Creative Juice

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Chapter 4 Sizzix Die Release & Blog Hop!

Hello there and welcome! You have arrived at your next stop on the Blog Hop to celebrate the new Chapter 4 Dies– two new ScoreBoards releases from Eileen Hull and Sizzix! Are you ready for a new 3D Bigz L Tea Cup die? Fill it with teabags and other assorted goodies or use the Tea Cup cutout on the front of a card – so many possibilities. Also new is the XL Post Box, a fun little box that goes together in 10 seconds and has a slit in the top to tuck a gift card. You will have fun embellishing in your style to create holiday treats for everyone on your list!

If you are jumping in midway, you can go back to Eileen's blog to begin at the beginning. For my hop project I used the new XL Post Box Die and made a "Fortune Telling Machine". There is a tutorial so scroll on down past the Hop list to check it out.

Lisa Hoel for Eileen Hull - new Ch 4 Sizzix Dies! The XL Post Box serves as the structure for my 'fortune telling machine'. #mymakingstory #sizzix #eileenhull #tim_holtz

My light up crystal ball was inspired by a project Tim Holtz made
for his 2020 Halloween Idea-ology release. Check it out!

I made a little hiding place for the battery/switch mechanism of the Tiny Lights strand filling the crystal ball.

Throughout the hop you will see all the creative ways the Inspiration and Education Teams have used the Post Box and Teacup dies! We hope that you will be inspired too and share how you use the dies in the Eileen Hull Fan Club.

But wait – there’s more – the Release Party continues! You won’t want to miss the Facebook Live at Eileen Hull Designs at 12:00 noon Eastern time on Thursday, Oct. 1! Join the chat – and a random commenter will WIN a new Teacup Die. Comment on the Blog Hop under each designer to be entered to win the Post Box die. Random winners will be picked and announced on next Tuesday's Facebook Live!

Please hop with us through all of the projects and leave comments on the different designers' blogs. A lucky commenter will WIN a Post Box Die…

Hop Participants:

Eileen Hull
Tonya Trantham
Elizabeth Robinson
Julia Aston

Pam Bray

Maggi Harding

Lisa Hoel <<<<< YOU ARE HERE

Tutorial time!

Step 1 – I cut the Post Box out of mat board and decorated it up with stamping and stenciling. I made a base for it by by cutting three pieces of the Trinket Box lid and gluing them together.

Step 2 – I poked around Pinterest to find some funny "fortunes" I could use on my tickets. I used a graphics layout program to format the tickets and printed it out. I glued the two pieces together to make one long strip.

Step 3 – I constructed a ticket roll 'mechanism' . A piece of bamboo skewer glued into a clock key serves as an axel. I glued the end of the ticket strip onto a piece of paper straw (to glue onto the axel inside the post box). Using a Crop-A-Dile tool, I punched holes for the axel through the side flaps of the box.

Step 4 – Installing the ticket strip was a bit tricky but not too bad. I glued the right sides together first, making sure the holes lined up. I pushed the axel part through the holes and then slid the straw (with a bit of glue inside) over the axel on the inside. After that I glued the other sides together and poked the axel through the holes, gluing a bead over the end. I also threaded the ticket strip through the slot in the lid.

Step 5 – the base! I had to make a base for the post box so I could hide the cord from the Tiny Lights in the 'crystal ball'. I stacked up several layers of mat board shapes and cut a recess into the middles of them.

The crystal ball is a Tim Holtz Snow Globe. I drilled a hole in the base to thread the lights up into the glass. I created a little pocket on the back of the post box to hide the controller for the lights.

Once the ball was glued on I arranged the cords and hot glued the post box in place, then embellished with the trim. Whew, you made it through that long tutorial lol. I hope you are inspired and do hop along to see all the other wonderful projects. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix
Post Box Die ( Sizzix / SB )
Trinket Box Die ( Sizzix / SB ) - retired

Tim Holtz 3-D Impresslits Embossing Folders

Radiant ( Sizzix / SB )
Mini Provincial ( Sizzix / SB )

Sizzix Mat Board

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Skulls & Cobwebs
Distress Paint - Antique Bronze, Black Soot

Distress Oxide Ink - Chipped Sapphire

Distress Spray Stain - Faded Jeans

Deco Foil - Metallix Gel - Champagne Mist

Tim Holtz Idea-ology – Tiny Lights, Snow Globe, Halloween Ephemera, Spinners, Clock Key

Tim Holtz Stencil - Falling Stars
Tim Holtz Kraft Stock Metallic Paper
glue gun

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 12% off your order.

Post Box Die Fortune Telling Machine
by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel
Scrapbook.com

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Work in Progress: Fangirl Junk Journal

It's August and we're already eleven days in! Time just gets away from you doesn't it? I'm here with Part 1 of my Wonder Woman fangirl junk journal project. This month on Eileen Hull's blog, the Inspiration Team is focusing on junk journals and all the fun stuff you can do inside of them. (If you missed last week's post, you can find it here.) I am a huge Wonder Woman fan (since watching Linda Carter in my tender years) and I've been saving ephemera for a themed junk journal for quite a while now. I decided it was time to get 'er done! This post covers my start and hopefully I'll be able to show you the whole thing next week.

First I tackled the cover. Eileen's Journal XL Die is one of my favorites to use for junk journals. It's her biggest one and you can fit all sorts of goodies in it. I used a whole pile of stencils and various Distress Inks, Distress Oxide Inks and sprays to create lots of layers.

I fussy cut an image of Wonder Woman and collaged it onto the back cover. I used a stencil and applied iCraft Deco Foil Transfer Gel through it around the image. This Gel remains tacky when dry and when you rub one of the Deco Foil sheets over the top of it, the foil adheres. Easy bling! I did the same thing with another stencil on the front.

Covering the insides of the cover was really easy using fabric and Eileen's Easy Cut Adhesive Sheets to adhere it to the mat board. You have to be careful with wet glues and fabric because they often soak though. Eileen's sheets are strong and of course dry so you can neatly sidestep that issue.

Of course the final journal will have all sorts of pages and goodies inside, but for now here are two ideas that you can incorporate into your own journals. First is a pocket for holding tags, tickets or other ephemera you want to be able to remove. It's super easy! Cut your base page first (I made mine 8" tall and 8 3/8" wide to allow for trimming the signatures to 4 1/4" wide when assembled.)

Fold the side and bottom tabs back and adhere to the page. I will make sure this page will be on the outside of a signature so the outer fold doesn't get cut off when I trim my signatures. I also added some stenciling and embossing to the pocket for added interest.

Finished pages:

Hmmm… what will I put in the second pocket?

Next up is an experiment that I think turned out pretty cool! I wanted to try something that had transparent layers so I pulled out my trusty laminator and gave it a whirl:

Closed

Open!

I die cut stars from tissue paper and a scalloped border from marbled vellum to layer inside of the laminate envelope.

Next I ran it through my hot laminating machine, afterwards using Archival ink to stencil some designs on top.

Making two pages while I was at it!

I added a strip of folded paper to use as a hinge for attaching it to a journal page. Eileen's Red Liner Tape is really strong and grabbed right ahold of the plastic. I ran the Wonder Woman cut out through my Xyron Creative Station Lite to apply adhesive to the back. (Quick and easy and it looks good from the back.)

I added some details on the page underneath that would be fun to have peeking through. More Red Liner Tape on the hinge stuck the flap firmly to the page.

Be sure to stop by next week to see the completed journal!

In the meantime, if you want to check out some of my past junk journals you can maybe glean some more ideas for yourself. I've made a bunch of them, some with a favorite thing as a theme (like mermaids), some filled with photos of a season (fall in Idaho), one with all the art envelopes I received from ATC trades and one to record our experience seeing the Great American Eclipse of 2017. Junk journals can be used for pretty much anything! Have a great rest of the week and go do something creative.

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix
Journal XL Die ( Sizzix / SB )

Tim Holtz Sizzix
Stacked Stars #658771 - retired

Other:
Tim Holtz stamp set - Grunged
Tim Holtz stamp set - Mesh & Linen
Tim Holtz stamp set - Christmas Nostalgia
Tim Holtz Layering Stencils: Hocus Pocus, Zig Zag, Mesh, Stars, Minis Set 1, Stripes, Gradient Dot
Sizzix Mat Board
Distress Ink
Distress Oxide Ink
cotton fabric
Elastic cord for binding
Eileen Hull Blends Ink - Clear
Eileen Hull Red Liner Tape
Eileen Hull Easy Cut Adhesive Sheets
Deco Foil Transfer Gel
Deco Foil sheets - Gold

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Felt Mitten Christmas Ornament with Eileen Hull

Hello! Have you seen Eileen Hull's newest Sizzix dies? They were just released at the beginning of the month and they are perfect for getting the jump on some holiday crafting. Previously, I shared a project made using the Snowman Die. This week, I used the Mitten Box die to make this cute felt Christmas tree ornament. It's a Bigz die so it cuts felt and other thicker materials effortlessly. I tried a new wool blend felt I found in an Etsy store named Benzie. I really like it! It's not as expensive as 100% wool felt but still feels soft and it comes in beautiful colors. I highly recommend it.

I die cut the mitten shapes, zig zags and heart from the felt using the Mitten Box Die. Then I just 'winged it', stitching on the details. I whip stitched the two halves together and stuffed it to give it dimension. This Die has lots of possibilities! Did you catch the Bog Hop that was part of the Release Party on July 1st? There were over 20 projects made with the new dies for your inspiration! Be sure to take a look if you missed it, also each week on the blog we have more creations to share with you too.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-)

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix
Mitten Box ( Sizzix / SB )

felt
embroidery floss
poly stuffing

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Eileen Hull Has Released New Sizzix Dies & We're Hoppin'

Hello there and welcome! You have arrived at your next stop on the Blog Hop to celebrate the new Chapter 3 Die releases of Eileen Hull! If you are jumping in midway, you can go back to her blog to begin at the beginning. For my hop project I used the new Snowman Die. There is a tutorial so scroll on down past the Hop list to check it out.

Throughout the hop you will see all the creative ways the Inspiration and Education Teams have used the Mitten and Snowman dies! We hope that you will be inspired too and share how you use the dies in the Eileen Hull Fan Club.

But wait – there’s more – the Release Party continues! You won’t want to miss the Facebook Live at Eileen Hull Designs at 12:00 noon Eastern time on Wednesday, July 1! Join the chat – and a random commenter will WIN a Snowman Die.

Please hop with us through all of the projects and leave comments on the different designers' blogs. A lucky commenter will WIN a Mitten Box Die…

Hop Participants:

Tutorial time!

Step 1 – I used foil sheet covered matboard and chipboard for the box sides and pieces. I had it in mind to make a vintage, "chippy paint" look project. I really like how Distress Paint applies to a metal surface (more on that later).

I did not cover the snowman body parts because my plan was to use white embossing powder on them (more on that later too). The snowman "accessories" and parts are cut out of thinner chipboard. The box sides are matboard that I embossed after die cutting.

Tip: Those eyes and carrot nose are small and hard to get ahold of. I took a scrap of matboard, applied repositionable adhesive to it and stuck those tiny parts on. It made it so much easier to paint them.

Which leads to…

Step 2 – Painting the parts! The backs of the snowman bodies and inside of the box I painted red. When dry, I flipped the box sides piece over and also painted the metal embossed side red. When the paint was halfway dry, I took a damp baby wipe (not too wet though) and gently wiped off some of the paint from the high points of the embossed design. If you wipe off too much, you can always add more paint back on and try again. Do not let the paint dry all the way or that's it. It is permanent when dry.

I did the same thing to the little parts. I painted them and gently wiped off some paint when they were partly dry.

Step 3 – Embossing! I have an old Ranger Melting Pot (sadly discontinued, try ebay) that works really well for small shapes like this. (See my other tutorials Here and Here for more projects using it.) I used Eileen's Clear Blends Ink on the snowman body to adhere a thick layer of her White Wonder Embossing Powder. I set it into the pot and let it sit to melt.

While the white was molten, I carefully pressed the parts into the liquid powder and then lifted it all out (with that handy little craft mat insert!) The powder cooled and set and the parts were stuck down tight.

Step 4 – Assembly! I peeled the top (metal foil) layer off the tabs so the glue would stick better when assembling the box. I used a small glue gun to glue the tabs onto the back of the snowman bodies.

As a final step, once the box was assembled, I gave the whole thing a very light wash of watered down black/brown acrylic paint to give it a vintage look. I used a baby wipe to dab off some areas that got too dark and just played around with it until I was happy with the "grunging" up.

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix
Snowman ( Sizzix / SB )
Starlight Embossing Folder #660337 - retired

Sizzix Mat Board
Eileen Hull Blends Ink - Clear
Eileen Hull Molten Dimensions Embossing Powder - White Wonder
Distress Paint - Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Festive Berries, Peacock Feathers, Spiced Marmalade
Ranger Foil Sheets
glue gun

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Jungle Wrap Journal with Eileen Hull & More Cork Fabric

Hello again! This month Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team has an exciting opportunity to work with Belagio Cork Fabric in our June Journal creations. This collaboration has been lots of fun! (Last week I shared this Firefly journal project.) This durable and user friendly fabric can be easily die cut, sewn by machine, combined with fabric, paper or pretty much any substrate you can think of. Thin sheets of real cork are laminated to a fabric backing so it is very flexible and durable. It is thinner that other cork sheets on the market but that is intentional to make it suitable for many different applications. It’s perfect for covering three dimensional projects like boxes, books, and home decor pieces. This week I'm sharing a jungle themed Wrapped Journal with you.

Eileen's retired Lion & Monkey Die Set is the perfect complement to the jungle cotton fabric and the animal print Cork Fabric.

How-to:
Step 1 – First I made the little lion and monkey to decorate the journal. Some of the parts I cut out of plain cork fabric. I also discovered that you can color the cork with ink and paint.

Step 2 – I fused the jungle print and green cotton fabrics to either side of a 13.5" x 5.5" rectangle of Pellon Peltex II #72F 2-sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer, then die cut out the journal cover using the Wrapped Journal Die. I cut a piece of the animal print cork fabric to fit over the spine area and overlap onto the front and back of the journal.

I stitched along the spine score lines through all the layers.

Step 3 – More Stitching! I die cut some leaves out of the cork fabric and colored them green. After drying the ink, I stitched veins onto them. I also used a zig zag stitch to sew around the edges of the journal cover and the loose edges of the spine cork fabric.

Step 4 – You can buy mini composition books at Dollar Tree stores that fit perfectly into the Wrapped Journal. Decorate the covers and it's a quick way to take care of your signatures!

To make some quick background paper to glue onto the mini books, I used some PaperArtsy Fresco paint and a brayer to lay down color on plain cardstock.

I cut it into strips a little wider than the book covers and ran them through a Xyron 3in Disposable Sticker Maker to add adhesive to the back. It's easy to apply to the book covers and then just trim to fit.

I cut some trim strips out of more of the animal print cork fabric and used the Xyron Create-A-Sticker 150 to add adhesive to the backs of them. (No wasting of adhesive!)

Step 5 – Stringing on the elastic is simple and makes it easy to add the mini book signatures.

Just slide each book under one of the elastic straps!

Step 6 – Finally I added a closure to keep the journal shut. I cut a little hole in the bend of the flap to install a Hitch Fastener. Then I punched a hole in the cover, added an eyelet and tied a loop of elastic cord through it to hook over the Hitch Fastener. Easy!

Where can you find Belagio Cork Fabric?

• Hobby Lobby carries packaged cork in 18″ x 15″ pieces in 9 different patterns in the notions department.
• There are two types – a natural and a natural with gold at Walmart stores that have fabric departments. It is sold by the yard.
• As for the entire collection, many quilt and craft shops around the country carry it by the yard and in packaged 18″ x 15″ pieces.
• Online the Belagio cork fabric is available on Walmart.com and Amazon.com.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great week and have a chance to do something crafty and creative. =) Be sure to check out Eileen's blog all this month to see what fab creations the Team has made to inspire you! I am also entering this into the June Mini Album Makers Challenge.

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix
Wrapped Journal ( Sizzix / SB )
Spring Leaves ( Sizzix / SB )
Lion & Monkey Thinlits #658973 - retired

Belagio Cork Fabric
jungle cotton fabric
Pellon Peltex II #72F 2-sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer
Elastic cord for binding
Eileen Hull Blends Ink - Leaf, Frog, Nutmeg
acrylic paint
Tim Holtz Hitch Fastener
Xyron 3in Disposable Sticker Maker
Xyron Create-A-Sticker 150

Jungle Wrapped Journal
by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel
Scrapbook.com