Tuesday Tutorial - DIY Template for Hand-stitching

Hello! It's Tara here sharing an easy tutorial today. I fell in love with Mira's 'Let's Get Digital' file this month. I don't own a cutting machine, so I decided to use it as a template for hand-stitching. You can use this method for anything you would like to stitch - just print out the words/phrases, re-size, and go!

The supplies you need are:

• paper piercer
• mouse pad or soft mat
• needle
• thread
• printed phrase
• removable adhesive

After printing out the re-sized digital file, I used some removable adhesive to attach it to my 4x6 card.

I tried to space most of my holes consistently, but not too far apart. I didn't worry too much about measurements. This part took a little longer than I expected! Also, you may need to use more pressure if you are using your tool over a few layers of paper or on photos.

Tip: Do not place holes too close together! I didn't think about it too much and when I started stitching, the small space between a couple holes ended up giving way. Don't fret if this happens to you, just keep on going. With practice it gets easier and no one will be able to tell the difference.

I found that using a back stitch was the easiest way to hand-stitch. If you're new to hand-stitching, Amy Tangerine has a great tutorial with some helpful tips!

Here is a look at my finished 4x6 card:

I really love the "hello, I love you" title paired with a "3" stamp from my stash documenting my son's third birthday.

An up close look:

I added a couple enamel dots from the October Sprinkles Kit to dot my "i" and cover up a little oopsie.

I hope you give hand-stitching a try! I found it relaxing to stitch while watching television or listening to a podcast. Once I got started, I was able to get into a good rhythm and was done in no time.

Have a lovely day!

Xxo, Tara

Card Making with Tara

Hello it's Tara here. I hope you're enjoying the weather wherever you are in the world! Today I wanted to share a card I made using the October Pocket Life "Waverly" Kit. I love making cards, especially during this time of year. Since it's Autumn here, I reflect on the many reasons I am grateful. I had some extra papers left over so I made a fun card to send to a friend.

I used patterned papers from the kit. I loved cutting up the paper with the mini Polaroid-like boxes. I added a few embellishments from the October Sprinkles kit too.

Here is a closer look:

I had a couple of roller stamps - Maggie "Shine" roller stamp and an older Dear Lizzy stamp to add some sentiments.

I used one of the small glassine bags for layering and added the Maggie Holmes 'XO' rose gold sticker. I love the Pinkfresh puffy heart too! I didn't want to add too much dimension since it will be mailed out. That little unicorn was so cute, I had to include it.

How do you use your extra bits and bobs you have left over from making layouts and spreads?

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope this inspires you to make a card or two, or find new ways to use up your kit.

Have a lovely day!

Xxo, Tara

Let's get digital - October's edition with Lilith and Mira

Hello,
I love You so!

Do You have a person that You love more than words can describe? You no longer need words to express that! You can use pictures, combine them with October Citrus Twist Kits (both, Scrapbook and Pocket Life kits) and the freebie cutting file* that we prepared for today's edition of Let's Get Digital and You are ready to create some magic!
After that, please, don't forget to share Your projects with Citrus Twist Kits fans! :)

Ok so, here's the file that we have for You today:

And here are two layouts and a pocket page that Lilith and Mira created using the file:

And a few details:

Are You ready to create something now?

We hope that You enjoyed this little inspiration and You're encouraged to create! Happy scrappin' Folks!

*Please, find the freebie on CTK Facebook Fan Page

Creating a Fall Layout with the October Kit

Hello everyone! Jen here, and today I am sharing a fall-inspired layout that I created with the October Pocket Life kit. This layout was inspired by the die cut leaves included in the kit. I thought they would be perfect to scatter across a layout.

I had these photos of my son at the farmer's market from last weekend. and knew they would go with the kit perfectly. I used a piece of Crate Paper patterned paper from the main scrapbook kit to put across the layout, then layered one of the 4x6 cards and my photos on top. I also knew I wanted to use the cork circles, but the sayings didn't work with this page so I simply flipped them over.

The alpha stickers included in the kit from Pinkfresh Studio are so fabulous! I added them then stitched through for extra texture.

I added my journaling by using my typewriter and cutting it into strips. I stitched through a few of the strips as well. After adding a date stamp and a few puffy dots from the sprinkles kit, my layout was complete!

I hope you have a great day, see you soon!

In My Studio with Jen Chapin

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a few pictures of how I organize my kits and products, plus a pocket page created with October's Pocket Life kit and a process video.

When I receive my kit, I like to take all the items out of the packages so I can see everything. I get these shallow trays from a local grocery store, but I'm sure you can find something similar at Target or Ikea. I organize all the flat items in the tray, then put all the loose embellishments in a small bowl from Anthropologie.

After I'm done with creating projects from a kit, I like to split the remaining products out by type. I have lots of different bins that are labeled and sit on my shelves. This one houses chipboard embellishments.

Here is a look at my supply bins with the tops off. Sorting them by type allows me to quickly grab the embellishment I need without much searching!

Here is a video that goes over my kit organization, as well as my process for putting this page together.

I used items from the main Pocket Life kit as well as the Sprinkles kit to create this page. I used a mixture of color and black and white photos, as well as some contrasting bright colors with black and white.

Here are a few closeups. The puffy circle sticker fit perfectly inside this card, and I embellished it simply with a staple.

The foam glitter stars in the kit are fabulous! I used all of them very quickly :)

Lastly, I created this card using a piece of the 6x6 patterned paper along with the diecut and hello weekend phrase.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today, I hope you are having a great week!

Kit Love with Jen Chapin

Hello everyone! Jen Chapin here, and I am excited to be back on the team here at Citrus Twist. I'll be working with the Pocket Life kits this year, creating a mix of pocket and traditional scrapbook pages. Today I have a kit unboxing video to share with you, as well as a layout. Let's get started!

Watch the video above to see what's included in the October main Pocket Life kit, as well as the sprinkles kit.

Here is the first layout I created with the Pocket Life kit this month. I love that it's so easy to create traditional layouts as well as pocket pages with the PL kits as they include 6x6 paper! As you can see, I used 4 sheets of the 6x6 paper to create my background for the 12x12 page.

After adhering the patterned paper to a piece of cardstock, I stitched around the edge of the page using my sewing machine, then layered on a piece of vellum from my stash to house my photo and title. I also loved the cut-apart sheet this month, such great sayings and icons to include on your projects.

The puffy stickers from Pinkfresh that are included in the PL kit this month are fabulous! I love that some of them are large enough to use as a title. I also included some of the glitter gold stars in the kit as well as enamel dots from the sprinkles kit.

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! You can check out my blog here and YouTube channel here. I look forward to bringing you more projects and inspiration soon!