Scrapbooking Tips and Advice

Die Cut Machines: Which One is Right for You?

2008-07-27T11:17:00.001-04:00

There are several scrapbook die cutting machines on the market that you can use right at home. They range in price from $70 to $500. Different types of die cut machines have different functions. In order to choose a machine that is right for your needs you will need to know the functions of the machines. Some of the most popular scrapbook die cutting machines used by avid scrappers are:

Sizzix

The Sizzix die cutting system easily cuts a variety of materials like paper, rubber and fabrics, using the Sizzix originals die cuts. The Sizzix machine has a handle you push down to cut your scrapbooking die cut shapes and letters. This die cutting machine is a great starter machine for beginning scrappers.

Xyron

This computerize personal cutting system is a revolutionary die cutting machine that can cut almost any shape you can load on to your PC. It is portable and easy to use. The Xyron cuts shapes, fonts and images in 3 sizes.

Xyron Wishblade

The Wishblade, an upgrade of the original Xyron personal cutting system, is a computerized die cut machine that hooks to your personal home computer and uses computer software to electronically create different scrapbook die cuts. The Wishblade will cut any font you can find on your computer. Although this scrapbook die cutting machine costs approximately $450, most die cut enthusiasts say it is worth the investment.

Cricut

The Cricut die cutting machine is an electric machine that uses cartridges for the die cuts and doesn’t require a computer. The cartridges fit between two pads and the die cuts are cut out clean and easy. There are a variety of cartridges available and most scrappers agree this is a versatile, portable machine.

Cuttlebug

The Cuttlebug is one of the newest die cutting machines. This little scrapbook die cutter easily grips to your surface so you can cut your dies with ease. It will also emboss your dies with the click of a switch. The Cuttlebug is compatible with cartridges from most of the major brand scrapbook die cutters on the market. You can conveniently take the Cuttlebug die cut machine anywhere without bulk. The Cuttlebug will cut paper, chipboard, thin metal, mesh and more. This scrapbook die cutter has earned “rave” reviews from scrappers everywhere.

Personal cutting systems are a great addition to your scrapbook supplies. When you decide what system is best for your scrapbooking needs, you will be able to create many adorable die cuts for scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking Team Sports

2008-07-27T11:05:00.003-04:00

by Gwyn Calvetti (Jun 21, 2005)

Point guard. Red card. Spiker. Sweeper. Pickle. If reading any of these terms makes you think immediately of a ball field, hockey rink or indoor court, it?s a safe bet you are a fan of team sports. Maybe someone in your family is goalie for your soccer or hockey team. Maybe you get out every Thursday night for sand-court volleyball yourself. If so, it?s also a safe bet you have photos and memorabilia from your team involvement. Read on for some fresh ideas for photos and scrapping projects to remember your team.

Photo Tips

Each particular sport has unique challenges in photography. Some are easier to overcome than others. In all sports, capturing action is a key element. Here are some strategies to help you do just that.

Pre-focus on a location into which your athlete will move, then snap at the precise moment.
Use a combination of a high film speed and fast shutter speed to freeze action.

Follow your athlete by panning your camera slowly with the movement. This is particularly artful when done well, blurring the scene around and creating a sense of motion.

Lighting is the second sports photography challenge you will probably face. If your sport occurs outside in daylight, you will have the best luck at capturing well-lit shots. Other sports fans aren?t so lucky. Here are some ideas to consider.

If you are into hockey, curling or other ice sports, keep in mind that with that expanse of white ice, you run the risk of overexposure. Try setting your aperture for a half stop less or bracket your shots.

Indoor arenas and gyms can really be deceiving. It will appear bright to your eye, but it is very typical to have these shots underexposed. Add a half stop to your exposure setting.
Outdoor night sports, such as a night game at the football stadium, will look best with fast film. Remember that unless your flash is a professional-grade off-camera one, it will not provide enough light to reach your subject on the field. Shooting at a film speed of 1600 will increase your chances of getting the photos you want.

Click here for more sports photography tips.

Photo Ops You will want to capture some classic sports shots, if you can. Look to the photos you see featured in your local sports section of the daily paper for inspiration.

Some examples include:

The team high-fiving after scoring or a win
The physical contact of opposing players scrambling for the ball or puck
The focus on a players face before serving the ball or making a free throw
The batter slamming the ball, or sliding to base

Do not forget the fans, or the quiet moments in the sport. Sometimes, trying to capture action will be impossible, but you can still capture an essence of the sport. One of my favorite photos was taken as several of the boys on my sons 7th grade football team were walking back to the locker room. Their helmets were off, and their backs were to me, but they were clearly engaged in a discussion of the game just played.

Saving the Glory Days

Each scrapbooker will make her own decision about where to include any layouts about team sports. Most of the ones I have done for my two sons are part of their chronological albums. However, I have a son who has become a real soccerhead, allowing that to define who he is right now in his life. That deserves an album all its own, one that he might be able to share with his own soccerhead child someday.

Consider smaller albums or even less typical designs, such as accordion foldouts that can be displayed on a shelf in your athletes bedroom or dorm room. Older boys tend to be less interested in a photo album, but a cool-looking piece of art is something they can display along with trophies and medals.

Most often, you will design your layouts and albums in a more or less chronological fashion; 7th grade football, 7th grade basketball, 8th grade football and so forth.

Consider taking another approach that may help you look more deeply at what is gained from playing a team sport besides speed and muscle. Look at the sport from the standpoint of lessons learned, and create layouts to illustrate these lessons. This is a great way to gather up random shots that are from a number of events. A layout could be designed around the theme of ?hard work goes into a winning team, or mentor-coach. Be creative and ask your child what is important to him or her about the sport to help guide you.

Design for a Great TeamThere are as many design possibilities as there are team mascots. Your personal style will likely dictate your approach, directing you to go shabby or clean. Using team colors is an obvious choice, and can be especially effective if you decide to do an entire album. It will help coordinate the overall look, and if you work with color photos, it is highly likely you?ll be able to match your products to your photos, no matter if they were taken during the first game of the season or the state playoffs.

Take a look at the wide range of sports-themed papers and products available as well. Many of the major paper companies have developed whole product lines around most major sports. Some have a modern feel, others are funky retro. Many have accompanying embellishments to further enhance your design, such as football-shaped charms or stickers and overlays.

Do not be afraid to use some of these products for your basic scheme, and then add items from your own stash to give your design a unique look. The title page for my soccerhead?s album combines Karen Foster soccer paper with a kente cloth design from Grassroots. Using an international pattern underscores something I have discovered in my world travels soccer is a bridge across cultures.

One approach that is especially fun is to create a layout with the look of a newspaper or magazine feature. Digital designers can search their photo editing software to find pre-made templates with a magazine cover look or design one of their own. Younger kids in particular enjoy seeing themselves in that context.

Enjoy the game!Use some or all of these ideas to capture and save team memories. Enjoy the process, but do not get so caught up in saving the memories that you miss experiencing your childs first touchdown or goal first-hand. There will always be more, but that first one is priceless.

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New Cricut Releases!

2008-07-20T22:29:00.003-04:00

What an unbelievable week of new releases from our favorite companies! Our personal fave is the Cricut products introduced at Summer CHA. The exciting releases include magnetic "paper", Embossing kits that you create from your Cricut shapes and use in your Cuttlebug, and stamp material to create your own acrylic stamps! What an amazing line of products from Provo Craft!

We started Pre-selling many of the items on the website already so check there for images. The Cricut Message Board also has a great selection of images you can scout!

Check back soon for my blog about the new lines being brought to "The Closet"!

Give me some feedback ladies!! What do you think is the best release for merging scrapbooking and the other create mediums?

Adhesives for Scrapbooking

2008-06-25T20:14:00.002-04:00

Types of Adhesive:

Lines--little bits of double tape for ribbon

Dots--3d effect for pictures, journaling, etc.

Photo Corners--will keep pieces in place that can be removed, great if you need more duplicate photos. Use clear ones if you might remove the piece permanently.

Scrapbooking glues work great for adhering paper to paper just as a background mat to the scrapbook page. Craft glues also work well for adhering die cuts or punch outs. Glues with a fine tip - such as the EK Success Two-Way Glue - Fine Tip - can easily put one drop on a small item so it can be placed on your scrapbook page without making a mess with the excess glue! And there is even a metal glue to adhere metal to your scrapbook pages.

TIP: Do not put a page protector on your page for 24 hours after using any kind of craft glue.

Paper Adhesives include the photo mounting squares, double-sided tapes, the popular Hermafix dispenser and refills and pop-up squares for creating dimension on your scrapbook pages.
Photo Corners are perfect for heritage albums or for a fun look on newer photographs. They are also great if you think you may need to remove the picutre from the scrapbook album in the future.

Glue sticks are great all-purpose adhesives for scrapbooking. They work best on paper; however, they can be messy. Be careful not to transfer glue from your hands to your photos, and be sure your glue stick is acid free.

Adhesive dots are small, clear sticky dots that you simply peel from a roll and use for just about anything from jewels and buttons to fibers and fabric. They come in different sizes, including pop-up for dimension.

Glue pens also work well for mixed media like fibers, etc. They’re just what you need for applying glue to tiny accents and hard-to-reach places since many of them have a chisel tip.

Glue and tape rollers adhere paper and photos without wrinkling them or making a sticky mess. Rollers are a good investment since you can purchase refills and continue using them for as long as you like.

Mounting tabs and photo stickers are perfect for adhering photos—they’re easy to apply and you don’t have to worry about getting glue on your prints. Many come in a repositionable form so you can move photos around if you change your mind or need to take them out of your album.

Vellum adhesive is a wonderful creation that allows you to adhere all types of vellum without the adhesive showing through. No more secretly positioning the glue behind a sticker or other embellishment to tack down vellum!

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How to Use Brads

2008-06-25T20:11:00.001-04:00

Mark the spot you want to place the brad lightly with a pencil

On a self-healing matte (or piece of cardboard!) cut a small slice in your paper with an exacto knife (make it just wide enough for the prongs of the brad to slide through)

Insert the brad in the hole.

Turn over your paper and bend the prongs of the brad flat - one in each direction.

You can leave them as is or secure them further with tape or glued cardstock.

NOTE:The prongs on mini brads can be VERY SHARP. Be careful when separating them - try using the tip of your exacto knife or something else that's flat & hard.

What Can You Do With Brads?:
Attach vellum - no glue mark!
Instead of cutting out the center of letters use a brad for the center.
Hang tags, notes, & embellishments from your projects.
Make moveable paper dolls.
Use them for the center of wheels or flowers
How about using black brads for watermelon seeds or the spots on a lady bug.
Hold picture mats in place.
Secure ribbon and wire.

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A Fun Way to Use Old Business Cards

2008-06-19T13:49:00.001-04:00

The back side of a card is a mini canvas waiting to be embellished. You can decorate them with brads, buttons or even add eyelets to the card and attach to your page. Put several cards together to use as a Color Block. Use letters or rub-ons on the card to give it that extra something. You can also attach several side by side to make a border. The possibilities are endless. Let your imagination go.

Easy & Clean Scoring Every Time

2008-06-19T13:48:00.000-04:00

If you have a paper trimmer, use a pen that has run out of ink to score your paper. You can line it up so you can measure exactly where you want the score, and the blade track will keep it perfectly straight.

Traditional Hawaiian Lei Borders

2008-06-13T09:09:00.001-04:00

Leis can be used to make fancy three-dimensional borders. Leis add an exotic touch to holiday scrapbooks.

A traditional Lei is made using paper orchids, roses, rounded mums, and cup and saucer flowers with punched shapes and then gluing them together.

To add a richer texture, cut these follows from velveteen paper. You can use ready-made leis or make your own.
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Wax Paper Ink Dye

2008-06-13T09:06:00.001-04:00

Wax paper ink dye has an effect resembling tie-dye. This creates a great children's art background or a funky scrapbook for a close friend.

To do the wax paper technique cut a piece of wax paper slightly larger that the area you are working with. Next, crumple the wax paper up and then unfold.

Then, lay the wax paper onto the glossy paper and cover the wax paper with a sheet of paper. Iron the papers, using the hottest setting, for no more than 5 seconds.

Peel off the wax paper and then apply dye ink. The wax acts as a resistant to the ink forming a textured look.

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What is Embossing?

2008-06-13T08:49:00.002-04:00

Embossing is the process of creating a three-dimensional image or design on paper. It is typically accomplished by applying pressure to the paper. This is achieved by using a metal die and a counter die that fit together and actually squeeze the fibers of the paper. This pressure and a combination of heat actually "irons" while raising the level of the image higher than the paper to make it smooth. The most common tool used for embossing is the Cuttlebug by Provocraft.

Most types of paper and boards can be embossed and there are no restrictions on size other than the limitations of your equipment.

The term embossing also refers to a different technique for creating raised images on paper. In this process, a rubber stamp is used to apply glue to paper in a desired pattern. Embossing powder is dusted over the paper, where it adheres to the glue. The powder is blown away from the unglued areas, then the paper is subjected to heat, which causes the powder to melt and fuse over the glued area. Then the heat is removed, and the liquid hardens into a palpable raised surface in the shape of the stamped pattern.

Embossing can also be used to add neat effects to objects. Embossing can be used to add color and metallic shine to items. Embossing can be used to add a metallic feel to a truck or train in a children's book or add a masculine touch to a graduation scrapbook.

To emboss an item this way, sprinkle the embossing powder over the surface you want embossed. Then, heat the powder until it melts. Aluminum foil placed over the object can be used to quicken the heating process.

To reduce static cling and a mess afterwards, just place a dryer sheet on top of the item before you work. To clean up, simply brush away the remaining powder.

Embossing powder is available at most craft stores in a wide variety of colors and tints.

Use Those Scraps!

2008-06-01T20:50:00.001-04:00

Do you often find yourself with a ton of scraps after you complete a Layout? Do you find yourself wondering how to store it? Here is the answer...DON'T store it. Instead, take those scraps and make cards!

Now next time you need a card, really quick you will already have it!

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Cricut: How to Stick The Cutouts Down

2008-06-01T20:48:00.001-04:00

The most common dilemma I have hard from cricut users is how to adhere the cutouts. I have found that what works best for me is to run them through my Xyron machine. Refills are inexpensive and there is no mess! I have discovered that if you simply trace the cutout with a pen before removing the top layer of the Xyron sheet, you are able to avoid any extra adhesive that may be clinging to the edges of your cutout.

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Keeping your Cricut Mats Sticky Longer

2008-06-01T20:42:00.002-04:00

My kids always used to play with "wall walkers" those sticky toys that would walk down the walls. Anyway I thought about how you could wash them and they would stick again. I then came up with the idea to try it with my cricut mats. If it worked great if not...I wasn't outta anything, cuz it wasn't stickin great. So, I took a wash cloth that was wet (not drippin wet and not damp..kinda between.) I wiped my mat off until most of the black and hairs were gone. Then I shook it in the air to dry it. IT WORKED! My mat was sticky again. Not quite like new, but enuff to use again. Maybe ya'all will wanna try it before ya toss the mat.

You could use the Wacky Tack spray glue & lightly spray them & that helps as well.

Kids Coloring Options for Scrapbooks

2008-05-31T21:42:00.001-04:00

Crayons are acid-free. The main ingredient used in most crayons is beeswax or paraffin wax. The only downfall to using crayons is that because of the wax the color may fade or rub off onto your page protectors.

Pastels meaning oil-based chalks are not safe for your scrapbooks. They have toxic ingredients that can erode your paper and/or photos, but you can purchase archival-safe chalks that are made for scrapbooking.

Your best options are achivally safe markers, chalks and inks.

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Tarnishing and Untarnishing Copper

2008-05-31T21:41:00.001-04:00

Copper, tarnish or untarnished, adds a unique metallic look to your scrapbook page. Furthermore, copper is fairly easy to work with and cut into various shapes.

In this way, copper can be used to create an elegant antique look or a more masculine look.

You can tarnish copper tooling foil by either heating it. This gives the copper red, orange, and purple tones.

Alternately, you can use Liver of Sulpher to make the copper look old and blackened.

Tarnish can be easily removed by rubbing Tabasco sauce on the tarnish.

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Avoid Cliches

2008-05-26T11:14:00.004-04:00

You might ask yourself how could you fill a scrapbook with clichés, when a scrapbook is an individual’s memories of his or her unique family or personal life moments? Surprisingly, with the availability of mass produced scrapbook supplies, it is all too easy to spend x amount of time on a scrapbook, or even a single page, only to see a friends book and realize that yours resembles hers very much.

Making your memories into a unique statement does not have to mean that you can never use pre-made products, it only means that you should look at each page you are going to assemble, in as fresh a way as possible. Some basic rules, or, more accurately, suggestions, to keep in mind when creating you pages to keep you on the track to originality are:

Organization
If you are organized, you will have available everything in your scrapbook supplies for each idea. How many times have you been in the process of working on a page, have a great idea come to mind, only to pass on it and do something more basic? Simply because you did not have on hand supplies you were sure you had, then a few days later, stumble on those very supplies in a bag at the back of your closet or in a drawer?

Original Ideas
Have a great idea? Write it down. A basic notebook added to your work area, plus a small one you can keep always at hand, will allow you to keep track of all those inspiring ideas when they come to you.

Try It
You won’t know if an idea is always feasible unless you try it. The worst that will happen is it won’t work and you will have to reconfigure the page you are working on. Usually though, when an idea does not work out as planned, it will oftentimes give you a different idea that will work.

Anything Goes
Just because something’s original purpose was not scrapbooking does not exclude it from becoming a scrapbook supply. Look around at everyday items and some more out-of-the-ordinary objects and consider how they might be incorporated into your scrapbooking. I recently purchased a used book on Ebay that was meant as a gift for my daughter. Upon its arrival I realized it was in no way suitable for gift giving, with several pages torn out. The remaining parts of the book though consisted of handcrafted, block printed pages. These soon found their way into my scrapbook supplies and have become background images for journal notes and photographs. Another way I have incorporated unique backgrounds into my scrapbooks is by photographing items special to the pages that I am working on, items that are too large to be normally included. I then print the picture on acid free paper on my inkjet printer. I then have background images unique only to my book. For a page about a son’s motorcross bike, photograph the bike itself, the helmet and other safety gear, and with a bit of help from my graphics program on my computer, I printed several pages of colored watermark paper to be used as the background. One more sheet shrunk down to about 4” x 4”, and I had a perfect journal background for thoughts about his dirt biking.

Journaling
Words from your own heart, words uttered by your children or your spouse, a sentiment often repeated by a grandparent, these will make your scrapbook original. When I first typed the word ‘journaling’, my spell-check wanted to change the word to ‘journeying’...Ironically, that is a perfect thought to keep in mind when journalizing. Think of the words as a journey through whatever you are trying to make a memory of. Happy journeys!

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Glossary of Terms

2008-05-26T11:09:00.001-04:00

Acid Free—This means the harmful acids that cause disintegration of photos have been removed. To preserve your work, be sure any paper products you use in scrapbooking are acid free.

Lignin Free—The woody fiber that binds paper together causes deterioration of paper products. You’ll only want to use scrapbooking paper products that are labeled lignin free.

Memorabilia—This includes items such as tickets, documents, certificates, souvenirs, and mementos that can be added to the page to support your theme.

Journaling—From titles to captions, headlines to stories, descriptions to poems, journaling is the words you write on your page to tell your story.

Layout—These are the pages in your album that go together. A layout can be just one page, 2 facing pages, or a panoramic 4-page spread.

Crop—To cut or trim a photograph. Also refers to a scrapbooking party where ideas, techniques, and supplies are shared.

Mount—To adhere a photograph, accent, or other item in place. Also refers to adhesive mounting squares commonly used to adhere photos to the page.

Heading—Refers to the headline which explains the theme of the page. Also referred to as caption or title.

Theme—The overall subject of a page or scrapbook.
Focal Point—The spot in a design where lines converge and where the eye is naturally drawn.

Template—A stencil, usually made of plastic, for tracing shapes, alphabets, layouts, and designs onto paper.

Embellishment—Extra elements such as buttons, charms, stickers, brads, eyelets, etc. used to accent the scrapbook page.

Emboss—To create a raised design with a stylus and a template.

PVC Free—PVC is the abbreviation for Polyvinyl Chloride. Because this element is harmful to photographs, it is removed from plastic products used for scrapbooking. When purchasing scrapbooking products look for those made of polypropylene or labeled PVC free.

Vellum—A lightweight translucent paper often used to bring drama to a page.
Color Blocking—A form of page design where blocks of color are used to hold photos, accents, journaling, and embellishments.

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Sport Scrapbooking

2008-05-26T11:06:00.001-04:00

If someone in your family has been involved in sports and have had articles written about them in the local newspapers, take photos of the events and scatter them around the newspaper article which has been copied on acid-free paper.

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

2008-05-25T00:12:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year again. The weather is getting warmer, and the kids are starting to whisper phrases like "summer vacation," and "no homework" with more and more enthusiasm. While summer brings us many wonderful things, it also brings about the end of a special relationship; the one shared between your child and his or her teacher.

I for one am very blessed to live in an area with excellent schools. My children reap the rewards of their teachers' many and varied efforts on a daily basis and I'm so very thankful for all of their sacrifice, experience, and excitement. This year I wanted to do something special for my daughters' teachers to show them just how much their work this past year has been appreciated.
There are several ways you can create a thank-you gift for that special teacher in your life. It doesn't need to be an extravagant gesture, but something unique and personal is always appreciated. I was once told by a friend who teaches elementary school that she loved the gesture, but if one more apple-themed item came across her desk she might scream. After 10 years of teaching she had hundreds of pins, totes, cards, mugs, and various handmade items that featured the "apple for teacher" motif.

Instead of using the traditional colors or themes related to schooling I've tried to keep the personalities of these special people in mind and create something unique that suits their taste and hobbies. Something unexpected is always fun!

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What are all these supplies?

2008-05-25T00:09:00.001-04:00

Walk into any scrapbook store and you’ll see—there are a million fun products to add creativity to a page! Once you get the basics, these are some of my favorite “toys”:

Stickers: These are great—they’re inexpensive, fun to use and they’re available in just about every look, style and theme.

Tags: They may look a bit like shipping tags, but they’re really not! You can buy plain manila tags and decorate them yourself, or purchase pre-decorated tags such as Paper Pizazz® Tag Art, Tag Art #2 or Tag Art #3 collections. These you just cut out and add to your scrapbook page.

Cut-Outs™ and Punch-Outs™: These are another product line from Paper Pizazz®; what’s nice is that they’re designed to work with Paper Pizazz® papers so you can easily create a coordinating page. Cut-Outs™ are images on paper (tags, alphabet letters, laser lace borders) that you just cut out and glue to your page. They come in a book so they’re inexpensive and easy to store. Punch-Outs™ are the same type of paper embellishments; these ar e perforated so you simply punch them out of the book they come in.

Punches: Punches are tools used to punch shapes out of paper. They come in shapes of all sizes, from large circles to small flowers, alphabet letters to corner edgers and small borders. You can find them at craft stores in the paper section; they’ll sell for $5.00-$10.00 each. As a beginner, you’ll want to pick the most versatile shapes. My favorites are large and small stars, small heart, snowflake and a 3/8”, 1/8” and 3/8” circle. To use, simply slide the paper in the metal slit, then punch down, keeping your hand flat on the widest part of the punch. I’ve found that you can lubricate a stiff new punch by punching through wax paper. To sharpen a dull punch that’s been frequently used, punch through a piece of tin foil. Handheld hole punches are another good investment. My pick is a 1/16” hole punch, which I use to punch holes at the top of tags and to set eyelets.

Embellishments: You can decorate your pages with all sorts of embellishments, which you can easily find at a scrapbook store. Buttons, fibers (fancy yarns and threads), metal accents, beads, craft wire and fabric ribbon roses can all safely be used on a scrapbook page. I like to use Glue Dots™ to attach them. These are super-sticky adhesive dots that come on a roll; just press your embellishment onto the dot, then lift it off the roll and place it on your page. Brads are another good choice: these fasteners come in shapes like hearts, circles and stars. Simply poke them through the paper, then spread the prongs apart to secure. They’re perfect for attaching vellum to paper or layering papers.

Chalk: Decorative chalks, like those from Craf-T, come in a set with lots of different colors. The set comes with two applicators, and you can also apply the chalk to paper with your fingers or Q-tips. They’re nice for adding a touch of soft color to a paper, or shading and highlighting a Cut-Out™ or die-cut. They are also acid-free.

Eyelets: These are great for attaching vellum to paper, decorating a photo mat or making a border. To use eyelets, you’ll need a setter and a hole punch, plus a pounding mat and a hammer. Many companies, such as Making Memories, offer eyelet toolkits that include all of these. Here’s how to set an eyelet: First, punch a hole in your paper the same size as your eyelet. The standard size is 1/16” circle. Then insert the eyelet into the hole and turn the paper over so the flat side of the eyelet is on your pounding mat. (Be sure you protect your table with the pounding mat!!) Insert the pointy tip of your setter into the long end of the eyelet. While holding the setter upright and steady, tap the end of the setter with your hammer. Remove the setter and “finish” the eyelet with another tap from the hammer. Do be aware, though, that eyelets are all different and some will require only a gently tap while others need a good firm whack. Eyelets come in different sizes, colors and shapes—like hearts, stars and flowers. I’ve found I get the most use from classic gold, silver and colored round eyelets.

Rubber stamps: While stamps are a bit of an investment (they’re usually about $5.00-10.00 each) they can also do double-duty for making handmade cards. When shopping for stamps, look for designs you can use on lots of different pages. A stamp that says “Father’s Day” might not be as versatile as a flower stamp. To stamp, you’ll also need an inkpad (black is a good color choice). Here’s how to use it: Tap your stamp on the inkpad, then press the inked stamp onto a piece of paper. Don’t rock the stamp; press it firmly and evenly. Color the image with colored pencils or pens. Do be sure to test a stamp on a scrap piece of paper first.

Die-Cuts: These are paper shapes that come in all sorts of colors and themes. Often made from cardstock, you buy them individually for 25-90¢ each; often, craft and scrapbook stores will have a die-cut machine where you can cut your own. The store usually charges you for the paper and a usage charge on the machine. (Accu-Cut and Ellison are two kinds of die-cut machines.) You can chalk or embellish die-cuts to give a little more color and dimension. Laser die-cuts will cost you a few dollars each; they’re made of a laser paper that tends to dress up your page a bit more. Li’l Davis and Deluxe Cuts are two companies I like for laser die-cuts. The great thing about die-cuts is how you can usually find a shape for any theme—so if you can’t locate horse paper for your daughter’s riding lesson page, you might opt for a horse die-cut instead. To add a die-cut to your page, just glue it on or attach with foam tape for dimension.

Embossed Paper Charms: I love these little metallic paper cut-outs from Paper Pizazz®. They’re acid-free so they won’t tarnish your pages, plus they’re lightweight and flat. Simply cut them out and glue them onto your page, or attach them with foam mounting tape for dimension. They give the look of metal charms without the weight and possible abrasion of regular metal charms. I like to make a small hole with my 1/16” hole punch and use quilting thread to dangle the tags on my album pages.

Templates: These are ideal for unique embellishments that make your page look great. Try the Tags Template for tag shapes or the Nested Shapes for three-dimensional accents. They’re easy to use, yet the results look anything but easy.

http://www.scrapbooking101.net/articles/nicetohavesupplies.html

Why Mat Photos?

2008-05-25T00:06:00.001-04:00

Why Mat Photos? For the same reason that you frame a picture before hanging it up on the wall!

A mat will act as a frame for your photos, giving a visual space or “rest” between the colors and shapes in the photos and those in the background paper. It also gives your page a more finished look.

A mat is a must if you’re using patterned paper as a background. Be sure to follow the Golden Rule of Patterned Papers and always mat your photo onto a solid paper before placing it on a patterned background sheet. If the paper is very bright or heavily patterned, you can make your photo mat a bit wider, or double-mat or triple-mat it.

Scrapbooking Handprints

2008-05-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

The sweetest accents to a child's scrapbook page are handprints. Handprints are especially appreciated in baby or grandparent scrapbooks.

To make prints, prepare a flat surface.

Next, put acrylic paint into a paper plate.

Then, have your child place his or her hands in the paint and then on your scrapbook surface, one at a time.

After the paint dries, you will have a permanent record of your child's handprints.

Stamp Cleaning

2008-05-04T07:32:00.002-04:00

We are getting a lot of questions on stamping as it continues to grow in popularity. By far, the #1 question we get is on care and maintenance. They cost a lot and you want to use them for a long time!

We have found that to prevent your stamp pads from becoming cloudy, clean your stamps before changing colors. The best way to clean up your stamps is with alcohol-free baby wipes. They're cheap and they work great!

New Class Ideas

2008-04-19T12:14:00.002-04:00

We are always looking for new ideas for classes! What techniques would you like to learn? What are the most useful programs for you?

Cricut Cartridge

2008-04-07T20:52:00.000-04:00

What's your favorite cartridge? Have you had any luck with the Cricut Design Studio?