SEI December Desktop Calendar

Can you believe this is the last wallpaper of 2011? Wow. Thanks for using these all year and your great feedback. Are you using them and are they bringing you all kinds of joy? In other words, would you like to see this tradition in 2012? Let us know!

1024 x 768   1280 x 1024   1600 x 1200   1900 x 1200   2650 x 1440
ipod 640 x 960    ipad 1024 x 1024

Happiest of holidays to you all!

Advent Calendar

We are featuring Emily twice today because we just had to show you this adorable advent calendar she created, using the Holiday Cheer collection. We knew you would love it and want to create your own. So, we wanted you to have a couple days to do it before the big countdown begins!

Before you start your own advent, read Emily's tips and tricks below...

"Die cut the envelopes in various sizes. By doing so you will create greater visual interest."

"Since there is a lot going on here, repeat design techniques that you like such as border punching panel edges, notching strips of patterned paper and using the same ribbon in different colors to create unity."

"Place elements and embellishments asymmetrically! It creates a strong focal point."

If you already have an advent, what is it like? What do you like about it?

Pshaaa Layout

Emily created this "Pshaaa Layout" with papers and embellishments from the Homestead collection. We love how she mixed in other found items... lace, twine, notebook paper, a vintage tag...

Here are some tips from Emily. "To add some dimension ink some of the fall foliage leaves and string them to create a small banner."

"Layer your paper so small snippets of color pop through."

"Vintage items are perfect for a fall pallette. Use them on your projects."

Thankful for Simple Pleasures

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Pearl created this mini book, using the Homestead collection, to document some of life's simple pleasures. We hope you made time to think about what you are thankful for this weekend. If not, maybe this will inspire you.

Pearl describes the inspiration for her book. "I made an album of a road trip my boyfriend and I took to celebrate his birthday. In it, I have photos of what we were thankful for from the trip... all the simple pleasures of each other's company, the fresh air, bright blue skies, and charming home away from home."

"SEI pattern papers have this great thick quality to them making sturdy mini album pages and a cover. Some interesting things to note in the mini is how it is made up of just 4 pieces of paper scored and sewed together using a sewing machine. The design is just as interesting because the cover is actually a tri-fold so there is a flap that flips over the front cover and when the flap is opened, it reveals staggered pages. Lastly, a long piece of twine is wrapped around the album several times and securered to a button to keep the bulky pages of the book enclosed in a neat little package." So that's how you do it. Now you can make your own!

Fall Wine

Please welcome Lori Mancini to the design team again. We are thrilled to have her for another year! The layout she is sharing today uses the Homestead collection, with the exception of a little baker's twine and that a awesome stamp. Would you believe she made it using wine corks? Brilliant!

Lori tells us a little about the story behind the layout. "Where I live here in Southern Ontario I am fortunate to be only a very short drive away from the Niagara Region of Ontario where some of the best Wineries in the world are located. In the fall season when the grapes are harvested and the new wines are introduced it is such a wonderful experience visiting the winery's and experiences the fall colours during our travels and at the Winery's themselves."

"I wanted to document this activity that has quickly become one of our most favourite things to do during a Sunday afternoon."

Here you can see how Lori let the tree rub-on overlap her photo. What a great way to use rub-ons!

To add dimension, Lori created her own embellishment by folding paper like a fan. She also used foam spacers to attach part of her title.

Thank you, Lori! We are looking forward to another great year with you on our design team!

Autumn Beauties & Cuties

Welcome Amy Kingsford to our 2012 design team! For her first feature, she has two autumn layouts she created using the Homestead collection. Each layout is unique, but both have some great techniques.

FADING BEAUTY

Amy added fabrics to this layout for something organic and to add dimension. They work beautifully with the Homestead collection. We especially love that unexpected pop of aqua.

PUMPKIN KINGS

Amy used steel wool to sand some of the foil off the paper. What a cool effect! She also tiled strips of velvet paper and patterned paper to create a frame around the photos.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy shopping!

Club December Kit

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you are spending your day with family eating plenty of good food, especially pie. Yum!

Remember a few weeks ago when we showed some of the new products in the Club SEI December 2011 kit? Pretty cool, huh? Would you like to see what club members can create with those amazing products?

If you love these scrapbook layouts as much as we do, you can sign up to join the club here. Remember all of the benefits we talked about last week? Yep. You will get them all!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thoughtful Little Goodies

Everyone likes to be remembered. Jennifer has some thoughtful projects that are a great little way to let someone know they are loved. Create them for teachers, neighbors, co-workers...anyone!

Jennifer used papers and embellishments from the Homestead collection for this card. She accented it with a stamp, ribbon, and fancy flourish.

For this creative idea, Jennifer made a goodie bag that looks like an owl. To make the bag topper she cut the shape of the owl's head, eyes, and beak and layered them together.

She made the feathered belly by cutting rows of scalloped papers from the Homestead collection, layering them, cutting them into an oval shape, and attaching them to her bag of treats.

Thanks for these thoughtful ideas!

Autumn Card & Placecards

Have you noticed a change in our newer paperpads? Instead of using the exact same patterns from the collection, the paperpads now include some unique patterns that coordinate with each collection. Melissa used some of the unique papers from the Homestead paperpad to create this little card.

By cutting out a foil leaf from the welcome home paper and adding a little stitching, Melissa included some contrasting textures.

These placecards are just in time for a quick Thanksgiving idea. It's nice to know where you are supposed to sit at the table, especially if there are a lot of guests. Placecards are a good way to make sure you have enough seats for everyone and spouses can sit together.

Club Kit Winner

The winner of the November Paper-crafting kit from Club SEI is...

#43 as selected by random.org, which is Cindy deRosier!

Congratulations, Cindy! Please send your mailing address to seiblog{at}shopsei{dot}com so we can send off your club kit.

Pillow Box + GIVEAWAY!

Ready for the last gift idea from Club SEI? This one comes with a free template you can download here. Club members got this template in their November 2009 kit.

DIRECTIONS:
Use the instructions on the template that came with your November 2009 club kit or find the pattern here to cut & assemble. Embellish with felt decorative elements, scraps of paper, chiplets & ribbons.

For a unique way to embellish your pillow box, try crepe paper. This metallic crepe came in a club kit.

Did you notice we used flower embellishments on this box? They work perfectly for our holiday themed box when paired with the snowflake themed paper.

We hope you enjoyed all the gift wrapping ideas we shared from Club SEI this week. Maybe they will encourage you to try something new this holiday season.

GIVEAWAY!
Speaking of trying something new, would you like to try out a Club SEI kit? Enter to win the November paper-crafting kit with all the trimmings. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling us which Club SEI benefit you like best. You have until Sunday, November 20th at 11:59 pm.

Here are some ideas to get you started...
• SEI product delivered to your home each month
• All kits include detailed, color instructions
• Free gift for joining
• Join 2 kits and receive 10% off each or all 3 & receive 20% off each kit
• 10% discount on purchases at www.shopsei.com
• Exclusive member only area at www.clubsei.com
• Free coordinated downloads & cutting files
• Free exclusive paper line after one year subscription
• No contracts, membership dues or cancel fees
• Kit previews available monthly with add on and skip options