Archive for September, 2011
When it comes to scrapbooking, color can be a powerful tool for expressing mood and feeling, bringing memories to life, and enhancing the experience of the viewer. I try to use color in my scrapbooking paper and embellishments to create the mood and emotion of the memory I’m immortalizing.
Different shades of colors are like different intonations of a language–a slight variation can change the meaning and impact. Choose your scrapbook colors wisely!
There are many different machines for cutting dies. Among the most popular that I’m aware of are the Sizzix, Provo Craft Cuttlebug, QuicKutz, and the Wizard. These each have their own special features and size. Your best bet for determining which machine is right for you, is to visit your local craft store and check each one out. When you find the one for you, I’m sure that you’ll love it as much as I do.
Of all of the die cutting cartridges that I have purchased, I use the holiday ones the most. I also buy the cartridges when they’re on sale to keep the price down.
I’m also looking into the possibility of purchasing a piece of software that will allow me to cut unlimited images without purchasing additional cartridges. You, as a fellow scrapbooker, may be interested in doing some research on the software also.
A store-bought holiday card can be expensive and impersonal. On the other hand, a homemade card shows that the giver put extra thought and care into the card, making it a personalized gift in itself. While making your own cards does take extra time, the cards serve as fun holiday crafts for the whole family. All you need are a basic supplies to get started.
Start with colored or embossed construction paper or cardstock. Buy a pack with multiple colors so you have options for different occasions. You’ll also want to buy different colored markers or gen pens, rubber stamps, glitter, ribbon, and paper punches in different shapes. You can also utilize scrapbooking accessories, such as scrapbooking stickers, for card making; they’re often themed and can work perfectly for birthdays, graduations and more. Special scissors with blades in different shapes are wonderful for making unique cutouts, too. You can also purchase pre-assembled card making kits if you want to go for a more professional look, but homemade touches make cards the most special and charming.
After a long day , a hot bath with luxurious bath salts is the best way to relax. And your friend will feel especially pampers when you give her a decorated jar of bath salts to help her soak her stress away, as well as add a decorative accent to her bathroom.
Use scrapbooking embellishments like floral scrapbooking die cuts, a designed frame with her initials, and accentuate the jar with three vivid, textured scrapbooking ribbons. I’m sure that you have other ideas for your gift creation also.
I like the feeling of versatility and purchasing scrapbooking paper that’s double-sided. I receive twice the designs and twice the fun in every package. I feel that this paper allows me to express my sense of style with twice the effect when designing a scrapbook page or card.
Double-sided paper is light enough to adhere to practically anything, but heavy enough to exude quality, making the card or project creation easy. Some of the paper utilizes multiple designs on one side, giving me even more creative options. Give this type of paper a try!
One of the fun parts of my great hobby is the time that I spend with my grandchildren and watching their imaginations take flight, especially through their art. I can’t think of a better way to occupy our time together, than by placing a scrapbook kit in front of them and watching the creativity begin with them.
The grand kids love all of the wonderful items that the kit holds, and it’s just like them looking through a treasure chest full of gold and jewels. We can consume a whole afternoon of designing, and the looks on their faces at the finished product is priceless!
With all of the kids heading off for school this Fall, why not personalize their belongings? With a laptop, a design element can be adhered to the top. When they are tired of it, they can simply peel it off. You can give them another design later on or for a special Christmas surprise.
A notebook is just the place for scrawling random thoughts, sketching anime characters, or even jotting down a class assignment or two. A patterned die makes it easy to create the accent pieces for the cover.
Whatever the creation, I’m certain your student will appreciate it!
Stenciling is an inexpensive and quick way to customize almost any surface that you can think of. You can use the color you want and apply the scrapbook stencil wherever you want. Stenciling can be done on almost any surface: textured walls, wooden doors, scrapbook pages–almost anything you can think of.
And stenciling doesn’t require many supplies, but you will want to have a few items before you begin. One item that I use are Decor stencil images that are high-quality, sturdy stencils that will last for many years, and I have them in a variety of exclusive designs. I also have sponges, sponge daubers and other applicators that I use. Of course, I keep acrylic paint, stencil creme paint, or fabric paint on hand for other surfaces. Also include painters tape or spray adhesive in your supplies to hold the stencils in place.
My sister loves to create arts and crafts projects. Her latest project is a family history scrapbook. She plans to include pictures of our entire family and even our pets. This has been a huge undertaking for her, as we have a large family.
I know she must be spending a lot of money buying all the supplies she needs to finish the project, so for her birthday this year I plan on getting her a variety of acrylic scrapbooking albums. As each person has their own inclinations when it comes to scrapbooking, I don’t want to simply buy products that she’ll feel obligated to use. Instead, I am going to give her a budget and go with her to the store-that way she can choose the scrapbooking ribbons, pens and accoutrements that she likes.. This will help her save money and let her know that I care about her project. I can’t wait to see the final product!