I bought Making Memories’ Distressing Kit recently and I’ve been having lots of fun with it. I was using it to antique some pages in a mini-book I was working on and I was very happy with the results. I definitely recommend it, especially if you only do distressing occassionally - but make sure to pick it up when Michael’s has a 50% coupon going!
Making Memories has some great “how-to” videos on YouTube - here’s the one on how to use the kit:
I was at scrap camp last month and I won the geek-of-the-weekend award. Why? ‘Cos I didn’t bring any scrapbooks or paper or stickers or trimmers - just my laptop! I decided to dedicate the weekend to learning StoryBook Creator and doing it while my Creative Memories consultant was around to coach me. I’ve already raved about the program (see below!), so now I’ll just show you some of the results.
This set was done using CM’s Everyday Power Palette and the pre-designed pages. I believe these were the first ones I did.
Much as I used to say I’d never get into digital scrapbooking, well, never say never!
I bought Creative Memories StoryBook Creator and, oh my god, I am forever sold on it! It is so easy to use. Honestly - it’s logical and intuitive (if that isn’t a contradiction in terms!) and incredibly versatile. It’s like they took some of the best features of Photoshop and the other popular apps and merged them into a far more accessible and user-friendly format.
CM’s pre-designed templates let you simply drop in some pics and, voila, you’ve got a great looking page. Or, you can use your own graphics and create a page from scratch. The price is reasonable and the add-on templates from CM won’t break the bank either. And, believe it or not, CM also has tons of free layout templates on their website that you can download!
Say what you like about Creative Memories - they may be slow on the uptake, but once they decide to do something, they do it better than anyone else!
And they’ve finally converted to true 12×12 sizing!
Well, that was a long three months….hah. Avoid developing sciatica - it sucks.
The one upside to not being able to sit was that I did a lot of shopping! I found some terrific stuff for my eBay Store! I’ve added a bunch of K&Company Grand Adhesions and stickers,Karen Foster stickers (that would look great on a heritage page or decoupage project!)
and more of ProvoCraft’s no-longer-available Qwikit pages.
You can see everything in my store from my blog here.
Even though it may look like it, I haven’t abandoned my blog!
After I got back from my vacation (see below!), I almost immediately developed a pinched nerve in my lower back which is making sitting at a computer painful to say the least.
My doctor says this usually takes around 3 months to heal (if you’re lucky), so I’ve got about 6 weeks to go
I’m still keeping up with eBay, but my blog and my gaming have been put on temporary hiatus. Once I can sit for longer than 20 minutes, I’ll be back!
I’ve haven’t been posting much lately because my life has been rather, well, challenging of late.
I’m going away for a few days on a well deserved vacation and I’ve put my eBay store on vacation mode as well, so the links here on my blog back to my eBay items won’t work til I’m back.
Just so you know that those listings to the right for the get-rich-quick-on-ebay schemes aren’t mine!
Every year I swear I’m going to make all my Christmas cards and most years I run out of time and end up buying them. Or, like last year, getting them printed for free at VitsaPrint and then sending them out on December 20!
My problem is usually just getting everything together and organized. Once I’m going, I’m OK. This is a useful article I found on getting better set up for a real card making fest. I like the second tip - do each feature in batches and run it like a factory. Card making piece work. Sounds wonderfully efficient!
Rubber Stamps : 10 Great Tips For Making Multiple Cards
by Kathy Williams
You know the feeling. The kids have tons of demands, vacation is just around the corner, that big project at work is eating all of your free time. How will you ever make those handmade cards for the big party, or mail the invitations for the guests at the big wedding? What started out as a great idea for some very special cards has turned into a stressful project. These ten simple steps will maximize your time and free up your creativity when making multiple cards for any size project.
Determine and plan your cardmaking schedule. Do you want to set aside a few hours or just 30 minutes at a time? Pick a design suitable for the available time. Make a simple “assembly line” schedule to maximize the time you have to spend on the project.
Work on individual elements, individually. It may sound silly, but working on one element of the cards will retain the “look” of the cards while creating a “unity” among them. Start by stamping all of the impressions, then work on cutting out all of the backgrounds, folding all of the paper, tearing all of the sheets simultaneously. You don’t want to spend too much time on any one card.
Have a party! Kids and relatives love to involved. Make the work fun and don’t be overly concerned about the smaller details of the project. You will ultimately put all of the individual components together, giving you plenty of time to add any special touches. Working together with other people will also add a new level of uniqueness to your cards.
Stop writing. One of the most frustrating tasks of mass producing cards is hand writing messages. Find “handwriting fonts” available online, at your nearest craft supply store, or your local computer store. Sign the finished card or pen in any details or RSVP information as you would with a store purchased card.
Use a paper trimmer. If you need a fast way to make background frames or trim down embellishments, scissors just won’t cut it! Stacking paper in 5-10 sheet groups and trimming all at once will provide perfect multiple shapes. Often, your scraps can be stacked in such a way to trim them into usable pieces with a trimmer. Rotary trimmers will also allow you to add perfect “scalloped” edges to the base of the card(s).
Punch It. Remember your time is valuable. Whether it’s a heart, circle, flower, even a fork and spoon, your local craft store will have a perfect punch for the card. Cutting out shapes by hand is tedious and rarely looks well. Circles can be particularly difficult.
Stamp, Stamp, Stamp. When placing stamped images on a card, use one stamp at a time and make as many impressions as needed. Don’t clean stamps or switch colors until all of the cards have been stamped. This keeps your ink pads from becoming “mixed” and makes the impressions uniform.
Avoid difficult embellishments. I am sure that rows of bows, lines of brads, or glued dots would look wonderful on each card. Finding a simpler alternative will save you hours. Paper tears, taped bows, even stylish stickers can be just as attractive without the hours of difficult handy work.
Customize backgrounds. If you absolutely must have a “look” provided by a stamped background, make a “master” copy on white paper EXACTLY how it should look. Scan the paper design into a computer at 300 dpi. (If you’re already confused, spend a minute with the scanner manual.) Print onto colored cardstock or paper. When done properly, no one will even notice!
Have fun ? with a budget. These are the two biggest factors when mass producing cards. You don’t want to get partway through the project only to realize you have far overspent your intended budget. That special patterned paper and those cute hologram stickers can max out the cost of the cards. Alternatively, when the project simply becomes a duty, it is unlikely you will ever finish. Remember to always plan lots of time. After all, this is by far the greatest hobby in the world!
Kathy Williams is a rubber stamp addict! She writes informative rubber stamp articles that focus on techniques, trends, and styles. From chalking, antiquing, crimping, trimming, inking, and even shadowing, her ideas are sure to inspire hours of stamping creativity. Find more of her great ideas, stamping articles, and favorite rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstampingfun.com
Well, this week’s freebie is actually a link to a list of freebies, but what a list it is! DigiFree - The Digital Scrapbooking Freebie Search Engine uses an automated system to search blogs for digital scrapbooking freebies and then posts them (with images) for all to see and download. What a great way to find free layouts and embellishments - no wonder this site is Top 50 Scrapbooking Blogs number 1 site!
I really like MME products, especially the page kits. Lovely designs and colour schemes, with great embellishments. I’ve got a few of the Kaleidoscope and Second Avenue sets listed in my eBay store and I’ve got a bunch of the Magnolia I’m going to list soon. Take a look below to see what I’ve got in stock!
You can create beautiful pages for your scrapbooking with all kinds of material. Take bubble wrap for instance - most people use this product for packaging items so they don’t get damaged. Did you know you could use it for scrapbooking?
All you need is an inkpad or two, scrapbooking paper and a piece of bubble wrap (your desired size).
Load the bubble wrap with ink in the color of your choice and press it firmly onto your cardstock using a twisting motion. You will be left with little circles in various shades.
You can use this for a cute background pattern on baby pages or maybe a “water themed” page. Add variety by using different colors and placing your bubble wrap in various locations on the page.
Bubble wrap stamping is fun, easy and cheap. Once you master this technique yourself it might be something children may enjoy too.
