Mini Scrapbook for a Baby Boy Made From a Paper Bag
I’m really excited!!! I have a really fun project to share today! I did a Paper Bag Mini Scrapbook class a long time ago. My friend, Katie, sewed the books for me, because I can’t sew a lick!!! She sewed me lots of extras, and every once in a while I’ll break one out and put it together. I had this Baby Boy Paper Pack sitting in my room…..well it was actually in the floor, because my scrapping room is a disaster! I thought this would make a cute brag book for someone having a Baby Boy. The kit also had some stickers that matched, so it all coordinated nicely. I added a few metal accents, ribbon, brads, and ribbon flower to complete it.
You will need two brown paper lunch bags. They can be any size. If you don’t care for the brown, you can use white or another color from the stationery store. First, lay the bags flat, and cut the ends off of both of them. The second step is to find the middle and sew the paper bags together…or if you hate to sew, you ask a friend to do it for you 
This is very easy to do with a regular sewing machine using a zig zag stitch. (See photo above.)
Next is to decorate it!!! My pages were 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4″. I cut my background papers to 5″x5″. Keep in mind that you want to have room for photos, so don’t use stickers or embellishments that are too large. You also don’t want to use too many raised embellishments or the book will not close properly.
There will be four pockets to slide in inserts. Cut the inserts 1/2″ smaller than that size of your book. Photos can be put on the inserts as well. I put tabs on the inserts using a short piece of ribbon and a brad. Make sure that the inserts are make from a good weight paper or they won’t slide easily and may rip. I used Bazzill Cardstock for the base and matted it with a coordinating piece of cardstock.
This is a fun project that only takes a few hours. Kids love to decorate these little books and Girl Scouts can do this as a project for recycling. Have fun!!
Handmade Card Using Nestabilities and Beccy’s Place Digi Stamp
I know we’re in the heart of winter, but I see daffodils poking through the soil! This week’s photo for the {PIN}spirational Challenge is below. I love the springy tea cups and blue roses, and I used them as the inspirational for my card.
The image is from Beccy’s Place, and they are one of the wonderful sponsors for this week. I colored the daffodils in the teapot with Copic Markers. The oval, scalloped oval, and lacy oval were cut using Nestabilities and the Cuttlebug. I love the look of all of the oval layers. The designer paper is from Stampin’ Up. I used a Stampin’ Up border punch to edge some of the designer paper. To finish the card, I added paper flowers and pearls.
Visit us at {PIN}spirational Challenges to see what the wonderful Design Team members have created. Join us in the challenge and have the chance to win a great prize from one of the sponsors.
I am entering this card into the following challenges:
The Sweetest Thing – Sketch
613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes
Altered Alice – Inspired by Alice in Wonderland
Challenges 4 Everybody – Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenges – Anything Goes
Glitter and Sparkle – Use a digi
One Stitch at a Time – Anything Goes
The Squirrel and the Fox - Anything Goes
Promoting Your Blog
I know alot of my followers and visitors have Blogs. Having a Blog is alot of work, and I know at times I wonder if anyone is reading it! I found this great list for promoting your Blog and thought I would share it.
Penguin Valentine’s Day Card
You’re going to love the photo inspiration from {PIN}spirational Challenges this week! Scroll down to see the sweet penguin mommy, daddy, and baby. The photo reminded me of Valentine’s Day, so I made a Love Card. This cute penguin digi stamp is from Bugaboo Stamps. They have a wonderful selection of stamps. Pay them a visit!!
I colored the penguin with Copic Markers. I’m still fairly new to them and had some technical difficulty 
I didn’t have a black marker so I used a very dark purplish gray. The first one I colored looked horrible, so I trashed it and started again. If you look closely at this one, you can see a place where it bled, but I didn’t notice it until I had the card together I need to practice some more.
The paper is from a Die Cuts With a View Paper Stack, and the scalloped edge is from a Stampin’ Up Paper Punch.
I had some scraps leftover, so I decorated the inside of the card. The pattern on the paper made it really easy to make this card. I used the corner punch on the image and added brads for a little bit of detail. The solid cardstock is from Bazzill. I love the texture and weight of their cardstock for card bases.
If you’d like to see more Valentine’s Cards, visit Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards.
I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe’s Crafts – Celebration
Crafty Bloggers Network – Flowers
Creative Creations Challenges – Anything Goes
Lexi’s Creations – Anything Goes
Make it Monday – Anything Goes
My Graphico – Anything Goes
The Pink Elephant – Celebrate
Wild Orchid Challenges – Anything Goes
My Messy Scrapping Room!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
I’ll be honest…..I haven’t done much scrapping since the 2nd week of December. I made a card for the {PIN}spirational Design team one evening after Christmas, but that’s about it! I thought it would be funny to post a picture of my scrapping room when it’s at it’s worst! So here it is!!! I love this table that my husband built me. Since I’m a stand up scrapper it’s high enough that I don’t have to lean over. He rescued two cabinets with sliding doors that the quilt shop was throwing away. He added legs to them and a counter top. It’s perfect!!! (When it’s clean…hehe!)
When I work on a project, even if it’s a simple card, it seems like I pull out everything I own and don’t put any of it away until I’m done, instead of cleaning up as I go along. Then if I get distracted, the mess just sits. I took this photo a few days after Christmas. The tape is sitting out from wrapping presents, the mail is piled up, my Cricut Cartridge bin is sitting out as well as my button container. I also see the goodies from my Secret Sister and a Christmas Present from my Mom. What cracks me up the most though is that the cabinet door is wide open….that is my PET PEEVE!!! I must have really been in a hurry!
The good news is that I have worked on cleaning it up (a little), and I have a little 12×12 space to work. I’ll have to post a picture when it’s all cleaned up and show you the rest of the room. I need to get some more Art Bin Organizers! How is your scrapping room looking?
Baby Train Scrapbooking Page Using New Arrival Cricut Cartidge
I have something a little different to share today. I used the New Arrival Cricut Cartridge, Animal Kingdom Cricut Cartridge, and Going Places Cricut Cartridge to create this adorable baby train. How cute is this for a new baby’s arrival or baby shower???
The train, elephant, monkey, and giraffe are on the New Arrival Cricut Cartridge. I ran the light blue pieces of the train through the Cuttlebug to add some texture. The duck, gorilla, and hippe are from the Animal Kingdom Cricut Cartridge, and the Railroad Crossing Sign is from the Going Places Cricut Cartridge.
If you would like to see other projects using New Arrival, visit New Arrival Cricut Cartridge. I have more baby pages posted at Baby Scrapbook Layouts.
For more Cricut Projects using Animal Kingdom, visit Animal Kingdom Cricut Cartridge.
To see my favorite Cricut Cartridges, visit Top 25 Cricut Cartridges.
Snowglobe Christmas Card Using Songbird Cricut Cartridge
Merry Christmas, Merry Merry Christmas! It’s getting close!!! Today I want to share the Snowglobe Christmas Card that I sent to my Secret Sister on Split Coast Stampers. It is a 6×6 card which is different than what I usually do. I love the size, but I’m having trouble finding envelopes.
The snowglobe stamp is from Inkadinkado and colored with Copic Markers. I colored the whole image, then cut the wooden base off of it. I put the globe portion through the Xyron so that the sticky was on the colored side of the image. I covered the adhesive with clear glitter,, which you can really see in the photo below.
The shape that the snowglobe is on is from the Songbird Cricut Cartridge. The Merry Christmas is from Stampin’ Up and stamped on a Stampin’ Up Small Label. I added rhinestone accents and a bow. I really like the color combination. It’s a little different, but it still looks Christmasy.
Interested in Making Christmas Cards? Visit Making Handmade Christmas Cards.
I am entering this card into the following challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge – Favorite Punch for Die
Christmas at Sweet Stampin’ – Anything Christmas
Crafts and Me – Winter Wonderland
Divas by Design – Anything Goes
Nutcrafters – Lots of layers and sparkle or bling
Paper Pretties – glitter
Penny’s Paper Crafty – Christmas
Simon Says Stamp – Merry Christmas
Celebrate the Occasion – Christmas Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments – All That Glitters
Sassy Cheryl’s – Snowmen
Secret Sister Swap Goodies
I got a very special box in the mail last week! BUT I wasn’t allowed to open it…GULP! Do you know how hard that was, especially since I knew it was my Secret Sister package? I belong to a group of very talented, creative ladies over at Split Coast Stampers called the Pink Slipper Pajama Party. My Secret Sister was Athina from Stella Roo and Fena Too. She was a generous and thoughtful box of goodies. First on the list is this gorgeous card that she made. The elf is mounted on a band that slides over the card. Below is the inside of the card. I’ve already investigated it, so I can see how she did it. Athina used Scalloped Circle Nestabilities to create this folded card.
Athina also made this really cool journal. I haven’t decided what I’m going to use it for yet, but I know I’ll come up with something.
Here are the other goodies that were in the box. M&M Snack mix, brads, ribbons and lace, bakers twine, a Magnolia Stamp that I can’t wait to use, flowers, sentiment stamps, the cutest little snowman, clear rhinestones and white pearls, and a stack of images that she stamped. Athina knew that I was new to Copic Markers but didn’t have alot of images yet. She also marked the backs with the type of paper she used so I know which type I like. She also included a tip to use Copics to color the rhinestones and pearls so they match your project. I didn’t know that!!! Thank you so much Athina. The package really made my day!
Joy Christmas Card with Adorable Snowmen!
We are into the final week before Christmas. I hope all of your preparations are going smoothly and you’re finding time to craft. Tuesday is {PIN}spirational Challenge day…woohooo!!! These cute snowman Christmas Ornaments are the inspiration this week. I love them! Break out the stamping supplies and make a snowman card and join us! No time for that? Visit them {PIN}spirational Challenge Blog to see the other Design Team Projects.
This week’s sponsor is Dilly Beans Digi Stamps. I have used one of their digis on my card. They had so many cute snowmen to choose from that it was hard to decide. They have great digis in lots of different themes. Give them a visit!
I used the Snowman Border digi from Dilly Beans and colored them with Copic Markers. I printed two of them, so I could make the border go all the way across the page. The snowflake border punch is from Martha Stewart. I used Glitter Stickers from Little Yellow Bicycle to spell Joy.
Need more Christmas Card Ideas? Visit Making Handmade Christmas Cards.
Challenges 4 Everybody – Anything Goes
Come and Get It Challenges – Anything Christmas
Dream Valley Challenges – Christmas
Great Impressions – Anything Goes
Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia – Christmas
Opus Gluei – Baby It’s Cold Outside
Robyn’s Fetish – Snowmen
Dillybeans – Non Traditional Colors
Christmas Card with Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge Trees
I sure am glad that I explored the world of digi stamps! Otherwise, I never would have found the super adorable stamps from The Digi Garden. The {PIN}spirational Challenge for this week is sponsored by The Digi Garden. Enter for your chance to win some of their cute digis. This digi is called Emily’s Star. I colored her with Copic Markers….I’m getting better at it. If you look closely, you can see the shading.
I matted her on a Lacey Oval die cut from Nestabilites. The pine tree border was cut from the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge. To decorate the trees I added gold and red Diamond Dots stickers from Stampendous. Some of those things are teeny tiny and were a bugger to put on!!!!
This is the picture that we used for inspiration this week. It’s perfect for all of the snow, winter, and Christmas kids from The Digi Garden. If you need more Christmas Card Ideas, visit Making Handmade Christmas Cards.
