Today we have some fun ideas to decoreate your home for a romantic evening.  Biker Chick Lisa Swift shares two ideas with our Just Because Collection, but we'll have her tell you all about it...

Altered Frames by Lisa Swift

I love to decorate for Valentine's Day. The colors and hearts make everything cheerful (and after the snow and bitter cold we've had over the past few weeks, I definitely need something cheerful).  The first project is a set of chipboard frames. I covered the back of one large and two medium Polaroid-style chipboard frames with patterned paper.



Tips for Creating the Frames:

1. Trace the outside of the frame and the inner window onto patterned paper (the 6x6 paper pad is the perfect size for this).
2. Cut the outside portion first and then the window section. If the paper frame ends up a bit too large, don't worry. Use a piece of sandpaper to get sand away the extra and create a smooth, seamless edge in the process.
3. Cut a coordinating piece of paper to fill the window (just make sure the paper is a bit larger than the window itself).
4. Embellish with various stickers, chipboard, journaling cards, and pieces from the Paper Crafting Kit.

Custom Candles by Lisa Swift

This next project was really fun to do. All you need is a couple of clear glass votive holders and lengths of vellum tape. Through trial and error, I found it easiest to start at the bottom. I wrapped the first length of tape and then placed each subsequent strip flush against the one before it.

Just Because Products:

JB-134 Journaling Cards
JB-277 Stick Pins
JB-136 Cardstock Stickers - Favorite Pieces/Love
JB-161 Vellum Tape
JB-304 6X6 Paper Pad
JB-305 Paper Crafting Kit
JB-279 Chipboard Shapes

There is still time to get your own Just Because supplies.  Please visit your local scrapbook store or our online store and order some today!

Happy Monday!

Halfway through our May Arts blog swap week. Are you having fun? Today I have a project to share from Biker Chick Suzanne Sergi and I think you're going to love it! This beautiful holiday display will look great in your home, or make the perfect hostess gift!

Here's a list of supplies:

Once Upon A Christmas

 OC-107 Holly Bird/Brown Carols

OC-111 Holly Berry/Green Carols

OC-305 Paper Crafting Kit

OC-134 Journaling Cards with foil accents

OC-135 Cardstock stickers Favorite Pieces with foil & embossing

OC-140 Cardstock Stickers Fresh Verse with foil and debossing

OC-279 Chipboard Shapes with foil

OC-220 Fabric Favorites 

May Arts Ribbon:

Ivory/Red Stripe: 425-15-25

Silver Leaves: XL-31

Other:

Wood Frame

Acrylic Paint

Vellum

Embossing Folders

And a few more close ups:

And here's how to win:

Leave a comment here, and then hop over to May Arts' blog to see what they've crafted up for you today, and leave a comment there too! We'll announce winners next week.  (And pssst! Watch tomorrow for a hint about another upcoming contest with more chances to win!)  Oh, by the way ... if you haven't "liked" May Arts on Facebook, please go there too, and tell them we sent you!

Have a great day!

Hello friends! I'm back for Day 2 of our May Arts Ribbonanza! Today we have an a-May-zing (sorry, couldn't resist) holiday decor project from Biker Chick Lisa Swift that you will NEED to copy.

Here's Lisa to tell you all about it!

Hi everyone! Happy holidays! I'm here today to share a fun and easy altered project idea using Little Yellow Bicycle's Once Upon a Christmas collection and May Arts ribbon. I created a set of five clothespins to clip onto a length of May Arts wide twill ribbon that will serve as a display for the holiday cards we receive this year. These clips could also be turned into magnets or used to hold a tag on a holiday gift. Make a set for yourself and a set (or more) to gift. :)

The clothespins were first spray painted white (courtesy of my husband). After they were dry, I used Mod Podge to cover the tops with patterned paper, a vellum tape strip or a Fresh Verse sticker. The embellishments are made up of chipboard circles, Fabric Favorites and pieces from the Once Upon a Christmas Paper Crafting Kit. May Arts ribbon and twine bows add a nice finishing touch.

Take a look below for close-up individual pictures of the clothespins I created. Copy mine, or create your own designs!

Once Upon a Christmas Product List:

OC-305 Paper Crafting Kit
OC-140 Fresh Verse Cardstock Stickers
OC-160 Vellum Tape Strips
OC-304 6x6 Paper Pad
OC-279 Chipboard Shapes
OC-220 Fabric Favorites

Thank you Lisa! I just love these little guys! Now head on over to the May Arts Blog to see what they have in store for you! And don't forget to leave a comment for YOUR chance to win some goodies from the Once Upon a Christmas Collection and May Arts!

And don't forget to check back tomorrow for more inspiration from the Biker Chicks, and more chances to win!

We are so pleased to have Izzy Anderson designing with us again.  Izzy kicked off 2012 as our first Guest Designer of the year with our Paradise collection and we are excited that she is now working with our Once Upon a Christmas Collection.  But, let's have Izzy tell you all about it...

 
I just loved Once Upon A Christmas.  It’s a great, classic line. The neutrals and tone-on-tone designs make mixing and matching a snap. The line has lots of options to go monochromatic, too, if you like that look, and I do.

For my altered project, I made a trio of holiday ornaments.  I love the red cardinals featured throughout this line and wanted to spotlight the pretty birds.

To make the two smaller ornaments, I used the “hanging wreaths” patterned paper and two round frames from the chipboard shapes.  I pop-dotted the paper and chipboard together to give a little dimension then embellished the ornaments with sentiments and bows from the clear cut shapes. To make the large ornament, I used the Vintage Santa paper in the frame, then embellished it with a tag, a vellum tape pennant and a cardinal from the fabric favorites.
 
Once Upon A Christmas Products:
 
OC 103 Hanging Wreaths/Red Tonal Damask
OC 108 Vintage Santa/Brown Houndstooth
OC 132 Tags & String
OC 140 Fresh Verse
OC 160 Vellum Tape Strips
OC 230 Clear Cut Shapes
OC 277 Stick Pins
OC 279 Chipboard Shapes

When I opened my cycling team box, the first thing that caught my eye was the dark brown houndstooth paper.  It’s retro, stylish and all around fabulous.  I went to work with it right away.  It made the perfect cozy backdrop for this holiday photo of my sister and son on a carousel ride.  My son’s sweater featured reindeer and snowflakes so I pulled both of those into my design.

On this page, I used a journaling card as a decorative element for a cluster of items, including a little pennant made from a vellum strip and a stick pin. For a title, I used a hanging tag, embellishing it with a sticker and punched snowflake.

Once Upon a Christmas Products:
OC 101 Vintage Bands/Red Starlight
OC 106 Snowflake Medallion/Red Houndstooth
OC 108 Vintage Santa/Brown Houndstooth
OC 132 Tags & String
OC 134 Journaling Cards
OC 135 Favorite Pieces
OC 140 Fresh Verse
OC 160 Vellum Tape Strips
OC 277 Stick Pins
OC 279 Chipboard Shapes
OC 305 Paper Crafting Kit

For my next project, I made a holiday card.  As soon as I saw the red damask paper with the large sentiment, Merry Christmas, at the bottom, I knew it would be perfect for a card and I set aside that paper.
 
 
To make the card, I trimmed the sentiment from the damask paper, added a bit of red houndstooth, and a vellum strip above it. An accordion flower from the Paper Crafting Kit added some dimension to complete the card.
 
Once Upon a Christmas Products:
OC 110 Merry Christmas Demask/Red Damask
OC 106 Snowflake Medallion/Red Houndstooth
OC 160 Vellum Tape Strips
OC 279 Chipboard Shapes
OC 305 Paper Crafting Kit
 
 
I want to thank Liz and the LYB team for inviting me to ride along with this collection. I had so much fun.  Happy holidays, everyone!

Please visit Izzy's blog Write, Snap, Scrap for more of her inspiring work.

Have a wonderful and crafty day!

Hello friends! I'm so excited to bring you another blog swap week - this time with another one of our favorite manufacturers ...

Epiphany Crafts! Epiphany Craft's shape studio tools are a fun way to add a little pop to your projects.

So we did a little product swap ... they sent us some amazing Shape Studio tools and we sent their team our Splash collection, and I'm so excited to share the projects our super talented designers have created.  Our Biker Chicks will be creating with both Splash and The Escape, just to mix it up a bit!

Prizes? Did I say Prizes?

As usual, there is swag to be had! Just leave a comment here on our blog, and also on Epiphany Crafts' blog, for a chance to win one of TWO amazing prize packs - featuring an Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio tool - with all the accessories, PLUS goodies from the Splash and The Escape LYB collections! 

Make sure to leave comments on our Facebook Page and Epiphany Crafts' Facebook page to increase your chances of winning.

But let's make it a little more interesting....

You may have noticed we just reached 8,500 fans on our Facebook Page. If we hit 9,000 fans by the time the week is up, I'll pick 5 more winners, who will win LYB prize packs including some of your favorites from our newest collections! So SHARE SHARE SHARE already! (And as always, thank you!)

Now enough about the prizes ... let's get to today's project - from Biker Chick Corrie Jones!

Corrie created this adorable canvas to hang on her daughter's bedroom door. Corrie says "She wants to give her room a beachy theme and she LOVED the Splash collection, so this was created for her."

I love how Corrie used the Shape Studio Tool Round 14

to create contrasting embellishment bubbles, AND she used the Bubble Caps Accessories to create clear bubbles. So clever Corrie!

Here are some close ups:

You can see more of Corrie's work by visiting her blog by clicking this link!

Now head on over to Epiphany Crafts' blog for another fun project and another chance to grab some swag!  Don't forget to leave a comment, and I'll be back tomorrow with more from the Biker Chicks!

Have a great day!

-Peg

We're back with another Training Reel featuring Biker Chick Tania Willis and the Christmasy-whimsical Wonder &Wishes collection from Little Yellow Bicycle! This adorable little Holiday Frame will make any space a little merrier - and makes a wonderful handmade gift as well!

In Tania's Training Reel, she'll go over some of the techniques she uses to make this piece extra special. So check it out, and then download the instructions (below), and then hang this little cutie somewhere in your home!

Here are a few more close-ups!

And here are all of the instructions!

Download Twillis_WO_Very Merry Christmas Framed Art Instructions

For more fun and inspiration from Tania Willis, be sure to follow her blog by clicking this link!

Have a crafty day!

-Peg

So often I look at the things people create and find myself wondering...HOW did she think of that? (This feeling of wonder is typically followed by a mixture of self-loathing "I am not worthy" juxtaposed with "I am so privileged to work in the midst of such talent") ... which is about how I feel every time I receive "Happy Email" from our Cycling Teams. So much talent abounds out there, and we are so lucky to be able to tap into it and share it with you!

And that is my long-winded introduction to our much-awaited FIRST POST from our Hello Fall Cycling Team!  First up is Shellye McDaniel - who also was a member of the Head of the Class team (if you missed her oh-so-adorable corkboard mini album you MUST see it by clicking this link - MUST I tell you! And while I'm at it let me take moment to urge you to check out Shellye's blog, which is just filled with spectacular paper crafts!)

So here we go and OH. MY. WORD! Wait 'til you see:

I know, right? Who wouldn't love this fall beauty decorating their home this Thanksgiving?

Here's Shellye to tell you all about it!

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Like many, Fall is my favorite time of the year!  The HELLO FALL Collection from Little Yellow Bicycle captures all of the beautiful colors and warmth of the season.  Couple that with cute bird and owl motifs, glittery leaves and you are able to create so many gorgeous projects.

I have always wanted to create a FAMILY TREE that could be used as a centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table or as an accent for the living room.  When I began this project, I had no idea that the end result could actually serve both purposes!

To get started you will need a nice tree branch and a few twigs.  Depending on how you wish to display your tree, you may want to use a large clay pot, decorated box or basket.  I used a wrought iron planter basket, and filled it with floral foam topped with Spanish moss.  Next, insert the tree branch into the floral foam.  

Products used from the HELLO FALL Collection:

Jewel Stickers

Stick Pins

Canvas Tape Rolls

Fabric Favorite (Button Shapes)

Cardstock Favorite Pieces (Leaves)

Family Tree Kit (Leaves)

Chipboard Shapes (Leaves, Bird, Owl)

Paper Flower Kit

Clear Cuts Shapes (Leaves)

Papers:

Autumn Medley (Back)

Happy Fall (Back)

Sweater Weather (Back)

Misc. Products/Supplies:

Hemp

Ribbon

Brads (Also found in the PAPER FLOWER KIT)

Kraft shred

Body Powder

Tree Branch

Twigs

Basket, Pot or Box

Floral Foam

Spanish Moss

Fast-drying Tacky Glue or Glue Gun

Double-Sided Punch (optional)

To create your APPLES:

1.  Punch 1.25”W x 12”H strips from 12x12 Autumn Medley (back) and Happy Fall (back) patterned papers. [I used a Martha Steward Double-Sided 1" punch.] You will need a total of FOUR (4) strips for each apple that you create.

2  Cris-cross the strips as shown above.  Insert a small brad through the center

3.  Bring the ends of the BOTTOM strip to the top and glue together; repeat with each strip.  Your LAST strip will be the inner most strip (shown as the blue one on above photo).

4.  Using a tacky glue or glue gun, attach small twig (for apple stem) to the top of the apple; allow to dry.

5.  Cut a 10” strip of desired CANVAS TAPE; remove backing.  Sprinkle a small amount of body powder to the back…this will remove most of the stickiness. Bring ends together as shown below.  Crimp center and tie with a small piece of jute; trim excess.

6.  Tie a bow from hemp (or other material), select leaves from Chipboard Shapes, Clear Cuts Shapes, Fabric Favorites, Cardstock Favorite Pieces, etc. Select a couple of JEWEL STICKERS and STICK PINS.  Arrange and glue elements around the apple stem as desired.  Don’t forget to add a loop of hemp to the top so that it can be hung from tree!

7.  I used my printer and Typewriter Font to create name tags.  You could use small alpha stickers or handwritten tags.

8.  Next, gently ‘stuff’ the apple with Kraft Shred…this just helps to hold the shape.  Spanish Moss could be used in place of Kraft Shred.

9. Finally, you will want to decorate your tree with various leaves from the FAMILY TREE KIT, CARDSTOCK FAVORITE PIECES and PAPER FLOWER KIT.  I cut some of the leaves from the flower petals, as well.  I also used the cute CHIPBOARD SHAPES birds and owls on the branches.  Tie ribbon bows to add more dimension and texture…think of it as you would when decorating a Christmas tree :)!

And the BEST part, turn these sweet apples into place markers on your Thanksgiving table!  

Use sheets of patterned paper as placemats…just cover with a clear contact paper or laminate.

I hope you enjoy the project!  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Shellye

___________________________________

See what I mean? Wow! And so simple to create. Now just a quick reminder - Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away ... plenty of time for you to make one of your very own for your harvest table!

Here are a few more close ups to give you some more ideas!

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Have fun creating, people!  If you LOVE this holiday project as much as I do, why not hop over to Shellye's blog and tell her!

I'll be back Thursday with another project from Hello Fall! Cycling Team member Ashley Horton!

Hello folks! Thanks for your comments on our crazy fall storm. Believe it or not, it was in the high 60s here in CT today and most of the snow in my back yard is gone!

Today I have some more fantastic projects from our Head of the Class and Game On Cycling Teams to share with you! 

First is this adorable "Team Mom Scoreboard" from KimberlyRae Forde. Speaking as a team mom who is also a coach (pardon me while I brag that my U13 boys soccer team just won their league championship...even though our last game was snowed out ... ahem!) ... this is a MUST HAVE!!!

What a super gift for the coach, team manager, or team mom! Here are a few close ups!

Love this! For more inspiration from KimberlyRae, check out her blog by clicking this link!

Next up is Amanda Johnson, who made this adorable keeper for her daughter's kindergarten projects. So cool!

Here's Amanda to tell you how she made it:

My oldest daughter will be going off to kindergarten next year, and I wanted to make something bright and fun to store all of her papers and drawings in...the Head of the Class collection was absolutely perfect for this!!

Supply List:

Head of the Class Dimensional Pop-Up Stickers, Chipboard Shapes, Journaling Cards, Stick Pins, Mini Banners, Clear Cuts Shapes, and Patterned Papers.

Additional Supply List:

Acrylic Paint, Bakers Twine, Chipboard Portfolio

Here's the how-to:

Start by taking apart the portfolio so that you can measure the sides. Next select and cut your favorite Head of the Class patterned papers. Adhere and then sand all of your edges. (I used Modge Podge to adhere all of my papers.)

Next Choose your embellishments, and layer as desired. I chose to keep the embellishing on my project fairly simple, I know my daughter, and this will get opened and closed tons of times, this is also why I chose to only embellish on the bottom half of the portfolio.

Next put your portfolio back together. I chose to use the dimensional stickers for my closures instead of putting the originals back on.

Finally go through and paint all of your seams with a coat of acrylic paint and let dry.

This is a super easy project!! You can of course embellish more or less depending on the look you are hoping to achieve...I wanted mine to be functional and I also wanted to let the fabulous designs on the Head of the Class patterned papers stand out.

_____________________________

What a great project. For more inspiration from Amanda, follow her blog by clicking this link!

Thanks Amanda and KimberlyRae for today's inspiration! Tomorrow we will be announcing the Cycling Teams for our Wonder & Wishes and Winter Twig collections. Have you submitted your work for consideration?

Have a great evening!

-Peg

Hello all! It's Peg back again with two more inspiring projects from our Get Your Game On and Head of the Class Cycling Teams! And how about Jamie's projects yesterday? Pretty cool, huh?  If you missed it, be sure to go take a look! Everyone's talking about the Jamie's Crayon Collage. Amazing...

Today we're sharing Samantha Taylor's Get Your Game On Canvas Colorables and a layout from Rhonda Van Ginkel. Let's get right to it.

Samantha Taylor's Canvas Colorables

Hello! I so excited to share my project with you today. One of my favorite things about LYB is how amazing the embellishments are that go with a line. When I got Get Your Game On, I knew I wanted to find a way to used the fun Canvas Colorables and play with all the embellishments at the same time. I decided to make a trio of framed art for my son's bedroom wall.

If you're not someone who works a lot with canvas or altered art, have no fear: Game On Canvas Colorables are really easy to work with. I experimented a lot to find out what would work (and more importantly what wouldn't) and here's what I learned. Anything permanent (paint, paint pens, alcohol inks, mists, alcohol base markers (think Copics), even Sharpie Markers) seem to work really well. Anything not so permanent (water based inks and markers) tend not to work, as they don't dry completely or smear when touched.  The plus side to using Copics is that they cover very well, give nice bright colors, and allow the original print work on the canvas to show through.

If you're looking to do the same thing with a more antiqued look, I would suggest trying to sponge or brush on alcohol inks. Paints, paint pens, and Sharpies work well, but don't allow the underlying artwork to show through. If you're not sure if an ink will work, flip the canvas over and test it out on the back side first. 

I used Copic Markers to color the canvases, and then sponged on a very light shade of alcohol ink to add a bit of age to the canvases.

I especially concentrated the alcohol ink on the edges of the canvas and the figures of the players. If you're not terribly artistic when it comes to things like coloring and shading (and I'm one of those people who's not), this is still a really easy thing to do. There is a pre-printed shading on the canvases already. I just followed where the players were already shaded and enhanced it a bit.

After I colored my canvases, I layered them on an 8" x 10" piece of matching Game On paper. Then, I added embellishments (stickers, chipboard, and banners) to the paper and canvas. You can attach embellishments to the canvas really easily with a nice sticky adhesive like Glue Dots®. The artwork then went into an 8" x 10" shadowbox style frame.

I added more embellishments to the frame and glass.

I like adding embellishments to the outside and inside of a frame as a way to add extra depth and interest to the project.

Then all you need to do is find a wall to hang them on. My son is thrilled to have these for his room!

Supplies:

Frame - 3 - 8 x 10 shadowbox style frames

Canvases - Get Your Game On (Football, Baseball, Basketball)

Paper - Get Your Game On (Football Collage, Baseball Collage, Basketball Collage)

Accessories - Get Your Game On (Stickers Favorite Pieces (Basketball, Baseball, Football), Chipboard Shapes, Mini Banners (football)), Copic Markers, Alcohol Ink

Tools - Sponge Daubers

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Wow...love these Samantha! What young sports fan wouldn't want them for his room? I think they'd also look great in a rec room, or as a gift for a special coach. Thanks so much. You can follow Samantha's blog by clicking this link!

And now for Rhonda's "Spare Me" Layout!

I love how one designer can look at a collection and create something beautiful ... and then another designer can look at the same elements and see something completely different. I think that's one of the coolest things about this hobby!

So tell me ... how many of you look at the Head of the Class collection and think "sports"? I know I didn't, but check out Rhonda's layout!

Wow. Love it! Here's Rhonda!

I absolutely loved the Head of the Class collection!  The bright fun colors of the papers and classic design made this such a joy to work with!!!  Thank you so very much to Little Yellow Bicycle for the honor of designing for you.

The moment I saw the fun diamond shaped pattern paper with the number "10" in the headpin position, I knew I was going to turn this collection into a bowling page!  I always enjoy looking beyond the intent of a collection and try to use it in a different or unusual way.

For my project I had a series of three photos, but I didn't really want to crop them too much to compromise their composition.  The solution:  Create a built in flip book built on the page.  It was very simple, I just stitched the left side down.  I attached the bottom photo leaving a pocket to tuck in my Good Job journaling spot.

Keeping my banner theme for the page, I added a few horizontal banners into the main photo mat.  I created a few custom star buttons using the papers and my Epiphany Star 25 tool.  For my bowling ball and pin, I used my Cricut Expression and the Nifty Fifties cartridge.  A little glossy accents on the bowling ball was the finishing touch.

Thanks for coming along with me for a little cycling tour of my Spare Me! page today! 

~ Rhonda

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Thanks for joining us today! You can see more of Rhonda's work by clicking on this link to her blog!

I'll be back later this evening with the winners of my Sweet Summertime giveaway (finally, right?)...and we'll be inspiring you all weekend long with more Game On and Head of the Class projects. And all next week...blog swap with the Twinery! Woot!

-Peg

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I have posted - phew life passes so quickly sometimes. But we have so much creativity floating around over here I am positively overwhelmed!

And...well...you will be too when you see these absolutely amazingly creative projects!

I'm so pleased to present the work of our latest Cycling Team Member, Jamie Cripps. If you are not one of her MANY blog followers, you should be! She is a talented crafty woman!

First up ... a fun and totally cool twist on classroom art:

I am still trying to figure out how she cut those crayons so they would fit perfectly into the "M". Just wow. Here is another angle:

Next from Jamie, a simple, neat and handy teacher gift:

Are there any teachers who couldn't use a few extra pencils? Here's a peek at the top:

And finally, a layout:

A little detail:

Fabric stars layered over a Clear Cut shape makes for a fun title!

But my absolute favorite is how Jamie punched her daughter's name out of the Practice your ABC's paper and layered them for extra depth. What a great idea! 

Thanks so much to Cycling Team member Jamie Cripps for the inspiration!

And I'll be back tomorrow with more projects from the Cycling Team!

Oh, and by they way ... I still haven't announced the winners from our Sweet Summertime giveaway. I'll be doing that tomorrow too!

;)  Peg

Hi friends! Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

We're back today with another amazing project from our Tiny Princess and Baby Saurus Guest Designer Laura Vegas! She's made the cutest little altered monogram letter and I'm going to show it to you in just a minute ... 

...after a little more Q&A with Laura!

LYB: Are you a chronological or out of order scrapbooker?

Laura:  Out of order. I tend to scrap with whatever photos are inspiring me at the moment, or what photos work with the colors and products I'm using. That might mean photos from this year, from 2 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

LYB:  Are you an "events" or "moments" scrapbooker?

Laura:  I do both. I think most of my layouts are about the "moments", using favorite photos to help tell the story. But I also love doing "event" layouts. There's something very rewarding about taking an entire event, working a ton of photos onto a layout, documenting the day, and knowing it's in the books and done.

LYB:  Are you a sit down or stand up scrapbooker?

Laura:  I've gone back and forth on this, as my scrap space has moved around in the house. Right now, I'm a sit down scrapper. But I am constantly standing up, the entire time I scrap, to dig around for supplies I want.

LYB: Do you have a favorite quote?

Laura:  "It is what it is." I have lived by this quote for years now. Even when things aren't going my way, and life isn't what I might want it to be, "it is what it is." Accept it, and learn to make the most of it.

Great quote. And now - here's Laura!

Babysaurus Altered Monogram

I have seen these large paper mache letters so many times in the craft store, and finally decided to try altering one of them. I knew the adorable Baby Saurus collection would be perfect for making a monogram letter for a baby's nursery. I choose the letter "Z", for my daycare baby, Zachary. These letters are nice and chunky, and are almost 12 inches in height.

I started out by painting the edges of my letter with some acrylic paint. I made sure to get a little bit of paint overlapping onto the top edges. There's no reason to paint the entire front of the letter, since I was adhering patterned paper to the front. Once the paint was dry, I traced the letter onto a piece of pattern paper. Since the letters is almost 12 inches in height, one sheet of pattern paper will cover the letter entirely. When I cut out the letter from the paper, I cut it about 1/4 inch in from my traced lines. This made my paper letter a tad bit smaller than the actual paper mache letter, so that a little bit of the painted edge would show. I adhered the paper to the front of the letter, using some strong adhesive. You could always decopauge the paper, if you wanted an even better hold.

Then I had fun picking out embellishments to decorate my letter. I went with the lines on the "Z" shape, so i mainly added my embellishments to the top and bottom of the letter. I used some Chipboard Stickers, and Favorite Pieces stickers. I thought the trees and cute little dinosaurs would be cute in Zachary's nursery. I wanted to tie a few ribbons around the middle section of the "Z", and the ribbons from Little Yellow Bicycle's Pack Your Bags collection coordinated perfectly.

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I'm in love with this little "Z" monogram! So cute. (I'm sure those day care parents love the little bonuses they get by having Laura as their day care provider.) Lucky Zachary! It will be adorable in his nursery!

Thanks Laura!

I'll be back with a final post from Laura later in the week, and hey - guess what? Soon we'll be shipping Sweet Summertime! Get ready for more fun.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out Laura's Blog, and tell her how much you're loving these projects she has created for us!

Before you read this post ... go make yourself a cup of tea!

No really.

Go ahead.

I just did.

Don't worry - I'll still be here when you get back - sippin' away!

Personally I'm a coffee person. Got to have my cuppa joe (or three!) in the morning, but lately I've taken to enjoying a cup of tea every day. I think in our hurry-up world with our too-much-to-do lists, the coffee culture contributes a little extra caffeinated craziness to our everyday rush.

[Think about it ... the very act of placing an order at Starbucks can be stress-inducing to some people ... "I'll have a decaf-non-fat-double-tall-latte-no-foam-no-syrup-extra-hot ... please"!]

On the other hand, a cup of tea says:

"Take a moment. Relax. Enjoy. Appreciate."

Not to mention it's loaded with antioxidants, so it's good for you too. Tea makes you happy. I guess that's why the Maya Road chipboard teapot makes me so happy. For instance, didn't you love how Liz used it on the cover of her album in yesterday's post?

Well guess what? It's back again today! Biker Chick Greta Hammond used it to make a beautiful banner! So scroll down to take a peek, and then at the end of this post, find out how to win Your OWN Maya Road Teapot Chipboard Album - plus a perfect pairing of Little Yellow Bicycle goodies!

Here's Greta!

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I’ve always been a big fan of Maya Road and was thrilled to be a part of this Swap! I loved the little Maya Road Teapot Chipboard Album we received and immediately thought of LYB’s Elizabeth Park and a springtime theme. I covered three of the teapot pages and then layered them on top of 6x6 decorative edge papers from the EP line to create the base for this spring banner.

I also used the little tea cups on top of some journaling cards to fit in between the larger pieces.

To embellish, I started with paper doilies for texture and then layered on embellishments including the felt and candy striped blossoms from Maya Road, chipboard, dimensional butterflies and fresh verse stickers from Elizabeth Park. 

The combination of products provided some great variety in texture and dimension to the project!

Thank you Maya Road for letting me play with your fabulous product!

Greta

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Love it Greta! So pretty!

OK so here's your chance to win...two actually...Leave a comment telling us your favorite project that we've shown so far in the blog swap (...now don't worry about offending anyone...they're all amazing but you're allowed to have a favorite ... or if you can't choose a favorite, tell us which one you're most likely to try to make yourself!). For your second chance to win, leave another comment on our Facebook page too!

Wonderful Maya Road sent us a few extra Teapot Chipboard Albums ... and when I first saw them, I thought of our Savor collection. So leave your comments and on Friday I'll pick TWO random winners (one from the Facebook comments and one from the blog comments) who will win a Teapot Chipboard Album PLUS some fabulous goodies from the Savor collection.

Now go enjoy that cup of tea!

And don't forget to check out Maya Road's blog for their post a little later today!

Peg

Way back in January, we posted a pic of a beautiful birdhouse made using the Twig collection by Biker Chick Renee Foss on the blog (you can see it here). We received so many comments on that little cutie, we asked Biker Chick Tania Willis to make a spring birdhouse using the Elizabeth Park collection, for the newest Training Reel - so you can all make one for your very own!

So Tania got to work and ... WOW! What an adorable project!

So cute, isn't it?

Here's the Training Reel. Tania had a little trouble with the upload and had to play with the resolution (darn that YouTube!), so in the beginning the colors in the beginning of the video are not as bright as they should be.

All of the instructions to make the birdhouse are in the PDF down at the end of this post. Ready to get to work? Here are a few more pics so you can see the house from every angle!

This is the Left-Hand side of the house (I love how Tania used the scored papers from the Elizabeth Park Paper Flower Kit to make the fence!):

Check out the blinged-out centers of the stick pin flowers! So sweet!!

And the Right-Hand side:

And of course, more cute flowers!!

Here's a close-up shot of the front:

I love the little touches of bling Tania added!

And a sweet little butterfly taking a rest on the roof!

And here are the instructions!

Download Altered Spring Birdhouse Training Reel Instructions

You can find more projects from Tania here on her blog!

Have fun!

While I'm happy that April has finally arrived, I'm sad knowing that it also means it's time to say goodbye to our Elizabeth Park Guest Designer Michelle Lanning.  :(    Michelle has delighted us with her fun and springy posts featuring the Elizabeth Park collection and she has one final treat for you.

But first a little housekeeping! April 15 (that's next Friday!) marks the end of the Elizabeth Park Sketch Challenge! We've received a few beautiful entries, but we'd love to see MORE! Click here for the details, and enter by emailing your layout to "contest@mylyb.com" or by posting it on our Facebook wall!

Now read on blog followers for one more lovely project from Michelle Lanning. And don't worry! If you just can't get enough of Michelle, you can keep on following Michelle's blog right here!  Here's Michelle!

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Hello everyone!  Michelle here with my last post for Little Yellow Bicycle.  I first would like say to thank you to everyone at LYB.  It has been a pleasure working with your fabulous product and I have had nothing but fun!!

For my last project I created something for my classroom.  I have open house coming up and I thought it would be cute to have something a little Spring related that said my name. 

Supplies: Elizabeth Park Collection

- Pattern Paper: Decorative Edge Cardstock, Tiny Lattice (Teal), Lacy Lattice (Grey)

- Dimensional Pop-Up Stickers

- Paper Doilies

- Canvas Stickers

- Fabric Favorites

- Fabric Frames

- Flower Button Dots

Other:

- Jenni Bowlin Alpha Stickers

- American Crafts, Thickers, Ribbon

To put this together I simply started with the wonderful decorative edge paper.  I fanned half a sheet of the Lacy Lattice paper and adhered it with some strong double-sided tape. I then added 4 Doilies (stapled), 2 large and 2 medium.  I trimmed the Fabric Border so it looked more like a ribbon and adhered with 3-Dimensional adhesive. 

After that, I just embellished and had fun!  I can’t wait to hang this up in my classroom.  It will add such a fun scrappy touch!

Thanks again for having me!

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Thank you Michelle! We have so enjoyed your posts, your talent, and your creativity! Don't forget to check out Michelle's blog for more beautiful projects, and watch for our next Guest Designer, coming soon, for Tiny Princess and Baby Saurus!!

Wow! A whole week has gone by without a blog post! Well it's been busy here but now we're back with another fun project from Elizabeth Park Guest Designer Michelle Lanning ... and Michelle's thinking SPRING with an awesome spring banner project for you! Can't wait to share it with you, but first a quick Q&A with Michelle!

LYB:   Are you an events or moments scrapbooker?

Michelle:  Moments.

LYB:  Are you a "sit down" or "stand up" scrapbooker?

Michelle:  Sit down.

LYB:  What is your favorite quote?

Michelle:   "We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."  - Joseph Campbell

LYB:   Are you a neat scrapbooker or is your space a mess?

Michelle?   Is there such a thing as a neat scrapbooker? Ha! While I scrap, yes it is a mess, but I can't move on to another project until my space is picked up.

LYB:   Describe your style.

Michelle:   Hmm, this is always a hard one for me. I would say colorful, happy, and sometimes whimsical.

Psst...hey Michelle - we think that cleaning up between projects makes you a neat scrapbooker!

OK now here's Michelle and that lovely spring banner!

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Hi there!  Michelle back again to share with you my latest project with the Elizabeth Park paper line.  I decided, not so surprisingly, to make a banner to put up in our house.

I used various items for this banner, but the base of it was made using the Elizabeth Park Envelope Album kit.  I glued most of the envelopes in the softer hues to the outside. Here is the breakdown of what I did for the base of each letter.

S – I used the fabric frame, pattern paper, and the journaling tag that was in the envelope kit.

P - Envelope & journaling card.

R - Chipboard from the Envelope Album, Paper Doily, journaling tag.

I - Envelope, journaling cards.

N - Fabric frame, pattern paper, fabric favorites.

G - Envelope, journaling card.

Here are a couple of close ups!

Supplies:

Elizabeth Park Supplies:

- Flower Stickpins

- Envelope Album Kit

- Chipboard Stickers

- Dimensional Pop-up Stickers

- Paper Flower Kit

- Fabric Favorites

- Flower Button Dots-layered

- Journaling Cards

- Epoxy Stickers

- Fabric Frames

- Paper Doilies

- Tiny Lattice-Teal, Pattern paper

- Lacy Lattice-Grey, Pattern Paper

Other:

Vintage Lace (my stash)

Thickers – American Crafts

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Great project Michelle! Thanks! Can't wait to see what you create next! Remember to follow Michelle's blog here!

I have seen SOOOO many AMAZING projects posted to our Facebook page over the last several days! I know some of our blog followers are not "Facebookers" but if you are, and you're lookin' for a little Twig inspiration, look no further than our page. You'll find altered projects, cards, and pages galore - yours for the lifting! They are all so beautiful. We LOVE to see everyone's projects and can't thank you all enough for sharing them with us! If you've missed it, be sure to check it out by clicking here!

But if you're haven't been following Liz Qualman's blog, then you missed out on this:

Liz calls it "Twig Spring Town" but I call it "outta-control-amazing-spring-O-licious"!!!

I'm going to show you some letter-by-letter close ups, but you can go over to Liz's blog for easy-to-follow instructions (including measurements on the letters, materials, etc.)!

So shout it with me, why don'tcha! Ready?

Gimme an "S":

Gimme a "P":

Gimme an "R":

Gimme an "I":

Gimme an "N":

Gimme a "G":

What's that spell?

A little LOUDER!

I can't HEAR you!!

(Thanks for playing along with me ... a gal can hope that if a bunch of fantastic blog followers relive their cheerleading days then maybe Spring will actually hurry up and come, can't she?!)

And now a couple of reminders!

TOMORROW is a big day. We're tallying up the votes for the Grand Prize winner of our Twig Sketch Challenge, so if you haven't already, don't forget to VOTE for your favorite (and if you have already voted, thank you but no stuffing the ballot box)! You can VOTE by following that link up there over to the challenge and leaving a comment, or going to our Facebook page and leaving a comment under your favorite one. (Winner will be announced on Saturday!)

Also, in case you missed the first post from our Elizabeth Park Guest Designer Michelle Lanning, go take a look and leave a comment there also, for a chance to win some Elizabeth Park goodies! We'll be announcing that winner tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by and joining in the fun!

We sure hope you've been following the Glue Arts blog this week. Their Glue Girls designers have absolutely outdone themselves showcasing the Cupcake Love collection!

Yesterday, they featured this adorable cardset, created by designer Linda Albrecht:

Love the little covered candies, glittered frame, ok well really, I just love it ALL!!!

And for today's post, Glue Arts designers Danielle Flanders and Patti Milazzo created three more amazing cards. Check out the Glue Arts blog for more pics and complete, step-by-step instructions ... but here are a few peeks. If we haven't convinced you by now to run (ok click...but like sprint click) over there, well then nothing will. Oh and while you're there - don't forget to leave a comment telling them we sent you, to be entered to win an amazing Cupcake Love/Glue Arts prize pack!

So here you go ...

How about these amazing crepe paper roses:

Love this fence! Especially the little butterfly flying on the curled wire!

And who wouldn't want to receive this beautiful Happy Heart card? It's simply perfect!

OK now get going! Here's that link again! And don't forget to tell 'em we sent ya!

Boy have we been busy getting ready for CHA. Glad you all enjoyed the reveal yesterday. I do have to say Lori and Sharon have outdone themselves with this collection, haven't they?

But let's not forget little ol' Cupcake Love is still out there and Valentine's Day is right around the corner! So I have a few more projects to share with you. The first one is for a class I'm co-teaching at my LSS, New England Scrapbook Company, this weekend. My friend Julie Wern is a talented gourmet chef. So she's going to be teaching folks how to make these lovely decorated cookies:

Gorgeous, huh? And cookies as pretty as these just scream to be put in a decorated tin, don't they? So I'm going to be teaching how to make this little tin to put them in:

As you know, I LOVE the Cupcake Love collection and I thought the scalloped-edge glitter paper would make an adorable little "hat box" top to the tin. Guess what? I was right! Add a few embellishments, some ribbons, and a little glitter, and voila! Many (in fact most) of the decorations on this tin came off the Great Big Cutouts Sheet, plus a few more embellies (truthfully, the hardest part was saying "when" - I just love them so much!)

I also decorated the inside with a little pocket, to add a little love note, and decorated one of the cut-out lollipops with an accordion folded flower (get out your glue guns, girls, and follow along with Greta's tutorial in the Christmas Delight Mini Album Training Reel blog).

This was the *very first* one of these I ever made and they are so cute and SO easy you just HAVE to try it. Then I glued it to a lollipop for some dimension.

The cupcake in the pocket is also from the Great Big Cutouts sheet. I attached it to some cardstock and cut almost all the way around to make my card. And I tied a little epoxy conversation heart to the bow to finish it off!

So much fun. Can't wait to teach this class!

OK onto more Cupcake Love-liness!

Biker Chick Tania Willis sent me this photo of this super cute layout she created featuring her adorable kiddo Emma:

The "10 Things I Love" sticker is a great jumping point for her journaling and I love how she layered the chipboard cupcake:

More happy chipboard...

And I love how she created her title!

Thanks for sharing, Tania!

OK one more thing... Waaaaaaay back in December, we posted Jen Gallacher's Training Reel showing you how to make these cute Valentines Cards:

So if you're starting to think about making your handmade Valentines, you can find the tutorial and downloadable instructions here.

Have fun creating!

Just like your favorite recipes ... the Savor collection and your scrapbook pages and projects ... are best when they're shared! So while you're preparing your holiday dishes, we hope you'll whip up some crafty creations and share them in our Savor Challenge!

(click on image to enlarge)

You have until Monday, December 13th - and there are two categories to enter:

"Cards & Layouts" and "Projects"

(you may enter one or both but sorry, you may not enter layouts you already entered for the Liz Qualman Sketch Challenge).

Enter by posting your page, cards or project on our Facebook page or by emailing a photo to "contest@mylyb.com" (be sure to include your name and full contact info - and please note by sending or posting your photo you're giving us your permission to display it on our Facebook page, blog, and other materials).

On Monday, December 13th we'll select three winners in each category - and you'll have a chance to vote for your favorite. Winners will receive:

1st Place:  $100 in LYB Product

2nd Place:  $75 in LYB Product

3rd Place:  $50 in LYB Product

[prizes will be awarded in both categories]

So while you're doing all that holiday cooking and shopping, be sure to set aside some time to Savor the Memories ... and enter the Savor Contest!

[For complete rules, visit this link.]