Ideas to Inspire with Kiwi Lane and We R Memory Keepers

Once upon a time, I was a fun mom and did lots of fun artsy craftsy things with my kids… mostly because I had a little girl who had not reached the teen years and still liked me.  Now I have a little boy who doesn’t want to do anything that doesn’t involve a circuit board.  *sigh*  Anyway, when I was a fun mom, we spent an afternoon making tie-dyed paper using food coloring and shaving cream.  If you've never seen this process, go HERE  and take a gander.  It’s fun and messy!  And we ended up with some cool looking card stock that looked like this:

I had never used it because it isn’t acid free or safe for scrapbooks and looked a little too juvenile to be paired with the cards I usually make.  So it sat in a paper bag for a few years until I pulled it out a few months ago.  It was sitting on my desk, waiting to be turned into something wonderful, when my new punch board arrived, along with some cards from the Hip Hip Hooray! Albums Made Easy Card Set and matching twine.  And my tie dyed paper matched!  (Well, close enough.)  So I set to work making some candy boxes. If you don’t know how the punch boards work, you need to head on over HERE and check out the videos!  Again, I am using the Candy Box Punch Board, but there are many others.  It’s super easy, as the instructions for the boards are printed right on them.  I cut my paper to 7” by 11”, lined up the paper, punched and scored as instructed, flipped the paper, punched and scored some more and this is what it looked like:

I used some super strong double sided tape to make my box and it looked like this:

Whenever my kids have a friend birthday party to attend, I encourage them to give their friends art supplies.  A long candy box is perfect to house some pencils (out of the packaging), a glue stick (again, out of the packaging), and some erasers!

After I stuffed my box and closed the ends with baker’s twine, I used a card from the Albums Made Easy Card Set for a tag and decorated with some templates like so:

I still had lots of the tie dyed paper left, and I wanted to do a birthday themed card and envelope set, so I used my Envelope Punch Board to make an envelope for a 3 1/2” by 4 1/2” card (the measurements you need are right on the board- super easy!).  The envelope looked kind of boring, so again I used my Kiwi Lane templates to decorate it:

Then I used another card from the Albums Made Easy Card Set for the basis of a card.  I simply matted it with some polka dot paper, chomped the corners with my WRMK Corner Chomper and put the card and mat on a 7” by 4 1/2” card base (folded in half, of course, to make a 3 1/2” by 4 1/2” card):

Here’s the final result of my tie dye paper crafting, with the help of my Kiwi Lane templates and some We R Memory Keepers tools:

I hope you enjoyed my project- and I hope it inspired you!

Templates used:

Happy Trails 1B

Tiny Accents 4T

Tiny Celebrate 1T, 4T, 6T

Tiny Shapes 7T

Delight 1

Some Cards with the NEW Kiwi Lane Template Release!!

I'm a little late with this post, but here's the scoop anyway...

Did ya hear?!  Kiwi Lane has released 3... yes, THREE!!... new template sets.  They are all sets that are awesome for cards, but could be incorporated in any of your crafting.  Two sets (Sincerely and Delight) are card border sets and the third set is Tiny Celebrate (a mini version of the larger Celebrate accessory set).  I was giddy when I got these goodies in the mail and was itching to get to work, but a fierce cold had other plans for me.  Blurg.  After spending a few days in bed with a fever, chills, body aches, stuffy head and runny nose (sounds.... fun, huh?), I was thrilled when I was well enough to dive in to my pile of paper scraps!  Here are a few of my creations:

 Templates:

Tiny Celebrate 5T, Sincerely 2A & 2B, Tiny Shapes 2T & 7T, Tiny Strips 1/2"

Supplies:

Patterned paper (SEI); card stock (DCWV, Georgia Pacific); twine (American Crafts); jewel (Doodlebug); brads (Basic Grey); ink (Ranger, craft supply); stamp (Fiskars)

 Templates:

Tiny Celebrate 1T, 2T & 8T, Celebrate 2

Supplies:

Cardstock (DCWV, Georgia Pacific); patterned paper (SEI, Imaginisce); ink (Ranger, craft supply); brads (Basic Grey); embossing powder (EK Success); stamp (Fiskars); twine (American Crafts)

 Templates:

Tiny Accents 3T, Tiny Celebrate 7T, Sincerely 3A & 3B

Supplies:

Cardstock (Bazzill, Georgia Pacific), patterned paper (SEI), brad (SEI), enamel dots (Teresa Collins), ink (Ranger), stamp (Studio G), wahsi tape (WRMK)

Templates:

Delight 4, Tiny Nature 1T, Tiny Shapes 7T

Supplies:

Cardstock (Georgia Pacific, DCWV, Provo Craft); patterned paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); stamp (American Crafts); ink (Ranger)

Aren't you just in love with that mustache card?!  I am, and I'm the one who made it!!  While there's not a Kiwi Lane Template for a mustache, you can easily make one using the leaf from the Tiny Nature Accessory set- just flip it back to back (overlap the stem part of the leaf) and trace two and that's it!  Easy, right?

So if you have some time, I'd strongly suggest you head on over to the Kiwi Lane blog to see all the beautiful samples they have for the new releases.  And you could even buy them, if you feel so inclined. ;)

February Blog Hop Winner Winner!!

Good morning!  Just thought I'd hop on here really quick and announce the winner of the additional prize from the Kiwi Lane Blog hop last weekend since... well, since I said I would today.  And I try really hard to do what I say I will.  :)

The winner of a set of templates from me is.....

 Robin B. said...

Cute layout! I love the colors along with the shell and flower. Thanks for sharing. Our favorite vacation spot is Young State Park, we camp there every year.

Congrats Robin!  Please send me an email at glo_owens(at)msn(dot)com by 11:59 p.m. MST on Thursday, February 27, 2014 letting me know that you are the blog hop winner from my blog.  I'll let you choose your fave template set from my stash- sound good?  I thought so!

That's it for today- have a great day and happy scrapping!

Ideas to Inspire with Kiwi Lane and Hemptique

Happy Wednesday!  I feel like I was just doing a blog post... maybe because this is my third one in four weeks... a rarity, for sure!  Hope you're not too tired of me yet! ;)

For this installment of Ideas to Inspire for Kiwi Lane, I was given the opportunity to work with a company I've never worked with before. Gasp!  What?  A crafting company whose product I don't already have in my stash?!  Seriously.  It happens.  And much more often than people may think.  Especially after they view my wall-o-supplies that lines the dining area in our house.  One day I should share that with the world.  But not today.  Today, I get to share with you wonderful product from Hemptique!

I was, oh, so happy when I was sent some of Hemptique's metallic hemp cord!  This is what it looks like:

I had lots of visions of the billions of projects I could do with it, but then realized that I had to narrow it down just a bit.... to one project, to be more accurate.  So I decided to use it like I would use embroidery floss and stitch on a layout.  Hemp cord is a little bit thicker and stiffer than embroidery floss, but it's still fairly easy to work with.  Here's the layout I came up with:

I framed my page using the Kiwi Lane Templates:

And then after I traced, cut, inked and replaced:

Supplies: patterned paper, cardstock stickers (My Mind's Eye); sequins (Teresa Collins Design); cord (Hemptique); stitching template, letter stickers (American Crafts); paper flowers (Prima); pen (Staedtler); ink (Ranger)

(I used My Mind's Eye's Lucky in Love collection.... and yes, I changed my mind about the background paper after I had everything laid out- it happens a lot.  One of the advantages of using the templates!)

I started working with my Hemptique cord and realized that it wasn't quite the color I wanted- all the hemp was natural color and the metallic strings are intertwined.  I knew I wanted the metallic, but decided to see if the hemp would take color.  So I conducted a little experiment- I put a length of cord in a plastic baggie and sprayed some ink in the bag and squished the cord around in the ink.  And it worked!  A little too well, actually.  I ended up rinsing the cord to remove some of the blue color because it was so dark it looked almost black- pretty, but not quite right for my project.

So what was I going to stitch?  I wasn't sure, but then I saw an advertisement for a sale on fabric at a craft store.  Muslin and tulle.  I thought that they would be fairly easy to cut and stitch, so off to the store I went!  I made my huge purchase of 12" of white muslin and 12" of pink tulle (a whoppin' 56 cents worth of fabric) and ran home to get to work!  Seriously, kids, I don't remember the last time I was this excited to work with fabric and string.... probably never.

I started by tracing the flower shape from the Sweetheart accessory set onto the muslin, cut it out, then realized that I didn't really want to stitch around a flower shape.  That's too complicated.  ;)  So I opted to use the larger circle in the Shapes Tiny Accessory template set.  I cut a layer of muslin and a layer of tulle (netting) and also a circle of pink lightweight cardstock to add some stability.  I used the smaller circle from the same set to pierce holes to stitch through.  Towards the end of stitching the circle, I thought it would be fun to make the circle into a shaker box... sort of.  So I threw some sequins in between the muslin and tulle and finished stitching.  The circle became the middle of the large flower.  I tore strips of the white muslin to run through the entire layout and stitched some pink x's on the border.

While I never would have thought to use hemp cording on a scrapbook page before this, I'm certainly glad I got to try it!  I love the way it turned out!!  Hemptique makes other cording, string and yarn out of natural fibers like cotton and bamboo- some are natural colored and some are dyed.  They even have some cute looking bamboo bakers twine that I'm looking forward to getting my hands on some!

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!  Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the announcement of the winner from the Kiwi Lane blog hop!

Templates used:

• Sweetheart 1, 3
• Clara 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B
• Tiny Shapes 3T, 7T
• Thoughtful 2A, 2B
• Strips
• Photos
• Tiny Photos

February Blog Hop with Kiwi Lane

Happy Blog Hop Weekend!!  I hope you've been having fun along this hop and have been gathering lots and lots of scrapbooking inspiration.  You should have made your way here through Kristy's blog.  If you happened to wander over from another location, I highly suggest you mosey on back to the Kiwi Lane blog and start from the beginning- I'd hate for you to miss any ideas!  Here's the line-up if you get lost along the way:

1. Kiwi Lane 
2. Charissa Miller 
3. Claire Spielman
4. Lissa Mitchell
5. Kristy MacKeen 
6. Gail Owens (You are HERE!!)
7. Arin Flynn 
8. Holly Gagnon 
9. Jennifer Blomquist
10. Christine Meyer

Don't forget- there's a prize involved in this blog hop!  One random commenter from ONE of the blogs on the hop (including the Kiwi Lane blog) will win a $25 gift certificate to the Kiwi Lane Shop.  You have until Sunday night (February 9, 2014) at 11:59 p.m. MST to comment.  The winner will be announced on the Kiwi Lane blog on Thursday, February 13th.

Alrighty... here's what I came up with for my project:

Supplies:  patterned paper, journaling cards, title, stickers, brads, washi tape (My Mind's Eye); cardstock (craft supply); flower (Doodlebug Design); flower punch (American Crafts); black pen (Staedler); white pen (Signo); ink, glitter glue (Ranger).

These photos were taken at the beach on Tybee Island in Georgia a few years ago.  It was really misty and cool the morning we went, so all my photos turned out gray and tan.  I decided to use the subtle blue, gray and greens of My Mind's Eye's The Sweetest Thing- Bluebell collection.  I layered the border designer templates on the bottom of the layout to echo the water meeting the sand.  I used a navy blue cardstock to mat my photos and really have them pop- did it work?  I think it did! ;)  And I used some accessory templates from both the Paradise and Sweetheart sets to add a few embellishments. 

 I find that sometimes outlining the template shapes helps to add another layer of dimension without adding bulk to a page, so I outlined the blue shapes (the swirl on the left page and the splat on the right) with just a white pen.  I outlined the flower and shell shapes with the same white pen, but I also did an outline with a black pen on top of the white when it dried (not right on top of the white line, but close) and then some "Frosted Lace" Stickles on top of the pen outlines.  Sounds kind of complicated, but it's really a fast and simple way to add some more interest to your pages- give it a try sometime!

Templates used: 

Clara Lane 1A & 1B
Abbie Road 3A & 3B
Aspen Court 3A & 3B
Sweetheart 4
Tiny Sweetheart 1T
1/2" Strips
Paradise 3, 4, 5, 6

I hope you enjoyed my layout today!  Don't forget to leave a comment on my blog before you leave- you could win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane Shop, remember?  And next on your hop is the blog of the ever so talented Arin Flynn!  

How would you like a chance to win another prize?  I have a few sets of templates hanging around my craft table and I would love to give one of those sets away to one random commenter on this blog post.  Just tell me where your favorite vacation spot is, and you'll be entered to win.  That's it- easy peasy!  Your vacation spot comment doesn't have to be a separate comment.  I will choose a random commenter to win their choice of templates from my desk.  You have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 9, 2014 to leave a comment and I will choose a winner on Monday, February 10th.  Don't forget to check back to see if you've won!  Or, better yet, follow my blog!!

Have a great day and happy scrapping!

Ideas to Inspire with Kiwi Lane and ADORNit

Hey there!  I've been away from my blog for quite a spell, and I've kind of missed it!  I was actually scheduled to participate in Kiwi Lane's January blog hop, but had to move to February's instead because of an unfortunate accident involving a glass of milk, my laptop and a very clumsy and repentant 4 year old... it was just sad.  And expensive.  So for Christmas (well, more like New Year's) we got a new computer.  And I've been relearning everything!  If you know me at all, you probably know I don't like change.  I'll do it, but I don't like it.  This whole new computer debacle is the same deal- I'll get a new one, but I'm not going to like it.  Let's just say I feel old and computer clumsy and leave it at that, shall we? Uhm hmm. :)

Moving on...

This month I was sent ADORNit's Sunflower Splendor collection to work with.  As soon as I saw the papers and stickers, I was in love with the tones of yellow, blue, red, brown, green and gray in this collection and I knew they would compliment some photos of our corn maze meanderings a few October's ago while visiting family in Georgia.  So I got to work framing my layout with Kiwi Lane templates and this is what I came up with: 

(Yup, horrible picture.... I just think getting good photos of the templates is rather difficult.  That's where PhotoShop would come in, but this new computer seems to have eaten my new program.   See?  My dislike of computers is not single sided... ;) )

And after a little tracing, cutting, inking and adhering (seriously, it took about 30 minutes once I had it laid out- I just love my Kiwi Lane templates!), I had this: 

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts, Bazzill); patterned paper, wood, stickers (ADORNit); ink, dimensional adhesive (Glossy Accents by Ranger); stamps (My Mind's Eye, American Crafts); glitter glue (American Crafts); circle punch (Marvy Uchida)

I just love the fall tones with the blue!  I thought the printed sunflowers needed a little bit of extra bling, so I used some glitter glue along with a dimensional adhesive to add some sparkle and shine.

I am also in love with ADORNit's laser cut wood shapes- they're fantastic!  I considered using ink on them to change the color, but decided to keep it natural, as it was a good match to the dried corn stalks and hay in my photos.  And the natural wood is a perfect compliment to the Sunflower Splendor collection! 

(What's with the blues being different in every photo?  Seriously!!  This photo ^^ has the truest color, if you were as confused as I am by the inconsistency of color.  One day I'll have my new computer figured out and I'll find where Photoshop is hiding... one day...)

I should mention that the glitter glue and Glossy Accents I added to the small sunflower on the title was not completely dry when I took the photo and thus looks warped.  It did dry a few minutes later and is flat, sparkly and pretty. :)

I love the look of stitching on layouts, but I tend to shy away from it since it takes a while.  I'm all about short cuts, so I found a stamp by My Mind's Eye that could pass for some long stitches and, with some dark brown distress ink, made some fake stitches around the blue background paper and the kraft paper on the opposite page.  Doing the stamped stitches around squares on each page, but different sizes, adds continuity and draws the eye over the pages.  

I hope you enjoyed looking at my layout today- and I hope you found something in there to help you be inspired!

Templates used:

Chevron 1A & 1B, 3A & 3B

Tiny Nature 1T, 3T, 5T

Winter 1

Write From the Heart with Kiwi Lane Designs and Authentique

Hello again!  It seems like it's been a long time since I've been on my blog... I think the holidays took over a little bit.    And they'll probably continue to take up most of my time for at least the next few weeks.  Blurg.  I think I'd rather be scrapbooking than... well, almost anything else that doesn't involve making more memories! ;)

It's my turn on the Kiwi Lane blog today, and I have a layout to share for our "Write From the Heart" segment.  If you're new to my blog or don't know about Kiwi Lane, here's the scoop- Kiwi Lane is a small, family owned and operated business that creates templates that make your scrapbooking a whole lot easier!  And everyone at Kiwi Lane is always overflowing with inspiration and creativity!!  You should definitely check them out, if you haven't already!

For this installment of Write From the Heart, I was able to work with one of my favorite manufacturers- Authentique!  I have loved them from the get go and their "Joyous" collection is another beautiful collection that those awesome creators have given us to help showcase some of our holiday memories!

Supplies:  cardstock (Core'dinations); patterned paper, die cuts, small letter stickers (Authentique); ink (Ranger); glitter glue (Ranger, American Crafts); brads and flower punch (American Crafts); brown letter stickers (Pebbles, Inc.); washi tape (Downtown Tape); paper bag (craft supply)

As is my specialty, this page has some hidden journaling.  And a rather lengthy explanation of why.

This photo is of me and my Grandpa about 5 years ago.  It's the last photo I have of us together.  The next morning he aspirated on a drink, had a series of strokes and passed away in the hospital on New Year's Eve.  I did not even know this photo existed until my mom showed it to me a few years ago.  I had it printed and sitting in a box, waiting to be put on a page.  I just didn't know how to give this unflattering photo the words it deserved.  It wasn't until our inspiring blog-hostess-with-the-mostest, Kristy, started doing pages for her book about her beloved dad, who passed away earlier this year, that I realized it had to be done.  I had to find the words to go with this not-so-great photo.  Before I continue, you should know two things about me: 1) I don't like to show strong emotion... in anything.  2) I rarely cry.  I might tear up, but the tears are not quick to fall.  Finding the words for this layout went against both of those things.  I decided on a letter to my grandpa for the journaling format.  I figured it would be easier to write to him the things I wanted to say, rather than write like I was telling someone else what I wanted to tell him.  And it was.  It is probably the most emotional piece of journaling I have ever written... top three for sure.  Don't get me wrong- I am a stickler for journaling, but it's usually very superficial.  And the heartfelt letter on this page had me crying... no, I was bawling!  There were many times that I had to stop and wait for the tears to subside so I could see enough to continue.  And I hate crying.  But, it was worth it!  I was able to capture what I had in my heart and now it's preserved for the future.  

Now, because I am not an outwardly emotional person, I would never share my innermost thoughts and feelings with the general public.  But, because I like you, and we're friends, I'm going to let you take a peek at my heart.  This is what my letter to my grandpa says:

Dear Grandpa,

It’s been awhile.  Just under five years, to be exact.  Five years and not a day goes by that I don’t think of you, remember your stories or feel your presence.  I miss your chuckles when I say something silly.  I miss your stories (yes, I was listening!).  I miss the loving way you always looked at Grandma.  I miss your words of wisdom.  I miss the way you never failed to call me your Princess.  I never thought I would miss any of these things if they were gone.  But. I do.

I still have my memories of you, though, for which I’m truly grateful.  Like this photo.  This unflattering, quick snap of the camera that captured some of your last moments with us in this life.  It was Christmas Day.  We taught you how to play Apples to Apples.  You laughed and had fun... a rarity in those last few years.  You even ate some Christmas dinner- another rare occasion as your appetite seemed to diminish after your last birthday.  We were even able to tell you that we were expecting our second child.  It was a very good day!

I’m so grateful to have had you as my Grandfather.  Some people may think that 95 years was long enough to be in this life, and I agree.  You had a long, full life.  But, there will forever be a hole in my heart where I will miss you every day.  I’m thankful for the time I was allowed to be part of your life here on the earth, and even more grateful that we are part of an eternal family.  It’s comforting to know that I don’t really have to say, “good-bye.”  Just “until we meet again.”

Thank you for being my Grandpa. 

Love, 

    Your Princess

(Photo taken 12/25/2008; Journaling written 12/10/13)

Thanks for letting me share with you today!  And I encourage you to Write From the Heart- especially when it's hard to find the words!

Templates used:

Mini Scallops 1A, 2A

Christmas 1, 2, 3

Tiny Holiday 7T

Tiny Tags 1T, 6T

Tiny Brackets 1T, 4T

Ideas to Inspire with Kiwi Lane and Teresa Collins

Happy Wednesday!  It's my turn on the Kiwi Lane blog with an Idea to Inspire and here's what I came up with:

This month I was able to work with Teresa Collins' new Memorabilia collection. And can I tell you how much fun it was?!  I love the neutral grays and tans, with the bits of chalkboard elements, paired with the pops of blue.  When I looked at this collection alongside the featured templates this month (Nature, Abbie Road and Tiny Shapes), I though it would be fun to make some place cards and napkin rings for my Thanksgiving table.  I know that neutrals and blue are not the usual color choices for a fall table setting, but I knew it would be fun and different. 

So I have a little bit of a confession- I never seem to have enough time to do cutesy decorating in my house.  Yes, it's true.  I'm a paper crafter, yet I don't decorate my home with cute paper crafty things.  I just always seem to run out of time!  I should say I USED to run out of time- because now, with the Kiwi Lane templates, I can whip out quick and cute seasonal decorations in no time!  It took me about 7 minutes to make the napkin ring (seriously- I timed it!) and a little bit longer to do the place card (there's stitching and more pieces, so it takes a few more minutes- but not much!).  Here's what they look like:  

Of course, you would make a place card and a napkin ring for each person at your table- I was trying to figure out how long each one took to make, so I started with one.  Now that I know how little time they take, I'll finish making the rest for our Thanksgiving table!

For the place card, I used a 4" x 5" card base.  Then I cut a 3 3/4" x 4 3/4" piece of patterned paper, stitched around it, stamped a border just inside the stitching, and distressed the edge.  Then I cut a ring out of a pewter colored metallic card stock, using the Rings 2 template.  I stitched around the ring and distressed the edges.  Then I cut out some leaves (Nature 1 and Tiny Nature 1T and 4T) from patterned papers and glitter paper, inked the edges and played with them until I liked the arrangement.  For the oval (Tiny Shapes 8T) under the name, I made a little pouch with patterned paper layered with vellum and sewn together with some sequins between the layers.  To finish the place card, I used gold glitter Thickers from American Crafts.  I added a few sequins and was done!  It took me about 15 minutes to make the card, once I had chosen my papers and pulled out my supplies.  Here's a closer look:  

For the napkin ring, I cut a 2" x 6" piece of yellow cardstock, then cut a strip of patterned paper using the Happy Trails 1A template.  I inked the edges, adhered the patterned paper to the card stock and stapled the ends to form a ring.  I cut two leaves (Tiny Nature 1T, 4T), inked the edges and adhered to the ring.  I used some washi tape and some twine to make a bow to accent the leaves.  Super fast, super easy!  

I hope you liked my place card and napkin ring!  I sure enjoyed using the Teresa Collins Memorabilia collection- and I can't wait to finish making the rest of my table decor for Thanksgiving!  And don't forget- if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving where you are, you can use my ideas for a jumping off point for your own craftiness.  The place card would make a beautiful notecard- just switch the name for a greeting!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

ITI Winner and Blog Hop Winner Re-draw

I have a couple of things to announce today and they are both winners!  The first one is the winner of the Kiwi Lane Halloween Templates:

TINA

Congrats Tina!!  Please email me your mailing address and I'll get those sent off to you right away! (glo_owens (at) msn (dot) com)

And the winner of a set of templates from Kiwi Lane's October Blog hop never claimed their prize, so it's time to pick another winner... and that is:

 Brat said...

Gorgeous art! I love the first card. :) I love flowers and the texture you've created on this card.

October 4, 2013 at 4:09 PM

Congrats Brat!  You have two weeks from today to contact me so I can provide a short list of template sets to choose from.  Please email me at glo_owens (at) msn (dot) com.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

Ideas to Inspire for Kiwi Lane Designs and a Giveaway!

Hello everybody! I’m here today with a mini album done with Pebbles’ Thirty One collection and a few of this month’s featured Kiwi Lane Templates.  

This album has lots of different shapes and sizes of pages and probably looks a little intimidating to make, but not with the templates!  (Don’t you just love them?!)  Here’s how you start:

Lay out your photo templates with the largest one at the back of the album and smallest on top, lining up the left edges where you will bind your book.  To give you an idea of the sizes of the pages, the front page is 3x3 and the back page is 5x7.  Then add your shapes at the edges of the photo templates.   Use removable adhesive, like washi tape or removable glue dots, to adhere the shapes templates to the photo templates so they stay together.

Pull the layers apart.  They should look something like the photo below:

Trace the templates onto heavy cardstock or lightweight chipboard.  I recycled file folders for my mini album.  And I numbered my pages to help me keep them in order.  This is what it should look like:

Start covering your pages, adding photos and memorabilia, journaling and embellishments, starting with the larger pages and working towards the smaller ones.  Use ink on the edges of everything to add shadow and dimension without more layers.  Here are the finished pages: 

I wanted a little bit of interaction in my book, so the back page has a flap that folds over the page.  It just adds a little more detail and a little more fun to the book.

I had so much fun making this album about the “Chem-mystery of Halloween.”  And the papers and stickers from Pebbles’ Thirty One collection were the perfect backdrop!!  

Now for some fun- would you like a chance to win your own set of Kiwi Lane Halloween templates?  And really, who wouldn’t?!  Just leave a comment on this blog post letting me know what kinds of projects you like to see using the templates.  Get a bonus entry for becoming a follower of my blog and leaving me a separate comment letting me know  (or letting me know you are already a follower).  Sounds good, yes?  I thought so! ;)  You have until this Monday, October 21st 2013 at 11:59 MST to leave your comments and be entered to win.  I’ll draw a random winner the next day and announce the winner  right here on my blog.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!

Templates used:
Mini Aspen 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A
Tiny Hoiday 2T, 4T, 5T
Halloween 4, 2
Tiny Nature 4T
Photos and Mini Photos

Supplies:  cardstock (Provo Craft, Teresa Collins, We R Memory Keepers, DCWV); file folders (office supply); patterned paper (Pebbles/American Crafts); stickers (Pebbles); ribbon (SEI, Pebbles, Lil Davis Designs, craft supply); ink (Colorbox); brad (SEI); glitter glue (American Crafts, Ranger); epoxy dots (Teresa Collins); die cutting machine and embossing folders (Cuttlebug by Provo Craft); clear pocket (3L Adhesives); tiny bag (Whisker Graphics); wire (Provo Craft); twine (LilyBelle's Paperie on Etsy, Creative Impressions)

October Blog Hop Winner!!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!!  The random winner of a set of Kiwi Lane Designs Templates is :

 Emmie said...

love the pink and green. I have all the borders and just a couple of the accessories. I don't do very many cards...don't like giving away my work! hahahaha

Emmie- Please email me at glo(underscore)owens(at)msn(dot)com and I'll give you a list of a few sets to choose from.  You have two weeks from today to contact me, otherwise a different winner will be chosen.  I'll be waiting to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

October Blog Hop for Kiwi Lane

Welcome Kiwi Lane Blog Hoppers!  You should be hopping over from Michelle's blog.  If you came here any other way, I highly suggest you head back to Kiwi Lane's blog and start from the beginning so you don't miss any of the crafty goodness!  Don't forget to comment along the way because one lucky commenter from one of the participating blogs will win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane Shop.  Here's the line-up in case you get lost along the way:

1. Kiwi Lane http://kiwilane.com/here/blog/
2. La-Vie Borde-Perry 
3. Lyne Schnable-Blodgett 
4. Jennifer Budge 
5. MekaMatthews
6. JeNn Nicholes 
7. Joan Holmes Leitch
8. Michelle King Beaudry
9. Gail Owens  (You are HERE)

So not only is it Kiwi Lane's Blog Hop this weekend, but Saturday is World Card Making Day.  (click this link for some more fun with Kiwi Lane for WCD!)  This is the event that kicks off the season of cardmaking for the holidays.  But, instead of holiday cards, I have a few cards to share with you that show how dimension can be added to cards made with the Kiwi Lane Templates.  Here's what my cards looked like after I "Framed" them:

The first card I made was the simplest one and was the top right card:

Supplies:  paper (Authentique); card stock (Georgia Pacific); stamps (Technique Tuesday); ink (Ranger, American Crafts, ColorBox); punch (Marvy Uchida); resin flower (Making Memories)

Templates:  Sentiments 2B, Adorn 1B, Tiny Wildflower 3T, Tiny Brackets 1T, Tiny Accents 2T

This card is quite easy and really quick to make- simply trace, cut and ink all the pieces according to the "Framed" design.  Stamp your sentiment on the Tiny Bracket. Punch out a flower, curl the petals around a pencil to add some dimension, adhere it to the card and add a resin flower center.  Here's a better  view of the curled flower petals:

My next card was a little bit higher on the difficulty level, but still pretty darn easy:

Supplies: cardstock (Georgia Pacific); patterned paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); brad (We R Memory Keepers); pearls (Doodlebug); stamp (7 Gypsies); ink (Ranger); pen (Uniball Signo); punch (Martha Stewart)

Templates used: Tiny Tags 7T, Tiny Accents 1T, Tiny Holiday 7T, Paradise 4

I used the small poinsettia to do a double layer of leaves under the flower.  I used a white ball point pen to outline a few of my shapes to add definition to the layers.  And I bent the four layers of the flower to add dimension without having to add anything between the layers.  Here's what it looks like from the side:

My third card was a little bit more involved to make, but still super easy using the templates:

Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Company); patterned paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); letter stickers (Echo Park); twine (Owl Supply on Etsy); glitter glue (American Crafts); sequins (Making Memories); moon (craft supply); rhinestone star (Teresa Collins); pen (Staedlter); ink (Ranger)

Templates used: Sentiments 3A, Adventure 1 & 2, Card Strips 1/2" & 1"

For this card, the layers of templates are simple.  But, to add more depth, I added foam adhesive to the star shape.  And I added the sequins, rhinestones and glitter glue for some detail.  To top everything off, I did a hand written sentiment (you could add a stamp if you'd rather).  This card was a bit more labor intensive than the previous ones, and took more time, but only because I had to wait for the glitter glue to dry.  The actual cutting and inking was easy!  Here's a closer look from the side:

My last card is the most labor intensive of the day:

Supplies: cardstock (Georgia Pacific); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); twine (LilyBelle's Paperie on Etsy); brads (My Mind's Eye); pearls (Making Memories and Doodlebug); jewel (Doodlebug); vellum (Provo Craft); stamp (Heidi Grace Designs); ink (Ranger, Colorbox); pens (Uniball Signo, Staedtler)

Templates used:  Adorn 3A, Tiny Tags 1T & 6T, Tiny Nature 2T

This card really is fairly self explanatory- all you do is trace, cut and ink the pieces using your Kiwi Lane Templates.  The details make this card!  I used a black pen and a white pen to go around the pieces, adding dimension and detail. And I added a vellum butterfly that I also drew some detail on.  Here's a closer look at that detail:

Whew!! That was a marathon post!  I hope you enjoyed seeing my cards and I really hope it inspires you to go and create your own cards using Kiwi Lane Designs Templates!

Don't forget to leave a comment on my blog (and all the blogs along the hop) for your chance to win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane shop.  One lucky commenter will be chosen from one of the participating blogs and announced on the Kiwi Lane blog on Thursday, October 10th.  You have until 11:59 pm MST on Sunday, October 6th, 2013 to comment.

I think, since you made it through that super long post (and the rest of the blog hop), you deserve a chance to win something nice from me- don't you?  Leave a comment on my blog letting me know which card was your favorite and I'll have my own little drawing for a set of templates... I may even let the winner choose the set they want. ;)  You have until Sunday, October 6th at 11:59 pm MST to comment and the winner will be announced here on my blog on Tuesday, October 7th, 2013

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!