Halloween Layout - StopAndScrap.com

Hello, Bloggers! I have a StopAndScrap post for you today! I hope you stop by the SAS Blog, because the DT has new posts every weekday!

I have a peek at the NEW Graphic 45 Happy Haunting collection to share! I know it is early to be creating Halloween layouts, but when you are as far behind in your scrapbooking as I am, you need a head start! This photo is from a trip to the pumpkin patch we took in 2007. This is my daughter Laura and her friend, Kate. It was HOT the day we were there. As always, the pumpkin patch in late October is about 98 degrees...EVERY YEAR! Blah!

For my layout, I used some of the Happy Haunting papers, plus the chipboard elements and stickers! When I finished this layout, I was reminded of Mary Engelbreit's early work! The way I put the whole thing together just seems like I was channeling Mary E, just a bit.

I used a combination of American Crafts and Graphic 45 Core'dinations cardstock for my layers. I work to find the "correct" colors before I start working on my project. I pull out all sorts of things that I think will work together, and will work with the photos. It makes for a messy workspace, but it also makes me happy and creative!

The flowers are from Petaloo and Prima. I had a few leaves from the craft store that I sprayed with mist and added. I also tucked the various sticker and chipboard elements into the flowers. To give them added dimension, I first attached the stickers to some scrap chipboard.

I added a fancy pin from Webster's Pages into the top of the flower arrangement. The other sparkly bits are from a floral pick I had in my stash. If you look at your products for color, tone, and style, it is easy to mix and match various product lines into one cohesive project! It is my favorite part of crafting...mixing up various manufacturers to see what happens!

Cardstock: American Crafts Spinach, Black; Core'dinations Signature Series Graphic 45 Tuscan Sunset; Core'dinations Core Impressions Graphic 45 Timeless Houndstooth

Designer paper: Graphic 45 Happy Haunting: Enchanted Garden, Fright Night, Happy Haunting, Alphabet Stickers, Cardstock Stickers, Tags 2

Flowers: Prima, Petaloo

Floral pick and leaves: Craft supply

Pin: Webster's Pages

Ink: Clearsnap Smooch Spritz; Zig journaling pen

Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Glue Dots adhesive dots; white glue

Miss You Tag - Imaginarium Designs

Hello, everyone! I have an Imaginarium Designs project to share. I made a "fancy" tag instead of a card or layout. I love making tags; they are a small canvas, but you can pack a lot of creativity into them! Most of the tags I make end up as package decorations or I use them in mini albums or other things where the "lumpy factor" does not matter.

 

I cut a tag from cream cardstock and then covered the shape with Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe Genuine Article paper. I inked the edges and then ran a few strips of butterfly tissue tape across the tag. I inked everything to make the tag appear more aged and grungy.

The large, chipboard fleur de lis embellishment at the top of the tag needed some drama, so I inked it with Watermark ink and applied several layers of arctic black aurora embossing powder. I repeated the layers until I achieved the finish I wanted. I was trying for a black enamel look. I was able to create a smooth, high gloss finish for my embellishment.

 

The Imaginarium Designs butterflies are the most intricate chipboard items I have ever seen. Working with them is such a joy! I inked the butterfly with Watermark ink, and embossed it with star dust embossing powder. I then heated the chipboard again and applied clear embossing powder over the top and re-melted everything. The clear embossing powder "seals" the sparkle on the star dust powder and gives the chipboard a smooth finish.

 

I used a similar technique to make the steampunk clock. I inked the clock with Watermark ink and applied several layers of malachite embossing powder. I heated the clock again and sprinkled various areas with arctic black aurora embossing powder and re-melted the powders. The powders melt together to give a really interesting effect.

As always, I mixed steampunk and metal items with flora and fauna! I really love how it looks to mix grungy metal things with pretty flowers. For this flower assortment, I also added some spirals of wire. I have a huge bin of Artistic Wire products, but I no longer make jewelry, so I use bits of the wire here and there in my papercrafting.

I stamped my greeting onto cream cardstock and then cut it out with a mini ticket die shape. I glued the pen nib to it would appear as if someone was writing a message. {Aren't I clever?!}

I finished the tag off with some postage images. I loved this tag so much that I put it up in my studio rather than giving it away! Maybe as some point I will take it down and use it...maybe...

Imiganiarium Designs Chipboard: Medium Butterfly, Embellishment 4 (fleur de lis), Small Steampunk Clock
Paper: Graphic 45: Olde Curiosity Shoppe Genuine Article; Communiqué Postage; Curtain Call Tour de France
Stickers: Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Very Vanilla
Tissue Tape: Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Clearsnap Colorbox: Pigment Dragonfly Black; Fluid Chalk Creamy Brown; Watermark
Embossing Powder: Cosmic Shimmer Clear, Arctic Black Aurora; craft supply Malachite; Stampendous Star Dust
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Wire: Artistic Wire
Pen nib: Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Die cut shape: My Favorite Things Mini Ticket Border
Stamp: Hampton Art Stamps

The Forgotten Calendar Album!

Back in December (2011) I posted a "perpetual calendar" album  project. You can see the post HERE.

I have received several emails in the past week asking me when and where I had posted  the rest of this project. I confess that I totally abandoned this poor album! I have been so busy that I just never got back to it. When I originally posted the album I had only finished the first three months. And it sits here, all forlorn and unfinished!

I do have plans to get back to it. Part of the problem is that I ran out of the flowers I was using and cannot "get past" wanting to have everything "matchy matchy." (Which is strange because I hate matchy matchy!) The other part is that I have moved on to other things. I am terrible for starting projects and never finishing them!

If you want to soldier on by yourself, each page is basically the same. Cover an 8x8 inch piece of cardstock with printed paper. 

Add your list and your calendar, and decorate. Very simple! (You may wish to use 2013 calendars now that 2012 is half over!)

Here are some ideas for the paper you can use:

January: Christmas Emporium Believe
February: Magic if Oz Tenderhearted Tin Man
March: Magic of Oz Emerald City
April: A Ladies' Diary A Moment in Time
May: Once Upon a Springtime Primrose Cottage
June: Le' Romantique Loves Labyrinth
July: On the Boardwalk Summer Crush
August Tropical Travelogue Oceania
September: An ABC Primer One Two Buckle My Shoe
October: Happy Haunting Trick or Treat
November: Olde Curiosity Shoppe Exquisite Motif
December: A Christmas Emporium Toyland

It may be fun to do the whole album with ONE collection. But, matching the papers to the month and season is fun also! If you want to keep waiting on me, I have put this project on my July schedule.

For everyone waiting so patiently for me to post this project, I am sincerely sorry. I sometimes forget that people actually read this blog! I sort of motor along in my own world, thinking that no one pays me any mind!

Have a blessed weekend!

Teacher Appreciation with StopAndScrap.com

Hello, StopAndScrap Fans! Today is my first official post as part of the StopAndScrap team! I hope you check out the SAS Blog and Store!

Today, I made a teacher appreciation project. Most of you know that I have homeschooled my kids for the past 13 years. If you think you are under appreciated as a stay-at-home mom, or as a teacher, imagine having the double whammy if being BOTH! I always joke that I never get a teacher gift, and sometimes, I am not really joking! I know how important our childrens' teachers are! Teachers, whether in traditional school settings, Sunday school, coaching, or homeschooling, deserve our respect and admiration. Take time today to thank the teachers in your child's life!

I have made a card with a matching gift card holder. Gift cards to a favorite coffee shop, book store, or salon are much appreciated by busy teachers! Why not make a cute holder in which to present the gift card?



I used the Webster's Pages Game On 6x6 Collection papers for my project. I enjoy the petite collections from Webster's Pages as they are perfect for card making!

I created a standard 5.5 x 4.25 inch card out of cardstock from American Crafts. I jazzed up the front of the card with a bunch of Spellbinders circles cut from the Webster's Pages paper and cardstock.

I stamped the image (My Favorite Things) and colored it with Copic alcohol markers. I paper pieced the teacher's blouse and then fussy cut the entire image. To add some extra dimension, I used foam tape to pop the image up a bit.

I created the matching gift card holder by die cutting a Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Pocket Envelope die cut shape from cardstock.

The die cut shape comes with the envelope and two closure circles. You simply fold and adhere the envelope together and place two mini brads through the closure circles. Keep the envelope closed with a bit of twine or string.

The envelope is the perfect size to hold a standard sized gift card!

Make sure you take a look at the NEW kits for my Graphic 45 Little Darlings Altered Box and Mini Ablum! Both the kits and individual items are IN STOCK in the StopAndScrap Daily Deals section! Click HERE for the printable Tutorial.



Thanks for visiting!

Cardstock: American Crafts kraft, brown; Copic Xpress It white
Designer paper: Webster's Pages Game On
Stamps: My Favorite Things Teacher's Pet
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Clearsnap Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink Dark Cashmere; Copic Markers
Die Cuts: Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Pocket Envelope; Spellbinders Standard Circles Large, Standard Circles Small, Labels Twenty-five
Adhesives: Scotch 3M tape; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares

Little Darlings Altered Box Kit!

Just a reminder that StopAndScrap now has the "kits" for my Altered Little Darlings box and mini album. They have the Graphic 45 supplies I used in the project IN STOCK.

You can buy the full kit for $52.99. The kit contains: (1) 5x5 Kraftboard Altered Art Box with Album, (1) Metal Tags, (1) Metal Butterflies, (1) Metal Brads, (1) Little Darlings Chipboard Die-Cuts 1, (1) Little Darlings Chipboard Die-Cuts 2, (1) Little Darlings Cling Stamp 1, (1) Little Darlings 12x12 Cardstock Stickers - Elements, (12) 12x12 Cardstock Sheets (two each of Little Treasures, New Arrival, Rock-A-Bye, Heaven Sent, Bundle of Joy, Peek-A-Boo).

You can buy the "complete kit" or each item individually. The kit is 20% off retail and the individual items are 10% off. If you buy the kit you will have items left over for another project!

The flowers, trims, and pearl brads are NOT included in the kit. For more information about the project and a full supply list, click HERE. (I hope to have a PDF tutorial for you by next week!) Here is the Little Darlings Altered Box Tutorial. Click the link and view and print the full-color tutorial!

Happy shopping!

Pro 31 Designs - Guest Designer!

I have another fantastic announcement today! Yes, I am announcing another design team. I am going to be doing some Guest Designing for Pro 31 Designs! Before you start rolling your eyes and groaning about me being on too many teams, hear me out... {grin}

In early January I got a sweet note from a gal who said she also lived in southern California, was a Christian, and was also a homeschool mom, plus she had an Etsy shop, and would I look at her items and perhaps agree to take some things and design with them. Well, she had me at homeschool mom! I looked at Esmeralda's site and was BLOWN AWAY! All this vintage goodness! Anyway, we met at Winter CHA in Anaheim and talked a bit more about things. Not long after, Esme opened her own online store and I agreed to give Pro 31 Designs some love! So here we go!



You all know how I feel about flowers and pearls, and vintage goodies!

Here is a sample of what was stuffed into my design team box!

Jewels, cameos, flat buttons, and all sorts of molded items!

Oh the flowers! Vintage looking roses galore!

All of these lovely sprays, so beautiful.

Look at this lace trim! Very vintage!

And the ribbons. Things that I have never seen before.

Beaded trims, jewels and pearls.

Bling and mesh, oh my.

Here is my project. I made a 5x5 inch card.

My favorite thing to do is to make these arrangements with flowers and other items. The goodies that were in my DT box were simply perfect! After I made the card base, I attached the ribbon trim, and then used some foam dots to adhere the fan. The foam worked well to elevate the fan a bit to accommodate the thickness of the trim.

To give the little cherub some extra "spice." I coated him with glue (Ranger Glossy Accents) and sprinkled him with ultra fine glitter.

I just got the Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Banners die the other day, and it was perfect for this card. I cut the banners out of white, textured cardstock, then stamped with black ink. I used foam dots to pop the banner up and give it a bend.

I hope you like my project, and I hope you go and visit Pro 31 Designs. The products are amazing and very unique!

Pro 31 Designs Embellishments: Shabby Chic Vintage Style Hand Fan, Shabby Chic Cherub Faces, Mulberry Paper Flowers Curly Roses, Porcelain Flowers with Mulberry Petals, 3-Tone Wheat Sprays, White Round Pearl Sprays, Double Ruffle Satin and Organza Trim

Cardstock: American Crafts
Designer paper: Webster's Pages In Love
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Stamps: Hero Arts All Occasion Messages
Die cut banner: Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Banners
Glitter: Mark Enterprises Crystal Glitter Ultra Fine Blue Violet
Adhesive: Glue Dots craft dots, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares, Ranger Glossy Accents, Scotch 3M tape runner

One Sketch, Two Ways - Graphic 45

Happy Thursday, Blogger peeps! I have a fun post for you today! (Make sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post...I have a big surprise for all of you who have been wanting me to start selling project kits!) 

Y'all know how I love sketches! I created one for you in a square format to be used in helping you create a page layout. But, I also made a card, showing you TWO WAYS to use ONE SKETCH!

Here is my 12x12 layout, using the Graphic 45 Kraft Reflections and Olde Curiosity Shoppe collections.



This photo is of my friend Beverly and me when we were at our girls' retreat the summer of 2011. We were checking out the scenery near Chicago and stopped for a photo shoot at this old mill. There were a lot of "out-takes" due to combing four giggling women and a very hot day, but we did manage a few nice photos. I chose a color scheme for this page layout based on colors that I know Beverly likes: summer colors!

To make this layout:

1.Spray Graphic 45 Kraft Reflections Express Yourself paper with Peacock Tattered Angels Chalkboard Glimmer Mist. Dip a round item (a lid or paper cup) into Gesso and stamp circles on the paper in a random pattern. Allow to dry.

2. Using sharp scissors or a craft knife, cut the center from the Express Yourself paper. Distress the edges with your fingers, rolling the paper and tearing it slightly. Place a sheet of Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe Exquisite Motif paper behind the opening, creating a frame. Glue the papers together.

3. Trim the printed paper stack to 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches.

4. Using Bon Voyage and Antique Moss Decades Antiquing Ink, ink the edges of pale blue cardstock. Then using an edge distressing tool or sharp scissors, distress the edges of the cardstock. Attach the printed frame to the center of your cardstock.



5. Using ink and mist, color the naked chipboard (Imaginaruim Designs). Try mixing glimmer mist with Gesso to create your own "paint." Give the some of the chipboard shapes luster by buffing them with metallic rub-ons.

You can see the luster on the chipboard butterfly in this photo.

7. Use Gesso and metallic rub-ons to add color to the  Graphic 45 metal door plate.

8. Glue flowers and the chipboard items to your layout as shown, using the sketch for placement ideas.

9. Add subtitles and journaling with stickers. To create a hidden journaling card, die cut a long, tag shape from white cardstock. Ink the edges with blue and green ink. If desired, stamp a message on the one end of the journaling card and tuck it behind the photo.

10. You may wish to distress your photo edges with a scraper tool or a pair of sharp scissors.

I also made a card, using the sketch as my inspiration. The card is 5x5 inches.

I combined the Once Upon a Springtime and Olde Curiosity Shoppe papers. You would not think they work together, but they do. That's what I love about the Graphic 45 collections!

I really love this collection of flowers and "junk." It is sort of steampunk, meets junk shop, meets flower garden!

I find a lot of my items at an online store called Sky Blue Pink. They have lots of ephemera and other items that work well for this type of art. Their motto is: cool stuff for non-fancy prices.

I fussy cut some butterflies from the paper. They are a little rough, but that just adds to the charm, right?! Honestly, I need new reading glasses!

ETA: You can purchase the Graphic 45 Antiquing Inks HERE.

Before I sign off, I wanted to make sure to tell you that StopAndScrap now has the "kits" for my Altered Little Darlings box and mini album. They have ordered a small amount of the Graphic 45 supplies I used in the project! If they do well with this venture, you may see MORE of my project kits...and tutorials!

You can buy the "complete kit" or each item individually. Please note, if you buy the kit, you will get two sheets of each paper so that you may copy my project exactly.

For more information about the project, click HERE. I hope to have a PDF tutorial for you by next week! Going forward, StopAndScrap may be able to carry exclusive tutorials and kits of my Graphic 45 creations.

Keep in mind, StopAndScrap has ONLY the Graphic 45 products I used, not the little additions that I found in my stash.

Layout:
Graphic 45 Paper:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Exquisite Motif
Kraft Reflections: Express Yourself
Graphic 45 Staples:
Geometric Metal Door Plate and brads
Graphic 45 Stamps: Le Cirque Cling Stamps 1
Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs: Page corner, Butterflies, Clock, Title
Ink: Clearsnap: Colorbox: Archival: Wicked Black; Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink: Bon Voyage, Antique Moss; Mix'd Media Inx: Patina
Cardstock: American Crafts: Black, Blue
Flowers: Prima
Stickers: Prima
Die cuts: My Favorite Things Die-namics: Vertical Greetings
Mist: Tattered Angels: Chalkboard Glimmer Mist: Peacock; Glimmer Mist: Moonlight
Paint: Delta Ceramcoat: Gesso
Metallic Rub-Ons: Craft-T Products: Sky Blue, Silver Blue, Golden White
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner; glue

Card:
Graphic 45 8x8 Paper:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Exquisite Motif, Butterfly Specifics
Once Upon a Springtime: Enchanted Forest, Woodland Fantasy
Ink: Clearsnap: Colorbox: Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink: Antique Moss
Cardstock: American Crafts: Black
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon: Blue Topaz Diamond Satin
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Gear: 7 Gypsies
Clock and Light bulb: Sky Blue Pink
Border punch: Martha Stewart
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; glue