We are pleased to introduce our classroom. This area of the site will include tutorials, classes and new ideas for wonderful projects. Please keep come back often as new content will be added on a regular basis.

Sewing Tips and Tricks by Hilde Janbroers

This month's challenge is to create page incoporating sewing. To help inspire you, here is a list of tips.

1) Use your embroidering thread on the leaves of flowers you use....it can be a really nice touch! You can use this pattern on the middle of the leave /\/\/\/\/\.

2) Use a stamp with a bold picture like a large flower or something similar and just sew over the stamp's image.

3) Use a piece of fabric as a photo mat and sew it onto your layout. It can be sewed a bit messy which can be a very cool effect!

4) If you have a flower cluster on your layout, draw some swirls with a pencil out of it, so you can sew on top of the pencillines. You can create great swirls!

5) Just sew around your photo(s) as a border. A nice little detail!

6) Want to add a piece of ribbon? Just sew it on your layout, looks fab!

7) Did you add a flower on your layout? Why not create an embroidered flower leaf next to it?

Calendars of the Month by Terri Hayes

I love the Webster's Pages journaling cards and mini calendars and wanted to come up with a project that uses both. The idea is that you could use one as a card, or as a journaling area in page, or you can create a whole set that you could use as a very pretty desk calendar.

Supply List

1. Webster's Pages Journaling Cards (there are 12 - I used all of them - one for each month)

2. Webster's Pages Mini Calendar Journaling Cards (on the back side of these are even smaller versions of the cards - I used 12 of the little ones which equals half of the cards in the set)

3. Webster's Pages Vintage Trim (I used a little of each of the 7 trims in the package) Webster's Pages papers (I used the following papers: Peacefulness, Grace, Amber Waves, Purple Majesty, Crushed Velvet, Secret Garden, Flutterby, Shady Lane, Splendor, Bountiful)

4. Making Memories Mini Shimmer Letter stickers in Aqua, Rust and Pink

5. Prima Flowers

6. Heidi Swapp Bling

Instructions

Note: These are instructions that will work for all the cards. The samples show specific placement for each card.

1. Use one of the Webster's Pages Journaling Cards as a base.

2. Add a mini calendar. You can layer patterned paper strips/blocks of patterned paper under part of the calendar as desired.

3. Cut flowers, scroll, butterfly and/or another element from the patterned paper and layer partially over the mini calendar.

4. Add the name of the month using the shimmer letters.

5. Cut three strips of coordinating paper (2 inches by 1/2 inch) from the patterned paper and place them as desired. Add a small dot from the shimmer stickers on each strip (you can use the periods or inside of small letters like a, b or d). You can use these strips to add a special date/event that occurs in the month or journaling.

6. Add trim, flowers, bling and/or other items cut from paper to embellish the card.

Holiday Garland by Audrey Pettit

Here we are with the holidays fast approaching. Your thoughts are probably starting to turn towards all the shopping and decorating that goes hand in hand with the season. And if you are anything like me, you may be looking for some fun, hand-crafted ways to decorate your home that are also friendly on the pocketbook. So how about giving this easy garland idea a try? In just a few simple steps you will have a keepsake that your family can treasure for years.

1. Variety of holiday patterned papers. I used a mixture of the Ting-a-ling and Winter Wonderland collections.

2. Webster's Pages Shimmer paper

3. Cream or ivory felt

4. Tulle and/or a variety of ribbons on the spool. I used both.

5. Pearl string. Available in the bridal section of your local craft store.

6. Decorative floral sprays. Available in the bridal section of your local craft store.

7. Polyfill or tissue paper for stuffing the stars

8. Star templates cut from the PDF file

1. Download the star template and cut all three stars out for your patterns. I traced the stars onto a sheet of chipboard for durability and then traced the star shapes onto the backs of a variety of holiday themed patterned paper. Use the smallest star shape for the Shimmerpaper. You will need one Shimmer star for the center of each smaller star. For my garland, I used a total of 4 large stars, 8 medium stars, and 12 small Shimmer stars.

2. Adhere a foil star to the center of each larger star. Embellish the shimmer star with pearl string and floral sprays. I used Mod Podge as my adhesive, but other liquid glues and even a glue gun would work for this purpose. Outline each shimmer star with the pearl string and glue on the floral spray with a simple ribbon bow.

3. Stitch decorated stars onto a felt backing. I used machine stitching, but hand stitching, fabric glue or even a glue gun would work. Leave a small opening in the stitching to allow for polyfill or tissue to be filled into the opening, creating a pillow-type form. Stitch closed opening and trim 1/4" around the felt with scissors. I used pinking shears.

4. Cut ribbon lengths to attach as loops for each star. Cut 6" lengths for each of the largest stars. Cut some 5" and 4" lengths for the medium stars to give different heights while hanging on the garland. Fold ribbons in half and stitch to the back of each star, forming a loop.

5. Cut a length of tulle or ribbon to serve as the base for your garland. I made mine long enough to cover my mantel, about 5 feet. Slip all the stars onto the tulle and then tie a second piece of ribbon and or tulle into a bow at the top of each loop, up against the tulle base. This secures the stars to the garland so they won't slide, but still allows for adjustments of placing.

And that's all there is to it. Hope you enjoy!

Layout with Handwritten Journaling by Stephanie Howell

I love adding handwritten, heartfelt journaling to every layout. Webster’s Pages makes this easy with their journaling cards and lined patterned papers.

I looked at these photos of Sadie, and instead of writing about her outfit, or that particular day, I wrote non-event journaling. I wrote about the way she makes me feel, the way she has changed our life and our family.

Just write from your heart. I tend to write in a “flow of consciousness” style. As if I’m writing my children a letter. I want to get down all of the things I might not remember one day. I want my children to know how much I love them and what it was like as they were growing up. It doesn’t have to be sappy, or serious. Sometimes, my journaling has a major sense of humor. It doesn’t have to be a novel. Just pen a few sentences.

Create a layout with this template, and let me know what you make. I can’t wait to see what you can do!

2. Cut and ink a 8 ½ by 11 ½ inch piece from “Peacefulness” patterned paper.

3. Adhere the blue paper to background.

4. On top of blue paper, place a 7 ½ by 10 ½ “ piece of “Bee Balm” patterned paper”

5. Print one 4x6 photo and three 2x3 ½ photos.

6. Adhere 4x6 photo to brown paper and adhere smaller photos at a tilt.

7. Place journaling card (from ‘the original journaling cards’) on the bottom right corner of brown PP, slightly overlapping the photos.

8. Adhere label and title to upper left corner of large photo.

9. Cut 4 butterflies from “the original journaling cards”.

10. Ink butterflies and adhere to page. Adhere only the middle, so you can bend the wings up for added dimension.

11. Add handwritten journaling to card.