Arrived at Chicago

We arrived in Chicago tonight.  Ready to go to CHA on Tuesday morning!
Excited to see all the new products, favorite designers and friends! 
Can hardly wait to see the Spellbinders booth!  New products!  And some of my projects on display!

Happy Creating! -judy

Memory Book

This is a Memory/Guest Book that I made for a friend.  She wanted a guest book for her father-in-law's 90th birthday celebration.   She chose the paper for the cover (Grandmas house from Paper Loft) and I went from there.  

I cut the covers from lightweight chipboard (5 1/2" x 8 1/2") plus  cream cardstock for the inside and the DP for the outside.  I used spray adhesive to put them together.  Then I rounded all the corners.  I added Antique Linen and Vintage Photo ink to the edges.

For the largest Spellbinders Curved Rectangles frame, I chose a pearlescent brown paper by Paper Cut that I cut and embossed over window screen with #5 and 6 die templates.  The frame fits over cream cardstock cut with #6 Curved Rectangles, also embossed over window screen.  I added Antique Linen Distress to "age" it a bit.  I fastened it to the cover just slightly offset to the right.  I wrapped a piece of brown ribbon around the cover and fastened the ends to the center. I wrapped a piece of thread around the ribbon near the adhesive and tied it to gather the ribbon a little.  (It will be hidden by the title)

The back piece of the title was cut/embossed with Spellbinders S4-229 Labels Five #6 out of Antique Gold pearlescent paper.  The color was a bit too bright so I rubbed StazOn Timber over the edges......makes it look more bronze than gold.   "Rember When" was stamped and embossed with gold EP on cream cardstock.  I rubbed Antique Linen over the edges blending it to the center.  Then I centered and cut it out with S4-190 Labels Four #6.  To create the pearlescent brown frame, I placed S4-190 Labels Four #6 and S4-138 Petite Ovals LG #3 on my magnetic mat.  I cut the frame and then embossed it over 12-1007 Diamond and Star Impressabilities.  I glued the frame around the title and fastened it to the gold Labels Five.  I used Foam Squares to mount it on the cover over the ribbon.  I tied a half bow and fastened it with a glue dot.

I cut 12 - 5 1/4" x 8 1/4" pages of cream cardstock.  I rounded all the corners.  On several pages I stamped "Family * Friends" with stamps from JustRite Cherish the Memories Nested Sentiments using Espresso ink.

To put it all together, I used a screw punch to make holes in the covers and pages.   I air brushed the book rings with Copic Y28  and  sealed them with a clear spray finish.

With a change of papers, colors and title this book could be made for lots of dfferent occasions...weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties.  It could even be a mini album for a special occasion.

I hope I've inspired you to try this project or create your own! 

:-)

-judy

Last Day of the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy!

Have you been following the Spellbinder Blog Frenzy? 

Today is the last reveal day.  Kazan Clark and Keri Lee Sereika really finished it off with some super creative projects!  You'll enjoy checking them out!


Let's see, what are my favorties?  Snowflake Pendants, Labels Fourteen, Nested Hearts. Heirloom Ornament, Labels Fifteen, Anitquities, Beaded Ovals, Nested Mittens, Holiday Trees, Lacey Squares (of course!)...and more.   It's so hard to limit my list!!

If you missed my reveal of S4-295 Lacey Squares, you can see it here!  You'll also find links to all the other Spellbinders Designers, in case you missed any of the other reveals!

Hope you find time to create today!
-judy

Shape to Come

Here's an announcement from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.  Hop on over there and sign up to find out what's "the shape to come"!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.…



Get ready to bring your craft to a whole new level! If you want to know what the big news is BEFORE anyone else… be sure you’ve signed up at theshapetocome.com !


If you register your email address here before July 25th, you’ll get a special pre-show announcement one day before the CHA Trade Show opens!! One lucky person that signs up between now and July 25th will be chosen at random to win $50 (msrp) of SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™ products (winner announced on their blog August 2nd)!

I use Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L  often.  I love the Foam Squares that come in black and white, 2 sizes!  Their Photo and Craft Tape is super good, too. 

 Give it a try!  Maybe you'll win!

Fill Each Day with Joy

A HUGE THANK YOU

to everyone who visited my blog for the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy!

Thank you for all the comments!  I loved reading each and every one!  You are all so inspiring to me!

I thought I'd share a little more information about my Blog Frenzy card, "Joy".

The card base is 5" x 5" cream card stock.  I used a floral stamp from Flourishes From the Garden set to repeatedly stamp around the edges using Vintage Photo ink.  It's certainly not very visible but it added texture interest to my cream card stock.  Next there's a maroon square, then KaiserCraft paper.  I used the largest Lacey Squares to  cut the  maroon pattern paper from KaiserCraft.  All patterned papers are from KaiserCraft Gypsy Sisters Collection  I used Classic Square LG #7 to cut the next piece of the KaiserCraft paper.  Then there's a maroon Lacey Squares cut with #4 from Worldwin card stock.  My next mat is aqua, then cream card stock with the verse stamped in Espresso ink and clear embossed.  I shaded the edges with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo distress inks.  The last Lacey Squares frame was cut and embossed with #3 and #2 die templates.  I popped it up with Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. Three buttons and a bow finish the card.   

There are lots of layers to this card but it's quite simple to put together.  The color combination of these papers really makes this card! 

Supplies:

Spellbinders S4-295 Lacey Squares #5,4,3,2

Spellbinders S4-126 Classic Squares LG #7

Spellbinders W-001 Wizard and mats

JustRite Joyful Hearts stamp set

KaiserCraft Gypsy Sisters Paper Collection

Worldwin Maroon Card Stock

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L E-Z Runner

Flourishes From the Garden stamp set
Glue Dots Craft N Go
Ranger Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress inks
Ranger Espresso ink
Maroon ribbon
Buttons

Thanks for stopping.  If you'd like to see the Blog Frenzy Reveal die templates and projects, scroll down! 

Thanks again to all of you for making my Spellbinders reveal of the Lacey Squares so much fun! 

Keep creating!
Smiles...judy

Spellbinders Blog Frenzy - Day 2

The contest on this blog is now closed; good luck!
 Spellbinders will be announcing winners.

Welcome to Reveal Day 2 of the Spellbinders Paper Arts BIG Event!

The BIG Event is Spellbinders™ Paper Arts’ way of introducing some really exciting new products! This season’s BIG Event is from July 13-20, incorporating 16 fabulous Designers, and you could win BIG!

• Win today’s new die templates!

• Be eligible to win the Grand Prize by entering each day from each blog!

• You may enter once from each blog on the designated days!

• Each contest is open for 48 hours to enter the contest!

• You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time July 15, 2010 to enter my contest.  Be sure to read the Official Rules before entering so that your entry will be valid!

Here are the Designers and their contest dates:

July 13

• Julie Overby
• Debbie Olson

July 14

• Judy Hayes  (that's me)
• Latisha Yoast

July 15

• A. .J. Otto
• Kimberly Crawford

July 16

•  Becca Feeken
•  Linda Duke

July 17

• Sherry Cheever
• Deborah Young

July 18

• Gina Hanson
• Ashley Cannon Newell

July 19

• Mona Pendleton
• Heidi Blankenship

July 20

• Kerilee Sereika
• Kazan Clark

Daily contest winners are randomly chosen from valid entries, as stated in the Official Rules. The winners will receive an email within 24 hours of the contest’s closing. The winners will have 72 hours to reply to that email to claim prize. If a winner fails to respond within 72 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Entrants that send valid contest entry emails to each of the contests will be automatically considered for the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize has a retail value of over $700, and includes Spellbinders CHA Summer 2010 release die templates, Spellbinders CHA Summer 2010 release punch templates and a Presto Punch™ machine!

Thank you, Spellbinders Paper Arts, for sponsoring this contest!

I’m thrilled to share S4-295 Lacey Squares with you...

Isn’t this a great set?

I was immediately reminded of hankies

with tatted or crocheted edges made by my Grandma.  

Just imagine all the possibilities!

Are you ready to see what I did with S4-295 Lacey Squares?

I decorated this small wooden box!

I used Lacey Squares die templates 1, 2, 3, and 4 (with 1 being the smallest) of the set of 5 to make my copper box decoration.  I cut each piece from Spellbinders F-010 Copper Tool Craft Foil, real copper. You'll see why that's important a little later.









Let’s see how I made it……

I started with this  4 x 4 x 2” unfinished wooden box that I found at a craft store.   I removed the hinges and latch. That gold color will never go with copper! So I airbrushed them with Copic E19, W7 and a touch of BG18 and sealed the color with a coat of lacquer.  Then I brushed and dabbed thin white glue on the box and covered it with  white tissue paper, being sure to get wrinkles. It was a sticky mess!

I chose to paper the box over the opening edges so that when I cut it apart all the wrinkles would match. Tip:  mark where the hinge and latch holes are before adding color. I forgot that step and had to poke tiny holes with a pin until I found them!

After numerous applications of Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress inks, my box began to look like this. I used a makeup sponge to dab touches of StazOn Timber on a few spots of the glue where the Distress inks wouldn’t stick.

My next step was to cut it apart……actually pretty easy with a craft knife. I added ink to the edges to match the outside.

To color the inside, I sprayed it with Tattered Angels Patina and Cinnamon Glimmer Mists, alternating the colors. If you try this, be patient. It takes numerous coats. I sprayed and dried each coat with my heat gun, then sprayed again until I liked the color.

This photo shows the color inside the lid along with one of Grandma's hankies with a tatted edge.  Although Grandma showed me how to tatt, it's one craft I never mastered.

The box is finished with several spray coats of satin lacquer inside and out to protect it.

Now, we’re ready to cut the copper!

I applied an Adhesive Sheet by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™ on the back of the copper. I removed the adhesive liner to apply the copper to light weight card stock. The paper gives the copper strength, especially the loops of the Lacey Squares to keep them from bending easily.
Are you wondering if the Lacey Squares die templates will cut through the copper and paper backing?  Each piece cut completely in one pass through the Wizard, including all the loop cut-outs! (Tip: I often use a scrap of card stock or text weight paper under any craft foil when I cut any die template. I think it cuts easier and it’s easier to get the craft foil off the cutting mat. The paper keeps it from pushing into the mat so much.)

Here you can see all the cut copper pieces and die templates that I used to create the design for the box top.

1.  The first layer on the box is S4-295 Lacey Squares #4. That great texture came from embossing over a piece of window screen!  
2.  Next piece was cut and embossed with S4-295 Lacey Squares #2 and 3. I placed them both on my magnetic mat to cut all at once. 
3. The next piece is the cut out from step 2 (outside cut of #2). I placed it back in the Spellbinders S4-295 Lacey Squares #2 die template. I taped S4-126 Classic Squares LG #1 in the center to cut the inside square and then I embossed them both. 
4. The smallest square was cut and embossed with Spellbinders S4-295 Lacey Squares #1 and S4-128 Classic Squares SM #1. 
5. The piece for the very center is one of the cut-outs from Spellbinders S4-240 Lotus Borderabilities Petite.

To get that aged copper color, I treated each piece with Liver of Sulphur mixed with water. It reacts with the copper immediately to turn it black. That's why I used real copper! It won't react with other metals.

The 3 largest pieces show the color change after the Liver of Sulphur. If you look closely, you can see the 2 smaller pieces look more like copper again. I’ve brushed them with a brass brush to polish off some of the black.  A nylon scrubby works, too.

Assembly is next:

I glued the first piece in place with Crafter’s Pick The Ultimate glue…my favorite craft glue. To give the next piece just a little lift, I glued strips of chipboard as you see in the photo. Then I glued it to the textured piece.

I used ½” Adhesives Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™ cut in half on back of the 3rd piece with ¼” Foam Squares on each corner.

 I used The Ultimate glue to fasten the Lotus flower to the last square with some tiny strips of paper on the backside to reinforce the glue spots. The smallest square is also mounted with cut pieces of Foam Squares.

 Supplies:

• S4-295 Lacey Squares
• S4-126 Classic Squares LG #1
• S4-128 Classic Squares SM #1
• S4-240 Lotus Borderabilities Petite
• F-010 Copper Tool Craft Foil
• W-001 Wizard
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Cinnamon, Patina
• Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares, Adhesive Sheet
• Copic Sketch Markers: E19, W7, BG18
• Copic Air Brush System
• Wood box, tissue paper, white glue, inks, lacquer spray

 Aren't the Lacey Squares pretty in copper?

Can you imagine them in paper? 

  

Just as pretty, don’t you think?    
                                       
       

 I created this card using the 4 largest S4-295 Lacey Squares die templates.

 I’ll post more details in a couple days.

                           

 

I’m so glad you visited my blog today!

I hope you’ve added S4-295 Spellbinders Lacey Squares 

to your wish list!                                                                                       

                              

This is the Spellbinders product I introduced:                      

S4-295 Lacey Squares
               
MSRP $24.99

Dimensions: 

1.  1 1/8” 
2.  1 5/8” 
3.  2 7/8” 
4.   3 ¼” 
5.   4 ¼”

For the official Spellbinders Paper Arts BIG Event rules, click here

TO ENTER MY CONTEST: (Contest is open for entries from July 14, 12:01 AM to July 15, 11:59 PM)  - - - The contest on this blog is now closed. - - -

1) Send your email entry to: reveal3@spellbinders.us (either click the link or type the address into your email program)

2) The subject must be:  Lacey Squares

3) Send!

I love your comments!   Unfortunately your comment does not count towards a contest entry, so be sure to enter and then leave a comment!

If you have any questions, please e-mail ContestQuestions@Spellbinders.us

Thank you for visiting my blog and good luck!     

judy

Spellbinders Blog Frenzy

Did you see the new Spellbinders die templates revealed today? 
 Aren't they great?

If you missed it, check out these blogs:

Thinking Inking by Debbie Olsen

Mini Moments by Julie Overby

Baby Buggy Announcement

Today, I have one of my May Spellbinders projects to share!

I put together this cute baby buggy for an announcement by cutting parts from several different die templates.

Can you guess some of the die templates? 

Circles should be easy to pick out in the wheels and the hood.

The body is part of an oval.

Can you guess the spokes on the wheels?

A snowflake with tips cut off!

I started with Spellbinders S4-112 Classic Ovals LG #5 for the body of the buggy.  I added a strip cut with S4-239 Classic Scalloped Borderabilities Petite (w/o holes), a strip of contrasting paper and a tiny boy to trim the top edge.  All papers are from My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary collection. 

  Next, I cut part of S4-116 Standard Circles SM #5 for the hood.  To  this I added a scalloped strip cut with the narrow die template from  S4-239 Classic Scalloped Borderabilities Petite. I added tiny pink rick rack and a sheer ribbon bow.   The little star shape at the top came from the center of a snowflake die template that has been retired.  I suggest the little flower from Flourish Accent as a replacement (see in photo below).

For the handle and trim, I cut 2 pieces with S4-198 Flourish Accent: one cut/embossed just as is from the die template; 2nd one cut, removed and embossed on non-cutting side of the die template to get a reverse image.  That piece is the handle.  I cut apart the other piece to add opposite the handle.  The photo  shows the cuts.

For the wheels, I started with # 2 and 3 die templates of S4-116 Standard Circles SM to cut/emboss the tires.  The spokes are from a snowflake, S4-085 Snowflake Wonder.  I trimmed the ends and glued them to the back of the wheels.  I added a small brad colored with Copic RV 06 for hubs.

I assembled the buggy on a piece of lime paper cut with S5-019 Labels Eight #6.  The wheels and hood are fastened with Foam Squares by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.  I added a folded piece of ribbon from Creative Impressions to announce "It's a girl!"

On the back, I cut 2 sizes of Labels Eight of different paper patterns.  I added a lined text area for all the birth info and trimmed it with a scalloped strip, coordinating paper and a tiny bow. 

This card could just as easily be made for a little boy with different paper colors.  I'd replace the bows with stars or even just a big brad. 

The buggy could be added to the front of a folded card for a "congrats" wish. 

It would make a great embellishment on a baby's scrapbook page, too!

I hope I've inspired you to think of other ways

to use your Spellbinders die templates! 

Be creative...step outside the box!  Let your imagination run wild!

Have you added July 14 to your calendar? 

 It's my day for the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy!!!

The Frenzy actually starts on July 13 and runs for 8 days. 

Be sure to check it out to see some of the great new Spellbinders die templates

 coming out at CHA!

And best of all, you could win some of those die templates!!! 

The rules are on the Spellbinders blog here.

Have a creative day!

-judy

Crystal Sea

I'm extremely busy getting projects completed for Spellbinders....crazy busy!  Besides my June projects, I had extra to do in preparation for CHA and the upcoming Blog Frenzy.  I just submitted the last one a few minutes ago....whew!  Great feeling!

Needless to say, I have not been able to just create for my blog so I went searching through my photos for something to post.  I found this card created with stamps from Artistic Outpost's Beyond the Sea.

The technique is quite simple.  I stamped all the images with Ranger Denim ink, which is waterbased, on white paper.  I used a waterbrush to pull the color from the stamped lines to color areas blue.  Same technique on the music on the card front. 

I used Spellbinders S5-022 Labels Ten with a navy oval cut with Spellbinders S4-138 Petite Ovals LG #3 for the mats behind the girl.  The tan mat has seashells stamped repeatedly over it with Versamark ink.
Except for the cutting, this is a simple card to stamp.  The coloring is very quick.

I'm looking forward to this weekend when most of my big commitments will be done!  I hope to stamp or create something for fun!

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Spellbinder's Blog Frenzy!  It starts on July 13th.  My day is July 14th.  I have a couple great projects that show off one of the new Spellbinders' die templates.  Be sure to stop next Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting!
-judy

Happy 4th!

Hope you're all enjoying a great 4th of July!

It's a big weekend get together at my sister's lake home for me!  Lots of good food, games, water fun and even an 80th birthday party for my mom.

Looking forward to fireworks over the lake tonight!

A Little Purse Card!

This was one of my Spellbinders projects for April.

The little purse is make with Spellbinders S5-022 Labels Ten #6 (with 1 being the smallest) simply folded in half.  I cut the silver clasp out of craft foil  again using Labels Ten.  I made a 2nd cut with Labels Nine #6 to cut the lower edge of the clasp.  A little chain handle and a decorative brad make it look just like a purse!

Inside, there's a place for a gift card!

• Supples:
• S5-022 Labels Ten - #6
• S4-233 Labels Nine - #6
• S3-148 Tags Trio - #1 
• S3-147 Labels Trio - #2 
• S4-112 Classic Ovals SM - #1 
• 12-1009 Flourish Impressabilities 
• F-011 12 pc. Assorted Color Foil
• Fancy Pants Laguna Beach, Umbrella, Sunny Day, Petals in the Sand Rusted Summer Paper & brad
• Worldwin Honey Treasures Card stock
• 3L Scrapbook Adhesives-Easy Runner Adhesive
• Flourishes Wreaths of All Seasons #62 – “for you” stamps

Happy Creating!
-judy