Easy Card Design Using A Spellbinders Embroidery Stitch Die!

Today on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel, I’m sharing an awesome card project using the Spellbinders Stitch Petal Frame Die. I am completely obsessed with all things embroidery and stitching, so when I learned that companies like Spellbinders offer a full line of stitch dies, I had to “add to cart” and get my hands of some of these awesome products!

Stitching on a card or a scrapbook layout is a great way to add tons of texture and interest to a project. For this card, all you need is the Petal Stitch Frame Die, a die cutting machine, your favorite floss, and a needle. I highly recommend grabbing a nice cup coffee or tea as you enjoy the relaxing process of stitching this beauty design.

For this project, I had a lot of fun making a set of cards that feature warm and cool tones using DMC floss. You can stitched the entire panel, but you can certainly opt to stitch only part of the panel or not at all. The panel looks great on it’s own and can add a lot of texture to a card project!

To see how this card came together and how to stitch this panel, click on the following video! A list of products featured in this video are provided below. I hope you are inspired to stitch on your next card project!

Products Featured (subject to availability, no affiliate links provided)

Spellbinders Petal Frame Stitch Die
Link
: https://bit.ly/3znBOQe

Spellbinders Yana’s Special Sentiments Hot Foil Plates and Cutting Dies
Link
: https://bit.ly/3Pq8i1M

Spellbinders Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine
Link
: https://bit.ly/3IRsoj1

Spellbinders Glimmer Foil Machine
Link
: https://bit.ly/3uZCTLi

DMC Floss No. 162, 3771, 168
Link
: https://bit.ly/3Ooz3Cv

Cardstock Warehouse
Link
: https://www.cardstock-warehouse.com/

Revisiting Project Life – Because Memory Planning Is NOT My Jam!

So, a few months ago during one of my YouTube Livestream sessions, I share that I was attempting to try memory planning, which is essentially scrapbooking in a planner. I was intrigued by this format of storytelling, mainly because I wanted to find an easier way to document my everyday stories.

Armed with tons of ideas and creative inspiration, I created two spreads in my memory planner. But, after making those two pages, I quickly realized: MEMORY PLANNING IS NOT MY JAM!

What I discovered is that I need more space for documenting my stories and I really enjoy the Project Life format of pocket pages and simple embellishing. So, I ditched my memory planner and decided to use a 9×12 inch pocket format instead.

In the past, I’ve used a 12×12 inch format for my Project Life spreads. I have found this size to be too big for my everyday scrapbooking. However, I also found that the 6×8 inch format is too small. After making a few 9×12 inch pocket layouts, I am happy to report that I have found Project Life peace!

I also decided to adopt a very flexible approach to documenting my everyday stories. First, I am not putting pressure on myself to do weekly spreads. If I feel like documenting my weekly activities, I will make a page. If not, then I won’t…it’s that simple.

Second, I want my Project Life pages to be simple – photos, words, and a few embellishments. My focus is to get my stories told…period. In my opinion, scrapbooking should not be stressful. It’s okay to adopt processes that make storytelling easy, simple, but most of all…FUN!

To check out the process video for this spread, click on the video below. A list of products featured in this video are posted below. Enjoy!

Products Featured (subject to availability, no affiliate links provided):

Ali Edwards 9×12 Gray Linen Album
LINK
: https://bit.ly/3ISmH4a

Ali Edwards Page Protectors
LINK
: https://bit.ly/3IVf2SP

Elle’s Studio Everyday Tabs Stamp Set
LINK
: https://bit.ly/3cwxgh9

Citrus Twist Stamp Sets
LINK
: https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/stamps

Citrus Twist Die Cuts and Ephemera
LINK
: https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/embellishments

Paper Person Shop
LINK
: https://paperperson.shop/

NOW AVAILABLE! 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Summer Bundle

The new year will be here before we know it and now is the time to get ready for another year of fun Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops! I started hosting online crops in 2020 during the pandemic and these semi-monthly crops have become a crowd favorite and offer an opportunity for scrapbookers from all over the world to participate in a scrapbooking crop right from the comfort of their home!

No need to lug your scrapbook supplies around or pay for costly transportation to attend an in-person crop! Enjoy a variety of fun scrapbooking challenges, LIVE Zoom Scrap and Chat Sessions, educational mini workshops, prizes, and giveaways without leaving your house!

To kick off another year of crops, I am offering TWO opportunities to grab all ten (10) of the 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops for only $99.90 USD! That’s a savings of $3.00 USD per crop! More on that in a second!

What is an Online Virtual Crop?

An online crop is like an in-person crop, however, all of the challenges, prizes, giveaways, and opportunities for engagement are hosted on an online platform! This event will be hosted in a private group on Facebook. Participants are welcome to engage in real-time or at their own leisure.

What Does Each Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Include?

All of the 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops include:

  1. Fun Scrapbook Challenges – All of the challenges are designed to focus on specific scrapbooking topics, techniques, products, and tools. The challenges are very flexible, and perfect for all skill levels and scrapbooking formats.
  2. Live Zoom Scrap and Chat Sessions where you can hangout via Zoom with like minded scrapbookers!
  3. Live 45-minute Mini Workshop that is based on the monthly crop theme. For example, the January 2023 theme is Make the Cut – all of the challenges for this crop will focus on using a cutting tool (e.g., die cutting machine, punches, etc.) to create a scrapbook project.
  4. Fun Prizes and Giveaways!
  5. All crop activities are hosted in a private Facebook Group!

No Rush to Participate! You are welcome to participate in each crop when they are scheduled, come and go as you please, or access the crop content at another time if you are not available during the crop weekend!

All of the crop content including the challenges and the recordings of the Live Zoom Scrap and Chat Sessions will be available for 3 weeks after the scheduled crop weekend! After this three week period, the crop Facebook group for the scheduled event will be archived and the recorded Zoom links will expire.

And the BEST part? Each crop is hosted 100% online in a private Facebook Group! You can enjoy the crops from the comfort of your home!

BUNDLE AND SAVE STARTING JUNE 21ST!

Purchase the Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Summer Bundle and SAVE!

Get access to ten (10) Victoria Marie Online Virtual Crops for a one-time payment of $99.90 USD and save $3.00 per crop event! (The regular price for an individual crop is $12.99 USD.) This offer is only available for a limited time!

PURCHASE TODAY! To purchase the bundle, click HERE!

What Does the Bundle Include?

This bundle offer includes access to ten (10) Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops, hosted monthly starting in January 2023 – May 2023, and in July 2023 – November 2023 (no crops will be hosted in June and December).

Calendar and Crop Descriptions – 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops: To view the 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Calendar and Crop Descriptions, click HERE!

Sample Schedule of Events: To view a SAMPLE 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Schedule of Events, click HERE! The sample schedule will give you an idea of when the crop content will be posted throughout a crop event.

Two Opportunities to Grab This Bundle Offer!

There will be two opportunities to grab this awesome bundle – Summer 2022 and Fall 2022. The deadline to purchase the 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Summer Bundle is August 31, 2023 at 11:30 pm CST. The second opportunity to grab this bundle will begin on November 1, 2023 – January 6, 2023. Be sure to lock in the bundle rate!

PURCHASE TODAY! To purchase this bundle, click HERE!

Not interested in the bundle? No worries! You can always register for individual Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops throughout 2023 at $12.99 USD per crop! Registration for the January 2023 Crop will open on 1/7/2022. Look for registration details to come!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you are ready for a new year of fun online virtual crops hosted by Victoria Marie Designs!

My New Class with Scrapbook and Cards Today – Scrapbook 101: Begin With The Basics!

I am so excited to announce a fun class that I developed for Scrapbook and Cards Today, Scrapbook 101: Begin With The Basics! I was invited to create this course a few months ago and I am so happy that it is finally done and ready for the masses!

This is one of many classes that I have developed as a contract designer/instructor and it is a joy to turn SCT’s vision into a class that will hopefully be an excellent resource for our scrapbooking community.

In this self-paced, nine-lesson online video course, I will guide you through the basics of scrapbooking. Not only will you learn about what goes into creating a scrapbook layout—basic tools, paper, photos, adhesive and more, but I will also share my knowledge about the principles used for successful layout design and how to incorporate your stories and your favorite photos in a beautiful way!

At the end of class, you’ll create two beautiful layouts! Additionally, written instructions and process videos are provided that will take you step-by-step along the way. This class is designed for those who are new to scrapbooking or as a refresher course for those who have taken a break from this hobby.

The content for this online course is broken down into two sections, The Basics and Structure and Design.

Section 1: The Basics

  • Lesson 1: Basic Tools
  • Lesson 2: Papers, Kits, and Materials
  • Lesson 3: Adhesives
  • Lesson 4: Photos

Section 2: Structure and Design

  • Lesson 1: Choose Your Story
  • Lesson 2: Basic Design Principles
  • Lesson 3: Photos
  • Lesson 4: Journaling
  • Lesson 5: Putting It All Together

This course is self-paced so you will be able to start and resume the course at your leisure!

If you have been interested in learning how to scrapbook, this is the class for you! If you’re a seasoned pro, let your friends know who may be interested in creating alongside you!

This class will be available on July 15, 2022, at 12:00 pm ET in the course dashboard on the Scrapbook and Cards Today website for registered students. The cost of this course is only $20.00 USD/CAN!

I want to extend a big THANK YOU to Scrapbook and Cards Today for this awesome opportunity. I hope this course serves as a great resource for newbie scrappers and for those who are returning to this amazing hobby!

Coming in 2023! Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops

Coming in 2023…Victoria Marie Online Virtual Crops!

Another year of Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops is coming and I am so excited!

Since 2020, I have offered monthly online scrapbooking crops that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home! All of the crops feature scrapbook challenges, prizes, giveaways, and LIVE Zoom Scrap and Chat Sessions…all hosted in a private Facebook Group. This is a great opportunity to relax, have fun, and scrapbook with likeminded creatives!

I am busy working on all of the 2023 crop details, including an awesome Bundle Offer that will launch soon!

Meanwhile, check out the preliminary 2023 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crop Calendar. The crop theme for 2023 will focus on SCRAPBOOK DESIGN!

2023 Preliminary Pricing:
Bundle and Save! For a limited time, get all 10 Victoria Marie Designs Online Virtual Crops for $99.90 USD (save $3.00 per crop)!

Individual Crop Events – Not interested in the bundle? No worries! Grab an individual crop for $12.99 USD starting January 7, 2023.

Full details will be provided soon so stay tuned! I hope you will join us in 2023!

NEW Scrapbook Process Video – Let’s Make a Layout! Cheers Year 41!

Happy Friday! Let’s kickoff the weekend with a fun scrapbook process video, now available on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel!

Today, I am making my annual birthday layout called Cheers! Year 41, using goodies from the January 2022 Hip Kit Club Scrapbook Kit and Embellishment Kit. This 12 x 12 inch layout features a photo collage, simple embellishing, and a bit of hand stitching.

Every year, I create a scrapbook page to celebrate my birthday. In March of this year, I celebrated my 41st trip around the sun! I love celebrating my birthday and documenting how much I have changed, my current interests, and my hopes for the future.

To see this layout come together, check out the following process video!

This project was so much fun to make! The photos take center stage while the pattern paper and embellishments complete the overlook of this design.

This layout features a layered photo collage. Each photo was resized to 3×3 inches and printed with a white border. TIP: Reducing the size of your photos makes it easier to create a single page multi-photo layout.

To flank the photos, I created small clusters of layered embellishments that feature floral die cuts, wood veneer elements, and tiny chipboard flowers. The title was created using a combination of a word die cut (Cheers!) and chipboard letters from the January 2022 Hip Kit Club Kit. I love coordinating die cuts with letter stickers to create unique title designs!

This layout also features hand stitching! I paired two colors of DMC embroidery floss (#165 and #162) to create a layered stitched look. It’s hard to see the delineation on video and in the photo. But, in-person, this technique offers a really cool effect!

I hope you are inspired to create a layout to celebrate a special occasion in your life! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Product Review! Tres Jolie Kit Club and Chipboard! Support Small Business!

If you are in the market for shabby chic and elegant scrapbooking and mixed media kits, look no further! I am so excited to introduce you to Tres Jolie Kit Club and Chipboard! Today, on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel, I’m doing a full review and unboxing of the Tres Jolie April 2022 Scrapbooking Kit and I will use this stunning kit to make a 12 x 12 shabby chic mixed media scrapbook layout!

Tres Jolie Kit and Chipboard

Meet the Owner!

Kimberly Heard, owner of Tres Jolie Kit Club and Chipboard, was inspired to scrapbook in 2001 after the death of her mother. According to Kimberly, she would spend countless hours going through photos and creating scrapbook layouts. This activity turned out to be therapeutic for her and she realized that she had a real love for scrapbooking. As her skills evolved, she developed a love for products that spoke to her shabby chic, romantic, elegant style. This led her to open Tres Jolie Kit Club and Chipboard!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kimberly at the 2022 Creativation Trade Show where we talked about her kits and how she found if difficult to find kit clubs that catered to her style of crafting. Now, she is filling a hole in the market with the Tres Jolie Kit Club!

The Kit

After learning more about Tres Jolie, I was super excited to purchase a kit! In fact, Tres Jolie offers a variety of kits to include scrapbooking, mixed media, and card kits. I purchased the April 2022 Scrapbooking Kit and upon opening the kit, I knew I was in for a treat!

Tres Jolie offers a monthly kit subscription starting at $40.00 USD (plus shipping). This is a very reasonable price based on the products that are include in the kit.

The kit I purchased includes:

  • Exclusive Tres Jolie Chipboard Frame
  • Small Wood Clip
  • 49th and Market Artoptions Avesta 12 x 12 Collection Pack
  • 49th and Market Artoptions Avesta Laser Cut Elements
  • 49th and Market Enchanted Petals Homemade Flowers
  • Tim Holtz (Ranger) Mini Distress Ink Pad – Dried Marigold

To shop Tres Jolie, click HERE and be sure to use discount code VICTORIASCRAPS to receive 20% off your purchase until May 31, 2022!

The Tres Jolie April Scrapbooking Kit is very high quality and features name brand products that are great for any project. Also, I was able to use items from my stash that coordinated perfectly with the style and color scheme of the kit.

Additionally, the Tres Jolie Design Team shares creative inspiration on the Tres Jolie Kit Club YouTube Channel using the monthly kits. To check out the videos, click HERE!

Also, Tres Jolie offers custom chipboard elements that are designed and cut onsite. These elements can be used for a variety of crafty projects. To learn more, click HERE!

Here’s the project I created using the kit!

It has been a very long time since I’ve created a shabby chic scrapbook layout and I had a BLAST! To see this project come together, head to the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel or check out the video below.

Shop TODAY and Save 20% off Your Tres Jolie Purchase!

To shop Tres Jolie, click HERE!

Until May 31, 2022, use coupon code VICTORIASCRAPS to save 20% off your Tres Jolie purchase! This is a great opportunity to try a Tres Jolie Kit and to support a woman-owned small business!

A big THANKS to Kimberly Heard for sharing Tres Jolie with the world! Be sure to grab a Tres Jolie Kit today!

*Products UsedTres Jolie April 2022 Scrapbook Kit:

  • Exclusive Tres Jolie Chipboard Frame
  • Small Chalk Board Clip
  • 49th and Market Artoptions Avesta 12 x 12 Collection Pack
  • 49th and Market Artoptions Avesta Laser Cut Elements
  • 49th and Market Enchanted Petals Homemade Flowers
  • Tim Holtz (Ranger) Mini Distress Ink Pad – Dried Marigold

From My Stash:

  • Tim Holtz (Ranger) Mini Distress Ink Pad – Pumice Stone
  • Tim Holtz (Ranger) Mini Distress Ink Pad – Scattered Straw
  • Simple Stories Posh Enamel Dots
  • Hero Arts Petals Stencil Pair
  • Bo Bunny It is Written Stamp Set
  • Bo Bunny Distressed Textured Stamp Set
  • Altenew Feeling Dotty Stencil

_________________________________

*Disclaimer: Products featured in this product review were purchased by Victoria Calvin, Victoria Marie Designs, include products from the Tres Jolie Kit Club. No affiliate links were provided in this post.

Happy National (International) Scrapbook Day! Let’s Make a Layout!

Happy National (International) Scrapbook Day! I hope you are taking a little time this weekend to relax and to enjoy our amazing storytelling hobby! If you are looking for a bit of creative inspiration, check out my latest scrapbook process video, now available on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel!

In this video, I am documenting my second year on the Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine Design Team. I love scrapbooking about my creative adventures and my opportunities to work as a professional designer in this industry. Designing for Scrapbook and Cards Today has been a dream and I’m so proud to work with some of the best designers in the industry. To learn more about Scrapbook and Cards Today and to subscribe to the awesome publication, click HERE!

For this project, I used items from the Paige Evans Wonders Collection and the Hip Kit Club March 2021 Embellishment Kit, along with an electronic cut file by Paige Evans called Create (available products listed below). I wanted to make a clean, bright, and whimsical layout with layered floral clusters and a delicate title.

I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut the Create electronic cut file out of American Crafts White Textured Cardstock. The letters were shaded with Distress Oxide Ink by Tim Holtz and popped up on foam squares for added dimension.

Clusters of die cut florals and accents create a frame around the 5×5 inch photo. I love how the vellum butterflies appear as though they are floating around the layout!

To see this project come together, head on over to the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel. And if you are a Victoria Marie Patreon, be sure to check out the Bonus Content for this video, now available on the Victoria Marie Patreon site!

If you are not a patron, what are you waiting for?! Get access to exclusive behind the scenes video content, process videos, exclusive scrapbook sketches, monthly creative workshops and more! Click HERE to learn more and to join! Memberships start at $5.00 USD per month!

Happy National (International) Scrapbook Day! I hope you are enjoying a full weekend of fun, relaxation, and tons of creating!

*Available Products Used:

Other Products:
Create Cut File by Paige Evanshttps://etsy.me/3sf7DGD

The Ink Standhttps://inkstandshop.com/

Barely Art Precision Craft Gluehttps://bearly.art/products/bearly-art-precision-craft-glue-4-fl-oz

Hip Kit Clubhttps://www.hipkitclub.net/

Product list made with LinkDeli – https://linkdeli.com/e/m9ey7d

_______

Disclaimer: Affiliate links are provided above. These links are free for you to use. Victoria Marie Designs receives a small commission anytime product is purchased using these links. Thanks so much for your support!

Victoria Marie Designs Merch is HERE! Save 10% off Until May 15th!

Happy National Scrapbook Day!!!!

I am so excited to announce the launch of my first ever line of Victoria Marie Designs Merch, now available through Teespring! This initial launch includes t-shirts, hoodies, a coffee mug, a die cut sticker, and a tote bag!

Available Products…Grab Yours Today and Save 10% Off Your Purchase!

Purchase Victoria Marie Designs Merch starting today and save 10% off your purchase until May 15th! Use coupon code VICTORIA10 at check out!

*Be sure to read A Note About the Promo Code at the bottom of this post BEFORE you shop!*

SHOP TODAY! To shop Victoria Marie Designs Merch, click HERE or click on Shop Merch at the top of the page!

Apparel: For this initial launch, I’m offering t-shirts in a variety of styles, sizes, and colors that feature the Scrapbook Like a Boss and Live To Craft designs. Styles include comfort t-shirts, women’s comfort t-shirts, and v-neck options (long and short sleeve available in some styles), in addition to a hoodie and sweat shirt (non-hooded) option (sizes and colors vary based on shirt style). Be sure to check individual product listings for available colors, styles, and sizes!

Accessories: In addition to apparel, we have a Scrapbook Like a Boss and Live to Craft tote bag and a Scrapbook Like a Boss die cut sticker, the perfect accessories for any scrapper!

Drinkware: Sip your coffee (or tea) out of a Scrapbook Like a Boss or Live to Craft coffee mug! Be sure to check the product listings for available colors!

Coming Soon…Scrapbook Like a A Boss Apron

If you like wearing an apron while you craft, no worries! The Scrapbook Like a Boss Apron will be available soon! Look for more details to come!

Shop TODAY and Save 10% Off Your Purchase!

Head to the Victoria Marie Designs Merch Shop today! Be sure to use code VICTORIA10 during checkout to save 10% off your order, valid until May 15th!

A Note About the Promo Code:

If using a desktop or laptop computer when ordering, be sure to enter the Promo Code on the right side of the screen during check out. This can be easily missed so look carefully.

If using a mobile device (phone, tablet) when ordering, scroll to the BOTTOM of the check out screen, past the Place Order button, to enter the Promo Code.

Happy shopping and thanks for supporting Victoria Marie Designs! Have a happy scrappy iNSD weekend!

Changing the Format of My Wednesday Livestreams!

So, I’m changing the format of my Wednesday Livestreams!

But, before I tell you more about these changes, be sure to mark your calendars for this week’s Wednesday Live, starting at 2:00 pm CST! During tomorrow’s livestream, I will be using my Cricut to upload and cut electronic cut files.

As many of you know, I recently purchased a Cricut Explore Air 2 electronic cutting machine and I am slowly learning how to use it. The last Cricut I owned was the Cricut Personal Cutter that required cartridges. To be honest, while I enjoyed using the Cricut Personal Cutter, I found it difficult to figure out how to use some of the cartridge designs. Depending on the design, there were several elements to size and cut…it proved to be too much so I let my Cricut go.

Flash forward, after spending many years using a Silhouette Cameo electronic cutting machine, I decided to give Cricut another try; not because I need a new cutting machine…simply because the mint colored Cricut is pretty and I was curious about it’s functionality!

(All good reasons, right?)

Now, on to the changes…

I have been going live on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel at least once per week (give or take a few weeks) for over 2 years. I amped up my livestreams in response to the pandemic as a way to connect with the Victoria Marie Scrap Boss Community.

During the livestreams, I typically create scrapbook layouts, which is fun. However, I’ve been challenging myself to try new techniques, products, and devices and thought it would be cool to share my learning and experimentation process.

So, during my upcoming Wednesday Livestream sessions, you will get to see me play and experiment in real-time! Personally, I love watching my favorite designers explore new concepts and techniques. I am interested in learning more about their creative processes and seeing them work through challenging design issues. If this is something that you enjoy, then joined me on Wednesdays as I play, explore, and tinker!

If you are not able to join me live, no worries! All of my livestreams are recorded and available for playback on the Victoria Marie YouTube Channel. Also, if you want to see my previous livestream sessions, check out my YouTube Livestream Playlist.

I hope you will join me on Wednesdays at 2:00 pm CST!