Pursuit of Craftyness

Making your own Ink Spritzers

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:03:00 +0000

Hello! Kristen here with my el cheapo spray mister idea. Now I love love love all the beautiful misters out there. But I am thrifty- yeah- thrifty sounds good.

ahem.

Sooooo.

Remember back when walnut inks were all the rage? I do - and I still have some left. I had gotten rid of the wet inks I had- oh I wish I had them back. But they leaked like crazy and created some huge messes. I had a container of walnut ink crystals left. oh yes I did- and since I was ~~jealous of~~ loving all the beautiful examples I was seeing everywhere, I thought about a way to make some to try out and see how much I would use them before spending ~~our tax refund on every color in the rainbow~~ a few dollars on some.

Now here is what I did- I took a small bottle of hair product that was empty (recycling!) and I added about 3 tablespoons of ink crystals and filled the rest of the bottle with hot water. Wrapped a couple paper towels around it and shook it up really good. ( in case of leaks) and it was ready to use.

On to my projects..

To use a mask, I simply used a punched out piece of scrap chipboard.

Cover your surface.

Spray liberally, or lightly depending on your artistic desires.

Remove mask and allow to dry.

I have also learned that you can use Stamp Reinkers and rubbing alcohol- which dries faster. I tried this with Alcohol Inks and Alcohol and it worked well, they are very saturated colors.

I also like that I can squirt the bottle slowly and get out some nice big drops and splatters, or mist it quickly for a finer mist coverage.

Some examples of projects I have used this masking technique and my faux ink misters.

This layout I allowed to dry and traced around some of the circles with black pen.

Next, are a couple of cards I created with this technique. You can also spray flowers, chipboard, letters, etc.. with these misters.

Have a great day!
kris

Do It Yourself Graduation Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:40:00 +0000

With everybody doing their own thing from birthdays to weddings to other occasions, it only makes sense that this applies to graduations, too. There is no set rule that you have to use the same invitations that everyone else is using. It doesn't make the event any more official or unofficial of you "do your own thing", which is exactly what I did here.

I started with a graduation stamp that I already had in my collection, basic black and white cardstock, embossing powder, VersaMark ink and a heat gun.

I got inspiration from an awesome invitation website called Pear Tree Greetings.

I trimmed my 12x12 inch cardstock to make a 4.25 x 12" strip and folded the top portion approx. 2 3/4" from top, and the bottom approx. 3.5". You want to make the final product 4.25 x 5.5 so it will fit in a standard invitation size envelope.

I stamped my graduation cap image using Versamark ink and poured black embossing powder on it and heat embossed. You could also use clear embossing powder but I couldn't find mine (or ran out). Clear would be more versatile if you chose another cardstock for the card.

I also rounded the corners on the top flap.

For the inside, I used a 4x5 photo, leaving a bit of white around the photo and mounting it on colored cardstock and placing it in the center of the inside flap. I wanted the senior portrait to be the focus.

For the bottom flap, I printed out the announcement, trimmed and matted it on white cardstock.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill (Black, white, teal), Graduation Stamp (Paper Salon), VersaMark Ink, Black Embossing Poweder (Ranger), Heat Gun, Corner Rounder.

Since I'm still in the process of creating these, I'm going to print out a small card for family and close friends with details on a small dinner party immediately following the ceremony.

This idea could easily be adapted to any occasion. I hope you were inspired by this simple way to create your invitations and thanks for stopping by!

Altered art frame

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I have this nice home decor item to share with you today.

Don't forget you can click the picture to enlarge to see it better, but hopefully my close ups will provide that as well.

You are going to need the following-
8x10 inch frame

an embossed double mat, for an 8x 10 frame with a 5x7 inch inside opening

gcd studios products
Homespun Chic collection papers (Laquer, Petit Blossoms, Pink Redwork, Homespun Mod, Pink Stitchery, and Homespun Garden)

Homespun Chic embellishments-Vintage Buttons, Gem Brads, Fabric Brads

Artsy Urban embellishments- Glitter Transparent Shapes & Tags

glue

scallop scissors

three small clear or pink gems

computer font- century gothic
twine
Now to make this rose heart frame, there are different parts.

Part One- paint an 8x10 frame black, then cover with a crackle medium ( you can find this at most craft stores) and then allow the crackle medium to dry, about 2 hours. Then using plenty of paint, paint the frame again with white paint. The thicker the coat of paint, the thicker your cracks will be in your top coat.

At this point, you can finish the frame with a top coat of clear varnish, to protect it. or leave it flat for that more authentic distressed look.

Part Two-

When picking my papers to make this project, I used both the 12x12 papers and the 8x8 paper pad from the same collection. I also made sure to use papers with a background of white, helping keep everything feeling light and clean.
Making the flowered heart- the first thing I did was to cut my heart out to fit inside the frame. I used a piece of Pink Redwork, and hand cut my heart. It is about 3.75x4 inches big. To make the roses, first cut a 3x3 inch piece of paper into a rough circle. Then either freehand or draw on a spiral, spinning down to the middle of the circle. Cut along the line. Now take the center point of the circle, and begin rolling it up along the spiral. Basically each rose is a large rolled piece of paper. When you are at the end of the spiral, glue the end piece of the paper on flat to the roll. To make a bigger flower, simply allow the paper to relax before you glue the end in place, and it will enlarge itself. I also punched a small circle about 1/2 sized, and glued my rose bottom to that, it helps to give the rose more stability.

Continue making roses, smaller and larger to fill in on your handcut heart.

Part three-

Putting it all together. Using your computer, print out your wording on a sheet of patterned paper. Mine says "You are my everything." I also took and cut thin scallops from the Homespun Mod paper with my scallop scissors, then added the green scallops in between my two cut photo mats.

These photo mats were precut and embossed mats that I had purchased.

I then adhered my heart of roses to my background sheet.

To finish the heart, I added two brads, one with a large pink gem and one pink gingham fabric covered. I also added three small gems to several of the rose centers. I also added this glittered transparent bird, adding a vintage button and a bit of a twine bow to the center.

To finish your frame, insert your papers and photo mats into frame . Hang on wall, or use stand in back to stand in place.

Thanks for dropping by today, I really hope you have enjoyed my altered art project.

kris

Tomorrow is Earth Day...

noreply@blogger.com (♥ p a t t i ♥) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:54:00 +0000

As a family, we try to be environmentally conscious as much as we can on a daily basis. We minimize our use of electricity and water; we pack reusable containers for lunches; we've cut back on heat and air conditioning; we're switching over to compact flourescent lightbulbs and much more. Basically we are finding ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose wherever possible. It's really not that hard to start small with just a few changes and gradually you'll find more ideas that are just as easy to implement.

Another change we've made in the past year or so is to minimize our use of plastic bags and instead opt for reusable totes. Today I thought I'd share a recent project I made in honor of tomorrow's celebration of Earth Day - a canvas tote bag.

The bag is constructed of a cotton canvas along with some printed fabric I used for the liner and to embellish the outside of the bag. The tote is super sturdy and has reinforced straps sewn into the bag. I can pack it chock full of groceries including quart containers of milk or juice.

It also has assorted pockets inside to hold the necessities for shopping.

And I embellished the outside of the bag with these fabric flowers made with concentric circles cut with scallop and pinking shears.

It's been a great addition to the reusable totes I already own and it was relatively simple to make. For more detailed information as well as more photos and the instructions for this project, you can check out my Earth Day Tote Bag at Fiskars.

And if you're looking for more ideas on how to help save the environment visit SEQL's 100 list.

I'd love to hear about your own experiences and efforts. So if you have any ideas or can share things that you and your family do, please post them here in the comments section!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Earth Day!

Patti

Crumpled Paper Technique...

noreply@blogger.com (♥ p a t t i ♥) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:00:00 +0000

I love the look of distressed paper! That shabby chic, vintage look where the paper appears well worn and resembles fabric is so pretty. Of course, there are many paper distressing techniques out there to choose from that will give paper an aged look but crumpled paper is one of my favorite techniques and it's been making a comeback with scrapbooking and paper crafting recently. It's one of those techniques that is super simple to do and isn't at all costly. And you can use it for just about anything... to create backgrounds or to make your own embellishments like I did with the card below.

In the past, I remember using this technique on cardstock but now I find I use it much more with patterned paper. I especially love using this technique with vibrantly colored patterned paper set up against crisp white cardstock for contrast. For this card, the My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary collection of Jack & Jill papers and stickers were exactly what I had in mind and they happen to be some new papers I've been sooo looking forward to using.
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I started with cutting the checkered background paper and punching and cutting the circles first. Next, I inked the edges and then softened these pieces by lightly misting both sides with a small spray bottle of water. You can crumple paper dry if you prefer but I've found it's easier using the water. When the paper was wet, I crumpled the pieces gently and unfolded them carefully to avoid too much tearing. I repeated this several times. To dry the paper, I had a pair of tweezers to hold each piece as I used a heat gun to dry the paper. The wet paper can also be ironed or simply air dried if you have time.

Note: the water will shrink the paper slightly but I think the imperfection adds to the charm.

I stitched on the checkered piece of paper. To create the flower I punched and cut several circles (some trimmed with decorative scissors) that I then layered them on top of each other once they were distressed and dry.

Whether you're new to scrapbooking or an experienced veteran I hope you enjoyed the post today!

Supplies:
My Minds Eye - Jack & Jill patterned paper; Jack & Jill How Sweet It Is and Life Is Good Accessory Sheets; Lush - Green Rhinestones
Tools:
Fiskars Americas- Round 'n Round Squeeze Punches; Circle Shape Template & Ultra ShapExpress Tool; Scallop Paper Edgers
Glue Arts - Mini Adhesive Squares

a quick project

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:47:00 +0000

hello, I thought I'd share a quick project with you today.
This notebook was a quick project I created with some Pink Paislee 365 degree collection and a $1 spot cork fronted notebook.

I used the Pink Paislee Press Ons to add my background directly on the cork. It takes the rubons well, but you do need to make sure you really rub them on.

I then continued on using a flip note that I cut in half to add into the spirals. I added some Ocean letters for the word Notes, adding a button tied with twine to the letter O. I also tied on two buttons and looped them around the last spiral to the right.

Next I added this punch out, adding a second smaller one- the finger pointer- underneath the quote.
To make the flower I used the red Ribbon Pleats and a Bella Brad. I wound the ribbon pleat into a circle, bringing the inside pleats up so that they stand up, and added the Brad in the center. Then I hand cut two leaves.

Hope you enjoy my quick craft.

kris

Creating Backgrounds with Glimmer Mist

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:27:00 +0000

I'm guilty of obtaining awesome new products and tucking them away in my scrapbook nook corner with the intention of getting around to using them. I've had Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mists Glimmer Screens since this past summer and - yep - you guessed it - I haven't done anything with them. I HAVE used the Glimmer Mists - mainly to alter the color of something - but not in conjunction with the screen.

So.....

This past week I pulled out the screens and used them. The Glimmer Screens are stencils created exclusively for use with Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mist sprays. You simply place the Glimmer Screens over your surface and spray over the top. Since I'm impatient with the drying process, I always use a blow dryer to speed up the drying process.

This is what I created.

Supplies: Bazzill Cardstock (White), Websters Pages Patterned Paper, Prima Say It In Crystals, Prima Flowers, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (Wheatfields); Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens (Blossom), Making Memories Brads, Scenic Route Alpha Stickers, Cheesecloth.

The Glimmer Mists have a (as the name implies) "glimmer" shine, and makes the surface glisten. The Wheatfields color I used on white cardstock transformed the stark white, to a "beachy" surface for my beach photo. The beach photo was printed onto patterned paper. If you look closely, you can see the butterfly from the patterned paper peeking through the bottom left corner of the photo.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you've been inspired to try glimmer mists in a new way.

A Smattering of Valentine's!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Gallimore-Perry) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:25:00 +0000

It's only 3 days away! Here are a few last minute ideas for a few quick and easy projects!

This first card, "Nuts About You" features BoBunny's Love Bandit Collection! Layer some papers onto a card base created with BoBunny cardstock. Add a strip of striped paper then 'pop up' some of the ADORABLE acorn stickers with foam dots. The 'Nuts About You' sentiment is a cardstock sticker!! (Looks like I created it myself, doesn't it?)

Of course, you'll need something to store all of your Valentine's in. Or...how about filling this with candies and love notes, and giving it as a gift to your Valentine!!?! I simply decorated a little lunch box with some more of the papers and embellishments from BoBunny's Love Bandit collection! I used my Glue Glider Pro from GlueArts to make it even easier to put together.

Here's one more 'sweet' card to get your creative juices flowing.
Title: My Little Cupcake 4-1/4" X 5-1/2"

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Dee

Love Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Valentine's is coming! Have you made some personalized cards for your loved ones yet? I prefer making my own to buying one, so I can add my own touches to them.
For this Sealed with a Kiss card, I have used Bobunny Dot cardstock, Glue Arts High Tac adhesive and my Scor it scoring tablet.
First I cut a Bobunny dot paper into a block for the top of my card, I added this to a card blank that I cut down to fit my sized card.
I also added a strip of red underneath the block and adhered them to the card.
I added a large round Bobunny sticker from the Persuasion line. Then I made this accordion folded piece. Basically you score 2 strips of 2x12 paper ( in an accordion pleat) then glue the edges together to make a circle. I added that to my card, cut out several stickers, including adding a deco scissor edge to one circle sticker, and layered them on the top of the pleated circle.
I added a button with twine bow to finish the card.

Looking for a more romantic looking card? Tone down the brights and use some scraps to create this vintage feeling card. I used a scrap of green on my Cuttlebug embossed white mat, edging the mat with a light tan I cut with deco scissors and added a touch of brown ink.
I layered an old SEI tag, and added a white paper heart doily on top. I doubled two bows then topped them with a green tinted silk flower and button with twine bow.
For the sentiment piece, I used a Crafty Secrets die cut I trimmed with deco scissors, then added that to a scrap of green felt. I layered these onto my card, finishing with a Close to my heart butterfly stamped with brown chalk ink and glittered with Stickles. I added a couple pearls to the butterfly as well.

Want a more traditional card? Add buttons to a paper doily heart, adding a pink heart ontop of paper doily, then gluing buttons down to fill the inside of the heart. Add paper doily to some Scenic Route lined paper, and cut out around heart using deco scissors.
Add two strips of Reminisce paper, ruffling the edges a bit, and tie a bow with some sheer ribbon and a button. Add Reminisce letter stickers to finish.

For a cute design, use a pink cardstock background, and a bit of glittery paper from K&CO. Make mats with a light tan cardstock that has been trimmed with deco scissors and edges inked with brown chalk ink. Then add a green mat with a satiny ribbon tied around it. Tie the ribbon off with a pink button. Add a deco edged Craft Secrets die cut to some green felt and add that to the card. Add a couple vintage buttons -including one on top of a silk flower and finish the card with a touch of glitter around a heart on the vintage die cut.

Go for trendy look and make your card with some Bobunny rubons and stickers. I used Bobunny Dot cardstock on the front of a black card blank. Then I added a strip of green dot cardstock to a piece of white scrap, cutting a scallop edge with deco scissors. After mounting that to my card, I cut out the oval sticker, adding a handcut heart to the card with it. I also punched a couple brown leaf stems and a pink button with twine bow. To finish I added a Bobunny rubon dictionary phrase, and added the SWAK letters to a scrap of white, ruffling the edges a bit.

Kristen

Bee Mine Card

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Gallimore-Perry) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Hi! Here's a quick and easy Valentine's Day Card for ya!!

Title: Bee Mine Card 4-1/4 X 5-1/2”

Step by Step Instructions:
1. Cut a rectangle from cardstock to 5-1/2" X 8-1/2". Fold in half. Score.
2. Cut a rectangle from I Love You patterned paper slightly smaller than card front. Attach to card.
3. Cut a strip of Double Vision paper to 1-3/8" X 5". Mount to card as shown.
4. Cut a strip from I Love You (reverse) patterned paper to1" X 4-1/8". Mount on Double Vision strip as shown.
5. Attach corner and chipboard as shown.
6. Trim 'Bee Mine' from Sweet Talk Postage Stamps paper. Mount to top of chipboard frame.
7. Adhere 'valentine' sticker and attach brad to finish.

Supplies:

Cardstock
Patterned papers: (background) Alissa I Love You; Alissa Collection, BoBunny (notebook) Double Vision; Creative Cafe, Creative Imaginations
(bee mine) BW Sweet Talk Postage Stamps; Brenda Walton, K&Company
Chipboard:
(scroll) Blush Swirls & Brackets; Chunky Charms, BoBunny
(frame) Blush Swirls & Brackets; Chunky Charms, BoBunny
(heart) Wildberry Chipboard Alpha; Chunky Chips, BoBunny
Stickers:
(corner) Multi Corners Soft Rubber Charms; Softies, Pop Culture, KI Memories (valentine) Love; Word Fetti, Making Memories Brad: Discover; iCandy, BoBunny

Dee ;)

Create a 'Love'Ly Banner

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:36:00 +0000

I adore these type of banners. They just are such a cute decor item. I love that you could make this with any theme or embellishment and it would just be fantastic.

I made this banner with the Bobunny Love Bandit line. First I cut the triangles all the same size out of two patterns of paper. I edged each triangle with a border of scallop edged corrugated paper, overlapping it at the point. This added a lot of dimension for me.

Next, I cut a couple more layers of paper, in descending sized triangles, to do this I just slide my piece back to cut off the wider end and cut it there, then traced it and made it the same for each single banner piece.

I cut my last inside triangle piece the same way, only I centered it on the banner piece, leaving an edge around all parts of the triangle.

Then I added hole punches on each both sides of each triangle piece, and tied the banner together with twine. ( you know I love my twine!!) then I tied some Bobunny Dot ribbons on the twine as well.

I used Bobunny letter stickers for the letters of SWEET, adding in all kinds of cutout paper cuties and stickers from the Love Bandit line.

I also added in a bit of buttons and twine, with a little pearl and gems bling just to catch the light.

I hope my banner inspires you to create one of your own.

Kristen

Valentine Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:25:00 +0000

I was inspired to create these houses one day when I was watching a tv episode, thinking about some village houses I collect and display during the holidays. So I got out my scraps of chipboard- old pieces that hold note pads, and ones that sometimes come in the back of packets of paper. I always hold on to them, because I sometimes use chipboard instead of foam tape on the back of larger pieces I want to add dimension too.

Making the houses was quite simple. they are basically a square made with 4 sides. On two of the sides, I added a triangle to the top of the house. That was my shape for my roof peak.

To hold the sides together, I folded or scored scraps of long cardstock- as tall as the building, and about 1 inch wide. Then I adhered all this with my Glue Arts adhesive on the inside of each corner. This holds the house together- I didn't feel that I needed anything super strong for these, but you may want to score some stronger chipboard and use it instead.

For each house, I used the Bobunny Love Bandit line - adding in the cute stamped owls that I fussy cut out and layered. I also used punches for leaves.

I added scalloped borders, ribbons, buttons and twine, silk flowers, stamped hearts I cut out and popped up with foam tape, and cut out journal spots from the collection cutout sheet. I also put in a few berry stems from the craft store.

Finishing these off was fun, I added a clear crystal glitter that I got from Joanne's glitter section. It looks like a cross between snow and sugar, which I thought was fun AND pretty!

Kristen

Leftovers!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Gallimore-Perry) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:30:00 +0000

I love leftovers! (No...I'm not talking about meals...although I DO love leftovers...it means I don't have to worry about dinner that night!) I am talking about scraps of papers and goodies after you complete a layout or large project!! If you look back at my last post (the 26th), you'll see the layout I created using BoBunny's Snowy Serenade line.

After I finished the layout, and while I still had a big mess, I decided to whip up a cute little gift bag using my scraps and stuff that were still out!! Such a time saver!!

So, next time you create a project, before you clean up (I know...we all clean up RIGHT AWAY, don't we?) take the leftovers and create a card or a mini project! (Then you can clean up!)

Dee ;)

Snow Tubing!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Gallimore-Perry) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Hi! I thought I would share a layout I put together using BoBunny's Snowy Serenade collection. I love the color combinations in this line! It really makes it so easy to create a quick and easy layout! I just pulled a few colors from the striped paper to use as my color palette; light blue, dark red and lavender. So pretty and I love how the red just pops!

A couple fun tips:

Use a snowflake sticker in place of the 'o' in your title!! I popped it up between the 'n' and 'w' using foam dots! Then add a gem for sparkle! I think it really brings the title to life, don't you!?

I know you all have chalks laying around, right? I used to use chalks all the time to highlight certain words in my journaling...so I pulled out my chalks and started using them again! I chose red chalk to highlight the main words in my journaling...which are 'Brendan & Daddy - snow tubing'!!

Create fun dimensional centers for you snowflake stickers by layering gems and buttons!

Oh, and don't forget to pull out that date stamp you have laying around! Always a quick and easy way to add the date!!

Dee ;)

Title: Snow Tubing
Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry
Supplies: BoBunny Snowy Serenade Stripe, Snowy Serenade Sparkles, Snowy Serenade, Snowy Serenade Concerto, Snowy Serenade Combo Sticker, Snowy Serenade Buttons & Bling, Snowy Days Cardstock Sticker, Chunky Chips Chipboard Alpha Wildberry

Get those rub-ons off the shelf...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Do you have too many rub-on's in your stash?

Do you buy beautiful rub-ons and hoard them for "something special" only to find out a year later that you have even more beautiful rub-ons waiting to be used and the pile hasn't gotten any smaller?

I'm guilty of both questions. Yes, I admit it - I'm a rub-on hoarder.

Earlier this month I spent one morning pulling rub ons off the craft shelf and decided to create with them. Something! So I cut several pieces of kraft paper in the same size and decided to use the rub ons - somehow - on the kraft paper and make some cards.

Here's what I came up with.

Supplies: Rub Ons and Patterned Paper- My Mind's Eye, Card- Making Memories; Chipboard- 7Gypsies; Glimmer Paint: Tattered Angels; Kraft Cardstock - Stampin' Up; Alpha Stickers: Making Memories

Supplies: Rub Ons- Hambly and Basic Grey; Patterned Paper - October Afternoon; Vintage Image- Crafty Secrets; Cardstock- Stampin' Up (Kraft), Bazzill (red); Pearls- Kaisercraft; Alpha Stickers: Making Memories

Supplies: Rub Ons- Creative Imaginations; Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye; Pearls - K & Co; Alpha Stickers: Making Memories, Cardstock - Stampin' Up (Kraft); Other - buttons.

I hope this gives you some ideas to pull out your rub ons (at least the ones that have almost passed their expiration date). If you create anything after reading this blog, I'd love to see - so post a link in the comments section.

Have a wonderfully crafty week and thanks for stopping by.

~melanie~

By Golly! It's More Cosmo Cricket Projects!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:48:00 +0000

Brrrrr!!!! What ever happened to global warming? Since cold weather makes for good paper craft time, here's some cool weather inspiration we hope warms your heart and inspires you to create. As mentioned in a previous post, Cosmo Cricket generously sponsored us by sending us the Jolly By Golly collection to work with. We hope you find oodles of inspiration to keep you busy while waiting for thing to thaw.

Here's a little project that would make the gift for anyone - neighbor, teacher, co-worker...etc. You could put hot chocolate mix or even tea bags in the gift box. Or better yet - stuff it with chocolate and you can't go wrong!

Project: Let It Snow Gift Set
Designer: Melanie Douthit
Supplies:
Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Collection
Gift Box: Craft Supply
Ribbon: Stampin' Up!
Cardstock
Cricut and Cuttlebug by Provocraft
Deco Scissors and Corner Rounder

Speaking of snow, here's some inspiration for your snow day photos.

Title: Snow Day
Designer: Melanie Douthit
Supplies:
Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Collection
Other: Kraft Cardstock, Buttons, Thread and Gems

And yet, here are more gift ideas for just about anyone this winter.

Designer: Kristen Swain
Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts
Products- Cosmo Cricket - Golly By Jolly- Silly Chilly, Merry Berry
Ready Set Chipboard 12", Ready Set Chipboard 6", Golly By Jolly Elements
other- glass canning jar, buttons, twine, cream satin ribbon, craft supply flower, leaf head pins

Title: Snowflake Candy/Gift Tube
Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry

Supplies:
(Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly) Silly Chilly, Ready-Set-Chip Chipboard
Other:
Flower: Petaloo
Button/Jewel: BoBunny
Safety pin: Queen & Co.
Ribbon: Heidi Swapp/Mrs. Grossman's
Adhesive: Adhesive Squares - Glue Arts
Recycled/Upcycled Toilet Tissue Tube
Cellophane Bag

Project: Holiday Gift Bag
Designer: Kristen Swain
Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts
Products- Cosmo Cricket - Golly By Jolly- Smitten Mitten
Ready Set Chipboard 6", Ready Set Chipboard 12", Cardstock Stickers,
Other- gems, button, twine, leaf head pins, cream ribbon, Kraft paper, deco cloud scissors, hole punch, red brads

Tip- Each paper from this line by Cosmo Cricket has the typical cut off strip to tell you the name of the company, paper line, name, etc.. But it also has this cute little phrase- hey no peeking- so I cut that off and incorporated into my gift bag design!

Project: Home for the Holidays Gift Bag
Designer: Kristen Swain
Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts
Products- Cosmo Cricket - Golly By Jolly- Merry Berry
Golly By Jolly Borders, Golly By Jolly Elements
Other- Button, twine, circle punch, letter stamps, foam tape, cardstock, ribbon

And cards, cards and more cards....

Holiday / Winter Cards
Designer: Melanie Douthit
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Collection
Other: Ribbon, Rick Rack, Glitter and Buttons

And more inspiration for those Christmas photos I just KNOW you haven't scrapped yet.

Layout: Santa's On His Way
Designer: Kristen Swain
Adhesive- Glue Arts Perma Squares
Products- Cosmo Cricket- Golly by Jolly- Sweater Weather, Silly Chilly, Breezy Freezy, Merry Berry,Golly By Jolly Borders, Golly By Jolly Cardstock Stickers,Golly By Jolly Elements, Ready Set Chipboard 6", Ready Set Chipboard 12"
Other- deco cloud scissors. buttons, twine, glitter, star punch, cardstock

And last but not least, what would Christmas be without a fruitcake or two floating around?

Project: Fa La La Wall Hanging
Designer: Melanie Douthit
Supplies:
Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Collection
Glimmer Mist Paints (Tattered Angels); Pearl
Crystal Glitter: Martha Stewart
Other: Corrogated Cardboard, Ribbon, Buttons, Rick Rack

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired by some of the projects shown here. I know I have been!

How about a project with matboard!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Morning! I have something fun to show you today - a little burst of creative freedom that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed and wanted to share with you. My crafty friend Eileen Hull is just a total WIZ with matboard. It's really amazing the things she does with it. Her creativity finally convinced me that I wanted a mat cutter. I had dabbled in watercolors years ago, and during that time, I took a mat cutting class, so all that I needed was a little refresher. Eileen to the rescue! She gave me a quick tutorial on how to cut a mat, and this black piece was the result. It was a scrap piece that she had, hence the untraditional size. She handed it over to me, and once I got it home, I knew that I wanted to use it for something.

I was in Target a while back and saw this gorgeous pillow (number 7 on that search - the DwellStudio Garden Pillow). The contrast struck me right away, and I knew that I wanted to recreate it! Papertrey's Turning A New Leaf was a natural choice to give it a whirl.

So combine those two back stories, and look what you get! (This is a bit fuzzy - sorry! The light wasn't very strong when I was photographing it.)

So, the details...I used Papertrey's Fresh Snow and True Black inks (Fresh Snow on the black mat; True Black on Stamper's Select cardstock for the background.) Stamping on matboard is so easy and it gives stunning results! The 'family' piece was cut with the Cricut cartridge 'Home Accents' from Stamper's Select and Smokey Shadow cardstocks. (The ribbons were some that I had here.)

What do you think? I'm so pleased with the way it turned out. Now I just need to find the perfect place for it! I hope this inspires you to try something a little different today!

Be well.

Jolly by Golly projects- Cosmo Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey S) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:25:00 +0000

Cosmo Cricket is our newest sponsor and they spoiled us with complete collections from their Jolly by Golly line of products. Jolly by Golly is a collection of whimsical, fun and colorful papers.

Below are just a few of the projects from our designers...we have several more to share in a day or two.

The Grinch Cast
Designer: Melanie Douthit

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Collection, Cardstock: Kraft by Stampin' Up!, Alpha Stickers by Collage Press, Other: Buttons, Rick Rack

Designer: Kristen Swain
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket- Jolly by Golly (Elements, Play Day Smitten Mitten, Ready Set Chip). Other- Snowflake Punches- Eksuccess, white cardstock, circle punch, black pen, button, twine, ribbon (Lil Davis), Heidi Swapp Distresser Tool, Scallop Deco Scissors- Fiskars, pearl- Martha Stewart Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts

Your Face is Never Too Frozen
Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly (Silly Chilly, Sweater Weather, Borders, Elements, Ready-Set-Chip Chipboard) Other: Pearlescent Chalking Set by Pebbles, Inc, White Cardstock, sandpaper, date stamp, black stamp pad, Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts

Designer: Kristen Swain
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket- Jolly by Golly (Merry Berry, Breezy Freezy, Elements, Ready-Set-Chip) Other- card base, white cardstock (embossed with swirls folder/cuttlebug) Bo Bunny Aquamarine Dot Ribbon, Bobunnyicandy gems, button and twine, Heidi Swapp paper distresser. Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts

Designer tip: You know that beautiful preview sheet that comes in a package of papers?- the one that gives you the overview of what is inside the package? Don't let it go to waste! It's perfect for smaller designs,and is made with the same acid free/lignin free paper that we use to scrap with. I cut the Happy Holidays on my decor from this sheet, and have plenty left to make extra cards or tags

Designer: Kristen Swain

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket- Jolly By Golly (Breezy Freezy, Elements, Ready-Set-Chip) Other- white cardstock ( embossed with Cuttlebug and Swirls folder), glitter, glue, Bobunny ribbon and Wild Berry Dot Cardstock, snowflake button ( Jesse James), Crackle Medium and Acrylic Paint (Delta) Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts

Hot Cocoa Thank You Gift
Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly: (Ready-Set-Chip Chipboard, Rub-Ons) Other: Ribbon: BoBunny, Waxy Floss: 7 Gypsies, Cellophane Bag

Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry
Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly (Sweater Weather, Borders, Cardstock Stickers, Ready-Set-Chip Chipboard) Other: Pearlescent Chalking Set by Pebbles, Inc, White Cardstock, sandpaper, date stamp, black stamp pad, Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro - Glue Arts

Hot Chocolate gift set
Designer: Sherry Wright
Supplies: Papers: Cosmo Cricket (Jolly by Golly), Stamp: Gina K, Adhesive: Glue Glider Pro (Glue Arts)

Drop by again to see more of the Jolly by Golly projects from our designers!

Last minute Christmas card

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I typically don't make a lot of Christmas cards for myself,I fall into the catagory of a non-card sender, but I found these gorgeous K&Co chips that I had to have.
I like Christmas two ways- fresh and funky with limes and pinks- or old fashioned- with gorgeous reds and deep greens!
These of course, needed the red Bobunny St. Nick paper- but I changed it up with some Bobunny green pear dot cardstock! I love adding in unusual colors, to add a little interest. I added in a glittered leaf from Autumn leaves, and some red craft stem berries. I used my new Martha punch to make the side border, it's embossed as well! I also added a old stash tag- YAY ME( said in my best London Tipton voice!) gotta applaud using up some stash!! I think the twine bow with button is PERFECT to finish this card. The adhesive I used to make this card- was Glue Arts Perma Tac adhesive and Adhesive Squares. The glue squares held the craft stems perfectly and the Perma Tac is strong enough to even hold the chipboard.

We also have some terrific ideas from Stacy- here are her beautiful creations-

Merry & Bright

Designer: Stacey Stamitoles
Imaginisce Polar Expressions paper (All Aglow), Warm Wishes Chipboard Stickers
Cardstock (Bazzill), Border Punch (Fiskars)

Gift Tag

Designer: Stacey Stamitoles
Imaginisce Polar Expressions paper (Frosted Forest, So Beary Merry), Kraft color cardstock (Bazzill),

Gift Tag 2

Designer: Stacey Stamitoles
Imaginisce Polar Expressions paper (Frosted Forest, So Beary Merry), Kraft color cardstock (Bazzill), Season's Stringing Rubons

Ornament Front:

Ornament Back:

Designer: Stacey Stamitoles
Red Stained Glass disc ornament (Hobby Lobby), Imaginisce Polar Expressions Paper (Flannel PJs, Frosted Forest, Twinkle Toes), scallop circle (Spellbinders), circle punch (Fiskars), Glue Glider Pro with Perma Tac cartridge by Glue Arts.

That's it for today! have a fantastic day!
kristen

Polar Expressions with Imaginisce

noreply@blogger.com (Julia Sandvoss) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Wow!

Christmas is just Four Days away!

And we hope you have some time to sit down and enjoy all the ideas our fantastic Designers Kristen and Jenn have for you today using Imaginisce's Polar Expressions line!

Giftbox
Designer: Jenn Ellefson

Polar Expressions Papers, Warm Wishes Chipboard Stickers

Merry Christmas Card
Designer: Kristen Swain
Imaginisce ( Polar Expressions) Fun Drops paper
Season's Stringings Rubons

Other- Buttons and Foam Tape

Be Merry Gift Bag
Designer: Jenn Ellefson
Polar Expressions Papers, Warm Wishes Chipboard Stickers

Holiday Cards

Designer: Jenn Ellefson

Polar Expressions Paper, So Berry Merry Paper

Happy Christmas
Designer: Kristen Swain
Imaginisce (Polar Expressions) Fun Drops, Jolly Jingle, Pine & Peppermint, All Aglow, So Beary Merry papers
Warm Wishes Chipboard, Holiday Trimmings ribbon

other - deco scallop scissors, foam tape, martha stewart eyelet punch

Gift Card Holder
Designer: Jenn Ellefson
Polar Expressions Papers

Merry & Bright Wall Hanging
Designer: Kristen Swain
(Imaginisce- Polar Expressions) Comfy Cozy, Warm Woollen Mittens, Sugar Sprinkles, Poinsettias, Warm Wishes Chipboard stickers, Holiday Trimmings Ribbon
other- craft supply hook, glitter, buttons, twine, Martha Stewart Eyelet punch.

Looking for Imaginisce's Polar Expressions? Try A Cherry on Top and Scrapbook.com so you can make some of these fantastic ideas!

See you Wednesday!

Christmas Birdhouse Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Swain) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I love birdhouses! they are so versatile and easy to find! They are also a wonderful item to create into a holiday decor item for your home.

I created this beautiful Christmas birdhouse, out of this church styled birdhouse I've had for several years- sitting there unfinished. My youngest daughter had started painting it deep burgundy, and we'd let it sit.
Recently I reclaimed it- and pulled it out to work on it.

To create it- I first used Crackle Medium and let it dry a few hours, then painted it with a rich cream acrylic, letting it dry for a couple days. ( that's just me- you can just make sure it's overnight) I added glittered fern leaves from Autumn Leaves, a few red and pearlized berry sticks from the silk flower department at the craft store, I used raffia to make my bow, and I used Bobunny Pear Double Dot paper to cut out my holly leaves. I also glittered the holly leaves with light lime glitter. I used a Bobunny Glittered Brad in the K&Co chip on the bottom. I added the K&CO chip banner to the top of the birdie hole, and called my house done.
Hopefully you can find some down time this busy Holiday Season to create some beautiful treasures for your home.

Kristen

Polar Expressions - Holiday card ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey S) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Imaginisce has a new holiday collection called Polar Expressions. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity (Thanks to Don at Imaginisce) to use some on our newest projects. Many of the papers in the Polar Expressions collection are beautifully accented with glitter - giving that frosty feel. Below, are just a few of the many projects using this collection.

Warm wishes by Sherry Wright
Polar Expressions papers (Frosted Forest, Flannel PJs) Sticker: Cozy Stickers Stackers

Winter Wonderland by Kristen Swain
Polar Expressions papers (Fun Drops, Comfy Cozy, So Berry Merry) Season's Stringings Rubons
Other- red gems, red DMC floss, scallop scissors, popdots

Season's Greetings by Sherry Wright
Polar Expressions papers (Flannel PJs, All Aglow), Ribbon- Holiday Trimmings, Cozy Stickers Stackers

Holly Jolly Christmas by Kristen Swain
Imaginisce ( Polar Expressions) Flannel Pj's,Warm Woolen Mittens, All Aglow

Poinsettia, Warm Wishes Chipboard Stickers
other- buttons, DMC floss, Deco Scallop Scissors and Foam Tape

Winter Wonderfland by Kristen Swain
(Imaginisce- Polar Expressions)Twinkle Toes, Frosted Forest, All Aglow, Seasons Stringings Rubons, Warm Wishes Chipboard stickers other- black DMC floss, red buttons, scallop scissors

Stay tuned because we have much more to share in coming days!

Christmas in 22 Days......

noreply@blogger.com (Julia Sandvoss) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Seriously please....22 days?!

Are you sure...is the calendar right....because I need about 44 days!LOL

We have some fun posts coming up for you...creative ways to package items for the holidays, handmade gifts, cards and much more!

Today...how about a little of this and that to get you in the spirit of things!

Ribbon Spool Tree
Designer: Sherry Wright

Tis the Season papers (Tis the Season, Deck the Halls, Yuletide, Snowflakes), Buttons & Bling (Tis the Season), Double dot Wildberry & mint green ribbon.

Holly Ornament
Designer: Kristen Swain
All stuck up buttons-wild berry, Double dot ribbon- cranberry, Powder Blue Double Dot cardstock, Clover Dot Double Dot Cardstock, Holiday Cheer Plaid

Designer Tip: I stitched the hand cut holly leaves together, to give the ornament more stability. With three layers it is quite thick. Then I added glitter glue along the stitch lines for a touch of sparkle.

Jingle Bell Card
Designer: Kristen Swain

St. Nick Toyland, St. Nick Holly Berry, St. Nick Stocking, Time of Wonder Cardstock Sticker, St. Nick Buttons and Bling

Wooden Star Ornament

Designer: Julia Sandvoss
Believe Peace, Dreams Come True Cardstock Sticker, Pretty Flaky Rubons, Double Dot Ribbon

Designer Tip: I rescued this wood star ornament. The one side had a few knicks and paint chips so it was marked down. I love when I find these! Nice to repurpose one that might be overlooked!

Okay....22 days...time to start some serious list making!!!!!!!

Pure Eye Candy.....and Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey S) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:02:00 +0000

I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow! How did the holidays come upon us so quickly?! Since we are all busy prepping for the holiday, I figured I would make this a "eye candy" post that requires very little ready and a lot of "ooohing and awwwing".

Altered wooden pumpkin by Stacey Stamitoles

Paper Basket by Julia Sandvoss

Tussie Mussie by Sherry Wright

Popping Thank you Tin by Julia Sandvoss

We want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you have questions about any of the projects you see here, please comment or email us at pocdesigners at gmail dot com. We'll be happy to help! We will be taking off the next few days from posting so we can be with our friends and family but we will be back with some great holiday gift ideas as well as projects using our next sponsors' product (Imaginisce & Cosmo Cricket).

Also, we have had generous donations from both Glue Arts and Imaginisce so we wanted to pass along this info to our Pursuit of CraftYness readers...

Fall Pumpkins..Just in Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Julia Sandvoss) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Happy Fall!

Thanksgiving is just one week away however there's still time to make some fall crafts! Perhaps for you Thanksgiving Table or to take for a Hostess gift!

Right now the craft stores have their fall crafts and decorations on sale so it's a great time to head out for some of the supplies seen here today!

Fabric Wrapped Pumpkin
Designer - Julia Sandvoss
Supplies:

Craft Pumpkin
Fabric
Ormolu "Thanksgiving" Paper Chains
Cricut Diecut Machine - StoryBook Cartridge
Glue Glider Pro Adhesive by Glue Arts
Bo Bunny Flutter Butter Paper
Green Raffia
Colorbox Chalk Ink Olive Pastel
Hot Glue Gun

1) Measure and try out sizes of fabric before cutting. Tie fabric with raffia to secure around pumpkin. Insert straight pins into pumpkin at top to secure into pumpkin.

2) Use Hot Glue Gun to adhere paper chains around pumpkin.

3) Cut out leaves using Die Cut machine or hand cut. Ink edges and leaves before adding to pumpkin. Use Pro Glue Glider and glue leaves onto pumpkin.

4) Cut a small piece from Flutter Butter paper...about 4 by 6. Roll and bend to form stem. Ink edges and hot glue to top of pumpkin.

Fall Cornucopia

Designer - Julia Sandvoss
Supplies:

Cornucopia Basket from Michael's
Fall Fruits & Stems from Michael's
Martha Stewart Glitter - Heliodor & Golden Beryl
Styrofoam Block
Basket Filler
Wood Wire Picks
Raffia
Hot Glue Gun

1) First hot glue wood wire picks onto bottoms of fall fruits, pumpkins, pinecones and such that you're going to use. Once set...select a few items to glitter.
2) Using Martha Stewart glitter glue paint the items that you plan to glitter. Use a glitter tray or paper plate under your item. Heavily glitter items shaking excess onto tray. Return excess glitter to bottle..it's too pretty and expensive to waste! Allow items to set.
3) Insert styrofoam block into basket. Trim to fit so it covers the basket inside opening.
4) Start adding fall picks, fruit and pumpkin picks keeping shorter items in front.
5) Add in basket fill to cover any open spots.
6) Tie raffia around basket. Hot glue leaves onto front.

Fabric Stuffed Pumpkin
Designer - Julia Sandvoss
Supplies:

Fabric
Poly Filler
Pumpkin Stem
Bo Bunny Flutter Butter Paper
Pro Glue Glider Adhesive by Glue Arts
Cricut Die Cut Machine - Accent Essentials Cartridge
Raffia
Straight Pins
Hot Glue Gun
Colorbox Chalk Inks - Olive Pastel

1)Pick a fall fabric. Cut about a 16 by 16 inch square. I placed the poly fill in the center of the fabric first, wrapped it up and then saw how much fabric I needed before cutting.
2)Once you have cut the fabric, fold and wrap it to create a pumpkin shape. I secured it at the top with pins. You're welcome to use a sewing machine.
3)Cut a base piece for the stem to sit on out of the paper. I traced a shape slightly larger than the pumpkin stem.
3) Then Hot Glue the stem to the paper base and the base to the fabric.
4) Cut out 11 2-3 inch leaves leaves using die cut machine. You can hand cut these too. Ink edges and adhere to paper base.
5)Cut 5 smaller 1 1/2 inch leaves, ink edges, crimp a bit and then adhere to leaves.
6) Tie raffia around stem.

Happy Fall!! and Thanksgiving to You!!