Happy New Year! To New Beginnings!

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's already 2012!

Hope you've had a great holiday and break. I took a short break from blogging to enjoy family, friends, feasts, and holiday cheer. But I'm back, fully refreshed and ready to share lots of new projects!

Today's project is fun, sentimental, and perfect for New Year's! I created an interactive layout to store letters my fiance and I wrote to each other on New Year's Eve. It's sorta this tradition we started and now I have an album set aside just to store our annual letters. 

Some techniques to note:

• Two pockets have been created by sewing the Hambly screen print to a piece of cardstock.
• In the first pocket, I put sequins to further create a festive feel.
• The second pocket was created by cutting a slit following the banner curve in the screen print and it holds the letters.

You'll need these supplies:

• Hambly Banners overlay
• Hambly Mini Brocade overlay
• Bazzill Dotted Swiss Cardstock
• Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite Punch
  
• Janome Sew Mini Sewing Machine
  
• Craft knife
• Sequins

Directions:

1. On the Banners overlay, follow one of the banner rows with a craft knife and then punch small holes at the start and end of the slit
2. Then align the overlay over the cardstock, sew a pocket to fit your own letters, more photos, or any other keepsakes
3. Then simply sew 3 of the 4 edges together, sprinkle some sequins in, and finish sewing the 4th edge.
4. Above the pocket, I added a small stack of mixed overlays and white tissue paper, and topped it off with a photo of us.

These are some of my favorite techniques and one of my favorite traditions, so I hope you'll give them a try!

Don't forget to check out the Hambly blog for more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl