Crafty State Cut Outs and Bookmarks using American Crafts Lucky Charm

I spent a few hours yesterday evening finishing up a couple of projects that I wanted to complete before our vacation. I was able to use one of my favorite scrapbooking paper collections of all time: American Crafts Lucky Charm. I love this collection, it is so dreamy and magical! The colors are what drew me in initially; navy, seafoam, coral, and pops of yellow, and pink. I am so there!!! To make the first project I am sharing today I pulled together a bunch of paper scraps of Dear Lizzy papers. I hate to waste such a pretty pattern, so I was determined to come up with something to use these for.

 After pulling out my supplies, I looked through the Silhouette Studio software and found two cuts that gave me a great idea. I have been wanting to make some new cuts of Washington State and North Carolina for awhile now, and I was ready to dive in. Here is what I came up with.

North Carolina

Washington State

These states have a lot of significance to me because North Carolina is where we currently live and Washington State is where all of our family is located. We lived there until 2 years ago when we relocated almost 3,000 miles away. I really like how my old heart-shaped buttons worked to pin the areas where we live/use to live in the prospective states. Glad that I finally found a use for those adorable buttons!

How to Make State Cut Outs:

• Go to the Silhouette online store and download the state cut outs that apply to you. If you don't have a silhouette you could find a state that is sized correctly on your computer, print it out and trace it out carefully onto white paper. Then you would use a craft knife very carefully to cut the shape out. I used THIS cut file and THIS file. For my project I sized the state cuts to be 7.5" wide (since I have an 8.5" x 10" opening in my frame.) I used white 12" x12"American Crafts paper for my Silhouette, it cuts so beautifully. I just set my Cameo to the heavy cardstock setting and set my blade accordingly. Make sure to leave room around your state cut out so that you have a white frame on all four sides, I just roughly placed it in the center of my paper.)
• Next, take scraps of your favorite scrapbook paper (I used American Crafts Lucky Charm and cut them into strips that are about .5"wide x 8" long.)
• Place these strips on a plain piece of white computer paper and arrange
• Adhere the paper strips down (I used both American Crafts this to that permanent adhesive and pop dots, this way some of them would raise up slightly higher than the others.) It gives it a little added dimension.
• Next place your state cut out on top (make sure it is sized to fit your frame.)
• Stand back and enjoy your work, and give yourself a pat on the back for using up your pretty scraps!

Since I still had a few scraps of paper left, I decided to make some bookmarks for Isabelle and I to take with us to Washington State next week. We both love to read, so they will be used frequently. They only took me about 30 minutes to whip up and I really like how simple and colorful they are. They just make me happy.

How to Make Bookmarks:

• Cut background patterned paper scraps to 7" x 2." 
• Use small strips of paper left from state project (or other scraps about .5' wide) and layer on top of the background paper. 
• Adhere paper strips once your like your design
• Attach circular embellishments using adhesive (the one on the left is from the American Crafts Lucky Charm bits pack and the one on the right is cut out with a Martha Stewart 1.5" circular punch from Lucky Charm paper.)
• Add vintage ticket stubs with tiny attacher
• Add Lucky Charm Self Adhesive Buttons
• Add twine to both bookmarks and tie, cut strings to desired length

Products Used:

• Silhouette Cameo
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Paper: Noteworthy, Wild Hearts, Pretty Poppies, Raindrops, Falling Star, Blue Skies, Dream Catcher, and Star Gazers. 
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm bits and self-adhesive buttons.
• American Crafts This to That permanent dot adhesives and foam dots. 
• 2 heart shaped buttons
• 2 vintage tickets
• Twine
• Martha Stewart 1.5" circle punch.

Let's talk crafting. Have you made any home decor items lately? What about bookmarks? Is it just me, or is pretty paper just the most exquisite thing in the entire world? I swear I frequently dream of patterned paper (true story,) I once dreamt that I lived in a stationary store. One of my favorite dreams to date. What about weird paper-related dreams? Just me??? If you have any questions about how to make the above items, please do not hesitate to ask below. I love to help. Until next time, Happy Craftin,'

xoxox

Toni