Crate Paper

A Crate Paper Splurge :: Journey Giveaway

If you have travel plans this Summer, you are going to want to get a hold of Crate Paper's ultimate vacation collection, Journey! It's travel-ready, flight-friendly and has a broad enough selection of papers and embellishments to tell whatever adventuresome story you have planned for the season. Take it with you wherever you go!

Today is an extra special Monday because Crate Paper is hosting a Journey goodie bag GIVEAWAY! It's a great opportunity for the travelers and voyagers out there who have been eyeing this collection since its reveal a few months ago. To get in on the giveaway, share your favorite upcoming Summer excursion, big or small. We'll randomly select a winner on Friday, April 3rd.

**When commenting, please include your full name and location. Also, only one entry per participant.

Good Luck & Happy Travels!

Maggie Holmes Design Blog & Watercolor Flowers

 

There are a small array of happy stops to be enjoyed at the Maggie Holmes Design Blog this week! If you haven't been there in awhile, now is a great opportunity to travel her way to check out her newest project installments!     

Here is one of our latest 'favorites' from this week's Maggie Holmes blog line-up. Just look at these bejeweled, overlapping flowers!! Kim, a Maggie Holmes Design Team Member, has been working diligently to create one-of-a-kind watercolored flower paintings and recently, they've been finding their way onto her scrapbook pages. The pages are petite works of art. This particular one caught our fancy, so of course, we had to post a sneak peak of it. Visit Maggie's blog to see the rest of this gorgeous layout:

Maggie Holmes Design Blog

 Have a wonderful weekend, Crate Paper Fans! Check in next Monday for an unexpected giveaway surprise!

Two Girl-Perfect Layouts with Laetitia Poissy

 On this casual Wednesday, CP Gal Laetitia Poissy has two sweet & dainty girl-themed layouts to introduce, and a brief insight into the many Maggie Holmes Confetti collection offerings.

I'm completely in love with the Maggie Holmes Confetti collection. It blends seamlessly with my minimalist, eclectic scrapbook style. For today's post, I'm presenting two brand new layouts that I made using an assortment of Confetti's pretty products. They are simple and sweet.

For this first layout, I used my favorite Confetti patterned papers to build up my background, "Party" & "Garden Party". As a decorative touch, I trimmed a variety of lovely paper labels from the "Party" patterned paper and then pulled and added two labels from the Confetti die-cut pack. 

I then turned to the Confetti acetate & vellum die-cut pack to create the layout's title work and flower combination. The extra large 'words/phrases' are a quick means to create a charming, direct title on either a layout or card. 

And this cute, Kate Spade looking bow-tie clip was the final touch–I'm wild about it! The clips are included as part of the Maggie Holmes Confetti Hardware Embellishment pack amongst other small gold items.

In this second layout, I used paper leftovers and labels from Confetti's "Snapshot" patterned paper. Similar to the prior layout, once again, I took advantage of Confetti's embellishment selection, including Confetti's Thicker stickers–some of the Thicker designs look hand-scripted, lending a softer, more playful edge.

And there you have it–two charming layouts that capture several odds-and-ends from Maggie Holmes' Confetti. It has been a joy to have you stop by!

A Day in the Life with Melissa Phillips

 We would like to introduce you to a brand new feature that is starting at the Crate Paper blog this month–"A Day in the Life". It's your chance to get to know our CP Gal's creative spaces, along with their numerous inspiring set-ups and displays. Greeting us with a special invitation into her work space for the very first time is CP Gal, Melissa Phillips.

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Hi Friends!  Today I am going to take you on a mini tour of my crafty space to give you a glimpse into my crafty life :).  Creating is a huge part of my life and of who I am.  I thank my mother for allowing me to be creative, teaching me how to be creative, and through her example, showing me the joy that comes through creativity.

In my craft space, I surround myself with all things inspirational.  Everything I love, is out on display.  Some, all of the time, others, rotated as I develop new interests, as the seasons change, or even to follow certain trends.

You will always find a pile of fabric in my craft room.  I use bits and strips of it often and have been inspired by the patterns and colors found in fabric for as long as I can remember.  This love must date back to when my mom used to sew Barbie clothes for my dolls, using up scraps she had on hand :).  You'll also find current product on hand in my craft room, as I feel new crafting supplies are the greatest source of inspiration for me.  Sometimes just seeing things laying out a certain way, inspires me to sit down and get creative.

No surprise, you'll always find glitter here!  It's a daily habit and I can't create without it.  Baker's twine is another must have and staple.  Scrunched seam binding, crepe paper garland, silk ribbons, etc.

I love surrounding myself with beautiful things and little bits of creative artwork are scattered throughout my craft space to inspire me and jumpstart my mojo.

Trimmings, washi tape, buttons, more ribbons...

Handmade gifts from friends...

I find huge amounts of inspiration via online outlets, so my computer is most definitely my sidekick.  My most favorite sidekick to have in my craft room though is my little girl.  In the center of my room I have a 100 year-old table (or more), that belonged to my grandma.  I painted it to match my cabinets, reupholstered the chairs, and set up a spot for creativity to bloom, with me on one side of the table, and my little girl on the other.

My sewing machine, sigh...I'd be lost without it.  Around here it's used not only for fabric, but also for paper.  Those beautiful vintage photos also belonged to my grandma and I love having a bit of her here with me in one of my most favorite places in my home.  She too, was a crafty soul.

My little inspiration board where I pile on past projects, current projects, gifts from others, pictures of my little girl, etc.

Magazines are a love of mine and a constant source of inspiration too.  

My favorite go-to magazines are Somerset Life, Artful Blogging, and Scrapbook & Cards Today.

Paint is another staple here in my craft room.  I love to rough it up, sand it off, distress, and add glitter.  Chalk paint is a favorite currently.  Anyone else?

Might sound crazy, but I love baking while I create.  In my mind, these two creative outlets go hand in hand.  

There's just something about smelling something baking in the oven while I create, that inspires me and wraps my up in comfort and happiness.  So, with my craft room right off my kitchen, I am in both places 99% of the time.

Last, but certainly not least, you'll find my craft room filled with photos of my loved ones.  I often include favorite photos and snapshots in my home decor, mini albums, etc.  I find so much joy reminiscing while creating...another comfort and gift that comes with creating.

Thanks for allowing me to share a part of myself that has brought me so much joy, happiness, contentment, relief, and comfort.   I'd love to share my favorite quote with you before I go.

 

(aliciabias)

Happy creating!

Melissa Phillips

Craft Market & Confetti DIY Inspiration Board

We are starting the week off with a phenomenal DIY inspiration board from CP Gal Team Coordinator, Christine Middlecamp. The details are priceless and convey two of Crate Paper's most current Spring collections: Craft Market & Maggie Holmes' Confetti.

One of the greatest gifts as an artist and scrapbooker/card maker is 'color'. Usually, my color preference is 'the more, the merrier'. I'm always in the market for a dynamic, uplifting color palette, especially this time of year.

One of my favorite hues this season is Violet. It radiates freshness, an ideal quality fit for Spring! This is especially the case when paired with light olive green, emerald, gold, and a smidgen of pink and peach.

Today's project is a great example of the aforementioned color combination brought to light. The colors look fantastic together! I brought them full circle through a series of intricately created layers using the Crate Paper collections, Confetti & Craft Market (hints of Journey). The project itself is an investigation of color & everyday design. The end product is an inspiration board for my studio bookshelf.

To create the board, I started with an antique white, thin "8 x 10" frame. I removed the glass from the frame and painted it a pastel violet using a wide flat brush and craft-quality acrylic paint. After leaving it to sit and dry overnight, I inserted a "8 x 10" burlap covered board that I purchased from a local craft store.

Next, I pulled out a stack of Russell and Hazel blank, foil stamped "3.5 x 2.25" cards. I laid six of them on top the burlap in the upper region of the frame. I then went about decorating each card with its own array of closely clustered embellishments and other necessities. Even though the cards are separate, each one carries over onto the next, creating one large cohesive design.

As a finishing touch, to the lower region of the frame, I added ribbon and a simple flower/feather duo.

**Tip: To adhere the cards and ribbon to the burlap, I utilized a hot glue gun. Worked like a charm!

One clever tiny combo I want to share is this adorable flower. A cake stand & painted plastic dome serve as the base. There are four layers; turquoise cardstock, a Confetti pinked-edge circle, a 1" pink button & flower cabochon, and finally, two banners (Confetti chalkboard label & American Crafts gold glittered paper ribbon) and delicate blue vinery.

 This little polka-dotted fella is from Confetti's die-cut pack. He is oh-so-charming. He has matching friends throughout the collection in both cardstock and chipboard form.

I wish I had a photo of how pretty the frame looks on top my shelf in my studio. Never does Crate Paper disappoint! Love the violet, too!

Thank for stopping by today and keeping us company! We appreciate your support and wish you a wonderful, happy Monday!

Maggie Holmes Design Blog Briefing + Confetti!

We're here with a briefing of the creative festivities from the Maggie Holmes Design blog this week. There's quite the variety of projects to ooh & aah over and each and every one is worth a visit if you've yet to stop by and peek upon it all. The photography is always a treat, and her design team is crazy talented!

These frames from Kim are beautifully made and perfectly 'white'.

DIY WATERCOLOR FRAMED ART

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Confetti isn't just a scrapbook collection, but a full-on party collection too! Maggie Holmes' kraft polka-dot embellished bags aren't just pretty to look at, but are a sweet, delicious treat for party goers and candy-loving kiddo's!

DIY GIFT & PARTY FAVOR BAGS

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Confetti's pre-embellished pockets find a home for all kinds of trinkets on this layout from Stephanie Bryan. Just wait until you see what's inside them!

QUICK LAYOUT USING EMBELLISHED POCKETS

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Which is these projects is your favorite? It's almost impossible to choose, isn't it?! The Maggie Holmes Confetti collection is a crafter's delight! No matter what you create with it, the outcome is always the same–total perfection.

Have a fabulous weekend, Crate Paper followers! We shall see you again on Monday!

Watercolor Flowers & Craft Market

 

One of our favorite patterned papers from the Craft Market collection, Stitching, is the star of today's pretty watercolor tutorial. The black and white line-drawn patterned paper takes on a whole new look when painted and looks fabulous on Jen Chapin's vintage-inspired card.

 

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Hello friends! Jen Chapin here today and I am sharing a card with you using some water coloring and the new Craft Market collection. I chose this neutral outline patterned paper as it just begs to be water colored. I gathered my supplies, just a water color palette I picked up from the craft store and a water brush.

 

 

I worked through the pattern, adding colors as I went. I chose green for the leaves, then yellow, pink and blue for the florals.

 

 

Afterwards, I let the paper dry completely before adhering it to the card base.

I gathered a few bits and pieces of ephemera, tags and one of the chipboard hoops from the collection to decorate my card.

I knew I wanted to add lots of texture and dimension, so I used some foam adhesive squares on the wood hoop as well as the embellishment inside the hoop. And here's a fun fact - that twine that you see in the background actually belonged to my great grandmother. I love to use it on projects as it gives a great vintage feel.

Here is the finished card! As you can see, I have also added some machine stitching, as well as a vintage stick pin and some stickers from the collection. I love the way it turned out, so bright and colorful.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you get your hands on this collection soon - the colors and patterns are just fabulous. It is vintage with a modern twist. Word on the street is that it is finally  making it's way to stores! If you make a project please link us up in the comments so we can check it out. Have a great day!

Wrap it Up w/Rebecca Luminarias

Dressing up 'gifts' is Rebecca Luminarias' specialty! She is our go-to gift wrap expert! When it's party time, she knows what shines and stands-out from the present pile crowd. Today, it's all about topping off BIG presents using the beautiful Confetti collection and the popular paper crafting embellishment, rosettes.

 

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It's no secret that I love sprucing up little packages to give away.  Small details are such fun--add a sequin here, a tiny tag there--they've become my favorite paper craft to produce. But what do you do when you have a larger gift to give? We can't always give jewelry and small notebooks...how do you present a statement-making present on a larger scale? It's easy!

 

 

The Confetti collection is all about parties and celebrations and features decor like garlands, oversized balloons, and large Paper Pinwheels.  My daughter just turned 2 and I hung these up at her party, as is, without any added embellishments. When it was time to take them down, I wondered what else could be done with them...

 

 

How about package toppers for large gifts? They make the perfect accessory actually--they're festive, can be decorated, and are sized just right for big presents (I've used the 8" x 8" and 10" x 10" accents here). 

 

 

Because of the 3-dimensional rosette look to these, you don't need to do much more to them. Yet I did want to add some extra touches and the easiest way to layer rosettes is to add more circular elements, which is why I chose paper doilies and another medallion from the pack of Standouts. I wanted this to be a statement piece, though, like nothing my recipient had ever before received.  Gold strands of tinsel, paired with a ribbon of crepe and patterned paper offered color and shine.  The 'hooray' and tinsel strands remind me of a New Year's Eve celebration popper, ready to POP and spread cheers of joy all around. That's just the idea I was hoping to convey for my recipient, too.

 

 

The last detail was this 'happy' toothpick flag--the sweetest finishing touch and another burst of color and flair.

 

 

Gift bags are incredibly handy for larger presents and these days they're widely available in beautiful designs. But if you want to personalize the wrap or bring in some handmade touches, these pinwheels go a long way!

 

 

This aqua rosette was a bit trickier to decorate because it's not flat in the center like the gold polka dot was. To navigate around that, I designed a cluster of embellishments, delicately placed. The blue medallion Standout sits right on the raised area in the middle, while a half doily is adhered just above it, and more tinsel is scrunched up and bunched up to create some height around the 'nub' so the rest of the elements aren't laying flat.

 

*Tip:  Even though most of these embellishments are adhesive backed, I used hot glue to secure each piece. Because the surface area isn't solid, I had to make certain that the pieces would hold firmly onto whatever they were stuck.  Also, since this will be moved around in transit and it's a 'delicate flower', so to speak, I wanted to ensure it's stability and longevity. 

 

 

I couldn't resist making an enclosure card out of this "Happy Day" scrap from the 'Party' patterned paper. It really is a perfect match!

 

I purposely avoided putting a name or even an occasion on these decorations, the idea being that these are the kinds of things that are nice to re-use.  This way, if I give it to my friend for her bridal shower, she has the freedom to use it again for a birthday or wedding; it has less of a chance of sitting in her closet until she needs it for a bridal shower.

 

While it's always a pleasure to fashion sweet little gifts, it can be just as fun to create larger packaging when the need arises.  Big or little, a gorgeously wrapped gift is always appreciated--no matter what's in inside the box.  

 

Crate Paper Tips & Techniques :: Final Four

We are starting the week with a final set of easy, doable techniques from four prominent Crate Paper design team members. It's a continuation of last week's CP Tips & Techniques presentation. Jump in and have fun!

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Melissa Phillips: This sweet little spring tag came together quickly! I began with a Craft Market Wood Hoop and layered it over vellum, embossed using the Open Book Embossing Folder. Embossed vellum is so beautiful and creates such a soft, delicate feel. I then added a few Craft Market Ephemera Die Cuts, with the pink, die cut bunny used as my focal point as a way to welcome in spring!

 

Maria Lacuesta: I love trying different ways to add texture to my pocket pages. Here, I included bits of fabric and glittered embellishments to accent my photos. One of my favorite techniques is to sew die cuts right on top of my plastic page protectors. It's a fun and easy way to add dimension without adding too much bulk.

Marcy Penner: Sometimes I want a small element to remain in the center of my page pocket. When this is the case, one of my go-to techniques is to attach the embellishment to a small scrap of plastic (usually left over from trimming down a page protector, but a transparency works too). This keeps my embellishment secure and floating in the pocket.

Laetitia Poissy: When showcasing a patterned paper or card, I often adorn it with stitching. I love the simple, elegant effect it conveys. Typically, I keep the sewing to a minimum. I use it either for securing purposes or as a minor decoration on a small embellishment, or page border.

Crate Paper Tips & Techniques :: Layer-it-Up Tag!

Layering is a beautiful thing. Today, CP Gal, Rebecca Luminarias talks texture and layers as part of Crate Paper's Tips & Techniques week-long blog series!

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If you take a look at the recent Crate Paper collections, you will find them laden with different textures...burlap, foil, vellum, glitter, wood, canvas, fabric. Alternating textures is my most favorite way to 'dress' up a project; I find that the more layers and finishes I include, the deeper and more interesting my piece of work becomes. Textures add dimension, taking away the dullness of simply stacking flat patterned paper or stickers, but not necessarily adding bulk.

 

 

To demonstrate, I made a layered tag, piling on 9 different textures including glitter paper, thread, foil, and even distressed paper edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For an airier feeling, I didn't entirely glue down each piece; putting adhesive only in the middle and leaving the borders free to curl up or hang freely. The eye moves around the work, taking in the quick glimpses of each surface, from the bold glitter backdrop to the dainty doily rim, to the soft lace, before coming to rest on the pop of the "Happy Day" embossed stickers.

 

 

 

 

And the best part about this tag was that I made it using mostly scraps and remnants so it came together quickly--and I'm sure we can all appreciate that!