And on 4th Day of Christmas there was "The Advent Calendar"...by Sam and Heather

both Aussie and American style.. But much the same. LOL!!!

Hey y'all this is Heather from the Imaginisce DT and Sam Hauzer and I (Heather Carpenter) are here for your blogging pleasure today. On the 4th day of Christmas we are showing you two different, but very similar versions of an Advent Calendar.

We both choose to use the Kaiser Craft Advent calender to alter with the awesome Cottage Christmas collection from Imaginisce.

So here is mine.

Did you notice that I used the I-top punches for the Christmas tree brances?

I have to say, I love how this calendar turned out, but it was a bit of work. If you check out my blog I will show you a tutorial on how I did mine.

And here is Sam's version of the Advent Calendar:

In our house, Christmas is a month long celebration, and it all starts with the advent calendar! I have been hoarding this Kaisercraft Advent Calendar for a while, and then when I saw the Cottage Christmas collection, I just knew I had the right papers to put it together!

If you like the Cottage Christmas collection that Sam and I used on our Advent calendars then leave a comment on this post and on mine and Sam's blog and you will be entered to win an ENTIRE COTTAGE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION from Imaginisce.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to stop by again tomorrow. After all it is the season of giving......

Winner of Cottage Christmas Card Challenge Announced!!!

Hey everyone!! This is Heather from the Imaginisce design team. Back in July, Lori, our DT coordinator issued a challenge to start on your holiday cards before November. I answered that challenge and gave it again to all of you to get started.

Up for grabs was: an I-rock tool with crystals and glam rocks, exclusive i-rock tote and a Cottage Christmas paper!

Due to all of the other give aways that have been going on here on the Imaginisce blog, we somehow overlooked announcing the winner of the Cottage Christmas card challenge. So, without further delay, we are announcing the winner....Abby from Lincoln, Nebraska. Check out her blog for other great card ideas. I even spied some Cottage Christmas 6x6 card pad patterned papers on some of her cards.

So please email us and put "Cottage Christmas card challenge winner" in the subject line and we will get your goodies to you.

Thanks everyone for playing and it is still not too late to get started on those holiday cards.

So get scrappin'!!

Heather

Take the (Cottage) Christmas Card Challenge!!!!

Hello everyone!! This is Heather again from the Imaginisce DT. A couple of months ago Lori, our DT coordinator, issued a challenge to start making your Christmas cards before November. So, for once, I actually did this and not only did I take her challenge, but I managed to get 18 handmade Christmas cards made. And last year, I don’t even remember if I mailed Christmas cards. (I know, shame on me).

So, I am going to share with you how I made mine. And believe me, if I can make cards, then you can. I am not much of a card maker, or a stamper for that matter, and I did both. With a few sheets of cardstock, 6x6 card pad, stamps, and a few punches you can make some cute handmade Christmas cards.

First the supplies I used:

Cottage Christmas 6x6 Card Pad

(3) 12x12 sheets each of (3) different cardstocks (coordinate with patterns in card pad)

(1) 12x12 sheet of white cardstock

(3) Christmas Cottage Snag’em stamps (Snow flakes, Holly Berry, Tree Trim)

Stayzon ink

Acrylic stamping block

Variety of Coloring Markers (I used Copic)

2” & 2 ½” Scalloped Circle Punches

I-rock tool & gems and studs

Adhesive

Foam Adhesive

Optional: Border Punches (3 styles)

Now the assembly:

1) I picked out (2) each of three different patterns of the papers in the 6x6 Cottage Christmas card pad and then picked the coordinating snag’em stamps that went with the patterned papers.

2) Then I selected three different colors of cardstock that would match all three of the patterns. I choose a light blue, Christmas red, and a kraft color. Cut (2) pieces of each 12x12 cardstock into 8 ½” x 5 ½” and then fold in half. You should have 6 of each color.

3) Save the cardstock scraps. You will use them on the cards.

4) Cut 1 ½” strips of the patterns and glue to the center of the cards width wise.

5) Punch out (18) 2” scalloped circles from the white cardstock. Stamp (6) each of the three different stamps. Color in your stamped images. Ink the edges of the scallop circles.

6) Now take the leftover cardstock strips from cutting the cards and use a border punch on them and layer over the patterned paper strip on the front of the card.

7) Decorate your card or stamped image with the i-rock tool, crystals and glam rocks.

8) Use foam tape to adhere the stamped images to the cards.

That is it!!! I used the same pattern, but the cards were all similar.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and get to it!! Take the challenge. Like I said, if I can do it, then you can.

Heather

Imaginisce DT member

So now we would like for you to take part of the challenge. Let us know if you have started your Christmas/Holiday cards for this year. We would love to see them as well. Up for grabs: an I-rock tool with crystals and glam rocks, exclusive i-rock tote and a Cottage Christmas 6x6 Card pad.

What you have to do to enter:
Leave a comment with a link showing us your Christmas cards you've started, or post the image on our Facebook page OR email the image to our blog email address contactimaginiscegmailcom. We'll give you a week (due date 9/20) to show us what you've started and obviously using Imaginisce products always make us happy!!

GUEST BLOG POST: Splash Dance Handpieced Kite Accent Tutorial

Hi y'all (yes, I really say that. I am from the south). This is Heather, from the Imaginisce DT. Paper pieced handmade accents are all the rage right now so I have recently jumped on the band wagon and created my own little touches for my layouts. In particular I am going to show you how I made a handmade pieced kite for my layout titled "Kite Festival". In fact this tutorial was inspired by several people asking me how I made the kite that was featured in an online Club CK article titled "100 Accents Made from Paper". So I decided to do this tutorial to show you just how easy using some scraps (and a pretty cool tool) you can add your own handmade touched to your projects.

First I just sketched the basic kite shape pattern on a piece of paper. I used the corner just to make it easier.

Then I cut out my kite pattern.

Then I layered some scraps of paper that I had to meet in the center point of the kite. Don't stress about the kite looking messy at this point. It will come together.

Here I layered two thin strips of tan colored paper about 1/4" thick to cross over the center point.

Then I flipped over the kite pattern and trimmed all the excess paper from the edges.

After I trimmed the excess paper off of the kite, I matted the kite in black just so it will stand out a little more on my project.

Now for the tail you need to cut about a 10" piece of one pattern of ribbon and (5) pieces measuring 3 1/2" to 4" and (3) pieces measuring about 2 1/2" inches of another pattern of ribbon.

Tie the five pieces of the 4" ribbon along the "kite tail" piece just in one small knot. I like odd numbers so that is why I used five pieces. I spaced my tied ribbon pieces about 1 inch a part. Your ribbon kite tail will not lay flat. And that is okay. This way it will look more realistic like a real flying kite.

 Now take the three smaller pieces of ribbon and adhere them together in a layered fashion, like shown. Cover a small brad daddie with the ribbon using your i-top.

And finish the brad off. You may need to trim the ends of the ribbon off so it will fit into the brad. (Note, my cute little 2 year old assistant even helped with this part).

Now adhere the end of the ribbon from the kite tail to the bottom pointed edge of the kite, then punch a hole toward the bottom edge and push the custom made brad through.

Close up of the brad.

And you are now done!!! Seriously I think it took me 15 minutes with the help of my two year old assistant. So go on, give it a try and make your own handmade accent for one of your projects. We would love to see what you made.

Check out the Just Imagine! idea gallery for my original layout. Or you can see it in the Club CK gallery for some more close ups.  I even used the i-rock gems to simulate the wind blowing around the kite.

If you liked this tutorial, would you like to see more from the Design Team? We would love to hear from you!!

Happy Scrappin',

Heather

Products used: Cardstock: Core'dinations, Patterned Papers: Imaginisce (Splash Dance), Ribbon: Imaginisce (Splash Dance), I-top brad maker & brad: Imaginisce; i-rock & gems: Imaginisce; Adhesive: Tombow.

Out & About with our Design Team Girls

Pinky in Kentucky

Last month Pinky Hobbs taught  in Cave City, Kentucky at an event for Imaginisce and Purple Cows. The amazing Aymee Gandy flew all the way from PA to help out with the class. As you can see we started working immediately. It took us 5 hours to kit all the great product but we had nothing but fun.

After a meet and greet at the Scrapbook Village in Glasgow, Kentucky we showed everyone how to use the amazing i-top and we were brad making fools!

The next morning Pinky and friends headed to the Cave City Convention Center and started passing out the kits for class. The class was filled up all 4 times. The scrappers in Kentucky were so sweet and fun, it was more like a party then a class. They gave away some i-tops. The students were all tickled pink to use the new Live Loud Collection papers, and they adored the Scooter's Vacation collection!

Great class for great people in a great town. Thank you!

Heather in Louisana 
The store is Scrappin Friendzee in Marrero, LA (otherwise called the "westbank" of New Orleans). Heather Carpenter demoed both the i-rock and i-top Tools at the store this past weekend and the customers loved them so much they sold out!! Jackie and Heather are already working on some class ideas using the popular paper collections and tools from Imaginisce. So if you're in the area, be sure to watch their class calendar. You can also find Scrappin Friendzee on Facebook

Thanks Pinky and Heather for helping spread the work and scrapbook love!!

Sarah & Robyn in Texas 

Both Robyn and Sarah were spotted teaching at the Great American Scrapbook Expo in Arlington, Texas (one of my personal favorites)! I heard they were a bunch of fun and the other scrapbookers loved hanging with them!