Berry Hello Gift Set

Hello Crafty Friends! I'm back again with Team Xyron and we are at the tail end of our fabulous week with 1Canoe2 and American Crafts. Today, I have an adorable mini train case box with a coordinating card. 

Supplies Used 

Hazelwood Cork Diecut Shapes (1Canoe2)

Hazelwood Scrapbook Paper Collection (1Canoe2)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Eileen Hull Train Case Die (Sizzix)

Strawberry Die Set (Stamps of Life)

Stitched Circle Dies (Pink and Main)

Hello Dies (Pink and Main)

Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Rhinestone Sliders (Dritz)

Chipboard

Liquid Adhesive

Tim Holtz Distress Stain- Bundles Sage (Ranger)

Tim holtz Distress Paint-Candied Apple (Ranger)

Tim Holtz Distress Ink- Walnut Stain (Ranger)

Magnetic Discs

Brads

White Gel Pen (Sakura)

When I saw the Forest Berry paper I fell head over heels for it! I love all things strawberry and I knew I absolutely just had to make something from it.

I started by cutting my paper & chipboard down to 6" wide, Then cutting it again to 8 inches long. These measurements are the perfect size to cover just the main box panels of the die. 

Next, I ran my patterned paper through my Xyron Creative Station Lite. I made sure to face the pattern, that I wanted to use, up. In this case I wanted the strawberries and polka dots.

Then, I peeled and attached onto my chipboard before die-cutting. When die cutting my covered chipboard piece I faced the pattern I wanted to appear on the outside of the box face down toward the blade.

I die cut two of each box panel piece. I folded all the pieces on their score lines. Then added liquid adhesive to the small tabs and adhered to the matching panel piece. To make sure it aligned properly, I used mini clothes pins to hold them in place while the glue dried.

Once the side panels were fastened securely I added liquid adhesive to the top flaps and adhered the top cover. I repeated the last step for the bottom piece as well. It's a perfect fit and aligns perfectly!

I measure out about 2 - 14" piece of double stitched grosgrain ribbon. I wrapped my ribbon around the trunk, starting from the front and working my way to the back and then up and over the top. Then secured in place with liquid adhesive.

Once those strap were dry, I added rhinestone sliders for "buckles" and magnetic discs for closures.

 To make the card, I die cut a strawberry and two leaves from chipboard.

I used distress stain to color the stem of the strawberry and both leaves. Then used a distress paint on the berry.  Chipboard unless treated is very porous and I applied a few layers so I zapped it with a heat gun to speed up the drying time.

I inked the edges using Walnut Stain distress ink and a mini blending tool. then glued the stem to the strawberry. Then added details with a white gel pen.

For the card base I used the gingham side of the "Rosewater" paper  to make a A2 (4.5"x5.5") sized card. And die cut a stitched circle from the "Sweet as Honey" paper. I ran my circle through my Xyron and attached it to the center of my card.

Then I ran my strawberry, leaves, and a few cork embellishments through my CS Lite.... and presto instant stickers! I just peeled and stuck them onto my card front.

I die cut the word "hello" and attached it inside the polka dotted circle.

And here are the finished projects...

BOX- UP CLOSE

CARD- UP CLOSE 

This set came out so "BERRY" cute and  makes an amazingly "SWEET" gift set!!

Hope you enjoyed today's project, I know I sure did!!

Until next time...

Happy Crafting!!

~Mitsy

Meowy Christmas!!

Meowy Christmas, Crafty Peeps!! We only have a little over a week to get those Christmas cards out and I'm back again with another holiday card inspiration for you all!!

Today, I'm using this adorable set from Pink and Main called Santa Paws.

The puns in this set are too cute and funny!! They're just as cute as the characters in the set!! It's filled with cute little cats, dogs, and all things christmas-y!!

I stamped my image with dye based Black ink. Then colored them in using colored pencils.

Once colored, I used the matching Santa Paws Dies to cut them out.

For the card base and the inner embossed rectangle I used Pink and Main's Stitched Rounded Rectangles.

For the circle window cut-out, I used the Stitched Circle Dies.

Meowy Christmas, Crafty Peeps!! We only have a little over a week to get those Christmas cards out and I'm back again with more  holiday card inspiration for you all!!

Today, I'm using this adorable set from Pink and Main called Santa Paws.

The puns in this set are too cute and funny!! They're just as cute as the characters in the set!! It's filled with cute little cats, dogs, and all things christmas-y!! My favorite one is the Santa Cat holding the present with a puppy peeking out of the box! Too cute!! 

I stamped my image with dye based Black ink. Then colored them in using colored pencils.

Once colored, I used the matching Santa Paws Dies to cut them out.

For the card base, the embossed card mat, and the smaller rectangles used to frame my sentiment, I used Pink and Main's Stitched Rounded Rectangles.

For the circle window cut-out, I used the Stitched Circle Dies.  Just a quick tip... assemble you card first. then die-cut your window out. Once you have a window you can place your die cut image into the window. Mount with foam adhesive and attach to the inside of the card.

I absolutely love the stitching in these dies!! And, just a heads up... the stitching even holds up after embossing!! How awesome is that?!!

Take a long at the card below to see all the details!

I hope you all enjoyed this project!

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and Happy Crafting!!

~Mitsy

Other Supplies Used

Patterned Cork Stack (DCWV)

Kraft Paper Stack (DCWV)

Autumn Leaves Stack(DCWV)

Green Polka Dot Paper 

150 lb Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (Tsukineko/ Imagine Crafts)

Color Pencils (Prismacolor)

Embossing Folder (

White Gel Pen (Sakura)

Stitched Ribbon

Green & White Striped Paper String (Tim Holtz)

Red Button (Buttons Galore) 

Xyron & Faber-Castell (Design Memory Craft) Blog Hop

Hello, Crafty Friends... I am thrilled to be a part of the the Xyron/ Faber-Castell (Design-Memory-Craft) Blog Hop. Today is the last day of the hop and I'm so glad that you stopped by.

I made this vibrant canvas piece using Faber-Castell's luscious Gelatos and light and fluffy Whipped Spackle and teaming it with Xyron's awesome adhesives!!.

I started off by ripping apart a sheet of script printed cork. Cork sheets are easy to tear and there was no need for any special tools... just my two hands.

After ripping the sheet up into the sizes and shapes I wanted, I chose a few pieces and ran them through my Xyron Creative Station.

And attached the pieces onto my canvas. I also put a light coat of sealant over the top so my ends wouldn't lift off the sides.

 Then the really fun part began... I applied my Iced Coffee gelato directly onto the edges of my canvas and cork. I used my fingers to rub in and blend. I then applied my Red Cherry and Mango gelatos and blended again with my finger.

 I don't own many background stamps... but I do own dies!! I made myself a background die but using my Teresa Collins Honeycomb die... but instead of cutting paper I cut craft foam!! Then I used a piece of acrylic sheet and a 2way glue pen. rubbed it on my plastic and waited for the glue to dry... this makes the adhesive repositionable. Then I applied my homemade stamp.  I left in some of the cut out in place giving it more interest.

Then I rubbed my Iced Coffee Gelatos directly onto my foam stamp. I misted it with water. And stamped my image randomly onto my canvas. After this step, I sealed it with a spray sealant.

I didn't like the gleaming white parts peeking out from around my cork, so I used my Black Brush PITT Artist Pen to fill in the cracks. Then I used my Whipped Spackle and Polka-dot Stencil to add more texture onto my canvas making sure to get the sides as well.

Then I added a few platters of gesso across the top. 

While the spackle and gesso dried, I cut out gears and wheels from chipboard using dies. I then gessoed the chipboard pieces. Once those Pieces were dry I used my an array of Metallic Gelatos (Iced Coffee, Gold Champagne, Iced Chai, Iced Currant, Iced Rose) to age my gears. I also cut out another chipboard for keyhole piece and repeated that process... antiquing and aging my chipboard.

 I ran all my chipboard pieces through my Xyron Creative Station with the 9" Permanent Adhesive Cartridge installed.

Then peeled and stuck them onto my canvas in a staggering pattern. 

I positioned the keyhole in the center of the canvas.

And lastly, added artificial foliage around the canvas, surrounding the gears. I used a hot glue gun and glue sticks to secure the an array of ivy, berry stems and flowers. And added microbeads to the centers of my flowers using liquid adhesive.

 Here is the finished canvas...

Supplies Used

Gelatos: Metallics- Iced Coffee, Iced Chai, Gold Champagne, Iced Currant, Iced Rose; 

Brights-Red Cherry, Melon, Lemon (Faber -Castell)

Whipped Spackle (Faber-Castell)

Stencils 10 ct (Faber-Castell)

PITT Artist Pen- B (Faber-Castell)

Creative Station (Xyron)

9" Permanent Adhesive Refill Cartridge

Printed Cork Stack (DCWV)

Teresa Collins Pocket Die- Honeycomb (Craftwell) 

Gears Dies (Darice)

Nested Rectangles (Darice)

Tim Holtz Alterations Keyholes (Sizzix)

Tim Holtz Alterations Picture Wheel (Sizzix)

Big Shot (Sizzix)

7"x14" Stretched Canvas (Daler Rowney)

Chipboard

Mod Podge (Plaid)

Matte Finish (Krylon)

Gesso (Liquitex)

Microbeads (Buttons Galore)

Black Cardstock (Bazzill)

Hot Glue Gun and Sticks (Adtech)

Artificial leaves and flowers

I hope you like today's project and I hope you enjoyed the hop!! I want to especially thank Faber-Castell  and Xyron both for making such amazing quality products!! It was a real privilege working with two such brilliant companies!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CREATING!!

~Mitsy

Sweets For My Sweetie

Hello my crafty friends!! Today's tutorial is my first "Official" post for the Xyron Design Team!! Woohoo!! And as a special treat for myself I get to play with Xyron's brand spanking new Creative Station to make my Dear Ol' Hubby this canister of yummy goodness... Mmmmm...CHOCOLATE!!

I mean...Do you need a reason to randomly give a yummy gift to your significant other? I say “Nay”! Sometimes, just thinking about them is reason enough to do something special for them.

But for myself, I can’t just hand over a bag a chocolate and call it good. The packaging ends up being trashed without a second thought. But, before that even happens you’ll witness a partially eaten bag travel around the house... and if you have a house full of children, like I do, it gets crinkled and mangled in the process. So why not gift it in a storage solution that double as gift wrapping and candy container that is practical and appealing to the eye! And even better yet, using a recycled and upcycled plastic drink container!!

Tools and Supplies Used

Xyron Creative Station

Xyron 5" Creative Station Permanent Refill

Xyron 9" Creative Station Permanent Adhesive Refill

Cut'n'Boss Die-cut Machine

DCWV Printed Cork Stack

Craft Smith Natural Luxury Paper Pad

Graffix Metallic Silver Cardstock

Cuttlebug Anna Griffin Flower Layer Cut & Emboss Die

Recollections Coordinates Black/White Twine

Martha Stewart Guillotine Trimmer

Cutter Bee Scissors by EK Success

Empty and Cleaned Plastic Orange Juice Container 

Chocolate Covered Almonds (Daily Chef)

I started by measuring the circumference of my bottle. The bottle I'm using measures about 14" around. I have to keep this in mind when cutting out all my material.

Then I cut down my Graffix Metallic Silver Cardstock sheet down to a standard sized 8.5"x 11" sheet... small enough to fit through my cut'n'boss machine with ease... and with my Anna Griffin Flower Layer die and my cut'n'boss I cut out 3 panels of metallic flower panels or medallions (as I like to call them because that's what they look like to me).

Then I ran ALL three sets of flowers or "medallion" cut-outs through my Xyron Creative Station (with 9" permanent refill loaded) through my machine. That's one of the many reasons I LOVE this machine! I can get MORE done FASTER!

I want to make sure I get good coverage and minimal excess, usually a quick firm rub down with your finger tips would do, but because this is such a detailed die cut I am using my stylus into get into all the small crevices. Set aside for later.

Next, I used a chevron sheet from my DCWV Printed Cork Stack into one 4"x12" and one 4"x3.75" pieces using my Martha Stewart guillotine cutter. 

I love these cork sheets from DCWV! They come in great patterns and have a nice earthy texture that flat cardstock doesn't have! Which works great for "guy" gifts as opposed to bling and glitter and all that extra fluff I usually create with for my girlfriends.

Before I run these strip into my Xyron Creative Station I switched out my cartridges...  

The GREAT thing about the new and improved Creative Station is that it uses both the 9" and 5" refill cartridges!! This eliminates and replaces the use of 2 machines! WOOHOO!! Awesomesauce!!What a great space saver!!

Where was I?? Oh yeah... switching cartridges...

I don't want to waste any adhesive and my 12" strip was way too wide to go in sideways and turning it the other way would waste most of that foot of adhesive since my cork is only 4 inches wide. And switching out this machine is as easy as 1..2..3!

1. Lift out your 9" cartridge. Using indented handle and pull straight up.

2. Position green adapter flap... make sure it's standing up and makes a "divider" type wall in the middle of your machine.

3. Insert your 5" cartridge... glide cartridge between the tracks for proper alignment.

Don't forget to make sure your plastic sheeting runs between the black rollers!!

And that is it!! Close that bad boy up and you're ready to go!

My cork goes through like butter... and that's because the Creative Station can take material up to 1/8" thick! Wood veneers, felt, fabric... no problem! As long as it's 1/8"(or less) it'll fit right in!

For the next step you'll need your cleaned (washed and dried) recycled juice container. I got my container from my local grocery store that bottles it's own freshly squeezed orange juice.... The juice was awesome by the way (just in case you were curious)!!

Used a bit of Goo-gone to remove the attached sticker label and washed in hot soapy water. Dried it up. And now it's ready to decorate and fill!

I took my longest strip of cork and wrapped it around the center of my container. As you can see, the strip is a few inches short of completely wrapping my bottle. That is where the extra 3.75"x 4" strip goes.  Adhere that piece over the open space of the bottle to cover the gap. Make sure you match up the 4" sides of the cork to the ones already laid down. The 3.75" side of your cork piece should lay horizontally , laying across the gap.

At this point, I chose to fill my container. But if you wanted to you could fill it after you were done decorating it. 

Next I took my "medallions" I had cut earlier and cut them down into 4 "medallion" squares. 

I adhered one set of "squares" to 3 of the sides. 

For the last side, I made a label from a sentiment that was on a sheet in my Craft Smith "Natural Luxury" stack. I cut the "label" from my sheet and I matted it with leftover metallic cardstock I had used to make my medallions. This stuff is AMAZING!! The high mirror finish of the paper instantly dresses up any project!!

*

SEE!!

The neck of my bottle seemed a little "naked" though... so I dressed it up  by winding  my twine around the neck about 4 or 5 times around the indent of the neck.  AND... from the same sheet I cut my sentiment "label" from I was able to cut out a tag too. 

A super cool feature about purchasing paper stacks is not only do the papers coordinate perfectly with each other but every now and then paper companies through in goodies like this (whole sheets you can cut up and use for embellishments) into the mix!

And here is my finished project!

Now isn't this waaaaay better than looking at a crumpled up bag sitting on your kitchen counter?!

It's AMAZING how my Xyron Creative Station made quick and easy gift giving from a recycled and upcycled orange juice container!!

Hope you enjoyed today's project check back soon for more crafty ideas!!

{{HUGS}}

~Mitsy~