Merry Little Christmas Scrapbook Layouts

Hello!  I’m back with some layouts that I created using the Merry Little Christmas collection from Creative Memories.  I had good intentions of getting this posted right around Christmas, but whew – life got busy!  Better late than never – but I hope that you had been able to purchase the Merry Little Christmas items a few weeks ago before they sold out.  This was a hugely popular collection for CM.  Both of the embellishment packs sold out in October and were later re-introduced only to again sell out with the rest of the collection.  The traditional red and green colors along with playful and trendy gnomes and traditional Christmas icons made this collection a sell-out!  (If you don’t have the Merry Little Christmas items, you can still create my layouts using other materials.)

 

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For my first layout, I used my favorite sheet of Merry Little Christmas paper – the mistletoe print.  I also used our discontinued cranberry cardstock, but other shades of red would work.  My layout is adorned with photo ornaments highlighted by pieces created with the Petal Frame Punch.  Click here to view a video on how to use the Petal Frame Punch.  To make my layout:


1.  Cut a hollow frame from cranberry cardstock and adhere a piece of 11″ x 11″ mistletoe paper.  Add faux pen stitching around the cranberry frame.
2.   Punch two 4″ x 4″ and one 6″ x 6″ pieces of cranberry cardstock with the Petal Frame Punch.
3.  Use the Custom Cutting System with the Circle Patterns and Red, Green and Blue Blades to cut photos into varying sizes.  Mat photos with slightly larger white cardstock circle mats.
4.  Add faux pen stitching to some of the photo frames.
5.  Adhere some of the photos with Foam Squares.
6.  Add Merry Little Christmas Stickers and Embellishments with Foam Squares.

 

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For my second layout,  I was again inspired by CM’s Petal Frame Punch but this time to create packages with bows.  The present print paper is fun and playful and works well on this layout.  I also used the Present Border Punch that was a promo item from CM last year.  If you don’t have this punch, just substitute another punch such as the Dazzle Border Punch or the Lace Trim Border Punch that will create the look of bows across your layout.  To make my layout:

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1.  From black cardstock, cut 2 partial 1″ hollow frames.  See photo below.
2.  Cut a sheet of white cardstock into 2 pieces that measure 11-3/4″ x 6″ each.
3.  Cut a sheet of present paper into 2 pieces that measure 11-3/4″ x 6″ each.
4.  Adhere the pieces onto each other and the black frames to create your backgrounds.
5.  From black cardstock, use the Present Border Punch (or other punch) to punch 2 borders.  Adhere these pieces onto the center of your layout as shown in the photo above.
6. Add faux pen stitching to the white cardstock as shown.
7.  From red cardstock, cut four 4″ x 4″ squares and two 6″ x 4″ rectangles.  From black cardstock, cut four 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ squares and two 6-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ rectangles.  Adhere red and black pieces together to make double-photo mats.  Crop photos to 3-3/4″ x 3-3/4″ and 5-3/4″ x 3-3/4″.
8.  Cut variety mat to 4″ x 4″ and mat.
9.  Punch around 4″ x 4″ squares of black cardstock with the Petal Frame Punch.  Trim pieces with scissors to create bows for your packages.
10.  Cut small squares from red cardstock to stack and use as journaling boxes.
11.  Use the new 3-in-1 Scallop Tag Maker to make small 1″ tags to use as journaling boxes.
12.  Add Merry Little Christmas Stickers and Embellishments using Foam Squares on some.

 

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CM’s new 3-in-1 Scallop Tag Punch has been a popular seller.  It creates tags in a variety of sizes that can be used as journaling boxes, photo mats, or embellishments.  (For a fun activity with your kids and grandkids, use it to punch old Christmas cards to make tags for your presents next Christmas.)  This layout can easily be adapted into a double-page layout.  To make my page:

 


1.  Cut the white print paper to 11-1/2″ x 3-1/4″ and 11-1/2″ x 1-1/2″.  Cut green print paper to 11-1/2″ x 6-1/4″, and adhere the three pieces onto a sheet of 12″ x 12″ black cardstock.  (I really liked using black cardstock with this collection.)
2.  Use the 3-in-1 Scallop Tag Punch to punch two 2-1/2″ tags, and tuck them under the top edge of the green paper.
3.  Add photos, embellishments, and stickers as shown adhering some with Foam Squares.

 

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I really love the saying on the variety mat that I used on my layout above and knew that I had to use it with one of our annual family Christmas photos.  To get a better view of everyone, I always enlarge my  big group photos to 7″ x 5″.  It’s not often that we get a complete family photo, and this photo from a few years ago is no exception.  Quite a few family members are missing, but it still helps to commemorate our Christmas Day spent together.  To play with the saying on the variety mat, I created a Christmas Tree from paper squares.  To make my layout:

 

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1.  From black cardstock, cut a 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ square, and then cut the square in half on the diagonal.
2.  Cut 1″ squares from the mistletoe and tree print papers and adhere to the black triangle.  Cut some pieces in half on the diagonal to fit on the ends of the rows.
3.  From black cardstock, use the Pine Cone Punch (also sold out) to punch 12 pine cones, layer pieces and adhere.
4  From red cardstock, use the Medallion Punch to punch 6 medallions and trim with your scissors.  See photo below.  Adhere top pieces with Foam Squares and add a black dot for the center.
5.  Use the Original Border Maker System with the Ornaments Border Maker Cartridge to punch a border from red cardstock.  (This cartridge sold out quickly when it was first introduced and is expected back in stock in mid-February.)
6.  Use the Original Border Maker System with the (retired) Frame Chain Border Maker Cartridge to punch a border from black cardstock and adhere the pieces behind the ornament border.  If you don’t have this cartridge, you may use CM’s old Small Circle Maker to punch 3/4″ circles to place behind the ornaments.
7.  Adhere the ornament border with Foam Squares.
8.  Cut the variety mat to 4″ x 5″ and adhere to a 4-1/4″ x 5-1/4″ black cardstock mat.
9.  Mat photo with a 7-1/4″ x 5-1/4″ black cardstock mat.
10.  Add Merry Little Christmas Embellishments with Foam Squares.

 

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I had created my little gnome as a Make-N-Take item for my annual Holiday Open House in November and knew that I wanted to use him on the darling gnome print paper – my second favorite sheet in the paper pack.  Although I created this as a single page, you can easily adapt into a double-page layout by duplicating the pieces onto a second sheet.  To make this layout:

 

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1.  Cut white cardstock to 10-1/4″ x 9-1/4″”.  (I cropped my photos to 5″ x 4″.  If you use 6″ x 4″ photos, you may wish to cut a larger piece of white cardstock.)
2.  Use the Dazzle Border Punch to punch the top edge of the white cardstock.
To create the gnome:
1.  Cut the hat by using the Green Blade on the inside edge of the Diamond Cutting Pattern.  Cut in half.  Embellish hat with narrow strip for the rim and a punched piece of greenery.
2.  Use Petal Frame Punch to punch three 4″ x 4″ pieces of grey cardstock.  Use dark and light grey cardstock, and use the Metallic Silver Dual-Tip Pen to add dimension.
3.  Cut the nose using the smallest oval pattern and the green blade on the inside edge, and chalk edge of nose with brown pen.
4.  Adhere gnome with Foam Squares and add Merry Little Christmas Embellishments.
I hope that I’ve given you a few ideas for your Christmas photos and for some of CM’s newest tools!  You may purchase most of the tools that I used through my personal CM link.  I’ll be back again next month with some winter layouts.  Take care until then!

Karyn

Winter Scrapbook Borders – Part 3 of 3

Hello, and welcome to my last post of my Winter Scrapbook Borders series!  These last borders are cheery and Christmas themed.  Again I relied upon some of the latest border punches and cartridges from Creative Memories.  They will also assemble a bit quicker than the last borders that I shared.

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Top Border:
1.  Use the new Dazzle Border Punch to punch one end of a 12″ strip of Red Cardstock.  Cut off of your paper at 2-1/4″.
2.  Use the Original Border Maker System with the new Crystal Chain Border Maker Cartridge to punch two borders from White Cardstock.
3.  Using scissors, cut one of the crystal chain borders in half.
4.  Assemble as shown.

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Middle Border:
1. Cut a 12″ x 2″ strip of Red Cardstock.
2.  Cut a 12″ x 1-3/4″ strip of White Cardstock.
3.  Use the Original Border Maker System and Crystal Chain Border Maker Cartridge to punch two borders from Bronze Shimmer Cardstock.
4.  Use the Medallion Punch to punch 5 medallions from Bronze Shimmer Cardstock.
5.  Use the Original Border Maker System with the Heart Duet Border Maker Cartridge to punch hearts from Red Cardstock.
6.  Assemble as shown.

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Bottom Border:
1.  Use the new Petal Frame Punch to punch both ends of a 12″ x 3″ strip of Red Cardstock.
2.  Use the Original Border Maker System with the new Ornaments Border Maker Cartridge to punch borders from White and Black Cardstock.
3.  Use the old Mini Circle Maker punch from Creative Memories to punch 3/4″ circles from Red, Goldenrod, and Leaf Green Cardstock.  Or you would use the Original Border Maker System with the old Frame Chain Border Cartridge to punch borders from Red, Goldenrod, and Leaf Green Cardstock.  This cartridge punches a border of small circle pieces that can be cut apart.  Adhere the colored circles behind the white border piece.
4.  Use scissors to cut black ornament border in half and adhere to the top and bottom of the ornament border to create an outline.
5.  Assemble border as shown.

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You may purchase the cardstock and tools that I used on my CM website.  Please note that the Ornaments Border Maker Cartridge is currently on backorder.

Thanks so much for visiting with me!  I hope to share some Christmas layouts made with the Merry Little Christmas collection soon.

Karyn

Creative Life Scrapbooking Summer Blog Hop – Deep Blue Sea Scrapbook Layouts

Hello, scrappers!  Thanks so much for blog hopping with us today!  Several members of the Creative Life Scrapbooking team have some summer scrapbooking ideas to share with you.  Just click on the link at the bottom of my post to visit Julie’s blog next.

Last month, I shared some summer layouts using the Citrus Summer collection by Creative Memories.  So for this blog hop, I thought that I would use the Creative Memories Deep Blue Sea collection that came out earlier in the summer.  The shades of blue, beige and sea foam green were perfect for my coastal photos from a short visit to Tybee Island, SC this spring.

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My first layout features a large nautical looking border.  The small punch outs of the Dips & Diamonds Border Maker Cartridge look like little anchors to my eye.  I also thought that the new Medallion Punch evokes a maritime feel when used on a nautical layout.

To make my top border:

  • Use the Original Border Maker System with the Dips & Diamonds Border Cartridge to punch two borders from Beige Cardstock and cut off of the cardstock at 1 inch.
  • Mat these borders on 12″ x 1-1/4″ strips of Navy Cardstock.
  • Use the old Circle Maker Punch from Creative Memories to punch six circles from Beige Cardstock. 
  • Use the Medallion Punch to punch six medallions from Navy Cardstock. 
  • Adhere the medallions to the circles, and use Foam Squares to adhere the finished pieces to the borders.

 

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I really love the Deep Blue Sea Variety Mats!  The mats feature small nautical prints that are different than the prints in the paper pack.  The smaller prints of the mats were perfect to make some large banner flags to run underneath my border.

  • Cut 2-1/2″ x 2″ pieces from the variety mats and notch into a ribbon end and mat on blue cardstock.
  • Cut out an additional piece from a variety mat to use as a journaling box.
  • Use the blue ombre′ watercolor print paper as the base of your layout.

 

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My next layout  features a border made with the Scallop Wave and Dips & Diamonds Border Maker Cartridges.  Although I created this layout as a single page, you could easily turn it into a double-page layout by making two additional borders to run across a second page.

To make this border:

  • Use the Original Border Maker System with the Dips & Diamonds Border Cartridge to punch two borders from Royal Cardstock and cut off of the cardstock at 1 inch. 
  • Use the Original Border Maker System with the Scallop Wave Border Cartridge to punch borders from the sea foam print paper and cut off of the paper at 1-1/2″.
  • Punch two more scallop wave borders from Royal Cardstock and overlap as shown.
  • Adhere the borders to 12″ x 1-3/4″ strips of the starfish patterned paper.  

 

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  • Use the Custom Cutting System with the largest Circle Pattern and Green Blade on the inside edge to cut a circle from the starfish patterned paper.  Use the Red Blade to cut a circle from Royal Cardstock.  Layer Deep Blue Sea Stickers on top of the circle pieces and adhere with Foam Squares.
  • Assemble your layout on the seaweed patterned paper.

 

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My third layout features my last two photos from our short stop on the island.  Again I used the seaweed print paper as my background and decorated my layout with a variety of Deep Blue Sea Stickers.

  • Use the Custom Cutting System with the large heart from the Gemstone Patterns and the Green Blade on the outside edge to cut a heart from the starfish patterned paper.
  • Use the Blue Blade to cut a heart from Royal Cardstock.
  • Fussy cut an image from a Deep Blue Sea Variety Mat to use for the journaling box.
  • Layer the heart, photos and stickers as shown using Foam Squares to adhere some stickers.
  • My photos are 3″ x 3″ and 4″ x 4″.

 

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Deep Blue Sea is a beautiful collection, and I enjoyed reliving memories from our short coastal visit while creating these layouts.  All of the materials and tools that I used can be purchased on my Creative Memories website.

 

Thanks again for blog hopping with us and enjoy the last of your summer!
Karyn

To continue on our Creative Life Scrapbooking Blog Hop, please click on the links below:

Karyn Crops (YOU ARE HERE)
Julie’s Creative Memories Blog
Crop With Stef
Celebrating Your Beautiful Life
Scrappin’ Jpegs