American Crafts December Gallery - Sweater Weather

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We sure did.  It was wonderful the last two days to spend the holiday with both sides of our family and to spend quality time with everyone.

I am sharing today a new layout that I made using American Crafts Cut and Paste collection.
I made this for the American Crafts December Gallery.

Sweater Weather

 I started this layout by cutting two papers at an angle and then making a quilting pattern on top using lots of pattern papers from the Cut and Paste collection.  I cut out the word "weather" with my Silhouette Cameo and used thickers from the Peppermint Express collection to create my title.

 For a fun look I stamped the background with this dot stamp from the Cut and Paste collection before adhering my photo.  To finish off my layout I added stitching and buttons, I just love how it came out!

Thanks for stopping by today, hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Merry Christmas card

Hi friends,
Hope that you are having a good start to your week.  I wanted to pop in and share a quick card that I made recently using papers and embellishments from October Afternoon

I cut the house with my Silhouette Cameo and then made a pocket out of vellum and filled it with lots of punched shapes and sequins.  So simple and I love the soft look that it gives this card!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

LPS December Color Challenge

Hi there friends,

Today I am sharing a layout that I made for the sketch challenge over at Life Paper Scrapbook

When I saw the colors in this month's color challenge I was so excited.  The color combo had me all giddy and I just couldn't wait to get started.  

I decided that the colors in the Close Knit collection from Crate Paper were the perfect match for this challenge.  Here is what I made using the colors from the above photo.

Jingle Layout

I found this fun star pattern in the Silhouette store and thought it would be great for this layout.  I enlarged it and backed it with a large hand cut circle.  Next I added some stitching, vellum and this cute photo of my kids and their cousins on Christmas.

This all came together quickly and I just love the way it came out.  

supplies:

Crate Paper: Close Knit collection and Flea Market Collection

Our sponsor this month is Big Picture Classes

Project Real Life with Becky Higgins

Cultivate a good life and record it, with Becky Higgins
http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/project-real-life-2014.php
1/9/2014 $99
12 Weeks

About the Class
Becky's motto, "Cultivate a good life and record it," is at the heart of everything she does with her blog, her Project Life products, and her everyday life.
In this 12-week interactive workshop, she'll share the 12 foundational principles she follows in her real life as a mother, memory keeper, blogger, homemaker, author, instructor, and successful business owner. Becky's main goal is to inspire you to see the everyday beauty in your world and celebrate ordinary moments, but she'll also show you how to preserve the real-life pictures you take using her signature Project Life system.
After the overwhelming response to this workshop during its first run in 2012, Becky is thrilled to invite a new crop of memory keepers to plan, create, and remember…together. There are special offers below for the first 500 to sign up, and an exclusive set of Project Life Themed Cards ("Life Lists" theme) available for purchase in February ONLY to Project Real Life students.

Learn more and register here

Promo video code
http://youtu.be/PQq7stchq4A

I hope you play along with our color challenge!  A free seat in this class is up for grabs!

All you have to do to enter is create a project based on the layout and link us up at Life Paper Scrapbook

Button Tree Frame Tutorial with American Crafts!

 Hi everyone!

Good morning!  I'm back to share another holiday project that I made for American Crafts - this time in the form of a button tree frame. 
Supplies: This to That Foam Tab Circles (AMF617-09) - Adhesive, Epoxy Button Brads (683247) - Bundled Up, Adhesive Layered Resin Flowers (366203) - Polka Dot Party, Epoxy Wood Buttons (78090) - Happy Birthday, Epoxy Wood Buttons (96604) - With Love, Fabric & Epoxy Brads (96532) - Happy Birthday, Sequins and Buttons (95300) - Christmas, Bow Embellishments (95303 - Christmas 


1. Gather a frame, burlap fabric, paint, adhesive, and an assortment of your favorite American Crafts buttons, brads, and sequins.


2. Paint the frame and set it aside to dry. Even though I loved the pink frame that I had on hand, I decided that a nice, crisp white frame would fit with my Christmas decor better.


3. Measure the inside of the frame (mine was 4x6). Trim a piece of cardstock or cardboard to that size. Adhere burlap fabric to it and trim off any excess.

4. Trace around the edge of a tree-shaped die cut with a pencil onto the burlap fabric. You could use any holiday-themed shaped - a snowflake, reindseer, Santa hat... get creative!

5. Arrange buttons and brads and adhere them to the burlap fabric inside your traced shape. I found that it is easiest to start with the bigger shapes first.


6. Next, fill in any extra space you may have with smaller buttons and sequins. The American Crafts Christmas line (small buttons and sequins) sold exclusively at Target worked perfectly for this.


7. Top off the button Christmas tree with a bow and insert the burlap into the frame.

8. All finished and ready to display or give as a fun gift!

 

 

 Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope I have inspired you to create your own button

frame!

 

 

 

 

AC Embellished Cookie Cutters Tutorial

Hi everyone,

On Thursday I had a tutorial up on the American Crafts blog on how to make these altered cookie cutters.

Supplies: Christmas 6X6 Paper Pad (97198) - Patterned Paper; Adhesive Layered Embellishments - Gingermint (366107) - Details, Die Cut Cardstock Shapes - Figgymint (366108) - Bits, Dimensional Stars - Jinglemint (366110)- Remarks, Christmas Sequins and Buttons (95300) - Buttons, Decorated Clothespins - Hollymint (366115) - Whittles, Decorative Tape (95306), Decorative Tape (95305)

The dimensional embellishments in the Peppermint Express collection helped bring these altered cookie cutters to life.  They would make a great neighbor gift paired with cookies, or cute decoration for around the house. 

1. Gather American Crafts supplies and star-shaped cookie cutters.


2. Arrange cookie cutters on top of patterned paper, trace, and cut. Using liquid glue, adhere the papers to the cookie cutters.


3. Adhere sequins and buttons to inside bottom of cookie cutters. Adhere fancy trims to the outside.


4. Tie two ribbons into bows, attach wooden clothespins, and adhere them to top of the cookie cutters.


5. Make flags out of toothpicks, wooden spools, patterned paper, and washi tape. Tie on baker's twine.


6. Finish by adhering flags, die cuts, and stickers.


 All finished!  These would make great decorations for around the house or cute little gifts to give to neighbors and teachers.


 I hope you enjoyed my tutorial today!  Thanks for stopping by!

LPS December Sketch Challenge

We have a new December sketch challenge over at Life Paper Scrapbook

I loved the simplicity of this sketch.  It gave me so many options!

 Here is what I made using the fun sketch challenge:


You Glow Layout

I tried to stay close to the main layout of the sketch but used 1 photo instead of two.  In place of the tags I used these cute little tickets from Crate's Flea Market collection

supplies:

Crate Paper Flea Market Collection: papers, cut out borders & tags, decorative adhesive paper flowers, Ephemera die cut pieces, resin pins; American Crafts: gold thickers; Martha Stewart: doily punch

Play along with our challenge and you will have the chance to win $30 worth of Pinkfresh Studio goodies.

Pinkfresh Studio is a fresh online shop committed to provide very unique and fun products. They offer their own exclusive range of washi tapes including very unique ombré prints, trendy shaped enamel stickers, brad stickers and fresh press cards in fun colors. Their ombré print washi tapes with beautiful airmail print and Aztec print are sure to make your paper crafting projects pop. They recently released their 1st ever stamp set called “Delightful tales. But they don’t stop there, they are about to release their another fun product and it is going to be color blocked wood veneers in 3 different shapes (triangles, hearts and arrows).

I hope you join us for this fun sketch challenge!  Follow the sketch and link us up at Life Paper Scrapbook!

December American Crafts Gallery *Red Cup Love

Hey everyone,
It's a new month, so I am here to share with you a new layout that I created for the American Crafts Gallery.  I used a fun mixture of Peppermint Express, their exclusive for Target Christmas collection, Cut and Paste and Crate Paper's Flea Market collection.

Red Cup Love Layout

There is just something about Starbuck's red cup that gets me every time.  I just had to photograph my first 'red cup' of the season.

I love this fun File and Fold paper from Amy Tangerine's Cut and Paste collection.  I just folded some of the flaps down and layered two different pattern papers underneath.  I also added some triangles that I cut out of woodgrain paper and then stitched it all down.  It makes such a fun background!

supplies:
American Crafts: Twinkle/Crimson Chipboard (PEXTH-66102) - Thickers, Twinkle/Gold Foil Chipboard (PEXTH-66104) - Thickers, Cardstock Die-cuts Figgymint Shapes (366108) - Bits, Cocoa Lane (PEXDS-66096) - Cardstock, File and Fold (366050) - Cardstock, Sequins and Buttons (95300) - Christmas, Bow Embellishments (95303)  - Christmas, Flea Market Ephemera (683282) - Shapes and Phrases, Christmas 6X6 Paper Pad (97198) - Patterned Paper




Thanks for dropping by!  I hope you enjoyed my layout!

Out & About *American Crafts November Gallery

Hi there!
Has it really been a week since I've blogged?  This month has just been getting away from me.  I can't believe it is going to be Thanksgiving already next week.  We are still figuring out what our plans are for Thanksgiving this year :)


I have another November Gallery Layout for American Crafts.  Have you picked up the Autumn Crisp collection yet?  This collection is a must have.  So many fun patterns!

Out and About Layout

I used my Silhouette to create the background for this 'Autumn themed' layout.  I added a few fall pictures that I have taken around the neighborhood.  Can I just say that I am so thankful to be able to experience the beautiful colors of fall each year in my town.  Seeing the leaves change to yellow, orange and red makes me so happy.

 Because I chose to cut my photos into triangles (to match the background), I decided to keep the embellishments at a minimum.  I added a few fun wood pieces and die cuts.  And some stitching from Amy Tan's fabulous templates.

 I also added some journaling to complete my layout.

supplies:

Autumn Crisp Wood Buttons (366531) - Elements, Autumn Crisp Cardstock Die-cuts (366532) - Bits, Autumn Crisp Paper Clips (366534) - Details, Autumn Crisp Tiny Puffy Stickers (366536) - Remarks, Autumn Crisp Acorn Avenue (366515) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Maple Street (366516) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Cherry Lane (366517) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Walnut Lane (366518) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Willow Road (366521) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Cedar Lane (366523) - Cardstock, Autumn Crisp Poplar Place (366524) - Cardstock, Stencil Kit Inspire (63069) - Amy Tangerine

Thanks for stopping by today!