scrapbooker

Christmas Fun

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe that we’re only nine days away from Christmas! I love watching my grandchildren get excited about the end of school and the break at Christmas. They love to be involved in the preparations and anticipation of Christmas day. Last year, Owen made a beautiful gingerbread tree to help decorate the dining room. He did a great job and had so much fun decorating it. It was such a special memory that it deserved a unique page in his scrapbook!

I was looking for an excuse to try the recent trend of paper folding, and this project presented the perfect opportunity. To create this gorgeous tree, I cut strips of paper 3″ long by 1″ wide in each of the coordinating patterned papers from Photoplay’s Kringle & Co collection pack. Each strip was folded in half, lengthwise, and adhered with strong double-sided tape. Then they were secured to the background using the same double-sided tape. I ran a bone folder over each section at the top to ensure a good stronghold.

I embellished the tree with a variety of Bits & Pieces Snowflakes from Taylored Expressions. The star at the top came from an older collection of Basic Grey‘s chipboard pieces. It was painted yellow and embellished with gold glitter. The banner in the top right-hand corner was created using a die-cut from Your Next Stamp from the Fishtale/Banner set. I use this set quite often and the versatility it provides. The paper banner was adhered to fun foam for dimension and also embellished with a few of the snowflakes as found on the Christmas tree.

The Christmas Fun title comes from Peartree Cutfiles and includes a second option called Holiday Fun. Once again, it is a wonderfully versatile cut file that can be used for many layouts over the years. Once the cut file was resized to fit my project, it was backed with the back-side of the Snow is Falling patterned paper from the Kringle & Co paper collection.

To complete the layout I used a couple of the present stickers found in the main Kringle & Co paper pack and adhered them to the bottom left of the Christmas tree. I added the date using doodlebug design inc‘s black teensy type number stickers.

Creating the Christmas tree was a time-consuming part of this layout. However, it was well worth the perseverance, I am thrilled with the result! Once it was completed, the rest of the layout came together quite quickly. What new skill will you add to your scrapbooking toolkit this coming year?

Thanks for checking in today, and until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!

From Cut Files to T-Shirts!

~ dddesignz ~ 2 Comments

I spend most of my crafting time working on scrapbook pages, cards or designing classes. But one of my sidelines from working with cut files has been creating t-shirts for my grandchildren. With Christmas less than two weeks away, I spent some time yesterday making each of the grandchildren a t-shirt. Making t-shirts is a great way to personalize a gift for the recipient. I chose three cut file patterns that truly represented each of their personalities.

I purchase blank t-shirts from a local company called Bright Swan. A great Canadian company with excellent service and selection! Siser Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) is my go-to when making t-shirts. I use a Cricuit Easy Press (9″ x 9″) to transfer the vinyl to the t-shirts and find that this machine meets all my needs. It is very cost-efficient and can be stored easily, compared to a larger heat press.

The first t-shirt is for my oldest grandchild, Madison. She is very kind and caring and very aware of the impact that acts of kindness have on others around her. It was, therefore, fitting that I chose a cut file from Marcy Milly SVG to make her t-shirt. The World Kindness Day is a FREE cut file released on November 13, 2021, in honour of World Kindness Day.

I started this project by opening the SVG cut file in Silhouette Design Studio software (I use Designer Edition). Next, I ungrouped the file. Step three involved using the Fill panel to change the colours to those I would be using. These steps made the process much easier, as I now had a visual guide of the end product, and I was able to select the words by colour when it came time for cutting. The individual words, or group of words, were cut separately to minimize the waste of vinyl. Drawing a box or rectangle around each word, using the drawing tools in Silhouette, makes the weeding process very easy. Once all the individual files were cut, weeded and ready to go, I returned to the Silhouette software program to determine the centre point of the design. I gently fold the design where it intersects with the midline of the t-shirt. For this specific cut file the words Respect, Charity, Kindness, Goodness, Community and Affection all intersected with the centre line. Before adhering the design to the t-shirt, I fold the t-shirt in half and make a gentle press line to use as a guide. I’m very happy with the results and think Maddie is going to love this t-shirt!

The second t-shirt is for my oldest grandson, Owen. He loves playing video games and finds it amusing that I can’t keep up with him! This design came from Silhouette Studio. It was created by Hand Drawn Cuts and is Design ID #365234. I followed the same process as above and specifically used the turquoise HTV to match his controller. I grouped the coloured dots in the cut file to ensure they were spaced exactly as intended when pressing them to the t-shirt. I know Owen will love this t-shirt, and also find it amusing to wear to school!

Our youngest grandson Benjamin has a love for hedgehogs! This is also a Silhouette Studio design. It was created by Planeta Silhouette and is Design ID #212569. This design included layering the cut files that are all associated with the hedgehog. It was very easy to align and it pressed beautifully. Ben is going to love this t-shirt and who can resist giving him a hug when he’s wearing it?!

All I have left to do now is wrap these cute shirts and place them under the Christmas tree. I’m pretty sure I’m just as excited as they are for the big day!

I hope I’ve encouraged you to look at extending the use of your electronic cut files. Don’t be intimidated, making these shirts was not difficult, and I know you’ll find joy in making personalized shirts for your loved ones! Until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

Believe

~ dddesignz ~ 6 Comments

Getting excited yet?! It’s only 17 days until Christmas! With the warm weather these past few months, it seems to have quickly snuck up on us this year. With my Christmas Cards in the mail and presents ready to go, I finally have time to do some pre-Christmas scrapbooking! Our fingers and toes are crossed that our Christmas plans won’t be altered again this year. Sadly, we await new restrictions due to the arrival of Omincron in our home town. I will choose to remain optimistic and look for every opportunity to find joy this season, regardless of how we celebrate.

The foundations for this fun page were all purchased from an online store called Scrapbook Your Joy. I highly recommend this shop! Not only is the customer service exceptional and quick, but you will also likely find some collections that rarely show up in other local scrapbooking stores. Pretty Little Studio‘s Tis the Season is an example of this. I chose the Festive plaid paper for the background of my layout and used ephemera from the coordinating Christmas Morning Vintage Die Cuts, Holiday Greenery Die Cuts, and Falala Die Cuts to embellish the page. The cute bear holding the present, found in the bottom left-hand corner, was attached using fun foam for added dimension. Additionally, two stickers were added around the corner of the picture from the coordinating Be Merry sticker pack. You can be sure you’ll see me use this collection again!

It’s rare for me to scrapbook things versus people, but the cut file A Sack Full of Presents by Peartree Cutfiles was the perfect cut file to help me document the Santa Sacks I purchased for my grandchildren. After cutting it in black cardstock, I used the offset feature in Silhouette Studio to back it with coordinating papers from the Tis the Season collection. The only exception is the centre holly and leaves. I used glitter papers from My Favorite Things (Sunset and Mermaid) to back this section.

The final touches on this layout included stitching around the outside edges of the patterned paper and adding the clear star stick pin to the sack of presents cut file. Doodlebug Designs Inc.‘s teensy type cardstock stickers were used to add the date.

I hope your Christmas planning and activities are in full swing now. I wish you and yours the very merriest of this Holiday Season! Until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

Sweet Moments

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

How can it be December already? I’m not quite ready to jump on the Christmas bandwagon just yet. So today, I’m sharing another Fall layout using some of my October Peartree Pearscription files. It was a family tradition to take our children to the Pumpkin Lady each year to pick out the best pumpkin we could find. I’m so thrilled that my daughter carries on this tradition with her family. I love everything about this photo she captured from this year’s trip to the pumpkin patch. I wonder what my grandchildren’s children will say when they see their parents with face masks. We can only hope and pray that this pandemic will be a story from their past.

The stunning Pumkin Corner from the October Pearscription was a foundation piece for this layout. I dug into my stash of textured papers to create the warm Fall feeling for this cut file. The pumpkins were backed with a heavily textured burnt orange cardstock and the leaves were backed with a suede style paper with a green tye-dyed effect.

The title for this layout, Sweet Moments, was the free cut file offered by Peartree Cutfiles in October (purchase 5 cut files, receive one free). It’s highly versatile and could be used on so many different layouts. I highly recommend taking advantage of the monthly freebie from Peartree. When you sign up for the monthly Pearscription, it is included automatically with your purchase. A pretty “sweet” deal! I chose to back the title with a buffalo plaid patterned paper that coordinated with my youngest grandson’s jacket.

The large picture and cut files were placed on patterned paper from Simple Stories from their Simple Vintage Country Harvest collection pack. The specific paper is Item #16309, called Give Thanks. I chose this paper for its rustic feel and the way it offsets the picture.

Just a few embellishments were added to complete the layout. I selected the Pumpkin Time phrase and several hearts in different sizes and coordinating colours from the Foam Stickers that belong to this Simple Stories collection to complement the picture and cut files.

Overall, this was a fairly easy layout to assemble and I am thrilled with the result. Perhaps next year my grandchildren will be able to visit the Pumpkin Lady without wearing a face mask!

Thanks for checking in, and until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

Together We Have It All

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

This.

Like all mothers out there, I am proud of my family and all their accomplishments. What I admire most is their ability to be positive and focused, regardless of what life presents. Core to our relationship is an understanding that one of the most important aspects is our strong connection. We are here for each other through thick and thin, for better for worse. Our strong relationship makes us rich in so many ways. This foundation is what matters most to us. When life throws us a monkey wrench, we carry on together.

This summer, I felt like one of the luckiest women in the world. After many months of separation due to COVID, my family reunited in August! Sean and Tanis travelled from Edmonton to join us at the cottage. It has been six long years since Sean had the opportunity to spend time there, and the first time Tanis was able to travel east during the summer. Honestly, having everyone together at our happy place was a dream come true!

As I began designing a layout concept to document this event, I came up with the title but was unable to source it out. I turned to Marie Hurst, owner of Peartree Cutfiles, and asked for her help. Not only did she agree to design the cut file Together we Have it All, but she also exceeded all my expectations! I’m simply in love with the result! Thank you, Marie, I’m so deeply grateful!

I utilized two Cocoa Vanilla Studio collections in this layout, Daydream and These Days. I love how the collections work well together and allow for the mixing and matching of embellishments. All papers in this layout came from the Daydream collection. The background paper is Sweet Serenity, and those used in the title are Garden Variety (backside), All Aflutter and Daisy Days, respectfully. To create the completed title, I offset the letters slightly and then adhered them on top of the base title using Taylored Expressions Foam Sticky Strips. I filled the two cut out hearts with puffy hearts from both the Daydream and These Days collections. They were a perfect fit and complement to finish off the title.

A selection of embellishments from the These Days Die Cut Ephemera package completed the layout. To create the dimension on the butterflies, I placed score lines on either side of the butterfly’s bodies and then gently folded the wings up. Scor-Tape was then applied in the thin centre channel to adhere the butterflies to the page.

The best thing we have in life is to hold on to one another. No matter where we go, what life throws our way, together, we truly have it all. Thank you, Marie, for helping me document a very special time this summer!

Until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

Boo to You Too!

~ dddesignz ~ 2 Comments

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to get your Boo on! Last Halloween, Benjamin was only two, and he wasn’t much impressed with Halloween – until the candy came out! We did our best to coax a smile out of this sweet boy, but he wasn’t having any of it. He was the saddest Marshall from Paw Patrol you ever did see. Whether happy or sad, it’s still important to document these moments in our lives. I know Ben will find this moment amusing when he’s a bit older.

The Boo to You Too! cut file from Marcy Milly SVG was an excellent fit for documenting this story. 

Echo Park’s Halloween Party patterned paper collection and stickers provided the foundation for this layout. The background page is the orange/black sheet, and three patterned papers – Gleaming Gourds, October 31st, and Candy Corn Craze, were used to back-fill the words in the title cut file. Once the title was complete, it was centred and adhered to the orange background. Some space was left free to slide the pictures underneath. Before securing the pictures, the entire page was sprinkled with black Liquidex Heavy Body Acrylic paint. The small black paint splotches help fill in some of the empty spaces and enhance the Halloween mood.

I love the bat in this cut file and like how there are cut-outs in the wings to give it the effect of flying. To emphasize this on the layout, I cut the bat six times. The next step was to create three bats from the six cut files. To create this look, adhere two of the bats together with a strong, permanent adhesive at the centre of the body only. Be careful to leave the wings free of glue. To produce the illusion of flapping wings, place small black 3D foam squares by Scrapbook Adhesives between the wings of each bat.

To complete the layout, I added a couple of stickers from the coordinating sticker sheet found in the patterned paper collection. The final touch was to add personalized journaling in the bottom right-hand corner.

Ben’s all ready for Halloween this year and looking forward to being a penguin! I’m hopeful I’ll manage some pictures with him smiling in his costume this year. But if not, you can be sure, I’ll be scrapbooking it anyways! I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween with those you love.

Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!

Summer

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

Cottage season is over, and crafting season is back on! While I love summer and the cottage, I am always happy to get back into my craft room. It seemed fitting to share a summer layout with you as I get back into my crafting groove.

This summer, my son Sean, and his fiancé Tanis traveled from out west to our cottage in Muskoka. It was Sean’s first trip back in six years and his first trip to bring Tanis. We had a wonderful week with them and loved introducing Tanis to everything we love to do in the summer at the cottage. Tanis had a go at tubing and enjoyed a fun-filled, action-packed ride with Maddie and Owen! This picture represents the fun they all had!

To document this moment I used the FREE SUMMER SVG cut file from Marcy Milly SVG.

I selected a photo of our dock to backfill the cut file. You can accomplish this effect in two different ways. You can trace the outline of the cut file onto your photo and then fussy cut, or you can open the photo in Silhouette software and then open the SVG cut file over the top. This positioning allows you to move the cut file exactly where you want it cut. To achieve this, release the compound path of the cut file and remove the outline of the cut file and any extra inside pieces. This isolates the six letters that spell SUMMER. Then create a slight offset of the individual letters (0.05 works well) and delete the original (internal letters) before you cut. The result gives you a slightly larger backing to securely adhere the letters to the back of the cut file. The following pictures provide some close-ups of the title.

This layout was designed using Cocoa Vanilla Studio’s Boys Rule collection. The specific paper was called Entitled, and I used stickers, word phrases and chipboard embellishments from the collection to complete the layout.

Thickers Happy Life foam letter stickers were used to add the subtitle Tubing with Auntie Tanis and the date.

We had such a lovely summer this year and made exceptional memories that I look forward to documenting this winter. I hope you all have wonderful summer memories to get you through the long cold winter ahead. Thanks for visiting, and until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

Party!

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

I’m long overdue in posting this two-page layout for Ben’s 2nd Birthday! There’s nothing better than a summer birthday when the air is hot, the water refreshing and the birthday cake is ice cream! We are so lucky to have the opportunity to celebrate this sweet boy’s Birthday at the cottage.

The gorgeous ink base pages for this double page layout came from a craft smart paper pad called Rainbow Inks purchased at Michael’s. This paper pad is an excellent alternative for someone like me who is slightly intimidated to create the backdrop myself. I was attracted to the turquoise page with the internal square offset and rotated the second page to balance the double page layout.

I love the Star Cake cut file from Peartree Cutfiles. It was perfect for documenting Ben’s big day. The file was cut from black cardstock and then the interior pieces were offset with coordinating patterned papers from Doodlebug Design’s Party Time paper pack. Lawn fawn’s “holographic 2.0” paper was used to back the stars in this cut file. The number 2 was added to the cake using a chipboard piece from Basic Grey called dark chocolate chip.

I enjoy making my grandchildren shirts for their Birthday and found the perfect design for a two-year-old in the Silhouette Design Store. The Two Nado Birthday Phrase was designed by Sarah Bailey (Design ID#315079). I used black and turquoise Heat Transfer Vinyl to create Ben’s t-shirt. I replicated this design for the second page of this layout. 

The rest of the layout came together quickly using several “odds & ends” from Doodlebug Design’s Dragon Tails ephemera package. The PARTY title, coordinating birthday presents and stars on both pages all belong to this package. The green Happy Birthday stickers are also a Doodlebug Design product and belong to a multicolour cardstock sticker sheet. You can stretch your scrapbook stash when companies coordinate the colours between different paper collections and releases! The finishing touch was to add the date using white Thickers Happy Life foam letter stickers. 

We sure had fun celebrating Ben’s 2nd Birthday, and I’m excited to add these pages to his personal scrapbook. I hope you’ve found some inspiration to scrapbook a special birthday in your family. Until next time, stay safe, stay well and Happy Scrapping!

The Girls!

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to share a highlight from summer 2020. We’ve just come out of a very long lockdown and I can’t wait to make some fun memories this summer with my family and friends! This photo is one of my favourites from last summer as it captures 3 generations. We get so busy having fun together that we often forget to pause for a minute to take some pictures. This picture includes me, my daughter and granddaughter on a beautiful summer day at the cottage – our favourite place to be in the warm weather! I’m so thrilled that Marcy Milly SVG designed thegirls! cut file. It was exactly what I was looking for! This title lends itself to so many possibilities – sisters, reunions, weddings, sororities, girls night out, and many more – so many options!

I decided to use the Vicki Boutin Color Study paper, ephemera, and stickers for this layout. The bright bold colours remind me of beautiful summer days. I cut the title in Fushia cardstock and then offset the title 2 separate times to layer it in coordinating (orange and teal) cardstock. This also helps draw more attention to the title cut file. Once my picture was printed and matted I added fun foam to the back of the cut file to pop it up further and to create some dimension on the layout.

The rest of the layout came together quite quickly. Several embellishments came from the Vicki Boutin Color Study Journal Ephemera and Icon Ephemera packages. I also utilized a sticker (This is the Stuff That Matters) and the gold foil dots came from the 6 x 12 Sticker sheets that belong to the same collection. The date was added using teal glitter foam letter stickers from Thickers called Sunny.

As we start to see daylight in this pandemic, I hope the summer of 2021 is one of love and laughter for you. I can’t wait to hug so many important people in my life!! And don’t forget to grab pictures of your reunions and events that bring us back together. This is going to be a summer to celebrate!

Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!

Everyday Moments

~ dddesignz ~ 2 Comments

Even though we’ve been living through a pandemic for well over fifteen months now, it’s still easy to find joy in everyday moments. My daughter is so good at sending me random pictures of our grandchildren, and she knows every picture brings a huge smile to my face. Back in May 2019, she sent me this picture of herself and her youngest, Ben. I was overjoyed to see her beautiful face in this photo. Her two oldest children were in online school at the time, and nothing special was going on. It was just a perfect moment to capture Mom and baby in a photo for prosperity. This picture just fills me with love and joy!

I used Carta Bella’s Flora No 3 collection pack for all of the patterned papers in this layout. I love the soft feel of this paper line and it coordinated beautifully with the shirts Ben and Lindsay were wearing. The background paper is the reverse side of Elegant Stems patterned paper. The layout frame and matching cutouts for the title and floral cluster came from the Elegant Large Floral patterned paper. The photo was matted using the backside of two coordinating patterned papers from the collection called Elegant Small Floral and Elegant Journaling Cards.

I chose two cut files from Peartree Cutfiles for this layout. The title cut file Everyday Moments was cut from white cardstock first. It’s such a versatile cut file and was one of the free weekly cut files from the Peartree Cutfiles Facebook Group. Usually, I offset the cutout letters and back fill the title, but for this layout, I decided to keep them the same size as the original title. First, they were cut from coordinating patterned paper and then they were backed with Taylored Expressions Foam Sticky Strips to provide the texture and dimension.

I altered the second cut file called Floral Bunny Ears to suit my needs for this layout. By using the knife tool in Silhouette Studio Design Software, I was able to separate the bunny ears from the gorgeous floral cluster. This technique is also a great way to stretch some of your cut files. Once the floral cluster was sized properly, it was also cut from white cardstock. I used the Silhouette Studio software and the Fill Pattern function to plan out which coordinating patterned papers would be cut to back the cut file. I use this function often when backing an intricate cut file.

The final touches on the floral cluster were adding a few acrylic dots from various collections. The date was added to the left of the photo using rose-coloured thickers from American Crafts, called Happy Life.

I’m so pleased with the delicate feel of this layout. It helped me preserve a very precious moment in time between Mother and Son. If you’ve hesitated scrapbooking day to day moments, jump in! Our scrapbooks should be filled with memories of everyday moments, good and bad, in addition to the highlights like birthdays and vacations. What will you work on next? Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!