Sketch Contest

Ladies! We need your help again! We had a sketch contest and can't decide on a winner (we know, they're all awesome.) Please help us out and vote for your favorite!!

HALLOWEEN " Popcorn Mini Pouch"

As I was making up Halloween goodies to send to my family, I couldn't help but think to myself, "This would be a great idea to share in my post this month."  So, here goes:

Using assorted paper lines, I created two mini book/card albums, a card, and a pouch to hold a popcorn mini bag and one of the mini books.

The stickers by Simple Stories - Take a Hike - I had actually originally bought these for another project.  Yet when I saw the sticker that says, "Shh... did you hear that?", the first thing that came to mind was telling ghost stories while camping, and I knew I should use these stickers for my Halloween goodies.

Using one 12 x 12 sheet by Fancy Pants Designs - Oct 31 paper, I made the pouch, added the stickers by Simple Stories, and stamped and cut out the ghost, bat, and moon using Lawn Fawn - Happy Haunting.  I then added an eyelet, hemp string, and a bottom to hold it closed.

On the first mini, I made a pocket using the fence.  I then added a Tag and Polaroid that I stamped.  It can be colored, or you can just place your favorite photo over the stamped image.

In my previous Be SPOOKTACULAR post, I mentioned that the mini card album would be a nice activity for a children's party at this time of year by just using the stamps and then leaving it for the children to color.

Using this idea and placing your favorite photo in the Polaroid, along with your thoughts of the night would make a great memory keepsake for years to come.

Supplies:

Tim Holtz - Kraft resist - Halloween Haunts, distressing tool

My Minds Eye - blackbird

Fancy Pants Designs - Oct 31

Simple Stories - Take a Hike - cardstock stickers

Assorted cardstock

Lawn Fawn - Happy Haunting

Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black

Hemp string

Twine

Bling

Brads

Embossing Powder & Ink

Gelly Roll Pen - clear star

American Crafts paper trimmer, adhesive

Glossy accents

Make sure to head to Scraphappy to see this and many more fun creations.  Christy or Stephanie are happy to answer any questions you may have.  In the meantime, happy Halloween and happy crafting!!

Acrylic Mini Album Class

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons

Often I see really cute buttons in the store. But since I don’t sew anymore, what can justify their purchase? Sometimes just one or two buttons add the right touch to a card or page. Other times the buttons make the page, like the buttons on this pink and turquoise page. These two photos lacked any real spunk but I wanted to memorialize the moment of Jas and her Aunt Jen. The array of multi-colored buttons filled the empty space. Some have colorful twine running through the holes, some are left empty and some have no visible holes. The variety of shapes, shades and types makes this a really great page.

 

The swimming alligator card didn’t look finished even with the fun scrap. The buttons were the perfect touch and brought out the color from the paper. This one has the orange and white twine used as a tiny bow instead of running through the buttons. I tend to like a set of 3, either all the same size and color or a variety of sizes, shapes and color. There’s no real rule. What appeals to you for each project may vary.                     

 

      

These adorable little fish buttons are the perfect color highlight to this Jillibean papers. By hanging them from colorful twine to simulate fishing line, they add a punch of fun and color while giving the page a theme.  This page is on display at Scraphappy if you want a closer look.

           

I had a blank spot on this card and the buttons were the perfect filler. These buttons have a tiny hole in the top for little brads to offer the appearance that the buttons are hanging. Too cute! The little round buttons have letters inscribed and are used to highlight the theme of the card, “sew”.

The little pumpkin button on this fall card was just the thing to offer a punch of color and spotlight the pumpkin stand. It adds extra fun to an otherwise “nice” page. Two small scraps of paper, some fall stickers, a colored stamped, image and the button = a really special card.

 

Next time you see buttons in an interesting color or shape, put your imagination to work and add them to your project. It will be cute as a button.

 

 

Using Up Your Leftovers

When you scrapbook, what do you do with your leftovers? Do you put them away? Do you slide them to the side of your desk to think about later? Do you add them to a pile? Or even better, do you actually use those little bits and pieces? If you were to see my desk, you would know that I am an infrequent scrap cleaner. I tend to push my leftovers into a pile and stack them up until I can't stand it anymore and decide to do something with them. Often, this means that I will compile these pieces into layouts and combinations I never would have planned for if I had thought ahead. So what do I do? I go to Scraphappy, pick up 2 or 3 pieces of patterned paper, some letter stickers (especially Thickers...I am on a serious Thickers kick lately), and combine that with what's on my desk to make some layouts. And the Bonus? My desk gets cleaned off without any effort!

For my first layout, I used Studio Calico and Lilly Bee papers that I already had, combined with the teal thickers and butterflies that I got at Scraphappy. The leftovers? The Amy Tangerine stickers and teal woodgrain washi tape.

This next layout uses some new Shoreline papers as a background, combined with leftover Amy Tangerine stickers, an Amy Tangerine pocket, Shoreline sunburst scraps, and Heidi Swapp banner pieces cut off from a previous project. The hexagons are from a Studio Calico stamp set and are attached with some brads I found in my drawer.

The only new item on this final layout is the background paper and the teal letter 'P.' Everything else on this page was leftover. The light blue strip of Shoreline with the hot pink splatters? Leftover from the Baby Turtles layout. The My Mind's Eye transparency? Scavenged from my Valentine's Day memo board. The Heidi Swapp disco heart? The last of a package from this past spring.

So what have we learned today? Use your stash! Use those bits and pieces of scraps. Use pieces from different manufacturers and product lines to make your own combos. Need some patterned papers, letters, or cardstock to pull it all together? Head on in to Scraphappy and buy what you need! It's all there!