Scraps From My Heart

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, friends! The crowning glory of our Cards & Gifts Week –the winners of the Cards & Gifts Week Mother’s Day Challenge ! So many of you submitted! On behalf of all the editors here at Paper Crafts , we’d like to thank you for your enthusiastic participation! There are some amazing projects posted, and if you’re still thinking about what to create for your mom, grandma, daughter, or like-a-mom figure in your life this year, take a gander at all the projects in the gallery –for there is a lot of inspiration over there! As difficult as it was to narrow down, I’ve got 6 of the 12 winners for you today. For the other 6, click on over to the Paper Crafts Connection and see the additional amazing projects over there! Well, enough jibber-jabber from me, let’s get right to it! The winning entry in the card sets category is Dana Gustafson for this beautifully executed butterfly set and container: In the gift card holders category, we chose this project by stampinangie . We loved the color combination, the clean design, and the beautiful stamping: Our winning gift wrap entry comes from courtney k with this fun gift bag for mom: Think of all the delicious goodies that you could put in this creative food wrap by laurenmytime for your mum: In the home decor category, we went ga-ga over this g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s stamped pillow by loree2000 : And this trendy gift set by julie stamps ? It has loads o’ things inside it including this card and coordinating envelope: …and this magnet set: Aren’t these gifts just, well, moxie fab? Again, for more winning entries, check out today’s Paper Crafts Connection ! Ladies, send me your addresses to cedvalson@ckmedia.com with Cards & Gifts Challenge Winner in the subject line and we will package up an awesome prize just for you! Feeling the challenge fever? There’s lots of “challenging” fun to be had in the Moxie Fab World! Our current contest on wood grain continues through midnight MST on Monday, May 4 . For all the inspiration you’ll need to get started, click here and here . If you’ve got a winning entry, your project will be featured on next Wednesday’s blog post AND you’ll win a cool prize! Signing off from Cards & Gifts Week (wasn’t it just sooooo much fun?), ~Cath PS What might be called “Kezia Week” continues. You’ve got until midnight MST tonight to comment-to-win here and until midnight MST on Sunday, May 3 to comment-to-win here !

Know what I love about Cards & Gifts Week? We’ve still got some exciting events to wrap up! I’d like to thank everyone for all your comments! I’m still warm from all the gifty love! Today I’ve got ALL the winners from ALL the giveaways from last week’s fun! Get ready to scroll–maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones! Day One: The winner of the Maya Road goodies is: JessicaK who said… Wow, what a great set of crafting items. The bungalow and clutch purse look cool, and I love the shaped mini book (that looks like the Bo Bunny one?), but I would love the Cards & Box set - I’m doing recipe sets for friends and family this year, and this would be perfect! Day Two: The winner of the Flowers, & Ribbons, & Trims, Oh My! post is: LAuclair who said… LOVE those Textured Cord flowers from Maya Road - I’m a sucker for corduroy! All the goodies you posted are awesome, so it is hard to choose a second favorite. Guess it would have to be the Flower Patch jar of blossoms from Making Memories… Happy Spring! Day Three: The winner of the Gifts of Inspiration prize is: CKH who said… I am inspired by Sherry Wright’s Flower Gift bag as I had not previously considered this craft. The front is decorated similar to that of a card so it is an easy leap to start decorating plain bags. Now I have another thing to start collecting! Day Four: The two winners of the Gifty Versatility from Cosmo Cricket post (including 5 of their collections) are: Sue in Grapevine who said… I’ve been wanting to make some cards w/Girl Friday, but it’s sold out everywhere I go; so I would love to win & be able to gift people w/some cards. & Wanita who said… I would love to create a recipe box album of my Mom and Grandma’s best recipes with the Early Bird collection! It is so yummy and reminds me of an old kitchen For the winners of the Provo Craft prizes on our Inspirational Blog Hop on Day Five: Join me here on the Paper Crafts Connection! Congratulations to all the winners and thanks again to everyone who played! Ladies, send me your addresses to cedvalson@ckmedia.com with the prize you won in the subject line and they’ll be on their way to you pronto! Feeling like a winner, ~Cath PS We’ll have the winners of the Cards & Gifts Week Mother’s Day challenge on Thursday. Don’t forget, the Wood You? Challenge is still ongoing through Monday, May 4! There are some darling projects there right now! Click here for a look-see!

Cards and Gifts Week continues, friends! And WOWZA do I have a great giveaway for you today! For if you’re like me, you’ve got a long and diverse list of folks for whom to paper craft all kinds of gifts throughout the year! Here’s the plan: You get your gifty inspiration from 225 Cards & Gifts , and then you make something for everyone on your list using these moxie fab collections from Cosmo Cricket ! I’ve got two nieces I could create for using the trendy-cute Girl Friday collection: Lil’ Man would be perfect for my nephew–and I’m going to need a baby project for a friend who’s due in July: Everafter would be great for my mom, one of my aunts, and I could also use it to create a slew of lovely wedding projects for the upcoming season. And Snorkel ? Bring on the fun, happy, summery projects like birthday, thank you, hello, and “You’re a peach!” And while I’m sure you’ll all agree that these 4 collections are rockin’ awesome, I’m super excited to report that I also have the latest smiley-faced collection from my good buds at Cosmo Cricket– Early Bird ! Hot off the presses, this collection was just released and is a great option for all kinds of gifty projects–just in time for Mother’s Day! And besides, I’m such a sucker for paper names. Besides being cute, light, summery, and fun, fun, fun–I am in total love with the names alone–don’t they just make you think of summer in the country drinking lemonade out of Mason jars while a pie cools on the windowsill, the laundry puffing like sails as it dries on the line? (These papers resonate with me, my friends!) Check it: Farmer’s Market Brunch Ribbon Sandwich Apron Strings Cherry Pie Sunrise Oooooo the possibilities in this Borders paper… Ahhhhhh the card making options in this Ready Set Chipboard … …and this Elements paper: I’m telling you friends, if these lines don’t inspire a bit o’ the giftiness in you, I’m not sure that much will! Now listen up! I’ve got 2 sets of each of these collections that I’d love to send to 2 random winners. Leave me a comment telling me what kind of gift you would create with one of these lines OR a comment that describes an image that the Early Bird collection brings to your mind by Sunday, April 26 at midnight MST and these 5 collections could be yours ! I know. Nice prize, eh? I would have to agree–but just wait until you see what we’re offering up for you tomorrow! I promise you , you will not want to miss what we’ve got planned for you then! In the meantime, be sure and stop by Paper Crafts Connection where Susan Opel is talking gift wrap and offering up a fun giveaway–AND make sure you plan on uploading a Mother’s Day project to our Cards & Gifts Week Challenge ! Get the information here before uploading it here . Living large in the Moxie Fab World, ~Cath

Welcome to Day 3 of Cards & Gifts Week! Can we already be 3 days in? I’m having so much fun, the time is just flying on by! As paper crafters, we know that one of the best ways to express ourselves is by giving of ourselves through our craft. Making a handmade card for a friend who is down, creating a paper crafted home decor item for a sister-in-law’s birthday, or lovingly filling an album full of memories for someone close to us brings us a pure kind of joy that is unlike any other. Our new special issue, 225 Cards & Gifts , explores all these gift-giving possibilities and more. With ideas for card sets, gift card holders, clever ways to wrap your gifts, home decor ideas, and creative ways to pretty up delisious food gifts, this special issue has something for everyone on your list. And with Mother’s Day just around the corner, this is a must-have resource for all the women in your life whom you love to shower with love. Today in the Moxie Fab World, we’re celebrating the connections that paper crafted gift-giving can foster, and these five ladies understand this connection as well as any of us. As the most-published designers in our special issue, 225 Cards & Gifts , I asked them each to talk about paper crafted gift giving, how they like to approach it, and what it means to them. Have a sit and a listen, and be inspired to create something heartfelt for someone you love sometime soon. For You Treat Box by Anabelle O’Malley , p. 56 (also appearing on the cover) Anabelle O’Malley: I love giving gifts to my friends and family. But, even more than that, I love creating gift boxes and bags to house their presents. I’ve been trying to be more ‘green’ in my gift giving. That has meant repurposing containers and bags that would have previously ended up in the trash heap. Now, I haven’t gone as far as my husband, who only wraps presents in newspaper, but I have started saving containers that I think would fit the bill as great gift boxes. The trick is to find items that are clean, don’t have lots of labels to peel off and are the right size. I love creating a fun wrap to cover the containers. Most importantly I love how excited people are to receive them. While it may only take me a few extra minutes to create my wrapping, that time is well spent. It lets people know that I cared enough to create something just for them! Floral Gift Bag by Sherry Wright , p. 46 Sherry Wright When paper crafting gifts I love to keep it green. Most of the containers I use are recycled. Whether it be a container from the second hand store that I changed up or a empty can from the pantry everything has a use. A great way to make someones day and recycle at the same time. Fun & Funky Card Set by Kim Kesti , p. 9 Kim Kesti Although I paper craft just about every day, I can’t claim to have a lot of hand crafted gifts on hand. But, what I do keep in my stash are: white and kraft gift bags, plain chipboard containers (many of these are recycled scrapbook packaging), and an assortment of clear and kraft treat bags. This way, I can easily add a treat bag topper, decorate the front of a gift bag, or fill an empty container. That’s exactly what I did when I created this gift card set. I had this empty box (it used to hold a chipboard album), so I created four cards that exactly fit inside the container. I used a stunning collection of paper, so everything I used on the cards automatically coordinated. I love that. So, keep those empty containers, folks! It’s a great way to be “earth friendly” and I guarantee the recipient of your gift will be tickled pink! Oh Happy Day Gift Card Holder by Maren Benedict , p. 31 Maren Benedict I love to give card sets as gifts to close friends and family members because they are so well received. The recipients like having extra cards on hand for unexpected occasions and I know that the cards will get used. They are definitely a gift that keeps giving! With three boys, we are constantly heading to one birthday party or another. I have found the easiest and best gift to give is a gift card! I try to come up with a special holder for each card that works well with the store it was purchased or fits with the theme of the party. I like to play around with the shape of the holder or how the card itself is attached. The possibilities are endless! Tweet Things Box by Melissa Phillips , p. 39 Melissa Phillips Although hoarding junk is not something I like to admit to, I do tend to get quite excited over that empty oatmeal carton, or can of Planter’s peanuts. Sometimes I even buy something just because of the possibilities of that darned cute container. My mind starts racing with everything I could DO with it, so I stash it away until I am in need of a quick but super cute gift to plant on someone’s doorstep or wrap up and present for a baby shower favor, etc. It’s wonderful to not have to go out and buy something to wrap a gift in…so I save containers in great sizes and transform them with my paper-crafting supplies. Most of the fun comes from creating something unique and wrapping it all up to make an unforgettable presentation. I’d like to thank each one of these moxie fab ladies for sharing their insights with us today, and they’d like to thank you for stopping by by giving one random winner a chance to win the projects that you see on the post today. That’s right, they’re donating these fun projects for you to use and give as you desire! Leave a comment talking about what paper crafted gift giving means to you, how you approach it, or a project (or two) that you see here that you find particularly inspiring. You have until midnight MST on Sunday, April 26 to share your thoughts with us. In the meantime, be sure and stop by the Paper Crafts Connection where Susan Opel is exploring the wonderful world of gift wrap and offering up a chance to win a prize! You’ll sure want to stop by tomorrow, friends as well, as I’ve got an amazing prize package that will make your gift giving just about as versatile as it gets! TTYS, ~Cath PS Don’t forget to upload your Mother’s Day projects following these guidelines to this group by Monday night at midnight MST –we’re choosing 2 winners in each category to be featured here in the Moxie Fab World or on the Paper Crafts Connection blog– and we’ll be giving away prizes to the winners as well! The gifty goodness just keeps on giving!

As we enter Day 2 of Cards & Gifts Week , I don’t know of a more basic supply for making handmade paper crafted gifts from the heart than flowers, ribbons, and trims, friends. I mean, once you’ve decided on a gifty project idea, such as the ones I showed you in yesterday’s Moxie Monday , you’ve got to have something to embellish it with, right? 225 Cards & Gifts , the latest and greatest special issue from Paper Crafts magazine So today, I’ve got a GI-normous collection of trendy flowers, ribbons, and trims to give away–all of which can help to make your project as special as the person for whom you are creating your special gift. And speaking of Maya Road , they’ve been very generous with us this week. Wouldn’t you just love to get your hands on these moxie fab flowers that were released at CHA Winter? Trinkets Jewel Ribbon Blossoms , Textured Cord Blossoms , Crochet Shimmer Blossoms , and Velvet Pleat Blossoms Velvet Pleats Felt Beaded Jewel Flowers - Spring Suede Stitched Enrich your stash with a rainbow of ribbons from BoBunny Press (12 in all): I’ve got a plethora of petals for you from American Crafts : Fieldhouse Foam Backyard Greenhouse Chipboard Character , Newhouse Fleece Baby , Fieldhouse Paper Backyard , and Myhouse Corduroy Craft Fair …as well as a rich regalia of ribbons: Baby Walk , Scoot , and Crawl Craft Fair Crochet , Stitch , and Knit I’ve got these basic beauties and more from Bazzill Basics Paper : Bitty Blossoms Neutral Mix and Garden Mix And a few yards of each of these fun new designs from Fancy Pants Designs : Summer Soiree Printed Ribbon , Red Ball Trim , and Woven Ribbon And what flower and ribbon collection would be complete without some fleurs from beloved Making Memories ? Noteworthy Embellishment Jars in Hillary and Ava Lemonade Flower Shop Blossoms Think you could whip up some great gifts with these lovelies? Leave me a comment by Sunday, April 26th at midnight MST saying which ribbons and flowers tickle your fancy the most and I’ll choose a random winner to receive all the flowers, ribbons, and trims that you see here. But wait! There’s more! Click on over to the Paper Crafts Connection for a chance to win some goodies from Papertrey Ink ! It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood, friends! I hope you’re enjoying yourself! Cards & Gifts Week continues tomorrow with more incredible giveaways! I’ll see you then! Toodles, ~Cath PS Don’t forget! There’s a fun Mother’s Day challenge in conjunction with Cards & Gifts Week here ! The deadline is Monday at midnight MST !

It’s Moxie Monday, friends! And a special Moxie Monday at that! Today is Day 1 of C ards & Gifts Week here in both the Moxie Fab World and also on P aper Crafts Connection blog where you’ll have a chance to win a Big Prize each and every day on both blogs! For example, today over on Paper Crafts Connection , Maren Benedict is being featured. She’s talking about her creative process AND you can comment-to-win a stamp set from Unity Stamp Company ! Make sure you click on over! Since 225 Cards & Gifts is all about paper crafting gifts for all the different people and occasions in your life, I thought it would be fun to show this moxie fab collection of uber cool gift items you can paper craft from one of my favorite companies, Maya Road ! Like this Clutch Purse Album , perfect for moms, girlfriends, and daughters: Or how ’bout this 3-Ring Tab Swatchbook ? The album-inical possibilites here are endless! Wouldn’t this Card Box & Cards make a great gift? You could cute-up the outside, then fill it full of birthday tags, love coupons, or even a count-down calendar to a fun event! This trendy Butterfly Accordion Album would be great for a Mother’s Day gift, for Teacher Appreciation Week, or as an album for a teenaged girl: I just love the hearty versatility of this Heart Binder Album : And this Long Binder with Envelopes ? It could be a great organizational gift for a fellow paper crafter, an album you can fill with sentimental trinkets, or even a project for one of the men in your life: This Tea Break Tin would be a perfect reusable gift container: While I love the playfulness of these Bird Chipboard Coaster Book : Is there someone in your life who would appreciate a project made with this Sheer Crown Coaster Album ? Or how ’bout this trendy Nature Key Chain Set ? I just love the different edges on this Mixed Layer Book : But my absolute favie is this Bungalow kit. You could dude it up, put a gift inside, and the recipient could display it proudly as part of her home decor: Oh the gifty possiblities, friends! I’d love to send these items your way! Leave a comment by Sunday, April 26 at midnight MST telling us which gift item you would paper craft, for whom, and why–and I’ll draw a random winner to receive the entire set! As we continue to celebrate the heartfelt nature of paper crafting embodied in 225 Cards & Gifts , I’ve got an amazing prize giveaway for you tomorrow as well–so be sure and stop on by! Who loves Cards & Gifts Week? I do! I do! ~Cath

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the next special issue from Paper Crafts magazine , 225 Cards & Gifts is about to go on sale! If you’ve spent any amount of time in the Moxie Fab World or on the Paper Crafts blog , you know that that means a week of celebration with prizes, prizes, prizes! That’s right friends, just like we did a few weeks ago for Stamp It! Week , we’re going to be showering you with inspiration and pouring on the prizes every day next week! 225 Cards & Gifts is chock full of paper crafted gift ideas that span six different gifty categories including card sets, gift card holders, gift wraps, food wraps, home decor, and gifts that come straight from your heart. Whether you need a gift to welcome a new neighbor or to thank your child’s teacher, this idea-filled magazine has personalized gifts of all types to give to family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, teachers, coaches, and anyone else you’d like to acknowledge in your life . Because after all, it’s all about creating paper crafted gifts you’ll be proud to give away because you know you’re sharing a little of yourself . To whet your whistle, here are some trendy projects from the issue which are just a small taste of the inspiration that lies within: Tiny Owls Card Set by Kim Kesti (Owls + Clouds = Trendy Fun!) Birthday Bee Card by Charity Hassel ( Orly Kiely Vines + Bee = Moxie Fab!) Welcome Flower Pot by Ashley Harris (Houses + Pattern = Patchworky Cuteness!) Camping with Dad Frame by Maren Benedict (Wood Grain + Retro = Smiles!) Congratulations Gift Bag by Roree Rumph (Cross Stitch + Butterfly = Happiness!) But wait, there’s more! In addition, we’re also holding a Cards & Gifts Week Challenge ! Here’s how it goes: Create a Mother’s Day gift in one of these 6 categories: Card Sets Gift Card Holders Gift Wrap Food Wrap Home Decor Miscellaneous (journals, gift sets, notebooks, bookmarks, etc.) Upload your project to the Cards & Gifts Week Challenge on Flickr.com by clicking here . The deadline is Monday, April 27 at midnight MST . Make sure you identify the category you are entering in the title of your project. We will choose 2 winners in each category and will feature them on either the Paper Crafts Connection blog or here on the Moxie Fab World blog on Thursday, April 30. And of course, there will be prizes. See you ’round the blogosphere next week friends where we’ll have plenty o’ fun and lots o’ chances to win prizes–with a HUGE prize being offered on Friday, April 24! …and I mean HUGE! I can’t wait! ~Cath