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!

Catching Up - Some More Digital Scrapbook Layouts

Just wanted to post some digital scrapbook layouts I've done that somehow never made it to the blog for one reason or another.  So enjoy!

1.  Playing with Daddy {a digital scrapbook layout}.  This layout is based on this beautiful sketch by Erin Shultz (Mid Week Mojo - Pearl #1) for Scrapbook Steals.  It was also the perfect excuse to play with some new digital products from Jenni Bowlin Studios.

Supplies:  Jenni Bowlin Studios (Classic Border Shapes, Mercantile Mix Paper Collection 2, Mercantile Mix Paper Collection 4, Rhinestone Buttons & Bows); Splendid Fiins (@ the office supplies 1, Sew Crafty - messy stitches vol 1, Knock Out - "wood grain" mask); Pink Paislee (Kraft Capers Paper Pack); Photoshop CS5; Sketch (Erin Shultz for Scrapbook Steals).

2.  Nashville {a digital scrapbook layout}.  This layout is an attempt to scrapbook our cross country drive last September.  I'm still not quite sure how I'm going to document our amazing trip cross country but here is a first attempt using some new products from Splendid Fiins.

Supplies:  Splendid Fiins (Kinda Sketchy, wishy washi - skies ae grey set 1, Sew Crafty - messy stitches vol 1; Photoshop CS5).

3.  Horsing Around {a digital scrapbook layout}.  And finally, this is a layout I made awhile back inspired by this amazing sketch by Misty Buck for Scrapbook Steals.  

Supplies:  Jenni Bowlin Studios (Tangerine Dream Collection, Printed Tickets Stars & Stats, Classic Label Papers ); Kitschy Digitals (Clotheslines); Queen of Quirk (Country Mouse Accent Pack; Photoshop CS5; Sketch (Misty Buck for Scrapbook Steals).

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Gifting Scrapbook Pages

As you know, I love to scrapbook.  With each page I make, it's another memory for our family's album.  It's an intensely personal and intimate exercise to choose the title, journal the memories, and select the perfect photos. So when I decided to make a framed scrapbook page for a friend, it definitely felt outside of my comfort zone. However, with some of Scrapbook Steals fantastic Mid Week Mojo sketches as my guide, I was able to put something together that I'm really proud of.  

1.  Lilly Reese {a scrapbook layout}.

The starting point for this layout was a Mid Week Mojo (Amethyst 5) by Kristy Lee.  

And here are some closeups of the little details.  I personally love the look of some twine wrapped around the photo mat.

I made these 3D flower embellishments using my Silhouette Cameo, some American Crafts brads and Stickles by Ranger.

To finish off the page, I stamped some little hearts along the side and covered them in Stickles.  Lilly is definitely a girl that appreciates some bling.  :)

Supplies:  Echo Park (Patterned Paper, Stickers); American Crafts (Letter Stickers, Brads); Twine by Twinery; Stamps by Paper Smooches; Stickles by Ranger; Silhouette Cameo.

2.  John Joseph {a scrapbook layout}.

For this layout, I started with a Mid Week Mojo Sketch (Amethyst 7) by the talented Kyla Norris.

I placed some train stickers on dimensional stickers along the bottom with stars coming out like steam.  

To incorporate some more fun colors and patterns, I incorporated some paper banner strips behind the title block.  

Supplies:  Echo Park (Patterned Paper, Stickers, Letter Stickers).

And here are both layouts all warm and cozy in their shadow box frames ready to wrap and gift.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Take Twelve Project - April 12

It amazes me that April 12 is the last 12th our family will spend in Rhode Island.  So I'm glad that this April 12, much like my January 12, was simply a reflection of my day as a stay-at-home with Charlotte.  Goodness knows that she won't be my rambunctious little toddler for much longer.  (Can someone please stop time for just a little bit, please?)

I based this month's layout on Sketch 9 from the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit.  Actually, I drew a lot of inspiration from the beautiful sample layout by Donna Jannuzzi.

I especially love how clean and simple Donna's layout is with the layered papers behind the photostrips and title.  For my paper strip, I primarily used papers from Authentique Splendid (which I recently purchased from Scrapbook Steals to celebrate completing Project 100). 

Authentique's tiny word stickers were the perfect embellishment to my little corner banner embellishment.  I also scraplifted the idea of incorporating a doily banner from the fabulous Erin Colby. 

And finally, I embellished the little photostrips with some simple flower brads.

Supplies:  Patterened Paper (Authentique, Echo Park, Sassafras); Letter Stickers (American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket); Buttons and Brads (My Mind's Eye, Making Memories); Digital Files (Samantha Walker); Other (Twinery Twine, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Fiskars Border Punch).

Chance to Win!  You have until midnight Wednesday, April 18th, to link your photos to this post on the Ella Publishing Co. blog for a chance to win a Muvazi Skin Care Renewal Set.

Also, please check out the other inspiring Take Twelve Layouts by the rest of the Take Twelve Team!

Elizabeth Dillow

Aliza Deutsch

Margie Scarpignato

Janette Kincaid

Monica Bradford

Jennie McGarvey

Lisa Day

Valerie Bishop

Amy Prior

Stephanie Medley-Rath

Angela Gutshall

Lisa Ottoson

Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop - Basic Grey Buttons and Brads

Welcome to the first ever Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop!  For those who don't know, Scrapbook Steals is your one-stop shop for the BEST daily deals on scrapbooking supplies.  Their blog is also full of awesome scrapbooking ideas and inspiration.  

In case you missed the beginning of the hop, it starts over at the Scrapbook Steals Blog.  And if you're joining me from Charity Becker's amazing blog, Mene Mene Tekel University, welcome!  The product featured in today's blog hop is a gorgeous collection of Basic Grey Buttons and Brads.  They come in all shapes and sizes - the perfect starting point for a variety of projects.

1.  Happy, Adventure, Play {a scrapbook layout}.  For my first project, I used the buttons to embellish a garden of flowers in a layout featuring photos of my daughter playing outside.  

The inspiration for this layout was an illustration from Victoria and Elizabeth Kann's Pinkalicious where the little girl is camouflaged in a garden of pink flowers.  I cut out all the flower shapes using my Silhouette Cameo.  To embellish them, I threaded Basic Grey buttons with string from my Avery shipping tags and then adhered them to the flowers with glue dots.  It adds the perfect dimensional element.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Echo Park, My Mind's Eye); Cardstock (American Crafts); Brads (Basic Grey); Stickers (Echo Park); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Tim Hotlz Distress Ink).

2.  Ice Cream Anniversary {a card}.  One of my dear friends requested a custom-made anniversary card for her parents with an ice cream theme.  It's amazing how just a few strategically placed Basic Grey buttons really finish off a card.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye); Vellum (Martha Stewart); Brads (Basic Grey); Letter Stickers (American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Tim Hotlz Distress Ink, Uniball Signo Broad White Gel Pen).

3.  E is for Ellison {a button monogram}.  And finally, I wanted to make something that featured the button in its full glory.  I remember seeing this awesome tutorial by Jana Paddington on the Scrapbook Steals blog last year for a button monogram.  So using her expertise as my guide, here is what I made with the Basic Grey buttons.

And here it is all warm and cozy in an Ikea shadow box frame.  

Thank you so much to Kristy Lee and Scrapbook Steals for the opportunity to be a part of this event.  I am always giddy with excitement to create when inspired by such fantastic products.

Scrapbook Steals Giveaway!  There are lots of talented and inspiring crafters taking part in this Blog Hop so please be sure to visit each one!  PLUS, Scrapbook Steals will be giving away a $20 Scrapbook Steals Gift Certificate to one lucky person leaving a comment on one of the blogs!  So to increase your chances to winning, make sure to comment on each blog by Sunday, March 11th at 11:59PM MST.

• Scrapbook Steals
• Kristy Mackeen
• Staci Jones
• Amber Sheaves
• Cristine Redmond
• Venetia Holbrook
  
• Charity Becker
• Van Nguyen  <--- YOU ARE HERE

Giveaway Time!  I'm also hosting my own little giveaway for two sets of Basic Grey Buttons and Brads!  For my giveaway, all you have to do is "follow" my blog and leave a comment on this post by next Friday, March 16 at 11 am EST.  I'll post the random winner on Friday afternoon!

Good luck and as always, thanks for stopping by!
 
Project 100 Update:  77 down, 23 to go.