Hi everyone and happy July! 

The day has finally arrived! All 30 designers who participated in the iLovetoCreate Beads in a Bottle challenge are posting their projects today. And I for one cannot WAIT to see what everyone has done with this fun product. 

I had never used anything like this before and am so glad that ILoveToCreate came up with it. After the paint dries, it really does look like those expensive adhesive half pearls and beads that come in a tiny little package. This bottle can make TONS of beads and you can make them as large or as small as you want them. They are recommended for fabric but I can tell you (because you always have to try…) that they work great on paper… and maybe a few other surfaces as well 🙂

For my project, I decided to make a headband for my 4 year old granddaughter Trinity. She came to visit last week and she was happy to model it. She loves her butterflies (last year she called them beautiflies…sigh). All the dies I used are part of my new Fresh Vintage collection by Sizzix.

You will need:

Tulip’s Beads in a Bottle– red, turquoise
Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™
large and fine size netting
white canvas
headband
wire
green fabric scraps for leaves
felt for flowers
spray adhesive
Big Shot die cutting machine
Butterfly die
Leaves die
Flower, Layers #9 die

Instructions:

1. Apply spray adhesive to two 6″ x 6″ pieces of netting. Lay netting adhesive side down on canvas squares.
2. Lay both canvas squares on Butterfly die and roll through Big Shot machine. Layer fine netting in between canvas to give a little extra “poof” to the butterfly’s wings.
3. Make sure that large netting is on top of the butterfly shape and use it as a grid to lay out the pattern for your paint design. I did several different arrangements. After they dried, I played around with which design would go on top and bottom of the butterfly.
4. Cut several flower layers and punch a small hole in the center. Insert a brad or sew the layers together with a button and thread. Add random paint beads where desired.
5. When paint beads are dry, add bling down the center of the butterfly’s body and on the flower.
6. Arrange butterfly, flowers and leaves as desired and glue entire group together on a small scrap of felt. Add elastic to the arrangement so the it can be removed from the headband to switch out for another design.

 iLovetoCreate is having an awesome giveaway to celebrate-just look at all this stuff!

To find out how to enter to win, you need to get over to iLovetoCreate’s blog. Find out how to enter here.

Our theme for the Designer Connection June blog hop is “Patriotic”. And I can’t think of anyone more patriotic than military wives and moms!

To see more of the red white and blue, hop on over to my fellow designers’ blogs by clicking on the blue Designer Crafts Connection button on the sidebar. You will be taken around a fabulous hop. Make sure you find the blog with the great giveaway! Keep hopping 🙂

This is a small sampling of some of the military wife specialty gifts I create and sell. If you are interested, see more on my website.

You will need:
Big Shot die cutting machine
Treat Toppers ScoreBoard die by Eileen Hull
Little Sizzles matboard pack 6″ x 13″
Notebook Pocket ScoreBoard die by Eileen Hull
House ScoreBoard Pro die by Eileen Hull
Holly4Christmas set #14- Stamps of Life by Stephanie Barnard
Memento stamp pad- black
Copic Markers– assorted reds, greens and grays
silver marker
silver stamp pad
paper
coordinating glitter paper
silver glitter
glue pen
Tiny Attacher

Instructions for Toppers:

1. Cut Treat Topper die from cream matboard piece with Big Shot. 
2. Stamp messages on scored pieces of the die with black Memento ink.
3. Color images with Copic markers shading as you go to give depth to the text or design.
4. Add embellishments, such as bells and ribbons to complete design.
5. Package gift items in clear cellophane bags.
6. Staple or tape bags together.
7. Add toppers by taping, tying with ribbons or stapling sides together.

HINT: Tim Holtz’s Tiny Attacher works great for stapling layers together.

For gift card holder:

1. Cut red matboard piece 9″ x 4″. Score at 4″ on red side. Fold up.
2. Cut a piece of coordinating paper the same size and adhere it to the white side of the matboard.
3. Cut a pocket from paper to hold gift card and adhere to inside of folder. 
4. Cut/punch various embellishment dies to coordinate. (I used MS snowflakes, bird, EK Success tree, 2 circles for snowman, and Plaid white HD paint for snow along with some stickles to add sparkle)
5. Cut front bumpout section for the House die and use as front porch and door. Add strips cut from glitter paper for roof and add faux snow.
6. Add bells on jump ring tied to ribbon on top of roof.

For bag of spices:

1. Stamp topper and color in with Copics.
2. Use double sided tape to adhere front and back of topper to cellophane bag.
3. Thread ribbon through slits and tie on corner.
4. Cover oval die cut with paper.
5. Layer smaller scalloped oval piece on top and label contents. Ink edges.
6. Adhere to outside of bag.

For bag of bells:

1. Stamp topper and color with Copics.
2. Run double sided tape on front and back inside of topper.
3. Cut about 10 inches of ribbon and lay on fold inside.
4. Center and press toppers closed into place on top of bag.
5. Tie ribbon in middle and hang from tree!

But wait, there’s MORE… I have saved the best news for last! Karen, Brenda and I have so much fun on this hop, we have decided to keep it going by launching our own Triple Play blog! Here you will find new projects, guest bloggers, tips and techniques for using our dies along with some great videos, color hints and some sneak peeks here and there of upcoming releases!  Keep the inspiration going- stop by and leave us a comment or two and check back frequently for new posts. We are also on Facebook– please “like” us and let us know what you thought of the hop. 🙂 We would love to see any pics of projects you have created using our products so send them on in or post them on our FB page.

Thanks so much, my friends. It has been a blast. Warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all of you!

Hello my friends! Thanks for stopping by for another installment of our Sizzix blog hop. Today, the featured die is the Gift Card Holder w/Phrase, For You 3-D (Pop-Up) by the amazing Karen Burniston. I can see so many possibilities for this die and it went together really quickly after I watched Karen’s video tutorial. 

I decided to start my Christmas crafting early (for me) and make a fun gift for my granddaughter Trinity. She is four and loves books. Rudolph was one of my favorite holiday stories- in fact, I am sure we had a version of this Golden Book because I remember these illustrations! It’s a classic. When she comes at Christmas, I plan to read it with her and have one of the kids film us so she remembers the visit. It kills me that they live so far away and I don’t see her nearly as much as I would like.

You may be wondering what all this has to do with the gift card holder… Well, when you open the book, there’s a pop-up gift card attached to the cover!

You will need:

Pop Up die Gift Card Holder #656740 
Big Shot die cut machine
Styled Labels die by Tim Holtz
3 coordinating papers- eskimo kisses by BasicGrey
strong double sided adhesive
glue
crystal glitter
craft knife
lace and embellishments
thin magnets (2)
brown flocking- Doodlebug

Instructions for book cover:

1. Paint white glue over the brown areas of Rudolph’s body. Sprinkle on brown flocking. Let dry.
2. Add red Stickles to Rudolph’s nose. I did two coats so his nose really glowed 🙂
3. Add other embellishments if desired.

Instructions for card:

1. Measure the inside cover of the book. Cut a piece of paper to size and adhere paper to book cover.
2. Cut a another piece of cardstock at least the size of an A-2 card. This one juuuust fits inside the book- it’s a tight squeeze allowing for the pop-up action but it works!
3. The card opens backwards from a regular card so make sure to factor that in as you work.
4. Die cut gift card pieces and assemble as shown in instructions. I decided to add my own twist and cut out Trinity’s name. It’s not really a pop-up but is probably the closest I will ever get to one 🙂 Added glue to the frame around the edge and Trinity’s name and then covered them with crystal glitter for a little sparkle. 
5. Glue a magnet to the top of the book and one to the back cover of the card so it stays closed when book is opened. Cover magnets with design elements.
6. When you have the card positioned as you like, adhere in place with strong adhesive. 
7. Die cut Styled Labels from white paper and stamp/write message. Adhere to lower section of the book cover.
8. Embellish the front of the card as desired.

I tried to keep the layers to a minimum because I was concerned that it would bulge.

In case this is your first time hopping with us, here’s how it works. Wherever you see the Triple Play logo, click on “hop ahead” or “hop back” to bring you to the next designers’ blog where there will be another cool project waiting. At any point if you want to return to the Sizzix blog you can hit the center “Sizzix” button or just click on the logo. So easy and so fun! There are more than 50 fabulous designers participating so make sure to see them all. Talk about inspiration…wow. See you next week with Brenda Pinnick’s mini album die.