Kitschy Digitals & Goods

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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!!