Hi everyone ~ Kylie here! :o)  Happy Friday to you all!  Hope you’ve been enjoying all our happy holiday hybrid projects this week!  Lots of ideas to make your holiday season a little more magical…and just incase you missed a post or two, here is a recap:

Jenelle inspired us with some amazing “subway art” and the cutest little gift canisters.

Kim shared the awesome advent calendar she created for her children - we LOVE it!  But, her kids are LOVING it even more!!

Casharina showed us how to create our very own candy bar wrappers, complete with adorable gift boxes.

And today, my little contribution is some decorative picture boxes. (The first of TWO blog posts we are sharing with you today!!)

I made three unique & fun picture boxes to show you…because, firstly, I can never stick with just the one style, and secondly, I simply wanted to keep playing and playing with some of the beautiful Shabby Shoppe holiday-themed kits.  (Lucky I stopped when I did otherwise this post would never have hit the blog in time!! LOL!)  The 3-D look of a picture box is what I love the most.  I guess it’s like bringing a scrapbook page to life by adding some all-important depth with a little shadowing here and there…this is the ‘hybrid’ version.

The options are endless.  You can be as creative as you want – you can keep the box simple, or you can dress it up…and then some!  You can just make one special box to hang on your wall or sit atop your mantelpiece to keep all your xmas stockings company.  You could make a set…or even make one for every room of the house!! ;o)  They make lovely homemade gifts too…something that you can personalise for each recipient!  And don’t forget, these picture boxes are not just for the holidays…they are for anytime, any celebration, any theme!  Imagine a cute little set for a baby’s nursery…precious!  Why not have a favourite scrapbook page printed and add a few small co-ordinating mementos to the box.  Again, the possibilities are endless…so have FUN! :o)

To start things off you’ll need to purchase a framed picture box (also called a shadow box).  You can find them in most big department stores, photographic shops that sell picture/photo frames, craft stores, various online stores – just search, or you can even have them specially made (if you want a particular size and frame type).  I bought my 23x23cm/9x9in (photo space size) from Ikea for $14.95 each…from their Ribba collection. (I haven’t provided a direct link as Ikea in different locations, not to mention countries, may stock different products…you may need to do a google search and a little research if you are looking for the exact same ones) 

Next, have a browse through your Shabby Shoppe products and work out a design for your festive creation.

You will also need:

• paper to print on -> I used semi-gloss photo paper (A4 in size) for almost everything
• adhesive -> I used some mod podge, clear craft glue, double-sided tape, 3-D dots and glue dots – depending on what I was adhering.
• scissors, craft knife
• any other decorations and/or bling you want! -> I used ribbons, sequins, christmas ornaments, acrylic paint, sparkle mod podge and some wooden florishes from HERE.

I am still in love with the SUGARPLUM CUPS & MUGS hybrid set that was released around this time last year.  They are available from the hybrid shoppe and are perfect for gifting treats, gift cards and anything else you can think of!  I really wanted to make use of them again this year…but in a different way.  So, I chose one of the five adorable printable cups and opened the file in photoshop.  I added some “Be Merry” text, printed it out on my trusty home printer and followed the simple directions to make it.  To fit the picture box I did have to cut the already-made paper cup down the middle of the ‘side’ section, trim about a centimetre off each and then fit it back together with some double-sided tape.  A quick and easy adjustment.

For the rest of the picture box, I then printed out the pink notepaper, a sweet little peppermint element and “2,0,1,1″ numbers from the Sugarplum Dreams kit on a sheet of photo paper.  Trimmed each component with scissors.  You could ink the edges if you want, I didn’t worry about it this time and left the edges clean.  Then it’s just a matter of positioning the cup on the background paper and adding the ribbon and peppermint – all with either double-sided tape or glue dots.

For the ‘year’ I added 3-D dots to the back of each number and then adhered the bottom of each to a strip of paper with double-sided tape.  This helps the numbers stand up as one piece.

To finish up, I popped the ‘year’ into the box and secured it with a little tape.  I then added the photo matte (provided with the frame), then the teacup piece…and closed the picture box up.  First box complete! :o)

For my Santa Sleigh picture box I had lots of fun with the adorable BELIEVE kit graphics!

After measuring the ‘inside photo matte’ dimensions, I opened a photoshop work area and typed a little of the Jingle Bells chorus.  I also added one of the Believe digi-stamps; to which I added a green colour-overlay and played with some digi-watercolouring (on a new layer) to fill in the holly leaves and berries.  I added my newly edited digi-stamp to the top and bottom of the page.  To another A4 size work area I added my favourite believe graphics and re-sized them using the full-frame dimensions as an approximate guide.  I then printed both pages and trimmed everything as required.  To the presents I added sequins to the front and 3D dots to the back to help them stand on their own.  To the tree I added a little length of craft wood in an upside-down ‘T’ so that it would stand unassisted at the bottom of the picture box.

For the wooden sleigh flourish – I painted it red and silver, a quick coat of mod podge to seal and then some bling (sequins) with a tiny squirt of craft glue.  Just make sure that you allow enough drying time between coats of paint, the mod podge and glueing the sequins.

I positioned all the pieces in the box, added the matte, then the Jingle Bells print-out (securing it with a little scotch tape so it didn’t move), and finally closed up the box ever-so carefully.  Oh and a little tied bow to the front of the box.  Second box complete!! :o)

This was my attempt at a more elegant and traditional picture box.  And what better kit to use than ‘TWAS THE NIGHT!!

I used the same dimensions as the above ‘jingle bells’ work area and added the cream paper from the ‘Twas the Night kit as my background.  Added text ~ a couple of lines from my favourite Christmas carol.  I then filled another A4 size work area with wide strips of the ornate blue, gold and cream papers.  Printing both is the next step.  For the ‘O Holy Night’ background I used photo paper, but for the other “paper strips” I used standard office/photocopy paper (the thinner paper makes it easier to trim and decoupage the wooden angel.)

To decorate the wooden angel flourish I cut a rectangular shape about the same size as the area I needed to fill.  I then attached it to the wood with mod podge, let it dry and trimmed the excess and inbetween the ‘flourishes’ with a craft knife and even a sewing needle for the small spaces.  I added a little gold paint to the halo and sealed the whole piece with a coat of mod podge.  I then took out my Sparkle mod podge and added several coats (allowing for drying time between coats also).  And if that wasn’t enough glitter I also sprinkled some onto the wings…oh and three gold sequins to the sleeve.

To attach the angel to the background paper I used 3-D dots (two on top of eachother placed in various spots around the back of the angel) to add as much depth as I could.

The final decorative touch was adding some hanging baubles using gold wired-ribbon and some fine gold thread.  Put the matte in place, the angel piece (secured with a little scotch tape) and then closed the box up.  Third and final box complete! :o)

Ok, so I didn’t quite stop there!!! LOL!  You may have noticed that I arranged the picture boxes with some of my holiday decorations – ornaments, little xmas tree, and even some framed photographs…to build up a festive scene.  With the ‘Twas the night’ box I decided to make some handmade ornaments.  I used the leftover paper I printed for the angel and cut it into lots of small paper strips – about 2x1cm (about 1×0.5in).  And then with mod podge I glued all the little pieces (overlapping them) onto small styrofoam/polystyrene balls (available from most craft stores).  To seal and add sparkle I added coat after coat of sparkle mod podge!  Lets just say it took a while, if you add up all the drying time, but soooo worth the effort.  I pinned a little half-cap craft ‘bead’ and a piece of ribbon to the top of each ball.  And to the two-tone ball a border of pinned gold sequins.  I used special beading pins – they are much shorter than standard pins.  Hey presto!!!..my very own ornaments using ‘Twas the Night papers!!

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 THANKS for joining me today…hope you enjoyed reading about my little “Happy Holiday” picture boxes as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you!  But don’t go anywhere yet…Rosy has a fantabulous scrapbooking inspiration post that is soooo perfect for the holidays!  So read on my dear friends…

KylieHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 8 Comments

Hello Shabby Shoppe readers!  This is Rosy dropping in for a little inspiration post!

With the holidays here, I’ve been thinking about all of the fun family traditions and more specifically the food traditions!  Chocolate covered pretzels, party mix and lots of cookies are some of the things that go along with this season in our house, but food traditions are not only at Christmas time.

Every family is different in the foods they like and eat over and over again.

Does your family bake a special kind of Christmas cookie?  Do you have sour kraut on New Year’s Eve?  Do you eat pizza every Saturday?  Do you have a special recipe that’s been passed down through your family?  Those are the kinds of things that I want to document in my scrapbook pages!  My family’s habits may change in the coming years and I want to be able to look back and remember how we did things today.

Here are a few scrappable food traditions that I thought of to spark your ideas for what YOUR family’s special little traditions might be.

• a special food combo (like pickles with pizza :)
• a special family recipe
• favorite holiday treats
• your special holiday meal
• a favorite restaurant
• your child’s favorite meal
• a common weekly menu

With these things going through my mind I created a page to document my family’s Sunday afternoon popcorn tradition.

…and a more seasonal page about our favorite Christmas cookie.

Thanks for stopping by…and we’ll see you back here on Monday with Layout of the Week!  Have a wonderful weekend! :)

RosyInspiration, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Hello everyone!  It’s Jenelle here today with the first of two hybrid projects we have for you all to try out – it’s very simple, very economical and a pretty way to present home-made or store-bought gifts this Christmas.

 I’m one of those people that can’t bear to throw away empty canisters, containers and boxes.  I have a stockpile of them mounting up in my house and I promise myself that one day I’ll decorate them all and use them in some way or another.  They usually end up as toy storage or I put craft supplies in them.  Boring!  No, not anymore…  Today I am going to jazz up some of these containers to hold some choc chip cookies - a sweet little Christmas gift for family and friends.

  Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make some yourself:-

• Empty canisters/containers and matching lids (I’ve used Pringles canisters and a small peanut tin – you could also use empty coffee tins, oatmeal containers, formula tins, Crystal Light containers etc…)
• Printed Scrapbook Paper
• Printed Labels
• Glue
• Scissors (also some decorative scissors or punches if you’d like a scalloped edge on your labels)
• Ribbon
• Treats to fill up the decorated containers

 Directions:-

• Rinse and wash the inside of your containers and dry completely (be sure not to throw away the lid).
•  Print out some co-ordinating papers from your favourite Shabby Shoppe kit.  I’ve used papers and elements from both the Sugarplum Dreams kit and Sugarplum Additions kit.  I printed them on A4 plain white printer paper and then trimmed the white edges. 
•  Make and print your labels.  I used labels from the Sugarplum Additions kit and added them to a new Photoshop document.  I used a text layer to type my message onto the labels, using Wendy Medium font, white, set at 30 pt.  I then added some snowflake stamps from the Seasonal Sampler ~ Winter FREE kit.  I dropped and dragged the snowflakes onto the labels, reduced them in size and changed the colour overlay (in the layer style icon) to white.  Then I printed the labels out on my home printer and cut them out.   

•  Measure and cut the pieces of your scrapbook paper to fit around the canister (I allowed for a slight overlap/seam, which was at the back of my canister).  I cut out 2 larger strips of co-ordinating patterned paper and then a thinner strip of solid paper to wrap around the centre.  Make sure all seams of paper line up.
•  Glue the paper to the canister, applying the middle strip of paper last.  I was originally going to seal the papers and then use a mixture of glue, kind of like a decoupage paste, to glue the paper on.  In the end, I actually found the trusty old glue stick to work just fine!  So you do what works for you!  Mod Podge would also be suitable.
•  Glue your label onto the canister (on the opposite side of the paper seams).  If you’d like to add a scalloped backing, you could do so by using a scalloped craft punch, decorative scissors or printing our Scallops, Shapes and More designs on co-ordinating paper.  Simply glue your plain-edged label on to the decorative one and then apply to your canister.
•   Finally, tie a co-ordinating ribbon around the top of the lid, pop it back on top of the canister and you’re done!

 Add any other decorative elements you like (gift tag, sparkles, glitter etc..) and fill up your container with either home-made or store-bought goodies.  (Cookies, fudge, brownies, wrapped sweets, nuts, chocolates… any other suggestions??  I’d love to hear some … just leave a comment below).  I was even thinking I could use the canisters to hold Christmas decorations (either for my own storage or to give as a gift.  Some decorations can be awkward in shape and size, so if I wrap them in a bit of tissue paper, this canister may hold them nicely!)

 A simple, yet effective way to present gifts this holiday season.  One other little note that I’ll add is ~ please be sure to check that your recipient is not allergic to any of the products that were stored in your original container.  Just in case!

 Well, that’s all from me today.  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading along and will have a go at making these yourself.  They really are very simple and there are so many gorgeous papers you can choose from over in the Shoppe to decorate your containers.  I’d love to see what you come up with, so be sure to post your creations in our Hybrid Gallery.

In the meantime, have a lovely weekend!  Happy Scrapping everyone!

…AND, please do not miss Casharina’s fabulous blog post (also published today) directly below this one…just keep scrolling!

JenelleHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 9 Comments

Howdy Folks, it’s Casharina here and I’m happy to be bringing you a little hybrid project.  As you know from my previous post I don’t do a lot of in-depth hybrid projects.  However, I love it any time I can use my Shabby Shoppe digital papers and elements on crafty projects in addition to those that I use for my digital layouts!  Today I’m going to show you a simple way to wrap up mini candy bars that make a big statement.  (I know it’s been done for a while now, but didn’t know how to do it myself until about 2 years ago and they’re such a hit I use them anytime I can!)  I like to use digital papers from various kits to create wrappers that flow with the theme of the parties I’m throwing.  I also LOVE to add a little image of my kiddos and it makes them feel so special.  I go to a Christmas party every year with seven of my dearest friends from high school, to celebrate and reunite.  This year I thought I’d wrap up some little candy bars (who doesn’t love chocolate right?!) in a cute little gift box, being saved from the garbage!  That’s right, I’m recycling a toilet paper roll…and I have to say, they’re pretty darn cute!  Okay, so let’s get started shall we?

First, let’s gather our materials!  For the candy bar wrappers you will need:-

• Mini candy bars (Hershey is what I normally use, be sure to get the “mini” bars not the nuggets – unless you want to edit the sizes to suit!)
• Digital papers of your choice (For this project I have used the ‘Twas the Night kit and the Sugarplum Dreams kit)
• Photo editing software of your choice.  I use Adobe Photoshop CS5 so some steps might be different.
• Scissors
• Tape
• Before we begin, you might need to taste test those little bars to make sure they’re up to standards! ;)

 Directions:-

• Open up your workspace: I usually use a template size of 1.5×3.25 inches for the wrappers.  This is a little bit wider than the wrapper already on the bars, so it ensures a total coverage.

• Next, simply bring your papers into the workspace and resize them to fit the way you’d like them on the template.  Then, you’ll want to crop the whole thing to the size you are working on, in this instance a 1.5×3.25 rectangle.  To do this grab your rectangle tool and draw a large rectangle over the WHOLE rectangle.  Then go to IMAGE and CROP, this will delete the access paper hanging over the edges of the template.
• You can then add any embellishments you choose to the wrapper, as if you were scrapbooking.  For my Christmas ones I chose to have them pretty simple and just alternated the colors of papers to place on the bars.  I did have a few bars that I added flowers to.  Just make sure to keep the embellishment small enough to fit on the center of the chocolate bar.  I normally make one and check it by printing it, placing it on the bar and then keeping it as a guide.  I just hide it each time so that it’s not included in the final design.

• While keeping open your wrapper design, open a new workspace, either: a full page (8.5×11 inches) or standard photo size (4×6 inches) depending on how you choose to print.

PRINTING TIP 1: When I’m only printing a few of these I like to use my photo tray and print on 4×6 paper (I have TONS of this size and it’s just as easy as printing on the other, but it allows me to save my larger paper.)  You may also choose to print on a large sheet of paper by filling it up with rectangle wrappers and then printing.  The third option would be to size them at a size your photo lab can print; this may be cheaper depending on how many wrappers you intend to create.

• You will then go back to the original design and merge all of the layers together. CTRL+E in photoshop, or layers -> merge.  Then you need to highlight the newly merged layer and right click on it to duplicate the layer.  When the dialog box comes up go to the drop down box and find the newly created workspace (the one where you will add each of the designs for printing). This is usually called Untitled #. (I have JUST recently learned this trick and I love it!)
•  Now go over to the new page (either the 4×6/8.5×11) and you’ll find your layer.  You can then move the layer around until it fits in a good spot.  I like to lay mine out edge to edge to save trimming time (I’m not a fan of cutting, and I can’t cut straight to save my life!).

• To create more designs, go back to the wrapper design workspace and start again.  Continue following each of the steps until you have created all of the designs for your wrappers that you wish.  For this project I have created 4 different designs, using various papers from the ‘Twas the Night kit .  You’ll want to add as many as you can to the printing page to save paper, or as few as you may need.  My printer needs to be told to print as “photo paper” so that it will print to the edge, check your printers manual to figure out if and how it works for you.

PRINTING TIP 2: When I do borderless printing, it is common for me to have to shrink my design just a TINY bit in order to prevent the edges from being cut off.  You may want to try that if you find that your designs are bleeding over the edge!

• Once the designs are finished you will then need to trim them. I personally use a paper cutter, which I LOVE and could not live without!!  Seriously I use is almost EVERYDAY for something!  If you don’t have a paper cutter, scissors will do.
• Take a candy bar, wrap it with a wrapper and tape the back shut.  I am picky and try to pull the wrapper VERY tight before I tape it shut to ensure a proper fit.

Are you loving this idea but simply don’t have the time to design your own?  Well, take a quick trip over to the Shoppe and take a peek at all the super-sweet Confection Collections.  Most include candy bar wrappers in varying sizes – just read through the product description to ensure the size/s meet your candy-wrapping requirements. :o)  If you are looking for holiday-themed wrappers you can’t go past the JOY collection (pictured below)!!  And don’t forget the Shabby Shoppe is having a store-wide SALE through to December 16…so that includes the gorgeous Confection Collections too!  After you make your purchase all you need to do then is personalize your choosen wrappers and print!

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As for the toilet paper roll gift boxes, I have to say I think these are so stinkin’ cute!  (And you can always use kitchen paper towel rolls instead – just cut to size)

For this project I chose to use the ‘Twas the Night kit again and I have made one box for each of my friends who will be at the party!  This is probably one of the easiest, fastest items I’ve ever made!

• Take an empty toilet paper roll.  If you measure it around and it’s width it should be RIGHT at 4×6, “YAY” is what thought when I figured this out because it takes all the cutting out of the project if I make 4×6 prints!
• Open a 4×6 template in your photo program and design away. I used various elements from the kit to create a name tag for each of my friends.
• Then simply print out the design and wrap the toilet paper roll.  You can either staple each end after stuffing it with goodies (I’m thinking, lip gloss, chocolate candies, dress up rings for little girls, earrings for adults, the possibilities are endless!!) or wrap cellophane paper around it leaving a little on each side to tie a bit of curling ribbon to, creating a candy like look.

 That’s it!  You’re finished!!  I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and it puts you in the mood for some Christmas Cheer!!  Kylie and Rosy will be here tomorrow with two more festive posts!

CasharinaHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 6 Comments

Hey all you beginners out there!  It’s Anna here with something I’ve done that has changed my digi-scrappin’ life!

The holidays are an extremely busy time for me.  I bet they are for you, too!  This week I have been working with my daughter to create a book for her husband for Christmas.  While I was helping her, she commented “You are so fast!!!” I started to think about the reasons why I am able to work so quickly, and that gave me the idea to share some knowledge with all you newbies!

If you are still reading you must be in search of a faster way to digi-scrap.  I know that when I first started scrapping, I would spend hours and hours working on a layout.  I am a busy mom with a part time job.  I am constantly on the lookout for a faster way to do what I do every day!  In fact, people in my family laugh because I am always analyzing different driving routes to figure out which is the faster way! LOL!!!  Do you do that?

Anyway, I realized that if I wanted to continue this hobby, I needed to find a way to fit it into my busy schedule. When I first started using keyboard shortcuts, I realized their potential.  Basically, anything you do over and over again in Photoshop can be done faster.  One way is by getting into the habit of using keyboard shortcuts.

I know for many of you this is basic knowledge.  But I didn’t grow up with a computer, so it amazed  me how much faster using a few keystrokes made my layout creation process.  For a time, I would put a post-it-note on my computer with a new shortcut.  I would leave that note up until I had that one mastered before creating a new one and working on it!  I kept doing that until I very rarely used the drop down menus.

By doing this over and over, I became an extremely fast digi-scrapper!  It also made the process of creating a layout a whole lot more fun.  I could focus on my design instead of  “now where is that command in the drop down menu…hmmm…is it under edit?…select?” Anyway, you get the idea!  I want to challenge all you scrappers out there to learn a new keystroke this week and maybe even create one of your own (but that is for a different lesson).

Every version of Photoshop has different keyboard shortcuts.  You will want to learn the ones compatible with your program.  I use CS5, but most are universal or similar.  It was nearly impossible to narrow down the shortcuts I use to just ten keystrokes…but I didn’t want to overwhelm you all!

For a more extensive list, one of my favorite finds is located HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!  Casharina and Jenelle will be here tomorrow with more happy holiday hybrids!

AnnaTips and Tricks, Uncategorized 13 Comments