01.31.08
Thank You
The blog challenge says to take a deep breath, and then write what must be said. And this card says it for me “Thank you”. Thank you for stopping by, thank you for sharing with me. I appreciate not being alone out in Cyberville.
01.30.08
SCROCKETS
SCROCKETS = Using Pockets in Scrapbooking
I love hidden journaling, it is so much fun to have a layout in a page protector, and only the people who need to know that the tag has a lot of special journaling on the back will know, or find it later….
It’s a lot of fun to make your own pockets for the page – that way you can coordinate all of the colors and other embellishments. I made this quickly as a demonstration – but done right, this can be a wonderful addition to any scrapbooking layout.
I know, I know, you’re going to think this is an ad – but I really did use the Scrapbooking Templates from Green Sneakers to make this.
Here are some more examples of pockets for a layout:
Scrockets!
Scrockets with Tags!
01.28.08
A Moving Quote
I love these Board Books. My mom made them out of solid walnut for the Etsy Store, and I haven’t used mine yet. My project for the day is to use my Board Book to create a mini album worth putting on the family room bookcase. This sample is showing the ‘brights’ version, but I’ll probably use the muted tones one. I get to use real decorative hardware and screws – the hardwood will hold it perfectly.
The blog question of the day is to state a quote that moves me. I think I’ve blogged something similar before, but the quote that moves me, and calms me is: This too shall pass. To me it means: Whatever is happening has happened before, and that which came before passed – this shall too. Which is probably just another way of saying “don’t sweat the small stuff”. But it can be difficult choosing the things in your life to which you are willing to give emotional energy to, and letting the ‘unworthwhile’ events go by without a fuss is a simpler way of dealing with things, for me.
Have a glorious day! I have one planned, and am very much looking forward to it!
01.23.08
Valentine’s Day Gift Bag
I like shaped cards that are unusual – a little something unexpected. This is a Bucket Style card that I made upside down, and put gussets in to create a gift bag. So much fun to play with paper!
The blog challenge asks what would I like to see taught as a class. I don’t know. I teach classes, and I ask this question a lot to others, but it’s a toughy for me. I guess the easiest way to answer is to say that I’m going to ScrapBowl ‘08 and I’m taking Margie’s Baker’s Dozen card making class. So I guess that must be the class I want.
01.22.08
Keeping Warm
I’m thinking of doing a whole series on “Tips and Tricks with Templates”. This one, for example, looks very straight forward, but there is a little trick to watch out for when cutting the liner shape. I made it backwards, and since it is an uneven shape, it wouldn’t work. I had to cut it out again using the correct side of the template. I think I’d best get started on that, it was on my calendar’s “to do” list!
The blog challenge asks how am I keeping warm with all of this cold weather. Personally, I’m loving it! I have 3 down comforters on my bed, and I sleep like a rock, I just don’t always want to climb out of it in the morning. My cat didn’t even want to get up this morning, she was all settled in. We built the art studio downstairs, and normally it is never truly cold down there, but lately it has seemed too cold to work with fine detail materials (in other words, paper crafting). So, I went upstairs, and asked my husband to exit out of his game and take me to Home Depot. We got a space heater that looks like a wood stove, it wasn’t expensive, and it looks nice. But I think I’ve convinced him that we need to put in a pellet stove – we’ll see!
01.19.08
Never Again
I need to play more with alcohol inks. I love the way this came out – and once I saw how to set up the stamping, I got a ton more ideas. I just inked a felt pad with the different colors, and knowing approximately where I wanted the different colors for the scene, I stamped the ink directly onto the glossy cardstock. Then, looking at the background colors, I inked my Scene stamp with archival ink, and stamped where I thought it would look best. I can see doing this with butterflies and sentiments, etc – I’m sure it’s endless. I just need to go play more!
The blog challenge question asks what will I never do again, and why. I started scrapbooking, like a lot of people, with Creative Memories, and I was horrible, my creations were horrible. I couldn’t make a layout with plain papers and stickers that I liked. I became very discouraged, and I still shudder when I look at those old layouts. So, I will never attempt to create art that I don’t like, if I don’t like the style, I’ll skip it and work with mediums and techniques that I do like. It took me many years to get back into scrapbooking after my early failures, and I need to just stay true to what I like, and what I want to create.
01.17.08
Digital Scrapbooking and Backing Up
I’ve been dabbling in Digital Scrapbooking ever since I got my ScrapWow website, I can still showcase my traditional layouts (as scans) but I love the convenience of scrapping everything on the computer – especially since that is where my photos are. The Blog Challenge asks if I back up my photos – my answer is YES, and often. I also back up my digital scrapbooking kits, my digital layouts, and my scans of my traditional layouts. Actually, I continually back up everything that I value on my hard drive. I just couldn’t bear it if I lost any of it!
01.16.08
Okay, New Blog Challenges
I’ve been hashing this idea over with my friend, Linda, and we’re both looking for ways to keep updating our blogs and write about things that people want to read. We are both very interested in using the supplies/tools/techniques that we have and finding out how other people use these things. SO….. How about a blog challenge that you answer on your blog! Just post a quick comment here to let people know where your blog is, and we’ll just keep it going from there! I’ll start a new thread over on 2 Peas, and you can leave your comment there with the link to your blog, if you wish – or both.
Also, anyone wishing to have their blog post (or projects/instructions) put up permanently in the archives with the original article – please just email me and I’ll get it uploaded with the permanent links to your blog.
So….. our first one? What’s your favorite use of Wet Embossing? Personally, I use it all of the time. Not only do I love how it looks, but it serves so many purposes.
Here’s the card from the article after it was hand painted and then finished with a brayered layer of multi-color ink.
Now feel free to join in and post on your blog what or how you use embossing, then leave a comment here that you posted something and a link to your blog and/or post to the challenge thread at 2 Peas. Soon we’ll have people “blog hopping” to see what ideas we all have!
The next topic will be “Sewing on Paper” – you can see here how I’m setting it up. I think this will be great, and the point is to share our knowledge and have people come visit us on our blogs, as well as just having some great things to write about! I hope you’ll join in – the more the merrier!
I’ve rearranged the ‘categories’ on the right to fit the post topics. They’re called “labels” if you’re using Blogger.
I Just Have To Share This
This is my rendition of an Explosion Box. I just love it, and it was so easy to make. It’s a Match Box Style box and it fits inside it’s sleeve…
I posted the instructions and “how to” over here: My Version Of An Explosion Box
I can’t wait to get started making more of them…. there’s Mother’s Day, and my Grandma’s Birthday….
01.15.08
Keeping Up With The Trends…
This is a card I made for my Stampin Up demo class. I’m so glad SU changed their angel policy!
The blog question asks if I try to keep up with all the new trends in scrapbooking/paper crafting or do I just go with the flow?
A little of both, I guess, but I don’t buy anything I won’t use. There have been ‘trends’ that I just didn’t like – certain patterns or themes, tools that don’t work or the task can be better accomplished with a different tool. So I try hard to not waste money on trends. There are, however, some things that are trendy – because they’re great, and people are talking about them – because they work well and have aided in the crafting. Those are the kinds of trends I say I follow. If something is going to do something that no other machine does, or a patterned paper that is so gorgeous I just have to use it – then, yes, I try to pick some up the next time I’m out.
But, that said, this brings me back to an idea that I’ve been working on since the New Year. I want to have a Blog Challenge for “using your old stuff”. I want to post articles (one a month?) on Paper Designs By Barbara about a tool or technique, and how I use it and why I bought it, and show projects - and then have people post their projects using the older stuff. I still use punches, eyelet setters, paint, foam stamps, Sizzix, etc – every day. Then I read posts about “is using rub ons still in?” – well it is at my house! But maybe I have found other uses for them – maybe you have great projects that you’ve used them on. I’d like to start singing the praises of the ‘old stuff’. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to put this together.
