Seth Apter Dies Organiser with Eileen Hull Designs (Sizzix)

Hi everyone and welcome. All through March Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team have been sharing lots of brilliant ideas for using her dies to get organised - and when I say brilliant I really do mean it! Check out all the posts from this month on Eileen's website HERE.

Having seen what's being shared by the team a little in advance I know I've been inspired to use their ideas to help organise the chaos in my craft room, and today's project is a case in point. My incredible team mate Diana Hetherington came up with a perfect way to store her Eileen Hull Thinlits Dies and that got me wanting to make one for my Seth Apter collection. So........

The Seth Apter Dies Organiser

Diana's original used Eileen Hull's Sizzix Scoreboards XL Die 'Album, Mini' to create her organiser so that's exactly where I started too. But with wanting to make pages that could be moved around I opted to use the spine from Eileen Hull's Sizzix Scoreboards XL Die 'Passport' as it pre-punches the holes for the elastic and scores the bends in the spine.

Die-cutting done, I got down to the business of decorating the album; layers of vintage paper were combined with Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints in shades of Night, Elephant, Umber, Sedona and White. I added a touch of stamping using Seth Apter's 'French Script' stamp and used his 'Splat' stencil from StencilGirl Products in the centre of each cover.

Now for a sprinkle of magic - by heat embossing a couple of layers of Seth's Baked Texture 'Vintage Beeswax' Embossing Powder from Emerald Creek Crafts onto each side of the cover it added a warm, vintage glow as well as a strengthened protective surface. And it allowed me to melt an old metal washer onto the front! Some plaited jute ribbon and coordinating elastic completed the covers with a touch of extra texture. Inside I folded 5" x 10" pieces of patterned kraft card to create simple pages onto which magnetic tape could be applied. And hey presto, I now have the perfect place to store my Seth Apter die collection! Now, a few more of these are required for all the other thin dies... !

That's it from me for today. Please make sure you head on over to Diana's blog to see the original version of this die organiser, and check out the other amazing ideas from the rest of the team on Eileen's website.

Take care and get creative!
Jenny xxx

p.s. I threaded this little book with elastic in the same way as I do for the larger journals. Here's how;

Stretch your elastic cord across the inside of the book/journal from top to bottom, then feed it back through the holes from the outside back to the inside.

Pull the elastic cord to the desired tightness then knot in the middle and trim away any excess. Repeat with the other holes and then you are ready to slip your pages inside!

Topflight Stamps 1 Year Birthday Blog Hop

Hi everyone and welcome to the Topflight Stamps 1st Birthday Blog Hop!!! I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this exciting event by store owner Donna Bowman and have a new project to share with you as part of these celebrations.

Before we get to that here's the lowdown on the Blog Hop itself from Donna: "The past year has been more successful than we ever could have imagined and it’s all because of our amazing customers. We are so excited to celebrate with you and give you our 1st Birthday Special Discount - 20% off ALL orders - use code BDAY20.

Topflight Stamps is a place you will find different and unique stamps from around the World. Today we have an AWESOME blog hop with some of the best paper crafters in the industry. They are each featuring some of our favorite stamps. Be sure to comment on this blog and all the blogs on the hop to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE - a $50 store credit!!! PLUS - each of the designers on this blog hop are giving away a $10 gift certificate to one of the commenters on their post. I will announce my winner here on Monday, April 2. The $50 Grand Prize winner will be announced on the Topflight Stamps Blog the same day."

My Project

As Topflight Stamps sell a wide range of IndigoBlu designs in the US, Donna asked if I would create something using them to share with you. So here is a card created using the 'Anemone and Daisy' stamp set.

I had so much fun creating this card starting with a whole heap of gorgeous Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints from Ranger; the background combined layers of every one of her blue/aqua shades from Night through Sky before starting on the flowers. At this point Tim Holtz Stamp Platform became invaluable as I used repeat stamping with a mix of Wendy Vecchi Archival Inks and Tim Holtz Distress Oxides Inks (Carnation/Fired Brick and Leaf Green/Peeled Paint) before painting in the details with more of Dina's Sedona and Lime paints. The focal flowers were stamped with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide and the colour drawn out using a fine detail water brush before being over-stamped with Leaf Green Archival Ink. And because a vintage finish always makes me happy the edges of the background and flowers were blended with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. The final touch was of course the sentiment, cut using Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Alphanumeric Thinlits Dies from Classic Kraft Stock. Here are a couple of close up photos to show the details;

I'm sure you'll agree that this 'Anemone and Daisy' stamp set has some beautiful floral images that are perfect for using on your own cards and other projects. You'll find these and many more IndigoBlu designs in store now at Topflight Stamps.

That's it for my contribution to the Topflight Stamps 1st Birthday Blog Hop - now it's time for you to hop on over to see the other wonderful projects. Be sure to comment on this blog to be in with a chance to win a $10 gift certificate. I'll be back to announce the winner on Monday, April 2.

And remember, by commenting on all the blogs on the hop you'll be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE - a $50 store credit!!! Here are the links to those all important blogs;
• Topflight Stamps
• Donna Bowman
• Lindsay Weirich
• Clare Messenger
• Julia Stainton
• Jenny Colacicco
• Veronica Zalis
• Tenia Nelson
• Lisa Hoel
• Teri Anderson
• Jenny Marples - you are here
• Nathalie Fournier
• Karen Bearse
• Kristina Song

Good luck everyone! Jenny xxx

Knock on Wood for Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome. Over at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog we are already half way through the latest challenge, 'Knock On Wood'. This is what Suzanne Czosek, our host for this challenge, is looking for; "I decided to challenge everyone with adding a touch of wood to your art this challenge. For this challenge you need to dig through your crafty stash and look for some type of wood to incorporate into your art. This can be any kind of wooden object like a wood spool, a wood button, a mini ruler or even a branch."

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

A Woodgrain Background Card

A while back I picked up some wallpaper samples to use as photo backdrops and to cover journals. One of these featured colourful wooden planks, all timeworn and stacked to form a pattern. Whilst far too distracting for a photo background I was inspired to recreate the look for this card.

To create this effect use Ranger Woodgrain Paper and cut into strips of different widths. Blend over each of them with your choice of Distress Oxide Inks (my choices are listed at the end of this post) and dry before brayering unevenly over the raised grains with brown, black and grey shades of Distress Paint. Finish with a lightly brayered coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint if you prefer the shabby chic look. Cut a piece of card to the size desired background and glue the strips in place to form a pattern. I edged each strip with Black Soot Distress Oxide Ink to make them pop even more. Use any surplus pieces to cut your sentiment letters from.

The Close Ups

The bottle, glass and grapes were stamped onto white card with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide Ink using Tim Holtz 'Wine Blueprints' stamp set from Stampers Anonymous. I used a Detailer Nib Water Brush to draw out some of the stamping and create shadows before blending a little Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink around the edges. To create a contrast with the matte background I embossed them with clear embossing powder, deliberately creating a 'bubbled' surface by applying extra Emboss It ink from the Dabber so it would react with the heat.

The glass, bottle and grapes were layered on foam tape to give them added dimension. I also added stars, some die cut from Metallic Kraft Stock and some from Tim Holtz Ideaology Adornments range. The latter were covered with Picket Fence Distress Paint before being sanded back to reveal some of the metal.

So there you have it, my resist technique for the current Frilly and Funkie challenge. My talented team mates have also created lots of amazing projects for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage projects featuring a wooden element, to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

Take care of yourselves and get creative! Jenny xxx

Vintage Sewing Box as part of Getting Organised with Eileen Hull Designs (including a crinoline flower tutorial)

Hi everyone and welcome. Well officially Spring has arrived, though I wish the weather would take note of that fact!!! Ignoring the snow and ice, I'm thrilled to have had a new Wendy Vecchi Spring canvas tutorial published on the Ranger Ink blog. It uses lots of the 2018 releases from Ranger including Wendy's new Archival Ink colours, Perfect Cardstock and the brilliant Detail Blending Tools. I would love for you to check it out HERE and let me know what you think.

Turning to today's blog post, and traditionally at this time of year our thoughts turn to Spring cleaning and clearing the clutter. For those of us with an ever increasing mountain of craft supplies keeping them in order is essential! So throughout March Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team are getting organised using Eileen's fabulous die designs from Sizzix.

Vintage Sewing Box

Whenever my sewing machine comes out there are a few essentials needed; reels of cotton with their corresponding bobbins, pins, un-picker, scissors, needles etc. Having been inspired by a small sewing box created by Jennalee Anderson I decided to make one of my own. I used Eileen's 'Trinket Box' Scoreboards XL Die from Sizzix to make the box - a tutorial for creating it can be found on my blog HERE. To add the pincushion part at the top I inserted a piece of felt from the reverse through the oval cut out, stuffing it with toy wadding before gluing in place the smaller lid pieces on the underside.

The Close Up Details

Looking inside you can see just how much this 'Tardis like' little box can hold! Yet its petite size (measuring just 5" x 3 1/2") means that this box can be stored on your sewing machine platform comfortably, meaning it will always be ready to hand when you need to get stitching.

Keeping the decoration relatively simple, the design papers from The Far East Stack by DCWV have been accented with some black lace trim and there are a few sewing themed embellishments on the lid. Alongside the little brass scissors and buttons I cut a 'spool' from card and wrapped cotton thread around it. The wire wool curls were shaped using Eileen's 'Twist N Style Tool' and I added a vintage style crinoline flower to complete the ensemble. For those who'd like to create their own flowers I've added a tutorial below.

Crinoline Flower Tutorial

My little flower was inspired by those created by Tammy Tutterow and Linda Coughlin. Here's how it came together;

Cut flower shaped from white crinoline using the die from Eileen's 'Stitchy Flowers & Leaf' Thinlits Die Set by Sizzix. You will need three flower shapes for each completed flower.

Spray each flower shape with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and allow to dry (or dry with a heat tool).

Give the flowers an aged watermarked feel by spritzing them with water, allowing it to react with the ink before dabbing with some tissue.

Whilst still damp scrunch each flower shape into a ball, clamp together with tweezers and dry with a heat tool.

Unfurl each flower piece and layer three together. Stitch the layers together in the centre to secure in place.

To finish, cut white centre stamens using the die from the same Stitchy Flowers & Leaf set (I used Sizzix Paper Leather for its durability but you could use card). Use strong glue to attach it to the centre of the flower, then add a bead of 'Onyx Pearl' Liquid Pearls from Ranger in the centre, allowing it to air dry. I have an idea for using more of these flowers so do stay tuned for that!

Well that's my sewing essentials taken care of, now my thoughts turn to dealing with some of my other crafting supplies! My team mates have been putting together their own organisation projects and I know it has inspired me to make more having seen what they've done. Make sure you check out Eileen Hull's website throughout March to see their clever ideas.

I'll be back again tomorrow with a new Frilly and Funkie DT project for the current challenge. Until then take care of yourselves and get creative!

Jenny xxx

Get In On The Action with Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome. Over at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog we are already half way through the latest challenge, 'Get In On The Action'. Our host for this challenge is Kathy Clement - here's what she's looking for; "adding an interactive element on a card, tag, layout or canvas adds a bit of fun to any project. For this challenge, create a vintage or shabby chic project that incorporates an interactive element of one sort or another in the design. You can add a pocket and tag, a hidden tag, a hinged page, a flap, a flip, a tuck spot, a special fold or any kind of interactive element that appeals to you. Be sure to tell us in your post what makes your project interactive, as it may or may not be apparent in a photo."

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie and the next three will receive badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

A Mother's Day Card

Here in the UK it's getting close to Mother's Day. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to make something with a hidden message inside.

I started with a 6 inch square gatefold card (though the middle doesn't meet - deliberately) which was covered with pieces of edge-stitched Memoranda paper (matching the layers inside and out). The hearts were cut using Wendy Vecchi's 'Never Enough Hearts' stencil as a template, and after a coat of white gesso they had some painted Tim Holtz Ideaology Collage Paper applied and texture paste patterning added through the small version of the Nordic Layering Stencil. Three of these were layered over the front in an overlapping pattern so they could be revealed in turn as the card opened.

The front of the card was completed with smaller hearts (coloured using the same paints used for the Collage Paper) a Small Talk sticker, a die cut MUM and flowers cut from lace. All of the edges were inked with brown archival ink to compliment the Memoranda paper.

Opening the card you'll see that a band of matching Memoranda paper was added to the centre to hide the enclosed heart from view when the card is closed. This heart was decorated in the same was as those on the front, with the reverse left blank for a personal message to be added.

So there you have it, my interactive card for the current Frilly and Funkie challenge. My talented team mates have also created lots of amazing action projects for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own interactive projects to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

For now, take care of yourselves and get creative! Jenny xxx

New Video 'How To' Tutorials and more...

Hi everyone and welcome. It's been busy here behind the scenes as I put together a few 'how to' tutorials with Seth Apter's Baked Texture Embossing Powders and Tim Holtz Distress Resist Spray and Collage Paper. A couple of these have been shared previously in different places but I thought it would be helpful to combine them here so you don't miss any. It also provides the perfect opportunity to share three new cards created using some of the techniques shared on these videos.

Seth Apter Dirty Sand Baked Texture Embossing Powder

Here's the latest video tutorial sharing tips and techniques for using Dirty Sand Baked Texture Embossing Powder on its own and in combination with Distress Resist Spray and Distress Oxide Ink;

And I have created this card using the tag and word demonstrated on the video. The background has been embossed with Tim Holtz 'Wood Planks' Texture Fades Embossing Folder and the fabulous tropical cocktail comes from his new Cocktails Blueprint stamp set, coloured with Distress Oxide Inks.

Tim Holtz Botanical Collage Paper and Distress Paints

Now on to another of my recent video tutorials. This one was created for the Saturday Showcase series over on the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog and features Tim Holtz Botanical Collage Paper and Distress Paints;

And I have created this card using the peonies painted on the video. The background is a collage combining paper from Tim Holtz 'Etcetera' and 'Dapper' Paper Stash collections, his new 'Salvaged' Design Tape, Texture Paste through his 'Crossed' Layering Stencil and other pieces of assorted ephemera/die cuts.

Seth Apter Chunky Rust Baked Texture Embossing Powder

Finally here's a video that I've posted previously sharing tips and techniques for using Chunky Rust Baked Texture Embossing Powder on its own and in combination with Distress Resist Spray and Distress Spray Stains;

And I have created this card using another of the tags demonstrated on the video in combination with more of that painted Botanical Collage Paper. Keeping it simple this time I've used Tim Holtz 'Memoranda' Paper Stash for the background and a new Ideaology Butterfly as one of the metal embellishments.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing these new video tutorials and the cards made from some of the results of the demonstrations. If you have any questions about anything you've seen or have requests for future videos please let me know in the comments below. For now I'm headed back to the craft room as the snow continues to fall outside, dreaming of warm Spring days and new flowers...

Take care, whatever you're up to out there, and get creative!
Jenny xxx