Kristin, Gayle, Julie and Diana welcome you to The Scrappy Tree!
We are four girls from different sides of the world who love to be creative. From California, Minnesota and Illinois in the US to Wales in the UK, we love sharing projects and trying something new, always keeping the sense of fun that brought us together.
A slightly more unusual gift for Christmas is giving a gift of your time - this cute little coupon book is a great way to think up some things that you can do for your loved ones (i.e. cook a meal, babysit, bake a cake) and then scrap them into embellished coupons.
For this coupon book I cut strips of Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love paper measuring approx 7cm by 15cm and decorated them with small strips of the coordinating papers from the same collection, either leaving them plain or using Fiskars' threading water punch to add detail. I inked the edges of each card with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and added a journalling spot and some Papermania and Prima flowers, plus buttons and brads from my supplies. For the front cover and the numbers on each of the coupons I used Thickers, adding some Glossy Accents to make them stand out.
I punched a hole in each card using a Crop-a-Dile and added a coordinating eyelet so that the coupons could be put onto a book ring. The book ring was decorated by tying pieces of ribbon onto it (American Crafts, Hobbycraft, and a recycled piece of ribbon from some clothing).
The fun part of this project was thinking up 'gifts' to write on the coupons! You can be as inventive as you like with this one, and show your friends and family how much you care this Christmas by offering this simple home-made gift with a difference.
Come back tomorrow for another Scrappy Tree gift idea! We'll be doing a great giveaway Christmas week (21st - 25th December) - all you have to do is follow The Scrappy Tree blog using the button on this page, and become a fan of The Scrappy Tree on Facebook.
Today's project is super easy, fun and it can be a great project for kids as well as a gift! So let's get started!
Here's what you'll need:
Paint - any type of craft paint (glass, acrylic, metallic,etc) see the picture below for some of the ones I used. Glitter - silver, green, blue, red, white Clear glass or plastic bulbs - I purchased mine from Michaels but you can find them in many places. Ribbon - your color choice
Here are the few simple steps: 1. Choose the colors you would like to use (I used two or three paint colors and one glitter color. 2. Remove the cap of the bulb. Take your first color and squeeze about 1 tbsp of paint into the glass bulb. Turn the bulb slowly and watch it come alive. Let it drip up and down and all around, being careful to not let it drip out of the bulb top. Once it looks good, repeat the process with your second or third color. 3. Next, pour 1 tsp of glitter (via funnel) into the bulb, slowly turn the bulb so the glitter grabs the paint and coats the bulb. If you want the glitter to be loose in the bulb and not stick to the paint, let the paint dry overnight and then add your glitter. 4. Lastly choose a complimentary ribbon and tie it to the top hook.
Optional additions/alternatives :
You can use Stickles or some other glitter glue to write a name or holiday sentiment on the outside of the bulb.
If you don't have paint or would rather work with something a little less messy, try shredded colored paper or basket fillings.
You can also decorate the top and outside of the bulb with holly, flowers, bells, etc.
See below for a sample bare bulb and some examples
Sample glass bulb
White acrylic paint, blue metallic and white glitter
Green metallic, yellow glass paint, red acrylic and red glitter
Red acrylic, green acrylic and green glitter
Each will be unique and different, so get started, have fun and be Scrappy!
Help us spread the word, we will be hosting daily giveaways the week of Dec. 21st- Dec. 25th. You will need to be a follower of this blog as well as a Fan on Facebook.
Julie brings us two beautiful mini albums as a great idea for a memorable keepsake or lasting family tradition. See below for the wonderful projects she is sharing with us today.
'Christmas Wishes' mini album
"As a scrapper, I want to preserve my family's lives and what better way to do that than by preserving the kids' Christmas wishes for the year! I had them write in their own handwriting."
'Family' mini album "I made a second mini album for a gift to a cousin. I put some family pictures in it for her, but I made sure that there were some empty spots so she could add her own choice photos."
We're nearly half-way through our 25 home-made Christmas gift ideas already, stay with us this December for more great ideas in the run up to Christmas!
Ginny comes to us from the beautiful state of Washington, where she resides with her husband and two children of the four legged persuasion, Jody and Maple. She is very versatile and runs two successful Etsy stores for her unique creations! Let's check out some samples!
I wanted to make a fun little bottle to give a gift to a neighbor. This is a quick and easy way to have extra gifts on hand. I used an iced tea bottle, cleaned and rinsed for this project. First use Goo Gone or something like it, to remove the adhesive left from the label and paint the lid with white acrylic paint. I used old sheet music from an antique store, wrapped it with holiday ribbons from Michaels and applied Thickers to the bottle. I also used glittered snowflakes from Michaels to add an extra holiday touch. The final step was filling it with holiday mints!
This is also a fun project for the kids to take part in. My daughter made this one for her teacher. So, grab those bottles, collect your favorite candy and get Scrappy!
Julie!
Don't forget to follow us here, Facebook and Twitter for some prize giveaways coming soon!
For all the alternative scrappers out there, there are alternatives to Christmas cards. Seriously! If you believe that great things (and Christmas greetings!) can come in small packages, why not try a Christmas ATC (artist trading card)? The only rule is that they need to measure 3 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches - stay within that, and the ATC is your oyster!
I have loved making ATCs since I found out about them earlier this year and since then there's been no stopping me! I was excited to figure out how to give them a Christmas slant and went looking for tiny festive embellies! I tried a few different styles, some more bright and festive with lots of glitz and others with a more vintage feel. Enjoy!
Keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest from The Scrappy Tree!
Today's project is another sample of taking something old and making it new. These cigar boxes have been altered to create a unique gift for a best friend or treasured relative. Both are covered in patterned scrapbook paper with a clear coat of Mod Podge inside and out and accenting embellishments. Many types of boxes, bottles and house hold decor can be recycled to make great gifts. So look around and get Scrappy!
This box is covered in Graphic 45 papers, Mod Podge, accenting fibers and flowers. It's a perfect gift to give with a collection of photos.
This cigar box had a unique shape and seemed like the perfect size for a one-of-a-kind purse. It is covered in S.E.I. paper, accenting embellishments and a wired handle with complimentary beads.
Don't forget to visit our online community for more great ideas and project details.
Today we bring you our first
Featured Designer Cori.
Cori comes to us from from Peace Baby Batik!
Cori tell us about yourself!
I’m a stay-at-home mom to the sweetest little boy in the world. When he’s awake, you can find me sitting on the living room floor playing cars or chasing him around a playground. When he’s napping, I spend my time writing, scrapbooking, batiking, or checking headlines and Facebook. I do a little freelance writing for the Southern Maryland Wedding Guide (http://somdweddings.com), but otherwise, I am at my kid’s beck and call! I also enjoy card making; vegetarian and vegan cooking; politics and current events; camping and travel; folk music; and Washington Nationals baseball. Some of my scrapbooking stuff is on http://scrapbook.com. My username is “Troylet.” My favorite place to visit close to home is the playground, A.C. Moore. I find the most peace sitting by a campfire with my son and husband.
I’m very excited about my Etsy Peace, Baby! store, and I am planning to do several craft shows every year. I’m also hoping to learn more complex batik techniques using authentic tools and start making designs in more than one color.
Let me share a little about my passion of batiking. I started doing batik several years ago after I was given a beautiful batik skirt from Indonesia. I made several skirts and T-shirts for myself and friends, and when my son was born, I started doing batik onesies and T-shirts for him. I thought maybe I’d hit on something I could sell, so I started Peace, Baby! Batiks this year. My goal is to never have an office job again. J
Here’s how my process works: I wash everything I am planning to batik, whether it is new or recycled. I melt the wax on my kitchen stove -- I use a beeswax blend – and apply the wax to the shirt using stencils and stencil brushes. Once the wax is hard, I put the items into the cold-water dye. I let it sit overnight, stirring often to make sure the clothing gets even coverage.
Once the items are finished in the dye, I rinse them in the sink and then boil them on my stove to get the wax off. (This is called “onesie stew” in my house.) I let the stew cool a bit and pour off the wax and water. Everything then gets washed in hot water to remove the rest of the wax. Then I wash it all in cold once more for good measure. The color is set, so the item can be washed on cold with other clothing without fear of bleeding.
I use 100 percent cotton onesies and T-shirts. When I can, I use “recycled” or second-hand onesies. (I only use second-hand onesies that are stain and odor free.) It’s important to me to protect the environment, so I use recycled shirts whenever I can. My designs are all done by stencil, some purchased and some that I’ve made. This gives me a lot of flexibility and allows me to do unusual designs and custom work.
I enjoy batik because it allows be to be creative in a different way -- without the ability to draw. I can’t draw to save my life (I’ve tried; I even took a class once) so batik lets me “draw” with stencils to create cute designs. It’s also a quick process. I go from white T-shirt to brightly colored T-shirt in 24 hours or less. It doesn’t take long to see the finished product. Each shirt I create is totally unique – the way the wax cracks and the way the shirt takes the dye is never the same twice.
Here are some samples of Cori's creations, see below for her Etsy store link.
Christmas Onsies
Long Sleeve Red Heart Onsie
Short Sleeve Pink Flower Baby Tee
For more styles and colors see the links below or visit Cori at her Etsy store to purchase one of these beautiful unique creations.
For this coupon book I cut strips of Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love paper measuring approx 7cm by 15cm and decorated them with small strips of the coordinating papers from the same collection, either leaving them plain or using Fiskars' threading water punch to add detail. I inked the edges of each card with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and added a journalling spot and some Papermania and Prima flowers, plus buttons and brads from my supplies. For the front cover and the numbers on each of the coupons I used Thickers, adding some Glossy Accents to make them stand out.
I punched a hole in each card using a Crop-a-Dile and added a coordinating eyelet so that the coupons could be put onto a book ring. The book ring was decorated by tying pieces of ribbon onto it (American Crafts, Hobbycraft, and a recycled piece of ribbon from some clothing).
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