Happy Monday everyone! I'm so happy Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I can almost smell the turkey cooking in the oven. Yum. Can't wait!!
If you're anything like me, the holidays creep up ever so slowly. Then suddenly it's Christmas Day and all the craft projects you wanted to do just didn't get done. This year I'm sticking to my guns and getting a little crafting done each day.
Today I have a Christmas project to share with you. This weekend I created my very first explosion box. I know right - I've never made one! It's like a right of crafting passage to make on. Haha. It was so easy and fun to make. And the end product is just darling.
Enjoy this quick video showing how the box opens and fun details inside.
Supplies:
Find the whole Carta Bella "Christmas Day" collection here
This week's Make It Monday challenge at the Papertrey Ink blog is "Creating Focal Point Sentiments with Stamps and Dies". It is a really great video tutorial explaining how to capture a great focal point. Click here to see this video tutorial.
I realized that I'd posted two cards made with some goodies I had recently gotten from Papertrey Ink. As soon as I get my stuff in the mail I bust open that box and start making stuff right away. I hardly have the patience to put my new stamps in their cases. I just start stamping away, making a mess, and giggling the whole time.
Here is a haul video with some extra special Christmas goodies in it...all from Papertrey Ink. Enjoy!!
My hearts go out to all the people on the east coast suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I see the pictures of people homes and neighborhoods completely destroyed on television and it seems unreal. How can this happen? Are these people getting help? How can I help?
When I reflect on these tragedies, it makes me think "How did these people prepare?" Most people left their homes and evacuated to safety. If that was me, what would I take if I knew my home was in the path of destruction? I have very few valuables that I would be lost without; some family heirlooms and some jewelry. But mostly I would worry about taking my photos, my memories. I would grab my laptop and scrapbooks, leaving my favorite jeans and crafty supplies behind, and save my families pictures. I pray that the families that lost so much had enough time to make some hard choices, and grab what meant the most to them before their homes washed away.
This week I created a mini album of photos taken in the last 6 months of my family. I am giving it as a gift to my amazing neighbor. She is the loveliest woman in the world. She comes over to visit, loves spending time with my kids, and sometimes comes over right before dinner so she can hold my baby while I finish cooking. Isn't that just the sweetest! And my children just adore her too.
Don't forget to pick up this month's Shop Pumpkin Spice kit. It's amazing!! It comes with an assortment of goodies, including paper, embellishments, flowers, markers, stickers, and trim. The retail value is $46.95, but you get it for the amazing price of $24.95. Click here to check it out.
I found this post from LAST YEAR. For some reason it never posted. Weird. So here it is. I made this last May. Hahaha.
I love this simple and easy mini album. This was the first attempt for me at a mini album. I was inspired by a tutorial from Laura Denison at Following the Papertrail. She has the most creative paper crafting ideas and projects. She really puts a lot of detail into her mini albums! I needed a mini quick to put some pics of my kiddos in.
I used a 12x12 piece of cardstock and scored at 6 inches. Then I turned the paper and scored again every 3 inches. I cut along every other score line and "flipped and folded" as shown in Laura's tutorial.
I added some chipboard for the front and back cover measuring 3"x6". Then I covered it with patterned paper. I cut out some flowers from the Mother's Day Bouquet Cricut Cartridge at varying sizes. I Cuttlebuged some of the flowers for texture. Then I rolled the petal edges to give depth. And of course added some rhinestone bling for the center.
To bind the folded pages I punched out several 3" flowers, folded them, and adhered them to each side of the pages. The insides of the pages are just pictures and journaling - pretty plain.
To see the full tutorial by Laura Denison and her "Flip and Fold Mini Album" just click here and find her on youtube!
Hi hoppers! I hope you're having fun on this delightful hop. If you got here from Lezlye's Blog then you are in the right spot. Otherwise start from the top at The Pumpkin Spice Blog.
This month's theme is to create whatever you want! I just got a load of Christmas papers and embellishments from Shop Pumpkin Spice that I've been dying to use. So I created a card and tag set.
To get the 3D Christmas tree and holly leaf effect, I cut three layers of each (using a die and Cuttlebug) and sewed them together straight down the middle. Then I creased the paper to give it a 3D look. Super easy, but it gives the card a really great look.
Hope you're inspired along this hop! Next stop is the crazy talented June.
This week at the Papertrey Ink blog, the Make It Monday Challenge is "Creating Windows for Floating Images". Click here to see this video tutorial.
I created a Christmas card using this technique. I just love Christmas time and love using my stamps as early as November. And PTI has an amazing array of Christmas stamps.
I used the Nativity Silhouettes Stamp Set, and coordinating die and the Tag Sale #4 die.