Geometric Banner Tutorial

Hello friends! Today, I have a Sizzix tutorial to share with you. I made a geometric banner, which is easy and quick to do and a really fun decor item. Or you could make it for a special occasion, such as a party or celebration.

Here's the finished banner. Long and narrow items are notoriously difficult to photograph, but I think you can get an idea of what it looks like here. It was made with just one die, namely the Geometric Garland by Katelyn Lizardi. The banner has two different geometric shapes. It feels very cool to the touch with all those angles and corners, and also makes an interesting sound when moved around. 

Here you get another view of the banner, hanging on our fence. It will looks great in a window, or on a wall. You can also easily make it longer.

I used watercolor paper as a base for my banner and colored it with Paper Artsy's Infusions Colored Stains. This is very quick and so much fun. I made a whole bunch of papers in one go. Mist the paper with water first and then sprinkle a small amount of Infusions powder on top. I used two shades on each paper. Mist more water to blend, and if needed add a little more powder. As you can see, I pricked holes in the lids of the bottles.

Die cut enough shapes for your banner. Each time you die cut, you get one of each shape. Use this sandwich: Cutting Pad, die facing up, paper, second Cutting Pad.

Stamp the shapes with Archival Inks and various pattern stamps. I used a dot background, alphabet background and a star border stamp by Tim Holtz.

Fold the shapes along the score lines.

The shapes are easy to assemble, just add a strong adhesive along the flaps.

Don't they all look fun together? You could also use just one or two colors.

Each shape has two holes, which makes it very easy to assemble. I used twine and a long needle. If you want space in between each shape, tie a knot on each side of the shape. I liked mine to be close together.

Here's the finished banner - it is 28 in long, plus the extra twine that I left so that it can be tied to something.

I just love all those geometric triangles and diamond shapes.

The background technique is quick and also ensures that all the shapes look different.

You can also die cut the shapes from patterned or colored paper.

The banner can easily be customized with someone's name or by using tiny photos or images.

A Christmas banner with Christmas colors and patterns would also look great, and could hang in a tree.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! The background technique can also be used for cards, scrapbooking pages or art journals.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today!

Happy crafting!!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Summer Fun Layout Tutorial

Hello friends! I hope you had a great weekend. The World Cup journey is over for Sweden, but it was fun while is lasted. We have had a good weekend, finding a new friend, going for walks, cycling and going swimming. 

This week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog we have a very fitting Summer Fun theme. Don't miss the gorgeous project by our July guest designer Karolina Bukowska.

 

I made a layout this week, documenting memories from last year's visits to the sea, with lots of swimming, crab fishing (on this photo), sand castle building and more. The background was done with Tim Holtz Grid Dot stencil and Distress Spray Stains. I was aiming for a happy, playful summer look. The vellum was embossed with the Tiny Dots folder.

First, I covered most of a sheet of watercolor paper with the stencil, applying Texture Paste through it with a palett knife. You have to wait so that the first application is dry, before continuing, otherwise it will smear.

When dry, mist with Distress Spray Stains. I like how the ink pools in the recessed areas.

The title was die cut from white mat board using Tim Holtz's Sizzix Deco Alpha die. I inked the letters to give them an ombre look. Mat board takes ink beautifully.

Coat the letters with Glossy Accents, and they look almost like glossy sweets.

This circle was a left over from a gel printing session - you can find the original tutorial here in my Gel Printed Card Tutorial - the stamp used in the background is SSS Bohemian Lace stamp.

I stamped sentiments and cut into strips and also used the Mixed Media 1 set to die cut a honeycomb pattern from a paper that had been inked with Spiced Marmalade. The letter was also a left-over, with the A being clear embossed using the SSS Sketched Alphabet set.

My favourite part of misting is the areas along the edges which get this splattery look.

The heart was die cut from white paper with Tim Holtz Scribbles and Splat set.

It is easy to make your own title letters, all you need is a die, paper or, in this case, mat board, and ink or paint. The Glossy Accents gives the letters a nice finished look.

I also die cut butterflies with the SSS Stitched Butterflies set. They were die cut twice, with the one set left white and the other inked. I also misted them with Wendy Vecchi's Pearl Mica Spray.

Here you can see the effect of the Mica Spray a little better.

I hope you will join us this week in our Summer Fun challenge. As always, you have a chance to win a $50 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until next Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Don't forget to follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram, they post great stuff daily. 

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog today!  

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Clear Penguin Card Tutorial

Hi and welcome to my blog today! I am happy to have a tutorial on the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog today.

I hadn't made a clear card in quite a while and it is one of my favourite types of cards, so I thought it was time for a new one. This one has layers of stamping, embossed vellum, and a cute Picture Book Hugging Penguin, in a summer field of flowers.

To see the tutorial and close-ups, you'll have to head over to the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog.

Thank you for stopping by! I will see you again tomorrow.

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Book Club Chapter 2 Card Tutorial

Hello friends! Another warm summer week is almost over, and tomorrow Sweden is playing in the quarter finals in the FIFA soccer World Cup for the first time since 1994. I watch very little sport on TV, but now and then, when it is big occasions, it is fun to watch and tomorrow we will definitely be watching. 

Today, I have a card to share, made for the Eileen Hull Inspiration Team. During July, the team is showing projects made with Eileen's new Book Club Chapter 2 dies from Sizzix and her Clearsnap ColorBox Blends inks.

I had such fun using Eileen's new Book Club 2 dies and her ColorBox Blends inks on this card. I used the inks mainly together with stencils, and to cover entire surfaces, for which they work wonderfully. The Blends inks are pigment inks and there are many shades of color, and they all look nice together. You can read more about the inks here. 

For the fun tag pocket, I used Eileen's Credit Card, Sleeve & Tags set. Start by die cutting the pocket itself, with one of the scalloped slots. I used the Magnetic Platform, so that the die would stay in place. You could also use a piece of tape.

Move the scalloped slot down and die cut again.

Cover the whole piece with Bay ink. As you can see, the ink is dispensed through a sponge at the front of the holder. It is very easy to get an even layer, and quick too. Work in a circular motion, while pressing the sponge down.

Place a stencil on top and go over with Uniform ink. This is a pigment ink so it works great for embossing. Cover the whole pocket with clear embossing powder and melt. Be careful not to burn yourself.

For the cardbase I used kraft cardstock and die cut the edge with the Scallop Border Movers & Shapers die. It works best together with the Movers & Shapers Shuttle. Use this sandwich: Movers & Shapers Shuttle, die facing up, paper, Cutting Pad.

I used a Bubble stencil and Nutmeg ink on the cardbase. You could emboss this too if you want to.

Die cut four tags with the Credit Card, Sleeve & Tags set. Aren't they cute?

Ink with ColorBox Blends and add stenciling in a different shade of ink. Here I used: Sunshine, Golden, Nutmeg, Flagstone, Leaf, Beach and Uniform inks.

I punched holes in the larger tags and added a small one to each tag. I haven't written anything on the tags yet, I want to wait with that until I know who the card will be sent to.

I used Wonder Tape to attach the pocket. You can add a strip at the top too, but I hadn't yet decided whether I wanted to add a third tag there or not.

Die cut flowers with the beautiful Flowers & Leaves Journaling Cards. The flower one has so many different flowers, and you get them all in one go. Ink with Blends.

I used one of the flowers as a star.

Shape the flowers a little and layer them with a brad in the middle. Leaves were die cut from cork.

The title was die cut from cork with the Journaling Words set. I also added a Clippings Sticker.

It is difficult to capture the shiny effect of the clear embossing powder, but I think you see it a little better here.

Don't miss all the projects by the Eileen Hull Inspiration team during July, with projects using Book Club Chapter 2 and Eileen's ColorBox Blends inks.

Thank you so much for stopping by today and have a lovely weekend!

Happy Crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Inks: Eileen Hull Clearsnap ColorBox Blends: Bay, Sunshine, Uniform, Leaf, Golden, Beach, Nutmeg, Flagstone

You can find the inks in Eileen's Etsy store.