Liz's Crafts' Blog

Ideas for Scrapbook Stickers

2007-07-21T16:32:00.000+01:00

When doing a scrapbook page the easiest way to spice it up is to add a few different stickers to each scrapbook page. If you are doing a page a page that portrays people doing renovations on a house there are scrapbook stickers with saws, or hammers, you can find scrapbook stickers with houses, or pieces of lumber. These types of stickers will help to add a different touch to the story you are telling on the page. There are all kinds of different themes in scrapbook stickers for instance the seasons or sports or holidays. Each different holiday has tons of different scrapbook stickers that you can use to enhance the pictures on the scrapbook page you are doing. If you are doing a page for a St Patrick's day parade there are shamrocks and leprechauns that you can add to your scrapbook page. A popular scrapbook page for kids is a sports page, if your child is in soccer for instance there are soccer ball scrapbook stickers, or trophies. For just about every sport you can find some kind of scrapbook stickers. If you do any travelling you will have no trouble finding stickers that depict all sorts of vacation destinations. There are lots of scrapbook stickers that are themed around crusing, beaches and airplanes. If you are telling the story of your vacation and start with a flight to your destination you probably didn't take a picture of that plane so you could use a scrapbook sticker of a plane to show that a plane was involved in your vacation then add some scrapbook stickers from the destination itself.

Another type of scrapbook sticker is the balloon sayings. These come in a variety of packages also, such as funny comments, or ones that you can fill in yourself. They also come in different languages. These can be used to further enhance your scrapbook page. You can make it look as if a person in a picture is saying something like in a comic book. This format is usually used for funny picture that will help to make the picture more amusing.

With all the different scrapbook stickers out there you should have no trouble finding some to enhance each scrapbook page you do be it a holiday scrapbook a travel scrapbook, or a scrapbook with your child as the star.

Katharine Caines is a long time scrapbooker who enjoys sharing her passion with everyone. She has a scrapbook for every occasion, and uses scrapbook stickers to make the pages pop.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katharine_Caines

The Versatility Of Rubber Stamp Sets For Scrapbooking, Card-Making, and More

2007-07-19T14:04:00.000+01:00

Are you fond of collecting and working with art rubber stamps? Would you like to own some more interesting and rare designed and themed rubber stamps? If your answer to both the questions is in the affirmative, collecting rubber stamp sets can be a great way to unleash your creativity, and add versatility to your projects.

Besides individual and theme rubber stamps, there are an amazing amount of rubber stamp sets available,from a number of rubber stamp companies, such as Close To My Heart, Stampin Up, and more. Popular rubber stamp sets include floral and contemporary design sets, animal and bird sets, season sets and a lot, lot more. Having a set with a particular theme gives you the ability to layer your stamps, and create a unique and distinctive look.

Some of the more popular sets are those which are card-themed, giving you the opportunity to create lovely cards with touching messages printed on them. Additional popular types are ready-made background rubber stamp sets for scrapbooking, including ancient paper-like rubber stamp sets, that provide a large background stamp that will fit the size of your scrapbook page, allowing you to decorate the inside to your heart's content.

Another popular type are ornamental stamp sets, which often include not only a set of decorative stamps, but also include colorful envelopes, which you can make yourself in minutes, and mailing labels, which you can customize to your preferences.

Stamp sets are incredibly versatile, as they can be used as a group, and broken up and used as individual stamps. If you have a specific project you're working on, such as cards, or a scrapbook, having a set will insure that your project has a unified theme, which will enhance the quality of your work, will still allowing for your own finishing touches. Good types of unified theme stamps to start off with include alphabet stamps, or large background stamps. Both of these sets can be used for a variety of applications.

Also, some of the large stamp sets are a great value, as you get many more stamps at a much lower price than you would get if you purchased them separately. With a few quality sets, you'll have the backbone for a great rubber stamp collection, which you can then customize with individual stamps. If you haven't already, you may want to consider investing in a few rubber stamp sets to round out your rubber stamping collection.

Amy Wells is a rubber stamping enthusiast. Find Rubber Stamping ideas, tips, how-to's and more at: http://www.squidoo.com/RubberStampingIdeas, you can find a variety of rubber stamp sets at: http://www.BuyRubberStamp.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Wells

Article - Card Making Ideas - by Vicki Churchill

2007-07-18T11:10:00.000+01:00

Every crafter knows that no piece of paper, card or any material should be thrown away. My scrap box is reaching the same size as my entire craft stock but you always know you will find that little piece you need to finish off your project and if you are anything like me you may find it hard to throw things away.

For card making ideas a scrap box is essential because you can create more than one card with your left over bits and bobs.

I remember once I had a piece of 12 x 12 piece of paper that I loved so much that I covered a card in the paper and proceeded to add embellishments, peel offs and other crafty bits to until the end result was just what I wanted.

I then sent the card to a relative which was so warmly received I decided to repeat the process only to find I did not have enough of the paper to do it again. This is where my imagination needed to kick in and my scrap box come in handy. Although I did not have enough of this beautiful paper left over to cover the complete card I was able to using my resources, design a new card but still keep the same theme.

If you have a scrap of paper that you love but do not have enough to cover a whole card consider using the paper as just the outline of the card or alternatively keep the card plain and use the paper to cover a tag just to keep the theme intact.

Your scrap box can also be used when you need a small piece of card for matting and layering and for those projects that need a small amount of paper. The paper you have in your scrap box can also come in handy when using your punches to create little embellishments that can be added to your cards or scrap book pages.

If you are like me and feel you have stared at your scrap box so many times you just do not know how to use what is in there consider swapping boxes with a fellow crafter and see what you both can come up with.

Using your scrap box could mean the difference between saving cutting out a stunning new piece of paper and using something you already have. I know this may sound ridiculous but I find because the papers that are available today are so beautiful I simply find it difficult to bring myself to cut them up.

Having a scrap box is something all crafters should have and it should be regarded as a cardinal sin to throw anything away. Keep your eyes open for household bits and bobs that could be popped into your increasingly bulging scrap box and used for an embellishment or accessory to a card or scrapbook page.

About the Author

Vicki Churchill writes for a site that specializes in Card Making Ideas providing you with excellent tips and ideas for using up items in your Scrap Box

Article - Quilling - Family Fun by Claire Harris

2007-07-15T16:58:00.000+01:00

Children love quilling, with all the colored paper strips and the chance to create something all their own. As you practice your quilling skills, and experiment with designs, you may want to invite the other members of your family, or your friends, to practice quilling with you.

Although quilling takes a little dexterity and some coordination, it's not beyond most grade-school age kids, and if projects are kept within their abilities, kids will come up with some great ideas.

Working with kids and quilling means going back to your first time trying to hold your quilling tool correctly and keep a coil tight. The best thing to remember is that quilling is fun--no rules apply to the 'best' way to do anything and any shape that is quilled can be used for making anything your heart desires.

Loose coils in gray can create an elephant's belly, and curly spirals can be a tail. Brightly colored teardrops can become balloons and tight coils glued in stacks can become spinning tops. Kids can draw a design first, and then fill it with shapes they've quilled. They can cut out shapes, or use a paper punch, in several pieces of colored paper--then lay them in a stack to create a layered look. Then these can have quilled shapes added, either in designs of particular things or creatures, or simply as abstract shapes on a multi-colored sea.

Holidays can be the perfect time to bring your family into quilling. Christmas time comes to mind with quilled Santas and Holiday decorations. Remember your wreath!

Quilling can be fun and rewarding for anyone--even the guys in your life! Many quillings reflect masculine themes and abstract styles, and this artistic past time can be as relaxing as tying trout flies, working puzzles or whittling wood. As we say, quilling is without boundaries, so everyone can come join the fun!

Popular examples show kits available from many fine quilling craft suppliers and provide a wonderful way to work on Christmas quillings with your family.

Gather the kids and create a Santa for a Holiday decoration, a card for the grandparents, the favorite teacher or best friend. Everyone can the basic shapes that make up this fun pattern. Take a moment to read through the instructions beforehand, and of course, have enough tools for everyone and gather up plenty of materials, so everyone can quickly dive into the fun. Some little fingers may have trouble using a quilling tool, but should be able to glue pieces together just fine. Before you know it, you've got a quilling party going!

Assembling a quilling design is as fun as putting together a puzzle--only more, because the pieces are hand made and the 'puzzle' stays together! The Angels kit is a great example of quillings that can allow for personal artistic expression while still learning to follow a design correctly to achieve the finished piece. Color combinations are the obvious options to play with here, but the spirals and scrolls used for angel hair could also be used on whatever pattern you wished. This would be an excellent opportunity to try your hand at miniature quilling as well. Perhaps the family, or you and your best buds, would enjoy working with such a pattern together? Your creations could grace cards, gift boxes or maybe hang from the tree, or in a window.

Go through the pattern with the others and ask for ideas on color schemes and uses for the finished pieces. Have plenty of color variety in your paper strips, maybe including some foils, graduated papers or two-toned papers--an added bit of fun can be a crimping tool for crinkled paper. Or, perhaps you can ask everyone to bring some accessory they would like to add to their piece? Beads, sequins, glitter, ribbons, silk threads--whatever sparks the imagination. Again, and always, the idea is to have fun, be creative and enjoy yourself!

Animals, of any kind, are favorite quilling subjects. Whether you're going for a realistic look or a caricature--or your own interpretation of a critter--quilling it will be an adventure. The examples below illustrate exception works of quilling where animals claimed the artists' imagination and they, in turn, captured their subject uniquely.

There are a number of beginner's kits with patterns for small animal shapes. These designs allow anyone starting out in quilling to learn yet another design skill that brings them closer to being able to create their own designs.

About the Author Claire's website has a Step by Step guide on Quilling. Please visit her site for more info on quilling patterns

3D Decoupage Copyright

2007-07-02T11:07:00.000+01:00

We are often asked about copyrights for 3D decoupage sheets, prints and papers etc.

Here is what you can do:

Use to make personal greetings cards, pictures and other craft projects for your own personal use. You can also use original decoupage sheets to make greeting cards or pictures, which you then go on to sell or give away; this may form part of your business.

What you can't do:

Make copies of the original decoupage sheets for your own personal use or for the purpose of reselling or giving away, or for making greetings cards or pictures which are for the purpose of resale or are given away.

Putting it simply, once you have purchased an original 3D Decoupage sheet, you are free to do as you wish with it, except you cannot copy the design either by photocopy, scanning or even drawing a copy of the design.

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3D Secure Card Processing

2007-06-22T16:12:00.000+01:00

From the 1st of July we will be operating 3D Secure processing for payment transactions made through the Protx gateway on our website. 3D Secure stands for 3 Domain Secure. There are 3 parties involved in the 3D Secure process which are:

The Vendor
The Acquiring Bank
Visa or MasterCard

3D Secure is a culmination of "Verified by Visa (VbV)" and "MasterCard Secure Code (MSC)". 3D Secure is the latest fraud prevention initiative launched by the card schemes as a more secure method for authenticating the shopper at the time of the transaction. Once you have entered your card details on the Protx payment page you will be prompted on the confirmation page to register you card for 3D Secure (if you have yet to do so) or proceed with the transaction and enter your password. If you have yet to register, you will be invited to register and complete as a one off, three steps (the steps below are an example):

If you have already registered your card, you will be redirected to the Verified by Visa/MasterCard Secure Code website to enter your password:

Following this you will be directed back to our website as normal. Although this puts another short step into the payment process, we think that most of our customers will appreciate the extra security this scheme offers for online shoppers.

Paper and Envelope Sizes

2007-06-21T09:27:00.000+01:00

European paper sizes range from A0 to A10 and the principal is that the lower the number, the larger the size is. Also as you move from sizes to size, the area is doubled (or halved) for example, A5 = 2 x A6, A4 = 2 x A5 etc.

There is also a range of "C" sizes which follow the same pattern but which are slightly larger than their "A" counterparts and are commonly used for envelopes. So an A5 piece of paper would fit into a C5 envelope, the envelope needing to be slightly larger than the A5 piece of paper.

The following chart displays the various "A" and corresponding "C" size along with their metric and imperial dimensions.

Size	Dimensions (Metric)	Dimensions (Imperial)	Size	Dimensions (Metric)	Dimensions (Imperial)
A0	841 x 1189	33" x 47"	C0	917 x 1297	36" x 51"
A1	594 x 841	23" x 33"	C1	648 x 917	25.5" x 36"
A2	420 x 594	16.5" x 23"	C2	458 x 648	18" x 25.5"
A3	297 x 420	11.7" x 16.5"	C3	324 x 458	12.8" x 18"
A4	210 x 297	8.3" x 11.7"	C4	229 x 324	9" x 12.8"
A5	148 x 210	5.8" x 8.3"	C5	162 x 229	6.4" x 9"
A6	105 x 148	4.1" x 5.8"	C6	114 x 162	4.5" x 6.4"
A7	74 x 105	2.9" x 4.1"	C7	81 x 114	3.2" x 4.5"
A8	52 x 74	2" x 2.9"	C8	57 x 81	2.2" x 3.2"
A9	37 x 52	1.5" x 2"	C9	40 x 57	1.6" x 2.2"
A10	26 x 37	1" x 1.5"	C10	28 x 40	1.1" x 1.6"

Greeting card sizes are generally quoted as the size when folded, e.g. an A6 greeting card measures 105mm x 148mm when folded, but 148mm x 210mm when opened out.

For a more detailed review of paper and envelope sizes along with technical specifications and historical information, visit International Standard Paper Sizes

How to Decoupage

2007-06-20T10:36:00.000+01:00

Introduction

Decoupage is a popular method used in crafting and card making as well as home decor. The actual definition of decoupage is: "the art of decorating surfaces by applying cut-outs of paper and coating with several layers of a clear finish such as varnish or lacquer."

The art of decoupage was developed many years ago and was very popular in Victorian times where people would use decoupage to decorate furniture and other household objects.

3D Decoupage is a particular type of Decoupage and could be described as multiple layering of printed images to create a 3 dimensional picture and it is this aspect of Decoupage we will deal with in this article. 3D Decoupage may also be referred to as Step by Step Decoupage which we will cover later on.

Decoupage Tools Required

Decoupage Paper Sheets or prints
A pair of good quality general purpose scissors.
A pair of fine point decoupage or embroidery scissors either straight or curved blade (or both).
A set of fine point tweezers.
Double sided sticky tape.
Double sided sticky foam spacer pads or tape.
Silicone Glue or Glue Dots.
General purpose PVA glue, glue stick or similar.
Decoupage varnish.

3D Step by Step Decoupage.

Step by Step sheets are designed to make life easier for the Crafter by removing the decision making process of what to cut out. These are produced as a set of 3 - 5 images and are very often numbered e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 where 1 is the full image and then each successive image has had parts of the image removed, the last image being the smallest of the set.

Method

Using the example above:

Cut around each of the four images pictured above using either straight or curved blade decoupage scissors.
Apply PVA glue or glue stick to the back of image No. 1 and apply image to your card or project.
Take image No. 2 and using sticky foam spacer pads or silicone glue, stick it on top of image No. 1 taking care to align the elements of image No. 2 with Image No.1
Repeat the above procedure with images 3 and 4, building up a 3 dimensional picture.
Optionally add varnish and other decoration to all or part of the image to produce a more outstanding effect.

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