Picket Fence Birdhouse

Hi everyone... Eileen here. It's that time of year when birds are building nests. The other day I went out on the front porch to water my hanging geraniums and a mad mother wren flew out of her nest right. at. me! She was so close I could feel her wings in my hair! I wish I had a video of me screaming because I'm sure it was most entertaining. 

In honor of our bird, it only seems fitting to post a few projects I made using the XL Birdhouse, 3D, from the Picket Fence collection. This is a ScoreBoards die, which means it is specially designed to cut thick materials like matboard and chipboard, forming sturdy, long-lasting boxes. 

Wouldn't this make a cute favor at a spring bridal or baby shower? If you leave one of the roof flaps unglued, you can add small candies and treats, a piece of jewelry, pin, or other small treasure- this is a very versatile die. It would be easy to get a few friends over to help and assemble a bunch of little birdhouses in an evening. I love crafting with friends, don't you?

To decorate and assemble pink burlap house:

1. Lay burlap piece over birdhouse structure on die and trim. Add a coat of spray adhesive to one side of the matboard sheet of the same size. Position burlap so it covers the matboard portion that will be the house. Run through die cut machine. The pressure will fuse the burlap to the matboard. Cut the roof section without burlap.
2. Peel burlap off the tabs to remove bulk at joins. Make sure to fold over all score lines to break fibers for easier assembly. Add adhesive to tabs and put birdhouse together.
3. Stamp on roof in brown. Ink edges in aqua.
4. In the center fold of the roof, make a hole with an awl. Bend a heart shape from the wire, leaving a tail of about two inches. Insert the wire tail into the center of the roof and fold wires up to secure in place. Fold over roof and adhere to top of birdhouse.
5. Die cut coiled piece from Trinity's Flower in crinoline (thanks to Tammy Tutterow for turning me on to this material- love it!). Spray randomly with mist and let dry. Starting with the long strip, roll into the middle (I use tweezers for this). When the flower is formed how you like, secure it with glue and add a pearl to the center.
6. Arrange the flower, twine, leaf, metal sentiment and an inked Prima bird on the birdhouse and adhere in place. 

Embossed roof house:

1. Die cut Birdhouse from matboard. Cover house piece in brown ink with a text stamp. Assemble box as above. Add red ink on birdhouse corners.
2. Place roof of birdhouse in Textured Impressions folder and run through Big Shot. Rub over the embossing with a sponge and Inka Gold by Viva Decor. Buff with a soft cloth.
3. Die cut leaves from green felt. 
4. Die cut a stack of about 20 of the smallest flower from Flower, Layers #9. Punch a hole in the middle of the stack and add a brad. Start scrunching each layer into the middle of the flower. Add ink to the edges of the flowers, then separate them and fluff. 
5. Add flower, leaves and ribbon, bling to the front of the birdhouse.

OPTIONAL:

Add a dowel to the base of the birdhouse or punch a hole before you assemble it and add a perch for a bird below the hole. This die also works great for cards if you cut the front panel off and use separately. The birdhouse fits great on the Cupcake Stand too...

Just wanted to share something... I am so excited about this. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the work of Matthew Mead, an amazingly talented stylist and photographer. I have been a big fan of his since I saw his work in Better Homes & Gardens. Well, he posted a room makeover  and used my Flower with Heart Petals die to create this beautiful lampshade. Is this not gorgeous? Please stop by his blog and tell him you love it!

Thanks for stopping today. Have a great week...

Eileen
http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/

Eileen Hull Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Birdhouse, 3-D Eileen Hull Sizzix Bigz Die - Flower, Trinity's Eileen Hull Sizzix Bigz Die - Flower Layers #9 Eileen Hull Sizzix Bigz Die - Leaves, Bouquet Eileen Hull Sizzix Sizzlits Die Set 3PK - Sweet Treats for You Set Eileen Hull Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folders 4PK - Jar Labels Set Sizzix Little Sizzles - 6" x 13" Mat Board Pack, 6 Cream Sheets Sizzix Accessory - Cutting Pad, Extended, 1 Pair Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine

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Other Supplies:
crinoline, burlap, green felt, wire, sewing pattern, jute, ribbon, strong double sided adhesive, Viva Decor Inka Gold, rubber stamps and inks, wooden birds from Prima, glue, metal sentiment


You won't believe all of the fun die cutting projects you can create with the dies in Eileen Hull's collection. For more project ideas and instructions, visit the Eileen Hull project gallery at Sizzix.com!

Two Techniques/One Card

Hello, Friends!

Today I have a video to share with you that includes two techniques on one card!  Here's the card...

Check out the video....

Happy Crafting!

Hugs,

Stephanie

Stephanie Barnard's Blog

Stephanie Barnard Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Card, Majestic Flip-its Stephanie Barnard Sizzix Framelits Die Set 6PK - Labels, Majestic #2 Stephanie Barnard Sizzix Framelits Die Set 9PK w/Stamps - Word Labels Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine

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Inks:  ColorBox Premium Dye Ink by Stephanie Barnard

Paper:  My Mind's Eye

Adhesive:  Therm O Web

button, ribbon

We love how easy it is to create fabulous and unique die cutting projects by using products designed to work together. To see more ideas using Stephanie's line of products, be sure to visit the Stephanie Barnard project gallery on Sizzix.com!

Lovely, a layout tutorial.

Hello scrappers, it's Aida here and I hope you are enjoying summer ! In Singapore tropical weather means it's summer all year round, and I sometimes wish we had fall or winter for variety instead of just heat and rain.

I have a layout for you and this time I'd like to show you how die-cuts from older ranges can work together the new Framelits and Thinlits.



I've used Crate Paper's Maggie Holmes collection as I love it's sweet, flirty appeal.



Tattered Pinecones 657492 is one of the older Alterations Bigz die and I have to say one of my most used. The tea-roses you can make from the die-cuts are really pretty and so usable for cards, layouts and altered projects. The Fir leaves make great layering fillers.

This is how the roses look up close.



This is the 7 Gypsies Framelits Gypsy Frames 659082 set which I also used on my last project and as you can see the oval frame is a wonderful accent for this layout.



You can see how I put the frame together with a bird sticker from the paper collection.



This is the new beautiful delicate Thinlets Frame Iron Gate 659005. You may find due to the intricate design, removing the lace-like die cut from the die requires some care. One tip would be : start at one corner and peel the die cut in a slow, gentle, rolling movement as how you would pull a sticky tape from the roll. You might also find the die cut slightly out of shape and running a warm iron over the die-cut will flatten it perfectly. Next I used a fine tip glue pen to adhere the die-cut to a clear transparency for easier handling.

Once the accent die cut pieces were ready, I started on my layout.



Here you see how I splattered white paint and pounced white Distress Ink Picket Fence on the background pattern paper.



Next I centered the Frame Iron Gate on the page and added the other embellishments.



This is how the portion of the layout was layered. The tags and fussy cut design from the paper was adhered under the frame and I thought the peek-a-boo element was interesting.



The 7 Gypsy oval frame.



The completed layout.

There are many great new Sizzix products available at Sizzix.com and I hope this layout demonstrates the endless possibilities of die-cutting in creating a personalized feel to your project.

Thank you for joining me today, here's wishing you lots of fun as you step into Summer mode !

*xoxoxo* Aida
http://aidaharon.livejournal.com

7Gypsies Sizzix Framelits Die Set 4PK w/Stamps - Gypsy Frames Sizzix Thinlits Die - Frame, Iron Gate Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Die: Tattered Pinecone Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine

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Are you a scrapbooker looking for more ways to incorporate die cutting into your pages? Our project gallery at Sizzix.com can help! We have over 200 scrapbook pages with instructions to help give you the creative jumpstart you need!

Tumbler Tote-orial: Layer Cake Gift Bag Buddies

Hi there, Ebony Love here with a new tote-orial for you today!

This is my new Layer Cake Gift Bag Buddy pattern.  I know that name is a mouthful, but here's how it came about.

I collect pre-cut fabric like it's going out of style. My favorites are charm packs (5" squares) but on occasion I'll pick up a layer cake (10" squares) or two.  I never know what to do with them. I'll bet you've got some things like this hanging out in your stash.

Have you ever needed a bunch of gifts in a hurry, and couldn't think of a think to do?  Well this project is the perfect have-layer-cake-make-gift lifesaver.  Each layer cake will yield 10 gift bags, with enough scraps left to make something cool for yourself.  The bags finish at 7-3/4" tall, 7-1/2" wide at the base, and 4-1/2" at the top. You can put all sorts of things in this bag; consider theming the gift, like a first-aid kit filled with bandaids, ointment, aspirin, sanitizer, and tissues. You could also make it an emergency snack kit with chocolate bars, peanuts,a protein bar, and gum.  Lots of possibilities!

Let's get started!

Materials

• Sizzix Bigz Pro Die - Tumbler, 8" H Finished (Die #658116)
• 1 layer cake (40- 10" squares)
• 10- 7" zippers (nylon teeth)
• 10- 1" D-rings or swivel hooks
• Fusible fleece or batting (I used TP971F Thermolam by Pellon)
• Marking pen or pencil
• Single-fold bias tape (optional)
• 1/2"-wide fusible adhesive (optional)
• Small adhesive labels (optional)

Cutting

First, take your layer cake and divide it into 10 equal piles of 4 squares each.  Feel free to mix and match them until you are pleased with the combinations.

If you care about which pieces are inside versus outside, label your pieces as follows:

• 1 - Exterior front
• 2 - Interior front
• 3 - Interior back
• 4 - Exterior back

Take the two exterior pieces (1 & 4) and fuse them to the fleece or batting following the manufacturer's instructions.  Quilt these pieces however you want. Or don't quilt them; the fusible will hold them just fine.

I actually quilted these all at once by fusing them to a large piece of Thermolam.

I then loaded them onto my long arm and treated them like one big project I could doodle on.  You don't need a long arm to do this, but if you're working on a regular machine, you may find it easier to work with only one or two 10" squares at a time.

Once you have quilted 1 & 4, remove the excess batting from the outside edges. Now, take squares 1 & 2 (front exterior and lining) and lay them right sides together on top of the tumbler die.  Offset the square to one side, so you get a larger scrap on one edge (we need that piece!) Cut out the tumbler.

Repeat this step for squares 2 & 3, except layer these wrong sides together.  Set these two pieces aside.

Assemble the Strap

From your leftover 1 & 2 scraps, cut a piece that measures 1-1/2" x 2" from each piece.

Stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance down each 2" edge.  Trim the seam allowance to 1/8", then turn the strap right side out.  Topstitch down each long edge.

Fold the strap in half over the D-ring, and stitch close to the ring through all layers.

Prepare the Zipper (Optional)

I don't like the zipper tape to show, so I cover my zipper with binding tape. Your zipper is too long for what we are doing, but that's okay; we'll shorten it in a little bit.

First, adhere the fusible to the single-fold bias tape, then fuse the tape to the wrong side of the zipper.

Insert the Zipper

On the wrong side of lining 2, position a ruler 2-1/4" from the top edge, and draw a line that is 3/4" in from each side.

Move the ruler down 3/8", and draw a parallel line.

Connect these two lines together to form a rectangle.

Don't freak out.  This zipper thing is going to be fun!

At this point, pin tumblers 1 & 2 together.  Take it to your sewing machine, and stitch along the rectangle, through all layers.

Once you have the rectangle stitched, use your marking pen to draw a line down the center of the rectangle you stitched, and then about 1/4" from each end, draw diagonal lines from the center line to the corner of the rectangle.

Insert a seam ripper into the center line, and rip a hole, then use a pair of scissors to cut on the lines you just drew.  Get as close as you can to the corners without clipping your stitches.

Now take your lining and stuff it - all of it! - into the hole.

Pull it completely through to the backside, and press the lining down.  You might need to encourage the rectangle corners to flatten; do the best you can to get the lining flat.

Turn your piece over so the exterior is facing up.  Place your zipper behind it, with the metal stop facing to the left and butted up against the left edge of your rectangle.  Open your zipper so the pull tab is inside the rectangle.  If you need to, place a couple of pins to hold the zipper in place.

At your sewing machine, topstitch close to the edge of the rectangle to attach the zipper to the bag.

Cut off the excess zipper that extends beyond the bag.  That's all there is to the zipper!  Now make sure your zipper is OPEN for the final steps of assembly!

Finish the Bag

Align the raw edges of the strap with the right exterior edge, positioned just above the zipper.  You essentially do not want it overlapping the zipper, but you don't want it too close to the top edge either. Pin the strap to the exterior.

Lay tumblers 3 & 4 on top of tumbler 1 and pin, so the exterior pieces are facing and the linings are facing out.

Stitch completely around the tumbler through all layers using a 1/4" seam allowance (you may find it helpful to switch to a 100/16 needle here).  Stitch around the tumbler again, so you have two rows of stitching.

Trim the seam allowance to 1/8" all the way around.

Turn the bag right side out through the zipper.

Use a point turner to smooth out the corners, then press the bag flat. Topstitch around the entire bag 1/4" from the edge.  (Because you undercut the seam allowance, you should only be stitching through the layers of the bag and the lining.)

All you have to do now is repeat that process nine more times until you get to the end of your layer cake!  If you're making several bags at once, it will be helpful to prepare all the zippers, then do all the cutting, then mark all the rectangles for the zippers, etc.  Otherwise, you could just quilt & cut everything and have them ready to make bags at a moment's notice!

I've made two so far, and the rest are ready to be cut.  I hope you have fun making this project!

Ebony
http://www.lovebugstudios.com/

Sizzix Bigz Pro Die - Tumbler, 8" H Finished Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine Only (Periwinkle) w/Standard Accessories

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The Sizzix.com quilting page has helpful videos, tips, and project ideas that can help you incorporate die cutting into your quilting and sewing projects. To learn more, visit the Sizzix Quilting page at: http://www.sizzix.com/shop/sizzixquilting.