Feeling Gratitude Card

Hello, Crafty Friends!!

I'm so sad that October is done and gone but I'm looking forward to the rest of the holiday season. Thanksgiving, here we come!! And I have so many things to be thankful for! This year has been filled with lots of trials but they have helped me grow and learn. Learn to be a better friend, better mom, a better role model, and a way better me... And for that, I am extremely grateful!

So this card I created for the Eileen Hull team was very fitting...

Supplies Used

Eileen Hull Leaves, Spring (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Embroidery Hoop (Sizzix- Retired)

Eileen Hull Blends Inks- Melon, Flagstone, Nutmeg (Clearsnap)

Big Shot (Sizzix) 

Mat Board (Sizzix)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

Feeling Gratitude (Waffle Flower)

Achillea Cottage Flowers (I Am Roses)

 Tangerine Orange Variegated Cherry Blossoms (I Am Roses)

Versafine Onyx Black (Imagine. Tsukineko)

Pattern Paper (DCWV)

Kraft Cardstock (Recollection)

Orange Cardstock (Bazzill)

Twine

Brown Button- Bittersweet (Buttons Galore)

MISTI (My Sweet Petunia)

For this card, I used two of my all-time favorite dies from Eileen Hull Designs... 

The Leaves, Spring and the Embroidery Hoop. Sadly, the Embroidery Hoop has since been retired. But the Leaves, Spring die is still available and remains one that I constantly reach for.

I cut a 5" x 6" piece of white mat board and ran it through my Xyron Creative Station Lite machine. Once through, I flipped it over and ran it again a second time to get adhesive on both sides of the mat board.

I removed the protective film from one side and attached patterned paper to the mat board. Then I trimmed off any overhang with my scissors. Then, I placed my mat board (paper side down) onto my Embroidery Hoop Die.

I ran the die through my Sizzix Big Shot Machine.

And presto... It gave me three (count them... THREE) die-cuts!! You can use all three in your projects but today I'm only going to use the largest of the cuts as a frame. The other two cuts I'll set aside for future projects.

To build the body of my card, I started with a 5"x7" card base made from kraft cardstock. I matted the card with a 4.75" x 6.75" piece of orange cardstock. Then layered that with 4.5" x 6" piece of leaf patterned paper and a 4.5" x 1" strip of knit sweater patterned paper. 

I attached all the pieces together using my Xyron Mega Runner.

Then, attached my mat board embroidery hoop.

To decorate my card, I chose an assortment of papers that were similar in color to the leaves that were in my patterned paper.

I folded the papers in half before die cutting and covered each shape completely and ran it through my Big Shot. This resulted in cutting out the die-cut shape an it's mirror image (see middle picture below).

Then, I used Flagstone, Melon, and Nutmeg Blends Inks to shade my leaf die-cuts. 

Then I put the leaves on the side to concentrate on the sentiment of the card.

I've always loved this stamp from Waffle Flower called Feelin Gratitude. It encompasses my exact thoughts and fills up the Embroidery Hoop perfectly!

I used my Misti stamping tool to stamp my sentiment onto my card with Versafine Onyx Black ink and again onto gray patterned paper. 

Then cut out the banner pieces from the gray paper, added foam adhesive, and attached it over the banner images on the card front.

I used a strong quick-drying glue to attach my leaves to the embroidery hoop. I grouped the leaves into threes and followed the curvature of the hoop.

I added a twine bow topped with a button between the groupings of leaves. 

Next, attached my premade cherry blossoms... I snipped off the stems of the cherry blossoms and spiraled the achillea stems with a skewer. Then attached the cherry blossoms and achillea flowers onto the leaves and surrounded the bow. 

And here is a look at my finished card...

I totally love how this turned out!! The fall colors on this are so calming and not harsh. And couldn't use a little more calm in their lives, right?!!

I hope you enjoyed today's card and it inspires you to create something gorgeous this Thanksgiving season!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

Creating Two Seasons with One Stamp Set

Hey, Friends!! I'm back again with Team Xyron today!!

And brrrrr... It's cold outside!! It's not even Thanksgiving and temperatures have begun to dip. I'm hoping that Mother Nature makes up her mind. I mean, it is still technically fall, right?!  Supposedly we still have 37 more days of fall to go... say what?!! Yup, that's right, winter doesn't officially begin until December 21!!  I don't know about your neck of the woods, but in my area, the frigid air here screams WINTER!!

So what is one to do... Craft for Fall or craft for Winter??

Well, if you're ever stuck in that sort of dilemma, let me give you a tip, buy products that are dual or multi-purpose! Like this set from Waffle Flower called Hello Pumpkin.

This set can be used throughout your year-end holiday seasons. It's filled with jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, and sweater wearing mice!! And did I mention the cute latte and coffee/ cocoa accessories? 

You can literally use this set to craft from Halloween to Christmas just with this one set!

But since Halloween has already passed, I'll show you how I created these winter and fall cards below. 

Supplies Used

Hello Pumpkin (Waffle Flower)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

Procolour Pencils -24 Count(Derwent)

Fall Basics Stack (DCWV)

ColorBox Archival Dye Ink- Wicked Black (Clearsnap)

Big Shot Machine (Sizzix)

Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer Thin Dies (Sizzix)

Stitched Circle Dies (Pink and Main)

Paper Trimmer (Swingline)

Watercolor Paper (Strathmore)

Misti Stamping Tool (My Sweet Petunia)

Twine- Natural Hemp, Black

Button

Mixed Media Glue

I started by using my Misti Stamping Tool to stamp my images from Waffle Flower's Hello Pumpkin onto a piece of watercolor cardstock with ColorBox Wicked Black Dye Ink. I colored all the stamped images in using Derwent's Procolour Pencils. The watercolor paper is quite textured and it has a nice tooth for the pigments in the pencils to grab onto. 

The trick with these pencils is to have a light hand. Apply gentle pressure and work in layers. If you apply too much pressure you burnish the color down and rid the paper of its tooth so the paper can no longer grip anymore color. 

Here's a trick to change seasons... switch out your color palette! Yes, it's that simple. With the exception of stamps that are obviously specific to a certain holiday or event, simply changing the color palette can result in a different feel and theme.

For example, I colored some images in oranges, greens, and browns (fall colors), while others were blues and purple (cool winter tones) or greens and reds (traditional Christmas colors).

Once I was done coloring I cut my little munchkins out by hand. The matching set of dies is available for this set but I find hand cutting images relaxing so I don't mind the fussy cutting.

 Coloring images can help set the mood and determine theme but so can paper!! Paper is, in my opinion, the biggest & easiest way to change the feel of your project. 

Again, I opted for more neutral tones... greens, oranges, browns, and yellows...

These shades make up the palette of my Fall card. And all my patterned paper came from one paper stack... DCWV's Fall Basics Stack.

I cut the card base to 9 1/4"x 8" and folded it in half (9 1/4"x 4" -folded).

The yellow striped mat measures 9 1/4"x 3 1/4".

And the plaid paper measures at 9 1/4" x 3".

I used my Mega Runner to adhere the first mat to the base. Adhering the piece straight down the center of the card.

I used my Big Shot with the magnetic platform and a circle die to cut 3 windows down the center of the mat. Then again, used my Mega Runner to adhere to the yellow striped paper.

I attached the leaves at the top center of my card. Then attached a small twine bow over top.

Then, I topped off the bow with an acorn center.

I added foam adhesive to the back of my critters to give them a little dimension and placed them each into a window.

Then to finish this card, I simply stamped the sentiment "Hello Pumpkin" in black ink.

Look how adorable it is! So simpl and oh so cute!!

For my Winter card... 

Even more quick and easy... Remember, I had already colored some of my images in winter and Christmas colors...

Then, I created this easy A2 (4 1/4"x 5 1/2") sized card base matted it twice giving each mat a difference of 1/4"

Mat #1- 4" x 5 1/4"

Mat #2- 3 3/4" x 5"

Layered and attached them with my Mega Runner.

Stamped the "You & me" sentiment towards the center of the card. Then added my "dimensional" mice (one on each side of the sentiment).

I almost forgot to give them their little beverages... I love how this set comes with the little latte and cup of hot cocoa (it can also double as coffee for all you coffee lovers)!!

Then, finally added my bow and stamped the words "perfect blend" underneath the little mice.

And...

TAH-DUH!!

EEEEKKK!! Yup, I'm squealing like a little mouse! These are just too flipping cute! I'll be definitely getting tons of use from this set for sure!

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's double feature!

Remember if you can't choose, always go for BOTH!! LOL

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

DISCLAIMERS

**This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites, and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

***This blog contains affiliate links, clicking and shopping through these links helps to support and run the Up On Tippy Toes blog at no additional cost to you..***

Feeling Grattitude Wall Art

Hello, Crafty Friends!

I'm back with Team Xyron today and we have been partnering up with Waffleflower all week to bring amazing projects featuring awesome products from both companies.

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I thought I'd make myself a little reminder... to always express my GRATITUDE. Not just on one day out of the year but every single day. So today I have this framed piece of wall art tutorial to share with you all.

Supplies Used

Feeling Gratitude Stamp Set (Waffleflower)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

1.5" Sticker Maker (Xyron)

Paper Crafting Medley- Iona (Little Birdie Crafts)

Patterned Paper (DCWV)

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (Tsukineko/ Imagine Crafts)

White Cardstock

Mixed Media Glue

Frame

Jute

First, I gathered my materials. I dismantled my frame and removed the photo mat. I used the mat as a template and outlined it onto the back of my patterned paper with a pencil. Then, I cut out the traced shape using scissors.

I used a craft knife to cut out the inside window. Then cut a back piece from more patterned paper to layer the frame onto. I used my Xyron Mega Runner to layer and attach the two pieces together.

I used Waffleflower's amazing Feeling Gratitude Stamp Set to stamp in the window area of the frame. I used a stamp positioning tool just in case I need to restamp and want exact placement.

I stamped a second time onto plain white cardstock. The second impression didn't need to be perfect. I just stamped it to cut the two banner images.

I ran the two banner pieces through my Sticker Maker. Then applied them directly to the matching areas in the framed sentiment.

Next, I attached my chipboard flourishes onto the frame using mixed media glue. Then attached my burlap flowers and jute bow. Once the adhesive dried I inserted the mat back into the frame.

And here is my finished framed art...

Now, it's good to go!! This baby is ready to be hung on a wall or placed on a mantle or tabletop!

This is such a beautiful saying that holds very true. Feeling and being grateful is wonderful... but unless you express that gratitude no one will ever know it. 

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and that it inspires you to create and to share and express your gratitude with those around you!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

***Disclaimer***

This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

True Friend Wall Art- Xyron + Waffle Flower Blog Hop

Hey there, Crafty Friends!! I am so excited to be participating in this week's 

Xyron + Waffle Flower Blog Hop!!

 We are continuing the week with amazing projects from both the Xyron and Waffle Flower Design Teams!

There is awesome Blog Candy to be won too!**

Both companies will be giving away FABULOUS PRIZES!! To enter the Xyron Giveaway all you have to do is head on over to the Xyron Facebook Page and "Like" and "comment" on any/ all of the Waffle Flower project posts.

And, Don't forget to head on over to Waffle Flower Blog to see even more awesome project from the Waffle Flower Team.

**Disclaimer: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, associated or indorsed by Facebook or it's subsidiaries. 

For my blog hop project I made wall decor for a really good friend of mine. She and her family have shown what true friendship really means. They have been there for me through storms (literally and metaphorically). 

This pass June has been one of trials and tribulations. My town was hit with flash floods and tornadoes, one which ripped through my backyard. My friend, Christina Rust, and her husband (James) came over on two separate occasions to help us clear a tree that was knocked down from the storm, it laid across our yard but was still attached to the trunk. James, with chainsaws in hand, removed that and other surrounding trees. Then the following weekend they hauled off all the debris.

Shortly after that storm, I received shocking news that my baby brother had suffered from a massive heart attack which ultimately took his life. And there was Christina. She gave me a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on, and endless hugs and reassurance that it was going to be ok. Her husband took care of the main food being served and their whole family manned the kitchen during my brother's funeral. They have done so much for me and my family and I am eternally grateful!

So, out of appreciation, I made her this shadowbox wall art for her home. 

I know this in no way will show her how much I truly appreciate her but I thought it was a great start. 

I knew I loved the quote and I felt it really encompassed our friendship. 

And the perfect companion to this quote and what really made this framed piece pop was this 3D Diamond Template Die from Waffle Flower.

 I wanted to stress that our friendship is a rarity, like a diamond. And I hold I cherish it dearly. And   

 I love the way that this die emphasizes the diamonds.

To make the diamonds, Waffle Flower suggests using a cardstock with a weight of 65 lbs or less for easier folding, but I used this paper that looked like mercury glass and has a weight closer to 110 lbs... this is on the really thick side.

First, I cut out all the diamonds from my cardstock. 

Then, I folded along the crease lines. Because this was a very thick cardstock, and because I wanted the folds to we defined, I used a bone folder to make those crease lines crisp.

Then I used a bit of liquid glue to attach the flaps.

Just a heads up... the back flaps attach to the little triangular tabs around back, not the long flap that goes across the top.

For those of you who need visual assistance, Waffle Flower also has an instructional video on youtube to help you assemble this template. You can find it HERE.

For the quote, I opened my computer software and electronic cutting machine. I used fonts already on my computer and typed out the quote in a bold print font, Then cut it out on my machine using black cardstock.

I removed the inside die cute letter and  used the entire negative cut-out.

I matted this piece with more if the same mercury glass paper.

Then used a corner chomper and gave the corners a ticketed edge.

Next, I ran the black/quoted cardstock through my Xyron Creative Station with a 9" permanent adhesive cartridge.

With the protective plastic still attached, I traced around each letter.

Then peeled the protective film and adhered it to the mercury glass cardstock mat.

Then,once again, ran it through my Creative Station.

I had purchased a 11"x 14" shadow box frame. I took it apart and attached my quote directly onto the canvas insert that came with the frame. Once secured, I glued three 3D diamonds below my quote. I To help with alignment, I used a T-Square Ruler and lined up the top edges with the tops of each diamond and used liquid glue to secure in place.

Once the glue was dried, I inserted the mat into the shadowbox frame.

And here is my finished project. A very special gift for a very special friend!!

WHO'S A TRUE FRIEND & A REAL JEWEL!

Closer View

Close-up of 3D Diamonds 

Supplies Used

3D Diamond Template Die (Waffle Flower)

 Creative Station w/ 9" Permanent Adhesive Cartridge (Xyron)

Black Cardstock- Black, White, Cream Stack (DCWV)

Mercury Glass Stack (DCWV)

Personal Die-cut Machine

Electronic Die-cutting Machine and Software

11"x 14" Shadowbox Frame (Studio Decor)

Stylus 

T-Ruler

Bone Folder

Clear liquid adhesive

I hope you really enjoyed my project for today! 

 DON'T FORGET...

To enter GIVEAWAY on the Xyron page by COMMENTING on any/all the Waffle Flower project posts!!

AND...

To stop on by the Waffle Flower Blog for even more amazing projects.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

AND THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!!

Oh gosh... Just a bit of an FYI (For anyone interested)... Xyron is also having a 25% OFF ALL PRODUCTS SALE. This is good till July 31, 2016 using
 COUPON CODE: SUMMER
at checkout.

Hope you all have a great SUMMER!! And Enjoy the rest of the BLOG HOP!!

~Mitsy