Scrapbook Steals 4th Birthday Blog Hop

Welcome to those hopping along from the oh so amazing blog of Heather Conklin!  

Happy 4th Birthday, scrapbookSTEALS.com!!!  When I first started scrapbooking almost four years ago, scrapbookSTEALS.com was my source of affordable supplies, amazing inspiration, and constant encouragement. Four years later, scrapbookSTEALS.com continues to be my go-to source for scrapbooking supplies, sketch inspiration, and scrapping girl friends.  So you can imagine how honored I am wheto be a part of the fourth birthday celebration blog hop!

As part of the birthday celebration, there will be an online crop TONIGHT, July 12.  In conjunction with the online crop, scrapbookSTEALS.com will be hosting a number of online challenges with some amazing prizes through their blog. For this blog hop, I have two challenge layouts to share.

A.  Challenge #3 - Favorite Vendor.  Choose your favorite scrapbookSTEALS.com vendor and create a project using their products. 

It is no secret that I absolutely LOVE Xyron.  Their adhesive products make crafting fast, simple, and mess free.  I bought my first Xyron machine (the Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker) through scrapbookSTEALS.com almost three years ago and it completely changed my crafting life!

For this challenge project, I created a layout using a TON of Xyron adhesives and other goodies all purchased from scrapbookSTEALS.com. 

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (October Afternoon); Vellum (Martha Stewart Crafts); Chipboard Stickers (October Afternoon); Letter Stickers (American Crafts); Stamps and Dies (Lawn Fawn, Simon Says Stamp, American Crafts); Die Cuts (American Crafts, Little Yellow Bicycle); Sequins (Doodlebug Designs); Wood Veneers (Studio Calico); Inks/ Paints (Mister Hueys, Memento, Sharpie, Tim Holtz, Uni-ball); Adhesives (Xyron Mega Runner, Xyron 5" Creative Station, Xyron Creatopia, NEW! Xyron Adhesive Dots).

This project is a direct response to this layout I created in September 2012 shortly after my son was born.  Back in September, I questioned where the rainbows were.  And now, with our family finally complete and together, we literally see rainbows everyday.  What a change!

 One of the main elements of the layout is a printed vellum I created by combining a number of my rainbow instagram photos and simply printing them on vellum.

CRAFT TIP:  Use your Xyron machine to adhere vellum onto your project without needing to cover up any adhesive.

ANOTHER CRAFT TIP:  Use Xyron Adhesive Dots to adhere small elements like sequins or wood veneers onto your layout with the mess or fuss of liquid adhesive.

B.  Challenge #4 - Washi Fever.  Create a project using washi tape. On this project you must use 4 different tapes. 

I love using my Xyron 1.5" Create a Sticker to make my own washi tape which I used to create a number of elements in this project, which is based on Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go.

Supplies: Patterned Paper (Echo Park, My Mind's Eye); Cardstock (American Crafts); Letter Stickers (American Crafts); Embossing Folder (Lifestyle Crafts); Punch (Fiskars); Digital Files (liv.E Designs, Lettering Delights, Splendid Fiins); Floss (WRMK); Brads and Buttons (Echo Park, Pebbles); Adhesives (Xyron Mega Runner, Xyron 1.5" Create a Sticker, DIY Foam Tape).

This project, specifically, is based on this page from the Dr. Seuss book.

The layout includes a vellum tape that I created by printing the text of the book on vellum (together with a woodgrain pattern from Splendid Fiins) and running the vellum strings through the Xyron 1.5" Create a Sticker.  The placement of the vellum tape mimics where the road is placed in the inspiration page.  I even tried to mimic the look of the Seussical trees, which were die cut from sheets of DIY washi paper.

I also loved using all of my WRMK floss (another scrapbookSTEALS.com purchase) to add little details throughout the layout.

C.  GIVEAWAY!!!  In honor of the birthday celebration, I'm hosting a small giveaway on my blog this week.  Just make sure you are "following" the blog and leave a comment.  For another entry, "like" my facebook page and leave a comment letting me know.  I'll pick a random winner next Friday, July 19 and send the winner some scrapbooking goodies!

Next on the blog hop is the ever amazing and talented super woman Staci Jones.  Make sure you check out all the amazing crafters participating in this Birthday Blog Hop!

scrapbookSTEALS.com  {START HERE}
Cathy Caines

Cristine Redmond

Venetia Holbrook

Cyndee Kawa

Heather Conklin

Van Nguyen {YOU ARE HERE}

Staci Jones {GO HERE NEXT}

Charissa Miller

Brenda Smith

Erin Colby

Erica Bass

Kristy Lee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCRAPBOOKSTEALS.COM!!  Don't forget to visit the scrapbookSTEALS.com Blog for more details about the online challenges for chances to win some awesome prizes.

As always, thanks for stopping by!