Articles by Abby

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Scrapbook your Halloween memories!

October 25, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Halloween is less than a week away…eek! Are you ready for the spookiest night of the year?

Here’s a fun idea–make a scrapbook page each year to document your child’s Halloween costume (or your own!).  Put all the pages in the same album and you’ll have a cool way to see all of your Halloween memories throughout the years. Or, if you have an annual Halloween tradition (maybe you host a party or something), make sure you take a photo each year and scrapbook it for your album, too. Don’t forget to include the year on each scrapbook page!

Archiver’s has tons of Halloween products for scrapbook pages, as well as your last-minute party decorations, to dress up your Halloween treats, and to create “spook-tacular” cards. Get them now, while you still can!

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Scrapbooks make the perfect gift (and are now easier to create, too)!

October 21, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Looking for a Christmas gift that will really knock their socks off? Give a handmade scrapbook! Everyone has memories, so who wouldn’t love a beautiful album filled with their favorite photos and memories? It’s a gift that your recipient will love and enjoy over and over again, for many years to come!

If you think making an entire scrapbook is difficult or that you won’t be able to finish one in time, think again! Archiver’s developed an album blueprint that walks you step-by-step through the process of making a 20-page scrapbook, including sketches of layouts for all 20 pages.  The sketches work no matter what theme your album is (family, baby, travel, wedding, pet, etc.), and by simply switching the papers and embellishments you use, you’ll get an entirely new look. Follow the guide and you’ll end up with a beautiful, cohesive album that is sure to impress. Plus, you’ll have it done before Christmas!

Click here to download your guide and then get to Archiver’s to pick up all the supplies you need, in any theme. If you have a new bride in the family, welcomed a new baby or pet, went on a special trip, or want a way to showcase favorite family memories, a scrapbook is the perfect gift. I can think of several people in my family who would absolutely love a scrapbook this year–I better get to work!

Leave a comment and tell me who you’re making a scrapbook for this year!

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Holiday card ideas

October 13, 2010 by Abby | 2 comments

It may be only the middle of October, but I’m already thinking ahead to this year’s handmade holiday card.  I always make handmade cards to send to my loved ones during the holidays–no store-bought cards for this girl! For me, making my own cards is so much fun and I love putting together something that’s really unique. To make the process a little easier, I like to decide on a design and stock up on my card supplies early, instead of in November and December when things get really busy.

If you’re like me and want to start thinking about your handmade card, here are a few ideas:

Lots of people write newsletters to include with their holiday cards. For a fun twist, mat your newsletter on colorful cardstock and then include a patterned paper band, photo, and ribbon. It’s a newsletter and card, all in one cute design!

Don’t put pressure on yourself to have the “perfect” family photo! Instead, use a photo that you really like or a collage of photos taken throughout the year.

Holiday cards don’t have to be red and green! A square punch and a few sheets of patterned paper is all it takes to create this colorful card.

Want even more inspiration? Sign up for Archiver’s Holiday Card Showcase! It’s free and you’ll see over 70 awesome card ideas like these. Plus, you’ll receive a color print-out with every design to help you get started. This annual class is popular, so call now to reserve your seat.

Get started now–trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

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Celebrate World Card-making Day!

October 1, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Did you know that tomorrow (Saturday, October 2nd) is World Card-Making Day? Although we aren’t hosting an event in our Archiver’s stores this weekend, I still encourage you to spend a little bit of time on Saturday making a handmade card or two. Or, if you’re really ambitious, get an early start on your holiday cards! I have a few cards that I need to make for upcoming celebrations, so this gives me the perfect excuse to set aside my “to-do” list for a few hours on Saturday and instead do something creative.

If you need card inspiration, there are hundreds of ideas on Archiver’s website. Grab your paper, stamps, and embellishments, and spend some time on Saturday doing what you enjoy.  Who’s going to join me?

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Add color to your stamped images!

September 29, 2010 by Abby | 5 comments

Stamps are a great investment because you can use them in so many ways! By changing up the paper you stamp on, the ink color you use, or how you add color to your stamped images, you can get lots of different looks from one stamp or stamp set.

Here are two fun ways to add color to your stamped images:

1. Stamp on patterned paper

Instead of coloring in your image, try stamping directly on patterned paper and cutting the image out. This technique works best with stamps that have large, open areas. Check out this cute card Molly made using this technique–the patterned paper looks like fabric!

2. Use Copic markers!

Have you tried Copic markers yet? If you want professional-looking results, Copic markers are the answer! Because these markers are alcohol-based, you can blend two colors together and shade your images to make them look realistic. With the colorless blending pen, you can even “erase” mistakes or take color away from an area you already colored to create your own patterns (like dots, stripes, and more). Stop into any Archiver’s store and ask for a demo–once you try them, you’ll be hooked!

Keep these ideas in mind for when you’re designing your handmade holiday cards!

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New product alert!

September 23, 2010 by Abby | 3 comments

So many new products have arrived at Archiver’s in the last few weeks that I couldn’t resist sharing a few of my favorites with you. Check them out!

Crate Paper School Spirit collection

I mentioned in a previous post that I will be soon starting my own school album, and this is definitely the collection I will be using. The colors are great and the paper and embellishments feature some really fun designs. I think that school house icon is adorable, and the brown paper with the colored letters is my favorite of the bunch!

Maya Road embellishments and kraft envelopes

I love these kraft scalloped envelopes from Maya Road. They’re available in two shapes–square and rectangle–and each pack comes with several pieces. I plan on using them for on top of gifts or on my scrapbook pages as a place to hold journaling, additional small photos, or memorabilia. Maya Road also has lots of fun embellishments, too. The kraft mini calendars would make great accents on scrapbook pages!

Jenni Bowlin embellishments

Speaking of embellishments, I adore these new Jenni Bowlin embellishments! The vellum butterflies and vintage buttons would add the perfect finishing touch to any page or card. The cute bingo cards could be used on pages, but also fit into the spaces of 7gypsies’ ATC-sized trays, too. And the chipboard banners with coordinating banner stickers–perfection!

Want to see even more? Check out lots of other products now at Archiver’s here. Happy creating!

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Scrap-lift Monday: Crazy about color!

September 13, 2010 by Abby | 5 comments

While looking through some older magazines and idea books recently, I found this card:

I liked how the embellishments were lined up in rainbow order and how colorful and cheery the card was. Since I didn’t have those flowers at home, I re-created a similar look using a butterfly die-cut (or a punch would work, too):

I die-cut my butterflies from different papers and added a few gems for my own custom embellishments. I arranged them on my card, added a border punch and a stamp, and it was done. Fast, easy, and cute!

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Behind the scenes

September 10, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Although we’re just getting into fall, today it looks a lot like Christmas! We’re at the photo studio taking the photos you’ll soon see in our 20-page holiday newsletter. Every year, our holiday newsletter gets better and better–and this year is no exception. It will be packed with so many ideas for holiday cards, gifts, and more that there’s no way you won’t be inspired to create something handmade this holiday season.

I know you’re dying to see, so I secretly snapped some pictures to share as a sneak peek. Shh…don’t tell!

I can’t wait for you to see the finished product in late October!

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A handmade card–the best part of the gift!

August 31, 2010 by Abby | 1 comment

We recently added a new member to our household–a beagle puppy named Lucy.

The day we brought Lucy home, we walked into the kitchen to find a surprise waiting for us on the counter. My sister left a basket full of dog treats and toys for our puppy to find when we got home. While the gift itself was so thoughtful, my favorite part, hands-down, was the handmade card she tucked into the basket.

Isn’t it cute? I especially love the clever ear flap. On the back side, she wrote a sweet little note to Lucy, too. My sister is very creative, but doesn’t really scrapbook or make cards all that often. She doesn’t have boxes and boxes overflowing with supplies like some of us do. Instead, she used just a few sheets of cardstock, some stickers, and a marker and turned them into a unique, special card that I will keep forever.

This card just reinforces to me that you don’t have to spend hours or use tons of supplies to make a handmade card or gift. Just taking the time to make something–no matter how simple or elaborate–really speaks volumes and shows someone you care. My sister could have easily picked up a generic card at any store, but instead, chose to create something much more personal. Plus, her card is so much cuter than any store-bought card, at least in my eyes.

Next time you need to give a card, give a handmade one–it will be worth it, I promise!

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Scrap-lift Monday: Flower power

August 23, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Paging through some older idea books I had lying around, I came across this card and decided to scrap-lift it.

I like how the flower was positioned off the edge of the card. However, instead of using a flower embellishment, I stamped a flower for my card. I simply stamped each petal (any flower stamp would work!) on white cardstock using a brightly colored ink, cut the petals out, and assembled the flower on my card. Add in some letter stickers, a rub-on or stamp, a cute button, and my card is done!

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