Other Ways With Thinlit Dies

The newest scoreboard die by Eileen Hull is the Folio Book die which is another wonderful addition to her collection of creative dies.  Along with the main folio die are different thinlit sets. The first of these are the Mandala motif and a set called page pocket and flowers. These thinlet dies were used for this card design and will share some of the uses in this post. 

NOTE: This card uses a gel press print that was previously created along with several others on a day spent playing with gel printing and stamping. The print was large enough to use the majority of the print as elements on the outside, inside and envelope. Again, I chose to include a bit of fabric. A torn piece of homespun muslin becomes the first layer on the card front. The inside message also has a small piece of fabric as a layer. 

The flower embellishment instructions can be found it the previous post from this blog called, "Working With Cereal Bags".

Here are the steps to create the card:

• Prepare the fabric for the layer on the front and inside. Iron and reshape if neccesary. 
• Tear the the gel-print to fit. Tear the paper randomly or use a tearing ruler or deckle edge decorative scissors. 
• Make a mask/stencil with the mandala design. TIP: I used the release paper from iron-on fusible to make my mask. It is a thin paper, but the coating on it works well for cutting and stenciling with paint. 
  
  
  
• Use the mandala mask/stencil to add the design as a shadow to the print. The design can also be used on the inside of the card if desired.
• When all components are ready, position them to the front of the card. TIP: They can be put in place with glue, double-sided adhesive tape and even stitched on with a sewing machine. 
• Add a strip of coordinating washi tape onto the front, vertically, before adding and embellishment of choice.

For the inside of card: 

• Use the mandala mask if desired to stencil the pattern onto the inside of the card if any fashion.
• Stamp a sentiment/verse onto paper or other material.
• Layer the stamped image onto a torn piece of fabric.
• Layer these onto a torn piece of the gel print paper.
• Run a strip of the washi tape horizontally across the inside.
• Attach the three layered piece over the washi strip. 
  
  
  
  
  

Additional ideas:

• Add a corner pocket to the card using the pocket thinlit.
• Cover a square of card stock with a coordinating washi tape.
• Die cut the corner design from the tape covered paper piece.
• Use a bone folder to go over the crease line at the 2 sides to help with folding them in.

Attach the folded corner design with double-sides adhesive or glue to a corner of the card. Use the pocket to insert a gift card, check or personal note. 

• Add a strip of washi tape and a strip left from the gel-print to the envelope flap.  

Materials 

Dies - Thinlit die set, Folio page pocket and flowers

          Thinlit die, Mandala

Big Shot

Washi tapes

Fabric scrap, muslin 

Metallic paint

Sponge applicator

Blank card with envelope

Card stock, off white

Verse stamp

Double-sided adhesive tape or glue

Any extra embellishments of choice 

Working With Cereal Bags

There have been some questions about cereal bags and how they can be used. I will try to both show and explain how this found material can be reused in crafty projects. 

In a previous blog post I showed a way I made pockets for use in a junk journal. Here is a link to that post.  https://madelinesthoughts.blogspot.com/2020/08/junk-journal-my-way.html

Several years ago I had seen an article in the magazine, Cloth,Paper, Scissors using cereal bags for journals. There also have been articles and videos around for some time showing the fusing of plastic bags for repurposed projects. Some ideas still can be found on the web, so search away to see what you can find. For myself, after reading and watching what I could, I felt it was just time to experiment and see where it leads me. 

READ FIRST BEFORE WORKING WITH CEREAL BAGS:

Now there are tips to working with materials like the cereal bags that need to be considered before beginning. 

• Always cover ironing surface with something like a non-stick, heat resistant sheet of some type when fusing cereal bags, no matter the content layered inside. 
• Use a non-stick material to cover the cereal bag layers for fusing. I use parchment paper or backing sheets from fusible products for sewing or release sheets from double sided adhesives.
• Open the seams on the bags and wipe the inner surface with a paper towel to remove any residue from the product. 
• Trim away any raggedy edges with scissors or rotary cutter or utility knife.
  
  
  
  
  
• I have an iron designated for projects like this. Never place the iron directly onto the top layer of he bags. IT WILL MELT AND STICK TO THE IRON. 
• Temperature settings could vary, but using the wool setting is a good starting point. After some experimenting and depending on the iron itself the temperature might need to be increased or even decreased. (Techniques like these sometimes just need some “trial and errors”.)
• IMPORTANT: These cereal bags are a plastic product. Plastic can emit fumes! It would be a good idea to work in a well ventilated area and wear a mask when fusing. 

Almost any items can be inserted between the sheets for fusing. Again, search for information online. A good article is the one I mentioned above that is found in the summer 2013 issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors. It was by Kristen Robinson.

To add color also took some experimenting. Experiments can be messy! I have used a variety of coloring products to the bags before fusing. I’ve used different paints an inks. Crayon shavings are a possibility that I have not yet tried but were suggested in some info I found. ***I have stayed clear of using alcohol inks.***

As mentioned above, adding the paint for color can be messy! The mess comes from the amount of paint used onto the inside and how it spreads when encased in the two layers. TIP: I placed the layers cereal bags between paper towels to press out excess paint before fusing. TIP: The paints can be brushed or moved around the surface of the bottom bag before covering and allowed to dry slightly before fusing.  It’s best to spread the paint and not have any puddles.

These two photos are examples of adding and mixing colors and different paints. The process of fusing the paints between to layers of bag ended with a piece with a good amount of color BUT much of the paint was pressed out around the edges of the entire piece. Like I mentioned it can be messy!

Here is another fused colored piece showing the difference in the amount of paint and coloring added and the fused results. Still somewhat messy, but not as bad as the yellow sheet.

 It seems that I haven’t been able to find detailed instructions on adding color between the layers of the cereal bags. Most instructions are for adding snippets of paper and threads.  When it comes to adding color it was left to experimenting.  I tried various paint products. It’s probably best to brush it on or sponge it on and possibly allow it to dry some before fusing the layers together.  If using too much paint, it can spread too much and leaks out around the edges. 

When pressing the layers together with the iron, allow it to cool slightly before lifting. Expect wrinkles after fusing and uneven movement of the paints. After the layered pieces cool and stiffen, they can be die-cut.

 If it happens that any of the edges of the die-cut pieces seem to come apart, place them between non-stick materials and press again lightly with an iron.  

New Die Release - Folio Fun My Way

 It’s always fun creating with Eileen Hull dies, but really exciting, interesting and fun when there are brand new designs.  

The newest Eileen Hull dies released by Sizzix are the Folio, Mandala and Folio Page, Pocket and Flowers. I will be showing how I combined these dies for my creation. 

Though I will not be giving step-by-step instructions, this post will give a description of the process I used. 

When creating projects with Sizzix dies I have a tendency to try to combine a variety of materials and also play around with with the designs of the dies by altering them or combining them with others.  

The folio die will likely become another favorite! I think you will see that with the creations by the  others participating in this blog hop.  It’s always inspiring to see the ideas shared. This project begins of course with the folio die-cut design. It does have a old, shabby distressed look because of the materials used, plus the surface techniques used. The addition of the mandala design, the red, wool hearts and ribbon each add a little touch of warmth to the finished project.

• This version has a spine that extends as far as possible. This gave me the opportunity to include several sections inside.
• The outside of the folio was painted with a metallic copper paint. Brushed over with a wash of brown paint. Old dictionary pages are torn and applied to the inside of the folio cover with gel medium.
• Corrugated board is cut to fit the front and back covers, as well as the front and back inner flaps.  
• Apply adhesive for foiling sheets randomly into the corrugated pieces. Press foiling sheets of choice to add bits of the metallic foil on the covers. 
• Use glue or adhesive sheets cut to size to add the covers and flaps to the folio.  
• Cut a mandala design from a copper colored paper, backed with adhesive for the front cover. 
• Cut the same mandala design from another type of paper for the back cover.  Gel medium was used to apply the design to the back. Heart shapes were cut from a felted wool sweater. Two are layered to the front cover, one to the back. A ribbon tie is added for a closure.

The inside has a variety of sections

• The first section is enclosed as a holder. A couple folders were made to be inserts into the holder. Each folder has a tab added to the edge for removing and inserting them into the holder. 
• The next insert is a folder made from card stock cut from an older Eileen Hull scoreboard die (Album). Pockets are added in two different directions from coordinating decorative paper.

• The next insert is made with the older album die, cut from a acrylic folder and altered to create a narrow album insert.  The covers are embellished with the mandala cut from white copy paper. Use a gel medium to adhere them. Pages are made from copy or newsprint paper. 
  
  
  
• The next two inserts are small lined notebooks. Each is covered with coordinating decorative papers. 
  
  
  
• The last folded section also hold a small covered notebook and has a pen holder. The pen holder shape is from the Journal die. TIP: One or more pocket folder could be added to this section too. 
  
  
  

Finishing the folio

• Black elastic hair bands are used to hold all the inserts in the folio. The bands are placed in the notches instead of using the holes.
• A pen is attached to the inside back flap using a cut from EH Journal die as a holder. It is held in place with a paper brad.
• The elastic bands are gather together and held in place with a pin, with the charm holder piece attached.
• A variety of ephemera can hang from the holder.
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• Follow along from each blog to the next with this list 
• Eileen Hull Designs
• Julia Aston
• Madeline Arendt
• Jennie Atkinson
• Karen Bearse
• Susie Bentz
• Sarah Lizzie Dodd
• Sue Eldred
• Maggi Harding
• Lisa Hoel
• Jenny Marples
• Elizabeth Robinson
• Betsy Skagen
• Tonya Trantham
• 
  

Follow along the list of participants to see a wonderful variety of ideas and styles. 

***A NOTE FROM EILEEN ***

Welcome to the Chapter 1 Eileen Hull/Sizzix Release Party Blog Hop! Just wait till you see all of the fun options the new ScoreBoards Folio Journal die has in store for you! You will also love the Mandala and Folio Page, Pockets and Flower Thinlits dies that coordinate 

Please hop through the blogs and be inspired by the work of the talented Inspiration and Educator teams! Leave a comment for each designer and you could win a Folio Journal die (as soon as it arrives!)

Join me and specials guests for a Facebook Live on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at noon Eastern. Comment on our Facebook Live and be eligible to win either the Mandela die or the Folio Pages, Pockets and Flowers die- two winners! 

Winners will be announced on the Facebook Live show on February 9 at 6:00 EST. 

We appreciate your love and support, friends!