FRENCH GENERAL SEWING KIT

Any scrapbookers out there who are also sewers?  I've been sewing since, well I can't even remember when I started.  We had a children's sewing machine that my sisters and I shared, and we would spend hours sewing clothes for our Barbies.  Our grandmother and mother were both avid sewers so we were never short of fabric scraps.  I don't know how, but I even had the courage to apply for a seamstress job at 16 years old in a clothing store, doing alterations.  The manager even hired me!  That was quite the experience, I still cringe at some of the things that I experienced, but it did make me a better sewer.

Sizzix has the most wonderful dies made for us sewers, they are a collection designed for French General.  Here's a little blurb by Sizzix :

"Bringing the classic look of the rural French countryside to the United States, French General is a vintage craft store/workshop located in Los Angeles, California. Specializing in beads, buttons, millinery and textiles, their French-inspired collection is all about crafting with beautiful textiles and a simple vintage color palette. Having personally combed French flea markets for many of her unique treasures, Kaari Meng, the founder and owner of French General, has designed jewelry for Anthropologie, quilt fabrics for Moda, textiles for Fabricut  and has authored several books, including French-Inspired JewelryThe French Inspired HomeHandmade SoireesTreasured Notions and more. Now French General teams up with Sizzix for an exciting collection to organize beads, buttons, needles and notions."


I created this little sewing book using their sewing kit die.


It opens up to reveal little cards full of treasures.


I die-cut the main book using my extended cutting pad, paper, and extended cutting pad.  The paper I used for this project is from Blue Fern Studios, their Frolic collection. Fold along the scoring lines and ink the edges.  There are also two rectangle pieces that I also die cut with my patterned paper.  These pieces fit into the little half circles that were die-cut out.


I die-cut the little labels from white Specialty Stamping Paper (Ranger) and using the French General Sewing Words Framelits set/wstamps stamped the rectangle shape in Buttercup Archival Ink with Lindy's embossing powder. 


To embellish my book front, I die-cut scissors, buttons, and a pin cushion from The Sewing Basket Thinlits set out of white cardstock, patterned paper, and inked.


This Floral Wreath Thinlits set from Brenda Walton is perfect for those little extra touches.  There's everything here, flowers, butterfly, leaves, and frames!  These were all cut out using the Sizzix Sandwich, Magnetic Plate, Cutting Pad, Paper, Thinlits die(face down), Cutting Pad.  Ink the edges and assemble your embellishments to the front flap of your book.


I added my little treasures onto my cards and slipped them into the half-circle slots.


Here is my sewing book again!  Perfect little thank you gift for the sewer in your life!  I think I'm going to make another one just for my needles, I can never find any!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jan

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Guest Post at A Vintage Journey

I'm a Guest Creative Guide over at A Vintage Journey today!  I've created a special "Wings"project for them, here's a sneak peek:



Hope you join me there for my tutorial!


Jan
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Crazy Bird Inspiration

For those of you who are crazy for those "birds", I have an inspirational post on the Sizzix Blog today:


Hope you visit me there!

Jan
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Layout Tutorial with Sizzix

Hi everyone!  I have a layout tutorial on the Sizzix blog today featuring this layout:



Hope you visit me there!


Jan
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AN EMBOSSED THANK YOU CARD

Hi everyone,  thanks for stopping by!  I have a card to share with you, using a new embossing folder from Sizzix.


Sizzix has a new machine called the Big Shot Plus.  This machine has a width of 9 inches so they have started to create larger dies and embossing folders for this machine.  These larger folders also work with  the Big Shot Pro machine which I have, that is an even larger machine with a 13" width.  This machine can cut or emboss every size of die or  embossing folder in the Sizzix product library!


This new embossing folder is called Botanical Swirls by Rachel Bright.  Love this larger 8 1/4" x 113/4" folder!


I cut this copper metallic cardstock (Tim Holtz Metallic Core-dinations) to the size of my folder and embossed it.




I scored down the center and trimmed my embossed cardstock to make a 5 x 7 card base,



I decided I didn't want the paper to be so shiny, so I toned it down.  I think I like how it turned out. I lightly sanded the raised embossed areas.  I then applied ink on those areas, and then embossed with embossing powder.  Some of the embossing powder stuck in the low areas, but I kind of like that.  It did turn out a lot darker than I thought it would.


For the inside of my card, I cut out a piece of patterned paper a little larger than the card base (1/8" larger on all sides) and scored down the middle.  I applied SookWang tape along the outside edge.  After I removed the backing, I applied Prima's Charcoal Art Sugar (a very fine glitter).  It makes a nice sparkly edge. This inside piece is then adhered to my embossed card. I also cut out two pieces of patterned paper (4 x 3 1/4") for my card front.  The darker piece is the mat(3 1/2 x 4 1/4) and also has Charcoal art sugar around the edges.


I die-cut this Sizzix Thank You Thinlits die set with the metallic paper also.


The Thank you was adhered to my matted square.



For my flowers, I created them with vellum, patterned paper, and velvet paper and Tim Holtz Tiny Tattered flowers Thinlits dies.  Assemble these with the quilling pen and adhesive



Adhere these flowers and the branches from the Thank You Thinlits die, to the corner of the matted square.  Adhere this square to the front of your card. with pop dots.

                         

Here's my card again! 

Thanks for visiting, have a great weekend!

Jan

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