Birthday, Baby and Friend Cards

 Today I'm sharing 3 cards I've made using some of Eileen Hull's Sizzix Chapter 1 releases.  

I've used the beautiful Vintage Buttons 3D Embossing Folder and her Snail Mail Thinlit Die (that coordinates with her Snail Mail Everyday Sentiments Maker Forte stamp set released last year).

First a card for a new baby boy.

I embossed a white card panel spritzed with a little water for the base of my card using the Vintage Buttons 3D embossing folder.  Such a gorgeous deep impression!

For the top embossed panel,  I rubbed the inside of the front of the embossing folder with blue ink, spritzed the white card panel with water, and then embossed the panel in the inked embossing folder - it gives a lovely subtle color behind the buttons!  

I cut this panel to fit inside the scallops of this die cut frame

I layered this over the white button embossed panel, added a sentiment and a button, both popped up on foam dots.

I stamped 'welcome little one' from Eileen's Snail Mail Every Day Sentiments stamp set inside.

For my next two cards I used die cuts from Thinlit Snail Mail Die and sentiments from Snail Mail Every Day Sentiments Stamp Set.

Hello Friend card.  

I adhered a strip of designer paper to the left side of the card.   I adhered the frame piece from the die centered on the card and layered 3 sizes of the cut blocks in different colors to frame my stamped sentiment.

Happy Birthday Card

I adhered a piece of patterned paper onto a white card base, adhered the frame offset over the paper (to feature the lovely florals in the corner!), stamped the sentiment on a block from the die and added red Nuvo Drops to opposite corners.

This photo shows the frame and blocks die included in the Thinlits Snail Mail Die along with die cuts out of white card.  If you cut the blocks on the dots - you get pieces that look like postage stamps!

To get the scalloped edge on the outside frame -  you cut a panel with the squares inside the frame.  If you cut just the outside piece it gives you a plain rectangle panel.

It is with a heavy heart that I say this is my last post as a member of Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team.

  

I have loved creating with Eileen's dies and working with Eileen and all of the wonderful creative people on her team over the past 6 years. 

I've just reached a time in my life when I want less deadlines and more free time for spontaneous activities now that COVID is loosening it's grip on us! (dare I say that?!)
Thank you Eileen for all of your support and encouragement while I've been on your team! I will certainly continue to create with your beautiful dies!

Remember to check out Eileen's blog every Wednesday to see a gathering of the teams creations!

Stamps:  Snail Mail Everyday Sentiments - Eileen Hull/Maker Forte, Cute as a Button from Baby Button Bits - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Caribbean Sky, Obsidian, Coral Berry - Altenew.

Paper:  White, Blueberry Sky, True Black, Raspberry Fizz - PTI, DP Garland 6x6 Pad - Memory Box.

Accessories:  Snail Mail Thinlit Die, Vintage Buttons Embossing Folder - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, button, foam dots, water mister, Word Window Punch - SU, Nuvo Crystal Drops Autumn Red. 

Eileen Hull Sizzix - Chapter 1 - 2022 Release Blog Hop

Today I'm participating in Eileen Hull's Sizzix Chapter 1 Dies 2022 blog hop.  They have just released the Book Box Bigz die that I'm using in this post, along with the Phone Stand Bigz Die, the Snail Mail Thinlit die (that coordinates with her Snail Mail Everyday Sentiments Stamp Set by Maker Forte) and her Vintage Buttons 3D embossing folder. 

The blog hop starts at Eileen's blog.

Today, I'm sharing my project using her Book Box Bigz Die.

I have several photos of the finished project followed by many photos of how I put this together.

The beautiful paper I covered the box with is from American Crafts sold as single sheets at Michaels.

I die cut the binding out of Gunmetal Cowhide Genuine Leather from Sizzix. (no longer available)

The back of the box.

The stamping inside the cover is from Eileen's Wonderful World of Flowers stamp set by Maker Forte which I white embossed.

How to:

I die cut the pieces twice using the Book Box Bigz die.  You need two of each of the pieces accept for the binding piece shown on the right.

I folded the tabs on each of the box sides pieces and adhered them using ScorTape on the end tabs to create the box frame.

Be sure the tabs are lined up evenly and that the frame created is 'squared'.

I folded the binding piece on the score lines just enough to make it curve.  I added ScorTape to the inside edges

I laid the back cover over the binding piece that had the ScorTape on it.

I wanted to create a closure for the box using Idea-ology Linen Ribbon.  I cut a piece of the ribbon 28" long.  I laid a piece of ScorTape across the middle of the inside back cover.

(no tape on the binding piece)

I applied ScorTape to the tabs on the box piece and laid it over the back book cover, leaving equal space on top and bottom and lining up the left edge along the edge of the back cover - which leaves a little space on the right side of the back cover.

I laid the loose end of the ribbon straight across the binding and put ScorTape over the last edge of the binding so the tape holds the ribbon in place when you attach the front cover.

I adhered the patterned paper to the die cut  cover using Ultra Bond Adhesive

Tucking the cover under the loose ribbon and pushing it right up to the edge of the binding.

I did the same with the back cover - adding the piece of patterned paper.

I die cut another binding piece out of this cool Metallic Gunmetal Cowhide from Sizzix.  As can often happen - there were a few cut throughs on the scores in the leather, so I used a really strong glue to adhere the leather binding to the matboard binding (Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue).  I held the ends on with clips and let dry overnight, checking the binding every so often and pressing it down with my finger if it was lifting anywhere.

To finish off the box, I cut and adhered the patterned paper to inside cover, and the sides of the box.

And here it is with the tie closure in a bow.

A beautiful gift box or storage box!

The blog hop starts at Eileen's blog

.

Eileen Hull - hop starts here

Pam Bray

Julia Aston Me

Lisa Hoel

Maggi Harding

Jennie Atkinson

Jenny Marples

Sue Eldred

Angela Beaver

Karen Bearse

Madeline Arendt

Sharon Curtis

Tonya Trantham

Elizabeth Robinson

There's a giveaway too! If you leave a comment for each of the designers in the Release Party Hop, or during the Facebook Live or YouTube video, you will be eligible to win one of the newly released products! Tell us what your favorite new product is and what you plan to do with it! Thanks for hopping with us!

Stamps:  Wonderful World of Flowers - Eileen Hull/Maker Forte.

Paper:  white matboard, DP American Crafts (Michaels).

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Book Box Bigz Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Genuine Leather Metallic Gunmetal Cowhide - Sizzix, white embossing powder, heat tool, Linen Ribbon - Idea-ology, Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue (under leather binding), Ultrabond Adhesive - iCraft (to adhere papers to box), ScorTape (on tabs putting box together)

2nd Project - January Collaboration with Eileen Hull/Sizzix and Gel Press

Today I'm sharing my 2nd project for Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team's January collaboration with Gel Press.  We are using Gel Press products with Eileen's Sizzix Dies.  Check out Eileen's blog all this month for a gathering of the teams projects!

 

 This time I made a journal using Eileen's Full Size Journal Sizzix Bigz Die. I created  Gel Plate prints for the covers and pages of my journal. 

(See my first project here if you missed it!)

 

First, I'll show you my finished journal.

Then, I'll share photos of how I created the Gel Plate prints.

WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD!

The stamp used on the cover of my journal is from Eileen's Button Cards and More Set.

 

I covered the binding of the journal with a piece of  Cork Roll from Sizzix.

I  tied black elastic cord around the binding to add the pages.  I made 2 signatures - 6 pages each.

 To create the Gel Plate print for my covers, I laid a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" card stock on my worktable and laid the 12"x12" Gel Plate over it.  I made prints on 8 1/2"x11" white card so having a piece under the 12" plate showed me the area to ink over.

I used different combination of 3 Distress Oxide Inks for all my Gel Press prints for this journal -  DOX Spiced Marmalade, DOX Speckled Egg and Dox Seedless Preserves.

For the covers I made 2 similar prints.  I dragged the ink pads across the Gel Plate using DOX Speckled Egg and DOX Spiced Marmalade, trying not to overlap the colors and contaminate the ink pads. You can hardly see the Speckled Egg but it's there!  I used a 6" brayer over the Gel Plate to blend the lines a bit.  I flicked some water over the Gel Plate to create some water marks.

 I laid my 8 1/2" x 11 piece of white card over the Gel Plate and pressed evenly over the paper and pulled this print off.

I repeated the process to get a 2nd similar print.

I wanted to add some patterns to my prints so I got out Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bubbling Cover Plate die and die cut it out of white card.  I laid the die cut over the clean Gel Plate and brayered DOX Speckled Egg ink over the die cut.  I repeated this in the other 3 corners and removed the die cut.  

I laid my inked print (above) over the Gel Plate and pressed over the paper.  I repeated the process with my second cover print.

Here are the final 2 cover prints.

I then die cut these panels with Eileen's Sizzix Full Size Journal Die, just cutting the cover piece and the two pieces for the closure.  I adhered these to the mat board journal die cut pieces.

Then I set out to create the pages for the journal - playing with  different Gel Plate techniques I'd seen on YouTube videos.  I wanted to make pages that were interesting but not too bright so I could journal on them or add photos etc. I did Gel Prints on both sides of the 8 1/2"x11"white card stock I used for the pages.   After printing, I folded each piece in half to create two pages from each print.

The first two were made simply swiping the pads across the Gel Plate.  On this one, I brayered over the inks on the Gel Plate to blend the edges. Then I flicked a little water over the inked plate,  laid the white card over the Gel Plate, pressed all over the surface of the paper and pulled the print.

This page below was made the same as above but I forgot to brayer over the Gel Plate to blend the ink so the lines between colors are more distinct and there is some white between the colors.  I also flicked this one with water before pulling the print.

I inked the plate again and then pulled a Gel Press Texture Comb over it randomly

The comb marks give added texture to this print.   I did not brayer the inks over the Gel Plate so the lines between colors are less blended.  See how dark the ink is on the print below?  but it looks so light above on the Gel Plate?  If I didn't have the white card under the Gel Plate I don't think I would have been able to see the ink at all.

 

 A print using the same inks, different Gel Press Texture Comb edge used, which I just pulled straight down the Gel Plate.

Same inks, using another edge of a Texture Comb in opposite directions over the inked Gel Plate.

 

 Then I made a print using the Gel Press Rose Mandala Impressables.  (You can ink over this design gel plate and 'stamp' the design or press it onto an inked Gel Plate for a negative print, or ink the raised design and pull a print off it). I rubbed DOX Speckled Egg Ink over the 12"x12" Gel Plate, then I pressed the Rose Mandala Gel Plate into the ink on the plate and then pulled the print

I love how this print came out! It's not centered  but perfect for a page background!

 For this print, I rubbed DOX Spiced Marmalade ink over the Gel Plate, blended the ink with the brayer and then pressed  the butterfly, leaf and diamond shaped Sweet Nature Petites onto the Gel Plate.  I flicked water over the Gel Plate, pressed the paper onto the plate and pulled the print.

 

 Rather abstract shapes achieved (obviously didn't use equal pressure!?!) - but it makes a lovely background for a page!  

I had to get used to the fact that with Gel prints it doesn't have to be perfect!?!

 For my next print, I rubbed the DOX Seedless Preserves over the Gel Plate and blended it with the brayer.  Then I put Eileen's Heart Mandala die onto the Gel Plate - cut edges down - and pressed over the die with my fingers.  I repeated that in the opposite corner and then dragged a Gel Press Texture Comb edge across the open space where I hadn't pressed the die.

I love the light print the die makes (I saw this technique on YouTube as well)

 

I used the die again on my next print.  This time I dragged the Dox Speckled Egg Ink over the Gel Plate and brayered over the ink.  Then I pressed Eileen's Heart Mandala die onto the plate cut edge down in 3 places.  I hadn't thought to clean off the die and apparently there was still Dox Seedless Preserves ink on the die from the prior print I made. There was enough ink on the die to show up like this on the print!  

Happy accidents!

For my final two pages I wanted to try using stamps on the inked Gel Plate. I dragged the Dox Speckled Egg and Dox Seedless Preserves over the Gel Plate.  After blending with the brayer it looked mostly like Seedless preserves on the plate. 

(I blended it a bit too much?! or I should have cleaned my brayer?)  

I took Eileen's Vintage Damask Maker Forte Stamp and just pressed it, un-inked, onto the Gel Plate moving and pressing down on the stamp until it covered the whole area.  This is the resulting print!  

For my next print, I cleaned off my Gel Plate and rubbed DOX Speckled Egg over it. I brayered the ink to blend the edges and then stamped with the un-inked stamp over the whole area. 

(it doesn't look like there's any ink on the Gel Plate but there is!)

This print came out much lighter than the one using Seedless Preserves but I love the beautiful subtle look, perfect as background for a page! Next time I might ink the Gel Plate a little more.

I realized I needed to make another print to cover the brad tabs on the inside of the covers of my journal.  I inked the Gel Plate with DOX Speckled Egg.

I laid the Pebbles Stencil from Lavina over the top half and sponged DOX Spiced Marmalade over the openings of the stencil.

I moved the stencil to the bottom half and sponged again.

Here's the gorgeous print that this made!

and a close up  - so cool right? It looks like corpuscles swimming in an artery or vein?!

I cut the print in half and it wasn't quite large enough to cover the inside of the covers, so I inked around the edges of the covers and then adhered the pieces.

 

So here are all the pages as you see them in the journal.

  

Thank you for sticking with me to the very end!

 

I enjoyed learning a few tricks for creating Gel Plate prints and I know there is so much more that can be done!  I have tried using acrylic paints but haven't gotten the hang of 'a little goes a long way' yet, so for this journal I just used the Distress Oxide Inks!  Maybe next time??!