Final Sizzix Blog Hop :-(

Welcome to the fifth and final blog hop of the season! I will miss chatting every two weeks with all of my designer buddies to see what their crafty minds have come up with of ways to use these dies. I want to thank each and every one of them for being so generous with their time and for their willingness to experiment with these new ScoreBoards. I hope that they might be up for another hop when the next collection comes out this summer! I will also miss hearing your fun and inspiring comments, but please keep them coming. I have lots to share as the summer goes on. New projects on the horizon!

And now for the featured die…actually, the Create-A-Bow is NOT a ScoreBoard, but a die designed for paper. This die really is very versatile which you are about to see when you follow the links to all of the other designers. Personally, I had lots of ideas but not enough time to execute them for this hop so I hope you will check back here to see lots of projects throughout the summer.

Don’t forget to comment here or on one of the partcipating designers’ blogs so you’ll be eligible for the chance to win a ScoreBoard die! Have ideas for this die? Let us know… OK, time to hop!

Ann Butler- Dressing Up with the Bow die
Bonnie Bruns
Craftside- a behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Debra Quartermain
Einat Kessler
Jen Goode
Julie McGuffee
LollyChops
Madeline Arendt
Michelle Cummings
Marisa Pawelko- Modern Surrealist
Roxi Phillips
Sparkle Studio- Sparkle’s Bow Bracelet
Veronica Goff

Here’s a cute teacher gift- with a little help, your child could do it. In fall, create mini pumpkins by making them in orange paper and use as a centerpiece or placecard for Thanksgiving dinner.

You will need:
Sizzix Big Shot
Sizzix Create-A-Bow die
red cardstock- 3 sheets 8 1/2″ x 11″
brad
green scrap for leaves
floral wire- green
Blumenthal Lansing buttons
Zip Dry Paper Glue

Instructions for apple:

• Cut paper in quarters. Run through Big Shot for a total of 12 strips of each size. Three sheets of paper will make a small, medium and large apple. Thread brad through hole in end of each strip. Fan strips out in a circle. Beand back into the middle and insert brad into other hole in paper strips. This will form an apple shape.
• Cut out two free form leaves and punch a small hole at the end. Use these pieces as your gift tag and write “to” and “from” on leaves.
• Cut 12″ of wire and bend in half. Insert leaves on wire. Loop wire around brad. Twirl ends of wire around a pencil or paint brush and pull off.
• Glue buttons to leaf base to cover brads.

Here’s another way to use the paper strips just in time to make a Father’s Day card! Make a tie by trimming the hole part off one end of a bow strip. Pinch the top of the tie piece and wrap another short section of a strip in a triangular shape around the top and adhere both pieces together with double stick tape. I used a 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of paper for the shirt and the proportion is almost perfect for the tie. Found the pattern by googling instructions for “origami shirt”.

Use all kinds of papers to make bows. I like to use old book pages for a fun vintage look. There are so many ways these strips can be used. Make a paper chain for the holidays or a special event. Connect the loops with decorative brads. Wire bow to a dowel and make a fairy wand for your little princess. Wrap with floral tape and add sheer ribbons. Fuse interfacing to fabric and run fabric and die through Big Shot. Add bows to headbands or make a cool pin. Buttons and lace give extra flair. And when there’s a really special present you are wrapping, show the love and add a handmade bow to the package.

Shame on me! I haven’t posted since the last hop 2 weeks ago! But hey, I have been busy… Spent 4 days last week in New York City for the National Stationery Show, helping out in the Sizzix booth, visiting with old and new friends, talking with some manufacturers about new projects and trying to stay out of trouble. Last weekend we got some exciting news- my daughter is engaged! So you will be seeing some wedding projects cropping up here and there.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to leave a comment! Hope we’ll see you back here. Before I forget, I wanted to let you know I had bitten the bullet and signed up for Constant Contact, a newsletter service, which means I will be sending a quarterly update with some info you may be interested in. Please sign up at the top of my blog if you want to be kept in the loop (like what I did there? bow- loop?) Just trying to “tie” this all up. Stopping now 🙂 Thanks everyone!