Birthday & Friends Scrapbook Pages

Here's another lost scrapbook layout from last year (I loved that DSP so pretty), from memory this was an aborted layout, that didn't make the cut into a class........although I like the chipboard flower embellishment that I made for it and the hidden journalling in the envelope......

although I like the chipboard flower embellishment that I made for it and the hidden journalling in the envelope......

I know I didn't finish the layout s it has no title on it - even though I am assuming it was done for a birthday because of the cake die cut! Then I morphed it into these pages.........

I love how the Stamp-a-ma-jig makes it so easy to line up elements like this part of Artistic Etchings....

Doesn't it make a great border for the photo mats & journalling components? The journalling was hidden inside this envelope.......I love the scallop envelope die......it has a perforated part (similar to the Top Note die, so you can trim things off and it gives it a perfect layer).

Inside the envelope, the stamping and sponging matched the rest of the layout (you can tell this was one of my finished layouts as it had sponging on it - unlike the one at the beginning of this post!).

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Friends 24-7
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Love Letter DSP.
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop envelope die, Tasteful trim die, Simple Letters alphabet, stamping sponges, blossom party die, chipboard sheet, 2 way glue pen, multi-purpose adhesive sheets, decorative label punch, round tab punch, Big Bold Cupcake die.

Upcycled DIY Paper Bags

Okay so recycling, repurposing and upcycling things is a bit of a hobby for me - it reflects my conservation efforts in other aspects of my life. As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator whenever we get an order, it comes packaged with lots of brown paper to help protect the contents of the boxes........always important! I do use the paper as scrap paper to protect work surfaces, make paper flowers and my son makes massive collage pictures on reams of it.............but to be honest there is a limit to how much I can use so some ends up in our recycling bin. However this week I did a fun tutorial over on Crafters Anonymous and we made two different types of paper bags and the brown paper packaging is absolutely perfect for this purpose. Of course if you didn't have the brown paper packaging that I have access to - you could easily substitute it with old posters or large stiff sheets of newsprint. I used some old paper raffia for the bag handles, but you could just punch out handles using an oval die or use ribbon (I was just recycling again!).

I used a variety of items to dress up the bags including texture embossing with the Big Shot (it does take two passes to emboss the entire bag), stamping directly onto the paper before assembling them and embellishing with die cuts similar to how I have done other bags in the past.

The flower is also made using the brown packaging paper with the two different sized scallop circle punches. The bags were assembled using Sticky Strip as I find SNAIL not as good for making 3D items which will hold weight or be opened a lot, the SNAIL adhesive I used for decorating the bag once it was made though.

This background stamping with the flourish was done free hand so doesn't line up perfectly, but for the purpose I was happy enough with the result. The bird I stamped onto crumb cake and cut out and popped up on Dimensionals. To add longevity or bling to the handle part you could eyelet the holes after punching them with a Crop-a-dile.

This bag was decorated similar to I would plain store bought ones like I did here and here. I used sponged the edges of the die cuts & punchies and the textured crumb cake card stock to add more dimension to the bag. We also made some flat gusseted bags with the packaging paper.

Again I have texture embossed one and stamped the other. They would be perfect for packaging things like treats, popcorn, small fabric items like a scarf or similar. I would seal these bags using a stapler and cover the staple with the punched card stock closure tab and here's a side view.

Contact me if you want to learn how do make these bags as a friend is hosting an "upcycling" Stampin' Up! workshop and this will be one of the items that you will get to make and take for FREE!!

Stamps: You're A Gem, Friends 24-7, Tiny Tags

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Card stock: Crumb Cake & Early Expresso

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice textured impressions folder, Vintage Wallpaper textured impressions folder, 1" circle punch, Birds & Blooms Sizzlits dies, Lots of Tags Sizzlis dies, Scallop circle punch & 2 3/8" scallop circle punch, Dimensionals, paper snips, SNAIL, Sticky Strip, Crop-o-dile, Jewelry Tag punch, Beautiful Wings embosslit die, Tombow glue, stamping sponge. 

Non SU: brown packaging paper & paper raffia string.

Summer Mini Scrapbook CASE

The Summer Mini catalogue is in full swing and Sale-a-bration starts tomorrow (happy dance) if you want to book a workshop for it, please contact me. I have also been working on a new 3D valentines tutorial from the Paper Crafters Library, but I got sidetracked recently as a lot of people I know saw page 11 of the Summer mini went "Ohh I want to make that". 

(don't ask about the red lettering at the top of the page - I know there is an easy way to covert a PDF to a jpg so I can upload it to my blog, but I only know the hard way of doing it and that results in red writing on the image - any computer literate readers I'd love some tips!!). Anyway I set about making a double scrapbook layout based on the above page. The first challenge of course was that the Presto Patterns Specialty paper used in the catalogue wasn't suitable firstly as I wanted a left and right page and that 'Paris' image is only on one half of the Presto paper and also in a class situation for everyone to have the same papers would mean that everyone would have to purchase a pack of the Presto Patterns Specialty paper in addition to the class cost. Answer - make our own paper using clear embossing powder, Versamark and the stamp set Friends 24-7 (thanks for the loan Charmaine - my order arrived today!). The result is below:

The pages have a lot of sponging on them as well as the new smooch sprays to add a vintage feel to them. 

Details of paper tearing and piercing to add a distressed look and layering to give it all depth and the rhinestones, well what can I say - they add style and sparkle at a very low cost!

The pages use lots of lovely Big Shot dies to make the flowers and lettering, some of the flowers I put through the textured impressions embossing folder to give even more dimension to them and other flowers were just stamped on with the Elements Of Style set, which was also used a watermark in the background of the pages.

So the left hand scrap page looks like this completed:

Obviously it will change a bit when I add photographs to it, but at the moment I was really pleased with the way the pages turned out.

This class is running on March the first if you want to come along and make your own set of pages with me (full details of my classes can be found on my website here) or if that time/day doesn't suit you can get together a minimum of four paper crafters and I will bring everything to you. 

Does this answer the question as to why Stampin' Up! call their catalogue an Idea Book & Catalogue?? Hopefully it has inspired you to have a second look at some of the pages and CASE some of the ideas within them.I'd love to see any creations you have CASEd using the Ideas Book & Catalogue!