Love notes.

Are you going to send a "love note" to your sweeties?? Well, here are a couple of fun and quick projects from Raechelle Bellus to get you started! Take a look...



directions
1. Adhere "so in love with you" journal card cut from Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - 12x12 Paper - Journal Cards
to bottom rt. corner of black pre-made card (4"x6").
2. Cut a small arc on coordiniating script side and adhere along bottom.
3. Adhere a rectangle of Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - 12x12 Paper - Black Damask along top portion of card.
4. Apply a stip of ribbon to cover raw edges.
5. Apply one of the Maya Road - Satin Posies - Mauve & Bright Pink
6. Finish off with some folded ribbbon and a Maya Road Trinket Pins Crystals

supplies
Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection- papers and stickers
Maya Road flower
Maya Road pin
cardstock



directions
1. Cut a piece of Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - 12x12 Paper - Love Song paper a tad bit smaller to fit card. Adhere and distress edges.
2. Cut a piece of Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - 12x12 Paper - Airmail Stripe to approx. 4.5" by 3.25". Ink edges and adhere to center of card, distress edges.
3. Adhere pink ribbon along middle of card.
4. Apply the 'Carte Postal' sticker from Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - 12x12 Paper - Elements to center of card
5. Adhere bow, heart stickers from above sticker sheet and a rhinestone to finish off.

supplies
Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection - papers and stickers
ribbon and rhinestone
cardstock



Instructions
Apply border sticker around center of candle.
Apply large decorative sticker.

Supplies
Echo Park Love Story stickers

These make you feel all lovey!! Thanks so much Rae! Don't you love this cute paper by Echo Park?? They are one of my VERY favorite new scrapbook companies... I have loved EVERY line they have come out with. Guess what? Cathy ordered ALL 3 of their new lines for the store from CHA. Wanna peek??





LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these... oh, and check out the store, Cathy has For the Record and Springtime on preorder!! :) Have a great week. Dana

Need an ADORABLE Valentine gift for your sweetie??

This could be it! Raechelle Bellus is back at Ally Scraps, and we're SO pleased to have her. Did you know that Raechelle was a member of the original Ally Scraps Design Team, over 5 years ago?! These decorated bottles are her specialty, so of course we asked her to make some with a Valentine's theme. Fill them up with Valentine goodies, and you're all set with an amazing gift.





instructions
1. clean bottles from a Frappachino 4-pack
2. cover top handle area with patterned paper- cut to fit. (I used Mod Podge to adhere paper to both the carton and bottles.)
3. cut 2- 1"x12" pink strips to go around top portion. Ink edges. Prior to adhering, wrap around and trim excess of each strip, then adhere.
4. cut 2- 3.5"x12" strips of black script patterned paper. If desired add some light tearing/distressing to top edges. As before, wrap around and trim excess prior to adhering. Let dry and then add more tearing/distressing to top edge if desired.
5. Wrap pink ribbon around just below distressed edge. I ran a single seam down the middle of the ribbon using my sewing machine for a little added ruffle/detail.
6. Apply 'Be Mine' sticker at a slight angle on left side of front. Apply the round post mark sticker on top of the first sticker.
7. Adhere felt flower, then add the tulle flower along with 2 of the stick pins stuck through tulle flower.
8. Tie large bow around handle to finish off.
bottles:
1. cut 4 different strips of patterned paper to fit around bottles; each approx 3" tall by 8.5".
2. Adhere ribbon around the top of each edge of patterned paper.
3. Finish each off with a button or bow as well as a sticker from the sticker sheet.
4. Paint around rim of each lid. Allow to dry. Cut or punch 4- 1.75" circles using different patterned paper and adhere on to the top of each lid.

supplies
Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection- papers and stickers
Maya Road pins
Lily Bee tulle flower
ribbon, buttons, pink felt flower and floss all from my stash

Thanks so much Rae, for the super cute project. Love it!

Hey, did you know that this weekend is the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) twice yearly show?? It's where scrapbook store owners peruse lots of brand new scrapbook goodies, in order to fill up their stores! Well, Cathy has already started placing orders, I can't wait for some of the new stuff that will be coming to Ally Scraps over the next few months. :) (Bella Blvd, Echo Park, Cosmo Cricket, Crate Paper, October Afternoon... just to name a few!) Is there anything you've been noticing, during all of the manufacturer's sneak peeks, that you'd like to see in our store?? Tell us what you'd like to see Cathy order at CHA!! We'd love to know what you're looking for.

Have a great week! Dana

January Sketch Contest winner PLUS a bonus sketch!

Hi everyone!! A big Ally Scraps congratulations to Julie Rainbolt! our January Sketch Contest winner. We're always so lucky to have so many awesome entries to choose from, but we loved the way Julie used flowers as her vertical embellishment. Here is Julie's awesome layout.



Here is the terrific sketch by Debbie Gaydos.



And, here is the lovely prize that Julie will be getting. A prize pack of Echo Park's Little Girl Line. It's new in the store, and discounted too! You might have heard that the Ally Scraps brick and mortar store is closing... so sad. But there is good news! The Ally Scraps online store AND blog are staying open. Hurray.



Since we know that you love Debbie's awesome sketches, here is a January BONUS sketch just for you.



Yes, we'll be having a February sketch contest too. :) SO check back often. Coming up we'll have a lovely Valentine project from Raechelle Bellus and I've been busy too, can't wait to share. Stay warm! Dana

Are you ready for Valentine's Day? We can help!

Linda Albrecht is back with us at AllyScraps this month... and she's getting ready for Valentine's Day. She's made a Valentine Box with decorations, just for us. This is what Linda has to say about her lovely project.

"The Valentine's Day hearts wall decor nestles in the box for storage
along with the garland so could give it away for a gift or keep it for
yourself and put sweet treats in the box while the other things decorate
your home for the holiday. Use the pretty papers found at AllyScraps and add some vintage fun with old dressmakers tissue accents. It's a timeless project that will
take you back to your childhood when you hand cut paper hearts to celebrate the day of love.




Instructions
1. Cover the heart shaped box with desired patterned papers then for the
outside edge of the box top cut the width needed x 12" lengths of
patterned paper to cover the surface.
2. Use hot glue to hold paper "Ruffle" in place. Make folds as you glue
it down to the box top edge to form your ruffle.
3. Adhere the mini ric rac trim to the center of the ruffle that goes
around the box top edge.
4. Make a dressmaker's tissue flower from 1" strips. Adhere to the box
top then add glitter hearts to the flower center. Add a small button to
one heart and a ruffle blossom flower to the center of the other.
5. Hand cut a large heart that will fit inside of the box. I used the
box for the shape, then trimmed away 3/4" around all of the edge using a
pinking shears.
6. Use dressmaker's tissue to make a 1" ruffle around the outside edge
of the largest heart.
7. Hand cut hearts from patterned papers that decrease in size using a
pinking shears then apply glitter glue to the outside edges.
8. Sew a vertical line through the middle center of all of the hearts
using a sewing machine, fold hearts outward for dimension, then adhere a
ruffle blossom flower to the center of the smallest heart.
9. Make a smaller heart for the bottom cluster of hearts then cut out
several hearts from dressmaker's tissue, layer them to the first heart
then add another patterned paper heart to the top.
10. Machine sew the hearts together vertically down the center, fold
hearts outward then adhere a flower to the center.
11. Adhere a large button to the center of a punched paper circle and
apply glitter glue to the outside edge of the circle.
12. Use black crochet thread to connect the heart pieces together.
13. Hand cut or punch 2" hearts from patterned papers (cut 2 hearts for
each one heart on the garland.
14. Use a die cutting machine or punch to cut several flowers from
dressmaker's tissue.
15. String a flower in bunches onto the black crochet string, going
through the centers twice with a large needle then glue two hearts
together about 3" from the flower.
16. Continue to do this until you achieve the desired length of your
garland.





Supplies
Pink Paislee Sweetness Collection
Picture Perfect
Love Letters
Sweetest Day
Pretty Lace
Canvas Borders
Tinsel Ribbon
October Afternoon Modern Homemaker Collection
Snickerdoodles
Crafty Secrets Mini Vintage Hanger
Maya Road Ruffle Blossoms- Yellow and Pink
Melissa Frances Pop Out Glitter Hearts, pink
Other:
Heart shaped paper mache box,vintage dressmakers tissue, Stickles, large button, black crochet thread, mini ric rac trim



Thanks so much Linda, for your beautiful heartfelt project. Check out Linda's blog for more beautiful projects! Have a great week, Dana

Road Trip

Kelly Goree is back with us this week, with this super cute layout Road Trip! This is SO much fun... love the way she used the chipboard embellishments.





Supplies
Cosmo Cricket Papers: JOY RIDE
Detour
Fast Lane
Pit Stop
Round About
Elements
chipboard
chipboard alphabet, brads, scallop border punch

Thank you so much to Kelly Goree for her awesome projects for us this month. She has been a joy to work with, and every project was more beautiful than the last. Check out Kelly's blog for inspiration all year long. We hope that she'll come design for us again soon.

Have a great week! Dana

Santa, Please Stop Here

We hope that Santa stopped at your house too... and now we're sure you have piles of photos with a Christmas theme to scrap. Here's a really cute layout from Morag Cutts to inspire you. Here's what she had to say about it.

"The children wait patiently (or not so patiently) with my brother's dog. Alfie wasn't keen on his hat so I had to be quick with the camera. I've tucked a wish list into the envelope - I think their list is very long!" What a cute idea, and a cute photo too. :)




Supplies
1. Add Rock Candy Stickles over the presents on Special Delivery Paper and allow to dry.
2. Create an envelope with patterned paper to tuck extra photos and wish lists in. I created a template by taking an existing envelope apart.
3. Create photos mats from Around the World and Air Mail papers. Ink edges.
4. Create a tag from the Air Mail paper and layer behind photo, tying jingle bells with baker's twine.
5. Create tags from Trading Cards paper and tuck in envelope.
6. Cut out Santa from Trading Cards paper, add stickles and snow before mounting on foam tape.
7. Add title from the Die-cut sheet
8. Hand cut holly leaves from Trading Cards before layering the Maya Road Velvet Flowers
9. Glue tiny frame over Santa image before trimming to shape. Add to envelope with twine.






Supplies
Pink Paislee Father Christmas Collection
Special Delivery
Around the World
Air Mail
Trading Cards
Die-cut Sheet
Maya Road Velvet Flowers

Thank you so much Morag for being with us this month. Your layouts and projects are just beautiful. Be sure to check out Morag's blog to inspire you all year long. Be sure to check back this weekend, we have another lovely project from Kelly Goree and will be announcing our January guest designer soon. Take care! Dana

Happy New Year, December sketch winner and the January sketch contest!!

Happy New Year to all of our lovely blog readers! Lots of catching up to do today, so here's the latest sketch contest news. :) First our December sketch contest has a winner... big congrats to our winner Brittney, hurray!



Here was the December contest sketch by our good friend Debbie Gaydos.



Brittney won a $20 gift certificate to the AllyScraps online store. Lucky girl!



Yes, yes, yes! We are continuing our sketch contest in 2011. Here is Debbie's really cool sketch, our January contest sketch.



And, here is the prize... an awesome collection of products from Echo Park's Little Girl Line. Cathy always gives us the best prizes... wish I could enter!



Just a few rules for the contest of course. Make a layout using Debbie's awesome sketch as inspiration. You can flip it, turn it, mirror image it... just use the sketch to inspire your layout. Finish your project and e-mail the image (less than 500 kb please)to us by Thursday, January 20th at midnight Eastern time. We will choose a winner soon after. Send your layout to allyscraps@gmail.com. Have fun and good luck.

Enjoy lots of srapping time in 2011, thanks for making AllyScraps a part of your new year. Dana