Happy Sunday and welcome back to Weekly Scrapper!
Pocket Page Inspiration By Paper Smooches
Even though I’ve been scrapbooking for many years, I must confess that I am a newbie when it comes to the wonderful world of pocket scrapbooking. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was blinded by the misconception that pocket pages meant I couldn’t use all the treasured supplies and embellishments that I love, and have been collecting for the past 15 years. Boy, was I wrong! I was so inspired by the Designer Drafts by Paper Smooches that I knew I had to share the love. My mind was officially blown when I discovered tons of adorable ideas and techniques to make your own pocket page cards. This is where we get to use all the scraps of this or pieces of that. See, we can have our cake and eat it, too! 😉
I have to share a story, I have several friends that are seriously talented card makers but they are a bit intimidated at the thought of designing an entire 12 X 12″ layout. They were so excited when I shared these adorable pocket page designs. It broke things down to a scale they were more comfortable with and before they knew it, they were cranking out pages one after another.
This is only one sheet out of a series of 12, so click here and I will be happy to escort you over to the Paper Smooches Blog so you can check out the other 11. Think of each card as a one-of-a-kind piece of art and have fun; the possibilities are endless!
Spring Has Sprung by Kay Miller
Now that Spring has sprung I thought you might enjoy this gorgeous card designed by the very talented Kay Miller. I instantly fell in love with the soft watercolor look. At first glance I thought Kay used a heat emboss technique combined with watercolors, but upon taking a closer look, I discovered there was no heat embossing involved. Kay used a new die set from Poppy Stamps titled Garden Bouquet and layered it over the watercolored image. You’re going to be pleasantly surprised at how easily this darling card comes together. Click here and I will take you over to the Poppy Stamps site so you can follow along with Kay as she shares some great tips and techniques.
Who wouldn’t be smiling from ear-to-ear after finding this handmade treasure in the mailbox? I hope you’ve been inspired to be a hero and mail several of your beautiful cards today. Cards are a great way to show those special people in your life just how much you appreciate them.
One Stamp 2 Ways by Amanda Southern
Some of the best advice I would offer a new paper crafter would be to have fun with your art, don’t over think things, and create what makes you smile. That is what happens when you think outside the box and create without fear – a true work of art! Amanda really knows her way around a stamp; I was in awe when I saw the two totally different looks that she created using the same stamp. Ya gotta love it!
I love the way you can change the look of your card by using different colors and mediums but still use the same stamp.
Remember there are no rules, so just dive in and create what you love. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try different styles and techniques. If you don’t experiment, you will never know what you are truly capable of. Create like no one is watching! 😉
Make Lemonade Galvanized Board by Patty Folchert
Banners – big or small, we love them all. They’re a perfect accessory for your next event. They’re great to use as holiday decorations and home décor pieces, or on a smaller scale they’re an easy yet showy way to add some visual interest to your cards, scrapbook pages, and mixed media projects. I love how a simple banner brought a plain galvanized frame to life. How cute would this project be in your craft room or even in the kitchen as a place to keep notes?
Now that your mind is spinning thinking about all the things that you can design a banner for, click here and I will take you over to the Jillibean Soup Blog so you can jot down a supply list. You might want to pick up a few frames because they make a nice little pishky for friends and family and you know the girls are going to love them. 😉 I highly recommend stopping by the Jillibean Soup Blog anytime you’re in need of some serious inspiration. Whether you’re looking for a cute home décor project, a new technique, or some must-have paper crafting supplies, they have something for everyone.
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells
Don’t you just love it when a you find a new family favorite and it comes together in under an hour? Well, this dish can be on the table in about 30 minutes (if you use chicken that’s precooked). These stuffed shells are also great as an appetizer. Give them a try you and I’m sure you will find that your family and friends love them! If chicken isn’t your thing, they’d also be amazing with some of your homemade meatballs. Just add a simple salad and a loaf of Italian bread and you are good to go.
This recipe is just as good (if not better) than it looks. Click here and I will take you over to the Family Favorite Recipe Blog so you can print out the recipe; this is one dish that your family will be requesting time and time again. A big thanks to the girls (Erica, Echo, and Emily) over at the Favorite Family Recipes Blog for sharing this delicious recipe. I highly recommend stopping by anytime you’re looking for something yummy for your tummy. Bon appetit!
Thanks for the nice visit! Enjoy your week and I promise to have some fun projects to share with you next Sunday. I’m off to the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo in Anaheim to get ready for our biggest show of the year. If you’re in the area, I would love to hang out with you in person. I’ll meet you in the Creativity Center!
Great projects!
Pocket pages for a 12×12 isn’t all that difficult. Creative Memories used to sell the clear acetate protectors of various sizes, but for a 12×12 you needed the largest one. The protectors were for things that might be acid such as newspaper articles, memories that you pick up at ball games, concerts, tickets, anything that wasn’t a photograph. You slipped the item into the protectors and then attached them using double-sided tape to your page. Now to make the pocket pages you took one of the protectors and sliced one side open. You then ran double stick tap all along the edges all the way around on both outside sides. You then pulled off the backing on the one side and attached it to your 12×12 album page. Then you repeated the process and attached a second 12×12 to the remaining protector. However, before you put the two together, you created an opening on one of the 12×12’s by drawing and then cutting out a half circle at the top or creating a “V”. I would also run a double sided tape along the two sides and the bottom as reinforcement to make sure that both pages stuck together when you were finished. Then you put the page into your album and started filling it with all your loose memories. Of course, the 12×12 pages I’m referring to are those pages that were sold by Creative Memories which is heavy cardstock with jeeping along the two outside edges and you put them into an album that were the strapped type. The new albums that are sold in most stores are the cheap post type so creating pocket pages for those type albums aren’t the same. This method won’t work. Most of the top loading albums can become pocket pages anyway because they are already closed off on three sides, but making them fancy isn’t so easy.