Join me for Summer Camp!

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I am so excited to join my friends at Concord & 9th this summer for Summer Camp 2024!

This two-day cardmaking event is going to be so much fun! The weekend will be filled with inspiration, exclusive products and fresh ideas from my fellow camp counselors taught in 6 wonderful classes:

I will be sharing my love of Turnabouts with you, an I cannot wait! This weekend will be filled with color inspiration from the recent 2024 Color Collection release. If you haven’t yet seen the new Concord & 9th colors, check out this video where I show them off!

Take a look at what you’ll get when you register for this amazing event:

Are you ready to join me? Registration is open NOW and you’ll get a discount for registering early!

Let’s go to camp, friends! I promise it will be an awesome and FUN experience! Click HERE to join me, and hope that you get Watermelon cabin!

Inspired by Color: LIVE Card Video!

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Happy Friday! Today I went live on my YouTube channel for the first time! I’ve been inspired by a fantastic color scheme discovered on a piece of stationary on my desk, and I want you to check out what I created with it! Watch the video live to see me create in real-time on replay here:

I decided that this color scheme would be perfect for a trio of sweaters on my card front, and I loved creating with Concord & 9th products to bring this card together. In the video, I also share this formula for one of my go-to card designs when I am not feeling inspired. Be sure to watch to learn it and try it for yourself!

Thanks so much for watching! You can find all of the products that I used to create this card below! I’d love to know—what would you create with this color scheme and will you try out my go-to card design? Leave a comment here!

Products used on this card:

Documenting Fall Memories with Scrapbook.com Exclusives!

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Hello, friends! I’m so glad you joined me today! I just had a new project to share over at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog, and I wanted to share it with you here, too! Fall is my favorite season, and I am in love with this new, seasonal traveler’s notebook spread that I created with the latest Scrapbook.com exclusive products. Take a look!

Supplies | Scrapbook.com: Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad, Cozy Autumn Foliage shape dies, Cozy Autumn Sentiments & Critters stamp, Cozy Autumn rub-on transfers, Rose Quartz Misti, Magic Mat, ink blending tool, Deluxe adhesive roller, Mint tape – 1-inch roll, small precision scissors; Concord & 9th: Ink (Pebble, Nutmeg), Pebble cardstock; LDRS Creative: Rose Quartz Stampendable tool; Spellbinders: Platinum 6 die-cutting machine; American Crafts: Bungalow Lane embellishment die-cuts; WeR Makers: glass mat; Citrus Twist Kits: traveler’s notebook; Font: American Typewriter; Other: sewing machine, thread

This layout was so fun to create, not to mention easy, using the new, exclusive products from Scrapbook.com. From patterned paper to must-have rub-ons, these products made this spread come together in no time!

The left side of my spread is full of texture & interest with the column of leaves on the edge, created using the Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad and Cozy Autumn Foliage shape dies. I loved the beautiful patterns and colors in the paper pad, which even includes solids! I also loved the special touch that the dies deboss the veins on the leaves and cut them at the same time!

The Cozy Autumn Sentiments & Critters stamp helped me create my title with the “hello” word and this sweet “love you” below. To finish my title, I paired this stamp with the Cozy Autumn rub-on transfers to add the sparkly “fall” word and a few small leaves and hearts around the spread.

On the right side of the spread, I had to use the beautiful plaid pattern from the Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad, adding stitching around the edge for texture. I added two die cut leaves to the corner of my photo and was so happy to use two pieces from the American Crafts Bungalow Lane embellishment pack, which coordinated beautifully with the Scrapbook.com products. It feels great to use something from my stash at the same time as creating with new products!

Ready to see more of this project? Watch my process video, featured on the Scrapbook & Cards Today YouTube channel below!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project come together as much as I did creating it! Be sure to follow me on Instagram so that you can see more projects using Scrapbook.com exclusives, and be sure to shop what I used to create this project at the affiliate links below and above in my supply list. Thanks so much for your support, and happy creating this fall!

Stamp and Stencil Fun with the Hero Arts Wonderful Day Bundle

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Happy Wednesday! Recently, I took a trip to my local paper crafting store, One Paper Place, and I grabbed a new-to-me stamp and die set with a coordinating stencil set from Hero Arts! Take a look at what I had to have:

This set can be used in so many ways, but I first wanted to focus on the easiest method—using the stamped image as one large design on a card front. I chose two simple color ways to create this card duo:

This Hero Arts Wonderful Day bundle with color layering stencils holds so many creative possibilities! For this card duo, I chose the easiest method, using the stamped design as one image and choosing a limited color scheme to color it in with the coordinating stencil.

For my first card, I went with a warm color scheme, using some of my favorite Concord & 9th inks: Grapefruit, Sorbet, Buttercup, Parsley, and Evergreen. On my second card, I chose a few of their newest hues: Carnation, Briar Rose, Honeycomb, Avocado, and Artichoke. You could get even more variation by masking off individual flowers to create a multi-color design.

I placed the pretty floral panels on pieces of Concord & 9th cardstock in Sorbet and Briar Rose, which I die cut using the Concord & 9th Quilted Card Front die. This die created the perfect amount of texture on the background. To finish off my cards, I heat embossed the sentiments from the Wonderful Day bundle in white on black cardstock, then cut them out using the LDRS Creative Sentiment Stack shadow die. Only a few simple sequins and clear dots were added to complete the designs.

I am so looking forward to creating more cards with this set—especially with the individual flower dies included in the bundle! Stay tuned for more card examples using these products! Do you love coordinating stamps, stencils and dies as much as I do?

Find the supplies that I used to create these cards by clicking the images below*, and thanks for stopping by!

Sending Hugs with Concord & 9th!

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Hey there, friends! Two weekends ago, I had the pleasure of teaching at Crop & Create Moncton with a lovely group of friends for my FIRST in-person card class!

I was definitely nervous, but this lovely group of ladies put me at ease as I shared my tips and tricks for ink blending, and we created three beautiful cards! Take a look!

The Concord & 9th Sending Hugs stencils are SO easy to use to create BIG, bold sentiments, in your favorite colorway! In this class, we created three different sentiments, making the ink-blending process the focus of the class.

We started out with this beauty, featuring some of my favorite Concord & 9th hues: Grapefruit, Sorbet and Peacock! Did you ever guess that this combination could be so striking together? Gotta love contrasting colors! To add a bit of something extra, we backed the big sentiment, cut using the Sending Hugs dies with cardstock strips. I love the possibilities that 1/4” strips add to your cards. Another sentiment in the center and a few hearts finished off the card beautifully.

Fun fact: Myself, along with help from the SCT Crop & Create team of Virginia Nebel and Jess Forster, cut all 40 bundles of white die-cuts for the class so that they could focus on their blending instead of die cutting. Dream team!

On our second card, I took full advantage of my love for all things teal! I used Sea Glass, Peacock and Stardust to create the big sentiment, and even showed the class how to ink-blend their white die cuts if they don’t have the same color of cardstock on hand. It’s a great tip for any cardmaker!

I also taught the class the joy of double die-cutting, or cutting the center out from your die-cut shape. On this card, we cut the smaller heart out of the center of the medium heart to fill it with a different color.

Our final card was by far my favorite, and I showed the class the beauty of blending multiple colors in one single stencil to create this rainbow sentiment using Grapefruit, Stardust and Sea Glass inks, shadowed with Peacock ink. We also did a bit more blending on our die cuts since we didn’t have yellow cardstock. How perfect did that rainbow heart turn out? This just shows the amazing possibilities using blending techniques!

As much fun as I had teaching this class, the best part was by far having the attendees come up to me afterward to show me their finished designs and tell me how much they learned. That is what teaching is all about to me, and I can’t wait to do it in-person again! Who’s with me?

Find the supplies that I used to create these cards by clicking the images below, and thanks for stopping by!

How to Get Published in 2023!

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Hey there, friends! It has been a while since I have stopped by this space of mine, and I think it is about time that we become reacquainted! I have missed blogging, and want to make it a goal to add updates here regularly in 2023.

Today I want to talk to you about being published! I know that as papercrafters, this is often a goal. I’m here to tell you that your goal is attainable and give you some tips for checking off that bucket-list item!

I was so fortunate to be published on the cover of the Scrapbook & Cards Today Winter 2022 issue! If you haven’t yet checked out this publication, I highly recommend you do, and it’s FREE!

Click HERE to download the Winter 2022 Issue today!

When I was assigned the task to create a cover layout, did I run out and purchase the latest collections to work with? Nope. I looked around my stash and grabbed what I had on hand. What makes a pub-worthy project? Good design! Let me break that down for you:

  • Color matters: When I begin my layout, 95% of the time I choose a color scheme that ties into my photo. This will make your photo POP and helps it to become the focus of the page. On this layout, I chose the darkest color, navy, to frame my page, then filled in the background with the accent colors from the photo, pink and teal.

  • Think contrast! Bold designs are what will draw your eye to the project on the pages of a magazine, so think about how you can use contrasting colors, shapes, textures, patterns and fonts.

  • Titles are terrific! Layout titles are a great way to add contrast and interest and make your layout stand out. Use only 2-3 different fonts and colors and choose contrasting fonts like I did here!

  • Don’t go overboard with embellishment. A clean design is often best on a magazine page, so when choosing your embellishment, select wisely. Be sure to think about contrast in shape and texture, and always take off one item before you call it done. Just like Coco Chanel said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Do the same with your layouts!

  • Use lines. Last, but certainly not least, think about how lines play a role into how you look at your layout. Borders, frames and other implied lines created by embellishment or the way you cut patterned paper can all create interest and draw your eye to the photo on your page. Use lines to your advantage!

I hope you’ll use these tips when creating for a magazine submission, and great news: the Scrapbook & Cards Today Summer issue call is now available!

Click HERE to find the summer call and plan your submission today!

Find the current products that I used to create this layout by clicking the images below:

Two Ways with the Remember the Magic Collection from Echo Park Paper

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Hello friends, and happy Friday! I recently had the pleasure of creating with the Echo Park Paper Remember the Magic collection for the winter 2020 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine! Because Disneyland is just about my favorite place to be, this layout came pretty easily to me, using this very themed, beautiful collection to document Christmas Disney moments:

One thing I love about this collection? The addition of kraft as a neutral with the characteristic red, black, robin’s egg blue and golden yellow hues. The one piece of paper that made this layout “click” for me was this one:

This Tickets Please paper was just calling to be fussy-cut, and I created a fun column of tickets and ribbon from my stash (because who doesn’t love a good stash-bust!?) on the right side of my layout.

Lots of dimension and texture right there! I love everything about this layout—from the vertical design, to the images I chose, and the title I created from a mix of the Remember the Magic dies and stickers from Elle’s Studio and American Crafts.

FIND THIS LAYOUT IN THE WINTER ISSUE OF SCT MAGAZINE ON PAGE 43 AND 47!

Once I created the page, I put this collection away, expecting to create another Disney layout with it.

Then, I started thinking… why can’t I use this collection for something other than Disney memories? So, I challenged myself to do just that, on my first layout of 2021, created for the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog:

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Does this layout scream, “Disney!” to you? Nope! How did I take such a themed collection and stretch my stash to create a non-themed layout? Here are 3 simple tips on how to do it:

1: “Neutral” patterns & “B” side bonanza:

I was inspired by Paige Evan’s cut file (download for free at the SCT blog post!) to add a lot of stars to my page, and although the Wish Upon A Star paper shown on the left of my page may have included the Disney-friendly hues from the collection, once you took the Disney photos away, no one could tell the difference! I call this a “neutral” pattern. It can be used for anything, and you often find these in themed collections, too. This paper was the starting point for my color scheme, based on the collection. You can also see that I used patterned paper to fill in my “2021 Goals” die cut. All of these patterns are on the B-side of the paper, often the less-noticed, more low-key prints. Stripes, dots, plaids and geometrics are my preferred patterns, and they worked perfectly at the top of my page.

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2. Embellish Away the Theme!

Sure, this Remember the Magic collection has plenty of castles, big white gloves, and churros (mmmm…) in it, but I chose to ignore them. Instead, I searched the collections chipboard and sticker sheets for non-themed embellishments, like the “here we go” puffy arrow, “dreams admit one” puffy ticket and chipboard camera. Plus, there were plenty of chipboard stars to accent these larger embellishments. Every themed collection will have VERY themed embellishments, but ignore those and go for the ones that fit your page. The “dreams admit one” ticket was very notable on this layout about my goals for 2021, and the “here we go” arrow was perfect for documenting this at the very beginning of the year.

3. Mix and Match to Success!

Once I had the elements chosen from Remember the Magic, I shopped my stash for products from other manufacturers that would fit the design, hues and the story I wanted to tell. I grabbed that “crafty” chipboard piece from the Simple Stories Crafty Girl collection, as well as the amazing acetate stars from Elle’s Studio, which fit with the color scheme and the starry page I was going for! To finish off the page, I used the My Star Stamp from Elle’s Studio to add uplifting phrases around my embellishments. Starting with a themed collection to create a non-themed layout doesn’t mean you have to stick to those products only! Branch out and see what other items you may have on hand that would accent it!

I hope these tips have given you some thought as to how to bust your stash of themed collections for non-themed layouts! If you’re a Disney fanatic like me, be sure to check out the beautiful Remember the Magic collection for yourself, but don’t just use it for Disney layouts! Happy creating, friends, and have a beautiful weekend!

Elle's Studio December 2020 Kit Reveal!

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Hello, friends, and happy December! I can’t believe we are already in the final month of the year! Christmas has come a bit early, because today I have the brand new December 2020 kit and add-ons from Elle’s Studio to share with you! First up, let’s take a look at all of the new goodies in my December 2020 unboxing video:

How wonderful are these new products? First up, the December kit contains so many different color options. With its festive tags and winter themes, it’s one that will have you documenting into the new year!

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But don’t forget about the add-ons. There are a few that have me seeing stars, like the Stitched Star wood veneers, My Star stamp and My Star metal die that I know will be popular, so if you love them too, don’t delay in grabbing them from the shop!

This month, I decided to focus on the “2020 favorites” and “pause and reflect 2020” tags to record the memorable moments of our year in a 12” x 12” pocket page. I just love the blue, yellow, black and gray colour scheme that I pulled out of the kit contents.

You can see this page come together, and how I created two shaker pockets for it in my process video:

I hope you love these new Elle’s Studio December 2020 goodies as much as I do! Be sure to shop the products that I used to create my pocket page at the gallery below, and get your 2020 wrapped up in a beautiful way in your album! Thanks so much for stopping by and happy creating, friends!

Documenting My Happy Thoughts with the Blush Memorydex!

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Hello friends! Today I’m here to share a new project with you, one that is especially dear to me. This year has been rough for our family—moving and having a new little one during a pandemic has made us all look at life differently. To counter what is going on in the world around us, we try to add a dose of happiness into our lives every day, with walks, music and our favorite foods. I decided that I also needed a dose of that happiness in my crafty space, and today I’m sharing how I did that with the new Heidi Swapp Blush Memorydex Spinner*, only available at Scrapbook.com!

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I’ve always loved the idea of “happy thoughts,” like in Peter Pan, the thoughts and memories that make you fly. Well, this project pulls at my heart strings, and each new Memorydex card that I create for the spinner will showcase the most special people and moments that make me happy.

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I created my cards by cutting patterned paper using the Memorydex die set. On this title card, I used the Title Builder Vol. 3 stamp to add the words “my” and “thoughts,” and embellished with Heidi Swapp’s beautiful Storyline Chapters collection and the gold Thickers from the Avenue collection by Pebbles, Inc. I love the look of layered paper, labels, tags, vellum and washi tape on this card.

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None of these cards are meant to be complicated: a simple mixture of patterned paper, die cuts, tags and a bit of gold thrown in highlights the photos, which are the most important part of this project.

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If I choose to add journaling, I’m leaving the back of each card blank. Here I could add my thoughts, the details of the memory, or the date.

What I especially love about this project is that it is timeless. I can add a memory that makes me happy from ten years ago, or just yesterday. It’s all about how each moment makes me feel.

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So, when the things going on in the world around me get me down, my plan is to just flip through this Memorydex that stores all of my happy thoughts, the ones that make my heart fly. I can’t wait to share more of my cards with you.

Find all of the products that I used in my Memorydex project below in the shoppable gallery, and consider starting a “happy thoughts” project of your own, or gifting this beautiful Memorydex to someone you care about this Christmas!

* Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you! Clicking to shop helps me pay for this blog and video feed. Thanks so much for your support!