Add new comment

I bought this zipper die set from My Favorite Things because one of my many side gigs is decorating hoodies with custom cut vinyl and rhinestones. I've had that business since 2006 and when I started papercrafting I thought for sure I could make this style of card for my clients and might even make some signage for my mobile store with it. Now two years after that purchase my health has forced me to drop pretty much all side gig "work". For all I know my massive disc rupture was caused by years of opening and closing of my 16 x 20 clamshell heat press. I would also sit hunched over a garment carefully placing rhinestones on a garment with my head in the press while the 350 degree platen sat over my head. All of that could have been bad for my back.

I did this apparel decorating in the evenings and on weekends because I also work a day job. Now that press has moved on to a new home and my back (post three surgeries) has finally recovered. So here I have this great hoodie die set and I was feeling a bit nostalgic over the weekend, missing all those 80 hour weeks and sweat pouring off me while I make 50 garments. So I made this hoodie in rememberance of those old days.

I picked a patriotic theme, using a piece of Authentique paper with a lighter red Recollections cardstock and matte silver DCWV cardstock. The Authentique paper is on a cream stock so I chose a cream base and cut out a sentiment label from my Lil' Inkers Long and Skinny Rectangles. I cut the happy birthday die sentiment from a scrap of the same hoodie pattern. It all glued together nicely. I used my xyron to sticker-ize the zipper components. A real jump ring joins the zipper with its star shaped pull. Liquid glue was used on the sentiment because the scrap piece was very thin and running through the Xyron would have been a waste of good glue. Mono glue worked perfect. The only element I popped up was the star pull. I thought it came out very cute. Then to finish it off and to give it more texture, I ran it through using the largest Lil' Inkers Stitched rectangle which is 4.25 x 5.5.

I did not make this card for any challenges but then I see that Simon Says Stamp has add some texture Challenge for Wednesday with a use MFT if you can. I then popped over to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and see their Tuesday Teapotter Challenge calls for Stitches. PERFECT!

Note: It appears that the Zipper Die set is retired, but I bet it pops up on Ebay now and again.