Crate Paper

Alice in Wonderland Game Set w/Larissa Albernaz

Hello, it's CP Girl Larissa joining you today with another three-dimensional piece, but this time, we're going the route of a layout rather than an altered project. One of my favorite aspects of Crate's most recent collections is that many of the paper and embellishment designs are inspired by games and game boards. So this time, I wanted to do something creative with the designs and because I had beautiful photos of my daughter dressed as Alice in Wonderland, the association with "chess" was immediate. 

Let's go ahead and focus on the recreation of "chess" from Alice in Wonderland using some of Crate's game themed products:

First, organize the necessary supplies for the project and separate out your collage papers, glue, scissors and of course, "game" papers from CP's Toy Box Collection.

 

Depending on the nature or theme of your game board (mine being Alice in Wonderland), trim the images you want to use for adding to the board. If you'd like, paste them on a thicker paper in order to create more stability for your pieces. 

 

Trim small rectangles (like the ones shown) to serve as flaps for your pieces - these will provide additional stability and movement.

 

Go ahead and crease them and fold them as I have done here. 

 

Adhere the folded papers to the bottom of your collage images/cut-outs. These may need to be adjusted in size to best fit your cut-out. Pre-measuring is suggested.

 

Finally, adhere the assortment of prepped cut-outs to their desired locations via the application of adhesive along the folded base. 

 

That's all that necessary to bring both magic and fantasy to a scrapbook page! I hope you've loved this idea as much as myself - been fun! See you soon! - Larissa

Sketch Challenge Winner--June 2011 Edition

I'm happy to announce that even with the summer holidays in full force here in the States, we got some amazing layouts based on this month's sketch, just over 40! Thank you so much to each of you who played along this month. It always makes me sad I can't pick all the layouts to win, I appreciate how you put your heart and soul into your work. 

But there has to be one winner every sketch, and the home office chose this one by Samantha Taylor. We loved how simple yet put together it is. I love the bright colors Samantha used and I adore how she split the column into four units and switched the paper order in each unit. It made such a nice clean look, don't you think? Congratulations Samantha! Please email your mailing information to [email protected] so we can get your prize pack of goodies to you.

And now for some of the notable ones I also sent to the office, I included this one Marcy Penner. I loved how she turned it and used the center strip of paper to hold so many elements. Also I thought the way Marcy used a different strip of paper instead of the solid background that anchored the middle strip was clever.

 

Daphnie Teo did a great job with the sketch, her monotone color scheme really lets the photos shine. I also loved her use of ribbon and twine, it makes for so much texture! Add that pulled down corner, and I think this is one amazing page!

 

I loved how elegant and layered Helen Tillbury's layout turned out. The way she frames the photo of her daughter with the chipboard elements is lovely, and I'm so impressed at how many different lines she's put together here.

Finally I loved this sweet page by Julie Blanc. What an adorable use of the Neighborhood line and add that little buggy to win my heart. I love how cozy and warm this page is, and isn't that picture adorable?
Again, thanks so much for your entries this month. We'll be taking July off because of CHA. There won't be any time, the blog is going to be dedicated to sharing sneaks for the new lines. You won't miss me that much, and I'll be back in August with a brand new sketch. Until then!

Crate Paper Bow Making w/Amy Heller

Hi Everyone! Amy Heller here today to give you the quick and easy step-by-step instructions to making your next cards shine with a tutorial on creating the basic bows and knots often used in card making! I know for myself, when I started making cards, I was completely stumped on how people made such beautiful bows and knots on their cards. It's very simple, you just need to know a couple tricks, then all your cards will look chic every time!

 

Basic Bow

I know when I started card making, I thought you just tied a bow, like you do on your shoes - use the ends that you tie around the card, to tie the bow. Well, you can do that, but likely you'll end up with a bunched ribbon from the knot, behind your bow. The trick is, you adhere your flat ribbon (what looks like the ends) to the card. Then here is where the bow comes in.

1. With a separate piece of the same ribbon you adhered to your card, create two loops.
2. Criss Cross the loops.
3. Then take the front loop (the one of top) and pull it behind the bottom loop.
4. Put it through the opening at the bottom.
5. Pull taught.
6. As you can see here, with my ribbon, the back side is different from the front. With this type of bow, that's easy to remedy. Simply turn it around. It will look a little wonky in the back, but that's okay, because you won't see that.
7. Adhere to your card on the ribbon you placed flat with a strong glue dot, or fabric tape to your ribbon. Voila!

 

 

Multi Ribbon Bow

This is a really fun bow to create. I've seen it done with fabric in the center or with a button tied in the center. Either way, it's adorable, and super easy!

1. Cut 3 pieces of ribbon. You canuse 3 different types, or for mine, I used two for the bow and another for the center. The piece that you cut for the center should only be long enough to wrap around the ribbon.
2. Layer your two longer pieces on top of one another, with a longer piece on the bottom.
3. Grab a glue dot or two and wrap and adhere the center piece around the center of the two pieces of layered ribbon. Wrap it tightly so that the ribbon bunch slightly in the center.
4. Trim the layered pieces of ribbon in opposite directions so that it appears layered.
5. Adhere to card using a fabric tape or glue dot. 

 

Basic Knot

Basic knots are a great addition to any card. Especially when you have a casual or masculine card that you want to add ribbon to without getting too frilly with a full bow. For my card, I simply used a know as a decorative piece, but I also like using them as a full border piece to a card, stretching from one edge to another. 

1. No big secret here, simply loop your ribbon.
2. Pull a knot through.
3. Depending on how flat you want your card, your knot will have two sides, one with a higher peak, and one with a flat base. I prefer the look of having the flat part of my knot showing, but I know there are those who prefer the opposite so that the ribbon will lay completely flat. This really is just personal preference. :)

 

Button Bow

These are probably my favorites! It really adds a super wow factor to cards. And again, I was a little perplexed by how these were put together at first. I used to create basic bows then adhere a threaded button on top. But this is so much easier, quicker and you don't need any adhesive. 

1. You'll need ribbon, a button and a fine piece of twine or floss.
2. Start like you are going to make a basic bow by creating two loops with your ribbon.
3. Criss Cross your loops over the top of one another. It will look like a finished bow with the tails at the bottom. Set aside.
4. Thread your button with the floss, leaving a large opening under the bottom of your button.
5. Take your ribbon that you set aside and position it center through the loop under the button. Tie it so it's taught.
6. Tie a bow in your twine/floss, trim, and you're ready to adhere it to your card! So simple!

 

Slip Knot

This is one of my favorite things to do - I use it of course on tags but also on layouts a lot. It's a basic slip knot. However, I was always going back and forth between pulling the ribbon through the back or the front. But now I think I've finally, remembered:

1. With a tag and a piece of ribbon, create a V-Shape with your ribbon.
2. Pull the ribbon through the FRONT of the tag.
3. When you get it through, create a circle shape with the ribbon.
4. Pull the tails over the ribbon and through the looped circle.
5. Pull taught.

This is where I kept confusing myself - Pulling it through the back of the tag will not only leave you with the less exciting side as the front, but it will also leave you with a bulky backside that won't lay flat on your card or layout. So remember this: through the FRONT! (This is a reminder to me, too!);)

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson in ribbon and bow making and try one of these fun and simple techniques for your next card or layout creation! Have a wonderful day!

Copic + Crate w/Kaori Watanabe

Hi Everyone! Kaori Watanabe with you today to share an unusual tutorial on how to use Copic's very cool Air-Brushing System in conjunction with Crate's products! I love to color backgrounds with either mist, or acrylic paints. I also really like Copic's inks too, which are conveniently alcohol based - follow along as I go about showing the system "in action"! It's quite slick...

The Essentials: Portrait Pattern Papers {Pearls, Honeymoon, June, Bouquet}, Portrait Accent Cuts, Portrait Chipboard, Portrait Ribbon, Portrait Stickers, Portrait Buttons & Vellum Paper, Copic Air-Brush System, Copic Markers {Tahitian Blue, Golden Yellow}

 

Here's a look at the Copic Air-Brush System, including the coinciding, chosen markers.  I decided to go the route of blue because the predominant photo color is blue. I then paired it up with bright yellow! The gradation between the two is fairly good too, which is another reason for my selecting them for the layout.

 

If you've not seen one of these set-up before, then take note, because it's easy to prep! Simply set it up as shown and you're ready to spray the color! 

 

The real advantage of the Copic set-up is that it allows for a great deal of control during the application of the ink. The color is well saturated too, so there's very little concern as to the amount of ink being sprayed and whether or not warping will be an issue. For example, in the case of mist, I'm not always so sure where it'll land upon application, but with Copic, it's extremely easy to control the coloration. 

 

I very carefully sprayed small spurts of both blue and yellow ink on Portrait's patterned paper, Pearls. {*Don't forget to protect your work surface before spraying!}. 

 

To now further embellish the layout, I focused on attaching additional Portrait patterned papers, accent cuts, a few non-specific items {check out the transparency butterfly!}, ribbon and a lovely display of punched flowers. Punch the flowers from vellum - intermix the vellum flowers with colored ones punched from Portrait's Bouquet patterned paper. 

 

I used one of my favorite Portrait lacy ribbons as an accent. To maintain it's ruffled appearance, gather it via hand and sew along it's length with a sewing machine. 

 

As a second ribbon, I attached Portrait's thin silver/white trim in a non-conforming manner and to help maintain it's path, I applied glue dots to several different places. 

 

I'd love for you to be able to give the Copic system a try and while you're at it, start thinking about what your favorite colors would be and how you'd go about applying them. Thank-you for stopping by the Crate Blog today - do enjoy the tutorial and I'll see you again next month!

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Thanks to Big Picture, Crate's to select a giveaway WINNER from BPC's soon-to-debut online course, "BPC Colour! Or is it Color?" taught by Basic Grey designer, Nic Howard  - so who's the lucky recipient to start off the week with a free color expert class? Congratulations to our randomly chosen winner:

"What a wonderful class to take, thanks for giving us a chance to learn about colour."
Posted by: Christine Lovelace | June 24, 2011 at 08:27 AM

Please contact us at [email protected] so that we can set you up with BPC in preparation for the upcoming event - we'll be awaiting your email! Congrats once again!

And an honored and heartfelt thank-you to Big Picture for giving us the opportunity to host the giveaway here..it's always nice to do something a little different from time to time and we're confident that our visitors enjoyed it as well!

 

BPC Colour! Or Is It Color? Giveaway...

We're bringing you a little something extra today from Big Picture Classes! We've been cordially invited to participate in the giveaway of one spot in an upcoming BPC class called "Color? or is it Color?" that's to be taught by Nic Howard. It begins next Thursday, June 30th, at the Big Picture Website. We've been informed that it's applicable to all types of scrapbookers, so if you've ever sought to master the concept of color, this is your chance! Leave a comment in response to this post and we'll randomly select a "STUDENT" next Monday, June 27th! Good Luck, especially to the many BP fans out there! 

 

 

 

BPC Colour! Or Is It Color? by Nic Howard
http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/colour.php

Do you love color? Would you love to improve the way you use colour in your projects? Do you want to immerse yourself in a workshop that takes you through a whole rainbow of possibilities? Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet..colours are all around us!

Join Nick Howard as she uses instructional videos, handouts and audios to guide you through a variety of techniques to create stunning scrapbook pages. If you want to be part of a workshop full of fun colour theory, techniques and step-by-step assignements to extend the way you include colour in your projects, then Nic is here to help you achieve your creative scrapbooking goals!

Class Duration: 6 Weeks | Date: June 30 - August 10 | Cost: $39

Dimension Building w/Crate Paper Embellishments

Jaime Warren with you today to take you step-by-step through the process of building dimension via the layering of embellishments. This is a "technique" that I absolutely love to use on my projects. It's a fun way to include lots of gorgeous embellishments and add a touch of fun along the way! I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of Crate's embellishments, so, the more I'm able to use, the better! For instance, with the debuted layout, I combined several different chipboard elements along with stickers and cut-out flowers. To get started in showing you how I made it, let's jump ahead!

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 I used three different patterned papers - one as the base and two for the top two layers. I simply trimmed one in-half and cut a smaller section from the second one to place on top of it. I also distressed the edges some.

 

Now it's time to start working with some embellishments! I started out with a few Crate border stickers, using two different banner stickers, and then crossed them over each other. 

 

Next, I cut one of the journaling cards in half and adhered one of the sections above the border stickers and to the left. This is the second part of the base.

 

Let's grab this moment to start layering chipboard goodness on top our layout! I opted for the frame and placed it directly over the border stickers and journaling card. 

 

Then I added a chipboard flower in a position overlapping the frame. I didn't pop dot this one since layering the two chipboard pieces was more than enough dimension!

 

Let's start layering up the flower! First, I placed the large chipboard circle from the Emma's Shoppe chipboard collection and then topped it off with a smaller chipboard circle as well.

 

I cut out several flowers from one of Crate's gorgeous patterned papers (Restoration Collection) and attached two (one directly under the chipboard frame & flower) of them and then another to the right (this one I pop dotted) of my larger flower.

 

Yes, we're still layering! LOL! Next, I attached a Crate Paper sticker with a pop dot, right under the flowers. Then, I came back up to the frame and added a Sugar & Spice chipboard piece with yet another pop dot.

 

Working in more embellishments, start scattering embellishments around the boundaries of the page. I trimmed more flowers to assist with this process and while doing so, cut them in half. I attached one to the left side of the page, one to the right and finally, one on the bottom, all with pop dots. I also threw in two more stickers with the help of pop dots. 

 

Moving onto to the title, I love these American Crafts Thickers and use them all the time! I managed two different alphas for my title, first is that of small alpha stickers and the final set, is the name spelled out via thickers. I love taking advantage of different style alphas and varying fonts for my title work! 

 

We're nearly finished! For the journaling, I used strips of them just above the photos. I then coordinated punched scallop borders around the edges of the layout. 

 

The end result is lovely, isn't it? And it actually came together quite quickly! It's a super fun layout with an emphasis on dimension and sweet lil' details. I hope you've enjoyed it - have a wonderful day you guys! Sincerely, Jaime Warren.

 

Pattern Paper Basics w/Heidi Sonboul

There are a few key elements that make a great layout:

A few really good photos, super cute papers and fun, well spoken embellishments.   

I think by now everyone knows that I scrapbook boys, but the question is... "how you do make a great boy page?" If I was asked this question, my response would be "tell a story and add a lot of details".

A few months ago around CHA, I made this layout for Crate Paper's CHA 2011 Winter Booth. I layered on tons of fun elements and used a lot of pattern papers in the same color family.

I love using a lot of pattern papers on my boy layouts. I feel that it adds a lot of life to a layout, but there are a few rules when doing this and today, I'm going to share my secrets.

Shhhh...don't share it with anyone else!

Pick your photos and pull three colors from them. I used this photo of my Bradley and went with black, green and blue (true boy colors, right?). 

 

Then I pick out my papers to coincide with my color selections. Can you really ever pick too many pattern papers? Yes, and no. If the patterns are overly busy, it's definite overkill! If you keep them the same color family, then you're safe in selecting as many paper's as you want :) I pulled ten papers and used nine of them on my layout.

 

When you use this many papers, keep the overall look and sketch simple. I used matting to do this.

 

Now that my photos have a home, I add in more patterned papers. Do you notice that the "small pieces" of patterned paper aren't fighting with the rest of the layout? To make them pop, I inked their edges. 

 

To tie in more black, I simply added it to the bottom of the layout. It's always key to think in terms of 3's via the basic triangle concept. 

 

Once I have a clean base to work with, I can then start adding on all my fun embellishments. I LOVE Crate's stickers and funny enough, the words describe my little peanut perfectly!

 

At this point, I start to treat the patterned paper as embellishments and begin to use an increased number of smaller patterned paper pieces as room is now limited. Inking the paper's edges makes them "pop", though to make them pop a little further, I incorporate pop-dots beneath them.

 

Titles are my favorite as I feel they complete a layout and the telling of the layout's story. To ensure I had room for the title, I placed it down right at about this point, prior to the end of the creative process. I love to mix up my font letters, so this is what I opted to do here. As a basic rule, always keep your letters close together so that they compliment one another.

 

I get asked quite a bit about my journaling and how it is that my writing is so straight. My usual response is that I pull out my pencil, eraser and journal away! This allows me to have a nice clean writing style without having to use a printer! Create guidelines first with a pencil and then erase them after the journaling is complete. I suggest using a good eraser in conjunction with this method as you don't want to leave any marks behind. They can often be found at any craft store! 

 

And last, I added all my small embellishments or as some like to say it, "The final touches!" When done, I've a clean, layered look for my masculine, boy-friendly layout! So, the lesson today is, keep your lines simple and pile on the embellishments in an organized manner.

Now I can't wait to see how you use these quick and easy-to-follow suggestions! Maybe the next time you pull out a brand new project, you'll be inclined to use lot's of similar colored papers like I've done here..and don't forget the matching embellishments!!  

Contact Paper + Crate Paper

Hey everyone! Kinsey here with a fun tutorial on creating your own binders from scratch...ok, so technically, I did use a pre-fab binder ring mechanism but the rest was built "from the ground up".  

 

Before we dive in, here are some materials that'll come in handy for this project:

• A few pieces of cardboard or heavy weight chipboard {I cut up a few boxes we had lying around}
• Adhesive {I ended up using my atg gun and my glue gun}
• Clear packing tape
• Woodgrain contact paper {patterned paper would work as well, but it does require a bit more adhesive}
• Binding mechanism {a friend of mine gave mea  bag full of them that she wasn't going to use, but I'm sure you can find them at craft and hobby stores}
• Chipboard sheets {for the dividers}
• Your favorite Crate Paper items {I used an assortment of papers from all the latest releases, buttons, brads, journaling cards and trim}

 

To start off, you’ll want to measure your binding mechanism. The size of the binder pieces will relate to these initial measurements (I’ll be referencing my binder measurements throughout). The rings on my binder are approximately 1 inch and binder itself is about 9 inches long so I decided to make my filler pages 8 x 5.5 inches. It’s important to pre-determine your page size prior to cutting the covers for the binder…otherwise, you could end up with pages and dividers that stick out beyond the outer edge of the binder…and yes, I did that on the first go-round, lol.

On my more successful attempt, I cut my cardboard pieces so that I had (2) cover pieces that measured 7.5 x 9.5 inches and then (1) binding piece that measured 1.5 x 9.5 inches. Lay the cardboard pieces out on a flat surface so that the top and bottom edges align (the order will be: front cover, binding piece, back cover) and be sure to leave about ¼ inch between them so that the covers open and close smoothly. Use clear packing tape to connect each piece of the binder cover together.

 

Cut a piece of contact paper larger than your constructed binder cover (I cut mine so that I had about 5 inches of overage all the way around). Remove the backing and with the sticky side face up on your table, place the cardboard cover in the center (you’ll want to flip it over and use a brayer or flat edge to smooth any bubbles out).

 

Continue covering the binder by cutting the contact paper in the locations marked above (I made a cutline diagram to show where I cut pieces of the contact paper to make cleaner folds- I’m nerdy like that, hee!) The dashed lines mark the areas that will be cut away and discarded, so you should have 4 corners cut off and 4 skinny triangles near the binding.

 

Now just fold the flaps in and stick'em down (I used some more packing tape for this part to make double-sure that they were going to stay put).

 

Now for the fun parts! Cover the inside of your binder however you like- I used 2 papers for mine and I also scallop punched the floral paper for a fun little detail.

 

Install the binder piece…this process may be a little different depending on what type of binder you have. Mine didn’t come with all of the attaching pieces so I had to pull a MacGyver here- I busted out the trusty glue gun and went to town! It worked really well and just to be extra safe, I used a bit of pink and white baker’s twine threaded through the screw-holes (that didn’t come with screws, ha!) and I feel pretty good about its sturdiness now!

 

The dividers are pretty straightforward - just cut some chipboard sheets to size, cover them with patterned paper and finally, use some frilly trim for the tabs.

 

Add some buttons to the front cover and voila! A super fun, super custom, binder for planning, calendars, recipes, gifts, journals…you name it! Thanks so much for stopping by today and hanging out with me for a bit! I’ll see you soon!

June Crate DIY :: Tara Anderson

 

 

Hi Crate Paper fans! It's Tara here with a crafty DIY Summer project for you!

This Summer, I enrolled my little 6 year old, Alaina, in an Art Summer Camp and over the past couple of weeks, she's been bringing home all sorts of paintings and drawings that have taken over the front of the refrigerator! So, I thought it was time to think of a new display idea for her art and what could be more cute than a petite art gallery display board? With this easy DIY magnetic board and magent project, Aliana's art work now has a space all it's own!

 

The Essentials: CP Chipboard, CP Buttons, CP Brads, CP Paper Scraps, CP Border Stickers, Baking Sheets (Light Weight), Vintage Tart Tins, Magnets, E6000 Glue, Glue Dots, Foam Pop Dots, Paper Flowers, Command Brand Picture Hanging Strips, Spray Paint

 

Start by spray painting your baking sheets. I used a fast drying gloss paint made especially for metal. Apply two coats of paint and leave the baking sheets in a well ventilated area to dry overnight. 

 

Next, gather the supplies for the magnets. To make each magnet, start by gathering supplies first, and then think in layers: larger pieces of chipboard for the base and then gradually build up the layers. 

Here's a step-by-step of how I put one of these tart-tin magnets together! 

First, Set out all your supplies like I've done above.

 

Place a foam-pop dot to the inside center of the tart-tin and then follow it up with a fabric/paper flower and press it into the foam. 

{Fancy Flowers not required..those often-for-sale ones at JoAnns or elsewhere are great for pulling apart and adding to projects like this}

 

Cut out a piece of glittered tulle and add a glue dot to it's center before pressing it into the flower. 

 

Add a couple of glue dots to a button and place it on top the tulle. 

 

Use a foam-pop dot to the back of a smaller chipboard accent and glue it into the button.

 

Use a pair of pliers to trim the prongs from a chosen fabric brad, then add a glue dot to the back of it and place it on top the chipboard. 

 

Add a small pearl to the top of the brad.

 

On the back of the tart tin, apply a small dab of E6000 Glue and adhere the magnet.

***Note to self. E6000 Glue is amazingly strong and will hold just about anything in place, forever. It's also, unfortunately, very smelly. So, my advice: once you've glued a magnet onto each of your tart tins, move your magnets to a well ventilated area to allow them to "air-out" for a day or two. 

 

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I used some of my paper scraps to create a title area on one of the baking sheets. Arrange your paper strips just so and glue them into position using glue dots. Next, choose a few border stickers and layer them over the papers. 

 

I layered a few chipboard accent stickers and slid a photo frame from the Portrait collection in between them. Don't forget to be creative with your title and to include it inside your frame! 

 

To make these magnet boards hardware free, I used picture hanging strips. The strips are sticky and simply clip into each other like velcro! They make hanging the magnet boards nearly effortless! Just follow the directions as stated on the packaging. In applying the strips, add one to each corner of the baking sheet and position them on the wall to your liking. *Be careful, make sure the baking sheets are level before sticking them to the wall!

 

And now for an upclose and personal look at some of the magnets I created for the boards...

To elaborate on this Art Gallery idea, try adding a few empty gold frames and a vintage tray or two. Your little artist is sure to love their new gallery wall, and you can be proud of your great DIY craftiness! Hope you love this art display idea as much as Alaina and I do! Happy Crafting! ~Tara

Weekend Designer Showcase

A joyful Saturday to all of you - today's weekend brings us once again, another fresh batch of handmade Crate Paper design team creations, though be prepared, because soon, the Designer showcase is going to move to a new day! Yes, we're bringing into the week! We opted to make the change because the sense is, that varied projects is the spice of life and most of you stop by our blog during the weekdays. There must be something happening "at work" or "at home" during the week that lends to busy blog hopping and more time in front of the computer screen. It's also that time of year again, Summer, when most of you are out and about on scheduled vacations and enjoying the warmth of the Summer sun. Can't say we blame you! We love Summer here in Utah! Though now, it'll be ten times easier for you to locate projects from our girls since they'll show in the middle of the week rather than at the end! No more backtracking to be had - just pure inspiration!

The newly scheduled showcases begin following the next release, which is only a couple of week's away! Can you believe it?! And yes, we've got lot's of new product releases to debut, but let's not jump ahead just yet - wink! Here's what our CP Girls have been up to the last week or two...

 

Speaking of color, all one requires is Emma's Shoppe to produce tons of it as Anne Jo Lexander has done here with this perfectly girly barrette case and photo strip layout! The case also made an appearance just recently at the Glue Arts blog, so it might be recognizable to some of you already. :)

 

Classic & Simple, Mou Saha reminds us that it's the everyday occasions that prelude to a finer, more traditional means of documenting "life" via scrapbooking. Her style has always been representative of this style and she's always done an amazing job of using our Crate collections for this purpose. Sometimes, less is ultimately, more! 

 

If interested in finding out how to soften the appearance of our Toy Box collection, Tara knows just the trick! White, non-thematic backdrops and minimal color is key - even with an abundance of layers, by keeping most the layout "white", Tara gave way to a softer side we've not seen before. 

 

Yes folks, more than likely, the snake is real! Lexi Bridges's little guy is an all out typical boy and as such, he enjoys inadvertently occurring outdoor adventures from time to time. It's not like snakes show up in the backyard everyday, right? What better excuse is there to not implement toy box than snakes...boys will be boys, as always. 

 

Don't you at least want to look inside and admire the bits and pieces of Danielle Flander's lacy, softly spoken mini album? She's put together a small tour via her photos and we encourage to peek at them. This album is sweetly spoken from front to back and the details are endless!

 

We simply love it when Crate Paper meets up with Papertrey Ink and the reason for the two finding each other here today is because Danielle Flanders recently completed a round of cards for a monthly stamp release using Crate Paper's collections and Papertrey Ink stamps! The "Baby" card and "We are Here" are probably are favorite two from the presentation - can't get enough of the super cute blue whale..absolutely darling! 

That just about does it for this weekend's Designer Showcase!! We wish all of you wonderful weekend and hope to see you Monday back here at the Crate Paper blog! Lots of "how to's" lined up this week! Get ready...