This month is full of sales, specials, and exclusive kits and giveaways. All of these specials have an expiration date, so I wanted to make sure that I shared each of them with you before… More
Create a Nativity Card with the Wander Dies
Many of you who follow me know that I like to find new ways to use the items in my craft room. My frugal brain likes to discover multiple uses for the supplies I have purchased, and I love showing you how to do the same. This past week, I created a Reason for the Season Nativity card using a cityscape silhouette thin cut die from the Wander Cardmaking kit.
The minute I saw this kit in the catalog, I saw the town of Bethlehem in the cityscape die, and I knew right away that I wanted to make a Christmas card. Doesn’t it make the perfect backdrop for the Nativity scene?
The Wander Cardmaking kit includes all the supplies you need to create sixteen cards. The cards in the kit use the bright summery papers from the Wander collection along with the dies and stamps that come in the kit to make the cards.
The only item I used in the Wander Kit to make my Reason for the Season card was the city scene thin cut die. All the remaining items will be used to make the cards at my retreat in September.
I used the metal die to form the town of Bethlehem on a piece of Kraft cardstock. Behind the city, I created a night scene with Distress Oxide inks and a heat embossed star.
The card is a smaller A2 size design, so I wanted to keep the images and sentiments simple in proportion to the town silhouette. The Reason for the Season stamp set was perfect for this card.
I paper-pieced the cloaks on Mary & Joseph using pattern paper from the White Pines collection then shaded the images using TriBlend Markers. In my video below, I walk you through the whole process.
I hope that today’s project inspired you and showed you another way to use the thin cut from the Wander Cardmaking Kit. If you wish to make this card for Christmas, you will need to purchase this kit soon because it will be retiring at the end of August.
If you have any questions about the project or the kit, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Stamping Tips for a Fishing Scrapbook Layout
Welcome to another Creative Design Team video collab! This month, we are sharing tips, tricks, and techniques you can use when stamping on your scrapbook layouts. Make sure you set aside time to watch all of the videos in the series. You are going to be inspired!
Stamping on layouts is something I don’t do as often I should, so this month’s assignment challenged me. I think it’s the perfectionist in me. I worry about making a mistake if I stamp on the layout, or that the stamped images will look like child’s drawings, or that I won’t be able to pull it all together into a cohesive layout.
If you have struggled with the same fears, then you are going to enjoy this month’s video collaboration. Not only did I stretch myself and fight a few fears, I have also learned so much from my friends. With some stamps in hand, the Wander collection, and a how-to book at my side, this is the layout I came up with.
The fishing photos are from a reservoir in Colorado where the rocks and beaches are a beautiful earthy deep red. Those peacock and paprika colors in the background paper from the Wander collection matched the photos so well.
The paper I chose had rolling hills at the base, but they didn’t quite match up. I assume that most people wouldn’t use two of these Wander papers side-by-side, but I wanted the illusion of hills rolling across my pages, so I made it work. The hills make the perfect backdrop for my title.
The page was inspired by a design in the Make it From Your Heart Volume 2 book. My crafting brain hasn’t been working this year, so I’ve been using idea books as a jumping-off point when creating scrapbook layouts.
Not only was I inspired by the bold title, but I also wanted to replicate a stamped border along the left side of the page. This is a simple way to use stamped images on a layout without worry. If I stamped a square incorrectly, I just needed to stamp another square.
I used White Pigment ink to stamp the images giving them a chalk-like look. Pigment ink takes time to dry, so make sure you are careful to not to smear the images and set them aside for a few hours before assembling the border.
On the border, I stamped images from the Take a Hike and Wander Scrapbooking stamp sets. I also used icons from these two collections to create some matching die cuts for my page. To see how I made and re-made the border, you can view the process in my video.
Using stamps to create personalized die cuts is a great way to make sure they match the elements on your page. You can’t always find the perfect sticker or die-cut in your collection, but you can shade a stamped image in any color you want to match your layout.
I used Peacock, Toffee, and Espresso ink pads to watercolor the backpack, I stamped the Boot Print in Espresso, and the Compass was stamped with layers of Toffee, Espresso, Peacock, and Black. All of these colors match other elements on the layout, and I was able to use my inks to personalize them to fit my design. Pairing them with stickers and other elements in a collection, gives your layout an overall cohesive look.
I also used stamps on my title. The Topographical Map image was used to create a pattern on the letters of the “Flatiron” title. This is another simple way to use your stamps on a layout. You can stamp images onto die-cut letters, foam letters, or sticker letters to give them a whole new look.
Adding stamped images to your layouts doesn’t have to be daunting or unnerving. Just do what I did and start a little at a time. Use a few images as die-cuts, create some patterns on your letters, or make a unique border. I hope that today’s project inspired you to use stamps on your next layout. If you have any questions about today’s project, feel free to comment below.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
here is a list of some supplies I used today (View All My Supplies Here)
- Wander Paper Packet & Stickers
- Wander Die Cuts
- July/August Mix-In Paper Packet
- Make it From Your Heart Vol 2
- Take a Hike Stamp & Thin Cuts
- Wander Scrapbooking Stamp & Thin Cuts
- Kraft Paper
- Peacock & Almond Cardstock (Retiring)
- Peacock, Almond, Espresso Exclusive Inks
- White Daisy Pigment Ink Stamp Pad
- VersaMat
Reinventing a Fall Kit for Bridal Dress Photos
Throughout the year, our Creative Design Team has been sharing ways that you can use up a few items in your crafting collection with our Love Your Stash challenge. This month, I am digging out a few of my Craft With Heart kits and using them before my new package arrives.
If you are a Craft with Heart subscriber, you know how easy these kits are to put together. Everything is cut out for you, ready-to-assemble, and beautifully designed. Sometimes, though, you might have a beautiful layout, but it doesn’t quite match the photos you have. When that happens, you get to reinvent your kit.
That is exactly what I did with this Fall 2020 scrapbooking kit. I used a few items in my craft stash and reinvented the two pages to match my photos.
These photos were taken by Mile High Captures featuring Averill Marie’s gowns for Rocky Mountain Bride. My daughter had the opportunity to model for the company and was able to keep the photos afterward. I wanted to make the layout as special as the memories, so I reworked the kit to create an elegant fall design.
Here is a look at how the kit was originally designed. I used almost all the die cuts and stickers that came with the kit, then added a little more. I created my design by covering the printed photo mats and journaling lines on the background pages with paper scraps and leaves.
If I were to change anything about these kits, it would be the preprinted photo mats and journal lines. Those are often placed in an unwanted area of the page, and I have to find a way to work around them. It’s doable and requires a little bit of imagination.
You might have also noticed that I flipped the page upside down. An easy way to change a scrapbook kit is by rotating or switching the pages.
Another simple way to reinvent a kit is to add pattern paper scraps, die cuts, or larger photo mats from your stash. We all have a collection of leftovers that need to be used and this is the perfect time to use them up.
You can also dress up the items that come with the kit with ink, thread, twine, or stamps. On this kit, I added some stitches at the top and on the leaf die cuts. This added some texture and elegance to the pages. Take a look at how it all came together.
Did that video give you a few new ideas for your kits? These Craft with Heart kits are so versatile, easy to put together, and simple to change.
I am so excited for my new kits to arrive next month with my FREE stamp set! Yes, you read that right. All Craft with Heart subscribers will be getting a free stamp set with their annual subscription and renewal.
Not only do you get the eight kits shown here in your first package AND the free stamp set, VIPs get 15% back in rewards. How cool is that!!
If you are a cardmaker, I highly recommend the cardmaking kit. Take a look at that adorable stamp set you get free with your annual renewal or subscription.
As a special gift, I will send you a FREE TAPERUNNER when you order an annual cardmaking or scrapbook subscription. This is my way of saying thank you for ordering your subscription through me.
I hope that today’s project inspired you to reinvent a kit and use up some of the items in your crafting stash. If you have any questions about the kits or the products I used, please feel free to comment below.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
