American Crafts | Card 'Hang in there'

American Crafts | Card 'Hang in there'

Welcome to a new blog post featuring a motivational card 'Hang in there'. We all need a little encouragement every now and then. Here is my motivation for you: "Don't give up, despite all difficulties which you might be facing right now!". I created a card with a patterned paper from the Journaling Pad that comes with Shimelle's 'Never Grow Up' Collection. I backed the paper with white cardstock to turn it into a foldable greeting card. You can find a description on the American Crafts Blog. And now onto some project photos:

Supplies: American Crafts Shimelle 'Never Grow Up' Acrylic Stamps (356184), Journaling Pad (356178), Here We Go Foam and Cardstock Letter Stickers (356179)

And now it's time to hop on over the American Crafts Studio Blog to find out more. You might want to check out my previous blog post featuring 6 techniques for scrapbookers too. Wishing you a lovely day! Yours Sandra.

American Crafts | 6 techniques for Scrapbookers

American Crafts | 6 Techniques for Scrapbookers

Hello and welcome to my blog. Today I’m sharing 6 techniques for scrapbookers. I’m sure you know most of these techniques. And you might have used some - or all of them - on your projects already. However, if you’re new to scrapbooking, I hope to inspire you to try something new. To try the 6 techniques, you need the following tools and supplies: fringe scissors, needle and thread and/or a sewing machine, transparency paper, a pair of scissors, foam pads, and stickers and patterned paper in matching colors.

[Ad/Werbung] I had a look at the projects I’ve created for American Crafts so far. And I realized that I love to use the following 6 techniques:

• Using transparent paper
• Fussy-cutting
• Sewing on paper
• Fringed accents
• Matching colors
• Layering (with foam pads)

And here is my medley of 6 scrapbooking techniques:

Number 1 is to ‘use transparent paper’. In addition to using patterned paper and/or white cardstock, you can add transparent paper to your projects. You can back up cut-outs to create room for journaling. Or you can insert a transparent paper page into your mini albums too. This adds variety and interest to your projects.

Number 2 is fussy-cutting. All you need is a pair of scissors and patterned paper. Fussy-cut flowers, clouds, and other elements from the patterned paper with scissors. Adhere these fussy-cut elements onto scrapbook layouts, cards, or mini albums. This is a fun way to create embellishments. You can also create stunning backgrounds with fussy-cut elements.

Technique number 3 is ‘sewing on paper’. Adding sewn details either by hand or with a sewing machine is definitely one of my favorite techniques ever. You can sew a frame around a photo, you can add stitched lines and shapes. You can even create a background and then add photos and embellishments.

Adding fringed accents is technique number 4. TIP: You don’t need fringed scissors to create fringes. You might just as well use ordinary scissors to cut fringes from paper. Create handmade embellishments by adding a fringed paper layer. This will add structure and interest to your projects.

Technique number 5 is ‘match colors’. Try to mix patterned paper and embellishments in matching colors to create harmony on your projects. A color wheel can help you to pick colors that work well together. TIP: Try to match papers and embellishments that have complementary colors, for instance yellow paper and orange embellishments.

The final technique (number 6), which I like to use is ‘layering with foam pads’. Basically, you create a pile by layering stickers, ephemera and other embellishments. And to create more dimension, just add foam pads between the layers. That’s it!

Supplies: American Crafts | Vicki Boutin Let's Wander Tag Journal Pieces (355341) | Amy Tangerine Picnic in the Park Aloha Leilani (355366), Sticker Book (355378), Sticker Book (355379) | Shimelle Never Grow Up Collection Fly Free (356155), Pick A Letter (356160), Dreams Come True (356170), Floral Ephemera (356183), Layered Stickers (356186) | Dear Lizzy Here and Now Accent & Phrase Stickers (356656), Boxed Cards (356662)

I hope you like the 6 techniques and are ready to try these on your next projects. Have fun creating! Wishing you a lovely day, yours Sandra.

Crate Paper | Sweet Story by Maggie Holmes | Lovely Spring Cards

Crate Paper | Sweet Story by Maggie Holmes | Lovely Cards

I love to make cards! And the Sweet Story Collection by Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper is perfect for cardmaking (and all other papercrafting projects too). The patterned papers and embellishments are indeed sweet. I created three cards, a gift tag, and two layered flowers with the collection. For the first card, I cut a card base from white cardstock. Next, I glued an acetate frame from the Acetate Ephemera Pack onto the card base. I finished off the card by adding a handful of cute embellishments.

For the next card, I picked a card from the Sweet Story Boxed Cards Set (373157). Then I added a journaling card with the title 'I can't help but smile'. To round up the sweet design, I added some of my favorite ephemera pieces, star stickers, and embellishments from the new Maggie Holmes collection.

I also created a pretty layered flower. This is a nice decorative element to put onto a present, a gift tag, a gift bag, or a card.

The gift tag is effortless to make. Pick a tag from the Ephemera Pack (373064). Add a butterfly embellishment. Last but not least, stamp the label stamp from the Clear Acrylic Stamp Set (373065) onto white cardstock. And fussy cut the label with your scissors.

For the final card, I created another large floral embellishment. I used the Flower Die Set from Maggie Holmes' Collection Confetti (back from 2017). Hop on over to a past blog post featuring the flower die set. I also stamped the sentiment 'Hello' onto white cardstock. And I added it onto the card for the title.

Supplies: Crate Paper - Maggie Holmes Sweet Story | 6 x 12 Sticker Sheet (373062), Acetate Ephemera Pack (373064), Clear Acrylic Stamps (373065), Sweet Treat (373070), Pink Truffle (373075), Sparkle (373137), Kindness (373146), Chipboard Stickers (373150), Self Adhesive Puffy Bows (373152), Layered Butterflies Stickers with Glitter Accents (373154), Boxed Cards Set (373157) | Maggie Holmes Confetti Flower Die Set (683713)

And now it's time to hop on over to the Crate Paper Blog. Check out my blog post over there too. Wishing you a great day, yours Sandra.

American Crafts | Scrapbook Layout Daily Memories

American Crafts | Scrapbook Layout Daily Memories

Hi there and welcome to my blog featuring a scrapbook layout called 'Daily Memories'. The layout is interactive. The daily memories can be written inside the cute Envelope Stickers from the 'Picnic in the Park' Collection by Amy Tangerine for American Crafts. To jot down your memories, simply open the envelopes. They come with white paper inside, which is perfect for little notes or even small photos. When someone looks at your layout, they can open the envelopes to see what's inside. 

I also added a journaling card with a calendar page for one month. You can mark the dates with a pen, for instance by drawing a circle around the numbers.

Hand-drawn lines or bullet points help you to record your memories. And stickers and puffy stickers are perfect little eye-catchers.

I also added ephemera pieces and stickers onto the front of the envelopes. Just make sure that you can still open the envelopes. I adhered foam pads first and then glued the embellishments onto the foam pads.

Supplies: American Crafts | Amy Tangerine 'Picnic in the Park' Petaluma Petunia (355369), Embossed Puffy Stickers (355375), Mini Puffy Stickers (355376), Sticker Book Icon and Phrase Iridescent Glitter (355378), Envelope Stickers (355380), Paper Bows Stickers (355381), Thickers Iridescent Foil and Glitter Loving Life (355382), Ephemera Die-Cut Shapes Iridescent Glitter (355384), Shaped Paper Clips (355387)

And now it's time to hop on over to the American Crafts Blog to find out more. Wishing you a wonderful day, yours Sandra.

Crate Paper | My Craft Corner 2020

Crate Paper | My Craft Corner 2020

Hello and welcome to my blog and a new post featuring my craft corner 2020. I'm creating my projects in a small corner in our living-room. All my craft supplies are stored here. Sometimes I wished I had my own craft room with more shelves and a larger crafting table. The challenge with small spaces is that you have to find smart storage solutions. Over the years, I've found that the best solutions to keep my craft corner organized, neat, and tidy are 1) using stackable boxes with label stickers, 2) destashing on a regular basis, and 3) adding lovely pieces of decoration that make you happy. 

When I sit at my crafting table, I have a rack right in front of me, where I store many of the tools that I'm using regularly: different types of scissors, stapler, and Crop-A-dile. Next to my table to my right side, I'm storing glue, stamp pads, stamps, tapes, foam pads, pens and pencils, and many other things in a mobile storage cart. That way, I have all the tools and supplies that I'm using all the time within short reach.

As I said before, if you have a limited amount of space, using clear boxes with label stickers is a great solution. You can write onto the label stickers to see at a glance what's inside each box. The boxes can be stacked, which helps to use up the space efficiently.

It's also a great idea to keep similar items in one spot. I have a small open container where I collect thread and ribbons for my bookbinding projects. The container can be pulled out easily and I can pick the perfect color for my album projects.

Here is a view of my storage cart. It holds all different essential crafting tools and supplies that I like to use: glue, self-adhesive tapes, stamps, stamp pads, acrylic blocks, pens and pencils, rulers, cutting knives, and brushes.

Don't forget the fun decoration part :). I have two small shelves on the wall right above the storage card. This is where I display decorative washi-tape rolls and smaller projects that I created.

On the left side of my desk there is a smaller storage rack. This is where I keep cardstock, paper pads, and clear boxes with blank cards, tissue paper, and other small supplies (small punches, liquid pearls, and small bottles of color sprays). 

I've also got a decorative étagère, where I store sequins, glitter, paper clips, and other items in small jars.

The main storage space - for paper collections, heat-embossing supplies, grey board, and all other supplies that don't fit inside my shelves - is underneath my desk. Each clear box has a label sticker at the front so I can see what's inside. For me, this is the best storage solution to organize a lot of items in the limited space I've got.

I hope you liked the sneak into my craft corner. I'm also sharing this post over on the Crate Paper Blog. Wishing you a lovely day, yours Sandra.