Xyron and Imaginisce - Hello Cupcake

There is something just so fun and joyful about the products that Imaginisce manufacturers and their brand new Hello Cupcake collection is no exception.  

1.  Happy Birthday Cards.  The papers made these super cute and simple birthday cards a breeze to put together.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper and Stickers (Imaginisce); Ribbon (Colorbox); Punches and Tools (Marvy Uchida, We R Memory Keepers Sew Ribbon); Adhesives (Homemade Foam Tape; Xyron Mega Runner); Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Imaginisce); Cardstock (Neena); Stamp (Imaginisce, Lawn Fawn); Inks and Markers (Memento; Copics, American Crafts); Adhesives (Homemade Foam Tape; Xyron Mega Runner, Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker); Martha Stewart Scoring Board).

2.  Vivi Turns Four {a scrapbook layout}.  The Hello Cupcake Collection was also perfect for scrapbooking photos from my niece's fourth birthday party!

Supplies:  Patterned Paper and Stickers (Imaginisce); Cardstock (American Crafts, Martha Stewart Crafts); Stamps (Imaginisce, Lawn Fawn, American Crafts); Markers and Ink (American Crafts, Memento, Uni-ball, Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger); Letter Stickers (American Crafts); Punch (Martha Stewart Crafts); Embossing (Xyron Creatopia); Adhesive (Xyron Mega Runner; Xyron 5" Creative Station, Homemade Foam Tape).

I paper pieced the balloon snag em' stamp and layered a few in the top corner for some added interest.

I used the collage function in Picassa to make this photo collage for the layout.  I find that just one 4x6 photo is rarely enough for me.  

And in this photo, you can see how I embossed the entire white background stamp using the Xyron Creatopia.  I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this machine is!!!!

And since I had such a great time playing with the new Imaginisce products, it inspired me to pull out some of my older Imaginisce supplies to make something new!

3.  Custom Dinosaur Book Plates.  Here are some book plates I designed using digital products by Crystal Wilkerson (available at JessicaSprague.com).  I then print and cut them on adhesive sticker paper using my Silhouette Cameo.  The border strips from the Imaginisce Dino Roar Collection were perfect to finish off the packaging!  I paired these custom book plates with a dinosaur hardback book as a birthday present.

Supplies:  Cardstock (American Crafts); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Border Stickers (Imaginisce); Adhesive (Xyron Mega Runner); Digital Files (Crystal Wilkerson); Photostop CS5; Silhouette Cameo; Adhesive Sticker Paper.

4.  Potty Chart.  And finally, here is a Potty Chart that I made for Charlotte.  This is our Labor Day Weekend project.  :)  I used papers and elements from the Enchanted Collection, which was one of my first scrapbooking purchases a few years ago.  Hopefully this will help motivate Charlotte to use the potty!  I'll have to blog about the details on my Potty Boot Camp another time!

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Imaginisce); Cardstock (American Crafts); Stickers (Imaginisce); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Ink and Pens (Memento); Punches (Marvy Uchida, We R Memory Keepers); Eyelets (Oriental Trading Company); Twine (Twinery); Adhesives (Homemade Foam Tape, Xyron Mega Runner; Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker); Digital Files and Fonts (Samantha Walker, Lettering Delights); Silhouette Cameo.

For more great ideas using products from Imaginisce from the Xyron Design Team, please visit their Facebook Page.  As always, thanks for stopping by!

Xyron and Quick Quotes - Halloween Layout

I love it when Xyron teams up with an awesome manufacturer like Quick Quotes.  I received some papers and elements from their new Halloween Collection and thought it was the perfect excuse to finally scrapbook last year's trick or treating photos.  While a lot of the papers and elements seemed to lend itself more towards scary Halloween projects, I was able to use them perfectly for these super cute photos of Charlotte in her bumble bee costume.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Quick Quotes); Cardstock (Recollections); Die Cuts/ Journaling Tags (Quick Quotes); Stamps (Studio Calico, Lawn Fawn, American Crafts); Ink and Pens (Quick Quotes, Uni-ball, American Crafts); Punch (EK Success); Adhesives (Xyron Creatopia, Xyron Mega Runner; Homemade Foam Tape); Digital Die Cutting Files (Silhouette); Silhouette Cameo.

The Quick Quotes die cuts and journaling tags made embellishing this layout super easy.  This amazingly intricate die cut tree provided the perfect Halloween background when paired with a graveyard silhouette that I cut using my Silhouette Cameo.  The die cuts were super easy to adhere to the page after I ran them through my Xyron Creatopia.

I cut apart the Be Afraid Chipboard Pieces and then inked it with some Quick Quotes chalk ink (purple passion) to embellish the top corner of the photo collage.  And finally, a cut one of the Quick Quotes Instant Journaling Strips into a banner/ title element for my page.  Some stamped labels (again, using the Quick Quotes chalk ink), finished my page. 

I also made this super quick and simple layout showcasing some of our pumpkin photos from last fall (and based on a Midweek Mojo Sketch from Scrapbook Steals - Pearl 7).

Supplies: Patterned Paper (Quick Quotes); Journaling Tags (Quick Quotes); Stamps (Studio Calico, Lawn Fawn); Ink and Pens (Quick Quotes, Studio Calico Mister Hueys, American Crafts, Memento, Sharpie, Tim Holtz Distress Ink); Punch (EK Success); Letter Stickers (American Crafts, October Afternoon, Kesi' Art); Adhesives (Xyron Mega Runner; Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker, Homemade Foam Tape).

I wanted to write directly on the background paper.  Since it was such a dark and heavy print, I first sprayed directly onto the paper with some Studio Calico Mister Hueys spray before stamping some journaling lines with a Lawn Fawn Background stamp and then writing directly onto the page.  Unfortunately, all the of the pens didn't do so well writing onto the paint (I tried the American Crafts precision pen, Sharpie fine tip marker, and the Memento pen).  If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know!

I also didn't go crazy with the embellishing on this layout.  A return to simple scrapping.  :) But I'm still really liking it without all the fuss.  It's a good reminder that not all pages should take me 5 hours to finish!

Thanks Quick Quotes for the opportunity to play with your amazing products!  Make sure to visit Beth Kingston's blog for lots of stunning Xyron and Quick Quotes projects from the Xyron Design Team all week long and a chance to win some of the Quick Quotes Halloween products for your own collection!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Words for Wednesday - More Love for Daughters

I snapped this photo of Charlotte in her old nursery and it seemed perfect for this beautiful quote by Laurel Atherton.  As always, thanks for stopping by!

Take 12 Project - August 12

The 12th this August fell on the last day Justin was home before leaving on deployment.  It was certainly a bittersweet day filled with lots of family time and some tears as it started to hit me (once again) that he was finally leaving (again).  While he has been away these past few months for training, and it has been difficult for me in so many ways, the the fears and unknowns involved with deployment add a whole new complexity to what we are all feeling.  But thankfully, we were able to spend an entire day filled with family and love and lots of amazing memories.  

Here is my layout for this month:

I was inspired by this piece of paper from the Echo Park Sweet Days collection.  

I was just obsessed with these polaroids and wanted to mimic that look.  I cut a number Polaroid die cuts using my Silhouette Cameo and digital files from Lori Whitlock. After placing some photos and patterned papers underneath the die cuts, I arranged them on some neutral colored patterned paper.  

Here are some closeups:

Supplies:  Patterned Papers (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Crate Paper); Card Stock (American Crafts); Chipboard and Sticker Embellishments (Studio Calico); Stamps (Lawn Fawn, My Cute Stamps, Paper Smooches); Letter and Word Stickers (American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket); Adhesives (Xyron 2.5" Sticker Maker); Other (Silhouette Cameo, Lori Whitlock Digital Files, Glossy Accents by Ranger).

Amazingly enough, the only adhesive I used on this layout was my Xyron 2.5" Sticker Maker.  Seriously love that thing.  And it was also an excellent excuse to finally pull out the Lawn Fawn Stamps that I love so much.

If you're playing along this month with Ella Publishing, make sure to link up your photos here for a chance to win a spot in Elisha Snow's photography class at Big Picture Classes.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Countdown to Goodbye

We are counting down the days/ hours/ minutes before Justin leaves again.  The anxiousness just hangs over everyone.  It leads to uncontrollable crying, senseless bickering, or overwhelming love at random times throughout the day.  But we are all trying to focus on simply enjoying the moments we have together and being grateful for the time that we do have.  I keep reminding myself that it could be a billion times worse and that this isn't about us.  It's about something much bigger that us - it's about serving our country and the sacrifices Justin makes because of his love for this country.  I have to suck it up because I'm not strong enough to do what Justin does (and will do).  But I know that somehow I can be strong enough to make sure that our little family will be fine while he is away.  And during those moments when I falter, I know that I will have my family and friends there to pick me back up.  

So the countdown to goodbye continues.  But the sooner we say goodbye, the sooner we can start counting down to hello.