Gettin' By

christmas fun | SCT Delivered winter kits

With a mere seven days to go until the big Christmas celebration, I'm (quite literally) wrapping up my holiday to-do list. I'm popping the Christmas cards in the mail today and then getting cozy for a marathon wrap session. Last December 26, I stocked up on paper from Hobby Lobby and I have to say it is such amazing quality compared to the Target rolls I've bought in years past (which is so thin it rips if you look at it sideways). There's nothing quite like a heavy, crisp paper to make package wrapping a joy. Am I right, or am I right, Martha Stewart?!?

The kids' last day of school is Thursday, at which point we have lots of festive things planned - a movie with cousins, cookie-baking, and checking out the local light displays. And maybe a few Silent Nights thrown in for good measure! I'm going to make it a point to take lots of photos (something I've been slacking on the past few years) because creating holiday layouts each year is one of my favorite things. Here's one I did of last year's Christmas - using the winter SCT Delivered kit, Winter Wonderland!

 

S U P P L I E S :

Two-pagers are ideal for holiday pages, and I love featuring lots of photos to set the scene. On this spread, I used two 4x6 photos and eight smaller square photos (2.75") that really capture the event. I spread them across the two pages, lining up the 4x6 photos first right along the center seam.

 

 

I adorned the upper left and lower right corners with snowflakes (both stamped and die-cut) and a variety of small, colorful accents that help lead the eye through the design. The title is a mix of stickers and the kit exclusive acrylic word, which I backed with light blue cardstock to help it pop a bit more.

 

 

To keep a clean, uncluttered look, I chose to put my journaling on the backside of a tag (printables included with the kits!) and tucked it behind the patterned paper strip. It can easily be pulled out for viewing, and keeps the design aesthetic simple.

 

 

I hope that your holiday preparations are going smoothly and you have a time to enjoy the simple things as Christmas grows near. Like a wrapped gift with perfectly matched seams and diagonal folds - it's a good thing.

Happy Holidays my friends!

Wardrobe Wednesday | DIY Applique Sweater

DIY Applique Top (instructions below!)
Gap Polka Dot Shirt | on Poshmark
Kut from the Kloth Bridgette Jeans | on eBay
BC Mary Janes | similar
BedStü clutch | similar

 

On my nightstand you can always find a rather large pile of J. Crew catalogs, dating back quite a few years, as I seldom have the heart to send them to the recycle bin. They are well loved and contain many dog-eared pages, usually marked for outfit inspiration (no one does pattern mixing better than J. Crew!) but sometimes a piece catches my eye and I mark it in hopes of eventually purchasing it. Such was the case for this floral appliqué herringbone sweater, which I knew needed to come live in my closet! Unfortunately it was priced at $198 (yikes!) and I knew my wine budget would take a serious hit if I splurged on the sweater. And since a girl has to have her priorities, I opted for the pinot grigio!

 

 

Then one day while putting away laundry in our linen closet, I spied an old floral pillowcase and inspiration hit. I could make my very own version of the J. Crew sweater! I found a heather gray top at Ross with great details - the buttoned sides and patch elbows - and then used flowers cut from the old pillowcases to adorn it. (Here's a similar top!) I added some embroidered stitches (easily done while enjoying a few episodes of This is Us) and I had my finished shirt. 

 

The process is really simple, I promise! Here's a quick step-by-step:

1. Roughly cut out the floral shapes you want to use (you'll cut it out more precisely later). Adhere the fabric (right side up) to a fusible web using a dry iron. Once cool, use sharp scissors to cut out the detailed flower.
   
   
2. Remove the paper backing from the fabric and position on garment. Use a dry iron to adhere.
   
   
3. Add hand stitching with various colors of embroidery thread, if desired.

I only spent about $18 making my version of this top. (OK, $27 if you count the bottle of wine I drank while making it!) But when I can get both my fashion AND wine fix for less than $30? That, my friends, is a happy day!

 

Wardrobe Wednesday | Ruffle Redeaux

Sometimes you buy a piece of clothing with grand hopes that it will be become your next closet star...that piece that you'll reach for time and time again because it's the perfect combination of style and comfort (and it just so happens to be ON SALE!)  For me, these purchases usually occur later in the evening after a few glasses of wine and a few hours spent browsing online. And while this post is certainly not meant to be a PSA on drinking and shopping (after all, some tipsy purchases totally pay off - hello Gotham Non-Stick Pan!) but occasionally, shopping under the influence doesn't result in the most pragmatic purchases. Case in point: a ruffled floor-length batik sundress from Sundance that, while beautiful on the 6'8" and 90-pound catalog model, proved to be less than flattering on me.

The voluminous amount of fabric, combined with a busy and colorful print, made me look like a life-size henna tattoo with a third-degree sunburn. And that's not an easy look to pull off.  So, after a glass of sauvignon blanc for courage, I pulled out the sewing shears and took action, lopping off the bottom two tiers of ruffles on the and replacing them with a simple bit of crochet lace. The result was a shorter sundress (with much less of the overwhelming pattern!) and it's perfect for showing off my beloved cowboy boots. 

 

 

 

__________________________________
Sundance Catalog dress
Old Navy jean jacket
bed|stü clutch
Rios de Mercedes boots
Keep It Coiled Ring
Aztec Cut Out Bracelet
Smith Serpico sunnies

And just to show how much fabric was on the original dress (it seriously could have housed a small family), I used the removed ruffles to create unique shirts for my girly and me. I just stitched the already gathered fabric under the bust of two tee shirts and viola! A restyled dress + two new shirts - all for the price of one very long sundress!

 

 

And so, the moral of today's post is that sometimes too many ruffles can be a good thing (and a little sauvignon blanc never hurts, either!) Happy Wednesday!

Simple Saturday | Bananas

Most of you familiar with my scrapping style know that I'm not a very technique-driven scrapper. I tend to stay away from messy mediums and strive to keep things pretty simple in the design department. But occasionally I do like to try a technique, especially if it's one that won't permanently stain my fingers blue. (Don't ask.)  Here's one such technique that was inspired by several party projects on Pinterest featuring fringed banners:

I knew this festive craft would translate great to a scrapbook page and the fact that it would only require scissors and a minimal amount of hand/eye coordination, I was game to try it out. And less than an hour later (and without injury to person or home, miraculously enough) this is the page that resulted!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I'm often conflicted when scrapping Halloween layouts. While I usually love the photos of the event, I have a deep seated dislike for most Halloween-themed scrapbooking products. (I'm working through this with my therapist.) Rarely do my photos work with a traditional orange/black/purple scheme, so I've found that avoiding the themey products is usually best for my sanity.  On this page, I opted for red, blue, yellow and black that works well with the photos of my vampire and banana-man (which, on a sidenote, has been the most used costume in the history of the Dickinson family. With the bow tie and trench coat as accessories, I think this is its fifth reincarnation as a Halloween get up!)

 

Inspired by the fringed party banners, I made borders for my page made with 1-inch strips of patterned papers that I cut about every 1/4 inch using small scissors. The cuts onlyu go about 2/3 of the way into the strip, leaving one edge intact for adhering. After layering them vertically on the page, I gently bent up some of the fringe for dimension. 

I added some twine at the base of the border to finish it off and I love the festive result! I kept the party-theme going with my titlework, which features chipboard letters atop black cardstock pennants, strung across the bottom of the page.

And that's your super simple technique for this Saturday! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Twelve Days of Christmas | Gift Monograms

It's no secret I'm a fan of all things typography, and this year I'm bringing that love of fonts to my gift wrapping. Instead of the traditional gift tags, I'm putting my Silhouette to good use (as well as putting a dent in my scrap cardstock stash) and personalizing my family's gifts with monograms!

I love the modern look of these bold letters, and they are the perfect way to jazz up basic wrapping paper. The clean and simple look doesn't even require a bow, which is bonus for me as our cats seem to think the bows are put there solely for their entertainment (and eating!)

If you've got multiple same-letter names in your family, you can always spell out the full name in a pretty script font, or use a 3-initial monogram. And titles like Mom, Dad, Grandma or Red Headed Stepchild will work too!

Bigger, blocky fonts work best for this application and some of my favorites include Clarendon, Zhafira, Intrique Script, John Hancock and Chunk Five. And if you don't use them for gift monograms, these fonts are great for scrapbook page titles too! Enjoy!

 

 

Five on Friday | Back to Basics

Since I've been without my computer lately (and yes, I'm still whining about it!) I've had to scrap without my trusty Silhouette, extensive font library, and other scrap comforts I've gotten quite spoiled by. So I've been forced to simplify my supplies and make do without much electronic technology. I have to admit, is kind of nice to unplug and just do the paper-and-glue thing once in awhile. But don't think I'm not counting the days until that iMac is back on my desk! 

Here's a few of my most-used and most-favorite items:

 

 

01// American Crafts Textured Cardstock in White Woodgrain.  I'm a die hard fan of Bazzill Basics White Orange Peel and buy it in bulk, but this white cardstock has been appearing more and more as my go-to background. The subtle woodgrain adds such a nice texture, especially when your design includes lots of white space (which is always a good thing!)

 02// Shimelle Roller Date Stamp. It's rare when my pages don't include a double-stamped date somewhere in the design, and this pink handled version from American Crafts is the one I'm currently using. The years range from 2008 to 2018, so it's perfect for both past & future photos. And it happens to be on sale right now for $3.99 if you're in need of a new date stamp!

 03// Hampton Art "Classified" Mini Alpha Stamps. Alphabet stamps are my weakness and I have lots, but the sets I use most are the smaller, individual letters that I can use to add subtitles, journaling and other lettering to my pages. This simple serif font (with 3/8" letters) are well-loved in my stamp stash! 

04// BasicGrey "Typeset" Collection. This new line debuted a few weeks ago and I was lucky enough to create a few projects with it for the BG catalog. It's been sitting on my desk ever since and I keep pulling pieces from it to use. It reminds me of one of my favorite vintage collections, Out of Print, that I created countless pages with back in the day. It's got a delightful color palette with lots of print & type references and should be popping up in stores soon!

05// Fiskars Procision Trimmer. This trimmer is a workhorse and never fails when I need crisp, straight lines. I love the fold-out deck that easily cuts 12 x 12 papers with precision, thanks to the measurement marks. Plus the rotary blade can cut through some really thick stock (I've done three sheets of cardstock at one time!) which is always nice when you're making lots of cards...say for Christmas?!? 

 

Happy Friday!

Elle's Studio | June 2015 Kits

I bet you thought when I said I'd be posting more regularly once we got into our summer routine, it meant more than once a week, huh? Turns out, my kids aren't too into the whole "kick-back-and-relax" kind of summer after all, and my passionate arguments hailing the virtues of summer naps and lazy afternoons at the pool have fallen on deaf ears. They are much more into sports, activities, camps, and generally being wherever their friends are (which somehow always involves me driving somewhere).

So I'm hoping you'll let me slide by with a few less posts this season while I try to keep up with those two. And my gas bill. Ay yi yi. If they ever wear out and decide to enjoy some downtime, I promise to pop on and say hi!

And of course, I'll still be sharing my monthly Elle's Studio projects. Today the June kit goes live and it's the biggest kit yet, with five new vellum pieces and a colorful collection of summertime tags and cards. Take a peek - it's just fabulous!

 

I'm kind of in love with the popsicle icons that appear in the kit and in this month's cut files because one of my favorite summer activities is concocting new flavors to freeze up and taste-test! (Last summer's favorite was Oreo Mocha Chip!) So naturally, I whipped up a card with a popsicle front and center!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I cut a popsicle from white cardstock and painted it with aqua spray ink, watering down the brush before spreading it over the piece.  With a little wooden stick and some twine added, it's a pretty sweet accent. I also added some stamping (the word "sweet") to the background pattern to customize this card.

 

  S U P P L I E S:

InLinkz.com

I got crafty with paint on this layout, too, coloring in the word "summer" on the 4x6 title card with yellow spray ink and a small brush. Below the title, I strung up lots of the tags with some favorite photos from last year. The colors in this month's kit are perfect for the bright hues in your summer shots!

 

 

Be sure to hop over to Elle's Studio today and check out the design team gallery, as well as some special offers that are going on. There's a big sale on tags soon-to-be-retired, so grab them now while you can! And we're kicking off summer with a free shipping special - use the code coupon code SUMMERLOVE to get free shipping on all orders over $30 (US and International). But don't wait - the offer ends June 15th 2015!

Hope you all are having a wonderful summer so far! I'm waving to you all as I drive by!

 

Give-It-Away Thursday | Crop & Create: Delivered Summer Kit

Summer has officially arrived in Colorado! I can tell because the flowers are in full bloom, the days are sunny (and getting longer!) and my Mom Taxi is working overtime trying to get kids to all their activities! I haven't had much time at the scrap table, but I am taking lots of photos. And when I finally get a few hours out from behind the steering wheel, I'm going to crack open the newest Crop & Create: Delivered Kit from SCT, Heat Wave!

 

These are just a few sneaks inside this jam-packed kit, which features all the happy hues of summer. Also included are an exclusive 4x6 stamp set, stickers, journal cards, embellishments, trims, and new this kit - acrylic shapes! And each kit comes with sketches, access to private process videos by designer Jen Gallacher, cut files and full color instructions for creating the featured projects. They are on sale now (but selling fast) so grab one while you can!

 

We are also debuting a brand new kit offering this season, specifically curated with the card maker in mind! Summer Lovin' is a collection of cardstock, papers, envelopes and embellishments in the same color palette as our scrapbooking kit, but with smaller papers and patterns perfect for the condensed canvas of cards. It also comes with an exclusive 3x4 stamp set and matching steel die cut, cut files, sketches and instructions for four different card designs. 

 

Today I'm giving away a Heat Wave scrapbooking kit to one lucky reader! If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave me a comment today telling me the about the first page you'd create with it. I'll pick a winner on Monday, June 8 and announce them here. (And apologies to my international readers - this one's open only to US addresses!)

Hope you have a terrific Thursday!

 

Technique on Tuesday | Big Time Banners

Banners are such a fun page accent, and you often see small rows of banners (also known as garland or bunting) strung across the corner of a page as a whimsical embellishment. But banners can also be used as a major design element, and the patterns, shape, and repetition they add to a design is impactful.  A recent page that I created for BasicGrey features their Tea Garden banner stickers, which I used to create a colorful background:

S U P P L I E S:

InLinkz.com

The banners were a great match with these photos of Riely on a wooden swing at the beach and helped me establish a carefree, easy feeling for the page. I first cut a large frame from grey cardstock and stitched a piece of vellum behind it. On top of this frame, I adhered rows of the banner stickers, aligning the rows on a slight curve to mimic the look of hanging garland.

Once the stickers were in place, I ran thin line of glue above the row and adhered a piece of white twine to connect the pennants. A few enamel dots atop some of the stickers were all I needed for embellishments.

While the banners are a focal point in this particular design, you could also use a similar treatment as a background, layering the photos and title over the top. But with certain page themes, it's fun to let the banners take center stage! Here's some examples of pages where I've used bold banner treatments:

 

 

So are you inspired to go big time with your banners? I'd love to see what you create!

Workspace Wednesday

Yes, I do know it's Thursday, but it's been a whirlwind week with the end of school (and accompanying activities), a quick getaway to the mountains for the long weekend (with no internet service) and generally a very full schedule here at Casa Dickinson. And in true summer form, I'm having trouble keeping the weekdays straight, let alone keeping this little blog up-to-date!

But we are settling into the slower summer routine, and next week will kick off swim team practice and summer camps for both kiddos, and hopefully I'll be able to make a more regular appearance here. In the meantime, I wanted to share some scrap space tips & tricks that were recently posted on the Elle's Studio blog. Here's some of the ideas I have for storing and organizing my ES goodies - all easily applied to any other scrap supplies as well!

 

This little tin box (found in the bathroom storage section of a home goods store) is the perfect size for holding the monthly Elle's Studio kits. I keep the kits in the original clear bags which makes it easy to flip through and find what I need. Once a kit has been mostly used up, I mix any remaining pieces in with whatever Elle’s Studio collection it coordinates best with. I have two more of these small bins that hold smaller tags, envelopes, and journal cards atop my work table.

 I love these large plastic hanging file bins from Target for cheap and colorful paper storage! The 12x12 papers fit perfectly and are easily thumbed through to find the pattern or color I need.  I use these to hold the bulk of my patterned paper, which is grouped by manufacturer and collection.

To divide each paper collection in the bin, I insert a hanging folder between each different line. The folder holds the any matching embellishments - tags, cards, stickers, etc. - that go with the collection.

 

For my smaller embellishments, I like to be able to sort through them to find the right shape and size for a layout. Rather than keep them in the original packaging, I empty them into small metal buckets. You can often find these small buckets at dollar stores, or in bulk in the wedding section of crafts stores. They make it easy to dump out your options and find the perfect piece! Tucked inside a drawer at my work table, I can see all the embellishment options I have at once.

Though I've always considered myself a novice stamper, I don't seem to have any trouble collecting cute sets! And organizing for easy use has been a trial and error process. I've finally settled on a Martha Stewart Home Office binder (I got mine at Staples) to keep all my stamps together in one place.

Inside, the three-ring binder holds pocket pages (available in a variety of sizes and configurations) and each pocket holds a stamp set. I can flip through the pages to find the images I need and the sets are easily slipped out of the top-loading pockets. 

 

I'm hoping I can apply some of these organizing and storage tips to my closet, which is in desperate need of a spring clean. Ok, it's not technically spring anymore, but do you really expect a girl who can't keep her days straight to know what season it is??

Happy Wednesday!