Studio

Junior Week

Good morning!  Hope you all had a great weekend.  Are you ready for another busy week here on the AC Studio Blog?  We've got lots of ideas using one of my favorite new lines...

Junior is an iconic, little boy oriented line featuring patterned paper, Flair, Minimarks books, Remarks books, dollar ribbon, stamps, assorted Elements including fabric brads, flocked, foil and chipboard House, and flocked and chipboard Thickers.

Here's a fabulous layout from Design Team member Kim A. using the Junior line...

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock White (71081) – AC Cardstock, Rock on! Paper (34960) – Junior, Ta-da! Paper (34963) – Junior, Boom! Paper (34949) – Junior, Junior flocked chipboard (77221) – Treehouse, Pow! (70045) – Flair, Junior Fabric brads large (85263) – Elements, Primaries Glitter brads small (85330) – Elements, Leaf Delight Fabric Chipboard (43060) – Thickers, Brown .05 Pen (62326) – Precision Pen

Kim says: "Being the mum of one four year old boy, the Junior line is perfection in my eyes.  I love the bright colours and great designs and find it just works perfectly with so many photos of my little man.  For this layout I have created a mitred corner background, which is a great way to save paper.  I have then layered punched circles and a strip of patterned paper onto the white mat.  I have created extra interest and dimension by using a lot of foam tape to raise the various elements.  The title floats above the punched circles by placing it onto some of the clear backing from a set of flair, trimming around it and then attaching the whole piece to the layout.  The layout is finished with a super cute rocket trailing bright brad flames and one of my all time favourite American Crafts Embellishments – a flair button."

Such a cool design... I definitely want to scraplift this one!  Stay tuned for more Junior ideas all week.

Autumn Week Challenge

TGIF to you!  Hope that you've got some fun plans for the weekend.  We've got another great winner to announce from last weeks Halloween challenge.  Congratulations to Valerie for your fabulous layout!  Love the misting!  This week I hope you'll play along to win a prize pack of new Remarks stickers.

Here's a great layout from Design Team member Danielle to help get you started...

Supplies:  12x12 White Cardstock (71081) - AC Cardstock,Here comes the Sun Paper (34982) - Blue Skies, Peaceful Easy Feeling Paper (34992) - Blue Skies, Elanore Battington Paper (34910) - Craft Fair, , Glee Large Set  (59098) - Clear Stamps, Black (62600) - Stamp Markes, Earth Tones Glitter Buttons (85425) - Elements, Blue Skies Fleece (77225) - Fieldhouse, Nutmeg Spinach (43044) - Thickers, Nutmeg White (43043) - Thickers

Danielle says: "Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. Leaf peeping means leaf gazing (or seeing) if you aren't familiar with the term. Even if the leaves don't change in your area, you can still take advantage of the beautiful natural light to get some great portraits outdoors. For this layout, I wanted a variety of colors to mimic the colors in the photo-oranges, greens and even blues. I modeled my embellishment tree after an AC stamp that I wanted to use, but it wasn't quite big enough for the title. I'm really loving the AC stamps and I enjoyed adding them to this layout. I added the glitter buttons for interest around the monochromatic journaling stripes. I can't wait to take even more photos this year!"Let's see what you come up with...

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, November 12.

Good luck and have a great weekend, everyone!

Love the Journey

We've got another great Autumn layout to share with you today from Design Team member Doris...

Supplies: Sand 12 x 12 Cardstock (71252) - AC Neutrals Cardstock, Yay! Paper (34966) - Junior, Defense! (34954) Junior, Boing Paper (34705) Backyard, Neutrals Large Jewel Brad Assortment (85306) - Elements, Metallics Medium Jewel Brad Assortment (85289) - Elements, Neutrals Mini Jewel Brad Assortment (85276) - Elements, Chestnut Nutmeg (43045) - Thickers, Black 03 (62311) - Precision Pen

 

Doris says: "I wanted to keep this layout simple to not overpower the tiny subjects in my photo.  My only embellishments are the three patterned paper leaves.  I used actual leaves that we picked up on our walk as templates, simply tracing them, then cutting them out and stitching them to the page.  To finish the layout, I added a few jewel brads for detail because they reminded me of the sun filtering through the fall leaves."

Love these gorgeous leaf elements, especially with the jewel brads.  Thanks for sharing, Doris!

Postmarked Wednesday

We've got an amazing Postmarked Wednesday for you today with three gorgeous Autumn cards from our rockin' design team!

First up is Melanie with this happy little card...

Supplies: 8.5x11 White Cardstock (71273) - AC Cardstock, 8.5x11 Scarlet Cardstock(71030)  AC Cardstock, All Hallow's Eve (34776) - Halloween, Scream (34789) - Halloween, One Fine Day (34985) - Blue Skies, Glee Large set (59098) - Clear Stamps, Laughter Small Set (59095) - Clear Stamps, Rouge (27123) - Zing! Embossing Powder, Mustard (27137) - Zing! Embossing Powder, Apricot ( 27136) - Zing! Embossing Powder, Rockateer leaf (43068) - Thickers, Marilyn Chestnut ( 43346) - Minimarks

Melanie says: "The new AC clear stamps are adorable, and I thought the tree from the 'Glee' set would be perfect for a Fall card. I embossed the leaves in different colours by sprinkling 3 powders on ( orange, red and yellow) at the same time to give it a gradient effect, cut it out, and then popdotted it onto my card. I cut out a few mini leaves from the cardstock and patterned paper to scatter on the 'ground'.  I never thought I was the embossing type, but I just love playing with these colourful powders, they're so fun!"

We've also got an adorable card from Nichole to share today...

Supplies:  12x12 Cardstock Vanilla (71041) - AC Cardstock, Oh Happy Day Paper (34987) - Blue Skies, Fun Small Set (59096) - Clear Stamps, Pearl Brads Brights (85318) - Elements, Pearl Brads Pastels (85316) - Elements, Delight Leaf (43060) - Thickers, .01 Precision Pen (62301) - Pens

Nichole says: "Fall is a great time to send a little note to someone special.  I had a great time creating a whimsical design by cutting some of the flowers from the patterned paper, adding some dimension with a pop dot & adding a little birdie to just say hello!  Simple & sweet, perfect for Fall!"

Sarah also delivered with this gorgeous Autumn card...

Supplies: 12 x 12 Vanilla Cardstock (71041) - AC Cardstock, Zip A Dee Doo Dah Paper (34990) - Blue Skies, Here Comes The Sun (34982) - Blue Skies, Rock On! Paper (34960) - Junior, Yay! (34966) - Junior, Delight Thickers (43060) - Blue Skies Fabric

Sarah says: "I went through some of the most recent lines of paper and picked out a few simple ones in Fall colors to create this simple tree with leaves. It worked out great! And as I was thinking of a sentiment to put on the card, I tossed around a few ideas like "Give Thanks" or "Happy Thanksgiving" but thought that it was completely appropriate just to make it say "Thanks" since around Thanksgiving time, that's what you do--say thanks! Luckily the Delight Thickers were small enough to use on this card and added a nice balance of color to it."

Hope you find some inspiration to create some Autumn cards of your own!

Pumpkins from Paige

Good morning!  Hope you are all enjoying some crisp fall weather today.  We've got a super cool project from Design Team member Paige to share today...

 

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock Chocolate (71047) – AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Apricot (71031) - AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Carrot (71032) – AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Melon (71033) – AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Mustard (71036) – AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Dandelion (71037) – AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Sunflower (71038), AC Cardstock, 12x12 Specialty Paper Dandelion Damask (71160) – AC Specialty Paper, 12x12 Specialty Paper Dandelion Pearl: Tweed (71196) – AC Specialty Paper, 12x12 Specialty Paper Apricot (71214) – AC Specialty Paper, Here Comes The Sun Paper (34982) – Blue Skies, Defense! Paper (34954) – Junior, Yay! Paper (34966) – Junior; Full Moon Paper (34777) – Halloween, Sleepy Hollow Paper (34794) – Halloween, Sizzle Paper (34701) Backyard, Faye Needleworth Paper (34730) – Craft Fair; Fire Drill Paper (34650) – Teen, Everyday Patterned Paper Box (34537) – AC Patterned Paper, Mini Jewel Brads Primaries (85270) – Elements, Mini Jewel Brads Brights (85273) – Elements, Medium Jewel Brads Primaries (85285) – Elements, Medium Jewel Brads Brights (85288) – Elements, Large Jewel Brads Tropicals (85302) – Elements, Pearl Brads Brights (85318) – Elements, Large Glitter Brads Metallic (85364) – Elements, Mini brads Tropicals (85377) – Elements, Medium Brads Primaries (85390) – Elements, Medium Brads Tropicals (85392) – Elements, Large Brads Tropicals (85407) – Elements, Glitter Buttons Tropicals (85422) – Elements, Glitter Buttons Primaries (85420) – Elements, Marzipan (89205) – Ribbon

Paige says:  "It’s no secret that I’m in love with all of the new Elements by American Crafts. Pearl brads, glitter brads, jewel brads, glitter buttons…what’s not to love? It's a fun challenge trying to find a way to use these new Elements on everything I make. For this fall-themed project I wanted to make a pumpkin with “bling” for a beautiful piece of front door decor."

Here's her instructions to make pumpkins of your own:

1)    Cut (10) 1 x 9" strips of orange and yellow patterned papers.

2)    Trim the edges of each patterned paper strip with pinking shears.

3)    Cut (10) 1 1/8 x 9" strips of orange and yellow cardstocks and specialty papers then mat the patterned papers on the cardstock strips.

4)    Attach different kinds of brads and buttons along each strip.

5)    Thread a needle with orange string and pierce it through the bottom of each strip; knot the thread and trim the excess.

6)    Thread the needle with more orange thread and pierce it through the top of each strip; knot the thread and trim the excess.

7)    Fan out the strips into a half-melon shape, leaving the same-sized gap between each piece.

8)    Cut a piece of brown cardstock and curl into a stem; hot glue it to the top.

9)    Tie green double-stitched ribbon around the stem and dove-tail the ends for a finished look.

10) Attach to the front door with a push pin or strong adhesive and enjoy!

Halloween Treat Boxes

We have one more Halloween project that was all programed in and set to go but never got posted last week.  And we need to share this because it will knock your socks off!  Check out Design Team member Dusti's incredible treat boxes...

Supplies: Paranormal Paper (34775) - Halloween, Full Moon Paper (34777) - Halloween, Midnight Paper (34779) - Halloween, Howl Paper (34783) - Halloween, Wicked Paper (34784) - Halloween, Bump In The Night Paper (34785) - Halloween, Charms Paper (34786) - Halloween, Magic Spells Paper (34787) - Halloween, Transylvania Paper (34788) - Halloween, Costume Party Paper (34790) - Halloween, Horror Paper (34795) - Halloween, Scream Paper (34789) - Halloween, Spooky (70028) - Flair, Black Glitter Hocus Pocus Accents (42993) - Thickers

Dusti says: "I love to bake and make treats for family and friends. These treats are ghost brownies covered in white chocolate, and large pretzels dipped in white chocolate & sprinkles. I have a hard time finding cute food packaging in the size I need. American Crafts papers are perfect for making boxes since they heavyweight and two sided.

 

When making a box, I determine how tall my box needs to be. Using a ruler, I score and fold the sides of my box. I then make four cuts where the score lines intersect, and glue these tabs to the inside walls of my box. I repeat the same steps for the top of the box. I  make the top of my box slightly larger than my base box. Before assembling your top, you can cut out a window. I cut a Thickers package in half for the clear window. Last, I made some layered round embellishments and paper strips to keep the boxes closed.  If you have a heavy treat, I recommend adding a piece of chipboard to the inside bottom of your box."

This is the kind of project that has me immediately running to my desk to make some.  I especially adore the little layered circle embellishments in the middle of each box.  That would touch for a card or page as well!  I can definitely picture myself whipping up some of these using the Merrymint line for Christmas this year.  Thanks for sharing this delightful project, Dusti!

Autumn Week

Happy Monday!  Hope you had a great weekend and are recovering from the Halloween madness.  We've got a great week for you on the AC Studio Blog, filled with lots of beautiful projects.

Fall or Autumn... however you prefer to say it,it's truly an enjoyable season.  The colors alone are awesome inspiration and it's still warm enough to get outside to snap lots of great photos. 

Design Team member Moon is here to kick off the week with a great Autumn themed page...

Supplies: 12x12 Cardstock White (71081) - AC Cardstock, 12x12 Cardstock Coffee (71049)- AC Cardstock, Everyday (34537) - Patterned Paper Boxes, Glee Large Set (59098) - Clear Stamps, Blue Skies Fleece (77225) - Fieldhouse, JFK stickers (42484)- Remarks Books, Daring (42909)- Thickers

Moon says: "You can't really see it in the scan but i stamped on my journaling block using a watermark stamp of the tree. There's also white stickers on the white cardstock that spell out "leaves & friends & pumpkins"...lots of subtle things to keep the focus on my photos and the title."

I love a good tone on tone design and think the white stickers on the white background helps her photos really shine!  Stay tuned tomorrow for more Autumn inspired creativity!

 

Halloween Week Challenge!

Hope you've enjoyed Halloween Week here on the AC Studio Blog.  Before we wrap it up, let's announce our wonderful winner from last weeks Sports Week Challenge.  Congratulations to Joli for her fabulous (and adorable!) soccer page.  Here's your change to win a prize pack full of our Halloween line that you've seen all week.

I know you're going to have lots of cool photos after this weekend, so let's see you get them scrapped and entered!  Here'a a great example from Design Team member Mary Jo...

Supplies: Venom (34780) – Halloween, Cricket (71426) – Glitter Cardstock, Carrot (71430) – Glitter Cardstock, Marine (71422) – Glitter Cardstock, Grape (71435) – Glitter Cardstock, Cauldron Accents (43339) – MiniMarks Rub On Books

Mary Jo says: "Halloween is a photo opportunity just waiting to happen!  A block design for your scrapbook page can help you incorporate all of those photos onto one layout.  I created a template with room for 10 photos, but couldn’t resist using four of the squares for some of that gorgeous glitter cardstock!  The Minimarks Rub Ons are the perfect little embellishment to add that finishing touch.  Happy Halloween!"

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, November 5.

Happy scrapping and have a safe & fun Halloween!

Yikes!

Did you know that American Crafts just released a fabulous Halloween line at CHA-S?  We know some of our friends around the world don't celebrate the holiday, so here's a great example from Design Team member Kim W. for using the supplies on a non-Halloween page...

Supplies: Frightening Paper (34796) - Full Moon Paper (34777) - Creepy Paper (334792) - Haunted Paper (34774) Thickers, Hocus Pocus Accents - Melon (42992) - Thickers, Bewitched-White (42988) - Remarks: Books- Creepy phrases & Crawly accents (42562) - Flair- EEEK! (70029) - Elements, Mini Glitter brads- metalic (85334), mini Marks Books- Edgar Black (43337)

Kim says: "My kid is nuts about spiders real & otherwise, which makes for regular 'shriek sessions' in our home. Some of the toy critters are so realistic, that without fail someone always gets 'caught' by his mischief. The page is created as if sitting on top of a spiders web complete with gold glittery spider. You will notice on the right I hid the journaling under the main photo to allow for more space for embellishments.....I mean with all the COOL accents in this range.....I had to leave space!! 

Tip 'n trick: I didn't have the exact color thicker for the page, so took my white glittered ones & applied a couple of layers of purple pigment ink onto them...Voila! perfect purple alphas"

Kim definitely proves the Halloween line doesn't have to be used for photos you take this week... mix them in with your favorite creepy crawly pics and you've got a perfect page!

Spooky

We've got a treat for you today... a bonus idea from awesome Design Team member Danielle!  She created these fun altered letters using the Halloween line.

Supplies: Black Glitter AC Cardstock (71414) - White Glitter AC Cardstock (71415) - Powder Glitter AC Cardstock (71425) - Halloween, Midnight Paper (34779) - Halloween, Transylvania Paper (34788) - Halloween, Frightening Paper (34796) - Embellishments, Halloween Patterned Chipboard (77204) - Thickers, Hocus Pocus Black Accents (42993) - Remarks, Crawly Accents Stickers (42555)

Danielle says: " I made this as a house warming gift for my new home. It has a big beautiful mantel over the fireplace, which I thought would be the perfect place for Halloween decorations. I love all things type, so when I found these letters I knew that they would be the perfect backdrop for the American Crafts Halloween embellishments. Three of the letters (S, O and K) are glitter paper and they are so pretty in real life. They sparkle in the sunlight. The other three are patterned paper.  I added some glittering silver floss as the spider's web, I love that little spider! Unfortunately, we don't close on our new house until the end of the month so I'll have to wait to add this to the mantel until then. But I'm looking forward to it!"

These are a wonderful crafty decoration idea.  Hope you enjoy them and your new house, Danielle!