Tis The Season - Top Dog Dies

Hello blogging friends,

I am featuring a few more dies from the new Top Dog Dies Winter Holidays release. Be sure to check out all the fabulous new dies in the Top Dog Dies store. This was an awesome release with so many incredible dies! On my card today I am using the Top Dog Dies Snowflake Background and the Top Dog Dies Cardinal die set.

 I thought it would be beautiful to combine these tow die sets together. Here is my card...

 I actually used a variety of papers on this card, some Little Yellow Bicycle Winter Twig combined with the beautiful Teresa Collins Santa's List. I chose to use a single cardinal sitting on a holly berry branch.

You can also see I used a banner die from the Top Dog Dies Pocket Page Banner die set.

To add elegance to my card I added a little bling to the center of each snowflake.

Supplies:

Top Dog Dies Snowflake Background die

Top Dog Dies Cardinal die set

Top Dog Dies Pocket Page Banner die set

Pattern Papers: Little Yellow Bicycle Winter Twig, Teresa Collins Santa's List

Bling: Want 2 Scrap

Thanks for stopping by!
~Marcia

Wedding Mini Album - Xyron and Teresa Collins

Hello blogging friends!

Xyron and Teresa Collins teamed up and I was thrilled to receive the Project Pink Papers to play with. I thought I would get a head start on a Christmas present and make a Wedding Mini Album for my Mother-in-Law. It's hard to believe that my daughter's first anniversary is coming up soon (and even harder to believe my Mother-in-Law hasn't demanded an album yet, lol.)  I loved the acetate sheets from the Teresa Collins Project Pink collection and thought they would look so elegant as mini album pages. I even used the acetate to create a few pocket pages. Take a look...
( I photographed this before binding it. I thought it would be easier with the album pages laying flat. )

I love that some of the pages are heart shaped and others die cut so elegantly. Here is a tutorial on how I created my mini.

Supplies:
Teresa Collins Project Pink papers including the acetate papers
Top Dog Dies Signature Antique die, Antique Mat, and Heart Mini Album
Craftwell Teresa Collins Girls Best Friend die set (ring)
Xyron 9" Creative Station with both the 9" permanent adhesive and the 5" permanent adhesive
Xyron Mega Runner
Xyron 3" Sticker Maker
A Flair For Buttons: Lovely Words Flair
Gold Sequins, lace, washi tape

Step 1. Die cut various shapes from paper, box board, and acetate. I planned to mount the papers to the box board.

Step 2. Run the papers through the Xyron 9" Creative Station with the 9" permanent adhesive loaded. Carefully adhere the papers to the box board.

Step 3. Cut one of the acetate shapes in half to create two pocket pages on the front and back sides of a box board page. I stapled one side to keep the acetate from moving while I stitched around the edges.

Step 4. Select your photos and die cut some of them from the Top Dog Dies Antique Mat die.

Step 5. Run the photos through the Xyron 9" Creative Station with the 5" permanent adhesive loaded. I love that this new machine takes both the 5" and 9" adhesive! Carefully adhere these photos to the front and back sides of an acetate album page.

Step 6. Here is a nice trick to use when you want to print onto your scrapbook paper... I trimmed a journal card to a size that fit the front of my album and ran it through my Xyron 3" Sticker Maker.

Step 7. Using a Word program on my computer, I printed out the album details.

Step 8.  I carefully adhered the scrapbook paper over the text. Holding it up to the light can help you get things centered nicely.

Step 9. Now run the paper through the printer again.

Step 10.  Embellish the mini album as desired.

I hope you enjoyed my mini album. Check out the Xyron Facebook page for more inspiring projects.
Thanks for stopping by,
~Marcia

Sparkle - Xyron and Craftwell tutorial

Hello blogging friends.

Xyron teamed up with Craftwell again and I was lucky enough to be able to play with the "Girls Best Friend" die set by the amazing Teresa Collins.

I knew straight off that I wanted to make a shaker card with lots of sparkling sequins. Take a look at the cards I created.

and another view when the card is flat, so you can see more of those sequins, stars, and diamond rings.

Let me show you how I created it....

Step 1.  Cut a piece of cardstock for your card front and using the Sparkle die, run it through your die cut machine.

Step 2.  Lay this die cut on top of a piece of foam, cut slightly smaller than the card front. Carefully mark where the top, bottom and sides are so you can later cut this away.

Step 3.  Run the foam through the Xyron 9" Creative Station with the 5" permanent adhesive.

Step 4.  Trim away the foam using our markings as a guide. You will want to trim away about 1/4" more at least so this is not visible from the front of the card. Adhere this to your card base.

Step 5.  Let's die cut some stars and rings for our shaker card out of gold foil paper.

Step 6.  Fill the cut out space with sequins and die cuts.

Step 7.  Run the card front through the Xyron 9" Creative Station with the 5" permanent adhesive.

Step 8.  Trim a piece of acetate and adhere to back side of card front.

Step 9.  Apply some Xyron Double Sided High Tack Tape to the side edges of the acetate. This will keep the sequins and dies from escaping.

Step 10.  Carefully line up card front edges with the card base. Then you are ready to shake, shake, shake.

Now, I don't like to throw away beautiful die-cuts or scraps, so I created a second card using the positive Sparkle die cut.

Here is how I created this one...

Step 1.  Insert the die cut face down into Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker.

Step 2.  Peel off paper backing and place face down in glitter. Press firmly to get the glitter to stick all over.

Step 3.  Run a scrap piece of the gold foil paper through the Xyron 3" Sticker Maker. I love taking this one to crops instead of packing my larger Creative Station.

Step 4.  Place die cut on top of foil paper and run through you die cut machine.

Step 5.  Assemble your card. When you are ready to use the die cuts, just peel off the paper backing.

Step 6.  Adhere the Sparkle die cut and some stars and your card is complete.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great week.

~Marcia

USA - Xyron and Simple Stories

Hello blogging friends! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. My hubby went fishing so I had lots of time to play with my papers :)  And, lucky me... Simple Stories sent me the awesome Stars and Stripes Simple Set!  Now I am ready to celebrate the 4th of July with this new mantle piece.

I used the Simple Stories Stars and Stripes Simple Set, the new Xyron 9" Creative Station, and the Made in the USA cut file from SVGcuts.com. I LOVE how this turned out! It looks great on my mantle, but it could also be used for table decor as well.

Let me show you how I made it. You will need ...

Supplies:
Xyron 9" Creative Station, Xyron 3/8" adhesive dots, Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker
Simple Stories Stars and Stripes Simple Set pattern paper, Brad
American Crafts cardstock
Made in the USA cut file from SVGcuts.com
Silhouette Cameo or other electronic cutting machine.
Teresa Collins adhesive gems
Twine
Ribbon

Step 1.  Use your Silhouette Cameo to cut out the Made in the USA "USA" files.

Step 2.  It is so much easier to decorate the alphas before assembling. Use your 9" Creative Station to get a good edge to edge seal when adhering the pattern paper to the cardstock.

Step 3.  I also used ribbon to decorate the front of my "U". After cutting the ribbon to size. I ran it through my Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker and then arranged on the "U". There is no glue seepage through the ribbon this way.

Step 4.  Assemble the "U". If you have never used SVGcuts files before, there is an instructional video you can watch in case you get stuck.

Step 5.  Using a brad, assemble the flower and use a couple Xyron 3/8" adhesive dots to adhere it to the front.

Step 6.  Assemble the "S". With all those curves, this one takes patience.

Step 7.  Assemble the rosette. Wait for it to dry. While waiting, wrap some twine around the "S" and tie a double bow. Some well place Xyron 3/8" adhesive dots keeps the twine in place. Use another adhesive dot to adhere the rosette to the "S".

Step 8.  Assemble the "A".

Step 9.  Score the white star from each point to the middle. Turn over and score again from the corner (between each point) to the middle. Place pattern paper (previously run through the 9" Creative Station) on top. Fold star on score lines. Wrap some twine around the star. Use another Xyron 38" adhesive dot to adhere the smaller star on top. Some Xyron 3/16" adhesive dots worked well to adhere the star to it's red base. Place star on the "A". 

Step 10.  Add adhesive gems if you like.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Marcia