Go-to Gals Blog Hop: Holiday Photo Inspiration & Video Tutorial

The Go-to Gals from Paper Crafts Magazine are joining together today for a fun Holiday Photo Inspiration blog hop!  

Have you seen the new Holiday Cards & More special issue?!?  It's PACKED with awesome holiday cards, packaging ideas, gifts, tags & more!  One of my favorite sections in this issue was the photo card section.  I love giving & receiving Christmas cards with family photos, and there are so many clever ideas included in this publication.

I created a card using an Instaframe (a Polaroid-like die cut by Heidi Swapp) to frame a photo of my youngest son in this issue.  But... cards are not the only way to incorporate family photos this holiday season.

I thought it would be fun to take this same idea & incorporate it onto a gift bag.  There's no mistaking who this present belongs to!

I made this Polaroid frame die cut using my Silhouette.  They are easy to make & I love welding text inside the frame as well.

I love stretching my supplies & using non-holiday product during the Christmas season.  Even though this Echo Park collection doesn't consist of traditional Christmas colors, I think it really works!  The die cut snowflake border transformed the paper into something really festive.

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Would you like to see how to create your own Polaroid frames?  I created a video tutorial below:

Make sure to visit each of the Go-to Gals' blogs today as well as the Paper Crafts Connection blog to see even more photo inspiration!

·  Teri Anderson

·  Julie Campbell (*that's me!)

·  Kim Kesti

·  Jennifer McGuire

·  Windy Robinson

·  Betsy Veldman

How would you like to WIN your very own copy of Holiday Cards & More?!?  Simply comment on this blog post & I'll select a winner on Monday, September 24th.  (Make sure to leave an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.)

Gift Bag Supplies: (click on pics for links)

InLinkz.com

Lawn Fawn Inspiration: Grand Greetings & Flying By

I've been having some computer woes so I'm a little behind in sharing my projects for Inspiration Week.  So... while I have a few minutes of internet access, I wanted to share a couple of projects I made with two more of the new spring releases.

This set is called Grand Greetings.  As you can see, this is a sentiment set on steroids.  ;)  I didn't have anything like this in my arsenal, so I'm really excited about this set!  The sentiments are ones that I would reach for over & over & I love how perfect they are for both the outside and the inside of your cards.

As you can see, these sentiment stamps can really stand on their own.  I love the bold, handwritten font.

I paired the sentiment with the stork from Plus One.  The crepe ruffles and floral paper are from the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan collection & the pale orange paper is from Doodlebug Designs. I think they were meant for each other.  :)

The other featured stamp set is called Flying By.  I love these trendy paper airplane images.  They're perfect for my family of boys!

For this card, I paper pieced a couple of airplanes & popped them up over a OA Wild Card.  I added a bit of whirly twirly stitching & stamped a sentiment from the Cruising Through Life set.

Make sure to check out the Lawn Fawn blog today for more inspiration from the team as well as a chance to win the sets being featured this week.

Card Supplies: (click on pictures for links)

InLinkz.com

February Garden Girl Digest

The Garden Girls (Two Peas In a Bucket's designers) have a fun blog hop for you today!  To start things off, I wanted to share a project that I made for the gallery this month.

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This card is full of some of the things I really love right now.  I am completely obsessed with tin pins right now (aka: badges, metal buttons, flair).  I used some flair from American Crafts' Chap collection to dress up the chipboard camera & love how it adds an instant sentiment and embellishment in one!  I've been using my flair buttons with my Project Life album too.  There are so many fun designs & I want them all.  ;)


I also love using washi tape on my cards in lieu of ribbon.  Washi is also an addictive product.  I find myself wanting tape in every color and pattern now.  Yikes!

This layout (complete with video!) by Lisa Truesdell (gluestickgirl) simply takes my breath away!  I love the confetti trend & Lisa just blew this one out of the park!  If you haven't checked it out already, make sure to watch the tutorial.

I love this time of year!  New CHA goodies are being stocked almost daily now & here are some of my favorites:

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1. The new Dear Lizzy Neapolitan collection is just scrumptious!  I love this particular sheet of paper because it's perfect for adding details to Project Life!  I think I'll also use it for birthday cards.


2. Echo Park's This & That Charming collection is a great new line for people like me who have a house full of boys!  I love the vintage cameras & rulers... and the colors are just perfect!


3.  Two Peas just restocked a lot of my favorite Ormolu products.  Here's one of the flair packs that is super fun.


4.  I fell in love with these alpha stickers from Prima at CHA.  They are JUST the perfect size to add sentiments to cards and (as you might have guessed that I would say) details to Project Life.  They come in a lot of colors & are packed with letters.


5.  Another new product from Prima is catching my eye this week.  This is a pack of ledger paper in various scrumptious shades.  Great for backgrounds & die cutting!

- Class Description:

"Are you drowning in a sea of scrapbook supplies and a plethora of photos, but wish things just came together easily?  Then The Hitchhiker's Guide to Scrapbooking is just what you need: your guide to life, the universe and pretty paper! Join Garden Girl Shimelle Laine for this self-paced workshop you can use any time.  Over five chapters, she'll share forty-two brand new scrapbook pages and easy-to-follow advice on choosing supplies, designing pages, embellishing your work and writing your memories.  Each chapter includes a printable PDF and coordinating video, plus the guide's bonus reference section includes sketches, supply lists and other handy hints.  Designed for scrapping at home or at a crop, The Hitchhiker's Guide to Scrapbooking reminds you: Don't Panic - get crafting!

The content of this workshop will be available beginning Friday, February 17th at noon CST.  The lessons are available for you to work at your own pace and upon purchase can be accessed in the Workshops section under Classes & Events.  A private message board forum is also available to ask questions for Shimelle and to connect with other participants.

The giveaway is a $25 value!  To become eligible to win a free spot in this fantastic new class, simply leave a comment on this post.  I'll chose a winner this Saturday, so make sure to check back to see if you've won!  


*Make sure to go ahead & sign up for the class now while you can, because the winner's class fees will be refunded... or the class can be gifted to a friend!

From here, make sure to hop to the next Garden Girl's Blog:

Laura Craigie

Go-to Gals Designer Challenge: A Muse Studio

Have you seen the newest special issue by Paper Crafts Magazine?

Stamp It! 3 Ways is a really fun issue!  On each page, three designers created a project using the same stamp set.  You won't believe how unique and creative each project is!  I love seeing new and versatile uses for stamps & this issue is packed with inspiration!

The Go-to Gals have taken this concept and adapted it to our monthly designer challenge. All 6 of us have taken the same stamps to create a project on our blogs today.  We decided to use the Harlequin background set & the Essential Sentiment set from A Muse to create a unique project.

I'm headed to California in just a few short days for the Winter CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) trade show... so I have travelling on the mind!

I found this airplane silhouette shape in the Silhouette Studio and used the negative space as my focal point.

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I stamped the Harlequin background image over my paper & embossed it with clear EP.  I placed the Air Mail layered sticker by Amy Tangerine  in the top corner so that my project would mimic a postcard.

I used A Muse's Ocean Pigment ink to stamp my sentiment.  I was really surprised how well it showed up on my bright pink paper!

I'm so curious to see what the other girls have come up with!  Make sure to visit each of their blogs today to get even more inspiration!

Betsy

Teri

Kim

Windy

& Jennifer

*Make sure to check the Paper Crafts Connection blog later today for your chance to win both of the stamp sets featured today.

Supplies Used: (Click pictures for links)

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