American Crafts Studio Blog

Dry Erase Board

Back to School week continues with a clever dry erase board Dustin Nakamura:

Supplies: Garden Gala Fabric Paper (35101) - Dear Lizzy, Springhouse Crocheted Flower (77237) - House, Carnation Fabric Chipboard (53003) - Thickers, Coffee Bliss Accents (53034) - Thickers

Dustin says, "My youngest daughter Chase starts Kindergarten this year. She has been learning her Sight Words this summer, and will continue to learn new Sight Words throughout the school year. I decorated this dry erase board that I picked up in the Dollar Section at Target. I added a large flat magnet to the back of the board and decorated the front using my favorite American Crafts line, Dear Lizzy! Right now I have this board in our playroom, on our large magnetic chalkboard. I like that I can also put it on the refrigerator, so that my daughter can practice while I fix dinner."

What a great way to remember to practice words and spelling daily! This project is cute AND functional!

Back to School Week

It's that time of year again! The smell of sharpened pencils, new fabric backpacks, and plastic lunch pails is in the air. While you're snapping photos of your little ones as they head back off to a new year of school, remember to stop by the Studio blog and see plenty of wonderful ways you can make the most of your pictures. And don't forget about that special someone known as Teacher! 

The first project to get you inspired is brought to you by Martha Bonneau:

Supplies: Abode Cherry Hill Ave Paper (35063) - Abode, Intergalactic (42127) - Remarks, Rocketeer Powder (43067) - Thickers

Martha says, "Back-to-school time brings some great photo ops, but not much time to scrap. This layout was easy to put together in just minutes using three great AC products. The fun little Intergalactic Dimensional Remarks add whimsy and dimension and pull together the theme of the space-themed character on Andy's backpack."

Martha makes a good point - when you're short on time but have layouts to scrap, grab your favorite supplies and layer them together in the middle along with your photo. AC has a great variety of embellishments so you're sure to make something great in a jiffy!

Enchanted Challenge!

Hope you've had fun looking at all the creations featuring the brand new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line! Before announcing this week's challenge, let's give a big congratulations to last week's randomly selected 2 Page Layouts Challenge winner - way to go Sophia Allison!

This week you've got a chance to win one of everything in the new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line. That's a pretty great prize if I do say so myself! To enter to win, here is your challenge:

  

1. The card or 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. Cards/layouts and links must be posted by midnight PST on Thursday, September 2nd.

And here's one more layout from happy-go-lucky In-House Scrapbooker Lindsey Hansen to give you a boost of inspiration:

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock Geyser (71469) - AC Cardstock, Gentle Badger Paper (35253) - Enchanted, Wonderful Alice Paper (35247) - Enchanted, Elated Iris Paper (35257) - Enchanted, Curious Matilda Paper (35265) - Enchanted, Dainty Primrose Paper (35269) - Enchanted, Journaling Tickets (64005) - Just Write, Assorted Brads (85521) - Elements, Fantastic Wine (53107) - Thickers, Fancy Strawberry (53111) - Thickers, Dimensional Dots (61709) - This to That, Black .03 (62311) - Precision Pen 

Lindsey says, "Just recently, we had family photos taken in our backyard. I especially loved this photo of my sister and her family so I had to scrap it. I thought the colors of their outfits would look great with the new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line. I had a lot of fun using this line and plan to use it a lot more. :)"

Have a fantastic (and enchanted!) weekend everyone!

Spotlight on Ann-Marie

There are a bunch of new In-House Designers and Scrapbookers that started working at AC recently and today we want to feature the stylish and talented Ann-Marie Morris!

Hometown: Simi Valley, CA

Education: BFA in Multimedia Design from San Diego State University

Scrapbooking experience: I have been obsessed with crafting and creating "stuff" for as long as I can remember, but I didn't officially get into scrapbooking until college. On a whim, I decided to make my parents a scrapbook of our family memories for Christmas, so I began browsing the internet for cool design ideas. Once I discovered Flickr and blogs - forget it - I was HOOKED! I couldn't believe how vast and inspiring the blog world could be and all the amazing things people could do with paper! Scrapbooking quickly became more than just a hobby, it became a lifestyle (as cheesy as that sounds!). Later, I would go on to change my major in college from Interior Design to Multimedia Design because it became clear to me that I was better suited to work with patterned paper, not wallpaper. Fast forward to a year after graduation and here I am in Utah working for American Crafts. I never imagined I would be able to do something I love so much for a living! Everyday is a fresh and exciting opportunity and I couldn't be more excited about this new phase of my life!

Favorite thing about scrapbooking: I love the whole process! From the initial stage of taking photos and being really excited to scrap them, to gathering fun papers and embellishments together, to the actual design process - I love it all! Even on days when I don't feel like sitting down to scrap, just seeing my supplies and thinking about all the possibilities makes me super happy :) Plus I LOVE the blog scene - I don't know what I would do without the constant, ever-changing source of inspiration.

What are you looking forward to about working at American Crafts: I am really excited to see the lines we work on come to fruition and then be able to scrap with them. I honestly look forward to coming to work each day and that in and of itself is better than anything I could ask for! :)

Check out this layout Ann-Marie made just for this spotlight:

 

Supplies: Sophisticated Jack Paper (35260) - Enchanted, Elated Iris Paper (35257) - Enchanted, Gentle Badger Paper (35253) - Enchanted, Noble James Paper (35250) - Enchanted, Fashionable Peony Paper (35266) - Enchanted, Charming Collin Paper (35263) - Enchanted, Limeade Fantastic (53109) - Thickers, Journaling Tickets (64005) - Just Write, Lyre Jewel Accents (42177) - Remarks, Assorted Brads (85521) - Elements, Black .03 (62311) - Precision Pen, White Bold (62122) - Galaxy Marker

Thanks for letting us get to know a bit better and for sharing this fun layout Ann-Marie!

Thank You Card

It's postmarked Wednesday which means we've got an awesome card to share with you!

Here is a super duper cute card created by In-House Scrapbooker Sarah Champion featuring the brand new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line:

Supplies: Lady Winafred Paper (35254) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Fashionable Peony Paper (35266) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Gentle Badger Paper (35253) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Just Write Journaling Tickets (64005) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Knight Font Rubons (43388) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Black .03 (62311) - Precision Pen

I love how Sarah hand cut hearts and stars from patterned paper and sprinkled them down the top of her card with foam dots for a pop of dimension. It gives the card a little something extra don't you think?

Layout by Alisha

Today's Dear Lizzy Enchanted project was created by the ever-so-talented Alisha Gordon:

Supplies: Refine Percy Paper (35259), Sir Charlie Paper (35256), Elated Iris Paper (35257), Wonderful Alice Paper (35247), Graceful Swan Paper (35248), Wise Tortoise Paper (35268), Gentle Badger Paper (35253) - Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Geyser Fancy (53113) - Thickers, Assorted Dear Lizzy Brads (85521) - Elements, Plastic Rose Brads (85522) - Elements, Dimensional Lyre Stickers (42177) - Remarks, Euphoria Accent Stickers (42180) - Remarks, Exquisite Phrase Stickers (42181) - Remarks, Black Slick Writer (62001) - Pens

Alisha says, "I had the opportunity to design my cousin Annie and her now husband Josh's wedding invites. When I saw their engagement photos I knew I had to scrapbook them sometime since they are such an adorable couple. The new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line is a perfect fit for their totally in love pictures;  especially with my favorite phrase I used in the bottom right corner - 'The Early Bird Gets the Kiss' - too cute! This is one of my new favorite lines, very girly which is totally my style."

I love the repeating circular elements and the beautifully detailed flowers framing the photo! Stunning!

Dear Lizzy Enchanted Week

This week we're featuring projects made with the brand new Dear Lizzy Enchanted line!

Inspired, in part, by the traditional Alice in Wonderland mythology, the line features whimsical floral and butterfly patterned paper (six are laser-cut!), and key and teacup embellishments - perfect for creating an enchanted world with paper. First on the list is a dreamy layout by Wendy Sue Anderson:

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock White (71081) - AC Cardstock, Wonderful Alice Paper (35247) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Graceful Swan Paper (35248) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Noble James Paper (35250) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted,  Charming Collin Paper (35263) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Wise Tortoise Paper (35268) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Fashionable Peony Paper (35266) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Assorted Brads (85521) – Elements, Plastic Rose Brads (85522) – Elements, Hyacinth (78041) – Details, Damsel Accents & Phrases (43387) – Minimarks, Ethereal (42179) – Remarks Stickers, Exquisite (42181) Remarks Stickers,  Fantastic Wine (53107) – Thickers, Fantastic Salmon (53108) – Thickers, Fantastic Limeade (53109) – Thickers, Black Fine Slickwriter (62001) – Pens, Strip Glue Runner (61712) - This to That Adhesives

Wendy Sue says, "I am so excited to be one of the first to use this new Dear Lizzy line! As I was flipping through my photo album, I came across these photos from an afternoon of kite flying – the colors worked perfectly and so did the theme…it was really a fun, magical kind of day, so the Enchanted line seemed a perfect fit!"

I love the grouping of embellishments Wendy Sue put together and how the colors truly match perfectly! It's like these photos and this line were meant to be.

Wendy also created this cute card to accompany her layout:

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock White (71081) - AC Cardstock, Graceful Swan Paper (35248) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted, Noble James Paper (35250) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted,  Charming Collin Paper (35263) – Dear Lizzy Enchanted,  Hyacinth (78041) – Details, Damsel Accents & Phrases (43387) – Minimarks, Ethereal (42179) – Remarks Stickers, Exquisite (42181) Remarks Stickers,  Fantastic Wine (53107) – Thickers, Strip Glue Runner (61712) - Adhesives

Wendy shares a great tip about card-making: "I am a big fan of making cards with leftovers from layouts. Almost any time I create a layout, I have plenty of scraps and accents sitting on my desk - items that I've already chosen because they match or coordinate, so putting together a card is easy! That's how this card came about. The papers, rub ons, stickers, accents...everything was already sitting out on my desk. All I had to do was decide on a design, add some stitching, and put it all together. Next time you finish a layout, look at the 'leftovers' on your table, and rather than putting away (or throwing away, gasp!) the scraps, see how many cards you can put together"

Thanks for the great ideas Wendy!

Meet the In-House Design Team!

Meet the talent behind all of the awesome patterned papers, stickers, Thickers, ribbon, and everything else that American Crafts is well known for!

Click on each individual's picture in the Meet the In-House Design Team gallery on the right column ---> to learn more about them. Thanks so much guys, we sure love what you do and can't wait to get our hands on all of the latest and greatest creations!

2 Page Layouts Week Challenge!

Hope you've enjoyed all the layouts featured during 2 Page Layouts week! Before we announce this week's challenge, let's congratulate last week's randomly selected House Challenge winner - way to go serena!

This week you've got a chance to win a prize pack filled with a 12 x 12 modern album, an extra set of 10 page protectors, and a hand picked selection of cardstock, patterned paper, and Thickers to help jump-start your two-page layouts. Here is your challenge:

 

1. The 2 page 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, August 26th.

And here's one more layout from Design Team member Moon Ko to help give you a boost of inspiration...

Supplies: 12x12 White Cardstock (71081) - AC Cardstock, Lake View Court Paper (35060) - Abode, Seeds Small Set (59085) - Clear Stamps, Mustard (59515) - Ink, Typo Mustard (42979) - Thickers, Googly Dimensional Stickers (42126) - Remarks, Clark (43334) - MiniMarks

Moon says, "This is just a super simple 2 page layout I did of my son Charlie. I realize he's a boy. Yup...but the journaling is more about all the boy things he does and how different he is from my girls."

All of the journaling on the left page and the photos on the right page is a great technique for making 2 page spreads. Thanks for sharing, Moon! We can't wait to see your 2 page layouts. Have a fantastic weekend!

Take Time by Amber

Here is another wonderful/beautiful/fun 2 page spread by the stylish'n'hip Amber Ulmer:

Supplies: Bubba Paper (34823) - I Heart You, Punkin Paper (34831) - I Heart You, Growing Green Paper (35096) - Dear Lizzy Spring, Sunny Spot Paper (35081) - Dear Lizzy Spring, Blush (59519) - Pigment Ink, Boutonniere (59103) - Clear Stamps Small Set, Warble Large (59106) - Dear Lizzy Stamps, Earth Tones (62628) - Stamp Markers, Letterbox Printed Chipboard 2 (77229) - House, Dear Lizzy Spring Paper Flowers (77236) - House, Dear Lizzy Spring Crocheted Flowers (77237) - House, Dear Lizzy Frolic Stickers (42705) - Remarks, Purkey Brown (43275) - MiniMarks, Emerald Everglade (53021) - Thickers

Amber says, "I have never ever created a 2 page layout. I'll admit. I was totally unsure about this. Then I decided to visualize the layout more like a wedding album spread that I would put together for one of our brides. So having redirected my vision really made my layout come together MUCH more how I feel best fits me and my style. I didn't want to clutter the pages with tons of photos, just because there are two pages. I just wanted something simple. I wanted it to focus on the images, just like when I design a wedding album. The focus is the images. No crazy background or things to distract. So Josh and I took some fun photos of us out at a local park after a client meeting one day. I decided since there were two images, almost exactly the same, except I was in one on the right page and Josh was in the one on the left page, it'd be perfect for a 2 page layout! I knew I wanted to tie the pages together somehow and like I mentioned, wanted to create a 'spread' rather than a 2 page layout. I thought the banner and clouds would do that nicely! My process was more of I created a larger 1 page layout that is just split down the middle. I am SO happy with the results and feel it really fits my style perfectly! Just goes to show you that you can find a 'vision' of what you want to create anywhere! Magazine layouts, ads, anything that inspires you!"

The simplicity of this spread is truly eye-catching and the careful planning and thought that went into it really shows. Thanks so much for sharing this with us Amber!