Christmas Gifts from The Cherry, More Festive Templates and Well Wishes For All

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

How awesome of you to take the time to visit our festive blog for this super special time of year.  I'm such a crazy, crazy fan of the winter holidays.  All of the houses decorated in their finery.  I've had my tree up since November this time.  I've been feeling so down with all of these restrictions, lockdowns and not being able to get a hair cut or hug my own darn mom.  Officially, I could choose to hug either my mom or my dad, but not both?!  What the hell kind of world are we living in?!  So, I've put my tree up super early and have immersed myself in activities around the house since I can't go out anywhere besides the grocery store.  I've found myself dressing up to go to the grocers lately!  Hehehe...I'll continue to blow the dust off of my new, unworn dress I bought this spring and hope that one day, I'll be able to wear it out.

Nothing helps get over these odd and unfortunate times like perusing delicious recipes, beautiful scrapbooking pages or even going through old scrapbooks and remembering when it completely normal to hug your students and neighbors.  Think of small chores you might be able to do in and outside of your own home.  Of course, if the hardware stores are closed, it could be tough, but then ya just gotta be creative.  We all need to be more creative, right now.

We have to find unconventional or different ways to find happiness and contentment.  I'm in the process of creating a list of things to do if you're suffering from the Quarantine Blues. (Feel free to comment if you've any ideas we can put on it.)

I've put a few templates in our Design Bundles shop that are Commercial Use friendly.  Pop over and see all of our goodies we've put in over the last few weeks.  They are ALL Commercial Use and I've put many products at 50% off, too.  For just a few dollars, you can get new, quality Commercial Use products.

These are today's new templates.  What do ya think of my hand drawn tree?  I had the first two templates in mind for so long.  The first one did not come out as I planned, but it's just the masks that bother me.  Keep reading to see what I and my team have done with it.  They are so clever.  The reason I drew my own tree was because I could not get just the right tree for template number 2.  I needed a huge one that was really wide and would provide enough space for all of these delightful pockets.  I tried once and failed.  Then came back a few days later and the entire thing just came all out really fast.  Feel free to use just the tree template as you like for any page.  

This first page is mine.  I left the masks, but they just ain't do'n it for me.  I'd prefer a slender frame or maybe even a Polaroid style frame with the numbers.  Hilary did something really cool with them, though.  Keep scrolling to see another great idea.

Gorgeous goodies from the Sweet Shoppe!  I finally broke into my DSD stash.

I just love this tiered tray rage.  I'm still on the hunt for the perfect one for in my own house.  I've got a huge island and I would give a pinky toe for the perfect fit on it.  I've only seen a very few and they were either way too small for the space or I'd have to sell a child to pay for it.  Hehehe...I suppose they are not all of the rage in Europe.  I found some glass, footed pie and fruit trays and stacked those.  It's very elegant and even practical.  

I envisioned this template full of cocoa goodies.  Tiny marshmallows, a whimsical mug or two, candy canes...I do love Anita's page.  A lovely traditional touch with a sprinkling of glam and yummy bubbly, too.  She knew I'd like that part.

If you know Cindy, then you'll recognize her sassy page.  Most fitting this time of year.

A Blagovesta kit from the Sweet Shoppe.

Here's a super, super idea on how to use the masks.  Move them around, merge them together and clip in a huge photo.  I just LOVE this idea.  You could use this template for any time of year, right?

More from the Sweet Shoppe and Traci Reed.

Here's our Charlotte stealing the show, again.  Dressed in her Christmas best and adorning the tree with cuteness.  What a super fun page.

Just look at all of that sparkling background effect with a touch of traditional pieces.  The page looks really fresh and luxurious.

I told my gang that I was not digging the masks and that they were very challenging for me and Kim just had to give them a try because of it.  I'd say her page is a jaw dropper.  Not only are the colors beyond fabulous and reminiscent of my home away from home, Florida but she also used our collaboration with Art & Life Scraps, Flamazing Christmas.  Whoo hoo!

She could easily change the date by simply duplicating the zero and ditching the 1.  I'm so glad I went back and change the template up a bit after using it.  I had all of the lights merged which did not lend to flexibility and easy use.  They are separate now.

This is another super fun page with a birthday theme and I find it just perfect.  A fantastic way to use the template, for sure.  Theresa is my star.

A kit from Connie Prince.

Retired goodies from Paty Greif.

How are you digging Felicity's page?  The team went a bit nuts over it.  The kit looks amazing as do the pictures and the overall vibe of the page.  The contrasting blue and red looks sizzling!

Gorgeousness from the Digital Scrapbooking Studio.

You are so lucky that GingerScraps is a having a Christmas sale, right now.  You've only a few more days, but ALL of our new holiday themed templates and kits are 40% off.  We've got well over a dozen products in the shop included in the sale.  Grab a cup or glass of something delicious and peruse our shop and take advantage of the last sale of the year.

Grab this FREE printable calendar from last week.

Here's your new gift.  A free template that is both Personal and Commercial use.  I was thinking you could use the large round ornaments as photo spots.  It might make a gorgeous card, poster, tag...

If you are a subscriber to our newsletter then you should have received all four links to this free kit by now.  If you are still not subscribed, make it your New Year's resolution to join our family and let us spoil you with our digital delights, challenges, anecdotes...

Next week, will be yet another free mini and yet another gift that you are sure to love.  Make sure to read that mail next Saturday so you do not miss out.  There will be a sweet surprise in there that will keep you scrapping for days at least.

Let me show off some holiday projects from older entries that might interest you.

I've got a tutorial on how to design a long card like this one.

Here's another tutorial on how to make a square card.  There's a free template and a free card there, too.

If you are still needing cards to get you through the weekend, check out these.  They are also FREE.

Again, thanks for giving us some of your time.  Especially, in these busy days.  Consider this an open invitation to join us in our scrap-a-licious group on Facebook, Instagram and our Pinterest is totally hopping.  I've got dozens of crafty, creative, homey boards over there.  Delicious recipes (including vegan recipes), gift ideas, freebies from around the web, DIY cosmetics and much much more.

If you have any questions, by all means hit us up.  We are here for your crafting scrapping needs as well as a friend.

I wish for you all a year full of smiles, health and joyful times.

Happy holidays and happy scrapping!

Free 2021 Printable Calendar, Fun and Festive Digital Scrapbooking Templates and Much More

Welcome to The Cherry On Top at Kreative Design Studio.

We've got all kinds of new goodies in our shops.  Papers, templates, stickers, tags, cards...As in good ole Cherry fashion, we've got new freebies, too.  Ones you certainly don't want to miss and even a sale on new products to save you money in these tough times.

I'll show off the new goodies and examples with the different ways to use them with a sprinkling of tips and tricks to make your scrapbooking pages and projects totally awesome.

I've got a new printable calendar in different versions this year.  This is THE calendar I use to organize (ha ha ha) my dates, deadlines, sales, etc. and I prefer it to start on Monday which I recently learned was a European thing.  When I reached out and asked what others use, they unanimously responded with a Sunday start.  Originally, I designed a Sunday start and did not like the result.  I took the time and created a new one, from scratch and clipped in more colors, used larger boxes for more journaling and then decided to give 8x8 as well as 8x11 formats.

Scroll through to get the free calendar that starts on Sunday or pop over to our shop at Design Bundles and get this one.  The one I use.  I just love the designer I used to adorn the new calendars.  They are the ones from our magically inspired, Patronus kit.  I put the calendars on sale at 50% off.  So for a few dollars, it's yours.

Also new in the shop is our Valentine Collection.  Full of adorable peeps pulling pre Covid moves of love and affection.  Hehehe...I certainly hope we'll soon be able to give our lonely neighbor a comforting pat on the back or even an embrace to a student who is under loved at home.  From my experience as a teacher, there are plenty of children who desperately need a hug or gentle reassuring tug on the shoulder.  To think we may have taken theses things for granted?!

Bright and fun colors with a modern yet vintage vibe.  Full of sweets and sweetness.  I only barely tweaked the colors from the original because I just loved them, which hardly ever happens.

Think of the many uses you can use with these stickers.  Close an envelope.  Adorn a planner or agenda.  Wrap a gift.  Put on or in a lunch box...

I thought some papers might be a nice addition to the cards, tags and stickers.  Just in case you want to go all out.

I used the Valentine's Mockup to show off the cards.  I used a touch of intense shadowing to bring out a few of the features.

On to the new templates from this week and last week.

If you're an avid fan of The Cherry, you'll know I love the holidays.  I'm continuing our fun, whimsical and slightly silly template collection.

Check out what I and the team have created with them.  These pages will certainly inspire you and hopefully give you a smile and warm your heart.

I love traditional holiday colors and themes.  That deep red is gorgeous.  This is a page from Jarmila using products from Pat's Scraps.

Caro's little angel is just the cutest!  This style of template provides a really fast option to scrap and often a great way to emphasize your photos if you choose to do so.  Caro used HeartMade Scrapbook products.

Cherry's page holds more traditional vibe with a bit of glamor and luxury with the bokeh and glistening gold embellishing.  Gorgeous designs from the Sweet Shoppe!

Star scrapper Cindy, has scrapped an adorable page showing off the versatility of our gnomes and JoCee's new kit also found in the Sweet Shoppe.

Yip!  Another page with Jo's goodies, from Ella.  I love the silly pictures and the gnomes are super fun.

I don't know about you, but I can't choose what I love most about this page from Esther?  The kit from Valentina looks so awesome and I like how she replaced my gnomes with ones from the kit.  Then there's that little cutie.  So much to love about this page.

What a super idea to duplicate the gnomes and put them wherever the heck ya want.  Theresa used our Gnome For Christmas collection.  There is a page of free tags in the kit and I've kept it at a spot price for you, too.

Obviously, you can ditch the H's if they are not your thing.  As did Jillian on her pretty page.

Another bright, fun page with Jo's kit and this elf guy.  Hehehe...Roxana sure knows how to have fun on her pages.

I love to see the gnomes designed in different ways.  This is Theresa's version with a kit from Connie Prince.

More from Theresa and Connie Prince.  I really like the background with the contrasting, black shoes.  A really pretty page.

See what I mean about the photos?  A few elements here and there.  Theresa even clipped a few on to the template, in the middle.  This template is a great way to show off multiple photos when you want them to take center stage.

Templates are a super way to inspire you.  Sometimes you might like an aspect of one template so you go with that and change it up where needed.  When you're at a stall, templates are just what you need.  I've got so many friends that don't even bother to scrap without a template.

These are our templates from last week.

I wanted to try a few different things with my template so I took the opportunity to play with this one and a new collaboration from Key Lime Digi Design and Aimee Harrison Designs.

I tried merging my heavy outline into the stocking, but ended up liking this version better.  I added a bevel to give the stockings a more dimensional feel.  I did the same to the mortar on the chimney.  It feels a bit more realistic.

I also scrapped up a page with Clever Monkey Graphics new collaboration, Cozy and Warm.  I used our Fancy Flakes templates.

There are my gals.  They don't seem to mind the snow at all. Just as long as they can reach the grass underneath, they are ok.  I have to get my hands on any kit with chickens.

I thought I'd also share that I've got three of the above templates in cuttable, svg format at Kreative Design Studio.  Of course, they are a little cheaper because they do not contain the elements and there is one less. If you only want the cuttable aspects of Fancy Flakes, then grab them from Design Bundles for just a few bucks.

Look at all of the pretty things I made with just the cuttables.  Pages, greeting cards...I used our collaboration with Art & Life Scraps, Flamazing Christmas.  You can get the PU version at GingerScraps and the Commercial Use version at Kreative Design Studio.

Here is the FREE version of the 2021 Calendar.

This is the version in the shop for just over $2.  Thanks so much for supporting us!

Did you receive your third installation of this free kit in your newsletter?  Better check your trash to make sure.  I'll be giving out all four links next week.  If you missed one, no worries.  If you still want to join our family, do so ASAP so you don't miss this lovely free gift.  I often shower our readers with free goodies and specials and it's a super way to keep up with all we have going on.  Challenges, sales, free stuff, progressive scraps and so much more.

Thank you for stopping by the blog.  Consider joining us in our group, page, Instagram, Pinterest is totally hopping and of course visit our shops to nurture your creative fix.  You can find all of the links in the side bar.

May the holidays bring you joy, health, wisdom, love and laughs.

Happy scrapping!

 

Free Subscriber Gift, Scrapbooking Pages for the Holidays and Wonderful Freebies from The Cherry and Other Designers

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

If you've been following us the past 8 years, you'll have seen a kind of metamorphosis.  I was just thinking about this the other day.  I started off with more home making things like cleaning, cooking and a lot of crafty things.  Over the years, some things have changed.  The kids got older and I started really getting a grip on Autism so didn't write about it much any more.  Food is still a passion and I do like to sprinkle some cooking things in the blog.  Physical crafting has taken a bit of a back step.  I found myself enjoying digital designing so much more than traditional crafting, lately.  I still like to do it on occasion and mostly for gifts.

With this world pandemic, a lot of things are changing including this blog.  Sadly, there is not much to take pictures of.  I find myself not wanting to scrapbook so much any more.  No vacations.  No joyous birthday celebrations or celebrations of any kind and frankly, I do not want pictures of people wearing masks. 

I know scrapbooking can be an excellent source for release, but for me, I don't want to remember these times.  So I'm choosing not to scrapbook them, for now.  I've not lost my passion for creating as of yet and I'm actually trying my best to immerse myself into designing as a diversion of what is going on outside.  Not just the crap, grey weather, but the lockdowns and the lack of physical contact with friends and family.  My hair!  If you could only see my Corona Doo.  Think Cousin It, if you're old enough. ;)

I hope you'll stay with us through these changes and take note that The Cherry is still passionate about design, health (yours too), happiness (yours too), great deals and freebies.  Hehehe...(insert emoji)

I've got new designs in the Design Bundles shop.  There are two new packs of digital scrapbooking templates at GingerScraps and a Buffet Blow Out Sale there.  I've also got a new subscriber freebie that you're going to love and links to over half a dozen freebies.

If you happen to be a designer, take note!  I'll be getting templates in the Design Bundles shop that are for Commercial Use.  Use them to make your own templates to sell.  Make papers like you see here in the Steam Punk paper pack or quick pages for in your shops.

It is tough finding cool Steam Punk stuff so I thought I'd add some things that might appeal to fans as well as vintage lovers.

I've turned my very own templates for making printables for you into templates you can also use, now.  Design gorgeous planner printables quickly and easily with them.

This stationary and posters pack is not new, but it has been updated.  I've added more colors and separated the journaling, too.  I totally picture these in a vet or groomer.  The business card can be used as a schedule card if you put it on the back.  I like the journaling as well.  Great for us canine keepers.

Our Travel Notebook templates are not new either, but they are new to Design Bundles.  There are Notebook Sized templates as well as the 12x12 inches templates.  You can also find our run through video there.  This is a really fun and easy project to do.  Not just for travel.  For any occasion or theme you want to scrap.  I think it'd be great for teens and tweens, too.

These are all of our 2020 Buffets.  We survived 2020, so far!  Hehehe...For only a few bucks, you've got one sweet collection to choose from.  Here are a few of my pages with some of my favorites.

Products from Just So Scrappy

Products from Heartstrings Scrap Art

Fun goodies from Clever Monkey Graphics.

Lovelies from JoCee Designs.

Here are the two new template packs and page inspiration from my awesome Creative Team.

I've also got a Commercial Use version similar to this in Design Bundles.

Gorgeousness from Kristin Cronin Barrow

Arizona Girl and Dana's Foot Prints

Designs from Laura Burger

Our very own Sleigh Bells Ring kit.

Kim Cameron Designs

LouCee Creations

More from Lou...

Made By Keuntje

The new Buffet for December...

TCOT and Art & Life's Free With Purchase Deal.

Laura Burger

More from Rosie...

Pat's Scrap

Something bright and fresh from Aimee Harrison.

Total cuteness from Magical Scraps Galore.

Connie Prince

More from Connie...

Love the change up Theresa did and yes, more from Connie Prince.

Heart Made Scrapbook

More from Connie Prince

Yay!  Our Gnome For Christmas Collection.  There is a sheet of free tags in there.

Every year and in between, I spoil our dedicated fans with freebies of the varying sorts.  This year's holiday gift will be brought to your mailbox every Friday this month.  A digital scrapbooking mini and I've got a twist and surprise at the end so stay tuned.

The first part of this free kit is waiting for you in your e-mail.

Here are some other freebies and great deals you can find here, on the blog and other great crafty places.

A free template...

free printable card...

two free printable tags...

an entire kit, template AND step by step video to get you digi scrap'n...

a fun freebie coordinating with our flamazing collaboration with Art & Life Scraps...

$20 for 4,000 Designs?!

I thought these two, FREE designs at Design Bundles were SO cute!  There are a lot of freebies to go through.  Hop over and check them out, today.

Thanks so much for giving The Cherry some of your precious time.  I hope you're staying healthy and happy.  If you find these times are getting really tough (as do I), remember you are not alone with those feelings.  So many of us are frightened, stressed, depressed, but we have to keep pressing on.  Make it a point to think about all of the things you are grateful for.  Electric?  Your health?  Running water?  The neighbor waving at you from across the street?  The sun in the sky or the moon at night?  Fill your mind with all of the good you've had in the past, you have now and the good you hope to find in the future.  Let these thoughts take over and of course, find the time to do the things you love.  You deserve it.

Happy scrapping and creating!

(You are always invited to join us in our group.  You may talk scrap and you may also pop over if you need some words of hope and love. We are there for you, always.)