Kiwi Lane November Blog Hop - Happy Fall Layout

If you're hopping on here from Joy Nielsen's amazing blog, welcome!

I'm so honored to be part of the Kiwi Lane Designs Blog Hop this month to bring you some scrapbooking inspiration.  The ever so talented and inspirational Kristy Lee is leading the troops over at Kiwi Lane Designs and she is the individual responsible for getting me into this scrapbooking hobby!


I was tasked with making something using the super cute Nature Accessory Set. 

Since it's the fall, the maple leaf instantly caught my eye and I wanted to create a scrapbook page around it.  The reason I love Kiwi Lane Design templates is because it it allows you to easily create shaped embellishment using some non traditional mediums.  In my case, I wanted to use some cork.  My Silhouette Cameo does not cut cork and I don't have a maple leaf die to use with my manual die cutting machine (i.e. Xyron Creatopia with Shapez Component, Sizzix Big Shot, ProvoCraft Cuttlebug).  Enter the Nature Accessory Set!  All I had to do was trace the leaf shape onto my cork and then cut with scissors.  As simple as that! 

Here's my fall themed layout.

Supplies:  Kiwi Lane Designs - Nature Accessory Set; Xyron Mega Runner; Patterned Paper (Little Yellow Bicycle - Acorn Hollow); Enamel Dots (Doodlebug); Stamps (Lawn Fawn - Milo's ABCs, American Crafts); Versafine Ink; Tim Holtz Tonic Scissors; Fiskars Paper Trimmer.

When using such large and bold elements, I like to keep my layouts simple.  Here, I created a photo strip to make sure the lines were straight and clean.  And may I also add that I LOVE the look of stamping right onto the cork. 

Here's another close up of that cork leaf.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!  Make sure to leave a comment here on my blog and all the other participating blogs in the November hop (including the Kiwi Lane blog).  ONE winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Kiwi Lane Shop for leaving a comment and will be announced on the Kiwi Lane blog on Thursday, November 7th.

I will also be selecting ONE winner to receive a free Nature Accessory Set.  Just make sure you are FOLLOWING my blog and leave a comment on this blog post.  Winner will be announced on Thursday, November 7th as well. 

Next on the hop is my dear and amazingly talented friend, Minousha Bari!  And if you get lost along the way, here is a list of all the blog hop participants.

1. Kiwi Lane http://kiwilane.com/here/blog/
2. Cristine Redmond http://onescrappynovice.blogspot.com
3. Joy Nielsen www.threadsnscraps.com
4. Van Nguyen http://likethecar.blogspot.com
5. Minousha Bari  http://preservedscraps.blogspot.com
6. Lissa Mitchell http://mightycrafty.blogspot.com
7. Arin Flynn http://apieceoflifespie.com
8. Kerri Smith http://www.crafttimeandcupcakes.com/ 
9. Christine Meyer http://scrappingwithchristine.blogspot.com
10. Christina Steel www.tinasscrapcrap.blogspot.com

 As always, thanks for stopping by!

Xyron and Maya Road Blog Hop

So this week, Xyron is teaming up all week with Maya Road!!!!!!  Okay, did you just see me do my amazingly awesome and geek-filled happy dance.  I mean, can you think of a better partnership?!?!  Maya Road makes some of my favorite alterable embellishments in the industry.  Chipboard, metal, wood, twine, trim, paper...the list goes on and on and on. For this week's project, I wanted to make a book for my daughter using this gorgeous Maya Road Scroll Edge Chipboard Binder.

The motivation behind this project was the desire to make my daughter a special Daddy book.  Most of my mini albums or books are usually geared for her - to integrate those photos and memories into our daily bedtime/ reading routine.  Even when Daddy isn't gone on deployment, he is away from home quite a bit.  There are those long and unpredictable underways when the ship is gone to sea for various exercises.  There are the weekly duty nights.  There are those tireless work days gearing up for inspections or tests or trainings.  Regardless the reason, it inevitably results in my daughter crying for her dad and telling me how much she misses him.  He's only gone for a night, I reassure her.  But he's not here right now, she persists.  A little girl missing her dad is heart breaking - if it is for months or just a night.

So using the amazing products from Maya Road and Xyron, I made my daughter this "Fun Times with Dad" book.  Because even though Daddy can't be here all the time, we can still remember the fun times we have had with him.

  
Supplies: Maya Road (Scroll Edge Chipboard Binder, Chipboard Alphabet, Twine Cording, Antique Angel Wing, Love Chipboard Banner Set, Wood Shaped Button Embellishments); Adhesive (Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker, Xyron Adhesive Dots, Xyron Creatopia (Permanent Adhesive), Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker); October Afternoon - Sidewalks (Patterned Paper, Stickers); WRMK (Journaling Cards - Simply Happy); Lil' Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangle; Doodlebug Designs - Crushed Velvet Flocking Powder; Epiphany Crafts Heart Shape Tool; Basic Grey Letter Stickers; Bossy Joscie Flair; Core'dinations Sand It Gadget; Tim Holtz Distress Ink. 


My daughter already adores the little book and thankfully the Maya Road Scroll Edge Chipboard Binder is amazingly sturdy and can easily hold up to little hands.  Using edge-to-edge adhesive with my various Xyron products also ensures that everything stays adhered on despite the frequent handling of the book.

And here is a peak at the entire album (along with some tips and tricks along the way).

1.  Flocked Letters.  For the "dad" title, I embellished Maya Road Chipboard Alphabet letters by applying adhesive on the top of the letters using my Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker and then rubbing in some Doodlebug flocking powder.  Then, just run the letters back through the Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker again to adhere them directly onto the chipboard album.

2.  Securing Twine.  Simply roll up some Xyron Adhesive Dots and place them directly underneath the bow and where the Maya Road Twine Cording is wrapped along the binder to keep it in place.  May I also say that the Maya Road's twine is some of the thickest that I have ever worked with!!  Just stunning.

3.  Embellish with Trinkets.  Tying on a single Maya Road Antique Angel Wing really adds a lot of charm to the cover.

4.  Covering Album Pages.  After cutting out the patterned paper to cover the album pages, I used my Xyron Creatopia (Permanent Adhesive) to quickly apply edge to edge adhesive onto the backsides to then just stick onto my unfinished pages.  It literally took seconds.  Awesome!  To finish off the edges, I sanded them down using the Core'dinations Sand It Gadget and distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen and Vintage Photo).

5.  Adhering Little Embellishments.  The little heart in the corner of the WRMK "I love us" card is from the Maya Road Love Chipboard Banner Set.  I inked the little heart with some My Favorite Things Dye Ink and adhered them both using my Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker.   

6.  Printing Little Photos.   To print those tiny photos, I created a photo collage in Picassa set for four photos set on 4x6 paper.  I then cut them each out using my favorite Stitched Mats: Rectangle dies from Lil' Inker Designs.

7.  Writing in Pencil.  I was a bit uneasy about writing directly onto the album pages with ink.  So, I wrote in pencil!  It's acid free and archival safe.  And if I mess up (which I did), I can just erase and try again!

8.  Working with a Single Collection.  To keep it easy, I primarily used papers and embellishments from a single paper collection to make it easy on myself.  Since many of the Maya Road embellishments are unfinished, you can make them coordinate perfectly with any collection!  For this project, I used October Afternoon - Sidewalks.

 

9.  A Personalized Trinket.  For the back cover, I added another charm I made using the Epiphany Crafts Heart Shape Tool and the coordinating jewelry setting.  You can see a tutorial here.

So there you go, 9 tips and tricks to make your own mini album!  Make sure you head over to the Xyron Blog and Maya Road Blog all week long for more awesome inspiration and giveaways!

As always, mahalo for stopping by!

Xyron and StencilGirl Blog Hop - Cookies and Cupcakes

Me:  Sweetie, what do you want to be when you grow up?

C:  A baker.

Me:  What should I be when I grow up?

C:  A baker too.  You can help me.  I'm going to have a bakery.  I will make the cakes.  You will make the muffins.  Pink muffins.

Me:  Really?  And what is the bakery going to be called?

C:  Open and Close.

Me:  That's a good name.

C:  I know.  It's a good bakery too.

My daughter never ceases to amaze me.  And she has stuck by her Open and Close Bakery story for a few months now so maybe she really will grow up to be a baker one day.  So you can imagine how excited she...um, I mean, how excited I was to see that I would be working with this awesome StencilGirl stencil for our blog hop with Xyron.  

The circle images in this Cupcake and Sprinkles Stencil reminded me of sprinkles on top of a frosted cookie.  So, running with that inspiration, I made these play cookies for my little baker.  

OPEN AND CLOSE SANDWICH COOKIES

Supplies: StencilGirl Stencil (Cupcakes and Sprinkles); Adhesive (Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker, Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker); Cardstock (Core'dinations, American Crafts), American Crafts Ribbon, American Crafts Stamp Markers; Lifestyle Crafts Embossing Folders; Core'dinations Sanding Block.

And here is how I made them...

1.  Gather Ribbon Spools.  For the base of the sandwich cookies, I collected a couple of American Crafts Ribbon Spools.  They are sturdy and perfectly sized for toddler hands.

2.  Cover the Ribbon Spools with Paper.  Trace the circle shapes on cardstock.  Plan on tracing two circles for each cookie.  I used some deliciously textured and thick Core'dinations cardstock for my project.

Cut out the circle shapes using your favorite scissors.

Emboss half of the circles with a smaller format pattern.  I used a hearts embossing folder by Lifestyle Crafts.

To create dimension to the embossed circles, sand the little embossed images with a sanding block. Here's an image of the before and after sanding.

Run all of the circle shapes (embossed and not embossed) through the Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker. Since these cookies are meant for play, having edge to edge adhesive is very important and the perfect project for your Xyron sticker maker.

Then, adhere the circle pieces onto the ribbon stools (there should be a side that is covered in plain cardstock and another side covered in embossed cardstock) and sand down the edges.

3.  Create Frosting and Sprinkle Layers.  For this step, I create "sprinkles" by coloring inside the StencilGirl Cupcake and Sprinkles stencil on white cardstock.  I used American Crafts stamp markers to color inside the sprinkles.

Using a circle punch, punch out the circle image to create a perfect layer of "frosting" around the edge. Just like with the cardstock layers, run the frosting layers through the Xyron 2.5" Create-a-Sticker and adhere onto the side of the cookie which is covered in plain cardstock.

4.  Create the Cookie Filling.  Since the ribbon spools have a middle, I thought it would be perfect area to create a cookie filling.  To make the filling, measure out just enough ribbon to wrap around the ribbon spool.

Run the ribbon through the Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker.

Then simply adhere onto the ribbon spool.  And just like that, you've now created some delicious looking cookies perfect for some pretend play.  In my daughter's case, they were ready for their debut at the Open and Close Bakery.  :)

And here she is putting them up for display.

CUPCAKE TO CELEBRATE CARD.  Since I HAD to do something with that awesome cupcake stencil, here is a card made using the Cupcake and Sprinkles Stencil and some ink daubed onto cardstock with some foam makeup sponges.

Supplies: StencilGirl Stencil (Cupcakes and Sprinkles); Adhesive (Xyron Mega Runner, DIY Foam Tape); Cardstock (Neena Paper, My Favorite Things); My Mind's Eye Patterned Paper; My Favorite Things ColorBox Ink; American Crafts Ribbon; WRMK Corner Rounder.

Make sure you check out the Xyron blog all this week for some awesome inspiration and giveaways!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Xyron and Doodlebug - Christmas Photo Tray

If you know me, I love all things cute and adorable and I don't think any other manufacturer epitomes that better than Doodelbug Design Inc.  I squealed with delight when I found out that I would be working with their 2013 Christmas collection, Home for the Holidays, for this blog hop with Xyron.  It uses traditional red, white and green (which is my favorite) with the most charming images.

For my project today, I worked with a 7 Gypies Photo Shadowbox Tray that I have been pining over for years.

I finally caved and bought one of Blitsy a few weeks ago and was eager to get it decorated as a home decor piece that I can change out with each month.  Here is what I made...

And here is how I made it...

1.  Select your Photos.  This step is always the most time consuming part of any photo-based project for me.  I decided on which openings I wanted photos, printed them on my photo printer, and then cut them down to fit into the shadowbox openings.

2.  Make Decorated Cards for the Other Panels.  Then, cut down patterned paper and decorate like you would little ATC or Project Life cards.  I focused on the beautiful patterned papers and stickers from the Home for Holidays collection.

For the largest panel, I used various letter stickers with the "Merry Christmas" sticker from this sticker sheet.  I purchase most of my thickers when they are on clearance from TJMaxx or Marshalls.  Often times, the thickers (especially the chipboard ones) aren't very sticky.  I simply run them through my Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker to adhere onto my project.

Tip:  I also use DIY Foam Tape to adhere many of the stickers onto my paper and photo panels to create quick and easy dimension.

3.  Adhere Photo/ Paper Panels to Shadowbox.  To create a shadowbox that could be used throughout the year, I wanted to be able to quickly and easily change out the different photo and paper panels.  To do that, I reached for my Xyron Magnetic Tape.  It's also my magic weapon when making mini albums and other projects that need a small closure.

Finally, I simply covered the front and sides of the shadowbox with the Let it Snow Washi Tape.  The adhesive is just strong enough to stay put through the holidays but light enough that I can pull it off later one without worrying about any damage to the shadowbox itself.

To display, simply place on an easel (or I used a plate stand) and you have created a beautiful home decor piece that can easily be adapted throughout the year!

Supplies:  Doodlebug - Home for the Holidays (Patterned Paper, Stickers, Washi Tape, Flair); Adhesives (Xyron Magnetic Tape, Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker, Xyron Mega Runner, DIY Foam Tape); 7 Gypsies Photo Shadowbox Tray; Letter Stickers (American Crafts, October Afternoon, Basic Grey); Lil' Inker Stitched Rectangle Die.

Here are some closeups.  That photo of my son in the Santa hat was taken by my good friend and fellow Navy Spouse, Melissa Grady (Melissa O Photography).  She's now in Florida so if you need a photographer for anything, she is certainly your girl!

I absolutely adore the flare badges in this collection and they were the perfect embellishment layered with other stickers in the collection placed directly on the frame.

And check out my daughter (home sick from school) insisting that she get photographed with the shadowbox.  Love her (and thankfully she is finally feeling better today after 8 days of fever).

Make sure you head over to the Xyon blog for awesome inspiration all week long featuring Xyron and Doodlebug!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Xyron and Core'dinations Blog Hop - Framed Halloween Subway Art

I cannot even begin to fully express how freakin' excited I am to be hopping with Core'dinations and Xyron today!  Core'dinations was the first (and only) brand of cardstock that I purchased when I started scrapbooking almost four years ago.  I loved the weight, the texture, the range of colors, the color core! I was spoiled from the beginning.  Four years later, I still have not discovered another brand that lives to the same standard of awesome that Core'dinations does.  And when you partner Core'dinations with Xyron adhesives, there are no limits to the crafting possibilities!

For this blog hop, I wanted to create some holiday home decor.  We are now committed to October and Halloween is on my mind!  Here is a decorated frame with some Halloween subway art that I created.

Supplies:  Core'dinations Cardstock; Core'dinations SandIt Tool; Patterned Paper (Bazzil - All Hallow's Eve); Adhesives (Xyron High Take Adhesive Dots, Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker); EK Success Mini Pennant Punch; EK Success 2 Point Flag Punch; Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms Die; Sizzix Framelit Dies; Paper Studio Tiny Stars Embossing Folder; May Arts Ribbon; Studio Calico Mr. Huey's Shine; Ink Jet Transparency; Digital Files (Kolette Hall, Lori Whitlock); Little Yellow Bicycle Stick Pins; WRMK Floss, Target Washi Tape.

I wanted to be sure to share a couple of tips and tricks that I learned in the process of making this frame.

1.  Patterned Paper + Ink Jet Transparencies = AWESOME Framed Artwork.  I really wanted to use this file from the Silhouette Online Store and designed by Kolette Hall.  It is intended to be cut out of vinyl and I was trying to decide between cutting it out of vinyl or cardstock.  However, after my electronic die cutting machine was giving me so attitude (it does that sometimes), I started searching for another solution.  Then, like a light bulb popping out of the top of my head, and as the clouds parted to reveal magnificent rays of sunlight, it came to me.  Pure genius.  And I didn't even steal the idea from Pinterest, for realz.  TRANSPARENCIES!!!

Using my normal and amazingly boring ink jet printer, I printed the word art image onto a sheet of ink jet transparency (I use Sparco Ink Jet Transparency Film originally purchased from Amazon but I don't think they carry it anymore).  I layered that directly over some Halloween patterned paper from Bazzil All Hallow's Eve trimmed to fit inside of the frame.  Then, just like that, I created the look of vinyl with the super crisp black words without the fuss of cutting anything.  I mean, come on?  Pretty awesome, right?  And now, you can super easily change out the word art throughout the month!!!

2.  Xyron High Tack Adhesive Dots and Rolled Flowers.  The New! Xyron High Tack Adhesive Dots are perfect for making sure that your 3D paper flowers stay together.  They were also strong enough for me to directly adhere the flowers (and everything else) directly onto the frame without having to turn on the nasty glue gun!

The Core'dinations cardstock is so thick that it is perfect for making these Spellbinder Bitty Blossom flowers.  For the leaves, after cut and embossing the leaves, I used the Core'dinations SandIt Tool to add more detail and dimension to the leaves.  I really think that if you are ever going to cut and emboss anything, you NEED to use Core'dinations cardstock with the sanding block.  There is no other product that gives you such amazing results.

The beautiful color core also shines through in this pennant element along the top of the frame.  To create this effect, I embossed the Core'dinations cardstock with a stars embossing folder and then sanded with the Core'dinations SandIt Tool.

And did you see that I just covered the sides of the frame with washi tape?  Oh yeah.  Awesome.

Make sure to head over the Xyron blog to check out some seriously gorgeous projects featuring Xyron and Core'dinations.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!