SEM Birthday Celebration Blog Hop

Hi everyone it is Nicole and welcome to my blog... I hope you are enjoying SEM's First Birthday Celebration.  There are fun things going on all weekend both on the blog and at our Scrapping Everyday Miracles Chit Chat Facebook Group.  Make sure you check out both!!!!!!


Our hop begins at SEM so make sure you start there.... Well each of the design team members were asked to create a project with the theme of celebration and here is what I made... 

We were also asked to share with you our favorite layout that we created for a SEM challenge this past year... this was not an easy task because I want to share like 6 with you!  But I finally decided on this one... because not only did I love the design but I love that it is about my Great Grandma.  I had so much fun  printing my picture on canvas (cant believe I havent done that since... oh I have just gotta do it again!!!!) and I loved that I used lace that she hand crocheted.

Our hop grand prize has been provided by two wonderful sponsors...  Paper Loves Glue and Memorable Seasons...  Our grand prize winner will win both a gift certificate for $15 to Paper Loves Glue and a $20 gift Certificate to Memorable Seasons. If that isnt enough both sponsors have provided a discount to their store that you can use any time during May!!!!!

As a special offer to all the followers and participants of Scrapping Everyday Miracles, Paper Loves Glue, is offering a special discount of 30% off the entire store. Just enter code SAVE30 upon checkout atpaperlovesglue.etsy.com. This offer is valid until June 13, 2012.

 For a limited time (until June 30th), if you shop with us and use the code MIRACLES at checkout, you can save 15% off your purchase. This offer does not apply to items in the Pre-order section since they are already 25% off. Please place separate orders for Pre-order & In-stock merchandise if you’d like items from both. 

I have a little RAK for you to... hooray!!!!   I will randomly choose one winner to win a sheet of these stickers from SRM stickers....

Now hop on over to Sherri and have a great time partying with us this weekend!!!!! The hop goes  until Sunday night, June 3rd at midnight PST.

Nic http://scrapmethis.blogspot.com
Sherri  http://faithandscraphappiness.blogspot.com/
Einat  http://scrapinit.blogspot.com/
Cara  http://bitsbaublesandbliss.blogspot.com/
Jeannine http://creative-chaos07.blogspot.com/ 
Elizabeth http://ejoym.blogspot.com/
Lisa  http://creativejuicefreshsqueezed.blogspot.com/
Dolores  http://scrapperinnewyork.blogspot.com/
Amanda Johnson http://asjmade.blogspot.com/
SEM blog http://scrappingeverydaymiracles.blogspot.com/

Make sure you also stop by our Facebook page for games, challenges and even more prizes.  And don't forget, Monday, June 4th will be a new challenge and another chance at a prize!

Feature a Friend Friday at Broken Treasures

So I am just tickled pink to be the first friend featured on Elizabeth's blog Broken Treasures... Every Friday for the summer she will be featuring a friend on her blog.  How exciting is that!!!


Here we go.....


I wanted to share a technique with you that I just love and that would be  are shaker boxes.... I have two different ones to show you.... 


First one is used in this layout and is super easy....

I used the packaging from a package of Basic Grey Brads.... what is important here is to add a little water on the edge that you are going to glue down to the layout.... that way you can easily rub away any paper that is still glued on their from the original packaging.


Second we will learn how to make another kind of shaker box... which I made for this layout....

First of all you need to decide what you shape and theme of your box... this works great with diecuts from a machine... but since we dont all have a diecut machine I decided that I would show how to free hand make one.  


Second you need to figure out what to use for foam... I have tried the following....
Pre-made cut foam frames that have adhesive on both sides-  Pictured on the left (you are confined to their shapes and sizes)
Foam tape cut and placed around the edge- cant use small beads or glitter because they can come out... and you do not have a smooth edge from the side
Cardboard- Works but then you see the cardboard from the side
Kid Craft Foam-  Works the best and you can get it in a ton of different colors.... I love to use white because you can color any color you would like....and white usually looks best against the images in the shaker box-Pictured on the right

Next you cut out the background... if you are using a diecut just trace the diecut onto the background paper.... or you can free draw it like  I did around the corn that I knew I wanted inside my shakerbox

Now you will want to cut it out of the background paper and trace it onto to the foam and then cut the foam out

You will need to cut out the inside area of the foam so I just drew1/4" on the inside all the ways around... it doesnt have to be perfect... you dont have to measure or anything just eyeball it.... then cut it out.  Now we have the foam and the background.  Next we want to make the clear cover... what I think is the best is to use plastic from packaging... it is thick and completely clear.  You can also use transparencies or even plastic bag packaging but once again these are not as firm as the other plastic.  You can see the packaging I used below

You can trace your shape onto the plastic using your background... if you are really good you can hold the background on the plastic and cut around it... now you should have the background, foam and clear cover.

Next you need to make the frame that goes on top... this needs to be  cut the  most precise because this what you will actually see.  You are going to take your background and flip it over and trace it onto the backside of  the paper you want to use for the  frame... we are working on the backside of the frame because we dont want any of our pencil marks to show.  The shape you just traced will not actually be your cut lines... at this point you need to draw the cut lines about 1/8" wider that the background shape.... so that in the end the frame is larger than the background, foam and clear cover. 

Cut it out... then you are going to have do like you did with the foam and cut the inner area.  Draw your cut lines  about 1/4" or slightly more from the edge  remember to continue to work on the backside so that you dont see your pencil marks... cut it out

Now we have all our parts so we need to start putting them together... first glue the foam to the background. 

 Next fill it with the things that you want inside your shaker box... this can be chipboard, beads, buttons, glitter, mica. pretty much whatever you would like.... remember not to fill it too full... if you want to put thicker things you can go go back and cut another layer of foam.  Glue the frame to the clear cover and cut away any of the clear cover that hangs out....

Glue the top and the bottom together making sure that none of the  beads, etc are in between.... You can take a marker and color around the edge if you would like it to match your frame or just leave it white...

You are done.... your finish project should look something like this.... I have seen all kinds of cute shakers... ice cream cones are really cute as well as even title for layouts... the sky is the limit!

I would love to hear what you think about shaker boxes and I definitely want to see what you create with them so feel free to stop by my blog anytime!!!!!  http://scrapmethis.blogspot.com

Giveaway at SEM

We are getting ready for our Birthday Celebration with a Giveaway... It is really easy to enter just head over to SEM right now.... http://scrappingeverydaymiracles.blogspot.com/2012/05/pre-one-year-birthday-celebration.html

If you do you can win this

SEM Sketch Challenge

This layout was created for the sketch challenge over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles... using this sketch

I love this layout and so wish I had a better picture of it.  My camera was left in my husband's uncles car and we havent been able to get a hold of them to pick it up.  So I had to take a picture with my phone...but I will update this post when I get it back because I really want to share about the technique I used because it was so easy and turned out so cute.  So what is it?

Welll I used a toilet paper roll and bent the bottom in a V and then gentle formed the top into two humps to make a heart... I then just dipped into a little bit of paint and went to town.  I just love the end result.

SEM Birthday Celebration

I am so excited to announce our 1 year birthday at Scrapping Everyday Miracles... when I created the scrapbook challenge blog... I had no idea just how much God would bless it... It truly is something to celebrate. It has been such a great opportunity to share both this wonderful hobby and my love for God with so many others. So it is time to celebrate with our SEM Birthday Celebration... here are all the details!

May's Challenge at SEM

Hi!  I hope you all had a great (Inter)National Scrapbooking Day.  I did some scrapping but really didnt get a chance to participate in any of  the events going on online... I do love the layouts that I scrapped... most of it was DT work so you will see it all as I post my projects for SEM and the Eyelet Outlet.

Today I have my layout example for the May Challenge over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles... here is a summary of this months challenge.... if you would like to check out the whole challenge post and the other DT's project you can head over there by clicking this link.... scrappingeverydaymiracles.blogspot.com

This month in the US we will celebrate Mother's Day.  Our May Challenge is to create a project that centers around our mothers.  How have you been blessed by your mother?  What everyday miracles have you missed in the past but see clearly now?  Some of us may not know our mothers so you can create a project about someone in your life that has shown you that motherly love or  who God has used as a miracle in your life!


Sometimes we miss the everyday miracles in our lives and dont really realize what a blessing they were until the are gone.  I am very blessed to have a good relationship with my mom but I didnt see how much of an everyday miracle living close by my mother was... I was only about 20-25 minutes from my mom when we lived in Oceanside CA... On the most part I really enjoyed visiting my mom or helping her out... but there were those times that I would complain that I didnt want to have to drive over there... or that I was just there. Now that has all changed because I live half way around the world and only get 3-6 weeks with her a year.  I truly now realize what a blessing living so close and being able to see her when ever I wanted.  The distance may be a pain but that will never stop the love she has for me and I for her. Through all the ups and downs that a mother daughter relationship can have... she has been such a remarkable mother. I just thank God for giving me her as a mom!

The picture I used of my mom is from a year ago or so when I was home to visit... I cropped it and then did different photo editing effects it and then printed out multiple photos... The scrap twist was to use a book page on your layout... I covered raw chipboard letters with dictionary page... I love using this technique!  I also used a diecut felt dress form which I decorated with angel wings and a shoe charm from a bracelet that I took apart.  Finally I have hidden journaling behind the picture if you pull the little canvas tag...