Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

Welcome Returning Guest Blogger Julia Sandvoss, from Bo Bunny.

Hi again! We’re back with more Abbey Road! We just had too many beautiful projects to pack into one day! So I thought you’d like to see some more ideas for how to use this beautiful line in your scrapbook projects!

Natural Beauty

Natural Beauty
Guest Designer: Emilie Ahern
Abbey Road Truffle, Abbey Road Vine, Abbey Road Combo Stickers, Abbey Road Flowers, Sadie iCandy Brads

Abbey Road Family Frame

Bo Bunny Flowers

Family Picture Frame
Designer: Julia Sandvoss
Abbey Road, Abbey Road Dot, Abbey Road Vine, Abbey Road Combo Sticker, Memories Cardstock Stickers, Double Dot Wasabi Cardstock, Sadie icandy Brads

Designer Tip: This is a frame I purchased. It had a large, not too cute metal flower on it that I pulled off. I cut two of the same flowers out from the papers and then layered then with foam adhesive on top of one another. Stickles glitter is a perfect accent.

Happiness

Happiness
Designer: Kristen Swain
Abbey Road Truffle, Abbey Road Sky, Abbey Road Stripe, Abbey Road Combo Stickers, Abbey Road Memories Cardstock Stickers, All Stuck Up Flowers- Brilliant Blue and Apple Green, All Stuck Up Buttons- Brilliant Blue and Apple Green, Abbey Road Cutouts

Happy Mother's Day Card

Happy Mother’s Day Card
Designer: Shanna Vineyard
Abbey Road Cutouts (scallop card base), Abbey Road Combo Stickers (letters & flourishes), All Stuck Up Apple Green Flowers

Castle

Abbey Road Embellishments and Stickers

Castle
Designer: Carole Janson
Abbey Road Sky pattern paper, Abbey Road Vine pattern paper, Abbey Road pattern paper, Abbey Road Stripe pattern paper (reverse), Abbey Road Dot pattern paper, Abbey Road Truffle pattern paper, Abbey Road Memories Cardstock Stickers, Abbey Road Combo Stickers, Abbey Road Cut Outs, All Stuck Up Licorice Buttons, All Stuck Up Brilliant Large Flower, Bo Bunny Green Ribbon

Did you notice there was a common themed used over the two days? It wasn’t even intentional but I believe Abbey Road just brings it out of everyone…..Happiness! Three layouts used Happiness in their titles…interesting isn’t it? (one card used Happy too!) Thanks for joining us today and a special thanks to our Guest Designer Emilie Ahern too!

Julia
Bo Bunny Blog & Design Team Coordinator

Special Thanks to Bo Bunny for sharing their ideas and layouts. Get more Bo Bunny craft ideas from their blog.

Welcome Guest Blogger Julia Sandvoss, from Bo Bunny.

Get some great ideas for scrapbook layouts and cards from their new collection Abbey Road. Bo Bunny is the premier designer of paper craft products including paper, stickers, embellishments, die-cuts and more. Their new product lines are the Abbey Road, Alissa, Love Shack, Grease Monkey, U Bug Me, Pet Shop and It’s my Party collections.

We want to share, inspire, share some more and inspire you a little more! We hope you enjoy it and keep creating Gifts of Love!

Abbey Road Collection

It’s finally time to share with you what I think is one of your and definitely one of my favorite new lines. Abbey Road! Not only is Abbey Road an amazing collection of beautiful prints, stripes, flowers and more..but the colors are perfection!

Today we have Emilie Ahern joining us as a Guest and I’m sure you’ll agree…her Abbey Road layouts are perfection! And because Abbey Road is so popular…tune in later for the second part of the post sharing even more layouts and ideas using this amazing line!

Family Bond Layout

Family Bond
Guest Designer: Emilie Ahern
Abbey Road Stripe, Abbey Road Cut Outs, Abbey Road Flowers & Buttons, Sadie icandy Brads

She Layout

She
Guest Designer: Emilie Ahern
Abbey Road Sky, Abbey Road Cut Outs, Sadie icandy Brads, Abbey Road Supersized Alpha Sticker, Abbey Road Combo Sticker

Family Layout

Family
Designer: Dee Gallimore-Perry
BoBunny Abbey Road Truffle, Abbey Road Stripe, Abbey Road Road Vine, Abbey Road Cut Outs, Abbey Road Combo Stickers, Abbey Road Flowers, Chocolate Bodacious Brads, Michelle Rub-ons

Two Of A Kind
Designer: Tamara Jensen
Abbey Road Truffle, Abbey Road Cutouts, Abbey Road Combo Stickers, Abbey Flowers, Sadie icandy Brads, Double Dot Cardstock: Coffee and Sweet Pear

Happiness...is YOU

Happiness Is…You
Designer: Amber Packer
Abbey Road (b-side), Abbey Road Dot, Abbey Road Stripe, Abbey Road Cut Outs, Abbey Road Combo Sticker, Abbey Road Super Sized Alpha, Double Dot Chiffon cardstock

Click here, to view more of Bo Bunny products available at CreateForLess.com

Returning Guest Blogger, Gillian, from the blog “Dried Figs & Wooden Spools”.

This weekend our town, in a fit of adorableness, will be holding it’s annual Mother-Son Prom in honor of Mother’s Day. Lest you fathers out there feel this is unfair, rest assured that we also have a Father-Daughter Dance every fall so everybody gets their turn. So this week I’ve been dusting off the one dressy dress I own (a full skirted little black and white polka dotted number right out of a fifties sitcom), ironing the three piece linen suit that was my husband’s when he was seven (no joke, it’s vintage seventies and my son looks ready to leap into Saturday Night Fever in it) and because I really want one and I can’t count on the boys in my family to think to get one, I’ve been making a wrist corsage.

Fabric Wrist Corsage

I’ve got a thing about wrist corsages. They are elegant and romantic and I love them the best of all the wearable flowers. But this project could be made into a pin for your dress, fastened to your waist, or worn in your hair. And it takes all of about twenty minutes to make.

Start with some sturdy but not stiff fabric (you could use paper as well but you would want to be careful with the folds so that it doesn’t end up totally flat, I choose corduroy because I happened to have it in red) and cut two large circles and four smaller ones out with pinking shears. I used the top and bottom of a short drinking glass to make my circles. You want the smaller ones to be about three quarters of the circumference of the bigger ones. If you don’t have pinking shears thats fine, they do add a nice texture but this could also be achieved by scalloping the edges of the circles.

Once your circles are cut, lay the two big ones on top of one another and then fold the four smaller ones in half, layering them over one another until you form a circle with these half circles. Center this on the bigger circle and put in a couple of stitches at the corners to hold everything in place. Now, with a contrasting (or not) color fabric, cover a button or a penny or something round and stitching this to the center. You could also use a pretty round pin if you have one laying around. Fluff the edges of the flower until you have the look you want and your done!

If you want a wrist corsage, stitch a coordinating ribbon to the center of the back, otherwise throw on a hair clip or pin. These would look great bunched up together and fastened to a purse, a belt or even on top of a gift. I also added two loops of green ribbon to the back for “leaves” but you could also use the leaves from a silk flower for more punch.

Although I didn’t do this project with kids, it would be an easy one for them to help out with so pay attention dads; this project might just save your bacon if you have forgotten to buy the all important Mother’s Day gift. And if your town happens to have a Mother-Son Prom and your son will condescend to wearing a boutonniere, you could make a smaller version of this flower for that as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the one I made him will find itself pinned to his little white coat come tomorrow night.

Did you make something for your mom for Mother’s Day? What craft can you not wait to give your mom this year?

To read more of Gillian’s posts, Click here.

Congratulations to Sheri B. from Platteville, WI who was randomly chosen as the winner of our Recycled Craft Ideas Drawing! They will receive a $100 CreateForLess shopping spree. Her recycled craft tip was… 

“My grandmother never wasted anything. If it had an original life it could also have a second, or even a third revival before it ‘bit the dust’ … as grandma would say. Grandma Jo taught me how make curtains, pillowcases, dishtowels, etc. out of feedsacks … which were pretty and all-cotton. She also made rugs out of cotton dresses, old sheets, old curtains … you name it and it could be reused. I purchase sheets from thrift shops and turn them into pretty “green” rugs. I never have to “sell” them … they seem to sell themselves and I feel good making something individually unique, beautiful, and very sturdy from unwanted material. Thanks Grandma for giving me truly “green” skills even before green was popular”.

Here’s some more of our favorite recycled craft idea submitted by customers.  Thanks to everyone who entered! 

“This is one of many beautiful cards I make using vintage papers from cards from the past. My customers also frame these too. This one would be so cute framed for a child’s nursery. I used modern blank cardstock to that I glued on beautiful new flowery paper of today and on top of that I glued down the vintage paper and I used stickers of flowers as well. I finished off with a pretty pink ribbon with flowers on it. It comes with a blank white envelope for gifting”.

Glenna N.
Manchester, NH

“Using an old cigar box or shoe box you can create a keep sake box through the art of decoupage. I always have tons of magazines or catalogs. So, I cut out images to paste onto the box. I also use everyday items around the house. I started a collection of recycled items to use on upcoming art projects like keep sake boxes: bottle caps, old film strips, playing cards, buttons, shells, etc. After gluing all the items onto the box you can follow up with a coat or two of Mod Podge or for an even sleeker look try a lacquer. I found that decoupage doesn’t stop at boxes, but you can also decoupage notebooks, old serving trays and even used furniture for a new look”.

J. N.
Columbus, OH

“I made a mobile for my 3-year old son’s room using an old CD, photo paper, toilet paper tube, felt, newspaper, glow in the dark stickers, paper clip, streamers, and string that we had lying around the house. I used Photoshop to create an image of the earth, moon, the Laurie Berkner band playing their instruments with space helmets on, and my son playing a Rock Band guitar and space helmet on the old photo paper. I fashioned a rocket ship, modeled after the one on the Rocket ship Run CD, out of felt scraps leftover from Christmas stocking project and stuffed it with the toilet paper tube and newspaper. I added flames made out of streamers I got from a local recycling group’s “mystery box”. Then I drilled holes into the CD, covered it an image of the earth, and hung all of the pieces from it using cotton string that my mother was planning to throw out when she moved. I hung it under his ceiling fan using on old paper clip. The “band” dances around when the fan is on and it glows in the dark. The best part is that even though I didn’t buy anything to make this, it doesn’t look like it was made from recycled parts”.

Christine P.
Webster, NY

Returning Guest Blogger, Gillian, from the blog “Dried Figs & Wooden Spools”.

Since my husband is a good Texas boy, we’ll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year even though it’s supposed to be pouring down rain and falls on a Tuesday. And because I’m sure part of that celebrating will come in the form of the outrageously good spicy queso that our local Mexican Restaurant makes and that we bring home on a regular basis, I thought I’d embark on a rainy weekend project with my son and make a Cinco de Mayo Chip bowl.

“What’s Cinco de Mayo?” He asked while I was gathering the Mod Podge, paint brushes and paper.

“Well, You’ve been taking Spanish, what is Cinco de Mayo?” Teachable moments, gotta love them.

“Cinco is five. But I don’t know what Mayo is.” He says, thinking aloud.

“Mayo is May” I tell him.

“Oh, you mean Mayo, your saying it wrong mom.” He’s probably right, given that he has, at 6, taken more Spanish than I have and has an uncanny knack for mimicking just the right accent.

I started to explain Cinco de Mayo to him, the bits of history that I remembered, the cultural tidbits I thought he would be interested in, but all he wanted to do was get his hands sticky with glue so away we went. There’s something about getting all gooey and sticky that just brings out the best in little boys, and this was no exception.

Using a recycled balloon, well past its prime, but still big enough for a bowl and strips of white paper that we cut and ripped we dipped (well, he dipped, I spread) the paper strips in the glue and then smoothed them onto the balloon in criss-crossing patterns, ripping pieces in half when we needed to fill in the smaller parts and dousing the whole thing in an extra generous layer of Mod Podge that Briton smoothed out till his hands were as goopy as humanly possible.

After a quick hand wash we let the first layers dry and set about cutting triangles out of green construction paper and then folded them like snowflakes so we could snip away diamonds and triangles and circles the way Briton reported they had done with tissue paper flags last week in art class. Our triangles ready, we pasted the decorations around the edges of the “bowl”, smoothing as we went.

In the morning I popped the balloon and peeled it away from the shell of a bowl we had created. Briton cut the edge in a scalloped pattern and we gave it a test run at lunch, which his little sister much appreciated as she hammed it up for the camera.

The whole project turned out to be an easy, fun and just the right time span for six year old concentration kind of activity. A good chance to pass on some cultural history and get nice and gooey in the process. And with its watermelon like appearance, we might just keep it around for summer dinners on the patio.

To read more of Gillian’s posts, Click here.

National Scrapbooking Day is May 2, but we’re celebrating all month long at CreateForLess!  Join the celebration by entering our scrapbook layout contest.  From family and vacation pages to holidays and celebrations, send us any scrapbook theme you like.  Simply pick your favorite page, enter below and you could win one of these amazing prizes…

* 1st Place: $150 CreateForLess Shopping Spree

* 2nd Place: $100 CreateForLess Shopping Spree

* 3rd Place: $50 CreateForLess Shopping Spree

To enter to win, fill out the entry form here, attach a scanned image of your scrapbook page and include a brief description of your layout and what supplies you used in the Description box. 

Scrapbook layout idea by BoBunny

Limited to three entries per person.  Entries must be a scrapbook page of your own design.  Contest deadline is June 1, 2009.  The winners will be announced in an upcoming eNewsletter, contacted individually via email and posted on our web site.  After the contest ends, some of our favorite layouts submitted will be showcased on CreateForLess.com.  Submission of an entry into this contest grants CreateForLess permission to use the submitted content for promotional purposes.