September's Six Cards on the 6th! Prize added!

Hello and welcome to the September edition of 'Six Cards on the 6th'! This series encourages you (and us!) to get some Christmas cards made in advance of the festive season - this year we will be prepared!

On the 6th of each month from now until December, there will be a post filled with Christmas card inspiration for you. You will be able to link up your own cards at any time throughout the month, and at the end of the series one link up from all the posts will win a prize (more details on that at the end of this post)! 

If you join in with the series at any time, or if you just want to help us spread the word, it would be fantastic if you can copy this button into your post or sidebar! You just need to select all the text in the box below the image, and copy that either into a html gadget (or text widget) in your sidebar, or into the html on a blog post. Then the button will appear and will be linked back to the series - your button won't have a box underneath!

<a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/six%20on%20the%206th"><img src="http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab280/Jennifergrace_photos/Sixon6thbutton180pix_zps321d7a53.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Sixon6thbutton200pix_zps673fb713.jpg" /></a><br>

Today we have cards by Jenny and Louise to inspire you to get started!

First up is Jenny:

 Last month it was mentioned that making up a kit might speed up the creative process. I'll admit starting off a cardmaking session with a kit is not something I would normally do, so I decided to just pull out some basics to start me off! My kit consisted of a MME 6x6 Mistletoe Magic paper pad, some sheets of cardstock and some Christmas stamps.

As I got stuck in to my creative session I also used diamond, gold & silver stickles, scalloped lace border punch, zig zag border punch, tag punch, gems, ribbon, Memento black ink pad , promarkers , various spellbinder dies and six scalloped 6 x 6 square card blanks.

Here's the six cards I made:

Jenny x

Next is Louise:

 Jennifer and Sarah shared photos of the Christmas kits they pulled together last month. Taking the lead from them I did the same, and then discovered the Teresa Collins 6x6 Santas List paper pad had all the elements I needed to make my cards! The only touches I ended up adding were the snowflakes and twine:

Louise x

Didn't they both do a great job? I love how the cards in each set all go together, but each have their own distinctive charm too! 

So what are you waiting for? Jenny and Louise have both shown you can just grab a 6x6 pad and a few extra details and get stuck in... and you have the added incentive that joining in with the series could win you a prize:

One person who links up to the Six Cards on the 6th series will receive a prize - a Christmas present with a mix of old and new scrapbooking goodies for you to unwrap and enjoy! It will be a pizza box nicely stuffed with goodies. Each time you link up a set of six cards you'll earn an extra entry into the draw, so join in each month for more chances to win! Last month's entries will be included in the draw too. (NB: the prize will go out in early January to the lucky winner, to allow for late December link-ups).

I hope to see your cards soon! Jennifer x

Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm Cards

Hello and a very Happy Monday to you!

 

It's jennifer back today to show you the cards I made with the Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm Paper pad and stamp set!

 

If you missed the layouts you can see those right here!

 

The papers have such cute designs for making cards with. I have two to show you ..... one is more dreamy, and one a bolder style.

 

The balloon stamp just goes so well with the cute cloud paper.

 

I scattered a few enamel dots, gems and some White Liquid Pearls.

For my second card I used the lovely spotty paper for a background to the little envelopes and added some Gold Liquid Pearls.

 

I can't wait to send these to someone and make their day!

Lucky Charm is currently in stock here!! I promise you'll find all kinds of uses for it!

 

Jennifer x

 

See more of Jennifer's crafting on her blog at: Jennifer's Jumbles

Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm

Hello All!

It's Jennifer here today, to show you some projects using the Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm 6x6 Pad and Stamp Set, which are both oh-so pretty and versatile!

Love on Paper Layout

I have to say I am surprised by how much I LOVE this collection! When I saw it online I thought it was nice, but when I received it and flicked through the 6x6 pad I was blown away by the sweet designs, and how well they were balanced out with some graphic and plainer papers. It's all very, very useable!

My only problem has been that you only get one sheet of each paper - 36 single-sided different designs of paper, and they are all gorgeous! How do I choose which one to use? How do I bring myself to cut into one when there isn't a 'spare' sheet of the same design? The papers were calling me to use them, so I just braved it and snipped in! Lol!

I die-cut a few feathers from the papers to give them a place to shine. They made me think of writing quills which fit with the 'signing the register' theme. The navy paper with 'love you to the stars and back' written all over it has to be one of my most favourite papers ever!

The feathers, the punched hearts, and the hot air ballon (which is stamped onto white card) were stuck onto the layout using 3D foam dots. They stand out nicely from the background of grey cardstock, which had white mist splattered on it, and the small heart from the Lucky Charm set heat embossed with gold several times to add some shimmer!

One of the things I like so much about the pad is all the sheets which are good for cutting apart - a couple of journal cards, elements, or borders papers, and then one sheet filled with little envelopes and one with jars which can be cut out to make little embellishments.

You can see several of these down in my journaling corner of the layout.

The enamel dots are My Mind's Eye My Girl, and the gems are Hero Arts Clear Gemstones (I'm on my third pack of these now!) - these are both on the next couple of projects too...

Next I made a more graphic layout using some chevron, stripes, and triangle patterns from the pad...

Disney Family Layout

I love the cloud stamp in the set, which you can see at the top right, because the clouds have a straight line at the bottom - I like this a lot more than clouds that are fluffy all around, I don't know why! The arrows stamp used a few times on the left of this layout is so fun too, and will be good for all kinds of projects.

The 'this is so awesome' and 'you make my heart sing' cards on here are also from the cut apart sheets in the 6x6 pad (though I added the heart).

 

 

With all these cute designs to work with I decided to make a couple of cards as well!!

 

I'll show you those in my next post!

Thanks for stopping by - please do leave a comment and say "Hi!"

 

Jennifer x

 

See more of Jennifer's crafting at her blog: Jennifer's Jumbles

Studio Calico Snippets

Hello and a very happy weekend to you!

Louise here today to show you my projects made with the Studio Calico Snippets Collection!

 

My main supplies were:

 

Snippetts 6x6 patterned paper pad

Chipboard Arrows

Chipboard Cameras

 

All of which are available in the shop!

 

This collection is perfect - it reminds me of bright summers days. Airy and light. The patterns are a mixture of bold and subtle, the colours being both bright and muted. What I like best about this 6x6 pad is that all the papers are single sided. You don't know what a weight off my mind it is not to have to choose between sides. The combination of colours and patterns is wonderful and suitable for all themes.

I'd like to share with you two 12 x12 layouts and several 4x6 horizontal mini cards/layouts. These layouts are for my holiday album which mixes 12x12 with 4x6 page protectors pockets.

The top two 4x6 cards will accompany a non beach/pool 12 x 12 layout in my album with the bottom two going next to to a 12 x 12 beach/pool layout.

First up is the beach/pool theme. I wanted a fresh bright feel to my holiday album and used the Bazzill white range of cardstock. The 12x12 layout is kept simple with lots of white space. The main focus being the photos.

The journaling is on the back of this page. I have so much to write for this holiday that occasionally there is too much to actually put on the layout. Here is my DH coming down the water slide with two of my boys in the pool waiting for him. He has a water camera in his hand, so while I take a photo of him (on the left), he is taking a photo of me (on the right). You might just be able to make me out in a black cosie standing with my feet firmly on the ground.

I fallen in love with the chipboard cameras and arrows. They are simply Cute!

The 4x6 cards and photos will go in the 4x6 page protector pockets next to the 12x12 layout in my album.

You can see I've used more of those gorgeous chipboard arrows with some titles and quotes.

For my second 12x12 layout I have chosen a non beach/pool theme. First of all I created a misted hexagon background.

To create this background I used an embossing folder. Spray your mist onto the raised side of your embossing folder, turn over and press onto your card/paper.

I used two mists here the Mister Huey Honor Society and Leaf Green

This amazing castle is the Harry Potter Ride in Florida. The title of this layout is taken from the words that my youngest son wrote about this ride at the end of the day.

More chipboard cameras and arrows.
 

As before, the 4x6 cards and photos will go into in the 4x6 divided page protector pockets next to the 12x12 layout.

Once again there is so much to journal for this page. Like.... how I came to have a photo of the "Public Convenience" sign and the story of the Harry Potter Ride, the Forbidden Journey. For this story in particular, the 4x6 card is a pocket which will hold all the details.

So.....I hope you like my Studio Calico projects. Making little 6 x 4 cards to go alongside 12 x 12 layouts is a great way to get all those extra details and photos into your album. I hope you might give it a go.  If you are still not sure I will be making plenty more 12x12 and 4x6 with this range so you may wish to keep an eye out over at my blog.

In addition to the Studio Calico Snippets 6x6 paper, chipboard camera's and arrows I also used:-

• Glitz washi tape pokka dot blue
• Glitz aplhas
• 12 x12 bazzill white cardstock
• AC Alpha's
• Studio Calico Mister Huey Mists - Honor Society and Leaf Green

All these products can be purchased from SJ Crafts.

Thanks for stopping by today

Louise x

Don't forget to visit Louise's blog at : Boys, Bugs and Beautiful Buttons

Trend Watch!

Hello, Jennifer here!

In January it was the Craft & Hobby Association’s Winter Show in Anaheim, California, which is when all the Scrapbooking manufacturers (along with other crafting brands) show off their upcoming releases. So I've been watching all their blogs with a close eye as they also revealed all the new products online, for us to drool over whilst we wait impatiently for it to get to the UK shops!

The good news is that Sarah from SJ Crafts has lots of lovely goodies on order, and some of it has already started to arrive! 

I want to tell you about a few of my favourite trends that I've been spotting, so you can watch out for them arriving to the shop!

Trend 1: The Pink and Turquoise Colour Combo 

This has appeared in many collections before, but it’s a combination that will never grow old for me. It just looks so fresh and pretty, and is perfect for spring and summer projects - something we all look forward to after these long grey months!

The Maggie Holmes Collection by Crate Paper has bold pink and turquoise hues, that make me think of tropical days and lots of laughter! Look out for the collection pack coming soon!

The Sundrifter Collection by Studio Calico has slightly softer pinks and blues, but it teams them with black, grey, and patterns with a slightly urban feel, that makes it oh-so trendy and cool! This one is due into stock early February.

The Collectable Collection from My Minds Eye is due to arrive at S J Crafts next week. This collection has four themes within it, and I think Memorable is my favourite with the pink/turquoise colour combination in a super sweet, girly way, with flowers, doilies, and lots of delicate details!

Trend 2: Hints of Travel

I love that a lot of brands are adding just small touches of travel to their lines, rather than it taking over a whole collection. I especially like ones that have hints of going up in the air, as it's been 6 years since I flew anywhere on holiday and I miss it! The travel details can usually be used on all kinds of pages though, so I can add an uplifting phrase here, or an aeroplane image there, and get a sense of travelling on projects that have nothing to do with going away!

The Scoot Collection by Echo Park is a really fun boy-themed collection. It's also got lots of aeroplanes and clouds, and a sweet 'up, up and away' sticker that I adore! Plus the collection pack is in stock already, so you can get your hands on this one straight away.

The Lucky Charm Collection by Dear Lizzy for American Crafts is based on bracelet charms, like horses and hot air balloons! My absolute favourite bit is the 'come fly away with me stamp' which is too dreamy for words! The mini-chevrons and clouds will be sweet little details too. The stamp and the 6x6 pad should be in the shop in early February.

The DIY Shop collection by Crate Paper also has hints of travel. It has a real vintage vibe about it, which works so well on projects all year round. The map-paper details and one little aeroplane chipboard are the perfect touch of escapism! The collection pack will be in stock very soon.

Trend 3: Arrows and Arrow Heads

This trend is so hot right now! There are arrows all over the place. I love it because each new year I feel like I need some 'direction' in my life! It looks great when you go over the top and add arrows all over the page to really emphasise something, or just one arrow tucked away on a layout or card can draw your attention to whatever it's pointing at. Whichever way you like it, the arrow trend is definitely something to embrace!

The Snippets Collection by Studio Calico has some great graphic chevron-arrow patterned papers and wood veneers. It also includes these fantastic arrow stickers, in nice bright colours - I like the mix of shapes and sizes! Look out for Snippets arriving soon. 

My final pick is from Studio Calico too - their awesome Huey's Masks. I just had to draw attention to this one from the Sundrifter collection. It's called a 'Triangles' mask, but it fits in well with the arrows trend, as it looks like arrow heads pointing up and down. This will make a great layering element on layouts, or a background for cards. And you could always block off some of the design to just have one or two rows of arrows! Look out for this and other Studio Calico goodness including more masks, wood veneers, and Mister Huey mists arriving soon.

So there's a few of my favourite trends that I'm looking out for this season! 

Has anything here caught your eye? Now I've just got to wait on the edge of my seat until it all arrives in the UK and into the SJ Crafts shop! 

Don't forget to 'like' the SJ Crafts Facebook page if you want to know as soon as the new stock arrives! I'll let you into a little secret (Shh!) ... Sarah usually announces new arrivals over there first!!

Bye for now, Jennifer x

Gift Bag & Tealight Holder!

On the last post I showed you some cards I made with the Studio Calico Wonderland 6" x 6" pad. Today I'd like to show you a couple of handmade gifts.

This little gift bag is made with Kraft card which really seems to work so well with many of the papers in the Wonderland pad. The snowflake paper is from the Wonderland Collection and I added some red twine. The sentiment is a digital one from Whimsey Stamps and I added a tiny button which I coloured to match and tied with twine to the centre of the snowflake.

The bag opens up and revels a little pocket into which I put a few celebration sweets.

 Now for something different .... the papers are again from the Wonderland Collection and I think this shows just how versatile this collection is as I have gone away from Christmas completely and made a tea light holder. 

With the light lit!

Will you be making any handmade gifts for the festive season?

Jenny x

You can see more of Jenny's work on her blog: Dragonllew's Spot

Jenny followed these tutorials to make her bag and tealight holder:

Bag Tutorial

tealight holder tutorial

Wonderland Cards - By Jenny

Hi Everyone, Jenny here today!

This month Sarah gave me Studio Calico Wonderland to work with, I love the range of colours in this pad - you have your traditional reds and greens but also some lovely blues, creams and browns. There is a good mix of Winter/Christmas patterns and also more general patterns. I made a few different things to to try and show you how versatile these gorgeous papers are!

First up a nice simple card using Kraft card to mat the patterned paper onto and some twine wrapped around the paper which gives the card a nice rustic look. I have used glossy accents to highlight some of the pattern on the paper and stamped a sentiment in Rich Cocoa Memento ink.

The large snowflake has been cut from a piece of patterned paper and then covered in glamour dust and the smaller one is cut from white card, a clear button tied with some blue twine finishes the snowflake off.

Another fairly simple card - this time using one of the green papers from the Wonderland pad which is matted onto some dark green cardstock and then onto a card blank. I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then drew the square around the card with a fineliner pen. The snowman is a diecut which has been embossed and coloured with promarkers.

I'll be back soon to show you a gift bag and a tealight holder - both would make great Christmas gifts!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Jenny x

6" x 6" Challenge Winner Announced!

A few weeks ago as Lisa-Jane's series of posts on using 6" x 6" pads drew to a close we challenged you to make a layout or papercraft project using these handy little papers - details of the challenge were on this post!! 

It's taken me a while but finally (with just a little help from LJ!) I am delighted to announce that the winner is .....

Jackie!!

with this fantastic layout!

Well Done Jackie - if you'd like to drop me an e mail (sarah at sjpapercrafts.co.uk)  - I'll get your prize off to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Don't forget the giveaway to win a 12 x 12 Collection Kit is still open here until 15th October!!

New My Minds Eye Collections!!

This week we've taken delivery of some gorgeous new goodies from My Minds Eye!

I'm loving these 6" X 6" Paper Pads from the The Sweetest Thing Collection - there are four to choose from: Honey, Lavender, Tangerine and Bluebell.

                         
                          

Rhonna Farrer has designed the gorgeous All Things Bright Collection

               

We have the Collection Kits, 6" X 6" Pads and matching accessories.

Click here to browse all the MME products!!