Canvas Art Using DIY Foil Paper

Hello, Crafty Friends! It's been a while since I've been crafting. I took a short break to take care of my son had surgery on his leg. He's getting better tons better and his poor little leg is getting stronger every day. Which is just in time too! Warmer weather has been peeking its head and soon Spring will be here. And you know what that means... lots of flowers blooming!!

So, to celebrate Spring's arrival, I created this Flower Bloom Wall Art Canvas using...of all things... wait for it... Aluminum Foil!!

Yup, the same stuff you wrap your leftovers with! I used this kitchen staple and made my own DIY SHEET METAL EMBELLISHMENTS that look and feel like, well, metal!! Unlike the foiled cardstock from the craft store, which is just a thin plastic coating. 

AAANNND, it die-cuts like a dream!! 

Let me show you how...

Supplies Used

Creative Station (Xyron)

Big Shot Machine (Sizzix)

Big Shot Plus Machine (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Leaves Die (Sizzix)

Tim Holtz Stitched Circle Die (Sizzix)

Textured Impressions Plus Embossing Folder- Botanical Swirls(Sizzix)

16"x 20 " Canvas

Gesso (Liquitex)

Black Chalkboard Paint (Prima)

Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

Clear drying liquid Adhesive

I started my project with a plain 16"x 20" Canvas and applied a coat of gesso. Most canvases come pre-gessoed but I like to add an additional coat anyway, it seems to help my paint go on smoother and helps spread my paint further (at least it does to me, anyway).

I zapped the canvas with a heat gun to speed up drying time.

Then, applied a layer of black chalkboard paint over the entire surface (including the sides).  Then zapped it again once more.

Here is where it gets really good...

I knew I wanted to make metal embellishments but didn't want to just run the foil through my Xyron. NOPE, it would crinkle up in a heartbeat! Even though I used HEAVY DUTY FOIL, IT still didn't have that heft and standing power that I wanted.

So, to firm things up a bit I attached the foil to 110 lb cardstock. Nice, thick, and sturdy 110 lb cardstock!

I simply ran each individual sheets through my Creative Station, peeled the film backer, and attached the sheet to the aluminum.

 When attaching sheets of adhesive start from one end and kind of roll it toward the other end. If you attach straight down you are a more likely to catch air bubbles. 

Smooth out any tiny lumps and bumps with a rubber or silicone brayer.

Look how shiny and smooth it is!! Ooooh, pretty!

Next, I cut my sheets to die-cuttable sizes. I'm saving myself a lot of tears by die-cutting all my petal pieces instead of cutting them by hand. I once hand cut 50 take out boxes for a birthday party once, um, yeah, NEVER AGAIN!!

I had bruises and calluses for weeks. My poor hands took a nasty beating! I'm so glad someone invented die-cut machines and dies! ENTER the Big Shot Machine ...

I knew I wanted "petals" but didn't have any huge petal dies. So, I used an Eileen Hull Leaves Die instead. I die-cut out the foiled sheets then cut off the little stem.

 I also knew I wanted more texture (just not the crinkly kind) to my petals. So I loaded up this HUGE Texture Impressions Plus  Botanical Swirls folder with all my little stemless leaves. This time using my Big Shot Plus machine. These embossing folders were just way too big to fit through my regular Big Shot!

 These metal sheets even emboss like a dream!! 

**SWOON**

And look how well the stitched details show up on these Tim Holtz Stitched Circle Dies! I used this die cut as the center of my bloom.

Starting from the center, I attached the petals with liquid adhesive smallest to largest and worked my way outward.

I made sure to continue even along the sides of the canvas. Anything left overhanging got a bent and tucked over the side and glue down in place. With small children in my house, I didn't want to worry about any sharp edges. So tucked away they went.

LOOK AT ALL THIS GORGEOUS TEXTURE!!

The embossing in person is absolutely STUNNING!!

HAnd here's my final piece. Already up and mounted on my wall!

I hope you enjoyed this project and it has inspired you to create a canvas piece of your own!!

Thanks for stopping in!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

Just a hint of Spring - Matted Wrap Journal

Hi, Crafty Friends!!

Spring is here... It has been playing mean tricks on people but it's here!! Well, at least in my area it's here! And my lawn is growing like crazy and my backyard is in need of some major trimming!! But with all this growth comes all the beautiful wildflowers. I love wildflowers so that's a major plus!

Speaking of plus... I've been meaning to make another matted journal! I didn't forget, I promise just ridiculously busy! Who would've known that the creative life could be so busy??!!

So, here it is, finally!! And it's a WRAP AROUND JOURNAL TOO!!

Supplies Used

Eileen Hull Wrap Journal (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Passport Die (Sizzix)

Mat Board (Sizzix)

Creative Station Lite w/ Permanent Adhesive Refill (Xyron)

Plastic Table Mat

Black Chalkboard Paint (Prima Marketing)

Tangerine Berry Blossom (PrimaMarketing)

Beads & Chains (Prima Marketing)

Metal Flower Embellishment (Momenta)

Acrylic Heart Charms

Magnetic Discs

2 mm Black Elastic Cord

110 lb White Cardstock

I started with die-cutting a piece of Sizzix Mat Board using Eileen Hull's Wrap Journal and a Big Shot machine. This is an XL die, so you'll need extended cutting plates. The cutting area is also VERY LONG! It cuts the mat board from end to end! 

I did not die cut my plastic mat. Instead, I cut it into segmented panels. The only piece I cut to exact size was the center panel. I wanted the texture of the mat to completely cover that center piece. But the two end flaps I just made sure that scalloped edge was incorporated onto that area with a  bit of a gap to the edge.

Then, I ran the table mat through my Xyron Creative Station Lite. Then gave it a good burnishing with a bone folder before peeling it off and applying them to my mat board. 

Once it was applied to the matboard, I trimmed off any overhang with a pair of non-stick scissors.

Next, I cut my inserts and pages. I found that Eileen Hull's Passport Die's pages fit PERFECTLY!  And because it's a steel rule die, I was able to cut multiple pages at a time.  I cut a combination of white, black, cream, and patterned papers to make my inserts.

I strung them together with just a little bit of twine tied into a basic knot. Then set them aside.

I covered the front of wrap journal cover with black chalkboard paint. I heat set it to speed up the drying then flipped it over and painted the back (inside) of the cover.

Using my finger as an applicator, I rubbed Pebeo Guilding wax over top. it really made all textured details pop!

I string elastic through the spine of the journal cover. These are to hold the inserts in place. I didn't do anything fancy, no fancy weaving in and out, just a single strand through each pair of holes tied together with a basic knot.

I trimmed the excess off and slid an insert under each elastic band.

I tied some beaded charms down the spine. I used a jump ring to anchor them to the two center holes. 

Then, added a double magnet closure. This will ensure that the wrap journal stay closed and secure.

Here's a little peek at the inside of my journal.

I didn't want to take away from all the beautiful texture so I" kept the embellishment to a minimum with a just a small leaf, budded stem, and metal flower. 

And here is my finished Wrap Journal.

Mother nature is playing games this year and can't seem to make up her mind. A lot of my friends still have snowfall. That is just insane!! And the weather here,...we'll have sunshine and 80 degree temps one day and severe thunderstorms and flash flood warnings in effect for the next. Seriously, with screwy weather and temps fluctuating 40 degrees day by day (sometimes on the same day) no wonder people get sick!

This journal reminds me of this years Spring... kind of dark but a little glimpse of green! I'm hoping Spring will be here soon for EVERYONE! I love snow but there's a time when all good things come to an end. Besides, flowers are better than snowflakes any day!! Hahaha!

Hope you all enjoyed this tutorial!

Happy Spring

& HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

DIY Wall Art Coat Rack

Hello, Crafty Friends!!

I'm back again with Team Xyron today! And we have partnered up with Simple Stories to bring you amazing projects all week! 

Simple Stories is known for their awesome scrapbook paper in fun, whimsy, and sometimes just outright cool themes! But today, I won't be creating a layout or even a card (GASP!)

Nope, today I have a DIY for you all! 

Today, I" will show you how I created this Wall Art Coat Rack!

Supplies Used

Pallet Plaque (Plaid)

Summer Days Collection Kit (Simple Stories)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

Creative Station (Xyron)

Coat Hooks w/ Screws

Eclips2 (Sizzix)

Ecal Software (Craft Edge)

Laptop

Twine

Red Buttons

Cream Cardstock

Nail File

Mixed Media Glue (Beacon)

Stapler (optional)

Felt (optional)

First, I gathered my supplies. 

I found this wood pallet plaque at my local Walmart in the craft department that I knew I wanted to use as the base of my wall mounted coat rack... AND... I had all this adorable paper from Simple Stories! 

It would be a terrible shame to tuck them away into a book. Staring at these papers and all the bright colors made me happy! And I wanted to share that happiness!

So, I decided to use the Lazy Days & the So Much Fun papers to cover the slats of my plaque. For this plaque. I cut 4 strips of paper to 3-7/8" x 11-7/8 " (3 strips from the Lazy Days, and 1 from the So Much Fun paper).

Then I ran my strips through my Xyron Creative Station using a permanent adhesive cartridge.

 Then, I peeled off the protective film and adhered them to the pallet slats... applying the striped paper (So Much Fun)  for the last slat.

 Once all the strips were attached, I used a nail file to lightly sand down the rough edges and smooth out the corners of the plaque.

In the striped slat, I even spaced coat hooks, I marked where to make screw holes with a pencil. I used a T-Ruler to ensure my lines were straight. Then I secured them into place with the included screws that came with the coat hooks. 

 I wanted Word Art to go above my coat rack. The problem is... I don't have big letter dies... So, I whipped out my Electronic Cutter (Eclips2), my laptop, and opened my ecal software. The Cutter and software enable me to cut basically any font that is loaded onto my computer.

I chose to use the Violina Font I bought a while back. I thought it gave a fun vibe that would go well with all the fun paper!!

I cut my phrase from Soak Up the Sun (red gingham) paper... But sometimes pattern paper on top of pattern paper gets a little too busy. 

Luckily this software also has the ability to create shadows... So, I cut a cream colored shadow layer behind it to make it pop.

Now, I needed to find a way to hang it. It had a little on the back but I turned my plaque sideways and made that piece practically useless. 

No problem at all!! I simply took some thick rustic twine and stapled it the back.

I didn't want my sign to ding and scratch up the walls, so I added 1"x 4" strips of felt to the back to protect the wall from being damaged. I used mixed media liquid glue to attach the felt in place.

Ten I created 2 twine bows and attached buttons to the centers, Then, mounted a twine bow on each upper corner.

Once the glue was dried, I was done!!

And here is my finished Wall Art Coat Rack!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!

~Mitsy

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Pumpkin Photo Holder

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

On a desk, on a shelf, or on a mantle...There are pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere!! 

I'm back again with the Xyron Design Team and today I'm bring you a project featuring fabulous products from Quick Quotes and Xyron to create this Pumpkin Photo Holder!

Supplies Used

Farmhouse Paper Pack (Quick Quotes)

Farmhouse Chipboard Die Cuts (Quick Quotes)

Coral PowderPuff Chalk Ink (Quick Quotes)

Amaretto PowderPuff Chalk Ink (Quick Quotes)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Mini Faux Pumpkin

Martha Stewart Deluxe Paper Trimmer (EK Success)

Leaves (Recollections)

Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks (AdTech)

Jumbo Paper Clips (Recollections)

Hemp Twine

Round Nose Pliers

**Optional**

Blue painter's tape

Ruler

 I started off with a small faux pumpkin. These are the ones that look relatively real on the outside but are foam in the inside. The foam core is important and I'll go over why a little bit later.

I measured my pumpkin. You can easily use a measuring tape to get the measurements. But if you don't have one (or if yours grew legs and walked away, like mine are known to do) then here is an alternative... use blue painters tape!!

Just measure from the center top to the bottom center and run your tape down the side of you r pumpkin. When you get to the center, tear the tape. Lay the tape next to your ruler and measure.

Now, you have the exact measurements you need to create strips to cover your pumpkin. My 4" pumpkin needs strips that are 6.25" long. I trim them to 6.25" long by 1" wide. For my the pumpkin shown I needed a total of 17 strips.

 Once my strips were all cut, I inked all the edges using the Quick Quotes' PowderPuff Chalk Ink in Coral.

Then crumpled each strip. This breaks down the paper fibers and makes it more pliable.

Then I opened the strips back up and flattened them out.

doing this also give a really nice distressed look to the papers.

Next, I ran all my strips through my Xyron Creative Station using a permanent adhesive cartridge.

Then simply peeled and applied the strips onto my plastic pumpkin, slightly over lapping each strip and working my way around to make sure there were no gaps.

To make the wire holders, I took jumbo paper clips and straightened them out before re-bending them with round nose pliers and curling them into spirals. 

I didn't worry about them being perfectly rounded and actually really liked the wonky look to these!!

Next, I took a piercing tool and poked small holes into the top of the pumpkin. This is where that foam core is important... if this was a hollow pumpkin the wires would not stand snug and securely. I applied hot glue to the tips of my wire before inserting for permanent placement.

Then, I inked a few leaves with more chalk ink. I little inked the tops with more Coral and the edges with Amaretto. And before the ink dried, I took a water brush and blended the inks out to soften the colors and make it look more natural.

So far it is STINKIN CUTE!!!

But I can never leave well enough alone...

So... I glued a chipboard sign to the center holder and made a hanging sign to tie around the pumpkin. 

EEEEKKK!! LOVE IT!!

And here is my finished 

PUMPKIN PHOTO HOLDER

Ready to give as a gift or put out for display!

I think this one will be going with hubby to put on his desk at work!!

Hope you enjoyed today's project!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsy

DIY Teacher's Survival Kit Gift

Hello, Craft Friends!! Summer is officially over and the kiddos are back in school!! WOO-HOO!! I'm one HAPPY mama!! Hey, my kids are more than a handful and I know how much work goes into just corralling my little tikes, let alone 20 or so more of them!! YIKES!!

 And to show my appreciation to the brave men and  women that brave it out and watch over my babies, I have made these Teacher's Survival Kits. Each is packed with the necessities to take on a herd of stampeding rugrats.

Supplies Used

Plastic Bucket or Container

Chalkboard Paper- DIY Project Stack Chalk Party (DCWV Inc.)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

Die-namics Blueprints 29(My Favorite Things)

Paper Flowers & Leaves

Hemp Twine

Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Paper Shreds

Scissors

Chalk

Travel Sized Toiletries/ Mini Nick-Knacks/ Treats (For Kit Contents)

Kit Contents

Antibacterial Hand Gel

Antibacterial Wipes

Antacid

Advil/ Ibuprofen

Band-aids

Cough Drops

Hand Lotion

Kleenex

Lip balm

Mints 

Post-It Notes

Pen

Bar of Chocolate

For my project I used this paper stack by DCWV. It has a unique texture on it that makes it able to draw and write on it's surface with chalk. It kind of looks like plastic but it cuts like paper. Either way it's awesome!!

 These are papers are double sided and include a combination of solid colors and patterned papers.

I used this chevron patterned paper to die cut a frame. I didn't have a frame die so I created a frame by die cutting a rectangle then die cutting again with a smaller rectangle, using blue painter's tape to hold it in place. Then removed the center cut-out(s).

Then used my Mega Runner to add adhesive to my frame. The 1/4" cartridge makes it a cinch to get around those narrow edges. I then attached it to piece of plain black chalkboard paper. 

Then used a scissor to cut out the framed chalkboard piece.

Once complete cut out, I ran it through my Xyron Creative Station Lite.

Because this paper has a plastic-like coating, I made sure to burnish with a bone folder. I just flipped over (protective plastic sheet up) and rubbed firmly.

I filled with paper shreds/ fillers. Then stacked my Kit Contents into my container. I stacked the taller items in the back and tiered down to the smaller item up front.

I detached the handle and wound hemp twine around it. This created a nice "grip" and made it easier too attach flowers to it.

I used hot glue to attach flowers to the handle as well as around my chalkboard label.

The best part... the surface works just like real chalkboard! If you make a mistake or want to change your sentiment or greeting, just grab a baby wipe and start over! How awesome is that??!!

And, with this paper paired with my fabulous Xyron Creative Station, I can create a chalkboard surface on almost ANYTHING!

So, after my child's awesome educator has finished his/her haul, they will still be able to reuse their container... over and over again!

Hope you enjoyed today's project!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsy