Ink's Scrapping Spot

Friday Night Workshop

2012-02-20T19:43:00.003+11:00

If you're into scrapbooking or papercrafts, then come and join me at my workshop on the 2nd Friday evening of every month. This month is an exception because we are meeting at 7.00 pm on February 24.

This month we will look at how to make the most of the latest Die Cut Papers and Cardstock.

You'll receive an attendance gift, learn some new techniques, and enjoy the company of other likeminded ladies.

Stay for the evening, or drop in and have a cuppa while you check out the latest products. Nibbles and unlimited tea and coffee will be provided.

I hope you can make it!

Christmas Workshop and some pages to share

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001+11:00

Well, it seems the silly season must have started early this year. I've been really busy for the past month, and only just realised, to my horror, that it has been WEEKS since I posted! My apologies! I'll try and make it up to you!

This Friday is my Christmas Workshop, and also my last monthly workshop for the year. There will be lots of Christmas treats plus an attendance gift, and you can learn how to make your own Christmas bon-bons! If you live close enough, you would be welcome to join us, but please register your intention to attend on my CM site so I can reserve your seat.

I also have some pages to share that should help keep your creative juices flowing! These pages were made by the Wednesday Scrappers. These three ladies meet faithfully every Wednesday to scrap their photos, and once a month they invite me along for some extra inspiration. A while ago I suggested that we should go back to basics and play around with the negative space on our pages and these pages were the result!

Enjoying the Simple Things in Life - Hazel Dowell
Created with various shades of blue cardstock and White Shimmer Cardstock.
Title from Reflections Title Stickers, Circles created with Custom Cutting System Circle Patterns and Circle Punch
Hazel later added some small blue circle epoxy stickers to finish off her design.

Capture the Moment - Sue Turner
Created with Reflections Designer Print Paper, Paper Flowers and Title Stickers
Border made with Picket Fence Border Maker Punch and Reflections Paper Ribbon

Celebrate! - Kerry Skilling
Created with Reflections Designer Print Papers, Paper Flowers, Paper Tags and Title Stickers
Borders made with Stitched Scallop and Picket Fence Border Maker Punches and Reflections Paper Ribbon

Stay tuned for some more great page designs!

Another Christmas Card

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000+11:00

While at my Friday Night Workshop, I finally had a chance to sit and make a card myself, and this was the result:

The card is made from a "Woodland Christmas" Photo Mat, matted on a piece of Evergreen Cardstock. I used some hole-punched circles of Yellow, Carrot, Cranberry and Mediterranean Cardstock for the tree decorations, and a Title Sticker, also from the "Woodland Christmas" Photo Album Accent Kit. I finished the card by outlining it with a Green Dual Tip Pen.

Thanks to my friend Tanya for the idea about the tree decorations! Don't forget to reserve your seat at my Open House in November!

Christmas Cards from Scrapbooking Supplies

2011-10-18T09:00:00.000+11:00

At my October Friday Night Workshop we made some really cute Christmas cards, using the newly released Christmas papers and embellishments. My good friend Tanya Johnson from Kaszazz with Tanya came to join us, and she created this beautiful card and matching tag:

Tanya used Photomats and Title Stickers from the "Woodland Christmas" Photo Album Accent Kit, and Die Cut Embellishments and Epoxy Stickers from the "Noel" Christmas Collection.

Photomats make great backgrounds for cards, so if you have an overabundance of them in your stash, think about using them to make up some cards for special occasions such as Christmas and birthdays.

Next month I will be holding an Open House event, so why not come along and share in the fun! You can reserve your seat at my CM website!

Decorating Cigar Boxes

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000+11:00

I'm definitely not one to promote smoking, however recently I was given some empty Cigar Boxes by someone who's husband likes to indulge in them, and I was certainly happy to put them to good use! Most of them were used by the ladies in my Scrapbooking Group at Karingal Neighbourhood House, however there was one left at the end of the day, so I decided to decorate it myself, and this was the result:

The Cigar Box was made from cardboard and was already decorated in brown and cream tones, so I embellished it using an earthy-toned paper from the Reminisce Designer Prints Paper Pack and some Reminisce Paper Flowers. I cut the papers 1/4 inch smaller than the box measurements so that the existing brown base would frame the papers. There was no need to cover the left and right sides or the inside, as these were already covered with cream paper, so the completed item took me no longer than 1/2 an hour.

I discovered that decorated Cigar Boxes have a very rich and interesting history. Because Cigar Boxes were plentiful, they were used to make all sorts of items from furnishings to musical instruments. Some examples of these items can be found on the National Cigar Museum's website.

If you are looking for cigar boxes to decorate, you may find them in craft stores or through secondhand outlets.

Using Paper Piecing on Cards - Part 2

2011-10-16T09:00:00.000+11:00

Following on from yesterday's post, I'm delighted to show you the card that my daughter Ellie made for the other birthday girl, her friend Taylor. Ellie knew that Taylor wanted an "Elmo" gift voucher for her birthday from Jay Jays. So Ellie decided to make an "Elmo" card to go with her present.

Ellie created the card using Red, Carrot, Black and White Cardstock, the Custom Cutting System Oval Patterns, the Circle Maker punch and a small circle punch. She cut Elmo's head from Red cardstock, using the centre of the largest Oval Pattern and the Red Blade, then she used scissors to cut into the oval at regular intervals to create Elmo's shaggy hair. She then used the smallest Oval Pattern with the Green Blade to make Elmo's nose.

Ellie used the Circle Maker punch to create Elmo's mouth, and a smaller circle punch and hole punch to make his eyes. How cute he looks, and how clever is my daughter! Ellie was so delighted with the result that she kept going and made Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch as well!

Using Paper Piecing on Cards - Part 1

2011-10-15T18:51:00.000+11:00

Some friends of ours have three delightful girls, two of whom had birthdays this week. I chose to make a "Dora the Explorer" card for one sister to go with the Dora doll that we gave her.

I made Dora from Red, Raspberry, French Vanilla, Brown and White Cardstock, using the Custom Cutting System Oval Patterns, and a small circle punch. I used the inside of the largest Oval Pattern and the Red Blade to cut Dora's head from French Vanilla, plus several brown ovals for her hair and a raspberry oval for her headband. The top of her hair was made by trimming an edge off one of the brown ovals using the outside of the largest Oval Pattern, and then layering raspberry and brown oval sections behind it. The lower half of her hair was made by cutting 2 ovals in half and layering them behind the head. I used a circle punch to make Dora's eyes and mouth and a hole punch to make the highlights in her eyes.

The job was made much easier by using an illustration of the character as a guide. Once I understood that Dora was just made from basic shapes, it didn't take long to work out what sizes I needed to use. If you've never tried to create a paper pieced character, give it a go - it's heaps of fun!

True Happiness

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000+10:00

My brother married the love of his life earlier this year. They were married in a converted mudbrick barn in the Dandenong Ranges, and the bride wore a gorgeous ice blue gown.

I still had a Wishes and Dreams Paper Album Kit from a couple of years ago which matched perfectly, so some time ago I put together a little memory album for them with some of my photos in it, and put the rest of the family's photos on a disc which I tucked into the back flap. They were delighted!

However, that left me with a dilemma: I really wanted to scrap the photos for myself as well, but I didn't have any Wishes and Dreams papers left. However, when the new Reflections Power Palette Collection and the Wish Paper Pack came out this month, I knew exactly how to put them to good use! These collections coordinate together, and contain the most beautiful shades of green, blue, grey and white.

The flu has prevented me from doing as much as I would have liked this month, but I did get a page done using their engagement invitation from last year and the colours worked perfectly with this photo as well. The background sheet is Green Shimmer from the new Wish Paper Pack, and the rest of the page is made with papers and elements from the Reflections Collection. The paper circle was cut using the Custom Cutting System and the Jumbo Circle Pattern. Don't forget to check back here later for the wedding pages!

So what's this about Wishes and Dreams? Each year Creative Memories Consultants raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation by selling specially designed papers, embellishments, paper albums and coversets. Simply entitled "Wish", $1.00 from the sale of each Paper Pack, Embellishment Pack and Simply Said Book, and $2.00 from each Coverset will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help them make dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.

You can help us raise funds by purchasing "Wish" products or by hosting a Make-A-Wish Fundraising Party before November 30 and introducing your friends to this worthwhile cause. Further information about hosting parties is available at my CM website or by sending an email to me at ingrid@coolice.com.au.

Digital Invitation Cards

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000+10:00

Our house was unusually quiet during the first half of this year, because my daughter Bethany was at the YWAM Reef to Outback base in Townsville participating in the Not for Sale Discipleship Training School (YWAM = "Youth With a Mission"). There are more than 30 million slaves in the world today, more than at any other time in our history. Following training at the base, the students participated in a seven week visit to the Gulf Region of Papua New Guinea where they helped families to understand that they were participating in a form of slavery. There are no laws against human trafficking in Papua New Guinea, and struggling families unwittingly sell the services of their wives and daughters in order to survive. This was the first time that a team had been sent there for this purpose.

Beth returned home for a break after training with the intention of returning for a further 2 years as a staff member so she could train other young people in this important work. However, all of YWAM's services are operated on a voluntary basis, so Beth's break was spent finding financial and prayer partners who could support her. Beth has some sponsors, but she still needs help to cover her costs. Please prayerfully consider whether you are able to help her in this regard. All support, no matter how large or small would be appreciated. Donations can be made directly to Bethany Faragher (email bethany128@hotmail.com for details) or via the Finances Tab on the YWAM Reef to Outback website.

To help her, I produced two photo cards in StoryBook Creator Plus: the first one invited family and friends to attend her information evening, while the other was a reminder to pray for Beth and YWAM regularly.

I created this card using the Earthy Digital Kit. I cut out the Townsville sign from a photo using the Straight Custom Cutting Tool on the Cut and Fill Ribbon, and added a drop shadow using the Shadow Tool on the Format Ribbon to it. The font is Batik Regular.

This card was created using two photos. The first was used to create the background. I again used the Custom Cutting Tool to cut Beth's head and shoulders out of another photo and placed it over the top. I used the Soften Edge Filter on the Format Ribbon to blend the cut edges into the background, then added a drop shadow so that it looked like she was standing in front of the scene.

Beth is returning to Townsville early on Friday morning, so I guess things will become a bit quieter around here again! We will miss you Beth!

School Holiday Workshops

2011-09-25T22:31:00.001+10:00

My weekly scrapbooking group at Karingal Neighbourhood House is taking a break over the school holidays, but if your scrapbooking addiction won't hold out for two weeks, then I have the perfect solution!

For the next TWO WEDNESDAYS ONLY (September 28 and October 5), I will be hosting full day workshops at 10 Irvine Crescent, Frankston, from 10.00 am until 3.30 pm. There is a $10.00 fee per person, which includes a small gift, lunch, nibbles and unlimited hot or cold drinks. You are welcome to come when you can and leave when you must, but please RSVP by phone or SMS on 0412 377 948 as soon as possible so that I can reserve your seat, as places will be limited!

PS. Mums are welcome to bring school aged children, as long as they remain under strict parental supervision and are able to sit and scrap for the duration of their stay.

Fun with Paper Punches

2011-08-30T09:44:00.003+10:00

Paper-pieced People by Tina

On Thursday at Karingal Neighbourhood House, the Scrapbooking ladies had fun creating their own embellishments with paper punches. This is a great way to make your pages or cards look unique while also using up the scraps in your stash. It also saves a lot of cutting!

The cute people above were made by Tina using a tag punch, a round punch and some other decorative punches.

If you like this idea, but don't know where to start, email me and I'll send you some ideas sheets. If you've used your punches creatively before, then please share it with us!

Are you going to Paperific?

2011-08-23T23:42:00.000+10:00

If you are into any sort of papercrafting, then you won't want to miss the Paperific Expo at the Melbourne Showgrounds this weekend. There will be 41 exhibitors, 16 of which will be hosting FREE Make-and-Take Projects. Five paid classes will also be available in an adjoining building.

The Creative Memories girls will be there with all the latest products, so make sure you drop in at Stand 29 and complete their Make-and-Take!

Full details are available at the Paperific site.

Whoops!

2011-08-23T23:11:00.000+10:00

Sorry to those who found a blog post on here about an invitation to LinkedIn or who received an unwanted invitation in their inbox! I made a grave error, and accidentally sent out invitations to almost all and sundry on my contact list without realising it - and that included my own blog and most probably you!

My earnest apologies! If you did receive an invitation and you are not interested, please just bin it - I won't be at all offended!

Using Photos as Page Backgrounds

2011-08-06T18:50:00.003+10:00

Have you ever had the problem of having a great group of photos but no matching papers to scrap them with? The answer could be to use one of the photos as a page background. Photos that may not otherwise make a good layout may be perfect to use as backgrounds - but they need a little bit of help.

To make the photo suitable for use as a background, you'll need to use a graphics program capable of applying filters. I used StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0, but if you don't have this, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop or even Irfanview will do. The process will be similar, and you may be able to open the photo directly in the program to edit it. Always remember to make a copy of the photo before you edit it, just in case you don't end up with the effect you want!

If you use SBC+3, you will need to create a new page project, and make the photo into the page background. Unlock the page background so you can edit it, click on the Format ribbon and choose Filters from the Effects tab. Choose a suitable filter (I used Rough Painting) and play around with the settings until you are happy with the results and save.

While you are still in the Format ribbon, click on Opacity under the General tab. Move the slider to the left to fade out the photo until you are happy with the results. In this example I found 70 was about right, but I have used a lower opacity at times.

This page was completed in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 so I could display it here, but it can be created just as easily using traditional methods. Order a page print online or, if you have access to a large format printer, save the page as a .jpg file and print it yourself.

As you can see, the results look great because the colours in the background work perfectly with the photos.

Do you like the effect? Let me know what you think!

New Karingal Neighbourhood House Blog!

2011-08-06T00:34:00.000+10:00

Im sorry I haven't posted this week but I've had lots of other things demanding my attention. One if them has been the creation of a new blog for Karingal Neighbourhood House. This project has been dear to my heart because not only am I on their committee, but I also teach a scrapbooking class there every week.

I've just added a calendar to the page and included all my scrapbooking dates and topics so that everyone knows what we will be doing each week.

We have so much fun at the group, and all the ladies are finding out that they are much more creative than they ever thought they were. If you are interested in joining us, check out the blog at karingalneighbourhoodhouse.blogspot.com and drop in for a cuppa with Ev and Lisa who will be only too pleased to give you more information.

What's the Difference between Shades and Tones?

2011-07-21T00:29:00.003+10:00

Have you ever made a page where you're sure you've used the right combination of colours, but somehow the page still doesn't look right? It may be because the colours don't carry the same tonal "weight". The pages used in my last post show colours with equivalent tonal weight, that is, they are all about as bright or dark as each other.

Note that I used a derivative of the word "tone" rather than "shade". "Shades" refers to the different variations of colour that exist within a colour family. For example, "blue" can be anything from a "green-blue" through to a "purple-blue" depending on how much yellow or red has been added. However, each of those shades can come in many "tones", ie. they can be lighter or darker depending on how much black or white has been added. Muted colours are different again because they have been created using a beige base, rather than a white base.

It can be a helpful exercise to match up scrapbooking papers by shade and tone. Start with one colour group, eg blue. Sort the papers into their various shades of green blue, blue and purple blue. If you are unsure which shades belong together, try layering them and you should be able to see whether they are tones of the same colour or if they are a slightly different shade. Arrange these shades again into light, medium and dark tones.

Now, using just one of these shade groups, put together a page that takes advantage of the differences in tone between these papers (if you don't have a photo in the right colour, try printing it in black and white, or in sepia if you are using colours with a beige base). You will notice that very light tones and very dark tones contrast well together, while tones that are closer together look softer and less well defined.

Now look again at that page that didn't work so well. The shades of colour may have been correct, but did the tonal quality of the colours also work well together? Was there enough contrast between light and dark or too much? Is the page too dark or too light overall? Did you mix white-based and beige-based colours together? The beauty of scrapbooking is that you can always pull your page apart and try again!

Please post your results on my Facebook page for others to enjoy, or leave a comment below!

Working with Colour

2011-07-13T00:22:00.001+10:00

Before I started scrapbooking, I wanted to find out as much as I could about it, so I googled "scrapbooking" on the web. Not surprisingly, I found heaps of information about tools, adhesives, and photo safe products. Then, armed with this information, I headed down to my local scrapbooking store and spent a small fortune! I went home, looked through my photos, and started putting together my first page.

The first thing I realised was that even though I had spent a small fortune, because I hadn't planned which photos I was going to scrap, I still didn't have the right products to complement my photos. The second thing I realised was that the products I had chosen didn't coordinate very well, so my page looked like a mishmash of colours and designs! In my excitement I had chosen unrelated products that were beautiful, but didn't work together.

I now know that designers create scrapbooking products in collections that coordinate together. The colours and designs in each collection will often work particularly well with certain themes: eg. clear, bright primary colours are great for photos of young children, while muted, earthy tones work better with vacation snapshots or heritage photos.

Layout created with the Cheerful Collection

Layout created with the Earthy Collection
(since discontinued, but consider using the Reminisce Collection)

Understanding how colours work together can make the difference between a good page and a great one. To begin with, using themed collections can simplify the task of coordinating colours, but when you are ready to experiment further, you will find that a Colour Wheel is a useful tool to have in your arsenal:

Color Matters has a great tutorial on basic Colour Theory.
ColorSchemer is a comprehensive Online Colour Wheel,
At Color Hunter you can produce a Custom Colour Palette from an uploaded photo.

I hope you have fun experimenting with colour on your pages!

Welcome to Ink's Scrapping Spot!

2011-07-11T22:37:00.002+10:00

Some time ago I created this blog, but never quite got around to doing anything worthwhile with it, probably because I wasn't really sure what I was blogging about!

Well, times have changed, and so have I. Two years ago I became a Creative Memories Independent Consultant and I've been having heaps of fun sharing with others and inspiring them to create their own beautiful memory albums, in both traditional and digital formats.

Now, through this blog, I hope I can inspire you to make memory albums, too. Drop back soon to see my first entries, leave a comment or two and don't forget to subscribe to my feed so you can get updates sent to you!

Blessings!

Ingrid