Together is a Wonderful Place to Be (Gossamer Blue September 2013 kit)

Just a cute layout using the September Gossmer Blue Kit. Love my family!

Blog Swap Week with Xyron + Maya Road!!

Good Morning Xyron and Maya Road fans!! Heather here with two wonderful projects for you.I am also being featured on the Xyron Blog today. Make sure you check out each day this week for fun and prizes!!

The first project that I created, was a sweet little ornament using one of the Maya Road Vintage Metal Heart Tins.

I started by tracing the Maya Road Vintage Metal Heart Tin onto my paper. To make sure that the heart fit, I had to cut down the heart just a little bit smaller than the area that was fluted. The Joyous Collection by Authentique was the perfect version of Christmas for this ornament.

I then used my Xyron 3" Sticker Maker to adhere the heart to the tin. The 3" Sticker Maker is just the perfect size for this!

I waited to create a hole for the cording until I glued in the heart down. This way, I didn't have to match anything up. Because of the metal, I used my Crop-o-Dile for this.

I then created some interest with a few stickers and some Xyron Foam Squares. It was then that I decided to ink the edges of everything. I had inked the stickers, but had to use an ImagineCrafts Fantastix ink applicator to smudge some ink onto the red heart.

I then added one of the Statements die cut pieces, using more of the Foam Squares to add dimension.

Lastly, I used the gorgeous Maya Road Twine Cording in Cherry Red to create a hanger for the ornament, and create a gorgeous bow for the top. The Maya Road Cording makes gorgeous bows.

I cannot wait to display this on my Christmas tree!!

For my second project, I started with the Maya Road 5 Ring Tab Book and more of the Joyous Collection. Each of the pages has been run through my Xyron 9" Creative Station. I then applied the patterned paper, then cut with a kraft knife, and filed off the edges using a nail file for acrylic nails (they last longer and are usually cheaper). The cover is finished with a Maya Road Photo Frame that has been run through the Xyron 3" Sticker Maker. The middle of the Photo Frame was sprayed with gold mist before adding some die cuts.

All of the pages are simple, as they will have photographs added later. Because of the amazing amount of pages in the Mini Book, I wanted to keep the dimension simple. Otherwise, I ran the risk of not being able to close it.

I cut each of the photo mats down to 3.5" x 5.5". This way, I can just slightly cut down standard sized photographs and easily use my Xyron Mega Runner to post in some sweet Christmas memories.

 I love how clean and graphic this ended up.

Supplies Used:

Xyron: 9" Creative Station, 3" Sticker Maker, Mega Runner, Foam Squares

Maya Road: Vintage Metal Heart Tart Tins, 5 Ring Tab Book, Twine Cording (Cherry Red), Photo Frames Chipboard Set

Other Supplies: Authentique's Joyous Collection, Distress Ink (Black Soot), ImagineCrafts Fantastix, Heidi Swapp Gold Lame Color Shine

You Are One in a Million... (Gossamer Blue September 2013 kit)

I really loved this layout. I saw something similar on the TwoPeas board... Or maybe Pinterest. Anyway, I found a similar cut file in the Silhouette Online Store and had fun mixing and matching the papers. I was in the mood to just create, so this is a pretty direct translation. And I still love it.

Little Dancer (Gossamer Blue September 2013 Kit)

This past June, my oldest got to dance in her first ballet recital. Every other year, the local YMCA dance classes rent out this beautifully large theater downtown and they all perform. Miss I's first year in ballet was just this such year. She got to wear a wonderfully lovely yellow dress and dance to The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun". Being a huge Beatles fan, I was in love that she now knows all the words to such a beautiful song.

For this layout, I used all of the lovely pieces from Gossamer Blue's September kit. I just loved that arrow stamp, and repeated it a few times. I also added a My Mind's Eye puffy geotag, and a Fancy Pants cork arrow. 

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: Cards & Tags with Core'dinations

I really enjoyed making this set of tags for the Authentique Blog today. Make sure that you check out all of the wonderful details that come about by combining Authentique papers and Core'dinations cardstock!

Crop Layouts: ScrapbookSteals Crop (September 2013)

I always feel that I don't create enough when I'm at a crop. Mainly I love to chat with my lovely friends who are there with me. This last ScrapbookSteals Crop was no exception. I did however get a few things done during the classes, and in true Heather style, didn't follow directions all that well.

The first layout is using Pebbles' From Me to You papers. The class used the Dark Kraft cards from American Crafts, as a card making course. I really liked the cards, but wasn't really in the mood for cards that morning. Instead, I created this fun layout using most of the patterns and pricing strips from the various papers. I really liked the grey from this set of papers. I also really liked this sheet of paper, and am looking forward to using the rest for a few cards.

The second layout used a page kit from Echo Park's Reflections Collection. I swapped the order of the layout that was presented, and added a few more details with the white pen.

For this layout, I'm not quite sure if I'm done with it so far. KC from My Mind's Eye challenged us to a few choices of layouts. One, we had to use Christmas papers in a non-Christmas way. And two, he gave us a few choices for our layout. Luckily, I had this adorable picture of my little Seahawks fans ready to scrap. The papers are all from The Winter Wonderland Collection. So is the twine. Which actually worked perfectly as they are pretty close to Seahawks colors. The alphas are Pink Paislee and October Afternoon from my stash, the stamp from Elle's Studio for Gossamer Blue.

Stenciled Pillow Boxes using Xyron and Stencil Girl Products

Good Morning! I created this fun Thanksgiving pillow box using Xyron and Stencil Girl Products.

I started with a white sheet of Neenah paper, and covered it with Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap. I just pounced and swirled the ink over the paper so that it was mottled with color.

I then grabbed the "Flicks" Stencil Girl stencil and pounced Vintage Stain Distress Ink over and over again, covering the paper with random stencil prints.

There is no pattern to this, so that the pattern is completely random.

I did the same again in Tumbled Glass...

And in Broken China.

Once I had my new "patterned paper", I used one of my pillow box cuts from my Silhouette, and created a cute pillow box. 

Once it was glued shut, I measured and cut a piece of Core'dinations Kraft-Core cardstock and adhered it to the pillow box (while closed) using my Xyron 9" Creative Station.

I then cut a leaf using more of the Core'dinations Kraft-Core cardstock paper. I ran this and my stencil (the sandwich is upside down here...) through my Xyron 9" Creative Station.

See... Here it is the right way. This kind of worked. The adhesive stuck to the stencil, but not the leaf on top of it. To make it work the first time, I suggest burnishing the adhesive through each section of the stencil. I ended up turning the stencil over, and just pressing the holes of the stencil onto the leaf.

It's not perfect, but I almost like this look even better than what I had originally thought it would look like. I then sprinkled gold embossing powder on this and used my heat gun to set it.

Because I used adhesive and not an embossing ink, the powder stayed more solid, but is permanently stuck to the paper. (FYI: Goo Gone took most of the adhesive off of the stencil, without melting the plastic!)

I then used a combination of sequins, May Arts twine, button and a stamped flag to finish off the piece. The Xyron Adhesive Solutions 3/16" Dots are perfect for sticking down the sequins.

I'm kind of ink love with the finished version. The Stencil Girl stencil made such a unique design.

Supplies:
Xyron 9" Creative Station, Xyron Mega Runner, Xyron Adhesive Solutions 3/16" Dots, "Flicks" Stencil Girl stencil, Core'dinations Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Shattered 6x6, Distress Inks (Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Broken China, Tumbled Glass), Lawn Fawn sequins, May Arts ribbon, My Mind's Eye button, A-Muse stamp, kraft paper, ink, American Crafts Zing embossing powder, Neenah cardstock in Solar White, Silhouette

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: "Thrilling" Artful Binders with Art Anthology & Basically Bare

Have you checked out the Authentique blog today? I have a tutorial today that incorporates the Artful Binder from Basically Bare, Art Anthology inks and paints, The Crafter's Workshop, and Authentique Thrilling papers. And, I use my Xyron 9" Creative Station. (LOVE that thing!)

I'm in love with these stencils from The Crafter's Workshop. The binder was really fun to make, and looks amazing. You really have to take a look.

AND We Have a Winner!!!

It's been an odd week for getting things done right this week. I'm not sure what's up, but I'm not liking it. Maybe I need to get back to my list-making. I love crossing things off.

Anyway.... We have a winner!

#38!! Darlene Whalley from My Tattooed Paper Heart

Darlene, I will try to get hold of you to send off your prize!!

Xyron and Doodlebug Help Celebrate Fall!

I am loving the fall weather. Fall in the Pacific Northwest is usually gorgeous, but this year has been all about rain and thunderstorms. I kind of love it. It was on one of these very days that we took a ferry ride that this adorable photo was taken. I love my little monkeys, and they normally aren't this sweet with one another.

For this layout, I really wanted to play off of the aqua skirt that my oldest was wearing. I used the Happy Harvest Plentiful paper in the background, and die cut a piece of Happy Harvest Sunflowers to base the layout from. I'm a sucker for woodgrain of any kind, and the Happy Harvest Sunflowers paper is a beautiful red.

I used kraft paper to give the photo a little bit of a natural border, then popped that against the opposite side of the Happy Harvest Plentiful paper. The journaling was created by running two die cut pieces of kraft and Happy Harvest Autumn Leaves through my Xyron 9" Creative Station and using a Signo Uniball pen for the journalling.

A sweet banner made from pieces of the Happy Harvest Fancy Frills stickers and Happy Harvest Doodads, along with some burlap alphas finished off this layout.

This little foxy card was so easy to put together using mainly stickers from the Happy Harvest Icon Sticker and Happy Harvest Quotes stickers. I also used a corner punch to add some detail to the Happy Harvest Apple Orchard and Happy Harvest Autumn Leaves papers then ran all of them through the Xyron 9" Creative Station. And the aqua blue makes the orange stand out. LOVE!

I cannot stand to see scraps of paper lying around without a purpose, so created this card using some die cuts that reminded me of Fall using the Happy Harvest papers, Happy Harvest Quotes, Happy Harvest Doodads and Happy Harvest Pumpkin Gingham Washi Tape. I even popped in a little ticket from the Happy Harvest Fancy Frills sticker sheets. The leaf was easy to create, just die cut, then wrinkle it up as much as you can right before gluing it down with Xyron’s Adhesive Solutions 3/16"  Dots. This way, I could get the leaf to look a little more realistic.

Lastly, a sweet little card for a friend who just bought a new house. I loved the Harvest Homes paper, and it will be perfect for moving in the Fall. I didn't want to busy up the streets too much, so added a few simple touches with the Happy Harvest Quotes, Happy Harvest Doodad and Happy Harvest Fancy Frills border sticker.

Thanks for celebrating just a little bit of Fall with me! I hope this inspires you to get some adorable Doodlebug papers and your Xyron products and start creating!

Supplies Used:
Xyron: Xyron MegaRunner, Xyron 9" Creative Station, Xyron Adhesive Solutions 3/16" Dots
Doodlebug: Happy Harvest Collection: Autumn Leaves, Apple Orchard, Plentiful, Sunflowers, Harvest Homes, Icon stickers, Fancy Frills stickers, Quotes stickers, Doodads, Pumpkin Gingham Washi
Other Supplies: twine, dimensional adhesive, cardstock, kraft paper, die cut machine, corner chomper