sassafras

marla kress pendants are awesome

 

if you're trying to think of the perfect gift you can make in a snap for friends and family, you have landed on the right page. we were so excited to see this scrapbook & cards today blog tutorial with our own dt super hero marla kress, that we just had to share a bit of it with you today. just look at these gorgeous and EASY pendants:

 

 

 

using supplies you probably already have in your stash, you can whip up as many custom sweets as you want in no time, that your friends can treasure for life. marla's tutorial includes each step and pictures:

 

 
 

 

and she even came up with the most GEORGEOUS way to package and present them!  scoot on over and see for yourself here.

 

today's sassafras spotlight projects just might give you the blues...the good kind. they all incorporate different shades of blue that we think make these pages come alive with the energy of the photos.

 

from silly.....

 
...with apple jack fundamentals paper, from BabyBokChoy's gallery at Two Peas

 

to sweet...

 ...loaded with indie girl papers and sweet treats and hambly studios doilies, by Two Peas garden girl hyperstarre

 

to sophisticated fun...

 ...with indie girl papers pocahontas and me & affection sent in by Adelaide in South Australia

 

have a project to share? email it to us at www.projectstoshare@sassafraslass.com

 

so pals, what do you think? and we can't have a blog without a question of the day! so tell us...

what was a fun gift that you made for somebody in the past, or that somebody made for you?

 

win a funky fun kit from Kreatorville Kraft (and projects to share...)

hello sweet pals...how are you today? here at sassafras headquarters, it is cooooold as can be and winter is getting ready to pounce on us. i don't know how the summer breezed by so quickly....but there is SNOW on the ground today! i can't believe my eyes.

other things that have been going on: our blog makeover continues, we've been spying and collecting amazing projects and have lots more showing up in our inbox at projectstoshare@sassafraslass.com, and sass designers are in full "create" mode for the next release!! so keep your eyes peeled in the coming months. that's one good thing about winter...along with the cold weather comes a new season of product and designs, our favorite things.

have you ordered the October Kreatorville Kit from Kreatorville Kraft? we suggest you pick one up before they're gone....or take your chance at WINNING one! (details at the bottom of this post.) this kit is fun and funky (the Kreatorville signature) and this month full of sass...so neat that we wanted to highlight it right here for you today.

the kit includes everything you see here:

 
 
 

pretty awesome huh?

SO....how do you win it? Follow these steps:

1 - go to http://kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com

2 - leave a comment by sunday 10/31 saying you hopped over from the sassafras blog

3 - sit back, relax, and enjoy browsing the fun eye candy on the Kreatorville blog while you wait to see if you are the lucky winner! Keandra will draw a random winner from the comments Sunday night. 

thank you for the giveaway and the sassafras love Kreatorville Kraft!

now, how about a peek at some of those projects i mentioned we've been getting our hands on lately?

 

this colorful layout sent in by Angela Fehr includes a piece cut from the amplify enhanced paper. i love the way she used buttons to embellish each of her 10 things:

 

 

we found this lovely fall layout by Jennifer Johner in the two peas garden girls gallery. jennifer used an apple jack flag banner up top, and little bits of discover and my type papers:

 

 

a sweet new mix and mend project from two peas garden girl hyperstarre, also inspired by the fall season. the maya road doilies go perfectly with the colors and textures of all this pretty mix and mend....here she used some mix and mend journal tag stickers, sweet treats, flag banners, & alterations and fancy free papers...

 

 

 

question of the day: what was the last altered art project you did???  (we heart links)

 

 

announcing our embellishment prize pack winner

and we have a winner! random.org picked from the 193 comments on our big embellishment prize pack giveaway blog, and the winning comment was posted by Kate Blue. her favorite inspirational crafting extraordinnaire is the one and only Centsational Girl:

"my all-time fav DIYer, crafter, baker, candlestick maker is Kate from here: http://www.centsationalgirl.com/  The girl got skillz !!!"

 

there were so many terrific comments....thank you blog pals for giving us a great go-to spot for discovering new inspirational crafties! 

here is a tiny sampling of Centsational Girl's handywork: (click on the picture to visit the corresponding blog post, complete with cost info & lots of how-to tips)

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

  oh my gosh, getting those pictures was fun. i could look around that website alllll day. :)

 
 
 p.s....kate blue, if you're out there, please send an email to info@sassafraslass.com to claim your prize!

 

sharing is great + the question of the day

happy wednesday to you! have you been reading the comments from our super big embellishment prize pack contest? they are fabulous....tons of great inspiring links to discover! if you haven't entered your own comment yet, scoot on over to monday's post and leave one for you chance to win all the new embellishments....we'll draw a random winner from the comments on friday at 3:00pm mountain standard time.

today we pulled a few projects to show you from our inbox at projectstoshare@sassafraslass.com.  we want to see your creations.....so send em' on in and you just might see them featured right here very soon. :)  we want them all, old or new....but if you've got a Count Me In, Mix and Mend, or a project featuring any of our latest embellishments we would be especially excited to get your email!

speaking of sharing....we've made a few tiny upgrades to this here blog. can you see them? just a button here and a text link there...little things to make it super easy to subscribe, like, or spread the sassafras love. we hope you likey!

now for some inspirational treats...

susan lui sent in this pretty mix and mend project. i love the way she dressed up the torn edges with white lace, and created a nice lift for her photo and layers. congratulations susan for making the paper market / laine's papeterie design team!

 

 
products used include kelly green glitter alphas and mix and mend papers alterations and fancy free

 

these next projects came to us from simona. it looks like indie girl was made to go with the photo in her 'live your dreams' project below:

 

 
she used the b-side of eclectic elegance as well as affection and free spirit papers

 

here is simona's interpretation of the October 8th sketch from sketchalicious. indie girl fits right in with this awesome color combo...

 
indie girl papers used: affection and free spirit

 

one more indie girl project from simona....this time from a sketchabilities sketch. aren't those the cutest floaties you've ever seen?

 

 

 
products used: indie girl flag banners , sweet treats , and papers free spirit and affection

question of the day: susan lui's project has me wondering...what was the last animal that appeared in a photo you scrapped?

 

 

amazing mix and mend projects. plus, WIN a collection of embellishments!

 

who's ready for another fab sassafras giveaway? we want to give you a grand prize to celebrate the release of our four brand new mini alphas: yellow paper, burlap , kraft , and green graph !

 

 
 

the new alphas are super versatile, small, and full of charm.....and shipping now to your favorite store. but in the meantime, we have a super big prize pack filled with all of the new mini alphas PLUS all of our latest embellishment goodness....entwined blooms , vintage brooches , in a stitch blossoms , chipboard stickers , paper whimsies , AND glitter alphas !!

so....how do you win???

*leave a comment here telling us who your all-time favorite at-home crafter extraordinaire is - and why! doesn't have to be a scrapbooker...perhaps you draw your greatest inspiration from an imaginative cook, blogger, interior designer, or chainsaw artist. we want to know! don't forget to leave a link so everybody else can check out your artsy idol.

*we'll draw a random winner this Friday, 10/22, at 3pm mountain time!

   ~~~

speaking of inspiring artists, if you've never checked out natalie elphinstone's blog you should! it's filled with not only her beautiful creations, but lots of tips and tricks she uses for them. natalie even created an excellent four-part tips guide just for our very own mix and mend collection , which you can see here at Handmade by Suzanne. we definitely recommend giving it a look. you'll be whipping up extraordinary concoctions such as these in no time!

 

 
for this astounding project, natalie used the free composition paper, edges from delicate olio and fancy free , mix and mend journal tag stickers , and some garden bits blues chipboard. 

 

 

 
this layout is a beautiful example of how to incorporate full color photos into a mix and mend project. it features a cut piece from the b-side of free composition along with garden bits blues . natalie used a great technique to easily enhance the dimension of many mix and mend design elements by simply cutting around a piece and lifting it ever so slightly.

 

 
we are in love with this clever combo natalie created using fancy free  with the b-side of free composition and a lace trim. she also added some garden bits blues and mix and mend journal tag stickers ....all tying in perfectly with the Roald Dahl quote she used for journaling. 

 

 
here, natalie's little windswept princess is framed by a blissful garden of mix and mend journal tag stickers , kraft in a stitch blossoms , and delicate olio . she even used the die-cut edge of the same paper to make the leaves for the kraft flowers. gorgeous!

~~~

beautiful, huh? :)

before we sign off for the day, lets re-cap this week's super awesome giveaway!

WIN our super big prize pack filled with all four alphas PLUS all of our latest embellishment goodness....entwined blooms, vintage brooches, in a stitch blossoms, chipboard sets, paper whimsies, AND glitter alphas! 

*leave a comment here telling us who your all-time favorite at-home crafter extraordinaire is - and why! doesn't have to be a scrapbooker...perhaps you draw your greatest inspiration from an imaginative cook, blogger, interior designer, or chainsaw artist. we want to know! don't forget to leave a link so everybody else can check out your artsy idol.

*we'll draw a random winner this Friday, 10/22, at 3pm mountain time!

eye candy! and....who hearts hobby lobby?

browsing through my stash of inspirational eye candy today, i came across some new sass design team gems that i can't wait to show you! they are beyond beautiful!!!  i'll post them in just a second. but first...

we've had a lot of sass fans ask us when they'd be able to buy our paper at hobby lobby. and now we are pleased to announce that you can indeed. check out this hot little number....a custom paper pad featuring 54 sheets of bungle jungle favorites and more, with scalloped edges!

in other news....it has been such fun reading the comments on our five picks post. we love getting to know how you got hooked on scrapping! and in case you missed it, we corrected the artist info for two layouts featured in that post by kathleen glossop and larissa albernaz. ;)  

 

now for some creative expressions of a few of our talented dt supers.

 

jen jockish used mix and mend in this stunning layout to perfectly illustrate that adorable photo! soooo sweet:

 

products used: mix and mend sweet treats and papers delicate olio, fancy free, and free composition along with some kelly green glitter alphas and top ten blues chipboard.

 

here's another jen jockish...using a skillful mix of indie girl, mix and mend, and count me in. it's just soooo absolutely gorgeous and perfect for the high contrast black & white photo: 

 

products used: count me in papers plus my pals and polka polka, indie girl papers pocahontas and me and mellow, and mix and mend papers free composition and alterations - and these chipboards: garden bits oranges, garden bits blues, and top ten pinks.

 

a leila bentahar popup....always so much fun, and the colors and dimensions in this one are especially cool!! (sign up for leilas blog to make sure not to miss her great tutorials):

 

some of the products seen here: indie girl sweet treats and papers affection, headphones on, eclectic elegance, and free spirit, sketched clear stamps, and paper whimsies seamstress bouquet and tailored deck. 

 

this one is a heavenly collage of cherry delicious by tracie hudson. loving the colors, and the way the spring sprig paper creates the perfect frame to complement such a fun photo!

 

 

 

products used: cherry delicious journal tags, flag banners, and papers: spring sprig, winsome, and penelope, along with some alpha token pink chipboard and seamstress bouquet paper whimsies.

 

that's it for now! question of the day: what's the next paper project you have planned? tell us about the photo you hope to do next, or the project, or the colors, or the kit or sketch, or....

 

five picks of the day to inspire you

the coolest thing about scrapping photos, if you ask me, is that no matter who looks at the finished project they'll get to see all kinds of personality and sentiment that would normally not be apparent. i love to see people's memories and friends and family come to life in a great layout....not only do you get a glimpse at what the photo means to the artist, but there's nothing like a finished page to inspire you to record every precious moment in life that you can.

that's what i think of when i look at today's picks.....

 

....like this one! we found this Kathleen Glossop layout on her Confessions of a Scrap Addict blog. it features indie girl journal tag stickers and free spirit paper, and first place chipboard stickers. as Kathleen says, it's perfectly devine!!

 

 

 

 i can't blame the little one in this photo....that cake would tempt me to sneak a taste too! this project by Elizabeth Kartchner features indie girl flag banners and affection paper:

 

 

we found a project by Megan Klauer that we just had to share. talk about illustrating the beauty of everyday moments! this features a piece of the b-side from amplify marvel paper, a couple of strips from sweet marmalade sugary sweet paper, and some orange in a stitch blossoms:

 

 

 here's a bit of happy lavender love from Tanya Tahir....using nerdy bird flag banners and arts and crafts & book club papers along with some clippings from cherry delicious winsome and sapphire papers: 

 

 

 

now this one....this one....well. it's got me thinking about packing my suitcase right now! thanks to our blog commenters who recognized this to be the work of Larissa Albernaz....and to Larissa for confirming! she's illustrating the indie girl spirit in full force with sweet treats and flag banners, the b-side from eclectic elegance, the headphones on border, snippets from pocahontas and me, and some chartreuse glitter alphas:

 

coming up soon: a giveaway you WON'T want to miss, and lots more inspiring whosits and whatnots!!

so.....what's your favorite thing about scrapbooking?? what got you into it in the first place? we want to hear! 

sassafras showcase: Celine Navarro

before we get into our topic for today, we want to let you know about this awesome deal at Two Peas right now.....5 felties for 5 bucks. stocking stuffers anyone?!

our wonderful dt super Celine Navarro has been crafting up a storm, and we have a few of her latest and greatest ready for your viewing pleasure. there is something timeless about Celine's work. she has a great way of mixing classic style with her funky personality...and the results are always super inspiring!!

 

first up for today's showcase, this super fun layout filled with indie girl. border and b-side of eclectic elegance, sweet treats, and tailored deck paper whimsies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this one is just so pretty....and pretty delicious. the b-side of arts and crafts from nerdy bird, layered onto spring sprig paper from cherry delicious, and topped off with a cherry delicious sweet treats sticker and a snack attack feltie cupcake. bon appetit!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i love the ink splatters on this indie girl affection paper...and that kraft paper whimsie with the sweet treats yarn center, oh my! celine also used a bit of indie's pocahontas and me paper, chocolate glitter alphas and some indie girl flag banners and journal tag stickers here.  beautiful combo with that funky flower!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you know what we want to see??  all of YOUR projects using mix and mend collection & count me in!!! time to create some pages with the newsest sass out there so we can get it up on our blog.....post a link to your latest and let us take a peek! or send images to: projectstoshare@sassafraslass.com.

have a great weekend pals!!

 

it's never too early to start creating your christmas presents

it's wednesday, and time to start thinking of a fun project for the weekend. why not make this charming custom chalkboard using today's tutorial, care of the fabulous sass design team extraordinaire Marla Kress?!

what a great christmas gift....or keep it for your home and turn your family's doodles, scribblings and words of wisdom into a decorative handmade work of art. i have to say, i just love this tutorial....chalkboards are my all time favorite. :) 

take it away marla!

~~~ 

 
 

 

What you'll need is a wood scrap (I used a 1 x 6 but you can use any size), chalkboard paint and some Sassafras papers and stickers.

 

Start by preparing the wood piece.  Here I primed and then painted the wood with chalkboard paint.

 

 

 

 

Next I created paper flowers to embellish the piece.  To make the pink flower I started with a 4" square and folded it accordingly.

 

 
 
 

Folding tips:

Use a bone folder to get a good crease on the lines

Step 10:  Use two glue dots to roll the petal closed.

Step 12:  Repeat steps 1-11 four more times to create a total of five petals.

Step 13:  Cut each petal in half so that the flower will lie flat.  (Note:  on the non-chalkboard side I left the petals whole)

Steps 14-16:  Use glue dots to adhere all petals together to create the flower

I made three different sized and patterned flowers to embellish the chalkboard size.  By decreasing the size of the starting square, you'll decrease the overall size of the flower. 

 

Next use papers to cover the natural side of the wood.

Tip:  Cut the paper so that it'll wrap the top and bottom edges of the wood with a slight overhang.  Fold the edges under and use spray adhesive to bond the paper to the wood.

 

 

 

Layer additional indie girl papers and borders.  Cut one of the flower stickers in half and use it to flank the word "remember."  Fold three more petals using the above technique and adhere them above the text.

 

Find a home for your custom piece (or in my case give them to your teachers for the holiday) and enjoy!

 

 

 

sweet things, cute things, fun things, NEW things...

  

 

 

 

you know what? time is a crazy thing! it's so strange to think summer is officially over already. what was your favorite summer memory this year? tell us in a comment below!!

we've been caught up in a whirlwind of mystery boxes, fun projects coming in, and the arrival of new products. that's right, new products!!

the mystery box sale was loads of fun. boxes are all sold out, (the last few are in today's mail!) so hopefully you got yours...and will share your projects with us the moment you can!!

 

speaking of sharing projects, checking the inbox at projectstoshare@sassafraslass.com has been our favorite pastime as of late. soooo many amazing creations to show you!!! the precious card at the top up there is the latest from miss Lilibee, aka Leila Bentahar, using one of my favorite papers in the entire universe...plus my pals from the Count Me In collection. if you think that's cute, wait till you see the inside!:



 

 

 

 

...and look at what we found over at These Are a Few of My Favorite Things challenge blog. we just adore every detail on this charming birdhouse. thanks for the sassafras love Mirjam!:



 

 
 

 

 

this next project landed in our mailbox care of Yin...it's an indie girl and cherry delicious delight. are you in love with her flower cut-outs from the sapphire paper? so cute!:



 

 

 

 

i first posted this coming from larissa albernaz on accident....oops! this stunning layout was created by megan klauer.  she used some cut seamstress bouquet paper whimsies and a bright red in a stitch blossom:



 

 

 

 

did i mention we have new product?! not only are we receiving some awesome embellishments that you've all been looking forward to....entwined blooms and vintage brooches!...but we are introducing four new skus, never-before-seen. and they are suuuuuuper cool. new designed mini alphas, the perfect little 3/4" size for cards, long titles, etc.





kraft:

 

 

 

 

burlap:



 

 

 

 

green graph:



 

 

 

 

yellow paper:



 

 

 

 

you probably remember these goodies from our sneak peek a little while back, but take a look-see again. they're to die for. you'll be wanting to ask your favorite lss to get these in stock before they're gone!

 

 
 

that's it for now friends...don't forget to leave us a comment about your favorite summer memory!!