December 2014 Blog Posts

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12.09.14
Hi Simple Stories fans, Rebecca here with some DIY Christmas projects for the holidays season.  I loved the original Simple Stories DIY line so I was pretty excited about the DIY Christmas collection and it does not disappoint! The mix of chalkboard black, Kraft and graphic designs is a different twist on a holiday collection so everything you create with this line will look fresh and trendy.
 
I used DIY Christmas to get my December Daily started.
 
 
The Card Foundations, Layers, and Advent Bits and Pieces make putting together a daily album quick and easy.
 
 
Stay tuned to my blog as I start to fill in this album with our first December pictures! 
For you layout makers there are plenty of beautiful 12x12 patterned papers too.
 
 
But let's not forget the cardmakers! DIY Christmas includes a 6x6 pads and fun embellishments like chipboard stickers, epoxy dots and brads that make creating handmade cards a breeze.
 
 
Last, but not least, how about a home decor project? I created these Christmas pinwheels with DIY Christmas papers, brads and chipboard stickers.
 
 
There are a million other uses for DIY Christmas including gifts, treat wrappers, banners and more! What are you DIY-ing with DIY Christmas this season? Here's to hoping all your projects are magical and your holidays are happy!
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12.08.14
Hello everybody ! It's Mindi here with you today. I am so excited to be sharing a few of my 2013 December Daily pages featuring the wonderfully festive DIY Christmas. Can you believe it's already December ?  I don't know about you but I sure am looking forward to the holidays. 
 
This was Day 11, which included a scavenger hunt and some elf mischief. 
 
The family packed up in the car that night for a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt.  All the kids were armed with clipboards and pencils as they piled in the back of our van. We had the Christmas music playing as we drove around many of the neighborhoods looking for lights. The kids were so excited to be able to cross things off their list when they were spotted.
 
 
Even though it was dark I wanted to include a fun photo of our adventure. I also wanted to be able to tell that it was in fact dark outside, so I snapped one from my seat in the front with my phone.  I added my photo to one of the journaling cards and added some embellishments. 
 
Harry the elf also got added into Day 11. We caught him and Rex the Dinosaur having a snowball fight with some mini marshmallows. 
 
 
The DIY Christmas collection is so fun ! I love all the different stickers, embellishments, and fun journaling cards. I started out my journaling with a 4x6 card and added the word sticker "holiday" at the top. Finishing it off with some personal touches using some chipboard pieces and enamel dots. 
 
 
I really wanted to include a print out of the Scavenger Hunt that we used in my album, especially since I didn't have many photos of the event. It turned out real easy to resize it to 6x8 and print it out. Instead of leaving it plain I decided to embellish it a little bit. I added some pen doodling around the edges and the some embellishments in the middle. 
 
 
Thank you so much for joining me today. I want to wish you all a very magical and wonderful holiday season. 
 
Supplies :
 
DIY Christmas :

 

Supplies
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12.06.14
Hello everyone!
 
Today I'm sharing with you a layout and a card that I created using Cozy Christmas and the DIY Christmas collections.  They are so much fun to work with!
 
First of all let me share my layout with you.  I created this using some photos from last christmas.
 
 
I used the 4x12 strips across the lower portion of the layout to add some extra colour on the dark background paper and a bit of depth.  I also used a 3x4 journal card behind the left photo. 
 
 
I embellished with lots of stickers from the Cozy Chrismtas and DIY Christmas collections, along with some Clear Stickers on my photos.  I love how those look.
 
 
I also added a few enamel dots to the ornament tops.
 
 
It was very simple & easy to put this layout together ... because Simple Stories just makes it so EASY!!
 
 
I also created this Christmas card along with an envelope using the new DIY Christmas.  This new release makes it so easy to create a card in a matter of minutes!! Seriously.  That's all it took me.  And I could have taken a long time figuring out what products to use normally but this system is so amazing & quick!
 
 
I just created a few layers onto the patterned paper Card Front using the Card Layers & Journal Layers. After tying some string around a few pieces I then just adhered it to the card front using some 3d dimensional stickers for added depth. And voila!
 
 
I finished the set off by using one of the envelope wraps onto the bottom section of a DIY Christmas kraft envelope.  This really makes the set complete.  I love the look!
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!!
 
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12.04.14

Hello, hello Simple Stories fans! Have you started gearing up for the December holidays? Do you have your holiday shopping done? Are you busy making holiday treats? No matter what you're up to, I hope you make time for holiday crafting because both the Cozy Christmas and DIY Christmas collections are perfect for documenting your holiday memories.

Today I'm sharing a layout with you featuring some delicious holiday treats. Seriously, you can't eat just one. I'll also show you a pretty way to package holiday treats for gifting to neighbors, teachers, mail carriers, etc. and share the recipe for these delicious confections.
 
First up is the layout, Rolo Pretzel Confections. I used a mix of Cozy Christmas and DIY Christmas on here.
 
 
You may have noticed by now how much I love layering on my projects. This page is no exception. Here's a look at the trailing cluster of elements, starting at the bottom of the page. I used a mix of stickers, chipboard and die cuts. I even removed the front of a Cozy Christmas Sn@p pocket to start the whole thing off ("believe" file folder piece).
 
 
The layering continues at the top of the page as well. Here's a look at the mix of elements there.
 
 
Now let's take a look at a pretty way to package holiday treats. I purchased this polka dot gable box at Target and decorated it with elements from the DIY Christmas collection. I used a mix of die cuts, chipboard, enamel dots and stickers.
 
 
Before I go, here's the recipe I promised. Don't say I didn't warn you...they're addicting!
 
1 bag square waffle pretzels
1 bag Rolo candies, unwrapped
1 bag pecan halves
 
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
 
2. Line pretzels up on the prepared cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with one Rolo candy.
 
3. Bake 3-5 minutes or until the Rolo begins to soften, but not melt.
 
4. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Top each Rolo with a pecan half, pressing in gently.
 
5. Cool completely.
 
6. Enjoy!

 

Comments
12.03.14
Hi everyone! Nichol here today with one of my favorite projects every year, scrapbooking Christmas Card Photos from friends and family. I have an entire album (or two!) dedicated to recording those treasures that come in the mailbox during the holiday season. Today I have two two-page layouts to share with you. 
 
This first page share showcases some of the photo cards we received last year at Christmas-time. I used the beautiful Cozy Christmas Collection, using the gorgeous bokeh background of the Sparkle Flurries/Ledger Paper.
 
 
I die cut a title from a Kerri Bradford Studio cut file  and added stickers from the Fundamental Cozy Christmas sticker sheet and Cozy Christmas enamel dots for added color and interest. I used number stickers from the Cozy Christmas Expressions 12x12 Cardstock Sticker Sheet on each photo to correspond back to the journaling.
 
 
I added the fun hanging ornament stickers from the Cozy Christmas Fundamentals Sticker Sheet along the top edge of the two-page spread for a pop of color and interest.
 
 
I randomly added sticker phrases to a couple of the photos and finished the page with a bit of stamping above the journaling and some Cozy Christmas Fundamentals heart stickers and Bits and Pieces die cuts.
 
 
My second layout features the remaining photos from 2012 that I hadn’t scrapbooked. I used the DIY Christmas Collection for this page and a green/cream/black color scheme.
 
 
I layered stickers from the DIY Christmas Sentiment Stickers on a piece of Grinch Green DIY Christmas paper. I printed a sub-title above the stickers and finished the title block with additional stickers from the DIY Christmas Icon Stickers and DIY Christmas enamel dots.
 
 
I added number stickers from the DIY Christmas Word/Letters Stickers on each photo to correspond back to the journaling. I finished the page with heart stickers, enamel dots and phrase stickers.
 
 

 

Comments
12.01.14

Hi everyone! Allison here with a layout using the fun DIY Christmas collection. I've also got a new sketch to share with you that combines traditional scrapbooking with the SN@P! Pocket Pages.





You can download the full sketch with measurements and placements here.



The right side of the sketch uses the SN@P! Pocket Page, Design 9 and the left side follows a traditional style of layout design. Here is my layout based on the sketch:







I got to take a trip down memory lane with these pictures of my now 9-year-old son Drew. Every year I take the pictures for our Christmas card and each year I try to do something different. I think Drew loved this year the most because he had a sweet and tasty prop to occupy him while I snapped his picture. We ended up with messier pictures than I had planned but his smile was so cute I didn't care!







I am in love with the DIY Christmas collection! There are so many fun options and elements to create and add your own unique touches to your projects. I used the "Merry & Bright" paper as the background and simply added my pictures and pieces from the DIY Christmas collection around that.







I added a few banner strips from the A2 Card Layers package and finished it with some hand stitching and the "cheer" arrow.







I framed the "Merry & Bright" with some Christmas trees, hearts, and enamel dots. I also added a little candy cane to one of the trees.







I used more of the banner strips and a scallop strip with some hearts to the top of the photos.







I added one more banner strip to the top left corner of the page and finished it with some hearts and enamel dots and hand stitching.







For the right page I used a combination of card and photos with the SN@P! Pocket Page, Design 9.







In the top pocket I used a 4x12" strip accent with 2x2" photos.







I also added more banner strips, hearts, and a title to the 4x12" strip.







There are three 6x4" pockets on the SN@P! Pocket Page but I didn't use any 6x4" photos. All of the photos I wanted to use were vertical photos and I wanted to include a lot more. My simple solution was to break the 6x4" pockets/photos into two 3x4" photos.







I couldn't resist using the cute candy canes so I created a card to fit the candy cane theme of the layout. I added some stitching and few hearts to finish the card.







I created another card to use as my journaling space. I layered a few pieces and added some hearts and a candy cane to finish it.



I'm using the 12x12 SN@P! faux leather album in black for all of my Life Documented layouts. The quality of the faux leather is fantastic and I love the stitching accent on them. I also used the 12x12 SN@P! Pocket Pages, Design 9 from the Variety Pack. I enjoy using several different styles of Pocket Pages and since the Variety Pack has so many great options, I have a lot to choose from!



I hope you all enjoy the new Life Documented sketch and I wish everyone a fun and memorable holiday season!

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