My Favorites | From the Winter Issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine

Did you happen to see my other project featured in the latest issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine (Winter 2020)? You can find it here or you can download the full issue here (which i recommend doing anyways!).

It is part of an article about "Things that we love" and I used the Love Notes collection from Doodlebug Design to create a 9x12 pocket page about my current favorites.

Have you recorded your current favorites? It's important because it will help you remember some of the little things and it's a wonderful way for your family to know more about you, now or much, much later... 

💖

21 things to do in 2021 | From the Winter issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine

Hello friends! I am here to share one of the projects I created back in October for the Winter issue of SCT Magazine (downloadable for free HERE). It is on page 26 and part of an article on using numbers in designs. I had the idea to do a bucket type list for the new year into a pocket page using the pretty Heidi Swapp Storyline Chapters collection (affiliate link).

I had fun looking forward to brighter days while coming up with a list of "21 things to do in 2021". Some of the items are still unrealistic at this point in the pandemic but I am hoping that going to a restaurant with friends or that traveling to visit my family will be possible before the end of the year! 

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper, diet shapes, specialty paper, stickers: Heidi Swapp; Pen: Staedtler, Pocket page protector: October Afternoon; Letter stickers: American Crafts, Elle's Studio; Punch: Michael's; Font: Remington Noiseless; Adhesive: Kuretake Zig, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

If you don't already, I encourage you to write a list of things, big and small, you might like to do in 2021 and to document it! Even if not everything becomes a reality, it gives a snapshot of your thoughts and dreams at this point in time. Making it pretty is optional but very satisfying, I assure you!

Christmas Pocket Letter (with Crate Paper Hey Santa)

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a Christmas themed pocket letter using the pretty and whimsical Crate Paper Hey Santa collection. I loved making this unique gift with the lovely patterns and the big variety elements included in this collection. 

Supplies: Patterned paper, Chipboard stickers, Shape stickers, Puffy stickers, Pre-made die-cut shapes, Charms, Sequins, Tassel: Crate Paper; Twine: Doodlebug Design, Clips: Crate Paper, Staples; Vellum: Darice; Punches: WRMK,  Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

I create the pockets individually treating each of them as little gifts, emphasizing layers and textures as I think of ways to include goodies for the recipient.

No matter the collection, the Crate Paper chipboard stickers are always the best for layering. Mixed with some ephemera, they look great on the tag I made here.

I also had fun making a banner clip that the recipient can pull out and use on another project or a gift.

I hope you feel inspired to create your own pocket letter as a Christmas gift or for another occasion. They are a combination of two of my favorites: happy mail and pockets!

Finally, I am giving away a hard copy of the Winter issue of SCT Magazine on my Instagram account. Enter before Friday evening by simply leaving a comment there: https://www.instagram.com/anounceofcreativity/ 

Express your gratitude with a Happy Mail folio | Step by step tutorial

 Hello crafty friends, I'm back today to share with you how I created an accordion folio to send my gratitude and a few goodies to a dear friend. The Avenue collection by Pebbles Inc was my inspiration for this project. It has the cutest icons, lovely florals and, ready made tags and sentiments making it perfect for any type of happy mail.

Supplies: Cardstock, twine, brads: Doodlebug Design; Patterned paper, letter stickers, shape stickers, die-cut shapes: Pebbles Inc.; Vellum: Darice; Punches: WRMK, Recollections, Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

From a hidden note to small envelopes and pockets filled with surprises, it is a lot more exciting than receiving a plain card. It is also a lot of fun to make!

Once you have made your base, you can really let your imagination or the products you have on hand guide you to create something special for each panel of the booklet.

It would also be fun to include photos of you and you friend in the tag pull-out or in the slanted pocket! 

Finally, I love making little shaker pockets and wanted to share with you how simple they can be with an upcycled clear bag (the type small embellishments come in).

You can finish with a letter (in the bigger envelope), then fold the folio up, tie it with twine, add stickers in the front and it is ready to go.

Thank you for stopping by today. I am grateful for you, longtime readers or one-time visitors.

Hello Autumn | with SCT Delivered Scrapbook kit

Hello friends, this article was published on the SCT Magazine blog yesterday and I wanted to share it here as well. I was very excited to design with the newly released SCT Delivered Autumn Afternoon Scrapbook kit this month! It is a beautiful kit with rich jewel colors, with pretty copper foil accents and gold embellishments. It inspired me to create a pocket page documenting a Fall outing to the "u-pick" orchards with Grandma and Grandpa.

Supplies: SCT Delivered Autumn Afternoon Scrapbook kit, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Becky Higgins page protector, DMC embroidery thread

It was very easy to find three coordinating patterned papers to create the bases for my non-photo pockets. The eggplant one (from Amy Tangerine's Late Afternoon collection) was my favorite and I used it for my title pocket. It looks so good paired with the gold American Crafts Thickers!

I selected a few die-cuts from the full pack of Late Afternoon ephemera and even found the perfectly sized foiled frame to place directly on top of a photo. 

I loved the variety of embellishments included in the kit and they mix so well! After combining some of the Late Afternoon ephemera with gold puffy stickers from The Avenue, I added some enamel dots and a few hand stitches to finish.

Before putting my kit away, I decided to also make a card, you know, because of that eggplant paper, but also because the kit includes two precut card bases and envelopes! Bonus: you'll easily find sentiments on the 12x12 2nd Ave. sheet by Jen Hadfield.

Supplies: SCT Delivered Autumn Afternoon Scrapbook kit, DMC embroidery thread, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

I hope you feel inspired to create pocket pages with the Autumn Afternoon Scrapbook kit! I love the projects I created with it and I love that the kit includes coordinating pieces from a variety of trendy collections as well as exclusives. 

Happy scrapping!

"First Job" | Inspired by the Summer Issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine

 Hello friends! I am happy to be back to share a new project completely inspired by the Summer 2020 Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine Issue. I like to flip through the pages when I am looking for ideas and this time, I combined two ideas while creating a layout about my son's first summer job.

Supplies: Cardstock: Doodlebug Design; Printable: Good Stuff cards by Cathy Zielske (Summer 2020 Issue); Patterned paper, Journaling cards, Puffy stickers, Letter stickers, Acetate letters, Label, Wood veneer: Elle's Studio; Font: Remington Noiseless, Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

I first spotted Cathy Zielske's layout and free printable cards on page 58. I love a clean grid and the free printable looked awesome so I printed the 3x4 card to incorporate into a pocket page.

I placed it in the center, like Cathy did, and added a couple of puffy stickers to add dimension. Following Cathy's "even-steven" design tip, I used the same number of photos and journaling cards, alternating them in the pockets. The symmetry makes the grid "feel stable and calming". Emulating her clean style, I kept the embellishments to a minimum.

The idea to make a double page layout came from Jennifer Larson's project page 72. I love her combination of an extra large photo on a traditional layout with a grid design on the opposite page.

My page being 9x12inches, I printed my large photo to 9x6.5inches. I created a title with a mix of wood veneer, puffy stickers and acetate letters from Elle's Studio. The large size is eye-catching and the different textures add interest. To ensure a continuity between the two pages, you might notice how I have carried over the rainbow colors of the printable with a rainbow sticker and a piece of patterned paper. Placing them in a visual triangle, along with the same star embellishments, makes the eye go across the entire double page spread. 

Not only my skateboarder approved but I love to have his impressions on his first job documented! 

Cheers!

Bahia Honda | from SCT Magazine Summer issue

 Hello, I am taking a bit of a scrapbooking break at the moment but I still have one more pocket page to share with you. Like my previous share, this one was created for the Summer issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine which you can download for free. You'll find it on page 38 along with some tips and tricks to create eye-catching pocket pages.

Supplies: Cardstock: Basill Basics; Patterned papers, letter stickers: Heidi Swapp; Enamel dots: Doodlebug Design; Die-cut shapes, stickers: Elle's Studio, Heidi Swapp; Dies: Memory Box; Other: typewriter

I had the pleasure to work with another collection by Heidi Swapp for this page. I picked the Art Walk collection for its watercolor and tropical vibes. I also added a few other elements from Elle's Studio and Doodlebug for contrast.

Make sure to check out the article to read my tips and sign up for their newsletter so you won't miss the the Fall issue coming out on September 18th. You also might want to stop by the SCT blog where they are hosting awesome giveaways all month long!

A bientôt!

Destination: Versailles | from SCT Magazine Summer issue

Hi friends! I created this 12x12 double pocket page for the Summer issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine (which you can download for free HERE) and I can now share it with you.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper, die-cuts, stickers: Heidi Swapp; Enamel Dots, twine: Doodlebug Design; Letter stickers: American Crafts; Washi tape: Doodlebug Design, Heidi Swapp

I chose the beautiful Heidi Swapp Storyline Chapters collection to go with my photos from our visit of the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles a few Summers ago. Its soft colors and vintage touches were perfect to me.

I also added a few gold elements (alphabet thickers, washi tape, diecuts) to bring out the gold from the buildings and gates. I love the rather classy and classic result.

A little bit of twine and enamel dots add texture and contrast. 

With no trips planned anytime soon, I am glad to still have photos from previous vacations to scrap!

Finally, if you like to hold your magazines in your hand, I can not recommend a subscription to SCT Magazine enough! It is a beautiful, quality publication that will provide you with tons of inspiration. Look for the Fall issue on September 18.

Pocket pages using free printables from SCT Magazine

Hello scrappy friends! I'd like to share with you a spread I created using the free resources that SCT Magazine offers in the form of printables, cut files and digital stamps. After perusing the offerings going as far back as 2014, I selected a set of coordinated cards plus some digital stamps and made 6x12 pocket pages:

Supplies | Bonus Files Summer 2018 Before We go cards by Cathy Zielske, Bonus Files Summer 2016 Digital Stamps by Cathy Zielske and Sheri Reguly; patterned paper: Doodlebug Design; stamps, metal dies, acetate embellishments, puffy stickers, label, wood veneers: Elle's Studio; alphabet stickers, tape: Fancy Pants Designs

To start, I printed a set of the Summer 2018 Before We Go cards selected to contrast with my dark photos. I sent them straight to my printer loaded with a 8.5x11 sheet of matte photo paper. No fancy machine needed!

I also played with the digital stamps included in the Summer 2016 Bonus Files. Only using Word and the free Fotor.com editing website, I applied some on two of my photos before printing them.

I fussy cut the banner above from one of the printable 4x6 cards and I also used it to make two journaling spots.

To include the dates, I combined die-cut stamped letters and puffy alphabet stickers and for the journaling, I fed the cards into my manual typewriter. Finally, I went through my stash to find embellishments that would add texture and dimension.
Great benefits of using a SCT printable set like this:
- the color combination is set for you and all you have to do is add a few matching elements
- you can print several copies of the same card (great if you want to fussy cut parts of them)
- no purchase necessary, download whenever the inspiration strikes!

I hope this will inspire you to check out the many offerings that are included with each issue! Especially if you like to make pocket pages as I do, don't miss the last page of each magazine. There is always a set of fun filler and journaling cards featured and free to download. Happy crafting!

Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine Summer Issue Challenge

Let me start by saying that I am very excited to announce that the Summer issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today is now available and you can download it for free HERE! You will find two of my projects in this issue, one on page 38 and the other on page 47. In addition it is packed with tons of great inspiration for your Summer scrapping!

Secondly, I am hosting a card sketch challenge over on the SCT Magazine blog. You can participate until July 2nd and be entered to win the SCT June Sampler kit!
Below are the cards I created for the challenge:
Flipping through my Spring SCT Magazine I found two sketches that really inspired me to create cards with the gorgeous Pebbles, Inc. Hey Hello collection.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill, Doodlebug Design; patterned paper, boxed cards, pre-made die-cuts, washi tape: Pebbles, Inc; mini jewel dots: Doodlebug Design; metal dies: Doodlebug Design; tools: Sizzix Big Shot, Liberty sewing machine; foam dots: Scrapbook Adhesives; adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives; ribbon: Michael's

The design of my first card is based this sketch from page 31:

What caught my eye was the center tag and the light circle for which I first thought of doing hand stitches but ended up using a die-cut. When working with a sketch, think of your different options to create a similar shape.

This second sketch is from page 32 of the Spring issue:

And here is my interpretation:

I absolutely love the florals and the bold colors in the Hey Hello collection, plus it has sheets full of tags and small cards with a variety of sentiments to cut apart which makes it perfect for card making.

I hope you feel inspired to use these sketches like I did and to participate in this challenge! Remember to submit your entries at: ideas@scrapbookandcards.com by July 2nd.

Happy crafting! 

A loaded embroidery hoop with Hey Cupcake!

Hello, I am here today to share a new project created for the Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine blog. It's my first "loaded hoop". The idea is to use an embroidery hoop, to make a pocket in it and to pack it with goodies to be mailed. This one was made using the Hey Cupcake collection by Doodlebug Design:

Supplies | Patterned paper, Shape stickers, Pre-made die-cut shapes, Button, Clothespin, Sequins, Gems, Twine, Doilies: Doodlebug Design; Tools: We R Memory Keepers Fuse tool; Adhesive: Tombow; Other: misc. ribbons, embroidery hoop, page protector, paper clip, shaped sequins.

 This new collection has the sweetest icons and was perfect to make this small gift!

My favorite is the shaker pocket in the front. It's a half moon shape cut out of a page protector, filled with sequins and sealed with the Fuse tool. It is then glued to the top edge of the hoop and that allows you to add a variety of small goodies inside. I included a couple of cute packages along with doilies and mini cards from the 6x6 Hey Cupcake paper pad. I didn't have any on hand but you could replace these goodies with some cute candy!

Finally, I decorated the front of the hoop with dimensional Doodle-Pop stickers, gems, die-cuts and ribbons making sure i had texture and depth, not to mention playful colors!

Interested in making one of these yourself? If you're on Instagram, I recommend you check the #loadedhoop hashtag (and YouTube!) where you will find tons of inspiration. And speaking of inspiration, I hope you have already downloaded the Spring issue of SCT Magazine! It's free online and it's beautiful!

6X12 Birthday pockets | Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine

This week Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine is celebrating its 14th birthday and I created this birthday pocket page to go with the theme. I just happened to have several birthday photos that were waiting to be scrapped so I pulled the fun SCT Delivered Make A Wish Card kit I used to make cards with last month and I will show you today how I've adapted it to create pocket pages.

Supplies: Make A Wish Card kit, Bazzill cardstock, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, WRMK album, Becky Higgins page protectors

Once my photos were placed, my whole spread started with this Yay Yay Yay card. Part of the Crate Paper die-cut pack included in the kit, it was just perfect for a 3x4 pocket. I added a few machine stitches and another die-cut on top rather than inside the page protector as it was crossing "the boundaries" of the pockets. I like how it breaks the lines.

For the title card, which is my favorite in the end, I created layers with several Crate Paper die-cuts on top of a tag and added a bit of stamping. The kit has both patterned papers and die-cuts from the Hooray collection so everything matches perfectly.

For the journaling, I kept it consistent throughout the spread by using typed paper strips.

This kit, still available on the SCT site, might say "Card kit" on the front but it is absolutely fabulous for documenting birthdays!
Make sure to visit the SCT blog for more Birthday inspiration and giveaways all week long!