Creating a Disney Scrapbook

seven months ago my family was having a blast on a week-long Disney vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. you might have noticed that i haven't shared a single thing about that vacation.

why? well, the truth is......i'm overwhelmed with how exactly to record the magical-ness of it. (if magical-ness isn't a word, it is now.)

do you ever get that way with your photos and/or memories. frozen for fear of 'messing' it up? silly, isn't it?

i took thousands of photos on that trip. eeeps! we also took advantage of the Photopass system and purchased the CD of images which gave me another 600 or so photos.

gobs and gobs of photos.

this layout is the very first layout i've made that displays photos from our trip....i hope that there are many more to follow, like, real soon!

there are SO many stories to be told from this trip.so many. i can't wait to see them all unfold in the pages of my scrapbooks.

this layout in particular was created using some new products released at CHA from Little Yellow Bicycle's Just Because and Naturals collections. i've also used quite a few Fiskars tools in the mix too!

this layout also appears today on a few other blogs.  in one place i'm talking about tips for putting the layout together and in the other talking about recording vacation memories as a whole. click on over to the Little Yellow Bicycle blog and to the Fiskateers blog for more of the story.  there are also links to products and tools at the respective blogs. 

Easy Valentine Treats for the Classroom in SRM Tubes

I am so thrilled to be sharing an idea for you and your kiddos for their Valentine’s Day classroom exchange. You should know that I am totally one of those people that like to find ways to use products in ways other than their intended purpose and today’s inspiration will be no different.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I decided to make things easy on myself and put some of the gorgeous pieces from the Little Yellow Bicycle: Just Because: Paper Crafting Kit to use to embellish a set of lightweight clear plastic tubes from SRM Press.

These tubes are BRILLIANT for packaging small candy treats and made the job of putting together sugary sweet Valentine’s for my daughter’s classmates super simple.

 What I love most about these tubes is that you can decorate them as simple or over the top as you wish and whichever way you choose they look absolutely adorable and like you fussed for hours over them. They are about 1” in diameter leaving you with tons of options for what treat to fill them with. I’ve seen yogurt covered raisins, cinnamon hearts, tart candies, chocolate coated candies, nuts, sunflower seeds, coins, messages in a bottle, rolled up stickers, etc.

To decorate them, I started simple by adding either a vellum tape strip or a pre-scored printed cardstock strip (from the Paper Crafting Kit) along the bottom of each tube. These add a visually substantial embellishment around the base of the tube and acts to ground whatever other embellishing you’re doing. Each vellum strip &/or pre-scored printed cardstock will wrap around three tubes, so you can really stretch the mileage from the set making them perfect when creating multiples!

When using the shapes from the Paper Crafting Kit, don’t feel limited by pieces that aren’t quite the right color because you can always use the reverse side that is white. Also, don’t overlook a piece that is pre-printed with a word or image that may not convey your feelings because it can also be layered with additional pieces to cover. I did exactly that using the light blue circle piece pre-printed with the word “happy”. You’ll also notice that the banner pieces are much narrower than they come in the kit. I simply cut ¼” to ½” strip off of each side so they would look more balance for the size of my tubes.

Some other tips:

• It’s a good idea to alternate the height at which you place your layered embellishments so they don’t all get tangled together at the top.
• Glue dots work best for adhering to the plastic tube. No worrying about glue drying or sticky fingers leaving marks on the tubes.
• If you like a little extra bulk to your layers add in the small flowers and hearts from the package of Chipboard Shapes.
• Use stickers from the Fresh Verse sticker sheet to add simple phrases. You can quickly turn them into a cute banner-like sticker by cutting a triangle-shaped notch in the right edge of the sticker.
• Dust the sticky portion of any stickers that overhang with baby powder so they don’t inadvertently stick to anything else.
• Consider using a tube of a different size for teachers and school administrators. Larger tubes work rather well for using the larger bows in the crafting kit.
• Don’t have a need for classroom Valentine’s? No worries. You can adapt this idea for any theme using a Paper Crafting Kit from any of the other Little Yellow Bicycle collections.
• Don’t want to use tubes? That’s okay, you can follow the same concept using glassine bags or cellophane bags too!

Happy Crafting!

Fiskars: Techniques for Altering A Canvas

stretching yourself creatively by trying new skills beyond your comfort zone of traditional paper crafting is good exercise and can be very liberating as you experiment in using some of your Fiskars tools beyond their typical scope.

that's exactly what i did with one of my latest project tutorials created for Fiskars.

i have to admit that it was super fun adding layer upon layer of paint and texture until i finally stepped back, admired my design, and called it complete.

if you've never altered a canvas before, you'll quickly learn that the beauty of altering a canvas is that once you start with the initial paint layers, you never really know quite how it will look in the end.

afterall, this canvas started out like this:

and then ended up like this:

to see the transformation and learn how to put your tools to work for you in a new way, visit my tutorial over on Fiskars.com: Spread Your Wings and Fly Altered Canvas by Tania Willis

Team T-Shirt Pillow Tutorial

hello, friends! i know it's been a while....nearly 2 months, in fact. i'm sorry for that. things get a little crazy around here during the holidays along with the Craft & Hobby trade show that immediately follows.  but i'm getting reacquainted with my pre-holiday schedule and hope to bring more to this internet space of mine soon.

in the meantime....it's a good time to show your team spirit!  i challenge you to spruce up your husband's (or son's) man cave or just make some fun conversation pieces for that Superbowl Party you're planning this weekend. i happen to think these would also be quite popular with the college crowd to add a little fun to their dorm room decor.

anywho. these pillows are made with upcycled team t-shirts and whip up super quick. and guess what?  i have a tutorial to show you exactly how to get from start to finish over Fiskars.com: Team T-Shirt Pillow Tutorial
 
not a sports fan?  no worries. you can use any t-shirt, it doesn't have to be sports themed! 

this is especially perfect for those shirts you fall in love with on the clearance rack or at the thrift store, but inevitably aren't your size. :)  buy it anyway and turn it into a pillow!

t-shirt pillows are especially perfect for decorating a child's playroom or bedroom since they are easily washable.

happy creating & be sure to show me your finished pillows!

Blog Hop: May Arts + Little Yellow Bicycle

hello all my Little Yellow Bicycle fans! this week, LYB has been sharing ideas for how to use May Arts ribbons along with their Once Upon A Christmas collection. and to finish off the week with an abundance of inspiration, today, a few of the other LYB designers are treating you to a mini blog hop!

May Arts provided me with a gorgeous selection of ribbons to complete this project.  there were so many that coordinated with this collection that i had a really hard time narrowing down which ones would actually get used. do you ever have that problem?

i ended up choosing those that had a sweater-like texture to help mimic the texture of the sweater & yarn appearing in the photos. i'm completely smitten with the white lace ribbon trimmed with pompoms on one edge.  *swoon*  the new alphabet sticker from deja views have the perfect burlap texture, as well. just wait until you see what Vicki did with that same ribbon! oh my heavens, it's so cute!

anywho. for this little accent, i layered two of the fabric snowflake stickers together and tied them off with ribbon before embellishing with adhesive-backed jewel stickers and a stick pin loaded with small beads.

my daughter is hoping that Santa brings her a new Raggedy Ann baby doll like he's done every year since she was a baby.  it's her bestest friend and keeps her feeling safe and secure when her world feels unsteady. such a sweet thing to see how special this doll is to her.

okay. so are you ready to hop along? here's the hop list. now go forth, and be inspired!

Tania Willis  (you are here)

Liz Qualman

Vicki Boutin

Heather Leopard

Jen Chesnick

the bonus of this little hop is that May Arts is also treating you to the same inspiration. so, be sure to visit the Little Yellow Bicycle designers' blogs listed above and the May Arts blog for their list and leave a comment at each one for your chance to win gorgeous products to use on your own projects. (psst....LYB is giving away Once Upon a Christmas)

Once Upon A Christmas Fabric Stickers	Once Upon A Christmas Stick Pins	Once Upon a Christmas 6x6 Paper Pad	Once Upon A Christmas Chipboard Shapes
Once Upon A Christmas Clear Stickers	Once Upon A Christmas Favorite Pieces	Once Upon A Christmas Fresh Verse	Once Upon A Christmas Tags & String
Fancy Pants Home For Christmas Glittered Alphabet	Fiskars Scalloped Sentiment Border Punch	Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch	Fiskars XXXLarge Pretty Scallops
Fiskars 12" Portable Trimmer	Fiskars One Fourth Inch Circle Hand Punch	Fiskars Softouch Microtip Scissors

InLinkz.com

Gift Giving on A Budget: How to Make Birdseed Ornaments

it's time to put your hands to use to craft thoughtful gifts for family, friends and service workers this holiday season.

gifting something small to your nature-loving friends really couldn’t be easier than these little ornamental birdseed feeders! you can quickly mix up a batch of ornaments in 15 minutes, and craft the adorable feathered friend bird tags to adorn your gift wrap while the ornaments are set aside to dry.

while this craft doesn't take much time at all to pull together, be warned that dry time does take 24 – 48 hours depending on the humidity in your area, so be sure to plan accordingly for that part of the project.

it’s a very economical craft and perfect to give as favors during the holidays or your next celebration. it's also a super easy project for children to assist with. imagine the joy on their faces as they present them to grandparents &/or teachers telling them that they made them. :)

you can learn how to create your own from start to finish, including the gift wrap portion by visiting my tutorial on the Fiskars website: Birdseed Ornaments by Tania Willis

Fiskars Fuse Creativity System	Fiskars Fuse Die Cut Expansion Pack - Bird	Fiskars Cuts 'N More Scissors
Colorbox Petal Point Dye Ink	Colorbox Chalk Ink - Artic Deep	Colorbox Chalk Ink - Sea Crystal
Fiskars Softouch Microtip Scissors	Fiskars One Fourth Inch Circle Hand Punch	Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord

InLinkz.com

Black Friday Deals on the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System

enabler alert! enabler alert!

I've heard news from a reliable source that the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System and coordinating dies are going to be on sale during Black Friday (and into the weekend) at a couple of crafting retailers.

Alright, let’s be honest. We love our families, but sometimes, they just can’t take a hint. And for those of you who are planning on putting the Fuse on your holiday wish lists, it may take a little effort to get family members to remember.

So Fiskars has tried to make a little easier for you.

Take a moment to download this image (click HERE to download) , mark your 'wish i had this' items and then get creative!

Post it on the fridge, take a picture on their cell phone and save it as their background, tape it to their steering wheel so they see it as soon as they get in the car on Black Friday....whatever gets their attention! LOL.

Then tell them how they can get some killer deals on your list!

Like....this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Michaels Craft Stores will be offering a 40% discount on the Fiskars Fuse Starter Set and all dies, so hurry into your local store and check it out!

To find out if your local Michaels carries the Fuse, check our list: http://bit.ly/OFhgZg.

Black Friday, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores are offering a 40% discount on the Fiskars Fuse Start Set and all dies.

For those of you who don’t want to brave the Black Friday crowds, the Starter Set will be sold at $199.99 with 40% off all dies on Saturday and Sunday. So hurry into your local store, bring your wish list and check it out!

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Fiskars Fuse, it’s the only system on the market that can die-cut and letterpress all in one pass!

For more information, watch the instructional videos: http://bit.ly/O7L6UG.

Here's to hoping you all find the Fuse items from your wishlist wrapped up under your tree this year! :)

If you're interested in seeing the projects I've made with the Fuse, you can find them here.

Anthropologie-Inspired Lampshade Tutorial: 2nd Annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!!! And for those of you who are new to this space, welcome.  I hope after you read today's tutorial that it will convince you that this space is worth bookmarking and visiting time and time again! :)

We’ve gathered designers from some of our favorite manufacturers to show you ways to create something from the heart this holiday season. This 3 day Hop includes over 60 stops with inspiration brimming from every corner. Explore all of the thoughtful and frugal handmade gifts you could create for the holidays, all in one place, during our second annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!

As a participant, I was asked to share a handmade gift idea for the upcoming holiday season. So, today I have a tutorial to share on how to create your own Anthropologie-Inspired Lampshade using my Fiskars tools.

First you'll need to purchase a neutral colored lamp base and lamp shade (or, if you're frugal like me, thrift one from your local resale shop).  Then, place your shade in front of you with the seam at the back. Wrap your shade several times with baker's twine from The Twinery until you get a band the thickness you like.  Go slow and with each wrap around be sure to use your fingers to push the twine tightly together.

Next, use your Pretty Scallops Lever Punch XXXX Large and punch 4 scalloped circles from cross-stitch cloth. Punch a single circle using the Circle Lever Punch XXXX Large from the same cloth.

Fold each of the scalloped circles in half, then in half again. Place a dab of hot glue between the layers near the crease of the folds to hold it closed.

Then, place hot glue on the back of each wedge and adhere to the circle. Allow to cool.

Embellish the center with some coordinating ready-made embellishments. These are from the Saturday's collection by Little Yellow Bicycle. I just removed the bronze brads that came with them and inserted some colorful fabric-covered brads in their place. The felt texture of the petals and the linen texture of the leaves add subtle texture and compliment the cross-stitch material nicely.

Next, use your Circle Shape Template to trace several circles, varying in size, onto some colored canvas to create your own flower embellishment. Insert a fabric brad through the center. The pink flower was created in the same fashion as the scalloped flower cut from cross-stitch material using sheer organza fabric.

Use temporary adhesive, such as Removable Glue Dots to figure out your preferred placement of your flowers before using your hot glue gun to adhere them to the lamp shade.

Once you have a placement you are happy with, remove one flower at a time, remove the glue dot, and then hot glue the flower in place. Be sure to hold it in place until the glue cools so it doesn't shift on you. Lastly, to put your lampshade makeover in the 'over-the-top' category, add a plume of feathers cut from a feather boa.

All that's left to do is admire your super chic Anthropologie-Inspired Lamp Shade made on a budget!  Oh, and figure out how to wrap it up so you can gift it this holiday season! LOL.

So...back to the hop details:

To sweeten the Hop, we’re offering a gift for you! For every comment you leave on the blogs in the Hop, you’ll be entered to win a prize pack from one of the participating manufacturer sponsors! Use the Rafflecopter widget on the Clearsnap blog to gain extra entries each day.

And the best news I have to share is that Fiskars is one of the sponsors!!! Can I hear a "whoooot, whoooot!?"

Visit the list of blogs below and leave a comment on each by Nov 27, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. Each day we will be sharing a brand new list of blogs with brand new projects for you to explore, be inspired by, and create from!
Clearsnap
Hampton Art
Graphic45
Fiskateers
Donna Salazar Designs
Tombow USA
Authentique Paper
The Twinery
Eileen Hull for Sizzix
Globecraft Memories
Diana Gonzalez – Clearsnap
Monika Wright – The Twinery
Gretchen McElveen - Hampton Art
Megan Aaron – Clearsnap 
Tania Willis – Fiskateers (you are here)
Gloria Stengel – Graphic 45
Suzanne Austin – Clearsnap
Shellye McDaniel – Authentique Paper
Natasha Naranjo Aguirre – Donna Salazar Designs
Jen Carter – The Twinery
Laura Denison – Graphic 45
Candy Spiegel – Globecraft Memories

Cheers to creating gifts from the heart this holiday season!

Happy Hopping!