American Crafts Studio Blog

Flag Frame

Design Team member Wendy Sue created this amazing altered frame to celebrate the Fourth of July.  It's a beautiful piece and so easy for you to make one of your own.

Supplies: Edith Fitzbolt paper (34733) - Craft Fair Collection, Hi Ya'll paper (34561) - Everyday Collection, Splash paper (34697) - Backyard Collection, 12x12 White Cardstock (71081) - AC Cardstock, Hildi (43329) - Minimarks, Kiss ribbon (87621) - Occasions Four, Powder round button (82124) - Elements

Such a creative use of AC products!  Thanks for sharing, Wendy Sue.

All-American Week

Welcome to another full week on the AC Studio Blog!  This week is extra exciting because we've got some CHA sneak peeks coming up July 1st.  Stay tuned for the first look at the hot new products being released later this month.

But first, let's kick off another great themed week...

Who has some fun plans for celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend?  Let's get the celebration started early with lots of red, white, and blue inspiration.

Check out this awesome page from Design Team member Doris focusing on the Fourth...
Supplies: 12 x 12 Cardstock White (71081) - AC Cardstock, Jack Be Nimble Paper (34656) - Baby, Twinkle Twinkle Paper (34664) - Baby, First Love Paper (34568) - Romance, Ocean Mini Brads (8481) - Elements, Everyday Patterned Chipboard (77175) - MyHouse Collection, Powder Rainboots (42966) - Thickers, Color Tilde Journaling & Page Assortment (42561) - Remarks Books, Black Fine Tip Slick Writer (62001) - Pens & Markers, Red/Color Squares Satin Ribbon (65265) - Gift Ribbon

Such a wonderful layout!  I love the Baby paper with the stars mixed in with the red & blue.

See you tomorrow for more great ideas.

Album Week Challenge!

A big congratulations goes out to Piradee the winner of last weeks Remarks Sticker challenge!  Your layouts for the challenge were awesome - so fun seeing how you used those stickers.  We've got another challenge for ou this week for the chance to win two AC albums.  Here it comes...
Show us a photo of where your keep your AC albums, how you label them, or how they're organized inside... we want to see how you use them!

To be qualified to win: 
1. The photo must be posted to an online gallery or blog telling us which albums you use.

2.  You must leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your photo online.  You also must fill in your email address when posting your comment on this blog post.

3. Photos and links must be posted by midnight PST on Thursday, July 2.

And here's one more awesome idea from Design Team member Amy.  She uses record covers to finish up her AC modern albums...

I love this idea!  Thanks for sharing, Amy.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

DT Albums

So the real album question is... go with all one color or go multi-colored?  Do you have all your albums looking sleek in the same color?  Or one color for each member of your family?  Or do you just enjoy the bright colors the albums come in and need one of each?  Which do you prefer?  The design team members weigh in...

Here are Erin's 8.5x11 albums organized by color.

Kathy also uses tags to keep organized by year.

Nichole's also organizes by year and labels hers with Thickers.

And here are Belinda's happy colored albums.

What material would you like to see an album made out of?  Which new colors would you like in your collection?

Postmarked Wednesday with NEW Glitter Thickers

I've hinted about it a little bit, but it's time to spill the details on the new Glitter Thickers!

Twelve new sets of glitter Thickers are shipping out right now in your favorite fonts - Rockabye, Jewelry Box, Chit Chat, and Lullaby.
Here are two fabulous cards from Design Team members Linda and Wendy Sue using the new Thickers!

Supplies: Chit Chat Black Glitter (43002) - Thickers, Reindeer Games paper (34525) -  Christmas, Chronicle paper (34748) - Character, Tangerine (71034) - Cardstock, Sunflower (71038) - Cardstock, Stitch (89108) - Ribbon

Linda used the zero's for the big eyes on the owl.  So creative!

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock White (71081) - AC cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Foil Corduroy Teal (71192) – Specialty Paper, Ida Zipperelli (34734) - Craft Fair, Jack Be Nimble (34656) – Baby, Email Everyday (78006) – Details, Aqua Lullaby Glitter Letter Stickers (43032), Italic  Ribbon (89136) – Character, Tilde Journaling & Page Assortment in Black & Peacock (42551) – Remarks Books, Sentiment Phrases in color (43336) – Minimarks

Such a cute card!  The glitter Thickers are a great match with the foil AC Specialty Paper.

Have you found the new Thickers yet?  We'd love to see what you've done with them!

AC Contributing Design Team Call

Is this you? Then you're in luck--we are adding to our Contributing Design Team and now is your chance to try out!

To apply send an email to PaigeE@americancrafts.com with the following info:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself in a single paragraph.

2. Include a link to your online gallery or blog that shows samples of your various scrapbooking projects.

3. Attach a scan or photo of 2 scrapbook pages, 1 card, and 1 other project that show your style and usage of American Crafts products. Please use at least 75% American Crafts products.

4. Include your name and hometown.

Send in your info before July 20, 2009 to be considered. Those chosen will be notified via email in August.

Page Protectors

Along with albums, AC makes high quality page protectors.  Providing the perfect fit for both your pages and albums, our top-loading page protectors feature high-clarity plastic and versatile, reinforced holes. Available in the five most popular sizes, as well as our popular new 12x12 photo protectors that each hold twelve 4x6 photos, they conveniently fit both interlocking D-ring and post bound albums.

The new 12x12 photo protectors are perfect for storing unscrapped photos but can also easily be embellished.  Check out this cool page from Design Team member Amy...

Supplies: Poolside (42869) - Thickers, Chit Chat (42906) - Thickers, Fashion Accents 1 (42521) - Remarks, Getty White (42487) - Remarks

How fun is that?  The page protectors are perfect for travel pages when you want have tons of photos but also want to slip memorabilia like postcards or tickets in there too!

Album Week

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  We've got another fun week planned here on the AC blog focusing on one of the essential AC products.

That's right, it's Albums Week!  American Crafts superior quality albums are available in four unique styles: corduroy, modern, cloth and leather, most of which offer both the secure, interlocking D-ring and post bound binding systems. All of our albums are made with the finest materials and are completely archival. With a variety of colors and sizes to suit your taste, our albums are at the top of many must-have lists.

Do you use AC albums?  Which ones are on your shelves?

One of the most popular designs is the modern albums.  Their heavyweight chipboard covers allow you to customize your own with paper and embellishments. Modern albums are available in four of the most popular sizes. They offer the convenience of D-ring binding and the variety of nine vibrant colors. Each album includes 10 page protectors.

Not sure what to do with that naked album cover?  Here's an idea from Design Team member Mara-May...

Supplies: Modern D Ring Chestnut (76005) - Album, Puffy Umbrella Grapefruit (42963) - Thickers, Shoebox Light Blue (42766) - Thickers, Round Chestnut (8209) - Buttons, Round Ocean (82135) - Buttons, Round Grapefruit (82129) - Buttons, Round Shamrock (82134) - Buttons

They're so easy to customize and add your own touch!  Stay tuned for more album ideas this week.

Remarks Sticker Books Week Challenge

Friday has rolled around again and we've got another challenge for you to try.  But first, congratulations to our winner from last weeks Focus on Photos challenge, Joli!  You guys really came up with some creative uses for those enlarged photos.  Thanks for playing along, we loved seeing your pages!

Remarks Sticker Books currently come in both Journaling Books, with lots of fun stickers for you to write on, as well as Accents Books, full of great images.  Let's see you combine a sticker from each type of book to win a prize pack of our BRAND NEW glitter Thickers.

Here's what Design Team member Erin did with the challenge...
Supplies:, Grapefruit 8.5x11 (71096) - AC Cardstock Collection, Humpty Dumpty Paper (34665) - Baby Collection, Peep Paper (34693) - Backyard Collection, Howdy Paper (34553) - Everyday Collection, Shade Color Journaling Book (42542) - Remarks, Fruit Accent Book (42549) - Remarks Collection, LAX Neutral 2 (42479) - Remark, Black Fine (62001) - Slick Writers

So cute and simple!  Now it's your turn...

To be qualified to win: 
1. The layout must be posted to an online gallery or blog with American Crafts in your supply list.

2.  You must leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your layout online.  You also must fill in your email address when posting your comment on this blog post.

3. Layouts and links must be posted by midnight PST on Thursday, June 25.

Have fun!

Sticker Magnets

I loved the images in the Remarks Sticker Books but didn't have a page topic that fit them.  I couldn't let those cute little guys go to waste, so I turned them into refrigerator magnets.

Supplies: Fruit Accents (42548) - Remarks Sticker Books, Chestnut Buttons (8209) - Elements, Foil 12x12 Specialty Paper (71192) - AC Cardstock

First I covered them with Glossy Accents glue to give them a little bit of shine and dimension, then adhered them down onto white cardstock and trimmed them out.  A little piece of magnet tape on the backside and they're ready to hang.

I embellished a few of the images like adding buttons to the grocery bag. 

I also added a rubon letter to each of the little sacks, one magnet for me to keep track of receipts and one for my roommate.

You could also glue a push pin on the backside if you wanted to create funky pins for a bulletin board.  It's an easy way to use up those leftover Remarks Stickers!

Also today I wanted to share that AC has a couple new blog blinkies that you can add to your blog sidebar.  They are super cute!

http://s669.photobucket.com/albums/vv53/murdorm/?action=view&current=Truck_Blinkie.gif

http://s669.photobucket.com/albums/vv53/murdorm/?action=view&current=Birds_Blinkie_1.gif

When you're ready, click the link and find the correct code under "share this image" for your blog host's instructions for adding an image into your sidebar.  Feel free to link the blinkie up to come right back here to the AC Studio Blog.  Be sure to let us know if you add it to your blog, we'd love to stop by and see!