With my mother’s birthday coming up, on the 22nd, I never know what to get her.  She is a woman who just goes out & buys something when she wants or needs it.  So, I am not going to get her much, maybe a pair of earrings, or a nice piece of jewelry.  But, what better way to present them to her than in an altered Sucrets tin!  Yes, you heard me, a Sucrets tin! 

So, I dug into my scraps,  & ribbon, & chipboard, & rub-ons, & decorated it to make it into a pretty little package, just big enough for a pair of earrings, or a necklace, or something pretty. 

I know we have some pretty talented altered project gals out there.  Let’s see what you’ve got.  If you have recently altered a tin, or something similar, please head on over to the forum & show off what you’ve made!  We would love to see it!

Have a glorious week!  Thanks for looking.

Good morning and welcome to Sketch Sunday. One of my more recent sources of sketch inspiration is Julie Bonner. I feel like she’s all over the place lately. Congrats to her for just getting selected to the GCD Studios 2010 Design Team. She’s also a member of the Imaginisce design team, and she designs monthly sketch challenges for My Creative Scrapbook. The sketch challenges are held in their forum. She created this sketch for January.

I don’t subscribe to MCS product kits, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play along with the challenge. I created this layout using Crate Paper’s Seasons.

These pictures are from a recent visit with my in-laws and their new grandson. He’s also my nephew, and my son’s first cousin. It’s weird to be an Aunt! I love the bold patterns of this paper line. It was easy to hand-cut some flowers and circles to create layered embellishments. A new technique I’m really into is using hemp cord or twine to thread buttons. I just poked the two ends through 2 of the holes from back to front and made two knots. So simple! I used K and Company fabric covered brads for centers of the large flowers.

Share your creations in the TES forum. Thanks for reading!

For March I am happy to introduce you all to Embellish Your Page, a store on Etsy that specializes in handmade borders and also carries a selection of stamps, stickers, inks, and other scrapbooking embellishments.
Meet Lacey, the owner of the shop, who has answered a few questions for us.

1. Hi Lacey! I’m so happy you’ve agreed to be our featured Etsy seller for March. Can you tell me how long Embellish Your Page has been open, and what made you decide to open your own shop?
I opened this shop in September, 2009. I had another shop that I decided to let go so that I could start over and be more focused on scrapbooking items. I found out about Etsy a couple of years ago when I saw an article in an online business magazine. I think it was Business Weekly. I was instantly hooked. I have been an avid crafter for years and learned to do a lot of different things, but always lacked an outlet for myself. This was the perfect way to be able to support my habit, as my family called it. It has been extremely exciting to connect with people all over the world that love crafting and exercising their imaginations.

2. I would describe your shop as a scrapbook warehouse filled with great deals. How would you describe it?
I think of my shop as my personal shopping list, although a warehouse is a very good description! I buy from companies that I know and respect, with quality products that I have used for my own projects. If I have not used an exact product, I have used something similiar and feel confident that my customers will enjoy the crafting process with any item that they purchase. I also am very diligent in finding deals since I have a budget but still want to craft beautiful things. I want to pass those deals on as much as possible.

3. Do you have any best sellers?
I would say my paper punches are all best sellers, especially with my international customers! Ink pads are coming in a strong second. I run different specials every month so I have some surges in demand for stickers or borders as well.

 {This layout was created by me using Lacey’s city border as well as one of the many punches she sells in her store}

4. What’s next for Embellish Your Page?
I hope to slow down on borders since they are kind of assembly line and don’t feel very creative. Instead, I would like to make some projects showcasing my products so people can get creative ideas. My mother pointed out that a person can have wonderful supplies to pick from for crafting, but if you don’t have any ideas, why would you buy something? I am hoping I can find a way to divide my crafting time between these 2 main sections of my shop. I have also experimented with garlands, place cards, and wall art recently.

Thank you, Lacey! Embellish Your Page is offering a rebate exclusive to TES! Please use the discount code “scrapper” for a discount of 15% off total purchase price, including shipping costs. This code never expires! Shop your heart out!

Also, don’t forget about the March Challenge: Mix It Up! Submit your page via our forum for your chance to win a $10 Gift Certificate to spend at Embellish Your Page.

We have some wonderful new team members here on TES, and I can’t wait any longer to introduce them to you all!

Joining our Sketch Team on Sundays are:
Ann
Juliann
Linda
Lisa

I am also pleased to announce that Mia will be our new Sketch Sunday Coordinator as of April 1st!

Our Forum Contributors Team also has some new faces! Please meet:

Monique
Christine
Joan
Tabitha

These ladies are always present for some Daily Inspiration up on our Forum!

I hope you’ll join me in welcoming them!

Hey all! Good Wednesday to you! Hope your week is off to a great start!

This week I wanted to focus on Cards and how they can connect us to others! I recently made this card for a special 8 year old in my life. I was overjoyed by his message on my phone saying how much he loved it! Cards are a great way for us to connect with others! So come share on the forum under Website topics a recent card you have created for someone special!

Have a blessed day!

~Jewels~