Creative Memories Traditional 411 Blog

Easy Easter Treats

The Easter Bunny is busy right now, getting all those baskets ready for the Easter holiday later this month! I thought I might just help him out with this adorable little treat bag. 

You will need a piece of Carrot Cardstock. (How fitting!) 

Cut your cardstock to measure 5" x 6". 

Roll into a tube shape, pressing the ends together to adhere.  

Add Precision Point Adhesive the the inside edge of one end of the tube. 

Add clip to hold shut until the adhesive is dry.

Fill with candy. (Jellybeans are a favorite in our house.)

Press the top closed opposite of the bottom.

Cut thin strips of green paper or cardstock for the carrot top. I used the cardstock from the It's a Girl Embossed Cardstock. Crinkle the strips and fold in half. 

Insert into the top of the "carrot".  Staple.

Using the NEW Shape Maker System with the Circle Cartridge, punch a circle from yellow embossed cartstock. Embellish with the limited edition Easter Embellishments. 

Even if it isn't to help your bunny, but just to share with friends, co-workers, or any little munchkin -- this treat is sure to be drooled over.

Hoppy Easter!

 

Cherished Springtime Memories

Can you believe that in some parts of the US (but NOT in Minnesota!) buds are starting to pop up out of the ground? One moment it's -11 degrees or even 32 degrees and a few days later the temps are as high as 74. What is happening to our four seasons?

Even though I like a good winter season, especially when there is snow around so my kids can build snowmen or make snow angles, there is nothing like spring. It's my most favorite season. I love every moment I get to open the windows allowing for a cool breeze of fresh air cleanse my home of any toxins that's been hovering around through the winter months. Plus, I really enjoy being outside, playing with my kids and tending to my herb, veggie and flower gardens. One thing I do not like is pulling weeds, but having a little one around kind of makes that a little more exiting.

It's a time for young kids to explore, touch and feel all of what nature has to offer. Lots of questions are asked about what kind of plant or weed is growing all over the yard or flower beds. I remember back in the day when I was young, I loved playing with weeds. Blowing dandelions in the air watching the fly around me. I was even more excited to pick them when they were in full bloom and put them in a vase to give to my mom. She loved when I would give them to her, but I'm sure deep down inside she wasn't too thrilled having weeds hanging out on her kitchen windowsill either. It was the thought that counted, right?

This brings me to my layout of my baby girl getting to know her spring blooms, one in particular, the dandelion. She loves to play with these pretty white fluffy weeds that grow by the hundreds in our yard.

Matter of fact, her and her brother will have a contest to see who could blow the most of the white airy flowers in one breath. It's quite fun watching them do this and can be a disappointment when they run out of dandelions. But not for me! That means less weeding for me and more admiring my clean flower beds.

When creating my layout, I went with a simple approach in my design and added layers the same or similar elements for depth and texture. I love to use a mix of collections when I create and the flowers are a prime example of that, where I used the back of paper flowers from the Divine and Enchanted collections. I also layered in large paper flowers from the Reflections collection. I love the tone-on-tone affect of using white backed flowers, giving a subtle look to the layered flowers that also pop with the blue flower beneath.

To add more depth and texture to the page, I tucked in a bunch of green leaves from the Reflections collection to create a dimensional border. This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time and glad I did it for this page! It's a wonderful way to add dimension to a page and try something new.

I love combining the Enchanted and Reflections collections together - the patterns and color palette are perfect for spring and Easter projects.

Now, get ready to capture those spring moments with your love ones enjoying the flowers that bloom into weeds! Create something beautiful and cherish those memories as they happen.

 

Tell Them You Love Them All Month Long

Hi everyone! Ginger here today with a Valentine home decor idea that doubles as a way to let your family know what you love about them.

Fist off, let me say that I think my husband and I do pretty well in celebrating Valentine's Day. We often go out, exchange gifts, and plan some fun extra special time to spend together. I write him love notes and he happily goes along with whatever crazy scheme I come up with as a date activity. It's a lot of fun! Today however, my project is all about the love I have for my kids. I love showering them with a little extra affection around Valentine's Day. My mom set that tradition for me. Each year, on Valentine's Day, she would have fun treats, notes, and toys sitting by our place at the dinner table and as kids we always looked forward to finding out what she had in store for us. Occasionally we were even surprised early by a note or treat in our lunch box that day. 

And that brings me back to what I want to show you today. I had a lot of fun playing with my Creative Memories Page Frame (US/CAN) and turning it into a message board during the month of February. I started by designing a layout to put inside the frame using the new P.S. I Love You line (US/CAN). It was perfect for the type of display I had in mind and went beautifully with the sleek black page frame. I printed a couple of my favorite photos to add to the page and even decorated the outside of my page frame. 

For my frame decorations, I cut out a title with my Cricut and the Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons Cartridge (US/CAN). I used Cricut Craft Room to stretch my letters taller and to weld the letters together. I added the title to the bottom right side of my page frame. 

I added a banner made from paper hearts to the upper right side of the frame. I made these by gluing the ends of 3"x1/4" paper strips together and then inverting them and gluing the the opposite ends together. 

Last, I made several accordion circles and hearts for the bottom left side of the frame. You can find instructions on how to make these in a former blog post here.

There is just one small change to make the heart accordions, you need fold a 12"x1.5" piece of paper in half and shape like this (the fold is on the right). Then score every 1/4" and fold as you do the circle accordions. It looks a little odd now but this will give you the heart shape once you fold it up.

Now for the best part! During the month leading up to Valentine's Day, I can use a dry erase marker on the glass of the frame to write notes to my kids, telling them what I love about them or why I love being their mother. I can change it up daily so my children will have special messages from me all month long!

I'm looking forward to seeing how the kids react to their daily love notes! I hope they'll realize how special they are to me and how I cherish their unique traits.

How will you add a little love to the month of February?

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A Fast and Fabulous Valentine's Day Gift Idea

You say it's your birthday?

So, I managed to get all the holiday decorations put away. 

However, soon after I was reminded that in my house January is "birthday month." It works out to almost one every other day. 

I love to send a personal card. But, really, how am I going to create that many cards without spending HOURS on them? Hours I don't have right now; I am sure you can relate! The hours in the day are precious. 

Then, it dawned on me.

The new Happy Birthday Limited Edition Collection! 

With a few sheets of cardstock, the layered stickers, title stickers, stack pack, 12-inch trimmer, foam squares and a tape runner I managed to pull together eight birthday cards in less than an hour.

Yes, that's right - ONE HOUR! Click on the images to view larger.

     
         
         
          

This collection is so versatile; it can work for either a male or female! 

My personal favorite is the layered stickers because, they're layered, and look really fancy, but are so simple to add to a card! They add a lot of value and pop to a card.

Get a head start of the year and create a batch of birthday cards.

I feel so much better now knowing that I have the next few weeks covered for birthdays, and as soon as I have another hour, I'll be creating more to cover the next batch!!

Happy Creating!

A Fast and Fabulous Valentine's Day Gift Idea

Hello there! Aly Dosdall here again from the design team. We still have one month before Valentine's Day so I thought I'd share an easy but gorgeous and meaningful Valentine's Day gift idea. Why not create a gift album for that special someone using the P.S. I Love You 8x8 Fast to Fabulous Album (US/CAN)? 

I've created a few of these Fast to Fabulous albums (US/CAN) as gifts and I love that they're simple and easy to put together, but also look gorgeous. The album comes with everything you need: pre-designed pages, die cuts, stickers, adhesive, and even page protectors. All you have to do is add your special photos, your own meaningful journaling, and then you get the fun of deciding where to place the adorable die cuts and stickers.

Here are some pages from my completed P.S. I Love You album. (Ssshhh!  Don't tell my husband - it's his Valentine's Day gift!).

I decided to convert all my photos to black and white before printing them since they were all from different occasions and had several conflicting colors. I like the classic look and the unified feel that the black and white photos add to the album.

My photos for the above page didn't quite line up with the pre-designed photo mats in the album, so I placed my vertical photo on the right side of the horizontal photo mat and drew in some journaling lines using the Gray Dual Tip Pen (US/CAN) and a ruler.

I love that the stickers for this album have a clear background, so you can layer them right on top of your photos for a cool look and your photo still shows through.

To add dimension to your album, layer stickers over die cuts.

For even more dimension, layer die cuts using the foam squares included with the album.

Here's a tip to help in placing accents in your album: Create visual triangles that engage the viewer's eye on the page by placing three elements of similar color, shape, or visual weight in a triangular shape on the page. In other words, if you connected the dots between these elements you'd draw a triangle. See if you can spot any visual triangles in the pages above.

I can't wait to give this to my hubby! I just hope I can keep it a secret for the next month! =)

New Year's Resolutions

Do you set New Year’s resolutions? If so, do you document them on a scrapbook layout?

No? Well, it's the right time to start!

I don’t necessarily make resolutions; I am more of a goal setter. I feel I can actually achieve goals more than resolutions. Towards the end of the year, I think about what I want to accomplish in the following year. I jot down my notes and save until I'm ready to document on a scrapbook layout. I like to limit myself to a handful, no more than 15. I don't want to overwhelm myself as I am one who loves to go with the flow and keep things as simple as possible.

I started a New Year scrapbook album to keep track of my annual layouts. It’s really fun to look back! Doing this also creates a wonderful keepsake for family members and provides a way for them to learn more about you. Wouldn't it be amazing to see what your grandparent's wishes and dreams were?

For 2013, I've created a page using a big bold title and added a self-portrait and list of goals I want to achieve this year. If you prefer resolutions, you can add journaling to convey why the resolution is important to you and how you plan on achieving that resolution. Maybe even leave space to follow up at the end of the year!


Take some time to think about what you'd like to achieve and get started creating your own "all about me" album.

Thanks for hanging out with me today. Wishing your a very Happy New Year!

Fast and Forgiving Gift Bags

Hi! Jen here ... It seems that I am forever looking for a gift bag when it comes time to wrap Christmas presents. And of course, I never have one on hand for those small gifts. So today I’m going to show you how to make a simple gift bag – no real measuring necessary!

There are tons of tutorials on the internet to guide you in making “real” gift bags. I’ve done those, too, but the “real” ones involved measuring and precision. I’m more of a wing-it sort of girl, and this style of bag is both fast and forgiving. So let’s get started!

You'll need some 12"x12" paper (I used Be Merry - love it!!), a tape runner, a paper trimmer, and your embellishments (again, love the Be Merry Title Stickers and photo mats).

Step 1: Start with a sheet of 12"x12" paper. Trim the paper to 9"x12”. This determines how tall the bag is – it isn’t necessary to be exact. You just want to be sure your paper will be tall enough to cover whatever you are going to put inside your bag. In the photo, the cream is the back side of the paper, folded over onto the red & white striped side.

Step 2: Fold the paper towards the center, then fold the other side to meet the flap. You want them to overlap a little. Tape the flaps together so you have a creased tube. 

Step 3: With the seam facing up, fold up the bottom. I didn’t measure this – just eyeballed a couple of inches.

Step 4: Put on your origami hat. You are going to open the flap you just folded up to make triangles. The photo hopefully explains it better than I do! Do this on both sides.

 

Step 5: Now use your tape runner to stick the bottom together. I like to put a little tape under the triangles, and then under the overlapping points.

Step 6: Open up the bag and push the bottom into shape. Load up the gift, and then fold the top.

Step 7: Embellish! I used the tape runner to hold the bag shut, but you could use ribbon or staples. I added a folded photo mat that was trimmed to about 3” wide, and them some of the adorable Be Merry Title Stickers. 

The best part? I can make one of these in under five minutes. Actually, I think it took me about five to make all three of these!

There you have it. No excuses for not having a cute, color coordinated gift bag!

 

 

Are you ready to start the countdown? Christmas is Coming!

Hello there! Cindy here and I have a simple solution to your 24 days 'til Christmas project, the Christmas Is Coming Display Accents (Canada). It comes with one sheet of 12"x12" double-sided paper, three die-cut shapes and two sheets of stickers. And it's easy to put together and perfect to use with your Magnetic Display (Canada).

Consider hosting a party this month and you could earn yours for free!

You know what these die-cut circles remind me of? Something you could view images through in 3D and it's made out of plastic. Can you guess? Oh yes, the Viewmaster 3D Viewer with Reel. Yes indeed! Talk about genius idea in creating this display accent.

As you can see, there are numbers on both sides displaying the numbers in order. A sheet of the stickers come ready for you to adhere to your die-cut shapes. When adding the stickers, be sure to have your calendar handy, as you will want to determine which activities you want to do on those certain dates. I started by filling in the dates of the weekend. These activities I know will be easier to accomplish when the entire family is home. The first few weeks of December, my kids are still in school, those dates are filled with activities that can easily be completed at home or something we can only do during the week and so on.

To keep everything in one place, I used the 12"x12" double-sided paper to store the additional die-cut shape while the other is in use. The magnetic buttons help make this happen and there is no bulk!

As you can see, once the stickers are in their place, you can piece all the elements together on the Magnetic Display (Canada). To move to a new day, all you have to do is use the activity window display to turn while keeping one magnetic button in the center of the die-cut shapes. EASY!

Here is another view with the display accent in action.

I was inspired by Ginger who had rosettes displayed on her Magnetic Display, so I created my own using the Nordic Christmas collection. The little added embellishment dresses up your display.

Adding a few of your favorite family photos is a nice touch, too. I used a photo we used for our Christmas card last year, which worked out perfectly, since we don't have a lot of family pictures together.

I can't wait for December now, I just love how It makes a wonderful addition to our family traditions. Simplified!

Easy Christmas Wreath

Hello! It's Gretchen from the Design Team!

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?? I LOVE decorating for Christmas! Every year I am overly ambitious thinking that I am going to hand make all of my Christmas cards and also make all kinds of decorations for home and work. Needless to say, I usually bite off more than I can chew and don't ever get everything finished as planned. I am slowly learning that simplicity is key when it comes to my hand made cards and decorations!

In the spirit of simplicity, I have an easy decor project for you today. I want to show you how to make a wreath using basically just paper, stickers, and some things you have around your house.  

Ready??!
OK here is what you'll need:

Be Merry Photo Mats (US / CAN)
Be Merry Title Stickers (US / CAN)
Be Merry Layered Stickers (US / CAN)
12-inch Rotary Trimmer (US / CAN)
Circle Maker (US / CAN)
Foam Squares (US / CAN)
Tape Runner (US / CAN)
Paper plate 
Cup/something circular to use to trace a circle onto paper plate
Coordinating ribbon to hang the wreath

Now let's get started!

First, cut a bunch of the gray, blue, green, and white photo mats into strips. Cut the mats so that your strips are 6" long, but don't worry too much about wide you cut the strips. Give yourself some variety so that all the strips are not the same width.

 Next, use your Circle Maker to punch several circles out of the red photo mats. 

I used a paper plate as the base for my wreath for a couple of reasons. For one, it's cheap! It's lightweight so it will be easy to hang. And it is sturdy enough to give me a good background to anchor the paper strips. 

I went old school and used a round cup to trace a circle onto the center of the paper plate. 

Then I cut out the center of the paper plate.

Now the fun part!

Adhere the paper strips around the paper plate. Make sure to use lots of tape! I cut a dovetail in the ends of some of the strips just to add a little bit of variety. 

Now add another layer of paper strips trying to cover up some of the spaces in between the original row of strips. 

The background of your wreath is done!

Now it is time to add the "berries." Add the red circles to the center of the wreath. Arrange them in a rough circle to cover up the ends of the paper strips. 

Now embellish the wreath with Be Merry Title Stickers and Layered Stickers. 

Use Foam Squares to adhere some of the stickers to add some more dimension to your wreath.  

Now punch a hole in the top of the paper plate, pull ribbon through the hole and hang your finished wreath!

See how easy that was? Now go make one and post your finished project on our Facebook Page!

Merry Christmas and happy crafting!

:)
gretchen

My Letter To Santa Simply Said Book

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Now, can you get that song out of your head? I know, it's a wee-bit early to be singing Christmas carols, but after my son completed this wonderful My Letter To Santa Simply Said Book (Canada), it has me all giddy and ready for Christmas. I, Cindy Liebel, am in love with Simply Said Books and I want them all!!! There I confessed. I have a slight addiction to these simple little albums. My kids enjoy them as much as I enjoy them adding their memories and thoughts to them.

The Simply Said Books (Canada) are wonderful for gift giving for that special love one in your life. My favorite thing about them is having a keepsake with my kids very own handwriting along with photos. When I handed the book to my almost 10 year old son, he was super excited and instantly filled it out.

There are plenty of pages to fill with photos throughout the book. I used photos from last Christmas to show it as a completed book. But as the days and weeks go by, you can easily add pictures until the end of Christmas. How about making it a fun project? Have your child use a camera during the month of December to document their holiday memories as they see it. Then all you have to do is print the photos and let them add them themselves. Kids love working on projects like this.

Yes, I even snapped a photo of him as he was writing his letter to Santa. I couldn't resist.

If you are looking for something simple and creative to involve your child in this holiday season, be sure to pick up one or two or more of these My Letter To Santa Simply Said Books (Canada). They will love it!

Also available in digital format as 11x8.5 and 12x12 Predesigned Pages.

Cheers!