Happy Thanks Giving! I am thankful today for my family's health, which is not 100% at the moment, but pretty close. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here but I wish we did, the roots of the celebration have nothing to do with any country but America, but the idea of having a day to be thankful is great. We get caught up on our daily lives and sometimes forget we should be grateful every day!  But I digress.

Christmas is fast approaching and I would like to share our Advent Calendar with you, here is the template I created last year:

Some people like to have the "remaining days" till Christmas in the Advent Calendar, some people like to just mark the days off like a normal calendar, both versions are available in this template.

Ready in 3 easy steps:

1. Open up the template in Photoshop and add your favourite papers and elements.

2. Print out your project. You can use photographic paper if you are adhering it to cardboard or a wood base, or nowadays there is magnetic adhesive and magnetic paper available if you want to put this up on the fridge or magnetic board.

3. Assemble your tree and have fun counting the days till Christmas.

Optional

1. Print another copy of your numbers to pop them up. You can use a 1" circle punch to punch out the numbers.

2. Print circle elements or pattern paper and punch them out with the 1 inch punch. Use Glu Tack or any non permanent/re-positional adhesive to adhere these on top of your numbers.

Instead of crossing off each day, you can just remove the top layer, this way you can recycle the project and use it over and over again :)

Here is the finished tree:

Ribbons and brad from Making Memories, transparent diecut star from Fancy Pants:

Digital papers and elements are from a retired kit by Michelle Coleman.

Happy Scrapping! In the mean time I am taking it easy with the kids, now that every one is over the flu we need some healing rest. But I will be back on Sunday with the Pencil Lines template ;)

xoxo

Right now, sick as I am feeling with this flu, releasing this kit is the only thing keeping me up, otherwise I would not even have turned on the computer today :) I have joined up with the adorable and ever so talented girls from Boutique Cute Dolls. Ju and Kel are a pleasure to work with and the kit came about really quickly.

The kit's name is synonym to the feeling of happiness and represents this time of year for me, busy with a lot of birthdays, but happy. Without further bla bla bla (and also because my bed is calling me back), I present: Alegria

Here is what our CTs have come up with:

These girls are so talented!!! I am hoping to feel better soon to scrap with this kit :)

Hope you guys like it and have fun making your memories colourful and your layouts happier with this kit! xoxo

From my first CD album I thought about this calendar. Didn't have time to put it together last year, but this year I was determined! and I loooove how it turned out. This one is mine I am not giving it away :)

I already explained how to put together a CD album, and the CD calendar is the same. The difference is that you make two holes at the top (two to help it balance and stand on its own, but not necessary, one is ok too).  Just to make this a complete post about the CD calendar, lets go through the step by step once again.

Step by Step

Step 1. Create your page digitally using the template. Just clip your favourite photos and papers to the shapes provided. Alternatively you can use quickpages:

I should mention I created hole guides for the printed project, but only on the front layouts. I did it so I didn't have to align the holes in the back layouts (I only had holes on the cover, feb, apr, jun, aug, oct, dec layouts) Makes sense?

Step 2. Print the finished layouts on glossy photo paper, you can fit two on a letter/A4 sheet.

Step 3. Cut them out. The template is the exact shape and size for CDs. I might add that, if you want you can use other round albums (chipboard) or cut out cardboard for a grungier look (I have seen it done, looks cool!).

Step 4. If possible scratch the CD surface with sandpaper to make it less "smooth", and add mod podge or chosen adhesive.  Adhere front and back layouts to each CD making sure both sides are facing up.

Step 5. Punch holes with the crop a dile or using a drill. You do have to do one at a time so you can either create hole guides, as I mentioned above, mark with a pencil or use the previous layout as a guide to the next. Whatever you find easier. You can also have only one hole, which takes away the need to align the holes.

 Step 6. Embellish your calendar with real embellishments such as buttons and flowers. Lastly add the rings to the top (I recommend not adding ribbons as that makes it hard to flip from month to month)

Here is my finished calendar:

Buttons by Doodlebug designs, papers are my part on the Summer's Dawn collab with TaylorMade designs. The "real" embellishments are a must for me, but you can just have it all digitally embellished.

Once again the photos didn't come out right, but you get the idea. The white text is not that hard to read and March & April photos are not that pink, who wants to come visit and see this little project in person? ;)

I have one more calendar to show you, but only after I announce my new collab, can you guess who I am collaborating with?

{warning: image heavy post, but great hybrid ideas}

Remember when you were a child looking forward to that big box with pretty wrapping paper and a big bow on top. As we grow up our interests change and size is not as important, teens and adults have a very different view of Christmas. Some teens would rather get a bit of money to do whatever they like. For some adults the gifts are not even important anymore, it is the thought that counts. So, with that in mind, how to wrap money? or a gift card? or a thoughtful message? I have two new templates that might give you some ideas not only for this Christmas, but for gift giving in general.

These templates are easy to put together but are not the most intuitive thing in the world. So, lets have a quick step by step for each:

Gift Card holder Step by Step

Step 1. Clip your favourite paper to the template base. You can also add elements and word art. Remember the template is only for the outside design.

Step 2. Print your card holder into matte paper. I suggest you select one of your favourite papers and print on the back of the design, but it is no problem if you decide to leave it white.

Step 3. Cut the design, and score with a scoring tool or blunt knife to make folding easier.

There are four folds in the design, you will fold all of them "outward" except the third one which you should fold "inwards".

Step 4. Now add adhesive to the fold like in this image. Don't add adhesive to the whole fold, just around it, the area without adhesive is where your gift card is going to go.

Step 5. Once the little flap for the gift card is glued together, turn it around and make a little cut in the middle of it, just enough for you to slide your card in.

Step 6. Your gift card holder is ready. Now you have the option "round the corners" if you have a corner rounder punch:

and decorate it with real embellishments, I kept mine simple, closing it with a clip from Fancy Pants and adding Making Memories alpha stickers. Here is my finished little gift card holder created with the Simple Pleasures kit:

Get the whole concept? It is hard to see on the photos. You can also close it with a ribbon or a sticker, give as it is or put it in an envelope. There is so much room to be creative with these templates.

Paper Wallet Step by Step

On to the next one, the paper wallet template turned out soo much better than I imagined. I love it and already made a couple for my kids to play with. It is quick and easy to put together.

Step 1. Very similar to the Card holder, clip your favourite papers to the template shapes. I have kept it simple but each of the parts is a different shape so you can have different papers if you want.

Step 2. Print and cut out the design. You can print both sides or leave the inside white.

Step 3. Score with a scoring tool or blunt knife to make folding easier.

Step 4. Add adhesive to the "flaps" and close your paper wallet like this:

Step 5. Your wallet is ready. You can embellish it or use as it is. I have decided to round the corners on mine, and use Velcro to open and close the tab.

Velcro is easy to find on craft stores that sell sewing and quilting materials. The ones I bought are self adhesive dots that I cut in half to fit my little wallet.

On this project I used my Leaves paper pack and added some fun cardstock alphabet stickers from Love Elsie.  Here is my finished wallet ready for some money ;)

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Here is what guest CT Melinda did with these templates and designs by Microferk, Saxon Holt and Jan Hosford (from scrapbook-elements.com):

Great isn't it? Who wouldn't like to get one of those for Christmas??? I think even the kids would love it!

Cathy also played with the templates, look at her gorgeous creations, one card holder and two wallets:

Cathy used my Leaves paper pack, the imagination alpha and the Love Fall collab with Lili as well as those adorable doodles by Nancy Kubo. I just looove that she put some photos in the wallet for her daughter Sofia and the button is just the perfect touch, so cute!

That's a LOT of photos for one post, hope it inspires you, I had a lot of fun with it :)

xoxo

I would like to thank Melinda for being a guest in October. She has been great and gave me some very useful feedback, I still have some hybrid projects of her to share with you guys tomorrow, but now lets get to know our November guest a little better. Here is what Marta had to say:

My name is Marta, I am 34 and at the moment I am going through one of the happiest times in my life, I am 7 months pregnant. I have been married for a year and a half and this will be my first child. Talking about scrapbooking, it appeared in my life by chance two years ago, but since them it has become a great passion. I cant say I have a specific style because I like the experiment, but at the moment I prefer layouts with a clean design.

Marta has created a couple of layouts with my products, have a look how talented she is:

In these layouts Marta has used almost all my non collab kits, you can check my shoppe for these kits. I am looking forward to seeing more pages from Marta using my designs :)

For being a guest Creative Team member Marta received a 10 dollar coupon to the store and all November releases. If you would like to be a guest CT just send me links to your layouts using my products. You can leave the links here on the blog or send me an e-mail at michelle(at)withlovebymushy(dot)com.

Well, I did the 2009 version, I loved it, and off course I had to make another one :) This time I used my 4x6 calendar template:

Here is a step by step:

Step 1. Create your layouts digitally using by clipping your favourite photos and digital papers to the shapes provided in the template. For this project I have used my Simple Pleasures collab with One Bright Spot.

Double sided layouts: I am doing the back and front layouts this year. That means when I turn my cover around I will have January on the back. So, instead of 13 pages I will have only 7. The template comes with a couple of layouts, I "flipped" them before adding my photos, paper and calendar stamps. To flip your layout in Photoshop you have to go to Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip canvas horizontally. In Photoshop Elements you have to make sure you select all layers and go to Image > Rotate > Flip Horizontal. You have to do this to make sure your cut outs align, but no need to do it if you are only using the basic version with no cut outs.

Step 2. Print out your layouts.

A little note about printing. This template is sized 4x6 so you can send the layouts to be printed somewhere else if you don't have a printer or what to print lots. However, make sure your prints will not be resized. If you can take the photos yourself to the Bureau you can look into their software and downsize the image back inside the borders. A lot of places that do printing have automatic sets to make sure you don't have white space in your photos, which becomes a problem when you want to print something smaller, it gets enlarged. That has happened to me so I ended up re-printing the project at home. I can still use the prints from the Bureau, I will show you in a minute what I did with them.

Step 3. Start cuting your layouts to shape, but just the sides and top part, do the bottom cut out AFTER you glue back and front pages together to make sure they will line up. Double sided tape or a snail type adhesive dispenser should be enough. After adhering back and front layouts, you can trim away any excess and do the cut out.

Step 4. Punch the holes. If you have a crop a dile you can punch all holes at once. I have NOT printed my layouts with the hole guide because I find it easier to just punch the holes with the crop a dile. But if you dont have one and needs to use a hand held circle punch or a normal paper punch it is much easier if you print your layouts with the white hole guides included in the template.

Step 5. Create the stand. Just cut a strip of sturdy cardboard and make a triangle to the size of your calendar. (you can check step 4 and 5 of my 2009 Mini Calendar for more photos)

Step 6. Punch the holes for the cardboard stand. You can use one of your layouts as a guide to where you should be punching the holes, so you can keep your calendar centered in the stand.

Step 7. Last step, totally optional but my favourite part, is to add embellishments to your mini calendar. I love Doodlebug buttons and I like adding Chipboard letters (American Crafts thickers) to my cover pages. Here is the finished project:

mmm, I should lat you know this is soooo much cuter in person ;) The colours are a bit off in the photos.

Now, as I mentioned, I had problems printing this project in the Bureau, so I couldn't use them in the "layered" project because they were the wrong size, but it is still cute and going to be displayed. Hubby says he is taking it to work, we are using an acrylic frame to display each layout month by month:

I guess you can also put them on the fridge or in a corkboard. They are just too cute, need to be displayed :)

Hope you like this hybrid feature and feel inspired to make one for yourself or as a gift. I have two more calendars to post, so watch this space ;)

xoxo 

Enjoying all the DSD sales and celebrations? I have been flat out busy in real life so I did not sit at the computer this weekend, I don't usually sit at the computer on weekends and the kids didn't allow for an exception :) I will be announcing the winner to the 10 dollar coupon to my store tomorrow so you still have time to leave a comment on the previous post for a chance to win.

Another sketch is up on the Pencil Lines blog. This week's adorable sketch was provided by Anna Bowkis and transformed into a template by me. Click on image to download:

My layout this week was created using my Leaves paper pack and alpha(retired) by Kate Hadfield:

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!

We are having a store wide 30% off sale at Little Dreamer Designs, and a blog hop! I know you love blog hops :) and one thing better than blog hops are freebies and giveaways, so here you will get both!

Here is my freebie:

This is more than an alpha, it is a concept, an idea. I see people using leftover alphabet stickers on paper pages all the time. I am too lazy to do that with paper, it is a lot of work and easy to go wrong. But then I realised, how fun would be to do this digitally :)

It comes with individual letters AND with the full alpha sheet. What I suggest is that you cut out your own alpha, so when you have two of the same letters they will each look unique.

Now go on to Michelle Coleman's blog to keep hopping. Don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a 10 dollar coupon to my store :) The winner will be announced on Monday.

xoxo

I usually consider myself lucky. I had pretty rough moments in my life but I can say the last 10 years have made up for it. Turning 30 last year was another time of introspection and learning. One thing I have learned is to appreciate and enjoy life's simple pleasures. Not waiting for the exhilarating feeling of visiting a place you always wanted to go (but one day I will make it). But finding joy on the little things like a relaxing cup of coffee after the exhausting morning run to get everyone up, feed and at school/care/work on time. Just those little things like watching the birds in the afternoon.

Anyway, as I was saying, I consider myself lucky with a lot of things in life, but the tremendous support and feedback I am getting in this designing adventure makes it a fact. A great example is this kit. When Jen and Becca contacted me about creating a digital kit I thought it was a great idea, and the more I heard about their ideas for the kit, the more excited I got. How lucky is that? To be asked by two very talented ladies to turn their designs into digital goodness? Honestly, I probably didn't use half as much material as I could have used to create this kit, only for lack of time, we might need a second instalment :) Without further rambling, I present our collaboration kit, Simple pleasures:

Jen and Becca have an etsy shop called One Bright Spot, and all the elements in this kit were handmade by them and digitally transformed by your's truly. Here is a clearer view of the yummy papers:

Looove the brushes, specially the splatter brush, gotta make more of these :)

Have a look at a couple of pages created by the Creative Team and guests:

I am sure I will be using this kit over and over again, see my Pencil Lines layout on the previous post and I am working on some hybrid goodness :)

As usual, I wanted to let you have a "taste" of the kit before you buy it, so here is a freebie add on mini kit for your scrapbooking pleasure.

If you download this and like what you see, leave us a message and wish the twins Happy Birthday!!! It certainly is encouragement for us to create more.

Thanks so much Jen and Becca for letting me share this freebie with the digital community and for this amazing opportunity!

Happy Happy Scrapping everyone!

Quick post! Just wanted to share a couple of images with you, especially for the people that got puzzled when I mentioned "CD Calendar", what did I mean by that?

These are called CD calendars because they are meant to fit a CD CASE. All you do is grab a CD case, force it around and use it as a stand, like this 2009 example using the Hybrid Magic 11 template:

There are also "cd cases" made specially for these calendars, they are sturdier and look a little better, I have given one to each grandparent :) My whole family await anxiously for these every year.

I like them too and I have decided I want to see more of them so I decided to put them up on the "clothes' line" on top of my scrapping area ;)

Usually I keep my latest layout in there, but isn't this cute????

Anyway, I better stop admiring my 2009 calendars and get back to working on my 2010 ones ;)

P.S.I have an amazing kit release for you next week with a HUGE freebie, I can't wait!!!!!