Tips and Techniques

Footprint Fun

2011-10-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

I have a fun Halloween craft you can do with your kids to share today and a "spooky" way to dress it up when you are finished. Creating animals and other creatures using footprints and handprints make for wonderful keepsakes capturing a moment in time when your children are little.

I had a great time creating these spooky ghosts with my girls. Take a look....

And here we are crafting away...I simply cut black cardstock to 8 x 10 so it could fit in a frame and then painted my girls' feet with white acrylic paint. Just stamp their feet and allow the project to dry. (This is also a great project to duplicate for grandparents and other family members).

When the ghosts were dry, we added googly eyes using glue dots and then I drew around the edge of the cardstock with a white gel pen and added the date. I also labeled each ghost with little alphabet stickers.

I then took a plain wooden frame and painted it black, then added crackle medium and went over it with white paint. I added "Boo" with a couple different Thicker fonts and adhered a border sticker at the top of the frame.

Then I cut a couple pieces of cheesecloth and glued with a hot glue gun. One of the pieces I tied off with a piece of twine and then added a patterned paper "curtain" of sorts. To distress the cheesecloth, I cut it up a little bit and then rubbed black ink on it.

A super fun, quick, easy project...the girls love looking at their ghosts too! Try making a ghost family with your entire family!

Thanks for looking! :)

Jill

Treat Bags!

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!! I have had so much fun playing with the Something Wicked kit and wanted to share an idea I had for some cute little treat bags. These are made with kraft glassine bags and lots of yummy papers and embellies from the kit.

The first thing I do is to determine the size of the bag. The bags I had were just a little too tall for what I wanted to do, so I just folded under the bottom of the bag. No biggie.

Then I made a base for it to sit in by cutting two pieces of paper. The first needs to be about 1/4" wider than whatever bag you are using and as tall as you want. The second needs to be 1/4" larger than the first piece on the right and left sides and bottom. Score this line on all three sides and fold so that you can glue the first and second pieces together.

After the base is made, you can cut a circle in the top, and add whatever decorations you like.

Here is a cute little monster bag with a black bow glued right to the glassine bag.

I LOVE the Fancy Pants journal spots sheet - it makes for great treat bag covers!

Layer lots of fun elements up and personalize to whomever the recipient will be, if you like.

And here's the final product! I'll fill these all with some yummy treats and give them to friends on Halloween. FUN FUN FUN!!

That's all for today!

Happy Scrappin'!

xoxo

Britt

Hearts and Burlap

2011-10-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Welcome to another installment of Tips and Techniques. I am sure many of you have heard of Pinterest by now. Today I am going to show you how I took an idea from Pinterest and used it to create a layout. Here is my inspiration piece:

First you will need to cut a view pieces of burlap. I cut five to use for my banner but you can cut as many as you would like.

Next I cut out a small triangle from the banner to create little pennants.

I drew out a template and used it to create the little hearts.

This next step takes a little time to do but it is so worth it in the end. Grab a needle and some thread and hand sew the hearts onto the burlap.

Do the same steps for the rest of your banner pieces. Once you are done. Take a moment to admire your work.

Now for the easy part, use your banner on a layout or card. Here is how I used mine.

I hope that you will find this technique helpful. Happy creating!

-Diana

How to make a spooky leather cuff bracelet

2011-10-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

A very creative friend of mine introduced me to making leather cuff bracelets earlier this year, and I've been addicted ever since! I have quite a few leather cuffs that I like to rotate out, and since it's now Halloween season, I thought I might need a spooky one to wear!

Start buy getting leather scraps. You can buy them by the bag at Michael's or Hobby Lobby, or order them online.

Cut a strip that is long enough to wrap around your wrist, with a little overlap for a button closure. You can get really fun with the edges on these if you want (zig zags, scallops, etc.). I just did a nice straight edge for this one though.

Cut out circles that will be made into flowers out of a contrasting color. (You can also use felt flowers!).

Cut petals on the circles.

Using tweezers, hold the flower petals over an open flame (be careful!) and let it singe the edges. They will curl up!

Nest them back on top of each other and set aside.

Use a rub on or stamp (with permanent ink) directly onto the leather. Rub ons typically eventually crack over time & wear and tear, but I like the distressed look.

I added a charm from my stash, using a brad and poking a hole in the leather with an Exacto blade.

Poke holes through the center of each flower, and the spot you want it in on your cuff, and attach with a brad.

You can also sew on buttons; I poked holes in the cuff again with a blade and sewed on a button with some twine.

If your button or charm can't be attached with thread or a brad, try using E6000 glue. It holds up just fine!

Cute, huh? :)

(To attach it all together, I just sew on a button close to the end, wrap it around my wrist, and mark on the overlapping piece of leather where the button hole should go. Then I cut a button hole with a blade or scissors.)

Easy card/envelope tip!

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

You know what drives me crazy??
I get so annoyed when I go to mail a card I've made and I can't find an envelope to fit!

I try to make standard sized cards, but I am always running out of standard sized envelopes.

You now what I do have a ton of though??

I do have tons of these ugly legal-sized envelopes!

These legal-sized envelopes measure about
4 inches wide x 9 1/2 inches tall.

And now I think I will make cards to fit these envelopes!!

To make a card to fit, I cut a piece of black cardstock
8 inches wide x 9 inches tall.

Then I folded it in half to make a card measuring
4 inches wide x 9 inches tall.

Then I pulled out my Study Hall kit to decorate the front of the card.

When I am done, I have a pretty card that fits perfectly into
my legal-sized envelope!

So if you are like me and always run out of your smaller, cute envelopes, try changing up the sizes of your cards to fit the envelopes you do have!

Just something to think about!
:)
Have a great day!

Chevron Stripes & Stitching

2011-09-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

One new trend that I'm seeing everywhere is chevron stripes. Today I have a really simple tutorial on how to create this look on your own projects and layouts. The "Study Hall" kit was perfect for utilizing this type of technique and my subject is far from "back to school" but all about being a "scholar." :) Little Miss Lily loves to make her "thinking" face all the time and says "Hmmm...." while bringing her finger to her lips. Another little quirk captured! :) Here's a peek at what I created with this technique.

The first thing I did was select a variety of patterned papers and then traced and cut out diamond shapes from them. (You could also use a die-cut machine for this as well.)

After inking all my diamonds, I laid them out so I could see what it would all look like before doing any adhering and stitching.

Finally, I threaded up a needle with embroidery floss and did a very rough, running stitch of white and red floss on the top and bottom of the chevron stripe. The key here is imperfection! I also machine stitched along the patterned paper on the inside of the stripe, which you can see more of in first photo.

And, here's my finished layout!

A close-up of the title (pretty sure I'm in love with the Fancy Pants chalkboard stickers)...

My journaling on an Elle's Studio pennant.

And that's it! Give this one a try...it was really simple! :)

Jill

Split Splat!

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hiya! I hope you all had a great weekend!

I've got a tutorial for you today about the different mediums and techniques you can use to make splatters on your layouts. Now, this is obviously not a science - do whatever works for you - but these are some of the things I do to get that effect.

Untitled from BrittnyKvilhaug on Vimeo.

Here's how that final technique turned out. LOVE IT.

So now go find all the liquids in your studio and play around to see what cool things you come up with.

Happy Scrappin'!!

xoxo

Britt

Mixed Media Flower Canvas- a mini tutorial from Virginia!

2011-08-20T14:21:00.001-07:00

Hello lovely friends! I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to a fun weekend!

I know that we've had a lot of requests (coughcoughShannoncoughcough) on the message board for mixed media tips; Britt has shared several great ones here on the blog, and I wanted to throw in a few too!

I started off with a background I'd already created and cut a simple flower, with circles cut from the Salt Water Taffy kit and some text paper.
Tip #1: to make it look less like paper just glued to a canvas, add some paint on TOP of the patterned paper. You can see that the big red outer circle is completely painted over, and I've added some streaks of red around the outside of the whole flower. I also began adding a few rub ons (from the Salt Water Taffy kit) around the edge.
Here you can see where I began adding paint to the stem and leaves. This is all just acrylic craft paint.
Tip #2: paint with your mists! I unscrewed the lid of my mists and dipped my paintbrush inside, and began painting on the stem and leaves with a green mist.
Tip #3: let your rub ons do the work! I bought some great Hambly rub ons from Noel a while back, and began adding them onto the outside of the flower. I have a small stash of rub ons now saved just for canvasses!

Tip #4: Outline with pen & marker! This step is crucial to making everything really stand out and look defined. I grabbed this marker a while back from my LSS. It's a big thick marker, and it's made for this kind of art.
It dries quickly and is permanent, so I do small sections at a time. Just outline a little and then rub with your finger to get a smudgy affect.
And here's my final piece!

(Final tip- don't forget to finish your canvas edges! I did mine with the washi tape in the Salt Water Taffy kit!)
I hope you guys start trying out mixed media! Make sure to share your results with us! :)

Design tips: Just some things for you to think about!

2011-05-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

There is an art to scrapbooking!

Scrapbooking is based on some of the same basic design rules as
painting/drawing, graphic design,

interior decorating, photography, landscaping, etc!

So I've got some things for you to think about that may help your scrapbooking design.

There is a basic rule called the
"Rule of Odds".

The gist of this rule is that things arranged in odd numbers
are more pleasing to the eye.

When making a layout, card, or project think about using things like pictures, embellishments, and papers in groups of 3, 5, 7, and so on!

There is a similar rule called the
"Rule of 3's".

The basic gist of this rule is that things arranged in 3s are more appealing, memorable, and pleasing to the eye than other numbers of objects.

OK so let's look at some examples of these rules in action...

Check out this layout by Virginia.

She's got 3 pictures, a cluster of 3 pumpkins at the top, and a cluster of 5 pumpkins at the bottom.

She used corrugated cardboard on 3 different places on this page.

(can you find them?)
She's even got 3 different areas where she has clustered embellies and/or journaling: a

bove the pictures, to the right of the pics, and then below the pics.

Way to abide by the rules Virginia!
:)
*****

There are some good "odds" in this layout by Kim.

She used 5 pictures.

There are 7 flags in the banner she created.

She even did her journaling on a cluster of 3 label stickers above the pictures on the left side of the page.

*****
Look at this one that I made for the "Stampy McStamperson" challenge.
I've got 3 stamped images, 3 buttons, and 3 asterick thingys from the pack of American Crafts Thickers to embellish around the picture.

I used the striped paper (which I adore) in 5 different places around the edges of the page.

*****
Look at this one that Noel made using the Bedford Falls kit.

She has some less obvious "odds" going on here!

She used 3 main colors: blue, red, and green.

She has text distributed in 3 places: the title with the tiny alpha stickers, the journaling block, and then the "Merry Christmas" tag on the left corner of the picture.

There are 3 stars under the "star" in the title of the layout.

She used 3 different strips of patterned paper underneath the pictures.

See!!

There are odds everywhere!
:)

*****

OK now check out this one that Leah just posted with the Mary Ellen kit.

This one is interesting!
She has her layout divided up into 3 sections by using different patterned papers.

She has created a distinct left side, middle section, and left side.

She used 3 buttons.
It looks like she has used 3 prominent colors: green, blue, and red.
She has 3 clusters of embellies: bottom left corner of the page, bottom right corner of picture, and then at the top right corner of the picture.
Leah has all kinds of 3's going on here!

OK I hope these tips/rules help you the next time you start to put together a project!
Let me know if you have any questions!
:)

gretchen

How to Make Your Layouts Look GREAT for Posting Online!

2011-05-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

I want to start this off by saying I am by NO means an expert at taking pictures, and my pictures don't always turn out perfect, but I know a few tricks that can help you make sure that when you are posting picture online, you're able to represent your layout well!

1. Start off by taking your pictures outside, with NO flash (if possible). Most cameras have a setting to do this on the dial (one of those circles with slashes over a lightening bolt). You want to have natural shadows and coloring on your layout, and this is the best way to get it.

2. Be in INDIRECT sunlight. You don't want the sun to actually be hitting your page, so be on a porch, under the shade of a tree, or some other area that is outdoors, but not in direct sunlight.

3. Stand directly over your layout. You may have to get up on a chair to do this! Take a bunch of shots, not just one. You want to try to make sure that the layout is square in the frame... not a parallelogram!

Get in different angles and get close up shots (zoom in!). We scrapbookers love to see the little details! To do this, use your "macro" setting on your camera (usually looks like a little flower or tulip).

Sometimes I lean it up against something and stand away to get a good shot of it.

If you take a picture of it in your yard, under a tree, make sure that this (below) doesn't happen! You don't want splotchy shadow! Try to get to where it's a solid shadow.

4. Once you've taken your picture, then you want to do a little enhancing to make it truly shine! I'm using Picasa in this tutorial, because it's a free program available to anyone.

Import the photo. Here's my shot from the front porch.
To adjust the colors, brightness, etc., I love to use the handy "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. It usually fixes everything just right!

Here's a shot from in the yard. You can use the "Straighten" tool to get it a perfect square. Just look at the gridlines on the screen and line up one edge of the layout to them, using the adjuster on the bottom.
Then crop, using the crop tool (manual). You'll just grab the edges and pull them in as close to the edges as possible.

Don't forget to enhance your close up shots, too. If "I'm Feeling Lucky" doesn't work for your pictures, you can also click on "Tuning" and adjust the brightness, etc.

Here's my final results from my editing! (This was created for Lily Bee Designs! Go check out our blog today for some fun prizes!)

Please leave me any questions if you have them, or tips we'd love to have!

Behind the scenes....

2011-03-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!! So a few weeks ago I asked on the forums what you all would like to see in the future blog posts, and the idea of a behind the scenes inspiration post was suggested. :D I really liked this idea, though I had never done it before and was a little nervous to do so. Well with the last LO I did, I gave it a try! :D

Now it is not an exact from beginning to end in pictures (that is a little difficult for me to do because I change my mind so much when designing and also because all my crafting happens at night which makes for really bad pics!), but it gives you a good idea.

Here is the layout: I made it for the current challenge

I am going to begin by sharing with you all the inspirations I picked when prepping for this layout. I feed very much off of other sources for inspiration, and right now there are a couple scrappers out there who's styles I am really liking! So below I have three layouts, by three different scrappers, and I used these three layouts in different ways to achieve the look I wanted.

First up is 'I Do' by Jill Sprott-found in this blog post. I LOVE this layout! :D The simplicity, and the journaling, and the design is just gorgeous. I really wanted to incorporate this simple design in my LO, and you will notice that it is kind of there. Just slightly reversed. I have the bow, the section of patterned paper for journaling that is opposite my picture, and even though I have more embellishing on my layout than Jill has on her's, I still kept things really simple and minimal.

Next up is Jen Jockish. She has been a fav of mine for a very long time. I just can't get enough of her style! She was just recently the Guest Designer over at October Afternoon, and she used the Modern Homemaker line (featured in the Noel Mignon Delightfully Domestic kit) for some of her guest work. I used these pieces as color balance inspiration. I tried to mimic how she used all the papers together, the balance of papers and colors is fantastic. Her layouts look light yet graphic, and very pleasing to the eye.

And last up is a layout by our own Stephanie Wheeler! When I first saw this layout I was amazed! :D Love it! My favorite thing about it is the stitched border. If you look at my layouts for the last year or so, you will see that I use this idea a lot! It not only frames your layout and adds great texture, but can give your layout a very subtle color pop depending on what paper you use! As I said I love this detail, and use it quite often. :D

So now I will begin to explain the beginning process. So my layout is actually sized about 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches. I like to make smaller layouts a lot. :D I chose my fav paper (Floursack) for the journaling below my picture, and decided I would go with Party Line as my accent border. I just wanted a little pop of yellow, not a whole ton of it. To create this border I cut two strips of paper, each a 1/2 inch thick. I then cut these in half length wise (just eyeballing it) so that they were each 1/4 inch thick. (I don't own a paper trimmer or a cutting mat that does 1/4 inch marks so if you happen to have those things your process will be a little different than mine). I adhered these strips with just a teeny dot of glue on each end so that they will stay in place while I sew through them. Then I chose the other side of Party Line for my background shaped paper cause I wanted some of the text, but just like the yellow not a whole ton of it. Then I used some kraft paper as my final background to balance it. I went with white cardstock as my main background because I realy wanted my layout to remain light and bright. So here is what it looks like when I have adhered everything background wise. I have my photo raised on pop dots (actually it is the negative of the pop dots as it gives a more solid ground for my photo to sit on).

Once all the glue has dried completely then I ran it through my sewing machine. This is fairly straight forward and simple, but you just have to go slow to make sure that you stay on the little strip of paper. I used a coordinating thread to maintain my yellow color pop. :D Here is a pic of what the stitching looks like.

After that, everything was done at night so I have no more pics until the finished product. :P But the rest is pretty easy. I used a couple pieces of paper as strips across the middle of my layout, both for balance and some more color. I cut some clouds out of the Snickerdoodles paper and used my white gel pen to outline them. I knew I wanted to use the bright blue Maya Road flower because I had some of that same color in the background of my photo and thought they would work well together. And I definitely wanted to use the red My Mind's Eye ribbon because I needed the red color pop in there and the ribbon would give my LO some depth and texture. I used a few punched circles of paper to reaffirm the color scheme and patterns, and some of the label stickers to put my title and date on. :D A couple rhinestones, butterflies, and a little white flower and it is done!! :D As I said, fairly straight forward. :P This probably wasn't the most exciting layout for me to do a behind the scenes with but it was a start for me! I will attempt another real soon on a much more detailed and layered layout!

Hope you enjoyed my tutorial!! Thanks for making it all the way through!

Take Care! ~Amy

ribbon butterflies (and using up those ribbon scraps)

2011-02-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Do you keep your ribbon scraps? Do you have an overflowing drawer like I do??

Yes, I have a lot of scraps. I used to throw them away but now I keep them for 2 reasons: 1) my daughter likes to go in there & pull out ribbon for her 'projects', and 2) I found a great way to use up those scraps.

I found this idea over on Nicole Magouirk's blog a while back. I love this idea & have made tons of these ribbon butterflies. So here's what you do:

Take your ribbon scraps, Sizzix die, adhesive & scrap cardstock.

Measure the die you're going to use & then cut the cardstock to 1/4" wider on each side. Then apply adhesive to the entire piece...don't skimp!

Layer strips of ribbon on the cardstock. If something doesn't look right to you, just peel it off & place another one. There's no rhyme or reason, just what looks good to you!

Trim the excess ribbon off (it doesn't have to be exact, just makes it easier to run through the machine).

Place your die face down on the die paying attention to which side you want at the top & run through the Sizzix machine.

Can you tell my machine is well loved :) And what you end up with is this:

Cute, huh?! I used this big butterfly to dress up a tag that will probably end up on a gift bag:

Then I made a smaller one for this card:

Card & tag were created using the Truly Scrumptious kit

along with scraps from my stash

You can make whatever shape you want. You can use this to decorate cards, gift bags, whatever. In fact, I made one of the bigger ones last year to add to this decorative printers tray:

More pics of this project here using one of last year's kits.

So use those ribbon scraps :)

Tape Tricks from Britt

2011-01-02T16:42:00.001-08:00

Anyone up for a little tape trick?

In the Very Virginia kit there is a whole roll of masking tape and a bottle of Antique Silver Maya Mist (among other super fantastic stuff) and I finally had a chance to play with it today.

Start with all these items from the kit and toss in some VersaMark, clear embossing powder, acrylic block, and heat gun.

Unroll about 16" of tape and tear it from the roll. Lay it down, sticky side up, and coat with baby powder or corn starch.

Turn the tape back over. Choose a stamp from the set and mount it on an acrylic block. Stamp in VersaMark along the top of the tape.

Sprinkle clear embossing powder over the stamped VersaMark and shake off the excess.

Use a heat gun to set the embossing powder.

Lay the tape inside your color catcher and spray it with the Maya Mist. Rub off the excess.

This is what you'll end up with - all the mist comes off of the stamped area.

Sew a straight stitch down the side and ruffle as you go.

After the tape is ruffled, lay a piece of the glitter ribbon over the top and run another straight stitch to secure the two pieces together.

And voila!

Merry Christmas!!!

Holiday Paper Wreath

2010-12-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else seen these beauties floating around? I have, and I've been just waiting until I had a free moment to create one! My friend Jenny Chesnick has been making them with classes full of ladies at her local store for years, and though I have no clue how she made hers, I can usually find a way to jimmy something together. HeeHee!

I started out by gathering a few supplies. I ended up using a few more things than I started with, so I'll list those here, too, even though they're not pictured.
20 - 6'x6' pieces of double sided paper {5 - 12x12 sheets)
1 scalloped diecut paper
1 sheet of accent paper to cut into strips and accordion fold
1 - 8" circle of coordinating paper to glue the cones to
1 - 4" circle of coordinating paper to glue the accordion folded accent paper to
1 - 9" piece of ribbon to make the hanger for the back
letters and embellishments to finish
scissors
trimmer
hot glue gun

Start by rolling the 6x6 papers into cones.

Secure by gluing under the top edge with a glue gun.

I laid them out as I rolled to be sure that I had enough. The amount you need will depend on how you roll them. :)

I needed 20 to complete my circle:

Now pull out your 8" circle:

Start attaching the cones to the circle with your hot glue gun - about 4" in.

Glue more cones on:

Until you complete the circle:

This is where I added my scalloped paper {after doing something else first and taking it off! LOL), but you could embellish how you like!

I then topped my scalloped paper with this accordion folded shape. To make it, I started by cutting my accent paper into 3" strips. Fold three of the strips to create the accordion circle. I did about a 1/2" fold. Then glue to strips end to end.

Glue to the 4" circle:

Finished:

Layer it on top of the scalloped paper, and embellish! {Note: I used the final 3" strip of paper to create the little banner that I added my letters to!

To hang it up, I hot glued a piece of ribbon to the back:

If you have any questions, please post in the comments! I'll check back and try to answer!

Journaling tip

2010-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Over on the message board a couple of people had questions about how I did the typed journaling on this layout I made using the Bedford Falls kit.

Well it is not basic typed journaling that you would do in Word.
I actually used Photoshop!

So I thought I would hop over here and try to walk you through how I did it.

****
PREFACE...

I am very much a paper scrapper!
This journaling technique is about as close as I get to digital/hybrid scrapping.

That being said, these instructions are going to be very elementary!
And that is not because I am trying to talk down to you.

No way!!

I just don't know all the technical, fancy computer/Photoshop terms, etc. etc.

ha!
****
OK here goes...

{I am using Photoshop Elements}

Once you open Photoshop, go to

File > New > Blank File

Then a box pops up this is what I put in there:

“Preset” is Custom.

Then I make my “Width” 8.5 inches and “Height” 11 inches because that is what size my printer is going to print.

I have no idea what “Resolution” is but mine defaults to 72 pixels/inch so that is what I leave it on.

“Color Mode” defaults to RGB color and that is what I leave it on.

“Background contents” are white.

Now you have a blank canvas to work with!

Look for the “Horizontal type tool”.
It looks like a capital T.
For all you University of Tennessee fans, it looks like your T.
:)

With the “Horizontal type tool” you can pick the font, color, and size that you want.

You can also use it to drag your typing and move entire phrases/sentences/paragraphs around the page.

OK so click on the “Horizontal type tool”.

Then go click somewhere on your blank canvas.

Now what you have done is create “Layer 1”.
{the layers show up on the bottom right corner of my screen}

Try typing something. What you are typing is your “Layer 1”.

If you hit “Enter” you will create another layer: “Layer 2”.
And so forth.

So basically what I did on this layout is create a layer for each line of my journaling.

{I ended up with like 17-18 different layers. Each layer was a different sentence basically}

By doing that I can move each line around and change the size of the font.

Take the first 3 lines of my journaling for example:

“This year is going to be better.”

“It has to be better!”

”I used to love Christmas!”

Each of these sentences is a separate layer.
You know how in Word everything is so evenly spaced like single or double-spaced??
Well by doing your journaling this way, you can move your sentences around to create as little or as much space as you want between your lines instead of having to stick with what the program makes you do.

It is fairly easy to move between layers to make edits and stuff.

All you need to do is click on the layer ("Layer 1", "Layer 2", etc) over on the right side (not actually on your canvas).

Once you click on the layer over on the right, you can go back to your canvas, click on that sentence and make edits.

It is almost like clicking on the layer over on the right brings to life that layer on the canvas and you can edit it.
If you have not clicked on a layer, then you cannot adjust it.

Then once you have all your journaling like you like it, you are ready to print it out!

Cut your patterned paper down to the size of your printer.

Feed it through your printer like you would regular printer paper and print away!!

Gosh, I hope I explained that process so it makes

some kind of sense!

My recommendation: play with it and experiment!
Get the hang of how your Photoshop works!

Let’s discuss!
I will start a thread on the message board if you have any questions or need me to explain something better!

Happy scrappin’!!

gretchen

Adhesive Tips

2010-12-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

As you guys well know, I love my masking tape. However, my love affair with adhesives doesn't end there.

I got asked fairly frequently about what kind of adhesives I use, so here's a video for you guys showing the types I personally like to use for my projects. I would LOVE to hear your feedback on the types you guys use and love! :)

Enjoy!

Fringe Trim on a Snowy Banner!

2010-11-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

I have a tutorial to share with you today with a fun technique I used on this "Snow" banner I created using the "Snow Day" collection from Crate Paper. You can find the "Snow Day" collection in the Noel Mignon store. I love the bold, fun colors in this collection that are sure to brighten up any dreary winter day. I hand drew my mitten template and cut the snowflakes out using the Christmas/Noel cartridge with my Cricut. I wanted something to hang across my china hutch and I love that the banner isn't necessarily for Christmas but something I could keep out through January and February and March and April (sometimes winter in Iowa lasts that long, you know?!) (Be sure to click on the images to see them larger.)

Here's another look at my banner and all the fun bits and pieces of ribbon, tulle and paper.

To keep things consistent, all of the mittens were cut using the "Mittens" patterned paper (aptly named, huh?) I chose to bring out the teal, yellow, pink and green of the patterned paper and used somewhat neutral patterns from the Crate Paper collection to create accordion medallions edged with silver Stickles. The kraft centers were punched using a scalloped circle punch. The chipboard letters are Melissa Frances and I also used mica flakes to add to the snowy look.

I used the "Shadow" feature on the snowflakes and backed them with kraft cardstock. The Cricut cartridge was Christmas/Noel.

The ribbons are by various manufacturers including American Crafts, May Arts and Basic Grey.

I strung the banner on a wire and curled it to help hold the pieces of it in place.

And here's my tutorial on how to create the fringe trim I made on the mittens. The trim color coordinates on each individual mitten with the accordion medallions. As I was putting the banner together, I tried to come up with ways to give it extra dimension and texture. That's how this fringe trim was born!

First I cut five 1" pieces of Melissa Frances white crepe paper.

Next, I stacked the pieces on top of each other and then machine stitched down the center.

I used a fine tip scissors to cut small fringe on either side of the machine stitching.

The piece should look like this after cutting the fringe.

Next, I used my fingers to ruffle up the trim and it looked like this when I was finished.

I used Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on this particular piece of fringe. I sprayed one coat and let it dry with a heat gun to speed the drying process. Then I repeated this step.

Once dry, I ruffled the fringe a bit again.

Here's a look at the fringe on one of the mittens.

And here's the completed banner again...I love the pops of color!

I can't wait to try this technique out on a layout or card!

Until next time,

Jill

Halloween treat bags

2010-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have a really easy way to make some fun Halloween treat bags. I believe I saw the original idea for this on Jennifer McGuire's blog. I like making fun little treat bags for holidays and the idea I'm going to share with you is really easy. So here's the treat bag:

First I'll start with the embellishments I put on the front of the bag. I took the cute little Halloween stamps that came with the Sleepy Hollow kit, Versamark & some embossing powder. The frame I stamped on black cardstock with Versamark, sprinkled some iridescent embossing powder, then heat set with my embossing gun.

For the skull I did the same thing but used purple embossing powder. Then I cut both images out.

For the bag, take a strip of paper that is 4" x 12". I chose some Pink Paislee paper from the Sleepy Hollow kit. You can use regular cardstock but patterned paper is fun because it already has a design on it.

Score your paper on the long end at 4", 6" and 10". If you don't have a scoring tool you can use your paper trimmer & a bone folder and score right in the groove of your paper trimmer. But don't press too hard because you'll go right through the paper. After you score it your bag will look like this:

You can go ahead and fold the small flap over at the top and adhere. Then, holding all of the top layers together, take a small circle punch and punch 1/2 the circle at the top. This will be the opening for your candy bag to stick out.

Decorate the front of your treat bag, then get a cellophane bag and fill with candy. Be sure to eat all candy that accidentally falls out ;) Most craft stores have cellophane bags but regular 'ol sandwich bags will work, too. Twist the top and put through the inside center of the treat bag & adhere ribbon. And there you go...fun little treat bag!

Now I know some people don't do Halloween stuff, so I also made a little treat bag using some goodies from the Sweet Sue & Seaside Cottage kits.

By the way, these are fun little treat bags to give to teachers!

From the Ground Up

2010-10-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today I am going to go through the process of building a layout with the Sleepy Hollow kit (sorry sold out). First you will need your kraft cardstock and spray a bit of mist on the top and bottom of the cardstock. I used Licorice from Maya Road.

Next cut out the middle portion of the Pink Paislee paper. Also cut out a big enough section of The Girls' Paperie paper to cover the numbers on the Jenni Bowlin card. You could also leave them uncovered but they were too distracting for what I had in mind.

Choose two cards from the Making Memories paper and cut them out. Place them behind the Boo card. Also punch out the orange die cut frame and place it over the spider to create a "picture frame" so to speak.

Choose 5 photos and adhere them across the center of your page.

Layer the Pink Paislee text border and the striped die cut strip under your row of photos.

Lastly, add a few finishing touches to complete your layout. To complete your picture frame, attach one of the Girls' Paperie metal charms to the die cut frame. Then use a piece of string to tie a bow and adhere it to the top of the metal charm. Here is what my finished layout looks like.

Let me know if you have any questions about how I created this layout.

Happy creating!
Diana

Dimensional butterflies!

2010-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I have a fun technique to share with you today! If you know me well.....you will know that I have a "thing" for butterflies. I think almost every LO has at least one......somewhere. It is a slight obsession I have. Don't know what to put in that corner? Plop a butterfly there! LOL! This LO of my sweet 90 year old Gram uses several of these cool, embossed butterflies and the Sweet Sue kit. (only 4 left!) One is a larger version and two are somewhat tiny....so you have to kind of look for 'em!

Here is a close up! In real life they are quite shiny and sparkly!

Want to make some of your own? OF course you do! : ) I used this old set by PC where it comes with the die and embossing folders. But you don't need these to do what I did. All you need is to die cut your butterfly from ANY System and then find a cool embossing folder you want to use!

You will also need clear embossing powder and Versamark.

Be sure you have already die cut your butterflies and set them aside. Open you embossing folder and Versamark one side of it. Slip your diecut butterfly inside and crank it through your BigShot or Cuttlebug machine......whatever you have!

Open up the folder and take the butterfly out. It will have the Versamark on only the recessed areas! This will serve as a sort of "resist" when we Glimmer Mist it in a bit! You can also try it the other way where the raised parts grab the Versamark.

Dump your clear embossing powder on top and shake excess off. Heat it up.

Now the butterfly is shiny on the recessed parts of the embossing.

Ooopps! Forgot to insert the picture of my Glimmer Mist!!! OK GRAB YOUR GLIMMER MIST!!!!! (or something comparable to it!) Spray away until you reach your desired colors!

Dab excess off with a Kleenex. (Yes, we are very high tech around here!)

Once your butterfly has dried, you can shabby it up a bit by inking the edges a bit in brown.

Dress up your butterflies with buttons, gemstones, pretty stick pins and such!

Here are a couple of little wall plaques I created. You can see how different embossing folders give it a different look!

I would love to try this technique with letters for a title, or other die cut shapes!

I hope I've inspired you to try something new today! Have a fabulous week!

Banner Crazy!

2010-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heya! So today's post is a quick tutorial on the wonder of half-banners. Or at least that's what I call them. I did them on this layout and had so many requests to show a tutorial on how to make them, so here we are! I had originally planned to post this last week (on Labor Day) but this dang satellite internet is just so not working with me! I'm getting very familiar with my local Starbucks as a result. And all hyped up on caffeine, too!

Half-Banner Tutorial from Brittny Lejeune on Vimeo.

Seriously...I love that my tank is all lopsided. And you can see my bra. Classy, very classy.

Well, I hope I didn't scare you too much! I'll show you the banner I made with this piece in a bit. Assuming of course I ever finish it!

Using your punches effectively!

2010-08-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!!

My first Tips and Techniques blog post! Yay!

So super duper nervous! Yay!

LOL! So I am not a real huge techniques person-at least I don't think so-but I wanted to try and come up with something that was useful and interesting to read for you all! Looking at my supplies and my LOs, I realized that the only real tools that I use are my paper punches and decorative scissors! I still hand cut or exacto my lines and don't have a die cutting machine or anything. I just couldn't justify the cost of such things as a die cutting machine or even a paper trimmer, and honestly it took me a long time to get into the punch trend because those things are a bit pricey too! But after a couple punches I realized that these would be well worth the cost as I do get a lot of use out of them! :D I was happy about that. So my punch stash has grown quite a bit and I thought I would share with you some of the ways that I have used them to try and get the most out of them! :D My goal is to try and give you lots of ideas on different ways to use your punches and deco scissors to try and get the most for your money! Hope you like it!...Here we go!

This first LO uses my Martha Stewart Starburst punch like there is no tomorrow! I wanted a scallop border for my circle LO but I didn't want the normal scallops. I saw this idea from the awesome Kimmi Achord, and totally fell in love with it! And it was really simple, which is a plus for me! :D Sewed them into place and totally love how it looks. The second punch I used on this LO is my all time fall back, the Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly! These little butterflies are tiny, soft, sweet and can add just the right amount of dimension and color to any LO! And next, the Martha Stewart Medallion double punch is one of my newer punches, and I used it here to make a sort of blue flower around my main embellishment. I think it turned out really sweet! And last, the Marvy 1 1/2 inch Scallop lever punch I use on lots of LOs as a good base to further embellish off of, like I did here in this LO. And I also used a pair of deco scissors here that has really grown on me, my Kraft Edgers Postal decorative scissors. (Normally I would never condone buying something so super expensive, but it was a gift-and have only just realized in looking it up exactly how expensive a gift it really was!!! Totally need to call my Grandpa and Thank him profusely again!) Anyway I used these to trim around my photo-and really like the effect!

Next up, I used my Martha Stewart Starburst punch on overtime!!! I wanted to just use hints of all the patterned papers from this line and this was the best and most effective way I could come up with! :D The next that I used here was my Fiskars Apron Lace punch. I punched the top of my journaling card and a little strip of one of the papers to just give hints of the blue colors they had on them. And of course the LO wouldn't be complete without using the Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch again! :D Love that one to pieces!

This next project is a hugely hot trend as of late and I jumped on the band-wagon as soon as I saw the first one because I thought it was sooooooo stinking awesome! And I have made several of these garlands since! :D Here I used a butt-load of scraps and it felt great!!! I used everything from patterned paper to glassine envelopes to corrugated cardboard! The punches I used were all of these:

Martha Stewart Starburst punch

Martha Stewart 1 inch Scallop Circle punch

Martha Stewart 1 inch Circle punch

Marvy 1 1/2 inch Scallop lever punch

Martha Stewart Arctic Snowflake punch
Martha Stewart Alpine Snowflake punch

Martha Stewart Star Confetti punch

Martha Stewart Radiant Star punch

For more pictures of the garland (which still aren't very good-but all I could get :P) go here to my blog. :D

This LO here, which is very near and dear to my heart, I did kind of the same thing as the LO above with my Marth Stewart Starburst punch. I used the punches to not only add dimension and texture, but as color accents on the page. :D And of course they would not be complete without some butterflies on them, using the Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch!

This LO also does something similar in that all my accents are pieces of paper in different colors and shapes. :D I punched lots of different papers that followed the same color scheme that I needed and layered them all on top of each other in random order! Along with the circle punches I used here (Marvy 1 1/2 in Scallop circle lever punch, Martha Stewart 1 inch Scallop Circle punch, and Martha Stewart 1 in Circle punch) I also included some punches from a couple leaf punches I have, which makes the circles seem like flower clusters! Leaf punches used were: Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch and Martha Stewart Frond punch. I really love how this LO turned out and how the layered papers give it a soft texture. The other thing I used on this LO were my Provo Craft Mini Scallop deco scissors (which I can not for the life of me find a picture of online! Grr!)I used it along the strip that runs horizontal on the LO. I actually backed the strip with the darker magenta color and then cut the paper off with the deco scissors leaving just a hint of the color for contrast! :D I like doing little accents like that.

This next project has my Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch and Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Hydrangea punch to good use making my own embellishment flowers! These two punches layer so amazingly together! All you need are some small pop dots to make them dimensional and you are good to go! :D I used two other flower punches on this project as well-the Martha Stewart Cornflower punch (as seen directly below) and the Martha Stewart Cosmos punch (seen in the next picture). And to make these flowers complete I added punches from some of my Jenni Bowlin Bingo cards made with the Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch and the Martha Stewart Frond punch! :D This album was probably the most fun of anything I have done with punches!

Next to last is this little LO that I made a while ago, and it is really a very simple LO but I LOVE it! :D One of my all time favs. On this Lo I used my Marvy 1 1/2 inch Scallop lever punch and layered two punched papers of different colors on top of each other, with the darker paper on the back so that only a teeny bit showed up behind the blue paper. And that was my main accent. Using a small amount of paper in an effective way is sometimes all you need to make a LO! :D The other two punches used here are, of course, my Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch and then my EK Success Tiny Dotted Scallop edger punch. The EK Success punch I used to subtley merge the white cardstock with the black cardstock, so that hopefully it wasn't such a huge contrast. And it turned out to be a really fun accent to do! Another way to creatively use your punches to add some fun and texture to your LOs! :D

And last, but not least!, is the LO I made for the most recent Noel Mignon challenge! Here I wanted to use several different colors, but still have this be a very white space and soft LO. I tried to do that by just using little strips of the colors and patterns I wanted. I used my Provo Craft Mini Scallop scissors, Fiskars Uppercrest Border punch, and Fiskars Threading Water punch on the papers. And, of course, as you can see, I used the Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch (tired of that one yet? LOL!), my Marvy 1 1/2 inch Scallop lever punch, and Martha Stewart Frond punch to create the accent at the lower part of the LO.

:D So now do you see how it is almost impossible for me to do a LO without my punches??! I love them so much and they are so versatile that I can't help myself! I really have begun to depend upon my punches and scissors, and they really help to make the most of the rest of my supplies-especially my paper scraps!

I really hope that I have inspired you and given you some ideas on ways to use your punches and scissors, instead of completely overwhelming you with an incredibly picture heavy post. :D Please let me know if there are any specific things you would like me to do in the future for my T&T posts, because as I said before I am soooo not a techniquey person (or at least I don't think so), but really want to show you what you want to see! So let me know! :D Thanks!

Two more things before I go-

The Fun in the Sun crop is still going on! All the challenges are up on the boards here, and all of them have the same due date of the 16th! Which still gives you some time if you hop on over there and get started! Good Luck! :D

And the last thing, Sweet Sue is up for preorder!! Woot Woot! Be sure to go pick yours up today as these are going to go real fast!! I can not wait to get my hands on mine!!! This is going to be my fav kit yet as it is just gorgeous and I love the colors! :D

Ok that's all folks! Take care! Have a good day!

~Amy

Adding Dimension to your layout

2010-08-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Michelle here to share with you a technique I use over and over on my layouts that adds some dimension and interest to your layout. It really is simple. See if you can guess what it is by looking at the following layouts.

If you guessed crumpled paper you are correct! hee! Sometimes I don't like the way a layout feels when the paper is "flat". Sometimes it is just to "perfect" for the look I am going for. So the easiest way I have of getting it a little bit more worn - is to crumple the paper. There is no right or wrong way of doing so - just do it! And if you have time wet the paper and you will get an awesome look (I am usually not that patient).

When it comes time to adhere the paper I usually just put the adhesive onto the base and then place the crumpled paper on exactly the way I like. Then make sure to only press down in the spots that are flat so that you can keep the crumpled look!

That's it! I hope you use that technique - it really is simple and adds great dimension! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Michelle

T&T: "Organically" Placed Elements

2010-07-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

I tend to overthink things, like the placement of little stars, or butterflies, or what the heck am I gonna post for my tip & technique...

Even though I love an artistic/grungy/shabby style to my layouts, I still think and think and think on how to make my elements look "just right." I really admire the designers that are able to make things look random, yet planned.

A few years back, when the "scattered" look first came into scrapbooking, I came across a blog (and I wish I still remember where it was- unfortunately, I don't!) where the designer was talking about the technique I'm about to share with you.

This is the layout I made... but it needed something else to make it finished. I started with a couple of stars, but they looked too "perfectly placed."
I punched out and inked/misted several more stars from coordinating patterned paper from the Office Party kit.

And this is the technique for making them look random: just drop them on the page. Ha! I leave a few where I think they look good and re-gather & drop the other ones.

I keep doing it until I'm happy with the final result. Then I adhere down with a mixture of tape runner & pop dots.
(This star is punched through the layout and the back is a scrap of Hambly overlay to create a little "window" in the page.)
I used the same technique with the butterflies on this layout below. I knew I wanted them in a rough line across the top, but again, I didn't want it to look too perfect.
I just love the little upside-down butterfly for some reason. I suspect it's because I know that if I were a butterfly, I'd probably be the one flying upside-down.
I added in a few other scattered embellishments to add to the look. (This layout is created with a mixture of Lily Bee Designs products & items from past NoelMignon kits.)

I'd love to see your take on these random elements !:)

My Latest Fave - Stamp Masking!

2010-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

3-Dimensional Stars

2010-07-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

The inspiration for these 3-D star elements on my page were inspired by this rustic barnwood star.

I cut out two 2.5" stars, one 3.5" star, and one 4.5" star for this page.

Using the Scor-It-All add a score line going from each tip of the star to the opposite indent, like this.

Continue around, scoring each of the five tips until you are finished.

Use your fingers to pinch and fold the star into shape.

Now it looks like this! :)

Stack a few foam dots together and adhere to the underside of your star. You are now ready to add it to your page.

Easy, right?!! :D Have fun!

Happy Scrapping!
Jana

Dyeing Your Own Scrunchy Ribbon

2010-07-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

Scrunchy ribbon is all the rage these days! I love the look of it on cards and scrapbook pages! It has that imperfect vintage feel to it! So here's the scoop on what you'll need...............Glimmer Mist, Seam Binding, used wet coffee grounds, and bowls. If you interested in purchasing seam binding, E-bay is a great place to buy it!

Step One: Cut seam binding to desired length and place in bowls.

Step Two: Spray and scrunch seam binding with Glimmer Mist. (The scrunching is necessary so that parts of the seam binding will be dark, other areas will be light!)

Step Three: Dump used WET coffee grounds over the wet seam binding. Scrunch again, let it sit and dry.

Step Four: Take the binding out of the bowls and put on a plate because it will dry faster that way. (Unless you have unlimited time.....then leave 'em in the bowls overnight!)

Step Five: After it is dry, shake and remove coffee grounds. This will be your beautiful end result! I love how there is variation in the colors and an aged look from the coffee grounds!

Here is an example of a candy package I created using my scrunched seam binding and Noel's Lemonade Stand kit. And yes.......I did pick out the correct colored M & M's so as not to clash with the papers! (Sick, I know! LOL!)

Thanks so much for stopping on by! Have a great week!!! : )

Paper Rolling

2010-07-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! I created this layout for the Independence Challenge that starts next week over on the challenge blog and have a couple tips and techniques to share with you today. I'm going to turn 30 in January (yikes!) so I thought over the past decade of my life and jotted down a list of things that truly showed me gaining independence. I'm excited to see what my 30s will bring and it's amazing how much I accomplished and struggled during my 20s. I used the bright, fun Sun-Kissed kit to create this layout:

I placed the Jenni Bowlin butterfly rub-on on vellum and cut it out. I love the look this gives the butterfly as it allowed it to somewhat "flutter" off the page. :)

Here's a look at part of my title...the Cosmo Cricket chipboard alphabet was from my stash but the journaling block and flower are both in the kit.

I used a Maya Road kraft envelope to hide my journaling and dressed it up a little with a glittered flower, button and twine.

Here's a look at my journaling using one of the Echo Park journaling blocks...

And here's a tutorial for you on rolling patterned paper...First, I selected four different papers to work with. I wanted them to have some pattern to them but not have a lot of extra color. In my particular design, I wanted them to basically be monochromatic.

I cut the paper to 2" squares and cut 3 squares from each paper.

Next, I started rolling the paper from one end. You could always roll around something but I just used my fingers to work with the paper.

At the edge of my paper roll, I placed three glue dots to hold the paper in place.

Here's what one roll looks like....

And here's my finished embellishment on my layout. I adhered them to the page with glue dots and wrapped a ribbon around them to help tie them together.

That's it! A fairly simple technique to give some extra dimension and color. I think these would also be cute as birthday candles on a birthday layout.

Enjoy your holiday weekend! :)

Mist and Layers

2010-07-01T19:29:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on my layouts is to add a bit of texture in some form or fashion. Today I am going to show you a simple technique to add, not only a bit of texture, but also a one of a kind color fading look to your item. Take a quick look at the yellow/purple scalloped circle here.

To create this, first you will need to cut out a circle shape out of a scrap piece of paper. Then punch out several strips of white paper with your Martha Stewart Doily punch or some other punch of your choosing.

Place your punched strips in an empty box or cover your work area with newspapers. Choose 2 different shades of mist for this project. I used lemon mist from Maya Road and Chickadee mist from Shimmerz. Generously spray a bit of both mists on your punched strips. I think used some of my purple mist from Maya Road and splashed some of it on the strips to mimic spilt juice.

This part takes a bit of time but it is so worth it in the end. After your punched strips have dried, layer them on your circle as shown here.

Once you have layered all your strips, cut off the excess, and viola! You now have a textured circle with a unique faded color scheme.

Here is how I used my circle on my layout.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section. Happy creating everyone!

Tool Play: Acrylic Blocks!

2010-07-01T08:25:00.001-07:00

Warning! The audio on this video is WONKY! You might want to turn the volume down a bit. I'm not a crazy yeller, I promise, I'm just havin' some issues with my webcam settings. Bear with me, ladies!

Sewing On Your Pages!

2010-06-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Ruffled Flower with Tape

2010-06-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Last weekend I made this fun little banner using the Sun Kissed kit and I am in love with this little flower!! I used the Pink Paislee tape in the kit and I'll show you how below in my very first online video. I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. Demille!

Okay guys, so for some reason it is playing super wonky now that it's actually posted. WEIRD! Watch it at youtube for the best resolution!

Well, hopefully the audio matches the video for you! Happy scrapping and see you next week!

Title Tip: Masking a Unique Looking Title

2010-06-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when creating a layout, I don't have the right letter stickers that match the mood of the layout, or I'm missing letters from the set that I do have, so I have to improvise.
When creating this "Community" layout, I wanted some letters that were soft looking, but still had some impact & punch against the pretty blue of the cardstock.
I decided to cut out the title on my Silhouette (more about my favorite tool, here!) and then use the negative space as a mask for my blue ink pad & dauber. I just loaded up my dauber with blue ink and lightly tapped it over the mask. I added a little bit of olive green on top of it just to add dimension.
I then removed the mask and outlined the title with my white gel pen, then scratchily went around that with my black pen. I love the look this gives, and it's a fun way to experiment within boundaries.
(Layout created with the Sunkissed kit) I did the same technique in the above photo on a canvas album I'm working on, with a mixture of glimmer mists and inks. It's fun- try it out!

Using Patterned Paper as an Embellishment

2010-06-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ways to create is to use patterned paper as an embellishment. The easiest way to do this is to cut design elements from patterned paper. On this layout using the Lemonade Stand kit, I cut out flowers from the KI Memories patterned paper. I cut the flowers in half and then adhered them at the top as a border. I used foam adhesive on half of the flowers for extra dimension.

To help carry out the textured edges of the flowers, I used part of the Hambly transparency along the bottom of my title. The rounded edges of the transparency and flowers help carry the eye around the layout.

Another tip here is to machine stitch across the chipboard letters. Doing this can be hard on machine needles so I use a separate needle for stitching on chipboard.

A Few Tips On Putting A Layout Together

2010-06-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ok so today I have little tip for you. With the latest Double Trouble Challenge I realized that I don't rely too heavily on pattern paper - I rely more on embellishments. But, I did want to make the pattern paper go far, so I cut the paper in half and used both sides together as a 'single' sheet. To hide the seam I used some Pink Paislee tape and some bazzill trims. By doing this, I was also able to dsiplay my photos in a way that hilights the the largest photo.

I also used 3 different sized photos. I made sure that each layer overlapped and provided continuity throughout the layout. To bring everything together I used the large Melissa Frances frame for my title. This frame overlaps the photo at the bottom left as well as some of the layers on the right.

Because the top left corner was so bare to me I decided to stamp a mini border to balance the layout out. With the stamp alone I didn't like it - and was upset that Ididn't just leave it be - but I added a neutral tag to take away some of the harsh black.

I guess that wasn't one tip that was a few - heee - I hope it made sense and provided you with some background on how I put the layout together.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Michelle

Quick Tip: Cleaning Your Acrylic Blocks

2010-05-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Quick Tip:

I'm sure the awesome stampers that are out there are going to cringe at this picture.

I believe I've mentioned a time or two, stamping is not really my thing. I ADORE how it looks, but I've never quite gotten the hang of remembering to use my stamps.

Perhaps it's because I let my acrylic blocks look like this:
*shudders*

I discovered a really quick fix for cleaning this off, that most of you probably have in your house!

A magic eraser!
It cleans nearly all the ink off, presto chango! (Even the Staz-on!) And I didn't have to go out and buy some fancy cleaning product. :)

Now maybe I'll get to stampin' more on my projects.... :)

Painted Embellishment

2010-05-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have lots of friends named Michelle that inspire me. ;) A couple of them on this team! However, today my inspiration comes from another Michelle that is not a scrapbooker, but is a incredibly talented artist (and one of my best friends!).

She created some little watercolor paintings a few years ago on top of text paper, and that is what I had in mind when I made this little embellishment for my layout.

Start off with a square or rectangle of text paper. I used some October Afternoon paper from the Lemonade Stand kit (5 left!).

Choose several colors of acrylic craft paint. You just need a small drop!

Add a little bit of water to each drop.
Brush on some of the watered down paint on the text paper.

Continue to do this to form your background. You don't have to cover the whole thing!

I wanted to make a happy little flower picture- it's simple enough for me to paint!

If you leave some globs of paint on the picture, it'll dry with some texture.
I cut out another quote from the same paper and adhered it on top, along with embellishing it with one of the rhinestone brads from the kit.
Check out that cool embellishment!

(The background/border of this page is made from the Jenni Bowlin Coredinations cardstock in the Lemonade stand kit. To make it coordinate with the painted embellishment, I used the same paint on the embossed polka dots, and then roughly traced around them with a pen.)

Making Flowers with Border Stamps

2010-05-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

The NEW Lemonade Stand kit (Just 15 LEFT!!!) includes an adorable little stamp set by Prima with two lace border pieces. Naturally you could use these to add a border strip along your page somewhere, or even stamp several strips and create a mitered frame around the edge of your page or a photo. But today I wanted to show you how you could use the border stamps to create FLOWERS.

First, stamp your image repeatedly along a strip of smooth cardstock. I used the edge of the paper as my guide. If you would like a larger flower, simply leave a space from the edge. You will need two 12" stamped strips per flower.

Next, score your stamped strip along the design. You will want to score in two places along the design; the top of the scallop and the bottom of the scallop.

You will have something that looks like this.

Next, cut out your design.

Fold the strip accordian style along the scored lines. You should now have two strips that look like this.

Glue the two strips together end-to-end, matching up the pattern. You will now have a circle that looks like this.

Punch a circle from a scrap piece of cardstock. Apply a glob of quick-drying glue or hot glue to the center. Gather your circle together and push it down flat into a flower shape. Adhere to circle and hold in place until the glue dries.

This is what the back of the flower looks like. My cardstock dried a little off-center, but that won't matter because you won't see it. :)

The larger flower will have the white portion of the strip towards the center. Don't worry about that, you can cover it up with a flower center.

Decorate the center of your flower as desired with a patterned paper, fabric, felt, buttons, brads . . . it's up to you!

I chose to cut a design from patterned paper and then layered a dimensional sticker on top.

And here is my resulting page!

Page created with the Lemonade Stand kit.

Creating "Dirt!"

2010-04-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

On the message boards many of us gals participated in a Project Runway challenge hosted by Greta. We were to provide our partners with a sketch and they provided one back! My partner was Mia. She provided me with a fabulous sketch (Which apparently, I lost due to my computer troubles......) that this LO was created by! (Thanks Mia!) I chose these pics of my pup getting caught digging in the backyard. Instead of getting mad.....I grabbed my camera!

I wanted to emulate the mud that he had allllllllllll over his white furry body.....so I played with some supplies to recreate the look of mud.

Here's what ya need.......

This could also be great for creating "chocolate" for a chocolate inspired LO!!!!

One of the things I love about art...is the constant experimentation it provides! And sometimes you stumble across something wonderful!

For all of those muddy dogs, kids, husbands.....let me some LO with some "dirt" on em! : )

Interview Journaling

2010-04-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello there and happy Friday! The other day while organizing I came upon an interview I had done with Alyson when she was 3. I am not sure where I got the questions but I loved the answers she gave - so I decided to scrap them.

I printed the journaling on cardstock and added it to the layout - so easy.

It was an easy way to get journaling done and to mark her growth at that time. I am going to do the interview again - I would love to see how she answers now.

Here are the questions incase you want to try this as well. I know there was 2 one for mom and one for dad - but the same questions apply.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
2.What makes mom happy?
3. How does mom make you laugh?
4. What was mom like as a child?
5. How old is your mom?
6. How tall is your mom?
7. What is her favorite thing to do?
8. What does mom do when you are not around?
9. If your mom becomes faous what will it be for?
10. What is your mom really good at?
11. What is your mom not really good at?
12. What does your mom do for her job?
13. What is her favorite food?
14.What makes you proud of your mom?
15. If your mom were a cartoon character who would she be?
16. What do you and your mom do together?
17. How are you and your mom different?

That's it - have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle

Low On Photo-Printer Ink?

2010-04-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you are low on photo printer ink, and don't have time to get new pics developed?

Here's a thrifty tip that doesn't require a photo for a layout, but isn't too "artsy-fartsy" looking! ;)

Make your child's artwork the focal point of the page!

I loved this "family portrait" that Emerson drew a few months ago right after Ariana was born. It definitely needed to be included in our family album.

I used the Playdate kit (sold out!) to frame it out and embellish it. It didn't need too much product on there because I wanted it to stay the main focus of the page.

The blues & yellows of the Lily Bee paper contrasts nicely against the white & red of the drawing, and a thin border of Pink Paislee striped paper makes up the frame. Scatted buttons add a little interest.

Circles cut from some October Afternoon paper, and then cut in half, make up the scalloped border around the Lily Bee die cut.

Hope you try out this thrifty technique some time soon!

A Little Paper Braiding

2010-04-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

So this week we had the challenge of using ONLY 8 manufacturers on a single layout. And it was fun because I realized that I like to mix and match quite a bit! But I finally got to dig into someof my new stash of things as well as some oldies which is the best! And instead of just showing you my layout - I thought I could show you how I put together the braided border.

I used Melissa Frances paper and cut 3 strips to a little less than an inch each. I left the length at 12 inches.

Then crumple the paper really well.

When you have all three crunpled you are going to be ready to braid.

I used glue dots to stick the ends together.

When you have them together then you can start braiding.

Since this paper was only printed on one side I made sure that my braid stayed put with only the print showing. But I think it would be neat to use a double sided sheet for even more colors!

I find that I scrunch as I move down the braid - when you finish use gluedots to close the braid.

If you ever try this please post I would love to see!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Michelle

Layered Strip Flower

2010-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this lovely fabric flower on Rebecca Sower's blog, but since I'm a little fabric/sewing challenged, I thought I would attempt one made from paper.

First, I used scraps of paper leftover from some of my other layouts from the Sonoma County kit. I cut them into strips. They were roughly 1" wide, but I was particular about it. Some of them were 12" long, others were shorter.

I put a dab of adhesive on the ends and started folding them over. I did multiple "petals" from each strip. I really didn't have a rhyme or reason, just started folding.

Then I cut a rough circle from some coordinating patterned paper...

and sorted the folded strips by size, largest to smallest.

Then, using my trusty glue gun, I started adhering down the largest strips to the circle.

I kept adding lots o' hot glue and adding to the layers, working inward and smaller.

It gets nice and fluffy! You can squish it down some if you don't want it so big.

I added some more gobs of glue in the center of the flower and wedged in the smallest pieces.

I spritzed it with some Shimmerz (but I couldn't get it to pick up in the picture! Bad me!)

I had this flower sign from the Dollar Store, so I covered it up with coordinating papers from the kit...

and jazzed it up with some other pieces from the kit, slapped that flower on there, and then had a lovely new Spring sign for my front door!

You could make this flower much, much smaller if you did smaller and less strips. I want to make some more for my cards & scrapbook layouts. :)

Making Your Own Backgrounds

2010-03-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to show you two tips for making your very own background patterns. :) Can you spot the two techniques I used on this page?

For the first technique, I pulled out my Sea Monkey Vibez by Shimmerz Paints. We're all familiar with misting our cardstock, . . . this time I will be using a mask to create a pattern on my page.

I used my Silhouette to out a large polka dot pattern to use as a stencil. If you don't own an electronic cutting machine you could also create a polka dot pattern using the grommet punch by Making Memories.

Lightly tape your pattern to your cardstock. Use additional sheets of paper or paper towels to cover up the exposed edges of cardstock sticking out past the edges of your mask. Covering the edges will ensure that you won't get a line of "overspray" while you are misting. Spritz the openings with your Vibez spray ink. If you need to, move and line up your pattern around the page until you reach the desired result.

For my second technique, I decided to use acrylic stamps to create my own patterned paper.

First, I created a document on my computer that looks like a large scale sheet of graph paper. I used the "hairline" line thickness at 20% opacity in a grid across the entire sheet. The lines are spaced 0.5" apart. Print your graph onto white cardstock. You will be stamping directly onto this sheet. The grid marks will help you keep your pattern straight and even.

Next, choose one or more stamps to work with. I chose the spiky flower stamp from this stamp set called "Spunky Nature" by My Cute Stamps . I used an ink pad that contained several coordinating colors by My Mind's Eye. I stamped directly on top of the grid, using the lines to position my image. When the design is complete, the graph underneath will be barely noticeable. Now you are ready to incorporate your custom patterned paper into your next papercrafting project!

And here is my completed page! Everything else on this page is from the NEW Sonoma County Kit . There are just a few left! Pick yours up in the Noel Mignon online store HERE .

Thanks for coming by today!

Using Movies as Jumping Off Points

2010-03-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

We watch a lot of kids movies in our home (what a shocker, I know!), and because there are certain ones that have become an ingrained part of our family life, I want to make sure to include phrases and titles from them in my layouts, even if the layout itself isn't about that particular movie. It still will bring back a sense of the time frame in our life when I look back at these layouts in the future.

I used the Maya Road stamp & ink pad to add this little detail strip on the layout.
All made (except for the Pink Paislee alphas from my stash) with the Sonoma County kit!

Thrifty Tips

2010-03-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of Thrifty Tips with you today. The first one involves the page I created for the crop. When you just can't find the right accent to fill that empty spot on your page . . . instead of running to the scrap store, try using some clipart or an image from the internet.

On this page, I used the Ledger Clouds (dowloaded from MelStampz) and a Betsy McCall Paper Doll found on the internet .

Page created with the Noel Mignon Core Curriculum kit. The buttons and My Mind's Eye chipboard letters are from my stash.

My next tip involves letter stickers. Can't find the perfect color to match your page? Try coloring in a light colored alphabet sticker with a marker. Here I colored the letter stickers black . . . but I could've easily colored them any other color to suit my tastes.

Papers, Borderline Stickers, Flipnotes, Letter Stickers and Tape are by Pink Paislee. Crystal Accents by Zva Creative.

Don't forget to shop your stash. Make the supplies you already own work for the project you are creating.

Happy Scrapping!
Jana

Making Your Own Embellishments

2010-03-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the little things in life that really make our days special, right? Well, I feel the same way about scrapbooking. As I am scrapbooking I get the "fundamentals" down....but often need a little "somethin" "somethin"...if you know what I mean? Usually I reach for those embellishments that are already made for me and add 'em to my page.......But not today. Today, I made my own. I drew my inspiration directly from the photo. I recreated my son's little snowman guy he made.

Circle punch? Check. Red & orange felt? Check. Buttons? Check. Seed beads? Check. Mica Flakes? Check. One adorable snowman??? CHECK!

So the next time you are stuck on what embellishments would add just the right touch.......maybe try making your own!

Packaging Tip

2010-03-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Happy Friday! I am going to share a qucik tip with you. In the Seaside Cottage kit there is some Bling by Prima. I don't know about you but I love the little decorative edges that is on the packaging. I decided to use them on the layout I did for the latest sketch challenge.

I cut the 2 edges off and tucked them under the photo. Such a pretty touch I think and a way to be "green" with the packaging.

And here is the entire layout. Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Title Tip

2010-03-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have totally fell in love with these Pink Paislee chipboard stickers that Noel put in the "Object of my Affection" kit and have used them on everything I can. Well in doing that I have started to run out of certain letters. For this layout I had to be a bit creative with my stickers!

Look closely below and you can see the "C" was originally a D... I just snipped off the edges. And the "E" on the end of 'exchange' is a number 3 that I just turned backwards. If you look closely you can spot these things but I think they just help to keep my title interesting!

So next time you are in a bind and are out of letter stickers, think creatively!!
Thanks for stopping by!

Fun with Foam!

2010-03-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

If you're like me you have tons of old Foam Thickers hanging around, today I'm gonna give ya a quick and fun way to revamp those older foam letters!

Gather your supplies
Heat Gun
Foam Letters
and something to impress the foam (I used a fork here)

On my card I used my heat gun to heat up the foam letters and then quickly pressed the fork into the foam while it was still hot. If you aren't happy with the result you can reheat it again and redo it. Once it cools it will leave a cool impression in your foam.

Here is an older layout that I used the same technique for my title letters. This time I used a Fiskars texture plate to press into the heated foam letters.

I'd love to see what you can come up with your self with foam!
Thanks for stopping by!

Do a Little Altering!

2010-02-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

I have a little confession- I have a horrible memory!

I call it "Mommy Brain Drain."

I've tried several methods to help me remember which bills I've paid, and which ones I haven't, but being such a visual person, I need something right in front of me all the time. I decided to make something to hang near my desk as a reminder.

I found this at Hobby Lobby on clearance (for $2!) to use for my little reminder board.

Not my style, so I needed to make it "me!"

With any project like this, I start by cutting out some paper the size of the object, and remove the little hook (I'll re-attach those later).
I then lay it on top and cut out the other areas with an exacto blade.
The I ink & distress the edges.
I adhere it down and OOPS! I cut it too short! That's okay...
...I'll just punch some circles, cut 'em in half, and ink the edges.
They adhere down nicely for a little border.
I don't like the top edge of the scallops being raw, so I cut another strip of paper and punch a cute border.
With some more inking of the edges and trimming it to fit, it looks quite nice on top!
Now time to do some embellishing (and distress/sand the black paint a little more).
Screw the little hook back on (I marked the holes with my exacto blade), and then cover the screw heads with rhinestones.
I cut out some cute tags and labeled each one with a bill I need to pay (home, phone, power, etc.). I punched a hole and tied some twine through it.

The plan is to switch the tags over from the left hook to the right one, once I pay it!
(Everything here is from the Seaside Cottage kit, except for the new Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letters- which I LOVE! Oh and look! Noel has them on sale!)

Origami Flowers

2010-02-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

I have pretty much been a paper nerd my entire life. :) My parents own a copy & print shop which meant paper & ink were regular terms at my house growing up. One year my parents gave me a set of Origami Books for my birthday.

While cleaning out a cupboard last week, I came across them and remembered how much fun they were. I thumbed through the pages again and to my delight I found instructions on making an origami flower. As a scrapbooker, I KNEW I had to try it right away. Hehehehe!

Here are the instructions (click to enlarge and print):

And here is my resulting page. :)

Title Tip

2010-02-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

When I went to do my title I realized I didn't have enough letters to spell out 'Valentine'. Instead I decided to abbreviate the word and use a symbol. This is also a great way to shorten a title to fit a space.

Replacing letters with objects and abbreviating titles are fun ways to add interest to your pages.

This is just one way to spice up your page, the design team each month will give you different ideas and fun ways to add interest to your projects!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Kim

Creating a Rainbow Background with Copics and Airbrushing

2010-02-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

I created this lil' birthday card for Noel's birthday using the Prima stamp from the Paper Doll kit. I stamped these gals with black Momento ink. I had this brainstorm to create a rainbow behind them.......

Here is how I did it! The ovals were cut using a Spellbinder's die. But an oval punch would work as well.
Ok.......I used an airbrush system.....but markers, paints, colored pencils would work too......
Just in case you needed a reminder of the colors of the rainbow......... : )
Leave just a sliver of paper showing and.......
Now, I am just using the "negative" space oval......

Here is a close up of the rainbow........

I hope that makes sense! You can create "rainbows" for your scrappy pages too.....or do this on paper and then die cut your letters...or shapes.........just sayin! : )

Happy Hump day!!!!

Using Punches On Your Pages

2010-01-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of "white space" (aka space with nothing on it- doesn't necessarily have to be "white") on layouts, although most of the time I tend to forget that I'm a fan of white space when I'm creating and I end up putting stuff everywhere on a layout and before I know it- no white space!

I went in with purpose on this layout to show restraint in my design and to leave some empty space, and I really love the results. It helps keep the focus purely on these pics of my two oldest kiddos.

To make this tree below, I punched a large scalloped circle and matted it behind a tree cut from one of the papers. An overlay, a chipboard sticker, and a button help add more dimension.
I've seen this a few times and I think it looks cool- just punchng one section on a layout. I backed it with a little scrap of patterned paper to make it pop.
To make the title really pop, I first inked a piece of the Maya Road chipboard, then went over it with the distress stickles in the kit. The look ends up seeming like you could just eat it!
(all made with the Object of My Affection kit!)

Shimmerz Paints Tips

2010-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

Have you ever bought a new product and you weren't quite sure what to do with it?! I know I have! One of the things that confused me when I first started playing with it was PAINT. :)

Included in the January PAPER DOLL kit was a little pot of Pink Shimmerz paint. Have you played with it yet?! :) Or maybe you're feeling a little afraid of it? ;) Well, I want you to pull out your supplies, roll up your sleeves and try some of these ideas on your next page. :)

Paint on Chipboard

Page created with the Noel Mignon OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION kit

Create a Shimmering Background

Paint Portions of the Pattern on Patterned Paper

Paint on Letter Stickers

Paint on Stamped Letters

Emboss Chipboard Letters and Paint Inside the Recessed Design

Paint in Portions of a Die Cut Image

Or Paint the Entire Die Cut

Paint a Shimmer-y Wash Over Paper Flowers

Or Paint a Polka Dot Pattern on Handmade Paper Flowers

Make your Patterned Paper of Your Paper Piecing Shine

Change the Color of a Pearl Embellishment

Make Your Flocked Brads Shimmer

Add a Shimmer-y Ruffle to Your Page
(This is fun to do with bookpaper, too! And LOOK! More shimmery painted flocked brads!)

Paint a Stamped Image

Apply a Paint Wash to the inside of an Embossing Folder and Emboss Cardstock

I used spray ink on this embossing folder, but I think you could easily attain the same effect with a paint wash . . . Try it! :)

Page created with the Noel Mignon OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION kit

I hope this has given you some fun ideas to get you experimenting! Have fun! The possibilities are endless!

Using Your Stash for Gifts!

2010-01-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy Saturday! I just wanted to hop on and share a fun little tutorial on how to turn those extra peices of pattern paper into cute wrapping paper.

I started with 2 pieces of 12x12 pattern paper. This pattern paper is by Dream Street and it is a little havier in weight so I suggest the heavier cardstock and not thin pieces.

I simply overlapped the pieces and used a zigzag stitch. You will do this on all three sides to creat a sort of "pocket"

After I placed the gift inside (I usually put it in tissue paper) I folded it like you would if you were wrapping a present and stitched it up. I could have also just cut enough excess to create a "pillow" but that is up to you.

After I stitched it closed it looked like this.

I used some wrapping ribbon that can be found at any craft store. It is a bit thicker and more coarse than regular ribbon so it keeps its shape really well.

That's it - and it is pretty strong. It wont tear easily and it is super cute! Just another way to use up your stash.

I bet you could even "quilt some together to make it larger or to just have a differnt look.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Michelle

Technique: Dreamy Fairy Lights

2010-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to bring you a little tutorial on how to make a pretty strand of "fairy lights." Our house is so gloomy now without our Christmas decorations, and with the days being so short (and cloudy right now, for us!), I needed something to brighten up our home!

Fairy Lights Tutorial:

I picked up some of these white lights on clearance at Walmart after Christmas. I knew I could use them for something. ;)

Gather some white coffee filters. You can also use the natural colored ones. I'll have some tips at the end of some other things to use, but this is for the basic idea...

For each "bloom" on the lights, you'll need three filters.

Crumple them up. There is no particular science to this.
Open them up and gently flatten them out. Layer them on top of each other.
Use a small scalloped circle punch on some pink paper from the Paper Doll kit. Put it in the center of the "bloom."
Pinch up all the layers from the bottom of the pile. This helps to form the bloom.
Open it back up and use a craft knife or paper piercer to poke a hole through all the layers.

Remove the pink scalloped circle for a moment, and push one of the white lights through the coffee filters. (I did one "bloom" for every 4 or 5 lights.)
Put a bit of hot glue on the bottom of the pink scalloped circle and push it down onto the light/coffee filters. MAKE SURE TO NOT HAVE THE LIGHTS ON when you are gluing! I imagine it's probably not a safe thing to do. ;)
Quickly squish up the coffee filters onto the pink scalloped circle & hot glue.
You may want to do a few dots of glue between the filters. Then, add a bit dollop of glue on the bottom side of all the filters, and twist the filters around on top of the glue to help hold the bloom tightly in place. Once you get all the blooms on the lights, brush some of the Shimmerz Blingz onto the coffee filters with a foam brush. It makes them so pretty and sparkly, and gives them the lightest of pink blushes.

*Note: do not leave these lights on unattended, just like with your Christmas tree. :)
Let me know if you have any questions!

Here's some other ideas I had:

-use layers of text paper cut out with a large scalloped circle die cutting machine or punch
-use layers of tissue paper
-spritz the filters with different glimmer mists
-insert one large piece of scalloped circle die cut patterned paper
-add "leaves" behind each bloom
-dangle Valentine's heart ornaments from the lights

Time to Re-Org!

2009-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

We have been thinking for some time now about combining the LO and Tips blog, and now that the New Year is upon us we thought this would be the perfect time to make the change!

So you can now find all Tips and Techniques from the fabulous Design Team OVER HERE!! Please just change your sub to that blog so you get updates when they are made.

Thank you all so much for the comments...we love comments!! :) :)

Sweater Posies

2009-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

See this sweater? I love it, but it has definitely seen it's day. The color has faded a bit and there are three holes in it where I caught it on something. Time to throw it out . . . or is it?! :D

Cut several graduating circles out of a thinner sweater (something with an open weave or too bumpy of a texture will get caught in your sewing machine during the next step).

Load your sewing machine up with a similar colored thread and zig zag around the edges of the circle. As you sew, stretch and pull at the sweater fabric . . . don't worry, you can't mess this up. Don't worry about being too perfect about it because you won't really see your stitches with the same colored thread.

The sweater circle's edges will curl up naturally as you work with it, but you can also use your fingers to twist and bend the edges into place if you would like. :)

Now layer the circles together, add a button and you have a darling Sweater Posie to add to your page.

Check out this one where I layered two different colors together. Fun, right?! :D :D :D

And this is how it will look on your page.

Page created with The Merry Days of Christmas collection by My Mind's Eye.

Have fun!
Jana

Make a unique shabby chic background

2009-11-22T21:30:00.001-08:00

I got the idea for this technique after making a canvas decoration for my bedroom.

Start off with a piece of cardstock. I chose to use the tan piece out of the "Dear Santa" kit. Keep in mind that whatever color you choose will be "peeking out" from behind the treatment we do on it. This could be so cool with so many different color choices out there!

I keep a old book of catechism and liturgy to use for different projects. It doesn't really matter what you use, though- most of the text will end up being covered up.

Tear out random sheets and adhere them to the page. I like to tear my sheets up a little to make interesting shapes. I used my ATG gun to attach them to the layout. Some of my pages are sideways and upside down.

Continue to layer until you are satisfied with how much cardstock/text ratio you have.
Brush white acrylic paint randomly over the paper. I like to mostly cover the layout- but not entirely. The paint is brushed pretty thinly so you can still see what's underneath. Start with a little paint and add more until you are happy with it.
Add some Shimmerz spritz to it. (I used this one from the "Dear Santa" kit!) It adds a lovely shimmer (duh!) to the paper.
I think this makes such a cool background and could be used so many different ways: obviously, as the background for a layout, but you could also punch it, die cut it, apply this technique to chipboard or even letters... lots of fun ideas!

Bookpaper Leaf Rubbings

2009-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Looking for a new way to add leaf accents to your pages? Try this technique! :)

First, you will need to collect various leaves from your yard/neighborhood. Collect small, medium and large ones so you have a variety of sizes to work with on your pages later on.

Then you will need some kind of bookpaper and several colors of crayons with the wrappers removed.

Next, place your leaf vein-side up underneath the bookpaper. Use the side of the crayon and rub over the top to create a leaf rubbing. The darker colors show up better. Try layering a few colors for variation!

Look how many different kinds you can make! :D

Cut out your leaves and now you are ready to accent your pages!

Clam Chowder by Jana Eubank

Have fun!
Jana

Vintage Snowflakes

2009-11-01T07:41:00.001-08:00

I love anything vintage or shabby and many people have asked me how I create my "vintage" snowflakes. So today, I am going to show you! They are simple to make and something you can make ahead of time.

Here are a few examples of past projects I've made using these glittery snowflakes.

Here is what you need to make 'em! Some type of glue......in my example I used Paper Glaze, walnut ink, Diamond Dust, and of course some type of snowflake die cut. (Mine are by Sizzix!)

First cut out your die cut shapes.

Then spread your glue on the snowflake......I use my finger to spread it evenly.

Sprinkle the Diamond Dust on top of it. Coat it generously! Let the snowflake dry. Sometimes it takes an hour or so.....depending on how heavily you applied your glue.

Once the snowflakes are dry put them in a pizza box or an old tray, in my case I used an old plastic tray that is gunky and icky! (Perfect for this messy project!) Spray the walnut ink on the snowflakes. Spray a few times for darker snowflakes, only once or twice for lighter ones.

You can dab a bit at the snowflakes with a tissue if it gets a bit too dark in one area.

After you get the desired darkness, let the snowflakes dry. Then you can embellish them with ribbons, buttons, flowers, rhinestones.....whatever you like! : )

Fun right? : )

Here is one more card!

I hope you decide to give these a try! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tips for Transparency

2009-10-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd jump on here and share a few tips for attaching the beautiful transparencies that Noel adds to ours kits!

Here is a layout that I have done using "The 31st" Noel Mignon kit and I will show you were I placed my adhesive and how to incorporate it into your next layout.

And then here is where I placed my adhesive:

I placed a small glue dot under each of the green chipboard dots, and then under the large photo and borders. I will usually lay my layout all out the way that I want it (papers, transparency, and photos... embellishments are last) and then strategically place my adhesive under things so that I know it won't show.

I also placed one photo on top of the transp. and another behind it letting the pattern frame the smaller photo.

There are parts of the transparency that are not attached to the cardstock underneath but I am not worried about it coming up once I put it into my page protector and it will stay in place that way.

I love being creative with transparencies... with a few pieces of patterned paper and embellishments this layout came together QUICKLY using the printed transparency.

Other ideas to attach transparencies:
brads

staples

stitching (machine of hand)

Eyelets

Thanks for stopping by!

-Kim
Circus Life

Dollar Store Find: Kitchen Towels

2009-09-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

I admit it. I LOVE to browse dollar stores! :D I don't know if it's the thrifty side of me, or the creative side of me . . . but I like to find things that I can change up or alter in some way. Especially if I can use it in scrapbooking. :)

This time when I went to the dollar store the kitchen towels caught my eye with all their lovely colors and textures! I've been wanting to play with fabric a bit on my pages so I thought this would be an inexpensive way to try it out. :)

On these two pages I used sections of a towel as a layer on my page, the same way I would use a sheet of patterned paper. I used large stitches and machine sewing to keep the layers in place.

I also used a gold textured towel to create page accents by running it through my die cut machine. I made layered flowers and stars. LOVE the way these turned out and I can't wait to make a bazillion more.

Next time you are at the dollar store, try to see materials in a new light. It will get you thinking creatively and push you out of the box. Have fun!

Jana

Embellishment Storage

2009-08-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

How do you store your embellishments?

I used to store them by the type of embellishment... you know brads with brads etc...
I have in the past couple of years decided to try the color sorting instead.
I. LOVE. IT!

Sometimes when I am working on a layout or card I realize that it needs just a bit of such and such color here or there and knowing that all my embellishments are sorted by color I can open up my color drawer and pull from an array of things, from old product to new product! I also find that by doing it this way that I use all kinds of products that I forget that I have! I used to just pull from my newest stuff and then would run across something later on and think "man that would have been perfect!"... now with them all mixed into one color drawer makes it easier to pull just the right embellishment for my project!

Here is a peek into one of my drawers... the blue drawer.. (duh! LOL) I just purchased several of the rubbermaid 7 drawer things and each drawer has a color assigned to them. The orange, yellow, and purple have the smaller drawers up top.

One year at Michael's (around Christmas.. but I have seen them for other holidays too) I found these tiny Muffin bakers for less than a $1 each and bought a TON of them... the cashier thought maybe I was channeling my inner Martha Stewart. hehe I place the smaller stuff in these little containers like brads, eyelets, and smaller embellishments... they then go into my larger color drawers. (small baskets could be used as well)
I use some of the smaller drawers up top for other things... one drawer is for "bling"... this includes lots of gems, glitter brads etc..I have another smaller drawer for my clear embellishments.

I still have a basket that gets some of my new product thrown in there, but having color drawers makes it easy to sort new product also. I just open packages and put them in the right color bin!

Other quick tips from my room:
-I have a rubbermaid box for rubons, stickers etc... that have sayings on them... stuff that is perfect for cards. I can reach right over and grab a sheet and use it quickly, much easier than looking through all my stickers/rubons to find just the right saying.

-I have all my letter stickers in a large box with cardboard between each color so they are easy to sort.

- I have a drawer for chipboard letters, one for naked chipboard letters, and naked chipboard shapes.

- I sort all my patterned paper by manufacturer in the Karen Foster 12x12 holders.

-My ribbon is in large glass jars sorted by color family, the same with my buttons.

I hope this helps ya'll just a bit.. if you have any questions feel free to contact me! :) This is no small undertaking but once you get it done it feels SO good! Let me know if you take the plunge!

-Kim

YoYo's coming to you via video

2009-08-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

okay girls...now i know there is alot of subscribers to this t and t blog so you can learn something as well :) if you don't already know. This video was made for our sizzling summer crop.

Have fun!

Yo Yo Tutorial from Greta Adams on Vimeo.

Stamping Techniques Class with Michele Kovack!

2009-08-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

You have all seen Michele's *AMAZING* stamp work/ techniques...and she is now offering a 5 day workshop to share all of her knowledge and tips with you! Make sure you sign up...you won't want to miss it!!! It will be offered over on the MB frm August 17th-21st. And even if you can't make those days it will be up for you to study and ask questions about for months after...so don't hesitate. :)

Punch Organization

2009-08-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I just happened to reorganize my punches this past week and I thought it would make a perfect tip for you!

First, I originally had all of my punches in a metal cart what had 3 baskets -- it worked perfectly in the last place we lived because it was wider and I could move it about. But since the move I have converted our closet that is narrow but is very long - into my scrap space. The cart thing was bugging me because it was always in the way when I wanted to get to one of my storage shelves. So I finally changed it up and I am happy with the result. It is nothing new - but I changed it so I would like it and like looking at it. Here it is
I have seen this done with the clear shoe organizers and was not really wanting one - but it made sense to me. And all I could find were mesh ones --- so I utilized this shabby chic one that is usually in my daughters room - but we have not used it here - so I gave it a shot. To help me tell which punch was where I punched the design out onto black cardstock and then glued that onto kraft paper. Then I simply used a safety pin to hold it in place.

I can fit about to or 3 punches in each depending on the size. And the top one with no tag has my new ek success ones.

So just an idea if you need to free up some space and/or are looking for an alternative to the clear shoe organizer.!

Michelle

div>

Homemade Flowers

2009-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute flower in Martha Stewart's Living magazine and thought it would be great for cards and scrapbooks! (She used hers for pillows) I scanned the magazine and resized it in Photoshop. If you would like to create your own flower template, right click on this image and save it. I printed mine in Photoshop using multiple photo sizes and printed it on photo paper because it is a heavier weight. When I printed it, I had a single sheet of photo paper with multiple sizes of flower petals. I then cut those out.

See the two sizes I used here? Lay your templates on the fabric and trace around with a pen.

Cut the petals out using good fabric scissors.

Lay petals out and sew a loose straight stitch, pull thread tightly and secure last petal to first petal.

In Martha's magazine, she used 4 petals, but you can create 5 or 6 petal flowers too!

I secured a button to the center of my flower.

For my scrapbook page I actually created a 5 & 6 petaled flower.

This is my finished product!

Be creative and try making flowers out of felt, fabric, wide ribbon........

: )

Bookpaper

2009-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have had such a thing for BOOKPAPER lately! I love that it's another "neutral" I can add to my pages to give the eye a rest. Next time you go to reach for a sheet of black, white, cream, or kraft cardstock . . . try replacing it with a sheet of bookpaper and see how you like the results!

I have used it for a background:

To cover chipboard letters:

Layer punched circles behind other accents to give them more visual weight:

Punch (stars) or cut it (clouds) into accents:

Layered it as part of a flower:

Spritzed it with spray inks or color washed it with paint:

It's fun! And it's also an inexpensive way to add a sense of "history" and texture to your pages. I bought an old book at a second-hand store for $2. That book will last me a long time.

Give it a try and have fun!
I can't wait to see what you do with bookpaper!

Jana

Shabby Chic Tags Free Download!

2009-07-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We are lucky enough to have Veronica Milan as our guest designer this month. If you are not aware, Veronica and her husband are the owner/operators/designers of Shabby Chic Crafts! Veronica was sweet enough to create these custom tags for all of our customers as a FREE download! for this kit.

These coordinate perfectly with the Rise and Shine, Five Foot Two and Eyes of Blue kits! So be sure to get your free tags and have loads of fun playing with them!

Thank you Veronica!