I’ll be honest. I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but I do think the first of the year is a good time to reflect and set some goals for the upcoming year. My hubby teases me because I’m always in a state of planning for something – “life planning” is what he calls it (and generally runs far away when I am in this mood!). Consider these tips for achieving your goals any time of the year… not just beginning on January 1!

“I want to take more photos.” – When life gets busy, grabbing your camera may not be top of mind. Here are a few tips to take more photos this year…

• Use your camera phone. Your cell phone is likely with you pretty much all the time, so use it! Download a fun app like Instagram for the iphone or Retro Camera. You’d be surprised how high quality your photos will turn out!
• Toss your digital camera in your purse. If you make it a habit to keep it with you, you’ll be ready all the time to capture that perfect moment.
• Keep your batteries charged. Consider purchasing a second battery for your digital camera so dead batteries are not preventing you from taking more photos.
• Challenge yourself to take one photo per day. Project 365 is a fun way to capture your day-to-day life!

“I’d like to craft more.” – Ohhh, don’t we all! Not only will you create adorable DIY projects for handmade gifts or to show off to your friends, but crafting is a fun, creative outlet!

• Take a class. By signing up for a class, you will set aside the time to conquer that project (and have a ton of fun with your friends).
• Plan a crafting party. Invite your girls over, have a glass of wine and work on a project. My friends and I started a little group a few months ago and we’ve had a lot of fun so far. We all look forward to catching up and crafting.
• Get organized and plan ahead! Make a list of supplies you need for a few projects and make sure to pick them up next time you are at your local craft store. If you are a scrapbooker, print your photos so you have them on hand when you are in a creative mood.

“I want to get my photos out of boxes (or off my digital camera) and into albums!”  – Have you been waiting to start or finish that scrapbook? This is your year to do it!

• If you are a DIY gal, start by printing your photos and organizing by event. I usually use envelopes and label each set of photos to keep organized. Start picking up paper and embellishments and get that scrapbook started! If you need a kickstart, consider an Embellish DIY Kit or Project.
• Create a digital album. Designing a digital album is easier than ever, check out Shutterfly or Costco Photo Center to get started.
• Outsource it! If you haven’t finished the baby album and your baby is in college now (don’t worry – you’re not alone!), consider a custom album.

What are your tips for getting creative with your photos in 2012?

Hello! We are excited to share our 2011 Embellish Gift Giving Guide!

2012 Desktop Flip Calendar – This handmade calendar includes 12 chipboard pages – one for each month. Each page includes a cardstock colored matting for one 3×3 photo. The only thing missing are 12 of your favorite photos! This is a perfect gift for friends, family and coworkers. Calendars are just $40.

Mini Albums – Embellish Mini Albums were a best-seller in 2010 and our new and improved mini albums are now cuter than ever! These custom mini albums include 20 pre-designed scrapbook pages. Each handmade, scrapbook page includes a cardstock colored matting for one 3×5 photo. Best of all, we are happy to customize the front cover of the album. Mini albums are just $40. 

DIY Kits and Projects - Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Kits & Projects include handpicked craft products from our favorite boutique vendors for the craft-lovers on your list. DIY Kits are just $25 and allow the flexibility to create scrapbook pages, cards and more! Embellish DIY Projects include the supplies and tutorials needed to kick-start creativity with greeting cards, chipboard albums and even a mini shadowbox!

Brag Books, Basic and Premium Albums – As you know, we specialize in creating beautiful custom albums. Pick out your favorite photos and let us do the work! We will create a beautiful customized album guaranteed to exceed your expectations. Custom albums begin at $95.

Learn how to create an embellished Acrylic Mini Book! We are excited to share a step-by-step to design your own mini shadowbox!

Click here for a PDF of the Acrylic Mini Book Tutorial!

Also, just for fun — here are some detail shots of the Acrylic Mini Book!

Be sure to email photos of your project to info (at) embellishcreativedesigns (dot) com for an opportunity to be featured on the blog (AND win free goodies!). Have fun creating!

This clear acrylic mini album is the perfect coaster-size album to embellish with your favorite snapshots, quotes and journals.

Maya Road’s acrylic square scroll coaster album includes four 4″ x 4″ pages. The pages hold together with a silver chain. Each acrylic page is ready for you to unleash your creativity.

Dig out your photos and paper crafting supplies to take album from plain jane to an embellished piece of art.

If you are looking for some inspiration to get started, check out Embellish DIY kits packed with tons of the paper and embellishments!

Here’s a sneak peek of the “before” and “after” shots.

Here’s a detail shot of the “after”!

Check back tomorrow for a downloadable tutorial on how to create this adorable acrylic mini album!

Happy Sunday! Hope you have had a great weekend! I’m excited to share our first ever “Make Your Own Mini Album.” We put together these kits for an event a few weeks ago. With a few leftover, we are happy to offer them through our shop for just $15! The kit includes everything pictured below and step-by-step instructions on how to put it together! These will go quick! Make sure you get yours today! And… don’t forget the holidays are just around the corner! The project takes about 30 minutes to complete and includes a tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

The kit includes:
(3) 4×6 chipboard pages
(6) pre-cut patterned paper cardstock
(4) pre-cut solid cardstock photo mattings
(4) premium ribbons
(3) white buttons
(1) crocheted flower
(1) foot of bakers twine
(1) mini binder clip
(1) foot of tule
(1) metal ring
(1) full color tutorial with step-by-step instructions

To put the kit together, it is recommended to use: fine-tip scissors, ink, paper trimmer, hole punch, adhesive. The mini album holds about (6) photos. If you have any questions assembling the kit, feel free to contact me. Happy to help!

Your final product will look like this:

Learn how to create an embellished mini shadowbox! We are excited to share a step-by-step to design your own mini shadowbox!

Click here for a PDF of the mini shadowbox tutorial!

Also, just for fun — here are some detail shots of the mini shadowbox!

Be sure to email photos of your project to info (at) embellishcreativedesigns (dot) com for an opportunity to be featured on the blog (AND win free goodies!). Have fun creating!

The Baby Boy Blues DIY Kit is perfect for your next project!

Today is the day! Embellish is officially introducing our new DIY Kits & DIY Projects on our redesigned website and here on our new and improved blog! Our website NOW includes an online shop, so with a few clicks these new products can be in route to your doorstep.

Get ready… we will be featuring our new kits and projects here on the blog for the next week or so. We will also include full tutorials and how-to’s so you can easily complete your DIY Project from your own craft room!

 PS – Did you get our email this morning sharing the news? If not, be sure you subscribe!

This may be my personal favorite of our DIY Kits. Sunkissed Summer includes popcicles, waves, clouds, polka dots and stripes. This fun kit is complete with stickers, journaling tags and 12 bright spunky patterned paper. The patterned paper includes a solid on one side and a pattern on the other – perfect for matting your favorite photos. This collection is perfect to capture photos from your most memorable summer vacations. Next week we will feature a few DIY projects with this fun collection. Our last sneak peek will be revealed this afternoon! Check back soon!

We are so excited to share an important annoucement with all of our blog followers first!

As you know, for the first year as Embellish Creative Designs, we’ve exclusively focused on developing customized albums and gifts for our customers  Given the nature of our products, we constantly receive requests from our *crafty fans* for classes, tips, tutorials, products and projects to inspire their creativity. 

We are SO EXCITED to announce that we are launching a new product line of DIY Kits and DIY Projects for our artsy-DIY-friends! These kits are loaded with the cutest patterned paper, cardstock, embellishments, ribbon and stickers om the market. The best part of the kits is that they are not just for scrapbookers! They are for cardmakers and anyone looking for a fun way to put together a creative project. The kits include a tutorial and the opportunity to mix-and-match with our DIY projects! For example, you may select the “Everyday” DIY Kit + the ”Shadowbox” DIY Project to create an amazing themed shadowbox to keep for yourself or give as a gift!

And, don’t worry – we will still be offering our custom albums — our Kits are just a new addition to what Embellish has to offer! In the next two weeks, you will see some new and exciting changes with Embellish… a redesigned blog, updated website, online shop and… we will be revealing each of our 6 DIY Kits and Projects here on the blog for you to see first!

As always, thanks so much for your love and support! Can’t wait to open this next chapter of Embellish!

xo

Becky