Who says you can't mix metallic colors?

I finished this little shelf shrine tonight and just had to post it. It's a mere 3 1/2" tall, but it has a lot of impact. I love these Dresden butterflies, and the tiny copper trim is the perfect size for finishing off the edges of this shrine. The shrine, one of our new structure pieces at RockCandy StudiosTM, is masonite, which has been laser-cut and scored for perfect hinges, and all of the embellishments (except the Prima flower, feather and brad) and trim are from RockCandy StudiosTM (www.rockcandystudios.com), but the paper is from Webster's Pages (www.websterspages.ning.com), which I recently discovered at Eclectica Scrapbooks and Stamps in Memphis, Tennessee. Webster's Pages' art is simply beautiful with lots of subtleties and quotes and it's all double sided. I used the "Grow, live honestly and creatively" quote from one of their line (can't tell you which one because I cut off the manufacturer's strip and chunked it before I went to CHA!), then added some tissue paper which I had spritzed with Smooch Mist. I also drew in some swirls with gold Smooch ink, which I love, love, love, and added some Pumpkin highlights.

Those tiny watch parts are usually a bear to handle, but I found a product at CHA that really tamed them. It's from my friend Amy at ScraPerfect (makers of the Perfect Printing Pouch-www.scraperfect.com) and is called Embellie Jellie. Go ahead. Say it out loud. It will make you giggle. You place a tiny amount of this material on the end of a skewer or orange stick and pick up even the tiniest watch part or the largest button, add your adhesive and drop it in precisely where you want it. When it gets dusty or glue-covered, just knead it a little and reuse it. Trust me. A little goes a long way. You will eventually have to throw it out and get a new piece, but I have made several projects with my first tiny bit, and it's still going strong. This package, which is about 2" X 1", will probably last me several years.

There's a new Sizzix Scoreboard Blog Hop starting soon, so come back and visit.

Now go hug someone you love.

A New Idea

I'm back from the Craft and Hobby Association Tradeshow and want to share this little book that I had in my Designer Showcase. It's made from Eleen Hull's Sizzix Frame Scoreboard and this is how I made it:
1. Adhere paper to both sides of the mat board or chipboard using 3M Super 77 adhesive. Use a brayer to make sure you get good adhesion. Die cut the matboard using a Big Shot.
2. Fold the frame in place and adhere with heavy duty double stick tape.
3. Cut the frame with an Xacto knife at the point fold, sand the cut edges and sponge all around with ink that coordinates with your paper.
4. Add bookbinding tape on the spine, folding it to the inside top and bottom.
5. Add a strip of Dresden foil trim (www.rockcandystudios.com) along the bookbinding tape on front and back to cover the match point.
6. Cut 15 sheets of black cardstock 8" X 3 3/4". Fold to 4" X 3 3/4" . Make signatures of three sheets and tie each signature to book spine using heavy-duty embroidery cording. Leave the ends longer and attach a bead to finish it off. Add a drop of Beacon Fabri-Tac to each knot to secure. Note: I used a bead topper on this sample, but it isn't necessary. The Fabri-tac, hover, IS!
7. Print "Memories" on patterned cardstock and adhere behind window.

This makes a great book for photos. I plan to use it for all my photos from previous trips to the CHA shows.

I saw some really cool items at the show, including new metallic inks from Stazon, Makin's Clay air-dry polymer clay, lots of new Sizzix dies, new Smooch colors, new punches, ton of buttons in all colors of the rainbow from Blumenthal-Lansing and about a bazillion other things.

I want to offer special thanks to PaperDreamsFactory, Graphic 45 Papers, Beacon Adhesives, Clearsnap Inks and Zutter Bind-It-All for donating their wonderful products for the class I taught there, especially Andreas Hamm of PaperDreamsFactory who was the class sponsor. I also want to thank my friends Roxi Phillips, Cheryl Nelson and Ronnie Goff who helped me with the class (as well as my little train-wreck crisis). I could never have done it without them!

Now, go hug someone you love and remember to watch this space for more projects in the coming weeks.





I received items from Beacon Adhesives, PaperDreamsFactory, Zutter, Clearsnap and Graphic 45 Papers.
I am a partner in RockCandyStudios.

Sizzix Scoreboard Blog Hop - the end of a beautiful thing.

This is the last post on the Sizzix Scoreboards Blog Hop. I hope everyone has had a chance to visit all the blogs to see the creativity in this group of designers. Elieen Hull's Scoreboards are being premiered at the Craft and Hobby Association Tradeshow in Anaheim in just a few days. She really has a hit on her hands. I can't stop thinking of ways to use these dies!

This little gift box is very simple to make, but is as much a gift as the gift it it is designed to hold. The recipient can recycle it to hold mundane items such as paper clips or safety pins while adding beauty to a desktop or dresser.

Supplies
Stamp-It Australia paper (which I've been hoarding for almost two years!)
Velveteen and Crimped ribbons from Stampin'Up!® (not sure if they carry this anymore-it came from my stash.)
Prima flowers
1" brad
Beacon Quick Grip Adhesive (my all-time favorite adhesive)

Directions
Cover box and base with paper. Glue ribbon around top and bottom, being careful to keep the ribbon on the box bottom below the lid line so you don't create excess thickness.

Attach flowers to box top with brad. Line box lid with additional paper to hide brad shank.

Check out the rest of the Blog Hop by going to www.eileenhull.blogspot.com. You'll be glad you did!

I'm off to CHA Thursday and will try to post info on any hot new items I see. I'm already planning to check out Fuseworks' new ink jet transparency film that can be attached to glass to create some cool projects. I'll let you know what I think.

Go hug someone you love!






I received product from Sizzix and Beacon Adhesives for this blog hop event.

My Class at CHA

This is a pic of the Nature Journal Mini-Album I will be teaching at the Craft and Hobby Association Tradeshow January 26. This book is loaded with vintage German diecuts and golden foil trims, all available at www.RockCandyStudios.com. Our wonderful sponsor is PaperDreamsFactory.

The papers I used are from Graphic 45, which has some absolutely gorgeous materials. The inks are from Clearsnap, adhesive from Beacon, and we're going to bind it all with...what else? ...a Bind-It-All from Zutter Bind-It-All! Gorgeous sheer ribbons from Offray and hand-dyed tags from RockCandy Studios complete the package.

If you are attending the convention, please check us out. There is still time to register. Just go to www.chashow.org to sign up.


Go hug someone you love.



I am a partner in RockCandy Studios®.

I received materials for this class from the following:
PaperDreamsFactory
Graphic 45
Zutter
Beacon Adhesives
Clearsnap

OOPS!!!

I know you will find this very hard to believe, but I made a mistake :)

There is actually one more project in this Blog Hop series, so be sure to check back on Wednesday, January 20.

In the meantime, I'll be posting some new items with materials from RockCandy Studios in the next few days, so visit often!

Go hug someone you love.





I am a partner in RockCandy Studios®.

Grand Finale: Sizzix Scoreboard Blog Hop Memo Holder

With the new year comes then end of Eileen Hull's Blog Hop with the Sizzix Scoreboards she designed. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with these materials and have a new spark of creativity as a result. These new dies cut matboard, giving you a sturdier base for your projects.

The final project for this round of the Blog Hop is the memo holder. This great little piece is designed to hold a post-it notepad, but you know me. I can't leave anything the way it is originally designed (although I think Eileen's designs are ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS) and have to push the envelope a bit, so I added accordion folds on each side and turned it into a travel sewing kit.

Supplies
Memo Holder Die cut (Sizzix Scoreboard)
Graphic 45 cardstock
Vintage Button (RockCandy Studios®)
Black Dye Ink Pad (Stampin'Up!®)
Hemp
Beacon Zip Dry and Quick Grip adhesives
Velcro Dot
Sewing Paraphenalia
Xacto knife
Emery board or sandpaper
Hole Punch

Adhere cardstock to memo holder diecut using Zip Dry. Trim excess paper with Xacto knife and sand edges with emery board or sand paper. Sponge edges with black ink.

Cut two pieces of cardstock 3" X 6". Score the 6" length every 1/2" on both pieces and accordion fold. Adhere to front and back inside of memo holder with Zip Dry. Close and clip with clothespins until dry.

Tie hemp through button holes and adhere button to flap with Quick Grip adhesive. Add Velcro dot to underside of flap to hold box shut.

Cut a small scrap of cardstock to cover inside top fold to cover holes in diecut and adhere with Zip Dry

Trim a scrap of cardstock to 1 1/2" X 3" and use punch to punch three holes at edge on each side, aligning holes across from each other to hold thread. Insert needles and safety pin into cardstock. Place buttons in small jewelry bag and make a small topper from scrap cardstock. Note: I placed an Xacto blade in the kit, but it is big enough to hold a small manicure scissor if you prefer.

To see additional ideas from other designers, go to www.eileenhull.blogspot.com.

Now, go hug someone you love.





I am a partner in RockCandy Studios® and also received products from the following manufacturers:
Sizzix
Beacon Adhesives

Final Scoreboard Blog Hop for 2009

This great little picture frame is so versatile. My mind is just buzzing with ideas for other projects. Eileen Hull, who designed the Scoreboards for Sizzix, outdid herself on this one. I love the way it folds, and it is so sturdy! I've used a similar pattern for candy bag holders, always made from cardstock, and they tend to sag when the weight of the candy is added. This one is there for good!

For the frame, I sprayed the outside with Krylon Copper paint, then stamped the swirls (Stampin'Up!®) with Versamark ink and embossed them with black EP. I lined the inside with patterned paper and secured the fold with brads. I used black ink to sponge the edges to give it an aged appearance. The copper trim and nameplate are from RockCandy Studios®. That's my handsome dad in the photo.

The Get Well Goodie Box was covered with paper front and back and secured with brads as well. The tag was stamped (Stampin'Up!®) and attached with a brad. (Use a Cropadile to punch the hole in the mat board.) I also used dark brown ink on the edges of the diecut and tag. The cough drops were placed in a cello bag and attached with heavy-duty double-stick tape. The finishing touch was the golden trim from RockCandy Studios® on the box and tag.

For more ideas using this Scoreboard, go to www.eileenhull.blogspot.com. From there you can hop to sites of other designers who are participating in this blog hop.

Be sure to check back the first Wednesday of 2010 for another Scoreboard project.



The following items were furnished by the manufacturer:
Scoreboard diecuts

I am a partner in RockCandy Studios® (www.rockcandystudios.com)