4th of July Banner by Melanie

It's always a banner day when Melanie Jarocki creates an altered project using SRM Stickers!  Making banners is one of Melanie's favorite crafty pastimes. Here's a banner she put together using some patriotic stickers and twine.  How fun!

Look closely and you will see that Melanie used mini-sentiments from both the Patriotic Stickers By The Dozen and We've Got Your Border on the bottoms of each pennant.  And added the graphic red, white and blue borders along the top of each pennant.  

To add extra dimension to the banner, Melanie placed the flag stickers from Stickers By The Dozen onto punched circles and tied them between the pennants. The Maraschino and Midnight Blue twine are just perfect, tying it all together.  Bold red stitching around the border of each letter and punched stars at the bottom of each pennant are perfect finishing touches!

Princess Magic Wand by Clare

Clare Buswell has created a Butterfly Magic Wand fit for a Princess!  I'll bet her little girl or any little girl would love to have one of these!  Clare started her project with a SRM Magic Wand that's crystal clear and measures 12" x 5/8".  It would make a wonderful gift or party favor.  Here's a mini tutorial so you can make one of these for your favorite princess!

Start with an empty Magic Wand! 

Clare took her Magic Wand and filled it with sweets.  She took her inspiration from the colors of the sweets and drew a simple butterfly template to make the cardstock butterfly topper. 

She added two layers of wings and stitched around the edges of the smaller layer using Marigold Twine.

Using a Bright Blank Label, Clare dressed up her wand with stickers from SRM's Everyday Girl and We've Got Your Sticker Princess designs. 

Clare wrapped some Marigold and Cantaloupe Twine around the wand and left some pieces hanging down to act like streamers. Then she added a variety of stickers to embellish the wand. 

Tip:  To attach the butterfly to the tube Clare made a simple loop tab from cardstock that forms the body of the butterfly and it simply slots onto the tube.

What a lovely, magical project.  Thanks Clare for the inspiration!

Guest Designer; Betsy Veldman

We are thrilled to welcome Betsy Veldman to the SRM Blog as our Guest Designer of the Week.  Betsy is a paper crafter extraordinaire and we love that she loves her SRM Stickers!  

"I live in a small town in the NW corner of Iowa with my husband of 15 years and our three kids, ages 12, 9, and 5.  Making stuff has always been a big part of my life, ever since I was a little girl digging through my mom's boxes of fabric scraps...it seems to be a trait that has been passed down through many generations of women in my family!  Today I love stamping, card making, a bit of scrapbooking, as well as sewing.  My daughters seem to have caught the creativity bug as well and we love to craft together.  I currently work as one of the Paper Crafts magazine Go-to Gals, and I am also on design teams for Papertrey Ink, Pink Paislee, and Anna Griffin." 

Betsy loves to combine paper, stamps and stickers just like she's done on this wonderful, bright and beautiful card.  Who would not love receiving this "happy" birthday card?  The twine and felt embellishments are perfection!  Love how Betsy stamped Happy Birthday on SRM's new Labels by the Dozen Bright collection.  

She loves those labels and the Sticker Stitches as well!

Here's an envelope that Betsy crafted using the same papers as she used on her card and added SRM Labels by the Dozen, Sticker Stitches, Marigold Twine and felt flowers.  What a fun way to coordinate the card and the envelope. If you need to make a birthday card soon, why not CASE Betsy's card and envelope and dazzle your friends & family!

Betsy is loving the SRM Pillow Boxes as the perfect little treat holder.  This bright and beautiful project is perfectly coordinated to her card and envelope. For this project Betsy took all 3 sizes of Pillow Boxes, filled them with bright candies, tied them all together with patterned papers and twine and used a pair of lovely Labels by the Dozen.  Then she embellished them with those felt flowers and a touch of twine.  YUM!

Put them all together and you have a perfect trio of treats!

Thank you Betsy for joining us today with your extraordinary talent.  Here's what Betsy has to say about SRM Stickers: 

"SRM Stickers are the great finishing touch to any project!  The selection of sentiments make them perfect for card makers.  And the new labels like the ones I used on my project today are perfect for stamping on.  I also like the stitched border stickers, which make it so easy to add the look of stitching to my projects without having to pull out my sewing machine.  Thank you, SRM, for letting me be your guest today!"

Would you like to WIN all the SRM products that Betsy used in her guest design feature today?  Just leave a comment here on the blog and be sure you are a follower.  The WINNER will be announced on Monday's blog.  Be sure to keep your finger's crossed!  The winner will be announced Monday May 27th.

Pillow Boxes by Deana

Always looking for a clever way to package gifts, Deana Boston loves SRM's new Pillow Boxes!  The first box is decorated from top to bottom using SRM's Sticker Stitches.  How fun!  Deana then embellished the box with a few die-cut butterflies and added a "make a wish" sentiment.  Inside is a SRM Glassine Bag to hold a gift card. 

On her second gift Pillow Box Deana embossed it, added a big, beautiful flower and one of SRM's Labels by the Dozen Pastel with a "Make a Wish" sentiment affixed to it.  Again, she put a Glassine bag inside to hold a gift card. 

Do you know that Deana has a Gift Wrapping station in her craft room?  I wonder if SRM's new Pillow Boxes and Glassine bags have a special spot?  I bet they do! 

2 Layouts by Corrie

Corrie Jones is a layout expert.  No doubt about it.  When she was tasked to use SRM Labels by the Dozen in an unexpected way, she went right to it and created an amazing layout.  

I love what Corrie had to say about this layout and SRM's Labels by the Dozen Brights: 

"I am a real fan of the SRM Labels by the Dozen.  I think they are super cute and so easy to use!  I mean you can have them for journaling blocks or tags or places for embellishments.  Here is the page i created with my Labels by the Dozen Bright Blank labels.  I love the colors in these!!"

Corrie continues:  "I did not want the labels to compete with other patterns, so instead of using patterned paper, I created a custom watercolor and gesso background.  I love how it came out."  And so do we Corrie!  So do we!

For her second layout Corrie's assignment was to use SRM's Sticker Stitches in unexpected ways and so she did! :)  Here's what Corrie had to say about her layout:  "The stitches stickers are my new favorite.  They really are the perfect little touch on a layout.  Plus, they give that stitched look in seconds!  Love it!"

The dreamy look of this layout is enhanced by the fact that Corrie did not use patterned paper.  Instead she created a muted background and then used the Sticker Stitches and embellishments to create the pattern on her page.  

Thank you Corrie for 2 beautiful layouts and a ton of inspiration!

By the way, I'm featured on the Creating Keepsakes Blog today and it's all about SRM Container products.  The post goes live at 10:00 am Mountain Time.  See you there!  

Trio of Cards by Michelle

Michelle Bertuzzi is very busy with 3 kids and moving to a new house but she still has time for some crafting! :)  Before she packed away all of her crafting supplies for her move, she created a few cards.  

First up Michelle needed a gift and a card for a boy's birthday party.  So she created this gift card holder/card using SRM's Glassine Bag, Sticker Stitches and Birthday sentiments.  The BRRR is from the Winter Sticker Sentiments sheet.  That's totally fun!  

Here's a beautifully embossed card that Michelle made for one of her son's teachers who had been particularly thoughtful.  Love how the embossing matches the sentiment.  Lots of Thank-You's embossed on this special card including a Fancy Thank You Sentiment from SRM!

And finally Michelle loves to make cards and tuck them into her kid's lunch boxes.  She calls her sons "Sunshine".  Her soon to be 7 year old loves finding these special cards and tags and pays attention to details so Michells is sure he's going to love the embossed background.  Who wouldn't?  That "Hello Sunshine" sentiment is from SRM's Life is Good Sticker Sentiments.

Thanks for all the inspiration Michelle.  We know that you have your hands full but there's always time for crafting, right?

=================

WINNERS!  Here are the 6 lucky winners of Fiskars tools from last week's Fiskars/SRM Blog feature.  

XXXL 3" Circle Punch 

 Carla from Utah

Melissa (Dexie Mel Designs) 

Amy#8546 (TheTigersHaven) 

XL Hexagon Punch 
Denise Bryant
Loly Borda-Towery 
doverdi

Congratulations to all!  Be sure to email me with your mailing address so we can send you your goodies.  susan@srmpress.com

Teacher Gift & Card by Melanie

Melanie Jarocki is the mother of 4 and that means lots of teacher gifts.  She just discovered that SRM's medium sized Pillow Box fits crayons perfectly! 

Melanie created this fun teacher gift by applying some SRM Teacher Say it with Stickers directly on top of the pillow box and then wrapped it with Red Shimmer Twine!  How fun!

For a coordinating card, Melanie used some stickers from the same set and added more twine, this time Black Matte Shimmer.  

What a perfect pair of treats for a special teacher.  And so easy to create now that Melanie has given us the inspiration, just in time for the end of the school year! 

Be sure to check in with us on the blog on Monday when we will announce the WINNERS of Fiskars tools, 2 for each day of the 3 day Fiskars/SRM event!  FUN!   

Fiskars Focus Day #3 - Tania Willis

Welcome to Day #3 of the Fiskars Focus.  We are so excited to feature today Tania Willis, a 2010 SRM Design Team member and now a Lead Fiskateer. 

Tania is uber talented and we love when she creates using her SRM! 

SRM readers are familiar with Tania Willis because she was on our very first design team in 2010.  And she returned to the design team in 2011 as an Emeritus member.  Her work is amazing and we are so thrilled to be able to share some of her Fiskars/SRM layout goodness with you today. 

For her layout Tania used Fiskars Block Party Squeeze Punch Extra Large to create her quilted star cutting the square in half.  I love the colors she used and love how perfectly the SRM Labels by the Dozen Bright Blanks embellish her page in color and feel.  Tania popped a 2010 sticker into a multi colored banner label and added a SRM Scalloped Border Sticker at the bottom of her page. 

Loving all the wonderful details of this page.  Tania used Fiskars Cloud Punches in Medium and Extra Large. 

Love how the SRM Label goes off the side of the page and how Tania embellished it with a sequin and a small punched piece.  Tania's pages are always so playful and this one is no exception.  

More clouds are floating in Tania's sky and I just noticed another Bright Blank Label going off the top of her page.  What a fun and fabulous page and so totally colorful.  So totally Tania!  I would love to be a fly on the wall watching her create.  

Here's what Tania says about her layout and SRM Stickers: 

"I really love how the Bright Blank Labels by the Dozen and the Bright We've Got Your Border stickers add to this fun and cheerful layout design that shows off a photo of my girls at a local hot air balloon festival.  I have been a fan of SRM products for some time now and I find using them in my projects to be quite effortless.  Using them to create this layout was no different."

Thank you Tania for your beautiful layout.  You know we love your work and we are so happy to have you here on the blog today!

GIVEAWAY ALERT:   We are giving away two different Fiskars tools today.  Simply leave a comment here on the SRM Blog and you will be in the running for either the Fiskars XXXL Circle Punch, a 3" circle or the brand new, much coveted XL Hexagon Punch.  And there's a GIVEAWAY on the Fiskars Blog for a stash of SRM Stickers too!

Fiskars Focus Day #2 - Sherry Cartwright

Welcome to day #2 of a 3 day celebration!  How fun to combine SRM Stickers and Fiskars fabulous products!  Remember for this celebration Fiskars designers are featured on the SRM Blog and SRM designers are featured on the Fiskars Blog.  Today's featured Fiskars designer is Sherry Cartwright!    

Here's a bit about Sherry in her own words:  

"I have long been a crafting, gluing together odd and end pieces of construction paper, pom poms and yarn for as long as I can remember.  Now, I am doing the same.  Playing with pretty craft products and sticking them altogether for memories sake.  And for fun.

I grew up in a family of crafters and hope to pass my love of pretty papers, fibers, flowers and stickers to my own family.   We are creative group of two cute K-kiddos, my artsy fartsy husband and myself living a wondramous life in an old country home in the middle of rural central Texas.   By day, I am a paper pusher of procedures and publications, but by night I push around pretty patterned papers, stickers and a bottle of glue.   Seriously, I am a madwoman ---- momma, wife, Cub Scout den leader, boo-boo kisser, reading buddy, dishwasher, homework mentor, friend, toilet scrubber, paper crafter, craft buddy, sister, mess picker-upper, memory recorder, sword fighter, hip-hip-hoorayer and artist."    

When Sherry received her stash of SRM Stickers and Containers she grabbed some of her favorite Fiskars tools and went to work!  Here's what Sherry says

about her first project which combines a SRM Pillow Box, SRM Stickers by the Dozen Graduation, Twinery Twine and Fiskars Round 'n Round Squeeze Punch:

"This clear pillow box was calling for a clever filling.  After debating for awhile what to fill it with [dollars or coins], I chose coins merely on their shiny surface.  I wrapped twine around the box several times so that it would be wide enough for the border sticker.  Then, I attached the hat circle sticker to patterned paper and punched with circle."  

Sherry clearly LOVES the clear containers from SRM!  She loves all the possibilities of what you can do with them!  

For her next "happy" project, Sherry used a clear 7" TUBE, some SRM Borders, SRM Birthday Sticker Sentiments, Marigold Twine, Glitter and Fiskars Cloud Squeeze Punch, large and extra large.  

"These little tubes can be filled with so many different things.  For this one, I filled it with extra long rainbow candles and some yellow glitter.  The tag was made by using two different size cloud punches, punching small holes, then tying with twine.   The sentiment was for birthday, but I cut just happy day to fit on the cloud and used the dots as a border."  

Just in time for summer, for her next project Sherry used a SRM Glassine Bag to organize her picnic utensils and serve as table decor as well!  For this project Sherry used SRM's Patriotic Stickers by the Dozen and We've Got Your Border, some Maraschino twine and a trio of Fiskars punches:  Jenni Bowlin Quilt Star Squeeze Punch, Round 'n Round Punch and Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch.  Here's what Sherry tells us about her Stars & Stripes project:

"Summertime picnics are always better when they are dressed in red, white and blue --- with SRM and Fiskars, too.  Before heading out, package your silverware in a glassine bag.  For this particular bag, I decorated with patriotic papers, then added border stickers.  I punched two quilt stars, then folded one to add dimension.  Both were attached with a flocked brad."  

FYI...The bag is filled with: 

• a fan-folded paper towel, trimmed at an angle on the end,

• fork, spoon, knife

• straw, decorated with punched quilt stars and a scalloped circle

• small skewer with flag attached 

• extra long toothpick decorated with fringed pattered paper 

This is sure to be the star of the show! 

And for her final project, Sherry decided to make an Everyday Life mini album using SRM's Glassine Bags and lots of SRM clear stickers including the Everyday Life sticker that was perfect for this project.  Sherry says "I *love* using the glassine bags as a base.  So very cool and versatile."  Here's the cover of her mini album and a few of the interior pages.

In addition to the fabulous SRM Glassine Bags used in this mini album, so many different SRM Stickers were used too!  Can you see the Birthday Borders, the Sticker Stitches and the Birthday Sentiments on this pair of pages?

 I spy SRM Labels by the Dozen on this page with a "Love" Fancy Sticker Sentiment.

 To see this totally fabulous mini album in its entirety, check out Sherry's blog. 

And here's what Sherry has to say about SRM Stickers:  

"Thank you, SRM Stickers for affording me this opportunity to make a creative mess and some loveliness with your awesome products.  You make the crafty world a better place!"   

Thank you Sherry for your inspiration and wonderful projects.  We love them all!  Now be sure to hop on over to the Fiskars Blog today where SRM's Corrie Jones is creating with Fiskars and SRM Sticker products. 

GIVEAWAY ALERT:   We are giving away two different Fiskars tools today. Simply leave a comment on the SRM Blog and on the Fiskars Blog and you will be in the running for either the Fiskars XXXL Circle Punch, a 3" circle or the brand new, much coveted XL Hexagon Punch.  There's a GIVEAWAY on the Fiskars Blog for a stash of SRM Stickers too! 

Join us tomorrow for day #3 of the Fiskars/SRM event when Tania Willis will be dropping by.  See you then!

Fiskars Focus Day #1 - Emma Jeffery

Welcome to day #1 of a 3 day celebration of all things Fiskars and SRM Stickers!  We have teamed together to make some amazing projects.  Over the next 3 days, 3 Fiskars designers will be featured on the SRM Blog and 3 SRM designers will be featured on the Fiskars Blog.  FUN!  And both blogs will be doing a giveaway.  Details at the end of this post. 

Today we are featuring Emma Jeffrey.  Emma is currently on the Fiskars Design Team and Lead Fiskateer for the Fiskars' online crafting community. She loves color and design and has a passion for creating. Whether she's using fabric, paper, baker's twine, buttons or old socks, Emma is, in her own words, "happy diving into projects with more enthusiasm than talent, more bravado than skill and more good luck than anything else". 

For her first project, Emma created a Thank You teacher gift card holder.  The end of the school year is quickly approaching and she wanted to find a way to thank her children’s teachers. Emma likes to give gift cards because she knows that they will be put to good use, so she designed this sweet gift card tag and put it into a pretty SRM glassine bag ‘envelope’.

Here's what Emma says about her project:

"I love SRM’s glassine bags; this bag is 3 3/4” x 6 1/4” and cardstock cut 1/4” smaller fits inside perfectly. I used SRM's Say it with Stickers Teacher and Express Yourself School to decorate the front of the bag with meaningful words. I like to add splashes of color with punched cardstock shapes."

What bold and beautiful colors Emma chose for her project.  Love the touch of Marigold Twinery twine on the card and on the outside glassine envelope!  

The tag inside holds a gift card with a perfect tag line for a teacher.  After cutting the cardstock to size, Emma used her Fiskars Fingertip Detail Knife to cut slots for each of the four corners of the gift card to easily slip into. She punched a small hole at the top of the cardstock and reinforced it with an extra cardstock punched circle before threading some twine through.  For this gift card project Emma used the following Fiskars tools:  Lacy Doubles Border Punch, Circle Pop Up Punch and Circle Lever Punch. 

For her second project Emma turned to SRM's very popular TUBES.  Emma's son is turning 9 in a couple of months and she doesn't think that he will every outgrow his Legos!  Emma says:  "If you're also planning a fun-filled Lego party for a special someone, then why not use SRM's Standard 7" TUBES to create the perfect take-home treat for any Lego-lover!"

Using a Fiskars tag punch, Emma created yellow card stock gift tags.  She trimmed the tags down to 1 1/2" and rounded the corners with her corner squeeze punch.  

Emma then layered the tags with a full-size red tag underneath giving her just enough room to sticker a clear "thank you so much" sentiment from SRM's Stickers by the Dozen Thank You design.  She embellished the tags, creating

little happy faces, tied the tag to the TUBE with some Peapod Twinery twine and decorated the caps with SRM's Sticker Stitches.  Emma filled the tubes with a selection of Lego blocks in primary colors.  The bold colors of the tags really coordinate with Lego blocks and fit in nicely with the Lego theme!

She then topped the caps with a little Lego man.  You can adhere him with a removable glue dot so that he's ready to play when needed. How fun is that?

And here's what Emma has to say about SRM Stickers: 

"I absolutely love the wide variety of SRM stickers that are available, but I am especially taken with the Tiny Tubes and the mini glassine bags. Not only do they inspire so many different uses and projects, small is ALWAYS cool!" 

Thank you Emma for such fun and fabulous projects!  We love them! Be sure to hop on over to the Fiskars Blog to see what SRM Design Team member Tessa Buys is doing with Fiskars and SRM Stickers!

GIVEAWAY ALERT:   We will be giving away two different Fiskars tools per day during this 3 day feature.  Simply leave a comment on the SRM Blog and on the Fiskars Blog and you will be in the running for either the Fiskars XXXL Circle Punch, a 3" circle or the brand new, much coveted XL Hexagon Punch.  There's a GIVEAWAY on the Fiskars Blog for a stash of SRM Stickers too!