CropChocolate Chocolatier Kit {Mini Album and Altered Tin}

I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive **free** Chocolatier product from CropChocolate.com. This is what I received: Making Memories Embellishment Paper: Whimsy; Making Memories Flower Shop Tin Collection: Funky; Making Memories Brad Value Pack: Whimsy and Fancy Pants Designs Ribbon: Celebrate. All they ask is that you create something using the items they sent you and then send them pictures of the finished product as well as a few in progress photos. The challenge for me was to come up with something I could make using this mostly girlie stuff. I had recently made a First Year book for my son Josh (still need to get that posted), so I decided to make one for a friend that is having a little girl...her third girl. So even if she finds that her scrap time lessens at least she can have something at the end of the year.

I took a Little Yellow Bicycle Mini Album that I had and cut it up. Took off the spiral rings and then cut off those holes. I then punched new holes with my Cropodile. To make sure that the paper I wanted to use would adhere to the covers of the album, I sanded them slightly.

I usually use Mod Podge to adhere papers to the mini albums I make...but in this case I was a afraid the paper was too thin. So I used a big fat Zig 2 way Glue Pen.

There are two sheets of die cuts included with the paper pack. One sheet of letters and one sheet of tags and such. The letters are also pretty thin so I stuck them to some Prism cardstock. I then stitched around the letters keeping with the whole Whimsy feel of the album (that and I really can't sew that well!!)

Some of the letters are on pop dots to give some dimension. The book plate at the top I left blank so Alison could fill in her daughter's name.

I decided not add ribbon to the binder clips like I usually do because I found it was interfering to much with turning the pages.

Each page is for one month of the baby's first year. The very first page is for a photo of the baby on the day she is born. The photo mats hide tags that have been stamped with 7gypsies 97% CompleteClear Stamp: Baby. There is one for the baby's birth information and the rest are monthly updates.

Months 2 and 3

Months 4 and 5

Months 6 and 7

Months 8 and 9

Months 10 and 11

Month 12 (two page spread)

Here is a picture of all the tags. I covered them in the same paper as the page they are on so they would not take away from the photo...or make the page to busy (pattern-wise).

Birth Tag

One of the Monthly Tags

Project Ingredients:

MM Embellishment Paper: Whimsy

MM Flower Shop Tin Collection: Funky

MM Brad Value Pack: Whimsy

Fancy Pants Designs Ribbon: Celebrate

Prism Solid Cardstock

MM Magnetic Stamps: Rummage

Creative Imaginations Binder Rings: Brown

Zig 2Way Glue, GLue Dots and Pop Dots

StazOn Ink: Timber Brown

Clorobox Fluid Chalk: Chestnut Roan

I really like how this album turned out. I hope that Alison will too. It was really fun to make.

I still had a whole bunch of stuff leftover after making the mini album...so I tried to come up with something I could make for myself. This green paper was the least girl like to me. And it is actually my favorite pattern of the bunch. I have tons of storage (thanks to the MM Embellishment Box)...so I didn't need to make a tin to hold anything. Instead I used it as a frame.

Cutting the paper for the interior of the tin was a little tricky and involved some trimming.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Josh. He has a little bit on tongue sticking out. I printed it out in black and white (his outfit would have clashed with the paper). The photo was matted on patterned, then solid and then patterned again. The solid was sanded with a distressing file as was the photo edges.

I then covered the outside with two strips of paper..trying to get the seams to end up in a corner.

The lid was covered with the same patterned paper and I stamped Joshua Zachary on the solid (used the file on these pieces too).

Here it is closed. You can't push it closed all the way or the paper on the sides would tear.

Here it is in display mode.

Close up of the interior...and that little tongue!!

Project Ingredients:

MM Flower Shop Tin Collection..THE TIN itself

Basic Grey Ribbon

MM Whimsy Paper

DCWV Cardstock

Basic Grey Distressing File

Pop Dots

Zig 2Way Glue

Tombow Mono Metal Liquid Glue

MM Magnetic Stamps: Rummage

Believe it or not I still have some untouched ribbon and paper! What to make next.....hmmm....

License Plate "purse"

Here is my take on another of the 31 days of March Contest challenges

6) Make a purse (these instructions use playing cards…but you can use heavy cardstock and instead of laminating it…cover with contact paper or clear packing tape: http://www.craftbits.com/project/playing-cards-purse

I used some Little Yellow Bicycle paper: Fresh Print Traveler - Plates. I cut out the plates so they would all be the same size. I then used a tanish brown colored duct tape to adhere it all. It was fun. I think next time I will first adhere the cardstock to cardboard for extra stability. I have all my paints and brushes in it.

I have it on good authority that someone has actually completed ALL the challenges. I have only seen one link on the main post. Don't forget to link your pictures HERE.

Spring, Embellies and Chocolate

I have a Deal a Day site addiction...and no Deal a Day site feeds it more than CropChocolate {chocolate alters my mind!!}. Months ago I saw this Making Memories White Embellishment Box on there. I was out of town and missed it (yes...I check the site from my phone). So when it came back a few weeks later I was super excited. I filled it up with various embellishments right away...but until now it remained a white box sitting on my scrap desk. When I got the March Memory-Works Kit...that all changed! Spring!!! Loved the kit...but was concerned that a lot of the items would go unused (there are only so many flowers and girlie colors you can get away with using when you have three boys).

It is the little pink die cut from Making Memories Flutter Glitter Die Cut that inspired me to use this kit to alter this box. It says "variety is the spice of life". After reorganizing my variety of embellies...I chose the papers I wanted to use. I decided to distress all the edges of the paper with my Heidi Swapp Edge Distesser (why am I always wearing black when I use that thing!!!). I had thought about painting the box first...but for once I didn't have to scrap in increments. I didn't think I would have the patience to wait for it to dry.
So I would not have to memorize where everything is in this box, I stamped what the contents are on pink strips of paper. And (taking any excuse I can get to use my Tim Holts Tiny Attacher...want to win your very own??) I attached some pieces of pink gingham ribbon to each.

Each section is numbered to correspond with the content lists on the lid. Several of the compartments are still empty (this thing holds a huge amount of stuff)...but I made sure there was room to add to the list.

I am really enjoying this bright, sunny little box on top of my scrap desk!!

Project Ingredients:
White Embellishment Box (Making Memories)
Kiwi Dot (Bo Bunny)
Mellow Yellow Dot (Bo Bunny)
Blush Dot (Bo Bunny)
Flutter Flower Clear Foil Paper (Making Memories)
Ducks in a Row Alpha Stickers (October Afternoon)
Sassy Pearls & Crystals (Prima)
Flutter Glitter Die Cut (Making Memories)
Flutter Die Cut Spiral Notebook Sheets (Making Memories)
Pink Checked Ribbon (May Arts)
Splish Splash Paper (October Afternoon)
Glue Dots
Mod Podge
Edge Distresser (Heidi Swapp)
Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz)
Rummage Magnetic Alphabet Stamps (Making Memories)
Cat Eyes Ink Dark Peony (ColorBox)

thanks for looking!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (or cleaning the Scrap Cave).

BEFORE: I had no space on my scrap desk. Things were everywhere. I had bins filled with items that need to be put back. Stuff was avalaching off the shelf above me. Under the desk was so cluttered I had to straddle the trash can just to pull the chair in close enough to reach the desk. Things were buried under other things...it was NOT a peaceful environment to scrap in...at all.

AFTER: A day and a half later...and it is so clean and organized. I just want to sit in there. Just to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet (but that would mean I would have to get rid of the kids first!).
Let me give you a tour....
I rearrange some things. I move the CD holders that house my clear stamps (ran out of the skinny tape for my label maker)...this time going horizontal. It created two shelves that I can now display my wooden stamps and some of the ink pads I use most often...also gave me a place for my 7gypsies stacked stamps (purchased from Flowers to Flourishes) and my MM magnetic stamps. A shelf with little hooks holds my bigger stamp sets and some that are still in the original packaging (some need to be sorted into CD cases and some will stay as is due to their size). The shelf also holds the three circle punches I use with my brad maker, a regular stapler and my new love the Tiny Attacher by Tim Holtz. This thing is awesome. Hopefully if you are reading this you are also playing my 31 Days of March Contest for a chance to win one!!!
I move one of my peg boards to the side wall. I now have a corner for all the other items I use...I tried to hang them in groups of sameness..ie: rub-ons, stickers, alphabets, bling etc..
Next I reorganized my MM desk carousel (thank you CropChocolate). Grouped those items too. I also labeled as much as possible. Above my desk I have two boxes with alterable items in them and a box that has wedding items for the album that I will finish someday. I got them pretty cheap at WalMart. In the clear containers are my unfinished wedding album, all my MME paper (I have a ton!), the 2008 album I am working on in a Simple Stories fashion and the kits I got through Club Scrap. Next are some shoe boxes from Michael's. These contain extra adhesive, blank envelopes and cards, items for my little Janome sewing machine and stamping supplies (like acrylic blocks and cleaning stuff). Moving around the corner I have a box with dies in it for my Epic 6 and my Epic 6. Next comes all my chipboard items. On the shelves below that I have canning jars with buttons, flowers and loose bling. All my ribbon has finally been sorted by color...I had a HUGE bucket of still to be sorted ribbon...it is now all sorted!!! Not shown is my cart of drawers with all my paper (separated by manufacturer). Then I used those in/out boxes for all my scraps. Hanging on the door to my CAVE are all my collections that I have matching embellies and what not. They are in big plastic envelopes (purchased at WalMart) and clipped to skirt hangers. I find this very helpful.

Thanks for taking a tour. We'll see what happens to my space once I start working on something. I am really bad at putting things away!!

Flower, Beads and Circle "card"

Completed three more challenges from the 31 Days of March Contest.

Number 4: Make your own beads. This was fun. I used some K & Co. scraps for the beads.

Number 2: Make a layered flower. I used several Prima flowers, a cool map printed flower and some bling. Since I doubt this would ever end up on a layout...I added a magnet to the back.

Number 9: Make a circle card (or just a circle for a layout). This is going in my Simple Stories album. Used items from the kit and some baby clear stamps.

Other projects I have completed from the 31 Days of March Contest:

Number 1: Coaster Mini Book

Number 3: Alter a piece of chipboard

Number 8: Treat Box

Orange and Green and it's not Halloween

Love these papers. Have been wanting to use them. But I wasn't sure if I could pull it off on a boy layout. So I made a treat box! This also number 8 from my 31 Days of March Contest. I have to be honest...I folded the corners wrong the first time. Guess I should not scrap when tired. I was not paying attention to the directions. Once I took another look at the photo in the directions...I got it. And it was relatively quick and easy to make...
Now what to fill it with...and who to give it to!




Project Ingredients:
Bo Bunny's Back to Basics: Mango Luau Collection
black eyelets
Crop-o-dile
adhesive
skinny ribbon
scor-pal
paper trimmer

Other projects I have completed from the 31 Days of March Contest:
Number 1: Coaster Mini Book
Number 3: Alter a piece of chipboard

Red Bird Mini Book

Just a quickie little book I put together for a friend's daughter. The inside has 12 sheets of white cardstock. She can use this for whatever...a little notebook, scrapbook, journal. I made the berries with some bling and cut out a few extra snowflakes from the leftover paper (she loves snowflakes).

Project Ingredients:

sei Winter Song paper

sei Sweet Holly paper

white cardstock

K & Co. Christmas Cheer Bling

KaiserCraft Basic Rhinestones

Binder Rings

Modge Podge

Basic Grey Ribbon

Acrylic Album and Meatball

My first time doing an acrylic album. My cousin is having her first baby. She just found out it is a BOY!! I made this album for her...although I was tempted to keep it for my self. I included a copy of her sonogram picture from when she found out she was having a boy. She apparently had a dream that she referred to the baby as Meatball...it has since become his nickname. I guess it is a good thing he is a boy...meatball just doesn't sound as cute when referring to a girl! LOL The rest is for her to fill in with journaling and pictures after he is born this July. Makes me wish we lived closer...Chunk-a-choo (Josh) and Meatball could have been buddies! :(













Project Ingredients:
Imaginisce Baby Powder Collection
Scalloped Edge Acrylic Album
Binder Rings
Coordinating Ribbon
Ink for distressing edges