Toilet Tissue Tube Book and Tutorial

Sometimes the cutest things come from the most unexpected places. The pages of these mini books are made from flattened
Toilet Paper Rolls!
Isn't that great?

OK, you can't picture it? Well, then check out my tutorial:



I got the idea from the Crazy About Mini Albums Blog. They have the cutest ideas from all over.


I did the bandana technique right on the Uptown Girl paper. Didn't that come out cute? The book is for my friend Annette, who couldn't be in San Antonio with us for all the swapping, stamping and scrapping fun. We missed you Annette!

Family Matters Clipboard

It's a new year and I'm whipping my family into shape! What? You've heard that one before and it usually only lasts until February? Yeah, I know. But this project has become an evening habit that my kids are loving and keep asking about.

Our Family Matters Clipboard hangs in the kitchen and is the parking spot for reminders, schedules, comments and concerns.

I had been battling the paperwork on my desk (our command central) and I realized things were still falling through the cracks. I wasn't reviewing the calendar with my family (so they could remind me about things like crazy hair day) and I was always shuffling invitations and fliers from school that I wasn't sure if we were interested in or could fit in with my husband or kids' schedules.
After dinner we review the Family Matters clipboard. On this particular day, along with the calendar, I found a love note from Jack and a "consirn" from Katelyn. I'm loving that it helps us discuss things as a family and everyone gets a chance to be heard.

This started as a kit, but any old clipboard will work. I used decoupage glue, some ribbon and a little clip with a Bazzil Bitty Blossom. For paper, I covered mine with Willoughby, of course!

Simple Scrapbooks Holiday Edition & Snowy Kisses

Have you ever browsed through a scrapbooking magazine and wondered about the story behind the pages you see in articles and advertisements? I don't mean the journaling (although I sometimes wonder about that too if there isn't much written on the page.) I always wonder about the scrapbookers who made those creations and what their story is. Are they professionals? How did they get their work noticed?

Well, I can tell you one story about page 12 in the November/December issue of Simple Scrapbooks magazine.

That's my daughter, Liliana, making a cute kissing face. I snapped that photo last Christmas while we were visiting our family in Central New York from our home in Colorado.

That page and the CD mini book that is also featured on that page were made during my assignment to create a showcase display of the Reece Soar With It Collection from The Angel Company. The colors and patterns in that paper are great for the holidays and beyond. When I saw that striped pattern, I immediately thought of Lily's striped hat. There are also lots of circles in Reece, so most of my creations had a circular theme. (Scroll down for some round ideas and inspiration.)

How did I get noticed? Well, as a demonstrator with TAC, I've gotten to meet many of the people that are "behind the scenes" at events and all demonstrators are invited to submit art for contests and for the bi-annual Inspiration Book and Catalogue. As far as being published in a magazine, I guess it's a little bit of luck. The magazine is about designs that are a little more simple, and I'm all about simple. It's fun to see some of the elaborate designs in magazines, but in the end, the layouts that get done and in your book are the ones that are really enjoyed.

More Circular Inspiration
Circles are so fun to add to your scrapbooks, although they can be a challenge too. Two easy tools for making circles are the Coluzzle (a plastic template with several concentric channels of the same shape that you cut through with a swivel knife) and a plain old compass works great too. That's what I used for my huge circle on the 12x12 "Cherished" layout.

Need layout ideas? Check out the Round Maps in the Archives at Becky Fleck's Page Maps site.

Semi-Hand Stamped for a Craft Fair

My son's Cub Scout den had a bake sale at a local craft fair to benefit a nearby animal shelter. Our den leader mentioned that if we had anything else to donate for the booth to bring it, so my first thought was teacher and co-worker gifts. You've probably seen the CD Case Calendar (case opens, flips around and stands on desk) and Sticky Notepad Covers. Don't they look great in Penelope paper from The Angel Company(tm)? I love how the colors go from fall into the holidays and really, are beautiful in every season. (Go Here to print your own pdf calendar pages for your holiday creations.)


I don't do a ton of baking, so Heather gave me the brilliant idea of doing some peanut and candy corn treats. All I could find were the caramel and caramel apple kind, but the colors are gorgeous, they were half off (already!) and they actually taste great with peanuts. If you've never tried this sweet and salty treat, you should.


Semi-Hand Stamped Bags
A pretty package just adds to the gift, so here's where the Semi-Hand Stamped thing comes in. For at least a year now, I've been talking about paper crafts that are semi-homemade and it just occurred to me that semi-hand stamped is an even more fabulous term for the idea! I started with these lunch bags that were inexpensive and fun, but a little bright. I really needed to tie the orange and white flowers in with the rich burgundy color in the gifts, so I used my Petal Pack stamps to add pretty centers with Palette Bordeaux. This worked perfectly!


Want to show your thanks with semi-hand stamped crafts? Here's what you need:
Penelope Soar With It Collection
Penelope Cardstock
Penelope Ribbon
Bazzill Bitty Blossoms (I also cheated by plucking some petals from some Walmart silk flowers)
Always Remember Stamp Set
Book Rings
Post It brand recycled notes (4"x4")
CD Cases and candles from Big Lots

All About Fall Sidney Circle Album Kit

The colors of Fall are so rich and warm, and are captured perfectly in this paper!

To make my All About Fall album, I used a circle tin,which is a great way to store your album, plus a fun item to embellish. The kit i got includes a die cut circle that matches the lid perfectly. It's so easy to whip up a perfect gift or treasured memento for yourself. I even added some journaling inside the tin. To take a peek inside my album, check out my video:



If you're in a reader or the video doesn't appear, check it out here.

Leave me a note and let me know what you're crafting up for fall!

Cards Pretty Quick

I love Heather's sketches because the cards go together quick and always look special. I had a couple to make today, so I knew right where to go for inspiration! I made my thank you cards and a couple of birthdays while I was at it to get ahead a little.

Are you short on stamping time, but need special cards? Don't let what happened to me with the store bought card happen to you. Start with some blank cards and use your Cha Cha Soar With It Collection from The Angel Company. The classic colors and artistic patterns can go masculine or feminine and it works for so many seasons!
______________________
Throw it in your Cart:
Cha Cha Soar With It Collection
Goes Great With:
Cha Cha Ribbons
Eva Embellishment Jar
Orange Peel Stickles (or Chrismas Red)
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Go Into Mass Production with Sheetloads
Do you really want to get ahead on everyday cards or get going on your Christmas cards? Check out SheetLoad of Cards. Their November 2008 issue is ready to download and features a detailed cutting guide and instructions to make dozens of looks with one basic design. It also highlights all TAC products. What a great way to get a lot done in a little time!

Make it More Merry
Are you inspired to get started on your holiday cards? It's much more fun to get crafty with friends! If you're in the Denver area, join me at Joy Lutheran Church, 7051 E Parker Hills Ct
Parker, CO 80138 (Click Here for Map)

Stamp for Joy!
Thursday, 11/6 7-9 pm (Nursery Provided)
and
Friday, 11/7 1-3 pm

It's FREE and all the instructions and materials are provided for you to make 5-10 (or more) cards. A few of them go to the church's card sale and you keep a couple to take home. The designs are so inspiring and we could really use your help. Bring a friend; the more the merrier!

Sizzix Bat Wings & Mummy Cans

Sizzix makes a die for bat wings? Kind of. I know Halloween is over, but if you are like me, each holiday goes by so fast that you didn't have time to do all the things you wanted to do. Just file those ideas away for next year and you're ahead of the game, right!

So, I had a cute Cha Cha treat container that Shayla gave at last year's seminar and I spooked it up with a TAC GWP stamp and altered the Sizzix Holly & Berries die cuts to make little wings. So fast & fun!




Mummy Cans
My kids and I had been collecting lots of tins this fall to use as treat cannisters. We wrapped them with white streamers, inked them up a little with Palette Cognac and added little googlie eyes. Inside the cans were our chocolate covered pretzels. Yum.






Our tags were made with black cardstock and some Miss Moxie paper. Who knew this pretty paper would work so well for Halloween? Stock up for your spooky scrapbooking and you can use the leftovers for spring! For more Miss Moxie ideas, see:

• Halloween: Big Book vs. Mini Book
• Miss Moxie Photo Cube & Scrapbook
• Composition Book with Clever Closure
• Die Cut Flower Card
• Miss Moxie Mini Scrapbook
• Get Well Goody

To see more fun things the kids and I did this fall, check out The303Grifffiths.blogspot.com. We'll have you collecting all your recyclables, like jars for Jack-O-Lantern Jars and milk jugs to make our spooky ghost faces!

Stamped Boo Treat Bags

We love to Boo. Do You?

Yes, our neighborhood does that fun Boo game and I finally got my treats done! I had been looking for something cute to hold my big bunch of treats and finally I decided to stamp on white bags.

I started with the fun tissue paper and made my bag to match. (I like to call this Semi-Homemade gift packaging.)

I also did something different and fun this year. I Boo'd my own kids! I snuck outside, left the treats at the door, rang the bell and ran inside through the garage. I got to stand behind them just as they were discovering their treats. Katelyn said, "Those are from Mommy! Those are her stamps!". Smart girl!

Want more Semi-Homemade Gift Packaging?
Baby Thank You's with Card Keeper
Elegant Semi-Homemade Wrapping Paper
Card and Notepad Folio

TAC's Penelope Bind It All Book

The Angel Company now carries the new Bind It All V2.0, that cuts thicker materials and has an improved guide for making multiple cuts.

This project, from TAC's Annual Seminar is a great example of the chunky things you can bind with the BIA. A Maya Road Chipboard Book was taken apart, covered with Penelope Paper and bound so that the pages flip this way and that. It's a super fun book that I used for some of my favorite Yellowstone photos.

Here are some pages from the book. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Miss Moxie IS Halloween Paper & Other Fun Ideas

Looking for something SPOOKY in your collection of scrapbooking paper to make Halloween goodies and greetings? It right there, in with your springy colors. It's the Miss Moxie Soar With It Collection from The Angel Company! Yes, I know it's great for girlie things, summery things--and spring too. Just ink it up, and look how creepy and fun it looks!


Big Book or Mini Book?
How do you like to scrapbook? Why choose? I do some of both. For these photos, I wanted a little mini book that is a memento and a decoration, as well as a layout for my big book that documents last year's fun.


My 12x12 spread is done with another versatile collection: Cha Cha. It's a more natural choice for fall, but great for any season!

Both of these projects were TAC Studio designs that we completed at The Angel Company's Annual Seminar. [You know, Being An Angel Really is More Fun!(tm)] I just happened to choose Halloween, but can't you see them for spring and summer too?

More Cha Cha & Miss Moxie Projects for Every Season:

• Summer Cha Cha 12x12
• Cha Cha for Fall Layouts
• Kids' Table Collection
• Composition Book with Clever Closure
• Daffodil Card with Miss Moxie
• Miss Moxie Mini Scrapbook
• Get Well Goodie

Get the Goodies!
Links to the supplies in my Online Shopping Cart
Miss Moxie: Paper Collection, Cardstock and Hardware
Cha Cha: Paper Collection, Cardstock, Hardware
Other Must Haves: Black & White Ribbons, Black Cardstock Strips, and Scrapper's Floss (There are lots of colors, but I like LIME, LAVENDER, BLACK and RED)

Get $30 in goodies and you earn a free stamp, like the Halloween/Boo one used on my mini book. So fill up your shopping cart and be sure to copy and paste it into an EMAIL to me to get this little treat!