Crate Paper

Crate Color Challenge - Winner!

Hi everyone! It's Tara here and today is the day I get to announce our Crate Color Challenge winner for the month of May! Thank you to all who submitted their summery (and Fall-ish) layouts, cards and tags. I love seeing that so many of you were inspired not only by the colors this month but also by my mention of paint! 

We're happy to announce our Color Winner as: Cassandra Cyr! 

scrapbook artist: Cassandra Cyr

I love how Cassandra used a combination of white papers and doilies, to create a subtle but textured background combined with pops of color here and there. I thought her page was not only visually interesting but also a playful take on this month's color combination. Congrats Cassandra! Please email us at cpblog@cratepaper.com to claim your prize! 

I also wanted to share another layout that I thought was a fun take on the classic Chevron pattern. 

scrapbook artist: Brenda Booth

If you look closely at this layout Brenda created, you'll notice that she constructed the Chevron pattern by piecing together small patterned triangles. I love the almost patchwork-quilt feel to her layout! 

Lastly, quite possibly the cutest baby card I've seen! I loved everything about this card, down to the little pink button! 

scrapbook artist: Dana 

Thank you all again for joining me in Crate's May Color Challenge and a very big thank you to everyone who contributed their wonderful projects! Mark your calendars for June - we have something new and exciting that we'll be introducing to next month's Color Challenge that you won't want to miss out on!

Happy Monday! ~ Tara 

Pretty Party Birthday Favors :: Roree Rumph

Hi Everyone! If you're like me, you have lots of Summer Birthdays coming up. That means lots of oppportunities to use the beautiful Pretty Party collection! I thought I would get a head start and make some fun party favors for one of these upcoming occasions. 

I decided to make cone shaped pouches to hold some candy or small gifts for handing out to party guests. This is what I came up with...

The Essentials: Pretty Party Paper, Alpha Stickers, Chipboard Accents, Phrase Stickers, Adhesive, Sewing Machine, Thread, File, Cricut Expression 2, Once Upon a Princess cartridge.

 

These are so easy to make, and pouches don't take much time at all. Here's what you'll need:

- Patterned Paper Panels (trimmed to desired size)

- Adhesive

- Decorative Scissors (if desired)

- Sewing Machine & Thread (if desired)

 

To make one favor, cut your patterned paper to your desired size. I started with a 6" x 7" panel.

 

On the underside of the panel, place adhesive along two adjacent edges.

 

Roll the panel into a tube shape and press the ends together, adhering them. 

 

Press the end of the tube (with the adhesive) closed.

 

Machine sew along the edge, if desired.

 

Trim the edge with decorative scissors, if desired.

 

Fill the favor with candy or small trinkets. Turn the favor so that the length bottom edge is facing away from you. Close the top edge and seal, as desired. I chose to sew mine shut so the favor could be torn open. If you prefer, you could add some adhesive or punch a couple of holes and tie off the end with some ribbon. Trim the edge with decorative scissors, if desired.

 

Repeat the step to make multiple favors

 

All that is left is to decorate them. 

They really were easy, weren't they?

Thanks so much for letting me share my project with you all today. I really hope you enjoyed it, and maybe it will inspire you to have a go at making some of your own.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks so much for stopping by!

New Crate Paper Website

Hello and happy Wednesday! We have some great news to announce today: We've relaunched www.CratePaper.com with a new look and new features, including an online store where you can find all your favorite Crate Paper products (and American Crafts, Pebbles Inc., and Studio Calico too!) Plus there's some great inspiration that you won't find on the blog.

So head on over and take a look for yourself at the new site!

www.CratePaper.com

 

Crate Paper Product 5 Ways :: Michiko Kato

 

 

Hello CP Fans! Today's all about showing you various uses for Crate Paper's eclectic alpha stickers. Believe it or not, stickers are a favorite product of mine, alpha stickers included! For me, what makes them utterly fabulous is that you can literally do anything and everything with them. They're a practical enough embellishment for just about every project type one can think of.  To reaffirm this fact, I created five individual tags, each presenting a unique twist of Crate's alphas. The tags are to be given to my mother in celebration of Mother's Day and also, her birthday! I plan to give her flowers, too. I love her dearly...

 

Create a Letter

 Little alpha stickers are as cute as can be. Why not use them as a creative element in your titlework? I built the letter "L" from Story Teller's small set of black alpha stickers. I then oriented the rest of the title around it.

 

Stitch'em by Hand

After applying titlework to a project, such as this tag, give the alphas a more homemade, organic look by bordering them with black or white ink, and topstitching. With this particular technique, I recommend that you pierce through the stickers prior to the stitching process. Doing so will save you the hassle of having to "punch" through the alphas and paper while stitching. 

 

A Formal Affair

Dress up your titlework with Liquid Pearls (Ranger).  Not only does it lend an air of sophistication, but it's pretty and shiny too. If you're without Liquid Pearl, use a white pen instead. This is one of my favorite techniques.

 

Stitch'em by Machine

Another of my favorite techniques is to machine stitch directly over the sticker'(s). Do so very randomly (don't plan it out) - it's more fun that way!

 

Pattern Paper Knock-Off

A long border of alpha stickers tucked between strips of patterned paper is a quick way to use up petite alpha stickers from a previous project. Stitch over them or leave them "as is". They should blend right in!

 There you have it, FIVE ways to be creative with Crate Paper's alpha stickers! All of them are super easy, too! Give them a try! Happy early Mother's Day - Thanks for looking! 

Craft with Crate :: Lilith Eeckels & Wood Frames

 

Hi there everyone! For this series of Craft with Crate, I want to show you a simple, creative way to use my favorite Story Teller item, the Wood Frame Collection. Because normally, the wood frames would be considered a decorative addition to a layout or card,  I thought it'd be nice to use them as "actual" picture frames instead. Making them is super easy too - come check it out!

 

The Essentials

Story Teller Collection - Wood Frames, Clothes Pins, Mini Patterned Paper Pad, Brads, Stand Outs, & Chipboard Accents.

Pretty Party Collection -  Mini Patterned Paper Pad

Misc - White Acrylic Paint, 6" x 6" Piece of Plywood, Photo & Twine

 

The basis of the project is this 6" x 6" sheet of plywood. Paint all four edges with white acrylic paint for a nice, clean finish. Two coats might be necessary for full coverage.

 

After the paint is dry, adhere a 6" x 6" sheet of patterned paper (your choice - I opted for white since the frames are colorful all on their own) onto the upper surface of the board. Make sure the paper is without air bubbles and fully adhered to the board (Check the edges - they sometimes pop up).

 

Back each of the collection's three frames with patterned paper - For variety purposes, I chose to use three different patterned papers, one per frame.

Carefully consider where to sit each frame on the 6" x 6" board. Smallest to biggest in a triangular formation is easiest because it's recognizably balanced. Adhere them to the board with hot glue using a low temperature glue gun (or high). 

 

 

Use the wood painted clips to attach photos and journaling to the frame'(s). By using the clips, you can change the photos and journaling out at any time.

Go ahead and frame your memories and photos so that everyone may enjoy them! Have a lovely day & thank-you so much for stopping bye! Happy Crafting!

May Crate Color Challenge!

Hi everyone! Tara here with an all new Color Palette challenge for the month of May but first - I'd like to announce the winner of my Pretty Party Giveaway! Our lucky winner is: 

My husband bought me a coffee maker for my birthday this year and because he doesn't drink (or even like the smell of) coffee, it was a completely selfless gift. The best kind!

Posted by: Angela Fehr

Congratulations Angela! Pleas email us your contact info to cpblog@cratepaper.com

~

Challenge time!

May is certainly the start of summer for us, hot days spent in the pool and the warm evenings are perfect for neighborhood bike rides. I also think May is a perfect month for jumping into some new light summery colors! In doing so, I decided to challenge myself a bit with the color combination this month. I wanted to step outside my typical comfy color choices and choose a combination that 1. didn't include pink and 2. was more suited for everyday type photos. Hopefully you'll like the colors this month and will be inspired to create something lovely for the challenge! 

This month's color combination is: Marshmallow White, Marigold Orange and Aqua Blue

and our inspiration wire:

Just a few guide-lines for the challenge before we start:

- You may submit a card, layout or project to be eligible. Projects need to be submitted by: May 13th please email your work to: cpblog@cratepaper.com

- You may use the colors in any proportion you wish, as long as you use all 3 colors in the palette. And you may add black, white or kraft paper to the colors.

- Projects must use at least 75% Crate Paper - you may mix any paper lines you like, old and new.

- The winner will be announced on: May 14th (Monday), and I'll share some of my favorite projects here on the blog.

- The winner will be selected based on creativity and quality of work.

~

The color combination this month reminded me a bit of water color paints. Something about a teal blue and orange together that's very playful and artsy! I took my cue from that very inspiration and decided to do a little painting on my own layout! (If you find your paper warping a bit after the paint dries, try using an iron, set at the lowest setting and carefully iron the backside of the paper.)

I decided to use the aqua blue as my main color paired with a multiple layers of white paper and fabric and the orange acted as an accent color. I love playing with different proportions of each color until I find just the right combination for my layout! I thought these photos of my kids and their friend complimented the playful colors this month and I was happy to finally have a reason to use them! 

My favorite part of this layout (other than the photos) is this little button card I created from a small piece of fabric. I sewed white buttons from both the new Pretty Party and the StoryTeller Collections to make a textured focal point of the layout and I love the one stand-out orange button amongst the layers of white! 

 It's your turn now! Sort through your Crate paper and pull the matching colors and let's get creative! I'll be back later on this weekend to update the submission date for our color challenge so please check back soon for that date and I look forward to seeing your projects! Good luck everyone and Happy Creating

~ Tara

 

A Crate Paper Layout :: Christine Middlecamp

Crate Paper's collection releases are vast and varied. Since 2006, Lisa's created a countless number of them for papercrafters to enjoy and make use of via their crafting habits. Fortunately, I've been around long enough to benefit from most, minus the first few. When people ask me if I still own the "old stuff", I say "Of course, and it's all coordinated nicely in drawers, paper holders, and baskets throughout my scrapbook space." My all time favorite release is Prudence, Crate's classic white, black and grey collection. It still blends seamlessly with today's design trends! For this reason, I thank my lucky stars that Prudence is just one drawer away from me. Truth be told, you never know when a collection might come back in style ;) Might as well keep all them, just incase.

Given the above layout, can you spot the number of collection's thrown in the mix? There's at least five, including Pretty Party, Story Teller, Emma's Shoppe, Random and Portrait. Why mention this? Because I love how you can take five different Crate collections, and create a layout that is uniform in appearance and of a large cohesive design that is engaging and fun. Very rarely do I create a project from just one collection - it just doesn't happen!

*If you look closely, there's one element that's truly different. Hint: Cover Graphic.

Moving on to tips and techniques...

Frames are fun. It's that simple. They pretty much lend themselves to just about every project type, too. Here, I backed the frame with transparency, glittered 3-D flowers (Paper Clothe Patterned Paper), and a small sticker (Pretty Party). On top the frame and to the side, I sat Mr. Blue Bird :)

 

I try to avoid glitter at all costs. Once it's out of the bottle, containing the stuff is impossible! To save myself from the doom that is glitter, I go the route of Stickles instead. So much easier!

I wasn't satisfied with just plain ol' flowers. Nope. To give them additional texture and sparkle, I applied a light coat of gold stickles around their edges. 

 

If you haven't already deterimined, I have a thing for layered circles. I call them self-made embellishments. Pop them on a flower, or a Crate Paper heart such as this one, and you will have created a one-of-a-kind combination that is all your own. Just make sure to have a lot of circles punches on hand...

 

I punched the center of this Pretty Party label out to make room for black patterned paper. I punched out the top area as well before backing it with Story Teller's "25 Cent" journal card, and a misc. title. 

 

An especially old Crate Paper embellishment, the "thanks" chipboard sticker from the now retired collection, Cottage.

 

Are you curious as to why the layout is titled "Crate Paper"? Simply put, I adore the brand. I've been avid fan of their designs for as long as I can remember. Also, I share a very special past with Crate...it's a story to be told another day. 

Had you found the odd item? It's the Crate Paper Title/Cover Label from CP's wholesale catalog! I originally intended to use the catalog's cover as the basis of a layout, but changed my mind. Believe it or not, the cover is super cute!! 

Have a wonderful day everyone! This has been a lot of fun! I shall see you again next month! 

 

Paper String Captured w/Anabelle O'Malley

It's no secret that I love layers and texture on my pages. I'm always looking for new ways to add that extra bit of dimension to my layouts.  Recently, I've noticed pages with lots of twine, threads, or frayed fabric or burlap. I love how it looks! Quite accidentally, one day not so long ago, I discovered another look that is similar to this trend. I had cut off the label at the bottom of a piece of patterned paper only to discover that a small portion of it remained. So, I took my scissors and carefully trimmed it off. The resulting scrap was a long, curly, 'thread-like' piece of paper. I thought it looked cool, so I cut off some more - and my technique was born. Isn't it funny how the best things are sometimes the results of an accident?

 

I decided to use this technique on my Captured page. I chose the color palette and decided to make my 'threads' using the air mail striped side from the Storyteller Document paper. The best thing about this technique is that you can make sure your threads are custom colorized. I carefully trimmed the paper - remember, keep your cut as thin as possible.

 

I trimmed the paper several times until I had a pile of curls in front of me. This technique works really well with those scraps that you're not sure what to do with.

 

Then, I arranged my elements on my page. For this layout, I used a mask to create the background, added some paint splotches, cut the title and camera with my Silhouette, added the photos and embellished with Storyteller and Farmhouse stickers. Once I knew where everything was going to go, I took the items off the page. Next, I rubbed a glue stick onto the paper in several spots and stuck the curls into place.

 It doesn't matter, at first, if not every piece is glued flat. After that, I adhered the page elements, using some foam adhesive for added dimension, and arranged the curls into their final spots. I glued a couple of last pieces into place and I was done.

 

As you can see, the curls give it a fun, messy, textured feel. I love how the colors coordinate with my paper choices, too!

I think there's lots of possibilities for this look. Good luck making your own curly threads. And have fun!

May's Designer Gallery :: Part I

 

 

So we admit, Pretty Party isn't just for parties. It's a super cute collection for "MOMS", too! With Mother's Day around the corner, creating something handmade to celebrate the special day is a tradition for many. So, when Roree Rumph shared her "Mother's Day" potted flowers with us, we thought, "What a GREAT gift idea!" Her timing is perfect!

 Roree kindly put together a supply list for creating the beautiful blossom display...

*Pretty Party Paper {Confetti, Party Guest, Papercloth, Spool, Streamers}, Pretty Party Chipboard, Pretty Party Eclectic Buttons, Pretty Party Fabric & Epoxy Brads, Farmhouse Alpha Set, Farmhouse Border Stickers, Farmhouse Eclectic Buttons, Art Minds Simply Surfaces Flower Pots, Embroidery Thread, Craft Sticks, Cricut Expression 2, and Sweet Treats Cartridge. 

 

Sometimes, it's just more fun to create "mini" cards - we think so, at least! They're a quick gift topper, too! Here's what Claudia had to say about them..

"Hello, Hello, Calduia here with a mini card trio featuring chipboard pieces from the Story Teller collection. The little flower pieces are adorable, and I really like the pop of color. I like them so much, that I made them the focal point of the cards. Again, in the light of the Spring Season, these are the perfect as "hello" or "thank-you" cards. For the background, I randomly splattered some water color paint, just enough to create a touch of whimsy."

 

As you might of already guessed, these two precious layouts are from our white space extraordinaire, Jaime Warren. Both echo heartfelt sentiments using Crate's Pretty Party and Story Teller collections. 

 

A trip overseas to San Francisco has left Sasha Farina with a host of never-forgotten moments. From what we hear, she aspires to return ;) And check out her "stamped airplanes" on Story Teller's quintessential map patterned paper!

 Thank-you kindly to all of the designers that contributed toward today's Designer Gallery. And to our visitors, make sure to check out yesterday's ongoing giveaway via Tara Anderson's "It's a Wrap!" gallery - bring your favorite birthday gift with you!