When Cristina asked me if I would like to take this month‘s Hybrid Corner I gladly agreed, because I absolutely needed to get started on my vacation planner if it was supposed to be useful for the planning process of our summer vacation at all. And it was a good thing I did! Life is so busy at the moment, that I had to put in some nightshifts to get it done for today.

To justify the investment into my Bind-It-All I made my planner from scratch, but if you do not have the tools or want a quicker project you can just as well take spiral notebooks apart to decorate the covers and to add a few custom pages/dividers, and put it back together after. Or you could use a ring binder and decorate the front, or bind your book with binding rings or even ribbon.

So, let’s get started. I first searched a kit that I wanted to use and found Jady Day Studio’s wonderful new travel kit: Summertime Fun – On Travel . I just love the vintage feel to this kit.

The next step was to figure out the size I wanted my planner to be so I knew what the right size of my canvas for the covers would be. – I chose international size A5 which is about half a legal size page. And this is what my digital cover looks like.

I copied this image onto a new blank A4 (~ legal size) canvas to print.

On the back cover you can see the shadowed part in the middle. That’s the actual cover. The extra width is to wrap the cover paper around my chipboard. I shadowed the actual cover part so I could better see the boundaries of my cover for the placement of embellies and such. It would be good to remember to take the shadows out before printing, though. (*cough cough) Fortunately they are not really visible on the finished project.
One thing to remember is that the canvas for the back cover needs to be decorated on the opposite side from the cover page. On the cover the binding will be on the left, and on the back cover it will be on the right side.
But I also just now realized that I actually flipped the document over for the back cover and did not renew the background paper so the printing is now a mirror image *lol* . What is the saying, a few mistakes make a project more charming?

After printing my cover sheets, I sanded the edges of my chipboard so the edges would be a little smoother in the hope that the wrapped paper will not break so easily at those edges, positioned my chipboard on the printed cover sheets and adhered it with Modpodge.
I then cut the corners off, put strong sticky tape on the edges of the printed sheet and wrapped the paper around to the back…

…decorated it with a strip of another of the kit’s papers, and covered the inside with a piece of matching cardstock.

The same with the back cover

I then printed some extra pages that I scored and folded down the middle of the long side to use as dividers.
And I also made two pocket dividers to store receipts, tickets and other stuff you collect during trips. To make these I also printed on whole sheet of paper that I scored down the middle. But instead of just sticking the two sides together like with the divider pages I glued one strip of paper between the fold to close the bottom of the pocket.

Then I took a longer strip that I punched with a border punch, put sticky tape right next to the punched edge and aligned this with the edge of the pocket page. That way the pocket will be wider than if you just glue shut along the edge, and will also stick out a bit so that it can be used as a section divider as well.

I alreaday designed the inside pages for last year’s book, and I was quite happy with that book, so this part was easy as I just needed to print out some more of them. Two of the inside pages fit on one sheet of my printer paper and I printed double sided. The headers of the pages are: To Do, Shopping List, Packing List, The Trip (to journal about the long drive there, things to remember, and as reference for next year’s trip – good or bad rest stops etc ), This was Week…(the part where I journal about our activities etc.), Addresses, Notes, and some pages without header for anything that comes up unplanned.
On the picture the printed pages are already cut in half.

Here’s all the divider and pocket pages. For the second pocket page I used a paper that I love from Wendy’s (WM[squared]) travel kit The Great Escape. I also punched three tabs for the divider pages

Now that I had prepared all the parts needed for the book I could start the assembly. As I already said I bound my book with my bind-it-all. What I also like about this way of binding it is that I can store the pen inside the rings and always have it with my book.
And this is my finished vacation planner and journal. I have some extra papers and elements printed so I can add some more embellishments later on if I want to. A diary is a work in progress and that also goes for the decorations, right?

And some images of the inside pages

As you can see we already started using it.

It is really fun to have and use your own custom made vacation planner/diary and I hope you enjoyed my tutorial today.

Karen (bydelstorp)

Welcome all to this month’s edition of Home Matters.  Ami here with a quick little project to help spice up your fridge.

I’ve always been drawn to magnets- for the most part they are inexpensive.  Whether its a memento from travels or a sovenir for a friend, a magnet can be a quick gift that shouts “hey, I was thinking about you!”.  I have found that the inspirational magnets tend to be a little more pricey.  So today, I am going to show you how I’ve made my own using some of the wonderful product in the ScrapMatters store.

First I gathered up my supplies!  Some bottle caps, a few spare magnets, my glue, a hot glue gun, pop dots, a hammer, a block of wood and my trusty scissors.  Then I did a quick search of the ScrapMatters store for flairs.  Did you know that this turned up 181 items?  Now that’s a lot of options!  For today’s project, I am going to be using:

So after a little playing around (and some help from my husband), I found that I preferred the look of the bottle cap to be neatly smashed with the ribbed edge to be folded towards the inside of the cap.

I then measured the diameter of the cap to find it was almost an inch.  I opened my scrap program (PSE 6) and created a quick template of 1″ circles using the elipse tool and these settings -

Using the template I created I sized the flairs to fit, printed and cut them out.  For extra stability, I printed on watercolor paper and coated it with mod podge.  Once dry, it was time to affix the flairs and the magnets to the bottle caps with the hot glue gun.  Here’s my new set of magnets-

Thanks for looking!

Can you believe that it is June already? Where is this year going? Hey there everyone, Cathy here to host the June 2011 Getting Hybrid Challenge. This month I thought it would be fun to help get people involved in hybrid crafting by challenging you to make flowers. You can make any type of flower that you want, from simple to extravagant.

There are so many options for how to make hybrid flowers to go with your scrapbook pages, cards and other crafts. With the use of digital papers, the possibilities are endless! You can simply print out some digi papers and use your flower punches to create blossoms. You can make use of some of the hybrid helpers we have in the shop as templates for fussy cutting or cutting with your electronic cutter.

These flower templates by Krisi’s Kreations are a great place to start. The set includes files types that you can use right in your digital designs, or for cutting with a machine or by hand!

I’m going to share a tutorial for creating some beautiful paper roses. For my project I’m using Summer Lovin’ Prints by Kim B and Summer Breeze by Jennifer Labre. They are both part of the June Mix-a-Kit which is on sale through June 7!!

You’ll need to cut 3 6-petal flowers for each rose that you are making. The Sizzix Flower Layer #5 die works great for this. It includes a large and small flower die so you can make 2 different sized roses.

You will need to snip between each petal to allow for curling the petals into shape. You will also need to cut the first flower one time, straight between 2 petals all the way to the center. The second flower you will cut on either side of one petal into the center and separate that petal. Save it, you will be using it. With the third flower, you will cut to the center on either side of 2 petals and separate the double petal. Save this too, you’ll be using it.

You should have what is pictured above for each rose that you are going to create.

Once you have your flower parts cut, ink the edges. Since I am using digital papers that I printed, I also inked the backs.

With the first flower (slit cut to center), place some Glossy Accents glue on one petal at the slit that was cut to the center. Manipulate the petal on the other side of the slit to cover over the glued petal, creating a cone shape with the flower as you do this. Use a paper clip to hold this in place to allow the glue to dry. Repeat this process with the remaining 2 flowers, creating a cone shape and gluing the overlapping petals. Secure with paper clips while you wait for the glue to dry.

Take the double petal cut from flower #3. Curl the petal to the left toward the back of the flower piece. Carefully curl the flat side in toward the curled petal. Curl it tightly creating a center petal for the rose. Pinch it together with your fingers and glue. Hold it together to allow the glue to set momentarily. Sticky fingers are a good sign of hybrid crafty goodness!

Take the single petal that was cut from flower #2. Curl each side of the petal in towards the center as shown above.

Curl the petals back on each of the cone shaped flower pieces. I like to use the handle of a small paint brush to do this. For the larger petals I can use the thicker part of the handle, and for the smaller petals, I can use the thinner part. You can also snip a small piece from the tip of each cone. You may need to snip slightly more on the 2 smaller cone pieces to help them set into the rose as you assemble it.

After you’ve curled your petals, begin to assemble the rose. Start with the largest cone piece and then insert the medium one inside it. I turn it so that the petals are a bit offset. Place some Glossy Accents into the center of the cone to glue in place. Repeat with the third cone piece nesting it inside the rose and gluing in place. Then take your 2 center petal pieces and set as the center of your rose. I have no magic suggestions here, I play with it until I like the way it looks. Sometimes I have to snip a bit more off the bottom of these pieces in order for them to sit down in the rose the way I want them.

Now comes even more fun! You can dress up your flowers. I sprayed mine with some Tatter Angels Bronze Mist. Then I added some glitter to the edges of the petals for extra bling. Some Stickles glitter glue in the center of one of the roses added a little pizazz!

I used the roses on a picture frame that I had covered in paper from the Summer Lovin Prints pack. Here is a closer look at the flowers:

I’m showing these flowers on a finished project, but you don’t have to for this challenge. You can just make some flowers and share them!

Here are some wonderful samples that our talented Creative Team made for you:

Look at this stunning cake that LeAnn made. I think the cake is gorgeous on it’s own! Then she added a beautiful rolled rose bouquet, amazing! She used Kim Brodelet’s Roche kit. The little white flowers are simply cut-outs of elements from Kim’s kit. (Special thank you to Mari Koegelenberg for the rolled flower template).

Tracy made these brilliant flowers by printing out a bunch of the digi flowers from Jennifer Labre’s Sunkissed: Sunset. She then layers them to create these beauties!

She used them to decorate a card. Isn’t that sweet?

Melanie created this bouquet using papers and flowers from It’s Midnight by WM[squared] and GeniaBeana Scraps. I see a few different types of flowers in there, some print and cut from the kit, some rolled and some using the scrunch technique. She adhered them to the lid for a mason jar. Would that make a super cute gift package?

Tamara made this flower using the April Mix a Kit, a paper flower and some ribbon. The perfect addition to her super sweet project!

This flower by Karen is just so cute! She combined a few techniques to create it from the Mix a Kit April: Footloose and Fancy Papers by Graham Like The Cracker, Springy – the Elements by Wm squared, Carefree Solids paperpack by Kim B, Sprung patterns by Stolen Moments

Wow, that’s a whole bouquet of blooming creation!!! I hope we’ve planted the seeds and have you wanting to let your hybrid skills blossom! (you saw all those puns coming, didn’t you??

OK so here’s the scoop on the challenge:

-You will receive one point for posting a photo of your finished flower/s in the Getting Hybrid Gallery and then linking it up to the Getting Hybrid Forum thread HERE . You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your forum post to help me give you the correct credits. 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 June 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 we love it when you do!

And don’t forget, you don’t have to use your flowers on a completed project, but we would sure love to see it if you do!

So, let’s fill the gallery with some beautiful flowers!!!

Hey there!  LuAnn here with this month’s Home Matters project.  But first, an update on the Home Matters postings.

Starting in May, there will be only one Home Matters post monthly – these will occur on the 2nd Monday of the month.  Our goal is to give you some new ideas on how to incorporate your scrapbooking talents (and digital supplies!) into your home.

Let’s get started with this month’s Home Matters project!  This project is one of the easiest projects to do if you are wanting to give Hybrid a shot!  I know, I know… I’ve said it before in my postings, but this one is really easy!!!!

Today, I’m going to show you how to create some decor that is perfect for a nursery or young child’s room.

My niece just recently had her first baby.  He was two months early and his nursery isn’t quite ready for his homecoming.  Erin sent me a photo of the bedding that she had for the nursery.

I decided to create some wall decorations for the nursery as my gift.  And Chelle’s Creations’ kit Zoo-pendous – combo was a perfect match with both theme and colors!

And here’s what I created to match the nursery bedding:

To create the wall art, I picked up three 8 x 10″ brown photo frames from a local discount store.

Next, I opened my photo editing program and created an 8.5 x 11″ blank canvas – this is the size of regular paper/cardstock.

note:  I always create my own “template” whenever creating a project.  After I create my template, I then go about filling the template much like a scrapbook page layout until I have the results that I want.  You could print full sheets of the paper of your choice, cut an 8 x 10 piece of from the patterned paper and then a 5 x 7 piece with the focal element centered, layer them and be done!

Using the rectangular marquee tool, I drew an 8 x 10″ shape on my canvas.  After adding a new layer, I flood filled the 8 x 10 shape with black.

Next, I drew a 5 x 7 shape, added a new layer and then flood filled the 5 x 7 shape with white.  Center on the black layer.   This will be my template.

After adding the giraffe element from the kit to the center, I picked out the background paper for the matting of my pictures.

I decided to leave the 5 x 7 area white as I had special paper I wanted to print the giraffe.

Before printing, I added some slight contrast and saturation to each layer. This helps tweak the printed color a little.  I then added a shadow to the giraffe.

I printed the background patterned paper on Epson Matte presentation paper and the giraffe element on a piece of Red River paper canvas paper.  Below, you can see the texture of the paper.

After trimming my papers, I adhered the paper canvas with the giraffe in the center of the background paper to create my picture before slipping it into the frame.

note:  you could also add a shadow the the giraffe element and also to the white 5 x 7 area before printing and then print as a flattened digital image to slip into the frame.

I designed the elephant and lion pictures in the same way as described above except that after creating my template, I rotated my canvas to the left so that those pictures were landscape.

Here are all three of them individually:

Didn’t they turn out darling? And I have to say they match the bedding nicely!!!  I’m totally stoked about how they turned out and can’t wait to mail them to Erin.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are inspired to use your digital supplies to create something beautiful!

Hey all!  Jewelle {jubeejewels} here with the Hybrid Corner!

A few years {yes I said years} ago I picked up some chipboard coasters at my local craft store.  I was tired of scrubbing water rings off of my coffee table on a daily basis and thought these would solve the problem.  I thought that I would decorate the coasters with scrap paper so I wouldn’t have to look at the very “blah” color of the chipboard.  The coasters got thrown into my to do pile of crafts and have sat there ever since.  I am now finally getting around to making them pretty and I have no idea why it took me so long.  It was a super easy project!  With that I want to show  you how easy it would be for you to make a set for your own home!  First let’s take a look at my coasters:

From my digi stash I used Girlfriends by wm[squared] Designs and Eva Kipler Designs.  I also used Girlfriends – Word Art Bits by wm[squared] Designs.

Let’s get started on how I made my coasters.

SUPPLIES

• Printed mini scrapbook pages
• Coasters
• Mod podge
• Foam brush
• Paper trimmer
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• Spray sealant
• Ink Pad {optional}
• Emory Board {optional}
• Black pen {not pictured}
• Felt {not pictured}

Step 1 – In Photoshop or other equivalent program create mini scrapbook pages that are the size of your coasters.  When finished my four pages fit on a 8.5 x 11 canvas with each mini scrapbook page being 4 in x 4 in.

Step 2 – Print.  Cut out mini scrapbook pages using a paper cutter.

Step 3 – Using mod podge and foam brush glue mini scrapbook page to a coaster.

Step 4 – Trim any excess paper using craft knife or scissors.  Use a Emory board to file down and smooth the edges  of the paper if needed.

Step 5 – Using the ink pad drag it across the edges of your coaster.  Not only does this add a bit of distressing on the mini scrapbook pages, but it also hides the chipboard color.  In the picture you can see that I have used a dark brown ink to cover part of the chipboard.  This step is optional but I think it gives the whole project a nice finished look.

Step 7 – Using a black pen trace the shape of your coasters onto felt.  Cut shapes from felt.

Step 8 – Apply a thick coat of mod podge to the back of your coasters.  Carefully line up the felt on the back.  Using scissors trim of any excess felt.

Step 9 — Use a spray sealant to seal the whole project.

Step 10 — Enjoy your finished project!

I would love know what you think of my project!  If this inspires you to create your coasters be sure and link me up in the comments so I can see what you come up with!  If you need any questions answered concerning this project be sure and ask.

Hey everyone – LuAnn here with your March Home Matters post.

When I brainstorm ideas for my projects, I often take a look at what I have stashed away in my hybrid supplies.  I’m the type of person that will buy things in the clearance sections of stores and at yard sales with the intent of using them for a project.  Sometimes I use them right away and other times I tuck them away for a rainy day.  Even my kids will stop and ask, “Mom – can you use this for one of your projects?” before they throw something away.  How’s that for training??? 

Anyway, while going through my supplies I realized that I have quite a few things that have been in my stash for a while now.   It was at that point I decided that I was not going to buy ANYTHING for today’s project.  I was only going to use stuff that I had already in my house.

So, the hunt was on…. What all did I have and what could I use to create a project?

Well, here’s what I came up with for today’s Home Matters post – I spent no money at all on this project!!!  Everything used was found in my stash!

The frame was from a Stampin’ Up! project that I didn’t really like when we made them at the party a year ago but I loved the frame so I kept it!   It originally came from the big box store that sounds like Mal-Wart and was only $3.

The chipboard letters are from 2 different, but same sized alphabets.  The background was a left over piece of 12 x 12 neutral, canvas textured cardstock.

I even used a paper pack in my digital stash that I had downloaded before Christmas and never used!  It is a paper pack by Inspirations from Day called Zen Garden.

Aren’t those papers swoon-worthy? 

Additional supplies used: thin matte presentation paper, my Tombow adhesive tape runner, an exacto knife, a sanding block, ink for edges, scissors.

But again, use what you have!  No adhesive tape runner?  Use mod podge or even white glue or a craft stick.

Let’s get started on how I made my framed chipboard welcome sign.

1.  First, I figured out what paper I wanted to use for each letter.

2.  Since my letters are about 3 inches, I resized the papers 4 inch x 4 inch squares.   I printed the squares on presentation paper using my printer’s best print option.  Next, I cut apart my squares.

3.  I didn’t want the gray sides of the chipboard letters showing in my project so I inked the edges of my letters with Tim Holtz’ Distress Ink.  I used Q-tips for the hard to reach spots on the letters – like on the inner edge of the “c”

4.  I applied my tape runner adhesive to the front of each letter and placed one face down on each of the backs of the printed squares of patterned paper.

5.  Using an exacto knife, I carefully cut around each letter and in the center of the “e’s” and the “o”.

This is what all of the letters looked like covered with the papers:

They are very rough looking from being cut out with the exacto knife, but we’re going to take care of that next.

6.  Using a sanding block, I sanded all the edges of the letters (you can also used a piece of fine grit sandpaper, a flat nail file or metal nail file).  This not only removed any excess paper from where I didn’t trim close enough but it also smoothed and distressed the edges.

tip:  always sand in a downward motion.  If you sand up and down, you’ll pull the paper up from the letter.

7.  I then used brown ink and a small piece of sponge to ink all of the edges of the letters and then set them off to the side to dry.

8.  While my letters were drying, I measured the inside opening of the frame.  It was 5 inches x 12 inches.  I chose a light cream colored, canvas textured cardstock that went with the colors of the printed papers.

tip:  if your frame opening is larger than 8.5 x 11, I recommend taking the finished chipboard letters, along with the frame you are going to use, to pick out a coordinating 12 x 12 background scrapbook paper.  Most papers will run between $.59 and $1.99 a sheet but it will save you from having to try to paper piece your background.

9.  I centered my letters on the background cardstock piece.  After I was happy with the alignment and centering, I picked up one letter at a time, applied adhesive using my Tombow adhesive tape runner and replaced the letter on the background.

tip:  you could use a ruler and lightly pencil a line across your background paper to assure your letters are on straight. 

10.  Insert in the frame behind the glass and there you go!

This project would make a perfect housewarming gift, wedding gift or  Christmas gift!  It’s never too early to start crafting those Christmas gifts!!!

There are many different ways you could re-create this project and make it your own:

• Use letters to spell out the recipient’s last name instead of “Welcome”.

• Add those trendy rolled roses in a cluster in a corner on the outside of the frame.

• Add a little bling to your letters with a few glued on crystals.

• Spell out a new baby’s name and use colors that coordinate with the nursery as a unique baby shower gift.

The possibilities are endless – you are only limited by your imagination!

I’d love to know what you think about my project!  And if my project inspires you to create your own project, I’d LOVE to see it so please post a link in the comments section of this post!!!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Good afternoon everyone. Trista here to bring you another edition of Home Matters. I am always searching for new ways to entertain my two energetic toddlers. Incorporating education in with some fun is always a plus. About a year ago, I found an interesting way to store some of the kids’ ever growing collection of toys (especially since we were limited on space at the time). Hanging storage bags did the trick.

Hanging storage bags are available in all sorts of material and come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Best of all, this quick and easy storage fix is very reasonably priced. Through trial and error we found that hanging them with thumbtacks or with hooks worked better than using the hanger, which can cause sagging or tearing. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, aside from the fact that I am a bit of a chatterbox, I wanted to share that little nugget of information with you before going into detail about today’s project. That’s my cue… are you ready for some hybrid fun? Here we go!

I was browsing one of my favorite home craft websites when I came across a really neat and educational twist for using hanging storage bags. I was immediately drawn to to this project with one goal in mind and as I worked more ideas came. The possibilities seem endless.

The first thing that I did was measure the front of the pockets on my hanging bag to get an idea of how big to make the labels. Once I measured I opened a new 8.5in x 11in (standard printer paper size) project in Photoshop and created a template. As luck would have it I could fit four labels on each sheet. This is where the fun comes in. Play around with different ideas. I chose to create two different options: alphabet and colors. You can also use shapes, or numbers. Let your creativity take flight.

Next, I printed the labels.   Tip: You can print on label/sticker sheets so that the finished product will easily adhere to the front of the pocket. I chose not to do this as I wanted to have the flexibility of switching out the labels. (see bottom of post of full credits)

Once I cut the labels, I tucked them into the pockets of the organizer and handed my three year old a handful of flash cards.

We immediately discovered that the bag was hanging too high. Tip: Hang low for little ones to reach easily. I made the appropriate adjustments for her height and she had the best time sorting.

Later I got the notion to try out the color sorting. This time I tacked the hanging bag on the lower wall of the toy room (DH may not be thrilled about the tack holes.). This worked like a charm because Isabelle was able to sit comfortably on the floor, eye level with the bag.

A few other tips that we have learned through trial and error. The smaller storage bag organizers seem to work better, especially for toddlers that may not be able to reach the top of the longer bags. The smaller bags also hold less which really helps keep the weight of the bag to a minimum and reduces sagging or possible ripping.  

Now it is your turn! Have fun!!

Credit goes to Family Fun for the wonderul idea.
Credits for the labels that I created:
chrome typewriter alpha from Graham Like the Cracker (recolored) in the Life’s Little Surprises ScrapMatters Mega Collab
apple and cookies from Freshly Baked – Creations by Rachael
airplane and boat from Passport – Creations by Rachael
balls from Junior kit collab by Graham Like the Cracker and Karen Lewis
books from Just One More Story collab from Graham Like the Cracker and Chelle’s Creations
butterfly from True Colors by Jennifer Labre
cupcakes from Another Candle on the Cake by Graham Like the Cracker
dog, flag, and frog from No Girls Allowed – Creations by Rachael
dragonfly, grass, and cloud from Rainbows and Blutterflies collab from Graham Like the Cracker and wm[squared]

Hey everyone!  LuAnn here with your March Getting Hybrid Challenge!

This month we’re going to be decorating candles, votive holders, jar candles and more with beautiful decorative wraps. They are the perfect way to add color or a personal touch to tables, shelves, centerpieces and more.

But most importantly….
**These candles are for decorative purposes only – please do not ever light a candle that has paper and other flammables on/or near it**

Here is my candle sporting a gorgeous new wrap using Jady Day Studio’s collab kit with KimB’s Designs called What Matters Most.

and a close up of the details:

So let’s get started with how to make your own candle wrap!
Supplies:

• Candle

• Epson Matte Presentation Paper

• digital kit of choice

• embellishments of choice – buttons, ribbon, brads, punches, flowers, dies, ink, pop dots, 3D foam squares, etc.

• double sided tape (or other adhesives of choice)

1.  Measure around your candle – allow for an overlap.  Determine how tall you want your candle wrap to be.

(My candle is a 6 inch pillar – my wrap is going to be 9 1/2 inches wide by about 3 1/2 inches tall)

2.  Create your candle wrap using a photo editing program of choice.  I’m using Jady Day Studio’s What Matters Most digital kit.

3.  Determine if you want your candle wrap to be all digital including shadows or if you want to print each layer of your wrap and then assemble true “hybrid” style.
(I decided to print my paper layers separately.)

4.  Determine how you want to decorate your candle wrap – now don’t panic!  Just think of it as a long narrow layout that you will print out and wrap around a candle. 

5.  Print your wrapper and/or the pieces to your wrapper on matte presentation or matte photo paper using your printer’s best print option.

6.  I distressed the edge of my patterned paper and used a lacey border punch on the cream colored plain paper and inked the edges. I adhered the lacey punched papers to the back of the edge of the patterned paper.  After wrapping my papers around my candle, I used double sided tape on the overlapping area to secure the wrap.

7.  To create the flowers, I printed some square blocks of the solid pink and solid cream digital papers in the kit.  Using my Big Shot, I die cut some Cherry Blossom flowers.  I also die cut a butterfly from the solid pink digital paper and added two small crystals to the center of the butterfly.

8.  After inking the edges, I punched two small holes in one petal of each of the pink flowers and two small holes in opposite sides of the cream colored petal.   I used twine to create a cross stitch to attach the flowers together.  Then I added a flat back pearl to the center of each flower.  The pearls were a little too white in the middle so I lightly dabbed the pearl with the same ink that I used on the edges of the flower.

9  The flowers and butterfly are attached to the candle with 3D foam squares.
And there you have it – a beautiful candle perfect to display or give as a gift!

How about some inspiration from the team?

Cathy (Scrappycath) created this beautiful jar candle wrap using Thankful for you by Mye De Leon:

Jewelle (jubeejewels) created this fun candle wrap using So Silly by Amy Stoffel:

Amanda (Abhall76) created this gorgeous wineglass lamp shade which uses a battery operated tea light – she used Zen Garden by Inspirations from Day:

**Again…This candle is for decorative purposes only – please do not ever light a candle that has paper and other flammables on it**

Here are the ScrapMatters challenge guidelines:
- Entries must be posted in the Getting Hybrid challenge gallery HERE and also linked up in the comments section of this post.
- You will have until the end of March to complete your project
- You’ll get 1 point for designing, printing and putting together your project, and then posting the photo of it in the gallery. You will get a bonus point if you use a new release within one week of it’s release to complete your project. You must mention that you used a new product in the comment section of this post to get the bonus point!

I can’t wait to see what you create so be sure to link me up so I can leave you some luvin’!!!

LuAnn

Hello, Cathy here with today’s Hybrid Corner.  It’s a New Year and that means a fresh start.  In my house I’ve been cleaning out, donating unused items and trashing the junk.  What’s left is being re-organized and straightened up!  So today I thought I would share with you how to alter a wooden container.  This way when you get organized, you can put things away in attractive containers.

For this project I used a round wooden chipwood box with a lid.  I found a set of 3 nesting ones at my craft store.  I’m going to use my box to store hot cocoa packets, so the digital kit I used for this is Frosty by WM [squared] Designs. Aren’t the colors great? And those elements are so cute!

This is my finished project

Other items you will need:

• wooden container
• lite sandpaper
• adhesive/sealer
• trimmer, scissors, craft knife
• ink, paint (if desired)
• glitter (if desired)
• edge punch (if desired)
• ribbon (if desired)

Let me start out by apologizing for the messy craft table in the background of my photos. Let’s just say my clean-up efforts have not yet gotten to that area of the house!  OK, Start by lightly sanding and cleaning the surface of the box.  I painted my box with acrylic paint in a light beige shade and allowed it to dry.

Next I applied crackle paint medium.  This stuff is kind of gooey and thick.  The thicker you apply it, the bigger the cracks you get.  I didn’t want too much texture to my surface so I went with a moderate coat.  As it dries, you’ll see the surface start to crack.

When the cracks start to appear, you can hasten the process using your heat embossing tool or a hair dryer.  It’s really cool to watch the cracks form.  Here’s a closer picture of the cracks:

Once the crackle paint was dry, I rubbed some distressing ink into the surface and gave it time to dry.

While it was drying, I created my design in Photoshop. I wanted a nice wintry scene with rolling hills.  I used Bend in the Road Curved Templates by Stolen Moments to create the hills. I printed this out and cut out the shapes.

To add some sparkle to the snowy hills, I painted on a bit of Glossy Accents and coated them with fine glitter.  I also applied the glitter to the snowflakes, snowman and penguin that I cut out.

I used Mod Podge paper adhesive to adhere the scene and snowflakes to the box. Once that was dry, I used Mod Podge Hard Coat to seal the project.  I like to use the hard coat as it dries non-tacky and will eventually become water-resistant. This is really nice for projects that you will want to be able to wipe with a damp cloth to clean.  I apply several coats of the sealant (4 to 5).  Allow plenty of time for drying and sand lightly between coats.

For the lid, I created a decorative edge using an edge punch, then covered the lid in papers.  I then applied the sealant coats of Mod Podge. Then I trimmed it with some ribbon. I used my ATG gun to adhere the ribbon.

Now I’ve got this really darling container for storing our hot cocoa packets.  Hope this inspires you to alter a container for your self or as a gift.  For me, I’d best be getting back to my clean-up!

Welcome to Monday’s Home Matters!  I am Kat (ktanker) here to show you a neat project to bring your scrapping into your home.  I’ve been wanting to do this project for a while now.  Have you ever seen the wood blocks that spell something out?  Like LOVE or JOY?  I wanted a custom saying for my mantle.  I went to Home Depot and found a long block of wood, bought a small hand saw to cut it and a sanding block.  At home, I already had a miter box (I think that’s what it’s called)… which you can use to hold the wood while you saw your blocks.  I scrapped my phrase out in Photoshop CS4 and printed it like any hybrid project.  I collected the following supplies:

• Basic Black Craft Paint
• Medium sized paintbrush
• Cup of water
• Matte Modge Podge
• Printed hybrid page
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Fingertip Craft Knife
• Sandblock
• Pre-cut blocks or piece of wood
• Hand or miter saw and miter box

Here’s all of my supplies ready to go…

Once I had everything ready, I recruited my husband for some help cutting the wood into blocks.  It really is something anyone can do (be careful!) but he’s stronger and it goes much faster.  I cut out my letters and embellishments and used the letters to measure the blocks.  I marked the place to cut using the gray colored pencil.  Once the blocks were cut, I had to sand them.  This was actually the hardest part.  It’s rather time consuming but you can give your blocks a very polished look.  I chose to sand each edge and smoothed out all the sides to make the blocks look slightly more rounded on the edges.  It made quite a mess!  I used my paintbrush and cup of water to dampen or clean the blocks.  This helped me get all the smaller flecks of wood off so I could paint.  I chose black paint for these blocks (about 50 cents at any craft store).  Here’s my blocks while they were drying.  I laid them out on a piece of wax paper over a cookie sheet (ha ha!) to dry.

On a few of my blocks, I went over them with a second coat of paint.  I waited about 30 minutes to let them fully dry.  I used my matte modge podge as a glue and secured the letters on the front of each block.  It was tricky, you have to hold the paper in place for about 30 seconds or it will curl.  I just wiped away the excess.  I learned that you shouldn’t touch the front of the blocks or the modge podge that’s on your hands will make an ugly mark on the paper.  I let those dry another 30 minutes or so.

The blocks looked good at this point but I assume they’ll be handled some so I thought I would seal them.  I used the same type of modge podge but there is also a hard coat version which works very well.  I painted over the paper and the sides of the blocks and let that dry for a while.  I used my paintbrush and found that it put streaks (somewhat) over the blocks.  I used a thin coating and made the streaks look as even and neat as possible.  You can hardly tell they are there.  I would guess that there is a better type of paintbrush to help prevent the streaks.  This is my finished product.

There are a few other things you can do to spice up your blocks.  For example, while your modge podge is drying, add a sprinkle of glitter for some sparkle.  This would be great for Christmas or holiday themed blocks.  I have some embellishments that I plan to stick on using small glue dots to add some depth (I painted them with the same modge podge prior to cutting them out so they have the same matte look).  You could even use some glue dots or tacky two sided tape to put your blocks together for display.  This is always a good idea in my house as my husband might try to run off with the S in my saying.  You can only imagine (LOL).

Here’s a great pre-made block template by Golden Girls Digital Designs and it comes with a supply list and instructions…

I hope you enjoy decorating your home with custom made wood blocks!  Have a wonderful week!  Merry Christmas!