Crate Paper

Nerd Love: Two Collections, Two Layouts - CP Gal Anabelle O'Malley

One of my favorite things to do is to decorate my Filofax planner each week. I have so many scrapbooking supplies and washi tape, so it was a natural extension to use them in my planner. I haven't succumbed to the digital age of planning and love being able to write down my to-do lists and engagements. Additionally, I share my spreads on Instragram and am involved with several Facebook groups. My friends and family totally don't get my obsession and, yes, I view myself as a total Planner Nerd!

I decided to use elements from the Boys Rule and Oh Darling lines to document some of my favorite planner spreads. I love how the elements from both lines combine so easily. Here is my page.

I started off by creating a mixed media background. I have been learning some new techniques and love how the background complements the vintage feel of the collections. I started by spreading Gesso onto my cardstock. Next, I added mists and blended them together. I used modeling paste and a stencil to add some texture. Then, I added color using some Neocolor II crayons.

Next, I added a piece of the star vellum from the Boys Rule line. It was the perfect way to add some pattern without covering up the background too much. After this, I selected a few die cut elements from both collections. Both lines have some neutral elements that worked perfectly on my page. I love the glitter Thickers that accompany the collections and used them to create my title.

Finally, I added my photos. I love the banner look and created it by adhering my photos with foam adhesive. I topped them off with clothespins from the Boys Rule line. Again, the neutraility of the patterns fit perfectly with my color scheme.

My next page uses the Boys Rule line to highlight my son's obsession with Minecraft. This kid is a Gamer–big time! He would live on the computer, building his world and playing online with his friends. Sometimes, I'll watch him as he has the laptop on with the game, his iPod playing a Youtube video showing him how to build something, and the phone with the speaker on so he can talk to his friends while he plays. It's crazy! But, he loves it.

I love creating pages using a grid layout. The chipboard frames from the collection are so perfect for achieving this design. I laid them out, along with my photo and then started embellishing. First, I chose the elements that reflected the Gamer theme. There are lots of them in the collection. I added some diamond glaze to the wood veneer pieces to give them an enameled look.

This frame was embellished with some of the stickers and the fun 'zap' chipboard piece.

And this one uses the wonderful acrylic stars. I love the added texture that they give my page. Clipped to the photo is a small chipboard tag. If you are as old as I am, you'll remember the Atari video games and their logo. This tag reminded me so much of that, so I knew I had to include it.

Finally, I created my title using the clear alphas. Adding some stitching and gems gave them some fun detail and tied in more colors that I used on the page.

As you can see, the Boys Rule line can stand alone or it can be combined with Oh Darling. Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share our obsessions with you!

Crate Petite: Mini Recyclables - CP Gal Jeanette Lee

Hello! This is Jeanette, bringing you the last installment of the Crate Paper's Petite series. Have you ever wondered what true potential might be had from leftover scrapbook packaging? Often times, we admire the beautiful embellishments that come inside all that pretty packaging and leave it at that. We dispose of any excess and move on. I find this routine rather wasteful and so, I've been trying to recycle my packaging for future use. Hence, the purpose of today's post is to present ideas for revamping leftovers - 'Go small, aim high'!

I started with this mini shadow box - filled to the brim with laser-cut wood pieces, it was the perfect packaging choice. The box itself reminded me of the infamous 'shadow box' used for featuring photos and other little assemblies. I thought this smaller version 'shadow box' would be fabulous as a mini album for a special loved one.

I mounted the shadow box on a cardboard base with strong adhesive and from there, I measured the size of each square and adorned them with brightly colored patterned paper.

 

Each square measured almost 2" wide - I felt it important the details take center stage, including the hand-selected patterned papers. So, each square highlights one major embellishment and other small items such as buttons, jewels and phrases.

The finishing touches were placed on decorating the cover - this particular cover conveys the joy and delight of my niece who just turned three years old. I can imagine her petite hands admiring the contents inside the album.

Had you noticed the sequin pocket? The transparent piece used to create it was recycled from a scrapbook item, too. The sequin pocket is a surprise element of cuteness! I can't get enough of sequins!

I created another album similar to the previous one. From the looks of the theme and content, you might assume it's for a young boy - you're half right. This album is dedicated to my current favorite game app, Clash of Clans.  I'm a game addict at heart. It's something that seems ironic considering how my scrapbook style differs from my actual personality, but it is very much me and embraces who I am as a person. Because the game is a part of my life, I felt it worth documenting.

I printed a saying of the game onto photo paper - and I stand by it firmly. I completed the album with embellishments that suit the 'video game' theme. One of my favorite techniques used was the placement embellishments on top the shadow box itself. It's a great way to generate more interest and depth while highlighting some elements more than others. Embellishments tend to come off "flat" inside a shadow box. It's important to break away from that monotony and give rise to 'layers'. It'll serve to heighten your piece.

After finishing the shadow box albums, I took recycled packaging another direction and tried applying it to a layout. These clear dimensional plastic covers are common sight in my scrapbook stash - it'd be a pity to not use them!

Using patterned paper and my collected covers, I arranged them in a grid-like pattern. Because the covers are bulky, I felt it best to compartmentalise them via two sections. This allowed each one to have it's own focus.

Embellishing each cover was a simple process - I envisioned them as memory keepsake pockets, or interactive shaker boxes. So, I tucked beneath them phrase labels and relevant embellishments. Thereafter, I attached them to the layout with washi tape. 

When faced with a stash of discarded packages, consider giving them a second chance. With a little creativity, these items have infinite value and potential!

 

Crate Petite April Project Challenge Winner

 We have a much awaited Crate Petite Challenge Winner to present today! As a brief reminder, April's project challenge was to create a special something or other on the petite side while taking advantage of one's personal CP Stash. After browsing numerous entries, we selected Steffi Ried's 'little frame' - a gracefully coordinated arrangement of Oh Darling pieces and a precious photo of her sweet girl, Anni. 

Congratulations, Steffi! We will be in contact with you shortly - and a special note of thanks to all whom submitted to the challenge. We will be pinning your entries to our "Crate Spotted" boards at Pinterest!!

This month's final 'Crate Petite' will post tomorrow - we do hope you'll join us!

 

Pretty Things: Pink, Emerald & Gold Cards - Ashley Cannon Newell

A long time Crate Paper Design Team Member, Ashley Cannon Newell, brings glamour to cardmaking with a smidgen of sparkle, polka dots and lace embossing.

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Inspiration is all around us, but one thing that is always inspiring me is a color combination. It sparks my creativity like no other and really gets me into the crafting spirit. So, I created a collection of four cards using pink, emerald, and gold as my Pretty Thing color combination. On my cards, I used a variety of Crate Paper collections including Style Board, Love Notes, Oh Darling, and Flea Market.

This "Hello Gorgeous" card features a journaling card as a backdrop for the sentiment and embellishments. Polka dots are a favorite pattern of mine, so I just had to use the patterned paper. I added a bit of stitching around the border for some texture.

Using a camera die as my focal point, I created this "True Friend" design. I used a die inlay technique to combine patterned papers and cardstock for the camera embellishment. I also used a doily embossing folder to bring a subtle pattern and texture to the design.

The "Hello Sweet Love" card uses a glitter photo frame to hold the greeting. I used rub-ons and alpha stickers to create the sentiment.

After layering a couple of patterned papers on this 4 x 6 "Thanks" card, I added some paper tape, a file folder sticker, and some flower die-cuts. On the flowers, I added sequins to the centers. You can sneak in pops of colors in so many ways.

Colors are all around us, but you don't have to see them displayed for inspiration. Simply jot down three or more colors and create a project or two to see where your imagination takes you.

Nerd Love: Two Time Traveling Layouts - CP Gal Lisa Dickinson

Today's Nerd Love feature caters two BRAND NEW layouts and the popular British Television series, Dr.Who - here to entertain the fun topic and grid-inspired layouts is CP Gal, Lisa Dickinson.

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My son has always been a total bookworm, preferring to read over any other playtime activity. He's a great studen as well, and often researches random topics outside of class (like quantum physics and time travel theory) just for fun. He's also obsessed with the BBC television show, Dr.Who. So the topic of Nerd Love was a perfect opportunity for me to document some of his more "nerdy" tendencies with the Boys Rule collection.

My first layout features various photos of my son as we typically see him - with his nose in a book or searching the internet! I also included a photo of him with his many academic awards earned at school. I've incorporated the photos with small scraps of patterned papers and journaling card, all cut into squares and fit together much like a puzzle. Once the biggest pieces were in place, I pulled out some of the many embellishments and accents in the Boys Rule line and used them to fill in some of the remaining spaces.

On several of the squares, I included typed journaling as well as quotes about nerds. Since my son is a self-proclaimed nerd (and proud of it!) I knew he would enjoy reading this little snippets as well as the personal journaling. It's easy to find quotes applicable to your layout with a quick Google search. In my case, I just searched for "nerd quotes" and came up with lots of options.

Because my grid design was constructed of mostly square and rectangle shapes (and other straight lines!) I opted to mix in a few circles to soften all the straight edges just a bit. Punched card stock and some of the circular wooden veneer accents contrast nicely with the squares and keep the design from looking to blocky. They also provided an ideal spot to sprinkle in a few star sequins for just a touch of sparkle.

On several of the chipboard accents, I adhered them with foam adhesive, which adds dimension and helps draw attention to certain focal points of the page. Since the eye is naturally drawn to the popped up elements, they help to guide the viewer through each part of my design.

For my second page, I've used another variation of the grid design, but this time it's a more organized and linear arrangement. To highlight my son's love of Dr.Who, I've chosen some photos of him dressed as the doctor and displaying his favorite Dr.Who book, as well as other photos that reference characters and items in the show.

I first arranged my photos and a tag for my journaling. Then I left space for a die-cut title, which is the logo from the show that I traced and cut out on my Silhouette. Once I had all those crucial elements positioned in my grid, I began filling in the remaining spots with bright patterned papers and chipboard accents that coordinated with the photos.

Even though each block of this grid is different sized, and contains varied colors, patterns, and textures, I've tried to unify them with the same rounded corners and stitched borders. I also kept the margins between each block consistent, which creates an organized design.

All the small accents in the Boys Rule collection provided lots of options for embellishing this page. I layered stickers, chipboard, acrylic shapes, wood veneers, and die cuts to add plenty of texture and detail to the grid. I tried to keep the embellishments related to the base paper by color, so the end result isn't too busy or chaotic.

Thanks for joining me for this little celebration of Nerd Love today! I hope you've been inspired to document a beloved nerd in your life!

Crate Petite: Ready, Set, Confetti! - Rebecca Luminarias

This post features two of my very favorites--tiny things & confetti! Ever since the whole confetti craze began, I've been making my own little glassine envelopes filled with shiny, glittery goodies--and because they look so cute on mini cards, I gathered up my Oh Darling collection and made a whole bunch of them!

I made three sets of cards, each with a packet of confetti playing a major role. For this first set, I used small glassine bags (2 7/8" x 1 3/4") and filled each one with white and gold sequins, plus some iridescent white tinsel glitter. (There's a quick tutorial coming up later in the post!) These envelopes are horizontal so I kept that orientation on each of the cards.

The larger pieces of Oh Darling Ephemera were the bases for the cards in this set. The saturated pink, yellow, and turquoise hues in Oh Darling make for bright and cheery greetings, while the addition of confetti makes the cards festive! The pocket in the piece below was just the right size for the "Hello" card, cut from "What a Doll" patterned paper. Then I trimmed the title of the paper and used it as the tiny sentiment on the pink flower card (2 photos above).

Up next is a set of traditional folded cards--but they're still small, at 3" x 4", which is the size of the pre-made Oh Darling Journaling Cards. When it comes to minis, I typically make them in coordinating sets, as I've done here. Sometimes it happens on purpose; sometimes it happens because an idea for one card leads to a similar idea for another. That also happened here--with this entire project, in fact. I'm not a quick crafter, by any means. I putter and fuss and try all kinds of different embellishments and placements before it's "just right". I wish I was a quick crafter--I'd love to be able to just pull a handful of pieces out and make something in ten minutes, but that rarely happens for me; I'm (painfully) slow!

Once I finally had the general theme and sketch for this set, though, the trio came together nicely. They don't match exactly, but have enough of the same elements to coordinate...a journaling card, a rectangular piece for a pop of color, the confetti, a butterfly, another pop of color from the ribbon bow, and a tiny tag stamped with a bitty message from the Styleboard Roller Stamp.

{Tip: The bows easily pull off of the Oh Darling garland in tact--no untying/retying necessary!}

I've seen so many cute confetti packets out there, and I think most of us probably have preferences as to what we like best. I'll show you how I made my fold over pockets, like the ones I used on this trio.

First, gather your goods...there's something about glassine bags that makes me swoon--I don't know if it's the crinkly sound they make when you open them, the soft transparency of them, or the fact that they come in tiny sizes, making them just about as adorable as they can possibly be. For whatever reason, glassine bags/envelopes are what I like to put my confetti mix into.

Next, ANYTHING minuscule! For these projects today, I used sequins, beads, tinsel glitter, and tiny wood hearts--and I do mean itty-bitty.

Don't fill your envelope too full. Most of the time, I like the stuff inside to move around a little, so I don't pack them to the brim. For the fold overs, though, there isn't much room left (after the fold) for movement, so less really is better.

Close the flap just as you normally would on the back of the envelope. 1/3 from the top, fold the envelope itself the opposite way. Including the flap, it'll be a small accordion fold.

Stitch your folded piece to the envelope and you have a cute pocket...

...for a lovely butterfly

Although I adore confetti packets and tiny things, it was sometimes challenging figuring out how to incorporate the confetti onto the mini card since there's not a lot of room and I didn't want it to look silly and oversized. It's nice to put it in the center of the card, but sometimes you can feel "trapped" when your whole project is centered. What was great about the journaling cards was that they had focal points outside of the middle so I could place my ensemble in the center without it looking too uninteresting :]

And just for something a bit different, my last set makes the card a part of the confetti packet itself.

This simply embellished card looks pretty fun sitting in a larger glassine envelope (3" x 4.5"), along with a few sequins and wood hearts floating around, shaking things up. On the outside, these adorable bow clothespins keep the envelope closed while adding bright color and a similar confetti-look from the white polka dots.

Lastly, I put a bit of confetti fun in the bottom of this envelope (3 1/8" x 5 1/2") and stitched it closed. There's enough room left for a mini card (2 1/2" x 4") in the top portion. The card, again, is minimally decorated, with the sentiments both adhered to the outside of the envelope.

If you've yet to hop on the confetti bandwagon, I encourage you to give it a try--especially if you're anything like me and you LOVE tiny things!

Pretty Things: Pink, Emerald & Gold Spring Blossoms - Wida Miller

You know, I have never made a project from scratch. In regard to today's presentation, I challenged myself to create a project using a minimal amount of Crate Paper materials with no instant help from any ready made items. It was quite fun actually and the end product, a finished set of handmade embellishments, turned out better than I could of imagined.

I wanted to make something special for a fellow crafty friend and handmade embellishments seemed like the perfect idea. I took out some of my favorite Crate Paper goodies and got to work keeping in mind the color scheme this month of "Emerald, Gold, and Pink".

Project Supplies:

Kraft with gold polka dot paper from Style Board 
Pink patterned paper from Oh Darling
Flower dies 
Card stock 
Gold twine
Crate Paper Style Board flair 
Wood veneers 

I started by making these really cute embellishments presented in the easy-to-follow tutorial below:

Locate your favorite flower die-cut. You can either opt to use an actual "die" or more conveniently, your much loved "Silhouette" die-cut machine. There's also the option of free-hand cutting - this method opens the door to imperfection and lends a playful feel to the overall appearance of the completed embellishment.

Next, select coordinating papers in a pretty color palette. Crate Paper Paper Packs do all the work of creating the perfect color palette if you're short on time and wanting to whip up something quick. 

Trim an assortment of flowers using your chosen die-cut method. Vary the size and color of your flowers because soon, you'll mix and match them to create large multi-layered flowers.

Once your flowers are ready, bend the edges forward just slightly to make them more life-like.

Attach foam dots to the small flowers and stick them onto the large flowers as shown in the photo.

Finally, coordinate a centerpiece for each flower from either a button, a CP Flair, a glitter arrangement or a small circle punched from paper. Consider adding adhesive to the back so the recipient may use the flower as they wish!

I made a matching box to put them in using the Silhouette-Design #41611. I did make sure I used extra firm tape to secure the box. Regular tape would not be strong enough. I chose this particular shape box to be able to see the handmade items better.

I love the idea of the little pretties all nestled together on display!  To create the crinkle paper, I watched THIS tutorial. So far, my project was pretty easy to do...phew!

To adorn the top of the box, I simply cut some scraps of paper and glued them on the gold twine like a banner. For a few, I did use the bow die from Style Board because it had the perfect banner shape.

I made a matching card using one of the embellishments so they all coordinated and the recipient could see how I used the gift too!  I watercolored white paper a shade of Emerald/Blue and adhered a die cut on top.

Seeing them all together makes me happy. They coordinate well and the colors are beautiful -they have the feminine touch I was going for!

Stationery Style: Oh Darling Glassine Bags & Tags - Melissa Phillips

 

The abundantly talented and scrupulous card maker, Melissa Phillips, softly and sweetly introduces her precious Oh Darling decorated glassine bags - patched with vintage-like doilies and tiny embellishment arrangements, they are a treat-in-a-half! Who wouldn't love to receive stationery like this?

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Good morning! Today I'm sharing with you a fun stationary set that is a bit out of the ordinary, but that's what makes it even more fun, yes?  We all think of cards and envelopes when we hear the word "stationary", but as with all things paper-crafting related, we get to explore the many different ways we can put paper and beautiful things together in a way that speaks to us.  Tags, packaging, and pockets, all speak to me and so with those things in mind, I've created a lovely pocket tag stationary set, each packaged in their own lovely, dressed up glassine bags, ready to share, or keep :).

I'll explain how I put together my tags and pockets a bit later in the post, but thought we'd start on the outside of the packaging and work our way inside, just like if you were opening it yourself.  Medium glassine bags are the perfect size to hold these pocket tags which are the size of a journal card, in fact, I used Crate Paper's Oh Darling Journaling Cards for this project.

If you have doilies on hand, they always seem to be the perfect way to dress up a package. I folded my square doilies around one of the sides of my glassine bags, and attached them on the front and back using Decorative Tape from the Styleboard Collection.  Decorative Tape, doilies, and glassine are matches made in heaven :).

Then comes the fun...dressing up the package.  I combined Oh Darling Cardstock Accent Stickers, Bow Garland, Clothespins, Ephemera, and Wood Pieces, very minimally on the front of my glassine bags, overlapping the edge of the doily, and that's all you need.

Inside each glassine bag, you'll find one of these.  A pocket holding a tag, each embellished and ready to share.

I began by selecting a few small Oh Darling Journaling Cards that I thought looked beautiful with a layer of Oh Darling vellum over the top.  I die cut tags to fit inside each pocket using paper from the Oh Darling 6x6 Paper Pad.  If you don't have a tag die, you can always use a shipping tag and trace it onto your desired patterned paper.  I selected paper that didn't have too much pattern, as I wanted the vellum to stand out as well as the embellishments I would add later.

I cut vellum blocks, slightly smaller than the journaling cards, and then stitching them to the journaling cards along the side and bottom edges, leaving the top open in order to insert a die cut tag.

And then came more Styleboard Decorative Tape.  I love its delicate feel and the way it looks placed over vellum.  I added this across the top or bottom edge of my pockets.

All that was left was to add my embellishments.  I began with the outside of the pocket, layering die cuts over one another with dimensional adhesive.

Then came adding Accent Stickers to celebrate friendship and help carry the theme forward.  Sequins are always a perfect finishing touch as they don't take up too much space and don't detract from your focal point, so I added a few of those as well.

I embellished the tags as well as the pockets by using the very same elements, cardstock stickers, die cuts, wood pieces, ephemera, etc.

Anytime I felt like I needed more dimension, I'd add pop dots or foam adhesive to add a bit more character, such as with the center of my flower here, which is two die cuts combined.

The inside embellishments needed to be a bit more one dimensional so they could fit inside the pockets, but never fear, the Oh Darling collection has ample selection...it's just hard to stop at a few embellishments as they are all so endearing.

The Oh Darling Paper Flowers may just be my most favorite embellishments though.  Aren't they sweet?  I wanted to add a sentiment to the front of this pocket, so I selected a cardstock Accent Sticker, and tucked it in vertically under the petals on the flower.

And, each tag was finished off with a simple knot of ribbon or baker's twine, and that's all that was needed.  Now time to share...and make more :).

Enjoy a creative day! - Melissa Phillips

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We are absolutely delighted by your LOVE of the new Crate Paper Spring/Summer collection, Open Road!! Whether planning an all out road trip or backyard shindig, Open Road is THE collection to keep tally of your favorite warm weather adventures. 

As promised, we are announcing the "Open Road" Prize Pack WINNER today  - Congrats to the following CP Fan...

"Oh my gosh, I just have to have this collection because of the 1957 Chevy paper and embellishments. We had a '57 Chevy when I was a little girl and it was a turquoise color with aluminum fins. This really brings back memories and I have some pictures of that car that would be great to creat a scrapbook page with this collection." Posted by: Brenda Lubrant | April 16, 2014 at 08:54 PM

To the lucky winner - please forward your information to [email protected]. The turquoise chevy sounds right up our alley! Have a blast with the new collection!! Congrats!

Thank-you, as always, for your support and love of Crate Paper! Stay tuned for an even closer look at "Open Road" these next few weeks with the help of our expert design team...

New for Summer: Open Road

 

 

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Parkin and I'm the Creative Director at Crate Paper. I'm excited to take over the blog today and share our newest collection, Open Road. The Open Road Collection is an adorable summer and travel collection with a hip, retro vibe. The collection has a universal color palette, so it'll work well for all your friends and family! I hope you enjoy Open Road, but be warned: you're going to want to jump in your car and take a road trip this weekend just to have pictures to scrap! Yes, it's that cute!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Isn't that a fun collection?! I absolutely adore the cool vibe this collection gives off and of course, all the adorable icons. That bandana paper is just so much fun—I can't wait to get my hands on it! Open Road will be available in your local retail store in mid-May.

We would love to hear your favorite part of the collection. Leave a comment below and you could win a Open Road prize pack! The winner will be announced on Monday, April 21st. Good Luck!

 Thanks for all the support you give to Crate. I'll be back soon to share some notes and things from our next collection.

 

Nerd Love: Star Wars Take Two - CP Gal Melissa Stinson

This has by far been a subject of great popularity lately - 'Nerd Love'. It's a lifestyle that just about anyone can relate to, especially the CP Gal who inspired it, Melissa Stinson. Today, she's come with more Star War adventures and a weekly 'geek-centric' insert using the Crate Paper collection, Boy's Rule.

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As soon as Christine sent the design team schedule for this month and I saw that my March post had inspired the "Nerd Love" category, I knew that I had to take another shot at using the awesome Boy's Rule collection. As you can probably tell, I'm firmly convinced that this collection isn't just for boys - it's suitable for all geeks!

I'll start things off with a layout with more photos from the same Star Wars convention that I scrapped for last month's post. Given half a chance, I'd scrapbook Celebration photos all the time!

I've been having lots of fun lately scrapbooking layouts that are anything but 12 x 12, just for a change of pace, and I'm always amazed at just how quickly an 8.5 x 11 layout can be put together! My two photos are 3 x 4, and the design is a loose grid of sorts. Basically, I mentally picture how all of the pieces of a page would look if they were laid out in a neat, evenly manner, then move them together on the page until the corners and edges are either closely aligned or even overlap a bit. Items like the piece of star vellum in the background help to add more depth and interest to the page.

By the time I'd finished this page, my scrapping table looked like a happy pile of geekiness had exploded on it! Instead of cleaning up right away, I decided to dive in and make another project with all of the supplies that were already out. That lead to another completed week in my 2011 Project Life album (which I'm slowly but surely getting finished - just one more week to go!), and it was a week that showed just how geeky things get around our house.

This particular week was light on photos, so I had the chance to use some great filler cards from the Boy's Rule Journaling Card Set. Even though there are just a few pictures, though, they really tell quite a bit about my personality and also that of my husband - we really are quite the geeky pair, and it shows in everything from the picture of the Star Wars Legos in my office to pictures that he texted to me of his Master's degree in lab work.

From those awesome transparent letters to the rad printed wood veneers, I'm completely in love with using the Boy's Rule collection to document my own geek girl tendencies!