Builder Wheel Gum Holder

Eclipse gum holder

I love dressing up candies and treats to create inexpensive little gifts for friends!  One of my favorites is making my own cover sliders for gum.  I've been demonstrating this easy-to-make Gum Holder at my May workshops and they've been a big hit!

Cover & Pull-Tab How-Tos

Start with a piece of 6-1/2 x 4" card stock (I used Rich Razzleberry).  Along the 6-1/2" side, score at the 1", 1-1/4", 3-3/4" and 4" marks.  Fold and adhere with Sticky Strip, then decorate. 

Eclipse gum holder back Since I was covering the front anyway, I put the seam on the front, so the back is seamless.  If I wasn't covering the front, I would have put the seam in the back.

I adhered a 1-1/2" piece of Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon and added a Gold Mini Brad to secure it. 

I used the Slit Punch (or you could use a circle punch) to make a little notch to better see the pull.  Normally, I would include this notch on the front, but I didn't want to distract from the Builder Wheel images.

Builder Wheels

As soon as I received my new Builder Wheels from the Summer Mini Catalog, I wanted to try them on this project.  They are the perfect fit for the width of the gum, so you can whip up a bunch of these in a hurry!

Spindle 119895S Have you seen these versatile wheels?  You stack three of the mini wheels together on a Spindle and snap them into the Jumbo Stampin' Around Handle.  There are six different wheels available, so it's fun to mix and match them.  Or, you can use the Spacers to use only one or two of the Builder Wheels at a time!

You can ink the entire set of wheels at one time on a regular ink pad. Triple cell cartridge 121206S But, the most exciting part is that you can use a Triple-Cell Ink Cartridge with them, so each wheel will be self-inked in a different color!  The cartridge comes uninked—you choose what colors of Refill Inks to add to each of the three cells.  Totally customizable!  Too Cool!

I used Rich Razzleberry ink with the Posy Party, Night of Navy ink with Thoughtful Friend, and Elegant Eggplant with Bees & Blossoms.  Layered on Elegant Eggplant card stock.

How To Ink Your Cartridges

I've had several people ask how to ink the cartridge…here's how I did it.  I moved the nozzle of the Refill Ink Bottle in a continuous "S" motion around each cell, turning the cell as I went.  Squeeze the bottles hard enough that you have a nice flow of ink coming out, not just drops.  The goal is to cover the entire cell with no "white" showing, so I also squeezed ink along each cell edge to cover it completely (be careful not to get ink in the next cell).  I recommend using tweezers to help you rotate each cell as you ink it—keeps your fingers cleaner! 

Once you have one cell covered, move onto the next.  There are plastic spacers between cells to keep the colors from mingling, but you should take special care not to get the wrong color in the wrong cell—you can't correct it! 

When all cells are filled, test out your wheels.  If your images are not well-covered with ink after a few rolls, then you may need to add a little more ink.  Again, apply in the "S" motion all the way around.  The ink will absorb into the cell more evenly on its own.

Re-Inking Your Ink Pads

And, while we're on the topic.  This is the same basic technique you use for inking both Classic and Craft Ink Pads, as well.  Apply in the same, back and forth "S" motion, then "draw" a line all around the edges.  The ink will even out overnight.

Angie

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