Pull out your Sizzix Eclips2 There are thousands of different free fonts that are available on the internet and they can be easily installed and cut with the Sizzix Eclips2 using the free Ecal Lite software that comes with the machine. I can see that I will soon need to upgrade the ‘lite’ software so that I can cut svg files, but that will be the topic of future blog posts. Today I am focused on installing, resizing and welding a font to make a title for a scrapbook page. This blog post isn’t meant to be a comprehensive step by step tutorial but will give you an idea of what is involved. I found it easy and wanted to share my first attempt. I’m sure, like anything else, it will improve with time and practice. If you’re interested, there are some excellent videos on the internet that will guide…
Hello everyone Connie Nichol here! I was fortunate enough to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii last fall for my 25th wedding anniversary. This was the first time I have ever been to Hawaii, and I was simply blown away. It was absolutely stunning, about how I would picture paradise. Needless to say, I took a lot of pictures while I was there. Luckily for me, Kaisercraft released the Paradiso Collection shortly after I returned from the Big Island. This line is simply perfect for scrapping my vacation pictures. One of things I really love about Kaisercraft collections is that they usually have a package of die cuts to go with the papers. These die cuts are fantastic – there are so many in the package and they are just the perfect thing to embellish layouts, make cards and just generally have fun with. To scrapbook this picture of…
Eeek!!! I have always wanted to join the world of DIY electronic cutters but have been a little intimidated by what I feared was a steep learning curve. Although reasonably computer savvy, I am a busy working mom who lacks any skill at putting machines together and doesn’t have a lot of time for fiddling with details or learning complicated software. Well, I have jumped into the electronic die cutting water with a Sizzix Eclips 2 and I will write a series of blog posts describing my adventures right from getting it out of the box to cutting simple shapes, importing cut files and maybe even create and modify my own designs. We’ll see how it goes. It looks sleek and powerful and sounds like an awesome machine. The Eclips 2 has an enhanced motor with industrial strength gears for speed, precision cutting and reduced noise. It will cut all…
I am just loving some of the new Spellbinders Shapeability dies that were released this winter. The die set “Shoot”, a set of five arrow dies, actually inspired this layout. Because arrows made me think about directions, I googled ‘direction quotes’ and found a perfect quote for a scrapbook page. There were a lot of great quotes to choose from but I’m thinking that arrows are the perfect touch for many projects. A very versatile die set. Spellbinders also manufactures my favourite alphabet die sets – the font one upper and lower case sets are the perfect size and style for many projects. Just love them. When you make your own letter stickers, you never run out of ‘a’s. Adhering small or delicate die cuts can be tricky, but a Xyron Create-a-Sticker makes the process incredibly easy. I turned all of my Spellbinder die cuts into stickers so that they…
Simply Pressed Clay Flowers Featuring Stampin’ Up! by Connie Nichol I have had so much fun with the Simply Pressed Clay and clay molds from Stampin’ Up! I just love being able to make these flowers and buttons as I need them in a variety of colours to match every project. Here’s all there is too it: Gather up your supplies – Simply Pressed clay, molds and classic ink re-inkers. The clay is white, soft and very light weight, and a dream to work with. If you don’t want white flowers and buttons, mix in a few drops of reinker. Of course, the more ink you add, the more intense the colour will be. I slipped on a disposable glove so that my hands did not get all inky here. Just massage the clay and reinker for a few minutes until it is smoothly mixed. Then press into…
Good Monday morning everyone! Connie Nichol here with a blog post featuring Sizzix Elegant Flourishes Bigz die, DCWV Coral Couture Paper Stack, Clearsnap Ink and Embossing Powder I am slowly scanning my dad’s 35 mm slides from my childhood, wanting to scrapbook them while I can still remember some of the details, or at least verify them with my parents. The colours and patterns seem to go perfectly with my pictures from the 1970’s and I love that there is a matching cardstock stack. I find the DCWV paper to be so gorgeous that it pretty much stands alone without much embellishment. So, I left the layout very simple, just adding a bit of fussy cutting and some metallic chipboard flourishes. The flourishes were just the perfect touch for this patterned paper. I used the Elegant Flourishes die to die cut some Grafix Chipboard. Since it is a Sizzix Bigz…
Think Spring! Featuring BoBunny Woodland Winter and Quietfire Design Stamps In my part of Canada, we have plenty of winter, and plenty of snow, but usually the only time of year when the snow is melty enough to stick together and build a snowman is spring. It’s too bad, really, because that also usually means that the snowman will not stick around for long. The higher sun angle and warmer temperatures during this time of year typically result in his rapid disappearance into a large puddle of icy water. The snowman building process is still fun though, especially if you use delicious cookies for eyes and buttons. I found a couple of photos from when my boys were little that brought back these memories. I was inspired to scrapbook them with the April sketch from the Canadian Scrapbooker sketchy challenge and some stunning papers and embellishments from BoBunny.…
YES – Impression Obsession has dies for you to play with! Check out Connie Nichol’s creation! SUPPLIES: DCWV patterned paper and burlap, Impression Obsession stamps and dies, Clearsnap ink, Sizzix Big Shot die cut machine, Beacon Adhesives, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. Watch how easy Connie’s projects came together httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USggwAeyMfo&list=UUmuMGQnmXpsQs2hVMbe0E_A Enjoy!
Sizzix Frameworks Lattice Die Also featuring Garden Tool Sizzlits, Lil Monsters by Bo Bunny and Xyron Have you seen the new Frameworks dies from Sizzix? Designed by Tim Holtz, they were just released last month in five fabulous patterns. I am especially excited that they are the thick steel rule dies, meaning that in addition to cutting through paper, they can also easily cut through all fabric, foam, felt, wood veneer and other non-paper items, giving the frugal or mixed media scrapbooker lots of flexibility! And you can use the framework die cut itself, or the pieces cut out of the framework die (like the diamonds or hexagons) to mix and match. The Lattice Frameworks reminded of gardening, so I thought I would combine it with the Garden Tools Sizzlits that I had in my stash. I cut the tools out of a scrap piece of cardstock and then used…
I treat myself every month to a monthly kit from Scrap Shotz, an online store based in Calgary, Alberta. The kits are great value and are just loaded with all sorts of scrapbook goodies – patterned paper, cardstock, embellishments – lots of fun stuff that I might not necessarily purchase myself, but always goes together beautifully and is really fun to try. It totally makes my day when the Scrapshotz box arrives in my super mail. The kits are perfect for taking to a crop – they include everything you need except for adhesive! A kit from last fall featured Jillibean Soup’s Cold Avocado Soup line – patterned paper, sticker and die cut sheets, flash cards – along with plenty of other great supplies such as bling, Stickles and WeR Memory Keepers chevron washi tape. The colours , rich blue, yellow and teal, in the Avocado Soup line are just…
