Eileen Hull

Three dimensional art... with heart

Ann Butler Blog Hop with Sizzix Cradle Die

I had so much fun making this project! It brought me back to my childhood days of making doll accessories. I was the oldest of six kids- with four girls in five years. (Mom- what were you thinking?) My sisters and I spent HOURS playing with dolls, making clothes and furniture, sending them on trips, having plays…

One Christmas, Mom made each of our forty dolls a new outfit and arranged them in the living room on all of the furniture and we came in after Christmas Mass to find them. What an amazing present! One doll, Bridie, even had a string of pearls and a blue velvet dress- I loved her…

So I decided to make a cradle from my new Sizzix Cherished collection.  And I used Ann Butler EZ-De’s stamps  and Ann Butler Clearsnap inks to make a doll quilt and pillow! I love the pretty ink colors- and being Clearsnap Crafter’s Ink, the colors are permanent… Having one inch stamps are handy for these small areas. It was so much fun to stamp out a tiny quilt in just a few minutes. Good job Ann!

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Make sure you see what all of the designers on the hop have created! I can’t wait to check them out:

You will need:

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Die cut two headboards from Golden Books. Cover a piece of matboard front and back with pages from the Golden Books, using spray adhesive to adhere. Die cut crib bed from matboard.

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Assemble crib using glue gun to secure. This is a job for a heavy duty adhesive, especially if it will be played with! Measure the inside of the crib and cut a piece of white fabric for a blanket. Use another piece for a pillow.

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Stamp the fabric using different color inks and alternating stamp shapes to make the pattern interesting. Since this was a small project, I used the one inch stamps. I could not find the orange stamp pad anywhere! I can pretty much guarantee it will turn up the minute I finish this post.

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Cut two strips of ruffled trim. Turn ends under and sew down or glue. Adhere to the crib with the glue gun.

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I put a small piece of batting in the bottom of the crib for a little mattress. Place blanket and pillow inside crib. Add doll and play!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to check out all of the other projects on the hop!

Valentine Tag

I am back! After CHA I caught some kind of flu and am just now feeling back to normal. Being sick is a big pain but it makes me so grateful for feeling good normally…

Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it! Here’s a quick tag that would also work great on a card.

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  1. Die cut the larger die from my Sizzix Canning Jar die from off- white cardstock with a Heart Mover and Shaper insert.
  2. Die cut another solid Canning Jar from red cardstock and adhere beneath the off-white jar.
  3. Punch a small hole in the top of the can and tie with red baker’s twine.
  4. Stamp a sentiment at the bottom of the jar. (I used a stamp from Glitz Design.)
  5. Tie a pice of twine around the top of the jar.

That’s it! More coming soon…

On Getting a Trademark…

You may have noticed on Facebook that I obtained a trademark on my logo and name! It took quite a bit of work and there was a reason that I did it. I thought you might like to know what exactly is involved and why you might want to consider it.

Disclaimer- I am not a lawyer and am giving this info simply as a person who has gone through the process!

Embossed Bird Ornaments

Just a quick post today… I wanted to share an idea that kept going through my head- I finally sat down and made it!

I die cut my Sizzix Scoreboards Bird die and wings from matboard, then ran it through the Big Shot with the Lace set embossing folder. I lightly inked the raised areas with Clearsnap ink, glued the wings on punched, two holes in the top of the bird and added a wire to hang it with.
A little birdie told me to wish you a Merry Christmas…

StencilGirl and Sizzix Artist Trading Blocks Blog Hop

Today is the day StencilGirl Talk and Sizzix get together and I am so excited!


Fifteen amazing artists from the StencilGirl Design Team will all be showing their art on one of my new Sizzix dies, the Block/Cube/Bank, 3-D AKA the Artist Trading Block™! 

The projects I have seen so far have been simply jaw-droppingly amazing… so make sure you stop by every blog and see all of them:

Eileen Hull (you are here)

The Block is part of my new Sizzix Cherished collection which is designed around a baby theme. But let me tell you, this die is not just for babies! First of all, it is a ScoreBoards die, which is specially designed to cut and score THICK materials, like matboard and chipboard. This technology is unique to Sizzix so you won’t find anything else like it! 

The Block measures 3″ square, can be assembled in under a minute and it is super versatile! You can use inks, paint, chalks, mists, or markers with your stencils- the rigid matboard makes the block nice and sturdy so you don’t have to worry about wrinkling or tearing- load on the techniques- the matboard can handle it! 

Artist Trading Blocks™ are the next big thing in the crafting world! Unlike tags and ATC’s, Artist Trading Blocks allow you to create in 3-D!  Why show only one side of your creativity when you can express yourself with multidimensional style? Make your mark on these six-sided blocks using all of your favorite craft supplies and techniques.

OK, so now for my project… I have to admit- I was slightly intimidated to design something for this hop having seen all the amazing StencilGirl DT’s work. Designing dies is a totally different process. Everything has to line up and be perfect or the die will not cut straight. So I am not used to the freedom I had here to just try things out and play. But it sure is fun!

I like to think of each 3″ x 3″ square as a mini-canvas to experiment on. They are quick and small and if you mess something up- oh well, move on and try again! With that attitude, shoot, I could play forever! 

So I gathered some of StencilGirl’s fabulous stencils, an assortment of inks, paint and brushes and went to town… and what came out was not too bad! Of course now I have more ideas of things to try… you know how that goes.
I started by lining up the two matboard strips next to each other and then placed the Words to Live By stencil on top. (note- if you want the blocks to be all going in the same direction, reconsider this method. We are experimenting though, remember?) After securing the stencil in place with post it notes, I took some Clearsnap Cat’s Eye dye inks and a stencil brush and transferred the ink on the stencil, varying the colors and blending them into each other. 

I outlined some of the words with a black permanent marker and then colored them in with Copic markers. Don’t you love to color?
Here comes the experiment… I took the Song Birds stencil and a very detailed Wing stencil and decided to try and layer them. I wasn’t sure if it would work with two layers but what the heck… I laid the bird stencil down first where I wanted it, securing it with more post its, and then added the Wing stencil on top. To get into these tiny areas, paint seemed to be the best choice. I loaded my stencil brush with black acrylic paint, wiped most of it off, and then applied it using a circular motion over the  stencil. Because this one is so detailed I wasn’t sure I could reposition exactly in the same place so I made sure every area was fully filled in before I took the stencil off. Success! Then I outlined the bird with black marker. 

I used the Peacock Feather stencil and black paint to fill in other areas on the blocks and that was it! 


I did not tape this block together because I will be sending it to CHA and will fold it flat to ship. Due to the sturdiness of the matboard, no tape is necessary to keep it in the block shape! 

It was hard to stop and I created another project- a set of blocks I call “A Tribute to Tie-Dye”… but this post is already too long so will share it next week. Here’s a peek…

I would love if you would like my Facebook page and see what’s to come in 2014. I have a brand new product launching! But my lips are sealed till Jan. 11. It’s killing me people!
But wait- there’s more- a giveaway over on StencilGirl Talk consisting of SG product and a Block die! All comments on the hop are eligible for the giveaway. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win. The giveaway will close on Friday, December 13th at 11:59PM Central Time. 

We have lots of plans in the works and will be posting lots of inspiration over at our website, The Artists on the Block. Please stop by to see what’s new and LIKE our Facebook page too! Feel free to post your latest projects so we can ooh and ahh over them!

Head on over to the amazing Mary Beth Shaw‘s blog to see the rest of the projects. Thanks for stopping by! 

Stamped Mini-Album and InspiredCo ezine

I am so excited to show you what Pam Keravuori has created! She went to town with my new Craffiti Direct stamps and made a project using all three sets in one project!

I love how Pam uses materials and combines colors, don’t you?
Pam will share how-to’s next week on her blog, Pamela Jane’s Studio. This week she is busy having the roof of her garage taken off in preparation for the fabulous studio that is being added to her house!
Also, my friend Amy Powers, editor of the Inspired Ideas ezine, has published the Holiday issue! Go here to order. It is just so HAPPY- it will definitely get you in the holiday spirit and give you lots of ideas too!
Amy is also teaching a class with Big Picture Classes right now and I am enjoying it immensely (although I am not getting my assignments done- they are visions of sugarplums dancing in my head right now!)
I am blessed to live near (within lunching distance) of these two amazing artists and always look forward to sharing creative adventures with them!