Christmas Train Case

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you all know there is another great sale going on at Sizzix this weekend, and it includes lots of great dies from Eileen Hull like this Train Case. This is such a cool die and I've hardly used it. I've had the idea for this little winter scene for ages and it seemed like the perfect time to make it!

I cut the pieces for the train case from medium weight chipboard and then assembled the case. I chose to cover it with this pretty paper from My Mind's Eye after I'd assembled it, so I didn't have the score lines showing.  I actually lined the inside, which was not really necessary since you don't see it once it's filled up!

After the case was covered with paper, I attached the lid. To build the bottom up, I added styrofoam. It also makes a great base for anything you want to glue down. I had this sweet deer that I've been saving for ages - you might remember this tutorial from a few years ago for making dies 3D - that was perfect for my scene. Unfortunately, that die is only available by special order now, but any deer that's about 3" tall would work. I also added one of Tim Holtz's Woodland Trees with pearls, some vintage ornaments, and greenery. It's all tied up with a piece of Crinkle Ribbon and a Christmas Key.

Even though this looks big in pictures, it's a tiny little case - measuring approximately 5" wide. I almost thought about making this into an ornament, but it's just a bit too big. It is absolutely perfect for little scenes like this though. I wish the sparkle showed up better in photos - it's so pretty!

You can find Eileen Hull's Train Case die, plus lots of others by clicking the image below. Don't forget that shipping is free when you spend $25+!

I was surprised and excited to see that Eileen's Journal die is included in the sale - it's a great price on such a fabulous die. I used it to make the sweet Christmas shadow box below. I am obsessed with that die!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a great weekend!

Something Wicked Halloween Shadow Box

Hi all! After I discovered that Eileen Hull's Journal die could be used to make cool shadow boxes, I knew I had to make one for Halloween. With Sizzix' huge sale on Tim Holtz dies going on this weekend, I thought it was the perfect time to create a spooky assemblage featuring some of my favorite dies of Tim's. The best part is they are all on sale right now!

I used one of my all-time favorite dies on the front of my book/box. This Boo die is so awesome! I've used it on so many projects and I never get tired of it. Underneath it I've used the Mini Baroque Movers and Shapers die - another fave.

I cut the Boo out of chipboard, then painted it black and covered it with black glitter. So pretty! Along the bottom I added a strip of bats cut from black kraft core'dinations using Tim's Bats and Crossbones Garland die.

Ack! So much spooky goodness! And I'm really excited about how this Mini Clipboard die cut turned out. Yes, that's a die! I made it look realistic by first covering the front and back of a piece of chipboard with foil tape. I die cut it using the Mini Clipboard Movers and Shapers die, then aged it with black and silver alcohol inks. So cool! I used the Mini Spider and 31 die set for the perfect embellishments. Beware was cut from black kraft core'dinations using a die from the Halloween Words set.

Here's a shot of the Mini Clipboard die before I assembled it. The piece with the brads was cut freehand from a leftover piece of the chipboard. It's attached to the book cover, then the clip piece is adhered on top using foam dots to give it dimension. I also added grooves with a stylus and rounded the bottom to make it look more real.

Just like in my Christmas book shadow box, I used dollar store jewelry boxes to create my niches. They're covered with papers from Tim's Halloween collection, and edged with design tape.

I found these cute witches via Pinterest on this site. I cut them apart and sized them to make them fit the space. (I didn't realize until today that this image is also included in one of Tim's Found Relatives collections. Depending on the size, those may not fit the space the same.) They were colored with Distress markers and adhered with foam dots. Tim's Gothic Gate die adds a bit of texture behind them. To cover the seam between the two boxes, I cut a strip of skulls using the Bats and Crossbones die and adhered it. A few witchy embellishments to fill the bottom niche and I was done!

You can find all the dies I used at Sizzix (ON SALE!!) via the image below. To give you an idea of how good the prices are, the Boo die is marked down to $7 - it's normally $19.99!! Some of these dies will most likely be discontinued, so grab them while you still can. Shipping is free when you order $99 or more. Eileen's Journal die is finally back in stock and it's a great time to pick up one of those as well!

My favorite chipboard to use with Eileen's ScoreBoard dies is the medium weight chipboard from Amazon:

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed the Halloween version of the Eileen Hull Journal shadow box. I really had a blast making it! :) I'm entering this into Frilly and Funkie's 'Tis Near Halloween challenge. Be sure and check out all the wonderful inspiration from some of the best designers I know!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Halloween Inspiration and Huge Sizzix Sale

Hi all! It's been such a busy summer that I haven't really had a lot of time to post. I have been working on a major studio redo that I can't wait to share with you - in just a few more weeks I should be totally done!

In the meantime, I thought I'd let you know that Sizzix is having another great Labor Day sale. I gathered up a few projects from last year plus some older projects that all use sale dies. Eileen Hull's cool Twist and Style tool is also on sale and it's a fun way to incorporate wire into your projects like I did on the little fairy witch cloche project. Hopefully you'll find some inspiration for your Halloween crafting!

Click the project title below to see the original post/tutorial.

Boo Wreath

Wicked Halloween Altered Book

Halloween Fairy

Apothecary Shadow Box

Halloween Luminary

Spooky Yupo Resist

The Witching Hour ATB

Click the banner below to shop the sale!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a fantastic weekend!

New Eileen Hull eBook - Journal Treasury

Hi all! I have exciting news! The eBook I hinted about a couple months ago is being released today! Yay! If you're a planner addict, or love art journaling, or are obsessed with making books of all types, this eBook is for you. Eileen's Journal die from Sizzix is seriously one of the coolest dies out there and Journal Treasury contains 85 projects created by some of the most talented designers in the industry using this amazing die. This eBook is a treasure trove of inspiration.

You might remember this cute little shadow box I did back in May showing a new way to use the die. The instructions for this one are in the book!

And here's a sweet Christmas version I did just a couple weeks ago. I love finding new ways to use my dies - you get so much more bang for your buck that way. I also have a couple actual journals in the works that I will be sharing very soon.

The price of the book for the month of August is $11.87 which is 30% off the regular price of $16.99! Click on the image above to buy your copy. After you purchase it, you'll be emailed a link to download your copy. It make take a few minutes due to the amount of images in the book (that's a good thing!). After that, just grab your dies and supplies and have fun!

If you don't already have Eileen's Journal die, you can get one from Sizzix. They finally have them back in stock, so get one while you can! They seem to fly off the shelves in minutes.

Eileen Hull Journal Die Grafix Medium Weight Chipboard Sheets, 12-Inch by 12-Inch, Natural, 25-Pack

LinkDeli.com

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a great week!

Huge Sizzix Sale - Christmas in July!

Hi all! It has been insanely hot here in Mississippi for the past couple weeks and I am longing for some cool weather, which is months away for us. The next best thing is cranking up the a/c in the studio and working on Christmas projects!

I saw that Sizzix was having a huge Christmas in July sale and thought I'd make a quick project using Eileen Hull's new Journal die and a few of my favorite Christmas dies by Tim Holtz. You might have seen the first shadow box I created using Eileen's die back in May. I made this in a similar way, but used jewelry boxes I got at the dollar store for my niches. Easy peasy!

On the left side, I used a sentiment from Tim's Christmas Stacked Words die and some pretty holly branches cut using his Holiday Greens die. Both are on sale this weekend along with a ton of other great dies from Tim and Eileen. It's a fantastic time to stock up!

You can shop for the dies I used via the banner below.

All the papers, ephemera, and embellishments are from Tim and can be found at Simon Says Stamp via the image below.

I always use Grafix Medium Weight chipboard for my projects using Eileen's dies. It's super sturdy and the perfect thickness for her dies!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I apologize for no longer posting the thumbnail images of the products I use. InLinkz (whose service generated the images and links) changed and they are charging way more than I can afford for their service. I hope it won't be too much of an inconvenience to my followers!

Have a great weekend!

Eileen Hull Journal Shadow Box

Hi all! Hope you've been well. I have a fun new project to share with you that I created with Eileen Hull's new Journal die. Eileen was kind enough to send me a couple die cuts to play with and, after seeing all the cool books people have been making, I couldn't wait to make one of my own.

When I was mulling over what type of book I wanted to do (there are so many possibilities!), I remembered this configurations book I made last year and was like - wow, I bet I could make Eileen's die into a little shadow box book!

Since the book would be displayed open, I kept the front fairly simple, covering it with paper from Tim Holtz's Wallflower collection and adding a knob and ribbon.

The inside was so much fun to create! I had fun experimenting with dyeing ribbon with Tim's new Distress Oxide ink (love them!) and added lots of little bits and pieces. I love doing shadow boxes like this - there is no end to the variety of themes and styles you can use. I can't wait to make more.

The tutorial for my shadow box book will be included in Eileen's upcoming e-book, which will include tons of ideas for using this versatile die. When the book is released, I'll be sure and update the post with all the links so you can get your own. I know it's going to be amazing!

The supplies I used can be found at Sizzix and Simon Says Stamp via the links below.

Tim Holtz Distress OXIDE INK PAD SET OF 12 Ranger RANGER97 Eileen Hull Journal Die Sizzix JOURNAL BOX ScoreBoards XL Die 661906 Tim Holtz Sizzix Die MINI BIRD AND CAGE Movers & Shapers Alterations 657207 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Stash MENAGERIE 8 x 8 Cardstock Pack TH93111 Tim Holtz Idea-ology LACE Trimmings TH93216 Tim Holtz Idea-ology CURIO KNOBS Door Knob Hardware Metal TH92840 Tim Holtz Idea-ology NATURE Adornments Metal Charms TH93128 Tim Holtz Idea-ology PEN NIBS TH92909 Tim Holtz Idea-ology CAMEO FRAMES Findings TH93270 Tim Holtz Idea-ology ALPHA DICE Findings TH93293 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ephemera Pack 2015 EMPORIUM TH93189 Tim Holtz Idea-ology JUTE STRING TH93139 Beacon QUICK GRIP All Purpose Permanent Adhesive 0004* Tim Holtz Idea-ology VIAL LABELS TH92993 Tim Holtz Idea-ology MINI NUMERALS TH93013 Tim Holtz Idea-ology TRINKET PINS Pin Hardware Fasten TH92720 Tim Holtz Idea-ology APOTHECARY VIALS Findings TH93302 Tim Holtz Idea-ology CORKED DOMES TH93092 Tim Holtz Idea-ology FOUND RELATIVES Portraits TH93121 Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark VM-001 Tim Holtz Idea-ology SANDING GRIP Block Tool Sand TH92482 Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Powder CLEAR 1.5 Oz Jar EPL45700 EK Success CUTTER BEE Scissors EKCB01 Ranger Inkssentials Non Stick CRAFT SHEET 15 X 18 Reusable NSC20677 Ranger Inkssentials WONDER TAPE 1/4 Inch Double Sided 15 ft. IWT27386

InLinkz.com

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great week!