Eileen Hull

Three dimensional art... with heart

New ScoreBoard Vase Die a la Jonathan Fong

Jonathan Fong is an author, lifestyle expert and on air personality and also happens to be a friend of mine. We met about years ago at CHA. He was promoting his new book Flowers that Wow and was sporting a pair of pants with about 2000 tiny pictures of flowers on them. Of course we could not let him pass by our booth without getting the story on the pants! What a fun guy- we had a great visit. A few months later, he was in town for a speaking engagement at the Expo Center here in VA so we met up and had a little time to get to know each other and have been in touch ever since. He did a very cool project making Guest Towel Cupcakes for an Oprah audition video and inspired me to make some using my ScoreBoard cupcake holders which you can see in my blog post here. Anyway, when Jonathan found out I would be in town for CHA, he invited me to be a guest on his weekly web TV show, Style with a Smile. We had a great time making it and I’ll be sure to let you know when it airs. Many thanks to our production assistant, Lorine Mason!

I left him with one of my new ScoreBoard dies and got a note from him tonight along with this picture.

“Look, I made a vase using your fabulous die. It was for a friend who is in the musical “The Adding Machine.” So I made flowers out of the logo and put the logo on the matboard and cut the die. It looks so cool, thanks Eileen!”

Is that creative or what? Love it- thanks Jonathan!

Categories:
CHA

Back from CHA

I just watched the Cool2Craft webcast from CHA and wow- it appears there was a lot that I missed! I spent a most of my time in my booth where I met with manufacturers and art directors from the gift and stationery industry. I hope to convert some of my design work in the craft industry over to another line of products. If things work out I should be busy for a while. We stayed in a very interesting old hotel called the Figueroa. From what I understand, it used to be a YMCA- the decor was eclectic and interesting, if not the most up to date… but the price was right… and the other good thing was that it was really close to the Convention Center so we were able to walk in every morning.

There were lots of events and classes going on. Due to the snow, I missed the panel on Product Development I was supposed to sit on, but I did make it to the other events. The Designer Round Tables went really well and had great attendance. Our Sizzix class was lots of fun and I think the folks that took it enjoyed getting a glimpse of what is coming in the next few months. I liked meeting everyone a lot.

I also had the opportunity of meeting a bunch of Cool2Craft viewers who were there visiting the show (hi Hermy!) plus had a couple of minutes to hang out with my friends Lisa Fulmer, Andrea Currie, Ann Butler, Eco Heidi, Linda Peterson and Tiffany Windsor.

The Sizzix booth was just beautiful as always- many thanks to Deena Ziegler who created the Fresh Vintage project samples that appeared in the booth. They are out of this world. Deena has posted some pics of the booth- take a look at her blog. Here’s a shot of me in the booth. Isn’t this a cool logo the Art Department came up with?

I will tell you some more about a webisode we filmed next time! Have a great weekend everyone 🙂

CHA Sneak Peek #4

OK so I am kind of bummed right now as DC got slammed with a bad snowstorm last night. I got a text from Southwest saying that my flight at 9:05 today was cancelled. But my friend Lorine and I decided to go early (5:30 for a 7:00 flight) and hope to get out standby anyway. Unfortunately, when you do that, your luggage goes even if you don’t. So after spending 6 hours in the airport and not moving up the list at all, we came back home to regroup.

Luckily we do have a reservation for 12:40 tomorrow but I will miss sitting on a panel discussion called, Take it to Market which I was really looking forward to. Then I am supposed to moderate a discussion on Blog Hop Marketing for the Round Table Discussions and last is a Sizzix Triple Play class where I was going to teach a fun project from my new line of dies, Fresh Vintage, at 7. Might still make that one and am crossing my fingers.

So, here’s another sneak peek just for listening to my *sad story! This is the XL Caddy die- there’s so much you can do with this… I used it for a little notepad holder. The flowers are part of the die too and I colored them with Copic markers- such fun!

So *sad… I am sitting in front of the fire and just had a nice nap after being up all last night. Time for my dinner- Subway tuna on wheat. Life is not all that bad 🙂

Categories:
CHA

CHA Sneak Peek #3

This is a quick post because I am in the last phases of printing posters, packing and deciding what shoes to bring put in my CHA suitcase 🙂 But here’s a sample of the butterfly die that will be coming out as part of the Fresh Vintage collection. I am excited about this die because it’s a mini- ScoreBoard (Bigz size, not XL like all of the others have been) and comes with another set of cut out wings that are a cool overlay. I didn’t use the overlay here because the simplicity of the 20 layers from an old map book looked just right as it was. I curled the wing edges with a pen for movement. And there you have it my friends… much more will be coming later. Wish you all could be there at the show… See you as soon as I catch a breath!

CHA sneak peek #2

This week has been a blur. As I get ready for the big CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) Show starting next Saturday, I am feeling overwhelmed, excited and nervous. I am displaying my work in the License & Design Section. This is a place where artists and designers set up their work and hopefully attract the interest of manufacturers looking for the latest and greatest new thing. I don’t know why but it seems that all of my best ideas come to me at the last minute. Anyone else out there feeling my pain?

The one thing that I feel really good about is my new line of Sizzix dies that will be debuting at the show! The collection is called Fresh Vintage and the dies were designed to be used with paper and lots of other materials. I’m talking recycled cereal boxes, tissue paper, vinyl scraps, leather, fun foam, coffee filters, glitter chipboard, felt, fleece, bubble wrap, you name it. Here’s pic of one of the new ScoreBoards- a vintage suitcase that can be used to hold treasures, jewelry, a small gift or whatever you decide. The dies will be shipping in May.  Will try to post from the show!

CHA Sneak Peek!


I’m excited to share a look at some of my new Sizzix dies that will be released at the Craft and Hobby Show (CHA) in a few weeks. The collection is called Fresh Vintage and I can’t wait to show you the whole batch because I love it! Stay tuned for more…

A couple other things for you today… first of all, we have a winner of the Noodle Contest! Lynda’s Wreath made from noodles really blew our judge Jaclyn away! So Lynda will receive a $10 Anything gift card from Noodles and Company. Thanks to all of the contestants who sent in their entries- such fun!

I got my Creative Women newsletter today written by my designer friend (and Triple Play Blog Hopper), Melony Bradley. I always love to see what cool ideas Melony has to share and today I was surprised to see one of my designs in the newsletter. This New Year’s Resolution Board first appeared in All-Occasion Paper Crafting (2005). The funny part about it is that it’s been 6 years since I have submitted the project and those resolutions are still ones that I am trying to keep (obviously not too successfully!).

What a great job EcoHeidi Borchers did with her first show today! Here’s the link to the replay of her show.. I love all of Heidi’s eco-friendly and super crafty ideas and can’t wait to try some of her clever projects!

Back to work. CHA Show is 17 days away!

How to make Guest Towel Cupcakes

Happy New Year everyone! Just wanted to share the instructions for the Guest Towel Cupcakes that I demo’d on Cool2Craft yesterday.  This was a quick and easy five minute project idea that I got from my super creative friend, Jonathan Fong.

You will need:
Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine
Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die – Cupcake Holder, Ruffle by Eileen Hull
6″ x 13″ piece of matboard
double sided tape

washcloth
Instructions:
  1. Die cut matboard cupcake. Decorate if desired. Fold cupcake on score lines and adhere ends with strong adhesive. Save the remaining die pieces for another project.
  2. Lay a washcloth down in front of you with a point facing you. Fold into a triangle. Starting with the wide side, start folding over about every inch or so toward the small end.
  3. Turn the strip toward you and roll it up. Secure with a rubber band. Push up the middle of the cupcake into a dome shape.
  4. Place washcloth into cupcake holder. You are done!
NOTE: You can also cut the cupcakes from paper. Wouldn’t these be cute cut from patterned papers that match the colors of the event or room where they will be displayed?
View previous post here to see cupcakes and upcycled cupcake stand. Why not make a batch? Use as favors for wedding or baby showers, for a special gathering celebrated in your home or just for fun for you and your family! This cupcake die is so versatile- many uses for it make this a great investment.

Games Night 1-1-11

Wish you could smell this! It just says “holiday” to me… I packaged up a few batches and gave them to my neighbors last week.

I can’t wait to have all my kids together. It’s the first time since last New Year’s Eve that all four of them will be here with us. Somehow I thought it would be easier to gather everyone when they were older but now they have jobs, classes, and trips of their own.

For the past eight years on New Year’s weekend, we hold a big gathering out in the barn called Games Night. Friends and family travel from miles around to make sure they don’t miss one. A potluck dinner starts the night off usually consisting hearty fare and yummy desserts. Then the games begin. The crowd forms into eight teams and settles down to play Spoons, Pictionary, Taboo and one other (we throw a new one in to keep them on their toes). It’s pretty cold oout (typo that looks like I am trying to be Canadian!) there because the barn is 100 years old and not insulated. But for the past few years my husband has rented a huge industrial heater. This year he called a little late and the one we got last time had been reserved by the University of Maryland for a football game (is this thing heating the stadium?) so we had to get the next size up! I will post a pic of this. I am hoping there will be room to fit the people! We play four rounds of games and at the end, the winning team is awarded prizes.

The really fun thing about Games Night is the mixture of people that attend. We invite people we know from all areas of our life- neighbors, people from church, work, Rotary, book club, military, choir, the kid’s friends, etc. and somehow at the end of the night, everyone feels like they know each other. We are so blessed with great kids, family and friends. Wishing a healthy and happy New Year to all of you. Thanks for stopping by!

Noodle Contest!

Remember I told you a couple of weeks ago about getting the yummy bag of free food from the soon-to-open Noodles & Company? Well, I was contacted by the Noodles social media person, and she came up with a challenge for all of you, my crafty friends! OK- who out there has some cute noodle crafts?  This can include projects made by you or anyone in your family. I do have some but that bin has not yet been unearthed. Here is a quick gift card holder I made from a tag with some fun pasta I picked up at World Bazaar (I think).
I embossed the top part of the tag with Tim Holtz’s Snow Flurries Textured Fade, scored about 1 1/2″ from the bottom and folded the bottom up. I stapled the sides and tied a bow at the top. I sprayed the snowflake pasta NOODLE piece with Glimmer Mist and spray adhesive then added glitter. And that’s it! Looks so rich but really quick. I love those kinds of projects, especially at this time of year.
One of you can receive a $10 gift card for your local Noodles & Company restaurant! Post a pic on Facebook or your blog of your favorite ornaments/holiday crafts made with noodles, then comment here with your link. I’ll let you know Thursday night who won!

Triple Play Blog Hop- Week 7: Treat Toppers

Welcome to our last round of the Triple Play Blog Hop! At this time I personally want to thank all of you, designers and readers, for hopping along with us on our 7 week journey. It has been totally amazing to see the beautiful and creative projects that everyone shared and I hope they have inspired you to try out some of the techniques and ideas presented for inspiration!
And on to the project for this week- the ScoreBoard Treat Toppers die. The holidays is a great time to use these toppers to wrap half a dozen cookies for yet another cookie exchange, for jewelry and small gift presentations, handmade crafts or candy and other baked goods… you see where I am going here- lots of possibilities. The die is loaded with pieces that all work together so it’s a great value that you will use over and over again. Although this die is designed to work with matboard, you can easily run through paper as well and just fold in half! This is a great way to use up your paper scraps and make adorable packaging.

I used Stephanie Barnard’s stamps on this project and loved how they fit so perfectly on the different pieces. It was as though they were made for this die! Thanks Stephanie- I know you planned it that way! And I don’t know about you, but I love to color. The stamps lent themselves to some fun coloring with Copic markers and these I owe to Colleen Schaan, the Copic Queen, and another one of our blog hoppers!

You will need:
Big Shot die cutting machine
Treat Toppers ScoreBoard die by Eileen Hull
Little Sizzles matboard pack 6″ x 13″
Notebook Pocket ScoreBoard die by Eileen Hull
House ScoreBoard Pro die by Eileen Hull
Holly4Christmas set #14- Stamps of Life by Stephanie Barnard
Memento stamp pad- black
Copic Markers– assorted reds, greens and grays
silver marker
silver stamp pad
paper
coordinating glitter paper
silver glitter
glue pen
Tiny Attacher

Instructions for Toppers:

  1. Cut Treat Topper die from cream matboard piece with Big Shot. 
  2. Stamp messages on scored pieces of the die with black Memento ink.
  3. Color images with Copic markers shading as you go to give depth to the text or design.
  4. Add embellishments, such as bells and ribbons to complete design.
  5. Package gift items in clear cellophane bags.
  6. Staple or tape bags together.
  7. Add toppers by taping, tying with ribbons or stapling sides together.

HINT: Tim Holtz’s Tiny Attacher works great for stapling layers together.

For gift card holder:

  1. Cut red matboard piece 9″ x 4″. Score at 4″ on red side. Fold up.
  2. Cut a piece of coordinating paper the same size and adhere it to the white side of the matboard.
  3. Cut a pocket from paper to hold gift card and adhere to inside of folder. 
  4. Cut/punch various embellishment dies to coordinate. (I used MS snowflakes, bird, EK Success tree, 2 circles for snowman, and Plaid white HD paint for snow along with some stickles to add sparkle)
  5. Cut front bumpout section for the House die and use as front porch and door. Add strips cut from glitter paper for roof and add faux snow.
  6. Add bells on jump ring tied to ribbon on top of roof.


For bag of spices:

  1. Stamp topper and color in with Copics.
  2. Use double sided tape to adhere front and back of topper to cellophane bag.
  3. Thread ribbon through slits and tie on corner.
  4. Cover oval die cut with paper.
  5. Layer smaller scalloped oval piece on top and label contents. Ink edges.
  6. Adhere to outside of bag.


For bag of bells:

  1. Stamp topper and color with Copics.
  2. Run double sided tape on front and back inside of topper.
  3. Cut about 10 inches of ribbon and lay on fold inside.
  4. Center and press toppers closed into place on top of bag.
  5. Tie ribbon in middle and hang from tree!


But wait, there’s MORE… I have saved the best news for last! Karen, Brenda and I have so much fun on this hop, we have decided to keep it going by launching our own Triple Play blog! Here you will find new projects, guest bloggers, tips and techniques for using our dies along with some great videos, color hints and some sneak peeks here and there of upcoming releases!  Keep the inspiration going- stop by and leave us a comment or two and check back frequently for new posts. We are also on Facebook– please “like” us and let us know what you thought of the hop. 🙂 We would love to see any pics of projects you have created using our products so send them on in or post them on our FB page.

Thanks so much, my friends. It has been a blast. Warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all of you!