AWDML Design Team Blog

Christmas in July - Home Decor Challenge

Greetings Everyone!  One of my favorite things about Christmas is decking the halls of my home.  I love when we break out the boxes of all our treasured decorations and delight in adding a few new ones here and there. 

My challenge for you is to create a Christmas home decor piece.

I decided to go with a banner since they are wonderfully cute and it will look great on my door greeting our Christmas guests!

Joy Banner by Scarlett Salamone

Supplies Used:

Patterned paper - Pink Paislee Mistletoe & Co.

Letters - The Girls' Paperie On Holiday Chipboard Display Letters

Embossing powder - American Crafts Zing!

Snowflake punch - Martha Stewart

Circle Punches - Marvy 

Please post your creation here on Mr. Linky by July 21st at midnight (PST).

Can't wait to see what you will deck your halls with!

~Scarlett~

Christmas in July: Sketch Challenge

Hello Everyone

I love Christmas and really enjoy creating memories each year with the family. Here is your next challenge :)

Create a layout using this sketch provided with a Christmas memory of the past.

 
Here is my layout

 

This Xmas Photo by Lucy Chesna

Supplies:

Daisy Bucket Merry Wishes Holiday Lane

Daisy Bucket Merry Wishes Deck the Halls

Daisy Bucket Merry Wishes Holly Jolly

American Craft Fabric Thickers

Please post your creation here on Mr.Linky by July 21st at midnight (PST).

I cant wait to see your creation.

***LUCY***

Christmas in July-Card Challenge

Hey everyone, it's Erica!  Welcome to my challenge for the Christmas in July crop!  Are you enjoying the "cooler weather"?  ;)

One of my favorite things about the Christmas holidays is the gift-giving.  It's just a great way for me to let someone know that I care about them and making a matching card can show that extra level of love. 

I used the Grandma's Christmas Soup line from Jillibean Soup (Featured Manufacturer, 25% off!) to alter this little frame I picked up at IKEA.   

I put some of the stripe from Can Potato Soup inside the frame and then spelled out JOY with the white corrugated alphas. 

I covered the front of the frame with one side of Pinch Christmas Cheer and...

cut out some of the cute birds, trees and snowflakes from the other side to decorate the frame. 

Then, I created this card using most of the same products and a sketch inspired by the frame.

I did switch out the large white letters for the smaller kraft ones because of the scale of the card.

 

And, again, I decorated the front with that cute little bird from Pinch Christmas Cheer.

 
 
 Here's my challenge for you.  Create a card that coordinates with or is inspired by a Christmas gift.  You will get an extra entry if you create a new gift just for this challenge but any gift that you have on hand or have made previously will work.  Post your project(s) in the AWDML gallery and then link back to this post for a chance to win a prize from Jillibean Soup!!!

Christmas in July Crop...Card & layout challenge

Hey there everyone Stacy here!!!!  Welcome to the Christmas in July Crop.  This week we want to get you thinking about Christmas.  It will be here before you know it. (in 167 days)  The Design Team here at AWDML has some fabulous challenges for you this week.

I have two challenges for you.  The first is to create a layout showing us your Christmas/Holiday family traditions.  On this layout I used some fun, funky Christmas paper.  I love the non-holiday colors in this line.

The products I used on this layout are MME Colorful Christmas paper & die cuts.  I used my gel pen to make the circle on the layout, some fun Kaiser Crafts pearls & rinestones , a little ric rak, and some American Crafts thickers.

Ok ladies now for your card challenge.  I want to see those Holiday cards....the catch is that it can't be in the shape of your usual card.  Let's see those funky shaped cards to go with this funky paper!!!  Here is my card...

On this card I used the die cuts from MME Colorful Christmas line, and to give it a little shimmer I used some Ranger stickles.

Ok ladies....these are my challenges to you.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.  Make sure you upload your creations for us to see in the forum & gallery.

Until next time...Happy Scrappin'

~~Stacy~~

Christmas In July Crop

 

Our Designers will be posting challenge here starting on July 12th till July 16th. You will have till July 21st at midnight (PST) to link your creations here on this thread thru Mr.Linky

There will be a random drawing and winner will recieve goodies from our sponsor - Jillibean Soup

Rules of the Crop

 * all creations need to be new

* one layout or card per challenge

 * you can not combine challenges

* deadline for enteries is July 21st at Midnigh (PST)

 

 Pleas post your creations here

Friday Sketch Inspiration

Hi there everyone!  Happy Friday to you!  I have a cool sketch to bring you for today to help you chill out, relax, and scrap during these hot days lots of us have been having.  The sketch I chose to use is from the fabulous Lucy Chesna. I just adore her sketches and am never disappointed by what I can create with them.  This week I have a card sketch to share.

Here is your inspiration sketch:

My sample for you to peek at using some yummy Jillibean Soup products:

I just love this Chicken Noodle Soup line.....it's perfect for this country girl!  Just think of all those fair, farm, and gardening photos you have.... this line is perfect for them.

Hope you give the sketch a whirl and upload it to the gallery so we can be inspired by you and leave you some lovin'!

Products Used:

Jillibean Soup Chicken Noodle Soup Patterned Papers

Jillibean Soup Chicken Noodle Soup cardstock stickers

Jillibean Soup cardstock alpha stickers

Jillibean Soup 12x12 Kraft cardstock

Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle cardstock alphas

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Swiss Dot

Remember that all Jillibean Soup products are 25% off this month in the store.  Be sure you head on over to pick yourself up some goodies!

Happy Scrappin' ~ Scarlett

Product Review: Studio Calico's Fabrips

Hey all, it's Erica!  :D

Today I've got a cool new product from Studio Calico to share with you.  They are called Fabrips and they are self adhesive fabric strips.  Now, they don't actually come as strips, rather as a large sheet with short slits cut in the ends.  This enables you to choose how wide you want your strips to be and if you want a cut edge or a torn edge on them.

The store actually carries all three of the current Fabrip styles and they are all awesome!  I chose to work with the Anthology Fabrips.  The colors are so me!  :D

The first project I made with them is this little mini book about my son's Bible School experience this summer.  It was only three days but as it's his first experience with school, I really wanted to document it.

I used a strip of the graph paper style fabric on both sides of the acrylic cover.  It makes a cute little accent and I love the way the ripped edge looks.

Another way to use the Fabrips is to punch shapes with them.  I used the Real Estate Sign punch to create a back drop for my number.

 

You can also see I repeated the strip element on the back cover of my album.  :)
 

Products used:  Patterned Paper-Studio Calico, Stickers-Studio Calico, Fabrips-Studio Calico, Letter Stickers-Studio Calico, Acrylic Covers-Zutter, Binding Coils-Zutter, Binding Tool-Zutter, Corner Rounder-We R Memory Keepers 

For this card I decided to try a technique I've seen around the internet but never tried.  I tore a strip of the blue chevron fabric and twisted it so it made a rope and then wrapped it around itself to create a flower.

I just used some glue dots to adhere it to itself and it holds wonderfully!

Products used:  Carstock-American Crafts, Patterned Paper-Studio Calico, Stickers-Studio Calico, Fabrip-Studio Calico, Pearls-Kaisercraft, Leaves-Prima, Punch-Marvy Uchida, Ink-Ranger

The adhesive on the back of the fabric is just the way I like it.  Sticky enough to stay put but not so immediately permanent that you can't fiddle with it if needed.  I really like this new product and can't wait to get my hands on the other two styles! 

Have you used Fabrips?  What did you think?  If you have any projects/techniques that you'd like to share feel free to link to them in the comments!

Tuesday's Technique: Doodling

Hope everyone has recovered from the long weekend.  I'm going to show you something you can do on your layouts to give it a little extra something.  You can do this on the outside of your layout, on the pattern paper, or anywhere you like.

I'm talking about doodling.  There are several different ways to doodle.  You can do a solid straight line, dashes, curly lines, double lines, or something like this xxxxxxxx.  Sometimes its just the right touch for a layout, and makes that empty space on the outside of the layout look fabulous!

Here is a layout I did some doodling on.  On the outside of my cardstock I did double lines from corner to corner, making them criss cross in spots.  I also left open areas here and there where I didn't connect the lines straight across but did little squiggles to connect the lines together.

When you are doodling you can use gel pens, markers, ink pens, whatever you want.  For this layout I used Bo Bunny Sun Kissed line paper and letter stickers, ric rak, My Little Shoebox mini alphas, Kaiser Craft pearls, Fancy Pants rusted sun buttons.

So the next time you are working on a layout, lets see the doodling ladies.  Don't forget to share with us in the gallery.

Until next time...Happy Scrapping

~~Stacy~~

Made You Look Monday!

Doodlebug Designs has been around the scrapbooking world for what feels like forever!  They never cease to amaze me with their cute & clean designs!  The new line Feelin' Groovy is no exception! I knew when I developed these adorable photos of my granddaughter that I would be using Doodlebug! The Feelin' Groovy line is perfect with its bright colors against a brown background!

Check out this fun die-cut sheet:

Is that cute or what?  Do you know what makes it even better? It's only $1.99!  That is a lot of happiness for under 2 dollars!

 

Here is my layout and a card that I created from the scraps --- you know I always have to get that card made!

 

 

Did you notice that fun loopy alphabet on the layout?  That is an absolute favorite of mine and a staple in my stash.  It's the Loopy Alphas from Doodlebug and they coordinate with everything! Make sure to check those out in the store too! Have a fun Doodlebug Day! Kim :)

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

I love the 4th of July weekend - everyone is always in a good mood, having a great time celebrating their love for our great country! I just want to take a moment and thank all the wonderful people that have molded and shaped our country into what it is today. Without their love, perseverance, and sacrifice, where would we be today? May you all have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!

Recognize that paper? It's the Jillibean Soup Staples line --- love the polka dots on one side and the fun grid on the other! You can find it in the store here -- and remember it's all 25% off this month!

Speaking of Jillibean Soup --- guess what I did this month?  hehehe - I'm still giddy about it - I was lucky enough to be able to interview Jill from Jillibean Soup!  Wanted to share it with you!

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Jillibean Soup was formed in 2008 and has been releasing wonderful new products non-stop since that day.  I was lucky enough to interview the owner and founder, Jill Yegerlehner, and get some insight into her journey. 

 

Kim:  When & how was “Jillibean Soup” conceived? 

 

Jill:  Jillibean started as a concept in the fall of 2007 and Jillibean Soup, the company, was formed in early 2008.  Our first products were launched in September of 2008. 

 

Kim:  Are you the designer?  What inspires your designs?

 

Jill:  Yes, I am the designer.  I don’t have a formal design degree but sketch what I want and then have my graphic designer (Nadia)  put it in a print-ready format.  Picking out the colors is my favorite part!

 

Kim:  Was going from conception to production hard – exciting – stressful – etc?  

 

Jill:  It was very hard and stressful…as you know scrapbookers have numerous choices when it comes to product.  I wanted to make sure that Jillibean was offering something different.  After lots of research, I decided that our first line (Cream of Mushroom) would be printed on kraft paper.  I loved the first line so much that I printed it on both kraft and white.  

 

Kim:  So far – what has been you personal favorite collection & why?

 

Jill:   Hmmm, great question….if you haven’t noticed, I tend to navigate towards browns, greens and red.  I loved the Minestrone line and then when Old World Cabbage came out, I loved that even more.  The great thing is, you can mix these two lines because of their similar colors.  With our new releases for the summer, you’ll see a science line that I love!  My degree is in Biology so go figure that I would like this line. ;)

 

Kim:  Are you a scrapper?  Maybe a card maker or mixed media artist? 

 

Jill:  I am a scrapbooker!  The best part of the job is using my products for the first time!  Recently, I’ve been working on more cards because of time constraints.  I do enjoy working on layouts when I have more time.  Either way, I love it and it’s a great outlet for me! 

 

Kim:  How has the “Jillibean Soup” line evolved from the first line to the current releases?  Can we expect even more innovative releases this summer?

 

Jill:   Jillibean products have definitely evolved from a more simplistic approach in the beginning to more creative designs and colors now.  I LOVE our new releases for Summer CHA.  We’ve continued to incorporate new colors with the old favorites while still keeping things fresh.   Pasta Fagioli, Atomic Soup, Monster Stew and Christmas Chesnut Soup hopefully will be on your wish list. ;)  Along with CHA, we are doing a Jillibean Journaling Sprout promotion.  We’ve sold almost 1,000,000 sprouts – can you believe there are 1,000,000 of these things floating about…neither can I.  Anyhow, I love, love, love the new sprout designs.  We’ve used the same die, but the sprouts now coordinate with the paper lines and they are adorable! 

 

Kim:  Anything else you would like to share?

 

Jill:  I just want to thank everyone for supporting us!  Jillibean Soup has grown more than I could have imagined and it would not be possible without our great retailers and consumers!

 

I  want to give a big THANK YOU to Jill for taking the time to answer my questions – I have been in awe of her designs since day one and I am so excited to see what she has in store for us with the new release this summer! 

 

Smiles -- Kim :)

The Girls' Paperie Delightful Chipboard Alphas

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday and 1st day of July to you!  I am here to talk about some fantastic chipboard alphas from The Girls' Paperie.  You may not have heard of them just yet, but let me tell you their products are sure to please!  I am really lovin' the Paper Girl Chipboard Alphabet Eclectic.  Here is a picture of the set:

The first thing that caught my attention about these was how many you get in a package.  There are 191 pieces in this set!! WOW!  Talk about a bargain for your buck!  I was also drawn to the vintage feel of these, along with the variety of shapes.  You get a variety of rectangle alphas in various sizes, as well as ones that are cut outs.  The alphas are nice and sturdy, not flimsy at all.  These alphas are ready to stand up to inks, pens, and whatever else you may feel like using to accent them, even with their shiny, smooth texture.  Here are a couple projects I have used these on:

As you can see the alphas are a perfect size for use on cards.  This one says Ami (like friend in French) not Am I...LOL!  I also used The Girls' Paperie Paper Girl Die Cuts on this.  I inked around the edges of each letter.

Here I used them on a LO for  title.  I was able to outline the letters with my black Sharpie....no smudging....and then colored to the edge with a metallic gold pen....again, no smudging.  This picture also shows you the variation in fonts, which I think is super fun!

So what are you waiting for??  Head on over to the store and pick yourself up some of these delightful Girls' Paperie Chipboard Alphas.

Happy Scrappin' ~ Scarlett

July Featured Manufacturer- Jillibean Soup

We highlight 2 Manufacturers each month at A Walk Down Memory Lane.

This month we will be featuring Jillibean Soup and Technique Tuesday.

Amazing companies with awesome products that you can get this month you'll get 25% off the goodies.

You can check it all HERE at the store. 

Here is what the designers did this month with the Jillibean Soup products from the store

 

 

Christmas in July Crop coming up here at the blog - July 12th to July 16th

 

Jillibean will be sponsoring the crop that week :)

Plus on July 15th will be showing more stuff from the our designers when we feature our

stamp manufacturer- Technique Tuesday