Well folks, we are more than half way though May already and I feel like I was just at CHA drooling over the new Little Darlings Collection! I have more fun with Graphic 45 Little Darlings paper and so has Stacy Anderson.  She has joined us to design and help me blog on the fabulous products! We are excited to have her and look forward to hearing from her on our blog soon!

I want to show you a couple layouts that Stacy did a while back with the Little Darlings. As a mommy of two little ones, she understands the importance of taking advantage of every quiet moment to scrapbook and keeping supplies within a collage budget! She tries to keep things simple so that she can finish layouts during those RARE moments to herself, and get them in her books before other little hands get a hold on them! I’m sure many of you can relate!

Graphic 45 makes it easy to keep those pages simple and beautiful with all of the amazing color and art in their paper.

Products used:

Graphic 45 Little Darlings 12×12 Paper Pad

DC0262 Quickutz Nesting Clover

DC0307 Quickutz Pennants

S4-270 Spellbinders Fair Isle Pendant

Products used:

Graphic 45 Little Darlings 12×12 Paper Pad

S4-269 Spellbinders Lotus Pendant

Prima Flowers

Brads

Don’t you just love the soft pastels in the Little Darlings Collection? Thank you Stacy for sharing your “darling” layouts!

If you are new to scrapbooking or want to start, but feel overwhelmed with the hundreds of products available on the market, remember to start out simple, then invest in some supplies that you can use over and over. A good die cutting machine and dies are great things to invest in because you can adapt the die cuts so many ways! For a comparison of die cutting machines click HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

It’s that time of year when school bells are ringing and yellow buses are back on the road and homework is part of the nightly routine. Mom’s are exhausted just trying to get the kids out the door and peanut butter is a staple for sack lunches. Before you sent the kids out the door for the first time, you will want to capture the first day on your camera and we have all the needed products that will help you scrapbook those school day memories! Just check out our School category!

Graphic 45  An ABC Primer Collection is shipping now! A happy-go-lucky paper collection that pays homage to the vintage schoolhouse and classic nursery rhymes of times gone by. Recall fond memories from a simpler time when learning took place in a one-room schoolhouse, and cozy afternoons were spent studying the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. This collection includes :

An ABC Primer 12×12 Paper Pad, An ABC Primer 8×8 Paper Pad, An ABC Primer Chipboard Tags 1, An ABC Primer Chipboard Tags 2, and stamp sets in collaboration with Hampton Arts-An ABC Primer 1, An ABC Primer 2 and An ABC Primer 3.

DCWV‘s Grade School Paper Stack  and Grade School Mat Stack are perfect for younger kids, and the High School Mat Stack is stylin’ for the older ones!

QuicKutz offers a large variety of school related dies that can help you embellish pages for all of your children from Pre-School – Collage!

I no longer have young school age children but if I can give any advise, it would be to record those days as soon as possible because you don’t remember things like you think you will and you don’t get any more time once they leave! There are still only 24 hours in a day and other things will fill in that time before you know it (like grandchildren)!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

In preparation for the upcoming holidays, is the exquisitely designed Christmas Emporium Collection by Graphic 45! A nostalgic journey into Santa’s vintage workshop. Inspired by treasured childhood memories, memorabilia, and stories from generations past, this charming new collection will touch your heart and capture your imagination. Drawn from the classic Graphic 45 vintage color pallet, every enchanting page is saturated in a symphony of vibrant color. Twelve gorgeous double-sided papers in a 12×12 size and an 8×8 size, coordinating chipboard die-cuts, and Hampton Arts cling stamps contain everything you need to make this Christmas bright.

As with An ABC Primer and The Magic of Oz collections, the designers at Graphic 45 created stunning projects for an inviting vintage Christmas display in their booth at CHA! I felt like a kid in a department store  staring at all of the items decorated in Christmas Emporium paper! They really captured the magic and excitement of a vintage Christmas morning just like an old time department store window!

This collection consists of the following items:

Christmas Emporium 12 x 12

Christmas Emporium 8 x 8

Christmas Emporium 1 stamp set

Christmas Emporium 2 stamp set

Christmas Emporium 3 stamp set

Christmas Emporium Chipboard Tags 1

Christmas Emporium Chipboard Tags 2

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I told you earlier that the Graphic 45 booth was one of my favorites. I also told you that you were going to love what products were coming! Well, I am pleased to introduce Graphic 45 An ABC Primer Collection! Incredibly beautiful, perfect for anything vintage or for school themes! It reminds us of simpler times.

This collection includes the following items:

An ABC Primer 12 x 12 Paper Pad

An ABC Primer 8 x 8 Paper Pad

An ABC Primer 1 stamp set

An ABC Primer 2 stamp set

An ABC Primer 3 stamp set

An ABC Primer Chipboard Tags 1

An ABC Primer Chipboard Tags 2

Here is a peak of some of the crations G-45 designers came up with using their beautiful artistry!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I have had the opportunity to “test drive” a few of the brand new Spellbinders Edgeabilities dies and I believe that you are going to be just as pleased with these dies as the rest of your Spellbinders collections! The Edgeabilities are so versatile in that once you buy all 6 sets, you can mix and match to make over 75 different designs for your paper crafting projects! See all NEW Spellbinders Edgeabilities Video!

I  decided to use the Classic Postage Stamp Edgeabilies on my scrapbook layout with one of the decorative inserts. Each set comes with one cutting edge and two decorative inserts that are easily interchangeable because of their 1″ spacing.   It is nice that the length of the dies are 8″ even though I still had to run it through twice for cutting and twice for embossing to be able to get the whole 12 x 12page length.  It made it easier to place so that I could cut all the way across! The possibilities are endless with these dies!

The other items I used in this layout are as follows:

Graphic 45 products:

The Magic of Oz 12 x 12 paper pad

The Magic of Oz Chipboard Die-cuts 1

Spellbinders products:

Postage Stamps (2011 CHA summer release)

Donna’s Alphabet by Donna Salazar (2011 CHA summer release)

QuicKutz products:

Nesting Stars (2011 CHA summer release)

Nesting Scallop Rectangles (2011 CHA summer release)

Whirlpool Alphabet

Castle

DCWV Shimmer Mat Stack

I know that you will have a blast creating with these new dies whether you are in to scrapbooking or card making! They are also great for alternative paper crafts! Spellbinders designer Heidi Blankenship showed me how she used wool felt with the Edgeabilities at CHA! So fun! Now I have to get some of that and share the tip with you!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

We’re here! Marcie and I are in Chicago at Craft and Hobby Association Show which we commonly know as CHA. We have been busy as bees going from booth to booth gathering information on all of the “latest and greatest” products and ordering from all our favorite designers so we can bring you highest quality, popular products on the market!  I can tell you now that you are going to love what is coming!

Here’s a shot of Marcie while visiting the Graphic 45 booth! Say Cheese!

Graphic 45 has done some amazing projects with their new paper lines. Here’s a sample of the Christmas Emporium and ABC Primer!

Heartfelt Creations made beautiful paper bouquets that look quite real!

We saw the new line of Nesting Dies from QuicKutz and Framelits from Sizzix. The new Nestaboard from Want2Scrap is HOT! Just Rite Stampers also has great  new stamp sets that coordinate with Spellbinders dies! Teresa Collins is not only talented, but stylish! We also visited My Mind’s Eye, Provo Craft and Silhouette .Everyone is on board and excited to bring you what’s new!

I hope that you have taken a few minutes to look at all the rest of the pre-order dies from Spellbinders that were made viewable this morning! Astounding!

This may be the best CHA release to date! Of course, since this is the first show that I have been to, it is the most exciting one for me! I am having a blast here in Chicago! It is most definitely a paper crafter’s heaven! Can’t wait until tomorrow for more exciting products from DCWV, Tim Holz, and anyone else that catches our eye!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’ from Chicago!

Carrie

I appreciate when customers email with questions concerning products that I can use on our Blog! One of our customers asked today for ideas using Spellbinders Borderabilities Dies. She also asked if she could use the 12″ Borderabilities Grand in her Cuttlebug Machine even though she did not have the Extended Cutting Mats.

Yes!  You can use the 12″  Grand Dies with standard plates if you are just needing a portion for a card or something short! Just make sure that you don’t bend the die where it is hanging over the edge!

If you do have the extended plates, you can cut the die cut to the length you need for layouts, cards, banners or other projects!

The Borderabilities  Petite generally come with 2 dies. One of the dies usually comes with only one cutting edge for a nice card border,  called an Accent Die. The Accent cuts the bottom edge and embosses the upper edge.while the other Border Die cuts and embosses on all sides for an actual border that you can place anywhere you choose!

You can also use these dies in the Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Big Shot Pro Machine, Vagabond by Tim Holtz,  QuicKutz Epic Six Tool, and of course, the Spellbinders Grand Calibur!

You can use these dies any way you want, the idea is to PLAY! That is the whole idea in creativity! See how many ways you can use them! Let the kids use the dies to decorate soup can pencil holders for their teachers, or for their homework binders to dress them up for school! That will keep them busy during the hot summer afternoons when they “are bored” because it is to hot to go outside!

Okay ladies and gents, I finally had a chance to play with the new Heartfelt Creations Wedding Collection Stamp Sets! I just can’t get over the incredible detail that their artists put into them! They are so beautiful! These cling stamps are so easy to use with any acrylic block!

I am a bit behind in scrapbooking my daughter’s wedding, so I took the opportunity to use these gorgeous stamps to create a layout of her wedding day! I used Bella Rose Wedding, Wedding Sentiments and Bella Rose Heart. I cut the scalloped piece from the DCWV Linen Closet Paper Stack using my Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine and the Bigz Pro Die Square Scallop.  The background piece is from DCWV Shimmer Paper Stack. To complete the ensemble, I used K & Company stickers, Want2Scrap Silver Baby Bling, heart rhinestones, paper doilies and a heart corner punch.

Now I can’t wait to use the other sets in the Wedding Collection! These really make fabulous embellishments for layouts as well as amazing bridal or wedding cards! Now is the perfect time to get yours, as summertime is the busiest time for weddings!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

DCWV has come to my rescue many times when I want to scrapbook, but just don’t have the time or brain function to create intricate layouts! I love their 12 x 12 Paper Stacks because you don’t have to use a lot of embellishments to make a beautiful layout. Their designers have done all the work for me! You can have a fabulous layout in no time at all!

Since we have a few of their Paper Stacks on special, I decided to show you a couple of layouts that only took minutes to put together, using the Endless Summer Paper Stack and The Premium Photo Paper Stack. Both of these are on special for $13.99.

On this first on with the paper from the Endless Summer, the only other thing I did was use mats from DCWV Glitter Cardstock Mat Stack and a corner punch!

For this next one all I did was  take a page from the Premium Photo Paper Stack, made a mat from card stock, cut a tag from the Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two and used the coordinating Want2Scrap Nestabling Fancy Tags Two BlackR!

So easy, but I love the effect! Some of us just can’t stress about the layouts, but want to get our pictures into the albums! DCWV helps with that, especially for beginner scrapbooker’s who don’t want to be overwhelmed with hundreds of products out there! Just start with paper!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Thank you all so much for your patience! Many of you have called or emailed with your concerns as to why you can not find us on the web! We apologize for your frustration and the inconvenience of not being able to shop or check on order status! Our server has  been down for several hours both yesterday and today until they could fix the problem!

We are hoping the problem has now been resolved so that you will be able to locate our site when needed! We consider ourselves very lucky to have such amazing and concerned customers! We want to give you the best service possible and we appreciate your patience and understanding when things like this happen!

Our Newsletter went out today with some awesome specials, so you will want to be sure to look at your emails!

We have 3  different DCWV 12 x 12 Paper Stacks from the last CHA that are on sale for $13.99 while supplies last!

All Petaloo Embellishments 40% off!

Basic Grey Embellishments 40% off while supplies last!

All Robin’s Nest Dew Drops 50% off while supplies last!’

New Heartfelt Creations Wedding Collection Rubber Stamps only $13.49!

All of this and more, so be sure to check out your email newsletter!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Pride can be such a confusing word! It can be good as far as taking pride in our family, appearance, etc, but it can be a detriment when it causes you to be stubborn about change! When Sizzix released the Big Shot Pro Machine I was NOT going to get another machine! I was determined not to cave in! I did not need it, did not have room to put it….. bad pride.  Thanks to several customers calling in to find out how to do things with this fabulous machine, I finally decided it would be helpful for me to have one so I could learn how to use it and would actually know how to help my customers, so I caved!

The Big Shot Pro Machine works with every Sizzix and Ellison design.  Constructed from industrial-strength materials, the Big Shot Pro Machine features a 13 inch wide opening to cut hundreds of materials. That is fantastic!

I can’t begin to describe how I already love this machine and I just got it last week! (Just so you know, I did have to put my order in and wait in line,  just like everyone else!) I had to do a little rearranging in my scrapbook room, but I did find a place all of its own, where it sits proudly waiting to go to work for me! I still have to figure something out to organize my Bigz Pro Dies but that will come as I work more with it.

That’s another thing, when we started getting those big dies in I fell for them right away! (Have I told you what a sucker I am?) I am tickled with how big they are! I am already planning my neighbor gifts for Christmas! They do not get any bigger than this! The Sizzix Bigz Pro inch dies are the largest dies ever. They cut hundreds of materials which include cardstock, chipboard, fabric, foam, magnet, leather, metallic foil, paper and sandpaper (in limited use). Designed exclusively for the Big Shot Pro Die Cutting Machine. These dies are great for cutting fast quilting designs too.

So here is my first finished project using this incredible machine and the Bigz Pro Die Box Popcorn #2. You have to cut 2 from the die to make the box, so make sure you have more than one piece of 12 x 12 paper! I also used Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose House, Bella Rose Leaves along with the Bella Rose die. I cut the house out with Spellbinders Labels One Small I was making this for my dad’s birthday,  and he has been saying how nice it would be to have a movie night, so I filled it with candy, popcorn and a gift certificate to the movies!

Well, that’s it for today! I hope you all have a wonderful, sunny weekend!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Back Order Update: The Big Shot Pro is still back ordered, however, we have been randomly getting some in, so if you want one, get your order in so you can be in line!

The Magic of Oz Cling Stamps are already back ordered from Graphic 45, but we are trying frantically to get some in! We appreciate your patience!

Follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City with The Magic of Oz Paper Pads from Graphic 45, which will be available in June! Available in 12 x 12 and 8 x 8 sizes!

The Magic of Oz is an enchanting new paper collection inspired by L. Frank Baums classic childrens novel. Featuring a full cast of all your favorite characters including Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and many more. Bring your wicked Halloween creations to life with every delightful page. Somewhere over the rainbow you will find a tapestry of rich colors and stunning images. Ruby reds, emerald greens, royal purples, and mustard seed yellows will have your imagination spinning like a tornado. There is no place like Graphic 45 for this seasons most bewitching paper collection!

I know that the your heels are clicking from over active brain activity thinking of spellbinding project ideas! My crystal ball tells me that you will be knocked unconscious with delight and swept away into Munchkin oblivion when you get this magical collection in your hands!

(Images were taken from Graphic 45‘s website)

Coordinating Hampton Arts Cling Stamps and Chipboard Die Cuts shown below will also be available in June!

Please note that these products are NOT available until sometime in June, therefore, make sure to place a separate order for these items! If you order this product with in stock items, your order will be held until all items have arrived!

I just know that this collection will be a big hit! There really will be “No place like home” as that is where your Graphic 45 Magic of Oz Collection will be waiting for you!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Wow! Mother’s Day is right on our doorstep! Can you believe it? I can’t! I feel like we just barely had Easter…oh wait, we did! I don’t know about you, but I had better get crackin’ on a gift for Mom!

My mom is a scrapbooker, so she would like just about anything that has to do with scrapbooking! Why don’t you come shopping with me to see what I can find that would make great gifts for her special day!

She has tons of pictures to still put in albums as she has 10 children (I am the oldest) and 34 grandchildren, so I think I will start with the basics. Paper! She has 7 sons and lots of grandsons, so the All About Boys Paper Stack from DCWV or Alphabet Soup Boy from My Minds Eye are a great start for the boys! A Proper Gentleman 8×8 by Graphic 45 works well for all of her masculine photos.

For the feminine side, we will start with DCWV All About Girls Paper Stack,  Blossoms and Butterflies Paper Stack, Garden Party Paper Stack, or Pocket Full of Posies Paper Stack to name just a few!

She has a Cuttlebug, and loves die cutting! Let’s move over to the dies to see what we can find! Spellbinders dies are always a perfect gift! She and I have very similar taste, so I think I will go with a couple of my favorites! Labels Twenty, Lacey Circles, Lacey Squares, Lacey Ovals (okay, so I like lacey!), Floral Doily Accents and Floral Doily Motifs as well as the Parisian Accents and Parisian Motifs! Well, that is more than a couple, but maybe we can keep some of these in mind for her birthday or Christmas! I could shop forever in Spellbinders!

She would love Quickutz Anime Monkey to scrap some of her younger grandchildren! Or the Mixing Bowl and Spoon for those moments making cookies with the grandkids!

Heartfelt Creations, Just Rite Stampers and Sparkle N Sprinkle all have stamps that are fabulous to give her or buy for myself to make her card with! They all have stamps that coordinate with Spellbinders dies! Want2Scrap has Nestabling to go with!

Whew! This shopping trip could last a long time if we got into the nitty-gritty of adhesives, embossing folders, foils, flowers, etc.! I think I will let you shop for yourselves now! I have a pretty good idea of what I will end up with! Have fun!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Paper, paper and more paper! It is the foundation of Paper Crafting, right? Right! We have to have paper before we can do anything else in our chosen hobby! Die Cuts With A View is constantly producing enticing Paper stacks, Mat Stacks and Cardstock Stacks to suite our individual and unique needs! They are in the business to bring us the essentials of our trade!

I love DCWV paper for several reasons. Their use of color is very appealing to the eye, they have a variety of weight and texture, as well as themes!

I want to point out a few examples! As summer time is approaching Endless Summers 12 x 12 Paper Stack offers  vivid color pages (some glittered) perfect for vacation photos to the tropics, lazy days at the beach, travel, or play in the back yard pool!

Of course, there are countless opportunities for backyard bar-b-ques and pool parties with lots of food! Thus, we have The Snack Stack 12 x 12 paper stack! Yummy pages of brownies, gummy bears, cookies and popcorn, as well as healthier snacks like Kiwi, rasberries, and glittered cherries fill this stack for you to create memories of those special parties with family and friends!

If you are the outdoorsy type, then the gloss and glitter of the Premium Photo Stack will catch your eye! 12 x 12 pages filled with palm leaves, daisies, snow covered trees, water, clouds, you name it! There are even pages of diamond plate for you to mount your photos of that prize 4×4!

If wedding bells are ringing in your ears then the Luxury 2 paper stack has to be part of your scrapbook trousseau! Very Elegant, the rich pearl and metallic colors along with flourish and damask patterns make this a must have for those formal occasions coming up!

These are just a few suggestions to get you going for summer! With all the invitations for social events coming, the crafter inside still needs to take a few moments of quiet time to relax and create!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

If you are looking for adorable paper for layouts, you really should look at My Mind’s Eye! Their patterns are refreshing and fun! The Good Day Sunshine Boy and Good Day Sunshine Girl 12 x 12 paper kits will make your summer layouts a breeze!

Boys love robots and just about anything mechanical. Lil Robots 12 x 12 paper kit says boy all over it! The patterns are of robots, gears, laser lines, microchips and geometrics in colors of taupe, red, orange, gray, chartreuse and three shades of blue!

For teenage girls who seem to draw hearts all over everything, we have State of  the Heart 12 x 12 paper and accessories kit! You can even let them scrapbook their own pictures of their current crush!

If card making is more your thing, you will find the new Stella and Rose Collection of 6 x 6 paper pads inspiring! Their are four different pads to the collection. They are; Hattie, Hazel, Gertie and Mabel! Each pad contains 24 sheets of double sided 6 x 6 paper! I honestly can’t pick a favorite! I love them all!

There’s more to look at, but I will let you look for yourself! That’s the fun of shopping!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie