Fall Embellishments

Used items from the stash to make some fall embellishments for holiday projects ahead. First I made these banner embellishments:

First I made the folded banners using card stocks from the stash and the Ruffles and Doiles die set from Coco & Reno. I used liquid glue to keep that folded. Wanted to add more gold across the front of the banner so I used a die set from Sunny Studio and I used their rick rack die and cut out some gold foil poster board from the DollarTree:

For this banner:

It is hard to see but I did not want a wide rick rack piece so after I had die cut a regular piece with the rick rack die I then put this die on the edge of the cut poster board with a little of the gold foil showing and die cut that again - this gave me two die cut rick rack pieces:

Here are the two pieces die cut from one pass in the machine:

Here is a better photo showing the thinner rick rack piece across one of the banners:

For the rosettes I used the Sizzix rosette die set:

I used hot glue to put these together using my make-shift tool so I did not touch the hot glue:

The tool is one of the handles for ink blending and on the bottom of this tool I have glued with E6000 a circle of my brown craft no stick mat:

Used my circle patterns from 110# weight card stock to cut out two pieces of sparkle tulle to put on top of the rosettes:

I wanted to use a gold foil circle behind the banner in the center for the rosette to be in front of. Once I punched out the 2" circles I decided to put three of those behind the banner and I did that using liquid glue. To make these circles more sturdy I cut a piece of white 110# weight card stock one inch wide by 3 1/4" long and I used tear and tape to add this to the back of the circles:

Using two word dies from ScrapDivaDesigns I cut the words out of the gold poster board and the shadow pieces from solid card stock scraps. Used liquid glue to put the words onto the solid shadow pieces and set those aside to dry. With the rick rack pieces across the banner pieces I used tear and tape to put the banners onto the gold circles. Then used liquid glue to put rosette in the center of the banner. Used a dab of liquid glue to put the tulle on the rosette front. Used gold metallic thread to put on top of the tulle and then hot glue to put the word/shadow piece across the front of the rosette. Added holographic sequins to the banners for some sparkle and shine:

Also made some of the embellished ticket embellishments I had seen long ago made by Septeria on YouTube. Used scraps for mine and a ticket corner punch:

Here is a photo of how to make the tickets using her pattern:

In the photo the green piece, 1 1/4" wide by 2" long is the larger ticket that is the bottom ticket. The piece on the right is the top ticket and that is 1" wide by 1 3/4" long. I used a ticket (photo punch) punch for the corners for both sizes and with all four corners punched these look like tickets - like the plaid piece on the lower right of the photo. I used foam tape to put the smaller ticket on the bottom ticket piece for dimension. I used a 1" circle punch and punched out a circle from solid card stock. Used a 7/8" circle punch for the second circle on top of that. Used liquid glue to stack those. 

For the small banner under the pumpkin I used the Sentiment Banner die set from Pink & Main. For the little pumpkin I used a 1/2" circle punch and punched out three circles. I sponged the edges of those and put them together with liquid glue. Cut a stem using scissors and glued that to the back of the pumpkins. Added some small gems from the stash to the front of the tickets. 

Fun embellishments to make for Fall and Thanksgiving projects and happy to use more dies from the stash and more of the scrap card stocks. 

Worth the wait - - -

Lots of YouTube videos on new products introduced at the Creativation 2025 trade show in Seattle in April featuring new tools/products for paper crafters. I had seen a couple of videos showing the new Pear Blossom Press "Cardmaker's T-square A2" ruler/jig. This was put together by Amanda Stevens (owner of Pear Blossom) with help from JourneyCoachJenn who is Jenn Gross from FunStampersJourney. This new t-square ruler is a must have for layering pieces on card fronts. Here is a photo of the product as it is packaged:

This ruler has a "jig" for two size panels - one panel is 3/8" smaller than the card front and the other size is 1/2" smaller than the card front. You can use these a single panels or layer them. I made up three samples using a light gray card base that is cut and scored at the top to show these. The first is the white panel that I cut for the 3/8" size:

This second one has a green panel for the 1/2" side of the ruler:

This next photo shows the two size panels layered onto the card base:

This ruler/jig works really well in keeping the border on the card base straight and even but on the ruler there is no markings as to what size you need to cut your panel pieces.  For the 3/8" panel you need to cut your panel 3/4" smaller than the card base so your panel will be 3 1/2" x 4 3/4". The half inch panel needs to be cut to 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".  To make using this ruler easier I used my clear labels and made a label for each size. I put the clear label on both the 3/8" side of the ruler and the 1/2" side. This way when I use the ruler for the panels I will know what size my panels need to be. Here is a photo showing my clear labels on this ruler for future use:

When I placed my order I ordered one for my PIC (stamping Partner In Crime) also and I also made her a clear label with the panel sizes on it so she will have that for her ruler also. I did not put it on the ruler as I do not know if she would want it on there but I put it in the bag for her with her ruler:

Also the pink dots on the ruler is for centering a sentiment strip or a focal piece for your card. In this photo I cut a scrap piece of card stock to show how easy centering items on your card fronts will be using this ruler:

This ruler has the centering dots for both landscape and portrait cards so I will get lots of use out of those for sentiments! Happy some crafters were able to put this product out there for us as not only does it help keep panels straight but sentiments/focal points centered and straight! Thanks to Amanda and Jenn for putting their heads together on this product!

One Rom Com equals a bunch of flowers ......

Had recently bought the Desert Rose Flower die from Scrapdiva Designs during her 25% off sale. That arrived last week and happy me there was a rom com on cable so I turned that on while I cut the flowers out using her die:

Nice having one plate that cuts out all the flower pieces. I used scrap card stocks to make my flowers so happy more scraps were used up:

Used the three section organizers from the Dollar Tree that I had in my stash to organize all the flower petals by colour. Once they were all cut out I started to make the flowers -- it took me a few days after work here and there to get them assembled and am about 3/4 of the way through these:

I used different gems from the stash - pearls, crystal gems, flat stickers for the flower centers as I made the flowers.

When I finish making  the flowers I put them all in a clear box with a lid so I can easily see the colours I would need for whatever project I am working on. Happy to have this die set/plate as these flowers are very easy to put together and a nice size as well... Certainly happy I was able to get 25% off the regular price during her sale!! :0)

Most of the flowers I assembled and then put them in the box.  I will shape the flowers as I am putting them on projects I am making so they do not get smashed in the box.....

BOO Day Embellishments - #1

Wanted to make some embellishments for BOO Day using items from the craft room for projects I have seen on YouTube and blogs for Halloween. Here is the first project for Halloween embellishments I made:

Witches Brooms:

There are a few videos on YouTube showing how to make these crepe paper/straw brooms but I will explain how I made mine below. For some of my brooms I used thin ribbons to make a small bow with a gem and others I used flat back flowers in place of the bows for the broom tops:

All the Halloween themed straws I used for the broom sticks are from my stash and I had bought them at Dollar Tree at when they put out their Halloween items over the years. You can also use plain straws that you paint or cover with washi tape or card stock. Some crafters have also used popsicle sticks for their broom handles. Here is how I made my Witches Brooms:

First I used an Exacto knife and cut the straw in half lengthwise. Then I cut a piece of crepe paper approx 16 inches long with scissors. I folded this in half lengthwise:

 I folded this in half again:

I used my M Stewart fringe scissors to cut the crepe paper being sure to leave about 1/4 inch from the top uncut:

If you do not have a pair of the fringe scissors you can easily cut the layers of the crepe paper with regular scissors but be sure to leave a 1/4 inch border at the top. Open the crepe paper:

The key to making the brooms is using hot glue - but you want a very light dot of the hot glue. Put the glue in your top corner of the crepe paper and lay your straw in the glue on the crepe paper. Even tho the Exacto knife cuts the straw easily your cut may not be totally even so I would put the cut end of the straw on the crepe paper piece. With the straw attached with the glue to the crepe paper start rolling the straw down your crepe paper piece. Every so often put another small dot on the crepe paper so the layers will adhere:

Try to keep the crepe paper even at the top as much as you can, adding dots of hot glue here and there and at the end of the strip another dot of hot glue to close the "broom" the crepe paper formed. Even with using such a light application of the hot glue the crepe paper will stay closed/formed on the straw:

The crepe paper is thin so if it should tear/come apart just add another small dot of the hot glue to reattach it and keep going - no one will know that your crepe paper is not one piece. With my crepe paper/broom on the straw I then cut a piece of black sparkly eye lash yarn from the stash to wrap around the top of my broom:

Attached the yarn to the broom piece using a small dot of hot glue and I just wrapped this around the top of the broom and I continued to wrap the yarn around the straw a few times at the top of the broom and held that in place using a dot of hot glue:

After the glue has cooled use scissors and trim off the excess yarn. Turn the straw over and hot glue a flat back flower to the broom front or hot glue a small bow with a gem to the front:

Used hot glue to add a pom pom to the top of the brooms. These go together quickly and each one looks different from the other depending on the colours of crepe paper or print on the straw you use. These will be cute embellishments for rosettes or bag toppers and the like for Halloween projects ahead......

TIPS: For all my brooms I made the bows with the gems first since I used liquid glue for those and set those aside to dry while working on all the brooms. Also when I was rolling the crepe paper to form the broom I only used a dot of hot glue four or five times forming my crepe paper into the broom shape. You do not need a lot of the hot glue as the small dots of hot glue will keep the broom shaped while you are continuing to make your broom. You can also fluff out your crepe paper at the bottom of the broom once you finish them to make your broom look fuller.  Fun project to add as a Halloween embellishment for holiday projects ahead!

3D Embossed Bows

Scrappassion01 on YouTube had a video about a card she made using new products from The Greetery and she was showing all she used to make her card and her how-to's and then she showed the back of her card. She had used the Lisa Horton Crafts "Blooming Bows" 3D embossing folder on foiled card stock for her card back. Having to want this folder now the search was on..... 

I had ordered from Joggles.com in the past so I started with them and they had the folder in stock! So I ordered that and when it arrived I embossed some foiled card stock to show the details of this folder. Here is the photo of the packaging:

With the folder:

First sample is foiled card stock (from a pad at Mike's) - camera thinks it is blue but it is a dark purple:

In other colours but foils:

and a brushed gold card stock:

The embossing folder is 5x7 so a nice size. All the foils and the brushed card stock did well with the 3D embossing - no cracks or tears.  Joggles.com has very fast shipping and good prices... they also have specials so be sure to sign up for those! Happy Scrappassion01 (Betty) shared her card showing this pretty embossing folder!!

Nicole Silhouette

Nicole Silhouette is a designer that designs many of the dies we see all over YouTube. She designs for KS Crafts, Scrap Diva Designs, Scrappy Boys, etc.. She recently posted a video on YouTube that she had designed small dies with KS Crafts that she was selling under her brand and this die set is called "Doodle Dies Volume 1" -- these dies are random and as she explained in her video the photo on the packaging showed some of these dies:

This die set has 29 dies in it and it would be available to order for a two week period. On the photo for the packaging it shows at the top her ruffled dies, her layered bow dies, then the butterfly die, and at the bottom an eyelet border die. She said she had told KS Crafts she wanted no plastic packaging for this release and when my order came the dies were wrapped in tissue in a card board box. Here is the photo of the packaging and the dies:

 

I cut apart all the dies and put them on magnet sheets so they are all together with the photo packaging for future use:

She included the shorter and longer ruffled die pieces, flowers, leaves, branch dies, bow dies with layering pieces, a butterfly, and three ornate die pieces - she explained she had designed dies for journals, albums, books, etc so these dies can be used as brackets or corner pieces, and the bottom ornate die has a key hole in it perfect for a book or journal or album. 

Since this is Volume 1 we knew there would be more.... she has already said the next "Doodle Dies" die set will be for Halloween items..... Using the layered ruffled dies will bring a shabby chic feeling to any project and the flowing ribbon die will match that perfectly...... 

3D Double Self Closing Gift Bag

Scrapdivadesigns.com had a sale over the weekend and happy me my order arrived today... I bought three die sets and the self closing gift bag is the fav - - here is a photo of the die set:

This die set has dies to make two bags - the one on the left will die cut a top of the bag having a heart edge and the die set on the right has a curved edge. This die set also offers pieces if you want to make a shaker piece for the front of the bag and also a heart die to add to your bag. As soon as this arrived I made two bags - the one bag with the heart border on the left I made a bag using Valentine's Day card stocks. The curved bag on the right I made for a Fall treat holder. Here is a photo of the bags:

At the top of my bags I cut a piece of printed card stock 1/2" wide by approx 2 5/8" long. (There is no die in the set for that piece). Here is the back of the self closing bag:

To make my bags I die cut out the bag pieces twice from solid card stocks - one piece for the bag front and one piece for the back. This die embosses the score lines onto the die cut pieces. I set these bag front and back pieces aside. Using printed card stocks from the stash I cut out the triangles for the front of the bags and the little triangles for the sides of the bags. I put all the die cut triangles on the bag front and back die pieces using liquid glue while the bag pieces were flat. Once they were dried I then folded the bag pieces on the scored lines using the bone folder. I put the front and back bag pieces together using tear and tape. Closed the bottom of the bags also using tear and tape. 

These treat holders go together quickly and are free standing. Another easy treat holder to put together and to decorate - they stay closed on their own but a clothespin could be decorated and added to the top to add interest. And again a good use for printed scrap card stocks. . .