I always have an eye out for organization tips, so I completely flipped over the Darice Embossing Folders Organizer storage solution for the many embossing folders that I have acquired! It is awesome! I bought one, then turned right around and ordered 3 more!

The Darice Embossing Folders Organizer retails for $19.99, but our everyday low price is $17.39!

Simply said, I love it! You can see 8 folders at a time and they are secured under clear plastic so you can see the whole design on the folder. Made of Black Nylon, it holds up to 40 folders and has a zip around closer. Now instead of thumbing through a bin or basket, I can open the folder and easily see what I have! I am thinking I will store some of my nesting dies in one of these as well, so I bought some magnetic sheeting, which I cut into quarters and will put my dies on that. They fit perfectly!

We all have different ways of storing our beloved craft supplies, so this may or may not work for you, BUT if you are looking for a better storage solution, then this is most definitely worth a try!

For a better look at the Embossing Folder Organizer, I have included this video which will give you an inside view!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!
Carrie

Spring is FINALLY showing its face here in Utah, and to go along with the warming weather, I wanted to share my Marianne Design butterfly card that I made to celebrate! I can never get enough butterfly dies and this one is gorgeous! I also like how big it is. It really pops on a card or layout.

I also really liked the Blossom embossing folder by Crafts Too, and it worked really well with the butterfly. I ran my A2 card through the folder first, then took my ink pad and lightly ran it over the embossed area to help it stand out.

Here all of the products I used:

LR0113- Marianne Design Creatable Die Butterfly 1

658954- Sizzix Thinlits Borders

AF146- Hero Hues Shadow Ink Soft Pool

S5-159- Spellbinders Gold  Labels Four

CTFD3048- Crafts Too Blossom

2160- Want2Scrap Mother of Pearl Rhinestones

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Many of you have asked about tips for using Spellbinders 3D M-Bossabilities in other manual Die Cutting Machines besides the Grand Calibur. We have solutions for most of you! We are still working on formulas for the Vagabond and Epic Six Tools, but for those of you who own Sizzix Big Shot, Big Shot Pro, Evolution and Cuttlebug machines, you will be thrilled to know that you CAN use these products in your machines! Yay! You can find all of the videos under by clicking on the 3D link above  or on our YouTube channel.

3D M-Bossabilities are so cool! These folders sculpt your surfaces and take your embossing to a more realistic look with its 3D affect. They offer a more dynamic embossed and letterpressed look for amazing results! Approximate size of these folders 5 X 7″

As you can see, by the following example, the impression from these folders is much more defined because of their ability to emboss and deboss at the same time. Inking your folder and giving it the Letterpress effect also helps your design pop.

Please note: these embossing folders require the use of a Raspberry Spacer Plate GC-003 or GC-008 for use in the Grand Calibur or the Junior Raspberry Spacer Plate GC-012 for the Grand Calibur and other die-cutting machines.

Personally, I found that I didn’t have to have the Jr. Raspberry Spacer Plate in the machines which I demonstrated in the videos. Like I said though, we are still working on a couple other machines, so it may be required for those. Hopefully we’ll have those videos for you soon!

I hope this will be very helpful for you! Now you can emboss away 3D style and no special glasses are required!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!
Carrie

Sometimes you just want to give alittle pick me up card to someone special and tell them that You Are The Light Of My Life.  I love using the Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Spellbinders Die and Bo Bunny paper as a way to express those feelings.

I started off using some plain white cardstock and cut it down to a 5 1/2x 8 1/2.  I then used Spellbinders Butterfly Kisses embossing and some Bo Bunny paper.  I then used Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges Die to give it a nice frame, taped it down using some Scor Tape and used Spellbinders Stately Circles Die with pop up stickers to add more character to my card.

I Love to use Distress ink on alot of my projects so I inked the corners and edges on all my Die Cuts.  I used one of Heartfelt Creations Stamps to add my favorite quote and to top it off, some baby pink pearls from Want2Scrap.  I love how easy and fun it is to make cards with these products and it makes it so fun to share my thoughts and feelings with the ones I love.

Receipe:

Just Rite CL03525 Finger Grip with Grid Alighnment Acrylic Block

Heartfelt Creations HCPC 3512 Antique Lantern Pre Cut Set

Spellbinders S5-174 A2 Distressed Edges

Spellbinders S4-388 Stately Circles

Distress Ink 32823 Gathered Twigs

Want2Scrap 7204 Baby Pink Pearls

Scor Tape

Pop Up Stickers

I have done this video tutorial to show you how I made this card!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin!

Alexis

Explore Beyond-Spellbinders Sneak Peak Day 6 has some especially exciting news! Today, Spellbinders is announcing one of the biggest launches in Spellbinders history! Spellbinders is pleased to bring you… Media Mixage™, a collection of products from bezels to blanks, matching die templates, metals, and more! Their new Media Mixage line makes it fun and easy to bring color, layers and dimension to products of all kinds! Explore Beyond to create jewelry, home decor, paper crafting, art journals, and fabric art!

They’re also announcing an exciting collaboration with renowned artist, jeweler, and  metalworker, Susan Lenart Kazmer! Susan brings added beauty and elegance to this new line with her own additions of bezels, blanks, and ephemera papers. Check out Susan’s amazing tutorial using the new Media Mixage line and Ice Resin.

And that’s not all! They’re also announcing the release of a brand new machine! The Artisan X-Plorer is a multi-purpose, high pressure, roller machine. Unlike the large format Grand Calibur machine, the Artisan X-Plorer is a small machine for more targeted pressure. This new machine cuts and embosses a wide range of materials. Our mixed media friends will appreciate this! In the video below, Stacey and our Education Director, Kim, share some of the amazing new features of the Artisan X-Plorer machine and our fantastic new Media Mixage line!

Susan has created this incredible necklace using Media Mixage, and the Artisan X-plorer. The product shown is part of that line! This is going to be a lot of fun create projects with!

MB1-005 Hearts One Hobnail Bezel:

Seth Apter is a well known mixed media artist and author and a new member of Spellbinders design team. He is sharing his unique projects using three new products, which I am positive you will enjoy!

S4-386 Cogs:

Approximate sizes:

1: 1/2″

2: 1″

3: 1 1/2″

4: 2 1/8″

5: 3″

6: 4″

MT1-005 Texture Plates Grate Works Three:

Approximate size: 3 3/8 x 3 3/8″

MM1-004 Aluminum Metal:

Amazing! Don’t you think? Delving into Mixed Media is going to be a blast with these latest innovations from Spellbinders! Once again, they have surpassed my wildest imaginations as to what they could impress us with!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for our final day of Spellbinders sneak peak!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

There is a lot to cover today during our Explore Beyond-Spellbinders Sneak Peak Day 4! We have projects and products from three designers to cover, so let’s just dive right in!

First, it is our privilege to show you these fun die sets designed by Becky Fleck. The following projects are created by several designers including Becky as folows; Stephanie Perdue, Kelly Goree, Summer Fullerton, Marla Kress and Lynn Ghahary! They all did an amazing job with these dies and it is really inspiring to see different perspectives!

S4-398 Say What and S4-399 Charmed, I’m Sure will be a fun addition to your collection! These Shapeablilities provide the capacity to cut and emboss while in the center. No wasted paper using the Shapeabilities. Together with the Shapeabilities the artist can cut anywhere on a machine’s base and in any direction as the die is the form!

Next, designer Beate Johns has created a couple wonderful cards to display S4-391 Just Swingin’ die. Everyone loves a tree swing, and with this Shapeabilities die you have the option of a regular swing or tire swing, or if you even want to include the swing at all!

To wrap things up for us today, designer Debbie Olson shows us her lovely card, gift bag and gift card designed using a Nestabilities die set and M-Bossabilities folder!

S5-156 Labels Twenty-Nine

ES-013 M-Bossabilities Harlequin

Approximate size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2″

Thanks to all of today’s talented designers for sharing your gifts and insight using these products! We hope you will join us again tomorrow for more Spellbinders Sneak Peak!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

If you are looking for a last minute, quick bag idea, then you will love this easy Christmas gift bag! This really took about a half hour to whip up! I re-purposed a bag that had the store logo on the front, so of course I couldn’t have that showing! You could do this with any die, but like many of you I adore the Spellbinders 2012 Holiday Tree! It is a must have!

Christmas Gift Bag

You will need:

Paper bag

3 colors of Cardstock

1/8″ gold ribbon

201-Scor-Pal 1/8″ Scor-Tape

S4-339-Spellbinders 2012 Holiday Tree

EL-008-Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Flower Fun

6079-Want2Scrap LaCreme Baby Pearls

Die cutting machine (I used my Sizzix Big Shot) Click HERE to see all of the different machines we carry.

I cut 2 pieces of cardstock to the sizes I needed, embossed the smaller size in the Flower Fun, then adhered it to the larger size and adhered that to the bag.

Cut and emboss the tree and adhere to cardstock. I then randomly placed baby pearls on the tree.

Put strips of Scor-Tape on outer edge of small piece of cardstock, then place ribbon over it.  DONE!

I had all of these items laying around my craft room, so you can use what you have! By doing that, you make your bag unique!

This is my last blog before the Christmas Holiday, so I want to give you all a heads up that we will be closing early on Dec. 21st and will not be back until Wed. Dec. 26th.

Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Yesterday I gave some tips on getting started in, what I believe, is one of the most fabulous hobbies to be in existence, so I wanted to follow up with an easy Christmas scrapbook layout to show that keeping it simple is fun, creative and attractive!

In case you are wondering, the photo is in fact from last year because, like most people, I am NOT caught up on my scrapbooks, and will likely NEVER be, because I am shutter happy with my camera! I look at it this way- scrapbooks are a work in progress. Enjoy the process! Not every photo has to be “scrapbooked” either. There are divided photo sleeves on the market to include photos that you may not want to actually scrapbook, but want to include in your albums, which make the process a ton easier!

First Car Layout

I used a variety of products on this layout. I enjoy using different manufacturers products together!
Here’s my list:
FEPAD07-First Edition Christmas Village 12×12 Paper Pad
DC0383- Quickutz Snowflake Punches
DC0180-Quickutz Nesting Frame 7
DA0081-Quickutz Handmade Alphabet
EG-003-Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Garden Lattice (This is a grand size of 8 3/4 x 11 3/4″ which requires the Grand Calibur machine.)
658181-Sizzix Tree & Snowflake
multi-colored rhinestones
Bazzil cardstock
adhesive
GC-001-Spellbinders Grand Calibur machine

This was really easy and only took aprox. an hour or so to complete! If my rhinestones would have been self adhesive, it would have taken less time, so if you have the self sticking kind, go for those!

I hope this will inspire to you to take some time during the holidays and cold evenings to start on those photos! Your family will love going through the memories later!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!
Carrie
655268-Sizzix Big Shot machine

The day has come that we have all been waiting for- the Evolution Die Cutting Machine by Lifestyle Crafts is now available and is shipping! WHOO-HOO!

The Quickutz Evolution is the new 6-inch wide iniversal die-cutting, embossing & letterpress tool from Lifestyle Crafts. The Evolution universal craft tool allows you to die cut, emboss, and letterpress! It’s lightweight, portable, and compatible with all leading brand dies and embossing folders. This tool is perfect for scrapbooking, card making, home decor, and all craft projects! See HERE.

I couldn’t wait to get mine out of the box and start playing with it to see what it would do! Uh, pretty much everything! The only sandwich formula I am still trying to work out is for Spellbinders M-bossabilities, but when I figure it out, I will let you know!

I have been busy, busy making sure there is a video for the most popular products that are compatible with the Evolution, so you will have step by step instructions available. They are listed below.

The Evolution includes:

- Evolution tool
- Sturdy Metal Handle
- Large 6 x 13″ Cutting/embossing platform
- Mat A for cutting thin metal dies
- Mat B for cutting thick metal dies and embossing
- FREE Bonus Nesting die ($24.99 value!)

It is also compatible with the Genius Ultimate Platform System! This is awesome!

Some of the Evolution features I particularly liked right off were that is has a nice sturdy base, rubber feet to prevent sliding during use, large handle for carrying and holding machine in place, easy turn crank.

Honestly, I totally enjoyed using this machine! This would be a great gift for any scrapbooker or cardmaker you know!

You  can click on any of the links below to watch the videos using the Evolution with various products. I hope these will be helpful for you!

How To Use Spellbinders Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Sizzlits Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Quicktuz Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Framelits Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Embosslits Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Embossing Folders In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Cuttlebug Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

How To Use Bigz Dies In The Evolution by Lifestyle Crafts

FYI- If you are going to use Sizzix Bigz Dies in the Evolution, you will need to purchase a second GEN-MAT-B Embossing Mat ( B mat). You can find that item HERE. This mat can also be used with the Genius Ultimate Platform.

If you are in the market for a new die cutting machine, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Do you love embossing folders, but want some additional detail? This easy Christmas card using Sizzix Framelits w/Textured Impressions shows you how this is totally possible! See all of the different sets HERE.

Supply list:

Cardstock

657976 Sizzix Framelits w/Textured Impressions Ornament Set #2

HCPC 3419 Heartfelt Creations Holiday Poinsettia Candle

Big Shot Machine

ribbon

mini silver rhinestones

adhesive foam squares

clear embossing powder

heat tool

ink

Many of you have gotten to love cutting stamped images with coordinating dies, but now you can do the same thing with embossed images! This fun sets from Sizzix help you take embossing to a new level.

Place cardstock or paper in the embossing folder as usual, run through your die cutting machine.  Place  coordinating Framelits over embossed image, tape in place (I use a sticky note) then cut in machine. Voila! Can’t get much easier than that! Great for scrapbook layouts as well!

I inked over the poinsettia, then used clear embossing powder and my heat tool to give it a glossy look.

I will show you how to use this very set for this card, in the following video. Enjoy!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I don’t know about you, but I am always on the search for Christmas gift ideas starting in January! I actually bought my dad’s gift last January, and it is such a relief to know that he has been taken care of…..I just have to remember where I put it!

We have loads of gift ideas as well as products to help you with the arduous task of making Christmas cards or tags. Hey, if you already have them done for this year, why not think ahead for next year? It is never to early to get started!

Our Christmas Theme is a great spot to go to find a wide variety of Christmas products! There are many items to choose from, from dies to embossing folders, stamps to paper! You will be sure to find something that meets your fancy.

Just to name a few of the popular names you will find- Sizzix, Spellbinders, Quickutz, Bo Bunny, Hero Arts, Heartfelt Creations and JustRite Stampers! Gosh, I could go on and on, but I promised just a few. I guess you will just have to go to our Christmas Theme for yourself to see how many fun things there are to see there! If we can’t go directly to the North Pole, we may as well do the next best thing!

Here’s a peak at some of those items that might be on your wish list;

This is just a TINY sample of the Christmas product to get you through the holiday season. Don’t forget, that after the “Big Day”, you will need to scrapbook all of those holiday photos!

If you are shopping for gifts, please make sure you allow 2-14 days for shipping as we are selling fast and may be waiting for some items to arrive from the manufacturers, so don’t delay, get your orders in right away to be sure to allow enough time!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

For all of you who are wondering, embossing Spellbinders dies using the Genius Ultimate Platform System is a breeze. And yes, you use the same sandwich formula to do this in all of the following machines!

Sizzix Big Shot

Sizzix Vagabond by Tim Holtz

Provo Craft Cuttlebug

Lifestyle Crafts Epic Six Tool

It is a cinch! In the following video I have demonstrated using only the Epic Six and Vagabond so you can see that it will work just as easily in both manual and electronic machines.

For those of you who have a Big Shot Pro, you can use this same embossing formula in your machine! You have an extra step though, as demonstrated in the following video showing just how to cut Quickutz dies.

I demonstrated using the No More Shims Mat. If you are using the Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat you will need to add a shim of 2-4 pieces of cardstock.

Have fun embossing your Spellbinders dies with the Genius Platform! It will enable you to create fabulous frames, windows and other embellishments for your scrapbooking and card making needs!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Gotta love embossing, especially after seeing the crispness of this M-bossabilities Ornamental Iron wedding card! You can’t ask for better impressions than this!

Product Recipe:

EL-019 Spellbinders Ornamental Iron    M-bossabilities

S5-147 Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles

S5-143 Spellbinders Jewel Flowers and Flourishes by Julianna Hudgins

HCPC 3400 Heartfelt Creations Bella Rosebuds stamp set

Cardstock

2161 Want2Scrap White Pearls

This card is an A7 (5×7″) size to fit the 5×7 M-bossabilities.  I used wax paper to cut both the Resplendent Rectangle and the flouish to enable me to easily remove them from the dies. Before removing the rectangle from the die I used a dauber and inked around the edge for shading, and I inked along the bottom of the card then up the sides, decreasing the ink as I worked up to give the bottom of the card a darker look.

Embossing is a quick way to give a simple card an elegant look! You know me, I am all for quick and easy.  If not, I would never get anything finished!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Some of you have posed the question “What is the difference in the Spellbinders Grand Impressabilities vs. the Grand M-bossabilities?”. Well, I hope I can answer your question. I will give it my best shot.

Similarities:

Both will emboss and deboss

Both can be inked for a letterpress image

Both will work with 8 1/2 x 11″ paper or cardstock

Both require the Spellbinders Grand Calibur or larger machine such as the Sizzix Big Shot Pro to use.

Both are AWESOME products and can be great tools for creating larger embossed backgrounds for scrapbooking!

Differences:

The Impressabilities are made from thin metal and can be cut into pieces with a pair of scissors or tin snips to create beautifully embossed/debossed embellishments, OR you can use the full sheet for a decorative background page. See HERE.

Impressabilities require the GC-006 Grand Rubber Mat.

The M-bossabilities are plastic embossing folders which you can not cut up, but are unique, as you receive 2 patterns per folder. Just flip the folder to whichever side you want to use for your design! See HERE. You can identify the grand by the EG in the sku number.

Spellbinders has produced fabulous videos which show how to use these products in the Grand Calibur Machine, which you can view on our YouTube channel. However, for those of you wondering how to use them in the Big Shot Pro Machine, I will show you the sandwich formula in the following video! Watch closely!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Scrapbooking is one of my favorite ways to document my life, and this embossed layout using Spellbinders Tweets and Twigs M-bossabilities actually shows me with my tiny grandson! I am rarely IN the picture, because I am usually behind the lens, so this is rather special for me. I so adore his tiny little feet!

This was another easy layout (I LOVE EASY) since I used a pattern paper with a place for a photo designed right on the page. I cut out the center using a kraft knife, and put my photo behind the paper, letting the detail overlap the spaces in the photo that I didn’t care about. I wanted the focus to be on his feet, so this was a natural frame.

Then I cut a sheet of paper from the same pad, embossed it, inked it with an ink pad so the detail would stand out, adhered it to the pattern paper, added the mats and paper embellishments cut from the same pad, lined mats and paper strip with stitch marks and called it good!

Product Recipe:

FEPAD016 First Edition 12×12″ Up & Away paper pad

EL-023 Spellbinders Tweets and Twigs

S5-150 Spellbinders Pockets and Swirls by Donna Salizar

20257 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Weathered Wood

Button Brads

The tags are included in the paper pad! BONUS!

I love, love, love First Edition paper! I think I have every one of their paper pads since I first discovered them. I know its a bit ridiculous, but as a paper junkie, I blame it on my addiction.  So are my collections of Spellbinders, and pretty much everything else in my scrap room! Is there a support group for scrapbooking addictions?  If so, I would probably go, because I would get to hear all of the other addict’s ideas, and I love new ideas! Hmmm…. maybe I should start my own…..oh wait, that would be called a CROP!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie