This video shows a fun method to create a winter painting as a gift or for your own home! Stephen Lursen has been doing some work with Donna Downey, and he generously shares this winter silhouette painting! I hope you enjoy it.
For those of you with an electronic cutting machine, you are a step ahead! Cutting a stencil to use would be a breeze!
The Close to My Heart Artbooking Cricut cartridge has this reindeer image which would make a great stencil for the holidays. Otherwise, just search for an image you can cut with your machine!
With the holidays here, since it has become so popular, I was thinking how much fun it would be to show some of my family how to capture some memories with Pocket Page scrapbooking. The cards come in a zillion colors and styles, and pretty much offer something for every taste or occasion. Not only can these cards make scrapbooking easy, but the cards can be used for so much more. Since they have images, words, or even phrases, they can make quick work of a card making project, or even a “traditional” scrapbook page, and can be a great addition to a mixed media piece, or art journaling! Here was a previous post showing different uses for pocket cards.
Did you know that you can create that same pocket page look digitally? It’s really not difficult! Close To My Heart’s online software, Studio J makes it easy! Or what if you want to create your own pocket cards? You can do that, too!
Watch the video and see how easy it is.
A Gift for You!
I would like to let you all know how much I appreciate you following my blog. It is my desire that as I share things I like to do, that you’ll pick up some tips and tricks along the way; and that you’ll want to try new things. As a special “Thank You” to you, I’d like to offer these two pages of pocket page cards. All you have to do is print, and cut. You can even size them down to an 8×8″ square and print them on a letter size paper, to use any way you’d like.
Right Click the button to download, or click to view, and then download.
Welcome to Make It Monday blog hop! If you’ve come Gina’s site at GinaZee.com, you are in the right place!
Now it’s my turn to show you an idea! If you’ve been following along lately, you know that today is the day that the Creative Christmas Bundle goes on sale! 15 Crafters/Designers – 15 products – 1 low price – for 1 week only!
My contribution to this special bundle is an online Art Journaling Basics class! You can find out about it here, but don’t order from that page, because for a few dollars more you can get the entire Creative Christmas Bundle!
Today, I want to show you a project using Karen Fitting’s contribution to the bundle. Karen takes photos of flowers through the whole year, and then finds her favorites to create a calendar. She has put one each month of the year on a separate photo and save them all as 4×6″ .jpg images. That way, we can use them however we want to!
I decided that I would like to make an at-a-glance type calendar in a 12″x12″ size. I created a digital template with twelve 3″x4″ segments. Since the the original images are in a 4″x6″ size they don’t size down without losing part of the image, or changing the proportions. I chose to size them down as much as possible and then just leaving off a bit of the image. That way the photo and calendar remain proportional.
Images from Karen Fitting’s contribution to the Creative Christmas bundle.
After I got all the images on, I linked them all together and sized the entire block of images to about an 11″x11″ square, and changed my background to black.
I added the “2015” text so I’d know the calendar year. Pretty smart, right? Save it all in a single image and it’s ready to print!
Right now, during the month of November, you can print two 12″x12″ layouts from Close to My Heart’s Studio J, for $5.00. This may be a good time to get some of your photos onto pages, or just print your calendar. You could print the calendar on both sides of the double layout, and you’ll have a calendar to give and one to keep!
Watch how to create the calendar page in Studio J.
CTMH #Z2016
CTMH Item #Z2015
Now, hurry over and check out how Beth Soler from Scrapping Wonders is using the Bundle to prep for her December Daily album! If you’re not sure what that even is, it’s an album to capture all the memories of December in one great place, urging you to capture bits of each and every day in December!
Welcome to another Make It Monday blog hop. I’ll link back to Connie Hanks’ project if you missed it, and also point you to the next stop on the blog hop at the end of this post. This week is a Thanksgiving theme, so I’ve come up with something you can use throughout the holiday season!
Today’s project is a treat box made from one 12″x12″ sheet of patterned paper. I thought that with the holidays quickly approaching, this would be a great little trick to have on hand for those last minute needs. When I first saw this idea, the shape reminded me of a miniature house, and I immediately wanted to decorate it like that. If you have a lot of extra paper on hand, projects like this are perfect for using your stash. I’m not even sure where I got the paper I used for the main part of this box.
Before I get started showing you how I decorated my “house,” I’m going to show you the video where I first saw the idea. Julie Comstock describes it so well I decided to just let her do the heavy lifting here!
For Review:
First take the 12″x12″ paper and score it at 3 ” and 9″.
Turn the paper 90 degrees and score at 5″ and 7 “
Now, this is where I decided I better do my home decorating, or it would be too tricky to try and do it once the box took shape. The features you use for the house need to be between the 3″ and 9″ score lines, so that you are in the middle 6″ across the width of the paper.
Begin the decorating between the 3″ and 9″ score.
I used a ruler to trace the outline of my door, which runs only 2 1/2 inches from the fold line. You want to leave plenty of room at the top because that is where you’ll be putting the “roof.” The images are stamped in black from the Close To My Heart Thanksgiving Hostess set.
Next I cut a little door from kraft colored paper, at 2.5″ x 1.5″. Bronze Shimmer Trim was used to create the three little windows on the door. The door knob is from of the Bronze Sparkles.
Kraft cardstock, shimmer trim and a sparkle complete the door.
The roof was created from a piece of paper cut to 4″ x 6″. I cut this one at 4.5″ wide so that I had a little excess to use a scalloped edge punch along the long edges. If you are going to punch the edges, it is easier to score the middle of the paper before you punch the edges so that you get the true middle of the paper.
Cut at 4.5″ x 6″, and score the center before you use a decorative punch along the long edges.
Fold your roof over the top edge of your box, and secure all the layers together so they can be punched at the same time to have your holes lined up.
Secure all the layers at the top of your box and roof to punch holes.
Fill your box with your treats. Be sure to use appropriate food safe plastic bags, parchment paper, or deli paper to keep the contents together and keep any oils from getting on the box.
Fill the box, using food safe plastic or papers.
If you like, you can ink the edges on the roof before securing it over the top of the box. Put the roof on and now you can use whatever ribbon or fibers you have on hand to thread the holes you made and secure the roof over the box, to keep your treats safe inside! I used some bakers twine for this house, and here is the end result.
Don’t miss the November Stamp of the Month!
“It’s the Little Things,” November Stamp of the Month
If you missed Connie Hanks‘ idea on turning Thanksgiving place cards into a gratitude keepsake + hostess gift, be sure and go back! Now it’s time to move forward to see how Melissa Shanhun is counting her blessings to create a gratitude album.
It’s another Make It Monday blog hop! If you’ve come here from Alison Day’s site, welcome! Alison shared how she turned an inspiration prompt into afall themed decoration perfect for her Canadian Thanksgiving today. She shows a lovely piece of home decor she has artfully created. Don’t forget to go back and see it if you haven’t already.
Don’t you love it when you can find more than one way to use something? I know I do! Previously, I introduced you to the quick and easy Base and Bling products in this post. But did you know you can use them for more than just accessories? Take a peek at this video and see more great ideas. Remember, I ALWAYS show you ideas because it can lead you to think of using things in new ways. This is another one of the the times that what was intended for one thing can lead you to use it in several different ways. I didn’t create this video, but why spend time doing that when I can share this one and I’ll be making something or looking for something else to share with you!
If you see anything for which you want more info, there are links below that will take you to my Close to My Heart online shop,
Here is a quick card made with one of the Base and Bling images. I will probably never use all the images for jewelry, so it’s fun to know they can work on other things! This image came from the Journey Style Sheet and was used with a piece of paper from the Chalk it Up paper pack, Black Shimmer Trim, and an arrow from the Chalk it Up Assortment.
Now you’ll want to go over and visit Connie Hanks fromClicky Chick Creates who has created fall banners in preparation for US Thanksgiving next month, but is saying “cheers” to her Canadian friends in celebration of Thanksgiving Day in Canada today! You’ll love her helpful hints regarding creating banners that have a cohesive look with their theme by the papers and textures you select.
See you next time!
Get your digital copy of the annual idea book here:
Right Click on the image to download your own digital copy of the Annual Inspirations Book.
Welcome to Make It Monday blog hop! If you’ve come Gina’s site at GinaZee.com, you are in the right place!
