Good Morning, Kathy here :)  I absolutely ADORE color.  It makes me happy. From pink and green, to orange, yellow and blue, I love all shades and tones.  If it’s fun and vibrant that you’re after, look no further than the cheery colors and light-hearted style of the Giggle Box Collection.

When I started working with Giggle Box again recently for my Hybrid Recipe Box, I just knew that I would feature it as my Product Spotlight pick.  There is something about the fabulous colors and the whimsical nature of the elements and papers that always puts a smile on my face. 

As part of the PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT…the GIGGLE BOX coordinated kit is on SALE for only $5.21 for one week only!  Take a peek at what some of our amazingly talented Shabby Artists have created with this FAB kit.

As I mentioned in my last post, GIGGLE BOX was the first new release from SP after I became a Shabby Artist last year, and this was my first LO.  It was during a difficult time when our newborn son, Lawson (yes, both Beckie and I have sons named Lawson, lol) was sick in the hospital.  This LO documents our time with him there and our JOY to bring him home.

The bold colors of GIGGLE BOX matched perfectly with the colors that I chose for Lawson’s baby quilt.  These are some of my favorite pictures of him with his quilt, perfectly showcasing those super kissable “schmooshie lips”.

Another amazing LO of SP’s little man.  His smile is contagious, and apparently, he is quite the HAMster, making everyone smile and laugh.

 Beckie’s LO of her kiddos sharing a rare sweet moment together, highlights the versatility of this collection.

Andrea’s beautiful LO of her precious little boys.

Katie’s GIGGLE BOX layout, just LOOK at the smile on that sweet face!!!

Some more inspiration from the Shoppe Gallery.

If this is your first look at GIGGLE BOX, please go take advantage of the savings this week while it is featured in our PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT.  I hope we have inspired y’all to use this FABULOUS kit, please post your LO’s and projects in the Shoppe Gallery.  Until next time, have fun scrapping!

KathyProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 6 Comments

It’s Kathy…I’m back to bring you another SUPER cute hybrid project.  I had SO MUCH FUN creating this recipe box for a wedding shower that my girls and I attended last weekend.  Purple and yellow are the bride’s favorite colors, so I used them as accent colors along with the totally fun and cheery papers from the Giggle Box Collection.  This kit is EXTRA close to my heart…it is the first kit that I worked with after joining the SP team last summer. That LO was done a few days after my son Lawson (who spent his first week sick in the hospital) was born.  The bright, happy colors and whimsical style of this collection was so comforting to me and lifted my spirits during a difficult time…needless to say, I LOVE IT!

It was equally as fun to use Giggle Box to make a special family keepsake recipe box for a special couple just starting out.  I have to tell you that I spent a considerable amount of time actually embellishing the box, from crocheting the flower accent, to cutting, painting and stitching the canvas leaves, and making the some homemade “glimmer mist” to spritz the crumpled flowers…you get the idea!  However, I really believe that the details totally MAKE these Hybrid/Altered projects.  There really isn’t anything complicated at all about altering the recipe box itself, or in making the embellishments either, for that matter.  It simply requires some thought and an afternoon to let your creativity flow (or a couple of nap times, in my case)!

I started with an inexpensive recipe box that I got at a large chain craft store in the “bargain aisle”.  I scuffed up all of the exterior surfaces and distressed all of the inside edges that wouldn’t get covered with medium grit sand paper.  I was lucky enough that the areas inside that I didn’t cover with the Giggle Box papers, coordinated well enough that it didn’t matter.  Next I printed out the Giggle Box papers on my printer at full scale, (it just cut off the area outside my 8.5×11 page) and cut them to size.  I glued them down with a glue stick (as mentioned in this post) schmeering the glue on the BOX, not the  paper. I lined the top of the box with paper and on the bottom, I used a piece of brown Core’dinations cardstock that I distressed (I *heart* Core’dinations SO MUCH).

After all the paper was glued down, I applied two thin coats of Mod Podge to every outside surface.  After the Mod Podge had dried thoroughly, I gave every edge a good sanding to distress the edges, and prime them for a good coat of Tim Holtz Distress Ink. I let the distress ink dry well and then carried on embellishing the box, my absolute favorite part of all!  This is where my creativity soars, and the whole project just comes together.  The great part is, the sky is the limit, and everyone’s interpretations are different, be unique and be true to your own style.  Tip: feel free to use other’s art as inspiration, but don’t forget to celebrate your own tastes and expression in each project you create.

Last fall, I began organizing my own family recipes and “scrapping them” into very simple recipe cards I created.  I purposefully kept it simple using the classic Damask and Dots Collection paper.  I printed them at Costco as 4×6 prints, and used a 4×6 flexible magnetic frame as a way to keep the cards clean and easily visible (on the fridge) while I am cooking.  I was so proud of myself for thinking of it because it has been so useful…don’t you love it when you have a good idea…LOL!

So, I added a set of my own family recipes among the coordinating tabbed recipe dividers and a flexible magnetic frame to finish it all off. 

And, because I’m nice and I like y’all so much, I’m sharing my APPLE MUFFINS RECIPE CARD with you as a free download!  Hope you enjoy!

KathyFree (not desktops), Hybrid Projects, Uncategorized 19 Comments

It’s Kathy here…Happy Anniversary!  Wait, that’s what I was supposed to tell my husband this morning.  Yes, we are celebrating our 5^th anniversary today which makes today a really fun day for me, for more than one reason!  Today is also my first blog post on the new Shabby Princess blog, and I am so excited!

I am also coming up to my 1 year anniversary on the Shabby Princess team as well, and has it ever been a fun year.  How can you not be inspired creatively when you are using her awesome kits and other fun products?  I have been digi scrapping for about 2 ½ years now, and one of my absolute favorite things to do is a cool hybrid project. 

Hybrid projects are so much fun, but can be intimidating if you are just starting out.  The most important thing to remember is that you will be your own worst critic.  With a little planning and some creativity, you’ll be on your way to creating a unique and amazing hybrid project.

For today’s feature project, I made a hair bow holder for a friend’s little girl.  I had made one for my own daughter and thought is was the perfect 1^st birthday gift.  I used a ceramic bisque plaque as the base, but you could use a piece of wood or MDF, cut to size, just as easily.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ceramic or wood plaque, with 2 holes drilled in the top for hanging (mine measured 9×6)
• Acrylic paint
• Foam paint brush
• Glue stick
• Mod Podge
• Double-sided matte photo paper
• Printer
• Digital Kit of choice (I used SP’s fabulous Blossom collection)
• Ribbon
• Strong Adhesive (like E-6000)

First you will need to carefully measure the area  that you will want to cover with your digi “layout”.  Create a digi layout in your photo editing software and prepare it to print.  You will want to use the highest quality print settings and select  the appropriate media on which you will be printing  (it makes a HUGE difference in print quality to correctly choose the right settings for your printer).  Let your page dry and “set” for a few minutes while you prep the rest of your supplies.

Paint the plaque with acrylic paint and set aside to dry.  There are several different ways to adhere the layout to the plaque (or any other surface for that matter) in preparation to Mod Podge.  Many people like to use Mod Podge to adhere the paper as well as to seal it.  I prefer to use a good quality, high tack glue stick.  I find that the paper doesn’t curl as much and allows for some “wiggle room” before it is completely set.  It also is less likely to get all over your hands and wreck your project (I don’t know anything about that…just sayin’).

When the glue has dried and your layout is secured onto the plaque, seal it with a thin coat of Mod Podge with a foam brush.  (There are lots of great resources and tutorials for using Mod Podge on the internet – like this one)  When the Mod Podge has dried, attach 2 ribbons for the hairbows ( I used 20-inch pieces) with E-6000 and tie one through the holes to hang.  Voila…you’re done!  You could also embellish with additional  flowers, buttons, rhinestones, rub-ons, etc…but I chose not to since it was going to be given to a 1 year old.

I hope this F-U-N project has inspired you…it is easy, pretty quick, and really CUTE!  Now go make one…but check back often for more hybrid projects.

KathyHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 16 Comments