More About the Girls

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Using Tiny Pictures & Leftovers

Hi all! Kim here FINALLY!
I am still recovering from ankle surgery (thanks for the well wishes!), but I have at least managed to spend some time in my scrap room to create this little treasure for you with some left-over CC&M labels I had on hand...(this is a duplicate post from our Die Cut Diva monthly posts)
The Scrap-a-Teeny Girls are all about the mini-album, but I bet you wouldn't have expected one this tiny!!!! The largest label used was the Filigree Square at 3x3 inches!!! These are great sizes to use to showcase quotes, use up your sticker stash or place tiny photos on! Which is just what I did here - I used up some fun summer stickers & embellishments I've had laying around forever with an index sheet from some photos I recently had printed!

(on right, balloon #01)
I just placed various embellishments with the photos I loved best on each label. (On many of the labels, I used Glimmer Mist & Distress Ink to grunge it up a bit beforehand)


(on right, an Antique Label, small - cut in half)

I just love these pix of my 13 yr old son & his crazy hair!
It will be such a hoot to look back on these when he's older!!
It's just a simple little keepsake that my niece & son will enjoy looking through from time to time! It's also a great little gift idea that doesn't take long to put together!! (Think "Stocking Stuffers"!!)

Hope you enjoyed my tiny creation!
Thanks for looking!
Keep scrolling to see what my sister's been up to on the next post!

Shabby Chic with Creative Cuts & More

Hi! Becky here to share a little treasure box I made from the Pyramid Flat Top Box in a smooth cream cardstock...(this is a duplicate post from our monthly Die Cut Diva blog post!)

I am a huge fan of the "Shabby Chic" look & wish so desperately that my home was decorated in this wonderful style! So much so, I collect pictures from magazines & websites for future decorating ideas!
(back side)
(one of the sides)
Once I traced the trapazious sides of the box with the papers I wanted to use, I used Killer Red Tacky Tape in 1/4" to adhere the paper onto the box & then again to put the box together.

I then inked the edges of all the sides/papers with ink using Tim Holtz's Ink Applicator (the little thingy that holds felt squares?) to give it a softer aged look. Then I went over two of the sides entirely with the Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint & only the edges of the opposite 2 sides. After that was dry, I lightly inked again & then decided to add a little of the Antique Brass Distress Crackle Paint to the bottom edges & corners.
(the crackle paint)
 
(tiny banner)
I made the little banner from scraps of paper, inked them, stamped "Shabby Dreams," punched tiny holes & threaded the jute through. I then attached it to the lid punching holes again in the corners of the lip of the lid & threading the jute through & tying a knot. At the last minute I added more of the Antique Brass paint to the banner as well.

Finally, I cut a bunch of flowers from the TH die, inked them all, then applied either the Rock Candy paint to an entire flower or the Antique Brass to just the edges of some. Punched holes in the centers, did the same on the lid & attached it all with an antique brass brad from my stash.

Now I have this wonderful little treasure box where I can put little ideas & trinkets - like broken vintage watch faces, a thimble, an old photo, a piece of lace - whatever makes me think of shabby designs! When the time comes, I will open it for my decorating inspiration!!

The other supplies I used were:
Patterned papers by Shabby Green Door from the "On the Wings of a Dream" collection
Tim Holtz products:
  Walnut Stain Distress Ink
  Rock Candy & Antique Brass Distress Crackle Paints
  Tattered Florals die cut
Making Memories magnets letter stamps
ColorBox Pink pastel chalk ink
Jute
A brad

Thanks for looking!!!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Working with Recipes

Hi all! We three finally got together to work on a little challenge for the More Paper Than Shoes forum yesterday & thought I'd share the results with you!
The challenge: Create a page using a recipe in the layout

(Mom's fabulous layout!)
We are so proud of her - she had this layed out in 20 minutes!!

(Kim's coffee obsession continues!)

(More Maggie inspiration for Becky!)

We had a lot of fun with this one!
We'd love to see what you can do with recipe's in your layouts! Hop on the MPTS Forum & post a pict of how you used a recipe in your layout. Then come back here & let us know you did that & maybe we'll send a few goodies to one lucky gal!! (We'll let you know after the 8/1)
We will be off from the MPTS Forum next week, but check it out - they're doing baby/expecting layouts! The following week is "Road-trippin!" 
Which is perfect cuz Mom & I will be driving to New Mexico for a wedding with my hubby, Maggie & grandpa!

See you soon!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Livin' the Life you Love!

Becky here again!
I just finished my first layout for the
Scrapbooking Creative Team!
The subject was "Love Life" & the challenge was to create a layout using patterned papers & cardstock & a phrase about Love & Life - pretty simple for our 1st project!

My inspiration was this photo of Nick & Maggie walking on the beach in Maui & the realization that had I not met Nick, I probably wouldn't have traveled so much in the last 12 years, nor would we have this wonderful daughter to share our travels with! Most of our travel has been just the two of us, but Maggie's been to Maui 3x now & we can't wait to share more of the world with her!!!
I used a 12x12 sheet of patterned paper for the background from The Shabby Green Door "On the Wings of a Dream" collection - this one is the backside of "Postcard," available in our Etsy shop! I cut the notebook paper & the birdcage from a piece of "Day Dream," also from SGD. 
I enlarged the photo of my husband & daughter walking on the beach to a 5x7 & added the text "Live the Life you Love" in PSE. I then printed a contact sheet of all the other travel photos in black & white. Matted the tiny pix in a blue cardstock from an 8x8 DCWV Brights stack & arranged them accordingly. Then I punched the notebook page & a piece of the blue with my "notebook" edged punch from EK & layered them to the side.
I added some of the Tim Holtz tattered flowers I had made for the "Shabby Dreams" box (to be posted on Tuesday, 7/27) with various brads from my stash. The postage stamps & buttons are from Making Memories & the tiny paper clip is from Tim Holtz.

Hope you like it!
I am going to buy one of those 12x12 frames for it & hang it near all our travel albums!
Thanks for looking!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Sneek Peak

We just wanted to share a little sneeky for everyone of two great project Kim & Becky just finished for one of their monthly posts with Creative Cuts & More...

(a mini-mini album by Kim using up some leftovers!)
(a shabby box by Becky using some great papers from the Etsy shop!)

Check back in here or at the Die Cut Diva blog on TUESDAY, 7/27 for more pix & details!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

An Icy Ornament

Hi all! Becky here again...
This is a continuation of a post for Die Cut Diva today. I wanted to detail a little more about how I made this great ornament just in case some of you wanted to give it a go with your own photos!

Here's a list of supplies needed:

1 Pyramid Box from Creative Cuts & More in the color of your choice
1 Photo, blown up to 12x12 (can do at Costco for $2.99)
Tracing paper
1 Sheet Adhesive Metal sheets by QuicKutz
1 8.5x11 any white cardstock (to adhere to tin sheet)
1 Bell in silver (or use a silver paint to change a brass one)
Stickles in clear or Ice
String - I used a silver metallic from my stash
Tape runner & Killer Red Tacky Tape


First thing I did was trace the triangle shapes of the pyramid (without the tabs used to close it all up) 4X & cut them out. You can do this by laying the tracing paper on top of the pyramid & following the scored lines. Then I laid them out (inverted like the finished ornament) on the photo until I achieved a cohesive image (I started with the center of my tree along the seem of 2 triangles together). *Remember, if you simply trace the whole pyramid box onto your photo, you will end up with a choppy, picture-collage on the pyramid with some of the photo being upside down! Could be fun too!

Then I took the actual box & folded the score lines inside-out on one triangle so that my pen lines from tracing onto the photo didn't show on the cream when folded the right way round later.
If you want to fold the photo over the top like I did you will need to flip the triangles up to continue the lines above, the traced image should look sort of like a diamond for each section. 

I didn't trim the top triangles until I had tested the rest on the box. I did that by using a little removable tape runner on the photos & placing them on the pyramid. Once I knew it all worked, I cut a 3x3 inch square (the size of the top) out of a scrap of paper & then cut that again in 4ths diagonally to get the 4 smaller triangles that make up the top. Traced that onto the upper triangle on my photo & trimmed. This will give you an inverted large triangle on the bottom like the pyramid box, with a smaller triangle above it.

I scored the photo triangles along the top edge, used my tape runner & went to town putting it all on the pyramid. *Note, the pyramid is still NOT put together yet, but completely flat as I adhere the picture triangles.

After the photos were on, I added some Ice Stickles here & there to give the icy, 3D effect (see above).


While the Stickles were drying, I painted a brass bell with a Silver Paint Dauber & threaded in on the silver string when it was dry. Then I took a sheet of the adhesive metal by QuicKutz & attached it to some white cardstock. I cut out 4 different sized flowers (x3 each), punched a hole in the center & threaded them onto the string alternating white & silver to string with the bell already attached & set that aside.

Once the photo Stickles were all dry, I punched a hole in the center of the top for my brad & thread, & then I used the Killer Red Tacky Tape to put the box together! I used a large needle to thread the flowers & bell through the bottom point.

That's it! I hope it all makes sense! Be sure to leave a comment if you need more info!!
Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Great Teacher Gift Idea!

See what Becky's been up to over at her personal blog for her first ever tutorial on how to make a FABULOUSLY easy decorated candle like this one!!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

And the Winner is...

Thank you to everyone for participating in the Die Cut Diva / Creative Cuts & More July Blog Hop!!
It was great fun & very inspirational, don't ya think?!

I picked a winner out of the bucket today for our own giveaway of one of the great Christmas Kits from our Etsy Shop...

And the winner is...

Congratulations Jenny from CT!!!

Thanks so much for playing with us!
Please contact us with your mailing address & we'll get the
"Dash Away All" kit off to you this week!!
Thanks again everyone for all your wonderful comments about the hop & projects!

Keep an eye on the blog here - NEW things to come & I might need your input on some of them!!!

Monday, July 12, 2010

It's Christmas in July!!!

Welcome to another great Creative Cuts & More blog hop!!
AND hoppers can have a chance to win this FABULOUS Christmas Card Kit (as well as a chance for a kit from us - The Scrap-a-Teeny Girls - by leaving a comment here!)  Keep reading to find out how to win both of these great prizes!!

Everyone seems to just love Christmas time! And, it's never too early to be working on those goodie boxes & gifts or just simply working on your favorite pix, thinking of the nice cold weather during these hot summer months!!


Hopefully you've followed the links & came to us via Steph Zerbe's beautiful site! Amazing work huh?! You will definitely want to peruse her archives for even more inspiration!!  If you didn't arrive here from Steph's blog, you don't want to miss what all our designers have in store for you! The CC&M "Christmas in July" Blog Hop starts at the Die Cut Diva blog first.

If for some reason one of the links is broken along the Hop do not worry, HOP back over to Die Cut Diva where you will find the complete list of all our bloggers!

Let's get started...For this month's project, I wanted to work with the Pyramid Box & the Pyramid Flat Top Box.  I knew that I could layer these two to make a fun Christmas Tree with a hidden treasure inside!




After monkeying around with the image of my daughter in PSE, I cut various papers from Making Memories "Fa La La" collection & some fantastic BoBunny paper called "St. Nick in Toyland" (available in one of our Christmas kits on sale in our Etsy shop!) into the triangle shape for the top of the tree. I used the fabulous Killer Red Tacky Tape in 1/4" to put the pyramid all together. Once that was done, I inked the edges of all the paper triangles with TH Walnut Stain Distress Ink before adhering the paper to the pyramid. I just love that pic of my daughter hugging Santa!!! (For those that live in the Denver Metro area, The Barn at Castle Rock has the greatest Santa, you can take your own photos & NO lines!!! All for FREE!!)
 

For the bottom, Flat Top Pyramid Box, I first used Olive Vine & Sunflower Glimmer Mist (I think I might be becoming a GM addict!) to get the same tone of green in the paper's I was using. I rubbed on a little image from Webster's Pages "Ting-a-Ling" collection on the front, a little "25" cut out from a piece of the MM "Fa La La" papers & glued it all together (including the lid to the top Pyramid) with more of the Killer Red Tacky Tape! Next, I used more of the Killer Tape to run that FABULOUS fiber across the top (also from Webster's, but unfortunately we sold out of those kits! SPEAKING of kits...we'd like to GIVEAWAY Christmas-themed kits one of our great to one lucky reader! Just leave a comment at the end of this post, telling us which kit you'd like of the 4 in our Etsy Shop & we will randomly select a winner!!)



Even though I wired the top & used a little ribbon from my stash, because of the hidden treasure inside, the tree is really too heavy to hang. (Also, if you use this pyramid box as an ornament, be sure to punch through all your holes in the flaps inside BEFORE adhering all the triangles together! I found out the hard way that I couldn't get through all my holes because of the way I sealed it up! Hindsight!!)




My little "treasure" inside, is just that...a little book of some favorite memories of Maggie during the 2009 holiday season! After printing a contact sheet (this is a great way to get tiny pix for these kinds of projects all at once!) in PSE of the photos I wanted to use, I cut all my papers from the Webster's Pages "Ting-a-Ling" & "Winter Wonderland" collections, as well as some more of that great BoBunny paper roughly into a 2x2 inch squares & whipped it out in no time!

If you'd like to see more of the inside of this tiny album, scroll on down! If you've seen enough & want to move on to the next blog in our "Christmas in July" Blog Hop, click HERE to see Jan Tantatomir's amazing projects as our July Guest Designer for Creative Cuts & More! She really has a beautiful touch! Hope to see you soon! (BTW, we do this every month!)
AND, don't forget to follow the instructions below on how to WIN the CC&M Christmas Card Kit & be sure leave a comment to WIN one of OUR Christmas kits (let us know which one you want too!) from our Etsy Shop!!

For the CC&M prize PLEASE do one or all of the following...

(A) Leave a comment on Die Cut Diva Blog. (This is limited to one per person unless you meet the criteria of B, C, and/or D below.)

(B) Leave one extra comment there if you've posted a link to the blog candy on your own blog. Make sure to include a link to your specific post in your comment.

(C) Leave one extra comment on the Die Cut Diva if you become one of our blog followers. See the right-hand navigation column to follow us.

(D) Leave one extra comment if you click over to our new page on Facebook and become a fan.

(E) Leave one extra comment by commenting on ALL of our talented Designers in our Blog Hop! (This final "rule" will also serve as the Scrap-a-Teeny Girls' contest comment as well, so just leave the ONE comment for us to win our Christmas kit!)


Oh, I almost forgot!
You don't want to miss the August Creative Cuts & More Hop! We'll be doing some amazing Wedding & Baby ENSEMBLES!
So, stay tuned!!!

Ok, if you're still reading...here are some more photos from the mini-album. I really tried to keep it simple, with the exception of a little accordion fold inside to allow for a few sequential photos. Like I mentioned above, I used mostly the Webster's papers, but threw in a few others from my stash. You'll see a couple of those great rub-ons again as well as tons of dymo labels! I LOVE my WRMK label maker with all the different font wheels (Dymo makes one now too)!!! Let me know if you want any info on anything I might have missed telling you about here! Enjoy! And thanks for reading!







 TTFN, Becky!
PS - Kim had to skip the Hop this month because she is recovering from ankle surgery. But she will hopefully be working on some projects for our regular posts on the Die Cut Diva blog over the next two weeks! And she's got some great things planned for the Creative Cuts & More August Hop!!