Spring Fun

Easter is right around the corner. Hop in to Scraphappy to pick up your paper supplies for card making, paper quilting, scrapbooking, your art journal - collage page whatever it may be your having fun creating. This would be a great time to make a mini  as shown in "HALLOWEEN" Popcorn Mini Pouch From October 2012 or " BE SPOOTACULAR August 2012" &. Leave a page or two for a picture of the child, and then stamp Easter images on each additional page. Put it in the Easter Basket or just an activity to keep them busy. May be great for the card ride to grandmas, family & friends.

I made these two cards with the Spring and Easter paper. On the Easter card I placed a Polaroid with Easter paper where a stamp or photo could be placed as well. I glued the sides and bottom, leaving the top open, where I placed carrots I cut from the Cricut expression.( If you do not have one you can stop by scraphappy to trace the carrot.) You can write little notes on each carrot. You can purchase the Polaroid ready made at Scraphappy.

This is the journal page completed with a pocket and then glued into the Cereal Box Journal. I placed two file cards in the pocket that you can place photos, stamp, journal, I can only imagine what all you creative peeps can come up with. I also used one of the Polaroids on one of the files with Washi tape.

Stop by Scraphappy to check out the Cards and Art Journal and as always Christy and Stephanie are happy to help you. Happy Easter & Happy Spring!!

Not-So-Seasonal Seasonal Minibooks - And a Challenge

How many of you readers live here on the Gulf Coast vs. The Frozen North? If you do live here, then you know that we don't have winter (and if you don't live here, well, now you know, too), and most of us like it that way. We like snow as a diversion, not a way of life. We like snow as decoration, not as something to be scraped and plowed. We like snowflakes to be in our scrapbooks and on our walls, not in our hair. And since so many scrapbook companies make gorgeous wintery, filled-with-snowflakes products, we have to find our own, unique, Southern way to use them. "How?" you ask? Well, let me tell you.

First of all, you can use them the obvious way: for a wintery layout or card. Say your family goes skiing every year in Utah - that'll be easy to use these papers and embellishments for a snowy project. Or your family gets stuck in the Atlanta airport for a day because of a threat of ice - again, easy. Just use the snowy, wintery themes on a snowy, wintery layout as they were designed to be used.

But say you never get to see snow...or you spend your winters at the beach or on a cruise ship...What do you do then? There's still this pretty new stuff you want to use, but you just can't figure out how to do it. And that is what we are going to work on and discuss today.

ScrapHappy has recently gotten in a large order from WeRMemoryKeepers, including cute, excellent quality albums (both 12x12 and 6x6), and some of their new paper lines. I was asked to make a minibook using wintery papers for a non-wintery project. After many hours of thought, I realized this morning that there's a minibook I have been wanting to do for several years: Our Year in Sports. Our family is active year round. We joke that you can tell what season it is by what sport the Girls are playing, so when it came time to make a minibook for the store, this seemed to be the perfect fit.

The WeRMemoryKeepers Winter Frost line is a lovely collection of pale blues, greens, and greys. A few of the sheets have small snowflakes in the background, but most of the papers have simple patterns, such as stripes or polka dots. I pulled out enough papers to fill each included page protector, then I sliced the other papers into 2x6 inch strips, inked the edges, and glued the strips to the edges of my 6x6 papers - no rhyme or reason - I just grabbed what was on top of the strip pile and glued it to what was on top of the 6x6 pile. .

The next step was to adhere my photos to my prepped pages - 1 photo per page. I typically print my photos 3.5x5, because my printer lets me get 4 of this-sized photos on 1 piece of letter-sized photo paper (I'm cheap, and I want my photo paper to last as long as it can, so I try to maximize the number of pictures I can print at once). When choosing which photos to adhere to which backgrounds, I, again, just chose the top photo and attached it to the top page - no stress, no decision-making, easy. The colors in this line are muted and neutral enough that all the bright colors from my Girls' various uniforms all blend. The Winter Frost line provides a consistent base for the album and helps the project feel cohesive. To create a title page, I used an additional paper from the 6x6 pad, added some Basic Grey chipboard letters and some Perfect Pearls, and called it done. Journalling for the entire album was done on 1 lined page from the collection (TIP: These lined papers that many companies are putting out now are PERFECT for backgrounds and journalling. I buy them in bulk and use them A LOT).

 If I wanted to, I could have stopped there and called my book complete. But I've been in Big Time Inky Mode lately, so I decided to add some messy, inky play to my book. First, I pulled out a stack of my handy-dandy, plain, manila tags. Next, I stamped and embossed some old sports stamps that I have had in my stash for years (seriously, every year I use these same stamps for any and all sports-related layouts I make. You would think I would get tired of them, but I don't). After embossing my sports icons and the name of the seasons, I pulled out my Tim Holtz Distress Stains and 'colored' my tags. I used 3-4 colors/tag, layering them and misting them to get the colors to blend. I finished off the tags by adding some black and white gingham ribbon to the top (TIP: Black and white gingham ribbon goes with EVERYTHING. Buy a whole roll. You won't regret it).

Again, I could have stopped here, but I decided to keep playing- this time with a Hambly transparency that I've been hoarding. I cut it into 4 6x6 squares and used my Crop-o-dile to punch holes to fit the new pages in my book. I stamped a WeRMemoryKeepers journalling stamp on one of my leftover grey papers from the paper pad, cut them out, and adhered them on the front and back of 2 of my transparency squares (TIP: When you work with transparencies, adhere similar-sized and shaped elements to the front and back of the page. This both hides your adhesive and keeps one side from having unattractive, unmatchy spots). I glue-dotted (Is that a word? If not, it should be) some Heidi Swapp Disco Stars to another transparency (again, front and back to avoid ugliness). On the last transparency I also added stars, but these were white chipboard stars that I recolored with spray ink to match the rest of the album. I then adhered more inked stars throughout my album to provide a bit more continuity, added a wood veneer title to the spine of my album, and declared myself done.

 OK. Here is where today's post gets extra fun. ScrapHappy and I would like to issue you a challenge. We are giving you 'ingredients' for your layout or card (or anything else you want to make - minibook, mixed media project, paper doll clothes...whatever makes you happy). Choose at least 3 of the ingredients, in addition to the starred (***) item, and have fun! When you're done, upload your project to your blog or favorite online gallery. Leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your project. When I write my March post, I will randomly choose a winner from all entries to receive a $5 credit at ScrapHappy to use on anything in the store your heart desires. Questions? Anyone? Anyone? If y'all enjoy this kind of challenge, and if enough of you participate, Christy has agreed to let challenges occur monthly. So...are you ready? On your mark. Get set. Go!

This month's ingredients:
1. ***Make a project using themed paper for something completely unrelated to that theme.
2. Stamp and emboss somewhere on your project.
3. Use ink in a color or form that is not typical for you (ex. I inked all my paper edges with grey. I never use grey. This was a challenge for me. Other ideas? Experiment with spray inks or Distress Stains. Anything that is NEW to you).
4. Use chipboard.
5. Use ribbon.
6. Embellish with stars
7. Use a nontraditional page in a minibook - chipboard pages, transparencies, tags, etc.

Supplies Used in This Month's Project:
- album, patterned paper, page protectors, acrylic stamp - WeRMemoryKeepers
- ink - grey and black ink pad, Distress Stains, and Heidi Swapp Color Shine
- stars - chipboard (cut with an old Sizzix die), Heidi Swapp (Disco Stars), Studio Calico (wood veneers)
- chipboard letters - Basic Grey
- transparency - Hambly
- Perfect Pearls
- my stash - black and white ribbon, black ink and embossing powder, sports and seasons stamps

A Sunshine Christmas Mini

Using the Lawn Fawn "Sweet Christmas"- clear stamp set on Miss Caroline paper gave this cottage a weathered beach look.  I then drew a palm tree on white card stock and used Tim Holtz distress markers with a water color brush to create the palm tree. To give the palm tree the look of lights wrapped around it a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen was used.

For the cover I used a 12 x 12 thin acrylic sheet. 

This page was added to the front of the album using washi tape.

 We R Memory Keepers - "Waves", was used to create the pocket for tags or keepsakes.

On three side of this Polaroid tape was place to create a pocket.  A tag was made using Lawn Fawns "Sweet Christmas" clear stamp set and then colored with Tim Holtz distress markers.

In this photo a white Polaroid was used then stamped with Lawn Fawns" Sweet Christmas". It was then colored with Tim Holtz distress markers. A few touches were added with the Gelly Roll pen. Bakers Twine was added around the Polaroid.  *Using the washi tape was fun! 

Supplies:

-We R Memory Keeper - DOWN THE BOARDWALK - Coastlines - Waves 

-12 x 12 - Thin acrylic sheet - *These sheets can be embossed 

-6 x 6 My Minds Eye - miss caroline

-6 x 6 Authentique - Festive

-Fundamentals - tags

-white cardstock

-Lawn Fawn - Sweet Christmas

-We R Memory Keepers - clear stamps - Seashells

-Rangers - Archival Ink - black

-bakers twine

-Tom Holtz - Distress Markers

-Gelly Roll - clear star

-American Crafts - Paper trimmer - tape

Stop by Scraphappy to see the finished mini and pick up your scrapping supplies.

And as always, Christy or Stephanie are happy to help you with any scrapping questions.

Merry Christmas!

Happy December Daily!

                                   
How many of you have heard of December Daily? If you haven't, it's an album concept created by Ali Edwards (www.aliedwards.com) to document your Christmas season. Over the last few years, her idea has spread, and people all over the world are now recording their memories in December. The best part of December Daily? It can be WHATEVER you want it to be. You can make it a journal. You can make a layout (or several layouts). You can make a minibook. You can make a special Christmas album. You can just take a picture. Or write a blog post. Whatever YOU want. It's all up to you.

I decided this year to use a Simple Stories Sn@p album as my base. Christy has ordered some for the store, but if they're not in yet, that's OK! Pick another album you like. 6x6 albums are great for taking a 6x6 paperpad and just slipping the papers into the page protectors. Or cut a 12x12 paper into 4 squares and slip them in. Embellish as desired, and you've got your album prepped pretty quickly! Or choose one of the awesome acrylic albums ScrapHappy has in stock! Play with inks. Play with paint. Learn a new technique. Or keep it simple. Whatever YOU want!

Over Thanksgiving, I prepped my album. I used an 8x8 patterned paper pad from October Afternoon and cut all the papers apart to set up my base pages. I also precut and inked some white cardstock cards in the various pocket sizes to use for my journalling. Now all I have to do during December is to take pictures, print them, stick them in my album, and write some quick journalling (if I feel like it). I can embellish each day if I want to, but if I don't, then it's still All Good. My Christmas is being recorded.

I know it's already December 4, but it's not too late to start a December Daily project of your own. Drop by the store. Pick out an album and some special Christmas paper (And YES! The Christmas paper has arrived at ScrapHappy! Echo Park! Fancy Pants! And More!) . Turn on 25 Days of Christmas, and cut and prep your way to making your holiday even more special. And if you want to see the rest of my December Daily pages as the month progresses, follow me on Instagram: cdpeck. I'll be uploading my pages on an almost-daily basis (I'm aiming for daily, but Life does get in the way sometimes...).

And now, without further ado, my December Daily: First up, my completed pages for December 1-3:

 And here's a sample of the pages still to come, with my prep work complete:

Amy Tangerine Day Books

Greetings!
Today I want to show you a great product Christy recently got in the store: Day Books. These are pre-made mini-books (by Amy Tan(gerine) for American Crafts) that are perfect for highlighting a single event or topic. Since I just learned how to print Instagram photos straight from my phone, I decided to use my Day Book to focus on all these pictures I've been printing lately.

First up, the cover: All Day Book covers come with an overlying transparency layer, perfect for decorating and adding a title. I used some letter stickers, Amy Tangerine Sketchbook tabs and stickers, and a wood veneer from Studio Calico (items which I repeated throughout the book to add to my book's cohesiveness).

Inside, the page sizes and shapes are varied for a fun, random look. If you have OCD tendencies (like me), then this can be hard to accept and work with, but consider it a challenge. Repeat your fonts, embellishments, and photo sizes, and that should give you the 'order' you crave (I used washi tape, Amy Tangerine labels, stickers, and envelopes, a package of Thickers, and more Studio Calico wood veneers). The pages are largely taken from her Sketchbook line, but there are other die-cut cardstock pages, envelopes, and ephemera added, as well. Below, you can see some of the pages in my book, which will be in the store for you to flip through and enjoy.

I hope you've enjoyed this month's project. As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or requests!

DIY Smashbooks

Hello, Scraphappy Fans!

How many of you know what a 'Smashbook' is? It's this really cool premade album filled with patterned papers that you can take your pictures and everyday-bits-of-life (aka ephemera) and just 'smash' them (or glue them) into. You can make it as organized or random as you want. You can fill it from beginning-to-end. Or you can open to a random page and stick stuff in wherever it makes you happy. The only problem with a premade book like this is that you have no control over what the actual papers are. What you buy is what you get, so I'm going to show you how to make your own. Now you can pick the papers and patterns YOU want inside your book.

First step: Pick your papers. I chose the new summery, tropical-themed papers from Graphic45. Now I don't know about you, but I always think these papers are beautiful to look at, but when it comes to actually USING them, my mind goes blank. Fortunately for me (and now you, since I'm going to share), at CHA the Graphic45 people demo'd how to use their papers in a DIY Smashbook!

In the center of the previous photo, you can see some blue rectangles. Those are clear acrylic sheets that I decided to use for my covers. There's several sizes available at the store, and they are all quite inexpensive. To use the acrylic, just peal off the blue protective film and decorate however you choose. I wanted the edges of my cover to stand out, so I mixed some spray mist with white acrylic paint and painted the edges.

Next, I trimmed my papers to fit in my book. I used several sizes, including some pieces that I die-cut into scallops to add some fun variety.

There are many ways you can bind your book - jump rings, ribbon, etc. I wanted to play with a toy I received for Christmas: a book-binding machine. There's a similar machine in the store that you can use whenever you want. Just buy the binding, itself, and have fun playing!

Follow the directions on the machine to bind your book, then add pictures, embellishments, and journalling to truly make the book 'yours.' Here's a look at my finished book and some of the interior pages:

Supplies:
- patterned paper - Graphic45
- clear acrylic
- white acrylic paint
- letter stickers - October Afternoon
- black washi tape
- Cinch binding machine and spiral binding
- Smooch spray mist
- Instax photos
- die-cutter - Big Shot
- scallop die - Spellbinders

I think it's FALL! I love this time of year. It's COOL like in not  Hot.

I have mini book of a different kind for you today. It’s made from left over toilet tissue rolls.  You know, what you
have after the paper is gone. 

You can also use the rolls from wrapping paper.  You will use one roll for the front cover and one for the back.   The four that are left, you will need to punch out (on one side only) a half circle at one end.  This will make the four inside pages of the book a pocket page for tags that can be used for pictures or to journal on.  

 

All of the pages were covered with paper and distressed with ink.  All of the tags need to be cut down so the will slide easily in and out of the page pockets.   Some of the tags I covered one side with paper and some I just inked with distress.

When all the pages are finished ...just use the Bind-it-All to bind it together. You can buy the o-wire at Scraphappy and use the Bind-it-All there if you don't have one. Add pictures and you have a mini book made from scraps!

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Products Used:

Paper:  My Minds Eye, Lost & Found Two ( left-over  from the "Dancer" page I posted last month)
Buttons, Trim, Ribbon & Brads:  My Mind's Eye
Ranger Distress Ink Pads: Spiced Marmalade,
Peeled Paint, Wild Honey and Vintage Photo
Bind-it-All and ¾ inch o-wire
various decorative pins, wire and brads 
four manila office tags

Other:

1 1/8 inch circle punch

 6 left-over toilet paper rolls (ironed flat with and clothes iron or run thru the Big Shot)