Eileen Hull

Three dimensional art... with heart

Countdown

I am still alive. Just a little crazy. Jess’s wedding is coming up FAST and there’s still so much to do. Where would I be without my generous friends that are always so happy to help me?  In big trouble- that’s where…

Promise to write more later. Lots going on behind the scenes including: fun ideas for my Fresh Vintage dies available in June, info on CHA Summer Workshop, new design teams I’m working with and (trust me) lots more… but now, time for bed! Tomorrow I go see the florist about centerpieces, pick up paper for table favors, doctor’s appt… etc.

Wedding Invitations

Today we hop! Click on the blue Designer Connection logo and take a trip around the webring to see what our talented group has come up with today. The theme is wedding projects. And how convenient for me- we have a wedding coming up within the month 🙂 Here’s a peek at the invitations I designed for my daughter’s wedding dress.

She really liked how they came out. I love the colors she picked (although I was pushing for aqua…) and her theme is hearts. So I created some heart flowers in Illustrator and laid everything out.

Normally I would have printed them myself but because these were a very important job, I sent them to a Signature Printing to be printed on nice heavy cardstock. When I got them back, they looked pretty plain. Jess happened to be home that weekend so we went to town with some adhesive backed half pearls which we added to some of the flower centers for a 3D effect. We also decided to use a bellyband to hold the packet together. Their wedding logo was printed and punched from a scalloped circle.

If you look closely at the logo, you will see that the cakestand base is two J’s back to back (one is reversed). I used the Mandolyn font from Duetica. This is my fave font! So elegant and flowing but still readable. This font system is amazing because you can select from 10-20 options of each letter in a font family so that no two are alike- so many options to customize your layout and make it just the way you want it.
When I think about it, the stand is a cool metaphor for marriage. Two individuals working to support what they will build together- their life, family and dreams. sniff sniff. Hard to believe I will have a married daughter in less than a month! Will be posting more as the day draws closer…

Craft Critique

This week was pretty crazy. Ray is still getting acclimated to living here at the house. And I am painting like a madwoman, trying to get everything looking good before the wedding which a little less than a month away! Today we got the living room all put back together. One day at a time…

Here’s a photo of the necklace that my daughter Pam designed and is making for all the bridesmaids for Jess’s wedding. I think the blue, silver and pearl combo is so elegant!  Pam has always loved beading and has been designing her own pieces for years. I still have a pair of Santa Claus earrings she made for me when she was about 10- she got tons of orders when people saw mine. She also just opened a shop on Etsy- I’ll pass her info along when I get the URL.

I had a nice chat at CHA with Sarah Moore, editor-in-chief of Craft Critique. If you don’t already subscribe, you’ll want to sign up! Once you are on the list, you will receive their daily email where you will see reviews of craft products, special events, contests, and blog carnivals. I love it- I don’t know how anyone can keep up with all of the new crafty products out there! If I am considering buying a new tool or product, first I go to the archives and read the reviews of what other crafters thought of it before I purchase it. All reviews contain 3 pros and 3 cons about the product. And if someone doesn’t like the product, they will tell you! I appreciate the advice- hate wasting money a product that won’t work.

Anyway, I am excited to tell you I am now a Special Reporter for Craft Critique! I’ll let you know when my first article comes out.

CHA Wrap Up

Hi everyone! Remember the Sizzix Triple Play blog hop that we had right before the holidays last year? Well, it was so much fun that we decided to keep the group going. If you click on the Designer Connection logo on the sidebar, it will take you around the ring of participating designers. Such fun! Our first event is today and if you hop around to each blog, you will see each of our CHA wrap ups. 

In addition, there’s an amazing prize being offered to a lucky person- a Cricut Expression! There is a treasure hunt to find 9 Cricut logos sprinkled throughout the hop. If you find them all, you can be entered to win. For details on the treasure hunt visit Julie McGuffee’s blog to get more info- she explains how it works.

On to CHA… I hardly got to walk the show because I had a booth in License & Design and spent most of my time there. On the last day when it was slow downstairs, I did run up and take a look. Here’s what I saw:

  • pennants and banners
  • rosettes
  • lots of vintage
  • retro kitchen
  • text
  • crossover- sewing and food related crafts
  • masks and mists
  • flowers flowers flowers!

I guess the most exciting thing for me at this show was to see my Sizzix Power Panel up  in the booth! It’s called Fresh Vintage and features my signature ScoreBoard dies as well as a several varieties of 3D flowers. My thought in designing this collection was to use unexpected and recycled materials like old sewing patterns, tissue paper, coffee filters, old sheet music, ledger sheets, crepe paper, etc to cut the dies from.  

My favorite thing about being at CHA is the chance to meet and reconnect with all of my amazingly talented designer buddies! What I love about the group is how everyone supports and encourages each other. I think we are all grateful to have found a group of people who “get” us. I am already looking forward to the next show. See you there!

Matboard earrings

What a week! You know when you feel like you are just maxed out? Our 91 year old stepdad moved in with us this weekend. We had hardwood floors installed and all the furniture is piled up everywhere until I paint the first floor. The pantry was ripped out and a first floor shower installed. My daughter is getting married in 5 weeks. My next line of Sizzix dies are due March 1. Seriously??? Calgon take me away!

Sometimes you just have to go to your happy place. 🙂 For me, it’s my studio. I came down and just fiddled with stuff- nothing with a deadline- just for fun- just for me. The other thing I came to realize was that not every project has to be complicated. I had to stop myself from getting crazy and make a little box for these and allow myself to just kind of… create.

I decided to die cut some tiny flowers included on my Box with Scalloped Flap die and a beautiful piece of light blue suede matboard that I had on hand to make a pair of earrings.

You will need:

Box with Scalloped Flap die
Circles #2 die
Big Shot
matboard
1/16″ hole punch
jump rings
earring wires

Instructions:

  1. Die cut two of the larger pieces from matboard. I saved the piece of matboard and then cut out the negative space with a circle surrounding the flower to use for another pair of earrings.
  2. Punch holes at the tops of the flower petals.
  3. Thread jump rings through the holes and add to earring wires. (I could not for the life of me find my jump rings so I made some from white wire using a chain nose pliers)
  4. Cut a piece of matboard to hold the earrings. Punch two holes, insert earrings and add text, sentiment or embellishment.

Once again, a craft project has saved the day!
FaveCrafts
Also, I’m being interviewed by Pat Sloan of FaveCrafts Radio on Wednesday, March 2 at 3 PM EST along with my creative friends, Lisa Fulmer and Lorine Mason. To listen, click here. The show is recorded in case you miss it. Hope you can stop by!

Guest Towel Cupcake Webisode with Jonathan Fong

While I was out in LA for the CHA show a few weeks ago, I spent some time with my friend Jonathan Fong, an amazing designer and all around talented guy. Not only can he design, but he has written three beautiful books and speaks all over the country giving his unique approach to home decor. (read this post to hear how we happened to meet up)

When Jonathan found out I was coming to California, he invited me to appear as a guest on his weekly web TV show, Style With a Smile. It was so much fun to get behind the scenes and see all of the equipment, lighting and camera. Many thanks to my friend Lorine Mason for her help with the filming- you might not realize it but she was also Jonathan’s stunt double. This was some operation!

As you will see in the video, we were making guest towel cupcakes, which I posted about here. Jonathan used some cool cardstock and rolled it through the Sizzix Big Shot along with the ScoreBoard Cupcake Ruffle die in the video to make the wrappers. ScoreBoard dies are actually designed to be used with thicker materials such as matboard and chipboard to cut and score into boxes, folders and totes. This is a very versatile die and one that you will use over and over. I hope that seeing the video might encourage you to try a ScoreBoard die.

Just this past weekend I had reason to break out my cupcake die myself. My daughter Jess is getting married in April and she had her bridal shower. It was decided (by the shower committee) that we would serve cupcakes in Sizzix die-cut wrappers instead of having a cake. Lorine baked up some delicious vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. (I had to try both because I didn’t want to offend the baker). We then placed them in blue and white corseted cupcake wrappers. Unfortunately, as I went to take a picture, my camera died! NOOOOOO! But believe me, they were the hit of the shower. What a nice time it was- thanks so much to Tina, Lorine, Pam and Mary. I know Jess was very touched by what you did for her.

Thanks for stopping by!