I used a clearance bin canvas and completely transformed it into a cheery and bright piece of handmade art. I covered the front of the canvas with the Crystal Icing paper which has the most lovely detail and feel to it...just like icicles really...and my photos just don't do it justice. After die cutting my bracket shape and using the B side of the Small Ornaments patterned cardstock, I began layering die cuts from the pack you'll receive in your kit and added a few more of the red rhinestones.
Here you can see the details of the paper, the washi tape and how I layered each and every die cut accent I added.
I even embellished my display stand with a trimmed section from the cardstock Borders. If you can bear to part with the cuteness when you're finished, you could make these assembly line style and use them for teacher's gifts.
What fun I had using the December Scrapbooking Kit to create my projects for you this week. You can find other mini books and crafty ideas on my blog and in my Etsy shop, I Love It All where, with the coupon code SEIBLOG, you will enjoy 15% off your purchases through Saturday, November 17, 2012.
Good Morning to you from the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Our leaves are falling, but it won't be long before Fall is a memory and the holiday season is upon us. Hi, I'm Monika Wright from I Love It All and I'm today's Pop-In Guest. Since last guest blogging for SEI, I've seen a few more gray hairs pop up and been creating paper projects featured on my blog, various design team blogs and in my Etsy shop, I Love It All.
Each year, I pick our favorite holiday photos and present them in mini books to our parents. What makes it even easier, is that I craft the mini books way before the holiday rush so that all I have to do is choose, print and insert photos, adding a few more embellishments {I am a scrapbooker after all!} before calling it done. Using the December Club SEI Scrapbooking kit, we're going to make this mini book! That's right, we're stepping off the 12x12 page and showing how you can make your kit work for alternate projects as well.
I machine-stitched down the middle of all my pages and added the green fiber just to add some festive flair. Plus, I really wanted to add those jingle bells to my project and this was one way to do it. Even by adding several die cut accents in layers, which is something I love to do, the cover is not too heavy or bulky.
Told you I liked layers.
Each page in my mini book is a somewhat different size and shape, allowing me to trim out the unnecessary "stuff" in our Christmas photos and just focus on the details as I add them to the pages. And here are a few page highlights for inspiration. Below, you'll see more die cut accents, cardstock stickers and a trimmed bit of the 12x12 cardstock borders on the right side page.
The middle spread shows how the green fiber from the Sundries pack covers up my machine-stitched binding and you get a better view of how all the layers peek out. Can't you just imagine how wonderful this will be when filled with photos, journaling and fun memories? I like to include subdue pages in my mini books as well, as this one is, allowing me to journal directly on the page if needed.
To showcase the fun cardstock tree sticker, I pop-dotted it on top of one of the journaling spots from the Christmas Quilt page. Can't wait to add a photo of my munchkins decorating the tree!
I machine-stitched three small glassine bags to my page, before stitching the binding together, but you could also staple them as well, and covered my stitching line with the gold ribbon from the Sundries pack. After adding a few journaling spots and cardstock stickers, this page just makes me smile. You should see the glitter on that white circular cardstock die cut...oooh la la!
And the last few pages. You may have noticed that I used quite a few of the rhinestones from the Sundries pack in my project today. You saw one dotting the "I" in wishes on the front cover and adorning the inside front cover die cut accent. Just another fun element that accents all the lovely gold foil and glitter in the Holiday Traditions collection.
If you've never tried a mini book project before, using the Club SEI kits are a wonderful way to begin...just dig in and do it. Until next time, wishing you all a Merry holiday season filled with lovely memories.
Hmmm, what more can we create together with all things SEI? Well, I had never tried a page kit before and wanted to see if I would like the concept.
I loved it! Every single sheet of patterned paper, ribbon, die cuts and embellishments used on these layouts today were included in the kit. I didn’t add anything extra to complete these scrapbook pages.
Here is the instruction sheet that comes in kit so that you’ll see that I followed the sketches pretty closely, with just a few variations.
I don’t usually use sketches, but felt very comfortable using the suggestions of the SEI designers. Wow, it’s all there, including labels on the backs of all the papers and die cuts so that I knew exactly where to place each item.
Here are my first two layouts:
Since the “best friends” die cut was originally in pink, I used my brown marker and wrote over the words to better coordinate with the page {especially since my son was in the photo!} I felt okay using a floral pattern on this page since Zach’s girlfriend was in the photo and with the brown and green, it didn’t feel overly girly. I roughly sewed the brown ribbon included with the kit and purposely frayed the edges. I loosely interpreted the sketch due to my photo being a 6x4 rather than a 4x6 as in the sketch.
For my son’s Prom layout, I changed the placement of the ribbon from vertical to horizontal and used it to thread through the “happy memories” die cut.
And boy did I put those stickers to good use. The two green journaling spots on the right hand side were once one sticker, which I trimmed. I did the same thing to the brown journaling spots at the top and bottom of the layout. The extra piece of the brown-edged journaling spot was used as a tab in the upper left-hand corner of the layout.
The glittery curved stickers are what was left on the sticker sheet when I removed the journaling spots. I trimmed them and adhered them to my page.
And my next two layouts:
My oldest daughter loves all things pink and girly and so does her school friend, making this patterned paper a perfect match! I changed the orientation of one of the photos and fussy cut around some stickers, which I adhered with pop dots for dimension, but the feel pretty closely matches the original.
With my next layout, I used the die cut “friends” tag as part of my title. Again, I fussy cut around some of the stickers and added them to the page with pop dots. I like that the sewn borders around the page and the circle dies are anything but perfect. This just might be my favorite layout of the four. As a matter of fact, I might even scraplift it and make the same page for each of the kids’ albums!
Can you believe it, there were extra embellishments left after making four complete layouts. I challenged myself to use every last bit of the kit, and I did. Want to know what I created with all the awesome extra bits? SEVEN greeting cards! And if you’re wondering where that yellow patterned paper came from, I cut it from behind the brown paper of the first layout I shared with you. Why waste that pretty paper behind another piece of paper...put it to good use!
Thank you for allowing me to guest blog with you at SEI LIfestyles this week, I appreciate your kind comments and I thoroughly enjoyed crafting with you. If you’d like to see more of my projects, tutorials and downloads, I invite you to browse my blog, www.iloveitallwithmonikawright.blogspot.com anytime.
Wahoo! We love how smart Monika is about using scraps and pieces. It was pretty neat to see how she adapted the page kit to fit her style and photos.
Wasn't it a great week? We can hardly believe how many great projects she came up with in such a short time. Don't forget, if you want to see more of Monika's creations, stop by her blog, i love it all. Thanks a million, Monika!
You can play with this page kit too. In fact, one lucky person will win it and some of the other goodies Monika used this week. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling us which post was your favorite this week by Sunday, August 22nd at midnight MST. We will announce the winner Monday. Be sure to check back to see if you are the winner because if we don't hear from the winner within a week we will pick a new one.
This giveaway is now closed but feel free to continue to leave comments for Monika.
It’s already back-to-school time here in East Tennessee, my daughter is already in her 3rd week of classes. We’ve had her ready-to-go for weeks. My youngest daughter is still at home, she missed the Kindergarten cut-off by 6 weeks. That means we have another year of what we call “Mommy School.” Even so, I made her the same items I made for her older sister.
To decorate back packs, or a Library Day book bag as I did for Victoria, look for the self-adhesive luggage tags available almost everywhere.
Using your favorite patterned paper collection, I used the Happy Day paper pad and Glitter Sprinkles, embellish your tag. I decided upon a paper strip at the top of the tag. After I punched a flower shape and backed it with a scrap, I turned it over and covered that scrap paper that was covering the punched flower shape with a Glitter Sprinkle.
{It does have a phone number, I just blurred it for privacy.}
You’ve all heard of lunchbox notes, I’m sure.
My daughter eats at school, so I made her some “backpack” notes, instead. The coupon tucked inside Isabella’s backpack last week said, “Good luck on your test. You’re always a superstar to us.” That note had a star shape punched out.
This note for Victoria will award her a special treat of a Cherry Limeade from Sonic. We’ve begun work on her sight words and she’s doing so well!
If you guessed that this as an upcycled mint tin, you’re right. Go ahead, look for your empty tin now, I’ll be waiting when you get back. With a little measuring, a little trimming and a little embellishing, you will have created an adorable place to stash notes of encouragement and love.
Here’s a look at the inside of the tin. Oh, and the back has a piece of patterned paper to cover what’s printed there.
And just because I couldn’t stop there, I’ve embellished a hair clip that had lost it’s adornment. Again, I used the double-sided flowers that I showed you in Monday’s post and some rhinestones from the Jocelyn collection beaded frill and a mixture of Happy Day and Jocelyn papers to make this hair clip fit for a 2nd grade princess!
Tomorrow is my last day, but no fear...I have 4 layouts to share with you!
Let’s all say it together...I love mini-albums! There, doesn’t that feel better?
This post is packed with 3 mini-albums and a bonus project, too, so let’s get this Wacky Wednesday started.
I’m going to start off with a 4x4 mini I made for my youngest daughter. As I was getting ready to photograph the album, she sat down and started looking through it. Half way through, she excitedly said, “It’s all about me!” A girl after her scrapbooking Mommy’s heart.
I embellished my front cover, which is painted canvas with a “just be you” rub-on from the Jocelyn collection, which I cut it down to a different configuration to fit the cover. The starburst swirl is part of the beaded frill also from the Jocelyn collection. I used my Crop-o-Dile to insert a grommet through which I strung my beaded chain, my Victoria hang tag, and some SEI ribbons.
Her nickname is Spunky, if that tells you anything and I used that description as my starting point, choosing a different characteristic of hers for each page. All but one of the pages came from the Jocelyn collection 6x6 paper pad. For the inside front cover, I used paper strips left over from cutting the 6x6 papers down to 4x4 to make my own pattern of SEI papers!
Here are a few more pages:
For this mini-album, I trimmed down some notebook paper to 6x6 and rounded the two outside corners. Here comes the fun part...using your favorite 6x6 paper pad, I used the Jocelyn collection again, choose two coordinating prints. Adhere the papers back to back.
Choose a rub-on image and adhere to a sturdy piece of cardstock, then trim around the image. Using a punch, punch a hole in what will be your front cover so that you can thread your SEI ribbon through. Before threading through the next hole, attach another punched piece of cardstock to the inside front cover before threading through the next hole, ending up back on the front cover. Tie a knot in your ribbon, adding the cut out rub-on image as an embellishment.
Now choose two other patterned papers from the 6x6 paper pad and added a punched tab to the top of each paper. These will be your sections.
I plan to use my mini-album journal for all of the sign-ons, passwords and other technical info I need to keep handy now that I am blogging. I already have a notebook that I’ve been using, but recently came to the realization that I shouldn’t give away all the stuff I make, I deserve some pretty things, too. So, I challenge you to do something nice for yourself today. Go ahead, just do it!
Hmmm.... Are you wondering what this 6x6 mini-album could be? The cover probably gives it away, but I’ll tell you anyway. It’s an address book.
My handwriting is not very dainty at all, so I made sure when I designed this address page that there was plenty of room to write all your information. I even included room for an e-mail address and a cell phone number. Oh, and the left margin is wide enough to use your Bind-it-All, binder rings, ball chain or ribbon to keep it all together. You could even punch holes and add it to a 6x6 scrapbook album.
Now, you’ll want two pieces of patterned paper approximately 5.25” long and 2.75” wide. Additionally, you’ll need a piece of coordinating paper measuring approximately 3.50” long, which you’ll fold in half. I used a punch to embellish the edges of this piece. Adhere the two long pieces to the one shorter piece to make a cover for your note pad.
Take 2.75” x 11” long strips of paper and fold in half. Using your 1/8” hole punch, punch two holes through the paper and the cover. I used embroidery floss and sewed through the holes several times to bind the pages and the cover together. Choose your favorite Glitter Sprinkles die cut accent and, using a pop dot, adhere it to the front of your note pad.
There’s no excuse for us not to be organized this school year, is there? Speaking of school, are you up for a few back-to-school projects tomorrow? I hope the answer is yes...yes...yes, Monika, we are!
NOTE: If any of you are interested in having the address book pages as download, leave a comment on the SEI Lifestyles blog. If there’s enough interest, I’ll do a post and offer the free download on my blog, i love it all, next week.
