Welcome to the relaunch of the blog!

I've put this off a long time but I think the time is right to start again. With the new Five Pines Designs Facebook page I'm finding I need a way to give a few more details about how to create some of these wonderful Mosaic Moments projects than just posting a few pictures and hope everyone "gets it". 

Today I'm going to give a few quick tips for creating an Advent Calendar for Christmas a bit different than you may have used before! I will be using the Mosaic Moments Nested Pocket Dies, the Basic Nested Dies and the number set from Alphabet 4 Die Set. All of these products can be purchased at Snapncrop through my affiliate link.

Ten Quick Steps

1.Let's begin with the middle size of the Nested Pocket Dies and cut out 25 in your choice of cardstock, I chose black because I wanted something neutral for the various colors of patterned papers I will be using. Plus this year the on-trend color combination is black, white and red!

2. Then I selected the 4.375" x 3.25" die from Mosaic Moments Set C for the backing, cutting 25 from black cardstock.

3. Then I cut each of these backings with We R Memory Keepers Tag Board for tabs right, center and left. After assembling them all, I decided this was an unnecessary step, but that's up to you how you'd like to make it. Next time I'd leave it solid with no tabs.

4. Now if you want to add a thumb notch this is the time to do it. I didn't because I planned on adding an insert into the pocket that would be higher than the front edge of the pocket. 

5. Score the pocket's marked sides, a bone folder will get a nice crisp edge.

 

6. Use a strong adhesive like Scor-Tape on the three side flaps of the pocket. Putting cards in and out of the pocket requires a good seal to hold up to the use.

7. Now the fun part. Pull a variety of patterned Christmas papers together and cut 25-3x3" squares to place on the front of the pockets. This is a great way to use up scraps or to coordinate a particular color theme. 

8. Prepare 25-1" circles to add the numbers to in whatever color combo you want. 

9. Now you will want to work on cutting out your numbers or maybe use stickers or even a hand-drawn fancy script number. Attach the numbers. The numbers can be attached directly to the pocket top or to tags inside the pocket. 

You may even want to add a little bit of glimmer with

 a Wink of Stella clear gimmer. 

10. The final step is to create the tags for each pocket. These don't have to be fancy, and it will depend on what you plan to write on each tag, will it be an activity and project to do or a devotional text for family worship time? They can be layered or not. On white cardstock or black and use a gel pen to write on. Finish them any way that suits your family the best!

I'm storing these for now in a small photo box I picked up at Hobby Lobby, but watch the Mosaic Moments Blog in December and I'll show you the box I worked on showing off several MM dies that also makes a perfect spot for these pockets and a few treats too! 

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you'll come back soon!

         Andrea 

Calendar Album For Baby

Next year is going to be a busy year for being a grandparent! Earlier this year my youngest daughter married and then in June announced they would be adding to our family in late January! How excited they are, but it means so many choices they have to make...like an apt. that will hold them!! As newly marrieds and first baby on the way the MUST haves out weigh the would like to have frills. That's true for so many just starting out. I don't think it needs to be so harsh. Yes, they need sleepers, diapers, onesies, sheets and blankets. All those will come no doubt one way or the other. The gift I have just finished for them is a little bit of a luxury to some, but necessary to me!

I think it is essential to document your baby's life, and in particular the events of their first year. It should be fun and not a chore. Some of those baby books can be so forgettable and you may start and never finish. This one allows the parents to "just add pictures". Yes, there may be some modifications to fit the mats, a few facts to add, but it is nearly complete and will be fun to finish! It is a perfect gift for some one special and dear to you. I've done a 12 x 12 size here but there is also an 8x8 size that you could do something similar.  They've been a hit with those I've made these for before, but this time I did it with colors Libby approved.

Lib isn't a girly girl pink and purple kinda girl, so she didn't want pretty pastels but bold and bright colors. For a boy, that wouldn't be so bad but harder for me to swallow if it's a girl on the way. So I dove into this project to complete it before we all found out...boy or girl.

I began with 12 blank 12x12 Calendar pages from Mosaic Moments.
I also used two 12x12 grids in each of these colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, lime green and green.

I cut my own paper mats for each layout out of a pack of Best Occasions Primary colors Deluxe Cardstock (Wal-Mart). It's a 200 8x8 size pack that gave me plenty to work with and assured me enough paper to be consistent through out the book. The vivid colors matched well with the papers I chose to use from Doodlebug Designs.   

The purpose of the calendar is two-fold. One, it gives them a place to record all of baby's firsts...and a scrapbook page to put photos of baby from that month, side by side. Something I have also found to be a fun idea is to use a 1-1/4" punch (EK Success) to punch out portions of photos to fit in the calendar space. So they could include a photo from each day if they wanted, or just some of the highlights, a special visit or occasion.

This album will begin either in January or February depending on when baby arrives, she will be able to add the dates with a set of rubber stamps and a 2014 calendar. Picking from the 12 pattern pages she can choose whatever she likes for each month. Although the pages are bright they will only serve as mats in  a narrow 1/8" border and will be toned down quite a bit once completed. She can add journaling wherever she wants to and even leave some spaces open.

I had searched all over for rub-on dates that the scrapbook stores usually have, but could not find any anywhere. Now I see them being advertised for calendar making in time for the new year. So if you are inclined to do this project plan ahead...or you can find a set of stamps perfect for the job HERE by Tami Potter of Mosaic Moments.



Patterns from left to right top row first:
#43-#39-#25 alt.
#33-#13-#92 Flipped



Patterns from left to right top row first:
#34 - #80 - not a pattern
#3 - #10 - #12

All patterns are available on Tami's Blog HERE there are now over 100 easy patterns to choose from!

detail of pattern page #3

detail of the pattern paper used to choose the colors for the layout.

close-up of one of the page sections.



Months cut with Cricut and Xyron for adhesive. Added to back side of sheet of paper it is perfect for holding down on the Cricut mat and then placing on the calendars. The intricate curves of the lettering are easily covered.  



Title colors to match each of the pages.

Before I had the album finished I got the news that my son and his wife would also be delivering a baby in May, and my grand daughter, the frequent subject of my scrapbook pages, will be a big sister! Not so sure she's thrilled with that news, but we are!

And for Libby and Tony, they will be having a little girl! Tony will get his little princess...and Libby may have to get used to a new color palette! 


If you'd like to purchase the Mosaic Moments Grids, Calendar pages or rubber stamps please follow this link to snapncrop.com where you can purchase any of these items.

Click here to visit Wish in the Wind, LLC

Thanks so much for stopping by...

Andrea