At the Zoo Collection: Pop Up Cards by Karen Hanson

Hi everyone! It's Karen and today I get to share with you all the fun i have been having crafting with the new At the Zoo collection! I love going to the zoo. It probably has something to do with the fact that I got married at the zoo (oh yes I did) and we spend a lot of time there with my girls! So this collection is going to see a lot of scrapbooking time on my table! But I have to admit that when I first saw it, it wasn't a layout that popped into my mind - it was a set of fun pop up box cards!
I loved the idea of using the Odds and Ends pieces to create a scene with all the cute animals, leaves and trees, and these little cards are the best for maximizing what you can do!
 
These cards are amazing for showcasing the creative patterns in the paper because you have all sorts of faces on the card to decorate up - front, back sides...match 'em up or use a different pattern on each one!
Oh, and I have a bit of a confession to make. While I love making this style of card, it does frustrate me a bit that there isn't a huge amount of space to write a greeting or message to the recipient. So I actually decided to use some treat bags (I stole these ones from my Dragon Tails collection) and use that as a pocket for a tag on the back of the card). Now I will have a great space to write a message and/or even tuck in a little gift card!
  While the cards were the first inspiration I had with this collection, I did have to create a layout for this collection too. But I wanted to do a little something that wasn't "zoo" themed. Both of my daughters are obsessed with playing on the monkey bars at our park and I decided that using the monkey papers and embellishments would be a fun way to use this collection for some fun pictures at the playground!  
I sorted through the 12x12 papers and the Odds and Ends die cuts and found all the monkey themed product I could.
I found a darling tag that was perfect for a title, backed it with a spot for some journaling and a cute doily and this little part of the layout was all finished!
I added a few of the Odds and Ends leaves, attaching them with foam adhesive to give a bit of dimension and I was all finished! This layout was really simple - a great example of how amazing product can make even the simplest projects come together with ease! So get get your hands on this collection. While it will be perfect for your next zoo-themed layout, you will also find a multitude of other uses as well! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs, Karen