SHOW AND TELL with MICHELLE
Find yourself needing a last minute gift? Giving a gift card is quick and easy but what to put it in? Here is an idea you'll love.....and it can be used anytime of year!
Using a medium size envelope you fold it in half then cut the fold on the flap. Adhere the left flap of the envelope as you don't need it to open anymore. The right side is where you'll put the gift card. This is the inside of your holder. Let's go to the front by closing the envelope like a card.
Decorate the front as you would any card front. Here I've gone with a Christmas theme but any theme will work! Before you adhere the layers wrap the card with a ribbon and adhere to the envelope. Now add your layers.
Coming January 6, 2026..... New Products!
There are a lot of fun new products on the horizon for all us crafters! A NEW Mini Catalog and New Online products! It's like Christmas all over again!
Here is a peek at the Fragrant Layers Bundle. A beautiful spray of flowers with both an outline and fill in stamp making it super easy to color your flowers! Add to that some accent flowers, leaves and sentiments this is a set you will use often! Plus...the coordinating die gives you even more options! Use the die with the stamps or on their own....it all works to make beautiful projects.
Welcome to a new sketch from our team at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. Every Monday we give you a new sketch to inspire you. Our blog opens for entries on Wednesday. Here is the sketch for this week.
I love the sketch and had fun making this card. The Gold Foiled Tags are a perfect way to create the sentiment layer and have a touch of gold to take it up a notch. After that is was easy to create a design cluster for the left side of the card.
I already had some extra ornaments, tops and a ribbons all ready to go so this was a great way to use some of them. I die cut a branch and got to work finishing the design. A few sparkle sequins on the tag was a nice finishing touch.
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| Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge |
For our end of the year Color Dare Challenge we give you two challenges both starting today and running through until Jan. 2nd. Since it's such a busy time of year this gives us a bit of a break but still lets you escape to the craft room for some needed peace, quiet and crafting time!
Color Dare #684 is all about using Pastel colors. Don't let any Bold colors sneak into your project! The Bold colors belong on Color Dare #683! We do let you use some Free colors: black, white, neutrals and metallics. But that's it....Pastels and the Free colors!
Wednesday I started this post about scrapping black and white photos. I showed the left page then and promised the right page for the challenge going live today. The first photo shows you the full double layout with a total of 4 photos. The design I created keeps it fairly simple with the pink accenting the black, gray and white of the photos.
Let's scroll down and take a closer look at the right page.
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| Right side page |
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| Left side page |
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| Close-up of flower cluster |
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| Direct link to Color Dare #684 |
Hello, how are you doing today? Feel like using up some of the many scraps that seem to accumulate overnight? There are many ways to use those paper strips left when trimming papers and this is just one of the ways. It's one I saw inspired by Dawn Griffith and couldn't wait to try it myself. I did put a bit of my own spin on it as I was crafting.
First, pick out 3 pieces of DSP for your card front. My strips are 3/4" x 4.1/4". The gold layer for each is 7/8" x 4-3/8". The sentiment layers are a bit larger: 3/4" x 3-3/4" and 1" x 4".
The background was embossed then lightly colored with a blending brush and ink. The sentiment layer is also colored with the blending brush.
A ribbon was added to the sentiment layer before popping it up on Stampin' Dimensionals. Some gems were added to bring in a bit more sparkle.
So now I have used at least 3 of the scraps I've kept for just such an occasion! Change out the sentiment and this can brr down for any occasion!
Today I want to share with you how to use Black & White photos in scrapbooking. Since there are no additional colors to use for inspiration you can go in a lot of directions with color. For this layout I decided to use pink to accent the photo for two reasons: I like how pink looks with black and gray tones and I needed a project using pastel colors for a Color Dare Challenge going live on Friday. Some other colors to go with black and white could be red, blue, yellow or even just stay with a black and white theme!
Before I even sat down I envisioned this photo with a half circle of flowers on one side. the base is a piece of 12" x 12" Two Tone Pretty in Pink cardstock. I used the lighter side to create a contrast with the ink.
The stamped and die cut flowers are in two sizes from the Petals of Beauty Bundle using the same Pretty in Pink but on the darker side of the cardstock. I also die cut some Vellum leaves to tuck around the flowers. I love how Vellum is such a great supporting actor in a design. Some of the flowers are popped up on Dimensionals and all the flowers have a pretty, sparkly Rhinestone in the center.
I used a Mini Alphabet die to cut a title which fit perfectly along the right edge of the 5" x 7" photo. My journalling was printed on Pretty in Pink cardstock.
After all of this the layout still looked plain and unfinished. There was so much pink space! I thought about stamping some flowers around the out area but I thought that would look to busy and take your eye away from the focal point...the photo. As you can see I ultimately decided to shade around the outside with a blending brush, this time using Flirty Flamingo ink as there wasn't enough contrast using the Pretty in Pink ink. By shading around the outside of the page it created a vignette effect where there is a shadowed perimeter going into a brighter center. It naturally draws your eye to the center!
The quality of the photo isn't the greatest since it's so old, but sometimes you have to work with what you have. The important part is getting the photo in a scrapbook so it can be enjoyed and passed on to future generations.
Right now I'm working on the right page for this double layout. Come back Friday to see the completed double layout and how I scrapped 3 black & white photos for page 2.
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| Close-up of a flower cluster |
Our Pop Up Petals Bundle is just what you need to make easy pop up cards! With the dies and coordinating stamp set you are all set to create...
