American Crafts | Die Cuts Frame

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive financial compensation and material product from American Crafts to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.

It's Die Cuts week on the American Crafts Blog, and I've got a fun framed project, showing how you can use your die cuts to create home decor.

1. Paint a white frame with your choice of acrylic paint.

 

2. Choose die cuts that you want to use in your frame. Place them on the frame backing to get an idea of placement, and snap a photo on your phone for reference.

 

3. Trace the frame back onto the backside of the patterned paper you want to use hen use your paper trimmer to cut it down to size.

 

4. Add adhesive to the back of your patterned paper and adhere it to the frame back.

 

5. Place each of your die cuts in your sewing machine to add some stitching.

 

6. Start placing your die cuts on the patterned paper you added to the frame back. You can reference your phone photo to check for placement.

 

7. Add the glass back in your frame and put the frame back in place.

 

 

8. Finish your frame by adding a few more die cuts and a pleather bow to the top and bottom.

Supplies: Serendipity (369200) - Bright Blueberry, Serendipity (369218) - Die Cut Cardstock Shapes, Serendipity ( 369215) - Enamel Dots, Serendipity (369217) - Pleather Bows

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A Flair for Buttons | All About Summer

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive compensation and material product from A Flair for Buttons to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.
 
Do you have a few favorite things, that you like to use on your layouts?  I do!  Some are Flair Buttons from A Flair for Buttons (of course), embroidery floss for stitching, circle shapes and clusters.  And it's always fun to create a layout that incorporates all of your favorites onto one layout!  I've had the cute Summer Vibes Flair set, that the Team used last week during the AFFB and Simple Stories Team Up, and I just had to go ahead and use it on this layout.

I knew I wanted to add the Summer Vibes Flair into two large clusters on each side of my photo.  Before I started placing my photo and embellishments, I created a large string art pie chart in the background.  The inspiration for the string art pie chart came from the cute pie charts included in the Simple Stories Summer Vibes collection, and I knew I wanted to use some of those pie charts in my clusters.

I knew the embellishment clusters would be perfect for this layout, because I didn't want to cover a lot of the string art, but still wanted to make the most out of my embellishments.  And the Summer Vibes Flair Buttons worked great for adding in more dimension with the stickers, Bits and Brads from Simple Stories.

You definitely don't want to miss out on this fun Flair set, so make sure you stop by the A Flair for Buttons Etsy Shop, to pick it up!  And I'm sure you'll find several other sets, that you just have to have, while you are there!  I know I always do!!




Supplies:  Flair:  A Flair for Buttons; Patterned Paper, Bradz, Bits, Stickers & Enamel Dots:  Simple Stories; All Tied Up Cut File:  The Cut Shoppe; Color Shine:  Heidi Swapp; Thickers:  American Crafts; Die Cut Machine:  Silhouette Cameo 

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American Crafts | There's No One Like You

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive financial compensation and material product from American Crafts to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.

This week, it's been all about Circles on the American Crafts Blog!  I love using circles on my layouts and decided to go BIG on my layout!

How to: Cut a large circular die cut and layer pieces of the Rise & Shine collection behind the die cut (or trace a large plate onto patterned paper and cut it out to use as the large circle element on your background). Machine stitch with white thread around the interior of the circle. Add a circle shaped photo to the center of your layout, using pop dots. Place the Woodland Thickers around your photo in a half circle shape. Add embellishments on the left hand side of the photo using cork stickers, wooden buttons, stickers and enamel dots. Finish your layout by adding a hand stitched circle around the outside edge of the large circle, using black embroidery floss.

If you're looking for more inspiration on using circles in your projects, make sure you visit the American Crafts Blog, to see what the rest of the Design Team created over this past week!

Supplies: Rise & Shine (370009) - Emma, Rise & Shine (370017) - Samantha, Rise & Shine (370007) - Amelia, Rise & Shine (370012) - Olivia, Rise & Shine (370002) - Kylie, Rise & Shine (370016) - Madison, Rise & Shine (370006) - Emery, Rise & Shine (370038) - Die Cut Cardstock Shapes, Rise & Shine (370032) - Accent & Phrase Stickers, Rise & Shine (370035) - Alpha Stickers, Fine & Dandy (370086) - Woodland Thickers, Serendipity (369215) - Enamel Dots, True Stories (370735) - Cork Stickers, True Stories (370745) Wooden Buttons, Right on Target Cut File:  The Cut Shoppe; Die Cut Machine:  Silhouette Cameo

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Hip Kit Club | Just Keep Swimming

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive compensation and material product from Hip Kit Club to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.

As soon as the July 2015 Hip Kit & Add-On Kits, arrived on my doorstep, I had to get it open and sorted!  And then I immediately started on my first layout!!  I just couldn’t wait to use all of those new goodies.  There is always one paper every month, that catches my eye and this month it was the Sunshine paper from October Afternoon, included in the July 2015 Main Kit and the July 2015 Paper Add-On Kit.  I really love the burst pattern, and decided to machine stitch down each row.  After I finished my stitching, I used the Abandoned Coral Distress Paint from the July 2015 Color Add-On Kit to add some splatters to the background.  I added some of the Distress Paint to plastic packaging and then used a brush with a little bit of water, to pick up the color and splatter it on the background.

I layered two photos over the fun cards included in the July 2015 Project Life Kit, and placed them in the center of the burst pattern.  I also used the Heidi Swapp wood veneer arrows, included in the Project Life Kit, to point toward the photos.  I decided to add the title to the right of my photos and I used a mix of the October Afternoon Letter Stickers and AC Thickers, from the Main Kit and the Project Life Kit.

I finished the layout, by adding several die cut hearts, cut from the Crate Paper Poolside paper.  Once the hearts were placed on the layout, in a scattered look, I added machine stitching down the center of each one.  I also printed my journaling on White cardstock and cut it into strips to add below the photos.

If you haven’t had a chance to get the July 2015 Hip Kit & Add-On Kits, make sure you visit the Hip Kit website to pick them up!  And if you become a new Subscriber, you will receive a FREE Paper Add-On with your Subscription!  Just use the Code ashley, when you sign up for your subscription!

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The Cut Shoppe & CSI: Happy Together

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend, or just a great weekend in general!  We had lots of food, got in a little swimming, missed fireworks because of the rainy weather, and of course I snapped a few photos for future scrapbook layouts!  I wanted to stop in today and share a layout, that I created for a Team Up with The Cut Shoppe and CSI: Color Stories Inspiration.  We are teaming up all month with CSI, and our designers are playing along with the Case Files, while the CSI Design Team is working with some of the cut files for The Cut Shoppe.  Here's what I created for Case File 169.

There are five sponsors working with CSI for the month of July, so make sure you play along for the chance to win some great prizes!  The Cut Shoppe is offering a $20 Gift Certificate!  You can visit the CSI website for all of the details, and here is a look at Case File 169.

 
And The Cut Shoppe is also offering a 30% discount all this week, through July 11th!  Just make sure you check out with the Coupon Code CSITCS30!

Supplies: Plus Infinity cut file & Give It a Whirl cut file:  The Cut Shoppe; Patterned Paper, Bits, Chipboard, Button & Stickers:  Fancy Pants; Bits, Bradz & Stickers:  Simple Stories; Flair Button:  A Flair for Buttons; Color Shine: Heidi Swapp; Thickers:  American Crafts; Tiny Attacher:  Tim Holtz; Enamel Dots:  Freckled Fawn & My Mind's Eye; Die Cut Machine: Silhouette Cameo

Hip Kit Club | Poncho Photos

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive compensation and material product from Hip Kit Club to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.

Happy 4th of July Eve everyone!  I hope you are all ready for a great weekend, filled with food, fun, family and fireworks (oh the joys of alliteration!).  I wanted to stop in today and share a new layout that went up on the Hip Kit Blog, earlier this week, using the June 2015 Hip Kit & Add-On Kits. 

We visited Niagara Falls in May, and we just had to go down to the people bridge at the bottom of the Falls.  Each of us received a very stylish poncho, and of course, I had to snap some photos.  I loved these two photos of our son, and knew I wanted to use them with the June 2015 Hip Kits!

I started out with the XO cut file, that is available for download in the Hip Kit Member Forum on Facebook.  I ungrouped the cut file, and traced one of the Xs and Os.  Then I just enlarged both letters, and copied and flipped them on the bottom, to create a grid look.  I cut the letters from the Elle’s Studio patterned paper included in the June 2015 Main Kit and the June 2015 Paper Add-On Kit.  Then I added some machine stitching around each letter, before adding my photos and embellishments.

After the letters were cut and stitched, I backed them with different patterned papers and added my photos to the center of the Os.  Then came the really fun part…picking out all of the Thickers and embellishments to complete my layout.  I used the Guilded Silver Thickers from the June 2015 Embellishment Kit, with the Kitten Thickers from the June 2015 Project Life Kit, for my title.

 
I wanted to embellish each letter, so I chose a mix of the Evalicious wood veneers, Crate Paper Bits, Chipboard Phrases and wood buttons, and Freckled Fawn star stickers.  I loved using the XO Die Cut on this layout, to create a fun design and the perfect area for adding all of the awesome embellishments that are included in each month’s Hip Kits!

And don’t forget about the New Subscriber Special Offer!  New Kit Club Subscribers, will receive a Free Paper Add-On Kit!  You can use the promo code ashley, when you place your subscription!

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A Flair for Buttons | Adventure Is Out There

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of ashleyhortondesigns.com. I do receive financial compensation and material product from American Crafts to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.  As well as product compensation from A Flair for Buttons.

I am up on the A Flair for Buttons Blog today, sharing a new layout!  I am typically a small photo kind of scrapper, and usually keep my photo size around 3 inches.  But I thought it would be fun to do a little something different on today's layout and GO BIG!  I decided to print an 8x8 photo and layer my title over the photo, and create embellishment clusters on the sides of the photo, mixing in some Flair Buttons from the Around the World 2 Flair set.

I wanted to add the Flair Buttons on opposite sides of the photo, so I created two embellishment clusters.  To add contrast to the cluster, I mixed in wood veneers, stickers and enamel dots with the Flair Buttons.  I love to have different textures on my layouts, so this is a fun way to mix in several types of embellishments.

Make sure you visit the A Flair for Buttons Shop to check out the Around the World 2 Flair, and all of the other fun travel sets in the Shop!  You'll definitely have fun using the Flair to create eye-catching clusters on your next layout!



Supplies:  Flair Buttons:  A Flair for Buttons; Patterned Paper:  Elle's Studio; Patterned Paper, Cork Embellishments, Bits, Thickers & Stickers:  Crate Paper; Wood Veneers:  Chic Tags & Studio Calico; Tiny Attacher:  Tim Holtz 

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