Valentine's Day Cards

Valentine's Day Cards from BoBunny Love Letters

With Valentine’s Day nearly here, now is the time to get your Valentine’s Day cards made.  ScrapbooksPlus has some great papers for your projects. 

I especially loved BoBunny’s Love Letters line.  It has pinks and turquoises and just makes you happy to look at.  For my Valentine’s Day card, I used the Airmail paper, which has stamps on one side that are ohh so cute and the Love Letters, which has fun stripes.  I made a standard-sized horizontal card with these two papers.  For the trim and a handmade envelope, I used BoBunny Island Mist Vintage.  This turquoise-mottled paper (with gold polka dots on one side) made an envelope that popped, especially when I added a little trim and hearts from Love Letters.  (If you haven't checked out this line of paper, I encourage you to do so.  Similar to the BoBunny dots, this paper comes in a variety of colors  -- all vintage and all with gold dots on one side -- that can be used with all kinds of paper.  I love the browns and blues.)

I also made a little matchbook using the same papers as the card.  I added a Valentine's Day message so it could serve as a unique card. 

Stop by ScrapbooksPlus and check these out.  I am not sure that the picture does them justice.  While you’re there, you can get the supplies you need to make these.  You can also check out other Valentine's Day papers, such as Basic Grey's True Love, which includes little mini bottle caps!

ScrapbooksPlus will be offering a class to make these three items plus a Valentine’s Day exploding box.  Not only will you make these great items, but you’ll learn how to use a scoring board.  So whether you want to make t hese items or to learn how to use a scoring board, sign up now as space is limited by calling ScrapbooksPlus at 703.263.9503.  The class will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10:30am – 2:30pm for a cost of $45.  I hope to see you there!   

Exploding Box & Cards

Most people love to get handmade cards and gifts. I think it is especially nice for Valentine's Day.  On Saturday, February 9th Scrapbooks-Plus will offer a class in which you'll make four Valentine-themed items using a scoring board and BoBunny’s Love Letters line. 

You’ll make an exploding box that would be a great Valentines gift for one of your loves – grandmother, mother, daugter, husband.  It looks like a box but when you open it up out pops all kinds of spaces that are decorated.  You can add messages and pictures specific to the receipient. You could even include a gift card in one of the pockets.  If you have a child away at school one of these with gift cards would be most welcome. 

In addition, we’ll make a newly popular “matchbook,” which can serve the same purpose as a card, but is oh so cute. 

 A card and matching envelope will complete our projects. 

Although these projects are great and reason enough to take a class, but the real purpose of making these is to learn about a scoring board.  After making these item, you can decide whether this is a tool you need in your papercrafting tool box.  Whatever you decide, you’ll have completed some projects, learned how to make some new items and had a fun afternoon. 

This class is part of a series I'm teaching to share new tools and techniques so that we are continuing to expand our papercrafting skills.  I always feel that I make better decisions when I get to use somehting before I buy it and you'll definately gain that experience with this class.  And you'll have a lot of fun!

The class is on February 9, 2013  from 10:30am – 2:30pm with a cost of $45.   The items are on display at the store if you'd like to look at them up close.   To sign up stop by or call Scrapbooks Plus at

703-263-9503.   Space is limited.

Displaying Travel Photos with BoBunny Snowy Day

The BoBunny Snowy Day line was designed and great for winter photos of all types and lots of the items include snowflakes, mittens and winter messages, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great for other photos.  I loved the rich colors and was eager to use the papers, but I didn’t have winter photos of any type.  I did have lots of travel photos.  I decided that the blues, browns and golds would be perfect for a day in Briare, France, a lovely city on the Loire River. 

BoBunny has a wonderful line of dots and solids that cooridinate well with specific lines.   I used  the Slate Dot and Plum Dot in this layout.  The solid side of the Plum Dots was perfect for my pictures.  For Trim on top and bottom, I used the Slate Dot and punched it.  The Snowy Day Stripes had colors that I loved and only a couple of stripes related to snow so I just used this paper as accents and didn’t use the “snow” lines.  Some of the tags were without snowy messages so I used these.  When taken out of the “snowy” situation, the snowflakes on brads and papers, look like designs or the sun. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

As with many of my travel layouts, I was challenged as I had lots of pictures I wanted to use and quite frankly I thought journaling would take away from the beauty of the layout.  My solution – hidden journaling.   The tab on the left with a brad is actually the pull for a long piece of paper that contains the story of this day.  Result:  The memories are preserved and the beauty of the pictures isn't  marred by text.  

As usual with BoBunny, this line has great chipboard, brads, buttons and jewels.  I couldn’t use them all in this layout, but I sure wanted to.  So if you ignored this month’s line because you didn’t think you had snow pictures, I encourage you to head to ScrapbooksPlus and check out these papers. 

BoBunny Snowy Day Line

The Design Team used BoBunny’s Snowy Day line to create its January projects.  As the name conveys, the papers, journaling blocks, tags and embellishements have a snow theme.  Lots of snowflakes, mittens and snow sayings, such as "let it snow."   Typical of BoBunny, the line includes brads, cute buttons,  jewels, die cuts and chipboard shapes. 

The rich hues of blues,  browns, plums and golds provide great backgrounds for winter pictures. The Design Team added some of the BoBunny cooridinating solid papers with dots on the reverse side.  Slate Dots, Plum Dots and Curry Dots papers go especially well with the Snowy Day line  

Although the papers are perfect for snow pictures, the color combination is great for other pictures as well.  As an example of the versatility,  I made two layouts of travel pictures, without any snow in them.  Many of the prints work for a variety of pictures. 

I can’t wait to see what the Design Team has made with this versatile line.  You can check out the Design Team’s projects at ScrapbooksPlus.  Feel free to take pictures of those that give you ideas for your layouts.  While you're there you can pick up the supplies you’ll need to make some great layouts. Or you can sign up for one of January's crops and usethe Design Team Wall for ideas create your own layouts. 

Storing Christmas Memories

If you’re like me you have hundreds of pictures from Christmas, some adorable and others not such great pictures but you can’t throw them away because they have a special memory to you.  And then there’s a special tag that one of the younger members of your family made.  There’s a program from a Christmas play that you want to save and the menu and receipes from your Christmas dinner.  Of course you could make layouts that include all of this memorabilia, but this is a time consuming project and you’ll likely not find the time. 

I have a way of storing all these memories quickly so they’ll all be available when you want them – Scrappin’ Folders.  This way you have an attractive folder that displays some of the great pictures, two pockets for other memorabilia and a CD pocket so all the pictures are preserved. When you want any of these items you’ll know exactly where they are.

You can use any line of cooridinated papers, but Simple Stories papers are always so easy because the variety of coordinated colors and messages allows you to put together pages in the perfect to tell your story.  The Handmade Holiday line is perfect for Christmas.    It is festive, has lots of borders, vellum picture frames, journaling blocks and stickers so it is easy to customize to your special Christmas.   

One of my favorite parts of the Scrappin’ Folder that I made with Handmade Holidays line is the  little matchbooks for notes and little pictures that are attached them with magnets so I can remove to look inside but they always go back in the same place.

To make a Scrappin' Folder, you cover the outside of one folder with paper and the inside of the other.  You decorate each.  I add a couple of pockets to the inside – one for a photo CD and one for a small book I make by just folding 12” x 12” paper to make a book with 4” x 6” pages. You then glue the folders together at the bottom using a permanent and strong glue.  Using Wonder Tape you affix the sides, leaving a pocket on the front and back.  I make a file folder for each of these pockets.

If you prefer, I’m teaching a class at Scrapbooks Plus on  January 12^th from 11:00 – 4:00pm.  In one afternoon, you’ll make a Scrappin’ Folder for either your Thanksgiving or Christmas memories.    In this class, you’ll learn how to make such a folder with just a few supplies.  You’ll use lots of tools and techniques, including the Tim Holtz Vagabond and dies, Martha Stewart Scoring Board, inks, punches, magnets. 

And you’ll leave with either a Thanksgiving or Christmas Scrappin’ Folder.  With your class fee, you’ll get a full Collection Kit (either Autumn Lane or Handmade Holidays), extra paper and instructions.  A sample of each is on display at the store so let us know which one you want when you sign up.  You’ll just need to bring basic tools, a paint brush and a variety of adhesives.

Sign up at the store or by calling 703.263.9503. 

Creating A Great Layout without Great Pictures

The most interesting story from last Christmas in our family was the challenge my son and niece had in putting together a ping pong table for my nephew.  Even though it was an important aspect of our Christmas that I wanted to journal, I did not have great pictures so I couldn’t tell the story with pictures.  Using a little creativity, I created a layout that tells the story in an attractive way with only two small pictures and not great ones at that.  Perhaps this layout can inspire you to tell some stories even though you don’t have great pictures.  Alternatively, you could use this layout  with a large picture in the photo box.

I used the KaiserCraft Just Believe Magic paper for the background and added an almost square piece of Keepsake paper to the right bottom corner.  I punched the left side with  a small scallop edging punch. 

I really like the metallic paper (sold at Scrapbooks Plus in a variety of colors) so I used the turquoise metallic paper for title and accents.  Since I didn’t have good pictures, I made a large title the focus of this page.  I cut letters in three different sizes, three fonts and two different papers with my Cricut.  To add a graphic representation of their rush against time, I added an alarm clock cut with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Movers and Shapers.  I made a photo mat using a 6” square of metallic paper  and a slightly smaller square of Keepsakes.  I added two small photos and a subtitle using the line’s Alpha Sticker set. 

I printed the journaling on a 2 ½” x 11” piece of Hymm paper.  I punched the bottom with the same edging punch used on the background.   To add some focus, I added a strip of the metallic paper at the top of the journaling and punched the bottom with the edging punch.  I added the label strip from Keepsakes paper to the metallic strip and added natural-colored small rickrack at the top.  To add the final touches, I added the date from the sticker set and ½ of one of the journaling blocks from the Collectibles set.

Just Believe Christmas Memory Book

I loved the tags in the KaiserCraft Just Believe line and thought a little Christmas book would be a great way to use them.  As I got started, I found that there were lots of things about this line that worked well in this book, like the reverse side of the labels made great embellishments.  I found so many other embellishments that that I ended up only using a few tags.  I think this would be a great gift for a grandmother.  Just add a few pictures of the kids at Christmas.

The covers and all pages were made with  5” x 8” Tim Holtz Idea-ology Grungeboard, although any chipboard would work just as well.     

To make the covers, cut the Grungeboard to 5” x 7 ½”.  Affix the desired paper to both sides the Grungeboard using a glue stick and a brayer.  After affixing paper, cut the edges with the Tim Holtz Sizzix On the Edge

Scallops die.  (It has two edges and I made the front cover with one and the back with the other producing designs that were different but coordinated.)

 I also used the Grungeboard for the pages, but again chipboard would work.  For pages, heavy cardstock would work.  The pages are  5” x 6 ½” and the paper is applied with glue stick and brayer. 

 Decorating the pages can be done anyway you like.  I decorated each page with a variety of items – journaling items, tag, buttons, bows, die cuts, even the reverse side of the paper label .  I made a fun embellishment for the cover with Spellbinders Spectacular Spin die and a center of Peeled Paint Stickles.  These are really fun to make. See blog for December 7^th to learn more about this.  On each page, I created photo corners with the Martha Stewart Crafts Embossed Punch and affixed them so I could add pictures later. (This makes it really easy if you give the book to someone who is not a crafter.) Once all pages were decorated, I punched holes in each page and used a binder ring to hold together.  On the top outside ring, add  three charms from the BoBunny Rejoice button set on Tim Holtz Charm Clasps.  Tie ribbon between each charm on top ring and on the bottom ring.  Tie ribbon to the rings between each page so the pages lay better. 

For those that want to make one, just like the one on display at ScrapbooksPlus, I’ve included a list of what I used for each page. Except for the items listed below all of the items are from the KaiserCraft Just Believe .  I loved the reverse side of the label strips on this paper and used some of them as embellishments for the book.  The items used that are not part of the KaiserCraft line are: Turquoise Metallic paper, ribbon (red & cream) and buttons, all of which are available at ScrapbooksPlus. 

Part of the fun is using leftovers and having fun so this should be just a guide. 

 

	Paper	Photo Corners	Photo Mat	Embellishments
Front Cover	Winter	N/A		Snowflake square; inked with Silver IncaGold
Inside Front Cover	Starlight	Keepsakes	4” x 6” Keepsakes	Tag w/cream ribbon
Page 2	Starlight	Magic		Friends & Family formed with letter stickers; Snow tag  with cream ribbon inside Snowflake square.
Pages 3 & 4	Wish List	Magic		Strip from Hymm paper; Button
Pages 5 & 6	Remember	Hymm		Poinsettas made with Tim Holtz tattered poinsetta die and Magic paper; Tag; Buttons (leftovers); Tree made with letter stickers
Page 7	Remember	Turquoise Metallic		A small and large tag on left side with cream bow. Strip from Magic paper.
Inside back cover	Winter	Turquoise Metallic	4x 5 ½ Remember	Strip from Magic paper. Tag with cream ribbon horizontal in right corner.
Back Cover	Wish List	N/A	N/A	Snowflake square, Tag, Button

Spectacular Spin in Wurzburg

Kaisercraft’s Just Believe Collection was a great line for a two-page layout on a day in Wurzburg, Germany during a Holiday Markets cruis.  I had a lot of pictures so wanted to design a layout that could be used for several photos.  This one displays five.

The left and right backgrounds almost identical.  Each is made using four pieces of paper (both sides of Hymm & Magic paper)  On the left side, they are  squares of 12” , 11 ½” , 10 ¾” and 10 ¼”.    On the right side, I made the Magic pages just a little smaller (10 ¾” x 10 ½” and 10 ¼” x 10”) and added a 10 ¾” x 1 ½” strip from Glisten that has an interesting design that coordinates well with the other papers. On the second side of Hymm, I punched two sides with a stamp around the page punch so that they meet in the middle.

A few of the die cuts from the Just Believe Collectables added some charm, but the real highlight of this layout is three embellishments made with the Spellbinders Spectacular Spin die.   I saw this die at ScrapbooksPlus and knew I had to use it.   What is unique about these dies is that you cut out the design with the die, then you fold certain parts and tuck them so they stay.  The result is a fun design that looks kind of like a quilt square.  I used the Keepsakes paper, producing a nice contrast with the red on one side and a white with green on the other.  The sets includes three dies (1 ⅝”, 2 ⅝” & 3 ¾”). I used one of each in the layout, adding a button for the center and putting some light cardstock on the back as I used them in places that I didn’t want the background to show through. 

The title was created with the Winter Wonderland Cricut cartridge using Keepsakes for the shadow and Hymm for the letters.  I wanted to show what I purchased so I added a little arrow cut with Tim Holtz Sizzix Movers and Shapers die and wrote “My Purchases” on it to point from the bag to a tiny picture on a small die from the Just Believe Collectables.  I think it actually looks better without this, but for me telling the story is always the most important part.

Make & Take: Memories of 2012

With cold weather and hurricanes, I needed something to cheer  me up so I designed this week’s Make & Take, “Sweet Memories of 2012,” with Basic Grey’s Plumeria line.  Flowers with lavender, creams and greens were so cheery to work with.   The embellishments come from the Plumeria chipboard or stickers.  One thing I love about this line is that the letters are chipboard, rather than stickers, and there are lots of them so you have plenty to spell whatever you want.  You can make Sweet Memories of almost anything.  A few I thought of were of Love, My Daughter, Spring, Weddings, Vacation.  Really anything that you have pictures of.  Of course, you’re not limited to  “Sweet”  you could substitute another word or just start with “Memories.”   The layered “Memories” is the free element for this week’s Make & Take.  Add a few self-sticking pearls of cream and lavender and you are done!

For those of you not familiar with how Make & Takes work, every Wednesday one of Scrapbook Plus’s designers creates a two-page layout specially for you to copy.  It is displayed at the cash register, the items you need to make the page are displayed together so it is easy for you to get just what you need, written instructions are provided,  and we give you a free element.   It’s your choice whether you make the page at the store so you can use the actual sample or take the items home and make using the instructions, which include a picture.  Either way this is a great way to make a page a week and get that stash of pictures on pages.

There are limited supplies this week so be sure to get to Scrapbooks Plus as soon as you can.  And you’ll have lots of extra chipboard so pick up a few extra pieces of paper and you’ll be able to make another layout or two.  The variety is great so you’re layouts won’t look the same.

Holiday Scrappin' Folders

Harvest Lane Scrappin' Folder

 Using Simple Stories papers is always so easy because the variety of coordinated colors and messages allows you to put together pages in the perfect to tell your story.  Using the Harvest Lane line, I created a Scrappin’ Folder to keep my Thanksgiving pictures, recipes and notes about those special Thanksgiving memories.  Scrappin’ Folders are a concept that I came up with to record special events without having to create a whole scrapbooks or lots of pages to showcase my photos and memories.  I create a folder that is appealing to look at, has space for a few pictures and a pocket for a CD so I can keep all of the pictures, lots of space for notes and other memorabilia.  The Harvest Lane line was great for this.  In fact, I liked my Thanksgiving one so much that I created a Christmas one using the Handmade Holiday line.  It is festive with two files for lots of notes and extra pictures, etc.  One of my favorite parts of these Scrappin’ Folders is that I made little matchbooks for notes and little pictures and attached them with magnets so I can remove to look inside but they always go back in the same place.



Handmade Holiday Scrappin' Folder



Rather than putting the pictures and memorabilia someplace intending to scrap them later and then usually not being able to find everything when I have time to scrap, now I put everything from an event  in a Scrappin’ Folder.  In a few hours, I have an attractive showcase that I can easily pull it out and enjoy it time and again and all my memoires from the event filed in one place.  And if I have time, I have everything in one place to make the scrapbook pages of the event

To share this concept with you, I’m teaching a class at Scrapbooks Plus on November 24^th.  In one afternoon, you’ll make a  Scrappin’ Folder for either your Thanksgiving or Christmas memories.    In this class, you’ll learn how to make such a folder with just a few supplies.  You’ll use lots of tools and techniques, including the Tim Holtz Vagabond and dies,  Martha Stewart Scoring Board, inks, punches, magnets. 

And you’ll leave with either a Thanksgiving or Christmas Scrappin’ Folder.  With your class fee, you’ll get a  full Collection Kit (either Autumn Lane or Handmade Holidays),  extra paper and instructions.  A sample of each is on display at the store so let us know which one you want when you sign up.  You’ll just need to bring basic tools, a paint brush and a variety of adhesives.

Sign up at the store or by calling 703.263.9503. 

See you on the 24th!



Matchbooks Held in Place with Magnets



Mini Coffin Boxes (for Candy, Gift Cards or Other Small Items

Last blog, I described how I made a coffin candy dish.  I was so enthused that  also made a set of mini coffin gift boxes.  I started with a cute set of paper mache coffins.  Although my goal was to cover them with paper, I found you couldn’t close them once you did, so I covered all of the coffins except the part of the lid that goes over the edge of the bottom and the part of the bottom that is covered by the lid.  I painted the inside edges of the lid and the outside edges of the bottom.  It is good to paint the edge of the lip on both so if your paper doesn’t quite make it to the edge then it looks great.  Then you simply cover the remaining surfaces.  I affixed the paper with Ranger’s new Glue n’seal.  (If you need tips on this see blog from 10/7.)  The 6” x 6” pad of paper works great on these small coffins as the designs are smaller.  

Each of my coffins is made with different papers and I used a few of my favorite techniques to add a little extra.  Here’s a few of the extras, I used.

 

• I added a stripe of black glitter all around the outside of a coffin decorated with black and white paper.  This is really easy.  Put a 1/8” strip of InkEssentials Wondertape around the outside of the box.  Remove the tape on the other side and roll the coffin in Stickles Black Diamond Dry Fine Glitter.  Even if you don’t like using glitter with glue, try this technique.  You get perfectly straight lines.  And to make it even better if you don’t like getting glitter on things, ScapbooksPlus has a cloth that picks up all the pieces of this glitter.

• On a coffin lid that was covered with  the small version of reverse side of Grey Damask paper (from the 6 x 6 pad), I put little dots in each diamond with Orange Peel Stickles on the top and along the lip of the lid.I glued a strip of small ribbon  around the lip of the lid on one. 

• I stamped a skull using Stampers Anonymous Tm Holtz Stamps Mini Blueprints CMS 136 inside the lid of one.  (Check out this stamp set.  It include four stamps for each Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

• I stamped the spider web from the Mini Blueprints on a piece of solid paper.  I tore the edges, glue it to another piece of paper, tore the edges and glued to the top of a coffin. 

• One that I thought turned out well, I distressed the lid.  After painting it black, I sanded it and inked it with Forest Moss Distress ink, which made it look old. (The top of the lid and inside bottom were covered with paper, so it was just the edge of the lid that was distressed.  On the bottom of this coffin, I used stickers from the Alpha Sticker sheets.  (This sticker sheet is fabulous – it has all kinds of things, letters, words, and insects.)

The final  step was sealing the surfaces by painting the entire coffin inside and out with Glue n’seal. 

I really had fun with these and didn’t want to stop making them.  Everyone I know may be getting a coffin for Halloween.  Your options are almost endless.  You could make all your coffins with the same paper, but add different accents.  You can make them with different papers, but the same colors.  Or you could make them all with the same accents.  One option I didn’t use was adding rhinestones or buttons.  I encourage you to  make some coffins! Now that’s something I never expected to say.