We will be heading to St. Louis for our annual visit just after Christmas and will be returning after the start of the new year. I hope everyone has the best year yet!
From our family to yours.....Merry Christmas.....and Happy New Year!!!!
Tuesday, December 23
Merry Christmas!!
We will be heading to St. Louis for our annual visit just after Christmas and will be returning after the start of the new year. I hope everyone has the best year yet!
From our family to yours.....Merry Christmas.....and Happy New Year!!!!
Sunday, December 14
Teacher's gifts
Teacher's gifts are done! I am so happy with how they turned out. I've never had the nerve to make anything for a teacher's gift because it seemed like a big task. I am not sure WHY I felt the one year we had 6 teachers to give goodies to was the year to take it on, but I did. LOL.
Inside the boxes are 5 different kinds of full sized Hershey's bars. Special dark, regular Hershey's bar, Cookies and Cream, Mr. Goodbar, and Hershey's with almonds. I made little boxes according to the stationary box tutorial from a few posts ago.
For each box I cut the bottom piece to 9"x5.5". I made my score marks at 1.5" all the way around and folded, cut and glued it according to the tutorial above. For the top I cut the paper to 8"x4.5". I scored it at 1/8th of an inch shy of 1" all the way around (to allow the top to be a tad bit bigger). The finished box is 2.5" wide x 6" long and 1.5" deep. I made a little 3"x3" card in matching paper/cardstock and let the kids sign the inside of their own teacher's cards. Then punched a hole on the inside left corner to run the ribbon through that I tied around the package.
Inside the boxes are 5 different kinds of full sized Hershey's bars. Special dark, regular Hershey's bar, Cookies and Cream, Mr. Goodbar, and Hershey's with almonds. I made little boxes according to the stationary box tutorial from a few posts ago.
For each box I cut the bottom piece to 9"x5.5". I made my score marks at 1.5" all the way around and folded, cut and glued it according to the tutorial above. For the top I cut the paper to 8"x4.5". I scored it at 1/8th of an inch shy of 1" all the way around (to allow the top to be a tad bit bigger). The finished box is 2.5" wide x 6" long and 1.5" deep. I made a little 3"x3" card in matching paper/cardstock and let the kids sign the inside of their own teacher's cards. Then punched a hole on the inside left corner to run the ribbon through that I tied around the package.
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Monday, December 8
Blog Candy!!!!
What do we love more than scrappy blogs! Scrappy blogs who are sharing blog candy!!! This is a fabulous blog with some cute work posted, so check it out while you are there.
Monday, December 1
I'm soooo STICKERS!
My friend Sherry shared this fun little quiz with me and I thought who better to share it with than my fellow scrappers. If you are feeling froggy, I'd love it if you shared your results with me in the comments.
My Result:
You are STICKERS!
You like brightening things up in life and decorating your living space with your own personal style. You are versatile and able to get things done with a stick-to-it attitude. People love your colorful personality and personal flair! You like exploring new things and are willing to try anything once. But Stickers beware - sometimes you like to stick to someone that you like a little too much and take them into your confidence a little too easily. Your personality tends to make you a steadfast friend, but make sure the friends you choose are worth your efforts!
My Result:
You are STICKERS!
You like brightening things up in life and decorating your living space with your own personal style. You are versatile and able to get things done with a stick-to-it attitude. People love your colorful personality and personal flair! You like exploring new things and are willing to try anything once. But Stickers beware - sometimes you like to stick to someone that you like a little too much and take them into your confidence a little too easily. Your personality tends to make you a steadfast friend, but make sure the friends you choose are worth your efforts!
Friday, November 28
Inexpensive, last minute gifts....
Do you have a last minute person you need to buy for? A party you want to show up with a hostess gift for? Well here are some cute ideas I have gathered from friends, family, myself and searching the web and have written down in my little holiday ideas book throughout the years. I hope these are able to help someone out as the countdown to Christmas keeps ticking. These would be great for teachers, co-workers, secretaries, family members, friends. Some are handmade, some are storebought, all are quick and easy. I have estimated a rough dollar amount it cost me to do the same thing. I have used every one of these ideas and they were all a hit. Everything varies from a few dollars up to $15. Though there are always ideas for sprucing up the idea a little more spending a bit extra if you felt froggy.
Recipes $varies
This can be as cheap as just a few dollars a person if you are making a lot of sets. Make a yummy pie, cookies, bread or other treat. Put it in a decorative tin or wrap and then tie a pretty ribbon around it with the recipe attatched to the ribbon.
Let Me Count the Ways $Free
This is awesome for a grandkid to give a grandparent, or even to give your sweetie. Get a pretty box or jar. Then write out on strips of solid but pretty paper 365 happy memories or reasons why you love them. Then print a little card explaining they are to take out 1 strip of paper a day so they always start their day remembering they are loved. This can be a free project if you have supplies on hand.
Candles $5
Go to the dollar store and find a pretty glass flat dish/plate. 3-5 inches. Then buy a few votives or 1 med sized candle. You place them on the plate, tie up with pretty mesh or sheer fabric and a pretty ribbon around the top. Another idea is to buy them 1 of every kind of small votive you find that you think smells good. You can easily gather 10 for around $5. Then package them up in a row in a box and let them try out to find their favorite scent.
Cookies $5
The more sets of these you produce, the cheaper it is. You mix together all of the dry ingredients for sugar cookies. Then create a recipe for them to add the wet ingredients themselves. Put the powder in jar or pretty baggie and attach the recipe and a cookie cutter.
Kiddie Bath Time $5
I got 2 rubber duckies and a magic washcloth (they sell these at almost all dollar stores...the kind that come wrapped up soooo tiny and when you put them in water they expand to a full washcloth....they even almost always have cartoon characters on them). You could also just do a coordinating fun poofy thing. Then a fun bubble bath. Lots of times you can find a very cheap bath toy too to add.
Grill Master $5
You can add an inexpensive grill cleaning brush and grill tools set if you'd like to spruce the bag up some, but I went and found in the grocery aisle, a variety of sauces and rubs for grilling. Packaged them up all nicely and voila. A goodie bag for the grill master in your life. It's a great way for people to try things new without having to invest in it themselves.
Candy!!! $5
Puchase a few candy bars from the checkout aisle. Try to make them all similar sized. Wrap them in patterned paper all together and tie with a ribbon. I like to make a coordinating card too. Everyone likes candy!!!!!
Manicure set $10
Puchase a mini manicure set together with clippers, file, buffer etc or you can buy them cheap separately too. Add a little tub of polish remover (the kind with the sponge already in it) and get them a few bottles of pretty nail polish to go with it. I only spent about $5, but I managed to have 3 separate 50% off Rimmel nail polish coupons. So I put $10 to be safe...though it'll probably be closer to $8.
Art set $10
Awesome for kids. Get a little gift bag (or reusable tote...they sell cool bags all the time at the dollar store) and fill it with a box of crayons, a package of colored pencils, markers, paint set, color book, colored paper, a notepad, eraser, whatever cheap little art tools you can find. Be thoughtful of washable products if you are gearing towards a child younger than 5.
Movie Night $10
Go to the local blockbuster (almost everyone has one semi-near) and get a $4 gift card for a rental. Or you can go to Walmart and they have tons of movies to choose from for $5. Get a gift bag (if you have them around baskets or tubs are a better presentation, but bags work in a pinch always!) and fill with a little tissue paper at the bottom. Then arrange nicely a small box of popcorn, a two liter of soda or a few 20 oz, one movie box of candy per person(they sell them for 84cents at Walmart in the movie theatre style boxes), and the gift card/movie.
Game Night $10
I spent $10 because I went and paid for a Book of Hoyle (also called According to Hoyle) that was a little paperback citing all the rules to over 200 card games. You could also go online and find directions and official rules to just a handful of fun games and print them out on pretty paper (come on most of you are scrappers....you LIVE for that kind of project!!!!!) and give it along with a deck of cards. Try making a mini album even.
Just Add Ice Cream $10
This time of year you can find a little set of ice cream bowls for less than 3-4 dollars. Though I have found them year round in the housewares dept of Walmart for $1-$1.50 each. The little glass pedastal bowls. I went to the grocery aisle and bought the waffle bowls instead. Those are yummy. Then buy toppings. Little jars of fudge, caramel, strawberry sauce, sprinkles, nuts, don't forget cherries!!! Then if you want to give them a $5 gift card to pick up 1-2 things of ice cream you can. I didn't include that in the price because it's not necessary, just a little extra idea.
Coffee Lover $10
A cute mug, a flavored creamer, several mini bags of flavored coffee and sugar packets or small resealable package.
Scrapbooking kit $15
You can make your own mini kit. Buy or make a mini album. One that's 6x6 or smaller and has 12 or fewer pages are perfect for getting started. Think brag book sized. 5 papers all coordinating patterns, 5 papers all coordinating solids, a multicolored pack of brads (just find one that matches best), a roll of doublesided Scotch tape, and a pen. Then you can make or purchase enough embellies to stick to the pages you need to fill. Well, they will need to fill. A smaller book will be good to have one sheet of embellies for a few pages, and they can always add more if they see fit. I would go with a theme here. Like a vacation album, a holiday album, all about grandkids album, etc. Then you could just get 4-5 packages of grandkid themed (or whatever theme) embellishments. You can also add a sheet or two of letter stickers. Or even a decorative punch. If you shop sales at the scrapbooking super stores and use your 40% offs wisely...this can be very cheap. If you want to save more money, but spend more time, you can create the album for them so they just need to add photos.
Pasta Dinner $15
Arrange in your gift bag or basket, a box of pasta, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a loaf of bread, a package of parmesan cheese, a bottle of wine or other drink. I have found around the holidays it's easy to get little cute things to add like a cute shaker for parmesan, or a cute set of spaghetti plate/bowls. There are always extras you can find like that to add to any gift set if you want to spend a little more. But I find that if you are trying to get the biggest effect for the least amount a simple spaghetti dinner is something anyone can enjoy.
At the Carwash $15
Pick up a bottle of ArmorAll, windex wipes, a chamois, car soap and a sponge. Walmart even has detailing brushes for like $1.50 I just saw. Add a car safe cleaner and put it all in a bucket for washing your car.
Emergency Kit $15
A cute little gift idea that is so useful. Get a pretty little bag and fill it with a small sewing kit (you can find these anywhere less than a dollar), a little mirror (they make adorable ones in little girls makeup kits, clear nail polish for runs in hose, nail clippers, nail file, small brush, travel sized fruity spray, travel sized tooth brush/paste, a mini screwdriver (they sell them that just flip from phillips to flat head at the hardware store soooo cheap. Travel sized lotion, a few small ponytail holders, 2-3 safety pins, small lint brush, a Tide pen, a few band aids (I have been lucky enough to find mini first aid kits with a few bandaids and a few small wipes of antibacterial ointment for just a dollar), chapstick, breath spray or mints, tylenol, tissue. Put all of these items in a small pretty bag the person can keep in their car. I even added a tiny coin purse with $2 in quarters tucked in, just in case you need to use a pay phone or something.
I hope some of these ideas are fun for you to create and give you ideas. I'd love if you shared some of yours. If you run out of time just remember: There is always the standby bottle of wine with a pretty corkscrew if you get desperate at the last minute. Liquor stores are always open. LOL!
Recipes $varies
This can be as cheap as just a few dollars a person if you are making a lot of sets. Make a yummy pie, cookies, bread or other treat. Put it in a decorative tin or wrap and then tie a pretty ribbon around it with the recipe attatched to the ribbon.
Let Me Count the Ways $Free
This is awesome for a grandkid to give a grandparent, or even to give your sweetie. Get a pretty box or jar. Then write out on strips of solid but pretty paper 365 happy memories or reasons why you love them. Then print a little card explaining they are to take out 1 strip of paper a day so they always start their day remembering they are loved. This can be a free project if you have supplies on hand.
Candles $5
Go to the dollar store and find a pretty glass flat dish/plate. 3-5 inches. Then buy a few votives or 1 med sized candle. You place them on the plate, tie up with pretty mesh or sheer fabric and a pretty ribbon around the top. Another idea is to buy them 1 of every kind of small votive you find that you think smells good. You can easily gather 10 for around $5. Then package them up in a row in a box and let them try out to find their favorite scent.
Cookies $5
The more sets of these you produce, the cheaper it is. You mix together all of the dry ingredients for sugar cookies. Then create a recipe for them to add the wet ingredients themselves. Put the powder in jar or pretty baggie and attach the recipe and a cookie cutter.
Kiddie Bath Time $5
I got 2 rubber duckies and a magic washcloth (they sell these at almost all dollar stores...the kind that come wrapped up soooo tiny and when you put them in water they expand to a full washcloth....they even almost always have cartoon characters on them). You could also just do a coordinating fun poofy thing. Then a fun bubble bath. Lots of times you can find a very cheap bath toy too to add.
Grill Master $5
You can add an inexpensive grill cleaning brush and grill tools set if you'd like to spruce the bag up some, but I went and found in the grocery aisle, a variety of sauces and rubs for grilling. Packaged them up all nicely and voila. A goodie bag for the grill master in your life. It's a great way for people to try things new without having to invest in it themselves.
Candy!!! $5
Puchase a few candy bars from the checkout aisle. Try to make them all similar sized. Wrap them in patterned paper all together and tie with a ribbon. I like to make a coordinating card too. Everyone likes candy!!!!!
Manicure set $10
Puchase a mini manicure set together with clippers, file, buffer etc or you can buy them cheap separately too. Add a little tub of polish remover (the kind with the sponge already in it) and get them a few bottles of pretty nail polish to go with it. I only spent about $5, but I managed to have 3 separate 50% off Rimmel nail polish coupons. So I put $10 to be safe...though it'll probably be closer to $8.
Art set $10
Awesome for kids. Get a little gift bag (or reusable tote...they sell cool bags all the time at the dollar store) and fill it with a box of crayons, a package of colored pencils, markers, paint set, color book, colored paper, a notepad, eraser, whatever cheap little art tools you can find. Be thoughtful of washable products if you are gearing towards a child younger than 5.
Movie Night $10
Go to the local blockbuster (almost everyone has one semi-near) and get a $4 gift card for a rental. Or you can go to Walmart and they have tons of movies to choose from for $5. Get a gift bag (if you have them around baskets or tubs are a better presentation, but bags work in a pinch always!) and fill with a little tissue paper at the bottom. Then arrange nicely a small box of popcorn, a two liter of soda or a few 20 oz, one movie box of candy per person(they sell them for 84cents at Walmart in the movie theatre style boxes), and the gift card/movie.
Game Night $10
I spent $10 because I went and paid for a Book of Hoyle (also called According to Hoyle) that was a little paperback citing all the rules to over 200 card games. You could also go online and find directions and official rules to just a handful of fun games and print them out on pretty paper (come on most of you are scrappers....you LIVE for that kind of project!!!!!) and give it along with a deck of cards. Try making a mini album even.
Just Add Ice Cream $10
This time of year you can find a little set of ice cream bowls for less than 3-4 dollars. Though I have found them year round in the housewares dept of Walmart for $1-$1.50 each. The little glass pedastal bowls. I went to the grocery aisle and bought the waffle bowls instead. Those are yummy. Then buy toppings. Little jars of fudge, caramel, strawberry sauce, sprinkles, nuts, don't forget cherries!!! Then if you want to give them a $5 gift card to pick up 1-2 things of ice cream you can. I didn't include that in the price because it's not necessary, just a little extra idea.
Coffee Lover $10
A cute mug, a flavored creamer, several mini bags of flavored coffee and sugar packets or small resealable package.
Scrapbooking kit $15
You can make your own mini kit. Buy or make a mini album. One that's 6x6 or smaller and has 12 or fewer pages are perfect for getting started. Think brag book sized. 5 papers all coordinating patterns, 5 papers all coordinating solids, a multicolored pack of brads (just find one that matches best), a roll of doublesided Scotch tape, and a pen. Then you can make or purchase enough embellies to stick to the pages you need to fill. Well, they will need to fill. A smaller book will be good to have one sheet of embellies for a few pages, and they can always add more if they see fit. I would go with a theme here. Like a vacation album, a holiday album, all about grandkids album, etc. Then you could just get 4-5 packages of grandkid themed (or whatever theme) embellishments. You can also add a sheet or two of letter stickers. Or even a decorative punch. If you shop sales at the scrapbooking super stores and use your 40% offs wisely...this can be very cheap. If you want to save more money, but spend more time, you can create the album for them so they just need to add photos.
Pasta Dinner $15
Arrange in your gift bag or basket, a box of pasta, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a loaf of bread, a package of parmesan cheese, a bottle of wine or other drink. I have found around the holidays it's easy to get little cute things to add like a cute shaker for parmesan, or a cute set of spaghetti plate/bowls. There are always extras you can find like that to add to any gift set if you want to spend a little more. But I find that if you are trying to get the biggest effect for the least amount a simple spaghetti dinner is something anyone can enjoy.
At the Carwash $15
Pick up a bottle of ArmorAll, windex wipes, a chamois, car soap and a sponge. Walmart even has detailing brushes for like $1.50 I just saw. Add a car safe cleaner and put it all in a bucket for washing your car.
Emergency Kit $15
A cute little gift idea that is so useful. Get a pretty little bag and fill it with a small sewing kit (you can find these anywhere less than a dollar), a little mirror (they make adorable ones in little girls makeup kits, clear nail polish for runs in hose, nail clippers, nail file, small brush, travel sized fruity spray, travel sized tooth brush/paste, a mini screwdriver (they sell them that just flip from phillips to flat head at the hardware store soooo cheap. Travel sized lotion, a few small ponytail holders, 2-3 safety pins, small lint brush, a Tide pen, a few band aids (I have been lucky enough to find mini first aid kits with a few bandaids and a few small wipes of antibacterial ointment for just a dollar), chapstick, breath spray or mints, tylenol, tissue. Put all of these items in a small pretty bag the person can keep in their car. I even added a tiny coin purse with $2 in quarters tucked in, just in case you need to use a pay phone or something.
I hope some of these ideas are fun for you to create and give you ideas. I'd love if you shared some of yours. If you run out of time just remember: There is always the standby bottle of wine with a pretty corkscrew if you get desperate at the last minute. Liquor stores are always open. LOL!
Wednesday, November 19
Holy macaroni I'm done!!!!
You all remember how you all told me I was crazy for making all my cards different? Well turns out you were right and I admit it. LOL. I ran out of embellishments after 16 cards and decided if I was going to have to buy more then I was following the brilliant advice of making them all the same basic template and just switching the colors around. Here are the last cards. There are 2-3 more styles but my camera just died, so sharing will have to be later. There are 8 of every style. I should have probably used patterned paper but I went with colored cardstock because it's what I had plenty of on hand.
I went out and bought some really pretty glittery to/from tags from the store. Like $2 for 16 makes them tons cheaper than any embellishment from a craft store! These have to/from on the back, but once they are stuck no one will know. They are like 2.5x3 inches. I just matted them twice and then used coordinating glitter dust paper for the perpendicular strip. The glitter dust paper has the same texture of glitter as what is on the little pictures.
I went out and bought some really pretty glittery to/from tags from the store. Like $2 for 16 makes them tons cheaper than any embellishment from a craft store! These have to/from on the back, but once they are stuck no one will know. They are like 2.5x3 inches. I just matted them twice and then used coordinating glitter dust paper for the perpendicular strip. The glitter dust paper has the same texture of glitter as what is on the little pictures.
Tuesday, November 18
Drowning in Christmas cheer
I am still working on Christmas cards and I am still following the bright idea of making them all different. I have received tons of great advice on how to streamline the process to make it more of a mass production and still have them be handmade with my style and I am going to do that as soon as I finish up the 20 I started. I have 75 total. Though if you are on my Christmas card list and you get a store-bought card, you'll know I failed. LOL.
My reason for them all being different is I'm trying to just use up the cardstock, ribbons and embellishments that I have on hand that are leftovers or just never used before I go out and purchase pieces. I have also recycled a few Christmas cards from years past. Hacking them up for parts and then creating pieces with those parts.
Here are a few of the cards I worked on tonight that are my favorites. The first one photographed funky. It's a solid red on the left, but since it's that metallic paper you can see the reflection of whatever was next to me while taking the pic.
My reason for them all being different is I'm trying to just use up the cardstock, ribbons and embellishments that I have on hand that are leftovers or just never used before I go out and purchase pieces. I have also recycled a few Christmas cards from years past. Hacking them up for parts and then creating pieces with those parts.
Here are a few of the cards I worked on tonight that are my favorites. The first one photographed funky. It's a solid red on the left, but since it's that metallic paper you can see the reflection of whatever was next to me while taking the pic.
Sunday, November 16
It's the most wonderful time of the year...
Or so they keep telling me. I decided to take on the job of making Christmas cards this year. I have searched for sketches and found ideas all over and sat down with my piles of stuff and started trimming. Well almost 5 hours later, I have 4 cards!! Did I mention I decided to stifle boredom by making them all unique?? What was I thinking? LOL. Well the last two only took about 15min each, so I thinking the process will be flowing now. There was a lot of trial and error on those first two cards. This was only my second time sitting down to make cards. I wanted to share the progress I've gotten done:
Friday, November 7
How to make a gift box
We all have seen pretty little gift boxes. Ranging in size from a few inches to hold small trinkets and jewelry, to several feet long to hold decadent bath robes. These are so easy to create yourself that the next time you see them for sale for several dollars that's just plain as it gets, you will chuckle knowing you can make them yourself. Now using this technique you really won't be able to get bigger than a 10" square box because most decorative cardstock and trimmer/scorers are only designed for 12x12. Your total dimensions can't exceed 12 inches (that is width + depth + depth). Also make sure you read to the end before trying as I tend to add tips as I think them up...lol!
In this example I'm going to show you how to make a 6" square box that is 2" deep. Then I will show you how to create the same box with your specified dimensions with a simple calculation.
You will need the following supplies:
2 sheets of thick cardstock in whatever color or pattern you desire. *
A paper trimmer
A scoring blade **
Adhesive ***
*I like to use 2 coordinating pieces so the top and bottom don't match, but coordinate.
**If you don't have a scoring blade then you can attempt the folding by measuring out your dimensions where I state to score it and simply draw a pencil line and fold it on the line and use a stiff object to press it into a nice crease.
***The thicker the paper...the stronger the adhesive needed. I use thick cardstock and double sided sticky tape works great.
Step 1:
For the bottom of your box you need the first sheet of cardstock. Keeping in mind you are creating a 6" box in this example. You will need to cut your 12x12 cardstock into a 10" square. You will score the cardstock at 2" and 8". That is 2" from each end. Then you rotate it 90 degrees and repeat. Creating a paper with score marks that look like this:
Step 2:
You will then pick the short sides and make 2" cuts stopping at the score line. In the case of square boxes, any two opposite sides will do. Your cuts will be where I have drawn the blue lines below:
Step 3:
You will then bend to create a nice crease all of the parts marked pink in the picture directly above. Those are all of your score lines. It is easier to crease all of the score lines in this step than it is to crease as you go.
Step 4:
You will apply adhesive to the tabs that are marked as solid blue squares below. You will be putting the adhesive on the decorative side (the side shown on the outside of the box) as they will be tucked in.
Step 5:
Fold those now sticky tabs in and use the short side 2" flap to cover them.
You may need to hold together or clip together to allow the glue/tape to fully adhere, but within moments your box bottom will be complete. Set it aside and we can begin working on the lid. As I said, I like to use a coordinating cardstock for the lid. The lid will not need to be as deep, so we will start by trimming our 12x12. You don't want your lid to cover the bottom you just worked so hard on...right?
Step 6:
Trim your 12x12 cardstock to a smidge over 7" square. I say a smidge, although it should be roughly 1/8th of an inch over. This is because you do not want to smash your box lid on top. You will want it to fit comfortably over your bottom so it requires approximately an 1/8th inch extra. A lot of trimmers do not have an 1/8th inch mark so if that is the case, it is completely okay to eyeball the extra smidge. =)
Step 7:
The steps will now be pretty similar to steps 1-5 above. Instead of scoring at 2" in from each side all the way around, you will score at 1/2 an inch all the way around. That will leave a 6 and 1/8th inch center.
Step 8:
You will make the same cuts as above in step 2. You will basically follow steps 3, 4 and 5 as well. To create your box lid. The total dimensions for your bottom will be 6"x6" and 2" deep. The lid will be 6 and 1/8th x 6 and 1/8th and 0.5" deep.
Now I told you it was quite simple to make the box any size, but that with 12x12 cardstock 10" is about as big as you can go. Well what if you wanted a box that was 4x4 or 6x6 or even 3x5. Easy Peasy. You will still follow the steps above EXCEPT for the initial score marks.
If you are making a perfectly square box then you will start with a piece of cardstock. Figure out how deep (tall) you want it and how wide you want it. If you want a 4" box that is 3" deep you will start with an 10" square piece of cardstock. Your beginning sheet will be always width+depth+depth. You will make the score marks all the way around at 3" instead of the 2" in the example above. Your score marks will always be placed at whatever inch mark you decided for the depth. The steps are the same as above after that. Including making the box lid with the extra 1/8th of an inch.
If you are wanting to make a box that is NOT square, but rather a rectangle, the steps are again nearly the same, with the exception of the beginning deminsions and score marks. In this case you won't start with a square sheet. You will figure out the size by the same steps as with a square sheet. If you want it to be 3"x5" and 3" deep you will cut your starter sheet to be 9"x11". 9" equals 3"wide + 3" deep + 3 " deep. The 11" equals 5" wide + 3" deep + 3 " deep. Your score marks will still be created at 3" all the way around and after folding them you will see you are left with a 3"x5" box!
I hope some of you will share your boxes. I make these all the time. Birthday paper, hearts for valentine's day, or Christmas paper for the holidays. You can even decorate it in a character theme for a box to send home birthday goodies in.
In this example I'm going to show you how to make a 6" square box that is 2" deep. Then I will show you how to create the same box with your specified dimensions with a simple calculation.
You will need the following supplies:
2 sheets of thick cardstock in whatever color or pattern you desire. *
A paper trimmer
A scoring blade **
Adhesive ***
*I like to use 2 coordinating pieces so the top and bottom don't match, but coordinate.
**If you don't have a scoring blade then you can attempt the folding by measuring out your dimensions where I state to score it and simply draw a pencil line and fold it on the line and use a stiff object to press it into a nice crease.
***The thicker the paper...the stronger the adhesive needed. I use thick cardstock and double sided sticky tape works great.
Step 1:
For the bottom of your box you need the first sheet of cardstock. Keeping in mind you are creating a 6" box in this example. You will need to cut your 12x12 cardstock into a 10" square. You will score the cardstock at 2" and 8". That is 2" from each end. Then you rotate it 90 degrees and repeat. Creating a paper with score marks that look like this:
Step 2:
You will then pick the short sides and make 2" cuts stopping at the score line. In the case of square boxes, any two opposite sides will do. Your cuts will be where I have drawn the blue lines below:
Step 3:
You will then bend to create a nice crease all of the parts marked pink in the picture directly above. Those are all of your score lines. It is easier to crease all of the score lines in this step than it is to crease as you go.
Step 4:
You will apply adhesive to the tabs that are marked as solid blue squares below. You will be putting the adhesive on the decorative side (the side shown on the outside of the box) as they will be tucked in.
Step 5:
Fold those now sticky tabs in and use the short side 2" flap to cover them.
You may need to hold together or clip together to allow the glue/tape to fully adhere, but within moments your box bottom will be complete. Set it aside and we can begin working on the lid. As I said, I like to use a coordinating cardstock for the lid. The lid will not need to be as deep, so we will start by trimming our 12x12. You don't want your lid to cover the bottom you just worked so hard on...right?
Step 6:
Trim your 12x12 cardstock to a smidge over 7" square. I say a smidge, although it should be roughly 1/8th of an inch over. This is because you do not want to smash your box lid on top. You will want it to fit comfortably over your bottom so it requires approximately an 1/8th inch extra. A lot of trimmers do not have an 1/8th inch mark so if that is the case, it is completely okay to eyeball the extra smidge. =)
Step 7:
The steps will now be pretty similar to steps 1-5 above. Instead of scoring at 2" in from each side all the way around, you will score at 1/2 an inch all the way around. That will leave a 6 and 1/8th inch center.
Step 8:
You will make the same cuts as above in step 2. You will basically follow steps 3, 4 and 5 as well. To create your box lid. The total dimensions for your bottom will be 6"x6" and 2" deep. The lid will be 6 and 1/8th x 6 and 1/8th and 0.5" deep.
Now I told you it was quite simple to make the box any size, but that with 12x12 cardstock 10" is about as big as you can go. Well what if you wanted a box that was 4x4 or 6x6 or even 3x5. Easy Peasy. You will still follow the steps above EXCEPT for the initial score marks.
If you are making a perfectly square box then you will start with a piece of cardstock. Figure out how deep (tall) you want it and how wide you want it. If you want a 4" box that is 3" deep you will start with an 10" square piece of cardstock. Your beginning sheet will be always width+depth+depth. You will make the score marks all the way around at 3" instead of the 2" in the example above. Your score marks will always be placed at whatever inch mark you decided for the depth. The steps are the same as above after that. Including making the box lid with the extra 1/8th of an inch.
If you are wanting to make a box that is NOT square, but rather a rectangle, the steps are again nearly the same, with the exception of the beginning deminsions and score marks. In this case you won't start with a square sheet. You will figure out the size by the same steps as with a square sheet. If you want it to be 3"x5" and 3" deep you will cut your starter sheet to be 9"x11". 9" equals 3"wide + 3" deep + 3 " deep. The 11" equals 5" wide + 3" deep + 3 " deep. Your score marks will still be created at 3" all the way around and after folding them you will see you are left with a 3"x5" box!
I hope some of you will share your boxes. I make these all the time. Birthday paper, hearts for valentine's day, or Christmas paper for the holidays. You can even decorate it in a character theme for a box to send home birthday goodies in.
I will try to figure out how to post a video tutorial (for those that learn by seeing) and add several tips to make your box uniquely yours......
Thursday, October 30
Altered notepad and pen
In my last post, I shared a stationary kit I created as a gift. In the kit, I included an altered mini legal pad and pen that are so simple to re-create. It doesn't get ANY easier than this. The PERFECT item to try and alter if you are new to altering. I saw the idea for both of these items on a blog, Thinking Inking. She included both items in a little binder kit she created.
The notepad, was a mini legal pad I bought in a 3 pack at my local Wal-Mart for a few dollars last week. They had a few color choices, but I went with white so that it'd match more choices. I've also been told they sell them at many dollar stores and all office supply stores. The color of the binding doesn't matter at all. These notepads are 3"x5". You can do pretty much anything to alter these, but I chose to stick with simplicity. I covered the existing binding with a patterned piece of cardstock from the My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 set, since that is what my stationary kit was made from.
Pick the paper and cut a 3" x 4" piece. I measured how wide the binding was (3" same as the notepad) and I measured all the way from where it started on the front to where it ended after wrapping around on the back (4"). Turn the paper over, so that the side you want to show is face down. Apply adhesive to the entire piece careful to cover the edges very well. I simply used double sided Scotch tape and it worked perfect. Then lay it, sticky side down, on the front of your notepad and wrap it around carefully creasing it at the top two places it folds over and sticking it down securely as you go. That's all there is to it....easy peasy right?
For the pen, you need to buy a Pentel brand pen. Look for the ones seen here. These were $0.97 for a 2pack at Wal-Mart. I purchased blue, but they also came in black and purple. The tube of the pen is clear, but the end caps and ink vary. I took a piece of coordinating cardstock and cut it to 1"x4". Roll it up tightly around a skinny object. For me it helped to start the curling by rolling it up with a skinny pencil and then re-rolling it with an even skinnier stylus. Then you simply unscrew the bottom of the pen. The ink will stay attached to the bottom when you pull it out. Unless you want a BIG mess, don't try to take the ink off of the bottom cap....mmmkay? If you rolled it up tight enough, the paper will fit right into the cavity. As it unrolls itself inside a bit, it will fill the entire inside and leave a center hole for you to stick the inkwell back inside. I chose to take matching ribbon and wrap it around the cap a few times and then tie a bow, but that's up to how fancy you want to be with the project.
I created these items to include in a stationary kit, but they would be great on their own or with an altered journal or desk set. I hope to have the tutorial up for the box I created to house all of the items from this post and the last post asap. I would love to see your projects if you give these a try. As always, anytime you try something I post you can leave a link to your blog or online photo gallery in my comments :)
The notepad, was a mini legal pad I bought in a 3 pack at my local Wal-Mart for a few dollars last week. They had a few color choices, but I went with white so that it'd match more choices. I've also been told they sell them at many dollar stores and all office supply stores. The color of the binding doesn't matter at all. These notepads are 3"x5". You can do pretty much anything to alter these, but I chose to stick with simplicity. I covered the existing binding with a patterned piece of cardstock from the My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 set, since that is what my stationary kit was made from.
Pick the paper and cut a 3" x 4" piece. I measured how wide the binding was (3" same as the notepad) and I measured all the way from where it started on the front to where it ended after wrapping around on the back (4"). Turn the paper over, so that the side you want to show is face down. Apply adhesive to the entire piece careful to cover the edges very well. I simply used double sided Scotch tape and it worked perfect. Then lay it, sticky side down, on the front of your notepad and wrap it around carefully creasing it at the top two places it folds over and sticking it down securely as you go. That's all there is to it....easy peasy right?
For the pen, you need to buy a Pentel brand pen. Look for the ones seen here. These were $0.97 for a 2pack at Wal-Mart. I purchased blue, but they also came in black and purple. The tube of the pen is clear, but the end caps and ink vary. I took a piece of coordinating cardstock and cut it to 1"x4". Roll it up tightly around a skinny object. For me it helped to start the curling by rolling it up with a skinny pencil and then re-rolling it with an even skinnier stylus. Then you simply unscrew the bottom of the pen. The ink will stay attached to the bottom when you pull it out. Unless you want a BIG mess, don't try to take the ink off of the bottom cap....mmmkay? If you rolled it up tight enough, the paper will fit right into the cavity. As it unrolls itself inside a bit, it will fill the entire inside and leave a center hole for you to stick the inkwell back inside. I chose to take matching ribbon and wrap it around the cap a few times and then tie a bow, but that's up to how fancy you want to be with the project.
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I created these items to include in a stationary kit, but they would be great on their own or with an altered journal or desk set. I hope to have the tutorial up for the box I created to house all of the items from this post and the last post asap. I would love to see your projects if you give these a try. As always, anytime you try something I post you can leave a link to your blog or online photo gallery in my comments :)
Tuesday, October 28
Stationary Box
The finished product is done....a stationary kit. It was no small fete since I'd never actually made a card before or a box or anything remotely crafty beyond a scrapbook page. I love how it turned out though. WHOO HOO!! Can we say...CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!! One down...a zillion to go. LOL.
I saw a very cool stationary box online that I tried. I gave it my all and crashed and burned. LOL. Not quite as crafy as I thought. Well I decided to buy one of those regular brown craft boxes and cover it to match the cards I made. Well, wouldn't you know it...crashed and burned at that too! Then I found one of those gift boxes that a you can get to put a shirt in before you wrap it. I took it apart where it was glued and I figured out how it worked. I did the math and figured out how to make one fit my specifications. I used 2 coordinating My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy2 line pieces of cardstock so that the lid and bottom both coordinate, then I embellished the top with a frame from the set, a scrap of cardstock to match and red Alphabities.
I used the My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 line of products for everything on the cards. Except the ribbon is 9mm Grosgrain from Jo-Ann's in Coral Rose and Navy Turquoise. Also the brads are just various colors from my personal stash. There are 8 cards in total. I simply cut them to be a total of 4"x7" after folding and embellishing, because that was the size of the blank envelopes I had sitting around. They are all different, but coordinate since they are from the same line.
I also altered a pen, mini legal pad, and printed her out 8 labels with her name and address. I made a graphic for the left side using a graphic of the paper line I found online. Thank you very much Google. I just inserted that into the label template in Works for the labels I had on hand. I will add 8 stamps before giving it to her and voila.....stationary set! I will post a tutorial on how I did the pen and legal pad shortly. They were uber simple and a great idea for those wanting to start trying to alter items. I hope to get the specifications up for the gift box asap too.
I saw a very cool stationary box online that I tried. I gave it my all and crashed and burned. LOL. Not quite as crafy as I thought. Well I decided to buy one of those regular brown craft boxes and cover it to match the cards I made. Well, wouldn't you know it...crashed and burned at that too! Then I found one of those gift boxes that a you can get to put a shirt in before you wrap it. I took it apart where it was glued and I figured out how it worked. I did the math and figured out how to make one fit my specifications. I used 2 coordinating My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy2 line pieces of cardstock so that the lid and bottom both coordinate, then I embellished the top with a frame from the set, a scrap of cardstock to match and red Alphabities.
I used the My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 line of products for everything on the cards. Except the ribbon is 9mm Grosgrain from Jo-Ann's in Coral Rose and Navy Turquoise. Also the brads are just various colors from my personal stash. There are 8 cards in total. I simply cut them to be a total of 4"x7" after folding and embellishing, because that was the size of the blank envelopes I had sitting around. They are all different, but coordinate since they are from the same line.
I also altered a pen, mini legal pad, and printed her out 8 labels with her name and address. I made a graphic for the left side using a graphic of the paper line I found online. Thank you very much Google. I just inserted that into the label template in Works for the labels I had on hand. I will add 8 stamps before giving it to her and voila.....stationary set! I will post a tutorial on how I did the pen and legal pad shortly. They were uber simple and a great idea for those wanting to start trying to alter items. I hope to get the specifications up for the gift box asap too.
Tuesday, October 21
Layouts from our vacation...
I am finally getting through all of those pictures. Here are a few of my favorites from today's scrapping. You may have seen some of the photos before because I already posted the digi layouts I did with them, but these layouts are all new.
I scrap in 8.5x11 for our family album so in cutting the 12x12 sheet down I managed to lose the brand of my background paper, but it's one of my favorites. It looks like little tiles all varied colors of blue. Very pretty. The photos are doing them no justice because my camera seems to be laying down on the job. I used my printer to print up the 'Cocoa Beach' title onto sandy looking paper and then used navy skittles for the corners.
We visited my parents for the last leg of our cross country road trip. While there my dad decided to wash his car and was totally awesome and washed mine too. My son went out to help but managed to do more playing in the water than actual cleaning. The bubbles and container are all precut diecuts I bought years ago when Michael's used to sell them in the spinning carousel. I printed the title with my printer onto a leftover strip from the background paper then matted it in the same color as the inner matte from my photos.
The last layout is one of my favorites I've done lately simply because I was able to fit so much journaling on it. While visiting my parents, my dad turned 50 and we spent the entire day at the Botanical Gardens, then having a cookout and other fun birthday festivities. I was able to go into great detail about all of the fun that day held so that in the next handfull of layouts to follow you would know what was going on.
It was also the first time I used a Zig brand 2-way Squeeze and Roll glue pen to attach buttons. I was worried with them being heavier it would fall right off. Nope. You have apply the glue to the paper then stick the button down and hold it for about 10 seconds. I suggest using a object to hold it like a pen with the cap on because after a bit of gluing your fingers will be a bit tacky and pull the item up when you try to move your finger away. After the 10 seconds you can move the layout somewhere to sit untouched to dry for about 5 minutes then they are down for good. If you pick them up and move them before the 5 minutes is up you will have to reapply the glue even if it still seems tacky. The reason is the glue pen is a 2-way glue pen. Meaning if you attach the item immediately it's a permanent bond, if you wait even 5 seconds it is repositionable. Chances are if you are taking the time to glue down embellishments you want them to stay there.
I scrap in 8.5x11 for our family album so in cutting the 12x12 sheet down I managed to lose the brand of my background paper, but it's one of my favorites. It looks like little tiles all varied colors of blue. Very pretty. The photos are doing them no justice because my camera seems to be laying down on the job. I used my printer to print up the 'Cocoa Beach' title onto sandy looking paper and then used navy skittles for the corners.
We visited my parents for the last leg of our cross country road trip. While there my dad decided to wash his car and was totally awesome and washed mine too. My son went out to help but managed to do more playing in the water than actual cleaning. The bubbles and container are all precut diecuts I bought years ago when Michael's used to sell them in the spinning carousel. I printed the title with my printer onto a leftover strip from the background paper then matted it in the same color as the inner matte from my photos.
The last layout is one of my favorites I've done lately simply because I was able to fit so much journaling on it. While visiting my parents, my dad turned 50 and we spent the entire day at the Botanical Gardens, then having a cookout and other fun birthday festivities. I was able to go into great detail about all of the fun that day held so that in the next handfull of layouts to follow you would know what was going on.
It was also the first time I used a Zig brand 2-way Squeeze and Roll glue pen to attach buttons. I was worried with them being heavier it would fall right off. Nope. You have apply the glue to the paper then stick the button down and hold it for about 10 seconds. I suggest using a object to hold it like a pen with the cap on because after a bit of gluing your fingers will be a bit tacky and pull the item up when you try to move your finger away. After the 10 seconds you can move the layout somewhere to sit untouched to dry for about 5 minutes then they are down for good. If you pick them up and move them before the 5 minutes is up you will have to reapply the glue even if it still seems tacky. The reason is the glue pen is a 2-way glue pen. Meaning if you attach the item immediately it's a permanent bond, if you wait even 5 seconds it is repositionable. Chances are if you are taking the time to glue down embellishments you want them to stay there.
Monday, October 20
A few layouts of the boy...
My son was starting to feel left out since the post of Easter layouts were all about his sister. So here are a few layouts all about my son and some great shots taken during his trip to South Florida with his grandparents.
The title for this layout was TOUGH to come up with. I searched everywhere for ideas and no luck. It's a photo of my son picking an orange from an orange tree in a family friend's yard while on vacation in Florida. Finally I thought of the OJ commercials and packaging you see that say 100% juice, not from concentrate and settled on making it 100% Boy ... not from concentrate. Not the most creative, but it works for me.
The title for this layout was TOUGH to come up with. I searched everywhere for ideas and no luck. It's a photo of my son picking an orange from an orange tree in a family friend's yard while on vacation in Florida. Finally I thought of the OJ commercials and packaging you see that say 100% juice, not from concentrate and settled on making it 100% Boy ... not from concentrate. Not the most creative, but it works for me.
Ever hear the saying, "When the cat's away, the mouse will play"? What about, "What happens at Grandma's STAYS at Grandma's"? Well either is a good way to describe the next photo! While on vacation with my parents, my son was allowed to act a fool in restaurants it seems. LOL.
Last up is a photo of my son on his trip visiting a real live bee research institute. A family friend they stopped to visit works there and took them on a tour complete with dressing up in the bee suits and checking out an actually colony. The embellishments are painted wood pieces from Jo-Ann's and the title is simply made from Alphabities stickers on white squares, matted on black. It's a little dark and fuzzy because my digi camera batteries are dying, but I hope it gives some ideas to someone out there. I was beyond impressed with the selection of wooden pieces at Michael's and Jo-Ann's and they were fun to use in a layout. Try it out and if you do, leave a link to a photo album or blog post in the comments where I can see what you did with them. :)
Sunday, October 19
Here come Peter Cottontail...
Okay so we have 6 months until Easter, or more specifically 6 months since this past Easter, but I have just finished the layouts from this year's holiday. I had to do double it seemed because my son spent Easter on the beach 1500 miles away with his grandparents so with the kids split up we had twice as many photos. I still had a blast scrapping them though. Not sure I took pictures of the boy's layouts, but I did them....I know it. LOL.
The first layout is for a sketch challenge in the a Yahoo group I belong to. So no peeking if you are in that group...LOL. It was a fun sketch, but very hard to follow. I always struggle with circles and this one called for the title on the curve.
Page two for this layout included several items from a swap I was in long ago. I used the same Easter egg background paper. The little paper piecing bunnies and word bunny are absolutely adorable and I wish I could remember who made them or even what group's swap it was to be able to give them credit. If they are yours and you are reading this...feel free to comment, "HEY! Those are mine!!" =^)
Lastly, is a layout of my daughter making Easter sugar cookies. The bunny paper piecing was copied from ones that were in a swap folder on a Yahoo! Group I'm in. Just can't remember which one at the moment. I saw it several times and kept wishing I was in that swap group and then decided it shouldn't be too hard to reproduce...basic shapes and all. Well I was right, up until the chalking. I had to scrap it and redo the whole thing after the first failed attempt. The sheer ribbon on the left side of the journal box is tied through Easter egg shaped eyelets.
The first layout is for a sketch challenge in the a Yahoo group I belong to. So no peeking if you are in that group...LOL. It was a fun sketch, but very hard to follow. I always struggle with circles and this one called for the title on the curve.
Page two for this layout included several items from a swap I was in long ago. I used the same Easter egg background paper. The little paper piecing bunnies and word bunny are absolutely adorable and I wish I could remember who made them or even what group's swap it was to be able to give them credit. If they are yours and you are reading this...feel free to comment, "HEY! Those are mine!!" =^)
Lastly, is a layout of my daughter making Easter sugar cookies. The bunny paper piecing was copied from ones that were in a swap folder on a Yahoo! Group I'm in. Just can't remember which one at the moment. I saw it several times and kept wishing I was in that swap group and then decided it shouldn't be too hard to reproduce...basic shapes and all. Well I was right, up until the chalking. I had to scrap it and redo the whole thing after the first failed attempt. The sheer ribbon on the left side of the journal box is tied through Easter egg shaped eyelets.
Friday, October 17
25 ways to tell if you are a scrapaholic!
There haven't been any new posts in a few days (okay over a week) because I've had strep and on top of that all kinds of crapola has gone down in our family and it's been a high stress time. It is high time that I let my scrapping calm my nerves a bit so look for more posts soon. In the mean time I had to share one of my favorite things I've read in a while. Thanks Krislyn for sharing it with me :)
25 ways to tell if you are a scrapaholic!
• all of the Internet addresses under your favorite files are scrapping sites
• the box that holds your paper is too heavy for you to lift.
• the first thing you pack when going on your vacation is your scrapbook stuff.
• more than one scrapbook store recognizes your voice and greets you by name when you call.
• a regular sandwich is no longer acceptable...it must be cropped or cut with decorative edges.
• when you are house hunting the only thing you are concerned about is where you will have your new scrapping space.
• you are very excited when the doctor says you can take pictures of him putting the stitches in your child so that you can make a page.
• you burst into tears at the camera store when the clerk tells you that you will have to send your camera to the manufacturer for repairs and it could take 6 - 8 weeks.
• you carry a camera everywhere you go.
• you check several scrapbooking message boards every few hours and switch back and forth between them to see if there are any new posts.
• you decide to give your child piano lessons so you'll be able to use the musical instrument stickers.
• you find photo splits stuck in places inside your underwear!
• you have more than two scrapbook projects in the works.
• you have re-done at least one page
• you have scrapbook shops programmed on your speed dialer.
• you have supplies you bought six months ago and have never used them.
• you have yet to get current on your latest project and you're already thinking of a new project.
• you keep buying baby stickers even though your baby pages are done, just in case you need to re-do them.
• you plan birthday party themes according to the stickers and pretty paper you can purchase.
• you start thinking of having another child just so you can even out the pictures on your pages.
• your child is the only one in class who thinks "crop" means "to cut your photos".
• your children ask you if the toilet paper is acid free.
• your 15 year old dyes her dark brown hair BLONDE 3 times in 4 days, and you say "Here, let me take some pictures so I can do a page on this before your hair falls out".
• your three-year-old wants to know if her coloring book is "archival quality."
• you're arguing with your three year old to give YOUR stickers back!
25 ways to tell if you are a scrapaholic!
• all of the Internet addresses under your favorite files are scrapping sites
• the box that holds your paper is too heavy for you to lift.
• the first thing you pack when going on your vacation is your scrapbook stuff.
• more than one scrapbook store recognizes your voice and greets you by name when you call.
• a regular sandwich is no longer acceptable...it must be cropped or cut with decorative edges.
• when you are house hunting the only thing you are concerned about is where you will have your new scrapping space.
• you are very excited when the doctor says you can take pictures of him putting the stitches in your child so that you can make a page.
• you burst into tears at the camera store when the clerk tells you that you will have to send your camera to the manufacturer for repairs and it could take 6 - 8 weeks.
• you carry a camera everywhere you go.
• you check several scrapbooking message boards every few hours and switch back and forth between them to see if there are any new posts.
• you decide to give your child piano lessons so you'll be able to use the musical instrument stickers.
• you find photo splits stuck in places inside your underwear!
• you have more than two scrapbook projects in the works.
• you have re-done at least one page
• you have scrapbook shops programmed on your speed dialer.
• you have supplies you bought six months ago and have never used them.
• you have yet to get current on your latest project and you're already thinking of a new project.
• you keep buying baby stickers even though your baby pages are done, just in case you need to re-do them.
• you plan birthday party themes according to the stickers and pretty paper you can purchase.
• you start thinking of having another child just so you can even out the pictures on your pages.
• your child is the only one in class who thinks "crop" means "to cut your photos".
• your children ask you if the toilet paper is acid free.
• your 15 year old dyes her dark brown hair BLONDE 3 times in 4 days, and you say "Here, let me take some pictures so I can do a page on this before your hair falls out".
• your three-year-old wants to know if her coloring book is "archival quality."
• you're arguing with your three year old to give YOUR stickers back!
Wednesday, October 1
BLOG CANDY ALERT
Yay...more blog candy. Susan Bluerobot blog is giving away great blog candy for her upcoming 200,000th hit!! Go over and check out her blog, show some love and take a chance at some blog candy by clicking HERE!
Sunday, September 28
8x8's Swap
Okay girls....if you are in my group for the season themed 8x8s on Scrapbook Bingo and don't want the surprise ruined then head back now. There will be a brand new post up tomorrow, I'm sure and I'll try to keep the spoilers out of that. LOL. If you don't mind it not being a surprise, you just can't help yourself, or you think there is a fairly good chance you'll forget by March then scroll down.
These 8x8s are the winter themed set. There is a 4x6 and (2) 3x4 photo mattes. There are 6 total silver snowflake shaped sequins with silver brads in the center. I used sheer white ribbon throughout the layout including through the buckle on the quote box. I printed the lyrics to the song, "Winter Wonderland" on vellum for that. The white cardstock for the background is actually DieCuts With a View Embossed Stripe cardstock and the bottom half with the torn top edge is Paper Pizazz Snowflakes.
For the spring themed set I used Sky by Creative Imaginations. I cut grass printed paper (Spring Greens by Colorbok) in a wavy fashion and laid it over the bottom portion. The two types of flowers are punched out of two sided pink mulberry paper. White brads for the centers and butterfly eyelets fly through the sky. For the stems I used green ribbed ribbon. For the leaves I folded that same ribbon in two loops with a green brad through the center.
Three total shades of blue went into making the summer themed 8x8. Medium blue for the base 8x8. Dark blue matted the photo mattes and the title. I cut Travel Paper-Sand by Sandylion on a hill incline and then used the light paper and white paper in torn strips to create the surf. Misc beach themed stickers from my stash finish off the look
These 8x8s are the winter themed set. There is a 4x6 and (2) 3x4 photo mattes. There are 6 total silver snowflake shaped sequins with silver brads in the center. I used sheer white ribbon throughout the layout including through the buckle on the quote box. I printed the lyrics to the song, "Winter Wonderland" on vellum for that. The white cardstock for the background is actually DieCuts With a View Embossed Stripe cardstock and the bottom half with the torn top edge is Paper Pizazz Snowflakes.
For the spring themed set I used Sky by Creative Imaginations. I cut grass printed paper (Spring Greens by Colorbok) in a wavy fashion and laid it over the bottom portion. The two types of flowers are punched out of two sided pink mulberry paper. White brads for the centers and butterfly eyelets fly through the sky. For the stems I used green ribbed ribbon. For the leaves I folded that same ribbon in two loops with a green brad through the center.
Three total shades of blue went into making the summer themed 8x8. Medium blue for the base 8x8. Dark blue matted the photo mattes and the title. I cut Travel Paper-Sand by Sandylion on a hill incline and then used the light paper and white paper in torn strips to create the surf. Misc beach themed stickers from my stash finish off the look
Saturday, September 27
Are you ready to Scrap Pink????
Scrapbooks etc is teaming up with the Susan G. Kolman for the Cure®. They are holding "Scrap Pink" fundraisers in retail stores across the country. There will be crops held the weekend of September 26-28th and $10 of your entrance fee will go directly to the Susan G. Kolman foundation. What an awesome thing is it when you can scrapbook for a good cause!!!
Click below to learn the details and click on their map to find a location near you!
Click below to learn the details and click on their map to find a location near you!
Thursday, September 25
Thursday's Layouts
Well I am working on my 93rd layout of the month right now, but thought I'd take a break and share some more. I am working on a virtual crop and I am just getting so much work done. I think I've hit more layouts THIS month than I've done in the last 2 years!
Wednesday, September 24
A few more from my Scrap-athon
Here are some from the 12x18 landscape digi album I'm working on. I thought it was 8.5x11 landscape and got them printed and they arrived 12x18. Boy was THAT a shock. LOL. I was able to get an album from Michaels...with my 40% off (WHOO HOO!!) and it's fitting perfectly. Mostly they are for a dvd slideshow I'm creating, but I did want to have them printed after all the work I put in to them. Here are some from the past day and a half.
Tuesday, September 23
Graduation layouts
My cousin graduated from high school this past spring and she had a party. We got lots of great photos including a picture of my dad and all his siblings. I had to handcut these letters so the O's are a little uneven. Further proof that I really need a cuttlebug! LOL
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Sunday, September 21
Scrap-athon Day 2
I am working on my most productive weekend in my 8 year scrapping history. First up is the latest Sketches! {by tamara} challenge. You can see the original sketch HERE, and below is my take on it.
I am on a roll. Below is my favorite layout created Saturday. I hope someone can see this and get some ideas :)
I've also gotten Pink Sketches Blog sketch challenge #6 done. Yay me! See the sketch HERE.
I am on a roll. Below is my favorite layout created Saturday. I hope someone can see this and get some ideas :)
Saturday, September 20
Creative Scrappers Challenge
This is one of my favorite layouts I've done. I have had a marathon scrapping night and I am exhausted. I'll leave you with my take on sketch #17 from Creative Scrappers blog. Check them out. They always have awesome sketches to help get your creative juices flowing.
