Emily Branch Designs | Branch Out.: January 2012

SEI + Gift Wrap

Hey there! I love gift wrap, don't you? Christmas paper with rich colors and textures, everyday paper with striking patterns, I love seeing all the ways you can wrap up a special surprise for someone.
Well, here's a fun way to wrap a soap set using papers and embellishments from SEI's Promise Me collection.

Wrap some of the lace around the soap thats included

in the Sundries.

To make a paper garland trim: Punch starburst circles from patterned paper and then feed them through the presser foot on your sewing machine, making sure to leave a small amount of thread between punched shapes; wrap around gift.

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Crate Paper + Notepad Holders

Hey there everyone!!! I simply love love love Crate Paper's Random line. It seriously is the one collection that I can't get enough of! By far, probably my favorite line EVER---well, hahahah....I have a lot of favorite lines.

For Christmas this year I made these cute little note pad holders.

Pink floral and black chevrons are such a great contrasting pattern.

This note pad has a fun pom pom sleeve that slides off so you can open the note pad holder

Each note pad holder has a pocket to hold receipts, pens or small notes.

How cute is the denim!? I love it!

Don't be afraid to trim punched shapes or have them going off the edge of your cover

This notepad holder's enclosure is some black and white trim.

Make notches at the top of bottom so the trim doesn't slide.

These were super fun and easy to make. Just measure the notepad and construct the holder based on your measurements. This is 8 1/2" x 4 1/2"

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Epiphany Crafts + A Masculine Valentine's Day Card

Let's face it ladies, it's a lot easier to make cards for our girlfriends than it is to make cards for our men! You always have more patterned paper that works and all the pretty little ribbons, trims, punches and stamps. But, today you will no longer be stumped. At the Epiphany Crafts blog you're going to see some great ideas for how to make a masculine-theme Valentine's Day card, and I am going to share one with you and some tips for what makes a manly card, well uh...MANLY.

First off, no flowers! Seriously! Men buy us flowers and vice versa. There are other motifs out there besides flowers! Think automobile, leaves, branches, sports! Second, no pink! Men do not do pink, unless it's for Breast Cancer month. Blue works, green too! But, don't be afraid to mix in neutrals like warm reds,dark browns and earthy greens. And, finally....hold off on the embellies that scream, "GIRL!" Border punches are fine---but, think gender neutral, such as pinking sheers, crest punch, even a notebook edge punch. So, with those tips in mind, meet my Masculine card (note: card approved by hubby.....also, card will be given to hubby)
That's it for me today, but make sure to check out the Epiphany Crafts blog for more ideas!

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SEI + Mini Album

I absolutely LOVE mini albums! They're like mini scrapbook pages and they make great gifts for friends and family. For this project I used the SEI travel album which includes dividers with folders and lined paper for writing special tid bits. I absolutely LOVE the embossed and foil papers with their feminine and delicate patterns.

To make a heart border with the sheer heart die cuts. Adhere the hearts upon one another, then trim the remaining pieces from the edge.

I love the way the album looks with all the yummy embellishments and the beautiful shimmery paper as a background.

Make simple titles for your dividers so that they don't distract from the GORGEOUS prints of this collection.

Don't be afraid to add a splash of contrasting pattern like the striped button.

Create feminine touches with lace, string and bold haberdasheries like buttons!

The shimmery paper is the perfect delicate background to layer other patterned papers on.

Experiment with the negative cut outs of a punch....add pearls and other patterned paper to make it stand out!

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Photo Shoot + Farmhouse

Hey everyone! My hubby and I had an amazing photo shoot this weekend with the very talented Rahel Menig of Rahel Menig Photography. You may be familiar with her already; she's an incredibly talented designer for Crate Paper and American Crafts, plus she and her darling husband live one town away from my husband and I! We met up for the first time to do the shoot and realized that we have so much in common!!! Besides our love of scrapbooking we both have great husband's, like strategy board games and scrap our pets!
Rahel Menig had the genius idea of shooting the pics at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! It was touch and go with the weather, but when we got there it was sunny, cool and BEAUTFIFUL!! I was so inspired by her, that I had to create a layout--I know, a rarity!

Trim punched hearts in half and paper piece punch starburst circles.

Trim a banner from patterned paper and add beaded trim for dimension!

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Cool Tools for Paper Crafters + Me!

Cool Tools for Paper Crafters is an incredible resource that features amazing techniques, tips and new ideas to use some of your favorite tools, and get you excited about ones you may have never seen before! Last week was a super fun blog hop and I am here to share with you my favorite project that was featured in this issue. Make sure to get yours TODAY!

A headband with matching notecard and paper clips featuring Epiphany Crafts Button Studio tool!

Stamp It 3 Ways! + Me

Hey there!!! Paper Crafts newest special issue is a fun treat! Stamp It! 3 Ways takes one set and shows you three different approaches to using that set! Here's my favorite project of the two sets that I was assigned.

A shabby Fresh kitchen decor piece!

Yummy new product + ME!

I want to combine me and these new products. CHA is such a tease, you see them all and then stalk your favorite store to buy them!!! Here's the top of my list....so far! This list is BOUND to grow!

Jenni Bowlin Blue Ribbon squeeze punches

Pretty Paper by Crate

Yummy accessories from Pretty Party by Crate

Story Teller from Crate Paper

Delicious tape and frames from Story Teller by Crate

Stamp from Jenni Bowlin

Stamps from Studio Calico

I love polaroid and camera stamps

numbers, and paper clips and note paper, oh my!

chevron glory

Happy Travels Whatnot

Classic Calico from Studio Calico Vol. 2

Tape from Studio Calico

Avocado Arts + More Sweet Treats Sweetie Die Cuts

Hey there everyone! I'm back to share with you another idea for Avocado Arts January release of Sweet Treats Sweetie. There are so many great images in this month's release and I really loved the adorable cupcakes. Avocado Arts also sells amazing die cut files for your electronic die cut machine! I love using my Silhouette SD so I wanted to play around with the dies. Make sure to add this set (and the dies) to your collection-you'll use it a lot!

Make sure to check out the following Pit Crew blogs for more inspiration!

Kelley Eubanks

Emily Leiphart

Savannah O'Gwynn

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Winner(s) of the Paper Crafts Cool Tools Blog Hop!

Hey there lovely crafting friends!! It's winner day! Thank you for the wonderfully sweet comments. It was my first Paper Crafts magazine blog hop, and I had a lot of fun. Because of all the sweet comments, I've decided to give out another

prize in addition the free copy of this AMAZING special issue!

So there are TWO winnner.....the winners are:

Prize from my stash who said

Die Cut Lady said...

Thanks for the ideas on using up scraps I have a ton!

JANUARY 13, 2012 6:59 AM

Cool Tools for Paper Crafters prize who said

Sadielaine said...

Your card is so cool! I love the way you did the patchwork stars. I am going to give those a try. My favourite tool is my Big Shot. I put it to use every time I papercraft.

JANUARY 14, 2012 9:19 AM

Email me at queenerh@yahoo.com your full name and mailing address so I can get your prize sent to you! Thanks for hopping along!

Avocado Arts + A Sneaky Peek of February's set

Hey there everyone! I am having so much fun playing with Avocado Arts stamps! Today, I'm going to share with you a teeny weeny sneaky peak of next month's set, Wishes and Kind Thoughts. It's totally adorable! You're going to love it!

I LOVE banners! I love the way they hang on a card. Practically every card I make has a banner or pretty twine and trims that hang. Banners make GREAT focal points. In fact my first published project had a banner, so they're very dear to me. However, I love texture too! So, I added trims like pom pom's and this adorable beaded trim to celebrate my love of both! I found the beaded trim at a scrapbook fair I attend twice a year. I buy it in hoardes--love it to pieces!

So, for my sneaky peak the stamped banner comes from a small section of a larger stamp in the set. All you need to do is stamp and trim from patterned paper! Simple as that!

Hope I've excited you! Make sure to visit my fabulous fellow Pit Crew to see more sneaky peeks of next month's set!

Kimberly Crawford

Kelley Eubanks

Emily Leiphart

Savannah O'Gwynn

Becky Oehlers

AJ Otto

Julia Stainton

Latisha Yoast

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Paper Crafts magazine Presents: Cool Tools Blog Hop

Hey there everyone! Today's a great day for a blog hop! I am so happy to be joining nine other fabulous ladies as we celebrate Paper Crafts newest special issue Cool Tools for Paper Crafters.

I loved designing for this issue and looking at my tools in different and new ways. Lots of experimentation, lots of botched ideas, but from that you find fresh and creative ways to STRETCH your tools. I think this was one of my favorite calls ever because even though at first, I was like, "uh....what can I do that hasn't been done?" the ideas eventually started flowing and I tried them out!

In fact, I had my issue of Cool Tools for Paper Crafters in my car and was driving around with some friends. One of my friends whose pretty new to paper-crafting saw it, started looking through it and was super excited to see all that she could do with tools she didn't even know how to use!

So, I took a look at my shape punches and thought about banners, or creating a background, maybe adding embellies or something simple like layering them, and here's what I came up with-pathchwork stars. Danielle Flanders offers another fun way to make these as well, so check out her ideas here! They're fabulous!

I wanted to create patchwork stars using my star punch

then add a cute little scalloped border using my starburst circle punch

So, here's the technique for a patchwork star

1. Punch your stars

2. Trim stars into smaller sections

3. Take pieces and adhere together.

Super easy peasy! Just the way I like.

Leave a comment before Sunday, January 15th at midnight telling me what your favorite tool is and why you love it, and I will pick a winner to take home their own copy of Cool Tools for Paper Crafters. Make sure to also visit the other wonderful designers while your hopping and leave a comment on their blogs for extra chances to win a copy of this AMAZING issue!

Emily Branch <--that's me!

Laura Williams

Stephanie Halinski

And, don't forget to stop by Paper Crafts Connection and leave a comment there! They're giving away an amazing prize package of tools that you can play with!