First Monday!

It's "First Monday" and this month our theme is "Holidays".  Before I share my project, there's a couple of things you'll want to know:

    1.  Check out my Scoreboard Die Caddy project.  There's a Giveaway and if you haven't already entered you can do so until midnight tonight, Nov 7th.  The winner will be announced tomorrow,  Nov 8th.

    2.  Designer Crafts Connection now has a Facebook Page @ https://www.facebook.com/DesignerCraftsConnection   LIKE our NEW  Designer Crafts Connection Page  on Facebook so you'll learn about our challenges, giveaways, and announcements.  Don't forget to share with your Facebook friends so they can join in the fun.

Now here are my Holiday projects: 

 

You'll find specific instructions for these projects in Spellbinders® Nestabilities® Basic & Beyond book, but I think you can see how they're made by looking at these photos.  There may be a couple of things about the tree that aren't quite obvious.  I used a spool of green thread for the base and glued a dowel into the hole.  The cones were made using three sizes (sm, med & large) of Nestabilities® Scalloped Circles.  To make the cone, cut from the outer edge to the center then overlap the edges to form the cone shape.  Before placing the large cone over the dowel, place a 2" piece of a clear drinking straw over the dowel first.  This will stop the cone from falling to the bottom of the dowel.  Separate the medium and small circles in the same manner with cut pieces of the drinking straw.  I used glitter card stock for the die cut circles.  Nothing says "Holidays" like lots of "bling".

Since it is the beginning of the holiday season, I also have another giveaway for you: 

A Sizzix Sidekick and two sets of Alphabet Sizzlets, "Girls are Weird" and "Script".  To enter to win, check each project in the DCC webring as you hop around and note how many designers used a die cut shape on their project.  It can be any die cut shape.  Write your answer here, in the comments section, then check back November 16th to see if you're a winner!  And, guess what, there'll be another giveaway!!!  Like I said, it's the holiday season, so there are 3 giveaways this month and, of course, there'll be one in December.  So, don't forget to "like" our FB page so you'll hear all the latest news and tell your friends!  BTW:  Some designer blogs have the DCC Logo near the top of their sidebar, but some of them place it waaaay down, so keep looking....  if you get stuck hopping forward, go back to the blog where you started, then simply hop backwards.  BTW - I can only ship to a US address.  Good Luck!  Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scoreboard Die - Caddy Project

A friend and fellow CHA Designer, Eileen Hull designs Scoreboard dies for Sizzix®.  These are specialty dies for cutting mat board.  Many of us are supporting her with a blog hop during October and November by creating projects to feature her 12 new designs which were introduced this summer.  I received the Caddy die to work with, plus Image Stamps designed by Lara Scott and Baker's Twine from The Twinery.

        This is my project:

And these are the supplies I received plus a package of mat board.  I also used DecoArt® Acrylic paint, a sea sponge and a box of Elmer's Craftbond pop-up medium Glue Spots, gros grain ribbon, twill tape and Elmer's Tacky glue:

This is how it all came together:

1.  Dip a dampened sea sponge into a little DecoArt® Americana pink paint. 

2.  Sponge the paint all over 2 pieces of white mat board.  Sponge lightly at first; you can always add more color.

3.  Stamp the design onto the painted mat board.  I used black ink.  Note:  Make sure the paint is dry.

4.  With the patterned side facing down (on the die), cut two sets of shapes using the die.
5.  Assemble two caddys, then glue the backs together.  (I used Elmer's Tacky glue.)
6.  Referring to the photograph, glue 5/8" wide, black gros grain ribbon around the top of the caddy about 1/4" from the edge then glue off white, or blush pink cotton twill tape on top of the black.
7.  Create twine buttons as follows:

    •  Tie an overhand knot at the end of a 12" piece of twine.  

    •  Push the knot into the center of a glue spot.

  

    •  Wind the twine around the center knot, pushing into the glue spot as you wind.

 

    •  When the spot is covered, cut the twine and push the end under the spot.  

    •  Glue the twine buttons onto the twill border.

This little caddy is perfect for holding business cards, index cards and anything else you need to keep handy.  Gluing two together, gives me twice the space to store my stuff!  If you'd like to see more great projects created with this die, just hop forward via the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo on the left. 

Wouldn't you just love to have this die, some bakers' twine and two of Lara's stamps?  Well here's a giveaway for you:

Here's how you enter to win: 

You will also see the blue, Designer Crafts Connection logo on the left, just above the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo.  Many of the DCC designers are also participating in Eileen's blog hop.  Hop forward through these DCC designer blogs and see how many you can find with the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo on their blog.  If you complete the  DCC hop, you will end up back here.  Tell me how many are participating in my comments section and I will pick a winner from those of you who found them all.  I will announce the winner on November 8th, so check back - you'll also find I'm having another Giveaway on November 8th - a Sizzix Sidekick with 2 sets of Sizzlets alphabets - Script and Girls are Weird!!   Y'all come back now............

Yours truly,
Julie :)