Hard Core Holiday Crop - Long post

I have had a blast creating.  Just wishing I had seen this a bit sooner as Core'dinations cardstocks are my favorites!  Anyone who has followed this blog probably remembers snow snake layouts and many others.  This cardstock is so much fun to use - if you have time, check out the crop!  You can see the master list HERE

I am going to have links included, hopefully correctly so you can find the contest information.  Deadline to post is December 2, 2012.

I started off with a bling box.  Much as I love core'dinations, using bling and folding is always tough for me.  I like this simple little box and it will be perfect for a particular gift I have in mind.  It is not very fancy as I know many people will toss the box/bag/tag after Christmas, so most of these entries are pretty simple.  I get much more detailed with those I think may be saved.  This little box is my entry for the Craft Time and Cupcakes blog requirements.  The gemstone bling by Core'dinations is always a favorite for my projects.  It adds just the right amount of bling and best - it can run through my cricut or sizzix!  I also included a little button that adds just enough to my project.  I forgot about the tissue paper - it is just kraft colored.  You can find the link HERE

Next is a gift tag entry.  This particular project also has to ship, so keeping things pretty flat is a must.  I used core'dinations cardstock, punched some small hearts, did some sanding, added a stamp, did some ripping and viola!  A perfect tag for a particular teenage girl.  This is being submitted over at the Trine Brandt Lasson blog HERE.  This is my gift package accent for a pink and black item (in case she peeks) going to a terrific young lady living in another state.

Next I found a fun leaf challenge - The leaf was much easier to create than I suspected and Core'dinations cardstock works great to add some veining with sanding.  This gift bag uses core'dinations cardstock, a I am roses flower, and a jar label I made several years ago for sending out my Memories in a Jar gifts.  It is time for these again, so I am making some more bags!  This will be submitted at the Paintbrush goes Spottie blog located HERE

Another simple gift bag for the Living out Loud blog located HERE.  After seeing her wonderful creation, I believe I need some holiday embossing plates.  However, I still like the effects from ripping and tearing.  The to/from goes on the dark green tag with a wonderful silver Sharpie we have.

Next is a layout creating using one of my favorite techniques with core'dinations cardstock.  This is being entered on the Scrap Notions blog located HERE.  We were to use mainly coredinations paper (all the papers I used are core'dinations) and follow a sketch.  Totally loved creating this layout.  The sketch was perfect for three pictures I had with a beautiful smile.

To create the word smile, I placed chipboard letters underneath the core'dinations cardstock background and just sanded gently over the top.

 In the close-up below, you can see I didn't do quite perfect, but that is one of the things I love about this paper - when distressed, the unique characteristics yield beautiful results!

My last entry for now is for the 3D foam and a Sanding Block Blog located HERE    Create a coordinating gift tag/bag set.  Again I used the ripping technique for trees.  Add a Martha Stewart punch for the top of the bag and a stamp to the back of the inked tag (made from yet another of those neon tags I received), and I love the simple creations.

While all my entries are not complete, these few were ready, so time to post in case I can't finish all the challenges today.

Well, my 'free time' for the weekend is shot, but I definitely have some wonderful helps for wrapping and sending gifts this Christmas season!

Starting with some really fun and quick to create magnets, I created these.  I am not happy with the way the floral one turned out - definitely not what I saw, but love the candy one.  I used the Basic Grey candy embossing folder behind it and did a bit of sanding.  I will be creating more of these!  This is for entry over on the Memory Villa Blog HERE.  The bling paper and the blues are core'dinations.

Quick, 10 minute cards?  You bet.  Here is a quick one using the Tim Holtz clock embossing folder, some staples and wonderful Core'dinations cardstock. This is for the Tammy Mae Berry Challenge located HERE.  I didn't realize until the photo - the back doesn't match the front.  Guess I will be changing!

Over at the Scrap Notions Blog, her second challenge was to alter a book or notebook - re-purpose actually.  I had this pink covered little notebook that is now ready for a young man.  Blog is HERE

 Another fun one, creating layered tags can be found at the My Cluttered Corner blog HERE.  these are some of my favorites to create so I didn't stop at two!  I don't know if you can see the dimension very well in the photo, but the tags are nearly 3/8 inch thick!  These will be wonderful on packages.

 Next, some simple embossed tags.  This isn't a Christmas plate, but one from the Nifty Fifties set.  Then add the blot from a creative memories punch and the Green Core'dinations cardstock and these are perfect additions.  These are for the 2nd 3D Foam and Sanding blog HERE

 Finally, another simple card.  The blue is core'dinations cardstock, the white is a scrap.  I used a new embossing folder and some blingy ribbon.  I love the simplicity of this card.  This will be entered over at the Live, Life, Loud blog HERE

That is it for scrappy time now.  Off to check on hay deliveries and such.  Have a great one!

Some Completed Swaps

from over at Scrapbooking Fun.Biz.  Love all these pieces and they will definitely be showing up on projects in the very near future!

First, the Character Swap.  These pieces turned out great, though I did hear from some participants that they felt as I did and couldn't stand their pieces after the swap.  LOL  Sometimes you just need to distance yourself and you will see how cute they really are!  A few weeks later and I like my Sponge Bob and Patrick much better.

Next, the winter paper clip swap.  All were created with Jumbo Clips.  These will be beautiful on pages.

Below are the Summer paper clips.  I have to find out where the super size colored paper clips came from.  The watermelon in the corner actually has two pieces in everyone else's baggies.  These are mine and I messed up one, so it isn't here.  I used DCWV Cardstock for the pink part of the watermelon.  It works much better in my sizzix than in the cricut.

The Disney group - three participants!

 The Spring Group.  Those flowers on the pink paper clip are really done well - I have to find out how she did those - or if they were a special purchased set.  You can see all the detail in them wonderfully IRL.  Same as with the watermelon, I created the little sheep, but made mistakes on mine, so the ones everyone else receives have pink noses and there are two.  Lambing is in the spring, that is where I got my idea.

 Finally, the fall group!  These will all go into the mini albums I have been working on (see previous posts for details).  I love how well they all turned out.

Next Swap:  FarmHouse Paper Sugar Tree Autumn (need to double check name) line of paper - these are much prettier IRL than they look here.  Note:  on the ATC Title blocks, there are different styles.  This is the one I kept as I had to use a different letter for the r.

Finally, the Farm House Barber Shop Line.  These colors and the paper are wonderful to touch IRL.  Can't wait to put these pieces to use.

A Beautiful job on all these swaps was done by all.  I can't wait to use these pieces.  Hoping to get them into page kits by next week.

Gifty time

While I am still loving my lapbook, I have some gifts that really need to get completed.

No shopping today, but I am working on an album for a friend.  Same one as the December Daily was to go to, but I went easy and selected a regular album style (one of Kathy Orta's hidden hinge binding - love those).

9 pages, 5 styles.  All pages are from various mini albums i have seen others create/learned to create with them, so I am not exactly sure who to credit.  I know I have seen a lot of videos/bought patterns from both Paper Phenomenon and Following the Paper Trail.  This entire album (almost, I did have to buy more adhesive), is coming from my stash.  I did a lot of cleaning/sorting and now that I can find things, it has been wonderful to be able to create.  This is at my upstairs work table (see previous posts about Achilles issues if two tables sounds confusing).  I pulled it again the other day, so sitting and scrapping has been standard, but it is still difficult to stay used to.  I still stand up to place things correctly.

First - the hidden hinge.  Not sure if I did it the exact way or not, but I discovered that the DCWV Cardstock is great for this.  It seems to be stronger than the Bazzill and AC Cardstocks that I normally use.  This allowed for 9 pages.

Next are just photos of pages that are now attached to the binding.  I am working to finish up tags for this mini, though I may change to use a neutral color cardstock for tags to make journaling easier.

December Daily Lapbook

This is definitely fun to put together, but not nearly as fast as some other mini's I have worked on.  I am having a blast, but as those who know me can guess, I am starting to make changes to design.  That is one of the great parts with these albums - making them your own.

There are too many flaws in this to give to someone, so I am going to use up my scraps and keep it.   I decided to turn some pockets to open in different directions and changing a bit of how tags work.  Nothing major, just things I like.

 Not quite sure why this one loaded this way??  It is the reverse of the small flap with windows above

Time to stop again for the day.

Working on the December Daily Lapbook

Stopped at this point - I put these papers down, thought, that is ugly and decided it was time to put this aside and start fresh later.

 I like how these worked.  Some more inking will really help dull down the yellow.

 The plain still needs work, but it is progressing.

some of the left hand side.

 More right hand side stuff.

To give you an idea of how large this really is, I put my standard 12" cutter on top and opened up to the center.

Paper Phenomenon/Kathy Orta's Youtube December Daily Lapbook videos.  I will end up keeping this unless I can come up with a way to hide the print that shows in the 4th photo.  It is in the crease and has the brand name of the folders in black.  Lots of embelllishing to go if I want to have this ready before her grand baby arrives.  Color scheme is really unique, but I am creating for her, not general for just anyone.  Plus, it is to be a little boy, so the G45 Little darlings line accents should work once I get the album built.  If not, I bet I can find other vintage baby items.

Working on December Daily Lapbook

With Kathy Orta/Paper Phenomenon You tube videos.  So far, I just completed day one.  If this works how I hope, I plan to make one as a gift for someone.

First, I use what I have, so my file folders are a bit different.  These were headed to the trash, so I have them to use.  Since the pages will be matted, I am not worried about writing/color.  Just making sure that the paper selected goes with this yellow (toned down a bit when inked) will be enough.

My area is pretty sunny during the day.  The photos are pretty shadowed, but you can see the steps.  This is from her Lapbook December Daily 2012 Part One.

Off to view part two (if enough time during lunch break) :D

Well, I made it through three parts today.  This wonderful mini is for a friend who is going to be a Granny soon.  She loves vintage, orange and bling, so the yellow folder will work out great.  I have a My Mind's Eye paper pack (signature suite by Jen Wilson) that I have been using for a few years (yep, stash time), but the colors are working perfectly.  I am hoping that a few of the pages will work well with the Graphic 45 Little Darlings accents/papers I have as well.  I am also using up a DCWV Indian Summer cardstock stack.  It works great for pages that need to have inking as they have that white core.  Hmm, maybe that could be useful later on :D.

Anyway - here is where I have gotten to.  I have to break and work on a wedding album now, plus some Thanksgiving baking and sewing of Shopping Totes.

Quick notes - here is where my flap started.  Notice that the slot pocket does have some paper behind.  I really didn't want anymore yellow showing through so I added a 3" piece of paper behind the slot.  Enough to be sure it doesn't catch up in anything.

Then the papers are added.  Yes, I think these colors are going to work out beautifully.  I have quite a ways to go, but baby is due 12/3, so I am hoping to have it done by then.

And for friends who have asked, yes, I did go to the Wilbur Chocolates factory and I do love Wilbur Chocolates :D.

Senior Fun

Senior year, that is.  A great camping trip in the BWCA with the Venture Crew.  I used a sketch from Let' Get Sketchy (November, Week 2) for this page.  These photos just worked well together and I remember the huge smile from that day.  The BWCA paper is from Scrappin' Sports & More.  The die cuts are all cricut cuts from an alphabet  swap over on the cricut messageboard.  My enjoyment from making swaps is only exceeded by my joy in using swaps!  Add some stash scraps (sorted by color for quick finds), some quick inking to the edges and a few remaining Basic Grey letter stickers (maybe from Max and Whiskars set?), some ribbon scrap and a Jolee's canoe sticker and remaining stars from a set I purchased several years ago (really?  that long ago - wow does time fly) and viola!  A page ready to go for the album.

I am working on several more pages right now as well as a few mini albums as gifts.  If the camera is handy, pics of those will be coming later this month.  Also planning the next Ustream class.