Jewels…they dress anything up, including paper crafts. From rhinestones to sequins, you can “be-jewel” just about anything. Whether you take traditional jeweled paper craft embellishments or you venture out into the jewelry craft aisles of your local store, there are endless possibilities to add a little sparkle to your projects. Jewels not only add texture, but they give projects a little edge and a sense of happiness.

I hope these jewel trends inspire you to create a project for our current challenge here.

1.  Embellished Key from Julie Laird Hawkins (via JulieSells) | 2. Sequin Hearts from Diana Albright (via Scrapbook.com)  | 3. Jewelry from Mindy Jacqueline (via zsa zsa bellagio)

Spring is just a few weeks away and just in case you need some motivation to dust off those pretty pastels and Easter inspired projects, we thought you may like to see some fun trends found on Pinterest.

spring |spriNG|
verb ( past sprang |spraNG| or sprung |spr?NG|; past participle sprung )
[ no obj. ] move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward

noun
the season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November

Although there are several definitions for the term spring, it certainly leads to something new. The fresh air, blooming flowers, and array of sunshine are all characteristics of the spring season. Traditionally, spring also holds religious elements for Christian faith believers. Regardless if you celebrate Easter or other festivities, spring is a season that surely has those identifiable trends.

I hope these spring trends inspire you to create a project for our current challenge here.

1. Easter Bunny Macarons from Raspberri Cupcakes (via Michelle Lanning) | 2. Easter Lily Backdrop from DIY or Don’t (via Christine) | 3. Egg Cups: The Pretty Dozen from Fleuretica (via Seh-Hee Koh) | 4. Tablescape from Unknown Source (via Simona Holubova)

Happy Valentine’s Day to our Embellish readers! We’re so thankful for you and love for you to stop by and get inspired, challenge yourself, and even view e-zines! Today, we wanted to share the love with you with some heart-filled projects that just so happen to fit our current challenge.

Presentation is everything. It is something I learned from my fashion teacher in high school. Your gift could be something big or even sentiment, but if you present it with pretty packaging, you are sure to catch the attention of the recipient. I created packaging ideas for gifts and food in hues of red, pink, green, and turquoise.

Metal tins are very popular in paper crafting, but what do you do with them? Simply wrap some patterned paper around the base of the tin and add some adhesive to make it stick.  You can do the same with the lid by tracing the heart shape on patterned paper, trimming, and adhering it. To finish it off, add some ribbon and trims, then embellish to your heart’s content. This heart-shaped tin can be filled with just about anything from jewelry to a sweet treat.

These small jewelry boxes are very popular for gift giving. Usually, they’re wrapped, but I though to add a doily and embellish with handmade heart-shaped garland. To create heart-shaped garland, die cut or punch heart shapes from patterned paper and cardstock. Feel free to layer various sizes. Using a sewing machine, stitch the hearts together. Wrap the garland multiple times around the box, then embellish with ribbon, button, and a tag. Make it an event for the recipient to open your gift!

Tags are super popular ways to embellish a gift. Perhaps you have a large item you are gifting to your friend or significant other – how will you package it in a true paper crafter’s handmade style? I say just add a tag. It’s super easy to create, but says that you thought to go a little step further. Here, instead of gifting those sweet valentine candies in a bag to someone, dump them in a glass and tie the tag around it. I embellished this tag with a doily, some trim, and some hearts.

Last, but definitely not least, especially for you foodies out there, cupcakes or any sweet treat may pose a big packaging challenge. I decided to focus on a cupcake in honor of Valentine’s Day to show how you can make that cupcake look like you spent all day on it! Imagine multiple cupcakes like this on a cupcake stand – I bet you that would be pretty too! On my red velvet cupcake, the cupcake liner is a silver foil liner. It’s not necessarily ugly, but here’s a way to dress it up. Take a large doily and trim two strips on a curve, then adhere to the original liner. I added a red ribbon to complete the look. For the top, I used the same hearts, added some glitter and a flower on a toothpick. Food confetti is a great addition to cupcakes, especially when you can add color and that’s how I achieved this look. Although my doily was not as large as the one used in this tutorial, I thought I would share a guideline on how to make your own doily cupcake liner.

I hope each of you share the love today with someone and don’t stop there, continue to share love every day!

Big XOXO from the Embellish Team

–Ashley

With most of the country experiencing winter weather, the cold season is finally here.  This challenge highlights the seasonal change and snowflakes.  To create a challenge out of the typical winter theme designs, I created a color combination that had a little brightness and a little darkness for balance.  You all have made some very pretty, cute, and amazing designs so far.  I hope more can join in on this fun while they wait for Santa this evening!  I even added some snowflake digital images in the previous post.  Here are some cards made by Charlene, Sarah, and myself.  We all wish each of our Embellish fans/challengers a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year.   We will return on January 1 with a new challenge and a new team!  The magazine will be revealed in the near future!  Thanks for your patience and enjoy the holidays.

Charlene

Sarah

Ashley

1. Clutch
2. Chandelier
3. Sofa
4. Jacket
5. Button Bouquets
6. Boot
7. Convertible Shawl
8. Coat
9. Pillow