Storage Update - Spellbinders dies (including Nestabilities)

Remember this? Good starting point but it didn't last long *LOL* A few weeks later my collection had increased and my wallet was too small so on to version 2 - a 96 CD wallet ....

Version 2 is now no more 'cos I've moved on to Version 3 and think this is the one that works for me now, and into the future. Version 2, although not having every pocket filled, was crammed and I was growing concerned that the dies would eventually bend out of shape. When I got version 2 I also bought some 1 inch self-adhesive magnetic tape, cut it to length and stuck onto pieces of card, which added to the bulk. The tape is a stronger magnet than the magnetic paper and holds the nestie pieces a little more securely. I now use a mixture of tape and the paper (which isn't) depending on the dies.

Version 3 is still a CD wallet but it's more of a case and will hold 240 CDs. There are versions for 300 and 500 CDs but the case dimensions were the same. It's just the number of 'pages' that made the difference. In this wallet a set of nesties can take up one side of the page and the other side can be left empty and there's still plenty of room. I loved the fact it's a ring-binder so gives more movement and less crushing - and other methods of storage can be added for different makes of dies. There's a pocket in the front which is ideal for storing my tan mats (of varying sizes) and the 'sandwich' needed (in case I should forget *LOL*) I just love it ........!

Dimensions? Approximately 31cm x 30cm x 9cm. Where did I find it? Good old eBay! Cost? A bargain! Just £7.99 with free p&p. I ordered it Sunday and received it Tuesday. Excellent seller (Daisychain Supplies - 100% feedback with thousands of sales) and I think it's worth buying just for the case *LOL* .... Now, there's an idea - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Enjoy!!

Birthday Girls.

Things are looking up! I've had 3 birthdays this week and I've managed to make cards for 2 of them and that's a novelty *LOL*. They're nothing special and I resorted to the dreaded ready made toppers. I hate ready made toppers with a vengeance but one card had to be made quickly. I have to say that, for the size of the cards (they're only A6 - slightly larger than US A2) and the simplicity of them, they were very expensive ... because of the ready made bit! I don't feel as though I can call them handcrafted but I guess they're what card companies would call 'hand finished'. Very, very simple but I think the recipients ... my youngest grand-daughters ... liked them.

Ingredients:
Cream card blank and matching envelope from stash.
Backing paper: Craftwork Cards Yummy Scrummy Paper Pack - Milk Chocolate & Marshmallow - Gold
Plaque:  Spellbinders Nestibility - Classic Scalloped Oval
Toppers and embellies: Forever Friends Elements Stickers - Pretty Ballerina
Lace Ribbon Trim: Martha Stewart Lever Border Punch - Arch Lattice
'Have a Wonderful Day' greeting - Craftwork Cards, Oh My Word! - Birthday Messages

... and here are the birthday girls ...

Emma, now aged 8, on the left and her little sister, Amy, now aged 4

Enjoy!!

Workshop with Carol Cockbain

... The Craft Barn, Friday 18th September. Relaxed, technique driven. Could be easily adapted for own style and ideas. 2 cards made, one work intensive and a quickie - a very quickie one - lol!!

Stamping:
Inkadinkadoo Penguin Pandemonium set
Versafine onyx black.
Clear embossing powder.

Background & frame:
Tattered Angel Glimmer Mists - various blues and pearl.
Scrunched paper and glossy card.

Colouring & embellishment:
Marvey le Plume pens
Quickie glue pen and Art Glitter.
Peel off greeting.
Brilliance ink (sky on front of main card)
Spellbinders Labels 4 (frame on quickie card)
White Fluffy Stuff

Enjoy!!

TUTORIAL - Scalloped edged gift box.

As I've been playing with PSP recently I've decided to try a different and, hopefully, clearer way of presenting a basic tutorial. I'd appreciate feedback in the comments on how you find it so, here it is ...

TUTORIAL: Scalloped edged gift box (click on any image for a larger view) .... with thanks to Paula!

The following box was made by Kim. Really pretty and very wedding favourish, don't you think?

Enjoy!!

Spellbinder's Impressabilities and Nestabilities.

Thursday 9th July and a manic day of classes at the Glitterpot with Paula Pascual. Not the nice relaxing day I was looking forward to as it was a packed couple of classes. To get all projects done was near impossible with my leg problem 'cos queueing really isn't much of an option for me ;0( To ease the pressure in the afternoon I saved one of the projects to finish at home and I actually felt that I was able to put 'quality' time into the other projects. Wish I'd thought to do the same with the morning class but I don't have one of the elements needed to finish them and wasn't impressed enough to want to buy - although I loved the finished effect I didn't like the mess to get it - *LOL* Guess it might not be so messy working at home instead of in a workshop though so, perhaps I'll consider at some point in the future..... especially as, now it's properly dry, it's not messy any more *hehe*

Morning Class - Impressabilities:
I'd bought a couple of these a few weeks ago but not used them. I've read US blogs where they'd been used so was intriqued when I saw this class on the workshop list. Paula has put a new slant on their use. Ink the whole Impressability, pass through the machine and as soon as it's out cover it in ... Pearl-Ex! Paula actually recommended Perfect Pearls over Pearl-Ex but she'd run out. Very, very messy but a beautiful effect.

Ingredients:-
Spellbinders Impressabilities - Snowflake and Flowers
Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Flower Creations
Brilliance Starlight Black ink pad (silver card) and Versafine black (other 2 cards)
Silver & gold Pearl-Ex/Perfect Pearls
Cuttlebug Cut & Emboss 3" x 3" Combo - Ice Crystal
Fiskars Border Punch - Scalloped Lace/Threaded Water
Craftwork Cards - Scalloped squares, Wraps & greetings
Variety of backing papers and card.

Self adhesive gems and a brad/button ... something for the flower centre.


Afternoon class - Nestabilities:
Using nesties to make the card blanks, the flowers and the box with a couple of Craftwork Cards elements thrown in for good measure - *LOL*

Ingredients:-
Spellbinders Nestabilites - Scallop Circle, Scallop Squares, Long Classic Scallop Rectangle.
Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Flower Creations
Craftwork Cards Greetings & Card Candy
Bazzill card and a variety of backing papers.


And to finish ..... a close-up of the gold Pearl-Ex used on the black Versafine to show the beautiful effect of it ...
Click on any image for a larger view.

Enjoy!!

Storage - Spellbinders Nestabilities & Wizard dies

There's been a thread on the imag-e-nation forum recently asking how people stored their nestability dies. I own several Spellbinder (Wizard) dies including sets of nestabilities and I had to find some way of storing them that took up as small a space as possible whilst having them portable to carry around so, I thought I'd show my storage system for them. A search of t'internet brings up various suggestions from hooks on rails or pegboards to the usual CD cases. I found CD cases, whilst being OK and convenient indoors, still took up a fair bit of space and didn't make for easy transport. I decided to stay with the CD storage idea and purchased a cheap 'Value' 24 CD wallet from Tesco. I've managed to store all of my Wizard dies (at least those that I've opened) in this wallet and still have space for more. If I ever get round to opening my Petite sets of nestabilities I will need to buy another of these wallets - or buy a bigger one - but the space saved is amazing and I can just pick up the whole thing to carry around. That has proved very useful - LOL!!

In the front of the wallet I keep my chipboard/cardboard shims and my tan mat (I've still to cut another larger piece for the larger dies but it will still fit in the front). The dies are stored on magnetic sheets, cut to fit, so I can just slide them in and out as needed. One set of nestabilities fit in each side so you can keep the relevant shapes together. 2 of the small Wizard dies will fit in a section as do the large Wizard dies.

I wrote the stacks, needed to cut and emboss in the Cuttlebug, onto a large sticky label and stuck it on the inside back cover. Currently, in this wallet, as well as my shims and tan mat, I have the Classic scallop and plain sets of circles, ovals, rectangle and square nestabilities (8 sets), abstract and octagon geometrics, 2 spirabilities, flutterby's, buckles, fan, charms, hearts, 2 edgeabilities, car/flag and the christmas sleigh. I still have half a side and 3 double sides available.

I now have neat, tidy and organised storage that I can just pick up and go with! Easy to flick through and, easily labelled if I so choose.

I purchased the magnetic sheets from eBay. They are A4 sheets that I have cut to size. The bonus here is that they also double up to hold a die in place for embossing the middle of a card or for cutting an aperture. I chose matt magnetic paper and found that I can write on it, which has given another method of labelling.

UPDATE: Storage has moved on and this version is no more so if you want to see what I'm using now then visit here to see versions 2 & 3 *LOL*
Enjoy!!

Spellbinder's Nestabilities (Wizard)

It never hurts to post links to sites/blogs that can help people who have questions that need answering before making a substantial investment in crafting equipment. Nestabilities seem to generate a lot of these questions and there is one blog that has the answers to most, if not all, questions that crafter's raise regarding these amazingly useful dies. It's Nicole Heady's Capture the Moment blog so, to have any questions you may have about Nestabilities answered, just pop along to Nicole's blog, read, digest and then enjoy your purchase - 'cos you know you just have to have them ..... lol!!

Click to be taken straight there ....... Capture the Moment.

Enjoy!!

Nestabilities and the Cuttlebug

I found a great visual (stills) demo on how to use the Wizard Nestabilities - and of course it applies to all Wizard dies - in the Cuttlebug. Take a look at Gina K Designs here - brilliant!

Enjoy!!