Bo Bunny and My Minds Eye Snow Layout ...

Hi,

It seems really bizarre blogging about a Snow Layout when it is pouring rain outside!!

Another holiday snow layout from me, this one featuring leftover paper from another project (Bo Bunny Head over Heels) and a 12x12 from My Mind's Eye Sleigh Bells Ring Christmas Tartan range.

This is quite a messy layout for me, I have used gesso and Tim Holtz Holiday Knit Layering Stencil.

The hearts are all punched with a Stampin' Up Punch.  The ribbon is also from Stampin' Up. Many rhinestones, a spritz of Perfect Pearls Mist and an underlayer of white cardstock complete my layout.

Don't forget to look for my hidden tag! (Refer to my previous blogs about my layouts - I always try to include a (hidden) tag for personal messages)

Enjoy the snow if you are lucky enough to be skiing at the moment!

In my case - I am enjoying the rain!!

Thanks for visiting!

Shell

xox

Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey - Gardeners Diary

Hello,

Bloom where you are planted, plant kindness and gather love, growing like a weed, the cream of the crop.... These are some of the verses from the embellishments from the gorgeous Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey range.  So, how could I not be inspired to create a Gardeners Diary after seeing these?!?

I must warn you - I don't have a green thumb - every plant I touch generally dies - but I have found out... you actually need to water plants to make them grow! Haha - who would have thought it??

Now onto the Diary - choose your papers first:  Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey - Peas, Asparagus, Onion, Corn and Artichoke.

Then, sort through the embellishments in the range - Element Stickers, Dies and Transparencies and Title Stickers as well as from the Artichoke 12x12 and decide which you would like to use. I then 'planned' my diary - decided what I would like to include:

A calendar, moon phases charts, a garden design layout and irrigation layout, a rainfall chart, a list of purchased plants, a record of what was planted on which date, places to add photos..

Next, I cut my Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey pages to size, created a cover and covered this with green paper. I then bound these using my Crop-a-dile to punch three holes for rings. I added eyelets to the holes in the covers for added stability.

Now, please, backtrack a bit - when I was planning my Diary, I originally thought I would create tabbed sections for each month, but as I went along I decided to do it differently... So, now in the front section (each section is divided by the Herbs and Honey papers) I placed the information feature pages eg. garden design layout etc, then, in every other divided section I have placed 2 months i.e. January and February and a moon phase chart for each month. I also decided to bind the book with rings in case the Diary owner would like to change the order of the pages, add more pages, add more photo opportunities etc etc.

Did you have a close look at the above photos (Right hand top) at the Garden layout photo - I used a sheet of acetate for the irrigation layout over the top - so you can see where the plants are and design your irrigation over the top... Clever Huh?!?

There are plenty of photo opportunities in the diary - every divider (except the inside front cover) has space to add photos on the front of the dividers and I have left the back blank to add your beautiful garden photos or photos of other gardens you are inspired by.

I rounded the corners of each paper section to make it easier to find the next section  - using my Corner Chomper.

Design your embellishments for the front and back covers - I have kept mine fairly simple.

I would like to say I was off to do a spot of gardening, but now my thumbs really are black -  from stamping!!!

Bloom where you are planted!

Shell

xox

Friends Mini Album - Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey...

Hello,

Where would we be without our friends? Do you have someone special you would like to create a mini album for?

My project for today is a mini Album celebrating 'Friends'...

Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey range has a really versatile range of embellishments included in the Element Stickers, Title Stickers, Die Cuts and Transparencies and the 12x12 sheet named Artichoke.

Gather all your supplies - I sorted through the Stickers and Die cuts etc and selected all the 'friend' related embellishments.

The papers I selected were:  Peas, Asparagus, Onion and Corn.

Cut the papers and covers to your required size, then cover the covers with co-ordinating paper.  I designed and embellished my front cover next, using some of the embellishments and Tim Holtz Alterations Bigz Die - Garden Greens.  The wording is cut using Tim Holtz Alterations - Wanted Alphabet and then covered with glossy accents. I added Distress Stickles - Mustard Seed to the leaves.

Next, place your pages in order and bind using your Zutter.  The next step is to decorate/embellish your pages.   I have kept the pages really simple with the idea in mind of adding a photograph to every page.  When I adhered the larger rectangular shaped embellishments - I adhered them by only three sides - to be able to place corners of photographs underneath if required. I rounded the top corners of the pages using my WRMK Corner Chomper and then highlighted this by 'stitching' with a black marker - just a bit of added detail.

Lastly, add any ribbons, rhinestones and any other final touches you would like.

See you again soon friend,

Shell

xox

Carta Bella - Christmas Time - Red Ornaments - Surprise Box .... and... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Good Morning,

Happy New Year!!  Hope you had a great finish to the year 2014 and are excited to start a new one! 

The first creation we will share with you is a surprise!!   Well really a Surprise Box.  If you have never seen or opened a surprise box - you are missing out!  When you remove the lid.... the box falls open... Cool huh?!?   These boxes are a fantastic gift idea - you can add photos to the inside (and the outside if you wish!) before you gift them, or the recipient can add their photos after...

                            

Gorgeous isn't it? It looks just like a present... so it feels like I have created a present for you to start the new year with... do you like it?  Keep reading and you will see the surprise inside!

I have chosen paper from the Carta Bella Christmas Time range, this particular one is named Red Ornaments which I have teamed up with Green Cardstock and Brushed Silver card.

Surprise!!!

inside this gorgeous little box, I have created some little gift boxes...

I have used my all time favourite Hero Arts Decorative Ornament stamp to create the ornaments on the lid.

Enjoy the first day of 2015!!

I heard or have read recently a quote...

"What would you do today, if you knew you could not fail?"

by Robert H. Schuller

Hmmm, where do I start?

Shell

xox

My Mind's Eye - Sleigh Bells Ring - Branches Christmas Card - Owl

Hello,

I am sure you all know...  I have an obsession with owls... so as soon as I saw these Branches from My Mind's Eye - Sleigh Bells Ring paper range - I knew I needed to have an owl sitting in them!

I die-cut a Spellbinder's Holiday Winter owl, gave him a green scarf and created a snowflake with Whiff of Joy Snowflake Trio die for the bottom right corner of the card.  Before adding the snowflake to the card, I embossed it with Ranger's Embossing Tinsel - Bridal.  The "Merry Christmas" is a Dusty Attic Chipboard which I have coloured with gel pens and then coated in glossy accents. 

 How cute is this owl? It looks like the paper was made just for him!!

Only a couple more Christmas creations to share with you...

Shell

xox

Simple Stories - Cozy Christmas - Happy Holidays - Stationery Gift Pack...

Hello,

Sometimes, it is hard to find a gift for someone who has everything, and I usually like to try to give gifts that are useful, so I have created these gift packs which make fantastic gifts for well,  almost anyone!

A stationery pack..... includes a notebook, a pencil, a bookmark, a covered post-it notes book and a co-ordinating tag... 

Doesn't it look great all packaged up in a cellophane bag, tied with the tag and then...

placed inside a co-ordinating gift bag!

Here are some of the other packs I have created with their matching bags.

When I created these packs, I had a bit of a "Teacher Thank-you gift" theme happening...

 Can you tell??

Not long now until the Jolly man comes!!

Shell

xox

Tim Holtz - Assembly Snowman - Square Christmas Card...

Hello,

I absolutely love snow, but where we live in sunny Northern Australia, sad to say, there is no such thing!  Anyhow, while dreaming of holidays in the snow, I have created this card to share with you...

How cute is Tim's Snowman???  Especially when he is featured on this fantastic paper from My Mind's Eye!  

This was a fun part!!!  Using left-over scrap pieces to create the snowman...

Next, time to get messy!!  Using a scraper (or an old credit card) and your chosen stencil, apply a layer of white gesso to the paper.  Lightly sprinkle glitter onto the wet gesso.

After gesso is dry, adhere your layers together, add ribbon and brads, I also hung 3 snowflake charms, starting at the ribbon to give the illusion of falling snowflakes.

Add distress stickles picket fence to your snowman and the project is finished. 

 Don't forget to line your card for that professional look.

Hehe... it looks like the snowman is catching a snowflake!! 

Wish I was catching one right about now!

Shell

xox

My Mind's Eye - Sleigh Bells Ring - Reindeer Card in a box...

Good Morning,

I just love these 'card in a box' creations - they are so much fun to make.  I have created this one with paper from My Mind's Eye - Sleigh Bells Ring - Reindeer.  Add some Dusty Attic Chipboard and tada!!!

The back view - great place to write your message...

I followed instructions from a UK Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine Issue 132 - the Card in a box featured was created by Paula Holifield. I did however, make my card shorter than the card featured in the mag. (I have also seen instructions on youtube for making a card in a box)

These cards can be folded flat to be placed in an envelope! Cool huh!?!

If you wish to see a bit more information on how I created this card and a list of the products used, please visit Wild About Scrap's blog.

See you soon,

Shell

xox

Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey - Recipe Box

Hello,

Favourites, mains, starters, desserts. cakes and drinks....  papercrafting or cooking.... well actually both!!    Does this post sound familiar??  Last month, I shared with you the Recipe Book I created using the same fabulous papers, have a look if you missed it - http://barbnshellcreations.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/basic-grey-herbs-and-honey-recipe-book.html

As per the Recipe Book, I created the tabs using my envelope maker...

The products used are from Basic Grey's Herbs and Honey Range - papers, Die-cuts and Transparencies.

I created the box from a 12x12 piece of card (from the pack of a paper pad), and I used system cards in between each tabbed section to write the recipes on.

For a more detailed look at my Recipe Box and a list of the products I have used, please visit Wild About Scrap's Blog.

Happy cooking... and happy creating!

Shell

xox

7 Cards from One 12x12 Sheet

Hi,

How gorgeous is this paper?  Basic Grey - Herbs and Honey - Radish....  I saw it and fell in love!

I gave myself a mini challenge - I wanted to see how many cards I could create (using decent size pieces of the paper!) -  if I made an easel card and a square card.  (I have seen where other crafters have created many more cards from one sheet - I ended up with 7)

This is how my sheet looked when cut into pieces...

Using cardstock in various co-ordinating colours, ribbon, brads and rhinestones - these are the cards I created.

My square card...

and my easel card...

Hope you enjoyed my 7 cards from one sheet - I think I will be giving myself this challenge again!!

How many cards have you made from one sheet?

Shell

xox

Christmas Tags 2014

Hello,

Here is a selection of the Christmas Tags I have created this year....

These Tags were all created using leftover pieces from last year's Christmas Projects (for Wild About Scrap) - a great way to use up all those pieces that are too small for card fronts - but too big to just throw away!

The papers are from Echo Park's "Tis The Season". I have added red cardstock to fill in the spaces.

I love the look of black tags - especially with the Christmas colours of red and green.

Rhinestones, ribbons, bows .....

And of course - black, white and grey always look stunning with red!!

The paper I used on the tags in the above photo is from 7 Gypsies - Santa's Journey Collection - Gypsy Christmas.  The wording is stamped from a Fundamentals set named Xmas.

Now, being black tags - not everyone owns a 'white' pen, so to make it easier to use the tags I have added a section of white cardstock on the back of the tags, onto which I have stamped "To" and "From".

Do you realize you have just looked at 50 tags ...  oops sorry 51 tags (I miscounted!) and I am sure I will  more than likely be creating more tags between now and Christmas!  

Have you started your Christmas projects yet?

Shell

xox