Tuesday's Tools: The FUSE by We R Memory Keepers

Yesterday, I showed Blog Followers the card that I made for my niece, Dani, in celebration of her graduation on Saturday from Penn State.  It was this card, which features a shaker full of sequins, stars and a graduation cap:

Today, I'd like to show you how to make any size "shaker" for your cards or scrapbook layouts, using a relatively new tool called the "Fuse" from We R Memory Keepers (WRMK) 

The principle of the Fuse is simple: take a good quality page protector like that sold by Close To My Heart (#4110, $9.95 for 10) or the Photo Sleeves sold separately by WRMK, insert the art you want to enclose along with whatever you want to include -- mementos, sequins, confetti, etc. -- and seal the items within the space by using the "Fuse."

I purchased my WRMK Fuse from Simon Says Stamp ($29.99).

The Fuse is similar to a heating device like an electric-operating wood burning tool. The tool comes with two nibs: one to cut the plastic, and the other a rolling serrated nip that heats and melts the top and bottom surfaces together.

To use the Fuse, first create your artwork, and pick the items you want to play on top of your art when fused together.  Take a quality page protector (thick enough to weld) like that sold by Close To My Heart (#4110, $9.95 for ten 12x12" sheets); trim it to size -- about a half inch around your art. Scraps are fine! 

Insert your artwork and sequins as you want in between the top and bottom layers of your page protector piece.  Then, put the piece atop an all-purpose, heat-resistant craft mat, to protect your work surface. I got mine from Close To My Heart (Z2045, $19.95). Plug in your FUSE and allow it to warm up for about 10 minutes.

Roll the warm serrated tool slowly, close to edge of the art you're looking to seal.  Once it is done and has sealed the entire perimeter of  your project, trim the scrap of page protector away from the serrated edge.  This (above) was my first try and I wasn't exactly perfect -- it didn't matter, because remember, it's being inserted into my card and sealed with tape or glue between the top navy blue edge and the bottom card surface. 

I can think of many different uses for the FUSE, including bookmarks and Christmas decorations. You can use it to contain an object onto a scrapbook page, to create additional photo pockets, and more.  How have you used YOUR Fuse?

Card Kitchen "Celebrate" Card

Our family has an awful lot of occasions to celebrate this month. 

In our immediate family, we have three birthdays (my hubby, son-in-law and Dad)

... Mothers' Day for our three living Moms (me, my Mom and my daughter), 

... plus graduations: my niece Nicole and nephew Max graduate from high school; and my oldest niece graduates from Franklin & Marshall University (Lancaster, PA) with a music degree. 

I bet you're just as busy! This cute card could be used as an invitation, a congratulations card or a birthday card.

To make it, I used a design from May's Card Kitchen kit from Jillibean Soup. I removed one element from atop the tag, and cut the word "Party!" using a design from Silhouette America's online store. I popped it up in red (which photographs as pink) to give a little more zing. What do you think?  

Happy celebrations, whatever is on your calendar!!