La Belle Vie Hop: "Merci" Thank You Card

The Diva's La Belle Vie Blog Hop

Hi Everyone - welcome to my crafty blog!  Whether you came directly from Bridgett Berry or just landed here...Welcome! I am so happy you joined us and hopefully you will get some great crafty inspiration.  Feel free to loop back to the Damask Divas blog to see the entire list.

This time of year I am always so grateful for the quality time I get to have with my family and the time off the kids have from school.  It also reminds me of all the thank you cards I need to write!

So for this blog I decided to use the La Belle Vie paper for French inspired “Merci” (thank you) cards.  I knew the six years of French language would pay off one day :)

To make this card I used the Alphabet stamp set to put together the words, “merci” on a 2 x 3 ½ CTMH My Acrylix block  and stamped vertically across the entire Colonial White Card with chocolate ink along with a 2 ½ x 3 inch piece of cardstock on a diagonal.

Next I covered the card with the La Belle Vie paper, inking the edges in the same chocolate ink and adding a strip along the right side.  I used the Cricut Artiste flower cutout from page 54 also edged in chocolate.  Finally I cut another small piece of cardstock and stamped it with “Thank You” in chocolate ink using a masking technique to get the words just right.

 Here is the complete supply list:

• Glamour Lowercase Alphabets Stamp set (D1522)
• La Belle Vie paper packet (X7158B)
• Chocolate Inks Stamp Pad (Product Z2111))
• My Acrylix Avonlea Cardmaking Workshop Stamp
        Set (C-size) from the Workshops On the Go
        Avonlea Cardmaking  Kit  (G1041)
• Grey Organdy Ribbon
• Colonial White Card & Envelope (X1410)
• Flower cut out from the Cricut Artiste Collection
       (Z1790)

I hope you enjoyed this crafty creation!  The next stop on the blog list is Sharon Chapman.  I hope you are having fun on this hop and seeing all the crafty creations using La Belle Vie paper packet!

Thanks for reading!
Diahana
KD Craft Studio

Got Photos? Ideas For Organizing Your Online Photos

Happy Holidays Everyone!  If you are like me, you have a ton of great photos in your camera or uploaded to your computer where they stay untouched, sometimes shared on Facebook, sometimes pulled up for reminiscing.  Well this new year, I'm planning to do more with them.

I love all things online and creating a scrapbook online is no exception!  Who knew it could be so easy, economical and fun!  With Studio J you just create a free account and begin.  Studio J is a unique online design software by Close To My Heart.  You can design custom layouts and edit your photos; there are gorgeous design kits and patterns.  I created this one in just a few minutes!


Unleash your inner artist! It's easy, fast and fun.  Once you're done creating you just click and go to order. They are printed and shippped to you and you get a free JPG file with every purchased layout. Great for sharing on Facebook, printing, or archiving.




Shop at my store or learn more about how to complete your very own custom layouts in Just 30 Minutes:

Are You Crafty?

Are you crafty? Kaylah and I have been going crazy lately making crafts for gifts! We've been creating our own cards and gifts for friends and family. If you are crafty looking for ideas please visit our new FB Business page: KD Craft Studio. We are giving away one CTMH idea book filled with 200+ crafty ideas. Just click "Share" and leave a comment with a number 1-100. I'll have Kaylah pick a random winner.

Here are some of our latest creations:

1.  Gift For GMa
This first one is a gift for my mom-in-law in PA (shhhh don't tell her)  I have been so inspired by my new CTMH Avalon papers and stamps!  When I think of giving gifts, I always try to think about things I'd personally love to receive.  For some reason, I LOVE cards.  I love stationary, cards, and especially personalized ones.  Maybe it's because my name is spelled kinda weird, so having a card or stationary with my name on it has always seemed neat.

2.  Quick B'day Card

This pink one is one of my favorites and I created it with Kaylah on the fly.  She had a birthday party to go to and ofcourse 30 minutes before we needed to leave we realized we did not have a card.  We had the present...but no card.  Sound familiar?  This happens to us with some regularity.  Well, I remembered seeing online a craft where you take your Cricut cut out hearts and turn them into petals.  Voila!  One cute pink flower card ready to go!

Other Shots up close

Thanks for reading!  More crafts coming this week.  I think I'm going to try sock cupcakes next!  Thoughts?

Crafting = Quality Family Time

Some parents are skilled crafters. Others are doing well to cut paper in a reasonably straight line. No matter which group you fall into, crafting with your kids can be beneficial for all involved.

Visit KD Craft Studio

Few things bring families together like crafting. Here are some of the good things that come out of crafting with your kids.

• Crafting builds creativity. Developing minds need a creative outlet, and crafting provides the opportunity for kids to use their imaginations. It helps them learn to solve problems, and it could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of interest in art. For parents, getting creative can help reduce stress and promote using the brain in ways that we don't have a reason to use it every day.

• Crafting teaches kids to follow directions. This seems like a very basic skill, but we all know adults who can't seem to follow directions. When kids craft, they learn the consequences of not following directions when their projects do not turn out as expected. This instils in them the importance of doing things the right way the first time.

• For young children, crafting is fabulous for learning basic skills. Almost any type of craft promotes hand-eye coordination. Kids can also learn to use scissors, measure and do lots of other things they will eventually do in everyday life.

• Parents and children have a chance to talk. In our busy lives, it seems that we know less about our kids than previous generations of parents did. Passive activities such as watching TV do little to encourage conversation. But when you're crafting together, talking comes naturally. You can seize the opportunity to discuss such things as your child's interests, his concerns, and how he's doing in school.

• Crafting is a great way to wind down. It's wonderful for kids to be active, but there are times when they need to calm down. If you find your child getting agitated or exhibiting an overabundance of energy near bedtime, try bringing out the craft supplies. Crafting engages kids' minds, giving them something to focus on and a good reason to sit still for a while.

• Creating things is a confidence booster. Parents who craft regularly know the feeling of accomplishment when a project is complete. Multiply this feeling by ten, and you have a pretty good idea of how your child feels when he makes something. For kids, crafting can help build positive self-esteem.
• Working on a project together is a great way to teach your kids teamwork. This will help them develop skills needed to resolve disputes peacefully and effectively. It will also help them discover their strengths and teach them that doing their best will make the entire project turn out better.

• Crafting creates treasured family memories. The finished product will serve as a reminder of the fun you had making it together.

Crafting as a family provides opportunities for us to interact with our children. It is also a valuable learning experience for them. Don't worry if you aren't the world's greatest crafter. Simply being willing to try anyway is a lesson to your kids in itself.

Cricut Artiste

I love this video on how to combine Close To My Heart stamps with the Cricut Artiste collection cut-outs!  What fun!

Introducing KD Craft Studio

KD Craft Studio stands for Kaylah & Diahana's Craft Studio.  We are a mom & kid team, it all started when we wanted to create some fun and unique holiday cards for our family and friends. Blossoming from there, we began to create cards as gifts and workshops for fun!

Instead of giving out a store-bought card for the next special occasion, try your hand at making your own cards. Making your own cards does not require a lot of hard work, but rather a bit of creativity and the right materials.  Let your inspiration guide you as the possibilities are unlimited. You can create various themed cards such as Christmas, birthday, Valentine’s Day cards and much more.

Rubber stamps are widely available and you can buy virtually any color ink to go with the stamps. There are several stamping methods that you can use when making cards including embossing. Embossing is the process of creating a raised image on the card and it can give the card an elegant appearance. 

There are several die cuts and die cut machines available as well. Die cuts allow you to punch a shape out with ease. They come in all different shapes and sizes and can be very useful in achieving a layered look. Die cuts can be punched out of different color papers to display a colorful card.

Scrapbook papers come in all different colors, textures and themes. Patterned paper can be purchased as well as glitter paper and pre-scored card kits. Card kits come with the note cards already made and ready to decorate. The kits come in different sizes and often different colors to meet a variety of needs. During seasonal periods, such as Christmas, card kits come out with note cards, envelopes and many different die cut shapes.  

Simply put, making cards is a creative process that only you can foster. Cards can be created with a variety of items found in your local arts and crafts store. You can play around using different methods to decorate the cards and have fun at the same time!