Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Sunshine

Sew Long, Farewell!

Hi friends! It's time I came clean, and told you that I'm not really a curvy blonde Fisher-Price little person. I'm a short redhead who just loves paper and fabric too much to say goodbye. It's been a great week hanging around here, sharing some of my favorite things.

So before I leave, let me share just a few more projects with you:

I love a quick project. I've seen those cute embroidery hoop decorations a lot of places lately, so I thought I would whip up one of my own. Here's where I began:

 
I took a marker and started thinking of a simple word I could embroider. Then it hit me: my word of the year! So I wrote "believe" and then used embroidery floss and a simple backstitch over the word. Then I added some fabric, a few buttons, some ribbon, and ended up with this:

 
Super quick and "pretty" fun. (And yes, that is a chipboard squirrel. I love those little nature elements - and I couldn't find a bird in my stash!) I also spent some time this week experimenting with some wooden spools that I found on one of my "research" trips to the craft store. This is my first effort:

 

 
I printed my photos as contact sheet size, and attached the patterned paper to the spool with hot glue. The photo paper isn't as flexible as I would like, so next time I will print on thinner paper or even directly on fabric (did you know you can do this? Just iron your fabric on to the waxy side of a sheet of freezer paper and then run through your printer). But wouldn't this look cute rolled up and tied with twine?

I've also been thinking about making books, either out of fabric or with sewing techniques. Check out this little book of odds-and-ends Monika Wright sewed together:

 
Love these! How fun would it be to just sew a bunch of memorabilia together (I'm thinking ticket stubs, concert programs, newspaper clippings, etc.) that make up a year in your life?

Here's another way to use that fabric you love: make a book cover. I found a really cheap photo album at my local craft store ($2.50 for a 200 photo album!!!), but it had a really garish houndstooth print on the cover. So I grabbed some more of the black floral that I used on my "believe" project, and made a jacket for the album.

 
I opened up the album and laid it flat on the fabric, and cut around it, adding about an inch on the top and bottom, and about six inches on each end to fold over and around (like the dust jacket on a hardcover book). I hemmed all the edges, and then folded the fabric around the album and stitched a bit on the top of the two flaps to close them so I could slip the ends of the album in. Tie with a bit of ribbon, add a button, and ta-dah! Album facelift.

I also love to use spray adhesive to put fabric on chipboard for an album cover. Check out how Melissa Kaiserman covered an album in fabric:

 
Buttons, trim, little pennants!

Sew on my friends! Remember to keep those fabric scissors sharp and at the ready.

 

Sew Special Products You Will Love

Hello again! Have any plans for the upcoming weekend? If you are headed to do a bit of shopping this weekend, have I got a few things for you to put at the top of your list! I thought that it would be fun today to showcase some of the goodies out right now that might help you add a few sewing inspired touches to your next project.

If you love the look of BUTTONS:

 
Cover a cheap frame with button-print fabric or paper (this fabric is a new line from Stampin' Up!). I just used a bit of hot glue and folded the corners in around the frame in the back. (My mom says that I was reading my "joke book" in this picture. It cracks me up!)

Stampin' Up also makes these stamps that I just purchased:

 
Or just raid Grandma's button box and use some real buttons on a layout. They are pretty easy to affix with glue dots or craft glue.

Do you love SEWING themed products?

 
Francine Clouden used a dressmaker stamp as an accent on this layout. Here's the close-up:

 
 
Do you love FABRIC? Scrapbook companies are getting into the act by designing fabric that compliments their paper lines. Cosmo Cricket has a line of fabric out, and Sarah Jane Studios, known for stationery and paper products, has just come out with fabrics that feature her cute illustrations. Don't be afraid to experiment with using fabric on pages and projects (more on this tomorrow). Look what Elizabeth Dillow did with fabric as a background for a layout:

Do you love the look of sewing but you are a DIGITAL DESIGNER? We have a few things for you, too!

Here are a few pages from Celeste Smith, our resident digital expert:

 
(angie kovac basically stitched kit and spring it on kit available at 2Ps in a bucket)

 
(Queen of Quirk Larry paper pack, Queen of Quirk Cirque du Ciel Accent Pack, Kitschy Digitals Fabric Covered Buttons Kit)

Here's a simple one I made for a WCS gallery a few months ago (I'm still learning digital tricks) using papers and accents by Crystal Wilkerson:

 

Just browsing on 2Peas (dangerous, I know), I found some other cute digital kits from Polka Dot Pixels that were just soooo tempting.

There's also a nifty tool that is fairly new from We R Memory Keepers called the Sew Easy that makes holes in paper all ready for stitching or drawing stitching lines with your favorite pen. They even make one that looks like a lazy daisy stitch or hemstitching. How fun would that be to play with!

So go have fun this weekend! Check back tomorrow for a few last fun projects using fabric and sewing. Can't wait to see you!

 
(Super happy layout by Karenika)

and the giveaway goes to . . .

Looks like there will be some fun (re)decorating going on this summer! We hope that this special issue provides you with just the right ideas and incentives to help your spaces become your own.

Don't forget to make good use of the free shipping code! Well, everyone, that is except,

 Miss Jingle, who will be receiving her very own free copy!!Congratulations! Please email your mailing address to us at writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com so that we might get your free issue in your mailbox shortly!

Stay tuned for sew much more fun with Kelly!!

give.away.day. featuring CREATING KEEPSAKES

If you enjoyed yesterday's post by Kelly featuring home decor projects and ideas, then you'll love our give away today.  Creating Keepsakes magazine has generously donated a free copy of their latest special issue, Creative Spaces, to give away to one of you lucky readers. 

In this issue Creative Editor Megan Hoeppner, takes you on a tour of 45 creative spaces of some of the top designers in the industry (including our own Aly Dosdall). You'll also find tons of fabulous DIY organization and decor project ideas that you can try on your own. 

If you would like to be considered for this CK giveaway, please leave us a comment telling us if you have any plans for your own craft space, be it big or small. Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm PST and one lucky number will be chosen at random and posted tomorrow. Please remember that it is your responsibility to check back and claim your lucky number before midnight Saturday.

And you know we love to make everyone happy, so if you would like to purchase a copy of Creative Spaces, Creating Keepsakes has generously offered our dear WCS readers a coupon code for free shipping in the US. Just CLICK HERE to get to the online store and enter the following code at check out: SPACESBB. Act fast though, as the coupon expires on 5/27/11.

Sew Special Home Decor Projects

Hi there! Today I get to show you some more beautiful examples of the crossover between stitching and scrapping, with a twist: these are projects that are meant to be displayed, not put in books. Let's look at some great ways to create home decor using stitching, glueing, and all that beautiful paper and fabric!

One way that I have found to make the most of my fabric stash and paper supply is to create decorated canvases that I can hang on my walls. Think of these as a larger version of a scrapbook layout that are so sturdy you can hang them up. Buy blank artist canvases at any craft store. They come in all different sizes and range in price. Because you will paint them, glue things to them, and could even hand-stitch things to them, you don't need to buy the pricier versions. Both of the canvases below are 16" x 20".

 
This is a canvas that I made last summer, because I needed a bright spot for my living room. I used a combination of fabric, paper, and paper accents, and painted the canvas with acrylic paint first. I found that thick tacky glue, like Aleene's Craft Glue, is best for attaching elements to a canvas.

 
This one hangs in my daughter Josie's room. I am especially proud of the blades of grass that I cut from a large piece of oilcloth that I was originally going to make into a tablecloth!

And here is a tiny version:

 
The canvas itself is only 3" square! But I couldn't help but buy it when I saw it (I have a love for mini things!). My sister is a Photoshop whiz, and she took an old photo of me and my mom (I'm the baby in the wagon) and gave us wings. She originally intended the altered photo to be part of a necklace charm (she also makes jewelry - she's amazing!), but it is the perfect size for my mini canvas. After covering the canvas with a scrap of patterned paper, I finished it off with a length of vintage silk ribbon and a tiny buckle I found in my button stash. Little things like this make me so happy!

Here's a cute canvas project from Melissa Kaiserman:

 
I want to make something like this right now! I love the ric-rack stems on her flowers. And I know that I have lots of bits of ribbon and buttons that I could use up. (see the inspiration for her project at http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-flower-wall-art.html)

If you aren't in the mood for a big project like a canvas, how about a quick accent that goes together in minutes? Subway art is so popular right now, that it is easy to find the perfect saying for your home on Etsy or quite a few blogs. Or maybe you are a designer yourself? I love having quotes on my walls, but I like to change them on a whim. When I make a quick piece of art like this, I don't feel bad putting it away after awhile. Here's what I did in fifteen minutes: I found and printed a free quote here on my home computer (you could also download and send to your favorite printing service), found a random piece of cardboard that was a bit larger than 8"x10" (keep that great cardboard!), covered the cardboard in a cute button print paper using a glue stick, attached a fabric-covered brad to the heart on the quote, and used pop-dots to attach the quote to the background. Ta-dah! I've gone a step further before and punched two holes at the top to hang the quote with wide ribbon.

And here's the project you have been waiting for: actually adhering your favorite patterned paper and/or fabric right to your walls. Kind of like quilting on your walls without the trouble of stitching!

 
Aly Dosdall used Modpodge to attach some of her favorite patterned paper directly to the wall of her scrap space. Doesn't that look so cool? She does note that if she had it to do over again, she probably wouldn't use Modpodge. So maybe she could use something that I recently heard about here, using liquid starch to attach paper and fabric shapes to walls. Liquid starch can be a bit tricky to find, but when I find some, I'm going to try it and let you know how it works. I have a little project in mind using sillouettes of my kids...

I'll leave you today with a project by Melissa that I just couldn't resist, it's so darn cute!

 
That pennant lampshade trim makes me sew happy! And if you didn't have fabric, you could use some cute scraps of paper (although they wouldn't be as flexible).

Come back tomorrow for Give.Away.Day! I hear there's something really inspiring to be won!

 

It's Sew Special! Stitching and paper.

Hi friends! I'm "sew" happy to see you again (sorry for the pun - I couldn't help myself!). Today I thought I would show you a few ways to incorporate easy stitching accents on your pages and projects. There are a few ways to go about doing this, and one doesn't even involve thread or a needle!

If you want to include a bit of stitching on your layouts, the easiest way is to actually run your paper through a sewing machine (any old model with a straight or zigzag stitch will do). Much like stitching on fabric, if you can follow a straight line, you are ready to go. And even if you can't , it will just add a bit of charm to your layout. Check out a few from our friends:

 
Karenika likes to use a simple straight stitch on layouts. Don't you love how she chose the perky pink for the border? It ties everything together, I think.

 
Here's a layout I completed awhile ago about all the funky clothes my mom sewed us when I was little. I used a messy straight stitch around the edge to compliment the content of my journaling.

How about a more complicated example?

 
Friend of WCS and Flickr participant Alex sent me this example of a layout with stitching. Check out the way she stitched the veins on the leaves!

A few tips about sewing on paper: designate a specific sewing machine needle for paper, because it can dull rather quickly and won't be good for fabric anymore. Start stitching slowly so you can judge how your machine will treat paper. And be careful sewing through any layers of paper or fabric that have recently been glued together, as this can gum up your machine and needle quickly!

If you aren't quite ready to start on a full page layout, maybe you could break yourself in by making a simple bookmark. My sister gave me a few of these for Mothers' Day a few years ago, and I think they make great gifts.

 Start by searching your scrap paper bin for a few complimentary strips of paper. You will need two that are 2" x 9" and one that is 8 1/2" x 1 1/2". If you like, you can also punch out a 1 " circle for the top and cut a piece of wide ribbon about 3" long for the tail.

After trimming your paper, place the two larger pieces on top of each other and place the smaller piece on top. Glue all of this together lightly with a glue stick, leaving an opening on one end to slide the ribbon in. After the glue dries, slide the ribbon in between the two large pieces and warm up your sewing machine!

 

Using a basic stitch, such as a straight stitch or zigzag, carefully slide your bookmark through your machine, sewing all the layers together. Ta-dah! You are a pro. Now make several more to give away!

If you aren't in possession of a sewing machine, or don't want to go to all that trouble, there is a cheating (read easy) way of adding the look of stitching to your layouts, cards, and other projects. It involves a few easily obtained tools, but it's totally machine-free!

Grab a paper-piercing tool or sharp needle, a measuring tool (I have a paper-piercing template), a mat to pierce on (or an old magazine), and a reliable white gel pen. {There has been on on-going debate about the perfect white pen to use for journaling, doodling, and drawing. Some say that the Unibal Signo is the ultimate white pen, some like the Souffle, and I used a basic Gelly Roll white. Do you have a preference?}

Using a template (mine is from Stampin' Up and has holes to punch through, but you could just as easily use a ruler), make small holes equal distance apart along the line that you would like to have stitching.

 
After you have made all your holes, take away your template and pick up your white pen. Carefully draw a line between holes, skipping every other one to mimic the look of sewing. Steady!

 
Up really close, it doesn't look a lot like thread, but from a distance, no one will notice. And it's kinda fun to do! Now make several cards using this technique as a border, and package them up nice. Then print yourself some cute sewing-inspired tags  here and give a bit of yourself to someone you love.

 
Whew! I'm off to sew a few things for tomorrow. Come back for some stitched home decor and a reason to buy some liquid starch (yeah, I know. I wasn't sure what it was, either.)

Sew long (ha!),

 

It's Sew Special! A Week of Scrapbooking and Sewing

Good Monday morning my friends! Kelly here, with a week full of stuff that I like - and thought you might like, too. But first, a story:

I come from a long line of sewing ladies. My great-grandmas quilted, and embroidered pillowcases, and whipped up all kinds of clothes out of scraps. My grandmas both sewed more quilts, and Easter dresses, and doll clothes, baby clothes, and more pillowcases. My mom sewed great polyester pjs, prom dresses, curtains, and must have re-covered her couch every few years. So is it any wonder that I grew up and wanted my turn at the sewing machine? My first attempts were with doll clothes and an old Singer sewing machine my great-grandpa gave my sister and me. I didn't use a pattern, and the results were less than beautiful. But I persisted, and learned how to sew straight stitches. I've even made things that people wear!

I love fabric as much as I love paper, so when I started scrapping, I couldn't get very far from ribbon, fabric, and stitching. Happily, paper and fabric can live together, and the seamstress can be a crafter, too. This is a week dedicated to using the two together to add texture, color and a little bit of the sewing world to your pages and projects.

A bit of inspiration:

 
These are just a few of the supplies I used to make projects and pages to show you this week. But you may have noticed that there are quite a few manufacturers that have created sewing themed products lately. In fact, did anyone see this cover?

 

If you have a minute, check it out. There is a whole feature on sewing themed cards and products. It's not hard to incorporate a little ribbon here, and a bit of stitching there. Doesn't that card with the tomato pin cushion just make you want to go to the fabric store?

Look at this beautiful card designed by our own Francine Clouden:

 
Don't you love the way she used lace and fabric flowers to create dimension and a dreamy feel?

 

Here's a page I recently made that celebrates the four generations of women who were gathered at my bridal shower (those sewing greats and grandmas!). I used a bit of canvas as a mat for my photo, a bit of machine stitching to add a border, and a bit of ribbon to make it stand out.

 
Go raid your button box, your ribbon stash, or your scrap-fabric bin, and come back tomorrow for "sew" very much more fun with fabric, stitching, and the seamstress-scrapper.

Imagination

Getting down to the basics: INSPIRATION

Hey everyone. Hope you've enjoyed your week with me. I know I have. I've loved reading everyone's comments...you guys are a hoot!

I wanted to end my week talking a little bit about inspiration, or more specifically color inspiration. It's everywhere. Yes, indeed but sometimes, I have a hard time translating it on to a page. I guess the easiest for me is finding color combinations.

These two books are on my desk right now. Here's the first one:

I love her fabrics and her scrapbook papers. I think I own every one of her designer paper pads. This is just one of the many fabulous pages in the book I used to create a layout:

I never thought to use rust, gray and baby blue as a color combination but here it is:

(Sketch by CZ's Design Your Life class)

The other book on my desk is this monster:

And like the title says, it's huge and full of color. Here's an example of one of the pages:

It gives you the exact colors used to create the packaging. So I took those colors and created this page:

Sometimes I don't even have to look inside a book. Sometimes it's a little bit more obvious like this layout:

I don't know if you can see it very well but Charlie is on this ottoman:

I copied the same pattern that's in my ottoman and found a pattern paper to match it.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite throw pillows:

I love bold. I love black and white. And it carries over to my pages:

Have you ever noticed that your favorite colors you wear the most often are also colors you always pick for your layouts?

Mmm. Chartreuse and gray.

And with that folks, my week has come to an end. My hope is that you scrap a page this weekend. Or two or three.

:)

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