Crate Paper

Mixed Media Crate Paper Canvas Tutorial

 Crate Paper Design Team Coordinator, Christine Middlecamp, has something extra special to share with you today–it's an ultra colorful mixed media canvas tutorial using some of Crate Paper's most popular collections. Check it out!

One thing you might not see a lot here is mixed media. It's an arena all its own that often requires additional skills, materials and an underlying knowledge of basic art principles.

For the past two years, I've been pushing my way through the fine arts program at a local university. The experience is forcing me to navigate new mediums and take on new techniques while undergoing routine critiques and project evaluations. It's tense to say the least, but the benefits are huge as I finally solidify a style that I feel good about. Mixed media included.

So, in running with the idea of mixed media, I created a 5" x 5" altered Crate Paper canvas for today's post. It encompasses both a painted polka-dot border and collage interior using a host of Crate Paper goodies and other fun materials.

Creating the canvas itself was fairly simple. I took photos of the process in-action so that I could share it with you step-by-step here at the Crate Paper blog.

1. I started with a 5" x 5" wood board purchased at a local hardware store. To seal the wood, I gessoed the surface (front & sides) with Golden Gesso.

2. I then applied a single layer of "Cream" colored acrylic paint.

3. To initiate a more "aged" appearance, I applied Ranger Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap) to the edges of the painted canvas using a sponge. I smeared the ink in and around the corners to create a 'circular vignette" effect.

 

 4. I defined the collage area by drawing a square in the center of the canvas using Charcoal. Using my finger, I smudged the lines just a bit. 

Charcoal is a wonderful for mixed media because it can be moved around after application. It smudges easily–lending an imperfect feel that caters well to the nature and style of mixed media. It also glides on without a lot of pressure and works well on multiple surfaces. It's almost like chalk, but doesn't disappear entirely when touched.

5. Carelessly, I applied eggshell blue acrylic paint the square frame with a small flat brush.

6. Using a simple Martha Stewart circle sponge dabber, I stamped dark/light yellow circles around the border of the frame. The dark & light circles overlap  to create a shadow effect.

7. Finally, I created a collage using both an assortment of embellishments and misshaped papers. Crate Paper's "Craft Market" & "Notes and Things" are perfect for this sort of project because they're neutral friendly and have a 'vintage' feel.

**I tried to incorporate alternative materials that are non-specific to paper crafting; washi tape, fabric, buttons, sequins, glitter, vintage paper goods, etc.

8. As a finishing touch, I added black paint to the sides of the canvas. I then took a flat brush and painted a fine black border around my design. Note how the black paint makes everything else "pop".

**A quick mention–I drew countless squares around the collage using a variety of drawing implements; wax pastels, art bars, colored pencils, etc. There are no rules here and they are totally optional.

 And there you have it–an *uber* cute colorful mixed media canvas for the home/studio! Mine sits on top my bookshelf. I'm considering adding ribbon or a drawer pull to the top.

Crate Life :: Special Memories Captured

It's officially December and the holiday season is in full swing! We hope you had a chance to partake in an eventful weekend of family celebration, gift hunting and Christmas crafting. Here to spread some monday joy and meaningful memories is CP Gal, Ashley Cannon Newell.

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Our memories are precious and deserve to be captured, documented, and presented to ourselves and families in the future. Scrapbooking allows us to creatively showcase these memories. With the holiday season surrounding us, there are plenty of moments to preserve - both big and small.

My 12 x 12 pocket page documents my daughter, Lauren's Baptism.

If you have a 4 x 6 pocket (or other large size), remember you can divide it into multiple sections. Here I created two sections.

This photo frame had the word "Happy" on it. I covered it with this "Loved" chipboard shape to make it fit my story.

I hand cut the scallops from this patterned paper in the Open Book collection and created a border on this pocket.

I hope this page inspires you to preserve your memories today, tomorrow, and always.

Trending Now :: Black, White, Gold Gallery Layout

We love a good home decor trend. When we sought out a "Trending Now" topic for the month of November, every where we looked, the 'gallery wall' reigned supreme. They're eclectic, cute and well suited for a hodge podge of pretty photos. They also make for awesome papercrafting inspiration–Here with her very  own take on the topic is CP Gal,Katie Ehmann!

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Gallery Walls are abundant on Pinterest and in my very own home. They lend an eclectic look that works to make a big impact on a wall, or in this case, a layout. Small clusters of goodness abound on my page, entitled "Heart you 2".

I tend to gravitate towards bright layotus with lots of color, but for this project I decided to stick with just four colors–black, white, gold, and small pops of rosy-pink. Open Book and Notes and Things work well together in creating both colorful and more neutral projects. Chipboard accents layered atop frames and tags add detail. One of my favorite pieces is the black and white camera in Open Book! I love the vintage style!

I used a tag, Thickers, and a journaling card to create a fun title which incorporates a shape, gold-glittered word and number. Most of the time, my title work is horizontal across my page, but this time, I opted for a vertical placement. The gold Thickers from Open Book are perfect for crafting your own unique title–the options are endless!

To keep my neutral palette, I opted for black and white photos of my girls, taken with my phone. I love to have these everyday moments documented, and since my girls had no idea I was taking their pictures, they make for a photo-journalistic style.

I'm happy with how my gallery wall page turned out and plan to use this technique again on future projects!

Crate Life :: Notes & Things Two-Page Pocket Spread

 

CP Gal, Jina Jean, joins the Crate Paper blog today to introduce a sweet, miniature two-page spread using her favorite Notes & Things products. She's photographed them, too!

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For the last couple of weeks, I have made about ten layouts to be published in Korea using the beautiful Notes & Things collection. I have many favorites from the line that inspired me to explore, including the chipboard frames, label stickers and tag assortment. I found it difficult to ignore these items while crafting my layouts and found myself using them over and over again.

Today's two-page pocket spread is great example of how much I adore Notes & Things. It encompasses a vast variety of the collection's offerings.

Recently, I started producing 8.5" x 11" Crate Life spreads. They're easy and fun! It doesn't take a whole lot to fill up the pockets and there's still plenty of room to go around. It's been an ideal way to hasten the scrapbook process without sacrificing creative potential. There's a simplicity to it as well that is the basis of the spread's overall design.

For my journaling to fit inside the non-standard sized pocket, I printed it vertically onto a section of vellum paper and added a pink pencil sticker as an accent. Gosh, it's such a cute pencil!

I then filled one of the pockets with a series of label stickers from the Notes & Things kraft label roll. Super convenient!

Last but not least, I tucked inside one of the pockets a mix of pretty sequins–a favorite technique of mine.

Undoubtedly, the tags, labels and frames are an added bonus to this delicate, detailed spread–on top of the ten other layouts I made this week. Thank goodness for Crate!

COMP :: Circular Fun With Styleboard

Ginny Hughes' founded a fab COMP concept we think you're going to enjoy–it includes oodles of dots and the beloved metallic hue, gold. Seriously cute & fun!

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Composition is everywhere. Thanks to Pinterest, discovering ingenious composition ideas is effortless. When I came across this painting on Pinterest I knew it was perfect for today's project!

Inspiration Source :: Sara Matson

I started with the idea of circles and a-hint-of-gold. I took a few of the chipboard alphabet circles from the Maggie Holmes Style Board collection and applied a thin layer of gesso to them while allowing some of the gold to peak through. I specifically chose to use the chipboard alphabet pieces for added dimension, but you could just as easily use cardstock and stack the circles up a bit to get the same look.

After the gesso dried, I scattered the circles around on a piece of 12 x 12 white cardstock. I then placed a photo onto the cardstock to determine the best placement for the painted chipboard circles.

As seen on the finished layout, I added soft watercoloring and gold splatter to the background. 

 

I can easily see myself using this composition again as inspiration for another layout. There are so many unique elements to it, especially the tiny pie-chart circles. Their potential is truly infinite!

Minimally Made :: Box it up with Notes & Things!

 

 

These minimal, stylish pillow packages are some of the cutest gift holders we've ever seen! They are from our CP Crafter and Etsy enthusiast, Rebecca Luminarias.

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While most people won't start kicking their gift wrapping into high gear until sometime in November or December, I start in October.  It is this month that begins our "Birthday Season"--it seems as though everyone we know was born in one of the last 3 months of the year.  This year, though, I refuse to let wrapping gifts during Birthday Season stress me out.  I have a tremendously easy way to wrap them, while at the same time creating a little "buzz" about what's inside! 

 

 

The best way to take the stress out of gift-wrapping is to keep it simple. There's absolutely nothing wrong with folding up a nice sweater and putting it in a pretty gift bag if that's all you have time for. We are all running ragged these days managing a family or running a business or prepping for exams (or doing all three) so there's no shame in choosing to forgo extra fancy packages in favor of plain wrap.  But if you simply must do that extra little "hand-crafted" touch (or people have come to expect awesome things from you because you've made a reputation for yourself as a wrapping queen), I've got a solution for you--and there's no wrapping paper involved!

 

 

I've gathered up a few items to get us started.  To achieve the basics of this little project, all you need is a plain box and some rub-ons.  Though any style of box you have on hand will do just fine, I picked up a pack of 6 small pillow boxes from Target for a mere $1.50.  When assembled, they measure 6 5/16" (L) x 4 1/2" (W) x 1 9/10" (H).  That's large enough for a pretty scarf, some jewelry, a bottle of cologne, or 6 Hot Wheels if, like me, you have a little guy turning 4 this month.

 

 

I went a bit beyond the box & rub-ons (while remaining minimal), by adding some pink twine, gold glitter tape, and manila tags.  For the purposes of this post, I created a matching set and gathered just a few extra supplies to decorate the tags.  In keeping with the less-is-more theme, I made a rule that each tag could have no more than 3 embellishments.  I chose the bright pink elements from the Notes & Things collection and paired them with dark wood and gold accents.  The wood pieces come from all the way back to last Fall's Close Knit.

 

 

After making my tags, I took a close look at the rub-ons from N&T.  They are full of cute sayings and if you play around a little bit, you can cut and paste them together to suit your needs.  As I said, I really wanted to make the boxes appealing by creating a little excitement about the contents inside.  Phrases like, Good Stuff, Love this, and Oh my goodness were exactly what I needed.

 

  If you add some directional symbols pointing toward the box opening, you'll direct your recipient to a fun surprise!  This L-shaped arrow, for instance, curves down over the side and lets them know that whatever lies inside is surely *the cutest thing ever!

 

 

If using a pillow box as I have done, keep it flattened while you apply your rub-ons.  (This kind of box is really nice to use since it is flat and you can exert as much pressure as needed when applying your rub-on.)  I trimmed the phrases I wanted to use from the full sheet and also trimmed off the white backing with it.  This helps when messing about with placement, otherwise they may stick to your surface before you are ready to use them.  For this box, I liked GOOD STUFF ---> THIS WAY with the arrows pointing right.  I also chose the brackets from a set of Styleboard rub-ons for a pop of gold.

I transferred all of my words onto the box with the provided popsicle stick and assembled my box.  Alas, the "--->" did not survive the move!  But that's okay; it happens.  I still like the way it turned out.  I actually like it as-is, too--without the twine and the tag.  (Note to self:  This would make for some really cool branding/packaging...Hmm...)

 

This idea is not only quick and easy for birthdays, but for holiday wrapping, too.  Since there is no added bulk, it is especially convenient if you have to travel with or mail your gifts.  (You can either skip the tag or attach it later.)  If you switch out the pink details for red ones on this package in particular, it's all ready for Christmas.



So, now that you've got a few ideas for some super-simple gift wrap, will you be giving it a try this year?

 

Trending Now :: Notes & Things Italy Inspired Layout

A special trip to Italy is the inspiration for today's 'shining' layout from CP Gal, Katie Ehmann.   Also on the inspiration block, the trendy metallic hue, 'GOLD'! Katie's combined both with the help of Crate Paper's Notes & Things and a beautiful scenic photo from her travel adventures!

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This Summer, I was lucky enough to go to one of the most picturesque locations on the globe–The Cinque Terre in Italy. While we did plenty of relaxing on the beach, my favorite day was taking the boat to the other towns and shooting photos from the water.

When assigned to work with a metallic color for Crate's 'Trending Now' feature, I chose gold, since it works beautifully with my photos, complementing the perfect blue of the water and pastels of the homes dotting the seaside cliffs. Notes & Things is peppered with just the right amount of gold, and proved to be the ultimate collection with which to work.

I machine stitched my Thickers to adhere and add another small detail to my layout. While stitching through thicker materials, make sure to sew slowly, as to not jam up your machine.

Although most of the gold is in the title work, the embellishments and sequins lend even more sparkle to the page. The background paper, "So Simple", with it's sunny hue, brings it full circle. 

Finally, the random strips of patterned papers are a nice contrast to the rest of the layout and coordinate well with the background design.  

If considering introducing 'metallics' to your next project, check out Crate Paper's Notes & Things! It'll make your project shine!

CP Colour :: A Simple Notes & Things Mini Album and Layout

Soft and sweet is the running theme of this color combination from CP Design Team Member, Stephanie Bryan. The best part–she's included an extra special mini album accented with a super cute tassel and an assortment of irresistible Notes & Things leftovers. You will ADORE today's post!

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Fall may be in the air, but I am still hanging onto these pretty colors from spring and summer! The combo of coral, mint and gold are absolutely perfect to me and I think they look good mixed in with the krafts and browns from fall, don't you?

 

Putting together a color inspiration board can definitely get those creative juices flowing!  Have you ever just sat down, shuffled through papers and bits and pieces, to create a color board? I definitely recommend trying it the next time you are stuck or just need some inspiration!

 

For my color banner above, I started with the coral tassel and gold sequin ribbon. From there, I added in other colors that I felt complimented the coral and gold, as well as few neutral colors (black, white, kraft) to provide balance and depth.

 

I used this color inspiration board to then create two projects for you! I didn't really have any plan in mind when I started my projects, I just used my color board as inspiration and began pulling out papers, materials and embellishments that coordinated with my colors.

 

 

The inspiration for this first project was drawn from the colors, as well as the set up of the banner. I not only loved the colors, but I loved the clothespins and the "messy" look to the papers hanging there together. I liked how they overlapped and tried to create something similar on my page by layering.  

 

 

I alternated layering my warmer colored papers with the lighter and cooler colored papers to create a good contrast on my background. I held my pictures into place with mini clothespins as inspired by the banner above. The neutrals (black, white and kraft) help to balance the pops of color on the page.

 

 

The dimensional stickers from the Notes & Things collection give the page awesome depth and dimension! I love how they are elevated from the page and add more texture.

 

 

I used one of the Notes & Things tags for my journaling and then tucked it in behind my photos. It's just a little hidden gem waiting to be found one day!

 

 

I was still super inspired by these colors after creating my layout, so I decided to use my extra pieces and scraps to put together a simple mini album for my daughter.  The base of the album consists of one 12 x 12 piece of white card stock trimmed into 6 x 6 sections.  Creating a little album like this is the perfect way to utilize those pieces of card stock and really is so easy to make!

 

 

Using the extra Notes & Things papers and embellishments on my scrap table, I started layering different elements, tags and dimensional stickers onto my mini album pages.  I continued using the same colors as from the color inspiration board, and alternated my layers between neutrals and pops of colors. 

 

 

I bound the book together using one small book ring and couldn't resist adding the tassel and sequin ribbon around the ring! It adds just the perfect little touch to the book!

 

 

I kept the photos simple and easy by printing them the same size as my album pages (6 x 6 inches) and added them into the book as a single page. Such a beautiful and sweet little book, perfect for my special little girl!

 

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope this color inspiration board inspires you as much as it inspired me!! Feel free to link up your projects in the comments below!  I would love to see what you created!!

 

 

Crate Letterhead :: Notes & Things Personal Planner

If you've ever considered creating your own personal 'Life Planner', take a look at CP Gal Jeanette Lee's 'Notes & Things' everyday calendar album. It's filled with daily/monthly essentials and embellishments galore!

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Hey CP Fans! With so much inspiration from Pinterest and my scrapbooking friends, having an organizer of any sort seems to be all-the-rage right now. Given their popularity, I decided to join in on the bandwagon and make one for myself, customizing it to suit my own needs. 

To get started, I opted for a blank A5 book cover. I covered it with patterned papers and binded the side cover with washi tape. A simple-put-together design was made for the front cover, with no additional frills to ensure that there would not be any 'wears and tears' as I use it throughout the year.

With the help of dividers, blank sheets of paper and a monthly calendar, my daily activities could be further organized in an easy-to-find fashion. As an added design boost, I gathered a variety of smaller embellishments and decorated the monthly inserts. I opted for flatter embellishments and in some cases, I removed the chipboard backing and used less pop dots to bring down some of the bulk. The slimmer set-up made it easier for me to jot down notes throughout. 

My favorite part of the project is this last divider; it includes a collection of stickers and cute post-its that are necessary and useful in helping me to organize my thoughts and plans. The best part is that they can be easily replenished if I were to ever run out!

You might be wondering why I opted to for smaller-sized monthly calendars–Well, having a monthly summary works best for me. I'm able to see my daily events at-a-glance, which helps me to keep track of my activities in a more comprehensive and systematic way. And if I do have additional notes and reminders, I jot them down on the blank sheets of paper attached. I love having the liberty of more space on which to scribble!

The last addition–a faux envelope placed inside the organiser. This open area contains my miscellaneous items, including receipts, name cards, bills etc. I tend to lose important documents of this sort when I leave them lying around the house. With this nifty feature, keeping track of my expenditures and other necessities is more convenient and reliable.

I hope to have inspired you today. If ever in the market to create your own organizer, make sure to fill it with not just essentials, but things you love as well! It can be a very rewarding process!

 

Three Unlikely Ways :: Notes & Things Mixed Tags

 

Banners, Cards, Page Pockets - oh my! Catch them all today with Crate Paper Design Team Member, Ashley Cannon Newell. It's Three Ways using the cute, handy Notes & Things Mixed Tags!

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 Notes and Things Mixed Tags is fun ephemera to use for all sorts of projects. I have three very different ways you can use the tags in this collection on your projects.

1. Fun Banner

My first project is a fun banner. You can create one for a special occasion, such as a birthday or use it as home decor for your fireplace mantle. I used the negative die cut word tags to display a message in the banner. I added photos and also some journaling cards for a quick and easy project.

The tags are strung on the banner using Oh Darling bow clothespins. I used wood clothespins to hang the photos and journal cards.

You can easily change the way the banner looks by swapping out the photos.

The banner can be hung alone or over a tissue paper tassel garland as photographed.

2. A Shaped Card

Next, the tags can be used to create a shaped card. I placed three tags together to create this card.

I adhered the tags together on cardstock, making sure the tops of the tags were on the edge of a scored edge. Next, I used my scissors to cut around the tags shapes. Last, I punched holes through the tags and the cardstock.

I chose tags that conveyed a message, "Hello, Happy for You." The card is embellished with cardstock stickers and some thread. The arrow cardstock stickers hide the tag dividing lines. I also added a bit of satin ribbon and stapled the tag strings for control and aesthetics.

3. Pocket Page Layout

Pocket page scrapbooking is such a big trend in scrapbooking. So, I wanted to share how you can use the tags in a pocket page layout. I like tucking tags with journaling behind photos for extra bits of information.

Once you pull the tag, you reveal the tag that has some journaling. The photo is displayed using a chipboard polaroid-inspired frame and placed on an envelope-inspired pocket (found in Mixed Tags). I used adhesive foam to adhere the chipboard frame to the envelope, allowing the tag to slide in and out. This layout can fit in a horizontal 3 x 4 pocket page.

So, the next time you're stumped about how to use those tags - think about home decor, cards, and scrapbooking. I'm sure you can create something fun using just about every tag that comes in the Notes and Things collection. Tag...You're It!