Christmas In July - New Die Release

A MESSAGE FROM EILEEN HULL:

Thanks for coming to the Eileen Hull/Sizzix Chapter 3 Release Party Blog Hop! Check out 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 the Snowman die. We are so glad you joined us to celebrate the Chapter 3 release.

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

Never too early to begin thinking ahead to Christmas!  New dies being released conjure up inspiration and new ideas.  Eileen Hull has added two steel rule dies with a Winter theme. Here are my first attempts using these new designs.

Mitten Book

This little book combines all the piece from the die to create a little book with an accordion style spine to hold pages and easy embellishments. It uses a cotton fabric added to the covers. Fabric can be added to the mat board using various forms of adhesives. Coming from a sewing background, with the desire to experiment with a variety of products, I’ll be using an iron on fusible for the mitten covers. It’s something you may not have tried or thought of but it does work! I will share tips.

• Cover both sides of mat board with fabric using fusible adhesive. Use a piece of mat board large enough to cut two mitten shapes. 
• From solid color card stock, cut mitten shapes for pages.
• Cover a piece of mat board for the box shape with decorative paper on both side, then cut one shape. Remove/cut away the two small side flaps. 
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• Cut a rectangle pieces from card stock for the accordion folded spine, measuring 2” x 6” approximately. Using a scoring board and tool, make score lines 3/8" apart, along the strip of paper. Accordion fold the piece. (Diagrams for folding and gluing below. The finished folded spine was trimmed to the length of 5 1/8" long.)
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• If adding pockets for tags on the pages, apply them before assembling the book. (The credit card cut was folded under to make a shorter pocket for the tag -2 1/4".)
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• Cut and place of double-sided tape to one mountain fold on spine to attach the pages.
• Cut 2 pieces of flat braid for the ties, 12"-13". Glue the braid from bottom edge of mitten piece, down the center to top of mitten piece. Repeat for other cover. 
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• Glue the paper covered base to the inner covers of each mitten piece. Aligning the bottom edge of mitten with the folds of the base piece. Hold in place with binder clips till glue dries. 
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• Attach each page onto the folded spine .
• Color the hearts and zig-zag shapes; glue to embellish the front and bach covers. (NOTE: The shapes were coated with Glossy Accents.)

TIPS:  To use iron-on fusible it's best to follow instructions on product. DO NOT use steam (it can warp the mat board). Lay the fusible onto the backside of the fabric; press to adhere. Remove the backing sheet and place onto the mat board, then press with iron to adhere. Die-cut the shapes, if any edges lift, re-press with iron.

NOTE: I would be happy to answer further questions about the project and materials if requested. 

Materials

New Eileen Hull Sizzix Die, Box, Mittens
Eileen Hull Sizzix Die, Credit Card Sleeve & Tags 662810
Mat board
Cotton fabric
Fusible adhesive (I use Thermoweb Heat n Bond Ultra Hold)
Decorative paper for box base, pockets
Card stock, pages
Card stock, accordion fold spine, tags
Scoring board, scoring tool
Adhesive tape
Flat braid, ties, 24”
Ribbon
Inks or paints
Glue
Paint brush
Ranger Glossy Accents 

Binder clips


Snowman Cards

The cuts from the new Snowman Box die are used here to create the two cards. The same idea could be used on a canvas board for display. Again a variety of materials can be used for cutting any of the pieces on this steel-rule die. Some suggestions are to use fabric for the background, hats or scarves. Use felt or batting for the snowman or snow cloud. 

• Cut or tear paper or fabric for card background. Attach the background by sewing or gluing onto card front.
• Apply modeling paste onto the snow cloud piece using a brush or pallet knife. Set aside to dry.
• Paint the snowman piece with a shimmery, metallic white acrylic paint. Set aside to dry.
• Paint twig arms, carrot nose, coal eyes and top hat (or any of the other pieces) appropriate colors. (NOTE: All the extra pieces could also be cut from papers or other materials.)
• Apply washi tape to stocking cap, scarves and top hat band.
• Arrange and glue all the pieces onto front of cards as desired or shown. 
• Add a pom-pom to stocking cap; green sprig and red berry to hat.
• Punched snowflakes and evergreen springs are added for extra background embellishments. 

Materials

New Eileen Hull Die - Box, Snowman
Paint, TCW Shimmery Goodness
TCW Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste
Blends inks, Nutmeg, Ebony
Orange paint
Washi tapes
Decorative background papers
Green, white paper scraps
Punches, snowflakes, greens
Glue
Pom Pom
Paint brush

This is a group blog hop to promote Eileen's latest dies. 

http://www.eileenhull.com/2020/07/christmas-in-july-new-dies-released-a-hop.html

Here is the list of participants to use too!  Just another way to visit each of the  individual blogs.

Madeline Arendt

Julia Aston

Jennie Atkinson

Debbie Bankston

Karen Bearse

Susie Bentz

Pam Bray

Sue Eldred

Anna-Karin Evaldsson

Annette Green

Maggi Harding

Lisa Hoel

Anita Houston

Sarah Lizzie

Jenny Marples

Elizabeth Robinson

Tonya Trantham

Cheryl Waters

Mitsyana Wright

Nicole Wright

Thoughts on the Summer

WOW where did the time go? I guess you could say I took a little vacation from this blog for way too long.  So here I sit trying to do a little "catching up".  With "Autumn in the air" today I thought I would look back and write a bit about the past several weeks since my last post.

Since the middle of July there have been birthday celebrations, the traditional week "up north" with the family, deadlines for some designs, sad times, big family moments, catching up with dear friends and several artful experiences.

My youngest grandchild turned 3 and she is such a sensitive, fun-loving, daring, sweet little girl.  She will keep everyone on there toes!

Zoe turns 3

We continued with our usual family tradition of a week at Camp Nawakwa.  It was a bit easier this year then last to deal with not having our "keeper of the flame" there.  Though I sensed Mike there in many ways, many times.  We celebrated three more family birthdays during the week, Andrew, Alison and Andrea.

Kevin & Joe talk fishing

Breakfast with the group

Canoe Trip

The eternal fire

The week after returning we lost a member of the family and we came together to remember and morn the loss of "Nutty Aunt Sue".

I began to wonder where have the years gone with my oldest grandchild, Joseph, beginning High School and Tess, starting Kindergarten.  Through the years I have spent so much time with the four grandkids but both Joseph (Amy's) and Tess (Kevin's) I had the opportunity to spend much more time with. BUT, I love them all deeply and dearly!  A Gramma could not be prouder!

With Joseph on Graduation Night

Tess's First Day

I was happy to have some "deadlines" to meet with some design work.  It can be crazy, but I have enjoyed having to deal with moments like this again.  Here's two designs that were just published.

Crafts n Things Weekly Digital Issue

Crafts n' Things Winter Issue 2013

Finally found time for visits with some dear friends. It was great Sally F., Donna and Karan.

Now about those "artful experiences" -
While up north I was invited by a very dear family friend to share in a very interesting day.  We went to the home and studio of artist Jeanine Semon. She is known for her healing art.  She stirred us through two different processes.  After each, she gave us an interpretation of what she saw our work to show and feel.  It was a fasinating insight into myself that turned out to be a very emotional experience for this point of my life.

Jeanine in her studio/home in Lac du Flambeau

After returning home, I presented a card making workshop one evening for 30 women in our community.  It was a wonderful experience to share with the ladies.  This is the second opportunity I have had to share some creative time with community participants and hope there will be more. (We were so busy and having so much fun, I forgot to take photos.)

I treated myself to a day at a "CREATE"retreat in nearby Lisle.  It is sponsored by "Cloth Paper Scissors".  I took two workshops and enjoyed them both.  The first was with designer Rebekah Meier, who I am very lucky to call a dear, dear friend.  It was a wonderful time spent enjoying her process of creating along with several other lovely women.  The evening brought me a chance to try something a little new with a class by Kristin Robinson. We created jewelry pieces with solder and blow torch and also learn to use the interesting medium "Ice Resin" and "Iced Enamels" with the help of Jen Cushman.    Again, time well spent and the desire to learn more.  The next day I returned to the site for a "Artist Faire Sale".  Many wonderful vendors where there selling fun and interesting materials for anyone with a creative soul.  I was so very happy to reconnect and talk with Kim Schiedermayer and Greg Gummer, two of Arnold Grummer's children, who I met several years ago while working for them at a industry trade show.  An amazing, wonderful family that left it's mark on me.

To be completed with embellishments

Kim & myself

So in three days I leave for another opportunity to share some creativity.  Looking forward to the coming week in the Northwoods once again.  I am excited and happy to be participating in the first Camp Nawakwa Women's Week-end Retreat.  I will be offering a workshop where we will create a reusable journal cover.  It is my hope to make this a fun an non-stressful experienceand allow each person some easy way to express themselves through crafting.  I'm also looking forward to taking in the beauty of this area at this time of the year.  It's beautiful in summer and winter for different reasons, but with Autumn being my very favorite season, no matter where I am, I look forward to spectacular sights.