Nutz about Stamping

Do you know what inspired the design of this beautiful paper?

Introducing the lovely Countryside Inn designer series paper, which is the feature on today's project:

Aren't these blue-and-white designs  charming? Inspired by fine china and wallpaper patterns, this paper includes gorgeous florals, woodland animals, nature, and ceramic designs. Use it on all-occasion cards and other paper crafting projects to add a perfect pastoral touch. Make blue and white the new trend on your projects!

This paper is not just for card making. You can also make fun memory pages (scrapbook pages) too. Today's project shows you how.

Here's what you need to make this fun page. Why not give it a try? (Tip: change the title to create the theme you want)

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets: Crafting with You (161219)
• Card Stock: Blueberry Bushel (146986); Boho Blue (161724); Basic White (159276); Basic Black (121045)
• Stamp Pads: Blueberry Bushel (147138)
• Misc: Countryside Inn Designer Series Paper (161467); Best Label Punch (158885); Crafting with You Dies (161225); Something Fancy Dies (160424)

Measurements:

• Blueberry Bushel 6 ½” x 4 ½”; 7 ¼” x 1”; 4 ¾” x 1”; 4 ¼” x 1”; 2” x 3 1/8”
• Boho Blue 6 ¼” x 4 ¼”; 2 pieces 2 3/8” x 1 ¼” (for cutter); 2 pieces 2 ¼” x ¾” (for scissors)
• Basic White 2 pieces 6” x 4”; 2 ¾” x 1 ¾”; small pieces for 27 letters
• Basic Black small scrap for cutter
• Countryside Inn Designer Series 12” x 12”; 2 pieces 2 ¼” x 1 ½”

Instructions:

1. Adhere the Basic white 6” x 4” to the Boho Blue 6 ¼” x 4 ¼” and then to the Blueberry Bushel 6 ½” x 4 ½”. Do it for both pictures. Adhere them to the 12” x 12” Countryside Inn Designer Series Paper.
2. Cut out and apply the letters to the Blueberry Bushel pieces. Adhere these to the right side of the page.
3. Cut out 2 Paper Trimmers using Boho Blue Cardstock. Also cut two of the cutting blades using Basic Black scraps. 
4. Cut out the two pieces of the Country Inn Designer Series Paper 2 ¼” x 1 ½”. Insert these into the cutter. Add the black cutters with a dot of glue. Adhere to the page.
5. Stamp the sentiment in Blueberry Bushel on Basic White and cut out using the middle Something Fancy die. Also cut out the largest size in Blueberry Bushel.  Adhere the sentiment on the Blueberry Bushel piece and to the scrapbook page.
6. Cut out two pair of scissors. Adhere the pieces together and add to the page.
7. Add your pictures and you have a scrapbook page ready to go.
8. For a double page spread, just reverse the pictures.

Celebrate your life moments (big or small) with this fun-loving collection

If you don't often create scrapbook pages, you just might find yourself inspired by the Enjoy the Journey Suite in the January-April Mini Catalog. 

Here's a peek at some of the products - all of them are retiring at then end of this month and some of these products are on SALE! 

Life is one big adventure—ups and downs and all-arounds. So, celebrate your moments (big or small) with the Greatest Journey stamp set! This set includes six encouraging phrases to express your gratitude, joy, and friendship no matter where life takes you. And the versatile designs will give you plenty of room to set the stage for your adventure, whether that’s on a high mountain top or a spacious flowering field. You can create stunning cards, scrapbook pages, thoughtful keepsakes, and more with this uplifting and adventurous stamp set! Also available in French.

From sunsets to sunrises, verdant forests to towering mountains, and every adventure in between, you’re sure to find the perfect backdrop or accent piece with the Enjoy the Journey paper pack. If you’ve got an adventure, then we’ve got a paper to match!

This is a pretty simple page with room enough to add photos and journaling.

Here's how to make it at home:

Suite/Bundle: Enjoy the Journey Suite-160599, Enjoy the Journey Bundle--160594 These items can be purchased together as a suite which also includes baker’s twine 3 pack, DSP, and Enamel Sticker Icons, a bundle of the stamp set and dies, or separately.

Cardstock: Gorgeous Grape 12” X 12” from the 12” X 12” Brights Cardstock Collection -1457001, a small scrap of Basic Black for die cutting the jogging figure.

Designer Series Paper (DSP) : Enjoy the Journey Designer Series Paper-160586—one piece of the Gorgeous Grape and green gradient hills paper, and a 3” X 4: piece of the Melon Mambo to Pumpkin Pie gradient paper.

Memories and More Card Pack: Enjoy the Adventure Card Pack -- 160840

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink

Misc: Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine-149653 or Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine--150673; Paper Snips Scissors—103579; Paper Trimmer--152392; Multipurpose Liquid Glue-110755

 

Instructions:

1. Trim the full sheet of purple and green hills 11” X 11” DSP buy trimming ½” on all four sides.

2. Cut the sheet of DSP in half so that the sky portion is

3. Flip the green side over to show the Starry Sky colored side.

4. Fussy cut or use the hill die to trim off the edge of the sky to make a curvy edge.

5. Overlap the two pieces so that the sky piece covers the top edge of the purple hilly piece. Glue the two pieces together. After gluing, the whole unit was 10-7/8” from top to bottom.

6. Center the glued piece on the Gorgeous Grape cardstock and glue it down.

7. Using your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine cut the two pieces of the tent dies from the Melon Mambo piece of DSP.

8. Also cut the jogging person figure from a scrap of Basic Black Card stock

9. You will use 1 card from the larger set of cards and 1 card from the smaller set of cards in the card pack. You can choose which cards you want. I chose the large card that has a grid with a green area on one long side, and the small card has a white center with an angled black and white edge surrounding the white center. I chose to cut off the green area of the long card.

10. On the large card, stamp “Wishing you joy in this next ADVENTURE” using the Tuxedo Black Memento ink.

11. Stamp “THIS MOMENT is the start of SOMETHING GREAT” using the Tuxedo Black Memento ink.

12. There are 4 cards is the large pack that have stickers to use on your page. I chose the large flower and 3 stars to put on the large card, and 1 star and the remember banner on the small card.

13. Glue the two cards to the page as suggested by the photo of the page.

14. Add 3 of the Enamel Sticker Icons to enhance the page: the fire icon near the tent, the compass icon somewhere on the starry sky, and the 3 trees icon on the darker hill at the edge of the page.

15. Refer to the photo as needed.

 

Enjoy your lovely page!

Want to see the perfect way to preserve your wonderful life memories?

I have shared a lot of project ideas using the Dainty Delight bundle and Dainty Flowers designer series paper. Today I want to show you another way to use this combination, as a way to preserve your wonderful life memories with friends. 

In case you weren't aware of Dainty Delight and Dainty Flowers, let's start there:

Little flowers send a big message when you use the Dainty Delight stamp set. Sure, they're dainty, but they’ll send a powerful message of hope, thanks, celebration, and more on all your paper crafting projects. The line art images can be custom colored using your favorite Stampin’ Up! coloring technique. Stamp a single stem for a clean, minimalist look, or mix and match the images for a lovely field of dainty delights.

The main feature on today's project is the whimsical and versatile Dainty Flowers paper. On one side of each sheet you can choose from a variety of elegant floral designs in different sizes and shapes. Or use the opposite side of each pattern for more pastel background layering pieces. This is a stunning set of papers that you won't want to miss out on!

Creating a memory page is super easy thanks to the Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper. Let one of the elegant floral designs in this paper pack be the feature on your page and add coordinating layers and colors to match. This page looks complicated but only takes minutes to make, ready for those friendship memories you want to preserve forever.

 Note: This paper pack is only available (as supplies last) through the end of this month and then will retire forever. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Framed Florets (161815)
• Card Stock – Basic White (159276); 2022-24 In Color 12x12 Cardstock Assortments (159203); Old Olive (100702); Rich Razzleberry (115316); Daffodil Delight (119683)
• Stamp Pads – Rich Razzleberry (147091)
• Misc. –Stampin’ Seal (152813); Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper* (160834) Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Stitched Rectangles Dies (151820); Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack (155475); Mini Glue Dots (103683); Meadow Dies (155852)
  
  *Free with a $50 product order (until 28 February, while supplies last)

 

Measurements:  

• Starry Sky: 12” x 12”                         5 ½” x ¾” 
• Old Olive: (2) 4 ¼” x 5 ½”          (3) 5 ½” x ¾”
• Rich Razzleberry (2) 5 ½” x ¾”
• Dainty Flowers 6” x 6”
• Daffodil Delight 3 ¼” x ¾”      
• Basic White: 2 3/4" x 1 1/4"
  
  

Instructions:

1. Using Stampin’ Seal, adhere Dainty Flowers layer onto to Starry Sky 12”x12” base.
2. Using Stitched Rectangles dies, die-cut 2 Old Olive Stitched Rectangles. Adhere to bottom of memory page.
3. Adhere 3 three strips of Starry Sky paper to card base using Stampin’ Seal.
4. Ink phrase using Rich Razzleberry ink and stamp onto Basic White. Die-cut using Stitched Rectangle. Adhere to Daffodil Delight strip. Attach to memory page using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
5. Using Meadow Dies, die-cut 3 Old Olive, 2 Rich Razzleberry and 1 Starry Sky wildflowers. Trim and adhere as shown in memory page photo. (insert Meadow Dies photo)
6. Create double bow using Baker’s Twine. Adhere on top of wildflowers using Mini Glue Dot.

 

 

These playful products will help you to honor the men in your life

Here’s a fun way to honor the special men in your life. Preserve your fun times together using the He’s the Man Collection. Each of these memory cards can be used as layers on greeting cards, as Project Life memory page cards, or you can frame them with your favorite photos.

General supplies: Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110775); Paper Snips (103579); Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (144108); Rustic Metallic Dots (159082); He’s the Man 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper (159068)

Card one 

He’s the Man Specialty paper: 3” x 4”

Basic Black: ½” x 5 ½”

Instructions:

1. Adhere Basic Black strip diagonally across the He’s the Man paper base.

2. Using Paper Snips, strip off overhang.

3. Attach the ‘You’re a Classic’ element using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

4. Add 3 Rustic Metallic Dots to complete.

Card two 

He’s the Man Specialty paper: 3” x 4”; ½” x 3”

Instructions:

1. Adhere He’s the Man strip across bottom of He’s the Man paper base.

2. Adhere ‘Lookin’ Sharp’ element to paper base using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

3. Adhere Bow Tie to ‘Lookin’ Sharp’ element using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

4. Add 2 Rustic Metallic Dots to complete.

Card three

Instructions:

1. Select He’s the Man card element as the card base.

2. Adhere two tree elements and ‘strong and courageous’ element to card base to complete.

Card four 

He’s the Man Specialty paper: 3” x 4”; (2) ¼” x 4”

Instructions:

1. Adhere two He’s the Man strips to He’s the Man paper base.

2. Attach ‘van’ element using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

3. Adhere ‘axe’ element to complete.

Card five 

He’s the Man Specialty paper: 3” x 4”

Instructions:

1. Adhere torn element strip to bottom of He’s the Man paper base. Trim off overhang.

2. Attach ‘BBQ’ element using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

3. Adhere ‘hooray’ element to top right of paper base.

4. Attach ‘arrow’ element using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

5. Add 3 Rustic Metallic Dots to complete.

Have you seen this beautiful new collection of products?

A new gorgeous collection called Waves of the Ocean (161797) is available for purchase March 1 - May 2.

This collection includes the Waves of Inspiration bundle (158841), gorgeous Waves of the Ocean Designer Series Paper (159982), Blue Foils Specialty Paper (159983), and Rhinestone Waves Basic Jewels (159396).

The Waves of Inspiration bundle will be available in the new 2022-2023 Annual Catalog but the rest of the products are only available as long as supplies last. You will want to order them now so you can create this beautiful beachy scrapbook page.

 

 

 

Here's how to make this fun page. 

SUPPLIES

Stamp set: Waves of Inspiration (158833 or bundle 158841)

Ink: Gray Granite Classic Stampin’ Pad (147118), Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack (154897)

Paper including cutting dimensions:

Sahara Sand Cardstock [CS] (121043) 2 pieces 6 ¼” x 5 ¼” for photo mats, 4” x 3” for journaling, 4” x 3 12” for title

Pool Party Cardstock [CS] (122924) 2 pieces 6” x 3” or one 12” x 3”

Pacific Point Cardstock [CS] (111350) 2 pieces 6” x 3” or one 12” x 3” plus a scrap for the title

Basic White Cardstock [CS] (159276) scrap

Blue Foils 12” x 12” Specialty Paper (159983) silver

Waves of The Ocean Designer Series Paper [DSP] (159982) full 12” x 12” sheet of mostly Pool Party color

Misc: Waves Dies (158840)*, Playful Alphabet Dies (152706), Rhinestone Waves Basic Jewels (159396), Take Your Pick (144107), Adhesive Sheets (152334), Stampin’ Seal (152813), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (144108), Paper Trimmer (152392), Paper Snips (103579), Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653) or Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (150673)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Apply Adhesive sheets to the back of the Pacific Point CS. Then cut two each of the wave dies from the CS, putting just the curl of the wave at the edge of paper. 

2. Adhere these to the pieces of Pool Party CS and fussy cut the waves out with your paper snips.

3. Adhere these waves along the bottom edge of the DSP with Stampin’ Seal and Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

4. Stamp the pelican on the piling stamp on scrap of Basic White with Gray Granite ink. Color the beak with the Light Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blend. Then cut it out with the corresponding die.

5. Adhere the pelican to the lower right corner of the journaling mat with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

6. Adhere the two photo mats and the journaling mat to the DSP Stampin’ Seal as shown.

7. Use the Playful Alphabet dies to cut out the title from the scrap of Pacific Point CS and adhere them to the title mat.

8. Apply an adhesive sheet to the back of the silver foil scrap and cut out the bird die three times. Apply two of the birds to the journaling mat above the pelican and the other four on the title block.

9. Apply the title block to the page.

10. As a final touch and to add bling, apply a small Coastal Cabana rhinestone to each of the tips of the waves.

11. Add 6” x 4” photos to the photo mats and remember your journaling!

Create a fabulous memory page to capture your holiday memories this year

I am so sad that my favorite bundle in the Aug-Dec Mini catalog is retiring, so I am determined to use it as much as I can until January arrives. I am not sure I can part with this bundle, ever! 

The Peaceful Cabin is so tranquil and reminds me of our family cabin in the woods back home. You can use the stamps separately, or you can pair them together to create a peaceful, wintry scene. Quickly and easily create die-cut trees, snowflakes, a peaceful cabin, and more with the matching dies. 

To purchase the bundle (while supplies last), click here. 

The die-cut pieces allow you to add visual interest and depth, which is what I did on today's project. 

The Peaceful Place Designer Series Paper helps you to keep that tranquil mood on your cards with its calming nature scenes and muted color schemes.

When you put these products together you can create a fabulous memory or scrapbook page to capture winter or holiday memories this year. Create a stamped or die-cut title to match your photos and page theme. Tip: see a full set of instructions below the page photo. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Peaceful Cabin (156395; bundle 156816)
• Card Stock – Basic White (159276); Basic Black (121045)
• Stamp Pads – Basic Gray (147111)
• Misc. – Peaceful Place designer series paper (DSP) (156394); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Paper Snips (103579); Cain Dies (156404); Blue Adhesive-backed Gems (153547); Playful Alphabet dies (152706); Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush (141897)

 

Measurements: 

• Peaceful Place: 12” x 12”  
• Basic White:             (2) 4 1/8” x 6 1/8”     3 ¾” x 2”
• Basic Black: (2) 4 ¼” x 6 ¼”          11” x 1”

 

Instructions:

1. Using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, adhere two Basic White pieces to Basic Black pieces.
2. Die-cut ‘Winter Wonder’ using Playful Alphabet dies and Basic Black strip.
3. Ink cabin using Basic Gray ink and stamp onto Basic White layer. Die-cut using Cabin dies.
4. Adhere cabin to bottom of Peaceful Place designer series paper, using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
5. Adhere photo layers to top of Peaceful Place designer series paper, leaving room for words.
6. Adhere Winter and Wonder to Peaceful Place designer series paper, around one of the photo layers.
7. Add 4 Blue Adhesive-backed Gems to scrapbook page.
8. To complete, brush Wink of Stella onto the cabin roof.

How this this set will inspire you with its flowers and beautiful line-art images

I love spring, it's my favorite time of year. And here in the Netherlands spring bring tulips, crocuses, hyacinths and peonies, just to mention a few gorgeous signs that much better weather is on the way. 

One tradition each spring is to drive to the tulips and hyacinths fields when the flowers are in full bloom. You can only see them for a few short weeks before they are harvested. And this year they were fabulous - maybe because we have been inside for so many months! Each time I visited the fields this year I took a few photos and decided that two of them were definitely a memory I wanted to preserve. 

Here's the funny thing. Although I own the Timeless Tulips stamp set, I decided not to use it on my page. Instead I chose the Painted Poppies stamp set (gasp). 

Painted Poppies 

When this set was first released it was bundled Painted Labels dies and you could also purchase a coordinating pack of elements - which of course I did. I promised myself that this was the year to use up my supplies, even the ones that are retired. And I know you will forgive me, right? Plus coloring these images with the Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends made a perfect match for the color of the tulips in my photos. 

Here's my page:

I will add journaling in a bit - that's pretty personal to me so I prefer to keep it private. I hope that you will preserve your special memories and lovely photos too - why not try my layout or if you also have the Painted Poppies stamp set, see how you can use this set on your next memory page. 

The perfect way to preserve your amazing life experiences

Since the pandemic hit, I have made it a daily feature to take a walk when my work is over - to get up and moving and out in the fresh air. Sometimes I take walks in the dunes. And I mean long walks. You can literally walk for hours in the dunes, up and down winding paths that sometimes give you a glimpse of the sea as you go. 

Back in March I came across two amazing sights: 

Believe it or not, these Scottish Highland cattle are wild. They roam freely through the dunes here and there, keeping the grass under control. You never know when and where you might see them so I was really excited to come across them on my walk. They look so docile and I would love to touch those long shaggy manes. But best not. 

As I continued on my walk another amazing experience happened. I came down the path and spotted this fellow:

I stopped for a while and watched him (her?) watching me. After a bit I started walking towards him and he didn't move. At all. I kept expecting him to dash into the brush or challenge me, but he didn't. He just watched. And amazingly, I got to the point where this shot could be taken - no zoom needed:

How about that for breathtaking! 

I was so taken with my fox sighting that I decided to grab two packs of dies and create a scrapbook page using this photo. 

Meadow dies

And the Dandy Wishes dies: 

Here's the page I created, featuring the wild grasses and the fox in the dunes: 

What a great way to preserve this very special memory. It took a lot of thought for me to get to this point and I just realized that I didn't have a date or location on my page so I will definitely add that soon, so I have a time-stamped memory to look back on years from now. 

If you want to add these two packs of dies to your craft room, click on either photo to head over to my online store! 

You just never know what exciting things you might encounter on a day's walk

Did you know that I live in the Netherlands? I have this amazing job that has taken me on a life adventure for a few years and I am loving every minute of it. 

Now the Netherlands is quite different from the part of the US and Canada that I have lived in before. It is very flat and very well organized. And situated beautifully on the North Sea. Although the country is small there has been importance placed on keeping the forests and the dunes as spots for daily strolls. And the Dutch do that. They are always out walking and cycling, even when the weather is wet, cold and gloomy. 

Since the pandemic hit, I have made it a daily feature to take a walk when my work is over - to get up and moving and out in the fresh air. Sometimes I take walks in the dunes. And I mean long walks. You can literally walk for hours in the dunes, up and down winding paths that sometimes give you a glimpse of the sea as you go. 

Last weekend as I walked I came across two amazing sights: 

Believe it or not, these Scottish Highland cattle are wild. They roam freely through the dunes here and there, keeping the grass under control. You never know when and where you might see them so I was really excited to come across them on my walk. They look so docile and I would love to touch those long shaggy manes. But best not. 

As I continued on my walk another amazing experience happened. I came down the path and spotted this fellow:

I stopped for a while and watched him (her?) watching me. After a bit I started walking towards him and he didn't move. At all. I kept expecting him to dash into the brush but he didn't. He just watched. And amazingly, I got to the point where this shot could be take - no zoom needed:

How about that for breathtaking! 

I plan to scrapbook these two photos when I have the time. What a memory to preserve. 

How to preserve your fun winter memories

As you know, Stampin' Up! has announced which products are retiring forever from the Aug-Dec Mini catalog. It wasn't much of a surprise to hear that the Trimming the Town suite was on that list:

Every single product is retiring so I knew that this week I wanted to create one last project idea as a happy farewell. With Christmas around the corner I decided to make a memory page and to share this idea with you. 

Click here to see the retiring list! 

Note: you can still order the products in this suite, or the entire suite while supplies last: from 8 December to 3 January. Click on any of the product photos in the post to link over to my store (USA only). Contact me if you live in Europe as I have a store there too!

The first thing I did was die-cut the houses and trees from my left-over scraps. Next I decided to use another scrap of the Trimming the Town paper as my title - what fun is that to see all those different languages:

I love the colors in this paper pack, they are so bright and happy! I decided to stamp two light posts and color them using my Mango Melody Stampin' Blends. And after my page was almost done I chose to stamp some Pool Party snowflakes (from the Coming Home set) to add a bit more visual interest. 

And here is my page. I can't wait to add my photos and journaling! 

If you want step-by-step instructions, watch my video below. And don't miss my bonus tips along the way!

How to create fun memories with this pick five challenge

I cannot believe it was almost two years ago that I was in Malta. It feels like it was just a few months ago. I truly feel in love with these two islands and would love to go back some day. 

I chose to scrapbook two of my Malta photos for this weekend's Pick Five challenge:

• Masculine theme
• Gears
• Pattern papers (at least two)
• Banner
• Two word title

I started by choosing my photos first and once those were printed I chose the Garden Green 12x12 page base to match the green color in the water. I knew that I wanted to choose patterned paper that had Night of Navy in them - to match to the water in the photos and act as a nice compliment to Garden Green.

My paper choices came from the In Good Taste pack...

...and a retired strip I had left over from last year's catalog. It is important to use up what is lying around, right?

I decided that the Garden Green page base was too plain and thought it would be fun to stamp, using Versamark, the large sailboat from the Sailing Home stamp set. I really like how the stamped images look.

But then those gears.....hmmmm. Until I remembered that the Smooth Sailing dies have a 'steering wheel' in the pack and it looks close to a gear - so I chose to die-cut 5 wheels to add to my page. 

I did a bit of a cheat for the title - I trimmed down one of the World of Good cards because I thought it would be fun as a title - yes it it three words but close enough. 

The final element - banner - I created three - two small ones (can you spot them?) and one larger one that I used to note where the photos came from and what year. That's when I got a shock that this fun trip happened two years ago! Wow how time flies. 

Here's my page! 

Now it's your turn - try this Pick Five challenge to make a card or a scrapbook page. You just might love how it turns out too!

How to remember your daily adventures in a fun way

COVID-19 has impacted so many of us for a very long time, hasn't it? Some countries are slowly opening up again and some schools have reopened for students once again. Other countries are taking a more needed cautious approach.

In the Netherlands schools have reopened but offices are encouraged to keep their employees working from home as yet. My office has decided that we will work from home until 4 January 2021 at the earliest - a bit of a surprise when I first head this news but I think it is the right decision as our office is open area for almost everyone. 

As an expat living away from home, my only social time was with my work colleagues so the past 171 days (yes I have been counting) has meant a lot of solitude and sometimes a bit of loneliness. A few weeks ago a colleague invited three of us to her place for Friday night Pizza and Games night. It was so much fun that we decided it would be a weekly event - a way to socialize a bit in safety. 

And so a pizza night tradition has begun and each week we show up at her apartment to make pizzas. But not any normal pizza, no way! Each week we try three different types of pizzas and stretch our culinary skills and imagination. 

When I saw this sketch challenge and three photos I immediately decided to create a memory page of Pizza Night as years from now looks at this page will bring a smile to my face. And that's what we want memories to do, right? 

What I like about the above sketch is all the different elements the page. I have always been attracted to splatter stamps and shapes so I was eager to get started. What proved quite challenging was the hexagons. I could have used another shape but I liked the elements. So [shock] I dusted off a required hexagon punch from a couple of Annual Catalogs ago to decided to use it. 

Next was the paper choice for the hexagons. I looked for color inspiration in the photos and chose Cherry Cobbler and Shaded Spruce which are two colors in one of the patterns in Plaid Tidings paper:

I used some splatter stamps from the Painted Poppies stamp set and I created the title from the Make a Difference stamp set. I did a second little cheat and used another splatter stamp from the retired Gorgeous Grunge stamp set. Remember that set? 

 

I am really happy with how my page turned out - it has a very different style from what I am used to creating and I love it!

What weekly events would you want to remember years from now? Choose one, take some photos and try this Sketch Challenge too. 

How to use only 5 elements to make a beautiful page

This weekend I joined another Pick 5 challenge and had so much fun making my page. 5 elements had to be on our page but I modified the list a tiny bit to match what I had on hand:

-blue or gray letters

-designer paper

-triangles

-torn paper

-something metallic

When I saw that I had to have blue on my page, I immediately thought of a trip I took to Greece last year because the photos I took had lots of blue in them. I matched the blue in my photos to Pacific Point and then had to figure out what I would use for triangles. I don't have any triangle dies and could cut squares in half but then I spotted my Tailored Tag punch:

I figured out that if I punched a Pacific Point tag I could cut it in half lengthwise and end up with a triangle shape. I punched and cut several tags and arranged them on my page to look a bit like steps. 

The letters I created with the Playful Alphabet dies and used Basic Gray to match the color of the steps in one of my photos. 

Next I chose some of my left over Forever Greenery paper and tore the ends of each piece. This paper would be the base for my journaling. 

Finally, I needed something metallic. I chose a title sticker from World of Good Memories & More Card Pack. The sticker has brass foil letters and the word is perfect match. 

Here's my Pick Five page:

Fun right? Why not give our Pick Five challenge a try - and yes you can tweak one of the items like I did. Have fun! 

How to preserve those day to day experiences

A few months ago I joined a Facebook group for beginner scrapbookers because one of the group leaders placed an order at my online store. We made a great connection and she invited me to join her group. I am so happy that I did because they are a fun group of crafters who are really open to share their journeys into scrapbooking. 

A couple of weeks ago the group leaders started posting a Saturday layout challenge. Most of the weekends I don't participate because I am so busy making cards to post here on my blog. But this weekend I decided to join in because this sketch looked pretty fun:

Since lockdown and working from home happened around the same time I joined this scrapbooking group, I started taking walks in a forest that is pretty close to my apartment. i have watched spring arrive, then summer and now each day I enjoy the shade and coolness that this amazing forest provides on my walk. I am often 'wowed' with the paths I take, the different shades of green I walk by and how the sunlight filters through the branches. At times I stop and take a quick photo during my walks. 

This weekend I realized that these kind of moments are what I will always treasure from living in The Hague. Years from now, no matter where I am living, I will remenber this forest fondly. 

So why not scrapbook this to remember? 

Digging through my crafting stash, I decided to create a page filled with the greens in my photos. I chose the Forever Fern bundle:

Along with the Forever Greenery paper:

The idea for my title came so easily, using the fabulous Playful Alphabet dies. 

I also used the new Foam Adhesive Sheets when die-cutting my title so that they would pop up off my page. 

Speaking of my page, here it is. I will add my journaling when I have a few quiet moments and time to think about what I want to say. If needed I will add another tag behind the first. 

Do you scrapbook? If so, would you like to see more pages posted on my blog to give you inspiration. Please leave me a comment to let me know. I love hearing from you!

See the perfect project for a world traveler

Do you like adventures? Are you a world traveler? Do you have lots of photos and memories to preserve? Then today's project is perfect for you! 

This week I got the new Playful Alphabet dies in the mail and I am so excited to introduce them to you and show you just one way you can use them:

Playful Alphabet Dies
$34.00

 

 

 

 

There are many things I love about these dies:

• the size (3/4" x 3/4") - not too big, not too small, just right
• duplicate letters: A, E, I, L, N, O, P, R, S, T - so clever Stampin' Up!
• numbers! 
• punctuation

I am excited because this means personalization. Think card making and creating someone's name on the front: for birthdays, baby cards, graduation, and more. I will admit that I have many scrapbook pages without titles because I wanted to use dies instead of trying to hand print a title on them. I can now go back and add titles or fun phrases to these pages using Playful Alphabet. 

I also used the Beautiful World bundle on today's project. I have certainly got my money's worth from this bundle in one short month. Scroll back through my blog to see the projects. Two of my recent faves this clean and simple card here and this card technique here. 

Beautiful World Bundle
$48.50

 

 

 

 

Here's a photo of my semi-finished page - I will add journaling boxes later. For the page itself I used a sheet of the World of Good designer paper - perfect for this project, don't you think?

Playful Alphabet Scrapbook page

Stamp set: Beautiful World bundle (154091)

Ink: none

Paper and cutting dimensions:
        World of Good: 12" x 12" sheet
        Cinnamon Cider: varying sizes to mat your photos
        Copper Foil: 2" square
        Misty Moonlight: 3" x 2 1/4"

Other: Playful Alphabet dies (152706); Copper Foil Sheets (142020); World of Good Memories & More card pack (153600); SNAIL adhesive, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

I also created a video showing you how to make this page along with some bonus tips:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's how to celebrate the beauty of spring

In the past few weeks I have tried to take a walk every single day, knowing that it is good for my well-being to get some fresh air and exercise. 

I will say that I do feel better after my walk and I have already seen a difference in how I look too. One day a take a half-hour walk and the next I take an hour and 10 minute walk - both through a beautiful forest that is near to where I live. 

Along with my daily walk I have started to notice signs of spring along the way - to trees (finally) budding leaves, to all the flowers that are now blooming. When I see something that really strikes me as beautiful I have stopped to snap a photo or two with my phone. 

This week I decided to take a couple of my photos and create a scrapbook page - to celebrate the beauty of spring and also to remember that life does go on despite all the tragedy I feel happening in the world. When it came tome to make my scrapbook page I chose colors that matched the colors in my photos:

• Mossy Meadow
• Mint Macaron
• So Saffron
• and a touch of Real Red

I also decided to use some left over Garden Lane designer series paper - the name says it all!

Garden Lane Designer Series Paper
$11.50

 

 

 

 

 

The design of this page was a bit of a challenge but ideas started to flow I knew that I wanted to create some small and some large daisies as embellishments. 

Enter my daisy punches!

Daisy Punch
$18.00

Medium Daisy Punch
$16.00

I don't currently own a printer so for my title, rather than print something I used my Lined Alphabet stamp set and colored the letters in the title with my Mossy Meadow Dark Stampin' Blend. 

Lined Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp Set
$34.00

 

 

 

Here's my final page. I will likely add a journaling box to record not only this time in history but also how I was feeling. These are the times that are important not only to capture but also to remember. 

What memories are you capturing at this moment in time and what will you do with them?