Brenda Walton

Teacups and Flowers and Dancers…Oh My!

My dear friend Amy Powers is the creator of the adorable online magazine Inspired Ideas. Amy creates magic with each and every issue, dazzling her readers with beautiful photography and inspiring us all with imaginative and creative craft projects.

Amy's magazine is a treasure trove of inspiration. The Spring 2013 issue features a variety of goodies made with some of my new Favorite Things dies for Sizzix, and includes a step-by-step article on how to make this whimsical bell jar display.

And here's a sneak peek at other projects inside the Spring issue made with Sizzix dies...

Each issue of Inspired Ideas features articles spotlighting the work of many talented crafters. In the Spring issue you'll find adorable Easter nests, handmade jewelry and home décor projects. Click here to subscribe online, and here to visit Amy's inspiring website.

Favorite Things Preview

And now, for a close up preview of my new Favorite Things collection for Sizzix!

I can see many exciting possibilities for each of these dies, from card making and gift wrapping to entertaining and party décor. Since the dies are designed to work together, you’ll be able to easily embellish your creations, making personal and beautiful keepsakes that will surprise and delight your friends!

In these examples, I've incorporated papers from scrapbooking collections designed for K&Company (Maison, Madeline, Dollhouse, Colette and Flora & Fauna), and combined them with vintage documents, book pages and ephemera. I’ve sprinkled generous amounts of glitter and added velvet flowers and gems for extra sparkle.

Here are a few highlights from the collection of twenty-four dies:

The Tea Cup is oh so charming and is very easy to assemble and embellish. The die includes the cup, base, handle and tea tag. The cups are perfectly designed to hold a single cupcake. Or, they can be filled with nuts and candies as a favor container. Make a dozen of them to create a fabulous, whimsical garland for an Alice in Wonderland tea party!

 

I’ve had so much fun developing the Ballroom Slipper die and creating different looks with it. The uses for these shoes are endless! Of course, you will want a row of them on your shelf. And what an adorable little treat container (simply add a small cone-shaped bag of candy). You can write a name inside and use them as place card holders. They also make adorable gift toppers. Or, add a ribbon loop to the back and suspend them from the Christmas tree.

 

The Medallions die includes two different styles of medallions and two flowers that can be combined in several different ways. Perfect as gift toppers, card embellishments and Christmas ornaments. Glue them to bamboo skewers to create fairy wands, or string them along a ribbon to make a festive garland.

 

Dancers is the perfect cake topper for a wedding or anniversary, or a lovely embellishment for a card. Attach a ribbon in back to make an elegant vertical garland.

 

The Buckles are perfect for gift wrapping and card making. And they’re the perfect size for embellishing the Ballroom Slippers.

 

Depending on the paper patterns selected, the Layered Cake die can make a very elegant wedding cake, or a whimsical, fun birthday cake. It can be cut out of vintage fabric and stitched, for a sweet handmade look.

 

Antiqua Capital Letters is a classic font style perfect for festive garlands, card making and scrapbooking (the letters are just over 2" tall). Or, attach multiple letters to a special gift to create a personal monogram.

 

The Bird Scroll die would make an adorable framed piece for an entryway! And it’s perfect for a Hello or Happy Birthday card. The scroll works beautifully in conjunction with the Bliss die included in the collection (see the previous post, Ooh La La).

 

There are so many uses for Flights of Fancy…from gift toppers to garlands to wreaths and wall decor! Imagine a flurry of glittery, pastel-colored paper butterflies scattered across the wall in a baby’s room. And the large butterfly is the perfect size for a sweet gift card.

 

 

Swan with Leafy Frame is a graceful design that would make an elegant cake topper or card embellishment. Since the wing is a separate element, it's easy to create additional dimensional interest. The wreath was designed to fit perfectly with Antiqua Capital Letters to create beautiful monograms for a notecard or personalized gift.

 

Lovely for birthday parties and weddings, fill Faceted Cones with candies, nuts or rose petals. Or, fill them with fresh flowers, and leave on a special someone’s doorstep!

 

I’m especially excited about the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders in this collection. Designed to add an elegant touch to your cards and paper crafting, it's really easy to get magnificent results quickly! 

My Favorite Things dies for Sizzix are available April 2013. 

Sweet Shoppe Tour

At Winter CHA, I had the pleasure of meeting Noelle Hyman of paperclipping.com. Her video features highlights from my exciting debut line of dies for Sizzix.

Ooh La La!

Doug and I recently returned from an amazing week in Anaheim where we attended the Winter CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) tradeshow. We were excited to introduce our first collection of dies for Sizzix, Brenda Walton’s Favorite Things.

After a busy year designing and planning the line of twenty-four products, it was wonderful to share the fruits of our labors with store owners and buyers from around the world.

photo: scrappyjedi

photo: scrappyjedi

photo: papertales

Parisian sweet shops and fashion of the 1700’s inspired this collection, which is filled with Marie Antoinette girliness, lots of frills, glitter and gilded accents.

On set-up day (two days before the show opened), we arrived to a freezing cold warehouse at 8am and began unpacking all of our products, props and furniture. Marty from Sizzix had built our display walls and was busy installing the cornice and elegant damask curtains, which had been created by seamstress extraordinaire Debi Adams.

Our display was styled by Lauryl Lane, a very talented designer and wonderful friend. She magically arranged all of the shoes, teacups, paper cones, cupcakes and other elements, and really captured an over-the-top Parisian spirit!

This photo of the booth was taken moments before the show opened, and represents numerous hours of work by many helping hands!

After the show opened, the Sizzix booth was busy-busy every day, with friendly and enthusiastic people curious about the line. Here, we’re busy making paper cones that look like carrots!

photo: scrappyjedi

The shoes are really sweet, and surprisingly easy to make! The basic shoe die includes two different front pieces: the higher front for a Marie Antoinette feeling, and a lower front for a more contemporary look. It’s also possible to cut out the front for a peep-toe style!

It takes only a few minutes to make the basic shoe, and then you can embellish to your heart’s content. I used medallions, flowers and icons on these shoes, all from dies also included in the collection. I think these shoes would make a really fun project for a girl party, with a little kit and some glue at each place setting. The die is called Ballroom Slipper, and will be available in April 2013.

photo: scrappyjedi

One of my most exciting moments in creating these samples was discovering that the Textured Embossing Folders work perfectly embossing fondant! Using a round styrofoam ball as a base, I covered the top with embossed fondant and then painted the raised areas with pearlescent paint.

These cute cupcakes make very elegant faux treats that will last (virtually) forever. They would make a darling centerpiece for a luncheon.

photo: scrappyjedi

The favor cones are perfect little treat containers for weddings, birthdays and tea parties! Fill them with candy, nuts, or even rose petals. They are easy to assemble, and can be embellished with other dies in the collection.

 photo: papertales

The flower, star, fleur de lis, medallion and heart wands were all made with dies in this collection. The embellishments were attached to bamboo skewers using hot glue. Finally, the skewers were coated generously with gold or silver glitter for some extra sparkle!

photo: scrappyjedi

Here I am with my art director Cara Mariano. I worked closely with Cara and Beth Reames to create this lovely display.

Beth Reames created many beautiful papercrafted examples for the display, including this glittered Bliss. She creatively embellished it with flourishes and flowers from two other dies.

I designed these collages using frames found at antique markets. They include sample creations made from dies in the collection: butterflies, oval frame, wedding cake, swan, scrolls, icons and flowers. When I was working on them, I imagined what Marie Anoinette’s Pinterest board might have looked like…

This is a special piece I created, using the Dancers die as the focal point. I thought it would make a lovely keepsake for a bride and groom. The pink flowers on the arbor were all die cut from tissue paper and coffee filters. The pearlescent vellum chandelier was made with a fleur de lis die from Classic Icons.

photo: scrappyjedi

photo: scrappyjedi

Lynda Kanase at Sizzix helped me create this girly packaging for the new line!

Here’s my team of helping hands, for whom I am sooo grateful: Sammy Threadgill and his wife, stylist Lauryl Lane; my uber-talented production assistant, Anna Pasquale; me; and my loving and supportive husband, Doug.

My first collection of Sizzix dies will be available in April 2013. I can’t wait to see the beautiful things you will be making with them!

Presenting Scribe and Maison

I'm delighted to introduce Scribe and Maison, two new collections for K&Co which will debut during this week’s Winter CHA in Anaheim.

First, a bit of background about Scribe. The inspiration for this collection came during a visit to Ernest Hemingway’s home in Havana a few years ago. It was truly fascinating to tour the     residence of this American literary master.

I loved seeing the rich palette in the study where Hemingway stood at his typewriter and wrote Old Man and the Sea, surrounded by a tidy assortment of pens and paper. The eccentric, charming home is filled with Hemingway's personal collections from his exciting adventures as a journalist, hunter and war correspondent.

The Scribe Specialty Paper Pad  includes 28 double-sided sheets, with special touches like shimmer paper, foil, and froth. The shimmer paper is luxurious and silky, and it’s perfect for projects that need just a little bit of sparkle.

The Scribe Die-Cut Cardstock is a collection of 40 large number tags and shapes, with vintage patterns on a rich color palette.

The Scribe Enclosure Grand Adhesions are perfect for handmade cards. The little drawer and matchbooks actually open and close. Ribbon, paperclip, gems and foil accents make these Grand Adhesions extra-special!

The Scribe Metal Art Clips is an assortment of cute paper clips with a metal and epoxy embellishment featuring vintage, writer-inspired icons.

The Scribe Ephemera Pack features icons and embellishments inspired by literary classics and vintage communication.

The Scribe Icon Grand Adhesions are dimensional stickers with vintage literary images including sparkling gems, real feathers and ribbons. 

 

I am thrilled that K&Co is reintroducing Maison, one of my favorite collections from a few years ago. Maison is a sweet, vintage collection that takes you on a little journey through the cobblestone streets, romantic parks and quaint shops of Paris. The paper designs and embellishments were inspired by my journal sketches, as well as vintage documents, postcards and florals collected from excursions to Parisian “brocantes” (second hand markets).

The Maison Specialty Paper Pad contains 28 double-sided sheets, some with special touches of thermography, glitter, shimmer, froth and foil.

The Maison Die-Cut Cardstock includes 80 tags and frames, featuring vintage patterns and expressions.

The Maison Flower Grand Adhesions are perfect for handmade cards and decorations, and feature real gems, ribbon and touches of glitter.

I hope you have fun incorporating these new papers and embellishments into your cardmaking and papercrafting projects! They are available online now, and in Michaels and craft stores nationwide by Spring 2013.