How To Make A Recipe Box

Posted by milmomma (Brittney):

I was actually born in Texas where cooking was something you do every time someone is born, someone comes to visit, someone graduates, has a birthday, or even dies. If it was an occasion, there must be food and lots of it. 

I've never been one for cooking for just myself, instead I cook for an army. The stove is boiling over and the house smells of corn bread, the warm chocolate chip cookies are cooling on the counter. I love the gathering of everyone and enjoying some yummy food as they chow down. In my family there are lots of secret recipes and secret ingredients. 

They are passed down from generation to generation. Well as the scrapbooker I am, I have to pass these on to my kids someday. 

What better way than a recipe box?

I talked with my husband's mom and got some of her secret recipes as well to add in the box. My box is filled with all the secrets that keep the bellies full in our home. I felt it needed to look as sweet as all the secrets inside so I chose to use Mom's Kitchen by Crisdam Designs.

Ever been curious how to even start doing a recipe box? Does it seem over whelming? Well we are gonna go through the basic steps right now! 

First and foremost, I wanted to start by making sure my whole box was white. Or as white as I could make it! 

So with some white spray paint I covered each side twice. Though I have to say, spray painting on the balcony on a semi windy day is a really bad idea. And laying trash bags down first does help!

 

 

I put together my box with my ATG Adhesive Applicator as it is the best adhesive in my opinion. If you prefer a different adhesive use what you like.

 

Next up, we pick out our pattern papers and print them. I couldn't resist the wonderful cherries. I picked the solid red for the top to keep it not too over whelming with patterns. I measured each side and cut my pieces those dimensions.

Don't fret if they are slightly larger than needed as our next step is super easy. Take a sanding block or emery board and sand the edges smooth. If you are new to this, take your sanding block in your hand, and box in the lap, holding the block at less than a 45 degree angle rub it along the edge gently. You can go back over the same spot rather than ripping it and having to replace the paper.

After doing this on all four sides and the top I repeated this on the inside of the lid as well to give it some pop when I open it.

My next step was to take some matching thin ribbon and cover the edges to trim it up. I used my ATG for adhering everything on my box. I used a touch of Diamond Glaze on the ends of the ribbon to keep them smooth to the box as well as to keep the ribbon from unraveling.

After that I chose my title and embellishments. I wanted more cherries and accents. I chose elements and printed them. I cut out all my elements leaving a white trim around them.

I mixed the digital stuff with some KaiserCraft tan flowers and KaiserCraft pearls. I clustered it around my title of my box as I would on one of my layouts.

Lastly I typed out my recipes(some still lots more to go) and printed them on Isabel's free recipe card.

I also printed some of the file dividers from the kit. 

That's all it takes to make your own recipe boxes with all the great secrets to all the wonderful food that we all enjoy.

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Products used-

  

Paper Crafting With Yacht Club From Webster's Pages

Posted by ScrapGoo (Jess):

This line is reminiscent of soft Summer breezes, lobster dinners with friends, and a J. Crew catalog.  Preppy with a side of nature.  Canvas totes and white wine at sunset.  Sandcastles and seagulls. For the most part I tend to stay away from themed papers in my scrapbooking.  

I like the freedom of general patterns.  BUT... Webster's Pages new line "Yacht Club" jumped out at me the second I saw it.  I grew up on the coast of Maine and these nautical papers spoke to my childhood spent on boats and islands.  

Webster's always has unique offerings in the embellishment department.  I adore their new doilies and the canvas tags!  They really have a way with finding the essence of their collections and Yacht Club is no exception.  

So welcome aboard! 

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Maine Memories Mini Album

I had multiple layouts in mind for this line.  But then I realized it just made more sense to combine them into this mini album and show off some of my more recent memories from my home state of Maine.  While I have a lot of photos from my childhood I sometimes forget to take pictures when I visit as an adult.  So these photos remind me of the love I have for Maine, my family, and the feeling I get when I return home.



I layered a lot of stuff on this cover!  Several layers of paper are sandwiched with a frame sticker and levels of embellishment that I used foam tape to pop off the page.  The album itself is simply raw chipboard that I "whitewashed" with watered down white acrylic paint.  The doily is a detailed touch that I love and the red baker's twine reminds me of the ropes you see on boats.  I used the red ribbon to tie the album together instead of the standard metal rings.



Lobstah! You really just can't go to Maine and NOT eat lobster! It was a weekly Summer meal in our family, with corn on the cob and garlic butter that was so good it made you want to drink it.  So of course I had to fussy cut the lobster from one of the pattern papers in this line.  The checkered pattern reminds me of the typical plastic tourist bibs and tablecloths that you see in every Maine seafood restaurant!

This page was inspired more by the nature of Maine.  A few years ago my family rented a cabin on the coast for a week and enjoyed the rocks, sun, and sea.  I love Webster's little resin birds! And this yellow and navy color combo is SO perfectly nautical!

These are more photos from the same cabin trip.  I used a repeating formula in this book of one side of the page with a wide horizontal piece of accent paper and the other side with a narrower vertical strip of accent paper.  You'll also notice that I used a base paper that was more neutral and let the accent paper be more bright.  It came together fairly quickly because my "formula" dictated the design. 

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Celebrate (Father's Day) Card

Father's Day is coming up and although my dad is pretty much a guy's guy he really enjoys my handmade cards.  So what better than a card that speaks to his love of Maine, where he still lives.  I cut the large sailboat from one of the papers and used it as my primary embellishment.  I know my dad will appreciate the nod to boating and his home when he gets this. 

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Doily XO Card

I have a special love for this card simply because it is so different from the other things that I created.  I used the soft, warm tans and yellows and actually specifically chose not to use any nautical icons on this to come up with something completely new.  I wish I had buckets full of these pretty doilies! 

This line was a real treat for me to work with.  It gave me warm fuzzies to reflect on my home.  I am sure you will find that Yacht Club is perfect for many of your favorite vacation and beach photos and will be as inspired by it as I was!

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Some products used on these projects:

Scrapbooking With Echo Park Paper Company's Summer Days

Posted by averys_mom (Mandy):

Echo Park is one of my absolute favorite companies to work with.  I’ve loved them since they first debuted last year.  When the preview for Winter CHA came out and I saw Summer Days, I immediately knew I had to have it!  The bright colors, the fun patterns, the incredible stickers, plus the all new additions of chipboard and brads- it’s amazing!  

Thank you so much to ACOT for letting me work with this awesome line!

Merry Go Round

I really let the papers and embellishments inspire me this time around.  I loved the adorable carousel chipboard embellishment and knew I wanted to build a layout around it.  Luckily I still had all my pictures from last year’s Northwest Washington Fair still unscrapped!  These pictures of Avery on the carousel were a perfect fit.  

The sketch I used by Sassy Li’l Sketches is one I’ve been saving for just the right layout.  I loved it the minute I saw it, and knew that my Martha Stewart Medallion punch would be awesome for all the punched circles.  I punched circles out of every single paper!  

I added som e bling to the carousel using I-rock Mirror Glam Rocks, to mimic the mirrors on a real carousel.  I absolutely love how this turned out!

 

Hoop-A-Loop

For this layout, I wanted to go with a circle theme, since the pictures were of Avery and her hula hoop.  She calls it “Hoop-a-Loop”, thanks to watching Charlie and Lola on the Disney Channel when she was younger.   So, I used the back side of the Scene paper, which had these great swirls on it, as well as the Big Dots paper.  

I love the motion that this great Prima Bling Trim conveyed, so I placed that across the bottom of the photos and topped it with chipboard flowers from the Chipboard Stickers sheet.  I wanted to have something a little fun at the top of the big circle, so I layered the chipboard sun from the Chipboard Stickers with the sun sticker from the Element Sticker Sheet and gave it some sparkle using I-rock Jewels. 

I added cloud stickers from the Element Sticker Sheet, popped some of them up with pop dots and added a chipboard butterfly from the Chipboard Stickers sheet and a little bit of Prima bling.

 

A Special Bond

For this layout, I wanted to keep it really simple, so the focus would be on the single photo.  I used the Die-Cut Paper for my background and added the banner from the Chipboard Stickers across one corner.  My favorite paper from this collection is the Scallops paper, so I made that the focal paper.  

I painted a Maya Road scalloped chipboard piece with Hot Pink paint and Pink Lipstick Glimmer Glam.  Love that stuff!  A few more embellishments from the Chipboard Stickers Sheet, Elements Sticker Sheet, a little I-rock bling and some glittery Thickers and this layout was done!

 

Summer Fun at the Fair

This collection is absolutely made for fair or theme park photos!  That was one of the reasons I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.  Last summer, we took Avery to the Northwest Washington Fair for the first time and she had a blast.  I was so excited to work with a line of papers that was so perfect for scrapping these memories.  I did a simple two-pager for this layout, extending the lines of the papers all the way across the two pages.  

I wanted the great fair-themed embellishments to stand out , so I made them the main embellishments.  I added a few of the brads, along with some additional bling, and after I did, I loved how they resembled the lights on the rides in the photos.  I combined a tag from the Journaling Cards paper and patterned Thickers for the title.

 

This line has so much possibility!  I still have so many ideas in my head for it and you’ll definitely be seeing more layouts using Echo Park Summer Days from me in the very near future! 

Some Products Used:

      

    

May Paper Crafting & Scrapbooking Challenges!

Posted by ScrapGoo:

It's May!  And you know what that means, right?  National Scrapbooking Day and the biggest crop of the year here at ACOT!  But it also means a whole new set of inspiring challenges to get you ready for the big weekend.  

Pick a few to get you warmed up for all the cropping and save the others for the inevitable crop withdrawal you will have after the dust settles! 

 Remember:

- only one LO per challenge will enter you into the points drawing

- LOs cannot be entered into more than one challenge category

- *please* only enter LOs that meet the specific challenge instructions

Trends & Techniques Challenge - By Megamay (Meg)

Paper Scrapbooking

Since we have had a lot of trends lately, I thought a technique challenge was in store for this month. So, your challenge this month is distressing - inking, edge distressing, crumpling, etc.

On this page I used an edge distresser on some of the papers and inked some of the others.


  

Supply List Challenge - By SarahA (Sarah)
Paper or Digital Scrapbooking

This month's supply list is one of my favorites- stitching (hand, machine or faux is fine!), fabric and a shipping tag or two!

All About Me Challenge - By millmomma (Brittney)

Paper or Digi

This month's AAM is to tell your deepest secret. Share the inside dirt. Tell us all the secret you've been keeping. Turn it into a wonderful layout to show case your biggest secret in your life at this point. Mine is my fan-dom for the lovely lacy, satin-y Victoria Secret.



Grab more scrapbooking inspiration by viewing this month's complete Challenge List for April!  After creating your project, be sure to submit it to the corresponding Challenge section of our Gallery.  

Meet Our May 2011 Guest Paper Creative Team Member!

It's a new month and we have a new Guest CT!  Learn more about javalove and check out her great reveal layouts!

 

  Javalove (Lisa)

Name:  Lisa (My screen name is Javalove, which has nothing to do with coffee.  The “java” represents the first letter in the first name of each of my kids.)
 

What’s your favorite television show?   Fringe.  My kids and I bought the dvds and have been watching the first three seasons. I’m also a “Gleek.”

Name 3 musical artists you enjoy.   Jimmy Buffett, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift.

Name two of your favorite colors.  Red (but I don’t like to scrap with it) and aqua (which I use in a lot of my layouts)

Favorite things to do with your family?   I love to watch my kids play soccer.  When we have the opportunity, I also enjoy traveling with my kids.  It’s fun to watch them discover new places, and they especially love amusement parks.  They’re huge roller coaster fans, but I get too motion sick to ride with them.  Camping on the beach in the summer is another favorite family activity.

What's your favorite scrapping tool to use when scrapbooking?  My Fiskars SureCut paper trimmer – I like the wire that lets me see exactly where I’m cutting.

Name three of your favorite SB companies/lines.   Just three?  I’ll go with Bo Bunny, Basic Grey, and My Mind’s Eye, although I really like Prima, too.

What are your favorite adhesives?   Hmmm….that depends on what I’m adhering.  I love my Xyron for little letters and my glue dots for embellishments like buttons and flowers.  For paper and photos, I have to confess to still using those adhesive photo squares.  I tend to lay everything out before I attach anything, and I like being able to just lift up the edges and slide the adhesive squares into place.

What's the one thing you must have readily available when you sit down to scrap?   My reading glasses!  I can’t see the details up close without them anymore.  A strong cup of coffee beside me doesn’t hurt, either.

What would you like the ACOT members to know about you?   I’m currently an at-home mom to four great kids, ages 20, 14, 10, and 8. We’ve got two dogs (a collie mix and a Great Dane).  My background is in writing and editing, so, unlike a lot of scrappers, I actually look forward to journaling on my pages.  I’d eventually like to get back into writing on a freelance basis, but for now I’m just trying to get caught up on my scrapping! 

 

When I saw these fabulous new goodies from the Fancy Pants Designs' line To the Moon, the first thing I noticed were the fantastic primary colors. I love using bright, bold colors on my pages, and these jumped right out at me. The second thing I noticed was the theme. Since I live in Mars (PA), the line was too tempting to resist. Before Angela had the box in the mail, I had a million and one ideas for using these papers and embellishments. Thanks so much, ACOT, for letting me play with this awesome line.

When I saw the E.E. Cummings quote about mud, I knew I had the perfect beginning for photos I took a couple of weeks ago at my younger daughter's soccer game. The blues and yellows complemented her uniform perfectly, and the banners added a sporty touch.

Because I enjoy word plays and writing, this next page seemed to put itself together. I had fun coming up with the puns in the journaling, and the title is actually cut from one of the papers I received. I thought the alien and stars added just the right touch to the "out of this world" theme.

Don't laugh, but the photo on the next page really was taken on Main Street in our hometown. It's a very, very small town, and they have really gone overboard in playing up the "Mars" theme. The title "3, 2, 1 Blast Off" was taken from the packet of elements included with my goodies, and it seemed like the perfect name for the page. The alien theme couldn't have been more appropriate for this particular picture!

Finally, when my younger son saw his sister's soccer page, he asked me to make one for him, too. The primary colors worked well with the green turf, yellow field lines and blue soccer uniforms, so he got his page.

Thanks for checking out my reveal, and thanks once again to A Cherry on Top for selecting me to be the May guest creative team member!! 

 

Products Used: