The Craft Bin, LLC

New Spellbinders Pendant and Borderabilities Dies Are Here!

2009-07-26T06:36:00.035-04:00

New Spellbinders Pendant and Borderabilities Dies Are Here! They are just so adorable and I can't wait to start playing with them. So here is the rundown list of these new pendant and borderabilities dies:

Contemporary Hearts Pendant & Borderabilities - Notice the stylized hearts that form a star pattern in this fancy Pendant die template. The beautiful effect continues through its companion Center and Accent pieces.

Fleur De Lis Pendant & Borderabilities - The Fleur de Lis is a popular decorative element; it is said to signify perfection, light and love. This stately die template is the perfect addition for all of your elegant art.

Eyelets Pendant & Borderabilities - The Eyelet Pendant is reminiscent of an eyelet lace doily from grandma's house. The delicate and dainty floral motif is the perfect for heritage, baby and feminine projects.

Renaissance Hearts Pendant & Borderabilities - The Renaissance was a period of rebirth and renewal. In a collaboration of multi-form hearts, we hope it will inspire you in a whole new way.

Kaleidoscope Pendant & Borderabilities - In Greek, Kaleidoscope means “beautiful form watcher.” Using this Pendant will definitely form a beautiful accent to transform your projects.

In Spades Pendant & Borderabilities - A fanciful spade symbolizes good luck and what luck you’ll have when you use this Pendant that blends spades and hearts to form an elaborate die cut.

Tulip Pendant & Borderabilities - A tulip is a symbol of abundance and indulgence. This flower is easily recognized and is much loved. The beauty and simplicity of the tulip is reflected artistically in this elegant die template.

Lattice Pendant & Borderabilities - The Lattice Pendant is our most intricate design with criss-cross framework that accents its shape. This die template is must in your collection.

12 x 12 Paper Sale

2009-07-12T11:01:00.004-04:00

Check out our Power Shopping Sale!!!!!

40% Off ALL Open Stock 12 x 12 Paper While Supplies Last!!!! This includes premium paper from Around The Block, Chatterbox and Heidi Swapp.

Offer Expires On 7/25/2009.

Organizing Spellbinders Grand Borderabilities Dies

2009-06-28T21:45:00.025-04:00

Spellbinders Grand Borderabilities Dies are great for all my scrapbook layouts but I have been looking for a storage solution for these extra long dies for a while. The other day, I was looking at Cropper Hopper's Craft Pro-File Binders and found a way to organize these Grand Borderabilities.

I started with a large plastic bag that is large enough to keep 3 sets of Grand Borderabilties. You can use the packaing bags from 12 x 12 paper or 12 x 12 page refills.

I punched some holes and then used these pretty color Chatterbox Scrapbook Rivets to divide the plastic bag into 3 sections. You can use brads instead of these Scrapbook Rivets. But what I like about these Scrapbook Rivets is that they are reversable, unlike brads. Also they can hold the bag very tight.

Now you can fold all 3 sets of dies together.

There are 2 styles of Cropper Hopper Craft Pro-File Binders to choose from.

The first one is 7 x 12 Craft Pro-File.

This one you can fit Grand Borderabilities Dies and any other 6" x 12" craft paper on one side since they are expandable. On the other side, there are two 7" x 6" expandable pockets that you can keep more paper in there.

The second option is this
12 x 12 Craft Pro-File. On one side, it has one 12" x 6" expandable pocket and you can keep the Grand Borderabilities and other 12" x 6" paper here. One same side, it also has two 6" x 6" expandable pockets to store more craft paper. On other side, it has one 12" x 12" expandable pocket. You can definitely store your favor 12" x 12" paper collection there.

How is this for keeping your dies and paper together in one storage solution?!!!!

Spellbinders: Impressabilities - Embossing 2

2009-06-06T16:58:00.014-04:00

Today, I will continue to show you how to emboss using Spellbinders' Impressabilities templates.

The cardstocks I am using today are white core cardstocks so when I sand the embossed cardstock, it will enhance the embossed cardstock.

The dimension of finished cardstock is 8.5" x 5.5".

First, I ran the Chatterbox Light Black Solid Cardstock through the Wizard Machine with Impressabilities Paisley Template. For how to build the sandwich, please refer to my previous blog Spellbinders: Impressabilities - Embossing 1.

This is the embossed (front) side of cardstock.

I sanded down the embossed pattern to enhance the embossed design.

This is the debossed (back) side of cardstock.

This is how the debossed pattern looks after sanding.

I repeated the same process with Chatterbox Dark Scarlet Solid Cardstock. After sanding, I cut the scarlet embossed cardstock in half and assemble the card.

Stamped "Congratulations" on a white cardstock and ran it through the Wizard Machine with the 3rd smallest die from Spellbinders Large Standard Circle set.

Used the 3rd smallest die from Spellbinders Large Classic Scalloped Circle set to cut Chatterbox Dark Scarlet Solid Cardstock.

Now I am ready to assemble the card. I pushed the cap paper pin from Around The Block School Paper Pins. through the congratulation circle title before glued it down to the card.

Supplies

Die Sets
- Impressabilities Paisley Template
- Spellbinders Large Standard Circle
- Spellbinders Large Classic Scalloped Circle

Cardstock and Paper
- Chatterbox Light Black Solid Cardstock
- Chatterbox Dark Scarlet Solid Cardstock

Embellishments
- Around The Block School Paper Pins
- Chatterbox Scarlet Decorative Ribbons

Stamp(s) & Ink
- Congratulations stamp from Stampin Up
- Cranberry Crisp ink from Stampin Up

Tools:
- Wizard by Spellbinders or other die cut systems that are compatible with Spellbinders Dies.
- Paper trimmer
- Scissor
- Tapes
- Tim Holtz Sanding Grip Tool

Spellbinders: Impressabilities - Embossing 1

2009-05-26T20:53:00.031-04:00

Impressabilities are thin metal templates for embossing, debossing, letterpressing or stenciling.

These templates measure 5 3/4" x 4 1/2" to cover an A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4") card.

Currently there are 4 patterns available for Impressabilities and they are:

Snowflake

Flowers

Butterfly

Paisley

Today I will show you how to emboss using Impressabilities Template to make this 4.25" x 5.5" card.

In the step by step demonstration, I will be using Original Sizzix Press.

But, don't worry, I will list out the sandwich recipe for other machine at the bottom of this blog.

Step 1

To create a sandwich for Original Sizzix Press, place Impressabilities Butterfly Template on Sizzix cutting pad.
Tip: Make sure your cutting pad has never been cut before. Otherwise, cut marks will etch themselves into embossing details.

I actually have 2 cutting pads. One is for cutting and the other one for embossing.

Step 2

Add Chatterbox Light Violet Bazzill Cardstock on top of the template.

Step 3

Place Tan Embossing Mat on top of the cardstock.

Step 4

Add paper shim on top of Tan Embossing Mat .

Tip: To make a paper shim, use a 12 x 5 piece of paper and fold in half to use as a shim.

Run the sandwich through Original Sizzix Press. You may have to run it through a couple of time for thick cardstock.

Step 5

Next I create a strip of border with Pierceabilities Pinking Border Die.

To cut the border, first place Chatterbox Light Spruce Bazzill Cardstock on cutting pat.

Place die on top of paper with cutting ridge side down. I use a couple of small pieces of tape to hold the die in place.

Place the Spellbinders White Spacer Plate on top of Die and run the sandwich through the machine.

Step 6

Turn the die around and line up the die with cut edge of paper.

Use a couple of short pieces of tape to hold die in place.

Place the Spellbinders White Spacer Plate on top of Die and run the sandwich through the machine again.

Step 7

If you turn the paper cut, this is how it looks now.

With the cutting ridge facing up, place Tan Embossing Mat on top of paper die and run it through the machine.

Step 8

Next step is piercing. To add more depth to the holes, you can use Tan Embossing Mat. Make sure you place another mat underneath of Tan Embossing Mat to protect your furniture.

Tips: Hold Pierceability die firmly in place during pricking.
Hold the piercing tool as vertical as possible to prick holes nice and round.
Try and price to the same depth so that the diameter of the holes will be equal.

Step 9

This is how the border looks like after piercing is complete.

Stamp Thank You on a white cardstock.

Use the smallest die from Spellbinders Label Two set to cut the white cardstock.

Use the second smallest die from Spellbinders Label Two set to cut Chatterbox Dark Violet Solid Cardstock.

Step 10

Assemble the card.

Supplies

Die Sets
- Impressabilities - Butterfly
- Pierceabilities - 5 1/2" Pinking Border
- Nestabilities - Label Two

Cardstock and Paper
- Chatterbox Light Violet Bazzill Cardstock
- Chatterbox Dark Violet Solid Cardstock
- Chatterbox Light Spruce Bazzill Carstock

Stamp(s) & Ink
- Thank You stamp from Stampin Up
- Garden Green ink from Stampin Up

Tools:
- Wizard by Spellbinders or other die cut systems that are compatible with Spellbinders Dies.
- Paper trimmer
- Scissor
- Tapes
- Piercing Tool

Embossing Sandwich for Spellbinders Wizard
(stack from bottom up)
1. Place first White Mat.
2. Use a 12 x 5 piece of paper and fold in half to use as a shim. Add paper shim on top of White Mat.
3. Place Tan Embossing Mat on top of paper shim.
4. Paper or cardstock of your choice.
5. Place Impressabilities Template on top of paper or cardstock.
6. Place second White Mat on top of Impressabilities Template.
7. Run through Wizard Machine.

Embossing Sandwich for Big Kick by Sizzix
(stack from bottom up)
1. Place large platform down first with all tabs closed.
2. Place Impressabilities Template.
3. Paper or cardstock of your choice.
4. Place TWO Tan Embossing Mats on top of paper or cardstock.
5. Use a 12 x 5 piece of paper and fold in half to use as a shim. Add paper shim on top of Tan Embossing Mats.
6. Place ONE Big Kick acrylic plate on top.
7. Run thru the Big Kick machine.

Embossing Sandwich for CuttleBug by Provocraft
(stack from bottom up)
1. A Plate.
2. Impressabilities Template.
3. Paper or cardstock of your choice.
4. Use 2 or 3 pieces of cardstock to shim.
Cautionary Note: Using more than 3 pieces of cardstock to shim Cuttlebug Embossing sandwich will result in B Plate breakage.
5. Place two acrylic B Plates on top of sandwich.
6. Run thru Cuttlebug machine.

Embossing Sandwich for Big Shot (Black & Pink) by Ellison-Sizzix
(stack from bottom up)
1. Place large platform down first with all tabs closed.
2. Place Impressabilities Template.
3. Paper or cardstock of your choice.
4. Place TWO Tan Embossing Mats on top of paper or cardstock.
5. Use a 12 x 5 piece of paper and fold in half to use as a shim. Add paper shim on top of Tan Embossing Mats.
6. Place ONE Big Shot acrylic plate on top.
7. Run thru the Big Shot machine.

Embossing Sandwich for Revolution by QuicKutz
1. Place Impressabilities Template onto Revolution platform.
2. Place paper or cardstock of your choice.
3. Place Tan Embossing Mat on top of paper or cardstock.
4. Place acrylic embossing mat on top of Tan Embossing mat.
5. Run thru Resvolution matchine.

Spellbinders - Nestibilities Circle Dies

2009-01-25T19:52:00.016-05:00

I showed you different sizes of Nestibilities Square Dies from Spellbinders last time. Today I want to show different Nestibilities Circle Dies from Spellbinders.

There are total of 6 sets of circle dies from Nestibilities Collection and Spellbinders have put them together into 2 combo sets. The first one is called Nest 04 - Petite Circles which includes

S4-114 Large Standard Circles

S4-115 Large Petite Scalloped Circles

S4-116 Small Standard Circles

S4-117 Small Petite Scalloped Circles

The second one is called Nest 05 - Classic Circles which includes

S4 -114 Large Standard Circles

S4-124 Large Classic Scalloped Circle

S4-116 Small Standard Circles

S4-125 Small Classic Scalloped Circle

The difference between these 2 combo pack is the scalloped circles. Scalloped Circle Dies in Nest 04 - Petite Circles are slightly smaller than the ones from Nest 05 - Classic Circles.

Here are the dimensions for all 6 Circle Dies Sets.

(1) Large Standard Circles (item number: S4-114)

There are total of 7 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3 3/4" in diameter
- 3 1/4" in diameter
- 2 3/4" in diameter
- 2 1/4" in diameter
- 1 7/8" in diameter
- 1 3/8" in diameter
- 7/8" in diameter

(2) Small Standard Circles (item number:S4-116)

There are total of 7 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3 1/2" in diameter
- 3" in diameter
- 2 1/2" in diameter
- 2" in diameter
- 1 5/8" in diameter
- 1 1/8" in diameter
- 5/8" in diameter

(3) Large Petite Scalloped Circles (item number: S4-115)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 4" in diameter
- 3 1/2" in diameter
- 3" in diameter
- 2 1/2" in diameter
- 2" in diameter
- 1 1/5" in diameter

(4) Small Petite Scalloped Circles (item number: S4-117)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3 3/4" in diameter
- 3 1/4" in diameter
- 2 3/4" in diameter
- 2 1/4" in diameter
- 1 3/4" in diameter
- 1 1/4" in diameter

(5) Large Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-124)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 4 1/8" in diameter
- 3 5/8" in diameter
- 3 1/8" in diameter
- 2 5/8" in diameter
- 2 1/8" in diameter
- 1 1/8" in diameter

(6) Small Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-125)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3 7/8" in diameter
- 3 3/8" in diameter
- 2 7/8" in diameter
- 2 3/8" in diameter
- 1 7/8" in diameter
- 1 3/8" in diameter

So if you want to get all 6 circle sets, I would suggest that you get Nest 04 - Petite Circles with
Large Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-124) and Small Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-125). Or Nest 05 - Classic Circles with Large Petite Scalloped Circles (item number: S4-115) and Small Petite Scalloped Circles (item number: S4-117). So you won't get 2 duplicate sets.

Just like all the other Nestibilities Dies, you can mix regular circles with scalloped circles to create beautiful nested effect and here are a few combination you can create out of these dies.

In the first picture, I used Large Standard Circles (item number: S4-114) with Large Petite Scalloped Circles (item number: S4-115). See how tight the scalloped edge is against the regular circle.

In the next picture, I used Small Standard Circles (item number:S4-116) instead of Large Standard Circles and you will see more scalloped edge. Here you can even see the embossed scalloped edge, which was covered when I used Large Standard Circles.

In the next picture, I used Large Standard Circles (item number: S4-114) with Large Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-124). As I mentioned before, these scalloped dies are larger than the petite ones so you can see more scalloped edge.

In this last picture, I use Small Standard Circles (item number:S4-116) instead of Large Standard Circles with the same Large Classic Scalloped Circle (item number: S4-124). You will see even more scalloped edge. There is really no right or wrong combination of doing this. It's really depends on what is your preference.

Spellbinders - Nestibilities Square Dies

2009-01-10T16:47:00.010-05:00

Today I want to show different Nestibilities Square Dies from Spellbinders. There are 4 sets of square dies from Nestibilities Collection and they are
(1) Large Classic Square (item number: S4-126)

There are total of 7 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3.5" x 3.5"
- 3" x 3"
- 2.5" x 2.5"
- 2" x 2"
- 1.5" x 1.5"
- 1" x 1"
- 0.5" x 0.5"

(2) Large Classic Scalloped Square (item number: S4-127)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 4" x 4"
- 3.4" x 3.4"
- 2.9" x 2.9"
- 2.25" x 2.25"
- 1.75" x 1.75"
- 1.15" x 1.15"

(3) Small Classic Square (item number: S4-128)

There are total of 7 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3.25" x 3.25"
- 2.75" x 2.75"
- 2.25" x 2.25"
- 1.75" x 1.75"
- 1.25" x 1.25"
- 0.75" x 0.75"
- 0.25" x 0.25"

(4) Small Classic Scalloped Square (item number: S4-129)

There are total of 6 dies in this set.
Dimension of each dies are approximately :
- 3.75" x 3.75"
- 3.13" x 3.13"
- 2.6" x 2.6"
- 2" x 2"
- 1.4" x 1.4"
- 0.88" x 0.88"

If you want to purchase all 4 of them together, you can save some money by purchase Nest 02 - Classic Square. This set comes with all 4 square sets but with price of 3. That's 25% saving!

You can mix classic scalloped square with classic square to create beautiful scalloped edge frames. You can even mix large and small sets of scalloped square and regular square to create different look. In the first picture, I used Large Classic Scalloped Square with Large Classic Square. The one on the left side are also embossed.

In the second picture, I used Large Classic Scalloped Square with Small Classic Square instead of large. The one on the left are also embossed. This combination will show more scalloped edge. There is no right or wrong combination here. It's all depends on what is your preference.

"D" is for Daughter

2009-01-04T07:12:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year! everyone. How was your holiday? Are you ready for my first post of the year?

For those of you have a daughter, what does your daughter mean to your? Is she a joy bringer? a heart warmer? a memory maker? I am sure she is all that, plus she is your love, right?

Today's page layout is for "D" in an ABC baby girl album.

A couple of things I want to mention:
1. For the phrase, "A daughter is .. a joy bringer, a heart warmer, a memory maker. A daughter is ... love.", I printed it on the back side of vellum paper so the ink will not get smeared easily. Also when you print on vellum paper, make sure you change print option for transparency so less ink will come out. Do not touch the printed vellum paper for a few minutes after print. Otherwise, you will smear the prints.

2. For the lower right hand corner, I took Heidi Swapp's clear extras and painted with red, green and white acrylic paint on the back side. I mixed white with red and green paint separately to make different shades of pink and green. One thing I like about these clear extras is if I mess up the paint, I can wash it off with water and try it again. I hope you will give this a try.

Items used in this layout include:

1. Chatterbox's Villa Memory Building Kit
2. Chatterbox's red and pink ribbons
3. Chatterbox's Olive fuzz stickers
4. Heidi Swapp's Pink Chipboard Alphabet Box
5. Heidi Swapp's clear extras from Runway Collection.

"C" is for Cherished

2008-12-29T21:46:00.008-05:00

This is the third page of an ABC album for a cherished baby girl.

In this layout, you can place a 4" x 6" photo at the top.

At the bottom, I first sewed bottom and 2 outer sides and also a straight line between each circle. That way, you can insert 3 smaller photos into the slots.

At the bottom, there is supposed to have a cute phrase of "Your are a treasure to cherish always." But I messed it up by typing "is cherish" instead. But I didn't realize that until now. So if you are going to make this page layout, please don't make the same mistake as me. Have fun!!!!

Items used in this layout include:

1. Chatterbox's Villa Memory Building Kit
2. Chatterbox's Olive fuzz stickers
3. Chatterbox's Olive 3-D stickers
4. Heidi Swapp's Pink Chipboard Alphabet Box
5. Heidi Swapp's red, pink and lemonade felt flowers.

Organizing Spellbinders Dies

2008-12-27T11:15:00.015-05:00

Today I want to share a great solution I found for Spellbinder Dies.

I have been using CD cases to store my Spellbinders for a while but I didn't quite like the solution. The first problem was that I couldn't fit long rectangles dies into a CD case. Also with the number of CD cases I had, a lot of times they would fall off when I transported them from the house to a crop.

Then I found Tim Holtz's stamp binder. The dimension of the pocket is 7" w x 8.5" h, I can definitely fit the long rectangle dies and curved rectangle dies in there without any problem.

To keep them from shifting, I then found some avery inkjet printable magnetic sheets sold at Sam's Club's website for $7.88 with shipping fee included. That saved me a trip to the store... :)

Each package of magnetic sheets comes with 5 sheets. I cut each sheet in half and trim off the long side to be 8" long and they fit perfectly in the pockets. So I can store 10 sets of Spellbinder Dies. I then printed out their item number and name of dies on address labels and stock them on the magnetic sheets. See how neatly they stored in this cute binder.

Inside of the binder also has a front pocket and that's where I keep my tan embossing mat and white spacer plate and instruction sheet.

Here is great thing about this binder. It comes with a zipper so when I am done with these dies, I just close the zipper. Voila...they are safely kept inside the binder.

Not only I can keep Spellbinders Dies in this binder, I can also keep my clear stamps, stickers sheets, stencils,..., etc. I just love it.

Here is another tip for organizing Spellbinders Dies. I don't know about you but when I scrapbook, I love to take out all my tools and accessories. But when I am done, it's difficult to separate Spellbinders Dies into their own sets. So when I get a new set of dies, I use marker to label them in the back with the item number and die number with the largest one as 1 and second largest one as 2, and so on. That way, it's easy to sort them.

For Scalloped Square Dies, because these dies overlapped with each other, you can not nest them together on the magnetic sheet. You have to alter the sizes and keep in 2 separate piles like below.

"B" is for Baby

2008-12-25T11:38:00.006-05:00

"Have you ever held a baby, a baby, a baby like this?"

Continue with the baby girl ABC album, this is another cute 12" x 12" page layout I made using Chatterbox's Villa Memory Building Kit, olive ribbons and Heidi Swapp's Pink Chipboard Alphabet Box, large floral and baby chipboard.

"A" is for Angel

2008-12-17T07:06:00.023-05:00

I have been wanting to make an ABC baby album and finally I got some time to do so. I will share this ABC album with you as I complete them one page at a time and I hope you will be patient with me.

This is 12x12 album made for a baby girl. I started with Chatterbox's Villa Memory Building Kit, which features pink and olive color with floral, stripes and plaid pattern. For the ABC alphabets, I chose Heidi Swapp's Pink Chipboard Alphabet Box. These Chipboard Alphabet are about 2" tall so they will definitely give my pages a pop.

To make the letter "A" stands out more from the pastel background, I built a layered flower from Heidi Swapp's large floral and felt flowers and jeweled brad and use it as the background.

I also tie an angel chipboard to the letter "A" to emphasize "A" is for angel. Because this angel tag is not glued down, you can add a short message to the back of the tag if you want to.

You can place a 4" x 6" photo and a 4" x 4" photo or journaling block. These 2 mats were first cut with Fiskars's Paper Edgers, then sewed together and added pink ribbons.

To tie the olive chipboard alphabets "ANGEL" with pink, I sanded them down a little before applying Stampin' UP! Rose Romance ink around each alphabet.

At the bottom of page, I added a clear die cut wing from Heidi Swapp with a 3-D angel sticker from Chatterbox to start a cute little phrase "Angel is God's whisper in the wind". This phrase was printed on a piece of cardstock cut and embossed with Spellbinder's small rectangle die with a background cardstock cut and embossed with large rectangle die. The clear die cut wing is also inked with the same Stampin' UP! Rose Romance ink in the back. I hope you like this cute baby girl layout. I am sure that it can be easier converted to a baby boy layout by simply changing the color.

Create 20 Chrismtas Cards in One Night

2008-11-23T15:37:00.039-05:00

Can you believe that I made all 20 of these Christmas Cards in one night? Yep, I did. How cool is it to have all your friends and family received different cards from you this Christmas. And I didn't use any stamps, other embellishments or fancy tools for these cards. All the stickers, alphabets, flowers and ribbons are from this Page Kit. The only thing that is not included in this kit is the 8.5" x 11" cream cardstock.

List of supplies and tools for this project:

Cardstock and Paper
- Gaz ebo Memory Building Page Kit by Chatterbox
- 20 8.5" x 11" cream cardstock

Tools:
- Paper trimmer
- Scissor
- Tapes

Instruction:

1. First, follow the dimensions below and cut 4 of 12" x 12" paper each. So you will have

20 of A with 3.5" x 8.5" dimension
24 of B with 1.75" x 8.5" dimension
16 of C with 0.75" x 8.5" dimension
8 of D with 3.5" x 3.5" dimension

2. Then cut 2 pieces of B with dimension of 0.75" x 8.5" dimension. Now you should have 20 of A and 22 of B and 20 of C.

3. Now you can take 20 of A, B and C to assemble 20 cards. Each card will need one each of A, B and C. Make sure you lay out all 20 combination first before tape it down to the card. It's much easier to switch them now than with tape in the back. Also, remember that these paper are double-sided, so you can flip them over if you think the pattern is too busy. You see, there are just so many different possibilities with these. You will start tape B at the bottom of the card, A at the top of the card and then C to cover the gap between A and B.

4. Cut the ribbons came with the kit to 5" long. Tie a knot and tape them to the bottom of the cards.

5. Use the alphabet stickers came with the kit, make 2 cards with title "joy", 2 cards with "noel" and 1 card with "peace".

6. Download (right click on the image and select "Save Image As...") the 2 images above, and print them on the D (3.5" x 3.5") paper. Make sure you adjust the print size to 3.5" x 3.5". If you have problem print them out on 3.5" x 3.5", you can tape them to a larger piece of paper and them peel them off after printing. Trim them down and use them as titles for the rest of 15 cards. Use brads that came with the kit to attached to the titles.

7. Use stickers and flowers that came with the kit to embellish the cards. Voila, here are 20 homemade Christmas Cards!

Red, White, Blue Christmas Card

2008-11-22T06:56:00.021-05:00

Today, I want to a share a card with you that was made specially for our brave soldiers who can not spend time with their family during holiday season.

Here is the list of supplies and tools you will need to make this card:

Die Set(s):
- Star 5 Die Set by Spellbinders

Stamp(s):
- A Rhonna Christmas Card Stamps by Autumn Leaves

Cardstock and Paper
- 8.5" x 11" white cardstock
- 4.5" x 4.5" blue cardstock
- 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" light blue cardstock
- Enough red, white, blue cardstock to cut 4 red stars, 4 blue stars and 5 white stars.

Embellishment:
- Scarlet Decorative Ribbon by Chatterbox
- Denim Decorative Ribbon by Chatterbox
- Brads by Making Memories

Ink
- Real Red Pigment Ink from Stampin' Up!

Tools:
- Wizard byby Spellbinders or other die cut systems that are compatible with Spellbinders Dies.
- Paper trimmer
- Scissor
- Tapes
- Silver pen

Instruction:
1. I started with the smallest star die from Star 5 Die Set to cut out 4 red stars, 4 blue stars and 5 white stars first. Then assembled them on the light blue card stock to make a star wreath. Tip: I use one of Spellbinders circle dies as a template to draw a circle on the light blue cardstock first so I can make sure that the stars are in a perfect circle. You can use any object that can help you to draw a circle that is about 2.5" in diameter.

2. Attached some Blue Decorative Ribbon and Red Decorative Ribbon to the card with blue brads.

3. I stamped the Happy Holidays on the left side of the card between ribbons. Added some shadow with a silver pen to the stamped image so it stand out more.

4. Attached blue card stock and then the assembled light blue card stock to the card.

5. Added some red brads to the 4 corners of star wreath for finishing touch. Here is a card for our soldiers and wish them a Holiday Holiday!

The "GREEN" Star Christmas Card

2008-11-21T23:00:00.011-05:00

Ok, I did promise you that I will show you another Christmas Card from the left over star die cut a few days ago. So here it is. In this card the main theme, Star, is all made of recycle paper. This is the "Green" Star Christmas Card.

Here is the list of supplies and tools you will need to make this card:

Die Set(s):
- Star 5 Die Set by Spellbinders.
- Label 2 Die Set by Spellbinders.

Stamp(s):
- A Rhonna Christmas Card Stamps by Autumn Leaves

Cardstock and Paper
- 8" x 11" cream cardstock
- Some left over scrap paper and a piece of 5" x 5" paper that will coordinate with the scrap
- Left over Silver Star from Shining Star Christmas Card or Silver paper from Creative Memories Metallic Collection.

Embellishment:
- Scarlet Decorative Ribbon by Chatterbox
- Jeweled Brads by Heidi Swapp

Ink
- Real Red Pigment Ink from Stampin' Up!

Tools:
- Wizard by Spellbinders or other die cut systems that are compatible with Spellbinders Dies.
- Scissor
- Tapes
- Silver pen

Instruction:
1. First, I glued all scrap paper on a piece of paper that is large enough for me to cut out a star die cut using the third largest star die from Star 5 die set. I used mostly with shades of green paper and then add a little yellow and red pattern paper.

2. Take the glued paper with the star die and run through Wizard. Then glue it to the Silver Star die cut. If you don't have one, you can use the second largest star die and cut and embossing on a silver paper.

3. I used the largest die from Label 2 Die Set and cut and embossing on a red card stock to pick up the reds in my assembled star. I then use the same die and a template to outline silver border.

4. I stamped the Merry Christmas on the lower left hand corner of the card and used a silver pen to add some shadow to the stamped image to make it stand out more.

5. I added Scarlet Decorative Ribbon on the cream card stock first before attached the label and star die cuts. Finished it with some small sparkle Jeweled Brads from Heidi Swapp. Here is your "Green" Christmas Card.

Shining Star Christmas Card

2008-11-16T20:51:00.015-05:00

Remember the lyric "hang a shining star upon the highest bow"? Well, here is a Christmas card with a shining star upon the highest bow. It's easy and simple to make.

Here is the list of supplies and tools you will need to make this card:

Die Set(s):
- Star 5 Die Set by Spellbinders

Stamp(s):
- A Rhonna Christmas Card Stamps by Autumn Leaves

Cardstock and Paper
- 7" x 11" white cardstock
- 5" x 6.5" red cardstock
- Silver paper from Creative Memories Metallic Collection.

Embellishment:
- Scarlet Decorative Ribbon by Chatterbox
- Jeweled Brads by Heidi Swapp

Ink
- Basic Black from Stampin' Up!

Tools:
- Wizard by Spellbinders or other die cut systems that are compatible with Spellbinders Dies.
- Paper trimmer
- Scissor
- Tapes
- Silver pen

Instruction:
1. I used the largest star die from Star 5 die set to cut and emboss the star. Then I used the 2nd largest die to cut out the inside of star. To ensure that the die does not move while I was cutting, I use a very small piece of scotch tape to tape 2 corners of star and then remove the tape carefully after cutting. Now you have a silver star frame. Don't throw away the smaller star. I will show you another card make of the smaller star in the next couple of days.

2. I used the star frame as the template to mark on the white card stock on where I wanted to do the horizontal cut and also the triangle cut.

3. I used paper trimmer to make the horizontal cut and then used a pair scissors to cut the triangle out.

4. I attached the star onto the white card stock.

5. I stamped the 'tis the season on a red card stock and used a silver pen to add some shadow to the stamped image to make it stand out more.

6. Add some Scarlet Decorative Ribbon and a big sparkle Jeweled Brads from Heidi Swapp and that was it.

Have fun with this easy and elegant Christmas Card!

Spellbinders - Turkey Die Cut 2

2008-11-09T17:52:00.003-05:00

Here is an alternative to the Turkey Die Cut 1.

Step 1: Cut and embossed 3 different sizes of scalloped oval die cuts. Here, I use the 3rd, 4th and 5th largest dies from Petite Scalloped Large Die Set. Glue them together.

Step 2: Use the 3rd and 6th largest die from
Small Standard Circles Die Set to cut 2 circles with cream cardstock. Glue them together with the feather die cut from the previous step.

Step 3: Free hand cut the beak and feet with yellow cardstock. Glue them to the die cut and draw eyes with black pen. Here is another cute little Turkey Die Cut for your scrapbook pages and cards.

Spellbinders - Turkey Die Cut 1

2008-11-09T17:05:00.016-05:00

Today, I will show you step by step on how to create this cute little turkey die cut for your scrapbook pages or cards.

Step 1: Cut and embossed 3 different sizes of scalloped oval die cuts. Here, I use the largest 3 dies from Petite Scalloped Large Die Set. The largest one with brown cardstock, the second largest one with orange cardstock and the third largest with cream cardstock. Glue them together like the picture shown on the left

Step 2: Turn the die over and draw a vertical and horizontal lines so you can find where the center is. Then draw 2 angled lines from and center toward the bottom like the picture shown here.

Step 3: Cut the angles line so now your die cuts will look like this.

Step 4: Now cut a circle with brown cardstock. I use the third largest die from
Small Standard Circles Die Set. Then I use the 6th largest die from the same set to cut a circle with cream cardstock. Glue them together with the feather die cut from the previous step.

Step 5: Free hand cut the beak and feet with yellow cardstock. Glue them to the die cut and draw eyes with black pen. Here is your finished product. Isn't it cute?

Spellbinders - Pumpkin Die Cut

2008-11-02T09:23:00.010-05:00

Did you have a nice Halloween? Here is a easy way to create a pumpkin die cut using Spellbinders Circle Die that you can use for Halloween page.

1. Create 3 circles using the same Spellbinders Circle Die. I use the 3rd smallest die from Small Standard Circle Die Set.

2. Draw 2 curve lines on the first circle like the picture shown here. I use dotted line, but you can use solid line if you prefer.

3. Attach the other 2 circles at the bottom of the first circle like picture shown here. I put the middle circle slightly lower than the outer circle. Then draw dotted line along the middle circle line. Draw the stem, a leave and a couple of vines using a green pen

Spellbinders: Nestabilities Dies - 2 - The Sizes

2008-10-22T06:53:00.033-04:00

Today we will go over different sizes of Nestabilities Dies.

Each set of Nestabilities Dies comes with 5 to 7 dies and each die is approximately 1/4" smaller than the previous one. So you can create frames with 1/4" borders with these dies easily. But what happen if you need to create 1/8" borders? Don't worry, Spellbinders thought of that. For each shape (circles, ovals, rectangles, squares and long rectangles) of Nestabilities, it has one large set and one coordinated small set of dies.

In the picture to the left, the top one shows Petite Oval Large Dies and the bottom one shows Petite Oval Small Dies. They are almost identical, except the small set is 1/8" smaller than the large set. So if you have both large and small sets, they will cover more intervals. But if you don't need that flexibility, then one set should be sufficient for your scrapbook or craft projects.

For each shape of Nestabilities Dies, it also offers the coordinated scalloped dies. With both non-scalloped edge and scalloped edge dies, you can create very pretty scallaped edge frames. The scalloped edged dies also comes with large and small sets. Some of you have asked which one you should get if you can only buy one set. Well, this is all depends on what is your preference. Here I am showing 2 pictures. The top one is using a Petite Oval Small Die with a Petite Scalloped Large Die. This combination offers wider border.

The bottom one is using a Petite Oval Large Die with a Petite Scalloped Large Die. This combination offers narrower border. So both combination are equally pretty and it's really depends which one you like better when you choose a scalloped edge die.

Spellbinders: Nestabilities Dies - 1 - The Basics

2008-10-08T21:42:00.026-04:00

For someone who is new with Nestabilities Collection by Spellbinders, it can be very overwhelming and confusing. How does it work? What is the difference between large and small circles? Which scalloped ovals work with the petite ovals? So I will try to answer some of the questions for the next few weeks. Today, let's go over the the basic information about these Nestabilities Dies.

First, let's take a look at these Nestabilities Dies. One side of these dies have ridge and the other side is flat, as shown in the first 2 pictures. The first one is the largest die from Petite Oval Large Set and the second one is the largest die from Petite Scalloped Oval Large Set. The ridge side is the cutting side. When you run these dies through a machine, you want to put the ridge side against the cardstock. Please refer to Spellbinders: Die Cut Machine Capabilities check the correct cutting and embossing sandwich for your machine.

I built the cutting sandwich with the Petite Oval Large Die and ran through my machine. After I completely ran it through and peeled away the perimeter scrap surrounded the die cut image, this is what I got. If I also want to emboss the die cut, I will then take the die with the die cut attached, built the embossing sandwich for my machine and ran it through the machine again. Tip: If you want to emboss your die cut, after its cut, DO NOT PEEL the die cut away from the die before you emboss, otherwise it will be very difficult to line up and build the embossing sandwich.

I repeated the same process with the next largest die from Petite Oval Large Set with brown cardstock. Now I can layer the brown die cut on top of the cream one and build a nice oval die cut.

2008-09-27T17:10:00.009-04:00

Spellbinders: Die Cut Machine Capabilities

We get a lot of questions about these wonderful Spellbinders Dies. For those of you who are not familiar with these Spellbinders Dies, they can be used to cut and/or emboss beautiful details. They can also be used as stencil templates to add color. To use these dies, you can either use Spellbinders' Wizard machine or one of the following die cut machines: Cuttlebug, Big Shot, Big Kick, Zip'eMat, Sizzix and Revolution. So you already own one of these cutting machines, you don't need to buy another one to use these dies. However, you will need to buy additional white spacer plate and tan embossing mat. But that's so much cheaper than a cutting machine. So please find your machine below for detail information about how to use Spellbinder Dies with your machine.

Please note that the information is provided by Spellbinders and here is their recommendation before using these dies with your cutting machine.

Spellbinders Dies are designed around the Wizard® Embossing & Die Cutting System and Xcalibur™ Motorized Cutting & Embossing Machine. However, we have found that they do have limited compatibility with other systems . Please be advised that Spellbinders two-year Warranty on Spellbinders Dies may be
voided by using the dies in other systems. Spellbinders makes no guarantees about the cutting or embossing quality of any system other than the Wizard and Xcalibur’s Cutting Systems.

Please check the warranty on your die-cutting system before using Spellbinders Dies with it. Spellbinders is not responsible for any damage incurred by using Spellbinders Dies with other systems.

CuttleBug ™ by Provocraft®
This machine is capable of cutting and embossing any Spellbinders Die. You will need Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat to emboss in Cuttlebug™ machine.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Cuttlebug™ -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

A plate .
C plate.
Spellbinders Die with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges)
Paper or cardstock
B plate
Run through Cuttlebug™ machine.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

Remove C Plate for embossing sandwich leave A plate on the bottom.
Leave die face up on A plate with die cut still in the die.
Place one Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat on top of the die.
Use 2 or 3 pieces of cardstock to shim. Cautionary Note: Using more than 3 pieces of cardstock to shim Cuttlebug Embossing sandwich will result in B Plate breakage. When using Spellbinders Edgeabilities card making dies, shim with only 2 pieces of card stock.
Place two acrylic B plates on top of sandwich and run through Cuttlebug™ machine to emboss Spellbinders die cuts.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.

Big Shot® by Ellison Design™ (Blue)
This machine is capable of cutting and embossing any Spellbinders Die. You will need Spellbinders White Spacer Plate and Tan Embossing Mat to cut and emboss in the Big Shot machine.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Big Shot® -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place the Big Shots® thick white mat down first.
Place one Spellbinders White Spacer Plate onto the thick white mat.
Place Spellbinders Die with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges) onto the white spacer plate.
Place paper or cardstock over die.
Place two Big Shot® acrylic mats over paper and roll through the Big Shot® machine.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

Remove the Spellbinders Spacer Plate while leaving the die in place.
Place Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat over the paper and die.
Place one Big Shot® acrylic mat on top of Tan Embossing Mat and roll through Big Shot® machine.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.

Big Shot® by Ellison Design™ (Black & Pink)
This machine is capable of cutting and embossing any Spellbinders Die. You will need two Tan Embossing Mat to cut and emboss in the Big Shot® machine.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Big Shot® -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place large platform down first with all tabs closed.
Place Spellbinders Die with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges) .
Place paper or cardstock over die.
Place two Big Shot® acrylic mats on top of paper or cardstock and roll through the Big Shot® machine.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

Remove acrylic mats from cardstock and die. Leave the Spellbinders die in place with paper die cut out still in the die on the multi-purpose platform.
Place TWO Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat on top of die.
With one piece of 12 x 6 card stock tri-fold for a shim and place on top of the Tan Embossing Mats.
Place ONE Big Shot® acrylic mat on top and run through Big Shot® machine.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.

Big Kick™ by Sizzix®
This machine is capable of cutting and embossing any Spellbinders Die. You will need two Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mats to cut and emboss in the Big Shot™ machine.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Big Kick™ -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place large platform down first with all tabs closed.
Place Spellbinders Die with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges) .
Place paper or cardstock over die.
Place two Big Kick™ acrylic mats on top of paper or cardstock and roll through the Big Kick™ machine.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

Remove acrylic mats from cardstock and die. Leave the Spellbinders die in place with paper die cut out still in the die on the multi-purpose platform.
Place TWO Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat on top of die.
With one piece of 12 x 6 card stock tri-fold for a shim and place on top of the Tan Embossing Mats.
Place ONE Big Kick™ acrylic mat on top and run through Big Kick™ machine.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.

Zip’eMate™ by Accucut®
This machine is capable of cutting and embossing any Spellbinders Die.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the ZEM -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place a Spellbinders Die on ZEM's platform with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges) .
Place paper or cardstock over die and cut in the same manner as with Zip'eCuts.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

After cut, do not remove the die or the paper from the platform.
Place ZEM's Embossing Foam over paper and with the ZEM's Embossing Mat, roll through again to emboss the die cut.

Original Sizzix® Press
Ellison® manufactures the Sizzix® System Converter. You will need to use the system converter along with Spellbinders White Spacer Plate and Tan Embossing Mat to cut and emboss Spellbinders Dies.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Sizzix® -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place the Sizzix® System Converter into the Sizzix® Machine.
On the cutting pad, place paper to be cut then Spelllbinders die with cutting side down (that means the side with the ridges) .
Place the Spellbinders White Spacer Plate over the Spellbinders Die.
Use a 12 x 6 piece of cardstock and trifold to use as a shim. Place shim on top of Spellbinders Spacer Plate. Tip: If you found that the die create an indentation when you cut, you can then skip this step.
Push through Sizzix® Machine to cut.

NOTE: It may take several presses to cut larger Spellbinders Dies.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

After cutting die in Sizzix® Machine, remove paper shim and white spacer plate.
Leave paper die cut in the die.
Turn over Spellbinders Die, place it on Sizzix® cut pad.
Place Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat on top of Spellbinders Die.
Place paper shim on top of Tan Embossing Mat.
Run through Sizzix® Machine.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.

Revolution™ by QuicKutz®
This machine may be used to cut and emboss Spellbinder Dies. You will need Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mats to emboss with Revolution machine.

How to use a Spellbinder Die in the Revolution Machine -
Cutting (Stack from bottom up)

Place Spelllbinders die with cutting side up (that means the side with the ridges) onto Revolution platform.
Place paper or cardstock on top of die.
Place acrylic cutting mat on top of die.
Roll through Revolution Machine to cut.

Embossing (Stack from bottom up)

After cutting die in Revolution Machine, remove acrylic cutting mat.
Leave die in place with die cut still inside die.
Place Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat on top of Spellbinders Die.
Place acrylic embossing mat on top of Tan Embossing Mat.
Roll through Revolution Machine to cut.
Turn die over and use like a stencil with inks and chalks for added detail.