Give Thanks Project: 3D Leaf Tutorial and Thankful for Sunshine

So Very Thankful 3D Leave Tutorial
by Tya Smith

Hi there! I was so excited when we got this assignment because this is my favorite time of year. I love to look back and reflect on the things in my life that I am most thankful for. There were a lot of things that I could have made my layout about - the magical places I get to go to when I read my beloved Harry Potter, my somewhat obsessive love of Clorox Wipes (aren't they the BEST) , my Ipad, with which I get to stay connected to people around the world, I could go on and on. But when it came right down to it, all of these "things" are just that - "things". What I am most thankful for are my relationships. The kind that no money can buy. I took this photo a few weeks back and just looking at that photo  made me reflect on what I am sincerely thankful for. My kids :) I simply ADORE being a mom to these amazing little people. They are the reason I am the person that I am today. They are the reason that I want to be a good person, and make their world a better place to live in, and let's face it - they are the reason that I scrapbook. I can't wait for them to look back on the pages and things that I have written and know without a doubt that they are what I am most thankful for. Sorry Harry :)

So here is my layout - and a small little tutorial on how to make the fun dimensional leaf shapes in the corner.

Here is how to make the leaves:  Don't worry about having things be exactly symmetrical, I don't really focus on all the lines lining up equally - I think it makes for a more realistic looking leaf :)

 

Step 1 - Cut a square, the ones I used in the layout are 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches for the small ones and 3x3 inches for the larger ones. You can make them as big or as small as you'd like- just make sure that you have a square.

 Step 2- Fold the square in half.

 Step 3- Fold the tips of the square down as shown.

 Step 4- Open the square back up and glue the tips down to the back of the square as shown.

 Step 5- Take the bottom tip of the square and add a bit of adhesive. Fold this edge over and that's it! So easy, but so cute if you'd like the leaf to really pop off your project.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for Sunshine
by Sherry Cartwright

Hi doodlebugs, it's Sherry here today on the blog.   Can you believe it is already November?  I know it's cliche to say that time flies, but man --- this year is zipping by quickly.

November.

What does it mean to you?

For so many people, November is always the time we start to reflect on the things we are thankful for.  There is so many things in day-to-day life that I am thankful for, but it always comes back to my family.  My little family -- my husband, my two children and myself -- is always my greatest joy and for what I am most thankful.  

I appreciate the sunshine that these two little people bring to my life and my heart. Sure, they can argue and bicker like siblings, but together, they are such great power and joy.  

Today I feature them in this layout using doodlebug design's happy harvest collection.  

 On this 12x12 base of grey cardstock, I added drops of golden yellow ink.  Then, I layered the three photos of my children with a handful of patterned papers. I love how they all work so well together and how the autumn hues are perfect with any photo.

The sunflower yellow is an accent color I wanted to feature.  Other than the ink droplets, there is yellow in the sunshine die cut, the title letters and the layer under the photo.   By using those colors in different areas, it keeps the eye moving about the layout and keeps the design balanced. 

The sun was die cut with a Sizzix + doodlebug stamp and die set and the letter were cut with a Silhouette Cameo.

I have a tendency to cluster embellishments throughout a layout.  Let's start at the top of this layout with the grouping of doodads and sprinkles.  I love all the fall colors sprinkled about.  I used the pixie banners here as well. 

The next cluster is to the left of the photos.  I used a die cut flower from a mini kit.  To make it dimensional, I scored along the center of each petal and then again in between each petal.  Crease each score line and fanfold to create some fluffiness to the flower.  Add a button center and tie doodle twine around the button and a photo.  

I used a thin die of a tree [from the Sizzix + doodlebug stamp and die sets] to make the leaves. Cut, then crease the center and fold up paper leaves.  Add pixie in center -- one I simply used washi tape.

I am very please with this happy harvest layout, using ordinary photos of my kiddos. I am inspired by the gals of the doodlebug design team who make layering look so easy.  They're inspiring. 

I've seen plenty of posts around the internet professing gratefulness.  Jump on the bandwagon and scrapbook those things you are thankful for --- during the month of November or any day of the week.  

I am thankful for :

• my family -- my kiddos and my hub
• creativity and outlets in which to express my creativity
• a job that allows me awesome medical benefits and great pay
• good health of my family
• our old country home that keeps us warm at heart 
• and the doodlebug family that makes this such a wondramous opportunity

Be thankful and be blessed. 

Give Thanks Project: Give Thanks Jars and Fall Wreath Tutorial

Here at Doodlebug, we are THANKFUL for our Design Team. They continue to amaze us all the time with their talent and support of Doodlebug. And we are thrilled to share more wonderful ideas to "Give Thanks" ideas featuring the Happy Harvest Collection here on the blog this week. 

GIVE THANKS JAR
by Amanda Coleman

In an effort to increase the spirit of gratitude in our home during the holidays, I created a simple gratitude jar that we can fill to the brim with things we are grateful for.

The goal is fill the jar to overflowing with strips of paper where you have written down what you are grateful for.  You can add a strip of paper to the jar once a day for the entire month or fill it up all at once.  Save the jar and the paper strips for next year or scrap your favorite ones.

I couldn't think of a more perfect sentiment for how I feel when I ponder on the things I am grateful for.  I created the jar label by layering patterned paper and border stickers on top of a strip of burlap.  The fall leaf Doodle-pops and jute twine made a perfect accent.

Indoor plumbing, mountains and Coke Zero are just a few of the many things I am grateful for.  What kinds of things will make your cup runneth over?

Supplies: Happy Harvest collection, Mason jar, Burlap, Jute twine

FALL WREATH 
by Tiffany Hood 

It's not too late to create this darling fall leaf wreath to impress your guests coming by for a visit. Tiffany does a great job explaining how quick and simple this can be to create!

Doodlebug challenged the Design Team to create a project inspired by a project on the Doodlebug Pinterest page.  I chose a Christmas wreath by Sherry that can be found HERE.

The base for my wreath was made with grapevine.  You can buy it by the roll, or buy a pre-made grapevine wreath. 

I wrapped the grapevine in a large circle and tied craft wire around it to make it stay.

Then I cut various fall leaves with my Silhouette Cameo.  

Scored them with my Scor-Pal

And then hot glued them to the wreath.  The banner was done with the Silhouette as well, and the font is Times New Roman.

The banner was adhered using a tiny hole punch and Fall Collection Doodle Twine.

Give Thanks Project: Draw String Goodie Bags by Amy

 Thanksgiving Day is a time for being with family, reflecting on the many blessings we have and really yummy food.  But, sometimes, there is quite a wait for all that yummy food to be ready.  In my family, we have a lot of children running around and sometimes that can lead to trouble.  So this year I thought it would be fun to have some things prepared before hand to keep them busy.

When I saw this owl print fabric from the new Snips and Snails line I just knew it would be perfect for this project. 

I used Jeni's tutorial for the Lined Drawstring Bag found here.

Then I went about filling the bags.

I thought we would line the kids' table with plain brown paper, so I included some crayons so they could decorate it and write down on the paper things they are grateful for.  Then I included a bag of candy corn to use as markers for a family Thanksgiving Bingo game.  You can print one off online or just make a blank grid and have the family work together to fill it in with things they are thankful for.

I'll probably include a small snack as well, just to stave off the gnawing hunger they are sure to express. :)  I'm hoping that by keeping the children occupied, it will allow the parents time to visit- which is something I am always thankful for.

These bags would also be great to pass along a small treat to a neighbor or friend, or to give to the hostess of your own Thanksgiving feast.

How do you keep the young people busy in your own family gatherings?

xoxo,
Amy

Give Thanks Project: Layouts by Tiffany & Shellye

Giving Thanks
by Tiffany Hood 

This layout was done using the Happy Harvest Collection by Doodlebug Design.  The colors in this collection are perfect for fall and Thanksgiving, and are vibrant and beautiful.

I used Pixies on my layout, as I have with several other Doodlebug projects lately.  They are one of my favorite new embellishments.  Adhere with pop dots.

The Sprinkles are another fun new embellishment.  They add shine and dimension.

And the title is actually from a sticker sheet and says "Thanksgiving."  I simply cut the two words apart and adhered them in a different order.

What are you thankful for?

-Tiffany

I Am Thankful For....
by Shellye McDaniel

It's always easy for me to count my blessings, although I may not do it as often as I should.  I kept my layout for today pretty simple by focusing on two subjects that I'm greatly thankful for: home and family.

As you can see, I have two large circles in the center of the page...it's my "plate of thanks" :)  Before adding the photos, I cut a strip of paper and then stitched a few X's over the center for decoration...sort of like a napkin laying to the side.

Appropriate stickers were attached to each photo, as well as some of the cute characters from the Happy Harvest Collection.

For the heading of the layout, I trimmed down one of the Simply Put cards to the size of my photo.

Give Thanks Project: Card Set by Wendy Sue

Hello Doodlebug Friends!  It’s Wendy Sue and I’m happy to be joining you today on the Doodlebug blog!  Since November is traditionally recognized as a month of gratitude, I thought it would be fun to create some cards to share with a couple of people I am personally grateful for.  But before I write in them and send them off, I wanted to share them with YOU! 

I used the Happy Harvest Collection – I just love the fun colors and super cute animal designs.  The stickers are so cute and I always love adding a bit of dimension with some foam adhesive squares – not enough to make the card bulky, but enough to add some dimension and interest!

I used a new Polaroid die-cut that I recently acquired and I just love the layering effect that can be created so easily, simply by popping out the center and flipping it over to a coordinating paper and design.

And speaking of layering, aren’t the mini flowers great?  They are so easy to mix and match the pieces to create custom flowers – so fun and colorful!

Wouldn’t you love sharing these cute designs with someone you are grateful for?  I’m sure they would love to hear from you! :)

Thanks -
Wendy Sue

Give Thanks Project: Thankful for Friends Layout by Monique

Hello Doodlebug fans! Monique here, to share a "I'm thankful for ... " layout. I find there's so very much to be thankful for and I love scrapping about it. In this case I chose to scrap about my friends.... how different life would be without friends! So yes, I'm very very thankful for my friends!

I used Doodlebug's "Happy Harvest" collection and can I just say that I adore this collection: the warm colors and all those super cute embellishments! Scrapping with this collection made me so happy! I know, I say that about every Doodlebug collection, but it's how I feel.  

The leaves (both red and blue) and part of the title were cut with the Silhouette Cameo. 

A few close-ups: 

Thanks for visiting Doodlebug's blog today and happy scrapping! 

Give Thanks Project: Layout by Stephanie

Hi everyone, It's Stephanie here with a layout to share with you.  November is a Month of Thanks so I found our Doodlebug assignments very fitting and perfect for this time of year.

I chose to do my layout on one of the things I am most thankful for in life, our family. Even though this picture was taken a while ago before the babies were born it's the only one I had of all of us together.

The Happy Harvest Collection is full of Fall and one of my favorites of the new releases, all the leaves and autumn colored flowers screamed to be clustered, they lend perfectly to the fall feeling.

I really like that white was used in this line rather than cream color, I feel like it
keeps it clean and crisp.



Here are some close-ups of the embellishment clusters:

Fall is my favorite time of year for so many reasons, the cooler temps, the colors of nature and the sense and feeling of family closeness. I'm not sure how they managed to capture all those things in a paper collection but they did and they did it well. 

What are you most thankful for?