Christmas In July Sale At The Digital Scrapbooking Studio and Freebies

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

How's that for Throwing it back on Thursday?  Ha!  My parents in front of our tree with their best polyester.  Hehehe...  I chose a Christmas photo for today's TBT, because we are looking at Christmas goodies that are on a super promotion at The Digital Scrapbooking Studio.

I cringe just a little at Christmas in July.  Not because I don't love Christmas, but it's been really chilly here in Belgium, all summer and spring and I'm still trying to get over the winter blues.  Hehehe...I absolutely love scrapping up Christmas pages and other products and projects for Christmas.  Many of us crafters have even begun starting our calendars, mini albums and gift ideas for Christmas.

What better time than to take advantage of huge sales on Christmas products at the Digital Scrapbooking Studio!  I've seen product as low as .50 cents and $1!  Choose from a huge variety of kits and commercial use, many under $5.  These are my kind of prices.  Hehehe...And maybe you'll be done with your gifts, ahead of time.

Christmas in July sale at the  Digital Scrapbooking Studio.

Keep scrolling to see some layouts using goodies from the current and month long promotion.   That's not all!  I've also got links to the freebies I promoted when these kits first came out.  I've also got links for more fabulous free stuff from the Studio's super newsletter and from the forum where they are in the middle of a Christmas In July Challenge fest.  I had a blast last year in the forum and you'll love it, too.  There are so many freebies to be had.

Above is an absolutely stunning collection from WendyP and Key Lime Digi Designs, Dazzling Christmas.  Dazzling, indeed!  Such a luxurious colour palette!

Below is Aimee Harrison Designs, Comfort and Joy.  Another dreamy colour combination.

More gorgeousness with Over The Fence Designs', Glitter and Glass.  If you note, I didn't even use Christmas or winter pics, that's how versatile this kit is.

Heartstrings Scrap Art has several templates to choose from at unbelievable prices, too.  This is from Patch Works.  Click on any of the images to get to that collection.

Another favourite collection you can find for an unbelievable price is 12 Days of Christmas from Vero.  I designed a template so you can also make boxes like this and insert any digital papers you like.  Of course, you can also use it for traditional projects.  Click on the preview of the freebie, a bit lower.

Oh, My Dear!  What an adorable kit from LouCee Creations.  I designed this template and put in one of my favourite photos of my boys.  I've also got the links from the free frame cluster pictured here.  Scroll further to get it.

This is the freebie from previously.

There is also Commercial Use on promotion at the Digital Scrapbooking Studio for the Christmas in July sale, like these nifties from Manu Scraps.

If you are subscribed to the newsletter from the Studio, you received this free Commercial Use along with two other lovely freebies.  Click on the link below to see the newsletter and consider subscribing to one of the best newsletters for Digital Scrapbooking.

Here's another freebie from the newsletter.

Here's your freebie from The Cherry thanks to the generosity of Over The Fence Designs.

Remember all of this lovely free stuff is for Personal Use Only.

Thanks so much for popping by our blog.  It's full of sweet freebies and inspiration.  We invite you to take a stroll through past blogs and consider following us here, on Pinterest or joining our fantastic, new group on Facebook.  We get into some lively chatter, share all kinds of free stuff, including exclusive freebies and show off our lovely layouts and projects.  We'd love to see ya there!

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Gifts For In An Advent Calendar

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

It's soon time to start counting down the days to Christmas.  Have you considered an Advent Calendar?  There are so many different ways to do them.  I found one I loved on Pinterest, designed a template for the boxes, created the number squares for all 25, shoo...and stuffed them with various goodies.  Isn't this digital kit from Vero-The French Touch just fabulous?  Of course, you can use any kit you would like or use our basic template and go totally traditional style.  Maybe even the kids would like to help?

You could decide to do just 12 days as well.  It will save a lot of time and you wouldn't need so many gifts either.

I have two little guys and will take turns with them each day.  My plan is to have most of the boxes full of tiny things like cookies and candy and every couple of days, they'll get something really good like a small Lego set, Playmobil or an opportunity to get a game download for on their tablet.  One boy will get odd numbers and the other even.  This way I'll know which small goody to put in whose box because they like different things.

Here's an example of one of the digital boxes with the numbered square insert.  You'd just download your template, clip in a paper, then print, cut, fold and glue.  The project goes together very quickly once you have everything printed.

This is an example of one of the numbered squares.

This is the basic template.  You could right click, download, trace this template on a piece of paper of your choosing and you're set!

What I love about this project, is that you only need scissors and glue.

Here are all of my boxes and you could choose to display them flat like this is you choose.

Here's an array of the goodies that are going in the boxes.  Pez candy, small Lego sets, Mixels from Lego, small Playmobil sets, tiny candy bars, lollies, foam bullets for the Nerf guns, letter cookies, money...

You can always take the packaging off to save space so that the goodies fit in the box.  These boxes are just over 2 inches square.  I'll certainly have to take the Lego out of their bags or fold them just right so they fit.

Another idea is to take some of the Lego from one kit and spread out the pieces in the boxes and they slowly make their piece that way.  I think this idea is so cool, but I'm afraid my Autistic kids will freak and this is supposed to be fun, not torture.  Hehehe...

Here's the coupon for in the box.  Roll it up, tie it with ribbon and voila!

Isn't this kit just the cutest?  My gal from Touched By A Butterfly designed it specifially for my youngest son who is a Dragon Story enthusiast.  You can find the kit here.  Currently, it's 50% off!

This is another way you can display your boxes.

I think I'll stick with this design, though.

To see our entire project and get the tif download of the template, click here.

We've got a couple of boards on Pinterest totally dedicated to Christmas and gift ideas.  We've even got the tough cookies solved as well as wrapping ideas. There you can find something for absolutely everyone and perhaps more advent ideas.

Thank you for hanging with The Cherries and if you have more ideas for inside these little boxes, share them in the comments along with a photo of your project.

Happy crafting!

Amazing Advent Calendar With Free Template

Welcome to a totally awesome scrappy hybrid extravaganza!

I've been working feverishly on this advent calendar.  I wanted to get it all finished in time enough for you to make one, too.  I digi scrapped all 25 boxes using Vero-The French Touch's kit, 12 Days Of Christmas.  You can see it at the Digital Scrapbooking Studio.  12 days might be a lot more doable for some of you with limited time.  This project is mega, mega easy and highly recommended for both beginners and intermediate crafters.  It's slightly time consuming.  Especially, if you're doing 25 boxes. You could whip out 12 boxes in under an hour.  If you get some help with cutting and gluing, you'll be finished in no time!  Scroll through to the bottom to read all of our helpful tips and grab that free template.

I saw an awesome project on Pinterest which was my inspiration for this crafty endeavour.  Also on Pinterest, I found a free box template which I used as an example for my own template design that you'll be able to use digitally or traditionally.

Keep scrolling to the bottom to get the link.

I'm new to template design and have used the power of observation to figure out how to make a lot of the templates you'll find here.  Take this one, above.  It's mostly just squares, but then there are lips for the box.  I simply took a hexagon shape, rotated it and cropped the part I needed to make the lip.  That's it!  When you ditch the background and save it as a png, tif or psd, you can use it digitally and clip in any paper and print.  This makes it much faster than tracing it on to your paper and then cutting.

I created a new page at just under 2.5 inches squared and designed a tiny layout to go on the front of each box.  All 25 are different.  I then took the  image, rotated it to the left, once and fitted it perfectly in the box template.

Here's a nice close up of the box and you can see that a lot of different things will fit in there.

Print out the boxes on your choice of weight paper.  If you choose lighter gifts, you'll only need regular paper.  However, if you plan on using it again next year, you may want to go for something more rigid.  I experimented with several different weights and liked one somewhere in the middle.  Not too, heavy.  If you don't get the fold just right, on thick paper, it's a bit harder to adjust, but by all means no big deal.

These are the only supplies you'll need:  print outs, scissors and glue

Simply cut along the outside of your template.  Follow all of the lines closely.  The cutting around the lip are most important.  Look closely at the scissors.  Line up that top edge of your lip and angle the scissors to the corner, bottom left of the picture box (in this instance).  That will give you the best fit.

The lines on the lips are not as important as getting that angle just right.

Cut out all of your boxes.  You'll be a pro after a few.  It takes around 1 minute and a half to cut each one.  I strongly recommend doing a test run on some blank paper.

Do a prefold for each box.  You don't have to press hard.  It's better pressing just gently along the lines and you'll box will nearly automatically put itself in the shape of your box.  Making hard creases is not recommended.  You'll lose the flexibility of your fold and perhaps make marks that will show up in your project.  It took me just under 2 minutes to fold and glue a box.  This project certainly isn't the fastest, but it is easy.

I folded the large squares down the middle, then went across the top and then the bottom.

This Scotch glue stick was perfect for this box.  It dried rather quickly, so I had to be fast.  It held together perfectly.  I thought about using double sided tape, but it won't allow room for that perfect fit.  If the lid is not closing to your liking, keep playing with the fold and making deeper creases or apply a tiny glue dot to the middle, bottom and press gently with the front of the box.  I did it on a few, too.

I had to play awhile until I got the tree shape I was looking for.

I used an old shoe box for the foundation.  I wrapped it in it's two separate parts so that I could also store a present in there or reuse it again.  Place some elements or ornaments around your project if you like.  Amazingly, the cat has not yet discovered these.  I thought for sure this would be all over the floor in the morning.  Hehehe...

Once you put your items in the box, they will stack a lot neater than they are here.  I put a bit of a foundation in the centre with a rigid flower vase and a wrapped wrapping paper roll to give more rigidity and balance to the calendar as well as have a place to put my ribbon.

That is one serious blog and a fantastic advent calendar idea for you.  Use our template or find your own.  Go digital or be bold and get some glue and glitter on your finger tips and scrap it up traditionally.  You can go all out extravagant or keep it frugal by using scraps and keeping your embellishments to a minimum.  Either way you only need scissors, paper and glue for this one!

Here are a couple of our hottest hybrid projects you may be interested in.

Thanks so much for giving us your precious time.  We hope you do it, again!