TINSEL TIME TREAT BOXES | with Karen

This year, my colleagues and I have been doing a Secret Santa exchange. For 12 days, we are surprising each other with little gifts and ideas to brighten these last days before the main event. It's been a lot of fun, and for this crafty gal, it has given me an excuse to make all sorts of fun crafts. Today, I thought I would share a treat container that I whipped up to hold some of my recipients favourite treats.

 

 

Using the adorable Tinsel Time collection, some coordinating textured cardstock and a cut file from the Lori Whitlock shop these little boxes were a treat to make!

   

The striped heavyweight acetate that coordinates with this collection was perfect for the window in the box, adding adorable colour and pattern but also giving a little hint of what might be inside. And did I mention that it is a dream to work with - so easy to cut and nice and thick to give lots of structure to the box.

   

Then I topped off each box with shapes from the Odds and Ends pack and a sentiment from the Chit Chat pack. Everything was the perfect size and came together so nicely - adding some layers and dimensions to the top. Finally, I added a little bit of sparkle with a few Glitter Sprinkles from the Tinsel Time assortment and then I packed them up with treats!

   

I really love how these boxes came together and I cannot wait to give them away this week. One will get some chocolates, one will get come cookies and one will get a Doodlebug keychain to celebrate the season! Regardless of what they hold, I hope they are a treat in themselves! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Tinsel Time collection
Tinsel Time Coordinating Textured Cardstock

Tinsel Time Heavyweight Acetate

OTHER

Adhesive

Window Gift Box SVG

TINSEL TIME HOLIDAY CARDS | with Karen

It's time for tinsel! Bring on the glitter and the sparkle - I am ready for it! And clearly, so is Doodlebug because the new Tinsel Time collection is everything you can imagine it would be and more!

For my first project, I decided to create some Christmas cards. This season is one of my favourites as a card maker because I feel like I have an excuse to sit down for an afternoon and just make cards! I don't really need an excuse, but it's nice to have one!

I was particularly drawn towards the shapes in the Bits & Pieces pack so I wanted to feature those on this set of cards. They are wonderful combinations of Christmas themed flowers and evergreens and they are absolutely lovely for layering.

Oh, and can we talk about the Cards & Envelopes set that coordinates with this collection. It is a wonderful collection of shapes and colours that make creating cards a breeze. And this silver textured envelope is the things that dreams are made of. This picture does not so it justice at all!

And given that this collection is all about the tinsel, it seemed fitting to embellish with some of the glitter sprinkles that also coordinate. The subtle green and pink sparkles bring all the colours together.

Well, this may be my first card set of the season but it sure won't be my last. We can't wait to see all the fun Christmas cards that come off of you crafty tables this Christmas season! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Tinsel Time Collection

Cards & Envelopes - Christmas Assortment

OTHER

Adhesive

FARMHOUSE MASON JAR MINI ALBUM | with Karen

I love this time of the year - the weather is cooling down, all the hard work in garden has finished up, and I am getting ready to settle in for the Canadian winter! It is also a time for canning and all the good, spicy treats that seem to come with this time of the year.

 

So for this project, I decided to venture away from my usual cards, stamping and treat containers and create a little mini album. I came across this hidden binding mason jar album on the Lori Whitlock website and I thought it was a perfect fit with the new Farmhouse collection. It also seemed to give me so much space to layer, layer, layer - a favourite pastime of mine on all my projects!

  

So after I had the album cut out using Doodlebug's textured cardstock I started layering all of the patterned paper. I chose to stick with three different patterns just to pull the pages together, sometimes using the B side of the paper for variety.

And then, using some of the Chit Chat, Bits and Pieces and Odds and Ends die cuts, I created small little layered "scenes" every second page or so. This left me lots of space for some pictures that I can add later.

On this beautiful floral pattern, I decided to keep it really simple because there was already so much going on with the pattern.

And on a few of the pages, I added some of the Shape Sprinkles to add a little texture and shine to the designs.

Finally, after tying some twine around the top of the jar, I added a Little Charmer for a little extra "something". This little leaf is about as cute as it can get, and as a Canadian, you can never go wrong adding a maple leaf!

I have so many cute fall pictures that I could add to this album that I am not even sure where to start in choosing them! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Farmhouse collection

Farmhouse - Little Charmers - Mini Maple

Textured Cardstock

Doodle Twine

OTHER

Lori Whitlock - Mason Jar Mini Album

FARMHOUSE THANK YOU CARDS | with Karen

Last week, I got to share my love of card making and my love of all things Doodlebug with my colleagues at work. I grabbed Doodlebug goodies and hosted a morning of gratitude card creation in this beautiful retreat centre that was once a convent. It was everything you might imagine - quiet and peaceful and comforting. And Doodlebug's new Farmhouse collection was the perfect collection to use!

It is no secret that I love bright and bold colours. Hand me a stack of jewel toned paper and I am crafty heaven. But this collection speaks to me in a different way - the colours are like a breath of fresh air and I absolutely love it. In fact, I think I need to redecorate my home to match it!

But for now, I settled for making this set of cards with my colleagues - using combination of the 12x12 papers with the 6x6 papers to mix and match some of the patterned paper at different scales.

 

The Bits and Pieces and Odds and Ends die cuts make the perfect layering pieces to coordinate with the sentiments that I chose. A few mini jewels added a bit of sparkle.

And the chicken? Well the chicken was the icon I chose that made me think of one of my daughters - the inspiration for one of the the three gratitude cards. Does a chicken make sense on a thank-you card? I'm not sure. But somehow, I am also certain that it does! And the Hen & Chicks paper may now be one of my favourite Doodlebug prints ever!

Sharing this collection and all the goodies with my colleagues brought me so much joy. Watching them create and seeing the pride in their faces as they shared the special people they were creating for was wonderful - husbands for wives, a mom in another province, a son...it was joyful. Crafting is special and this collection makes is easy and beautiful. Thank-you Doodlebug for sharing your gift with us so we can share it with others! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Farmhouse collection

Farmhouse - Cards & Envelopes Assortment

OTHER

Adhesive

HEY PUMPKIN DOODLE POP CARDS | with Karen

Today, as I was looking through my new Doodlebug Hello Pumpkin collection for some inspiration, I came across the Doodle Pops! And boy, oh boy, are they a treat (pun not intended). So, I decided I would feature 3 of my favourites on this set of cards - because after all, Halloween is all about the treats!

So I grabbed a set of card bases from the Cards & Envelopes set that coordinates with the collection and got to work - layering paper with some die cuts from the Bits & Pieces pack and a couple of sentiments from the Chit Chat pack.

The glorious part about the Doodle Pops, besides the adorable shapes and characters, is the tremendous dimension these cute stickers bring to any project. Layer upon layer of goodness really does pop on any project you add them to. For this card, I also added some foam adhesive to the die cuts I used around the Doodle Pop just to make sure that they blended in on the design of the card.

On this card design, the Doodle Pop was perfect for the center of the card - a cut out that looks a bit like a frame.

And for this cutie - well I wanted the whole focus to be on him and his adorable, shiny glasses so I added him right to the top layer. Because let's be real - he steals the show anyway!

I love this collection. I mean, I really love it. In fact, I love it so much that I am so sad that this is the last project I get to feature here with it. The good news is that many of the team members have more to share with you over the next couple of weeks so if you are anything like me, stay tuned for so much more fun with Hello Pumpkin!

And since I won't chat with you before Halloween - have a wonderful one in any way that you chose to celebrate! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Hey Pumpkin collection

Hello Pumpkin - Cards & Envelopes

OTHER

Adhesive

HEY PUMPKIN MINI TREAT BAGS | with Karen

You know what I love about Halloween? Mini chocolate candy treats! And while the yummy chocolate is definitely a part of the love, it is actually the size I love even more. Because who doesn't love something in miniature?   

So I decided to use my project this week to create some adorable mini treat bags to fill with miniature goodies! Created with the 12x12 patterned paper simply cut to 7"x6" and scored with a 1" bottom and sides, this little treat bag is as cute as can be!

And here's the great thing! While the Odds and Ends pack is filled with a variety of adorable of die cut shapes and characters, there are a bunch that are small enough to fit on this treat bags. I picked a few for each bag and just layered them a bit, overhanging the edges to add a bit more interest.

I then topped each one off with a sentiment for the Chit Chat pack, using some foam adhesive for dimension. I then filled up each one, pinched the sides about 3/4s of the way up and used some ribbon from my stash to tie them up. We wouldn't want any of the treats to escape now, would we?!

And that was it! These little containers are going to make a cute addition to a larger treat bag, but could also be used as a place setting or little appreciate gift. They may be mini, but their mini-ness makes them monstrously cute! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Hey Pumpkin collection

OTHER

Adhesive

Ribbon

HEY PUMPKIN CANDY BAR WRAPS | with Karen

Treat, treats everywhere! 'Tis the season for all the goodie goodness - in my tummy and on my crafty table! Doodlebug's Hey Pumpkin collection has me crafting and snacking all at the same time with the project I want to share with you today. And I hope you will find it oh so satisfying!

While I love a little Halloween chocolate, I love a big Halloween chocolate even better. Wrap that candy bar in Doodlebug goodies and I am picking treats over tricks any day! These little candy bar wraps were created by cutting some of the 12x12 paper and then scored to wrap around each bar. They are a fun 4x4" size, so they work perfectly with the paper...

...staying snug inside until pushed out of one end.

Each one of the bars was embellished with some die cuts from the Odds & Ends and Bits & Pieces packs. On a couple of them, I also added a little sentiment from the Chit Chat packs! The whole goal with these designs was to create as much depth as possible with layers of die cuts attached with 3D adhesive strips.

On the last one, I wanted to show you that there are so many beautiful florals in this collection so you can even create a little treat that is less about Halloween and more about the fun and bright colours of the season. So everyone in you life - whether they acknowledge Halloween or not - can get in on the tastiness!

And if you are wondering if I picked that candy bars because their colours matched Hey Pumpkin colours, you better believe I did! You don't have to - just make your wrapper a little longer to hide more of the wrapper and have some fun with it! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Hey Pumpkin collection
Sprinkles - Halloween Assortment

OTHER

Adhesive

HEY PUMPKIN DOODLE STAMPED CARDS | with Karen

Okay, hold on everyone. I know it seems like summer has barely ended but get ready because the cutest Doodlebug treat is on its way for Halloween. The "Hey Pumpkin" collection is here and once you get your hands on it, there will be no looking back to summer because you are going to want to craft Halloween projects for as long as your crafty hands will let you!

For my first project, I started off with a set of cards so I had an excuse to play with the most adorable stamp set you could ever imagine. The coordinating Cards & Envelopes set makes the perfect base to feature these little cuties.

And cuties they are! I mean come on...this little ghost in his glasses has me squealing in delight! I have a feelings he is going to make his way on to about a hundred or so projects in the next few weeks. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I layered them on top of some cute pieces from the coordinating Bits & Pieces packs and then added a sentiment from the Chit Chat pack. Finally, I added a bit of sparkle with some mini jewels from the Halloween Assortment.

I am just loving how the bold and contrasting colours make the stamps pop. These are some of my favourite creations in a while!

So forget summer - bring on Halloween! Trust me on this one! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Hey Pumpkin collection
Hey Pumpkin Doodle Stamps
Cards & Envelopes - Hey Pumpkin Assortment
Mini Jewels - Halloween Assortment

OTHER

Adhesive
Ink
Alcohol Marks

White cardstock

FARMERS MARKET VEGGIE GARDEN PILLOW BOXES | with Karen

Every morning, my four-legged furry beast wakes me up with the sun for our 5:30am "walkies". But a funny thing happened this last week - it was clearly noticeable that morning walks have gotten darker and chillier. Fall is knocking on the door and answering the knock means the start of canning season, apricot and plum dumpling season, and all things spicy and comforting. And I am here for it!

Featuring the AMAZING Farmers Market collection for my post this week was the perfect way to kick off my seasonal celebrations! This collection captures everything that is wonderful about the Fall, in all the amazing Doodlebug colours we have come to expect. Bright, rich and spicy is everything I love about the season, and it's all wrapped up in this collection.

I decided to have some fun and play with the Veggie Garden Odds & Ends pack to decorate up some pillow boxes made as thank-you gifts.

The start of my summer was met with a huge hail storm that wiped out my garden, so "harvesting" these cuties for the pillow boxes made up for missing out on this fun fall task! And I do have to say that sorting through the die cut characters to "harvest" the ones I wanted was the perfect way to heal a broken gardening heart! I simple layered them on top of each other to create some little scenes that were unique to each box.

I filled each with some cute mini fruit-flavoured candies, but the great thing about a project like this is that it can hold anything - a gift card, little piece of jewelry - whatever works for you!

With the addition of a little sentiment I printed out, these are all set to go! So if you are all ready for the Fall, grab this amazing collection and get started. And if not, grab it anyway - because like it or not, fall is knocking! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,

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DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Farmers Market collection

Veggie Garden Odds and Ends
Petite Prints - Floral and Graph

OTHER

Adhesive
Printer paper for sentiments