New Release: Big Happy Jig!

We’re starting 2019 off with a BIG bang! Introducing the new BIG HAPPY JIG! Custom wire designs just got a little larger. The Big Happy Jig by We R Memory Keepers is the perfect tool for creating personalized, colorful party and home decor projects.

Simply choose a design, lock the pegs into place according to the booklet, and follow the directions to wrap wire around the pegs into the desired shape.

And with new neon wire, your custom creations will light up any room!

The Big Happy Jig starts shipping to retailers mid-January, so watch for it in stores and online sometime in February!

2019 Coptic Bound Planner [Free Printable!]

Hello, and Happy Friday friends! Next week we head into 2019 and I’m so excited to start the new year! I’m looking forward to some awesome opportunities and setting some goals. Getting organized, planning and setting goals works a lot better for me if I have them written down so I can keep myself accountable and on task. Each year I make a printable calendar to help me do that, so today I’m sharing a FREE PRINTABLE planner that you can use for 2019. The cool thing about this printable calendar is that you can start it any time and you can use it for any year. It’s also pretty versatile, so you can make one for each month, or you can create one for the entire year. Take a look!

To create my planner I used my FREE PRINTABLE 2019 PLANNER which you can download below, some papers and embellishments from the Dear Lizzy New Day collection, some stickers from the Amy Tangerine Journal Studio collection, and some We R Journal Studio tools.

I started by printing the planner pages. There are 7 pages for each month–a To Do page, a monthly spread, and weekly spreads. I printed them double sided so that you can flip them over at the short end of the paper since they’re horizontally oriented. (Tip: the last page is single sided.) I used high quality printer paper that’s designed for double sided printing. You can download the FREE PRINTABLE PLANNER below:

We R Memory Keepers Printable Planner

Then I trimmed the pages (they each have a trimming guide) and folded them in half. I ordered them so that page 1 is on top and page 7 (the single page) is on the bottom, repeating this order for each month’s pages. Then I trimmed a patterned paper divider for each month from the New Day collection. Trim the dividers to 6 1/2 inches wide and 5 5/8 inches tall to match the printed pages.

Since I used a Coptic binding for my planner I grouped each month together with the divider and all of the printed pages. When creating a coptic bound book, these small groupings of pages are called “signatures”. For this book you’ll have twelve signatures, one for each month. Since this book is so thick, I saddle stitched each signature with the Book Binding Guide before binding them all together to provide more stability. Here’s how to saddle stitch the signatures using the Book Binding Guide (instructions come with the tool):

1. Place all the folded pages in your signature face up on the left side of the tool. There’s a groove in the base of the tool which makes is easy to accurately place your pages.
2. Place the piercing guide on top of your papers with the groove side facing down. Turn the screws to secure the guide, making sure the holes with the rings around them are centered along the fold of the pages.
3. Use the piercing tools to pierce every other hole (the ones with the rings). Make sure the tool pierces through all the pages.
4. Repeat these steps for all twelve signatures.
5. Use the straight needle and the wax thread to saddle stitch each signature (instructions included in the manual). Thread the needle with a single strand of thread.
6. Thread the needle through the hole at one end of the pages, going from the inside to the outside of the signature (inside pages to outer cover), leaving 3-4 inches at the end to tie a knot once you finish stitching.
7. Go up through the next hole, down through the next hole, up through the next, etc. until you reach the end.
8. Then stitch back to the other end using the opposite motion (stitch up through the down holes and down through the up holes). Repeat this all the way to the other end so that you have continuous stitches on the inside and outside of your signature. Tie the two ends in a square knot and trim the excess.
9. Saddle stitch all twelve of your signatures together, and then your ready to make your covers!

To create the covers:

1. I trimmed two pieces of book board to 3 1/2 inches wide and 5 3/4 inches long.
2. I covered them with patterned paper from the New Day collection and then pierced holes in both cover. The holes for the covers must match the holes for the signatures.
3. When piercing covers, place them on the left side of the Book Binding Guide and flip the piercing guide over so that the flat side is facing down.
4. Use the center column of holes and align the ringed holes to they’re centered like the holes for the signatures were (see above photo for details). Then tighten the screws to hold the piercing guide in place.
5. Pierce through every other hole (all the ringed ones) with the piercing tool. Repeat these steps for the other cover.

Now it’s time to bind together the covers and the twelve signatures! You can find instructions in your Book Binding manual, more details and photos in THIS POST by Eva Pizarro, and you can also watch this helpful video tutorial.

1. Use the curved needle and wax thread. Thread the needle and tie a knot in the end of the thread. Start by stitching together the bottom cover and the last signature (December pages) following the instructions in the booklet.
2. Add the November signature using the instructions, and then continue adding all the signatures in reverse order through February. If you’d like you can add sequins to the coptic stitches to embellish your book.
3. Finish off the book with the January signature and the top cover. Tie the loose end in a square knot and trim the excess. I added a pom pom tassel from the New Day collection, attaching it to the binding stitches on the outside of the planner.
4. Tip: I used multiple strands of thread (about four) since it’s easier to stitch smaller lengths of thread. Just be sure to finish a length at the end of a signature, and start a new length at the beginning of a signature.
5. Once you’ve finished binding your planner, you can decorate the inside pages! I like to use flat embellishments (stickers, rub ons, washi tape, ephemera, stencils) so I don’t add too much bulk to the book.

Since this planner can be used for any year and can start at any time, you’ll need to add the dates. You can write them, stamp them, or use stickers from the Journal Studio. I used my colored pencils.

Decorate your front cover with stickers, washi tape, rub ons or ephemera. I used the Dear Lizzy New Day and Amy Tangerine Journal Studio collections.

This would be a fun weekend craft project to get ready for the new year next week. Thanks for stopping by! Have a fun and crafty weekend friends.

Supplies:

Book Binding Guide
Magnetic Alphabet Stencils
Magnetic Symbol Stencils
Journal Guide
Washi Tape
Washi Tape Keychain
6×6 Book Board
Precision Glass Cutting Mat
Craft Knife
Supreme Ruler
Dear Lizzy New Day CollectionDear Lizzy New Day Collection
Amy Tangerine Journal Studio Sticker Book

Throwback Thursday: Year in Review Mini Album

Hello We R Memory Keepers friends and fans, Becki here to share a fun “Year in Review” mini album with you. I used three of my favorite We R Memory Keepers tools to create this mini album. I absolutely love how this album came together. When I started creating the album I thought that I would include 5-10 of my favorite photos from 2017. As I gathered photos, I realized that there was no way to narrow down the number of photos to 10 to tell the story of our year. 2017 was a very eventful year for our family. This year in review album has over 20 photos.

I streamlined the creative process by printing all my photos at 4×4. In this album all the photos are on the right side and the journaling is on the left. To create a space for all the journaling, I used the frame punch board to create 3 ½ x 3 ½ square frames.

Then, I printed the journaling to fit inside the frame.

On a few of the pages, I used the clear cut punch to create a window so that the reader could get a sneak peek of the photo that was on the next page.

It was so easy to create a cute heart window using the clear cut punch. I love that I was able to move the punch around the page so that I could make the heart window where ever I wanted to on the page.

Even though, the album contains a LOT more photos than I originally intended, I love the story that it tells.

Using a few of my favorite tools from We R Memory Keepers made creating this album so easy and fun. Thank you for stopping by the We R Memory Keepers blog. Happy 2018 my friends!

 

Supplies:

Frame Punch Board

Clear Cut Heart Punch

Crop-a-dile

Crate Paper Carousel Collection

2018 Year in Review Scrapbook Page

Hello everyone! It’s Eva Pizarro on the blog today sharing a layout using some tools from our Journal Studio line.

 

The Journal Studio line is perfect for planning but you can also use most of the tools for scrapbooking layouts, mini albums and more! For this layout I used my Magnetic Alpha Stencils to create the month names and my Book Binding Guide to create a frame for my layout.

The Book Binding Guide comes with a Booklet with several Japanese bindings, I used one of those guides to punch holes on the border of my layout. Because the 12 x 12 sheet is longer than the tool I simply unscrew the top of the tool and slide the page to have full coverage.

 

To create my month titles I used my  Alpha Stencils. They are magnetic so you don’t have to worry about the guides moving! And there are Icons Stencils also! You should check them out!

You can use any pencil you like, I used my son’s markers to make the titles.

To create my journaling guides I used my Mini Magnetic Mat, I love this little tool and it is my go to tool when I need perfectly straight lines!

I stitched my Japanese binding border with colored threads and I really like the texture it gives to my page.

I completed my layout without using any supplies! Just a few tools, markers and thread.

2018 was  great a year for my family and I am counting on 2019 being a better one! I am glad I can keep all our highlight moments in just one page. How was your year? Are you making a year in review layout?

Eva

 

Supplies

Book Binding Guide
Mini Magnetic Mat

Magnetic Alpha Stencils

 

 

2019 Goal Tracker with the Journal Studio

Hello there!  It’s Rebecca with you for my last post of 2018!  It’s so hard to believe that the year will be over in just a few short days, isn’t it?  As I’ve been buried in the hustle, bustle, and tinsel of the holiday season, I’ve also been giving a little bit of thought to 2019 and what I’d like to do with a brand-new year.  Of course, there are the obligatory goals—exercise more, eat healthier, get more sleep, drink more water, etc.  I also always give a thought to what I’d like to accomplish as a creator.  In today’s post, I’ll give you a peek at my goal tracker and show you some of the We R Memory Keepers Journal Studio tools I used to help me stay focused.

I’m excited to finally take my graphic design up a notch with ProCreate for the iPad Pro. There are many creative areas I’d like to further develop—sketching, hand lettering, water coloring, just to name a few.  My list was getting pretty long, and I began to think I was taking on far too much.  But when I really started to think about it, I realized that many of the techniques I’d like to learn or improve could be accomplished by tackling ProCreate.

With my list not sounding as daunting now, I set out to figure a way to track my progress.  I really wanted a way to stay accountable and focused, while keeping track of what I was learning.  I pulled out a May Designs journal which has grid pages, as well as a perpetual week in review.  I could make my tracker on one of the 2-page grid spreads and use the weekly calendar to track progress.

I turned first to the WRMK All In One Journal Tool, using several of its features on the 2-page grid spread.  My idea was to track the entire year of practice, so I used the top part of the guide to create 12-month tracker.  I made 3 circles and 12 straight lines to divide the large circle into 12 parts.  Those serve as January through December, and go in a monthly order, with January at the top.  I then drew 3 horizontal lines in each month’s column, which gave me 4 long rectangles; they represent 4 weeks per month.

Underneath the circle tracker, I’ve created my color key.  I used the Journal Tool again to make this, utilizing the 3-lined stencils and 3-circle markers.  I color-coded each circle to represent how many days per week I’ll practice ProCreate.  It’s possible I’ll allow myself weekend breaks, though I’ve included the 6-7 days/wk option in case I change my mind.  I’m looking to form productive habits with this, too, and practicing every day is the best way to establish those.

When I finish the week, I’ll fill in the grid with the corresponding color.  (I’m keeping daily track on the weekly spread, which I’ll share later in the post.)  I’ve filled in December as an example, though I haven’t actually been keeping very good track of my practice, as it’s been few and far between this month!

I’ve made some notes about where to find inspiration and resources in case I get stuck.  Both the “Find Inspiration” banner, as well as the half-box were made with the Journal Tool, and similar drawings are on the facing page, as well.

Speaking of the facing page, I used the Magnetic Alphabet and Symbol Stencils to trace 2019 CREATE onto the top of my page.  I covered the words with some opaque washi tape to add some color to the pages and used a few darker strips for the same purpose.

I included some of the illustration hashtags I like on Instagram, which will be another resource throughout the year.  I’ve left extra space in that box, as well as in the inspiration box, because I’ll likely find more of both in the future.

Lastly, I want to keep a list of all the art and design skills I hope daily practice in ProCreate will help to improve.  While I won’t be tracking those individually, I’d still like to keep them in mind in order to stay accountable to them.

Here’s a quick look at my week-at-a-glance, as well.  I’ve kept it simple, filling in the dates for the first week of January, and on each day, indicating a space for both the number of minutes I practiced, as well as the particular skill I worked on.

On the opposite page, I used the Alphabet Stencils again to write THIS WEEK IN PRO CREATE.  I created a box to write notes, tips, or thoughts with the All-in-One Journal Tool, and I’ve got a spot to write down the total minutes and days practiced.  This page set up is subject to change, depending on what I want to write down each week.  I may also decide to track the week with a similar circular tracker, as well; it remains to be seen.

I’m excited to begin, and excited to (hopefully) watch my improvement!  It’s also nice to have a notebook exclusively devoted to this goal so it’s easier to stay focused.

A couple other things I wanted to mention are the Travel Workspace and Washi Spool Keychain you’ll see in the photos.  They’re a couple of handy tools that, even though I’m not traveling far (mostly from my desk to my couch or dining room table!), these hold the necessary utensils so I can work on this anywhere.  It’s got a nice hard surface on which to write, and plenty of pockets.  The Washi Spool clips onto it, and the outside is soft felt so it’s gentle when I’m carrying it with my iPad.  It doesn’t get handier than that!

Wishing you all a very Happy (and productive) New Year!

 

Supplies:

All In One Journal Tool

Magnetic Alphabet Stencils

Magnetic Symbol Stencils

Washi Keychain

Travel Workspace

New Release: Precision Press Advanced Accessories

Hello and Happy Friday friends! Christmas is almost here, but it always feels like Christmas when we get to announce our new releases. Today we’ve got some fun new releases for you stampers out there. Check out our Precision Press Advanced Accessories!

Typeset Stamping Block & Letters

Easily stamp any word or phrase with the Typeset Block & Letters set! Its unique alignment grooves make setting letters easier than ever.

The rubber corners provide equal stamping pressure, while clear acrylic allows you to see where you are stamping!

 

Use it as-is or with the Precision Press Advanced (sold separately). Package includes 2 alphabet sets and storage cases.

Pattern Stamping Block

Turn any stamp into a pattern with the Pattern Stamping Block!

Its unique base plate can be moved up and down or across to accommodate different projects, and the clear acrylic allows you to see where you’re stamping!

This package includes one Pattern Stamping Block with 4 pattern stamps.

Precision Stencils

Add beautiful stencils to any project with ease!

Align stencils perfectly by pairing with the Precision Press Advanced (sold separately). Each stencil can be layered to create multi-colored designs, perfect for custom designs.

Stencils stay securely in place with peg and hole system for perfect stamps every time! This package includes 12 stencils.

Thanks for stopping by for our exciting announcement. We know you’re going to love these new releases! Which Precision Press Accessory are you most excited to try?

New Year’s Eve Confetti Favors

Hey there We R friends, Laura here today! I don’t know about you, but I am in disbelief the New Year will be here in just a few short weeks. I feel like I say that every year now that I am older, but time sure does seem to be flying by. Today I am sharing how to create some festive confetti party favors for your New Year’s bash!

First off, we need to create something to hold our pretty gold and silver confetti in. I love using traditional gold and silver for my New Year’s crafts. The gorgeous gold striped acetate is perfect for creating little pockets to hold the confetti.

Use the pocket maker punch board to create the little pockets. You can cut your acetate down to 6 inches by 6 inches and then get four pockets out of each sheet. Use the punch board to cut the corners and score the pocket. Assemble using adhesive.

I think New Year’s decorations and crafts always look cuter when you add the year. So, to do this, I used the mini alphabet punch board to create the “19” for 2019. I attached the numbers to the outside of the pocket using foam adhesive squares.

And to make these little confetti shaker pockets even more festive, I used my Happy Jig to create the word “yay!” for each one. I did half out of silver wire and half out of gold wire. I attached the words to the front of the pockets using a little adhesive. You can find the pattern for this design here on Instagram.

I filled each pocket with some gold and silver confetti that will be perfect to hand out at our New Year’s Eve festivities!

These pockets would also be perfect for filling with a little candy treat or noise maker, too!

Do you like traditional gold and silver for your New Year’s crafts, or something else?

Supplies:

Clearly Posh Acetate

Pocket Punch Board

Mini Alphabet Punch Board

Metallic Foil Gold and Silver Sheets

Gold and Silver Confetti

Happy Jig

Happy Jig Wire

New Years Eve Party Decor

Hello We R fans! Soraya here today to share a decor inspiration for the New Year Eve party! Let’s make big tassels and pop it up with hot pink letters!

The Tassel Loom is the perfect tool to create tassels (small, medium or large size) in a very easy way! I made several of them using pink and black/silver yarn. The color combo is girly and festive in a same time!

With a silver washi tape, I’ve decorated the top of each tassell. I love the bright detail it brings to them!

For the banner, I used the Alphabet Punch Board and a hot pink cardstock. I followed the instructions in the guide book to create the “Happy New Year” banner. And for the small papers (3×5 inches) I used my Trim & Score Board to easily cut them all.

And voilà ! All you have to do now, is to add embellishments, ribbons… sequins, silver stars… and party with your family and friends!

I hope you had fun joining me for this inspiration. Happy creating everyone and have a wonderful end of the year!

Soraya

Supplies

Tassel Loom

Alphabet Punch Board

Cardstocks are from Bazzill.

Embellishments

Black and pink yarns

Silver washi tape

 

2018 Photo Garland

Hello, We R friends! Enza here, and today I’m sharing a fun garland created with the Frame Punch Board.

Every year towards the end of December, I like to put together a year-in-review type of project that is a collection of our best moments. It can be a mini album, a grid layout, or a home décor piece that displays one photo per month, and gives a general idea of what our year looked like.

For today’s project, I decided to go with a garland. What I like about this type of project is the flexibility of moving things around, add fun embellishments, and have the opportunity to enjoy the photos at any time.

I opted to create a variety of frames in different sizes. The Frame Punch Board is super easy to use; by simply adjusting the alignment bars, you can vary the thickness of the borders.

I picked the Hooray! collection by Crate Paper for the frames, and a combination of embellishments from several Maggie Holmes collections to decorate them. Some of the frames measure 3.5×4”, others 3×5”. I used foam tape to adhere my elements down, just to give them some dimension. I then traced and fussy cut the numbers for the year to thread through the first row. The Mini Alphabet Punch Board would work as well for this. I only have the regular size one, so the numbers were too big compared to the frames.

I used white and gold twine to thread all my elements together.

I love how this garland turned out. It is the perfect way to remember the past year. It would also be a great gift idea for grandparents! I know my parents would love to have photos of the kids on their wall or mantel.

Thank you for stopping by!

Enza

 

Supplies:

Frame Punch Board

Crate Paper Hooray!

Crate Paper Flourish

Crate Paper Willow Lane

New Year’s Eve Party Favor with the Emoji Punch Board

Hello We R fans! Kimberly here today with a sweet (literally) party favor for your upcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations. It’s a busy time of year during the holidays, but when we host a gathering, we still want to have those handmade, extra-special touches. This project is going to check all those boxes for you! Easy, thoughtful, and fun! The We R Memory Keepers Emoji Punch Board is going to bring out the smiles in everyone!

The time-honored tradition of kissing your love at midnight can stay alive and well (and cootie free) with these adorable kisses, with a kissy face.

Using the Emoji Punch Board and the pre-cut paper pad, I made these kissy faces quickly! The faces are almost the exact same size as the candy, so they fit perfectly on the bottom with a small amount of adhesive.

Beginning with the heart eyes, I followed the instructions on the punch board. To create the heart eyes, I placed my paper on the side labeled “eyes” on the punch board. I flipped my paper over and punched the second eye. I followed that with the mouth, and then the final punch of the circle shape. These are so cute, I may need to make more for Valentine’s Day!

To help explain to the guests what the treat is, I created a card of sorts. Using the Word Punch Board, I created paper strips saying “kiss me at midnight.” Behind the letters, I layered glitter cardstock to bring some shine to the project. I also added a couple of glitter kissy faces to the card as well. Fast and fun and sure to be memorable as well!

Who will you be “kissing” at midnight this year?

 

Supplies:

We R Memory Keepers:

• Emoji Punch Board
• Emoji Punch Board Paper Pad
• Word Punch Board
• Trim & Score Board