Hello everyone! Happy November! Are your schedules getting busier and busier for the upcoming holidays? We here at Waffle Flower Crafts like to work a little ahead and be prepared :) We are kicking off a Twelve Days of Gift Giving event on the WF Blog today!   Our design team will be using scoring boards throughout the days so we would like to cover some basics first.

Basic Scoring Boards

If you are new to paper crafting, here are the three most commonly used products that can do the scoring for us. All of them have a smaller/mini version but the 12"x12" versions are recommended for general paper crafting purposes.

Martha Stewart Crafts Scoring Board and Envelope Tool

Belonging to a well-known brand, the MS Board is widely available all over the world. In the US, they can easily be found at Michael's, Jo-Ann and Hobby Lobby. We also found that they are sold at Amazon for $14.99. (Link below) The MS Board has the measurements for both Imperial (Inches) and Metric (Centimeters) in one package. It also includes a triangle tool to help us score those diagonal lines. The scoring guides (grooves) on the Martha Stewart board are in increments of 1/8". Some people don't like the bone-folder (scoring tool) that comes with the board and they will usually purchase a separate scoring tool of their liking to use with this board.

Scor-pal Measuring & Scoring Board

The thing we like about Scor-pal is that it is a family owned business dedicated to scoring boards. The owners have spent a lot of effort in providing inspiration and craft tutorials. Try their project list here. You can find them now on Amazon for $20.52. (Link below). Scor-pal has two separate products for Imperial (Inches) and Metric (Centimeters) so please pay a little attention when ordering. There is a triangle tool (Scor-ENVI Template) available as an add-on for scoring diagonally. The older version of a Scor-pal (the one linked below) has an increment of 1/4" with a few exceptions to make certain projects easier. The new Scor-pal (available this November) will have the 1/8 inch grooves right across the board. For $29.99, you can pre-order their new and improved version with a free Scor-Envi on their website here. We didn't know about this until we visited their website for this post. We're excited!

Fiskars 12 Inch SureCut Paper Trimmer + Score Blade

Like the MS Board, the good thing about Fiskars is that it is widely available. Many of you probably already have it in your stash. If you don't have a lot of room for storage or don't need a lot of scoring in your crafts, the Fiskars Trimmer + Score Blade would be a great choice. For our project tomorrow, we do not need a paper trimmer but a paper trimmer is a must-have for all paper crafters. If you are just getting started, we recommend getting a paper trimmer before a scoring board. If you can, get both!

Advanced Scoring Boards (Punch Boards)

We think We R Memory Keepers revolutionized the paper crafting industry with their Envelope Punch Board. As of today, there is a family of 6 punch boards in the market with more coming. They can be easily found at Michael's, Jo-Ann and Hobby Lobby as well as online. The special projects can be done on a basic scoring board with some work, but the punch boards make the tasks easier. - Envelope Punch Board - Gift Box Punch Board - Gift Bag Punch Board - Candy Box Punch Board - Pillow Box Punch Board - Flower Punch Board If you are getting just one board, we recommend the Envelope Punch Board. Here are some projects Nina has shared on the blog using the Envelope Punch Board.

A Holiday Cookie Wrap?

Nina made this for Paper Crafts Holiday Cards & More Vol.8 Blog Hop. May we say that it was a hit? Fun and easy to make! There is something about punching paper that grants us satisfaction!

A Mini Envelope for A Card?

One thing that we like the most about the Envelope Punch Board is that we can make many different sizes of envelopes! The one shows on the card is a custom size Nina came up with - check out all the measurement details here!

Even Making a Box from it?

We also love the Gift Box and Gift Bag punch boards. You can see them in action in Nina's previous posts:

Playing with Gift Box Punch Board (with Video)

Hello everyone! Have you heard the news that We R Memory Keepers and American Crafts are now one company? I am excited about this acquisition. For my Studio post today, I used the new WRMK Flower Punch Board and some beautiful paper from AC/Pebbles Special Delivery. The flowers are BIG – ranging from 3" to 9" in diameter. I had so much fun mixing and matching the sizes. It is amazing how these beautiful flowers were made from a simple punch board and a stem kit! Flower sizes and simple directions are printed on the board but it took me a while to figure out how to fold the petals. Once you have it figured out, it will be very fun and relaxing! So I put together a quick tutorial to share today!

Tutorial

Flower Size: S (5" dia.) Paper Size: 2-5/8" x 12"

1. Punch and Score:

Follow the directions printed on the board.

2. Fold the Paper:

"Mountain Fold" means that you fold the paper down at score-line to create a "mountain"; "valley fold" means that you fold the paper up at score-line to create a "valley". Keep folding and you will see a flower shape forming:

3. Finish the loop:

Add adhesive to the first little triangle as shown and adhere the two ends together. And when opened up, you will get a flower!

4. Curl the Petals:

I think it is a genius idea to include a roller in the board! Curled petals give the flower a more realistic look.

5. Add Stem

We get 10 sets of stems in one Stem Kit. I punched a scallop circle to use as a simple layer with the flower. Remember to add the beautiful center stem piece before you screw on the end: Easy, peasy, right? All you need is to pick your flower size and punch away! Here are the sizes I used on my project:

Giveaway

We R Memory Keepers is generously letting me giveaway a Flower Punch Board + Stem Kit to a lucky winner on the blog!

How to Enter

Enter the giveaway using the following widget by July 30, 2014! No purchase needed.

We would love it if you could follow We R Memory Keepers on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shopping Code for Everyone

Use coupon code WAFFLE for 20% off your entire order at shopwer.com <– WRMK’s official online store.

For your convenience, here are the direct links to the products I used on my project.

Flower Punch Board

Flower Stem Kit

Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I'm sharing a Lucky Clover Door Hanger on Pebbles  Blog today and thought it would be fun to share how I made the 4-leaf clover here! My project was for St. Patrick's Day until I found out that Shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers are different... Did you know that? I was totally inspired by the Buttflies from Pebbles Garden Party collection! It was harder than I thought to create the look, but now we have a template pattern to make our lives easier!

How to Make the Lucky Clover

1. Download template: http://cl.ly/2s1G3m3M272f, print and cutout as indicated.

2. Trim paper to 3-1/2"W x 7"L, score every 1/4" widthwise. Score and fold in half lengthwise, pattern side in.

3. Put the straight edge of the template against the fold and trace the scallop edge on the back.

The black solid lines on the pattern indicate score lines. You don't need to score/fold the pattern itself. The lines are there so that if you don't have a scoring board, you can use the lines as guides to score your paper.

4. Cutout the scallop edge, open up your paper and fan-fold. Start with a mountain fold on either end.

5. Fan-fold means alternating your mountain folds and valley folds.

6. Secure the center with floral wire

7. Fan out to desired shape and we are done!

A quick note: If you are attaching the shamrock to an open surface, secure the wire with some washi tape can help protect fingers from the sharp edges. Now head back to Pebbles Blog to check out the finished project! Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I'm sharing a Valentine's Day decoration on Pebbles Blog today and thought it would be fun to share more step photos and a free pattern here. I picked a few of my favorite patterns from Pebbles Yours Truly collection and die cut a bunch hearts in various sizes. I used a set of nesting dies but you can also hand drew your own. I hand drew a cloud on the grid paper to be my base panel. I've made it into a pattern that you can download at the end of this post. I arranged the hearts in a random pattern and adhered them together with some foam adhesive. I also used some printed chipboard shapes for more visual interest. Finished! Download the cloud pattern here: Click on a link to go to the download page. You are welcome to share the projects you make with these  templates as long as proper credit is given. Please link to this post and not the file directly. Thanks! PDF (For use with your printer and then cut by hand with scissors) .studio (For use with Silhouette electronic die cut machine) Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season? Popped in to share a few boxes I made with the new Gift Box Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers.

Video Demo

As a box lover, I am excited about all the new punch boards. Here are three things I like the most about the Gift Box punch board:

• It does not require any additional supplies except a paper trimmer. No adhesive needed.
• Because of the design, the finished box is sturdier than a common scoring board box.
• We can make boxes up to 4"x4"x4". (The box dies on the market today usually make boxes no bigger than 2"x2"x2").

Watch the video below or in HD on YouTube. http://youtu.be/k9CLThGQwVw

An Alternative

Shown in the video was one way to finish the box. I would like to share an alternative here.

1. Score, Punch and Fold

I trimmed letter-size cardstock to 8" x 8" and followed the instructions:

2. Mountain Fold the diagonal score lines.

The diagonal score lines were Valley Folded in the video for a smooth outside finish. But we can also Mountain Fold them to add more visual interest to the outside.

3. Staple the flaps to the outside of the box.

This finish will make the square boxes look like a take-out box. (As shown in the video.)

4. Use a belly band to finish it up.

I wrapped my box with a simple belly band and tied some twine. Quick, easy and satisfying. I had a blast!

GIVEAWAY

Thanks We R Memory Keepers for providing a punch board for my blog readers to win! Enter to win a Punch Board of Your Choice! a Rafflecopter giveaway You can always save 20% on your entire order at shopwer.com using my special promote code: WAFFLE. Did you know the "Free Shipping on All Orders" promotion there this week?

I'm trying a new giveaway tool this time. Hope that it will make the entries easier! Good luck, everyone! No purchase is required to enter the giveaway.

Hello everyone! I know It's been busy on the blog lately, haha! But it's better to share a Christmas advent calendar earlier than later, right? Even if you don't do countdowns for Christmas,  you could use it to collect love notes to family members or simply as a decoration, in a fabulously festive way. I've got lots of photos to share today! Learn how to make the big 3D star, paper trees and reindeer in my post here.

Supplies

Printable Christmas Countdown Activity List (free download here!) Paper Scissors Adhesive String (I used twine) Envelope Punch Board (Or a scoring board to make envelopes) Crazy Mesh (Gold Metallic) [Optional] Decorative Punches [Optional] * All supplies were found and bought at Jo-Ann Store (coupon linked below)

The Tree

The first thing I did was to wrap the tree with some gold metallic mesh for an instant festive lift. We've had this tree for a long time. I think it is easy to find an alternative or you can just hang the envelopes together on a hook or a string across your mantel.

How to make the envelopes

I used two sizes of envelopes on my tree. The activity cutouts from my list (linked above) will fit nicely in the smaller envelopes: Cut paper to 3"x3" and start scoring at 1-3/4" to make this envelop: For this envelope size, two of the corners will stick out a little. You can snip off the extra or use a corner punch with a bigger radius: I used an 1" circle punch to punch the numbers out here but you can just cut around them by hand. Remember to put the twine (for hanging) and the activity cutout in before you seal it. For the bigger envelope - Cut paper to 4"x4" and start scoring at 2-1/4". I made this envelope size so I can use the bracket numbers cutout from the paper.

Decorate the Envelops

Almost all paper pads have a couple of journaling or accent paper. I cut the elements out to decorate the envelopes.

More Photos

Did you notice the big red doily the tree is sitting on? It was punched with a doily punch! I've been wanted to try one of these ever since I saw them at CHA back in January this year. And Thanks to the coupon, I finally brought it home!

The 50% Off Coupon

Use it in-store or online. Use it on the Envelope Punch Board, Martha Stewart Circle Edge Punch Starter Set, or any other cool stuff you've wanted. This post is part of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores® Celebrate the Season campaign. I received compensation in craft supplies; however, this is my personal, honest opinion based on my experience.  All products used were my personal choice.

More Inspiration

I would like to take the chance to thank Jo-Ann for having me in this campaign. I've known that Jo-Ann has the widest selection of products and best deals all along. And now I've grown the habit to check out the Idea Sheets displayed at my local Jo-Ann store every time I go there. I can tell that Jo-Ann has put a great effort in providing us with more craft inspirations. You can find some really amazing projects in their Holiday Craft Catalog here: http://bit.ly/1dZqWsw. Here are the links to my other posts for this campaign: Rustic Fall/Thanksgiving Tablescape Pom-Pom Spider for Halloween Decoration I hope that you will have tons of fun creating for this fabulous holiday season. Stay warm! Stay connected via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube! 

Hello everyone! Following the Halloween Activity List I shared here, I've made a Boo Street Halloween decoration for the Pebbles Blog! I would like to share how I made the octagon boxes (frames). You can prepare the squares with your scoring board or download and cut the squares with the .studio file I have put together for your Silhouette.

Preparation: Cut 6 Squares

- [Option 1] Download the PDF pattern here. Please find the preview below. We will need to prepare 4 of the [1] square and 2 of the [2] square. You can pre-score the fold lines for crisp folds. - [Option 2] Download the .studio cutting file here. Please find the preview below. I've included all 6 squares needed in the file. The last two squares are for the top and bottom covers with which you can choose to cut on some different patterned paper.

Folding/Assembly Steps:

[Video Tutorial]

[Photo Tutorial]

And here is a sneak peak of my finished project. Check it out here! Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting! Linked to scrapbook.com where this collection is 30% off.

Hello everyone! I can't believe that Valentine's Day is just a week away. My 2013 has been WILD! I have a small tutorial today for a quick heart banner.

I made it within 10 minutes:) The finished heart is about 8-1/2" - a good size for home decorations. This is also a great way to use some of the pretty paper we've been hoarding collecting. I used my favorite V Day collection of all time: With Love by Pebbles.

Here is what you will need for this project: 12x12 Paper Craft Pins Twine A scoring board (Scor-pal, Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Score-it...) Cut paper to 4" x 12". This is the front of the paper I am using. Step 1. On the back of the paper, score at 6" and make a small mark at 2" as shown: Step 2. Flip paper, align the 2" mark and the bottom of the 6" score line we made in step 1 along the 4-1/4" line, score.  Step 3. Fold as shown. Step 4. Mark the corners and fold back to form the heart shape.  Clip it to the twine and you are done! :) Have fun! We have a sponsored giveaway today :) Kelly with Scraputante contacted me for guest designing for them earlier and agreed to sponsor a giveaway instead. Scraputante is generously offering a $20 store credit to one lucky winner and a 15% off coupon for my blog readers by using code WAFFLE15 by the end of February, 2013. Here is a brief introduction to the store:

Our name is a creation of our founder--we think that the the most discriminating in crafters only want to use distinctive supplies, luxury embellishments and designer papers.  Instead of debutantes, we think of ourselves as scraputantes.  We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Visit http://www.shop.scraputante.com to browse our products from A to Z and around the world.

Leave a comment to this post by the end of Feb 14, 2013. You can also share with me your favorite "Love" collection or some new collections you are digging :) Good luck!

Welcome to Joy's Life May Design Team Blog Hop & Giveaways! I'm so glad that you joined us! If you came from Joy's blog, you are right on track! I am a big fan of party crafts: paper hats, favor boxes, cupcake liners, cupcake stands and banners are so fun to make! Here in Arizona, we have been on shorts since March:) Summer is finally coming to most of US! :) I went with the neon trend this time. (Supplies are linked at the end of this post.) "enjoy" from Sweet Popsicle Puns, "thank you" from Tag You're It Set One" by Joy's Life. I like how "enjoy" fits right into the Party Picks. Cupcake Liner die takes a half sheet of letter sized paper to make one (5.5" x 8.5"). The cupcake stand die is out of stock at the moment, so I found a similar design in the Silhouette store (not as sophisticated but still cute :) Aren't they the cutest party favors? :) I made a video tutorial for them, you can find it here. The party hat body is made from a half sheet of letter sized paper (5.5" x 8.5"). The string holes are cut by the die-cut machine as well. Yummy cupcakes! Orange seems so right for summer! I die cut a bunch of circles from scraps and sew them together to make this banner:) Easy and pretty! I had so much fun putting this party set together:) (And ate more than enough cupcakes along the way ;) I hope that you are inspired to create something yourself! You can find more party ideas here (my Paper Crafts Magazine Party Ensembles Grand Final Prize Winner project :)

Giveaway

Joy is generously giving me a set of Joy's Life stamps to give away. :) Enter by leaving a comment to this post telling us what is your favorite party theme: birthday, baby shower, 4th of July, Halloween… Easy, right? ;) I will draw a random winner on Monday May 28th:) The winner will receive a set of his/her choice :) Your next stop is Patty's blog Crafty Kitten! If you get lost along the way, please head back to Joy's blog for the full list of blogs! :) Enjoy the hop and the giveaways! Happy Crafting! Enter for CAS-ual Fridays Challenge: Clean And Simple projects using punches, or dies. Happy Crafting!

Happy Tuesday Crafters! It is not a secret that I am a big fan of paper boxes! I have had my eyes on the fabulous Juice Box die by Lifestyle Crafts Core Collection for about 3 months and now it is finally shipping at  lifestylecrafts.com :) My blog readers can use code WAFFLE at checkout for 20% off the entire order. If this is your first time playing with a box die, the following video tutorial may help you get started quickly:) Note 1: Cutting the notches is not a must but if you are using cardstock or heavy weigh patterned paper, the notches will help you get a clean and crisp look. Note 2: The scored lines were going to be folded in different ways so I did not pre-fold them all - less chance for the perforated lines to break. You can also put a piece of scotch tape on the back. Note 3: Practice makes perfect. I made about 6 to get the hang of it :) But with the tutorial, I hope that you can be perfect at first try! :) Any unclear, please feel free to leave a comment to this post :) Have fun! They make the cutest party favors ever! Checkout my summer party ensemble here! You may be also interested in: DIY Mini Envelopes. I will share more of my projects using the new dies this month, so stay tuned~ :) Happy Crafting!