Christmas Village

I have always loved to cut images from paper and when I saw this cute paper from American Crafts I knew I had to make a little Christmas Village for my house. I love using the Zutter Canvas Art Boards as the background for my home décor items as they are sturdy and when you are finished they look like little works of art.

To make this I painted the canvas (I used colors taken from the paper). I then punched along the top with my Bind-It-All and thread some ribbon through the holes. Then I cut out a little scene from paper and glued it on to the canvas. I used pop dots on Santa and one of the houses to make them pop out. I also added some foam clouds for a little whimsy. I think I am going to make a few of these for my friends this year.

For as fabulous as it looks, it came together very quickly and easily! I would love to see your little works of art in the gallery at the Zutter Zisters Message Board too!

Hope you are having a lovely time getting ready for the holidays!

Christmas Countdown - by OZZ Emeline Seet

Christmas is around the corner and it's time to set the mood!
Try this for a new twist on a holiday tradition - the countdown calendar!  You don't have to use the Bind-it-All only for mini books - it can add a whole new element to something special - like this!

I scoured the kitchen drawers and found an extra cookie tray - hope you'll be able to create a similar piece with these simple steps:

1. Paint the back of the cookie tray with gesso.

2. Cover the back with pattern paper (I used Graphic 45 Christmas Past Papers)

3. Sand paper the edges and ink it with white ink (alternatively you could dry brush with gesso)

4. Use Tattered Angels Swirl template and spritz with glimmer mist. (I used Coffee Shop)
5. Hand cut motifs from pattern paper. Adhere to cookie tray.
6. Make Tags from pattern paper (these will be used for the numerical alphabet stickers) Create 12 tags in all.
7. Use the Bind it all so that the tags can be flipped vertically. Tape Velcro to the back of the tags so that it adheres to the tray. Alternatively, if you have an electric drill, you can drill and attach hooks
8. Embellish tray with vintage lace paper, glitter and Tattered Angels chipboard.

OZZ DT Emeline Seet

Swedish Christmas Star

This is a 3 dimensional Christmas Star.......

My inspiration for this star is Christmas -- I really, really love christmas so much and one day when I sat down in peace and quiet, this idea came to me! So now, I am just longing for Christmas and the opportunity to put it up!

A close up

Tools: Zutter Bind It All

Owire Size & Color: Red Owire ½”

Patterned Paper: Inkido, Scrappers Choice
Cardstock: White Bazzill
Flowers: A handmade poinsettia from a piece of red cardstock
Ribbon: A red ribbon from a candy basket
Embellishments: Reprint gem stones, Prima “Say it in Crystals - Frames”
Other materials: Distress ink pad –Vintage photo, Reprint -gold and white embossing powder, liquid pearls –Silver pearl, stamps –crafty individuals “Vintage Christmas”, Stämpelboden “sleigh and reindeers”, Stickles –Lime green, Chalk –chestnut roan
Other tools: Cuttlebug, Spellbinders die –scalloped ovals, Punch bunch -Fern large, Quickutz Snowflake RS-0386, Cuttlekids alphabet -Tadpole

The tricky thing for this project was to make the star points stand out, so I cut small pieces of clear plastic and used those from the center piece out toward the star points, as spacers. Doing that the star became more 3-D and didn't go flat.

Here you can see the thin clear plastic thats working as spacers, I've marked it with a red circle. I´ve put gluedots on the plastic so it stays in place.

How to:
I used my Word program to make the center of my star (they are found in clipart). I´ve used it as a template and transfered it on the cardstock, I adjusted the size to fit the Bind-It-All and measured up the point so it fits the center.

Make the patterned paper smaller then the cardstock piece, bind the points to the center and attach the patterned paper. Embellish it, , though it is more difficult to embellish it when the two stars are glued together.

I made 2 pieces of the star and made a small “box” approx. 5x5 cm and 4 cm high and glued the 2 stars together with the box so it got 3 dimensional.

Make a hole with your hole punch at the top point and use large owire for that.

Have a happy Bind-a-licious day!!
Camilla

Secret Thoughts!

Want a beautiful journal that you can personalize and change the covers at will? Then the cloth journal is for you!

First up, gather some blank pages and patterned paper that you would your journal to be made from. Bind these using you Bind-It-All and embellish as you wish. See the green ribbon attached to the owire with a brad? That serves as a bookmark that can help me keep track of which page I'm at.

Next up, the cloth cover. Choose your favorite fabric for this step.

To create the cover, I sewed a piece of fabric and felt together. Remember to fold both ends of the cloth vertically so that "pockets" are formed. The pocket in front serves as spots to places cards and notes, while the back pocket allows us to slot our journal into. Sew a button to the front of the cloth journal and a piece of leather string can be used to hold your journal close. If you want the leather strap to be more secure, run a couple of stitches through it on the spin of the fabric.
Ta dah! You're done! Have fun personalizing your own journal, a beautiful place to hold your thoughts and secrets! This is a perfect project for those who are "sew" crafty and like to bind too!

Give Thanks Wall Hanging

If you are a fabric lover like I am, you probably have some great prints in your stash. I purchased some of the Lovely As A Tree fabric quite some time ago without any idea what I would do with it, I just wanted it for my stash. As Thanksgiving drew nearer, I thought I could make something that would showcase this lovely fabric, and still be fairly quick and easy to do. Plus it would fold up nicely for storage!!!

I took one of the Zutter 4 x 4 Chipboard Covers, some spare chipboard I had handy, two round drink coasters from a restaurant, and decided to create a simple wallhanging. I took some Coredinations cardstock (brown and tan shades) and cut it to size for the square chipboard I had (approximate sixe 4.5" x 4.5"), Modgepodged it to two pieces of chipboard, and set aside to dry. Cut two pieces of fall color fabric sized 4" x 4", and fringe all four sides. Glue the fringed fabric to your brown/tan covered chipboard. Cut smaller pieces of fall color cardstock (I used orange), then cut a second piece of fall color cardstock ( I used yellow). Use a border punch and cut a small decorative strip. Layer and attach it on top of the fabric covered chipboard, and add a Thanksgiving phrase or greeting ( I used Give Thanks).



Next, cover one circle and the 4 x 4 Zutter chipboard square with fall themed fabric, (I cut some of the border squares out of the Lovely As A Tree fabric. I attached the fabric with Modge Podge. When dry, use a Martha Stweart Gold Pen to trace around the edges for a bit more color.

For the final circle, cover it with some fall theme fabric (I used Lovely As A Tree again), and die cut flowers using the fabric and some of the same color cardstock that you used on your Give Thanks squares. (If you are using Coredinations Cardstock, make sure you sand the cardstock to reveal the base color too.) Using a brad, attach the flower to the fabric covered circle.

Now you can bind all your pieces together. I used the Antique Brass Owires to tie my project together. I linked my pieces starting with the circle, two square phrase, then angle the 4" x 4" Zutter Chipboard, and finish with the flower square. After you have punched your pieces and attached them together, punch two holes in the top of your piece, and thread a ribbon through. Tie with a bow.



Add three beaded jewelry dangles to the bottom of your wall hanging, give a little spritz of irridescent Glimmer Mist to your project, and you are finished!

Give it a try...and thanks.
Make sure you check out the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge on the Message Board!

12 Days of Christmas - Inspiration and Challenge

Come and join the Zutter Zisters young and old (I mean the new Design Team members and the Original Zutter Zisters) for 12 days of inspiration and challenges on the Zutter Zisters Message Board.

Starting Novemeber 19th for 12 days ending November 30th a new project will be posted every day to give you some great inspiration for the Holidays. Join in and upload your projects for a chance to win. You will have until December 14th at midnight to upload your projects to be eligible.

To join the Zutter Zisters Message Board...click here...The 12 Days of Christmas inspirational projects are in the forums under Zutter Zone.....

Visit Zutter Zisters

Get ready for the holidays with the Zisters!

Giving Thanks

Giving thanks is an important part of our lives. Every Thanksgiving dinner we all say three things we are thankful for this year. I really wanted to capture that in a mini album so we can remember that even in the hard times we have a lot to be thankful for.

For this mini album I created a library pocket for each family member and had them write on a tag what they were thankful for. I then put a page with one of my favorite photos of each family member in between.

Projects like this can come together easily with scrap pieces of chipboard for covers, and with the colors of fall, why not try the Antique Brass Owires (or the ever-versatile black, like I did here).  This will be a cherished heirloom we can share year-to-year.

What are you thankful for?