New Year....New Calendar!

• To start every year out right you MUST have a new calendar!! With a few Zutter products and a little imagination you can make your very own calendar with interchangeable photo holders! I will show you how! Supplies you will need:
• Zutter Cover-All ( I used the black with bamboo spine for 8x8 page protectors)
• Zutter Rivets and setter/hole punch
• Zutter 4x6 page protectors
• Patterned paper/cardstock

 First I took my Cover-All and opened it up so it is vertical. I cut my patterned paper to the width of the Cover-All and long enough to cover the middle part of the cover. I printed a 2010 calendar using a computer generated calendar and printed it in a vertical layout. You will still attach the plastic sheet that comes with your Cover-All to your calendar but will just punch the top of your calendar and insert it from the top into the sleeve. This will hold your calendar.

I used Zutter rivets to adhere my patterned/cardstock to my Cover-All. To add the photo holders simply line up the page protectors where you would like them and adhere them to your patterned/cardstock paper with Zutter rivets. (I used gaffer tape first before applying my rivets just to hide the perforations on the page protectors!)

 Now you can add your photos of whatever you would like and swap them out each month! You could have your photos coordinate with each month or just use your favorite photos!

This is a really easy project that will take you through the entire year, allows you to personalize it with photos of your choice that can be switched at any time, and is made with some awesome Zutter products in a new and fun way! I hope you are inspired to make one of your very own!

Happy New Year and Happy Creating!

Zutter Zister Design Team Member Shelley Haganman

Merry Christmas from the Zisters!

Hope all you happy Bind-it-All fans have a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  See you here in 2010 with loads of fab binding and assorted crafting.
This cheerful Christmas album was made by OZZ DT Lea Sanders, and it makes me smile everytime I look at it.  Hope you do too! Enjoy!

Owire Christmas Wreath

What about creating some wreaths to adorn the home with? This one is absolutely quick and easy, using only 2 lengths of owire as the base.

First, tie ends of both wires together using ribbons. You might want to overlap three prongs for a firmer grip. If you're after a smaller wreath, join the two ends of one owire together in the same way.

Next, embellish as much or as little as you wish! Here, I covered mine with pinwheels, ribbons, flowers and Christmas images. The possibilities are endless with this project as you can customise your wreath to match your home or Christmas decoration theme. Here, I've got pinwheels, an ode to the summer we have during Christmas in Australia.

Have loads of fun creating and do share your creations with us at the Zutter Zisters Message Board! Have a blessed season!

Christmas/New Years Page Protector Banner!

I LOVE banner/garlands whatever you want to call them....I LOVE them! When I received by box of goodies from Zutter and saw these 8x8 page protectors I knew exactly what I wanted to do! I wanted to make a multipurpose banner for Christmas into the New Year and I will show you how you can create one too!

Supplies: Zutter 8x8 page protectors, fabric cut into 3 inx10 strips, ribbon, pins, sewing machine, patterned/plain paper or photos!

Let's get started!!!

1.First cut a piece of fabric 3 inches by 10 inches.

2. Fold over a 3/4 inch and iron flat.

3. Align your page protector onto the folded piece. Trim.

4. Fold over the other side of the fabric to align with the first folded part, align your ribbon with the wrong side facing up and pin to page protector.

5. It should look like this when the folding and pinning are done. Now you just need to sew on the front of the banner's fabric piece. Now your ribbon is attached to the back of your fabric covered page protector piece and is ready to hang!

What I love most about this project is that you can make it as long or short as you would like. You can spell anything you want. Even better is that you can use it for any occasion you choose. I made mine for Christmas and New Years! This would be a great project to make for a child's birthday by spelling their name! It would also be a cool way to display photos or 8x8 scrapbook pages. Really, the applications here are endless! I used the 8x8 page protectors in my garland. The 4x6 page protectors will work too but you will only have a horizontal choice (6x4). All you need to do is make this project happen after your sewing is to add an insert for the size of page protector you are using and your banner is done! This project can personalized and embellished to your liking!

Twelve days of Christmas Calendar....Owire Style!

I love Advent calendars and having a little Christmas "to do" list for my kids and I to do over the Christmas holidays. Here is a simple version of that idea using my Bind-it-all!

Supplies you will need: Zutter 3/8" owire (x5), 1" o-wire (x1) to hang project, a 3/8 inch dowel and dowel heads (I found mine at Hobby Lobby), library pockets (12), circle punch, kraft cardstock, white Signo pen, number stickers, acrylic paint (to paint the dowels/heads). (I kept mine pretty simple but this project could certainly be embellished to your liking!)

First you will use you BIA to punch across the top and bottom of 9 library cards. Take your first three pockets and attach them to the solid piece of 3/8 inch owire. Now, bind the rest of the pockets to the one below it. Use your last three pockets with no BIA holes at the bottom to finish the calendar. Once your calendar is together add your dowel through your top solid piece of o-wire and close wire with your fingers. Add the dowel heads to the end. Now it's just time to embellish your pockets and add your pocket inserts.

For the inserts I simply cut a piece of kraft cardstock a little bit smaller than the pocket, rounded the corner and wrote a message on it. (Example: donate a canned food, donate a toy, sing Christmas caroles, etc.) For each pocket I punched out a circle shape, added a number sticker, and used my white Signo pen to make dots around the perimeter of my circle. Again, I kept my calendar very simple but you really could do a lot more embellishing! To hang this project I simply used a 1" owire and attached it to the two ends of the dowels.

I hope this little project inspires you to make a calendar of your very own! Enjoy your holiday season!

Last Minute Gift Tags Using the Round-It-All

It's happened to the best of us...wrapping presents at midnight on Christmas Eve and you run out of gift tags! My mom took to using Sharpies right on the gift wrap when presents were "from Santa" because she always ran out of tags but being a crafter, it's got to be handmade for me!

These gift tags can be created in a snap using scraps in your stash. Using the Round-It-All gives these "scrappy" tags a finished, professional look. And you don't have to wait until Christmas Eve to make some -- use them as tags all year long, just change the color scheme.

Supplies:

• Corner Rounder - Zutter Round It All
  
• Hole Punch - Zutter Rivet Hole Punch
• Paper - Graphic 45, Bazzill, My Mind's Eye
  
• Baker's Twine - Raffit
• Punch, Felt Snowflakes - Stampin' Up!
• Stamps - Basic Grey
• Ink - Memento

Assembly:
1. Cut some double sided paper into 2.5" or so squares.
2. Stack up the squares and use the Round It All to round the edges all at one time (nifty, huh?)



3. Punch a hole in one corner and put a string through -- you can use yarn if you don't have any cute baker's twine or ribbon. You can use the Zutter Rivet Hole Punch to punch holes through your stack of tags all at once.

4. Stamp "To" and "From" on the back of the tag.


5. Punch stars or holiday themed shapes from scrap cardstock or use stickers and pre-made accents, like the felt snowflakes I used on my tags here, to embellish the front of the tag.

Happy Wrapping!

Jennifer Priest
OZZ Design Team

Oh my....Santa lost his shoe...

Santa has lost his shoe and I found it ;)

My kids are quite big now, so they write Christmas wishlist, after wishlist...Then it occurred to me! I´ll make a minibook for my kids to write their wishes in, and a Santa shoe to put it in. It can be a Christmas keepsake on the table or maybe in the TV-room.

I made a template of the shoe free hand, 2 opposite sides and a long rectangular piece to attach and glued the 2 shoe pieces together. I also cut out 2 pieces of patterned paper to bind with the Owire.I attached a Merry Christmas charm to the owire.The minibook is the same paper as on the shoe, and I used a piece of cardboard. I really like that raw look!Here is a little closeup on the ribbon and the snowflake charm.
I didn´t punch the holes all the way, I only added 3 holes with the Bind-it-all on top, and all 6 holes on the bottom. Perfect if you want hanging charms or something else that takes place and you want people to see. Patterned Paper: Basic grey “Wassail”
Cardstock: Bazzill Red
Ribbon: ribbons from Dollarstore
Embellishments: Kaiser scrapbook -Pearls yellow, Stars –Stämpelgården, Stamps: Inkido, Prima -“Say it in Crystals - Frames”
Other materials: Liquid pearls –silver pearl, thin craft paper- tissue like, Stickles –diamond, Chalk –chestnut roan
Tools: QK –blossom mini alphabet, QK –poinsetta KS-0204, circle punch

HO, HO, HO!

Now we´re just waiting for santa to pick up his shoe ....and the wishlist :D

Happy Binding
~~Camilla

Sneak of New Zutter Product

......on my blog and on the Zisters Message Board.  Have a great weekend!

A Bind-It-All Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the décor, the food, the music, the movies....and, I love to make Christmas ornaments. Here's a project that's popular in our house. It's popular because the kids can help too.

Gather your materials. You will need the following items to complete this project.

Zutter Bind-It-All
Cuttlebug
Spellbinders Nestabilities

Supplies:
Vintage Sheet Music
Modge Podge
Ranger Glossy Accents
German Glass Glitter
Zutter ½ inch Owire, red
Miscellaneous Ribbon


Before starting, remember: Measure twice, cut once.

Cut seven (7) circles out of vintage sheet music with Nestibilities. Lay them on wax paper and cover one side with Modge Podge. Let dry, turn over, repeat.

Trace outer edge of circle with Glossy Accents and sprinkle with German Glass Glitter. Let dry, turn over, repeat..

Fold each circle in half. Center in Bind It All and punch six holes. Assemble circles and bind. Thread through ribbon from bottom and tie to create hanging loop.

Make lots of these for your home and for your friends! Have a Happy Holiday!

Holiday Decor - WISH

Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner?! Where the heck did 2009 go?! Anyway, what better way to get into the holiday spirit... decorating, of course!

I created this really easy to make "WISH" banner. Check it out:




How to:
1. Cut four 4x4 sheets of patterned paper and embellish it to yur heart's desire. (Here, I used some cute Imaginisce paper.)
2. Adhere your patterned paper to four 4x4 Zutter Canvas Artboards.
3. Use your BIA to punch the tops of each canvas board.
4. Cut o-wire of your choice and bind it to each canvas board. (I worked with 1/2" owire on this project.)
5. String ribbon through the owire.

Not that bad, right?! If you've got any Christmas projects to share, make sure to head on over to the forum to be entered into our 12 Days of Christmas Challenge before December 14th!

Can't wait to see what you all can create!

Hugs,
sarah.

Let it Snow....

I was inspired to create this album, by our very early first snow up here in New Hampshire.....in mid October...ouch!!! I've wanted to work with the Canvas Art Board Covers and this seemed like a great time....the textured white canvas was just want I needed to create the look I was looking for!!!

Tools you will need:

Bind-it-All


Supplies you will need:

Canvas Art Board Cover I chose 6x6
White Pages - 6x6
3/4" Baby Blue O-Wire


Snowflake Stamp - Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight Collection, Inkadinkado
Multi Medium & Gesso - Claudine Hellmuth Studio
Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels - Frost
Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Faded Jeans & Broken China
Mini Misters filled with Distress Reinker/water - Faded Jeans & Broken China
Chipboard Florish - Maya Road
Embossing Powder – Ranger - Snowflake
Snowflake Brad - Making Memories
Alphas - American Crafts - Thickers

My Creative Process.....and oh how fun it is!!!

1. I peeled up the upper right corner of the canvas, and peeled it off the cover, tearing it at about 2/3 of the way. I then tore the "torn off" canvas in half, then I tore a square off the end of one of the strips.
2. To create a fun look I pulled some of the edge threads to create fringe.
3. I spritzed the larger piece of torn canvas with my Mini Misters, Faded Jeans and Broken China.
4. I stamped snowflakes, using Faded Jeans and Broken China Ink, on all of the pieces of torn canvas.
5. On the inked piece I embossed the snowflakes.
   
6. In the center of the square piece of canvas, I placed a Snowflake brad.
7. The chipboard embellie was painted with Gesso, when dry, I spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Frost.
8. The two largest pieces, I added a little extra by putting eyelets in all 4 corners and running pieces of thread through the eyelets and tied them off.
9. Added Alphas to spell "Snow"

Now to the cover....

1. I painted the exposed cover with Gesso.


2. When dry, I spritzed it with everything I had.....both Mini Mister and Frost Glimmer Mist.


3. Using both colors of ink I stamped Snowflakes randomly all over the cover.


4. Everything was adhered to the cover using Multi Medium.


5. I then sprayed the cover again with Sealer.


6. To carry the snow theme inside I spritzed each page with the Mini Misters and Glimmer Mist.


7. To finish 'em off , I randomly stamped the Snowflakes on each page.


8. Put it all together with the O-Wire and YOUR AMAZING BIND-IT-ALL!!!
   
   
   
   Hope you enjoy working with the Canvas Art Board Covers as much as I did....would love to see your creations and I hope I've inspired you to think "Out of the Box".....till next time....
   
   

Screening Christmas!

I am delighted to have been asked to post on this wonderful blog ... The regulars among you will know that I am on the 09/10 design team. This is one of my first submitted projects and I had a ball ... well a Christmas ball really ... making it!

In the latest edition of Stamper's Sampler there is a little Christmas Screen and I was completely inspired to go away ... create a larger version and instead of just folding the screen ... binding it  with my Bind-it-All!

I need to start telling you now exactly what I used coz there is a lot on it ... but basically ... chipboard; ribbons; Grunge paper; bells; 3 sets of Dark Room Door stamps; Paper Artsy Egg and Nog plate 2; Gold embossing powder; Ranger Distress inks; Promarkers; Fired Brick Stickles and my favouritist ever Chrissy paper from Cosmo Cricket ... aptly named.  Use the Bind-it-All to punch the holes and thread the panels together.  For a finished look, I finished off the corners with the Round-it-All - items to put on your holiday wish list for certain!

Be Good! ... Trust me ... I do try :0)

Oh My Owire!

If you have been paying attention to the blog in the last couple weeks you have noticed that the Zutter Zisters Design Team has been ab-so-lute-ly ROCKIN' it in the projects department.  There is NO lack of inspiration coming through this holiday season. As the DT coordinator, it's like Christmas every month for me when I get to see their creations before they are posted.  It's truly a blessing to know and work with these talented ladies!  There are so many great featured projects slated for the blog this month! Yippee!

Cruise their galleries this and every month - but as a real treat, check out these OWIRE creations.  Wha? You thought owire was only for actually binding mini books! Ha! These ladies will show YOU!  Enjoy!

Fleur Smith's Owire Sleigh

Camilla Isaksson's Owire Ornament

Sophie Sim's Owire Wreath

Shelley Haganman's Owire Countdown Calendar

Take a good look at all that owire in your stash.....what are YOU going to make now?