Eileen Hull

Three dimensional art... with heart

Handmade Holiday Blog Hop- Day 2

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!!!
Calling all crafters! We’ve gathered designers from some of our favorite manufacturers to show you ways to create something from the heart this holiday season. This 3 day Hop includes over 60 stops with inspiration brimming from every corner. Explore all of the thoughtful and frugal handmade gifts you could create for the holidays, all in one place, during our second annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!

To sweeten the Hop, we’re offering a gift for you! For every comment you leave on the blogs in the Hop, you’ll be entered to win a prize pack from one of the participating manufacturer sponsors! Use the Rafflecopter widget on the Clearsnap blog to gain extra entries each day: http://clearsnap.blogspot.com

Here’s the prize pack you can be entered to win by leaving a comment below. Extra entries if you follow me on Facebook or my blog. 🙂 

You could win the Sizzix Candy Drawer die, the Sweet Treats for You Sizzlits set plus some extra goodies from Globecraft Memories who has generously added to the giveaway!

 Visit the list of blogs below and leave a comment on each by Nov 27, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. Each day we will be sharing a brand new list of blogs with brand new projects for you to explore, be inspired by, and create from!

Nov 17 

Donna Salazar Designs – http://donnasalazar.typepad.com/
Eileen Hull for Sizzix http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/
Diana Gonzalez – Clearsnap – http:// ;www.arteypoemas.com
Monika Wright – The Twinery – http://www.iloveitallwithmonikawright.com/
Gretchen McElveen – Hampton Art – http://gretchenmac.blogspot.com/
Megan Aaron – Clearsnap-  http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel – Graphic 45 – http://www.gloriascraps.blogspot.com/
Suzanne Austin – Clearsnap – http://whatsinalousyananut.blogspot.com/
Shellye McDaniel – Authentique Paper – http://paperedcottage.blogspot.com/
Natasha Naranjo Aguirre – Donna Salazar Designs –  http://www.moments-of-tranquility.com
Jen Carter – The Twinery – http://jensinkspot.blogspot.com/

Laura Denison – Graphic 45 – www.lauradenisondesigns.com
Candy Spiegel – Globecraft Memories – http://candyspiegel.wordpress.com/ 

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

Today you get two for one! 

Karen Burniston is a fellow Sizzix artist and good friend of mine. She made four holiday cards using her new line of interactive pop up dies, Pop ‘N Cuts. You have to check them out- they are so quick and easy! Hop on over to her blog and see how she created them…
For my project today, I created some recycled soda can ornaments using my Fringed Flower die…
  • Cut soda cans into strips. 
  • Place metal can on die so it covers as much of the die area  as possible. Feel free to cut the can up so that you get the maximum number of flowers from it.
  • Roll can and die through Big Shot.
  • Place die cut metal flower shapes in Textured Impressions embossing folder and run through machine using the Multi Purpose plate.
  • The action of embossing actually serves to straighten out the metal instead of leaving a curling effect due to the round shape of the can. Once flower is embossed, peel every other petal down and to the back of the flower center. Surprisingly, the edges of the soda can are dulled after die-cutting and you can run your finger over them without any problem.
  • Punch a hole on the top of one petal and thread embroidery floss through the hole as a hanger. 
  • Add buttons and pearls to flowers for accents or leave plain. 

What do you think? Do you like the ornaments with or without the pearls and buttons? Just leave your answer in the comments section. I can’t decide… Think I had too many late nights staying up to finish deadlines!

This project would be a great one to do with your kids or while watching TV. They are light and flexible and so easy to mail- wouldn’t this be a fun little treat to tuck in with your Christmas cards?

Thanks for coming by and for all of the nice comments you’ve already left!

Comments

  1. Bea says

    What a fab idea Eileen – I haven’t used my dies with metal [always a bit worried about cutting ] but have used them with light wood. I certainly will give this a go as I have jsut emptied a soda can so no excuse. – great tutorial

  2. Katina says

    Really cute ornaments. I like the buttons and pearls on the ornaments but I personally would want a little more color and would probably add some alcohol ink to the process, and depending on how they look may leave off the pearls and add actual “gem” bling instead…

  7. Lisa Torres says

    Love the soda can ornaments, way to upcycle into something pretty.

    The cards are beautiful, I love the simplicity of the tree and the firplace with the lamppost the best.

  8. Wendy says

    I love the pearls and buttons! You can never go wrong with them! What a great recycling idea! And the embossing is so cool!!

  13. Anne says

    Love the idea of soda can recycling. The extra embellishment adds just the right touch!
    One question-how sharp are the edges of the cut piece?Or do they get dulled after the embossing?

  22. PamSpradlin says

    I love those cards…and I really want one of those Pop ‘N Cuts dies. I will put it on my Christmas wish list. Your snow flake ornaments are adorable. I can’t believe that they are made from soda cans. Thanks for all the inspiration today.

  26. Betsy Gray says

    I LOVE my Sizzix dies and I’m always looking for new ways to use them. I like your ornaments with buttons. Thanks for sharing and the chance to win more dies!! Happy Holidays 🙂

  30. Laura Bouquet says

    I like the ornaments what a clever idea, but I liked them better without the buttons. Like Katina said, I think that a gem might be very pretty. Thanks for sharing!

  40. Phyllis M. says

    Wonderful pop up cards and love the ornaments too great idea with the soda cans for them. Like them with the buttons and pearls on them but either way they are cute. Thanks for sharing.

  44. Dee says

    I LOVE anything to do with upcycling and crafts – and of course, love Sizzix everything – lol! I have been wanting to get the honeycomb embossing folder for awhile now – guess its time to add it to the list for holiday projects – lol! Thanks for sharing this!

  52. Beatrice Lawson says

    Karen’s pop up cards are stunning. I would not try to cut soda cans for love or money or chocolate, knowing me it would just end up with an ER trip:-) but nice to see the button ornaments!

  54. ginnieg says

    I am totally amazed with all the talent and the creativity displayed here. Thank you for your talent and your time that you so freely are sharing with us. I still want to win and thanks for the offer.

  56. Barbara Pitts says

    I’m always looking for new ideas for tags that can recycled into ornaments for the following year. These fit the bill perfectly – with the decorations. 🙂

  60. Kim H says

    love this idea, Im learning so much on this weekend hop. great way to include the entire family on a craft project. thank you for the inspiration.

  64. Linda R. says

    Hmmm…I like them both ways. I think it would depend on what your tree looks like. The plain silver could look beautiful tucked into a tree in large numbers if the tree was done with lots of silver accents. But I do like the color, too.

  73. BethW says

    I love making things with soda cans-and this is brilliant.Can’t wait to give it a try.Thank you for such great inspiration.

  82. LauraB says

    this is a great idea. we put up Christmas trees outside and these would be perfect ornaments. I think they would reflect light at night too. thanks for sharing the idea. love the pearls but think I’d leave them off for outside.

  86. Barbara Rankin says

    Fantastic idea for reusing those soda cans. And I certainly prefer them blinged up with buttons, pearls, gems, you name it. They are even pretty without anything. TFS

  87. Asmah Zainal Abidin says

    I’ve never done a soda can before so I believe this will be my next endeavour. They look perfect with or without buttons but I must say the buttons are such a cutie accent on them 🙂 Your cards are amazing; very bright and cheerful!
    TFS Eileen!
    Hugs,
    Asmah

  90. contadinak says

    I’ve used that fringe flower die on so many projects – very versatile! Love what was done with it here. And very excited to play around with these holiday Pop ‘N Cuts, too! Beautiful cards, Karen!

  97. Kim says

    I love them with the buttons! This is a great project but I have to say that I am scared to cut a soda can in my Big Shot!

  99. Becky Dunham says

    What a fun ornament idea! I love them with the buttons and I could imagine them will all kinds of embellishments 🙂 Thanks for sharing Karen’s cards too! I have to get me some of those Pop-n-Cut dies!

  102. acpriess says

    I LOVE those pop up cards, going to check out her blog. Also thanks for the info on cutting and embossing metal. I was always afraid to do it because I thought the edges would be as sharp as razors. Now I will try it.

  108. Michele from MS says

    The Christmas cards are just beautiful! Great colors and unique style! A lot of TLC went into those! OMG I have been saving the silver top that comes off the coffee cans because “I am going to use that one day” and here it is….finally I have some inspiration! I especially love the embossing and definitely the buttons! What a fabulous idea!