Crate Paper

Bright Blue + Cheery Yellow = Summer Fresh w/Rebecca Luminarias

Hi, all! Rebecca here today and I've got some summer-fresh tags and bags to share with you folks. In Southern California, our hot weather started a couple of weeks ago so it feels like summer is already here. The warm temperatures made me want to create something just as sunny and bright as our Orange County skies! Looking over all of my Crate products, I noticed that there are a lot of cheery yellow and royal blue embellishments -- and they sure do look striking together! It's very summery (a little nautical, even) and since creating this project, I've noticed these two colors popping up together everywhere..in fashion, home decor, and of course, paper crafts.

Almost by accident, I happened to lay a few of these embellishments down on a small black and white diagonal stripe bag and my project was born! The yellow and the blue on top of the black and white bags was such an arresting combination that they begged to be used.

I've been on a kind of a tag kick lately, pairing odd-and-end embellishments with paper scraps to whip up some super-quick tags. With my little bags in mind, it was pretty obvious that I had to make some new tags to put in them. Luckily, all I had to do was look through my Crate papers to find beautiful designs and ready-made tags to use. I soon discovered that the CP line by Maggie Holmes had pretty much everything I needed to make this set. I also noticed that bows and butterflies were standing out to me and they, too, became factors in my design -- the little embellishments that tie all of the pieces together.

When a tag was not already made, I simply made one myself from a coordinating paper, like Happy Day (above). In this case, the tag features ephemera die-cuts from DIY Shop, plus a punched butterfly, blue button, and black twine from my own stash. The bag is decorated with sweet bows from MH.

This yellow and white striped tag is from the Tags and Accent Cuts paper. I love the way it looks paired with a blue polka dot bow from MH. And after I topped it with a black and white chevron fabric brad, I loved it even more!

I put the tag into it's little bag, making the brad and the bow a part of the bag decor by sliding the front of the bag up in between the bow and the tag. It was just a simple technique, but it turned out to be a really nice way to store this tag. It makes the bag look almost gift-wrapped.

This yellow and white polka dotted glassine bag came from the Party Day collection. How awesome is it that all of these Crate Paper lines can be used in tandem with each other? I love that! I covered a mini clothespin with MG washi tape and used it to clip a tiny tag onto the bag.

This bag is slightly larger than the others so I used a blue-lined library card as my base and another Maggie Holmes tag on top of it. With a few bits from Maggie's ephemera pack and some stitched doilies, this tag is all set!

For some variation, I made a smaller tag and used a tiny, clear glassine bag. I made the tag using Happy Day again and layered on the accessories. As this project was taking shape, I knew I had to find some way to use one of the rhinestone clips! Used here, it makes the perfect closure!

As you can see, I'm a big fan of using tags of all sizes to complete the look. The layered look is so popular now and I, for one, would layer and pile all day long if I could! It's an easy way to create depth and interest to a card, layout or package like the ones I've made here.

I'm also a bit (okay, completely) obsessed with washi tape and have pretty much been over the moon about the offerings that have accompanied Crate's recent collections. It's possibilities are endless! I used it to cover the mini clothespin and the small wood flag that are clipped to this bag. Then I used it on the tag as accent pieces behind the cake ticket and thread.

This was a very fun project to make and I find that I'm still picking out blue and yellow bits and paper from my CP collections! I could have -- and might still -- make many, many more tags and bags with this combination and all of the beautiful CP embellishments I have sorted out. I love these colors together -- if you haven't noticed bright blue and cheery yellow together before this, I bet you will now!

Crate Style :: Clothesline Inspired w/Katie Ehmann

On a recent trip to Italy, I was enamored by the narrow, cobblestone streets of Trestevere and the clotheslines strung between buildings. Clotheslines, for me, bring back a bit of nostalgia because my grandmother used one in her front yard when I was a little girl. She would hang sheets and towels with wooden clothewspins and they would dry in the warm Michigan summer breeze. I love the tiny wooden clothespins in the Maggie Holmes collection, and was thrilled to see some show up in The Pier as well! I have two projects for you today that feature these little nostalgic bits of loveliness!

First, I used a vintage frame and the Maggie Holmes collection to recreate a clothesline inspired decorative piece for my craft room. I started with four photos which I attached to fabric frames, then filled in with fun, embellished tags and ephemera, all clipped with wooden clothespins to two lengths of twine.

I love the way it brightens my room!

Next, I created a layout with The Pier. I'm totally in love with this collection and simply couldn't wait to use it! One of my favorite items are the Stand-Outs, especially the clothespin clad letters that spell out the word "Fun"! I chose three summertime baby photos of my oldest daughter, matted them on three different patterned papers, and then recreated a clotheline feature along the bottom of my page with Stand-Outs and ephemera from The Pier.

I hope you'll use these cute wooden clothespins on a future project! I love the detail and dimension they add!

Crate Style :: Circles Round Two w/Sophie Crespy

 If you follow my work, you may have noticed that I'm quite fond of using circles in my designs. And indeed, CIRCLES are great for creating a simple, yet catchy look with your projects. You can use them via grid as explained in my last post (Pink in November), or take advantage of them through other means using techniques of all varieties.

Here are two FUN designs that you can easily re-create using a circle set-up...

For this page, I started by cutting different sized circles from the Maggie Holmes patterned paper collection. 

*Note: When working with a variety of patterned papers, make sure you have a range of different patterns; floral, graphic and colors to create a dynamic look with your page. 

I wanted the circles to be on the top portion of my layout. I noticed after placing some of the circles that the arrangment took on the appearance of tree foilage. This sudden surprise suited the project wonderfully because it fit well with my photos, and layout theme; Spring, blooms and my sweet girl's happiness (thanks to the arrival of a new season).

I then went ahead and cut a trunk shape out of a piece of patterned paper using a die and embellished some of the circles with brads and other matching elements.

Note: This kind of design is better set on a neutral background such as Kraft paper so that the colored circles stand-out and literally, pop off the page.

In order to maintain the focus on the page's foliage design, I kept the remainder of the layout "simple" and framed it in white cardstock. 

Tip: My journaling is written on a note card that I tucked inside a Kraft rectangle popped up with foam adhesive.

Again, this is a very doable design that caters well to Spring, which I love!! It's also a fabulous way to use your scraps!!

~

Another fun thing to try using a circle arrangement is to cut your photos for tucking inside "circle frames". In order to achieve this look, you'll need a die-cut machine such as a Big Shot or Silhoutte. There are a bunch of circle electronic die-cut files out there, including freebies!

To create this fun circle background, I simply put my Cameo to work with white cardstock. In the process of preparing it, I added a title - love short-cuts!

If without a premade circle file and electronic die-cut machine, you still have the option of punching various sized circles from white cardstock and then adding paper/photos directly on top of them.

I selected a range of patterned papers that best complimented my photos while once again, mixing different patterns and colors.

I also used some of the pink polka-dot washi tape to fill in one of the circles. I truly love the patterns from the Maggie Holmes collection - aren't the birds the prettiest? They were the exact combination of my girl's pink outfit, and my boy's blue trousers and shoes!

I left some of the circles empty and positioned either cardstock stickers or journaling sentences behind them.

I attached the whole grid to the page with staples before securing the edges down with glue. This gives the page a hand-made look and complements it's carefree appearance.

I highly recommend giving circles a try - truthfully, you can't go wrong!

Make it Crate :: Fabric Frames Minibook w/Deb Duty

The Maggie Holmes fabric frames are one of my favorite parts of her entire "beautiful" collection. I decided to feature them as the base for each page in a minibook about a monarch we watched go from caterpillar to butterfly last year.

I wanted the fabric frames to look like they were the actual pages of the book, so I used a magazine cut down slightly smaller than the size of the frames. That way, my pages were already bound for me, but you can't tell it's a magazine once it was finished!

Here's what you'll need: 

1. an old magazine

2. heavy-duty scissors

3. adhesive

4. Maggie Holmes Fabric Frames

5. square photos

6. patterned paper

7. washi tape

8. paper piercer

9. twine

 

1. Use a heavy-duty scissors to cut out the top corner of the magazine at just under the size of the frames. My magazine was 80 pages long and a bit difficult to cut. The pages came out a little jagged and messy, but that's ok - they don't show! Divide the magazine pages evenly into six sections and staple the pages in each section together at the bottom.

2. Adhere a frame and photo to each page, positioning the frame all the way to the center. I used tombow mono multi liquid glue because it allowed me to reposition the frame before it dried if I needed to. I adhered the inner edge first, added the photo underneath the frame and then adhered the rest. 

3. Cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the last page of the album and adhere it inside the last section of magazine pages. I added a label and some journaling to this page. 

4. Cut two pieces of patterned paper at about 4.25" x 5" and adhere to front and back of minibook even with the outside edges. Cover the spine with washi tape so that no part of the magazine shows. After this step, you'll have a nice little minibook. You could embellish the cover, add a title and be done!

5. I decided to add one more thing - a separate cover. The patterned paper is 10.125" wide by 5.125" tall and is scored 4.75" in from each side to create a spine. I decorated the front with thickers and embellishments and rounded the corners. The cover is attached to the minibook with twine. I used a paper piercer to punch a tiny hole through the binding and cover about half an inch from the ends. Then I used a needle to thread the twine through the holes and tied the twine into a bow. 

And now here's the completed minibook about the butterfly that emerged from it's chrysalis in our backyard!

This was a really quick and easy way to make a lovely little minibook. I didn't embellish much because the fabric frames are so beautiful on their own. I encourage you to try turning an old magazine into a minibook. It was a lot of fun, and I'm very happy with the little book of butterfly photos!

Crate Style :: Birthday Boxes w/Marie Lottermoser

 Every year, I save the candles and decorations from my kids' birthday cakes. It's been a lot of fun to see the different phases they've gone through, from Disney princesses, to Pokemon. I decided to go through my collection and make a little memento box for some of the individual years. For instance, for my daughter's first birthday, we had a "Snow White" theme. I chose to focus mostly on the candles and decorations, but could of easily added photos and other mementos from the special day.

To make the shadow boxes, I cut out the shapes using my Silhouette. One thing I love about the patterned paper from Crate is that it's heavy enough to stand alone without having to add a cardboard base to it. I wrapped the sides of the boxes with washi tape to give them extra strength and I think it adds a 'pop' of color and detail, too. After folding and taping the boxes together, I inserted decorations into each one. For example, I applied a chipboard number to the front of each box to show which birthday was being celebrated.

You can create these boxes for various occasions including birthdays, special holidays, anniversaries and so forth. They'd even be adorable as a "baby" gift and would make for cute addition to the nursery on either a shelf, or dresser. A whole lot of potential here!! 

I guarantee you, that once you start making these boxes, you won't be able to stop. They're wholeheartedly addictive!! Do give them a try!! 

Crate Style :: Spring Mood Board w/Magda Mizera

Hello, it's Magda! I'm very happy to share with you my first project crafted from Crate Paper. When I first came upon the three new collections from CHA Winter, Maggie Holmes, DIY Shop and Party Day, I thought they'd be a great option for upcoming Spring projects! The lovely bows and other assorted embellishments from the Maggie Holmes collection stole my heart, and the flower patterned paper from DIY Shop is some of my all time fave! So, I thought I would do something for my craft space! I looked at my wall and right away, saw a messy, disorganized board, hanging below my desk - definitely not ideal! Time for a change...

I perused my Pinterest boards and from them, selected a number of inspiring images symbolic of Spring. Most reflect pastel colors, funny quotes, beautiful imagery and free printables. I decided to print some of the "printables", as well as the photos, to try and organize a new "Spring" mood board!

To get started, first, I made a layout invoking "Spring" using quotes and an updated self-portrait I just took a few days ago. I chose a bright color palette to go with them; yellow, green and a bit of light mint. I also included a camera from the Maggie Holmes collection.

My favorite decorative touch is the cloud with hanging hearts (Studio Calico). I trimmed the cloud from patterned paper (DIY Shop) and then hung the wood hearts from it's backside using embroidery floss.

Following the completion of the layout, I chose printables I liked and decorated them with Crate's patterned papers and embellishments. I then glued a few pins to the board and adhered colorful bows to them. This is the result!

What do you think of my "Spring" mood board? Talk about a great addition to my craft space! I love it! I recommend that everyone give this project a try - it's a definite change to my scrapbook space and is truly uplifting!

 

Make it with Crate :: Page Tabs w/Marie Lottermoser

 I love the look of having a large variety of tabs along the edge of a mini album. Not only are they great page separators, they're a quick entrance mark for finding a specific page or memorable event! Today, I'm going to show you how to go about making lots of different types of page tabs using everything from photos to bows.

First, gather a small collection of clips, page tabs, brads, stickers, washi tape and so forth. For my album, I crafted tabs using an assortment of items from the Maggie Holmes collection; stickers, bows, flower clips and washi tape paper. 

For the base of the tabs (extra support), trim small pieces of cardboard. Any type of cardboard may be used, including product packaging. If you're concerned about acidity, then your best bet is to research a resource that sells acid-free/archival quality cardboard. 

Paint the cardboard coordinating colors that match your album. My rectangular tabs are approximately 2" wide by 1.5" long, which I then folded in-half.

Then, the fun begins! It's time to decorate the cardboard pieces. Start with stickers and position them right on top the painted cardboard tabs. 

To change things up some, switch to fabric bows, or tiny photos. Consider the theme of the album when dressing up your tabs, as well as the content. Try incorporating elements that support both, and relay to some of the designs already created within the album. This promotes unity and will help to bring the album together as a whole.

You can then simply add the tabs to their corresponding pages. For cardboard tabs, I prefer stapling them directly to the pages. Not only are staples super convenient, they're a snap to add! They're also super sturdy and ensure secure placement of the tabs. Of course, there's always the option of wet adhesive - whatever you're most comfortable using on your pages.

Since I stapled the tabs directly the pages, I placed a small sticker over the staples to hide them.

After positioning the cardboard tabs, I finished the album with even more tabs! Some are directly from the Maggie Holmes cardstock sticker sheet, some are pieces of washi tape folded over and some are made with flower clips which just slide onto the page.

After orienting all the tabs, take a moment to flip through the pages of your mini album. Note how fun the tabs are to use, and how they feel beneath your fingers - they give the album a unique "edge".

I encourage you to try your own variations when tab making. Position them in different spots; bottom, top, right, etc. Mix & match different materials and mediums. Also, consider punches and other helpful tools to create one-of-kind shaped tabs. There is no limit to what you can do!! Have fan with it!

 

Crate Style :: Inspired by Cards w/Deb Duty

 I have a board on Pinterest filled with gorgeous cards that I love to look through even though I rarely actually make a card. I enjoy all the different styles and designs, so I wanted to find a way to use them for inspiration. Today, I'm going to show you how I took inspiration from three favorite cards to create scrapbook layouts!

My first inspiration comes from this lovely card by Maggie Holmes.

Maggie Holmes :: I Love You

The banner and circle grounding the other elements were repeated on my layout under the photo. I also used an arrow cut file which was inspired by the arrow under the heart on Maggie's card. And by coincidence, this layout was created using the beautiful Maggie Holmes collection!

My next layout was inspired by this fun card by Maile Belles.

Maile Belles :: Hello You

I love the way the bottom third is covered by patterned paper with the pinked circle tucked underneath. On my layout, I used a pinked circle underneath my photo and covered the bottom of my layout with the yellow starburst paper. This layout was created with the DIY Shop collection.

My last layout was inspired by this bright and colorful card by Kelly Rasmussen

Kelly Rasmussen :: Happy Birthday

The banner and the grid paper with a notebook punched edge are my favorite parts of this card. I used these same elements on my layout using products from Fourteen, DIY Shop, Party Day and Maggie Holmes collections. 

This was my first time using cards as inspiration and I really enjoyed the process! It was fun to take a smaller canvas and turn it into something totally different. Next time you're looking for ideas, I hope you'll give cards a try!

Crate Style :: Upgrading Photo Sizes w/Evelyn Pratiwi Yusuf

Hello to all of you - it's Evelyn Pratiwi Yusuf joining you at the Crate blog today to talk about "Big Photos" and adding them to your pages! Have you ever thought to use a large sized photo on a layout? I know it seems a common sense question, but think about it - How does using this kind of photo impact your use of embellishments and the general underlying design as a whole? I happen to feel that using a "much loved" large photo means forgoing any unnecessary details. To explain this further, here's a bit about the layout and it's construction process... 

With this layout, the photo is 15.5 cm x 23.5 cm. It's a beautiful picture and to accomodate it's whimsical, airy feel, I chose the Maggie Holmes collection as the backdrop. Here's the process I went about using to create the layout with this large sized image...

First, I always go about choosing a color palette that supports the photo'(s). Based on this particular photo, I decided to use pink, yellow, turquoise/blue and gold. Using colors that match the photo, keeps the focus on the subject at hand rather than distract from it.

In working with large photos, it's important to recognize that the number of techniques worth considering should be limited. This is because large sized photos tend to take up a lot of space. With only a 12" x 12" canvas to work with, there just isn't room for excess. Select only those techniques that'll fit within the space available and that support your story. On my layout, I chose the simple technique of "stitching" and added embroidered lines around my photo. The technique is clean & simple, making it ideal. 

 

Another technique that is a no-brainer and pairs well with large photos is "splatter". I applied matching mist in a vertical line parallel to my photo. Again, the technique is simple and easy to apply. 

 

Once you've past the technique phase, it's time to think about embellishments. With large photos, it's best to keep the embellishment count within a reasonable range. Don't go overboard with too many embellishments. A couple of carefully placed layers will do the trick! Create a triangular formation using a total of three embellishment collages. The addition of the layers creates volume, therefore supporting the weight of the sizable photo while lending balance to the overall layout. 

 

 

Finally, don't be afraid to use bright, bold Thickers alongside a photo of this size. You want the title to stand-out and pair well with the image so that one doesn't overtake the other, or steal the show! 

On my layout, I used Gold Thickers and intentionally positioned them from top to bottom so as to frame the photo and to bring the eye full circle around the layout.

 

 

And that is how you manage a "large sized photo"! What are you waiting for? Upgrade the size of your favorite image and create something magnifiscent from it!  I'll see you next month!

 

DIY Spring Projects w/Katie Ehmann

Hi Everyone! If you live in a part of the world experiencing Winter at the moment, you are most likely more than ready for Spring. If you live in Michigan, as I do, you are most likely approaching the state of "Desperate for Spring". Therefore, dear Crate Paper fans, in the spirit of Spring, I whipped up some simple Easter themed decorations for you, featuring the lovely Maggie Holmes collection. This line, with it's flowery brights and gorgeous embellishments, simply screams Spring. I added a bit of Pretty Party and Paper Heart patterned paper to the mix. 

The banner features cute bunnies cut from patterned paper with my Cameo, and repurposed vintage book pages cut to size and punched along the bottom for texture. I sewed sheer ribbon to the pages to complete the project.

The re-purposed muslin bags serve as special goodie bags for my girls, awaiting treats on Easter morning. I cut the monograms with my Cameo from the sheet of washi tape, adhered them to paper doilies and embellished them with bows, flower clips and ephemera from the Maggie Holmes collection. The clothepins secure the doilies to the bags perfectly!

Finally, to decorate my Easter tree, I created three dimensional egg ornaments and smaller bunny ornaments with patterned paper and twine.

For directions on how to create these cute, simple eggs, visit my blog!

Is it feeling more Spring-like, yet? I hope these easy-to-make projects have inspired a bit of Spring Fever for you!