Family Canvas

 

I took a class at Captured Moments to make this project.  It starts out as a kit from Quick Quotes, and pretty much includes everything you need except for adhesive and photos. It's a cool idea - the photos and papers are mounted onto a canvas back.  I created this one for my in-laws, so they can hang it in their home.  I included photos spanning several generations in their family.  I think they will enjoy this family collage!

Our next long distance project

Maura and I finally decided on our next project which will be more of a home decor project. We're both doing altered trays. I think the timing is perfect as these are a hot item right now with all the configuration boxes and such.

Maura is going to be working with the 7Gypsies Receipt Holder-

 

while I am going to be working with a letterpress tray.

not the actual tray-photo from eBay

I already know from talking with Maura and the ideas that she has, that these are definitely going to showcase our two individual styles. Should be lots of fun and now we're a bit more accountable since we've announced it here. Look for finished project photos on the blog early April.

Craft it Forward

I saw an announcement in the latest Scrapbooks etc. magazine for a monthly challenge that benefits a local charity of your choice and thought I would share.

Each month they issue a challenge to make a project including downloadable project details and instructions. You make whatever you'd like using the ideas-and your scraps-and then donate them to a nonprofit in your community. They even have suggestions of charities HERE.

You can share your creations in their gallery online for a chance to win money for yourself as well as your local charity, but in this case, I think everyone is already a winner. What a great way to brighten someone's day and what a great reason to craft!

Here's what the January and February projects were:

January-card idea

February-lollipop covers

More details are HERE.

Dear Friend Card

A bit of layering, 4 brads, ribbon and a couple of techniques make this unique card.  Use a large background stamp and a tone on tone ink on the blue paper.  Add your ribbon and the "dear friend" saying around the blue background and layer on to the green and card.  What makes this card unique is the top layer.  Take a piece of transparency and run it through an embossing folder, using your die cut machine.  Here I used a script design on top.  I think the large background stamp and the clear script go well together.  ...and Voila!  there you have it - a card for a "dear friend"!

Another use for a die cut machine

I think these Pop Can Pins are so cool and just another reason why everyone needs a die cutting machine. Even if you don't have the daisy die, I would think any flower die would work or even cutting out any shape to make embellishments. I thought these might have sharp edges, but she says they aren't after cutting...just a bit pokey.

Story Jar Idea and Downloads

Maura and I both came across this great download from Ormolu and wanted to share the idea. You can print out the journaling strips, jot down ideas for stories that you want to scrapbook, store them all in a "story jar" and then when you are ready to scrapbook, pull one out as a starting point for your layout that day. The idea is to remember the story until you have the time to get it onto paper.

photos from Ormolu

Now, while that is a great idea and I love jars (especially all decorated up and such), I can totally see using the journaling strips in a little mini book all their own! And how cute would these be on the cover?

Adding this to my "list of things I want to make one day."

Look for the free downloads at the end of the post HERE.

Easy Alterations

I haven't used these rub-ons in forever, but I knew that they would still come in handy one day.

before

after

Happy Birthday!!

 

Happy Birthday, Sheila!! 

 Hope you have a special day full of surprises!

For the Love of Coffee!

I'm pretty sure by now that you know Sheila and I love a good cup of coffee while we craft! It is one of those things that just makes crafting even more enjoyable - especially during these cold months of winter.  So...I figured I would share with you some special coffee for special people.  I discovered this great coffee company called Dean's Beans.  (They do all the right things, like Fair Trade.) One of the fun things I found on their site, is that you can design your own coffee, make your own label, and they roast it for you!  That's how I made Sisters Crafting Coffee.  Now, how fun is that?  Create your own blend of coffee to have while you are crafting!

How to Spend a Saturday

 What better way to spend the day than in the company of friends you know and new ones you meet...playing with artsy things?

I had a fabulous day with a group of artful ladies - thank you everyone!...especially Ginger and Tabitha for hosting the get together.  Not only did we have delicious foods, but we had some delicious projects to play with!

I felt very welcome when I sat down at the table to my own Eiffel tower with my name on a heart, a little jar of crafting goodies (which I put to good use on the project later in the day), and a goodie bag with some treats, including some jewelry.  I definitely plan to wear the earrings on Valentine's day! This group mainly focuses on altered art, especially "inchies", "twinchies", 4 x 4 (NOT the trucks!) and ATC's, and let me tell you, they do some beautiful things! Today was the unveiling of the "Mystery Project" - we each received a bag of goodies to create with, and we will unveil them in the spring.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes.  I think it will be a lot of fun - personally, I love being handed a bunch of items and given the challenge to create something from it!


We made a Valentine card, and a calendar.  Here is my calendar that I created.  After I layered some papers for the background and added the tape measure, I used many of the goodies from my jar.  The best part was seeing how everyone's was unique and beautiful!  Great job ladies!!

You can download the calendar to use for this project here.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Vintage Valentines
 Sheila here-thought I'd tag onto Maura's cute old fashioned Valentine (reminds me of those boxes we'd buy and take to grade school to pass out) to share the goodies I made for my husband's co-workers. 

Maura's Upcoming Class at Captured Moments

Remember Maura's previous post HERE about the Sew Easy sampler book that she made up to easily identify the various stitches and such for each of the tools? Such a great idea and now it will be offered as a class at Captured Moments for all you lucky local folks! More info HERE.

such a handy reference tool!

Rosettes inspired by Sheila!

 

I loved the rosettes Sheila made using the scoreboard and scallop punch here, and was inspired to try my hand at a few. Here are my creations. They might transform into tops for bags of Valentine goodies, or they might turn into a cute little paper pin to wear.  

Hmmm... I wonder.....

Mini Valentine's

Here's an easy way to make a cute little envelope out of a heart for Valentine's Day.

Start with a heart. Score the heart in thirds both horizontally and vertically. 

The center square is the size of your note. Crease your score lines, folding in each side. Then fold the top of the heart down, insert your love note and slide the point of the heart into the slit.

Add embellishments if desired and slip one (or two) into a lunch bag or a briefcase, hide them in a drawer, leave one on the dashboard, prop one on someone's keyboard. Enjoy!

Valentine Card

I wanted to share the card I designed this year for Valentine's Day.  Simple colors - kraft, pink, red, and brown.  I played with a lot of techniques in this one, starting with the heart masking and painting over them with pink. Then, I stitched a heart, stamped the "XOXO" added some white doodling, a little heart tab, ribbon, and a clear shape leftover from cutting a template.

There you have it - a special card for a special person!

Feeling Lucky?

A lot of my favorite crafting tools are from We R Memory Keepers. Now they are releasing a new Lucky 8 Punch this spring. This punch tool lets you create those popular (and pricey) die cut papers without a die cutting machine.  You simply punch each corner, flip the paper over and punch each corner again and you end up with one of 6 designs. Watch this:

I can already see scrapbook layouts with these designs but more than that, these will be great to cut down for mini books and journals and such.

Here's a better view of your options-

And how cute is that 8 on the lever?

SMASH video - check out this idea!

I love this!! What a great place to keep all my ideas.  What a great place to put all my "junk drawer" odds and ends I have saved for scrapbooking.  What a great idea to take along on a trip and document it as you go  - adding in tickets, pictures, doodles, notes, anything.  Such a great idea!  I can't wait - April can't come soon enough!!

You can check out the Smash blog here. Also, check out a great review with photos of some of the extras on CraftCritique here.

More than one way to use a punch

I've been wanting to make some of the rosettes that are popping up everywhere lately and took a look at my supplies to see what I might be able to come up with. Well, this Stampin' Up punch has always been a favorite and now I love it even more.

Punch out two scallop circles for each rosette.

Score between each scallop from top to bottom.

Cut down one score line to the center where the score lines intersect.

Accordion fold the scored petals.

 Adhere the two halves together-I just used mini glue dots but any strong adhesive will do.

Then just add your embellishments.

I think these turned out pretty well for starting with a punch!

CHA Sneak Peek - Jillibean Soup

For all you card makers out there, here are some darling 6x6 paper packs from Jillibean Soup. Look at all of the different coordinated designs you get in the pack! These are some of their new products being showcased at CHA right now, which means...they will soon be available to us!

I think my favorite of these three is the "Spotted Owl Soup" - they are adorable, and I can think of some stamps and punches I have that would go with these designs. I can see some "boy" birthday cards coming out of this pack!

BUT, what I really like are the cute kraft file folders!  Make a mini album with them...add them to an album...make a mini file storing system...use them on scrapbook layouts....oh, the possibilities are endless!

More than one way to use a die

Here are three different mini albums that are all made with the same Petal Card Die which looks like this:

Here are the three shapes along with their boxes to house them in-

I made the boxes by adhering two of the cut outs together (you can get a better view in the following photos). The first shape is the square which is made by cutting off one of the rounded sides and scoring the other three to make a pocket.

The next one scores three of the sides to make the pocket while leaving the fourth side unfolded to make the rounded side.

 The third one makes a heart shape by only scoring and folding in two of the sides to make a pocket.

There is a Sizzix die but according to their website it is 'suspended'. I think the Stampin' Up die was retired last summer. It looks like they aren't available anymore except maybe on eBay, but perhaps you already have it or your local scrapbook store has it in their die collection. Now before you think that I just gave you an idea you want to try but won't be able to find the die, you can do like I did and cut them out by hand. Worked just fine.