Some Black Friday Deals...

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday.  We are very lucky to have our family together this week for some feasting, celebrating and an early Christmas with our son and daughter-in-law from California.

If you are a "Black Friday" shopper and have already been out to the stores, I hope you found some great deals.  If you like to shop from home there are many special offers available online - here are a few that I want to share with you.  I have affiliate relationships with some but not all of these offers - I appreciate it when you use my links to purchase (your price is not affected).  

If you have been thinking about getting a Silhouette machine, there are some great offers on the Silhouette site for machine bundles - click HERE to see the bundles for a Cameo, a Portrait or a bundle with both machines!

You can also save 40% on your order of products from the Silhouette store - just use the code HOLIDAY at checkout.  If you spend $25 or more, shipping is free - so it is a good time to stock up.

If you already have a machine, designs in the Silhouette Online Store are all on sale for 50% off and a large group of items in the Clearance section are 75% off.  These prices are good through December 8th.

DIGITAL CONTENT SALE - Former Creative Memories and Panstoria kits and collections.

Digital Content Sale

If you are a StoryBook Creator or Artisan user, Panstoria is offering a 30% off sale on digital content from the former Creative Memories library and the Panstoria collection.   (Panstoria is the company that created the StoryBook Creator program that Creative Memories sold and since Creative Memories exited the digital scrapping business as part of their bankruptcy reorganization Panstoria now sells the program as Artisan on their website HERE)

The Creative Memories content will be available only until March and I don't know if there will be another sale so if there are digital kits that you missed when they were sold by Creative Memories now is a great time to finish your collection.  The sale prices are good only on Friday and Saturday, click HERE to go to the site.

Circut is offering some deals on machines, cartridges and supplies.  There is a bundle with the Winter Wonderland (Anna Griffin) cartridge and the Merry and Bright Cartridge for $39.99 that is perfect for holiday projects.  You can get free shipping by entering the code BF2013SHIP.  The sale ends on Cyber Monday.

Blitsy has a Black Friday sale along with a celebration of their second birthday - the sale goes live at 6 a.m. Central Time.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deal

Are you interested in the "pocket-style" scrapbooking options that seem to be everywhere these days?  Lain Ehmann is offering a new one-day live, virtual event on January 25, 2014.  There will be six class sessions which will offer new and experienced pocket scrapbookers the information and inspiration they need to use the pocket scrapbooking/Project Life format to capture their memories. Sponsors include Simple Stories, Project Life, Gossamer Blue and Studio Calico.  You will have full access to all replays in case you can't attend all day or just want to review what you have learned.

Lain is offering an amazing deal on this event.  The normal price is $149 but during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend sale you can get it for just $47 - a savings of over $100!  The sale ends on Monday at midnight.

Here are the instructors and their topics - for more information and to sign up click HERE.

Stephanie Bryan, Gossamer Blue Creative Team Member

“Outside the Lines: Creative Approaches to Adding Journaling to Your Pocket Pages”

Lilith Eeckels, American Crafts Design Team Member and Two Peas Garden Girl

“Playing Big: Adding 12×12 photos and layouts to your Pocket Pages Albums”

Layle Koncar, Marketing Director for Simple Stories

“Pocket Scrapping 101: Back to Basics”

Monica McNeil, Former Project Life Creative Team Member

“KISS: Keep It Simple, Scrappy! Simplifying the Pocket Page Process”

Marcy Penner, Studio Calico Design Team Member

“Do You Hear What I Hear? Including Your Family’s Perspectives in Your Pocket Spreads”

 Traci Reed, Gossamer Blue Design Team Member

“Hybrid Hints for Paper People”

All classes on sale at Craftsy

There are some great bargains to be had for online classes at Craftsy this weekend.  All classes are $19.99 or less - check them out HERE.  The deals end Monday.

Persnickety Prints has a special price on 12x12 page prints - they are $1.75 each when purchased in a bundle of 50 - you can find this deal HERE.  (The regular price is $1.99 - you can purchase this deal and redeem as many as you like in an order).

There are many more deals on offer this weekend - I'll try to add more later today if time allows.  Happy shopping!


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Happy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.

A very special Happy Hanukkah to those of you who are celebrating both holidays - Thanksgiving and Hanukkah won't coincide again for 77,798 years!

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This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in affiliate programs for products that I use or can recommend without reservation. 

The Matchbox Diary Wreath

Every year, our local museum has an exhibit of Christmas trees that are decorated by volunteers.  The decorations are inspired by children's books.  Over the years I have decorated quite a few trees.  For the past two years I have decorated a wreath in a small hallway.  You can see last year's wreath based on the book Wynken, Blynken and Nod HERE and the tree I decorated with my neighbor two years ago based on the book Dear Mermaid HERE.

The book I was asked to do this year is called The Matchbox Diary.  It was written by Paul Fleischmann and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. It is a charming story about grandfather sharing his memories with his granddaughter.  When he was young he immigrated to the US and didn't know how to read and write so he kept small objects in matchboxes to remind him of things that had happened. 

The book has lovely illustrations with a great deal of detail. There are 14 items that are revealed in the matchboxes so I set off on a treasure hunt to find them all.

One of the hardest things to find was the small matchboxes.  I tried local grocery, drug and hardware stores and eventually found them a a dollar store - 10 for $1.  Cigar boxes are popular items to alter and I was able to buy this one at my local craft store, Ink About It in Westford, MA.   Fortunately, the matchboxes fit fairly well and I could fill the gaps at the top and side by placing some matchboxes vertically.  I added some strategically cut pieces of cardboard to fill up the base of the box.

Of course, I had to empty all of those matchboxes to avoid a fire hazard at the museum!  Now I have a lifetime supply...

I started searching for vintage images to cover the matchboxes.  Twisted Papers is my "go to" source for great vintage images and I was able to find lots of advertising images that would work well.  I also found a few matchbox images on a Tim Holtz Distressables Elements CD from 2008 by Design Originals.  This company was sold to Fox Chapel Publishing in 2011 and I could not find the CDs on their website but you might be able to find a copy still in stock at an online or local store.

This photograph was one of the items illustrated and I wondered where I would find one that looked similar.  It was exciting to find this man's "twin" in the People (Vintage Photos) Gallery on the Twisted Papers site.

He is not an identical twin but remarkably similar.

I used my Panstoria Artisan 4.0 software to adapt the images to fit the matchboxes and set up a few sheets of different images to print.  I also found a couple of paper matchbox labels in a vintage shop and added them into the mix of images.  (Panstoria is the company that created the StoryBook Creator program that Creative Memories sold and since Creative Memories exited the digital scrapping business as part of their bankruptcy reorganization Panstoria now sells the program as Artisan on their website HERE).

I used quite a few advertising images since matchboxes were often given away for promotional purposes.  It was a lot of fun to sort through the possibilities at Twisted Papers.  They sell images as individual downloads (instant gratification!) or in collections on CDs and DVDs.

The cutting, pasting and inking process to turn the modern red boxes into "vintage" matchboxes was fun.  I learned a few tricks by trial and error.  The covers were printed on regular printer paper so it worked best to put the glue on the matchbox and then add the cover.  Once they were stuck down some Distress Ink helped to age the boxes.  I used Vintage Photo on nearly all of the boxes and also some Peeled Paint and Wild Honey to tint some of the black and white images.

I made sure to use each cover only once for the boxes that went into the cigar box.  Even the boxes that are standing on the ends have been covered, just in case someone looks at them from a lower angle.  The boxes are pretty tightly packed but they are also glued into the cigar box.  The boxes layered on the top are also glued and the entire cigar box is wired into the wreath form.

The items in the matchboxes are arranged around the wreath in four clusters of three and the final two rest next to and on the cigar box.  The first three items are an olive pit, the photograph and a pen nib.

Next are a piece of macaroni, a bottle cap and a fancy hairpin (found on the ship when the grandfather was a boy immigrating to the US).

I made the hair pin by attaching a small rhinestone brooch to a piece of wire.  I always look for "junk jewelry" at rummage sales since many items are quite useful for craft projects.

The next three items are a St. Christopher medal, 19 sunflower seed shells and a fish bone.  I couldn't find a St. Christopher medal that looked similar to the one in the book so I created one from an image I found online, layering it on some chipboard circles, inking the edges in silver and adding a jump ring to make it seem more "real."

The next items are a piece of newspaper (created on the computer, printed on parchment and inked and crumpled) a tooth and a ticket.  The ticket is supposed to be for a baseball game but I had an image of a circus ticket that works since the circus part doesn't show.  The tooth is real (OK, I admit it - I keep everything!)

The final two items are a lump of coal (I cheated a bit - it is just a stone that my husband found and painted black for me) and some pieces of metal type.  The grandfather became a typesetter and this is the last box that they open together and talk about.

The hallway where the wreath hangs is a bit dark so I added lots of shimmery ribbon.  The deep red and gold are traditional colors and also capture the feel of the book illustrations.  The tiny lights are battery operated LEDs that do not get hot and are timed to be on for six hours and then off until the next day.

The final thing I added to the wreath was the large red bow to fill in the area by the cigar box and make the view from the left of the wreath more attractive.  I'll have to stop by the museum every so often to "fluff" it since it will most likely be bumped into a few times as people pass through the exhibit.  (One of the other decorators offered to take my photo by the wreath when I finally got it all put together.  I forgot to have one taken beside last year's wreath.)

I think that this book is lovely and I hope that some of the children who visit the exhibit may be inspired to start their own little collections just like the granddaughter does at the end of the story.  Simple objects can have great meaning when you know the stories that go along with them.  You'll have to read the book to find out the significance of all of the things that are in these boxes.

The Concord Museum has a wonderful collection, including Ralph Waldo Emerson's study, Henry David Thoreau's desk from his Walden cabin and the Paul Revere lantern from 1775 ("one if by land and two if by sea...").  You can find the museum website HERE.  If you live in this area and have never been to the museum it is well worth a visit and from now until the end of the year you will also be able to see the Family Trees exhibit.

Family Trees is a special event that has been held at the museum for the past eighteen years.  Volunteers decorate trees with a children's book as the inspiration.  Some of the trees are decorated by the author or illustrator of the book.  This event is a fundraiser for the educational initiatives at the museum.  You can read more about the Family Trees event HERE.

I hope your Thanksgiving preparations are going well.  If you are also celebrating Hanukkah enjoy the 0nce-in -a lifetime overlap of the two holidays, apparently "Thanksgivukkah" t-shirts are big sellers this year!

We will have all of the family together - our son and daughter-in-law from California fly in tonight (hoping that there are no weather difficulties with their flight!).  I have been away a lot over the past month and it is nice to settle in now for the holiday season. 


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Hexagon Quilt Cards (part one)

Hexagons are a classic quilting shape.  When I first saw the hexagon overlays on the CTMH Artbooking Cricut cartridge I knew that I wanted to try to make a "paper quilt" for a card.

The overlay I used is on page 67 of the handbook.  I cut this image at four inches which produced an overlay of 4 x 8 inches.

I chose five patterned papers from this K & Company Halloween and Fall collection by Tim Coffey - one of the many stacks I have been slow to use because I like the papers so much!

These are the five frames that I ended up with after making all of the cuts.

Option 1) Purchase $30-$99 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive the "thanks" stamp set shown right below (it is approx. 3"x 3-1/4"). I will ship it out to you separately from your order.

OR

Option 2) Purchase $100 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive any "C" sized stamp set of your choice ($13.95 value). You must email me your choice after you purchase - do not add it to your cart!

"C" sized stamp sets have an item number as shown below:

- See more at: http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/#sthash.UK8d64Fc.dpuf

Option 1) Purchase $30-$99 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive the "thanks" stamp set shown right below (it is approx. 3"x 3-1/4"). I will ship it out to you separately from your order. - See more at: http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/#sthash.UK8d64Fc.dpuf

Option 1) Purchase $30-$99 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive the "thanks" stamp set shown right below (it is approx. 3"x 3-1/4"). I will ship it out to you separately from your order.

OR

Option 2) Purchase $100 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive any "C" sized stamp set of your choice ($13.95 value). You must email me your choice after you purchase - do not add it to your cart!

"C" sized stamp sets have an item number as shown below:

- See more at: http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/#sthash.UK8d64Fc.dpuf

Option 1) Purchase $30-$99 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive the "thanks" stamp set shown right below (it is approx. 3"x 3-1/4"). I will ship it out to you separately from your order.

OR

Option 2) Purchase $100 before tax and shipping from my Close to My Heart site HERE  and receive any "C" sized stamp set of your choice ($13.95 value). You must email me your choice after you purchase - do not add it to your cart!

"C" sized stamp sets have an item number as shown below:

- See more at: http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/#sthash.UK8d64Fc.dpuf

Here are the "leftovers" on the mats.  I needed to use multiple mats for this project because the hexagons vary ever so slightly in size and you must place them in the same position on the grid to get a perfect fit when you are creating the "quilts."  I tried just lifting all of the pieces to mix randomly on another card but I found that the shapes were not quite identical so they didn't fit properly.

When I lifted the grids from the mats, I marked the top of the design with a "T" to make sure that I could place it on the card front properly.

I cut ivory cardstock at 8 x 8 inches and scored and folded the squares at four inches to create the card bases.  Here is one of the grids on the card base.  I used a glue pen along the grid lines to secure the cut to the card - you could also use a spray adhesive to make things go a little faster.

I added all of the grids to the cards before starting the quilt designs.

Next, I added a scribble of glue with my glue pen in each of the open hexagon spaces.  I waited for the glue to dry to clear so I would be able to reposition pieces if I made a mistake in the pattern.

In order to make sure that everything would come out even, I used a regular pattern on each card.  Each row has two of the four other papers added in alternating spaces.  If you look at this example, the top row is orange and gold and the next row is plaid and script designs.  Each time I started the next row I alternated the papers to create a vertical pattern as well as a horizontal pattern.

It is very important to keep the pieces on the mats and move them to the card fronts in the same positions so the shapes will fit precisely as you put them into the pattern on each card.

These are my five finished cards.  Each has a different look depending on the placement of light and dark colors.  Which one do you like best?

Here is a close up view of one card.  There is a tiny bit of white showing at the edges of some hexagons.  This is the edge of the paper.  I'll add some inking to blend these edges in before adding sentiments and other embellishments to the card fronts.  If you use solid core cardstock you shouldn't have this problem.

I think I like this card with the most distinct frame the best.  I'll be added some sentiments and additional cuts to finish the cards and will post these in part two.

The Artbooking cartridge is full of interesting overlays that are useful for layouts and cards.  My friend Joy Tracey is a CTMH consultant and she would be happy to help you with any questions.  Joy's blog is Obsessed with Scrapbooking and will find tons of inspiration there.  You can order CTMH products on her site HERE.

Joy is having a "flash sale" right now - there are a limited number of orders that will qualify.  If you order $30 or more on her CTMH site she will automatically send you a lovely "Thanks" stamp.  I have this stamp and it is very pretty.

If you order $100 or more, Joy will send you the "C" size stamp set of your choice.  These normally sell for $13.95 and there are lots of great choices.  Do not add this item to your cart - you need to email your choice to Joy and she will send it to you directly.  Be sure to order right away to have the best chance to be one of the first 20 orders that will qualify for this special offer.

These specials are only available on Joy's site - they are not CTMH sponsored.

November Stamp of the Month

There are also two other offers available to you.  If you order $50 or more you will be able to buy the Stamp of the Month set for just $5.  The set this month is particularly nice - useful for more than just the holidays.

If you spend $100 or more in retail product from the regular catalog or the Holiday Guide you can choose one of the starred items shown above from the holiday guide for free.  The set of numbers for advent calendars at the top right above is very nice and many of the number designs are not strictly holiday themed.  This set would normally be $17.95.  You would also qualify for a second Stamp of the Month set (a great gift for a friend for just $5) and if you are one of the first 20 orders Joy will also send you the "C" size stamp set of your choice.

I am hosting an online gathering this month.  If you shop on Joy's site, please click to join my gathering.  The gathering ends on Thursday, November 21st.  Thanks for your support.

I hope that none of you were affected by the extreme weather and tornadoes in the Midwest.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all who were in the path of the storms.

How are your Thanksgiving holiday preparations going?  I just got home Sunday night and I am on the road again for a quick trip to my sister's - if I can find the time to stay home after that I "think" I can get everything ready!

Subscribe to Capadia Designs if you would like to have new posts delivered directly to your email.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in affiliate programs for products that I use or can recommend without reservation.