Party Decor

Man this is really late as baby is now 14 months old but you know the old saying "Better late than never."

So here is the decor minus two banners from my son's first birthday. I was just so busy I wasn't able to take all the photos I would have liked but I have the memories of being with my son that matter. So without further ado here is what I made.

Cupcake Toppers:
These toppers were pieced by hand. Honestly I don't know why I do that to myself but you do what you have to for your child. Since I went with a pool/beach ball theme I matched the toppers to it. I really like the way they came out and thanks to my Cricut Explore Air I didn't have to hand cut all the pieces. Yay!

High Chair Banner:
I gave you all a sneak peek of the high chair banner awhile back but here it is in action. Again my Cricut was used to cut the center banner and number one and I went on pinterest for a tutorial of how to make the tissue paper tassels.

Banner:
This was one of 3 banners I made which I believe I may have shown the party banner. If not it is on my Instagram. The only banner I did not get a photo off was one that said "Happy Birthday (son's name)". It was a simple banner on a round backing but it came out nice nonetheless. This last banner was also used for my son's cake smash photos. Once again all pieces were cut with my Cricut.

Hoarding

So I was going through my craft supplies and wanted to weed out anything I hadn't used in a while. Now before my son was born and I knew I would have to give up my crafting space I already purged my stash. This time however I really needed to get rid of things. And that's where the title comes from. Hello, my name is Natalie and I'm a craft supplies hoarder.

My vice seems to be bling. I LOVE bling. Pearls, crystals, swirls, clear, colored, you name it. I have quite a collection because of the Scrapbook Expo and sales at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. But having a son doesn't really allow me to use much bling.  If I had a girl flowers and bling would be on every page but because I have a boy I can't use much of it. So I had to purge my stash. I have so many beautiful blings but they are going to good homes.

Another thing I like to hoard is chipboard books. A few years back that was the rage. Mini books were found on several scrapbook blogs and YouTube Channels everywhere. There are still some crafters who make them but I have steered away from them. I did however purchase tons of chipboard books from Michael's (they were $1.50 or less!) and have stored them until recently. Once again they are going to good homes. I have a few mini books I made that never got any pictures. They were just so cute and fun to make!

The last and probably largest thing I hoard is paper. Ahh paper. It's so beautiful with it's many colors and patterns. And don't get me started on paper pads. I purchased paper almost every time I walked into a craft store. 90% of the time it was because it was on sale. I have donated quite a bit of paper that was unused for many years and the only reason I purchased it was because it was on sale. Now I'm a little more selective but I have quite a bit of paper because of my Cricut. I don't purchase as much patterned paper because of this but if I need a design I will pick a sheet or two up.

So that's it. That is the extent of my hoarding. Well, there is this thing about a guy named Tim Holtz but I'll save that for another post.

My Crafting Supplies

So I know I've been bombarding you all with mommy stories and honestly you will get a lot of those. I still consider myself a crafty mama but motherhood is 99% of my life right now. I will do my best to put in craft tips and share projects as my son gets older but he's still very young right now and requires 100% of my attention.

So my first crafty post is going to be about the supplies I use most. I've been a scrapbooker for roughly 12 years or so and I've gone through a few phases. I have also gone out of the box from traditional scrapbooking into a little mixed media and digital scrapbooking. I make cards, banners, mini books, frames, use canvas, etc. I think I have dipped my fingers in at least every type of scrapbooking related phase. 

That being said I could not always purchase the best tools or most recent paper lines. I do have preference for a certain designer and prefer a certain way to scrapbook. But through all this I have come to learn what tools and supplies I really need. So here is my list (in no particular order).

1. ATG Gun

Now this can be a bit bulky and take a little bit to get used to but I love this thing because it takes me awhile to use up the adhesive. I used to use smaller tape runners and would get frustrated having to change it all the time. I can go through a few projects before I need to refill this. My suggestion is to wait for a 50% off coupon to get this as it is a little pricey. The refills are $10 for 2 so I also wait for a 50% off coupon to get my refills as well. 

2. Non-stick Craft Sheet

 Love this! It is a must for anyone who crafts. It resists paint, ink, glue, you name it. It is also heat resistant so if you use embossing powders or a hot glue gun it won't get damaged. I do suggest getting the larger size for your craft area but I also purchased the smaller size for when I craft somewhere else.

3. Cardstock

This is pretty much a given but it is always good to have a variety of solid color cardstock. I make cards as well as scrapbook so I like to have plenty on hand. Size wise I like to keep 8 1/2x11 as well as a few sheets of 12x12. Bazzill makes some great quality cardstock but thickness is really up to you. I shop a lot at Michael's so I do purchase the Recollection's brand and have had no issues. 

4. Scissors

Now I'm a little biased on these scissors only because I am in love with Tim Holtz and everything he makes. But honestly these scissors are amazing! They will cut through cardstock, grungeboard, cardboard, thin plastic and even wire. They have a pointed tip which is great for fussy cutting and the soft grip handles make cutting comfortable.

5. Paper trimmer

Along with scissors, a paper trimmer is very important.Now there are different styles of paper trimmers and prices as well. I use a simple sliding trimmer like the one pictured but you can get a guillotine style or even a roller style. Mine has the arm that slides out for larger measurements but there are trimmers that have a wider surface area too. I don't have a lot of space so this one just worked for me.

6. Cricut Machine

Again I'm a little bias on this as this is the only cutting machine I have owned. But I do love my Cricut. I have several cartridges and now with Design Space you can upload your own images. Because of this machine (and the air is the third machine I've owned from Cricut) I no longer purchase stickers. I have moved on and now cut out all my images. Personally I think it makes the scrapbook pages and other projects a little more sophisticated. As with all my other purchases, I always wait for a deal or sale or try to use a coupon if I can. 

These are probably my top crafting supplies I use on a regular basis. I don't use very many embellishments because I have a Cricut and prefer to cut out images. Every once in a while, especially when I make cards, I do use stamps and ink but otherwise these are the supplies I use regularly. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment.