TOTW - DIY Pattern Paper

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

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...

_____________________________________________

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

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

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

*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!!

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

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!