XOXO - Sending you some Hugs and Kisses

Shop Hop 2012

How is your summer going thus far? I've visited some of my local scrapbooking stores as part of the SoCal Shop Hop. This year's theme is Wacky Holidays where each store decorates or has a photo op for their chosen holiday. I took my nephew to my home store, Pages from the Heart, where the holiday is Teddy Bear Picnic. I was assured that all the holidays are really on the calendar. 

Literally around the corner, also in Monrovia, is Scrap 'N Yap which featured National Bird Day. My hubby was thrilled to accompany me to a few of the stores.

I also traveled with a more experienced Shop Hopper, my friend and fellow Pages DT member, Becky, to a few stores. This was One Hit Wonder Day at Alhambra Camera. I think the store use to be 100% related to camera sales and repairs, but now the scrapbooking portion has taken over, and it looks to be only 20% camera related. 

While traveling around with Becky, I saw for the first time my first published project in a magazine in one of the stores! It is a framed wallhanging in Create: Embellish Idea Book, August 2012.

I was really impressed by the amount of effort some stores applied to their theme, like Scrapbooking Made Simple in Santa Clarita which celebrated Marry Poppins' birthday. All the employees dressed like chimney sweeps, the owner dressed like Mary Poppins, and they made a sugar garland using over 1,600 packets of sugar along with spoons dipped in glitter. You could also reach into Mary Poppin's carpet bag to pull out a free prize or a hat rack. 

There are 41 stores participating, stemming from San Diego to Bakersfield, but I'll be lucky to visit 10 within the two week window. 

The Reveal

I made this card for CutCardStock.com as a guest designer this month. Since they sell cardstock, I wanted to make something that featured cardstock. I eliminated the use of patterned papers and embellishments so the cardstock would be the star. I used their brown paper bag set for the base and envelope, and I used their metallic cardstock for the squares. There is a beautiful shimmer in the cardstock when you look at it in person. 

I cut out a square window from the center of the card and strung three strands of twine across the card. 

I cut out eighteen .75" squares with my paper cutter and punched out nine X's and nine O's with a hand punch. If you don't have a punch, you can use alphabet stickers. I adhered the X's and O's to the squares and adhered two squares back to back onto the twine. 

The finished squares are actually double sided on the card and can flip around when touched. I wanted to cover up the ends of the twine inside the card, so I adhered some white cardstock strips around the edges of the card. 

I wrote my sentiment using Kraft colored alphabet stickers so it would blend into the Kraft colored cardstock, and not compete with the tic tac toe design in the center. My hubby thought it looked like a Toss Across. You can see this card at Pages from the Heart. 

The Supplies

Cardstock: CutCardStock

Envelope: CutCardStock

Punch: Martha Stewart

Twine: The Twinery

Ink: Prima Chalk Edger

Sticker Alphabet: Jillibean Soup

I hope you are having a great summer. 

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Michelle