Crate Paper

Fun In the Sun: Mini Book

 

Hello! Maria Lacuesta here with my latest mini book using supplies from the Crate Paper Poolside and Open Road collections. 2015 has definitely been the year of mini albums for me. Like anything else I manage to do with consistency, I found a formula that worked for me and then I just stuck with it. 



One of my absolute favorite book binding techniques is the Saddle Stitch. Saddle Stitching refers to a popular method of folding papers and stapling them together along the fold line to form a booklet. All you’ll need is a long reach stapler and I got mine for about $7! 



This binding technique requires some preplanning. First, I have to confirm the number of portrait photos and the number of landscape photos I want to use so I can be sure to include enough pages in my album. 



Then, I decide on my book’s dimensions. My favorite size is 4.5"x6" because I can insert full page photos without any cropping. Plus, this small size is very cute and easy to manage. 



When I’m ready to cut down my papers, I double the width of my measurements because I will be folding my paper in half. For example, I like to mount smaller, landscape photos on pages that are 4 1/2" x 3 3/8". That means, I should cut my paper into 9” x 3 3/8” pages. 



After stapling my foundation pages together, I start adhering all my papers, embellishments, and any finishing touches. 



Saddling Stitching is such an easy technique. I love putting together really basic foundation pages and then adding more interesting pieces to achieve a layered effect. I can’t wait to create more of these tidy little books and I hope I’ve inspired you to document your own summer memories! 

- Maria 

Fun In the Sun: A Layout by Jennifer

Hello and welcome to Fun in the Sun Week! This week we'll be sharing some great summer-themed projects with you to inspire your summer crafting. Up today is Jennifer Chapin with a sweet layout about summer eats!

Hello! Today I am sharing a sweet summer layout with you all about sweet treats -- my kids love s'mores during the summertime. To make it easy, a lot of times we will fire up the grill and make them on there! Just as good and way easier than starting a fire :) For this layout, I used the Poolside collection. I just can't get enough of it for my layouts this time of year!

I started with a white background and a few different colors of patterned paper. I layered them on, then adhered and stitched into place.

I used tags, dimensional embellishments and chipboard to finish off the layout, as well as one of the gold sequin embellishments.

Here's a neat tip - fold over one of the corners of your patterned paper and staple into place. You'll be left with a dimensional fold-over that really makes an impact! It's great too that you can see the other side of the paper.

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- we hope you are having a great summer!

 

-Jennifer

 

Fun In the Sun Week

Summer is wrapping up and I have so enjoyed spending my days with my little girl.  I'll certainly miss her when she heads back to school.  My Fun in the Sun project today is representative of the sun, stars, and all things bright...the things that remind me of her :).

I used the darling new Wonder collection and have created an altered embroidery hoop for her bedroom.  I began with muslin and a wood hoop, and then simply added embellishments and such to highlight my theme.

The Wonder chipboard has all sorts of sweet iconic images that are perfect for kids and the stages that they go through as they grow.  I added the moon and stars and the tiny bird from the chipboard collection and love the touch of whimsy that they add.  I also pulled in some shine by using the Wonder adhesive sequins...they are the most brilliant thing ever!  And of course the sweet puffy cloud and heart stickers are irresistible and I couldn't help myself.

The Trinket Thickers chipboard alphabet might just be my most favorite yet and I knew instantly I wanted them to be my focal point and used them to spell out the word that reminds me of my daughter.  I love all of the different patterns that create a cozy, homespun, eclectic feel.  And, lastly I had to add the quote pulled from the Wonder Ephemera pack...such a great reminder each day, isn't it? 

This was such a fun project to put together and the Wonder collection is the perfect way to treat yourself to something sweet and inspiring.

Melissa

Party Pieces: DIY Decor

Hello Crate Paper fans! I’m back again with an easy DIY decor idea you can make using some of your favorite Crate Paper collections.  This sweet little dream catcher is so much fun to make and would look great in multiples as party decorations or favors.

To start, first you need to gather your supplies:

You will need a small embroidery hoop and string.  In my example, I actually used the largest size of the wood veneer embroidery hoop from the Craft Market collection! I also used a variety of string and yarn in different colors and weights to add some visual interest.

At the time, I wasn’t completely sure what embellishments I would end up adding to my dream catcher, so I gathered a wide range of tools to work with:

• scissors - to cut string and paper
• jump rings + pliers - to attach embellishments
• mini attacher - to secure pape
• paper piercer + mat - to make holes for jump rings or other attachments
• needle - to thread beads and other embellishments

To decorate my dream catcher, I pulled a lot of Crate Paper chipboard stickers, layered paper embellishments, wood veneer, brads, sequins, and buttons.  Everything so far seemed pretty lightweight, so I also grabbed a few beads made from pyrite, turquoise, agate, and other heavier materials to mix in.

Without the heavier stone beads acting as anchors, the strings I tied to my dream catcher would not have hung down as nicely as you see here.

When all of your supplies have been gathered, you can get started by adding string to the embroidery hoop.  Wrap the string around the screws at the top of the hoop to secure it in place.  Then, continue wrapping the string around the whole length of the hoop, creating a net in the center of the dream catcher.  When the net looks finished, cut off about a 6” excess of string and wrap it around the screws at the top of the hoop to secure the net in place.

For my example, I repeated this entire process a second time using another color of string.  After that, I was ready to start my favorite part, decorating the dream catcher! 

To start decorating, first you need to tie a variety of different strings, in varying lengths, to the bottom  of your dream catcher.  You will bead your embellishments onto these strings, so be generous with the lengths that you cut.  

The longest string on my finished dream catcher measures 10”, however, I probably needed about 13” or 14” to attach all the beads and embellishments to it.  I used knots to secure the heavier items and my tiny attacher to staple bits of paper to the yarn.

I also used knots to to create a scattered effect of beads.  First, I would thread the bead and position it on the string where I wanted it placed.  Then I wrapped the string around the bead and tied a knot to secure it in position.

The sequins from the Confetti Collection by Maggie Holmes stayed in place, all on their own, because the yarn I used to thread them is very thick.

As you can see, knots also secure the metal butterfly from the Confetti Collection, the wood veneer arrow form the Journey Collection, and the small tassel I made with embroidery thread and a jump ring.

To keep the beads from falling off the end of my thin string, I threaded a sequin flower from the Confetti Collection beneath the beads and tied a knot underneath.  The wood veneer buttons from the Journey Collection were easy to keep in place because I threaded them onto thick yarn.

As a finishing touch, I adhered our house numbers to the net of my dream catcher using Thickers from the Confetti Collection.  Depending on the type of party you’re hosting, it would be fun to customize your own dream catchers with initials or short phrases.

Hanging my dream catcher was easy because it’s super lightweight.  I tied a bit of string to the top and hung it from an L hook on my wall.  Actually, the whole process was pretty easy, which is great because this little guy would look really cool in multiples.  Best of all, it wouldn’t take a lot of planning.  Just use whatever you have on hand to decorate! So go ahead—throw that impromptu dance party ♥

- Maria

 

Party Pieces Week

Hello and welcome to Party Pieces week here on the Crate Paper blog! Today, design team member Jennifer Chapin has some cute little party invites to share with us - created with pocket cards! Let's take a look.

Hello and welcome! The Confetti collection by Maggie Holmes is one of my favorites, and the theme makes it perfect for party invitations. Today I'm going to show you how I created some cute little party invites using the Project Life sized cards from the patterned paper along with a few other supplies.

You will need some cardstock that matches the patterned paper and pocket cards that you chose, I picked pink and grey and cut/scored my cards ahead of time. The finished size of the cards was 3.25x4.25. I also gathered some patterned paper and embellishments, as well as the pocket cards I cut from patterned paper.

I simply used the pocket card and layered it with patterned paper, adhering to the card front. I embellished this one with a few stickers, some stitching and sequins.

For this card, I used one of the cute balloon stickers along with gold glitter patterned paper and a gold paperclip.

On this one, I knew I wanted to use one of the tassels from the Confetti collection. I simply attached it to the front of the card with a small gold staple. I layered this pocket card with gold vellum and finished it off with a sticker and some sequins.

For my final invitation, I used a pocket card cut to size, along with a few stickers and some of the dimensional toothpick flags from the collection.

For the inside of the invitation, I typed out the particulars in a Word document, then printed and cut down to size. After adhering to the inside of the card, I embellished with a sticker.

Here are the 4 finished invitations! I am really happy with the way they turned out.

I am so used to sending all the same type of invite, but I really think it would be fun to mix it up a bit and have each person receive an individual.

Don't limit yourself to invitations either - this would work great for general purpose note cards or birthday cards as well! A little bundle of these cards would make a great gift.

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great day!

Florals: A Cute, Floral Card

There are so many beautiful florals to enjoy in Crate Paper's line-up of products and today I've chosen to use floral stickers from the Craft Market collection.

One of my favorites has always been this beautiful, cream and gold flower, so I decided today was the day to make it shine and use it on a special card for a loved one.  I made it the focal point by matting it over a pink chalkboard tag which was layered over a tag I cut from some Craft Market paper.  I love the glittery, gold accents.

I then added a bit of Craft Market ephemera, a cute, striped chipboard heart, and my sentiment.  Flowers make me happy, even if they're the paper-variety :).

Melissa

Our Newest Collection: Wonder

 

 Welcome Crate Paper fans! It's Lisa Parkin here with you today. I'm the creative director at Crate Paper and am beyond excited to share our new Wonder collection with you! Wonder is full of happy icons, sweet embellishments and adorable papers that give you the view of life through a child's eyes. The inspiration for this collection comes from my seven-year-old daughter, Addison. She sees the world with such wonder and excitement — she loves all things cutesy and I think she always dreams of kittens and bubblegum. Her favorite play place is our tent with pompoms all over it, but of course it's mine too. Wonder is perfect to use for any age or project. It's adorable and unique style makes everything magical and memorable.

 

 

 

 

 

Plastic Cutout Sheet & Vellum Triangles

This collection just makes me happy! I absolutely adore all of it and can't wait to hear what your favorites are. Leave a comment below and you could win a Wonder prize pack! The winner will be announced on Monday, July 20th. Good Luck!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I'm always so thankful for all of you that support Crate Paper. We appreciate you and love being part of your memories. I would also like to thank the Crate Paper graphic designers that I work with at AC. They are amazing designers and I truly enjoy working with them to make each Crate collection unique.

I'll be back soon and I'll bring a little Shine with me.

Florals: Custom Mood Boards

Florals are my favorite. They're so pretty and so versatile. You can use them in girl-themed projects and boy-themed projects. You can mix them with any kind of pattern and they always look great. They are just so easy. So for today’s project, I will be sharing a DIY mood board I made using some of my absolute favorite Crate Paper floral patterns.

My favorite piece of home decor is the mood board I display next to my desk. I try to fill it with really pretty, inspiring things to stimulate my creativity. For the summer months, I wanted my mood board bursting with bright colors, fun patterns, and lots of texture. Because florals are so easy to incorporate into any composition, I decided to use my favorite Crate Paper florals as a foundation or base for this project.

I collect a lot of different bits and pieces for my mood board and as I was laying everything out, I noticed I had started separating my collection into little stories.  To corral all these different groupings, I decided clipboards would be a really cute and easy way to manage my display.

For the base of this clipboard, I used a large swatch of the Lovely floral cardstock in the Confetti collection by Maggie Holmes. On top of that is a pretty photo I had been saving from a magazine and a bit of chocolate colored tulle. Underneath is a piece of the crocheted doily garland from the Confetti line peeking out, along with a 6”x6” sheet of the Journey cardstock. Then, I layered another magazine clipping with a chipboard teepee sticker from the Journey line. For this project, I decided to back all my stickers with clear acetate, including the HAPPY die-cut wood veneer from the Confetti collection that I placed on top of my magazine clipping. Finally, I topped the entire clipboard with a large pearl and fabric necklace.

I followed the same layering process for the rest of my clipboards as well.  Here you see a large swatch of the floral Centerpiece cardstock from the Confetti collection and a 6"x6" sheet of the Wander cardstock from the Journey collection. I liked the dark contrast of these patterned papers against the white from the illustrated magazine clipping I placed on top. The white and gold tissue fan from the Confetti collection strung across the top of the clipboard contrasts nicely as well with the dark cardstock. Against the fan is a phrase cut from the Party cardstock in the Confetti line. Then, as a finishing touch, I layered the Summer phrase sticker and gold foil chipboard sticker from the Poolside collection on top using pieces of clear acetate. 

For my last clipboard, I cut a swatch of the floral Summertime cardstock in the Poolside line to use as my base. Then, I layered  a few stickers on top of a pretty illustrated floral clipping using clear acetate. The pinwheel standout and layered floral chipboard sticker are from the Confetti collection and the cool graphic “R” is from the Journey Chalkboard Alphabet Sticker Book.

When I collect things for my mood board, my assortments tend to be really random. I don't really follow a game plan; I just gather bits and pieces that inspire me. So, I was a little surprised when my final project ended up looking so coordinated and polished. In the end, I think the generous mix of floral papers and embellishments really helped pull together everything!

-Maria

Florals Week

Hello and welcome to floral-inspired week here on the Crate Paper blog! Today I am sharing a pocket page with you that has both a summer and floral theme. When I first thought about incorporating floral elements into my project life, I wondered how it would turn out. But I am so glad I did! It really gave the page a nice summer feel even without the traditional sun and pool themed elements.

I used the Craft Market collection for this layout because of the pretty floral die cuts included in the ephemera pack. I also knew that I wanted to incorporate a shaker pocket using my Fuse tool. 

I added a few die cuts and sequins to the pocket, then simply fused the top to keep everything in place. I like the way it breaks up the page a bit and adds some transparency to the layout.

I incorporated the floral die cuts by adhering them to 3x3 cards that would fit in the pockets. On this one, I stretched the die cut across two cards for a different effect.

Here is my favorite part of the page -- the ice cream cone! I printed this photo at 3x6 then cut in half to stretch across 2 pockets. I added letter stickers and a little journaling to embellish.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you will try some floral elements in your PL soon, it is really fun! Have a great day! 

Vacation Memories: A Simple Gift Bag

Summer is such a fun time of year for adventures and exploring,  whether it be a long family vacation, or just a simple day trip.  My project today is quick and easy and uses elements from the Journey collection.

  

No matter where we go together, my daughter comes home with treasures.  She loves collecting, but I have a hard time keeping up with her findings.  So today I've created an embellished gift bag, just for her latest discoveries.  All it took was a simple drawstring bag and a few embellishments from Journey such as chipboard and cardstock stickers, a wood shape, patterned paper, die cut ephemera, and a puffy star sticker or two.

Lastly, a quick tag to attach to the top of the bag, also created with die cut ephemera....a perfect spot for my daughter to record the details of what can be found inside.

Melissa Phillips