Candice Windham Design Studio

This is the last day of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop, featuring Sizzix dies created by multi-talented designers Brenda Pinnik, Eileen Hull and Karen Burniston. This has been so much fun and has made me push the creative envelope. These dies have been so easy to work with and, in a time of year that is extremely hectic, they have made me slow down and relax with the thing I enjoy most, creating art. This final die, by Eileen Hull, is one that truly stretches the imagination. It is designed as a baggie topper, but the elements can be used for so many other items. The embellishment pieces alone (hearts, scallops, nameplates) conjure up a variety of ideas for future projects. I used three toppers and one embellishment, all cut from mat board, to create a traditional bag topper, a book and a little storage space for stray postage stamps. Here's how I made them: Valentine Bag Topper You don't have to wait for Valentine's Day. Show your love anytime! Supplies Sizzix ScoreBoards...

I can't believe we are almost through with this blog hop. Each week has been an adventure in creativity! Be sure to click on the Sizzix button on the left side of this page to see what 60 other amazing designers did with this die! Between this event, my 3X weekly posts at the Memory Keepers blog, and Christmas shopping, I am just about created out. When I took Brenda Pinnick's lovely fabric and Sizzix diecuts out of the bag, my brain malfunctioned. There were so many possibilities, but also 60 other designers using the same materials. I always like to push the envelope, but how could I top what I had done in the past few weeks without spending days on the project? I read somewhere that when you are writing a novel and you get your hero stuck in one of your mind blocks, you should turn him around and go in the opposite direction. If it works for writers, it should work for crafters, so I turned backwards and went to my crafting beginnings, which was scrapbooking. Brenda's fa...

Welcome to this week's edition of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! Today, the featured die is Karen Burniston's Sizzix Pop-up Gift Card Holder Die ( #656740 ). Sometimes gift cards are the only way to to make sure you give what the giver wants, but when it comes to presentation, we are limited to a gift card envelope or pay way too much for a special holder. This die comes with the holder and several extra pieces, and when assembled, your gift card will pop out of the greeting card enclosure as a little extra surprise for the recipient. I chose to make the pop-out portion a book title rather than a card holder by just placing the extra little label cutout portion over the words to create a permanent title page for my 2010 Christmas album. Supplies Sizzix Pop-up Gift Card Holder Die, #656740 Christmas Cardstock, 2 sheets 12" X 12" Chipboard, 3 sheets 5 1/2" X 6 1/2" Green Card stock, 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", folded to 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" Black Card s...

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! Today, I am thankful for my friends and family, my freedom, especially my freedom to worship God as I please, and the talented designers, Eileen Hull, Brenda Pinnick and Karen Burniston, and the people at Sizzix who made this blog hop possible. This week's die is the Frame Die, designed by Eileen Hull. This die has so many great components that I took several days just to decide what I wanted to do with it. I ended up with not one, but three projects with only one cut from this die (except the additional backing sheet for the book): a candy box with see-through top, a recipe book with a framed cover and a tiny little frame to hold a picture of one of my all-time favorite guys. Be sure to click on the Sizzix icon to the left to continue through the blog hop to see what other designers have done with this die. Candy Box Supplies Square Box Sizzix Bigz Die, Frame (Scallop Frame and Heart) Krylon Red Spray Paint St...

Welcome to week #3 of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop! This week we are using Brenda Pinnick's Beauty Bloom Flower die. This versatile die has large flowers, small flowers and some in between. You can cut them from paper, fabric, cork or whatever you like. I have to confess, I looked at these long and hard trying to decide what I wanted to use them for. My first thought was to decorate a frame or shadowbox, then a recipe card box, then little ducks. That's right. Little ducks. The selection of diecuts I received had several yellow felt flowers that looked just like...you guessed it...duck feet. If I could felt like Debra Quartermain (also participating in this blog hop), you'd be viewing a collection of fuzzy little yellow ducks with big flower petal feet. I had to visit the physical therapist office Monday, and while I waited for my tri-weekly dose of pain, I thumbed through a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. There was an ad that had a mask in it, and it hit me: I just...

Actually, it started looking like Christmas in September, at least in our local discount stores. Today is the second round of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop, featuring Sizzix dies by Eileen Hull, Karen Burniston and Brenda Pinnick. Each Thursday for the next few weeks, you can start here at my blog and click on the Triple Play Blog Hop button on the left to see more than 50 projects using the same die each week. Today's die is by Karen Burniston and is designed to be a pop-up box inside a card. This clever design folds flat and pops up when the card is opened, so your card will be remembered way past Christmas. I chose to make my diecut into an ornament, rather than a pop-up. All designers were sent the diecut in black cardstock. I toyed with the idea of covering the black in a patterned paper, but then remembered the cool new Marvy Uchida snowflake punch in my punch stash. This punch gives you a large (approx. 1 1/2") snowflake as well as a tiny one (approx. 1/2"). Her...

It's time for another round of the Sizzix Blog Hop with a little twist. There will be a different die each Thursday for several weeks, each by one of three different designers, and there will be more than 60 designs each week using the same die, so you'll get a huge variety of possibilities. Just click on the Sizzix button on my blog and you'll be on your way! Since I went to see Wicked Halloween night, you know what mode I have been in all week. I had actually started my design, which would have been just a simple little house using patterned papers and some lace to create a charming cottage. Well, THAT didn't happen. I started ripping the thing apart bright and early Monday morning and this is what I came up with: a perfectly wicked little house, deserving of Elphaba, who you can see peeping out the upper window. Supplies Sizzix Scoreboard Pro house die by Eileen Hull(Product #656836) Mat board, 6" x 13" Patterned paper, two coordinating sheets Smooch Spri...

I can't believe I haven't posted anything on this blog for more than a month. Of course, that's better than when I began blogging and updated once a year, whether I needed to or not! My friend Karen Gaulke and her hubby recently had a precious baby girl, Katherine Marie Gaulke. There are several designers who contribute to the Memory Makers blog and we all wanted to send Karen gifts, but since we are scattered all over the country, getting together all at once was a little bit of a problem. Our solution was to have a surprise online shower for Karen. Today at 11 a.m. EST, Karen, who is on maternity leave, will be notified that there is a problem with the website and asked to log on to see if she can solve it. That's when she will see a post from the participating designers with the handmade gifts that will be coming her way. My gift is a decorated one gallon paint can, designed to hold memories from Baby Katherine's first year which will not fit in a scrapbook, such...

I returned from the Craft and Hobby Convention and Tradeshow Sunday after a week of getting my art fix with people who understand my way of thinking. You know the one: when you see a box or bottle or some unusual packing materials in the trash, you immediately see all the possibilities of an artistic creation, and the desire to take it home overcomes the embarrassment of diving head-first into a trash can that you would never touch when in your right mind. My friends Laurie and Barbara went with me, and we had a blast checking out new products, taking classes and eating yummy Chicago food. This time, I saw a lot of new products. Maybe they aren't new, but are at least new to me. Check out my CHA report at www.memorykeepingcollection.com/blog_candicewindham No, go hug someone you love, but not too long because it's hot. The heat index in Memphis was 121° yesterday with more expected today. I think I'll make sweet tea and chill.

I have been posting on a new blog site for a month or so, and just realized that I should have let everyone know. There are several designers posting projects, tips and general info on the site, so even if you don't like my tutorials, you might be interested in those of someone else. This doesn't mean that I won't be posting on this site, so don't forget about me here. Check it out the new blog at www.memorykeepingcollection.com/blog_candicewindham I will be posting several times a week, so come back often. Today's post (see photo) is about using up your old blurry or unwanted photos rather than chunking them in the landfill, which reminds me of a saying I heard this week: Crafters were the original recyclers." And that reminds me of another: "Adam was the original rough draft." This thought train is going nowhere. Guess I'd better get out of here before I say something really stupid. Go hug someone you love!

Today is the last round of the Sizzix ScoreBoards Blog Hop. I must say I'm sorry to see it come to a close, because these dies definitely challenge me to think outside the box. To learn more about the Sizzix ScoreBoards, visit Eileen Hull , designer. Today's die is a bow, consisting of several sizes of strips and buttons. I cut six of each size and probably could have added at least three more of each. Supplies Green Cardstock (Stampin'Up@!) Versamark Ink Platinum Embossing Powder Swirl stamp (Inkadinkado) Wooden Skewer Sharpie (green) Makin's Air-Dry Clay Rhinestone Bling Angel Pin Cropadile Directions 1. Stamp and emboss a full sheet of cardstock (8 1/2" X 11"). Cut six of each size strip. 2. Punch hole on each end with largest hole on the Cropadile if needed. You can also use a regular hole punch, but test it first to make sure the hole isn't too big to fit snugly on your skewer. Loop the cardstock strips and add a touch of glue to hold the ends togethe...

Another round of the Sizzix ScoreBoard blog hop is upon us. This time, we're using the cake die. This die is great alone, but I added part of the ScoreBoard Cupcake (hence the title, Cake X 2) die as well. Check out all the other ideas from designers listed below. Eileen Hull is the designer of these great dies. The theme this time was to use our favorite....color, technique, etc. I love the chocolate and peach combo as well as Cuttlebug textures, so that's what I used. I also used up supplies from my embellishment collection, so don't know all of the manufacturers. The pearls were from my stash, given to me by a dear friend whose mother owned a bead store in the '70s. I wrapped the beads around the cake base, adhering with Be Creative® double stick tape. I draped white pearls around the edge to simulate icing trim. The inside was lined with Bohemia paper which had been spritzed with Tattered Angels Golden Autumn to get the proper color. All edges were inked with Chest...

Here is the latest in the Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop. This cute little rectangular box is perfect for those great things that come in small packages. Fill it with kisses, small embellishments or anything tiny you want to put in it. Be sure to check out what other designers have done and vote for your favorite on ScoreBoard Designer Eileen Hull's blog. I don't know about you, but I always have trouble keeping up with small pieces and I hate clutter. I turned my box into a clip joint to hold my paper clips. It adds a cheery note to my desktop too! Supplies: Big Shot Rectangular box die Matboard Graphic 45 paper Brads Gingham ribbon 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive Krylon Totally Tangerine Spray Paint Be Creative® Adhesive Velcro Dots Directions: 1. Cut and assemble box bottom with double-stick tape. Spray both pieces with Krylon paint. Allow to dry. 2. Cover box bottom with paper using Super 77. 3. Cover box top with reverse side of paper using Super 77. Attach top to bottom with brad...

It's time for another Blog Hop featuring Eileen Hull's fabulous ScoreBoards from Sizzix. Our die for this round is the gorgeous Teacup die. The blog hop will begin April 14th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, so if you want to see all the projects, you might want to wait until then to view it. Being the think-outside-the-box-even-if-it's-goofy artist that I am, I turned it upside down and made a party hat place card and tea bag-holding party favor for a tea party. We have a Ladies' Tea at Trinity Baptist every couple of months, and I'm thinking these would be a hit! Once again, the designer of the project receiving the most votes will be given the Teacup die as a prize and one person leaving a comment on one of the blogs will receive a die from the first ScoreBoard collection, a $40 value! Leave your comment here and go to Eileen's blog to vote! Supplies: Prima paper, Indeed Collection, Enchanted Colorbox Chestnut Roan and Peacock Inks Prima Flowers Pale Pink Feather R...

Time for a new blog hop! This is the first of my projects made with the new soon-to-be-released Sizzix ScoreBoard dies, designed by Eileen Hull. I'll be posting projects cut from mat board every other Wednesday for the next few weeks, and here's a bonus: Vote for your favorite project (Trust me: All are amazing!) on Eileen's blog and leave a comment on any participating designer's blog and you could be a winner! The ScoreBoard die used in the project will be given to the designer whose project gets the most votes, and one viewer who leaves a comment will receive a ScoreBoard die from the first Sizzix ScordBoard collection. To qualify to win, you must write a comment on any of the participating designers' sites. Voting ends the Monday following the Wednesday hop at 6 PM. Our die for this week is the Sizzix ScoreBoard Scalloped Box and the theme is office supplies. I don't know about you, but a first-aid kit is definitely a staple in my office. Between burning-t...

As promised, this is the wall hanging I made yesterday at our River City Stampers monthly meeting. Roxi Phillips and Shelly Hickox led the project, selecting some beautiful vintage prints, felt, and textures for us to use. I particularly love the fabric at the top with the tiny cherries. It reminds me of my grandmother. Everything on here has been altered in some way. Most of the fabric is either tea-dyed or spritzed with walnut ink. I also used some Stazon in black and brown for aging and stamping. The large piece of white felt, second layer from the bottom, was heated with a heat tool to create the lacy look. Most of the assembly was machine stitched, but I added another piece after I got home and didn't want to drag out the machine. I topped it off with a french laundry hanger and a scrap of red rayon ribbon, both from from RockCandy Studios Go hug someone you love and dig through your scrap basket to see what you can come up with! I am a partner in RockCandy Studios.

This is my swap ATC for our River City Stampers stamp club swap tomorrow. I used Midwest Products cork and gold Styrene for the base. The styrene was stamped with purple Stazon ink using a Stamping Up!® French words background stamp. I sponged on Stazon iris, magenta azure and mustard inks to the cork background to give a sunset/twilight effect.The remaining stamps are from ArtistiOutpost , one of my favorite companies. I added gold pinpoint dots to the Eiffel Tower and balloon with a Zig Painty pen and highlighted the balloon basket and top with tiny half-pearls from Prima. The lock and key (The collections in the Paris art museums are the key to my heart!) are from Explorer Traditions. I punched the hole with the Cropadile and used one of Tim Holtz's large jump rings for the attachment. I finished off the title with ink jet printing on parchment, sponged the edges with Colorbox Chestnut Roan and edged the title with RockCandy Studios ' mini-french borders . I added just a to...

I just love this little shrine. The 3 1/2" tall base is new at RockCandy StudiosTM , and I wish I had more of them to create little family memories. This particular one is from the dark side of our family history. That photo includes two of my uncles with our family still in the background. That's right. This good Baptist girl came from a long line of moonshiners. Now you know my secret. The photo, which also includes two more men, one of which is my paternal grandfather, is on our Manly Men Collage Images CD (You get 120+ images, and all are scanned at 300 dpi so you can resize and print as many as you need for your projects.). I also used our Dresden Foil Leaf and Flower border and one of our corked glass bottles. The faux moonshine is sorghum molasses. I sealed the cork with Beacon Quick Grip so I wouldn't have to worry about it coming loose and having molasses everywhere. All wording was done on an inkjet printer and the XXX on the bottle was just hand lettered with a...

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...

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 emb...

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 ...

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

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®.

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 ...