A Book Created for Spellbinders CHA Class

Good Morning Blog Friends!

Today is my first day on Spellbinders new Mixed Media and Jewelry Design Team!!!  I'm really excited about this new venture.

At the same time, I'm a bit sad that my three plus years on the Spellbinders Design Team has ended. Yesterday was my last official day on that team. 

I'm looking forward to new challenges!  Mixed Media is a perfect fit for me!!! 


Here's a fun mixed media book that I created for one of Spellbinders' classes taught at CHA last week.  It was fun to be at the class and see the attendees put together their own version of this book! It was a lot to do but I think they all enjoyed the class!

The journal is covered with black fabric with faux stitches made with a Elmer's Painters white marker.  Brightly colored flowers, butterfly, birds and a birdhouse are glued to the cover.  The birds and butterfly are Spellbinders blanks from the Media Mixage line.  I've painted them white before adding StazOn ink for color.  The flowers are all cut from Roc-lon fabric.  It takes color so well and does not fray!  To cut the fabric, I've used a new metal shim from Spellbinders that makes cutting most fabrics easy!  All the flowers were colored with StazOn inks sponged onto the fabric.  The bird  house is one of the new hatpins revealed at CHA.  It makes a cute birdhouse with an aluminum roof, don't you think?!?
Along with the book is a jewelry piece pinned onto the book ties.  The bird and house are blanks.  The flower is cut from fabric.  The art words are from Cosmo Cricket "Life" Tiny Text sheet.

  This was such a fun project to put together! 


Happy creating!
Judy

Spellbinders Shape It Up Sneak Peek and Giveaway Day Two!

Hello blog friends!

Today, I’m excited to reveal some new Spellbinders® Media Mixage™ products: MB3-002 Oval Hatpin – Bronze and MT1-009 Keys texture plate. Yes, you read it right! Hatpins!!! You’ll also want to check out Ken Oliver’s blog as he’s also showcasing new Media Mixage products today!

Here's my project……



.....a Keys Hatpin and matching Keys Box.

 

Supply List for Hatpin and Box:

• Spellbinders® MMM-001 Artisan X-plorer™
• Spellbinders® MB3-002 Oval Hatpin - Bronze
• Spellbinders® MT1-009 Keys Texture Plates
• Spellbinders® MD1-001 Ovals One
• Spellbinders® MMs-002 Foil Pack 2
• Spellbinders® S4-168 Large Labels
• Spellbinders® S4-130 Classic Rectangles SM
• ICE Resin®
• Susan Lenart Kazmer – Aqua Glass Glitter
• Elmer’s Painters – Black
• Tattered Angels – Chalkboard Mist - Concord, Strawberry Shortcake, Glimmer Glaze - Saffron
• Scor-Tape – ¼, ½, 2”
• Beacon Adhesives – Fabri-Tac™
• Beads – crystal, aqua, purple
• Bronze eye pins and head pins
• Bronze Jump Ring
• Micro Beads – turquoise/silver mix
• Craft Foam - Black
• Black Card Stock
• Wood Box
• Crystal Clear Satin spray
• Gold fabric
• Fiberfill

Let's get to the How-To for the Keys Hatpin!

I started with these products:

 

 

First,  I cut an oval of black self-adhesive craft foam with Spellbinders® MD1-001 Ovals One #2 die (#1 being the smallest)   I used the craft foam as filler to raise the embossed foil closer to the top.  It’s super easy to cut!

Next, I cut an oval of aqua craft foil with the same Ovals One #2 die.

 

 Now for the texture!  I placed the oval foil on the Spellbinders® MT1-009 Keys texture plate, aqua side up.  The texture plate is placed on the Spellbinders® MMM-001 Artisan X-plorer™ base plate with the cutting plate on top.  I put it through the Artisan X-plorer.  The first pass flattened the foil to the keys and started the embossing.  Next, I removed the cutting plate and replaced it with the tan embossing mat and pink embossing plate.  I put it through the Artisan X-plorer.  Voila! Beautiful detailed texture!

 

I applied black paint over the foil and rubbed off the excess leaving a hint of black in the recessed areas and around the edges of the keys.  It gives it a more vintage look. 

  
The foil oval is applied to the adhesive on the craft foam oval. 

Before I glued it into the hatpin, I cut 2 tiny slits near one end for the jump ring that holds the bead dangles.  It fits under the foil and foam.  Once the ICE Resin sets up, it holds it in place.  I placed the jump ring so the opening is just above the rim of the hatpin.  It can be open at this point ready for the beads.  Or left closed and opened after the ICE Resin is cured.  

I glued the foil with foam and jump ring into the hatpin. 

Next step, mix the ICE Resin!   Follow the directions on the ICE Resin package to mix it.  It’s very important to mix for 2 minutes and let it set for 5 minutes!  

I poured resin into the hatpin until it was almost to the rim.  Then I added glass glitter around the jump ring.  It hides the slits in the foil!  I also added micro beads around the edges of the hatpin bezel.  I added more ICE Resin to fill the bezel.  Then I waited for it to cure!  That’s the hardest part for me!!!  I usually pour any ICE Resin pieces in the evening so they can cure overnight.

In the meantime, I put together the bead dangles.  There are 5 separate wrapped bead pieces.  I’ve used 3 head pins and 2 eye pins.  The eye pins have a small jump ring with seed beads as a dangle.  I made a loop at the top of each one and wire wrapped the end.

 When the ICE Resin was cured, I opened the jump ring, added the bead sections, and closed it.  Finished! 

I love the vintage look of it, especially the colors!  It would be very pretty on the lapel of a coat!

This pretty hatpin needed an elegant place to rest!  I decorated a wood box to coordinate with the hatpin.  

Here are the directions for the box:

I started with a recycled wood box.  It came from some specialty candy.  Any craft box that fits the pin will work.  Mine is 3 ¼ x 4 ¼ x 1 ½”.

I painted it black and then over sprayed it with Tattered Angles Concord and Strawberry Shortcake Chalkboard mists.  When the mists were totally dry, I sprayed a clear satin sealer over the box.

For the top, I cut a rectangle of aqua craft foil using Spellbinders® S4-130 Classic Rectangles SM #7.  I textured it with the Keys same as for the hatpin, adding black paint as well.  I snipped off each corner diagonally so it wouldn’t show beyond the gold frame. 

When I poured the ICE Resin in the hatpin, I also poured ICE Resin on this foil piece.  I spread it rather thin.  I sprinkled some of the silver and aqua micro beads over it and worked them into the ICE Resin.  I left it to cure overnight.

I cut/embossed 2 frames of black card stock using Spellbinders S4-168 Large Labels #4 and 5 nested together.  I glued them together for thickness.   I painted on Tattered Angels Saffron Glimmer Glaze.  When it was dry, I sprayed it with clear satin sealer.

To assemble the pieces, I applied Scor-Tape to the back of the foil and the frame.  I fastened both to the box lid.

To create the cushion inside the box, I started with a piece of card board cut to fit inside.  I cut batting/fiberfill to fit the cardboard and glued it to it.  I wrapped a piece of gold lining fabric over it and glued the edges to the bottom side of the cardboard. It’s glued into the box with craft glue.  A nice pin cushion for the hatpin!

Have I inspired you to try texturing craft foil?  Or even paper as shown in my second project below?  How about trying this same design as a pendant?  There are oval bezels the same size in the Media Mixage collection.   Have you tried ICE Resin?  I remember being afraid to try it at first.  It’s really quite easy!  The look is so amazing!  On my hatpin, I actually had to carve a bit of the ICE Resin off around the jump ring. A little mishap!   I poured another layer over it and it doesn’t even show!

For a little more inspiration, I have a second project with a totally different look!  I’ve used the small Spellbinders MB3-001 Circles Hatpin-Bronze and MT1-009 Keys texture plate to create this mini canvas…….

 

Can you see a circle hatpin?  It’s the flower center and stem. The "pot" is embossed with keys touched with copper Gilders Paste.  That makes the keys pop!   I’ll share more details on my blog sometime later.

For contest rules click HERE
 

To enter giveaway click HERE
 

Be sure to check out Ken’s project today!  He’s showcasing more new Media Mixage products.  I’m sure he’ll have an awesome project to get you even more inspired!  Click here for his blog!

Questions? calexander@spellbinders.us No entries will be accepted at this email address.

Americana Bird

Happy Independence Day!

I'm enjoying a relaxing day at home!  It's wonderful!  And I took some time to play!  It's been a very long time since I created something purely for fun! 

In observance of the 4th of July, I put together this little Americana bird.......

I used Spellbinders® Media Mixage™ Birds One dies and Artisan X-plorer® to cut 2 birds from worn denim. Well worn denim that's thin-medium weight cuts quite well in the Artisan X-plorer.    I glued the edges together except for the tail, leaving about 3./4" opening near the bottom.  I stuffed it with a tiny bit of fiberfill and glued it closed. I cut 2 wings from some navy fabric with stars on it and 2 wings from red vinyl that I drew stripes on with a white Painters marker. I had to improvise because I couldn't find any red/white stripe fabric in my stash!  I glued the star wing over the stripe wing offset so the stripes would show. The wings are glued to each side of the bird with Fabri-Tac glue. Next, I cut some red and white string and glued it in the tail.  The eye is a dot of black paint added with a Painters marker.

The base is 2 layers of self-adhesive craft foam, 1 of cardboard and 1 of navy paper cut with Spellbinders Stars Five #2 (#1 being the smallest), .  The foam stars are adhered together and then the paper star is glued to the top. I punched a tiny hole in the center for the twisted wire.  I splayed the wire ends for support. The cardboard star is glued to the bottom over the wire ends.  To put the other end of  the wire in the bird, I used a needle tool to separate the seam a tiny bit and pushed the wire in.  Then I glued the tiny opening shut again.
The bird holds 3 stars dangling from strings.  The stars are cut using Spellbinders Stars Five #1. I cut 2 of each: red vinyl, natural canvas, worn denim.  I glued each set of stars together back to back with string between.  The strings are glued into the birds beak. I didn't think ahead to leave the beak unglued!  It was pretty easy to separate the fabric as the glue wasn't fully set and tuck the strings in place.  

I hope you've had a great 4th of July!!! 

Happy creating!
-judy


Supplies:
Spellbinders® MMM-001 Artisan X-plorer®
Spellbinders® MD2-011 Birds One
Spellbinders® S4-092 Stars Five
Worn Denim
Navy Star Fabric
Red Vinyl
Natural Canvas
String - red, white
Elmer's Painters Markers - White, Black
Beadalon Artistic Wire - 20 gauge Bronze
Black Craft Foam
Cardboard
Beacon Adhesives - Fabri-Tac™
Fiberfill