Just to say Hi!

Hi Everyone,

Let me start by introducing myself: My name is Elina, and I live in Southern Finland in the city of Vantaa, just outside the Helsinki border. I’m married and a mother of two great kids aged 4 and 6. Truly addicted to scrapbooking and card-making, but hand crafts and especially paper crafting are not just a dear hobby to me. They are my way to relax after a hectic day at the office as an IT system development manager. At night when the house is quiet, I love to take a short moment just for myself, pull out some beautiful patterned papers, sink my hands into gesso and inks and create something pretty.

As a huge fan of Big Shot and Sizzix I’m super exited to start working as a member of the Sizzix Creative Design Team. Each Wednesday I will be blogging here at Sizzix and showing you ideas how to use the wonderful Sizzix products for card making, scrapbooking and home décor. Please also hop over to my blog ‘Hand crafts made with Love’ for more inspiration.

This week I wanted to show you a nice technique for turning your Sizzix dies into self-made stamps. So grab your favourite dies and let’s get started!

Materials you need:

Stamp:

• Sizzix Big Shot Machine (item no. 655268)
• Your favourite Sizzix die
  I have used an older Originals die 'Branch w/Leaves' but basically any shape would work just fine. Try for example Sizzix Bigz Die - Vine w/Leaves & Flower (item no. 657250)
• Sheet of fun foam/craft foam
• Piece of board
• Double-sided tape

Card: 

• Dark brown A6 single fold card base
• Craft cardstock
• Clear embossing ink, brown embossing powder and heat gun
• White acrylic paint and brush
• Sewing machine
• Double-sided tape
• Small manila tag
• Texture stamp, dark brown stamping ink
• Ribbon
• Alpha stickers
• Small yellow beads, glue (Tacky Glue, Glossy Accents or similar)

How to make it:

1. Using Big Shot and your favourite Sizzix die cut an image out of fun foam.
2. Cover a piece of board with two-sided tape and place your die-cut image on it. When you cover the whole piece of board with tape you can later re-use the stamp base by removing the fun foam and replacing it with another die-cut image.

3. Cut a piece of craft cardstock. Trim it a little bit smaller than your A6 card base leaving a thin border around the card front.
4. Ink your self-made stamp with clear embossing ink. Stamp the image on the craft cardstock, sprinkle with embossing powder and heat with heat gun.
5. Ink the edges of the craft card. Mix white acrylic paint with water and drop a few splashes on the card. Let dry.
6. Using a sewing machine and straight stitch sew twice around the card.
7. Adhere the craft card front on the card base with two-sided tape. Decorate the stamped image with gluing small beads on it.
8. Stamp a texture image on the manila tag. Ink the edges, tie a piece of ribbon on the tag and adhere to card front. Write a greeting text with alpha stickers.

Done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Have a great week!

Love, Elina