Cartwheels In My Mind

Scrapbooking: Noteworthy Mini Journal

Good morning everyone! I am so excited to share with you my newest "scrapbooking" article *and* also one of Etsy's best mini journal creators like EVER: Cindy Ruijgrok. (If you have a scrapbooker on your Christmas list this year, this would be the perfect gift...there are so many little surprises inside each of Cindy's albums that they can't all be shared in a few photos in her shop!) Cindy generously donated some of her super cool journals to our design team and I was lucky enough to get one! Mini books have always been one of my favorite things to make so when I got it I decided to do a "14 Things everyone should know about me" theme. There are 14 pages (hence the 14 things) of beautiful patterned paper in a huge variety of colors. Click on photos to see larger.

This journal was SO fun, super easy, and now I have a cute place to document things about me! Thank you, Cindy for sharing your amazing product with us! I can't wait to see how some of the other Cartwheel girls used their journals!

P.S. About that Christmas list with the scrapbooker on it (it's ok if that scrapbooker is you, we won't tell! :D)...Cindy is giving away one of these journals, so if you are interested in winning one, be sure to leave a comment on her give-away post here.

Instant Reusable Gift Wrap

If you're looking for creative gift-wrapping ideas, you already know this: when it comes to gift-giving, the outside is oftentimes just as important as the inside. No matter what the occassion, a uniquely (or cleverly) wrapped gift makes a statement that you're offering more than just an object...you're showing you really care by taking the time to make it extra special. Pssst! Creative gift-wrap doesn't have to take a whole lot of time. All you need is some basics and you'll be able to transform dozens of plain presents into amazing presentation!

Cookies are an obvious inexpensive gift. It's the giving that makes them unique and an easy way to wrap them is to fill a Mason jar with the popable morsels and decorate.

A simple circle of fabric in a colorful print such as floral, or plaid for a holiday theme, is really all you need. Place the upside down jar onto the fabric and trace your circle two to three inches larger all around to allow for overlapping the neck of the jar and a little hanging beneath the band for decoration. For a puffy top, put a small handful of cotton batting on top of the metal lid and under the fabric round. Add ribbon, lace, or in my case, a silly band, along with a decorative label noting the contents and/or a personal note and TA-DA!

It's cute, original, and the Mason Jar can be reused. It doesn't all have to be about cookies though! Give your friends and family an unexpected housewarming gift, such as a basic tool kit, or how 'bout a "craft in a jar"! Candy, nuts, snack mix, flowers, bath beads and more...nearly any medium will work!  Happy wrapping!

Flickr Favorites

Can you believe Halloween is TODAY?! How quickly the month of October has flown by! With that said, we thought today would be the perfect time to pay tribute to some spooky, fabulous Halloween decor we have received this fall from our readers!

First up, two projects by the amazingly talented Kerry Lynn.

"Skeleton Bottle and Centerpiece"

"Boo Boquet"

I love these ideas! In addition to being cool, crafty and totally cute,  I love the vintage charm... and the candy corn is so eye-catching! Yum!

Next up, these Hauntingly awesome tags turned Halloween invitations by Beth Perry.

Those Tim Holtz Halloween stamps are just the cutest little halloween decor ever! Tutorial posted on her blog.

Thank you, ladies for sharing your beautiful artwork with us! Don't forget to share your art in the Cartwheels flickr group for your chance to be featured on the site!

Happy Haunting!

 

Flickr Favorites Friday

Good morning everyone!

When I came across Penelope Lach's vintage button rings in the Cartwheel's Flickr gallery, I was immediately smitten! They are ever so gorgeous!

I mean, REALLY gorgeous! Such great design, fun style and perfect color choices.

Also, this stunning mini book from Sasha Holloway.

I love her style...clean, fresh and colorful with clusters of embellies mixed in here and there! Be sure to check out her gallery to see more of her amazing journal and artwork. Lots of good inspiration!

Don't forget to share your art in the Cartwheels flickr group for your chance to be featured on the site!

Personalized Birthday Thank You's.

My niece turned 7 this year and she had her first big slumber party. An American Girl Doll themed sleepover. And a doll party just wouldn't be a doll party without a chain of paper dolls dressed in pj's (scraps of patterned paper). I got the idea/template from Martha Stewart.

My girlfriend (who so graciously helped me with the festivities) had the brilliant idea to adhere the Instax pics I took of each girl with Kaylee (and their dolls) to the paper doll decos. Since the party took place in the summer and some of us were leaving on vacation and wouln't be seeing everyone till school started, I decided to write a lil' thank you on the back and have Kaylee pass them out as the girls left. One less thing I didn't want to have to worry about.

Happy Creating!

Flickr Favorites Friday

Always one of our favorite days at Cartwheels In My Mind! Here is an adorable layout from Patty about her son's first painting experience.

I loved this page with all the different brightly colored elements mixed with the kraft background. And how cool are those digital paint details? Love!

Next up, this awesome Play Room Canvas by the talented Julie Jones.

I love this idea! In addition to being cool, crafty and totally cute, Julie is a genius! You can see more photos of her project on her blog.

Thanks, ladies! Don't forget to share your art in the Cartwheels flickr group for your chance to be featured on the site!