Treasured Memories Techniques and Trends

Done

2010-08-20T11:32:00.000-06:00

I have decided to put this blog on a super long vacation...no new posts will be forthcoming any time soon.

This blog will continue to exist in its current form, and I will finish moving all the posts from the old blog over here so you can continue to reference them for all eternity!

Thanks for all your support over the years...and please check out all the other TM-related stuff on the web (all the links are in the sidebar>>>>)

Happy Creating...

Butterflies...final post

2010-07-30T12:05:00.000-06:00

This is my last post before we go camping this weekend...I will be back Monday with the next "topic"

This "technique" is a great way to make the most out of your punched images. You don't just have to use the image itself...you can use the negative image left behind, that you would normally just toss out!

You will need:
- butterfly punch
- strip of patterned paper

Step One: Take your piece of patterned paper and punch a row of butterflies. You can save the butterflies for another project!

Step Two: Trim down the piece of pattern paper so it is just a strip showing the negative image of the butterfly. There should only be a tiny bit of paper above and below the row of butterflies...so you have something to glue down and the piece doesn't loose too much stability.

Step Three: Glue this strip of butterflies to your layout, as you would any other piece of pattern paper.

You could also try:
- layering it over a solid piece of paper (or punch the butterflies out of solid paper and layering over top of patterned paper)
- create an alcohol ink pattern on a transparency and layer this behind the butterflies
- "pop dot" the butterfly strip so it has some dimension
- use the butterflies that were punched out on the layout as an embellishment

A handy tip: if you use lined or ledger paper, you won't have to worry about your butterflies not being in a straight line. Just line the bottom of the image up with a line on your paper, and repeat for each punch!

see you on Monday...Happy Creating! And happy LONG WEEKEND!!!

Bonus Butterflies

2010-07-28T15:43:00.000-06:00

Remember,butterflies aren't just for girls anymore! You can use them as embellishments on layouts for the men in your life as well...just make sure to offset them with lots of "manly" embellishments and colours!

A title doesn't have to be clever or fancy or long. "Uncle" was enough for this layout. I used a butterfly left over from my wedding decor. Which means I don't think Michaels carries them anymore!

Try punching a butterfly out of a strange material. I love using my woodgrain sticky-back vinyl...the butterfly on the page is the backing of the woodgrain paper!

that's all for tonight...join me tomorrow for another post!

happy creating

Butterflies...and alcohol ink

2010-07-28T11:54:00.000-06:00

Hi there! The Technique today involves my handy-dandy Martha Punch, and some alcohol ink. I'm going to show you a fun way to make some unique butterfly embellishments to suit any layout.

You will need:
- acetate (transparency)...I usually use leftover pieces of unprinted Hambly.
- two to three colours of Alcohol Ink (i'm using two shades of red, and Butterscotch)
- ink applicator, or a piece of felt
- butterfly punch
- Sharpie (or other black pen that can write on slick surfaces)

Note: I'll apologize ahead of time for my terrible how-to photos! it was dark, and my desk lamp just wasn't cutting it, but I was determined to finish this puppy off, so I just kept on keeping on!

I punched my butterflies first and then inked them, but you could do it in reverse. Just switch the order of the following steps.
Step One: Grab your transparency, and punch three butterflies. I did three because I like groups of three...but I guess you could punch as many as you like (even if you don't use them all on this layout)

Step Two: Grab your ink applicator or piece of felt and ink it up! Start with whatever colour you want. We are really mixing these on the butterfly, so it doesn't really matter what you choose first. If you are really particular, start with the lightest colour, then add bits of the darker ones.

Step Three: Press your inked felt onto one of the transparent butterflies (if you haven't punched your butterflies yet, just press it randomly on your acetate).

Step Four: Keep adding different colours to the felt, and stamping it onto the acetate until you have covered the butterfly and like what you see!

Step Five: Grab your Sharpie, outline your butterfly, and doodle some squiggles inside. It's best to do this on the non-inked side or else the quality of line is below-par!

Step Six: Arrange on your layout, add other embellishments and photo...and you're done!

I added some splashes of Glimmer Mist (yellow, red and orange), and drew the big heart with alcohol ink straight from the bottle.

The silver glitter is an easy trick. Take a glue stick and draw a line or a shape. Grab some glitter and press it into the glue. Let dry, then shake off any excess glitter.

I love how these techniques can totally change their look just by changing the colours of ink you choose. For a fun water layout grab some blues, greens and purples to mix. Or try doing each butterfly in a different colour and arranging them in a colourful rainbow! Remember, alcohol ink comes in a tonne of colours...enough for you to really get something unique and special each time you use them!

You could also try:
- stamping a butterfly image on acetate, then colouring the back with alcohol ink after cutting the image out
- doodle in a different colour, or in with a Glaze or Souffle pen for a little dimension
- use Perfect Pearls, or another shimmery substance to add some shine to your coloured butterflies
- put some alcohol ink in a Mini Mister or other spray bottle, and spritz some on your butterfly for a fun speckled effect.

Tomorrow will be the last of the Butterfly Techniques, but I might just get a bonus layout in there somewhere! Then Friday I have a new topic scheduled, but with the camping trip we have planned I might not get to it until Monday...so keep tuning it!

Happy Creating!!

Butterflies

2010-07-25T09:32:00.000-06:00

Hello! I'm back...finally! It's just so hard to get back to the swing of things after a nice holiday, dontcha think!?

Anyhoo...this week's topic is Butterflies. In case you hadn't noticed, I have become a bit obsessed with my Martha butterfly punch. I keep it super handy, and pretty much use it on every second page. Aside from that, I adore butterflies. In real life and in scrapbooking! This week I am going to show you some fun techniques to use with your Martha punch - if you have one - and some other fun butterfly-related techniques and layouts.

To start us off, I've got a simple layout for you!

You will need:

- butterfly punch

- butterfly shape to trace

- chipboard or thin cardboard or acetate

- spray ink (Glimmer Mist, Maya Road, Colour Wash, etc.)

Step One: I used a Jenni Bowlin chipboard butterfly to make my stencil. But you can use whatever you have on hand. Here's a tip: find a clip art image on your computer, make it whatever size you want and print it out. You can now cut out the image and use it to make a stencil!

Trace your chosen butterfly image on to some chipboard, thin cardboard, or acetate (transparency). Cut it out either with scissors or a craft blade. It doesn't have to be a perfect cut as long as you get the basic shape right. Try and use a butterfly that doesn't have a lot of edge detail! It will just be harder to cut out. The acetate will be the easiest material to cut.

Step Two: Lay your stencil over the cardstock you've chosen to be your background. I only sprayed one butterfly, but feel free to add as many to your layout as you would like.

Step Three: Grab your chosen spray ink, and spray away. You might want to cover the area around your stencil so you don't get any excess spray drifting all over your layout. You can use paper towel, extra chipboard, paper bags, newspaper, etc. Tape it down if you're really concerned.

Start with a little bit of ink, then add more if you feel you need it. Try not to oversaturate the area, or else the ink will bleed underneath the stencil and your shape will end up looking more blobby than anything else! Remember, less is sometimes more when it comes to spray ink!

Step Four: Remove the stencil and let the ink dry completely. Heat set if necessary.

Step Five: Finish your layout with a couple of punched butterflies in a coordinating pattern paper!

And the complete layout...it's pretty much all scraps and bits of things I had laying around. I really love all the bright colours together set off by the black lamp posts and the grey lettering.

I'm hoping to show at least two more techniques involving butterflies before my week is up! And then it's the long weekend...and I'm going camping again! Oh my!

So check back here throughout the week for some more great ideas involving butterflies. Until then...Happy Creating!

Absence makes the heart grow fungus

2010-07-19T08:59:00.000-06:00

Hi all! I bet you've been wondering where I've been keeping myself. The answer is: busy

I've had to postpone the next topic, probably at least until this weekend. The little one and I are going camping this weekend, while Russ holds down the fort. And I don't think I'm going to get any scrapbooking done in the trailer! Although...I have made some pretty sophisticated travel albums before...!

So check back here on Saturday (or Sunday) and we'll see what we can see!

Thanks for your patience...I forgot how much work getting ready for camping is, and all I have to bring is clothes and toys! Oh my!!

Keep going with your summer layouts and I'll see you on the weekend!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

This is the last post in the Inspired by Summer series...I promise!

A simple layout I cooked up that only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and then you're off enjoying the warm summer nights again!

You will need:
- two flowers, two brads
- 5 pieces of coordinating pattern paper (cut into random sizes)
- letter stickers in two different colours
- neutral cardstock
- adhesive

Step One: Now, I want to make sure you have cut your pieces of pattern paper into random shapes and sizes. With scissors. No measuring, or trimmers, or anything. This is supposed to be quick and simple, using a minimum of "stuff". I made eight pieces, but you might want more or less. Just trust your gut.

Step Two: Arrange these on your layout like a messed up checkerboard. They don't have to all line up perfect, or make a certain shape or anything. And make sure you have a place for your photo near the bottom left of the checkerboard.

Step Three: Fit your flowers in there somewhere. Pretend they are a square on the checkerboard, and it should work out just fine. Once you're sure of your placement of all the pieces, go ahead and stick them down, and put the brads through the centre of the flowers.

Step Four: Your title goes right along the bottom of the photo, across the bottom of the checkerboard and overlapping one of the pieces. I like the look of the two colours of sticker letters.

Here's a tip for you: if black seems like too harsh a choice for your journaling, as it does on this light-coloured page, try grey instead! A pencil works great for your journaling, and you can use grey letters in your title as well.

*****

Thanks for sticking it out with me...tomorrow is a new day and a new topic!

Happy Creating! And Happy Summer!!!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-15T14:18:00.000-06:00

At The Lake...Beach...Ocean...etc.

Photo Ops: you on the beach...try standing in the water and getting a shot of the whole beach

- you in the water...stand on the beach and get a water shot

- sitting on your blanket or towel, what is your view down the beach?

- waves crashing against rocks, tide pools and the life within
- did you bury somebody in the sand? did you get buried in the sand?

Journaling Prompts: what do you love to do at the beach? I love to sit and read with my feet in the water

- did you bring any snacks? is there a concession with ice cream?

- what's your favourite beach book?

- is this a day trip, or are you here for the week?

- what's your least favourite part of the beach? sand in your bathing suit? stinky sunscreen?

Creating your layout: think about the textures and common sites at the water
- use circles to mimic bubbles
- paint gives a weather-worn look to paper and embellishments
- curves, flourishes and scallops can be made to look like waves
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Amusement Parks
Whether you were in Disneyland, Six Flags, or Capital Ex this summer, think about documenting the fun times had on the rides, the games, and the concession!
Splash Mountain...before and after!

Photo ops: the entrance to the park
- going on and coming off the ride
- your favourite fair food
- your favourite ride
- view from the top of the Ferris Wheel

Lucas' first ride ever!

Journaling Prompts: what is your favourite and least favourite ride?
- would you rather play games than ride?
- who came with you on this trip?
- is this your first, or your child's first time on the rides? what did you/he/she think of it?

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride...Lucas really liked this one because he got to drive a little car!

Six Flags

*****

More layouts to come later...

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-14T14:35:00.000-06:00

Here are some more layouts with great summer topics!

Road Trip

Photo Ops: interesting things you see on the way: construction, old barns or houses, big statues of Pysanka or birds, or sausage

- your group standing with your vehicle

- the odomoter before you start and after you reach your destination

Journaling Prompts: your preferred road trip tunes

- did you bring any snacks? what are your go-to road trip snacks

- did you see anything funny, amazing, unique, new, strange? use those adjectives on your layout (see below for a fun way to do that!)

*****

In the Garden

Photo Ops: your prized flower, up close and personal

- do you have a water feature or special collection? my Grannie collects big and fabulous rocks from her various travels.

- take a shot of your garden from inside your house

- take a shot of your entire garden, if you can manage it

Journaling Prompts: is there a plant that just does not want to grow?

- how long have you been gardening? who or what got you started?

- are you an annual or perennial sort of person?

*****

Picnics and Patios

Remember my post about BBQ last week? Well, I was thinking more about summer and eating, and I couldn't help but think of picnics and patios!

And one from Nadine...on a patio in Banff!

*****

Stop by tomorrow for my last layout in my Inspired by...Summer series: a simple layout that can be thrown together quickly...yes, I'm back to the time-saving options!

In the meantime, there are more layouts to come this afternoon with more fun summer topics!

Then on Friday we're on to a new topic, and hopefully some fun techniques!

As always I appreciate any and all feedback, and would love to see some layouts or projects inspired by the TNT blog. You can post them to our Flickr Group, or leave a link to your own gallery in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by...and Happy Creating!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-14T14:08:00.001-06:00

Sports!

Now, the fam and I have never really been into organized sports (Lucas' one attempt at soccer last year was a major fail!), but we do enjoy being outside doing our own thing during the summer. This year we signed up as members of Edmonton's Orienteering Club, and we try to make it out to as many Wednesday night treks as possible...weather-permitting of course!

Here are some sports-themed layouts that might interest you and keep you inspired this summer!

Always Loving You

This first one is from Chantel. A photo of her and her hubby on the golf course.

She used some great nature-inspired embellishments - canvas tags and die cut trees - but complimented them with muted browns and great alphas. Notice how there are no golf balls, or flags, or shoes on this layout? A layout can use sports photos, but not be overwhelmingly "sporty".

*****

Lucas' Soccer Medal

Remember to get pictures behind the action as well. I have loads and loads of photos of Lucas on the field, but the ones of him getting ready and the ones with his team are also very important to me and the story I want to tell.

Journaling tip: If you are scrapbooking your child's sports activities, try using some of their own words on the layout. "Interview" them, and find out what they love (and hate) about their sport. Ask them about the friends they have made, and their coach. They will love being involved in making a layout about something they enjoy!

*****

Go Fish...a layout about catching my first fish!

This was an important event in my young life. Fishing with my grandpa and his friends, getting to hold my own reel, learning to cast and read the fish finder, and finally catching my very first fish!

And idea for a fun way to show the date...and a fun title (remember: when stamping on masking tape you'll need to use a permanent, alcohol-based ink so it doesn't smudge)

I love creating borders with buttons and brads! This one just happens to be a curvy one!

*****

Finish Line
My brother-in-law ran his first ever marathon a couple of years ago. He invited his parents, sister, and us down to San Diego to cheer him on!

This was a big deal for him, so we tried so hard to see him on the course...but we missed him by a minute! That's why these shots of him crossing the finish line are so much more spectacular!

*****

Check back later today for some more great topics for summer scrapbooking...I have a tonne more layouts to post and only two days left for this topic! Yikes!! Better get to it!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-11T17:10:00.001-06:00

Layouts from my Layout Kits...

Remember my last post? well, here are the layouts I made from the kits I put together.

I didn't use everything I pulled at first glance, but it was a super helpful head start. I'll go over each layout, and give you some more tips and pointers for pulling together simple kits.

Layout the First: we're here 4U, for each other

Have a lot of neutral cardstock on hand when you finally sit down to scrapbook these kits. This saves you from having to try and match cardstock to paper all the time.

Don't forget about your spray inks, and stamps, and punches and all those other fun things in your stash! You don't have to add them to your kit at the start, but keep them handy when you sit down to scrapbook these layouts. And if something is in the "wrong" colour, you can either customize it with ink, or add another embellishment in that colour to another part of the page to make it look like it belongs!

Example: I really liked the green paper I added to the kit, but when I started doing the layout it didn't seem to work. So I cut a narrow strip out, rip it into three shorter pieces and scattered them around the page. Now it adds a splash of colour and looks like I had always planned it that way!

Titles don't have to be traditional. This one is comprised of a felt number four, and a leftover chipboard "u" that has been sitting on my desk forever and ever! Looking at your supplies in new ways can help you make the most out of them! Remember, when assembling your kit pull things that inspire you at that moment, even if it is just a scrap from your table. It doesn't hurt to include it in your kit, and it might come in handy down the road.

And remember that you can never go wrong with buttons! I like to sort mine by colour, and I grabbed a little handful of them to throw in the kit so I would have a little extra something if I need it...and I did!

*****

Layout the Second: a gathering of friends

If you don't have anywhere to write your journaling, just write it directly on your photos. Grab a Sharpie, or Slick Writer or Sakura or whatever and get to it! I love these little captions on the photos! Plus it helps "fill in" the dead space. Throw a nice black journaling pen into your kit box so it's always handy.

Two Lesssons: There are no such things as mistakes and sometimes just a scrap or two will do.

First, about mistakes, no one will notice it except for you. If you made a spelling mistake, cover it up and start over. If you're printing is terrible and you really messed it up, just move to the right and write it again (see "Jill Jill" below). Also, I totally ripped this photo, and Anam's face got ripped off of the photo lower down on the page. Just reprint it and move on with your life!

Second, I spent so much love and attention on the background of this layout, I really didn't feel the need to cover it all up with a bunch of pattern paper. So I cut three little strips out of my favourites from the kit, and stuck them at the top. Lovely.

When you're building your kit, try throwing in a bunch of paper scraps instead of full sheets of paper. They take up less space, and will help to inspire you when the time comes to scrapbook. If at that time you need to pull the whole sheet out, go for it! But try using just bits and pieces of your paper. It stretches your supplies and your creativity!

When in doubt, just add some butterflies, hearts and flourishes! Oh, and some buttons as well. I wasn't finding any embellishments that I "loved" for this layout, so I added a butterfly punched from an old dictionary, painted a heart and used a precious Glitz flourish rub on (I would kill for more of these...I'm just saying).

yourRemember that you don't have to go crazy with your embellishments, or a theme when you're scrapbooking or putting together a kit. Sometimes the simple the layout, the better. Add lots of your own heart...that's what counts.

That's all for today.

Check out my personal blog for a sweet giveaway!

It runs until Friday and is open to everyone!

Happy Creating

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-10T22:31:00.000-06:00

Project #2: Page Kits for Later

By spending a couple of minutes each week, printing your photos and writing up some basic journaling informaioin, you'll have everything you need in one place once fall comes and you have more time inside to scrapbook. I did this for my Mom a couple of years ago, and we're still talking about it!

First, you'll need a bunch of envelopes, or project folders, or zipper bags. Make sure these bags are big enough to fit a 12x12 sheet of paper, and make sure you have at least 10, one for each potential layout!

Also, grab a stack of recipe cards, a simple notepad, or something you can jot down your journaling information as you go. Keep this and a pen by your computer, so you can write things down as you're selecting photos to print.

Now the rest is up to you. This is a go-at-your-own-pace kind of project, but you should probably sit down and do a little bit each week, or else you will feel too overwhelmed. Print a stack of photos from the week or two before. Print them in the size you normally scrapbook.

Now, organize them by layout. Grouping photos from the same event, you'll be able to see right away if you need to do more than one layout (or one double-page layout) per event.

Right away, jot down some essential information about the photos. The who, what, when, where, when, why is most important. If there was a great story, or funny anecdote about the event, include that as well. You might not be scrapbooking these photos for a couple of months, and by that time all the specific details may have faded from your memory.

Once you have your photos grouped, you can start pulling paper to go with them. Just grab whatever catches your eye, first instinct. You will have time to be picky later! Right now we just want to pull a little bit of fun stuff to give you a head start!

Depending on what all you want to include in your kit, now would be the time to pull embellishments as well. I recommend leaving most of your embellishing for when you're actually going to scrapbook these photos, but if you have something just "perfect" in mind, it doesn't hurt to set it aside now.

Place your photos, journaling info, and all the paper (and embellishments) you pulled into a project folder or big envelope, one folder per layout. Clear folders or bags are great for this, because you can see right away which layout you're looking for, which saves you time down the road again.

If you set aside a little time each week to get organized, when the time comes that you have a little extra time you'll be able to spend it actually scrapbooking instead of doing all the prep work! It's already done for you!

You could also try:

- adding a sketch to your kit (there are lots of sites online, and magazines that offer sketches that are easy enough to print off, or copy in your own hand)

- rip out a page from a magazine or idea book of a layout you like and add it to the kit

- you don't have to add any paper or embellishments to the kit...if you only have time to print photos and do a little journaling the rest can come later!

Tomorrow I hope to post these finished layouts...cause I had some extra time today while Lucas was busy so I got them finished as well!

Then more and more and more inspiration layouts next week! Happy Summer!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-09T16:06:00.000-06:00

So, you don't have enough time to scrapbook in the summer? Busy with sports, and gardening, and patios, and vacations, and the cabin, and camping, and summer camps, etc. etc. etc.

I hear you, and I'm happy to say that I'm here to help! My mom is always telling me how she wishes she could sit down and scrapbook in the summer, when we're making all these memories for her, but she just doesn't have the time nor the desire to sit inside and get stuff done. Well, this post is dedicated to her and all the scrapbookers out there with the same issue.

Below, are two simple ways to make sure those summer memories get documented, without having to spend hours inside your craft room each week!

Project #1: Summer Mini
Give yourself a couple of hours at the start to get the bones of this album finished, and then you can spend the rest of your summer scrapbooking for 10 to 15 minutes a week, or whenever you feel like gluing down a photo, or writing some words! Super simple!

Step One: You'll need to pull together an album that can easily be added to as the summer progresses. Binder rings and chipboard or paper are perfect for this! Make sure it's big enough to fit a standard size photo (standard for you might be 4x6), with space for simple embellishments. 5x7 is a great size to start with! If you can't find one pre-made, you can always make your own by cutting down a cereal box, then painting or decoupaging the covers.
Example:

Another great way to make a mini album is by using an old hard-cover book, or kids book. If you pull apart the covers and all the pages inside, punch some holes, and fit it with binder rings, you'll have a nice sturdy book that can be filled with cardstock pages as you go.
Example:

Step Two: Pull together a kit's worth of paper and embellishments, all with the same colours, tones, theme, fell, etc. In other words, they don't all have to be matchy-matchy, but a similar theme or feel running throughout is a big help! And keep your embellishments as generic as possible for this first part. If you want to add theme-specific embellishments later, by all means go right ahead. But for now, we just want to get things started so it's quick and easy for you to document your memories as the summer goes on.

Step Three: Now, we're going to make 10 pages. This will give you a good start to your mini album, so for the first couple of weeks, all you'll be doing is adding photos and words. Once you fill the 10 pages, it will be a simple thing to make more in the same style.

If you know you're going to the lake a certain week, go ahead and fill in the name of the lake, the dates, and any other basic details on those pages.

You can keep the page simple and add no embellishments or other paper, or you can create a simple and repeatable pattern. Then copy this pattern for each page.

You can even include an envelope or paper bag in the album in place of one of the pages. This works well for keeping all that extra memorabilia in one place! Just punch holes in the bag, and insert it into the album.

Step Four: Store all of your supplies together, including your in-progress album. I like to use project folders, or plastic bins (found easily at Michaels) for this kind of project. This will make it quick and easy to add to your album each week. Don't forget to include your adhesive and some refills, a black pen, hole punch, and one or two extra embellishments (bling, buttons, brads,e tc.) so you don't have to go searching through your craft room!

After you've printed some pictures, pull out your project bin, open it up and go to it! If you want to include other memorabilia in your album, like maps, brochures, plane tickets, etc. throw those in the bin as well, until you have a moment to include them in your album.

This bin idea works really well if you want to take your project on the road as well! You might not be able to print any photos, but you could have the kids doodle on a page while waiting in the trailer for the rain to pass, or you could write your journaling on the back of a postcard, punch some holes and pop it in before you forget!
Example:

Project #2: Page Kits for Later
This project will be posted tomorrow...I am having some technical difficulties getting my photos to load! see you then!!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-09T13:44:00.000-06:00

Featuring some layouts from Kennedy!

Surf's Up

This layout is perfect in its simplicity. Kennedy chose some fabulous Harmonie paper and matching surfboard stamp. She enhanced two of the stamped images with a dark green distress embossing powder.

*****

You

Why not take some pictures of the kids having fun in the sprinkler? Kennedy used some lovely blue paper, and some fun nature-inspired embellishments keeping the focus on the energy in the photos!

*****

Sweet

Kennedy made great use of a pack of sticker frames by cutting them down so they appear to disappear off the sides of her layout.

She's mimicking the strips of paper on the right side of her layout, but the dimension and details of the frames add another fun element to the layout!

*****

Check back later tonight for a doozie of a post! I'm going over two techniques for time-saving scrapbooking this summer! Until then...

Happy Creating!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-07T15:40:00.000-06:00

In this post I want to give you another topic to scrapbook this summer, and this is one that you might not normally think of pulling the camera out for:

BBQ!

Russ and I are truly madly deeply in love with BBQ, and as soon as the weather starts cooperating, we heat up the grill and Russ jumps on the Internet to find some great recipes! Right now I'm dreaming of pulled pork, beer can chicken, and grilled potatoes with onions. My dad is one of those guys who will grill in any weather, so I come by this mania naturally!

The next time you start the grill up, take a photo of the Grill King or Queen and do up a layout...

Photo Ops: the person in charge of the grill. the person in charge of the rest of the munchies!

- all the delicious food! on the grill and on the table.

- the group who made it out. family, friends, the whole neighbourhood!

- all the fun tools you get to use...flipper, gripper, saucer, etc!

- come up with different angles, and additional shots to tell your story. the photos of Russel I took while laying on the grass enjoying a cold beer!

Journaling prompts: what are your favourite grilled foods? what else do you serve with them?

- who gets to dine with you?

- was this a special occasion? or just a regular Tuesday?

- are you a die-hard griller? or just a weekend warrior?

Even if you're not the one doing the grilling, say you're at a friend's house, take some shots. These moments are a major part of my summers, as I am sure they are with many other families. Food brings people together, and in the summer it also brings people outside!

*****

Have you ever been to a real BBQ joint? My brother, Russ and I went to one while we were visiting my Aunts in Dallas. It was like nothing I had ever experienced! The decor, the smell, the choice of food, the way it all ran so smoothly, everything was new to my Edmonton-senses. And I was in heaven!!

Photo Ops: the decor (check out the deer head in the following shot...!)

- the food! did you get a fancy drink?

- the people at your table

- the BBQ, the pickle station, whatever else you notice that makes the place unique!

Journaling: what did you eat? what did your friends eat?

- what was your favourite?

- what would you like to try if you ever go back?

And remember, scrapbooking a fun restaurant isn't limited to BBQ places...think of all the patio opportunities that will present themselves this summer!

Keeping this layout really simple, I finished it in only a couple of minutes. I used scraps that were leftover on my table from a previous project, some word stickers that I keep handy all the time, and I doodled some stars to finish it off. I didn't need to run to the store, and I didn't need to search high and low in my scrap room for the necessary elements.

*****

On Friday, I'm going to give you a couple of ideas to help you out if you have absolutely no time to scrapbook this summer! All it takes is a couple of minutes each week to keep on top of your summer memories! Until then...

Happy Creating!

Inspired by...Summer

2010-07-04T21:17:00.001-06:00

Summer is here! Finally! Amidst all the rain and thunder storms we have had some gorgeous weather as of late. And with all the festivals starting up in the next little bit (Street Performers, FreeWill Shakespeare Festival, etc. etc.) there is no reason not to get out and enjoy it while you can.

Summer can be a difficult time during which to scrapbook...between the gorgeous weather and all the fun things to do it's hard to find a second of time to sit down and get to work. I'm hoping that this feature helps you out with that.

Over the next two weeks I'll give you a whole whackload of potential scrapbooking topics, ways to get a little bit of scrapping in each day/week, and how to plan your layouts to finish in the fall if you just don't have the time this summer.

This post is dedicated to the first two easy topics to tackle this summer: Canada Day (or the Fourth of July Holiday) and parades. The fam and I hit up the Silly Summer Parade in Strathcona this year, as well as the Canada Day festivities in Sherwood Park. Then Russ and I finished the night watching the MillWoods fireworks display from the field behind our house.

#1: Parades

Potential photo ops:

- take advantage of a space in the parade floats and get into the street to take a photo of the people on the curb...make sure you get a shot of your friends!

- stand behind the people on the curb and take a photo of the action on the street, making sure to get the heads of your friends in the shot as well as if you were looking at the parade through their eyes.

- after the parade is done, capture a shot of the entire street with the parade fading in the distance.

Since this was a "silly" parade, I made the layout as light and fun as possible, using a bunch of different fonts for the title, but kept the background simple (a couple of flicks of Scarlet Glimmer Mist on white paper).

Journaling Prompts: what was your favourite float?

- were there any mishaps? like getting lost, or horse poop on the course!?!

- where did you sit? on the curb, or did you bring cushy lawn chairs?

- was it busy? were people lined up down the street?

*****

#2: Canada Day (or your choice of national holiday!)

Our neighbours to the south celebrate their Independence Day on the 4th of July, but us Canucks celebrate our "birthday" on the first!

Photo Ops: - the best activity of the day (the worst...)

- all the food eaten!

- the family or friends you spent time with

- Fireworks!!!!

- find some colours together that remind you of the day, and take a photo of the grouping (flowers, flag, a t-shirt, decorations)

Journaling Prompts: -where did you go? did you stay at home or find a public event?

- who did you celebrate with? was it just you and the dog? or was the whole family there?

- what was the best part of the day? the worst?

- what was the weather like? did it rain, or was there not a cloud in the sky?

You don't have to use all the photos on one layout...maybe consider a double page spread. Tell the story of your day! I like the juxtaposition of Lucas with the little trucks and the big truck! And this picture of Russ and Lucas is too cute not to include.

NOTE: Try and get a picture of yourself at least once this summer, even if you have to resort to an arm's length self-portrait. As you can see, I didn't get any pictures of myself on Canada Day! Let's see if I can fix this before the Technique is up...

*****

Check back during the week for a couple more layouts with some fun summer topics that you might not think of while scrapbooking! I'm hoping to get some layouts from the rest of the team up by the end of the week as well, so keep your eyes on the blog.

Happy Creating!

Technical Difficulties...

2010-07-03T14:16:00.000-06:00

have prevented me from posting the technique. I'm looking to Sunday night, at the earliest, before it is up!

Thanks for your patience.

More with lots of photos...

2010-06-29T16:19:00.027-06:00

This is the last one...I promise!!

Another great way to include a lot of photos on one layout without being overwhelming is to lay them out in a grid pattern. This works the best if all your photos are the same orientation (portrait vs. landscape), but it can be done with a mixed batch. It just might take you longer to figure out where everything is going to go!!

This method also offers you a variety of options to embellish and journal on your layout. For example, you could leave a blank space on your grid and add all your embellishments and/or journaling there. Or you could embellish and/or journal in the centre of the grid to really offer your readers a great focal point!

For the layout I chose to set one photo sort of outside the grid as my focal picture. Then I made sure all my embellishments were directing the eye toward that photo!

The title and journaling are set outside the grid as well, but still compliment the balance of the layout. When using a grid pattern for laying out your photos, try and include a circular or swirly element to break up the rigidity of the square. I used a Hambly rub on frame with a nice flourish to do just that!

For another example of using a flourish to break up a grid pattern check out this post from Ginger (a follower and frequent commenter here!). She only used one large photo, but the background paper is laid out in a fabulous grid. She used a Riff Raff chipboard flourish, some circles, and a great Hambly transparent frame to bring some movement to the page! What fun!!

Well, that's it for the Lots of Photos posts...for now! I might revisit this topic in the future. From a lot of the questions I get at Crops from customers, as it seems to me that most people have problems with this exact idea...trying to incorporate lots of photos on one layout. I hope that these posts at least get you thinking about new ways to accomplish this difficult feat! HA!

See you back here on Friday for a brand new topic...yippee!

More with lots of photos...

2010-06-25T16:16:00.000-06:00

Alrighty...here is another layout using 3 photos. And this might be of more help to most of you out there...I used 4x6 photos that I cropped down to fit on my tiny little 8.5x11 layout.

This photos are a typical example of a great moment with a bad shot. Check out all that empty space in between me and Sam. And the messy counter top is in some of the photos as well, distracting from the rest of the frame. But I am a firm believer in scrapbooking the photos that mean something, even if they aren't necessarily the best shots! There is always some tweaking you can do to make them work on your layout.

I made sure to trim most of the distracting elements off of the sides of the photos. Then I distressed the edges to make them white and hopefully stand out more against each other. I don't like matting my photos, but you could do that here, in a neutral colour.

I kept my embellishment simple and limited to the space above and below the photo cluster. A couple of well-placed, theme friendly, and similarly coloured embellishments really help set off the photos and continue with the theme and feel of the layout. I am also not using a patterned background, or lots of pattern anywhere on the layout. These photos were already so "busy" I didn't want to introduce too many more textures and patterns to distract.

A great way to "fix" the dead space within a photo (as opposed to on the edges) is by embellishing or journaling in that space. I chose to start my title on the lower left photo there to fill in the space between Sam and I. Writing my title on white cardstock and cutting out each word really helps it stand out against the photos, and reminds me a little of how a comic book illustrator would approach a conversation!

I hope this post helps those of you out there dealing with larger photos. This kind of bundling or grouping of your images in one large block on your layout really helps when scrapbooking lots of photos. It makes everything a more unified whole, and allows for some simple embellishing and journaling without overwhelming the page by having elements spread out all over the place!

stop by next week for yet another layout, this time using five photos!

until then, happy creating!

More with lots of photos...

2010-06-22T21:52:00.000-06:00

Here is the second post, as promised, with some tips on cropping photos and another layout using 3+ photos.

I'm still using the pictures that I printed for the last post. The ones below were in desperate need of some cropping: lots of dead space, feet, floors, and ceilings...you can tell my husband snapped these guys!!

I wanted to crop them down, but I also want them to remain the same size (as each other) and I don't want to make them too tiny!

My recommendation when cropping a bunch of photos to use on the same layout, is to use a square punch in the appropriate size for your photos. Paper trimmers work just as well to cut, but I really love the uniformity of a punch...but this time I'm just going to use my scissors 'cause I'm impatient and don't want to wait to get my hands on the right size of punch!!

My tip when trimming down photos is to always cut off less than you think you want. Remember, that you can always cut more off, but you can't add it back once it's cut! Once you make your first cut, if you want to trim more go for it, but do a little bit at a time so you don't over do it!!

In photos of people I always like to leave a little bit of space between arms or shoulders, and the edge of the photo. The same goes with heads. Feet and legs are always expendable.

For these photos, I cropped them down, but also used the "technique" covered in my first post on this topic: I used the dead space to overlap them so they create a nice bundle of photos.

I kept the embellishments clustered at the top and bottom of the photo bundle to keep a nice cohesive look.

You can still use fun embellishments, but try to keep to a specific colour, or a couple of complimentary colours so the page isn't overwhelming. I'm using mostly purple and green, with some bright pink thrown in as an accent.

And remember that even if you only use a couple of embellishments, they can still make a big impact if you make use of texture. For example, I used a super shiny ampersand, meshy green ribbon, and a semi-embossed heart to add a little texture while keeping with my colour theme.

You may find that with all these photos you lose some space to include a title or journaling. My advice to you is to make use of the vertical spaces as well. I stuck my title along the vertical edge of my photos, using some tiny sticker letters.

Try writing your journaling all along the edges of your photos, making a little text border! This not only saves space, but looks absolutely fabulous!!

I'm moving to my "summer schedule", and only posting a new topic every two weeks. But you will still get to see lots of examples, as I plan on posting them throughout the two weeks in between new topics! yay! That means that I will be back at the end of the week with some more layouts and tips for using lots of photos on your layouts.

In the next two months I plan on covering a whole bunch of new topics, and getting the rest of the TM team involved! Check back for lots of summer inspiration and some freebies!

happy creating!

p.s. don't forget about our Flickr site! It's free and easy to sign up for an account, and the perfect way to share your photos and layouts with all of us! I really want to see what y'all are up to.

Photos, and lots of 'em

2010-06-18T19:41:00.002-06:00

Now I know that a lot of us like to feature one or two photos on a layout, and leave the rest either in a simple photo album, or on the computer!!

And then there are those scrapbookers that like to cram as many photos on a layout as is humanly possible! Thankfully, there are room for both types of scrappers in this world! I fall into both categories...the photos "tell me" which look works best for them.

I print all of my own pictures at home and I have found that Windows wallet sized photos are the perfect size for me and my 8.5x11 ways. This post is going to show you not only how to get these photos printed and cropped for yourself, but I'm also going to do up a couple of layouts using 3+ photos! Wowee!

You will need:
- photos, lots of photos

Note: All of the photos of the step-by-step process are "screen shots" that I did with my camera, because real screen shots never ever work for me! Therefore, they are a little bit grainy, but they get the point across!

Step One...on your computer: I'm using the latest version of Windows, but I find that the last one works pretty much the same as well. I like to have all of the photos I want to print in the same folder. Make yourself a temporary photo labelled "to print" or something genius like that, and copy and paste the photos you want to print during this session. Then after you have printed them, you can just delete the folder, instead of having to find out where the photos came from originally and move them back.

Step two: Select all the photos you want to print, either by right clicking and selecting Select All, or by using the keyboard shortcut (CTRL+A). I love keyboard short cuts...I taught my boss CTRL+C the other day and she was very excited to start copying things!! If you don't want to use all of the photos in this folder, select only the ones you want by holding CTRL, then selecting each photo you want.

Step Three: Once you have all the photos selected, right click and select Print. This will bring you to a new screen.

(Note: If you want different sizes you will have to print those photos separately. Go back one step and select only the photos you want to be wallet sized).

Step Four: Select the photo size you want by scrolling down until you find the wallet option, and click on it. This should change the display of the photos. This is helpful as it shows you exactly how the photos are going to print. If the displayed image is black and white, you need to change your printer settings to print colour. If you want to print doubles (or triples) of each photo you can do that here.

Make sure to check the other settings at the top, including your paper settings.

Once you have all the settings as you want them, and you've doubled checked that there is paper in your printer and in the right tray, select print. The next screen shows you "preparing to print" and then your photos should just print!!

Wallet size photos are about 2.5" x 3.25". I find this to be the perfect size to fit a bunch of them on one layout, even an 8.5x11 layout. If you don't have the ability to print your photos at home, these layouts be adapted to fit cropped photos. I'll give you some tips on that down the line!!

here is the printed sheet:

Now you can cut out all of the pictures and get ready to use them on a layout or two. Here's the first layout I made using four of the photos I printed on the big sheet.

You can see that most of these photos have "dead space" that can easily be covered by another photo or design element without losing any of the good bits.

Take advantage of these dead corners and edges when creating a layout using multiple photos. They allow you to overlap photos and design elements and really make the most out of the space you have available.

I finished the layout with some purple spray ink (Ranger), ribbon and lace (Jilly Bean, Amer Crafts maybe, Prima) and a fabby flower I received in the mail from a supplies swap. I added a hand made metal flower to the centre, as well as some butterflies (punched from old dictionary pages with my handy Martha punch).

Keep in mind that you don't have to fill your layouts with photos and embellishments. Sometimes a little white space is good for the brain. Correction, a little white space is always good for the brain. The purple spray ink creates some texture and interest in the white space, but for the most part the design elements are limited to the right side of the page. Your eye is easily drawn up and down the layout to take everything in, with the photos taking centre stage.

*****
Give me a couple of days to get my act together and I will be back with another layout, as well as some tips on cropping photos, especially for those of you who can't print these little guys at home.

thanks for stopping by...

*****
Some tech bits...
I am using a Canon printer. It's a couple of years old now, but it still does the job. I change the type of paper I use every time I buy a new box. I prefer matte photos, and I never buy the biggest box I can find in case I really hate the paper. Right now I am using Canon brand matte photo paper. It's pretty awesome.

More Painting with Re-Inkers

2010-06-11T11:57:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is the finished layout from the little blurb I did this week, as well as another page I am almost finished with...it's just missing the pictures!!

On this next one I used the same colour ink, but it is much lighter. This batch of ink-water mixture had more water than the one I used with the layouts above.

Another tip for using up those numbers that come with your letter stickers. Instead of "writing" a traditional date - May 26th, 2010 for example - write the date in numbers like on my "Auntie" layout! It looks super cool, takes up less space than the traditional way, and uses up a couple of numbers. As long as you remember which comes first: the month or the day!!

More to come next week, as inspired by Michelle's great tutorial!

Painting with Distress Re-Inkers

2010-06-09T22:04:00.001-06:00

This is a super neat-o technique to add a little (or a lot) of ink to the edges of your layouts. I first got the idea when reading Michelle's blog...she is a uber-talented lady with plenty of amazing ideas to take notice of! But one of them really struck a chord with me: her Walnut ink tutorials! I thought...wow...now if only I had some walnut ink. But wait, I have ink, and water, and paintbrushes, so let's see if I can make this work.

You will need:
- liquid ink...I like the Ranger Re-inkers because the ink starts out really thick, and doesn't lose it's colour intensity when watered down, and it comes in a variety of awesome colours!!
- a cup with a little bit of water in it...I am using an old plastic cup that would otherwise have made it into the recycle bin...if you use a container with a lid you can seal it up, store it, and use it again!
- paintbrush...a square/flat head makes for a nice "pattern" and good control along the edges
- pattern paper, cardstock, etc.
- paper towel

Before you start, remember to protect your clothes and work surface...just in case!

Step One: Mix ink with water. You want the colour to stay bright, so you don't need much water at all.

Step Two: Dip your brush in the ink-water mixture and brush it along the edges of your paper. How far in you brush the ink is up to you. Brush on one coat, then leave it to dry. This coat may look really light as it dries. And some papers don't accept the ink as readily as others. Let it dry, and add another coat! (see Step Four).

Step Three Optional: You can drop some ink, or splatter it on the paper for a little extra interest!

Step Four: Once the first coat along the edges has dried, you can go back over top of it with more ink to make it a little darker. Try varying the amount of ink you add on the second (or third, or fourth coats) and let the first coat extending farther into your layout and the darkest and final coat on the very edge.

Michelle's layouts look a bit different from mine, as she is using actual walnut ink, and I'm just using a simple re-inker. If you want your layouts to "match" her technique more, but don't have access to walnut ink, try adding more layers of ink, letting each layer dry fully in between.

Michelle also has some fabulous tutorials on dyeing chipboard, painting it directly on your background as a "pattern", and dyeing your photos!! Be sure you check them all out!

I'll post the finished layout here on Friday...until then, Happy Creating!

And check back next week for more examples of painting with ink, including:
- painting with Glimmer Mist
- using multiple colours on one page
- getting the same effect with watercolour pencils

More "Make a Kit" PLUS a Sneak Peek

2010-06-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple more layouts I made using the kit from the original post. And I still have a bunch of supplies left over to make some more layouts, if I so choose. But I think I did pretty good with this one. If you have created some layouts using a homemade kit, post them on Flickr or link them here!

The first two I built on a paper bag that I cut down to size. Just one more reason to hold onto those TM bags!

These next two are art journal layouts...lots of layering, doodles, etc. Cutting out images from magazines is a great way to add another layout to your collage if you're not great at drawing. I also used some fun masks and Glimmer Mist to created the messy backgrounds.

And here are some I posted earlier, but now they have journaling and photos! Yay!

*****

And here is the technique I'm working on this week...it's a fun way to use those Ranger re-inkers you might have kicking around. Now if only I could find my walnut stain...

Check back Friday for the full post.

Until then...happy creating!

Make Your Own Kit - Another Go...

2010-06-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

here is a "Year in the Life" I made for my sister for her new little baby! One layout per month, plus an extra for his first birthday. I pulled together a whole pile of turquoise pattern papers, and all the turquoise brads, bling and buttons I could find! To accent each page I used dark brown embellishments, so I pulled together anything that was the right colour, and relevant to the theme. Last but not least, I'm using Riff Raff chipboard shapes as well, all of them painted dark brown and varnished, or sprayed with turquoise blue Glimmer Mist.

Check it out...

I kept every page very simple, using only a few patterns, and very minimal embellishments. I also made sure it would be super easy for her to finish the layouts once she had the photos. I drew a line around a 4x6 sheet of paper on the layout where the photo will go so all she has to do is glue it down!

Join me tomorrow for a couple more layouts from my original kit, as well as a sneak peek at what I have planned for his Friday!

later...

Make Your Own Kit

2010-05-28T19:05:00.000-06:00

This week I want to show you one of my favourite "techniques" for using up some things in my stash: building your own kit from your own supplies! I know! It's crazy!!

Kits are all the rage nowadays. There are websites, online stores, and blogs dedicated to scrapbooking kits. And you all should know about the totally awesome kits that the lovely ladies at Treasured Memories put together every month.

The great things about kits is that they are full of great papers and matching embellishments ready to go! Everything matches, is the same theme or colour scheme, and you might get to try out some product that you wouldn't normally buy.

This would also be a great way to start a mini album, or travel album, or something along those lines. A whole bunch of matching papers, and you pick the embellishments so you can tailor it to whatever theme you want!

Step One: Pull your patter paper, 8 to 10 sheets should be good. And they don't even need to be complete sheets. Scraps will do just as well! I like to grab one pattern that I really love to start. Then I start grabbing other patterns that are similar colours. It's good to have a variety of patterns (not all stripes or dots, as an example). I would leave the solids out of your kit. You can always add them in as you go.

Once you have a good selection of paper, look through them again and make sure you like them all together. If there is one or two that just doesn't mesh well with the others, pull them from the pile and replace them. I love this exercise, as it gives me a chance to go through all my old stuff and rediscover things I forgot I owned! And if you limit yourself to these papers when you're creating your layouts, you might just use them up and free up some room in your stash!

Step Two: Now you can pull your embellishments. There really aren't any rules to this one. Choose embellishments from your stash that you really like, and mix in some that you haven't looked at in awhile! Make sure to include some "basics", like brads or buttons, or flowers. Think of the type of embellishment you love to use, your "go-to" embellishment, and make sure to include those. We want this to be a challenge, and we want to use up some stuff in our stash, but we still want this to be fun!

I really like brads, felt, arrows, bling. So I made sure I included a little bit of each of those things in my "kit". But I also wanted to make this a challenge, so I put in an old Scenic Route chipboard circle! We'll see where that one ends up.

Keep in mind that you don't want to overwhelm yourself. If you have too many things to choose from, you'll end up spending more time thinking about creating, than actually creating anything! Limit yourself to choosing two to three embellishments per pattern paper that you picked. That makes 16 to 30 bits...and that may seem like a lot, but 30 little brads don't look like much!

And don't forget to grab a pack or two of letter stickers. Simple black, white or brown will work with most colour themes. And if you pick a couple of different fonts in the same colour, you can mix and match if you run out of letters.

Step Three: Don't forget about all those other "embellishments" out there, in the form of stamps, ink, masks, punches, die cuts, etc. Keep these in mind when you start creating your layouts. If you don't have "the right" embellishment, make your own! These extras can really enhance your layouts, and stretch your supplies.

So far I have created four art journal layouts from the kit I made. And I have a couple more drying upstairs as we speak. I totally sense a colour theme moving through my work as of late...I am in love with the colours teal, red and orange together! Love them! I hadn't originally thought my kit would look like this, but I just grabbed some papers and went with it...and ended up with this!

I haven't added my journaling yet...I figured it might be too personal to share here.

You'll notice all the inks I used on the backgrounds to make things "pop" a little more. I also relied heavily on my Martha Stewart butterfly punch!

My other tip for you today is to make your own embellishments if what you got isn't working for you! I bought some 8.5 x 11 sticker label sheets a while back, and using my Sakura Glaze pens I've been busy doodling frames and labels all over them in every colour.

Check back here later this weekend and into next week for some more layouts I made with my kit, as well as a full list of all the papers and embellishments I used. I really love this method of scrapbooking...I always get so many layouts completed in a short amount of time.

later

A Sneak Peek!!

2010-05-26T22:06:00.000-06:00

Here's a little sneak peek at the "Trend and Technique" post coming on Friday.

I'll be showing you a fun way to use up some of those papers and embellishments from your stash! Won't you join me?

Inspired By...the Ace Hotel

2010-05-21T22:55:00.002-06:00

This is the hotel of my dreams. I want to stay in every room and soak it all in.

This week I am creating layouts inspired by the amazing, original, vintage, bare bones style of the Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon

Check out these shots...

What we're looking at...
- lots of colour blocking
- lots of neutrals, lots of white space!
- vintage book pages
- black and white illustrations, stencils
- chrome and wood accents
- grey, olive green, white colour combo
- vintage metal furniture, desks, etc.
- wool, canvas, natural textures
- simple typography
- deer
- band posters
- "pure rock and roll bohemia"

And here's what I made with that...

Layout #1: the "fam"

Inspired by what I assume is their favourite colour scheme: grey, white, and green...with a little black thrown in for good measure!

*****

Layout #2: Laura

I loved that all the rooms were painted a creamy white, but had bursts of colour or texture. This translates very well to a scrapbook layout. I used a white Hambly transparency in a lacy pattern layered over top of my white cardstock to create more texture.

*****

Layout #3: Being Momma

this one is inspired by the room with the vintage book pages as wallpaper. And all the wood and chrome accents I kept seeing.

Layout #4: to the bride

I love the room with what looked like concert posters plastered all over the one wall! Talk about fun wallpaper! So I took the vibrant colours of the posters and matched it with the black and white illustrations and stencils (like that cat!! wow!) that made the white walls so vibrant in their own way. The background of this layout is all me...doodles and more doodles! I incorporated the bride's name, the word love and the word fondue into the background.

that's all...for now...
this was a super inspiring trip for me, so I might be back with more before the week is out!
until then...

I'm challenging you to come up with your own layout(s) inspired by the Ace Hotel...post them to our Flickr page for the world to see!!

Thanks for playing along, and happy creating...

Unexplained Absence

2010-05-19T17:29:00.001-06:00

Sorry people...life got the best of me last week. So I've been MIA from the blogging-world.

~~This Friday I have a fun "Make Your Own Background" technique using~~ ~~letters~~~~...at least that's the plan in my head!!~~
Scratch that...I already did that one! Oops! Guess it's back to the drawing board.

See you then!

Featuring...

2010-05-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

the New Basic Grey line...called Basics.

This line is all white, and black, and ivory, and brown, with a splash of red. Perfect to use on any layout, because chances are it's going to match! There are mini paper packs (sold out at TM), letter stickers, label stickers, and border stickers in three different colour schemes: white, cream and brown. And lots of fabulous neutral papers with great patterns: grids, ledger, circles, etc. We actually sold out of a bunch of this stuff right away, so maybe I'm too late with this post! But it will serve to show that you can do a layout built entirely on a neutral colour scheme! Click here for a picture the gals took at the store when the stock came in.

And I'm going to give you a little bonus Technique to show you how to dress up plain white sticker letters! Yay!

These are the supplies I grabbed from the Basics line to complete my layout...and the photo is flipped...go figure!

For the bonus Technique you will need:
- White sticker letters that are not glossy (if you are using ones with a shiny surface, you will need to use different ink)
- Red stamping ink (I am using Distress "Fired Brick")
- A text stamp (mine is from Hero Arts)

Step One: Pull the letters of your title off the sheet and put them on a non-stick surface. I am using clear packaging from another pack of stickers. This is not a non-stick surface, but it was the closest to my hands at the time! A plastic cutting board or one of those fancy craft mats by Ranger or Tattered Angels would probably work great.

Step Two: Ink your stamp. I'm using red ink because it matches my layout and the other Basic Grey stickers I'm using. But choose whatever colour floats your boat! Then stamp it across all your letters. If you missed a spot in the first stamp, just stamp again.

Step Three: Let the ink dry a little bit before pulling your letters up. You don't want to smudge it!

If the letters stuck to your "non-stick" sheet (mine sure as heck did!) just grab some adhesive to get them sticky again. My fave for this is Tombo Mono Dots (permanent and refillable).

Step Four: Stick your letters down on the layout, and continue embellishing with the Basics line until you're satisfied!

I used a whack-load of the label stickers to form a vertical line on my layout. This completes the "corner" I started with the border stickers along the bottom of the photos, with the cluster to the left being the "elbow" in the corner. Did that make sense??

And now I have lots of space to add my journaling - on the labels - without having one large journaling block that might overwhelm the space.

here's the entire layout...

I hope you enjoyed the Technique and Feature this week! This stuff from Basic Grey is super fun and you should pick up a sheet of label stickers at least, before they're gone!!

Remember to post to our Flickr Group any of your layouts using Techniques or Features you saw here. I love seeing your work!

More with letter stickers...

2010-05-01T09:58:00.000-06:00

Today I am going to show you how to use up a whole page full of leftover sticker letters to create the background on which you can build your layout.

You will need:
- a large sheet of old sticker letters...make sure it's one you can't see using again any time soon!
- your trimmer
- any other embellishments you might want to use

Step One: Trim down the sheet of sticker letters to your page size. The large sheets are just about 12x12, but not quite. As I am an 8.5x11 scrapbooker, I trimmed a lot off of my sheet. This works for any size scrapbooker...just make sure you start off with a large enough sheet of stickers and cut it down to the size that works for you. How fun would this be in a mini album!?!?

NOTE: When making your cuts, remember that this is only the background,! And it doesn't have to be perfect! You might end up cutting through some letters. If you really want to keep those ones, peel them off and set them aside before cutting through them.

I saved the "C", "G", and "L" that you see here. I also ended up taking off both "K"s because the photos ended up covering them.

This is how my sheet of sticker letters looked after I cut it down to size! I love it already!

Now you can go ahead and add your photos and embellishments. Keep in mind that your photos might "disappear" on this busy background. Try and "frame" them with paper or embellishments so they stand apart from the background.

My finished layout...as you can kind of see in the photo, I "framed" my pictures with a hidden journaling card, a border cut from Sassafras paper and the word balloons and robot from Bam Pop. You don't always have to matte your photos.

Here is a little "bonus tip" for you! For me, this event was more about being there than getting fabulous photos! That being said, there were a couple hundred people in between me and Nimoy, so most of my pictures have other heads and arms (and cameras!) in them. I used my title and the little parachuting robot to cover those spots on my photos instead of trying to crop them out and potentially losing other areas of the pictures and making them really wonky sizes!

P.S. Sorry my photos are all washed out...I had the camera on the wrong setting!!

later peeps...I'm going to see about getting some more examples for you! Until then...if you create anything that's inspired by what you've seen here today, please upload to our Flickr site!

Letters as Background

2010-04-30T10:28:00.000-06:00

This week I was inspired by my friend Ginger who created a super rad layout, inspired by a class she is taking. And I loved her layout so much, I am using it as a starting point for my technique this week. Isn't it awesome!!!

I am going to show you a couple of ways to use letter stickers to create a fab background on your layout.

You will need:
- plain coloured cardstock
- a bunch of leftover sticker letters in matching colours
- a pencil and eraser

Step One: Grab your letters. I picked these old Doodlebug ones because I have a bunch left in the same turquoise colour. Pick ones that you haven't used in awhile and can't see using again anytime soon. Pick ones with no "good" letters left on them.

Step Two: Lay out your photos where you'll want them. Mark the edges with a pencil. We're doing this so we have a guide to help us place our sticker letters. There's no point in covering the entire background with sticker letters if some of them will be hidden as soon as you put the photos down.

Step Three: Pull your photos off and start applying your sticker letters. You can throw in some real words that relate to your layout, but for the most part just apply random letters and symbols.

If you really want your special words to stand out, use a different font in the same colour or the same font in a different colour.

I applied my sticker letters in a very random pattern, but I wanted there to be a vertical element to the layout. My letters kind of look like they are in a column.

Step Four: Put your photos back on and make sure you have enough of your background covered with sticker letters. If you're satisfied, go ahead and stick your photos down.

Embellish, add some journaling...

Check back later this weekend for another layout using sticker letters to create the background. And some Road Trip pics too! I'm so excited!!

later skater alligator

P.S. Happy National Scrapbook Day...maybe I'll see you at the store tomorrow!!

Oops!

2010-04-25T11:27:00.000-06:00

I was supposed to do up a little In Absentia post for last week. We went on a last minute road trip Friday and Saturday, so I didn't do up a Technique post! We'll see what happens today...road trip means I have a bunch of photos to scrapbook, so maybe a Technique will present itself while I'm working! Until then...

More "Make Your Own Flowers"

2010-04-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

I put the call out to my TM friends for layouts with homemade flowers, and boy howdy did I ever get a great response! Here is a random sampling from some of the other talent behind TM. Enjoy!

Nadine. She's the brains and beauty behind "Delite Design" and she teaches a whackload of amazing classes in-store. Add to that all the fact she is currently growing a baby and you have one busy lady! Check out one of her many blogs for beautiful layouts, and loads of inspiration!

Kirsten. She just got married in Jamaica...the pictures are enough to make you want to pack your bags and leave tomorrow! Check out her blog for some amazing engagement photos!

Many of you probably already know Anam, because that's the way she rolls! She makes lots of her own flowers...this is only a small sampling of all the layouts she sent me! We've got ribbon flowers, handmade paper, plastic and metal...Anam rocks the flower! Big time!

I hope you enjoyed this little extra to our Technique last week! Any suggestions for this week? I'll take em!

later skater alligator

Technique of the Week - Make your own flowers

2010-04-16T15:31:00.000-06:00

This week I am doing a little demo on making your own flowers out of paper and fabric and tissue paper. It's pretty self explanatory.

The first two demos I made I used my new Big Shot and nesting flowers die cut. The simplest way to use these is just to cut a bunch using different pattern papers and then attach them directly to your layout. To make them stand out a little, trace the edges with a black pen, and add some jewels to the centres.

The Big Shot works great on fabric, so I made a bunch of fabric flowers and stacked them together. Secure them to the page with a brad, and you're done. You could change it up a little by using different patterns stacked together.

And now for a full how-to. With some tissue paper.

You will need:
- many layers of tissue paper
- scissors, pen
- needle, thread, button

Step One: Lay your individual sheets of tissue paper on top of each other. I have three layers. Draw three circles on the top layer. The less perfect, the better!

Step Two: Keeping the layers together, cut out your circles. Remember they don't have to be perfect.

Step Three: Take the largest flower, separate the layers, then crumple each layer separately. Do this for all three sizes of circle.

Step Four: Put the layers back together. Then put the three circles together, smallest on the top. You can turn each layer a little bit, so the circles aren't put back together perfectly. It makes the flower look more like a flower.

Step Five: Thread a needle and pick a button that you like.

Step Six: Come up through the back with the thread, and through the button. Stitch it on nice and tight.

Tie the thread off on the back, and tape it down so it stays put.

And there you have it!

You could also try:
- spritzing some of the layers the some glimmer mist
- ink or paint the edges for more definition
- make a bunch in different sizes, for a little paper bouquet

Thanks for playing along...and thanks to Ginger for posting a layout to our Flickr account. Check it out...and then post one of yours!!

Jazz Up a Rub On

2010-04-09T14:23:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! I was working so hard on my Friday DIY for my personal blog, that I forgot to work on my Trends and Technique post for today! HA!

So I am posting it here as well as there! Enjoy...and I'll be back with another real post next week!

You will need:

- rub ons

- alcohol ink

- blender tool and felt pads

- transparency

Step One: Cut out the rub on you want to use.

Step Two: Rub it on to the transparency. I like to use the remnants of Hambly sheets, instead of buying new ones.

Now you have a nice rub on, on a clear background.

Step Three: Cut out your rub on. It doesn't have to be exact, but make sure it looks clean because the edge will really stand out once you colour it.

Step Four: Now flip the rub on over so it's facing down, and pull out your alcohol ink and applicator.

Step Five: Apply some alcohol ink to the felt pad on your ink applicator.

Step Six: Apply the ink to the back to the transparency.

Smudge it around until the entire shape is covered.

I really like how the orange-yellow alcohol ink looks against the bright teal of the rub on! Eek!

Let it dry...it should only take a second or two. Then position it on your layout. You can glue it down with pretty much anything, except for a white paper adhesive...then you will see the adhesive show through the transparency.

And then build your layout! You could make a whole bunch of these to place around your layout. Or layer them to make a fun 3D flower.

Here is my finished layout:

Welcome! Welcome!

2010-04-04T14:08:00.000-06:00

To our new Home! I've done a lot of work these past four weeks, and I hope you enjoy it here as much as I have! If you were a follower, you will need to re-follow this blog. And if you weren't a follower, now is as good a time as any to sign up!

This Blog has some great new features that the last one didn't:
#1. There are "buttons" along the right side that are categorized based on the different kinds of techniques we show here. If you click on one, you will be whisked away to another post that lists all the previous techniques in that category. And then you can jump to those posts from there! It's very slick! You don't have to scroll back through all the old posts to find the one you want. And if an embellishment technique happens to use "wet media" it will appear in both lists! Genius, I know!!

#2. A button that you can add to your own blog to show your love! And make it easier to get back here later! Just copy the code in the scroll box below the button, then paste the content as a page element on your own blog.

#3. Our very own, dedicated Flickr Group! How Exciting! Add photos of layouts or projects that this Blog has inspired you to create.

#4. Some external links that offer other great techniques and projects ideas. I'm not the only genius out there!

#5. I'm planning on doing some features from some of the other girls on our DT and I'm also planning on getting some technique advice from our loyal readers! Which might mean some swag coming your way! Woo Hoo!

I'm going to keep this post at the top for the next week, so scroll down a wee bit for the first Technique on the new Blog!

later skater alligator

Spray Inks

2010-04-02T15:14:00.000-06:00

There are bunches and bunches of spray inks out there right now...but I am only going to do a little demo using the ones TM carries, because those are the ones I can get my hands on!

And they are:

Maya Road

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

Ranger Colour Wash

I did a couple of spray tests (on white cardstock and raw chipboard), and I must say that I don't really have a favourite. They all have their pros and cons...which I will detail for you now!

Note: I tried to use colours that were similar to each other, but with the Maya Mist I had no idea of the colour until I sprayed it, so it's a little bit less limey of a green than the others.

The White Cardstock Test:

The Maya Mist dried almost immediately, so it didn't leave behind a puddle like the other two. There were some larger spots, but I think that was because it was the first spray from the bottle. The colour seemed a little dull on the white.

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist was a great colour, but took the longest to dry. Because of the amount I sprayed, there was a large pool, the edges of which left a line when it dried. This could be fixed if you used a brayer or something similar to spread the liquid around.

Ranger Colour Wash had the most vibrant colour, which then darkened as it dried. Remember that with Colour Wash you have to heat set it. The others you don't.

The Raw Chipboard Test

I used some Maya Road chipboard, which is a light grey colour.

Maya Road mist. The colour seemed nicer on the chipboard than the paper.

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. You could really see the shimmer. The green wasn't as vibrant as on the paper, but it still looks nice!

Colour Wash. This was the nicest green by far.

The Bonus Technique...Hoorah!

I had it in my head a couple of months ago to make plaid paper using spray inks! And so I tried it this week and it worked so great!

You will need:

- Solid cardstock in a light colour

- three colours of spray ink (you can use more, but three is a good starting point)

- something to mask off your page, like super low-tack painter's tape, chipboard or cardstock

Step One: Mask off the biggest stripes, in the lightest colour. In my example it's Yellow Daisy Glimmer Mist. I'm just using sheets of cardstock to mask off each stripe individually, which makes for really uneven, and unevenly spaced stripes.

Start at one side of the paper and work your way across.

Step Two: Do the same going the other direction on the page.

Now you have the base plaid pattern.

Step Three: Pick the next darker colour (mine is Sunflower, which is like a dark orangey-yellow)

Start along one side, positioning your mask to the left of the yellow you just did. Every stripe you do now should be on the left of the original colour (or right, depending on which you prefer).

Using the same method as with the first colour, keep moving your mask across the paper until you have your stripes all across, in both directions.

Step Whatever: Now for your special accent colour! I went with a nice bright red to brighten things up (Starburst, or Starfish I think). This is going to be a much narrower stripe, so adjust your masks accordingly.

I positioned this stripe in between the other two colours. And continued it across the page.

The finished layout:

The great thing about this technique, is that you can make the plaid whatever colours you like! Just adjust the spray ink accordingly!

And I hope everyone is having as great a long weekend as mine is shaping up to be! See you next week!

Fasteners

2010-03-31T16:45:00.003-06:00

So I lied earlier...this isn't a terribly exciting Techneek for you...it's more of a tip, a piece of advice, something new to try. It is part inspired by the layouts I'm doing right now for an upcoming kit (shhh...don't tell Juli I posted them!!), part inspired by the fact that I totally ran out of Dot N Roller today, and part inspired by the hat I made to wear to my girlfriend's wedding last weekend which is called a "fastenator." (sp?)

This Techneek is all about using things other than standard adhesive to stick your photos and embellies onto your layout!

OOH AAH!!

#1: Use staples

This is a simple one. I often use a stapler to attach ribbon to my layouts, as it is easier and quicker and less messy than using liquid adhesive or glue dots. But staples also work for attaching felt shapes, fabric, flowers, paper and even your photos.

In this next picture I even did a little line of staples down from my photo to mimic the vertical lines I had created with the ribbons beside. So staples can even be used as a decorative element! I have coloured staples in my stash that fit in my mini-stapler when I'm in the mood to add some more colour!

In this picture you can also get a glimpse of my next Fastener Tip...

#2: Stitch it!!

This is a favourite of my main girls Anam and Juli...but they know how to use a sewing machine and boy do they use it!! Sewing machines and Lisa cannot co-exist, but I do know how to thread a needle! So I hand stitch on my layouts using brightly coloured embroidery floss! It is a simple and inexpensive way to add colour and texture to your layouts without pulling out your old Singer!

#3: Use paper clips

As far as I'm concerned, any office supply is fair game when it comes to scrapbooking, but I have these old school brass-looking paper clips that I love adding to layouts. Here I just used them along the edge to "attach" my Hambly transparency to the background, but they also look amazing with a ribbon tied through them, or holding a label or tag above a photo.

You can even buy fancy paper clips, like the KI Memories one pictured below! See...they are for scrapbooking too!

Raid the drawers in your home office and you'll find so many goodies that will work well on your layouts! I guarantee it!

#4: Use Brads

This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes you just need a helpful reminder of all the wonderful things that brads can do for you! The most obvious way to let a brad help you stick something down is by using it in the centre of a flower. But don't forget brads look great at the top of a tag, or at the end of some ribbon.

I don't have a layout handy that shows you this method of fastening, but I'm sure if you take a peek through some of your own albums, you'll find some!

And the full layouts:

I know this wasn't terribly exciting this week, but I hope it gives you some "food for thought" when it comes to thinking about your scrapbooking differently! Maybe you should just "lose" your adhesive next time you are creating and see what other fascinating ways you can discover!!

More with Journaling

2010-03-29T09:28:00.000-06:00

Hi Readers!

Our Beloved Leader Chantel sent me photos of a great layout to show you some hidden journaling in action! Check it out...and I'll be back Friday with a new post!

Chantel wrote her journaling on a little pink tag, tied it with ribbon and slipped it behind the pattern paper on her layout! Very clever!!

Titles and Journaling

2010-03-26T14:02:00.000-06:00

Hello! And welcome to the new Blog! I've decided to just start posting here as I work on getting all the posts moved over and the design tweaked a little more!

If you're just joining us here, check out the official welcome post and check out some of the links on the side bar! I'm still doing a little work on moving posts around, organizing links, and updating the look of the blog. But I figure I might as well start getting used to our new home.

This first official new blog technique post is all about choosing titles and including some basic journaling on your layouts. I hear it all the time...most scrapbookers leave the journaling until last, then never get around to actually doing any on the layout! It's important to include even a few details about the photos or the event on your layout...what happens in a couple of years when you can't remember anymore!?

And I also know from first hand experience working Late Night Crops at the store, that a lot of scrapbookers have a really hard time coming up with titles for their layouts, and then deciding where to put it on the layout! In this post I will give you some tips on coming up with fun titles, then do a little comparison to show you some options on placement!

Titles
Many of my scrapbooking girlfriends have commented on how good some of my titles are! Thanks! A lot of my inspiration comes not only from the feelings or memories I have of the event and photos, but also from pop culture references! I love using lyrics from songs, or quotes from movies and tv shows as my titles!

Here are a few of my older layouts with "great" titles!

"Train Master": Got this idea from Lucas.
"Bloom and Grow": from the song Eidelweiss.
"This is NOT the aquarium?": Reminds me of the funny story behind how we ended up at this building.

A couple of great places to get ideas for fun titles are:
- A- Z Lyrics is a great place to search a lot of song lyrics. Just type in a word, artist or song title and you'll get a lot of options.
- Any quote website. Type in the word or topic you want to look for, and you'll get lots of options. And there are specialized sites for movie quotes, famous quotes, funny quotes, etc.
- Just Google it! If you open up a search engine, and type in the event, location, or feeling you have into the search field you will be surprised at what you find! For example, the family and I just came back from a mini road trip to Drumheller, Alberta. So I "googled" Drumheller and found some great tourist sites, the Wikipedia entry and the official Tyrrell Museum site. There are a lot of great "sound bites" on these sites that I could use for title material. And while doing the demo layout below, I had the idea to use the title "water baby", but wanted to see what else I could include. So I "googled" it and found the book by Charles Kingsley, written in 1863, that I remember reading as a child. There was a lot of good material to go through there!
- As soon as kids learn how to speak, they never stop! If you have little ones at home, note down some of the hilarious things they say. This makes for great titles!

Now, on the subject of where to place your title, this can be difficult. I like to think of my title as just another embellishment. Or rather, as an element that should complement my photos and other embellishments.

Here is one layout with a couple of different title placements. Let's see which one we like best!
"Water Babies" - small title. This one uses smaller letters, but they get lost on the layout. They still compliment the grid of the photos, and the stripes created by the papers.

"Water Babies" - big title. This one is much better. The title really stands out, and is almost overwhelming. It compliments the design of the layout nicely, but makes the bottom of the layout "too heavy". You could balance this out with some journaling above the photos.

"In His Element" - I really like this one! Don't be afraid to use different sizes, colours, styles, or fonts for your title. It adds more visual interest and in this case keeps with the colourful feel of the rest of the layout. But it's not overwhelming the layout at all.

Which one is your favourite?

Which one do you think works the best on this layout?

I wonder how many more interpretations I could have created? Now I have to decide which one is the keeper!! They all have their merits. I think I will play around for a little more before I glue anything down.

I hope this gave you some ideas to try out! Now let's move on to journaling.

*****

Journaling
This is where so many scrapbookers have a hard time...many don't know how to even begin writing on their layouts. Here are a few tips for you, to make it a little easier next time!

#1. Jot down the "most important" details about the photo. Who, what, when, where, why. These are the bare minimums for journaling, and often the easiest to get out of the way!

#2. Rule of Three. This usually applies to elements on a layout, but I'm taking it to a new level here. Write down three feelings, three thoughts, three facts about the photo that aren't included in the point above. This could be what the weather was like, if someone just said something funny, if the photo was spontaneous or planned down to the last second. Writing down three things gives you a guide, while still being very broad so as not to close you in.

#3. Pretend you are telling your best friend about the photo. Write down what you would say, as you would say it.

#4. Why is this photo important for you to document? Is it a special event, or time in your life? Or was it just an everyday moment.

#5. If you don't know where your journaling should go on the layout, or didn't leave enough space for all the writing you want to accommodate, flip the layout over! I have many layouts that have no writing on the front, but a whole novel on the back! Not only does this take the pressure off having perfect penmanship, or having my words out there for the world to see, often you can fit a lot more details in! And if the back of your layout is a pattern, or a dark colour, write or type your journaling on a white sheet of paper and stick it on the back with adhesive.

*****

If you would like to learn more "Tips and Tricks" relating to journaling and titles, check out class #5 in my Beginners Series: "Journaling". I'm going to cover a lot of these tips in more detail, and let you put your new-found skills to work on three unique layouts! The class runs either May 6th or June 17th, from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Check the Classes Blog or call the store for more info!

And if you have been so inspired by this post to create something of your very own, post it in our new Flickr group! I would love to see your work, I'm sure the other readers would as well!

CUT OFF FOR NEW POSTS

2010-03-21T18:46:00.000-06:00

Anything below this post has been transferred over from the old blog. If you are looking for a technique to try, please use the buttons on the side bar to find them more easily.

thanks...and have fun!

Bonus Technique and Some New Stuff!

2010-03-20T12:18:00.000-06:00

We have been getting so many new and fun shipments recently! If you haven't been in your LSS lately, now is the time to go! The new CHA product is arriving daily, and there are some great lines to play with!

Today I am using some new KandCompany bling, paper and die cuts. I am not normally the biggest fan of KandCo. stuff, but this time around there are some amazing little do-dads. And there's a bonus little technique within the new stuff...we're making paper flowers!

First, a layout:

Here I am using some of the new Kand Co. die-cut titles. This cut out type of art is very popular in many online communities, so it's nice to see the scrapbooking world jump on the cart. I'm also using some of their new pearls, that come in a rainbow pack with rhinestones as well!

For about $5 you get four designs in two different colours (see below): white and shimmery

Keep in mind that these detailed cuts don't really carry the same effect on a busy pattern paper...

They look best on solid, as in the demo layout, or a subtle pattern, as you can see below.

You could also try:
- Using Glimmer Mist or stamping ink to colour the die cuts
- trace the image onto a solid colour, cut it out and then mount the solid colour on the back for a popped out look

******
And now onto our technique.

For the paper flowers you will need:
- pattern paper
- trimmer with cutting and scoring blades
- liquid glue & paper-to-paper adhesive

Step One: Take some pattern paper and cut a strip off. You will see below, that 2" is too wide! Might I recommend 1.5". And it doesn't have to be a 12" long strip...start with a 8"-9" strip for practice. Plus it takes way less time to do a shorter strip!

Step Two: With your scoring blade, score the pattern paper to make your folds. 4/8" is a great size! You will need to do this all along your paper. This is why I recommend starting a shorter strip (8"-9").

In the second photo you can see all of my score marks. Try not to rip through the paper. This will only cause you headaches later...trust me!

Step Three: Accordion fold all of your score marks.

Step Four: Now it gets to the fun part! HA! Gather all of your folds together. That is, squish up the strip of paper so it's nice and compressed. Put some paper-to-paper adhesive on the ends.

Step Five: I don't have pictures of the next step because I needed to use both hands! Place the compressed paper on your table and slowly fan it out, bringing the ends together in a circle. Stick the adhesive ends together and hold on!

NOTE: Remember how I said 2" was too wide? Well here's a shot of how that worked out!! You don't want your flower to be too wide, or else it just won't form a proper circle!

Here is what it's supposed to look like! It might take a little fineggling to get this thing to sit flat. And if you have any rips it will be a little bit more difficult!

Step Six: Turn the flower over, back side up, and put a whole dollop of liquid glue in the centre. Try and get it into all the folds if possible.

And put something heavy-ish on top while it dries.

This is less like a flower and more like a fun pinwheel! And if you call it a pinwheel, you can put it on a boy's layout just as well as a girl's!

Finish it off with some bling, buttons, pearls, whatever you like!

You could also try:

- sprinkling some glitter over top

- inking or sanding the top most edges for a more distressed look

- making a whole bouquet of these in matching colours and different sizes

- putting one on a canvas, picture frame, or headband

Happy Crafting...and I'll see you back here next week...sometime!!

Doodle Frames

2010-03-17T12:41:00.002-06:00

Here's a fun one for you to try! I make sure this frame is included in all of in my doodle classes! So I guess this is a little sneak preview for the next go around!

This may look complicated, but if you take it one step at a time and don't put too much pressure on yourself, it turns out great every time! I use this technique a lot, as it adds a bit of interest to my layout and never looks the same as the last one I did!

Step One: Draw your inside rectangle (or square). If I know I am going to put a certain size photo inside the frame, I make my rectangle the same size. And totally feel free to TRACE the shape at this stage Once you go over it in pen a couple of times it will look like you doodled it!
Step Two: You can add some interest to the inside shape if you want. I added a second line and some dark stripes.
Step Three: Draw your corners and middle first. This way you can just "connect the dots" with the rest of the outline of your frame. I always do three little bumps, but you can try doing just one bump or leave your corners square.

Step Four: Now, connect your corners and middles with a line. At this point, you can go back over your previous lines. The more lines you add on top of one another, the more "doodly" it looks! This also hides "mistakes" really well. But remember, doodles aren't meant to look perfect! So have fun, and don't worry about making everything symmetrical or the same size. It's supposed to be whimsical...that's the whole point!!

Step Five: Fill in your frame. I usually just do swirls or squiggles, and I really fill it in!! But you can leave it a little emptier if you like. Start with just a few lines, then add more as you go until you get the look you want. You can always add more lines, but you can't take them away! If you're hesitant about jumping in feet first and using a PEN on your first try, don't! You can use a pencil to give yourself a rough idea of your pattern, then go over it in marker after you like what you see! And I always tell my students, that like everything else, practice makes perfect! I keep a little journal to sketch out layout ideas and I also use it to practice my doodles.

And here is a layout I completed using my freshly doodled frame! You could also use it as a journaling spot, or as a place to put your title.

Try adding colour to your next frame: either by colouring or painting inside the frame, or doodling in a colour to match your layout.
Try adding doodled images to your next frame: In the one on Lucas's playschool page I added some school-related doodles like "ABC 123," a ruler, scissors and a smiley face. Start with flowers or hearts if you're not ready to move on to more complicated "drawings" just yet!

And we do have a Doodle class scheduled for October (or November...I can't remember offhand!!) so keep checking the main TM Blog and the Classes Blog for more information on dates and times! We'll probably be posting that schedule near the end of September.

originally posted on September 11, 2008

Crackle Paint and Glimmer Mist

2010-03-17T12:40:00.000-06:00

Something special happens when you use Crackle Paint and Glimmer Mist together. I don't know what it is: the combination of old and new, distressed and sparkly, awesome and awesome-er! I am a huge fan of this Techneek, and use it regularily! I was always a big fan of Crackle Paint, going back to my younger days when I would paint anything and everything I could get my hands on. The stuff that Ranger has put out comes in a whole whack of amazing colours, and each bottle comes with it's own applicator brush! Yay! One step, and you're on your way to distressed heaven! And I can never say enough nice things about Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. Pair them up, and you get a super finish for chipboard that adds life to any project!

Supplies needed for today's Techneek:

Chipboard shape - your choice
Ranger Crackle Paint
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (in a coordinating colour)

Step One: Pick your shape. I (always) choose Riff Raff Designs chipboard, but then again, I'm a Riff Raff girl! Any chipboard will work, and you don't need to do anything to it to prep it for the crackle paint.

Step Two: Apply the crackle paint to your chipboard shape using the applicator brush. I'm using "Faded Jeans." The thicker you slap it on, the bigger the cracks will be. Don't worry too much about being "neat" with the application. If you go over the edge, you can brush the paint off once it has dried. Plus, it is meant to give an aged or distressed look, so the messier the better!!

Step Three: Let it DRY! This will take a bit of time, depending on how thick you laid it on! But be patient! Once cracks have started to form, you can speed up the drying process with a heat gun, but don't let it get too hot in the thick spots or the crackle paint will start to bubble and that is not a pretty site!! Also, if you try to spray Glimmer Mist on wet crackle paint, it won't look right. The whole point is for the Glimmer Mist to settle in the cracks left when the paint dries. It just makes a mess if you don't let the paint dry.

Step Four: Once it has dried completely, spray your Glimmer Mist on. I try to use a complementary colour ("Sea Glass" in this case), but if you use Black crackle paint, it looks totally amazing with a bright colour of Glimmer Mist!! Once the Glimmer Mist has dried you can add another coat, if it isn't shimmery enough for you!! I usually spray it at least twice!

You can't really tell in this photo, but this is what your shape will look like after you apply the Glimmer Mist. It creates a beautiful, yet subtle shimmer on the surface and in the cracks of the paint.

And this is the layout I completed with the decorated chipboard.

I also recently completed this page, using the same techneek on Riff Raff Designs camera chipboard shape. I used Black Crackle Paint and Peach Glimmer Mist. The coloured Glimmer Mist shows up great on the black paint.

Supplies Used:

Sample #1:

KI Memories pattern paper (background)
Bam Pop pattern paper
Sassafraslass pattern paper
Prima tape (bar code)
Riff Raff Designs chipboard - grocery cart & cutlery
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in "Sea Glass"
Ranger Crackle Paint in "Faded Jeans"
Prima tape (bar code)
Making Memories tag
Jenni Bowlin journaling spot (the star) and red label sticker
Heidi Swapp ghost star coloured with "Red Pepper" Ranger alcohol ink
American Crafts Precision Pen and Slick Writer, both in black

Sample #2:

Kaiser Crafts pattern paper (background)
Making Memories die cut paper (orange)
Hambly pattern paper (brown & kraft damask)
Hambly gold rub ons
American Crafts Precision Marker in black
Time Holtz journaling tickets
black mesh ribbon
American Crafts Thickers sticker letters (three different fonts and textures)
"Found Items"

originally posted on September 4, 2008

Alcohol Ink - Lindsay's Technique

2010-03-17T12:38:00.002-06:00

This week I'm going to show you a totally rad technique that my girl Lindsay "developed." Using a couple of alcohol inks, a felt applicator and a transparency you can create a beautiful, "stained glass" effect. And depending on what colours of ink you choose, you can create the perfect look to suit your page.

First and foremost, and I can't stress this enough, you should protect your workspace and your clothes.

Choose your colours. For this project I'm using Terra Cotta, Ginger, Cranberry and Pitch Black. You will also need an applicator. The one I'm using is made by Ranger, and has a nice wooden handle with velcro strip to attach the felt pads to. Make sure you have enough felt that you can use a different one for each colour. That way the colours won't get muddy.

Apply your first colour to the felt applicator, then stamp it onto the transparency.

Keep going with the first colour until you cover the area you want. You might want to have in mind a general "pattern" of where you want the colours to be. Don't apply it all over the transparency because the other colours won't stand out as well.

Leave the first colour to dry for a moment before adding the next colour. This way the colours won't totally blend together and get muddy. Use a new felt piece.

Apply this colour in the spaces you left when applying the first colour. You can leave more blank space to fill in with the next colours, but I didn't, as I knew I wanted to add the red and black only as accents.

The next colour I used was Cranberry, the red. I applied it along the edges where the two other colours meet. If you apply one colour into the other colour, it will blend a little and create those neat little circle patterns. Don't worry if the colour seems too bright or too strong a contrast now. Once you get all the colours on, you can go back and add more of one of the first two colours to further blend the contrasts out. Just remember to let things dry a little before moving on to the next step so the colours don't seep together and get muddy.

The last colour I added was the Pitch Black, and only as an accent along the edges. Even though I added very little, it seems very dark here. BUT...

I went back in with the Terra Cotta the Ginger to even out the contrast and create more depth of colour. The more layers you add the brighter the colours become, and now the red and black look like they belong!

The best way to perfect this technique is to PRACTICE it and play around with different colour combinations. Start small, with only a couple of colours, just to get the hang of blending and getting the colours to "get along" with each other without looking like mud.
I used the strip of transparency as if it were a regular pattern paper on this layout. By creating your own pattern paper with alcohol inks, you can customize it to your project. Plus it's super fun!!

Supplies:

Bazzill cardstock
Colour Conspiracy pattern paper (brown #21)
Hambly transparency (gold at the top)
Doodlebug and American Crafts letter stickers
My Mind's Eye journaling spot
Kaiser Crafts brown bling star
Assorted ribbon
Ranger alcohol inks

originally posted on August 28, 2008

Kaiser Crafts Mini Album

2010-03-17T12:37:00.002-06:00

Late...again...oops!

Seems life has caught up to me once again, and I forgot to send Juli the instructions so she could do up her fancy little downloadable file. So you're stuck with me again this week!! But at least the project is super cute!!

I used the Kaiser Crafts wooden tag album, some Heidi Swapp paper and random embellishments from my stash to create this great mini-album! It would be perfect to showcase the photos from a mini holiday, a birthday or anniversary, or just an everyday great day!

And it is super simple to make. Grab some similar themed or coloured patterned paper, trace the page from the mini-album (in pencil) on the pattern and cut it out. I sanded the edges down to match the distressed look of the paper, and because it covered up my croked edges! I used less than one sheet of 3 different double-sided pattern papers, and the Heidi Swapp paper is especially good for a project like this because it also comes with some die-cut tags attached, which made it even easier to embellish. Check out the tags on the cover and pages 4, 7, & 8.

After I had covered each page with my pattern paper, I went through my embellishment stash and pulled out anything I thought would match. This included: rhinestones, ribbon, rub ons, flowers and stickers. Try and limit your embellishments to one or two pieces per page. That way you keep things simple and leave yourself enough room for a photo!!

Once I was done embellishing the pages, I tied some ribbon around the binder ring, holding the whole thing together, and called it a day. Once I get some ink for my printer, I'm planning on using some photos of my son on a super-fun day we had last month, as a kind of mini-keepsake of all the fun we had this summer hanging out together!

Supplies:

Kaiser Crafts tag album (these little wooden albums come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are super durable!!)
Heidi Swapp pattern paper and die-cut tags
Prima bulk flowers
Doodlebug rhinestones ("Lily White")
Fontwerks rub-ons
Sassafraslass stickers
Bulk ribbon

originally posted on August 25, 2008

Alcohol Ink

2010-03-17T12:36:00.000-06:00

Last week I showed you how to use Metallic Alcohol Ink to jazz up your chipboard. This week I am going to show you a basic way to use regular alcohol ink to colour your acrylic shapes.

First and foremost you need to protect your work surface. I save all of my Treasured Memories paper bags for this purpose, but you can use newsprint, cardboard, whatever you have laying around that you don't mind getting ink all over! You might also want to think about protecting your clothes...alcohol ink will stain.

After you've got the boring part taken care of, you can choose the colour of ink and the plastic shape to use. Let's start with only one colour...then next week I can show you how to use multiple colours on one project!! Oooh..aah!

I chose Stream alcohol ink, by Ranger. We carry this line in the store, and it comes in a multitude of colours, as shown in the last Techneek post.

I chose the Pageframe Designs acrylic photo corner for my shape. This company makes a variety of shapes, including butterflies and stars, and also carries clear frames for displaying your favourite layouts! You could also try this on Heidi Swapp ghost shapes and letters, and Build-A-Book clear albums. Or try punching or die-cutting your own shapes out of transparencies!

Remember to peel off the protective layer from both sides of the clear shape.

Start applying your alcohol ink. The more you apply, the stronger the colour will be. You can apply it directly from the bottle, using the dropper tip.

Once you've got some ink on the shape, lift it up and tilt it to move the ink around. This way you won't have to apply as much ink, a lot of which is wasted if it leaks off the sides.

Keep applying more ink and tilting the shape until you get the coverage you want. If you want it to be darker, wait until this first coat has finished drying before you apply more ink. Alcohol ink does this funny thing if you apply a drop on an area that is still wet...it pushes the original colour out of the way and leaves bare spaces where once there was colour.

This is the finished product, after only one coat.

Once it dried, I used it directly on my layout. You can adhere the shapes down with glue dots, liquid glue, etc...anything that is "clear", and because you have applied colour to the once-clear shape, you won't see much of the adhesive underneath! I recommend adhering the shape with the coloured side down...that way you don't notice the inherent imperfections in the inked side, and it just looks like a shiny, coloured shape...like you bought it that way!!

Check back on Saturday for the next Project: a very cool Kaiser Crafts wooden tag album!!
Later...
Products used on finished layout:

Buzz and Bloom leaf chipboard shape (measures about 10" x 10")
Wheatfields Glimmer Mist and Rangers Lettuce Colour Wash
Rouge de Garance die cut paper
American Crafts Thickers foam letter stickers in Daiquiri font
Prima flower and leaves (available individually)

originally posted on August 21, 2008

Jenni Bowlin Banner

2010-03-17T12:34:00.002-06:00

Here are the photos for the Jenni Bowlin banner. I used paper and embellishments from the August Kit, and some Jenni Bowlin chipboard shapes to make a nice little banner.

Or you could try:

Do a banner with your son or daughter's name to put in their room. Use their favourite colours!!
Make a "Happy Birthday" sign for the next party at your house.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the instructions to Juli so she could do up her cool pdf file, so here are some basic ones for ya!

Pick your pattern paper for the first shape, trace the shape onto the paper and cut it out. Adhere it to the shape, then sand the edges (using sand paper or a sanding block). Do this for all the shapes.
Decorate each shape with embellishments and ribbon from the August Kit (or choose some of your favourites from your stash!!) I also used some Daffodil Glimmer Mist to add a little sparkle to the paper and one of the shapes.
Use sticker letters to spell out your message.
Punch holes in the shapes (two in each shape, and only one hole in the shapes on either end), and tie ribbon through and knot it in each hole.

Supplies:

Treasured Memories August Kit
Jenni Bowlin circle and star chipboard banner
Daffodil Glimmer Mist
white pen (doodles)
hole punch

originally posted August 16, 2008

Chipboard & Metallic Alcohol Ink

2010-03-17T12:32:00.002-06:00

So this week I am going to share a rad techneek with you, using some products that are near and dear to my heart...Riff Raff Designs chipboard and Ranger alcohol inks. Now normally I wouldn't recommend using alcohol ink on a chipboard product because it just soaks right in, but the METALLIC inks stay nice and bright and shiny!!

Step the First:
Choose the alcohol ink you want to use. I picked GOLD, but the Ranger Metallics also come in silver and copper.

Step #2: Pick the shape you want to use. I chose the new Riff Raff Dragonfly, but you can use any chipboard for this techneek. You don't need to do anything to the chipboard to prep it for the metallic alcohol ink. Just move on to Step #3...

...which is to start applying your ink. The bottle has a little dropper nozzle so you can apply it straight from the bottle. With the metallic ink you need to really shake up the bottle before you use it, in order to mix the pigment. If the ink stops running try shaking it up again, as there is a little bead inside that can get stuck in the neck. Keep going until you have covered the entire surface. You can use your finger to spread the ink around if it is too heavy in some areas. Now leave it to dry...which shouldn't take too long, but if you stick your finger in it to test it you're going to make a mess!!

And here is the finished product!! It's nice and shiny and ready to go on to your project!

Here is an example of what my talented friend Juli did with her dragonfly and some silver alcohol ink. She just added some pink bling to the tail to finish it off.

And her full layout:

A little note about RANGER ALCOHOL INK: This is meant to be used on non-porous surfaces, like plastic or metal. It is a permanent ink and will stain your clothes (and your countertops and your carpet!!). It comes in a whole bunch of colours and costs $4.50 per 15ml bottle. And it is totally rad!! Try using them to add some colour to an acrylic album, your Hambly transparencies, the Heidi Swapp ghost shapes, the old Making Memories metal words and shapes, etc. etc. Next week I'm going to go over using alcohol inks as they were meant to be used...on all these things and more! See you then!

P.S. For those of you who like the previous Techneek of the Week covering the various distressing techniques that are out there, stay tuned to the Blog for the September Classes update, as I know Juli is working on a neat-o Techniques class where she'll go over all of these with you. Plus you get three rad layouts out of the deal!! Coolio!

originally posted August 16, 2008

Distressing Techniques

2010-03-17T12:29:00.002-06:00

This week I am going to cover some distressing techniques. Many of you may already be inking your edges, but I hope that this post helps you add some other techniques to your repertoire!!

Here is my "distressing toolkit": assorted ink pads (black and coloured), chalk ink pad, assorted sanding tools, edge distresser. Note: you can substitute a scrapbooking-brand sanding tool for plain old sandpaper from the Hardward store...it does the same job!!

Sanding

Most pattern paper on the market these days has a white core, which means that if you rub off the outer colour, you will be left with a white line. There are some companies that sell white core cardstock as well, which are solid colours with the same white core.

Sanding the edges of your paper is pretty self-explanatory, but here are some mediocre pictures to give you a better idea of where to start!

I learned this little tip/trick for sanding from a friend of mine. Line the edge of your paper up to the straight edge of your table, and then sand the edge. This will give you a "perfect" line (as perfect as it can be!), and from here you can sand more colour off to achieve the look you want.

A step beyond this little trick, is to move your paper slightly off the table and then sand again. You will have a second line. It actually looks very cool!

There are also a lot of embossed papers out there with a white core. And these papers look totally rad when you run your sanding tool over top of the raised surfaces!

Before: this paper from K & Company has a leaf & shell pattern embossed on it.
After: A little sanding with my Basic Grey file, and you can see the pattern much better. Try inking your embossed papers for a totally different look!

Inking:
There are so many amazing colours of ink pads available nowadays, but basic black is still a great way to add a little texture to your layotus. Next time you want a little bit of interest around the edges of your layout, try using a coloured ink pad instead!!
On this sheet of Prima pattern paper, I used a Whispers ink pad in Rich Plum. The raised pad allows for a really smooth application.

Chalk ink pads are another neat-o tool, that make it a lot easier to give the look of chalk to your page without having to use a Q-Tip!!

Edge Distressing Tool
Both Heidi Swapp and Making Memories have an Edge Distressing tool, and since they both work the same way, I'm just going to demonstrate the Heidi Swapp version here.

It's actually really easy to use. Just stick your paper into the slot on the tool , and scrape the blade within it up the edge of your page. The harder you push it, the more you will rip and tear your paper.

(Blogger is not letting me post anymore photos this evening...so I will get the rest of the post up tomorrow! Have a good weekend!)

I hope these little tips give you some ideas to try on your next project! Until next time...

originally posted August 8, 2008

Chipboard Mobile

2010-03-17T12:27:00.002-06:00

This is a cute little Chipboard Mobile I did with photos of my son after he was born. It can be adapted to any theme or decor, and is a blast to make! It's a perfect gift for the new parents or new grandparents, but I think I'm going to put mine up in my scrapbooking room! It's just too cure to give away!

originally posted August 2, 2008

Glimmer Mist and Glimmer Screens

2010-03-17T12:25:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon World Wide Web! I'm back for my weekly "Techneek" post. Inspired by the TM Project I am working on, I decided to dip into Miss Juli's world a little and show you how to use Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and Glimmer Screens to create a beautiful effect to add to your scrapbooking repertoire!!

The Glimmer Screens come in these large packages, in a whole whack load of shapes and sizes...I'm using one of the filigrees for my demo.

Choose your Glimmer Mist colours. For this project I used Daffodil, Jazz Blue, Seafoam and Key Lime green. You can use as many, or as few, as you choose.

Try experimenting with different colour combinations. You never know how something is going to look until you test it out!! The store carries 64 colours with 18 new ones on the way. So there is sure to be one or two that catch your eye!!

Place the Glimmer Screen on your paper of choice. I am using solid white Bazzill cardstock, but it works on any colour, texture, and looks really cool on pattern paper too!

Note: In my demo the Glimmer Screen looks brown, but they are actually the colour and texture of a 4 litre milk jug! The plastic makes them really easy to wash off after use, which I didn't do after using it on another project. You should always wash your Glimmer Screen after you use it, or the colours will bleed into your next project.

Protect your work space with some leftover Treasured Memories paper bags, or newsprint, or cardboard. Apply your first colour to the page. I started with my lightest (daffodil), and only covered a small area in a light spray. It's easy to add more colour later, but impossible to remove colour. Start with your bottle farther away from the page, to get a lighter mist. If you want a deeper colour, move your bottle closer, or do a couple extra sprays. You don't have to let the Glimmer Mist dry between colours. They will blend together better when still wet.

Next I added some Key Lime green Glimmer Mist.

Then Seafoam

And then Jazz Blue

I kept adding more colour until I had the look I was after. Then I (carefully) removed the Glimmer Screen!

Try This: While the Glimmer Screen is still wet, press another sheet of paper onto it. And now you have a Glimmer Screen-Stamp!!

The finished product! Just by adding some ribbon, pattern paper, a couple of flowers and a silver brad, I have a shimmery, beautiful page. Everyone will be asking you how you got your paper to look so wonderful!

You can also use part of your Glimmer Misted paper in place of a pattern paper. On this page I cut around the image on the full sheet of paper, and used it as I would any other pattern paper. And I still have the rest of the Glimmer Misted paper to use on another project. The possibilities are endless!

Please note: Because Glimmer Mist is water-based, it will curl your paper. Once it has dried you can flatten it by putting it under some heavy books or using your hands to mold it back into shape. I don't think there is a way to avoid this side effect. Even using a small amount of Glimmer Mist will cause your paper to warp a little.

There are other options if you don't want to purchase the Glimmer Screens. These are Heidi Swapp masks, that work with paint as well as Glimmer Mist (or Ranger Colour Wash, which is similar to Glimmer Mist, but without the shimmer!). They come in a variety of patterns (pictured are the ones we have in stock right now) and are self-adhesive so they won't pop off while you're applying colour!
You could also use mesh ribbon as a screen, or the background of a chipboard/die cut letter sheet. Just pop out any leftover letters, place the whole sheet on your paper, and spray. KI Memories also sells "die cut paper" that would work lovely as a screen. And you could use your newly coloured paper on a layout once you're done using it as a screen!

And if you want to see Glimmer Mist and Glimmer Screens in action, watch Global TV (in Edmonton) at 7:09 on Monday morning for a "live" demo with our very own Chantel!!

Check back next week for another Techneek and our first TM Project!!
Until then...

originally posted July 30, 2008

Technique of the Week - Making a Mini Album

2010-03-17T12:23:00.000-06:00

Sorry this post is so late today!! I was busy playing with the little guy outside today!

So last week I covered how to make a scrapbook "on-the-go." And this week I'm going to give you some tips and pointers on creating a simple, yet beautiful MINI ALBUM. These "tips and tricks" work for any theme and any size and are great to keep in mind when doing gifts for parents, grandparents, wedding or anniversary. Or for yourself when you don't want the project to get too complicated or pricey!!

I myself am horrible at creating mini albums if I have to come up with a new idea for each page/layout/photo, or if I don't already have all my photos picked out and ready to go. So, Step #1 is to choose your photos and your album size. There are so many sizes, shapes and styles of mini albums out there nowadays that this might end up being the hardest step for you!

Decide how many photos you would like to include, and be reasonable and ruthless when choosing! For example, a 50th Wedding Anniversary album could have 100s of photo possibilities, but unless you willing to put together a 50+ page album, maybe only include photos of significant events (wedding, 1st home, birth of kids, etc.). You can always give a simple photo album in addition to the scrapbook to include those "extra" pics. If no matter what you do, you still have a lot of photos consider printing them smaller than 4x6 (3.5x5 is a nice size), or going up a size of album (example: 8x8 instead of 6x6).

Once you have chosen your photos, choose your album. Size is the most important choice, and will depend on how many photos you want to include on each page. If you only have a handful of photos and can crop them down to a fairly small size, consider a 4x4 or 4x6 album. KI Memories has a new line of cute felt 4x4 albums that come in a variety of colours. You can't add any pages to them, but they have page protectors for 20 layouts. Treasured Memories carries many brands of albums, many of them available in a smaller size.

Check out:

Making Memories has some beautiful 9x9 leather ones, or baby boy/girl album kits that come with a 9x9 album and some coordinating embellishments
American Crafts for 6x6 and 8x8 post-bound or D-Ring albums in a variety of colours
K & Company does 8x8 albums, and you can also purchase a kit with coordinating embellishments and paper in a variety of themes
Prima Marketing has some nice 6x6 embossed chipboard albums, or check out their Build-A-Book acrylic album line where you can mix and match page designs, adding as many as you need in a variety of styles (avail. in 6x6 and 6x12)
Chatterbox's new line of albums are 6x6, come in at least 6 different colours, and have embossed pages inside
Cosmo Cricket's chipboard albums are black and come in a variety of neat shapes!
ColorBok and Home are two new lines we have in store that offer 8x8 albums with beautiful cover designs (both are post-bound)

NOTE: Not all of these items are always in stock. Please check the store for current availability.

If you can't find an album you like, you can always make your own! I often find that I would rather save money on an album and spend more on the pretty stuff that goes inside! So I create my own out of chipboard, cardboard, tags, etc. I attach the pages together with a binder ring or ribbon, and can make it as many pages as I need! This is more work for you, so if you are under a deadline, consider purchasing an album.

Step #2: Selecting the papers you want to use. Remember that these are tips and tricks for creating a simple mini album. I pick at most, three coordinating patterns and one neutral solid. And that's all! Not only does this save your budget, if prevents you from having to match papers to each photo, and it gives your mini album a nice cohesiveness that will unify the album. This is especially good if you have photos from many different events. Using the same colours throughout the book will make it seem like the photos are meant to go together. If you are worried about the colours clashing, print all of your pictures in black and white (or sepia). This only adds to the unity and appearance of the album.

Make sure you purchase enough paper to complete the entire album! It's always so frustrating when you are short one or two sheets, only to return to the store and find the paper sold out! If you require a solid as your background on every page, buy enough solid cardstock to do the job Example: 10 page protectors, means 20 layouts and if you're doing a 6x6 album, one 12x12 piece of cardstock will do 4 layouts. Do the math and that means you need to buy 5 sheets of cardstock. After you complete Step #3, you will be able to figure out how many sheets of each pattern you will need.

Step #3: Decide the layout of each page. For the one mini-album I have made that I actually completed and totally love, I did the same page layout for each page. You may think that sound boring, but if you add unique embellishments to each page, that will be enough to add interest to the album. This is essential to save time (and your sanity!), and means you can spend more time on the fun part: the embellishing! For the album I created, each page had a rectangle of pattern #1, and a square of pattern #2 that I positioned beside the photo. I added a stamped image (a label) punched into a circle shape to finish the page. This worked for both portrait and landscape photos, as I could just turn my layout depending on the orientation of the photo. (See picture of purple album below). If it helps you, sketch out a couple of options, or choose a layout from a page you have already completed that would be simple to duplicate and flip 180 degrees when called for.

Now you can determine how big each element is going to be, and trim your pattern paper accordingly. And since each cut is the same, just cut as many as you'll need (for as many pages as you've decided to include), and then start putting your album together. Easy as pie! And tasty too!!

Pictured below, is the one and only, completed Mini Album I have in my collection! It was super easy, once I chose my photos (from a vacation I took with my family in the 90s...please ignore the horrible fashion and hair-dos!), and paper (there was a lot of purple in the photos...again, please ignore the horrible fashion!!). I cut a rectangle out of the polka dot and a square from the floral print. You could even use a large square punch to save more time! I also punched out a circle label stamp to add to each page. It is within this circle that I did most of embellishing...

...of which there is a minimal amount...some travel-themed chipboard and epoxy stickers; rub-ons; a fabric flower and brad; and some travel label stickers from 7Gypsies. I added a little bit of journaling to some of the pages, but I felt the pictures mostly spoke for themselves, and a lot of the details of the trip are fuzzy as it happened so long ago.

I made the album myself out of 12x12 chipboard I cut down to 6x6 pieces that form each page. I didn't have to use any cardstock as background, as my chipboard matched the colours in my pattern paper. On the cover I used the same pattern papers, and added a Heidi Swapp damask sticker (that I also used inside) and some American Crafts Thickers letter stickers for my title.

(Please excuse the 1st two pics. For some reason Blogger keeps turning them on their side!!)

For more examples of mini albums, you can check out the store...we have a resident "Mini Album Master", as I like to call her. Anam is always pumping out the mini albums, and most of hers follow these same guidelines I have offered here...Keep It Simple Sweetie!

Until next time...

originally posted July 24, 2008

Featuring...Art Chix

2010-03-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

So, while I'm not necessarily running out of Techneek Ideas, I find myself running out of time each Thursday trying to get the post out in time. So this week I decided I'm going to change things up a bit!

Sometimes we find ourselves inspired by a colour combination, or an ad in a magazine, and sometimes all it takes is one look at the latest product line to hit the store! Featuring... is going to focus on a new line or company that we (treasured memories) carry. I'll show you a couple of ways to use the new product in your scrapbooking, card making or papercrafting, etc.

This week we got a whole whackload of stuff in the store (next week is looking to be the same!!), but the stuff that really caught my eye is from Art Chix, an online store and gallery based out of Victoria, BC. They carry a lot of great stuff for papercrafting, collage, and mixed media, but Chantel (and her Dad!!) thought they would give it a chance to appeal to our mostly scrapbooking clientele. Well, I'm hooked!!!

Our In-Store display...

A couple of collage sheets...
Faux postal stamp stickers...

Some of the metal charms...there are crowns, and bird nests, and faces, and boots, and wings, etc. etc.

And here is my layout. I used a couple of the Art Chix collage sheets...this style goes perfectly with my goofy heritage photo! I am missing my title, but otherwise I hope you get the idea! This stuff is really fun to play with and there are lots of different themes to suit any style! I really like the Winged Cuties (shown here) & City Delights collage sheets, and all of the charms!

Check out the Art Chix main website and online store here. They have boat loads of great collage sheets, buttons, charms, kits, buttons, etc. And check out the main TM Blog for more pictures of the stuff we got in store.
Hopefully I will be posting my other completed project tonight (once the little one has gone to bed!!)...I used more of the collage sheets, as well as some other lines that we carry that coordinate really well with the Art Chix line.
Happy Crafting!

Supplies Used:
- Art Chix: Mystical & Winged Cuties collage sheets, and gold Crown charm
- Pattern Paper: October Afternoon (polka dot), Making Memories (ledger), Sassafraslass (turquoise and ivory stripe)
- Creative Cafe calendar
- Heidi Swapp ghost clock
- 7Gypsies typewriter word, and word stickers
- Ranger Tim Holtz Inspire charm
- Scenic Route label sticker
- Assorted Ribbon

originally posted February 19, 2009

song lyrics mini

2010-03-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of using song lyrics on my scrapbook pages...a BIG fan!! They are a great way to journal if you don't know how to use your own words. I think that if someone else has already said it better, might as well just go with it!!

I write down lyrics as I hear them (on the radio, on a CD, on my mp3 player), and that means I have lots of notebooks and random scraps on paper in my purse and around my house filled with random lyrics. I wanted to create something cohesive that I could use to write down some of my favourites...the ones I keep writing down over and over again!

Chantel and the gang brought this little 7Gypsies album home from CHA, and it worked perfectly for me, but any small chipboard or acrylic or homemade album will do...use what you have on hand. This is also a great time to play with those paint or stamps or Glimmer Mist you bought and haven't used yet because you're not sure what to do with it. Experiment! Have Fun! There are no rules with this album...okay there's one rule! I challenge you to only use your scraps or leftovers, random things left on your desk after your last creative session. These are probably your favourite things, new fun things that you can't get enough of! Make sure you love all the stuff you put in here...this album is just for you! And if what you love is simple patterns and rub ons...use that!! Don't feel the need to copy what I did exactly! This is just a suggestion to help get your creative juices flowing while completing a fun mini project!

You could also try:
- Doing a book of your favourite quotes, if song lyrics aren't your thing
- Get your friend/hubby/sister/daughter's favourite quotes/lyrics and do up a fun gift album
- Leave some pages blank to easily add more later

Looking for Lyrics? There are tonnes of lyric search engines on the web. Here are a few I found with a quick Google Search...
Song Lyrics.com
A-Z Lyrics
Lyrcs Search
All Lyrics

What others have done...
Scrapping the Music

originally posted February 14, 2009

Primary Colours

2010-03-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

This week I took the easy way out - again - and my theme is "colour." This is just the way I think and scrapbook...so it makes sense to do another techneek with colour as my starting point.

You might remember a couple of weeks ago I did a layout with white as the dominating colour. And I think it fit perfect with my theme and photos. And this week I was inspired by another set of photos. The hubby, son and I recently visited a Lego Art exhibit at the local science centre. While it wasn't completely what we were expecting, it was still fun and I got some neat, colourful pictures.

This next photo was my inspiration for the primary colour theme for my techneek tonight!

I pulled together some of my favourite supplies in blue, red and yellow. As per my style, I didn't use all of the stuff in my pile, but it was nice to have some extra options!

And I also kept the background neutral, so it wouldn't compete with all the other colours I knew would make it on to the page. But to liven it up a bit, I added some bubble wrap detail with white paint. (I had placed my photos down first so I knew where to put my bubble wrap!)

This layout was super simple and once I started laying things down, I was done in less than 15 minutes. It's nice when you choose a colour theme...even just one or two colours...it keeps things simple and super easy.
And a close up of the title.

Supplies Used:

Pattern Paper: Hambly transparency, Doodlbug (dark blue), unknown blue damask (the cloud cut-out)
Prima "L is for" sticker
Jenni Bowlin star tickets, label stickers & red letter stickers
Doodlebug red sticker letters
Other: blue postcard from IKEA, bubble wrap & white paint, front cover of a memo note pad

Happy Creating!!

originally posted February 12, 2009

Valentine Bonus Project

2010-03-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

Missing the Techneek post on Thursday I felt bad, so I decided to create some extra Valentine's projects to share with you!

These guys are super-cute and fun to make, plus they look great hanging up around the house! Enjoy!

Just click on the image to see it up close and personal. I'm using the new Riff Raff chipboard Young Love and Layers of Love. The instructions? Pull out some Glimmer Mist, Glossy Accents, tulle, paint, jewels, pattern paper and have fun!

See you on Thursday...it's a work day but I still hope to have something fun to show you! Until then...

originally posted February 9, 2009

Valentine Project

2010-03-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

What would Valentine's Day be without those piles of cute little lacy, frilly, sparkly Valentine's Cards!!?? Today I thought I would share my version...I'm not big on the sparkly/lacy/frilly, but I found a great stamp and went from there!

You will need:
- Pattern paper: I picked Making Memories pink polka dot
- Solid paper in a neutral colour: my pattern paper is double-sided, so I needed a solid to write my message on!
- Collage stamp: Mine is from Tim Holtz
- Black embossing powder & embossing ink (& a heat gun)
- Buttons to match
- Tickets or tags: I'm using the long red ones from Creative Cafe
- Ribbon: more Making Memories, this time pink with a velvet stripe
- Black pen to write your message

Step One: Assemble all of your supplies. I'm not really into "themed" things (paper, embellishments, etc.) so I just chose some generic embellishments that were Valentine colours - red, pink, & black. But if you really want to get into the spirit of the holiday, by all means go right ahead!

Step Two: Cover your stamp in embossing ink, and stamp onto your pattern paper. I didn't cut my pattern paper first...I hate having to line up the stamp with the cut edges. If I stamp it crooked I can just cut the edges to make it look straight!

Step Three: Sprinkle embossing powder over the stamped image. Tap off the excess.

Step Four: Use the heat gun to set the embossing powder.

Step Five: Cut out around the stamped image. My stamp is about 2.5" by 3.5", so my completed tag is 2.75" x 3.75"

Step Six: Embellish your tag! I kept mine really simple and just added a button and a ticket, and a piece of ribbon at the top.

Step Seven: Add a neutral solid to the back of your tag and write you message!

Repeat as needed!!

Happy Creating!!
-----
originally posted February 6, 2009

The Best Things in Life

2010-03-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Project this week is an extension of a previous week's project...but this time I've got step-by-step photos!! Woot!!

I am masterfully in love with the Letters by Janna shapes we have in the store. You might remember the star I decorated awhile back (here's the link). This week I grabbed the smallest flower shapes and got to work! It is a super fun size and shape to work with. And the possibilities are endless...pink for a girls room, ivory and black for wedding decor, a housewarming gift in the colours of the new home, etc. etc. I love them!!!

You Will Need:

An MDF shape. Right now Treasured Memories has two sizes of hearts and stars, and three sizes of flowers, but you can also order them directly from Letters by Janna. I am using the smallest flower ($12) for my project.
Gesso/primer: I used gesso to prime the surface before I started applying the papers and ink, but any kind of primer or white paint will work. This just gives a nice even surface to start on. And if you're not keen on the white gesso, you can tint it with a little bit of any acrylic paint. I used some yellow in mine.
Pattern papers: scraps work great for this, as you are going to rip and tear them and if you cover them in more paint the colours and pattern will be muted.
Paint: I used yellow, red, and black. I really like the new Claudine Helmuth line we carry in the store...her paints go on really smooth. But any craft or acrylic paints works well here.
Matte Gel Medium: I use this to adhere all of the pattern papers, and seal them. White glue works to adhere the papers, and you could use any kind of varnish or sealer (water-based) that you have on hand. Matte is just my preference.
Glimmer Mist, foam stamps, rubber stamps, letter stamps, chipboard shapes, charms, etc. Grab anything you might want to use to further embellish your shape once you have the base down. I'm using Riff Raff Designs peacock and a big Prima flower. As well as some red and gold Glimmer Mist to give a little shimmer!

Before I did anything else, I painted my chipboard peacock so it would be dry by the time I wanted to use it. I used Black Claudine Helmuth paint, as well as some black Ranger crackle paint for texture.

Some Helpful Hints: Your project might go through an ugly phase, but you've got to just ride it out and keep going! Remember that this is about layers...lots and lots of layers. So if you do something that doesn't end up looking very nice, just add another layer and keep playing with it until you like it!

Also, it's a good idea to let each layer dry completely before you add on to it. This way it's easier to rub off the paint/gesso/Glimmer Mist etc. if you don't like it, without wrecking the layer behind. If you are impatient (!!) use a heat gun or hair dryer to speed up the process!!

Step One: Assemble all your supplies...you don't want to be running around looking for things.

Then prime the entire shape with gesso. I mixed mine with a little bit of yellow paint, because I didn't want the bright white background.

You can mix it before you apply it to the shape, or as you go, it doesn't matter. At this stage it can be super messy and ugly...you will be adding a lot more layers.

Step Two: Start ripping your pattern papers and gluing them down. I'm using my Gel Medium to adhere them to my shape with the same brush I used for the gesso...and I didn't clean it off! This way the papers are already starting to blend into the background colour.

Keep ripping and gluing as you go, filling in empty spots and balancing out the pattern and colours.

Here you can see how they blend into the background, but you can still see the basic shape and texture of the paper.

Once I got my layer of papers down, I covered them with a light coat of gel medium mixed with the gesso/paint mix. You can wipe this off if you apply it too heavy...use a wet paper towel or a baby wipe. Try wiping more off in some areas to let the pattern paper show through!

Step Three: Once that dried, I sprayed some Brick and Antique Gold Glimmer Mist over my project. This gives a lovely shimmer to the piece and adds a little bit more (subtle) colour.

Here's a close up. Remember, the more Glimmer Mist you add, the brighter the colour will be. I like using colours that match well with the background, so they begin to blend in with the papers once they dry...you don't want them to completely obscure the layer you have already laid down.

Step Four: Once the Glimmer Mist dried, I began to add more paint. I'm using red and black Claudine Hellmuth, but any acrylic paint will work fine. The best way to apply this, and not get too much paint, is dry brushing. Get some paint on your brush, wipe most of it off (a paper towel or rag works), then gently brush it onto your shape. The texture it produces it great, plus you can gradually build up the colour without adding too much at once.

I found that the black when dry brushed over top of the pattern paper picked up and accentuated the edges of the papers and left a really amazing texture! And as I edged the piece with black paint, I brushed a little bit over the edges to further define them.

And here's the finished shape!! I finished it with some Prima flowers and a Creative Imaginations brad.
And my peacock looks great all crackly.

You could try:

Adding some lettering with stamps or sticker letters
Add a photo (or two!)
Hang a gem or button or whatever in the centre of the flower using ribbon or wire.
Hang the entire shape using a lovely ribbon or tulle (reinforced with wire!)

originally posted January 31, 2009

Embossing, Glitter and Stamping

2010-03-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago my friend and co-conspirator Juli taught a class called "Stamping: Not Just for Cards Anymore." In this class she taught her students how to use their stamps in their scrapbooks to embellish their layouts. And I think she was on to something!

The scrapbooking world has really embraced stamps as another awesome way to embellish and enhance layouts. You can buy large sets of flourishes or frames, and even more popular are the $1 - $2 single stamps. And as always, letter stamps are a great investment. Especially for those of us who aren't into personal die-cut systems.

For this Techneek of the Week, I am going to go over two possible ways to use stamps on your scrapbook layouts. And I apologize now for all the photos I uploaded...Blogger flipped most of them!! Oops! And this is a very picture-heavy post, so you'll just have to bear with me! Thanks.

Techneek #1: Embossed Background

You will need:

A stamp to use as a background...I am using a Heidi Swapp foam polka dot stamp. These work really well with paint, but I am going to show you how to use it with embossing powder!
An embossing stamp pad...VersaMark, etc.
Black embossing powder...or whatever colour matches your background cardstock

First, choose the colour of cardstock you want as your background. I chose black, because I always like to have a neutral background (white, kraft, black). I wouldn't choose white or kraft for this, but any other colour would be great! Make sure you have embossing powder in the same colour OR some clear embossing powder and a good clean embossing ink pad.

Grab your background stamp and get it covered in embossing ink. I chose polka dots because they look good when repeated over an entire background.

Once it's covered in ink, press it down on your background. It helps to start in the upper corner and work your way down and across in order to cover the entire background. I'm not too worried about getting all my dots to line up perfectly (am I ever worried!!), but if you are you might want to use a ruler or a special tool to line your stamp up each time you press it down.

After you've stamped your image once, sprinkle your embossing powder over the wet ink, and tap off the excess. You don't need to use your heat gun right away...we are going to get the background fully stamped and powdered up and emboss it all at once.

So keep stamping and sprinkling your embossing powder on until you have sufficiently covered your background. Like so...

Now you can run your heat gun over the whole background and set the powder.

And now you have a super cool background! All shiny and nice!

Now I will show you how I finished my layout...using some more stamps. If you would rather do your own thing, go right ahead! But don't forget to check out the next Techneek...just keep scrolling down!

To finish my layout, I wanted to use some more stamps to accommodate my journaling and add some more interest to my layout. I also wanted to include some colour, but only in the pattern paper so I used black ink and kraft paper for my stamped images.

Grab some journaling stamps in a variety of sizes and shapes. Most of mine are circular or oval in shape, to match the polka dots in my background, but you can use whatever you have on hand!

Here I stamped my journaling stamps on some kraft paper. Cut out your shapes and put them aside.

Now I want to show you a neat technique involving ripped paper! You might have noticed that I left some blank spots on my background. I wasn't worried about covering every inch of my black paper because I knew I wanted to cover parts of it with my pattern paper (and my photo...duh!). When done right, this will look like the pattern paper was actually on top and you just ripped pieces of it away to reveal the cool embossed paper underneath! WOWEE!

To start, pick some pattern paper and choose where you want it to be. It's easiest to add the pattern on the edges first, then add some in the middle of the page if you want to (I only added it along the edges, so for in the middle you're on your own!!).

Mark on your pattern paper where the edge will be (the edge of the background paper). Now you can tear your pattern paper.

It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. You can keep tearing away bits until you have a look you like.

I even rolled up some of the torn edges to further enhance the look. You could also crumple and ink your pattern paper.

Here's the finished torn piece of paper. I crumpled it up and rolled the edges to make it look really ratty!

Stick it down, and find another spot that could benefit from some torn paper action. It helps to know where your photo is going to be on the finished layout.

Now here is where your journal stamps come into play...position them on the background so they can be used in sequence to tell your story.

And I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the finished layout! DUH!! I will try to find that for you guys before the day is over!

Techneek #2: Stamps as Embellishments

You will need:

A single image stamp...make sure it's not too complicated and can be used in multiple locations on your page. I am using a Heidi Swapp chandelier. A simple shape like a heart, star, tree, animal would be great as well.
Black ink pad
A liquid glue pen...this works best to apply glitter to a detailed image (like a stamp). I'm using one made by ZIG
Glitter...I am using gold Melissa Frances, but any colour or brand will do.

This one is super easy, and might even seem a little bit obvious. But I thought I would get my two cents in here, and show you how Lisa works the stamps!

I am a big fan of repetition on a layout. By repeating the same colours and embellishments you unify the layout and make it easy on the eyes, a treat to look at! And if you repeat things in a triangular pattern, your viewer's eye will know where to look and what is important on your layout. It's a simple thing that can make a big impact. The next time you look at one of your favourite scrapbooker's layout, see if she is repeating the same elements in various locations on her layout and where.

First you will need to gather your supplies...and start stamping! I stamped my chandelier image on the same pattern paper as I am using for my background. I want the image to stand out, but not too much! The Basic Grey "solid" works great for this! Stamp three images...two will remain black and one we are going to add some pizazz to with some glitter!

PLEASE NOTE: Putting glue on your stamp before stamping it and applying the glitter DOES NOT WORK! Trust me...I tried it. And as Jill predicted, all I got was a glue-blob on my layout and the glitter didn't stick. I do all the dirty work so you don't have to! Tee Hee!

Now you can "draw" on your stamped image with your glue pen, a little at a time, and sprinkle the glitter over it. Tap off the excess and keep going until you have covered the entire shape with glitter.

And now you've got a sparkly shape that you made yourself!! Ooh la la!

Cut out all three of your shapes...it doesn't have to be perfect, just get the basic shape.

And place them on your layout in a triangular pattern. I added some Hambly transparent frames for a little colour. (Crooked photo alert!)

Now you can finish embellishing your layout. If you focus on adding embellishments to the areas around your stamps, you will just reinforce the triangular pattern and make your layout more unified and good-looking!!

I hope you enjoyed today's Techneek. There are so many different ways to enhance your scrapbooks with stamps, I just picked two of my favourite for today. I will be coming back to this topic in the future, no doubt, and hopefully I'll give you another reason to dust off your stamps and create!

Later,

originally posted January 29, 2009

Use Your Scraps

2010-03-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

I am a keeper of scraps. I have lots and lots of them, and I even get them as gifts from other scrappin friends!! I don't mind...I hate to waste paper and sometimes a scrap is exactly what I need to complete a layout! I even save scraps of ribbon, packaging - both from scrapbooking supplies and toys - and I keep them all together and at the ready!

For the Techneek of the Week today, I am going to show you a super easy way to dip into some of those scraps of paper I know you've been saving!

You will need:

Lots of scraps of pattern paper. Even if you don't save your scraps, you can still make use of this techneek. Just rummage around on your crafting table for some leftovers from your last project. They don't have to match each other!!
A circle punch - any size will do. I used my 3/8" punch, which works well for this layout which requires lots of small circles.

I keep all of my larger scraps sorted by colour. I put them in a small plastic bag or page protector and store them with my larger patterns (on an organizational note, I use to sort all of my papers by company, but I would always have some company's with only one sheet of paper, so I ended up with a HUGE miscellaneous file! Now I keep my most favourite companies together, and sort everything else by colour. I have also learned that I plan a layout and choose paper by colour, so it made the most sense for me!)

Grab your circle punch and start punching! I punch between 3 and 6 circles from each pattern.

Keep punching out of a variety of patterns and colour until you have a respectable pile. You may or may not use all of these (I sure didn't!), but if you don't you just have some ready-to-go scraps the next time you need them!!

Don't forget about those transparencies...they look awesome too!

Make a mark where your photo (or photos) is going to go. This will help you place your circles, and if you stick it down it's harder to change your mind later!

Start placing them down on your background sheet of paper. For this techneek I chose one that has a grid pattern. This makes it easy to line up all of your punched out circles. Don't choose a background with a busy pattern...your circles will disappear when you stick them down. If you want to use a pattern paper as your background, punch out your circles from solid paper instead of pattern and see what happens!

Once you've got a nice pattern going with your circle scraps, glue them down. Make sure you still like where your photo is going to end up. I glued my circles down with a little dab of glossy accents right in the middle. I liked how the edges lifted up and made it look like the circles were just floating on the page!

I wanted to keep the focus on the circle pattern I created, so I didn't want to add a lot of extra embellishment. Instead I chose to embellish the circles themselves! I used some Doodlebug bling and some random buttons to add some sparkle and dimension to my circles.

I still wanted a little more dimension, but I wanted to stick with my "circle theme" so I found some round embellishments: these fab gears by Riff Raff Designs. I painted them a navy blue and sprayed with Denim Blue Glimmer Mist for a little extra sparkle. They look great on the page and don't distract from the awesome circle design.

The finished layout! I added the title in the space left by my circle pattern, and will write in the date later. See all the leftover circles...I'm going to stick them in their own baggie so they're ready the next time I want some circles!
You could also try:

Experiment with different sized punches. Use a larger one, or lots of different sizes on the same layout.
Try using scraps that are all from the same colour family, and choosing a complimentary colour as your background.
Punch out any shape you like - scalloped circles, squares, stars, hearts, etc. I would recommend avoiding those little tiny shapes as they won't look like much on a big layout, even if you use a lot of them.

That's all for now. I'm going to put the Project of the Week on hold for a little bit. With Juli busy with her own stuff, it's too much for me to handle all at once! But I'll keep the Techneeks going as long as I can!
Check back next week for a special CHA Edition of TOTW...Chantel and the gang will be back by then and I hope to have lots of freebies to work with!!
Later,

originally posted January 22, 2009

Monochromatic Layout

2010-03-03T22:22:00.001-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but I really like monochromatic colour schemes on my layouts and projects. I usually stick to one colour or colour family, with a dash of a contrasting colour to liven it up. With all the snow we've been getting up here in E-town, I thought I would share a fun way to do a white layout.

The key to pulling off a white layout is texture...and lots of it! If you are using multiple patterns and textures on a colourful page it gets too busy and your eye doesn't know where to focus. And it just ends up looking bad. But on a monochromatic page, as long as your different patterns and textures are the same colour it looks good!

You will need:

White cardstock for your background
White embellishments: I like ribbon, tulle, mesh, felt - things with texture. Grab some buttons and brads as well.
Anything else in your stash that's white, like chipboard letters, tags etc.
White paint and bubble wrap...to create the texture in the background
A text stamp and a light-coloured ink pad. I'm using a light blue because it goes well with the blue sky in my photos.

The key to this techneek is to keep adding layers until you have something you're happy with. I started with a big pile of white things and then tried the ones I thought would look good, and set aside the ones I didn't like. You won't use everything in your pile, but it's helps to get you started.

Tip: When applying paint to your bubble wrap, squirt a big pile on then spread it around with a popsicle stick. Works super.

I applied the painted bubble wrap all over the background paper. Press down, then lift it up, move it over, and press it down again. There's no need to apply more paint in between each application. It looks better if the bubbles are uneven.

I used the text stamp sparingly, and only to add some extra colour and texture behind my photos, kind of like a photo mat. It helps if you remove some of the ink before stamping it down on your paper...you can always add more but you can't take away.

And here's the finished layout...the colours look kind of wonky because I took these photos in my basement. I will re-take them tomorrow when there's some good light outside! You can click on the photo to get a better look. I love how the focus is totally on the photos, because everything around them is in the same muted tones of white and off-white.

Tip: I took these boring white chipboard letters and jazzed them up by pressing them into the still-wet bubble wrap! Sweet!

I'll try and get something done for the project on Saturday...Juli is super busy with school, work, work and her new Wedding Planning business! So while I wish her the best of luck I miss her help!!

originally published January 15, 2009