Crate Paper

May's CP Creative Weekly :: Charts

 

 

Do you feel like a chart expert yet? Maybe? Almost? Well, we spotted another graphic-y chart at our fave design resource site, Pinterest. It's a sneak-peek compilation from One Little Bird Digital Designs. The colors and patterns are modern chic and well-suited for Summer. We Love them! 

Image Source :: One Little Bird

Super cute, eh? The punched circles along the bottom, and collage geared center are spot-on perfect! The whole thing would make a superb layout - tuck in some Crate Patterned papers behind them circles and you're good to go! Moving on...

 

CP Designer :: Roree Rumph

I was looking for chart inspiration on the internet, and one chart I kept seeing over and over was a pie chart. I thought it would make a wonderful background for my card. It as just the perfect design to mix and match the beautiful colors and patterns from the Little Boy Blue collection. I think this collection is my new favorite! Well, at least until the next collection comes out. ;)

 

CP Designer :: Kaori Watanabe

My chart inspiration lead to a layout about a delectable lunch! One of my fave things to do is search out delicious food - I love it to no end! When I find an irresistable dish, I devour it with great pleasure! I'm also fond of sharing it with some of my favorite friends - they're the perfect combo! 

 

CP Designer :: Latonia Grant

It's always easier for me to function when I make a list or chart of things that I need to get done. I make lists for work, home and even lists for my life. I allowed this layout to just flow however it came. I didn't want to go with the typical "1, 2, 3" list, or a pie chart, so instead, I created a simple line graph with open spaces for the jotting down of new explorations. This kind of layout allows me to fill in the "chart" at my convenience, and as life happens.  

May's CP Creative Weekly :: Charts

 

 

 We're on day TWO of our charting expedition here at the Crate Paper blog. This week, the motivating source of inspiration is the traditional chart! They're a super convenient means of documenting information that is more easily understood when separated into sections, or individual parts that come together to encompass a whole. They're also a tremendous resource in terms of composition and do a wonderful job of defining paths for the placement of photos and journal entries.  They're even great for compiling and presenting small bits of random stuff from either an event, or vacation! There's a sample in today's mix that does just that, Claudia's trip to beautiful Paris, France! Read-on to find out more...

CP Designer :: Anabelle O'Malley

When I heard that our Creative Weekly for May would be 'Charting', I immediately thought of a "Week At a Glance Calendar'. You know, the very kind we all carry around to keep pace with our busy lives. I have been wanting to scrap the pictures of Ryan's birthday week (yes, it truly turned into a week long celebration) for a while now, so I thought this would be the perfect format to do it. I even cut my page into the shape of a file folder to give it more of a "chart-y" (is that a word?) feel. The papers are from the Little Boy Blue collection. I love that they're so versatile and can be used on more than just baby pages! Also, Accents and stickers from the Story Teller and Pretty Party collections make an appearance, along with chipboard from Little Boy Blue! All work together to help tell the story a week-long celebration that won't ever soon be forgotten!

 

CP Designer :: Lilith Eeckels

I really like to stay organized, and not surprisingly, charts help a lot! A chart is a graphical representation of data and there are so many ways to pull it off. One of them is the radar chart. For this chart-inspired project, the data is a set of quotes I found at Pinterest. I chose ones that motivated me. After typing them out on cardstock, I arranged them around a polaroid frame in the same way that one would plot data on a radar chart. I then added a vellum envelope to the mix, which holds additional quotes. Overall, the process is a personalized approach to this whole concept of charting. As of right now, the layout sits on an easel on my table - I love peeking at the quotes once in a while because they mean a great deal to me and they're arrangment is so much fun!

 

CP Designer :: Claudia Shadler

Claudia here with a project submission for Creative Weekly - Chart It! I immediately knew upon hearing about the weekly theme that I wanted to chart my weekend in Paris, France, a trip I took last March. For the most part, I vacationed in the french countryside, though eventually made my way to Paris before coming home. Paris was AMAZING! I spent a lot of time consuming the famous artist attractions in and around the city -from the Eiffel Tower to Versailles. To create the layout, I used the Story Teller collection, just the perfect paper assortment for documenting the unforgettable trip!  

May's CP Creative Weekly :: Charts

Charts, they're everywhere. Sure, they're great for patterning and making sense of information, but besides that, they're also the epitome of design & composition. Take out the words, and you have yourself a basic grid for formulating a pre-sectioned scrapbook layout, card design, mini album, or other crafty project. And the best part, there are literally hundreds of charts to choose from! All one has to do is make a pit stop at Pinterest and search "Charts"! It's super easy...

With another CP Creative Weekly upon us, the design team was put to the task of charting a project. We asked that it include at least one identifiable "chart-like" element. In response, the CP Girls turned out a wide range of ideas and personal responses, each being unique, noteworthy and just plain ol'fun!  

Sasha Farina

We're storytellers, right? Yet, how often do we really focus on telling 'our story'? Not nearly enough, at least for me. I usually make layouts or display items for my children, the house, or my sister The projects often consist of their stories, as told by me. Well, this time, it's my story or what I would like to think of as "My Personal Time-line".

I made a photographic line-up on canvas and because there isn't enough space to "chart" the earlier part of my life, I decided to start charting from my wedding day. In looking at the photos, you can see how much we've grown as a family - starting first as a wife, then a mother to one little girl, and finally, a mother to two little girls. 

For now, the canvas is on display in my living room, but I'd really like to convert it into a book cover one day. I'd like to create a book about "me" - the sharing of my own life story.

 

Michiko Kato

I opted to create the image of a circular chart that is a background for Story Teller's traveling companion. I positioned patterned papers in a sunburst fashion that radiates from the left, center area of the card. I then sewed each of the seams with my sewing machine. Think "Pie-Chart" here :)) 

The color combination is pretty, don't you think? The card is to be given to a friend as a gift for her birthday!

 

Piradee Talvana

For my "Chart It" assignment, I wanted to create a little something to chart out the different areas of my life today; balancing between work, traveling, scrapbooking and relaxing. Also, I wanted to remind myself that I should evenly give importance all the aspects and not letting anyone area get the best of me (this usually happens with work, especially when I end up having to work through the weekend). LOL.

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Are you ready for the announcement of last week's "Favorite Baby Name" winners? Remember, there's an extra bonus this time around; the winners receive TWO Collection Kits {Little Boy Blue & Little Bo Peep} + TWO matching embellishment products {two from each collection :: Four Total!}. Are you ready to find out the winning boy and girl names? A special congrats to following individuals...

My daughter is having a baby this year! I can't wait to get my hands on your baby collection so I can make her an album :) My favorite name is Olivia, I love how it sounds :) Thanks for the chance to win!! Betsy G., Broomfield Colorado, Posted by: Betsy G. | May 24, 2012 at 08:11 AM

 

I have two beautiful girls, but if I would have had a son I would have named him Miles. Dana T , Niceville, FL. Thanks so much for the chance to win! Both collections are fabulous and I love the mini! Posted by: Dana Tatar | May 24, 2012 at 01:31 PM 

Winners, make sure to forward us your info at cpblog@cratepaper.com! And as to the rest of you, thank-you immensely for disclosing your oh-so-favorite baby names to all who visit here. There are some uber cute names listed - go take a look if you haven't already!!

We'll continue with more Creative Weekly tomorrow. Hope all of you had a relaxing, enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend! 

 

April CP Creative Weekly :: Blue Bird

 

 

We've come upon our very last day of April's CP Creative Weekly. Sadly, that means we have to say good-bye to Pretty Party's precious Blue Bird, this week's reoccuring project theme. We truly hope that you have enjoyed her company, and of course, the ideas she's inspired amongst our Crate Paper Girls.

The final two projects, a gorgeous multi-page mini album from Stephanie Dagan, and birds-in-flight layout from Sasha Farina, are today's very last - take a peek!

Stephanie Dagan 

This is a mini album I made for my daughter's future birthday party. I wanted to do something "very light", so I used transparency as part of the cover, and also, on some of the album pages. For the cover, I took two pieces of transparency, sewed them together like a pocket, and then positioned feathers, sequins and a little blue bird inside it. To further highlight the little bird, I positioned a Crate Paper "Copper" frame onto the exterior. On the very last page of the album, I sewed a rectangular section of transparency onto the patterned paper with both birds and sequins beneath it. Additional embellishments were added to the outside.

 

I plan to include even more transparency pages as we near the birthday celebration, and complete the album after all the party photos have been taken. I just know the special day will include lots of sunshine and smiles!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sasha Farina

 

When Christine emailed me with the 'Blue Bird' assignment, my mind went straight to my baby girl. Like a bird, she sings and tweet tweet tweet tweet non-stop, all day long. She comes to me for hugs and kisses, then continue tweeting and singing even while watching tv, or in the shower. LOL. I think, we listen to her too much that when she goes to school, we're not used to the silence. :)

 

I decided to create a layout for her to display in her room. My base is a simple circle cut from Archives paper from our Story teller collection and some handstitching, of course. :) Then I played with the Story Teller 6 x 6 paper pads to finish up the patterned paper portion for the rest of the layout.

 

I cut two blue birds from a scrap piece of cardstock and added a blue bird chipboard sticker from the Pretty Party collection.*sigh* I love that little bird. So pretty! I added a kraft tag to house my journaling, a brad, a button and some stickers and ended up really, really happy with how this one turned out.

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 On Monday, we requested your Blue Bird project ideas, and boy, did you deliver!! Quite a number of you suggested a Spring Banner for either inside or outside, depending on the banner's intended purpose. Another idea we thought was kind of fun was to frame the bird inside a widow box frame, or traditional frame and hang it in a child's room or entryway. Super easy, and cute!

 

How about that WINNER - you ready? Of the 70+ Comments/Suggestions, here is the lucky person... 

"I'd make a banner with a bunch of little blue birds that spell out, Welcome Spring.
Posted by: Beth Beery | April 23, 2012 at 03:15 PM"

A HUGE congratulations to you, Beth! Yeah!! There is a Pretty Party box with your name on it - send your info to cpblog@cratepaper.com  

Have a great weekend everyone! We'll see you next week!

 

April CP Creative Weekly :: Blue Bird

 

 

It's another awe-inspiring day of beautiful bird designs from the Crate Paper Design Team. First up is Claudia Shadler's darling envelope and gift card holder, an easy & quick way to enclose a special note, a set of photos, or a any small gift you would like to share. 

Claudia Shadler

 When this month's assignment featured a "blue bird" theme after Pretty Party's collection - I immediately knew I wanted to make a "gift" type project with the blue bird brad. I made an envelope with my Martha Stewart's score board (notice it's actually an envelope box) and added a splatter of watercolor onto the background. I also incorporated various strips of patterned paper as tiny banners. With a little bit of ribbon and tulle, and voila, a wonderfully gift envelope for that special someone.

I made a "matching" gift card sleeve - these babies are super quick to make - take any standard size envelope, seal it, and cut it in-half. With a 2" circle punch, add a slit to the top for easy card removal. Decorate as your heart desires...

 

Piradee Talvana

When I heard that this month's assignment was to incorporate the super cute blue bird from the Pretty Party collection, I knew that I had to create a little home for my little blue guy. And using my silhouette, I cut the bird cage that not only housed the little birdie, but also my picture! 

 

Charlene Cundy

I'm thrilled to hear that this month, Crate Paper is focusing on Blue Birds!! Not only are they adorable, but they're perfect for Spring! For my creation, I decided to start with the Little Blue Bird from Crate's Pretty Party chipboard collection. I intended to make a memo pad for my refrigerator as I'm always looking for paper and can never find any - now, I'll know officially where it's located!

For the basis of the project, I used a pattern called "A Tree List Holder" (Designer: A Little Hut) from the Silhouette store. The pattern calls for the memo paper to be on top the patterned paper, but I love the paper so much, that I didn't want to hide it. Instead, I adapted the patterned paper so that the memo paper sat beneath it. I then added a magnet to the back. Very easy and a nice addition to the fridge. No more scavenger hunts for paper!

April CP Creative Weekly :: Blue Bird

 

 

 In moving along with this week's central focus, "Blue Birds", our CP Girl, Latonia, begins today's post with a bird house built from love and for her daughter. It's a sweet retreat for a fine feathered friend and is CUTE beyond words...

Latonia Grant

This month I immediately thought about the bird house that we had outside our home when we lived on base as a little girl and while I didn't know what type of bird it was at that time, I just remembered that it's stomach was blue and that I thought it to be very pretty. I didn't care much for the chirping but it was always there and eventually, I grew quite fond of it. So, this month, I knew exactly what I wanted to create - a BIRD HOUSE! Conveniently, I found this chipboard bird house at my local craft store. When I saw it, I fell immediately in LOVE! My little blue bird finally has a home and it's pretty cute!

 

Michiko Kato

I remember having read a book about "Blue Birds" a long time ago. It was the story of little girls who'd been trying to find a blue bird known for bringing about great happiness. I became caught up in reading the book and at the end, I learned that most don't notice the happiness that is at their side. All one has to do to find it, is look down. Now, I have three children at my side, and they're my happiness and treasure.

 

Anabelle O'Malley

When we were asked to do a project using the bluebird chipboard piece as inspiration, the phrase 'blue bird of Happiness' immediately popped into my head. I decided to create a little gift set that could be given to someone just to brighten their day. But, what could be inside the little tin I wanted to make? I decided to peruse my favorite online source of inspiration, Pinterest, for the answer. And I found it in these ADORABLE little blue bird candies!

My son and I ran to the bakery supply store, grabbed what we needed and, VOILA, a flock of jordan almond blue birds were born!

I created my tin using some Pretty Party paper from the mini-pad and a small length of Random trim. I was so excited to get my hands on the coordinating frames and decided that it would be the perfect backdrop for the chipboard blue bird. I painted it with Gesso and white paint then added some chunky glitter. More trim, a button and a chipboard butterfly embellish the blue bird's wings. The little blue bird candies fit perfectly inside. I made the coordinating card and one day soon, I'll be giving this little treat to a deserving friend!

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Before you go, don't forget yesterday's giveaway!! You still have four more days to add to the mix of comments that we'll be drawing from on Friday, April 27th. The WINNER takes home a box of assorted Pretty Party goods!! Please see Mondays' post for the full set of details - have a great Tuesday, friends!

April CP Creative Weekly :: Blue Bird

 

 

In thinking about what we thought might be fun as a focus feature for this month's "CP Creative Weekly", we turned to Pretty Party's soft spoken friend, Blue Bird. This sweet feathered creature captures the delight of just about every person she meets. She's also as pretty as can be, and the perfect shade of eggshell blue. So, we put our designers to the challenge of finding her a home, layouts, cards, boxes, wherever...

To start us off, Rahel Menig shows what it takes to create a little birdie album with wings and a note of "tweets"...

Today, I'm super excited to share with you a tiny little tutorial on how to make a cute birdie album! I hope you enjoy it!

 

Draw a shape on a piece of scrap paper, that looks somewhat like a cute little birdie. Remember, that you want enough space to be able to write little tweets or quotes, so make the body of the birdie big enough. Bonus, this will make your bird shape look even cuter ;)

 

 Cut out your pattern and assemble your paper. Clip them together and use your pattern to draw the shape on your pretty paper. Cut out the bird. If you have difficulties with the thickness, simply divide the amount of paper in half and do the step twice.

 Next, if you have a sewing machine, sew together the bird by its tale. I started a few times to get that 'feather look' from the excess thread. If you don't have a sewing machine use your staple or a brad/eyelet!

 

Now you got your little birdie album all done :D I wanted to make my bird look like it was holding the banner, so I drew and cut out a little wing for it and hot glued it to the front.

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"If you could find a home for Crate Paper's Blue Bird, where would it be?"

It truly can be in any crafty context as long as it involves the idea of "birds". How might you go about the idea of basing a project's theme from that of the very cute and adorable, blue bird? Would you tuck her in a cage, dress her up with paint/glitter, and parade her with flowers and ribbon? Tweet your ideas in the comment section of today's post for a Pretty Party prize pack to be given away this Friday, April 27th. Make sure to have your comment secured and submitted by Thursday, 8:00pm Central Time - Good Luck & Happy Monday!

March CP Creative Weekly :: Chartreuse

 

 

The very last day of Chartreuse is finally upon us and so, we've to congratulate Monday's winner and bid fairwell to this month's CP Creative Weekly via it's final set of projects! And of course, they're more beautiful than ever - pin to your hearts content! First, a tidy accordian mini album from our CP Designer, Stephanie Dagan...

Stephanie Dagan

Green is one of my favorite colors, along with blue, so it was such a pleasure to work on a "Chartreuse" project. In doing so, I immediately thought of a monochromatic album. To it, I added a few touches of blue. And because Chartreuse is a very bright color, I decided to add smaller touches of it for more effect. It's just the perfect color for the season!

 

Charlene Cundy

Exactly what color is Chartreuse? It's the color halfway between yellow and green on the color wheel. I suppose yellow-green would work also, but I love the French version. It sounds so pretty! I did some research and found out that there is a Yellow Chartreuse and a Green Chartreuse. I tend to navagate to the color green because it's such a healing color and makes me happy! In my home, I tend to decorate with naturals and color with accents, that way it's easier, and less expensive to give my house an uplift! Chartreuse is a very easy color to use because it looks great paired with many colors, and it's a promise of Spring coming! For these two cards, I decided to add shades of Pink, from a light pink to a darker pink to make the colors pop. I used a lot of Pretty Party, which has pretty shades of Chartreuse.

 

Lilith Eeckels

There's a sprinkle of Chartreuse in just about every Crate Paper collection. And like many of the other designers here, I adore the color to pieces. It's a favorite. So, in working with it, I drew my inspiration from Pinterest and two prior pins: First & Second. I love the free thanksgiving printable from the Simple as That blog, and copied the design using a combination of Chartreuse and Orange patterned papers inspired by Fabulous K. I then added one of my favorite quotes that I trimmed via my Cameo die-cut machine. Finally, I framed it! I might not have come up with the design per say, but I like it so much, that it cheers me up every time I see it!

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 And now for the hundred + people that have been waiting since Monday to find out the winner of our Pretty Party box, the time is here to celebrate! Congratulations to...

Love this project! I see it pairing well with shades of pink (light & dark). 
Posted by: Marsha F | March 20, 2012 at 07:28 AM

Marsha, not only is it Friday, but you won a mixed box of Pretty Party goods! To get it to you, we'll need your info - email it to cpblog@cratepaper.com. And shades of Pink sounds delightful! Thank-you Marsha!

A Happy weekend to all of you! Another round of CP Creative Weekly officially concludes - Good-Bye Chartreuse!

March CP Creative Weekly :: Chartreuse

 

 

How are you liking our week of "Chartreuse"? Have you checked out the color combo ideas from Monday's comment section yet? There are some really great suggestions as to colors that pair well with it. After having visited them throughout the week, already, we located a few faves, including the trio "Chartreuse, Turquoise & Grey". In addition to those three colors, someone suggested throwing in a pinch of Plum for good measure. Love that combo idea! And there are so many more, too. You'll have to go and check them out or make a contribution all your own! We'll announce the Pretty Party Winner first thing tomorrow! Now back to this week's presentation....

Roree Rumph

So many of the Crate Paper collections contain Chartreuse, so I had a lot of different products to choose from. I just love mixing and matching patterns, so I used Chartreuse patterned papers from the Pretty Party, Story Teller, Paper Heart and Farmhouse collections. I paired them with neutrals to create cards with a monochromatic look. I finished with neutral embellishments. I normally don't create monochromatic projects, but I had so much fun with this, I will definitely be trying it again!

 

Sasha Farina

How are you feeling today? I'm feeling green. Not green with envy but happy, spring~y, lovely green. I admit, I'm not a green person. I own very few pieces of green colored clothes, I don't automatically reach for green when I'm creating either. This week, with the focus on green, it's made me look at the color with a fresh set of eyes and I must say, I think I'm in love with it!

I made a family layout for my sister to display in her living room. I started with a piece of soft green cardstock and two pieces of paper from the Random and Brook collections. I love how layering a piece of vellum on top makes everything soft and pretty without compromising the beautiful design beneath it. 

The Delivery patterned paper from the Paper Heart collection was trimmed into the shape of a polaroid frame using my Silhouette machine. But of course, the shape is easy enough to duplicate if you're without a machine. Draw the frame and cut it out with a craft knife! 

I hope to have inspired you to be "Green" today, even if you're not a green person, like me!

 

Suzanne Sergi

Chartreuse is a color that reminds me of Spring, and a time of renewal! I immediately decided to create a home decor project to welcome the arrival of Spring! The chipboard letter "L", inspired my project for today. This element is found in the Story Teller colletion. I thought it paired well with the corrugated letters. I painted the wood frame with several coats of Chartreuse acrylic paint. And using my Cricut, I cut the adorable bunny to fit inside it. The layer underneath is "Pretty Dress" from Pretty Party. Touches of vellum, and varying elements from the Story Teller collection finish the project. I'm now ready for the warmer weather ahead!

 

Shanna Noel

Have you ever seen a commercial with a puppy in it, and suddenly, you are seeing puppies everywhere you go? Well, when I heard that Chartreuse was our them for this month's project, I swear the whole world was painted a pretty shade of Chartreuse. From the way the grass was lit against the dark grey sky, to Chartreuse pots at the market! I LOVE this color, so I knew I wanted it to POP on my layout. I love Chartreuse with Grey, White and any other neutral color that allows it to SHINE! So, the "Archives" patterned paper from Story Teller was the perfect pair for my Chartreuse story. I also took inspiration from the "Chapter" patterned paper {Story Teller} for the stamping & title work at the top of the page. I took a more linear approach to this page to compliment the lines in the map, and love how it turned out. I just adore this color, don't you?

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Winner, Winner, Winner ahead! Yep, someone will be greeted with happy news soon. Could it be YOU? Only one way to find out, visit us tomorrow! See you then!

March CP Creative Weekly :: Chartreuse

 

 

Continuing with the Chartreuse tradition, Claudia Shadler's notebooks are first in line. They're sweet, tiny and prompt. We're convinced you'll love them...

Claudia Shadler

Hello there, Claudia here with mini note cards featuring this week's theme, Chartreuse! I wanted to make a project where the color would just pop and serve as the focal point. I used Crate Paper's "Pretty Party" patterned papers along with die-cut trimmings of Chartreuse felt. To me, the felt reminds me of Spring and gives an added layer of dimension & texture. The mini note cards are sized at roughly 3" x 3" that are tri-fold and are very easy to make. I could easily see myself making more of these for a little school girl party as favors, or for children learning to write.

 

Michiko Kato

In most parts of Japan, the prettiest seasons are Spring & Autumn, though I have a fondness for Spring because of it's vast array of hues! The most recognizable is "Pink, thanks in part to the gorgeous cherry blossoms everywhere. Surrounding the cherry blossoms is the "green" of the freshly risen grass, and the "blue" of clear skies and sunshine. The colors are inspiring and motivating!

 

Latonia Grant

Hey everyone! Since green is my favorite color, I was totally happy that "Chartreuse" was our theme for this month. March is also the month for St.Patrick's Day celebrations (Luck of the Irish) here in the US, so keeping those things in mind, I wanted to go completely green all over and create a layout of my top five lucky things. I kept this layout photo-less and decided to go punch crazy using papers from the 6" x 6" Pretty Party paper pad. It's simple and chic.