All that talk of Fall on Monday...

reminded our friend, Karin of a couple layouts she made last week of her daughter at the Pumpkin Patch when she was in kindergarten.

Karin cut two Scallop Borders from different colored cardstock and layered them at the top of her page. Then she added the Scarecrow, bales of hay and Fence border. She used the Storybook font and the new Sunflower die also. Here's her second page...

On this page Karin used the Quickutz Rectangle Cookie Cutter Label and the Harvest 4x8 font for her title. She repeated her layered Scallop Border and added more Sunflowers. Those are really cute pages! Thanks for sharing with us Karin!

Check out this cute gift bag PJ made.

She used her Slice to embellish the front of the gift bag. You could make these for any occasion. Could you imagine it for Christmas? You could even put a window in the front with your Nestabilities so you could see the goodies inside. If you are interested in making these and haven't seen the how-to video yet check out this link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy2bL30vkgU

This next project is a card Veroica made.

Veronica used Spellbinders Labels 1, the Quickutz Nesting Circles along with a combination of Oatmeal and Sticky Note alphas for her sentiment. Don't you just love all the layers?! Cute card!

We hope your week is going well. It's Wednesday so you're half way through it. We'll be back Friday with an all new weekly sketch and we hope to see you here.

Katie

Can you believe...

that summer is officially over? Fall is here and with that comes cooler weather and warmer clothes. Personally, I LOVE Fall. It is my favorite time of the year. No longer hot but not too cool. There's smells of spice in the air and the leaves are changing to the lovely oranges and reds. Ahhhh. Fall.

Here's a layout Veronica created to document one summer day her family spent in Soderkoping.

She used the Cookie Cutter Lamp Post, 2x2 Square Petal Flowers and the large Square Petal Flower. Veronica used Marigold for her title. I would never have thought to cut Marigold with patterned paper but I really like how it looks. It added so much detail to her layout!

Jenn has created another round of moving cards.

For this one, she used the Sizzix Airplane Decorative Strip and cut the title with her Silhouette. That decorative strip would work well for announcements too!

Tammy has an aspiring dancer in her house.

She used the square Bracket Border to enclose her photos. Apparently, her daughter likes to dance in very little clothing so Tammy creatively added flowers to her photos as a cover. Too cute.

Here's a peek at a Fall page I did for my calendar.

I used the new Unity's new Simple Blessings set for the pumpkins, flourish and leaf. I love this set and it is bigger than you may think.

Well, we hope that you've found a little inspiration to help kick start your Monday morning. Don't forget to stop by and see us on Wednesday for some more inspiring projects. Until then, enjoy the fabulous Fall weather!

Katie

I bet you're all wondering...

who won the blog candy?! I will tell you, but first let's take a peek at some projects. I know, it's torture right? And, don't go peeking ahead either. LOL! We'll start with last week's sketch.

I created this sketch using my Gazelle software.

Check out Jenn's layout...

There's nothing like a beautiful Christmas tree all lit up to kick start your holiday spirit. Jenn used the new Holiday 4x8 alphabet for her title, the Lights Border and Revolution Adornments. It may seem early but I promise, Christmas will be here before we know it!

Our friend Jannie chose a Fall theme for her layout.

Jannie combined the Miss Muffet and Honeybee fonts to create her title and added a bit of Revolution Flower. I just love the pumpkins and visiting the Pumpkin Patch! Don't you?!

Now for a look at Shar's bright and cheery layout...

Shar also used the new Holiday 4x8 alphabet for her title. Then she sprinkled a few Nesting Stars around and topped it off with the Cowboy Hat. Cute, cute.

Ready for the winner? We're almost there! Tammy chose this week's sketch from September's Page Maps.

This is a great multi-photo sketch!

Tammy replaced the large photo corner with a cluster of star embellishments.

She used the Quickutz Nesting Circles to hold her title. Super cute!

Here's Jenn's take on the sketch...

She used the Spellbinders Pinking Circles and Circle Nestabilities to create her journal box. Jenn said the title was created with a retired Sizzix font, but you could easliy cut that font as a TTF using your Silhouette or Gazelle. Great point Jenn, thanks!

How 'bout a peek at Veronica's layout?!

Veronica used the Supermarket alphabet for her title and added the Quickutz Nesting Circles and Revolution Tractor. Some doodled stitches and a few buttons topped her layout off.

Okay, okay. I hear you. Are you ready for the winner now?! My son, Seth, randomly chose the #3 so congratulations to Gemscraps who said "I use the smaller die cut packaging for mixing paints and glues and things like that. I also use the packaging from the border dies to protect my work surface when I'm putting glue or stickles or diamond glaze on some of the smaller die cuts. Makes for easy cleanup." Please email me your address and 2x2 die choice and we'll get it off to you asap! Thanks to all of you for participating and giving such wonderful ideas!

We're so glad you dropped by today! Hopefully you're inspired enough to try this week's sketch. Fall is officially here and temps are slowly starting to drop. Go out and enjoy your weekend and we'll see you right back here Monday morning!

Katie

With Us Wednesday!

Hello and happy Wednesday! We're glad you joined us for another installment of With us Wednesday. In case you missed it, Monday I left a challenge for you all. Basically, all you have to do is leave a comment on MONDAY'S POST with an idea or solution for reusing some of your die packaging. I will randomly draw and announce a winner who will receive a 2x2 die of their choice (limited to in stock items).

Our friend, Shar, left a comment and sent these photos to show us how she has recycled some of her Quickutz packaging. Shar's granddaughter, Grace, likes to play restaurant when she visits with them, and has done this since the age of 3 or 4. Grace named her "restaurant" the Kitchen Coop and she and Shar made this set of "tools" for her to play with.

This first picture is of the signs that hang in the kitchen...

And here's what they look like hanging in their spot...

They also made a menu, welcome sign and centerpiece...

And here's one final look at all the pieces together...

Isn't that an awesome set?! I love the idea! Thanks so much for sharing with us Shar!

What do you think about felt? When I saw these projects in my inbox from PJ I thought to myself, "why didn't I think of that?!" Check out what PJ did with a little felt...

She used her Scallop Circles and Nested Birds to create the wonderful pieces. Here are a few closeups so you can see the detail...

Did you notice the tiny folded flower wings? That little hand stitching with floss added so much detail too! Thanks PJ for sharing these with us!

Over the last year Scrap-Mart has continued to grow. We've taken on many new product lines, expanded lines we already had and we're bustin' at the seams. We can't thank you guys, our customers, enough for your support each and every day! So what now for Scrap-Mart? We're movin'! Yep, we're moving to a new, larger location. The transition should be complete by the end of the month but until then, bear with us. We will continue to strive to give our customers the best customer service and fastest shipping possible. Our DT has been working on some moving cards we can send out to the vendors we purchase from to let them know where to ship our goodies. Here's the card Jenn designed...

Jenn cut this entirely using her Silhouette. Such a clever idea.

And here's Veronica's cards...

Veronica embossed the card background with the Quickutz Dots Embossing Folder. Then she added the house and bird from the pop-up collection and the Revolution Speech Bubble. How cute?!

Well, that's all for today! I hope we were able to kick start your creative juices. You still have plenty of time to get your layouts to me for Friday's sketch too! Everyone is welcome to play along! So, we'll see you back here Friday with a *WINNER*! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Katie

This is post number 325 for Scrap-Mart!

Yep, 325. We are coming up on our 2 year blog-aversary soon too. So, in honor of our 325th post I think I'll give away a prize...but you'll have to follow along through the post to see what you win! I know, but I couldn't make it tooooo easy could I?!

Tammy sent me this cute card she made using the August Unity Retailer KOTM.

After stamping her image she colored it in with her Copic Spica Glitter Pens then she cut the rectangles using her Spellbinders Rectangle Nestabilities. Mmmm, sweetness is right!

Veronica created a set of canvases, one for each of her boys. They are fabulous!

She basically made them as mirrors of each other and plans to hang them in their rooms. Veronica tucked a touch of Scallop Border in her layers and added some Revolution Flourishes. Now, Veronica is a self-proclaimed "die cut girl" and we've all seen her work so we know this is true. But, like everyone else, once in a while she likes to throw in some Thickers. Veronica used Thickers (which we sell in our convention booth) for the boys' names. It can sometimes be difficult to get your letters, even die cut letters, just where you want them. So, Veronica cut a piece of the plastic packaging that her dies come in and kept it. Then she gently attaches her letters to the plastic sheet and she can see exactly where they will look best without damaging her layout! See...

Not only is this a great tip, but it also helps us to be a little more GREEN by recycling our things for other uses. Thanks for the awesome tip Veronica!

Here's a peek at my calendar/planner page for September.

I started off with some Scenic Route papers, chipboard accents and cardstock sticker. The row of numbers and my birthday are stamps from Unity's Our Life, Our Stories kit. After I stamped the my birthday I cut it out using Spellbinders Labels One Nestabilities. My old planner ran out over a year ago and I'm soooo glad to have one back!

Okay, so are you ready to hear about the blog candy? It's super simple. All you have to do is leave a comment about how you think the die packaging could be re-used. Any ideas on how you could recycle them? You have all week to post and I will choose a winner at random and announce it on Friday's sketch challenge post. The winner will be able to choose a 2x2 die of their choice! How 'bout it?!

We hope you had a great weekend and we're glad you stopped by today! We'll be back on Wednesday, as usual, and we hope you'll have a chance to stop by. See you then!

Katie

I sure hope you had a great week!

It really seemed to fly by for me. Let's take a look at last week's sketch again...

Okay, and now let's see what you have done with it! We'll start with DT member Jenn.

Jenn used her Silhouette to create her title and the shadow mat. I just love the look the added mat gives!

Here's Shar's take on last week's sketch...

Shar used a combination of the Studio Skinnimini and new Holiday 4x8 alphabets for her title. She added in a touch of Scallop Border and used the plate from the Place Setting for the larger circle. The other circle comes from the Nesting Circles and she added the 2x2 Open Book. Great take on the sketch!

And, our friend, Jannie also participated in this week's sketch. Check out her layout...

Jannie used the Strawberry font for her title and the Revolution flower. Notice how she creased the flower petals to give them more dimension?! Great layout Jannie!

And last but definately not least, our friend Marie's layout.

Marie used a combination of Aquarius and Spotlight to create her title and she added the Quickutz Border Arrows. If you look closely, you can see she embossed the Arrow with the Spellbinders Paisley Impressabilities. Don't you love how Marie stretched her layout into a two-page spread?!

Ready for this week's sketch?

I created this sketch using my Gazelle software.

Check out what Veronica did with the sketch.

Veronica used the new Miss Muffet alphabet for her title, which translates to "I am big boy". She intentionally left out the 'a' because she wrote it as her son actually says it. She also used the Scallop Border, Nesting Stars and the Nesting Circles. I love the color mix she used!

Here's Tammy's take...

Tammy also used the Scallop Border and the Banana Split font for her title.

And finally, my take on my own sketch.

I used Honeybee for my title and added the Originals Sitting Hello Kitty. My scallop background circle was cut with the Gazelle and I used my Copics for the shading on Hello Kitty.

Thanks to all of our friends out there who stop by and visit and to those who participate in our weekly sketches. We appreciate you all! We'll be back on Monday, as usual, and we hope to see you here! Have a fabulous weekend!

Katie

Hey hey everyone!

Hope you're having a *SCRAPTASTIC* week! Didja get a chance to check out the new Quickutz Holiday release? Did it put you in the holiday mood? It sure did for me. People think I'm nuts 'cause I've been walking around humming Christmas songs. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons.

You know what today is, right? That's right, it's With Us Wednesday. I just want you all to know that we think our readers ROCK! Thank you for your continued support of our store and our blog! Okay, so are you ready to see some projects? Me too.

Let's start with this layout from Shar.

The first thing that caught my eye when I say this layout was the way she customized her title! Shar used the Teriyaki Grand Cookie Cutter alphabet and replaced the 'o' with the Revolutiom Sparkle and some popcorn pieces. She also used the Filmstrip border and Nesting Stars. Shar used the Ice Cream Carton as her popcorn tub, added some Tickets and of course, some more popcorn. Such a great layout!

I also have a layout from our friend, PJ, to share with you.

PJ used her Slice and the Tag Maker design card and Glitter Rims to help her journal and the Animal Crackers design card for her title. The hand doodling around the letters in the title really add lots of detail and I love how she used the entire second page for journaling!

Thanks Shar and PJ for sharing your great projects with us!

Jenn has been preparing for her son's upcoming birthday. She decided to send handmade invititations that coordinated with the theme of the party.

Please note that the white blocks are simply where we blocked out personal info! Jenn used the Sizzix Paper Dolls and the Karate Outfit. She simply printed the deets on a sheet of white cardstock, mounted that on black then turned it over and embellished the front. Don't they look great?! The best part is all she has to do is add this and some photos along with a title and she's got a layout! Too cool!

Okay, so now that my calendar is done and you've seen the cover I can show you the rest of the pages I made. This one is one of my favs.

The papers and cardstock stickers are from the Bungle Jungle collection by Sassafras Lass. I used my Slice and my Calendar design card to cut the 'August' and the scissors, abc and 123 were cut using the Fall/Back to School design card. The paper used for the scissors is the Making Memories Slice Metallic paper. I just love that pic of my little guy getting on the bus. He LOVES to ride the bus.

Well, we sure hope you've found some inspiration here today. Thanks for stoppin' by. Friday will be here before you know it so be sure you set a reminder to come back to see the fab layouts based on last week's sketch and the brand new sketch for this week. Enjoy the rest of your week and we'll see you then!

Katie

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!

Okay, so not really. But, it is in Quickutz world right now. That's right! The holiday release is in da house! And let me tell you, it's a great one. It makes me think Abominable Snowman. You can see the entire release HERE. Speaking of snowman, here's a card I made with the new Revolution Snowman.


I also used the new Snowflake Embossing Folder to emboss my Core'dinations cardstock. After embossing, I lightly sanded it then misted it with some Glimmer Mist. In real life, it has a beautiful, soft shimmer.

Check out the card Jenn made with the adorable new Revolution Rudolph.

See what I mean? Total claymation Aboninable Snowman looking Rudolph! Jenn embossed her card background with her Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. Did you notice the shimmer of Rudolph's nose?

Jenn is ahead of the game for this year's holiday pics already too with this great Winter Wishes layout she made.

Of course, she had to top off the page using the new Holiday 4x8 alphabet for her title. Jenn and I were just talking about how we wish the 4x8 fonts could be a little larger and how great it would be if they'd offer an upper and lower case. Guess what? THEY DID! Yep, Holiday comes on 2 dies! Isn't that cool?! Jenn used the Cloud Border for her snow and the small Flourish Border behind her title 'cause she thought it resembled wisping wind. Jenn also added the new Revolution Snowman and Revolution Tree. The Gingerbread house is from the Jingle Silhouette Portfolio. Isn't it cute?! I love all the shimmer she added to the layout.

So, what do you think? Hop over to the site (HERE) and check out whole new release then pop back over for a second and leave us a comment telling us which one is your favorite! Don't forget, tomorrow is With us Wednesday so we'll see you right back here!

Katie

Something exciting is happening....

over at BossKut. They have an all new digital design site at www.bosskutdiecuts.com. In addition to the new Design Shop there's a blog, a tips and tricks section and even an idea gallery! And, if you have Gazelle you can submit projects you've created and they just may appear in the gallery! Isn't that awesome?! The new site is really neat and I urge you to scope it out...even if you don't have a Gazelle! But that's not all! BossKut has also added Print and Cut files to their ever-growing digital design shop. And, their Print and Cuts are actually designed to be paper pieced!!! I can't wait to try them! Hop on over and leave our friends a little love on their new site!

Speaking of BossKut, our friend Terri sent me these before and after images of her laptop.

The top picture is before, of course. She hand drew the dragonfly in her Gazelle software and used the BossKut hibiscus and flourishes. She cut them out using BossKut vinyl then applied them to the top of her laptop. Look closely and you can see she even added some gems! Doesn't it look great?! I'm trying to decide what I want on the front of my laptop now! Thanks for sharing with us Terri!

Veronica's family recently welcomed a new baby girl. No, it wasn't Veronica! It was her hubby's cousin. LOL! Anyway, Veronica couldn't let the occasoin go by without a hand made card. Here's what she made for her...

First, Veronica stamped the background with Unity's Hearts of Old background stamp then she heat embossed it and misted the red over it. Then she added some strips of patterned paper from the Bungle Jungle collection by Sassafras Lass and the Summer of Fun Teddy Bear. She use the Summer of Fun Chicken Noodle alphabet for her sentiment. The customized background adds so much detail to the card.

I finally finished my calendar/planner I've been working on. I have already showed you a few pages but today, I'll share with you the cover.

I used different papers from the Scenic Route Garden Grove collection. I stamped the "Our Story" from Unity's Our Life Our Stories kit and cut it out with Spellbinders Labels 3. The months stamp is from Unity's Let's Get Scrappy kit and the calendar is from Unity's Confessions Anniversary kit. I had a great time making this planner and the best part is that when the year is over I have a great mini-book that documents our daily life...appointments, birthdays, school dates and more! I will share the rest of the monthly pages with you over the next few weeks.

We're glad you stopped in to visit us today. Tomorrow is another Quickutz release so be sure you stop in so see what's now available! I promise, you will love it! Have a great Monday and we'll see you then!

Katie