Scrapbook Circle Blog

Confession time!

candaceh@triad.rr.com (Candace H) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:05:00 +0000

I LOVE both sides of the Prima paper from the January kit. So, for the first time ever, I scrapped on the back of a layout! Yep, that's right. First I scrapped "Cool" and then later, as I was pondering which base to use for "Dig It", I found the other side had the exact "rough/sandy" look I wanted. Since they were both recent layouts of my son, I knew I could put them in the album this way and there would be no problem. So, I guess I went a little green and saved one sheet of pp or cardstock! Maybe I'll find more ways to do this in 2009!

Tip of the Day.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Getting and staying organized! That is the challenge isn't it?! I have to laugh a little I was thinking up these wonderful ideas and then I picked up my Creating Keepsakes January 2009 addition and it had some more organizational ideas (pg 58-59). I guess great minds do think a like! :) Or maybe it's just the new year! I don't claim to be an expert in organization, truth be told I struggle with keeping everything in it's spot, but here are some ideas that I hope will help you:

**If your area/room is out of control RIGHT NOW start small, you don't want to overwhelm yourself in the beginning because you might not want to finish! Pick an area that you have time and want to work on first and DO IT!

**I think the key is to have a place for everything. A couple of years ago I bought 3 Embellishment Organizer cases by Cropper Hopper. They are great for brads, eyelets or any other small embellishments. (I bought mine at Michaels with coupons!) I store my cardstock and pattern paper in Paper Holders also by Cropper Hopper. (these come in 6 x6, 8x8, 8 1/2 x 11 , and 12x12.) I use the 12x12 for both my 8 1/2 x11 paper and 12x12 paper. I store my buttons in old glass canning jars and a shelf (both came from garage sales). My jewels are stored in an old prima flower bottle.

**LABEL it! It does you no good if you put away and don't know which drawer you put it in! I bought a Dymo Labeler a few years back on the after school clearance for $5, (they have less expensive models that emboss also, they can be found in the office supply section--and you can use them for journaling in your scrapbooking!)

**When you bring it home, PUT IT AWAY!!

**store your most commonly used items within reach (if you have the space).

**When you are done with a project PUT IT AWAY!!

**scraps, what do you do with them? I bought Paper Pouches by cropper Hopper, I labeled them by color (I have two colors per pouch) and those are stored in a 12 x 12 paper holder. I only store scraps that I can cut again with my cricut the others GO! This method saves me from cutting up a bunch more papers later. I do know this doesn't work for everyone and that you might have to throw all of your scraps.

**Okay, the last tip that's seriously probably the hardest for me is purging. Sometimes you buy things and don't use them for the project you intended, or you thought they were so neat (stickers were my thing! And yes I have a cropper hopper storage binder for those!), or you just like to collect! Get rid of what you don't use! Donate it to a school teachers LOVE extra crafty supplies, I give my older things that I'm not interested in anymore to my 10 year old daughter, she LOVES it! By getting rid of the old you make room for the NEW! :)

I sure hope this gives you ideas and hope for your organization. I sure love the feeling when my desk is clean all ready for me to sit down and play! Good luck!

What to do with all those Christmas card photos!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennie) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Happy new year everyone! Sorry I have been missing and out of action lately. I've had houseguests for two weeks and then the stomach flu has visited each children in turn. But, I'm back now and even did some scrapping last night and I've missed it!

Every year, one of my favorite parts of Christmas is getting the mail with all the Christmas cards. I love reconnecting with family and friends and seeing their pictures and reading what they've been up to. But, then, after the holidays, what to do with all those wonderful pictures?

Last year, I came up with a great idea. I made our very own Christmas albums. They are VERY simple. I divided them into family and friends. Then, I have a few pages devoted to each family that we get cards from. So, on each layout, it will have the family name, my relation to them (are they a sibling, a college roommate, etc), and then I put in the picture along with the year).

This way, I can see how each family has grown over the years. It is so fun to look through each year as I add the newest photos! I kept my pages simple so it wasn't overwhelming. Here are a few shots for some examples.

New Years Eve Creating............................

noreply@blogger.com (Marcee) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! This year I not only made it to midnight, but enjoyed crafting while waiting for the ball to drop.First up is a Mini Heart Purse. I finally had the nerve to cut my Graphic 45 Times Nouveau papers. I love the way this little purse turned out!

Second is a and Invitation Envelope. This was so fun to make. Again, I used something that had been sitting for quite some time-Making Memories Delaney.

And last but definitely not least-a bookmark made with the fabulous January Scrapbook Circle Kit. This was SO easy to make. I'm going to create one for everyone in the house.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Crafting:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Y) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:33:00 +0000

I don't know a better way to kick off the new year than working with this awesome January kit!!! All the girls on the Design Team have been busy working on wonderful layouts and altered projects to show you the great versatility this kit has!!! The colors are so rich and it is loaded with FANTASTIC embellishments!
A couple of my favs...in the above layout the Jenni Bowlin Mini Calendars are SO CUTE and perfect on any layout! They can be used simply as a calendar to show the specific date of your picture or just as an added layer to spice up your project!

Another favorite is the Tim Holtz Grunge Boards...in the above layout I did of my friends little boy, I simply took my black sharpie and colored in the tiny circles to make it pop along with Pop Dots for added dimension.

Don't wait!!! Grab this kit to start off your NEW YEAR with lots of scrappin' fun!!

January Kit Layout...

noreply@blogger.com (happydays525) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:22:00 +0000

Having some fun creating with the January Kit! For this one I used some of the fun paper from Collage Press (this double-sided paper is just gorgeous!) as well as one of the journaling tags by CP (which I cut in half using one portion for a journaling spot). I was a bit stumped on what to do with the Grungeboard at first, but found that clustering some of the pieces together and forming a mat for one of my tickets by Jenni Bowlin worked perfectly for what I wanted for this layout...a masculine page featuring both my dad and my husband.

A mini for the new year!

candaceh@triad.rr.com (Candace H) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Just a couple more days of 2008 and I'm thinking of ways to tell our story in 2009. I made a mini tag album using the January's U Rock kit and Cathy Zielske's free downloadable "a year of tags" (click on her name for the link). I printed them on kraft cardstock, cut them out, embellished with the calendar cards, punches and stamps, hole punched, and inserted a book ring. Now I have a little place to record something about our life every week of 2009.

tip of the day.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Need to take a munchies to a New Year's eve party? Try this recipe:

Meatballs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup drained sauerkraut
1 (15 oz.) whole cranberry sauce
1 jar chili sauce
1 jar water (chili sauce jar)
50-60 meatballs (I buy the bag in the freezer section of the grocery store)
Mix liquids and suagar together. Brown meatballs. Put all in a crockpot and slow cook for at least 3 hours.

***Remember for good indoor pictures: THIS TIP!***

Happy New Year!!

Wishing You and Yours a Very...

noreply@blogger.com (happydays525) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:39:00 +0000

and a Happy New Year!

I know that many celebrate on Christmas Eve as well as on Christmas Day, so whatever your plans...may they be merry and bright!

Jen

Keychain, Package Topper or Stocking Stuffer!

candaceh@triad.rr.com (Candace H) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Need a quick little stocking stuffer? I picked up a pack of these badge holders at the Dollar Tree and made a keychain using little pieces of the Scrapbook Circle January kit. Now when I run into an old friend at Target (like just the other day), and she says, "Do you have a picture of the kids?", I will be able to answer "Yes!" So I'm keeping this one, but I may make a few more for last minute "package toppers" for Grandma and Papa's gifts.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

tip of the day....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Have little ones at home that want Santa to find your house? Magic Reindeer food:

So, easy and fun! The Reindeer heads I cut with doodlecharms from my cricut. How to make:

1/4 cup quick rolling oats

1/2 tsp. glitter

put in 4"x6" bags. I cut my paper to 4"x6" and folded in half. Embellish!

The little rhyme reads:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night as Santa's reindeer fly & roam. They will guide them to your home!

Enjoy!

Paper Piecing

noreply@blogger.com (Marcee) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:23:00 +0000

I LOVE Paper Piecing. It's one of the reasons that I adore BHG's Scrapbooks Etc. magazine. It's a great way to use up scraps and to create handmade items for you projects. Not to mention it's fun!
MyScrapChick.com is a fabulous blog that gives you a free pattern every Friday. Today's Freebie is an adorable set of Christmas tags. Plus they offer: Dollar Download s, Patterned Sets, Printables, Tutorials and a Photo Gallery.

Enjoy!

A Look into January (and February too!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:18:00 +0000

The upcoming January kit is going to be so fun to play with...hope you're looking forward to it!And this February kit is so fun, I just couldn't resist sharing a little peek with you. As soon as I saw that robot, I knew he was going into the kit!

Christmas trees!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennie) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:29:00 +0000

I have loved all the holiday colors in the December kit this year. I didn't really have anywhere to hang a banner, so I used the pieces to make Christmas trees on a layout instead. They were fun to embellish with the stickles, pearls, and ribbon! I love how they turned out! Here are some pics. Merry Christmas!

"JOY" to the teacher...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Y) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:53:00 +0000

I have had SO much fun with the December kit Peppermint Dreams! It has been so versatile and perfect for all the projects one needs to make for the holidays! For this project I made the "JOY" letters as a Christmas gift for my son's teacher.

This is so easy and quick to make. I kept most of the embellishments pretty simple with just a few felt stickers from K&Company. I trimmed the edges with some diamond dust for a little holiday sparkle and that was it!!

The papers this month are beautiful and work so well together! If you haven't ordered your kit yet, treat yourself for the holidays!!! You will be amazed at all the layouts and projects you can make!!!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!
Jennifer Y.

A Gift Idea...

noreply@blogger.com (happydays525) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:38:00 +0000

along with some really, really, really, cute decorative tags for you (courtesy of one of my favorite creative blogs, Inside a Black Apple)!

To download these adorable tags, click here and print on cardstock or on an adhesive sheet of computer paper. I used mine to decorate some jars of Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix that I put together that will be special gifts for loved ones this year.

Cool last minute gift ideas...

candaceh@triad.rr.com (Candace H) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:59:00 +0000

Anyone else finding themselves a little bit buried under all the holiday festivities? I know I am! I will say that online shopping has saved me quite a bit of time this year. If you are still looking for a cool gift or two, check out these fun finds from Photojojo:

The Doodle Frame:

The Magnetic Photo Rope:

The Bottle Cap Tripod:

I have to admit that I have not ordered any of these cool gifts yet, though I'd love to receive any of them myself! Perhaps you have someone on your gift list that would enjoy them!

tip of the day....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:32:00 +0000

Truth be told I am pretty frugal with my time & money. And with the economy the way it is I am trying to make my money work for me. I wanted to share a few things with you that have helped me enjoy this holiday season SO MUCH more!!

*when making more than one of the same item: do an assembly line. For example I made 3 photo books (they were different papers) but I still did each design on the page the same. (it saved me time in having to think up a new design!)

*if you make goodies for neighbors and friends, bake and freeze them. (and yes they taste perfectly fine!) This saves you from going crazy with cookie marathons.

*watch your ads, I bought 4 items at Target 3 weeks ago, the next week 2 items came on sale, and this week 2 more items came on sale. I saved an additional $33! (granted this doesn't always happen, but it does more than you think.)

*coupons and ad matching at Walmart. LOVE it! If you have the ad handy and they carry it, they'll match it, no matter what it is!

*wrap your gifts when you get them, or wrap them a little at a time so you aren't up Christmas eve stressed out because they aren't wrapped! (not all mine are wrapped but a lot are...)

*items that have more than one use. Diamond glaze is my new love! It is not only a dimensional glaze but a glue too!

*one last thing, if you have never had a chance to buy a Scrapbook Circle kit it's so worth the investment, you get a TON of quality product! (and no Lisa is not paying me to say this, it's the truth!)

Enjoy!

Peppermint Lollipops...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Y) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:23:00 +0000

Before my local scrapbook store closed down, Recollections, I would enjoy taking classes every holiday season. I would always come away with something fun to decorate the house with. I wanted to share these Peppermint Lollipops that I did. They are easy to create and can make quite an impression in your home. Here is how:

1. Paint your paper mache vase any color you prefer, let dry.

2. Trim top of vase with your choice of ribbon...I choose a plain red.

3. Paint your paper mache circles white on all sides and let dry

4. Trim red cardstock to 1 x 12 to make your borders around the circles, adhere to both (see below)

5. Create a peppermint swirl pattern on red card stock. I created one for each individual swirl and cut each one out.

6. Adhere swirl cardstock pattern to each circle (front and back)

7. Mod Podge over the entire circle...Front, Back and Sides and sprinkle with Diamond Dust.

8. Let dry overnight.

9. Insert a dowl rod, they are sold at Michael's, in the bottom of the circle and anchor to the bottom of the vase. ( I used floral foam to do this and is worked great!)

10. Once in place fill vase with party confetti, cotton snow...your choice.

11. Add a large bow on each to finish it off!!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! Happy Scrappin'!!!

Cinnamon Holiday Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (happydays525) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:55:00 +0000

My daughter and I have been having fun making these ornaments that will be holiday gifts from her this year. She especially loved being able to get her hands all dirty while mixing the dough (it works best if you just use your hands!).

Ingredients:

1-4 oz. can of cinnamon
1 T. cloves
1 T. nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 T. white glue

Mix dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients Mix thoroughly. Roll out and cut shapes. Poke a hole in the top of each cut shape using the end of a straw. Let dry several days, turning over frequently (prevents from curling). Do not eat!!!

Kits & Pieces... and gift ideas!

candaceh@triad.rr.com (Candace H) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:52:00 +0000

I am continuing to use the December kit, Peppermint Dreams, on gifts for my kids' teachers. I found these candles on sale at Hobby Lobby after Thanksgiving. I used papers, pearls and Stickles from the Dec. kit to embellish them for Christmas (I already had the poinsettias in my stash).

I also am making a few little candy bar holders for some of my son's many "special" teachers (PE, Art, Music, etc.). Just used cardstock, pp, and Oct. Afternoon embellie from the Dec. kit, a scallop circle punch, ribbon and magnets (velcro works well too).

If anyone needs more detailed instructions, I can post them over in the Scrapbook Circle forum later this week! Happy Creating and Gift-making!

tip of the day....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:52:00 +0000

I tried this fun ornament that I saw over at the Making Memories blog. The instructions are as follows:
1. Cut your design three times (same size and same shape).
2. Lightly fold the shape in half.
3. Glue two shapes together (glue from the outside only until the fold) to make ornament.
4. Apply adhesive to the third shape and apply to the ornament.
5. Use a jump ring or wire to create loop to hang ornament.
6. Embellish with ribbon.

It was SUPER easy to do and fast! Of course I made it my own and I want to share what I learned:

1.DO NOT make out of thin paper! It doesn't work.....
2.Make sure that you cut a symmetrical shape, (so your sides all match up)
3. Use a crop-a-dile to punch a hole in the top then set an eyelet. (and yes I know that we all have eyelets!)
4. I dusted off my sizzix to cut, and also used my cricut, you can make these with any die cutting machine or if you have 3 of the same sized shapes....

**wouldn't this be fun to add to your decor? Or to a gift for a fun tag? Or if you have a larger center piece? (I would cut four of the same shape, like I did with my tree) Enjoy!

Meeting Santa

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:31:00 +0000

I just did a couple layouts using photos from when my kids met Santa last Christmas.

For fun, I decided to do one layout with the December Peppermint Dreams kit and the other with the Pink Paislee Tinsel Town kit.

I love the different look of each kit and actually ended up using pieces from each kit on each layout.

This Dear Santa layout used the Peppermint Dreams kit with the adorable Christmas tree ribbon from the Tinsel Town kit.This Merry Christmas layout mainly uses products from the Tinsel Town kit, but also has some of the Prima tape and Kaiser pearls from the Peppermint Dreams kit.

I loved the way these flowers turned out! I just cut a 1" X 12" strip of paper for the large flower and a 1/2" X 6" strip for the smaller flower. Then I just folded the paper to create an accordion fan. Once it was long enough, I glued the 2 ends together. Such a quick and easy way to make a custom embellishment!

Loving the Sweet Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:48:00 +0000

I've had a little time to play with the Pink Paislee Sweet Cakes kit this week and it's been so fun.

First I put together a journal for a gift for my daughter's friend.

Here's the cover, back and an inside page.

I also put a card together for a friend's baby shower.
I just love the bright, happy colors and variety of patterns. Everything came together so quickly thanks to the beautifully coordinated kit!

Holiday Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Y) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:12:00 +0000

I love collecting Christmas ornaments every year. It puts me in the holiday spirit and my kids enjoy picking out their favorites to hang on the tree. When I received the December kit, Peppermint Dreams and the add-on kit from Pink Paislee Tinsel Town line I knew I had a lot of altered projects in my future!!

In the November kit last month I received as a part of it, the Piggy Tales Sliding Door chipboard piece. I had no clue what to do with it! When putting the tree up last week creating an ornament with it came to mind. Using the papers from the kits this month with a little cutting and pasting this is what I came up with. This is my dd and ds on their first Christmas together last year in 2007.

I used the Pink Paiselee rub on's from Tinsel Town and I can't get enough of the Fancy Pants ball ribbon from the October kit!!!

The girls on the design team having been rockin' with the holiday projects this month! Make sure you check out the gallery to get all kinds of ideas!!!

Have fun and happy scrappin'!!!