XYRON: Gearing up for Kindergarten with Back to School Teacher Gifts

As a high school teacher, I never really use any of the cute school related papers and crafting supplies. However, my oldest is starting Kindergarten this year and I finally get to break out my cute supplies! For today, I made two little things for her new teacher: an easel card, and a cover for the classroom tissue box.

I started with the fun Square Center Step Card by Lori Whitlock. I started with a base of kraft paper, then added quite a few pieces from the Pebbles Back to School Collection (Apples, Notebook, Accent & Phrase Stickers). In order to make the apple pop, I layered pieces of Bazzill cardstock, and framed it with a Studio Calico Frame Sticker. To piece everything together, I used my Xyron 3" Sticker Maker. Since the Offray ribbon was a little thinner, I used my Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker, attached, then trimmed the edges.

The 3D Rectangle Tissue Box by Jamie Cripps was a super fun project to put together. To add some cohesion between the projects, I started again with a base of kraft paper, then added more of the Pebbles Back to School Collection (Scissors, Rulers, Accent Stickers, Accent & Phrase Stickers) using my Xyron 9" Creative Station. Before I placed the stickers all around the box, I ran a wider piece of ribbon through my Xyron 3" Sticker Maker and wrapped it around the box. Then I placed quite a few of the Accent Stickers around the box.

The best part of this project, the "box" comes right off, and can be placed on a new box of tissues when this one is used. No more ugly boxes of tissues! I also kept the top pretty simple, since I knew little hands would be touching it quite often. 

Hope your Back to School is going smooth!

Supplies:
Xyron: 3" Sticker Maker, 1.5" Sticker Maker, 9" Creative Station
Other: Pebbles Back to School Collection (patterned paper and stickers), Studio Calico Stickers (Teach Kids Frames), Bazzill cardstock, Mohawk Via Vellum (kraft), Offray ribbons (Measure Up), tissue box Pin It

Using the Rest of My SC Central High Kit

My first attempt to use up everything in my first kit from Studio Calico was pretty much a success. I only have a few scraps left, some brads, random alpha stickers, and quite a few mistable arrow Thickers. That's it!! I made two more layouts and a whole mess of cards. Love using scraps on cards.

This post is fairly pic heavy, but there are also two Pinterest inspired cards, courtesy of a challenge between myself and my lovely friend Brenda.

The original Pin link, and below is my version.

 And the original Pin link for my second card. Below is my version.

And here are two of my final layouts with this kit. I currently don't have photographs for either... So even journaling is out of the question until I find some good snapshots. For the "Saturday" layout... I plan to snap a great 5x7 of some standard Saturday activity. Then journal in strips and place those on the number Tim&Beck paper. 

This last layout is ScrapbookSteals' MWM Coral 2. I plan on taking a Hipstamatic photo of Miss I on her bike. The journaling will go in strips in the top, right corner. There are also misted arrow Thickers that will point at each of the strips. I'm thinking of using my red Thickers that I used a couple of MWM's ago.

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AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: Pinspired: Herringbone Patterns

Make sure that you go check out my Pinspired Monday's neat layout over at the Authentique Blog today. I'll even give you a little sneaky peek!!

Enjoy!! Pin It

Topaz 9: Friends (w/ Counterfeit Kit)

For this project, I wanted to use a few photos of my lovely Miss I, and her two best friends! I love how the natural light on these photographs just picked up the cutest expressions on each of the girls. I also really wanted to keep using my fantastic Counterfeit Kit that I made for September. I still have SO much paper and supplies, that it might just run me into October as well! Or, I could just find more time and keep crafting away...

I decided to finally use the elusive Crate Paper Bouquet paper. I'm not one for using a ton of florals in my projects, so this was kind of a stretch for me. I loved the flowers, and the colors, but just do not choose them everytime. I also used Kristy's fantastic Mid-Week Mojo for Topaz #9. I loved the idea of using photographs more than once, and so mirror the larger photos with the same photos in wallet size.

Instead of another journaling area, I decided to use some Glue Dots (I couldn't find my Glubers, homemade or otherwise) and a piece of kraft scrap to make this muslin flower. Super easy!!! I then adorned it with a Studio Calico butterfly that I had sprayed with Lunchtray Mr. Huey, then adorned with my MME bling.

I mirrored the small butterfly, with a larger one that was created in the same way. I just adore how the Mr. Huey's is SO bright. And it matched my color palette perfectly!

After piling all the pieces together, I realized that the blues needed something to 'pop' against, so used the reddish paper to make the polka dots stand out. I didn't want to waste paper, so strategically pieced together a border in reverse. All of the seams are hidden behind the flower, bracket or butterfly (you didn't notice, did you???!). I also added a small kraft scalloped edge to reflect the journaling box. Lastly, foam Thickers made up the title.

All in all, I think it went just well! I'm sad to see most of the inspiration paper from my Counterfeit Kit gone, but I have enough to make a card or two...

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Counterfeit Kit Challenge: Crate Paper "Bouquet"

Today, I am showing my Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I chose to use a piece of paper that was similar to this month's kit of choice, but different in color tones. I chose this piece of paper from Crate Paper's Portrait line called "Bouquet".

 

The colors for this paper were not the same as the Sassafras paper's blue and yellows... but I found a great pin off of Pinterest that held similar colors.

Since I don't use a ton of plain cardstock, I chose a few pieces that would be great for my uses. 

Kraft paper, reddish/pink Bazzill, Green Bazzill, Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe "Inventory", Little Yellow Bicycle Twig's "Fern", Prima Madeline Collection"Parfait"& Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe "Dolls".

My patterned paper included a few pieces (14)... Including a couple of half sheets...

American Crafts Peachy Keen in "Easy as Pie" and "Good Golly Gee", Basic Grey's Hello Luscious "Scrumptious", Crate Paper Portrait "Something Blue", Prima Madeline Collection "Skyward", Pebbles May Bouquet Collection "Front Porch", Pebbles Lil' Miss Collection "Sunshine", MyMindsEye So Sophie "Never Enough", Crate Paper Restoration "Refinish", Prima Coquette "Chemise", Hambly "Big Vintage Circle", Kaisercraft Lush Collection "Maple", Sassafras Lass Mix & Mend "Free Composition", Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe "Dresses", MyMindsEye Stella & Rose "Joy",

 

Embellishment Kit #1: AC Thickers in Dear Lizzy, and Honey puffy Thickers, Sassafras Lass stickers in Mix Sweet Treats, Studio Calico tickets, American Crafts rose ribbon, MME adhesive bling, hemp twine, BG Hello Luscious fabric flowers, MME Lime Twist cardstock embellishment, Echo Park mini type, YLB doilies, Studio Calico spray in Bluegrass

Embellishment Kit #2: aqua ribbon (unknown), AC Delights, AC tags, MarthaStewart kraft tags, AC Flair, MME Lime Twist stickers, MME Fine and Dandy ribbons, Studio Calico Mr. Huey Sunshine, CosmoCricket Tiny Type in Yellow and Top Secret, YLB dimensional embellishment Twig

 

Chipboard Kit: MME Fine and Dandy chipboard set, Studio Calico wood veneer butterflies, MarthaStewart adhesive ribbon, muslin, white and black paperclips, BG brads, CC Blackboard mini book

 

My goal is to use this kit all month. I hope to use more of my existing materials, and purchase less and less. That means that I can snag more tools when I see great deals!!

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Moxie Fab World's Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: The Neutrals Challenge

This challenge from Moxie Fab World threw me a little... The gold from the metallics challenge was a challenge, but getting shades that really went together was almost tougher! Funny though, because I ended up with two variations using almost the same colors!
The Bazzill colors were: French Vanilla, Twig and Smoky.

For the first card, I used a Bazzill Swiss Dot paper in a pretty khaki color, a light cream American Crafts cardstock, that was cut using the Wild Card Cartridge from Cricut and altered using the Gypsy, two variations of the same die-cut sheet from My Mind's Eye, and a section of a Making Memories ribbon. The top layer of the blue die-cut border has some dimensional stickers to make it "pop" off of the card :)

I like this card, but it wasn't really my style... So I took another look at my supplies and found these papers that are pretty similar in nature.

For this card, I used the same Bazzill Swiss Dot khaki paper, part of a sheet of BoBunny Mamarazzi paper, a ribbon in the same colors (I cannot remember what company...), and a rub-on sentiment from the Letterbox line from American Crafts.

I may just give this one to my brother for his birthday. Lucky for me, he has no idea that this blog exists :)

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Moxie Fab World: Color Inspiration: Pretty Pastels & Cameos

Continuing with the Moxie Fab World's Color Inspiration for Card Makers week of color, I completed the rest of the color combo cards :)

For the Pretty Pastels Challenge, I decided to also incorporate the cameo from the Moxie Fab World's Challenge: The Appearance of Cameos.
I used a light pink shade of American Crafts cardstock, a violet shade of Bazzill paper to create the background of the cameo, the "B" side of a piece of AC "Boo" paper, (you would never know that it was a Halloween paper!!!), the background paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi line, along with the matching lavendar and white polka dotted scallop sticker, and the rub-on is from American Crafts. The cameo and shaped paper die cuts are from the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge from Cricut.

I like how this reminds me of the Holly Hobby kits that my babysitter and I used to make on half days in elementary school. The "Birthday Girl" font reminds me of the 1970's, so it really fits with the childlike cameo. Pin It

ECHO PARK!!!!!!!!!!!

Echo Park has been one of those urban myth scrapbook companies... I have heard SO many good things about this company, but haven't seen it around much. Way unfortunate! This company ROCKS! I am now in love with the patterns, the colors, and the characters. The "B" sides, which are mainly monochromatic patterns are fantastic!!

I ended up driving about 25 miles away to find a store that carried any of EP's Christmas lines, and I wasn't dissapointed in the least. I ended up choosing Everyone Loves Christmas for it's fantastic colors.
Here is my "Merry Christmas" layout. I used a piece of Bazzill for the background paper, EP's stickers and used four pieces of paper: Trim the Tree, Snowman, Garland, and the Journaling Cards. The snowflakes and the green pattern is from the "B" sides of paper. I took the Christmas journaling card and cut slits in between the letters and distressed it alot, then the tree stickers and the ornament sticker were placed on chipboard to stand out more. I used dimensional adhesive for the trees, ornament and the brown border sticker. The ribbon for the ornament is American Crafts.

The journaling says: "Isla, Even though last year's Christmas was your first--this year's Christmas is shaping up to be even more special!"

With all of the pieces leftover from the layout, I used them to make cards. The background is from Snowman. The Santa Claus image is one of the journaling tags, the red is from the "B" side of Trim the Tree. The Santa Claus image is pop-dotted so it stands out more. Ribbon from American Crafts, and the base is kraft paper by Bazzill.

I loved this little penguin guy from the sticker set, so I put him on chipboard and cut him out again. He is pop-dotted to stand out. The journaling tag was too large for my sketch, so I chopped it in half, then put it back together again. Used Trim the Tree, the "B" side of Garland, and the "B" side of the Journaling Tags (genius idea EP!) for the paper choices. All peices of paper were distressed a lot. Ribbon is AC and the base is kraft by Bazzill.

The last card (which is not entirely true... I couldn't stop and made one for my Monday Card Madness for scrapbooksteals!!) that I made for EP was this simple, but gorgeous one. I used kraft paper by Bazzill to start with, then added the Trim the Tree. To make some of the trees stand out, I simply cut them out of some of the scrap and pop-dotted them to be dimensional. I then added AC ribbon and used my white pen to add "stiches" and the "celebrate" message.

All told, this was a great addition to my already full scrap area. I am now in love with all of the patterns and designs that EP has in store, and have been looking at their other patterns. I am excited to find new products that will blend nicely with all of the products that I already have! I may have to get on my local LSS' to get these products in store... driving so far away is not always possible! I could always buy online though... :)

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MCM #10

Loving the Echo Park right now... Seriously. It's kind of one of those, everyone's talking about it... but wasn't really into trying to find it. Then, saw it. OOH!!! YES PLEASE!!

So, when scrapbooksteals.com had their Monday Card Madness #10... I had scraps and they are love-ly...

EEK! I only wish I didn't have to drive so far away... 25.4 miles (37 minutes away)... Not so much fun. But thanksanyway Scrapbook Nook!

Used: EP Snowman (both sides), the "B" side of the Journaling cards, Element Stickers, AC ribbon and Bazzill kraft paper

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