Tuesday, September 9, 2008

All SQUARED up



The versatility of squares in endless, take a look at just a few ways you can use squares

Designing with Circles


Circles are a great design element, in almost any shape from big to small, in groups, clustered together or as an element on a border. Circles are so adaptable. Simple shapes can be joined together to create anything from flowers, people, laydbugs, turtles, teddybears etc.


Circles are a great way of tying a design from your page together with embellishements, they can make bubbles(using vellum), balloons etc, the list is endless, try a page or two with circles and see the amount of things you can use them for.



Hand Drawn Elements and Doodles


Grab a pen, pencil, texta, crayon or whatever and start drawing. It's a great way to add more of 'you' to your projects and can really add a whimsical feel to any page. If the whole idea of this sounds scary - dont worry about being perfect, just let your hand run free, it is often the least perfect of doodles and pictures that capture the most interest. Start by simply drawing or tracing simple shapes to hold other elements, add definiton or give direction as a design element.

Which cutter is right for you?

Die Cut Machines: Which One is Right for You?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.

how to make pigment and embossing ink!

If you have stumbled on to this post it is probably 11:27 pm, you are in the middle of a huge stamping project and your ink-pad has run dry! No worries, you can make thick luscious pigment ink with just a few supplies you may have on hand already (even if you don’t you can get all of the necessary supplies for less than the cost of 2 new ink-pads!)
You will need: A Plastic Spoon, Artist’s Gouache (pronounced “gwash”, it is a thick opaque watercolor available at art shops or large chain craft shops like AC Moore. I use the set of 18 colors by Reeves. Cost:$10), Vegetable Glycerin (available at a health food store) * If you just want to make clear embossing ink use only the glycerin, it is exactly what clear ink is made of, some companies add fragrance but glycerin is what makes the embossing power stick, it makes a great watermark ink too. If it seems to thick you can add a drop of rubbing alcohol to it.
Directions: Grab the ink pad you need to re ink. Squirt the gouache on the pad (if you need to mix colors to get the right shade you can do that on a piece of waxed paper of leftover plastic packaging.) Add a couple of drops of glycerin to the ink pad and work the paint and glycerin in to the pad with the back of the spoon. Grab a stamp and test it, if the image looks to transparent add more paint. You made need a touch of white to make it more opaque. If the ink is to thick or dry feeling add more glycerin. If you are truly in a bind and need ink now and do not have gouache raid your child’s art box for tempera or poster paint which is the same as gouache except it has more water in it so it may be more transparent but after you ink up your pad you can try evaporating out some of the water with a hairdryer.
Invest in the gouche and the glyceryn if you don’t already have it and I promise you will never buy a bottle ofpigment refill ink again!
BTW I came up with this when I was in the middle of a huge stamping project and my ink-pad ran dry!

Re-Juicing your Markers

Ahhhhh, nothing like a nice juicy marker (hey, you didn’t think I was going to say steak did you?) And there is nothing worse that scraping a dry marker over a lovely stamped image, fingernails on a chalkboard anyone!?! If you have dual tip brush markers hold on to your hats cuz you can re-ink them and save a ton of $$. Here’s how. You will need dye based reinkers, glycerin and rubbing alcohol. There are two ways to re-ink your brush tip markers. If you have Stampin Up, Marvy Leplume or Whispers you can use pliers (or your teeth) to pull off the plastic tip that holds the fine point writing nib, then you can squeeze a few drops of re-inker right into the barrel on to the sponge stick inside. If you can’t remove the nib from your marker (or you are scared to) you can squeeze some ink in to a shot glass and put your marker in brush end down and the dry marker will wick up the fresh ink. Buy say you do not have the exact color to re-ink your marker. Don’t fret. Here’s what you do! Find the closest color. If you need light pink and you have dark pink take the dark pink and add a little glycerin and rubbing alcohol to it, dip a q-tip in it and test it on a scrap adding more ink or glycerin+alcohol as needed. I like to keep enough re-inker colors on hand so I can mix up what I need when I need it. I usually by Stampin Up re-inkers but I have had good luck with a ink-jet re-inker kit I found at the dollar store too! If you have blender pens ( the clear markers that let you blend ink, chalk and watercolor pencils) you can rejuice them too! Just mix glycerin and alcohol in a cup and dip the brush end in! Easy as pie!

make your own embossing buddy!!

Save some money and make your own!! Happy Monday!! Did you know you can make an anti-static embossing pouch that tops anything you can buy for free? well you can! All you need is a scrap of thin fabric and a Tablespoon of cornstarch or cornstarch based baby powder. Cut a 5″x3″ piece of fabric, fold in half and sew up two of the sides to make a pouch. turn right-side-out, stamp a design on it if desired. Fill with corn starch and stitch closed. Easy peasy. If you don’t have a sewing machine, or if you want an quicker version simply cut a 6″ circle of fabric, place the corn starch in the center, gather up the edges of the fabric and secure with a rubber band. You are good to go! Rub this pouch on your paper before you heat emboss and it will keep the embossing powder from sticking where it shouldn’t. You can also rub a sheet of vellum with it before ink jet printing! Enjoy, you just saved $5-$10 on an embossing buddy!

Creating something "trendy" with something you already own!

My favorite is the paper ribbon. Bazzil has “Just the Edge” card stock strips and there is Paper frills by by doodle bug but at $10 a pop it can get pricey especially when you can custom make your own in any color that you want for pennies! Here’s how:
Take decorative edge scissors (everything comes back around doesn’t it, I bet your glad you kept them…or you kicking yourself for purging them from your stash when they became passe) and cut long strips of paper or card stock. Use hand punches to make them “lacy” if desired. Voila paper ribbon! What a great add on to a page or a card!!!!

Selling your stuff!!

As someone who sells custom cards,layouts and jewellry for a living, I thought you would all like a few tips on how to get started!! I’m sure if you are reading this blog you are a fantastic crafter who likes saving money on their addiction…er, I mean..hobby. Well how about making some money at it too? There are lots of places you can sell your wares. Here are some ideas:
Craft shows: This is the first place that comes to mind for most people. If you can produce a large quantity of stuff for a reasonable price AND you have good people skills give it a try. Generally you pay $10-$50 per table and you can arrange it any way you like. If it is an outdoor show you will also be responsible for providing a tent and your own displays (walls, tables and such). Here are my tips for success:
Bring a few “to die for” pieces to draw in the crowd, these would be the the showpiece necklace that took 40 hours to make with a price tag to match. This may not sell but when people see the quality and value of your work they will purchase your earrings and bracelets.
Don’t sell your self short, if it took 5 hours to paint a painting let the price reflect that, you are a small business…not a charity. But you can have nice prints or note-cards made of the painting and sell them for less.
Have business cards ready and put your contact info on all of your price tags. An email address is fine, no need to have strangers know where you live unless you rent studio space that is open to the public.
Demo it! I sell way more cards and painting if someone sees me “at work” plus it beaks the ice if you or your customers are shy about talking about the art. It also brings in a crowd, a plus if the show is slow. You may even get people interested in classes!
Research your shows. If one charges $50 it should be well advertised, certain shows bring in a more upscale crowd that will pay a fair price for quality work..then you have the “plastic canvas” shows.
Go to craft shows. See what booths do well and which ones don’t. see how the vendors act, how they display and what they sell. sometimes it’s all about the sizzle!
Don’t just sit there! Act like you are having a great time and you want to be there, no one like a sour puss sitting there like a bump on a log. Be excited about your art and others will too. In fact Don’t sit! Take the chair away if you have to, unless you are demoing and need to sit but be doing SOMETHING!
Booth rentals: If you don’t like to “sell” and chat up your work you can rent a booth, stock it and as Ron Ronco says “set it and forget it!” This is great if you have a lot of stuff and no time to work a booth. I rented space in an antiques mall and it worked very well for me. I prefer a strait out rental, you pay a monthly rent plus a small (5%) commission and they handle sales tax and the business stuff for you. You can also join a co-op where you pay a monthly fee and have to work at the shop a couple times a month. Before you go this route make sure you follow these steps:
Research, how is the foot traffic in this store. How many customers come through a day? Do they advertise? Will my art sell here?
Talk to other vendors. How long have them been there? How much do they sell? they probably won’t say how much in $$ but may tell you how many items sold.
Do you make enough stuff to keep the booth stocked?
Can you afford the rent? How long are you willing to keep the booth if nothing sells?
Do you have the time? You need to add new items and move stuff around in your booth to keep it fresh on a weekly basis for optimum sales.
Where in to shop is you booth located? I rented two booths in the same shop. one was 8′x8′ in the middle of the floor. I had freestanding walls, shelves and a table to display my paintings, cards and jewelry. Everyone who came into the store passes by my booth at least once and my stuff sold very well. I closed that booth 2 weeks before my twins were born then reopened one a couple years later in that same shop. The shop’s sales and traffic had increased but the spot I rented was tucked away on the 3rd floor. I saved a few dollars by taking that spot but hardly anyone schlepped up the stairs to see! Many months I didn’t sell enough to pay the booths rent. Location, location, location!
Consignment Shops: If you answered “no” to a couple of the questions above consider consining you work. Consignment shops display your work and if it sells will keep a percentage, often 50%, of the sale price. You can negotiate this percentage though. If having your work in their shop bring them business they should lower their cut. If you work had been published in a craft magazine, if you have a blog and advertise that shop there ask for a better rate. Once your name gets around you can set your consignment rates. I will not consign my work if I don’t get to keep 75% of the sale. The upside to this is that if nothing sells you aren’t out any cash. The downside is they decide where your stuff goes in the shop. It may not be their priority to “talk it up” and display it well.
Free promotion: If you have a friend with a store whether it be a pet shop or a hardware store ask if you can put a basket of cards on the counter. You’d be surprised how much you can sell this way and they probably won’t charge you a dime. You can also ask you favorite local craft shop to display some small works for sale, after all the more $$ you make the more you can spend there!
Have Friends be your sales people: I have a friend who is a nurse and I gave her a earring/necklace set for her birthday. She wore it to work and colleagues asked her where she got it. She offered to bring some of my jewelry in to sell. She sold 35 pairs of earrings that week! I put my contact info on a card and attached the earring to the card and slipped each pair into baseball card page protectors in a 3 ring binder and sent them to work with her

Difficulty in uploading images

Seem to not be able to upload images at the moment so i will post the relevant ones asap.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Scrapbooking Techniques:
Sticker ArtWorking with scrapbook stickers can be tricky. You want to make your design is laid out properly before you adhere them to the pages. An easy scrapbook technique is to lay out your design on wax paper or plastic wrap. As wax paper and plastic wrap are transparent, you can move it around over the page and get some idea of where the art will look best before having to commit.

scrapbooktips
Scrapbook Size:
"What is the best albums size for your needs?"Scrapbooking albums come in all shapes and sizes. There is no one specific album size that is "best" to use, but here are some tips on the various sizes available:The 12 x 12 papers are readily available and this particular size seems to be a good size to fit pictures and other memorabilia on the pages without too much crowding. You can also buy ready-to-make pages kits in the 12 x 12 size.If you want a smaller size book go with a 9 x 9 or 6 x 6 size. These sizes are great for children to start with because they are smaller and easier to work with for tiny hands. The 8 1/2 x 11 size is becoming almost obsolete. There are not many scrapbook papers available in that size anymore and the industry seems to be steering away from the 8 1/2 x 11 size and going to the square sizes instead.

scrapbooktips
Choosing the Right Paper for Your ProjectThere is a variety of scrapbook paper available for your scrapbooking needs. Some of the most common varieties of papers for scrapbooking are:Cardstock, which is a heavy weight paper used primarily for the "backbone" of your page layout. It is also used for photo mats; paper piercing and die cut images too.B&T (Background and Texture) paper is used for a decorative background on your scrapbook pages. It can be used for a photo mat backgrounds or to accent your stamps, die cuts, stickers, etc.Gingham (patterned paper) paper is a common "checker board" patterned paper that can be used for background accents on your scrapbook pages, greeting cards or other craft projects. It is pleasing to the eye and a popular, versatile pattern.Mulberry paper is used for adding a bit of “flair” to your pages. This thick paper can be torn while wet and used for making “tear bears” or other characters. Just tear the paper and the result is chic, fiber-rich edges.Vellum is a translucent paper that looks very elegant and it can be used for masking an image, embossing and is great for journaling. It is typically placed over a colored paper and it is used to "dress up" your pages and give them a distinctive appearance.The most important thing to remember when you are choosing scrapbooking paper to go in your memory books is to choose a paper that is memory-safe, meaning it is acid-free. You want something that is going to preserve your photographs not ruin them.

scrapbooktips.com
Scrapbook Techniques:
Cropping QuickiesOne of the most important scrapbooking techniques to remember is cropping your photos. When cropping photos, show only the most important parts of the picture. This makes the page more interesting and allows room to place more photos and for journaling. There are several different scrapbook techniques you can use for cropping photos. You can use scrapbook templates, you can try silhouetting, i.e. cutting around the main subject, or bumping part of the picture out beyond the “frame”. Feet, hands, hats, balloons, are ideal - you are limited only by your imagination.

scrapbook tips
Scrapbook Matting Techniques:
Attaching Photo CornersDo you have trouble getting photos and memorabilia on straight when you use photo corners? Here is a scrapbooking technique to make the job easier. Using a pencil, lightly draw on your page where you want the photo to go. Place photo mounts in opposite corners on the item, and place it on the page, using the pencil guide. Then apply photo mounts to the two existing corners. Don´t forget - if you are using lick and stick corners, use a sponge not your saliva. Saliva is acidic.

scarpbooktips