Miss Fancy Pants

Fancy This: Photo Box

I'm the type of scrapbooker that prints my own photos, and only as I scrapbook them; which means, many of my favorite photos just stay on my computer's hard drive, unseen. Our talented designer, Denine Zielinski has the perfect solution with this gorgeous Photo Box that she created. Denine says, "I often lose track of those pictures that are my favorites, so I decided to create this ahead of time. I will add copies of my favorite photos to the box as I take them!" I love Denine's idea and I can't wait to make my own! I know my children will love looking through a box filled with our favorite photos throughout the year!

 

Supplies:
Daily Grind Notebook Doodles
Daily Grind Office Space
Daily Grind Vacation
Daily Grind Printed Ribbon
Daily Grind Embellishment Kit (brads)
All Fall Embellishment Kit (brads)
All Fall Rub Ons
Rub Ons Double Alpha
Every Element 12 x 12 Chipboard
Lotsa Letters 12 x 12 Chipboard
Charcoal Acrylic Paint
Glossy Sealant
Mod Podge
Adhesive
Paper Mache Box

Instructions:
1.  Begin by using Mod Podge to cover the sides of the box with Daily Grind Vacation paper.
2.  Use Mod Podge to cover the chipboard scallops with Daily Grind Office Space paper. Cut around edges with a craft knife.  I also poked the holes out with a punch.
3.  Sand the edges of the box bottom and the scalloped pieces.
4.  With the lid on the box, adhere the scallops to the box right where the lid ends.
5.  Use Mod Podge to cover the box top with Daily Grind Notebook Doodles paper. 
6.  Sand the edges.
7.  Add Rub Ons from the All Fall collection to the top of the box. 
8.  Add words to box lid with Double Alpha Rub Ons.
9.  Paint chipboard letters with acrylic paint. Let Dry. Spray with a glossy sealant for a shiny effect.
10.  Adhere chipboard letters to box lid.
11.  Cut the prong off of brads and use mini pop dots to adhere to box lid.
12.  Using a brad, attach a length of ribbon inside the bottom of the box so it can hang outside the box when the lid is on.  This is designed to help lift your photos out of the box by pulling the ribbon up.
13.  Add pictures when ready!

Product Spotlight: The Daily Grind Embellishment Kit

I hope all of you had a wonderful time with family and friends yesterday. I know I did! This time of year is such a nice break from the daily grind ... and speaking of Daily Grind!!!

This week's product spotlight is the Embellishment Kit from the Daily Grind collection. This kit is packed with coordinating bookplates, binder clips, mini file folders and epoxy brads—all stored in a great storage canister. Check out what some of our designers did with the fun elements found in this kit.

Every Day by Liana Suwandi

Finneas by Ronda Palazzari

Concert Layout by Ania Lexander

Fancy This: Tree Topper

My daughter could not wait to put the tree up after Thanksgiving this year. I was pretty anxious, too. So, the morning after Thanksgiving, off we went to select our tree. We spent the rest of the day decorating the house, listening to Christmas music, and putting the ornaments on the tree. Once the ornaments covered our tree (or at least covered the bottom half - you can tell little hands helped), we put on the star. It's always the last thing we put on. My husband always lifts my daughter up so she can reach to put it on top. The finishing touch.

Check out this beautiful tree topper Nikki Bellish created. She never could find one she really liked, so she made her own! And you can too!

 

Tree Topper

Products used:
Happy Holidays: Candy Cane
Happy Holidays: Tree Lot
All Fall: Penmanship
ink pad (brown)
die cutting machine
thick, but bendable metal rod
hemp

Instructions:
1. Glue two 4 inch stars together to make it thicker, and then shape them by bending edges to make them more dimensional.
2. Ink the stars edges and bended parts.
3. Use a craft knife to cut out a tree from the Happy Holidays: Tree Lot paper.
4. Use a die cutting machine to cut out letters from Happy Holidays: Candy Cane paper.
5. Cut two, 3 inch strips of Happy Holidays: Candy Cane paper, then fold paper back and forth.
6. Connect the two folded strips together creating a circle.
7. Glue the star to the two folded strips.
8. Cut a very thin strip of paper and folded over once.
9. Wrap the thin strip around a pen to curl.
10. Place where you want it.
11. Tie a bow with hemp.
12. Bend metal rod into any shape that forms a cone... (I made mine in a square shape)
13. Attach metal rod that you bent to make the base.

Product Spotlight: Happy Holidays Patterned Paper

Christmas is just one week away! Can you believe it? I just love this time of year...for so many reasons. One of those reasons is the fabulous Christmas decor that can be seen everywhere! Ronda Pallazzari used patterned papers from our Happy Holidays collection to create some wonderful Christmas trees! These trees are so cute and easy to create. They would make a great gift for someone and would be a fun project to do with your children.





Ronda says, "I love decorating for the holidays, and I love making crafts. Good thing these two go hand in hand. I used the Happy Holidays line to create these little trees. They are three different sizes of styrofoam cones covered with patterned paper. To top off the trees I used a chipboard star, a felt star, and an acrylic star."

Fancy This: Mini Tree Garland

At our house we each have our very own mini Christmas tree to decorate, and I think we enjoy our mini trees almost as much as we do our big tree. This holiday garland created by Cindy Tobey is perfect for decorating your own mini tree! And by making the garland longer, it would be beautiful on a large tree as well!



Supplies:
Happy Holidays: Ric Rack - approx. 4 feet
All Fall: Gingham Ribbon
Arctic Chill: Sledding patterned paper
Splendid: I'm Yours patterned paper
Clair De Lune: Titles & Tags
Sweet Spring: Titles & Tags
Happy Holidays: Buttons
The Daily Grind: Buttons
Playhouse Posies
Die Cuts: Mix and Match
Circle punches
Ink pads
Paint
Embroidery floss







1. Punch circles of various sizes from patterned papers. Ink the edges with ink in a similar color to the papers.
2. Paint edges of clear die cut flower shapes.
3. Ink edges of flower punch outs from Titles & Tags sheets.
4. Layer flowers, circles and buttons as desired.
5. Sew layered flowers (through the button holes) to the ric rack spacing them 5 inches apart.
6. To finish, tie small pieces of gingham ribbon to the ric rack between the flowers.
7. Add the garland to your tree, mantel, doorway, etc. and enjoy!

Be sure to come back on Thursday to see another fun Christmas project!

Product Spotlight: Daily Grind Printed Chipboard Alphas

 

Okay, I admit it, I'm a letter junkie. I love fonts and can't get enough of them. So, when these printed chipboard letters from the Daily Grind collection, debuted at CHA this summer, I was all over them. They are funky and whimsical ... and self-adhesive! Take a look at these fun layouts using these super-cool alphas.

Meh by Ania Lexander

Water = Happiness by Jolene Pienaar

20 Months by Staci Taylor

Fancy This: Mini Photo Board

Christmas is such a magical time of year. There are so many wonderful things to look forward to—spending time with family, decorating the tree, homemade baked goods, eggnog, snow and candy canes. The thing I look forward to the most is seeing the wonder in my kids faces, especially on Christmas morning. Those little expressions are ones I'll cherish for years to come. Here, Allison Davis shows us a fun and simple way to display some of the candid moments of the season. Wouldn't this be a great gift for the grandparents?



Mini Photo Board

Products Used: 
Happy Holidays: Printed Chipboard Shapes
Happy Holidays: Sugar Plum
Happy Holidays: Titles and Tags
Happy Holidays: Tree Lot
Happy Holidays: Festive
Happy Holidays: Candy Cane
Lotsa Letters 12x12 Chipboard
Mix-n-Match 12x12 Chipboard

Instructions
1. I used three of the 5 1/2" x 2 1/2"  chipboard rectangles from the Mix-n-Match 12 x 12 Chipboard as the base for the photo board.
2. Cover each chipboard rectangle with patterned papers and then sand the edges.
3. Cut a 5 x 7 piece of chipboard and adhere it to the back of the three rectangles.
4. Cover the word "JOY" with patterned papers and sand the edges.
5. Adhere chipboard trees, swirl, "Happy Holidays" die cut and "JOY" to the photo board.
6. Add pictures to the tree, above the swirl and to the right of "JOY".

Product Spotlight: Arctic Chill - Eclectic Winter Overlay

I'm staring out my window at huge snowflakes coming down, so for this week's product spotlight I think it's only appropriate to show off our new Arctic Chill - Eclectic Winter Overlay. This overlay has such a fun design...the circles, snowflakes, swirls, stitching and bright blue bracket. So beautiful and versatile! You can use it as a whole sheet or cut it up and use it in smaller pieces for even more fun!

 
Gift by Ronda Pallazzari


Surprise Snow by Allison Davis


Donut Powder by Amy Peterman

Fancy This: Chipboard Ornament

It is officially December, and that means it is time to put up those Christmas trees! One of my favorite traditions is decorating our tree, and my favorite type of ornaments to decorate with are those that were lovingly handmade...from the clothes pin reindeer that my husband made in kindergarten to the clay star my daughter made in preschool. These handmade ornaments are what makes our tree so special to us. And I think I love making ornaments even more now than I did as a child! I can't wait to make this one that our talented designer Staci Taylor has created for us! This ornament will make a great addition to your tree and is the perfect gift for friends and family!





Chipboard Cube Ornament
 
Supplies:
Fancy Pants Happy Holidays paper
Fancy Pants Happy Holidays chipboard
Fancy Pants Happy Holidays rub-ons
Fancy Pants Double Alpha rub-ons
Fancy Pants All Fall woven ribbon
Fancy Pants Happy Holidays printed ribbon
Plain chipboard
Thin ribbon
Brad
 
Instructions:
1. Cut chipboard into 6 pieces that measure 3x3 inches each.
2. Cover each piece with Happy Holidays paper.  
3. Embellish 4 of the pieces with photos (I sized mine to 1.5 x 1.5 inches), chipboard, paper and rub-ons.
4. Using a brad, attach All Fall and Happy Holidays ribbon to one of two unembellished pieces of chipboard.  Make sure to make a loop out of one of the ribbons to use as a hanger.
5. Using a hole punch, punch 2 holes along each of the 4 sides of each piece of chipboard.
6. Using the thin ribbon, attach all 6 pieces of chipboard together, tying the ribbon together on the inside (or outside) of the ornament.
7. Hang from your tree and enjoy!