Silver and Gold Layout

Not to brag, but this one turned really good! I like it a lot! SOOOO sparkly/foil-y!!! ...which also means difficult to photograph...

We used the Silver and Gold Workshop:

I really try to only use the items included in the Workshop, but for this layout I did add some black embroidery floss to hang my gold embossed ornaments and title:

Love the hanging ornaments!

I think shades of gray with metallic and a pop of black might be a new favorite color combo!

Beary Christmas Layout

I wasn't a huge fan of the whole BEAR-y part of this paper, so I just went more Christmas focused!

For this layout my Close To My Heart scrapbooking club used the Beary Christmas Workshop:

Nothing wrong with good old fashioned traditional Christmas colors! Especially if they're glittered:

Along this side is where I plan to journal:

I think a cute Christmas poem or something... still looking...

Happy Christmas in April!

KL December Layout Sketch

WOW Christmas is close!!!

Anyone else FREAKING OUT yet???

To help us all calm down and take a much needed sanity break, Kiwi Lane has a cute scrapbook sketch and free printable up on their blog HERE. Oh ya, you can win a prize, too!

Here is my sample:

More old Festival Of Trees pictures with my Kiwi Lane paper!

I used the printable as a journaling spot here:

Any time journaling can be made easy and cute is a good time!

I had way too much fun with my ornament templates:

But it turned out to be my favorite part of my layout!

Seriously, take a break for yourself and scrapbook for the love of Santa!!!

KL November Card Sketch

Holy cow it's NOVEMBER!?!

Where exactly did 2016 go...

On a less crazy note, Kiwi Lane has a new card sketch challenge up on their blog! Go HERE to check it out, print out the free printable, and enter to win!

Here is my sample:

And for those of us who don't want to face the (Christmas) music yet, I made a fall sample:

I am soooooo not ready!!!

KL January Layout Sketch

LOVE Kiwi Lane's scrapbook sketch for the week:

I barely had to change it at all!

Here is my sample:

I used KIWI LANE paper!!! Sooooo excited that they have their own paper line now!

I never have pictures I can cut down super tiny, so I just moved my title up to take the place of the 3 little pictures in the sketch:

Have you tried 12x12 scrapbooking with Kiwi Lane's 8 inch mini-borders yet?! It's so easy, so fun, and gives you a new look with NO effort:

Big fan of things that come together quickly and still look GOOD!

Visit Kiwi Lane's blog HERE to make your own and enter to WIN!!!

KL Scrapbook Sketch #12

Aw! The last sketch of the year! :(

Here is the Kiwi Lane scrapbook sketch for this week:

Yep! A one-pager! 

So of course I turned it into a two-pager: 

Although it actually works really well with just the one:

I altered the sketch just a tad and went a little more than a tad overboard with my Christmas light template... but I REALLY like it!!!

TONS of card-border-template layers on this one:

I love how my bakers twine worked on this layout:

Definitely have to pull that stuff out more often...

This is your LAST CHANCE to WIN this year, so go to Kiwi Lane's blog HERE to enter!

Make your own!!!

KL Card Sketch #12

Ummm... oops!

Here is the Kiwi Lane card sketch for a couple weeks ago:

 

And the bonus second sketch:

Now obviously you can no longer enter to win... but here are my samples anyway!

Card #1:

I added my favorite Close To My Heart shimmer trim to the ends of the mittens! So sparkly!

If I do a template right along the bottom edge, I like to cut my whole card along with it:

Just an easy way to add a little extra interest!

Card #2:

I think this Christmas Light template is my current favorite!

Same bottom edge treatment:

Now to make a bazillion more and mail them... yesterday...

KL Card Sketch #10

Woo Hoo!!!

TWO card sketches up on Kiwi Lane today!

Visit their blog HERE to participate and WIN!

Here is sketch #1:

Here is my sample:

I changed it up a little bit... this came together SO FAST!!! Love my Kiwi Lane templates and Close To My Heart stamps!

Just the right amount of dimension on this one:

Mail-able but not flat!

Here is sketch #2:

 

Here is my sample:

I really liked this sketch just the way it was! Very clean and pretty!

A bit more dimension on this one:

I learned that when you line a shape with bakers twine you don't have to add foam dots... it pops up all by itself!

Go make your own and enter to win!!!

Last Kiwi Post

This is my last Design Team post for Kiwi Lane :(

I am pretty much devastated.

This has been SO much fun and I have LOVED the creative challenge and ALL the Kiwi friends I have made.

Sad times...

On a happier note, here is the layout I made for this month:

The miracle is that all 3 children were not only smiling, but actually LOOKING at the camera! All at once!!!

Make sure you visit Kiwi Lane's blog HERE!

I show you how I made a fun background like this:

And a sparkly poinsettia like this:

And easy photo corners like this:

Go see go see!

Thanks for following me on my Kiwi Lane journey!

Burlap Petal CHRISTMAS Wreath

I couldn't go to the Pinner's Conference a few months ago.

Mostly because I didn't want to...

But I DID want to make this:

Super cute Burlap Petal wreath by the insanely creative girls over at Find it, Make it, Love it!

Luckily for people like me they made a step by step tutorial on their blog HERE.

If anything I say doesn't make sense, try their tutorial instead...

I made a slightly fuller CHRISTMAS version:

I absolutely LOVE it and it was one of the quickest/easiest/best-turning-out-est wreaths I've ever made!

You will need:
*straw wreath form (mine is the big 18" one)
*plain burlap for covering the form
*decorative burlap for your "petals" (I used 40 feet of burlap ribbon)
*something for your bow
*hot glue gun and TONS of sticks
*pins

To make the "petals":

Cut a 5x5 square of burlap:

Fold down the top to make a triangle. Glue the bottom point together:

Fold down one side point to the bottom point. Glue the points together:

Fold down the other side point to the bottom point. Make sure all the points are glued together:

Now the original tutorial had you just make the petal and pin it on, but I needed a bit more durability... so I glued!

Once you have a pretty good pile going (I ended up needing 84), you can start to assemble.

Cover your wreath frame with more burlap:

Start in the center of your wreath. Put glue ONLY on the bottom point of your petal and glue it on. I also put a pin in mine:

Now glue another petal right in front of your first petal, overlapping as much as you like: 

Continue until you have the whole middle row finished. (I had to snip off the bottom tip of my last petal to squeeze it in at the end):

Now start the inner row! Glue/pin one petal between each center petal FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, again overlapping as much as you like:

Just keep gluing/pinning one petal in each gap. The inner row is more crowded, so you'll need to overlap a bit more:

Ok, you probably noticed my petals in the above picture are spaced every-other gap. This is what the original tutorial told me to do. I ended up liking a really-full look better, so I altered (ripped off) my first attempt and ended up with this for the inner row:

The outer row is super easy and by now you've got this down! Glue/pin a petal for every center row gap IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION of the center:

This outside row has a bit more room, so you will need to have less of an overlap:

Here is what everything should look like all done:

The bow is obviously optional, but I like the look! I just used the leftover burlap from wrapping my wreath frame! The Find It, Make It, Love It tutorial has a great tip on how to make a "cheater" bow that is always perfect:

TA-DA!:

Go make your own!