AWDML Design Team Blog

Welcome our New Designers

Welcome our News Designers

* Scarlett Salamone

* Kim Holmes

* Erica Hettwer

* Stacy Rodriquez

* Lucy Chesna- DT Coordinator

You can check out there BIO stuff HERE

A "30 minute" challenge

Hello everyone, It is a little sad to write this as it is my last blog post for AWDML. Lisa and the DT have been great and I loved my time on the DT here. It is also happy though because a great new DT will be starting in a few days and they will definitely inspire you!

So my last challenge for AWDML is a "30 minuute" challenge. This layout is a lift from one I saw in the last issue of CK. It was in a column about finishing a lo in 15 minutes. I think it took me 15 minutes just to get my paper out- LOL! But it did take only 30 minutes so I consider that a success. Usually it takes me hours to finish one page.

To finish the page quickly I used only a few things- October afternoon stickers, Thickers, sassafras blossoms and Kaiser pearls. Then add some journaling around the edge and TADA- it's done!

So pick out a few pictures, a few embellishments, grab your journaling pen and create a stress-free lo in 30 minutes or less. Upload your lo with Mr. Linky above to be in the running for a prize from AWDML.

Thanks for everyone's kind comments over the last 7 months. I have really appreciated them- Sarah

Tuesday's Tip!!!

Get out those white pens and use them to make your pages and cards POP!!  On the LO and Card below, I used Daisy Bucket's Love You line of paper along with AC Black Cardstock.  Then, with my trusty white pen, I doodled some dots and it made the paper POP right off the page!  So, get those white pens out of your pile of pens and make your work POP!!

 

Sadly, this is my final blog post for the AWDML Design Team.  This has been an amazing experience and I want to thank Lisa, Lucy, Crystal, Sarah and Mindy for making this a great team.  Also, thank you to those of you who stop by to visit each day.  Good luck to the new team!

Happy Scrapping!!
 

~~Nicole~~
 

Made you Look Monday with Mindy :)

This is my last post for A Walk Down Memory Lane. Thank you so much Lisa for having me on the team it's been a great 7 months! I made this layout, it's when I had Belle, I cant believe this was almost 8 years ago! I cut out the letters and Stars with my Cricut Expression, Paper is American Crafts, I used my Pendant Nesties for the fancy corners, Pink gems, Prima Swirl, Button. Everything else is misc. from my stash.

Have a great day!

Make-Your-Own-Kit.

This is going to be a different kind of "tutorial."  Today I'm going to talk about one of my new favorite things to do--making your own kits.  There are several benefits to doing this:

1. They are perfect for taking to crops.  Simply put everything together in a little bag, and you have all of your necessities without packing your entire scrapbook room.

2. Breathe new life into old supplies.  Have some old papers or embellies that you still love but just haven't found the perfect use for?  Add them to a kit.  Combining them with the latest and greatest can be just what you need for some refreshed inspiration.

3. Break out of a rut.  When I'm scrapping, I find myself reaching for the same old things on nearly every layout.  Pins and other metal embellies get forgotten in my house, as does chipboard, clear embellies, and usually felt.  I just have my go-to embellies, and don't differ from that very often.  In putting together a kit, I can really open up all my drawers and containers and consider everything in my stash.

So, what makes a perfect kit? Well, that is entirely up to you.  But, here is my process:

Patterned Paper--First things first.  I start all of my kits with patterned paper.  For this kit, I used October Afternoon and some Basic Grey Origins.

Cardstock--Add in a few sheets of patterned paper.  I usually include a couple neutrals (black, white, kraft) as well as some complementary colors.

Alphabet--Self explanatory :)

Elements--Stickers or chipboard that coordinates with the kit.  For this kit, Basic Grey made it easy on me and I included the Origins cardstock element stickers.

Journaling--In most of my kits, I like to include some kind of journaling spots.  For this one, I chose some Jilibean Soup Kraft circle journaling spots.

Bling--Be it stickles, gems, glitter, glitter stickers, etc...I always need some form of bling :)

Ribbon--Sometimes I use felt, paper borders, ric rac, etc.  But there is always some form of ribbon or border.

Extras--Those little embellies that bring it all together.  The details.  Buttons, brads, flowers, metal pins, random chipboard pieces, etc.  I'm sure I'm forgetting some things but you get the idea.

Finally, here is the kit I assembled.

And, in case anyone just falls in love with this kit, I have created a wishlist at the store so that you can find and purchase the components.  Just click HERE.

The challenge this week is to make your own kit and use it to create something :)  Be sure to link us up to your kit and creations!

♥ Crystal

Product Review: Bella Blvd Super Stud!!

Have you SEEN Bella Blvd's Super Stud line??!!  It's the cutest darn thing, full of BRIGHT colors and FUN robots!   Check out this piece of the line (Bits A Bella) that shows just how FUN this line is!!

I found this paper to be particularly perfect for a page about my handsome little guy!  Here it is:

Bella Blvd has some other suer cute lines, too, such as:  Camped Out, Honey I'm Home and Plastino!  They are all so much fun!!  Just click on the names of the lines to see them!  
 

If you have used some Super Stud, stop by our gallery and share it with us!

Happy Scrapping!

~~Nicole~~

Technique Tuesday

For this week's Techinque I chose to use Shimmerz on my layout. I took a stipple brush and dipped it in the shimmerz and made splotches on my layout. I LOVE the way it came out. I used my Nesties, Martha Stewart Punches, Shimmerz, SEI patterned Paper which is on sale this month, Black Cardstock, My Sizzix Swirl, Little Zva roses and buttons.

This is my daughter Belle, it was this years beginning of the year pictures.

 

Hugs, Mindy

 

Made you look Monday

Look at this super cute line from October Afternoon- Farm Fresh. It is one of my new faves. The patterned paper and stickers are so cute and fun. Plus I am sucker for anything with cute little farm animals! I have a few projects I made this month from this adorable line that I will be sharing in a few days.

Until then - Sarah

 

Friday Challenge: A SKETCH CHALLENGE!!!

Hey there, everyone!  Happy Friday!!!

Let's Celebrate with a Sketch Challenge!!  Pamela Young from Scrapook Challenges graciously loaned us one of her awesome sketches to use!  Check it out:

Your challenge is to use Pamela's sketch to create a Layout and share it here on the AWDML DT blog by Midnight on January 31st to be entered in the AWDML's monthly prize drawing!

Here is my example to get you started:

 

Products Used:

October Afternoon Farm Fresh Papers

American Crafts Cardstock

Jillibean Soup Cardstock Alpha Stickers

Cricut

Cat’s Eye Ink Pad

ATG Adhesive Gun

Enjoy this beautiful sketch!  I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!!

~~Nicole~~

January Challenges

Its time again for our awesome designers to post challenges for the new year. Please post your creation in the Mr. Linky here

Brown and Blue Color Challenge 

The deadline of Challenges is Jan 31st and random winner will receive RAK from A Walk Down Memory Lane

Important Notices: 

Design Team Call ends on Jan 17th and new design team will be announced on Jan 20th 

Manufacturer of the Month- SEI an Cornish Heritage Farms - you'll get 25% off your goodies,

Multiple patterned papers !!!!

I used the papers from Bo Bunny I LOVE LOVE LOVE Bo bunny! Their collections go so well with eachother! Today is my day to post Product review for A Walk Down Memory Lane so my tip and review is all the fabulous papers you have dont be affraid to put them on the same project or layout! I also used my Nesties, yellow buttons, Prima bling and Pink pasilee alphabet!

Have a great day!

-Mindy

Unity Stamp Co Store Exclusive Stamp Sets

Happy Wednesday everyone!!  Today's card uses one of Unity Stamp Company's Store Exclusive stamp set images from their Sweet Affection's set.

Unity Stamp Company has been making Store Exclusive stamps sets since August, and they are just too cute!  A great variety of large and small images as well as sentiments.  The 2009 sets all came with a plastic storage case, but in 2010 they decided to do away with that.

Their Store Exclusive sets usually retail at $39.99 however...just for YOU, we have them at $29.99.  They are a full sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 cling-mounted rubber stamp sets and they're already cut out for you.  Just put on your acrylic block, ink it up, and stamp away!

I always have a hard time making cards without a "feminine" feel to them, so I grabbed some papers from KI Memories Pet Shoppe collection and made a bunch of cards a couple of Saturdays ago, when we were snow-ed in at my mom and dad's house during Christmas weekend.

I started with Bazzill's Swiss Dot cardstock for a base, and next layered a strip of KI Memories Pet Shop papers, and used a Fiskars border punch along the bottom edge of one.  I used my Tim Holtz Mini Attacher to attach those strips to my cardstock base.  Next, I used a bit of Grossgrain ribbon (available by the yard at our physical storefront) and tied a knot.  I stamped my tree image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored in with my Copic Markers.  Last, I stamped my sentiment right on the patterned paper.