Mother’s Day Cards
Obviously, the giving of the cards was not belated, but blogging about them is!
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Belated Mother’s Day Cards
Posted in Cards
Tagged cards, family, free, mother's day, silhouette, silhouette cut files, tips and tricks
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Jewelry Stand
Ahh a TBT post about one of my first projects with the Silhouette. I was just itching to cut everything I could get my hands on… I was organizing my jewelry, and I wanted to create a pretty display for all of my jewelry. I hate jewelry boxes, because if I don’t see it, I wont wear it. And it creates one jumbled mess of necklaces and who wants to deal with that in the morning? I came up with a design that I’ve been happy with ever since: a 4 sided cork stand on a lazy susan.
The lazy susan allows me to see all the sides, which is super convenient. I also have a couple of trays for rings and perfume bottles, and a bento box style tray for chunky necklaces and bracelets.
The stand itself was super simple to make. I took 2 12×12 cork tiles from the dollar store and cut them in half, then glued them to 6×12 pieces of cardboard. Then I glued them all together in a square. I glued a 6×6 piece of cardboard to the bottom and then put an 8 inch tall riser inside, so the top is a shallow tray as well. If it was cut in half, it would look like this:
So you have a little shelf on the inside. You can even make that a secret compartment! I just store my hair clips in there ;).
So after you make the bare bones stand, you want to pretty it up. I cut strips of brown cardstock to put around the bottom, double sided scallops (with a dashed cut line down the middle for easy folding), and fish scale scallops for the tops. I did two sides with thin ones glued flat down and two with an offset to make them thicker.
I put dots of hot glue on the back of the thicker fish scales and let it dry before adhering it to the stand, so they aren’t flat down; that way I can hook my hook earrings on them. I then stuck in a bunch of clear push pins to hang necklaces from.
And now I’m just showing off my cute earrings :P
And necklaces:
This is my ring tray, which I found at a Value Village:
And my perfume tray:
My bento box tray for bracelets:
And my antique cameos:
So my freebie for today is a scallop border with a fold in the middle. Apparently my scallop obsessions has been over a year in the making….
xoxo
-A
Fancy Materials on the Cheap Series Part 3 – Metallics
Metalics are so hot right now. I want to make everything shiny! Unfortunately, bling comes at a price. Fortunately, faux finishes give you the right look and variety for much cheaper. If you enjoy this article, there’s part 1 (vellum) and part 2 (chipboard/Kraft paper) and I will also be posting a bonus article on custom washi tape coming up!
I use a variety of methods to create gold elements.
“Gold Foil” from paper and paint. (I used paper from my sketchbook, its a bit thicker than copy paper, and gold acrylic paint from the dollar store. I used horizontal strokes to cover the paper in two
PROS:
-can take really detailed cuts, looks shiny, cheap
-variety of shades of gold acrylic paints to choose from (you can do silver too!)
-pretty brushed effect
-can use paint right on stuff instead of doing a big sheet, or for other artsy applications
CONS:
-isn’t “printable”
-can see brush strokes in larger pieces
-takes time to make and dry
-is a magnet to cat butts when wet
Cut settings: a bit up from copy paper, do a test cut
Wrapping Paper
Some kinds of wrapping paper have gold foil on the back. This one is from the dollar store:
There is also door paper that I got from Staples last Christmas that is a beautiful full roll of gold shiny:
PROS:
-so shiny
-super cheap
CONS:
-flimsy
-rips easily
Cut settings: vellum
Tip: glue it onto a piece of cardstock to prevent ripping, it helps a TON, especially on intricate designs.
Here it is without cardstock, its ok for simple designs but you can see the corner of the star is a bit wrinkled.
And here it is with cardstock backing:
Raid your recycling bin
Dylan actually found these for me as liners from a chocolate box! So sweet :)
PROS:
-free
-eat more chocolate
-different textures
CONS:
-amount of money spend on chocolate….
Cut settings: they are about the thickness of cardstock- do a test cut!
I love using gold and silver elements on my projects. They are an easy way to add shine, class and dimension.
Silver wrapping paper:
Gold painted paper:
Gold door wrap:
Chocolate box:
Where do you get your shiny stuff?
xoxo
-A
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, free, materials, tips and tricks
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The Chocolate Race Layout
How to Win a 5K Race
For mother’s day, I decided to make her a scrapbook page of what we did last year for mother’s day, which was running together in the Chocolate Race. Which is exactly as awesome as it sounds… I run 4 chocolate! This is one of my projects from an NSD crop event that I attended. I very much had something in mind when I started this project and it came together so quickly!
The first step was to make it artsy with pink shimmer mist and blue watercolor splatter. I chose a pink background page with chevrons, as that seemed sporty, and would match the pink ribbons in the photos. Next I cut two pieces of dark blue cardstock and distressed the sides with my scissors. I lightly adhered them down in a V, as well as part of the ribbon that we got our participation medals on, and stitched everything down with navy blue thread. Can you believe I was the only one at the crop that brought a sewing machine? I almost didn’t, but I’m so glad I did, I use it so much now. Lastly, I cut the bottom corners off the bib that I wore during the race and stuck it behind the V, and now I’m ready to place my photos and embellish.
For the actual medal, I used a sheet of gold cardstock which came as a candy box liner. I made a medal design (available below) in Studio, and sized it to be slightly bigger than a Martha Stewart laurel stamp that I had. I stamp and embossed the medal with gold embossing powder, and stuck a gold glitter 1 sticker on it.
Next, I designed these little chocolate shaped nuggets and used a sketch pen to write words and add a dashed line around the outside. If I were to do it again, I would make those just a bit bigger. I also cut apart some arrows I had and spliced “Step#_” onto them. I cut them from the same dark brown as the word mats and matted them on the same beige cardstock with an offset cut.
My mom actually gave me a pack of chipboard embellishments for a present one time, and I used one on this layout- the heart wreath, to frame a bit of washi tape that I got at the event.
More washi tape to bring some of that light blue into a visual triangle, and banner washi tape. I’ve been on a bit of a washi tape bender lately ;P…
Lastly I print and cut some labels from Kaitlin Sheaffer, stamped on journaling lines, and wrote a little note to my mom, tucking it behind the ribbon. I quickly cut a few banners from pink and blue star paper, and stuck them under the photos (some of which are up on foam tape), and curled up the edges. I splattered on more blue, that that was when disaster struck! I got a big spot of blue right on my face! So I tried to wipe if off which just destroyed the photo. And there was no printers… So when I got home I just printed another one, and glued it on top. I didn’t want to rip or bend the background by peeling the photo and I’ve always liked those layouts where people layer two of the same photo slightly offset (sometimes making one black and white). I’ve always considered it a bit wasteful of photo paper/ink (anyone who has owned an inkjet printer knows that ink is more expensive than liquid gold), but since I had to reprint anyways….
Do you have any creative ways of covering up or incorporating mistakes into your layouts?
xoxo
-A
Designs Used:
–Target Practice
-Medal:
Posted in Layouts
Tagged 12x12, embossing, family, mother's day, scrapbook layout, sewing machine, silhouette cut files, sketch pens, stamping
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Happy National Scrapbooking Day 2015
Hi there!
Just wanted to wish you all a happy (INTER)national Scrapbook day!
I hope everyone got something crafty done today! I had a wonderfully craftful day at a local Crop til you Drop event. I got two whole scrapbook pages and two cards for mother’s day done, so I didn’t end up having much time for blogging….
So I just thought I’d share one of the pages that I was working on today:
Just a quick instagram snap, because it’s 11:30 and I want to go to bed. I will repost in the future with a better picture and description.
Goodnight
xoxo
-A
Posted in Uncategorized
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Fancy Materials on a Budget Series Part 2 – Chipboard/Kraft Paper
Welcome to Part 2 of my Cheapness.
Chipboard everything seems to be all the rage everywhere. Honestly, I’m not really willing to shell out $10 plus shipping to get something I can find in my recycling bin…. as you can tell I am a scrappy scrapper and I like to get creative with my materials. In part 1 I talked about my vellum substitute and in part 3 I will talk about metallics.
I make most of my chipboard elements from either cereal box or cardstock.
Cereal box
PROS:
-cheap
-eco-friendly (raid your recycling bin)
-variety of shades
-thick and sturdy
CONS:
usually has printed pictures on one side so can only be used in crafts where that side isn’t visible (unless you cut a second piece from cardstock or manilla and glue it over the colored part)
Cut settings: chipboard
Tips: do tape it down with masking or painter’s tape, even if your mat is pretty sticky, even if the chipboard is under the roller. It is tough to cut through and you don’t want to dull your blade by cutting it out twice if it moves.
I say cereal box, but really it can be anything that comes in a box. Cereal and pizza boxes have the advantage of having the biggest area without folds, so you can cut bigger designs.
Cardstock
PROS:
-fairly cheap (though not recycling bin cheap)
-won’t dull your blade as much
-less bulk if you want the look but not the weight/thickness.
CONS:
-not as sturdy
-fairly cheap (though not recycling bin cheap)
-won’t dull your blade as much
-less bulk if you want the look but not the weight/thickness.
CONS:
-not as sturdy
Cut settings: cardstock
Manila envelope
PROS:
-has the look with 0 bulk
-cheap (everyone has manila enveloped stashed everywhere, right?)
CONS:
-really thin, this is for look only, or backing cereal box to cover the design.
Cut setting: copy paper should do it, you might have to go up a bit depending on the brand- do a test cut!
Here are some examples of my designs that use chipboard/craft paper:
There I used all three materials- cereal box paw, manilla backing, and cardstock circles.
Manilla with a gold embossed pattern.
What else can you think of to use to create this look? I’m considering scoring some manilla on my scor-board to make a faux corrugated look….
xoxo
-A
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, free, materials, tips and tricks
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Cake Pop Stand
Cake Pop Stand
I love cake pops, and so do my coworkers. In fact, my manager asked me to plan a coworker’s bridal shower and “maybe you could also make some cake pops please?” Of course displaying them is always a challenge.
My first cake pop stand was a piece of pink insulation foam painted with gold paint, and it worked, but it wasn’t the prettiest. Insulation foam is really hard to cut evenly, and I used a scrap piece. This one I made for a baby shower, and I had “baby girl” printed on the sides in the same color as the Congratulations. For the bridal shower I decided to reuse the stand, as it had survived a couple of months in our apartment without being taken apart for something else.
First I had to peel off the baby girl and it left a bit of glue marks, so I covered it up with some gold doily. The edges were lightly beat up from improper storage, but some gold washi tape fixed that right up. Luckily we were going for a pink theme so I didn’t have to rip off or cover the existing cardstock.
Lastly, I used my Silhouette to cut a banner and some hearts, as well as the names, using the same pinks as the base. I used bamboo skewers cut in half for the banner sticks and used washi tape to attach them so they can be removed.
For the base itself, I used foam core from the dollar store. I cut 2 6×12 pieces of foam core and 8 1 x 1 5/8 pieces for legs.
I made 4 L shaped corners with hot glue (long sides together) and glued them onto the bottom piece of foam core, and then glued the top piece on top.
I then cut 2 12×2 and 2 6×2 pieces of cardstock to cover the sides. Super easy! Next I marked in pencil one inch in from each corner, and every 2 inches between that for the holes.
I used a pointy stick (paper piercer, knitting needle, etc) to make a hole all the way through the top layer and halfway through the bottom. The I used the cake pop stick to expand the hole and make it fit snugly in the bottom half-hole (this is to keep the pop from flopping over.)
Then just decorate it however you want! Use repositionable adhesive if you want to reuse it for different events.
Here is my banner as a free cut file:
xoxo
-A
Posted in Crafts
Tagged baby, bridal, cake pop stand, congrats, crafts, free, papercraft, silhouette, silhouette cut files, versatile
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#cute scrapbook layout
#cute
Hello #cutie. I loved talking to this little guy on Facetime. He would do cute thing on camera for me and I would take screenshots if I’d remember.
This page goes with the #Facetime layout I made before. I love two page layouts that match and go together, but aren’t a 16×8 cut in half. I used a lot of the same elements to make them match but not be the same… the neutral background and kraft paper elements, the stripe of red down the middle with crepe paper sewn overtop, the black lettering. And some of the same embellishments- tags with green floss, chipboard paw cutouts, and green and gold sequins. I kept this one more neutral to balance out the crazier colors of the other page.
I kept the Hello. card from my iPhone box. I asked Dylan for his as well, and he asked what for? I said, “for scrapbooking!”, and he said, “Why do I even ask?” I though it fit perfectly on this page. I recycled an old scribbled circles cut that I made and then messed up by putting glue on the wrong side (you can’t tell here though because it’s hidden behind layering). See? Keep everything!!
I printed out a bunch of hashtags and transferred them over with tape to a rolodex card cut in half, as well as to the red arrow. Two of them I just cut from the printed paper in a little banner shape and stuck on a label shape (I actually had that left over from a page I did a long time ago, I had printed a bunch of frames and kept the insides to use on various other projects).
This page was actually pretty quick and easy to put together, especially because I was recycling a lot of scraps (happy Earth day/week/month!), and I had another page to use as inspiration.
Since there’s no cut files for this page, I will share my tape technique, my new favorite way to transfer words and make a washi tape style look that is very customizable. And it’s a great way to get words on tiny little cards if you don’t have a typewriter. For this you will need “Magic” tape (ie the clear matte stuff, not the shiny kind) and an inkjet printer (laser doesn’t work), as well as a bone folder (or similar, or your nails work too).
I will post a more in depth article about this technique in a later post!
Enjoy :)
xoxo
-A
Posted in Layouts
Tagged 8x8, cat, cute, scrapbook layout, silhouette, techniques
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Mermaid Card
Mermaid Card
I’m super pleased with this card that I made for my friend Maygen’s birthday. She loves the Little Mermaid and I was browsing mermaid card on pinterest
when I came across this card by Mayholic in Crafts. I wanted to do something similar. I’ve also been obsessed with scallops lately so I did scalloping for my ocean.
when I came across this card by Mayholic in Crafts. I wanted to do something similar. I’ve also been obsessed with scallops lately so I did scalloping for my ocean.
I also created my own mermaid tail cut file, based on a Little Mermaid coloring page book. I cut it in such a way that the parchment paper fin overlaps the tail and so that there is a hip fin overlay.
Here’s how I made the card:
Materials
-A2 white cardstock card
-beige cardstock
-9 pieces of blue/green/teal patterned paper/cardstock
-pale green shimmer mist
-parchment paper or vellum
-silver embossing powder and clear embossing stamp pad.
-watercolors
-white thread
-blue/green/teal/silver sequins, gems and enamel dots
-hot glue gun
-green/blue glitter glue
-sentiment stamp and matching ink
-adhesive
-copy paper
1. Cut 3x 0.85 inch circles from each color of paper with the Silhouette. You should end up with 27 circles. Lay them out in rows of 5/6/5/6.
2. Draw 3 lines half a circles width from the bottom. Adhere the top row of circles down with the bottom of the circle resting on the top line. Glue the second line of circles with the bottoms on the middle line, and the third row with the bottoms on the bottom line. The last row will be half off the bottom edge of the card.
3. Trim the excess circles with scissors.
4. Spray the card with shimmer mist.
5. Cut the tail from beige cardstock, using my mermaid cut file (below) and the fins from parchment or vellum.
5. Use a pencil to lightly mark where the hip fins will go and paint the tail below that with purple/blue watercolors. Use a heat gun to help dry it faster without warping.
6. Cut a scallop stencil (below) out of copy paper (what I used) or stencil material if you have it.
7. Tape the stencil over the tail and liberally apply the clear embossing ink. Remove the stencil, apply silver embossing powder and heat with the heat gun.
8. Adhere the tail and the fins overlapping the tail.
9. Use a sewing machine or paper piercer and needle to sew lines down the fin following the curves and a line down the middle of the hip fin.
10. Stamp your sentiment above the fin.
11. Glue the sequins and gems on randomly.
12. Use a hot glue gun to make little dots on a scrap piece of vellum or parchment paper. When they cool, transfer them onto the card with a little bit more glue.
13. For a bit more sparkle, apply glitter glue to the the hip fins, some random scallops on the tail, and the part where the tail and fin overlap. You can also apply it to some of the scallop circles of the water. Let dry, using a heat gun to speed up the process.
14. Cut a piece copy paper to slightly smaller than your card and use it as a liner for your inside sentiment and to cover up the stitching on the inside.
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel free to share your mermaid inspired cards with me :)
xoxo
-A
Designs Used:
Posted in Cards
Tagged birthday, cards, embossing, silhouette, silhouette cut files, stamping, tutorial, watercolor
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#facetime scrapbook layout
#facetime
I was so happy to be able to capture this screenshot while the two kitties “talked.” Talk about adorable!!
For this layout, I was actually working from a digital pagemap/sketch that I had made. Mostly I work from scribbles on a post-it.
So I will share my sketch with you, because I worked hard on it and my page looks nothing like it:
So my photo ended up being a lot bigger, so I had to move all the things to the sides. And I didn’t feel like I had room on the sides for the scallops, so I scrapped that idea (see what I did there?) and ended up just playing with textured layers.
Look at all that journaling! I ripped some papers, and used edging scissors on others, and played around with fun colors and patterns to give visual interest on the mostly neutral background and photo.
One thing I did keep from the pagemap was the banner going over negative space in my photo. I used my silhouette to cut the letters from black cardstock and stuck them on. I made the banner 3D by scoring it and folding it and propping the middle up on foam tape. Lastly I splashed some black liquid watercolor over everything, and added gems, sequins, and little bits of gold embellies for some sparkle.
If you like my sketch, and use it for a project, please share it here!
xoxo
-A
