December ScrapPack

The December ScrapPack from Better Scrapbooking is fantastic.  From the Making Memories Paper Reverie Collection, the Brun Antique colour range is simply gorgeous and quite versatile. 

Here are my layouts and OTP project using the ScrapPack.  Step-by-step instructions and also other layouts from the Design Team can be viewed in the December Newsletter.

Christmas holiday layouts

Have been busy making Christmas presents so haven't been doing much scrapping lately.  Will post pics of the Christmas presents after Christmas so Mum doesn't see it before she should!

A couple of layouts I did manage to finish though this week, using Kaisercraft paper.

In the first layout I just cut out the shapes from the paper (love easy, co-ordinated embellishments).  The second layout I used Cricut cartridge Paper Doll Dress Up for the clothes.

Kindy Christmas




New togs

 

Chocolate-filled gift boxes

For Christmas, I made some little gift boxes for my son's kindy teachers and filled them with chocolates.  Quick, easy and very cute. 

I was shown how to make these simple boxes by a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Patrice Halliday-Larsen.  Rather than stamping, I have used double sided patterned paper instead.  You appreciate the pattern on both sides when you open the boxes up.

One sheet of standard 12 x 12 inch paper makes two boxes plus two small gift cards.  Each box requires about 40cm of ribbon.



Six gift boxes using Kaisercraft Christmas Spirit range



Gift box with co-ordinating card

So here's how to do it.....  cut a rectangle 15cm x 21cm.  Fold in half and score lines from that fold to the middle of both edges, so you get a diamond shape pattern (see photo below).





Score lines



Fold into a triangle box and punch holes in each side.  Fill with chocolates, thread ribbon through holes and tie in bow. 



Fold into triangle box and punch holes for ribbon



The little cards are made from the remaining paper from the two boxes.  Simply cut remaining paper in half and fold to make card.  I also rounded the corners on the cards. 

Simple Christmas cards using scraps

I make my Christmas cards and to keep it simple I choose a design and make all the cards the same.  My friend found a great design in a card-making magazine and I really liked it.  I modified it slightly, but essentially its the same. For me, cards need to be simple to make, especially when mass-producing. 

I used scraps from Christmas layouts to make these cards, so I feel good about using all those up.  The cards are made using only paper.  Even the 'ribbon' on the cards, is paper cut into 1cm strips.  The scraps were left over from the Better Scrapbooking November ScrapPack.  Here is a selection of four of the cards I made.




Christmas cards



Making Lace cardstock

Lace cardstock is great but you can make your own if you are lucky enough to have Cricut and Design Studio or a Gypsy.  By welding together shapes or letters, 'lace' out of cardstock can be created.

I used various hearts from several Cricut cartridges and welded them together.  This was my first attempt at making 'lace', and it wasn't hard, though it did take me a while because there was alot of welding to do.  Of course now it is saved, I can use it time and time again.

The full title actually reads - Big hugs, Big Love, Big Brother, though only the 'Big Brother' is obvious since it was lettering that was inked and popped onto 3D foam.  The first part of the title was embossed by rubbing over the letters placed underneath the cardstock.

Some journal strips, dates, and some ribbon attached with heart brads, and its all done. 



Big Brother



Hmmm, Cadburys...

Whenever I see the deepest purple I think of Cadburys.  So when I was scrapping some pics of my sons first Easter, I was inspired by his Easter stash. 

I found that although I have alot of purple embellishments getting the right Cadbury's purple was quite difficult.  On a hunt for Cadbury purple I found ribbon, a pipe-cleaner, embossing powder Opals 'Lily Pilly' and metallic paint. I also decided to use the Cadburys foil from a king sized block (which just happened to be in my pantry).

The cool technique I used on this layout involved my retro Dymo labeller.  I typed in my journalling and then wrapped foil around each strip.  By rubbing over the top, the embossed words show up quite well.  I wiped a bit of metallic paint over the top to make it stand out a bit better (The photo doesn't do it justice).  It's readable but wouldn't be great for lots of journalling.

The sketch I used was from the SBO Friday Night Challenge



Props



Journalling on aluminium foil covered Dymo labels

The journalling reads "Mum stole all the chocolate.  I got to keep the bunny."  Lachie was only 8 months old so I thought it was only good parenting to prevent him from over-indulging.  My motives were pure...

Multi-media elements

Scrapbooking is all about the photos and telling a story through journalling.  I love that.  But other multi-medial elements can be incorporated to enhance the story-telling.

In the first layout 'Blowing Bubbles', I used an audio recording of my daughter as a baby, blowing raspberries.  It brings a fun interactive component to the layout plus it is a memorable moment that is preserved. 

I picked up the flat sound card from craft store Spotlight, the batteries last for years and its re-recordable.  I used a Making Memories Page Pebble over the top of the play button with the word 'Push' to start the audio recording.

Blowing Bubbles with audio recording

In the next layout 'Look at me!', I had videoed my daughters' first steps as well as taken photo's. The DVD sits in a pocket and can be easily removed for viewing.  The DVD is not just memrobilia but also is functional as an embellishment and title.

Look at me! with DVD movie

Feeling the Magic

I've been having more fun with the new Core'dinations Black Magic collection and have been trying alot of different techniques as seen on the Core'dinations website.  For this layout I tried Tearing, Embossing, Debossing and Labelling with the red/black cardstock.  Very cool.

I had already chosen a 'vintage' look with my photos and by teaming it up with Bo Bunny paper and Core'dinations, I think the layout has a grungy/shabby chic feel about it.  It's a very different layout style for me and I absolutley love it!

I did this layout for the Scrapbook Outlet Friday Night Challenge - love their weekly challenges.

Love

Cute Christmas gifts

PIn need of some inexpensive and thoughtful presents this year for Christmas???  Well these 'Cookie in a jar' presents are just the thing.  A friend suggested this idea and I made these last year for family and was thrilled with how they turned out.

There are heaps of websites with 'Cookie in a Jar' recipes such as Family Crafts.  Some websites include recipe tags which you can print out, making it even easier.

I used the large 200g Moccona jars, ribbon and rafia to deocorate.  Each jar had a tag with instructions and what 'wet' ingredients to add.  I made a separate complete recipe card and laminated it and the tag.  I also included a cookie cutter or wooden spoon to go with each jar.

The M&M cookie jar was my favourite as the M&Ms were so colourful.  The tag was very simple - a circle with a letter M on it (just like an M&M).  The recipe card was also very easy - a circle with punched circles of various colours (to look like the finished cookie).




M&M cookie jar



Although the ingredient jar is not quite so colourful, the gingerbread decorations are super cute!  I used a Cricut (cartridge My Community) to make the gingerbread man tag and gingerbread house recipe card.




Gingerbread cookie jar


I hope you try making these fun gifts - fun to make and fun to eat!

Black Magic

I finally managed to get hold of some Core'dinations cardstock - Black Magic collection - Hocus Pocus.  It's particularly hard to get hold of but Crafty Tart has it and seems to be the only place in NZ that does stock it.  Check out the LHS of the layout.... after embossing the cardstock, I then lightly sanded the top to reveal the core colour (red in this case) underneath.  Magic! 

Check out http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/about/ for videos on other ways to use this cool product.

Shiny and New

Magazine freebie paper

I am always excited to get free stuff from magazines and always keep it.  But the question is, what do you do with it all?  I'm not convinced the paper that you get from Scrapbooking Memories mags are acid free plus its creased in the centre, so its not ideal for scrapbooking. 

So I've decided to make an effort and use all this free stuff and make cards.  I'm not one for making cards, in fact I cringe when I have to make them.  I just can't seem to come up with any cool ideas. 

After gaining inspiration from Card Making mags and sorting through my free paper stash, these four cards are what I came up with.  The paper was actually an Easter design but I thought it looked more useful for masculine cards.  Additional to the paper I used ribbon, square page pebbles, 3D foam and stamp "Wish Big'.  I'm a simple girl, so I make simple cards...



Freebie paper





4 cards made from freebie paper



October ScrapPack

The October ScrapPack from Better Scrapbooking was Christmas themed so I had a blast getting lots of Christmas layouts done.  Instructions for the following layouts can be seen on the Better Scrapbooking website.  Check out the other design team ladies using the same product in the October Newsletter.



Holy Nite



Holy Nite - Close up of holly





Xmas 2007 - With flaps the layout has 25 photos





Christmas Party



Christmas Party - Detail of 'buttons'



Santa



Photoshoot





Christmas gift boxes



Dog Tag invites

My sister, although scathing of my papercraft obsession, always gets me to do birthday invites for my nephew.  This year the theme is an action packed war game, so I decided to do dog tag invites and they are by far the easiest invites I have ever made!

I cut out dog tag shapes from Cricut cartridge Tags, Bags & Boxes - 2 grey cardstock and 2 camouflage paper per invite.  I printed out the details on the grey cardstock (personal details have been obscured in photo for privacy).  I used a Dymo labeller for the names and adhered to a camo piece.  Each grey piece was backed with the camo paper, punched and hole and set an eyelet.  I then threaded with string.  It was very quick and perfect for a grungy boy themed party.

Friday Night Sketch

This is my latest layout created for the Friday Night sketch for Scrapbooking Outlet.  Have been wanting to scrap these pics for some time ever since I found these cute whale buttons.  Just needed to be inspired and the sketch was perfect.