Treasured Memories Projects & Techneeks

WE'VE MOVED!!

2010-03-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

So as of right now, I'm still working out some kinks and putting my limited digital knowledge to the test, but I thought I would publish the new address for the new Treasured Memories Techniques Blog!

Please join me over there to continue your wonderful journey of knowledge and discovery! I already have the first new post up, and I'm excited to share with you all the new items I added!

Treasured Memories Trends and Techniques

And thanks for all your patience and support on this...it's not the easiest thing to do, moving one blog into another, but I hope it was worth the wait!

later skater alligator

Drumheller Album

2010-03-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

I put this guy together in a couple of sessions, using new product from Studio Calico, some Bling, letter stickers from My Little Shoebox, and my new Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

It's all built in an old magnetic photo album I found for a steal at Value Village.

Maybe next week Blogger will be more cooperative with me, but right now it's not letting me upload my pictures properly to the new Blog...sorry again for the delay.

Bonus Technique and Some New Stuff!

2010-03-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

We have been getting so many new and fun shipments recently! If you haven't been in your LSS lately, now is the time to go! The new CHA product is arriving daily, and there are some great lines to play with!

Today I am using some new KandCompany bling, paper and die cuts. I am not normally the biggest fan of KandCo. stuff, but this time around there are some amazing little do-dads. And there's a bonus little technique within the new stuff...we're making paper flowers!

First, a layout:

Here I am using some of the new Kand Co. die-cut titles. This cut out type of art is very popular in many online communities, so it's nice to see the scrapbooking world jump on the cart. I'm also using some of their new pearls, that come in a rainbow pack with rhinestones as well!

For about $5 you get four designs in two different colours (see below): white and shimmery

Keep in mind that these detailed cuts don't really carry the same effect on a busy pattern paper...

They look best on solid, as in the demo layout, or a subtle pattern, as you can see below.

You could also try:
- Using Glimmer Mist or stamping ink to colour the die cuts
- trace the image onto a solid colour, cut it out and then mount the solid colour on the back for a popped out look

******
And now onto our technique.

For the paper flowers you will need:
- pattern paper
- trimmer with cutting and scoring blades
- liquid glue & paper-to-paper adhesive

Step One: Take some pattern paper and cut a strip off. You will see below, that 2" is too wide! Might I recommend 1.5". And it doesn't have to be a 12" long strip...start with a 8"-9" strip for practice. Plus it takes way less time to do a shorter strip!

Step Two: With your scoring blade, score the pattern paper to make your folds. 4/8" is a great size! You will need to do this all along your paper. This is why I recommend starting a shorter strip (8"-9").

In the second photo you can see all of my score marks. Try not to rip through the paper. This will only cause you headaches later...trust me!

Step Three: Accordion fold all of your score marks.

Step Four: Now it gets to the fun part! HA! Gather all of your folds together. That is, squish up the strip of paper so it's nice and compressed. Put some paper-to-paper adhesive on the ends.

Step Five: I don't have pictures of the next step because I needed to use both hands! Place the compressed paper on your table and slowly fan it out, bringing the ends together in a circle. Stick the adhesive ends together and hold on!

NOTE: Remember how I said 2" was too wide? Well here's a shot of how that worked out!! You don't want your flower to be too wide, or else it just won't form a proper circle!

Here is what it's supposed to look like! It might take a little fineggling to get this thing to sit flat. And if you have any rips it will be a little bit more difficult!

Step Six: Turn the flower over, back side up, and put a whole dollop of liquid glue in the centre. Try and get it into all the folds if possible.

And put something heavy-ish on top while it dries.

This is less like a flower and more like a fun pinwheel! And if you call it a pinwheel, you can put it on a boy's layout just as well as a girl's!

Finish it off with some bling, buttons, pearls, whatever you like!

You could also try:

- sprinkling some glitter over top

- inking or sanding the top most edges for a more distressed look

- making a whole bouquet of these in matching colours and different sizes

- putting one on a canvas, picture frame, or headband

Happy Crafting...and I'll see you back here next week...sometime!!

Road Trip...and a Delay

2010-03-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

The mini-fam and I are going on a Road Trip down to Drumheller this weekend, so I have postponed the new Blog Reveal!

But I am planning on leaving you with a little Technique/Trend tomorrow...using some of the new and super fun K&Company product that has newly arrived. Normally I'm not a big fan of their stuff - too many glitter stickers for my taste - but this time around they have a lot of fun vintage-looking die cut packs, stickers, etc. And some great bling...which I love.

See you back here tomorrow...and keep watching for the new Blog! I'm so excited about it!!!

later skater alligator

Postcard Part 3

2010-02-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

This is the last postcards technique this week, and my last post until March 13th! I will be working on the new blog...ooh la la!

You will need:
- a bunch of postcards from the same location, or same trip
- Gaffer tape, paper tape, hockey tape (yes!), masking tape, packing tape
- embellishments to finish your layout

Step One: Assemble your postcards. I am doing this layout on our trip to Vegas last summer, so I pulled all my Vegas postcards to choose from.

Step Two: Choose three postcards from your giant pile that you are going to use. I picked three that I like the most and said the most about my trip. We stayed at the Luxor, and I the Paris Hotel & Bellagio fountains were my favourites. You can now choose paper and embellishments to "match" these postcards. See my note about that at the bottom!

Step Three: Decide how your postcards will be layered. Think about what you want to see first thing, then layer the postcards from there. Think about which way you want them to fold and flip - up, down, left, right - and make sure there is enough room for tape in between them and along the edges. Here is my order starting from the bottom:

Step Four: Pick a non-postcard image to layer on top. This gives a place for your title, unless you want to use the words on one of the postcards for that. It also provides a little rest for your eye from all the busy-ness of the postcards below. I chose this packaging from an American Crafts buttons set. And since it had product description on the back, I covered it with some lined paper from Sassafras.

Just trace the shape and then cut out. Then glue it on the back. Same goes if you choose pattern paper or something else to adorn the top of your layout.

Step Five: Now we start taping. Grab your tape of choice - mine is the new 7Gypsies Paper tape. It comes in some fun colours and patterns and is really easy to use!

Start with the paper or postcard that is on the top layer. For me, that is my American Crafts packaging. Measure your tape so it is no longer than your paper/postcard. It can be shorter, just not longer...once you flip your postcard you will have a sticky tape end sticking out, and nobody wants that!

Mark the tape where you want to cut it (see the black arrow in the photo). Cut your tape. Then peel off the backing.

Stick the tape onto your paper/postcard and the background paper. Line up the paper/postcard so it's as straight as you can get it...you could use a ruler or measuring thingy, but I prefer to "eyeball it"

Once you get the tape down, fold open your postcard and press down along the crease. This will help the postcard fold better, and make sure the tape is nice and secure.

Now tape down the next layer. For this postcard I had some text that was right along the edge, and I didn't want it to be covered. So...I just mark my cut below the title.

Remember, that your tape can be shorter than the edge of your postcard, just not longer.

As you go along, keep closing the top layers to see where you're at. The postcards and paper can shift around and you want to make sure they all get into the right place. This also helps make sure you won't get stuck on the last layer and not have enough room for the last postcard!

Here are all my postcard layers after they've been taped down, but before I did any embellishing.

Embellish
When you pick embellishments for this layout, keep in mind that anything you add below a layer will add more depth, so you don't want any embellishments that have a lot of height to them. Rub ons and stickers are great to use inside your layers. And they come in lots of fun colours and shapes and sizes, so that you can't go wrong with whatever theme you are working on.

I chose Hambly lime green lace rub ons, and black American Crafts stickers. With some shiny stars to compliment the shiny lights of Vegas!

Here are some pictures of each finished layer, starting from the bottom. And of course Blogger picks now to rotate some of my pictures again...hoorah...

And the very front. I kept it simple and let the postcards be my title. You can see I carried some of the lace rubon detail between layers.

The background is made using a Prima Background stamp and some "black" ink. Just ink and stamp...all over. It's best on this layout to use a simple background...plain cardstock or a really simple pattern work best. Otherwise it gets too busy.

Lisa's Extra Special Note: Regarding "Themed" Layouts
I know a lot of scrapbookers out there love to use themed products on their themed layouts. But I am here to tell you that it doesn't always have to be that way! We had a customer at our crop last week who was working on her Vegas pictures and she was really disappointed that we didn't have any Vegas embellishments for her to use.

From my point of view, most Vegas embellishments are "tacky" and are never the right colours for my layouts. And don't represent what I think of when I think "Vegas". But you can't tell a customer that...you have to help them find other options that might work for them! She went back and looked through her photos and was struck by how much yellow was in them...from all the bright lights. So she found some fun yellow embellishments to accentuate her layouts! YAY!

So if you want to scrapbook some farm pictures, you don't always need a red barn or a cow sticker...sometimes a nice leaf or flower in the right colour, with some gingham ribbon will do the trick! I scrapbooked a whole whack load of my Vegas photos without a Vegas-themed sticker in sight...and I love them all!

*****

So this is my last post for awhile. I will be back in two weeks on the new Blog. I'll put the link up here so you can find me there! I'm very excited! I haven't really customized this Blog since Juli and I first did it up. The new one will have all these "old" techniques for you to look through, as well as other interesting links and places to check out on your Internet Travels.

Until then...Happy Creating!!

Postcards Part 2

2010-02-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is a super simple way to add a postcard to a page...as a journaling spot!

You can always buy some postcard looking die cuts - I have some from Making Memories - but it's also fun to use a real postcard instead.

You will need:
- a postcard with a simple back
- a pen to write with

Step One: pick your postcard. We want one with not a lot of "stuff" on the back. All postcards have a little blurb about the photo on the front. Make sure yours has as little blurb as possible! I'm using on from Making Memories...it's not a real postcard this time!

Step Two: Write on your postcard. Journal as if you were telling someone about your trip. The highlights, the lowlights, who you traveled with, etc. Whatever interests you about your trip will be interesting to your audience!

Step Three: Stick it down! And finish your layout!

Optional:
You could use it as a space to write some hidden journaling, and tuck it behind a photo or piece of paper. Sometimes I find that my page fills up quickly with photos, papers and other design elements. And since journaling often gets left to the last moment, I find I don't have any room for it! Creating hidden journaling still allows for you to add some verbal detail to your layout, but keep the original design in tack! Woo Hoo!

You could also try:
-While you're away, pick up a couple of cheap postcards from the local souvenir shop and "journal" on them. Write about where you are, and what you've been up to. Then buy some stamps and send them to yourself at home! When you get home you'll have some fun mail and the perfect addition to your scrapbook layouts for that trip!
- Remember that postcards as journaling spots don't always have to go on travel layouts. The layout I completed above is for a birthday party that Lucas attended. We didn't leave the country...heck we didn't even leave our street...but we went somewhere and it was a big deal for Lucas, so I thought it was the perfect fit!

Pop back later for my fold-out layout using postcards. I just need to print some photos and take some pictures of the final product and then post! It's so much fun to create a layered layout like this...I can't wait to share!!

Until then...

Projects Using Postcards

2010-02-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

I love shopping at Value Village. And best of all, I love buying the "Housewares Bags" because they are always full of fun goodies at a great price! One day, on my regularly scheduled tour of the store, I came across a Housewares Bag full of vintage postcards. From Italy, and Paris, and Madrid, and Heidelberg. There were books of them and loose ones. There were places I recognized, and places that were new to me. They were all beautiful!

So I decided to buy them...duh...and do up a couple of projects for you!

Project #1: Mini Album

You will need:

- a bunch of postcards for the same location

- "matching" pattern paper, the cardstock weighted kind

- packing tape

- simple embellishments, rub-ons, sticker letters

First things first, figure out which postcards you are going to use, and how many pages you want your album to be.

Now measure your postcards. Mine were 4 x 5, or something like that. Once measured, I cut all my patterned paper down to size. If you are using double-sided paper, you only need to cut

one paper for every postcard. If you aren't using double-sided, or hate the other side of your paper (that was my case) you will need to cut two pieces for every postcard. We will glue the backs of the pattern paper together later.

Throughout my album I alternated postcards and pattern paper:

Title (pattern) - postcard - pattern (2) - postcard - pattern (2) - postcard...etc. I used a total of four postcards and 9 pieces of pattern paper. Eight of those pieces are glued back-to-back. The last page I left as is. I wanted to have a lot of space for journaling, as that is the whole point of my album - no photos except for the postcard. So I used the back of each postcard, plus the opposing pattern for journaling. The pattern opposing each postcard is for a sub-title of the location pictured in the postcard. Wow, this sounds really complicated! But I promise it actually isn't, once you get going!!

Once you have cut all your pattern paper, lay out your album in order, choosing which patterns will go where.

Now, glue your pattern papers back-to-back...if you're going that route.

Now to assemble our book. I do this before the embellishing because it's much easier!

Grab your packing tape. This stuff is great for making a mini-album because it's flexible, sturdy and clear so you can see your postcards and pattern paper through the tape. I love gaffer tape, but sometimes the dark line along each page can be distracting.

Starting with the first page, line up your paper to the packing tape, and make sure about half of the tape is over the paper. Press the tape down. Don't cut your tape at this point! I added the black outline so you could see where the tape is...sorry for the screwy photo!

Use the roll of packing tape as a guide and a solid surface to help you place the opposing sheet of paper or postcard. Line up the edge of the next sheet with the first sheet, using the roll as guide for where the bottom goes. Press the tape down.

Now you can cut off the tape. And you have two pieces of your album! The packing tape is practically invisible! And it's so easy - and cheap - to use for this! Note: Blogger has decided to flip some of my photos, and there's apparently nothing I can do about it...sorry!

Keep adding pages into your book, using this method. Below you can see what the back of the postcard looks like. Thanks to the packing tape method, you can add as many pages as you like! Just keep sticking each page together like we did in the note above.

You can see in this picture how I alternated pattern paper and postcards.

The finished book:

This last picture shows what the pages look like with my journaling added. I kept the decoration of the book very simple. I didn't want the finished product to be too thick and I also didn't want to have to purchase a lot of stuff. This mini book will serve as a keepsake for my current memories of my trip to Italy when I was in junior high school. Most of the photos I have from the trip have already been scrapbooked - badly - so I didn't want to start all over again with a big book.

This is a great way to capture the special memories of a special trip without having to pull out all the stops and create a deluxe album! But you can totally still do that!!

You could try:

- use postcards from lots of different places you have visited

- making an accordion folded book instead of a traditional album

- do this "on the go" while you're on your vacation! All you need is some scissors, packing tape and a pen to document your memories as they happen

There are so many possibilities when it comes to using postcards on projects!

Check back Friday for two layouts using postcards. First, a simple way to add a journaling spot. Then an amazing fold-out layout to accommodate lots of journaling and photos! I'd leave you with a sneak peek, but I don't have photos yet!

Kitschy Digitals & Goods...mostly goods!

2010-02-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

So here is part two of my Kitschy Digitals post. I bought some of their paper goods about a month back and fell in love! The feathers look like real feathers, and the frames have such great texture and personality! I just knew I had to share them with my readers!

I bought the feathers, the yarn flowers and the woodgrain/vintage frames from here. The price is great, and the shipping not so bad either. And it didn't take long to come. And they didn't get all banged up in the mail...I hate when that happens!

Everything is printed on thick cardstock, with quality ink, so no worries there.

So now, you just cut your stuff out.

And do your thing...

BONUS TECHNIQUE: covering up an ugly corner. My hubby didn't take a lot of pictures at my sister's wedding last month. And some of the ones I have aren't the best. But I really like this one of me walking down the "aisle". It felt like I had a mile to walk and this kind of gives you an idea of that. Unfortunately, you can see the DJ set up, and an ugly red chair. But if I crop the photo down, it just isn't the same.

So I covered it up with some pretty feathers and chipboard and a flower! You can still see most of the frame, but now you can't see the chair or table. Try this the next time you have a "trouble photo" instead of pulling out the scissors.

The big frame goes nicely around my wallet print, and the smaller frame provides a little extra embellishment at the top.

The background was created using lots of Glimmer Mist over top of a Jenni Bowlin chipboard shape. Then I removed the shape.

On this next layout I'm using the yarn flowers. I vaguely remember making these when I was a young'un with those little plastic looms! It's hard to believe that this is a one-dimensional shape printed on paper! You can actually see the shadow of the yarn! I have a hard time with most digital stuff because it looks fake...you can tell right away that it's a digital image. But this stuff is so real looking!

I even used the little doll that comes on the package. Danielle really loves Blythe dolls, so they are sort of her "logo". The package that my papers came in had a trio of dolls printed on the face. So I cut out the most Lisa-looking one and stuck her down. The jewel on her shirt is Prima.

the complete layout:

Just some fun pictures I took around Halloween. The "Boys" sign on my door is an actual bathroom sign from a school that was razed by my grandma's old place. Me and my sister dug through the rubble and I found this gem! It works well as part of my title!

It's really fun to use digital and regular embellishments together on the same layout. The combination of flat and puffy is really fun, and the extra colour and texture never hurt nobody!

I hope you enjoyed the "Technique" this week! I had a lot of fun playing with my Kitschy Digitals & Goods.

I totally recommend checking out some digital or hybrid scrapbooking products. Sometimes you can find things that just don't exist in a traditional scrapbooking store. And the fact that you get a file to keep on your computer and use forever and ever...hey I love that! And a lot of stuff out there now can be altered - colour, size, texture - if you have the right software. If you're new to digital scrapbooking, most sites that sell the stuff have classes or tutorials you can use to practice and become more familiar with the products.

And I am so not comfortable scrapbooking on the computer, but this felt like traditional scrapbooking, with a new technique and that's that!

next week: Projects with Postcards...I'm so excited!! see you then!

Kitschy Digitals & Goods

2010-02-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

This week I thought I would try my hand at some digital and hybrid scrapbooking. K...it's mostly hybrid. I'm more of a paper and scissors kind of girl than mouse and keyboard!

But I did find some super rad digital and printable images on the web that I had to share. These are from Kitschy Digitals by Danielle Thompson. Some of you may remember her from her "Designing With" days. I {heart} her stuff!

I purchased my digital kit on JessicaSprague.com. It was super easy and super fast! The second I had hit "pay" through pay pal, I had the download code in my email. Wow! It took a bit of figuring out to get the files to extract...my computer is apparently having a "Monday"...but once that was done I was very impressed.

Inside each download are the png files for playing with my flowers in a software that allows for that - Photoshop, etc. - plus a printable PDF file, and some project suggestions, and some other little notes! I was very excited to get started!

So I thought I would be smart and use the high tech colour copier at work to print one sheet of these, just to see how they would turn out. Apparently the copier was having a "Monday" as well, because it kept jamming and telling me to adjust the paper size, etc. etc. So it half printed twice, then decided what it really wanted was legal sized paper, so it grabbed one of those and I got a third copy. Um...thanks?

So this is what I ended up with. On standard copy paper. Yippee... But I thought: "I'm a creative person who is used to thinking outside the box so I should have no problem coming up with something"

So I did...

On this layout I cut one strip of the flowers and used it as pattern paper. The colours of the flowers go great with the photo and I found some more pattern paper that went just as well. Remember that flowers aren't just for spring, summer, or girls. And because these guys are in such fun vintage colours, they complement a lot of different themes.

For the next one I did the standard cut all around the shape and stick it down. But, if you were handy with some sort of photo-editing software, which I am not, you could print these right onto your layout! Gasp!

I love how real these look. They actually look shiny like real plastic flowers. And the colours are so amazing!

On this last layout, I cut out each flower, but left a rectangle of the white paper around each one.

It's just another way to use them. Nothing special or fancy, but I think it looks sweet! That's my sister's baby by the way! Eek...exciting! See the feather? I'll show you some more of that stuff later tonight.

There are some amazing digital kits for purchase from Kitschy Digitals. And Danielle gives you the option to "upgrade" your purchase for photographer or commercial uses. I'm thinking I might make some fun Blog decor with these guys!

Danielle - the creator of Kitschy Digitals - has a lot of great ladies on her design team, and they can do some amazing things with her products. You can find her here:

This page can direct you to whichever product you're interested in.

Kitschy Digitals Blog has a lot of great info and updates and project suggestions.

Her Personal Blog has a lot of other fun crafty stuff and amazing photography!

Jessica Sprague is where I bought my digital kit. Danielle sells 4 kits from here currently. You can also find more product at Two Peas in a Bucket

In her Goods Shop you can purchase the digital images already printed for you. The colour quality is amazing and the price isn't bad either! These are the same images as you can buy as a download, but for people who don't want to deal with all that computer stuff! They are printed on high quality paper, with super ink...I know my printer at home just can't compare.

I'll show you some fun layouts I made using some of her Goods...later tonight! So come back for that post...

love is in the air (pt. 3)

2010-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Day Three: The Paper Banner

This is the same one you used to make as a kid, by accordion-folding a strip of paper, cutting a shape, then unfolding it for a fun banner or chain or whatever!

You will need:

- long strip of pattern paper

- pen or pencil

- scissors

Step One: Cut a long strip out of your pattern paper. Make sure it's a little bit taller than the size you want your finished shape to be. I think I did a 12 inch strip to be sure it would stretch across the entire layout, but make it as long as you want.

Step Two: Accordion fold the strip. Each fold needs to be as wide as you want your finished shape. Make sure the sides of the fold line up.

Step Three: Draw your heart on the first side of the folded up paper. This makes it much easier to cut out the finished shape...I did my first by hand and it was very very lopsided!

Step Four: Cut out your heart. Remember you are cutting through a lot of layers of paper, so your shape may end up a little rough in places. But you can always trim it down once you unfold it. If you are using paper with a white core, you might notice the rough edges more than if you are using cardstock, or other paper with a coloured core.

Step Five: Unfold your heart paper banner. If you want to trim it down a bit, if it's rough or lopsided, do so now.

Step Six: Adhere your chain to your layout. Mine acts a border for the title. Try laying it over your photos, or placing your title right on top of it!

my finished layout...

I love how this layout turned out! You can sort of see how I used other heart/love embellishments on the layout. The American Crafts "Love" button, and the Love Elsie stickers ("i heart" and "enjoy enjoy")

Note: the background was made by spritzing Glimmer Mist (in yellows and brown) over top of an old Heidi Swapp chipboard pack I'm using as a mask/stencil.

There are so many fun Valentine's embellishments and paper lines out there...but they're usually pink and sparkly and that's not my cup of tea!! So I like to be able to make my own "love" layouts without always relying on what the scrapbook companies think I might like for that. And these are the results. Remember that all of these techniques are easily transferable to other themes, and other shapes. I'm just getting the ball rolling for you!

See you back here next week for a couple of fun layouts using some digital (and printed) products from one of my favourite sites!

Until then...later...and Happy Valentine's Day!

love is in the air (pt. 2)

2010-02-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day Two: A Big Heart & Some Clouds

In this technique, you're going to use what you learned in the last technique to make a "giant" heart to use on a layout or project. And some clouds, because sometimes you're on Cloud Nine, or your head's in the clouds, or some other funny euphemism for being in love...!

You will need:
- pattern paper
- pencil or pen
- scissors
Optional:
- edge distresser
- stamp pad

Step One: Using the technique from yesterday, cut a large heart from your pattern paper. Refresher: fold your pattern paper in half. Draw half of a heart on the paper, with the center at the fold. Cut it out. Unfold.

Step Two: Take your edge distresser, or your scissors if you don't have one, and scratch up the edges of your heart...which I didn't take a picture of...sorry!

Step Three: Take your stamp pad and rub it along the distressed edges. Also no picture...oops!

Step Four: To make your clouds you will need your pencil, some scissors and a calendar page. I love the idea of using calendars or note paper to make little die cut embellishments! They look so cute, and add a little bit of a "remember the date" without being too obvious.

This particular calendar die cut is from Creative Imaginations Creative Cafe. It comes on a larger sheet with lots of other colours, and a smaller size. There are also kraft ones.

Step Five: Flip over your calendar and draw some doodly clouds. They don't have to be perfect...but if you want them to be more perfect find ones that you can trace on to the card. Now cut them out.

I also punched a little scallop circle from the same calendar page, focusing on the word "Saturday" because that's the day the photos were taken.

Step Six: You could outline your clouds (and your heart) if they don't stand out enough for you. Especially if they are close in colour to the background.

My finished layout...

I added a flourish stamped in the same colour as what I used to distress my heart. The text is also stamped in the same colour. And I also added some lacy ribbon and a pearl in the same turquoise colour. Have I mentioned that I love this colour?

You could also try:
- doing a big star or circle and embellish with similar shaped items
- Ink the shape in a contrasting colour and use that colour elsewhere on the layout
- "Framing" your photo with the large shape

Friday is our last technique for the week, and my "big finish". See you then...later...

love is in the air (part 1)

2010-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

This week I am posting a bunch of layouts inspired by Valentine's Day...they all have different, fun, easy-to-make HEART embellishments on them.

Day One: Lots of Hearts...Lots of Ways

Today we will be creating three different heart embellishments using lots of fun supplies. These techniques can be replicated using whatever shape works for your theme.

You will need:

- scrap paper, preferably cardstock weight

- Spray ink, like Glimmer Mist, Maya Mist, Ranger Colour Wash, etc.
- Alcohol ink, or another kind of liquid ink in the same type of bottle

- ledger or lined paper, preferably cardstock weight (or equivalent)

- pen or pencil

- scissors

Heart#1
Step One: Cut your scrap paper to a square (or rectangle) to a manageable size. This cut out heart is going to be a mask, so you will want to leave some room on either side of the shape so you don't get too much over spray on your layout. I use extra scrap paper to cover the background just to be safe! Fold it in half.

Step Two: Draw or trace half a heart on your paper, with the center of the heart at the fold. Then cut it out. I just cut the heart without first drawing it cause I'm a pro!! HA!

Step Three: Unfold the heart and the cut out. You can save the heart for another project. We only need the negative image for this technique.

Step Four: Place the cut out on your layout and cover the background around it to avoid getting any over spray. I'm only doing one heart, and I want the background to stay "clean". If you want a messier look, don't use any covering!

Step Five: Spray with Glimmer Mist, or Colour Wash, or whatever spray ink you have on hand. i used Tattered Angels Frozen Lake & Green Tea.

Now leave it to dry while we work on the next heart.

Heart #2:
Step One: Grab a piece of lined pattern or legder paper and follow step number two above to cut a heart from it. You want these hearts to be about the same size as your inked heart. Cut as many of them as you need to stretch across the page. If you use the leftover piece from the first technique to trace, you'll be sure to get the correct size.

And if you use a longer piece of paper you can just trace all the hearts at once and cut them out, saving you some time.

Step Two: Cut out the hearts and unfold them.

Step Three: Lay the hearts along your background, running from left to right. Match them up so they are in line with the inked heart we just made. Don't forget to leave room for your picture, which will lie along the same line. You can further embellish these hearts with paper clips, bling, pearls, or use them for your title or journaling.

Heart #3
Step One: Grab some alcohol ink, or some other kind of ink inside a squeeze bottle. I love alcohol inks for this technique because the bottles have a nice narrow tip and the ink doesn't flow too fast so you can work a little easier with it.

Step Two: Draw a heart on the background with your alcohol ink!

It doesn't have to be perfect...my ink stopped flowing mid-drawing so I had to go over my heart a couple of times. But it still looks pretty fabulous!

My finished layout...

Check back here tomorrow for Part Two!!

later...

Fabric Yo Yo Flowers

2010-02-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

You will need:

- fabric

- needle and thread (strong thread...I'm using embroidery floss

- circle template and pen

- scissors

Now I am by no means a "seamstress", so don't expect me to use any fancy sewing lingo or terms. That being said, if I can do this technique with little to no sewing background, it should be no problem for you either!

Step One: Trace your circle onto the wrong side of your fabric. I like to use the latest technology in templates...a cream cheese container and roll of masking tape.

Look...there's a circle!
Now, I'm going to let you know right now that the inside of a roll of this particular brand of masking tape is too small. You flower will not turn out. It will look goofy and you will shake your head! Trust me...I'll show you in a moment! Your circle needs to be twice as big as you want your flower to be.
Step Two: Fold down all the edges. The other tutorial I read about this called this by a word I have never heard before, and I will not repeat it here. The fold can be very narrow. It will look bumpy...let me rephrase...mine looked bumpy and it turned out okay, do don't worry if your edge is bumpy.
I ironed my edges because then they kind of stay put when you start to stitch them.
They don't have to be ironed completely flat. Once you start stitching you need to hold the edges down and maybe refold, but it's not a big deal.
Step Three: Now start stitching. This is my example of what not to do. My stitches are too far away from the edge. They need to be much closer. You can space them close together or farther apart. This will change how it gathers (far apart = tighter gathered).
This is a picture of my masking tape flower...see how tiny it is? Please don't ask me why Blogger flipped every single one of my pictures today. It is now only mildly annoying. And I can't fix them in Picasa, so...anyways...
This is my good example! See how circular my circle is? And how close my stitches are to the edge! Do this!!
Step Four: Once you have completed stitching along the edge, you can start pulling on the end of your thread. Make sure your yo yo starts folding back in on itself. You want it to be fairly flat on the back. If it doesn't do it automatically, guide it along before you keep pulling.
The finished yo yos. See the terrible one on the right? Aren't you happy to be able to learn from my mistakes!?
I'm just finishing the layout now...I'll be back later!

I'm back...it has taken me three days to post this, but here is the finished layout...finally!

and some detail shots of the yo yo...which looks pretty slick if I do say so myself!!

and I really like the addition of this button strip...not sure where I picked these up, but this is the way buttons are sold at fabric shops...all on one strip of card. this is a super fun and easy way to add a row of buttons to your layout!

later...

Schedule of Events

2010-02-05T12:05:00.001-08:00

for the next month...

Today (Feb 5): Fabric Yo You Flowers

February 12: "Love is in the Air" - projects inspired by Valentine's Day

February 19: Digital Kits & Goods from Kitschy Digitals

February 26: Projects using Postcards

March 5: NO POST

March 12: New Blog!!

That's right! I'm going to move this blog, give it a little face lift, change some links, etc. And it might take me more than a week, but I sure hope not! This blog will remain up for one month after, but I will be moving all the old techniques over to the new Blog, so you will still have access to them.

Check back this afternoon for my Technique Post!

Ten Second Studios

2010-02-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I forgot to post this last week...I'm so forgetful sometimes!!

I must say, that this stuff was hard for me to work with. I don't know if it was because I didn't seek proper instruction beforehand as to what tools served what purpose, or something else. And while it was a complete failure, it wasn't a complete success either!

You will need:

- coloured metal sheets

- a shape to emboss (or embossing template)

- tools (I'm using the brayer and sanding thingy)

Step One: Lay your metal over top of the image you want to emboss. I'm using a Riff Raff Chipboard shape because I didn't have any of the embossing plates at home.

Step Two: Brayer over the entire image. Make sure you get in all the cracks and seams, so the image is "transfered" to the metal fully. If your image has a lot of small detail, there are other tools that will emboss it better than the brayer.

Step three: Once the shape is there, you can start sanding the surface colour off to show the raw metal underneath.

Like this!

Here you can see the Riff Raff shape next to the finished metal action.

I tried some of the other rolling tools to create texture. Use them on the back of the metal then sand the top for the "best" results.

Note: Alcohol ink will take the colour off your coloured metal. So if you want to use alcohol inks, buy the uncoloured metal sheets.

I recommend: Buying the video! Or going to their helpful website. There are lots of videos there, that I probably should have watched before I attempted anything! They will be more helpful than this post...sorry for wasting your time! (TEE HEE!)

K.C. is running a fabulous class this weekend, using all of this stuff...check it out!

Thanks to my assistance Lucas for holding some tools while I took pictures. He had a lot of fun with this technique!

I promise to have something better for you this week...and I'm going to work on it today so I don't forget again!!

Where have I been?

2010-01-20T21:46:00.001-08:00

I know I promised to be back sooner with the second layout...but time snowballed away from me, and all of a sudden the weekend was over and now it's Wednesday!

For this layout I am using the text paper from the Jenni Bowlin embossed paper line. This sheet is black with a beige core.

I first laid out the papers and embellishments I wanted to use on my layout, so I would have an idea where I wanted to sand the paper. I took a picture of this so I could go back and check it out while I was sanding! It doesn't have to be exact, but it will give you a better idea where things will be when you're done.

I started by sanding all of the edges. Then I sanded bits of the rest of the paper. I wanted most of the focus to stay on the right side of the layout, so I left most of the left side untouched.
Here's a close up of how it looks. I really love the text!

The almost-finished layout...I need to print a photo, this one is just a stand in! The black background really allows the photo and embellishments stand out, but without being a boring black...it has some interest as well!
You could also try:

- sanding certain words that accent the theme of your layout (for example, you can see near the bottom I gave extra attention to the phrase "you must remember")

- sand the entire page, but leave some areas lighter than others

- use bits of the paper as an embellishment...this would be especially neat if you covered a chipboard piece with it!

I hope you enjoyed layout #2 in this Technique. This week I want to finally tackle the 10 Second Studios metal...so wish me luck and meet me back here on Friday!

later skater alligator

Jenni Bowlin & Embossed Papers

2010-01-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

For the Technique this week, I yoinked a couple of pieces of paper from K.C's new Jenni Bowlin paper pack! It is an excellent little pack of paper, I tell you what!

This is patterned, embossed paper, that has a different colour core than the surface colour. It is so wonderful! And it comes in some of her best patterns. Here is a link for some more pictures: "link".

You will need:

- embossed paper

- sandpaper

I apologize now for all the sideways pictures. It's just not my day!

This is what the (ivory) paper looks to start. You can only sort of see the embossed image on the paper. I'm going to show you this technique on two different sheets of the paper, because the ivory does not photograph well, at all! Check back later for the second layout.

You'll want to take a small piece of sand paper, or a sanding block or file to the embossed areas. Remember that the core of the paper is a different colour (in this case, lighter ivory...sigh) so you will start to see the different colour underneath. Keep sanding until you are satisfied with the colour coming through.

And this is the ivory paper after it has been sanded. Kind of looks the same doesn't it? That's why I'm going to show this on another sheet of paper. Be patient!

And here is my (first) finished layout. I used some other Jenni Bowlin paper and embellishments to finish off this layout about my sister and her hubby.
The ivory/light ivory paper has a very very subtle effect (very...subtle), so you might want to try inking it, if you want the pattern to show through more. You could try a fancy colour to brighten things up. I actually kind of like the subtle edging on this layout now that I'm looking at it!

Check back later tonight, when I hope to have the next layout up for you. After my fingers warm up, and hopefully Blogger stops acting up!

later skater alligator

Miss Me?

2010-01-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

I missed you!

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday break and are now ready to get back to work!! HA!

I have been thinking a lot about what I want for myself in this new year, and I have a lot of creative goals...one of them being keeping up with my Techniques Blog! So I have spent the last week brainstorming away all the new and fabulous things I can pass along to you!

I am going to start simple this week. Using something all of us have loads and loads of sitting in our stash. In fact, I may have done this technique before - or something similar - because it is just so darn great.

You will need:

- a pencil

- a whole bunch of brads, any shape or size, all coordinated with your layout

- a paper piercer, hole punch, scissors, etc. to make a hole for your brad

Step One: Draw a line on your page where you want your line of brads to go. You might want to lay out your layout before you do this, so you know where you want the brads to go. And we use the pencil because we can erase it if we don't like our first try! Or our third, or fourth...
Step Two: Choose some brads from your stash that will go well with your layout, and start laying them out on your line so you get an idea of size and colour placement. Again, this isn't the final step, so feel free to play around with placement until you get something you like. You can change your mind right up until you punch the hole!
Step Three: Start on one end of your line, and punch a hole for the first brad. I marked my hole with a pencil before I punched it, so I got it just in the right place. Lay your brad over top of the pencil line, eyeball where the centre is, then mark it with a dot. Now make that hole!!
Step Four: Keep going, one brad at a time until you reach the end. I wouldn't recommend going at it from each sides and then meeting somewhere in the middle. Because then you need to make sure you've got a brad that fits in whatever hole is left! Better you just shorten or lengthen the line based on where you end up.

This is what the back will look like. It helps everything lay flat if you keep the prongs all going the same direction and not crossing over each other.The finished layout...I like how my line of brads acts like an arrow, directing the reader from the photos down to the title. Notice how my final line of brads does not match my original sketch. It turns out that the little "loop" I drew didn't really work, so I just erased it and kept going.

The downside to this technique is that your page will be very heavy and large! If you want the same effect, but like to keep things light and slim, use paper or stickers instead. You can punch circles from pattern paper, or any shape really, and accent them with stickers or rub ons. The effect will be the same, but your page won't be so bulky!

I'm planning a whole bunch of classes in the next couple of months. Keep your eye on the TM Classes Blog for more information. Two of theme will feature Techniques I have done here in the past, so it will give all of you, my loyal readers a chance to try this stuff out in person!!

Until next week...

TOTW - Yarn Sweet Yarn

2009-12-11T22:53:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love to snuggle up in a warm blanket this time of year? With a pair of cozy slippers and a hot cup of tea? I know I love it...and you're probably wondering where I'm going with this!? Well, when I think "warm and cozy" I think of yarn &, wool. There's something so comforting about a knitted sweater or a homemade afghan blanket. And while I am not a knitter (I can cast on, knit and purl, but not in a straight line and I drop as many stitches as I make), I sure do appreciate a bright skein of wool!

So my technique this week is using wool on a scrapbook layout! It was easier than you might expect.

On this first example I braided three strands of wool to use as an embellishment on my layout. Here's a tip to make it a little easier to braid the strands without them winding back on each other. Tie the three strands in a know, then pin a safety pin through the knot and into something sturdy and close by, like the ball of yarn or your pant leg.

Or you could always stick something heavy on top of it...like a coffee mug!

Since I was using very long pieces of yarn for this project, I tried to keep the ends in a bunch so they wouldn't get all tangled up together as I braided.
I used liquid glue and staples to attach my little braid to my layout. Play around with the placement of the braid before you glue it down, and you could put a little curl into it!

In this second example, I thread the yarn right through my paper!

First, pull out your Crop-A-Dile or Big Bite and punch some holes. I just eyeballed where they would go, but you could mark them first with a pencil.

The Big Bite is nice because you can reach in to all areas of your layout. If you don't have a Big Bite, you can use a paper piercer or one of those old-school hammer powered hole punches. You just need to make sure your holes are big enough to fit a giant strand of yarn through!

Then coming up from underneath, start threading your yarn through the holes. You can tape down that loose end...or you could start from the top and tie a knot for a little extra flair.

Keep going until you've reached your last hole. Finish underneath and tape that loose end down as well.

Shazam!

Take it a step farther and use different kind of textiles on your layout, like leftover fabric from a sewing or quilting project, ribbon or lace, felt or felted wool. You could also carry the theme into other embellishments and use buttons, zippers, pins or any other sewing notions.

Enjoy...and try to stay warm out there! I'm so looking forward to the high of -30 we're getting today! Yippee!

A Technique & A Shameless Plug!

2009-11-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of sticker letters. A. LOT. But sometimes, I just don't have the right colour, or more importantly, I don't have enough of the right colour. This tutorial will give you a tip or two on customizing the colour of your finished chipboard letters.

You will need:

- white (or another light colour) chipboard or paper sticker letters
- ink (Staz On, Distress Ink, etc.) it needs to be a pigment ink, or one that fairly durable so the colour transfers properly and it doesn't rub off right away.
- a blending tool, like a piece of high-density foam (Ranger/Tim Holtz sells these in many forms, or you can just use a makeup sponge)

I'm using American Crafts Thickers because I had some on hand! Keep them on the backing sheet while you ink them...it's much easier this way! Then, when you've finished colouring them you can pull them off and stick them on your layout.

Get some ink on your blender of choice. I'm using the foam sheets by Ranger. Just cut them down to a workable size.

Now you want to blend the ink right onto the letter. I didn't do any prep to the letters before, but if they are very glossy or have a really slick surface give them a quick rub with some sandpaper.

And that's pretty much it. The colour doesn't show up very well in these pictures, but it's the idea that I really wanted to showcase. They have a really neat vintage-y, distressed, aged kind of look to them because the ink is naturally darker in some areas than others.

You could also try:

- using Glimmer Mist, but you will need to sand the letters first
- Crackle Paint
- Alcohol inks...the glossy surface of a finished chipboard letter is perfect for alcohol inks. Just add a couple of drops and let it dry.
- Embossing powder...takes a little more time, and remember to hold onto those little letters with tweezers or something!

And now it's time for the shamless plug! I put these fabby new letters on one of the layouts in my fabulous Calendar Workshop! It is a super-fun class/workshop/kit, filled with twelve awesome layouts and lots of product at a great price!

Here is October's layout, with the new letters on it!

You can find pictures of each layout on the TM Classes Blog (tonight they will be up...I promise!) and I'm doing up a post for the main TM Blog as well. The classes were scheduled to start in November, but if you want to sign up we can still cover a lot in the remaining classes in December (the 2nd and 9th).

The kit itself will be for sale next week, filled with all the instructions and full colour pictures you will need to complete each layout on your own time. There are a lot of fun techniques in the calendar, and by coming to the store to complete it, you'll be able to use some fun product as well. Stuff you might not have at home!

I am really excited about this workshop...a lot of my blood, sweat and tears went into this calendar! And I hope that y'all can get a little inspired by this project and maybe tackle something similar for yourself this season. It not only makes a great Christmas present, it's a great reminder of the wonderful year you had and all the memories you will be making next year!

happy creating!

TOTW - Feathers

2009-11-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, on a whim, the Saturday girls made a special Craft Store Field Trip and bought a whole whack load of feathers to make some hair clips. And when I say whack load, I sure mean it! I have a tonne left...and I thought I would put them to good use on a scrapbooking layout or two!

You will need:
- feathers, which you can purchase at Michael's for sure, but probably at other crafty type stores, or fabric stores.
- liquid glue, which I find is the best to attach them nice and good! Glue dots would also work.

Layout #1: Feathers & Chipboard
Adding some feathers to the back of a chipboard shape, finished or raw, is a great way to add some texture and dimension to an otherwise flat shape.
Turn your shape over, so the back side is facing up, lay down some liquid glue and start pressing your feathers down. Every once and a while, check out the right side of the shape so you know they are going in the right place

I really like how the feathers look behind this Riff Raff leaf. You could try adding flocking powder to your shape before adding the feathers for a different look altogether.

Layout #2: On their own...

A couple of feathers in a little bunch looks super great on any page! And in any colour. Tie some ribbon around the stems and call it a day!

You could also try:
- using larger feathers as a border along a photo
- putting a circle of feathers behind a flower
- using feathers as an embellishment on a layout about birds, or bird watching

Happy Creating!

Mish-Mash

2009-11-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

I couldn't get my hands on the metal tools this week, so I decided to give you some simple ideas to use product in a way you might not have considered.

You will need:

- Hambly transparency

- found items

- pattern paper

A new way to think about Hambly transparencies...

Hambly transparencies are great to use as a whole, but they can also be cut apart to create movement and interest on your layout. I used the fall leaves transparency to add a little bit of colour and to reinforce the lovely fall colours in the photo, but I didn't want to use the whole thing. So I cut some of the leaves apart, "scattered" them along the layout as if they were falling down the page. I also added one to the centre of the letter "o" to bring some of that bright yellow colour to that side of the layout.

A new way to think about "found items"...

"Found items" are anything that wasn't originally designed to be a scrapbooking embellishment. For example, clothing tags, stamps, pop can tabs, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on forever! It's always fun to add some memorabilia to your layout, but you can also add things that have a great colour or texture that might not fit the "theme" of your layout. The gold and black strip down the middle of the layout is the spine off the outside of a kid's "Golden Book". I love the shine and the pattern, so I kept it once it fell off the book and I think it adds a nice sparkle to this layout.

A new way to think about lettering...

The letters for the word "joy" are the leftovers from a banner I made out of pattern paper. If you go back a couple of technique posts, you'll see one I did with the word "Autumn". I drew big letters on my pattern paper, then cut them out to make the banner. But I hate to throw things away, so the words get repurposed on layouts. If you have a die-cut machine, it would make this much more exact, and potentially much quicker. And it adds a lot of fun colour, without having to use a lot of busy paper!

I hope these little tips give you something new to think about the next time you play with your supplies. Try using things in a different way than you normally do, and see what happens!

And I would like to say HI to Electra, and thank her for the fun time I had on our "play date"

today! I hope you really enjoyed the class and make use of some of the techniques at home!

I'll be running the "Unleash the Artist Within" class again in the new year. If you like the techniques I demonstrate here, but don't have the supplies or the confidence to try them in the privacy of your own home, you should come to the class! You can use the store's supplies - we have lots to choose from - and let loose in a no pressure, everything goes environment! Keep watching the blogs for more details.

later skater alligator...

new stuff

2009-11-06T11:37:00.001-08:00

So when I'm in a Technique rut, so-to-speak, and I can't think of anything new to show you, I usually just grab some new product and play! And that's totally what happened this week.

I have been waiting so patiently for the new Hambly to come...and now that it's here I am so happy to finally sit down and play with it.

The doilie rub-ons are so beautiful. The pictures don't do the colour justice! It's the perfect Hambly turquoise...I think it would go great with the Frozen Lake or Turquoise Blue Glimmer Mist.

Other new stuff on the page:
-Making Memories Vintage Findings...those gold thingys. This new line is unlike anything I've seen from them before. Lots of paper ephmera, vintage buttons, hat pins, ribbon, post cards and more. There are big and small packages with a variety of fun things inside, or you can buy packs of the same labels, buttons, or tags. The price point on everything is pretty decent, and Making Memories has some vintage paper lines that make for great scrapbooking and paper crafting.

- Making Memories Halloween Line...the litte word stickers. I love little words like this, and the Halloween line not only has some fun Halloween words - ghosts, monsters, boo - it also has some normal words like girls, buddies, fun, etc.

- Sassafras paper...the letters. The new Sassafras paper is all very awesome, a little quirky, and so very colourful! Each page is double sided, and has a decorative edge where the bar code lives.

- The other paper on the layout is Hambly (blue lace) and Basic Grey (grey spiders). Both of these are from new lines from each company. The Basic Grey halloween line is great...lots of neutral grey, black & ivory, with some punches of colour throughout. And the embellishments are fun as well. The Hambly lace paper comes in a bunch of colours and there are overlays to match. Other patterns include snowflakes, leaves, swirls and dress forms.
This layout is about how I had a really cool costume for Halloween but didn't actually get a real picture of myself wearing it! I went as the Nursery Rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock...I had a painted clock face and a handmade stuffed mouse on my vest. It was very clever, if I do say so myself. I'm going to add some journaling, once I figure out where it can go, and call it a day!

See you back next week...maybe I'll have an actual technique for you! If I can get my hands on some metal tools, I'm going to do a little 10 Second Studio project!

I have a couple of fun classes coming up, if you're interested in learning first hand some of the rad techniques I feature here. Altered Canvas runs on Tuesday, November 17th from 6-9pm. We'll be painting, using gel medium and gesso, Glimmer Mist and creating a cute collage for your house! The first time this class ran, it was a lot of fun!

Unleash Your Inner Artist runs next Saturday, the 14th from 10am to 1pm. This is the one I'm really looking forward to! We will be playing with paint, Glimmer Mist, colour washes, masks and stamps to create a whole bunch of fun and artistic backgrounds for future layouts or paper crafting projects! It is going to be a free form, go at your own pace class, and I hope every body becomes a little more adventurous in their scrapbooking and crafting afterwards.

To sign up for any classes, to reserve one of my rad new kits, or just to chat, give the store a ring: (780) 414-1540.

later skater alligator

the new kits are here! the new kits are here!!

2009-11-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

This month we have three kits again, put together by K.C., Victoria and myself. And they are so lovely! And there are still some in stock...hoorah!

I've already finished a bunch of layouts with my kit, and K.C. has for sure started on hers, I have the pictures to prove it!

So I'm going to post some here for a little inspiration...have fun!

Lisa's Kit: The Sky's the Limit

K.C.'s Kit, Yellow Brick Road

There are "ingredient" lists on the main TM blog, along with lovely pictures of all the contents of each kit. Call the store to have one put aside for you, or we can ship one or two or all three to you, anywhere you want! WOW...now that's service! Unfortunately, we draw the line at doing the layouts for you! HA!

Regularly scheduled programming will be back tomorrow...I've already completed my TOTW layout! That's crazy! It's nothing special this week, but hopefully it will whet your tastebuds for yummy things to come!

later skater alligator

Halloween Project

2009-10-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

My last Halloween project this year...maybe! I have an entire day tomorrow to make more little crafts!

It's a little "plaque" that I'm hanging on my door. I have a similar one that I made for Christmas...all with ink and paint and paper! It really puts me in the mood for the holiday, and now I know I will have a great craft to pull out next year as well. I'm using supplies that I already had in my stash, adding some paints and ink and lots of imagination!

You will need:

- piece of corrugated cardboard cut to size
- pattern paper, ripped into different sizes
- paint, ink, stamps, glimmer mist, etc.
- other Halloweenie embellishments...skeletons, pumpkins, black cats, bats, etc.

Start by gluing down pieces of pattern paper. I use gel medium, but you can use decoupage medium or white glue just as well.

Now, smear some coloured paints on top, one colour at a time. Then smudge them together using a wet paper towel or baby wipe.

Add some black or dark brown to pick up the texture of the cardboard. Using a dry brush technique works well for this, so you don't get too much paint, but enough to add some contrast.

Embellish...I'm using Riff Raff Designs chipboard bats and the word "Spooky", as well as some American Crafts black brads, Art Chix skeleton die cut, 7Gypsies mini door knob, Making Memories word stickers, and some random feathers.

On the bats I first applied black crackle paint, then once it had dried I sprayed it with a couple of colours of Glimmer Mist.

The word "Spooky" is painted with black crackle paint. You could emboss your shapes, or paint then add some Glossy Accents to really make them stand out.

And since I love love love dangle-y things, I added some keys and other random metal embellishments to a chain along the bottom of my canvas. Whenever I open my front door, it makes clanking noises...and with a little imagination they become spooky, ghostly chains of the ghouls trying to escape the underworld and give us a little haunting on Halloween!

Punch two holes in the top and string some tulle through. I tied a simple knot through the hole, then attached the other end of the tulle to a twig and hung it all on a push pin that remains in my door permanently for crafts like this!

enjoy! I'm going to try and be back this weekend with a Technique post using some of the new wonderful Hambly that has just started hitting stores. Until then, Happy Haunting!

good afternooon good evening and good night...

2009-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Technique of the Week today is a little something I "scraplifted" - that is, stole - from a super good friend of mine the Lovely Nadine. Nadine is always cooking up some lovely technique or album or card or decor thing on her blog Delite Designs, for the Riff Raff Design Team and for a class or two at Treasured Memories.

She created this lovely for the last Riff Raff release...which you can check out here...but for now, you're stuck with my interpretation of it! Putting a glossy surface on the chipboard first allows you to apply the alcohol inks, mix them up and play around without having them soak immediately into the surface of the chipboard and lose their natural, colourful beauty. Nadine is just clever that way I guess!

You will need:
- Crackle accents...Nadine used clear embossing powder instead, which totally works just as well and I have to give her props on that one because this is her technique and all!!
- A couple different colours of alcohol ink...I'm using Stream, Butterscotch and some other kind of yellow.
- Chipboard shape...I'm using the new "Thankful" from Riff Raff Designs

Step One: Cover your chipboard shape with crackle accents OR if you're doing it Nadine's way, stamp clear ink all over your shape, sprinkle clear embossing powder all over, then emboss it.
You'll have to let the crackle accents dry, which takes just 5 minutes short of forever. If you do it Nadine's way, it takes less time because you just have to wait for the shape to cool off. I myself am lazy and didn't feel like getting out all the tools required to emboss a shape, so I did it the slow, yet less complicated way. But remember my infamous advice: use what you got!

Picture #1: Just a smidge of crackle accents.
Picture #2: Covered in crackle accents...ooh la la! I can never be accused of not being thorough!

Step Two: You can apply your alcohol ink in a variety of ways. I used makeup foamies to smudge it around on the crackle accents, but you could use the felt applicators that Ranger makes to apply their alcohol ink, or you could use a Q-Tip...what does it matter to me?

Look at my messy fingers! You don't have to get messy while doing this technique, but usually the mess just finds me and since I don't mind, it doesn't matter. I'm still covered in paint from my creating session two days ago! Not for lack of showering!

Step Three: There is no step three. This is really a two-step technique...it just doesn't get any simpler than this. Let everything dry up nice and good, which doesn't take very long for the alcohol inks, and stick the finished shape on to your finished layout...like this!

And what's a post from Lisa without at least one crooked photo?

Enjoy, and make sure to stop by Nadine's blog and say hi! And thanks!

later skater alligator

Project #2...this week!

2009-10-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

This project is inspired by Elsie...you might know her as ElsieCake or from the line of scrapbooking products as Love Elsie or when she wrote that book, or won that big contest, etc. etc. I yoinked the idea from this blog post showing how to make a banner out of instant pictures. Well, I don't have instant film, or an instant camera, but I have lots and lots of pattern paper.

This is a super cute idea that, like most of the projects on here, can be changed to suit your mood, decor, theme or whatever! Just change up the papers and the word or words. It's cheap and eco-friendly because you're using up scraps, and it's super fun and wonderful! I love autumn, so I decided to make my banner to match some of my fall decor that I put up in my home recently.

Enjoy!

******

You will need:
- six different pattern papers, or however many you need for your word of choice...you'll need a different colour for each letter...I chose ones that were heavier weight so they would hold together better once I started cutting them.
- pen and scissors or craft knife
- wooden clothespins (small or large)
- wool, ribbon, string
-tape, nails, hooks (something to attach it to your wall)

Step One : Cut all your papers down to the size you want...mine are all 3.5x5. Lay your papers out in the order you want them. This might take some moving papers around until you get it looking good!

Step Two: Draw (and I mean freehand!) your letters on each piece of paper. They don't have to be perfect or anything. If you're really not keen on your drawing abilities, run them through the computer, BUT REMEMBER to use a really simple, block font or else you will have a heck of time cutting the letters out!

Step Three: Cut out the letters using scissors or a craft knife. Your letters don't have to be perfect...mine looked pretty rough once I cut them out, but on the wall you can't even tell!

Keep cutting out your letters...

Step Four: To attach my banner to my wall I am using masking tape and a piece of ivory wool. Masking tape because I don't need any more holes in my walls! And wool because it reminds me more of autumn and I have buckets of this around the house so I can afford to use it on silly projects like this one! You can guess on the length of string you'll need...but better to guess too long and have to cut some off, then guess too short and have to cut another piece!

Step Five: Hang letters with clothespins. Since there's no gluing letters down, you can move them around if you got the spacing wrong the first time. And you can leave the wool up and change the word whenever it pleases you.

My Autumn-Fall-Halloween Inspired Decor. The mantle is the only place in my house I ever really decorate for the holidays, so I go all out! And you can see my little Trick or Treaters there as well.

Hope you had as much fun with this as I did! It would also be great for a baby or wedding shower, or a birthday party with the guest of honor's name. I'm not big on Christmas decorations, but I can see a "joy" or "believe" or "jolly" hanging up there in a couple of month's time.

Thanks for stopping by...

Project of the Month

2009-10-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Now, I just don't post enough cool projects here! I want to remedy that this week with (hopefully) two fun projects you can do to add some fall flavour to your home decor!

Project Number One...I did up using some of the new Riff Raff Designs chipboard released this month. And you'll have to pretend you are reading this post five days ago, because that's when I meant to post it and then Thanksgiving weekend happened. Hmmm.

You will need:
- four 6x6 canvases (I buy mine in a pack that comes with some 12x12 as well, but I'm sure you could buy them on their own in as many number as you need!)
- scraps of pattern paper cut into random shapes (mine are all squares and rectangles, but you could try circles or hearts or whatever for a totally different look!)
- paint in a bunch of (coordinating) colours - greens in my case - and some brown and black paint as well
- brayer, foam brush, foundation makeup applicator pad, old gift card, whatever you want to use to apply the paint...I use all of the above!
- something 3D to embellish your canvases - in my case I used the new Riff Raff, but if you have some fun metal embellishments, that would be great as well!
- a picture or drawing of a little trick-or-treater. I drew/.painted the ladies on my canvases, but if you have some vintage images handy or can print them off your computer, by all means go for it! This project is whatever you make of it!

Okay...GO!!!
Start by gluing down a smattering of pattern paper pieces all over each canvas. I use matte gel medium, and it works pretty well. It's easy to apply, covers and adheres well, and stays really smooth. Remember that you don't need a lot of glue, just enough to tack things down. Too much liquid adhesive just means things get blobby and globby and take forever to dry!

Once this has dried, apply two colours of your coordinating colour paint to a brayer, plastic gift card, foam brush, etc. and start rubbing and brushing them onto the papers. Get into all the cracks and gaps and cover the whole canvas. Now take a wet paper towel or wipe and get rid of some of that paint. Uncover some of the pattern papers a bit, blend the colours together and make everything start to look nice and smudgy.

Keep applying and removing paint until you have everything covered nicely. Now go in with your brown or black and create some shadows. You don't need a lot of the darker neturals, just enough to create some depth to the piece.

As a finishing touch, I added some metallic, shiny gold gel medium sparingly in a couple of places on each canvas. It adds a touch of glamour and interest and anything shiny is wonderful, really!

Witchy Woman...what are you cooking up dearie?
Little Miss Muffett...along came a spider... Skully...while she mainly believes in aliens she's keeping an open mind to include other ghoulies!
And Tiger Lily, who for some reason just wants to be sideways!
I heart Halloween, in every way! From the costumes and the dress up, to the decorations and the fun parties, and the candy and treats especially! These little guys already have taken over some prime real estate on my mantle and they look wonderful!

I hope they inspire you to take on your very own "mixed media" project sometime in the future! And for those of you who might need a little help with that, I am teaching a Canvas class at the store this weekend. Call Treasured Memories to sign up.

Shout Out...
I am inspired always by the lovely Kelly Rae Roberts...it was the above collage and paint technique written up in an issue of Cloth Paper Scissors that first got me into "mixed media" art. Check out Kelly Rae's website and blog for more lovely works of art and inspiration! And ways to find the "possibilitarian" within!

Later this week I hope to have another fun fall project for you, inspired by another one of my favourite artists, that can be changed to fit any decor, theme, or holiday festivities!

later skater alligator!

Featuring...NEW Sassafras

2009-09-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

Be still my monster-heart! I have been patiently waiting for all the new fabulousness that is Sassafras to arrive in store...and it has paid off in spades!

Lots of bright colours and quirky patterns: classic Sassafras. Plus there's a sticker that says "That's How I Roll"...that's classic Lisa! I bought a bunch (a bouquet really!), and brought it home to play.

Layout the First. I used my hand as a mask! And while it is very orange now (very very), it was the cheapest and most accessible thing I could find! I used two colours of orange Glimmer Mist and my red Colour Wash. After it had dried a bit, I smudged some turquoise Glimmer Mist inside, then spattered some alcohol ink over top.

This layout is all about my name...

Page the Second, with another little Technique thrown in for good measure...

For perfect circles why not use coins as a mask. I grabbed my change jar, scattered some quarters, dimes and pennies all over my card stock, then sprayed with three colours of Colour Wash and Glimmer Mist. Because the coins are deeper than paper, they were easy to pull off without smudging the ink.

I hope you enjoy trying out some new stuff this week, wherever you might be. With all the change in the weather, it doesn't hurt to change up your scrapbooking as well.

I am submitting both of my layouts to different challenge Blogs today (if I get my butt in gear!).

WINNERS

2009-09-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Grand Prize is: SARAH

The runners uppers are: Kerri & Crystal

I'll be emailing you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Sorry it took me so long...I wasn't even very busy this weekend! Just forgetful.

Thanks to all for entering, and check back this week for a new Technique Post. I promise to have something new for you, cause I totally didn't last week and I am a giant goof ball!

TOTW - Recession Proof your Scrapbooking

2009-09-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All...how was your week? Mine was okay, but I have been doing a lot of scrapbooking so at least I have that going for me!! Plus, I got to work at the store on Thursday for the first time in awhile, and it was so much fun! All the new stuff we have been getting in is just awesome...but it can be overwhelming as well. I'm here today to offer you some tips on making the most of your scrapbooking dollar, while still being able to enjoy all the new fabulous product as well!

Try this:
- Use your scraps! This may seem obvious, but most of us have heaps and heaps of scrap paper laying around. I only ever use bits and pieces of pattern paper on my layouts, so I have piles of little pieces hanging around everywhere. A while back I organized most of my pattern paper into colour families, and my scraps have a similar home. Instead of always buying a new sheet of "must-have" paper, go through the stuff you already have...you might find just what you need there!

- Buy in bulk. Instead of buying a box of buttons, buy only the one or two that you need from a bulk jar. Creative Imagination's Creative Cafe line has every colour and style you could ever want, and they're only 5 or 10 cents per button. Same goes with ribbon...buy a yard for only a buck or two instead of a whole roll. Now not only did you save some money, you're not stuck with a bunch of product you don't want!

- Make your own...embellishments, pattern paper, flowers, etc. Paint is cheap, and for the amount of use you get from it, so are inks, sprays, colour washes, etc. Try revamping some of your old supplies by giving them a little spritz with some Glimmer Mist. Or making your own pattern paper using ink and colour wash. All you need is some cheap cardstock...I buy 25 sheets of white 8.5 x 11 at a time, and I am never bored with it! An investment in a couple of favourite colours will last a long time. Plus, these types of techniques always make for unique and creative layouts!

- Share supplies with a friend. Instead of each of you buying that giant pack of paper, split it in half. Not only will you save money, but you might get something that you wouldn't normally pick for yourself, and it's always fun to try new things!

- On a similar note, hold a "Swap Crop" where everyone brings some supplies from their stash that they just don't want anymore. Let all the participants "shop" from the unwanted items. You get some free, new-to-you product, you get rid of some of the old stuff in your stash, and anything left at the end of the crop can go to a charity group or school that might need the supplies. Everybody wins!

- Buy a kit. Every month the talented ladies at Treasured Memories put together three kits full of amazing, coordinating product worth about $50...and then we sell them back to you for $35! Not only do you get to try some new things, everything already matches so you don't have to worry about that, and you're getting a sweet deal! There are loads of other kit clubs online nowadays. And every one of them has something different to offer, so there's a kit to suit every scrapper. I'm always the first to recommend buying local before you "outsource" your shopping, but if you live in a town with no scrapping or craft store, this might be your best bet for sticking to a scrapping budget, while sampling some of the latest and greatest products as well. But do your research first...in a lot of cases the shipping costs are what kills ya!

There are millions more ways to save some green while still enjoying the best hobby ever! This is just the tip of the iceberg.

And now, on to the fun stuff...

At the last CHA Show, Prima Marketing released a line called "E"...this is their response to the economic situation facing us all. Everything in the release is classic Prima: jewels, gems and flowers! Great colours, great design, all for a great price...only $2.25 per pack!!!

I snagged a couple of packages from the store, added some scraps from home and created this simple, beautiful and economical layout.

You will need:
- flowers & gems, rhinestones, pearls, whatever suits your fancy
- white cardstock (in whatever size you like...this technique would also look great on Kraft)
- Spray ink or Colour Wash or Glimmer Mist and a mask (I'm using a chipboard shape)
- scraps of pattern paper, tags or stickers in coordinating colours
Using a Riff Raff Designs chipboard shape and some Adirondack Colour Wash (in Pesto & Lettuce), I created a great inexpensive background. I sprayed the ink over the shape, moved the shape over and did it again and again until I had covered enough of the cardstock. I already knew where my photo was going so I didn't have to cover the whole background. I spritzed a little bit of Stream Colour Wash on top to add some blue into the background.
Here's a close up of the Prima "E" flowers and pearls. I picked the white ones because by using spray ink or Glimmer Mist you can make them whatever colour you want! You only have to buy one pack of flowers, some spray ink and you're set to go! This not only makes each project less expensive, but more unique as well. All of the pattern paper I used were leftovers from previous projects. I cut them into irregular shapes and placed them around and under the edges of my photo to create a fancy frame. The ribbons and flowers add some texture and interest without being too busy. I might add some journaling in the Jenni Bowlin sticker at the top of the frame, but I'm going to leave off a standard "title." Wasn't I a cute kid!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Now what would a budget-friendly post be without a GIVEAWAY! I am here to help you make the most of your scrapbooking dollar, and freebies are the best way to do that!!! Up for grabs is a wonderful Prima prize pack, with a selection of flowers and gems from their "e" line. Not only do you get packs of the white flowers and blue & brown gems that I used on my layout, I'm also including some brights, rainbow, and great fall colours...most of the ladies who shop at TM (and work there!) would agree that you can never have too much bling or flowers in your stash!!

Enter to win by leaving a comment below stating your favourite way to make your money last. Make sure your email address is either in the comment or on your Blog profile so I can get in touch with the winner. I also have a couple of "runners up" prizes, including some of the new paper and embellishments from My Mind's Eye...sorry, no flowers there!

Everyone who posts a comment is eligible to win, no matter where you live (or where you shop!!).

Contest closes next Saturday, that's September 19th. I'll probably draw at name at the end of the day, so you'll have a full week to comment. Good Luck!!

TOTW - The Finished Product Part One

2009-09-08T20:46:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

As promised, here is the picture of my finished layout from my latest technique. I did a second layout with this technique for my September Kit (only two left for sale at the store!!) so I'll post that along with some other inspiration layouts this Friday.

until then...

TOTW - Ink Dots

2009-09-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't decide what to show you for a Technique this week. There have been so many new and wonderful additions to the store, providing a lot of opportunities for "Featuring..." and "Inspired By" showcases. But half the fun is coming up with new Techniques to use along side all the new stuff. I decided to combine a bunch of the fun new products in store with a tried-and-true Technique for a nice balance this week!

You will need:
- ink pad (I really like the Tim Holtz Distress pads because they are great colours, and they stay really bright once applied)
- foam or felt applicator (the wooden one pictured is from Ranger, but any foam or felt piece will work, include foundation makeup applicators!)
- magic mesh, dot mesh, whatever you have on hand (the strip I have here was a gift from a friend, so I'm not sure who makes it, but it has a nice big pattern and the top is plastic so the ink wipes right off after you're done.)

Step One: Get some ink on your applicator by rubbing it directly on to your ink pad.

Step Two: Place your mesh "mask" on your background paper. Holding it down firmly, rub the ink onto the paper over top of the mask. By applying the ink first to an applicator, it helps vary the intensity of the ink so you can have lighter and darker areas.

Keep applying ink over the mesh until you have the desired effect.

Now me being the genius that I am, I forgot to take pictures of the finished layout! Ha! Tomorrow when there's some good light out, I'll snap some pics then and post them up here.

Also on my plate this week...I created a fabby little September Kit for the store. All turquoises, oranges, greens and pinks...perfect to keep some summer flavour in your life as we move into fall! I've completed a bunch of layouts using product in the kit that I'm going to post here. Chantel's vintage-inspired kit is already sold out, but Victoria, the newest addition to the TM Team created a fun and bright kit that's still up for sale. I'll post some of their layouts here as well so if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one of the kits, you can check back here for some inspiration!

The new Riff Raff shapes for September are out...you can see all of them here and check back all month for some Design Team inspiration, including my layouts! If you can't get enough of Riff Raff, send an email to Ben and Kara...they might just feature you on their blog in a little showcase they call Riff Raff In Real Life.

until next time...

Featuring...New to You!

2009-08-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

This week I wanted to do a little feature showing some of the new lines to hit the store. I completed FOUR layouts with some new products from American Crafts, Jillibean Soup & Tim Holtz.

Just some simple layouts to get you inspired and excited about all the new stuff coming in from CHA...and there's plenty of it to get excited about!

Layout #1: "Cheese"
- Pattern paper from American Crafts & Jillibean Soup.
- Number journaling tags from Jillibean Soup
- Fleece shapes from American Crafts

Layout #2: One Craft at a Time
- Shiny chipboard sticker letters from American Crafts
- Badges from American Crafts (these are the little shiny buttons, and there are some for every new line!)
- Pattern paper & number journaling tags from Jillibean soup
- You can see just a bit of a new chipboard shape from Riff Raff Designs August Release...I used it as a mask for my Glimmer Mist. Can you tell what it is?
- Tiny little alphabet stickers from My Little Shoebox. The dark blue is from an older line, but they came out with a whole whackload of new bright and fun colours to play with.

Layout #3: "Camp Hair"
- Pattern paper from American Crafts (love those little pears!) and Jillibean Soup...I used the green numbers on kraft paper, but this pattern comes in a bunch of great colours and the kraft background makes it match everything!
- Fleece shapes from American Crafts...thicker than felt and with such a great texture...and cute too!
- Coloured Pearl brads from American Crafts. They came out with a whole tonne of different coloured rhinestone and pearl brads, sparkly buttons, multi-packs and more!
- American Crafts Thickers sticker letters. These ones are the sweetest shade of pink, and covered with a canvas-type texture so you could sand the edges of these bad boys to give a more distressed look.
- Newish cardstock stickers from Sassafras Lass. These guys are great for journaling, or just to add a little extra to your layouts.
- Background texture stamps from Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous. I applied the polka dot stamp using a Tim Holtz distress ink pad. Then I sprayed Lemon Meringue Glimmer Mist over the entire surface. The white dots you can see up top are thanks to the gesso I used earlier. It provides a resist to the Glimmer Mist.

Layout #4: Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows
- Pattern paper from Jillibean Soup. I dressed it up a bit with some Adirondack Colour Wash.
- Fleece shapes, pearl brads and Thickers from American Crafts

And this is really only the tip of the iceberg! American Crafts has FOUR new lines, including a super fabulous boys/sports line with trophies, stars and robots! And their Halloween and Holiday lines are also amazing! Lots of shine and glitter to be found. And our store is swimming in a sea of beautiful, wonderful Thickers...American Crafts answer to sticker letters. Every colour, shape and style you can imagine. They are fully awesome!

Jillibean Soup has released some of their best kraft paper yet...text, swirls, owls and the numbers I used above. All in a bunch of great colours that coordinate with pretty much everything in your stash. And their journaling tags were a best seller last time around. And this time they have release the number tags that I used, as well as all the months of the year! Woot!

Tim Holtz hit it out of the park again with the new release from Stampers Anonymous. Plus we received three boxes worth of new 7Gypsies stuff yesterday that I haven't even peeked at yet!

Get over to TM and check it out...even just for some inspiration. I challenge you to pick a couple of awesome pieces that will complement the stuff you already have at home. A little bit of new fun stuff never hurt anyone!

By the way...I only spent about $30 (I already had the stamps) and I made four pretty sweet layouts using my new product with a little help from my stash at home. Plus I have lots of bits left over to add to future projects. New stuff is so inspiring...it helps me get excited about creating again? What gets you excited about scrapbooking?

until next time,
lisa

P.S. I posted our Fall/Winter class schedule on the TM Classes blog. Check it out!

Oops!

2009-08-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well...I was going along so well! I was remembering to do posts and take nice pictures and everything! And then last week happened. Maybe I am in shock cause my little baby just turned FOUR! Or maybe I just totally forgot I had to write up a Techneek Post.

Oh my...

I'm so sorry!

I'm thinking something featuring this wall of goodies! The new arrival of American Crafts always makes me so giddy!

later skater alligator...

TOTW - Embossed Etc.

2009-08-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

I totally snagged this little gem from another scrapper...and it is quite wonderful!

You will need:
- Embossing ink pad (Versamark, Ranger, etc.)
- Embossing powder (I am using ZIG Blue Glitter)
- Heat gun (to set the powder)
- KI Lace paper (or any other die cut paper like it...the new Basic Grey Doilies would be neat to see used with this technique)

Step One: Lay your lace paper over top of your background paper. I'm only doing a small section at the top and a smaller section at the bottom. I don't recommend you use this technique over the whole background of your layout...just doing the small sections was a lot of work. On the example I saw first, she only did the bottom third of her layout, and adding her embellishments above the embossed section.

Step Two: Take your embossing ink pad turn it upside down and press it onto the surface of your paper over top of the lace paper. Make sure you get some ink in all the nooks and crannies of the lace so you don't have any (extra) bare spots!

Step Three: Sprinkle your embossing powder of choice across the ink. Tap off the excess.

Step Five: Use your heat gun and set the powder.

And the completed effect...

(scroll down to the next post...)

2009-08-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

For the original layout that I snagged this idea from...click here! Shabby Chic Crafts has a really cool blog (and shoppe!) and their DT is always coming up with some super cool ideas...check them out when you get a moment!

later skater alligator,

lisa

TOTW - Sweet Background

2009-08-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

This week I was inspired by a layout here. I think she used Jenni Bowlin labels, but I had these Melissa Frances ones handy, so I used them. As per usual I always recommend you make use of the stuff you already have on hand for my techniques, instead of always running out to buy something new. I'm so keen to help you make the most of your supplies!

This is a fun way to re-use some of your packaging and make a sweet background while you're at it!

You will need:
- die cut tag sheet (but you don't need the actual tags, just the sheet they come in!)
- spray ink (Glimmer Mist, Colour Wash, Maya Road, etc. etc.)

Step One: Pop all of the tags out of the sheet they came in and put them aside.

Step Three: Lay the tag sheet over top of your background paper.

Step Four: Spray your ink all over the sheet. I used two shades of red (one darker than the other) to add a little depth, but use whatever colours you have at home. I also like to blot off some of the excess ink before it dries. This way it looks a little more even, and the paper takes less time to dry!

This is what it looks like with all the colours on:

Ooh la la! Looks super cool on the Melissa Frances ivory grid paper!

And the finished layout. This is a little piece I'm going to display in my dining room.

Super Fab Note: I took my inspiration for this technique from Amanda Johnson. You can find more of her stuff on her blog: Heres looking at me kid.

TOTW - Little Pocket

2009-07-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Remember last week's post with the most awesome silver crackle paint? Remember that I promised you that I would show you how I was going to finish the page? Well here it is!!

My sister's wedding photographer gave her a bunch of little teensy picture books as a keepsake. And lucky me, I got one! And the idea to stick it on a scrapbook page came to me right away...but I had a find a creative way to do it.

You will need:

- Clear plastic sheet to use as your pocket. I cut up some scrapbooking packaging to use.

- A needle and thread. I'm using some embroidery floss, cause that's what I have.

Cut your clear plastic piece to the right size for whatever you're putting in it. Position it on the page where you want it. Start at one corner of the sheet with your stitching. I found it was easier to go down through the plastic and not up from the bottom. So just keep that in mind as you go along.
(Sorry about the crooked picture...)

This is the finished layout (well almost...I might add some bling and more ribbon). I didn't sew around the entire plastic piece because I want to be able to take the picture book out and look through it.

And here is a close-up of the little detail I did at the bottom.

This was super easy to do, nothing fancy or complicated here! Try it in as many colours as you can find and if you're not keen on the cross stitch, do a simple line or try something fancier. I am not an expert needleworker, so my stitching is fairly crude, but who cares! It's just fun!!

Next week I hope to show you what I've been doing with the rest of my layouts from Amy's wedding. It's my cleverest work to date!!

later,

TOTW - Metallic Crackle Paint!!

2009-07-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Finally finally finally the metallic crackle paint from Ranger came in! Yippee! So it bought it in both silver and bronze and I played with it right away and I really wanted to do a Techneek for you. So we are going to make a stencil today and paint it and it's going to be lovely!

You will need:
- acetate
- a Sharpie, Slick Writer or other permanent marker to draw your word on the acetate
- Craft blade and cutting board
- Metallic Crackle paint!!!
- Scotch tape (or painters tape) to stick the stencil down while you are painting it

Sorry about the crooked pictures...I'm not too sure why Blogger doesn't like me!!

Step One: Draw your message on the acetate. It doesn't have to be perfect or wonderful. Once you cut it out with the craft blade it will be even less so anyways!

Step Two: Cut out your letters with the craft blade. I can't find my real craft cutting board so I'm using a kitchen cutting board! It was handy!

Step Three: I think it's a good idea to kind of have your page planned out so you know where you want your stenciled word to go. I put down some rub-ons first.

Step Four: I taped my stencil down so it wouldn't move around when I started painting it.

Step Five: Start painting. I just daubed it right on. The thicker it is, the bigger the cracks will be. The best way to apply paint on a stencil like this is to start outside and bring the paint in. That way there is a smaller chance of the paint bleeding underneath the stencil.

Step Six: Here are all the letters all painted up. Leave the stencil in place until the paint starts to dry.

Then you can gently peel it up, and set the page aside to finish drying.

And here is the almost-finished layout.

And a close up of the paint. It stays so shiny and looks amazing once it's dry. You really have to see it in person to get the full effect! It is my new favourite, for sure!!!

Next week I want to show you how I plan on finishing this layout...with a fab little transparency pocket to hold my sister's photo keepsake from her wedding.

Additional Supplies:

- Hambly Rub Ons black frames

- American Crafts chandelier sticker

- Font Werks letter stamps & Distress ink pad (some kind of blue!)

- Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Denim and Moonlight

Featuring...CHERRIES!

2009-07-15T20:20:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness...I am so sorry this is so late! The days kept spiraling away from me, and it's almost time for the next Techneek post and I am so late with this! Please forgive me!

Here are the four layouts I completed with some of the fabulous cherry products around the store. There was so much more to choose from, but I am on a budget you know!!

Layout #1: I used some Graphics 45 vintage-inspired paper with lovely ladies, old cars, and cherries!

Layout #2, and you'll have to turn your head sideways to see this one (stupid Blogger not liking my giant pictures...). I'm using the Jenni Bolwin cherries paper as my background just to show you that cherries can be for cool boys too. I mean men...manly men!

I used a Heidi Swapp alphabet mask and sprayed it with some black alcohol ink in my ranger Mini Mister to give the paper a more edgy feel.

Layout #3 and #4 I used some new stuff from Cosmo Cricket. I love the vintage look to the cherries, but the colours are so bright and the designs are so fun they work on any kind of layout.

Again, sorry for the sideways layout! Argh!

Next time you sit down for a nice scrapping session, think of the themes of some of your product. Do you do a lot of birthday pages? Or maybe summer and sitting at the beach. This might help you the next time you're shopping for new stuff, or trying to combine products from different companies on the same layout!

************************

And since I left you hanging so long, right after this post I am going to get to work on the next post, just to make sure I have it ready in time for Friday!

this product is so delicious I can't stand it!! But you'll have to wait until Friday for my reveal! Mwa ha ha!

later!

Sweet Cherries!

2009-07-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

**We are experiencing Technical Difficulties today, and the post is delayed. Until then, here's a little intro I put together a while back! Enjoy**

Chantel and I were talking the other day about all the companies coming out with lines that have cherries in them. So we wandered around the store, checking things out, and I got a great idea for a post!

Here's a quick shot of a bunch of things we found.

I'll have my layouts posted soon. Check back, say, Sunday. Hopefully by then I will have found a working camera!!

later skater alligator

TOTW - Writing on Photos

2009-07-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

I know I know...I am so late with this post!! Where oh where has the time gone! I was painting my dining room on Friday, so this post got totally pushed into nowhere land! But here I am now, with a fairly simple Technique for you to try...

You will need:
- an American Crafts "Slick Write", Sharpie, Sakura Pigma pen, etc. etc. Pretty much any pen that is quick-drying and can write on Slick surfaces (like transparencies, stickers, and photographs!!)
- a photo

Step One: I suggest you write out your possible text on a scrap sheet of paper first. Check for spacing and - most importantly - spelling!!

Step Two: Write your message or title on your photo.

For a little added interest, mix in printed text with your handwriting. I cut up a "dismissal letter" from my personal files and keep the text around for just such an occassion! You could also use stickers or rub ons from your stash to mix up the fonts and change the look.

I will be back this week with some wedding-themed layouts...this is going to be especially fun for those of you who want to try a non-traditional approach to scrapbooking your wedding photos!

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This just in...

I have a bunch of leftover kits to sell from the last Scrapbook Savvy class I taught. $45 gets you all the supplies and paper you need to make SIX SINGLE PAGE LAYOUTS. Plus I've made it super easy for you and included full colour instructions with pictures and everything!

But there are only five kits available, so get yours fast. They are in store now, and ready to go home with you! If you are from out of town and would like a kit please call the store and we would be happy to ship one out to you.

You can check out a photo of the kit here...on the TM Classes site.

Most Exciting Project!

2009-06-25T09:38:00.001-07:00

I have been in a creative slump lately. It happens to everyone, and I am no exception! I have a huge mess of a scrapbooking space that I am just not ready to deal with, and I just haven't been motivated or inspired! But today I wanted to just create...no rules, no "layouts" or mini albums (or Techneeks!) or anything too complicated or requiring too many supplies.

I have been wanting to send some fun mail lately, so I thought I would take this opportunity to stretch my creative muscles and send one of my bestest friends a little "like-letter."

So I pulled out the crayons, and a repurposed envelope and got to work!

Here's the finished envelope...

Make sure you have enough postage for the size and weight of your package and that the address is BIG and BOLD and stands out from the fancy stuff around it! I drew a big square around where I wanted to write the address before I started drawing. That way I could leave the space blank thereby making the address easier to read. You can write the address on a separate sheet of white paper and attach after you decorate your envelope.

Keep in mind:
- I don't have a lot of other writing on my envelope...I figure that would distract from the important stuff like the addresses

- There is nothing 3D on my envelope...what's the point because it would probably come off in the mail! You could use stickers or rub ons, but I wouldn't stick any rhinestones or flowers on the envelope, unless you don't mind if they show up a little worse for wear on the other end!

- You don't have to be a great drawing expert to have fun with this project...pull out some magazines that your friend might like and make a collage with some neat images. Or have your kids draw a goofy picture to send to an aunt or grandma that lives out of town...or even in town!

- If you have older kids, maybe think about sending some fun mail to them. Include some nice words about how awesome they are, or a funny joke, or a page from their favourite colouring book. this would be especially awesome to receive on their birthday!

- Include something fun, but inexpensive inside your envelope. I went "thrifting" the other day and found a cool item I thought my friend might like. I probably spent $2 at the most! Maybe write a nice letter, a list of your favourite songs they should check out, or include some recent photos of a fun day. This way your friend won't feel obligated to run out and buy you an expensive gift to return the favour.

- PAY IT FORWARD...if you get something fun in the mail, don't be afraid to send a simple thank you note back, and then create your own fun mail to send in a different direction.

And here is a picture of me mailing it this morning! This was a super fun little project that didn't take a lot of time, but was well worth the effort! I enjoyed myself so much, getting in touch with my inner child, and I know my friend will love opening her fun little package when it gets to her in a couple of days. Oh, and I have no idea what "Paint.net" did to my picture...!?!?!?

I have blurred the name and address of the person getting my mail to protect her identity and also because I want it to be a surprise! Tee Hee!

later skater alligator

P.S. I know I'm breaking my own rules with a post on a Thursday (it is thursday right?), but here it is anyways!

Change Up

2009-06-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

There are going to be some changes happening to this Blog in the next little bit. There won't be any Project posts on Saturdays. And I'm moving my Techneek post date from Thursday to Friday...that's when they seem to be getting done anyways! With summer coming I know I like to spend more time outside, as I'm sure you do as well, and scrapbooking gets put on the back burner for a little bit!

Also, for those of you who follow my Classes Blog, I don't have any classes planned for the summer, but I know Trisha Ladoceur is teaching at the store again this month. You'll have to check the main TM blog for more details.

At the end of the month, watch for a BIG CHANGE to our online presence! And then we're off to CHA (not me personally...dang it!) and you can start watching for all the great new stuff to add to the Techneeks.

I'm also planning some "Guest Techneeks" where I hope to get some other members of our Design Team to share their tips and tricks with you!

As always, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions please leave a comment or email me! I love hearing from you!

later,

TOTW - Image Etching

2009-06-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

This week I am going to show you how to create a special background...using some sandpaper. Remember when you use to do rubbings of leaves when you were a kid? This is a similar idea, except using sandpaper to scrape away the face of the paper to leave a rough, etched image.

You will need:
- sandpaper, sanding block, file, etc.
- white core paper
- a chipboard or metal shape, basically something that is 3D that will create a nice etching

Step One: Grab your sanding tool and your shape. Put the shape underneath the paper, making sure you leave the side you side you want the pattern to show on, on the top.

Step Two: Start sanding over your image. You will need to hold down the paper so it doesn't move around and mess up your etching.

Remember that some shapes will show more detail than others. I just wanted the outline to show, so I wasn't too worried about the holes in the centre of my chipboard shape. Keep that in mind when you pick a shape to rub...and maybe do a test before you do it right on your layout!

I repeated the same steps a number of times up the side of my layout, just placing the chipboard shape randomly behind my paper and sanding again. Some of my etched shapes are sanded more than others, but I like the look.

TWO FOR ONE!! This is your bonus Techneek for this week! A Techneek within a Techneek post...wowee wow wow!!

Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. Now fold that paper in half and start drawing!

I drew a simple star/flower shape that sort of resembles the chipboard shape I used for my etching.

This is a rough doodle and doesn't have to be perfect. BUT I know there are perfectionists among you, so you can trace another shape, or use a pencil and keep erasing it until you get it just right!

Once you've got your shape drawn, cut it out. Because I only drew the shape on one side of the paper, once I cut it out and unfold it I have a full shape!

Ta-da!

You can doodle around the edge or leave it plain. I like extra doodles, so I added some simple lines around the edges.

This kind of embellishment is great because you can make it any size, colour, pattern, and shape to go along with the theme of your layout.

The finished layout!

Those keeners among you might notice that I used leftovers from last week's Techneek. Shazzam!

You could also try:

- After you sand down your shape, try spraying Glimmer Mist over top. It will colour the white pieces and add a little extra interest to the rest of the background.

- Rubbing over the shape with a crayon or pencil crayon.

- Once you're done etching, add your shape to your layout.

Happy Creating!!

TOTW - Transparent Layouts

2009-06-05T16:19:00.001-07:00

Oh My Gosh...I actually have a layout for you guys! And it's only a day late! (Instead of a week late! HA!) I stopped by TM this afternoon, went through my list of potential TOTW and got to work! So I have two layouts (one double, really) to share with you tonight.

I have always loved Hambly, and really, anything transparent. It's so versatile, and all around amazing! I have shown you how to embellish with transparencies, but tonight I am going to show you how to build your layout on to a transparency! Say what????

You will need:
- Transparency...Hambly is the original, but so many more companies are creating beautiful transparent papers eg. Little Yellow Bicycle, etc. -- okay, so I can't think of any right now, but i know they're out there!

- Some kind of glue dot, or liquid glue, or glue tape that is CLEAR so you won't totally see it if you glue a transparency on to a transparency

- Other fun stuff to stick on your page

- An adventurous spirit!

Step One: Yeah...there aren't really going to be any "steps" tonight! I just sort of "winged it" and made some layouts. I will show you a cool thing to try with embellishing a transparency with another transparency. Mostly I just think you should try it out, expand your horizons and what not!

Also, my pictures are kind of lame, so bear with me...it has been a long week!

The only real "techneek" in this post, is this guy. I really love the Hambly frame transparency. Basically, it's just a bunch of fancy frames on one sheet. I wanted to use this as my background, but I also wanted to add some more colour.

So...I took my Hambly red bicycles transparency and...

Put it on top of my Frames, traced around the frame I wanted to highlight (using an American Crafts Slick Writer so it wouldn't smudge on me) and...

Cut out the shape on the Bicycle paper so it fit perfectly inside the frame! Wowee wow wow!

And the finished layouts...

I love love love how this looks! It is simple and yet also so fabulous! And I left a little spot for journaling...I'm using some simple lined paper, cut in the same shape/size as my little pictures.

A little doodle goes a long way...Lucas had his last school field trip of the year at Safety City, hence the city skyline. And remember my tip regarding doodling: when in doubt copy. This cityscape is similar to the Riff Raff Designs chipboard. It was handy, and my brain wasn't, so I scraplifted the basic shape!

The ribbon and lace really adds some much-needed dimension to my layout, plus the colours are so bright and awesome!

I cut out a frame from the teal Hambly transparency sheet to set off my "fun" die cut. NOt only does it tie in with the colours, it also keeps with my transparency theme.

I hope you enjoyed this week's lame excuse for a Techneek! I hope to have a project for you tomorrow, but it's going to be a busy day at work...we are getting our photo taken for an upcoming issue of Canadian Scrapbooker!!! HAZAA!

Happy Creating!

Products Used:
- Hambly transparencies (red bicycles and teal frames)
- My Mind's Eye die cuts (words: "laugh" and "fun")
- Ribbon: Fancy Pants & Webster Pages
- oSticker letters: Webster Pages
- 7 Gypsies word stickers
- Assorted rhinestones`

Inspired By...a book jacket

2009-05-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

This week I was stuck. Just plain stuck for what I would show you today! I always seem to come up with the "best" techneeks when I'm not thinking about it! And I draw a blank as the deadline draws near! So when in doubt, I look for an ordinary item in my life to by "inspired by..." And this week it was one of my giveaway books. I keep a stack of these in front of y bookshelf when I'm done with a book and don't think I will read it again. This book in particular has a great graphic design on the front, as well as a great colour scheme! So I decided to see what I could do with it!

I started with the Heidi Swapp Mega Masks to make my star shape. And instead of using the negative of the mask, I'm tracing the shape directly on my background paper.

Next, I peeled the mask off and painted it the shape with some red to match the colours in the book jacket.

While my star shape was drying, I painted my Riff Raff chipboard. Just with some green paint. Then I added some Key Lime Pie glimmer mist to give it some pizazz!

I wanted to add some pattern paper to my layout, but I also didn't want to distract from the star shape. So I used my Heidi Swapp mask again to cut my pattern paper just perfectly to fit around the red star I had already painted on my layout.

The finished layout:

It's super simple (a new trend for me?) but it looks nice! The star stands out and makes a great background for the title. And the palm tree adds some contrast. Next time you are stuck for an idea, look to your bookshelf (or your CD rack!) for some inspiration.

later,

Inspired By...

2009-05-22T14:38:00.001-07:00

This morning I was lurking around some of my fave websites and blogs, and I was inspired by some of the art I found there.

Some of you might remember Elsie Flannigan from all her amazing work with KI Memories a couple of years ago. She has moved on to start her own online store, selling her art and crafts with some good friends! I have always admired her scrapbooking, and now find myself inspired by her art!

These paintings caught my eye, and I knew I could translate their geometric lines to my scrapbooking doodles!

You will need:
- Sharpie or other permanent black marker
- paper

Extras:
- paint
- crayon
- pen or felt marker

Step One: Pick a shape and draw it on your background paper. I like the diamond-type shapes Elsie used in her paintings. It doesn't have to be perfect, just do it!!

Step Two: Draw the shape a couple more times on your paper. I joined them together with a simple line between.

Step Three: Once you have finished drawing your shapes, you can colour them in with some paint or markers, pencil crayons, regular crayons, etc. etc. I used some basic craft paint watered down to add some colour to my shapes.
I used less water where I wanted the colour to be brighter.

And the finished doodle. With colour. Bright and nice!!

And the finished layout. Simple, but stunning!

I doodled the title and added some red paint and felt marker to add some extra colour.

photos of Elsie's art found on abeautifulmess.typepad.com and redvelvetart.com

TOTW - Heidi Swapp MEGA MASKS

2009-05-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Techneek this week features a new product...well sort of new...it's been out for awhile but I haven't played with it yet. So "new to me" is a better way of putting it I guess!

You will need:
- Heidi Swapp mega mask (I'm using the big stars)
- background paper
- Glimmer Mist (today my version is with Glimmer Mist, but scroll all the way down to the bottom for more ideas!)
- making tape, scrap paper or newsprint

Step One: Protect your workspace! I cannot stress this enough in any of my Techneeks. Glimmer Mist will wash out of most things, but why take the risk! Keep some of that paper and plastic handy to cover the edges of the mask as well.

Step Two: Position your mask on your paper. The mask is very sticky...very. So press it onto your shirt or the carpet to get some lint on it so it's not so tacky the first time you use it (Heidi's suggestion, not mine...but it's a good one!). Stick it down, making sure to pay special attention to the areas you will be spraying.

Step Three: Make sure the rest of the mask is completely covered. The Heidi Mega Masks have many masks on one sheet, so cover up all but the one you want to show. I use old Treasured Memories paper bags that I tack down with masking tape. Glimmer Mist has a tendency to get everywhere! Especially in places you don't want it!
See how I've covered everything but the big star I want to spray. Nothing else is showing.

Step Four: Spray your mist. I'm working with two colours today: Daffodil and Orange Sherbet (I think...don't quote me on that!). I'm doing each colour on a different star, but you could combine colours on the same part of the mask for a shadow effect...which would look really cool too!

Spray until the shape is covered to your liking, then blot off the excess with some paper towel. This means less mess when you pull the mask off, and helps blend any areas of the Glimmer Mist that might have pooled.

Step Five: Gently, GENTLY, pull the mask off your paper. GENTLY! You might want to first pull of the protective sheets of paper or plastic, if you used any.

NOTE: I totally pulled some of the first layer off my background paper. I think it was bound to happen, as the brand new mask is very tacky to start with! The more you use it, the less this is likely to happen. But it just added to my overall messy effect, so I wasn't too concerned about it!

If you are going to do another shape on the same background, wait a bit for the first shape to dry. I found that when the shape was still wet, the mask pulled off the surface very easily, as you can see below.

Complete all the steps for the next shape, and let it dry.

And the finished layout! I love how the stars turned out! To really showcase them, I outlined them roughly with a black pen, and continued the doodling around the edge of the page.

I also added some black spray paint and teal and yellow alcohol ink (squirted on) to complete the messy look.

You could also try:

- Using ink, spray paint, acrylic paint, etc. to create the effect.

- Layer multiple masks on the same page. On the back of the package there's a great example of this.

I was inspired by some office supplies today, while at the office...ah ha...and decided to complete a layout at work!!! It can be done!!! I used labels, self-inked stamp (smiley face :-), masking tape, a paper clip and various other items you might find in excess at a dental office! My learning experience? Never use re-inker on it's own on a page...it's way too wet and takes forever to dry and in the meantime gets all over your hands and tabletop and then on your other papers etc. etc. etc.!!

The labels on this page inspired the labels I used on my Techneek page...so I thought I would share. Inspiration can be found anywhere...including in your very own scrapbooks!

Later skater alligator. I'll be back tomorrow with a project...theoretically!!

Hey There!

2009-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

I got so excited over my giveaway last week, I forgot to do a Techneek! Oops! I have started on one, so I'll get it finished and up this afternoon...I promise!

For those of you who won a prize last week, if you haven't emailed me PLEASE DO! I have a whole stack of prize packs sitting in my dining room waiting for a new home!

later skater alligator!

MORE WINNERS!!

2009-05-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Full of the National Scrapbook Day spirit I have decided to award a bunch more prizes!! I have paper and ribbon and other assorted goodies for the following lucky ladies!!!

CINDY...who commented both on the Main Blog and on my Blog...way to go eager beaver!!

MTWILKS...a screen name I can only hope is a combo of initials and last name...cause you need some more vowels!!

VERONICA...I {heart} you!!

ALISON...eleven layouts and counting!...who says you can't have a budget AND have fun!!

ELECTRA...hope you have fun going through your own stash!!

LISA...hey that's my name too!!

TAMI...we all have so many extras...and now you have some more!!

CRYSTAL...sometimes simple is best!

LISSAME...haven't seen you in the store in awhile...maybe I'll get to hand-deliver your prize!!

BLANKIEFINDER...how many stamps do I have to put on the package to get it to the UK!?!?!? I'm betting it's more than two!

SANDY...I do so love to share!!

Okay...so that's my uber-lame way of saying EVERYBODY IS A WINNER TODAY!!

So if all y'all could email me your mailing addresses I can get your packages out to you asap. And since this blog works on the honour system, I'm going to trust that you are who you say you are!! lisakercher@gmail.com works just fine, or send one off to the Treasured Memories email (whatever that might be...it's posted on the main blog) and Chantel will pass it along to me.

If you live in town, or are coming to Treasured Memories in the next little bit, I will leave your package there for ya! I am so excited to get some budget busters out to everyone! We gave out so many door prizes at the crops in the last two days, I am totally in the giving mood! Plus I get to shop for other people!! And put together ELEVEN more goodie bags! WOOT!

There will be a new techneek this week, Thursday as per usual...and I'm thinking something fun and "spring" themed...but don't ask me what because I have no idea what I'm going to do yet! (as per usual!)

later,

Update...and a winner!

2009-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

So we've sold out of Juli's kit...oh my!! And we're running low on Spring Fever AND both the Boy and Girl "Cuddles" kits. So if you had your heart set on any, give the store a ring and we'll set some aside. And we will ship...

National Scrapbooking Day is a success!!

And the WINNER of my little give away is...AMY! Email me your address and I'll get your prize out to you ASAP!

And thanks to everyone for playing along...I do have some more prizes to award, so check back on Monday for the "runners up."

May's Kit

2009-05-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

"Spring Fever"

My first kit in a long time...and I had a lot of fun putting it together! I hope you have fun with it as well!

Check out the originals in store...they look much better in person!

Treasured Memories will ship kits...wherever you may be...so if you want one call the store! (780) 414-1540. But do it soon...our kits sell out every month! You can also be put on a special mailing list, to have a kit set aside for you every month...you can decide if you want it once you see it!

Everything in the kit is hand-selected by a member of our crack team, and all told the product itself retails for about $50 but you get it in the kit for $35!! WOWEE!
_______________________

I will post the WINNER of my giveaway later today...it's a great prize so make sure you leave a comment!

You don't need to have a blog to comment, and you don't need to say anything witty or funny or special or anything.

There is no code word, or skill-testing question...you could just type "I like free stuff" or "Gimme Gimme" or "Please pick me"...it's all good!

and so on...

2009-05-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Blogger is being goofy and won't let me edit my last post...argh!

What I'm trying to say is:

Both kits are great this month! Tomorrow I will post pictures of my completed layouts for the Spring Fever kit here. And then I will fix the pictures and post again!!

The other kit (Vintage Journey) was created especially for you by Juli. My best Saturday bud is leaving TM (sad face), but before her last shift she put together this wonderful kit full of her favourite products. It is pure Juli, at her finest! She's also creating some layouts with her kit, which I will be sure to post here once I get my hands on them! We'll miss you Jules!

Check out pictures of both kits on the Main TM Blog...link here

More "More Bang for Your Buck!"

2009-05-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more layouts I made using my $20 worth of new stuff. I'm pretty much out of Thickers!! And I only have a bit of raggedy paper scraps left. But I do have two flowers remaining...the pink and the purple! Go figure!

And...I am so excited...National Scrapbook Day is THIS WEEKEND! I am going to be at the store both days...my hubby is so not excited about that! To boot, my first TM Kit in a long time will be making it's debut for sale! WOOT!! It is so bright and fun and ME! Here is a sneak...
I have already completed 10 layouts using the kit, and will post them all here on the weekend. I will warn you that my pictures are kind of bad...I only noticed the giant shadow in them on the last picture...duh...so I will be re-taking them soon enough! Also, you will be able to get up close and personal with them at the store!

And since we have started releasing two kits every month, I will give you a hint about the second one...Juli. That is all.

__________________________

And remember...you still have one day left to post a comment HERE to win the lovely $20 Mini Kit!

Good Luck!

More Bang for Your Buck!

2009-04-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

A.K.A. all the cool things you can do with less than $20 worth of new stuff!!

With the way the economy has been taking us for a ride lately, it can be tough to buy the new stuff we want and love. But it's easy to buy a handful of fun supplies and make them go a long way and work with what you already have on hand. That way you can still have some fun with the pretty new things that have been arriving daily at your LSS, but you won't break the bank in the process.

So, during my last Saturday shift at Treasured Memories, I took a browse around the store looking for some fun new supplies that I knew could work with a bunch of different themed photos and different colours. And I stumbled upon the new Lime Rickey line from Basic Grey. It is awesome! And bright! And is so my style!!! I picked four patterns from the line (and it was super tough I tell ya!), and then found some bright Prima flowers and new lime green lace, and some awesome yellow American Crafts Thickers letter stickers.

The key here is to pick papers and embellishments that will work with what you have at home. Note: there is one extra sheet of paper in my pile that isn't pictured here. It's from the new Making Memories Just Chillin line, and it's just lined paper with some green doodling on it...see if you can spot it in my layouts down below!

I love bright colours, crazy patterns, and lacy ribbon. I also find that I love using flowers on layouts, even ones of my son, and I am a total collector of all things American Crafts, so Thickers were a natural choice. This small basket worth of stuff might not seem like a lot, but with it I got my "new stuff fix", and I spent less than $20!

I challenge you to put together your own mini shopping spree!

Step One: Look through your more recently completed layouts and be honest with yourself - what colours or types of embellishments do you use most often? What is the predominant fixture in your "collection"? Some people love bling (not me!), but others gravitate towards flowers or die cut shapes. It may be fun to buy that crazy new thing that everyone has, but maybe doesn't suit your style...BUT you might never use it! And then it's a waste of your money, and nobody likes that!

Step Two: Take a trip to your local scrapbook store with a budget in mind. $25 to $30 is a good starting point. Walk around the store once without picking anything up. Once you have made it back to your starting point, think of the paper or embellishment line that really caught your eye. Now go back to it.

Step Three: Grab four different patterned papers from that line. They don't have to match perfectly, as in my case, and if there aren't four different patterns in the same line, mix and match similar patterns from different lines.

Step Four: Find some embellishments that go with the colours found in the paper line. Remember the exercise from Step One and choose a package of embellishments that best fit your taste. Flowers are a great choice, as are tags, die cut shapes, sticker words, or multi packs with a little bit of everything! And don't forget your budget! If you can't choose between a couple of different things, really be tough on yourself and realistic - which one would you use more??

Step Five: Pick out a sticker letter set that goes with your paper and embellishments. When in doubt, pick black, brown or white - neutral colours will go with anything you picked out or have at home.

Step Six: Pick some ribbon that goes with your paper, embellishments and letter stickers. I like to buy ribbon by the yard because you get just enough to add to a couple of pages, but not too much that once you`re sick of it, you`re stuck with another two yards!!

Take your new fun stuff home, grab some photos and get to work!

Extra stuff you might need from home:
- Solid colour cardstock. I personally never use coloured cardstock anymore! Only black, white or kraft. That way I never have to match a colour to the paper I bought, or put completing a layout on hold becuase I don't have the exact right shade of pink to use as my background! When you're at the store, stock up on neutral cardstock.
- Stamps, ink and embossing powder. I used a new Prima background stamp, in a brick pattern to liven up my white background paper. I also used an old stamp of a dumptruck and updated it with some sparkly embossing powder!
- Pens. Doodling and journaling are simple ways to add interest and personality to your pages. And inexpensive! Buy a couple of good pens in a variety of thicknesses, and they'll last you through a lot of layouts.
- Punches. I have two sizes of circle punches, and I always turn to them in a pinch to make the most of my pattern paper.
- Buttons, rhinestones, brads, rhinestone brads, etc. Everybody I know has a tonne of brads and rhinestones in their stash. Pull some out that go with the paper and other embellishments you bought on your mini shopping spree. Chances are you have some that match!
- The only other extra thing I used from my stash were some Hambly transparencies. I keep all of my Hambly scraps! And I had some circles and wood grain in the right colours that I used to add a little extra interest on some of my layouts.

So far I have ELEVEN layouts finished, and lots of supplies left! Here are eight of the ones I've completed so far. For the most part they are super simple, but they get the job done, allow me to add some journaling so I remember the moment, and get through the stack of photos I have from my last vacation!

If you want to see the layouts in person, I have posted them at Treasured Memories on our display wall (right when you walk in). The colours are so vibrant and bright, they make me happy to just look at them!

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But wait, there's more!!

Leave a comment here and you will be entered to WIN my little kit!! WOO HOO!! That's five pattern papers, a set of American Crafts Thickers, a yard of lime green Prima Lace, and a pack of colourful Prima flowers all for FREE, all just for reading this little Blog!

This kit will inspire you to pull out vacation photos, pictures from the lake, the splash park, pictures of your kids splashing in a rain puddle, you name it, and help you bring a little Spring colour into your life after this long winter we're having!

You will have until next Saturday (that's May 2nd...National Scrapbook Day) to leave a comment for your chance to win! HOORAY! I will post the winner's name here...if you sign up to Follow this Blog you'll be the first to find out if that's you!

Happy Creating!

P.S. I have some unclaimed prizes kicking around my house. If you are either Jan or Sharon, you are already a winner! If you haven't claimed your prize by the close of this contest, I will re-award them to the runners up! Sorry, but the Spring Cleaning Bug has hit my house and I just can't stand to see these supplies sitting around not being used!

TOTW - Heidi Swapp Invisibles!

2009-04-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

So if you were ever in any doubt how AWESOME Heidi Swapp is, look no further for proof! Her new line of Invisibles is so awesome! So rad! So amazing! I defy you to find anything to fault here! And so I will do a page, and show you just one way to use this fab new product!

You will need:
- new Heidi Swapp Invisibles paper
- Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in a variety of coordinating colours
- a wet paper towel or baby wipes (to wipe off the excess Glimmer Mist)
- newspaper or cardboard to protect your work surface

Step One: Lay down some newspaper, old paper bags or cardboard on top of your work surface. Glimmer Mist tends to get a bit messy...in fact I had a dream the other night that I had been spritzing Glimmer Mist to my heart's content against one wall at the store, only to move some furniture and discover a giant smear of pink all down the wall! Not that this could happen in real life, but you get the picture!!

Invisibles are cool because they are pretty much just a white sheet of paper with a pattern embossed on to the surface. This creates a slick surface that resists whatever ink or paint you decide to throw at it!

Step Two: Spray your lightest colour first (mine is yellow) and cover the entire background. After yellow came orange for me, and I made sure to leave lots of yellow showing.
When you've finished spraying one colour, wipe the excess Glimmer Mist off the shiny parts on the paper. That way the "Invisible" part will stay nice and white through all the applications of Glimmer Mist. TIP: Do not use tissue to wipe off the excess Glimmer Mist as I did...it will just leave little pieces of tissue all over your paper! Instead, try wet paper towel or baby wipes!
Here's the paper after the yellow and orange have been applied.

Keep adding colours until you like what you see!

Close up: this is still wet, but you'll notice that I have some dark and light areas that create a really beautiful background full of depth and life.

And the finished layout:

The possibilities for this stuff are endless...Heidi has come out with a bunch of different patterns of Invisible papers, as well as pattern chipboard and letters. It really is too awesome - customizable everything!!

Happy Creating!

Featuring...Making Memories!

2009-04-11T13:27:00.001-07:00

So, Making Memories is never a hard sell. Never ever! But I thought I would feature it here before we completely sell out! To prove to you that it did exist!

Making Memories' two most recent lines are Just Chillin Boy and Just Chillin Girl. These lines are full of colour and shiny goodness!

Lots of rad embellishments to choose from, including button brads, metal signage, shiny alphas, and die cuts. And the paper is so sweet! You've really got to see it to believe it: doodles, guitars, shiny stars, butterflies, crowns, etc. etc. etc.

And since the colours of both lines are complimentary, you've got lots of mix-and-match options!

And this is just the tip of the iceberg! I've left lots of stuff for the rest of you!

Happy Creating!

TOTW - Distress With Tape

2009-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many tools and gizmos and contraptions you can buy nowadays to distress your paper and pictures. But I found a cheap and easy way to do it with some clear tape...

Note: I print my photos at home on my Canon printer, on HP matte photo paper...this Techneek might not work the same on other paper or ink. But it doesn't hurt to try!

You will need:
- some clear tape
- your picture

Step One: Lay the tape on the edge of your photo and press it down.

Step Two: Pull the tape off.

Step Three: Repeat around all the edges of the photo.

And a close up...
This looks really cool on my black and white photo, but you could easily repeat the process on your colour photos as well!

Happy Creating!

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And Congrats again to Alison, who won herself this super rad prize pack!! WOO HOO!

This weekend I plan on showcasing some new Making Memories, so check back on Saturday for the full meal deal.

And...have you heard about this little thing called National Scrapbook Day?? Treasured Memories has lots of fun things planned, so if you're going to be around that first weekend in May, check out the main blog for all the details!

later,

Fancy Clothespins

2009-04-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...it doesn't sound all that exciting, but it is I promise! This is one of those little projects that gets you making something, gets you playing with paper and glue and fun little things without any pressure and any timetable...just plain fun!

You will need:
- wooden clothespins
- pattern paper
- Ranger Glossy Accents (or clear embossing powder)
- other little things to embellish, like flowers, buttons, etc.

Step One: Trace the shape of your clothespin onto your pattern paper. Wooden clothespins aren't perfect so it won't be a perfect rectangle. Even after you trace it and cut it out, you might need to do some more trimming to get a good fit.

Step Two: I inked the edges of my paper before I glued it down, but you could skip this step or even distress the edges with some sandpaper.

Step Three: Use your standard scrapbooking adhesive to glue the paper down, then coat the entire top with glossy accents. To save yourself some time, add your embellishments at this point while the glue is still wet.

These little guys are super fun to use to hang your wet clothes, or you could use them in a fun art project...I've been eyeing my metal clothes hangers for awhile with a special purpose in mind!

I have a couple of clothespins stuck to the cupboards in my kitchen and I use them to hang up my new layouts or something that has been inspiring me lately.

Happy Creating!

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And the Winner is...

ALISON!

Congratulations! Now, I don't have a prize set up just yet, as I couldn't find anything good in Dallas! Can you believe it? So I'm going to throw some cool travel stuff together and send it off. So Alison, please email me your address and I can get your surprise package out to you. Thanks to everyone who left a comment.

TOTW - DIY Pattern Paper

2009-04-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all! I'm back! This week my Techneek is pretty low key, but it's a good do-it-yourself idea if you want to make your own pattern paper or paper embellishments.

You will need:
- Alcohol ink in a variety of colours. They can be different shades of the same colour or colour family, or an entire rainbow. I'm using four colours: yellow, orange, red and green
- A paper towel
- Some glossy photo paper. Or matte, or any old paper with a shiny, glossy surface.

Step One: Put some alcohol ink on your balled up paper towel. Start with your lightest colour. I'm only applying it in a small area because I know I am going to cut it up once I'm finished. If you want a larger sheet of paper, apply more alcohol ink to a larger area. I really like the texture that using the paper towel gives the ink.

Step Two: Keep adding your colours, first to your paper towel and then on to your paper. I followed the yellow with orange, then red, then green, using less of each colour as I went along. I wanted yellow to be my base, and the others to be accent colours.

If you want to go back in and add more of one or another colours, do that now.

I completed two layouts using the little bit of pattern paper I created.

You could also try:
- Using mesh or a sponge to apply the alcohol ink. This will give you a different texture than the paper towel did.
- Use only two colours of ink for a really dramatic monochromatic look
- Use a mask, and apply your alcohol inks over top.
- Use your pattern paper to make some fun die cuts with.
- Make a bunch of different sheets with different colours and mix and match them on a layout.

No idea what my project is going to be on Saturday, but I think I know what my next Techneek will be! I have noticed that a lot of my layouts have been looking very similar to each other as of late! I want to see if I can come up with a cool idea to shake up your layouts and share that with you next week.

later,

Project of the Week - Colour Theory

2009-03-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are familiar with the Lisa way of scrapbooking, you should know by know that I love colour! But I also love monochromatic layouts and projects...and I also love reusing things. The Project this week combines all of my faves in one!

And it's the big reveal for some Techneeks I've been posting the last couple of weeks...now you'll finally get to see the finished product!

You Will Need:

- Some old Heidi Swapp packaging...anything of hers that came in the 12x12 hanging bags
- Black cardstock
- Embellishments and paper sorted by colour - I'm using three different colours for now, but you can do as many of these little guys as you want!

I did one "layout" for each person in my family...pink is me, blue is Lucas and green is my husband. The great thing about using the packaging is that it comes with a built-in hole to hang it, and the plastic protects it from dust and sticky fingers!

Notice how the big pink Prima flower is on the outside of the bag. I wanted there to be a dimensional aspect to the pieces...especially since they are going to serve as home decor...once I get them up on my walls!

You'll notice I did the same thing with the felt flower on my hubby's layout. I wanted his to feel more masculine, but still fit with the other layouts so I used a small felt flower.

I pulled embellishments that corresponded with the colour I was working on, and just started creating!

I made sure to decorate the top of the package to cover up any product-related words!

You could also try:
- Using smaller packaging and hanging some in your office or cubicle
- Add pictures of things your child likes and use these hangings to help them learn their alphabet or practice spelling
- Do a hanging for every colour of the rainbow!
- Change the pages out with the season! (You might want to avoid gluing things to the outside of the packaging if you want to exercise this option!)

Happy Creating! And Happy Spring Break to my fellow Edmontonians back home...

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I am still in Texas, but I will be back this week. And to celebrate my homecoming I am going to do another giveaway...something I'm bringing back from my trip! And it's a SURPRISE! So you'll just have to trust that it's something good, and post your comment here for a chance to win!

Any comment left between now and the time for my next Project post will be entered! (that's next Saturday, April 4th)

Good Luck! And see you soon!

Inspired By...COMICS

2009-03-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Watching all those amazing Watchmen commercials the past couple of weeks has made me really want to check out the original graphic novel. And after I went out and bought it, it got me thinking about graphic novels and comics and how beautiful and inspiring they are! They have great design elements on every page and with every line of text, and the colours and characters...well it's a gold mine really!! So I decided to do a little page up using my new favourite Watchmen novel as my starting point!

Things to look for:
- Graphic novels and comics are usually set up in a grid pattern, which translates really well into scrapbooking. Copy a page layout from a comic book and slot your pictures and pattern paper into the squares and rectangles.

- Text and dialogue in graphic novels are usually in small boxes or quote bubbles. Breaking up your journaling into smaller bits and pieces makes it easier to tell your story, especially if you're not a strong journaler!

- The white borders around the illustrations in a graphic novel allow for easy reading and while each box stands alone, they also have power as a group. Now don't pull out your rulers for this, but try adding some white space around your photos or pattern paper on the next layout you do.
- Take inspiration from the bright (or muted) colours within a graphic novel or comic book. The colours are chosen to set the mood of the story...just as the colours you choose for your layout help tell the story behind your photos.

In my layout, I kept things very simple and monochromatic. I loved the large chapter title that stretched across the entire page in my Watchmen novel, but I didn't have a large photo to put beside it. So I flipped my layout and mimicked the small grid on the facing page using pattern paper and my smaller photo. I also used the standard comic book tactic of sticking my text in precious little white boxes (which I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE). And keeping my sentences short and to the point I think I get my point across without overwhelming the page with writing!

So let something other than another scrapbooking layout inspire you this week. Try flipping through your favourite non-scrapbooking magazine or looking through your children's picture books. Inspiration is everywhere!

Happy Creating!

TOTW - Stamping on Painted Chipboard

2009-03-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love the new Riff Raff Monograms...they're the March release...and I had to come up with some new ways of using them aside from the standard paint/Glimmer Mist. I'm really jonesing on the new Prima background stamps, so I thought of putting the two together to see what would come of it!

You will need:
- Chipboard shape (I'm using the new Riff Raff monograms)
- paint (I'm using your basic craft store acrylic)
- A background stamp (I'm using the new Prima brick pattern)
- black ink pad

Step One: Paint your shape the colour of your choice and let it dry. To really allow the pattern of the stamp to show, think about using a lighter colour of paint.

Step Two: Ink up your stamp and apply it to the painted shape. Think of what your pattern looks like before you apply it...if there are there blank spots you'll want to position your stamp on the shape so the stamp's blank spots aren't right on top of your shape!

Step Three: Keep stamping on your shape until it's appropriately covered. And let it dry!

You can further ink the edges of the shape to give a little bit more definition, but otherwise we're done here! The finished layout will be revealed on March 28th...

You could also try:
- stamping in different colours on a white-painted shape
- use a white ink pad to stamp on a dark colour...you'll need to really let that one dry as the white pads are usually super wet!
- use a letter stamp that matches your big chipboard monogram...that would look so cool to have a bunch of little "g"s on my big G!!

Happy Creating!

P.S. Check out the Riff Raff Blog for more How-To ideas for their chipboard shapes!

Featuring...American Crafts

2009-03-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

*edited: SORRY SORRY SORRY...I forgot to upload the photos before I left!! Duh! And then I forgot that I forgot! So I will have a new Techneek for you on Thursday, with pictures and everything! I promise!!

Drool...Swoon...the new American Crafts is here! And boy-oh-boy have they really outdone themselves! Buttons and rub ons and super new Thickers fonts and colours and materials...it's really amazing and you have to see it to believe it!

And since I can't get enough of that wonderful stuff, I've got a couple of layouts to share with you today.

Happy Creating!

Better late than never!!

2009-03-13T09:08:00.001-07:00

Right? Right!?!

For all of you who left comments to win the Tattered Angels chipboard, this is the post you've been waiting for!!

The winner is...drumroll please...

Sharon!

She left the following post on the Treasured Memories blog:

"I have recently purchased Tattered AngelsGlimmer mist and a few chips. Can't wait to use them. Looking forward to learning more about them. "

Congrats Sharon! If you are in town, I am leaving your prize at Treasured Memories and you can pick it up there. If this doesn't work out for you, email me your address and I will ship it out to you when I get back from holidays at the end of the month!

Thanks again to everyone for playing along. I've got another post ready to go on Saturday, and even though I'll be away you can keep checking back here for new Techneeks and Projects and all the good stuff you've come to know me for!

later,

TOTW - Stamp On Canvas Paper

2009-03-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

The *new* Claudine Helmuth canvas paper is super awesome...I can't believe it took me this long to start playing with it! Rumor has it you can print photos on it, and make cool painted or inked embellishments...but today I am going to show you how to stamp on it using some of the new Ranger stamps (which are also awesome!)

You will need:
- a stamp of your choice (I'm using the new clock face from Ranger)
- ink pad (I'm using black)
- Claudine Helmuth sticky back canvas

Step One: Get your stamp all inked up.

Step Two: Stamp on to the canvas as you would on to paper, making sure you press down firmly on the stamp so the entire image transfers. Lift the stamp off.

Step Three: I'm using my image as an embellishment on a page that will be revealed to you at the end of the month...and I wanted the image to stand on it's own, so I cut it out. It's up to you how you use yours, but if you are going to cut it out some nice sharp scissors work best!

Finish it up with some clock hands and a brad, and off you go! I love how the edges are a little frayed and the image looks a little bit distressed!

You could also try:
- painting the detail of the image to finish it off
- spraying with Glimmer Mist to colour the canvas before stamping...the ink might bleed into the Glimmer Mist so keep that in mind!
- stamp multiple images in the same colour or the same image in multiple colours

Happy Creating! And I'll see you back here next week for another sneak peek of my "big reveal" at the end of the month...more stamps, but this time on some chipboard! Ooh Aah!

Shadow Box

2009-03-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Why not show off some of your collection of buttons or cool stickers or bottle caps or other shiny pretty things with a simple shadowbox. These guys come in every shape and size and colour and can be dressed up or down depending on your mood or your decor.

I happen to like calendars and buttons...and Riff Raff!! So my shadow box has those things in it. When I get tired of looking at it, it's simple enough to get another background cut and put together another inspiring assemblage.

Happy Creating!

And the winner is...

2009-03-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

Bree

Lucky Girl! Email me your address and I'll get those cool Glimmer Screens out to you, with maybe a little added "Love Lisa" Bonus Surprise. Ooh...Ahh!

lisakercher@gmail.com
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What...??

Is that another giveaway I see in your hands?

Why yes, yes it is!!

This time I've got some tattered Angels Glimmer Chips to add to one lucky reader's stash!

This particular box is from the Vintage Seasons Collection (ooh la la), and the box is telling me they are called "Frosty Memories." Read: lots of snowmen, icicles, skates and skis, a sled, a shovel, snowshoes, you get the idea! These fabby little guys are perfect for those "snow day" pictures.

Same "rules" apply as last time. Leave a comment on the Blog and you get a chance to win! I'll announce the winner next Thursday...from Dallas, Texas - WOOT - where hopefully there will be no snow!! And I'll have an Internet connection!!

TOTW - Rainbow Connection

2009-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

This technique started out as a total mistake, as most techniques do, but the end result was so wonderful that I knew I would have to share it!

You will need:
- a rainbow of Glimmer Mists: red, yellow, green, blue, pink or purple
- white cardstock
- a brayer

Step One: Protect your work surface and your clothes. Glimmer Mist is water-based and will wash off, but it's still messy!

Step Two: Spray the first colour of Glimmer Mist (red) on the far left side of your white cardstock...three squirts out to do it. Now quickly use the brayer to spread the ink up and down on the page. Roll it right through the Glimmer Mist without lifting it off the page. If you didn't apply enough Glimmer Mist for it to cover from top to bottom of the page, spray a little bit more and spread it out with the brayer again.

Step Three: Spray the next colour (yellow) right beside the red, and use the brayer to spread it out again. The two colours will blend at the edge...and that's what we want!

Step Four: Continue spraying each colour in order and spreading with the brayer until you reach the other side of the page.

Step Five: Finish your layout! I chose embellishments that matched each colour in my rainbow, still keeping it very minimal. This fun techneek provided the perfect background for some photos I took of my colourful art wall at home...on a day when I was very colourful myself!

You could also try:

- Making stripes out of only two colours! Just alternate spraying the two on your background for a more monochromatic look.

- Start your rainbow at the bottom or the corner instead of the side of your paper

- Take a photo of a rainbow after a storm to add to your beautiful background...us northeners might have to wait a couple of months for that shot!!

- Take photos of a red item, yellow item, green item, blue item and purple item from around your home or work...preserve for the future the rainbow that is your life!
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You have until 10 pm (MST) tonight to post your Comment for a chance to win some awesome Glimmer Screens! I'll see you back here and post the winner around 10:30!! Good Luck to All!

I'm Your Biggest Fan I'll Follow You Until You Love Me

2009-03-01T10:42:00.001-08:00

In regards to my project of the week...I put it on my other Blog (duh!). And I can't find it in Picasa so I can't just re-post the pictures here from there.

So just bear with my blonde-itude for a moment!

Click on the link below to be whisked away to my other post:
Lisa's Quote Album

Just scroll down past my usually witty banter, and you will see the lovely grungy mini album I made to house some inspirational quotes. My friend KC gave me a little album she made and this was the perfect use for it!

Try This: pull out "all" of your embellishments, sticker letters, paper scraps, Glimmer Mists, and paint that are the same colour and do a mini album using only those items! My little book is ALL browns and greens...and it looks amazing!

Disclaimer: I put the word "all" in quotations because I know we all have a lot of supplies in every colour; More than would fit in any sized album! So when I say "all" I mean pull a whole bunch of your favourite supplies in the colour of your choice...but not actually, literally ALL of them!!

And I will post the winner of the Glimmer Screens in Thursday's Techneek Post...so get your comments in even if it's just "I Was Here"
_______________________________

Note: The song lyric in the title of this post comes from Lady Ga Ga's Paparazzi . Nothing like some good tunes to get you through a busy Sunday!

Happy Creating!

Inspired By...

2009-02-28T18:48:00.001-08:00

Here are some beautiful spring colours to get you out of the February doldrums!

See you back here on Thursday for a new Techneek inspired by these colours!

Until then...

Featuring...Jenni Bowlin

2009-02-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

With all the great and amazing new product scheduled to hit the store in the coming weeks, you should anticipate a lot more Featuring... spots!! Especially with the new Jenni Bowlin in the store. All of her stuff is always inspiring and fun to play with! But get it while you can...this stuff flies off the shelves like flies.

Her new line is very "Americana" with lots of cherries and stars, with blue and red dominating the colour scheme. There is even a journaling with a cow and the word "moo" on it!! Love it! One of the new items to hit the shelves are her pattern chipboard buttons...with text and pictures and ledger paper, they fit any style and are super fun! And her new stuff coordinates quite well with all her "old" stuff...which we also got restocked because I think all the TM girls are Ga-Ga for Jenni!

With that, here is a little extra Techneek to go with my Ga-Ga For Jenni layout!

Remember alcohol ink? Remember that it works on slick surfaces...like stickers? I desperately needed to change the colour of these stickers (I have a "thing" with mixing white and off-white), so I grabbed some Terracotta alcohol ink, an applicator felt thing and the wood applicator handle thing (all very technical terms...) and altered my sticker. Check it out...

Put ink on your applicator. You don't need a lot at all...a little goes a long way in this case!

Smear and smudge and rub your ink all over your sticker. I liked the swirly effect mine had going for it.
The finished sticker is very orange (hey...I like orange) and matches my layout much more to my satisfaction!
At any rate here is my completed layout...I got a new iPod for Valentine's and I wanted to commemorate the moment. I used the Starbucks "Pick-of-the-Week" card as my jumping off point. (Note: if you have an iPod and shop at Starbucks I highly recommend these little gems...a free song per week and usually it's a goodie! Plus they have free Wi-Fi so you can pick it up right there!)

Here is a close up of the Jenni letter stickers - there are a bunch to choose from and all have text or ledger pattern within the letters - and the pearls. I used a whole pack of pearls on my layout because they are my new best friend and are so cool and I really want to be seen with them so their coolness rubs off on me a little. Swoon.

I sprayed Peach glimmer mist and splattered some watered down black paint and Terra Cotta alcohol ink all over my background to add a little "rock star"

This line would go great with heritage or vintage photos, but as you can see from my layout her stuff also looks great alongside the latest of today's technology! Have fun exploring all that Jenni has to offer. See you Saturday...maybe I'll get my last Project post up as well and it will be a two-for!

Until next time...

Supplies:
- Jenni Bowlin: Pattern paper, label sticker, letter stickers, pearls
- Making Memories wordfetti stickers
- Assorted Ribbon
- Ranger alcohol ink
- Peach Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
- Claudine Hellmuth black paint

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Don't forget about the giveaway! Everyone who leaves a post anywhere on the blog between now and next Thursday has a chance to win some Glimmer Screens from Tattered Angels. Good Luck!

Get Your Freebies Here...

2009-02-24T10:47:00.001-08:00

I feel so bad that I missed the Project this weekend, so to make up for my guilt it's Giveaway Time again on the Blog! I have had these super cool Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens sitting around for the longest time, just waiting to be used for a Techneek. But they never made it out of the bag...so I want to pass their awesome-ness on to you, my loyal readers!

Please post a comment below for your chance to win! I'll be drawing the winning name on Thursday, March 5th so that gives you a little over a week to enter.

Good Luck!

And I'll be back on Thursday with another Techneek...I have a neat one using Glimmer Mist that I'd like to share!

Treasured Memories Projects & Techneeks

WE'VE MOVED!!

Drumheller Album

Bonus Technique and Some New Stuff!

Road Trip...and a Delay

Postcard Part 3

Postcards Part 2

Projects Using Postcards

Kitschy Digitals & Goods...mostly goods!

Kitschy Digitals & Goods

love is in the air (pt. 3)

love is in the air (pt. 2)

love is in the air (part 1)

Fabric Yo Yo Flowers

Schedule of Events

Ten Second Studios

Where have I been?

Jenni Bowlin & Embossed Papers

Miss Me?

TOTW - Yarn Sweet Yarn

A Technique & A Shameless Plug!

TOTW - Feathers

Mish-Mash

*new stuff*

the new kits are here! the new kits are here!!

Halloween Project

good afternooon good evening and good night...

Project #2...this week!

Project of the Month

Featuring...NEW Sassafras

WINNERS

TOTW - Recession Proof your Scrapbooking

TOTW - The Finished Product Part One

TOTW - Ink Dots

Featuring...New to You!

Oops!

TOTW - Embossed Etc.

TOTW - Sweet Background

TOTW - Little Pocket

TOTW - Metallic Crackle Paint!!

Featuring...CHERRIES!

Sweet Cherries!

TOTW - Writing on Photos

Most Exciting Project!

Change Up

TOTW - Image Etching

TOTW - Transparent Layouts

Inspired By...a book jacket

Inspired By...

TOTW - Heidi Swapp MEGA MASKS

Hey There!

MORE WINNERS!!

Update...and a winner!

May's Kit

and so on...

More "More Bang for Your Buck!"

More Bang for Your Buck!

TOTW - Heidi Swapp Invisibles!

Featuring...Making Memories!

TOTW - Distress With Tape

Fancy Clothespins

TOTW - DIY Pattern Paper

Project of the Week - Colour Theory

Inspired By...COMICS

TOTW - Stamping on Painted Chipboard

Featuring...American Crafts

Better late than never!!

TOTW - Stamp On Canvas Paper

Shadow Box

And the winner is...

TOTW - Rainbow Connection

I'm Your Biggest Fan I'll Follow You Until You Love Me

Inspired By...

Featuring...Jenni Bowlin

Get Your Freebies Here...

new stuff