Can you believe that we are in February? And Valentine’s day is right around the corner. This week my girls are celebrating Valentine’s day at preschool, so with the help of Emma, we made the Valentine’s for their classes. (Click on the images below  to view them larger & clearer).

First we cut out heart layers with the Cricut, using the Doodlecharms cartridge. (A money saving tip: I used all paper that was in my scrap bin! A great way to use it up, & save money at the same time!).

Once that was done, I inked the white center hearts, & then we adhered them to the base:

After that, Emma had a ball helping me stamp the images (that she chose) onto the hearts. We used a Penny Black stamp set:

Then I colored in the images with colored pencils, doodled around the edges. Then had Emma sign her name on the back. We will attach them to a small treat bag, for her to hand out to her friends in class this week. It was a fun Mommy/daughter project, that was inexpensive. And they are kinda cute too. ;o)

Do you make your own Valentine’s? If so, please head over to the forum & let us see what you have done.

Thank you for checking out my project!

Good morning and welcome to Sketch Sunday. Lately I’ve been entering sketch challenges featured on manufacturers’ blogs. Today’s sketch comes from Bo Bunny.

When entering this time of challenge, designers are required to use 75-90% of the products on the layout made by the sponsoring manufacturer. I wanted to use a piece of paper from the Kitchen Spice line. I only had 1 sheet and a sheet of matching double dot cardstock. I made it a double challenge! I did add a piece of Bazzil cream cardstock, a felt flower from K and Co, and Making Memories glitter letter stickers.

For some added dimension, I used the Cricut to cut the u-turn arrow, and I backed a Studio Calico jounraling spot with cardstock and adhered it with pop dots. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but I’ll keep trying.

Let’s see your interpretations of this sketch. Share them with us on our Forum.

Thanks for reading. Have a great week.

For February, I want to introduce you to an Etsy seller who puts together kits of ribbons and lace that are romantic, fun, playful… whatever mood you want to strike up on your scrapbook page, Hailey’s Bobbins has a kit for you to embellish your page with.
Cindy, the creative mind behind Hailey’s Bobbins, was able to answer a few questions for us…

Hi Cindy! I’m so happy you’ve agreed to be our featured Etsy seller for February. Can you tell me how long haileysbobbins has been open, and what made you decide to open your own shop?
Hi Catherine thanks so much for asking me to be the featured Etsy Seller! I started Haileysbobbins on January 22, 2008. I originally opened the shop to try and sell my quilts. I have been making quilts since I was 13 for the homeless and for people in Wheel Chairs. I figured if I could sell some quilts I could continue buying blankets and material to make more. I have always loved material and colors. After I sold my first quilt I decided I would branch out a bit and start selling some buttons that were willed to me from an elderly lady in her 100’s! After that my business took off like a jet and I thought it would be a fun idea to make inspiration kits because I have collected lace, buttons, material etc throughout my entire life.

You sent me a great creative kit filled with lace and buttons. I noticed that your kits are color themed… what are your best sellers?
I must say they are so much fun to make and my best seller is the light blue kits. People really seem to enjoy the ocean themed kits and the green kits as well. 

Your shop has a great assortment of creative kits. Do you have a personal favorite creation?
My personal favorite is the Pinks and Greens together. Like my Love Spell or Spring has Sprung.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from my grandmother who introduced me to my first sewing machine and brightly colored fabric.

This creative kit inspired me to create this layout of Alex and I in Portland, Maine, this summer.

Don’t forget our February Challenge! Show us obvious white space on a layout and be entered to win a creative kit from Hailey’s Bobbins!

There is nothing I like more than getting new patterned paper. I love it. I love finding the perfect paper and then cutting/cropping it for whatever project I am working on. There is something so satisfying about the entire process. However, all that cutting and cropping can leave you with a wonderful pile of, well, scraps. So many scrapbookers have a folder or box where they keep their scraps. How many of us, actually USE those scraps?
I know I am guilty of NOT using them enough. However, lately I have found some wonderful ways of using up those scraps- basically, scrapping with my scraps. Here are a few examples of work that is done, with nothing but scraps. (I am defining a scrap as any piece of paper that was once part of a 12 x 12 paper, regardless of what size it now is.)

For “Me & Jenn” I cut the scraps into strips to add some color and make the page soft.

For “what a face” I discovered some nicely save scraps all from the same paper line.

For “hope” I used a square punch to make tile. This is an easy and fast way to use those scraps.

Those are just a few examples of how to use your scrap. Although there are many many more. As an incentive to get you to use your scraps- and I know you have some- I am hosting a challenge on the forum. Make a new page with scraps and post it to my challenge by the end of February to be in the running for a RAK from me.

Happy Scrapping

Ana

Supplies you’ll need

Step 1

Stamps
stamp press if you have one
inks
distressing ink
chalks
card
pp – small piece
cutting system you have at home
double sided tape
cotton buds
eyelet setter
versmark ink if you have it

Step 2

Step 3

Now careful turn the press over and use the grid to line it all up , gentle press down and carefully lift the stamp press off.

Step 4

step 5

step 6

Add the square with your stamped text and image to the front of card placing over the top of pattern paper .

I added more images using versmark ink the ghost looking cars are done that way

once in place get the eyelet punch a hole where you want it to sit and then turn it over and set in place. I have used a eyelet punch kit if you don’t have one you could use a brad or flower in place depending on your card theme.

Step 7

Step 8

finished card