Hello everyone,

Kayla aka keepscrappin here with today’s challenge, so dust off those scissors and warm up the printer cuz we’re going hybrid today.

7. Let’s get hybrid: Create a Valentine! It can be a traditional card, a candy wrapper cover or something else!

I decided to keep it simple today and used Simply J Studio’s Pillow Box Template and the February Mix-a-kit items from Down This Road Designs.

Just clip your papers to the template and print on cardstock.  Then, sized the heart to fit on the pillow box and turned off all the other layers.  Then I printed the heart on a separate sheet of cardstock.  Cut them out and tied the box with a little string for a quick and easy pillow box to put a little treat in for my sweet heart.  Gotta love simple and cute.

You don’t have to make a pillow box.  You can make a card, candy wrapper, tag or whatever your heart desires, just make sure you print it out and take a photo of your creation so we can see your finished product.

CT member Kairyn Lisa made this adorable Valentine’s Party  Invitation to give you more ideas on how to do this challenge.

Hope ya’ll have fun with this one and as always keepscrappin’ along with us here for February’s Bingo Challenges.

Hello everyone! Tracy here with another installment of It’s In the Cards. I hope you enjoy this fun little template and play along with us!

Download HERE

I used Joyful Ride by Sugary Fancy

and Karen (bydelstorp) created this fabulous Halloween card:

Using: A Wizarding World by Jady Day Studio
Spiders web die from Memory Box
font: DJB ImNoWizard

The fine print:
- You will receive one point for creating a card, printing & photographing it and then uploading it in the It’s In The Cards gallery and posting in this thread.

-You can receive an additional point for using NEW ScrapMatters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!

-You have until the end of November to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.

-Remember no double dipping…your layout must be unique to this challenge.

- You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but remember your SM gallery must contain at least 50% SM product beginning July 8, 2011

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

There is ALWAYS something to look forward too. Things we are waiting for:  A baby, a wedding, a birthday.  Recently, my children and I counted down to Daddy coming home from deployment.  Now we are counting down to Halloween.  (We are also counting down to our Return to DisneyWorld–been saving for 3 years.  We are leaving on Nov. 1)  That would be a great idea for countdown blocks!  But what I have to show you are my Countdown to Halloween Blocks!  I used several pieces from the October Mix a Kit.  Here are the main kits I used. This one I loved because it gave more more variety in my numbers.

I loved the Frightful word bits too.

This alpha reminds me of a fat squishy pumpkin.

I used almost every piece that Dream Big Designs created for the Mix A Kit. Here is a look at just the papers, but the super cool alpha that is glittered around the edges is worth checking out too.

Here is another alpha that my son loves and picked out for me to use.

These aren’t even all the goodies I used, you can find all the parts of the ScrapMatters October Mix A Kit here.

Let me show you my finished project.

Yes, these are the cutest little blocks. You maybe have seen them all over.  Usually they are made of little wooden blocks.  But mine are made out of 3 pieces of cardstock and some Glue Dots.  Don’t get me wrong I love the wooden ones, and I think they would last longer.  But if you are anything like me, even if you went through all the trouble to make the wooden kind you wouldn’t be able to find them next year, and would have to make them all over.  I think if I were giving these as a fancy gift I would go the wooden route.  But these have held up great to my 3 elementary kids so far, and since they were so easy I will want to make more next year anyway.

I designed my own template for this little project.  And I will definitely tell you how I did it.  I am not going to go in to full out detail, because when I upload thing that I make for my own use to share I always worry that in all my excitement that I have messed up something.  So I have sent the idea to Krisi’s Kreations, and I think that she is going to fancy it up a bit and quality check it and all that jazz and have it in her store.  (I am thinking Christmas countdown).

Let me go ahead and tell you how I did it for now.  I use a regular printer at home, so I needed to be able to print on regular paper.  To do that safely, I found the blocks could be 1.75 inches.  This isn’t the way I made my template in the beginning but through trial and error this is what worked.  You know it is one of those things that took me all day-but had I known then what I know now it would have been as simple as this.  You need to create a 1.75 x 1.75 inch square in your program.  I use Photoshop Elements 7, but it will be the same idea in any program.  I recommend filling it with color. Then all you have to do is duplicate it five times.  Then line them up like this.  You can draw the flaps on afterward with a pencil.  I have put them on the template to give you an idea-but you won’t see them after they are assembled.

You will need 2 square blocks.  Then for the base you will need a rectangle block.  This was the part that took me so long, but in hindsight it wasn’t hard.  But boy did it elude me at first.  Using the block template layered file, You just turn the middle squares into 1.75 x 3.5 inch rectangles!  Leave everything else the same.  My base looks different because it is rotated, but don’t let that confuse you!  Just remember that you will see the squares too, so decorate them as well.  Here are my flattened square blocks and rectangle base.

Your first block will have 0,1,2,6,7,8 (but you have to use a font that will let the 6 also be used for 9.  Your second block will be 0,1,2,3,4,5.  This will let you count down a full month.  Or hey, you could make this a perpetual calendar too!  I had so much fun with these little countdown blocks. I hope you will too!  I am sure to be back with Christmas Countdowns.  Here is one more picture.  And thanks so much for looking! Tamara.

Hi, friends! Sarah here with our first card challenge of October. I really wanted to make something easy and fun this month – something even a few of you non-hybriders might be inspired to try. So with the help of my lovely friend, Reboscraps, I made not one but TWO templates for you.

Click on the image to download the template, or grab it here.

Use the template to make a Halloween or fall-themed card, or use the pumpkin shape to decorate goodie bags, home decor, and so much more. I’m REALLY excited to see what creative things you all can do with this.

Here’s the card I made, using Witches Brew Solid Papers and Witches Brew Alphas by Graham Like The Cracker.

And Tamara made this cute shaped card, using Autumn Beauty by Jeanine ~ The Collection.

Ami made these cute little pumpkins to tuck into her candy bags, using Sketchy Times – Alpha by WM[squared] Designs and Terrified Solids by Down This Road Designs.

And check out this super cute lack o’lantern card Karen made, using Harvest by Jennifer Labre

Finally, Sharon made this beautiful card with A Spooktacular Evening by WhimpyChompers

Now it’s your turn. Let’s see your hybrid creations!!

A few friendly challenge reminders:
- You will receive one point for creating a card, printing & photographing it and then uploading it in the It’s In The Cards gallery and posting in this thread.
- You will have until the end of October to complete this challenge.
- Remember, no double dipping! You cannot combine this challenge with any other challenges.
- You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products, but keep in mind that as of July 8, 2011 at least 80% of your gallery must contain ScrapMatters product.

Wow, it’s October already!  This year is flying by!  Cathy here with a little project to help you out at Halloween.  Ever end up with plans the night of Halloween and you’re not able to be home to give out the candy?  Or maybe you want to escort your little characters as they trick or treat their way through the neighborhood and just need a helping hand for a bit.  Believe it or not, your craft and digi supplies can come to the rescue!

You can create a sweet sign to leave out with your stash of goodies. This way you get to enjoy your other plans, the Halloween visitors still get their treats and your house doesn’t get tricked, hopefully!

This is a fairly simple project. All that you’ll need is a picture frame, some printing paper and your favorite Halloween themed digital kit.  Lucky for you, the Mix-a-kit series at ScrapMatters for October has some great Halloween themed items.  You can pick and choose the portions of the kit that suit you best.  I used Frightful – The Patterns, Frightful – The Extras (by WM Squared Designs); Scary Elegance – Paper Pack (by Haynay Designs); Shabby Solids - October Mix (by GeniaBeana); Haunted House Elements, Haunted House Alpha (by Dream Big Designs), Purple Monster Alpha (by Amy Stoffel)

I found an old picture frame that was not being used and painted it black. It is an 8.5″x11″ frame which I turned on its side.  I designed my sign in Photoshop.  I printed it out on Red River Canvas paper.  Just popped it into the frame and I’m all set.

Perhaps the creepy eyes “watching” will keep the kids from taking all the candy!  I used a brush to create smoky clouds to help accentuate some of the design.

Believe it or not, I’ve had to leave a bowl of candy on the porch for the trick or treaters to help themselves in the past. I thought they would empty the bowl in no time. But I actually had leftover!  Hope you have a crafty and Happy Halloween!

Welcome to the Hybrid Corner!  Fall is my favorite season of the year – the changing of the leaves, children back to school, the kick-off to the holiday season.  Lets do a quick run through – Thanksgiving in Canada, Halloween, my birthday (yes, everyone should be celebrating that), Thanksgiving in the USA, then the onslaught of Christmas parties.  And no it doesn’t end there – we have New Year’s parties, Chinese Christmas, Ukrainian Christmas – I digress.  With all this parties, festivities and gatherings, that’s a huge opportunity for decorating!  In July, Melanie did a fabulous tutorial on banners; if your party requires a banner (and what party doesn’t) check out this thread.  So lets get creating.

There are some fabulous templates in the store- my favorite is Lets Party by Krisi’s Kreations.  Lets Party is a fantastic template package because it takes the guess work out of what scale items should be.  Also, Krisi creates complete templates – just by simply clipping your papers to her templates and printing you will end up with a beautiful finished project.  I’ll show you some minor changes that will let you add your personal touch to your parties decorations.  I’ll be using my birthday as a theme for my decorations.

I’m a big fan of napkin rings as they can also double as place cards.  In the kit, there are 2 sizes of napkin rings, but I chose to add a little flair with some ribbon.  Instead of trying to stuff my napkin into the ring, I’m going to center the ribbon on the back of the name tag and tie the loose ends in a bow to affix the napkin ring to the napkin. To stiffen the name tag, I’ve added a small piece of cardboard.  Since it’s on the underside, I didn’t feel the need to embellish is further.

There is nothing worse than grabbing someone else’s drink at a party.  Help your guests avoid that awkward situation by providing them with straw decorators.  These also come in handy to help remember the names of the other guests!

If your party has drinks that don’t require straws, check out the wine glass labels in Label Me Up: Bottles and More.

Finally, when I head to a party, I worry about what food is going to be served – will I recognize the dishes?  Help ease this anxiety for your guests by adding food tags to your dishes.  To make my food labels re-useable, I plan on laminating them.  This way I can make any last minute changes to the menu using a dry erase maker.  How you incorporate the food tags into your menu is dependant on the style of serving dishes you’ll be using.  I’ve taken some tags and punch 2 holes in them and weaved a straw through the holes.  Or you could also punch a hole in the corner and using ribbon tied the food tag to the serving spoon handle.

Thanks for tuning in.  Check out next weeks Getting Hybrid Challenge where we complete our party decorations with party favors.  Today’s projects were made using Celebrate by Elise’s Pieces.

Hello, It’s Cathy here to host the It’s In The Cards Challenge for 09/22/2011. I’ve got a fairly simple card template that you can dress up to your liking! I took this template and created a gatefold card as my sample. Here’s a preview of the template and sample:

Download the template here or on the linked image above.

And here’s a close up look at my sample:

My sample card was made using Chocolate Frosted Snowflakes by Stolen Moments.  Here are some great samples made up by our awesome creative team.

Tracy made this adorable daisy card using Denim and Daisies - Papers and Elements by Jenn Labre.

Sarah used My Magical Place Add-On Kit and My Magical Place: Add On Alpha by Haynay Designs to make this magical birthday card.  The Mickey silhouettes were a participation prize that she got at another site.

Tamara used  Funky Lane by Sugary Fancy and the all over bracket punch by Martha Stewart to create her cute card.

OK here’s a review of the challenge rules:

Remember that September is double points month!!

-You will receive two points for posting in the “It’s in the Cards Challenge 9/22/2011″ thread and in the “It’s in the Cards” gallery
-You can receive an additional 2 points for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. So I can give you the correct credits!
-You have until the end of September to complete this challenge for MOS points.
-Remember no double dipping – your layout must be unique to this challenge.
-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

I hope you’ll join us for this challenge! Happy creating!

~Cathy~

Good Day.  Welcome to this edition of ScrapMatters Home Matters.  September tends to be a typically challenging month for those with children returning to school and this September has been particularly challenging for me personally.  My daughter starts kindergarten and I’m not sure which one of us it’s harder on – me or her.

To help me with this big change, I want to make sure that Emma knows that her Daddy and I are thinking about her by including a little note in (or on) her lunch bag.  While I’d like to think that these notes will be cherished for 100 years, I’m more of a realist and didn’t print these to be reused.

Before I dive into my hybrid projects, I like to gather my supplies.  So lets see, I need a ruler, a lunch bag, some ribbon, printing paper and my favorite digital kit.  Today my kit inspiration comes from the new Make-A-Kit series that the design team creates monthly!

Check out these from CrossBone Cuts Schooled – The Elements, Schooled – The Patterns and Schooled – Dots & Solids.

I measured the paper lunch bag to find that a best fit for the bag would be a 4” x 4” square.  I opened my scrap program (PSE 6) and created a document 4.25” x 4.25”.  This way when I got to print on my 8.5” x 11”, I can have 2 bag labels side by side.  When I go to print, my print menu screen will allow me to scale my project to print within the bounds of the printer’s parameters (takes the guess work out of making sure it’s correctly sized to begin with).

If you would like to preserve your note cards, you could print on a heavier paper like a cardstock (though you may find the colors to be muted) and seal it with Mod Podge or even laminate your cards.

Thanks for tuning in to my segment of Home Matters.  If you’d like to include a little something special to brighten your bagged lunches, you can also check out A Time to Learn: Note Cards by Stolen Moments and explore.learn.grow. Printables: lunch box notes by Simply J Studio and Sahlin Studio.  Hope that inspired you to take a printable look at your digi stash!

9/01/11

Getting Hybrid Challenge for September (Double points all month for the September Challenges see the detail at the end!)

Last year, when my son was in kindergarten he was asked to draw a picture of his favorite thing. He drew a large trash can filled with trash. For one split second I was worried. Then I thought, “what a precious momma’s boy!” I was so proud. I have a whole area in my garage that is just old boxes and wrappers that will one day be re-purposed into Hybrid Goodness. So Septembers challenge it to turn trash into treasure. My favorite trash is anything clear! Cardboard comes in a very close second.

Lets take a look at my Trash. ( I am not kidding after a short time of re-purposing things-people will start to give you their trash).

See that little “McCafe” cup. It is the most perfect little gift because it doesn’t take very much candy to fill it up. Oh and it is the size that McDonald’s gives away on Friday mornings. Which is great for me because it is the only time I can ever have a McCafe or Frappe because my body can’t handle the sugar in the regular sizes.

So this little cup is going to be a gift for the Janitor at my kids’ school. The School mascot is an Astro. The janitor always tells the kids to shoot for the moon. So when I found some little white chocolates and the perfect kit I was excited. I find that if I don’t turn some of my trash into treasure at least once per month, then my husband starts to throw it away! That man!! He has been gone for 6 months-so I have not had to worry. BUT he is coming home on TODAY, so I have to get busy! Let me show you this perfect kit by Down the Road Designs.

Now you may be a mathematical genius and know some formula for figuring out how to make the perfect template. But I tried a few ways that involved my tape measure, wrapping paper around a cup, tracing and of course wasting. So here is what I finally did that worked. You will notice some hole punches and black marks on my template cup. These were part of my failed attempts so don’t think yours will need to look like mine-but I didn’t want to waste a good McCafe cup.

Here is the process that worked.

I started by cutting my cup apart.

Then I stapled the side of the cup to a piece of paper and traced around it.
Then I scanned it and opened it in my editing program. I filed it will digital goodies and this is the final result.

If you can find a cup without a ton of branding then you can put your sleeve on the inside, but the outside works pretty good too.

There is so much Trash out there just waiting for you!

Scrappycath created a stand for her phone using a Borders reward card (that she won’t need anymore) using
Elise’s Pieces Whoo Loves Ya  Papers and elements.

Karen is another Hybrid Gal who loves to manage her trash where it won’t interfere with husband. She  used Cherry Tree Lane by Graham Like the Cracker and Wimpychompers Creations dress up a soup can which is now her lovely pencil can.

And Sharon re-painted a 6 pack holder white to create a quick and easy baby gift of 3 bottles on one side and rolled up diapers on the other side using LDrag Design’s Lemonade kit

Can’t wait to see your Trash to Treasure!

The details:
-You will receive two points for posting in the challenge thread at ScrapMatters & in the Getting Hybrid Gallery

-You will recieve 4 points  for using new ScrapMatters products; please make a note of new products in your post.

-You have until the end of September to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.

-Remember no double dipping…your project must be unique to this challenge.

- You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but remember your SM gallery must contain at least 50% SM product beginning July 8, 2011