Hello there friends! Welcome to  December! Wow - has this year just flown by! For my post today, I am sharing a fun and festive home decor piece with you! It's just in time to add to your decorations this year! I love making all sorts of wreaths and knew when  I saw the Gingerbread Kisses collection, I wanted to make one of these candy cane wreaths! I knew it would be a great way to showcase all the yummy candy in the collection.! I also repurposed the "Shadow Box Insert Kit" to decorate the wreath's center! You don't always have to put those in Shadow Boxes! 

So to make my wreath I used the following products:

-Candy Canes- these are the "Elf" Movie-themed ones that are out in stores now. I loved how the candy cane colors perfectly match the Gingerbread Kisses collection!

-an 8-inch foam wreath form - picked this up at the Dollar Store

-(2)  10 inch circle canvases

-Buttons and white twine

-Red Dot Ribbon- 2 spools

-Gingerbread Kisses Shadow Box Insert Kit

-For the decorative tag on the left side of the wreath, I layered a flower, some mesh ribbon, a fun cookie decoration, some greenery, a button, and twine and the cute "Merry Christmas" banner is from the Chit Chat. 

-burlap twine

- Hot glue

To start I laid out one of the circle canvases and then arranged my candy canes around the circle. I used hot glue to glue the bottom points onto the canvas and then glued the top corners of the candy canes to the one next to them. 

I then added some white twine to some 1-inch buttons and hot glued them to the centers where the two candy canes meet.

Next,  I assembled the Shadow Box kit as shown in their instructions, but used the second circle canvas as my background instead of a piece of paper. I centered the vellum sheet onto the center of the circle canvas and glued that to the top of the candy cane layer,  which I previously did. 

I then covered my foam wreath form with the red dot ribbon and hot glued that on top of my Shadow Box sticker layer.

I wanted to add a little bit more decoration to my wreath so I took a large kraft tag and layered it up with a striped flower, some mesh ribbon, a cute realistic-looking cookie ornament, some greenery, a button tied with twine and the "Merry Christmas" banner which is from the Chit Chat die cuts. I had a sparkly red glitter bow in my stash that added to the left edge of the wreath. I glued the tag and all its fun bits to the top of the glitter bow. 

Finally, I wrapped some burlap twine to two of the top candy cane bundles. I hot glued that really well and then made a loopy bow and hot glued that to the top of the twine I just wrapped. This serves as my hanger for the wreath. 

I hope this wreath has inspired you to create your own fun and festive holiday decor piece! The "Gingerbread Kisses" collection was perfect for this candy-themed project, and I had so much fun making it. I encourage you to get creative and use your favorite holiday collection to put your own spin on this wreath. It's a great way to showcase your favorite holiday treats and add some cheer to your home this season. Happy crafting!

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED:

Gingerbread Kisses Shadow Box Insert Kit

Gingerbread Kisses Chit Chat Die Cuts

OTHER PRODUCTS USED:

Candy canes

2 Circle Canvases

Foam Wreath Form

Ribbon & Twine

Buttons 

Hot Glue

Decorations for the tag

Home Sweet Home Album - Pretty Kitty - Doodlebug Design Team Project

Well hello there! It's my turn to share my take on how I used the amazing new Home Sweet Home Chipboard mini album and I am super excited to share it with you today! Since I am a recent addition to the team, I didn't get the chance to use the adorable "Pretty Kitty "collection. So, I thought I would create this fun little mini album with a kitty theme and I really love how this one turned out! 

I really thought the phrase on the top banner strip pretty much summed up the whole theme of my album. We have the sweetest kitty named Winifred and she absolutely makes our home so much better! She is an absolutely spoiled little kitty and I plan to fill up this album with some of my favorite photos of her! On my cover, I used some papers from the 6x6 paper pad and some yellow cardstock. Various stickers from the Icon Sticker sheet were used as well as the adorable "Hello Friend" Doodlepop in the center. I also fancied up the cover with this cute cluster of ribbons, twine, a button, and this cute paw print die cut from the Bits and Pieces. 

My album has 8 pages that are all decorated up and on several of the pages have some fun pockets, pull-outs, and flip-out sections! Let me show you each of the pages: 

My first page has a side flap that has a pocket I made from one of the 3x4 cards on the "Cat Nap" paper. I tucked a tag and an photo spot with a tabbed label on it.

 

Here is the page with the flap opened. I decorated this portion with some spots for photos and some decor from the collection.

On this page, I utilized the fun "Picture Purrrfect" title piece from the Chit Chat die cuts on top of a large photo spot. The cute floral banner is also from the Chit Chat.

This is a fun side pocket page that  I decorated up with one of the fun squares from the "Feline Good" layered on top of a tag. Inside the pocket are a few of the journaling spots on the "Having a Ball" paper. The addition of some twine and ribbon makes this page extra fun!

Another page, another space for a large photo of your feline friend! This page has a few stickers from the Icon Sticker sheet and the heart label from the Bits and Pieces are layered up with some enamel dots. A small sticker, that says "love this" is from the This and That sticker sheet. The cute title piece is from the Chit Chat.

 This next page is a fun, interactive one! I cut 4 squares from the "Feline Good" papers and mounted them on some pieces of white cardstock that were scored in half. I laid these out in two rows and then added some sticker strips on the inside of the flaps and decorated the tops of the cards with a few stickers from the Puffy Sticker sheet. This page is finished off with a fun heart banner strip on the top of the page from the Chit Chat.

This page below includes spots for 2 photos and is decorated with cute stickers, tags, and twine. The 'Fur Baby" words are from the Chit Chat. It was fun to add one word on each of the two different photo spots.

This fun page is also interactive! I cut 2 pieces of the Backyard Bunch paper. I scored each of these papers 1/2 in from the edges to make a flap and then decorated the top section up with the sweet "Pretty Kitty " round label from the Chit Chat added on top of a die-cut scallop circle. I added adhesive to the top part of this section, leaving the bottom edge unglued so you can lift the flap up. On the inside of the page, I added a large circle photo spot and decorated the page up with some stickers and a quote die cut. 

The final page is a pocket page that is stuffed with some papers from the collection fancied up with some twine, ribbon, die cuts, and stickers. The front portion of the pocket is made by layering up a sticker label from the "This and That" sticker sheet and a 3x4 card from the "Cat Nap" paper. 

I truly had the most fun designing this album! The chipboard they are made with is just the right thickness to make it easy to layer and add lots of different types of embellishments. I love that these little cuties are so versatile and can be used with any of the many fantastic Doodlebug collections! So if you have a million pictures of your own fluffy fur baby like I do - do yourself a favor and pick up one of the "Home Sweet Home" albums and fill it up with all of those precious memories! Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a great week!

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED:

Pretty Kitty Collection

Home Sweet Home Chipboard Album

OTHER PRODUCTS USED:

Twine, ribbon, buttons 

Christmas Baking Advent and Memory Journal - Doodlebug Design Gingerbread Kisses DT Project

The holiday season is upon us, and there's no better way to count down the days to Christmas than with an advent calendar filled with festive surprises! I was so excited when I learned that Doodlebug came out with their very own customizable advent calendar! Why settle for a store-bought one when you can create a super cute Doodlebug-themed personalized one! 

So,  I wanted to create an advent calendar but add a fun little something extra to it In this post, I will share with you the process of crafting your very own advent calendar complete with a unique twist – a baking-themed journal to record your sweetest Christmas memories! With all the cute baking-themed icons and papers in the Gingerbread Kisses collection, it was so easy to whip up this fun-themed advent calendar. 

Here is how I put this together:

**Step 1: Decorating the Calendar**

 I wanted my Advent to look like a gingerbread house, so I painted the house with some light tan paint. I then decorated the roof with some Blush colored Textured cardstock and cut scallop border strips on my Silhouette. I adhered these to the roof section. I wanted to decorate the roof with some real candy so I hot glued 2 mini candy canes and some gumdrops to the scallop strips. In the center of this section, I added the "Baking Spirits Bright" Chit Chat piece to a kraft-colored doily. I added the "Baking Spirits Bright" banner sticker from the This and that sticker sheet on top for some dimension. I also added some white Chunky Twine as a border along the edges of the house.

   

 For the drawer fronts, I used the Holiday Sprinkles paper. I picked up some little wooden drawer knobs at the craft store, painted them white, and glued them to the fronts of the drawers. 

     

I added this cute Santa, who is from the Odds and Ends, and a couple of Gingerbreads from the Puffy Stickers to the chimney part of the house! He looks so cute peeking out!  

             

**Step 2: Add  Mini Cookie Cutters and create the Numbered Tags

Next, add a mini cookie cutter to each drawer. These mini cookie cutters will serve as the key to your calendar. They'll not only look adorable but also provide a fun surprise for each day. To add the numbers to the cookie cutters, I die-cut a small stitched square tag from the Mini Tags Doodle Cuts. I cut the small number squares, found in the 6x6 paper pad, and added them to the tags. I tied the tags onto the cookie cutters with some baker's twine. 

 This is where the magic begins. Each day, open a drawer, find the number on the tag, and uncover a memory prompt. 

Every day, as you open a drawer, you'll also pull out a decorated tag with your daily journaling prompt. Write down your memories, experiences, and thoughts related to baking during the holiday season. These journal entries will become a cherished keepsake for years to come.

**Step 3: The Baking-Themed Journal**

Here's where the unique twist comes into play with my calendar. I decided to go along with the baking theme of the collection to create a baking-themed journal to capture the precious memories of your holiday baking adventures. I bought a white chipboard box from the craft store. I decorated the box with some Cookies for Santa paper. I decorated the front with a 3x4 card from the Gift Wrap paper. I added the "Christmas Memories" sticker label to the card.  The sticker is on the This and That sticker sheet. I added a few Puffy stickers to the label as well.

I then cut out 24 tags from some textured cardstock. I wanted to add some lined paper to the tags so they can be written on so I used the Bright Ideas paper from the Cute and Crafty collection. I then used some papers from the Plaid and Polka Dot Petite Prints and cut out a 3-D bow from a cut file on my Silhouette. I added the bow to the top of the tag and added a button and some twine to the bow. The Tags are held in a Kraft Slimline Evenelope that I trimmed down just a bit on one end to hold the tag. The envelope is then decorated with the 12x12 paper version of the numbered boxes found on the Christmas Jammies paper. 

 On each tag, I added  a journaling prompt related to baking, such as "Share your favorite cookie recipe" or "Describe the scent of fresh gingerbread cookies."

 So -with your handmade baking-themed advent calendar and journal, you'll not only savor the joy of the holiday season but also create lasting memories. The combination of the Gingerbread Kisses line, mini cookie cutters, and daily prompts will make each day leading up to Christmas a sweet adventure. So, gather your crafting supplies, get creative, and bake your way to Christmas bliss with this delightful DIY project. Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a great week and a Happy Holiday Season! 

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED:

Gingerbread Kisses Collection

Advent Calendar

Cute and Crafty "Bright Ideas" paper

Gingerbread Kisses Textured Cardstock Assortment plus 3 sheets of Blush Textured Cardstock

Plaid and Polka Dot Petite Prints Paper

Mini Tags Doodle Cuts

Doodle Twine

White Chunky Twine

OTHER PRODUCTS USED:

Silhouette Cameo

3-D Bow cut file

Kraft Slimline Envelopes

Buttons, twine

Kraft Doily

Light Tan and White Paint

Wood Drawer Knobs

Gumdrops and Mini Candy Canes

Hot Glue Gun

White chipboard box

Green ric-rac

Mini Cookie Cutters

What's Cookin' Envelope Recipe Mini Album - Simple Stories DT project

 Hey there crafty friends! I just wanted to hop on here and share with you a little walkthrough/tutorial on how I put my pages together to create this fun little Recipe Mini Album. I used the super cute What's Cookin' collection from Simple Stories. My assignment over at Simple Stories is cards - which I LOVE! But sometimes I like to think outside of the box on some creative ways my card-making skills can turn into other types of projects.

I decided I wanted to create a mini album made from envelopes and the Card Kit from the What's Cookin' collection. As a card maker, I have OODLES of envelopes so I looked up a few YouTube videos and Pinterest ideas and came up with this little cutie! It was super fun to put together - and I want to share with you how I did it! 

So let's start with our supplies- You will need the following:

 (6) #10 Kraft Business Envelopes. I got mine on Amazon here

(2) 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 pieces of medium-weight chipboard for front and back covers

(1) 12x 12 piece of What's Cookin' Seconds Please paper

1 set  of What's Cookin' Recipe cards

(5) 4 x 6-inch pieces of Color Vibe cardstock in the following colors:

Robins Egg, Peony, Mustard, Tomato, and Peacock

(2) 4-inch white doilies

Twine, Ribbon, and Brad to decorate the cover

For your tools you will need:

-Paper Trimmer

-Scoring Board 

-Bone Folder

-Adhesive (liquid or strong double-sided tape works best)

1 1/8 -inch circle punch

Optional - Ink for edges and a Scallop Edge Corner Chomper

Step 1- Seal up all the flaps on the envelopes

 Step 2- Trim 1/4 -inch off each end of the envelope. It should measure 9 1/4 inches.

Step 3- Lay the 9 1/4 inch side on your scor-board and score at 3 1/4 inches.

Do all these 3 steps to each of the 6 envelopes

Step 4- To start  - take 2 of the envelopes and lay them like the picture shown below. You are going to be gluing the short flap of one envelope to the back long flap of the other envelope.

Make sure that you add your glue about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch away from the folded edge of the envelope. This will just make the pages turn easier once the album is all put together.

Step 5- Do this to all of the envelopes so when you are done it lines up like the photo below. Take your circle punch and add the notches to the top edges of the envelopes so the recipe cards can be pulled out easier.

Step 6 - Make your front and back covers. Take the 12x12 piece of Seconds Please paper and trim it to the following sizes:

(2) 5 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches. This is the Yellow Gingham side of the paper that will be used for the front and the back sides of the album. Add a strong glue to the chipboard and center in the middle of these papers. Miter corners and add strong adhesive to glue these papers to the chipboard.

(2) 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches. These papers are glued to the fronts of the chipboard inside the front cover and back cover of the album. I used the brown floral side of the Seconds Please paper. NOTE: if you are going to add a ribbon closure for your album, glue it to the top of the brown floral side of the paper in the back cover BEFORE you add the envelopes to the album! 

 Your covers will look like this when done. 

Step 7- Glue your covers to the front and back of your folded envelopes.

Step 8- Let me show you how to add the flaps that go into the large flap of the envelope. Take your 4x6 inch pieces of Color Vibe cardstocks and lay the 6-inch side on the top of your scor-board. Score the paper at 3 1/2 inches.

                                      

If desired notch the top corners with a corner chomper to round the edges. I used the Scallop side of my corner chomper to achieve a little bit of a decorative edge.

Fold your paper and place the scored edge at the top of the envelope. Tuck the excess into the short flap pocket and glue the paper to the envelope. 

Here is a little photo example of how the pages are put together in the album. The next part is where I took the pieces of the card kit and added them to my album. I didn't really measure these out - I just trimmed the papers to fit the space on the envelopes. 

I added 2 recipe cards to each pocket of the album. One in the front flap and one inside the pocket covered by the Color Vibe cardstock.

Step 9 - Decorate your pages and your Front Cover using elements from the What's Cookin' Card Kit. 

I hope this little album inspires you to create one of these for that special someone whom you would like to share cherished recipes with - or even keep it for yourself and add your favorite recipes! Either way- this is such a fun collection to work with to remember all of those special memories in the kitchen, Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions on this project! 

Thank you so much for stopping by !

Happy Crafting!