American Crafts Studio Blog

Stitching Guest Designer: Laura Craigie

Laura Craigie is the Stitching Week Guest Designer and I just know you're going to love how she incorporated stitching on all her projects! But first, let's get to know her a little bit more...

Short bio: I am a stay at home mom to my three wonderful, crazy boys, Isaiah 7, Griffin 5, and Everett 18 months. I've been happily married to my husband Andrew for 8 years, and we live on a beautiful island in B.C. Canada. I've always lived on an island and couldn't imagine not having the ocean near by, it's my favorite place to be. When I'm not chasing my boys or paper crafting I can be found gardening or reading on our deck; I'm very much a homebody.

How did you get started scrapbooking? Like I think a large majority of us, it was with the pregnancy of my first son and I just knew I needed a way to document his life. I did however make scrapbook years and years before that in high school, and one while dating my husband, so I guess I've been doing it a lot longer than that, just not so "seriously" ;)

What is your favorite American Crafts product? Easy! Patterned paper. I'd be lost without patterned paper, and American Crafts just makes the best :)

EVERETT ATLEY by Laura Craigie

I put my sewing machine to good use on this layout and my favorite part was using blue thread around the journaling square to create a visual triangle of blue with the two other blue accents on the layout. I also love sewing elements on a page like the tab in the upper corner.

Supplies: Palette Accents & Phrases (42240) - Remarks, Pigment (42241) - Remarks, Journal Grass (53339) - Thickers, Serendipity White (53291) - Thickers, Viridian Vignette Paper (35676) - Sketchbook, Ivory Impression Paper (35677) - Sketchbook, Rose's Rendering Paper (35683) - Sketchbook, Sydney's Snapshot Paper (35688) - Sketchbook, Adhesive Dispenser Dots (AM617-13) - This to That

HELLO CARD by Laura Craigie

I love to sew through my Thickers - I use a blue jean needle on my machine and it goes through like butter. Adding pink thread to my machine gave the white thickers a fun pop of color and really assures they aren't going anywhere when I put the card into the mail.

Supplies: Muse Whitewash (53344) - Thickers, Neapolitan Accents & Phrases (42232) - Remarks, Neapolitan Ribbon (58805) - Premium Ribbon, Lucky Laugh Paper (35640) - Neapolitan, Simple Romance Paper (35645) - Neapolitan, Adhesive Dispenser Dots (AM617-13) -This to That

WONDERFUL CARD by Laura Craigie

I love all the jewel tones in this card and the blue stitched wonky circles really make the window aspect of the card stand out.

Supplies: Doodle (42243) - Remarks, Pigment (42241) - Remarks, Palette (42240) - Remarks, Veridian Vignette Paper (35676) - Sketchbook, Gwyneth's Graph Paper (35694) - Sketchbook, Sadie's Story Paper (35695) - Sketchbook, Dimensional Dots (61710) - This to That, Adhesive Dispenser Dots (AM617-13) - This to That

BATH TIME by Laura Craigie

One of my favorite ways to use stitching is to sew around the perimeter of an element like my hand cut banner tail. It just makes it pop off the page that much more.

Supplies: Neapolitan Accents & Phrases (42232) - Remarks, Splendid Black (53294) - Thickers, Wood Buttons & Epoxy Stickers (78073) - Elements, Heart Song Paper (35631) - Neapolitan, Paige's Portraits Paper (35691) - Sketchbook, Draft (59161) - Acrylic Stamps, Palette (42240) - Remarks, Adhesive Dispenser Dots (AM617-13) - This to That, Charcoal (59STPAD-501) - Stamp Pad

Find Amy Tangerine Sketchbook supplies HERE and Dear Lizzy Neapolitan products HERE!

Check out Laura's blog and Pinterest to find out more about her and see her wonderful creations!

Stitched Summer Banner Tutorial by Amy Heller

Amy Heller is here to show us how to create this adorable stitched summer banner from start to finish!

SUMMER BANNER by Amy Heller

Supplies: Shoreline (35742) - 6x6" Paper Pad, Sand Dollar Die Cuts (85585) - Bits, Flamingo Stickers (42249) - Remarks, Sandpiper Stickers (42247) - Remarks, Surfboard (85584) - Delights, Tropical Elements Buttons (85437) - Elements, Sunflower (58291) - Premium Ribbon, Boardwalk Cascade (53363) - Thickers, Dimensional Dots Adhesive (61709) - This to That, Solid Glue Runner (61711) - This to That

1) Gather supplies including cardstock, Thickers, 6x6 paper pad, embellishments, grosgrain ribbon, 3D adhesive, standard hole punch, sewing machine, electronic die cutting machine.

2) Cut the first layer of banner shapes with a die cutting machine, or trim out using a paper trimmer. I used my Silhouette Cameo for these banner shapes.

3) Trim out three more layers of cardstock, decreasing the overall size by 1/2"-1" to make a layered effect.

4) Trim out three rectangular pieces of patterend paper from the 6x6" paper pad. Again, decreasing the overall size by 1/2" with each size toward the center paper which will be the top layer.

5) Take the top two pieces of you rectangular pieces and stitch either by machine or by handstitching around the perimeter of the top layer of patterned paper. Tip: to make sure that the pieces don't move while stitching, simply place a small amount of adhesive in the center of the two pieces prior to stitching to hold them together and in place.

6) To provide the additional feel of sunshine and summer, I then stitched a "ray" from one corner of the top layer of each of my rectangles, meeting at a) the top of the rectangle, b) the opposite corner of the rectangle, and c) the opposite long side of the rectangle. After stitching all six pieces, set them aside.

7) Stitch the top two pieces of cardstock of the banner together around the perimeter of each shape.

8) Using 3D adhesive, adhere your 2nd layer of cardstock to your base cardstock. Then adhere your stitched cardstock on top of that, making certain that each layer is centered vertically and horizontally. Then using 3D adhesive, adhere your stitched patterned paper rectangle to the bottom layer of patterned paper. Then adhere those pieces onto your cardstock banner. 

9) Apply Thickers to the center of each rectangle centerpiece. Embellish as desired with stickers, die cut shapes, buttons, etc.

10) Using a standard hold punch, punch a hole into each top corner of your cardstock banner pieces, about 1/3" from the top and the side of the banner to ensure that it won't be too close to the edge. Weave grosgrain ribbon through each hole in an over under fashion so that the large piece of ribbon is in the back of the banner piece, lending stability while hanging.

Hang in a great location in your home to welcome summer!! 

I know my kids will be excited to see this fun banner on the last day of school when I put it up to celebrate the onset of summer vacation! Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day! :D

Stitching Week!

One of my favorite techniques is stitching - whether it be made with a machine or tediously hand-stitched, the overall look gives projects a lovely homespun feel. Our designers have teamed up to showcase their very own stitching projects which we'll be featuring this week! Shimelle Laine starts us off with a layout and card, followed by an adorable stitched embroidery hoop by Leah Farquharson:

MUSEUM MEMORIES by Shimelle Laine

Supplies: Pear Jelly Paper (35662) - Fresh Squeezed, Kraft (71563) - Cardstock, Woodness Gracious Paper (35555) - Amy Tangerine, Oh Happy Grey Paper (35565) - Amy Tangerine, Light Bright Fabric Paper (35564) - Amy Tangerine, At First Sight Paper (35641) - Dear Lizzy Neapolitan, Fieldhouse Paper Leaves (77258) - Amy Tangerine, Good Times (42213) - Remarks Sticker Book, Scene Taffy (53342) - Thickers, Goodness Slate (53249) - Thickers

HELLO THERE by Shimelle Laine

Supplies: Woodness Gracious Paper (35555) - Amy Tangerine, Oh Happy Grey Paper (35565) - Amy Tangerine, Light Bright Fabric Paper (35564) - Amy Tangerine, At First Sight Paper (35641) - Dear Lizzy Neapolitan, Sage (72026) - Delights, 4x5.5 Chestnut (71365) - Card Pack

Shop here for Fresh Squeezed products, including the hot pink background paper, here for Amy Tangerine products, and here for American Crafts cards and envelopes.

SHE BELIEVED by Leah Farquharson

Supplies: Margarita Maria (59146) - Clear Stamps, Fabric & Epoxy Brads (78074) - Elements, Printed Chipboard Shapes (78070) - Bits, Borders, Accents & Phrases (42235) - Remarks, Ephemera Flowers (78065) - Embellishments, Happy Chance Pennant (35648) - Flutterbys, Premium Ribbon (58805) - Neapolitan; Other: Natural linen, embroidery hoop, floss

You can find the sweet pennants Leah used on this project here!

For a chance to win the entire original Amy Tangerine line which features a bunch of stitching:

leave a comment on this post by Friday June 1st letting us know what your favorite stitch is and we'll randomly select one winner! Gooood luck!

Dreams & Goals Projects by Heidi Sonboul

The randomly chosen winner of the line of their dreams is Miriam Prantner:

Heidi Sonboul wraps up Dreams & Goals week with a layout and card:

A GOAL CHECKED OFF THEIR LIST by Heidi Sonboul

Supplies: Sparking Smile Vellum Paper (35627) - Neapolitan, Heart Song Paper (35631) - Neapolitan, Sweet Sundress Paper (35634) - Neapolitan, Silly Skedaddle Paper (35628) - Neapolitan, Warm Memories Paper (35633) - Neapolitan, Sea Breeze Paper (35643) - Neapolitan, Borders, Accents & Phrases (42235) - Remarks, Pinwheels (78071) - Embellishments, Accent & Phrase Stickers (42232) - Remarks Books, Scene Silver (53340) - Thickers, .03 Black (62311) - Precision Pen

I'M PROUD OF YOU by Heidi Sonboul

Supplies: Kraft (71464) - Cardstock, Simple Romance Paper (35645) - Neapolita, Sparkling Smile Vellum Paper (35627) - Neapolitan, Mini Fair Ribbons (78066) - Embellishments, Scene Silver (53340) - Thickers

Find all the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan supplies HERE.

Have a fabulous weekend - the fun starts right up again on Monday!

Dreams & Goals Cards by Jamie Harper

Jamie Harper made THREE cards with her "Dreams & Goals" in mind!

HELLO THERE by Jamie Harper

One of my goals is just to relax more and go with the flow. I thought this card was perfect for having fun. I cut a mustache out of black cardstock and adhered it onto a skewer.

Supplies: 6x6 Paper Pad (35696) - Amy Tangerine Sketchbook, Amy Tangerine Premium Ribbon (58817) - Ribbon, Palette (42240) - Remarks, Dimensional Foam Dots (61709) - This to That, Dot Glue Runner (61713) - This to That, Black (71082) - Cardstock

THE BEST FEELING IS YOU by Jamie Harper

My dream is to just wisk my husband to a weekend getaway, so why not just stay in your town but still do a mini getaway? I think the answer is yes and I will be using this card this weekend.

Supplies: 6x6 Paper Pad (35696) - Amy Tangerine Sketchbook, Amy Tangerine Premium Ribbon (58817) - Ribbon, Die Cut Chipboard Shapes (77289) - Bits, Scene Taffy (53342) - Thickers, Dimensional Foam Dots (61709) - This to That, Dot Glue Runner (61713) - This to That, White (71081) - Cardstock

ENJLOY TODAY by Jamie Harper

Much like the first card, I need to just enjoy the moment more, so that is my goal this month. I loved adding the little snippets of ribbon to the fold of the card.

Supplies: 6x6 Paper Pad (35696) - Amy Tangerine Sketchbook, Amy Tangerine Premium Ribbon (58817) - Ribbon, Draft  (59161) - Clear Stamps, Black (59500) - Pigment Ink, Die Cut Chipboard Shapes (77290) - Bits, Dimensional Foam Dots (61709) - This to That, Dot Glue Runner (61713) - This to That

Amy Tangerine Sketchbook product can be purchased HERE!

Make sure you've entered the giveaway from Monday for a chance to win the line of your dreams!

Dreams & Goals Projects by Pamella Brown

Here's a layout and card made by Pamella Brown with "Dreams & Goals" in mind:

IN MY DAYDREAMS by Pamella Brown

Supplies: Smoke (71080) - Cardstock, Silver Lining Paper (35635) - Neapolitan, Fresh Blooms Paper (35630) - Neapolitan, Warm Memories Paper (35633) - Neapolitan, Cheerful Notes Paper (35626) - Neapolitan, Delightful Bouquet Paper (35644) - Neapolitan, Sun Kissed Pink Ruffle Crepe Paper (35647) - Neapolitan, Borders, Accents, and Phrases (42235) - Remarks, Ephemera Flowers (78065) - Embellishments, Large Tags (78069) - Embellishments, Wood Buttons and Epoxy Accents (78073) - Embellishments, Fabric and Epoxy Brads (78074) - Embellishments, Muse White Woodgrain (53344) - Thickers, Knockout Punch Value Kit (63013) - Punches

TOUCH THE SKY & DREAM BIG by Pamella Brown

For my card, I trimmed down the polaroid paper from the Dear Lizzy line. I loved the colors in the balloons, so I simply chose papers that would coordinate with them for the rest of my card. I adore the dreamy colors in the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line!

Supplies: Pretty Please Paper (35637) - Neapolitan, Fresh Blooms Paper (35630) - Neapolitan, Dreamy Days Paper (35642) - Neapolitan, Parakeet (42234) - Remarks, Amy Tangerine Sketchbook (35696) - 6x6 Paper Pad, White Journal (53338) - Thickers, Knockout Punch Value Kit (63013) - Punches

Find all the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan supplies you'll need to re-create this card and layout HERE!

Dreams & Goals Tutorial by Mandy Koeppen

Mandy Koeppen is here to show you how to create this lovely and inspiring frame:

DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE & MAKE IT HAPPEN by Mandy Koeppen

Supplies: Silver Lining Paper (35635) - Neapolitan, Splendid Black (53294) - Thickers, Pinwheels (78071) -  Embellishments, White (71081) - Cardstock, 1/4" Double Sided Super Sticky Tape (61753) - This to That

1. Gather supplies: Frame (without glass), Thickers, embellishments, ribbon or twine, vellum, and cardstock.

2. Cut cardstock and vellum to 8.5x11".

3. Layer the vellum over the cardstock in the frame then close the frame back.

4. Arrange and adhere embellishments and ribbon/twine.

5. Arrange your quote in the frame.

All done and ready to hang on the wall or set on the mantle!

Find Dear Lizzy Neapolitan supplies by clicking HERE.

Dreams & Goals Week!

We all have them, aspire to achieve them, and try to accomplish them. This week we're focusing our scrapbooking efforts on Dreams & Goals and showing you how they can be implemented on your layouts, cards, and projects. First up is a layout and card by Cindy Stevens:

BUCKET LIST by Cindy Stevens

Supplies: White (71081) - Cardstock, Hazy Horizon Paper (35639) - Neapolitan, Fresh Blooms Paper (35630) - Neapolitan, Silver Lining Vellum Paper (35635) - Neapolitan, Breezy Garden Paper (35613) - Gardenia, 6x6 Paper Pad (35658) - Neapolitan, Fabric & Epoxy Brads (78074) - Elements, Printed Variety Tags (78069) - Bits, Muse White Woodgrain (53344) - Thickers, Die Cut Chipboard Shapes (77290) - Bits, 24 Pack Premium Ribbon (58817) - Sketchbook Ribbon, Plastic Buttons (85561) - Elements, Dimensional Dots (61710) - This to That, Glue Runner (61711) - This to That

SOAR! by Cindy Stevens

Supplies: 6x6 Paper Pad (35658) - Neapolitan,Silver Lining Vellum Paper (35635) - Neapolitan, Sweet Sundress Paper (35634) - Neapolitan, Printed Variety Tags (78069) - Bits, Neapolitan (42232) - Remarks Books, Parakeet (42234) - Remarks, 24 Pack Premium Ribbon (58817) - Sketchbook Ribbon, Dimensional Dots Adhesive (61710) - This to That, Glue Runner (61711) - This to That

You can find Dear Lizzy Neapolitan here, Amy Tangerine Sketchbook here, Gardenia here, and adhesive here.

What are some of your dreams and goals? Let us know in a comment on this post by Friday May 25th and we'll randomly select one winner to win a current line of their dreams!

Goooood luck!

6x6 Mini Paper Pads Projects by Piradee Talvanna

Congrats to the three winners of the Sketchbook and Neapolitan mini paper pads: MelissaShim, LauraP, and Mandee!

Wrapping up 6x6 Mini Paper Pads week is Piradee Talvanna with a layout and card:

THESE MOMENTS by Piradee Talvanna

Supplies: White (71081) - Cardstock, 6x6 Paper Pad (35696) - Sketchbook, Doodle (42243) - Remarks Dimensional Stickers, Palette (42240) - Remarks Books, Scene Taffy (53342) - Thickers, Printed Chipboard Shapes (77290) - Bits, Wood Buttons & Epoxy Accents (78073) - Neapolitan Embellishments, Printed Chipboard Shapes (78070) - Neapolitan Embellishments

FOR YOU by Piradee Talvanna

Supplies: White (71081) - Cardstock, 6x6 Paper Pad (35658) - Neapolitan, Dear Lizzy Neapolitan (42232) - Remarks Books, Wood Buttons & Epoxy Accents (78073) - Embellishments

Get your hands on the Sketchbook supplies HERE and the Neapolitan supplies HERE!

Hope you have a great weekend and come back to see us on Monday!

6x6 Mini Paper Pads Cards by Melissa Mann

Melissa Mann created this trio of cards, all using 6x6 mini paper pads!

OH HOW LOVELY by Melissa Mann

Supplies: Kraft (71464) - Cardstock, 6x6 Paper Pad (35696) - Sketchbook, Solid Runner Tape (61714) - This to That, Layered Tags (77289) - Bits, Foam Dots (61709) - This to That, Draft Stamps (59161) - Clear Stamps, Taffy (59522) - Pigment Ink

THANKS A BUNCH by Melissa Mann

Supplies: White (71081) - Cardstock, Grapefruit (71021) - Cardstock, 6x6 Paper Pad (35658) - Neapolitan, Jar (59157) - Clear Stamps, Grapefruit (27135) - Zing!, Mustard (27137) - Zing!, Rouge (27123) - Zing!, Solid Tape Runner (61714) - This to That, Phrases & Accents (42232) - Remarks, Foam Dots (61709) - This to That

HELLO by Melissa Mann

Supplies: 6x6 Paper Pad (35658) - Neapolitan, Kraft (71464) - Cardstock, Premium Ribbon (58805) - Ribbon, Hello Stamp (59150) - Clear Stamps, Taffy (59522) - Pigment Ink, Foam Dots (61709) - This to That, Solid Tape Runner (61714) - This to That, Pinwheel (78071) - Embellishments

Find the Sketchbook supplies HERE and the Neapolitan supplies HERE.

Be sure to enter the giveaway from this past Monday's post for a chance to win the Sketchbook and Neapolitan mini paper pads!