Craftside: Sizzix Die Cut

Sizzix Die Cut

July 17, 2014

How to Make a Thread Spool Greeting Card - Inspired by the Book, Paper Cut by Owen Gildersleeve

I love to cut things up and let me tell you Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration is filled with some of the most amazing cut up art! One of my favorite ways to cut things up is with my Sizzix die cutting machine. I just got what has to be the coolest card die cut in the shape of a thread spool.

So, combine a book filled with all sorts of creative cut up paper art, a new thread spool shaped die cut, and my newest addiction, Washi tape, you get this cute little card.

This page from Creative Review was what gave me the idea to wrap the cover half of the thread spool card with washi tape. Artist Chrissie Macdonald used tape to create the details on this cut paper art. I also added a button and some yarn to tie the card closed.

More about the Rockport book:

Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration

by Owen Gildersleeve

More and more the design world is turning away from digitization and once again embracing the imperfections of handmade, craft-based practices. Written and collated by noted papercraft illustrator Owen Gildersleeve, Paper Cut offers a unique perspective into this burgeoning field of contemporary illustration. Featuring astonishing works from twenty-five of the world's top papercraft illustrators, this collection also contains in-depth interviews and rarely seen behind-the-scenes photography, which reveal the artists' motivations and working techniques. Contributors include Rob Ryan, Yulia Brodskaya, Jeff Nishinaka, Andersen M Studio, Chrissie Macdonald, and Kyle Bean.

Owen Gildersleeve is an illustrator and designer based in London. His work predominantly focuses on papercraft illustration and over the years he has become highly respected in the field, working with a large array of international clients, as well as collaborating with many other respected artists. In 2009 Owen was awarded the Type Director's Club Award for his work with Fast Company Magazine. Then in 2011 he was awarded the Art Director's Club Young Guns award, which showcases the some of the world's best young talent in the fields of art, design and illustration.

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And if you too love thread and sewing over at Goodreads there is a giveaway going on of the soon to be released Tangle Stitches for Quilters and Fabric Artists: Relax, Meditate, and Create with Rhythmic Stitches by Jane Monk

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tangle Stitches for Quilters and Fabric Artists

by Jane Monk

Giveaway ends July 25, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Posted at 05:30 AM in Altered Art, Card Making, Crafting, DIY, How to, Paper Crafts, Paper Cutting, Rockport Publishers, Sizzix Die Cut | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 01, 2014

Pop-Up Alphabet by the Author of Playing With Pop-Ups, Helen Hiebert

Today, I have two amazing pop-up videos and a free download of a pop-up alphabet to share with you. Plus, there's a Mother's Day card tutorial using the pop-up letters.

This first video shows the projects in the new book Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs in action!

Watch this second video that shows the pop-up alphabet that you can Downloadfor free in action!

Now, onto my first project using the pop-up alphabet.

With Mother's Day just around the corner (May 11th), I thought I'd make my mom a card.

I had so much fun making this card. I can see a lot more pop-up word cards in my future!

How to make a pop-up I "heart" Mom card:

I downloaded the pdf of the alphabet and opened the 2 pages that had the "I" , "M' and "O" in Illustrator.

I selected each letter, copied and pasted it into a new document. I could fit 2 or 3 of each letter. I did this because I new I would need an extra "I" for the heart, and I figured in case a made a mistake I would have extra letters.

I printed the page out on a pretty light purple glitter cardstock.

I cut each of the letters out I needed and a second "I" for the heart.

The red lines are the cut lines and the dashed lines are the fold lines. (The dashed lines, I scored with a yarn needle).

In this case all the letters are symmetrical, so I could fold the letters backward so all the printed lines are on the back side. For future projects I think I will print the letters in reverse so that they will appear correct facing out with the lines on the back side. (More on that in future posts!)

For the base of the card, I took another piece of pretty cardstock and folded in half the long way.

I trimmed the bases of the letters on each side narrower to fit.

I glued all the letters onto the base of the card.

To make the heart I used a Sizzix die. I simply glued it onto the second "I' pop up letter.

For the cover of the card I used another Sizzix die that features scissors, buttons, a spool of thread and a bobbin. (And just a fun note the photo in the picture is of my Mom and Dad way back before they were married circa early 1960's).

More about the new Quarry book:

Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs

by Helen Hiebert

Enter the enchanting world of pop-ups and handmade paper crafts. Join author Helen Hiebert as she guides you through materials, tools and pop-up basics including parallel folds, angle folds, combinations and variations, and layered pop-ups. Enjoy creating 20 projects to play with ranging from cards and books to buildings, graphic design pieces, and more. Featuring a high-end gallery of artists, whose beautiful work will inspire you to make your own amazing paper art, Playing with Pop-Ups will teach you to create interactive pieces that everyone will enjoy.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films and artist books using handmade paper, thread and light to create transcendent experiences that alter viewers’ perceptions of time, space and form. She teaches and lectures about papermaking and lamp-making internationally, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Oregon College of Art & Craft and Pacific University. Helen exhibits her work internationally, she is author of the books Papermaking with Plants, The Papermaker's Companion, and Paper Illuminated, Playing With Paper, and she is a regular contributor to Hand Papermaking Newsletter. Helen has an extensive network of paper colleagues around the world and her interest in how things are made (from paper) keeps her up-to-date on current paper trends.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Posted at 05:30 AM in Card Making, Crafting, DIY, How to, Paper Crafts, Paper Cutting, Sizzix Die Cut, Stefanie Girard | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 28, 2014

How to make a variable star quilt block and win Downton Abbey fabric, Sizzix dies and Quilters book

Do you love quilting, die cutting, fabric and books? Well you can get yourself in the running for a signed copy of Quilters, Their Quilts, Their Studios, Their Stories: With Access to More than 80 Online Quilt Patterns , Downton Abby Fabric, and Sizzix dies used to make a Variable Star Quilt Block.

Here is a video on how to make the Variable Star quilt block.

And the blog post: http://blog.sizzix.com/sizzix-quilting-fabric-friday-watch-win-variable-star-block

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted at 10:00 AM in Giveaway, Pattern, Quilting, Sizzix Die Cut | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 04, 2014

How to make a pencil Valentine arrow mobile inspired by the book Just Us Girls

As promised, I have a fun and easy Valentine's Day craft project inspired by the available-for-pre-order new book Just Us Girls:48 Creative Art Projects for Mothers and Daughters to Do Together. I whipped up these fun arrows made with pencils and paper that I displayed as a mobile, but would make a great Valentine to pass out in class or to all your friends and co-workers.

I love the arrow as a Valentine motif, and inspired by this arrow project in Just Us Girls, I thought I'd give it a try.

I die cut hearts out of a variety of scrapbook paper, glued the hearts together so each side had a pretty print on it, and made it a bit sturdier.

To make the feather end of the arrow, I folded a piece of the scrapbook paper in half and glued it together.

Using the template I sketched out below, I cut the feather parts out.

WARNING!!! This is the part that you need to be super careful with. Cut slits in the end of the pencil and the eraser. Take especial care when doing this. Also make sure to make your slits in the same orientation, or your heart shape points and your feathers won't align.

To make the mobile, I simply tied the pencils to a piece of yarn and slid them to make them balance at the angles I liked.

Valentine arrow template.

More about the Quarry book written especially for mother and daughter crafting time:

Just Us Girls: 48 Creative Art Projects for Mothers and Daughters to Do Together

by Cindy Ann Ganaden

Explore and nurture your mother daughter bond and create a keepsake that you’ll cherish forever with Just Us Girls. This highly-illustrated craft and activity book includes 48 heartfelt, earth-friendly projects to make together, including: dolls, press books, wreaths, crowns, earrings, handmade fossils, dreamcatchers, wands, garland, and much, much more. The projects mix and explore themes of beauty, magic, and appreciation for the natural world, while moving through the seasons of the year. Many projects incorporate upcycled materials, objects from nature, and simple home ingredients.

Activities are broken up into sections by season: spring, summer, fall, and winter, providing you with a year’s worth of fun and memories. Each activity is designed to bring you closer to each other and to the world around you. This book also includes a tear-out materials page (in the back of the book) to jump start your creativity, and a pocket at the back to store drawings, photos, and keepsakes.

Part scrapbooking, part memory-making, Just Us Girls makes a great gift for moms, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters and women of all ages.

In her past life, Cindy Ann spent over 13 years working as an art director and design manager. And just over a year ago she made the leap to full-time artist and illustrator. Cindy Ann’s been lucky to work with and learn from some amazing brands including Old Navy, Chronicle Books, Klutz, Time Inc., and Papyrus. Cindy Ann’s time working with these corporations has given her an appreciation for what goes into developing and manufacturing a product line and it has helped strengthen her sense of vision, foresight, and creative thinking.

Cindy Ann is known for coloring outside of the lines and on the walls! Originally from the East Coast, she now calls the Bay Area home. When Cindy Ann is taking a break from capturing her imagination within the pages of her sketchbook you can find her crafting and baking brownies with her daughter Ava Blu, husband, Jay and Boston Terrier, Penny.

Posted at 06:56 AM in Crafting, Crafting Tip, How to, Inside pages, Paper Crafts, Paper Cutting, Pattern, Quarry Books, Sizzix Die Cut, Valentine's Day Craft | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 20, 2014

Where Women Create's Jo Packham at CHA and more crafty news

Last week was the big CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show and it was amazing! Author of the Where Women Create books, including her newest The Artisan Food Entrepreneur: Profiles in Passion and Success,