Easy Bedroom Pillows

Once you start sewing, it's easier to keep making things while you have everything already out. That's why, after I made these pillows for our family room, I decided to make a few more for our bedroom. I followed the same amazingly easy pillow pattern from Teal and Lime. Seriously. Easy.

I used the same blue dot fabric from our family room to make two square pillows. And one is in the same fabric that I used to recover the hope chest -- and the last one is just a place mat (yes, for a table), cut open and stuffed to make a pillow, then sewed back up again.

I think they turned out pretty great. My husband finds them to be a little annoying when making the bed. :) But they do add a nice accent to our bedroom, which is slowly coming together into something I love.

Have you completed any sewing projects lately? I would love to see...

December: Creating My Own Kit

I'm sure it's no surprise for me to say, I LOVE scrapbooking kit clubs. I haven't tried them all, but I have been a member of many -- and I have loved each of them. It seems like I always a kit club membership going.

But, like many of you, I have a HUGE scrapbooking stash. Even when I pare down and get rid of what I no longer love, I still have more scrapbooking supplies than I could ever use up. And that's okay -- I love to feed my creativity. But I would like to use more of my stash, instead of continually adding to it.

So, I was all set to get a new Christmas-themed kit for December when I realized that I have several Christmas collections that I haven't even broken open yet. And with the holidays nearly upon us, I didn't want to spend my scrapbooking budget when I have so much I could use, right here on hand. So, I challenged myself to create my own December kit by shopping my own stash, and then I'll use that kit all month long, as if I've just received it from a monthly kit club membership.

My kit will have all the elements I would expect from a monthly kit, but it will come from supplies I already have. And, to make sure I would have plenty of inspiration to create lots of layouts, I'll make sure it's a jumbo kit. :)

After going through my stash, I settled on a collection of papers from Authentique -- the Festive collection. It's a beautiful set of papers and embellishments with a vintage Christmas theme. I then added in coordinating pattern papers, cardstock, embellishments, alphas, and more -- all to create one big, happy kit.

Full kit contents:

• 6 Festive collection 12x12 pattern papers by Authentique
• 8 12x12 pattern papers from my stash
• 8 sheets cardstock -- 4 kraft, 4 vanilla
• Festive collection 12x12 sticker sheet by Authentique 
• 4 packages of dimensional alpha stickers (Thickers, Recollection, Making Memories)
• 6 sheets of flat alpha stickers my stash (Jenni Bowlin, October Afternoon, BasicGrey)
• 2 mistable die-cut border strips
• 1 red shipping tag
• 4 journaling tags
• 1 sheet Apothecary labels in black from Jenni Bowlin Studio
• 1 mistable tag and 1 mistable file folder from Heidi Swapp
• 1 package poinsettia flowers from Recollections
• 1 red and black jewel swirl by Prima
• 3 Charmed Frames by Making Memories
• 2 mistable stars
• 4 green foil chipboard tags
• Red felt die-cut flowers
• Distress Stickles in Clear Rock Candy
• Smooch Spritz in Berry Ice
• Miscellaneous ribbons
• Miscellaneous small embellishments: red sequins, green and red buttons, tiny green brads, metal word, Christmas fabric tag

That's a big kit! As I went through my stash looking for items to coordinate with that original set of papers, I was so surprised by all the items I found. It was actually a lot of fun. My only concession -- I plan to add cardstock as needed as I'm creating my projects during December.

I also knew I would want a couple of new things to supplement my kit, so I gave myself a $15 budget to add in a few new items. I reasoned that $15 is a lot less than I would have spent on a monthly kit and an add-on and a stamp set and who knows what else. :) So I added in these:

I needed some red cardstock to match the papers in the kit -- the reds I had on hand weren't quite what I was looking for. And I had to grab a couple of new embellishments from this year's collections. Here's what I spent:

• Cardstock: $3.40 (10 sheets from Hobby Lobby, on sale 50% off for $0.34 each)
• Echo Park layered chipboard stickers from the Reflections of Christmas collection: $3.49 (from Create4Less.com)
• Making Memories felt stickers from the Mistletoe collection: $4.19 (from Create4Less.com)
• Echo Park decorative brads from the 'Tis the Season collection: $3.99 (from Scrapbook.Steals.com)

Grand total: $15.07

So I went over my budget a little bit. :) I'm okay with that.

I'm so excited to get started creating with my kit! I'll be using it during December as if it has just arrived in the mail to my house, just like a scrapbooking kit club. I'll be posting my projects all  month long as well. This kit has really put me in the Christmas mood.

I challenge you to shop your own stash and create a kit for yourself. I was very surprised at what I had on hand to put into my kit, and it's made me excited about my supplies again. I know you'll feel the same. Create your kit and share it here -- I would love to see it!

Practical Scrappers November Layout Sketch

I have recently found another awesome scrapbooking website -- Practical Scrappers. It's run by a group of awesome ladies, one of whom I met through Kiwi Lane's design team. I love how the world of scrapbooking is all connected by our love of creating stuff with paper and showcasing our family memories. Practical Scrappers features daily inspiration about all areas of scrapbooking and paper crafts. There's so much there -- you have to check it out!

Today, I'm sharing a layout I created, inspired by the November layout sketch at Practical Scrappers. I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to create the layout anyway. :) Here's the sketch:

I love this sketch -- especially those banners and polaroid frames. So, based on the sketch, I created this layout:

I had these photos and this paper collection just waiting for the right layout. I love how it turned out. I used papers from the Here + There collection from Studio Calico and American Crafts Dolce Thickers in aqua and orange. The number stickers and the flair button are from Kelly Purkey at Simon Says Stamp. I used quite a few dies on this layout, which was fun. (I need to do that more often!) The small white alpha letters are cut from the Sticky Note alpha from Quickutz, and the polaroids are from a Quickutz frame die. For the starburst circle, I used this die from Simon Says Stamp. The small banner behind the title is from this die, and the little house is cut with this die.The triangle banners are also cut with a die (I can't find the manufacturer). I then added in little embellishment bits, mostly from Studio Calico (the arrows and wood veneers). I also (of course!) used my Kiwi Lane templates:

• Paisley Place border strips 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B
• Strips 1" and 1/2"

So that's my layout for the November sketch for Practical Scrappers. So glad I got to play along. It was fun to create.

If you haven't visited Practical Scrappers yet, you definitely should! There's always something new to see over there...

A Whole Bunch of Boy Layouts

Last month, I had the wonderful experience of attending a scrapbooking retreat in the mountains of beautiful Colorado with a new group of scrapbooking friends. It was so amazing. I had a blast getting to know everyone -- and I created 24 scrapbooking layouts in three days!

Today, I wanted to share a couple of the layouts I created that weekend. Like this layout I shared already, I used the All About a Boy collection from Echo Park -- my current favorite boy collection. If you have boy layouts to create, you have to get this collection. It is perfect for just about anything boy-related.

First, up, I created this very simple layout with just two photos, a rarity for me. But I loved the background paper so much that I just didn't want to cover it up. I used my Kiwi Lane designer templates to add the little gears and then added in some chipboard letters and embellishments from my stash.

Next up, I created this double-page layout with a sketch from Scrapbook Generation. I again added my Kiwi Lane templates (the tag shape and strips), chipboard letters, and embellishments from my stash. Those cute paper circles with buttons are from Zo-Be Designs on Etsy. Love them!

 

Lastly, this single-page layout, made with Kiwi Lane templates and American Crafts Thickers.

I'm so in love with this collection for all my boy pages! Everything about it says fun and happiness and boys.

Have you created any boy pages lately? I would love to see them...

Sketch 'N Scrap Layout for 2nd Half of November

Sketch 'N Scrap has published their second sketch for November, and I love it. It came out on Friday, and I knew it would be a fun project for the weekend.

Here's my interpretation:

I used the American Crafts Shoreline collection for the papers and the embellishments. The letter stickers are Boardwalk Thickers and Pelican small alphas.

This sketch is so fun - I love the way the photos are clustered together into a collage. A great way to get multiple photos onto a single layout.

Have you checked out the Sketch 'N Scrap blog yet? If not, you should - there are so many ideas there...

KiwI Lane DT Doodles Week 44

It's Monday - time for another awesome sketch from Kiwi Lane. :) I have been getting so many layouts created with these sketches. I love how quickly they come together when the pieces are laid out for you. If you haven't used one of Kiwi Lane's sketches yet, you need to give it a try!

Here's the sketch for this week:

And here's my interpretation:

For this layout, I pulled out a bunch of random photos of my boys from various times, showing them being brothers and being together. I love layouts like this - that show how things change over time. And it's a great way to use up those category drawer photos. It gives them lots of meaning, to see them together in one place.

The Kiwi Lane templates I used:

• Rings 2, 3, and 4
• Tiny Accents 3T (star)
• Celebrate 4 (pinwheel)
• Aspen Court borders 3A and 3B
• Strips 1" and 1/2"

For this layout, I used the All About a Boy collection from Echo Park. It is, hands down, my FAVORITE boy collection right now. I have created several other layouts with this collection that I'll be sharing soon. The colors are fun and bright and just slightly distressed. I love it! I added in some border stickers from Ki Memories, little number stickers from Lily Bee Designs, and American Crafts Thickers in Typo. 

I love this layout! I know I say that every time but I guess that's the whole point of why we do this. Seeing how my boys have changed over the years is amazing and sad at the same time. :)

I challenge you to create a layout bringing photos from different times together on one layout. And use the Kiwi Lane sketch to do it! I'd love to see what you create...

November Feature for Kiwi Lane

I'm so excited to be back on the Kiwi Lane blog today with my November feature project. I created four framed wall art pieces inspired by a Pinterest project. I got to use the incredible papers and embellishments from Teresa Collins' Memorabilia collection. So beautiful and sophisticated! The colors in this collection are just lovely. Plus I got to work with my favorite Kiwi Lane designer templates: Abbie Road and Tiny Shapes.

You will have to head over to the Kiwi Lane blog to see the full project details with lots more photos...

But before you go, how about a chance to win a set of Kiwi Lane Abbie Road border templates? All you have to do is tell me which Kiwi Lane template set is your favorite (or will be!) by:

1. Leaving a comment on this post.
2. Liking my Facebook page and leaving me a quick post there. 

I'll announce the random winner on Nov. 22. Be sure to enter before midnight MST on Nov. 21. (I can only ship to United States - thank you for your understanding.) Good luck!

UPDATED 11/22/13: Carrie Armstrong - you're the winner! Email me at mightycraftyDOTmeATgmail.com to claim your prize.

Sketch 'N Scrap Layout

Have you visited Sketch 'N Scrap yet? I've recently discovered this fun site because Kiwi Lane Designs is the monthly sponsor over there this month. Sketch 'N Scrap features two layout sketches and two card sketches each month. They also give you the opportunity to link up your layout and share it with the online community - and to win a random drawing.

You already know how much I love sketch layouts. So I decided it would be fun to create a layout with their 1st sketch for November 2013.

I love the circle and the layered borders in this sketch. And you know I just had to use my Kiwi Lane templates. Here's my interpretation...

For this layout, I used the Kiwi Lane Aspen Court borders 2A, 2B,and 3A. The papers and embellishments are from October Afternoon's Rocket Age with a few other random papers from my stash. The red star background is a cut file I created for my Silhouette in one of Kerri Bradford's awesome Silhouette classes. I love this cut file - it's gorgeous - but it's crazy hard to pick all those interior pieces off your mat. LOL.

I love how this turned out! The sketch is a great one, with that large circle and grounded design. Lots of possibilities. If you haven't visited Sketch 'N Scrap yet, you should definitely check it out...

Kiwi Lane DT Doodles Week 43

It's Monday - and that means it's time for another great sketch from Kiwi Lane. I had a lot of fun with this one...

I love those rings and the brackets and just everything. Here's my interpretation...

I love these photos! My brother got married this fall, and it was so wonderful to see everyone.

To create this layout, I used these Kiwi Lane templates:

• Paisley Place 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B
• Large Brackets 1
• Bracket 1T
• Strips 1/2"
• Rings 1, 2, and 3
• Sweetheart 2T and 3T

The papers and embellishments are from the KI Flashback collection and the Studio Calico Darling Dear collection. These two lines are fun and eclectic and really go well together. I even used the KI border embellishment packaging to create the long strip on the left-hand page, with the bracket at the bottom to shape that strip. I also used American Crafts Thickers in Roster and Latte.

This was a fun project to put together. I love that these sketches help us to make the most of our Kiwi Lane templates. It's awesome to see the templates put together in different combinations, to really spark our creativity. Don't forget - if you create a layout based on the sketch and link it up on Kiwi Lane's Facebook page or blog, you'll be entered into their weekly drawing...

Have fun creating with this sketch!