Creative Monday
Happy Monday! Time for another round of creative beauty from the super-talented girls on the Sugarplum Paperie Creative Team!
First, here is a gorgeous layout from Kate, using a mix of different Sugarplum goodies like Twitter Blossoms, the Twist Collection and the new Project 365 embellishments. This is such a wonderful color combination that it’s inspiring me to think up a whole new kit! I love the magenta, teal and green here:
Here are some more beautiful layouts featuring little bits and pieces from the Project 365 embellishments collection! Here is a sweet layout from Bexy (also using Calico Harvest), some Hybrid notecards that Jill, created with pieces from various Sugarplum kits, and a wonderful 365 summary layout from Sharon (just click to enlarge):
Here are some sweet layouts from Jenny (using the Chilled Wine collab), from Raji (using Party Hat) and from Kel (using the Whimsy Doodle collab):
And next up, here are some gorgeous creations from the girls using the First Kiss of Spring collab! First, here’s a beauty from Crystal:
And here are three lovely layouts from Kel, Nett and Kel again:
Then check out this amazing piece of hybrid decor from Kristie! I’m just in awe of this sweet little sign:
And finally, look at how sweet this layout from Raji looks with all these pretty orange elements that compliment her adorable photo:
Such gorgeous work! Be sure to leave them a little love at their galleries for all the inspiration! Hope that leaves you feeling inspired today!
Happy scrapping!
Sugarplum Paperie Template Challenge
Hi, Everyone. Denise (neeceebee) here, and I am so excited to bring you my first challenge here on the blog!
I am crazy about templates. I love to use them. I love to make them. I love to give them away free! And combine that with Nicole’s fabulous goodness, and you have a recipe for success.
I scrapped this layout of my middle daughter Emma, and I just love how the simple combination of the right photos with the right title, say everything I wanted it to say.
So, your challenge, is to take the template and make it your own:
You can download it here: Sugarplum Blog Challenge Template.
Some of the girls on the CT played along, too. Here are their layouts.
Bexy:
Nett:
Here are the rules:
- Use mostly Nicole’s products, which you can find at Sugarplum Paperie, the Digichick, or in the freebie section, here on the blog.
- Upload your layout to any gallery you want, and leave a link to your layout in the comments section of this post. You have until Thursday, January 15th to complete the challenge and one lucky person will win a $5.00 gift certificate to the Sugarplum Paperie shop!
I can’t wait to see your creations!
Happy scrapping.
Project 365 Embellishments
As you may know, the paper and digi scrapping world has really gone nuts over Project 365 this year! I couldn’t be happier about it, because I’ve been trying to join in with Project 365 and take one photo a day for almost three years now! I’ve never been able to stick with it for more than two days. But this year, just knowing that so many of my friends are also doing this along with me is motivating me to keep on going!
If you are joining in with Project 365 this year, be sure to check out the Project 365: Digi Scrapper’s Edition group on Flickr! It’s lots of fun to see everyone’s photos and leave comments for one another. Just another little way to keep ourselves motivated and moving towards the goal! We already have 145 members–wow! Hope to see you over there, too!
I’ve also been busy working on a new element pack to celebrate Project 365! It’s a collection of fun little embellishments and word art to help you scrap all the important moments of your life, day by day! Here is the Project 365 embellishment pack:
I tried to design this pack to be as versatile as possible for anyone to be able to use, whether you are scrapping along with Project 365 or you are just scrapping an ordinary day in your life. There are stamps for months and days of the week, calendar strips and other word art to help you add the finishing touches to your layouts. And there are other embellishments, like circle stamps, arrows, file cards and a stamped frame that are perfect for any type of layout. This little collection is jam-packed with 47 pieces in all!
You can find it today for 30% off at both the Sugarplum Paperie shop and the Digichick!
Here are some beautiful layouts from the creative team to inspire you! First, here is a darling layout from Rosanne:
Here are three fabulous layouts from Leslie, Bexy and Christine:
And here’s a fantastic layout from Denise journaling all the photos she took in her first week of Project 365:
And Jill has already put these items to use in her own paper scrap album!:
WOW! Well, as you can see, you can use these elements for ANY kind of layout!
And if you’ve been looking for templates to help you get your pages scrapped, don’t forget to check out the Template section of the Sugarplum shop! There you will find this collection of 16 templates to help you scrap all year long!:
You’ll save 25% off the whole Sweet and Simple collection when you purchase all four together in this volume!
Good luck with all your resolutions for 2009! And as always, I wish you lots of happy scrapping!
Tutorial Tuesday: Bags, Tags, and Boxes
Hello, Everyone and Happy Tuesday! Tgmousechick Kim here, with the first Sugarplum Tutorial Tuesday post of 2009. We’re playing off the “Bags, Tags, and Boxes” alliteration. Good things come in small packages, they say. I say the small thing is all the better if it comes in a pretty package. Today’s tutorial is designed to show you what’s out there to create pretty packaging with a hybrid twist.
Digital Templates:
Digital templates work in the same manner as digital page templates. Many designers include a number of formats, including layered tiff or psd files, or a series of pngs. Simply open the papers you want to use, use a clipping mask over the template, and embellish:
Then, print, cut out , and assemble! For this box I used the Chilled Wine collab:
And here is an embellished box I made using the Fancy Box templates by my hybrid colleague, Kelleigh Ratzlaff (also available at The DigiChick). This box was made with Nicole’s fabulous new collab with Flergs, called First Kiss of Spring:
After assembly, I added a couple of hybrid touches: I enhanced the glitter accents using Stickles glitter glue, and a ribbon tie.
Die Cuts:
Die cuts can be made from traditional die cut machines (available at many local scrapbook stores or some schools), or cut from electronic die cutters (Cricut, Wishblade, or Klik N Kut to name just a few). The Cricut has a cartridge that cuts a variety of boxes and tags, and design files for the other systems are available free or for a fee from a number of sites (my site of choice for my Silhouette is Paper Threads). Cutting treat bags from my Silhouette revealed my favorite hybrid trick—printing paper myself allows me to make custom double-sided paper (in my example using papers from the Plumberry Teacakes kit, with a recolored green paper). When cutting a file like the treat box, printing both sides of the paper creates a polished look.
Once the paper is printed, place the paper on the cutting mat, pull up the box (or tag) to cut, and let the blade do all of the work! Many images also include the score lines, so folding and assembling is so easy! (Just click on these to enlarge.)
Printables:
Another option for box templates is to explore the internet for printable templates. These can be easy to use—the template can be printed on one side of your paper, and the patterned paper on the other. For a project like my cube box or an envelope, the template side is on the inside and won’t be seen, so score lines aren’t a big deal. Still, I made the lines less obvious by turning down the opacity of the layer—anywhere from 20%-50%—just enough to remain a guide to follow. There are a couple of sites I like to visit for free printable templates:
My cube box uses the template from Package Tech, using one of the floral papers from Flirty Skirty:
The procedure is similar to the previous projects—print the template, flip the paper and print the patterned paper, cut out the image, and assemble. Isn’t that simple?!
You can see that there are quite a few options for cube boxes. My cube box template actually evolved from the printable project, since I thought it would be wonderful to create a box with different sides, but it would be difficult to try to piece without a template. If you want to create a box that uses only one paper, then a printable is a great way to go! If you want a little more design flexibility, the template might be a worthwhile upgrade.
Finally, I’ll include a couple of tag designs—these tags use A Golden Afternoon and Tag Templates from PageMaps:
Tags can give a finishing touch to packages and bags—either blank or with a simple “To/From” added. These tags are designed digitally, with all of the paper layering done before printing. I added my usual real life finishes: ribbon, brads, and flowers.
The gift-giving season may have just passed, but there are still plenty of opportunities to give a pretty gift! Projects like these add flair to a birthday gift, a Valentine’s treat, or a wedding or baby shower favor. These projects can be completed with minimal supplies on hand, and in a short amount of time (all of my projects were completed in a couple of hours after my children are in bed). You might want to resolve to give a prettier gift this year!
Here’s a way to get your resolution off to a great start—I talked Nicole into letting me give you a freebie!!! I paired my hybrid cube box template (the collection is available at Scrap Matters) with one of her newer kits—The Sweetest Thing mini kit that was part of her December Grab Bag. I think this kit will be perfect for Valentines next month, so I’m whetting your appetite with this treat box:
You can grab your goodie here: The Sweetest Thing Hybrid Cube Box
Happy New Year! And Happy Crafting in 2009!
Creative Monday
Happy Monday! It’s “Back to School Day” at our house today! I know lots of kids are back at school (and their moms are so thankful!) starting today. Well, we had a great morning! You can see a snapshot of Katie at work as my Project 365 photo of the day here: 5/365: back to school.
Now, for a little creative inspiration! I have a lot of beautiful things to show you today! First, I have three gorgeous layouts from Kel (link 1, link 2, link 3), using one of my all time favorite kits, A Little Birdie (just click to enlarge):
And here are three beauties from Bexy (using the Chilled Wine collab), Tracie (using the Tough Stuff mini kit) and Amy (using a mix of A Golden Afternoon and other little goodies):
And of course the girls have been busy with the latest new release! Here are some gorgeous layouts using the new First Kiss of Spring collab with Flergs. Here’s a stunning layout from Raji:
And here are three more beauties from Courtney, Amy and Kel:
And now for some hybrid goodness from Kim! First, here is a sweet card she made using The Sweetest Thing mini kit:
And here are three more she made: two with Plumberry Teacakes (card #1) and one with a few December Grab Bag treats!
Tomorrow Kim will have even more hybrid goodness for you as she hosts our first Tutorial Tuesday of the year! She even has a freebie for you! So be sure to stop by tomorrow and check out all the goodies!
Until then, happy scrapping!
