Grandma Dot's Mini Album

Hello again friends!

I am excited to share my take on the new i-crafter Mini Divider #2 die set! This set pairs perfectly with the Mini Album, Accordion die set. My project was inspired by photos I found of my Grandma Dot, Dorothy Jean Gabel. I turned my pages sideways to make it feel like opening a file, or at least that's what it seems like to me.

I started by picking out some scrapbook paper that felt vintage to me and die cutting out the divider page from Mini Divider #2, and distressed the corners using some Distress Ink in Vintage Photo using my i-Brush Blender Brushes. On the tab, I hand wrote "Memories of...", then used the Alphabet, Heather Upper and Lower dies to spell out Grandma's name.

The final touch for this page was a flower from the Mini Divider #2 set. I used solid cardstocks to die cut it, then used the i-Press Burnisher & Pad to add a soft curve to the petals.

The first four interior pages were cut using the Mini Album, Accordion die set and scrapbook paper. Next, I used the frame from the Mini Divider #2 and cut the picture of grandma down to fit in the frame. I had scanned the original images and printed them out using my Sprocket Plus printer. Then I used a deep pink cardstock for the actual frame in Mini Divider #2 and the small banner in the Mini Album, Accordion die set. I kept it simple and just wrote her age on the banner. This page was finished off by a few flower embellishments that have been in my stash forever!

My next page is of my grandparents on their wedding day. The image is a bit blurry but for 1940, I think that may be common! I love how sweet my grandma's dress was and my Grandpa Don's suit is SO dapper!

I added the layering page from the Mini Album, Accordion die set that I cut out using a piece of lace scrapbook paper for under this page. To write on, I used the hexagon in the Mini Divider #2, I added my grandparent's names and the date. I learned making this project, that my grandparents were married on my birthday! I used a light Distress Oxide ink and my i-Brush Blender Brushes to distress the heart in the Mini Album, Accordion die set to fill the blank space below my hexagon.

The page above their wedding day image shows my grandparents on celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. For this page, I used the deep pink cardstock leftover center from the frame in Mini Divider #2 to write on. I added a small heart cut from the lace scrapbook paper, and brushed the edges with the Antique Photo Distressed Ink. I die cut a space for the heart in the deep pink paper, this made the lace heart inlaid. I added the "Adorable" word die from the Mini Divider #2 set here as well.

The next two pages were the back of the "book" created by Mini Album, Accordion die set and then another divider page from the Mini Divider #2 set. On the top page, I added a picture of Grandma and her 12 children, they were celebrating Dorothy's 80th birthday. The divider page I distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. 

For the bottom page, I added a tiny banner cut from scraps that coordinated with the color palette I used throughout the book and the banner dies from the Mini Divider #2 set. I handwrote the names of Grandma's kids on a kraft scrapbooking sticker from my stash and added tiny flower embellishments to the corners.

Close up of my banner, I was struggling to thread the twine and didn't have a needle to help me, instead I glued the twin down and then layered the banner pieces on top of it.

My grandma had a special connection to her daughters, so my next page is the Gabel Gals. I used the frame die from the Mini Divider #2 set to cut down the picture, and added the frame to the outside. I used the center piece from the frame to write out their names in white gel pen. For the flower, I took one of the flower dies and cut it out 7 times, and glued them together. Then used the page die to cut the flower down so the corner was rounded to add to the top left of the page.

The last page that I completed (because I left it open to be able to add on to in the future) is of Dorothy and her sister Delores, my Auntie. For this page, I used the layering page from the Mini Album, Accordion die set to cut out a cream dotted piece of scrapbook paper. To add some texture to the page, I used the die strip of three lines of holes from the Mini Divider #2 set, this allows the light blue paper to peek through. I added the "this is" piece from Mini Album, Accordion die set and wrote below that. To complete this page, I used the negatives from the "this is" to add "sis" to the bottom left.

Here is a flip through of the book! I apologize in advance for it being shaky! 

Head over to i-crafter to get the Mini Divider #2 set and check out the other wonderful new release items too! Be sure to join the i-crafter Facebook Fan Club, then follow us on Instagram, and Pinterest too! We love seeing all of your creations using the i-crafter products.

Until next time,

R. Winn

Dashed Circles, i-crafter May Release

Hi again friends!

It's i-crafter's Release Day and I am so excited to share the new Dashed Circles dies. This set is super versatile and allows you to use your other i-crafter products (and every other company's products) in even more fun ways! The dies cut dashes on two sides of the cut circle creating a positive and negative space that can be used on your projects. I have 3 cards to show you today with fun ways to create using this great new set.

My first two projects use paper from Echo Park's Perfect Princess paper pad. I have two adorable little girls that are getting a package from me soon and I wanted to include some cards for them. 

The first card, I folded my card base out of a dark gray, and took the die to the very edge of the fold. By placing the cutting circle just over the fold, I was able to cut *almost* a full circle card base. My cutting machine didn't fully cut the bottom circle's dashes, I could have recut or used a shim to help it, but decided that I liked the look and kept it as is.

Next, I picked my patterned papers from the Perfect Princess pad, and die cut two Dashed Circles from it, the larger of the two circles is the princesses, the smaller is a sentiment that says "little girls have a magic of their own, princess." 

I added a medium sized Dashed Circle in a bright yellow to contrast with the gray and create space between the two patterned papers. This was popped-up on a thin foam tape, then the smallest Dashed Circle was added to it. I finished the card with 3 light purple heart embellishments from HAI Supply

The second card, I used the same paper pad, but wanted to show off a few more tricks the Dashed Circles die set can do! I started with a blue-green card base then cut down another piece of the yellow to add on top of that. I cut out various pieces of the patterned paper that I wanted to include. Next, I took a medium sized Dashed Circle die, and added the die one size smaller in the center of it. I cut both of these at the same time, creating a frame for my unicorns (I lined up the outer circle dashes on both the unicorns and the frame) and a back layer for my crowns.

After playing with the layout of the 4 patterns, I turned my attention to the sentiment circle "You're a princess". In order to highlight this circle, I positioned the smallest Dashed Circle die in the top left of the yellow layer, creating a negative space that opened up to the blue-green base. I added foam tap to the back of the sentiment to give it more depth. I finished this card off with some Raspberry DoubleClick Skittles.

My last card is super shiny! I stared with a black card base to make the Holographic Cardstock pop more, in the center of this shiny layer, I used second from the smallest Dashed Circle die and cut a negative space. I used this to line up the location for my Halo Lights. I added the center cut piece of the Holographic Cardstock to help the light reflect upwards more (black tends to absorb light so this helped more go upward.) I also used a metallic blue marker to fill in the rest of the black, thinking I would be using vellum to fill the negative space, which I later decided against.

Next, I cut out 2 partial Dashed Circles from a striped pink cardstock scrap. I grabbed the scraps of my yellow cardstock from earlier and cut out "Shine on" for the top circle, and "like a" for the bottom circle with i-crafter's Carly alphabet dies. For "diamond" and to fill the negative space in the center, I used Light Blue Metallic Paper.

I finished the card off with Diamond Clear Jewels from HAI and by writing in "Push" since I failed to stamp it before I glued everything together! Here is a short video show off card all lit up!

Head over to i-crafter to get the new Dashed Circles die set, and check out the other wonderful new release items too! Be sure to join the i-crafter Facebook Fan Club, then follow us on Instagram, and Pinterest too! We love seeing all of your creations using the i-crafter products.

Until next time,

R. Winn

i-crafter Kokeshi Dress Up Scrapbook Page

I am so excited to to join the i-crafter Inspiration Team! 

Today, we are releasing a whole new line of Japan inspired products. This line up is gorgeous and SO much fun to create with! I am showing off a scrapbook page that I made for my sister-in-law using the new i-crafter Kokeshi Dress Up Dolls.  Her sister and nieces live in Japan, and these little dolls were perfect to use on a page to remind her of them.

First, I cut the pieces of the dolls' body and hair from plain Copic paper and then used Copic markers to color them up. For the skin, I used E21, E11, E13, E15, & E04 with R22 for the blush. I used E27, E77, E47, E37, & E57 for the hair. 

I used mostly papers from HAI Direct and a few scraps for the doll clothes and added shadows to them using Copic Gray W01, W0, & W00. I added foam tape behind the draped part of the sleeves to add some dimension. On the red paper, it is harder to see the shadows, but on the white paper, it shows up more!

I backed the girls with some pretty, sparkly blue paper and hand cut a trim around them. I used a purple cardstock to back the photos of the girls. 

 I used pieces from the i-crafter Mini Album, Accordion die set to create a little notebook page with the same purple cardstock that I had backed the photos of the girls with. Next, I took the i-crafter Alphabet, Carly dies and spelled out "Auntie Charissa's Little Girls" in a shiny, holographic cardstock. I backed the notebook page with a piece of thin foam to give it some dimension.

My final touch was a trio of Cherry Blossoms from the i-crafter Cherry Blossom Bursts dies to add some delicate embellishments to the page. 

I absolutely love the Japan inspired products in the January i-crafter release. Lynda used her heritage and family history to bring us such beautiful things to create with. Be on the look out for more creations from me using them later this month!

You can shop all the new arrivals here! Be sure to join the i-crafter Facebook Fan Club, then follow us on Instagram, and Pinterest too! We love to see your creations using the i-crafter products.

Until next time,

R. Winn

A Bit of Magic!

 Have you ever been stupidly excited for something, then when it arrives you don't know what to do with it?

That's what the Magical Alphabet from Kindred Stamps had me feeling. I told my best friend that I wanted to make something "obnoxious and amazing" with it. I came up with this!

I knew I wanted to use the alphabet to create "Yasss" which is something I will use typing on Facebook when I get excited, but honestly don't actually saw.  Using my Chameleon Pens and their Color Top counterparts to color my letters and the extra embellishments. Then hit the little magical bits with a clear Wink of Stella.

I went with a mix of the new Kindred Stamps Unicorn Poop and Unicorn Farts Shaker Packs... this stuff is SO fun. There is such a unique blend of glitter, sequins, and other magical items. The star design in the center Stampin' Up's star framelit die cut, I used Stampin' Up's White Shimmer paper (this may be retired) to create a clean background. Then grabbed just a random large piece of pinkish paper from my scraps pile.  I went with an Orange BrazzilBasics Cardstock for the card base. 

Finally, I grabbed the Magical Unicorn stamps from my stash, Kindred Stamps for the win!  I colored it with my Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens.  I knew I didn't want to leave it white, so I went with the turquoise for the body, then went with every single colorful pen I could find for the hair.

I am so pleased with how this card turned out and can't wait to find the perfect person to give it to!

So! If you are ready to give in and grab a Kindred Stamps set or embellishment yourself,  you can click HERE to create an account and get 10% off your first purchase!

Thanks for stopping by!

~R. Winn