Thursday Trigger for Kraft Outlet's My Favorite Things Challenge

This week as part of our "My Favorite Things" challenge, our entire Kraft Outlet Design Team is highlighting Kraft Outlet's Lunch Bag Kraft CD Sleeves. If you use the CD Sleeve in ANY of your projects submitted in July and/or August, you'll receive an extra entry into our random $15.00 Kraft Outlet Store Voucher drawing for those months, so buy some Lunch Bag Kraft CD Sleeves today and enter your projects in July and August for extra chances to win... we can't wait to see what you create using this fantastic product!


For this week's challenge I decorated a Lunch Bag Kraft CD Sleeve to create a fun and pretty way to store a CD filled with some of my favorite Summer 2011 photographs.  Other products from Kraft Outlet that I used include: a Round Metal Edge White Tag from the Designer's Special Natural Tag Collection that I first spritzed with coffee colored mist and then stamped with the word "Remember", Blue and White Baker's Twine, Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon that matches my photograph storage theme for this project, and a die cut tag that I stamped with the word "Summer" and attached at the top of the sleeve. I cut the index tab from Lunch Bag Kraft Cardstock with the idea that I'll decorate more of these sleeves to store my photo CDs by season and once I put them all in a box, it will help me locate whatever CD I may wish to find later.

There is still plenty of time for you to join our My Favorite Things challenge.  You can find the link to our current challenge in the upper right corner of our sidebar at The Kraft Journal blog.  We can't wait to see what you create!

May Day's Thursday Trigger

Our May Day Challenge at The Kraft Journal is in full swing and I've got a May Day theme-inspired card to show you today... but before I do and just in case you missed our posts earlier this week, I want to tell you that our Design Team created a number of projects that I hope will give you just the incentive you need to get out your paper and glue so you can play along with us for this challenge! You can see our Design Team Reveal and link your project up at this post right here, and you can stop in and watch this week's whimsical pinwheel tutorial presented by Audrey Pettit right here.

Why not pick up our new blog button while you are here too for a chance to win a  $10.00 Kraft Outlet gift certificate... you can read more about how to enter to win right here.

For this Thursday Trigger post I created a card that, while it isn't actually in celebration of the holiday... it is inspired by the month of May... or my take on it at any rate.


May Day Challenge

This card actually didn't end up at all like I first envisioned or planned for that matter.  When I started this project, I printed a pretty little digital image of a May Day bouquet that I planned to use as the centerpiece to the design... but after a whole lotta fiddlin' around I finally realized that the image just wasn't working for me at all... BUT it did inspire me to use some pretty patterned papers (Webster's Pages) that I paired with  Buff Ivory Coverweight cardstock used as accent paper for the trim, the stamped backdrop and the stamped leaves too. I layered everything onto a Kraft Blank Notecard and even stamped the envelope to match. As for the finished card, while not what I first envisioned, once finished I felt it reflected what the month of May means to me....although I have to admit that while I can't recall ever seeing a butterfly flit about my yard this time of year (this IS Michigan)... they somehow landed on this May Day card... perhaps just a happy accident. :-)

Other supplies I used to create this card include: Ink: Stampin' Up, Pearls and Crystals: Bo Bunny, Dies: Spellbinders and Papertrey Ink (leaves), Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Sentiment and Leaves) and Waltzing Mouse. Stampin Up Word Window Punch, Martha Stewart Royal Butterfly Punch, Seam Binding: May Arts

Remember, you have until Sunday, 6:00 p.m., Eastern time to enter your project in The Kraft Journal May Day Challenge.... and we can't wait to see what you create!

Note:  I've entered this card into these fun and fabulous challenges... hope you join me!
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Stampavie and more... Pearls
Party Time Tuesday: Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion: Layers
Make it Monday: Anything Goes

Spring Cleaning (Sucks): Thursday Trigger at the Kraft Journal

... okay, I've got to admit that this whole "Spring Cleaning" challenge we've got going on over at The Kraft Journal might be a bit more, well...challenging than I first thought.  I say that because when I first wrote that challenge theme I thought it'd be easy, but the entries (or lack thereof) for this week so far (only a handful of brave crafters as of this writing) says perhaps the theme is not inspiring so much as stunting your creative juices (am I right)?

That said, and before I reveal my Thursday Trigger for The Kraft Journal blog, I just want to say that our challenges are "designed" to inspire your work...not dictate it!  So I guess what I am trying to say is that we just want you to CREATE (with Kraft!).... and so, .. just go with your gut on this one and enter whatever project you come up with (using Kraft cardstock or products from Kraft Outlet) as we really are looking forward to seeing them!  :-)

As for my project let me preface it by saying that those people who know me (yes, Mom...you included), know that while I love a clean house, I hate to clean! My daughter bought me a great fridge magnet that defines my nature perfectly, it reads,  "I understand the concept behind cooking and cleaning...just not how it pertains to ME!)... and hey, I don't hide that fact, everyone knows it (now give me a yard or garden to tend to and I'm a happy camper)...but that cleaning toilets and doing laundry stuff... Sucks! (and I mean, you do the task...and it just has to be done over again in a few days... grrr!).  Consequently this part of my nature generates a tender heart toward a man who loves to clean (especially if it happens to be a man I live with)!   Granted I haven't REALLY had the pleasure of living with such a (dream) man (unless you count my (half) brother, who got the NEAT FREAK gene from our dad).  Never the less... this feeling of mine spurred the creation of this "Real Men do Housework" card... (a girl can dream, right?)
 

I can't help but note the irony in the fact I think cleaning sucks...and I used stamp with a vacuum for this "cleaning card"


This card features a couple of really yummy products from the Kraft Outlet store including, Light Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock paired with some perfectly divine Brown Kraft Baker's Twine. I also used two newly released Spellbinder's dies, my Corner Chomper (Deco/Stub) and some buttons from Papertrey Ink (I can't for the life of me remember what patterned paper... but it's new too and I will happily look it up if you are so inclined to want to know... I'm just too lazy to walk back down to my craft room right now!).

 Don't forgot to stop by The Kraft Journal blog again tomorrow for a fabulous Feature me Friday that we have scheduled and just so you know...there is still plenty of time to join us for this week's Spring Cleaning challenge (you'll find the link to our current challenge in the top right sidebar of The Kraft Journal!

In the meantime, I think I'll leave this card laying around... perhaps it will inspire my man?? (like I said, a girl can dream, right?).

Thursday Trigger for Kraft Outlet

Today's Thursday Trigger at The Kraft Journal is for our current "Flowers" challenge and is a birthday card I created using patterned paper and embellishments by Crate Paper. The card also features a small shipping tag from the Designers Special Natural Tag Assortment  that I stamped with one of the crown images from The Tweety Jill Journey to France stamp set and then tied up with a natural twill bow. All of these highlighted products are available for purchase from Kraft Outlet.

I created this card from a 5 x 12 inch piece of patterned paper that I folded to create a 5 x 5 cardbase. The additional two inches of patterned paper I folded again to create some interest in the inside of the card (an idea I got from a current issue of Papercrafts magazine).

I used my circle punch to create a cut out that allowed me to stamp the sentiment for the inside of the card as well. A small rubon flower (also Crate Paper) helped keep the "Flower" theme flow from the outside to the inside of the card.

Don't forget, you still have plenty of time to enter our "Flowers" themed challenge. Simply post your projects before Sunday April 3, at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time to be eligible to win our prizes. You can find the current challenge by clicking on the link located in the upper right of our sidebar.  Don't forget to include either Kraft cardstock or products purchased from Kraft Outlet on your projects per our challenge guidelines!  We're really looking forward to seeing what you create!

Thursday Trigger for Kraft Outlet

This week's challenge at The Kraft Journal (the official blog for Kraft Outlet) is "Oh Baby, It's Spring" and for today's Thursday Trigger post I have a quick and easy "Baby" card to share with you featuring Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock, Earthy Hemp Cord and 7 Gypsies Seam Binding all available for purchase at the Kraft Outlet.

You'll have until Sunday March 27 at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time to enter your project into the challenge. Your entry makes you eligible to win prizes, features and blog buttons too!  I hope you join us and to learn more about this and our other weekly challenges at The Kraft Journal check this link right here.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all of you and with that said...I'll have you know that along with my Thursday Trigger post for this week's "Saint Patrick's Day or Green" challenge at The Kraft Journal, condolences (grin) are in order for me... BECAUSE...  fifty (yes... the BIG 5-0) years ago today I was born on Saint Patrick's Day. 

I'm told that the nurse (who happened to be of Irish heritage) wasn't too happy about the fact that my parents planned to name me Elizabeth (and not the nice Irish name of "Patricia").  I gotta admit however that not unlike how I am about a lot of things these days, I don't remember a thing about that day so many years ago... but I do remember that we've got a GREAT challenge going on this week at The Kraft Journal and I hope you play along with us! 

In fact, you have until Sunday March 20, at 6:00 p.m., (Eastern Time) to enter your challenge project for a chance to win a beautiful Top Three Award button for your blog, a chance for your project to be showcased on our Feature Me Friday post and/or a chance to win a $15.00 gift voucher to Kraft Outlet.

Being Saint Patty's day and all, I decided I should create a card celebrating this particular "Wearin' of the Green" occasion, but alas, I'm a wee bit low on products for this day (believe it or not), so I grabbed up my one and only stamp set and created this card.

I paired by favorite Kraft Lunch Bag cardstock with Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink) cardstock that I stamped with that one and only stamp set I was telling you about (also PTI by the way).  I then cut another piece of Kraft paper, embossed with a Collage (Tim Holtz) embossing folder and added ribbon, pins, green crystals and an appropriate image (from The Graphics Fairy) to create today's card in celebration of this day! 

While I can't say that I am sure I am 100 percent excited about this milestone birthday I'm having today... I can say that I am TOTALLY excited about the fact that my gal pal Kristina Harmon (and fellow Designer here at The Kraft Journal and Papercraft Star too) will be landing at an airport not far from my one-cow town today to spend the next 10 days at my home.  Kristina is like the "baby" sister (I say baby because the girl hasn't even hit 40 yet!) that I never had and I'm over the moon excited about all the time we'll have together to talk, laugh, craft, eat, DRINK and be merry! I sincerely hope you'll all be enjoying your day today as much as I will be ... after I pick Kristina up from the airport that is!

Thursday Trigger for Kraft Outlet "Spring Fling" Challenge

This week's challenge at The Kraft Journal (official blog for Kraft Outlet) is "Spring Fling" and today I've created a spring inspired card with a bi-fold twist for my Thursday Trigger post over there,... a final bit of inspiration to get you geared up to enter your "Spring Fling" project.

Just as a wee reminder, you've got until Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m., to enter at this link right here. You also have a chance to win a $15.00 Kraft Outlet store voucher in our random drawing this month and the more challenges you enter, the more chances you have to win so we hope you'll join us in March!

For this project, I knew I wanted to pair some yummy Lunch Bag Kraft Cardstock from Kraft Outlet with some Jillibean soup spring-themed patterned paper, but I also wanted to do a little something different with the card base... to capture the "fling" side of our challenge.

The cardbase is a twist on a bi-fold style-card that I found in the November 2009 CardMaker Magazine.

Just in case you don't have that copy of the magazine on hand, I'll give you the instructions to create this card base.

Cut an 8 x 4-inch piece of Lunch Bag Kraft Cardstock; with long side horizontal, score a vertical line 2 3/4 inches from left end. Fold flap to the right.

Fold a 3 x 8-inch piece of patterned paper in half, forming a 3 x 4-inch top-folded card. Slide card over right end of Kraft card base. Adhere backs together. 

After finishing the entire card, the patterned paper top-folded card attached to the Kraft card base opens as shown below.

To create the inside sentiment to this card, I layered Lunch Bag Kraft Cardstock that I die cut and stamped under die cut patterned paper and a Brown Kraft Label that I stamped as well.  I also stamped pale pink polka dots on the front of the card and attached a die cut flower. 

When the card is opened fully, it looks like this...

and (just so that you can see it again without scrolling back) when closed fully, it looks like this...

The Design Team at The Kraft Journal is looking forward to seeing what you create for our "Spring Fling" challenge. Your entry not only provides you with a chance to win a store voucher, you also have a chance to be selected as one of our Top Three for this challenge or have your project showcased on the blog.

Thank you for stopping by today and don't forget to hop back in tomorrow for over at The Kraft Journal for our "Feature Me Friday" post when we showcase designs created by you!

Other supplies used to create this card not mentioned above include:

Flower Die (Sizzix)

Cardstock, Stamps, Label Die Cuts and Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Stampin' Up

Pearl: KaiserCraft

Thursday Trigger with Kraft Outlet

At The Kraft Journal blog, sponsored by Kraft Outlet we've added a new post to our weekly challenge and weekly blog post line-up. Each Thursday, I'll be creating a project based on the current weekly challenge at The Kraft Journal, a final bit of inspiration before the end of the challenge that we hope will inspire those of you who want to join our challenge for the week, but haven't quite got going yet.

This week, our "Cute as a Button" challenge kicked off on Monday with some fabulous projects by the Kraft Outlet Design Team. Wednesday Audrey shared her inspiring Button tutorial and today I'm sharing a card I created for this challenge.

Twill Tape and Kraft Cardstock from Kraft Outlet

 You'll have until Sunday March 6 at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time to enter the project you create for a chance to win a Kraft Outlet gift voucher, a Top Three blog button and/or a spot on our Feature Me Friday posts where we feature your projects at The Kraft Journal blog.

 

Now keep in mind, since we are The Kraft Journal, the official blog of Kraft Outlet, we ask that your projects include either Kraft cardstock OR in leiu of that, products purchased from Kraft Outlet. Again, we don't require you to purchase your Kraft cardstock from the Kraft Outlet but we've got a fabulous product and hope that the next time you are in the market for some exceptional Kraft cardstock at fantastic prices you check us out (and while you are there, all the other yummy products available there as well!

 

Cute as a Button Challenge at The Kraft Journal Blog

To create this card, I paired two of my favorite, "Must Have" basics from Kraft Outlet; Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock with Natural Twill Tying Tape. 

Instructions:

1. Create a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base using Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock.
2. Cut piece of patterned paper to 4 x 5 1/4 inch rectangle and border punch bottom of patterned paper.
3. Wrap a piece of Natural Twill Tying Tape above border and adhere to back with adhesive tape.
4. Machine stitch zig-zag border around patterned paper sewing directly over Twill Tape and adhere to card base.
5. Die Cut doily from coordinating patterned paper with Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry Die  and adhere to card front.
6. Die Cut (2) Button Cards from Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock. Stamp both with image and sentiment. Adhere one button card to card front with Pop Dots.
7. Tie three buttons with twine or Earthy Hemp Cord and adhere buttons to second button card.
8. Adhere button card to card front with Pop Dots.
9. Tie bow with Natural Twill Tying Tape and adhere to cardfront.

Other Supplies Used:
Stamps and dies not listed above: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon

Remember, you still have plenty of time to join in our "Cute as a Button" challenge and to enter just add your link to this post right here.