Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Christmas Wrap-Up!

Hello!

We're now solidly into the 2nd week of January so I have to ask...How many of you have gotten your holiday decorations put away and are ready to face the rest of January?! 

::Raising my hand and flapping it wildly over here:: 

I admit, this year my decor came down almost the day after Christmas. I love the pretty and the glow of the twinkling lights, but I was ready to move on. (Do I hear a chorus of ME TOO's! out there?)

But before I completely wipe Christmas 2012 off the books for good, I wanted to share this fun layout with you. I did this using some PageMaps for Spellbinders dies and the beautiful Carta Bella Merry & Bright Collection. I did a few step outs in case you'd like to make one of your own.

1. Cut a 10"x10" piece of white cardstock and adhere to the center of the pink cardstock base.
2.Using the PageMaps dies, cut four strips of green scallop border.  Adhere around the white square and trim excess.

3. Trim a 4 1/8"x4" block of lt. blue polka dot patterned paper and a 5 1/4"x4" block of numbered patterned paper. Adhere side by side at the bottom of the white cardstock square leaving a small border at the bottom and each side.
4. Trim a 12"x.5" strip of striped paper. Adhere across the page flush with the top of the patterned paper blocks as shown.

5. Trim a 3"x5 1/4" strip of white cardstock. Notch the bottom into a banner and add journaling. Adhere centered over the numbered patterned paper block and flush with the bottom of the page.
6.Using the PageMaps Jar Labels die, cut a bracket label out of pink patterned paper. Adhere along the striped strip centered over the white journaling strip.
7. Trim "Merry & Bright" out of Carta Bella patterned paper. Adhere over the pink bracket label using foam adhesive.

8. Using PageMaps dies, cut several heart shapes. Punch holes into the ones that don't already have holes and string them on white twine. Add Carta Bella flags as desired.
9. Secure twine on white brads stretched across the lt. blue polka dot patterned paper.


10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for two more rows of charms/tags. Adhere as shown.



Supplies: Bazzill Cardstock and brads; Carta Bella PP, diecuts, alpha stickers and stickers; PageMaps for Spellbinders die templates; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L adhesive; twine.

11. Add photos and embellish as desired with Carta Bella stickers as shown.
12. Cut small banner out of white cardstock and adhere in the upper right of the page as shown. Add Carta Bella sticker and alpha as desired.
13. Add bow of white twine around the "Merry & Bright" label as shown.

I can't tell you how much I love these fabulous dies. Their possibilities are endless! I'm so honored to have been selected to be on this year's 2013 PageMaps design team where I will get to use them on a regular basis. And I'm even more excited that I will get to be able to share more projects like this with you in the future!

And with that, may I now (thank heavens!) put "The Holidays, 2012" to rest! Have a wonderful new year!
xoxo, 
k.

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Spellbinders + PageMaps = AMAZING!

Hello, all! Happy Saturday!

For those of you out there that are crafty types, you probably know that the entire industry is anxiously awaiting the start of the Craft & Hobby Association's Winter convention next week in California! Manufacturers are busy getting their brand new product ready to show and I have the huge pleasure of getting to work with bits of it here and there. I hope you had the chance to catch my post featuring some of Hero Arts' gorgeous new stamps. They are not to be missed (as always!) And today, I get to show you these new PageMaps dies by Spellbinders!

They are so stinking cute, I can hardly stand it!

  

I used both of the above die sets, the "Say What?" and the "Charmed, I'm sure", on this fun layout below. I had such a great time creating the background paper to set the tone for the story of how my son - while he loves the ladies - is definitely a one woman man! ;) (It does his mama's heart good!)

Supplies: Simple Stories SNAP! patterned papers, Bazzill cardstock, My Mind's eye wooden pennant, washi tape and baker's twine, BasicGrey alpha stickers, Stampin' Up! scallop border punch, Uni-ball Signo pen, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L adhesive and PAGEMAPS by Spellbinders dies

I can't wait to see what else Spellbinders has in store. Their products are always fun and incredibly unique!
Have a wonderful day and I'll be back soon with a few more fun things to share!
xoxo and happy crafting!
k.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

OLW: HAPPY New Year!


Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!

I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that it's already 2013! I am now the mom to a TEENAGER (gasp - Ethan turned 13 on the 28th!) and I know it's going to go warp speed here on out. So to start the year off right, I wanted to find myself a focus word - that one little word that would be my talisman or reminder all year through about what I wanted/needed to devote my time towards. I need that. Boy, do I need that. (Focus is one of my issues! J) A couple of years ago I picked the word “change.” And trust me it was a year of change. With 2012 being a bit tumultuous for me and my family at the end, I was looking for a word that would both focus and inspire me.
And I finally settled on: HAPPY.

Happy. When I got to thinking about it, it’s what I really wish for most for both me and my family – to be Happy. Once upon a time, many moons ago, I was known for having a sparkling personality. My nickname at one of my very first “grown up” jobs was “Ms. Sunshine.” And while I know that most still think of me that way, the issue is that I don’t think of myself that way. So I want to bring the HAPPY back for 2013! That means (among other things) doing things for ME, surrounding myself with things that inspire, looking for the pretty or the good wherever I can find it. And in this layout, as my first project for 2013, I did just that!  

This project was for my OLD NEW BORROWED COOL Challenge over on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. I really hope you'll hop over to learn more about it, the products used and my challenge to do a NON-PHOTO layout or scrap about your OWN one little word.

Here's to a wonderful, HAPPY 2013!
xoxo, 
k.