Summer Reigns!

At the risk of sounding repeatative, please excuse the implied pun in the title! Not exactly a scorcher so far is it? It's pretty hard to embrace all things 'Summer' when there's a river running through your living room, but we are British, so we must keep calm and carry on as the saying goes.

Don't dispair, let the good people at Sizzix bring a little sunshine into your lives with our upcoming 'Summer Challenge' where all the Sizzix bloggers compete in a number of different catagories, a kind of crafting Olympics if you will.

While making one of my projects, I decided on the Decorative Strip alphabet die -Inside Out by Tim Holtz (657827) to add text.

Here is a novel way of using Sizzlit alphabets to great effect. First, I cut the letters required from craft foam and attached them with spray glue to clear ceramic stamp block. Next, instead of using inks I stamped onto the chipboard with white acrylic paint before mounting onto the card. Pretty cool effect I think!

I'm off to demonstrate all thing Sizzix at the Craft Barn this weekend, it sounds like a fabulous event, I can't wait to see all the great work on display and pick up a few tips along the way, My good friend Paula will also be there which is another reason to look forward to it!

 

So many fabrics, so little time

Hello again - I am surrounded by piles of fabrics and am wondering what to make - most of the pieces are half metres, although some are fat quarters, and a few are metre lengths. 

Selection 1 from  Athill range -Cabbages and Roses from Moda

Selection 2 Wordplay by Michele D'Amore from Bernartex.

Selection 3 Heirloom by Joel Dewberry from Free Spirit (these are all long quarters)

Selection 4 Harlequin  from Fabric Freedom

 So any suggestions for some quick/unusual patchwork makes?  You can tweet ideas to us @sizzix_uk, and I'll try to make some of the suggestions - I may not be able to make all of them, but it will be fun to see what you all come up with.
Have fun.
Angela

Hello !

A new layout for you today, full of gentleness, with pastel colours for my friend and his son 

I used two new dies on it!

I already used the "Washer border" die in previous creations. I also used the „Birds on a wire“ die which I totally love!

With this kind of die cuts, I knew that my creation will be full of gentleness…so I selected a black&white picture of a father and his son, a really tender picture 

Here are the dies I used on my lay-out "Sweet memory"

-657791 Birds on a wire 

-657826 washer border 

I built a simple layout with the same colors all along: white, seagreen, grey and beige.

I used the Sizzix dies as accents. I used the border with the scooped-out circles in its full length. Other elements will be glued on top of it.

I chose to add the birds on the wire at the end to make them stand out. You can also ink the edges of the die with Distress or Adirondack ink, or you can outline it with a thin-tipped pen.

I was unable to resist this die ! I find it perfect for romantic lay-outs, wedding invitations, birth announcement…what do you think ?

Have a nice day,

See you soon !

Karine

Supply list :

Papers : 4heures37

White Cardstock: American Crafts

Alphabets : October Afternoon

Wooden hearts : Studio Calico

Stickers: Jenni Bowlin

Scooped-out tag : Pause Créative

Strass : Hero Arts

Others : Washi tape, tags

Hello !

Une nouvelle page ce jour, très douce aux couleurs pastels pour mon ami et son fils :)

J'ai utilisé ici deux nouveaux dies !

Le die "Washer border" déjà utilisé plusieurs fois dans mes créations, et le die "Birds on a wire" sur lequel j'avais vraiment flashé !

Je savais que la page qui irait avec ce dernier serait forcément douce...J'ai pour l'occasion sélectionné une photo en noir et blanc tendre d'un papa et son fiston :)

Voici les dies utilisés sur ma page "Sweet memory"

-657791 Birds on a wire 

-657826 washer border  

J'ai construis ma page tout simplement en prenant bien soin de rester dans les tons : blanc, vert d'eau, gris et beige.

Les dies Sizzix interviennent en décoration. La bordure avec les ronds évidés est envisagée dans toute sa longeur, d'autres éléments seront ensuite collés par dessus.

Les oiseaux sur leur fil sont ajoutés à la fin, pour être bien certaine de leur accorder une place de premier choix. Si vous souhaitez bien les faire ressortir, vous pouvez également les ombrer légèrement avec une encre type Distress ou Adirondack ou encore repasser leur contour avec un stylo fin.

Un die sur lequel je craque complètement, et que je trouve juste idéal pour des pages romantiques, des faires part de mariage, naissance...Qu'en pensez-vous ?

Très bonne journée à vous,

A très vite,

Karine

Matériel :

Papiers : 4heures37

Cardstock blanc : American Crafts

Alphabets : October Afternoon

Coeurs en bois : Studio Calico

Autocollants : Jenni Bowlin

Tag évidé : Pause Créative

Strass : Hero Arts

Divers : Washi tape, tags

Demos!

The last couple of weeks have been specially busy here at Sizzix UK, we are working on so many different things all of them very exciting.
One of them is that both Pete and I have demos this week. We both love demonstrating, meeting all of you, answering questions about die cutting and hopefully sharing some inspiration.

I am going to be demonstrating at Crafting (at their premises in Chesterfield) on Friday 29th of June. I will be using the latest Texture Impressions folders, Texture Boutique and of course some die cutting using the framelits. I am hoping to share some of the embossing folder techniques like the one above and bellow.

Pete is going to be demonstrating this Saturday and Sunday (30th of June and 1st of July) at The Craft Barn (Lingfield, Surrey) yearly event, Extravaganza. As I am local I am hoping to pop in on Saturday as for the last few years I have been there working I can not wait to be attending as a customer. The extravaganza event is a great event with so many demonstrators that you sure not want to miss it.

Sizzlits are perfect for your handmade backgrounds!

Sizzlits are great when you want to create your own background : their big sizes and the very details cutouts make your background look so pretty!


For this layout, I used the Baroque Ornament Sizzlits die and ran it through my Big Shot.

I cut it three times into a white card stock paper.

Then I spread a thin layer of GESSO and glued the die cuts into the medium. I added a new thin layer of gesso on top of the baroque ornament die cuts.

Let it dry or, if you're as patient as I am, use your heat gun.

Once it's dry, you can add a thin layer of water then use your mists to add a tiny bit of color.

Embellish as you like! :)

Supplies


Papers (White cardstock); Dies (Baroque Ornament - #657735); Die Cut Machine ( a Big shot - #655268); Embellishments (MME, American Crafts, October Afternoon, Studio Calico); Mists (Studio Calico).


Céline

Wedding: Books for the Church

Hi everyone!
How are you? It's very hot here and I am super busy with my friend's wedding :)
Today I want to show you another lovely thing! We have finally finished  120 favors ... My GoD! And now we are making 45 books for the Church :)

Here the idea:

It's very simple but so elegant don't you find?

Materials you need:

• Big shot Machine (item code 657000)
• Decorative Strip-Flower Garden w scallop (item code 657708)
• Bazzill white card stock
• bazzill turquoise cardstock
• brown ink
• sewing machine
• stamps you love
• organza

How to make it:

1. Cut a stripe of white card stock of 30,5 cm by 22 cm and fold it in half
2. sew in the center of the book
3. Add a scalloped stripe of turquoise paper on the right side of the front cover
4. Add the decorative strip border cutting it on a stripe of turquoise paper of 5cm by 22 cm
5. add stamps and organza

It's very simple, easy and quick to do when you a have a lot of them to do!!!LOL

Have a lovely monday and I'll show you other sweet things made for this wedding:)

Love, Lory

Mixed media with Sizzix Luxurious Line

Hi there, it's mixed-media time again!
I found out that Sizzix cut-outs are a great inpsiration for creating more and more exciting mixed-media backgrounds and textures. I love the effects I can get using layers of paint, gesso, paper and wonderful little cut-out elements. Luxurious Collection is full of breathtaking ornaments, decorative motives and beautiful details...it brings to my mind the patterns that were on the old expensive tapestries. What can be more inspiraing for a journal page?


I started my creative adventure with 2 dies: 657745 - Sizzix Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die - Filigree Border and 657737 - Sizzix Sizzlits Die - Ornamental Crest. They are just taken straight from a fairy tale! 
First, I cut out the elements from Prima papers - Fairy Belle Collection (I love the quality of the paper of Prima) and painted the background with gesso.

My next step was sticking the elements, torn into smaller pieces on the background. I used a lot of heavy gel medium to create the texture!

When the gel was still wet I added some beads and other little elements in matching colors. I dried the project with heating tool and placed my photo and text.

Finally - I panted the whole project using shimmering sprays and dried the project again. Thanks to the transparency of gel, the beautiful patterns on the paper cut-outs are still visible!

I hope you liked my idea and you'll make your fingers dirty playing a bit with paint and gesso!
Have fun!
xoxo
Finn

Midsummer's day - time to finish the project!

So it's midsummers day, the longest day of the year, and the weather still is somewhat disappointing. The only thing to do - is keep smiling and finish another project.
So here is the last block about the cushion - although I am tempted to make some more blocks and have a summer tablecloth.
Continuing from last week - lay the strips out and then join according to the photo below

I made the cushion back with 2 pieces of white fabric double hemmed and finished with buttons and buttonholes.

Pin the back to the front with wrong sides together, and machine stitch the binding to the cover, and slipstitch it in place on the back.

As promised here are a couple of photos of my sewing room - obviously tidied, and although I may need to re-arrange it, it is my own special space at last.

Enjoy the long evenings and keep sewing.

"Hello Welcome to my world" Layout

Hiya Sizzix fans !

Today I will show you a very colourful and textured lay-out that I really like "Hello, Welcome to my World"

Here are the two Sizzix dies I used + a tray fort the heart magentic dies:

-657212 Hearts set 

-657007 Base tray 

-657788 Hello Set

I started by cutting out the word « Hello » from the Hello set in kraft paper (you will soon find out that I used the same die in one of my next creation). In this realisation, I used the negative of the die and I glued a yellow dot paper under it to make the word « hello » stand out even more.

I completed my frame by adding a striped stamp that is totally perfect here.

Before gluing my frame and my picture on my lay-out, I cut and glued little strips of paper cut into spears, and a doily.

I used alphabet stickers for my title.

As a final touch, I added a cork heart cut from my Big Shot. This is what I fancy with these dies: you can cut in whatever material you see fit, such as cloth, cork…which adds volume and a very creative aspect to your realisation !

Have a nice day !

See you next Thursday !

Karine

Supply List:

Papers : 4heures37

Cardstock : American Crafts

Alphabets : Studio Calico

Wooden hearts, arrows : Studio Calico

Stickers : Studio Calico, Jenni Bowlin

Die cut : American Crafts

Button : American Crafts

Stamps : Studio Calico

Inks : Adirondack Watermelon, Black Versafine

Others : Washi tape, Doily

Page "Hello Welcome to my world"

Bonjour à vous fan de Sizzix !

Aujourd'hui une nouvelle page que j'aime beaucoup "Hello, Welcome to my World" haute en couleurs et en textures !

J'ai utilisé ici deux dies Sizzix ainsi qu'une base pour les dies magnétiques coeurs :

-657212 Set de coeurs 

-657007 Base tray 

-657788 Hello Set 

J'ai commencé ma page avec le set Hello, j'ai découpé dans du kraft le mot "Hello" que vous ne tarderez pas à découvrir utilisé dans une de mes prochaines pages. Pour cette création j'ai simplement conservé l'extérieur du mot, j'ai ensuite collé mon rectangle avec mon mot évidé sur un imprimé à pois jaune afin de bien le faire ressortir.

J'ai ensuite complété mon cadre avec un tampon rayures parfaitement adapté.

Avant d'intégrer mon cadre et ma photo, j'ai découpé et collé des petites bandes que j'ai retaillé en pointes, ainsi qu'un napperon en papier.

J'ai complété mon titre avec des stickers alphabets.

En finition, j'ai ajouté un coeur en liège découpé à la Big Shot. Voilà ce que j'aime avec ces dies ! Découper des matières comme du tissu, du liège ! Un résultat tout en volume et très créatif !

Je vous souhaite une très bonne journée,

A jeudi prochain

Karine

Matériel :

Papiers : 4heures37

Cardstock : American Crafts

Alphabets : Studio Calico

Coeur en bois, flèches : Studio Calico

Autocollants : Studio Calico, Jenni Bowlin

Die cut : American Crafts

Bouton : American Crafts

Tampons : Studio Calico

Encres : Adirondack Watermelon, Versafine noire

Divers : Washi tape, Napperon

Add texture to a layout!

Hello everyone!


I've been participating in an online class with Ali Edwards lately and I've been enjoying it so very much! IThis class gives you help and tricks to to document your everyday life in a way that includes descriptions and reflections.


I've been playing with new Echo Park and October Afternoon products, along with a few of my favorite Sizzix dies and Embossing folders :)


All you need is : 

• a BIG SHOT
• Sizzix Ornamental dies (an old time favorite!)
• Raspberry Frame set (Embossing folders)
• Classical Beauty and Baroque set (embossing folders)
• Mini Hearts Movers & Shapers set
• The Base Tray (to use your Movers & Shapers)

As I made a double page layout, it was very important that I used two elements that looked pretty much similar, or at least, that did ring a bell from one page to the other.

Here, I used different embossed folders to create handmade paper embellishments for my layout, and I used the same Distress ink in order to color them the same way.

I cut the heart shape and color them in red with Distress ink and mounted them with 3D foam tabs.

to apply the Distress ink on the Embossed image, simply use a Cut'n'Dry foam and rub it gently on the embossed design.

When you work on a double page layout, remember that you're not working on two different pages, but on ONE BIGGER page, so that means you need to use elements that will work together, even on a different page.

Thanks for watching!

Céline