Angela Sgro Designs

Baby Thanks - à la Becky Higgins

2008-10-29T18:08:00.011-04:00

Here is my version of Becky Higgins' Baby Cards, as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Gallery. Becky designed her precious card collection using her "Sweet Baby Kit of the Month." I loved the simple design and layout of Becky's cards, but decided to use supplies that I already had on hand. I believe that Becky also sewed her cards, while I used faux stitching on mine. Thanks for the inspiration Becky!

Supplies:

Cardstock: white from The Paper Company & Halcraft
Patterned Paper: Sky Bias Stripe & Olive Parlor Stripe from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatter Box
Accents: Butterbean Baby Boy dimensional sticker from Marcella line by K&Company
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
Fonts: Blackjack from Font Bros
Tools: rounded corner punch from EK Success; Paper Edgers Deckle edge scissors by Fiskars; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz

Finished Size 4" x 5.5"

Put Some Fiber in Your Diet!

2008-10-27T08:26:00.016-04:00

Or, "Put Some Calories in Your Crafting"???

Hello Dear Readers! I've got a question for you... Do you love food and paper crafting? Well if you do (and I know I do!), then have I got a sneak peak for you!

It's Paper Crafts Gourmet! That's right! It's a cook book and a craft book! Two of my favorite things in one place! Now, you can't even purchase this book yet... it is only available for preorder... But using all my powers of persuasion and at great personal risk to myself, I managed to obtain an exclusive PC Gourmet project -- complete with recipe, supply list and instructions! (OK, if you want the truth -- PC asked me if I wanted to participate in their Gourmet Blog Tour, I said "Yes!" and they emailed the project to me. I wasn't even in danger of getting a paper cut...)

So here's your Sneak Peak Project... Designed by PC Pro Alisa Bangerter and just in time for Halloween!

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Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits
Alisa Bangerter

This is a perfect recipe to pull out if you are short on time because there is no rolling or cutting. The cheese and garlic add extra kick to a plain biscuit, and kids love them. They are the perfect accompaniment to serve with soups or stews, and are great served with a salad.

INGREDIENTS

2 c. flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c. milk
Chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until mixture is fine. Add cheese and mix well. Add milk and stir until just moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle top with chopped dried or fresh chives if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.

Enjoy Halloween Tag
Designer: Alisa Bangerter
Finished size: 3" x 4 1/2"

SUPPLIES:
Cardstock: (ivory)
Dye ink: (Black) Stewart Superior Corp.; (Summer Sun) Stampin' Up!
Specialty ink: (Mango Lemonade color wash) Stewart Superior Corp.
Color medium: (black chalk) Craf-T Products
Accents: (black brads) Making Memories; (chipboard bat, moon) Melissa Frances
Fibers: (black striped ribbon) Pebbles Inc.
Font: (Black Family) www.dafont.com
Adhesive: (foam tape)

1 Make tag from cardstock. 2 Crumple tag and smooth out. Spray edges with color wash; let dry. Apply chalk. 3 Ink chipboard moon; let dry. Chalk edges and adhere. 4 Ink chipboard bat; let dry. Adhere with foam tape. 5 Print sentiment on cardstock; trim and tear edges. Chalk edges and adhere with foam tape. Attach brads. Attach ribbon with brad.

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Not enough, you say? You want more??? Then check out this link for eight (Count 'em ... EIGHT!) more complete projects! And don't say I never got you anything...

Put On Your Party Hat!

2008-10-26T01:06:00.010-04:00

Here is the card that I designed for my niece who just turned five. My inspiration for this card came from the wrapping paper that I chose to use for one of her gifts. It including images of a cake, a present, and a party hat. I decided to create a card in the shape of the party hat.

I began by trimming my prefolded card in the shape of a hat, with the crease of the card on the left side of the hat. I then cut patterned paper to fit on the front of the card, trimming some of the paper with decorative edge scissors. I inked the edges of my patterned paper with a Sharpie, imitating the illustrative quality of my chosen graphic. I adhered the paper to the front of my card and accented it with a a chipboard number and a plastic flower which I attached using a flower brad.

Supplies:

Cardstock: pink
Patterned Paper: Tropical Colors Bitty Scrap Pads by Provo Craft
Accents: plastic flowers by Greenhouse; watercolor brite flower brads by Making Memories; Nana's Nursery Diecut Chipboard Number by DCWV; Craft Essentials Birthday rub-ons from Jo-Ann Stores
Color Medium: Sharpie black permanent marker by Sanford
Adhesive: Mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots; Tape Runner XL by Therm O Web
Tools: Paper Edgers decorative edge scissors - Scallop & Sunflower from Fiskars

Finished Size Approx. 4.5" x 5.75"

Safari Animal Curtain Tie Backs

2008-10-24T17:01:00.015-04:00

Here is one of the projects that I recently completed for little Baby Sgro's room. (And just in time, since he is due the end of November!) They are tie backs for the gingham curtains in his room. And they were sooo easy to create! Since DH and I chose a Safari theme for the room, I picked out these cute wooden animals to decorate my tie backs from my local craft supply store.

Here are the quick and easy instructions:
Simply cut your ribbon to the appropriate length. Fold back the ends one inch. Adhere folded piece using fusible bonding web.

Cut pieces of Velcro strips and adhere to the ribbon ends following the manufacturer's instructions. (I cut my pieces to fit behind the wooden animals.) Make sure that you adhere the Velcro so that the ribbon forms a loop once it is closed.

Adhere the wooden animals to the front of the ribbon.

That's it! All done. And my local craft store had so many cute wooden shapes, that you're sure to find some to coordinate with your little bambino's room also!

Supplies:

Accents: Painted Layered Animal Shapes by Provo Craft
Fibers: ribbon from Michaels Stores
Adhesive: Perfect Glue 1 by Liquid Nails; Stitch Witchery fusible bonding web by Dritz
Tools: iron
Other: heat activated hook & loop fasteners by Velcro

You're Invited...

2008-10-16T11:36:00.012-04:00

Hello Dear Readers! Sorry I've been so MIA lately -- I've been busy preparing for little Baby Sgro's arrival. That includes designing decor for Baby's room (more on that in a later post) and my Baby Shower! Special thanks to Sue & Julie for a Great Event!

Speaking of Baby Showers... here is the invitation that my sister Suzanne and my best friend Julie created for the special occasion. They went with a Jungle Theme. Isn't it too cute?! And on the inside, there's an extra special three-dimensional surprise! Those blocks "pop up" from the card! I believe they use Lasting Impressions for Paper Embossing Templates on the animals.

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And speaking of Invitations... I just found out that TWO of my projects are going to be published in Scrapbook Trends magazine's Invitation Idea Book! Woo hoo! One my loyal readers will recognize... it's the 50th Anniversary card I designed for those two great couples. And the other is a cute Cookie Exchange Invite I created using a surprise element. Shhh... it's a secret for now...

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Edited to Add...

I also wanted to share with you a picture of the "Jungle Cake" that Julie and Sue created for my shower. Those are chocolate covered Oreos (YUM!) and pretzels (YUM x2!) with little plastic jungle creatures nestled among 'em. How creative and colorful!

They're Creepy and They're Kooky...

2008-10-04T21:37:00.012-04:00

Well, perhaps I should say "They're CUTESY and they're kooky..."

They're my Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for my World Card Making Day Challenge!

I designed two cards for my Challenge. The first is a quick and easy, simple card in the shape of that enduring Halloween treat... Candy Corn! This was a very easy pattern to create. I based the size on the usable (non-printed) portion of my Behr paint chip. The fold of the card is along the long edge of the left side of the candy. Just for fun, I decided to decorate my card with a goofy face. I know, I know... technically candy corn has a yellow base, orange center, and white tip. Oh well. I think it still looks like candy corn!

The second card that I designed is definitely a bit more complex. And perhaps just a teensy bit creepy. It's my Frankenstein's Monster Paint Chip Card! I really like how this one turned out. I again used a Behr paint chip -- I like its larger size -- and just trimmed off the manufacturer's text along the left side. The base of the card is a 12" piece of orange cardstock trimmed the width of my paint chip. Part of the fun aspect of this design is that it is a gatefold card that opens at Frankie's mouth!

Another fun aspect of this card was in the design of the monster's face. I kept moving different shapes around to find the appropriate expression. At one point, Frankie was lookin' kinda Veggie Tales. Later it was more Sesame Streetesque. You know, like the taller, yellower half of that popular duo, Bert and Ernie. Must be the unibrow...

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In honor of World Card Making Day, here is the complete tutorial for my Candy Corn Paint Chip Card!

Supplies:

Cardstock: black by DMD; green, white
Accents: Leaf Self-Adhesive Felt Decorations from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
Tools: 1-3/8" and 1" circle punch from EK Success; 5/8" circle punch from Marvy Uchida; hole puncher; Xyron sticker maker
Other: paint chip by Behr; patterns (right-click to download)

Instructions:

Cut black cardstock and paint chip following patterns. Fold cardstock in half along dashed line. Adhere paint chip to front of card.
Punch one 1-3/8" circle from black CS. Cut in half to form "mouth." Punch two 1" circles from white CS. Punch two 5/8" circles from green CS. Punch two small circles from black CS using hole puncher.
Adhere circles to paint chip to form eyes.
Freeform cut out "tooth." Adhere to mouth. Adhere mouth to paint chip.
Adhere felt leaf to top of card for "hair."

Tip: To cut patterns from black CS, print pattern on white paper. Adhere to black CS using removable tape. Cut along lines and remove white paper.

Finished Size approx 3.75" x 4.5"
Enjoy, and Happy World Card Making Day!

Winner of My WCMD Blog Challenge!

2008-10-04T13:12:00.006-04:00

May I have a special World Card Making Day Drum Roll, please!

Announcing the winner of my WCMD Blog Challenge! It is Sandee from Dandridge, TN!!! Woo Hoo!!!

It was a tough decision... so much creativity out there! Jennie, your little duckies are sooo cute! And of course, anything baby has special meaning to me right now. And Elaine, I love how you used all those paint chip colors to create your fall leaves! However, my favorite use of paint chips has to be how Sandee embossed them and turned them into darling bird houses! And I love the trim and use of popsicle sticks!

Congrats Sandee!!! Please contact me with your info, so that I can send you your QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle!

Thanks to everyone who accepted my challenge. And check back soon, as I will be sharing with you the two Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for WCMD!

Winner of My WCMD Blog Contest!

2008-10-04T02:06:00.018-04:00

Happy World Card Making Day!!!

I'd like to start the celebration by announcing that the winner of my World Card Making Day Blog Contest and lucky recipient of an issue of Paper Crafts magazine's Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways is... SueB!

Here's SueB's favorite blogger...

Lately when I'm looking for inspiration I turn to Angie Kennedy Juda of http://chicnscratch.typepad.com/chic_n_scratch/ fame!

Thanks to Random.org for picking our lucky winner. Sue, please contact me with your address so that I can send you your prize!

p.s. Who is my favorite blogger, you ask? So hard to narrow it down to one, sooo here are my top two...

Nichole Heady and her Capture the Moment blog -- I find Nichole's creativity in the use of various materials and shapes very inspiring.
Kristina Werner and her KWernerDesignBlog -- I love how Kristina's graphic design background shows through in all her projects.

Special thanks to everyone who entered my contest. We now have over 25 inspirational blogs to browse! And stay tuned ... I will announce the winner of my WCMD Challenge later today!

WCMD: My Blog Challenge

2008-09-30T00:47:00.009-04:00

(Cue Mission Impossible theme song...)

Your World Card Making Day Challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to design a card (or two, or three, or four, ...) using those now infamous and highly sought-after PAINT CHIPS! It may be for any theme you wish, but must somehow incorporate at least a portion of one paint chip into the design.

I will pick my favorite and announce the winner here on my blog on World Card Making Day -- Saturday, October 4th. The winner will receive a brand new QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle package featuring Flower, Spring, and Weather Shapes! I will also be accepting my own challenge and will share my final design(s) with you on WCMD.

To enter, upload a photo of your card(s) to your own blog or online gallery of your choice (like WCMD's own Creation Corner Gallery). Then add a comment to this post including a link to your creation. (Please enter the URL to the website, not to the image file itself.)

On to the fine print...

You may enter multiple times - one entry per card design.
All entries will be judged on overall appearance, with bonus points for creative use of the paint chip(s).
This challenge will not self-destruct. However, all entries must be received no later than 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd (EST).

Stuck for an idea? Check out my previous Paint Chip Cards!

Let the challenge begin!

WCMD: My Blog Contest

2008-09-29T09:06:00.014-04:00

Let the countdown begin!

World Card Making Day will be here in just FIVE days! And to help spread the word, I am sponsoring the following contest...

Just leave me a comment on this post with the name and URL of a blogger who inspires YOU in your card/crafting design. I will randomly pick one entry and announce the winner on World Card Making Day -- this Saturday, October 4th -- here on my blog. That lucky person will receive a copy of Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways, generously donated by the fine folks at Paper Crafts magazine! All comments must be received by 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd (EST).

So please! Leave a comment with the name & URL of your fave crafting blogger for a chance to win! One final rule. As flattered as I would be if you were to pick me, I'm hoping to get a nice long list of inspiring bloggers that we all can use as a resource in our craft designs. And since all of us already know my name and URL, please do not list me or my blog for this contest!

And stay tuned... Tomorrow I will announce my WCMD Challenge!

My Three-In-One

2008-09-27T00:02:00.015-04:00

I just got my copy of the October/November 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. And what to my wondering eyes should appear -- but my three Halloween Treat Boxes, plus four Sgro Holiday cards filled with good cheer!

That's right! This is the very first publication in which I have more than one project -- and I have THREE in this one! My loyal readers will recognize two of the projects. The first is my trio of Halloween Treat Boxes. They made their original debut on my blog last Halloween.

The second is my trio of Paint Chip Tree Cards. I was surprised by how popular these simple cards turned out to be when they first appeared on my blog last November. Hmmm... I believe that was about the same time that I started lurking in the paint aisle of my local home improvement stores. Coincidence? I think not!

My final project is new to my blog. The editors of Paper Trends contacted me back in June and asked me if I would like to be a part of their "1 Sketch, 4 Styles" feature. (Would I!!!) I call the resulting design my "Holly and Snowflakes" card. This is a very easy card to recreate, as I used a premade card base and just added some embellishments. (Full details in the Oct/Nov 08 issue of Paper Trends.)

Happy (Early) Holidays, Everyone!

Flower Thank U Card

2008-09-26T13:20:00.008-04:00

Here is the Thank You card that I designed for Carolyn King's "Heart to Heart" Blog Candy Contest. (See previous post for more details.) The front of the card is shaped like a flower, while the back is a simple 5" square. I added a few embellishments to really make this card pop!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Miss Muffet from Baby line by American Crafts; green by DCWV
Accents: She - brown chipboard alphabet by Heidi Swapp; Doodles & Heidi - Rose rub-ons by Making Memories; Embossed Ivory Shimmer Table Confetti from Brides line by Gartner Studios
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
Stickers: Many Thanks by Mrs. Grossman's
Fibers: green ribbon from Michaels Stores
Tools: Mega 2.5" Circle by Marvy Uchida; paper piercer by Making Memories; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz
Other: pattern (right-click to download)

Instructions:

Cut out card shape from double-sided cardstock following pattern. Fold in half to form a 5" square card.
Punch circle from green cardstock. Faux stitch green circle and inside square of card.
Hint: I used a Paper Piercer to create the "stitches" in the circle, and a Serrated Tracing Wheel for the square.
Apply Doodle rub-ons to front of flower portion of card, and "so very much!!!" to inside square.
Trim "s" from "Thanks" sticker. Apply to green circle. Attach chipboard "u" and flower to front of circle, and folded ribbon to back of circle.
Adhere circle to center of flower with foam tape.

Bonus Tip #1! Don't be afraid to use portions of your stickers or rub-ons! Just trim off what you need, as I did with my "Thanks" sticker.

Bonus Tip #2! This design works best with a more subtle pattern for the flower portion, and a contrasting color for the square portion of the card. A larger, busier pattern would act like camouflage for the flower shape, as would a low-contrast color combo!

Bonus Tip #3! I used double-sided cardstock for my card. If you do not have appropriate double-sided CS, simply choose two separate cardstocks. Trim one to a 5" square and use the flower part only of my pattern on the other CS. Just add tabs at the top to adhere the flower portion to the back of the square portion.

Finished Size Approx 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

Enter to Win Great Prizes for a Great Cause!!!

2008-09-25T13:39:00.023-04:00

Carolyn King has a wonderful contest called "Heart to Heart" on her blog right now. Unfortunately, Carolyn recently lost her grandmother due to complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Carolyn has already designed a set of stamps through Gina K Designs called Whimsical Autumn which benefits the Alzheimer's Association. And now she is turning her attention and generosity towards another group of people who are also affected by this disease -- the wonderful caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.

Carolyn has contacted various companies and fellow stampers, asking them to donate items to her contest. Well, word has spread, and so many generous companies and individuals have stepped forward to contribute, that the prize package is now worth over $1,000!!! PLUS, dozens of additional creative handmade cards and gifts!!! All for ONE lucky winner!!! And all you have to do is make one card for a caregiver of someone suffering from Alzheimer's.

Well, I was so inspired by Carolyn's story and contest, that I added my own donation and card to the prize. I will be sending the winner a BRAND NEW QuicKutz Rockstar Mini Cookie Cutter Alphabet Set (list price $89.99) along with my Flower Thank U card (photo above).

Head on over to Carolyn's blog to check out the full list of rules and prizes. Hurry! All entries must be received by Friday, September 26th at 8pm Central Time.

"But Angela!" You say, "That doesn't give me much time!" I know, I know... I'm sorry. I only heard about the contest myself late Tuesday. But please! If you have the time, make a card and enter this wonderful contest for a wonderful cause! And spread the word!

p.s. Stay tuned... I will be posting the tutorial for my Flower Thank U card later this week!

It's Ba-ack! (And Better Than Ever!)

2008-09-22T18:18:00.011-04:00

That's right! World Card Making Day is back! It is Saturday, October 4th this year, and it's looking to be as exciting and creative as last year's event! Here's the official word from WCMD's sponsor, Paper Crafts magazine ...

Get ready to celebrate
World Card Making Day!

Join in the fun with card makers the world over on Saturday, Oct. 4, as we kick off the holiday card-making season. Now in its third year, World Card Making Day is a day to connect with fellow card makers around the globe and to celebrate the creativity and joy of this craft! Hobbyists, beginning card makers, manufacturers of card-making products, retailers, and educators, are all making plans to share the excitement of World Card Making Day with workshops, online galleries, parties, contests, sales, and other special events. Visit www.worldcardmakingday.com for ideas and unique ways to celebrate this holiday, including:
Creating your own handmade cards from the dozens of sponsored ideas in the Inspiration Avenue section
Sharing your unique designs with the world in the Creation Corner Gallery
Finding and visiting an Official World Card Making Day Retailer for classes and activities that will help you connect with other fellow card makers
Planning your own fun activities with friends and family with ideas from the Celebrate section
Join Paper Crafts magazine on this amazing day that brings card makers from all over the globe together in celebrating the joy of giving the gift of a handmade card.

Paper Crafts is also holding a special card contest to celebrate the day. They will be awarding 20 winners a prize package containing the latest card making products from some of the hottest manufacturers. The retail value of each prize package totals over $225! Woo hoo! That's some prize package! (See photo at right...) For more details, check out PC's official Entry Form.

I will also be spending the day crafting and sharing my creations with you, my readers! I have a couple different projects in mind, not to mention a contest or two with my own prize packages! (Sorry, my prize packages will not be nearly as impressive as Paper Crafts'...)

Stay tuned ...

Baby Says, "Thank You!"

2008-09-16T23:50:00.018-04:00

As I have already received several gifts for the future little Baby Sgro, I thought I would take the time to create personalized Thank You cards for each gift-giver. I based my design on a combination of the two Thank You cards that I created for my "Peas in a Pod" themed baby shower earlier this year.

First I settled on a blue and brown color scheme. (That's right! It's a boy!) Like my "Peas in a Pod" version, I chose to cut an A6 Folded Card in half to form my note card. Again like my previous design, I printed the polka dots along the inside of the card and my sentiment on the front -- this time in brown. I also trimmed the front cover with my scalloped decorative edge scissors.

To truly make this a personalized Thank You, I took close up photographs of each gift and adhered a cropped shot to the card with foam tape. Finally I accented the card with a piece of knotted ribbon. So easy!

Tip #1: Make a bunch of these Thank You cards ahead of time, and just add the photos as you receive the gifts!

Tip #2: Some heavier ribbon can create a knot large enough to add additional postage for thickness. To avoid this extra cost when mailing your cards, switch to a lighter weight, sheer ribbon.

Finished size approximately 4.5" x 3".

Paper Crafts Magazine Has Been Tagged!

2008-09-12T17:41:00.012-04:00

That's right! The third volume of Paper Crafts magazine's Holiday Cards & More is now out on the newsstands. And featured in their "Wrapped with Love" section are my Holiday Photo Gift Tags! Once you have the photo, these tags are über quick & easy to make. And they're great to use with your toddlers, as they don't have to know how to read to identify the recipient of the gift!

I love this edition of Holiday Cards! And no... it is NOT because I have a project published in it! The whole magazine is chock-full of great ideas for holiday cards, decor, gift wrapping, not to mention the gifts themselves. So many gorgeous and creative projects, that it puts my simple little tags to shame! It almost makes me want to get a record early start on my Christmas projects!

(I did say almost...)

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

2008-09-05T18:18:00.007-04:00

I'm a teensy bit early -- the holiday is actually not until Sunday, September 7th this year. But here is the card that I made for my MIL from Baby Sgro...

When trying to come up with a design for this card, I found inspiration in Nichole Heady's Daisy card. Like Nichole's card, the front of my card is a piece of transparency sheet. The base of my card is a 5" x 5" piece of glittered, patterned cardstock. I added a strip of green gingham patterned paper along the bottom. I then cut the piece of transparency to 5" x 5.5" and folded down the top 1/2". I glued that top part to the back of my patterned cardstock to form a top-folded card. Then I adhered two pieces of ribbon on the front of the transparency, layering the smaller teal ribbon on top of the gold ribbon. Finally I designed my sentiment in Photoshop, printed it out, punched out the scalloped oval, and attached it to the front of my card. So quick and easy!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy by DCWV
Patterned Paper: Bitty Scrap Pads - Ginghams & Stripes Backgrounds by Provo Craft
Transparency Sheet: write-on by 3M
Fibers: ribbon from Jo-Ann Stores
Fonts: Beautiful, Minion Pro
Tools: Mega Scalloped Oval by Marvy Uchida, sticker maker by Xyron

Tip: These square cards cost an additional 20¢ in postage!

Finished Size 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Birthday Blog Candy Winner!

2008-08-30T14:18:00.012-04:00

Drum roll, please!

Announcing the winner of my Blog Birthday Ice Cream Challenge! It is Suzanne from Orange County, NY!!! All the entries were really cute, but I really love the colors and playfulness of Suzanne's card. (You can see more details about Suzanne's creation on her "The Card Garden" blog.)

Congrats Suzanne! Please contact me with your info, so that I can send you your prize package!

And thanks to everyone who accepted my challenge!

A Very Merry Birthday! To Me! To You!

2008-08-23T17:16:00.030-04:00

That's right, today is the first anniversary of my initial blog post! So I'm throwing my one-year-old a Birthday Party complete with sweet treats, games and prizes. I'm inviting all of YOU, my blog readers, to join in on the fun and festivities! And what better way to begin a birthday party, than with ICE CREAM!!! Ice cream for everyone!

Presenting the complete tutorial on how to create your very own Ice Cream Cone Card...

Supplies:

Cardstock: brown from K&Company; blue-green, pink, dark pink, and red from Bazzill Basics Paper; black
Patterned Paper: The Slab II from Provo Craft
Accents: colored wire by Making Memories
Tools: 1" circle punch
Other: patterns (download here!)

Instructions:

Cut out shapes for ice cream scoops & cone following directions on patterns. Punch two 1" circles from red paper.
Glue patterned paper to front cone piece.
Cut half moon shape from dark pink paper and adhere to front of "strawberry" scoop.
Randomly cut "chocolate chips" from black cardstock and glue to front of "mint chip" scoop.
Cut small half moon shape from pink paper and glue to one red circle to make a highlight.
Fold as follows:
Back copy of "strawberry" scoop back one inch from top
Front copy of "mint chip" scoop forward one inch from top
Back copy of "cone" back one inch from bottom
Glue front pieces of scoops & cones to back pieces on the small folded areas only (top of scoops & bottom of cone).
Glue back of "mint chip" scoop to back of cone, and back of "strawberry scoop to back of "mint chip" scoop, overlapping pieces.
Cut approx. 3" piece of red wire. Curl one end into a small circle and adhere to back of red circle with highlight using glue dot. Glue bottom half of "cherry" to top of "strawberry" scoop. Glue other red circle to back of "strawberry" scoop, making a sandwich with the wire.

Optional: Here is the text that I added to the inside of my Ice Cream Cone Card:
The "strawberry scoop" flips up to say "You're like the CHERRY on top of my ice cream!"
The "mint chip scoop" flips up to say "Life without you would be like MINT CHIP without the chocolate!"
The "cone" flips down to say "Thanks for being my friend!"

Finished Size Approx. 5" x 3.75" (plus cherry "stem")
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

: : : : :

And what would a birthday party be
without games and prizes???

And now, on to the gifts! In honor of my blog's very first birthday, I am giving away a Blog Candy prize package. The package consists of one copy of Paper Crafts magazine's latest special issue "Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways" (featuring 3 projects by Yours Truly), four packages of Ice Cream themed dimensional stickers, two spools of coordinating ribbon, and one Ice Cream themed box. (Sorry -- due to the high cost of shipping, I can only send this package to residents of the continental United States.)

If you would like a chance at winning this package, simply make a paper craft creation (card, scrapbook, etc.) using Ice Cream as your theme. Then upload a photo of your project to your blog or online gallery. Leave a comment on this post with a link to the website (not the image itself!) by Friday, August 29th at 11pm EST. I will pick my fave and announce the winner here on my blog on Saturday, August 30th. If you already have an Ice Cream themed project online, feel free to enter it!

I can't wait to see your creations! And enjoy the Birthday Party!

Holiday Gift Card Tags (Part 3)

2008-08-21T00:05:00.007-04:00

As promised in an earlier post, here is the complete tutorial on how to create two additional Holiday Gift Card Tags -- one for a Birthday and another for Easter. Enjoy!

Birthday Present

Supplies:

Cardstock: blue from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
Patterned Paper: pastel dots from Baby scrapbook kit by DCWV
Fibers: green ribbon from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
Font: Contemporary Brush Bold
Other: pattern

Easter Egg

Supplies:

Cardstock: green from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
Patterned Paper: Easter Ribbons by Reminisce
Fibers: yellow ribbon from American Crafts
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida; Paper Edgers Pinking decorative edge scissors by Fiskars
Font: Blackjack from Font Bros
Other: pattern; crepe paper

Instructions
Insert:

Cut 2.5" x 9" piece of patterned paper. Score & fold 3.75" from top and 1.5" from bottom. Adhere bottom flap up at sides to create a pocket.
Adhere ribbon at top of insert to form a loop and insert gift card into pocket.
Note: For Present, extend ribbon down the middle of the front of the insert.

Holder:

Cut 3" x 8" piece of solid cardstock. Print name on front of CS. Cut out shape following pattern.
Faux stitch the sides using serrated tracing wheel and white gel pen.
Score and fold CS in half to form a 3" x 4" card, fold at the bottom. Adhere sides together to form a pouch.
Punch half circle at top of pouch.
For Present, knot ribbon and attach at top of cut-out.
For Egg, trim strip of crepe paper using decorative edge scissors; adhere to bottom of holder, making small pleats in the process.
Slide gift card insert into pouch.

Hint: Vary the paper colors, patterns and ribbon to create Present tags for other occasions, such as Christmas, Baby or Bridal Showers.

Finished Size 3" x 4" (exclusive of trim).
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Holiday Gift Card Tags (Part 2)

2008-08-18T23:32:00.018-04:00

As promised in my previous post, here is the complete tutorial on how to create your very own Holiday Gift Card Tags for Valentine's Day and Christmas. Enjoy!

Valentine Heart

Supplies:

Cardstock: pink from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
Patterned Paper: from Foof-a-La Paper Pad by Autumn Leaves
Accents: Fall#1 paper flower from Got Flowers? line by Prima; mini snaps by Making Memories
Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks pink & brown ribbon from Michaels Stores
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
Font: Little Lord Fontleroy from dafont.com
Other: pattern

Holly Leaves

Supplies:

Cardstock: Celery from Savory Simple Sets Collection by sei
Patterned Paper: Joyful All Mine by KI Memories
Accents: Fall#1 paper flower from Got Flowers? line by Prima; red buttons from Winnie's Walls Collection by sei
Fibers: red ribbon from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
Font: Fontdinerdotcom Loungy from fontdiner.com
Other: pattern

Instructions
Insert:

Cut 2.5" x 9" piece of patterned paper. Score & fold 3.75" from top and 1.5" from bottom. Adhere bottom flap up at sides to create a pocket.
Adhere ribbon at top of insert to form a loop and insert gift card into pocket.

Tip #1: When folding the patterned paper to form insert, hold the paper so that the patterned side is facing down and the pattern is upside down (if applicable)

Holder:

Cut 3" x 8" piece of solid cardstock. Print name on front of CS. Cut out shape following pattern.
Faux stitch the sides using serrated tracing wheel and white gel pen.
Score and fold CS in half to form a 3" x 4" card, fold at the bottom. Adhere sides together to form a pouch.
Punch half circle at top of pouch. For Heart, attach snap to flower and adhere to pouch. For Holly, attach buttons.
Slide gift card insert into pouch.

Tip #2: I used Therm O Web's 1/8" SuperTape (the red-lined stuff!) to adhere the sides of my inserts and holders. Its narrow width and straight edge made it the perfect choice for this project!

Finished Size 3" x 4" (exclusive of trim).
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Stay tuned for my Birthday Present and Easter Egg Gift Card Tags!

Holiday Gift Card Tags Go LIVE!!!

2008-08-14T12:27:00.013-04:00

Here they are! My Holiday Gift Cards Tags as seen in Paper Crafts magazine's latest special issue, "Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways." The issue just hit the newsstands this month. The photos of my Tree, Onesie, and Chick tag trio appear on page 19, while the patterns are on page 89.

I designed these tags to adorn a present or Easter basket, but they can also be used as the gift itself. The outer layer is actually a pocket which holds a patterned insert. Once removed, the insert opens to reveal a gift card. Or you could replace the gift card with a wallet-sized photo.

In addition to the three designs shown here, I also created other versions -- a Birthday Present and an Easter egg -- which may be featured on Paper Crafts' website in the near future. If they do, I'll be sure to post the link here. Meanwhile, check back soon for additional tutorials and patterns to create your own Holly Leaves and Valentine Heart versions of my Gift Card Tags!

Finished Size 3" x 4" (exclusive of trim).
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Lions, Giraffes, Elephants ... and Butterflies! Oh My!

2008-08-13T11:43:00.013-04:00

It's a zoo over here! My house is swarming with wild animals! Animal-themed cards, that is!

I recently designed a trio of safari animal themed cards for Paper Crafts magazine's article "Baby Animals for Baby." And guess what! They have ALL been accepted for PC's March/April 2009 issue! Woo hoo! I'm really proud of this project -- they turned out sooo cute! (If I do say so myself...)

And a first for me and Paper Crafts magazine... Not one, but TWO of my projects will appear in PC's March/April issue! They also accepted a super quick-and-easy Butterfly themed card that I designed using double-sided patterned cardstock and a piece of acetate.

I will post a sneak peek of the card(s) here in January, before the issue hits the newsstands. Perhaps, along with some related projects exclusively for you, my readers! Stay tuned!

Hope You're Feeling Better!

2008-07-24T16:13:00.004-04:00

This is the card that I designed for my MIL after her knee replacement surgery (UGH!). It is another variation on last year's "Wishing You Flowers" card and this year's "Happy Birthday Flowers" cards. And like those cards, this one can also be easily adapted to any occasion by simply changing the sentiment.

Like its predecessors, I began this card by printing my sentiment on a piece of transparency film, trimming it to 5" x 10", and folding it in half. However unlike the previous cards, I modified this card slightly in that I added an additional piece of cardstock to the inside front of the card. This solved my "Where do I sign the card so it doesn't show on the front?" dilemma. To achieve the matted effect, I adhered my 4.5" square of solid cardstock to the inside center of the back of my card. I then attached my silk flowers to the front using mini pastel brads. The final step was attaching my 4" square of patterned cardstock to the inside center of the front of my card using eyelets. This covers up the backs of the brads that I used to attach my flowers, so that they cannot be seen from the inside of the card.

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Lilykate by BasicGrey
Cardstock: textured Mat Stack from Brights series by DCWV
Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
Accents: Pastel Brite mini circle brads & eyelets by Making Memories
Silk Flowers: Craft Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5".

Proud Mama!

2008-07-22T18:40:00.009-04:00

No! Little Baby Sgro did NOT make an early appearance... But another of my creations did make a few cameo appearances on a local Salt Lake City morning television program called Studio 5! My loyal readers will know that I am talking about those cute Cupcake Birthday Cards that I created for the card swap hosted by Paper Crafts magazine's Susan Neal. The segment aired today on Utah's channel 5 at 11am, and described the entire process of an online card swap. Check out the video below, or for more details on online card swaps, follow this link to Studio 5's website...

"Look there he is... front and center... isn't he sooo cute!
Stand up straight for the camera! That's My Darling Cupcake!"

Golden Wishes

2008-07-21T16:56:00.012-04:00

This project has been temporarily removed for publication.
I will post again after its appearance in Scrapbook Trends magazine's Invitation Idea Book.

My Darling Cupcake

2008-07-11T11:44:00.022-04:00

Besides being a super sweet nickname, it is also a project that I created for a swap hosted by Paper Crafts Pro Susan Neal. The theme for this swap was Summertime Fun! Susan was looking for bright, cheerful, summery cards for either Birthdays or Thank You's. One really cool aspect of this swap is that it is going to featured on a local Salt Lake City morning TV program! The program is called Studio 5, and this particular episode focuses on the entire process of an online swap and will air on July 22nd at 11am MST.

I chose the Birthday theme for my project, and modified a cupcake-shaped card that I had created last year for my friend's son's third birthday. The cupcake "top" flips up to reveal a pocket which holds a die-cut sentiment card. It is also the perfect size to hold a gift card.

I first designed the entire project in Photoshop - including the shading for my cupcake holder, top and candle. Next I printed the individual pieces out on colored cardstock and cut them all out. I added metal snaps for my "sprinkles" and attached the top to my cupcake base. I then created a pocket in my base by adhering just the sides. I attached Velcro to keep the flap closed. Finally I created a candle using similar techniques as the one that I designed for my "Piece of Cake" card and adhered it to my cupcake top.

For the sentiment, I designed a gift card sized insert to fit inside the pocket. I chose a simple "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" saying in a fun, chunky font and used bright colors which echoed the colors I chose for my cupcake "sprinkles." To make it more interesting, I die cut the top of the card around the text.

Speaking of die cutters, I would not have taken on this project for this swap if I did not have access to a die cutting machine. (I had to create 12 of these cupcakes!) I am super lucky to have a Graphtec Craft ROBO - a gift from my DH. Gotta love my hubby! (Well, I have to -- the rest of you can love him from afar!) I like the Craft ROBO because it allows me to cut my own designs instead of using only the manufacturer's. This was actually the first time I used this handy little machine, and I have to say I have mixed reviews. When it worked - I loved it! There was no way I was going to be able to cut out all those cupcake patterns by hand as accurately (and without blisters!). Not to mention the inserts! However, it was rather frustrating getting the machine to read my registration marks -- sometimes it worked, and often it didn't -- and I still haven't figured out why. But anyway, with its help I got my entire project done on time. YAY! That's what I call a sweet ending!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Assorted colors from DCWV; white from Hammerhill
Accents: snaps by Making Memories; Velcro fasteners
Transparency Sheet: 3M
Ink: Sharpie metallic permanent marker by Sanford
Tools: Crop-A-Dile from We R Memory Keepers; Craft Robo die cutter by Graphtec
Fonts: Beatnik by LetteringDelights.com
Software: Photoshop & Illustrator from Adobe; template - original

Finished Size approx. 4" x 5.5"
Additional photos in my online portfolio at sgro.smugmug.com.

BREAKING NEWS: Nationwide Paint Chip Shortage!

2008-07-02T15:52:00.010-04:00

AKA "Paint Chip Cake Card Hits the Newsstands!"

I just got my August/September 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine, and there it is! Right on page 83 in the "Mediums of Color" column ... my Paint Chip Wedding Cake Card!

To celebrate its grand appearance, here is a similar card that I designed also using a paint chip, but with a very different color scheme.

For this version, I decided to go with bright, contrasting colors. I picked a sherbet orange cardstock for my base and a purple paint chip for my cake. After trimming the paint chip, I again opted to decorate my cake with paper flowers. However, instead of using mini adhesive pearls for the center of the flowers, I chose orange fabric paint. I also used the fabric paint to accent my cake with little swirls. Finally, I adorned the top of the cake with a ribbon bow and flower accent.

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5"

For more pics of this Paint Chip Cake card, check out my online portfolio.

Feelin' Retro...

2008-06-30T17:40:00.004-04:00

Here is a simple card that I created for (yet another!) June Birthday. However, it could certainly work for many other occasions, like Mother's Day or Hello Friend. I found the inspiration for this card in my April/May 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine. Leslie Webster designed her "Stylish Pleated Dress Card" using Bambi64's template from the SplitCoastStampers' website. (I have cleaned up Bambi64's pattern and saved it in PDF format. You can download it here.) For my dress, I added my own personal touches using a piece of velvet ribbon and a fabric rose which I hand-sewed to my card.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards from DCWV; Classic K McKenna Mat Pad by K&Company
Patterned Paper: Rosey Nook Blossoms from Scrapbook Walls line by Chatter Box; Retro Beads from Paper Pizazz line by Hot Off the Press
Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks ribbon by Michaels
Accents: ribbon rose
Template: from SplitCoastStampers.com member Bambi64

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5".

So Honored...

2008-06-27T12:28:00.014-04:00

I was oh-so-pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Tammy Morrill last month. Tammy is the editor of Paper Trends, one of my favorite magazines. Anyway, Tammy wrote me asking if I would like to be a part of their "1 Sketch, 4 Styles" feature for their October/November issue. I was (and still am!) sooo honored! This is the first time that a publisher has specifically approached me to be in their magazine -- as opposed to my flooding them with my submissions!

As the issue is coming out at the end of the year, I chose to create a card with a Christmas theme based on their sketch. I titled it "Holly and Snowflakes." I hope all of you Paper Trends readers enjoy my design! (My blog readers will be able to see the card posted here in December.)

With their acceptance of this card, I will have not one, not two, but THREE of my creations in one magazine! WOO HOO!!! A new record for me!

Happy Birthday, Everyone!

2008-06-23T10:30:00.010-04:00

June is a very big birthday month here amongst the Sgro friends and family (including Yours Truly!). So in honor of all the June birthdays out there, here are two simple birthday cards that I created this month...

Happy Birthday Flowers I

Both of the cards in this Birthday series are variations on my "Wishing You Flowers" card that I designed last year. I began by printing my sentiment on a piece of transparency film which I then trimmed to 5" x 10" and folded in half to create my card base. I attached a 4" square of double-sided patterned cardstock to the back of my card with eyelets. I then arranged my plastic flowers across the front of the card, attaching them with colorful brads.

Bonus Tip! When attaching the flowers to the transparency film, first pierce a hole in the film using a paper piercer or pin.

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Brenda Walton Neopolitan Mat Pad by K&Company
Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
Accents: Watercolor Brite mini circle brads, flower brads & eyelets by Making Memories, Greenhouse plastic flowers by American Crafts

Happy Birthday Flowers II

For this second card, I started with the same base design as the previous card. But for this card, I decided to create a softer, feminine feel using a pastel swirl double-sided patterned paper and silk flowers instead of the previous plastic variety. I folded a silk leaf in half and adhered it using Glue Dots. I then clustered my silk flowers in the center of the card front, attaching them with brads. For additional dimension and layering effect, I folded some of the silk flowers in half and tucked them under the attached flowers, using more Glue Dots.

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Wedding Multi Mat Pad by K&Company
Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
Accents: Watercolor Brite mini circle brads & eyelets by Making Memories
Silk Flowers & Leaf: Michaels Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5".

Bonus Tip! Both cards are easily adaptable to any occasion - wedding, anniversary, friend, sympathy, etc.

More Happy Holidays!

2008-05-28T16:39:00.008-04:00

And a Happy Halloween, too!

I just found out that my Halloween Treat Boxes and my (in)famous Paint Chip Tree Cards are both going to be featured in the October/November 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine! Woo hoo! That's TWO in one publication! A first for me...

I'll give you a heads up when the magazine hits the newsstands. In the meantime, I do have to remove both projects from my blog. So sorry! But I promise to re-post them in December!

MY BIGGEST PROJECT EVER!

2008-05-21T14:11:00.011-04:00

Hi everyone!

I know I have been a very, VERY, VERY bad blogger lately. But I have a good reason! My latest, and most important project ever has been taking up all of my energy. But I am now ready to show you a sneak peak...

That's right! I'm PREGNANT! Little Baby Sgro is due in late November. It'll be DH's and my first child. We're so excited! As I just entered my second trimester, I thought it was safe to tell the world! So far, everything has been going very well. Although Junior has been demanding oodles of my energy! And unfortunately, I've been napping more than I've been crafting. Sad, but true...

I will continue posting my paper crafts projects as Junior allows. And I predict more baby projects in the future...

~ Angela

"PEAS IN A POD" (Part 5)

2008-04-07T11:49:00.011-04:00

Prizes and Favors, Oh My!

These are the pails that used as my prizes for my best friend Julie's baby shower. I created over 30 of these little pails -- I wanted to have enough for one for each of my guests, just in case. And it was a good thing that I did, as I only had a couple left by the end of the shower! (I gave away a lot of prizes during Baby Gift Bingo...)

Luckily they were super-easy to create. I purchased the pails from Target's wedding favor section (on clearance - Yay!). I printed out my sentiments on yellow cardstock and used two different size punches to create my circles. Then it was simply a matter of punching a hole through each tin with my handy-dandy Crop-A-Dile (so easy -- just watch out for flying metal pieces!) and attaching my circles with a piece of ribbon.

I filled each pail with a combination of kiwi and green apple jelly beans or light and dark green M&M's, to give my guests a choice of candies. I also used food-safe plastic bags to hold my candy, as I could not be sure that the pails themselves were food-grade quality.

These were the "Two Peas in a Pod" favors that I gave to each of my guests. Sorry for the glare -- I probably should have taken at least one of them out of its bag... The "peas" are actually Lindt truffles wrapped in green foil. I created the "pea pods" using light and dark green crepe paper and green twist-ties. I got this wonderful idea from Amy's "good to be girl" blog. Thanks Amy!

For my bag toppers, I used the same graphics and fonts that I used on my game cards. For added interest, I had the "stem" of my "pea pod" extend beyond the fold. I simply trimmed that small section with my craft knife before scoring and folding my cardstock. I then inserted my "pea pod" into a candy bag, stapled my bag topper (back only) to the bag, and used some adhesive to hold down the front of the bag topper to the bag. I did this to avoid seeing the staples on the front.

"PEAS IN A POD" (Part 4)

2008-04-02T18:44:00.008-04:00

Games, Games and More Games!

Here are the game cards that I designed for my best friend Julie's baby shower. I planned a few activities for the event. The first one was a jelly bean count. I filled two inexpensive baby bottles with jelly beans and allowed my guests to fill out their entries throughout the shower. I then gave away the bottles of jelly beans as the prizes. For the cards themselves, I again used the same graphic that I used for my shower invitations, however I decided to make it more three-dimensional with some shading that I added in Photoshop.

I got the idea for my second game from Scrapbook Trends Magazine's Babies publication. In this game, I instructed my guests to rank 10 activities based on how they thought the mom-to-be would rank them. I then gave a prize to the person with the most matches. For consistency, I used the same graphics and fonts on all three of my games cards.

My final activity was Baby Gift Bingo. Each guest received a game card and a pen. Then, as Julie opened each gift, the guests crossed off squares if the gift matched. In order to win, a guest would have to mark off five squares across, down or diagonal. (Tip: If you plan on hosting a similar game at your shower, have plenty of small prizes as I had many winners with this activity!)

"PEAS IN A POD" (Part 3)

2008-03-27T18:18:00.008-04:00

Young Girl's Invitation and Charm Holder

Here is the invitation that I sent out to the younger guests of my best friend Julie's baby shower. I used the same design that I had created for my "Charmed Birthday" invitations, as seen in the December/January 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. I just modified the colors, fonts and choice of patterned paper to coordinate with the adult invitations for the shower. Each of the invites includes one child-sized charm bracelet with a "It's a Girl" heart charm and a bejeweled initial charm, matching the first letter of the girl's first name.

Instead of creating individual charm holders to use as prizes (as I did with my "Charmed Birthday" set), I decided to give each of the girls all of their charms at once, so that they could create their bracelet as a craft activity. To that end, I decided to design one large charm holder for each set of charms. I based the size of the my holder on the card that came with the original packaging. I designed the holder to coordinate with my invitation, and used the packaged card as my template to punch small holes for the charms. Then I simply reused the wires that held the charms to their original packaging to attach them to my holder. I also repurposed the acetate envelope to protect my charms.

Invitation Finished Size 4" x 4.25".
Charm Holder Finished Size 2.75" x 4.25".

"PEAS IN A POD" (Part 2)

2008-03-25T08:45:00.011-04:00

Two Thank You Cards...

This is the Thank You note card that I designed to coordinate with my "Peas in a Pod" baby shower invitations (see earlier post). I used the same pea pod graphic that I had designed for the invitation. I created a few different variations before settling on my final choice... (1) Adding small buttons (too much bulk); (2) Adding paper buttons on foam tape; (3) Printing the entire pea pod (including buttons) separately on white CS, cutting it out, and attaching it with foam tape; and (4) simply printing the entire graphic directly on to my yellow CS. My runner up choice was #3 - printing the pea pod separately - because it gave me my truest colors. However, after an informal poll (my DH), I decided that all the added embellishments were too much for such a small, simple note card. So I went with #4 - printing directly on the CS. Which also happened to be the easiest and quickest choice - Yay!

The cardstock that I chose was originally an A6 Folded Card. I sized my note card to fit two-up so that I could get two per card. The cardstock was also yellow on the outside and white on the inside. I decided to take advantage of this fact by trimming the front cover of my note card with decorative edge scissors and allowing the white interior to show through. I added the polka dots and along with my sentiment and Voilà! completed Thank You card!

This is the Thank You card that I designed for the woman I hired to bake the mini cupcakes that I served at the baby shower. I used the same A6 Folded Cardstock as above to create this card, however this time I held the fold at the top of the card. I also trimmed the bottom of the cover in an arc. I used a photo of the cupcakes that I had taken at the shower and mounted it to the front of the card with foam tape.

For the inside of the card, I decided that I wanted to create a pocket in which to hold my payment check. I simply folded my CS up and adhered it on the sides to form a pocket. Then, to add contrast with the front of my card, I adhered some green gingham patterned paper to the pocket. This was a simple design that could also work to hold a gift card.

Finished size of both cards approx. 4.5" x 3".

Happy Easter Everyone!

2008-03-23T23:07:00.022-04:00

Just a quick post to share with you an easy Easter Basket that I made with the kids at my family's Easter gathering. There are many variations of this basket on the web. My version uses just one sheet of 8.5" x 11" cardstock or construction paper, a small hole punch, and two brads. Once completed, I let the kids embellish them as they wished with silk flowers, stickers, die-cut letters, etc. In the sample above, I used silk pansies which I separated from the wire stem, and removed all the remaining plastic except for the flower's "stamens." I then attached them to the basket with the same brads that hold the basket together. Enjoy!

Starting with a letter-sized piece of cardstock, cut off a 1.75" x 11" strip. Trim this strip to 1.25" x 11" and punch holes where indicated. Put strip aside to use as your basket handle.
Trim the remaining piece to a 6.75" square. Score 2.25" from each side. Cut where indicated on solid lines and fold on dashed lines.
Punch holes where indicated. Fold the sides up until the holes align. Insert a brad through the holes in the basket and the handle.
Embellish as desired.

Click for full size pattern.

Finished size approx. 5" x 2.5" x 6".

"PEAS IN A POD" (Part 1)

2008-03-22T10:24:00.018-04:00

First and foremost, Congrats to Julie and Ken on the birth of their two bea-U-ti-ful baby girls earlier this month! Yay!

As promised, here is the first look at the projects that I created for my best friend Julie's baby shower. The complete party ensemble included invitations for the adults, invitations for the younger girls, charm holders (also for the younger guests), thank-you note cards, favors with hand-cut bag toppers, three different game cards, and decorated prize pails. I also designed a thank you card (which could also double as a gift card holder) for the woman who baked the mini cupcakes that I served instead of cake.

When I began planning for this shower, I knew the proud parents-to-be were going to have twin girls. So I began my search for a theme at that source of all knowledge... the Internet. I wanted to go with a twins theme, and after much (much, MUCH!) research, I finally narrowed it down to "Noah's Ark" or "Peas in a Pod." I really liked the "Noah's Ark" idea... (you know... "Two by Two") and I thought I could easily find decorations and prizes (animal-shaped balloons, beanie babies, etc...). But then I thought about creating 30+ ark-shaped invites... and my DH (Dear Hubby) pointed out that the "Two by Two" is the mom and dad, not the babies... So I did a mock-up design of a "Two Peas in a Pod" invitation, decided it was uber-cute, and went with my new theme.

The inspiration for the cover of my invite came from a "Two Peas" baby photo album that I came across online. It used buttons as the "peas" and I loved that idea for its added dimension. So I designed my own peapod in which to nestle my little shell buttons. My original design was entirely monochromatic in green and white. It wasn't until after I completed all the invitations and started working on the coordinating items that I introduced yellow as an accent color.

For the invite itself, I knew I had a lot of information that I wanted to include - the event data, directions to the location with a map, and registry info. So I took a cue from formal wedding invitations and decided to split the information up onto separate cards. For visual interest, I chose to stagger the heights of the cards, and based the size of the cards on the amount of information each needed to contain. The directions card is actually the longest card -- it unfolds to reveal a map and text. Finally, I created a pocket in which I could tuck my cards.

Assembly was actually rather simple. I designed the outer card so that I could get two cards from a single 12" square piece of cardstock. Once printed, I simply folded it up once to create a pocket and then in half to form my card. Creating the inner cards was simply a matter of printing, trimming, folding and collating. As you can imagine, the cover was the most time-consuming. I printed multiple designs on white cardstock, trimmed them to size, cut a slot for my "peas" using a craft knife, attached my buttons using glue dots, and finally adhered it to my cardstock with foam tape.

Finished Size 6" x 4.5" (closed).
Check back soon for additional "Peas in a Pod" projects...

Happy Spring Everyone!

2008-03-16T19:37:00.012-04:00

Well, maybe I'm jumping the gun just a teensy, weensy, little bit... But hey! The first day of spring is this Thursday, and just this past week I saw approximately TWO DOZEN robins pecking away in a field. So spring can't be too far off...

So I figured now is the perfect time to share with you my Flower Pot Seed Holder project. The base for this project is a larger, more embellished version of my "Miss You" Envelope Book. (You can find the webisode and the instructions for these Envelope Books on the Paper Wishes website.)

I originally created these Flower Pot Seed Holders as elaborate birthday cards for my best friend and my mother-in-law, both gardening enthusiasts. The flowers and top lip of the "flower pot" open up to reveal pockets containing seed packets and a tag with sentiments. I used the larger No. 6 coin envelopes for this project -- they're the perfect size to hold my seed packets. The flap is held closed with some Velcro, and I used layers of silk flowers for added dimension. I presented this "card" in a drawstring organza bag, as it was rather bulky for a traditional envelope.

Finished Size Approx. 3.75" x 7" x 0.75"
More pics in my online portfolio.

Making Your Own "Love Stamp"... Priceless

2008-03-10T17:30:00.010-04:00

Hate the rising cost of stamps?
Well here's how you can make your own!
True, this "Love Stamp" Tag won't get your package delivered, but it will make sure that it is well-received!

I designed this tag using the handmade Prima-style paper flowers that I created using Valita's great tutorial (see previous post), and scraps of paper and ribbon that I had on hand. First I measured out a 2.25" x 1.75" rectangle from my patterned paper. Then I applied my rub-on and attached my paper flowers with mini brads and glue. Next I matted my patterned paper on white cardstock which I trimmed with decorative scissors. Next I cut a 3.5" x 2.5" piece of blue cardstock. I rounded the bottom corners and mitered the top corners. Using a slot punching tool, I added a hole through which I threaded my ribbon. Finally I mounted my "stamp" onto the tag with foam tape.

Materials:

Patterned Cardstock: Blossom "Sisters" Bird/Light Pink from Bohemia collection from My Mind's Eye, Red/White Hearts Double Sided Mulberry paper from The Paper Company, blue cardstock from Brights series by DCWV, white cardstock by Hammerhill
Accents: mini circle brads and Simply Stated Baby rub-on by Making Memories, paper flowers - handmade
Fibers: ribbon from Target's $1 Scrapbooking line
Tools: Paper Edgers Stamp decorative edge scissors from Fiskars; Paper & Ribbon Slot Punching Tool by Making Memories; rounded corner punch, retro flower punch & daisy punch from EK Success; embossing stylus tools by Royal & Langnickel

Finished Size 2.5" x 3.5", exclusive of ribbon.

Make Your Own Prima-Style Flowers!

2008-03-10T17:06:00.019-04:00

I found this great tutorial on Valita's blog. My loyal readers may recognize Valita as the designer who used my Original Hawaiian Shirt template to created those darling cards -- the one with the slippers and the one with the paint roller. Well, Valita came up with a great idea on how to create your own Prima-style flowers using flower punches and handmade paper. (You can find the link to Valita's wonderful step-by-step tutorial here.)

I didn't have any handmade paper on hand, so I used some scraps of double-sided mulberry paper. Since this paper is rather thick, I first peeled apart the paper into two layers. That's two for the price of one! Also, my flower punch didn't make heart-shaped petals (like those on the famouse Prima flowers), so after I folded each petal down the center, I snipped off a piece at the fold with my embroidery scissors. A little dry embossing with a stylus and Voilà! A finished flower for a fraction of the cost, using supplies that I already had on hand!

Thanks Valita!

(Stay tuned for a quick and easy project that I created using these handmade flowers...)

Busy Little Bee...

2008-03-05T14:08:00.010-05:00

Howdy folks! I've been super-duper busy, so I thought I'd share with you a card that I designed a while ago...

I titled this card "Welcome to the HIVE!" It's a simple, cheerful card that I created using a sheet of acetate as the card base. The bees, "grass" and sentiment are on the front of the card, while the flowers reside on the inside. All of the accent images are vellum stickers. I added color to the fonts using Photoshop.

Materials:

Cardstock: light blue & green adhesive cardstock by DCWV,
white by The Paper Company
Transparency Sheet: 3M
Accents: Happy Flowers/Bees vellum stickers from Provo Craft
Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares from 3L
Fonts: HipHop Demi, Blomster from dafont.com, Leftovers from fontdiner.com

Instructions:

Cut a 7" x 10" rectangle from transparency sheet. Fold in half to form a 5" x 7" card, crease at the top.
Apply large flower sticker to blue cardstock. Adhere to the center of the inside of the card.
Cut a 1" strip from the bottom of the green cardstock. Tear away to edge of green cardstock to reveal white core. Adhere to the bottom of the front of the card.
Print sentiment on white cardstock. Trim to approx. 1" x 4.25". Mount to center of green CS strip using foam squares.
Mount one large bee on white cardstock. Cut out. Glue to card using two stacked foam squares for added height. Randomly attach remaining bees.

Works Like a CHARM!

2008-03-01T10:02:00.015-05:00

I'd like to share with you my "Charmed Birthday" set, which appeared in the December/January 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. I designed this "charming" card to be an invitation to a young girl's birthday party. The invite includes an attached bracelet with one charm. Guests are instructed to bring their new bracelet with them to the party, where additional charms will be given away as prizes. I also designed simple charm holders to showcase the prizes.

Materials:
Bracelet:

Accents: chain from Metal Madness, assorted charms by Fancy Finery, 12mm lobster clasps by Jewelry & Craft Essentials
Tools: needle-nosed pliers

Card:

Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards & solids from DCWV, white from Hammerhill
Adhesive: 3M's ATG gun & tape, Pop Dots from All Night Media
Fonts: Fontdinerdotcom Luvable & Rickles from fontdiner.com, Round No. 1
Tools: Crop-A-Dile by We R Memory Keepers, computer
Other: charm bracelet, see above

Charm Holder:

Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards from DCWV, white from Hammerhill
Accents: assorted charms by Fancy Finery
Adhesive: 3M's ATG gun & tape
Fonts: Fontdinerdotcom Luvable from fontdiner.com
Tools: Crop-A-Dile by We R Memory Keepers, computer
Other: wire

Complete instructions in the Dec/Jan 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine.
Card Size 4" x 4.25"; Charm Holder Size 4.25" x 1.5"
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

Valentine Chocolate Box

2008-02-26T09:53:00.006-05:00

This is the "chocolate" box that I created for my husband as a (belated) Valentine. Lift up the lid to reveal six pieces of Valentine candy, with secret sentiments hidden beneath. It's fat-free, sugar-free, but still oh-so-sweet!

For the box base, I altered a pair of heart-shaped containers that had held some handmade sticker embellishments from Michaels' $1 bins. I added scalloped cardstock to both the front and back of my heart box. I also adhered heart-shaped mulberry paper to the inside of both to cover up the raw cardboard, and an additional strip of mulberry paper to act as a lip for my box. I covered the sides with brown satin ribbon, added a ribbon loop for hanging my project, and accented the front with paper flowers and a custom tag.

On the inside, I adhered six sets of mini baking cups to the bottom - one normal cup and one turned inside out and placed inside the other cup. I did this so that you could see the heart pattern from both the sides and top of each cup. I created six sentiments, punched them out with my circle punch, and accented each of them with a paper flower and silver snap. I then glued one to the bottom of each of my mini baking cups.

For my "chocolate," I chose felt stickers for the tops. Then began the search for something to use as the bases for my candy pieces. I thought mini wooden spools, or checker pieces, or those foam marshmallows would be perfect, except for the fact that I didn't have any of these lying around the house. I tried slicing off rings from a cardboard wrapping paper tube, but that was too wide and flimsy. I thought about stacking buttons, but discarded that idea also. Finally, EUREKA! Plastic bottle caps! They're the right size, lightweight, and available! (Well, if by "available" you mean emptying out a couple of half-filled soda bottles, ransacking the recycling bin, and swapping out blue caps for the white caps on my milk containers...) Voilà! My project is complete!

Finished Size Approx 5.5" x 5.25" x 1.75", exclusive of ribbon.
Lots more pics in my online portfolio!

Happy Holidays!

2008-02-25T01:01:00.009-05:00

No, I'm not stuck in a time warp...

I just found out that my Holiday Gift Card Tags have been accepted for publication in the upcoming Paper Crafts: 3 Ways special issue from Paper Crafts magazine! So excited... just had to share!

I'll let you know when the issue goes on sale in August. And perhaps I might even be able to share some related bonus projects with you, my loyal readers!

It's a Piece of Cake!

2008-02-22T09:48:00.015-05:00

...and a Gift Card Holder Too!

It was love at first sight when I first saw Susan Neal's "Slice of Cake Card" in the March 2008 issue of PaperCrafts magazine. Those of you who regularly follow my blog know how I enjoy making shaped and interactive cards. So when my sister-in-law's birthday came up, I decided to create my own version of Susan's card.

I used Susan's pattern for the base of the card, with a few modifications. I decided I wanted my card to be a gift card holder. So I extended my "cake" patterned paper to create a pocket on the inside of the card. I also used Photoshop to add some shading and swirls to my "icing."

For my sentiment, I chose "Birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake." It seemed appropriate for this card! LOL

I decided to create my own candle, instead of using the pattern provided. I chose to create my card to fit in a 5¾" square envelope. This gave me the room to design a taller, slimmer candle than the one in Susan's project. Here's the step-by-step on how I created this candle...

Step 1: Run small pieces of yellow, light pink, and dark pink cardstock (CS) through your Xyron sticker maker. Remove clear plastic.
Step 2: Punch small flowers from dark pink CS. Set aside punched flowers to decorate cake.
Step 3: Adhere dark pink cardstock over light pink cardstock. Cut out shape of candle.
Step 4: Cut out flame from yellow CS.
Step 5: Adhere candle and flame to a transparency sheet, leave a small amount of space between the top of the candle and the bottom of the flame.
Step 6: Trim around the candle and flame, leaving approximately 1/8" of transparency around the outside.
Step 7: Using a silver metallic Sharpie, draw a "wick" on the back of the transparency.
Step 8: Adhere to card using an adhesive dot.

Blooming Flower Card

2008-02-20T15:55:00.018-05:00

Grattis på födelsedagen!

This is my hexagon-shaped birthday card that "blooms" into a six-petaled flower when opened. This design was inspired by Stephanie Hamilton's project as seen in the February 2008 issue of CARDS magazine. Stephanie and I both used the Hexagon Petal Card template that can be found on the Mirkwood Designs website. I love how the flaps overlap to create a swirl pattern which is emphasized by the alternating patterned paper.

For my design, I decided to add a simple ribbon bow closure. The ribbon performs multiple functions on this card. Of course, it keeps the card closed and adds an elegant finishing touch. But on the back of the card, it also conceals the prongs of the brad that I used to attach an embellishment to the inside of the card.

For the inside of the card, I adhered a piece of hexagon- shaped patterned paper with my sentiment printed along the outer edges. I then took apart a silk daisy and attached it to the center of my card with a large brad. I covered up the front of my brad with the "flower fluff" (technical term) from the silk flower.

Materials:

Cardstock: Olive Parlor Roses from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatterbox
Patterned Paper: Light Summer Flowers from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatterbox
Accents: Pastel jumbo brad from Making Memories, silk flowers and gold ribbon from Michaels Stores
Adhesive: Glue Dots Craft adhesive dots
Fonts: Blackjack from Font Bros
Tools: Xyron's sticker maker
Other: template from Mirkwood Designs; Photoshop

BTW, in case you're wondering, "Grattis på födelsedagen" is "Happy Birthday" in Swedish!

Baby Shower Bib Favor/Prize

2008-02-15T08:33:00.024-05:00

This was a special request that I received from Joanne, asking for ideas to wrap up baby shower prizes. She had purchased six 1½-inch boxes of Hershey's Kisses to give away and wanted something "cute and memorable that everyone will ewww and ahhh over." The inspiration for my idea came from a card by Meera D'Souza which appeared in the Dec/Jan 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. I didn't have any 1½-inch boxes handy, so I attached my finished embellishment to a Martha Stewart gift box. Joanne, I hope this helps!

Materials:

Cardstock: colored, textured Mat Stack by DCWV, white by DMD
Digital: flowers from Rhonna Farrer's April 2006 Kit from Two Peas in a Bucket
Fibers: pink narrow ribbon from Michaels stores
Adhesive: mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots and Tape Runner XL by Therm O Web
Fonts: Lauren Script
Tools: Mega Scalloped Circle & Super 2" Circle punches from Marvy Uchida; 1" circle punch from EK Success
Other: Photoshop

Step 1:

Print or stamp your design on your white cardstock.

I used the flowers from Rhonna Farrer's April 2006 Kit and the font Lauren Script for my text. To make this into a prize instead of a favor, change the text to "Winner!" or "Congrats!"

Step 2:

Turn your 2" circle punch upside down so that you can see and center your design. Punch your circle.

Step 3:

Trim approximately 1/4" from the top.

Step 4:

Attach 2 lengths of narrow ribbon to your white cardstock using mini glue dots.

Note: stay close to the edge of the circle, as you will be trimming out the center.

Step 5:

Adhere your white cardstock circle to your pink cardstock. Line up the straight edges, and be sure to leave at least a 1/2" of pink around the curve of the circle.

Step 6:

Turn your Mega Scalloped Circle punch over. Insert your layered cardstock and center the white circle. Be sure your ribbon is clear before you punch your scallop.

Step 7:

Turn your 1" circle punch over and partially insert and center your layered cardstock. Again, be sure to keep your ribbon clear of the punch.

Note: If you have trouble punching through the double thickness of the cardstock, you may have to trace a 1" circle on your cardstock and cut it out with scissors or a craft knife.

Step 8:

Tie your ribbon into a bow and trim the ends.

Attach to your box with glue dots.

Final Step:

Be prepared for all those "oooo's and ahhhh's" ...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T12:08:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone of you gets to share this special day with someone you love! Whether it be a significant other, a family member, a friend, or even a pet! But if not, you could at least spend it doing something you love! And for me, that is paper crafting. So, on this special day, I'm combining my two loves by showing you a Valentine's Day card that I made for my Dear Hubby!

I actually designed this card a while ago, with my husband in mind. The base of this square card is a transparency sheet on which I mounted a pink swirl heart "pocket." The cover asks the question, "How do I Love thee? Let me count the ways..." (Although, I suppose technically it should say "WHY Do I Love Thee?"...) I provided five of the answers on flower-adorned strips of double-sided cardstock, which are stored inside the pocket.

The inside of the card reveals another, slightly smaller heart that reads, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Materials:

Cardstock: Classic K McKenna by K&Company
Transparency Sheet: 3M
Accents: Prima Flowers, Making Memories brads
Adhesive: Therm O Web & Xyron
Fonts: Contemporary Brush, Beautiful

Honestly, I could count way more than five reasons why I love my DH, but from an aesthetic point-of-view, five looked good sticking out of the pocket. Sorry, Dear!

Finished Size 5" square.
Want to see more of this card? Check it out in my online portfolio!

It's in the (Diaper) Bag!

2008-02-12T22:51:00.009-05:00

Howdy folks! Just wanted to get a quick post up to show you the card that I designed for my best friend's baby shower.

I had an overflowing designer diaper bag in mind when I created this card. I'm not sure if I achieved the effect that I wanted... It may be mistaken for an overflowing tote bag instead. Oh well!

I picked my cardstock and ribbon to coordinate with my Foof-a-La patterned paper from Autumn Leaves and added pink ribbon with a bow to hide the seam. I attached my handles with brads and looped a couple of plastic pacifiers on ribbon to the front. I adhered another strip of patterned paper on the inside. I cut the paper longer than the card to suggest baby bottle holders on the sides. I also only added adhesive to the sides and bottom to create a pocket in which I stuffed die-cuts of toys and other baby paraphernalia. (Could also hold a gift card...)

The finished size is approximately 6" x 7.5".
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

CELEBRATION TIME!!! (Part 3)

2008-02-07T18:04:00.000-05:00

Make a wish and blow out the candle!

Here is the third installment of my "Birthday Bubbles" series...

Materials:

Cardstock: Blue #2 from DieCuts With a View
Double-Sided Patterned Paper: The Goods Bubbles by American Crafts
Transparency Sheet: 3M
Accents: Birthday Soft Spoken embellishments by Me & My Big Ideas, birthday sticker from Lighthearted Collection by Wordsworth
Adhesive: mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots
Tools: Xyron sticker maker, Fiskars paper crimper

Instructions:

Cut a 5" x 10" rectangle from transparency sheet. Fold in half to form a 5" square, crease at the top.
Cut 1½" x 3" rectangle from solid paper.
Cut a 3" x 3" square and the cupcake top (see template) from patterned paper.
Run all three pieces through Xyron sticker maker, so that the adhesive is on the patterned side of the square and on the orange side of the cupcake top.
Apply birthday sticker to solid side of square. Attach to the center of the inside of the card.
Remove clear plastic from the solid rectangle (not the wax paper backing) and run it through crimper, short end first.
Trim bottom corners from each side of the crimped paper to form "cupcake holder." Start cutting approx. ¼" in from the bottom edge, cutting to top corners.
Attach the cupcake holder, cupcake top, and candle to the front of the card.

Bonus Tip! Use clear mini glue dots to attach the candle instead of the the foam adhesive provided - it'll be less noticeable from the inside of the card.

My Bad...

2008-02-07T17:54:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone!

So sorry that I have been so absent recently. For the past month or so, I've been working on my best friend Julie's baby shower. I was busy designing the invites, game cards, favors, prizes, thank you notes, etc. for the big day. (Well, not THE Big Day. I'll leave that one to Julie...)

So to make it up to you, my next post will be the final installment in my "Birthday Bubbles" card series. And I hope to be showing you at least some of the designs that I created for Julie's shower in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your patience!
~ Angela

Tag! I'm "IT!"

2008-01-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! The editors over at Paper Crafts magazine have informed me that my Holiday Photo Gift Tags have been accepted for publication in their upcoming special issue, Holiday Cards & More, Vol. 3! Yay! The issue won't be going on sale until October, so I have a loooong time to wait until I can see it in print.

I actually submitted a whole bunch of projects for this issue, and the one that they accepted is actually one of my simpler designs. Which goes to show, that you can't predict what the editors will choose!

Short, Dark, Handsome... and Online!

2008-01-24T01:17:00.000-05:00

I've got great news for all of you who requested a copy of the template to my Tuxedo Card. You will still be able to find it in the Step-by-Step section of the February/March 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. But now the editors have also included the template and complete instructions in their online Idea Gallery. So feel free to head on over there and download your own copy! Happy Crafting!

Edited to Add: Although the template and instructions to my Tuxedo Card are available through Paper Trends magazine and their website, please note that they are for personal use only. According to my contract with Northridge Media, I still retain the sole rights to use this template for commercial purposes. Thank you for understanding!

CELEBRATION TIME!!! (Part 2)

2008-01-23T11:20:00.000-05:00

Time to put on your Party Hat!

Well, at the end of 2007 I promised you more how-to's from my "Birthday Bubbles" series, and here it is!

Materials:

Double-Sided Patterned Paper: The Goods Bubbles by American Crafts
Transparency Sheet: 3M
Accents: red button from Winnie's Walls collection from SEI
Fibers: 3" piece of red rick-rack ribbon from Kids Line and Scrapbook Stitches from Making Memories
Adhesive: Glue Dots Craft dots
Tools: Xyron sticker maker

Instructions:

Cut a 5" x 10" rectangle from transparency sheet. Fold in half to form a 5" square, crease at the top.
Cut one 3" x 3" square and one 2" x 3¼" rectangle from patterned paper.
Mark center point at the top of 2" side of rectangle. Trim from bottom corners to top center point to make a triangle.
Print sentiment ("Let's Celebrate!") on orange side of square.
Run both pieces of patterned paper and rick-rack through Xyron sticker maker, so that the adhesive is on the patterned side of the sentiment square and on the orange side of the triangle.
Attach the sentiment square to the center of the inside of the card and the triangle to the center of the front of the card on an angle so that the "hat" covers up the sentiment.
Thread Scrapbook Stitches through button and knot. Attach button to the top of the "hat" with Glue Dots.
Trim ribbon to fit bottom of "hat." Attach to card.

Bonus Tip #1: Use the grid from a cutting mat to help you center the square on the transparency.

Bonus Tip #2: When printing on small pieces of cardstock, print sentiment on a larger piece of paper first. Then adhere cardstock to larger paper over the sentiment with removable tape. Reprint.

Stay on the lookout for the third installment of my "Birthday Bubbles" series - my yummy Cupcake Card!

Let Them Eat CAKE!!!

2008-01-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Or perhaps I should say,
"Let them PUBLISH Cake!"

I'm so excited! My Paint Chip Cake Card is going to be published in the August/September 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine! You may remember this card, as it made its debut appearance right here in my blog back in November. It was the one non-Christmas themed card that I created during my crazed Paint Chip phase...

I have to temporarily take down my blog post about this project, as well as all other online images related to my Cake Card. Sorry if this will inconvenience anyone planning on recreating this card. I will repost the tutorial in July, when the issue hits the newsstands.

Starting the New Year with a BANG!!!

2008-01-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Hope you all had wonderful holidays! Mine is starting off with a bang! (and a crash, but more on that later...) Last week I got an email from Kelly over at Paper Crafts Magazine, informing me that my "Santa Gift Boxes" were one of three winners in their December Gallery Challenge. Woo Hoo!!! The theme of this challenge was Holiday Gift Wrap.

I decorated my "Santa Gift Boxes" to look like the Big Guy himself. The smaller box's lid lifts off. The larger box's jacket opens to reveal the gift inside. Both boxes are held close by Santa's "belt."

I modeled the larger box after Williams-Sonoma's Handcrafted Marshmallows package. I find a lot of inspiration from their package designs. Not to mention some really Good Eats!

Congrats also to my fellow winners, joey73 and MOlin! Joey73 designed an absolutely adorable gift tag, and MOlin created a very elegant holiday tea tin. You can see all three winning entries (plus dozens more) in Paper Crafts' gallery for the month of January.

: : :

And what about that crash that I mentioned earlier? Well, my cellphone/PDA (that's Personal Digital Assistant, not Public Display of Affection!) died early last week, and I've been spending DAYS trying to recover as much of my data as possible. My PDA is my address book, my calendar, my recipe files, my shopping list, my diary, my memory, my LIFE! Lemme tell you, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth at the Sgro household! Why do I share all this with you, Dear Reader? Well, the moral of the story is... ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATA!!!

Thank you. That concludes my Public Service Announcement. You will now be returned to your regularly scheduled life...

CELEBRATION TIME!!! (Part 1)

2007-12-31T19:16:00.000-05:00

Fifty and Fabulous!

No, not me! My latest newly published card! You can find it in Paper Crafts Magazine's special issue titled Card Creations: Quick & Easy. It's on page 76 in their section on Birthday Cards and it's called "You're 50."

The editors chose the "Gift" card from my "Birthday Bubbles" series of cards. (That's an earlier version of the published card in the photo above.) The card base is a piece of transparency film folded to form a square card. The rest of the card is very quickly assembled using some ribbon and a couple of squares and a rectangle cut from some festive double-sided cardstock. My Xyron machine was a big help with this series of cards. (Please see magazine for complete instructions.)

And here's a special bonus for you, my readers! What the magazine does not show is the inside (and punchline) of my "You're 50" birthday card.

Front of card: You're 50
Inside of card: That's 10 Celsius. Happy Birthday.

Hmmm... know anyone who acts their Celsius age instead of their Fahrenheit age??? Then this card would be perfect for them!

Bonus Tip! Need a card for a different age? Check out this Fahrenheit to Celsius Chart...

: : :

Well, this is my final post of the year. I would like to thank 2007 for being such a wonderful, creative, and productive year for me. And special thanks to all of my readers for all of your encouragement and support over the past six months. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be blogging! Check back next year for additional how-to's from my Birthday Bubbles series, plus a whole lot more!

Hope you all have a Happy, Healthy, and Creative New Year! Thanks for reading!

~ Angela

Holiday Gift Packaging

2007-12-26T20:07:00.006-05:00

Hope you all had wonderful holidays! I know I did! And now that the gift-giving is over, I can share with you a few of the projects that I created to wrap up some of my presents this year...

Guitar Gift Card Holder

This first one is a guitar shaped card that I used to hold a music store gift card. I used the pattern and instructions from PaperCrafts magazine's "Card Creations, Volume 5" issue. It is the card titled "Always in Tune" that Nichole Heady created for the Father's Day section. I love the realistic effect that Nichole achieved using the embroidery floss and mini brads!

I embellished Nichole's design with my own holly leaves to make it more appropriate to the season. I completed the holder by attaching the gift card to the inside with removable adhesive dots.

Finished size 4" x 5.5".
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

: : : : :

Holiday Gift Card Tins

These are two more CD tins that I altered to hold gift cards. I chose cardstock from Reminisce's Snow Globe collection. Similar to my "Hoppy Birthday" Gift Card Tin, I again used a paper sleeve to wrap the tin. And I finished both of them off with more of my personalized tags which I attached using colored safety pins.

For the "Blue Snowflakes" tin, I chose Reminisce's Snowglobe cardstock for my main patterned paper. I attached two layers of ribbon to the outer sleeve using eyelets and some adhesive. I embellished the cover using rub-ons and a plastic snowman.

For the interior of the cover, I again used the Snowglobe paper, and accented it with diecut stickers, green tree buttons and some more ribbon. For the actual gift card holder, I created a flapped pocket using Reminisce's Frosty Frame Up cardstock, and held the flap closed with a piece of Velcro. I wrapped the gift card holder with a length of ribbon and a plastic snowflake. Finally, I finished the look with some additional rub-ons.

For the "Red and Green Stripe" tin, I used Reminisce's Polarity patterned cardstock for the sleeve. I wrapped it with a length of gold ribbon tied in a bow. I again accented the cover with a rub-on.

I covered the inside of the cover with more Polarity cardstock and gold ribbon. I also added some plastic snowflakes and a diecut sticker. I created another flapped pocket from the Frosty Frame Up cardstock to hold the gift card, and used my slot punching tool from Making Memories to create a half circle slot to hold my flap down. Finally I embellished it with an additional plastic snowflake and ribbon bow, and added some rub-ons to the tin.

Finished size 5.5" x 5".
Want to see more? Check out my online portfolio!

HP's Activity Center

2007-12-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

I found another great website with hundreds of FREE print projects. It's HP's Activity Center and right now they're featuring a whole bunch of great holiday downloads, including these fun 3D Holiday Ornaments.

Stuck for some last minute gift wrap and tags? I found these cute tags and stickers on HP's site. You can also print out your own gift wrap and boxes. Not to mention dozens of creative cards and paper for your very own family newsletter. Already done with all of your holiday cards and gifts? HP also has calendars and party kits for the New Year!

Happy Holidays Everyone!
~ Angela

Holiday Boxes and Bows... Oh My!

2007-12-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of gift boxes that I created for the holidays. I got my inspiration from a number of different online resources. The box is your basic origami box. There are a many great websites offering instructions on how to create this box. To find them, just enter "origami box" into your favorite search engine. One of the best is Kristina Werner's video tutorial which can be found on her blog. I chose one patterned paper and one solid paper to create my box. Then I tied the two color schemes together with my bow and accents.

The paper bow is my own variation of the tutorial which can be found on SplitcoastStamper's website. However, instead of cutting and gluing 13 individual loops, and using multiple brads, I used fewer strips of longer paper and just one long-pronged brad.
Here's how...

Materials:

6" x 12" piece of double sided paper
(Note - heavier double sided cardstock will also work,
but it will be more difficult to manipulate)
brad/paper fastener with long prongs
(you can find these at your local office supply store)
paper piercer (or a thumbtack, for an inexpensive alternative)

Instructions:

Cut eight 10" x 3/4" strips and one 4-1/2" x 7/8" strip of the double-sided paper.
Tip: First cut your paper into two 6" x 10" and 6" x 2" rectangles. Cut the eight strips from the larger piece and the small strip from the 2" piece.
Pierce 3 holes down the center of each of the 10" strips: 1/2" from each end and one in the middle.
Pierce 2 holes in the 4-1/2" strip: 1/2" from both ends.
With the prongs facing up, place the end hole of one of the 10" strips on the brad, inside pattern side up. Using a figure eight pattern, place the center and second end holes on the brad. Always keep the inside pattern facing up on the brad.
Rotate 90 degrees and repeat step 4 so that the loops form a plus sign.
Continue with the remaining 10" strips, rotating so that each new loop falls in between existing loops.
Finish with a single loop made from 4-1/2" strip. Bend prongs to secure bow.

Bonus Tip! Since I knew that I would be attaching this bow to my paper box, I pierced a whole in the center of the lid of my box. I then inserted the brad from the inside of the lid so that the prongs protruded up on the outside of my box. Next I put my box lid over a jar, so that I would have a stable surface to create my bow. Once I finished my bow, it was already neatly attached to my box! Voila!

: : :

I based the design for my personalized tag on Nichole Heady's Mini Gift Cards. I love the simplicity and elegance of Nichole's design! Since I didn't have her stamps, I decided to use a graphic from a Digital Kit instead. I chose the holly leaves from Kate Teague's "Berry Days" Kit which I downloaded from the Two Peas in a Bucket website. I finished it off using Font Diner's Rickles font, my Marvy Uchida Mega Scalloped Square Punch, and some ribbon. I attached my gift tag to my bow using a small safety pin.

Finished size of boxes approx. 4.25" square x 2.75", exclusive of trim.
Bow is approximately 4-1/4" across.
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

Holiday Frame Ornaments

2007-12-12T19:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a super quick and easy (and inexpensive!) holiday idea that would be a great project to do with the kids. I designed them as ornaments, but they would also be wonderful as package decorations and as gift tags.

Here are the basic instructions for the base:

Cut a 3" x 6" piece of patterned cardstock.
(Heavier cardstock works better for this project than the lighter weight patterned paper.)
Fold in half to form a 3" square.
Using a 1-3/8" square punch, cut out a hole in the center of one of the squares.
Note: I really like using EK Success' square punch for this project, because I can simply insert my paper all the way into the punch until it stops. And then I center the punch visually on the paper and squeeze. That's it! No measuring required! Of course, if you do not have this punch, you can cut out the square with a craft knife or scissors.
Glue your 1.5"-1.75" square photo in place.
Glue the frame closed.
Attach wire or ribbon to hang ornament.

That's it! Now it is up to you to embellish as desired. My only caution to you is to not go too crazy with the embellishments, especially the heavier ones, as the base is only paper. And also keep in mind that you want your ornament to hang straight, so you may need to balance out an embellishment on one side, with an additional one on the other side.

Blue Snowflakes Frame Ornament
Finished Size approx 3" x 4.25", exclusive of wire hanger.

I attached snowflake brads to the top corners and wrapped the ends of a length of wire around them to form the hanger. You could also attach eyelets and thread ribbon through.

I then added a playful plastic snowman using mini glue dots. Finally I attached three plastic snowflakes using jump rings. I really like the dangling effect that I achieved here!

Red & Green Striped Frame Ornament
Finished Size approx 3" x 3.25", exclusive of ribbon.

I chose to have a photo on both sides of this ornament. Simply do steps 3 & 4 on both sides of your cardstock.

I added a sheer cream ribbon as a hanger. To attach it, I carefully cut a slot through the top of my photos, where the pictures meet the frame. I then slid my ribbon through.

Hint: use a thin piece of metal or plastic to help guide your ribbon through the slot.

I then knotted my ribbon at the top to form a loop and tied a red bow around my ribbon at the top of the frame. Finally I adhered a ribbon poinsettia to each side of the frame using glue dots.

Enjoy!

"CHARMED, I'm sure..."

2007-12-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

Speaking of News and Newsstands...
I just got my copy of the Dec/Jan 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. And guess what I found on pages 94-95??? My "Charmed Birthday" creations! Woo Hoo! It's the very first project in their section on charms. I'm not permitted to post pics of my project until after the magazine leaves the newsstands, but I did manage to sneak in a tiny peak... (see inset at right)

I hope this project inspires you for your next birthday party! Or perhaps for a bridal or baby shower?

EXTRA! EXTRA! Subscriptions Now Available!

2007-12-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Good News! After multiple requests (and a couple hours of research), I have added an e-mail subscription link to my blog. You can now get my posts sent right to your mailbox. That's right! All my brandy-new rantings and ravings, my stream-of-consciousness jabbering, and (oh yeah!) my paper craft projects delivered to right your computer's doorstep, all fresh and hot from the oven!

Still interested? Just enter your email address in the form on the right. You may regret this...

p.s. Prefer to get the latest scoop delivered to your Reader? Subscribe to my feed by following the Atom link on the very bottom of the page...

Editor's Note: If you find you are not getting my email subscriptions sent to your inbox, please check your spam folder.

Holiday Tin Ornaments

2007-12-04T17:56:00.001-05:00

Here are some ornaments that I made for a Paper Crafts swap. I created a total of 24 ornaments, using four different designs. This was a fun and simple project using 2.5 oz tin containers with clear lids and images that I cut out of gift tags and attached using foam tape for added dimension. (Hint: this would also work really well with stamped or paper pieced images! Or maybe a photograph?!?!) I finished it off with some fake snow, a ribbon loop for hanging, and some rub-ons on the lids.

Finished Size approx 2.75" circle x 1", exclusive of ribbon.
Additional images in my online portfolio.

Creative Imaginations Projects

2007-11-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I know I've been a very absent blogger recently. But I will make it up to you by sharing not one, but THREE projects that I just completed. These are all for a contest sponsored by Creative Imaginations and Scrap Happy KT. Wish me luck!

"Road Trip" Mini Album

I created this mini album using Creative Imaginations' Studio Basics 101 "Rugged" Collection. I used Creative Imaginations' Gift Card Holder from their Bare Elements line as the base for this album. Instead of placing a gift card in the holder, I decided to create a door to conceal a hidden picture. The entire album is held shut with a couple lengths of blue grosgrain ribbon tied in a bow.

Inside, I used another Creative Imaginations element - a Negative Strip from their Narratives Collection - combined with a series of photos of my best friend's son playing in his toy car. I also added a photo to the back cover. Too cute!

Finished Size approx. 5.5" x 5.5" (not including ribbon).
For more photos of this project, check out my online portfolio!

: : : : :

"Summer Fun" Journal

I altered an inexpensive wire-bound book to create this summer-themed journal. For this project, I used Creative Imaginations' Studio Basics 101 "Lush" Collection. I love the playfulness and bright, cheery colors of this collection.

I decided to create my own dividers for this journal and used the collection's circle stickers to decorate my tabs. I also added an attached ribbon bookmark, and adorned the wire binding with some gingham ribbon.

Finished Size approx. 6.75" x 6" (not including ribbon).
Want to see more? Check out my online portfolio!

: : : : :

"Hoppy Birthday" Gift Card Tin

I altered a CD tin to create this combination birthday card and gift for my brother-in-law. I again used Creative Imaginations' Studio Basics 101 "Rugged" Collection. However, this time I went for a masculine feel, as opposed to my little boy theme for my "Road Trip" Mini Album. (And I think I would have been completely successful if I had resisted going for the pun and using the frog tag!)

For the outside, I created a paper slide and adorned it with ribbon and my frog tag. For the inside, I first lined both the base and cover with patterned paper. Then I created a gift card holder adorned with the same ribbon as my slide and attached it to the base of the tin. I also added a ribbon-embellished tag to provide space for an additional sentiment and signatures.

Finished Size approx. 5.5" x 5".
More photos of my gift card tin on my online portfolio!

Paint Chip Cake Card

2007-11-19T23:50:00.005-05:00

As seen in the Aug/Sept 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine!

Yep! That's right folks! It's yet another card made from a Paint Chip! This time I thought I would stay away from the Christmas theme and go with something a little more generic. I created this to be an anniversary card, but it could easily work as a wedding or birthday card with just a few minor changes.

I began by cutting off the sides containing the text and rounded corners of my Behr 5"x6" paint chip. Next I trimmed off the darkest color, leaving me with three swatches. Instead of separating the three colors, I decided to keep the paint chip in one piece. I removed 3/8" from each side of the middle color and 3/4" from each side of the lightest color. I also trimmed some off of the top of the lightest swatch to make the top "tier" shorter, and rounded the top and bottom corners.

To decorate my cake, I added mini paper blossoms and accented some of the flowers with pearls. I finished it with some rub-on swirls. Finally I adhered the cake to the card base with foam tape. I also designed a coordinating envelope created from the discarded pieces of my paint chip.

Bonus Tip! When working with delicate items like paper flowers and adhesive dots, don't pull up on the flower to remove it from the adhesive's liner -- you will most likely tear the flower. Instead, use a craft knife or other metal tool (I like to use my paper piercer) to go between the adhesive and the liner and lift from there.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards by DCWV
Accents: Neutral Mix Mini Blossoms & Doodles rub-ons by Making Memories; Wedding Adhesive Pearls by K&Company
Adhesive: foam tape by Scotch; Mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots
Tools: retro flower punch by EK Success; hole punch
Other: paint chip by Behr

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5"

For more pics of my Paint Chip Cake card, check out my online portfolio.

Paint Chip Santa Cards

2007-11-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some more cards that I created using those now famous Paint Chips. This time I chose to turn them into that favorite of Christmas icons... Santa Claus!

For these cards, I again choose to use Behr's 5"x6" paint chips. However, unlike in my Holiday Tree Cards, I did not cut them on an angle. I simply trimmed the text and rounded corners from each long side of the paint chips. Then I marked the middle of the top of the paint chips and trimmed from middle point to each bottom corner to get my triangle. Using the white lines as a guide, I added the following accents:

Santa's "beard" - half of a scalloped oval
Santa's "nose" - circle punched from darkest color of paint chip remnants, attached using a pop dot
Santa's "eyes" - 2 medium circle brads
Santa's "hat" - small pom pom
Santa's "belt" - velvet ribbon and metal buckle

For each of the cards, I added a patterned paper background and finished the cards with a rub-on and a snowflake brad.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Halcraft USA and DCWV
Patterned Paper: Pinecone Press Papers or Provo Craft
Brads: black circles by Making Memories and white snowflakes by Jo-Ann Stores
Metal buckles: Jo-Ann Stores
Pom poms: Westrim Crafts
Rub-ons: Holiday Word Decor by Royal & Langnickel
Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks black velvet ribbon by Michaels
Tools: 5/8" circle punch and Mega Scalloped Oval by Marvy Uchida
Other: paint chips by Behr

"Ho Ho Ho"
Finished Size 5" x 6.5"

"Believe"
Finished Size approx 6.5" x 6"

For more pics of my Santa cards, check out my online portfolio!

Creative Park website

2007-11-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

I found a really great website that I want to share with all of you. It's full of really cool, FREE materials that you can download and print for your scrapbook, cards and general crafts. It's called "Creative Park" and is brought to you by the fine folks at Canon.

When you go to the website, you can navigate to six different categories: Greetings, 3D Paper Craft, Scrapbook, Art Craft, Calendars, and Digital Photo Gallery. The Greetings category contains envelopes and stationery for various holidays and occasions. I love their 3D Paper Craft section! It's full of simple and complex three dimensional animals and crafts. It also contains some really gorgeous pop-up cards. The Scrapbook heading has many kits for various occasions, as well as accent items like tags, borders and frames. The remaining three categories allow you to create projects using artwork, print your own calendars, and search for free hi-res digital photos.

I hope you enjoy crafting with these items as much as I know I will!

Paint Chip Tree Cards

2007-11-10T22:23:00.014-05:00

As seen in the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine!

Here are three quick and simple holiday cards that I created using, ... wait for it, ... Paint Chips! Yup, that's right! Those sample swatch sheets of color that you get from the paint or hardware store before you buy the full gallon.

I chose Behr's wide 5"x6" paint chip samples to design these cards. I decided to use the paint chips on an angle to create a more dynamic design.

First I started by cutting the text off of the left side of the chip.

Next I trimmed off the remaining two rounded corners, leaving me with a rectangle.

Then I cut the rectangle in half on the diagonal, from corner to corner, giving me two triangles.

Finally I measured the left side of my triangle. I marked the same measurement on the long side of the triangle and trimmed from corner point to the mark to make the base of my tree.

I now have two trees ready to decorate!

I titled this one "Celebrate Tree." For this smaller card, I created a slightly smaller triangle. I tore a strip of green cardstock to create my deckled edge "ground" and attached it to the bottom of the card. I accented the tree with white snowflake brads and a ribbon "trunk." Finally I finished this simple card with sheer ribbon and a rub-on.

This is my "Twin Pines" card. For this card, I first covered my folded base cardstock with a snowy patterned paper. I then adhered a torn strip of white textured cardstock along the bottom to make "snow." I again accented my trees with white snowflake brads and ribbon "trunks."

My final card is called "Christmas Tree" and it is the most colorful of the trio. Like my "Twin Pines" card, I started with a similar snowy backdrop. But I made this one more playful by accenting the tree with a wooden star and colorful button "ornaments." I finished it off with a length of red plaid ribbon.

Hope you like my cards and are inspired to create your own designs using paint chips. If you would like to see more pics of these cards, check them out in my online portfolio

SNOWMAN P**P EVERYWHERE!!!

2007-11-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

Or at least at a newsstand or bookstore near you...

Drum roll please! Here it is! My very first published project is finally out in print! You can see it on page 12 of PaperCrafts magazine's December 2007/January 2008 issue. It is the featured item in Stacy Croninger's "Editor's Note."

Woo Hoo! I'm so excited! I actually haven't even seen it yet myself. I just got an email from a fellow crafter who saw it in her magazine.

I originally created this project for the magazine's "Winter Blues" feature. I used dry embossing stencils to make a holder to wrap up a package of hot chocolate and a small bag of marshmallows.

Amusing side note... Apparently in the Editor's Note, my project is titled ""Snowman Cocoa Wrap." I originally submitted it with the title "Snowman Poop" (because of the poem on the outside). I guess the editors changed my title. Perhaps they found my original title to be too offensive to "Creatures of Ice Crystalline Origin"??? LOL!

To see more of this project, you can simply wait on the street while I throw hundreds of copies of PaperCrafts magazine from every tall building within a 50 mile radius, ... or you can avoid all risk of painful head injury and go out and get your own darn copy, dag nabbit! ;)

Alternatively, you can check it out in my online portfolio...

My Trio of Halloween Treat Boxes

2007-10-31T22:14:00.004-04:00

As seen in the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine!

Here they are! These are the Halloween Treat Boxes that I created for Paper Crafts magazine message board's daily challenge. I had lots of fun creating these cute, little boxes using various digital kits and the Chinese Takeout box template from PackageTech.com.

I created this box using the October Orange Kit from Two Peas in a Bucket. I finished it off with a length of black velvet ribbon from Michaels Stores.

This one uses the Treats from the Streets digital kit from ScrapStreet.com. I added some yellow ribbon from SEI's Kaboom collection and attached it with black brads from Making Memories.

I designed this last box using the Harvest Spice kit from ShabbyPrincess.com. I decided not to add a handle on this one.

Finished Size Approx. 2.5" x 2.25" x 2.5", exclusive of ribbon. More pics in my online portfolio

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

Created using Adobe Photoshop and elements from the
Shabby Fall and Harvest Spice digital kits from shabbyprincess.com.

Happy Halloween everyone! Today I'm hosting the daily challenge over on the Paper Crafts magazine message board. Would you like to join us? Here's the info...

I hope you're not all Halloween'd out, because today's challenge, should you choose to accept it, is both a TREAT and a TRICK.

Here's the Treat:
Create a Halloween Treat Box out of a Chinese Take Out Box.
You could do it by decorating one that you already have (I know the craft stores around me sell them) or you could take one apart to use as a template. Or you can use this template that I found online by PackageTech.com:
www.packagetech.com/chinese-takeout-boxes.html
(Scroll to the bottom to find the blank templates and instructions.)

Now here's the Trick:
Use at least TWO digital elements, when decorating your Treat Box.
You can use ones that you already have, or choose from these Free Digital Kits that I found online:

From Two Peas in a Bucket*:
The October Orange Kit (about halfway down the page).

From ScrapStreet.com*:
Treats from the Streets or
Falling into Fun.

From shabbyprincess.com:
Shabby Fall or
Harvest Spice.

* Note that Two Peas and ScrapStreet both require that you sign in or create a free account to download their kits.

If you don't have a working printer, you can just do the Treat part of this challenge. But I'm trying to encourage everyone to try something new, like using digital elements, in their paper crafting.

Please join me in doing this challenge! No prizes or awards, just trying to get our creative juices flowing and thinking outside of the box. (Or thinking about and making a box, in this case...) I will post my own creation(s) later today. If you would like to see your Treat Box on my blog, feel free to email me a photo. I would love to see what you all do!

Happy Halloween!
Angela

Christmas Clippies!

2007-10-30T18:46:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know I'm pushing the season a little... But I just wanted to share these with you. I created these today for a daily challenge on Paper Craft magazine's message board.

These are called clippies in the paper crafting/scrapbooking world. Clippies are bookmarks made by altering jumbo paper clips. I got my paper clips from WalMart, but they are available in most office supply stores. Splitcoaststampers.com has a great, easy-to-follow tutorial on making clippies here.

My Christmas Clippies were very quick and easy to create. First I ran my patterned cardstock through my Xyron sticker maker to apply adhesive to the back. Then I adhered the paper to my cardboard. Next I punched out the patterned circles with my 1" circle punch. (See tip below.) I used a similar technique with my solid cardstock and my 1.25" punch to create two larger circles per bookmark. I adhered the smaller, patterned circle to the front of one of the larger circles, and a piece of folded ribbon to the back of the other solid circle. Finally, I attached both circles to my jumbo paper clip with a pop-up Glue Dot. I would have used a stronger liquid adhesive (like Liquid Nails or E6000), however someone neglected to completely close the cap on her glue, and now someone has a brick of glue stuck in a tube... Oh well...

Bonus Tip! To perfectly center my punch around my patterned circles, I use my punches upside down for more precise placement.

Supplies:

Patterned Cardstock: Letters to Santa from Candy Cane Lane collection
by Imaginisce
Cardstock: Textured Adhesive Matstack by DCWV
Fibers: red & cream grosgrain ribbon from Target Stores
Adhesive: Craft & Pop-Up adhesive dots by Glue Dots
Tools: sticker maker by Xyron; 1" & 1-1/4" circle punches by EK Success
Other: 3.5" Paper Clips from Walmart; chipboard (aka used cereal box!)
courtesy of Kellogg's

Finished Size Approx. 1.25" x 3", exclusive of ribbon

Anniversary "Love" Card

2007-10-28T23:47:00.000-04:00

One of my newest creations, again using a sheet of transparency film as my card base. This was a (very) belated anniversary card for my brother-in-law and his wife. And now that I have finally given it to them, I can share it with you!

Similar in design to my "Wishing You Flowers" card, I again decided that I wanted to use the patterned cardstock as a backdrop for the cover design. But I also wanted a space for an interior sentiment and signatures. My solution was to fold my cardstock in half and then adhere it to the back cover of the inside of the card. For this card, I chose to spell out the exterior sentiment using patterned chipboard letters. The entire card is adorned with a length of green grosgrain ribbon tied in a knot along the top.

Bonus Tip! When working with transparencies, I like to place a gridded cutting mat under the clear sheets. I use the grid to align my paper and accents when adhering them to the transparency film.

Supplies:

Patterned Cardstock: Classic K McKenna Mat Pad by K&Company
Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
Accents: K-OLOGY Hannah Chipboard Alphabet by K&Company,
jumbo blossoms and pebble brad by Making Memories
Silk Leaves: Michaels Stores
Fibers: Vintage Hip Paisley green grosgrain ribbon from Making Memories

Finished Size 8.5" x 3.75". Sized to fit in a standard #10 envelope.
Want to see more of this card? Check it out in my online portfolio!

Wishing You Flowers

2007-10-26T22:13:00.000-04:00

This card was one of my first attempts at using transparency film (aka acetate sheets) in my card design. I really enjoy working with this material -- it challenges me to think differently and is still somewhat unexpected. The only real downside is that you have to be very careful with your adhesives, as they cause smudges that are very difficult to remove from the transparency.

(If anyone has any tips they would like to share on how to remove unwanted adhesive and smudges from transparency film, please leave me a comment on this post!)

This actually was a very simple card to create. First I printed my sentiment on a piece of transparency film. (See bonus tip below.) I trimmed the sheet to 5" x 10" and then folded it in half to create my card base. I then glued a silk leaf to a square of double-sided patterned cardstock. I attached the cardstock to the back of my card with eyelets, with the leaf facing the back. I attached a flower and another silk leaf to the front of the card with a giant pebble brad. Finally I adhered a bracket on either side of the flower.

Bonus Tip! When printing on transparencies, I flip my text/image to print backwards on the rough side of the film, and then flip the printed transparency so that I am using the smooth side for my card.

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Classic K McKenna Mat Pad
by K&Company
Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
Accents: Funky Vintage clear brackets,
paper daisies, pebble brad, and eyelets
by Making Memories,
Silk Leaves: Michaels Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5". Want to see more of this card? Check it out in my online portfolio!

Winners of my Vacation Blog Candy Contest!

2007-10-22T10:26:00.004-04:00

We have our winners! Congratulations to Denise and Tejal! They were the first to identify the landmarks in my two photographs.

Tejal was the first to correctly name picture #1 as the Golden Jubilee Bridge in London, England. This pedestrian bridge connects the north and south banks of the Thames River. It also offers a great view of the London Eye, one of the largest observation wheels in the world.

Denise was the first to identify picture #2 as the famous Eiffel Tower, overlooking the River Seine in Paris, France. This iconic landmark was built for the 1889 Paris Worlds Fair.

(BTW, that object in the center of the Eiffel Tower in my photo is a giant, inflated rugby ball, as we were in France during the World Cup.)

Congrats to both of you ladies! Denise and Tejal, please email me your addresses and I will send you your copy of the October 2007 issue of Paper Crafts magazine. And thanks to everyone else for participating in my little contest. Some of you were sooo close, but I had to wait until I got the correct names of the landmarks before I declared my winners.

Hope you had fun! (And now you see why I had such a wonderful vacation!)

Vacation Blog Candy!

2007-10-20T19:31:00.001-04:00

Hello Dear Readers!

I apologize for not posting for a while, but I've been away -- on vacation! My husband and I went away for 10 wonderful days. Our first real vacation in years. Where you ask? Well, I'm not going to tell you! At least not yet...

To make up for the fact that I have been so silent these past two weeks, I am going to turn my vacation destination(s) into a contest. Here are two pictures that I took on my trip. The goal is to be the first person to leave a comment on this post correctly identifying one of these landmarks. I will give away a prize for each photo for a total of two prizes.

My prizes are copies of the October issue of Paper Crafts Magazine. Because of a subscription mix-up, I ended up with three copies of the October issue, so I thought I would give away two of them to you.

Here's the fine print:
As the prize for identifying each photo is the same, I am going to award the magazines to two different people. (Trying to spread the wealth!) So even if you are the first person to correctly identify both photos, you will only get one prize. The second prize will go to the next person to correctly identify the other photo. And close friends and relatives who already know my vacation destination(s) are not eligible to win. Sorry!

Please be sure to sign in or leave your name with your comment so that I can identify you if you win. And keep checking back to see if you've won, or for additional hints if necessary. Remember you can click on the photos to see larger images. Have fun guessing!

UPDATE: It seems that the first photo is far more challenging than the second. Those of you who guessed that the first photo is of a bridge are correct. However, I do need the name of the bridge to declare a winner. So here are some additional hints to help you along...

Hint #1: Residents around the landmark pictured in Photo #1 would say that my husband and I were on holiday, not on vacation.

Hint #2: You can get an EYE-ful of a view while standing on the landmark in Photo #1.

File Folder Accordion Albums

2007-10-08T19:48:00.009-04:00

These are two projects that I created for my very first swap! (For those of you who do not know, a swap is a popular way to trade supplies and creativity with other crafters.) This particular swap was hosted by a Paper Crafts Magazine Message Board member, and required each participant to create two albums based on Kristina Werner's tutorial. Kristina designed her patterns using half of a manila file folder. I chose to use double-sided card stock instead and secured it with a coordinating ribbon bow. The book opens to reveal four sentiment tags tucked inside individually decorated pockets.

I designed the first one, which I titled "Enjoy," using a olive and orange color scheme with pops of deep red. I decided to go with a floral theme, and added different paper flowers on the cover and each pocket. I accented the small flowers with dimensional fabric paint and the larger cover flowers with brads. As a final touch, I drew dotted swirls with a white gel pen and tied it all together with a bright cheery orange and yellow ribbon.

For the sentiments, I decided to go with a whole relaxation and pampering theme. I chose words like "enjoy," "have fun," "celebrate," and "smile" for the tags.

Supplies:

Card stock: Mustard/Green Stripe from the Wild Asparagus collection by My Mind's Eye
Patterned Paper: Tangerine Beach Blossoms from the Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatter Box
Paper Flowers: All About Me from the Sweet N Sassy Floral Embellishments line and Press N Petals, both by Prima
Brads: Making Memories
Rub-Ons: Making Memories and American Crafts
Ribbon: Michaels Stores

: : :

I decided to go with a more masculine tone and more subdued colors for my second album, which I titled "Inspiration."

I chose a polka-dotted card stock in soft greens and browns. I picked natural embellishments, like the silk leaf and the paper flowers. To add to the masculine effect, I attached metal accents on the pockets and covers. I included some faux stitching on one of the pockets.

Finally I secured the entire album with a dark/light chocolate brown ribbon.

For the sentiments, I chose all inspirational words and included a quote by Henry David Thoreau. The tags say "create," "imagine," "dream," and "inspire."

Humorous side note... When I showed my husband this card and told him it was my "masculine" version, he pointed out that "it still has flowers." It was his suggestion that maybe the flowers would be more acceptable if I made it look like a scientific illustration. Hence the little tag with the Latin name "bellis perennis." And guess what! I like that added touch! Thanks, hubby! (BTW, bellis perennis is a daisy.)

Supplies:

Card stock: "Cherish" Dots/Brown paper from the Wild Asparagus collection by My Mind's Eye
Patterned Paper: Fence Stripe from the Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatter Box
Paper Flowers: Press N Petals by Prima
Silk Leaf: Michaels Stores
Brads, Eyelets & Snaps: Making Memories
Ribbon: Michaels Stores

Finished Size approx. 3" x 5 5/8" closed and 11.5" x 5 5/8" open.
Want to see more of these albums? Check them out in my online portfolio!