Crate Paper

Pier Prize Pack Winners + Frame Background w/Magda Mizera

As promised, Crate's official "Fun in the Sun" giveaway winners; THREE in total! The lucky crafters will receive a special Pier Prize Pack direct from the AC warehouse! Thank-you to all whom commented - we love hearing from you! Congrats to...

I absolutely, positively LOVE your mini!!! I really am loving all the inspiration and this collection. My favorite iare the photo slide frames! Genius! Would love to win this collection! Thank you for the chance to get my hands on it! Ann P., Forest Grove, Oregon! Posted by: Ann P | May 29, 2013 at 09:17 AM

Beautiful album Christine! I LOVE the whole collection but my most favorite is the Red alpha with the slide frames coming in a close second! Thanks for the chance to win!
Rhonda from Ohio Posted by: rhonda nickol | May 29, 2013 at 03:19 PM

A beautifully done, cute and sweet album. Simply adorable. I admire your talent and creativity. I absolutely LOVE Crate Paper products, I can't even pick a favorite because I love everything about the Pier collection! Thank You, Michelle from Le Sueur, MN. Posted by: Michelle Mumphrey | May 29, 2013 at 11:37 PM

Please contact Crate Paper with your information at [email protected]

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Hello, Magda here on this fine Friday with a fun, everyday quick tip for utilizing the beautifully designed frames from The Pier collection. When I first spotted them in my box, right away I fell in love, but hadn't a clue how to use them! One day, out of the blue, an idea came to mind - literally, out of no where! I can use them as background material...

 

The concept is simple; dress up the frames with favorite patterned papers, decide upon a eye-pleasing composition that not only highlights the frames themselves, but the subject matter as well. Keep the embellishment arrangement simple - the photo and frames are the Star of the show! Finally, spritz on a tiny bit of mist and finish with a title and voila! And there you have it, a fun and cool collage without complication. :)

Here's the background-making process in action:

If you're a card maker, then you'll like this supplemental project I created following the same concept, but with a fresh, bright color palette and cascading flower bouquet. Note, the flowers are a blend of the Maggie Holmes and On Trend collections. Love violet and turquoise together - they're a perfect Spring pair!

Have a wonderful weekend - and if you've any ideas to share with our audience concerning the frames, feel free to mention them! The benefits of sharing creative ideas are numerous and "framing" is fun :)

Final 2012 Crate Paper Designer Gallery + Crate Paper Reveal!

There is some very EXCITING news ahead as we enter 2013! As you very well know, CHA is just around the corner, literally, and a brand new season is about to begin. To get ready, Crate Paper has been busy preparing in a multitude of ways. We've got a couple of important dates you'll want to make note of, especially those of you awaiting Crate Paper's BIG collection reveal!! First, the Crate Paper Spring/Summer Debut Party starts January 8th of next week!! There will be three beautiful collections to share with you, one being "extra special" for reasons you'll soon find out (it's a "first" for Crate!) Second, the CP Gal Crew is welcoming fresh talent - Crate's 2013 Design Team is almost officiated! The newly updated team will announce on January 21st. Finally, lots and lots of giveaways!! January is your time to claim the latest and greatest Crate Paper Goods. All THREE Spring/Summer Collections will be up for grabs throughout the month! 

Mark your calendars accordingly - Party Time starts next week!

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A final set of CP Gal creations from 2012...

Janna Werner

This year I decided to create a reminder for my OLW 2013, just to make sure I'm aware of it and won't forget it during the year. My word is FOCUS (I have to admit I cheated a bit and gave it a subtitle.."taking things slow"). I created a 12" x 12" scrapbook page using lots of my favorite Crate Paper alphas and mixing elements from Acorn Avenue, On Trend, Little Boy Blue and Sleigh Ride. I will hang this page right next to my desk.

 

Sasha Farina

 

Piradee Talvanna

 

Sophie Crespy

 

Anabelle O'Malley

I'm finally getting around to scrapping LAST New Year's photos. On Trend was the perfect collection to do so. The clock motifs and bright colors go so well with the colors in my picture. I added touches of gold in through the Thickers and glitter colored wood veneer circle. I wanted this layout to have the fun, party feel of Philly's Mummer's Day parade and using the banners, chipboard and papers from On Trend, I was able to achieve that. 

 

Ashley Cannon Newell

 

Kaori Watanabe

 

Megan Klauer

I decided this year, I wasn't going to get behind and realized in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the holidays that I needed a last minute card or tag for a gift. Using the Sleigh Ride collection along with a few assorted items from my December Daily stash, I created six simple cards. They will be kept in a small basket where I can quickly grab one when needed. Less last minute stress means happier holidays for everyone!

 

Rebecca Luminarias

Vellum Page Toppers - When I received my box of Sleigh Ride goodies last month, I was immediately drawn to the vellum embellishments..and have subsequently been hoarding them! I had so many ideas for them and because I want to use them for many different things, I thought I should make my own to top my Christmas gifts this year. 

I took a sheet of Accent Cuts, trimmed them down, and then covered each piece with vellum. I sewed three sides closed to create a pocket. Before closing up the 4th side, I poured a few sequins inside to get the shaker effect. In the end, I had soft but fun accents to add to my packages. Some I attached with washi-covered mini clothespins, and the others, I simply taped to the present - so easy!

Mixed Media Exploration w/Kaori Watanabe

 

Hello Everyone! It's Kaori with you today to present a fun, mixed-media tutorial using readily available supplies and a quick application method that can tried on nearly any project. All that's needed is washi tape, acrylic paint, gesso, a vintage-themed stamps, an ink pad and colored spritzer. A flat plastic card essential as well. Last but not least, Crate Paper's "On Trend" collection is a sure must!! It's quite splendid...

 

Select one of Crate's "neutral-friendly" backgrounds such as this simple, clean woodgrain from On Trend. In studying the composition of the layout, decide on an area to stamp random images onto the background. In this instance, I concentrated the placement of images in the lower right corner, behind my photo. 

 

After the stamped images have dried, apply washi tape (or masking tape) over the stamped area in the shape of a lattice.

 

Pour a small amount of gesso on top the lattice and spread it around with a plastic card. You've also the option of using acrylic paint instead of gesso. What ever you have on hand, go with it! Acrylic is totally ok :)

 

Punch a large circle from scrap paper and using it as a mask, spritz circles over portions of the lattice. Try mixing colors when doing this - I opted for plum & sunshine yellow. There are no hard and fast rules here, so create as many circles as you like. 

 

When the paint is fully dried, remove the tape. Do so very carefully to avoid tearing the paper behind it. Pull gently and watch closely while lifting it away from the layout. 

 

One of the benefits of white gesso is that it doesn't interfere with the coloring of the circles. If you were to try painting with other colors, which is certainly worthwhile, the circles might not be as vibrant, or true-to-color. Still, try it once! You might like the effect! Work with different mask shapes, too!

 

With the base complete, it's time to get to work on the rest of the layout! Stitch across the layout a couple of times, and over some of the paper pieces scattered throughout. Again, pay close attention to placement of your sewn lines - they should interact with the rest of the page in a way that is balanced, and is central to the photo.

As a base for the photo, build layers from On Trend's patterned paper, journaling cards, and chipboard. This floral cluster has beautiful coloring - you can't miss it, which makes it the ideal attention grabber..it draws the eye inward.

 

One last tip I'd like to share before leaving you is the idea of "softening" up paper. By crumbling up this number seven On Trend die-cut element, curling it's edges forward, and then sewing just across it's top, you now have what looks like a "clothing tag". Kinda fun, eh? 

Thank-you for stopping by the Crate Paper blog today! Happy painting & sewing!

Make it with Crate :: Quilt Love w/Naomi Atkins

 

 

Hello!! Naomi here with a "quilting w/paper" tutorial! I LOVE to quilt..my favorite part is the piecing, lining up all of those gorgeous fabrics into handmade beauty! So far, due to the lack of time, I have only completed two quilts..my first was a simple baby block quilt for my son, Weston, when he was born. My second project was a chevron quilt using Basic Grey's "Hello Luscious" fabric. I LOVE how it turned out! Anyway, I have this great book, 1000 great quilt blocks. :)

I pieced this one called a disappearing 9 patch. The best part about it is the technique. I love paper piecing my layouts to look like quilts. And since I love patterned paper, it's probably one of my favorite techniques. I decided to try the disappearing nine patch pattern on my layout. The best part about this layout is that it looks like it took hours to piece and cut, but it's so simple. Turns out, it was equally simple for my scrapbook page! I think this may be a technique to repeat.

The concept is simple; a grid pattern of nine blocks. I took my creative memories square punch and punched nine squares. I lightly glued them down to an old piece of scrap paper. I did this twice so I would have more blocks.

All you do, is then cut those in half, and in half again (makes four larger squares from that). The result will be different size patterned blocks that look like you spent hours cutting them. 

Although I love the look of all the brightly patterned blocks, I didn't want them to 'overpower' my layout. I did a few things to 'tone it down' some. First, when I pieced the blocks around my picture, I had some odd spaces that could not be filled. I simply added some squares of burlap and/or lace to those empty spaces. I have an old lace curtain that I got from the salvation army for a $1.50 to add lace to all of my projects. I love being thrifty! The burlap ribbon, I got from Jo-Anns. It has a stiff texture, which makes it great for adhering to layouts. I added the lace over some of the very bright blocks. Also, I misted some of the blocks with Mister Huey's white and cream mists..this really helped create a softer look as well! I used a mixture of Acorn Avenue and On Trend papers, but mostly Acorn Avenue. The papers added a lovely "Fall" feel to the layout. Once I added all my squares, I sewed lines up and down them, just as I would over quilt blocks when "quilting" them. I love how it turned out!

I then embellished the page with some of Crate's deer themed embellishments and woodgrain thickers. The deer elements went perfectly with my theme of Doe Eyes. My daughter has the sweetest, soulful brown eyes, and always looks up at me with her "doe eyes" so it made the perfect page title!

I hope this inspires you to mix up your crafting. Don't be afraid to combine your love of sewing, painting, or whatever you enjoy into your scrapbook pages!!

CP Design On File :: Bohemian Chic Cards w/Ashely Newell + On Trend Giveaway!!

 

Although thank you cards are needed and given throughout the year, it seems that during the Fall and Winter season, there's a bigger demand. With all of the holidays and so many reasons to share gratitude before the year-end, we all need lots of thank you cards on hand. So, I had a great time combining lots of patterns and prints with shapes and sizes to create a festival of bohemian-chic cards. Just because we're headed into the holiday season doesn't mean we can't still enjoy bold and bright colors with fun layouts, right?!

To hold all of my cards, I made a little box using On Trend patterned paper and chipboard embellishments. I added some die-cuts on each side as "handles" and dressed them up with a bit of American Crafts black tulle.

 

On this card, I used stretched out triangular shaped dies to create a funky wallpaper-style background. Don't be afraid to mix those patterns for a unique and bold design.

 

To dress up the patterned paper on this card, I stamped flowers and heat embossed them with gold embossing powder. After adding a tag shaped focal point using On Trend patterned papers, this card came together in a jiff!

 

Don't forget to use those Thickers! I just love the bold colors and prints on these alpha chipboard letters. Simply create your own personal message and place it on a die-cut with various patterns and your thank you card is done. Customize your gratitude by stamping it or typing it on a computer/typewriter, then trimming the cardstock.

 

For my last card, I mixed together a few of the cardsock elements from On Trend and let it all hang out! Don't be afraid to let cardstock or embellishments hang off the edge of a card. Worries about shipping? Use a larger envelope, make an envelobox, or place it in a glassine bag if hand delivered.

 

On the enxt cozy day, take a couple of hours and make some handmade thank you cards so you will be ready to share your gratitude with others. Need a jumpstart? Try using these cards for sketches for your projects and just have fun! So, what's the hold up? Let's make a plethora of thank you cards to share our sincere gratitude. 

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Today, we're going to do something sort of offbeat and fun. It just seems like a long time since we last gave away an "On Trend" collection kit. So, if you're a card maker, scrapbooker, DYI crafter or altered crafts artist, tell us which color palettes are on your "Holiday Project List" this season. Is bright and bold more your style, or do you prefer to stick with traditional color palettes like red and green? Whatever the case, before you leave, note the color palette in the comment section below - we'll draw a WINNER on Monday, November 12, 2012. 

CP Design on File :: Delightful Tape Stickers w/Heathyr Hintz

 

 

I love the new Crate Paper Tape Stickers!! As far as I'm concerned, they're one of the hottest new products that Crate Paper has introduced via it's latest collections. The tape stickers are just like washi tape, but with much funkier patterns. I especially like Acorn Avenue's tape stickers - the patterns are to die for! Get ready as there is much cuteness ahead...

I have to say that what appeals to me most about the stickers is how stunning they all look when lined up next to each other in their packaging. Because of this, I instantly thought about how cool it would be to mimic the arrangement on a layout. To pull it off perfectly, I made the decision to use up an entire pack of tape stickers. I kept the design similar by scattering the stickers across the bottom portion of my layout. Any gaps or open areas were supplemented with Pistachio Market patterned paper. In the end, the collage of tapes makes an inescapable statement that is playful, and charismatic.

 

And if you hadn't already of noticed, the blue chevron background lends wonderfully to the design, even amongst all the patterned tapes. Normally, patterns tend to collide if there are too many, but the blue chevron is subtle enough to avoid that problem. If anything, the warmth of the tape creates a nice contrast against it's cooler counterpart. Literally, it looks like the tape is "popping" off the page!

What started out as a simple page about an adorable dog playing in the leaves, is now something else entirely! It turned into a high-impact page full of vibrant color!

Designer Gallery :: On Trend & Acorn Avenue

 

 

Crate Paper DT Coordinator: Christine Middlecamp

"The last time I fell in love with a Crate Paper collection this much was when Random debuted nearly a year-in-a-half ago. I remember it being a really exciting time, too, because Random brought with it a color palette and design style that had never before been seen from the likes of Crate Paper. Fast forward to the present, and once again, Crate Paper's done the exact same, but this time, the collection is called "On Trend". Instilled with show-stopping color and eclectic design, it's one of the those collections you just can't go without, not if you're a color fanatic like myself. From what I can tell thus far, it's some of the best color I've ever had the opportunity to work with! In a big way, it's totally 'me'..no surprise there." 

"I've already spoken about the layout at length via my personal blog, Retrospection. To it though, I would like to add a couple of items. First, Crate's Chipboard Accents have been a part of the Crate family for as long as I can remember. In using them, I often target the non-traditional pieces, or leftovers. For example, with this layout, I took a thin oval chipboard frame, backed half of it with pattern paper, and then left the bottom portion of it empty to create the illusion of unity. Second item on the list are the little pieces. Case in point; Crate's tiny chipboard flowers and buttons. Gather them up, put them in a small bowl, and keep them nearby on your desk. Don't leave them on the sheet because chances are, they'll stay there forever. Make it a habit to use your tiny chipboard accents. Give'em layers, too!"

 

CP Designer: Megan Klauer

"My kiddos and I recently spent an afternoon at our local pumpkin patch. I knew right away I would be using the Acorn Avenue collection for these photos. I cut a variety of papers from the 6 x 6 pad to create a sunburst design in the bottom left corner and built my design from there."

 

CP Designer: Kaori Watanabe

"On Trend's color palette opens the door to a plethora of color combo options! Here, I stuck to a simple blue & white scheme with tiny pops of pink & olivine. This casual look is further supported by a minimal display of embellishments that include a hanging banner, chipboard accents and flower."

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So Very Lovely :: CHA & On Trend Giveaway

Crate Designer: Naomi Atkins

 While the big wooden crates are brought back out to the CHA showroom floor, and Crate Paper's booth is dismantled and fitted into it's box for the return trip home, we have one final round of CHA projects to show you, and a specially coordinated giveaway of "On Trend". Last week, during "On Trend"'s reveal, over five-hundred of you came forth to try and win the collection. Sadly, only one winner was chosen, which left the rest of you without an opportunity to own this fabulous new collection!! So, guess what?! We're giving away THREE "On Trend" collection kits this weekend - that's right, three! To get your name in on the drawing, tell us why you LOVE the collection - what makes it a must-have for you? We want to hear what you have to say about it. Winners will announce on Monday, July23. Good Luck!!

 

Crate Designer: Rahel Menig

 

Crate Designer: Megan Klauer

 

Crate Designer: Christine Middlecamp