This Is 2015: A Just Nick DT page

Hello blog friends!  All this week on the Just Nick blog, we're focusing on remembering and reflecting.  In doing so, I have been flipping through the photos on my phone from the past year.   I uncovered so many gems that had not yet been printed, soI decided to make a page featuring some of the highlights of our year. This page will serve as the title page for my 2015 family album. 





Supplis used: Simple Stories - patterned paper, bradz, stickers, diecuts; Fancy Pants - buttons; Tim Holtz - mini attacher; Bazzill - cardstock;  Other: foam adhesive, machine stitching



I used three different files from the Just Nick store to create and customize my design. 

The 'This Is' portion of my title was taken from the Arrow Set 1 cut file. The original arrow design used in this file was much thicker and shorter.  However, I wanted to use a longer, thinner title that would stretch the width of my page and not get lost in my grid of photos.  To create that effect, I borrowed one of the longer, skinnier arrows from the All Boy file and sized it to my desired length.

I completed my custom title by including the year.  Lucky for me the Right Now Cards design included a bold, chunky '2015' that I was able to snag and incorporate into my design.

I hope this page reminds you that you can make your cut files work for you!  Adjust their sizes, widths and even combine files for a completely fun and custom look!

I'll be back soon with more to share.  In the meantime, happy crafting!

I always want to remember: A Just Nick DT Page

Good Friday morning, blog friends!  I've got a house full of sick kiddos to take care of, but I wanted to pop on here quickly to share a page that went live on the Just Nick blog today. 

All week long the designers have been sharing pages focused on the theme of 'Remember'.  That theme had me all mushy gushy and walking down memory lane through photos of my kids from years back.  It was a fun excuse to scrapbook these treasured photos I ran across and memories of them being little, that I never want to forget!

Supplies used: Just Nick - Word Tabs and Positives 3 Background cut files; Pink Paislee patterned paper and glitter stickers; Chickaniddy Crafts patternend paper; DCWV patterned paper (woodgrain); Heidi Swap chipboard frames; American Crafts thickers; Simple Stories sticker labels; Crate Paper chipboard frame; Studio Calico sequins; Kerri Bradford Studios stamped sentiment; Other: machine stitiching, computer font, foam adhesive, vellum.

I went for the obvious choice for my title.  Lucky for me, Nicole has all sorts of options for the word 'remember' in the cut file store.  I used the Word Tabs file.  I used the tabbed portion at the bottom to add my subtitle to the page.

I couldn't resist adding those sweet glittery bow stickers to my title.  They reminded me of a string you might tie to your finger to remember something.  Pretty perfect, huh?!

I snuck in some more Just Nick cut files, among the white space on my page.  The Positive Background 3 cut file was a subtle way to fill in those empty spaces and pull in some more plus signs, that appear in other places throughout the page.

Thanks so much for visiting me today!  I hope you sneak in some crafty time this weekend - that's definitely on my to do list!

DCWV & May Arts blog hop

Good afternoon, friends!  If you are visiting from the DCWV/May Arts blog hop and this is your first time here - welcome, I'm so happy to have you!

Admittedly, I haven't yet taken down my Halloween decorations yet (yikes!) but that didn't stop me from getting a head start on some of my Christmas crafting.  I couldn't help it - when I received the new DCWV holiday stacks and an array of gorgeous ribbons from May Arts, I was itching to create.

With that being said, I am certainly in no hurry for Christmas to get here.  I haven't even begun my shopping, after all!  So the first idea that popped into my mind was to create a Christmas countdown.  Now I'll have a fun and sparkly way to remind me how many shopping days are left until Santa's arrival!

Supplies used: DCWV - patterned paper, glittered tags and diecuts, gems; May Arts - grosgrain and sparkle ribbon and twine; American Crafts - glitter clothespin, Kerri Bradford - cut file; Provo Craft - wood plank, Other: hot glue, mono liquid glue, computer font.

I started off with a wooden plaque that measures about 7.5" by 5.5". I had this particular one from Provo Craft, in my stash from long ago, but you could easily find a similar unfinished piece at your local craft store and paint it to your liking

A bit of hot glue and a glittery clothespin make this piece functional as a countdown.  With an array of gorgeous wintery ribbons, I couldn't stop there.  I layered May Arts sparkly blue ribbon atop a navy grosgrain to create a dimensional bow that would accent my clip.  Again, a bit of hot glue does the trick to secure everything into place.

The DIY Project Stack Favor boxes - holiday version, was the perfect companion to my project.  Not only does it have a coordinating color palette and sparkly finish, but the diecut tags included in the stack, were perfectly made for a project of this type!  In addition, the glittery stars and snowflakes were precut and simply punched out from the stack.  A little bit of liquid glue was the right adhesive to give these a smooth and secure hold.

I couldn't stop there with the sparkle and trim.  May Arts makes this beautiful bakers twine that is accented with a silver strand.  It was just the right thickness and size to tie at the top of each of my numbered tags.

Here's a closer look at those tags.  Aren't they pretty?!  They have the most gorgeous sparkly finish that doesn't shed a bit!  The best part is, the hard work is all done for you - the tags are numbered, glittered and diecut.  All you do is simply punch them from the page, tie on some trim and they are ready to be added to your countdown.

 

Thanks for stopping over to take a closer look at my project.  I hope you'll stop by again soon!

 

Spooky Treat Bags: A Just Nick DT project

Good morning, friends!  The countdown to the holiday of treats and sweets is upon us!  It's not too late to craft up a few goodies to pass on to some of the special people in your lives, though.

I quickly crafted up a couple of festive treat bags using Just Nick's Spooky Stuff cut file, plain white bags and some basic embellishments from my stash.

Supplies used: American Crafts - white treat bags, diecut number, sequins, buttons; DCWV - patterned paper; Studio Calico - glitter banner; Pebbles - large gld paperclip; Stampin Up - stamped sentiment; Hero Arts - ink; Bazzill - cardstock; Other: vellum, crepe paper, crochet thread, seam binding ribbon, tags.

Here's a closer look at each of the bags and the details that make them come to life...

 

 

 

Pop over to the Just Nick blog to see my post featuring these projects.  Happy Halloween!

 

DCWV: Happy Day Memo Board

Good morning, blog friends!  Have you been spotting these cute memo boards all over the place lately?  They are intended to provide you with a central place for hanging onto all of those lists, coupons, notes and bits of paper that come into and out of our lives.  As a papercrafter though, I myself can't look at them without dreaming up possibilities to embellish and transform them into a pretty home décor piece.  So, that's just what I did!

I grabbed DCWV's Happy Day stack for this project because I love the neutral color palette that is carried throughout and the pretty pops of gold.  I had fun making all sorts of tags, banners and accents to decorate my memo board.

Supplies used: Target - memo board & large clothespin; DCWV - Happy Day Stack (all patterned papers); Stampin Up - feather stamps & coordinating dies, butterfly punch, flower punch; Crate Paper - chipboard heart, vintage button, and mini clothespins; Basic Grey - mini letter stickers; American Crafts - twine; Other - ribbon.

Let's take a closer look at all of the elements that I've included within my framed piece.

One of my favorite patterns from the stack is the woodgrain covered in intricate shaped frames.  I cut out one of the small frames from the pattern and used it to highlight a punched and embellished butterfly.  It's backed with a doily for a simple yet elegant look. 

 

This sweet little label that adorns the bottom portion of my photo was again, simply cut from one of the included patterns.  I customized it a bit further by adding our last name in coordinating letter stickers from my stash.

There are several pages of cut apart elements included in the stack.  These cute banners are part of one of those patterns.  I accented them with some stamped and embossed feathers for added dimension and interest.

The final element on my décor piece, again features one of the pre-designed sentiment cards that are included in the patterns of the Happy Day stack.  I loved the sentiment and wanted to draw more attention to it by adorning it with a dimensional floral. 

To create my flower, I punched several layers from the pink and gold dotted patterned paper.  I layered the punches together and adhered them with a button center.  The leaves that accent this floral piece were fussy cut from another of the patterns included in the stack.

 

 

 

With just a little bit of creativity and a beautiful stack of DCWV patterned papers it was easy to transform this bland memo board into something special that I will be proud to display in my home!

Just Nick Cards



Good morning! I'm popping on here quickly today to share some recent cards I've made with a slew of fun Just Nick Studio cut files!

This first watercolored design uses Just Nick's Butterfly Background file.

 

Supplies used: Just Nick butterfly background cut file; Stampin Up inks; Hero Arts ink: Felicity Jane stamped sentiment; Doodlebug sequins and gems; Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock; machine stitching.

And a close of the design, in which I stamped this pretty sentiment from Felicity Jane. 

This pretty card features not one but THREE Just Nick files: Stems for Stephanie, Stems and Card Sentiments 1.

Supplies used: Just Nick cut files - Stems for Stephanie, Stems, Card Sentiments 1; Recollections cardstock; Maggie Holmes/Crate Paper chipboard hearts, photo overlay and vintage buttons; DCWV glitter cardstock and text paper; machine stitiching

The Scripty Phrases file is one of my very favorites from the Just Nick store.  I knew it would pair just perfectly with this love themed paper from Chickaniddy Crafts.


Supplies used: Just Nick scripty phrases cut file; Chickaniddy Crafts patterned paper; Crate Paper patterned paper; Doodelbug Designs enamel dots; Scotch/3M foam adhesive; Other - crochet thread

I used the 'hello' sentiment from the Word Brushstrokes file to create a simple and eyecatching focal point for my card.  Not only does the cut file serve as my greeting, but also creates added interest to the design since I've turned it into a shaker box. 



Supplies used: Just Nick word brushstrokes cut file; Chickaniddy patterned paper; Doodlebug cardstock and sequins; foam adhesive, ribbon, button, crochet thread.

 

To see more details surrounding each of these cards and cut file designs, hop on over to the Just Nick site and blog!

Adventures Ahead: A DCWV DT Page

The warm temperatures and sunshine are long gone, and that of course, has me wishing I could have the lazy days of summer back!  Since that's not possible, I've been busy reminiscing through our summer photos.  In doing so, I ran across these pictures of my little girl riding her bike.  I instantly thought of DCWV's Hello Darlin' stack and knew they would be a perfect match - both in color and in theme!



Supplies used: DCWV Hello Darlin' stack; American Crafts cork heart stickers and twine; Kerri Bradford Studio stamps and cut files; My Mind's Eye flair; Heidi Swapp glitter stickers; Crate Paper gold clip; Becky Higgins Project Life date stamp; Studio Calico wood veneer; Other: Stampin Up scallop border punch, Veteran Typewriter font, Hero Arts ink pad.

I built my entire page around the subtle horizontal pink and white stripe paper.  The text, near the top of this particular page, made for an obvious and easy page title.

I knew I'd need a pop of bright pink on the page and this pattern from the stack, did just the trick.  I cut it down to 3X4" and embellished it with a foam mounted word diecut and a gold embossed stamped sentiment, both designs from Kerri Bradford.

 

The kelly green and gold polka dotted pattern is my favorite from the whole stack.  I couldn't leave the page alone, without sneaking a bit of this pattern on there somewhere.  Again, I trimmed the patterned paper piece to 3X4" and embellished it with a clip and some flair.  Additional layers to the left, create some added interest and depth.

 

There was no way I could finish this page without using the remainder of the pink and white striped pattern, which includes a large gold foiled bicycle.  Since I had already cut down that paper, however, I had to come up with an interesting way to include the piece back onto my page.  I trimmed the front half of the bicycle off, and aligned the remaining piece up just below my journaling.  Not only does the bicycle reinforce the theme, but it also creates movement through the page, and well, it's just so darn cute!

 

Always Legos: A Just Nick DT Page

Good morning!  A couple of weeks back I was thrilled to be included on the 'Boys 2 Men' themed week on the Just Nick blog!  With two sons, I have plenty of rough and tumble pages to scrapbook.

 

It has been awhile since I made a page for my oldest son's album.  Now that he's 10 the picture opportunities with him are fewer and farther between.  Fortunately, I had managed to capture this recent picture of him with one of his latest lego creations.  Since this is such a big part of him and what he enjoys, I knew it deserved to be highlighted in his scrapbook.

Supplies used: Just Nick open triangle cut file; American Crafts thickers; Studio Calico patterned paper; Echo Park patterned paper; My Mind's Eye patterned paper; Doodlebug Designs enamel dots; Other: machine stitching and Veteran Typewriter computer font.

I used the Open Triangle cut file to fill the background of my page.  I cut various sizes of the triangles out of white cardstock and used a combination of both the positive and negative cuts.

 

 

Filling the insides of the open triangles with varying patterned papers provides a fun way to add color and embellishment to the page.  I dug into an older Studio Calico 6X6" patterned paper stack and the Echo Park Teacher's Pet collection to fill my empty triangles, embellishing some of them with enamel dots and/or machine stitching.

My title and journaling are both tone on tone, to keep the focus on the picture and design.

Thanks for joining me today!  I hope you are finding some time to get crafty this week!

Fall Cards & Neighbor Treat: NEW DCWV fall Stacks

Good Monday morning, friends!  I've been busy crafting up some seasonal projects that I'm excited to share with you.  DCWV has released some brand new fall themed stacks that are available at Joann's stores and online now, both in 12x12" and 6x6" sizes. 

The Harvest House stack is rich and autumnal and the scaled down patterns in the 6X6" stack were ideal for a card. 

Supplies used: DCWV The Harvest House 6X6 Stack and glitter cardstock; Just Nick Studio stems cut file; Maya Road decorative chipboard frame; Teresa Collins gold adhesive dots; American Crafts twine; Echo Park 'thanks' metal die; Silhouette

I fussy cut a couple of the leaf designs directly from the patterned papers and used my electronic diecutting machine and several of the more solid pattern designs to cut out some additional leaves.  Throw in some vellum, glitter and specialty papers and you've got a beautiful layered design. 

Stacking the leaves amongst each other creates lots of texture as well as a home for my diecut sentiment.

 

 

The Spooky Delights stack has loads of fun Halloween elements and icons that work for both cute and scary projects.  I couldn't resist fussy cutting this trio of festive creatures to adorn my Halloween greeting.

 



Supplies used: DCWV Spooky Delight 6x6 Stack and cardstock; Maya Road ribbon; American Crafts twine; Jillibean Soup enamel stars; foam adhesive.

To ground my scene, I cut out the "Happy Halloween" label, popped it up on foam adhesive and embellished it with some coordinating May Arts ribbon. The combination of elements makes for a fun and festive seasonal card.

I used the 6X6" stack on my card, so I wanted to try out the 12X12" stack of the same design, for another fun project.  This one is perfect to fill with treats and hang on an unsuspecting neighbor's door.

Supplies: DCWV Spooky Delight Stack; May Arts ribbon; October Afternoon buttons; Tombow Extreme adhesive; Other: black crepe paper and crochet thread.

To construct the cone, I used a  favorite 12x12 sheet from the stack.  I simply rolled the sturdy paper into a cone shape, trimmed along the top edge for a clean finish, and secured the paper onto itself with Tombow Extreme adhesive for a nice secure hold.

 

Now comes the really fun part - the embellishing!  I whipped up a simple crepe paper fringe to decorate the top of my cone and used some coordinating ribbon to make my 'hanger'.

 

I didn't have to look far for the remainder of my embellishing, either. The Spooky Delights stack includes lots of fun tags and elements that are perfect for fussy cutting.  A few of those fun and festive images strung onto my ribbon hanger and my project is nearly complete.  Last but certainly not least, it's ready to be stuffed full of candy and goodies!

 

I hope these projects inspire you to create something fun for the season!

 

 

 

#Funtimes: A Just Nick DT Page

Happy Sunday!  Did you happen to catch a peek of the 'Going in Circles' cut file that was featured on the Just Nick blog all week long? Isn't it fun?!  Not only is this new design awesome, but it's also the FREE download for October.  Yep, you read that right it's FREE until October 31st at midnight. Just add the Going In Circles Background to your cart and use the code: CIRCLESFREE at checkout and it's all yours!

 

I couldn't wait to use this design, accompanied by a favorite photo of my daughter from over the summer.  One quick look at the page and you can easily see why this design coordinated so perfectly with the snap of my little girl in a polka dotted inner tube - circles, circles and more circles!



Supplies used: Just Nick Going in Circles background and Hashtags 1 cut files; Pink Paislee patterned paper and diecuts; Simple Stories chipboard pieces and diecuts; October Afternoon buttons; We R Memory Keepers sequins; Kerri Bradford stamps; Stampin Up ink; Bazzill Cardstock; Other: foam adhesive, Silhouette, vellum.

I sized the file down, and cut it out of the same white cardstock that I used for the base of my page. Those open circles were just begging to be filled with snippets of fun and colorful papers, don't you think?!  A few strategically placed sequins and embellishments find a nice home among the circles, too!

If you haven't already noticed, I am constantly reaching for my stash of Kerri Bradford studio stamps.  In my opinion, you can never have enough text throughout a page.  A bright teal ink combined with these versatile sentiments, really jazz up those arrow diecuts.

 

I knew I'd need a bold font for my title, to prevent it from being overshadowed by the circle design on the top half of my page.  I turned to the Hashtags 1 cut file, knowing that the strong type and fun sentiments would be a great match.  I selected '#funtimes' - cutting it once from the same textured white cardstock and again from a subtle blue grid patterned paper. Using the blue diecut title as a shadow, creates interest and separation from the white background, while still maintaining cohesion. 

 

 

Check out the all the posts on the Just Nick blog this past week, to see how the design team used this freebie file, and grab your own.  But hurry because the file is only free until October 31st at midnight!