Crate Paper

It's a Wrap! - June

Hello-hello to you and happy last day of June! It's Tara here with you this weekend and we've reached the last day of the month which can only mean that it's time for another installment of It's a Wrap! - where I get to share with you one of my gift-wrapping ideas! Today, I thought I would talk about a super simple way to give a gift-card by using a pillow box and some little extras. 

I know giving a giftcard isn't exactly high on the list of creativity however the way in which you can present a gift can certainly make up for it! I think pillow boxes are almost ingenius in their design because it opens at the top and this allows you to layer on as many textured layers and pretty embellishments as your heart desires! 

When I start pulling materials to use for giftwrap, I always think it terms of a common color scheme (in this case; black, white, aqua and yellow) but also in textures. I started with a plain white dollie and then added 2 handmade sewn garlands made from left over Crate scraps on my desk. 

I loosely wrapped the garlands around my box add secured them with a small glue dot to hold them in place. To make a quick gift-tag, I used one of the Story Teller stickers and backed it with paper, this way I could use it as an actual tag instead of just an ordinary sticker!

I found a snip of sparkly vintage sequin trim to tie my gift-tag to the box and punched a small butterfly onto the bottom of the tag. I love to add one element to gift wrap that's a might be a little unexpected - I thought a playful black pom-pom attached to the top would be a fun accent topper! 

There are so many fun possibilities when you combine Crate Paper, giftwrapping and a small pillow-box together! What can you wrap up today? 

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for joining me again! 

 

June Designer Gallery :: CP Thickers

 

 

CP Designer/Team Coordinator :: Christine Middlecamp

In case you hadn't noticed, our Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep collections released a short while ago, and are available for purchase at your favorite scrapbook retail outlet. The collections include ten, past-inspired double-sided patterned papers, tags & accent cuts, phrase & border stickers, chipboard, alphas and more. Also up for grabs for the first time ever, are newly exclusive, Crate Paper Thickers! There are four styles in total, two per collection. Forget hunting down the perfect color and style font - we've got you covered! Crate's officially joined the AC Thickers family!

Bo Peep's blue-green foam glitter Thickers is our most beloved design thus far. Christine Middlecamp made beautiful use of them on her latest CP layout, Strength. 

~

CP Designer :: Michiko Kato

Honeycomb and Hexagons bring about happy smiles and peace! Bundled on top of them are extra-cute photos of Michiko Kato's young daughter and a shabby chic montage of Bo Beep's stickers & chipboard.

 

CP Designer :: Anabelle O'Malley

A surprise baby shower or congratulatory note on the birth a little one are great reasons to have cards like this around. Rumor has it that July and August are some of the busiest birthday months of the year! 

 

CP Designer :: Claudia Shadler

As today's final project, a simple 6" x 6" Story Teller layout from our modern stylist, Claudia Shadler. With this particular sized layout, Crate Paper's 6" x 6" patterned paper pads are the go-to solution!

~

A quick reminder, the Little Boy Blue & Little Bo Peep collections are finally available!! Want to see the collections "in-full" again? Check them out here: Bo Peep & Boy Blue 

 

Crate Paper + Polymer Clay w/Shanna Noel

Hi'ya CP Lovers! I wanted to share with you a really quick tutorial that adds a personal, unique, fun embellishment to your pages and project. I was a digital scrapbooker before I found my love for paper, and although a lot of their products I still use on my hybrid pages, sometimes, there are things I see that I wish I could use. There have been a lot of fun, funky frames showing up on pages and I wanted to create one of my own, but I wasn't finding anything that I loved on the market. What's a girl to do? Make your own, of course!

 

I ordered a mold from "Mold Muse" on etsy, and hit up my local craft store for some Sculpty Clay. {Please note, these are just the brands I chose to use. There are a lot of amazing products out there}. What I loved about using the polymer clay is that it's available in a vast variety of pretty colors. I found a NEON pink that I fell in love with, instantly!

 

First, take a small amount of clay into your hands (pea size) and warm it up while rolling it into a ball, until it becomes a little softer. Once you've done that, start pressing the clay into the mold. Take your time with this and make sure that all the little details are being filled.

Keep working on it as you go around the mold, paying attention to prevent air bubbles. You can see the back of mine isn't perfectly flat, but I wasn't worried about it. You wouldn't see the backside of the frame anyway given that it'll be adhered to the page, backside down. If you're worried about it, you can take a flat edge, such as a credit card, and level the area. 

 

Make sure to follow the direction on the clay package as it may be different from mine. I used an old toaster oven to bake my frame and placed it directly on the rack. I then baked it at 250 degrees for 10 minutes before removing and setting it onto a cooling rack. I left it there until it was cool to the touch. Let me tell you, I was really excited to see the final result, so waiting wasn't easy. Laugh. It's essential though that you let it cool down.

 

I really love the way it turned out! I'd found the perfect NEON pink to match with many of my fave Crate Paper collections, including Random!! 

 

I dare you to give the frame a try - it's a unique addition and will give that next Crate Paper project, a boost of personality! 

Pre-Vacation Mini Album w/Sasha Farina

Sometimes, a project reaches us that is just too good to not share all in one batch! One such project is this travel-ready mini album from our CP Designer, Sasha Farina. A couple of days ago, she and her family headed to Phuket for vacation. Before departing, she put together a weather proof album to take with her on the trip. The goal of the album is to document a getaway while it's happening, rather than wait 'til after! She's left ample space for the addition of photos, journaling and memorabilia - the pages are enclosed in a plastic binder that is portable, manageable, and perfectly sized for travel. 

 

 

To learn more about the album, visit Sasha's blog HERE. Happy Summer Travels!

June Color Challenge Winner!

Hello all! Tara here today to announce our Color Challenge Winner for June! Thank you all so much for contributing your projects this month - we were completely overwhelmed at the amount of submissions that greeted us in our in-box! (Even though I had a pretty good idea that this particular color challenge was going to be popular amongst the Crate fans!)

and because we received so many entries, I couldn't just choose one as a winner - so we have TWO winning layouts this month! Congrats to: 

Pam Brown

I loved how Pam created this collage grid by combining paper and embellishments in coordinating colors!

and a second congrats to: Ashely C.

We absolutely loved the collage of tags and thought the photos were as sweet as could be! 

Congratulations to both of our June scrapbook artists, Ashley & Pam! Please contact us at cpblog@cratepaper.com to choose a collection kit of your choice. I also wanted to share with you a few more layouts and one very sweet altered frame!

~

Scrapbook Artist: Vanessa Gutierrez

 

Scrapbook Artist: Gail Lindner

 

Scrapbook Artist: Alyssa McGrew

 

Scrapbook Artist: Brenda Booth

 

Scrapbook Artist: Johanna

Thank-you all again for making the June --> pretty n' pink <-- Challenge such a fun success! Our Color Challenge will be taking a short break next month to make way for some exciting news here on the Crate blog and then we'll pick up right where we left off in August with an all new palette! 

Have a wonderful crafty week!

June CP Creative Weekly :: Sunshine Yellow

 

 

As promised, someone today is going to win a box of "Yellow" Crate Paper products - it's exciting stuff, really! This kind of giveaway doesn't happen everyday here, so we highly look forward to sharing the prize with one of you. And there must be something about the color "Yellow" that most aren't able to resist because the response number to this week's giveaway was HUGE! You guys LOVE Yellow! That's great news because it's Summer, and soon, you'll be scrapbooking the warm season via a whole new series of layouts/projects, and what better color than "yellow" to help out with that? We're thrilled to be a part of your upcoming Summer memories - so, without further ado, here's the grand prize winner!

This summer I am visiting NYC for the very first time :) Can't wait to photograph the city and scrapbook my favorites...hopefully in yellow!
Green Bay, Wisconsin Posted by: Rachael | June 18, 2012 at 10:17 AM

Rachael, congrats to you! We have a prize pack waiting at the warehouse with your name on it! If you'd be so willing, forward your info to cpblog@cratepaper.com. Have a great time in New York and don't forget your camera! We're glad to be of help in documenting the special event! 

Thank-you to everyone for sharing your Summer plans with us! Sounds like there are a few vacations in order, along with some staycations. How very wonderful! 

~

Michiko Kato

Yellow is one of my favorite colors. When I imagine yellow, I think of the bright, gleaming sun, the growing sunflower fields, and the delicious fruit, Papaya. Ultimately, yellow is the quintissential "color" of Summer. And so, I created a mini album based on a set of family friend photos, whom recently went on a journey to Guam, using various yellow CP papers and embellishments. I found that the color went well with the scenic blue skies and ocean waters that are common to the area. Thankfully, Crate's collections include an abundance of yellow! It made scrapbooking the vacation a breeze!

~

June CP Creative Weekly :: Sunshine Yellow

 

 

 

Stephanie Dagan

Yellow is one of my favorite colors, as is blue and green. I often pair them together, but for this page, a different color combination was in order. Because I wanted to create a more "girly" layout, I chose coral and pink to go with yellow instead. I love the soft combination of colors. 

For the design of the page, I lifted a beautifully presentation of tags by the fantastic Leslie, owner and author of the blog, "A Creative Mint". It's been a long time that I've wanted to make a page like the one below, and this Creative Weekly's theme, yellow, seemed the perfect time to do it!

Photo Credit: A Creative Mint

~

Shanna Noel

This was the PERFECT challenge for me, because I don't typically use yellow on my pages. Luckily, Crate Paper has so many yummy yellow papers that it was simple to pull from all the different collections and have plenty to choose from! To compliment the yellow, I took out some denim paper, as well as some greens. I'm just addicted to arrows right now, so this layout may be a little much for some, but I love it! 

~

Piradee Talvanna

With Summer just around the corner, I couldn't resist getting a head start on our Summer trip by putting together this little mini album that I'll be bringing along with me. For some added fun to this Summer fresh mini, I reused the plastic packaging to make the shaker box on the cover, while throwing in a bit of confetti, and also, a super cute assortment of wooden embellishments. On the pages, I kept the overall design simple by leaving space for photo placement and also, journaling, to be written on the backside of each page. Summer, here I come!

~

June CP Creative Weekly :: Sunshine Yellow

 

 

Lilith Eeckles

Almost everything about Summer makes me a happy! Why might that be? Because Summer usually brings with it a fun, lively color assortment that is undeniably refreshing to work with, especially after a long Winter. One of my favorite Summer colors is "Bright Yellow". It reminds me of my sister, and her sweet daughter, Elisa - both are a bundle of sunshine, and bring warmth and happiness to the family. So, as a gift for them, I spruced up a MDF sliding-door frame with yellow patterned paper and a mini collage made from Crate's Little Girl Bo Peep chipboard and matching journaling card. Inside are three decorated envelopes into which the girls can slip notes, or photos. Also inside, is a gorgeous arrangement of Crate's Little Girl Bo Peep papers and tags. Already, the frame is well on it's way to the girls! I hope they love it as much as I do.

~

Charlene Cundy

I love the inspiration picture this month for June's Creative Weekly as the yellow's and blue's remind me of Summer! I immediately thought of doing a tall mini album for my daughter to put memorabilia in from our trip to Las Vegas a few years back. It was our first trip together, just mother and daughter, and one I will cherish forever! (And my feet are still screaming at me, even four years later. LOL.) From morning until night, we were go, go, go! I went to the local office supply store and picked up a simple folder with pockets. I then folded it to create an album! The pockets make a wonderful place to house our plane tickets, Circque Du Soleil tickets, and other items. I really like the way it turned out! So much to look at, and see, just like Vegas!

~

June CP Creative Weekly :: Sunshine Yellow

 

 

We're heading our way into the second day of Crate's "Yellow-rific" Creative Weekly! If you're just joining us for the first time since yesterday, then you're in for a special surprise - Crate Paper is GIVING away a great big box of it's "Yellow" colored products. It includes elements from Little Boy Blue, Little Girl Bo Peep, Pretty Party, and Story Teller. It's kind of a fun twist to an otherwise traditional Creative Weekly prize pack. If you're a fan of the color Yellow, then run over to Monday's post and leave a comment. Tell us of any significant Summer plans you have coming up, or one that's been tended to already. If you're without plans, than tell us of something you regularly look forward to this time of year. For example, maybe your a book reader and love reading at the beach! Whatever the case, note it, along with your location. We'll draw our winner on Friday, June 22nd! 

~

 

Claudia Shadler

Claudia here with my incorporation of "Yellow" in a "show box" - Mainly, I wanted to capture the hue as a background, and also, as an accessory feature. I really like the grid-like circular pattern of Seven Gypsies wooden frame. It allows just the right amount of space and openings for the addition of cute embellishments and contrasting colors. As shown, I constructed simple presentations from Crate's buttons and brads by setting them on top of felt shapes, ribbon and other materials. In it's entirety, the show box is a beautiful piece for hanging on the wall, or as a decor item for elsewhere. I chose to display it on my dining room table - I really love how the Yellow pop's against the wood grain!

 

Kaori Watanabe

In Japan, I love the early Summer months. Where I live, it snows frequently and there's always a lot of it around. Therefore, when the weather improves, and the warm air arrives, it feels tremendously good to get out there, sit back, and take it all in. The kids love it, too. Here's my young one walking a path, with his hat on, and doing what kids do best - having fun in the sun!

*Note several of Crate's Yellow/Orange/Green collection items. All sit on the warm-side of the color wheel and are reminiscent of Summertime. Even the wood grain frame's natural texture {Story Teller} is a favorable addition given the season! Happiness all around!

~

June CP Creative Weekly :: Sunshine Yellow

 

 

Image Credit: Anastasia Marie/Daily Inspirations Blog

Sunshine. Sunflowers. Lemonade. Bumble bees. Daisies. Iconic of Summer, these elements share something in common - any guesses as to what that might be? All play a festive roll in celebrating Summer's most recognized color, "Yellow"! Totally cheerful, the hue is a favorite among many, including Crate Paper. When June's Creative Weekly came a'rolling around, almost instantly, we knew that "YELLOW" was the absolute way to go! So, we located the inspiration source, "Sunny Loving", and put the CP Girl team to task of using Yellow on an exclusive Crate Paper project! Sure enough, they did just that, and the first projects to post today, are Summer-tastic! Grab your sunglasses, and check them out!

~ 

 

Roree Rumph

Yellow is such a fun, happy color. This assignment was pretty easy, because Yellow paper and embellishments pop up in many of Crate's collections. I wanted the background for my embroidery hoop to be Yellow, but with a textured feel. So, I created one from strips of varying Yellow patterned papers, some with a border, and added machine stitching across the top. I really love the result. And, the Yellow just brightens up everything! Note how the deeper, darker colors, "POP"!

~

Anabelle O'Malley

As soon as I heard that we were focusing on Yellow this month, I knew exactly what I wanted to do! We just recently took a vacation to Florida with friends, and I wanted to scrap a page that reflected the essence of 'The Sunshine State'. So, as part of the page, I chose for the Yellow element to be sun-rays. I then found this perfect Silhouette file and Story-Teller patterned paper, Lifetime, to create them. In further supporting the "Yellow-Sunshine-Florida" theme, I added Pink, Aqua and Pale Green to the layout. The colors reminded me of the flowers and gulf coast water that we had seen while there. My girlfriend and I had so much fun relaxing in the sun & surf. I feel this page truly reflects the essence of our amazing vacation to Marco Island.

~

Rahel Menig

Yellow is a great color for Summer! It reflects the sunshine perfectly, and so many other things common to the season. Because of the little known fact, I tried to do something fun and unexpected with this page. One idea I took to task was cutting Yellow chevron patterned paper pieces to create a series of arrows for pointing at the pages focal point, the off-centered photo. They're noticeable some of the largest elements on the page, minus the photo. Also, I played some with the title. Instead of the usual "o" in "you", I replaced it with a heart icon, trimmed with my Silhouette.

~

How about a Crate Paper GIVEAWAY? To go along with this weeks "YELLOW" theme, up for grabs is a box filled with randomly chosen "Yellow" Crate Paper goods from collections both old, and new, including Little Boy Blue & Little Girl Bo Peep, and last Winter's releases, Story Teller, Pretty Party, and Paper Heart. To get your name in on the drawing, tell us of any special plans that you might have coming up this Summer! Could be as simple as relaxing on the hammock in the backyard, or heading North to visit the family cabin. A winner will be chosen, and announced, on FRIDAY, June 22nd. Please mention your location, as well. Good Luck!