30 minutes or less - DIY winter wreath by Cheri Piles

As you know I typically make a 'few' wreaths a year, lol!! Anywhoo... I wanted to try out these new flat wreath bases I found at a local craft store. They are pretty fun!! I picked up a medium and a small and thought about how I could make it work with the new collection Tinsel and Co. 

I've been doing so many Christmas decor items lately I thought it would be fun to change it up a bit and focus on WINTER so I used two sheets of the stars paper. So first in order to time it under 30 minutes - quickly run outside and spray the two bases and star ornament white, add some clear or white glitter to the smaller wreath then set all three pieces in the hot sun and run on back inside and cut 8 strips 1 1/2" and 8 strips 1 1/4", then cut each strip 6" in length for a total of 16 strips each.  

What makes this such a QUICK and easy project is using the TC stapler from Xyron to connect your paper chain together. 

Ok, so I always to things the loooong way... and yes still managed to finished under 30 minutes! I stapled all of my wider pieces first then stapled my smaller ones connecting them all together. I would have been quicker to staple every other strip onto each chain, doh! Once your pieces are dry - mine took about 5 minutes in our 90 heat wave we have going on here! I took some invisible thread and hung the small wreath to the center of the large base, glued my star wood ornament to the center of the small one. Tie your ribbon on and then I just hot glued the larger pieces onto the base.... well, I needed a little bling bling so I added stars from the sequins package to finish it off on the smaller wreath. And TIME, your done!!

I hope you are inspired to create a quick winter wreath for your home! ~Cheri

Diy - Mason Jar project using the wood grain ornaments by Cheri Piles

You know, It's never to early to start thinking about Christmas! I am loving all of the fun things you can do with these wood grain ornaments!

Here are a few of the supplies to get started - some glitter spray, a package of wood grain ornaments and an old jar. I simply sprayed the jar around the top and bottom and the ornament. There are 6 wood ornaments per package. I LOVE this project because you can easily make SIX GIFTS very QUICKLY and with very little money!

Once dry, I wanted just a little more color in the middle to showcase my ornament so I added just a bit of red glitter spray around the middle. I then cut some trimmings from a tree out back, tied a ribbon and added the ornament. I added the candle and voila! EASY PEASY!!

I have several of these jars just collecting dust and I can't believe how simply beautiful it looks all finished! I hope you are inspired by these wood ornaments as I am! I just am LOVING them! ~Cheri

Christmas wall hanging by Cheri Piles

Hey everyone, I know it's hard to believe that Christmas will be here in less than 6 months! I am getting a head start this year with my home decor items! I bought this little wall hanging on clearance a while back and knew I'd have the perfect little decor piece for the holiday. I've pictured a few items used in my project. I ended up switching my mind and substituted the sequins for a couple of enamel dots.

The first thing I did was take apart the wall hanging then I added some paper to the wood piece and the tray. I am loving the new collection "Candy Cane Lane". A couple of weeks ago I showcased a wood ornament project from Tinsel and Company... I love the big wood ornaments, I am finding I am using them on everything lately!

I created an extra large "Lollie" for the base, then cut a solid green circle from card stock as my mat for the wood ornament. I love it!

I really wanted the word art paper to be the focal point at the top so I just layered a few die cuts and chipboard elements to it creating a grouping. What makes this works is that cut at the top with the black dots and the black text words down on the bottom give it it's own "frame".

I love groupings and lots of layers and I created it by adding pop dots to my ephemra die cut pieces, chipboard a few brads and a couple of little red enamel dots. This was a really quick and easy project!

Once I was done with all of my layers I tied the pieces back together and added some ribbon to hang my project from the top. I hope you are inspired to look at something plain and simple and create something wonderful!! ~Cheri  my blog: www.cherinspirations.com

Christmas in July - Framed ornament project by Cheri Piles using Tinsel and Company

Hey everyone, have you seen the new collection Tinsel and Company:: here is the link -> http://www.teresacollinsdesigns.com/product-category/2014-summer/tinsel-company/

I am in love with this new collection and the new WOOD ornaments!! I love all that you can do with them and how large they are! Instantly I thought about making home decor with them.

I started with the two striped wood ornaments and stained them both a deep cranberry red. Then I added foam squares to the outer edge of the first ornament. I cut a strip of the dots paper to cover the foam on the inside. I tied a few of the ornaments with invisible thread and left them to dangle on the inside. I then added the second ornament on the outside on an opposite angle creating a diamond shape of the two when you look straight at them. To finish it off I added decorative tape on the outer edge to give it a finished look.

I then painted a frame I picked up from the dollar store gold and cut the "B" side of the Tree's paper to use as my background since it had the diamonds. I tied a bit of ribbon to the top of my ornament. I cut apart another piece of the holly die cut from the ephemera package and layered it along the top and then adhered the ornament to the frame. Such a pretty piece for the holiday and it was a quick and easy project!! 

I hope you are inspired to create one of your own!! ~Cheri

Supplies used: 

Papers: Side B - tree's paper and dots paper.

Embellishments: Wood ornaments, ephemera package, decorative tape.

Other: Frame, gold paint, ribbon, red stain.

A little patriotic project from Cheri using the TCebosser and Xyron!

Hey everyone, In honor of my birthday being last weekend on FLAG DAY I was feeling inspired to create a little something patriotic for our home. I wanted to make something that would sit on our mantel and this turned out to be a great addition, do you like it?

These are the supplies I started with - my ebosser which I also used to cut all of my little white stars and the WOOD GRAIN Folder and (Star folder - I did not end up using the star folder as I had planned), adhesive from Xyron, a craft star shaped box, a wood candle holder that I painted with red glitter paint and finally some red, white and blue paper. 

First I embossed my red, white and blue papers using the Wood Grain Folders - I wanted my flag to look like it had movement and this was just PERFECT for this effect. I cut my red and white strips 1/2". My home is very "rustica" so I ended up inking the edges so it would fit in with my decor. Now you can see in this photo I adhered my stripes from the center, using the Xyron Glue stick - truly when adhering to chipboard, you can't go wrong with a good glue stick. I just kept alternating my stripes then trimmed them off when I was done. Then I added the blue on the opposite side.

I loved being able to cut all my stars but to adhere them is easiest when you have a sticker maker, it makes it super quick!!

Here is my finished project, I tied it with a little burlap bow to finish it off.

I hope you enjoyed todays project! ~Cheri

PS. Please come join in the CRAFTWELL and XYRON blog hop this week, (Commenting here on the TCD blog will NOT enter you in the hop) Please go to the XYRON blog to start: Xyron Blog http://aintshecrafty.blogspot.com/

Something Wonderful, how to make this mini album tutorial by Cheri Piles

Hey everyone, How about a free little mini album class today on how to create this book??? Yeah, I thought you might like it!

Here are the supplies you will need for this book:

SOMETHING WONDERFUL COLLECTION: 

Papers: Alpha, The Story, Geometric, Black wood, Black stripes, Alpha Print,  Floral, Cards.

Embellishments: Chipboard, photo overlays, wood, brads, decorative tape.

To prep for your book, pull your wood pieces out and paint them and set aside to dry. I used the numbers, heart, wonderful  & Love deeply: painted red. Story time I painted black.

This diagram shows you how to cut and fold your papers to create all of your base pages. You can right click on it, save picture as and print it out. Cut all of your pages as shown, corner round outside right corners. Then put them in page order - Cover: The Story, pg 2 - Alpha's side down, pg 3 - Alpha print, pg 4 - Floral, pg 5 - Black stripes down, pg 6 wood grain down, pg 7 geometric and back cover. All of your pages you will fold on left side 1/2" and adhere them together creating your spine, page 2 and 7 you will center on your page (one inch from top and bottom).

On the cover I added my wood numbers 3/4" from bottom using the clear adhesive from the Teresa Collins adhesive kit from Xyron. Chipboard: Something Wonderful, snapshots. I added the "YOU" brad using a foam square from the Teresa Collins Adhesive kit from Xyron. I added a little bling and flower from my stash.

Create a grouping using brads and a chipboard tag on the inside cover. Cut the "Live laugh love" quote from the cards paper, corner round all corners and add to the front of the flap on page two.

Add your photo to the inside of the flap. Add a small brad to the center of the photo overlay flower and adhere your overlay to your photo using the clear adhesive from the TC adhesive kit from Xyron. (I used the clear adhesive on all of my overlays - I love it!!!) Cut the "&" from your cards and corner round all the corners, Add "I love this" from your chipboard in upper right corner, add brad just under then adhere entire card to your inside flap.

Add the heart brad to center of chipboard banner and add to upper left of back of page two. Add the black and white chipboard scalloped border to your flap. Adhere your photo to your page, add the Wonderful You photo overlay over your photo. Add some tape to the left of your page. Add the bingo chipboard banner between your fold and the tape even with the top of the alpha page.

Add a photo center on your left page. Add tape above and below your photo. Add "wonderful" chipboard word to center left of tape above photo. On the front right of flap cut the center borders from the cards paper 4"l x 5"w and adhere to center of flap. Add tape to top and bottom of borders. Add "happy" brad to center of "reel" chipboard. Adhere to page with right side overlapping (use powder to "unstick" the part that is overhanging the edge.) 

Punch a half circle out of center of wood grain paper and adhere to floral paper creating a pocket. Add the wood heart and "wonderful" wood word to front of pocket. Tags: Words paper - creat tag, cut "notes" card out from cards paper and adhere to upper left of tag, add chipboard camera tag to tag hole, add "map" brad to center of tag hole. Striped tag: Add "today" card from cards paper to upper left of tag. Add doted chipboard tag to center of tag hole and add the camera brad to center of tag.  Add photo to inside right of flap, add tape to left of photo.

Add brads to chipboard ticket holes and add to upper left of left page. Add photo under the chipboard ticket. Add "documented" chipboard word to upper left of photo. Corner round right side of  yellow chevron chipboard and add to front flap of right page. Add photo under first row of squares, add photo overlay "love deeply, laugh out lot, live passionately" to your photo. 

Add photo to center of left page. Add "this is something wonderful" chipboard to upper left of photo. Add small black brad to center of floral chipboard and adhere, overlapping word strip using foam squares. Cut 5" x 4" from center border strips and adhere to center front of flap on right side with hearts side up. Add 4" x 3 1/2" photo to right of hearts paper. Trim "Be happy" photo overlay to size and adhere over photo. Add "right now" chipboard to upper right of flap. Add "wonderful" chipboard under left of photo. Over lap "&" chipboard circle using foam squares over bottom left creating a grouping. 

 Punch a half circle in center of floral paper to create a pocket. Add "Memory, tag" brad to upper right of pocket. Add "Love" chipboard overlapping tag and then adhere floral paper creating a pocket to your striped page. Adhere "story time" wood to upper left of page. TAGS: Geometric paper add today card to upper left of tag, add layered circles brad to center of tag hole. Dotted paper add "the story" card to upper left of tag, add striped chipboard to center of tag hole, add yellow brad to center of tag. Add photo to inside right flap, add tape to left of photo. 

Add photo even with the next page - I love this look how it makes the page look even longer with the flap from the next page!! Add "this photo" chipboard to upper left of page.

Add brad to center of card "Wake up... " corner round corners and adhere to front flap. Adhere "NO.1" chipboard banner even with top of this page to the back page.

Corner round paint chip card, add black and white brad to lower right of card and adhere card to inside flap. Adhere "love deeply" wood piece to top of card.  Adhere photo to page. Trim and adhere geometric photo overlay to fit over photo. 

I hope you enjoyed the book and are inspired to create one of your very own. I love creating fun little mini books like this using this binding technique. You don't need rings or coils and it just adds a little something different to your collection. 

Have a great week!! ~Cheri

My blog: http://www.cherinspirations.com

Something Wonderful Tag book by Cheri Piles

Hey everyone! I am in love with the new mid release collection "Something Wonderful"!! I love all of the bright fun colors and I thought it would be perfect for a class to teach this summer at my local stores. So, this is a huge sneak peak of my upcoming class!

It's all about tags!! I have a lot of people ask how I would use the tags from the collections and after some thought this is what I came up with. I wanted a mini book that is MORE than just a tag book, so I added a few pages, doilies, flaps and LOTS of layers!! It's such a neat and different book!

The tags that come in the tag package are incredible and are pretty even just by themselves. 

Here, I created a pocket page with my photo and have a pull tag coming out of it. 

Here is a really large "Library pocket" type of page with a tag on the front and a tag that comes out of the pocket. 

I love this page, I used the tag as my title on the page! I love that scrapbooking has no rules!

Here is another Library pocket page with more tags, I think they are one of my fav's in the book. 

I love the look of this one with the photo layered over the tag. The pictures from our trip to the tulip farm on Easter were perfect for this book. 

This book is great on it's own but I wanted to showcase it in a different way so I took the glass out of a picture frame, backed it with one of the collections paper, added a cup hook to the top center and hung my book on it. It makes such an impression!! I hope you are inspired to think outside the box, mini books come in all shapes and sizes!

Enjoy your day and be sure to check out Teresa's blog - she is at the NYC Stationary Show this week debuting her new collection Studio Gold and announced yesterday her new partnership with CANON!! www.teresacollinsdesignsblog.com

~Cheri

My blog: http://www.cherinspirations.com

Pre-made mini file folder album for Mothers Day by Cheri Piles using the new collection Urban Market

I have to say I'm pretty excited for Mothers Day this year! I wanted to have an album ready to go as soon as possible and this new collection will be perfect with my photos I'll be taking. YAY, I'm sooooo Excited!! We are going to spend the day at the ocean, flying kites, brunch, beach combing and maybe some whale watching. Seriously, excited here!!

I wanted to share today how you can create a STUNNING album by creating your embellishments from just this sheet of paper, yes!! This album I created was based around this sheet, it's called "COLLAGE" paper. 

Here I am showing you how I carefully cut all of them apart, just take your time and cut above and below each design working from the top of the page then work your way right to left using your paper trimmer. 

I also used the "Glittered circles" paper and cut the sheet into rows then trimmed them to match my pages heights. For the base of my album I used the "File Folders" so it went together quickly with just a few additions. I added the circles to the edges where I would be putting the binding. This also gives the book a consistent sparkly look!

I love all of the sparkle glitter paper in this collection so I did add one extra page to my book - I cut the "Damask" glitter paper 11x7 and folded it in the center to create the page. Since this book is for ME I really wanted a little more glitter... You can never go wrong with too much glitter, just saying!!

I absolutely love the big foam squares in the Teresa Collins Xyron adhesive kit and here I am showing you what I believe is KEY when creating your own embellishments - use foam squares to give depth and draw the eyes to your pieces.

For a little something different I added a few photo overlays to my book as clear pages, I love LOVE love how this book is going to look with all of my beach pictures!! I created all of my photo mats a 1/4" bigger than what I will print them.

I think this file folder on the right is my most favorite page!! It is sooo pretty with the circles and the "LOVE THIS" that is raised with the foam dots and is overhanging the pages edge. I added a few sequins here and there and the new wood grain sequins were the right touch for this page!

I added another photo overlay where my picture will go, it will be perfect once the photo is in place and "Happiness" is EXACTLY how I feel about this book!!

Here is a close up of the overlay and I am drawing your eye to it with by adding the extra sequin.

I wish all you moms out there a very happy Mothers day coming up and hope your are inspired to create a little mini book to celebrate your day!! This new collection Urban Market was just the right papers and colors to celebrate our little mini trip!

~Cheri

My Blog: www.cherinspirations.com