CHA Releases from Echo Park and Blog Hop Winner

Hi Everyone

Today I am showcasing some more of the fabulous new products you can expect to see from Echo Park in the next few months. Don't forget to scroll down too to see if you won the collection pack from last week's blog-hop. You can see who won on the Echo Park blog here.

Echo Park Collections

Click on the title to see the Full Collection
Photo Freedom Birthday Wishes, A Perfect Summer, Bundle of Joy Girl and Bundle of Joy Boy

Echo Park Mini Themes

Click on the title to see the Full Collection.
Yellow Submarine, Pretty in Pink, Red and Totally Teal

Echo Park Winner

Last week you had the chance to win an Echo Park Collection Pack by commenting on my Echo Park Blog Hop Post. Make sure to become a follower of my Facebook Page so you can find out when the next one is!

The winner of the Echo Park Collection Kit of their choosing is Jim Jams:

Please email me here to find out how you can claim your prize.

Please leave a comment or email me with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking this project up to these websites here.


  

Super Sweet Playdate Invitations (Echo Park)

Hi Everyone

Today I am sharing some invitation gift bags with the Love Story Collection from Echo Park Paper.  This Collection is so versatile that after Valentine’s Day, you  can use it for pretty much any girls project too.  This is a hybrid project as I have used elements from both the digital and paper versions of the Collection.

These bags were created using a Tim Holtz die and my Cuttlebug, but there are several templates online you could use to create your own.  After cutting them out, I started the decoration by threading some matching twine through a few of the heart shaped chipboard buttons and mounted the “Forever” and “You & Me” stickers with dimensional foam to the front of the bags as well as the “Together” piece from the chipboard pack.

To create the cards inside, I took a few of the digital elements from the Elements Pack 1 and 2 and came up with a super simple print-out.  I should tell you I am in no way a graphic designer and I put these together in Powerpoint! You can use any program that allows you to insert pictures or you could use a program like Photoshop to edit the pictures themselves. 

On the second page of the invitation (held together by one of the brads from the Collection) is a map showing how to get to the party! Also in the bag is an assortment of pink heart shaped lollies – just what my little four year old loves!

I really wanted to use this “Best Friends” sticker – but I needed three and I wanted them a slightly different size – so once again I just printed three and cut them out by hand.  I find that printing onto glossy photo paper gives a result very close to that on the actual sticker sheet.

I hope you have enjoyed this idea - I love any kind of themed paper collection, but sometimes it is hard to justify buying it for only use only - so hopefully here I have given you a good excuse!

Echo Park Winner

Last week you had a chance to win the For the Record Documented Collection. We had well over 200 entries and the winner is "Memories by Manda" - who I think is my first blog winner ever who has actually been from New Zealand!! 

"Memories by Manda" - email me here to claim your prize.

Please contact me with any questions.
I am linking up this post to these websites here.
Lowri :-)
 

For the Record Cards by Betsy Clark DAY 3

Hi Everyone
Today is the last day we are welcoming fabulous card-maker Betsy Clark to the blog. Over three days this week we have shared some cards she has created with the For The Record Documented Collection from Echo Park Paper.
Please note that the Giveaway previously listed here has now closed.
Winner can be seen here.

"The Daily News" Card

It is not often I see "vintage" style cards made with the Echo Park Collections as they are generally very clean and modern collections - but Betsy has done a fabulous job on this card.

This beautiful sleeve holds the card together and there is plenty of blank space inside to write your message as the card opens out completely. More great use of the chipboard and brads make this card a perfect treasure!

Please take a look at Betsy's blog. She has some stunning card creations and will totally inspire you with her works of art. Here are a few of my favorite cards of hers from the last few months.

Please contact me with any questions.
I am linking up this post to these websites here.
Lowri :-)

For The Record Cards by Betsy Clark DAY 2

Hi Everyone

Today is the second day we are welcoming fabulous card-maker Betsy Clark to the blog. Over three days this week we will be sharing some cards she has created with the For The Record Documented Collection from Echo Park Paper. 
Please note that the Giveaway previously listed here has now closed.
Winner can be seen here.

"Read All About It" Card

This beautifully shaped card was created by Betsy using one of her favorite tools - the Grand Calibur by Spellbinders. She has cleverly layered the pieces from the chipboard pack and the detailing is once again fabulous!

These colored flowers form the perfect accents and small details such the seam binding ribbon bow (which she colors with glimmermist) and rhinestones all co-ordinate perfectly with the Echo Park Collection.

"Something I Heard" Card

Betsy has used a simple but very effective layering technique to create a lot of dimension in this card. Each layer subtly adds to the overall effect and I particularly love the clean lines and use of lots of paler papers. The border punch and the ribbon bow add just the right amount of detail.

This card has so many potential uses. New Baby, Congratulations - or any time you want to send a special little note. The bright color palette is sure to brighten up the recipient's day!

Please contact me with any questions.
I am linking up this post to these websites here.
Lowri :-)

For The Record Cards by Betsy Clark DAY 1

Hi Everyone

Today I am thrilled to announce we are featuring our first Guest Designer at PaperVine. Betsy Clark is an amazing card-maker, and over the next three days we will be sharing some cards she has created with the For The Record Documented Collection from Echo Park Paper.
Please note that the Giveaway previously listed here has now closed.
Winner can be seen here.

"Favorite Things" Card

This beautiful card has plenty of depth and dimension and Betsy has made great use of her Spellbinders and Cuttlebug to create the circle window and fabulous 3-dimensional flower centrepiece.

The yellow brad from the collection makes a lovely centre for the flower and I love how she has used the chevron sticker on the left hand side.

"Unforgettable" Card

This cards has some fabulous detailing including embossing and stitching. Betsy has also used several of the chipboard pieces and brads that come as part of the Collection.

The green twine threaded through the chipboard button adds a perfect finishing touch as well as some texture.
Tomorrow we will share two more cards from this lovely Collection

Please contact me with any questions.
I am linking up this post to these websites here.
Lowri :-)

Valentine's Fortune Cookies Tutorial

Hi Everyone

The blog-hop and giveaway previously listed here has now closed. Winner will be announced January 29 and you can see a list of hop participants at the end of this post

Valentine's Fortune Cookies

You may have seen my idea from last year where I created a Dates Jar for the year as a Valentine's Gift, with one date to be opened on the 14th of each month. I wanted to create something similar - so I have made 12 fortune cookies - each containing a date idea and we will open one on the 14th of each month for the next year!

To create the box I used one of the files from this set by SVG Cuts and decorated it using elements from the collection. The bicycle was printed using one of the digital elements in this accompanying digital set here. The pink was too bright so I just printed in black and white! The sticker forms the prefect seal on top and a little twine adds just a little more color.

Fortune Cookie Tutorial

First of all I created the little dates to put inside the cookies. I simply printed them onto on a sheet of matte photo paper and then used some stickers from the Collection Kit to decorate them. I set these out in PowerPoint using a simple pink banner shape for the background and a matching Windows font called PlayBill.

To create the cookies following the tutorial below, I suggest using the 6x6 paper pad as the paper is a slightly lighter weight which makes it easier to form the cookie shape.

1. Cut circles from the paper - these are about 3 inches wide
2. Fold paper circle in half - make sure you have your fortune tucked inside!
3. Use finger to bend at the midway point
4. Continue to bend paper to form the cookie shape
5. Place a small blog of strong glue near the fold 
6. Use a small peg or clip to hold together until glue dries

I suggest trying these out with a few scraps of paper first to get the technique right - if you are having trouble the most likely reason is your paper is too thick. Thinner paper definitely works better for these.

This is such a simple idea and really fun to make. Once you have mastered the technique you could easily use these for wedding or party favors, table decoration or packaging for a small gift.

Blog Hop Participants

Echo Park Paper: http://www.echoparkpaper.typepad.com/

Linda Auclair: http://elendae.wordpress.com/

Tamara Tripodi: http://happylifecraftywife.com/?p=2092

Lowri McNabb: http://www.papervinenz.com/

Wendy Sue Anderson: http://www.wendysueanderson.blogspot.com/

Susan Stringfellow: http://creativelysavvy.blogspot.com/

Nancy Damiano: http://www.thepaperorchard.blogspot.com/

Kandis Smith: http://www.mycreativetreasury.blogspot.com/

Laurel Seabrook: http://want2scrap.blogspot.com/

Please leave a comment or email me with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking this project up to these websites here.

Valentine's Treat Boxes (Echo Park Paper)

Hi Everyone

Today I have some gift boxes to share made with the fabulous Love Story Collection from Echo Park Paper.  These would be great for hiding around your house on Valentine’s Day, or maybe make some and fill with hand-made chocolates to give to a couple of special friends.

I have cut these boxes and the heart band on my Cameo using Lori Whitlock’s file found here. If you have a different cutting machine you can purchase the file in Lori’s store here.

The wonderful range of papers in this Collection prints offers heaps of options for contrasting pieces and the boxes are simple to put together. Just remember if you resize the file – re-size ALL the pieces at the same time to keep to keep everything in proportion.

To add a little dimension to the tops of the boxes I cut some extra heart shapes and put them together as shown below:

1. Cut 3 identical, symmetrical shapes shapes using a punch or die-cutter
2. Fold in half – using a scoring board makes it a quick and easy job
3. Glue “outside” faces together to form a 3-d shape
4. This will work with any symmetrical shape and it’s a great little technique for creating party pieces such as straw toppers and garland decorations I used a brad to add a little dimension on the center band and some of the small stickers and a couple of rhinestones to make the hearts sparkle.

Post a comment with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking up this post to these websites here.

52 Reasons I Love You Cards Tutorial

Hi Everyone

This is the first time this project has been published with ALL the information you need to know about the downloads available to re-create the "reasons" labels seen on these cards.

This project also now has its own website - with heaps of additional information, including a complete supply list and all the information on purchasing the template to create the labels.

Note: If you would like to link to, feature or re-publish this project - please see here.

Tutorial
Below you will find the tutorial showing how to make the cards. On the website you can also find a complete supply list and all the information on purchasing the template to create the labels.

1. Find some playing cards! These fabulous cards from Ellusionist shown here are great as they have a pre-aged Vintage look.
2. Scuff them up with some sandpaper to give them a used feel as well as a used look
3. Create a template with one of the spare cards (for example one of the Jokers)
4. Punch two holes in each cards using the template as a guide
   
   
   
5. Create your reasons labels to attach to the cards - detailed information below. Use another Joker card to create the front cover.
6. Using double sided tape and/or glue - attach the inserts to the cards. Using glue will take longer to dry and will stiffen the cards up adding more dimension.
7. Create all 52 of your reasons cards and let the glue dry
8. Thread onto book rings 

NOTE: I have created a FAQ page here with additional information on products used and where to buy them or you can check out the dedicated website here.

Creating the Reasons Labels
There are two templates available for purchase. This page HERE has all the information you need to make a decision regarding which is best for you

Option One - JPEG Download
$4.99 - download high quality jpeg files to be used with a program of your choice 

Option Two - POWERPOINT Download
$6.99 - download a PowerPoint presentation with placeholder text. Print ready.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING
You can see exactly what is included in the templates on this page here. Please read what you will receive and what you will need to do after purchasing to re-create the reasons as shown.

If you do not want to purchase the template - no problem! You can create your own cards. To help you out - here are the dimensions for the boxes I have used. Outer red box - 6cm x 4cm Inner cream box - 5.3cm x 3.3cm If you want to use the same font it is called Trinigan FG and you can download it for FREE from fontspace.com.
 

FAQ Page
Check out the FAQ page if you have any questions.
Also see the 52reasonsiloveyou.com website here - or email me here.
Lowri :-)

I am linking up this post to these websites here.
Keywords: Valentine's Day, 52 Reasons I Love you, download, template, tutorial, ultimate valentine's gift!

Pickled Pear Drawers (Kaisercraft) and Echo Park Winner

Hi Everyone

A quick post today to announce the winner of the Echo Park Love Story Collection and to share this little project I created using the Kaisercraft Pickled Pear Collection.

Mini Drawers

I have been working to develop a line of  laser cut products here in New Zealand and they will be available soon in the PaperVine shop (more about that in the next few weeks!!) These drawers were one of the prototypes and I experimented with a few ideas here..

These little spools from Kaisercraft have been stained with Walnut Distress Stain and wrapped with a little twine. I have also used some acetate cut into a mannequin shape with a Tim Holtz die too add some texture.

These little drawer handles have been made with glass beads and small circles of paper, glued on with glossy accents. I am going to be using this technique for several projects coming soon!

The back of this set of drawers is covered with a lovely detailed piece of paper from the Pickled Pear Collection.

Winner
There were a total of 202 comments to enter the competition.
The re-drawn winner of the Love Story Collection (first winner did not contact within a week) is comment number 29 which was "Виктория Viktoriya". Please email me here to claim your prize.

 

Sorry for all of you that did not win - I know it's frustrating BUT we have another giveaway coming up very soon!

Post a comment with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking up this post to these websites here.

Valentine's Ideas - Heart Bookmark & Cards

Hi Everyone 
Note - the Giveaway previously detailed here has now closed. The winner can be seen here.

Last day of our Valentine's recap and more ideas to share today. Next week I will be republishing my most popular project tutorial with a new, easy to create download option PLUS I will be giving a copy or two away in time for Valentine's Day

Click on the title or picture to be taken to the complete blog post

Valentine's Bookmark Album

This post has a tutorial showing how to create this project and I will be republishing the project soon with a free download pdf and cutting file so you can make it really easily.

His and Hers Cards

Find out how I created this card using Spellbinders and why the card on the right was perfect for my husband and I!

Post a comment with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking up this post to these websites here.

Valentine's Ideas - Christmas Leftovers & Ribbon Card

Hi Everyone 

Note - the Giveaway previously detailed here has now closed. The winner can be seen here.

Day 2 of our Valentine's recap and more ideas to share today. 

I love the first one as it may mean I get to use up some of the Christmas Papers strewn all over my study before I get around to packing them up in March....

Click on the title or picture to be taken to the complete blog post

Christmas Leftovers into Valentine's Treats

This post has a couple more pictures and details on how I created these Valentine's Treats using leftover Christmas Paper. Many Holiday Collections have red and white prints - so check yours before you pack them away.

Woven Ribbon Heart Card

Find out how I created this card using a home-made woven ribbon heart. I explain the technique I used to hold the ribbon pieces together.

Post a comment with any questions
Lowri :-)
I am linking up this post to these websites here.