Spellbinders Blog Frenzy: Day 1

Edited to add: Thanks to everyone who entered the Spellbinders' 5th Anniversary Party to win my Die Template release. You can no longer enter to win my release. Please check out the links below to enter the contest on other blogs. Check the Spellbinders blog for announcements on daily winners. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on January 30. 

Today I am excited to be able to kick off the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy with one of my favorite die templates from the Winter 2009 release!  If you were not following the Blog Frenzy last summer, here's the scoop: Spellbinders is celebrating their fifth anniversary with sixteen days of sneak peeks and drawings for each of the die sets that is introduced, culminating in a grand prize drawing for all 28 of the newly introduced dies.  Every day, for the next sixteen days, you will have a chance to see a new die or die set release at a different blog (schedule below) and enter a random drawing for that die or die set. If you follow the instructions and sign up correctly for each of the sixteen drawings, you will be entered into that grand prize, winner-takes-all-28-releases drawing. So it's important to get started today if you would like to be that lucky person! Mish Wooderson, of Mish Mash, will showcase tomorrow's die.

Here is a complete list of the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy participants, along with the date of each person's reveal:

Jan. 6   Michelle Wooderson
http://michellewooderson.blogspot.com/

Jan. 7   Holly Craft
http://todayscreations.blogspot.com/

Jan. 8   Sherry Cheever
http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

Jan. 9   Heidi Blankenship
http://embellished-dreams.blogspot.com/

Jan. 10   Becca Feeken
http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/

Jan. 11   Jennifer Ellefson
http://createdfrompaper.blogspot.com/

Jan. 12   Sharon Harnist
http://paperfections.typepad.com/

Jan. 13   Jeni Calkins
http://studiojeni.blogspot.com/

Jan. 14   Wendy Weixler
http://wickedlywonderfulcreations.blogspot.com/

Jan. 15   Beth Pingry
http://bethping.blogspot.com/

Jan. 16   Keri Lee Sereika
http://pinklemonade.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Jan. 17   Sally Lynn MacDonald
http://inkyheart.typepad.com

Jan. 18   Donya Schroeder
http://donyas.typepad.com/puckish/

Jan. 19   Linda Duke
http://lindaduke.typepad.com/lindas_works_of_heart/

Jan. 20   Trudee Sauer
http://trudee.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

Now that the preliminaries are covered, I am thrilled to share one of my absolute favorites of the new release die templates, the Labels Four die template, SKU #S4-190, MSRP $24.95.

The Labels Four die template set is reminiscent of my favorite of last summer's releases, but shaped as a graceful rectangle rather than a square. The smallest die in the Labels Four/ S4-190 set has a cutting area of approximately 3/4" x 1/2", and the largest has a cutting area of  approximately 4-3/8" x 2-7/8".   

I have a couple of pieces to share with you, both a card and a simple frame for a 4" x 6" photograph. Since most of you already know how to make cards, I thought that I'd explain how to construct the little frame rather than explaining my card.  I'll share the details of the card in list form below.

Here I used two sizes of the Labels Four die template/S4-190, the largest and the next-to-largest in the set, on a standard 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card.

___________
Card Details:

Stamps: Bird Lovers Large (Crafty Secrets), Mixed Messages (PaperTrey Ink)
Paper: Stella Ruby 6" x 6" pad (Basic Grey)
Copic Markers: E41, E42, E43, E44, YG03, YG93, YG95, Y21, 0, and BG13 with the airbrush system for the background
Tools: Spellbinders Labels Four Die Template set, Double-Ended Tags set, and S4 166 Ric Rac Scallop

Next, I'd like to show you how to create a standing frame using the Labels Four die template/S4-190.  You can pretend that the picture is of you and someone whom you love--I found that I didn't have many horizontally-oriented pictures once I started searching!

I began by deciding that I want to create  a frame for a 4" x 6" standard photograph. I cut a thin piece of chipboard (Craft-a-Board--about cereal-box-thickness) to 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" . I cut a piece of patterned paper to 5-1/2" x 7-1/2", wanting to leave enough extra of the paper to wrap around to the inside of the frame.

I die cut and embossed both the thin chipboard and the patterned paper in the center, and then secured the paper to the chipboard with a good glue, trimming the corners and wrapping the outer 1/2" around to the back of the frame front. Be sure to align the pieces perfectly over the opening, even if it looks a bit crooked on the back. The back won't show.

For the back, cut a thin piece of chipboard to 4-1/2" X 6-1/2". Line the sides and bottom as closely as possible to the edge with a thin strip of supper-sticky or redline tape. Leaving the top un-taped will allow you to switch pictures when you have a new one to display. Attach back to the front.

For the easel stand, I cut a third piece of chipboard, angling it to the degree that I wanted the frame to stand, and glued a scored 1/2" strip of it to the center back of the frame. Finally, add any ribbons or other embellishments that you might like. This is an easy project and folds flat enough to mail as well.

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If you don't own a Wizard, remember that you can still use Spellbinders dies with other die-cutting machines. Here is a link that will help you to locate You Tube videos that explain how to get great-looking projects with your Spellbinders dies using several common die-cutting machines.

Now, for all the details on the BIG CONTEST:

Spellbinders 5 Year Anniversary Celebration
Sneak Peek Party Drawing Information

Spellbinders will randomly pick one entry from each of the 16 Spellbinders Sneak Peek Blog reveals as stated in the “Rules”. This name will be drawn to receive the die being revealed and any other dies listed as a part of said blog give-away.  These entries must follow all rules stated below to be valid for the drawing.   

Entrants visiting all 16 Spellbinders 5 Year Anniversary Celebration Sneak Peeks Blog reveals and correctly entering their information into the 16 separate drawings, as described below, will automatically be entered into a GRAND PRIZE give away of a full set of all 28 NEW RELEASE dies debuting at the Winter Craft and Hobby Association Show in Anaheim, California, on January 25-28, 2009!

Rules

Any participant wishing to be included in the daily drawing for the Spellbinders Birthday Celebration Sneak Peek die give away must adhere to all of the following rules: 

1. Participant must click on the provided link on reveal blog to enter each individual drawing on sneak peeks between January 5 and January 20, 2009.

2. Participant must type in the subject line the name of the die being revealed.

3. Participant must send their entry for this blog before 12:00 midnight Central Standard Time on January 6, 2009.

4. Participant is only allowed to enter each of the      16 Spellbinders sneak peek blog give away drawings one time per sneak      peek. Participant must use the same email address daily to be considered      for the grand prize entry, no exceptions. Please consider whether you will      have access to the same e-mail address from January 5^th through      January 20^th and plan accordingly.

5. Spellbinders Design Team members and employees are not eligible for drawings. 

Any participant wishing to be automatically entered into the drawing for the Spellbinders 5 Year Anniversary Celebration Sneak Peek Grand Prize drawing, must enter the drawing from all of the 16 blog reveals and follow all the above rules. 

Please note:

*Spellbinders will only use email information to contact the winner.

*Spellbinders will not share this email address with any other parties. 

*Spellbinders will not use this email information for advertisements or communications other than to contact the winner.

*If you wish to be included in further communications from Spellbinders, please go to their homepage SpellbindersPaperArts.com and sign up for their newsletter.

To enter the Spellbinders 5 year anniversary drawing, click here. (Link no longer available since contest on this blog has ended. Please see the list at the top of this entry for current contest entry places.)

For more Spellbinders product release information or for contest questions, go to http://www.spellbinderspaperarts.com/

Thank you for visiting, and best of luck on winning some fabulous dies over the next sixteen days!

Edited to add: Some of you have asked when these dies will be available for purchase. Official word is that they should ship to retailers around the last week of February and be available for purchase around the first week of March.

Comments

[Veronica Lancin]

1.

Labels Four
Wow! Thanks for another amazing must have nestability! I don't know how you guys keep coming up with it but I really appreciate your ingenuity.

[Rose Ann]

2.

Gorgeous projects, Debbie!! It looks like another irresistible die set!! I love your sweet nest card, and your frame is fabulous (great picture too!!)

[Leea]

3.

I so love label dies I have so far, thanks for sharing the new ones !

[Colette]

4.

Labels Four
I was secretly hoping for more curves and fancy shapes from the new Nesties line. Thanks for the awesome inspiration.

[Jill]

5.

Wow -they are great, and this is only the start. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the sneak peeks.

[Penny J.]

6.

Yet another great die and what a beautiful card. Curious which die you used to cut the card base.

[Judy]

7.

Great job with this new Label set, Debbie!
I admire all your creations!
Spellbinders is off to a great start with this die set. I can hardly wait to see all the others.
-judy

[lacyquilter]

8.

Love your projects and these dies are awesome.

[lengow]

9.

Beautiful work !!!
Sorry for my English, I try as I can.
The Labels Four of Spelbinders - super dies. Gives a lot of creative possibilities.
Salute - lengow.

[lengow]

10.

Labels four - super dies.

Once again !!!

Sorry for my English, I try as I can.
The Labels Four of Spelbinders - super dies. Gives a lot of creative possibilities.
Salute - lengow.

[Shelly Schmidt]

11.

I LOVE Labels four- Your samples are fabulous! I cannot wait until this is released.....i am going to Have to have it! Thanks for sharing your talent!

[Felicia]

12.

Wow these are amazing. Thanks for that picture frame tutorial. Can't wait to try it out.

[Ramona]

13.

Labels Four SKU #S4-190 is a great set. I'm looking forward to seeing it in the shops.

[Rachel Loesch]

14.

Labels 4 looks like a great set! I love your projects and can't wait to get a set of my own! Thanks!

[Kathy scs kathat]

15.

Debbie,
I love the frame you made!!!! You've inspired me to make one for my desk--off to find a good pic of me and dh :-)

I love this die and can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!!!

[bolha]

16.

Oh my!! These label fours are fantastic. Ans the card you made is beautiful.
x Natasha x

[Amber]

17.

Oh no! Just when I was starting to catch up on my nesties collection their coming out with MORE????????????? AAAAAH!!!!!!!!!
LOVE this labels 4! Was there a Labels 3 or is that yet to be introduced?:D
Your picture frame is ingenious, I love this idea!

[Joan B]

18.

Do I see the hand of a lawyer in the details on how to enter?? LOL gorgeous frame. Absolutely beautiful card as well.

[pesc]

19.

Labels Four

Wow those are awesome! Thanks for the chance to win!!!

[Viv (VivLyn)]

20.

Love the card and sweet little bird nest! Looks like a great die set!

[Carolyn G.]

21.

Debbie, thanks for all the creative sharing. Your card really is beautiful!

[Tina]

22.

label Four
a new set of wonderful dies ,the frame design is very elegant, I like it

[Ruby]

23.

Beautiful elegant die!

[Caz]

24.

Love it! I have only just ordered labels 1 and 2, but 4 would be fab too!

Cazx

[Damjana]

25.

Labels Four
Your card is just perfect and this Labels Four are really lovely.