The idea is to get a year of your life recorded in some way. Every week for one year, participants will create something inspired by an event, a thought, or an emotion from that week.
Time for another edition of tutorials from the web! Here are a few of the fantastic tutorials I've run into from amazing crafters all around the internet:
The big October reveal was last night and I thought it would be fun to share my process for working with my Label Tulip kit while I share my layouts.
STEP ONE: Unpack the kit.
I unpack my kit. If I bought an add-on kit or anything like that, I
unpack it too. I put all of the embellishments into a shoebox.
That way when I open packages or try things out, nothing gets lost.
The paper goes in one big pile. Once I start to cut work on the kit, leftover scraps of paper will go in the shoebox too.
STEP TWO: Work on "The Lift."
Every month the Tulip Girls are supposed to scrap a page inspired by a member's page. One of the Tulip Girls chooses a page and we all turn in our own versions. Honestly, I used to just make my layouts and then figure out which one most closely resembled the page we were supposed to lift. But lately, I've been trying to make an effort to actually lift the layout. Here is this month's:
It's by Mette. I made a couple small sketches based on her layout.
You can see that the top sketch is very much the design of her layout and the bottom one is a (small) step away. And here's the layout I ended up creating:
It's not exactly what I sketched, but you can see the sketch's and Mette's influence. Here's a close up of some of the details along the left edge:
Another one of the reasons that I work on the lift first is because I find it difficult. So, I want to make sure that I have the maximum amount of supplies open for my use.
By the way, if your layout is chosen to be lifted, you get a $10 gift certificate to Label Tulip!
STEP THREE: Work on the Monthly Challenge!
Every month, the design team coordinator (this is my first month getting to do it!) issues a challenge to the design team, which then gets opened up to the Label Tulip community. Here's the challenge I issued this month:
Choose a tutorial from *any* of the
tutorials in the Label Tulip Tips/Techniques forum and use it on a
project! Note: But not a tutorial that you wrote! Pick something new to
you!
I'm a technique-a-holic, so it's no surprise that my first challenge is technique based, right? I chose this tutorial on embossing aluminum foil. And truth be told, I sort of followed the tutorial's instructions and I sort of didn't. I mean, I basically did with a few twists. Anyway, here's my embossed tinfoil:
And the layout I put it on:
Another two-pager! I seem to make at least one two-pager every month. It's good. I like having the extra space.
If you'd like to play along and join in the challenge fun, you can! All the info is in the Label Tulip forum. The winner gets a $10 gift certificate to Label Tulip!
STEP FOUR: Use Up That Kit!
This is the fun part. I just use the kit until I run out of (a) time, (b) inspiration, or (c) kit. No rules, no requirements, just making layouts! Here are the two layouts I finished before I ran out of "a."
All the flowers on this layout are actually part of a single Prima rose. I sprayed it with spray ink to pull it apart and was left with individual paper flowers. The centers are scraps of dupioni silk that I stitched down.
I did some old school doodling along the edge of this layout.
But I most love the "inlay" of red cardstock. I cut out the center of
the blue scalloped paper so that it would fit into my typewriter.
Then, I trimmed it down a bit extra, mounted it onto red cardstock and
re-inserted it into the middle. The result is the cool red border.
STEP FIVE: Paperwork.
Ick. This is the part that takes forever and ever and ever. Once I've finished the layouts, I have to go down this check list:
Scan layout.
Resize for blog.
Resize for Label Tulip gallery.
Photograph layout details.
Resize photos for blog.
Resize photos for Label Tulip gallery.
Type up supply list.
Type up journaling.
Type up notes/technique information.
Send layout to Jen.
And so I repeat that process for each and every project. Not fun, but totally necessary.
And that's it! I just have to slip the pages into page protectors and then into albums and I'm done!
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you have any questions!
PS: Technique-a-Palooza starts today! You can still sign up here.
Technique-a-Palooza is back! (You can still purchase a download of the original Technique-a-Palooza here. But, it isn't a requirement for this class.)
This time around, it's all about paint and ink!
30 Days. 30 Dollars. 30 Paint & Ink Techniques.
From October 16 - November 14, 2009, I will take you on a journey through THIRTY fabulous papercrafting techniques using paint and ink. You'll learn techniques using watercolor, acrylic, gesso, water soluble crayons, ink pads, and mists!
Not only will the class include a new paint or ink technique every single day for thirty days, but you'll also get tips on drying paper, layering paint and ink, and ideas for how you can use them in your scrapbooks, cards, art quilts, and mixed-media projects!
The class will be hosted on a private password protected blog, similar to the one you see here.
Each technique will be shown on video, along with a downloadable .pdf with text only instructions. I will be available to answer any and all questions throughout the class period. And, the private blog will be available to you for a full year!! So, no need to rush through class. Work at your own pace. You've got plenty of time!
As a special treat, I've left the last two techniques open. On the first day of class, I'll take suggestions of techniques you'd like to learn. On the second day of class, we'll vote. And the last two techniques we learn will be the top two vote getters! I'm really excited to see what you want to learn!
It's no secret that I love and adore spray ink of any kind. But, my first love was Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.
Old packaging on the left and the newer packaging on the right.
I remember when I first discovered Glimmer Mist. My friend Cheryl and I were headed to a weekend crop in New Jersey. We decided to take full advantage of the rental car and visit some local scrap stores in Jersey. One of them had a large display of it.
I was intrigued.
I bought a few bottles and put them in my crop bag.
Well, I could NOT stop spraying all weekend long! I was a Glimmer Mist maniac! It was totally addictive. You could add the slightest hint of color and shine to absolutely anything. The darker colors gave everything a wicked painted look that I loved.
In many ways, I mark that crop as the beginning of my obsession with paint. I had used paint before, but that's where it really became an integral part of my layouts.
During the crop, I bought several more bottles, along with some Glimmer Screens (stencils).
Whenever I have extolled the virtues of Glimmer Mist, I've heard complaints: the nozzle clogs, the colors aren't intense enough, my paper buckles, etc. All of this is true. There are some things you can do to help, though...
To keep the nozzle from clogging, don't shake the bottle upside down. Use a side to side motion. That works for me.
The darker colors are more intense than the lighter ones (duh), but you can also spray in layers (drying with a heat gun in between).
To flatten your paper, use a household iron on the cotton setting. Or spray the other side with water. It should even out the tension of wet vs. dry.
But, now I've discovered an even better way to solve many of these problems! (With a few added bonuses!) You can make your own Glimmer Mist quite easily and inexpensively. This is a technique that Tim Holtz shared with us at Ranger U.
Supplies Needed:
Mini Mister (or other spray bottle)
Distress Ink Re-Inker
Perfect Pearls (This is important because Perfect Pearls have a binder in them so the sparkle stays and doesn't rub off. If you use another powdered pigment product, you will have to add some sort of binder to it - gum arabic, hairspray, etc.)
Water
Popsicle Stick
It's so simple to do:
1. Put a scoop (or two) of Perfect Pearls into the empty Mini Mister.
You can use a popsicle stick to scoop. It's really just a pinch of Perfect Pearls. You can see the amount I've put into the Mister in the photo above. Hardly anything.
The more Perfect Pearls you put in, the more shiny your spray will be. And you can use gold, silver, copper, green, blue, whatever color of Perfect Pearls you'd like. It will color your mist a bit, which is fun.
(You'll notice that my Mini Mister is slightly blue. The last color of mist I had in it was blue. But, it's completely clean, which is important.)
2. Put several drops of re-inker into your Mini Mister.
You can use as much or as little as you want. I like to use one dropper full.
3. Add water.
Be careful not to fill it up to the top because you will need to shake it up (to mix the Perfect Pearls, which settle at the bottom).
4. Shake that mist and you're ready to spray! Here's what the mist looks like:
I sprayed quite close to the paper (that's why you see the large spray of color with the small dots surrounding it). If you spray from farther away, you'll get a finer mist.
I like to make my own custom colors and keep a page in my notebook for jotting down combinations I particularly like. One of my favorites is a kind of clear glimmer spray, made by mixing several scoops of Perfect Pearls and water - no reinker.
Here are a few layouts I've done recently with homemade Glimmer Mist:
I'm loving these quick, messy, totally un-fancy pages! I'm using up my scraps and leftovers. But, I'm also getting the chance to work with supplies I've been hoarding forever. I rarely scrap for myself anymore (sadly), so it has been great fun to have the chance to work with whatever supplies I want! And I've fooled around with a few techniques and gotten some great ideas!
So, here is the (very long) show and tell of what the album looks like so far. I've tried to include plenty of "before&afters," along with some information about how I put together each page.
Before is on the left. After is on the right. Generally. Sometimes it's before is above and after is below. You'll figure it out.
The addition of black embellishments (lace, frame, heart, star) really changes the feeling of the page. And because the photo has so much black in it, it really works.
Notice how I cut the top of the page to follow the lines of heart and the star.
And, it's hard to see in the photo, but there's some Glimmer Mist (stenciled circles) underneath the heart and star. Spraying on top of paint (because it doesn't absorb the ink) almost always requires a heat gun to speed the drying process. Otherwise it takes forever!
I originally had a yellow thicker inside that "2," but it didn't work color wise, so I outlined it and pulled it off.
One of the things I love about albums made with book rings, is that you can really integrate new stuff into each page. Notice how the photo overlaps with the hole. You just punch a new hole whenever you cover the old one up!
On the left, I didn't have enough stickers to make it through the word "rootbeer." So, I just drew in the ones I was missing!
Again, I went right to the edge with the photos and just punched new holes. I know I've said it before, but I think it's important to use the edges of your page. It helps to create movement and gives a page energy!
On the right, this was a new trick for me. I cut the number "3" out of the photo. I drew it on there and then took a pair of scissors and hacked away. I love the way it looks! Notice that I also outlined the edges of the "3" with a gold pen. Just a bit of shimmer on a sunny day.
The large "home" on this page is an homage to this famous artwork.
This page couldn't be simpler. I wrote on my photo (and the page) with a Sakura Pigma Micron.
And speaking of running off the page and at the edges, notice how I placed my photo at the very tip top of the page? It's almost like the building continues up and past the page!
People never believe me when I say that I'm not a good painter. I just slap the paint on. It's the addition of layers that makes it look good. I'd say that's evident from this before&after shot, right?
I stamped the journaling squares on leftover scraps of patterned paper. One of my all time favorite stamps sets, by the way. It's from 7gypsies and called, "Take Note." You can see it here.
On the left, you can see that I repeated the same formula that I used on the front side - photos with journaling squares on patterned paper.
Long ago, I read one of Ali Edwards' books, A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking. She says something in that book that has really stuck with me for years. Basically, she talks about how creating "containers" for things can make the most disordered pages orderly. And she's absolutely right. The messy little photos. The random background. The mismatched patterned papers. But, it all works together because it's "contained" in a 2-square-by-3-square grid.
On the right, the "5 page" is packaging from the back of some Jenni Bowlin chipboard buttons.
You can see it a little more easily in these photos (above).
I placed my photos so that they ran off the edge, flipped the page over and cut away the excess photo so that it would follow the line of the page.
Also, I hole punched a folded receipt from dinner and just placed it into the binding. If I want to read it, I can pull it out of the ring later. In the meantime, it's a fun element.
Above, you can see the back of that little page. When I put the book together, I put patterned paper across the back (see it below). To finish the page, I simply added photos and text.
I love the page on the right! Love, love, love it!
I used a bit of UnDu to pull up the edge of the long tag thing that runs across the page. I placed my photo behind it.
The letters are ancient Heidi Swapp letters that I found at the bottom of a file folder. They look fantastic. I'm going to try to figure out if I can still get them anywhere, because I really love the way they look!
On the bottom left, you can see my receipt (and NOT my ticket) from the train. You know, I rarely include ephemera on my pages these days. But, this little project is helping me get back into that. I think it's awesome!
I think that these two pages (above) win "most transformed," don't you?
On the left, I placed a 4x6 photo across the top of the page. I like the way the green painting seems to extend the grass of the lawn.
Originally, I was going to put the journaling tag below the photo. But it's not a very interesting photo. To make it less passive and more active, I inserted a portion of the journaling tag onto the photo.
At the bottom of the page, you can see three little gray photos. I decided not to edit them or brighten them, but just leave them as they are. I used a Uniball Signo (back in stock at JetPens.com, btw - follow the link) to write on top of them.
On the right, you can see that I used a Hambly transparency as a kind of cover page. There's a better view below:
At first, I was going to staple the transparency over the photo, but then I decided it would be more fun to let it live as a page in itself.
Above, you can see the back of the transparency on the left and the page underneath on the right.
I used my typewriter to add all that journaling you see. On a side note, I feel a bit angry with myself. The print was getting so faint, I assumed that I needed to change my typewriter ribbon. But after I changed it, it didn't seem much better. I now realize that the typewriter got jostled in the move and some of the settings were changed. Wasted ribbon. Urgh.
Above, this is another candidate for "most transformed." Those pretty hot air balloons got a coat of black gesso. You can see the word stickers, but most of the rest of the original page is obscured.
The word "stickley" along the left edge of the page is a fun story. I used some vinyl Thickers to spell out the word. But, I didn't have any "t's" left. So, I pieced one together. In addition, the adhesive on the Thickers was not holding well. So, I threw some masking tape over it to hold it, and a bit of paint for definition. I *adore* the way it turned out. Definitely a technique that I'm going to experiment with a lot more!
On the right, you can see the front and back of a little tag. It was tied onto the "doggy bag" we took home from the restaurant. The chef wrote his name on it. I added a bit about what I ate on the back.
I have been hoarding those Hambly flourishy frame rub-ons forever. They're so gorgeous, and they go on like butter. I'm a little sad that they're gone now. But, I guess that means I'll have to buy some more...oh no.
I've used a lot of vinyl letter stickers throughout this book. I love them. I buy them at Staples. They come in all sorts of sizes, a few different fonts, a few different colors, and they are plentiful. Plus, they go with everything. Sort of like a little black dress of letters! You can see some white ones spelling out "God of Carnage" above and some black ones (1,2,3) below:
Unfortunately, the little fairies and elves didn't go with my day. So, I covered them up with photos. Now, they just add texture and color.
I knew that I wanted to include the little doily from Junior's, so I mimicked the look with some round orange journaling spots from Ormolu for the other two numbers.
I pulled apart a spare Playbill from the show (on the right) and hole punched the relevant pages. One of the things that I adore about binding with rings, is that you can add in so many things, like this program!
So, that's what I've been up to. Let me know what you think of this style of memory keeping....?
Well, the big move starts at 8am tomorrow...I'm nervous that I won't be ready! So, instead of packing, I thought I'd take some time to post a round up of cool crafty tutorials from around the web...because nothing says "ready-to-move" quite like an hour or two on the computer!
Make these cool "confetti crayons" from old leftover crayons. You don't need any special equipment. You can make them in your oven!
This is not really a "make something" tutorial. But, it's got some great advice if you're interested in selling stuff through etsy.
Fun tutorial on stamping with bleach. Quick and easy with some discussion of the results and why certain tools were chosen.
Very quirky website. It offers advice on what adhesives you can use to glue one thing to another. You just choose the two materials you're gluing together. Find it here.
This is one of the coolest DIY projects around! It's a kind of string papier maché lamp.
Similar idea here:
This cute little votive holder uses thread instead of string. Check out the tutorial here.
Use old silk ties to die your Easter eggs! How cool!!!!!
Or maybe this tutorial on dying eggs is more your style:
This is a process picture. The natural elements act as masks during the dying of the eggs. Find the tutorial here.
Also, using leaves and elements from nature:
You print leaves and flowers by hammering them. Find the step-by-step instructions here.
I've never heard of these "magic boxes" before, but I think they'd make amazing gifts! Check out the tutorial here.
There's nothing new about shrink plastic rings, but this is hands down, the best tutorial I've ever seen on making them. Totally comprehensive.
I think I'm going to have to try this one out in the new apartment. We stick our papers-to-be-recycled in a cardboard box. This is a much cuter idea! Tutorial is here.
Sigh.
I guess I have to get back to packing now...thanks for stopping by!
Finally: The August Label Tulip kits will go up for sale tonight (August 15) at 6pm PST. Be sure to get yours! Trust me, you won't want to miss this one!
This is a post that I wrote for Label Tulip's Anniversary Celebration. It appeared on the Label Tulip blog over the weekend. Don't forget that kits go on sale TONIGHT (July 15, 2009) at 6pm PST/9pm EST.
I've got an awesome video tutorial for you today! But first...some random Q&As:
If I could be in any infomercial, I would pick the Cricut informerical, because: It’s the only one I’ve watched from start to finish (though, I don’t think I can actually operate a Cricut)!
If I could be any character from a movie, I would be Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice because: It's my favorite book and one of my favorite movies. I'm a romantic at heart and I've always felt that I was a very Austen-esque heroine. I also identify with Elizabeth's sharp tongue!
If my life story was to be written as a novel, the title would be: A Life Unexpected
I always wanted to be: a Mom.
If I can only give my not-yet-in-existence children one piece of advice, it would be: Always see the glass as half full.
Three things I want very badly at the moment are: Breakfast, a sweater, and to clean my glasses.
What is your process for creating layouts when you receive a Label Tulip kit? Do you start with photos, paper, a sketch, or something else? I generally start with the kit itself. I look at the products and figure out what I want to do with them. Then, I start to think about what stories will go with those techniques.
I had the BEST time creating this layout using the May 2009 Label Tulip kit:
Here is a sneak peek of the July kit:
And if you'd like to make these:
Watch this video:
Finally, I have to share these photos:
I made this video at my Mom's house over Fourth of July weekend. And my brother was nice enough to rig up a camera set up so I could video my hands from above. It was quite the impressive MacGyver moment!
Thanks for stopping by! If you decide to make some stencils, drop me a line! I'd love to see them!
ETA: Oh. My. God. Know how I mentioned that I had thrown some cards into the horse race over at Paper Crafts magazine's Gallery Idol competition? Well, I made the top twenty!!!!!! 276 people submitted 1,254 birthday cards for just 20 spots! Wheeeeee! Round two starts immediately. But, just for making it to the top twenty, I get this prize package:
Lots of Cosmo Cricket goodies! How fun is that? The next challenge is a wedding card and I believe the public will vote once the cards go up on Monday. I'll post more once I know more. So excited!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:
The ladies at Right at Home Scrapbooking sent me papers and embellishments from Making Memories Wedding Line this month. I had a ball pulling the pieces apart and making a lot of non-wedding layouts with the line! However, before we get to that, I've got a super fun project for the summer!
This is the front and back of a 7gypsies spinner card. The paper I used for the background on both sides, and for the banner on the front, was made by stamping with celery.
Watch the video below for instructions:
Now for the layouts!
This one is so simple and graphic:
I cut apart this paper...
...to create the circles on the layout.
Because the circles are offset on the original paper, I had to cut apart rows of three circles and then glue them together. But, before I glued them down, I fed them through my typewriter to add my journaling. (You may notice a kind of typewriter theme here.)
This next layout has been the bane of my existence for the last forty-eight hours. I am not one of those quick scrappers who just puts stuff down and says "done!" And I have agonized over this one for a while. And (shhhhh, don't tell anyone) I actually re-did the layout. It just never settled into feeling really right and I kept staring at it and staring at it until it bugged me too much to leave it alone!
But, I'm pleased with it now. Much simpler than I normally do, but I'm happy. I stole the white border from this paper:
I used a pair of scissors to trim it off and then added a dyed version of this paper...
...to the bottom half.
I used a mixture of dye inks and Adirondack Color Wash to color it.
BUT, before I put it on the layout above, I used it as a stencil to create the background for the layout below:
I like a lot of things about this layout, but I'm kind of grumpy with how the title turned out. Not at all like it was in my head. Something about the "of" just bugs me a lot. (BTW: I am totally enamored with the American Crafts puffy Thickers on this layout. That font is so divine! It's called "rainboots." These ones are leftover from my June Label Tulip kit. I'm on the hunt for more!) Anyway, here's a close up of the background:
Also, notice that I painted this paper...
...blue, because the stark black and white was fighting with the photos a bit too much.
This layout was a last minute addition.
It was kind of a series of good mistakes. Behind the lace paper (Creative Imaginations), is a piece of cardstock that I had painted and sprayed for another project and then decided not to use. But, the color was just so vibrant, I had to use it for something!
There's a lot of texture and pattern on this layout (and color) and so I used a mixture of gesso and watercolor paint on the journaling card to tame the pattern a bit, which started as this paper:
You can also see it in its "raw" state under the "J" in the detail photo below.
I start most layouts with a story I want to tell. This one sort of just came together and then the fact that I could only fit one letter in the frame, gave me an idea for the journaling: "J" words that describe me!
Finally, June 'tis the season of weddings. And I couldn't let this whole wedding collection go without any wedding fun! Thus, I give you a short tutorial on making a wedding dress embellishment like the one below:
You could use the dress element on a card, as a package topper, on a page. Whatever your pleasure!
Here's the "how to":
If you'd like the template I used to make my wedding dress, you can download it here.
Today, I want to share an easy way to be inspired by modern art: use it to create your background!
Mark
Rothko is one of my favorite abstract artists. In case you're not
familiar with his work, here are three of his paintings:
I love the way his blurry colorblocking looks. When I look at these paintings, I see a border with blocks of color inside. Essentially, this:
Now, given how much I paint on my pages, it would be easy to look at
these paintings and find inspiration by copying those blocks of color
directly. What a cool background for a page or a tag, right?
But, I decided to push the inspiration a little farther out and use patterned paper. I had some Cosmo Cricket paper leftover from their Christmas collection, "Oh Joy":
But the patterns were too bold. I needed something softer. Luckily, the other side of the papers (don't you love double sided paper)...
...was absolutely perfect! I cut strips (as you can see below):
And then I glued them into place to create my Rothko-esque background:
And here's the finished layout:
You can see that I turned the background sideways. I added my photo, some flowers, a title, some journaling, and a few doodle dots! Super simple!
Now it's your turn to be inspired by art! Pick an artist you like or just head to your local museum or art gallery for some easy inspiration!
