Hello to my fellow scrappers!  This is Rosy…here to show you a little hybrid project.

I’ve been wanting to do some preschool work with my 3 year old and decided that I would start by making a little number book for him using some of the cute elements from Shabby Princess’ kits.  The book is made using “ziploc” sandwich bags!  (Using bags to make a book is not an original idea with me, but I have no idea where it came from or who to credit!)

The supply list is short:

• printed pages and spine
• sandwich bags
• stapler

Here’s how to make one:

Measure the baggies and use those measurements to make a new document in Photoshop or your preferred program.

My pages were 5.5 x 6.25 inches, which was perfect to print two on 8.5 x 11 paper, but this will vary according to your bag dimensions.  I also made a 3 inch wide piece to cover the “spine” of my book.

After you have your book designed and printed (I used regular cardstock for mine) you’re ready to cut them out and assemble.

Slide the pages into your bags and zip them shut, making sure to get out all of the air.

Now staple all of them together.   A stack of plastic bags is really slippery and hard to keep in place with one hand!  I found that it works best to put a staple through all the bags first, before you put on the spine piece.  Like this..

Now add the spine to cover the edge and zipper part of the baggies and you have a cute little bag book!

In case you are wondering, I put the black dots on the pictures so that we can place items (like M&Ms or buttons) on top of them as we count.

This project was super easy and Isaac loves his counting book!  I already have an idea for making another book!

 The spine paper on my book comes from the Hopscotch kit and the pictures are from Things That Go, Bounce, Sandbox Summer Additions, Penelope, and Blossom.  If you’re looking for other preschool products be sure to check out SP’s adorable Fun Flash Cards in the Shoppe!

I hope this project has been an inspiration for you.

Kylie will be back on Monday with the Layout of the Week announcement!

RosyHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 7 Comments

Hi everyone…Kylie here!! :o)  Hands up if you LOVE cupcakes!! ;o)  Me. me. me – I do!! LOL!!  So, last week, Rosy shared a wonderfully delicious cupcake recipe…mmmm yummm! – orange cupcakes!!  Have you tried them yet? - trust me, you’ll love them!  Today, I’m continuing with the cupcake theme and sharing how I made this gorgeous (& party perfect, I might add!) hybrid CUPCAKE STAND project!!

 To start with I purchased a do-it-yourself-style Cupcake Stand from HERE - I love their ‘beyond the page’ products!  I then set about assembling and painting the stand.

Using a wide foam brush, I painted each individual piece with a white ‘undercoat’ and let them dry.  I then assembled the pieces and continued to apply the rest of my coats of paint – three coats of acrylic in my chosen colour (antique white), one coat of matte varnish & one coat of sparkle mod podge…a girl needs a little sparkle from time to time!! ;o)  Each coat didn’t take too long to dry and all up it took a bit over a day to finish the painting.  Just read the instructions on your paint and sealers to determine how long between coats etc.

Now for the FUN bit!! …the DECORATIONS!! :o)

Using the an affair to remember digital kit as my starting point I chose three different papers to decorate each of the scalloped cupcake tiers.  I then measured the perimeter of each tier.  You will find using a flexible sewing measuring tape the best thing for this as you can work your way easily around each scallop.  I then did a few calculations on how many 5cm-wide (2 inch-wide) strips I needed to wrap around each tier.  With this major mathematical feat achieved (LOL!!), in photoshop, I created long rectangular strips (side-by-side) at the required size, clipped my papers and printed each page.  I used a thick (120gsm) textured paper with a slight lustre…not quite cardstock but a thicker gsm than your regular printing paper.  That was just my preference…feel free to go with what you like to use!

While I was in photoshop I also worked out what other bits and pieces I wanted to print out…these goodies came from:

The PERFECT PARTY PACK is the best!  I love, love, love it! …and it perfectly coordinates with my an affair to remember cupcake-party-for-two theme!  I printed out a couple of party hats and an invitation – just for fun!  But the pieces I had to have to really make my cupcake stand a winner were the gorgeous little cupcake wrappers and circle candy covers to use as cupcake toppers.  I put together the wrappers, made my little toppers using a large tooth pick and two circle candy covers each, decorated my party hats with flowers & ribbons and customised my mock invitation!

Along with my printed Shabby Shoppe products I also used a few pink ribbons I already had in my stash and some pretty fabric flowers from HERE.  I then dug out my double-sided tape, glue dots, scissors, punches, scorer etc etc…to support my cupcake stand mission!  I used a fancy edging punch to pretty up my paper trims and then attached them around the stand with double-sided tape.  If you are looking for a more permanent decoration then I would probably go with a good craft glue and not the double-sided tape.  I then added my ribbons, flowers and some smaller candy covers discs from the Perfect Party Pack to finish off with a flourish.

…and voila, my cupcake stand was complete!!  Well almost…can’t forget about the all-important cupcakes!!  Mmmm! …strawberry, lemon, cookies & cream, and mini chocolate ones! :o)

Hope you enjoyed my cupcake celebration post today!  I certainly enjoyed making it for you…and for me, too!!  A special little gift I made myself for a very special day! ;o)

THANKS for dropping by today…enjoy your weekend…and see you back here on Monday for another Layout of the Week instalment.  Bye for now, my dear sweet friends! XO

KylieHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Hi all…Kylie here!! :o)  It has been quite awhile since I’ve posted a hybrid project…was it around Christmas time? – hmmm, where does the time go!  So…I thought it would be wise to ease back into it, lol!  (Wait until you see what I’ve got in store for next month…it’s a biggin’!!)  Today, on the other hand, is a simple little project that you can whip up in a jiffy and it is the perfect project for those of you in BACK TO SCHOOL mode!  So…what are we making today? – Lunch Box Notecards :o) …cool, huh?!

I think it is a super-cute idea to pop one of these sweet notecards into your child’s lunch box (or lunch bag!)…little notes of love, encouragement and cheery smiles!  A lil’ something to brighten their day…from someone they love.

To make your own cards:

• Create a standard paper size (8.5×11 letter or A4…whatever you normally use) work area in your photo editing software eg. PS/PSE etc
• Decide the size of each card and how many you wish to design.  I went with our Shoppe Piece-A-Cake Badge Album & Fun Flash Cards size of 3.28×2.45 inches and created eight (8) unique designs.  If you are planning to make a bulk amount you may like to consider designing them at a standard business card size and have them printed/trimmed at a photo lab…a little research goes a long way to saving time and money…and printer ink!!!
• use your shape tool to create your card base…tip: use the Fixed Size options on the shape tool bar

• next is all about building your design…clipping your papers, adding your elements and some text

For my cards (soon to be yours, once you download them!!) I used Hopscotch and it’s school additions along with a few little elements from a couple of other Shabby Princess kits.  It’s all about raiding your scrapbooking supply stash…there are so many cute things you can use…and not just standard kit elements, like a flower or two.  Why not search out the little word art sentiments or word stamps - Heartfelt, Gracie, Clementine, Barefoot and Giggle box are my faves.  Don’t forget to look in the miscellaneous and embellishments sections of the Shoppe…lots of goodies to found there – like the calendar doodles…perfect for a small notecards where it’s probably best to keep it simple and fuss free!

Time for your freebie!! :o)  You can click the image below to download the printable 8.5×11 jpeg…OR…simply click HERE!

I hope you enjoy these notecards (and find them useful)!  Thanks for checking in with us today and have a wonderful weekend!!  Monday is LOTW…see u then! xo 

KylieFree (not desktops), Hybrid Projects, Uncategorized 11 Comments

Happy Friday everyone!  This is Kim here today to share with you a little hybrid project I’ve been working on with my children.  You see, my oldest son is heading to Kindergarten when school starts again, and his preschool teachers have done such a great job of getting him excited about it.  He loves school and anything involving learning and I am definitely one to encourage a love of learning.  So when he saw that a friend of his had a “school” calendar at home, he decided he needed one for his own room.  He actually created his own calendar with construction paper and markers – it was too cute!  But… it wasn’t quite as functional as he had hoped!  It was then and there that I promised him we would make one together this summer.  Which brings us to this hybrid project post today!  Here is our creation.

I wanted to keep this project as simple as possible, as I knew I would have some not-so-patient helpers!  And the first thing I needed was a blank calendar grid that could be used to build each month.  Instead of trying to create one from scratch, I used a page from an SP two-page calendar.  (Note that the two-page calendars have a top and bottom page, but I used only the bottom for this project.)  I made only a few modifications to it.  One was to add a place for the day’s weather (because this was a big deal to my son).  I also tweaked the design to make it into a 14″ x 11″ size.  I wanted to do this so my calendar would be just a little bit bigger and print out as a standard size photo.  Since I was going to frame this calendar, I wanted a standard size so I could find a frame.  I printed the calendar at a photo lab, and it was ready for my project.  And wasn’t this SP design perfect for my project?

The next thing I needed to do was create the squares that would be put on the calendar each month for the numbers, special dates, and weather.  I wanted to be able to print these at a photo lab too, so I made 6″ x 4″ files to print.  I realize that if you were going to print these at home, this wouldn’t be necessary.  But here is what I did.  To be sure the squares I designed were the right size, I opened up the calendar base and drew a square shape in one of the calendar squares.

Then I copied this square into my 6″ x 4″ file that I would later print.  This made sure the size of my squares would be right.

I repeated the same process to make the month names.  I was able to fit 4 months on a 7″ x 5″ image.  So what I sent to the lab to print were 6″ x 4″ files with the number squares and 7″ x 5″ files with the month names.

Not only did I create numbers, but I made a list of all the special dates I wanted to have a special square for (birthdays, holidays, the list would be different for each family).  I also made the weather squares that my son requested and I left a few squares blank in case I wanted to write in something that came up later.  SP has a lot of great elements in her kits that helped me design these squares, and I will give all the credits when I post this project to the gallery.  Here is a sampling of my squares.

Once I had designed and printed the calendar, squares, and names, the rest was pretty easy to put together.  This was the part the kids enjoyed the most too!

The supplies I used were:

• My printed 14″ x 11″ blank calendar
• A frame for the calendar (with glass)
• My printed calendar squares and month names
• Paper cutter (or scissors)
• Laminating machine and laminating pages (if you don’t have a machine available, they do make self-sealing laminating pages)
• Velcro circles (mine came with adhesive on the back).  You will need enough for all of the month names and squares you are making, so count them up before you go to purchase the velcro.

This is how to put the calendar together:

• Frame the blank calendar.
• Cut out all the squares and month names and laminate them.  A tip if you haven’t done much laminating: It’s best to cut out each piece, then laminate them separately, then cut them out again.  If you laminate the whole sheet of squares together, then cut them out, you don’t leave a rim of the laminating sheet around each piece to hold it together firmly.
• Attach one side of the velcro to the blank calendar in the places you will want to attach month names and squares.  I debated on whether I would leave the glass in the frame or not at this point.  I decided to leave the glass in and adhere the velcro directly to the glass.  I was afraid that if I left the calendar in the frame without the glass, the repeated process of taking the squares off the calendar (by not-so-gentle hands) would eventually rip the calendar.  With the glass there, I avoid that problem.
• Attach the other side of the velcro to the backs of the month names and squares.
• Get started using the calendar by putting the squares on for your first month!

That’s it!  Pretty simple, but something that is a big hit at my house.  My son doesn’t actually put the whole month on the calendar at once.  Each day he adds the square for that day and changes the weather.  I think this is how they did the calendar at preschool.  I have enjoyed watching him… he is quite proud of his calendar!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing our little project too.  Have a great weekend and stop back by the blog on Monday as Casharina reveals our next Layout of the Week!  Bye!

KimHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 6 Comments

Hello everyone!  Casharina here, bringing you another hybrid project!  When I found a set of 4 burner covers from a little this and that store for a buck, I KNEW I could do something with them!  I decided to create a mini message board for a teacher.  This project is another simple project that could be created for your home, or as a little gift to give someone to brighten their day!  I think it’d make a CUTE door hanger as well!

 Gather your supplies:

• Mod Podge
• A set of burner covers (may be already decorated, colored, and used, we’re going to cover them!)
• E600 or another type of all purpose glue (be sure it’s STRONG)
• Paint
• Photo paper (I always use Office Depot brand Matte finish)
• Printer
• Digital supplies (I ended up using the beautiful Blossom collection)
• Ric rac or ribbon

Directions:

• Paint the covers – I only painted the outside edges of each cover but I wish I would’ve painted the whole thing.  Also, next time I do them I’ll probably either leave it all white or paint them in a color that matches my theme a little better.  When I did the painting I had a whole other “theme” in mind for the boards.  I was originally planning to use the Darling Paper Collection  by adding the black and white damask paper as a background and then adding a large monogrammed letter in the center for the Teachers name…however as you see, that is NOT how it ended up!  LOL!  Nope, I had to get too crafty and add more colors and take advantage of the fun embellishments that the Shabby Shoppe has to offer!  It was fun and I do LOVE the colors, but next time I think I’ll design the cover and then choose the paint!  SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY: if you KNOW what colors you’ll use, go ahead and paint up the covers, otherwise wait until you’ve designed them and then paint.
• Design your cover – first open a page as large as you need to create your project.  I chose to use an 8.5×11 sheet of paper, so I opened an 11×8.5 document.  I then chose the elliptical marquee tool and set the feathering to 0.  I created a circle as large as I could to cover the whole page, be sure to hold in the shift key while dragging the circle out to create an even circle. This is where I chose to design my layout, inside this circle.

  The paper will not be large enough to completely cover the cover.  You can either add an additional portion of paper to the top and bottom (that’s what I’ve done, and then I added ric rac to cover the seams), or you could paint the whole thing and create a smaller circle to paste in the center of the cover and then mod podge this.

• Design a layout – I chose to add in different embellishments and frames to add various papers using the gorgeous Blossom collection!  I just love the rainbow, flowers, and vibrant colors of the papers, beautiful!!  I also used a monogram stamp from the Carousel Monograms set, and created the ABC sheet from the font Traveling Typewriter - one of my favorite free fonts by far!

• After I was finished I printed the page.  I then printed a second sheet of ALL orange to use as filler for the top and bottom.  To ensure the whole burner cover was covered I cut the all orange sheet into two pieces and taped a portion of it on the top of the circle and one on the bottom of the circle and then traced the cover onto the back of the photo papers.
• Cut the outline and then you’re ready to mod podge the design to the burner cover.  Before adding the print, make sure you’ve got your covers painted in a color you love! ;)  I always apply a thin layer of mod podge onto the back of the photo paper and the cover, and then I apply another layer on top of the design to give it more of a finish.
• Add ric rac to cover the seams of the paper – optional

A little extra:  Add decorative magnets by placing small pieces of scrapbook paper on the back of glass decorative stones, and then adding a magnet.

• I chose to cover both a large burner cover and a smaller burner cover and attached them together using two pieces of ribbon glued to the back using E600 (an AWESOME glue for these types of projects.)
• As you can see I also attached a simple gift card which I designed using the Muffin Man recipe templates and an Affair to Remember kit!

Okay that’s it for today, if you choose to make a project like this we’d LOVE to see it in the hybrid gallery!!

Check back Monday for Layout of the Week!  Until then, I hope you all have a lovely weekend (and a Happy Father’s Day to all of the guys in your life – and if you missed Kylie’s free Father’s Day card simply CLICK HERE!)

CasharinaHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 1 Comment