My Scrapbooking Blog » 2008 » October

Overlays

Wendy — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:39:12 +0000

Although I do not use them very often because of their cost, overlays can add a lot to a layout. On the page below I added pictures underneath the overlay and on the top I added the title and chipboard flower. I then stitched the overlay to the background paper to hold everything in place.

Shrinky Dink

Wendy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:55:53 +0000

Remember making these as a kid? Using a cutting system like sizzix and shrinky dink you can make some cute and inexpensive embellishments. That’s exactly what I did for the flowers on this card. I added the color with chalk before baking.

Fall Tradition

Wendy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:22:44 +0000

This was a very simple page. Every year the girls go to my mom’s and help her collect the harvest of pumpkins and squash that they planted in her garden.
Supplies: Close to My Heart paper and Home Accent rub-ons.

Organizing Your Photos (Part 2)

Wendy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:23:49 +0000

Because it can be time consuming to organize all your digital photos, your challenge this week is to continue with this project from last week. As you are going through your pictures don’t be afraid to delete some of the unnecessary ones – duplicates, many of the same shot, poor lighting, eyes closed, and just plain bad pictures. When we switch to digital we often end up taking way more pictures than we need in hopes of getting the perfect shot – just keep the good one (or a couple) and delete the rest.

Happy Birthday Card

Wendy — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:03:43 +0000

This was originally a topper/title that I made for a swap. I had extras so I made an instant card with it!

Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration

Wendy — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:20:38 +0000

Most of the elements on this layout are swap items. Cinderella is a 3D sticker and the letters were cut from my Silhouette with 3D stickers added.

Organizing All Those Photos!

Wendy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:45:32 +0000

Today we will start a 4-week segment on getting those photos ready for your scrapbooks. These days most of us have switched to digital photography and that’s what this is all about. With that change comes a need for more organization. It’s very easy to let those photos pile up and get out of control and it becomes impossible to find what you are looking for when you need it. Your challenge this week is to find a system that works for you for sorting those photos on your computer and to begin to use it. When I first started I used a folder system with main folders like family/friends, and folders beneath those for each person. For that last couple years I have been using Adobe Photoshop Elements. There are many to chose from so I encourage you to shop around but I have been very happy with this program. I now have my photos automatically sorted by date and red-eye removed when they are imported into the program. My work is to “tag” each photo. I will say it takes time if you are starting with 1000+ photos but once you get your initial ones posted it’s just a matter of keeping up. I have people, places, and event tags. So a vacation picture of my family would be tagged with each family member and Walt Disney World (or wherever we went). What I love about this is as I am doing a scrapbook for one child I just click on their name and it separates out all the photos with that child in them. This also comes in handy if a relative asks “do you have any photos of Grandpa?” I just click on Grandpa’s name and it shows all the photos with him in them. This can be done for multiple people as well. If I want pictures of my entire family I select all of them and it will give me the pictures with everyone. The timeline allows me to go to any date quickly. See what’s out there, pick something that will work for you, and get started!

CD Box

Wendy — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:06:08 +0000

This originally was an advertising box that came in the mail, I think with CDs in it. I don’t even remember anymore what it first looked like. I knew when I got it though that it should be altered as opposed to thrown away. It’s amazing what a little acrylic paint can do. I painted it, covered it with paper and pictures using Mod Podge, added embellishments and rub-ons and turned this trash into a treasure!

Color Blocking

Wendy — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:41:28 +0000

Color blocking is a technique where everything on your page is organized in blocks. There are templates for this or you can just create the page on your own. I find it easiest to just make spaces for my photos and then work around the space that is left. This is a technique that cannot go out of style. Below is a page that I did when I first started scrapbooking about 5 years ago. It is still one of my favorite pages. You can see how you can easily add computer journaling as well. Just measure the size of the square you will be using for your journaling and use those measurements in MS Word whatever you use to type your journaling. I like to full justify for a very clean look.

A Card From Scraps

Wendy — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:33:18 +0000

One of the easiest ways to make cards is from scraps. Match up a couple pieces of paper and embellishments, chose a stamp and you’re set! Here’s an example:

Mosaic Technique

Wendy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:48:31 +0000

Here’s something that I never thought I would do – cut up a picture! I have to say that it adds a lot to a simple layout. The nice thing about most of us having digital pictures now is that you can easily print another copy. This one was a professional picture but I made a copy for my scrapbook because I was scared of messing it up and losing the picture forever. However, I am happy with the result. Your challenge this week is to try this mosaic techique. It works great for scenic photos and one thing to remember is that the squares do not need to all be the same size. (Ex. you could make the first column 1″ wide, the next column 2″ and the last column 1″.

Mulberry Paper

Wendy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:02:43 +0000

Mulberry paper is a light-weight, semi-transparent type of handmade style paper. It used to be quite popular in scrapbooking and has fazed out although there’s no reason why you can’t still use it. I found this page from the past with mulberry paper and it also includes a tag (yesterday’s topic). Mulberry paper can be used as a background, as an embellishment, or (my favorite) as a frame. You can cut it for a straight edge, or you can wet it with a waterbrush or paintbrush and then tear it for a unique look.

Swap items, especially tags

Wendy — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:53:15 +0000

Way back when shipping was more reasonable, I joined all kinds of swaps. Swaps are when a group of people decide to each individually make a bunch of the same item, then everyone swaps so that each person has a variety of different items. I still have many swap items that I have not used because they don’t fit with any of the scrapbook pages I have done. I’ve learned that using them for cards is a great solution. Simply add a border, or eyelets/brads in the corners – put the tag in the center and you’ve got a card. I’ve made many, many quick cards this way!

Acrylic Paints and Prima Flowers

Wendy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:20:17 +0000

Ahh, two of my favorite things!! I did this layout the other day and didn’t have any brown brads for the centers of my flowers. As an alternative, I used just a drop of acrylic paint for the center. These are fairly small flowers and I only needed a small drop so when you try this the first time you may need to practice on a couple. It is an inexpensive way to match your layout perfectly and those acrylic paints we have sitting on our shelves.

Here is the complete layout (made with all scraps too!):

Storage Bins

Wendy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:54:10 +0000

You know those storage bins that we use for the kid’s toys and stuff? Why not use them for our scrap supplies? The one pictured below is a smaller version than what you normally see but the larger ones would work too. I got tired of the bright colors and wanted something that fit my room better. I bought some spray paint that is especially for plastics. There is no prep work, just spray and let dry. You can find it at your local hardware store. I used two cans for this project. I love the new brown color and I have not had any problems with the paint coming off.

Here is a before picture of the bins on my scrapbooking desk (yellow/pink/blue in the center) and it also gives you a better idea of their size:

I use these bins to hold chalks, acrylic blocks, stamps, tags, foam brushes, adhesive, and lots of other things. Your challenge for this week is to find something in your scrapbook room that needs to be organized and come up with a way that works for you. Don’t organize all your supplies, just pick one thing. Once you have that one thing organized, focus on keeping it that way. Then it will be time to move on….baby steps!! If you need help with something specific or would like ideas on a organizing a particular supply, leave me a comment and I will post at least one idea for you!

Altered Clipboards for Kids

Wendy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:40:30 +0000

Altered clipboards are a great gift for kids. They are inexpensive and fun to make. All the kids I have made them for love them.

Supplies needed: Clipboard, ModPodge (comes in glossy or matte, I prefer matte), paper and/or paint, stamps and/or embellishments, fibers/ribbon, exacto knife, and a pen. A brayer is helpful but not required.

Directions:
1. Sometimes the top clip on the clipboard will screw off. If it does, take it off for easier decorating. If not, you can work around it by planning a design where you paint the top part and/or have a straight paper line.
2. Chose papers, colors, and embellishments for your clipboard. Make a rough draft drawing or have a design idea in your head. When chosing a design, remember to keep the majority of the main surface flat because it will be used for writing. Because of this stamping is a great choice of embellishing. Keep stickers in the corners.
3. Any areas that will be painted should be done first. I like to paint the side/edge of the clipboard for a more finished look.
4. Next cover with your chosen paper. Use the Mod Podge as your adhesive, applying a thin coate to the clipboard. Use a foam brush for complete coverage and don’t worry applying the Mod Podge beyond where you are placing the paper. Place the paper on the clipboard and use a brayer to roll over the top of the paper so that it is secure. Let dry.
5. Flip the clipboard over and using the exacto knife, trim the paper around the clipboard.
6. Stamp, embellish as desired. Mod Podge works well as an adhesive for diecuts and paper flowers like in my examples.
7. Cover the entire clipboard with two thin layers of Mod Podge. Let dry between coats to avoid bubbling. Also, apply the Mod Podge well around the edges of the chipboard. This will give it a more finished look and ensure that the paper you’ve applied is secure. (If it starts coming loose, what kid won’t pull/pick at it until it comes apart.)
8. Use ribbon or fiber to tie a pen to the clipboard. Make sure it is long enough for comfortable writing.

Tip: To avoid bubbles when using Mod Podge (as shown on Stephanie’s clipboard) remember two things. 1) Use thing coats. Don’t worry – It will stick and too much is not a good thing. 2) Give plenty of drying time between coats, especially when you’ve used it as an adhesive underneath and before applying the top protective coat. If you do get a small bubble, you can try to roll it out with the brayer. If that doesn’t work just leave it. You will do more damage than good and the great news is that I have had this happen and after it dries the bubble disappears!

Title Pages

Wendy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:31:21 +0000

I use title pages to divide up my books. I organize my pages in chronological order. The title pages serve as a marker for myself and those that look through my books. It also saves me the worry of fitting so many pages in a book. I use 3D-ring binders so the pages can be easily moved around, added, and removed. When I fill a book I just start on the next one, instead of having one book specifically for 2007 and another for 2008 and overfilling them or running out of room. Title pages can be very simple and are a fun way to use up embellishments and paper that you’ve been struggling to find a use for.

Welcome to My Scrapbooking Blog!

Wendy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:04:52 +0000

Scrapbooking has become a very important part of my life, as a way to preserve the past for future generations and as a creative outlet. It’s time I can take for myself and can also be time spent with family and friends when we scrapbook together. I am starting this blog as a way to share my passion of scrapbooking, card making, stamping, and other paper crafts. There will be many helpful tips, ideas, and challenges to come!