Balzer Designs

Avalon Fix is Awesome!

This is a review I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that website a few weeks ago.

I first became acquainted with Avalon Fix about a year ago when I took a class with Jan Beaney. Jan is a fiber artist from the U.K. and you should check out her wonderfully textural embroidery if you get a chance.

Avalon Fix is a water-soluble stabilizer. In case you don’t know what stabilizers are, here’s a great article from Threads Magazine. Essentially, a water-soluble stabilizer allows you to stitch into it like fabric and then it disappears or melts away in water. It’s an easy way to make your own lace or free standing embroidered embellishments.

Avalon Fix has two unique characteristics that I love:

1. You don’t need a hoop.
Most of the water-soluble stabilizers I’ve worked with resemble a thin plastic film. In order to work with them, you need to stretch them in a hoop. Avalon Fix is more like a woven fabric. You don’t need to use a hoop. This opens up many issues of size and shape. And, there’s less waste. (Always an important consideration for the budget minded.) Further, it’s still thin enough to see through, so you can place a pattern underneath your Avalon Fix.

2. It’s adhesive backed.

A popular lace technique is to sandwich loose fibers between two layers of water-soluble stabilizers and stitch a grid. When you melt away the stabilizer, you are left with a wonderful lacy fabric. The downside is that you can’t really control where the fibers end up all that accurately. Because Avalon Fix is sticky, you can accurately place whatever material you want onto the stabilizer. Love that!

I like to use Avalon Fix to make these bracelets:

Here’s a step-by-step demonstration of how I use Avalon Fix:

1. Adhere it to your work surface (I’m working on a piece of glass) over your pattern, with the sticky side up.
2. Begin placing your fiber where you want it.
3. Continue to fill your shape – you can see that I used felt to create some circles.
4. Place another water-soluble stabilizer (I used Sulky Solvy) over your creation so that your needle doesn’t get caught. It will stick to the adhesive of the Avalon Fix.
5. Machine stitch to secure all the disparate items together.
6. Place the stitched item into a bowl of water – warm or cold it doesn’t matter.

The stabilizer will melt away and you will be left with your finished shape. You can now embellish and use it as you wish. You can see that I used it as the centerpiece of my necklace. I also made a matching pair of earrings.

I couldn’t find either prices or product info on the manufacturer’s website, however a web search revealed that you can purchase Avalon Fix for as low as $15 a roll. I buy mine at my local quilt shop for $20.

I haven't found another water-soluble stabilizer that performs in quite the way that Avalon Fix does.  I highly recommend it.

Adobe Photoshop CS3: An Overview

This is a review that I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that blog last month.

I first stuck my toe in the digital waters about two years ago. I was largely resistant to digital scrapbooking at that time, because I love the touch and feel of paper pages way too much to ever give them up! But, Photoshop Elements had been touted to me as the greatest tool a digital photographer can have. I had become frustrated with iphoto’s range of choices and was looking for a more advanced way to edit my photos.

So, I started fooling around with a free 30-day trial of Photoshop Elements (PSE). (You can download a full, working version of any of Adobe’s products for a free 30-day trial.) Despite the fact that PSE is not exactly intuitive (there is definitely a steep learning curve), I mucked around and managed to figure some stuff out. So, I bought the full version ($89.99) and happily edited my photos for about a year.

But once I became comfortable, I wanted more.

So, I started trying to do some digital pages. Just for fun, you understand. Just to see if I could figure it out.

While I managed to accidentally stumble into some good ideas, I knew I needed a book to really harness the power of this program. So, I bought Better Homes and Gardens’ The Ultimate Guide to Digital Scrapbooking because of a recommendation. I wrote a somewhat angry review of that book here. That book frustrated me to no end because many of the really “cool” digital tricks were things that could only be done in the full version of Photoshop ($649). (I have since learned that you can use PSE for most things, you just have to be a bit clever about it.)

So, I waited and waited and then a major coupon came my way! I jumped on the opportunity to buy Photoshop CS3 (PS CS3) at a deeply discounted price. And I have been happy as a clam ever since.

I wanted to share my journey with the program, so that you would know where I'm coming from. I'm not going to do a "review" of PS CS3, so much as provide you with an overview of what the program can do for us crafters. Here are just a few of the ways you can use Photoshop CS3 (and Photoshop Elements)…

BASIC FLASH ANIMATION

This is something that you can do in both PSE and PS CS3, but it’s not something that most people realize. If you’re planning on doing a lot of animation, you should buy a program like Flash. But for the occasional fun item, like the blinkie below, Photoshop does a great job!

PHOTO EDITING

Again, you can edit your photos in many, many programs. And both PSE and PS CS3 can do amazing things to photos. I edit all my photos in Photoshop before printing them. Check out this amazing before and after…

I actually did that in PSE before I bought Photoshop CS3, but it's a dramatic change, so I wanted to share it!

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING

Photoshop makes it quick and easy to create beautiful digital scrapbook pages. Here’s a recent page of mine:

HYBRID SCRAPBOOKING

And if you’re not sure you want to go all digi, you can always use Photoshop to help you with your hybrid (mixture of paper and digi) scrapbook pages. Check out my layout below:

I altered the photos and printed them onto transparencies.

CREATE YOUR OWN DIGITAL KITS

I have just recently started creating my own digital kits. Check out the kit preview below. I created the papers, embellishments, and even the preview itself in Photoshop CS3!

Everything that I've shown you so far can be accomplished in both PSE and PS CS3. So, here are two of the features that I love about PS CS3:

PATHS

The ability to create paths is one of the major reasons I decided to upgrade. (You cannot create paths in PSE.) Without getting too technical on you, a path is a vector line. And for crafters, one of the things we love about vector lines is that text will follow the line. In the example below, you can see that I’ve drawn a swirl shape, created a path, and now the text automatically follows that line!

Paths can also create a closed space which text will automatically fill. You can see in the example below that I drew a wonky tree shape and then typed my text. I didn’t hit “return” a single time. The path forces the text into the correct shape!

Here’s a digital layout where you can see that I used a path to get my journaling to fit on my page exactly. I traced the edge of the flowers and the edges of the page, created a path, and then just typed in my journaling! So easy!

ACTIONS

Actions are one of the coolest things around. Actions allow you to press a single button to complete a very complex task – anything from resizing a photo to inking the edge of an element. There are many sites out there that sell actions (many of which work in PSE, not just PS CS3). But, the only way to create your own actions is through PS CS3. For example, I love to take photos with my iphone, but I often find that the photos are somewhat dark and lifeless. So, I created an “iphone action” which makes several adjustments to the photo and all I do is touch a button.

This feature saves me lots and lots of time!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Photoshop CS3 is a professional level program. In all honesty, I probably use a tenth of its power. If you’ve never used Photoshop before, I highly suggesting downloading the free 30 day trial of Photoshop Elements. You should also buy a book or take a class because the learning curve can be very steep. If you find yourself using it a lot, then I highly recommend Photoshop CS3. I rarely digi scrap without using both paths and actions, two things found only in the professional level program.

A note about Mac vs. PC. Adobe develops for PC first, so the Mac version (particularly of Photoshop Elements) is a bit behind the PC version. Also, for some reason Adobe has created different interfaces for Mac and PC, so the screenshots and commands don’t always look the same. Even more frustrating, some of the Mac versions of PSE are missing things that are in the PC version. So when you buy a book or take a class, be sure that the author or instructor acknowledges these differences.

Wacom Tablet: A Rave Review

This is a review that I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that blog last week.

Several months ago, I began digital scrapbooking. I kept reading about this Wacom Tablet thing that people were raving about. And then a gal I scrap with brought her laptop and tablet to a crop. She let me try it out. I felt like a three-year-old learning to hold a pencil for the first time, but I was hooked!

I bought a Wacom Intuos 3 Graphics Tablet (6x8), which retails for $329. It is compatible with both Mac and PC (including Windows Vista). The box contains the following:

- Intuos3 6X8 pen tablet
- Intuos3 Grip pen
- Intuos3 five button mouse
- Pen stand
- Replacement nib set: 1 stroke nib, 1 felt nib, and 3 standard nibs
- CD with Quick Start Guide
- CD with tablet driver software for installation
- Software DVD, which includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 4, Corel Painter Essentials 3, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2 IE.

I have never used the mouse, the replacement nibs, Corel Painter or Nik Color Efex Pro. But, I use the tablet and pen every single time I open Photoshop.

Here’s how tablets work (regardless of the size or model): The pen tool becomes your mouse. Whatever you do with the pen and the tablet, your mouse does. But the really cool part is that the tablet is smart. If you pick up the pen and move it through the air to another area of the tablet, the mouse will follow! You do not need to drag it across the surface of the tablet.

My second favorite feature of the pen and tablet are the programmable buttons. You can program a series of keystrokes into each button. For instance, instead of having to choose “Layer>Arrange>Bring to Front” or type in the shortcut key strokes (“shift-open apple-closed bracket”), you can simply program one of the buttons on either the pen or the tablet and press it instead! This has made my life so much better! I am able to work more quickly and more efficiently, because I have programmed my most used combinations into my tablet.

This brings me to my only complaint: I wish that there were more programmable buttons. I recognize the ridiculousness of this request, but it doesn’t keep me from wanting more. They’re just so cool!

Beyond the fact that I enjoy using the pen tool and tablet, I have been able to do some very cool things that would have been very difficult, if not impossible, with a mouse. Check out these layouts…

Above: I drew the frame and the title. It's so great to be able to integrate your own handwriting into your digital work. Below: The pen allowed me enough control to create the unique (and very handmade looking) hearts on this layout.

Below: I created this layout without a single purchased digital element. From the paint to the handwriting to the doodles to the stitches, this layout was entirely created using my tablet!

Even if you don't draw, the tablet makes tasks like rotating and resizing significantly easier. Check out this layout:

From manipulating all those ribbons to creating the lace alphabet paper (a lot of rotating and sizing), my Wacom Tablet made it easy and ergonomic!

Let me add that I abuse my tablet. I drop crumbs on it. I travel with it (cram it into a backpack). I drop it. And yet, it still keeps ticking! I wouldn't advise abusing your tablet, but I wanted to let you know that it has taken a beating and survived.

The bottom line is that I cannot imagine doing any digital work without a tablet. If you're at all serious about digital scrapbooking, a tablet is a very good investment. They have less expensive versions, including the new Bamboo Fun, which is only $79.

Glimmer Mist Q&A

First up, some good news!  About three hours ago I had a layout picked up by Simple Scrapbooks for their January/February issue.  Yay!  And I got a copy of the October Memory Makers Magazine and you can see my first published digital layout on page 51!  Now, on to the rest...

This is an article I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that blog last week.

Q: What is Glimmer Mist?

A: Glimmer Mist is a glittery dye from Tattered Angels. It comes packaged in a spray bottle with a sticker showing the color of the contents.

Q: Why the sticker?

A: Glimmer Mist is basically dye with metallic pigment powders mixed in with it. You need to shake the bottle to get the powder to mix with the dye because it’s heavier and sinks to the bottom when left alone.  The color you see in the bottle is not accurate, check the sticker to see the true color of the Glimmer Mist.

Q: What does it look like?

A: With over sixty different colors to choose from, it’s hard to make a blanket statement. Generally speaking they’re very transparent, though I have found that the darker blues and browns tend to be a bit more opaque. Some of the lighter colors are almost completely transparent, adding just a bit of a sheen to your work.

Check out this layout:


I wanted the background paper to capture the feeling of New York. So I used a combination of water, walnut ink, Glimmer Mist, ink and crumpling to get that grungy but shiny and definitely aged feeling.

Q: Cool! So, what does it stick to besides paper?

A: Wood, metal, plastic, glass, photos, fabric, paint…almost everything I’ve tried it on! Here’s a canvas I made using Glimmer Mist:


Q: So I can use it on anything?

A: Well, yeah. But here’s the thing: It’s not waterproof. So, even after it has dried, if you spray it with water, it will start running again. So, if you’re using it for an altered piece or something that is going to be in any kind of weather or humidity, you need to seal it with something.

Q: Is it hard to use?

A: If you can use hairspray, you can use Glimmer Mist! It’s in a little pump spray bottle and you just push the button down and move across your project. Couldn’t be easier!

Q: Speaking of hairspray, I’ve heard that you can make your own using hairspray and pigment powders….

A: Yep, I’ve heard that too. But, with over 60 colors to choose from and such a reasonable price ($6.95 for 2oz), why bother?! Plus, I don’t love the idea of hairspray all over my stuff… And it's acid free, so if that is a concern for you, Glimmer Mist has you covered.

Q: 2 oz. doesn’t sound like a lot…

A: Trust me, I use my Glimmer Mists all the time and I still haven’t run out of a single color!

Q: Wow! That’s great! Is there anything else I need to know before I go out and buy a bunch of Glimmer Mist?

A: Nope! Just grab a bottle or two and start experimenting!

Among the comments I received over at Craft Critique, were the following concerns:

Michelle Adams said...

I heard good things about Glimmer Mist so I bought a couple of colors. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but it always comes out really blotchy for me. I never use mine. ;0(

Shelby said...

I've done the hairspray with the whatchamacallit before and it works beautifully... until the nozzle clogs. Sometimes you can unclog it, sometimes you can't. I'm wondering if the glimmer mist ever clogs up the nozzle like this?

Mari said...

While I dig the layout, I'm a little disappointed to see another Glimmer Mist plug. I actually own a bunch of GM (and other similar products) and find that GM is the one I reach for least often. I don't think you've addressed any of the negative aspects like inconsistent color, splotchy application, and clogged nozzles. And they're the most expensive of the bunch. Like I said, I own other brands that are much more user friendly - and less expensive!

Sorry, but I just don't see the critique part of this entry....

jules p said...

I have to agree...I don't see the critique of this product.

And the layout...well, the wording was not necessary. Along with that, it took away from your entire page and the product you were trying to tell us about. :(

Response From Me...

Personally, I haven't had a problem with the Glimmer Mist nozzles clogging or inconsistent color in the five months I've been using them.  As for splotchy application, that's absolutely true, but I always thought it was a feature of the product, not a downside.  I like the spattered look and it fits my style of scrapbooking.  That said, the farther away from your project you spray, the more fine the mist.  I haven't tried any of the similar products, so I don't have anything to compare to the Glimmer Mists.  But, I do use them a lot.  I feel that I should also mention that we are not usually provided with product to review at Craft Critique.  We have to use stuff we own and like.  Glimmer Mist didn't sponsor my Q&A, so it's really not a "plug."  Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!

And now for something Sultane!  I used the Art Nouveau collection, which is all black and white papers...

 

 

I think it would have been better with black and white photos, but c'est la vie!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday's Monster Post

Today, I've got a monster post for you with a lot of stuff to share!

1. Good News

I submitted a layout to a last minute call by Scrapbook News & Review.  It was my first time submitting to this ezine and they picked up a recent layout for their August issue.  Yay!

2. Craft Critique

I've said it before and I'll say it again, you *must* check out Craft Critique for their CHA photos and news. It's so great to have it all in one place!  The thing that interested me most was this post.  They're moving CHA-Summer to Florida and adding two days of consumer shopping!  Well, it might not be shopping, but two days that regular people (as opposed to retailers and designers) can walk the show floor.  Whoa!  That's a big change and I'm very curious to see how it all pans out.

3. Crop at K&P

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday you should come and hang out at My Kits & Pieces.  We're having an online crop and there are a bajillion fabulous games, challenges (some of them are already up), and chats.  I'll be hosting a digi/hybrid chat on Saturday evening at 7pm Pacific/10pm Eastern, so be sure to stop by!  I'm also offering a FREE online class, so check the message board for that!

4. July Projects for Just Let Me Scrapbook

Just Let Me Scrapbook always had the greatest prices around!  Especially because she's always running an *amazing* sale!  She just got in a bunch of new Prima stuff and the Making Memories Noteworthy line, so I'm itching to let my fingers do some shopping!  In the meantime, here are my July projects for the store:

I made this layout at a crop I went to on Friday night with the Manhattan Scrapbookers.  One of the gals there gave me some lovely acrylic paints, so I had to try them out!  The paper is K&Co., the rubber buttons are from KI Memories, and those fabulous letters are from Doodlebug.  Lately, I am in love with all of Doodlebug's alpha stickers.  They're just fabulous!  The scan is kind of blown out, but the gist of it is that these photos were taken about 72 hours apart.  The top is my Mom (in CA with her sister) with her tongue out. The bottom is me (with my Mom in MA) with my tongue out.  Like mother like daughter.

 
After seeing the sneak peeks of Tinkering Ink's new Beadles, I had to make some of my own!  I've made lots of paper beads before, but I always coated them with Mod Podge or Diamond Glaze or something like that.  I tried using resin once, but it got messy and smelly.  So, when I read that Tinkering Ink was coating theirs with UTEE, I decided I'd try UTEE too!  Well, it's hard to see from the photo, but the finish is glossy and glass like and very, very hard.  I'm extremely pleased with the results.  I used K&Co. paper sprayed with a bit of Glimmer Mist for the bead base.

This one was inspired by the One Little Word Challenge.  This week's word is "if."  My page centers around an absolutely fabulous poem (one of my faves) by Rudyard Kipling entitled "If."  It's definitely worth a read!

5. July Projects for Amanda Dykan

Amanda has a fabulous mini kit for sale at her new site: AmandaDykan.com.  It's called Come What May.  Here's the preview...

And here are my layouts:

And she made some additions to her fabulous Pemberly Kit.  Here's the preview:

And two layouts from me:

I put a series of brushes at 28% opacity over the yellow paper (same as the top layout) to give it a very different look!

I think that's all for now!  (I know, it's a lot!)  Check back on Friday when I'll have a tutorial up for putting text on a photo using Microsoft Word!  Thanks for stopping by!

Reeves Gouache: A Review

This is a review that I originally wrote for Craft Critique.  I thought I'd share it here too....

Favored by illustrators, gouache is commonly known as “the opaque watercolor.” I came by my set of 24 tubes by Reeves through a bad review. A woman that I scrapbook with brought them in (barely touched) with the pronouncement that they were there for the taking as she didn’t like them. Reeves gouache is considered student-grade and therefore quite inexpensive. A set of 24 tubes retails for around $14.99. So, do I agree with my friend’s assessment? Well, I took them for a test drive when I made the layout seen here.

I painted the clouds, sun, rainbow, and title on separate pieces of paper experimenting with different painting techniques (lots of water, little water, textured paper, flat paper) and experimented with drawing on the painted surfaces with both a black pen and white pen.  Here are my conclusions:

• The Reeves gouache behaved very much like acrylic paint.
• I had some issues with flaking and chipping when I used a heat gun to speed drying (something I often do with watercolor and acrylic paint, but they don’t chip).
• I had a few issues with the tubes of paint:
  • The cap broke on one tube when I tried to close it.
  • One tube developed a hole in the bottom.
  • Two of the tubes had slightly explosive reactions when I opened them. The paint came flying out without my having squeezed them.
• I liked having the ability to blend the paints (like on the clouds) if I wanted, but they also kept their integrity (like on the rainbow).
• The colors are rich and brilliant.
• The paint dries to a nice smooth finish, even on textured paper.

All in all, I think that you get what you pay for. This is a nice starter set of gouache. It’s cheap enough to allow for the curious to explore the wide world of gouache. Most of my quibbles are with the tubes. I feel very frustrated that on a first outing of these paints I had so many issues.

ETA: Craft Critique is off to CHA!  Check out the blog for links, photos and more all week long!  Also, check out the Portrait Bug blog as each member of the design team is introduced this week!

A Book Review: Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking

This is a book review that I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that blog last week.

If you have ever thought about doing anything with Photoshop Elements, you must buy Patty Debowski’s book, Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking & Card-Making with Photoshop Elements. 

It’s a long and inelegant title, but this is the first book I’ve ever seen that covers absolutely everything in plain English. The monster manual-style book (it’s 384 pages) comes with a DVD, which is packed with digital elements, actions, brushes, and coupons for lots and lots of discounts.  In her introduction to the book, Patty writes, “Learning to digi-scrap, for me, was a very long and frustrating experience.  I spent many hours surfing the web and reading anything on the subject I could get my hands on….After buying every book available on Photoshop Elements, I finally found a Photoshop Elements Adult Education class.  The books and class taught me how to edit my photos and make slide shows, not how to make a scrapbook page or a card.”  Thus, this book was born.

Here’s what you’ll find in the book:

•    Beautiful color screen shots.
•    Easy to follow step-by-step directions.
•    A comprehensive index.
•    Keyboard shortcuts.
•    A scrapbooker’s perspective.

The book is divided into the following sections:

•    Questions Every new Digi-Scrapper Has
In this section, Patty covers topics such as “Why Photoshop Elements” or “If You’re Using a Mac.”
•    Getting Started
Patty covers the basics on installing Photoshop Elements.
•    Equipment
Patty covers Cameras, Computers, Scanners, Printers, and Wacom Tablets.
•    Organizing Your Photos, Digi-Kits, Ideas, Time & Extras
This is just what the title describes.
•    The Really Technical Stuff
In my opinion, this is the beginning of what sets Patty apart from other authors.  She explains it all: “What’s a Pixel?”  “How Big Are My Images?”  “How Do I Resize a Scrapbook Page To Upload To A Online Gallery?”  And so on.
•    The Photoshop Elements Editor
This section is all about shortcuts.
•    Tools, Commands, & Tips
Sections in this chapter include “Tools That Move You Around” and “Tools That Make Shapes.”  Patty really thinks the way a scrapbooker does and so each chapter is organized that way.  And it’s great as a reference book because I can just look up, “Tools That Erase” or whatever else I’m having an issue with.
•    Layers
Patty covers absolutely everything you would ever want to know about layers in this chapter, from linking layers to clipping masks.
•    Filters & Blending Modes
Through lots of helpful screenshots, Patty shares what every single Filter and Blending Mode in Photoshop Elements does!
•    Fixing Your Photos Quickly
This is a very brief section on the “Quick Fix” feature in Photoshop Elements.
•    Design, Color, & Journaling
This is a brief overview of some common sense design principles and contains some helpful links to a variety of scrapbooking and card-making sites.
•    How to Do The Basics
As you might expect, this section covers how to create a basic scrapbook page or card.
•    Templates
This sections opens with “What is a Template?” and continues by explaining how templates work, how to create a template, how to use various templates, etc.
•    Cool Stuff to Do With…
Love the title of this section!  Basically, Patty covers, “Cool Stuff to Do With Text, Shapes & Mats” – such as multi-colored text and embossing words in a photo – “Cool Stuff to Do With Brushes” – such as make your own brushes and how to make a rubber stamp looking brush – “Cool Stuff to Do With Color” – such as change a color photo to black and white and tinting a photo – “Cool Stuff to Do With Photos” – such as change your photo into a puzzle and how to make a magazine or book cover.
•    Shopping, Downloading, & Installing
Among other things, Patty takes you through the various steps involved in downloading scrapbook kits and installing them on your computer.
•    Printing Your Pages & Cards
Patty reviews the pros and cons of printing at home or commercially.

For the sake of full disclosure, I feel that I should share that this book was sent to me by Patty when I became a member of the Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine Dream Team.  I already knew the basics of digi and hybrid scrapbooking, but she really took my work to a whole other level.  I use this book as a desktop reference and whenever I get stuck, I use the index to un-stick myself. 

Patty has a great website and she offers free weekly tips and tricks on the Scrapbook Dimensions blog.

I highly recommend Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking & Card-Making With Photoshop Elements ($39.99).  It is the most comprehensive digi-scrapping book I have ever read. 

Here are a few digi pages that I recently created:

Sultane Giveaway

Yesterday, I posted the following article over at Craft Critique:

You’ve probably never heard of Sultane. But, by the time you finish reading this article, I guarantee you’re going to want some!

Sultane is a brand new French paper manufacturer. They have come out with two releases so far. Both releases are of beautiful, thick, double-sided paper. All of the paper comes in two sizes, the 12x12 that we are used to here in the U.S. and a smaller 7.5x12 size and is sold together in a collection. As the website says (rough translations from the French) Sultane’s paper, “was born of a simple idea: offer quality paper with high weight and of the highest quality. A pack to offer more for the same price!”

Personally, I think that their designs are fresh and innovative. I love the colors and I know I’m going to overuse this word, but the quality is amazing. It’s almost cardstock weight, but with a more glossy and flexible finish. The paper cuts beautifully (a big plus for anyone using a die cut machine or punches) without any of the usual hairy pulp edges. And, I really like that the paper is double-sided. It makes it easy to use for mini-books, cards or altered items – where both sides may show – and allows me many more options while scrapping. Sultane’s first collection is called “Duo Deco” and consists of bright colors and bold patterns. I particularly like the undulating tone on tone colors in some of the papers. Here are some layouts I created with this collection:

Sultane’s second collection (to be released this month) is called “I Dream of Flowers.” It is a lovely and romantic, monochromatic collection of reddish browns and pinks. Here are some layouts I created with this collection:
Sultane’s website is top notch. You can see some truly stunning work from the design team there. I particularly love the work by Andrea Gomoll and Graziella Carteron. Amazing stuff!

Because I am on the design team for Sultane, I have a little treat for you! You can win some of their fabulous paper simply by leaving a comment at my post on Craft Critique. Tell me what you like about Sultane (and be sure to include your e-mail). I’ll be posting a randomly drawn winner here on this blog next Wednesday (February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day).

If you are interested in purchasing some Sultane for yourself, you can do so through many online retailers. A complete list can be found here.

Two Reviews

I thought I'd share the two most recent reviews that I wrote for Craft Critique.

FISKARS ROTARY TRIMMER

About a year ago, I wrote an article about my love/hate relationship with paper trimmers. You can read it here. A lovely woman named, Cheryl, read it and sent me a Fiskars Rotary Trimmer. She is one of the Fiskateers – a group of four women who host a website dedicated to Fiskars love. It’s a lovely community (I’m mostly a lurker there) and you should check it out if you get a chance. But, I digress….

I was thrilled when the trimmer arrived. I unwrapped it and immediately started to use it.

Ugh.

Yuck.

Ick.

Photos kept slipping. The trimmer was bigger than I was used to. The measurement arm extender thing folded out from the top rather than the bottom. I just wasn’t happy.

But, a funny thing happened as I kept using it. That trimmer and I started to get along! And here’s why:

1. This is the first trimmer I’ve ever owned where you can actually see where you’re cutting! Seriously! It’s amazing. You drop a clear guard and the rotary blade cuts right at the guard’s edge. I love that.

2. I have never replaced the blade. One year and counting. It still cuts photos and paper cleanly.
3. The face of the trimmer has a grid – which makes lining paper and photos up straight super easy. The grid is on both sides of the blade, so cutting small pieces is very easy!

4. The trimmer has rubber feet that grip the table.

5. For those of you who are safety minded (little kids around, etc.), the trimmer has a lock which keeps the rotary blade and arm locked down.

My only gripes are:

1. I'm annoyed at where they put the break in the ruler (where the arm thing comes out). It is in a really inconvenient place (at 4.25"), but I'm not sure where else they could have put it

2. The trimmer cuts straight about 90% of the time. Part of it is user error. I often find that the photo or paper is stuck to the face of the trimmer and needs to be adjusted carefully. I'd like it to cut straight 100% of the time.

This is the same trimmer that Heidi reviewed on Tuesday and I think her side-by-side comparison to the old Fiskars trimmer is spot on. Like her, I would definitely recommend this trimmer to someone looking for a portable trimmer. It’s my go-to choice these days! My advice is to stick with it past your initial impression. I think it's worth the wait.

LIFE ARTIST BY ALI EDWARDS

Ali Edwards is one of the best known and most widely celebrated scrapbookers in the world. Life Artist is her third book, and in my opinion points to all the many reasons she is so popular.

The book is divided into eight chapters:

1. It is Okay

In this chapter, through project examples and text, Ali (as she is known through the world of scrapbooking), gives you permission to “repeat what works for you” and “to use what you have on hand,” along with six other prompts. Each two-page spread features an “okay statement” and projects that illustrate that principle. Ali writes in a very chatty and personal style and all the projects are examples from her own work.

2. Go With the Flow

This chapter is set up in a similar fashion as the first one. The topic this time is finding inspiration. Ali provides eight ways in which she finds inspiration and details them for you. Several of the prompts also include “Life Art Challenges” in which Ali challenges you to experiment with a certain form of inspiration.

3. Simplify

As the title suggests, this chapter is all about ways to keep scrapbooking simple. Building off of the previous two chapters, Ali continues to extol the idea that there is no “right” or “wrong” in scrapbooking. She shares some of the ways in which she has kept things simple, including the very famous Christmas card page that took the internet by storm at the beginning of last year (2007).

4. Celebrate the Everyday

In the introduction to this chapter, Ali shares that documenting everyday life has led her to a deeper understanding of herself. She shows you eight ways to capture everyday moments for yourself. Ali provides tips on taking photos, some page ideas, and plenty of beautiful examples from her own scrapbooks. In my opinion, this chapter is the basis of the idea of a “Life Artist.”

5. Take a Risk…and Play

Ali provides seven prompts in this chapter. The first is to play with digital and the last is to do something that’s the opposite of what you usually do. Each of the prompts is followed by one or two examples of ways in which Ali has experimented. And some of the projects, do feel a bit different from the rest of her work.

6. Embrace Imperfection

Ali opens the chapter by stating, “The bottom line: Imperfection is reality.” And as you might expect, the chapter is about embracing those imperfections. Ali provides a number of prompts, projects, and some new “Life Artist Challenges” to help you get over your fear, accept the layouts you hate, and embrace the blurry photographs.

7. Find Your Own Voice and Tell Your Story

This chapter could also be titled, “Why It’s Important to Journal.” Ali gives you permission to be yourself, encourages you to scrapbook the bad times, and reminds you that you are special and unique and need to tell your story. Basically, to put yourself and your perspective into your journaling, so that’s it’s really from you.

8. Life Art Workshop

In this final chapter, Ali provides five of her favorite projects (detailed with photos and some general how-tos) and a collection of several “Life Artist Challenges” to encourage you to try your hand at becoming a “Life Artist.”

There is nothing mind blowing in Life Artist. There are no projects that make your jaw drop and have you wondering how she did that. There’s nothing over the top. Rather, it’s a book full of nurturing and gentle encouragement. It’s a book that reminds you why scrapbooking is so cool and what the point is.

If scrapbooking can be likened to real life, I feel a bit like a world traveler. I love the adventure of new sights and new sounds. I love tasting foreign cuisines and often fantastize about living somewhere exotic. But, no matter how grand the adventure, after months away, it’s so lovely to come home and sit down with some comfort food.

Life Artist feels like coming home.

Even if Ali’s style isn’t yours, even if you’ve been scrapbooking forever, and especially if you’ve ever thought scrapbooking wasn’t for you anymore, check out Life Artist. Through her simple, straightforward journaling and beautiful graphic style, Ali will renew your spirit and have you itching to create!

The Klic-N-Kut: A Year Later

This is an article I wrote for Craft Critique. It appeared on that site last Tuesday.

In March 2007, I wrote a review of the Klic-N-Kut (KNK). I had used the machine for a few months and wrote it from that perspective – a beginner’s take on the KNK. You can read that review here.

Well, I’m considerably further along the curve now! I’m telling you, this machine gets better and better with use. I keep learning new things every time I use it. Here’s what I can tell you:

• I’m using my KNK on my Mac. This requires me to use it with Parallels (a program that opens Windows within a section of my Mac). Several of my user problems stem from the fact that I find Windows utterly bewildering.

• KNK Studio (the program that comes with your machine) is not intuitive. However, they are improving the help section every day.

• You MUST be computer savvy to operate this machine and get at its full potential. Most people can probably operate the machine after a few tries, but to really use the program – design your own stuff, alter clip art, etc. I think you need to be fairly computer savvy. Experience with Photoshop or Illustrator would certainly be beneficial.

• My KNK will cut projects up to 13”x118.” That’s amazing!

• I bought a clear quilting mat from Joann’s Fabrics that has revolutionized my KNK cutting. The grid pattern on the mat makes it so easy to line up the paper and the machine. I highly recommend it to anyone with a KNK.

• I can literally cut anything I want! I can draw an image in KNK Studio, or import it from Photoshop, or import a scanned image, etc. You are limited only by your imagination and technical savvy.

• The KNK will cut fabric, foam, chipboard, and paper. However, to cut fabric, foam, or chipboard you need a fairly sharp blade. I haven’t changed my blade since I bought the machine (over a year) and paper cuts fine. It’s a bit tough going when it comes to other materials, though.

Rather than just talking at you, I thought I’d share three recent projects that demonstrate the KNK’s abilities.

WHAT I DID: I created the “Julie John Heart” paper (in the style of KI lace paper) and the heart embellishment using my KNK.

KNK PROS: Two fabulous features of the KNK are kerning and welding. Kerning allows the user to adjust the space between letters.

Welding allows the user to link shapes that touch or overlap together into a single image.

So basically, I just created the various words I wanted, adjusted the kerning, added some hearts and welded all of it together. Super simple and the results are just fabulous!

KNK CONS: I wish that there were an easier way to zoom in and out. It gets tedious to keep having to manually adjust the zoom when you’re working small and big, small and big, small and big, and so on.

LESSON LEARNED: When cutting delicate and intricate shapes, slow the speed down on your KNK to avoid tearing and keep the cut sharp. Also, make the image 11x11 rather than 12x12 to avoid going off the edge of the paper by accident.

WHAT I DID: I imported an image of the waffle house

and converted it to a KNK file,

and then cut it! Please note, what you are seeing is yellow cardstock through holes cut in the black carstock.

KNK PROS: One of the KNK’s biggest selling features for me, was the ability to cut absolutely anything I wanted. And KNK makes it super easy with their “Scan and Trace Wizard.” The user is able to take any clip art or font and import it into KNK with a few clicks.

KNK CONS: The KNK converts line drawings as two lines to cut (one inside and one outside). I wish that it would just convert the lines. Instead, you must create a solidly filled image.

LESSON LEARNED: To get through cardstock, I think it looks cleaner if you cut twice gently rather than cut on the highest pressure setting and risk tearing the paper or not cutting all the way through.

WHAT I DID: I used my KNK to cut the circles to make the flowers.

KNK PROS: The KNK makes it super easy to cut an entire sheet of the same shape. There is a command that allows you to tile your canvas with a shape. In this instance, I created one, one-and-a-quarter-inch circle and then commanded my KNK to cut a sheet of them. Very easy! Each of the flowers needs nine circles, so this made it much easier than punching or using a circle cutter!

KNK CONS: If you want a shape other than the basic circle, square, or star, you have to import it. KNK comes with a selection of clip art (3900 images), but most of it is geared towards sign makers rather than scrapbookers.

LESSON LEARNED: You can adjust the space between shapes, so that you can fit even more on the page!

If you’re looking for a machine that’s one step beyond a normal die cutting machine and you’re technically savvy, then the KNK is for you! A year later, I am very happy with my KNK and would definitely buy it again!