’t all the way dry, silly me for picking a rainy day to work with decoupage!  What will you extend your borders on?

Happy Saturday!

Beth

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.

We can’t believe it’s already time to award the die templates to the winner of Day 10. Time flies when you are having fun. Yes, we are having fun and hope you are too. We are so glad that our visitors continue to enter in numbers over 2,000. So, let’s get to it and see what is being given away today:

Our winner today, comes to us through Random.com’s choice of number:

Here are your random numbers:
914
Timestamp: 2009-01-17 04:19:41 UTC

From that number, we contacted our new friend:

Georgette of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

Who Said:

Wow. It doesn’t get much better than that (Well, at least only for a few more days.) Thanks again to everyone who is joining us for our Fifth Anniversary Celebration. Good luck over the last few days of contests.

It’s almost too much to continue, but we are eating our protein so we can make it through all this giving out our new die templates. Now, let’s get another look at the new die template that was added to the mix:

Large Octagons, #S4-185 and Large Scalloped Octagons, #S4-187

The 48 hours of Becca’s contest gave us nearly 2,200 entrants and the little program over at Random.org gave us this:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1930

Timestamp: 2009-01-13 01:29:20 UTC

So we present to you our Day 6 winner:

Bobbie of Hampton, Georgia

Once she found her e-mail, she replied

Bobbie, we’re so glad you will enjoy your Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates and have a chance to share with friends.

Thanks to all of you who continue to play. If you haven’t won yet, keep trying because every day is getting better and better.