SPRING INSPIRED CARDS I ART WALK MEETS THE MINC

alas, it is the month of april.

and you better believe i am channeling all and anything that brings signs of spring and summer.

i love creating cards full of bright color, optimism and hope.

today's post does just that.

there is no better collection than art walk and the beautiful shine of the minc to make that come alive.

what is even better is that the art walk cards i am using come already to go.  simply embellish and customize and you instantly have a swoon worthy card ready to go.

most projects these days are often created using the amazing minc surface paper pad.  probably one of my most favourite products out, i just love how easy it is to add minc elements to pretty much anything!

i used my electronic die cutting machine to cut out a bunch of butterflies from the glue sheet.  i am going to add these to the fronts of my cards, but of course...we are not just done quite yet.  what makes the glue sheet special is that it not only works with the foil...but the minc glitter sheets as well.  this allows for more versatility and options when using this particular medium.

because the glue sheets are white, we must transform them.  i am going to use both the minc foil and the minc glitter sheets to add some beautiful sparkle and shine to the front of these cards.

with a little help from the magic that is the minc, these die cuts are magically transformed to coordinate and embellish the fronts of these cards simply and easily.  the end result makes it look like they took hours to create, when really just a few simple steps is what got us to this place!

take your cards one step further by adding favourite sentiments to the front.  these can be in the form of stamps, stickers, handwritten.  whatever your heart desires really.

i love when crafting does not have to be complicated!

keeping things simple is truly my cup of tea, and whenever i want a little something extra without a ton of complication...behold the minc.  it really is a crafters best friend.

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BE YOUR OWN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL I DIY MINC TAG

 sharing a little tag love today, and some animal print obsession....cause why not?

 

i actually have been having the best time experimenting with the minc surface paper pad...and this is total proof of why you need this paper pad in your life. there are a million ways to use this paper pad...and to be honest for the longest time i was never really sure what to do with the 'glue papers' that are included in the pad.  well, they really are a game changer my friends! 

what are the glue papers? they are a white paper, heavy cardstock with a film on them that will adhere to the minc foil when ran through the minc machine.  they are thicker with a subtle texture and take on the foil like a dream. it really is fabulous!

i used a tag die cut to cut out a tag from the glue sheet.  in the pad it is plain white...ready for the minc

magic to come along.  and hello animal print foil.  you guys. this foil is fabulous!!!  

again, here i used a tag but you can use this technique with all types of dies....use it in your electronic die cutting machine as well. it really is limitless what you can create with this paper. the beauty of it is the ability to take it one step further with minc foiling. i just love it.

 

i mean....just LOOK at that coverage. seamless and the shine just cannot be beat. i love this stuff!

i then had the best time accessorizing my tag with some art walk favourites.

these stamps are so fun to add a little bit of additional character and texture to papers, pages...literally whatever you can stamp on these are just awesome for that. here let me show you!

isn't it so fun what they add? just that subtle touch. i love it.

just a little simple project, but with super fun techniques and details that are so doable and just make paper crafting a little more glam :) . to be honest i made this tag for me, and i cannot wait to put it in my memory planner.  we always need reminders every now and then :) .

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LOVE LOVE LOVE I MIXED MEDIA MINC

 

hello everyone and welcome to a fun mixed media minc page.

this is one of my newest pages that uses some of my favourite products and techniques.  plus inspiration i learned from the heidi swapp minc love class...which i highly recommend.

such a great way to get inspired!

the concept of this page is based around the magic that is the minc texture paste.

i just love this stuff.

you can find it in both white (pictured) or clear.  they both work the same ideally...but the white is unique in that it can stand alone, if you so wish not to add foil or additional color to it.

texture paste is just the "right amount" of mixed media for me....and works beautifully with stencils and the minc.  i am not really a "get messy" crafter, so sometimes working with products that are more on the messy side can make me overwhelmed.  however i always love mixed media projects.  i love products like this one that give me those effects without creating a huge clean up at the end. texture paste is pretty basic, and clean up is minimal. 

to be honest, up until i took the minc love class i did not realize that the texture paste can be used with the minc glitter sheets too!  seriously, i had no idea!

the glitter sheets are a fabulous way to apply glitter to projects, that does NOT come off your projects.  it honestly stays put and looks fabulous.  i wish i would have known this sooner but alas! it is what it is. now that i do know though, i need to get my hands on more of these glitter sheets because they are SO much fun to play with.

so i went ahead and added texture paste to my page using these art walk stencils.  

the key to texture paste, just like any other medium is making sure that it is fully dry before moving on to the next step.  that step here being the glitter sheets and foiling.

so once my medium was fully dry, i then applied my glitter sheets and foil to the top.  

remember, foil is always foil side up, but glitter is glitter side down.

then i ran my project through my minc on heat setting 4.  

you can see from the reveal how incredible and with such ease the glitter adheres to the texture paste.  plus with the bit of added dimension from the paste, the glitter has just the right amount of "pop".

and that matte champagne foil just never gets old. i love it so much.  

and there you have it, the perfect mixed media background page ready to go.

to complete my page i added some additional art walk elements and embellishments, die cuts, stamping and a photo along with some type text. all products used are heidi swapp.

there are so many fun elements that came together to create this latest page of mine.  i really encourage you to get your hands on some of this stuff.  the texture paste is extremely easy to use and when paired with the minc it takes on a whole new level of creativity and fun.  

i know i am just getting started with this stuff! 

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THE PERFECT PACKAGE I DIY VALENTINE GIFT BOX

pretty little packages have truly never been easier.

and they could not be more perfect for valentines day.

today's post is brought to you by all things cute, pretty, pink and bringing the valentine vibe 100%.

to create these boxes you will need the following supplies:

12 x 12 Art Walk Project Paper Pad

We R Memory Keepers Gift Box Punch Board

Heart Die

Die Cutting Machine

Minc Love Printable (found here only @Minc Love online class)

Ribbon

Minc Applicator Machine

Minc Foil

Scissors, Adhesive etc.

watch my video tutorial below to see just how easy it is to create the cutest valentine package for your special someone.

fill up your sweet box with all sorts of surprises.  it is seriously the cutest package to both give and receive!

I have never really had a 'knack' or a 'natural talent' at packaging, but I love how the we r memory keepers gift box punch board makes this so easy to achieve.  I love that the gift boxes do not even require adhesive to stay together.  the notches tuck so effortlessly together....and with so many size options available to you by following the punch board instructions there is certainly a box for anything and everything you desire to surprise someone with.

I really hope you create a few of these this valentines day.  I know they will be so loved!

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MAKING OUR OWN MAGIC I STORYLINE CHAPTERS 2021

storyline chapters and 2021.

I have so many plans for you!

today I want to share the first direction I am taking, and that is a family 2021 storyline chapters book. 

a place to record highlights of each month, and little stories of us.  

I want to be able to have a place where I can place some of my favourite photos, stories and memories of the year and have a consistent place and routine so that I get the stories down.  I think setting ourselves up for success is a huge first step in making sure we are actually successful when setting out goals for ourselves.  this creative goal is huge for me and I am committed to filling this beautiful book up as we navigate through 2021.

but first, I had to customize it just a bit.  this technique is one heidi swapp has used a lot but I had never personally tried till now.  she loves to cut out interactive "windows" in the covers of these notebooks and I think it is such an adorable idea.  so for my notebook I created a circle template and traced it on the cover.  then cut out the circle using a craft knife.

once that was complete I used some of her digital art from this kit, and printed this phrase onto a piece of vellum from the Minc surfaces paper pad.  by running it through my laser printer, I will be able to add foil onto the text to give it a beautiful shine.

the matt champagne foil gave me the exact look I was going for.  I love how beautiful it looks.

once complete, I adhered it onto the back of the front cover so that the verse shows through my cut out circular window.

inside my album you will find my first entry.  a family selfie of 2021.  I just love this photo and I think it is the perfect start to my book.  I also used some of the amazing new stamps of Heidi's that you can find here.  they are amazing, just saying ;) .

layering favourite pieces of storyline chapters embellishments is always a favourite.  I may add in more journaling onto this page, or leave it.  I just have not yet decided.  I may even add an envelope pocket for some hidden journaling behind.  we will see!

I really hope you are able to take on your own creative memory keeping project for 2021.  I love having something to not only commit too, but look forward to keeping up and documenting as the days pass on.  creating brings me such joy...and we all need more joy in our lives.  I will be back next month sharing our February pages, so definitely stay tuned!

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MERRY & BRIGHT I DIY MINC HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS

in the spirit of the season, and that it is monday...i thought it would be fitting to showcase just how amazing the heidi swapp minc has been for me this holiday season.

 

 

this tool and technique has the ability to create such gorgeous and professional looking projects with such ease...it blows my mind every time!

i created the basis of my tags using this heidi swapp noel digital handwritten kit.  it is full of her handwritten words that you can print out, add to projects digitially, or cut out with electronic cutting machines. it really is endless what you can do and create with digital files.

for this project i chose to print out the digital designs onto white smooth card stock and vellum.  the vellum i used is from the minc surface paper pad, which i also used in another way that i will be sharing in this post.  it is a FABULOUS minc tool and one of my favourite products to use with my minc.

as you can see the images look so beautiful when transformed with foil. and every colour and style is truly limitless as to the beautiful projects you can create.

another super fun technique with the surface pad is using the toner paper with metal dies.

 

 

 

metal dies are an amazing investment because they are so easy to use, last forever and can be made to fit so many different projects.  i love these foliage dies, i have used them so much over this last year since i purchased them and when you foil them....it is stunning.  my plan with these is to layer them on my tag for some additional texture, dimension and shine.

 

i am using a red foil, and the silver start foil on them to mix up the effects.

 

 

placing them through the minc and ready for the reveal.

 

and voila! layer and piece together on tags and pennants to create beautiful custom diy holiday greetings for all of your gifts, cards and packages this year.  truly one of a kind.

 

i love the peppermint vibes. xo

happiest creating everyone.

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