Susan R. Opel

While Kelly is off gallivanting in the mountains of Idaho with the ladies of the Smith family, I volunteered to fill in for her so she could truly be on vacation. So hello, blog readers!

Remember that blog post on July 27 from Go-to Gal Betsy Veldman where she talked about what she had done with her patterned paper scraps? Wowsers, did that concept change my world! And based on how the concept was pinned and repinned (on Pinterest) and tweeted and retweeted (on Twitter), I was not the only one!

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve got a serious addiction to patterned paper, and with that comes one unhealthy assortment of unloved scraps. Since that blog post, I’ve made a total of 39 card bases using my scraps. I thought I was doing well, but my friend Nicole Maki ‘fessed up to having finished 67 card bases. I better get MOVIN’!

I’ve decided that these scrap cards will make perfect gifts for Christmas, but I already sent a set to my sister-in-law for her birthday. The set below is one that is in progress. I played with angles and had a ball just matching up fun papers. The sentiments will be attached at a later time.

And with the help of my Martha Stewart Scoring Board – I LOVE THAT THING! – I scored lines on the back side of the card front at angles in one inch increments and then used my 7/8” square punch on even smaller scrap pieces. More time intensive, yes, but a fun effect.

Here’s a little tutorial of how you can tame the stash and make some fun cards as stocking stuffers (or you can be greedy and keep them for yourself)!

First, cut a bunch of card bases. If you have 8 1/2” x 11” cardstock, you can trim 10 sheets in half, and have 20 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card bases.

Next, trim a bunch of scrap strips to 3/4”. I did this while watching a Charlie’s Angels marathon one Saturday. Because I like to work in terms of color, I then sorted my strips into color families and bound them with a rubber band.

Then, I chose a black with white dot strip to give my card set continuity, and off I went coming up with possibilities for all five of my cards.

Once I had a bunch of options, I grabbed one of my card bases and started to lay all of the strips in order to see how they would look. There’s a little section left on the right hand side, so I just put a tiny strip of shimmery white at the end of each card. I was too lazy to figure out the math on that one.

Cover the card base with adhesive and adhere the strips side by side. Grab your scissors and trim the excess once everything is all glued down.

Up next – sentiments! I have a little trick where I create a page full of computer generated sentiments (created in Microsoft Word). They work perfectly with my 2” circle punch. Add a colorful scalloped circle behind the sentiment (you can use cardstock scraps for this), and your sentiment is ready to go. You could definitely stamp the sentiments if you wanted to.

Finally, I added a black ribbon on each and tied it in a bow, and then I adhered the sentiments with foam tape for a little bit of dimension. Note, too, that the black with white dot strips were all placed in the number two position on each card for cohesiveness.

I almost don’t want to give these cards away, but I’m going to! Leave a comment telling me which of the above tips or ideas you found most helpful. I’ll pick one winner to take home my card set pictured above plus 48 sheets of Close To My Heart cardstock (for card bases), the Sizzix Accessory Tool Kit (I use mine all of the time – a $29.99 value), the Fiskars X-Large Lever Circle Punch, and two sheets of my custom thanks sentiments ready to be punched! All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Addicted to patterned paper scraps,
Susan

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday and our final day of Stamp It! Cards Week! In honor of the Fourth of July (and Canada Day), we’re hosting a patriotic blog hop featuring our 2011 Stamping Royalty winners! This great idea came from Queen Laurie Willison who sent me this e-mail shortly after she was crowned:

“When Miss America gets her crown, she spends her time working with charities. Well, since we are going to have these new fancy tiaras, I wondered if we could do something to give back, too. What do you think of a Paper Crafts Stamping Royalty blog hop? The 15 of us could hold a blog hop and then other paper crafters could play along by linking up and all cards made could go to Operation Write Home.”

Needless to say, we “puffy heart” loved this idea. We’ve long been a supporter of Operation Write Home and their mission to donate handmade cards to our deployed troops. They recently surpassed 1 million cards sent and have set a new goal for 2 million cards. Game on! After a week of stamping inspiration, prizes and fun, let’s add a philanthropic blog hop to the party!

Click on the cover image to order your copy today!

Each of our participating designers have created a new card from a different stamp set in their Stamping Royalty prize package. And, in honor of the Fourth of July and our deployed troops, all of the cards are in a patriotic color scheme.

Here’s two patriotic cards from the Miss You section of Stamp It! Cards:

Ashley Harris's Miss You Tree Card and Kim Kesti's Airmail Smiles Card, p. 107

Leave a comment on each designer’s blog and you’ll increase your chances of winning a copy of Stamp It! Cards (each designer is giving away one!). Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win this fabulous stamp prize package:

Two lucky winners will take home this stamping prize package!

• Fountain, Dear Lizzy Whistle stamp sets, Gold, Silver, Bronze embossing powders – American Crafts
• Look Up Additions stamp set – Practicing Creativity
• Hello Friend stamp set – Lawn Fawn
• Elegant Elements, Vogue Vases stamp sets – Gina K. Designs
• Music of my Heart stamp set – Unity Stamp Co.
• Assortment of stamp blocks (3) – Stampin’ Up!
• Assortment of Glimmer Mists (3) – Tattered Angels
• Pitch Black, Espresso, Denim, Cranberry, Meadow and Ginger Adirondack Earthtones dye inks – Ranger
• Non-Stick Scissors #5 – Fiskars

Like what you see? Begin your hop and then come back here and leave a comment telling me something that inspired you from your travels. All comments (on all blogs) must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, July 3. The two grand prize winners will be revealed here on Monday, July 4.

Happy Friday!
Kelly

P.S. If you’d like to join our Stamping Royalty winners and create a patriotic card for Operation Write Home, feel free to link up your project below.

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winners from Teri’s “Real Life” Reasons to Check Out Stamp It! Cards post!

1. Karen R. (June 29, 9:36 a.m.)
2. Alicia C. (June 30, 4:19 p.m.)

Congrats, winners! I’ll be contacting you shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

Renae Curtz

Creative Recess…

Two words that are good for the soul!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Creative Recess, it’s a meeting held once a month (if we’re lucky enough to break away from our work) where we explore a crafting technique or product. Kelly hosted this month’s Creative Recess, and we covered the ins and outs of fussy cutting. This was a great opportunity to put into perspective all of the hard work that our contributors put in to their fussy-cut projects.

This is my kind of scene! Messy and creative! Lots of ideas moving around!

Here are a few projects done by our Managing Editor, Kerri Miller. Kerri swears she’s new to all this paper crafting stuff but it certainly doesn’t show. Look at how amazing these projects turned out!

And here’s the proof of an afternoon well spent:

We’d love to hear what you think we should cover in our next Creative Recess. What fun and interesting techniques or tools are you using? Leave a comment and we’ll pick three lucky readers to win Fiskars’ Micro-Tip Scissors No. 5. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Friday, April 29.

Happy fussy cutting!
Renae

P.S. It’s time to announce the two winners from Kerri’s Paper Crafts from Around the World post!

1. Natasha Gullikson-Poteraj (April 26, 9:20 a.m.)
2. Colleen (April 26, 1:34 p.m.)

Congrats, winners! You’ve won a LaBlanche prize package! I’ll be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

Susan R. Opel

It’s time for another edition of Tips, Tools, & Techniques trivia! Open your copy of the November/December 2010 issue of Paper Crafts (filled with all sorts of holiday fun!), turn to pages 86-88, and answer the following questions for the chance to WIN (and who doesn’t like to win?):

• How many ornaments are on the tree card that Julie Campbell made using the Fringe Scissors tool from Martha Stewart Crafts?
• Designer Kimberly Crawford created a card using the Woodland Branch Edge & Corner Punches from Martha Stewart Crafts. What sort of ink did she use to enhance the frame that surrounds her sentiment?
• How did designer Courtney Baker create the flower on her A Note of Thanks Card?
• What does the tag on designer Windy Robinson’s card say?
• What color is the bow on Paper Crafts Go-to Gal Jessica Witty’s Absolute Blessing Card?
• What idea is your favorite from this issue’s Tips, Tools, & Techniques column, and why?

Now for the fun part. One winner will be selected at random to win the following:

• The Fringe Scissors and Woodland Branch Edge & Corner Punches from Martha Stewart Crafts,  the Sunburst Border Punch from Fiskars, and the Scallop Edge Punch from Stampin’ Up!

Now doesn’t that sound fun? To be eligible to win, please enter your answers in the comment field. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Friday, Dec. 17. Good luck!

So…What are you waiting for?

Can’t wait to see your answers!
Susan

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday! I’ve been a busy little editor this week. Since our September/October issue goes on sale next week, I’m getting all the online content ready to post on our web site. While I always look forward to our annual Halloween/Fall issue, I’m a little sad to say goodbye to summer…especially since it’s not officially over yet. Yes, I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to summertime.

So I thought before we get all excited about falling leaves, caramel apples and trick or treating, I would spotlight one of my favorite cards from our departing July/August issue. It’s Lisa Dorsey’s Hello Sunshine Card. As one of our 22 online bonus projects, you can find supplies and instructions to recreate this project on our web site HERE.

Hello Sunshine Card by Lisa Dorsey

It’s based on this fun sketch by Go-to Gal Betsy Veldman:

To see what other designers did with Betsy’s sketch, make sure you check out the Go-to Sketches column in our July/August issue. And if you missed the other online bonus projects from this issue, you’ll find all 22 right HERE.

Ready for today’s giveaway? Since I know you’re dying to recreate Lisa’s card, you’re going to need the right tools, right? Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about summertime. I’ll pick two winners to receive some Fiskars tools, including their Circle Border Punch (Sun) and Classic 8-inch scissors. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, August 15.

Two lucky winners will take home this prize package from Fiskars!

Happy Friday!
Kelly

P.S. If you’re a fan of sketches, we’re launching our Go-to Sketch Challenge #6 on Monday. Stay tuned for more details!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from Kim Kesti’s Crafting Blunders post!

1. Deb Crabb (Aug. 11, 11:42 a.m.)
2. Sue D. (Aug. 11, 8:24 a.m.)
3. Cheryl R. (Aug. 11, 2:50 p.m.)

Congrats, winners! You’ve each won a fun collection of American Crafts brads! I’ll be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who shared their own crafting blunders!

Teri Anderson

It’s time to get punchy.

Specifically, border punchy.

I am playing today with decorative border punches.

Chances are that if you don’t have any, one of your crafty buddies does.

Decorative punches are pretty much staples in most paper crafters’ tool arsenals.

They are readily available with many manufacturers offering them for sale. For instance, Stampin’ Up!,  Fiskars, Martha Stewart Crafts and EK Success all offer their own kind of decorative border punches.

They are a great way to add a fancy edge to card. They are also great for a making a fun border for a project.

Here’s how most decorative punches work:

• Start with a strip of paper. Place it in your punch. Punch once.

• Slide the strip down the punch, placing it on top of the guide mark. Many of today’s decorative border punches have guide marks printed on them, showing you exactly where to set your paper when you punch. Punch again.

• Slide the paper again. Place it again over the guide mark. Punch yet again. Repeat this step until your border is long enough for your project.

I used a decorative border punch just this way to punch the strips on my Rainbow Hey Card:

I also used another decorative border punch on my Polka Dot Hello Card:

This time, I punched the scalloped border on one side of a cardstock strip.

I flipped the strip and punched the scallop again and again on the other side of the strip. The end result was sort of a wavy, scallop inspired line.

Here, I made a frame with a decorative border punch. I also used a decorative corner punch made specifically to accompany it.

I started by cutting a 3 ¼” square and a 5″ square.

I punched the corners of each square with the decorative corner punch. If you end up with little hairs of paper hanging off the edges like I did, don’t sweat it. Just trim them.

I then placed my squares in the decorative border punch and punched the sides where I hadn’t punched before. For the larger square, I punched twice. For the smaller square, I punched once.

If you are using this kind of decorative border and corner punch combo, I recommend checking out the manufacturer’s web site to see if they have any suggestions for what size of paper you should start with. The punch set I used came with an instruction sheet that told me exactly how big to cut my squares and how many times I would need to punch after punching my corners.

So that’s it for decorative border punches. 

How do you use decorative border punches? I’d love to hear from you.

Tune into tomorrow to learn about some tools that work great for chipboard.

Teri Anderson,
Paper Crafts Go-to-Gal

P.S. Check out my blog today for another project using decorative border punches.

Brandy Jesperson

I know it’s cliché, but time flies when you’re having fun. I distinctly remember talking with the Paper Crafts team and dreaming up a blog full of interactive challenges, beautiful pictures and prizes galore! Sure enough, two blinks of an eye and one year later here we are! 

One of our goals when we concepted this blog was to encourage people to serve those around them. After all, card making is innately generous. We make cards for our loved ones to celebrate events, give condolences and simply say “hi.” 

As I think back over the past 12 months, we’ve not only had the chance to give back, but we’ve also had a lot of fun doing it. So put on your magical time machine hats (you’ve all got one, right?) and join me for a quick trip down memory lane.  

Last Fall Kelly joined forces with some crafty friends to crop for Cystic Fibrosis. Not only did all the proceeds go to a great cause, but it was also a chance to meet new people and create into the wee hours of the morning!

Here's Roxanne (Becky's sister), Kelly, Megan, Brenda and Becky.

In November we continued our tradition of decorating and donating a tree (complete with oodles of donations from manufacturers and designers) to the Festival of Trees. All the money raised at this event goes to the patients at Primary Children’s Medical Center, and over the past three years our trees have made more than $5000 for this great cause. 

Ta da! What do you think of our finished tree?

Even our Go-to Gals got into the act this year! Ms. Maren shared a delicious assortment of chocolate-covered creations (accompanied by a hearty dose of papery goodness) ideal for teacher gifts. With two former teachers on our team, we love and respect the fine people who teach our children each day.

Switch out the tag and you've got a yummy Valentine's treat!

In December we joined forces with Creating Keepsakes magazine and Creativity Heals. This program encourages people to donate time, creativity or extra crafting supplies towards improving the lives of others. We invited all of you to donate cards to Operation Write Home and were blown away by the generosity you showed on our blog and Facebook pages. We’ve been associated with this charity for years and love their support for our nation’s armed forces. We also donated hundreds of cards to this charity following our World Card Making Day Card Contest in October.  

All of these cards were sent in to Operation Write Home.

At each turn we have been struck by the kindness and willingness to give all of you readers have shown. Thanks for making 2009 a year of giving back. As a thank you I’d like to give ONE lucky person two copies of our new special issue Stamp It! Cards, two Fiskars stamp sets and two of our sassy Betty t-shirts. All that I ask is that you keep one prize package for yourself and give the other to a friend. To be eligible to win, please leave a comment telling me how you like to give back to those around you. Perhaps we’ll be able to take something YOU do and work it into 2010. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Thanks and love,
Brandy

P.S. It’s time to announce the 10 winners from Jennifer’s Sharing the CHA Goodies post and the five winners from Kelly’s January/February I-Spy post!

Jennifer’s winners:

1. Diane S. (Jan. 29, 7:59 p.m.)
2. Carisa (Jan. 28, 3:17 p.m.)
3. Brandy Jarvis (Jan. 28, 2:12 p.m.)
4. Tammy Wisterman (Jan. 28, 8:08 p.m.)
5. Carol (Jan. 28, 3:31 p.m.)
6. Iris Soscia (Jan. 28, 1:48 p.m.)
7. Diana N. (Jan. 28, 6:40 p.m.)
8. Sue B. (Jan. 29, 7:56 p.m.)
9. Letisia Chubbuck (Jan. 28, 6:43 p.m.)
10. Jennifer Hansen (Jan. 28, 11:15 p.m.)

Kelly’s winners:

1. Carol H. (Jan. 29, 9:53 a.m.)
2. cards4ever (Jan. 29, 10:39 p.m.)
3. Wendy M. (Jan. 30, 8:47 a.m.)
4. Kerry A. (Jan. 31, 9:43 a.m.)
5. Mary Ashby (Jan. 29, 8:04 a.m.)

Congrats, winners! Kelly will be contacting you shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

Susan R. Opel

It’s time for another edition of Tips, Tools, & Techniques trivia! Open your gorgeous copy of the January/February 2010 issue of Paper Crafts magazine (is that cover not a serious stunner?), turn to page 86 and answer the following questions for the chance to WIN (and who doesn’t like to win?):

• What size circle will you get from the largest Marvy Uchida punch?
• What product did Nichole Heady use to intensify the white dots on the basket that appears on her thank you tag?
• What seven items do I suggest could make a circle shape for free, even though you’ll have to free-hand cut your circle?
• Grab a magnifying glass! What’s one thing on my to-do list on the finished MakeMemo Board?
• What idea is your favorite from this issue’s Tips, Tools, & Techniques column, and why?

Now for the fun part. Two winners will be selected at random to win the following:

• The Circle Cutter from Fiskars and the Mega, Giga and Extra Giga punches from Marvy Uchida shown on page 86.

OR

• The unfinished MakeMemo Board from Canvas Corp. shown on page 88. I’m keeping the finished one since it matches my scraproom.

Are you in love? There’s not much more to do before you are qualified to win!

• Send me an e-mail with your answers to sopel@papercraftsmag.com. Put “TT&T Blog” in the subject line of your message. Be sure to leave a comment on the blog, and let me know which prize makes your heart go pitter patter!
• Entries are due no later than midnight MDT on Friday, Jan. 8. From the correct entries received, two winners will be selected at random and contacted via e-mail. Note: Due to the number of e-mails received, I’m unable to respond to each message individually. Please know that I do read your comments and totally appreciate your participation. Thanks!

So…What are you waiting for?

Can’t wait to see your answers!
Susan

Jennifer Schaerer

Sometime during the months leading into December, my life becomes one that is characterized by Christmas carols because I start thinking in lyrics. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year. 

Although I love the drama of the decor, the sweet sounds of singing voices and the promise of tasty pastries and other festive holiday foods, it’s the spirit of giving that really helps me dance my way through the season. There’s nothing better than the feeling of helping those who need it most. 

In the spirit of giving, the elves in the Paper Crafts workshop have been busy the last few weeks. Monday was decorating day for our donated tree for Utah’s Festival of Trees, and this year’s labor of love is now complete. 

This was Holly's very first Festival of the Trees. Judging from that big smile, she really enjoyed herself.

Cath, our moxie fab elf, helped us wire ornaments.

Our chief wire elves Brenda and Kelly whistled while they worked.

Brandy became our chief garland elf and did a great job.

Susan was our chief bag elf since she went around and picked up little bits of trash. After all, every artist needs a clean workspace!

And every artist needs a canvas to paint on. I happily took on the role as chief tree elf. Does it look straight?

Ta da! What do you think of our finished tree?

This event is an annual fundraiser for the patients at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, and every penny raised at the event goes directly to the children at the hospital who couldn’t otherwise pay for treatment. 

Brandy Jesperson, our managing editor, has been involved with this fundraiser for 10 years after being a patient at Primary Children’s as a teenager. She urged us to get involved, and we decorated our first Paper Crafts team tree a few years ago and have been doing it ever since. 

Here's last year's "Home for the Holidays" tree.

This year’s tree was auctioned off to the highest bidder and we’re certain that it brought a generous sum for the hospital. All of us at Paper Crafts are grateful to the manufacturers who helped make this tree possible with their heartfelt donations: 

• Karen Foster Design 
• Clearsnap 
• Cornish Heritage Farms 
• Marvy Uchida 
• BasicGrey 
• American Crafts 
• Fiskars 
• Little Yellow Bicycle 
• Hambly Screen Prints 
• Doodlebug Design 
• Provo Craft 

We’d also like to say a very special thanks to all the designers who sent in handmade card sets for us to include with the tree: 

• Debbie Olson 
• Alicia Thelin 
• Kim Hughes 
• Cindy Etienne 
• Charlene Austin 
• Linda Beeson 
• Latisha Yoast 
• Gretchen McElveen 
• Laura O’Donnell 
• Lori Roop 
• Carolyn King 
• Jean Cross 
• Becky Olsen 
• Melanie Douthit 
• Sandy Rollinger 
• Jennifer Scull 
• Debbie Seyer 

All of our lovely donated cards!

It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year!
Jennifer

Cath Edvalson

I’m coming up to my four-year anniversary as creative editor here at good ol’ Paper Crafts magazine and I’m amazed at how much things have changed in that amount of time.

One of the most obvious changes has been in our staff. I miss Stacy, Jennafer, Megan, Junko, Neko, and Marissa, but I love working with Brandy, Susan, Kelly, Matt, and Jennifer. Brenda and Stace have been here since before I arrived—and thank goodness for them! They are the keepers of our history and we turn to them often for continuity as we grow our brand.

Back in the day, we had columns such as Gifts from the Heart, Celebrations, and Paper Finishes; while now we have columns such as the Joy of Card Making, Moxie Fabs, Photo Finish, and Get Inspired–with new ones in the works for 2010. (Sshh…that’s a secret!)

But perhaps the biggest change I’ve seen in the four years since I started here is in the many ways you can access Paper Crafts magazine and the people who put it together.

Like this fun blog, in point of fact. Here you get to go behind-the-scenes, get important info, get to know our Paper Crafts Pros, win prizes, and participate in super fun challenges with the winning projects being posted for all to see.

Our other blog, Moxie Fab World, focuses on the trends in paper crafting. It’s a spot for inspiration, contests, Q&As with your favorite designers, and lots of chances to win fun prizes.

In addition, all of the editors and most of our Pros have their own personal blogs, so you can get to know what really makes us tick.

We’ve also got a group on Facebook. You can become a fan or join our group and receive updates and hot bits of news. I like this type of access because it’s an instantaneous reminder of the fun things we’ve got going on here at Paper Crafts. And of course, you can become a friend of all of us editors on Facebook, too—just look us up and ask!

We’ve even got a new, slick way to submit your projects to our calls. We’ve got a call out right now for our January/February 2010 issue, so why don’t you give it a try by clicking here. Talk about access—we publish brand spanking new designers in every issue, maybe one of them will be you!

You can enter our sweepstakes contests in every issue, download cool sentiments and patterns, check out our online bonus projects, and soon you’ll be able to upload your cards to our World Card Making Day web site. You can email your questions for our Pros here, you can give us feedback here, and you can comment today on your favorite way to access Paper Crafts magazine! Leave a comment by midnight MST on Wednesday, May 20 and I’ll select one random winner to receive an Easy Stamp Press from Fiskars along with their new clear stamp set called Tartan ‘n Time.

Will you be the lucky one to take this home?

Maybe, like me, your favorite way to access Paper Crafts is by finding it in your mailbox and flipping through its pages. Whatever your preference, we sure are glad you’ve found us, for without you it just wouldn’t be the same.

Yours in celebrating four fun-filled years,
~Cath