Write. Click. Scrapbook.

party favor & gift ideas on the cheap.

Admit it. I had you at cheap, didn’t I?

A quick survey of my mom-friends tells me that, while throwing parties is a joy, making it cute, fun, colorful, exciting, (insert positive adjective here)… is expensive. By the time they’re finished planning, sending out invites, decorating and organizing the activities and (gasp) menu, there’s little left over for party favors.

Ah……. Party favors.

Sure, parents loathe them. Most of the contents rarely make it out of the car and often end up wedged in the folds of a car-seat. But kids love them. And I mean l.o.v.e them.

So today I'm excited to share a good handful of party-favors you can customize for your party theme, all under a couple of bucks each.  Take a look at what you can do with your scrapbooking stash that's sure to knock the recipient’s socks off AND make your creative side sigh with joy.

Some of these projects can even be great birthday gift ideas!

Project #1: The Personalized Water-Bottle

If you go to the Target dollar aisle right now, you’ll see a collection of metal water-bottles. They come in a couple of colors (pink, blue, silver) and are cheap. That’s right -- $2.50/each.

Add some fun rub-on images and letters and you’ve got a cute party-favor that will sure to get used!

Rub-ons are available in every theme possible, so you can customize these to fit the theme of your party. They’re hand-washable and will look so cool in the t-ball dugout.

Project #2: Flower Hair Clips

If you haven’t made these before, I urge you to give it a try. They’re so easy to make, and the best part, they look expensive, but they’re not! I bought a strip of specialty bobby pins (I bought Bow-Tique bobby pins by Horizon) at Michael's – 6/$1.99.

Using the many felt, fabric and even paper flowers I had in my stash, I created these darling clips that will actually get worn! If the flowers come with any kind of foam or sticky adhesive, simply remove and stick to the flat metal pad on the clip using a hot-glue gun.  Be sure to buy the kind of clips that have a flat surface to which you can glue your flower. If you can't find them at a big name craft store, I know you can find them on Ebay. Just search for "bobby pins with pads" and you'll find all sorts of colors!

Project #3: Re-Packaged Game Baggies

I just love what Beth Proudfoot did here using her American Crafts stash. She purchased a variety of these cool sports games in the dollar section of Michael’s.  She removed the top packaging that came with the games and replaced it with her own. She simply cut a square of patterned paper, folded it over the top and embellished and stapled to the baggie. You could even customize a top that says, “Thank you for coming!” Tons of possibilities here. I can’t wait to try this one myself!

Project #4: Personalized Book Plates

I created these book plates using this ridiculously expensive font and this dingbat. If you’re looking for another cute girly font, how about this one, or this font and possibly this dingbat (originally from Cheryl Overton's post back in October) for a boy who has Star-Wars on the brain.  I created the square design in Adobe Illustrator, but you could easily use Photoshop or even Word (text boxes) to create your own design.  I printed my labels on this sticker paper by Avery, and trimmed them in to neat little squares.

Not only would these make a darling goody-bag, they could be paired with a special book or book-light as a birthday gift for the reader in your life.

These are just so easy to make! All you need are dingbat fonts, printable sticker paper and a printer.

Project #5: 1^st Birthday Bibs

I realize this will speak only to those of you with babies in your lives, but wouldn’t it be fun to supply all the babies at your 1 year old’s birthday with their own party bibs? You could personalize each one with the child’s initial, and a #1 for the birthday baby, of course! 

This bib came together in a matter of minutes, plus the hand-stitching, which took another 10 or so. I hand-cut the bib by tracing an old bib I had still in the house (we have NO baby stuff anymore, so it’s a wonder I could even find one!) and cutting out with scissors.  I used craft/felt/fabric glue to attach the felt circle and number 1, then I hand-stitched around the circle with embroidery floss.  To finish it off, I added a coordinating button and cut a slip on the opposite neckband for the button to go through.  It’s surprisingly durable, though not washable, so save it for a time when you have your camera out!

Project #6: So Very Glad Labels

Do you have a Trader Joe’s near you? I love their clear plastic boxes of chocolates. They come in a variety of delicious flavors. I borrowed Beth's repackaging idea on this box of chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.

I added some patterned paper from October Afternoon and a unique label to show how this grocery store treat can be turned into a party-favor or gift idea.  Of course there are tons of uses for this label. You could attach it to a jar of homemade bath salts, or simply tie to the top of a package.

You can download a page of 6 labels here.  Just print on heavy white cardstock and cut out with a circle trimmer like this one.

Project #7: Gift-Card Holder

And since we're sharing birthday gift ideas, too, look at this darling gift-card holder Emily Pitts made! If you have a Silhouette, you can find pillow box templates in the Silhouette store.

If not, here's a link to one you can download and use with any old pair of scissors: visit this link to Carolyn's Stamp Store and scroll down. There are templates you can download, both small AND large.

So that's it! I hope you've found at least ONE party favor or gift idea that tickles your fancy. :) Come back tomorrow as I share a little about celebrating birthdays. I'll have a number of birthday layouts and cards shared by our WCS ladies, along with some links for those who are looking for starting new birthday family traditions.

Happy Friday!

Valentine's Inspiration

We internet lovers know that there is a plethora of inspiration online! There are lots of the things that capture my eye and make me think, how can I incorporate that into a scrapbook page? Is it the typography, the colors, the shapes?

If you need a little jumpstart of Valentine inspiration, here's some fun stuff I found online:
How cute is this suit from Old Navy? That title is begging to be scrapbooked!

I could just see this translated on a scrapbook page as well!
I want to do this too! How many thousands of buttons do you own? :) Even if you don't make something scrappy with it, can't you just see a cute necklace for a girl? I love it!

 
This could easily be translated into an embellishment on a page! Even the bright blue color for hearts, probably not something I would have thought of but it works so well! Untraditional Valentine's, hooray! :)  I adore this look!  

This just looks fun! I want to make lots of smoothies and use straws like these! Ha! Or you can make similar little hearts for your pages/projects of course! Layer different sized hearts with floral and type phrased stickers, how sweet! 

 

I think that this would be a neat embellishment, the idea of shaping a bunch of flowers into a heart! Can be punched flowers, stickers, maybe even handdrawn?! Pretty!

If you have the patience to make something like this across your wall, go for it! If you just want to do a few, have it made for the length across your layout! :)  

Two words: PAPER PIECING! :)

And for any non-sewers out there, (like me!;) ) how about the look of stitch!? Just a few simple hand drawn lines mimic the sewn look! Now why didn't I think of that?!
How about a cute Valentine's color combination? This just screams spring, love and happiness to me!


Finally this, I want to make a double page layout, with this by itself on one side and a photo on the other. What a statement! Striking!

Ten Notable Trends at CHA

As I fought off the sleepies at LAX yesterday while waiting for my plane to board, I started a list of things that really stuck in my mind from CHA. I'm convinced that it's impossible to see everything on the floor even if one has a strict schedule and route, but half the fun is building in some wandering time anyway. I like lists of ten, so I worked on my list until I had ten items on it and then I took a little nap. I'm not too proud to sleep in public. : )

Without further delay, here is my list.

1. Hello, Pennant Banners. 

I love pennant banners, so it was especially serendipitous that I saw approximately 8 billion of them at the show. OK, OK, so maybe not that many, but it was exciting all the same.

 

October Afternoon, Making Memories, The Girls' Paperie, American Crafts, AdornIt, Jenni Bowlin, Studio Calico, Canvas Home Basics, Maya Road, Karen Foster, We R Memory Keepers

This is just a sampling. Is there a meeting where everyone gets together and decides this kind of thing?

2. Ohayo Gozaimasu, Nihon. (Read: Good morning, Japan.)

Japanese cute has reached the CHA floor. Are you familiar with the zakka movement? Part of its charm can be found in things that are two parts cute and one part kitsch. A good example of what I'm talking about can be found in the book Cute Stuff by Aranzi Aronzo. Or, in some of these photos.

K & Company, Doodlbug, October Afternoon, Little Yellow Bicycle, We R Memory Makers, EK Success

3. Tools, Reinvented.

The show had a back-to-basics feel to me in a lot of ways, but not in a boring, humdrum kind of way. More in a "what can we do to stretch the functionality of x product or make it more exciting again" kind of way. One such example we found of this? The many new punches offered by EK Success. Just when you thought you'd figured out all the ways to punch paper, they've figured out some more.

This doesn't really do a good job representing how many punches were on this wall, but it gives you an idea. All the miniature lanterns are made out of punched paper.

4. Tools, Improved. 

Another trend we noticed was to take existing tools and make them better. (Well, maybe this isn't really a trend as much as normal business practice. But you know what I meant.) The most noticeable example of this was the new and improved hands free Slice cutting system by Making Memories.

I don't personally own a cutting system, though I have to say I was awfully jealous when Marnie WON one. I might have to get one, too, one of these days. The Slice does some really cool things:

This giant mobile was made with a Slice. I have visions of someone at Making Memories being chained to a desk while they sliced all these butterflies. I have a very active imagination. : )

5. Fabric For All

A number of scrapbooking companies (Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket are the first to come to mind) are turning their delightful patterned papers into licensed fabric lines these days. We saw evidence that this isn't the only crossover on the horizon between the worlds of People Who Use Paper and People Who Use Fabric. Fabric was everywhere we looked—and we liked it.

Little Yellow Bicycle, My Mind's Eye, K & Company, Canvas Home Basics, Claudine Hellmuth's adorable sticky-back canvas purse, American Crafts

6. The Influence of Etsy

There were a few instances where I had the glorious feeling that if I closed my eyes for a minute and opened them up again, I'd be standing inside an Etsy shop. Companies are paying attention to the handmade movement and bringing elements of it to the scrapbooking world. EK Success seems to have really tapped into this phenomena (doesn't hurt to have Martha on your team) but there were other places that are seamlessly bridging the two worlds.

EK Success, Pebbles, and more EK Success. 

7. Staying Home

If I hear one more person start a sentence with "In the current economy" my head might explode. But in this instance, there's only one way to say it: In the current economy, people are staying home more. I saw a handful of travel lines (Making Memories always does this well) but there were far more new products devoted to or inspired by the time we spend at home. Interesting to see how current events shows up in chipboard and stickers.

Cosmo Cricket, Little Yellow Bicycle, a laundry decor sign from AdornIt Carolee's Creations (Marnie is trying to look stern about the laundry rules, not mad that I was taking her picture), EK Success, and a little more AdornIt.

8. Made in the U.S.A.

This was completely an after-the-fact observation, but I had three very interesting conversations with people about how their companies manufacture their products in the U.S. I don't know if this is a trend or not, but it was fun to learn more.

I had a great time chatting with company co-owner Ewunike Jackson and design team member Simone Pursiful of Clear & Simple Stamps. Their stamps are manufactured in the U.S. out of clear photopolymer, and they offer a huge product line. They're a relatively new and small company, but definitely one to watch. Another made-in-the-U.S.A. outfit is AdornIt Carolee's Creations; that's me with my fellow Big Picture Scrapbooking teacher Georgana Hall, the president of the company. It's a family operation—even Georgana's dad is involved; he cut the beautiful metal scrollwork that graced their booth. Finally, I learned from Studio Calico co-owner Greg Foster that their new lines of paper are printed down the road from their office. 

9. Haiti's Presence

It was heartening to see people wearing Craft Hope for Haiti logos on their nametags and lapels, and even more so when we learned that Lark Books is currently editing a book about the organization Craft Hope and was able to rush a chapter about the efforts to help Haiti through their special Etsy store (which, by the way, has raised over $27,000 since the earthquake to donate to Doctors Without Borders). 

We had a wonderful conversation with Nicole from Lark Books, who told us more about the book and showed us a preview (it will be out in August). 

We also spotted a sign at the booth of My Little Shoebox that pledged a donation of every order placed at CHA. Every little bit helps!

10. Friendly Faces and Friendly Atmosphere

Tina, Marnie and I really noticed a friendly atmosphere present at the show this year. Scrapbooking—and hobbies in general—have been shaken up a bit in the past year or two, but we saw example after example of good, solid customer service and old-fashioned friendliness. The people who love scrapbooking and aren't in it just for the money (though of course the money is important, too) are landing on their feet with a thousand ideas of how to continue introducing innovation and injecting creativity into everything they offer. That's the best trend of all, don't you think?

Stay tuned tomorrow for Marnie's wrap-up! Thanks for reading this week.

CHA Eye Candy, Day Three

Hello again from Anaheim! Today is day three and our last day here.  We've had a very busy and productive three days - talking with manufacturers and seeing many friends.  It's always a very full day and we're exhausted, but also very satisfied that we've done what we came to do. 

So, without further ado, below are our ten favorites from today. Sort of like a Ten on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, and maybe more like 11 or 12:

 

We loved these birds cut from patterned paper in the EK Success booth. We've noticed that so many booths have displayed projects and ideas that are do-able and cute and very Etsy-esque. 

And they are releasing a new line of decorating paper sheets for lining drawers or tea trays or shelves. Very vintage-y and a great way to add color to a room.

We had a great time talking with Layle Koncar at Basic Grey and catching glimpses of Kelly Goree doing her make-and-take magic. We loved the Basics line at Basic Grey:

 

Lovely neutral-ish papers in white, cream and kraft. Love the lines and graphs! And this was Elizabeth's favorite paper from today from BG's new Green at Heart line:

 

Doodlebug is one of my favorite companies (my obsession with their Frills is still very strong) and we loved their Feeling Groovy line with all the rainbows:

 
 
We loved meeting with the Studio Calico group in their new booth and the sneak peek at their new Anthology line. Their products are so unique and inspired and their design team knows how to work it:

 

 

And then right next door to the SC people was this tiny booth with a totally awesome product:

Japanese tapes in a variety of colors, patterns and widths. Very delish.

We came across a newer company with a great line of canvas and burlap products for scrapbooking and home decor, Canvas Home Basics:

 
  

(Marnie is our adorable model here. I still can't believe we're finally all here and that our time together is almost up. Trying not to be too sad about that just yet.)

And then we headed back over to the Making Memories booth to make a necklace make-and-take and found out that...

...Marnie won a Slice!  Yeah Marnie!

Then we saw this adorable Advent pennant project at the Maya Road booth and some adorable pennant stamps.  Have we mentioned how much we're loving all the pennant and garland products and projects we've seen at this show? So cute.

Then we saw the adorable Claudine Helmuth at her booth demonstrating some of her mediums and paint products:

 

She also has these packs of sticky-back canvas material that she used to make this purse. She is so creative:

We've had been such a great time here at the show and Marnie, Elizabeth and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We've got a lot to do in the next several months and we're so excited about what's to come.  Here's wishing them both safe travels tomorrow as they head back to their families and catch up on their sleep.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Giveaway Day and for a CHA wrap-up from Elizabeth on Friday.

Cheers!

 

Eye Candy, Day Two.

As is always the case at CHA, there is so. much. to. see. This show is in so many ways so much better than the summer show in Orlando last year - the mood of the show, the number of exhibitors and attendees. There's a kinder, gentler spirit of this show and this was so well represented in the first booth we visited today.

Here's some of Elizabeth Kartchner's new line at American Crafts:

 

 

This line is so adorable, just like Lizzy herself. We can't wait to get our hands one some of this!

And did you know that AC and Pebbles have merged? We loved these 4 x 6 journaling cards for our photo album scrapbooking projects.

 

We loved AC's new inks!

And their new adhesive line reportedly doesn't reported skip, slip or trip. And it's called "This to That" which makes us want to buy some even more.

Our next visit was with one of our favorite manufacturers, October Afternoon:

 

(This is Elizabeth's favorite paper of the show.)

We all love the pennant design elements we've seen on so many projects and decorating so many booths. Definitely a new trend out there in Scrapland.

Another great looking new release from October Afternoon! YAY!

And we loved how some brands were finding new ways to appeal to scrapbookers:

Making Memories has a new line of jewelry products, something we also saw at Scarlet Lime.

We loved Little Yellow Bicycle's new releases and this fun Lucky Me line. Our booth tour guide told us the owner was inspired to design this line because she's always finding four leaf clovers. Lucky indeed!

Did you know that AdornIt Carolee's Creations does more than just scrapbooking? Here's just a taste of what they've got up their sleeves - watch for more!

 

We loved Jenni Bowlin's booth and products, and loved that she's teamed with Co'Ordinations paper to enhance her already darling lines:

Co'Ordinations paper is a color-core textured paper line that has been embossed to coordinate with the patterns in Jenni's papers. Just sand the surface to reveal the layer of color underneath! Several other manufacturers have done the same. We love all these new ways different companies are partnering with each other.

And we saw a bunch of familiar faces along the way:

 

Elizabeth, Aly, Marnie, Angie, Wendy and me.

 

And Stacy!

And last night we had dinner with Emily and Vivian Masket:

We also ran into Renee Pearson...

 

who has a surprise giveaway of a seat in her "Just The Basics, Ma'am" class which begins this Thursday, January 28. Here's a little bit about her class:

"Nearly five years ago, when Renee wrote the first Digital Designs for Scrapbooking, computers were not yet an essential tool for mainstream scrapbooking. As the popularity of digital scrapbooking has grown, so has the need for easy-to-follow instructions. That's why she developed this workshop.

Renee will personally lead you through the fun, fast and easy lessons designed specifically for the beginning digital scrapbooker or crafter. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, 7 or 8 and the digital kits and templates provided, you'll be whipping out digital scrapbook pages in no time.

The curriculum is based on weekly lessons including video, pdf and other learning aids. The workshop is designed to gradually introduce new topics and skills, allowing you to master one skill set before moving on to the next. At the end, you'll have a comprehensive set of skills you can use to create your own digital pages."

Leave a comment for a chance to win! And thanks to Renee for such a nice surprise.

Even more eye candy tomorrow!

Eye Candy, Day One.

For car buffs, the Indy 500. For football fans, the Super Bowl. For kids, FAO Schwartz. For scrapbookers and crafters, the semi-annual Craft & Hobby Show. 

We had a full day on the show floor today and saw only a tiny, itsy bitsy part of all that is there.  We're really, really excited about some of the new lines coming out from manufacturers like:

Cosmo Cricket

 

How darling is that cow card?

My Mind's Eye:

Such fun, bright colors! And did you know that My Mind's Eye has fabrics too?

Margie Romney-Aslett's new endeavor - The Girl's Paperie:

Love these totally girlie and definitely boyish lines. 

So now, finally, Elizabeth, Marnie and I are all together in one room for the first time since WCS was hatched. We have a lot of catching up to do.

More CHA eye candy coming tomorrow!    

give.away.day. featuring LIBBY WEIFENBACH

Another holiday song to start our day. Channel your best Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Let's begin!

You love our site
Think it's awesome and bright
We happen to agree
So here's somethin' for free
Give.away.day.'s coming to you.

We've made our list
We've checked it twice
We know you're a bit naughty,
But mostly nice, so
Give.away.day.'s comin' to you.

We dream of scrapbooks when we're sleeping
Then make them when awake
We love to share ideas with you
And give you stuff to make.

Oh it's give.away.day.
For you today
It's holiday time
Which means we're fine
With everyone winning today.

Today we have teamed up with Libby Weifenbach. Libby is a fantastic digital designer. This season, she teamed with Tracey Howard to create a bright and festive kit, Fra-Gee-Lay. Our darling and delightful Cheryl used Libby's kit to whip up a bit of home decor magic in that amazing way that only she can:

Now we know that as December winds down, your time is precious (and running out) so we didn't want you to have to make your own from scratch.Therefore, for our giveaway today, everyone wins! All you need to do is pop on over to Libby's blog where you can download the file to make your own awesome Merry Christmas eyechart. While you are there, be sure to jot down the code Libby has provided so that you can pick up the Fra-Gee-Lay kit for $2 off! Again, for everyone.

But that's not all! Because some of us still haven't our cards done, we wanted to help a bit more. Marnie used another of Libby's kits to make a Christmas and a Holiday card for you.

Again, hop on over to Libby's blog and you can download them for free. (They are 5x7 and use a 4x6 photo that has been resized to 5x3.33. The font is Futura Md.) (And no, sadly (teehee!), they won't have Marnie's kids' pictures on them!

We hope your holiday season is bright and cheerful and that no one will be too disappointed that this giveaway is for everyone! Enjoy!

Hanukkah Projects

Hanukkah begins tonight at sunset, but in the meantime we've collected a few inspiring things to share today! A special thanks to Sara Rivka Dahan of Creative Jewish Mom for granting permission to share some of her clever (and in some cases, downright gorgeous) Hanukkah crafts and projects. This is just a sampling—her site is filled with beautiful felt flowers, projects for other Jewish holidays in addition to Hanukkah, cooking and gardening tips, and more!

How to Make a Gorgeous Rosebud Bouquet from Felt

felt flowers and table setting by Sara Rivka Dahan

Festive Hanukkah Bunting

bunting by Sara Rivka Dahan

Pretty Patterned Paper Matchboxes

covered matchboxes by Sara Rivka Dahan

Beautiful, DIY Gift Wrap

handmade, printed wrapping paper by Sara Rivka Dahan (and her children!)

Felt Dreidel Ornaments

felt dreidels by Sara Rivka Dahan

Be sure to check out some of these cool Hanukkah supplies and products, too:

menorah and Star of David rubber stamps from Etsy shop NoraJane

Hanukkah gelt pouch calendar from Etsy shop Thymbyl Designs

digital collage elements from Etsy shop Harmonica Goldfish

digital brushes by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals

digital elements by Jodie McNally at Oscraps

patterned paper available at Shalom Scrapper

Happy Hanukkah!

First Annual Holiday Gift Guide For Scrapbookers

We've put together a few great finds from around the internet—enjoy!

28 Camera Drawings, $20, $50, $200 / Sweetwater Advent Kit, $23.95 / 2010 Veer Calendar, $26, $44 / Retro Bird Bookplate, $21.99 / Waterproof Name Labels, $6.50 / L Letterpress Machine Combo Kit, $149.99 / Chartreuse Dots File Folder Set, $27.95 / Keep Calm and Carry Spoof Printable 2010 Calendar, $5.00 / Log Your Memory Calendar 2010, $19.95

 
Susy Jack Paper Goods, $20 / Holga Starter Kit, $70.00 / Sarah Jane Studios Family Tree, $19.50 / The Small Object Crafty Organization Idea Cards (50), $12.00 / dog collar any scrapbooker would be proud of, $16.99 / Petals Aplenty Family Tree, $65.00 / Gorillapod, $39.75

Matches Made in List Heaven

Our week together is coming to a close. I've enjoyed our time together, and I hope it's been beneficial for you. Tomorrow I'll post a few list-style layouts from our Flickr gallery, so be sure to get your layouts posted by tonight! Before we part, I have one more list-making tip for you.

Today's Tip: Lists don't always have to be the only journaling on a page. They're perfect for adding supplemental information or creating a fabulous accent. On this page, I used a mock shopping list to emphasize and illustrate my journaling about how unprepared and excited I felt as a new mother.

 

Adding supplemental lists is easy if you've got a great product to help you do the job. Here are a few products that are perfect for spotlighting the lists on your pages.Enjoy!

1. Spiral Journaling Books by Making Memories

2. Journaling Stickers by American Crafts

3. Labels Stickers by October Afternoon

 

4. Rub-on Frames by Tinkering Ink

5. Label Stamps by Autumn Leaves

That's it for today! I can't wait to see what you all post in the Flickr gallery.