I love creating for Valentine’s Day! I recently created these cards for a few special people in my life.
You may recognize the patterned paper from the Promise Me collection. I used the beautiful map paper from my 6 x 6 paper pad. The smaller scale of these pads works great for card makers.
On this card, I wanted the map details to shine, so I was sure not to cover too much of it up. I added a few layered elements using a hot trend right now – wood grain. I used the Woodgrain set from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I think it adds something a little unexpected.
A lot of times I get my inspiration from sentiments included in my stamp sets. Take this next card, for example.
I was inspired by the “completed by your love” to create a card that would appear as if the heart was cut out from a piece of wood or tree. And, here’s something I like to do when I’m crafting. I keep a small basket on my craft table and put in it leftover pieces of die cut paper or trims that I didn’t end up using on a card. Then, when I’m in the middle of a project, I dig around in my basket to see what I can find that would work. It’s a great time saver! The aqua scalloped border on this card was in my stash already and I simply added it on my card with some red polka dotted washi tape!
If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll take the time to make a handmade card for your Valentine. Whether sweet or sappy, it will surely be appreciated by the ones you love!
If you're anything like me, you may find that you need a few last minute treats for friends, co-workers or neighbors. The packaging can stay simple and quick, but don't forget to add a special touch by adding a handmade tag.
I used a glassine bag to hold my treats and secured it with some black and white twine. But it's the tag that really sets it off. I started with a plain white tag and added some bits of patterned paper I had lying on my desktop, including a bit of Coverlet from the Mirelle collection and an unexpected addition...a bit of paper from my Silver Valley 6x6 paper pad! Yep, that's right, I used some leftover Christmas paper on my Halloween tag! I thought the silver houndstooth paper would go just great with this project and I love to break out of the traditional orange and black.
A few embellishments were added from the Salem Heights chiplets and I was all set! Now that's one special treat!
I always like to create an alternative to candy for Halloween, especially for the little trick or treaters. I had a lot of fun with this project and it came together really quickly.
I started with a simple notepad that I covered in Spooky Town paper from the Salem Heights collection. I tied some twine around the cover and added a stamped title by combining a few sentiments. A few "ooglie eyes" were added in the center for an extra spooky effect. A glittered spider from the Salem Heights chiplets topped it off.
And, in case you are wondering about that bone pen...yes, I made it! I used white Model Magic by Crayola and shaped it into a bone as I wrapped it around my pen. I let it dry overnight and aged it with by distress ink pads. It's the perfect spooky touch to finish off this special treat for your favorite trick or treater!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to craft for and it doesn't take much to create some fun, spooky decor for your house. This project started with an inexpensive frame and some terrific patterned paper from the Salem Heights collection. I just love this foil accent Dead Man's Parlor paper! From a distance it looks like an elegant damask design, but up close you'll see the spooky skeletons and crossbones design. How cool is that?! I also cut and added an accent strip from a the Amethyst foil paper included in the Mirelle collection. It's a beautiful pattern and color and adds an unexpected elegant touch to this project.
When I spotted this glittered haunted house shape included in the Salem Heights chiplets, I knew I'd have to incorporate it into my design. I backed it with some vintage book print and popped it out with foam dimensionals to really show it off. And that's it! I'm off to a great start with my Halloween decorating! Boo to you!
One of my favorite things to do is to take simple, affordable items and turn them into something special for a friend. Take this gift ensemble, for instance.
I started with a kraft bag that I had on hand. Since it came from a store, I had to cover up the logo. No problem! I started with a piece of patterned paper from the Vanilla Sunshine collection and went from there. I stamped a vintage seed packet and added a little shimmer in the background with paper from the Lexington card maker paper pack. A tag and some adhesive pearls from the Promise Me collection finished it off.
Now, inside are a few simple items that I bought on sale and set aside for just such an occasion. This bottle of lotion got a quick makeover to coordinate with the bag using some of the same papers. I added a stamped label and more ribbon. The bar of soap was taken out of its boring box and wrapped in some floral paper from the Promise Me collection and a stamped tag and more ribbon helped make it part of the gift ensemble.
And, with that, I'm ready to gift someone special with a few sweet smelling gifts!
Hello! When we last left off I had shared with you my plans for a carnival themed party, starting with an oversized ticket invitation. Now comes the best part of any party...the food!
While I usually dream big about party details, the realization that I'd have to duplicate all of these extras many times over got the best of me. For once I listened to my husband and kept things relatively simple!
Again, using PSE, I created a few labels to embellish some party treats. Like this little glassine bag filled with popcorn. I simply wrapped some patterned paper from A Fair Day around the bag, tied some twine around it and added my label.
And what carnival party doesn't have animal crackers?! Here I opted for a clear bag so the animals could all be seen. I made a simple bag topper with more patterned paper, tied on some twine and added some "tickets" that I cut out using a shaped die.
And, lastly, even my water bottles are getting a makeover! I used another strip of patterned paper, adhered it around the bottle and added my little elephant that coordinates with my invitation. More washi tape around the top of the bottle...just because I can!
I hope you enjoyed my carnival inspired party! Hopefully your summer has been just as fun!
Hello and how are you enjoying your summer? My family has been pretty busy and the realization that summer is moving quickly is sinking in. My husband and I have discussed the idea of having an end-of-summer party before school starts up. After discovering an older SEI collection, A Fair Day, I wanted to start working on plans for a carnival themed party. I particularly liked the idea of this theme because many of the treats and decorations associated with a carnival are pretty easy to come by (more on that later!).
I created my invitation in PhotoShop Elements (PSE) using a few really great fonts, including the perfect font for this project, Chipperfield and Bailey. I'm a typography nut, so I'm very picky about using just the right font for the job, and this one was it! After adding all the party details, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this elephant shape in PSE and added it to my invite. All of my color selections came right out of this fun polka dotted paper from A Fair Day. After printing and cutting out the invites, I used a circle punch to punch out the corners to create a ticket shape. Perfect for a carnival theme! The final touches were to add some washi tape and a hand drawn dotted border for a fun, whimsical feel.
Up next, part two of this carnival theme party...the food! Stay tuned!
Jennifer
Hello there! What have you been up to this summer? Me...I'm in full swing redecorating my daughter's room and it's been so much fun!
My SEI paper collection has been a great way to find terrific inspiration for projects. I needed something to add color to my daughter's room and decided on a banner to hang across her closet, where we've built in a desk.
I used my Silhouette Digital Cutter to do all the hard work. The really fun part was picking out the papers and embellishments! I used paper from several collections, including Promise Me, Vanilla Sunshine and Field Notes.
Since I wanted the papers to really shine I added few embellishments to cover them up. The Promise Me vellum hearts and Vanilla Sunshine Borders were perfect to finish it off. It's been a really fun addition to the room!
Those of you who have read any of my posts know that I create a lot of projects for my daughter, Olivia. I guess you could say she is now my biggest fan! When it came time to redecorate her room (seeing as she is now a sophisticated eight years old) I knew I'd be making some art to hang on her walls.
Many of you have no doubt seen countless photos online of specimen art created with everything from flowers to seashells. Well I made my version of specimen art using one of my favorite Martha Stewart punches and scraps of various SEI patterned papers. This is a great way to use up those pieces that you hoard because they are so beautiful (or is that just me who does that?!).
First, I started with a thrift store frame that I painted white. I then used a little gold Rub 'n Buff around the edges to bring in that sophisticated look I was talking about. The mat was a dull off white color, so I painted it this pretty coral color to match my daughter's room. While that was all drying, I went to work on my butterflies! I used papers from several collections, including Promise Me, Vanilla Sunshine and Field Notes. I added foam mounting tape to the back of each butterfly and lined them all up. Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, I removed the backing and adhered them in place, starting with the outside rows to create a straight, uniform start to my project.
I love the results and the fact that this project only cost me around $2.50 to make! Now that is art I can appreciate!
Looking through the June Scrapbook Kit, Mayberry, I was overwhelmed with all of the possiblities! I loved the retro theme and ton of unique embellishments. The obvious idea was to create a road trip themed project, but I had a twist on this theme. How about a car shaped notebook to document your travels?
I was inspired by this large car sticker included in the kit and wanted to play with my Silhouette digital cutter to make a shaped book. For those of you who don't have a Silhouette, this won't make much sense, but for those of you who do, you must give it a try!
I started by scanning the sticker. Using the trace feature in the Silhouette software, I traced the outside shape of the car. Once that was done to my liking (I had to tweak it a bit), I then off set it twice; once to make a mat around the sticker and another time to make a cardstock mat around that. This made the overall size of the book bigger and also gave it some stability, as this was going to be the cover. After adhering those layers all together the fun was about to start! I added some sweet stamped smiling faces (say that three times fast!) and embellished the cover further with black cardstock "tires" and a license plate from our home state. Every state's license plate is included in the Mayberry kit!
I'm going to tuck this away for our summer adventures. Who knows where the road will take us...but now we can document it all as it happens! Happy Trails!
With each passing year, Father's Day becomes more and more fun becuase my daughter is getting older and able to participate in gift giving. This year I've made a coaster mini album for my husband that I've only just started...I'm leaving most of the journaling to my daughter. Here is how this album started:
This is a coaster from an airport restaurant. We picked up two of these during our spring break vacation. I liked the vintage feel of the photo and the heavyweight coasters make great albums. I covered up the writing on the coaster using border stickers included in June's Scrapbooking Kit, Mayberry, and started adding from there using some of the fun embellishments included in the kit. The adhesive "pop" button and "one way" chipboard sign are a few of my favorites! The tag is also included in the kit - I simply stamped it with "no. 1" to create my album title.
Although this is a mini album (approximately 5 x 3.5 inches), I was still able to add some fun elements on each page. I used a combination of stickers and chipboard elements so everything wasn't flat and one dimensional. I actually like bits and pieces sticking out of my albums!
I can't wait to finish this up with my daughter. She enjoys looking at these old photos, and I know her Dad is a softie when it comes to photos of his girl.
Wishing all of you and yours a Happy Father's Day!
Jennifer
When I first spotted this foil damask print included in the Field Notes collection, I knew it would make the perfect bridal or anniversary card. Since my parents are having their anniversary soon, I put this beautiful paper to use to create an elegant anniversary card.
I wanted the paper to be the focus, so I simply stamped my sentiment on top of the paper rather than covering anything up. I then added this dramatic, elegant satin ribbon and a few rhinestones for sparkle. It's hard to capture the beauty of the foil pattern in a photo but, believe me, it's gorgeous!
Before I had even worked on any Mother's Day projects, I made sure to get a Father's Day card completed for my daughter to give to her Dad. That is because I find making masculine cards so challenging and usually put them off until the last minute! Not this year!
The Desert Springs collection is full of possibilities - both feminine and masculine. This card was pretty easy to create and I did everything by hand, rather than using a template or die cut. I started by cutting a one inch slit down the top of my white card base and folded it down. For the shirt, I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the front, cutting out a notch to fit under the collar.
The tie was trial and error - I started with a square piece of patterned paper and kept cutting away until it resembled a knot. For the tie, I started with a strip of paper and, again, cut away until it resembled the shape of a tie. To add contrast, I added another patterned paper from the Dessert Springs collection inside of my card. I love how the casual stripes resemble woodgrain and add another masculine touch to this card.
With the end of the school year fast approaching, it's time to think about teacher appreciation gifts. I am a firm believer in telling my daughter's teacher how much I appreciate her. I think teachers have one of the toughest jobs in the world and I know they don't often get the recognition they deserve, which is why I try to take time to show our teachers we care.
This is a simple, yet sweet (literally) gift that comes together quickly if you have many teachers to thank. I used the Vanilla Sunshine collection intentionally because I wanted something bright and cheery, plus I had an idea for the heart patterned paper (read on). And the 6x6 paper pad was perfect for this project.
For the gift, I wrapped strips of paper around Hersheys Nuggets (chocolate candy). This is a great way to use up those scraps! I then tucked them inside a hinged tin with a clear top. I love seeing all the cheery chocolates lined up! I added a ribbon and tag, embellishing with stickers from the Vanilla Sunshine collection. And I always keep my sundries close by - they are great finishing touches!
The card matches the gift, using one of the larger stickers included in the Vanilla Sunshine elements. Now you know what I was talking about with the heart patterned paper...doesn't it work nicely with this touching sentiment?
