Create cards in just a few minutes!

Hi Friends!!!

It's Margie, and I'm so happy to be able to share one of my favorite things to create - 

GREETING CARDS!

I am a strong believer of using up all of my scraps and bits from all of my Brimbles Box's, no matter how big or small... or even the packaging! I keep it all until I can find some creative way to use it... 

For my first card, I decided to catch up on my Holiday/Christmas stash - it is a very busy time of the year for me and it is also when I need to have a ton of cards on hand for any given moment: 

a thank you card to one of my kids teachers, a reminder note for a playdate, birthday cards, an invite to meet up for coffee, etc. 

Pre-cut and folded cards are so helpful when creating a quick simple card!

I used a Blue Glitter Notecard by American Crafts - because of the glitter, I used clear Modge Podge on the entire glitter side to seal in the glitter from having it rub off and fall all over the place (I am not a fan of glitter, lol!) I then used another notecard to create a scalloped circle to decorate the snowflake ephemera from Mrs Brimbles Winter Warmers Ephemera Pack. Added a few scrap pieces of cardstock from the Winter Wonderland 6x6 Scrapbook Paper Pad to complete the embellishment - and done! Other than the 15 minutes it took to wait for the Modge Podge to dry, this card took about 10 minutes to create.   

Quick tip: don't dwell on design!

Just pick a theme (Christmas, birthday, etc.), grab a few matching pieces and go with it!

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For my next one - I needed a quick thank you card... 

When you're pinched for time, don't hesitate to use already made embellishments and ephemera - or create your own!

On this card, I simply grabbed a tag from Amy Tangerine 'Bits' Tag set, added some baker's twine to it and mounted it onto cardstock that I embellished myself! 

This card took about 10 minutes to create. 

Quick tip: Take note of your products packaging! 

The checkered background on this card is from the tags' packaging - it matched so well that I just had to use it! Don't let cute packaging go to waste! 

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Notecards are my favorite cards to create... 

There are some quick and simple tricks to using stamps and not having to color the images... 

 I love to color, but I am quite slow at it. So when I am in a pinch, I use the "paper-piecing" method; for this card I had to stamp the image (from the Documentary Stamp Set) three times: once on the kraft notecard, another on the Winter Wonderland 6x6 Scrapbook Paper and another on some lined notepaper. Cut the two different papers and then adhere them onto the notecard. Having to fussy-cut the image may seem intimidating and daunting, but I promise, it's really not! 

Another card done in just 15 minutes...  

Quick tip: Add your own handmade embellishments too!

For example, something as simple as using a white gel pen to add dots to the sentiment to make it stand out more: eye-catching and fun!

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And for my last card, I just wanted to create a fun notecard specifically for someone I know! 

  

Again, I wanted to create a quick and simple card with minimal products and hardly any coloring... I stamped my bunny (by The Greeting Farm) directly onto the kraft cardstock, paper-pieced the balloon using a scrap from the Winter Wonderland 6x6 Scrapbook Paper Pad and added a touch of color onto the bunny with colored pencils. I added a matching scrap of cardstock from my stash and a bit of turquoise with white dots washi tape as my embellishment - and done! Another card done in less than 15 minutes. 

Quick card tip: Always remember to just have fun! 

Especially if you're creating something for someone in mind; there's no right or wrong way to create anything! And they will always treasure that you thought of them and made them feel special!

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I hope that these quick and easy tips will encourage you all to create a few cards using your scraps and bits to make someone smile :) 

Also, all of these products were items that I have received in previous Brimbles Box's!

Please go HERE to see which Brimbles Box will fit your current needs!!!

Enjoy your day :) 

Halloween mini album

For the month of October, I received this amazing Brimbles Box (Personal Ring Planner) and instantly knew that I would be using the majority of these things for a Halloween mini-album instead of in my planner!

I found this tiny 4x4 album and page protectors by DCWV in the clearance section of JoAnn's Craft Store here in the U.S. and fell in love with the size! Even though some of the Project Life cards are larger than the album, I really wanted to use the entire package of Halloween Project Life cards in it... ALL 40 of them!!!

I decided to keep decorations to a minimum since I don't have my pictures to put on the pages/cards yet... I used the 2 washi tape rolls and the Crate Paper "After Dark" puffy stickers that came in my Brimbles Box; I also colored and cut out a few stamped images (from The Greeting Farm).

Here is video of a quick flip through...
(I apologize now for the bad lighting! I recorded at night so the video would be quiet forgetting that I can add music to hide the noise, lol!)

Here are some thumbnail pics of the pages in case you cannot view the video...

And YES, I did manage to use all 40 project life cards!

Except for the 3 little scraps that you can see in the background, lol!

Oh, and I still used the other items to decorate my planner for October/Halloween too :) 

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I hope you enjoyed seeing my little mini-album and that it inspires you to get creative with your crafty items no matter what they were initially intended for!!!

Making Personal Dividers

Hello there, friends! 

It's Margie, and it's my turn to share what I have created using my September Brimbles Personal Ring Planner Box! 

I was inspired by all the pretty colors in the October Afternoon "Girl Talk" Vintage Paper Pack to create new dashboard and 5 dividers for my personal ring planner... 

For my dashboard, I used the Dear Lizzy "Documentary" Stamp Set - 

To create the look of the typewriter, I paper-pieced the different parts of the stamp by stamping it on different patterned papers, cutting it out and then piecing it together with adhesive. I also used the 'hello' stamp from the stamp set and an October Afternoon "Girl Talk" Vintage Badge to embellish one of my punched flowers; and I just love how my dashboard greets me every time I open my planner :) 

I also added in Mrs. Brimble's "The Mix Tape of My Life" laminated dashboard as a second dashboard... 

I don't currently have a laminator and really love that this laminated dashboard was included in my box! I love being able to add in some sticky notes to my planner; and this allowed me to do so without having to worry about getting sticky residue on my dashboard and dividers, until I can get them laminated! Sticky notes work very well on laminated dashboards and are so durable and long lasting too... Also, this mixtape image just brings back so many memories from my childhood, I was a lucky girl to be able to grow up in the '80s :) 

For my dividers, I used the project life and 2x2 sized cutouts in the paperback as my main focus...

It was so easy to find matching cardstock colors, as well as adding in the washi tape that came in the box... 

I'm always afraid of cutting down my pretty papers and patterns, but once I get going I am motivated to use it all! Never be afraid to try something new or add in new elements! 

Mrs. Brimbles boxes always comes with a special note from Anna herself, which is such a sweet personal touch that makes me feel like she's a dear friend of mine for ages! 

I love the typewriter watercolor that she had done for her card this month, so much so, that I had to borrow fellow designer Geraldine's idea and framed it so I can add it to my craft room's window shelf! I decided to use a black distressed frame and add some of the badees to it, and I simply adore how it turned out!  

And here is a peek at my precious leftover scraps! 

I will be incorporating these little bits into my monthly/weekly pages... and I have special plans for the October Afternoon "Saturday Morning" sticker sheet that came too - reminds me of my Saturday cartoon mornings with great big bowls of cereal, lol! 

But, I will share those projects another time ;) 

I hope something here inspires you to get creative today!

Thank you for letting me share my projects.

Margie

Instagram/Twitter: @TheBumbleGirl 

My Book Blog: Bumbles and Fairy-Tales 

My Cardmaking Blog: Oh Bumble is Me... Margie

Get to know the Design Team - Margie

It's me, Margie aka The Bumble Girl.

Hello there! My name is Margie, (many of you may know me as The Bumble Girl around social media) and I am so very happy and excited to be here on Mrs Brimbles blog today; to share a little bit about myself and my creative ways!!! 

My current planner, fauxdori, project life albums and sticker binders.

I live out on Long Island, New York, married for 12 years now, and am a stay-at-home mommy to 3 wonderful, adorable, but sticky little boys; my family is my life! Without them, I wouldn't have the support and motivation to do the things that I love to do... I have always been a creative person; I was probably the only kid in elementary school that kept her crayons sharpened and in color order, lol! I have always drawn to the stationery part of the store. I had an extensive collection of cute pens, crayons, coloring books and small paper pads. I never left the house without pen and paper. I journaled and drew a lot as a kid and teen, and then got into pencil drawing and watercolors... once I graduated high school, I lost my way and didn't do anything creatively for a long time.

After my second son was born, my sister introduced me to scrapbooking and blogging. I loved it all and jumped right into it. But not for too long! Once I found stampers and cardmakers, I knew that that was what I wanted to do... I worked with quite a few small companies and design teams, and created many, many cards. I had also started dabbling in mixed media art... 

Greeting cards that I have created throughout the past few years.

 I then took a break from stamping and cardmaking, life has a funny way of forcing you to do things that you don't want to do, lol! But couldn't let go of the blogging part of it. I loved being able to connect with people. After a few months, I decided to create a new blog. And for the last 3 1/2 years I have been blogging and reviewing books! I figured, if I couldn't get creative nor be able to journal or write, I may as well do something else I was passionate about, and that was books. And while baby boy #3 was being born and brought home, I read and read and read... 

My beloved bookshelves.

However, earlier this year, the creative itch started up again! And I am finally at that point in my life where I not only have the support from my family, but also, found that balance where I know what my limits are and how much I needed to be creative again. 

I like adding 'Currently Lists' to my project life albums and planners, on a weekly basis!

For the last few months I have jumped backed into stamping and cardmaking! A few mix media projects are waiting to be completed... I also started Project Life! To me, project life is like journaling, but now, with pictures, and I love it! I have also been art journaling, making lists... And in the midst of all of this, on Instagram, I found people who were getting all creative and artsty in their planners!!! And I just knew that I had found my people; this is where I have found bliss! 

The first dashboard I ever created.

 Being able to mix all of my creative endeavors into one spot has brought me SO much joy! As you can see from the second picture of this post, I have accumulated quite a stack of planners and fauxdoris already... and I have 2 more planners and another fauxdori enroute to me right now, lol! 

I never thought that I would find something that would allow me to use all the mediums that I love to use and fit it all in one spot - stamping, journaling, planning, lists, coloring, etc.

The love and addiction is very real, my creative friends!!!

My newest dashboard using only products from
Mrs Brimbles September Personal Planner Subscription Box

A huge thank you to Anna, for allowing me the opportunity to be on her first creative team!

I look forward to working alongside all of these creative ladies, and cannot wait to start sharing my projects with you all very soon!!!

Blog: Bumbles and Fairy-Tales 

Instagram: @thebumblegirl

Twitter: @TheBumbleGirl 

Facebook: Bumbles and Fairy-Tales Page 

Periscope: @TheBumbleGirl