Be Inspired!

I love flipping through the Idea Book because it is full of beautiful pictures with ideas to take inspiration from. (Because it's an Idea Book, right!)

CTMH artwork pg. 126 of
Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book

The layout on page 126 is one of my favourites and I'd been day-dreaming for a while as to what I could do along similar lines. There's lots to take inspiration from! The bright colours against a black background. The stitching. The shapes. The different uses of washi tape. The trims and dots. It's a simple page, but so crafty!

This page uses what I see as the best-kept secret in the Idea Book: the Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortments. This collection of 20 double-sided 12" x 12" sheets (2 each of 10 designs) have the same design on both sides, but one side has a glossy, resist pattern. It's great to use in smaller pieces as patterned paper, or a whole sheet as a background piece. The patterns are great too! Chevrons, hearts, houndstooth, stripes, quatrefoil--they're all right on trend.

The page I made uses the same black chevron background and bright colours (from the Dotty For You paper packet). I also stitched circles using the very handy Stitch Guide and brightly coloured embroidery floss. The banners are Dimensional Elements Banners dressed up with Lagoon Houndstooth and Gold Polka-Dot Washi Tape. Some Teal and Silver Shimmer Trim add sparkle to the page along with Durables Triangle Studs. The title picks up the bright colours. I used Lagoon and Hollyhock inks, stamping the title with Marquee Uppercase as well as a smaller alphabet.

I'm so pleased with the results! The colour contrasts really make the page pop!

Have you been inspired by something you saw in an Idea Book? Share it! Just head over to my Facebook page and post it on the time line. Remember to mention which Idea Book the inspiration came from and what you liked about it.

Sweet and Simple

If you're like me, in the autumn you like decorating with pumpkins, cornstalks, chrysanthemums and sunflowers. Take your usual seasonal displays up a notch with simple embellishments from your stash.

Dress up pumpkins with some Burlap Ribbon. Add a stamped tag with Baker's Twine. This pumpkin looks adorable sitting on a mantle or as part of a table centrepiece.

Create a spooky pumpkin with Moonlight Felt Shapes and Bitty Sparkles. A little bit of Black Tulle Ribbon and pins from the Bling Assortment finish off this pumpkin. For a little more ambiance, display with a chipboard sentiment.

Most of these items are no longer available, but if they're not in your stash, stock up on some current items to create the same look. Try Opaque Licorice Gems, Black Shimmer Trim, Black Striped Grossgrain Ribbon, Mini-Medley Accents Black Collection, or Base & Bling elements like Base & Bling Floral Accents and Base & Bling Black Jewels.

These mini pumpkin projects only take minutes to make and add a lot of impact to your display!

If you have a little more time, get out your My Creations Mini-Banner (you know, the one you received for free a few months ago and haven't gotten around to using yet), the new Huntington Workshops on the Go kit and some more of your favourite stamps and embellishments to create a Give Thanks banner.

To create this banner, I began by inking the entire surface of the mini-banners with Cashmere ink then stamping with the chicken wire stamp from the Distressed Backgrounds Stamp set in Cocoa ink. Next, I added a scalloped circle punched from Huntington papers to each banner. I dressed up each circle with assorted stamps, rub ons and corrugated shapes from my stash. The sentiment, Give Thanks, was stamped in Goldrush, Autumn Terracotta and Cocoa inks with the Token Alphabet stamp set. To make the letters look like epoxy buttons, I covered each with a thick layer of Liquid Glass. I tied the banners together with White Hemp Twine and Burlap Ribbon.

This easy project only took a couple of hours to make and I'll have this beautiful banner on display for Thanksgiving for many years to come.

Visit my website for more ideas on Home Decor and project items you can create easily and quickly. The Project Inspiration area has videos to inspire you to create special, personal projects for yourself.