Scrapbook & Cards Today Blog

Framing a quote...Emily style! (and one more!)

Hello! Emily again with a lovely little project for you today. I was talking to a good friend the other day and in the conversation a quote came up. She loved the sentiment, but admitted that like me, she has a hard time remembering exact wording of great quotes. The light bulb went off in my head and here is the result, a little framed piece of art that she can put on her bedside table to help her memory! 

And so that you can re-create it, here are the instructions:

1. Cut the canning jar from the paper, add the sentiment and any decorations you'd like.

2. Cut out flowers from your paper.

3. Create your background. Mine is a 5x7 piece of patterned paper plus a strip of ribbon and cardstock across the bottom.

4. Place the canning jar on the paper, then arrange and adhere the flowers. Pop dot some of them for texture.

5. Adhere the canning jar once the flowers are as you'd like. 

6. Add some bling between the flowers.

7. Place the completed artwork in your frame and enjoy!

As you can see this was really easy to put together. Hopefully this will inspire you to take your favorite quotes and make art from them!   ~ Emily Pitts

We're celebrating Leap Day by giving one SCT reader a mystery box with 29 beautiful patterned papers to brighten up your day.  If you were to receive this box, what would you want to be in it?  At 8:00 p.m. tonight we will randomly be selecting one reader to receive this FABULOUS package! 

Have a great, creative day!

~ Catherine   

Family fun cardmaking!

Today’s “Tip” is all about getting your children involved in the crafting process with you. Recently my 10-year old son, Matthew, read two books by Tom Angleberger – The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back.

Each book includes instructions on how to create origami finger puppet Star Wars characters. The books have also inspired him to design his own creations based on other beloved Star Wars characters. At last count he was up to twelve different futuristic friends. This got me thinking – how can we work together to create some cards for his family and friends? The force is strong with this one, and this crafting mother sees a chance to grab the cardstock stash and run with it! Matthew did a wonderful job creating the Yoda and Darth Vader for these cards.

Supplies: Core’dinations cardstock, October Afternoon patterned paper, Scenic Route grid paper, Queen & Co. bling, EK Success marker, Font: 3Hour Tour, other: sewing machine.

If you have a young Star Wars fan in your life, here’s a link to Tom Angleberger’s blog (http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/) where he posts information about how to fold both Yoda and Darth Vader. May the crafting force be with you!   ~ Sarah Hodgkinson

 

Just a reminder, class descriptions for Crop & Create Burnaby will be listed HERE tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.!  Registration opens on March 5th!

Designer Challenge with Emily Pitts!

Hello SCT friends, Emily here this week with your Designer Challenge! As I write this, our Facebook page is just digits away from reaching 10000 Likes! It's so exciting to see all the love that scrapbookers have for SCT! Watching the numbers steadily climb makes me want to bite my nails, it's a little like we're watching a cliff hanger, which got me to thinking about the challenge for this week.

How about you do a page or card where you HANG something on your page. Banners have been a big thing for the last couple of years and I've resisted them in the plain, flat printed variety. But I have fallen in love with making my own 3D kinds, there are so many possibilities!

This layout has lots of things hanging from it: the Maya Road chipboard flags, the Jillibean Soup paper doilies and hearts, the Maya Road hangers (they even have Maya Road tickets hanging from them as well!), I also hung the picture of my husband from the rope using a Making Memories Clip. I find this kind of banner really fun to create.

So go ahead this week and make a banner to hang things from, or get really creative and try your hand at some other way to hang an element from your page or card. Have fun with it, that's the only solid stipulation. And hang on, we're almost to 10000!  If you take this challenge, which we hope you do, be sure to link your project back to this post so that can all appreciate it!

~ Emily Pitts

Just in case you missed our announcement last Thursday...have you seen this yet? 

 

 

More celebrations..and more prizes!

Although we don't usually post on a Sunday, I just had to when I peeked at Facebook this morning and realized we are only 70 people away from 10,000 fans!  Yes, 70!  Can you believe it was only last Tuesday that we hit 9,000 fans?  We've said it for years, we have the BEST readers out there!  YOU! 

Of course that begs the question, how are we going to celebrate 10,000 fans and top what we did last week?  Well, let's just say sometimes Christmas comes early friends.  So what I want you to do is leave us a comment below telling us what would be on the very top of YOUR scrapbook wish list right now choosing from one of the Companies We Love page on our website HERE (go big or go home ladies!) and we will grant your wish!  Would you like a second chance, then tell us on Facebook too!  When you see the post on Facebook with the image above, leave us your wish list item there too!  We'll pick two winners, maybe three or maybe more (wink, wink!)  This is going to be good!

Happy wishing friends!  Can't wait to see what's on your list.  And thank you once again for all the fun!

~  Jen, Director of Customer Happiness

P.S. (Our Spring issue ships out in a few weeks.  Be sure to subscribe/renew today to make sure you receive your copy as soon as possible :) )

 

Crop & Create is coming to Burnaby, BC!

Just a reminder that registration opens on March 5th at 8:00 p.m.!  Join us for this amazing 2 day education and cropping event being held at the Hilton Hotel in Burnaby, BC!  We can assure you that not only will you go home with a FABULOUS goody bag, two days of brand new tips, tricks and techniques under your belt, a whole bunch of free make n' takes and feeling very full from all the fabulous food, you will go home a little sad because it's over! 

So come and join us for the greatest classes from some of the industry's best designers, fun challenges to keep you creatively inspired all weekend, and our infamous photo booth!  We've have also arranged to have book signing with Vicki Boutin (see her brand new book Creative Foundations here) and Kimber McGray who has just released 100 Fresh and Fun Handmade Cards (see here)!   We will be releasing class information on Wednesday, February 29th here so that you can be ready for registration on the 5th.  We only have 125 spaces so be sure to register early as our last event registration had some classes selling out within 12 hours!

For all the information for Crop & Create Burnaby, please visit our website here!  We can't wait to see you there!

 

Bo Bunny Giveaway! It's Friday!

Good morning friends!  We just had to end this exciting week with yet another giveaway!  Aren't you glad you stopped by?  We're sure glad you did!  And, if you happen to be buried in snow this morning, then you'll enjoy just sitting back and reading what we have in store for you this morning!

One of the companies we always love visiting with when we go to CHA is Bo Bunny!  This booth is one we are in for a while because there is just so much to look at.  Imagine all the double dot papers, ribbons, embellishments and more!  But this line is one we stopped and visited with for a long time and just knew we had to have it to giveaway...see we're always thinking about you!

Today's very lucky winner will receive a selection from the brand new Ambrosia collection from Bo Bunny!  With vibrant colours that are perfect for spring and a little whimsy mixed in, this beautiful collection will be a PERFECT addition to your craft space right?  We thought so too!

Just leave us a comment below, maybe tell us what you're up to today, and we'll randomly select a winner next Thursday, March 1st at 6:00 p.m. EST!  Good luck!

Would you like to know who won last weeks giveaway?  You remember the fabulous new book from Kimber McGray...

and the March Kit from The Card Kitchen courtesy of Jillibean Soup.  The winner of this amazing prize package is...

What a fantastic giveaway! I have never gotten a Card Kitchen kit, but from what I have seen they are fabulous!  Posted by: Amanda Coleman | February 17, 2012 at 11:49 AM

Congratulations Amanda!  Just send us your address to ideas@scrapbookandcards.com and put "I won Kimber's book!" in your reference line! 

Seriously though, if you have not checked out the Card Kitchen you should!  Fabulous product selection, great design inspiration and all delivered right to your door co-ordinated and ready to go.  What could be easier!  Go ahead, treat yourself.  I give you full permission  :)

If you have been joining us on Facebook this week, we posted all the winners from our 9,000 fan celebration here last night at 9:00 p.m. so be sure to check it out.  But here is the great part, we are only 140 people away from hitting 10,000 fans!  And we are ready to celebrate again!  If you have any crafty friends who have not joined us, be sure to send them over to our Facebook page so we can get the party started again!

Join us next week as we have another great week in store for you!  Enjoy your weekend and thank you again for a very exciting week!

~ Catherine

BIG NEWS! And we are excited!!!

Good morning friends!  We could not sleep last night because we were so excited for our BIG NEWS today!  Drum roll please...introducing the SCT YouTube channel!   Our first video in the "Create Today" series by design team member Lynn Ghahary features brand new Pebbles product and a brand new  CardMap sketch from the new CardMaps Vol. 2 to be released on March 23rd (order here)!  And to celebrate the launch of the Create Today series, we have a prize! (does that surprise you SCT friends?) And of course, it's a selection from the Hip Hip Horray collection from Pebbles!

 

The Create Today series will feature videos from Lynn Ghahary and Nancy Damiano!  A new video will be uploaded about every two weeks to inspire you all year through!  So go and check out our new video, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel SCTMagazine so that you don't miss any videos and then come on back here and celebrate with us by leaving a comment below!  We would love to hear what you thought!  A winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, March 29th at 9:00 p.m.! 

We have so much love for our readers and can't thank you enough for all your wonderful comments on Facebook over the past two days.  We have been touched beyond belief knowing that we have been such a part of your life.  With a heartfelt thank you from the entire SCT team...THANK YOU!  But guess what? Did you know that we are only 240 fans away from reaching another huge milestone of 10,000 Facebook fans?  AMAZING!   We went from 9,000 to almost 10,000 in the blink of an eye!  And we can't wait to celebrate the number 10! (wink, wink!)  So if you have not yet had a chance to join our fan page, you can do that right here.

So grab a cup of your favourite thing (you know I have a tall non-fat, no foam latte beside me right?) and watch our brand new video in the Create Today series.  Thank you Lynn Ghahary for starting this series with a bang!  xoxox

~  Catherine

Publisher, Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine

 

Shaker card tutorial with Becky Fleck!

Hey all, Becky here again! How did you like Monday’s sketch challenge? Joan D stepped up to the challenge and created a really cool clock face on her card – super clever!

When I first started cardmaking, shaker cards were very popular. Not only are they fun to make, but they are fun to receive, too! I thought this sketch would work great for a shaker card and here are step-by-step instructions on how to create one yourself. Here is the finished card:

Supplies: Bazzill Basics (cardstock); The Girls’ Paperie, Stampin’ Up!, Jillibean Soup (patterned paper); Pink Petticoat (digital stamps); Copic (pens); Grafix (transparency); American Crafts (foam dots); Xyro, Beacon (adhesive); Martha Stewart (micro beads); German crushed glass

Start out by creating a 5.5”x5.5” base card. I made mine out of a really pretty Bazzill Periwinkle Blue. Trim one 5”x5” piece of red paper and a 4.75”x4.75” piece of plaid paper. Cut out a 3.25” circle from the center of each piece. Layer the two pieces together.

Trim a 3.5” piece of transparency;  turn the layered piece over to the back and glue the transparency over the opening. I used a fast-drying wet glue for this step.

I chose two digital stamps from Pink Petticoat. One of the benefits of using digital stamps is that you can resize the files to fit your project. For this card, I printed a wreath of daisies (deleting several of them where the wheelbarrow would go) and a cute, little wheelbarrow. I coloured both images with Copic pens and trimmed them  out. I cut the circle out of the center of the wreath just a little bit smaller than the 3.25” circle I cut out from the patterned paper.

Glue the wreath to the front of the layered patterned paper, centering it over the opening; set the wheelbarrow aside.

Trim a 4” circle from coordinating patterned paper or cardstock and set it aside. Turn the layered piece over to the backside. Apply foam dots (or foam scraps) around the perimeter of the transparency, ensuring that they are side-by-side and close together. These foam dots will hold in the beads you pour in the next step.

Pour one tablespoon of crushed glass into the opening; sprinkle with microbeads  (I used blue, green and red).

Carefully remove the release paper from each foam dot; cover the opening with the 4” circle and press firmly on each foam dot. Note: the side of the circle you place facing down will be the side that shows through the transparency when the card is assembled. Apply adhesive to the 4” circle and glue the entire assembly to the center of the card base. Attach the wheelbarrow to the front with foam dots.

That’s it! After I completed the card, I realized I had not included a sentiment, but I usually add them to the inside of the shaker before I close it up. What kind of shaker are you going to create?  Have a wonderful, creative day!  ~ Becky

Woohoo...guess what...

We hit 9,000 facebook fans yesterday!  And we are celebrating SCT style!!  Join us on our facebook page as we celebrate the number 9...with 9 subscription giveaways, 9 CardMaps 2 issues to giveaway and a grand prize announced at 9:00 a.m. TODAY!  Jump on over so you don't miss it!

Oh, and one more thing...we have another amazing surprise to reveal tomorrow!  Stay tuned!

 

 

Baker's Twine Tutorial with Summer Fullerton

One of the newer products on the scene these days is baker's twine.  Coming in many different colours by several different manufacturers, it is very versatile and is that perfect touch on a card or layout.  On pages 28-29 of our winter issue (view here), Vicki Boutin showed a variety of ways to use twine and today, design team member Summer Fullerton has another great tutorial on how to showcase twine in a layout! 

Family Time by Summer Fullerton
Supplies Used: Cardstock Bazzill, Patterned Paper Jillibean Soup, Corrugated Alphas Jillibean Soup, Stickers Jillibean Soup, Tags Jillibean Soup, Baker’s Twine Jillibean Soup, Buttons Jillibean Soup, Diecuts Jillibean Soup, Tiny Attacher Tim Holtz, Font Traveling Typewriter, misc corner rounder, Cuttlebug/Heart Die Provo Craft, and Sticker Maker/Adhesive Xyron.
 
 
Supplies Needed:
Tag
Cuttlebug & Die or Punch
Bakers Twine
Xyron Sticker Maker
Scrap Cardstock
Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (optional)
 

 
Die cut or punch your favorite shape into a tag. 
 

 
Cut a scrap piece of cardstock slightly larger than the die cut and run it thru your Xyron Sticker maker. Note: if you don’t have a sticker maker then coat your scrap piece of paper with adhesive. 
 

 
Going back and forth cover the sticky side of the scrap piece of paper with Baker’s Twine. Allow the twine to extend past the edges of the cardstock. 
 

 
Once your scrap piece of cardstock is covered in twine trim the excess twine as seen in the photo. 
 

 
Adhere the cardstock covered with twine to the back of the tag. For a little added fun touch I add mini staples in a few spots around the heart. 
 

 
Using your favorite die and any color twine this can be customized to fit just about any layout, project or card. The possibilities are endless!

~ Summer Fullerton

We're getting ready to celebrate since we are just a few "likes" away from 9,000 fans!  So join us on Facebook today to get the party started!  (psst...come like us!)

CardMaps sketch challenge...and one more!

Happy Family Day, Happy Presidents Day or if you are not celebrating those today, then Happy Monday!  Did you have a chance to enjoy all the inspiration on Kimber McGray's 40th birthday blog hop on Saturday?  If you missed it, click here to join in.   Speaking of cards, Becky Fleck is here with a challenge based on our brand new CardMaps 2 special issue releasing on March 23rd!

"Hey all, it’s Becky, your humble editor. Here at the office, we are busy putting the final touches on this year’s CardMaps 2 issue. It is absolutely beautiful, loaded with some of the best card artwork I’ve ever seen! One of my favourite sketches from this issue is a square card that offers so much creative versatility:

 
 

Kelly Goree is the artist who used this sketch in the issue and her cards are simply a-maaaaazing! You won’t want to miss your chance to order this beautiful, limited edition issue and see her finished cards, as well as 70 other fantastic cards and techniques.  CardMaps 2 will ship on March 17th!

I’d like to challenge all of you to create a card based on this sketch, and post a link to your endeavours on this post!! I’ll be back on Wednesday to show you a shaker card step-out based on this sketch, too. It’s a fun technique for sure. See you then!

~  Becky

Just so you know, we are getting ready (and I mean ready!) to celebrate once we hit 9,000 facebook fans!  Be sure to click here and "like" us!  Let's get there today!