So we are at day 1 after our August Release, and as always we love to follow up our releases with several days of ideas for ways to use our new products! You can never get too many gift ideas or inspiration. We have developed a team of talented crafters who each have a unique style that is sure to get you motivated!!

So here is who you will want to visit today:

  • Lauren Meader <—you are here!

    • Debbie Marcinkiewicz

  • Farida Rone
  • Kimberly Morrow
  • Lisa Kind
  • Tina Hale

    • Well as you all have read this release is near and dear to my heart.

    Between my design team and I we all agreed that in coordination with the templates we had we’d need to have a Ribbon Spool/Fabric Bolt shaped card, and a simple sweet, easy to assemble button box would be perfect. So here is my idea of the two, given as a gift!

    Sewn with Love

    This gift set uses the *NEW* All Buttoned Up © box, and the Spool of Thread Card ©.

    They are quite the perfect pair don’t you think?!

    I used the Buttons-N-Bits © paper collection, and then Grammy’s Sewing Kit © to embellish both items.

    For the box I cut it from a coordinating pink cardstock, then used the quilting patchwork pattern for the decorative layers.

    On the top interlocking “button” closure I used a dark pink so it would really stand out.

    Note: you can choose to not use the button holes in this box for a round top closure instead!

    My ribbon is strung through the button holes, and tied into a bow, which I accentuated with some acrylic flowers I bought in the jewelry section of a local craft store. I also added a heart topped stick pin.

    I printed my sentiment, which was perfect for my paper choice, from the Grammys Sewing Kit © , and cut it out using the Fine Finish © tag. I used a pale pink marker to highlight the word “love”.

    The tag is tied in with some embroidery floss.

    Speaking of that, we now get to the card!

    I love how this turned out. The pattern in the Buttons-N-Bits © paper collection makes this look like it is a spool of thread!! So that was EASY!! You can wrap real twine, embroidery floss, yarn, or ribbon around this too if you want. This can also be a bolt of fabric too 😀 So any pretty patterned paper would be perfect!

    For the top of my spool I just took some of the sentiments from Grammy’s Sewing Kit © and printed then cut them out onto my spool top. My Cameo Silhouette makes that super easy for me 😀 I love how vintage spools of thread look, and while I’m not one who can go “all authentic “vintage” like many of my talented designers, I love that I was able to channel that here. No matter what your style you can make the products work for you!

    Now towards the bottom…

    I used one of the buttons in the Grammy’s Sewing Kit © to create my own coordinating button. I added a page pebble over it to make it more 3 dimensional! Stuck in some pearl topped stick pins so it looked like they were stuck into the spool. The very first craft my Grammy taught me was cross stitch. I loved it!! I spent that Summer making several pillowcases. My mom has a similar rose patterned pillow case I made when I was like 8 years old, so the embroidery hoop, and cross stitched rose pattern was so important to me.

    So I added the embroidery hoop, with the rose pattern, and the needle & thread to the hoop, and layered it onto my card.

    That is one thing that I love about paper crafting! You can really create and customize gifts for anyone, and when they know you made it for them it is all that much more special.

    As I said this release is a true tribute to my grandmother, who would have had a birthday this month. She taught me so much from a young age. I hope to pass that love onto my children, and hope that my work inspires them someday to eventually carry on what I teach them to their children’s children.

    My grandmother and I didn’t just craft together, we built a strong bond and memories that will last a lifetime. I also learned an appreciation for people, as well as any artist who can tap into a creative part of their soul and share their heart through their work. Artist of all mediums are special people.

    One thing I know is that my grandmother was so proud of me and where I have been able to take my love for crafting. I owe that to her.

    Love you and miss you Grammy-May you finally be at peace.