Face Off Friday - Brag Book a la Roxy

Friday is the day I usually challenge myself to do one of the blog challenges - or so that was my plan for regular blog posts.

But that plan fell off the rails today - I'm combining posts and I'm challenging myself to make something for a door prize for my purse class tomorrow and because I'm feeling uncreative I'm actually CASEing this project.

Staying up until 2 am helping a 15 year old with homework will do that to a person! Yikes!

So here it is - A Holiday Brag Book as CASED by the wonderfully creative Roxy Somerville (aka Corinne Somerville).

To see her tutorial on how to make one of these for yourself click HERE.

Whatever Wednesday - I scrapbooked!

Today I did this scrapbook 2 page layout. 

I'm more of a cardmaker than scrapbooker but I had to get this stuff together for an event last night and finished it up today.

I'll add the journalling later (or better yet get my daughter to add it).

Flipping Album Thingy!

I saw this tutorial over at SCS and decided that I'd give it a try.

I'm not much into the "mini" things but I'm trying to do "new" & "different" things to stimulate my creativity.

This album sure is mini - it's only 2 1/2 x 4 inches.

Here it is closed.

Here it is with both "pages" flipped up.

Here's a close up of the glitter chipboard heart.

BTW the glitter is Glitter Ritz Microfine Cinnamon.

The patterned paper is a DCWV Paper Stack called Teen Prints.

This is the back of this "mini" album.

Now I just need to find some mini pictures to put into this little album and finish it off!

Class Projects

In my efforts to recapture and replenish my creativity I am taking a variety of classes in local scrapbooking stores near me.

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in some classes at 2 LSS (local scrapbooking stores).

In the first class I made some All Occasion cards at Making Memories with Scrapbooking on Hastings St in Burnaby BC.

The first card is a generic Baby card using one of the small Cuttlebug embossing folders on a tag and then coloured with chalks.

This next one is a springy Thank You card using Easter paper. The word Easter on the paper is covered up with some strategically placed punch outs.

This next card uses a Cricut greeting that has been trimmed to fit on the card front. The card front has also been trimmed into a wave pattern (freehand) and layered with patterned paper and coloured cardstock. Don't you love the random use of buttons on this card?

This next card was meant to be a wedding card but I ommitted the greeting. The embossed paper on the front is a thin mettallic paper that has been embossed using a Cricut embossing folder. I wasn't sure about this one at first but I like the combo of white, cream, blue and black.

This navy card is a gate fold with the patterned paper panel added to one side afterwards. I especially love the congratulations greeting (a rub-on) added right onto the satin ribbon. I never thought of doing that before!

Another rub-on greeting on a sparkly card. The patterned paper panel has micro glitter added to it using the burnished velvet technique.

Here's a close up of the glitter panel - see how glittery it is!

The next class I attended was a Girlfriends Fip & Fold book at Scrap Arts in North Vancouver. Kelly, a new Australian instructor at the store, showed us how to make this fun and surprisingly easy 5 x9 inch chipboard covered booklet.

Just look at all the space for photos and journally here!

Thanks for popping in on me today!

Paper Bag Purse Album

I made this Paper Bag Purse Album the other day as a store sample for Scrap Arts.

I'll let my daughter loose on it - later - to add more embellishments and some fun photos to finish it off!

Because it's meant to be a purse - the orientation of this album has the sewn binding at the top and the pages flip up vertically.

Pyramid Explosion Box & Tutorial

See the pyramids along the Nile.... That's how the old song goes right?

But the pyramids I'm talking about are Pyramid Boxes in my craft room!

I really like the look of this Pyramid Explosion Box I found here and was inspired to try my own.

So I made some for an upcoming class at ScrapArts the LSS where I work part time and teach classes.

I kept mine very simple so that the customers could embellish as desired. With a class like this I let them pick their own paper rather than dictate the paper. I also like to see all the pattern and colour combinations that they come up with!

This is a photo of my pyramid box closed.

I used a 12x12 sheet of paper for the outside layer and scored at 4 & 8 inches.

Here's what it looks like opened up.

I used a rubon for the greeting and a small flower with a rhinestone brad for an embellishment.

There are many "pages" to add photos or journalling.

This is a neat project because you can make the pyramids any size you want and put surprises in them - I'm thinking Hershey Kisses or if I can find one - the really BIG Hershey Kiss.

These Pyramid Boxes are so easy to make and since someone asked me I thought I'd put together a tutorial for them.

Here's a quick tutorial for making the 2x2 pyramid favours.

Supplies needed:

6x6 piece of double sided patterned paper or cardstock weight paper

16" length of ribbon or cord

Ruler

Pencil

Bone Folder or Scor-Pal

Scissors

Small hole punch (I use 1/8 size)

Label/tag or embellishments as desired

1. Take the 6x6 paper and score at 2 inch intervals (2 & 4).

2. Turn the paper and score again at 2 inch intervals (2 & 4).

3. Using your scissors cut away the 2 inch squares at each corner.

4. Using your ruler mark with pencil the centre point of each protruding square (for this size it will be at the 1 inch mark).

5. Using your ruler again make a line from the centre point to the corner on each side.

6. Cut away the excess leaving protruding triangles or as my son calls it a "throwing star".

7. Determine which pattern will be your inside and which your outside and then fold at the score lines accordingly. In my example it was easy - I chose the side that didn't have any pencil marks as my outside!

8. Punch holes near the top of each triangle. For the Pyramid Explosion Box I used eyelets here because the ribbon would be threaded through multiple times and I thought the eyelets would make it stronger and less likely to rip the holes. For these favours I didn't use eyelets as these are meant to be threaded and tied only once.

9. Thread the ribbon through your holes. Attach a label or embellish as desired. Add a small treat like a truffle, kiss, or individually wrapped chocolate and then close the pyramid with a knot of a bow.

10. Give it to someone you love and eat the leftover treats! You know you bought extra "just in case"!

Sometimes I Scrap...

I've been working on a few projects lately - scrapbooking projects!

Here are some photos to prove it....

I even included a fold out for a Photo CD holder!

This one is quick and easy! I used old Christmas cards for the mosiac on the right page. I wasn't sure if the old cards would be "acid free" so I kept them on one side - away from the photos.

Here's a few close-ups of the embellishments - acrylic snowflakes with "bling" in the middle! It's hard to tell in the photo but I even outlined the white letters with glitter pen!

More Flip Album Combos

I was asked to put together some more Flip Album Kits for the store.





Here are the combos: