Another punch idea

I have been lucky enough to have gone to two crops at Captured Moments with Maura. Actually, we are in the process of planning my annual crop visit for this year! After each crop, once I am back home and missing her, I enjoy making a mini album of my visit. Here is the cover from the first year...and it just so happens that I used my Martha Stewart Screw Punch on it also! I stamped the flourishes on the backside of the cardstock and then used various sized tips to punch out the design by following the stamped lines. Then I added different colored scraps of cardstock behind the punched holes to accent them.

Since Maura has been on a holiday, Christmas blog kick (even though it is 91 degrees here today and HOT), I found a holiday craft to share with you. I think that I am going to try these candles this year for the holidays. Same idea....but with snowflakes!

Total Surprise

I just happened to be surfing the internet checking out the latest products from the CHA (Craft and Hobby) summer show that is going on in Orlando this week. I like to check out the sites that show photos from the show so that I can keep up with all the new products being released. While in the process of clicking on various links to sites, I stumbled upon The Everyday Scrapper.

(click on photo for link)

As I was scrolling down the front page, there was a post that talked about camping. Since my husband and I are big campers and a lot of what I scrapbook about are our camping trips, I was very interested. I scrolled further and this appeared....

Guest poster Michelle:Camp Kaboodles

To start your camping documentation, why stick to a regular page in an album? Wouldn’t it be fun to use a cute little lined, printed notebook as a camping journal? You could jot down thoughts on camping while there and add embellishments and photos once you’re home. These ones are cute:

This cute little trailer mini album would do the trick, by the aptly named Campfire Designs. (click on photo for link)

That's my little camper scrapbook from my little Etsy shop!!! I can't tell you how excited I was that someone liked my scrapbook enough to link to it on their blog. It was a total surprise and made my day.

And...there will be more of these little scrapbooks going in the shop shortly.

Needed A Project...

This past Saturday I wanted to work on a little crafting project. I knew that Maura was busy at her crop all day and since I couldn't be with her in person, I decided to be there in spirit. I had picked up this little journal at Borders for only $4.00. I liked it because the inside pages are all kraft paper! I knew that it would be perfect for the Jillibean Soup patterned papers that I had been wanting to play with. I ended up choosing the Cold Raspberry Collection. Of course, I love the kraft collections and have them all. They have a nice earthy, subdued quality to them which is great for my projects. Here's what I pulled out to start with.

I took both covers off the binding so that I could cover them with the patterned paper. Since I decided to cover the entire chipboard and therefore, covered up the binding holes, I used my Martha Stewart Screw Punch to punch out the holes. The screw punch is the perfect tool for this sort of job since other punches sometimes do not have the reach that is needed.

I finished off the front cover by adding a Journaling Sprout and popping it out to give it a bit of added dimension. I think the real finishing touch though is the little bit of white I drew in the flower centers with our favorite Stampin' Up gel pen. I love how the white just pops on the kraft background. Altering little inexpensive journals and notebooks is one of my favorite things to do.

Christmas in July Crop

a.k.a. - Maura's cropping adventures...

I think this crop has to be one of my favorite ones of the year! It is so much fun for those of us in the north used to a cold, white Christmas, to "celebrate" the holiday in July. It certainly gives all of us crafters a head start on preparing for the holidays. "Imagine" and "Believe" snowmen were our mascots for the crop. My friend Michelle, made them in class on Tuesday, while I was away at a conference. I love how they turned out! Thanks Michelle for making "Imagine" for me!

Tara and Tiffany at Captured Moments put on the world's best crop!! Once a month, they sponsor a themed crop. Due to popular demand, the crop hours have an optional extension from the usual 12 hours to 15 hours now, so all the avid, or perhaps I should say obsessed? scrapbookers out there, can scrap, or stamp, or work on whatever craft they choose for a fun filled day. The day starts with a delicious brunch, and believe me, these sisters can put together some of the best meals I have ever tasted! No on ever leaves one of their crops hungry. Check out the Captured Moments blog to see some of the details from their crops.

Each crop comes with a gift of scrapbooking papers and a little something extra, and a ticket. During the day ticket numbers are called out and you get to choose a prize from their tree. Everyone's name also goes into a "hat" and there is also a drawing for the big prizes - often a sneak preview of some of the new product the store will be carrying. Christmas in July crop is a bit different. Instead, we each got to choose a wrapped gift from the tree (in the Christmas tree photo, Tiffany is on the left, and Tara is on the right getting the gifts ready, oh, and the brunch remnants...) and we had a "chinese auction." The presents were flying out of people's hands! Sheree's opening hers while Colleen eagerly looks on to see what she won. The special grand prize was a free 12 hour crop!! I won some cool Cosmo Cricket chipboard shapes and the Christmas die cuts to fit them - they'll be put to good use! Thanks T and T!!

I've learned through experience, that preparation
for a crop is vital! When I first started going to crops, I took everything! So, beyond hauling it in and out of your car and the store, I found I spent
a lot of time just going through all the stuff I
brought. Plus, I am usually sharing a ride with my scrapbooking buddies Michelle and Tracey, and when you see what 3 of us can load in.... you have to learn to consolidate. Here's my scrapbook space at the beginning of the crop - tools, paper trimmer, mat, baby wipes, my rolling organizer, and one of the necessities for a 15 hour sit, is a cushion! And there are people out there (hmm... husbands, children...) who think we can't scrapbook for 15 hours - hah!

One of the best ways I have found to prepare is
putting together my own "kits" for what I want to
work on. I use large "ziploc" bags, and fill them with all the materials - paper, photos, ribbon, brads, stickers...whatever I plan to use on that project or page, other than the tools such as punches or stamps that may be part of it. Then, it's easy at the crop to pull a bag of stuff out to work with, and I pretty much have everything I need right there - no more digging.

My work space generally gets messy while I am working - this photo is pretty mild. I have observed when Sheila and I scrap together, my work space is always messy and hers is always neat! I am not sure how she does it? Somehow, I can still dig through the pile and find what I need.

I've learned that crops are a blast - beyond the scrapbooking, somehow we seem to sing, dance, laugh, cry, talk, create, and share our lives. It is a community of friends and a therapy session all rolled into one. It is good food - this crop came with a complete Christmas dinner! turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread, stuffing, veggies, cranberry sauce...apple pie, pumpkin pie (my favorite) and cheesecake - all homemade and delicious! The crops at my scrapbook store are a retreat away from the stresses of our lives, and most of all, they are FUN!!!

Look for a crop near you to meet some new friends and have a relaxing, fun day!!
MISSED you Sheila!!

Quick Card Share

Here is a great idea for vellum envelopes. I just tore the envelope in half to use it as a pocket for the card. I decorated the front of the pocket with the greeting since the card had only the large image as a focal point. The button and thread adds just an extra bit of dimension. I love how it looks when put together.This envelope pocket is perfect for a hidden message. If you place the message directly behind the envelope sentiment, it will magically appear once the recipient pulls the card out of the pocket envelope. How fun!

Online Classes

While Maura is quite lucky that she has such a great local scrapbook store, Captured Moments, that offers great classes, I am not so lucky. That's why I like to find great online classes or even download-able projects. Of course, the fact that I can take these classes at my convenience, and even in my pajamas if so desired, may also have something to do with the appeal for me. With all the video technology, there are so many more offerings on the internet. When CraftTV Weekly was online, I made this picture frame based on Bethany Field's "Father's Day Frame" tutorial. I found a copy of the video here. I asked my husband to write the journaling since it celebrates his relationship with our pups.










Another great online class site is Big Picture Scrapbooking. I added a link on the left hand side also. Awhile ago, I took a year long class with Donna Downey--52 great projects! This frame was one of the projects from the class.

The great thing about online classes is that they can be interpreted any way that you want. You follow along at your own pace, use your favorite products and end up with something one-of-a-kind.

I'd love to be able to take one of Maura's classes, but until then, I'll continue to search for online classes to satisfy my creative needs.

Gift Idea: Card Storage Box

Close to My Heart makes this great memory box - a really nice quality white cardboard with a magnetic closure on the flap. Choose a coordinating paper pack and embellishments and decorate the outside top and sides of the box. Make a selection of cards using the paper pack to fill the box. It's nice to use a variety of sentiments - perhaps some birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy, thinking of you... so the person receiving this can use it for many occasions. The two pockets on the top flap inside are great to add some envelopes and stamps into. Reinforce the top edge of the pocket. You might even put a pretty pen in the box, and now you have a complete gift to give to someone special. The nice thing about this gift, is next time, you can just make up a card pack for the recipient as a gift, and they have this beautiful box to store them in! It's so easy to create a completely different feel to the box and cards by choosing a different set of coordinating papers.

Envelope Pocket

I had a set of pretty notecards and envelopes that I wanted to use, but not in the traditional way. I saw a version of these envelope pockets on the internet and decided to give them a try. I used the notecard, envelope, coordinated paper scraps and ribbon.
I sealed the envelope and then cut off the top two corners at angles. I cut a small sliver off the top of the envelope so that it would open like a pocket. Fold one of the flaps down and score. I used the notecard to cover the front of the envelope. Then I put adhesive on the top of the folded down flap. Flip it over onto the scrap of coordinated paper and trim around the edges. Do the same on the other flap and decorate. I added an insert to make this envelope pocket into a birthday greeting.

You can make these envelope pockets out of any sized envelope. Recycle your envelopes that come in the mail. Business sized envelopes can be cut down to any size for any project. Besides making cute pocket greeting cards, they would be great in mini books filled with journaling cards, memorabilia or additional photos.

Maura's December Daily class #1

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la...." yes, I believe there were echoes of Christmas carols in the air, as we began our first session of the December Daily scrapbook (this is a progressive class--the goal is to complete the pages of the book before December so it will be ready to add photos and journaling to document the holidays). I went through the directions and over the materials, then participants chose the holiday papers and some embellishments to get started. When you have a whole store to choose from, it can make for a difficult decision...classic, trendy, funky.... what look to go for with this? I personally decided to go with some non-traditional colors.


Next step was just getting started, but once we made it past this step, we were off and scrapping! Michelle and Colleen ponder just how to begin with this project. Participants learned how to make die cuts if they were unfamiliar with that, and discovered some new techniques to use in their book.



Adding to the festive "Christmas in July" theme, we had some of "Papa Nick's" special eggnog, and Christmas cookies - yum-o! Tiffany enjoys a glass of her dad's eggnog.

Three hours flew by, and I had to stop the fun at 9 pm - Tiffany wanted to keep going, but as I reminded everyone, they had "homework" to do. Of course, this is the kind of homework I don't think any of us mind!

Everyone got a great start on their book, and
left with materials and papers to finish the first ten pages. Can't wait to get together again in August and see how everyone did!

Getting in the Mood

This should get you in the mood for Christmas in July and the December Daily scrapbook class - posts to soon follow!!
(Valentine's Day blizzard, Maura's back yard)

So, if I think about how I scrapbook, I am often out of sync with the season, year.... and truly, does it matter? You might think about scrapping some "cool" layouts now in the middle of summer. It'll take your mind off of the hot and humid weather outside.... On the other hand, if you start your holiday projects now, they might be done in time - that's my plan at least!

Scissor Project

This spring I went to Ohio to visit my family, and Sheila and I had a chance to go to several of the craft stores. I don't know about you, but if there is a scrapbook, stamp, or craft store near a place I am visiting, somehow it gets on my to-do list. I sometimes daydream about a road trip where I could stop at all the stores and shop along the route - of course, first, I would run out of money, and second, space to fit all the purchases into the truck!

We both saw these giant wooden scissors and decided to turn this into a long distance project. I chose to paint mine bright green on one side and blue on the other. I sponged some of the other color on also to give it some coordination, then stamped with white ink , embellished with ribbon and flowers for a very tropical and bright look.

I bet we can get Sheila to share hers, so you can see how different they turned out!



OK...Sheila here to post my version of the wooden scissors per Maura's request! I tend to have a more toned down style with neutral colors. That's what makes these long distance projects so much fun for both of us---we start with the same item, but we end up with something so different that suits our personalities. I painted my scissors with Making Memories paint, added rub-ons, used American Crafts Thickers letters, and the stitched lines were hand drawn. The polka dot ribbon adds the finishing touch.

If you'd like to decorate your own pair of wooden scissors, this is what we started with. We got ours at Hobby Lobby but I have seen them at other craft stores and online. They are inexpensive and after altering, they look great in your craft room!

Ribbon Box

I thought that I would share an easy organizational tip for your ribbon. I used to keep mine all thrown together in a box. Every time I tried to pull out one ribbon, a tangled mess would follow. Than I would just stuff it all back in the box. I never really found a better way that worked for me until I re-spooled everything onto these wooden clothespins. And that is easy to do in those short bursts of spare time or while waiting for dinner to cook, watching TV or sitting on the deck.



Insert the end of the ribbon into one of those little slits and as you wrap the ribbon around the clothespin at an angle down and then back up, it will get tucked in. Fasten the end of the ribbon in place with a ball head pin. This type of storage also helps to smooth out any stubborn crease marks.

I don't sort mine by color, but you certainly could. I have also seen the ribbon clothespins stored in big glass jars. I still keep mine in a box but I find it so much easier to work with my ribbon now!

Organizing Ideas, or what to do with your old magazines...

Over the years, I have subscribed to a number of stamping and scrapbooking magazines, and they have been piling up around the house. I can't throw them out, because I remember I saw projects I wanted to try, a new technique, a color combination...something that I would just have to go back and find. Well, I realized recently, that I would never find the article again in that four foot high stack of magazines, and I really should get those under control. (yes, I think if I really stacked them up they would be at least that high)

So, the new organized me, or at least the one trying to be that, came up with a solution. I have started going through them quickly, and the cards, articles, layouts, etc. that catch my eye this time come out, usually a few per issue. I sometimes jot a note on the piece to help me remember later what I will use it for, or why I cut it out. My sister Sheila gave me a pretty accordion file folder, so I labeled the sections: cards, colors, holidays, journaling, layouts, occasions, organize, project, scrapbook, technique. I slip each of the pieces I found in the magazine into one of these categories, and when I get stuck for ideas, can look through my file folder to jumpstart my creativity. And, I can then pass on the magazines to friends to also use - I am reducing, reusing, and recycling!

One of the nice things about this project is I can take a stack out on the picnic table when the weather is nice, or a few in the car on a drive...hopefully, by the end of summer, my four foot stack will be down to the ground!

From Plain to Pretty...

I have seen numerous versions of these little notepads on the internet and wanted to make some. I started with a package of 5" x 8" notepads from my local office supply store. After a stop at Kinko's and a mere $3 to have them cut, in an afternoon I went from these plain lined notepads...



to these!


The cardstock is from last year's Kit of the Month by Creating Keepsakes called Details Enclosed. I actually won this kit by posting on Lisa Bearnson's blog! There were 824 comments and I was one of the 10 winners. I think that the school secretaries will be getting these as their start of the school year gift and some may even end up in the etsy shop. I'm now going to try a grocery shopping list version decorated with kitchen themed rubber stamps. Just another project that has endless possibilities.

CK Kit of the Month, Stampin' Up Felt Flowers, Marvy scalloped punch, Close to my Heart and Hero Arts rubber stamps

Maura's Trio

Finally, I finished my set of trees from the class! Thought I would share them with you, since I added a few new touches, such as stickers around the pots instead of ribbon, pearls to the ribbons on the fringe tree, and fiber and black rhinestones to the scallop tree. I also inked the scallops. I painted the pots with Adirondack Paint Dabbers "expresso brown" and then after the paint dried, rubbed "bronze" on it with a baby wipe. There are so many variations, it is fun to see how many new twists you can come up with.

Maura's Christmas Tree- oh! class

Creativity abounds at the class at Captured Moments! Friends gather to try out something new, and share ideas at the class I just taught at the store.




You can make a "trio" of Christmas trees in about 3 - 4 hours, once you have prepared your materials. These make a cute decoration for the holidays, perfect on your mantle, and what better time than July to start getting ready for Christmas! Hey, you know how busy you are at the end of the year!


Materials needed: scissors, paper trimmer, adhesive, coordinating holiday paper(Basic Grey and Kaiser Craft), 3 sizes of scallop punches, paint, fibers and ribbons, embellishments, ruler, and a set of trees from Oriental Trading Company (Christmas Tree Kit). (Check your local craft store for paper mache or styrofoam forms as an alternative.)

Three Easy Steps to Prepare:
1. Paint the bases and the bottoms of the trees. Set aside to dry.
2. Cut out about 5-2" strips of different papers. Cut out 8-10 2.5" strips.
3. Punch out 12 large scalloped circles, 12 medium, and 12 small.

Small Tree:
1. Using the 2" strips you cut, now cut them into little pieces about 0.5x2". Curl with your scissors (closed - those scrapbook scissors are sharp!) or use the dowel in your kit.
2. Always start at the base of the tree, and adhere a row of curly strips around the base. The next layer goes above it, and stagger the strips.
3. Continue to the top. Add an embellishment and fibers and ribbons, and voila! you are done!

Look at how proud Lynda is of her beautiful tree!

Medium Tree: Yes! This will be a lot faster than the little one - I promise!
1. Now, you are going to use your 2.5" strips and fringe them. Keep about a half inch at the top to adhere it with.
2. Start at the base with the first strip and adhere. Overlap the next strip so about a half to an inch of the layer below shows. It is your personal preference. Work your way to the top.
3. Embellish the top, add fibers and ribbons, and tree #2 is done!
Heidi, hard at work. Look at those fringed trees!

Large Tree:
1. Cut your medium and large scallops in half. Ink the edges if you like.
2. Start at the base with the large scallops. Layer them, alternating placement with each row, and do about a third of the tree.
3. Cover the middle third with rows of the medium scallop halves.
4. Top off the tree with rows of the smallest scallop circles.
5. If you would like to add a bit of dimension, turn the scallop edges up carefully.
6. Add a decoration to the top, fibers and ribbons, and there you go!
A beautiful sample! I like the garland she added.

Ok, several hours have gone by while you have been immersed in your project, but you now have three beautiful Christmas trees ready for the holidays!There's one in every class! Tiffany (one of the store owners) takes it a step further!
Happy scrapping!
Maura

A little tutorial...

I thought that I would share how I made this little camping themed folder. I absolutely love this line of Mr. Campy papers by Cosmo Cricket. Actually I bought the paper crafting kit with a gift card from Maura!



You will need the following:
Olive cardstock cut to 12" x 4 3/4", scored at 3 3/8", 6 3/4", 10 1/8" and 10 3/8".
Brown cardstock, three pieces cut to 5 1/2" x 3", scored at 1".
Patterned papers, three pieces cut to 4 1/2" x 3".
Three coin envelopes (or other) 4 1/2" x 3".
Cardstock inserts , three pieces cut to 4 1/4" x 2 3/4".
Strip of patterned paper cut to 8 1/2" x 1".
Optional items: punches, rubber stamps.



1. Cut all your cardstock and score.
2. Adhere the brown pieces to the olive green base being careful to alternate the scored 1" flaps. Center the pieces between the score lines.
3. Adhere the patterned papers to the coin envelopes. Punch a notch if desired.
4. Put adhesive on the 1" scored flap that will cover the envelope. Fold flap over to adhere.



5. Slip inserts inside coin envelopes.
6. Wrap belly band around closed folder and adhere the ends. Make sure it can slip on and off easily.
Now you can make it your own with stamping, adding photos or journaling. What gets slipped into the envelopes is all up to you!



That's the fun of these little folders---there is so much you can do to personalize them. If you decide to make one, leave a comment with your link. We'd love to see!

Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy papers, Inkadinkado camping stamps, Art Impression journaling lines, Stampin' Up punches.