Scrapping Our Stash Halloween/Fall Blog Hop

Welcome to the Practical Scrappers Blog Hop 

where we are Scrapping our Stash.  

This month (and from here on out) we are inviting anyone who's interested in joining the stash busting hop to join us.  If you want to join us next month email me at practicalscrappers@gmail.com.

Here's the list for this month's hop:

Practical Scrappers 

Monica 

Wendy C 

Wendi 

Laura 

Christine *You Are Here*

Suzanna  *Go Here Next*

Bobbi 

Majken 

Lyne 

Kristy

Jennifer 

Cheryl 

Lee-Anne 

This month we are all doing Halloween or Fall Themed projects.  I actually am sharing a layout about my daughter in her costume that is themed to match her costume!  Paper House Productions had an awesome Country Girl line with papers and stickers and it just matches her pictures from last Halloween so perfectly!

Right down to the colors it is a perfect match!  I used several different patterned papers in that collection.  I also used some cardstock stickers and some of their new chipoxy stickers.  This is one of those collections I have been wanting to play with for awhile and was glad to finally have an excuse to do so!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Paper House Productions

Stickers: Paper House Productions

Wood: Studio Calico

Twine: The Twinery

Tag: Core'dinations

Cardstock: Core'dinations

As a Thank You for stopping by today I am going to do a special giveaway of a $10 gift certificate to the SRM Stickers Store! I am on the design team at SRM Stickers and love the products there - you will be able to find plenty of fun choices from stickers to doily to vinyl to packaging!

You can do any or all of the following to enter:

1) Become a follower here

2) Like my Scrapping with Christine facebook page

3) Pin the layout picture onto Pinterest

And lastly leave me a comment to let me know which you have done!

This giveaway will remain open until 11:59 pm on November 8th!  I will announce a winner within a couple days!  

Now Hop on Over to the talented Suzanna's Blog!

Friendly Forest Cards

I had so much fun playing with this line for The Scrapbooking Studio that I actually came up with five projects!  Doodlebug really hit this one out of the park.  Here's the two cards I created using the line.

This patterned paper...oh I love it and I really wanted to do something unique and clever with it.  I can't tell you how many different arrangements it went through.  I finally settled in on a card with a big heart that had a quilt feel to it.  I loved how it was coming together but then I thought it would be really neat to add some dimension so I used new squares in the same color and folded them in half.  

I added those on top of the original design and voila - sweet dimension!

This second card has a lot more in the layering department.  I added vellum to the top of the polka dot patterned paper to soften it a bit.  I then added layers of papers and stickers to create a vibrant base with a variety of shapes.  Adding a sentiment and a few clusters of stickers brings the whole thing together.  I love to throw a sideways bow on my cards every once in awhile for a different twist on the regular bow :)

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug 

Stickers: Doodlebug

Vellum: Core'dinations

Enamel Dots: Simple Stories

Fall Wall Hanging

I love to use my paper crafting supplies to create home decor so I am always on the lookout for little things I can alter.  Today I have an altered frame that actually used to be a base for a puzzle.  We lost enough pieces that it was useless but I still kept the base ;).  This is another project using the Friendly Forest line from Doodlebug Design for The Scrapbooking Studio!

This was super simple to make!  I did a large square of brown and purple patterned paper.  I then made equal sized squares in white for the base of the word FALL.  I topped each of those with a different patterned paper.  Then more white and then the letters.  After all that I added an animal Doodle Pop to each Square and a tree or leaf.  Final step was to add some enamel dots to each square.  

Can't wait to add this to my other cute Fall Decor!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Design

Stickers: Doodlebug Design

Enamel Dots: Simple Stories

Halloween Treat Tube

This month at Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine we are focusing on Halloween treat containers.  Well of course that was the perfect opportunity to use some of my fabulous SRM Stickers supplies!  I used one of the tubes and decorated it up with the clear stickers. 

Paper Issues is also having a link up for Halloween and SRM Stickers (prize alert!!!) so I thought I'd share this there too!  There's a couple of other treat containers for you to check out at the Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine blog so make sure to hop over there and check it out!

FOX & Friend - Doodlebug "Friendly Forest" Layout

Okay, okay, so it's a fall line. But when you have a little boy who loves his Fox as much as he does and Doodlebug puts out some stinkin' cute fox stuff, well, it had to be done.  So this layout has nothing to do with fall but still uses the "Friendly Forest" line!

I love these pictures so so much and you know how it goes, when the pictures are really sentimental then you struggle to commit them to a layout.  I fought with this layout for hours longer than anything else i have done recently.  I came up with the title "Fox & Friend" to mimic the morning news show "Fox & Friends." And then I added a subtitle in the middle of the pictures.  I knew I wanted to pull in some green and blue also so I added those into the mix of layers. I am finding that no matter what I do now, there is some element on there from Core'dinations and today it is the vellum circles.  They add a soft touch of texture to the whole layout.  I know this will be a layout that I am going to love to sit and look at down the road and aren't those the best kind?  Hope you've had a great weekend!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug

Stickers: Doodlebug

Vellum: Core'dinations

Enamel Dots: Simple Stories

Fall is Here - Doodlebug Design "Friendly Forest" layout

I just love playing with the bright and whimsical designs that Doodlebug Designs creates.  The Scrapbooking Studio sent me Friendly Forest (their fall line) to work with.  One of the best things about this line is it's got a good mix of masculine and feminine elements and colors - today I am going to share a layout that focuses on the more masculine side.

This was actually the last project I created with the line and was working mostly with scraps.  As I started to lay things out I could see a vertical focus and went ahead and built from there.  The "Fall is Here" is a silhouette cut.  I fussy cut the bottom triangles from the same paper that is the picture matte.  After building the whole thing up the center and a lot of mixing and matching of patterns - I knew I needed to keep the embellishing simple.  A couple of leaf clusters and a couple stickers around the photo made that easy.  Don't you just love coordinating stickers?  I'll be back with more from this line over the next few days!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Core'dinations

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug

Stickers: Doodlebug

Enamel Dots: Doodlebug

Wood: Studio Calico

Twine: The Twinery

Elf on the Shelf - I'm Back Box

Christmas Eve is two months away and this busy mom is gearing up by getting some things ready!  I actually have my box ready for our Elf on the Shelf to make his exciting return on Thanksgiving Weekend.  I've never done anything like this before, he usually just appears, but I got inspired and decided to create something fun and it is featured over on the SRM Blog today!

My plan is to put this little box out on Thanksgiving night (or at some point that weekend) as we begin our annual visitiation time from the Elf on the Shelf.  I decorated the outside of the box using stickers from  We've Got Your

Border/Christmas (polka dot border), Live Life Christmas (red arrow), Quick Cards/Believe (santa), Say it With Stickers/Christmas (santa's little helper),  and Sentiments Happy Holidays (santa claus is comin' to town).  I also cut out the words "I'm Back" using glossy vinyl in Lime Tree Green.  And of course there are some of those fabulous Punched Pieces that we all love so much!

I plan to stick him inside like this so it won't be obvious what's in there until they open it!  

Tucked nicely beneath him will be a package of marshmallows and four bags with hot cocoa in them.

The 4 X 6 embossed kraft bags  are the perfect size for holding one package of hot cocoa! Punched Pieces and Take 2: Stickers by the Dozen/Christmas decorate the outside of those bags as well as the side edges of the big box above.

Any variety of SRM's clear containers would work great for marshmallows but I opted for the A2 Card Box.  I decorated that with stickers from Say it With Stickers/Christmas and Live Life/Christmas.

It's little moments like this that help make special memories for the holidays!  I can't wait to see their eyes when they find it!

Fall Layout using Debossing

I always love the opportunity to get a favorite picture onto a layout and stored as a lifetime memory - today I have a fall layout to share with you featuring products from Core'dinations, Xyron, and Petaloo that does just that.  Core'dinations is teaming up with Xyron and Petaloo with a week full of inspiration and prizes!  You need to head there to get in on some great prizes!

Give Thanks Layout Supplies:

• Tim Holtz Kraft Core Seasonal Impressions
• Jillian Snowflake Spotted
• Core Basics Kraft
• Core Tags - Dark Assorted 
• Dust Buddy & Sand-it Gadget
• Tim Holtz Kraft Core Nostalgic Collection No. 3
• Coredinations Vellum Quotes & Titles
• Darice Leaf Embossing Folder
• Petaloo Crochet Lace Fancy Trim - Paprika
• Petaloo Darjeeling Petites Autumn
• Petaloo Darjeeling Mini Mix
• Petaloo Darjeeling Petites Teastained Red
• Petaloo Trim Assorted Whites
• Xyron 3 Inch Sticker Maker
• Xyron Mega Runner
• Xyron High Tack Adhesive Dots

Here's how I created this layout:

Step 1: Emboss your tags and then deboss them by using your Sand-It Gadget.

Step 2: Cut out the center of the Seasonal Impressions cardstock - leaving just a one inch border.  Sand the border and use the Xyron Mega Runne to add Spotted Cardstock underneath as the base.

Step 3: Add Tags and Red Cardstock to create the center of your layout use the Xyron 3 Inch Sticker Maker.  Add Petaloo trims to the Xyron 3 inch Sticker Maker and then attach them above and below.Step 4: Run the vellum quote thru the Xyron 3 Inch Sticker Maker.  This is the best way to attach vellum because it doesn't show up at all! Add the vellum to the tag.Step 5: Put the picture on top of the Kraft cardstock and center it.

Step 6: Add a die cut banner and Embellish the corners with Petaloo Darjeeling Flowers. Xyron's High Tack Adhesive Dots make attaching small flowers like this an easy job! Products like this make it both easy and fun to put together a layout that we can cherish forever!

Happy Halloween Layout

Hard to believe Halloween is coming quickly and it's gonna be time to move on to other fall crafts! Before that I still have a little more Halloween crafting in me to share!  Today it is a layout on the Samantha Walker Blog.

My tutorial there today focuses on title work and using the negative space when you have a more complicated negative space than usual (eg spider webs). If you want to see a quick little tip that doesn't require you to have extra supplies, check it out over there. After doing my title work pretty much in the center, I decided to do pictures below it and continue to build up my title above. I hand cut a cute little ghost to add and used SRM Border stickers as an accent piece throughout.  I think I am finally done scrapping 2012's Halloween pictures - now to finish off that pile from 2013 :)

Supplies Used:
Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Design, Pebbles Inc
Stickers: SRM Stickers, American Crafts
Cardstock & Tags: Core'dinations

Give Thanks Harvest Wreath

It has been a long time since I made a wreath but I have seen so many awesome paper ones lately that I knew I wanted to make one this fall.  I pulled out my Core'dinations supplies and got to work making a Harvest Wreath with some non-traditional colors. For a full supply list and links you can check it out at the Core'dinations blog here.

Step 1: Choose 4 colors of cardstock and cut 7 strips that measure 1 1/4" X 12" in each color.

Step 2: Sand the cardstock bringing out the core color.

Step 3: Add adhesive to the back side of the strips and then begin to loop them around the wreath (I used a 10 inch wreath).  Overlap slightly so that the wreath form doesn't show. Notch the end of each strip as you go.

Step 4: Die Cut a banner and leaves and add them to the wreath.

Step 6: Add flowers, twine, buttons, or other small embellishments to bring in some additional textures.

Don't you just love all the decorating possibilities you have when you play with paper!?!

Monster Bash Home Decor

Paper House Productions has some of the cutest and spookiest stuff for Halloween.  Today I am sharing a little home decor I made using their 3D Stickers.

My frame is a simple 5 X 7 one from a dollar store.  I added a cloudy vellum to the background of the frame - I like this vellum because it looks kind of like fog - has distressed areas that make it different from a traditional vellum.  I then used the large Haunted House for my base and added Monsters and other 3D stickers to that.  I can't get enough of any of there monster stickers, so I jumped on the chance to use these ones too!

Supplies Used:

Stickers: Paper House Productions

Vellum: CutCardStock

Disney Pocket Page

Today is my last post for Leaky Shed Studio - I have really enjoyed my 6 months with them!  One of my favorite things that they make are all the great Disney themed pieces. I am going to share how I incorporated them into a pocket page today.

I love pocket pages because they leave lots of room for you to be as creative as you want to be or have time to be - you can go big or go simple  Today I added lots of personal touches to mine.

For my title pocket I used both Memories with Ears and the Mouse Frames to make it personal and have some awesome dimension that chipboard provides.

I also thought it would be fun to create a shaker pocket using the bigger sized Mouse Frame and some coordinating sequins.  I glued the frame to the back of the pocket page.  The shaker box is going to be visible on both sides of the pocket page so that means the back side gets to be Disney too!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Simple Stories

Chipboard: Leaky Shed Studio

Sequins: Teresa Collins, American Crafts

Enamel Dots: Simple Stories

Doodlebug Ghouls & Goodies Projects - The Scrapbooking Studio

If you visit this blog regularly you know that Doodlebug Designs is one of my favorite companies and I frequently do projects with their goodies.  This month I got to do samples for The Scrapbooking Studio using their whole Halloween line : Ghouls & Goodies!  I love how fun and whimsical this line is and I love that purple is a big part of it!  Here's what I created:

First up is a shaped card that I created using my Silhouette Cameo.  It was very simple to cut out and then I just created little scenes within each letter.

I love this cute little monkey and decided to frame him in some good old Polaroids.  Banners allowed me to incorporate lots of patterned papers.  Isn't that background paper that looks like sprinkles soooooo fun?  

Truthfully this is probably my favorite of the bunch - it is a 12 X 12 canvas!  I punched circles in 1 inch, 1 1/4 inch, and 1 1/2 inch sizes and layered them behind the tree branches.  I outlined either with pen or stickles to make everything pop a little more.  The 3D Doodle-Pops are the perfect stickers for a project like this - not overpowering but with some dimension to still make them pop!

For my last layout I knew I wanted to go with a circular focal point.  After cutting out the center polka dot paper I went ahead and did some machine stitching to create a bigger circle border.  Then I added more circles inside before creating my scene of embellishments.  I used a couple different fonts to create the title - partially because I liked it and partially because I was running out of letters in each set :)

Swing by The Scrapbooking Studio to pick up your own pieces to Ghouls & Goodies!

Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team Blog Hop: Halloween

Welcome to the  

Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team Blog Hop!

You should have arrived here from Nicole Stark's Blog!

For my project this month I used the same cut file to create two different cards - this was so much fun!

I used Card Halloween & Bats (#49920) and kept some things the same but made others different.  

I love the look of a 3D card that has some transparency to the front.  To create this card I simply opted to leave out the square of cardstock behind the front cut.  I also turned it to be a vertical card.  I decorated it using the bats that are part of the file.  Outlining them with black stickles made them more dimensional.  I also added some simple stars and gems and surrounded them with white sentiment stickers.  I cut out the Eeeeek from cut file #33314 which has a whole series of fun Halloween words!

I cut the base of this card from a vellum cardstock that has a blurry feel to it - I thought it looked like spooky clouds!  I added gray under the vellum.  The bats and embellishments are all similar to the other card but has different words.  Have you ever tried cutting out a card and using different mediums?  This was really fun and a good mojo burst for me!  I am also going to share this on the SRM Challenge Blog!  Have you played along there yet?  You know I love their stickers :)!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Core'dinations

Stickers: SRM Stickers

Vellum: CutCardStock

Patterned Paper: Carta Bella

Thanks so much for stopping in today! The last stop on the hop is to head to Samantha's Facebook Page!  You can get to her blog by clicking on the picture below!

Core'dinations Halloween Layout

Today is my very first blog post as a design team member for Core'dinations!

I worked with the Tim Holtz Seasonal Impressions Paper Pad as a base for the whole layout.

You've seen this picture before on a Paper House Productions layout.  But Paper House owns that layout and I needed one for myself!  For this layout I focused heavily on the embossing/sanding techniques that makes Core'dinations cardstock so unique.  The background paper has a Kraft core and the spotted papers have a colored core.  To check out lots of detail shots and all the supplies I used - head on over to the Core blog

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Core'dinations

Enamel Dots: Simple Stories

Twine: The Twinery

Disneyland Layout

I love to scrap Disney photos and am always on the lookout for some new items to play with.  Did you know that Leaky Shed Studio has some different items perfect for doing your Disney photos?  Today I am hosting their blog with this Disneyland Layout!

This clean and simple layout came together fairly quickly and I love that I had the chipboard "Disneyland" to add as my title.  I misted it with black mist to give it some color and then added it to the layout for some different texture and dimension.  Later this month I will be sharing a Disneyland pocket page using more of the Leaky Shed Disney goodies!  The rest of this layout is made up of pieces from Simple Stories "Say Cheese" line which is themed towards Disney projects.  I recently got my hands on it and LOVE it!  

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Simple Stories

Chipboard: Leaky Shed Studio

Twine: The Twinery

Stickers: Simple Stories

Baby's First Birthday Layout and a Giveaway Winner

First of all a huge congrats to: Mary Lou Holshouser for being the winner of the Adornit Giveaway! Please shoot me an email at practicalscrappers@gmail.com and I will get your prize squared away!

Today I have a new blog post up at Paper House Productions featuring a first birthday layout!

I feel like I'm always doing birthday layouts!  I guess that's what happens when there are four kiddos. I was excited to see some new 3D stickers released by Paper House Productions specifically for the 1st birthday. I combined those with papers from the Animals paper pad to make a cheery boy birthday layout.  I wanted to use the dot striped paper but knew it was too busy to combine it too closely with the stickers.  I opted to use it as triangles in two of the corners while my photos cascade up the page in a diagonal.  I used some more monochromatic colors under the pictures and then brought in some circles to break up all the lines.  Then I got to embellish and the stickers made that an easy job!

I think the bunch of balloons is my favorite of all the stickers!  Good thing there was green in there too to match up with all that crazy frosting!  I still have a few more shots from this birthday to scrap but this layout gave me a good start on getting it done! To find all the supplies for this layout you can head to Paper House Productions.

Baby Pocket Page Layouts

I have four kids, four, it's a lot.  Pocket page scrapbooking has become a new part of my routine if for no other reason than I have a lot of pictures and I want them treasured but can't get to scrapping each and every one!  Today I have two pocket page layouts up on the SRM Stickers Blog!  I'm going to share a couple of sneaks but would love for you to head there and check them out!

Fall Cards for Imaginisce

Last week I shared some fall themed cards over on the Imaginisce blog.  Imaginisce doesn't currently have a fall line so I pulled from other collections to make these to share! Love it when you can repurpose and still make it work!  My Silhouette Cameo definitely got a work out with these!

I love this Silhouette cut of birch trees - it will definitely make another appearance in winter!  

I added IRocks to the trees and also used an older Imaginisce owl stamp to add to the fall feel.  

This one was a little trickier to create - I had a first attempt that I just wasn't happy with.  The way the leaves lay and making the colors line up is different than anything else I've done.  Finally I settled on sewing the flowy part of the leaf on and I like the look that gave me.  

I love the dimension and flow to this card and it is another awesome cut from the Silhouette Store.  There are a variety of gorgeous ones available there for fall - both new and old!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Imaginisce

IRocks: Imaginisce

Cardstock: American Crafts