Featured Project:: I Love You Mini Album

We're excited to feature this project by Cari Locken. She created this adorable mini album...but we'll let her tell you more about it.
I created this mini album today using Sweet Cheri collection. I made the album from chipboard (5x3 in size). Kept it fairly simple & clean; using a 5x3 photo on the left side and journaling & patterned paper on the right side.

I also used some of the new Core'dinations Impressions cardstock. This cardstock is just so much fun as it comes embossed already. This particular piece was a whitewash and had a colored core so I sanded the image to bring out the color a bit more.

Thanks for looking!

Valentine Decor Tutorial

Shemaine Smith created this darling Valentine centerpiece with the popular Sweet Cheri Collection. Visit her blog to see her step-by-step tutorial on how to create your own glittered hearts centerpiece.

Featured Project: Easy Valetines by Heather

We're excited to have Heather Carpenter from our Design Team create a fast, fun and easy solution to those last minute class Valentines that you forgot all about. Welcome Heather...

Well after doing some projects with the adorable “Sweet Cheri” line I had some left over paper, stickers and rub-ons. I hate leftovers, so I wanted to find a way to use them up. With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, I thought I could use my scraps to make some valentine cards for the kid’s to hand out at school. With making so many, the first thing that I thought I should do is just design a simple card that could be produced “assembly line” style.

First I cut 5 sheets of 12” x 12” cardstock into 6” x 4” pieces. Then I folded all of them in half, width wise. I had 30 pieces of 4” x 6” cardstock.

Next I used a punch along the bottom edge for a decoration. I choose the one that I did so I could thread a lollipop through the holes.

Then I cut 60 1’ x 4” strips of my left over Sweet Cheri papers. I ran 30 of them through my Xyron adhesive machine with the patterned side up and the other 30 with the solid side up.

Next I adhered the patterned strips to the middle of the front of the card and the solid strips on the inside of the card, near the bottom edge, where the punched holes were.

Then I used what ever I had left over of either the Lovey Dovey Stickers Stackers, S.W.A.K. Chipboard Stickers, or the My Little Cupcake Rub-ons, and put them on the front of my card for decoration.

Lastly I inked the edges for a pink chalk ink (VersaMagic) and threaded the lollipop through the holes at the bottom.

Finished and I did it all while watching a football game on TV.

So they are not too fancy, but just right for a class room full of 5^th graders. I hope this inspires you to use up your left overs and save you a bit of money by making your own Valentine cards.

Products Used: Patterned papers, rubons, chipboard stickers, sticker stackers: Imaginisce; Cutter: Purple Cows; Adhesive: Xyron; Chalk ink: VersaMagic; Punch: Fiskars.

iSpy: Robyn's Cute Button Technique

Our very creative Robyn Schaub created this darling card with the new Sweet Cheri Collection. But the minute I saw it, I "had to know" how she made the cute button heart shape. So after a click or two I saw that she posted the instructions with step-by-step directions on Clip It Up's website...go check it out!!

Sweet Cheri: Cards of Love

Need more ideas for Valentine's Day cards or just dang cute cards to make with the popular Sweet Cheri Collection? We rounded up a few more ideas from our very talented Design Team. We hope you think these are are as sweet as we do!!

by Aphra Bolyer
by Aida Haron
by Aida Haron
by Aida Haron
by Aida Haron

by Shemaine Smithby Shemaine Smith
by Cindy Stevens
by Cindy Stevens
by Cindy Stevens
by Cari Locken
by Cari Locken
by Cari Locken

Guest Blogger: Samantha Hauzer

(We love all the little details Sam puts in her designs that we asked her to blog for us today and tell us about her favorite techniques.)

Samantha Hauzer: I would have to say one of my very favourite techniques is to outline the papers with black pen. I think it makes them stand out just that bit more and gives my layouts more of a handmade look. And it's so quick and easy to do too! One thing to remember is dont worry about being neat. Put those rulers away! I think layouts are much more appealing if they aren't perfectly neat, and that it's the little flaws that make them look unique and which put your own personal touch to it.

For the Life is so Fun layout, I took inspiration from the scalloped square of the cupcake stamp and in the papers, to create a hand drawn scalloped square to base my layout on. I drew around it in white pen a few times and then outlined the white border with black pen to make it really stand out. I couldn't resist filling in all those scallops with the Sweet Cheri Stickers, and cute images cut from the papers, and I backed them all onto hand drawn circles. For the Sweet layout I just used the reverse sides of the paper, and outlined them all with black pen. Outlining the journalling strips with black pen helps them to really stand out too. For the Sweet Friends layout I outlined the photos with pen to really make them stand out.

Another favourite technique of mine is to use lots of layers. The papers always go together perfectly, so any combination works well, and I even like to use the product packaging too. It usually has a different pattern than the papers but still goes really well with the other papers. The pale pink card on the Sweet Friends layout is packaging that I have punched with a border punch and used on my layout. Another thing I like to layer is the stamps. Imaginisce makes the absolute cutest stamps, and they are perfect for layering. All you need to do is stamp the same image onto 3 different papers, cut out the first image, and then cut pieces from the other two stamped images to layer with. Just add foam tape between each layer to make them really dimensional. They make the perfect embellishment and you can colour co-ordinate them every time. On the Sweet layout I even used the parts of the stamped images that I didnt need for layering - the scalloped cirle outline and the heart outline.

If you love these projects, then you MUST GO TO HER BLOG and check out the amazing project she put together using the new Lucy Bird Collection!!

Sweet Cheri: Butterfly Magnets

We were so excited to challenge our design team with what they could create with our new Magnet backers for the i-top and they did not disappointed. And although all of them were winning ideas, we had to pick one winner for our challenge. Congrats got out to Shemaine Smith. She created these darling butterfly magnets. If you like to learn how she created these darling butterflies and notecard set, read on. By the way, if you didn't know the butterfly wings are made from Imaginisce silk flowers!!

To create Butterfly Magnets:

1. Cut petals off in 3’s from Fancy Blossoms-Flirty and Fancy Blossoms Posh apply Stickles around the edges and let dry.

2. Layer and attach flowers together using a large glue dot.

3. Using large brad daddie apply desired rub-on and stamp with versa mark ink. Sprinkle holographic embossing powder and carefully heat to create glittered brad.

4. Use floral wire to create antennas and hot glue to inside of brad then layer brad over med sizes glittered fancy blossom and attach with glue gun to hold.

5. Next layer butterfly wings to both sides of fancy blossom with glue and apply a dime sized amount of glue in the middle and cover with the itop magnet backer and press firmly while glue dries.

To create Altered Note Card Tin:

1. Cut pattern paper 5 ½ X 5 to fit metal box and use corner rounder to trim each corner so that all four are round.

2. Apply Zip Dry glue and smooth paper over top and trim excess paper using a nail file so paper is flush with edges of the box.

3. Use glue dots to apply a 6 ½ inch piece of ribbon across the middle of the box and secure under lid.

4. Make a bow with another piece of ribbon.

5. Create your own small brad daddie, add 2 different sized glitter flowers to layer and twine to accent.

6. Use glue dots to attach ribbon and flower to box.

7. Cut a 1"x12" inch strip of pattern paper to wrap around the bottom of the tin and apply using Zip Dry.

8. Add ric-rac ribbon over to accent.

9. For inside top of box cut 5 ½ x 5 piece of pattern paper (I repurposed Imaginsce packaging) and trim all four corners with a corner rounder.

10. Apply Zip dry to the top lid and smooth paper into the lid of the tin. This will also hid the ribbon attached to the lid for the front of the tin.

To create Note Cards:

1. I used a Hero Arts Designer Bloc stamp to stamp and image over the front of the note card and added a strip of Sweet Cheri I trimmed with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

2. I then used a butterfly spellbinder die to cut another piece of Sweet Cheri paper and layer it over another piece of repurposed Imaginisce packaging and cut around the butterfly to create a layered look.

3. Create a small brad daddie and place in the center of the butterfly and apply to note card.

Sweet Cheri: Love Coupons

Aphra Bolyer created this darling coupon pouch and coupons for Valentines day. We loved the idea and how cute the Sweet Cheri products look on this project. For more fun ideas, visit Aphra's blog.

Do you Love Cards?

We love cards almost as much as we love chocolate!! But since we can't really give you chocolates, we thought we'd share with you some YUMMY card creations from our VERY talented Design Team girls. These cards were all created using our Sweet Cheri Collection and popular i-top tool.
Card by Tracy Gardiner
Card by Tammy Wark
Card by Tammy Wark
Card by Kim Holmes
Card by Kim Holmes
Cards by Kim Holmes
Card by Aphra Bolyer

Card by Tomomi Hiramaru
Card by Sarah de Guzman

Card by Julie Bonner
Card by Julie Bonner
Card by Renata Moni Bidin
Card by Renata Moni Bidin
Card by Heather Carpenter
Card by Erin Bassett
Card by Erin Bassett
Card by Cari Locken
Card by Aida Haron

Card by Aida Haron
Card by Aida Haron
Card by Aida Haron
I have other cards to share, but I'll post those another day, so please stop by and visit again soon!!