Thanks Card (with reusable elements)

I just love all the new embellishments and accessories American Crafts is shipping with their newest collections.  I used two of my favorites for this card.

How to: 

Tear a whole sheet of washi paper from the washi booklet and use it for the background. 

Next, cut a smaller sheet of neutral pattern paper to tone down the background of the card. 

If the recipient is a scrapper or card maker, apply enough adhesive to ensure it won't fall off.  That way, they can re-use the washi tape for their own project. 

Add a gold doily. 

Next, cut a bow using your manual die cut machine.  

Stamp the sentiment and place it in the center of the bow. 

Supplies: Fine & Dandy collection: (370063) – Just Peachy Paper, (370067) – Celebrate Paper, (370073) – Bright Bows Paper, (370108) – Washi Tape Designs, (370111) – Die Set - Bow and Prize Ribbon, (370133) – Interchangeable Stamp

Happiness Grows Here

Hello! The new Bella Blvd releases are right on trend, allowing you to color customize your paper and embellishments as you wish. So when I received the new Jillibean Soup Happy Hues paints, I was in Heaven! The colors are so fresh and 'happy'. 

For today's project I wanted to put the Invisibles to the test.  

The nice thing about the Invisibles is that they has a glossy side and a matte side and I figured the matte side would allow the paint to stick a little better. Applying the paint was easy peasy. I just dabbed my brush in the paint and filled in the middles of the flowers and stars.  It went on like butter and dried pretty quickly.  

Once it was all dry, I sewed the Invisible to my background, trimming off the edges and reusing it in the top left part of the layout. Next, I painted a border around the page using the yellow and green hues and I also painted a white photo corner yellow so it would perfectly match. I also watered down the paint and then sprinkled it on the background.  I then added the photo, embellishments, title and journaling.

Supplies: Collection Name: Just Add Color Newsflash 12x12 paper, Treasures & Text, Invisibles: Color Chaos Pink Posies, Ciao Chip Elements: Flowers & Clouds, Designer Tape: Polka Dot Combo

Enamel Dots: Guacamole, Blueberry, Bell Pepper, Enamel DooDads: Milk White, Bella Bows: Ice

Jillibean Soup Happy Hues: Yummy Yellow, Groovy Green

Together Through Life's Journey

Hello hello. Once again, Lori has put together an amazing kit full of the latest Crate Paper, Fancy Pants, Heidi Swapp, Jen Hadfield...LOVE!

I created this layout using the main kit only.

I went with a cleaner look for this page. I did that because the top part of the page was so busy with the title. And the bottom portion of the paper has flowers sprinkled all over it.  

I pieced the title together and then added a wood veneer to it. The "R" was a random acrylic I found in the kit and it was a great addition since both their names start with R.

I stamped a sentiment from the stamp set in the main kit.

Your next stop is Jill Keller and here's the full hopping order.

Beshka Kueser Brenda Weaver Caylee Grey Cindy Liebel Diane Payne Emily Spahn Erin Taylor Eunyoung Lee Heather Leopard Jill Keller Joy Taylor Katie Ehmann Laura Rahel Crosby Tara Anderson

Have a fantastic day!

Hand Cut Letters DIY Room Decor Tutorial

We are currently redecorating our youngest daughter's room and she chose a Paris theme. There's a corner of her room that is bare so when Paige asked me to do a Hand Cut Letters tutorial for the American Crafts blog, I went in search of a good quote about Paris.  I immediately stumbled across this one from one of my favorite actresses and humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn. It was the perfect addition to her wall and I was able to wrap it so that the words spans the corner.

Step 1: Choose a handful of papers to use for your letters. I originally selected 7 but increased it to 11 for even more variety. 

 

Step 2: Start cutting your letters. I chose to just dive right in with my scissors and skipped a lot of measuring. And I certainly didn't care if my lines were straight. So most of the letters that I cut were just free hand. That said, I did use a ruler to get my angles right for the A's and the W. Then I sketched out the S before I cut it. And I did cheat a little by tracing duplicate letters once I had the first one cut, like the S in this photo. The others were just free hand. Once all letters were cut out, I outlined some in black in to help them stand out on the wall.

 

Step 3: Time to make some cupcake liner flowers. First, fold the cupcake liner in half. Next, fold it in half again, then in half again and then one more time so it's folded in an 8th. Next, cut it in a curve starting at the top going about halfway down. Unfold to find these flowers. Repeat 4 or 5 times so you have layers. Adhere each one on top of the other and then add a centerpiece. Crinkle them up just a little (or a lot). Make additional flowers in various sizes by simply starting your cut lower on the folded edge.

 

Step 4: Create additional embellishments, such as feathers, bows and this cute little cupcake liner butterfly, which I made simply by folding and adhering cupcake liners together and then cutting the shape into a butterfly. I covered a clothespin from the DIY Shop collection with patterned paper for the center. Add additional embellishments - chipboard, stickers, etc. until you like what you see.

 

Step 5: Sprinkle confetti garland above to complete the wall.

Supplies: Fine & Dandy collection: (370061) – Fabulous Fun Paper, (370066) – Paper Peonies Paper, (370067) – Celebrate Paper, (370071) – Let’s Party Paper, (370072) – Fine and Dandy Paper, (370073) – Bright Bows Paper, (370074) – Stay Awesome Paper, (370078) – Sweetest Soiree Paper, (370079) – Elated Paper, (370080) – Cheerful Chatter Paper, (370082) – Gleeful Paper, (370069) – Make a Wish Paper, (370087) – Printed Cardstock Phrases & Accents, (370091) – Accent & Phrase Stickers, (370096) – Plastic Bows, (370098) – Cupcake liners, (370099) – Die Cut Cardstock Shapes, (370100) – Toothpicks

#Awesome

Did everyone had a wonderful National Scrapbook Day? I had a really great day but it didn't involve scrapbooking the way you all probably scrapbooked. Mine included working on my scrap room / office remodel so lots of purging and painting and destashing and designing.

Anywho, I created this layout for Bella Blvd. They asked for an All About Me page. I don't do these very often but I'm always glad I do. So much of my scrapbooking is about my kids and I often forget that it's good for them to have a bit of mommy and daddy documented. We were also asked to do a little Q&A, which you can read HERE.

The Just Add Color collection may just be my all-time fave collection from Bella Blvd...maybe. I love that you can customize it to pretty much any photo or project you are working on. 

Since this was an "About ME" page, I chose the Dotty paper because I knew I wanted to accentuate a few words that really spoke to me. I pulled out my new Jillibean Happy Hues paints and added some water to make them more watercolor-like and then I painted the words. After adding the color, I still felt the other non colored words were distracting so I added alternating strips of black and white paper. Now they really popped.  

I kept the rest of the layout simple, adding my photo in the middle with a few layers and various stars around the page.  I did not add a title because the words said it all.

There's lots of giveaways happening on the Bella Blvd blog so make sure to get over there to enter to win. I know they are giving this collection away so go. NOW!

Bella Blvd Supplies:

Just Add Color collection: Dotty paper, Treasures & Text, Trinkets B&W; Color Chaos collection: McIntosh Strandz paper, Words of Wisdom paper, Guacamole Strandz paper, Orange Strandz paper

Ciao Chip Elements: Hearts & Stars

Enamel DooDads: Guacamole

NSD2015 Challenge & Giveaway

Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful, fantabulous National Scrapbook Day!  Several of the American Crafts Design Team gals are hosting challenges on their blogs during the American Crafts National Scrapbook Day 2014 Blog Hop! I hope you'll be inspired to get crafty and participate along with us. Some of us (hint hint) are even offering prize packs!

You may or may not have seen this layout before but it's one of my faves so far this year. It pushed my creative boundaries. I've painted and misted on my layouts for years but this one was just different and so much fun! You can see the original post with the how to details for this HERE.

Source

My challenge to you is to Unleash Your Inner Artist - add a splash of color on your layout or card using paints, mists, watercolors or gelatos. PLEASE leave a link to your project in the comments below so I can ooh and ahh over it!

I would love to bless one lucky winner with this American Crafts Shimelle prize package. 

It's super easy to enter to win with these 3 required steps + bonus entries:

1. Follow me on Instagram @heatherleopard and like the giveaway image on my IG feed
2. Repost the giveaway image on your IG feed
3. Use the hashtag #heatherleopardNSD2015giveaway AND tag me @heatherleopard (this is the only way to find you for the random drawing)

Bonus entries - for every 3 friends you tag on my giveaway post on Instagram, I'll give you a bonus entry. Tag 6 friends for 2 bonus entries, 9 friends for 3....the more the merrier!

I will announce the winner one week from today so make sure to check back in by end of day May 9th, 2015.

Paige Evans

Ashley Horton
Gillian Nelson

Gina Lideros

***Heather Leopard***

American Crafts

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy National Scrapbooking Day!