Lift Bridge Cards and Crafts

Make your own Valentine's stencils from punches

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

I love to use stencils and masks, and was inspired to make my own since the class I'm taking (The Curious Scrapbooker's Field Guide taught by May Flaum) is all about misting this week.

To start, I made my own stencils using my heart punches and a transparency. Punches are great when you'd like to make a row of something - just push the punch in until the paper hits the back, and use a vertical line to line everything up. It's a little easier to show you than to take photos, so here is a little video showing how I made two stencils.

After I made the stencils, I had some fun playing with them for just a bit. Again, it's easier to show, so I made another quick video.

Check back later in the week to see how I used my stencils to make a Valentine's card for my sweetie. I can't show you his card before he sees it!

Hope you spend some time this week with someone you love. I love to craft, so I hope I'm also able to have some time with my paper!

Here are a few options for transparencies - at 50-100 sheets per box, one box will make a lot of stencils. You could share these with a friend, or just have plenty for you. If you plan to print on them, make sure you choose one that works with your printer - they make versions for laser and ink jet printers.

Apollo Write-On Transparency Film, 8.5 x 11 Inches, Clear - 100 sheets/eligible for prime shipping
Sparco Laser Transparency Film - 50 sheets/eligible for prime shipping
701 Highland Laser Transparency Film - 50 sheets/not eligible for prime shipping - I used this brand

Quick card with lots of interest

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to play with masking again since my class last week and after gathering some inspiration on pinterest (check out my card ideas board to see some of the cards I've been pinning!). I made this card base by:

Taping low tack masking tape across the bottom of the panel
Applying distress inks in peeled paint and weathered wood
Dropping water onto the panel
Blotting water with a paper towel

The paper itself is an old patterned paper cardstock with a cloud pattern on it.

I removed the tape (darn it, some paper ripped on the left edge!) and stamped a large leaf image from Club Scrap on top in black ink.

I trimmed this panel to get rid of the ripped part, mounted it on two layers of cardstock and added a sentiment. And, I'm done!

I'm thinking there are some more of these in my future - very simple, but I think a card with some interesting texture and background effects is great for any occasion.

A Lovely Flag Book Class

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I had a lot of fun teaching a flag book class at the Copper Country Community Arts Center. You can see everyone working busily and intently!

Joanne is especially serious:

We were working with a technique I presented last fall on my blog to create embellished panels.

We then created a flag book to hold the panels. It was everyone's first time making a flag book - see my tutorial if you want to learn how to make your own or my etsy shop if you want one for yourself. Ronda and Bonnie very carefully glued the flags into their book. Ronda was so excited that she said she was going home to make another book!

Ramona and Anna were very happy with the end result!

We joked that Cari should be our model for the class, since she had her hair cut just before coming to class. She and her book both look fabulous! Cari has her own blog and teaches zentangle classes - she thought this book would be great to hold tangles.

Cynthia had a great time, and toned down the pinks to make a more neutral book. She plans on drawing in her book, and I hope to see it later after she's done more work in it.

I really enjoyed seeing how everyone used similar materials to create unique pieces of art. It was a great time, and I can't wait to teach again at the CCCAC. If you live near the lift bridge, check out the CCCAC, and if you don't, try your local art center for some great classes and fun people.

2012 Calendar Easel - a tutorial

2012-01-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

In the January 2012 Club Scrap kit, we received a nifty little calendar sheet. I decided to make something that I could display, and since it's dated, I'd better do it now!

Want to see how I made it? Keep reading! Since this post has a lot of pictures, I kept them a little smaller than usual. Click on any of them to see a larger shot and more detail.

Make the calendar

To start, trim all of the calendar pieces from the 12x12 pre-printed sheet.

Square them up on the top, and hold together with binder clips. Apply bookbinding glue to the top edge. I applied several thin coats, spreading it with my fingers after each application. Let it dry completely.

Make the easel

Cut bookboard to the size you desire. I cut mine to 3.5 x 4.75".

Cut a cover piece that is 1.5" wider than your board, and 2" longer than your board. On the bottom of the board, draw a line 0.75" from the short and long edge to help you line up the first piece.

Apply glue to one piece of bookboard, spread the glue with a brush, and put it on the cover piece using the lines you drew to help you place it properly. It's not critical that it exactly line up with each line.

Apply glue to the second piece of bookboard. Place a long grid ruler along the edge of the first piece of board, and lay the second piece of board flush against the ruler, leaving 3/8" between the two pieces of board. This will allow the easel to fold nicely.

Clip the corners of the paper at angle and at a distance from the corner equal to the thickness of the board.

Score each flap, pre-fold them around each board, apply glue, and adhere. I also like to score along the gutter edge of each board to make folding it easier later.

Draw a line at the outer edge of each board about 3/4" from the short edge, and use a crop-a-dile to punch the larger holes in the bookboard. I use the stops on the crop-a-dile to set a constant distance from the long edge, and the line to make sure the holes are a constant distance from the short edge.

Set eyelets in each hole, making sure the nice edge is on the finished side, and the raw edge is on the side that still has the bookboard exposed.

Cover the backside with cardstock. Push the cardstock gently into the space between the boards with your fingers. It's ok if it rips - it won't be seen - but I sure am not happy that I made that mistake with my first easel!

After the back is covered (this shows my second easel), use the smaller punch in the crop-a-dile to punch a hole to reopen the eyelets. If you have resistance, you haven't centered the punch properly!

At this point, I like to press everything in my book press. If you don't have one, find a few heavy books. Especially around the eyelets, this will help to make sure everything is nicely adhered. First, I wrap the board in waxed paper, to make sure any oozing glue doesn't stick to anything else. To make sure I get even pressure around the lumpy eyelets, I put fun foam on either side of the board, and then place in the book press.

Embellish the cover

This part is where you get to let your creativity shine! I decided to use the wooden sticks from the Comfort Zone kit. First, I used distress inks to give them a warmer base color. Keep applying until you like the color intensity.

I have to say that I loved the foam applicator from Ranger for this job. I was worried the rougher surface of the wood might rip it, but it stood up to the task. I then stamped the year on the bottom part of the stick. The Hero Arts Printer's Type is one of my all time favorite letter/number sets. It is so versatile.

To assemble the easel, I ran ribbon through all of the eyelets, knotting on the back at a nice distance to keep it open. You could also tie a bow or knot the two ends together.

Finally, I embossed a stamp in copper, and misted some flowers from the Comfort Zone kit to tone down the color a bit. Here is my finished easel from the top of the post. My one little word this year is "action" so I thought this was a nice way to remind me of it.

I made my dear hubby one, too. Originally, I was going to make two with different colors, but he liked the colors I picked. The difference for his was I used one of the little index prints to embellish his home-made ribbon slide.

My ribbon slide, by the way, is an oval punch, and then I punched the ribbon slots with a Making Memories slot punch. I love that tool.

Do you like this post? I would love for you to leave a comment, or pin a photo on pinterest (there is a "pin it" button at the bottom of every post). If you're on pinterest, please follow me! If you're not, ask for an invite - it's a fun way to share pictures and inspiration on the net.

Links to some of the products in this post (shop through an *Amazon link to support this blog!):

2012 Calendar
Comfort zone materials (flowers, wooden sticks, paper, ribbon)
*Making Memories Slot Punch Tool (I like to use with the Making Memories Instant Setter)
Bookbinding glue
*We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile Eyelet and Snap Punch, Pink Handle

How to make a tray to organize your supplies

2012-01-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

When I ended organizing my desk, I was left with these open paper trays.

These are great, but I have lots of "bits" that need a home, and not so much letter sized paper (that already has a home in different places). The container store sells trays, but they have dividers in the middle and I wanted something custom sized. So, I made my own!

Start by getting a knife, some book board, and a ruler.

Cut a base to the size you want, and sides that are the height that you want. The long sides are the same length as the finished tray. The short sides are shorter by the thickness of two boards. I also cut a third short "side" to act as a divider in the tray.

Using a small amount of bookbinding glue, place glue on the bottom of a long side, and glue to the edge. Make sure that it is square (thanks for the square, dad!).

Now, glue the short sides. For the divider piece, I used two acrylic rulers to make sure the piece was straight.

Glue the final long side on, and you have a raw tray. Note that it won't be terribly stable at this point, so treat it gently! It will be more sturdy after it's fully dried, and after you wrap it with paper.

In order to wrap this tray, you will either need large paper, or piece together several pieces. Since I don't envision these trays lasting for generations, I didn't mind if the paper was pieced. I picked Tim Holtz' Lost and Found paper stack because I love the vintage look. I did some measuring ahead of time to make sure the the short sides would not be pieced - these are the sides that show. Draw a horizontal line on the paper so you can easily line the tray up along a straight edge, and a line on the tray so you know where to glue.

Apply glue to the tray, and carefully line up on the paper. I pre-scored the paper, since I know where I want the corner to be.

Score on the second corner, and continue wrapping.

Start a new piece of paper, and keep going around.

On the bottom of the tray, cut a narrow "v" at every corner, and remove the "v."

Fold the flaps over on each side and burnish nicely, being gentle with your tray.

On the open size of the tray, make straight cuts at each corner. Make your cut away from the corner, at a distance equal to the thickness of one board. Place a fair amount of glue on this strip - let it sit for a moment to soften the piece of paper.

Using a bone folder, gently, but firmly, work the paper into the corners.

Fold any flap that does not intersect the divider into the tray. Scoring the paper and working it a little bit before applying glue is a good idea, but I also wasn't horribly concerned about getting perfectly square corners - these are storage trays, not a jewelry box.

Make a straight cut in paper at the middle of the divider. Stop cutting just a bit before the tray edge so the uncut paper will fold flat along the top edge of the long side.

Fold and glue each flap into the tray.

Take a piece of paper the width of the tray and fold and glue it over the divider.

It's sort of like magic, because the corners look great where the divider meets the sides of the tray.

Cover the bottoms and the back of the tray with paper.

I made several of these in different shapes and sizes to slide in and out of the landscape letter trays (see them on the right). I'm also experimenting, and I like these trays three high, so I'm going to buy some more as soon as I can find another sale at the Container Store.

I really like being able to customize my scrapbook storage. If I need new sizes, I can make new ones later, or I can change them with different patterned papers later. It's all up to me! Do you have any custom storage solutions that you've used in your scrapping space? I'd love to hear about them!

Here are some links to items used in this post:

Accordion book with mixed media techniques

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I never shared this sweet little accordion book with you.

The covers are made from wood (from the Great Outdoors kit from Club Scrap). I glued a piece of patterned paper (from a 6x6 Stampin' Up!) pack to the covers using gel medium, and then rubbed it off with water, creating the lovely translucent image transfer.

I then traced a pattern from a stencil (this is from the Ivory Elegance kit from Club Scrap), and used my wood burning tool to trace it. A little ink for color on the leaves, and around the edges, and it's done! I think there may be some extra coats of medium to seal things up, but it's been a while since I made this book, so I don't remember all of the details.

Here you can see the front and back at the same time. The corners on the folded pages are rounded, to mimic the rounding of the wood corners. Two pieces of paper are glued together to create the accordion.

New Year - New desk organization!

2012-01-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm fibbing a little bit, but I reorganized my desk in mid-December. You might remember back to my last big organization, where my desk ended up looking like this:

This worked really well... for a while. The rotating organizers hold a lot of stuff, but almost too much stuff. The black one in particular would become unbalanced pretty easily, and started to get really tippy. It also felt a bit like too much empty space - they need a lot of space in order to spin freely. So, my desk more typically looked like this:

When I really clean, I like to empty my whole desk and start fresh - it was also time for a good scrub to get some ink stains off of the table.

My new organization system centered around putting everything at the back of the table, and minimizing the amount of stuff on the sides. When I craft, I can use the sides for scraps and things in progress rather than storage. That's the idea, anyway! :)

The back right corner is the least accessible, so I put things there that I don't use everyday, but don't want to hunt for. The center compartments are for the things I use all of the time. When I was done, I put all of the "bits" on the table. Can't work until it's clean!

So, here I am with the desk mostly done. There are still a few more things on the side than I like, but it's a work in progress. I've done a few projects so far, and it's working well.

Here's a close up of the stacking organizer in the middle. I used landscape paper trays, topped by an organizer. The organizer is amazing! There are three small compartments in the front that can be removed or shifted around, and the middle compartment has dividers that I can make larger or smaller - perfect for pencils and paintbrushes. The bottom left letter tray has two organizers trays - two fit nicely side by side and are perfectly sized to hold my Club Scrap ink pads. I got all of these products from the Container Store. I was a bit wary because they were plastic - sometimes it feels "cheap." These were, however, some of the nicest quality pieces I've seen in a long time.

I've discovered my method of filing anything from my e-mail to my papers is to have a "catch all" box, and that's missing right now. I think I want to see if I can stack the letter trays three high so I can add a catch all area. Since these are re-stackable, I'll try it out before I commit to buying more. I'm also thinking of making some paper boxes that can slide in and out to hold those little items. I don't want a drawer unit because I want to be able to take the entire tray out.

Interested in more organizational ideas? Check out my older posts!

How do you organize your desk? I've found that no matter how much space I have, it seems like I'm always working in a 6x6 area - my resolution this year is to keep it clean and organized so I can be creative! Do you have any crafty resolutions this year?

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas with Love

2011-12-25T23:17:00.001-05:00

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that Paul and I exchange home made cards for most special occasions. This Christmas was no exception. Paul made me a lovely quilled card - I think this is the first large snowflake he has made.

He called this a simplistic design, but I think it's pretty special and intricate. The green panel has die cut openings and is popped up to create depth.

I went with a bit of a non-traditional color scheme and design - pink and green (from the Retro kit by Club Scrap). Paul loves hearts, so I stamped lots of them on pink paper with white ink and trimmed them out. These are all from various Stampin' Up! sets, and some coordinated with punches (I love those!). My message inside reflects more Christmas than the outside - he commented that this could be a Valentine's card!

It's always fun to see what Paul has created for me, and these cards are really special to us. Hope you enjoyed a special day with those you love. We're looking forward to a week off from the usual routine and celebrating the beginning of a happy new year!

In case you missed them, here are some other cards we've exchanged...

My Christmas card for Paul in 2010 - a tag tutorial
Anniversary cards in 2010
Anniversary cards in 2009

I'll be back on January 2nd to show you how I'm now organizing my craft desk!

Merry Christmas - Christmas Joys Altered Book

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

This is my first, and so far only, finished altered book. I'm not sure why - I really enjoyed it and love the finished product! I made this about seven years and filled it with some of my favorite parts of Christmas.

This started out as a board book. I peeled off the paper from the pages, and primed them all with gesso.

I was into a lot of aging back then, so I think a lot of the papers are walnut stained and of course there is tearing! These little girls are still two of my favorite stamps.

No winter would be complete without some snowmen!

And, of course, the reason for the Christmas season is a holy one. I've sung Silent Night many times with choirs and in church. I was happy to find this music to include in my book.

I made this book seven years ago, so I can't remember many of the techniques involved in making it, but I remember the feelings I had and cherish the time I had to put these memories in a book form. I hope no matter what holidays you celebrate that you take some time to record your memories and cherish those you love.

Check back next week to see my holiday card to my darling husband. I can't show it to you before he receives it! We make a habit of making each other cards for holidays, and it sometimes gets a bit competitive!

Paper pieced cards inspired by a card

2011-12-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Debbie Olson recently had a card on her blog (Merry Kiss-mas) that inspired me to make these cards.

One thing I liked about her cards was her use of patterned paper and stitching. I don't do a lot of stitching on my cards, so I used a black pen to draw stitches.

I also liked how she had a small focal point, and it wasn't overly elaborate. I had fun searching through my stamps and found these adorable images that I haven't used in a long time. Instead of coloring the image, I stamped on patterned paper, and then paper pieced some of the bits, like the star and button.

I wanted to add a greeting to the front, so I stamped tiny greeting, rounded the edge, and used my tiny attacher to give a little oomph to the right edge.

I'm starting to use tools like EverNote and Pinterest to collect ideas and then scan through them for inspiration. It was a lot of fun to use Debbie's card as a starting point, and see how I could use my supplies to make it my own. How have others inspired you? How do you organize all of those pieces of inspiration? Patterned paper and stamps are from Stampin' Up!; other cardstock from various Club Scrap kits.

Make a Ruffled Ribbon Border for a Card

2011-12-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

When I made my set of cards for Club Scrap using the Tilescapes kit, I decided to play with ribbon and made this ruffled border on this card. (Check out the rest of the Tilescapes cards in the Club Scrap Scrap Rap)

Pin It

I wanted to see how this might work for a holiday card (surprise, it does!):

Pin It

I had a few folks ask me how I did the border, and it couldn't be easier. It's easiest to show, however, with a video. My video shows how to do the ruffled border and how to make those adorable holly leaves.

Here is the final card that I was working on in the video. The background is subtle, but more pronounced in real life:

I'd love to see what you make using this technique! If you don't already have a tiny attacher, check it out at Amazon, or my previous blog post where I review it and show another sample card. If you like the background stamp, check out the 2011 WOW Holiday set. The greeting stamp is from the Angels on High collection.

Tutorial: A snowy paper-pieced scene

2011-12-01T22:04:00.001-05:00

While on vacation for Thanksgiving, I was watching some podcasts, and got inspired to make a card featuring a paper-pieced Christmas scene. If you haven't seen it already, check out Christine's Scraptime podcast that shows her paper piecing snowmen, or Amy's blog and video featuring a snowy scene.

I started by stamping my snowman (Happy Snowman from Hero Arts, no longer available) on white paper and patterned paper. Trim around the outer edge of the white snowman, and the pieces that want to be patterned paper - in my case, the scarf and hat.

I used my Fiskar's Rotary Cutter to trim pieces that look like a rolling hill from a piece of blue patterned paper (a 6x6 pack from Stampin' Up!).

I got out my dye ink and my Club Scrap ink applicator.

I ink my applicator, and swoop onto the patterned paper, making sure I start putting ink on my scrap piece of paper.

I stamped some snowflakes on a piece of cardstock to create my snowy background. (from Hero Arts, no longer available)

I thought the hat needed a bit more pizzaz, and I've been waiting for the perfect time to use my Flower Soft Polar White. I applied a little glue to the top of the hat, and sprinkled it on. I did two coats just to make it extra fluffy.

Here is the background of my card. I used some baker's twine, a greeting and a punch to put a little sentiment on the card (all from Stampin' Up!). A little glue holds a cute bow on the card. It was easier to tie the bow separately.

With all the pieces together, it's a snowy scene! I used a glaze pen to color the nose orange - it gives it a little dimension and shine. The buttons were colored with black enamel accents from Ranger - be careful with this, as it tends to have little strings when you lift off of applying it. It creates a lovely, raised, glossy finish when dry, so it is worth the effort.

We've had our first snow in lift bridge land, and I am getting very excited to go skiing!

How to make a stamped grid background

2011-11-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to be asked by Club Scrap (my favorite paper company in the universe!) to create some cards for their new kit - Tilescapes. All of my cards are featured in the Tilescapes Scrap Rap - check it out - it's a free magazine with great ideas for papercrafting.

The Tilescapes theme and stamps lent themselves really well to creating wonderfully intricate background like this card:

I started by putting my stamps on a gridded acrylic ruler - this is the 2x8 one by Club Scrap. I like their rulers because they are made for papercrafters with 1/8" separation, but gridded rulers can also be found as quilting supplies. The lines will help keep things straight as I go.

Next, I gathered my watercolor crayons (from Stampin' Up!) and made a few notes to myself about the stamp position in the upper right of my scrap paper. You can see that I also try out color combinations on the side.

Next, mist your stamp with water. You need enough so that there are beads of water, but not completely sopping wet.

Color the stamp with a variety of watercolor crayons.

Stamp! From my initial measurements, I knew that lining up the top of paper with the first one inch mark on the ruler would be perfect, and I also lined up the left edge of the ruler with the left edge of the paper. I also taped my panel onto my scratch paper so that it wouldn't move while I was stamping.

Repeat... I flipped the ruler and noted in my test stamping to line up the top edge of the paper with 7/8". I used the lines on the left edge of the ruler to line up with the right edge of the first column of images.

And repeat twice more, flipping the ruler each time.

I like to go off the edge of the paper, but I didn't worry about it too much here, because the paper is larger than the panel I need. When I was looking at the stamps, I noticed that there was one with an outline of several of the squares that fits perfectly over this image. So, I used my ruler to make sure I lined up with the edges of the paper, and eyeballed lining it up on top of the appropriate areas of the stamp:

Here's what it looks like after all of the stamping (that blue is a new color from Club Scrap!):

The white areas bothered me a bit, so I flicked some watercolors on the paper using a brush and my watercolor crayons.

Trim the panel so you use the part you like the best, and make sure you have the image going off the edge on all four sides. I added a sentiment, some ribbon, and a mat and ended up with the card you see at the top of this post.

I had too much fun doing these backgrounds to stop at just one! This one just uses one stamp to create a grid. The lines of the ruler were essential to creating that regular pattern.

This card uses the same outline image, but I switched the colors every other time, and stamped another images in the middle of the large open box. I thought it was cool how that fit inside so cleverly.

This card uses yet another image from the kit (in blue) to just create an all over background. The magenta image was used in the previous card to sort of fill in some areas. The "colorful" sentiment is a single stamp - again using the lines on the ruler to make sure the image was centered in the block each time and nicely separated from its neighbor.

And finally, this card uses a frame stamp in two colors with a second image to fill in some spaces and provide a bit of variety. This background was pretty random, so I didn't use the measurements as much..

These are just a few of the cards I made! Check out the Tilescapes Scrap Rap to see them all. Have questions about a specific card? Let me know, and I'll work up a description for the blog!

Disclaimer: Club Scrap provided all of the stamps and supplies used in these projects. The opinions expressed in this post and designs of the cards are entirely my own!

Giving Thanks - a little reminder

2011-11-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

I'm spending this week with my family, and extremely thankful that I have the opportunity to do so. I hope my all of my readers spend some time with those they love this week.

So, an appropriate card for the season to share the thought with you...

If you missed the earlier post that featured the techniques used in this card, check it out. Back next week with some brand new cards featuring some brand new stamps!

Hand stitched book with snowflake spacers

2011-11-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I like to put too many layers in a book, like matted photos and embellishments. Putting spacers in the spine helps let you put more embellishments in a book while still allowing it to close. This book features a hand-stamped cover with snowflakes:

I folded white pieces of paper in half before using a snowflake border die (Snow Flurries)to cut the open edge. Every other signature in the book had a snowflake folded around it. Here is what the spacer looks like in the book:

I really liked using the lavender and blue papers in this book. It gives an icy look, but yet it's different than the usual winter colors.

All of my stitched books use an exposed spine and hand-waxed linen thread. Here is a close-up of my stitching:

The band on the cover wraps around the book cover so that it is continuous on the front cover. Here is a close up of the stamping and focal image on the cover:

The stamps, paper, and ribbon are all from Club Scrap. The paper comes from Destinations - a kit themed around travel. I really liked the colors for winter, though, so I used the plain papers in this book.

I think this book would be a great place to record winter memories, and remind of you of the snow when it's warm outside. I'm also excited to try this technique with other edge dies. I recently got the Scrollwork die from Sizzix, and the Classic Scallop die from Spellbinders. I think these will also make great borders, and you need a die cutting machine to cut the two layers of cardstock.

Dazzling Holiday Cards

2011-11-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

In Europe, stickers known as "peel-offs" are extremely popular. They're made in the Netherlands, I think, and craft stores will have scores of them. They are all glittery, and come in a variety of styles. The sticker part is the outline of the image, and they look like embossed images when placed on paper. One of the easiest things to do with them is to put them on a piece of cardstock and color in the image. Here, I used smooch ink to make a shimmery colored image.

One of the best distributors of these stickers in the US is the company Paper Wishes/Hot off the Press. They also have a monthly club that sends you a set of 4 stickers (they call them "Dazzles") every month along with a selection of coordinating paper and embellishments. Here is an example of a stacked dazzle card:

These dazzles are available in white or silver today, but this blue holographic color is just for the club. If you look closer, you'll see that the main snowflake is actually three layers of snowflakes - each was mounted on cardstock, and I trimmed closely around them with a pair of detail scissors:

Here is another stacked card with a different pair of snowflakes:

Once you've used the outline of the sticker, you're left with the inner parts or "innies." You can use a sticky transfer sheet to use those parts as well - almost nothing goes to waste on these sticker sheets!

All of the blue snowflakes come from the Hot off the Press kit, along with the blue patterned paper and tag. The first sticker sheet and the "Merry Christmas" sentiments were brought back from a trip to England. The remaining paper is from a variety of older Club Scrap kits.

These sparkly cards are very shiny in real life, and are a nice change from the muted tones I've been using lately. Paper Wishes offers an e-book to help you learn more techniques using these really nifty stickers. Give them a try! They are inexpensive, and a great way to get embossed images without a heat gun.

Tutorial: Masking to make holiday cards

2011-10-31T11:00:00.000-04:00

I love to use masking to create depth and dimension to my cards without adding a lot of bulk. Sometimes, you want a card with fewer layers to allow you to mail it more easily.

In my video, I show how I made the panels for three different cards.

Here is the finished card using technique number one:

Of course, if you want to add some more dimension, go for it!

Here are two finished cards using technique number two - the frame in this case is very close to the size of the standard card panel, so it's more difficult to double mount this layer:

Here is a finished card for technique number three:

I also used this technique on a summer project last year that you might want to check out. Here's a peek at the card:

Paper and stamps are from Club Scrap (some from older kits that are no longer available) and Stampin' Up! (the card base for card #3 is Buckaroo Blue).

Light blue and lavendar paper from the Destinations collection
Frame stamp from the Versailles collection
Large snowflakes and Merry Christmas greeting from the Silent Night collection (no longer available; an easy substitution would be any snowflake stamps you have plus a holiday greeting)
Smaller snowflakes and Season's Greetings from the 2006 Club Scrap Christmas collection (no longer available)
Foam applicators from Club Scrap

The Silent Night collection is very versatile. Check out how Tricia makes 12 cards in 30 minutes!

Crafting for fall - cards with distress inks

2011-10-27T20:19:00.000-04:00

I'm still in the mood to play with distress inks, and I had several friends I wanted to send cards to. These are the results! If you missed me playing with distress inks, be sure to check out my earlier post. Most of the paper is from the Scholarship and Adobe kits from Club Scrap - some great blues and tans in there.

Stamps and punch from Stampin' Up!

On these next two, I had a lot of fun using my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher. Check out my earlier review if you want more information on this cool stapler.

Punch and friend stamp - Stampin Up!; Leaves from Club Scrap.

When I need to make cards for several people at once, I try to use the same techniques to save some time. Mixing and matching the colors and panels makes them all a bit unique. I also try to eliminate scraps! After doing the cutting, I had some lovely squares left - a bit of playing made them a focal point!

Greeting stamp and border punch from Stampin' Up!

I like the softer look of these Stampin' Up! stamps when I don't use the second outline image on top - what a versatile set!

Stamps from Stampin' Up!

After doing the background on this one, I decided I liked it without any stamps. Fun colors!

Stamps - We are Aware - from Club Scrap

Cards for a Cause

2011-10-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this year I participated in a card-making event during the Club Scrap retreat to create lots of cards to give to a local charity.

When we first opened the stamps, Paul thought "Bald is beautiful" was a stamp made for him. I'll have to figure out how to repurpose that into a card for him someday!

When I know I want to make a lot of cards, and know I don't have a lot of time, I turn to my Club Scrap assembly line cardmaking idea deck. They provide the instructions to cut the paper into cards and panels, and I add my creativity to make them all special. I used volume two, and the five and seven of spades directions.

I did alter the 5 of spades directions to just create a plain card rather than a tri-folded card - you end up with a nice large scrap that can be used for another mat, or for panels to create additional stamped images. Both directions created a standard invitation size card, so I just pulled out a lot of paper, cut it up, and mixed and matched the pieces and scraps to make my cards.

All of the stamps used in these cards were from the We Are Aware collection from Club Scrap. I made it a mini-challenge to myself to only use these stamps on the cards.

Paul, of course, got into the spirit, too, by creating some awesome quilled pieces that I used throughout the cards.

In the end, I made 58 cards in just a day. It made me feel great, and I hope it brightens someone's day when she receives one of these cards.

Swapped Puzzle Pieces

2011-10-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

As much fun as it is to make altered art, it's even more fun to receive it! Here is a quick post featuring the lovely art work from the artists at our Club Scrap retreat. If one of these is yours, please leave a comment so others can get in touch with you to find out more!

A few of mine at the end.

By Judy Y.

By Toni H.

By Carolyn R.

Sara S.

Lisa O.

By Knitter Pam.

By Mariana H.

By Ruth Ann N. - with a piece of paper from each of the last nine retreats!

By Connie L.

By Vicki S.

Finally, all of the pieces together. I'm thinking this will make a nice piece of wall art. I've got some ideas percolating in my head. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their talent with the group!

Altered Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces

2011-10-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

One of the fun things to do at a Club Scrap retreat is participate in a swap. This year, we swapped altered puzzle pieces. Some google searching did not yield many ideas, so I struggled a bit with this. I really like to add paper to altered objects, but couldn't imagine cutting around all of the pieces. I finally decided to work with inks and embossing. To start, find a puzzle with fairly large pieces - I thought this child's puzzle would be great (I found mine at Goodwill).

Next, I sanded the pieces a bit to rub off some of the paper, and provide some "tooth" for the next step.

I then painted each piece with two coats of gesso. I like to start with a white surface when I alter items. I do the same thing when I alter board books. I used a mini-file to round off any bumps and to lightly sand the worst of my brush strokes off of the surface.

Each piece then got a coat of ink. Pigment ink worked great for this, as did brilliance ink. I'm showing one of my pigment ink samples here. I let these dry overnight. You could use a heat gun, but it takes a while with 20+ pieces.

To add a bit of texture (and fit with the Club Scrap retreat), I used a stencil from a kit and a mist to spray. Interestingly, I got super sharp transfer when I tried this out the day before, but some of these bled and really faded a lot. I'm wondering if my pigment ink was "wetter" when I did it the day before.

Since some of them were too light or monotone for me, I used some different inks with the stencil to apply another dimension to the background.

Finally, I embossed a background stamp on the puzzle piece with Stampin' Up! silver embossing powder. By far, they make the best embossing powders in my opinion. I also did a quick coat with acrylic sealer to give the overall surface a little shine (this is before the coat).

Some tips for altered projects:

Make a lot. I always start with more than I need so I can experiment and try some things out. This puzzle also had some damaged pieces, so those made great test pieces.
Test your techniques. I used a piece of chipboard and gesso coated it to see what inks would dry on the surface. It turned out that all of them did (eventually) so that made the options pretty open.
Set aside lots of time. I messed up with this one this time around! The pigment ink dried nicely overnight, and the mist would have dried nicely overnight if I had the time. Your heat gun can speed things up, but at a few minutes for each piece, this was a lot of time I could have used for other activities.
Dye ink and gloss medium do not mix. Some of my stenciling was with dye ink, and I tried to put some glossy medium on top. I loved the way this look, but it caused all of my dye ink to bleed. (This is why I make a lot!)
Be flexible. My misting worked one day, but not the next. My pigment ink pad went a little dry. I improvised by using other ink pads, and adding some stenciling. It's altered, so it's all good. It makes each piece unique!
Have fun! I stressed when I couldn't find a lot of examples to guide me, but it is fun to experiment and try something a bit different.

I'll post the items I swapped for later and a few more pictures of my favorite pieces I made. By the time you read this, I will have done the swap, and can't wait to be inspired by their creativity!

Holiday cards with masked monochromatic panels

2011-10-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

Once I get started on a technique, I really like seeing where it can take me. I had this cool grey paper that I've been hoarding for a while, and thought about using the color blue with some holiday stamps from the Silent Night collection at Club Scrap. The stamps have a cool stencil-type look, so I played with these to see what I could make. The rest of the paper is from the Raku collection at Club Scrap. Here are some of the cards I came up with:

The Christmas tree stamp is a collage image from Club Scrap that is no longer available. I really like how these are holiday cards, but they use a fairly non-traditional color scheme. The Raku kit isn't even for holiday cards - what color combinations have you used for holiday cards that are non-traditional?

If you've been wondering how to set up your tape to do the masking, or want to see how these monochromatic panels are different from the ones I've previously shown, check out my latest tutorial video.

100th post!

2011-10-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

Wow. When I started blogging, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I am so blessed to have met some wonderful people while blogging, and am incredibly grateful to everyone for their support and encouragement.

Since it's taken me a while to get to 100 posts, you might have missed a few along the way! Here is a rundown of the all-time top 10 posts on my blog as of today. Enjoy!

10		Iris Folding - four cards I was inspired to try some iris folding after doing a card for a Club Scrap class, and share four of my cards in this post.
9		Organization tip #4: Spellbinders storage plus tutorial In 2010, I went through a major reorganization of my crafty space. See my tips for organizing spellbinders dies complete with a tutorial.
8		Organization tip #3: Rubber stamp storage I also shared some organization tips that I use for my rubber stamps!
7		Wedding cards with origami dresses Thanks to the All Things Paper blog, I found this great origami book, and played with making wedding cards with white folded dresses.
6		Making Memories Guest Designer I made this great little travel book using a line of paper from Memory Makers. See a bit of my trip to England in summer 2009. Of course it took a year to make the book...
5		Tutorial: Make a book with shaped pages I love using Spellbinders dies, and here I take one of the shapes to make a mini-shaped book
4		How to make a post bound album Making a post bound album is surprisingly easy, and they make great gifts.
3		How to make artistic panels In this post, I debut my youtube channel! I love making tutorials, but they're sometimes easier when you're taping rather than taking static pictures. Later, I use these panels to make a fabulous flag book.
2		Pine board book - Caardvarks challenge I don't participate in many challenges, but this one was something that caught my eye. You'll actually see some similarities to post #3 - I used some of the same masking techniques here on a bigger scale.
1		Greeting cards with love - and a giveaway! This is surprising to me - I know there was a giveaway, but it's long over (2010), and it still ranks in the top ten viewed posts of the last month. I think love is always a popular topic, and making a card for someone you love is always a great way to spend your time crafting. Can you guess which card my husband made?

Thanks for reading my blog! Please let me know what you'd like to see in the next 100 posts!

Have a great day!

Masking and distress ink to create artistic card panels

2011-09-25T19:48:00.000-04:00

Near the lift bridge, fall is pretty inspiring.

I'm getting ready for fall, and have thanksgiving in my brain. If you hadn't figured it out by now, I'm really into using masking tape to make card panels. I wondered what would happen if I made larger panels that would be the whole card, and if I could replicate some of the colors I see in the fall.

Here are a few examples of my finished cards. This first card uses metallic inks from Club Scrap, along with some dimensional paint and ribbon.

This card was brayered using a multi-color ink pad. I embossed on top using a copper embossing powder.

Finally, I did more playing with distress inks and water. I was going for a brighter look, and I really like how these turned out.

The card just above and the rest below matched what I had envisioned the best. If you'd like to see how they're made, check out my latest video:

I hope you enjoyed a peek at these cards and the beauty of fall in your area of the world. If you're lucky enough to live by a lift bridge, you can get inspired by the majestic colors around you.

Tools of the Trade - Bone Folders

2011-09-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

Every so often, I like to share some details about the tools I use in my papercrafting projects. Today's topic is the bone folder. You've seen me use this when I wrap book board - scoring the paper before folding over the edges gives a nice crisp corner. Scoring the paper helps break down the paper fibers just enough so that the fold is easier and cleaner.

I also use this to tuck the corners to make nice, neat, corners when I wrap my book board.

After you fold the paper, the bone folder is really useful for burnishing the paper onto the book board. The extra pressure from the bone folder helps the glue to make a great bond with the board. It's also useful for reinforcing the crease on a card. It makes a big difference in making your project look crisp and finished.

I like to have several different sizes and shapes of bone folders. They're handing for getting paper into small corners if you're making a box, and the different shapes can help with different projects. This is a cool shaped one I found online:

A common misunderstanding about bone folders is that they're not all made from bone. If you're not into using animal products in your crafting, there are many plastic varieties available. In fact, one of my favorite bone folders is made from teflon. A teflon folder is great when you're using specialty papers, because it doesn't tend to "stick" to the paper as much or leave a mark behind. I've also seen bone folders made from wood - search etsy.com.

While listening to some bookbinding podcasts (I like Book Artists and Poets in particular), I found a great podcast (iTunes link) about Jim Croft who makes bone folders from elk and deer and teaches how to do this as well. I found this great picture of a student's work in class online:

So, bone folders are handy for folding paper, burnishing creased or glued paper, and for tucking corners in on books or boxes. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, so you can never have too many of them. You can even make your own! What do you love about bone folders? Do you have any other tips? Share them in the comments!

A virtual art show - Great Lakes Showcase 2011

2011-09-12T14:49:00.046-04:00

This past spring, I was honored to have four of my art books selected to be included in 2011 Great Lakes Showcase. The majority of materials and stamped images used in these books are from Club Scrap. For those of you who aren't lucky enough to live near my lift bridge, here's a peek at what I showed.

First, a book with a heart in the window.

Next, a shaped book. I did a tutorial on how I made this book.

Then, a book with some seaweed in the cover.

Finally, a book with a shell in the cover.

I really enjoy putting beads on my spine. One of the threads is left over from sewing the binding. The other pair of threads are created by tying a long piece of linen thread around the kettle stitch at the top.

The books with floating items in the cover were quite involved, and I have four posts showing you how to make this type of book:

The last book, I am happy to report, earned a third place showing at the Great Lakes Art Showcase. Even better, the publicity I received led to connecting up with the The Studio Gallery at Presque Isle, and my books are now available in their gallery. If you're visiting Marquette, this is a lovely gallery with some gorgeous work by nine different artists. Check them out!

An artistic flag book

2011-09-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

As you might guess by now, I'm on a bit of a flag book thing lately (see my earlier tutorial and finished book). The panels I made earlier this week were actually for this book, and the leftover ones just made such beautiful cards, I had to share them right away.

This is the cover of the book:

The squares on the cover were cut up from one of the pieces that didn't quite work as a whole piece. When you open the book, this is the view:

I am just in love with the inside and outside of the cover. They show how versatile masking can be - it doesn't just apply to squares. You can also spread the book out:

These books really shine when they're in motion. They are highly interactive, and make the coolest noise! I took a little video to share the book in motion with you:

I love the simplicity of these books, and how just a simple square picture or piece of art transforms it so easily. I plan on making more of these - if you have a theme in mind that you would like to see, let me know!

How to make artistic panels

2011-09-05T14:13:00.000-04:00

The panels on these cards will always be unique. Check out my video to see how I made them.

Some other tips:

The purple tape is a duck brand tape called "30 day perfect release." The tack on it is a little less than the normal blue painter's tape or making tape, making it perfect for paper projects. I found this at my local big-box store in the painting area.
If you need to use regular or blue masking tape, stick it on your clothes a few times to lessen the tack.
I tried using watercolors for this project instead of inks. The watercolors were so fluid that they seeped under the tape. This didn't create the crisp edges I was looking for, but I do have some great color panels to use on other projects!
I used a clear grid ruler from Club Scrap to line up my tape - since my ruler was three inches wide, and 14 inches long, it made it easy to line up the tape quickly. The tape is separated by 3 inches, which can create a 4 inch square when cropped.
Make multiple sheets at once! I actually was playing with about four sheets at once. You'll see more of the sheets later in the week, and that's why the panels on the card don't match the panels in the video. This gives you a few extra to play with or not use if something doesn't work the way you'd like.

Stamps, stencils, paper, and embellishments are all from Club Scrap.

Disney Flag Book - Finished!

2011-08-28T17:05:00.000-04:00

I finished my flag book today, and here is the cover design I settled on:

When you open the book, the flags can either all flap out like this:

Or you can flip through the pages individually:

I think these books make a high impact with very little effort. I just trimmed my photos to fit the flags. I could add journaling on a flag, or on the spine, but I decided to just put my favorite pictures in this album. The way the flags flap back and forth (and make sound effects, too!) just make me happy.

The paper for this book is all from the Comics collection at Club Scrap. The stickers on the cover are from Hot off the Press - their Disney Dazzles collection. The Dazzles stickers look a bit like an embossed stamped image. I like how they are simple, but provide the proper theme for the book. Some of the Disney products are too themed or bright for my scrapbooking style. One little trick - I didn't have black date stickers to match, so I colored some other stickers that I had with a Staz-on black ink refill to do "2011" on the cover.

I like these so much, I plan to make more! If you have a special trip or event that you have lots of pictures from to share, I'd encourage you to consider making a flag book!

A flag book for a fabulous vacation

2011-08-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

So, where have I been? I have a day job at a University, and for three months every year, my schedule is just swamped and leaves no time for blogging. I thought I'd planned in advance for my busy schedule, but it just wasn't meant to be.

After recovering from work, we went on a planned and wonderful trip to Disney World (Interested? Read all about it!) This was supposed to be our only trip this summer, but then I had to go to England for work (and then to visit family) and then a spur-of-the-moment trip for a funeral (1000 miles driving in four days). That was about 6 weeks of traveling in a summer when only two were planned!

In between trips, I really wanted to make a quick mini-book about our trip to Disney World. I really wanted some time to myself, and I really feel at peace while crafting.

My choice for this type of project is a flag book. The pages are little "flags" that simply cry out for a photo or fabulous embellish.

To start, I cut all of my pieces and prepared them. I've done some of these aspects in my other projects, so I'll just provide links to instructions if you need more explanation:

Two bookboard covers covered with paper (bookboard is 4 1/8" by 12.25" - large paper is needed to cover this paper. Try the oversized sheets by Club Scrap or a pad of larger watercolor paper.)

The Club Scrap Essentials video shows you how to cover the board perfectly

Two pieces of paper to cover the inside of the covers (3 7/8" by 12" - green with polka dots in the picture below)
One piece of paper to make an accordion spine (12" x 12"-red in my picture)

To prepare the spine:

Score the paper starting at two inches
Make 17 score lines every half inch
Use a Scor-it board if possible - it makes the straightest score lines, which really helps this project be a success
If you use a Scor-it board, flip the paper over every other score so that you make "mountain" and "valley" scores.

Lots of flags (my book will use 24 measuring 3 7/8" x 4")

Score the accordion piece on the score lines - like folding a fan when you were crafting as a kid.

Glue the flat flaps to the covers, carefully lining up the scored edge with the edge of the book cover.

Glue some ribbon on each side. This will hold it in place while you complete the other glueing. I love this polka dot ribbon!

Glue the green inside covers on each cover, centering each nicely, and burnishing well after glueing.

At this point, my book felt a little wobbly, and I was running out of crafting time. I was a bit disappointed, because I love the colors, and was afraid I had done something wrong. I put my book in a book press just to press the spine a bit. When I took it out of my press the next time I had time to do crafting, I was amazed! The spine was super crisp, and the book already felt solid. You definitely need sharp, crisp folds for this book to be successful. Use some weights or a heavy book if you aren't able to get this on your own with a bone folder.

Finally, glue the flags in. If possible, do the top and bottom set of flags first. The middle set can then be evenly spaced between them. Another secret to this book is that the flags can't rub against each other, so each row needs to be even and even space between them. The top and bottom rows of flags are glued to the left side of the fold, while the middle set is glued to the right side of the fold. Here is a close-up of the bottom set of flags.

And, here is what the finished book looks like before I add pictures:

I'll share the pictures when it's finished. I have some super cool pictures from Disney World, and I just got the embellishments I want to use in the mail this week.

All of the paper and ribbon is from the Club Scrap Comics kit except the cover which is oversized. I think a really heavy cardstock is a must for the spine and pages of this project. Stampin' Up! cardstock is also a good thickness for the spine.

The book can also be resized so you don't need extra large paper.

Want more information on flag books? Here are some resources I found:

Videos from Club Scrap - Flag Book Part 1 | Flag Book Part 2 | Tower Flag Book
The Flagbook Bind-o-Rama - an artistic look at some of the possibilities with these books
How to make a flag book - if you don't want to do the cover boards, this is a different way to make a simpler book

A Luminary to Light the Night

2011-04-10T20:47:00.001-04:00

This luminary project was inspired by the Club Scrap Holiday Weekend of Workshops box.

I'm still trying to decide what to place in the brass holder on the front of the base. I want to put a word there, but the right one hasn't struck me yet. The paisley stamp is stamped on translucent paper and I watercolored it on the back (hence the wrinkles!). The paper is loose, so I can take it out and swap it with another piece.

If you haven't checked out a Club Scrap project kit, I'd encourage you to take a look at the Girls' Night Out Event coming up in May. You'll get to participate in a chat, receive some great (original) supplies, and learn techniques through the videos.

One of the things I really like about getting projects with instructional videos is that I can watch someone make the project, and then decide how I want to alter it. In the original kit video, all of the base pieces were painted, and the luminary part was an open sheet of die cut paper. I can also incorporate my own embellishments - those little spools are so cute! I wrapped linen thread around them to make them look "real."

In a modification by Kay, the designer of the project, she wrapped the base in paper. I liked the look of that, so I wrapped mine - twice - once with a solid paper, and a second time with a translucent paper.

I also cut four board panels for my luminary, so I could cover the top of it and decorate the top. The board pieces are painted and then stamped with a musical note background from Purple Onion Designs.

Hope you enjoyed this peek at my project! I had a lot of fun making it.

An alternative cover for a shaped book

2011-04-02T20:43:00.000-04:00

So, as we learned in my previous post, I don't like raw chipboard edges in my projects. In my last book, I used pigment ink to color the edges.

I cover so much bookboard with paper, I thought this might be fun to try. I ripped up some pieces of text weight paper (you need something pliable that can wrap easily), applied glue to the paper (see the upper right of the photo), and folded carefully over the book edges, starting with the corners.

By applying glue on a magazine, I have a clean surface at all times. Use a different part of the page to apply the glue by brushing over the entire piece. When one page is messy, rip it off, and use the next page.

I continued around until the whole edge was covered.

I covered the center portion of the cover with half of a die cut shape, and pressed this overnight in my bookpress.

I wasn't 100% happy with how this turned out. No matter how hard I tried, some glue transferred to the project, and didn't really have the crisp look I wanted. There are no mistakes, however, only opportunities to embellish! I coated the whole cover with acrylic medium (a mixture of gloss and matte) and I now love the final result.

I assembled the book the same way as my previous book and wound up with this finished product:

I can't decide if this needs more embellishment or not at this point. I'm thinking of adding something sparkly, but time will tell. What do you think? Is it finished, or could it use a little more bling?

Most materials are from Club Scrap. Hope you enjoy this alternative way to create a finished edge on a chipboard book!

Scrap your stash - March report

2011-04-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

This month, I focussed on making some projects and trying out some new ideas.

I made these cute little shaped books (tutorial earlier in the week, and tomorrow!):

I also started to work on a luminary project I received last year (full reveal when it's completed!):

I also participated in a card challenge:

Which helped me use up an entire card kit:

Finally, I taught a class this month where I was able to share my stash with some great students. It's fun to share - especially when it makes room for new goodies!

I did place one order with my favorite scrapbook company, Club Scrap. They were having a fabulous sale on some supplies and projects I've had my eye on for a while.

Check out Lala's World for more inspiration on using your stash. Join us next month and take a month to use your stash!

Tutorial: Make a book with shaped pages

2011-03-29T20:36:00.001-04:00

This cute little shaped book is so much fun to make. Let me show you how I did it!

First, I used my die cutting machine to cut several pieces of thin chipboard and two pieces of cardstock for the cover. I used the spellbinders label 8 die. Use bookbinding glue or PVA to glue the chipboard pieces together. I use glue from Club Scrap.

Fold one die cut page and use it to trace where the cover will be trimmed. The folded edge will be flush with the cover, and there will be an even reveal around the other sides of the cover.

Use the first cover to create a trim line for the other cover. After trimming, you'll have a front cover (left), back cover (right), and a little strip of chipboard in the center that is scrap. I use a utility knife to cut my chipboard.

Ink or paint all of the exposed edges. I like to use pigment ink, and these spot ink pads from Stampin' Up! are great for solid coverage and getting into curved areas. I inked the edges several times until I was happy with the color coverage.

Glue a piece of the die cut cardstock to the cover and trim.

Glue the remaining part of the die cut to the other side of the cover and trim.

For the inside of the book, cut as many pages as you would like and score them in the center. I like to use a scor-it board for easy positioning and a crisp crease.

Pierce hole in the fold of each page. I'm sewing over the green ribbon, so I'll have six holes along the spine. See my "Getting started" link on the left side bar for links to videos for stitching together a book.

Glue the finished book block to the front cover. Let dry until sturdy. I usually dry overnight in my book press or with heavy weights on top.

On the back cover, punch two evenly spaced holes for eyelets. I like my crop-a-dile for this. Put elastic in one hole and set an eyelet in that hole.

Repeat on the other side, cutting the elastic to a length that will wrap snugly around the book. (I have a longer tutorial on the elastic closure in an earlier post.)

Glue the back cover on the book, and embellish as desired. I used some paper flowers and punched leaves. To give the flowers a bit of gloss and make them a little more sturdy, I coated them with gel medium. For a little extra pop, I used some self-adhesive pearls from Stampin' Up! in the centers.

I tried something a little different for wrapping the cover, and ended up with this:

As you might guess, I'm a bit obsessed with covering the edges of chipboard any way I can! Hope you enjoy this project. I'd love to see what shapes you can use to make books.

Quick Look: Versamark and chalked cards

2011-03-24T22:35:00.000-04:00

While the glue is drying on my latest shaped book (tutorial coming soon!), I thought I would share some cards I made.

I made the background with a single stamp on both cards. I love how I can get a totally different look for each of these cards with different colors.

I stamped the background with versamark ink, and then dusted with a variety of chalks. A simple focal image on a tag or matted scrap and some ribbon finished off the card. Sometimes, limiting my supplies and choices really opens up my creativity. These cards were the result of a skiing trip where I was limited in how many supplies I can bring.

This is also a bit like my last post - once you have a design for one card, try it again with a slight variation. We can all use a few more cards and little more time!

What is your favorite technique to do with limited supplies?

All stamps, paper, and embellishments from Club Scrap. Chalk from Stampin' Up!

SFYTT - Baby cards using a sketch

2011-03-13T17:09:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to try some sketches for a while, and this sketch from i{heart}2stamp appealed to me:

SFYTT means "sketch for you to try!" Since I'm also trying to use my stash, I dug deep into my older papers and found these fabulous pastels from Club Scrap along with the Oh Baby! stamps. I made two different cards using similar colors (once they're out on your desk, it is sooo easy to make two cards rather than one!).

The dots around the "hello baby" saying from Stampin' Up! are by viva decor - it's a dimensional paint. Great stuff.

The second card is very similar, just a different image for the focal point.

Both images were colored with colored pencils, and then blended with low odor thinners (for oil paints, but heck, it works here!).

It was fun to make these cards and I look forward to doing some more challenges. When you don't have a great idea for a card, these are great ways to kick-start your creativity! On top of that, you get to see a lot of different ways of interpreting the sketch. I'm going to have fun looking at what everybody else did.

Quick Look: A shaped book

2011-03-07T22:18:00.000-05:00

This book started out as paper, chipboard, linen thread and a band of elastic. I worked on this for an upcoming art show that I hope to be exhibiting at.

Interested in learning more? I'm going to be making more of these - I really enjoyed the process. Leave a comment if you like the book or would like to see a tutorial!

Enjoy the day!

Scrap your stash into a card portfolio

2011-03-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

I like to give gifts of cards - who can't use a few extra birthday or thank you cards? I made this cute little portfolio using some scraps from my stash. The patterned paper is a special release from Club Scrap that I decided I needed to use rather than save!

To start, I cut chipboard into two covers (5" x 6.25") and one spine (1" x 6.25") using a utility knife and grid ruler. These are generally scraps from packaging, or the backs of notebooks!

Apply glue to the front of all pieces, and glue to paper. The white paper is the patterned paper - it covers part of the front cover. The blue paper is cardstock - I checked the grain before cutting to make sure it was aligned in the easy to bend direction. Leave a 1/8" gap between all pieces. I use a grid ruler to line up the bottoms of all pieces.

Clip the corners, and wrap around the chipboard.

Cover the inside with a piece of cardstock. Make sure the grain of the paper will allow easy bending along the spine. I use a bone folder to push the paper slightly into the gutter. After the glue has set, exercise the joints so that the cover bends easily.

Now, you're ready to make the pocket that will go in the inside back cover. Cut two pieces of paper (9" x 3.5" and 4.75" x 3.25"). Score the long piece of paper 1" along the long edge, and 1" and 2" from each short end. For the smaller piece of paper, score at 2.5". I like to use my scor-it board. The scores are really easy to fold, and it's easy to get scores in just the right places.

On the long piece, cut along the four short score lines - I like to cut a little "V" along each, and use a bone folder to bend the paper and reinforce the scores.

Glue together and you have a box with an open back. You can stop here if you like, but I like to close my box.

I drop the folded smaller piece into the box, figure out where it will touch the box, and apply glue.

On the back of the box, apply glue and put it on the back of the portfolio. To be on the safe side, I like to place the unglued box on the back of the portfolio to see where it will be before I lay it down. When you're finished, the box will hold quite a few standard sized cards and envelopes - at least five.

I like to wrap a little ribbon around it before I give it away. These are a big hit with my friends who received them this year. This project is based on a project I made at a Club Scrap retreat. I covered mine differently, made a different size, and finished my box off in a different way.

These portfolios (I made four) used up a fair amount of my chipboard, and some cardstock that I had been hoarding rather than using. I also started making a book (completely different project!) that isn't ready to share yet. To see the other ladies who are scrapping their stash and to join in on the fun, check out Lala's World blog.

The winner is....

2011-02-22T20:46:00.000-05:00

Someone who loved the brayered cards the best....

Farley!

The random number generator picked number 28. With 23 comments on the post, that meant the winner would be the fifth person on my "like" list on facebook.

Congratulations to Farley!

She liked the brayered cards the best, so I'll be sending her those cards along with a special little something that I hope she enjoys. I think if she liked these on the blog, she will love them in person.

I have a tutorial that's thisclose to being finished. I'll share that with you soon. Hope you're enjoying the day!

Share the Love - A Club Scrap Blog Hop

2011-02-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to what I hope will be the first of many Club Scrap blog hops! Today, there are a dozen ladies who are sharing their love of Club Scrap with the blogosphere. I'm not going to count (the number would be way too high!), but I will show you some of the ways I love Club Scrap in this post.

First of all, I love how versatile Club Scrap stamps are. I set up a mini-challenge for myself, picking some of my favorite materials and a single stamp from the Lotus Pond collection.

Using those supplies, and some paper, I made a mountain of card fronts, eventually selecting the seven that I'll share with you today. Although they all share some elements, I think they're all unique and evoke a different vibe.

To start with, I used some metallic reinkers from Club Scrap on some black glossy paper. The card in the center was created by brayering ink on the paper, stamping my image, and before lifting the stamp, I slid it over to create a black halo around the stamped image. The image on the far left was just stamped after inking the rubber with the brayer. For the image on the far right, both of these techniques are combined. I didn't like how the halo effect turned out on this image, so I used a strip of plain stamped paper to spotlight part of the image. These were really challenging to photograph, and this shot doesn't really do them justice. In real life, they are shimmery and pop with color.

Of course, you can just stamp and color the image with watercolors. To make the edges of the paper pop, I used some pink blush pigment ink and an ink applicator. I liked the idea of torn edges, so I tore them all!

I also thought of this image being really soft to fit with the water theme. The next two cards are stamped with the metallic reinkers, and matted on soft papers to emphasize the ephemeral look I was going for. I love how the pink translucent paper allows the matted lilies to seemingly float on the paper, and how it subtly continues the pattern of the image. Because the stamp and paper are both from Club Scrap, I know that the images and colors will coordinate beautifully.

I purposely went really simple on this card. Just a stamped image, with a heartfelt greeting. I love to have a few thank you cards around for quick notes to friends and family.

Finally, I had to use water colors on this water image. I misted the stamp with water, colored with the Faber Castell Gelatos, misted again, and then stamped. Too much water will leave you with a muddy image; too little will not activate the colors properly, so practice a bit and have fun! Another nifty thing about Club Scrap paper is that it has two sides! This white paper is from the Steppin' Out collection, and it is perfect for watercoloring. Since only the print version of the paper is now available, I use the blank "back" side for these cards. These watercolors are bold colors, so I added a bright pink mat to make the colors pop even more, and some ribbon for an embellishment.

When I joined Club Scrap in 2004, I had no idea that I would develop so many papercrafting skills or meet so many wonderful people who share my passion for paper. I'd like to share the love with you - check out the links above to find the supplies at Club Scrap, and be sure to check out the next blog in line - Making Impressions - and all of the other artwork online.

Finally, leave me a comment letting me know which Lotus Pond card is your favorite, and I'll enter you in a giveaway to win your favorite card plus two more for your own use. Become a friend of Lift Bridge Cards and Crafts on facebook to earn an extra entry! I'll close entries on Monday, February 21st at 7pm eastern time, and announce the winner shortly after that.

2011 - Share the Love Blog Hop Participants!

Lift Bridge Cards and Crafts - **You are here!**

Scrap Happy Sisters, Ink.

SquirrelyArt

Where the "ArT" is...

Scrap your stash - 2011 January report

2011-01-31T00:03:00.001-05:00

I'm participating in a neat challenge this year sponsored by Lala's World blog where we are all pledging to scrap our stash in 2011. You can sign up month-by-month, so take a look if you're interested in participating. How did I do this month? Well, I made a dent in one of my card kits, and some of my Valentine's paper.

Here are some close-ups of some of my favorites. This card base has a square punched in it, so I cut a hole in the card front using a craft knife and a grid ruler. I used some of my favorite stamps and punches from Stampin' Up! and a variety of other elements from my stash. The border punch is by Fiskars. I designed the first one especially for my friend's birthday. I liked how it turned out so much that I created a couple of close imitations. That's one tip I have for using more stash - make duplicates!

On this card, I used a new stamp set, and some new dimensional paint that I am in love with. On this card, I got some inspiration from a card showing this spray of flowers stamped off the edge. I used that dimensional paint again to add little dots to the border. I also cut the loops off at either end so the border was clean all the way across.

This Valentine's Day card was a bit of a challenge for me for some reason. I really wanted to use this paper, but wanted to make it brighter and more festive (while still using the black). The word "love" was beneath the pop-dotted heart, so I added a punch to make the saying a bit jazzier, and put lots more pop-dotted hearts on the circle. Some of the hearts are hand cut, while some are punched with Stampin' Up! punches.

Some of my tips for scrapping your stash from this month:

Pick a kit or project to work on. I had some papers I wanted to use, and a card kit I really wanted to make, so limiting my materials helped me focus on using a smaller set of paper.
Make multiples! Once I had a design I liked, I tweaked it slightly to make a few extra cards in the same general pattern.
Have fun playing! I really wanted to use my new stamps (well, I got them in August, but they're still new since I never used them) and the dimensional paint.

Did I buy anything this month? Well... yes.... I found the snowflake edge die from Tim Holtz in a local scrapbook store, so that had to come home with me. There was also a sale on some basics that I use a lot, so I wasn't going to pass that up. Finally, I am a Club Scrap member, so I couldn't exactly cancel my subscription...

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else did, and also toward more scrapping from my stash in February.

Tool Time: Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

2011-01-11T22:37:00.001-05:00

OK, I have a confession to make. I love office supplies. If scrapbooking supplies even look like office supplies, I have to have them.

It's even better if they're a gadget or super geeky. That's just the kind of crafter I am.

So, when I saw the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, I lusted for one.

I kept thinking, "Do I really need this?" (After all, I have been through a major purge in my scraproom!)

I also thought, "Is this really different than my other staplers?"

My biggest fear was that I was succumbing to my love for all things Tim Holtz, and that it wouldn't really be any better or different than my other staplers. I was wrong - I really need this, and it's different than my other staplers. So, here's a look at another tool I can't live without.

Why I love this tool:

It has Tim Holtz' name on it (not the most important reason, but I gotta be honest!)
It is so comfortable to hold, which makes it super easy to place the staple where you want them.
It works - it really works! I've had several mini-staplers, but this one actually staples properly on the first try.
The staples are just so tiny and cute! One-quarter inch, to be exact.

So far, I've used it on this cool card below. You can see the ribbon has staples on either end - this is how the ribbon is attached. To complete the "trio" of staples, you can also find some in the upper right of the card panel. The ribbon is grosgrain, and the cardstock is a super heavy weight (Club Scrap), but this little stapler went through these thick materials with no problems. Stamps are from Club Scrap and Stampin' Up!

I'm excited to get out some alcohol inks to color these staples, and I'm really hoping that they release some colored options in the future (copper would be fabulous!). So, if you lust after office supplies, but think this is just another stapler, think again and go pick one up. It's even included as an Amazon prime item, which is my favorite way to shop. (It would be yours, too, if the largest store in town was Walmart!)

Start the new year with an organized craft space

2011-01-01T00:05:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

Is one of your resolutions to clean up your craft area? If so, you might be interested in a series of posts I did last fall where I showed how I...

Got rid of stuff - if there isn't room for it, it won't be organized! (And, I made money in the process - about $100 from my local scrapbook store's rummage sale!)

Organized what was left - think creatively about new places for old things.

Store my rubber stamps - maybe some new ideas for you.

Store my spellbinders dies - I have a tutorial here to show you how to make this cute little book to store your spellbinders dies.

Keep it clean - and I have! My biggest tip here is to clean up after you complete a project. That 10 minute pickup has really helped.

Hope your new year is off to a crafty start! What are you doing to be more creative this year?

Come back soon for some exciting news and a giveaway. I have some great ideas to share in the new year!

Merry Christmas - A card tutorial

2010-12-25T04:06:00.001-05:00

Part of our holiday tradition is for my husband and I to make a card for each other. This is my card for him this year:

The background of the tag was made using the same technique I used earlier this month. Let me show you how I made the tag - I'm not Tim Holtz, but his tags have been inspiring me!

First, I stamped the bird on the tag with a permanent black ink.

Next, I stamped the bird on a piece of scrap paper, cut it out, and taped it to the tag with a removable adhesive. I stamped a music background stamp with versamark, and embossed the music background with clear embossing powder. By masking the bird, the music background won't cover up the bird. (Mask not shown in this picture, but all of the supplies are here.)

After embossing, I used a holly mask, foam applicators, and distress inks to ink the holly around the tag. Here are the supplies:

And here is what the tag looks like after using the mask:

To add a bit more depth to the edges, I inked the edges using distress ink, and a foam applicator.

After peeling the mask off, the bird is revealed!

I colored the stamped image with prismacolor pencils. I love these pencils, and have been using them since I was about 10. After coloring the image in, I use mineral spirits (low odour thinner as pictured), and a paper stump to blend the colors in. I learned about this technique from Michele of Purple Onion Designs (her background stamp is used on this tag) on the Two Peas in a Bucket message board. Here is what the image looks like after coloring:

And here is what is looks like after blending the colored pencil, and adding some bling - crystals to the bottom, and distress stickles to the holly berries. I like how this technique makes intense colors. It's bolder than a watercolored image, but not quite as intense as using a marker.

To finish the card off, I stamped a border stamp on the green matting paper, and used the same vintage photo ink and ink applicator around the edges. I used some tinsel from Stampin' Up! to create a line across the border, and stamped a greeting. Let's see it again:

And, while I had the supplies out, I made a "backup card" without the bird. I wasn't sure which tag I would like better, so I tried it two ways. It's fun to see how similar techniques and pieces can be used to create different cards.

Image sources:

Music background from Purple Onion Designs
Merry Christmas from Holiday Best set from Stampin' Up! (not currently available)
Bar code background, holly mask from Club Scrap (not currently available)

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it's a great one. If you don't, I hope you enjoy a peaceful end to the year. Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you enjoy using this technique on your cards. I love embossing and resist techniques to create depth in cards.

Alcohol inks and craft plastic

2010-12-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

I could subtitle this "A Tale of Two Thrinchies" since you might guess that my husband made the quilled thrinchie on the right, and I made the one on the left. We made these for the Club Scrap retreat, and traded them with many of the attendees - little did they know that my swap would be two-for-one! I'll show you how I made my thrinchie (3 inches square), and how it can be adapted for the holidays!

The craft plastic I used is a wonderful material, with a lot of possibilities. It is 0.020" thick, so it is sturdy, and it is very shiny. It's dimensional (which I looooove) but still durable and flexible. I started by using my paper trimmer (a guillotine cutter by Tonic - you need a sturdy trimmer or a craft knife) to trim the plastic into two inch squares.

I got out my Pinata alcohol inks (yellow, orange, and red) and my alcohol ink applicator tool. Range inks are great, too, but I don't have them in the bright colors. I like the handle on this applicator tool, but you can improvise with a wood block, velcro, and felt.

Apply the ink to the craft plastic (after taking off the protective plastic on one side!). It doesn't take a lot of ink - just a few drops.

Repeat!

I had a lot of leaf brads that I love, but I wanted them to be copper colored. I used a krylon leafing pen in copper to color them. I didn't bother with perfect coats, since leaves are not perfect, so you might see some of the gold from the original brad showing through. It's all good.

I put a piece of pearly paper through my Xyron 900, and glued the alcohol ink side of the craft plastic to the paper. I did experiment with a variety of wet adhesives, and my ink kept bleeding. I was really puzzled by this. Has anyone had better success with an adhesive like glossy accents? My handy craft knife came out to trim around the edges. Since the plastic is thick, and the paper was thin, this was easy without a ruler.

I then stamped the other side of the plastic with a smudgy stamp and the word "behold" (Club Scrap - Autumn Splendor kit). I was thinking of fall leaves when I made these, and it just fit with the wonder I have when I see our fall colors. Make sure to use an ink that works on a non-porous surface (I like StazOn), and don't rock the stamp as you stamp.

I embellished with my brad(s), found some coordinating paper, and assembled them. No two are exactly alike!

For the holidays, I made some inchies (one-inch square) pieces using a sapphire blue and silver alcohol ink. I found more sparkly paper, and made some cute little cards that I can use for gifts. I like how these could be used for Christmas, but are also sophisticated enough that any occasion could work for these. These cards were given as part of a gift to my coworkers. They really liked them!

Our tradition at Christmas is to enjoy the holiday, take some time off from work, and go skiing. I hope you enjoy your holiday traditions, and I'll see you next year!

These are some of my favorite products that I couldn't live without to make these. The Grafix plastic comes in a variety of sizes, and counts, but this package is a nice way to try it out without having 25 sheets in your house (like me!). The larger package is eligible for Amazon Prime, though, which is definitely one of the factors I consider when I'm shopping.

Perfect bows for your cards

2010-12-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

This is one of the holiday cards I made recently.

Notice the perfect bow? You might think I'm a genius, but in reality, I'm a bit bow-challenged. During my recent organization, I rediscovered some of my tools, and I'm going to share some of the tools I use every day and some that I found again in some of my posts.

This tool is called the Bow Easy. Mine was even made in the USA! You can use this tool to make bows with loops measuring from 3/8" to 1 3/8" - in roughly 1/8" increments. Since somebody else has already shared a video using this tool, check out how to use it:

A quick google search for "Bow Easy" or "Bow Easy template" will yield lots of results how you can make your own or purchase one. At $5 a piece, this would make a great stocking stuffer for your scrapbooking friends.

I'll post more on how I made the background of the card later and show you some more samples.

Kaleidoscope Card

2010-11-29T19:18:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm organized, I have been creating up a storm lately. I'll be sharing some holiday cards later in the week, but first, it's time for Paul's annual birthday card. At the Club Scrap retreat, I learned a new technique that they called "Pinpoint Rotation." This is the result of that technique:

The "happy birthday" is mounted on some foam tape, which results in a little bit of distortion on the scan. The stamp is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and the coordinating punches (Word Window and Modern Label) are from Stampin' Up! - one of my favorite and most versatile greeting sets.

Believe it or not, I used one stamp and one ink pad to make the design on the cream colored paper. That stamp isn't available anymore (Solstice Club Stamp kit), but check out this image from a different stamp. To replicate this technique, you will need a:

Stamp - border stamps work particularly well
Stamp positioner, like a stamp-a-ma-jig or a Position It (I'll be talking more about the Position It later - this is a fabulous tool)
Ruler and pencil
Mulitcolored ink pad - I used the Kaleidacolor ink pad Fiesta

Nobody shows this better than Tricia, so check her out demonstrating the technique, and see where your imagination takes you! I love this technique!

Some cool tools I used in this post:

The End: Are you organized yet?

2010-11-10T12:41:00.000-05:00

After purging lots of supplies (4 boxes and 4 grocery bags full), reorganizing my space, storing my rubber stamps, and storing my dies, I've made a lot of progress.

But, it's never done.

New stuff arrives on a monthly basis (I love those Club Scrap kits!), and who can resist a purchase at the local scrapbook store? I got some great gemstones, fall leaves, and a pen there this weekend.

So, why do I continue to purchase more, when I have plenty? I've come up with a few guidelines to guide future purchases and help answer the question - should I really buy this?

Replacing tools. I use my black marker for a lot of journalling, and it's dry. It's ok to buy a new black marker, because I'll get rid of the old one that doesn't do the job anymore.
Purchasing basics. The gemstones were an item that I previously had and used up. These are basic, and I still like them. A little sparkly item goes a long way. I also stock up on adhesive, since it's cheaper to buy ATG adhesive in bulk.
Buying special items. The leaves aren't something I need, but they fit in my style. When I saw these, I could see them fitting on scrapbook pages, and cards that I'd like to make for Thanksgiving.
Inspiring me. My Club Scrap kits provide a monthly spark to my imagination. If something sparks your imagination, it could be worth the purchase price just for that reason.

How will I fit these items in my home and continue to stay organized? This is what I'm thinking...

Go up! My husband saw an opportunity for me to have more shelves in my room. We'll be installing those shortly to provide much needed storage space for my finished scrapbooks.
Purge as I go. When a new item comes in, it either needs to fit in the space I have, or something else has to go. I put these items in a box upstairs. When the annual rummage sale time comes around, I can sell them, or put them back in my stash if I've changed my mind.
Keep a clean desk. I did this in the summer for a while, and what a difference it made! After a project is done, I'm going to clean my desk. If the desk is clean, it's more inviting to work there, and provides room to sort and store new items as needed.

What guides your papercrafting purchases? How do you stay organized? What do you continue to struggle with in your craft space? It's great to share ideas! Hope you enjoyed this series. Now that I'm organized, I can go back to crafting!

Organization tip #4: Spellbinders storage plus tutorial

2010-11-07T12:32:00.001-05:00

I love spellbinders dies, especially the nestability dies. These dies come in basic (and complex) shapes in a variety of nesting sizes. I like to make my own bind-it-all binders to store these dies. They're trim, easy to make, and group my dies into nice categories.

First, I got all my dies out, and decided which dies would fit in which book. This book is all about shapes - leaves, flowers, santa, bridge, etc. I'll be using a bind-it-all, cardstock, scor-it, patterned paper, a cutting mat, and a craft knife for my initial supplies.

To make the pockets, I take a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and score it at 5.5" with the paper in a landscape orientation.

Rotate the paper 90 degrees so it is in a portrait orientation, and score at 5".

Fold the long edge up to form the pocket part. Reinforce the fold with a bone folder.

Fold the paper on the other score line. The folded edge will be on the outside of the book, while the open edge will be the binding edge.

Next, I make the covers. Trim two pieces of chipboard to 5.75 x 5.25" using a craft knife, and cutting mat. I choose thinner chipboard for this project - you'll be covering it with patterned paper and punching holes in it later.

Trim a 12 x 12 piece of paper into two 6 x 12 pieces. Run each piece through a xyron machine. I also like to use a dry adhesive because I get instant gratification and edge-to-edge adhesive with a xyron. I've used some of the edge to also xyron labels for my pockets.

Place the front of each cover on the sticky part of the paper. Trim with a craft knife. Since the cover is chipboard, you don't need a ruler if you're careful with trimming.

Flip the covers over, place on the sticky side of the other sheet of paper and trim.

Punch holes in the cover with the bind-it-all, and punch holes in the open side of the pocket pages.

Inside the pockets, I use my magnet cartridge from my xyron to laminate a small label. The magnet on the xyron is strong enough to hold the spellbinders dies, but not super strong. The pocket makes sure that any parts that fall out will remain close by.

Bind the cover and pockets together (see my earlier tutorial), put a label on each pocket, and slip the magnet inserts in the pockets. If you like, create a few empty pockets at the end to accommodate future purchases. You can also reopen the binding and insert more pages. If you're careful (and not too picky about the coil being "perfect"), you can reuse the coil. Otherwise, you can still just use a new coil to rebind the book.

I can fit several of these books in a drawer of my storage cabinet, and they're really easy to flip through. These save a lot of space on storage over the original packaging, and I think they look pretty, too!

My organization series is almost done. I'll share some tips in my last post about how I'm going to work to keep this up and not fall back into bad habits. I'd love to hear other ways of organizing dies. What are your favorite methods?

Organization tip #3: Rubber stamp storage

2010-11-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

I love rubber stamps. Lately, I love unmounted stamps, because they are so easy to store. My unmounted rubber stamps are stored in three-ring binders. Each stamp set is in a plastic sleeve. The front of the sleeve has a sheet of cardstock with index images. I write the category of the stamps on the cardstock. I try not to use too many categories (All Occasion, Nature, Great Outdoors, Borders & Backgrounds, Hobbies, and Nostalgic).

Stamps are stored in plastic page protectors. The front of each page protector is a piece of cardstock with the images printed on it.

I print the index images on a second sheet of cardstock that I run through my xyron laminator. My rubber stamps are coated with a tacky glue that allows repositioning (I like the Mount It glue sold by Club Scrap, or Aleene's Tack it Over and Over).

I make a paper copy of each index page and put them in a three ring binder. This way, I can sort through my images without pulling the larger binder off the shelf.

My wood mounted stamps are stored in some various ways. Some of the Stampin' Up! stamps are still in their boxes, but others are unmounted or stored loose in a cabinet. I didn't get to do too much sorting of stamps yet, but I hope that I'll have time to do a purging of those soon to make room in my cabinet.

How do you store your stamps? Do you like unmounted or mounted stamps better? Cling, rubber or acrylic? I'd love to hear what you think.

Organization tip #2: Organize your stash

2010-10-28T20:56:00.001-04:00

Over the years, I've changed how I work with paper. I used to use my Fiskar's shape cutter on every layout. As a result, I kept my templates in the handiest drawer in my storage cabinet. Fast forward 10 years, and I can't remember the last time I used my shape cutter. But, my templates are still in the same spot.

So, I started thinking about what I want to use more often, and it was my inks and paints. But, I wasn't using some of them very often because they were buried in several different drawer. The first thing I did then, was to purge enough of my shape templates to fit into a different location, and put my distress inks and paints into the newly open drawer.

On my desk, I have a rotating caddy. For a long time, it sat nearly empty, while I continued to stuff scissors into pencil cases. I then realized its potential by putting all of my commonly used tools in the outside pockets (scissors, craft knife, bookbinding glue, bone folder, etc.). My crop-a-dile fit into a larger pocket, and presto! The large caddy is now useful, and I got rid of several smaller caddies.

Die cuts are now a big part of my crafting. I just love how I can cut paper into any shape I like. I had this great wine box on top of my cabinet, and I had my long sizzix dies stored here. The problem was that they didn't fit, and hung over the edge. I emptied another drawer in my storage drawers, and moved the dies there. This accomplished two things - the newly empty slot perfectly fit more of the thick dies that I love, and the drawer with the long dies had some great space for new punches I wanted to have better access to.

Here is my die cut area with my big shot (far left) and the wine box (far right):

Here is the newly empty drawer with my long dies and new punches:

For the other drawers in my space, I tried to create new groupings of items. This drawer now has sewing supplies - buttons, ribbons, elastic, etc.:

Here is an overall view of my desk. I like to use baskets to group things (although some of them just serve as catch-alls), and the more commonly used things are front and center.

So, my process involved:

Thinking about things that were difficult to find or use.
Reducing the supplies I didn't use as much.
Moving the supplies I wanted to use into high traffic areas, while moving things I don't use as often into lower traffic areas.
Grouping items with a common theme (die cuts with punches, inks with paints) to make them easier to find later

I've got more to come! Next up is stamp storage.

How do you organize your work area? What about those pesky stamps? Leave a comment and a link to a picture of your space!

Organization tip #1: Purge your stash

2010-10-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

I've been scrapbooking in the "modern" way for 11 years. I had a scrapbook when I was 10, but since my supplies consisted of crayons, newspaper clippings, and tape, I didn't accumulate many supplies at that point in my scrapping life. I've found a lot of stuff over the years on sale, at craft shows, and local shops. I also live in a rural area, so when I go shopping, I tend to overdo it a bit - who knows when I'll next see interesting things?

After 11 years of this, however, I simply have too much stuff. I can't cram any more stuff into the space I have.

So, step 1 is to purge your stash. This is but a sampling of what I purged.

I got rid of things that...

Didn't fit my style anymore. Things I bought even 3 or 4 years ago aren't necessarily true to how I craft today.
Were duplicates. I've actually bought things more than once because I forgot I had them.
Didn't inspire me anymore. I had plenty of stuff that I could use, but if it didn't give me a thrill, I weeded it out.
I had too much of. I have loads of patterned paper, particularly from "stacks" of paper. They're a great bargain, right? Well, they're not such a great bargain if you don't use them. I sorted through these stacks and got rid of paper that I didn't love.
I haven't used. I've changed tools over the years (from a fiskar's shapecutter to a big shot die cut machine), so I eliminated the tools that weren't doing the best job for me anymore.

As I did this, I kept reminding myself that the things I got rid of would make it easier to find the supplies I love. I did this quickly - no point in prolonging this longer than necessary. And, in some cases, I purged things so that I would fit into a certain space. I have one drawer, for example, that I wanted to devote to patterned paper. I needed to purge enough other paper to fit what remained in one drawer.

Here are a couple of ideas for how to recycle these items:

Donate them. There are plenty of groups that would love these supplies, like a school, shelter, or kids organization.
Sell them. My local scrapbook store has a rummage sale, or you could have your own. I'm going to sell most of these items at my local scrapbook store - it brings in good business for them, and helps me with a little extra cash. To make things easier, group some items together for pricing - nobody wants to price individual sticker sheets.
Give them to your kids. Your leftovers are their treasure! Unfortunately, I don't have any kids, but my friends swear by this option. Of course, the supplies don't leave your house, but they are out of your hair!
Trade them with your friends. There are several "pay-it-forward" groups on the internet, or your local friends might be up for a swap. If some of my items don't sell at the scrapbook store, I will trade some of the items so I can get other things that I'm looking for.

I'm probably not done purging yet, but I've reached my limit for the moment. I'll show you more pictures this week of how I've been organizing my supplies. What's your favorite tip for sorting through your items? How do you recycle items you no longer need? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Coming this week - organizational tips!

2010-10-24T20:07:00.000-04:00

I've been out of the creating mode for a little while now. I love creating, but I can't find anything anymore!

So, I have decided to make order out of the chaos, and have been doing a major reorganization project over the last few weeks.

This week, I'll share how I organize..

Stamps
Spellbinders dies
My work space

I'll also share some ideas for what to do with the things you don't have room for anymore.

I hope you enjoy the ideas and that it inspires you to do some "fall cleaning" in your space!

Easy Labels for Home Canning

2010-10-17T15:52:00.000-04:00

I love canning.

I never thought I would say that, but I just love to hear that "pop" and opening the cans later to find some deliciousness from the fall. This year, we made a few cans of chutney.

Of course, I also love paper, and I was super excited to find that the Tim Holtz Lost and Found paper contains 2 x 2 inch squares of his paper. These squares fit perfectly on a canning lid (after being cut into a circle). The other benefit of this paper is that it has a micro-version of the print, so instead of a small piece of a big pattern, you get a really nice scaled version of the paper.

Some people think I'm strange to make pretty labels for the cans, but I think it makes it easier to give them as gifts later, and it feels more special to me. Why shouldn't my cans look fabulous?

After a few years of hand-stamping labels, and storing them in my (slightly yucky) basement, this is the process I use to make my labels.

Print the text on a sheet of desired paper. For these labels, I chose a slightly translucent paper, since I wanted to see a bit of the pattern. I use a table in my word processor, with the width and height of the cells equal to the size I'm going for.
Cut out the labels with a circular punch, die, etc. of your choosing. I used my spellbinders dies.
Trim the patterned paper to 2 x 2.
Glue the label to the patterned paper. For a translucent label like this one, I just put a little glue behind the black writing.
Run the 2 x 2 patterned paper through a xyron with a laminate/adhesive cartridge. This makes the top protected with plastic (good for our basement), and the bottom with a strong adhesive.
Cut out the label with a die, punch, etc. of your choice. I used a spellbinders scalloped circle.
Stick on your can and admire!

And what, you might ask, is Marrow Chutney? Well, chutney is a sweet-and-sour type of relish that is popular in indian food, and in England. Marrow is the British name for zucchini. We got a huge zucchini from a friend, and Paul has been wanting to make marrow chutney for a while. We use this on our sandwiches quite a bit to add a bit of zing.

Just love these new papers by Tim Holtz - I can see a lot of crafting possibilities with these. And, the spellbinders dies are used constantly in my craft room. Basic shapes are the best - circles never go out of style, so you can't go wrong stocking up with these shapes. And, the laminating/adhesive cartridge for my xyron is something I make sure is always in stock for canning season.

A new card for a new month

2010-10-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

Where did September go? My day job is at a local university, and I get very busy at the end and start of every academic semester - particularly in the fall. I haven't had much time for crafting, but I've been quite busy the past week crafting, so I have some great things to share with you in the upcoming month.

This time, I wanted to share a simple card I did for work. I make thank you notes for an event I run every year, and have to keep these simple since I need to make at least 50 of them every fall. This is the card I came up for this year:

I wanted to create a lot of depth and character without a lot of layers or embellishments - everything is paper in this card! The background layer is stamped with one of my favorite go-to stamps - the Oak Branch from Stampscapes. These stamps are usually used to create scenes, but they can be used for so much more than just scenes.

The foreground image is of the Quincy Mine - a local landmark. Stamper's Paradise makes several sheets of stamps relating to our local area. I can see Quincy Mine from pretty much everywhere on campus or in town. You can see it here from a quick shot I took last summer - it's the grey building just to the left of the bridge on the top of the hill. Paul is standing on some of the new materials used in the construction downtown last year.

Finally, the thanks stamp is from the Perfect Punches stamp set from Stampin' Up!. I really love their new cling mount stamps - I have been stamping with unmounted stamps for years, and really appreciate the savings in storage space and the less expensive price. This particular stamp coordinates with the scallop oval punch.

The black strip is just a piece of cardstock. I love using scraps of paper in place of ribbon. So, with a little black ink and just a few layers, I think you can make a really cute card. Here's another card I made using just lots of stamping, but not too many layers to make a cards for a large group.

All of the paper from this project was from Stampin' Up!

Tutorial: Mixed media embellishment

2010-08-03T21:39:00.000-04:00

Of course, mixed media means "anything on my desk," right?

Today, I'll show you how I made the tag on this scrapbook layout:

I'm taking a class at Big Picture Scrapbooking with Claudine Hellmuth, and it's causing me to look at my supplies in a new way. In particular, we're learning a lot of background techniques that can be used as building blocks to create more complex pieces. I'm using chipboard, a dictionary, gel medium, and a brush to start with.

First, I glued a page from a dictionary to a piece of chipboard using fluid gel medium. I like this dictionary because it has some nice pictures on some of the pages. The page on the right is a piece of textured grungeboard. I'm using the piece on the left today.

Next, I mixed paint to create a soft blue. Blue is one of my favorite colors, so I knew I would be able to use this somewhere.

I then die cut the chipboard into a variety of pieces using my Sizzix Big Shot machine. If you don't have a die cutting machine, thin chipboard is easy to cut into squares or rectangles that can be used as tags. I glued an image transfer of some flowers onto the rolodex die cut.

To finish it off, I added a strip of vellum, a bit of ribbon, and some chipboard letters. I really like how this turned out.

And, as a side note, I will be continuing to blog, but will take a more relaxed pace for the rest of the summer. I will post a few times in August and early September, but not on any particular schedule. I hope you enjoy the rest of the lazy days of summer! (That are turning into not very lazy around here!) I plan on taking at least some time to read some crafty books and gather some new inspiration. Some of the books on my list include some books I love about collage and image transfers.

If you're interested in learning more collage techniques, I really recommend the books by Claudine Hellmuth. She has a lot of great techniques in her books, as well as examples of projects and composition ideas. Both books are packed with techniques. In her first book, the style is more vintage/grunge and in the second, she shows us a lighter style to collage with brighter colors.

If you're just interested in learning about image transfer techniques, like how I made the flowers on my tag, I recommend the book "Image Transfer Workshop." It introduces 35 techniques, and each one is accompanied by a description of its limitations and uses with step-by-step pictures.

Making Memories Guest Designer

2010-07-25T12:36:00.000-04:00

I was recently honored to be asked to design a piece for Making Memories using their new Panorama collection of papers and embellishments. I was featured on their blog last week. In case you missed it, here is my take on the project.

First, I created a cover for my project. I used several pieces of book board, covered with paper. I just loved the postage stamp border, so I wanted to make this the most prominent part of the cover. I glued ribbon on the inside to create a nice tie for the cover. You probably can't tell from the picture, but the airplanes are embossed - very cool effect.

When you open the cover, a coil bound album is on the right, and tags are on the left. Pockets hold both in place. I've previously done a tutorial on how to make a coil bound album and pocket. The pocket on the right is 3/8" wider than the width of the book. Making the cover is similar to my post bound album tutorial, but with three pieces instead of two.

The tags were from scraps of the paper and some of the trading cards. I used the index prints from my order, rub-ons, and ribbon to embellish the tags.

I decided to spend most of my embellishing energy on the cover of the book. To start, I did an image transfer of one of the patterned papers onto chipboard. I primed the surface with gesso, and while it was still wet, placed the patterned paper on top. When dry, I wet the paper and rubbed off the paper back. I used stamps from the collection and two (Remember and Journey) from my Club Scrap stash to recreate a little word collage. When stamping on the image transferred paper, the ink does naturally bleed a little bit. Finally, I used more pieces from the kit and index prints to embellish the cover.

The inside pages of the book are chipboard covered with the patterned paper. I used a lot of the rub ons inside the book. I love using these on top of photos. The pictures from Devon and Cornwall last summer were so gorgeous on their own, I didn't feel they needed a lot of extra embellishing.

I really love the collage words on the right hand side. This is where I got my inspiration for the cover.

I love how this worked out on the right. The "sign" says "Smell the Roses" with "STOP" in the center. This is another paper with embossing on it, which doesn't really show in the photograph.

I also found that the Distress Inks by Tim Holtz coordinate really well with these papers. In particular, I used Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, and Fired Brick.

Having trouble finding some of these items? I recommend Blockhead Rubber Stamps for the distress inks, and Two Peas in A Bucket for the Making Memories items.

Carpet Tape Techniques - more scrappy cards

2010-07-23T19:18:00.001-04:00

After my first set of scrappy cards, I was inspired to try some more geometric shapes. For some reason, the pieced cards gave me the idea of bricks, so I started making panels for cards, without any particular goals in mind for the greeting or overall design.

First, I had some card bases already prepared that folded as a gatefold card, so I made skinny panels for these. Because they were skinny, I think putting the pieces at an angle results in a nicer looking effect, but I like both of these.

For the larger panels, the tape isn't as wide as the panel, so I try to cover the seam with something before applying the scraps of paper. I tried putting ribbon on top of the seam from the carpet tape, but I had mixed success with this technique. On one of my attempts, the embossing powder stuck too much to the ribbon, and made it look messy. The ribbon on this card was cleaner, so I added a sentiment and some flowers on top. The flowers cover up some white area where the embossing powders didn't stick as well as I would have liked. Initially, I didn't like this panel too much, but after adding my sentiment and flowers, it's turned out to be one of my favorites.

Finally, this sample uses a paper strip after the fact to cover the carpet tape seam. I positioned the strip and sentiment to cover the parts of the technique that didn't turn out as nicely as I wanted. To get the multi-colored stamp image, I used markers to color the individual areas before stamping.

Paper, stamps, ribbon, and embellishments from Club Scrap. The paper flowers are from Hero Arts.

Tutorial - how to mask with paper and stamping

2010-07-18T16:33:00.002-04:00

I've been doing a lot of masking on projects, and thought I would do a little tutorial with the most basic masking to start with. I didn't invent this technique, but I learned it so many years ago, I couldn't tell you the original source! You can see masking on my Quick Jot Journal, and Photo Twist About projects. Masking basically covers up either part of an image, or part of a stamp, so you won't stamp over it.

To start, you'll need cardstock to stamp on, stamps of your choice, ink, a piece of scratch paper (not shown) and a foam applicator (I like the handle and oval foam applicators from Clearsnap). It's also nice to have removable adhesive, and a stippling brush (not shown below).

Tear the piece of scratch paper (the thinner the better) in half. Use the removable adhesive to adhere the torn paper to your cardstock.

Stamp a variety of images, being sure to stamp some of the images onto the scratch paper.

I like to use a stippling brush to apply a little bit of color to the exposed strip of cardstock. I like the Color Duster stippling brushes by Judikins. They fit nicely in your hand and you have a lot of control with them.

For the last step step, I use a foam applicator to pull darker color (with the same ink pad) onto the edge. I find it works best if you start on the scratch paper and pull onto the cardstock. Use a light hand and build up the color gradually. You can pull back (gently!) the scratch paper to check how much color you're adding.

This is the finished piece. The torn edge makes it look really difficult, but it's easy!

I just added a ribbon and sentiment, and this card is ready to go.

I used the same technique to decorate some paper I used to create this Interlock-a-box project, available from Club Scrap. To personalize mine, I switched some papers and created the boxes on the inside a different way. I also added quotes on the outside for embellishments.

On the inside, I created boxes and used the masking technique with a straight edge paper. This created a "faux" ribbon around the boxes.

On the top, I glued some small shells using E6000 glue, and then glued a larger shell on top.

My favorite products that I've used in this post (besides the paper from Club Scrap!):

Photo Twist-about project

2010-07-13T17:33:00.000-04:00

As part of Club Scrap's Weekend of Workshops, I made this lovely Twist-about project.

The box is mounted on a lazy-susan type bearing, which allows it to rotate around 360 degrees.

On the top, and each side of the album, I have a decorated panel. I used a central quote surrounded by a variety of stamped images.

There are four little books inside this box.

On the inside of each book, I repeated the travel collage idea. The loose waxed linen thread will later have beads, or ephemera from the album on it. I haven't decided yet how to finish those details.

For some reason, I forgot to take a picture of it, but there is a decorated panel inside the drawer at the bottom, too. I'm going to use this album to keep some special pictures from our vacations. We've been to England several times, Mackinaw Island, Bayfield, and Traverse City, and have some really great pictures form each place. I think this will make a nice decorative item in our living room.

Image Transfers on a Tag

2010-07-10T17:53:00.002-04:00

I'm taking the "@ Home with Claudine Hellmuth" class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking this summer. The first technique was an image transfer technique using gesso. The circle on the left is the original patterned paper, and the heart on the right is the paper transferred to a chipboard heart. This is just regular scrapbooking paper from Stampin' Up! I had a pad of 6x6 paper, and for me, it's an odd size to work with, so I thought it would be great to cover chipboard shapes.

This was sort of an "aha!" moment for me. I've always wondered why you would want to do an image transfer - why not just glue the image on? Well, the result of an image transfer is a faded, or sometimes transparent image. For me, the patterned paper is a bit bright, so the image transferred paper is much more usable for me.

Here is another example on a tag. The secret to an image transfer is to apply plenty of adhesive (we used gesso, but gel medium is another popular medium), burnish your image on so there aren't any air bubbles, and let it dry thoroughly. I let mine dry overnight. I did them just before bedtime so I wouldn't be tempted to touch them for at least eight hours!

After the paper is dried, wet the back of the paper and rub off the paper. This takes patience, and sometimes you rub off all of the paper (see the white spots in the pictures above). I think all of this adds character to your piece. I love the worn look with a little of the white from the gesso showing through.

I wanted see how I could apply this technique to my scrapbooking and cardmaking, so I set out to embellish the tags. For the heart tag, I sprayed on several layers of Memories Mists:

Layer 1: Pale Ale
Layer 2: Covered the tag with a stencil from Tattered Angels and spray with Amaretto
Layer 3: Copper Shimmer

As I sprayed the mists, I noticed that they bled more than usual, because the paper is worn a bit. You might see this on the edges of the dark ink. Inks and sprays will apply a bit differently to these image transferred papers. I rubbed some ink on the edges, added some ribbon, a stamped word (Printer's Type by Hero Arts), and a little birdie from the Touch of Nature stamp set by Stampin' Up!. The birdie is colored with a bit of chalk.

I wanted to make my next tag a little lighter and brighter. For this one, I sponged on some various distress inks (old paper, tea stain) to give the edge a little definition. I stamped a swirl image from Club Scrap on the left with acrylic paint. When I was done with that, it sort of looked like a flower stem to me, so I found a neat saying from Club Scrap to put on vellum, and added some paper flowers, a brad, and ribbon to finish it up.

I think this tag will be a great embellishment on a scrapbook page about our garden. We're currently enjoying lots of beautiful lilies.

I'm really enjoying the online format of this class. I get to explore the techiques on my own time, and there is a really supportive group of ladies, and Claudine Hellmuth, to help us out. A lot of ladies from the class have a blog, and they're listed on the left. Check out what everybody else is discovering through this class!

Carpet Tape Techniques - scrappy cards

2010-07-06T17:06:00.001-04:00

I don't know anyone who papercrafts who doesn't have a ton of scraps. While I haven't found a technique yet that will eliminate all of my scraps, it sure is fun to try!

This technique comes from the "Carpet Tape Chronicles - Part 3" that Club Scrap published as video tutorials. This is the only technique they did that I found only worked with the carpet tape, so you need a roll of this tape (found at your local DIY store) to try this out. The other techniques can use other adhesives you have on hand - a xyron works well for most, for example.

For these cards, I learned a few things...

Try to cover the seams of the tape with your design. In the second card, you'll see a bit of a white line to the left of the white panel. In the top card, I put the solid paper across the seam to avoid this.
Make your panel the right size the first time! This tape is quite sticky, and you will have a hard time cutting this tape after you've made your piece. It will also be three cardstock layers thick when you're done, so cutting will be difficult, no matter what kind of trimmer you use.
You will get bits of the embossing powder on your scraps of paper, but don't worry about it. For most of my embossing, I rub an embossing anti-static bag over my paper. With this project, the anti-static powder will stick to your tape, and you won't get the embossing powder to stick to the adhesive.
I did try this earlier with my xyron adhesive, and it didn't work as well (see my earlier post). The embossing powder needs a strong adhesive, and the xyron adhesive is more heat sensitive. As I was heating the paper, the scraps started to curl up a little more than I liked.

Both of these cards were made from the Greetings to Go pack from Club Scrap's Pure and Simple kit. I love how these sets come complete with all of the cards, panels, envelopes, and embellishments you need to make a great card. I just added some carpet tape and scraps!

The winner and the answer!

2010-07-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

A drum roll for the winner....

The lucky winner is commenter #2, who is Annette D!

Annette guessed that Paul made the quilled card, making her correct in her guess, as well. I think my hubby is pretty darned talented to make the card on the left, although if you were reading my blog last year, you might not be too surprised by the outcome. Christine will be disappointed that he didn't do the fabulous stamping. Mostly, that's because he has a hard time finding anything in my craft room... Uh... I mean our computer room!

Annette - let me know your current mailing address, and I'll get a prize out to you in the mail. You can find my contact information in my "about me" page. Paul will be contributing some of his quilled bits so that you can make your own card, and I'll add some of my cards, as well. I know you can use them!

Iris folding - collage paper

2010-06-27T17:00:00.001-04:00

At the Club Scrap retreat last year, I picked up this fabulous collage paper that we used to make a project. The paper was so gorgeous, I needed more. After we did the iris folding project this week, I got to thinking about what other text weight paper I had around, and I decided to try iris folding with some of the scraps left over from the original project.

The pattern I used is found on page 165 of 460 Iris Folded Cards to Make. I just ordered this book, and love having so many new patterns available.

I am so happy with the result! Sometimes with iris folding, you can easily get eye-bending patterns that almost make you dizzy if the color selection isn't good. I think this paper works because although it is busy, the colors within it are harmonious. For my second color, I chose to pick black, since it's a neutral, and is prevalent in the patterned paper.

When you're iris folding, look at how many pieces are needed for the first round. For this example, there are four, and I could:

Use four different colors so each swirl is a different color
Use two different colors, so every other swirl is a different color
Use one color, so all of the swirls are the same color (not very interesting most of the time, but sometimes is a nice subtle effect)

When using multiple colors, make sure to pick colors that don't fight with each other. With patterned papers, I try to pick patterns that are small enough to show a bit of the pattern in each stripe.

Have fun picking papers and trying new color combinations - trust me - this is addicting once you get started!

All papers and stamp are from Club Scrap. The ribbon slide is a die cut from Spellbinders.

How to make a post bound album

2010-06-23T12:12:00.000-04:00

Post bound albums are great for scrapbooks, but sometimes I can't find one that matches the theme I'm interested in. I'll show you how to make your own album sized to fit your page protectors.

First, measure your page protectors. The cover will be 0.25" larger on both sides than the page protector. My page protectors are about 6.25" x 7.25", so my cover will measure 6.5" x 7.5". My pencil drawings help me to visualize the project along the way. I usually exaggerate the difference between the height and width to make it easier to visualize the final orientation of the pieces.

Cut two covers, and two spines (1" x 6.5") from a sturdy piece of bookboard or dense cardboard. After I've cut the first strip of board 6.5 inches wide, I use the finished piece to act as a guide for the rest of the cutting. This makes the pieces uniform, and saves a bit of time with lining the ruler up.

I like to lay my pieces out at this point.

Punch holes in one spine to correspond with the holes on your page protectors. My picture shows me checking my pencil marks before I punch the holes. In some of these photos, you will see that I use a pencil to mark things as I go along. The confusing thing about post post albums is that the spine will fold over and be on top of the cover when it's finished. Keeping track of the pieces is easier if you make notes to yourself in pencil.

Use the first spine as a template to create holes in the second spine. Remember that the outsides of the spines will be touching when the book is assembled, so be sure to orient the spines with the tops matching and outsides touching.

Cut paper to cover the outside of the book. I like to have 0.75" overlapping on each edge, so the height of my paper will be 1.5" taller than the height of the cover. In this case, I'm going to use two different papers on the cover, so I'm going to draw a line on the front where I want the first paper to end.

Apply glue to the cover, spread with a brush, and place the paper on the cover.

Apply glue to the raw edge of the board, and lay the second piece of paper on the spine edge. When cutting your pieces, make sure that there is at least 0.75" over on each edge.

To place the spine, use an acrylic ruler to butt up against the cover. Apply glue to the spine, and butt up against the ruler. Make sure there is 3/8" between the spine and cover. This will allow for good folding when the book is finished. This assumes that your cover pieces are about 1/8" thick. The space between the spine and the cover should be a little more than twice the thickness of the board for this type of book.

Punch holes in the red paper. If you don't do this now, you may lose your holes! I like to use an anywhere hole punch with a tapered end - my favorite is by Making Memories. This makes the holes a bit larger to accommodate my posts. This will take quite a few passes, so be patient!

Cut the corners off the paper, leaving about 1/8" between the edge of the board and where you cut. Use a bone folder to crease along all edges and fold the paper up over the board. Need more details on how to cover book board? Check out my earlier tutorial (but ignore the part with the style stone!). I also do a practice folding with the spine to get it loosened up a bit.

Cover the inside with a piece of paper. When laying the paper over the "gutter" between the spine and cover, use your thumb to gently press the paper into the gutter. This will help the cover fold nicely later.

From the front side, punch holes with the anywhere hole punch through the inside paper. If this is too cumbersome, you can also use a regular hole-punch.

With the scraps, create a card and step back to admire your work!

This album is a friendship book for a friend who is leaving our community. I've made two similar books for two different friends. The pages in the book were created by our friends so that they have a memory of us when they move.

Let your friends know how special they are by creating a gift for them. This one is definitely from the heart. All pictured paper and stamps from Club Scrap.

Iris folding - four cards

2010-06-19T20:25:00.002-04:00

This weekend, I'm participating in a really great online event. It's called "Weekend of Workshops" (aka WOW) and is sponsored by Club Scrap. I pre-ordered a gorgeous box of supplies that arrived last week, and today they had an online chat and released videos of the projects they sent us.

The first project I tried out was this iris folded card.

Iris folding is a really old technique, and there are lots of great tutorials and patterns available on the web. This tutorial is a nice explanation of the technique, and this page has a lot of great links to learn more about this technique.

After taking the effort to fold all of the strips of paper, I was inspired to try some different patterns from my collection. This one is a pear pattern from the The Complete Iris Folding Compendium.

I liked this card, but I saw a pattern where the panel was embossed, and I was inspired to emboss the panel first and then rub ink on it. I'm still not sure if this is crazy-cool or just plain crazy, but I like it.

Finally, I made a card using a coffee pot pattern from the The Complete Iris Folding Compendium. I had yet to break out the Mocha Java Remix stamps from Club Scrap, so this was a perfect excuse to get those out. This is probably my favorite card. I love the saying (Retirement: world's longest coffee break), and the colors. Who can resist a coffee stain stamp?

My favorite books for iris folding are by Maruscha Gaasenbeek and Tine Beauveser. Some of them are out of print, and some are still available. It looks like the The Complete Iris Folding Compendium is now available - I may have to get that! (edited: I have it on order! This book combines nine of their books into one volume. It really is an amazing value, and their patterns and ideas are fabulous.)

All paper is from Club Scrap - I raided my scrap drawer, so these are mostly mixed kits.

I'm going to tackle the next project in my kit now!

And, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to have a chance to win some handmade goodness from my house to yours.

Greeting cards with love - and a giveaway!

2010-06-16T20:15:00.002-04:00

The giveaway for this post is now closed. See this post to find out the winner and answer!

My husband and I have been married for six years, and together for over ten. Some time ago, we both started making cards for each other for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. He says he's forbidden to buy cards, but I say he has a secret yen to be a crafter. Here are our anniversary cards for this year.

Can you tell which one was made by my husband and which by me?

The first card features a variety of quilled flowers, a butterfly, dragonfly and a pair of bees. Border paper and stamp are from Club Scrap. The border was created with strips of paper that have been mitered at the corners - a very clever way to make a frame and use up those scraps!

The second card features stamps by Club Scrap and Stampin' Up! SU's "I {Heart} Hearts" set coordinates perfectly with their heart punches, making it easy to make a border of hearts in minutes. Crystal stickles were used to highlight the word "love" on each of the stamped images. The complete saying on the top stamp says, "All things grow better with love." A partial image was used to create a background for the top.

Have you guessed yet? Leave a guess in the comments, and I'll pick a random winner from anyone who comments. The winner will get a little handmade gift from me. Post your comment before 8pm EDT on July 1st to be eligible for the giveaway.

A book with a heart in a window

2010-06-07T12:02:00.000-04:00

When I made my first window book, I loved it, but working with the extra thick board needed to make the tile float was a bit challenging. I tried a thinner item - a heart paperclip.

Inside the book, I made a little pocket to cover up some raw edges. (See my pocket tutorial) On this pocket, I stamped some images using a masking technique.

If you missed the first time I made a book like this, check out my original series:

Created the covers (for this book, I used thinner bookboard)
Added the floating element to the cover
Assembled the book
Finished book

I'm wondering what else I have that can be put in a window - I think the possibilities are endless!

All materials from Club Scrap - the To You with Love Kit from February 2004.