Sizzix Eclips2 – Using SVG files Today I decided to try using some free SVG files I found on the internet. An SVG file is kind of a universal format that can be imported into most electronic die cutting machines. The possibilities are endless and files are widely available – there are even some free cut files on the Canadian Scrapbooker website! Check these out here http://www.canadianscrapbooker.ca/cut-files/. If you google ‘free svg files’ you will begin to get an idea of some of the images that are available. There are even more wonderful svg files available for a small fee. A couple of great websites that I have discovered so far are http://www.misskatecuttables.com/ and http://svgcuts.com/blog/. In order to cut svg files with the Sizzix Eclips2, you must upgrade the Ecal ‘lite’ software that comes with the machine to the full featured Ecal software. This costs around $60 but having it…
Yummy Bo Bunny neutrals and Canuck Crafts Spectrum Noir Bendable Pencils! Materials: Bo Bunny patterned papers, stickers, flowers, wood embellishments and jewels, Canuck Crafts Spectrum Noir pencils, and blender marker, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. Canuck Crafts Spectrum Noir pencils are so creamy and rich that they make them the perfect way to add colour to these beautiful Bo Bunny papers. I used them under my embellishments to create a beautiful peek-a-boo of warm colour. I started by drawing a line where the edge of my photo will be and then colouring in areas around it. I ran out of blending solution for the pencils, but in the pinch I discovered something fantastic!!! I used my blending Spectrum Noir Marker to polish and blend my colouring. This makes it look like water colours, but without the bubbling and wetness of traditional water colour pencils. So the next time you want a…
These past week, I remembered. I remembered what I have no first hand knowledge about. I remembered brave men and women I have never met. I celebrated the safety and freedom of my life. Today, my heart overflows with gratitude for the bravery and sacrifice of others. Thank-you. A few years ago, we were able to spend Canada Day in Ottawa. What an experience that was! I loved the ceremony and the pride and joy swelling from the crowds. I bet you are wondering why I am reminiscing about Canada Day on Remembrance Day. It is simply because we stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on that day. I guess I just felt the need to look at those photos again. And remember. Lest we forget… Supplies Used: Cardstock- Bazzill Basics Paper and Core’dinations ColorCore cardstock; Patterned Paper, Stickers- Graphic 45; Dies- Spellbinders; Phoomph under photos and…
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…
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…
Chalkboard embellishments are all the rage right now and I love Core-dinations ColorCore cardstocks new Chalk Core Paper for making my own embellishments! I used Core’dinations Color Core cardstock, Spellbinders dies, Clearsnap Izinks, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Simple Stories stickers, Prima Marketing flowers, Xyron Sticker Makers and Marvy gel pens. I cut out and embossed several shapes from the Chalk Core paper using my dies. To make it easier to sand the very fine cuts I first ran them through my Xyron sticker maker. Leaving the cut out on the backing I then sanded the embossed die cuts making them look like beautiful fine chalk work!! I then added them to my layout over a layer of Clearsnap Izinks. I added a very old, vintage photo of myself that I recently stumbled upon. Many people ask me what they should do differently with their older photos…my answer is nothing, do…
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…
Summer is almost here and that means Sunglasses…. and no one loves them more than my Ashley. I love scrapbooking day to day photos like this. I used: Simple Stories patterned paper, tags, and stickers, Sizzix stamps, dies and embossing folders, Clearsnap Surfacez inks, and Stephanie Barnard Sprays, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. I stamped the Sizzix flags onto a Simple Stories card and used the Sizzix co-ordinating dies to cut them out. I love the versatility of this set. I also used a Sizzix embossing folder on two other cards from the same pack and layered them behind my photo to create texture. I love to get as much as I can out of my supplies, so I cut up the border of the Simple Stories alpha sticker sheet into little square stickers and attached them to the page. Happy Summer –Is-Almost-Here Scrapping! To see more of Christy’s work…
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.…
