Collaborative Accordion Album Project

A couple of months ago, Karen Burniston asked a few of us to make two pages each for a collaborative Accordion Album, which she could take with her to the CHA show this month in Las Vegas.

Karen just posted pictures of the finished project... isn't it fun!! It really does show just how versatile the Accordion Album die is for different styles. 

Follow the link to Karen's blog, to see a list of everyone else who contributed, and go have a look at their super panels!

 Here is a break-down of how I made my section.

 Karen asked that we each include a picture of ourselves, and our blog addresses, but other than that it was up to us what we chose to do. I think it's quite funny that given the heat-wave we are experiencing in England right now, I decided way back then, to do a hot summery theme!

1. First of all I cut out a mount board label from the 'Frame & Label, Bracket' die which accompanies the Accordion Album die. I used it as a template to draw round, for the background of my first panel.

2. I trimmed away the top edge of my background, so that I would be able to line it up with the blades of the die, when I came to cut out the piece.

I used the large oval from the Movers and Shapers Sized Ovals, to cut a couple of pieces of sand coloured glitter card, and layered them up on foam pads to create two swathes of sand. I let the bottom edges overhang the bottom of my background.

3. I took the piece, and face-down, lined up the top edge with the blades of the label piece in the 'Frame & Label, Bracket' die. I washi-taped it in place, then ran it through the Big Shot.

 4. This gave me a background piece, with my sand layers also cut perfectly to shape.

I then made some little beach huts by hand, using red paper-backed satin to make the stripes.

 5. The separate sections of the beach huts were stuck down with foam pads. I cut foam pads in half for the tiny roof and door bits. All the pieces were lightly edged with black Distress ink.

 6. Next I used Tim Holtz's 'Brackets' On The Edge die to cut four strips from blue shiny card and glitter card, to be waves.

 7. I drew round my template piece from Step 1, to create a backgound for my second panel, and used my ATG to stick on my layers of waves.

 8. I again trimmed off the top edge so I could line it up with the blades in the die. I taped the piece down, and ran it through the Big Shot, to give me neat edges to my waves and the rest of my background.

 9. I made a little boat, with paper pieces cut from the smallest die from the Movers and Shapers Sized Ovals set. I glued them to a cut down cocktail stick, and glued on some twine and mini flags.

10. To this panel, I also added a sun, which I added Glossy Accents to, some Perfect Pearls to the polka dots on the boat, and tiny letter stickers to give my boat a name. ('Why Worry' is the name of my parent's little boat, which we have had a lot of fun on during our summers in France.)

11. To my other panel, I added some little hand cut birds, covered with Glossy Accents, Perfect Pearls for door handles on the beach huts, and a little picture and my blog address.

 12. Finally, I added some washi-tape flags to some twine for a mini strand of bunting in the bottom right-hand corner.

I just realised today that I had got the wrong end of the stick with the instructions for doing our panels (amazing I managed to get any G.C.S.E's, quite frankly!), and so I didn't think I was supposed to decorate the outer frames of my panels, and they are plain white in the collaborative project. (Doh!)

Here's a picture of my finished panels, with some polka dot frames which I had temporarily adhered for these pictures:
(Update... Karen took pity on me being a twit and has now stuck on some more red polka-dot frames for me!! Love her!)

Some of Products used:


   

Pop 'n Cuts Layered Cake card

 A fairly simple birthday card for my friend Becky, who likes Cath Kidston-type patterns.

I used the original Pop 'n Cuts base die, with circle label insert for the card base, and snipped down the circle label so it would be more hidden behind the cake stand.

I love this Layered Cake die by Brenda Walton!

I hand cut the bunting and little candle. (Love the cake shadow too!)

The papers are from Basic Grey's Mint Julep 6x6 pad.

I used the lovely banner from Tim Holtz's Regal Crest die, and one of his stamps (which I bent round a bit before putting onto my acrylic stamping block), the name was cut using Tim's Typeset die, and the heart is from Owl #2 die. For fiddly bits like the lettering, I always use a fine tipped glue pen - makes life much easier, and is very clean to use.

 I added a little of row of bunting to the envelope too...

I made the card quite late last night, ready for a birthday breakfast for Becky this morning, and I popped down the bottom of the garden early this morning to snap a couple of pictures of the card in the sunshine...

Look at the state of the grass! It looks like it's been snowing! I'm now covered in fluffy stuff which has come off our neighbours trees!

Products used:

   

Summer Florals Thanks Pop 'n Cuts card

I'm still hobbling round (aching horribly!) after taking part in our church's area Athletics competition on Saturday... why I thought it would be a good idea to take part in virtually ALL the events, with no training (and in sweltering heat), I don't know! Anyway, I have a few cards to make this week, including some Thank You cards for women who I have worked with in the Youth Programme of our church, but whose roles have recently changed.

I've been privileged to work with some really wonderful people, and wanted to express my thanks to them.

I used Karen Burniston's Square Card with Ornate Edges Pop 'n Cuts base, with the Thanks insert, and used the Sizzlits Thanks set to decorate it.

I added an extra pop-up part on the shelf above the 'Thanks', to bring one of the flowers more forward.

The lovely green trim is from Eileen Hull's Hydrangeas and Borders Biz die.

For the card front, I used the scrolly piece from the Square Pop 'n Cuts base die, the Library Card Pocket (old red Sizzix die), and a hand-cut arrow. 

 I wanted the library pocket on there so I could add a little note.

 The flowers are from Brenda Walton's Summer Florals Sizzlit strip, and I used papers from Basic Grey's Kneehighs 6x6 pad.

Products used:


   

Memory Box Window Card & Feature on Sizzix Blog

 I just like playing with paper! I started this card last night and finished it this afternoon - just one of those cards with lots of little bits of paper, which I enjoy fiddling with.

I used some pretty old Basic Grey papers, and the Memory Box dies listed below, plus Karen Burnston's Birds on a Wire die for the little bird. 

I wanted the scene in the window to be a little hazy, so added a layer of vellum behind the window frame first.

The edges to all the pieces were inked with Distress Ink.

Also today on the Sizzix Blog is a post by Karen Burniston, featuring lots of her Label and Frame dies, and including a couple of cards by me.

Some of products used:


   

Pop 'n Cuts Thank You Teacher Card

A quick card since the kids came home from school (seeing as all my mess was already out!)...

I wanted to make a Thank You card for one of the kids' teachers, and used the original Pop 'n Cuts base die, with the Ornate Square Frame insert.

 The papers are from Tim Holtz Kraft Resist pad, and Teresa Collins' 'Now & Then' 6x6 pad.

I used Papertrey Ink's apple die, and chevron die, and also Tim Holtz's Tattered Banners die and stamp set.

The smaller hearts are from a punch, and the larger one from Owl #2 Bigz die.
There is some acetate in the frame, which I used foam pads to stick the apple to.

Some of products used:

   

Pop 'n Cuts '3-D Label Window' Butterfly Card

This is another card I made as a commission for a friend - my only brief was to have it butterfly themed.

I used Karen Burniston's 3-D Label Window insert in the lovely Square Card with Ornate Edge base die.

I used the 'Butterflies & Labels' Bigz die to create the background layers on the pop-out label parts, and 'Edge & Scroll' Biqz die for filling in the back of the card.

 The card front. (Papers are from Tilda 'Sewingbird' range, and the plain papers are from various Basic Grey pads.)

For the butterflies, I used Karen Burniston's new Movers and Shapers Butterflies for the little ones, Tim Holtz's Movers and Shapers Butterflies for the medium one (which is the cut-out in the bottom right-hand corner), and the large butterfly and butterfly bodies are from Memory Box - the Darla butterfly. I used the Movers and Shapers base tray to cut-out the butterfly shaped windows, once the rest of the card was made.

Some of products used:


   

Eileen Hull's 3-D Birdhouse Project

After another crazy weekend (drove to Northamptonshire to try out an 8 mile hike in advance of a youth camp I am organising, drove home to pick up my daughter and a friend, then drove to Watford to a Hawaiian themed dance, then back to Northampton on Sunday... LOTS of driving and walking, but good fun!) anyway, I compiled a pretty good To Do List this morning to catch up with the house, but then the post came, bringing in it Eileen Hull's 3-D Birdhouse Sizzix Die... figured housework can wait!

I've wanted to get some of Eileen's dies for a while, but they keep being out of stock in England, so I was really happy to get hold of this Birdhouse one.

I made three houses from First Edition's Floral Pavilion pad (it worked fine just using cardboard instead of chipboard or mat board, though I put in my own creases), and decorated them.

 For the first, I added buttons to the roof, and pom-pom trim round the roof edges. For adhering heavier items like those, I use Beacon's 3-in-1 glue, because it dries so quickly (kind of like glue-gun glue, but cold).

I added some leaves cut with the 'Branch with Leaves' Sizzlit, which I painted with Antique Linen Distress paint, and added some paper roses, and a little punched butterfly, with adhesive pearls.

 For the second, I added a metal Stampin' Up book plate, and made a mini strand of bunting (I put some twine through holes on each side of the roof, and used the Beacon 3-in-1 glue to add the tiny flags), and added more butterflies, and a strip of ribbon to the roof.

 And for the third, I added some Stampin' Up pink ruffled ribbon, and swirls cut from Tim Holtz's Festive Greenery die, a couple of paper flowers, and some birds cut from Karen Burniston's Birds on a Wire die.

I was also really chuffed to been chosen as one of Country View Craft Blog's Top Three winners, for their Die Cuts challenge, last month. I get to be a guest designer next month, and was sent this blinkie...

I entered a couple of different projects to the challenge, and they picked out my tealight holder:

Some of the products used:


   

Tanya Whelan Butterfly Accordion Album Birthday Card

 A friend of mine asked me to make a butterfly themed birthday card for her Sister-in-Law.

I know she is keen on the Cath Kidston/Tanya Whelan type patterns, so I went for a summer garden type feel to the card with an assortment of Tanya Whelan papers from my First Edition's 'Floral Pavilion' pad.

Thought I would photograph it in the garden for a change, seeing as there are lots of little 'windows' to see through, in the card.

I used Karen Burniston's Accordion Album die, and the 'Frame and Label, Bracket' die, PLUS her super-duper gorgeous new Movers and Shapers Butterflies dies. I love how one of them cuts out a beautiful little butterfly wherever you want it, and the other cuts out an oval shape with the butterfly inside, again wherever you want! (This fits inside the centre of the 'Fancy Frame' die cuts really well!) 

I used the Movers and Shapers Base Tray to run my nearly completed card through on, to add the butterfly cuts, with no damage to the rest of the card.

I rounded off the corners of the outer frames with a Zutter cutter (great for thick card board and chipboard etc.), and stamped a Tim Holtz  'Happy birthday' in another of the Fancy Frames. (I had to trim the edges of some of the Fancy Frames, so that they would close up properly when the card shuts.)

 I loved the shadow, in this photo!

And most impressively for me, I actually made a card which can fold down totally flat, and can easily fit inside an envelope!

Products used:


   

Thank You card for Karen

Now I know that Karen has received her card OK, I'll share some pictures of it... I wanted it to be a surprise!

I made this for Karen Burniston, who has been just absolutely lovely to me since we came across each other on-line a couple of months ago.

I used her new Square Card with Ornate Edge Pop 'n Cuts base die, with the Funky Label insert (it's such a gorgeous classic shape), and the Funky Label Framelits set for making the layers under the sentiment.

The 'Thank You' is from Tim Holtz's Typeset die, and the papers from Tilda's 'Sewing Bird' pad.

 For the outside, I made an opening door (to give me somewhere to write a message), by folding over some card, and cutting all but one side in an oval cutter from the Wavy Label Framelits set. The light pink card behind it is cut from the same set.

After I took the pictures, I also added a little key brad to the side of the door, which swivels round, and can keep the door closed.

 I coloured some Tim Holtz Crinkle ribbon with Distress Stains, and added a little metal bird brad from my stash, and some flowers from Tim's Flower Garland die.

The flower centres were cut with a punch from L-Em.com.

Products used:


   

Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts Girl Owl Birthday Card

Well we have had a wonderful, but truly hectic weekend (Book club, Scout camp, friend stay over {who arrived at 1.30am on Saturday, on her way back from Rome!}, shopping expedition to Cambridge, church BBQ, house clear-up, church, friends over - me cooking for 19, and goodbyes to friends who are moving to America...)

So today, now that everywhere is organised again, I've enjoyed quietly making a card!

I wanted to do a girl owl card, and used the new Pop 'n Cuts base die, and Sizzix Owl #2 die, along with papers from Echo Park 'This & That Graceful' pad.

For the sentiment I used a Tim Holtz stamp, and Karen Burniston's versatile Fancy Frame die.

I inked all the edges of the die cuts with Distress Ink, using a blending tool.

 The scroll is an additional piece which the base die cuts, and the heart is from the Owl die.

I gave my owl a tummy cut from the smallest oval in the Movers and Shapers magnetic Sized Ovals set, and some hand cut eyelashes and bow.

I'm putting this card in the Simon Says Stamp 'Anything Goes' Challenge.

Some of products used: