(collective groan) Yes, this is a Christmas card. I know it is early but I need to get in the holiday mood for an article I am writing so I made a warm up card:
I played with some background stamps and I wanted a distressed look so I made a large distressing background stamp with plastic canvas and craft foam. Watch the short video to see how:
This is the background I made in the video:
To make the 3-D element on the card I punched 5 scallop circles and folded it in half, then opened them up and folded them in half again and pinched two of the folds together like so:
This card is quick enough to mass produce, plus i think the medallion would be cute on a tag or scrapbook page. All of the stamping I did on glassy photo paper with water based markers.
Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
Hi there! I have had many people ask me how I like my new Creatopia machine. Being that I won it (free) I am quite pleased with it, it is a fun new toy. The downside is that since I have been crafting a long time I have other tools in my arsenal that will do the same jobs as the Creatopia. Will I use my Creatopia every day or will I reach for my tried and true tools? I decided to create a card from start to finish with this new machine and video tape it so you can see how easy (or not) the machine is. Here are the cards I made:
The machine is versatile, I made these cards entirely with the machine, from cutting the cardstock and embossing to gluing it all together. Is it simpler that my normal methods? You be the judge.
Well, I don’t know if this machine fit’s my style of creating, it takes getting used to, I imagine I will always cut my paper with my 15-year-old Xacto paper trimmer and reach for my hot glue gun and double stick tape but I’m sure this machine would be just the ticket for a crafter just starting out or downsizing their tool chest. One thing I did not like was the wastefulness of the Stickz and Proctectz cartridges. They are expensive and you have to throw away a big huge chunk of plastic when you change the roll. I’d rather just replace the adhesive or laminating rolls. I did not get a laminating roll so I think when I run out of adhesive I am going to try to retrofit the old cartridge to hold clear contact paper for laminating. I’ll let you know how that goes:) Also I wish that the die-cutter was wider, the machine is 12″ wide so why is the die cutter only 6.5″ wide? I would still need another die cutter if I wanted to cut the large Spelbinders (not that I have any but still.) You can see a list of Creatopia tools and prices on the Xyron website and decide for yourself.
Bottom line, it is a good product but I’m not sure if it is for me. I’m grateful to have won it but I would not have bought it unless there were more embossing options at lower prices and less wasteful and cheaper consumables. Just because it is not the perfect fit for me does not mean it won’t be right for you. I just want to pass along my findings because I have gotten so many emails about my new toy. If you have any questions just leave a comment and I will try to answer them:) Til next time happy crafting!
OK crafters, today I am going to show you how you can make a fabulous stamping tool with duct tape, plexiglass, a plastic lid and a Popsicle stick! You can use it to make fabulous backgrounds like this:
Check out the video!
Then I realized a better way to use it so I could stamp a background so much faster, by putting many stamps on the block. The stamps need to be the same thickness so stick to all clear, or all cling otherwise the thinner stamps won’t hit the paper. I really recommend using a larger piece of plexiglass to make it. You can even go to a glass shop and ask if you can buy their scraps of plexi, they will likely just give them to you and the sizes would be perfect!
Here is the Lego page from the video.
I scrapped this at a crop the other day (talk about MacGyver crafting) I think I forgot just about anything I might need at home (letter stamps and stickers) so to make my title I cut 1/2″ strips of cardstock and fashioned them into crude block style letters. Then I used my eyelet setter punch to make small circles and glued them to my letters (seriously, I even had to borrow glue-thanks Lorraine!-I was such a mooch!) but hey, I liked the page and so did the kids and that is the whole point, get the photos in the album so the kids can look at them. My pages don’t have to be awesome (people put way too much pressure on themselves when they scrap) the fact that we are printing out our photos and preserving them is awesome, anything else is great but not necessary. YOU are awesome for just putting the pics in a book!
And this was my first attempt at using my kaleidoscope stamp machine gear thing:
Thanks so much for having a peek, I hope you try this fun technique, it will give you so many new looks for the stamps you already own! Til next time happy crafting!
Boy oh boy, am I ready for spring! I am using flowers everywhere and when I saw an advertisement for Basic Grey’s new loopy felt flowers I had to see if I could make them myself. How did I do?
They are fun, easy and only take seconds. All you need is craft store felt sheets, you know, the .25 cent kind and a pair of scissors and a dob of glue. Honestly, they cost about 2 cents each to make so why not give it a try. Watch the short video to see how:
Here are the written instructions: Fold a 1.5″ x9″ strip of felt in half the long way. cut slits every 1/8″ (you can use fringe scissors to speed things up) then roll up the strip and secure with hot glue. You can cut leaves from green felt and add them if you wish. If you want a flower with a round center just use a 1/2″x4″ strip of felt and roll that up into a coil then attach the folded fringed piece and roll as before. Easy peasy!
More tips!!!
I loved the background paper I made the other day, so much that I did not want to cover it up so I stamped a magnolia collage stamp on top. Here are some tips for stamping on pattern paper
1. Color the image with regular wax-based colored pencils (like Prismacolor or Crayola) the colors, especially the light ones, are opaque and will block out the pattern underneath. Color firmly to blend.
2. Frame the image by using a reverse mask. I used Post-It notes to make a frame around my stamped image and sponged (a make-up wedge works great!)on brown ink. When you remove the post it note you have a pretty frame just like magic and you can still see parts of your beautiful paper!
3. This probably goes without saying BUT, use a dark ink on a patterned background so it will show up 😀
One last tip!
Mix and match your frame and sentiment stamps for snazzy new looks! I have had this oval frame from Rubber Stampede for years, I love how well it pairs up with the Stampin Up stamps I just got this month. That oldie is not moldy anymore!
That’s all for today, I am having friends over to craft tonight so I must clean up the crap..er craft room! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
Howdy folks! I love paper flowers, they are as much fin to make as they are to use! Here is a card I made today using a flower made from a coffee filter:
Huh, I always seem to craft with bright colors on rainy days…I just realized that LOL! The paper I used is from MME and the stamp is from Purple Onion Designs. Check out this quick video to see how to make the flower from a coffee filter:
Here are the steps written out:
1. Cut a round coffee filter into a spiral. You can cut several at once because they are so thin.
2. Spray with ink or paint with watercolors and let dry.
3. Starting with the outside of edge of the filter, roll the filter up to make a flower fluffing and shaping as you twirl.
Hope you give this a try, it’s a cheap frill for your next card, tag or scrapbook page! Til next time happy crafting!
Happy Friday! I wanted to share a little tutorial with you today but first let me remind you that everything at Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff is 40% off now through Sunday!
12″x12″ Scrapbook Paper Storage Folders {How-To}
I needed a way to transport some 12″x12″ paper to a craft class without damaging it. I had purchased a package of 12″x12″ paper folders in the past but they were expensive and they were all currently in use so I tried to think of something I could cheaply make. “Ah-Ha!” I thought, I will make some file folders out of poster board! White poster board was on sale 5/$1 last week at ACmoore and I bought 5 sheets (I wish I bought more LOL!) Here’s how to make the folders:
Cut the 22″x28″ posterboard in half so you have two 14″x22″ pieces. I simply fold it in half then roughly cut along that line with scissors.
Score the poster board at 12″ and 12.25″ and fold. The second score line is optional, it will give you a gusset for a thicker stack of paper. While it is folded you can use a heavy-duty paper cutter to trim 1″ off the rough edge.
Round the corners and insert your papers. Since the front of the file folder is shorter you can see your papers!
If you want you can trim your folders on the edges so it is 12″ wide but I like having the extra protection on the edges for my paper. If you are feeling fancy you can stamp or collage on your folders to make them very chic! I love that these look good, do the job and only cost 10 cents each to make if you get the poster board on sale!
Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
I’ll admit I love the cool varnished scrapbook paper that has been popular the last couple of years. That little touch of glossy goodness is just the right accent for so many projects. Did you know you can forgo the expensive store-bought variety and make your own? Oh, yes, and it is very easy. I used some homemade varnished cardstock for the background of this card:
Stamp Credits: On card(Oriental Tradicng Co.), on bookmark/tag: Bottle cap (Inkadinkado), Alpha (PSX)
This is simple but perfect when you want a wee bit of subtle glam (subtle glam?!?) to add interest to a card or scrapbook. All you do is use clear embossing ink to stamp a design, sprinkle it with clear embossing powder and blast it with a beat gun. Here is how it looks on plain cardstock. Even though the ink and powder are clear it really shows up well and is guaranteed to match! You could add watercolors over the design too for a neat batik/resist look!
That is just the tip of the iceberg. You can use an embossing pen to color design elements on a sheet of patterned paper and clear emboss of a custom varnish look or stamp designs in color over a subtle patterned paper for a look that is tres chic!
Cool tip: Make your own wheel stamps with texture mats!
I was digging around in a drawer that had some old stamping tools and I came across my old rubber Sculpey and Amaco texture mats. They are designed to press polymer clay against to make cool textures or to use the Colorbox styluses with it make little custom stamps. Well, the Scupley brand ones are the same size as the Rollagraph/Stampin’ Around jumbo wheels and I happen to have a few dozen blank wheels around so I used double stick tape to attach it to a wheel and that is how I made the varnish background in the first card. I am committed to this idea now so I think I will attach the rubber to the wheels with rubber cement. The Amaco sheets are larger so they would need to be cut down to fit the jumbo wheels. Don’t you love it when you can find 2 uses for the same product?
I put a Sculpey texture mat on a blank Stampin' Around Wheel to stamp this background. An Amaco mat is pictured laying flat. Mmmmm, texture 😉
Another tip I have is to save the cut out parts from pretty die cuts. On both this card and tag I used the leftover inside swirl from the heart die cut from my Decorative Doilies SVG set:
I inked and shimmer misted the swirl on the card and I left it plain on the tag. Also another cheap trick: Place a strip of adhesive along the bottom of you card and pleat a strip of pretty paper along it, notch the ends and you have a cheap & chic border!
Oh, and one more tip! When making a tag for a gift think beyond the one-time use! This tag was purposely made flat so it can be used as a bookmark later.
I hope you can use some of these tips in your craftroom! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
Who needs black Friday when you can shop at home in your jammies? I myself plan to stay in my PJs til noontime today and work on some crafts with my kids 🙂 Hubby always has to work til 2pm on Thanksgiving so the kids and I watch the Macy’s parade and make stuff, it has kinda become a tradition! If you are looking for some fun crafts to make (SVGs, templates, digistamps, printables, etc) check out the 50% off sale today at Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff. Here is a fun SVG set I made for traditional 3-D snowflakes. I learned how to make the snowflakes traditionally but folding and cutting was tedious and time-consuming (it took me over 30 minutes to make 1) so I designed an SVG cutting file and now I can make these in 10 minutes, they are easy enough to make once you get the hang of it that my kids can make them and they are so pretty hung from fishing line like I did here:
I think I will add some glitter to them too. You can find the 3-D snowflake SVG kit here and it is 50% off today!
Don’t miss the 50% off sale at Lindsay’s stamp stuff AND MyGrafico today only. Happy Thanksgiving and til next time happy crafting!
Howdy folks! I have been on the lookout for a binding machine for quite some time now. Every year when I make my scrapbook calendar gifts for my parents & in-laws I wish I had a proper matching bu the problem was I couldn’t decide on what machine to get as they can be quite an investment. Also I wanted to make sure the consumables (binding wires/combs) were going to inexpensive and readily available forever. I did not want to buy a cute machine to find out it was discontinued and you couldn’t find wires for it. So I pretty much decided that whatever I bought would have to take standard binding combs. My Friend Tracey let me borrow her Bind it All (Zutter) and It was cute, small and punched well but the holes were too small to fit the standard office supply combs and you have to keep moving your paper and punching multiple times if your book was wider than 3″. That’s too time consuming and for a $75 investment I want to do it all in one shot. I looked at the Cinch by We-R-Memory Keepers too but it was pricey (as were the wires for it) and it was still to small to punch the length I wanted. Note: you can disengage any of the pins in the Cinch to make shorter books, a unique feature. What I ended up buying was this office style binding machine for $19.95 from MyBinding.com and I couldn’t be happier! Here is my first project:
I am not affiliated with mybinding.com, I just wanted you to know what I bought and where I got it incase you wanted one. The regular retail price said $109 (weird) but it was on sale for $19.95 + $15 S&H so I paid $34.95 and it arrived in a week. This machine worked with the standard binding combs I picked up at Staples and other discount stores. My combs cost between .02 and .18 each, not bad. I wanted to shoot a video to show you some different ways to bind your projects (with or without a machine) and also share with you one of my favorite Christmas gifts to make (A DIY scrapbook calendar) so if you have 13 minutes to kill why not have a look-see:
Here is a link to the FREE website where I print my calendar grids.
Also, I want to share the Chic Scrapbook Calender kit I created to make a scrapbook photo calendar, all you do is add your photos and print! You can use it year after year because there are no dates on the pages, you simply print out your calendar pages from a website such as the one mentioned above.
I hope I gave you a few ideas and information on book binding and choosing (or not) a machine to do it with. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will answer you. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
